People who never saw great athletes play frequently can’t believe the claims about them. We’ve seen this recently with some who doubt that Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single NBA game, apparently because there’s no video. In 1962, though, not only was the NBA not on TV a lot, TV cameras looked like this (he did score 100, by the way, as his teammate, Al Attles, attested).

More recently, there is a bizarre theory that Babe Ruth didn’t actually exist because, again, there’s not much video. Well, of course there wasn’t much video in the 1920s.

This is what those sorts of cameras looked like about 100 or so years ago. You had to advance the film manually, there was a lot of technical expertise involved, the film wasn’t necessarily cheap, and you also had to have a certain level of expertise to develop it.

And of course you had to get lucky to an extent because it’s not like they filmed every minute of every game.

Which brings us to a more recent misunderstanding: could Larry Bird play in today’s game?

Which is a really dumb question.

The argument is that Bird was too slow and too unathletic to play in today’s game, which is just foolish. People had the same concerns when he came into the league in 1979. There were plenty of freak athletes in the NBA in the 1980s – Clyde Drexler, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, and Michael Jordan, to name a few. All of those guys have talked about what a nightmare it was to play against Bird.

Beyond that, though, today, Luka Doncic and Kon Knueppel are slow, unathletic players, and they’re thriving.

Also, in the 1980s, guys like Bill Laimbeer and Charles Oakley made their living essentially mugging opponents. In today’s game, you can’t do that.

But that’s not the main reason Bird would thrive.

It’s true that he wasn’t fast or athletic by the normal definition of those things, but his hands and his mind were extraordinary.

He made decisions incredibly quickly and ruthlessly, and he moved the ball like no one else has ever done.

Look at this collection of some of his best assists, and ask yourself: could he do this in today’s game?

And the only answer, with the rules favoring the offense, is yes.

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Still making my way through the Atlantic Division as I explore the world of basketball around us. I feel like LeVar Burton doing Reading Rainbow, except instead of riveting children’s stories, I’m learning about why nobody has won back-to-back titles since the Golden State Warriors last did it between 2017 and 2018. One of those teams that had an opportunity and squandered it is the Boston Celtics, who won in 2024 and then suddenly have a roster that looks markedly different than that squad.

Golden State and Boston played twice last season with Boston winning both. Jaylen Brown had a triple-double in one and dropped 32 in the other. Brown was the one lighting the match both times, much to Golden State’s chagrin. But it makes sense as Brown was Finals MVP two years ago and finished sixth in MVP voting last season. He’s 29 and in his prime, and led the Celtics after his running mate Jayson Tatum got injured.

So naturally, Boston’s offseason move was to trade him. And Boston sent him to their division rivals in Philadelphia for Paul George and four draft picks: two firsts, two seconds. FASCINATING. I mean I love Playoff P’s game as much as the next guy, but I did NOT see that trade coming.

So what’s the roster now? Jayson Tatum, still working his way back from the Achilles tear that cost him the first 62 games of last season. PG13, on an expensive deal, with health a real question at this point in his career. They’ve got Mitchell Robinson and Neemias Queta manning the paint, with the timeless wonder Mike Conley running point at 38 years old.

But I wonder if that means the Celtics didn’t just trade Jaylen Brown; did they trade title contention this year too? What does Boston know about Jaylen Brown that the rest of us don’t?

Brown and Tatum won a title together and Brown’s the healthier player as of late. Unless Brown is constantly acting like the smartest guy in the room (lol) every clue in my mind keeps coming back to money. Reading between the lines, this feels less like Boston souring on Brown as a player and more like Boston deciding it couldn’t afford him at the same time as Tatum and everything else on the books.

If that’s the real answer, it’s a lot less interesting than “we don’t believe in him anymore,” and honestly worse for the rest of the league, because it means the sixth-place MVP finisher is walking around for the price of an expiring vet and picks purely because of the way the new cap rules bite. I defer to an SB Nation article by Ricky O’Donnell to shed some light on this topic:

The simple version for why the Celtics traded Brown is because he’s a good player, but a bad asset. He’s owed $180 million over the next three years, and the Celtics decided their team wasn’t good enough right now with him on that deal to win a championship. Why did the Celtics trade Brown? I don’t think it’s because he believes he’s the smartest guy in the room, or because they couldn’t repair the relationship. It’s more because Brown finished with a -1.6 RAPM last season. By time decay RAPM, Brown ranks No. 270 in the league. 

Well if his RAPM was so bad why did Boston just throw him a farewell block party?! We’re talking ten thousand people on Boston Common and a key to the city. Did you see that street sign that says “Jaylen Brown Way”? They traded him in July but they named a street after him in August. Boston, pick a lane!!

He’ll walk back into that building wearing a Sixers jersey this season. Good luck figuring out whether that crowd is supposed to cheer, cry, or boo. So thanks, Boston. You finally found a way to stop Jaylen Brown from kicking the Warriors’ (regular season) ass in a Celtics jersey.

In the spirit of Bill Simmons and his NBA trade-value rankings, I wanted to rank the Utah Jazz players by how valuable they are as prospects.

Just like with Bill Simmons’ trade value rankings, this isn’t ranking players from best to worst (even though that is a consideration) but rather a list of who is the “most untradable” based on multiple factors. From Bill Simmons, here are the considerations:

Rule no. 1: Salaries matter (more than ever in the Apron Era, by the way).

Rule no. 2: Age matters.

Rule no. 3: Contract length matters.

Rule no. 4: Happiness matters; so does durability.

Rule no. 5: Bizarre real-life trades SHOULD affect the list.

Rule no. 6: Concentrate on degrees.

Basically, you can sum this up as the likelihood that the Jazz will trade this player. With that out of the way, let’s get started.

10. Josh Green | 26’ $14.6m | Age 26 | Drafted 18th overall

With a list of players ranked by how untradable they are, the first on the list has to be the guy who was signed because of how tradeable his contract is.

That said, Green does bring a lot to the table as a role player. He has good size at 6’6” and shoots 42% from three. He’s not all-defense, but he’s a positive defender. Considering all of that, and that he’s still just 26, he has a chance to make himself much more untradeable. Although, in a weird way, him playing well makes him more tradeable? Look, it’s a weird paradox here, and I don’t know the witchcraft that can help him. But let’s just say Green playing well helps the Jazz in a variety of ways, whether it’s winning games or helping Utah make a big trade come trade deadline.

9. Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk | 26’ $3.8m, 27’ $4.0m (Team Option) | Age: 29 | Drafted 47th overall

If this were a player ranking list, Svi Mykhailiuk would be higher. His shooting is consistently great, and he brings a fearlessness backed up by real production. His contract is also incredibly affordable. You could argue the value you get for the cost makes him one of the best values in the league.

The defense is the biggest liability here. If he was more impactful on that end, he’d be even more untradable. Ironically, if Svi wasn’t so low in salary, he’d be more tradable. His $3M+ contract is difficult to move because it’s hard to find a salary match for Svi with comparable winning production. Unless Svi is added to a multi-player trade, it’s not likely to see him be moved.

8. Isaiah Collier | 26’ $2.7M, 27’ $4.9M, 28’ RFA | Age 22 | Drafted 29th Overall

This is a tough one. Collier would typically be higher in the rankings because of his age and lower salary. The issue is that Collier hasn’t proven he can shoot the three consistently, or that he can impact the game in a winning way. Dunks and threes has him as a negative on the offensive and defensive end with a -3.6 overall EPM. What does that mean? He’s the #553 ranked player in the league.

Alllllll that said, Collier is in the 98th percentile in assist rate. He’s also just 22 and is still in the “potential” zone as a player. He’s tantalizing enough now that there may be a team interested in that potential. The best case for Utah is if he can improve while on the Jazz and can become the third guard in the Jazz rotation.

7. Josh Okogie | 26’ $6M, 27’ $6M | Age: 28 | Drafted 20th overall

Okogie was a nice addition to the Jazz this offseason with the sole purpose of improving Utah’s defensive intensity. Okogie has also shot 38% from three last season. If he keeps up that production, it makes him incredibly valuable. Like Mykhailiuk, Okogie’s contract isn’t big at $6M, so he’s probably only going to be in a multi-team deal if that happened.

But Utah isn’t as interested in moving this contract unless they have to. Okogie is the perfect type of role player for the Jazz.

6. Brice Sensabaugh | 26’ $4.8M, 27’ RFA | Age: 23 | Drafted 28th overall

This was not on purpose, but I like that Brice Sensabaugh comes in at #6 on this list because he has the potential to be a fantastic 6th man in the league. Sensabaugh has got to work on his consistency, but on some nights you’ll see Sensabaugh play and he’ll look like one of the best shooters in the league.

Sensabaugh is a career 38% shooter and shoots 45% from the field. He’s also not just a catch-and-shoot player, he can handle the ball and score in the mid-range. He’s the type of player that can get you 30 on any given night. That type of scoring punch is really valuable off the bench, and the more that Sensabaugh develops alongside Keyonte George and Darryn Peterson, the more likely he is to be a valuable contributor.

5. Lauri Markkanen | 26’ $46M, 27’ $49M, 28’ $53M, 29’ UFA | Age: 29 | Drafted 7th overall

Here’s where things get interesting. Markkanen is one of the more proven players on the Jazz with his three-point shooting, his transition play, his cutting, and his improved mid-range post game. The Jazz have had him as the cornerstone player during the entire tank and now come out of it with Markkanen proving to be a complementary star rather than the focal point of a winning team. And when I say complementary player, that’s not a slight. Markkanen, when he’s playing well, is one of the best off-ball players in the league on the offensive end.

The issue with Markkanen is that he makes a LOT of money for a complementary player. For a team that is not interested in winning, that’s not an issue. When you’re playing to win, that salary can get scary. If Darryn Peterson and Keyonte George look like a star duo next year, Markkanen looks more expendable. If Ace Bailey takes off, it might be only a matter of time before a move happens.

4. Jaren Jackson Jr. | 26’ $49M, 27’ $50M, 28’ $52M, 29’ $53M | Age: 27 | Drafted 4th overall

Jaren Jackson Jr. was easily the biggest surprise from last season. In a year where fans expected to be losing games to get the best player possible in the draft, the last thing they expected was to trade for a former All-Star and DPOY.

Utah’s biggest need this upcoming season is more defense. Jackson’s two-way ability is exactly what Utah needed, as well as some proven star power and veteran leadership on the floor. Jackson is arguably the best player on the Jazz, and Utah was able to get him for three picks, which shows just how valuable he is. But that does mean he’s tradable. Jackson is in the middle of his prime on a max contract, and Utah is hoping he can find his DPOY form this year. If he does, it takes Utah to another level. If he doesn’t and isn’t living up to his contract? We might start seeing some trade rumors. That seems extremely unlikely. Utah has the firepower to allow Jackson to focus on what he does best and doesn’t have to be the focal point of the offense. That would put Jackson into the complementary player category. Utah can only have so many complementary players on the roster making max money. At some point, Utah will likely have to choose between Jackson and Markkanen.

3. Keyonte George | 26’ $6.5M, 27’ RFA | Age: 23 | Drafted 16th overall

No one on the Jazz rocketed up in the rankings more last season than Keyonte George. He was a frontrunner for Most Improved Player last season, thanks to his incredible leap in production. He had a legitimate shot until he was pulled so Utah could tank for Peterson. That potential he showed, along with his age and cheap contract, makes him extremely unlikely to be traded.

There’s also more to George’s game than just production. He’s looked like a real leader for the Jazz on and off the court and has been a big part of the Jazz in Utah’s offseason workouts. George is completely bought into Utah and is poised to get a big contract this season. Depending on that contract, he may rise and fall on this list. If he has an all-star season and meshes well with Darryn Peterson, he becomes invaluable to the future of the Jazz and becomes almost untradeable.

2. Ace Bailey | 26’ $9.5M, 27’ $9.9M, 28 $12.6M, 29’ RFA | Age: 20 | Drafted 5th overall

Before Utah had the luckiest night in team history, Ace Bailey was the potential savior of the franchise. Even with Darryn Peterson on the team, Ace Bailey is the player that could swing everything for Utah towards a championship. At 6’8” with his athelticism, defensive potential, and scoring, he’s got as much a chance as anyone to be a true star in the league. His rookie season wasn’t Rookie of the Year caliber, but he did show enough signs that he could become something special.

This is a big year for Bailey, and he needs to show improvement. If he does, he’s probably as untouchable as Peterson. Wings with his talent and size are impossible to get outside of the draft, and there’s almost zero chance Utah would take a call with someone asking for Bailey.

1. Darryn Peterson | 26’ $13.1M, 27’ $13.8M, 28’ $14.5M, 29’ $18.3M, 30’ RFA | Age: 20 | Drafted 2nd overall

This was a difficult list to think through, but this was the easiest of all the choices. The list of players the Jazz would consider in a trade for Peterson right now is extremely small. It may only be one and rhyme with … Memben…pama?

Peterson has the talent and upside to be one of the literal best players in the league. His skill level is the type that just needs refining rather than developing. He should destroy opposing defenses this upcoming season, and it’s scary to think of how good he can become when he improves his decision-making and acclimates to the grind of the league.

Utah has some tough decisions ahead with other contracts, but building the team around Peterson is one of the easiest they’ll ever make.

I’ve been hanging out in the Western Conference doing my division by division analysis, until my phone started blowing up from my college buddies in the Eastern time zone. They wanna hear what the Gold Blooded King is seeing with their teams too apparently. Ask, and you shall receive my friends!

But where to start? I’ll tell you where, the storied Atlantic division. Why you ask? Wellp, that’s where the Toronto Raptors play. And that’s the team Kawhi Leonard is trying to escape to after Draymond Green’s Warriors banished his Clippers out of the play-in tournament and into the off-season. And if he gets there legally or illegally, it doesn’t matter!

Golden State did not handle Toronto well last season. The Raptors swept the season series 2-0, and imposed their length, athleticism and physicality on the Dubs. If there was ever a time the Warriors fans would wish for James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga picks to have panned out, it was these games where the Warriors just had no answer for the swarming, bouncy style of play Toronto has. They averaged 140+ points on Golden State last year…that’s insane!

Toronto went 46-36, third in the Atlantic, and lost in the first round to Cleveland in seven games. Then the front office looked at a team that finished 5th in the league in defense and 15th on offense and decided the fix wasn’t patience. Rather, it’s THE KLAW. They decided to send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and draft capital out the door to the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard, come on back to the North!

And Toronto didn’t really have to rip the foundation out to get him. Ingram was probably the worst defensive starter they ran out there. Not that he’s a slouch so to speak, but that’s just how good that Raptors squad is on that side of the ball. So if this trade goes through…they are basically just trading their worst defensive starter for Kawhi Leonard???

Kawhi isn’t walking into some tired roster squeezing out one last run either. They’ve got a great mix of youth and vets with playoff experience. RJ Barrett is 26, former Warrior prospect Trayce Jackson-Davis is also 26, and then you’ve got that monster Scottie Barnes at 25. Immanuel Quickley is back and reportedly healthy after missing the whole postseason and he’s only 27. Their oldest player is Kyle “SloMo” Anderson at 32! This team is primed for a run.

The one thing standing in the way is the league itself. The Clippers are still under investigation for alleged cap circumvention in how this deal got structured. If the NBA unwinds it, Brandon Ingram has to walk back into Raptors training camp next month after everybody already watched Toronto trade him away. Toronto’s operating like the trade sticks.

And look Dub Nation, I know none of us wants to hear “Kawhi Leonard” and “Toronto Raptors” in the same sentence again. The last time that combination showed up in June, it ended with a title and the Finals we don’t talk about at family dinners. KD’s Achilles, Klay’s ACL, Oracle’s last game, and a banner in Toronto. All bad for the Bay.

I hope this trade sticks so the Dubs can get some measure of vengeance.

Dub Nation! This has been a piece I’ve been looking forward to writing for a minute as we finish our recap of the offseason moves of the Southwest division. The San Antonio Spurs won the Western Conference Finals and in my mind would have won the NBA Finals if they had that dawg in them. But if they had met a healthy Golden State Warriors team in the playoffs last year I HAVE NO DOUBT that the Dubs would have tucked the kids in San Antonio to sleep. But that’s just me though.

Golden State and San Antonio split the season series 2-2, but the way it split says everything. The Warriors won both meetings in November ON THE SPURS HOME FLOOR in the span of three days.

The Spurs won both in the second half over the wounded Dubs en route to a magicalish run.

San Antonio went 62-20, beat OKC in a Game 7 in the Western Conference finals, and made a climb to the NBA Finals nobody outside the building saw coming. Then they did the single most un-superstar thing a 22-year-old with a $303 million contract sitting right there in front of him could do. Victor Wembanyama signed for less money on purpose. Woooow that’s quite selfless of the skyscraping giant, very Spursy, very demure. What other Spurs 7-footer does that remind me of? Let’s check in with Sports Illustrated on the details:

Heading into his fourth year as the MVP favorite fresh off a Finals appearance, Wembanyama could have signed a five-year contract worth up to $303 million if he hit MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, or All-NBA. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that instead, Wembanyama accepted $252 million with a player option in the fifth year and no escalators to the super max. It’s 25% of the salary cap instead of 30%, and it gives the Spurs a better chance to build a contender around him.

“San Antonio worked in close partnership with Wembanyama and his representatives, offering the full super max and different variations of extensions,” Charania said on Friday afternoon. “But Wembanyama ultimately chose a contract sacrifice rooted in giving him and the organization increased ability to build a sustained title contender around him.”

Tim Duncan would be proud.

The Spurs also added Tobias Harris, a 34-year-old, 6-foot-8 forward who can space the floor and guard bigger wings, exactly what San Antonio didn’t have when their frontcourt depth ran dry in the Finals. Their only real drama is at point guard, and it’s a good problem to have. De’Aaron Fox struggled in the Finals playing through a high ankle sprain, which was tough when you have Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper chomping at the bit to take the wheel.

And then there’s the aforementioned bill they gotta pay to afford these luxurious problems. Our friends at Pounding the Rock have been mulling that this summer:

First, Stephon Castle will become eligible for an extension next summer. Assuming he continues to improve as a player, he’ll want the max. The Spurs would surely love it if he took less and will have the threat of restricted free agency, which gives them control of Castle’s destiny, as a bargaining tool. The issue with wielding that weapon is that it could damage the relationship with Castle, who was a starter on a Finals team. If the front office thinks he’s a part of the untouchable core going forward, keeping him happy and feeling important will be paramount. Can they do that without offering the 25 percent max?

Golden State knows exactly what that math looks like on the other side of it, because the Warriors have been paying the tax to keep a core intact since before Wembanyama was drafted. San Antonio’s about to find out what that actually costs. This year, though, they didn’t have to choose. They kept everybody, added a piece, and still own bragging rights over everybody in the conference.

Enjoy the easy offseason, San Antonio. It’s the last one you get for a while. The Warriors absolutely can’t wait to see you again.

Another division, another team that is trying to find a better day now that the Golden State Warriors dynasty is on its last legs. We’re in the Southwest division now; let’s take it straight to the bottom. I’m not just talking about the division standings, I’m talking the Bayou where the New Orleans Pelicans reside. The Warriors took two of three from New Orleans last season, getting the best of a team that went 26-56 last year.

They fired their coach, hired Jamahl Mosley away from Orlando, and then just… stopped for a month. No first-round picks. No major free agency moves. Definitely no significant trades. They LOST Kevon Looney?! What part of the game is that? Even Sports Illustrated couldn’t believe it:

Coming off another disappointing sub-30-win season, the New Orleans Pelicans needed to make swift changes this offseason. That started with a brand-new coaching staff led by former Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley, who will try to rebuild the Pelicans’ culture. Many thought sweeping personnel changes would be next after the team won just 26 games last year.

This is a team that won 26 games and acted like it just made the conference finals. At least they resigned DeAndre Jordan? Then, deep into the offseason, New Orleans finally did something. They got Bennedict Mathurin off the Clippers for two years and $16 million.

Now here’s what’s curious: New Orleans already has Zion Williamson barreling toward the rim. Derik Queen wants to live down there too. Can’t forget that Dejounte Murray and Saddiq Bey like to get busy around the rim and aren’t exactly keeping defenders awake at night from three. Trey Murphy III can shoot the hell out of it, but somebody’s got to give that man some help. Herbert Jones made an All-Defensive team two years ago, and his three-point shot has cratered to 31 percent over the last two seasons.

So naturally the Pelicans went out… and got another dude who wants to attack the basket?! But don’t take my word for it, just ask the folks from Pelicans Debrief:

The one thing that always seems to elude the Pelicans is three-point shooting. When you look at their current roster, they only have one legitimate three-point shooter, and that is Trey Murphy III. Unfortunately, three-point shooting is not Mathurin’s strongest skill. He did shoot 37% from three in his sophomore season. He was able to replicate that in the first half of last season with the Pacers. However, when he was with the Los Angeles Clippers last season, he shot an abysmal 20% from three.

Twenty percent! I don’t want to use my journalism powers out of turn, but it may be time to do a Perry Mason style investigation of whether or not the Pelicans are in forever tank mode. By the way, as much as people bemoan the Warriors injury issues, the Pelicans REALLY can’t stay healthy. Dejounte Murray played 14 games last year coming back from a ruptured Achilles. Zion playing 60 games still qualifies as a special occasion.

And to add insult to injury, the one guy other than Murphy who I would really believe is supposed to be a stone cold shooter is a champion and Warriors fan-favorite Jordan Poole! What did he shoot from beyond the arc last season? 33%?! Nononono this can’t be. Somebody free my dawg JP!

If the Warriors want to make any kind of noise in the playoffs next season, beating teams like the Pelicans is mandatory. Even one misstep against a team like this can put a team on the bubble straight out of the sixth seed and into the play-in tournament, which the Warriors haven’t had the best of luck in since its inception. #FreePoole

The only thing less rewarding than watching Cody Williams play basketball was holding to the hope that he could develop into a talented NBA-level contributor.

The second lottery pick of the tanking era, the Utah Jazz selected Williams with the 10th overall pick in what was a putrid NBA Draft class. We knew it would be a comparatively garbage crop of talent — you could smell the stench months in advance — yet Utahns still celebrated Williams’ selection at the time.

A former 5-star McDonald’s All-American with an elastic wingspan, a 41.5% clip from three-point land in his freshman season at Colorado, and stardom in his DNA, Williams was a great proposition at that point in the draft. In theory, he was a low-danger prospect dredged from a draft pool of filth.

In practice, however, it took no time at all for Jazz fans to wallow in the melancholy of a rebuild apparently prolonged for yet another season.

He was incredibly disappointing in his first two years with the Jazz, posting stat lines that should be buried in the archives, far away from the eyes of impressionable, vulnerable youth.

Cody Williams Rookie Stats:

21.6 minutes
4.6 points
1.2 assists
2.3 rebounds
0.5 steals
0.3 blocks
0.9 turnovers
32.3% FG
25.9% 3PT

Cody Williams Sophomore Stats:

24.3 minutes (+2.7)
8.8 points (+4.2)
2.0 assists (+0.8)
3.0 rebounds (+0.7)
0.8 steals (+0.3)
0.4 blocks (+0.1)
1.1 turnovers (+0.2)
46.8% FG (+14.5%)
21.4% 3PT (-4.5%)

Williams isn’t the worst basketball player ever, nor should he be treated as a villain or disease that must be eradicated. I tend to exaggerate for effect.

In fact, I have long been a supporter of Williams. Call it homerism, blind optimism, or poor player evaluation skills, but I still believe that there’s a world in which Williams develops into a good or even great piece of a competitive team.

He’s still only 21 years old. And though the “young = good” fallacy is still prevalent in NBA circles, I still believe that given the right training and plenty of patience, Cody Williams has the potential to be an effective NBA-level player. Patience runs thin at the highest level of basketball, and the Jazz apparently burned through their supply when they dealt Williams for a role player and a stack of bills.

The Jazz saw him in practice. They saw him in games. They had seen enough, and they quit on the second lottery pick of the post-Gobert-Mitchell era just seven months after trading Taylor Hendricks.

The key difference between the Hendricks and Williams trades? Hendricks played a key role in bringing Jaren Jackson Jr. — a multiple-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year — to Utah. Williams yielded Josh Green, a player suspected to be little more than a situational outside weapon in the short-term and a tradable contract in the long-term.

Not exactly a resume-builder.

Though it spanned just two seasons, the era of Cody Williams dug up feelings in his supporters akin to the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Please allow this article to serve as a therapy session. A moment of safety from the harsh realities of Utah Jazz basketball in the past 24 calendar page flips or so, and a calming gulp of oxygen as we move toward a better future.

The Five Stages of Cody Williams

Denial

On draft day, Cody Williams was seen as an underwhelming but promising prospect. He has fantastic measurables, standing at 6’8” with a 7’1” wingspan; he fit comfortably into the archetype of a modern NBA wing. Toss into the mix the fact that Williams hit 41.5% of his three-pointers at Colorado, and it seemed all he needed to transform into a dependable 3-and-D player was a few hundred hours in the weight room.

As unrefined as his game still was, Williams was always going to be a project. Surely, given enough time, he could gain the physicality and ball skills of his older brother, Jalen, right?

Anger

It didn’t take long before Williams’ uninspiring production frustrated Jazz fans, many of whom (Williams’ ride-or-die supporters) clung to denial while the remainder slipped into the second phase.

He was bad as a rookie (dubbed the worst player in the NBA by some) and not much better as a sophomore.

He had basically fallen out of Will Hardy’s rotation in the early stages of his sophomore season, never leaving the bench in 5 of the first 14 games of the season. Cody had visibly lost all confidence in his jump shot, and for good reason — 21.4% is an abysmal three-point rate for a wing, and even worse for a player who knocked down a sizzling rate from distance in college.

…On just 1.7 attempts per game. That’s a low sample size that might have been a bit deceptive for Utah’s scouts, considering 41.5% looks much more appealing than 0.7 made three-pointers per game. Now shooting more than that at the NBA level, Williams can’t seem to find the net on open looks (he gets plenty of those).

He just scored 35 points in a G League game — where is that guy when he suits up for the Jazz?

The Jazz could have just gone the safe route and taken Matas Buzelis. Heck, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski are outplaying Williams, and they were drafted 20 picks later.

It seems the Jazz had been fooled or simply missed in the 2024 NBA Draft lottery.

Bargaining

But he’s not even a real top-10 pick anyway, right? After all, his draft class was atrocious. Remember Zaccharie Risacher? Tijaun Salaun? Reed Sheppard? Rob Dillingham? These were all top-10 picks, and none of them have behaved as such since entering the NBA. The number-one overall pick, Risacher, was unceremoniously traded from Atlanta this offseason, and it wasn’t headline news in the slightest.

When you think about it in this frame of mind, Cody Williams isn’t a true top-10 prospect when compared to prospects typically in his draft range. He’s a project, after all, so it would be unrealistic to expect him to play well in just his second season.

These are the lies we told ourselves. These are the rationalizations we voluntarily internalized to protect ourselves from the truth that we expected more from a lottery pick.

We celebrated every routine positive. Praised him for making the right play on defense or for dunking when he had a gently obstructed runway to the basket. Williams wasn’t what we hoped, so we moved the goalposts to qualify him as a success, even if unknowingly.

Depression

In his third year at the Summer League, he was still a non-factor. Look at who AJ Dybantsa has to keep help defense at bay: Tre Johnson and Will Reily have been awesome during the Summer League.

Yet with Darryn Peterson claiming the defense’s attention, and against lesser competition, Cody Williams still shrank. He crept in the shadows. He was timid, cautious, and sickeningly irrelevant on the court.

It all came to a head when he posted a zero-point effort in 23 minutes of playing time. This was rock bottom for those still holding to the tattered remains of their Cody Williams stock. Dejected, sobbing, and crumpled into a heap on the concrete, we clenched our fists upon understanding what we saw wasn’t a larval stage of his development — it was an unforgiving telegram from reality.

Acceptance

This didn’t fully arrive until he was dealt to Minnesota.

Discarded for a bench wing who scored fewer than 5 points per game last season, Cody Williams was packaged with John Konchar in a trade that sent the pair to Minnesota.

Maybe Cody Williams will become a shade of the player many hoped he could become in Utah. The T-Wolves could have a plan to dig out the perfect version of the 21-year-old wing, and that perfect version may come back to haunt the Jazz in the years to come. Maybe.

But in Utah, the nightmare is over now. You’re safe. The Utah Jazz have traded Cody Williams, and he cannot hurt you anymore.

Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently lives in Japan and has covered the NBA and college athletics since 2024.

Let’s keep it rolling like a runaway train Dub Nation, alllll through the divisions as we break down what these other franchises have been up to this summer. I remember back during the dynasty’s heyday I would smirk and chuckle as other teams spun the wheel of transactions looking for a prayer against the Golden Empire. Now, I peer with furrowed brows as the league tries to leave Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors in the dust. Let’s take a peek at the Southwest division. That’s where former Warriors hero and future Hall-of-Famer Kevin Durant is a part of that league wide effort to beat the Dubs, as his Houston Rockets took two of three from Golden State last season.

Currently, Houston is heading into Year 2 of the KD experiment. Last season ended in shambles for the Rockets (as it always has since 1995), this time with a first-round exit to a severely depleted Lakers team in what would be LeBron James’ final series victory in the Western Conference. But the Rockets were missing point guard Fred VanVleet and center Steven Adams, while KD missed a ton of time in the series.

Then Giannis hit the market and Houston had the assets to make a real run at him. In the end, a deal wasn’t made per ESPN:

Rafael Stone isn’t Daryl Morey. Back in Morey’s days as general manager from 2007 to 2020, the Rockets seemingly relished cycling through star players in pursuit of a championship: Dwight Howard, James Harden, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook all took turns.

Even though the Rockets were embarrassed by the undermanned Los Angeles Lakers in a first-round series loss, Stone resisted the temptation to blow up his coaching staff or roster. Instead, he retained Ime Udoka as coach, re-signed Eason, acquired veterans Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic, and shipped out Finney-Smith, who barely contributed last season.

Everything else this offseason is Houston choosing depth and continuity. Tari Eason got a five-year, $81.5 million extension, while Smart and Bogdanovic came in for toughness and shooting. Chip Engelland, the shooting coach who won two titles in San Antonio, got hired. Fred VanVleet is running it back after a torn ACL cost him all of last season.

Steven Adams is also back after ankle surgery in January ended his season early. And when Laci Watson of Roundtable Sports published a Houston-centric priorities piece back in May and then graded it, there was some guarded confidence:

I questioned whether Fred VanVleet represented Houston’s long-term answer at the position. VanVleet remains under contract after exercising his player option, but the Rockets clearly wanted additional options. Smart’s another experienced ballhandler, Bruce Thornton gives Houston a developmental guard, and Reed Sheppard stays part of the equation.

So, did they solve the long-term point guard question? I’m not ready to give myself that one yet. But they certainly acknowledged it.

Of course, when a team has Durant they carry the immediate weight of championship expectations. The Warriors were the only franchise that was able to take that weight and use it to club their foes on the way to multiple championships, but that’s what they do. They did it before he was there, and after he left. For the Rockets trying to press the KD button and watch a championship materialize, this season could be the moment KD wins his first non-GSW title, or it’s another referendum on just how hard it is to win it all in the NBA.

If their young guard Amen Thompson provides the consistent two-way punch this team needs, that dream could be realized. He’s a guy who can be an absolute monster defensively and then give you 40 points on the other end.

Golden State knows exactly what this bet looks like from the inside. A team deciding the roster doesn’t need an overhaul, it just needs everybody healthy at the same time. Now Houston’s betting VanVleet’s knee, Adams’ body, and the roster they already had can prove Rafael Stone right. We’ll find out if that’s enough.

The Villains bracket continues, as we try to find the biggest villain in Spurs history. We’ve already covered Spurs Killers and Dirty Players. This time we’ll discuss the most bittersweet region: Former Spurs. We’ll look at players who once wore Silver and Black but, through their actions or their words, earned the ire of the fans that once rooted for their success.

For this exercise, we’ll focus exclusively on the basketball side of things and not their personal lives or legal troubles, so some names you expected to see will likely be missing.

Now Let’s look at the field, and don’t forget to vote!

1. Kawhi Leonard vs. 8. Marcus Morris

Unsurprisingly, The Nephew gets the top seed. You know the story. Leonard was fantastic for the Spurs in the first years of his career, reinvigorating an aging team and helping the Silver and Black raise their fifth banner. Then he got injured in the playoffs in 2016 by fellow Spurs villain Zaza Pachulia, and nothing was the same.

A quadriceps injury limited Leonard the following year, and he distrusted the team’s medical personnel who cleared him. He went to rehab in New York and avoided people from the franchise, actually hiding when they tried to check up on him. The rumors from his camp started flying, and they painted the Spurs in a bad light. As the relationship got worse, and with the help of Uncle Dennis Robertson, he forced his way out in the messiest way possible after suiting up for just nine games in 2017/18.

Despite the terrible ending, Kawhi at least had some great moments with the franchise. His first-round opponent never wore the jersey. Technically, he was never officially a Spur, and the fact that he used that technicality is what makes him a villain.

Morris agreed to terms with the Spurs before the 2019/20 season. Shams Charania announced the news, and it looked like it was a done deal that would be finalized shortly after. It never happened, as Morris reneged on the deal to join the Knicks instead.

The betrayal left the franchise in a precarious position, because after agreeing to terms with Morris using the mid-level exception, the front office engineered a trade sending out Davis Bertans, who had been helpful in the regular season, and bringing in DeMarre Carroll while opening a roster spot. Once Morris backed out, they found themselves without Bertans and with no mid-level exception target late in the offseason, and had to settle for Trey Lyles.

The 2019/20 team was not going to win a title no matter what but was made worse by Morris getting cold feet and not honoring his word.

2. Stephen Jackson vs. 7. Dennis Rodman

Another once-beloved and successful Spur who has done his best to lose every ounce of goodwill with the fanbase as a high seed. Jackson found his place as a starter for the 2023 title team, making big plays in the postseason, but unfortunately, he refused to sign a lucrative extension with the Spurs, hoping to get more money as a free agent.

Still, the fans loved Jackson and were happy when he found his way back in 2012. Jack was in the tail end of his career but still contributed in the playoffs. The next year, however, things took a turn. Jackson really struggled and saw his minutes reduced. Jackson wasn’t happy about it. To solve things, Gregg Popovich called him into a meeting in which he asked him to accept that he was not better than Manu Ginobili, but Jackson refused to do it and was unceremoniously cut. He retired a year later and has spent his entire career as a podcaster criticizing the Spurs every chance he gets.

A quick look at the numbers and the accolades would suggest Rodman’s Spurs years were good. He led the league in rebounding and made All-Defensive teams. The problems, as they typically did with him, didn’t have to do with his skills but his attitude.

Rodman clashed with then-coach Bob Hill, whom he never respected, and general manager Gregg Popovich, whom he later claimed hated him. He routinely skipped shootarounds and didn’t pay attention in huddles. Rodman started his second season suspended for conduct detrimental to the team and was benched in Game 5 of the 1995 Conference Finals after arriving late to practice. It was such a horrendous culture fit that even the normally diplomatic David Robinson actually said he was glad Rodman got traded.

What made it all hurt more was that Rodman went on to help the Bulls win the titles the Spurs hoped he’d help The Admiral win.

3. Robert Horry vs. 6. Derek Anderson

Just like Leonard and Jackson, Robert Horry was once an integral part of title teams in San Antonio, and just like them, he has gone out of his way to squander the love and respect his success earned him from the fanbase. Ever since retiring, he has taken every opportunity to downplay the excellence of Tim Duncan, once saying that Hakeem Olajuwon was “20 times better” than The Big Fundamental and criticizing his work ethic. In the same segment, he took shots at Manu Ginobili.

He recently said Victor Wembanyama is not a top five player in the league, and not close to other greats. There have been other comments over the years about his teammates. At this point, it’s just clear he has no love for the franchise.

Horry’s opponent in this round is someone who broke fans’ hearts not with his words but with his actions. Anderson had a terrific 2000/01 season with the Spurs. The guard started all 82 games and was the team’s second-leading scorer behind Tim Duncan. Despite playoff struggles and an injury, the Spurs wanted to bring the 27-year-old back to help an aging San Antonio core continue to contend. They offered the journeyman a six-year deal, but Anderson wasn’t happy with how long it took for the team to negotiate with him and refused it, verbally agreeing to a deal with the Trail Blazers instead and leaving the Spurs with no choice but to trade him for an aging Steve Smith.

Things didn’t work out for Anderson in Portland, so there’s a case to be made that the Spurs dodged a bullet, but at the time it felt like Anderson let his pride ruin what could have been a great partnership.

4. Richard Jefferson vs. 5. Dejounte Murray

Jefferson’s Spurs tenure could be kindly described as just unfortunate. The team thought he’d be the 3-and-D wing San Antonio needed, and he simply wasn’t. The experience of watching Jefferson, however, was extremely unenjoyable.

Jefferson was a disappointment and looked so out of place that Gregg Popovich personally supervised his workouts in the summer of 2010, hoping to make things work. They didn’t, and Jefferson became an overpaid specialist who couldn’t really be trusted in big moments. The Spurs had to actually attach a first-rounder to get him off the books on a trade. What makes it all worse is that even though the Spurs unarguably extended his career by helping him transition from volume scorer to role player, he has seemingly taken shots at the franchise in his post-retirement media career.

Dejounte Murray’s tenure was completely different. He was a late first-round pick who exceeded expectations, and there was genuine fan excitement about the duo of Murray and Derrick White becoming the backcourt of the future. Unfortunately, the Spurs were never particularly good with Murray, and when the Hawks came in with a trade offer that was too good to pass up, they accepted it. Murray didn’t handle things well after, taking to social media to describe how happy he was with being traded, then bashing the organization while arguing with fans, saying the Spurs were “gonna be losing for the next 15 years.”

Those words came close to the trade, and Murray was an emotional guy, so they could have been excused had he not doubled down later. On Stephen Jackson’s podcast, he said the Spurs tried to “break him” and participated in Jackson’s favorite hobby: bashing Tony Parker, whom Murray accused of not mentoring him.

The Utah Jazz recently announced they have signed guard/wing Matthew Murrell to a contract. The details are undisclosed, but this deal is likely an Exhibit 10 contract – this means it will function primarily as a training camp contract, while providing Murrell a financial incentive to remain in Utah with the Jazz’s affiliate G-League team, assuming he doesn’t secure a guaranteed roster spot. Odds are this contract is very similar to Harrison Ingram’s, who’s signing was also announced by the team relatively recently.

I felt a strong blast-from-the-past when I saw Matthew Murrell’s name on the Utah Jazz twitter account. When I was scouting the NBA draft back in 2022, I recall jotting down Murrell as a standout and a name to watch in future drafts. While he never was selected, he found his way onto the Salt Lake City Stars for the 2025-2026 season, where he struggled with his efficiency but clearly made a positive impression on management and the coaching staff.

Dating back to his college days, Murrell has been a streaky shooter with a shot that you still always expect to go in – the shooting form just looks too nice to miss. He combines this with a really solid frame and athleticism; he measures in at 6’4 in shoes, 200 pounds, with a 6’8.25” wingspan and a 40 inch max vertical (that he uses on his jump shot – he gets great elevation when he shoots). What caught my eye in college was that he looks the part. He moves with that synergy of strength and fluidity required of NBA role-players. This frame and athleticism allows him switchability on defense depending on the lineup surrounding him.

The worry with Murrell is that he isn’t quite good enough at any one thing to stick around the NBA. First and foremost, the long range shooting needs to stabilize – he shot 40% on good volume in 2024, but then both the volume and efficiency decreased in 2025. In the G-League, he shot 39% from three during the 12 game tip-off tournament, but only 28% when looking at the season as a whole. With his offensive game so reliant on his shooting (the ball handling is serviceable, but nobody would mistake him and his 1.9 collegiate assists per game for a point guard) and his defense additive but not exceptional, the three point percentages need to find a home in the mid-to-high 30s. If they do, Murrell has a punchers chance at finding a long-time home in the league as a strong, pesky shooter in the vein of one of OKCs many strong, pesky role-players. During this next season, when Murrell will likely once again be with the SLC Stars, he will be asked to prove how legitimate his shooting truly is. I consider that a wise, low-stakes bet by the Jazz coaching staff and management.

Watch some of Murrell’s scoring highlights below.

Dub Nation let’s keep cruising through the Western Conference, particularly the Southwest conference. Let’s take a trip down to Beale St and listen to some blues and eat some good BBQ. If you caught my piece back in February about Memphis eating itself alive from the inside, you already know the shape of this one. The once great Grizzlies that as recently as 2023 were considered a legitimate contender have become damn near unrecognizable. It all spiraled after Ja Morant’s injuries and off-court mess, Jaren Jackson Jr. getting dealt to Utah, and what suddenly devolved into what appeared to be a tank job. Last year’s Grizzlies finished 25-57 and the Warriors took all three meetings. They may have been named after a ferocious bear, but last season Memphis’ basketball team was looking more like circus dancing bears: getting tortured for entertainment. Sigh.

Remember how we even got here? This was supposed to be the team that knocked the Warriors off their throne! There was the 2021 play-in that the Dubs faltered in at the hands of the Grizz. Then there was that 2022 series with the trash talk and the flagrants and Dillon Brooks running his mouth that through sheer will and grit the Warriors emerged victoriously from. And then there was the play-in rematch game in 2024 where Golden State stuck a critical blow, eliminating Memphis.

Golden State outlasted every bit of it of the whooping of the tricks Memphis had intended. Now Ja’s in Portland, Jackson’s in Utah, Desmond Bane’s gone, Brooks has been gone, and even their former head coach Taylor Jenkins is gone. The Warriors had a lot to do with disintegrating that franchise’s dreams into the ash, scattered across the barren wasteland of past wannabe contenders.

As I referenced earlier, Memphis traded Ja Morant to Portland for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. Compare that to what GM Zach Kleiman got moving the other two stars: four unprotected first-rounders for Desmond Bane, three more for Jackson.

What’s left? I feel like 21-year-old GG Jackson is the longest-tenured player on the roster. The plan seems to center aroun No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer out of Duke, a 19-year-old who certainly has the family pedigree working in his favor. The other name doing a lot of heavy lifting is Zach Edey. Here’s the skinny on the oft injured big man per ESPN:

Literally and figuratively, the 7-foot-3, 305-pound Edey plays a huge part in the Grizzlies’ long-term plans. He has shown flashes of being a dominant interior presence with a soft touch, profiling as a terrific complement to Boozer, a bruising 253-pounder with a point guard’s vision and feel. But Edey’s health looms like a dark cloud. He played only 11 games last season because of lingering issues with his left ankle, which he had surgery on after his rookie season and again last March. The Grizzlies have depth at center after trading for Stewart and signing Post in restricted free agency, but their plans for a relatively quick rebuild rely on Edey being healthy and productive.

Yes, Memphis is going big, adding Isaiah Stewart and former Golden State Warrior prospect Quinten Post at center for depth. That hints to me that maybe they’re not fully trusting Edey to just show up healthy. A rebuild built partly around a guy who can’t stay on the floor isn’t much of a foundation yet.

Pardon me if I don’t believe Golden State needs to worry about Memphis this season as much as they did in years past. Memphis needs to worry about Memphis. Icarus flew too close to the sun and ended up trading away his broken wings for Blazer players. The answer this offseason was to trade away the guy who symbolized all of it for pennies and start completely over. Memphis finally admitted it, and admitting it is always the first step to recovery.

Inside the offices and along the corridors of HSS Training Center, Nets staff and players dismiss the doomsaying conventional wisdom of ESPN and the Las Vegas sports books which have them winning between 18 and 24.5 out of 82 next season. That’s either a drop-off from two years of tanking (ESPN) or a slight improvement (FanDuel, et al.) One word being used to describe ESPN’s low total is “ridiculous.” And no, from top to bottom, they don’t mind being under-estimated. They are young, after all.

The Nets own internal win projection is a state secret. Yes, there is one. Nothing’s been said publicly either although Mikel Brown Jr. quoted Julius Randle as saying, “we will shock the world.” You’ll near more from the team on Media Day now a month away, on September 28. Sure the East, particularly the Atlantic Division is a lot stronger and the Nets will almost certainly be the youngest team in the NBA … not just for this season but in decades. And two of the five youngest players on the roster will likely start at the 1 and 2.

But projections are just that. We were told that the internal win projection for 2009-10 was somewhere around 17 That was the 12-70 season. An the other end of the scale, the internal projection for 2018-19 was 37. They won 42 and secured the sixth seed. And if you expect, like we do, an active trade deadline, what happens then could certainly alter things. So could injuries to your own team or to others.

There was also this past week, a couple of social media posts projecting the Nets beyond this season, just a little optimism from outside 168 39th Street in Sunset Park. Sam Quinn basically defended Sean Marks & co. after Bleacher Report put the Nets front office at No. 28 in their rankings. Quinn had put the Nets in the middle of the pack, at No. 16, earlier this month…

We have been hearing something similar…

And in the Nets newly released video on the off-season (more on that below,) editors chose to use this line from Marks talking about the future..

“I’m excited to see the roster grow,” said the GM following the Draft. “and I’m excited to see whatever falls our way in either trades and free agency.”

We’ve also heard that the trade deadline could be busier than normal — the Nets have historically made their biggest moves at the Draft.

Quinn’s tweet has nothing specific about targets for all those picks nor time. He was a 30,000-foot view. Like us he knows the lay of the Nets land: 10 firsts that can be traded tomorrow and anther 19 seconds available at a moment’s notice as well. They have other assets too, including a tiny bit of cap space, the full $9.4 million room MLE, $48.9 million space between payroll and first apron and nearly $7 million in cash considerations which have some utility specifically in salary dumps. Specifically, Brooklyn used cash to close deals four times last uear, including in the dumps that got them the 22nd pick that became Drake Powell as well as the one that got them Josh Minott.

They also have a couple of lesser known advantages. Because they’ve been under the luxury tax threshold the last three seasons, there’s no worry they’ll fall into repeater tax hell until 2030 which will be after the current CBA expires. Marks has a “surplus” of six firsts. meaning that over next seven years they have six more firsts than they would have if they only had their own. Some teams have a deficit. That’s what Quinn means by a “clean cap sheet” and “massive first round pick surplus.”

We know many of you will stop reading right here. Flexibility again?!? How about some wins?!? Why didn’t they use all those assets this summer?!? The answer to the last question is what you might call Marks’s “double A” rule, invoked at last year’s Media Day: they’re not interested in breaking the bank for anyone who doesn’t “automatically and absolutely” change the team’s “trajectory” and ultimately “sustained success.”

Incremental moves like trading Nic Claxton for Julius Randle and another first round pick are fine, but they’re hanging on to those picks believing they are currently the coin of the realm in the NBA. They’re always looking to adding some as they did in the Randle trade! They believe, strongly, the route to that “sustained success” in the age of first and second aprons is cycling through and developing first rounders who have cheap four-year deals. If they hit on enough of them, they’ll have good young players — and cap room to sign or trade for the higher-paid star or two without fear of luxury tax or aprons.

Here’s a practical example. Let’s imagine (hope) that both Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. reach the potential that Nets brass believe they can: starting backcourt mates with All-Star possibilities. Demin is under contract for the next three seasons; Brown Jr. for four. This year, the two of them will make a combined $16 million — Demin, an eighth pick in his second year, $7.2 million; Brown Jr, a sixth pick in his rookie year, $8.8 million.

At no point during their four-year rookie deals will either make more than $12.6 million a year. If the salary cap goes up the customary seven to 10 percent each year from its current $165 million, neither’s salary will come close to 10% of the team’s cap space. Compare that to Michael Porter Jr. whose $40.8 million salary will represent 24% of the cap. Plus the Nets won’t have to pay either one the big bucks until 2030 in Demin’s case, 2031 in Brown Jr.‘s.

Here’s another practical example. The eight players on rookie deals this season — Noah Clowney, Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf, Mikel Brown Jr. and Joshua Jefferson — will earn $38 million which is a little less than a quarter of the salary cap.

No, we are not saying it will work!! The Flatbush 5 has been criticized since the night they were drafted and three of them — Powell, Saraf and Wolf — did not have good Summer Leagues. Another, Traore, was hurt. The Nets have until October 31 to decide whether to keep them through a third year but no one expects the Nets will bail on their development this early. The team will face the same decision on year 4 guarantees a year from now. That calculus could be different. Even if it works to perfection, there’s concerns that they’ll face big decisions on big money all at once. (They should be so lucky.)

There are other elements to the strategy. They’ll take low-cost risks on so-called “fallen angels” like Josh Minott (and remember they took shots at Kobe Bufkin and Ochai Agbaji that failed.) They do not want, at least at this point in the rebuild, to cut long-term deals either. Thus, the impasse with Michael Porter Jr. as well as the team and “mutual” second-year options Minott, Day’Ron Sharpe, Moe Wagner and Keon Ellis agreed to this summer.

Indeed, other than the rookies with their two-year guarantees on four-year deals, only Terance Mann is owed guaranteed money beyond this season. He’s got $31 million left on his deal. Julius Randle has a player option. The roster is built to turn on a dime and unsentimentally move on.

It is a fairly unique (extreme?) strategy that will test ownership’s resolve and fans’ patience. It’s also lost on some pundits perhaps because of those unique qualities. Some might say the strategy is the response of the failed Big Three experience. It is unquestionably at the opposite end of what they did in the culmination of Marks first rebuild when they signed Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan, traded for James Harden and added their friends, whether Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge or Mike James and DeAndre Bembry while dumping firsts to preserve cap space. We know that didn’t work.

Jordi Fernandez likes Julius Randle … and vice versa

The Nets released their latest Brooklyn Bridge video this week. It’s a 20-minute report on the off-season, which as usual, featured top notch production from the team’s video unit. It also provides some new insights into the team’s thinking on the Draft and free agency, plus what some might call “Easter eggs,” little hints of things hidden in the nooks and crannies.

One thing in particular caught our eye, which was the focus on the addition of Julius Randle. Here’s Jordi Fernandez speaking to camera (with a broad smile) about what the 31-year-old brings.

“Julius is an established, all-star. playoff player, a player that is going to come here and show everybody else how it’s done. I’m very excited to get to coach him, and for him to raise the floor,” Fernandez said.

Randle, who’ is happy to be back in New York where he excelled as a Knick, returned the favor telling the Nets producers he’s “excited” about his new role with a new team.

“I’m excited to be here. We got a lot of talent on this team, a lot of young talent and you know, I’m really excited to just help them.

Could Randle follow the model of Michael Porter Jr., who had his best season in the NBA last year under Fernandez? Earlier this month, his agent Mark Bartelstein praised Fernandez’s work MPJ. specifically how Fernandez used his client creatively.

“Jordi has been great for him,” said Bartelstein on SiriusXM.. “Jordi has been so innovative in how he used him.” Next up: Julius Randle?

Nets rookies answer up

In that same video, there an enlightenting section on how the Nets rookies fared in pre-draft interviews.

Mikel Brown Jr. spoke about leadership. When Sean Marks asked about how Brown Jr. leads, the 20-year-old was not taken aback. In fact, he seemed to suggest there was only one answer … and he gets it.

“By taking command!” he said. “Taking charge, knowing that I can take accountability when I’m messing up. They can get on me just I can get on them. I love to play the game the right way. I’m not … I’m not the one to be selfish, to care about stats. I want to win at the end of the day.”

The Nets other first rounder, 22-year-old 6’9” point forward Joshua Jefferson was asked, again by Marks, what set him apart at the Draft Combine. He was specific and not afraid to talk about how unique he thinks his game is.

“My vocalness on the defensive side of the ball,” he told the Nets GM. “I felt like the loudest person in the gym. I think I was playmaking, rebounding, I was defending. I don’t think there’s a lot of players in this draft are capable of doing all those things at a high level. That’s what I think I’m really good at doing and then that professional mature approach to the game.

“There’s not going to be any nonsense with me,” he added. “I’m just going to come in, get my work done, put in extra work and then be a good person to be around.“

As for Tyler Bilodeau, the Nets 43rd pick who’ll start his career as a two-way, Marks asked what he thinks his NBA role will be. Shooting, of course, is a given, but also promised physicality.

“Offensively, as a floor spacer said he 6’9” wing who had the highest 3-point percentage (46%) in the 2026 draft class. “You know, I think I can get into actions. I feel I have a high IQ so I can make plays and read things well, can shoot the ball at a high level, can play pick and roll, try to confuse defenses and that sort of thing. And two, if I can get into a mismatch, punish the mismatch.”

Terance Mann likes his role mentoring the rooks

Meanwhile,  Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe wrote Saturday in a paywalled story got about Terance Mann, who grew up in Lowell, Mass. He spoke to Mann at his annual youth basketball camp.

“It’s amazing to be a part of it,” he said of the Nets situation. “To be a pioneer and help turn the corner for this organization. That’s really what my goal is, to try to be (a) cornerstone at that. It was very different. The organization had things they needed to accomplish. They had their own goals. It was a different situation than I was in in L.A. with the Clippers or even Atlanta with the Hawks. I grew really close with the guys on the team and we’re ready to tackle this year.”

The comments mirror those made this summer by Michael Porter Jr. after he took four members of the Flatbush 5 on a fishing vacation at Lake of the Ozarks in his home state of Missouri.

Final Note

Things will get a bit more interesting next week. Players will gather at HSS Training Center after Labor Day and begin scimmaging (without coaches’ guidance still the first day of practice on September 29.)

In addition, we should get confirmation on who the Nets invite to that training camp. So far only 6’9” Arkansas big man, Nick Pringle, is confirmed. Three Summer League players were rumored to be of interest to the Nets — Deon Brown, a 6’4” combo guard out of St. Louis; Ben Humrichaus, a 6’9” wing out of Illinois and Dain Dainja, a 6’9” big with a 7’7” wingspan who played for the Heat G League team last year. Also, this week, a Chinese website reported that 7-footer Grant Nelson. who played for Long Island and Brooklyn last year. will be on hand for camp. The third two-way slot also remains open.

We will also start hearing who looks good through the rumor mill. Whatever optimism out there we will take. Gotta have an antidote to ESPN and Vegas.

In the meantime, here’s another Sam Quinn tweet…

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Nets fans and fans across the country.

We’ll consider this the end of a three-part series asking a similar question among all Brooklyn Nets fans: Who is this team we’re about to watch? Will they be good, bad, or somewhere in between — and if they aren’t ready to compete, can they at least be fun to watch while building toward the future?

Mikel Brown Jr., Julius Randle, Moe Wagner, Keon Ellis, and Joshua Jefferson are the additions from the summer. Nicolas Claxton is one of the key names that has departed.

In the first poll, we asked Nets fans how many games they’ll win, which 56% voted 30-39 range.

In the second poll, we asked if the Nets will be in the postseason race and 48% of fans voted “No.”

Now, we’re asking fans: What seed in the East will the Nets finish?

Have a fun Nets question? Submit yours here!

Now we come to the part of the Rockets that I think needed to change at the end of the previous playoffs: coaching. This isn’t because I dislike Ime Udoka on a personal level (as much as a stranger to the man can), although I do. It’s because he’s given everyone plenty of evidence that he’s simply not up to the job of taking the Rockets to the next phase of their (hoped for!) ascent to the upper echelons of the NBA. I’d like to say “return to the upper echelons” but it’s been a while since the Rockets were there. We’re long past the “going out for a six pack, back soon” stage of things, I’m afraid.

Unfortunately the coach that management extended for big money last season isn’t the guy to lead that ascent. If you read my article on The Players, asking if they were suited to running the systems they are required to run by their coach, you’ll know where I’m coming from on that score.

Here’s the problem: Udoka’s lack of recognition that the team he actually has isn’t capable of running the offensive scheme he insists upon. You may be a defense first coach, but if you can’t score (or stop opponent scoring, or let’s be honest, coach) when the chips are down and a Godawful (and historic for a winning team!) 19 blown fourth quarter or OT leads says you can’t (this isn’t new, it happened in Boston, btw), you’d better pay more attention to offense. Or maybe you’re not really fit to be a top level NBA head coach. 19 blown leads for a 52 win team isn’t some weird randomness in my view (as there’s not previous example of such that I’ve been able to find – only truly terrible teams blow that many leads normally), it’s a deep flaw in coaching.

It’s one thing to run an incompatible offense for a season, but we now have a three year sample. At no point in those three years has a James Harden Tribute Band level initiator played for the Rockets. The closest the Rockets have come to that are: Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet. There’s a real problem with each, as you probably have noticed.

In Green’s case, he’s simply a terribly inefficient offensive player, despite occasional outbursts of All NBA level offense. If he’s consuming a ton of shots, your offense has a serious problem. On the other hand, at least he COULD get to the rim off the dribble. Fred VanVleet can’t do that. I’m sorry, but it’s true. I love Fred VanVleet as a player. I think almost no other player that I’ve seen in the NBA (except maybe Jalen Brunson) has maximized the talent and body he was given more than FVV. While Fred is a steady and low risk passer, and a great floor general, he’s not really much of an offensive threat, especially if you look at his last season.

Isn’t three years of running a scheme without the key player necessary for that scheme enough of a sample? What more do you need to see? If the most stubborn, unreflective, coach I’ve ever seen with the Rockets will change his tune?

And yet, the Rockets have been a good team anyway! The talent on the team, in my opinion, is essentially masking Udoka’s incompetence to a great degree. Except when the playoffs come. Then the mask comes off, and Udoka’s lack of any sort of adaptability very evidently dooms them. If you don’t think it did against Golden State, I can almost see it, but what the hell was that against the shell of a Lakers team with a rookie head coach?

If you look at the Rockets lineup and think you can run a James Harden style, heliocentric attack without James Harden, but also without a center who is either a rim runner or a 3pt shooter, and with another almost total non 3pt shooter on the court to go with your non 3pt shooting center (though it would have been better to put Alpie in the corner than Amen Thompson) then you are simply not fit for your job.

If a coach can, or will, only run one system, no matter his personnel, despite the terrible fits almost across the board for that system, that coach is honestly not fit to be an NBA head coach in the modern game. The competition is too good, too versatile, too swift to punish mistakes. If a coach can’t change what isn’t working, despite ample evidence, what chance does he have against the upper echelons of NBA coaching? As the playoffs have demonstrated: not much.

Maybe Ime Udoka, like Mike Brown, will learn from his mistake, and build a title winner. I can’t imagine that happening in Houston, and I can’t imagine it happening while he’s still a head coach. If I’m honest, I don’t see that happening at all. I expect Ime Udoka to get fired in season, or after another humiliating playoff loss. I expect he will either vanish without a trace, or become an assistant somewhere. If you were a GM, seeing this, would you hire him?

If you were a GM, would you keep a coach who never, at any point, takes responsibility for anything? I’ve watched nearly three years of Udoka post game pressers. He’s got a linguistic tell that indicates to me that he never believes he’s responsible for anything bad. It’s pretty simple. When he’s talking about a Rockets game “We” win, and “They” lose. Listen and you’ll hear it, unless someone’s told him about it, and he stops, I guess.

I have come to believe the Rockets in Rafael Stone and Ime Udoka are an NBA basketball example of The Peter Principle, which (briefly) states that people in a hierarchical system rise to the level of their incompetence. Stone might have an excuse, to some degree, in terms ownership wishes leading to decisions he wouldn’t have chosen. It’s impossible for the likes of me to know for sure, but it’s easy to see other mistakes outside of that anyhow. Also it makes me question how much Stone actually knows about NBA basketball, instead of lawyering and contract negotiation? What does he think he’s seeing out there? This isn’t some subtle thing that only the most experienced basketball minds can understand, a tiny but dangerous flaw in approach, this is obvious stuff.

Ime Udoka, though? It’s straight up incompetence at this point. Whatever got Boston to the Finals with him is looking more and more like a one off event. It’s nice that he got the Rockets to take a level of responsibility for their play, and it’s great he got them to try much harder than they had been trying. On the other hand, the Rockets also got an infusion of sound veterans to provide a leadership backbone on the court, and the slip in in defensive intensity without Dillon Brooks was evident last year.

I wish I had any hope, any positivity about Ime Udoka and His Black Clad Cultists (hear about any head coach interviews for any of them this off season?) but I simply don’t. Ime Udoka has shown what he’s capable of doing, and it’s not good enough for a team that wants, well I was going to say contend, but I’ll go with “win a playoff series” until proven otherwise.

Maybe he’ll surprise me. Stranger things have happened.

PS – You want some positive Rockets coaching news? The Houston Rockets have disbanded their Shooting Coach Committee and hired the consensus best shooting coach in the NBA, Chip Engelland. This might be due mostly to pressing need for Amen Thompson to shoot better, but it should help the entire team. In a summer of Mr. Adequate moves from Rafael Stone, this was a great one.

PPS – Ok, so what should the Rockets be doing on offense? Lots of teams are running some version of the heliocentric Hardenesque offense, what happens if you don’t have that guy? That will be coming up in September.

Domino effects are meant to start relatively small. The first two editions of the series, I feel like, encompassed that. We got really niche with the Mike Brown Kings saga and less niche with Julius Randle’s injury, but both of them required a lot of outside-the-box thinking to see directly what a reversal would’ve caused to the Knicks’ long-term hopes.

This one is anything but niche.

To wrap up this mini-series I’ve had fun with over the dog days of the summer, we’re going to look at possibly the biggest domino effect of them all, one that was scarily realistic and only didn’t occur because of the hubris of a certain front office that later made one of the worst trades in NBA history.

You saw the title. This is a scenario that Jalen Brunson, the birthday boy and the man who has exceeded every expectation and has spearheaded a revival of Knicks basketball so grand that all of us have spent way too much money on championship merch, never puts on the orange and blue.

Following his third season in Dallas, Brunson and his agents at CAA wanted to negotiate a contract extension with the Mavericks’ brass. The number that they decided on was more than reasonable for a player of his current production: four years and $55 million. After all, he was coming off finishing fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting with plausible upward mobility.

Dallas said no. Fast forward a few months: as Brunson began what turned out to be a breakout campaign, he and his agent approached the Mavs again about the same framework and were again told no.

Brunson kept working and gradually improving to the point where the Mavs themselves approached him about the $55 million deal after the trade deadline, but at that point, he had outgrown that offer as he was barreling towards free agency. Four months later, he landed in New York on a four-year, $104 million pact.

But what if Dallas realized what they had in Brunson at either one of those points, particularly the in-season extension? What if they took a guy that the Knicks had long been looking at off the market? Such a deal would’ve been more than reasonable for their current cap structure as a sixth man or starter next to Luka Doncic, even if the fit was potentially difficult due to both of their defensive shortcomings. Frankly, it was nonsensical for them to be that blind. This was a good player.

December 1, 2021. Jalen Brunson and the Dallas Mavericks announce a four-year, $55 million extension that will begin the following season. Let’s see where the dominoes fall.

Nothing changes from this point forward on any side for the rest of the 2021-22 season. Brunson still balls out and gets on the national radar with his incredible performance in the postseason; the Knicks still miss the playoffs, etc. Instead of the media clowning the Knicks for giving Brunson a nine-figure deal in June, the offseason is spent lauding Nico Harrison and company for their wherewithal to lock down this impact player for cheap.

Of course, this creates a gigantic path of divergence for the Knicks, who were always infatuated with Brunson because of his family connections. I still think Rick Brunson gets hired onto Tom Thibodeau’s staff to replace the outgoing Kenny Payne (who had a truly disastrous tenure at Louisville). The hiring was definitely motivated by his son’s free agency, but he had also served as an assistant under Thibs in Chicago and Minnesota, so it still happens.

The real question, though, is what happens in that offseason. Our first major question revolves around the strategy for the 2022 NBA Draft, particularly with the No. 11 overall pick.

2022 NBA Draft

For those who don’t remember, the Knicks selected Ousmane Dieng, traded him to the Thunder in exchange for three first-round picks, traded up to No. 13 in exchange for two picks, selected Jalen Duren, and shipped him to Detroit alongside Kemba Walker in an effective salary dump. The team came out with solid assets and cleared up some cash.

The motivation behind punting a lottery pick? Signing Jalen Brunson. A later trade with Detroit shipped Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel to the Motor City and cleared up just enough space for the Villanova alum and Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency. It’s why I never cared about people saying “the Knicks traded Jalen Duren for nothing” because it’s false. You don’t get Brunson (most likely) without trading Duren, his cap hit, and the salary attached.

But with Brunson off the table and no clear reason to use cap space, the Knicks are dead set on picking in the lottery. You might think it’s as simple as drafting Dieng or Duren, but the Knicks almost certainly made both selections on behalf of the teams they were actively negotiating with. After all, if they wanted them, they wouldn’t trade them.

There were a few plans for this draft leading up to it. After the Knicks were once again denied a chance at lottery luck, they constantly rang the phones to try to trade up for Jaden Ivey. They may get over the line for this. After all, with no Brunson on the way, there are no schematic issues.

It would still be a very difficult trade to make, so I lean toward it not happening. After Ivey, they seemed quite enamored with Wisconsin guard Johnny Davis, but the Wizards took him 10th overall. That’s two major bullets dodged, but who’s on the clock at No. 11?

The available players who had a pre-draft workout in New York were AJ Griffin, Tari Eason, MarJon Beauchamp, and Mark Williams. I would think it would be one of these guys, even if the extremely talented Jalen Williams and Duren were on the board. In typical Leon Rose fashion, he probably does the first two trades of the night, where he trades out and comes back in, ultimately scooping up two conditional firsts from Detroit and Washington while trading four seconds.

With the 13th pick, they select Duke wing AJ Griffin.

2022 Offseason

With no Brunson and an unsuccessful pursuit of both Davis and Ivey in the draft, the Knicks badly need a point guard. I’d assume they still look to offload salary, particularly with Kemba, to open cap space, but the extent of this is unclear due to the lack of a clear alternative in free agency. There’s restricted free agent Collin Sexton, of course, but the direction that needs to be taken appears to be in the trade market.

Fortunately, there are two lead guards available.

Dejounte Murray is on the block in San Antonio and could be had for a reasonable package. His defensive fortitude makes him a welcome fit for a team that has major defensive questions, and his offense has also proven capable of a leap forward. There’s also that New York native out in Utah who could be of use…

For Murray, the Knicks never seemed that motivated to make that move, even if he would’ve been a decent fit next to Brunson in real life. They were always more focused on adding Donovan Mitchell and figuring it out later. In this timeline, Murray still goes to Atlanta, but it’s a full-court press on bringing Spida home.

With no Brunson, there’s nothing holding them back from adding a small guard into the fray. The fit concerns aren’t there. When Danny Ainge and the Jazz ask for a ridiculous package, it’s eventually negotiated down into something the team can agree on.

In mid-August 2022, Mitchell comes home for a package centered around RJ Barrett and Quentin Grimes, depleting the team’s draft capital to keep further players out of the deal. As much as fans want to play the kids, the Knicks see an opportunity to compete and take it.

Thus, here’s the rotation we have heading into the 2022-23 season:

Donovan Mitchell – Derrick Rose
Evan Fournier – Immanuel Quickley
Alec Burks – Cam Reddish/AJ Griffin
Julius Randle – Obi Toppin
Mitchell Robinson – Isaiah Hartenstein

Yes, in this reality, we assume that the Knicks still find a way to get off Noel’s contract but keep Burks as wing depth after trading Barrett and Grimes. Hartenstein was always a target for the front office and still comes to New York.

The Future

This lineup, as you might imagine, would’ve been rather erratic. You have some brilliant shotmakers in there, but not enough defenders. Tom Thibodeau’s seat gets hot again; he’s forced to bench some players permanently, and the mini-revival still happens… to an extent.

Quickley gets a chance to start with Spida, Deuce McBride’s emergence happens a year sooner, Randle enjoys his bounce-back season. The foundation of the start of the Brunson era would’ve likely been similar, but the real repercussions come later.

At the deadline, the team needs wing depth, having iced Reddish out of the rotation. With Brunson no longer on the team, I can’t imagine the interest in Josh Hart is any more pronounced. It’s still possible that the trade happens. I’m instead going to involve the Knicks in the multi-team trade with the Warriors and Pistons that got Gary Payton II back to the Bay. The Knicks send a bucket of seconds and Cam Reddish to Detroit for Saddiq Bey.

With Mitchell, the Knicks win 48 games and slide into the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, where they host a Cavs team that never got the New York native and instead had to continue building around Darius Garland, Sexton, and Evan Mobley. The Knicks still win in five.

In the second round, the Bucks still get slayed by the wrath of Jimmy Butler and the Heat, and although many fans are optimistic about the prospects of facing the No. 8 seed, Butler waxes the Knicks in a six-game defeat.

Heading into the following season, the Knicks are content with what they got, planning to use it as a building year. Burks never being traded means there’s not enough space to sign Donte DiVincenzo, who was also likely going to be someone Brunson pitched signing. There’s no big move to be made here, so we keep going into a shaky start to the 2023-24 season, which leaves them at an inflection point around the New Year.

As you might recall, OG Anunoby was acquired in real life on December 30, 2023, for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a second-round pick. In this reality, Barrett is already gone, but Quickley is becoming a foundational piece after being started out of necessity midway through the prior season. The financials still work if the Knicks add Burks to the trade, but with Barrett not included, the rest of the team’s excess draft capital goes with it.

The Big 3 of Spida-Anunoby-Randle destroy the competition in January 2024 until injuries take out both Randle and Anunoby. Mitchell does his best to imitate 2024 Brunson and gets First-Team All-NBA for his troubles, but it’s certainly an uphill climb. Without DiVincenzo to help with off-ball scoring, the Knicks only win 46 games, dropping them to the play-in tournament. Remember, the No. 2 and No. 7 seeds were just three games apart that year.

The Knicks get revenge on the Heat in the 7-8 game, but have to fare with a road series against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in the first round, one that just doesn’t go well. With no Randle to physically match up, Toppin (who I believe doesn’t get traded with the team’s worst depth the prior season) and Precious Achiuwa are overwhelmed in a six-game defeat. The front office blames injuries and doesn’t make any drastic moves… yet.

The Mikal Bridges trade never happens. They had to use a boatload of draft assets to get Anunoby and Mitchell, so the Nets aren��t interested. Anunoby extends, Spida gets his three-year, $150 million extension, and the Knicks seem prepared to run it back in 2024-25.

Now, you might wonder: what about KAT?

The Knicks badly wanted him, but they lacked a guy who Minnesota really valued in DiVincenzo to get it done. Further, the fact that Mitchell took a max extension puts the team eerily close to the second apron, something they avoided with Brunson’s pay cut. There’s a very realistic world that this trade doesn’t happen, but Leon Rose always gets his guy, so they trade Mitchell Robinson and the last bits of draft capital to get it done.

All-in.

It’s not worth prognosticating who fills the Hart and Bridges gaps in the lineup, but the Knicks are built around Mitchell, Anunoby, and Towns. That Big 3 would get two seasons to work everything out, going into the second apron in 2025-26 before James Dolan would order a restructuring. They had to win. They had no choice.

In the first year, they get bounced in the second round by the Celtics after a 52-win season. The poise of the Brunson-led Knicks was a big part of why they came back from all those deficits, plus the team would be utterly devoid of defensive length without Robinson or Bridges. This also means that the Knicks and Pacers never rekindle their rivalry in either season, which is fun to think about.

In 2025-26, the year we all rejoiced in real life, they had a real chance. They fortified the depth; they hired Mike Brown to replace Thibs; they waltzed into an extremely weak East and grabbed the bull by the horns.

50 wins in the regular season, enough for the No. 3 seed. They survived a seven-game war with Atlanta, took out Philadelphia in six games, and went face-to-face with the Pistons in the ECF. Remember, no Mitchell likely dooms the Cavs to mediocrity and no ECF berth.

It’s hard to say for sure if the Pistons give the Knicks the same fits they did in real life, but let’s look at the facts. The Knicks were still a major question mark defensively and had no answer for Cade Cunningham. Additionally, they lacked the presence of Robinson (even in a backup role) to fluster Duren. In a tense, seven-game series, the Pistons prevailed. It’s over.

Mitchell would not be extended again by the Knicks, as his playoff shortcomings would not be worth the $270 million extension he got in real life. I’d think the front office would side with the Big Bodega in this, and the team would be built around the fleeting prime of Towns from here.

Safe to say, no banners. Sad stuff. But how’s Jalen doing in Dallas?

Brunson’s New Life In Dallas

Dallas did basically nothing that offseason to replace Brunson, leaving them inherently weaker entering the 2022-23 season. They still acquire Christian Wood after retaining Brunson, but they feel pretty stagnant.

The big change in the 2022-23 season is that the Mavericks never traded for Kyrie Irving, as the fit with him, Brunson, and Luka would’ve been quite bizarre. They also wouldn’t feel the need to, as when Doncic goes down with injury right before the deadline, we see glimpses of Knicks Brunson in the emerging Villanova alum.

Dallas was quite bad this season, flaming out in the play-in tournament, but an interesting trickle-down effect from this is that they wouldn’t be able to properly tank to keep their draft pick, so a parting gift from Brunson would give the Knicks a lottery pick in 2023, which they’d use on a guy like Jordan Hawkins. Not a needle mover, so I didn’t feel the need to mention until now.

The reverb would be no Dereck Lively II in Dallas, but the supporting cast from guys like PJ Washington and eventually Daniel Gafford would provide enough for the Mavericks to still go deep in the postseason in 2024, maybe making the NBA Finals but still not coming that close to a title.

At the same time that all appears to be well in Dallas, Nico Harrison is stirring. He doesn’t like the frequent unavailability of Doncic, who still suffers a major hamstring injury on Christmas 2024. In his absence, unlike in real life where Kyrie suffered a multi-week injury as well, the Mavericks experience the joy of 2024 Jalen Brunson, who carries Dallas through January to the point where Harrison has an epiphany.

“What if I fortify my defense and Jalen can give me Luka-esque production?”

Brunson’s explosion dooms Doncic’s tenure, as the controversial trade with the Lakers still occurs. Anthony Davis would now be paired with a head of the snake in Brunson, a match seemingly made in heaven.

Except Davis is still injury-prone. Dallas never has the death spiral they had with Davis and Irving’s season-ending injuries because Brunson would be there trying to play hero ball. He does just enough to win them 45 games to take the No. 9 seed. After defeating Sacramento in the 9-10 game, a heroic 40-ball sees them stun the Grizzlies to steal a playoff spot, only to get eviscerated by the powerhouse Thunder.

This turns out to be an utter disaster, as Cooper Flagg will no longer become a Maverick. It was possible to have a core of Brunson, Davis, and Flagg, but now? Brunson hits his 30th birthday with Davis shipped to Washington and a band of merrymen around him.

That’s right. The real twist of all of this? Nobody wins.

The Knicks lose because they don’t have Brunson. They never sniff the NBA Finals.

The Mavericks lose because the domino effect takes two lottery picks away, and JB’s hyper-competitiveness doesn’t allow them to get younger.

Jalen Brunson loses. Instead of being the King of New York, he’s got a microscope on him in lowly Dallas as the guy Nico traded Luka to feature.

It’s a lose-lose situation. What a nightmare. I need my nightlight; someone turn on some highlights.

That’s better. Happy Birthday, Cap. We’re so glad this never happened.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cavaliers fans and fans across the country.

It’s time for another poll. We trust you, Fear the Sword reader, to respond to our survey in the feed.

This week, we want to know how many All-Stars the Cleveland Cavaliers will have next season. To respond, simply make a free account and vote in our feed below.

For bonus points, leave a comment letting us know who on the roster will be an All-Star. (Note: all points, including bonus ones, are imaginary).

The Cavs are one of the more interesting teams in the conference from this perspective. They have four players in their starting lineup who have all been All-Stars. Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, James Harden, and Donovan Mitchell are all capable of making it to the big game.

It isn’t far-fetched to say any of those four could deliver another All-Star caliber season. Mitchell is the most likely. But injuries to anyone would open the door for increased opportunities.

Would it be that surprising if Harden took on more usage and notched another All-Star appearance if Mitchell was hurt in December? Likewise for Allen, who has put up monster numbers in Mobley’s absence in years previous.

Of course, racking up multiple All-Stars on the same team requires regular season success. Two years ago, Mitchell and Mobley made it to All-Star weekend alongside Darius Garland. That was made possible by their 15-0 start to the year.

A lot has changed since then. The Cavs aren’t likely to win 64 games like they did that season. And the rest of the Eastern Conference has improved. I don’t know if Cleveland can garner enough regular-season success to net three (or more) All-Stars again.

Still, there’s a case to be made for multiple All-Stars in Cleveland again. In all honesty, Mitchell and Mobley should both be expected to make the game. From there, I wouldn’t hold anyone else to that standard.

Though even Peyton Watson could be a long-shot option as a 23-year-old wing ripe for a breakout.

Either way, let us know in the feed how many stars the Cavs will have, and who you believe will take the honors.

The Lakers may have come up short on signing Jonathan Kuminga, who’s joining the Timberwolves, and the opportunity to add a wing/forward who’d be a Day 1 starter. 

But the missed opportunity should create other opportunities for players already on the roster. 

With the Lakers unlikely to make a significant move before training camp starts at the end of September, the answer to the question of who will be the fifth starter alongside Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler and (presumably) Quentin Grimes is probably already on the roster. 

And the trickle-down effect of who’ll grab that final starting spot will be felt throughout the roster. 

Here are a few players who should directly benefit from the Lakers not adding Kuminga:

Jake LaRavia

LaRavia’s prominence on last season’s Lakers team shouldn’t be overlooked. 

He not only played in all 82 regular season games, but his 2,061 total regular-season minutes played ranked No. 2 among all Lakers for 2025-26 behind Doncic (2,289 minutes).

Among players Nos. 3-11, only Austin Reaves (1,762 minutes for No. 7) and Jarred Vanderbilt (1,128 minutes for No. 9) are still on the team after a summer of roster reconstruction.

LaRavia will be an important part of the Lakers’ 2026-27 season.

If Kumimga was in the fold, it would’ve been reasonable to expect LaRavia’s playing time (he averaged a career-high 25.1 minutes last season) to dip in 2026-27. 

But without Kuminga, the 6-foot-7 LaRavia should be a part of the competition to figure out the last starting spot, and have opportunities to build off last season. 

At 24 years old (he turns 25 in November) and entering his fifth season in the league, LaRavia should have room to grow in multiple areas.

And with the talented youngster on the final season of the two-year deal he signed with the Lakers last year, it’ll be a crucial season before he’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Adou Thiero

From a physical profile standpoint, Thiero (6-foot-8, 220 pounds) and Kuminga (6-foot-7, 225 pounds) have similarities.

Including elite athleticism and quickness for their size. 

But Kuminga is far ahead of Thiero when it comes to offensive skill and production. Without Kuminga though, there’s a pathway for Thiero to be on the fringes of the rotation. 

The second-year Lakers forward, who was sidelined for parts of last season because of lower-body injuries and spent most of 2025-26 in the G League, ended the year getting consistent minutes in the playoffs.

Thiero’s performances in July during summer league in San Francisco and Las Vegas showed he’s still pretty raw and has plenty of development ahead of him.

And that playing time should be easier to come by if the Lakers are looking for a bigger wing who can be a lob threat, strong rebounder and hold their own defensively against bigger forwards – all things that would’ve been asked of Kuminga that Thiero is equipped to handle.  

Jarred Vanderbilt  

If Thiero isn’t ready to handle a bigger role yet, Vanderbilt would be in line for more playing time opportunities.

The ninth-year forward wasn’t a consistent part of the rotation when the Lakers were healthy last season. 

But he still played 65 regular games in 2025-26, and was on the court for seven of the 10 playoff games. 

It’s assumed around the league that Vanderbilt will pick up his $13.3 million player option for 2027-28, so this upcoming season won’t be a make-or-break season. 

But potentially having more chances to contribute on the court will help him rebuild his value.

The 2026-27 season is a couple of months away from tip-off, yet striking parallels, sometimes uncanny, to the 2018-19 season are hard not to notice, even to the ‘casual’ eye. For one, LeBron James will be playing for a different team come October after spending the last eight years under the bright lights of LA, marking the end of his longest stint with a franchise. The Raptors, on the other hand, are still awaiting the conclusion of the league’s investigation regarding the trade that would reunite them with the 2019 Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard.

As similar as the storylines are from seven years ago, context should be taken into consideration, given the drastic difference in the landscape of the league and the reality of aging. Leonard will be entering his 15th season in the league, joining a Raptors roster that has yet to hit their summit, as players and as a unit. 

That is not to say that these parallels are superficial, as there are some similarities worth noting for their relevance and substance. LeBron might have signed for a discounted veteran’s minimum, but the whole free-agency saga was built around his impending decision at that time because he’s still a high-end talent, and any team that gets him will automatically be tagged as championship contenders. 

The same goes for the Raptors. Kawhi raises expectations for Toronto, just as his arrival did eight years ago. One thing that flew under the radar for non-Raptors fans, however, was how the roster differed from the start of the season to its climactic conclusion in June that year. The Raptors traded for Memphis Grizzlies’ long-time centre, Marc Gasol, at the deadline.  

Insiders’ insights   

ESPN’s annual summer forecast allowed NBA insiders to weigh in on hypothetical scenarios and how likely they are to occur in this upcoming season. Such scenarios include teams that are likely to outperform expectations, or do the complete opposite and underachieve. Out of the bunch, the Raptors were listed in just one category — teams that will likely pursue a ‘big’ trade before the trade deadline.

Toronto placed fifth in a five-way tie, having received one vote among the panelists. Needless to say, teams like the Golden State Warriors, who ranked first league-wide, are expected to be major buyers come February, given their missed opportunities to add franchise-altering names like James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who were said to have been pursued by the team to pair with Stephen Curry for one last-ditch effort at opening another contention window.

The Raptors are not expected to be at this level of conversation come February, but a vote indicates that there’s a real possibility they make a subtle yet impactful deal midseason. While Leonard was the driving force and the central piece of the 2019 championship, Gasol allowed them to realize their ceiling.

The last domino to fall for the 2019 Raptors

Gasol, at 34 years old, was still one of the league’s premier passing big men, with a newly developed three-point shot that commanded coverage, stretching defences in the process. Given his age, he was still an elite defender, an effective anchor in the paint and, at the same time, managed occasional switches with quicker perimeter players. Some, however, thought that the Raptors gave too much depth after trading away rotation pieces C.J. Miles and Delon Wright, and settling for an older big man than the one they had in Jonas Valanciunas. 

This move would eventually pay dividends for Toronto as Gasol’s passing ability provided another point of concern for opposing defences, as he threaded the needle to open teammates, seemingly operating as a point guard in a big man’s body. His defense, however, was the real game changer during their title run. Golden State’s depleted big-man rotation proved no match for Gasol, as he adjusted comfortably to any matchups he was put on. He also played a crucial role in limiting Curry’s attempts from beyond the arc through blitz coverages. Against the Bucks, Gasol was a key component of the Raptors’ ‘Wall’ that proved effective in deterring Antetokounmpo from taking shots within close range. His most notable contribution, however, came in the grueling seven-game series against the Philadelphia 76ers, where he was matched up with arguably the league’s best center at the time, Joel Embiid.

Gasol held Embiid to just 17.6 points a game, coupled with an inefficient 37.1% field goal percentage, as Toronto outlasted Philadelphia in a thrilling Game 7 buzzer-beater by Leonard over Embiid himself.

What could the 2026-27 Raptors learn from this trade?

Barring Kawhi’s second coming, the Raptors are not the same team they were seven years ago. The roster’s youth is a glaring distinction from the 2019 squad, composed mostly of seasoned veterans with playoff experience. Not to mention, the head coaches’ philosophies are opposites of each other: Nick Nurse had a heavy reliance on individual skills, while Darko Rajakovic’s takes a committee approach. 

Likewise, team needs vary in both iterations, considering the difference in player utilization and how they mesh with each other. Front-court depth and perimeter shooting emerge as the most concerning gaps for this year’s team. While hybrid centre-forwards like Collin Murray-Boyles emerged as effective small-ball options, it won’t be sustainable long-term given the increasing prevalence of skilled big men. While the Raptors could experiment more on recent acquisitions like Trayce Jackson-Davis and Trey Jamison III, a trade surrounding a center is something to keep an eye on, especially if rebounding deficits and interior mismatches persist. 

Rajakovic utilizes his wings as secondary playmakers, switchable defenders, and as floor-spacing and cutting options. With the impending departure of Gradey Dick, the minutes allocation will be distributed between two breakout rotation pieces from last season. Jamison Battle and Ja’Kobe Walter both received their fair share of playing time last year, as Dick and Ochai Agbaji gradually faded out of the picture. With Dick expected to be moved regardless of the trade’s completion, Battle and Walter are expected to fill in those minutes and provide a well-needed boost on three-point shooting and perimeter defence.

The potential acquisition of Kawhi does not mean the team figures out everything from the get-go. Compromises from the roster and coaching staff alike will have to be made as the season progresses and players settle into their roles. Take the 2019 squad for example, where players like Fred VanVleet spoke about uncertainty with fit, particularly Kawhi’s 60-game limit for the entire season, which he deemed insufficient for Leonard and his teammates to develop familiarity with each other’s play. 

However, the front office saw enough from that 60-game window that warranted them making a deal for the Grizzlies’ big man, given the team’s needs and his potential fit with the rest of the roster. If the trade for Gasol taught us anything, it’s that a team may take until the midseason to reveal its true identity. Toronto took 55 games into the regular season before eventually trading for their starting big man, as their real gaps began to show. The Raptors don’t necessarily need another Gasol; what it needs is a keen eye from the scouting department and front office to identify team flaws and search for personnel who solve those problems.   

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On today's jam-packed Kevin O'Connor Show, KOC has Jonathan Kuminga's agent, Aaron Turner, on to uncover the truth behind the Kuminga debacle and to preview what he has to offer with the newly retooled Minnesota Timberwolves.

Then, Celtics reporter Jay King joins to break down the departure of Jaylen Brown from Boston and what that means for this year's roster.

Plus, Yahoo Sports senior writer Kendall Baker shares his experience watching an MLB game on the Apple Vision Pro.

0:00 Welcome

01:17 Inside Jonathan Kuminga's contract with Aaron Turner

57:50 What to expect from Celtics post-Jaylen Brown with Jay King

01:05:47 MLB broadcast using Apple Vision Pro with Kendall Baker

Jonathan Bachman

🖥️ Watch this full episode on the Yahoo Sports NBA YouTube channel

Check out all episodes of The Kevin O'Connor Show and the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

Hey folks we’re back at it, going division by division figuring out just who the Golden State Warriors should be concerned about this season. And after the way things turned out last year when the wounded Dubs didn’t even make the postseason, that answer could easily be anybody. But one of the teams GSW had success against last year comes from the Southwest Division. I’m talking about the Dallas Mavericks, a team that floundered with the injury absence of Kyrie Irving, the rookie lessons of Cooper Flagg, and the inconsistent play of former Warrior Klay Thompson. The Warriors took two out of three from Dallas last season, including a big win on Christmas. Unfortunately one of those battles cost them the knee of Moses Moody.

Dallas spent this offseason trying to convince everybody it finally has its act together, and for about five minutes in the spring, I believed it. They fired Nico Harrison, allegedly the brains behind the PR disaster that was the Luka Doncic trade. They hired Masai Ujiri, the guy who built a championship team in Toronto, to run the whole operation. They brought in Dusty May off an NCAA title at Michigan to replace Bay Area legend Jason Kidd as head coach. On paper that’s the best offseason of competent decision-making this franchise has had in years, and it’s happening around Flagg who just won Rookie of the Year doing things nobody his age should be able to do.

Then the actual roster-building started, and I need somebody in Dallas to explain something to me.

We already know what Flagg is. Nobody in the Bay needs a stat sheet to tell them he’s the problem. What Dallas doesn’t have is anybody to take some of that creation load off him, because right now the only reliable ballhandler on the roster is Kyrie Irving, who’s 34 and coming off a torn ACL that’s kept him out since March of last year. Everybody assumed Dallas would use the ninth pick on a guard. They took Morez Johnson Jr., a forward out of Michigan, where Dusty May coached him. I like the player but I don’t understand the team.

And then they waived Klay Thompson, ending a very bland first chapter of the ex-Splash Bro’s post-Dubs career.

Our friends over at Mavs Money Ball were guardedly optimistic in their roundtable of the Mavericks’ offseason moves, but one quote stood out for me:

The problem is that Dallas chose to work around the margins instead of truly reforming the roster. The Mavericks still have too many overlapping forwards, not enough reliable ball-handling and several veterans who do not clearly fit Flagg’s timeline. Other young teams have been more aggressive in defining their direction, whether by collecting draft assets, clearing veterans or building a cleaner developmental roster. The individual moves mostly make sense, but they do not yet form a coherent plan.

What kinda team is this? Dallas’ answer at backup guard last season was Brandon Williams, who averaged 13 points and 4 assists for them and even dropped 26 off the bench in the Christmas game against Golden State. The Warriors just signed him though!

Cooper Flagg is a ridiculous young talent surrounded by a roster that has hella question marks. That young supertalent scares me. The Mavericks do not.

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Parting ways with every free agent not named Austin Reaves this summer opened up positions across the roster. Shot creation and guard threats were thin behind the backcourt, leading them to come to terms with Collin Sexton on a two-year, $19 million deal.

He brings a dynamic scoring punch and a much-needed on-ball operator off the bench when Luka Dončić or Reaves miss any time.

Roster-building decision-makers constantly wrestle with where to invest their resources. Under a capped salary, those choices and ramifications are even more magnified. With the money handed out, teams are letting you know which archetypes they deem replaceable.

​Sexton is a 6’3, 190-pound guard whose main value is on offense. These measurables aren’t particularly sought after in the modern game, which values versatility and switching on defense with an emphasis on size one through five.

​Those ideas can clash at the highest level of basketball, and fully dependent offensive players get played off the floor. Jalen Brunson of the Knicks is the extreme case of a short ball handler still bringing enormous value in winning time.

��Sexton is not Brunson by any means whatsoever, but to be effective at that size, you must be efficient. You need to be able to put pressure on the rim as a playmaker while hitting off-ball shots. He fits the bill, sitting just under the elusive 50-40-90 club.

​Splitting time with the Charlotte Hornets and the Chicago Bulls, Sexton averaged 15.4 points and 3.3 assists in just under 24 minutes per game. An efficient 49% from the field, 40% on 3-pointers, and 86% from the free-throw line.

​The typical offensive jitterbug, Sexton leverages quick downhill speed to be an offensive engine. He’s a high-volume pick-and-roll player, with 32.5% of his possessions involving a ball screen. Those numbers are up there with both Luka (34.7%) and Reaves (35.1%), who are among the league’s leaders.

​Any slip-up by the opposing screen defenders and Sexton gets to his elite first step. Watch below in semi-transition where he notices the opposing big in the wrong defensive position. A quick crossover gets him to the rim for the finish.

Sexton shows good patience at the top of the key. He’s defended by one of the best point-of-attack guards in Cason Wallace below. He methodically puts him in jail and uses the Gortat screen to finish the and-one.

He has all the passes in the toolbox you need from an on-ball guard. He reads skip passes well and a positive lob pairing with LA’s biggest add in Walker Kessler. The two played three seasons together on the Utah Jazz and over 2000 minutes on the court, bringing some instant chemistry to a new group.

​Sexton is a fearless driver to the rim at over 9.5 per game and will fit right next to the star backcourt’s propensity to put pressure on the basket. It’s a huge boost to a team that lacked any guard scoring juice off the bench last season. He pairs that attack with elite efficiency, finishing 64.5% in the restricted area.

When teams switch a screen or a big naturally ends up on the guard, he’s one of the best isolation scorers by efficiency with 1.19 points per possession, placing him in the 87th percentile league-wide.

​Watch below as he has one of the better switchable bigs in the league on him in Neemias Queta. After a couple of in-and-out dribbles, he gets to his spot and rises.

A concern is that the pull-up 3-point shooting is subpar for a player that handles the ball as much as he does. Sexton shot just 34% on his off-the-dribble attempts from behind the arc and 36% overall.

​That said, the guard should be paired with either Luka or Reaves at all times, letting him attack compromised defenses. Sexton worked off of both LaMelo Ball and Josh Giddey last season, and has turned himself into a more than useful off-ball player, hitting 44.5% of his catch-and-shoot 3-pointers.

​The concerns, as with much of this roster, are how he fares on defense. He’s a pit bull who brings a 6’7 wingspan, quick hands, and overall effort. Following his trade to the Bulls, Sexton averaged 1.5 steals per game, leading the team.

​Luka and Austin already need defensive protection, and Sexton is another player who will be picked on with his size. How the Lakers manage the lineups will be crucial, along with whether they can add another defensive backup center or forward to fill out the rotation.

​At 27, Sexton continues the summer theme of getting younger at all positions. Concerns remain, as Sexton has never played in the playoffs, but he should bring instant scoring punch and playmaking to a team that desperately needs to lessen the load on its star guards.

​You can follow Raj on X at @RajChipalu.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Suns fans and fans across the country.

You can feel it, can’t you? That little tinge of excitement is creeping in as we inch closer to another season of NBA basketball.

The NBA Draft was more than 2 months ago. Summer League is nearly 2 months in the rearview mirror. We are now less than a month away from Phoenix Suns Media Day. Yes, we have officially entered that awkward portion of the calendar where you desperately want to get excited, but you know better. There is still some road left to travel before basketball actually returns.

Still, when you look back at what we thought the Suns needed to accomplish this offseason, it feels like quite a few boxes were checked.

They needed to bring back Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, and Mark Williams. Done. Dillon Brooks needed an extension. Done. A team that entered the offseason without a first-round draft pick somehow ended up making one. And for a fan base that spent plenty of time talking about moving off the contracts of Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale, well, that happened too.

Whether you agree with all of those moves is entirely up to you. Maybe you loved them. Maybe you hated them. Maybe you are somewhere in the middle, staring at the roster like a man examining a suspicious stain on the carpet and wondering how exactly it got there.

Either way, your opinion on those decisions is probably going to determine how you grade the Suns’ offseason. And that is the subject of this week’s Bright Side Reacts survey.

If you were standing at the front of the classroom with a red pen in your hand, what grade would you give the Phoenix Suns for the way they operated this offseason? What moves made sense? Which ones left you scratching your head? Cast your vote, then let us know in the comments why you landed where you did.

Kevin Durant is already a USA Basketball legend. He wants to continue to contribute to the program's success after his playing career.

"One of my main goals is to be the GM of the Team USA, one of these Olympics one of these years," Durant said on the Boardroom show, which he co-founded. "I want to do that job one time."

Grant Hill is the current U.S. men's national team GM — or managing director — serving in that role since 2021.

Hill, with input from coaches, recommended the 12 players for the 2024 Olympic roster that were then submitted to the USA Basketball Board of Directors for approval. Hill also recommended head coach and assistant coach candidates to the USA Basketball board for approval.

Durant, who will be 39 come the 2028 Olympics, has repeatedly said he wants to play in a fifth Games in Los Angeles. If he makes it, he will break LeBron James' record as the oldest U.S. Olympic men's basketball player in history.

Durant already owns the Olympic men's basketball record of four gold medals, plus the most points for a American man or woman in Olympic history — 518.

He led the U.S. in points per game in 2012, 2016 and 2021 and was third in 2024 behind Stephen Curry and James.

Two years out: Projecting the U.S. men’s basketball roster for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

No LeBron James? Stephen Curry? Team USA is going to look different from what it did in Paris.

• Kurt Helin,

Surrounded by thousands at Boston Common, Jaylen Brown took his final bow in the city he’s called home for the last decade Sunday afternoon.

Brown held his “741 Frequency Fest” block party in downtown Boston to celebrate his 10 seasons with the Boston Celtics. It was his last chance to say goodbye before officially embarking on his debut season alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers following this offseason’s blockbuster trade.

“Listen, I’m at a loss for words,” Brown told a sea of Bostonians. “When I got to this city, I said I’m going to go to war for this city. I met so many great people here. People that helped me in the community, that motivated me on my journey. People that have supported me even when I didn’t support myself at times.”

Brown continued: “I just want to say thank you to Boston, thank you to the city, and I love you.”

The entire time, he sported his 2024 Celtics championship ring.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and rappers A$AP Ferg, Joyner Lucas and Lil Baby were among those in attendance for the emotional gathering. Wu presented Brown with a “Jaylen Brown Way” Boston street sign, while Ferg joined him on stage to perform his debut single, “Just Do It,” which the two released in 2024.

There were food trucks, a 741 Performance pop-up shop set up, and a large sign that read “Thank You, Jaylen,” which hundreds of fans plastered with messages of gratitude for the 2024 NBA Finals MVP. It was as sentimental as it was a difficult day for the city, which has embraced Brown as one of its own, to reflect on everything he’s meant since becoming a Celtic over 10 years ago.

Brown went from a split reception filled with both cheers and boos on draft night to undergoing 119 playoff battles before helping Boston raise its record 18th championship banner. He began his career as a rookie rummaging for minutes off the bench to signing a historic $304 million contract extension in 2023 — all while remaining committed to his promise to impact the community through various initiatives aimed at leaving Boston a little bit better than when he arrived.

That he did.

Not only did Brown help the Celtics reclaim their place as the most winning franchise in league history, but he also became Boston’s most authentic athlete. He was as visible on the court as he was in classrooms across Boston’s inner-city neighborhoods, stopping by schools in Dorchester and Roxbury to connect with kids who rarely got the chance to watch their heroes perform live.

Brown went the extra mile, even when it wasn’t required to, making it his own obligation as someone who never forgot where he came from. From draft night to his farewell, Brown always carried the lessons taught by his mother, Mechalle Brown, and his late grandmother, Dianne Varnado, who passed away in 2023.

Few athletes succeed in Boston, whether homegrown or acquired through trade or free agency. Fewer earn the kind of respect fans across New England will forever hold for Brown. Plenty make their stop here, win a title, take their duckboat ride across the city and go about their business at the end of the pit stop. But that isn’t the case with Brown. He became much more than an honorary Bostonian. He wasn’t born here, but in a matter of a few years, it was as if he’d been here from the very beginning of his journey.

That’s rare.

There aren’t many whose impact spanned so far it could rally an entire army at Boston Common for one final goodbye.

Brown is now in Philadelphia, playing for one of Boston’s most historic rivals and joining forces with one of its most hated villains in James. Still, it doesn’t matter. When the time comes, and the tribute video draws the attention of 19,000-plus people inside TD Garden, that respect will once again become apparent.

As deserved, Brown will receive his flowers, his applause, and the unwavering love he secured through a decade of living up to the standard of the Celtics uniform. That’ll always be here waiting for him, regardless of however many trips he makes back to Boston or what uniform he’s wearing.

That’s the bond he forged, and it will live on long beyond his departure from Boston.

PALO ALTO, Calif. – If there are any thoughts or concerns that Steph Curry isn’t going to be a Warrior for life, that thinking certainly isn’t coming from him.

Curry on Saturday became eligible to sign a new maximum contract extension as he prepares for his 18th season in a Warriors jersey. On Monday at the Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club, the business of basketball wasn’t on his mind.

But he did once again reiterate his goal to close out his career with the Warriors, and he has confidence that will be the case.

“There’s no question I want to be here the rest of my career, and I’m pretty sure that’s going to happen,” Curry said to NBC Sports Bay Area in an exclusive interview.

The 38-year-old is under contract through the 2026-27 NBA season for $62.6 million, making Curry the highest-paid player in the league by annual salary. The NBA’s Over-38 Rule means Curry can only be under contract for no more than three years. The maximum deal he can now sign is for two years and $136.7 million.

Those numbers aren’t lost on Curry. They also aren’t causing any worries. 

“The deal and the contract stuff will happen at the right time, and we’re not letting it be a distraction from our preparation for the season, and the fact that the team we’re coming back with has a lot of familiarity,” Curry continued.

Last season was disappointing for Curry and the Warriors as a whole. Injuries derailed the excitement the Warriors carried into the season, leaving them with a lowly 37-45 record. Curry brought magic to LA in the Warriors’ first play-in tournament game, but momentum couldn’t be carried to the second game, where they fell to the Suns in Phoenix. 

“Hopefully we can be healthy and just have a chance to show what we’re capable of, myself included, missing so many games last year,” Curry said. 

Curry averaged 26.6 points per game in Year 17, the fifth-highest of his career, and was named to his 12th All-Star Game. Any postseason awards were off the table, though. Curry played just 43 games last season, which was his third-fewest outside of playing five games in 2019-20 and 26 in 2011-12. 

For more than two months, Curry was stuck to the sidelines watching the Warriors struggle as he rehabbed a tough case of runner’s knee. The injury is a “new norm,” as Curry describes. Refreshed from a long offseason and ready to begin training camp in four weeks, a motivated Curry always has been a good sign for the Warriors and a scary one for their opponents. 

He hears the noise and he knows the doubts. Neither brings a bead of sweat. 

“The goal stays the same,” Curry says. “Extension stuff, we’ll figure that out at the right time. But I’m ready for Year 18. It’s kind of crazy that it’s been this long, and I’m still trying to play at a very high level to help us win, and I’ll be able to do my job.”

Monday was about a different kind of business that Curry always is happy to talk about and promote. The day marked the seventh annual Workday Charity Classic, benefiting Steph and his wife Ayesha’s Eat. Learn. Play. foundation that continues to invest millions into the children of Oakland. 

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy was on scene for the charity golf event, as was Kirk Lacob, the team’s executive vice president of basketball operations, and his younger brother Kent, who stepped aside last summer after spending a decade in the franchise’s front office. 

Bay Area legends like Steve Young and Joe Thornton also swung their clubs for a great cause. Like all of Dub Nation, those two Hall of Famers aren’t ready to see Curry permanently trade the hardwood for a golf course quite yet. 

The same sentiment is shared by Ayesha, whose voice holds as much power as anybody in Steph’s playing future. 

“Of course,” she said. “Steph is the hardest-working man in the room. He has no days off. He hasn’t stopped since last season ended. He’s ready. He’s ready to get out there. I think we’re going to be in for some fun surprises over the next couple of years.”

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Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Bucks fans and fans across the country.

A little over three months ago, as part of our build-up to the 2026 NBA Draft, I dove into the history of the tenth overall pick. From generational players to busts and everything in between, the slot is riddled in volatility—unless your name is Paul, in which case it seems you’re destined for big things (see Pierce, George, Westphal, and Silas*). Framing all of this was my assertion: the Bucks are at a crossroads and this pick can either make or break their future.

_{*Paul Silas is listed as the 10th overall pick on the NBA’s official website but 12th in other locations because of the league’s territorial pick rule at the time, which allowed teams to select local college players in a bid to increase fan support.}

Since then, as you’re well aware, the Bucks drafted Brayden Burries with the 10th overall pick. It was, at the very least, a somewhat surprising selection. After all, Burries was widely expected to be off the board by then. NBADraft.net had him going ninth to the Dallas Mavericks, as did The Ringer, CBS, and No Ceilings. Heck, so did we. The Bucks also seemed pretty set in the backcourt, with Tyler Herro, Ryan Rollins, and Kasparas Jakučionis all good enough and young enough to be part of the team’s long-term plans—not to mention Kevin Porter Jr., who picked up his player option just days after the draft. Yet, somehow, we the Bucks got him.

As a Buck, Burries has looked so good it’s surprising Jon Horst hasn’t been arrested for grand larceny. But his Summer League showing—23.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 4.3 APG; First Team honours—was almost undersold by his nonchalance, like he’d been there before, and so it wasn’t until later we came to realise we hadn’t talked enough about him.

From this stems this week’s poll. Could the combination of Burries’ nonchalance and our apparent indifference to his play actually mean something more? Is it all foreshadowing? That, somehow, we actually know more? That Burries will become the next great Buck, so good that his Summer League play won’t even register as a footnote in his eventual story? Destiny and fate and all that…

And so I put it to you, Brew Hoopers, so that we’ve got it in ink on paper (or at least darker pixels on lighter pixels) as proof of our prescience: just how good will Brayden Burries become?

Let’s keep the sports analysis rolling, Dub Nation. Welcome to Oklahoma City, the final stop before we leave the Northwest division for good. This last team on my list in my division by division recap of the offseason shenanigans is the team that didn’t have the greatness to repeat as champions last season, the Thunder. They went to Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals but ultimately fell short in a contentious battle against the uprising San Antonio Spurs.

But the Thunder were the #1 seed and had a dominant regular season run, including sweeping the Golden State Warriors in their season series. I’m not going to pretend there’s a silver lining buried in there somewhere. They outplayed the Dubs and did everything they could to erase the trauma that the Golden Empire inflicted on the OKC franchise over the last decade.

OKC just won 64 games but injuries and that silver-and-black buzzsaw in Texas sent the ex-champs home. They’ve had to spend the offseason pissed off about it while trying to keep their salary cap from exploding from having to pay all their talent. Oklahoma City traded away Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins this summer all to duck the second apron tax penalties. Three rotation guys from a 64-win team, gone, just to keep the books clean. Most teams that lose three rotation players call it a rebuilding summer, but not the Thunder baby!

And after all that, look at who’s still there: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, and Chet Holmgren. BALLERS! Although I wonder how Chet’s stock is after the Spurs series.

They re-signed Isaiah Hartenstein to a three-year, $75 million deal, and Kenrich Williams came back too. Cason Wallace inherits the starting job Dort just vacated, and he’s not walking into it cold; he averaged 8.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and nearly two steals a night in barely 27 minutes off the bench last year. They also added Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz in the draft, a name to file away as the expectation is he’s ready to eat soon.

Per Roundtable sports:“Stirtz’s advantage could be simplicity. He does not need the offense placed in his hands to demonstrate value. If he reliably makes open threes, defends at an NBA level and avoids mistakes, Daigneault can use him without redesigning the rotation. Nikola Topić possesses intriguing size and playmaking potential, but Oklahoma City may need him to control the ball to discover the best version of his game. Those opportunities become difficult to provide when Gilgeous-Alexander, Ajay Mitchell and several other guards have already earned trust.”

Golden State went 0-4 against this team and the Thunder have proven themselves to be in a higher class recently. OKC responded to a Game 7 conference finals loss by trimming payroll and running it back with the same three-star core all 28-and-under. The gap between the younger Thunder and the older Warriors didn’t close over the summer. But if the Dubs can be fully healthy, I’ll always like their chances in a shootout, even against a difficult Thunder puzzle.

Being a dad is a special feeling.

No job is harder, but no job is more rewarding.

Surely Tyrese Maxey has applied his 1% better every day philosophy to fatherhood. The Sixers’ star guard became a dad to a baby girl this offseason. Baby Marvel — Tyrese loves Spider-Man and The Avengers movies — has already been in the gym, though the only dribbling she’s doing needs to be wiped away with a bib.

While it’s impossible to top that, Maxey did something else incredible this offseason. He successfully recruited LeBron James, arguably the greatest basketball player who’s ever lived, to sign with the Sixers.

Not a bad offseason for No. 0.

It’s been a special few months for Maxey, but he has the chance to make his own heroic comic book ending this season.

Maxey had a career year in 2025-26. After what you could consider the first down year of his career in the Sixers’ nightmarish 2024-25 campaign, he averaged career highs with 28.3 points, 6.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 0.8 blocks per game last season. He was named an All-Star for the second time and given his first All-NBA nod (Third Team).

With a Most Improved Player Award also on his mantle, Maxey has racked up an impressive list of individual accolades before the age of 26. Adjusting to yet another new role and leading his team to an NBA championship would put quite the punctuation mark on Maxey’s career before he even really enters his prime.

While Maxey came to the Sixers post-Process, he was far from immune to the organizational turmoil that’s plagued this team for over a decade.

During his rookie year, he watched from the bench as Ben Simmons made The Pass to Matisse Thybulle. After basically saving their season with a brilliant Game 6 down in Atlanta, Maxey played less than 15 minutes in Game 7 against the Hawks. For reference, Furkan Korkmaz started and played 18 minutes while George Hill (21 minutes) and Shake Milton (5 minutes) played minutes that easily could’ve gone to Maxey.

Alas, Doc Rivers.

He took the ensuing Simmons holdout and the arrival of James Harden in stride. He took a massive leap as a shooter and fit whatever role the Sixers needed. The following season, he was part of a team that went ice cold against the Celtics in Game 6 in what could’ve been the Sixers’ first Eastern Conference Finals berth since 2001. Instead, they were embarrassed in Game 7 in Boston and another point guard holdout commenced as Harden famously called Daryl Morey a liar.

Maxey was undeterred, winning his MIP award in 2023-24 before another Embiid injury essentially derailed the season. We did get a glimpse of what Maxey can do in big playoff spots with his epic Game 5 performance at Madison Square Garden to force a Game 6 against the Knicks. If the Sixers found a way to win that series, Maxey’s efforts in that game would be talked about more (they should, anyway).

Even the way he closed Game 7 out against the Celtics last season with sensational finishes at the rim shows he’s a big game performer. That’s a trait that shouldn’t get lost in the shuffle when we have “who should take the last shot?” debates about these Sixers.

In his locker, Maxey has a figurine of the character Venom. For the uninitiated, Venom — sometimes a Spider-Man villain, other times somewhat of an anti-hero — is an alien symbiote who combines with a human host, enhancing the powers of both the symbiote and host.

Maxey has taken many forms as a Sixer.

Don’t bet against him figuring out how to get some of the NBA’s mightiest heroes to assemble.

Another Knick turns 30 this week! Days after Mikal Bridges reached the milestone, Captain Jalen Brunson celebrates his birthday today.

Born August 31, 1996, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the Knicks captain hits the 30-year mark about 11 weeks after delivering New York its first NBA championship since 1973 and earning Finals MVP. Brunson capped the series with 45 points in the championship-clinching Game Five against the Spurs, a Knicks Finals record. Not a bad year so far, all things considered.

Brunson spent much of his childhood in southern New Jersey, including Cherry Hill, but his father’s basketball career kept the family moving. Rick Brunson played nine NBA seasons before transitioning to coaching, and the family eventually settled in the Chicago area, where Jalen attended Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. His mother, Sandra, played volleyball at Temple, where she and Rick were both student-athletes.

At Stevenson, Jalen won a state championship and Illinois Mr. Basketball honors. At Villanova, he won national championships in 2016 and 2018, then became the consensus National Player of the Year as a junior. Dallas selected him with the 33rd pick in the 2018 draft, making him the last of four Villanova teammates called—a fact most definitely not lost on the uber-competitive Jalen. Over his first four seasons, he developed from a reserve into a central figure on the Mavs team that reached the 2022 Western Conference Finals.

That summer, Jalen inked a four-year, $104 million contract with the Knickerbockers. The deal drew skepticism at the time, but Brunson quickly became the lead guard New York had spent decades seeking. He has since earned multiple All-Star and All-NBA selections, won the 2025 NBA Cup and its MVP award, and led the Knicks to the 2026 championship. On August 6, 2024, he became the 36th captain in franchise history.

Before Jalen arrived, the Knicks had made the playoffs once in the previous nine seasons. Four years later, they were champions. Rick had played for the 1998–99 Knicks, the franchise’s previous Finals team, and Jalen completed the circle by leading the orange-and-blue past the Spurs, the same team that defeated Rick’s Knicks.

The connections that brought Brunson to New York ran deep. Knicks president Leon Rose began his career as Rick’s agent and later represented Jalen. Tom Thibodeau had known Brunson since childhood through Rick’s NBA and coaching career, then hired Rick as an assistant in June 2022.

And the personal connections continue: the front office not only traded for Jalen’s BFF and Villanova teammate, Josh Hart, but also surrounded him with former teammates Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo, and Ryan Arcidiacono. Sometimes it seemed like Leon’s long game was less about Jalen and more about luring Jay Wright to the NBA.

Brunson practices his trade with strength, footwork, and deception. The 6-foot-2 left-hander changes pace, backs down larger defenders, pivots through traffic, and uses his body to create space. He absorbs contact, is a league leader in drawing charges, and is unafraid of smashing his way through much taller trees (especially French ones) or taking the game-winning shot as the clock expires. The steel in his veins and his big-shot chutzpah helped make Captain Clutch the King of New York.

At 30, the mileage from that contact-heavy style will be worth monitoring, and coach Mike Brown may increasingly look for ways to preserve his champion. The injuries start to pile up as the seasons tick by: Jalen has suffered numerous ankle sprains, fractured his left hand during the 2024 playoffs, and played through a left wrist injury during the 2026 championship run before undergoing surgery in July. But his unparalleled craft should age better than a game dependent primarily on vertical explosiveness.

His 2024 extension includes a player option for 2028–29, allowing him to negotiate another contract before his 32nd birthday. By signing early rather than waiting for free agency, Jalen gave the Knicks the financial flexibility to build a championship-caliber roster around him. Reports estimated that decision left hay bales of money on the table, but he has trusted the organization to take care of him in time.

So happy 30th birthday to a man destined for the rafters of MSG and the halls of Springfield. If there is a birthday cake involved, I hear he likes the marble cheesecake at Veniero’s Pasticceria in the East Village.

Go Knicks.

The Wizards got a fascinating prospect when they chose Will Riley 21st overall. He’s 6-9, skilled, has a funky tough-to-defend (especially if refs keep letting him use that carry elongated hesi dribble) game, and a good helping of competitive moxey.

He had some good moments last season, though I was less enamored with even “the good stuff” than many others seemed to be. I’m still in the maybe he could be good someday if he works hard camp. As befits a 19-20-year-old rookie, Riley needs to get better at everything.

Getting stronger is a given — that’s necessary for virtually every young player, and he’s no exception. I’m not entirely sure he’s done growing yet. Don’t be surprised if he measures at 6-10 when training camp begins. He’s not just young, he looks youthful — like a teenager still developing physically. That’s not criticism of him or the pick, by the way. It’s good that he had some of those positive games last season given where he is physically.

His game has promise, but “not bad for a young guy” doesn’t last long in the NBA, especially when the team is shifting from losing on purpose to competing for wins. Riley last season was average to below average across the board. He shot worse than average on twos and threes, though he did knock down 80% of his free throw attempts. Getting to the line was a relative strength — he was slightly above average in free throw attempts per team possession.

I think there’s some relatively easy fixes on the three-point shooting. Specifically, I’d like to see him stop clicking his heels, kicking a leg forward or back, and generally manage his footwork to give him a more stable shooting platform when possible.

If he was on another team, I’d likely be annoyed by the ball handling, which is heavy on what the rulebook would say are egregious carries. Since he’s on the Wizards, I’m more worried about how he’ll adapt if the league office tells officials to start calling carries in a manner resembling the actual rule.

Specifically, Rule No. 10, Section II-d:

A player who is dribbling may not put any part of his hand under the ball and (1) carry it from one point to another or (2) bring it to a pause and then continue to dribble again.

Perhaps a bigger issue for Riley is increased competition for minutes. He’s a forward who can play traditional SF or PF roles (depending on the opponent’s size, strength, and athleticism). At forward, the Wizards will have Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr, AJ Dybantsa, Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly, and Justin Champagnie in the mix. Possibly Khris Middleton too, unless he’s taking over for Anthony Gill in the Team Dad role.

Even if Coulibaly, George or Dybantsa pick up some guard minutes (perhaps cutting into Tre Johnson’s or Bub Carrington’s time), Riley’s going to be in a battle for playing time. Hopefully he’s using the summer to prepare for it.

Let’s talk doppelgangers. This is the latest installment of the annual dog days tradition of running Wizards players through my Statistical Doppelganger Machine. The Machine compares the player’s performance across 14 categories and tells me which NBA player seasons since 1977-78 are “most similar.”

The Machine includes age as a factor, but not height or position. Despite that, players tend to get comps from the same position group.

1. Shaedon Sharpe | 2022-23 | Portland Trail Blazers | Age: 19 — This was Sharpe’s rookie year, and it wasn’t bad for a teenager (PPA: 64). He was “about the same” in year two before improving to close to average the past couple seasons. One potentially important difference: Sharpe is a plus athlete with an array of stunning highlights. I think Riley had more craft in his game as a rookie than Sharpe did in year four, however.
2. Malaki Branham | 2022-23 | San Antonio Spurs | Age: 19 — Branham’s age 20 season is next on the list, which is somewhat disconcerting because he didn’t get better. His 275 minutes with the Wizards last season was probably the best stretch of his career, and he managed just a 57 PPA — exactly what Riley posted last season. Branham’s rookie PPA was 53. Keep in mind, replacement level is 45.
3. J.R. Smith | 2004-05 | New Orleans Hornets | Age: 19 — Smith was an athletic wing with some questionable decision-making. His most famous NBA moment was probably getting yelled at by LeBron James for dribbling out the clock in a tie game of the NBA Finals instead of initiating an action to attempt a potentially game-winning shot. That said, Smith wasn’t bad — he played 16 seasons, eight of which were in the average-plus range.
4. Ja’Kobe Walter | 2024-25 | Toronto Raptors | Age: 20 — I’m sure I’ve seen Walter play, though I don’t have a distinct memory. The numbers say he improved in his second season — shooting a lot less but much better.
5. Kevin Porter Jr. | 2019-20 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Age 19 — I think Porter’s name showed up as a comp for one Riley’s teammates. Porter’s talent was undeniable. His maturity and on-court decision-making were challenges, however. He’s on his fourth team in six seasons, and he’s actually been good for the Milwaukee Bucks. It seems improbable that Riley would have the kinds of off-court issues Porter did, and the Wizards are surely hoping he can make faster on-court progress.

Some of the honorable mentions are interesting, like Peja Stojakovic and Stephen Jackson. Riley doesn’t shoot it like Stojakovic, and he’s not a maniacal competitor like Jackson (at least not so far).

Next up: Tre Johnson

The Spurs may still be a few weeks from training camp, but Julian Champagnie is already representing the team. This Saturday, September 5, the Spurs three-point assassin hosts a meet and greet at Physicians Premier Emergency Room at the corner of Potranco and Grosenbacher on San Antonio’s westside.

See the Facebook post:

“JULIAN CHAMPAGNIE IS BACK AT PHYSICIANS PREMIER POTRANCO!

We’re excited to welcome back San Antonio Spurs superstar Julian Champagnie to Physicians Premier Potranco for another special Meet & Greet! 

Join us for another opportunity to meet Julian, snap a photo, and grab the autograph of one of your favorite Spurs!

Saturday, September 5th

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Physicians Premier ER– Potranco
12314 Potranco Rd., #102
Corner of Potranco & Grosenbacher

Bring your family, your Spurs spirit and your cameras! 

This is a FREE community event. We can’t wait to see you there!“

Champagnie signed a 3-year/$45M contract this summer. He’s an essential component of the Spurs continued success. He has also bee one of the more visible members of the team, making multiple appearances. His infectious and warm demeanor have endeared him to fans of all ages. This session is a great way to engage Spurs fans and prepare them for the 2026-2027 pandemonium soon to ensue.

Welcome to The Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, do not troll and watch the language.

In the history of the NBA, there have been over 350 head coaches, and among all these coaches, there has never been an individual who exerted a greater influence on the shape of professional basketball than one Arnold “Red” Auerbach.

Auerbach’s legacy is not just the championships that he won as a coach and as a general manager; it’s the influence that his players have had on the game, as they became coaches themselves, and as they mentored players and assistant coaches.

When Red passed away in October, 2006, the Boston Globe published a coaching tree which showed that 23 of the league’s 30 coaches could trace their lineage back to Auerbach.

Rather than dwindling away over the past twenty years, Auerbach’s coaching tree is as robust as ever. Today, 28 of the 30 coaches in the NBA can trace their lineage back to Red Auerbach, with many having multiple paths back to the Celtics legend.

It has been over sixty years since Red coached his last game, and almost twenty years since he passed away.

So why has his coaching tree thrived? In part because Red had a habit of acquiring smart players who turned into successful coaches themselves. Four players coached by Red Auerbach went on to win NBA titles as coaches themselves (Bill Russell, Bill Sharman, Tommy Heinsohn and KC Jones), with a fifth, Don Nelson, coaching 2,398 games. In the 69 years since Red Auerbach won his first title in 1957, he and members of his coaching tree have accounted for 40 of the championships awarded during that span.

Going back to coaches active in 1966, Red’s last year on the bench, only Alex Hannum and Fred Schaus can claim coaching trees of any magnitude in today’s NBA, and for both of them, this is because they coached Larry Brown, who, through Gregg Popovich, has had a massive impact on coaching in the NBA. Today, Gregg Popovich has connections to thirteen NBA coaches, which is an impressive achievement for a coach who has only been retired for a couple years.

For Schaus, the only branch active today is the Popovich connection through Larry Brown, and for Alex Hannum, there are only two branches active: His connection through Larry Brown and his connection through Pat Riley.

On the other hand, Red’s coaching tree has impacted the NBA through five distinct branches. Coaches that can trace their roots back to Bill Sharman, K.C. Jones, Tommy Heinsohn, Bob Cousy and Don Nelson can be found on NBA sidelines today.

Note: to conserve space and minimize redundancy, full lineages to Red are only given once for each coach in the narrative below.

Atlanta Hawks: Quin Snyder was an assistant for Mike Brown. Mike Brown was an assistant to Rick Carlisle, who played for KC Jones, who played for Red Auerbach. Snyder was also an assistant to Mike Budenholzer, who was an assistant to Gregg Popovich, who was an assistant to Don Nelson, who played for both Tommy Heinsohn and Red Auerbach.

Boston Celtics: Joe Mazzulla was an assistant to Ime Udoka, who both played for and was an assistant to Gregg Popovich.

Brooklyn Nets: Jordi Fernandez was an assistant to Mike Brown

Charlotte Hornets: Charles Lee was an assistant to Mike Budenholzer, as well as Joe Mazzulla.

Chicago Bulls: Tiago Splitter played for, and was an assistant under Gregg Popovich

Cleveland Cavaliers: Kenny Atkinson was an assistant to Mike D’Antoni, who played for Bob Cousy, who played for Red Auerbach.

Dallas Mavericks: Dusty May – No connections to Red Auerbach

Denver Nuggets: David Adelman was an assistant for Michael Malone, who was an assistant under Don Chaney, who played for Tommy Heinsohn, who played for Red Auerbach

Detroit Pistons: J.B. Bickerstaff was an assistant under his dad, who was an assistant for KC Jones with the Washington Wizards. He was also an assistant to Kevin McHale, who played for KC Jones.

Golden State Warriors: Steve Kerr played for Gregg Popovich

Houston Rockets: Ime Udoka played for, and was an assistant under Gregg Popovich

Indiana Pacers: Rick Carlisle, who is the longest tenured coach currently active in the NBA.

Los Angeles Clippers: Tyronn Lue was an assistant under Doc Rivers, who played for Pat Riley, who played for Bill Sharman, who played for Red Auerbach.

Los Angeles Lakers: JJ Redick played for both Doc Rivers and Stan Van Gundy. Stan was an assistant under Pat Riley.

Memphis Grizzlies: Tuomas Iisalo was an assistant to Taylor Jenkins who was an assistant under Mike Budenholzer

Miami Heat: Erik Spoelstra was an assistant to Pat Riley

Minnesota Timberwolves: Chris Finch was assistant under Kevin McHale, as well as being an assistant under Michael Malone.

New Orleans Pelicans: Jamahl Mosley was an assistant under Rick Carlisle

New York Knicks: Mike Brown, who was an assistant under both Rick Carlisle and Gregg Popovich.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Mark Daigneault – Has no connection to Red Auerbach

Orlando Magic: Sean Sweeney was an assistant under Dwane Casey who was himself an assistant with Rick Carlisle.

Philadelphia 76ers: Nick Nurse was also an assistant under Dwane Casey.

Phoenix Suns: Jordan Ott was an assistant under Kenny Atkinson

Portland Trail Blazers: Micah Nori is connected to Red Auerbach through Dwane Casey, Michael Malone, and Chris Finch

Sacramento Kings: Doug Christie was an assistant to Mike Brown

San Antonio Spurs: Mitch Johnson was an assistant to Gregg Popovich

Toronto Raptors: Darko Rajakovic was an assistant to Taylor Jenkins

Utah Jazz: Will Hardy was an assistant to Ime Udoka as well as Gregg Popovich

Washington Wizards: Brian Keefe was an assistant under Luke Walton, who was an assistant under Steve Kerr.

Stephen Curry stepped on the court during an AAU tournament in Nevada, determined to prove deserving of a scholarship to a major college. Maybe even Duke or University North Carolina, a couple hours’ drive northeast of his hometown of Charlotte.

All the big-name coaches were in the building and Curry, a scrawny but earnest teenager, would provide them with a glimpse of all his greatness and glory.

He was awful.

And it was one of the best things to ever happen to him.

Asked on Sunday to recall a memorable brush with failure, Curry paused briefly before reliving the moment during a panel discussion at the University of San Francisco. 

“I was in the recruiting kind of window of the time, and I was trying to find my way to the highest level of basketball that I could play,” he said. “And there was this one tournament in Las Vegas, an AAU tournament that I played in, and it was the first time that I knew that all these coaches were going to be around the court. The Who’s Who. I grew up in North Carolina, so the who’s who of ACC country, and I put so much pressure on myself.

“It’s like this is my moment. If I want to play high Division I basketball, I have to take advantage of this weekend – or else the opportunity is going to pass me by.”

It was the game of the day, in the afternoon, and Curry planned to take his fellow youngsters to basketball church and deliver a hoops sermon. Stardom was beckoning.

“That was a game where all the coaches were there,” Curry recalled. “And I had 14 turnovers.

“And what came out of that, was in my mind, I had failed. I had kind of underperformed, got overwhelmed by the moment, talked myself out of just enjoying it. Playing the way that I know how to play.”

What Curry could not have known was that lurking in the shadows of such famous coaches as Mike Kryzyewski (Duke), Roy Williams (North Carolina) and Tom Izzo (Michigan State) was another coach with a much lower profile but insight that proved keener than his more acclaimed colleagues.

Davidson College coach Bob McKillop saw the turnovers. Probably counted and winced at each one. But he noticed something else that lit up his mind.

While Curry was profoundly displeased with his performance, McKillop looked beyond the stats and came away impressed.

“He told me it was the fact that my body language didn’t change, and the way that I talked to my teammates didn’t change, and my ability to hustle back on defense,” Curry recalled. “None of that stuff was in my head. It was just how I played the game. It was all about the failure of the results and the stats.

“And for him, that was one reason – or the main reason – why he wanted to offer me a scholarship that next month was because he got to see the intangibles of things.

“So even through failure, you’re going to have an opportunity to show who you really are.”

McKillip saw a kid whose character remained intact when it might have been forgiven if he had lost his composure. Or barked at the referees. Or threw up his hands in disgust. Or worse, point fingers. The coach realized he was watching a unique 16-year-old. One who did not allow an appalling performance to crush his spirit.

“I didn’t really understand that element until he called it out,” Curry said. “And so, for a failure to be a reason that I got an opportunity at the next level, I kind of took it and ran with it.”

Curry describes McKillop as “a mentor.” Even now, nearly a quarter-century after they met, they share a bond that stays too tight to snap. Curry still reaches out to his college coach and McKillop has made numerous trips to the Bay Area to spend a couple days with the kid who became a superstar.

It’s important to note that McKillop always stressing education to his players was among the reasons Curry returned to Davidson in 2022 – less than two months after leading Golden State to an NBA Finals victory – to earn his degree in sociology.

The journey traces back long before Curry led the Warriors to four championships or won back-to-back MVP awards. Before he entered the NBA, much less playoff basketball.  Before he was “Steph.”

Curry’s road to ultimate career success began with an epic failure that didn’t turn him sour. His emotional integrity remained in place. All these years and accolades later, that has not changed.

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Anybody else in Dub Nation get tired of Portland smacking the Golden State Warriors around last year? The Warriors spent most of last season fighting for their lives in the Western Conference standings, and somehow a Trail Blazers team that wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near the top of their list of problems kept showing up and punching them in the mouth.

Welcome to the next stop on our tour through the Northwest Division. Unfortunately for Warriors fans, this is a team in the group that showed a ton of confidence in their matchups with the Dubs last season. Portland dropped 139 on Golden State on opening week, and beat Golden State two more times before the Warriors finally got one back at Chase Center in January. Portland had the Warriors’ number and that was true even in a season where Portland was still figuring itself out.

And then the Blazers went and made the playoffs for the first time since 2022. They clawed into the No. 7 seed by beating the Suns in the play-in, and then this summer they went out and made the biggest move of anybody in this division. Portland traded Jerami Grant, Kris Murray, and cash to Memphis for Ja Morant who still has two years left on his deal.

His trade value has taken real hits from the injuries the last couple years, but this is still a former All-Star walking into a backcourt that already had a healing Damian Lillard back in the fold, Scoot Henderson on the rise, and Jrue Holiday’s tenacious leadership. That’s a lot of guards! But good players are always valuable regardless of position and ESPN applauds the talent:

Portland has seven players who project to be at least slightly positive, which is the fourth most in the league. None of those players projects to be significantly positive, though, and the top two are Lillard and Morant, who both missed a lot of time in recent seasons. The Blazers are built to withstand some injuries and be solid to good but are not built for going deep into the playoffs, at least not without luck restoring Lillard and Morant to their past heights, which were formidable. 

They also took care of their own, re-signing Robert Williams III to a three-year, $44 million deal, giving Portland real insurance behind the behemoth Donovan Clingan. The only part of the offseason for Portland that was saddening if you’re a fan was Shaedon Sharpe tearing his meniscus, which is going to keep him out until March at the earliest. Losing a 20-plus-point scorer for basically half the season is no joke, which matters with what the backcourt looks like on paper:

Not many players who averaged over 20 points per game last season are coming off the bench in 2026-27, but Sharpe is an exception. The team is integrating Lillard back into the fold after recovering from his torn Achilles and trading for Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. Sharpe is a better player when he starts, averaging 21.9 points per game last season compared to 15.4 when he came off the bench. He also had that with more minutes in the starting lineup compared to a reserve. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Sharpe is someone the Blazers will have to rely on this season.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe sustained a torn meniscus in his knee and is expected to miss six months, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/Gvhf84bNrc

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 24, 2026

So how good is this team supposed to be? I think you can pencil these cats in for about 45 wins. The Dubs will see them plenty this season. Hopefully the Warriors atone for last year by getting busy and wiping out the Blazers, no matter how any guards they throw at GSW.

Earlier this summer, sports streaming service DAZN announced a major exclusive streaming deal with New York-based sports teams. In the announcement, Sports Business Journal’s Austin Karp, citing NBA sources, mentioned it would not be the only NBA deal for the 2026-2027 season, specifically mentioning the Spurs, among other teams, with deals in the works.

Since the initial story, two more teams have made it official. Washington Wizards and other D.C. sports broadcaster, Monumental Sports, announced a partnership with DAZN, growing upon its pre-existing infrastructure. More interestingly for Spurs fans, though, is the deal with the Indiana Pacers.

The Pacers and the NBA made the announcement recently, stating that DAZN will be the exclusive provider of regular-season Pacers games via a team-branded streaming service set to be available on most all devices very soon. That is great for Indiana fans; however, what Spurs fans will be interested to learn, as they await a deal of their own, is the price offerings.

First off, DAZN will be providing 22 regular season games for free on the DAZN app, with 15 of them being simulcasted over-the-air. This was expected, as Sports Business Journal originally reported, to “draw in viewership.”

For the remainder of the games, access beyond the Paywall is priced at $119.99/year with the option of an Early Bird Season Pass carrying a 50 percent discount for those who sign up before October, coming out to $59.99 for the season. Monthly options are also available at $19.99/month. Pacers season ticket holders will be gifted a free season pass as an added perk.

NBA League Pass subscribers should note these prices are only applicable within the Indiana geographical market. Pacers games will still be broadcast nationally via the League Pass app or TV provider subscription.

While it should be reiterated that none of this applies to the San Antonio Spurs, it could be an indicator of what is to come. Indianapolis has notable similarities to San Antonio in terms of market size and cost. That doesn’t make it unfathomable to think a Spurs-flavored offering would look very similar.

Nonetheless, while nothing is confirmed, a deal will need to be done soon as the season is less than two months away.

Why is there a picture of James Harden? Read on.

Welcome to Part Two of three covering what I believe is a high stakes season (in terms of sports for entertainment) for the Houston Rockets. One of the reasons to divide the team into the three parts, management, players and coaching, is to look at the relative strengths, weaknesses, and pressures on each. Another is ask the question: can a team be successful without all three elements being strong on their own, and also working at least fairly well? If by success you mean, finish with a decent record, make the playoffs, the yes, that’s very possible. We’ve seen it with these Rockets, and not that long ago we saw LeBron James drag not particularly impressive Cleveland teams to the NBA Finals (albeit in a pretty weak Eastern Conference).

If by success you mean make conference Finals, maybe an NBA Finals, then no, I don’t believe a team can do that, absent a truly generational player like James at his peak. If a team lacks that, and I’d argue, for example, the Knicks who almost swept three rounds of NBA playoffs do lack such a player, then the other elements of coaching and players must be good as well. I think higher level success in the playoffs is won at the margins. Those margins, those fine distinctions are where an inadequate coach, an incoherent roster, or players who are unsuited to their roles, will limit success.

Or sometimes the distinctions and margins are not really a razor’s edge at all. Sometimes they’re a dull axe blade.

The question is this: are the Rockets players suited to run the offense and defense they’re being asked to run? If the players job on the court is to run their coach’s scheme, and in essence it is, rather than it solely being a series of discrete actions that can then be quantified and ranked, are the Rockets players fit for this job?

Well, yes and no. That sounds weasely but it isn’t. Yes on defense, no on offense.

This isn’t the usual question of, (perceived as a bag of stats and measures), is an individual player any good? That’s a good question to ask, of course, but it’s also now the easier one to ask, as we now have a welter of public information, and of course even more is available to teams and other professionals. It can be a way of answering the same question, of course, as well.

What it can’t answer as well is: Is this player any good at what he’s being asked to do, and might he be better asked to do something else, or do things differently?

The Rockets defense is very good. We might perceive it as having slipped from when it was fun, but it’s still good for 6th in the NBA. That’s in a title winning range (title winning teams are almost always top 10 in both offense and defense, and usually around top five in one of those if not both). It’s not a particularly creative scheme of defense, and it doesn’t seem to have a number of go to moves, when it appears an opponent has solved it over the course of playoff games. The go to move is “try harder and maybe let’s try a zone”. This has worked, but in my opinion is exhausting, and costs the team in various ways. Reflexively adding more defense when points are what’s needed is an odd way of looking the world, but the Rockets defense isn’t in need of fixing, particularly.

The Rockets, though, are suited to playing good to great defense in the style they are being asked to play. If Kevin Durant weren’t the defensive equivalent of a coat rack on the court, except when he sniffs a badass block in the air, the rest of it would look better. I think a lot of “glaring mistakes” by other players are a result of him not really guarding anyone on certain possessions, or even attempting to fight through screens.

There’s more to say about other players and issues they have: Sengun isn’t really a rim protector, Sheppard is targeted on defense, Tari Eason makes bizarre choices. That said, those are the kind of things other teams are routinely able to live with. Especially with defenders like Amen Thompson, and let’s be fair, Jabari Smith, on the court. (I think Jabari and Amen were asked to play outfield for Durant a lot.)

So I’d say this group of players is fit to run the defensive scheme they are asked to run. We’ll leave the question of “Is what they’re being asked to do good enough?” for tomorrow.

Now for the “no”. Are the Rockets players suited to run the offense they run? No. Absolutely not. Why?

This one’s easy, because essentially the Rockets under Udoka run a less complex version of the offense the Rockets ran at the peak of James Harden’s and Mike D’Antoni’s tenure. That specific offense typically starts at the top of the three point arc, with an initiator who is capable of breaking down a defender off the dribble and either passing him by or getting him on his hip for a driving finish and maybe a foul. If that doesn’t work, the center (usually) sets a screen that gives him the space to get to the rim, and the screener also rolls to the rim sometimes for easy dunk finishes. Young Clint Capela was a star in this role. If the rim is closed off, and the center covered, the initiator can pass out to the perimeter where shooters are waiting in the left corner, and at other points on the arc. Or it the attack can be reset elsewhere on the court.

In the case of Harden and MDA, the Rockets took a player who wasn’t especially highly valued early in his career, and gave him a crucial role, in PJ Tucker. Tucker was a rugged defender who could defend above his size, and could make corner threes. The other players can also shoot 3pt shots, and hopefully one of them can also initiate (Chris Paul) or get his own shot (Eric Gordon).

That’s how that offensive approach worked (circa 2017) when it was going well. That is, without much exception, what the Rockets attempted to do in 2025-26.

Do any of the current Rockets resemble any of the key parts here much? Are the players fitted for the roles they need to play in this scheme?

No. They aren’t.

First, there’s no James Harden, an offensive player so dangerous in his prime that one team literally doubled him with a player always following behind him, so he couldn’t shoot his step back three point shot. (Hello, Ricky Rubio pic!) Is there anyone even resembling that player on the Rockets roster? Again. No. It certainly wasn’t Kevin Durant. There is no one player who can individually break down the defense and get a good shot from a contested position at the start of the possession. Not one in any quantity anyway, and the Rockets offense generates that problem, and question, nearly every single offensive play, for these Rockets. Without James Harden, or anyone close.

Well, what about other spots? Is there a center that operates off that player the Rockets don’t have? One that gets easy looks off the threat of the initiator and his movement? No. There’s a mobile center, without a lot of vertical ability, who is really better set in space closer to the basket, and allowed to pass to moving teammates, where he can be special, and create and operate fluidly.

Does such a center as the Rockets actually have clash with the Hardenesque Scheme? Yes. Violently. It doesn’t mesh. They’re in the same space by the basket, and surprise, since that almost always happens, you know who else is in that space? You know who else values that same real estate close to the basket? Kevin Durant. So given the scheme, the center, and KD, who else might want to occupy this same court space? That’s right, the defense. NBA defenses can get away with playing a college scheme to beat the Rockets when it really counts. All they really have to do is close the paint, and nothing really works, barring a hot shooting night.

Now, are there fairly reliable shooters in the corner, waiting for a pass? Sometimes there’s Jabari Smith (36%) or Reed Sheppard (39%), but oftentimes there’s Amen Thompson (21%). (PJ Tucker took 74% of his 3pt shots from the corner, where he shot 38% for his career, peaking at 45%.) In this Rockets offense Amen (23%) is in the corner more than Reed (49%). Amen shoots the easiest three pointer in the game at 23% from the corner, where he takes 58% of his threes. Worse, though, because Amen knows he’s such a bad shooter, he often passes up the open shot the offense laboriously generated, often leading to a grenade to someone else. Sheppard shot 49% from the corner, where he shot 14% of his threes, Smith went 37% from the corner and shot 35% of his threes from there. No, I can’t make it make sense.

Once again, players that aren’t suited for a role are put in that role anyway, to fit a certain scheme.

In fact almost the entire Rockets roster, including “fits anywhere” Kevin Durant don’t, haven’t, and won’t, fit this approach. Historically (yes, we can refer to Durant’s career ‘historically’ at this point) Kevin Durant has always been best off ball, and not dribbling unless he’s trying to get to his middie. Which is EXACTLY why you cast him the the James Harden Role. A role that requires, demands, insists upon, an immaculate handle, and coolness under pressure when passing, and an ability to get anywhere on the court to force the defense into problematic positions. If you thought you saw that from Durant last season, welcome KD Burner Account! If you think Fred VanVleet is some sort of James Harden analog at 32, well, it’s nice that you read the Dreamshake, Mrs VanVleet. At least he can dribble, if not get a shot at the rim.

I could go on, and have, but I think that’s enough for now.

So, by my reckoning the players are fine, and even very good at the defense they’re being asked to play, and they’re almost entirely unsuited to the offense they’re asked to play. And yet they still can score. That, to me, is actually a fantastic sign for the future of these players (wherever they end up). Imagine what they could do if they did what they were good at, instead of doing some weird cosplay of the the 2017 Rockets offense?

Next up, ahem, coaching.

Fueled by their relentless depth and star power, the Oklahoma City Thunder lead the pack in the early 2026 NBA Cup odds from Polymarket — one of our best prediction market apps.

The path to the trophy won't be easy, however, with the Philadelphia 76ers and San Antonio Spurs looming as short-priced threats right behind them.

As summer inches closer to its end & we move toward the return of the NBA making its return, we take an early look at the latest Emirates NBA Cup odds for this upcoming season, along with the schedule and in-season tournament groups.

2026 NBA Cup odds

Team
Oklahoma City Thunder	22%
San Antonio Spurs	20%
Philadelphia 76ers	13%
Boston Celtics	11%
Detroit Pistons	10%
New York Knicks	8%
Minnesota Timberwolves	7%
Los Angeles Lakers	6%
Miami Heat	6%
Cleveland Cavaliers	6%

Odds last updated on 8-30. Odds from Polymarket. Use our Polymarket promo code (COVERS) for a $20 trading bonus when you deposit at least $10 as a new user.

2026 NBA Cup odds favorites

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder received what I consider the easiest draw among the Western Conference favorites. The Minnesota Timberwolves will be looking to establish their identity early in the season with the addition of LaMelo Ball, while the other three teams in their group—the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, and New Orleans Pelicans—aren't teams we expect to be in the NBA Playoffs.

San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs were the finalists in the NBA Cup last season, ironically losing to the New York Knicks. This is a roster that has gained valuable experience since that loss and added even more depth with the offseason addition of Tobias Harris.

NBA Cup groups

The league's 30 teams will all compete in randomly drawn groups for the opening round, divided by conference, as listed below: 

East Group A	East Group B	East Group C
DET (0-0)	NYK (0-0)	BOS (0-0)
TOR (0-0)	CLE (0-0)	ATL (0-0)
ORL (0-0)	PHI (0-0)	CHA (0-0)
MIL (0-0)	MIA (0-0)	CHI (0-0)
BKN (0-0)	IND (0-0)	WAS (0-0)

---

West Group A	West Group B	West Group C
DEN (0-0)	OKC (0-0)	SAS (0-0)
HOU (0-0)	MIN (0-0)	LAL (0-0)
PHO (0-0)	LAC (0-0)	POR (0-0)
DAL (0-0)	NOP (0-0)	GSW (0-0)
UTAH (0-0)	MEM (0-0)	SAC (0-0)

🥇: Group winner
🥈: Wild Card

NBA Cup explained

Group Play

Each team will begin the tournament in one of six groups, divided by conference and randomly drawn from tiers based on the previous season's record, to ensure relative competitive balance.

Within each group, all teams will play regular-season games against each other on designated Tournament Nights from October 31 to November 28: Every Friday and also Tuesday, November 25, and Wednesday, November 26.

The records in those games determine who advances to the Knockout Round.

Knockout Round

The Knockout Round is comprised of eight teams, which begins on December 9-10:

• The winners of each of the six groups
• A wild-card team from each conference (the second-place team with the best record)

The Knockout Round is a single-elimination bracket. Teams in each conference with the best record will get home-court advantage in these matchups.

The semifinals and finals take place at Hinkle Fieldhouse on December 13 and 16, with the winner of each conference facing off for the NBA Cup.

Teams that make the knockout round will be awarded portions of an as-of-yet undisclosed prize pool, increasing the further they make it. A Tournament MVP and All-Tournament Team will also be awarded after play has concluded.

Covers NBA betting tools

• NBA Cup MVP odds
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Understanding NBA Cup odds

Sportsbooks will post odds for the NBA Cup during the prior offseason. These odds are adjusted throughout the season as players switch teams, show steady improvement, or are injured. Sportsbooks will also adjust the NBA odds based on handle and liability to certain teams.

NBA Cup odds will usually look like this:

• Los Angeles Lakers +1,300

This means that on a $100 bet, you'll stand to win $1,300 if the Lakers win the tournament. If it's close to the end of the tournament and the NBA has a particularly dominant team, you might see a minus sign (-) ahead of its odds. 

• Denver Nuggets -180

This means you have to bet $180 to win $100 on a Nuggets tournament win.

Above, we have listed the American odds. However, these are easy to convert to decimal odds or fractional odds with our odds converter tool. And don't forget to check out our NBA forum if you're interested in chatting with other basketball bettors about NBA odds. 

Popular NBA futures markets

• NBA championship odds
• NBA MVP odds
• NBA Rookie of the Year odds
• NBA Most Improved Player odds

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

“I’m Back.”

Some sports moments transcend a single franchise. They become defining moments for an entire generation of fans. Michael Jordan returning to the Chicago Bulls after his first retirement remains one of those moments. Jordan’s simple two-word statement—”I’m back.”—sent shockwaves throughout the sports world and immediately transformed championship expectations.

Now, Aaron Donald is creating his own version of that moment with the NFL and Los Angeles Rams.

Aaron Donald’s decision to unretire today and return to the Los Angeles Rams carries the same type of significance.

Aaron Donald is officially adding his name to one of the rarest lists in sports: legendary athletes who walked away from competition, only to eventually return. The Los Angeles Rams announced that the three-time Defensive Player of the Year is coming out of retirement to play during the 2026 season, more than two years after initially stepping away from the NFL.

Donald now joins a select group of iconic athletes who have reversed course on retirement, including Michael Jordan, who famously returned to the NBA with the Chicago Bulls in 1995, and Serena Williams, who returned to professional tennis competition in 2026 after nearly three years away. While every comeback story is unique, Donald’s return is particularly fascinating given his dominance before retirement. Now, at 35 years old, he will attempt to prove he still has plenty left in the tank.

Back at it Dub Nation, taking a virtual tour around the NBA’s offseason division by division to see what’s happening. The Golden State Warriors are trying to recapture their championship magic against a bunch of teams that are more than happy to put the dynasty to sleep for good. We’re still cruising through the Northwest division, so let’s talk some Utah Jazz basketball.

Last year the Dubs went 3-1 against Utah, beating them pretty much at will as the Jazz’s season spiraled into the dumpster. When I was a kid, the Jazz were a respectable franchise battling Michael Jordan’s Bulls in the NBA Finals. Even when Karl Malone and John Stockton left, they still had dudes like Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, and Andrei Kirilenko making noise. Utah fell off though. Last year they finished 22-60, tied for the worst record in the West. They landed the No. 2 pick and used it on Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, an electric player sure to bring some excitement to Salt Lake City.

Peterson wasn’t even the first sign Utah was serious about this. Back in February they traded for two-time All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. while they were still tanking their way to that No. 2 pick. That’s not something rebuilding teams usually do in the middle of a lottery push, and it tells you the front office had already decided the losing was over on a timer.

Then the front office got weird with it, in a good way. Utah agreed to a sign-and-trade sending Walker Kessler to the Lakers for two unprotected first-round picks and two additional swaps. They also brought back Jusuf Nurkic on a two-year deal and added Jaxson Hayes, so the center spot goes from “Kessler starts” to “whoever’s healthier between two guys who used to be backups.” Check out what Jazz blog SLC Dunk has to feel about it:

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.

Nurkic has a surprisingly good steal rate for his position and is a legitimate 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 Kesseler 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. 

Nurkic you say?

Shams Charania reported the Jazz sent Cody Williams and John Konchar to Minnesota for Josh Green. Lets check back in with Jazz Nation to see how they feel about that, shall we?

The Jazz get a 6th-year shooting guard who shoots accurately (career 39% 3PT) but not at high volume. He defends serviceably, posting a career Defensive Rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) of 117. Much like last year’s Colin Sexton/Jusuf Nurkić trade, this may end up being a case of addition by subtraction. There was nothing wrong with Colin Sexton—he is a good basketball player—but he wasn’t a good fit. As a bonus, Nurk turned out to be a fantastic fit. Now the rotations will be even more open for Darryn Peterson, Ace Bailey, and Keyonte George.

The Jazz are not bringing Josh Green in to play 25 minutes per night. He is here a) to make the salaries work and b) to provide a modest boost off the bench as an 8th 0r 9th man. He’s a solid player who knows his role and plays it well:

See, that’s why you gotta do a little research. If I didn’t know better, I’d say the Jazz are actually shaping up to be more competitive next year and beyond. Don’t forget they’ve got Keyonte George, who exploded to 24 points a night last season and is apparently going to keep the ball in his hands with Peterson still adjusting. Now it’s easy to imagine that the Nurkic-Hayes timeshare is just a worse version of what Kessler was doing. It’s also fair to have some concern about Ace Bailey’s back after his summer league got cut short by spasms. ESPN called Bailey the team’s X-Factor:

Bailey could get lost in the shuffle as Utah starts making a real effort to win games; he’s not yet a proven NBA contributor like Markkanen and George, but nor is he an exciting new addition like Jackson and No. 2 pick Peterson. But Bailey is only a year removed from going fifth in the draft and turning in a solid, if understated, rookie season: 13.8 PPG on below-average but not disastrous efficiency.

The Warriors shouldn’t lose sleep over Utah in November. But Steph turns 39 next season, and Utah just assembled Peterson, George, Laurie Markkanen, and Jackson Jr. with two extra Lakers first-rounders sitting in the drawer for whenever they want to speed this up. The clocks are running in opposite directions. And if Utah’s wise with what it’s building, maybe one day this group can finally do what Karl Malone couldn’t and bring a title home.

Wait weren’t the Warriors supposed to trade for Markkanen?

Nash and Amare. Stockton and Malone. Peanut butter and jelly. Batman and Robin. We’ve always had a fascination with dynamic duos.

In the context of the modern NBA, analysts often consider two-man lineups. These allow a good sample size of more minutes than three- or even full five-person lineups. Further, they provide an isolated look at chemistry combinations that work. I looked at the top 25 (minutes volume) Suns two-man combinations from last year and sorted by net rating. Here are the ten best combos:

Key implications

1. Oso Ighodaro appeared in five of these top ten combos. This underscores his impact. Phoenix needs to find more ways to get him on the floor. And he needs to keep working on his shooting. A bump of even a few percentage points in free throw shooting or short jumpers would increase efficiency, and more importantly, allow him to be on the floor at the end of quarters when over the team foul limit.
2. Jordan Goodwin was a beast last year. The numbers bear out what many of us saw watching the games. As team depth has improved, it’s important he gets minutes and stays engaged.
3. Ryan Dunn appears twice in top 10 combos. There is still good value with this player, and like Oso, just a small shooting consistency improvement will make a big difference.
4. Booker and Gillespie were each part of four of the top combos, and it’s interesting that the two of them together was Book’s top pairing at +7.0. This justifies playing them together heavily even in staggered lineups to allow optimal starting size and evaluating the Green/Booker dynamic. 
5. The five worst combinations all included Grayson Allen or Royce O’Neale (-2.7 to -8.7 net ratings). This surprised me. For floor spacing purposes and to allow minutes for the top combos above, it will be important for Luke Kennard to get his long-range shots, Gillespie to continue at a high clip, and Booker to get back above 35% on three-point FG%, as he has done six of his eleven seasons.

What about the key new piece? Miles Bridges is bound to get a high volume of minutes as the primary addition. I looked at the same top volume lineups for the Hornets. His best pairing (+11.2 net rating) was with Moussa Diabate, a center who stands only 6’10” but is athletic and an effective rebounder. That sounds a lot like an Oso-Miles pairing! If Khaman Maluach can develop a shot, Oso can then play some at the four-position for a big frontline of Maluach/Ighodaro/Bridges. 

Each season has its own dynamics, chemistry, and player development. This look backward at last year’s duos gives clues on what to watch and hope for as the Suns start camp. I can’t wait to see it play out. Comment below if you see other implications from this data.

Welcome to the Bright Side writing team, Mark Bowser!

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Kentavious Caldwell-Pope went to Philadelphia hoping to help the 76ers catch lightning in a bottle. His introduction to the city delivered the real thing first.

The former Los Angeles Lakers guard’s new penthouse was struck by lightning just minutes after his wife, McKenzie, signed the lease, according to her TikTok account of a chaotic moving day that ended with water pouring from the ceiling and the family scrambling down 14 flights of stairs.

“Minutes after I sign the lease, you guys, I hear the loudest bang I’ve ever heard in my life,” McKenzie recalled in a video.

She said water quickly began flooding the unit, while the lightning strike disabled the elevators. Movers who were still bringing the family’s belongings upstairs reportedly became trapped in one and needed assistance from firefighters.

The strangest part came later.

McKenzie said an electrician who inspected the damage told her there was a “1 in 400 million chance” of a unit being struck in that fashion. The precise odds have not been independently verified, but the bizarre incident still made for an unforgettable welcome to Philadelphia.

The 33-year-old landed there after agreeing to a buyout with Memphis and signing a one-year deal with the 76ers, reuniting him with former Lakers teammate LeBron James.

Caldwell-Pope and James already know what winning together looks like. KCP started throughout Los Angeles’ 2020 championship run, including a 17-point performance in the title-clinching Game 6 against Miami. He later won another championship with Denver in 2023.

Philadelphia is betting that kind of experience can help stabilize a loaded group featuring James, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe.

Caldwell-Pope is chasing his third ring after averaging 8.4 points in 51 games for Memphis last season before right pinky surgery ended his year.

A lightning strike is usually a terrible way to start life in a new home. For a 76ers team taking a big swing at a championship, it can only hope it was a preview of the kind of lightning it is trying to catch.