Knicks Win First Championship Since 1973
For the first time in 53 years, New York has an NBA title to celebrate. The Knicks finished off a thrilling NBA Finals with a 94-90 win Saturday night in San Antonio.
More to come …
Franz Wagner Hopes To Move Past Injury Issues
Magic forward Franz Wagner is coming off the most frustrating season of his NBA career, as a recurring left high ankle sprain caused him to miss 48 games. In an interview with Cyro Asseo of HoopsHype, Wagner talks about the difficulty of not being able to overcome the injury and admits it might have been a mistake for him to play when the team visited his native Germany on January 15.
“It was very challenging. At the end of the day, if we’re not healthy as athletes, we can’t do our jobs, so that’s the most important thing,” Wagner said. “And so there’s always that pressure that you need to be out there and perform and help the team out. So not being able to do that and not seeing the results in rehab, too, when you’re going really hard, it was really frustrating for me. And basically, trying to rehab the same injury three times in a year was tough for me, always having the same kind of setback feeling.
“The way it went, I probably shouldn’t have played (in Germany). Everybody understands the situation that it was, and honestly, I hate to say it, but I don’t really regret the decision to play. It was that special of a moment for me, and for a lot of other people who were there. So, it just happened to be a bad moment in time, probably, but maybe some people hate me for this, but it was a really special moment for my family and me. So, I was happy that I got the chance to at least be out there.”
Wagner’s season got off to a promising start, as he averaged 23.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in his first 23 games. He suffered the injury in the next contest and sat out 16 straight games before returning for a pair in Berlin and London. He was sidelined for another nine games after that, then came back on February 9 and 11 before experiencing another setback. He returned for six games in April, then played the first four games of a playoff series against Detroit before suffering a right calf strain.
Wagner addressed several more topics in the interview. Here are a few highlights:
Playing in front of the Berlin crowd a few months after capturing gold at EuroBasket:
“You gotta understand, basketball is a very much growing sport in Germany, and we have had great success with the national team these last couple of years. So in my mind, I’m trying to capitalize on the moment a little bit, and the game in Berlin was a big part of that. Like I said, we need as many people, as many kids starting the sport to play, and that’s kind of the whole goal of this, to grow the sport at home. And moments like that, I know I would have killed to be at an NBA game when I was a kid. So, I know how special it was for everybody who was there.”
His offseason approach to avoid more injuries:
“It’s rehabbing first of all, the injuries that I did have, and then sort of addressing some of the patterns, maybe why injuries keep coming up. That’s the goal: that you’re not hurt at all, and not just treating symptoms when they come up, but taking preventive measures. I have a great amount of time now in the summer to do some of that.”
The coaching change in Orlando, with Spurs top assistant Sean Sweeney replacing Jamahl Mosley:
“For sure, it’s very exciting for all of us. We’ve played pretty much the same core together for five years, and it’s gonna be a lot of change in the building next year. I haven’t met Sweeney yet in person, but just texting back and forth, you can feel the excitement from him too. And it speaks to his work ethic as well as character. Getting a job that young is not easy. It hasn’t been too much; he’s still in the Finals. I also want to respect that, but we’re all really excited for next year.”
Nikola Topic Undergoes Back Procedure, Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Nikola Topic has undergone a minimally invasive surgical procedure on his spine, the Thunder announced on Saturday. The second-year guard won’t be available for Summer League, but the team expects him to be healthy when training camp opens in late September.
Team medical personnel were present for the lumbar microdiscectomy, which was performed by Dr. Andrew Dossett in Dallas. It involves making small incisions to fix a bulging disk in the lower back, according to Jeff Patterson and Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman.
The procedure is the latest in a string of health-related misfortunes for Topic, who was selected with the 12th pick in the 2024 draft. He suffered a torn ACL prior to the draft that forced him to miss his entire first season, then he received a testicular cancer diagnosis last fall that necessitated another operation followed by chemotherapy.
After recovering, Topic made his NBA debut on February 12 and played in 10 games during the regular season, averaging 5.2 points and 4.4 assists in 16 minutes per night. He also made brief appearances in nine playoff games.
Topic was a major star in Europe before deciding to come to the NBA and was viewed as a potential high lottery pick prior to the ACL injury. He could have a much larger role next season if he makes a full recovery and stays healthy, particularly if the Thunder make some cost-cutting roster moves this summer.
NBA Finals Notes: Game 5, Wembanyama, Dynasty, Kornet
After watching their team rally from a 29-point deficit and pull out an improbable victory in the closing seconds of Game 4, Knicks fans lingered inside Madison Square Garden on Wednesday and celebrated like they had just won the championship, writes Steve Popper of Newsday (subscription required). However, the players and coaches can’t afford to get caught up in that jubilation, as they still need one more victory to close out the series.
“It is hard. We’re all human,” coach Mike Brown said. “It was hard even in the series that we swept. You win two, three, four, five games in a row, there’s a tendency to relax a little bit. That’s just in life. In your job, you have success for 10 months straight, maybe you feel like, I got this, I know what I’m doing. You’re not as sharp then because everybody’s been patting you on your back and telling you how great you are. Trying to manufacture things to help guys lock in, trying to talk to guys individually so they can continue to talk to their teammates to lock in, all that stuff is huge.”
Popper notes that the coaching staff had plenty of video to review with the players over the past two days of the mistakes that enabled the Spurs to build that huge advantage. San Antonio has charged out of the gate faster in every game of the series, holding leads of eight, nine, 11 and 19 points after the first quarter.
“We know they come out with a lot of energy,” Josh Hart said. “They’ve been doing it all playoffs. We’ve been very up and down with that a lot this year. So we’ve got to make sure we come in focused with a great attention to detail and taking things a possession at a time.”
There’s more on the NBA Finals:
- The Knicks have been able to wear down Victor Wembanyama by forcing him to switch onto dangerous shooters and not letting him relax in the lane, observes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. A “veer” attack has caused Wembanyama to guard Jalen Brunson on 27.9 partial possessions throughout the series, which brings him away from the basket and causes the rest of the defense to rotate.
- New York fans are hoping for a potential dynasty, but Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post cautions them to enjoy this year and not get caught up in the future. He points out that the Knicks don’t have the kind of transcendent superstar that dynasties are usually built around, and 17 teams currently have younger rosters. Dunleavy suggests the upstart Spurs are a better dynasty candidate.
- Spurs coach Mitch Johnson confirmed that backup center Luke Kornet has been cleared to play in Game 5 after being listed as questionable with an illness (Twitter video link from Spurs Nation). “I didn’t hear about it in Game 4,” Johnson said in his pregame press conference Saturday. “He’s been sick, but he’s getting better, and he’ll be available tonight.”
Rich Paul Says 10-12 Teams Have Inquired About LeBron James
Appearing Friday on The Pat McAfee Show (Twitter video link), LeBron James‘ agent revealed that there’s already significant interest in his client if he decides to leave the Lakers. Rich Paul of Klutch Sports said at least 10 teams have expressed an interest in signing James if he can’t work out a new contract with L.A. before the start of free agency on June 30.
“There have been incoming calls from every team with the excitement of possibly him playing for them,” Paul said. “So, at 41 years of age, going on 42, that’s something to be extremely proud about, and it’s one of those things that’s like ‘Wow, even at 42 I’m still wanted.’ That’s admirable. Without naming names, I would say about 10, 12 teams.”
Although Paul didn’t identify any of the suitors, a couple of potential destinations have been widely reported. There has been repeated speculation that James might want to end his career playing alongside Stephen Curry with the Warriors after they joined forces to win a gold medal on Team USA in the 2024 Olympics. Steve Kerr coached that team, and James has a strong relationship with Draymond Green, so it may be a logical next step. However, Golden State’s offer would be limited to around $15MM through the mid-level exception unless there’s a sign-and-trade or a massive roster overhaul.
It’s also been suggested that James would like to return to Cleveland, where he was drafted in 2003 and delivered the city’s only NBA title in 2016. But the Cavaliers already have an expensive roster in place and wouldn’t be able to offer more than a veteran’s minimum deal without making significant roster changes.
Age hasn’t been a factor yet for James, who’s coming off his 22nd straight All-Star appearance and might have challenged for All-NBA honors if he had reached the 65-game minimum. He averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per night in 60 games and helped the Lakers claim the fourth seed in the West. With Luka Doncic unavailable and Austin Reaves also dealing with an injury, James led L.A. past Houston in the first round of the playoffs before the club fell to Oklahoma City.
With the start of free agency a little more than two weeks away, leaguewide chatter regarding James’ next destination has already started to heat up. However, Paul told McAfee that none of the reports so far have any basis in fact, and he repeated that message on his Game Over podcast on the Ringer (Twitter video link).
“There’s nobody that knows anything about anything that pertains to LeBron,” Paul said. “All these reports, nobody knows. They’re just speculating. They put out salaries, nobody knows. There’s been zero conversations and there won’t be conversations until I have a conversation with the man himself.”
Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, D. Green, Bryant, Harper, M. Johnson
Warriors forward Draymond Green believes Spurs star Victor Wembanyama deserves to be suspended for his actions throughout the playoffs, relays Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post. Green, who’s working as a studio analyst on ESPN’s coverage of the NBA Finals, made the remarks on the latest edition of his podcast (Twitter link).
“Listen, I’m not one that wants to see series decided by suspensions,” Green said. “That’s not good for anyone. It leaves a lot of questions, a lot of what-ifs. I don’t enjoy that. I will say, he’s been shown a lot of grace. He probably should be suspended at some point – or (should) have been already – but he’s been shown a lot of grace.”
Wembanyama is one flagrant foul point away from triggering an automatic suspension after being whistled for a flagrant 1 for elbowing Karl-Anthony Towns in the chin during Wednesday’s game. Wembanyama could have been assessed another flagrant 1 for shoving Jalen Brunson in the back of the head during Game 3, but the NBA opted not to impose a penalty.
Green, of course, has a long history of his own with league discipline, having been suspended six times during his career, including Game 5 of the NBA Finals in 2016. Even though he supports suspending Wembanyama, he understands that the league office doesn’t want to decide the series.
“I wish the NBA would just come out and say, ‘In most cases, this probably should be a suspension, but it’s not because we want our best in the NBA Finals and that’s the way it should be,’” Green added. “And I agree with that.”
There’s more from San Antonio:
- Wembanyama has been a huge influence on rookie Carter Bryant, Tom Orsborne of The San Antonio Express-News writes in a subscriber-only story. The French star has helped the 20-year-old forward adjust to NBA life, frequently offering advice during long flights. “Me and Vic sit next to each other on the plane, so we’ve had a ton of conversations, whether that was easy conversations, hard conversations, just me checking up on him, him checking up on me,” Bryant said. “Sometimes you need a brother to lean on, somebody to hug and somebody to spill out your emotions to and your words to. We’ve both been there for each other. I’m super grateful for Vic.”
- A larger role for Dylan Harper could help the Spurs salvage the series, suggests Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. The rookie guard is averaging 16.3 PPG off the bench during the Finals and has been outplaying De’Aaron Fox. However, coach Mitch Johnson still seems inclined to lean on Fox’s experience in crunch time.
- Johnson believes the Spurs lost their focus in the third quarter of Game 4, which planted the seeds for New York’s dramatic comeback, per Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports. “There [were] a lot of things that we did, where it felt like we could have put our energy into the right spots in that third quarter,” San Antonio’s head coach said. “Some things that I could have done to help that, as well. I think that quarter probably was the most disappointing for me. There’s some learning things in every quarter, don’t get me wrong, some things we want to be sharper with, better at, finish games. We weren’t as connected and disciplined as we should have been.”
Draft Notes: Lendeborg, Warriors, Wilson, Suder, Kayil
Former Michigan forward/center Yaxel Lendeborg worked out for the Warriors on Thursday and believes he’d be a great fit with Golden State, writes Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. Lendeborg is a projected late lottery pick and the Warriors hold the 11th overall selection.
“I would say, like five assists a game maybe to start off,” Lendeborg said. “A lot of defense, fast-break opportunities for me. Depending on if I’m here or anywhere else, my role will be a lot different. But if I was here, I’ll be more like a secondary ball-handler. Whenever Steph [Curry] is taken out of the game, I’ll be there to assist, maybe provide a little more offense or instant offense.”
In addition to the Warriors and Thunder (Nos. 12 and 17), Lendeborg has also worked out for the Heat (No. 13), Bucks (No. 10), Hornets (Nos. 14 and 18), and Mavericks (No. 9), and has upcoming workouts with the Clippers (No. 5) and Hawks (No. 8), Johnson notes.
“In a way, it kind of makes me envision myself playing on a team like this, Charlotte, the Heat, all those teams that I’m getting mocked to,” Lendeborg said. “It kind of gives me something to get attached to. I can’t get too attached, though. If I don’t get drafted by any of them, I don’t want to be upset. Either way, it’s nice to see and it’s a blessing to be part of this.”
Here’s more on the 2026 NBA draft:
- While North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson is viewed as a less-polished offensive player compared to fellow top prospects Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa, he expressed confidence in his shooting and passing ability at last month’s combine, as Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network writes. “People don’t think I can really shoot, which is kind of funny to me. I really work on it and I can shoot,” Wilson told reporters. “I didn’t have the best numbers this year, but it was an interesting situation because that’s not what I was asked to do at the college I was at. I was just doing what I needed to do to help us win. People that say I can’t shoot, I feel like that’s interesting, but I’ll prove it over time. It doesn’t really matter.”
- Peter Suder was considered a relatively unheralded prospect when he was invited to the combine, but NBA teams have grown familiar his game over the last couple months, per Grant Afseth of Ballislife.com. “I’ve done 17 (pre-draft) workouts so far and have five more through June 20,” Suder told Afseth. “One of the main things I’ve learned is that it’s your job now. That’s how it’s treated at the next level. It’s not really like recruiting in college. You go in, show what you can do, and then move on to the next workout. The main thing I’m working on right now is movement shooting and different types of catch-and-shoot situations. I’m just trying to perfect that skill for the next level.” The former Miami Redhawk, a 6’5″ guard, was named MAC Player of the Year as a senior last season and is ranked 93rd on ESPN’s big board.
- German guard Jack Kayil is keeping his name in the draft, agent Milan Nikolic confirmed to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link). Givony reported a month ago that the projected second-round pick planned to stay in the draft as an early entrant.
Cavs’ Riley Minix Reportedly Nearing Deal With ASVEL
Cavaliers forward Riley Minix is close to signing a contract with ASVEL in France, according to a report from Blazo Komnenic of Meridian Sport (hat tip to Eurohoops).
After going undrafted out of Morehead State in 2024, Minix initially signed an Exhibit 10 training camp contract with San Antonio and was promoted to a two-way deal shortly before the 2024/25 season began.
The 25-year-old only played seven minutes in one game as a rookie with the Spurs, but he was a steady contributor for the team’s G League affiliate in Austin, averaging 19.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks on .524/.414/.853 shooting in 19 games (31.6 minutes per contest).
Minix returned to the Spurs on a two-way contract last summer and appeared in three games with the club in 2025/26 before being waived in mid-December. He signed a two-year, two-way contract with Cleveland in February, making six appearances for the Cavs late in his second season.
In 34 NBAGL games (31.9 MPG) with the Austin Spurs and Cleveland Charge in 2025/26, Minix averaged 18.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 3.0 APG and 1.3 SPG on .519/.428/.800 shooting splits.
While Minix is technically under contract for 2026/27, his two-way deal is non-guaranteed, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Cavaliers permit him to pursue an overseas opportunity. Signing with ASVEL would represent Minix’s first stint in Europe.
2026 NBA Offseason Preview: Houston Rockets
The Rockets took major strides toward relevancy in the Western Conference playoff picture in both 2023/24 and 2024/25, increasing their win total from 22 to 41 to 52, and entering the '24/25 playoffs as the No. 2 seed.
However, the upstart Rockets were upset by the seasoned Warriors in the first round of last year's playoffs, with the lack of a go-to scoring option being a major factor in the team's seven-game loss. Houston averaged just 104 points per game in that series after averaging 114.3 PPG in the regular season.
Recognizing they needed a top offensive talent to complement their young core of Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard, the Rockets traded Jalen Green, the 10th pick in last year's draft (Khaman Maluach) and Dillon Brooks to Phoenix for 12-time All-NBA forward Kevin Durant, a four-time scoring champion still playing at a high level late in his career.
Houston also re-signed Fred VanVleet to a more affordable contract ($50MM over two years instead of $45MM for one), extended Steven Adams, who played an important role anchoring the team's defense and bludgeoning opponents on the offensive boards, and signed three-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
While the Durant trade mostly worked the way the Rockets hoped during the 2025/26 regular season, when he averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 0.9 blocks in 78 games (36.4 minutes per contest), the playoffs were another story: the 37-year-old managed to play in just one game during Houston's first-round loss to the Lakers due to knee and ankle injuries.
It was a disappointing outcome for the Rockets, who won 52 games again despite missing their on- and off-court leader in VanVleet, who tore his ACL last September and missed all of 2025/26. They also only had Adams for 32 games before he tore ligaments in his ankle in December, and Finney-Smith was a disappointing non-factor in 37 appearances after his '25/26 debut was delayed by offseason ankle surgery.
In some ways it's impressive that Houston managed to have the success that it did considering how little the team received in aggregate from those three players, who were earning a combined $51.8MM this season. The development of the Rockets' young players was an overall positive but was slightly choppy as well, with Smith and Sheppard taking strides forward while Sengun, Thompson and Eason were more up and down.
The Rockets have been a paper tiger for the past two seasons, ranking seventh and sixth in the NBA in net rating. They were in the top 10 in the NBA in both offensive (eighth) and defensive (sixth) rating in 2025/26, but struggled to replicate that success in the playoffs. Houston's core is still pretty young, but the team projects to be considerably more expensive in both 2026/27 and '27/28, leaving lingering questions about its long-term future.
The Rockets' Offseason Plans
General manager Rafael Stone didn't strike me as someone eager to make major changes when he discussed the Rockets at the end of the season. Instead, Stone projected confidence in the group he had assembled and lamented the injuries that never gave the roster a chance to reach its ceiling.
James Harden Arrested, Charged With Unlawfully Carrying Gun
1:31 pm: The Cavaliers released a brief statement acknowledging Harden’s arrest, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
“The Cleveland Cavaliers are aware of the arrest of James Harden this morning and are in the process of gathering additional information. We are in contact with James and his representation and will continue to monitor developments as they become available. At this time, we will have no further comment.”
12:43 pm: Cavaliers guard James Harden, who could be a free agent this summer if he declines a $42.3MM player option that would be partially guaranteed for $13.3MM, was arrested early Saturday morning in Texas on a misdemeanor charge of unlawfully carrying a weapon. Police say a handgun in his car was in plain sight rather than in a holster, according to TMZ.
Harden was released on bond, with a court date set for June 22, per TMZ. His bond terms prohibit him from possessing a firearm or other weapons, and he has to submit to a random urinalysis and can’t consume alcohol, controlled substances, marijuana or other drugs without a doctor’s prescription.
Citing court records, Edward Lewis of The California Post reports that Harden’s arrest occurred at 3:41 am local time in Houston. The complaint alleges the 11-time All-Star “unlawfully, intentionally and knowingly” had the weapon in his vehicle.
Harden had the most productive years of his career with the Rockets, leading the league in scoring three consecutive seasons and finishing in the top three in Most Valuable Player voting four straight times. Sources tell Lewis that Harden and a large group of friends were at a hookah lounge before the arrest.
An eight-time All-NBA member and two-time assists champ, Harden spent two-and-a-half seasons with his hometown Clippers before angling his way to Cleveland ahead of the deadline when it became clear he didn’t have a long-term future in Los Angeles. The Cavs traded two-time All-Star point guard Darius Garland to the Clippers in the blockbuster deal.
In 70 total regular season games (34.8 minutes per contest) in 2025/26, Harden averaged 23.6 points, 8.0 assists (against 3.5 turnovers), 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals on .434/.375/.884 shooting splits. After an uneven first two rounds against Toronto and Detroit, Harden really struggled in Cleveland’s Eastern Conference finals sweep at the hands of New York. Overall, he averaged 19.2 PPG, 5.5 APG (to 4.7 turnovers), 5.1 RPG and 1.7 SPG on .410/.299/.831 shooting splits in 18 playoff games (37.3 MPG).
Harden, Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers each expressed interest in continuing their working relationship after the team was eliminated by the Knicks. Harden, a former third overall pick, turns 37 years old in August.