Hawks, Rockets, Trail Blazers Interested In Jaylen Brown?
Some people around the NBA think the Hawks, Rockets and Trail Blazers all have “legitimate trade interest” in Celtics star Jaylen Brown, Marc Stein reports at The Stein Line (Substack link).
Stein references Brown within a story largely centered on the uncertain future of Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is believed to have interest in joining Boston, though whether the Celtics reciprocate that interest is not yet known.
The framework of a possible blockbuster trade between Milwaukee and Boston that sees Antetokounmpo land with the Celtics would likely have to involve at least three teams, according to Stein, with Brown rerouted to a third club — potentially Atlanta, Houston or Portland — and the Bucks receiving unspecified assets.
Brown, 29, is coming off a career-best regular season in which he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.0 steal in 34.4 minutes per game across 71 appearances. He was named to his fourth straight All-Star team (fifth overall), finished a career-high sixth in MVP voting, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the second time.
Brown still has three years and $183MM remaining on the super-max extension he signed with Boston in 2023. The Georgia native was named Finals MVP when the Celtics won their 18th title in 2024.
New Blazers Owner: Franchise Needed To Be Leaner
Tom Dundon, the Trail Blazers’ new majority owner, told Bill Oram of The Oregonian that laying off 70 employees of the franchise last week was mainly due to overstaffing rather than frugality. Dundon said the organization had twice as many employees as the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, another franchise he owns.
“My experience is that less layers gives people more accountability and they do a better job,” Dundon said. “Then you know that you’re getting a great job done and you don’t end up in the situation where many companies end up, which is everyone’s looking around for somebody else to do it, complaining about what’s fair and not fair. I’ve seen the job done really well with a lot of accountability, no drama and a lot of, honestly, happiness. People are happier when they’re busy and productive. That is the way I think things should be done. And more people just creates more problems, usually. I think Portland just had too many people.”
Dundon has also been criticized for some cost-cutting measures involving the team. They were reportedly the only team not to bring their two-way players on the road for their first-round series; they have begun requiring support staffers to check out of their hotel rooms early in order to avoid incurring late check-out fees; and they reportedly want to pay their next permanent head coach a bargain-basement rate.
However, Dundon insisted he would not pinch pennies when it came to the players.
“This was mostly on the business side,” Dundon said of his budgetary decisions. “The basketball, they’re two separate businesses. Taking care of the players is not… We don’t have a budget for that. It’s whatever it takes to put them in the best position to win. That’s what we’re going to do. The business I’m going to run like you run every other business.”
Here’s more from Oram’s interview with the Blazers owner:
On the Portland City Council’s impasse regarding funding for Moda Center renovations (the state has already agreed to contribute $365MM):
“I don’t know enough about their process. I know that we came in with an intention to do something that, that could just start moving forward immediately. Because the building is older and we do need to get to work and time never helps deals. And now they have a choice. I would have thought it would be done by now, but they are elected to do their job and they’re going to do whatever they think is right and then we’ll respond to that.”
On the team’s trade deadline approach this past season:
“We were talking during the trade deadline and we had a choice. You could sell off some things for (future assets) or you could try to create the culture where you win. To me, that’s way more important than the stuff that’s out there. The choice we made was to add a piece (Vit Krejci) and try to create the culture of we’re here to win. And a lot of these other things, I don’t think have anything to do with that. I haven’t been in a lot of situations where people don’t think that the relentless pursuit of trying to win (is) an advantage. I’m pretty sure over time that will become obvious.”
On duplicating the success of the Hurricanes with the Blazers:
“Ultimately, you do everything you can to get the best players possible. Create a culture where they taken care of but also pushed. And creating a culture where everybody is doing what’s best for the team. It’s some of the cliche stuff. Great coaching and accountability and standards. I think we’ll be at the top of the league in creating that environment where we get the best out of players and we create a roster full of players that, that are put in the best position to win. And I think that’s replicable.”
Northwest Notes: Paul, Dundon, Jazz, Nuggets
Chris Paul doesn’t play for the Thunder or Spurs. However, he had a major impact on both of the Western Conference finalists, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News writes.
Paul was a mentor to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a member of the Thunder during the 2019/20 season. He also played a leadership role for the young Spurs squad last season.
“He helped the young guys, including myself, really understand the game at a different level,” Spurs forward Keldon Johnson said. “He’s a winning basketball player, and I can see how he contributed to winning here as well.”
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Trail Blazers fans have some concerns about new majority owner Tom Dundon, who has made cost-cutting measures since taking over the franchise. There are also fears Dundon might look to move the franchise to another state. The Oregonian’s Bill Oram spoke with numerous executives and fans of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, a franchise Dundon also owns, and their comments should generally ease fears about Dundon’s long-term plans. Dundon has committed to investing $800MM into development around the Lenovo Center, where the Hurricanes play. Any concerns about relocation were erased after a new 20-year lease was signed in 2023. “If he bought (the Hurricanes) with a plan to leave,” Hurricanes CEO Brian Fork said, “he could have tried to execute on that. But he did the opposite of that and sort of doubled down in this market.”
- The Jazz had some major lottery luck, securing the No. 2 pick. Team president of basketball operations Austin Ainge represented the team at the lottery. He’s hoping this will be their last visit to the league’s lottery drawing room for a long time, according to Kevin Reynolds of the Salt Lake Tribune. “I hope I’m not back here,” he said.
- The Nuggets hold the No. 26 and 49 picks in next month’s draft. Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette takes a closer look at some of the prospects who might be available at those points in the draft.
Northwest Notes: Jazz, Love, Irving, Wolves
The Jazz have a chance to add a critical piece to their rebuild after landing the second pick in the loaded 2026 draft. While many of the discussions around the pick have focused on AJ Dybantsa (BYU) and Darryn Peterson (Kansas), two other players are well worth discussing, Sarah Todd writes for The Deseret News.
Cameron Boozer (Duke) and Caleb Wilson (UNC) are two power forwards with franchise-changing potential who are genuine threats to upset the top of the draft order, Todd writes.
Boozer, who has well-documented ties to Utah and the Jazz organization, is generally considered to have a slightly lower ceiling than that of Dybantsa or Peterson due to his athletic limitations, but his cerebral game and ability to shoot and pass at a high level could help mitigate that. Meanwhile, Wilson is an athletic marvel with a burgeoning mid-range shot-creation skill set who reportedly impressed during the combine due to his demeanor in interviews.
Private workouts and medical results could end up having a large impact on how the order of the top four shakes out.
The Jazz have a loaded starting rotation of big men, but the Spurs have shown this year that bringing a No. 2 overall pick off the bench can still yield major dividends.
We have more from around the Northwest Division:
- Caleb Love will be a free agent after playing last season on a two-way contract with the Trail Blazers. In his limited opportunities, Love showed that he’s clearly an NBA player and still has room to grow, writes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. “He’s got some (stuff) to him,” an anonymous scout told Freeman. “They have to make a decision with him. I think he’s better than a two-way contract guy. He played both sides of the ball in the games that I saw. He’s a physical guard. He created. He’s crafty with the ball. You want to see if he can be disciplined enough to incorporate everything into the system.”
- The Timberwolves need to find a secondary offensive star to pair with Anthony Edwards and the well-rounded skill set of Jaden McDaniels, and they should take a hard look at Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving, opines Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune. As Souhan explains, given its relative lack of trade assets, the team doesn’t necessarily seem like a strong contender for a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, but Irving could be more attainable and would help to alleviate the defensive attention that Edwards receives.
- The Wolves held a pre-draft workout on Friday that featured sharp-shooting forward Milan Momcilovic out of Iowa State, per Darren Wolfson of KSTP (Twitter link). The 6’8″ junior shot 48.7% from three this season on 279 total attempts. He has until Wednesday to decide whether he will stay in the draft. Alex Karaban (UConn), Ebuka Okorie (Stanford), and Ja’Kobi Gillespie (Tennessee) have also worked out for the Wolves, per HoopsHype. Minnesota holds the 28th and 59th picks in this year’s draft.
NBA Announces 2025/26 All-NBA Teams
The league has officially announced its three All-NBA teams, recognizing the top performers for the 2025/26 season (all Twitter links).
A total of 100 media members voted on the All-NBA teams, with First Team votes counting for five points, Second Team votes counting for three points, and Third Team votes counting for one point.
This year’s All-NBA teams are as follows (each player’s point total is noted in parentheses):
First Team
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder (500 points)- Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (500)
- Victor Wembanyama, Spurs (498)
- Luka Doncic, Lakers (482)
- Cade Cunningham, Pistons (414)
Second Team
- Jaylen Brown, Celtics (384)
- Kawhi Leonard, Clippers (277)
- Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers (276)
- Kevin Durant, Rockets (241)
- Jalen Brunson, Knicks (197)
Third Team
- Tyrese Maxey, Sixers (168)
- Jamal Murray, Nuggets (149)
- Jalen Johnson, Hawks (125)
- Jalen Duren, Pistons (121)
- Chet Holmgren, Thunder (87)
Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic, this season’s Most Valuable Player and runner-up, respectively, were the only unanimous first-teamers, with Wembanyama coming a single vote away — he had one Second Team vote to go along with 99 First Team votes.
Doncic and Cunningham each technically fell short of meeting the 65-game minimum required to be eligible for All-NBA and other major awards, but they appealed that ruling and were deemed award-eligible by the league. Doncic would have met the criteria if he hadn’t missed time due to the birth of a child, while Cunningham fell short after suffering a collapsed lung, so both players were granted “extraordinary circumstances” exceptions.
Notably, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, who played 61 games, also applied for an extraordinary circumstances exception. However, his request was denied, so his name didn’t show up on award ballots even though he likely would’ve been voted onto an All-NBA team if voters could’ve selected him. Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and LeBron James – who had made 21 consecutive All-NBA teams – were among the other superstars who didn’t meet the 65-game criteria.
Outside of the 15 players who made All-NBA teams, another dozen players showed up on at least one ballot, starting with Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, who had 26 voting points (Twitter link).
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (14 points), Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (9), Cavaliers guard James Harden (6), Rockets center Alperen Sengun (6), Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (5), Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5), Heat big man Bam Adebayo (4), and Celtics guard Derrick White (3) all earned multiple votes, while Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Raptors forward Brandon Ingram, and Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley earned one Third Team vote apiece.
As usual, there are also financial implications worth noting related to the All-NBA teams. First and foremost, Duren will now be eligible to sign a contract with the Pistons that starts at up to 30% of the 2026/27 salary cap as a restricted free agent this summer. That means he could earn up to a projected $287.1MM over five years.
If he hadn’t made All-NBA, Duren’s maximum five-year contract with Detroit would’ve been worth a projected $239.3MM. Either way, the most a rival team can offer him is four years and $177.4MM.
Maxey and Cunningham are on their way to meeting the super-max (ie. Designated Veteran) criteria but would need to earn All-NBA honors again in 2027 to become eligible for maximum-salary extensions worth up to 35% of the cap instead of 30%.
Wembanyama is in a similar boat — despite making the All-NBA First Team and being named Defensive Player of the Year, he would need to achieve one of those feats again in 2027 in order to increase the maximum value of his next contract from 25% to the cap to 30% via the Rose rule. Wembanyama will be eligible to sign a rookie scale extension this offseason and is a lock to do so.
Paolo Banchero and Jalen Williams had Rose rule language in their maximum-salary rookie scale extensions, which were signed last offseason and will go into effect this July. They could’ve increased their respective starting salaries beyond 25% of the cap if they’d made an All-NBA team, but neither player did.
Interestingly, the maximum-salary rookie scale extension that the Thunder negotiated with Holmgren in 2025 did not include a Rose rule escalator, so the projected value of the big man’s contract (five years, $239.3MM) remains unchanged even though he earned a spot on the Third Team. It’ll go into effect this year and will be identical to Williams’ deal.
Finally, Edwards would have become eligible to sign a super-max extension with the Timberwolves during the 2027 offseason if he had been named to an All-NBA team this season. Because he didn’t qualify, he’ll need to make All-NBA next season in order to meet the performance criteria for a Designated Veteran extension.
Community Shootaround: Which Coaching Job Is Most Appealing?
As our head coaching search tracker shows, a total of six teams have initiated head coaching searches so far this offseason. Milwaukee hired Taylor Jenkins, New Orleans hired Jamahl Mosley, and the searches in Chicago, Dallas, Orlando, and Portland are ongoing.
Jenkins had widely been considered one of the top candidates among coaching free agents and the Bucks moved quickly to get him locked up to a lucrative, long-term deal, but the appeal of that job is somewhat debatable, given the uncertainty surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s future in Milwaukee.
While an Antetokounmpo trade should return a handful of valuable assets, including draft picks and/or young players, the Bucks are missing several of their own future picks, don’t have a ton of young talent around Antetokounmpo, and will be hamstrung to some extent by the sizable cap hits created as a result of waiving and stretching Damian Lillard‘s contract a year ago.
The Pelicans, meanwhile, are coming off 21- and 26-win seasons, but they have a promising young core featuring Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears, Trey Murphy III, Herbert Jones, and Yves Missi. The team doesn’t have a first-round pick this year and whether or not Zion Williamson is still a long-term cornerstone in New Orleans remains to be seen. But Williamson doesn’t appear to be going anywhere for the time being, so Mosley will be tasked with figuring out how to best utilize him and Queen together.
The Bulls appear headed for a rebuild after trading away several veterans at the deadline, with a few others on track for free agency this offseason. The new head coach in Chicago likely won’t be under any pressure to contend right away, but he’ll be responsible for developing youngsters like Matas Buzelis, Noa Essengue, and this year’s No. 4 overall pick.
The Mavericks, meanwhile, will give their new head coach the opportunity to shape Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg into a superstar, though the roster around him is still somewhat up in the air. It’s unclear whether the new-look front office led by Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz will want to keep this group mostly intact or if they envision major changes. Kyrie Irving‘s future is the biggest question mark as he returns from a torn ACL.
More than any other team in this group, the Magic will have lofty short-term expectations for their head coach after Mosley failed to get the team beyond the first round during his five-year tenure. Orlando projects to have one of the NBA’s most expensive rosters next season and will be in win-now mode with a talented group led by Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, and Jalen Suggs.
New Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon has made waves this spring as a result of the cost-cutting measures he has instituted within the organization, and there have been rumors that he won’t be willing to pay a substantial salary for a head coach. While there has been some push-back on those reports, Portland’s list of candidates includes a few little-known assistants we haven’t seen linked to any other jobs. If one of those candidates is hired, it’s safe to assume he wouldn’t be in position to command a lucrative deal.
Putting aside the issue of pay, the Blazers’ job should hold some appeal. The team appears to be on the rise, with Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe, Donovan Clingan, and Toumani Camara among the young players who helped lead Portland to a playoff berth this spring, and Damian Lillard set to return from his torn Achilles in the fall.
We want to know what you think. Which of these six head coaching jobs – including the two that have already been filled – look like the most and least appealing?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
Bucks To Hire Patrick St. Andrews As Assistant Coach
The Bucks are hiring former Trail Blazers assistant coach Patrick St. Andrews as an assistant under new head coach Taylor Jenkins, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). St. Andrews previously worked with Jenkins when they were both with the Grizzlies.
St. Andrews was in charge of managing Portland’s minutes distribution and restrictions due to injuries last season, according to Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (via Twitter), who notes that St. Andrews was one of the team’s top assistants.
Prior to stints in Memphis and Portland, St. Andrews spent five seasons as an assistant with the Bucks, making this move something of a homecoming. It also gives Jenkins a familiar face as he continues to build out Milwaukee’s coaching staff.
Coaching Rumors: Kidd, Bryant, Klei, Bailey, Cook
Could Jason Kidd resurface with the Trail Blazers? It’s not out of the question, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
It’s natural that Kidd, who parted ways with the Mavericks this week, would be a potential candidate for any head coach opening.
Kidd has quietly been connected to Portland within league circles, according to Scotto, though it’s uncertain whether the Blazers will make a serious run at him or if he’ll want to pursue the job.
New majority owner Tom Dundon‘s cost-cutting measures make it unlikely that the Blazers would meet Kidd’s market value. Kidd is still owed $40MM+ from the Mavericks, who are eating the final four years of his contract. Kidd has also expressed interest in making personnel decisions and Portland’s GM Joe Cronin signed a multi-year extension last year. The Blazers are already in the process of conducting coaching interviews with at least a handful of candidates coming in for in-person interviews.
However, Scotto also notes that Damian Lillard, who will be back in action next season after recovering from an Achilles tear, has previously expressed interest in having Kidd as his head coach. Back in 2021, the last time Portland had a coaching search, Lillard told Yahoo Sports, “Jason Kidd is the guy I want.”
Portland ultimately chose Chauncey Billups, who was arrested and placed on leave amid a federal probe into illegal gambling at the start of this past season.
Here’s more coaching intel from Scotto:
- Cavaliers associate head coach Johnnie Bryant is a potential candidate for the Bulls’ head coaching vacancy, Scotto reports. Bryant was a finalist for the Suns’ head coaching job last summer before Jordan Ott was chosen.
- The Hawks could be making an in-house hire. The coach of the G League’s College Park Skyhawks, Steven Klei, is a candidate to be promoted to Quin Snyder‘s NBA staff, per Scotto. There are a couple of openings on the staff after Butler hired Ronald Nored to be their head coach and Conner Varney as an assistant.
- Hawks assistant Bryan Bailey was among the candidates who interviewed for the Trail Blazers‘ head coaching job, according to Scotto. Bailey joined Snyder in Atlanta after serving as an assistant on Snyder’s Utah staff.
- The Trail Blazers contacted the Cavaliers for permission to speak with assistant coach Omar Cook regarding a possible assistant coaching position, Scotto writes. Cook played for Portland during the 2003/04 season.
NBA Announces 2025/26 All-Defensive Teams
The NBA has officially announced its All-Defensive teams for the 2025/26 season (Twitter links).
The teams are determined by a panel of 100 media members, with players receiving two points for a First Team vote and one point for a Second Team vote.
Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama was this season’s lone unanimous First Team pick, earning the maximum allowable 200 points after being named to the First Team by all 100 voters. DPOY runner-up Chet Holmgren fell short of being a unanimous pick, earning 93 First Team votes and four Second Team votes.
The honorees are as follows, along with their point totals (Twitter link):
First Team
- Victor Wembanyama, Spurs (200 points)
- Chet Holmgren, Thunder (190)
- Ausar Thompson, Pistons (166)
- Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves (151)
- Derrick White, Celtics (146)
Second Team
- Scottie Barnes, Raptors (130)
- Cason Wallace, Thunder (94)
- Bam Adebayo, Heat (71)
- OG Anunoby, Knicks (67)
- Dyson Daniels, Hawks (50)
The All-Defensive teams have been positionless for the last three years. Previously, each team was required to have two guards, two forwards, and a center, but that’s no longer the case. This season’s First Team leans more heavily toward rim protectors, while the Second Team features a wider variety of guards and wings alongside forward/center Adebayo.
This year’s All-Defensive squads feature a number of first-time honorees. Holmgren, Thompson, Barnes, and Wallace had never previously been named to an All-Defensive team. Wembanyama (2024) and Daniels (2025) had earned First Team honors once apiece prior to this year, while Anunoby made a Second Team in 2023.
Gobert is the most accomplished of these defenders — the four-time Defensive Player of the Year has now made nine total All-Defensive teams and is an eight-time member of the First Team. Adebayo is also no stranger to All-Defensive recognition either, having now made two First Teams and four Second Teams. White, meanwhile, got a First Team nod for the first time after previously making the Second Team twice.
There are four players across the league who would’ve earned bonuses if they’d made an All-Defensive team, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), but none of them made the cut. That group includes Thunder wing Luguentz Dort, whose $500K bonus for All-Defense had been considered “likely” because he made the First Team in 2025.
That $500K will come off Dort’s cap hit this season and will reduce his 2026/27 team option by $500K to roughly $17.7MM, since the bonus is considered “unlikely” going forward. If Dort’s team option is exercised, his $500K bonus would continue to count for apron purposes next season despite not counting toward his cap hit, and he could still earn it if he makes an All-Defensive team next season.
Besides the 10 players who made All-Defense, 15 other players showed up on at least one ballot. That group was led by Spurs guard Stephon Castle (46 points), Rockets guard Amen Thompson (46), Warriors forward Draymond Green (40), and Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (28), each of whom was named to the First Team on between four and eight ballots.
Clippers guard Kris Dunn, who had 14 points, would have rounded out a hypothetical “third team.” Notably, his $5.7MM salary for 2026/27 would have become fully guaranteed if he had made an All-Defensive team. Still, it’s a pretty safe bet that Dunn will be retained through June 30, at which time his full salary will become guaranteed anyway.
The rest of the players who received All-Defensive votes, including Dort and former Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley, can be viewed here (Twitter link).
Blazers Notes: Coaching Search, Grant, Wesley, Cissoko
The Trail Blazers‘ search for their next head coach is starting to take shape, with a multitude of names being added to the list of interviewees this week, and seemingly still more to come.
Five candidates have progressed to the second round of the process and will interview in person, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian (subscriber link): Jeff Van Gundy (Clippers), Tiago Splitter (Blazers), Micah Nori (Timberwolves), Tyler Lashbrook (Celtics), and Mike Williams (Jazz). While those coaches have been identified as “finalists,” more candidates could still join that group, as the team continues to hold preliminary interviews with other potential targets, including Jerry Stackhouse.
Part of the cause of the lack of clarity in reporting is the unusual method of the hiring search, Freeman writes, as the team still hasn’t decided whether it will hold in-person interviews in Portland, Dallas, or Raleigh, North Carolina, which would help new owner Tom Dundon stay close to his NHL team, the Carolina Hurricanes, who are currently in the Eastern Conference finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
One name has already been eliminated from the search, as Jared Dudley (Nuggets) had an interview via Zoom, but did not make it to the next round, Freeman writes.
A source told The Oregonian that Portland will look to make its decision by the end of May, though that’s not necessarily viewed as a firm deadline.
We have more from around the Blazers:
- After a disappointing 2024/25 season, veteran forward Jerami Grant had a good year in ’25/26, averaging 18.6 points while hitting 38.9% of his threes in 29.7 minutes per game. He started 38 of his 57 games and provided a steadying presence throughout the year. It’s unclear what his future is with the team or elsewhere, given the large amount of money still owed to him and the ways his game has aged, Freeman writes (subscriber link). Grant is under contract for $34.2MM next season, with a $36.4MM player option in 2027/28, and his defense and rebounding have fallen off considerably since his time in Denver, making the prospect of trading him a tricky one.
- Blake Wesley looked poised to contribute in a real way this year, but a broken bone in his foot derailed his season in late October. He missed three months, during which time Splitter changed the team’s playing style, according to Freeman in a separate piece. When he returned, Wesley couldn’t quite match his early-season impact, but he remained a well-liked locker room presence. Whether he stays or goes this summer will depend on who else is out there. “If you, as an organization, feel like you can upgrade that third point guard spot, you do it. If you feel like you like him, you bring him back,” an anonymous scout said. “He’s an end-of-the-bench guy. Still young and not much more than a backup.” Another scout was slightly more complimentary: “I liked him. He’s a third point guard. Dynamic. He’s quick, athletic, (has) long arms, plays both side of the ball, puts pressure on the defense. He’s a minimum (contract) guy. He was really good for them. I like what I saw from him last year.”
- Another young player who was a pleasant surprise in 2025/26 was Sidy Cissoko, Freeman writes. The 22-year-old wing, who has a $2.5MM partially guaranteed deal for next season, ended up starting 26 games and having his two-day deal converted into a standard contract. “He’s only 22, but I feel like I’ve been watching this kid for five years,” a scout said. “He’s got a good feel for the game and he plays hard. That’s why coaches love him. But his lack of ability to shoot the ball is going to hurt him.” Cissoko shot 29.8% from three this season on 2.6 attempts, both of which were career-high numbers.