Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Kornet, Johnson, Fox, Discipline
The Spurs lost Game 4 of the 2026 Finals in heartbreaking fashion to go down 3-1, but they are heading home to San Antonio for Game 5 with the belief that they can defy the odds and make a comeback.
“Everybody (on the Spurs) thinks, everybody knows, we’re going to do it,” Victor Wembanyama said, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “I feel like we need to isolate that one game and take it one game at a time. I think it would be a mistake to waste our energy on multiple games. It’s one game at a time.”
Wembanyama acknowledged that the heavy minutes load and Finals intensity have, at times, made it difficult to play his best, but he made no excuses, saying that everyone is dealing with the same things. Besides, the two days off between Games 4 and 5 should make that not be a cause for concern.
“We still have this belief because we’ve seen it,” said De’Aaron Fox. “We’ve seen it be done, that teams have come back from 3-1. I think even with those series, the games that they lost, they were losing by double digits. The games that we’re losing have all been close games. We still have that belief that we have a chance to win.”
We have more from the Spurs:
- Luke Kornet has been listed as questionable for Saturday’s game due to an illness, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon notes (via Twitter). Kornet is averaging just 7.8 minutes per game this series despite being the primary backup center, and played just four minutes in Game 4.
- While Fox has taken a lot of scrutiny for his game management at the end of Wednesday’s loss, head coach Mitch Johnson has remained steadfast in his belief in the All-Star point guard, Michael C. Wright writes for ESPN. “People have their opinions,” Johnson said. “I don’t care. I care what the people that matter in our building, our organization, in that locker room, that they know how I feel. De’Aaron Fox will have the basketball in his hands at the end of the game tomorrow, and I have the utmost confidence he’s going to deliver like he’s done countless times for us.” Fox didn’t downplay the mistakes, but neither did he let it bother him. “I don’t watch those shows. It doesn’t matter,” he said. “It is what it is. Can’t change it now. It is what it is. We’re trying to move on from that, continue to learn from the mistakes we made, how we lost the lead, finished the game poorly. We think about the next game.“
- While putting the loss behind them is necessary, it’s also important for the Spurs to learn from their breakdowns in discipline, as keeping their composure will likely be the deciding factor in whether or not they win Game 5, ESPN’s Ben Golliver writes in a Game 5 prediction roundup. The good news is that most of the reasons they lost Game 4 were fixable errors. Now they just have to show they can hold onto a lead.
- If there’s one word the Spurs can always hang their hats on, it’s “belief,” Jeff McDonald writes for the San Antonio Express-News.
It’s a word the head coach said to every player in the Spurs locker room after the heartbreak of Game 4. “You don’t get here without belief, without faith in each other, and that’s not going to change now,” Johnson said. “If it was easy, everybody would do it.” This young team has shown itself to be a resilient bunch, but to come back from a 3-1 Finals deficit, it will take all the belief it can muster. “Back’s against the wall,” rookie guard Dylan Harper said. “If we believe we are who we think we are, then it’s going to show.”
Stein’s Latest: Irving, Brown, Murphy, Mavs Vets
The Mavericks have been receiving trade calls for Kyrie Irving, but have reportedly stayed firm in their stance that the star point guard is not available, Marc Stein writes in the latest edition of The Stein Line (subscriber link).
New president Masai Ujiri has stated from the beginning of his tenure with the team that he hopes to see Irving and franchise cornerstone Cooper Flagg play together, despite the sizable age gap between them.
The Pistons and Timberwolves are two teams known to have interest in the 34-year-old’s services, while the Rockets have not inquired after him, Stein reports.
Kyrie is coming off a missed season due to an ACL tear, and Ujiri may want to see how he can help Flagg’s development before deciding whether to deal him.
We have more from Stein’s newsletter:
- After previous reports from the Stein Line indicated which teams were most active in pursuing Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stein adds that there is interest around the league in whether a robust market could form for a third team to take on Jaylen Brown in a deal that would send the Bucks‘ star to the Celtics. The Blazers, Rockets, and Hawks have all been rumored to be interested in Brown, but his contract makes it difficult to find good fits from a money-matching perspective.
- Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III remains one of the most sought-after names on the trade market, with Stein describing the interest for him around the league as “intense.” The Pistons and Pacers are two teams that have reportedly expressed interest. As of yet, the trade discussions have all been initiated by other teams, rather than the Pelicans offering him in deals. However, Stein notes that this is the first time that the Joe Dumars-led front office has been willing to entertain offers.
- While the Mavs are signalling their lack of interest in dealing Irving, some of their other veterans may be more available. Stein writes that Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford are all players the team is seen as more open to the possibility of dealing, with Thompson standing out as a clear candidate to be moved, given his expiring contract.
Bucks To Hire Vince Legarza, Brad Jones To Coaching Staff
The Bucks are hiring assistant coaches Vince Legarza and Brad Jones to help round out their coaching staff, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Legarza is a 36-year-old who got his start as a player development coach with the Hawks, where he worked alongside new Bucks coach Taylor Jenkins. Legarza then joined the Jazz as an advanced scout and assistant coach and stayed in Utah for over three years. He spent the 2022/23 season with the Bucks before working for the Suns in 2024/25.
Jones also spent three years with the Jazz, though the two didn’t overlap there. He went on to spend five seasons as a Grizzlies assistant coach, working under Jenkins at the time.
The Bucks have built a staff of coaches Jenkins is familiar with after previously hiring Patrick St. Andrews, along with Joe Boylan.
Northwest Notes: Wolves, Edwards, Joe, Nuggets
Within their report on the latest Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors, which we recapped earlier today, Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic say that Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has shown “some level of interest” in Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving and Grizzlies guard Ja Morant.
Based on the wording of the report, it’s unclear whether Irving and Morant were options Connelly and the Wolves considered in the past and are no longer interested in, or if they’re potential targets the club may pursue this summer.
[RELATED: Anthony Edwards Wants Timberwolves To Upgrade Roster]
When we previewed Minnesota’s offseason earlier this week, I mentioned both Irving and Morant as possible trade options for the Wolves, noting that neither player is at the peak of his value at this point. Irving is coming off an ACL tear and will have been sidelined for over 18 months by the time the 2026/27 season tips off, while Morant has been limited to 79 total games over the past three seasons due to various injuries and has lost some of the explosiveness that defined his game earlier in his career.
We have more from around the Northwest:
- Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at the knee injury Anthony Edwards suffered in the first round of the playoffs and the way the Timberwolves guard managed to return to action earlier than anyone expected. As Krawcynski writes, the experience taught Edwards that if he’s willing to devote the time and effort to it, he can get more out of his body than he knew. “This is the worst injury I’ve seen him deal with in his career and I’ve been knowing him for almost 10 years,” his best friend Nick Maddox told Krawczynski. “To see him bounce back and have that motivation, it speaks volumes to his faith, what he believes in, and he cares about the fans. It’s like, ‘Man, if I can go out there, I’m going out there.’ I really appreciate him for that.”
- Thunder wing Isaiah Joe had the best season of his six-year NBA career in 2025/26, setting new career highs in points per game (11.1) and three-point percentage (42.3%), among other categories. However, as Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman writes in his report card evaluating Joe’s season, the 26-year-old’s improvements on both ends of the floor weren’t enough to earn him regular, consistent minutes in the playoffs. Joe, who is viewed as a possible trade candidate, has said he wants to focus on speeding up his shooting motion and extending his range this offseason, Mussatto notes.
- In his preview of the Nuggets‘ offseason, Keith Smith of Spotrac suggests that Peyton Watson‘s next deal could be in the range of $27MM per year and expresses skepticism that Denver will seriously explore trading Jamal Murray or Aaron Gordon. We published our own preview of the Nuggets’ summer on Thursday.
2026 NBA Offseason Preview: Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets finished the 2024/25 campaign with the third-worst record in the NBA (19-63) and missed the playoffs for the ninth consecutive year, which is the longest active drought in the league. Charlotte moved down one spot in the 2025 draft lottery, landing the fourth overall pick.
While Kon Knueppel was viewed as a contender to be selected at that spot, it wasn't considered a lock, with Ace Bailey and Tre Johnson among the other candidates. But the Hornets were absolutely right in believing in the 20-year-old wing, who exceeded all expectations in his debut season, nearly outdueling his former teammate and close friend Cooper Flagg for Rookie of the Year after averaging 18.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 81 regular season games (31.5 minutes per contest). Knueppel posted an excellent .475/.425/.863 shooting line, became the first rookie in history to lead the league in three-pointers made (273), and helped Charlotte improve from 19 to 44 wins.
The addition of Knueppel was in retrospect the most noteworthy of the Hornets' 2025 offseason moves, but it certainly wasn't the only transaction. The team also added three other draft picks: one late first-rounder (Liam McNeeley, who went 29th overall), which was acquired in the Mark Williams trade with Phoenix, and two early second-rounders (Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner, Nos. 33 and 34, respectively), both of whom played rotation minutes as rookies.
Trading veteran center Jusuf Nurkic to Utah for Collin Sexton and a second-round pick was another one of head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson's moves last summer, though the 27-year-old guard's stay in Charlotte was brief. Sexton was traded to Chicago in February -- in one of the team's five deadline moves -- for Coby White, another impending free agent guard.
The start of 2025/26 looked like more of the same in Charlotte, as the team was just 11-23 following a one-point loss at Milwaukee on January 2. But the Hornets played like an entirely different team the rest of the season, blowing out the top-seeded Thunder in Oklahoma City a few days into the new year and beating several playoff teams later that month en route to a nine-game winning streak. The Hornets closed '25/26 with a 33-15 mark to finish 44-38, the No. 9 seed in the East.
While the team survived a wild overtime game vs. Miami to eliminate the Heat in the 9/10 matchup, the Hornets were embarrassed in Orlando with a chance to advance as the eighth seed, losing by 31 points and ending their surprising season on a sour note. The aforementioned nine-year playoff drought is now up to 10.
Creating a health plan for LaMelo Ball, who made 72 regular season appearances after averaging just 35 games per year in the three seasons leading up to 2025/26, was a key part of Charlotte's success. The 24-year-old point guard is a polarizing player for both on- and off-court reasons, but there's no question the Hornets have been a better team -- especially on offense -- when he's in the lineup.
Improved health from former No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller was another key factor in Charlotte's 25-win improvement. After being limited to just 27 games in his second season due to wrist surgery, he made 65 appearances (30.3 minutes per game) in 2025/26, averaging 20.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.3 APG and 1.0 SPG on .435/.383/.892 shooting splits. The 6'7" wing notably improved his efficiency while playing more solid defense than he had in his first two seasons, despite dealing with a partially dislocated left shoulder he played through for several months.
Another key piece to the puzzle for the Hornets in 2025/26 was Moussa Diabate, an undersized French center with a relentless motor. The team had the equivalent of the top-ranked offense and the fourth-ranked defense when the 24-year-old big man was on the court this past season, which is pretty remarkable considering the Hustle Award winner had played a fairly modest role prior to 2025/26.
Peterson and the rest of Charlotte's front office have done a nice job utilizing the team's financial flexibility to add draft assets over the past two years. Now the Hornets need to decide whether their second-half run will lead to sustainable long-term success or whether the team needs outside help to go from a pretty good team -- they had the eighth-best net rating in the NBA -- to a club that's capable of making real noise in the playoffs.
The Hornets' Offseason Plans
The Hornets are one of six NBA teams with two first-round picks in the 2026 NBA draft. The team controls the final lottery pick (No. 14 overall) and has another selection a few spots later (No. 18). Their primary free agent is White, who has a $25MM cap hold, and they have one main extension candidate in Miller.
On the surface, Charlotte's offseason seems like it could be pretty straightforward: re-sign White, draft a couple of young players to add to their core, extend Miller if the deal is reasonable, and continue to build on the strong results of the latter portion of 2025/26. However, the Hornets also have financial flexibility, a significant cache of draft assets, and the right types of contracts (three mid-sized expiring deals) to be much more aggressive than that if they want to be.
Raptors Notes: Barrett, Trade/FA Targets, Draft Workouts
RJ Barrett will be eligible for an extension this summer, but the Raptors may not be in a hurry to get a new deal in place, Eric Koreen of The Athletic states in his latest mailbag column. Barrett, who’s entering the final year of his current contract at $29.6MM, will remain extension-eligible through the start of next offseason, and Koreen expects general manager Bobby Webster to take a patient approach.
Koreen points out that Toronto is in a unique position with Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poeltl and Brandon Ingram all earning large salaries, which potentially makes Barrett the team’s most attractive trade piece. That doesn’t mean the Raptors will be shopping Barrett, but he gives them some flexibility that would be wiped out by an extension.
Koreen also addresses the possibility that Barrett, who was born in Toronto, might be willing to take a discount to remain with his hometown team, which has been beneficial for his off-court income. Koreen suggests an offer of $130MM over four years, which is about $25MM below what Barrett is eligible to receive.
There’s more on the Raptors:
- A combination of Barrett and draft picks is probably the best trade offer Toronto can make for a roster upgrade this summer, Koreen states in the same piece. He notes that several of the big-name players considered to be available, such as Ja Morant, Zion Williamson and Domantas Sabonis, come with red flags that make them risky investments. Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III is Koreen’s favorite potential addition for the Raptors, but he would be much more expensive than other options. Koreen doesn’t believe the team should consider parting with Collin Murray-Boyles unless it’s to get a major star.
- In response to another question, Koreen identifies several players the Raptors could pursue to fill their need for shooting. In addition to Murphy, he lists Sam Hauser, Sam Merrill, Kel’el Ware, Bobby Portis, Isaiah Joe, Vit Krejci, Moses Moody, Max Christie and Malik Monk as trade targets. In free agency, Koreen points to Khris Middleton, Collin Sexton, Kevin Huerter, Luke Kennard, Simone Fontecchio, Gary Trent Jr., Tim Hardaway Jr., Landry Shamet and Keon Ellis. Koreen’s most likely scenario is that the team re-signs Sandro Mamukelashvili and tries to find more shooting through the draft and veteran’s minimum contracts.
- With picks No. 19 and 50, the Raptors’ pre-draft workouts so far have included Meleek Thomas, Bennett Stirtz, Zuby Ejiofor, Keyshawn Hall, Izaiyah Nelson, Peter Suder, Tyler Bilodeau, Michael Ajayi and Bruce Thornton, sources tell Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (Twitter link).
International Notes: 2027 World Cup, Lithuania, Croatia, Loyd, Joerger
Three NBA players have been named to Lithuania’s 15-man roster for the upcoming FIBA 2027 World Cup qualifiers, writes Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. At a press conference Friday morning, Bulls forward Matas Buzelis, Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas and Heat guard Kasparas Jakucionis were announced as part of the team, which will play two games next month.
Domantas Sabonis, who’s normally a regular in international competitions, won’t represent Lithuania in this event. The Kings center is still recovering after undergoing season-ending knee surgery in February.
Currently 2-2 in Group D, Lithuania will host Great Britain on July 2 and travel to Italy on July 5. The team needs a top-three finish in its group to advance into the secondary qualifying round.
There’s more international news to pass along:
- Some familiar names are on Croatia’s World Cup qualifying roster, which was also revealed on Friday, Askounis states in a separate story. Pacers center Ivica Zubac will headline the team, along with Pelicans forward Karlo Matkovic and former NBA players Mario Hezonja and Dario Saric. The Croatians, who have already clinched a spot in the secondary stage, will travel to Cyprus on July 3 and host Israel on July 6.
- Former NBA player Jordan Loyd is nearing an extension that will keep him with Anadolu Efes, Askounis adds in another piece. The 32-year-old guard signed with the Turkish power last summer, and sources tell Askounis that both sides are on the verge of committing to a new agreement.
- Ex-NBA coach Dave Joerger is in talks to become the head coach of Paris Basketball, sources tell Olgun Uluc of ESPN (Twitter link). Joerger spent three seasons with the Grizzlies and three more with the Kings, compiling a 245-247 career record. He was being considered by Melbourne United in the NBL, according to Uluc, but now appears more likely to wind up in Paris.
Spurs Notes: Game 4 Reaction, Wembanyama, Fox
The first step for the Spurs in preparing for Game 5 is to shake off the memories from Wednesday night’s collapse, which led to one of the most shocking losses in NBA Finals history. After letting a 29-point lead slip away and falling in the final seconds due to missed free throws and poor decision making, the team has time to refocus before the series resumes Saturday night in San Antonio.
The Spurs’ locker room was subdued following Game 4 as players tried to process what just happened, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape. While most of them sat quietly at their lockers when the media entered, Keldon Johnson tried to provide some hope regarding the challenge of overcoming a 3-1 deficit.
“It’s a tough one, a tough pill to swallow,” he said. “I feel like we got comfortable, and things happen. But I think the main thing is that belief is there. We believe. Our belief is as high as ever. You don’t get here without belief, without faith in each other, and that’s not going to change now. If it was easy, everybody would do it.”
Coach Mitch Johnson also attempted to remain positive as he held his post-game press conference just a few feet away from jubilant Knicks fans. Johnson told his players to deal with the emotions of the loss and then get ready to compete on Saturday.
“We have two days to put everything we have into that game. That’s the only game that matters,” he said. “By no means am I not acknowledging the Knicks and what they’ve done. Give them credit for playing good basketball. But we feel like we’ve decided the outcome of all four games. We need to be better in the next game.”
There’s more on the Spurs:
- Victor Wembanyama will receive an automatic one-game suspension if he’s assessed another flagrant foul, but he doesn’t plan to change his approach going into Game 5, Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News states in a subscriber-only story. The flagrant 1 Wembanyama received in the third quarter on Wednesday for elbowing Karl-Anthony Towns in the chin brought him to three flagrant points in the postseason, just one away from triggering the suspension. “Of course, I’m going to be more careful, but it’s not going to change much,” Wembanyama said.
- De’Aaron Fox made a huge miscalculation by attempting a layup after a steal with 11 seconds remaining, but he doesn’t deserve the blame he’s been getting for the loss, contends Melissa Rohlin of The California Post. Fox’s shot was blocked by OG Anunoby, giving possession back to the Knicks and setting the stage for Anunoby’s game-winning tip-in. While Fox could have dribbled out some time and given his team a three-point lead at the foul line, that wouldn’t have guaranteed a victory. Rohlin points out that the Spurs were outscored 32-16 in the fourth quarter, so everyone played a role in the collapse.
- Paul Garcia of The Spot Up Shot examines the Spurs’ Game 4 breakdown and tries to figure out why the offense stopped working in the second half.
Nets Expected To Offer Max Deal To Austin Reaves
The Nets are expected to make a full max offer to Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves in free agency, multiple front office sources tell Dan Woike of The Athletic.
Woike also hears from league sources that the Pistons and Hawks are part of a group of interested teams with the ability to create cap space and get involved in the bidding for Reaves. He adds that other teams could emerge as free agency draws closer.
Based on the NBA’s latest salary cap estimate, a five-year, maximum-salary deal for Reaves with the Lakers would be worth a projected $239.3MM, while a four-year max deal with another team would be valued at $177.4MM.
Woike notes that the Lakers have an exclusive window to negotiate a new deal with Reaves, starting on the day after the NBA Finals conclude and running through the start of free agency on June 30. Reaves has a relatively small cap hold at $20.9MM, so Woike states that L.A. would like to reach an agreement with him during that time, then delay the formal contract signing until other offseason moves are complete.
Reaves turned out to be a major bargain on the four-year, $53.8MM deal he signed with the Lakers in 2023. That included a $14.9MM player option for next season, which Reaves is certain to decline by the June 29 deadline.
Although he was hampered by injuries, Reaves still managed to put together a productive season in 2025/26, averaging a career-high 23.3 points in 51 games, along with 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 34.5 minutes per night. He suffered a Grade 2 left oblique strain in early April that affected his availability for the playoffs, and he shot just 40.7% from the field and 25.7% from three-point range in six games once he returned.
Reaves prefers to remain with the Lakers, according to Woike. He has developed a strong relationship with Luka Doncic and LeBron James as well as coach JJ Redick and enjoys the lifestyle that he has in L.A. However, Woike states that money is likely to be a very strong factor in the final decision, as Reaves has been undervalued throughout his career.
From the Lakers’ standpoint, they don’t want to lose one of their most valuable assets as Reaves provides a secondary play-maker alongside Doncic while being capable of creating his own shots. A team source told Woike that defensive concerns about lineups with Doncic and Reaves are overstated, and that Reaves has emerged as a strong locker room leader.
Woike adds that the Lakers might be in position to be more frugal in their negotiations with Reaves if the market were different, but they understand there will be a strong demand around the league if he’s permitted to reach free agency.
Latest On Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Bucks are seeking clarity regarding what several teams are willing to offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo before reaching a final decision on a trade, league and team sources tell Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
The Celtics, Timberwolves and Magic are among the teams involved in negotiations, according to the authors’ sources. The Trail Blazers have also expressed interest in acquiring Antetokounmpo, but Milwaukee seems to prefer using Portland as a third team to help facilitate a deal and reclaiming some of the draft picks it sent away in the 2023 Damian Lillard trade.
The Heat, who made an aggressive pitch for Antetokounmpo prior to the trade deadline, are still viewed as the frontrunners across the league, according to Amick and Nehm. Many sources expected a deal with Miami to be completed in February before the Bucks pulled out, and the current package is expected to include Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., either Pelle Larsson or Kasparas Jakucionis and draft assets that could involve up to three first-round picks. The authors note that Herro unfollowed the Heat on Instagram this week, creating speculation that a deal was about to get done.
Sources who spoke to Amick and Nehm cited “a sense of distrust” from some teams lingering from the way Milwaukee conducted trade discussions leading up to the deadline. It was the first time that general manager Jon Horst actually welcomed league-wide offers for Antetokounmpo, and the team seemed willing to make a deal. However, skepticism mounted about the Bucks’ “level of sincerity” as the deadline drew close, and the two-time MVP ultimately wasn’t moved.
Amick and Nehm cite the Celtics as posing “a serious threat” to Miami’s pursuit of Antetokounmpo, as league sources tell them that he would be willing to commit to a four-year, $275MM extension with Boston. Jaylen Brown would likely be headed out in that scenario, with the Bucks expected to flip him elsewhere in exchange for younger players and draft picks if it winds up being a two-team deal.
Amick and Nehm describe the Wolves as “an emerging option” for Antetokounmpo. It’s been repeatedly stated that he prefers to stay in the Eastern Conference, but league sources tell the authors that the Bucks are interested in what Minnesota could offer. They hear that Milwaukee would want Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, Terrence Shannon Jr. and the team’s two tradable first-round picks (No. 29 this year and their 2033 selection). However, the Wolves consider McDaniels off limits, according to Amick and Nehm, along with young center Joan Beringer. It’s also not certain, they add, that Antetokounmpo would sign an extension with Minnesota.
Sources tell Amick and Nehm that some teams are asking the Bucks to present them with offers that they would consider acceptable, rather than going back and forth with proposals. The hope is not only to get clarity from Milwaukee’s side, but to minimize the number of players whose names get leaked to the media. Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam indicated last month that the team hopes to resolve Antetokounmpo’s future by the start of the draft, so that leaves 11 more days for the machinations of a deal to play out.