Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Castle, Game 2, Biyombo
After veteran forward Harrison Barnes implored the Spurs not to take being in the NBA Finals for granted, Victor Wembanyama compared the team to a group of “spoiled kids,” writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required).
“They (the Knicks) understand how fortunate they are to be in the Finals, and they know it’s not guaranteed they’ll ever get another chance like this,” the 22-year-old star told a French reporter in their native language.
“As for us, we’re kind of like spoiled kids,” Wembanyama added. “For some of us, it’s our first season, or one of our first seasons, and we’re already in the Finals. We don’t fully realize it yet. And to me, the team that appreciates the position we’re in the most will be the one that wins.”
The Spurs are the second-youngest team to make the Finals, Orsborn notes, just a little older than the 1977 Trail Blazers.
Here’s more on the Spurs:
- The Game 2 loss, which put San Antonio in a 2-0 hole as the series head to New York, taught Wembanyama a valuable lesson about how difficult it is to become a champion, Marcus Thompson II writes in an excellent story for The Athletic. While Wembanyama spearheaded a furious late-game rally, he was responsible for a disastrous turnover and subsequent foul that gave the Knicks back the lead, then missed a potential game-winning jump shot in the closing seconds. The third-year center has been open in his pursuit of greatness, and every all-time great has experienced similar low points. As Thompson puts it, “the road to being legendary is paved with hard lessons and heartbreaks.”
- Second-year guard Stephon Castle stepped on Mikal Bridges‘ foot in Game 2 and was forced out of the game for about six minutes. He said the injury was feeling much better on Sunday, according to Orsborn (Twitter link). “It’s been feeling good…It feels a lot better than I thought it would initially,” Castle said. “Obviously, I had some adrenaline running, kind of once I settled down, I started to feel it. Waking up the next day, actually felt really good.”
- Zach Kram of ESPN.com takes a closer look at the most important moments from Game 2.
- Veteran center Bismack Biyombo recently spoke to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about being a mentor to Wembanyama.
Towns, Knicks Expected To Discuss Extension This Offseason
Karl-Anthony Towns‘ inspired two-way play has the Knicks two wins away from their first NBA championship in 53 years, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, who writes that if the team goes on to win the title, there’s an expectation the two sides will discuss a contract extension this offseason.
That may be true whether or not the Knicks win the championship, but Amick suggests a Finals victory would bolster Towns’ odds of signing a lucrative long-term deal. The former No. 1 overall pick will make $57.1MM next season and holds a $61MM player option for ’27/28, which he would need to decline to sign an extension this summer worth up to a projected $272MM over four years.
Amick suggests the star big man is unlikely to receive that full max, given the Knicks already have a high payroll that projects to get more expensive next season. Mitchell Robinson is reportedly expected to receive a good deal of external interest this summer, and Landry Shamet, a key reserve, will be an unrestricted free agent as well. The Knicks could have up to 10 free agents, including all of three of their two-way players.
Towns has outplayed Spurs star Victor Wembanyama so far to help the Knicks go up 2-0 on the road in the NBA Finals, with Game 3 set for Monday in New York. This is the third time in history the road team has won the first two games of the Finals; unsurprisingly, the previous two clubs — the 1993 Bulls and 1995 Rockets — went on to win the championship (Twitter link via the NBA).
Teams that have won the first two road playoff games in a seven-game series have gone on to win those series 27 out of 31 times since 1984, Amick notes.
Less than a year ago, the Knicks decided to table extension talks with Towns, who still still had three years on his contract at the time, per Amick. Shortly thereafter, his name popped in trade rumors involving Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Towns was floated as a possible trade candidate again in January when New York had a mid-season slump after the team’s NBA Cup victory over San Antonio the month before.
Now Towns has a chance to cement his name as a Knicks legend after helping to lead the team to 13 consecutive playoff wins, the second-longest streak in NBA history (the Warriors won 15 straight in 2017) (Twitter link). They’ve won eight straight road contests during this stretch, tied for the longest road winning streak in playoff history.
Towns, 30, has the best on/off numbers of all the Knicks’ rotation regulars in the playoffs, Amick observes. Through 16 games, he’s averaging 17.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.1 steals in 30.7 minutes per contest. He has posted an elite .570/.481/.900 shooting line while providing strong defense.
Sixers Promoting Jameer Nelson To EVP Of Basketball Ops
Sixers assistant general manager Jameer Nelson is being promoted, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports that Nelson’s new title will be executive vice president of basketball operations. He will be second in command in the front office, behind new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey.
The news was expected, as Marc Stein and a few other reporters had indicated that Nelson was essentially a lock to be promoted from his current position regardless of who was hired to replace former president Daryl Morey. Gansey ended up getting that job, which Nelson also interviewed for.
Nelson, who is from Chester, Pennsylvania (southwest of Philadelphia but in the metropolitan area) and played his college basketball at Saint Joseph’s, spent 14 years in the NBA as a player, making one All-Star team as a member of the Magic. The former first-round pick has worked his way up the 76ers’ front office over the last six years, initially starting as a scout.
Sixers executive Prosper Karangwa has also agreed to a contract extension, sources tell ESPN, after Stein reported he received interest from the Lakers and Mavericks. Stein was the first to report Karangwa was expected to remain in Philadelphia.
Charania also confirms longtime GM Elton Brand will not return in that role, as Stein has reported. However, Brand is in talks to stay with the 76ers’ parent company in a new position. Charania hears the former NBA star opted not to interview for the president of basketball operations job and remains well-respected within the organization.
Former Bulls Player, Broadcaster Stacey King Dies At 59
Former NBA big man Stacey King, who won three championships as a role player with the Bulls during his eight years in the league, has died at age 59, the team announced in a press release.
King was a longtime and beloved Bulls broadcaster known for his humor, enthusiasm, and generally objective views — he often credited the opposing team for playing well when warranted. His time with the organization spanned more than three decades, per the statement.
“Stacey loved being a Bull. You could feel it in everything he did – the way he played, the way he called games and the way he connected with our fans,” said president and CEO Michael Reinsdorf. “He had a unique gift for bringing people together and making every game feel personal. He brought an energy and love for the game that came through in every broadcast, helping fans feel connected to our team. Whether it was through a broadcast, a conversation or a photo with a fan, Stacey made people feel seen and valued.
“We were fortunate to know him not only as a player and broadcaster, but as a friend. Stacey genuinely cared about people, and he made our organization better. We will miss him dearly, and his impact, memory and legacy will remain a part of the Chicago Bulls forever.”
The Bulls selected King with the sixth overall pick of the 1989 draft. He spent parts of five seasons in Chicago to open his career and had stints with Minnesota, Miami, Boston and Dallas at the end of his NBA playing career.
The left-handed big man was a star in college at Oklahoma, where he was from. King was a consensus first-team All-America selection as a senior for the Sooners in 1988/89.
We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to King’s family and friends.
International Notes: K. Edwards, C. Edwards, NBA Europe, Zizic
Former NBA forward Kessler Edwards and Hapoel Tel Aviv have parted ways, the Israeli team announced (via Twitter). Edwards, who turns 26 years old in August, signed a rest-of-season deal with Hapoel Tel Aviv in February.
A 2021 second-round pick (44th overall), Edwards spent four seasons in the NBA, last suiting up for Dallas in 2024/25. He signed a non-guaranteed training camp contract with the Nuggets last fall and spent a good portion of ’25/26 with their G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, prior to joining Hapoel Tel Aviv.
In 30 games (33.6 minutes per contest) with the Gold this season, Edwards averaged 14.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks on .500/.403/.781 shooting splits. He played a fairly modest role with Hapoel Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague, making nine appearances while averaging 3.4 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 11.7 MPG.
Here are a few more notes from overseas:
- Lithuanian EuroLeague team Zalgiris Kaunas has made a contract offer to Carsen Edwards worth just under $2MM, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. A former Purdue star who played three years in the NBA, Edwards has spent the past four seasons in Europe. The 28-year-old guard has played for Virtus Bologna in Italy during the 2025/26 campaign.
- While he only made one NBA appearance with Milwaukee in 2020/21, Elijah Bryant has become a star in Europe, making the All-EuroLeague First Team this season and finishing third in MVP voting after averaging 15.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 3.4 APG on .544/.387/.893 shooting in 34 games (29.6 MPG). At his Substack, the veteran guard recently discussed the possibility of the NBA partnering with FIBA and the EuroLeague for NBA Europe, as Eurohoops relays. Bryant takes an in-depth look at the state of European basketball and what the NBA’s inclusion might mean. “What Europe might need is help turning a great competition into a great business. And that is the one thing the NBA is better at than anyone on earth. So maybe need is the wrong word. The real question is whether they are bigger together. I think they are. As long as the NBA grows the business without flattening the soul, this is a yes for both sides,” Bryant wrote.
- Three-year NBA veteran Ante Zizic will undergo surgery after suffering an AC joint injury in his left shoulder, his Turkish club Besiktas announced (story via Eurohoops). The Croatian big man was injured in the semifinals of the Turkish league playoffs.
2026 NBA Offseason Preview: Golden State Warriors
The Warriors entered 2025/26 optimistic about their changes of replicating the second-half success they found in '24/25 after trading for Jimmy Butler ahead of that season's deadline. Golden State was just 25-26, the 10th seed in the Western Conference, when Butler made his Warriors debut on February 8, 2025, but the club moved up to No. 7 by going 23-8 to end the '24/25 regular season.
After beating Memphis in the 7/8 play-in game to advance as the seventh seed, the Warriors faced Houston in the first round, eventually advancing to the semifinals after a tough seven-game series. Unfortunately for Golden State, Stephen Curry got hurt in Game 1 of the second-round matchup vs. Minnesota, which the Timberwolves won in five games.
Rather than make major changes, the Warriors made some moves around the edges last offseason, essentially replacing longtime center Kevon Looney with Al Horford, bringing back De'Anthony Melton on a two-year, minimum-salary contract (he had been traded to Brooklyn after suffering a torn ACL during the 2024/25 season), and re-signing Jonathan Kuminga and Gary Payton II.
Kuminga's restricted free agency dragged into the start of training camp, delaying all of the aforementioned signings. The situation was resolved with Kuminga accepting a two-year, $46.8MM deal that was designed to make him movable at the trade deadline. The Warriors also signed Seth Curry in November once they had a little bit of breathing room beneath their first apron hard cap.
Kuminga, the seventh overall pick in the 2021 draft, opened '25/26 in the starting lineup, but it didn't last long -- he was pulled after the team was 6-6 after 12 games. The 23-year-old was dealing with a nagging knee injury near the end of that stretch, which caused him to miss seven straight contests after coming off the bench for one game.
After a sluggish 19-18 start to '25/26, the Warriors seemed to be turning things around in mid-January, winning six of seven games to boost their record to 25-19. The final victory in that span came at a major cost, however, as Butler tore his ACL on January 19 against Miami, his former team.
Butler's season-ending knee injury lowered Golden State's ceiling, and less than two weeks later Stephen Curry was diagnosed with patellofemoral pain syndrome, aka runner's knee. That often isn't considered a significant injury but it turned into a nagging problem for the two-time MVP, who didn't play again until April 5.
The relationship between the Warriors and Kuminga, which was already contentious after the offseason didn't go the way he hoped, continued to deteriorate over time. He eventually demanded a trade on the first day he was eligible to be moved in January.
It took a while, but Golden State found a deal it liked, sending Kuminga and Buddy Hield to Atlanta for Kristaps Porzingis. The Latvian big man had missed extended time due to mysterious circumstances in '24/25, later saying he had been diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a chronic health condition with no known cure.
The Warriors were heavily linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo leading up to the February trade deadline, but the Bucks ended up keeping the superstar forward. Draymond Green, not Butler, was rumored to be the main salary-matching piece in those talks.
In addition to the knee injuries of Butler and Stephen Curry, Horford and Seth Curry both battled sciatica and other ailments, only playing 45 and 10 regular season games, respectively. Porzingis was in and out of the lineup, appearing in just 15 of Golden State's 31 contests down the stretch. Then another devastating injury occurred in late March, when Moses Moody tore his patellar tendon.
With their two best players -- and by far their highest earners -- sidelined, the Warriors tumbled down the standings, finishing with a 37-45 record and the 10th seed in the West. They beat the Clippers in the 9/10 play-in game, then lost to Phoenix with a chance to advance to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.
In the wake of the difficult season, Steve Kerr initially wasn't sure whether he wanted to return as head coach, but he ultimately re-signed with the team on a new two-year contract. Now the big question is figuring out what the roster will look like next season with over $69MM in salary ($56.8MM for Butler and $12.5MM for Moody) tied up in two players who are still several months away from returning to action.
The Warriors' Offseason Plans
Golden State's spending power this offseason hinges in large part on what Green decides to do with his $27.7MM player option and how much money it will take to re-sign Porzingis, which general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Kerr both said was a priority.
In the 2023 offseason, Green declined a $27.7MM player option to re-sign with the Warriors on a four-year, $100MM deal, but a payday that significant seems unlikely this time around. And Porzingis' market value is even trickier to gauge after a season in which he played just 32 games, the second-lowest total of his career.
Western Notes: Warriors, Jazz, Fleming, Plumlee
The Warriors‘ dynasty is looking increasingly difficult to replicate in the tax apron era, observes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Many around the league thought the Thunder had an excellent chance to become the first repeat champion since Golden State went back-to-back in 2017 and 2018, but they were eliminated in the Western Conference finals by San Antonio.
The Spurs, who have a player in Victor Wembanyama unlike any other in NBA history, are now in a 2-0 deficit against the Knicks, who feature a lineup full of veterans that have won 13 straight playoff games. Regardless of which team wins the NBA Finals, it will be the league’s eighth different champion in eight years.
The Warriors won three titles and made five consecutive trips to the Finals at the end of the last decade. No team has even made two straight trips to the Finals, let alone won back-to-back championships, since Golden State did it during that five-year span.
“Just mindset,” Shaun Livingston, who was on all of those teams, told Poole. “We wanted to win over everything — and be remembered for such. We knew we had a moment, so we could squeeze the juice.”
As Poole notes, that dynasty was set up by a unique contract situation, as Stephen Curry was the fourth-highest paid player on the team when he won back-to-back MVPs in 2015 and 2016. That, combined with a huge cap spike, which was barred in the latest CBA, enabled the Warriors to sign Kevin Durant in the 2016 offseason.
“That’s a huge reason,” Livingston said.
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- After moving up to No. 2 in the draft lottery, the Jazz will face a difficult yet welcome decision regarding their starting lineup, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. Assuming Walker Kessler is re-signed and ready to play by the start of next season following shoulder surgery, he will “definitely” join Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. in Utah’s massive starting frontcourt, Todd writes. The other two starters will likely come down to Keyonte George, Ace Bailey and whomever the Jazz select with the second overall pick.
- Rasheer Fleming showed flashes of upside as a rookie in 2025/26 and the Suns forward is hoping to take strides forward this summer, he told Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “Just keep progressing on my game,” Fleming said. “Overall, just working on different areas of my game. My shot. Handle. Making reads. Slowing down. Just everything overall for me. The defense is going to keep progressing. Just working on a little bit of everything.” Fleming said that while he’d welcome a chance to earn a starting role, he’s more focused on holistic improvement. The 31st overall pick of last year’s draft plans to play in Summer League, he confirmed to Rankin. “It’s going to be really good,” he said. “Especially having those NBA reps now. I’m excited. It’s going to be fun. Last year, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I didn’t play much, but this year, it’s going to be really good.”
- In an interview with Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, veteran center Mason Plumlee talks about his time with the Hornets and what his role has been with the Spurs.
Knicks Notes: Bridges, Brunson, Shamet, Coach’s Challenge
Mikal Bridges knows from experience that a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals doesn’t guarantee a championship, writes Brendan Mau of SI.com. Bridges was part of the Phoenix team that won the first two games of the 2021 Finals, then lost four in a row to Milwaukee, so he’s in position to deliver a warning to his teammates.
“0-0 man, f—ing keep playing, sorry … Desperate. That’s it, man,” Bridges said Friday in a post-game appearance on ESPN’s Inside the NBA. “Take this rest. We got two days, take a break, do whatever you gotta do to get ready for this next game, but keep going out there and don’t stop. We got nothing but the offseason, man. Keep pushing. Leave everything on that court.”
Bridges’ defense played a major role in helping the Knicks get two wins in San Antonio, Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News notes in a subscriber-only story. So far in the series, he’s holding De’Aaron Fox to 0-of-4 shooting from the field and Stephon Castle to 1-of-7 when serving as their primary defender.
“Just gut. Just fight,” Bridges said during an intense interview with MSG (Twitter video link). “A lot of integrity, poise, staying together. We’re gonna fight to the end. They made a run. They’re a really good team, but we’re gonna fight to the end. I wish we had a better fourth quarter. They’re a really good team. They pushed it, but we’ve gotta be better.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- The team is proving that it can win without great shooting nights from Jalen Brunson, states Steve Popper of Newsday (subscription required). Brunson is 19-of-56 overall and 4-of-17 from three-point range in the first two games, but he has made clutch shots in the final minutes of both contests to swing the outcome. “He’s a hell of a player,” Fox said. “Even when you make it difficult on good players, they’re talented, so they’re going to end up making shots. He’s done that, especially at the end of the games.”
- Coach Mike Brown singled out the contributions from Landry Shamet, who scored 13 points in 30 minutes off the bench Friday night (Twitter video link from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype). “I’m talking about his whole career because he’s been a journeyman,” Brown said, “but he probably deserved more of an opportunity because what he does out on the floor on both ends is very hard to find in this league, especially at his size, with is mental and physical toughness. We gave him an opportunity and showed him we loved him. He embraced it and he ran with it.”
- The Knicks might have let Friday’s game slip away if not for assistant coach Jordan Brink, reveals Zach Braziller of The New York Post. The team’s director of video services convinced Brown to challenge a call with 2:37 remaining in the game. Officials determined that OG Anunoby was fouled on the play and was sent to the line for three shots.
Central Notes: Kessler, Bulls, Beasley, Boswell
The Bulls should keep a close watch on Walker Kessler‘s negotiations with the Jazz as they consider their options for a new starting center, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes in a subscriber-only piece.
The 24-year-old big man is widely expected to re-sign with Utah, and because he’s a restricted free agent the Jazz will have the option to match any offer. If Kessler doesn’t reach an agreement with the team before free agency begins on June 30, Cowley suggests that Chicago should offer around $20MM per year and see if that leads to anything.
Free agent center Zach Collins told reporters in April that he would like to stay in Chicago, but Cowley is skeptical now that coach Billy Donovan is gone and the team has moved into a rebuilding phase. Cowley also expects Nick Richards, who was acquired from Phoenix at the trade deadline, to depart in free agency, calling him “a strange presence in the locker room.”
While the Bulls could address their need for a center in the draft, Cowley predicts that they’ll select North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson at No. 4 and Baylor guard Cameron Carr at No. 15, leaving new executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham to explore free agency to find help in the middle.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Wilson may be a perfect addition for the Bulls‘ new timeline, contends Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required). He brings an explosive athleticism that should transfer well to the NBA, averaging 2.8 dunks per game during his time with the Tar Heels. Poe believes Chicago may target a center with the 15th pick, and while Michigan’s Aday Mara figures to be off the board by then, Italian Luigi Suigo, Washington’s Hannes Steinbach or Houston’s Chris Cenac could be an appealing alternative.
- Malik Beasley, who missed all of this season, remains under investigation in the NBA’s gambling probe and won’t return to the league until that’s resolved, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press states in a mailbag column. The Pistons still hold Beasley’s Non-Bird rights and can offer a contract starting at up to $7.2MM. Sankofa also touches on a potential new deal for restricted free agent Jalen Duren and predicts that Isaiah Stewart is likely to remain with the team.
- After working out for the Pacers this week, Illinois guard Kylan Boswell talked to the media about what he’s learned by studying T.J. McConnell (Twitter video link from Tony East of Circle City Spin).
Finals Notes: Champagnie, Alvarado, Castle, Brunson, Robinson, More
The Spurs‘ Julian Champagnie and the Knicks‘ Jose Alvarado have a rivalry that began long before their meeting in the NBA Finals, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. They’re both New York City natives who squared off several times during high school in the Catholic League.
“I won’t lie, they definitely got the better of us quite a bit when he was at Christ the King and I was at Loughlin,” Champagnie said. “But always good memories. He was a great guard, quick, crafty, feisty.”
Braziller notes that those old memories sparked again in the first game of the Finals as Alvarado made a shot over Champagnie and punctuated it with some trash talk. Champagnie scored against Alvarado later on and responded in kind.
“I think it’s just friendly banter, honestly and truly. Obviously, I’ve known Jose for a while,” Champagnie said. “Yeah, he makes one, he talks. I make one, I talk. That’s just how New York is. That’s how it goes.”
There’s more from the NBA Finals:
- Spurs guard Stephon Castle has drawn a series of challenging defensive assignments in the playoffs, including two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the conference finals and Knicks star Jalen Brunson in this round. Castle talked to Peter Sblendorio of The New York Daily News (subscription required) about how he approaches players of that caliber. “They’re very similar in ways,” Castle said. “I think Shai is more of a threat to get all the way downhill, all the way to the basket. I think Jalen likes to use angles a lot more, uses probably a little bit more pump fakes than Shai. Mostly it’s angles, trying to get to his spots, not really trying to draw fouls as much, but trying to get to his mid-range and get to spots to where he likes.”
- A fan who was verbally harassing Brunson during Game 1 has been barred from sitting at courtside for the rest of the Finals, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Brunson had to be restrained from confronting the fan by Alvarado and referee Scott Foster after the game ended.
- A technical foul (Twitter video link) that Knicks center Mitchell Robinson received midway through the second quarter of Friday’s game has been rescinded, the league announced (Twitter link).
- Ticket prices for the upcoming games at Madison Square Garden are already setting records, according to Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. As of Friday, the cheapest available ticket for Monday’s Game 3 on Gametime was $9,130. For Wednesday’s Game 4, when the Knicks could potentially wrap up their first NBA title since 1973, nearly all prices on StubHub top $20K, with courtside seats in the range of $70K to $140K.