Southwest Notes: Ujiri, Schmitz, Sweeney, Popovich, Rockets
Christian Clark of The Athletic profiles new Mavericks president of basketball operations and alternate governor Masai Ujiri, writing that the veteran executive got his NBA start as an unpaid scout with Orlando in 2002 prior to landing a paid scouting job with Denver the following year.
Seven years later, Ujiri was named the Nuggets’ general manager, winning the Executive of the Year award in 2012/13 and then leaving for the top front office job in Toronto shortly thereafter. The Raptors made the playoffs in eight of Ujiri’s 12 seasons, winning the title in 2019, before the two sides parted ways last summer.
Ujiri’s first major move in Dallas was hiring Mike Schmitz to be his top lieutenant, with a title of general manager. Schmitz, who was most recently the Trail Blazers’ assistant GM, was also a draft analyst for several years before joining Portland, Clark notes.
“I’ve known him for many, many years,” Ujiri said of Schmitz. “Incredible scout. Incredible leader. Just digs deep into work, data and what you want to know about: really scouting players, team building, all those things, you know? Treating people well. Staff organizing. Managing people. It’s a whole package.”
Here’s more from the Southwest:
- Within a feature story on Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney, Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscriber link) refers to the 41-year-old as the “unsung star” of the team’s playoff run. Sweeney, who has been linked to multiple head coaching vacancies this spring, is known as a defensive guru — the Spurs had the fifth-worst defensive rating in the NBA in 2024/25 but had the third-best mark in 2025/26, McDonald writes. Several members of the team praised Sweeney’s preparedness, competitiveness and basketball acumen, and unanimous Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama said Sweeney deserved “all of” the credit for San Antonio’s defensive turnaround this season, according to McDonald. “His attention to detail on everything and the way he can explain things to make it make sense for us (is big),” guard Stephon Castle said. “He’s a big reason we’re one of the top defenses in the West.”
- Although he formally stepped down as the Spurs‘ head coach at the end of last season after suffering a stroke in November 2024, Gregg Popovich has quietly been around the team throughout 2025/26, Jared Weiss of The Athletic writes, providing honest feedback and support to several players on the roster. “He’s been a big part of this whole year,” rookie Carter Bryant told The Athletic. “It’s been amazing. Not everybody has the greatest coach of all time just kind of sitting there in their laps. I just try to take it up as much as I can.” Popovich’s technical title is president of basketball operations, but it sounds like he’s been more of a coaching adviser, Weiss adds. “I think that’s one big thing, respecting the game and not taking any of this for granted,” Devin Vassell said. “And just with life, he’s taught me so much stuff off the court, whether it’s family or giving back in the community, he’s always had that at his forefront, and I appreciate him for that.”
- Varun Shankar of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required) shares some Rockets-related chatter from the combine. People around the league don’t expect Amen Thompson to sign a rookie scale max extension this offseason, according to Shankar, who suggests Thompson might receive something like 20-23% of the salary cap instead of the full 25%. Shankar also hears Tari Eason‘s next contract could come in around $22MM annually. Eason will be a restricted free agent this summer if he’s given a qualifying offer, as expected.
Mavs’ Masai Ujiri Talks Kidd, Goals, Flagg, Dumont
There had been a sense as the Mavericks searched for a new head of basketball operations that management envisioned Jason Kidd staying on as the team’s head coach regardless of who was hired. However, asked about Kidd’s future on Tuesday during his introductory press conference, new Mavs president Masai Ujiri was noncommittal, writes Christian Clark of The Athletic.
“He’s done a great job, but we are going to look at this thing from head to toe,” Ujiri said. “That’s the right way to look at an organization and evaluate in every single way we can.”
While Ujiri’s initial response raised some eyebrows, his follow-up remarks – in which he pointed to his track record with the Nuggets and Raptors – suggested that he probably won’t look to make a head coaching change right away. As Clark notes, Ujiri inherited George Karl as his coach in Denver and Dwane Casey in Toronto and kept them in their roles for three and five more years, respectively.
“I’m going to hear coach Jason Kidd out, his thoughts on everything,” Ujiri said. “Because some of the stuff here, I don’t know. For me, it’s that simple. If you go back to the history, it’s the same thing. I have to follow the process here. I’m excited to meet with him.”
Here’s more on Ujiri and the Mavs:
- Asked about his goals in his new position, Ujiri made it clear that he wants to put a turbulent year-and-a-half for the Mavs in the rear-view mirror, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal relays. “I hope to bring calm,” Ujiri said. “I hope to bring winning. Yes, we want to get back to winning. This is a winning organization. I know the fan base wants that. I know the organization wants that. I know leadership wants that. I know the NBA wants that. I’m hoping, and I’m praying, and that’s to tell you guys that I’m here, and I know that winning is my drive, and winning is going to be the drive of this organization.”
- Ujiri didn’t shy away from the fact that the presence of Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg was one significant reason why the Mavericks’ job appealed to him, per Afseth. “The one difficult thing to find anywhere, anywhere in sports, is a generational player, and we have one,” Ujiri said. “We’ve planted a flag here. We have one player here that can turn everything, and it is so hard to find in sports.”
- Ujiri envisions Flagg as the sort of player who can thrive as a play-maker with the ball in his hands. Asked what type of players he wants to surround Flagg with, he cited shooters and other players capable of spacing the floor and giving the 19-year-old more room to operate, according to Afseth. However, that doesn’t mean that he’s not excited to see Flagg play alongside point guard Kyrie Irving, who missed all of 2025/26 while recovering from an ACL tear. “I dream like you dream,” the new Mavs’ president said. “All of us dream. I can’t wait. I want to see that. … I think it’s going to be pretty cool, and I know it’s going to help Cooper, because Kyrie likes to play off the ball too.”
- Ujiri and Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont said their initial meeting, which was supposed to be a one-hour lunch, turned into a five-hour conversation that helped the two men recognize the alignment between them. “Our wives are looking for us,” Ujiri said, per Afseth. “He checks his phone one time in a five-hour meeting. One time. My wife is looking for me. His wife is looking for him. They kicked us out of the restaurant. His friend owns the restaurant. He doesn’t even say anything because his lunch is over. They have to change it to dinner. We go sit outside, and we continue talking.”
Extensions Expected For Raptors GM Bobby Webster, Coach Darko Rajakovic
Raptors general manager Bobby Webster and head coach Darko Rajakovic are both expected to receive extension offers in the next few weeks, sources tell Michael Grange of Sportsnet. The organization is hoping to emphasize continuity after making its first playoff appearance in four years, Grange adds, and Webster and Rajakovic have one year left on their respective contracts.
“You don’t have your head coach and general manager head into the final year of their contracts as lame ducks, not after a playoff year,” one source told Grange.
Details of Webster’s next deal will be worked out in meetings with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), the Raptors’ parent company, but Grange hears there’s a “mutual understanding” between the parties. Rajakovic had a year added to his three-year contract during the 2024/25 season, and Grange expects Webster to handle negotiations with his coach.
Grange also points out that there’s a fresh sense of urgency with former team president Masai Ujiri now running the Mavericks. He has several positions to fill in Dallas, and there has been speculation that he might target Webster to be his general manager. However, Grange states that he spoke to multiple sources who dismissed that idea, believing the Raptors wouldn’t let Webster go and that he wouldn’t want to revert to a secondary role under Ujiri when he’s in charge of the operation in Toronto.
Grange suggests that it’s more likely Ujiri will target members of the talent evaluation staff that he assembled with the Raptors. That includes assistant general manager Dan Tolzman, a player personnel expert who also worked with Ujiri in Denver. Tolzman played a significant role in building the 2019 championship team and helped identify young talents such as Scottie Barnes, Ja’Kobe Walter, Jamal Shead and Collin Murray-Boyles on the current roster.
Grange views Tolzman as a potential GM candidate with the Mavericks, while Toronto’s director of player personnel Patrick Engelbrecht and director of global scouting Curtis Crawford may also join Ujiri in Dallas.
MLSE president Keith Pelley didn’t put any pressure on Webster to improve the team heading into the trade deadline, according to Grange, which suggested that an extension would be coming. Accordingly, Webster opted to remain conservative rather than getting in a bidding war for Jaren Jackson Jr., who was “very much on the Raptors’ radar” before being traded from Memphis to Utah.
Grange describes the just-completed season as “an extended job interview” for Webster and his basketball operations team, nearly all of whom worked under Ujiri. The results were impressive, with a 46-36 record followed by a tight seven-game series against Cleveland in the first round. It marked the first winning season and playoff appearance for Rajakovic since he took over the team in 2023.
Mavericks Rumors: Ujiri, Dumont, Front Office, Kidd
While the Mavericks‘ hiring of Masai Ujiri was somewhat unexpected, it makes sense for a number of reasons, Marc Stein writes in his latest story for The Stein Line (Substack link).
As Stein reported multiple times, there had been a belief around the NBA that governor Patrick Dumont was hoping to find a big name to run Dallas’ basketball operations department, and the longtime Raptors president certainly fits that bill. Dumont also wanted to stick to his self-imposed deadline of filling the position by the middle of May. The draft lottery takes place on May 10.
League sources tell Stein that Dumont wanted to find a top executive with a “proven track record” who was also willing and able to speak to the media. Tuesday’s press conference to introduce Ujiri will only be Dumont’s second time speaking to the media since he became an owner of the team, Stein notes, and former head of basketball operations Nico Harrison was just as reticent to address the public.
Ujiri, on the other hand, is well known for holding press conferences as well as making bold public proclamations, Stein observes.
According to Stein, the search process was “essentially conducted” by Dumont, CEO Rick Welts and president of business of operations Ethan Casson. Sources tell The Stein Line that Dumont spoke to ex-Warriors executive Bob Myers multiple times, but Myers decided to stay in his position with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the group that owns the Sixers.
Stein reiterates that Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly was another target, but the Mavs were not granted permission to talk to him. Ujiri, meanwhile, was awaiting another opportunity after being dismissed by Toronto last June.
Here are a few more Mavs-related rumors from Stein:
- Ujiri will be given the freedom to fill out the front office as he sees fit, according to Stein, who reports that the 55-year-old is expected to hire a general manager to work alongside him in the coming days.
- On a related note, Stein hears Ujiri is expected to meet with Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley, who acted as co-interim GMs in the wake of Harrison’s dismissal, to determine whether either executive will remain in Dallas.
- While Ujiri will likely be asked on Tuesday about the status of head coach Jason Kidd, Stein has heard for months that Dumont desired to hire an executive who wanted to keep Kidd in place. Sources tell Stein that Kidd still has four years left on his contract after signing offseason extensions in both 2024 and 2025.
- The staff of The Dallas Morning News lists 10 things to know about Ujiri, who played professionally in Europe before he became an NBA executive.
Mavericks Name Masai Ujiri President, Alternate Governor
The Mavericks have named former Raptors executive Masai Ujiri their president and alternate governor, the team announced today.
Ujiri will oversee all aspects of the Mavericks’ basketball operations, including roster construction, player personnel, and scouting, while working with team leadership to shape the organization’s basketball philosophy and long-term direction, according to a press release.
Dallas fired GM Nico Harrison in November. The Mavs had been searching for a lead executive since that point and finally made their choice on Monday.
“The Dallas Mavericks are committed to being a world-class organization with a strong culture and focused on winning championships. Masai Ujiri is one of the great basketball leaders of this generation and his addition to our franchise is a critical step in meeting our goals,” Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont said in a statement. “We are honored to have him join the Mavs family. We welcome his energy and determination along with his leadership, experience and many accomplishments as a basketball executive. We are very excited about the future of our team.”
Co-interim general managers Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi handled basketball operations following Harrison’s dismissal. Timberwolves executive Tim Connelly and former Warriors executive Bob Myers were reportedly among the big names that the Mavericks targeted as they sought a respected, established head of basketball operations after opting for a first-timer in Harrison last time around.
Ujiri joined the ownership group of the Toronto Tempo, a WNBA expansion team, earlier this spring.
He was hired to run the Raptors’ front office in the spring of 2013 and remained in that role until last summer, when the team abruptly parted ways with him in late June. Changes within the Raptors’ ownership group were cited as one key reason for the split; the club had also missed the playoffs in four of the past five seasons at the time of Ujiri’s exit.
Ujiri had spent the past year spending more time with his family and focusing on non-NBA pursuits. However, he remained open to the idea of returning to the NBA if the right opportunity arose.
“I’m honored to join the Dallas Mavericks and step into this role at such an important time for the organization,” Ujiri said in a statement. “This is a franchise with a proud history, passionate fans, and a commitment to winning. I look forward to working with our players, coaches, and leadership team to build something that reflects that standard and competes at the highest level. We will win in Dallas.”
Masai Ujiri Joins Toronto Tempo Ownership Group, Eyes Potential NBA Return
Longtime NBA front office executive Masai Ujiri has joined the ownership group of the Toronto Tempo, the WNBA expansion team announced today (via Twitter), referring to the former Raptors president as a “principal owner.”
“I think women’s sports is growing in an incredible way,” Ujiri told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “You see it in the WNBA, in soccer, in hockey, and to bring a brand like this for the first time to a city that I know, a beautiful city that’s passionate, that I believe in — I think this will really resonate. Ownership is a unique opportunity for me and my family.”
Ujiri, who was hired to run the Raptors’ front office in the spring of 2013, remained in that role until last summer, when the team abruptly parted ways with him in late June, just ahead of the free agent period. Changes within the Raptors’ ownership group were cited as one key reason for the split; the club had also missed the playoffs in four of the past five seasons at the time of Ujiri’s exit.
According to Shelburne, Ujiri has spent the past year spending more time with his family and focusing on non-NBA pursuits, including his work with Giants of Africa, the United Nations, and the Zaria Group, a development company aiming to build sports and entertainment infrastructure in Africa.
However, that doesn’t mean the NBA has been completely off Ujiri’s radar. As Shelburne details, the veteran executive has remained in touch with several coaches, execs, and owners from around the league, as well as former Raptors players, and remains open to the idea of returning to the NBA if the right opportunity arises.
“I’ve been learning more about our game, the NBA, looking at trends and what we might be missing by studying other leagues,” Ujiri told ESPN. “I spend a lot of my time trying to do that because one of my main goals is to win another championship. I want to win with the Tempo and I want to win another NBA championship because I wasn’t able to celebrate and be happy because of that police incident that happened to me. … There’s a hunger in me because of what happened. I want to win again so I can actually enjoy it.”
Ujiri’s comment is a reference to an incident that took place during the closing seconds of the Raptors’ Game 6 win of the 2019 NBA Finals in Golden State. A security guard at Oracle Arena prevented him from coming onto the court to celebrate the team’s championship because he didn’t show the proper credentials, which resulted in a brief shoving match.
The security guard, a San Francisco-area sheriff’s deputy, sued Ujiri for assault, while the Raptors exec filed a countersuit, alleging racial bias and contending that footage of the altercation showed that the deputy was “undeniably the initial aggressor.” Both suits were eventually dropped, but the saga understandably put a damper on what should have been the high point of Ujiri’s professional career.
With the Tempo, Ujiri will be part of an ownership group led by Larry Tanenbaum, his former partner with the Raptors. Tanenbaum has been the governor of the NBA team since 1998, but is obligated to begin selling his 20% stake in the Raptors this year.
As for a possible NBA return for Ujiri, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca notes (via Twitter) that it may not be long before expansion franchises in Seattle and Las Vegas enter the league and begin building their respective front offices. Lewenberg suggests he wouldn’t be shocked if Ujiri ends up running the basketball operations department for one of those teams.
Atlantic Notes: Casey, Raptors, Council, Thomas
Former Raptors head coach Dwane Casey, now working in a front office role with Detroit, has been through several rounds of interviews about potentially filling Toronto’s vacant team president role and will meet with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment for a final round of meetings this week, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link).
In his seven seasons as a coach with the Raptors, Casey led Toronto to a 320-238 regular season tally and a 21-30 playoff record, which included an Eastern Conference Finals run in 2016.
There’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Eric Koreen of The Athletic takes stock of how much the Raptors can preserve the culture the organization built under Masai Ujiri after firing the longtime team president last month. Several trusted former Ujiri associates continue to occupy major front office roles with the club, with general manager Bobby Webster in the running for Ujiri’s former position. Developing international veterans, staying patient with coaches and core players, and preaching self-confidence to Toronto fans are all key Ujiri-era attributes Koreen hopes stick around.
- With limited spots left on their 15-man roster, the Sixers cut wing Ricky Council IV and his non-guaranteed deal on Friday. Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscriber link) breaks down the team’s decision to move on from the young guard/forward after just two seasons. After beginning his career on a two-way contract, Council saw that deal converted to a standard agreement in April 2024. With All-Stars Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and Joel Embiid all missing most of the subsequent 2024/25 season, the Sixers were hoping to see Council grow as an athletic ball-handler and play-maker while developing his long-range game, Pompey writes. Instead, he struggled to score efficiently or control the rock. In 73 healthy games for Philadelphia last year, the 6’6″ pro averaged 7.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per contest, with a shooting line of .382/.258/.804. The Sixers now have two open roster spots, with restricted free agent Quentin Grimes likely to fill one of them.
- Restricted free agent Nets shooting guard Cam Thomas remains unsigned nearly four weeks into the 2025/26 league year. Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily analyzes the standoff, and makes the case for retaining one of the team’s most exciting and prolific young scorers.
Latest On Raptors’ Search For New Head Of Basketball Ops
General manager Bobby Webster is running the Raptors‘ front office for now following the abrupt dismissal of Masai Ujiri at the end of June.
According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, Webster is interested in becoming Toronto’s new head of basketball operations on a permanent basis and seems to be the frontrunner to land the position, but there are a number of other candidates to monitor as well.
A source tells Grange that most of the names that have come up in the search process are “lower-tier executives” who would make sense as complementary additions working under Webster.
However, there are some veteran executives who appear to be in the mix, including Brampton native Marc Eversley, who is currently GM of the Bulls. As Grange writes, Eversley is a board member of Canada Basketball, was previously an assistant GM in Toronto, and has a solid relationship with Webster.
Pacers GM Chad Buchanan is another name on the Raptors’ radar, Grange reports.
According to Grange, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president Keith Pelley has met with both Dwane Casey and Monte McNair about the position.
Casey is the Raptors’ former head coach and is currently an executive with the Pistons, while McNair was Sacramento’s GM for five years prior to parting ways with the organization after the 2024/25 season.
One league insider who spoke to Grange suggested that Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard is MLSE’s top choice for the job, though Grange points out that lateral moves for executives under contract with other teams are difficult to pull off.
As for Ujiri, Grange says he would be “very surprised” if Toronto’s longtime former president accepted another NBA job for the upcoming season. In the future, Ujiri could be a candidate to lead an expansion team or run the NBA’s proposed European league, Grange writes.
That said, Ujiri will certainly be linked to any top executive roles that pop up in the coming months, according to Grange, who has heard speculation that the Heat could be a team to monitor, as Pat Riley recently turned 80 years old.
Raptors Notes: Poeltl, Webster, Ujiri, Ingram
Newly extended Raptors center Jakob Poeltl will serve as an integral frontcourt piece for Toronto this year, in part because the team is light at the center position beyond the 29-year-old, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
Earlier this summer, Poeltl inked a new four-year, $104MM deal that will keep him under contract through 2029/30. In 57 healthy games for Toronto last season, the seven-footer out of Utah averaged 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.2 steals per contest.
Grange notes that free agent addition Sandro Mamukelashvili could add jump shooting and face-up scoring in spot minutes, but suggest that Poeltl being an established commodity means he will be heavily leaned upon.
No. 57 pick Ulrich Chomche may be raw, but Grange observes that the 19-year-old has shown some potential already in Summer League.
The Raptors, meanwhile, made a big front office move this summer when they parted ways with longtime team president Masai Ujiri. The move happened while Poeltl was in the midst of contract negotiations on his extension.
“Obviously that was an extra conversation there, like, ‘Hey, does this change anything, what’s going on, what’s the deal with our future?’” Poeltl said. “But honestly, at the end of the day, it didn’t change much.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, Toronto’s search for its new president — and a promise from the club’s new ownership group to continue making changes — has left people within the organization uneasy. “Everybody is scared,” a source told Lewenberg. “The closer you are to the top, the more you feel it.”
- Lewenberg proceeds to make the case for Ujiri’s longtime second-in-command, general manager Bobby Webster, to become his permanent replacement. However, he says the Raptors’ ownership group (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) enlisted the services of search firm CAA Executive Search, who submitted a list of recommended targets to the MLSE board last week.
- What the team’s next personnel moves will be remain unclear. Several sources have described Ujiri as the “driving force” behind Toronto’s trade for former All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, per Lewenberg. Whether Ingram would remain a core part of the retooled roster under a new regime remains uncertain.
- Lewenberg notes that the team could also potentially keep Webster in his current position, handling basketball operations, before making a long-term commitment to him.
Raptors Notes: Ingram, Walter, Mamukelashvili, More
Raptors forward Brandon Ingram has been cleared for contact, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports reports (via Twitter). This marks a major step in Ingram’s rehab process as he continues to work his way back from an ankle injury that prevented him from playing for Toronto after the team traded for him at the 2024 trade deadline.
Lewenberg writes that Ingram has been participating in individual workouts with the Raptors during the offseason and will start scrimmaging in the next few days. Head coach Darko Rajakovic seems optimistic about the versatile wing’s return.
“He’s pain-free, he’s moving well, he got stronger. He’s in a really, really great spot,” Rajakovic said.
The Raptors traded a pair of rotation players along with a first-round draft pick and a second-round pick to acquire Ingram, who will be counted on to help them take the next step toward sustained competitiveness.
We have more on the Raptors:
- Ja’Kobe Walter, the 19th pick in the 2024 draft, is coming into his sophomore season with 12 more pounds of muscle and a readiness to gain some momentum in Summer League, Lewenberg writes for TSN.ca. Walter was beset by injuries as a rookie that made it difficult to get his feet under him until near the end of the season, when things started to click. “That was my first time ever being injured and I got injured plenty of times last year,” Walter said. “It was definitely tough for me, but I learned that I love basketball.” While the Raptors’ starting five appears set, there’s a need for versatile wing contributors off the bench who can mesh with the starters, and a strong summer would go a long way toward cementing Walter’s place in that pecking order.
- Sandro Mamukelashvili spoke on Friday about why he chose to join the Raptors and how the international connection matters to him. “Coach Darko is a European coach, understands European style of play,” Mamukelashvili said (Twitter link via Lewenberg). “A lot of young guys who want to get better, get to the next level together. Nothing better than to be part of something like that.” The 6’11” big man also talked about the journeyman start to his career and his search for a more permanent home. “I really want to prove that I’m a rotational piece, that I can be in the NBA for 10 years and leave my mark somewhere,” he said (Twitter link). The four-year veteran spent 65 games with the Bucks before playing the next two-and-a-half seasons with the Spurs. In 2024/25, he averaged 6.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 11.2 minutes per game, while shooting 37.3% from three.
- Rajakovic spoke on Thursday about the Raptors’ decision to fire former team president Masai Ujiri. “He brought a lot of success to the organization, but like a lot of things in life, those kinds of situations happen,” he said, per Lewenberg (via Twitter). “We’re going to miss him, but we’re very well equipped to continue moving forward.” Toronto has yet to replace Ujiri, but is expected to look at both internal and external candidates to find a new president.
- Summer League wins might not count in the regular season standings, but that won’t stop the Raptors’ Summer League squad from gunning for the championship in Las Vegas, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet. With a large portion of the roster made up of players hoping to be members of the regular season rotation, including Walter, Jamal Shead, Jonathan Mogbo, and recent No. 9 overall pick Collin Murray-Boyles, the team recognizes its chance to develop chemistry and prove itself in the eyes of the team’s higher-ups. “We want to be the team that everybody thinks we should. I think, going into the summer league, we’re all excited to play. We’re all hungry,” Shead said after hosting a four-day training camp at his former high school in Austin, Texas.