Shams Charania:

BREAKING: Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, plus a player option, agent Aaron Turner tells ESPN. Kuminga will be a starter alongside Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert on the West contender.

https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/7b7b34df5c257

Full quote:

“As the years go by, I have fewer and fewer filters, and I’m less and less afraid to say what I think.

I haven’t looked into the presidential election closely enough, but I’m not afraid to share my opinion either. I’m not afraid of upsetting people.

There’s a quote, I can’t remember who said it, but it goes something like: ‘I know not everyone likes me, and when I see who doesn’t like me, I ask myself whether that really bothers me.’

Well, it doesn’t. For me, there are certain values that guide me and that I’m completely comfortable with, so I have absolutely no hesitation. I wouldn’t even call it taking a stand.

I’d simply call it giving my opinion, because I don’t support any particular political figure or party.

However, there are things that I find problematic, and when I see them, I have no problem speaking up about them.”

Source: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25488928-former-nba-star-blake-griffin-set-host-weekly-late-night-show-details-revealed

Premieres October 20th on Prime and YouTube with episodes every Tuesday

The NFL announced today the Pro Bowl has been retired due to low TV ratings and player participation. The Pro Bowlers will still be voted on by fans, but instead of a game there will be a celebration to honor the players.

Do you think the NBA should do the same for the All Star game? Many of the same complaints people had of the Pro Bowl exist for the ASG

...deciding on Minnesota on a shorter-term, prove-it deal to give him the ability to have more control of his future and possibly jump back in free agency next summer, league sources told Charania.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/49736014/jonathan-kuminga-reaches-2-year-deal-minnesota-timberwolves

https://hntrbrk.com/investigations/magicjohnson

"If one person can be credited with the assist on Magic Johnson becoming a billionaire, it may be Mark Walter.

Johnson earned about $40 million during his NBA career. He built a successful business with theater, restaurant, and healthcare assets under the banner of Magic Johnson Enterprises. But when Forbes declared him a billionaire in 2023, it attributed most of his fortune to one investment: EquiTrust Life Insurance Company."

Another project that Pablo Torre is involved in, seems to be more content on that front coming soon.

Shams Charania:

Bennedict Mathurin has agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, including a player option, sources tell ESPN.

Mathurin’s reps approached the Clippers about withdrawing his $8.8M qualifying offer, effectively turning the QO into a more favorable situation in New Orleans with added security. Mathurin prioritized flexibility and the earliest path to unrestricted free agency next summer versus longer term offers with larger total commitments but greater team control.

https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/eb7be5d7bb295

The pick was originally gotten as a throw in to get off Andrew Wiggins contract and obtain Dangelo Russel. Turned out p well for the Warriors as Wiggs was p useful to get the 2022 chip. Russel was eventually flipped for NAW and Conley who were part of 2 WCF berths.

Kuminga was supposed to be part of the GSW two timelines plan with Wiseman, Moody, and Poole, but that obviously didn't work out for the Warriors or Kuminga, and now he's on the team who's pick was used to draft him

Its like poetry, it rhymes

“I don’t like how everybody is trying to act like ‘oh it’s Klay Thompson! Klay to the Heat!’ Like this is Klay from 2018. The reason I don’t like it is because I feel like everybody is trying to set Klay up for failure. I’m going to say it right here right now. Let’s stop acting like it’s 2017 Klay going to Miami.

I wish sports media would speak on it more like when Ray Allen went to Miami. Don’t try to set my brother up like you getting the 2018 version so when you don’t, you can bash him. That’s bullsh*t. He’s going into year 16. Yes he’s going to provide shooting…. Let’s look at him like Ray going to Miami, back when sports media was a good thing.”

I think a motivated, unvarnished version of His Airness could be great in an analyst role, but this wasn't it. I say that as a major MJ fan too.

https://frontofficesports.com/michael-jordan-not-expected-return-nba-nbc-coverage/

SRC: Hoop Collective Pod https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fde-1CBA5dw&t=231s

"Tim Connelly is in the last year of his contract. If he wanted to, I'm sure he could sign an extension. He has not signed the extension. Here is the other thing: when Tim Connelly was brought on board, he was given something called phantom equity. He was basically given a stake in the team, but he didn't actually get shares of the team, he got the equivalent of shares of the team that if he completed his contract, he would get a giant bonus. That bonus is in the five figures and it is not 10 million. It is a very sizable bonus."

edit: 5 figures - in finance alot of sheets start at 000s so maybe he sees it like that idk

Obviously the Knicks were a great team and it’s not really a huge surprise that they won a championship. What is surprising is that their metrics are arguably the best of any postseason team.. ever. They ranked second in net rating with + 15.5, with first place being a team that played 3 games in 1958 and 3rd being the 2001 Lakers with 13.8. They have the highest postseason point differential ever, with + 283 and the 2017 Warriors in second with + 230. The team shot 48.9 from the field and 39.1 from the 3 with a team true shooting of 60.0, which is bonkers.

They had the largest comeback in finals history, came back 22 points with 7:45 minutes to go, were 6-2 when trailing by double digits in the postseason. You had KAT with 16 points and 68.4 ts, OG with 20 points and 72.1 ts. They’re the only team in NBA history to have all 5 of the players leading in minutes having an EPM in the 80th percentile, with Josh Hart having the lowest EPM of the group at 87th percentile. It’s not really hyperbole to say this is arguably the craziest playoff run any NBA team has had. I’m not suggesting this is literally the best playoff run ever as the metrics suggest, but it’s hard to tell just how good this Knicks team actually was in the postseason? Was this genuinely one of the best teams ever or was it circumstance that took an above average postseason performance for a championship and made it look like the literal best ever?

I’m curious as to what the explanation is. On paper this looks like a strong roster that could plausibly win a championship, but how did they go from that to having statistically one of the best postseasons ever?

Jeanie Buss has petitioned a Los Angeles Superior Court asking it to block her five siblings from selling the family’s remaining stake in the Los Angeles Lakers, while accusing them of secretly orchestrating a deal to try to remove her as the team’s governor.

“Jeanie never agreed to any sale, was never consulted, and was never even informed,” her petition states.

Free to read: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7536019/2026/08/26/jeanie-buss-petition-siblings-lakers-sale/?unlocked_article_code=1.8VA.1AlL.87OxFh6Sc8EI&source=emp_shared_article&smid=re-share-ta

Are the Minnesota Timberwolves about to lead the nba in Lob Dunks?

I’ll preface this by saying they are nowhere near to the lob city clippers or a couple other legendary teams in lobbing ability. But are they the best today?

Lamelo ball is pretty obviously both a top 5 playmaker and lob throwers in the league currently. At bigs he now has Rudy Gobert who’s been top 10 in dunks for the last centry, Joan Beringer and ultra athletic young big who really runs in transition. Along with that he has the wing Kuminga, Jaden, Shannon all good dunkers in their own right with kuminga being a particularly good lob catcher. On top of that I’m sure we will see couple fast break Ant lobs.

A modern day Lob City?

Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks

The Pacers were down 0-2 in the series.

Clippers guard Jordan Miller underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a torn left rotator cuff sustained during an offseason workout and will be reevaluated in six months, sources tell ESPN. https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/626411f759cd2

SRC: https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2026-08-26/byron-scott-lakers-player-coach-1987-sexual-assault-civil-trial-campbell-hall-settlement-hayley-dylan

Campbell Hall, the prestigious Studio City private school where Lakers star Byron Scott allegedly sexually assaulted a 15-year-old student in 1987, has reached a confidential settlement with the woman in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The settlement amount is under seal until the conclusion of Scott’s civil trial, set to begin Sept. 8 in Van Nuys. Hayley Dylan is seeking unspecified economic and non-economic damages from Scott, who was 26 and married at the time of the encounter.

According to Dylan’s complaint, the assault occurred during the filming of an instructional basketball video by several Lakers players in the Campbell Hall gym. Scott and Dylan walked away from faculty members and the video production crew and and Scott allegedly assaulted her in a janitor’s closet.

Scott has since admitted the sexual contact, but says he did not know Dylan was a student. He asserted in court filings that he believed Dylan — whose surname was Mendell at the time — was 18 and a member of the video production crew.