Nuggets projected to see big Jamal Murray leap to help Nikola Jokic, but there's a catch originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Championship windows are closing for some squads in the NBA. The Denver Nuggets will have to watch this happen in real time. Nikola Jokic is starting to approach the twilight of his prime and everyone around him should act fast to maximize that. Jamal Murray is usually the tipping point that decides whether they do well. For the 2026-27 NBA season, luck is on the side of Mile High City and their fans.
Will Murray rise to become an All-Star and All-NBA selection once again? Let's break it down!
Shot diet was the main reason the Nuggets struggled against opponents during the 2025-26 NBA season. They attempted 87.8 field goals per game, ranking 26th in the NBA. Denver shot an impressive 39.6% from three and 49.6% from the field, ranking first and second in the league, respectively, which means they should try to stuff the rim more from all parts of the floor.
This is where Jamal Murray comes in to help the Nuggets led by Nikola Jokic. His Basketball Reference Per 36 Minutes Projections for the 2026-27 NBA season are as follows:

#nuggets #jokic #shot

Rudy Gobert has spent years dealing with mixed reviews about his defense. That debate looks different when one of the NBA's best offensive players gives him credit for making the game harder.
Nikola Jokic has faced Gobert plenty of times and knows where the Timberwolves center can cause problems. His latest comments give Gobert a notable endorsement from someone who has spent years trying to attack him.
Jokic discussed the defenders who make his job difficult during an appearance on the Jao Mile podcast. When the conversation reached Gobert, the Denver star dismissed the idea that the Timberwolves center is overrated on defense.
Apr 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) position themselves for a rebound in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
"Rudy Gobert, I know people have all kinds of opinions about him, but Rudy is a good defender. He showed it in the last playoffs," Jokic said.

#gobert #jokic #nikola #credit

Nuggets news: Nikola Jokic gets brutally honest about frustration with popularity appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is widely considered one of the best basketball players in the world, but he doesn't like his popularity. The three-time MVP recently spoke about how people treat him in public because of his fame as an NBA star, in comments on the Jao Mile Podcast.
While he understands his popularity, he admits it can sometimes be annoying.
"I miss it so much. I'm getting more and more bothered by popularity. This is going to sound corny, but, I'm getting ruder to people who approach me. Honestly, it's tiring…Some people around me know, I don't take pictures because it's my time. I'll sound rude again, but what can I do? If people can't understand me, I understand everything, but it's been 11-12 years and enough is enough. I feel better when someone tells me something, like you come to the zoo and take a picture of something."
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)

#jokic #clutchpoints #star #like

Nuggets news: Nikola Jokic's opinion of Rudy Gobert's defense will turn heads appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Nikola Jokic will carry a heavy load once again in the upcoming season, as the Denver Nuggets lost key players in Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valanciunas, and Bruce Brown.
The Nuggets are seeking redemption after suffering a first-round exit in last season's playoffs at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. After their elimination, Jokic lamented that they were far from being a championship team.
Jokic remains the premier center in the NBA, and opponents will plan for him every game. When asked who defends him the best, the three-time MVP was typically modest.
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)

#jokic

A longtime NBA journeyman recently named Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry as one of the league's top five players. In an interview with HoopsHype, 14-year NBA veteran Danilo Gallinari spoke about his career and the current state of the NBA. When asked to give a top-five list of current players, Curry was the first name he said. "Current Top 5, I always, I guess I always go with the old heads first: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James. And then I put Anthony Edwards and Nikola Jokic."
Gallinari, a former No. 6 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, played for eight different franchises, with his longest stop coming in Denver. Despite suffering two ACL tears during his career, the Italian forward put together an impressive resume, playing in 777 career games, averaging 14.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.9 ***** ists and 0.7 steals while shooting 42.8% from the floor and 38.1% from beyond the arc. His strongest campaign came with the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2018-19 season, where he averaged 19.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.6 ***** ists and 0.7 steals. Gallinari's final season came during the 2023-24 campaign, where he played for three different teams, the Wizards, Pistons and Bucks.
For more NBA content, check out the BasketBaltes podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/@B...
https://www.instagram.com/...

#current #first

Victor Wembanyama gets a big shout-out from French UFC fighter Ciryl Gane originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Over the past decade, it has become clear that basketball is one of the biggest sports in the world. The rise of international players is a testament to this because there has not been an American regular-season MVP since James Harden's MVP in 2018.
Players like Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been dominant as non-American players. However, it seems San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama is ready to carry the torch moving forward as the best player to come out of France, a country that's well-known for producing some elite athletes.
As the current UFC interim heavyweight champion, Ciryl Gane knows what it's like to succeed. He is, in fact, a two-time holder of that **** le, so he is quite successful in his mixed martial arts career. The orthodox heavyweight striker stands out in the UFC with his natural talent and light feet despite being a 6'4" fighter.
Just like Gane, Wembanyama shares some traits with his fellow Frenchman. Being a giant who can move light on their feet is certainly a good trait to have, but it matters the most in a sport like basketball.

#ciryl #fighter

Nikola Jokić does not do empty optimism. So when the three-time MVP was asked about the Denver Nuggets' decision to trade Peyton Watson and offered a calm ****** sment of the team's future, it carried more weight than the usual offseason platitudes.
After leading Serbia past Victor Wembanyama and France in a FIBA World Cup qualifier, Jokić addressed the multi-team sign-and-trade that sent Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"I'm happy for Peyton," he said. "He deserved it. We will miss his energy and skill. I don't think about the season yet; we have to play this, but it's gonna be okay."

#joki #peyton #serbia

Nuggets predicted to trade for $198M Lakers' generational 6x All-Star to pair with Nikola Jokic originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Lakers are entering the Luka Doncic era, as LeBron James will no longer be playing for the organization for the first time in a decade. Doncic has done everything possible to improve his conditioning and arrive at the upcoming season in the best shape possible.
It was noticeable last season that Doncic had already made improvements, but he still had some work to do to become fully conditioned. This year, Dirk Nowitzki has raved about Doncic's physique.
"The comments came as Doncic and his Lakers teammates traveled to his native Slovenia for a bonding trip and training camp in Ljubljana, giving fans an early look at the guard's conditioning ahead of a pivotal year. Doncic has drawn buzz as a potential MVP candidate, and Nowitzki clearly believes his protege is positioned for a big season," ClutchPoints' Miguel La Torre wrote.
The only concerning aspect of Doncic's situation for the Lakers is that he is not locked up for the long term. There is always a possibility that he could eventually want out if things do not go according to plan in Los Angeles.

#angeles #conditioning #year

Peyton Watson admits that the Nuggets rushed him back after his hamstring injury originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
During the 2026 Playoffs, the Denver Nuggets had to sit Peyton Watson due to a lingering hamstring injury. Earlier in the 2025-26 season, Watson sat out six weeks because of a Grade 2 hamstring strain he suffered in February. Unfortunately for him, he did not get to play in the postseason because he re-aggravated it in early April.
Watson's agent, Rich Paul, of Klutch Sports, revealed on his Game Over podcast with Max Kellerman that he discouraged his client from rushing back. It was noted as a "business decision" ahead of his free agency. Now, Watson is enjoying his move to the Cleveland Cavaliers with a four-year $88 million contract.
Watson was one of the Nuggets' best players in the 2025-26 season, as he showcased that he plays impressive defense at the perimeter and in the paint. At the same time, he took an offensive leap, as he went from scoring 8.1 points a night in the 2024-25 season to a 14.6 points per game average in the following year.
His three-point shooting also took a massive leap, as he went from a 35.3% shooting split to shooting 41.1% from beyond the arc in the 2025-26 season. It is clear why he is such a massive loss for the Nuggets because he is a good fit alongside their core trio of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon.

#shooting #back #injury

Victor Wembanyama made a sensational return to the FIBA world stage Thursday, scoring 22 points in 21 minutes as Team France trounced Slovenia 92-67 in World Cup qualifying action.
For the 22-year-old Spurs superstar, recently minted as the French captain, it marked his first international game that counted since the Les Bleus took a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Wembanyama was a mixed bag in a pair of friendly contests against Nikola Jokic and the Serbian team last week. On Thursday, playing before a partisan home crowd at Bercy Arena in Paris, Wembanyama looked more like his All-World self.
In addition to several highlight reel plays, Wembanyama added nine rebounds as the French squad cruised to victory over a Slovenia team missing its top player in Luka Doncic. The Los Angeles Lakers' All-Star has opted to sit out this round of qualifying games due to family reasons.
With the win, the French continued their march toward next year's World Cup in Qatar. Les Bleus are 6-1 and in first place of Group L, with their next game coming Sunday against Sweden in Stockholm.

#Paris #qualifying

While some Los Angeles Lakers fans are dreaming of Nikola Jokic coming to the franchise in the near future, there remains the reality that Luka Doncic won't necessarily be a Laker for life.
Doncic can opt out of the three-year contract extension he signed last summer in 2028. Right now, the general expectation seems to be that if he does opt out at that time, he will do so merely to sign a supermax extension with Los Angeles. However, L.A. isn't a championship contender right now, and if the team isn't progressing enough toward becoming one, there is always the chance that he might at least test free agency.
Tim MacMahon of ESPN said on "The Hoop Collective" podcast that other NBA teams may be keeping an eye on how Doncic feels about the Lakers' overall situation, in case he starts to feel any type of discontent.
"Just like Joker can profess his loyalty to the Denver Nuggets, there's still going to be teams that are positioning themselves and monitoring that and all that kind of thing. It's the same thing with Luka. He's done nothing but express optimism and excitement about the Lakers since he signed that extension.
But it's not that long-term of an extension. And you better believe there's teams around the league that are looking at that situation saying, 'Hey, if this thing goes sideways, we'd sure like to get Luka in midway through his prime.'"

#extension #signed

The 2025-26 NBA season proved to be quite disappointing for the Denver Nuggets in a tight Western Conference, and the franchise is aiming to battle back with the addition of DeMar DeRozan.
The six-time NBA All-Star reportedly is signing with the Nuggets before the 2026-27 campaign, per ESPN insider Shams Charania. DeRozan joins Nikola Jokic and Denver after spending last year with the Sacramento Kings.
Meanwhile, DeRozan now has an opportunity to join a talented roster looking to restore success in the West. This marks the NBA veteran's fifth stop in the league starting his career with the Toronto Raptors in 2009.
DeRozan, a former college basketball star at USC, is entering his 18th NBA season. However, he's still shown an elite ability to contribute and that's a major win for the Nuggets heading into next year.
MORE: Projecting the 2026 Miami Heat starting lineup after Klay Thompson signing

#denver #western #conference

The Los Angeles Lakers have what appears to be a good and competitive roster set for the upcoming NBA season. However, they aren't championship contenders, and they're likely one or two pieces away from getting to that level.
There have been some fans who have been dreaming about the possibility, faint as it is, of Nikola Jokić coming to the Lakers. He has yet to sign a long-term extension with the Denver Nuggets, and although the three-time MVP has stated that he will wait until next summer to do so, nothing is official until it is official.
Anthony Irwin, a reporter who covers the Lakers, implied in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that once the team's ownership situation gets sorted out, it will keep its eyes on Jokić's situation in Denver.
Obviously, one has to take this with a huge grain of salt. The Nuggets are a talented team that features quality complementary players such as Jamal Murray, who is coming off a career season, Cam Johnson and Aaron Gordon. However, they just traded rising stud Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers, so they could be a bit weaker this coming season.
Last season, despite finishing third in the Western Conference with a 54-28 record, the Nuggets fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. With Jokić doing his thing at the center position, they should still be very competitive this season.

#nuggets #coming

When the Olympics come to Los Angeles in 2028, the USA taking home a gold medal in men's basketball is far from a sure thing — the world is catching up fast with the five-time reigning gold medal winners.
The two biggest threats to take that gold away from the USA are France, led by Victor Wembanyama, and Serbia, led by Nikola Jokic. Those two countries met Thursday in a friendly prep game for upcoming World Cup qualifying, and Jokic put on a show with 20 points, nine rebounds and eight ****** ists to lead Serbia to the 90-87 win.
Wembanyama had a tougher time, scoring 10 points, shooting 1-of-6 from 3-point range, but he had his moments as well.
After the game, Jokic had the highest of praise for Wembanyama.
"He is a special opponent because he is unique as a player and as a person. I don't see him as a rival, and I don't take this personally," Jokic said to the media, via Eurohoops.net. "He has the opportunity to be the most unique basketball player we've ever seen – to be the best ever."

#serbia #World #time #take

George Karl: Some franchises aren't capable of supporting their legends the right way. Nikola Jokic was on a path to becoming one of the Top 10 players to ever play basketball. That wasn't realistic in Denver.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: George Karl: Some franchises aren't capable of …

#karl #jokic #hype

The Philadelphia 76ers will have a lot of expectations placed upon them in the 2026-27 season after they swung a huge deal to acquire Jaylen Brown and then landed LeBron James in free agency. That star duo will join established stars such as Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.
Embiid seems like the forgotten man at times when considering the talent around him now. Of course, that's what happens when injuries take a toll, but the big fella is still as dominant as they come when he is on the floor. The 2023 MVP winner was a huge part of the Sixers rallying from 3-1 to eliminate the Boston Celtics in Round 1 and will be a big part of any success they have in the coming season.
Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal has high expectations for the new-look Sixers, but for Embiid, specifically, he wants to see him wrestle the best big man ***** le away from Nikola Jokic:
Championship or bust. You got the great LeBron. You got great Embiid, who was, like three or four years ago, Charles (Barkley) and I would always say how he's the best big man. Joker has surpassed him. I will be honest, making a name for himself. My question to Joel: does he want it back? And if he does, please show me. I know LeBron wants to get one last one. Jaylen is feeling slighted. Maxey is making a name for himself, definitely the team to watch. I don't wanna hear next year--this team was put together to win a championship now. I think if they don't win a championship, as players, I think all those players will be very, very disappointed. They have all the pieces they need.
To O'Neal's point, this team still belongs to Embiid and Maxey. While Brown and James are obviously the more decorated players, it still comes down to that duo as Philadelphia pushes forward. If Embiid is really healthy, then it changes everything for the Sixers on the floor. He is still such a dominant big man who can do nearly everything on offense and be a force on the defensive end. Philadelphia's hopes hinge on Embiid's health.

#embiid #championship #team #philadelphia

Lakers receive positive update for landing Nuggets' Nikola Jokic after Peyton Watson trade originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Lakers are beginning to build their future around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves after moving on from LeBron James. It has been an eventful summer, with significant turnover throughout the roster as Los Angeles looks to create a team capable of competing for championships.
Doncic is excited about what is ahead for the Lakers, but he also wants to win now.
"Dončić being just 26 gives the Lakers a far longer timeline to build a championship-contending team, but that doesn't mean they can slow down and take their time. Dončić told Lakers president Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick in May that he's not interested in taking the slow approach in building a contender," CBS Sports' Jasmyn Wimbish wrote.
On Wednesday, the Denver Nuggets traded Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a five-team deal. The move left Denver without one of its most promising young players and raised questions about the team's long-term direction alongside Nikola Jokic.

#Lakers #watson #doncic

After spending his first four NBA seasons with the Denver Nuggets, former UCLA Bruin Peyton Watson will switch teams for the first time in the NBA. On Wednesday, the Nuggets sent Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for a 2031 first round pick and a 2032 second round pick. In the deal, the Cavaliers sent out guard Max Strus to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The move doesn't come out of thin air, as Watson and the Nuggets were locked in contract negotiations all summer long. Cleveland made the trade and immediately extended Watson on a four-year $88 million extension that will keep Watson in Cleveland for the rest of the decade.
Watson won an NBA ****** le in his rookie season with Denver, with the Los Angeles native playing alongside MVP Nikola Jokic to begin his NBA career. Now he'll be joining a Cleveland team that's desperate to take the next step after consecutive deflating playoff losses.
In Cleveland, Watson will be joining All-Stars Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. The defense of a Watson-Mobly-Allen lineup would be incredible but the Cavaliers will be hoping for Watson to keep knocking down his jumpers. Watson played in just 54 games last season but shot an impressive 41% from deep on 3.6 attempts from three per game.
Before his NBA days, Watson played one season with the Bruins. During the 2021-2022 season, Watson played in 32 games for UCLA and he came off the bench in every single one. Watson scored just 3.3 points per game in his 12.7 minutes per night but Denver wasn't phased, selecting Watson with the 30th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

#cavaliers #season #first

The Denver Nuggets ended the Peyton Watson saga by trading him to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a sign-and-trade on Wednesday, prompting concern among the franchise's fans. With this move, the roster around Nikola Jokic has downgraded yet again since Denver won the 2023 NBA championship.
The Nuggets have had to let go of players like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown (who returned last year on a minimum deal) when they were at their best.
Watson became the latest player to join that list. At 23, he was Denver's best young ****** et and its most versatile defender. Watson was also the most athletic player on the roster. However, the Nuggets couldn't afford to keep him due to the second apron penalties.
Denver also didn't secure anything significant in return. They got a 2031 first-round pick and a 2032 second-round pick, along with two-way player Julian Reese, whom they waived upon acquiring. The Nuggets haven't had an encouraging offseason outside this move, either.
Their best signing is arguably Lonnie Walker IV, who is returning to the NBA after a one-year absence due to a lack of a roster spot. Meanwhile, the rest of the Western Conference has made significant moves, even if it's just on the margins.

#roster

Jaylen Brown is focused on settling into his new team, the Philadelphia 76ers, but the legacy he built with the Boston Celtics will not be forgotten.
His final season in Boston was the best of his career statistically, but he was heavily overlooked in the MVP race, which even Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady found surprising.
McGrady is triggered by the MVP voters, as Brown produced the best statistical season of his career last season and carried Boston while Jayson Tatum missed significant time. However, Brown ultimately finished sixth in MVP voting even after cementing himself as one of the NBA's elite two-way players.
Brown averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 ****** ists per game during the regular season. However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander claimed the MVP award, Nikola Jokić finished as the runner-up, and Victor Wembanyama was among the finalists, leaving Brown out of serious MVP consideration.
McGrady said he was frustrated by the lack of recognition Brown received from MVP voters.

#brown #season #mcgrady #even

Remember when Christmas Day used to be about family and gifts? A piping hot cocoa to start the day with a glass of wine to finish it. Gifts, family, food, fun. Do you also remember when sports on Christmas Day used to be minimal? Now, one in four Americans surround their Christmas Day planning around sports. Specifically the NBA and the NFL. Talk about a lump of coal for ol' Kris Kringle.
Since 2021, the NFL has staged at least two regular-season games every Christmas. The games began airing on traditional broadcast networks such as FOX and CBS, but have since shifted mainly to Netflix. This year, the NFL is presenting three games on the annual holiday that has long been dominated by the NBA. That has led to observers questioning whether the NBA should shift away from the holiday it has long claimed as its own. In reality, any shift would be a giant mistake.
Let's start with viewership.
Last year, ESPN/ABC's five-game slate of NBA action drew an average of 5.5 million viewers. The top stars were prominently featured. Start with the Knicks out East, mix in Steph Curry and defending league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and wrap things up with Nikola Jokic out West. From noon until well after midnight, NBA basketball was live on television. What we all have come to expect annually.
The NBA has had five games every Christmas since 2008, and viewership overall has been relatively consistent, averaging around 4.5 million to upwards of 6.3 million viewers, with most years falling in the 5.5 million range.

#start #gifts

The NBA announced its Christmas Day slate this morning, and sitting under the tree are some big names in new places like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and LaMelo Ball. We've also got a rematch of the NBA Finals with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs heading back to New York to take on Jalen Brunson and the Knicks.
James is at the center of the biggest game of them all, as the Philadelphia 76ers are taking on his former team in the Los Angeles Lakers. It'll be must-see TV as James and Luka Doncic square off after spending the last two seasons together.
With the NBA Christmas Day slate unveiled, let's the rank the games we're most excited to see.
Neither team appears to be a serious ******* le contender in 2026-27, but at least Nikola Jokic and Stephen Curry play an aesthetically pleasing brand of basketball. A 10:30 p.m. ET tip-off is a tough ask on Christmas Day, too.
A rematch of the 2025 Western Conference Finals, the Timberwolves will be eager to make a Christmas Day statement after losing that series in five games. The addition of LaMelo Ball will give Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a harder time defensively in addition to it being great TV alongside Anthony Edwards.

#james #rematch #addition

Nikola Jokic is in the headlines, not for something he did, but for a proposal that a Greek club offered to the Denver Nuggets superstar.
Dimitrios Giannakopoulos is the owner of the Panathinaikos Basketball Club in Athens, Greece. The Greek businessman said he made a "proposal" to the Nuggets to buy out the final season of Jokic's current NBA contract. Despite getting a rejection, he believes he will have better fortunes of signing Jokic away in the 2027 offseason.
"People are going to say, 'OK, now he's joking,'" Giannakopoulos told the "Euro Insiders" podcast. "I did make a very serious proposal this year both to his team and to him. I got a rejection. I know that he has one more year of a contract."
"It took a few seconds [for the Nuggets] to say, 'Who? Greece? Where? What? Bye,'" Giannakopoulos said. "But let's wait until next year."
Raznatovic longtime agent, Misko Raznatovic, has confirmed that Giannakopoulos was telling the truth.

#greek

Despite finishing outside the postseason last year, followed by a quiet offseason, the Golden State Warriors won't be left off the NBA's holiday schedule for 2026. For the 14th consecutive time, the Warriors will suit up on Christmas Day in 2026.
On Tuesday morning, the NBA's schedule for Christmas Day 2026 was released with the Warriors featured in the nightcap. The Warriors will open the doors of Chase Center on Christmas evening to host Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. The game is set for 7:30 p.m. PT on Christmas Day.
Christmas Day will also feature a rematch of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks, along with the Miami Heat against the Boston Celtics, LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers against his former team the Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, and lastly, the Nuggets against Steph Curry and the Warriors.
The Warriors are 7-6 over their 13-year run on Christmas Day, coming off a win over Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks last season.
The rest of the Warriors' 2026-27 schedule will begin to be unveiled as the Christmas Day schedule is just starting to pull back the curtain on the plans for the upcoming NBA campaign.

#Warriors #christmas

NBA 2K27, the most popular basketball video game, continues to reveal player ratings ahead of their September 4 release date. Thus far, many former Blue Devils have been recognized, like Kon Knueppel who was ranked as the second-best 3-point shooter and Kyrie Irving, who was ranked as the game's strongest ball-handler.
More Duke alumni were recognized again last week, as two former Blue Devils were named among the top-10 mid-range shooters. To begin with, Kyrie Irving was listed once more, tied for the second-highest spot and a 98 rating with former three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and Wizards guard Tre Johnson. Brandon Ingram who has not been officially moved to the Los Angeles Clippers due to a pending trade involving Kawhi Leonard was ranked eighth on the list with a 96 rating.
As expected, two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was given the top spot and a 99 rating. Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham and Kevin Durant were tied for fifth.
This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Two former Blue Devils listed as the NBA's best mid-range shooters

#former #ranked

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos recently revealed that he made a serious attempt to bring the Denver Nuggets superstar to Athens, claiming that an offer was presented both to Jokic and his NBA team. Now, Jokic's longtime agent, Misko Raznatovic, has confirmed that Giannakopoulos was telling the truth. "What Giannakopoulos said is true," Raznatovic told Athletiko.
BasketNews
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos recently revealed that he made a serious attempt to bring the Denver Nuggets superstar to Athens, claiming that an offer was presented both to Jokic and his NBA team. Now, Jokic's longtime agent, Misko Raznatovic, has confirmed that Giannakopoulos was telling the truth. "What Giannakopoulos said is true," Raznatovic told Athletiko. — 8/11/2026 BasketNews
Panathinaikos Aktor owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos openly shared his ultimate transfer dream during the second part of an interview with the Euro Insiders podcast, published on Monday. The outspoken Greens executive sent shockwaves by revealing his grand plan to secure former NBA champion and three-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic next summer. This is not the first time he has expressed this desire. — 8/10/2026 EuroHoops.net
"I always wanted Milos Teodosic. However, there is one player who remains a dream of mine, whom I haven't signed yet, but I will sign next year," he teased. When the hosts questioned who it could be, he boldly proclaimed: "It's Jokic, the best player in the world!" Faced with immediate skepticism, Giannakopoulos doubled down on his claim. "Don't laugh at all. If I don't sign Jokic, I'm not going anywhere," he stressed. — 8/10/2026 EuroHoops.net

#giannakopoulos #jokic #athens #denver

Celtics Named Best Fit for 6-Time All-Star Who Ranks 16th on NBA's All-Time Scoring List originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Should the Boston Celtics pursue DeMar DeRozan?
The six-time All-Star is an unrestricted free agent after being waived by the Sacramento Kings. Bleacher Report's Dan Favale ranked DeRozan, 37, as the best free agent currently available and included the Celtics as one of his best fits.
Favale mentioned the Detroit Pistons, Utah Jazz and Miami Heat as other possible landing spots for DeRozan.
"DeRozan has missed 13 combined games over the past three seasons and racked up more than 10 DNPs just twice for his entire career," wrote Favale. "The absence of meaningful three-point volume works against him, but he's averaged over 20 points per 36 minutes on better than 50 percent shooting inside the arc through each of the past seven seasons. Nikola Jokić, De'Aaron Fox and Jaylen Brown are the only other players who have done the same while qualifying for the scoring leaderboard.

#best #nesn

With the bulk of the 2026 NBA offseason's player movement now concluded, and with the calendar now flipped to August, it's time to start looking ahead to what's coming next in the NBA, both this season and afterward.
In that spirit, and in the interest of killing some time in the depths of the summer, let's take a look at the five most interesting players — to me! — who could wind up on the open market next summer.
For the purposes of this exercise, I'm excluding players that I expect to sign extensions with their franchises when they become eligible to do so before hitting free agency (like Stephen Curry in Golden State later this month or Giannis Antetokounmpo in Miami in February) or whenever they decide it's most contractually advantageous for them (like Nikola Jokić in Denver) and players whose whole deal currently feels up-in-the-air enough to make projecting what might be coming next for them something of a fool's errand (like Kawhi Leonard in Los Angeles, Toronto or Parts Unknown).
We begin with the other perennial All-Star and All-NBA performer in the Bay Area:
When the Golden State Warriors open the 2026-27 NBA season, Butler will be 37 years old, with one season and $56.8 million remaining on the two-year extension that he signed with the Warriors after they dealt for him at the 2025 trade deadline. He will also most likely be in street clothes, continuing to rehabilitate his surgically repaired right knee; while he's reportedly "turned the corner" in the process of coming back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in January, we probably won't see Jimmy back on the court until midseason at the earliest.

#coming #like #Warriors #time

The Brooklyn Nets are pretty much done with their business for the 2026 NBA offseason as they sought to improve the roster following another disappointing season for the franchise. Brooklyn is still in the early stages of its rebuild as it still has many of first-round picks to use over the next few years and that is primarily the reason why they are highly-regarded in relation to trade ***** ets.
"Given where the Brooklyn Nets have been (and figure to be for the next few years), their first-round picks are valuable. Of course, Adam Silver's new rules aimed at reducing tanking could reduce that value a bit, but a lot of those years will be in the lottery," Andy Bailey wrote for Bleacher Report when discussing the Nets' trade ***** ets. Brooklyn is ranked as the third-best teams in the league when it comes to that precious trade chest.
"And that 2032 first from Denver, when Nikola Jokić is 37 and the aforementioned rules may be retired, could be one of the better individual ***** ets in the league," Bailey continued on the Nets. "On top of that, Brooklyn has a valuable expiring contract attached to one of the best shooters in the NBA in Michael Porter Jr."
As Bailey points out in his piece, the Nets have 12 first-round picks between now (2027) and 2033, not to mention potentially getting a 13th first-round pick from the Philadelphia 76ers. In addition to that, Brooklyn has 19 second-round picks in the same timespan and those picks are becoming more valuable as teams are looking to more cost-control to offset the current financial reality of the CBA.
The Nets have a couple of veteran players in forwards Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle that could be attractive to teams either next season or beyond that could potentially add even more ***** ets to Brooklyn's collection. Time will tell if Porter and/or Randle will be used for that purpose, but as of now, the Nets are regarded as one of the teams with a significant amount of ***** ets to use in future trades.

#first #assets

Q: Would there be any negative implications of a three team-trade on the Heat salary cap if they were to pull something like Nikola Jovic going to Denver to team up with Nikola Jokic, Cam Johnson going to Dallas, and Klay Thompson to the Heat? – Howard, Coral Springs.
A: The salaries certainly would work from a Heat perspective. Whether the Heat or Nuggets or Mavericks would want to do it would be another story. But this type of thinking is why you just don't rush out and spend on just any remaining free agent. While the Heat are only about $10 million under their hard cap, the introduction of salary currently on the Heat roster could widen that spending breadth when it comes to trades. The reason you rush out to sign certain free agents is the belief you simply have to have that player. The Heat's approach at the moment seems to be patience for the right move, rather than just any move.
Submit your "Ask Ira" question here!
Q: Ira, you've mentioned so many free agents but have ignored Jonathan ****** inga. Why? – Chris.
A: From the start, the impression with Jonathan ****** inga is of a player who believes he has a value far higher than perceived by others. To that end, with the Heat only with about $10 million below their hard cap, they simply aren't in that bidding range. And truth be told, the preference here would be Nikola Jovic over Jonathan ****** inga if it would come down to such a decision for the Heat.

#salary