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.
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).
Draft Notes: Dybantsa, Acuff, Ament, Alexis, Hoosiers
In a one-on-one interview with Ari Alexander of 7News Boston (Twitter video link), AJ Dybantsa praised both the Wizards and the Jazz and said he was confident he’ll end up being the No. 1 overall pick in a few weeks, as Jackson Payne of The Deseret News relays. Washington controls the first pick and Utah holds the second.
The former BYU star, who’s widely projected to be a top-two pick, pointed out that trades are always a possibility and said he’ll be content no matter where he ends up.
“You never know what’s going to happen,” Dybantsa told Alexander. “Anyone can trade up, anyone can trade down, but I’m going to be happy with anybody.”
Here’s more on the 2026 NBA draft:
- Darius Acuff, a projected mid-lottery pick, was in Chicago on Friday for a workout with the Bulls, reports Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). The ex-Arkansas guard also worked out for the Nets on Wednesday and has upcoming sessions with the Jazz and Bucks, according to Wasserman. Acuff is coming off one of the most productive seasons for a freshman guard in NCAA history, though there are question marks about his defense. Chicago, which held a workout on Tuesday featuring four other possible lottery picks, controls the fourth and 15th selections in the first round, while Brooklyn holds the sixth pick and Milwaukee has the 10th.
- While there has been chatter about the Nets being high on Nate Ament, the projected lottery pick hasn’t worked out for Brooklyn to this point, sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link). The 6’10” forward is another one-and-done prospect, having spent his freshman season at Tennessee.
- Indiana forward Sam Alexis said he’s in regular communication with former Hoosiers teammates Tucker DeVries and Lamar Wilkerson, who are also regulars in the pre-draft workout circuit, per Tony East of Forbes and Circle City Spin (Twitter video link). Alexis, a senior in 2025/26, worked out for the Pacers on Friday. He said the ex-Hoosiers are helping one another prepare by sending tips about what each team likes to do during the sessions. “It’s helpful,” Alexis said. “It’s a lot. (It helps) you mentally prepare for (the workout).” When asked by East if he wanted to be the first player to attend a team’s workout to help DeVries and Wilkerson, Alexis smirked. “Nah, I want to be the last one,” he said with a laugh.
Blazers Down To Three Head Coaching Finalists?
The Trail Blazers are still considering three candidates for their head coaching vacancy, according to Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
The finalists who remain in the running, per Fischer and Stein, are Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook, and Portland’s own interim coach Tiago Splitter.
Those coaches were identified last month as three of the five finalists for the Blazers’ job, along with Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy and Jazz assistant Mike Williams. Sources tell The Stein Line that Van Gundy and Williams didn’t advance to the final stage of Portland’s head coaching search.
Assuming another finalist isn’t added to the mix at the 11th hour, it sounds like one of Nori, Lashbrook, or Splitter will become the Trail Blazers’ permanent head coach. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean a decision is imminent.
As Fischer and Stein explain, Portland’s process has been slowed to some extent by the Carolina Hurricanes’ run to the NHL’s Stanley Cup finals. Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon also owns the Hurricanes, who will be looking to get on the board in their series against Las Vegas on Thursday after losing Game 1 on Tuesday.
The Trail Blazers’ coaching search began before their season was over, with Dundon reaching out to candidates while Splitter was attempting to get his team past San Antonio in the first round. Portland technically still hasn’t formally parted ways with Chauncey Billups, who opened the 2025/26 season on the team’s bench, but he was arrested in October in connection with an illegal gambling investigation and isn’t expected to ever coach another game for the Blazers.
Splitter, initially an assistant under Billups, took over one game into the regular season and led the Blazers to a 42-39 record the rest of the way. The team earned the No. 7 seed with a play-in win over Phoenix and then fell to the Spurs in five games in the Western Conference quarterfinals.
Dundon’s decision to look for Splitter’s potential replacement before the season ended reportedly rubbed some potential targets the wrong way, and rumors that the new Blazers owner was looking to pay his new coach a salary well below the going rate likely didn’t help matters, though the team pushed back on those reports.
For what it’s worth, neither Nori nor Lashbrook has NBA head coaching experience, and Splitter’s stint filling in for Billups this season represented his first NBA head coaching job. In other words, it’s unlikely that any of those three candidates would have the leverage to negotiate a high-end salary.
And-Ones: Seattle, Murray, Canada, Aspiration, Extensions
In addition to announcing that Melinda French Gates is joining the Seattle Kraken’s ownership group as a minority investor, Samantha Holloway, the majority owner of the NHL team, confirmed that she’s assembling a group that will make a bid for an NBA franchise based in Seattle, writes Emily Kaplan of ESPN.
Holloway also pointed out that the Kraken’s ownership group has strengthened its case to bring the NBA to Seattle by acquiring a majority stake in Climate Pledge Arena, where the Kraken and the WNBA’s Seattle Storm play.
“The City of Seattle certainly could use an NBA team, and the fans here are ready for it,” Holloway said. “If that happens, they will all buy their Kraken friends beers because it wouldn’t happen without them. So we are hopeful, we are working on it, and stay tuned.”
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Exploring at greater length why Jamal Murray isn’t expected to play for the Canadian national team in international competition anytime soon, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca explains that Canada Basketball was seeking three-year commitments from its players, and the Nuggets guard wasn’t able to commit to being available for each of the next three summers. “If guys don’t commit this summer, they’re not in,” new national team coach Gordon Herbert said. “When I was with Germany, we had six or seven NBA guys and three guys didn’t come, they didn’t want to come. All of sudden they wanted to come (in) year two. Sorry. You can’t be successful in anything without commitment, in my opinion.”
- Joseph Sanberg, the co-founder of the now-bankrupt green banking company Aspiration, was sentenced this week to 14 years in federal prison, writes Baxter Holmes of ESPN. Judge Stephen V. Wilson described Sanberg as “greedy, brazen, callous” and said he would “put the grade of his fraud at the zenith,” as Holmes relays. Kawhi Leonard‘s sponsorship deal with Aspiration and Steve Ballmer‘s investment in the company are at the center of the NBA’s investigation into possible salary cap circumvention by the Clippers. In advance of his sentencing, the league said in a letter to Wilson that Sanberg “substantially assisted” its probe, while Ballmer’s attorneys advocated against leniency for the Aspiration co-founder, writing that Sanberg “flagrantly defrauded” the Clippers owner.
- Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama is the only player eligible for a rookie scale extension who is likely to sign a maximum-salary contract this offseason, in the view of Keith Smith of Spotrac. However, Smith – projecting possible deals for each member of the 2023 draft class – view Hornets forward Brandon Miller (five years, $200MM), Rockets guard Amen Thompson (five years, $185MM), and Jazz guard Keyonte George (four years, $152MM) as strong candidates for lucrative extensions.
Western Notes: Jazz, Nurkic, Dundon, Thunder
The rebuild is over for the Jazz, who appear poised to take a significant step forward in 2026/27, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. As Jones details, Utah is excited to “finally take the shackles off” Will Hardy, whom they feel can be one of the NBA’s best head coaches, but who has been handcuffed by the team’s tanking efforts in recent years.
Hardy will be coaching a frontcourt that has the potential to be one of the league’s best, with Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler leading the way. The Jazz also have a rising star in the backcourt in Keyonte George and could have one of the best young duos in the NBA, with this year’s No. 2 overall pick joining last year’s No. 5 selection Ace Bailey.
Still, as Jones points out, the Jazz won’t be able to rest on their laurels going forward. Markkanen and Jackson are already on sizable contracts, with Kessler likely to get a lucrative new deal of his own in restricted free agency this offseason. George will also be eligible for a rookie scale extension in a matter of weeks and appears to be in line for a significant raise after increasing his scoring average to 23.6 points per game in his third season. In other words, the core of Utah’s roster will get expensive soon, so the front office will have to continue making savvy moves to supplement that core with winning role players.
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Former Suns center Jusuf Nurkic raised eyebrows during an appearance on the X&Os Chat with Edin Avdic (YouTube link) when he discussed his relationship with former Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer and referred to him as an “alcohol addict” who would schedule 1-on-1 meetings with his players “just to provoke” them, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays. Nurkic previously spoke about his frosty relationship with Budenholzer back when both men were still in Phoenix, with reporting at the end of the 2024/25 season indicating that the coach told the big man he was a “bad teammate.”
- The criticism that Tom Dundon has faced for the way he has run the Trail Blazers since he took control of the team earlier this spring has come as a surprise to many in the hockey world, according to James Mirtle of The Athletic, who says the owner of the Carolina Hurricanes is popular among his players and isn’t described as “cheap” by those who have worked with him in the NHL. “The fact of the matter is, he doesn’t always do things in traditional ways,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “I think in some ways he’s a bit of a disruptor, but he’s extraordinarily creative and effective. And the results in Carolina — they’re both on and off the ice.”
- Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman provides a roster primer for the Thunder as they head into a big offseason, while Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) considers what sort of moves Oklahoma City could make this summer. Gozlan speculates that four years and $104MM would be the floor for Cason Wallace on a rookie scale extension — that would put him in the range of Dyson Daniels and Christian Braun, both of whom received $25MM per year on their rookie scale extensions in 2025.
Pre-Draft Workouts: Grizzlies, Warriors, Pistons, Keita
Arizona forward Koa Peat was among the prospects who worked out for the Grizzlies on Monday, league sources tell Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link).
Peat is a projected first-round pick, coming in at No. 25 on the latest big board from Jeremy Woo of ESPN and No. 18 on the big board of Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, though his stock has reportedly been falling due to concerns about his shooting.
The 19-year-old helped the Wildcats go 36-3 in 2025/26, winning the Big 12 tournament and advancing to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament before falling to eventual champion Michigan.
Malik Dia (Ole Miss), Jestin Porter (Clemson) and Latrell Wrightsell (Alabama) were also part of Monday’s workout, according to Cole. Memphis controls the third, 16th and 32nd picks in the 2026 draft.
Here are details on a few more pre-draft workouts from around the NBA:
- The Warriors are hosting six prospects — Obi Agbim of Baylor, Tucker DeVries of Indiana, Tamin Lipsey of Iowa State, AK Okereke of Vanderbilt, Peter Suder of Miami (Ohio) and Lamar Wilkerson of Indiana — for a workout on Monday, the team announced (via Twitter). Lipsey (No. 69) is the highest-ranked player of the six on ESPN’s board. Golden State holds the 11th and 54th picks in June’s draft.
- The Pistons held a pre-draft workout on Monday that included Wisconsin’s Nick Boyd, George Washington’s Rafael Castro, Kansas State’s Nate Johnson and Florida’s Xaivian Lee, reports Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Of the four, Castro is narrowly considered the best prospect (No. 73) by ESPN, with Boyd ranking just behind at 77th. Detroit has one pick — 21st overall — in the upcoming draft.
- Former BYU big man Keba Keita isn’t among ESPN’s top 100 prospects or Bleacher Report’s top 75, but he’s drawing a good deal of interest in the pre-draft process. Keita recently auditioned for the Jazz and has roughly 12 other workouts on tap, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link), who says NBA clubs are “intrigued” by the Malian center’s “length and athleticism.” Utah only controls the second overall pick, but Keita could be a two-way or Exhibit 10 candidate if he goes undrafted.
Thunder Rumors: Giannis, Mobley, Hartenstein, Draft
The Thunder were unable to defend the championship they won last year, and there’s an expectation around the league that their roster will look different in 2026/27, writes Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
However, none of the rival executives Stein has spoken to “strongly believe” Oklahoma City will pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo in the wake of the Thunder being eliminated from the postseason. That more or less echoes previous reporting from Sam Amick of The Athletic.
President of basketball operations Sam Presti has frequently taken a long-term approach to team-building over the past several years, Stein notes, and the Thunder came close to winning the Western Conference finals despite missing Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell for much of the series.
The Thunder certainly have the assets to make a blockbuster trade if they want to, but a deal for the Bucks superstar “would genuinely shock” people around the league, according to Stein. That’s partly because Antetokounmpo’s presence could dramatically change the meticulously developed culture Presti has helped foster in Oklahoma City.
Here are a few more rumors related to the Thunder:
- Amick reported that there’s long been “chatter” about the Thunder’s interest in Evan Mobley, and league sources tell the Stein Line that OKC tried to acquire the third pick in the 2021 draft in order to select the former USC big man. However, the Cavaliers “rebuffed” those efforts, according to Stein, who points out that president of basketball operations Koby Altman tried to preemptively shut down potential inquiries on Mobley at his end-of-season press conference last week. Altman called the 2024/25 Defensive Player of the Year a “a huge part of what we do” and “consistently our best player throughout the playoffs,” per Stein.
- Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (subscriber link) recently suggested the Thunder are likely to decline their $28.5MM team option on Isaiah Hartenstein with an eye on re-signing their starting center to a long-term deal. Stein has heard similarly, writing that early indications point to Harteinstein remaining on the team in ’26/27, even if that option is declined.
- Multiple reports have indicated that the Thunder are expected to be aggressive with their two first-round picks (Nos. 12 and 17), perhaps with a goal of moving up to select Cameron Boozer. However, rival clubs have gotten the sense that Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies and Bulls are determined to stay in the top four, according to Stein, who says a “more realistic trade-up target” for Oklahoma City could be Aday Mara.
Draft Notes: Jazz, Kings, 2027 Pick Value, Samodurov
With the 2026 NBA draft combine over, the Jazz are in the next stage of their draft preparation, writes Sarah Todd of Deseret News.
One important area for Utah, which holds the second overall pick, is the return of medical evaluations and testing. Given that potential No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson dealt with health issues throughout his freshman season at Kansas, those medicals could play a crucial role in the Jazz’s decision on draft night. Peterson was limited to just 24 games this season, and often came under scrutiny for subbing himself out as he dealt with nagging hamstring and cramping issues.
The Jazz will also begin their pre-draft workouts this week. For the top prospects, this will likely consist more of in-depth interviews and dinners with coaches rather than heavily intensive skill drills, Todd writes.
We have more from around the draft:
- The Kings will host a pre-draft workout on Monday for six players: Quadir Copeland (North Carolina State), Melvin Council (Kansas), Tre White (Kansas), Nick Martinelli (Northwestern), KeShawn Murphy (Auburn), and Caden Powell (Baylor), per Sean Cunningham of KCRA News (via Twitter). In addition to the seventh overall pick, the Kings hold two second-round picks at No. 34 and No. 45. The aforementioned prospects would all likely be competing for the second-round picks or undrafted free agency slots. Of the six, Martinelli is highest rated on Jeremy Woo’s big board for ESPN at 53rd overall, while White, Murphy, and Powell are all unranked.
- With the league adjusting to the reality of the new rules regarding tanking and the lottery, one topic of discussion is how the new odds will impact the Grizzlies and Jazz, who completed a trade involving Utah’s 2027 first-round pick. The Jazz are hoping to be a much-improved team next season as they get their first extended look at a Lauri Markkanen/Jaren Jackson Jr./Walker Kessler frontcourt. They’ll also add the No. 2 overall pick and are expecting internal growth from players like Keyonte George and Ace Bailey. If Utah is at least in the play-in mix, the Grizzlies will actually gain expected value from that traded pick as a result of the lottery changes, Chris Crouse writes for Forty Eight Minutes, even though the pick would be prohibited from landing in the top five.
- Greek big man Alexandros Samodurov, an early entrant in the 2026 draft after playing this season for Panathinaikos, has committed to UNC, Jonathan Givony reports (via Twitter). The 21-year-old big man, who recently removed his name from the draft pool, flashed a burgeoning outside shot this year, in addition to strong shot-blocking ability.
Free Agent Jusuf Nurkic Wants To Remain In NBA
Jusuf Nurkic has no intention of leaving the NBA despite speculation that he might be interested in going to Europe to continue his career. Nurkic, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, made an appearance on the X and O’s Podcast and spoke about the Serbian club Partizan, as relayed by Eurohoops.net.
“I didn’t have an offer from the black-and-whites (Partizan). I didn’t, at least I don’t know that I did, but I wish that I had,” the Bosnian big man said.
Nurkic clarified on social media that he was speaking about the early days of his career, not his current status.
“My statement was taken out of context. I was referring to the very beginning of my basketball career,” he wrote. “Of course I didn’t have an offer from Partizan back then. I’m a fan and I have great respect for (Partizan), but I have no intention of leaving the NBA.”
Nurkic spent this year with the Jazz, averaging 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 26.4 minutes per game. He only played 41 games (36 starts), as his season was cut short after the All-Star break by nasal surgery.
Earlier in 2025/26, he missed time due to a toe injury and also had several DNP-CDs. He was a prime candidate to be dealt before the Feb. 5 trade deadline due his expiring $19.3MM contract.
Nurkic reportedly would like to re-sign with Utah, though it’s uncertain whether the team will make him an offseason priority. In any case, Nurkic will likely have to take a pay cut to stay in the league. The 31-year-old has been a fixture in the NBA since the 2014/15 season.