Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Duane Rankin: Phoenix Suns begin training camp Sept. 29. Media Day is set for Sept. 28. Preseason opener Oct. 5 at Detroit Pistons. #Suns
On his "Byron Scott's Fast Break" podcast, the Los Angeles Lakers legend claimed that while the 76ers look good on paper with James' addition, expectations must be tempered about Philly easily winning it all. Using the ill-fated 2003-04 Lakers as an example, Scott said the new-look 76ers with James are still not assured of claiming an NBA title. ‘I mean we can go all the way back to the early parts in the 2000s. You got Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Kobe Bryant, Shaq [O'Neal], and you still got [Derek Fisher], you know, you still got an unbelievable starting lineup. And on paper, everybody said, 'Oh, they going to win a championship.' What happened? They played Detroit Pistons, who was a team, much better team, a much better cohesive group of guys who wanted nothing more than to win. And you had friction on that Laker team with Gary Payton and some of the other guys. And then you had the Peacemaker Karl Malone. And then Karl got hurt which really killed their chances of winning the championship and Detroit went through them four games to one. Right? So talent on paper don’t mean a whole lot.’
Bryon Scott on LeBron James with 76ers: “I mean we can go all the way back to the early parts in the 2000s. You got Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Kobe Bryant, Shaq, and you still got D Fish, you know, you still got an unbelievable starting lineup. And on paper, everybody said, “Oh, they going to win a championship.” What happened? They played Detroit Pistons, who was a team, much better team, a much better cohesive group of guys who wanted nothing more than to win. And you had friction on that Laker team with Gary Payton and some of the other guys. And then you had the Peacemaker Karl Malone. And then Karl got hurt which really killed their chances of winning the championship and Detroit went through them four games to one. Right? So talent on paper don’t mean a whole lot. It means you got talent. That’s about all it means. It doesn’t mean or guarantee that you going to win the championship.”
Chet Holmgren, an All-Star big man set to enter his fourth season with the Thunder, offered best wishes to Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe, who left Oklahoma City in separate offseason trades. Dort, a perimeter stopper and longtime starter, and Wiggins, a reserve wing, will join the Atlanta Hawks. Joe, a backup shooting specialist, was sent to the Detroit Pistons. "That's how the business of this game goes," Holmgren said at a USA Basketball Foundation charity event in Southern California. "No team, all 17 guys, sticks together forever. But it doesn't make it hurt less when you see guys go. At the same time, I'm excited for [Dort and Wiggins] and the opportunity they're going to have in Atlanta. I'm happy for whatever major milestones they reach over there."
Advertisement
Marc Stein: UPDATE: After strong interest from Rome’s new Serie A team, Pistons adviser Dwane Casey has withdrawn from the process to stay in the NBA with Detroit, league sources say. Donnie Nelson, who worked with Casey in Dallas, led BC Roma’s pursuit of the 2018 NBA Coach of the Year.
Tommy Beer: Most points in the clutch in the playoffs over the past three years combined: 1. Jalen Brunson: 143 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 84 3. Tyrese Haliburton: 48 4. Anthony Edwards: 43 5. Nikola Jokic: 36 6. Cade Cunningham: 35
The 1.96-meter guard has since spent four seasons moving between the NBA and the G League, representing the Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Charlotte Hornets at the NBA level.
NBA Stat: Worst clutch 3PT% in the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season (min. 15 clutch 3PA): 1. Cade Cunningham — 6.7% 2. Paolo Banchero — 10.5% 3. PJ Washington — 11.1% 4. Michael Porter Jr. — 16.0% 5. Russell Westbrook — 18.8% (via Clutch Numbers) #NBA
Shams Charania: "It seems both sides are dug in on their positioning. The Pistons have a level, a threshold that they have for Jalen Duren. Jalen Duren clearly wants more than that. And so they are, I mean technically there's not really a level of urgency quite yet. We're still late July. We haven't even hit August yet. This will go into August, well into August potentially. Would not surprise anyone involved in these negotiations if it does even go till September. The deadline is really media day. So we'll see when Jalen Duren and his reps and the Pistons can find some common ground here."
Advertisement
Manresa announced the signing of Colby Jones for the 2026-27 season, bringing the 24-year-old guard to Europe for the first time in his career. Jones spent most of last season with the Memphis Hustle, averaging 13.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists across 11 G League appearances. He also had brief spells with the Detroit Pistons and their affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.
League sources say Watson, like Detroit's Jalen Duren, has been weighing the unappealing prospect of playing out the 2026-27 season on a qualifying offer with the intent to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Actually doing so, mind you, means leaving millions on the table.
Richard Hamilton left a superb legacy in the Motor City. Now, 15 years after he last played a game for the Pistons, the former three-time All-Star is inspiring a new generation of athletes. On Thursday afternoon, Hamilton hosted 60 kids for a Bank of America’s free Golf with Us clinic at Belle Isle Golf Center. "For me to give back to the kids, that is something that has always been me, and Detroit has adopted me as a son. This is home for me," Hamilton told The Detroit News. "Any opportunity where I can give back to the kids and inspire them is great. ... For me to show kids that Rip Hamilton is more than just a basketball player, and someone who cares about us, it is just an amazing thing to be a part of."
Sprinkle in Wembanyama's "discount," which came at the worst possible time for a rival player in negotiations, and it's easy to see the Pistons' hesitancy as well as Jalen Duren's gripe. You know it's rocky when your starting center takes a meeting with another team (Lakers) only for said team to immediately turn around and bring in someone else (Kessler). We're talking about a multi-million dollar difference in valuation between player and organization — this could take a while (something you definitely haven't heard elsewhere today!). "They're just going to sit and stare at each other," said one executive. "It's a staring contest. Sounds like he wants more."