What is the story about?
Last weekend without basketball, fellas, so here’s a quick summary of a bunch of stuff that popped up recently around the NBA before we get down to (yeah, I know, preseason, but still…) business.
- James Wiseman has emerged as the early favorite for the Knicks’ 14th and likely final standard roster spot, according to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. Nothing new considering we’ve been talking about New York prioritizing a third center for months on end. In Bondy’s eyes, Tony Bradley and Drew Eubanks are Wiseman’s primary competition up front, while Bruce Brown and Ochai Agbaji are also fighting for the last spot in the Knicks’ roster.
- Mike Brown, however, isn’t ready to declare Wiseman—or anybody else—the winner of that roster battle.
“I’m just going to let it unfold. I got no expectations. I’m not trying to forecast anything. I’m just taking this literally one practice at a time, one game at a time. And at the end of the day, when it comes time for us to figure out who’s going to be on the final roster, we’ll do it.”
- The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III identified whether the Knicks can maintain their edge after winning the championship as New York’s biggest question entering the new season.
- In another piece published over The Athletic, multiple reporters assembled three perspectives on the Knicks’ chances of repeating, and none were especially bullish.
- Anne Hathaway would sacrifice another Oscar for another Knicks championship.
- New court documents revealed additional allegations behind OAKAAK J.R. Smith’s arrest in Texas.
- The Pistons and Jalen Duren finally found common ground, with the big boy and postseason no-shower inking a five-year, $200 million deal… without a weight clause on it.
- Get ready for a whole lot of “Inside the NBA” this season, likely the last one with Charles Barkley on board.
- Victor Wembanyama hasn’t even won an NBA title, but he’s already thinking about running for President of France. Oh, là là!
- It looks like the Las Vegas Whatevers are a very real thing and will get a franchise approved before Seattle does, but that could come with the con of having to wait an extra year to enter NBA play, contrary to the SuperSonics 2.0 making their comeback in time for the 2028-29 campaign.
- JaVale McGee has joined the Shanghai Sharks, teaming up with D’Angelo Russell in China. Yes, that’s a real headline.
- LeBron stans are already aboard the #lbjmvp train. Meanwhile…
