NBABase

Bio updated

Tim MacMahon Proposes Boxing Matches Between Feuding NBA Superstars at Summer League Halftime Show 😳 “What I suggest is in a case like this, what Bam does is he challenges Tyler Herro to a boxing match. If for example, Jaylen Brown feels a certain sort of way about Jayson Tatum as he's kind of hinted, he could challenge Jayson Tatum to a boxing match. These would be done at halftime when their teams meet during Summer League... Not only would it boost ticket sales, but we'd still have the normal halftime show on TV, and then you'd have the pay-per-view. Could you imagine the pay-per-view if you knew Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro were going around?”

There is a legal path for LeBron James to join the Indiana Pacers if he prioritizes winning over salary this offseason, per @AlexGoldenNBA 👀 “The mechanics are surprisingly straightforward from a purely cap-management perspective. The Pacers do not need to clear a massive salary from the books or orchestrate a blockbuster trade. If LeBron truly prioritizes winning over salary and wants to join Indiana, the numbers show there is a legal path to making it happen.” (si.com/nba/pacers/ons…)

The Milwaukee Bucks are joining the Los Angeles Clippers and Atlanta Hawks as teams pursuing a sign-and-trade for Peyton Watson, per @TheSteinLine “The Nuggets, mind you, still have two restricted free agents of their own to hash out deals with: Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones. And some fresh rumbles have been relayed to The Stein Line that the Bucks are joining the Clippers and Hawks on the list of teams trying to pry Watson away from the Nuggets via sign-and-trade.” (hoopshype.com/story/sports/n…)

Jaylen Brown is viewed as a "Jimmy Butler-like" presence for Joel Embiid and the 76ers locker room, per @TheAthletic “But Brown is a lot like Jimmy Butler was, as a player and person, in 2018, and that was the best team Embiid has been a part of. The relationship between those two will be one to watch. But just as Brown will have a chip on his shoulder, Embiid hasn’t won a title. And the clock is rapidly ticking on his career. And this is a team that could be good enough to win a title.” (nytimes.com/athletic/74431…)

Sixers President Mike Gansey says LeBron James is the GOAT 🐐👀 “In my opinion, he’s the best player of all time.” (Via @Tjonesonthenba)

A Western Conference scout on Darryn Peterson “Peterson has the most polished offensive perimeter package of any guard over the last 10 draft seasons. He and Anthony Edwards have a chance to set the NBA standard by which guards are judged.” (Via @mcten)

"I think I’m the best creator in this draft in all honesty." - Mikel Brown Jr.

Nick Nurse’s preparation for coaching Jaylen Brown with the 76ers may mirror his preparation for Kawhi Leonard during the Raptors’ 2019 championship run, per @Tjonesonthenba

Tyler Herro is being described by opposing players and coaches as "cocky," with a reputation for constant trash talk and doing the "same boring tough-guy s***." per @KellyIko “According to players and coaches who have competed against the 26-year-old Herro, he's been described as cocky and someone who consistently attempts to rile up opposing players by talking trash and insinuating he'll fight. "Same boring tough-guy s***," said one individual.” (sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/ba…)

Bleacher Report’s Top 20 Worst Sports Trades of the 21st Century 1. Luka Dončić to the Lakers 2. Paul George for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Picks 3. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Nets 4. Deshaun Watson to the Browns 5. Markelle Fultz for Jayson Tatum 6. Jaylen Brown to the 76ers 7. Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers 8. James Harden to the Rockets 9. Russell Wilson to the Broncos 10. Trent Richardson to the Colts 11. Filip Forsberg to the Predators 12. Randy Moss to the Patriots 13. Eddy Curry to the Knicks 14. Wes Welker to the Patriots 15. Andrea Bargnani to the Knicks 16. Mookie Betts to the Dodgers 17. Micah Parsons to the Packers 18. Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors 19. Juan Soto to the Padres 20. A.J. Brown to the Eagles

Brian Windhorst on why LeBron James is seriously looking at the Philadelphia 76ers: "I will say a big factor here is Tyrese Maxey. I know that so much of the focus is on Jaylen Brown because that's how Philly got into this conversation and they traded for Jaylen Brown last week. But the reason I think he's seriously looking at Philadelphia is because of Tyrese Maxey and that connection is with Klutch Sports, his agency that he is basically a core founder of alongside Rich Paul. It's the Tyrese Maxey connection that draws him in. It's that was the same thing with Anthony Davis that got Anthony Davis to the Lakers."

Windhorst: “The Clippers still want to do this trade badly they're getting a whole bunch of draft capital in this deal the Raptors in their statement yesterday said they were eager they want this trade to happen but if Kawhi Leonard faces a real penalty here we could see the trade terms reopened and I think that's what the Raptors are trying to protect themselves.”

The Denver Nuggets would face a staggering $177 MILLION luxury tax penalty if they waive Jonas Valanciunas and sign Peyton Watson to a $25M/year extension, per @BobbyMarks42

The Lakers have set their sights on Jonathan Kuminga and are exploring a 2-year, $20M deal to bring the athletic wing to LA 👀, per @BA_Turner (latimes.com/sports/lakers/…)

Jayson Tatum reacts to Jaylen Brown being traded to the Sixers: “To be honest, weird. It’s weird. You play on a team with a guy for 9 years... It’s tough. But it just makes you appreciate the moments and time that we had. Obviously, it came to an abrupt ending, but it doesn’t mean that it wasn’t super successful.” (Via celticsblog.com/boston-celtics…)

Zach Lowe: "Eight years ago I wrote a piece about the supermax and how it was forcing teams into very painful decisions with home-grown superstars. And the tentpole for it was Jimmy Butler." "If you draft a player and he becomes a success story to the point Jaylen Brown did, Finals MVP, Champion, beloved in the community, it just feels viscerally wrong that his contract becomes something you want to get rid of... something is wrong with a system that turns home-grown stars, in some cases not all, into albatross contracts."

Shams: "Over the last three, four weeks while this Jaylen Brown stuff was going on, teams were calling the Celtics on Jayson Tatum. Their answer was hard stop: 'No, we're not trading Jayson Tatum. He's untouchable. He's not on the table.' Jaylen Brown, different story. Open for business. Ready to trade him. 'Give us your best offer.' So that's the dichotomy of both of those situations. Just so we know from a reporting perspective, like they treated Jaylen Brown different than they treated Jayson Tatum."

Shams on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown: "On the court, they were great. But over the last year or so, that personal relationship, it was as close to not existent as you could have.” (h/t @TheNBABase)