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USA Today
10 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Lakers urged to make trade for young, promising backup center
The Los Angeles Lakers have a fairly competitive roster, but many of their fans aren't satisfied with that roster. They wish the team had some more defensive prowess, especially at the center position. New starter Deandre Ayton is a very potent scorer and capable rebounder, but he has always been accused of giving a lackluster effort on the defensive end. Backup Jaxson Hayes can block shots and protect the rim, but he's extremely limited offensively and too lanky to effectively box out, and his motor doesn't always function at a high rate. Sam Vecenie and Bryce Simon talked about one potential center option for the Lakers during a recent episode of the "Game Theory Podcast." They mentioned Goga Bitadze of the Orlando Magic and said he would "make a ton of sense" as a trade target for Los Angeles (h/t Lake Show Life). "He's a borderline starting center in the NBA," Vecenie said. "He's really good on defense. He's on an amazing contract at like $8 million a year for the next two years, descending down to $7.6 million in 2026-27. … Goga is such a prime target. … He would make a ton of sense for [the Lakers]." Bitadze was mentioned as a possible target for L.A. earlier this summer before it snagged Ayton following a buyout of Ayton's previous contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. Orlando has Wendell Carter Jr. starting at center and Bitadze, Moritz Wagner and Jonathan Isaac as reserves. Bitadze, who recently turned 26 years of age, averaged 7.2 points on 61.1% from the field, 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 20.4 minutes a game last season. He can block shots and control the boards, and he's a strong finisher at the rim. He could also serve as some sort of insurance in case Ayton's lack of focus hurts the team, or in case Ayton doesn't work out at all. He will make $8.3 million this season, which could make him a relatively inexpensive get for the Lakers, not to mention a substantial upgrade over Hayes.
USA Today
22-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How similar is Nets' Cam Thomas to Bernard King for career impact?
Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas is in the middle of his first foray into free-agency at just 23 years old after playing four seasons in the NBA. Thomas has been one of the more polarizing figures in the league due to the way that he plays the game, but there are still many wondering why he hasn't been signed yet. There could be a career comparison for Thomas. "Bernard King is a real comp here, I think... like all of these guys, this is like basically the list of guys who did not win a title playing this style of basketball," The Athletic's Sam Vecenie said on an episode of the "Game Theory Podcast." One of the topics that have been discussed over the past couple of years is how valuable Thomas' style of play is to winning in the NBA today. "As he (Thomas) currently plays basketball, this has not really been a winning player archetype throughout the annals of NBA history," Vecenie continued before explaining that the analysis is more about Thomas' archetype than it is about how good of a player he is. "I'm higher on Cam Thomas' scoring ability than probably what most people are. I think that dude is born to score the basketball and is this incredible, unbelievable scoring basketball player." Thomas is coming off the best season of his career after averaging 24.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 43.8% from the field and 34.9% from three-point land. While Thomas looked like the best version of himself following the 2024-25 season, he played in just 25 games, the fewest appearances that he's made in a season since being the 27th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Time will tell if Thomas can have a career similar to King, who averaged 22.5 points per game for his career, but the main issue for Thomas and the Nets at the moment is agreeing to a contract. Per Brian Lewis of the New York Post, Thomas is looking for a significant pay raise based on some of the guards that are currently making at least $30 million per year.
Time of India
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
NBA Draft 2025: Complete list of picks from Round 1- Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, and more
NBA Draft 2025 Round 1 picks (Image Credit: NBA) The first round of the NBA Draft 2025 started on June 25 at Barclays Center. Most popular prospect Cooper Flagg became the first overall pick. He was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks. A total of 30 players were picked in Round 1. Other important picks included Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, Collin Murray-Boyles, and others. Here is the complete list of Round 1 picks and the teams who drafted them. Complete list of NBA Draft 2025 Round 1 picks 2025 NBA DRAFT LIVE SHOW | Analysis of ALL 30 First Round Picks | Game Theory Podcast Cooper Flagg - Dallas Mavericks Dylan Harper - San Antonio Spurs V.J. Edgecombe - Philadelphia 76ers Kon Knueppel - Charlotte Hornets Ace Bailey - Utah Jazz Tre Johnson - Washington Wizards Jeremiah Fears - New Orleans Pelicans Egor Demin - Brooklyn Nets Collin Murray-Boyles - Toronto Raptors Khaman Maluach - Phoenix Suns Cedric Coward - Memphis Grizzlies (via Portland Trail Blazers) Noa Essengue - Chicago Bulls Derik Queen - New Orleans Pelicans (via Atlanta Hawks/Sacramento Kings) Carter Bryant - San Antonio Spurs (via Atlanta Hawks) Thomas Sorber - Oklahoma City Thunder (via Miami Heat) Hansen Yang - Portland Trail Blazers (via Orlando Magic) Joan Beringer - Minnesota Timberwolves (via Detroit Pistons) Walter Clayton Jr. - Washington Wizards (via Memphis Grizzlies) Nolan Traoré - Brooklyn Nets (via Milwaukee Bucks) Kasparas Jakucionis - Miami Heat (via Golden State Warriors) Will Riley - Utah Jazz (via Minnesota Timberwolves) Drake Powell - Brooklyn Nets (via Los Angeles Lakers/New Orleans Pelicans) Asa Newell - New Orleans Pelicans (via Indiana Pacers) Nique Clifford - Oklahoma City Thunder (via LA Clippers) Jase Richardson - Orlando Magic (via Denver Nuggets) Ben Saraf - New York Knicks (via Brooklyn Nets) Danny Wolf - Brooklyn Nets (via Houston Rockets) Hugo González - Boston Celtics Liam McNeeley - Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland Cavaliers/Utah Jazz) Yanic Konan Niederhauser - Los Angeles Clippers Key highlights of NBA Draft 2025 Round 1 As the Dallas Mavericks won the NBA draft lottery earlier on May 12th, they earned the right to the No. 1 pick. They acquired the top prospect, Duke's forward, Cooper Flagg. Other highlights of the Round 1 NBA Draft 2025 are: Cooper Flagg became the first white American as the No. 1 overall pick, as reported by SB Nation. He was followed by Dylan Harper, who got picked by the San Antonio Spurs. Cedric Coward made a surprise entry at #11 despite having limited college basketball exposure. Among international players, Hansen Yang became the first Chinese-origin player to get drafted in the first round since 2007. Also Read: Who is Yang Hansen? Here's what you need to know about Portland Trail Blazers' shocking first-round pick Round 2 of the 2025 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 26, 2025. All the action from the draft can be caught live on ESPN. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
In 2025 offseason, what should the Rockets pay Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams?
In a Houston Rockets offseason preview episode of the Game Theory Podcast, The Athletic's Sam Vecenie makes the case for what new contracts with Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams could look like. Vecenie believes a new VanVleet deal should come in at three years and between $90 and $100 million in total value, while Adams could be at the same length and between $42 and $45 million. Both players are now 31 years old, so a three-season deal could potentially carry each through the remainder of his prime NBA years. Advertisement 'Adams would basically take up the money you're saving by redoing Fred's deal,' Vecenie says of the combined figures and their impact on the Rockets. The Rockets currently have a team option for VanVleet at $44.9 million for the 2025-26 season, and it has been reported that Houston could look to negotiate a contract extension for more years and at a lower annual value. The upside to VanVleet would be locking in more guaranteed money in total, while the advantage to the Rockets would be lowering his payroll number next season. To Vecenie's point, should VanVleet's 2025-26 annual figure be reduced from $44.9 million to something just above $30 million, that gap would nearly match the starting salary in his proposed Adams deal. Adams made $12.6 million this season, and the NBA's non-taxpayer mid-level exception (NT-MLE) this offseason is expected to be in the range of a $14.1-million starting salary. Many teams have access to the NT-MLE, so a contract in that general vicinity would seem realistic, on an annual basis. And from Houston's perspective, it's unlikely they would ask or expect Adams to take a paycut after an elite playoff performance. Advertisement It's worth noting that VanVleet had a very strong playoff run, as well. However, his larger salary compared to Adams could make it more likely that he takes a paycut, and especially because there aren't many teams with significant salary cap space this offseason. In the absence of external market leverage, that could drive down his annual cost, on a relative basis. By lowering the combined figure of the VanVleet and Adams contracts, that could provide Houston with additional space (relative to the NBA's tax thresholds) to help fill out the rest of its roster. Relative to 2024-25, the Rockets will be a much more expensive team in 2025-26 due to salary increases for fifth-year players Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green — which makes saving money at other spots more of a priority. Teams can exclusively negotiate with their own pending free agents (in this case, VanVleet and Adams) immediately after the conclusion of the 2025 NBA Finals. Then, on June 30, negotiations between free agents and other teams can begin. In a perfect world, the Rockets would reach deals with VanVleet and Adams before that later date. The question will be if everyone is on the same financial page. Advertisement It has been widely reported that VanVleet and the Rockets want to stick together, and Houston has expressed optimism that Adams wants to return, as well. More: Rockets reportedly remain optimistic that Steven Adams wants to return This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: 2025 offseason: What should Houston pay Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams?
USA Today
09-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
In 2025 offseason, what should the Rockets pay Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams?
In a Houston Rockets offseason preview episode of the Game Theory Podcast, The Athletic's Sam Vecenie makes the case for what new contracts with Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams could look like. Vecenie believes a new VanVleet deal should come in at three years and between $90 and $100 million in total value, while Adams could be at the same length and between $42 and $45 million. Both players are now 31 years old, so a three-season deal could potentially carry each through the remainder of his prime NBA years. 'Adams would basically take up the money you're saving by redoing Fred's deal,' Vecenie says of the combined figures and their impact on the Rockets. The Rockets currently have a team option for VanVleet at $44.9 million for the 2025-26 season, and it has been reported that Houston could look to negotiate a contract extension for more years and at a lower annual value. The upside to VanVleet would be locking in more guaranteed money in total, while the advantage to the Rockets would be lowering his payroll number next season. To Vecenie's point, should VanVleet's 2025-26 annual figure be reduced from $44.9 million to something just above $30 million, that gap would nearly match the starting salary in his proposed Adams deal. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle Adams made $12.6 million this season, and the NBA's non-taxpayer mid-level exception (NT-MLE) this offseason is expected to be in the range of a $14.1-million starting salary. Many teams have access to the NT-MLE, so a contract in that general vicinity would seem realistic, on an annual basis. And from Houston's perspective, it's unlikely they would ask or expect Adams to take a paycut after an elite playoff performance. It's worth noting that VanVleet had a very strong playoff run, as well. However, his larger salary compared to Adams could make it more likely that he takes a paycut, and especially because there aren't many teams with significant salary cap space this offseason. In the absence of external market leverage, that could drive down his annual cost, on a relative basis. By lowering the combined figure of the VanVleet and Adams contracts, that could provide Houston with additional space (relative to the NBA's tax thresholds) to help fill out the rest of its roster. Relative to 2024-25, the Rockets will be a much more expensive team in 2025-26 due to salary increases for fifth-year players Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green — which makes saving money at other spots more of a priority. Teams can exclusively negotiate with their own pending free agents (in this case, VanVleet and Adams) immediately after the conclusion of the 2025 NBA Finals. Then, on June 30, negotiations between free agents and other teams can begin. In a perfect world, the Rockets would reach deals with VanVleet and Adams before that later date. The question will be if everyone is on the same financial page. It has been widely reported that VanVleet and the Rockets want to stick together, and Houston has expressed optimism that Adams wants to return, as well. Because the Rockets are likely to operate above the salary cap, no matter what (due in large part to the raises for Sengun and Green), there isn't much incentive to letting VanVleet and/or Adams leave for another team — since Houston wouldn't have the ability to use anywhere close to that same money to fill those rotation roles. In the aftermath of a 52-30 season with the No. 2 record in the Western Conference, the Rockets are largely operating with a win-now approach. To say the least, VanVleet and Adams are quite helpful to that ambition.
