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As the NBA offseason kicks into gear following the conclusion of the NBA Finals, the Hornets are now allowed to negotiate with their own free agents and players eligible for rookie/veteran extensions as of July 6.
The group of players in that category includes restricted free agents Tre Mann and Wendell Moore Jr., along with unrestricted free agents Seth Curry and veteran big man Taj Gibson. Out of those four, the player Charlotte is most likely to prioritize is Mann, who’s still just 24 years old and coming off the best season of his career, averaging 14.1 points per game.
Locking in a player like Mann should be at the top of the to-do list for President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson. With LaMelo Ball’s injury history continuing to be a concern, having a capable scoring guard like Mann behind him is pivotal for roster stability.
Moore Jr. saw some minutes last season but struggled to make an impact. His NBA journey, which started in Minnesota before landing in Charlotte, hasn’t gained much traction. With three picks in the top 34 of this week’s NBA Draft, it’s hard to see him remaining part of the long-term plans.
The situations with Curry and Gibson are less clear, but both have played over 14 seasons in the league. Given the Hornets’ clear focus on building around young talent, it wouldn’t be a surprise if both veterans move on.
Two other players eligible for extensions this summer are Mark Williams and Grant Williams, though both face uncertain futures in Charlotte. Mark Williams was nearly traded to the Lakers at this year’s deadline, and with his name still circulating in offseason rumors, reconciling things between him and the front office could be tough.
Grant Williams played a decent amount last year but doesn’t appear to be a long-term fit, especially after Peterson used his first draft pick in charge on Tidjane Salaun, who projects as the team’s future at power forward. While Grant is under contract through the 2026-27 season, a multi-year extension feels unlikely.
All things considered, the Hornets aren’t expected to be aggressive when it comes to handing out long-term extensions to their own players. Most of those eligible for new deals seem more likely to be on their way out. Of the group, Tre Mann stands out as the most realistic candidate to return — and the one Charlotte should prioritize keeping.
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Bulls may have found gem in former 12th overall pick
The Chicago Bulls have lost in the play-in tournament in three straight years, thus securing a pick at the end of the lottery. Based on their first preseason game, they may have found a gem at No. 12 in 2024. 20-year-old Matas Buzelis scored 19 points in 18 minutes as the Bulls defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 118-117, Tuesday night. The young forward shot 8-for-11, grabbed eight rebounds, hit two three-pointers and blocked a shot in an all-around impressive performance. Matas Buzelis is a local product who could be a much-needed star The Bulls took Buzelis, a Chicago native who went to high school 20 miles from the United Center, out of the now-defunct G League Ignite team. He started slowly, playing minor minutes and averaging 6.4 points in the first half before playing his way into the starting lineup. After the Bulls traded Zach LaVine, Buzelis had a 24-point game, shooting 10-for-10 from the field with four threes. He started all 31 games after that, averaging 14.2 points in the season's last three months. In March, he had a 31-point game against the Los Angeles Lakers, followed by a 28-point game against the Dallas Mavericks a week later. On Tuesday, he continued to get buckets. Buzelis has more star potential than anyone on the Bulls roster Buzelis is intriguing because he combines size and skill. He's a 6-foot-10 forward who shot 36.1 percent on three-pointers last season, but who also gets to the rim. Despite playing 18.9 minutes per game, Buzelis racked up 65 dunks, taking over 30 percent of his shots within three feet of the rim and shooting 63.3 percent. He's a passable defender already, a rarity for a player who still can't legally buy a drink until Oct. 13 — his 21st birthday. All that means Buzelis is locked in as the team's starting power forward and should get 30 minutes per game and plenty of touches on offense, especially with top scorer Coby White banged up already. The Bulls find themselves in a peculiar position. They only have long-term commitments to Josh Giddey and disappointing forward Patrick Williams. The Bulls have a chance at massive cap space next summer, although they're likely to extend White's contract. Suppose Buzelis can emerge as a genuine scoring threat; that makes the Bulls' upcoming roster decisions much easier, especially since Buzelis should be able to play either forward spot. Chicago has shown no willingness to tank for a better draft pick, so finding a star requires a trade, a likely free-agent overpay, or getting lucky at the back of the lottery. It's only been one game, but Buzelis was scoring at will at Summer League in July. After years of being mired in mediocrity, Buzelis gives the Bulls a chance to go from play-in to playoff contender in the near future. For a team that often feels directionless, this Chicago native represents a tantalizing path to NBA relevancy for the Bulls.
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Rangers must address these details after season-opening loss to Penguins
The New York Rangers started the 2025-26 season poorly, as the opening night at Madison Square Garden ended with a 3-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. This result overshadowed the official debut of Mike Sullivan as coach of the Rangers and the first game of J.T. Miller as captain of the franchise. That said, two empty net goals at the end masked a game that was closer than the score reflects. Justin Brazeau scored near the end of the first period, and then there were two empty netters in the final minutes, from Brazeau and Blake Lizotte. Igor Shesterkin saved 27 of 28, keeping the Rangers alive for a long period. The match was stuck and there were few clear chances, remaining at 1-0 for almost the entire game. Sullivan's team fell into the defensive pace proposed by the Penguins. What went wrong for the Rangers in their loss to the Penguins It was not a total tactical disaster for the Rangers, but there were specific details that can be linked to the result. There was a lack of offensive interiority from the Blueshirts. New York lived on the perimeter, without traffic, without second chances, and without backdoor runs. It became evident that a goaltender in rhythm, like Arturs Silovs, sees everything and shuts you down. Although Zibanejad and Lafreniere generated volume, the team did not produce the type of danger that moves the scoreboard. There were also misalignments in the defensive pair made up of Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov. The idea of Gavrikov operating as a physical stabilizer to free up Fox did not materialize. Whenever the first breakout fails, the team plays uphill, and the offense becomes more predictable. On the power play, there was a lack of timing and triangulation in the slot. And although on the penalty kill, new rotations were shown that worked in stretches, the defensive zone at five-on-five offered second chances that Shesterkin saved until he could no more. Decision-making under pressure is also an area of opportunity for the Rangers. In the final minutes, the pinches without backup showed anxiety more than an organized aggressiveness. Brazeau's goal came as a result of a lost face-off that was managed poorly, without clear guidance and roles. An elite team cannot afford to have that lack of synchronization. The goal resulted from a disorderly collapse toward the puck carrier, which led to a lost coverage and an open man in the slot. Had there been communication, a high F3, a quick switch to the netfront, and active sticks, that same pattern would have died in an outside shot without danger. It was many small details together that led to this defeat.
Terry McLaurin's latest injury update leaves questions about his status on Commanders' offense for Monday Night Football
The Washington Commanders have an extra day this week to prepare for the Chicago Bears and heal up, which is needed for some of the injuries on the team. The team has been getting healthy at the right time, but they're still missing three key players who have missed time over the last few weeks. They would love to get them back for a primetime NFC matchup against the Bears, who are getting their own impact players back from injury. The biggest name for the Commanders to watch this week is wide receiver Terry McLaurin, and we got our first update on Wednesday. Terry McLaurin did not practice on Wednesday Everyone is wondering when McLaurin will make his return, especially with Jayden Daniels back from his own injury, and the hope is this week, with the extra day. Head coach Dan Quinn said on Monday that the team was optimistic about McLaurin's return, along with right guard Sam Cosmi and wide receiver Noah Brown, but they had to wait until the team practiced to see their availability. Well, the team showed up to practice on Wednesday, and McLaurin did not participate like Quinn warned right before the players took the field in his press conference. "You'll see Noah out at practice today," Quinn said. "Terry won't. And then with the extra day, we'll just kind of work our way through with Terry to see where we're at and just kind of watch as we're going through it with him and Noah both.” The team will practice again on Thursday before taking Friday off as a recovery day, then take the field again on Saturday and Sunday to get a final game status on players' availability for Monday night, including McLaurin. McLaurin didn't need surgery and avoided going to the IR, which would've put him out for four games, and the team is going into the third game since he was injured, making his return likely this week or next. The good news, however, is that Brown looks like he will be available this week for the first time in a while. Noah Brown is back at practice Regardless of whether McLaurin returns or not, getting Brown back would help the offense while Deebo Samuel and Luke McCaffrey have been carrying the load over the last two weeks. Brown is the one who caught the Hail Mary touchdown last season in this matchup, and who knows what plays he could make on Monday. The more weapons, the better. The offense should continue to lean on the run game, especially against a really bad Bears' run defense, but getting more weapons back for Daniels, who looked much better last week, will long a long way on Monday night. Hopefully, that includes McLaurin, but we will have to wait and see through the rest of the week.
Bengals QB Jake Browning angry about being benched for Joe Flacco, but team had no choice
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning has officially been benched, and he is not taking it lightly. Browning has started the last three games for the Bengals in the wake of a toe injury that Joe Burrow suffered in Week 2. After going 0-3 in those games, the Bengals decided to acquire Joe Flacco in a trade with the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced on Wednesday that Flacco will start in Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers. That means the new guy is taking Browning's job right away, which is hardly a surprise. Jake Browning is not happy about losing his job Browning spoke with reporters shortly after Taylor revealed that Flacco will start in Green Bay. The 29-year-old quarterback said the situation "sucks" but that he understands how the business of the NFL works. "I think it sucks but, like I said, everyone's in the middle of a season. I think, 'Welcome to pro football,'" Browning said. "If you don't play well, you're gonna get replaced, and that's what I'm going through." Browning also admitted he is angry over being benched. Though, he said he is not willing to shoulder the blame for everything that has gone wrong for Cincinnati since Burrow went down. "For me, I'm trying to respond the right way. Obviously, I'm pi--ed. If I wasn't pi--ed, then I shouldn't be in this locker room," Browning added. "I'm aware of the role I played in the offensive struggles over the last few weeks, but I'm also not shouldering the entire situation. I went through yesterday, watched my throws, tried to come up with some stuff I want to work on, and just doing that." Zac Taylor had no choice but to make a switch Browning threw three interceptions in Cincinnati's 37-24 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. He completed 26 of 40 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns as well, but anything positive that the veteran did came when the game was essentially out of hand. In his two starts prior to the Lions loss, Browning threw for a total of 265 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. The Bengals scored 13 points in the two games combined. Ja'Marr Chase looked extremely frustrated at times and even had a heated exchange with Taylor on the sideline. Taylor had been facing tremendous pressure from fans to make a quarterback change. It would not be a surprise if Cincinnati's front office and some players expressed a desire for Browning to be benched, as well.
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