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Two teams with every expectation that they will be in the mix come the spring will open the season against each other Tuesday when the Los Angeles Lakers play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Lakers will try to squeeze another quality season out of a veteran duo in LeBron James and Anthony Davis while the team receives a much-needed injection of youth from newcomers Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, the 20-year-old son of the team's star.
The new-look Timberwolves elected to shake up the top of the roster by retaining Anthony Edwards but trading Karl-Anthony Towns for the high motor of Julius Randle, who averaged 23.3 points and 9.9 rebounds over the past four seasons for the New York Knicks.
The elder James will turn 40 at the end of December yet looks as spry as ever with the arrival of his son, who played one season at Southern California before making the jump to the NBA. Also adding an injection of energy is new head coach JJ Redick.
"If we have a special group, we'll win some games and we'll be in a position to compete for what we ultimately want," Redick told the Orange County Register. "It also means our players are getting better and we're enjoying coming to work every day."
Los Angeles finished 47-35 last season, eighth in the Western Conference, before advancing to the main playoff field after a victory in the play-in tournament. They were eliminated in the first round by the Denver Nuggets.
James averaged 25.7 points with 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists, his highest assist rate since posting a career-best 10.2 mark in 2019-20, when the Los Angeles won its most recent title. He played 71 games last season, his high total in six seasons with the Lakers.
Davis averaged 24.7 points with a career-best 12.6 rebounds and was named to the NBA's All-Defensive first team for the third time in his career.
In Minnesota, Edwards is coming off his best season, when he averaged 25.9 points with 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists, finished seventh in MVP voting and landed on the All-NBA second team. He finished the summer with a gold medal while playing with James and Davis for Team USA at the Paris Olympics.
Most important of all last season, Edwards guided the Timberwolves to a 56-26 regular-season record and a trip to the Western Conference finals, whey they were upended by the Dallas Mavericks.
However, in an effort to build a more complete roster around Edwards, the Timberwolves elected to trade Towns, who put up 21.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last season, for the muscle of Randle, who has been an All-Star three of the past four seasons.
Minnesota also received Donte DiVincenzo in the deal to maintain a 3-point shooting presence with the departure of Towns.
The Timberwolves are elite on defense, thanks to the inside presence of reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, and will strive to further develop their overall offensive game.
"Where we're at now feels like it's in a really good place," Minnesota coach Chris Finch said as his team prepared for its final preseason game. "Feels like ahead of the curve. ... (When) they start counting the stats for real, sometimes the ball tends to get a little sticky. So hopefully, that's not the case."
More must-reads:
- Nikola Jokic’s agent sparks LeBron James to Denver speculation with Instagram post
- Bulls sign HC Billy Donovan to multiyear extension
- The 'NBA Summer League MVPs' quiz
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Celtics Rumors: Damian Lillard, Neemias Queta, Ben Simmons
Damian Lillard was briefly linked to the Celtics after being waived and stretched by the Bucks, but that possibility came and went quicker than a Jrue Holiday text. Turns out Holiday did shoot his shot. “As soon as I was waived … he sent me the eyeball emoji,” Lillard said at his introductory presser in Portland. “I already knew where I was pivoting to when he sent it, but I didn’t want to say nothing too soon, so here we are.” “Here” is back in a Trail Blazers uniform. And while Lillard isn’t expected to play this season as he recovers from a torn Achilles, the idea of him as a long-term Jayson Tatum insurance policy briefly crossed Boston’s radar. That was about as far as it got. As MassLive’s Brian Robb wrote, the Celtics never had the financial path to compete with Portland’s three-year, $42 million offer. Boston only has the $5.7M taxpayer MLE to work with — and using that might’ve meant shedding some other salary just to stay under the second apron. Who’s starting at center? In a new mailbag, Robb projects Neemias Queta as the likely starting center if the roster stays put. That would give Boston a lineup of Queta, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White, with the last two spots up for grabs. Payton Pritchard vs. Anfernee Simons at point guard? Sam Hauser vs. Georges Niang at forward? Maybe Josh Minott sneaks into the mix? Yeah, it’s July. But hey, the debates have begun. No Davison, slim Simmons ddds Boston officially parted ways with JD Davison this week, ending a three-year run with the former second-round pick. According to Robb, the team just didn’t see NBA-level growth. And what about that open roster spot? Ben Simmons is out there. But Robb pegs the odds of Simmons landing in Boston at just 10-20 percent, mainly because he’s expected to get better money (and probably a bigger role) elsewhere. More NBA News Rumors
Browns make curious decision with rookie QB Shedeur Sanders
The Cleveland Browns are giving Shedeur Sanders special treatment in training camp, but it's not the type of favoritism the fifth-round pick would necessarily want. Per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Sanders is the only Browns quarterback who has not been taking reps with the first-team offense during OTAs or the first two practices of training camp. Former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel have all split reps with the first team. Despite being asked to throw passes to members of the equipment staff amid a shortage of professional pass-catchers for a four-quarterback roster, Sanders said he's thankful for the opportunity to show the Browns coaching staff his talents. "I feel like that it's not in my control, so I'm not going to think about that or even have that in my thought process of why it is," Sanders said to a question as to why he's not getting first-team reps. "There's a lot of people who want to have the opportunity to be at this level, and I'm here and I'm thankful to have the opportunity. So, whenever that is, that is." Sanders, 23, believes that he can contribute more to the Browns than what the coaching staff is asking of him. "It doesn't make me feel down or left out because I know who I am as a person," Sanders said. "I know who I am as an individual and I know what I could bring to this team. So, I can never feel less than any circumstance." The Browns selected Sanders with the No. 144 pick in April's draft. As a player whom many draft analysts thought was a first-round talent, Cleveland took what could be the steal of the draft in the fifth round. It's curious why the Browns aren't giving Sanders a shot with the first team early in training camp before the quarterback race becomes more serious. Cleveland should see what Sanders has to offer this summer. Flacco, 40, isn't a long-term solution at the position. Pickett failed in Pittsburgh. The Browns need to gauge what rookies Gabriel and Sanders can do with the first team. Having Sanders throw balls to the equipment staff is a waste of everyone's time. But then again, Cleveland has wasted plenty of quarterbacks.
Rangers Sign Former Stanley Cup Champion to Tryout Agreement
The New York Rangers are adding to their forward depth ahead of their upcoming training camp. The Rangers are entering a new chapter of their organization under new head coach Mike Sullivan. After missing the postseason last year, the organization is trying to rebound and respond accordingly in 2025 and 2026. Former Stanley Cup champion forward Conor Sheary is the latest player to join the new-look Rangers. The veteran forward agreed to a professional tryout agreement (PTO) with the club and will look to earn an NHL deal with his performance in training camp and the preseason. Sheary is a veteran of 593 NHL games. Originally an undrafted free agent, he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins after completing his collegiate career. Following a year with the Penguins' AHL affiliate, he forced his way onto the NHL squad after posting 36 points in his first 30 games of the 2015-2016 season at the AHL level. His debut NHL season went better than ever expected, and he was a key part of the Penguins' lineup that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. Sheary's coach at the time, both at the AHL and NHL levels, was Mike Sullivan. Now, he'll get the chance to reunite with the coach under whom he won two championships. In addition to playing for the Penguins, Sheary has played for three other NHL franchises. The Pens dealt him to the Buffalo Sabres before the 2018-2019 campaign, but he would return to Pittsburgh the following season at the trade deadline. After his second stint with the Penguins, he joined the Washington Capitals. He played three seasons in Washington, D.C. before landing with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he spent the past two years. Over his 593 career games, he's compiled 124 goals and 143 assists for 267 points. His best NHL season came during the 2016-2017 campaign, his second in the league. He scored 23 goals and added 30 assists for 53 points in 61 regular-season games.
New suitor emerges for Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez
The Arizona Diamondbacks have plenty of suitors for third baseman Eugenio Suarez. A new team has reportedly entered the market for his services. Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Phillies have reached out regarding Suarez. While Lauber did not provide any indication as to whether or not those talks have gained traction, the Phillies are an intriguing suitor for the Diamondbacks' third baseman. The Phillies' interest may be a recent development. Jon Heyman of the New York Post speculated on Friday that the Phillies could emerge as a suitor in the wake of third baseman Alec Bohm landing on the injured list with a fractured left rib. Suarez is in the midst of what is arguably his best season thus far. He has produced a .249/.321/.587 batting line in 421 plate appearances entering Saturday with 36 homers and a major league-leading 87 RBI. Suarez would be more than just another powerful bat in the lineup. Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and first baseman Bryce Harper are both left-handed hitters — adding Suarez would provide more balance in the batting order. He would also provide a counter against opposing managers bringing in a lefty reliever to face Schwarber and Harper. The biggest question would be how the Phillies would handle an eventual logjam on the roster. Bohm is expected to return from the IL in mid-August and would not have a clear path to regular at-bats if Suarez were acquired. Schwarber could theoretically return to left field to open up playing time at the DH spot, but his outfield defense is mediocre at best. However, as the Phillies are also looking to upgrade the outfield, where Max Kepler and Brandon Marsh have been disappointments, adding Suarez could solve several problems in one fell swoop.
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