The Dallas Mavericks ended a 2024-25 season filled with drama after general manager Nico Harrison traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. In a wild turn of events, Dallas ended up winning the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. After everything had played out, head coach Jason Kidd was asked about his relationship with Harrison, and Kidd provided his honest answer.
During a guest appearance on the DLLS Sports YouTube show, the 52-year-old head coach claimed that his relationship with Harrison is at a “high.” Although the Doncic trade potentially rocked the boat, it appears Kidd and Harrison are on the same page and working together to continue building the roster.
“Jason Kidd said his relationship with Nico Harrison is at a ‘high’ during an appearance on DLLS Sports.”
With the Mavericks owning the No. 1 pick, it’s highly expected that the franchise will select former Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg. He’s the type of player that should fit right into Jason Kidd’s system and give Dallas a potential new big-three in Flagg, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis.
Combine those three with Klay Thompson and Dereck Lively II, and you have yourself a solid starting five that any team would love to have. Rumors suggest the Mavericks want to find a point guard this offseason, either through free agency or via trade. Jason Kidd and Nico Harrison are possibly looking to find a facilitating point guard to ensure the offense runs smoothly.
Dallas just missed out on the playoffs this season after suffering a 120-106 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in tournament. That allowed the Mavericks to participate in the NBA Draft Lottery with a 1.8% chance to win the No. 1 pick. Everything played out in the team’s favor, giving a borderline playoff team the chance to land one of the top prospects coming out of college.
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Anthony Edwards has gained a fan in Mitch Richmond. During his recent appearance at Byron Scott’s Fast Break podcast, Richmond expressed his admiration for the Minnesota Timberwolves guard. Richmond, who built his Hall of Fame career for scoring buckets, believes he can go toe-to-toe against Edwards. However, he acknowledges that doing so against the Minnesota Timberwolves star is much easier said than done. “I would have liked to play against Anthony Edwards. He’s such a tough cover. I’d be physical with him, no question about it,” Richmond declared. “He’s a pretty good defender. I’m not going to be trying to go in between the legs and all that. I’m going one way. If you stop me that way, I’m putting my body on you and then I’m going the other way,” he continued. Minnesota Timberwolves News: Anthony Edwards draws bold proclamation from analyst Former NBA player and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins strongly believes that Anthony Edwards could force his way out of the Minnesota Timberwolves if the team never reaches the NBA Finals. “If Anthony Edwards don’t reach the NBA Finals, he’s going to request a trade from Minnesota,” Perkins said on the Road Trippin’ podcast. “The Anthony Edwards that just went to the Western Conference Finals two years in a row. If he doesn’t get to the Finals, he’s going to leave.” The Minnesota Timberwolves have been knocking on the door in the past two years with back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances, losing 4-1 to the Dallas Mavericks last year and Oklahoma City Thunder this year.
With the Toronto Maple Leafs losing star Mitch Marner this offseason, the team has had to fill a massive hole in the lineup. The Toronto front office has done a decent job so far, and the roster looks a little more well-rounded. But it seems that the Maple Leafs may not be done making moves this summer. According to NHL insider Nick Kypreos of SportsNet, Toronto could trade away defensemen Morgan Rielly or Brandon Carlo in an attempt to add more offense. "While we do also have Morgan Rielly on this list, if the Leafs move a defenseman it'll likely only be one of them. But while Rielly comes with the complication of a no-movement clause, Brandon Carlo has just an eight-team no-trade list and so is also worth putting on the trade board. "Making $3.485M against the cap for another two years, Carlo was a welcome addition to the Leafs' defense corps, averaging 19:13 of ice time per game and nearly two minutes on the PK. In the playoffs, he was among the team's shot-blocking leaders," Kypreos wrote. Marner accounted for 27 goals and 75 assists last season, which will be very tough for the Maple Leafs to replace. But the team does have a limited number of tradable assets to work with, which could potentially be why they are thinking of trading a defender. The Toronto front office remains very active on the trade front and it could lead to a deal taking place. There is still plenty of time left between now and the start of the regular season, giving the Maple Leafs some needed optionality before the new year.
The Green Bay Packers are going to extreme lengths to replace former Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander, who was released earlier this spring before signing with the Baltimore Ravens. After trying wide receiver Bo Melton out at cornerback during minicamp practices earlier this summer, the Packers appear to have made that position change official, as training camp gets underway. Packers Making Bo Melton a Cornerback During the first practice of training camp, Melton, who the Packers originally signed in December, 2022, was working with the cornerbacks and has officially changed positions. As the summer kicks into gear, the Packers need to figure out how to add quality depth at cornerback not just to replace Alexander but also fill out a depth chart at a position that’s critical in defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s scheme. Prior to changing positions, Melton had caught 24 passes, through his first 22 career NFL games, for 309 yards and one touchdown. However, given the influx of young talent at wide receiver and a desperate need at cornerback, head coach Matt LaFleur, Hafley, and the Packers clearly believe that the 5-foot-11 and 189-pound former Rutgers standout has a clearer path to the field and adds more value in the secondary than at wide receiver.
The New York Giants opened up their first training camp practice by doing red zone work. Here is what we saw. Throwing Darts Now that head coach Brian Daboll has, for the umpteenth time since the offseason, announced that Russell Wilson will be the starting quarterback come Week 1, here is what Wilson and the other quarterbacks did on Day 1 (all unofficial). Malik Nabers: Lingering Toe Injury Being Managed But… Malik Nabers, who missed the spring with a toe issue, told reporters that surgery for his toe issue is still not completely ruled out down the line, but added that for now, the plan the medical staff has in place for him to help manage it seems to be working. “Everything’s been going pretty well with the rehab, so my toe’s feeling better,” Nabers said. “I’m just happy to be out there with my guys now.” Nabers also said he believes his practice reps will be managed this year. He added that he wasn’t sure if the injury would become a long-term issue. “Time will tell,” he said. An Overlooked Pass Rush Weapon? Micah McFadden did some blitzing in this practice, coming in hot from the offense’s right side and managing a pressure. This is an underrated skill of McFadden’s that the Giants haven’t utilized much, and one I hope they use more. Last season, he blitzed 29 times and managed eight pressures, including three sacks. The year prior, McFadden blitzed 53 times with eight pressures. McFadden could very well be an under-the-radar weapon in the pass rush that no one is paying attention to. Quick Hits Dexter Lawrence II saw limited snaps in team drills, but it’s nothing to worry about, as the Giants are simply easing him back into the mix after he was mostly limited in the spring.. Evan Neal received a significant amount of work at both guard positions, playing left guard with the ones and right guard with the twos. I didn't see anything stand out in terms of pressures allowed or anything similar, so that’s a positive. I still think when this is all said and done, the team wants Neal to be able to play left guard, which is where he lined up at Alabama for a season. That would then shift Jon Runyan Jr. to right guard, and Greg Van Roten would become the top backup interior option at guard and center. Kayvon Thibodeaux had a nice start to his summer. I had him with four pressures and a “sack” in this practice. Thibodeaux lined up on most of his snaps across from James Hudson III, who was working with the ones in place of Andrew Thomas (PUP). The Giants continued to rotate snaps between cornerbacks Cor’Dale Flott and Deonte Banks on the first-team defense. I still question if it's truly a competition or a way to light a fire underBanks’s backside, but I thought that today’s showing was a draw. Tight end Greg Dulcich, who has an uphill battle for a roster spot, came up with a one-handed grab for a touchdown in triple coverage that was highlight worthy. Winston threw the pass. What happens next with the NY Giants? Find out! Follow and like us on Facebook. Visit our YouTube channelfor the latest videos. Want to send a question in for our mailbag? You can do so here.
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