The NBA offseason is right around the corner and the Detroit Pistons are a team to monitor this summer as they try to upgrade their roster and build off their impressive season.
Detroit was able to finish sixth in the Eastern Conference this season and they gave the New York Knicks a fight in the first round before eventually falling in six games.
Despite this, it was a successful season for the Pistons as they went from having the worst record in the NBA the prior two seasons to being a playoff team.
Now Detroit has some key decisions to make this summer as they look to build around their core of Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren.
Of course, the Pistons could elect to make a trade for another star this offseason or they could just look to upgrade their rotation via trades and in free agency.
One player who has been linked to the Pistons is Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Grizzlies and other teams believe that the Pistons could be a threat to pursue Aldama this offseason.
REPORT: Grizzlies and other teams believe the Pistons could be a threat to pursue Grizzlies RFA Santi Aldama, per @JakeLFischer. pic.twitter.com/EycKzdLzyi
— GSW Ball Report (@BallReportX) June 8, 2025
Aldama is a restricted free agent, which means that Memphis could match any offer he receives, though they may be willing to move on from him this summer if another team offers him too large of a contract, which Detroit could do.
Detroit could be a perfect landing spot for Aldama as he would give them another big man and scorer who would likely come off the bench behind Tobias Harris.
This season, the 24-year-old averaged 12.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 48.3% from the field and 36.8% from three-point range.
Aldama was able to improve his numbers again this season as he continues to develop his game, especially on the offensive side and he could be a key piece off the bench for Detroit if they elect to pursue him this summer.
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While Jayson Tatum's Achilles tear made their decision easier, the Boston Celtics' offseason was always about saving as much money as possible. The NBA enforces harsh penalties on teams that are above the NBA's second tax apron for three straight seasons, so moves were coming no matter what Tatum's health status was. While Boston technically didn't have to confront this problem until the trade deadline at the latest, doing so would have risked giving up more assets to get under the second tax apron, so their moves this offseason have undoubtedly hinted that they wanted to get it done now. The Celtics have done just that. Trading Jrue Holiday for Anfernee Simons helped them save a few million, but trading Kristaps Porzingis for Georges Niang helped them save over $20 million. The team saved even more money when they swapped Niang for RJ Luis Jr. These trades not only helped the Celtics get under the NBA's second tax apron while cutting down on their luxury tax bill, but the team as a whole saved hundreds of millions on their payroll. Cap expert Yossi Gozlan explained the Celtics' financial situation in a nutshell. "The Celtics entered the offseason at the eight luxury tax level, which gave them a floor of $237 million in tax penalties," Gozlan wrote. "They are now slightly above the third level, leaving their current projected penalty at just under $40 million. As a result, they’ve saved nearly $290 million in roster expenses since the start of the offseason." For that same reason, Gozlan also explained why the Celtics may not be finished making moves this offseason. "While the Celtics have reduced their tax penalty to a reasonable amount, they’re likely not done," Gozlan wrote. "They are just $4 million above the first apron. Getting below it would free them of several roster-building restrictions. For example, they’d be able to take in more salaries than they’re sending out in a trade and open up to $14.1 million non-tax mid-level exception." This Could Explain Why Anfernee Simons is Available Since the Celtics first acquired him, Simons has reportedly been available in trade talks. This is still the case, as Jake Fischer reported that Boston has made him available to acquire in a trade on Sunday. "The expectation persists, furthermore, that Boston will continue to invite trade discussion involving Anfernee Simons from now through next season's trade deadline on Feb. 5 at 3 PM ET," Stein wrote. Simons is owed nearly $27.7 million for the 2025-26 season. While he is a quality player, if Boston can get under the first tax apron and repeater tax by trading him, the team might just take it.
Jon Gruden sent another warning shot toward the NFL after scoring a major win in court. On Tuesday, Gruden welcomed a ruling that will force the NFL to litigate the circumstances of his firing in court rather than closed-door arbitration. The former Las Vegas Raiders coach made clear that he intends to continue his legal challenge to the NFL to ensure that they are held accountable. “I’m looking forward to having the truth come out, and I want to make sure what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else,” Gruden said in a statement provided to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. “The league’s actions disrupted the whole season. We were leading the division at the time and they completely blindsided me and the team.” The Raiders were 3-1 in 2021 when Gruden was forced to resign after some offensive emails that he sent between 2011 and 2018 were leaked. Gruden has alleged that the NFL leaked the emails to force him out of a job after obtaining them during an investigation into the Washington Commanders. The NFL is set to appeal Monday’s ruling, but if that appeal fails, the league may be forced into public discovery. One alternative would be to offer Gruden a settlement, but he has not said whether or not he would be interested in such a resolution. Gruden has not held an NFL coaching job since the Raiders forced him out. He has recently spoken about possibly making a return to coaching at the college level.
It is no secret that NASCAR's current road-course package has not been very good. Aside from the mile-and-a-half tracks that were once the least competitive and exciting in the series, those races are the rare bright spot for the Next Gen Car since its inception in 2022. Shane van Gisbergen drove away to an 11.1-second win over Christopher Bell in Sunday's race at Watkins Glen and set multiple records in the process. While the racing was not particularly exciting, that was not what left former crew chief and current analyst Steve Letarte frustrated the most following the weekend. A recurring issue in each race over the weekend was drivers utilizing the runoff areas around the track and not staying on the traditional racing surface, which ultimately led to some crashes in Saturday's Xfinity race. "So, I hate track limits that have to be officiated," Letarte said on "Inside the Race." "Because I like tracks that you should just stay on the track. I didn't think it mattered. Now, I am team get-them-back-on-the-race-track-at-Watkins-Glen. I don't love the Watkins Glen that I see. ... I think Turn 1 is not as great of a corner with no exit respect or responsibility. You just blow the exit. I think the carousel is a much easier corner, being able to just go driver's left. "I also think Turn 6 is going — let me add, that I think the (Connor) Zilisch, SVG wreck between the last two corners (in the Xfinity Series race) happened because they left the track, and the Austin Hill wreck with Michael McDowell happened off the race track. Now, both could have been avoided, we can talk about who's at fault. What I'm saying is, I've never driven a lap at Watkins Glen. I can analyze what happens between the white lines." This comes one year after rumble strips were placed in Turn 1 to keep drivers from using the runoff area, and that clearly has not worked. As the field has got closer together, using up all the track has become a common way for drivers to establish momentum, especially as they prepare for the right-hander going into The Esses at Watkins Glen. The bottom line is NASCAR's road-racing product needs to get better and Letarte wants to see race cars "stay on the race track because I think it will be a better race." Van Gisbergen's historic dominance certainly does not help, but the overall road course product is not great. Whether NASCAR makes some changes to the runoff areas and enforces track limits remains to be seen, but that still may not be the biggest issue if the racing does not improve.
Lady Gaga is reportedly "heartbroken" about the loss of Ozzy Osbourne, a big name in music who she said was one of her first big influences. The 76-year-old musician fought Parkinson's disease and other health problems for a long time. According to Radar Online, Gaga marked the loss by sending Sharon Osbourne, 72, a luxury bouquet of flowers worth several hundred dollars, the insider said. Gaga also honored the Prince of Darkness during her Mayhem Ball tour stop in San Francisco with a performance of "Crazy Train." Before leaving the stage, she told the crowd, "I'll miss you, Ozzy." The tribute carried extra weight for Gaga, who had shared her admiration for him years before her own rise to stardom. "She used to strip to Black Sabbath at her early shows," the source said, adding that she once told Ozzy the story and he "found it hilarious." A Public Tribute Hours After His Death Gaga's onstage tribute came July 22, hours after Ozzy's family confirmed his death in the UK. Fans at the Chase Center watched her and her dancers headbang offstage to "Crazy Train" while wearing shirts bearing his name. "I got goosebumps," one fan commented on a TikTok video from the show. Another wrote on Instagram, "Everyone is celebrating Ozzy's death the way he would have wanted... eventually turning up the volume and rocking out to Ozzy." Her grief follows years of mutual respect between her and the Osbourne family, despite a public clash with Sharon in 2013. The feud began after Sharon's daughter Kelly criticized Gaga's weight on E!'s "Fashion Police," prompting Gaga to write an open letter calling for more compassion. Sharon accused Gaga of hypocrisy for not telling her fans to stop sending threats to Kelly. From Feud to Reconciliation Tensions got calmer when Gaga later went on "The X Factor UK," where she hugged Sharon and gave Kelly a cake for her birthday. This public reconciliation made way for a nicer time between them in years to come. Gaga knew Ozzy in a personal and professional way. She met him and Sharon on a red carpet in 2014, at the MusiCares Person of the Year eventk. There, they hugged, took photos, and chatted. Ozzy reportedly left a big mark on Gaga's work. The "Poker Face" hitmaker would say the heavy metal icon was a big push behind her style, mixing her pop look with a love for hard rock and metal. His death hit her hard, the source shared. "She's been a huge fan of Ozzy and the Osbournes for years," the insider said. "This was personal for her."
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