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After falling to the New York Knicks in six games, the Boston Celtics' title defense is over. Due to Jayson Tatum's achilles tear which is expected to sideline him for all of next season and countless stars to pay, Boston is extremely likely to rehsape its roster ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
Players like Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Sam Hauser may all be available for trade, potentially creating an opportunity for the Brooklyn Nets to bolster their lineup.
In a perfect world where they land Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Nets and GM Sean Marks will have plenty of work ahead to try and create a strong supporting cast around the two-time MVP. Who better to bring in than the point guard that helped Antetokounmpo secure his firsy championship ring four years ago?
Holiday has a $34.8 million cap hit for next season, a number Brooklyn could easily match as long as it includes Cam Johnson in any hypothetical deal (that is of course assuming Johnson isn't used to pry Antetokoynmpo away from the Milwaukee Bucks).
The Nets could see a starting five of:
PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Cam Thomas
SF: Ziaire Williams (unless he walks in restricted free agency)
PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo
C: Nic Claxton
In a weakened Eastern Conference, that starting five has the ability to be a true contender. Every member outside of Thomas is an elite defender, posing a major threat to the Nets' rivals. Even after adding Antetokounmpo and Holiday, Brooklyn could possibly still go after Jonathan Kuminga in restricted free agency, adding even more versatility to an already strong rotation.
Boston is almost guaranteed to tear things down after its unsuccessful postseason and Tatum's unfortunate injury, and the Nets could be an immediate beneficiary of a desperate Celtics front office.
In theory, Marks could target Porzingis instead of Holiday, but Antetokounmpo's experience playing alongside the veteran guard—as well as Holiday's overall fit appearing far better than Porzingis'—could be the deciding factor.
After essentially gifting Boston its ring (both Tatum and Jaylen Brown were both selected with Nets first-rounders), the Celtics can return the favor by helping Brooklyn transform into a title-contender in just one offseason.
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Knicks Guard Opens Up About New Teammates
The New York Knicks are going into the upcoming season with some new additions to the bench. The team signed Guerschon Yabusele from the Philadelphia 76ers and Jordan Clarkson from the Utah Jazz in free agency to boost their second unit, which has big man Mitchell Robinson and guard Miles McBride. McBride spoke to SNY insider Ian Begley about the team's new players coming off the bench alongside him. “Obviously (Clarkson’s) a vet in this league. He’s done great things. Obviously, he can fill up the stat sheet and really score the ball at a high level. And obviously adding Geurschon as well. I think everybody’s seen what he did in the Olympics and carrying that momentum into (last season), so we’re really excited about him,” McBride told SNY last week during an appearance at NYC Basketball Kids Camp in Manhattan. “I feel like we’re going to play fast, we’re going to be using a lot of different guys. If you saw the Finals, they (Oklahoma City and Indiana) had a lot of depth on both teams, and I feel like we’re all NBA guys. So if you’re on the team, I feel like you’re able to help out.” With Yabusele and Clarkson joining McBride and Robinson in the second unit, the Knicks should have a full nine-man rotation when everyone is healthy. Not only will that play a huge factor during the playoffs, but it will also mean a lot during the season to preserve legs. The Knicks were one of the more shallow teams in the league in terms of depth last season, so changing that around should be something that could make a difference next year. The Knicks will return to the team's practice facility for training camp later this fall.
Titans officially give up on this former first-round pick
The Tennessee Titans have officially given up on one of their former first-round draft picks. Wide receiver Treylon Burks has been waived by the Titans, the team announced on Monday. The decision to cut Burks comes two days after the 25-year-old suffered a broken collarbone during training camp practice. Burks injured himself while making a fantastic one-handed catch on a deep ball from rookie quarterback Cam Ward. Early reports suggest Burks will be out for several weeks and miss the start of the 2025 season. The Titans drafted Burks with the No. 18 overall pick in 2022. They acquired the selection when they traded A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles, and they had hoped the former Arkansas star would eventually develop into their top wide receiver. Burks, a three-time All-SEC selection, battled injuries throughout his first three NFL seasons. He played in just five games last year and finished with four catches. Ward said last week that he believed Burks was going to be one of Tennessee’s “best targets” this season, so the timing of the injury was unfortunate.
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Maple Leafs Top Prospect Shatters Expectations at World Junior Showcase
The World Junior Summer Showcase is in full swing, and Maple Leafs top prospect Ben Danford is shattering expectations, truly proving how good of a player he can be. The Toronto Maple Leafs' defensive prospect, Ben Danford, is among the 44 players who were invited to Hockey Canada's World Juniors Summer Showcase. Hockey Canada finally unveiled the 44 prospects who will head to Minnesota for the showcase, after they held the roster release back while the organization dealt with several injuries, which begins Sunday and runs through August 2 in Minneapolis. Defensive prospect Ben Danford is the only Maple Leafs player invited to the annual showcase, where Canada's World Junior staff will get their first look at what their team might look like for the 2026 World Juniors, which will also take place in Minnesota in December. Danford is being called the best player at the World Juniors Summer Showcase Danford has been exceeding expectations, and one source revealed that he has been the best player at the World Junior Showcase so far. The source said Danford is steady, smart, and hard to ignore on the ice. 'Ben Danford has been the best player at the World Junior Showcase he's steady, smart, and impossible to ignore. Makes every shift count, whether he's breaking up plays or starting the rush. Canada's blue line is in good hands.' - An unnamed source The Maple Leafs selected Danford with their first pick (31st overall) at the 2024 NHL Draft. During his visit to Toronto's development camp earlier this month, the defender revealed that he's receiving mentorship from current Leafs defensemen as well as some alumni like Mark Giordano. The 6-foot-2 Danford could make for an excellent fit for Canada should he make the team. He is responsible in his own end, and he demonstrated leadership capabilities when he was named captain of the Oshawa Generals ahead of the 2024-25 OHL season.
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Chicago Blackhawks at Risk of Losing First Round Pick as Other Teams Pitch Big-Money Offers
Mason West is a talented prospect of the future for the Chicago Blackhawks, but it appears he may look to leave hockey for big opportunities in football. The Chicago Blackhawks landed Anton Frondell with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, but it was perhaps their second first-round pick that drew the most intrigue, as they drafted centre Mason West out of the USHL. That pick was intriguing for many reasons, with the 6-foot-6 centre having potential with his talent and his physicality, but now, the team may be in danger of losing the talented 17-year old. According to a report from The Athletic, the No. 29 overall pick has been drawing interest from several NCAA programs to join their team as a football player. Standing at 6-foot-6, the Minnesota native is a star in both hockey and football, tallying 49 points in 31 games at the high school level while also being a star Quarterback, and after putting up 9 points in 10 USHL games with the Fargo Force, the future is bright for him in both sports. Ultimately, at 17-years of age, the future is very bright whichever way West ends up going, but given that the Blackhawks used a first-round pick on him in this past seasons draft, they're clearly confident that they can not only keep him in hockey, but make a good NHLer out of him moving forward.
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