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The Washington Wizards are going through a rebuild, and if they are going to use a blueprint in how to fix a basketball team and turn things around, the Oklahoma City Thunder are a great model to try and replicate.
The Thunder were one of the league's worst teams over the past few years, but things slowly picked up for them thanks to the DNA and culture of their team that they built.
Now, they have an identity as one of the best defensive teams in the NBA.
“They are a really good defensive team,” Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas said postgame. “They're really good, they are helping each other they are moving on the strings. It wasn’t easy. We fought.”
The defense and their other qualities are admirable, and the Wizards hope that they can be that in the coming years.
“We got talent, we got humble guys who are willing to win and put extra work in," Valanciunas said. "Now we just got to do it. It's not going to be built over the over the weekend. We got to invest some time, invest patience, invest dedication and we'll be fine.”
The Wizards could be seen as a team struggling to figure things out, but a plan is being implemented, and that means they are going in the right direction.
Like Valanciunas said, this is not something that can be built overnight. It will take years to build a contender that can challenge the best in the NBA, but the Wizards are doing it in such an organic way that it can be solved so long as the front office drafts the right people in the coming years.
The Wizards are back in action on Thursday as they take on the Charlotte Hornets.
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- Wizards Rookie Alex Sarr Seeing Shooting Improvement
- Insider: Kings, Wizards Could Make Trade
- Wizards Named Landing Spot for Hawks Center Clint Capela
- Wizards Bottom in Power Rankings, But There's Hope
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Celtics expect to make another move
It's been a busy summer for the Boston Celtics. Brad Stevens entered the offseason aware that he needed to trim the payroll, as the Celtics faced a substantial $500 million cap sheet, including luxury taxes. Unfortunately, cutting costs meant parting ways with Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis via trade. It also meant waving goodbye to Luke Kornet in free agency, and potentially Al Horford, too. Yet, despite those cost-cutting measures, Boston's addition of Josh Minott has kept them marginally over the second luxury tax apron. When speaking with Keith Smith of Spotrac, an anonymous member of the Celtics front office hinted that more moves could be on the way, as Stevens continues to reshape Joe Mazzulla's rotation. “Still figuring it all out. As you’ve noted, we’re still above the second apron," the executive said. "We won’t finish there. It sucked to trade Jrue (Holiday) and KP (Kristaps Porzingis), because we loved those guys and they loved Boston. But it was being brutally honest that we aren’t the same level of team without Jayson (Tatum). We’ll be good. We’ll be a playoff team, but…you know. It’ll come for every team that lands where we did. You can’t be over the second apron and not a title contender. It’s just poor management for both the short- and long-term. The frozen pick and pick dropping stuff is real.” Sam Hauser, Anfernee Simons and Georges Niang are the most likely players to be traded next. Stevens will likely assess each player's market and what a potential return could look like for the Celtics. At which point, one or more of that trio could be heading for the exit door. The harsh reality for the Celtics is that with each trade, they're moving further away from championship contention. Considering Tatum will be back ahead of the 2026-27 season, Stevens is on the clock to get his retooling in place. Boston is projected to be one of the busiest franchises over the next 12-18 months. The core trio of Derrick White, Jaylen Brown and Tatum is already in place. Multiple young players will have the opportunity to prove they can be part of the next championship roster. And then, from there, Stevens must find the right blend of veteran talent. Whether the Celtics can pull off this turnaround in such a short time remains to be seen.
Yankees Traded Flourishing Infielder for Struggling Closer
The New York Yankees have made their 2025 goals abundantly clear: They're trying to return to the World Series and win it all. In an effort to do so, the Pinstripes traded pitcher Nestor Cortes and infielder Caleb Durbin to the Milwaukee Brewers this season, adding closer Devin Williams to the roster. Halfway into the season, it looks like that was a big mistake. The Yankees are now looking to fill gaps in the both the bullpen and the infield before the MLB trade deadline rolls around at the end of the month. Utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera was great at third base, but suffered a potentially season-ending injury in May. The Yankees tried to compensate by shifting Jazz Chisholm Jr. to third, but it was clear Chisholm excels at second, and he's since been moved back. Durbin, on the other hand, has only gotten better in Milwaukee. "Over 75 games this season, Durbin is slashing .265/.350/.382 with five homers and elite contact skills at the plate," Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports Media wrote. "He ranks in the 95th percentile in whiff rate and 98th in strikeout rate — rare company for a young infielder. Durbin’s advanced plate discipline would’ve been invaluable in a Yankees lineup that too often leans on boom-or-bust approaches." Then there's Devin Williams, who has been part of a shaky-at-best Yankees bullpen. He has certainly seen improvement since the beginning of the season, when he was pulled from closing duties after a blown save to the Yankees' division rival Toronto Blue Jays. However, it hasn't been quite enough. Toronto swept New York in a four game series earlier this month, securing their lead of the AL east over the Pinstripes. Williams pitched the final inning, giving up two earned runs. He has a 4.82 ERA over 37.1 innings pitched in 41 games. Williams keeps improving, and hopefully will prove that the Yankees made the right choice by acquiring him. However, that still doesn't fill the gaping hole New York has at third base, and they're likely missing Durbin's consistent abilities in the field and at the plate. The Yankees have until the July 31 MLB trade deadline to make any trades to address these issues. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! Cam Schlittler is Not Yankees Paul Skenes Yankees Fighting Red Sox for Diamondbacks Pitchers Yankees’ Aaron Judge Ties Alex Rodriguez on All-Time List Braves Troll Yankees' Jazz Chisholm With Walk-Up Song Yankees in Trade Talks With Pirates
Caitlin Clark Had to Be Held Back by Fever Coach During Intense Moment Against Aces
Aari McDonald did not exactly turn in a mind-blowing performance in the Indiana Fever’s 80-70 win over the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday night. The 5-foot-6 guard, however, came up big down the stretch as she helped lead the Fever to their first win in three games. It was McDonald who slammed the door shut on the Aces with a big triple with 33.8 seconds remaining in the game. The first-year Fever guard closed out Las Vegas with a clutch three in the final minute to give Indiana a 78-70 lead. McDonald’s trey was one of the biggest moments of the game, and it drew quite a reaction from Fever superstar Caitlin Clark, who sat out for a third consecutive contest due to a lingering groin injury. Clark was so hyped that she had to be held back by one of the Fever coaches as the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year celebrated McDonald’s clutch heroics. It is important to note that no timeout was called after McDonald made the shot, which means that Clark could have been called for a technical foul for entering the court while the game was still in progress. From another angle, Clark can be seen screaming loudly after seeing McDonald’s step-back triple hit the bottom of the net. Aari McDonald Has Stepped Up for the Indiana Fever in Caitlin Clark's Stead McDonald got her third straight start for the Fever on Thursday night as Clark’s primary replacement in the lineup. She responded with another solid performance, registering nine points, two rebounds, four assists, two steals and three triples against the Aces. In the last three games, the former third overall pick has put up averages of 8.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals in 27.4 minutes of action. She’s also knocking down 1.7 triples per game on a 38.5% shooting clip. It doesn’t seem like Clark will be coming back anytime soon, which should mean an increased load for McDonald in the interim. Clearly, she’s more than happy to answer the call.
New York Giants QB Russell Wilson had dinner with a free agent during his visit with the team, and it seems to have been a hit
Among multiple big moves this offseason, the New York Giants decided to sign 10-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson to be their starting QB in 2025. Although Wilson has undoubtedly taken a step back over the past couple of years, for the Giants, this looks like a significant upgrade compared to what they endured at quarterback for most of last season. In addition to his on-field play, Wilson's successful career lends a status that seems like a perfect fit for the New York market. It didn't take long for the Giants to put that status to work, either, with Wilson taking part in a free agent WR's visit with the team earlier this offseason. Russell Wilson joined in on WR Gabe Davis' free agent visit with the Giants Former Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars WR Gabe Davis had a free agency visit with the Giants earlier this offseason, back in May. His experience playing under now Giants head coach Brian Daboll, when he was his offensive coordinator with the Bills, led many to believe that this pairing could make a lot of sense for both sides. Months have gone by, and many are still wondering if the Giant will choose to sign the deep threat WR. Davis recently appeared on the "Up and Adams" show hosted by Kay Adams. He spoke about his visit with the Giants and how it was pretty awesome to have dinner with Wilson, along with other team personnel. Davis shared that he believes Wilson is "a legend" and that they had "a good dinner, a good night for sure." Adams then brought up how much she liked the idea of Wilson and Davis connecting on a deep ball, which led Davis to share his thoughts on the pairing, "Yeah, that's me and Russ' game for sure, a deep ball threat, and Russ knows how to sling it downfield. It's something I've looked into for sure."
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