Author: ngocanh

DeMar DeRozan (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The DeMar DeRozan sweepstakes now includes the Sacramento Kings and the San Antonio Spurs. The most recent information follows rumors that the Miami Heat cannot extend a competitive offer to the six-time NBA All-Star.

The Kings and Spurs, previously mentioned as competitors to sign Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, have suddenly entered the discussion over DeRozan, even if the LA Lakers are still linked to him.

DeRozan played with the Spurs for three seasons before signing a sign-and-trade agreement with the Chicago Bulls. Including the forward in their lineup caused the Spurs to miss the playoffs twice and experience one first-round elimination. In his three seasons with the Bulls, DeRozan has just once advanced to the postseason.

Barry Jackson posted, “Kings have talked to the Bulls about DeRozan sign and trade, per source. Spurs are also now another possibility. Despite DeRozan interest in Miami, the Heat is not in a position to give him what he’s seeking at this time… Heat will hope the opportunity on some player it wants arises this summer.”

https://twitter.com/flasportsbuzz/status/1808689071746920466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1808689071746920466%7Ctwgr%5E0950ee7da25120d5595cd24c220040529aee0f12%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.totalprosports.com%2Fnba%2Freport-two-western-conference-contenders-enter-the-race-to-sign-demar-derozan-after-miami-heat-failed-to-offer-an-acceptable-contract%2F

The most recent information follows rumors that DeRozan’s camp will decide within a day. Now that it appears the Miami Heat will withdraw from the competition, three clubs are in the running, barring a team that signs Markkanen.

DeMar DeRozan Once Stated on Feeling ‘Irrelevant’ With the Spurs

During a prior interview for the ‘Old Man & Three’ podcast, DeMar DeRozan discussed his time as the Spurs’ head coach and his time with now-Lakers head coach JJ Redick. Despite his excellent statistical performance, the forward said it troubled him because the team was not well-known nationwide.

He said, “I had great games. I developed in a lot of great ways as a basketball player but in the same token, I just felt nonexistent for those years. It wasn’t like we were on TV, we weren’t competing. There was so much to it that was a struggle. I just felt like I was irrelevant.”

DeMar DeRozan led the team in assists per game with 6.2 and shot 49 percent while averaging 21.6 points per game throughout his three seasons with the Spurs. He acknowledged that head coach Gregg Popovich has raised his game to a new level. He now has the opportunity to sign a contract and rejoin his previous squad and coach. Or will they be beaten to it by the Kings or Lakers?

Kel’el Ware and Michael Jordan (Image source: X/ Bally Sports Sun and Getty images)
The Heat have a history of making the most of their mid-first-round selections, and this year they picked Kel’el Ware at No.15 in the NBA Draft. The rookie recently stirred controversy even before starting his NBA career by snubbing Michael Jordan from his NBA Mount Rushmore.

Ware shared his NBA Mount Rushmore during a recent appearance on ‘Miami Mic’d Up’ with Jeremy Chandler Tche. Unexpectedly, the rookie’s list did not include Michael Jordan.

Kel’el Ware (@KelelWare) names his NBA Mount Rushmore on ‘Miami Mic’d Up’ with @jeremytache:

• Wilt Chamberlain
• Kobe Bryant
• Anthony Edwards
• Bam Adebayo (@Bam1of1)

Gotta love rookies… 😂

Full podcast 🎧 https://t.co/jKUZGw12Vk pic.twitter.com/VSMbk9jSWY

— HEAT on FanDuel Sports Network (@FanDuelSN_Heat) July 3, 2024

Instead, Ware named Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Anthony Edwards, and Bam Adebayo as his top four NBA players. The surprising moment came when Ware explained why he left Jordan off his list.

“I would say MJ, but I heard that some of his stats were false,” Ware said.

Jordan’s 1988 Defensive Player of the Year Award has come under scrutiny. Scottie Pippen recently made a startling claim that NBA scorekeepers fabricated statistics to favor Jordan for the title.

It was completely unexpected from Pippen, especially considering they won six league championships and established themselves as one of the greatest duos in basketball history.

Kel’el Ware Signs a Four-Year Deal With Miami

Per Spotrac, Kel’el Ware signed a four-year, $22.5 million deal with the Heat. His contract includes a guaranteed $9.5 million at signing, with an average salary of approximately $5.6 million per year.

This deal currently makes Ware the sixth-highest-paid player on the Heat, which aligns with the rookie scale for the 15th overall draft selection.

After his standout season at Indiana, the star rookie earned the Heat’s trust. He averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in his sophomore year, which helped him secure a spot on the second-team All-Big Ten.

Paul George and Kenny Smith (Image Source: Getty Images)
Paul George had his future sorted after the blockbuster move to the Sixers. After months of speculation surrounding him, PG13 will don the blue stripes of the Philly franchise. But in his spare time, he’s devoted to his podcast. And there he recently unearthed a fact that would shock many.

During a recent episode of “Podcast P”, the conversation went towards some NBA trivia. George asked his fellow pod hosts if they were aware of the players who won both the Slam Dunk and the 3-pts contest in the same year. They were quick to highlight the Bucks guard Damian Lillard as one. To everyone’s surprise, George revealed Kenny Smith was the other player to do so.

Paul George: “Kenny Smith… [Were] his knees always like that?”

Jackie Long: “He wouldn’t have gotten drafted if his legs [were] like that.”

PG: “He wouldn’t have passed medical.” 😅

(via @PodcastPShow)pic.twitter.com/dYPX67eRgd

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 3, 2024

But due to the TNT analyst’s standing pose of having his knees arched inwards, Smith was called “leggies.” Wondering if his legs were always like that, George said, “He wouldn’t have passed medical,” after one of his co-hosts said that Smith wouldn’t get drafted if his legs were always like that.

Kenny Smith played in the NBA and won two championships with the Rockets, a feat that Paul George has yet to achieve.

Sixers’ Championship Chances Boosted With Addition of Paul George

The Sixers saw their title hopes dashed after they fell short to the Knicks. The Philly front office was stubbornly motivated to land a third star alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to make the process work. This they did by bringing in Paul George on a 4-year $212 million contract.

BREAKING: Free agent F Paul George has agreed on a four-year, $212 million maximum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN. George committed in a meeting with Sixers officials and returns East to join Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in pursuit of an NBA title. pic.twitter.com/pkCfGu3hyp

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2024

With this acquisition, the Sixers made a big jump in the NBA championship odds. According to Fanduel, the 76ers are now 3rd after the Celtics and the Nuggets to win the championship.

George would not only add his veteran experience but also the needed expertise on the hardboard. Averaging 22.6 points per game in 74 regular-season games, George showed that he is still one of the best forwards in the league. But after this move, the Sixers shouldn’t have any excuses for not making a deep playoff run or a championship push.

Marcus Smart and Kyrie Irving (Image Source: Getty Images)

Kyrie Irving made a top tier spot for himself in the league through his remarkable performances. However, his controversial actions against his former teams have overshadowed that. Nevertheless, this hasn’t change the fact that he’s one of the best teammates, not only to Luka Doncic on the Mavericks, but also his former Celtics teammate Marcus Smart.

When Smart was asked to share on the “Run Your Race” podcast how he viewed Kyrie as a teammate, the Texan instantly replied, “Great teammate.”

“And I think Kyrie gets a little bit more than his fair share [of criticism] because of just who he is,” Smart added. “He’s not going to back down from anybody — on the court or off the court. No matter what topic you want to talk to him about, don’t matter what game, what sport, he’s not going to back down. And that gives him a lot more shade than normal, but as a teammate, Kyrie’s great.”

The duo have shared the stage for roughly two seasons from 2017 to 2019. During that period, the duo had some ups and downs in their bond which Smart revealed to the same host Theo Pinson.

Smart Looks Back at Coming to Terms With Kyrie Irving

While sharing his insights on Kyrie Irving, Marcus Smart spoke about their bumpy initial days in the squad. Both the guards found it hard in the beginning to establish a connection with each other on the hardwood.

Explaining how he and Kyrie came to terms, Smart said, “I remember, I sat him down one time and was like, ‘Listen bruh, I just want to see how you’re doing. I know you’ve got a lot going on too. People probably don’t ask you as much as how you’re doing.’ I just told him, I said, for me to be the best defender that I’m going to be, bruh, I’m going to guard you and it’s going to be every day.” (After 59 seconds)

Soon after, Kyrie left for the Nets and a few years later, Smart was unexpectedly traded to the Grizzlies. However, the latter still has a high regard for his former teammate.

Shaquille O’Neal with the “Hawk Tuah” Girl (Photos via @djdiesel/X)
Shaquille O’Neal and the “Hawk Tuah” girl didn’t just meet up this past weekend, they spent some proper time together.

The former NBA center shared photos of himself with the new internet sensation this week, revealing he ran into her in Nashville, Tennessee. The images prompted lots of comments, with Shaq getting accused of shooting his shot.

TMZ has since learned that O’Neal has become an unofficial advisor of sorts as he gave Hailey Welch lots of tips on how to handle her newfound fame.

The Diesel is said to have advised Hailey to get a team to manage her, as she would encounter many people looking to take advantage of her.

According to said publication’s sources, Welch showed Shaq some of the nasty and hateful comments she got after her “Hawk Tuah” moment went viral.  In turn, he told her not to pay attention to her haters as none of them know her.

The “Hawk Tuah” Girl Got To Party With Shaq

The pair also partied together at Jon Bon Jovi’s new spot in Music City.

Hailey had gotten on stage for a performance with Zach Bryan the night before, and once Shaq saw her, he had his team contact her so she could come to his DJ gig at Bon Jovi’s joint.

TMZ claims they spoke for around an hour before the four-time NBA champion brought her up to the DJ booth, prompting lots of excitement from the crowd. It wasn’t all fun, though, as he stepped on her foot at one point.

@redneckk_revival

Shaq is the last person anyone wants stepping on their foot, but the “Hawk Tuah” girl didn’t break any bones.

It’s said she now considers him a friend and someone who has her best interest at heart.

Bronny James (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Bronny James’ rookie year might not go the way most expect it to.

The Los Angeles Lakers drafted the 19-year-old as the 55th overall pick last month and have since signed him to a curious four-year contract worth $7.9 million, with three years guaranteed.

There’s been some outrage online because Bronny is a second-round pick who’s gotten a one-way deal, but he might not actually be with the Lakers next season—well, at least not these Lakers.

Bronny James Could End Up In The G League

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the former USC guard might spend his rookie year with the South Bay Lakers in the G League, although he is likely to take to the court with his father for the first week of the campaign just for show.

“Well, what the Lakers’ expectations are is that he’ll largely be a G League player like almost any 19-year-old player coming into the league drafted in the second round,” Woj explained during an appearance on ESPN. “I think what you’ll ultimately probably see is Bronny James in the first week of the season on the court with his father, in a very…I don’t want to call it ceremonial but the eyes of the world will be on that. 

“They’ll do that the first week of the season, but there’s no expectation Bronny James is going to be in the Lakers’ rotation. He’ll spend a lot of his time playing with their G League team which shares a practice facility with the Lakers.

LeBron James Might Not Approve A G League Move, However

Paying a player that much money to play in the G League is bizarre, but you do have that kind of pull when you’re LeBron James’ kid.

Then again, LBJ’s influence might make it so that his son never even sees the G League.

Time will tell.

The mother of Kyle Filipowski’s seven-years-older girlfriend has spoken out for the first time amid the shocking allegations that her daughter ‘groomed’  the college basketball star while he was still in high school.

The 20-year-old Duke alum got engaged to Caitlin Hutchison in April and is now estranged from his family, who have accused the 27-year-old of ‘coercive control’ and ‘scheming’ to entrap the rising star for five years.

‘There will be things forthcoming,’ Amanda Hutchison said at her home in Madison, Alabama, adding that the couple is laying low amid the ‘storm’ of accusations.

‘What we’ve always said to the kids is, for everything that’s good, if you have faith at all there will be adversaries, there’s always a negative for every positive,’ she said. ‘So it’s how we weather those storms.’

Kyle Filipowski, 20, and his fiancée Caitlin Hutchison, 27, are laying low amid a swirl of shocking allegations from his family that she groomed him from when he was in high school, relatives have revealed

The couple are ‘weathering the storm’, Hutchison’s mother Amanda told DailyMail.com – after Filipowski’s family slammed Caitlin as a manipulative schemer who set her sights on Filipowski years ago when he was still at school

As a sophomore,  Filipowski  took Duke to the elite eight of this year’s NCAA March Madness

Her comments come after 6’11” Filipowski unexpectedly dropped to the second round of the NBA draft last week where he was selected by the Utah Jazz. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony linked the blow to ‘off-court goings on’ regarding his girlfriend.

Givony’s remark prompted the player’s mother, Rebecca, 60, to respond on X saying: ‘You are opening a two year issue… and she is 28 with an endgame three years ago to have a diamond ring on her hand when Kyle left Duke. HE WAS STILL IN HS.’

Filipowski’s oldest brother, Daniel, 29, also publicly aired their concerns on X. Initially he did not name Hutchison, but referred to ‘Mormon grooming and brainwashing’ and suggested readers ‘join some dots.’ Hutchison was raised in the LDS.

Later, in a series of follow up posts obtained by DailyMail.com, Daniel was more forthright slamming his younger brother’s partner as a manipulative schemer who set her sights on Filipowski years ago.

According to Daniel, ‘My brother is a victim and was unfortunately a “perfect” pawn and target for this girl’s lifelong scheme based on his human characteristics and growing potential as a high-level prospect which started taking place in 2019, exactly at the time when she began her pursuit of him.’

That would have made Filipowski just 15 years old when Hutchison – who is 27 not 28  as stated by his mother – ‘began her pursuit.’

In fact, DailyMail.com has learned that Hutchison has known Filipowski since he was a child.

A tweet posted by Kyle’s older brother Taylor, 24, in January 2017 shows a group shot including Filipowski to the far left and Hutchison in the center. Filipowski was 13 and Hutchison 20 at the time of the picture.

The caption reads, ‘#throwbackthursday to an amazing and fun day. Hanging out with my cousins again.’

Hutchison’s mother Amanda (pictured) spoke exclusively to DailyMail.com at her Madison, Alabama home. She didn’t go as far as pushing back on the rumors – but suggested more details about the controversial coupling would soon be revealed

Amanda Hutchison, 60, told DailyMail.com that she and her family are hunkering down waiting for the ‘storm’ of rumors about her daughter and basketball player fiancée to blow over

The player’s oldest brother, Daniel, 29, posted a cryptic tweet referring to ‘Mormon grooming and brainwashing’ and suggesting readers ‘join some dots’ before being more forthright in slamming Hutchison for allegedly manipulating his brother into a relationship

Hutchison is not a blood cousin to Filipowski but, DailyMail.com understands, their parents, Amanda and Kevin Hutchison, 55, and Rebecca and David Filipowski, 65, were at one point so close that their kids regarded each other as ‘family.’

As far as the Filipowskis are concerned, Hutchison abused that closeness and set out to ensnare the young man who, they allege, due to his height and talent, she recognized stood every chance of becoming a successful pro-athlete.

Certainly, Hutchison was dating Filipowski by the time he attended his high school prom, going with him as his date when he was 17 and she was 24.

In a post appealing directly to his brother Daniel stated, ‘Kyle…myself, your entire family and friends love you and are here for you!

‘I have received so much outreach and support from families that have a child who has fallen victim to this same terrible and evil progression of psychological control and manipulation.’

In a series of screenshots Daniel also posted definitions of ‘Coercive control,’ where a person is subjected to ‘a pattern of isolating, threatening controlling behavior that deprives an intimate partner of freedom, peach and safety, and over time of their identity, personhood, independence, safety, and self-sufficiency.’

He posted the definitions along with the comment, ‘Goes out to all the families out there who have suffered through this experience in the past or are currently going through this right now! You are NOT ALONE.’

Hutchison is not a blood cousin to Filipowski but, DailyMail.com understands, their parents were at one point so close that their kids regarded each other as ‘family’

Hutchison and Filipowski on vacation together last year in a photograph shared on the basketball player’s Instagram

None of these words, nor the sentiments shared with DailyMail.com by Hutchison’s mother this week, suggest a hope of rapprochement anytime soon.

In fact, Amanda Hutchison told DailyMail.com that she and her family are hunkering down waiting for that proverbial storm to pass.

Standing in front of her Alabama home, Amanda Hutchison said: ‘We are weathering storms. We are all zipped and clipped. Just covering down.’

She promised again that ‘clarification would be forthcoming’ but would not elaborate what she meant by that.

According to Amanda, ‘It’s out of my hands. It’s in the hands of the PR, within Kyle’s agency and the NBA.’

DeMar DeRozan (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The likelihood of DeMar DeRozan joining the LA Lakers or Miami Heat has decreased. According to the most recent sources, the Chicago Bulls guard is not interested in signing a $13 million MLE. NBA expert Chris Haynes stated that both clubs would need to be resourceful with their salary space if they wanted to sign the six-time NBA All-Star, following reports that the Heat was among the teams interested in his talents.

DeRozan’s name has been associated with the Lakers after their elimination from the Klay Thompson tournament. The 34-year-old signed a three-year, $50 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks, which included a player option.

DeMar DeRozan has zero interest in taking the MLE for $13M, per @ChrisBHaynes

Teams like the Lakers and Heat would have to get creative to create cap space or work out a sign-and-trade.

(Via @BleacherReport ) pic.twitter.com/qvwsVxEnwq

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 2, 2024

This meant LA had to turn their attention to the following well-known free agent quickly. However, a contract with DeMar DeRozan is still in the works. The Bulls were purportedly amenable to a sign-and-trade agreement with the Lakers in recent reports.

At this point in his career, the player is more of a forward than a guard. Thus, he will try to sign and trade to increase his chances of signing a longer deal for the upcoming campaign.

Lakers’ Genuine Interest in DeMar DeRozan Revealed by Bulls Insider

K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports said the Bulls are prepared to carry out a sign-and-deal with LA. He continued by saying that the Lakers truly are interested in DeMar DeRozan.

“The Lakers’ interest is genuine, and the Bulls are open to sign-and-trade possibilities, sources confirmed. But any sign-and-trade would have to be for at least three years and at less annual salary than what DeRozan wants.”

The Bulls were where DeRozan played for the last three seasons. His season, which saw him average 24.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 79 games, is over. His efforts, meanwhile, did not result in Chicago qualifying for the playoffs. Recall that DeRozan and the Bulls last made it to the postseason in the 2021–2022 campaign.

DeMar DeRozan is currently the most excellent free agent on the market, and his ties to Los Angeles help him. Along with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, he undoubtedly gives the Lakers offense more bite despite the legitimate worries about where he fits into the team. He is a qualified bucket with a track record of clutch performance, making him a valuable asset to the side.

Jaylen Brown (Image Source: Instagram/ @fchwpo)
While they wait for the historic ring ceremony on opening night, Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics have been living the life of winners. Speaking of rings, Brown had already pleaded with anyone who may have located his championship parade “7uice” ring to get in touch. Fortunately for Brown, he was reunited with his item when two admirers managed to find it.

Jaylen Brown was spotted getting together with the supporters who had helped him find his misplaced ring. The 2023 NBA Finals MVP honored his promise to provide a gift in return. But he did not arrive with a single, unique present.

Brown posted, “I got it back thank you to Luke and Adi. I’ll see you courtside at the ring ceremony.”

Jaylen Brown lost his “Juice” ring at the Boston Celtics’ championship & he offered a special reward for whoever found it.

Two people named Luke & Adi found it & Brown met up with them to get the ring back, while gifting them a signed basketball, a signed jersey, & courtside… pic.twitter.com/0RumzLBl4Y

— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) July 3, 2024

In exchange, the stars gave the fans tickets to the team’s ring celebration on the opening night of the forthcoming regular season and an autographed basketball and Boston Celtics jersey. They snapped a photo of each other before their meeting ended, and Jaylen Brown kept thanking them.

He first revealed his predicament on Instagram Stories and requested assistance from his followers. He promised a “big reward” to the first person to discover it. Several fans reposted the Celtics star’s post on X after it was initially made on June 22.

Jaylen Brown Shares the Photo of the Ring on His Social Media

Later, Jaylen Brown uploaded a photo of himself thanking the people who got his ring back, clutching it tightly with his fingers.

In addition, Brown’s apparel line “7uice”—a play on his Celtics jersey number—was included on the ring. The design also includes several etched diamonds.

Got it back thank you to Luke and Adi I’ll see you courtside at the 💍 ceremony pic.twitter.com/ull3D7WgBV

— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) July 2, 2024

Following a 16-year championship drought in the city, many people celebrated the Celtics’ championship victory as they marched back in the parade. Players, including Brown, who seemed ecstatic the entire time, were put on duck boats and paraded across the city.

LeBron James (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Social media is going in on LeBron James following the news of his new deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

James entered free agency a few days ago in a bid to help the team sign another top player, suggesting he was willing to take a pay cut.

However, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday morning that the veteran has agreed to a two-year $104 million deal inclusive of a no-trade clause and a player option. James and the Lakers are still discussing the possibility of going $1 million below the maximum to allow the team more flexibility in building the roster.

So LeBron James returns on a 1-plus-1 deal for his 22nd season and takes his future year-to-year now in the NBA. https://t.co/o1YPztpbMT

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 3, 2024

Fans are now accusing James of knowing how this would play out all along. Check out some of their reactions below:

Perfectly played by LeBron, honestly. Says he'll take a paycut – but for only the guys he wants – great PR move, that. They don't get anyone, because who wants to join a team where you're always trade bait & always to blame.

And some think he's not running the show there. Crazy.

— Adam (@AdamJoseph) July 3, 2024

 

“Lebron is gonna accept a lot less money in order to bring in some stars”

Instead he takes over $50 mil a year and makes the team draft his son 😂

— Brad Bets ⚽️🪜 (@BradBetsFooty) July 3, 2024

So, no LePayCut, huh? No one wants to be part of realiry show, Keeping up with the Jameses 😂

— JBond (@jbondwagon) July 3, 2024

https://twitter.com/SkyedOKC/status/1808477739613376826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1808477739613376826%7Ctwgr%5E38a9ee258d5c8fd70a97258285c8e4a934c0b7f9%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.totalprosports.com%2Fnba%2Fsocial-media-is-accusing-lebron-james-of-blatantly-lying-after-he-re-signed-with-the-los-angeles-lakers%2F

Pulled off a phenomenal PR stunt with the whole pay cut for specific players to show how bad the Lakers front office really is

— Brunshim (@Jmbrunshim) July 3, 2024

LeBron James Hasn’t Surprised Anyone

Of course, it’s no surprise that LeBron James chose to return to L.A., given that the team just drafted his first son, Bronny James, as a second-round pick last month.

James had made no secret about wanting to play with his son, although his agent, Rich Paul, insisted that that was no longer the case heading into the draft and that Bronny’s destination would have no bearing on where the player chose to sign.

He will have a hard time getting anyone to believe that, however.

Meanwhile, the Lakers are working on signing Bronny to his rookie contract after taking him at 55 overall. The 19-year-old is now set to become part of the NBA’s first father-and-son pairing, which will make the 2024 season a historic one for the league, LBJ, and his son.

The four-time NBA champion will turn 40 in December and is heading into his 22nd season. He is considered by many to be the greatest of all time.

James iss the league’s all-time top scorer and the first to pass 40,000 points while also fourth in all-time assists, eighth in steals, eighth in made threes, and third in made free throws.