Month: September 2025

RealGM Radio: Keith Parish On The Southwest Division

RealGM Radio: Keith Parish On The Southwest Division

The Southwest Division is STACKED with storylines heading into this NBA season. Wes Goldberg (RealGM Radio) and Keith Parish (Fastbreak Breakfast, Grits & Grinds) break down every team-Rockets, Spurs, Pelicans, Mavericks, and Grizzlies-and make predictions for how the division will shake out.

We cover Kevin Durant joining the Houston Rockets, Victor Wembanyama’s year three leap, Zion’s health, Cooper Flagg’s impact in Dallas, and Memphis’ tough decision to move Desmond Bane.

Time Stamps
00:00 – Intro & why the Southwest Division is fascinating
02:00 – NBA division realignment talk & rivalries
08:45 – Houston Rockets: Kevin Durant trade, roster fit & concerns
20:30 – San Antonio Spurs: Year 3 of Wemby, Fox pairing & depth chart questions
30:00 – New Orleans Pelicans: Confusing offseason, Point Zion & Jordan Poole fit
42:20 – Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg’s role, Kyrie injury & roster imbalance
49:30 – Memphis Grizzlies: Trading Desmond Bane, Ty Jerome & KCP additions, leadership void
59:45 – Predictions: Who wins the Southwest Division?

Subscribe to RealGM Radio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or via the RSS feed. Watch on YouTube.

by Editor

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer confident he'll be cleared in NBA's Kawhi Leonard probe: 'I welcome the investigation'

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer confident he'll be cleared in NBA's Kawhi Leonard probe: 'I welcome the investigation'

If Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is nervous about the NBA looking into whether he gave Kawhi Leonard impermissible benefits during his free agency, Ballmer isn’t showing it. Ballmer said Tuesday he welcomes the NBA’s investigation into the situation.

Ballmer made those comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Drive event, where he was a featured speaker. When asked about the situation, Ballmer said he was defrauded and that the NBA will find that the Clippers’ relationship with Aspiration and Leonard’s relationship with Aspiration were “independent.”

Ballmer added that he’s “quite confident … that we abided the rules” and said he welcomes the NBA’s investigation because it will “get the facts out there.”

Ballmer, the Clippers and Leonard are being investigated by the NBA after reports emerged suggesting a company in which Ballmer invested paid Leonard $28 million for “no-show jobs” allegedly as a way to circumvent the NBA’s salary cap. 

[Get more Clippers news: Los Angeles team feed]

That company, Aspiration, reportedly treated Leonard’s payments as a critical priority, going so far as to pay Leonard $1.75 million despite the company being in rough financial shape. The company made that payment shortly after Clippers co-owner Dennis Wong invested $1.99 million in Aspiration.

Those connections were unearthed by journalist Pablo Torre. While Torre did not find direct evidence proving the Clippers and Ballmer used Aspiration as a way to pay Leonard to circumvent the salary cap, Torre connected enough dots to ignite the NBA’s investigation into the situation.

Following those revelations, both Ballmer and the Clippers denied the allegations, saying Ballmer was defrauded by Aspiration and that the team and Ballmer had “no oversight” into Leonard’s independent endorsement agreement with Aspiration. 

Ballmer reiterated those comments Tuesday, and implied the NBA would not find anything suspicious with its investigation. The league originally investigated Leonard’s free agency in 2019, after it was rumored his uncle, Dennis Robertson, asked teams for impermissible benefits as those teams courted Leonard. The league found no evidence the Clippers granted illegal benefits to Leonard at the time of that original investigation. 

NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke about the Leonard investigation Wednesday, saying the NBA would need strong evidence in order to issues punishments against Ballmer and the Clippers.

Ballmer’s comments Tuesday indicates he believes the league will find that the Clippers acted appropriately during and after Leonard’s free agency.

by Editor

Ex-Aspiration CEO denies Kawhi had no-show deal

Ex-Aspiration CEO denies Kawhi had no-show deal

The former CEO of Aspiration, the company that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is accused of using to circumvent the salary cap, says claims that Kawhi Leonard signed a no-show contract with his former company are false.

by Editor

Sources: Biyombo returns to Spurs on 1-year deal

Sources: Biyombo returns to Spurs on 1-year deal

Free agent center Bismack Biyombo, who averaged 5.1 points and 5.6 rebounds last season, has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Spurs, sources told ESPN.

by Editor

Germany Defeats Turkey To Win EuroBasket 2025; Greece Takes Third Place Over Finland

Germany Defeats Turkey To Win EuroBasket 2025; Greece Takes Third Place Over Finland

Germany defeated Turkey 88-83 in the EuroBasket 2025 Final. This is Germany’s second EuroBasket gold medal. Turkey took home silver for the first time. Greece won their third EuroBasket bronze medal in a 92-89 defeat of Finland.

Isaac Bonga led Germany with 20 points. Franz Wanger added 18 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Dennis Schroder had 16 points and 12 assists. Tristan Da Silva chipped in with 13 points off the bench.

Alperen Segun led Turkey with 28 points. Cedi Osman had 23 points. Shane Larkin went for 13 points, six rebounds and nine assists, while Adem Bona added 12 points.

In the third-place game, Giannis Antetokounmpo led Greece with 30 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and two blocks. Tyler Dorsey added 20 points. Lauri Markkanen led the way for Finland with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

by Editor

Giannis: Greece’s bronze my top accomplishment

Giannis: Greece’s bronze my top accomplishment

Giannis Antetokounmpo called Greece’s victory in the EuroBasket bronze medal game “probably one of the biggest accomplishments” of his career.

by Editor

How to Watch Germany vs. Türkiye EuroBasket 2025 Championship: Franz Wagner vs. Alperen Sengun

How to Watch Germany vs. Türkiye EuroBasket 2025 Championship: Franz Wagner vs. Alperen Sengun

Much like we have started to see in the NBA, it’s a changing of the guard in EuroBasket as a generation of stars still at their peak — Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Luka Doncic (Slovenia) — could not lift their teams to the championship game. However, a younger generation of stars, leading deeper teams, will play for the title.

It will be Alperen Sengun and Türkiye against Franz Wagner and Germany for the EuroBasket crown, with the game on Sunday in Latvia. Here is everything you need to know about watching the game.

EuroBasket 2025 championship, Germany vs. Türkiye: How To Watch

Germany vs. Tyrkiye tips off Sunday, Sept. 14 at 2:00 PM ET (9:00 PM local time where the game is played in Riga, Latvia).

In the United States, games can be streamed on Courtside 1891, FIBA’s official streaming platform. All EuroBasket games can also be viewed through DAZN on the Courtside app.

Alperen Sengun vs. Franz Wagner

While led by young NBA stars, Germany and Türkiye are playing for the EuroBasket crown because they are the best, deepest teams in the tournament. Both play strong defense, and both are 8-0, with Türkiye winning its games by an average of 19.5 points and Germany by 26.8.

That said, the stars have stood out. For Germany, Orlando’s Franz Wagner has averaged a team-best 21.1 points per game plus 5.6 rebounds. He’s been a force.

Wagner may not be Germany’s best player in this tournament, however. Sacramento Kings guard Dennis Schroder is averaging 20.9 points and 6.6 assists a game, running the offense like a seasoned veteran. There are a number of players on the German squad NBA fans will know, including Wagner’s Orlando teammate Tristan Da Silva, as well as former NBA players Daniel Theis and Isaac Bonga.

Sengun clearly has been Türkiye’s best player, averaging 20.8 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists a game — he has been at the heart of everything.

Like Germany, Türkiye has several names NBA fans will know on the roster, including current 76ers big man Adem Bona as well as former NBA players Cedi Osman and Shane Larkin.

In a friendly before EuroBasket, Germany beat Türkiye by two points. In terms of common opponents at EuroBasket, there was just one: Germany beat Portugal by 27, while Türkiye beat them by 41.

by Editor

Report links Kawhi’s late pay to Clippers partner

Report links Kawhi’s late pay to Clippers partner

A Clippers limited partner invested $1.99 million in Aspiration nine days before the company made an overdue $1.75 million payment to Kawhi Leonard, according to a report.

by Editor