The Philadelphia 76ers have promoted Jameer Nelson to be their executive vice president of basketball operations. Nelson will work under newly hired president of basketball operations Mike Gansey.
In addition to promoting Nelson, the Sixers are extending the contract of assistant general manager Prosper Karangwa. Multiple rival teams had considered Karangwa for roles in their front offices this offseason.
Philadelphia’s current GM Elton Brand will vacate that role. The 76ers parent company, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, is working on a new role for Brand elsewhere in the organization.
NBA GMs, Scouts Don’t Expect Thunder To Target Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been speculated as a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade suitor given their position as a title contender who could put together the most compelling offer to the Milwaukee Bucks without losing too many of their existing pieces.
There is an argument that Antetokounmpo could be a better counter for the Thunder against Victor Wembanyama given the struggles of Chet Holmgren in the Western Conference Finals. But Holmgren is significantly younger and less expensive than Antetokounmpo.
“I’ve got to tell you that no one around the league sees them as a Giannis team,” said Zach Lowe on his podcast this week. “Everybody. Every GM, every scout I’ve talked to would be pretty surprised if they veered in that direction.”
Antetokounmpo is believed to value his chances of competing for a title when considering trade possibilities.
Lowe echoed reporting from The Athletic this week that the Miami Heat are considered the team most likely to trade for Antetokounmpo though that is far from certain.
A resolution to Antetokounmpo’s future is expected to come by the draft on Tuesday, June 23rd.
NBA Opens Investigation Into Jalen Brunson Fan Incident Late In Knicks’ Game 1 Victory Over Spurs
The NBA is investigating an exchange between Jalen Brunson and courtside fans during the final minute of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, sources confirmed to ESPN. The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 Wednesday night.
The incident occurred with 29.4 seconds remaining while teammate OG Anunoby was shooting free throws. Brunson, visibly agitated, spoke twice with crew chief Scott Foster during and after the game. He did not address the matter with reporters postgame.
Chris Haynes of Prime Video first reported the league’s investigation.
The confrontation did not affect Brunson’s performance. He finished with 30 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter without a turnover, as New York erased a 14-point third-quarter deficit. The Knicks have now won 12 consecutive playoff games, 11 by double figures, posting a plus-272 point differential over that stretch, the best in the NBA’s 80-year history across regular season and postseason play.
The investigation arrives alongside a separate fan conduct matter from Game 1. The NBA issued a lifetime ban Thursday to a fan who ran onto the court during play attempting to take a selfie with Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. A second individual also received a permanent ban for their involvement.
Fan behavior has drawn increased league attention in recent years. The NBA distributed a memo to all 30 franchises at the start of this season demanding consistent enforcement of its Fan Code of Conduct.
“It is critical that teams and arenas vigorously enforce the Code of Conduct and not tolerate any misconduct that impacts our players, fans, or otherwise disrupts the game,” the league stated.
Some Members Of Cavs’ Front Office ‘Vehemently Against’ Trading Evan Mobley For Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been linked to a possible trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but their front office appears unlikely to be in favor of trading Evan Mobley away in exchange for the two-time MVP. Mobley is easily the Cavaliers’ best trade asset if they were to make a significant move in improving their title chances during the Donovan Mitchell era.
“The Cavs love Mobley, they believe in him and there are multiple members of the Cleveland brain trust that would be vehemently against a Giannis-Mobley swap,” wrote Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Mobley turns 25 this month, making him six years younger than Antetokounmpo, who has battled injuries over the past few years. Mobley will also make approximately $8 million less next season as the Cavaliers balance second apron issues.
Koby Altman went on record last week calling Mobley the team’s “best player throughout the playoffs.”
RealGM Radio: Dubin/Dakhil On Spurs’ Game 7, Thunder Eulogy, Sweeney To Magic, Lottery Reform
Jared Dubin and Mo Dakhil discuss the San Antonio Spurs’ victory in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, what went right and wrong for both the Spurs and Thunder in the series, what the future does and doesn’t hold for the Thunder, the Orlando Magic hiring Sean Sweeney as their new head coach, and the new lottery reform proposal that passed last week.
Timestamps 00:00 Intro 1:23 Game 7 29:15 OKC’s future 1:00:20 Sean Sweeney hired and lottery reform
Subscribe to RealGM Radio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or via the RSS feed for smart NBA playoff analysis, trade rumors, draft coverage and big-picture basketball conversations.
Kyrie Irving Says He’s ‘Close’ To 100% In Recovering From ACL Injury
Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving said on his Twitch stream that he was “close” to being 100% as he recovers from a torn ACL.
“I am definitely close to being over at 100 percent in terms of my ACL recovery,” Irving said.
“It’s been a while now…I’m so grateful that I’ve had the time to heal and just experiment with my body more on the court and off the court in the weight room and just pushing myself to the limit.”
Irving has been out since suffering the injury in March 2025.
New NBA draft rule turns Round 2 order upside down in bizarre anti-tanking measure
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MAY 18: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver looks on after the most valuable player trophy presentation before Game One of the NBA Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs at Paycom Center on May 18, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NBA officially passed its contentious lottery reform on Thursday afternoon in an attempt to address a purported tanking crisis. My initial concerns about the plan still stand, and the NBA added in a couple more bizarre elements for the final product.
It was originally reported that teams can’t pick in the top-5 three years in a row, or No. 1 overall in consecutive years, as part of the new lottery changes. This is seemingly meant to address the San Antonio Spurs moving up into the top-4 in three straight lotteries to draft Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper. That rule created a dilemma over picks that had already been traded. The league decided that it will not grandfather in traded picks, meaning teams who initially made those deals are now punished for them.
The one team this affects in the 2027 NBA Draft is the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies own the Utah Jazz’s unprotected first-round pick in 2027, but now it’s suddenly top-5 protected because the Jazz picked in the top-5 in 2025 and 2026, and thus can’t land a third consecutive top-5 pick in 2027 even if they’re not the ones making it. Somehow, that isn’t even the most bizarre amendment to the reform.
The NBA announced it is flipping the top-16 picks from the first-round in the second-round as part of the lottery reform. This means the team that picks No. 16 in the first-round automatically gets the first pick in the second-round. The team that holds the No. 1 overall pick in the draft won’t pick until No. 16 in the second. The team that drafts No. 2 overall in the first-round now has the 15th pick in the second-round, and so on.
This is an unprecedented move in American professional sports. Previously, the second-round of the NBA draft has been determined by overall record, meaning the Brooklyn Nets pick third in the second-round this year even though their first-round pick fell to No. 6 in the lottery, because they had the league’s third-worst record. Why would the NBA do this? John Hollinger of The Athletic talked to NBA executive vice president Evan Wasch to get an explanation:
Two pieces of logic drove this, according to Wasch. First was to “counterbalance to the luck of the draw in the first round” by at least giving the poor sap whose ping-pong ball was drawn last a better second-round pick.
Secondarily, however, the league wanted to guard against the scenario — one officials acknowledged was unlikely — whereby teams deep in the relegation zone started to tank to land the 31st pick.
My first question is: who asked for this? My second thought is that this is so strange and so creative that I can’t even really be mad about it. I’m mostly just amused.
I always thought a top-10 pick in the second round was pretty valuable. Some recent hits from that range include Jalen Brunson, Ajay Mitchell, Ayo Dosunmu, Herb Jones, Andrew Nembhard, and Neemias Queta. These days, the depth of the NBA Draft has been significantly thinned out by the NIL money flowing through college basketball, so the second round looks a lot weaker. The No. 31 overall pick (or the No. 33 overall pick once the Las Vegas and Seattle expansion teams join) is still a decently valuable asset, but it’s not really worth being upset over at this point.
The best news for NBA lottery reform haters like me is that it’s only a three-year commitment. Come the 2030 NBA Draft, we will possibly have another new lottery system. Three years is a really short trial run, but that’s what the NBA thought it needed to do to address the public relations black eye that came from tanking. It’s going to be fascinating to see how this all goes, including the suddenly flipped second-round.
NCAA baseball tournament 2026: Schedule, scores, and more for regionals
Mar 1, 2026; Arlington, TX, USA; UCLA Bruins against Mississippi State Bulldogs during the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images
The road to the Men’s College World Series begins on Friday, as regional action gets underway.
Here is everything you need to know about the first stage of the NCAA baseball tournament.
NCAA baseball schedule and scores
Friday, May 29
Here are all the games currently scheduled for the NCAA baseball regionals, by day. In the first set of games, the No. 1 seed in each region takes on the No. 4 seed, while the No. 2 and No. 3 teams square off. All times listed are Eastern:
Kentucky 6, Wake Forest 5 East Carolina vs. Tennessee, 12:00 p.m., ESPNU Georgia Tech 22, UIC 5 Northeastern vs. Kansas, 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ Holy Cross vs. Texas, 1:00 p.m., SECN Rider vs. Florida, 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ Milwaukee vs. Auburn, 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ Liberty 4, Boston College 3 USC Upstate vs. Oklahoma State, 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ Little Rock vs. Southern Miss, 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ Lipscomb vs. Mississippi State, 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ St. John’s vs. Florida State, 3:00 p.m., ACCN Saint Mary’s vs. UCLA, 3:00 p.m., ESPNU Washington State vs. Oregon State, 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ Lamar vs. Texas A&M, 4:00 p.m., SECN South Dakota State vs. Nebraska, 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ The Citadel vs. Oklahoma, 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ VCU vs. North Carolina, 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ Binghamton vs. West Virginia, 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ Missouri State vs. Arkansas, 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ NC State vs. UCF, 6:00 p.m., ESPNU Tarleton State vs. UC Santa Barbara, 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ Troy vs. Miami, 6:00 p.m., ACCN Jacksonville State vs. Virginia, 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ Louisiana vs. Cincinnati, 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ Alabama State vs. Alabama, 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ Long Island vs. Georgia, 7:00 p.m., SECN Northern Illinois vs. Coastal Carolina, 8:00 p.m., ESPN+ Cal Poly vs. Virginia Tech, 8:00 p.m,. ESPN+ Yale vs. Oregon, 8:00 p.m., ESPN+ Arizona State vs. Ole Miss, 9:00 p.m., ESPNU Texas State vs. USC., 9:00 p.m., ESPN+
Scores and schedule by region
Here are the schedule and scores for the NCAA baseball regional games by each region. As with the above, the No. 1 team plays the No. 4 team in the opening round, and all times listed are Eastern:
Los Angeles regional
Friday, May 29
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 4 Saint Mary’s, 3:00 p.m., ESPNU No. 2 Virginia. Tech vs. No. 3 Cal Poly, 8:00 p.m., ESPN+
Atlanta regional
Friday, May 29
No. 1 Georgia Tech 22, No. 4 UIC 5 No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 The Citadel, 5:00 p.m., ESPN+
Athens regional
Friday, May 29
No. 3 Liberty 4, No. 2 Boston College 3 No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Long Island, 7:00 p.m., SECN
Chapel Hill regional
Friday, May 29
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 East Carolina, 12:00 p.m., ESPNU No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 4 VCU, 5:00 p.m., ESPN+
Austin regional
Friday, May 29
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 4 Holy Cross, 1:00 p.m., SECN No. 2 UC Santa Barbara vs. No. 3 Tarleton State 6:00 p.m., ESPN+
Tuscaloosa regional
Friday, May 29
No. 2 Oklahoma State vs. No. 3 USC Upstate, 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Alabama State, 7:00 p.m., ESPN+
Gainesville regional
Friday, May 29
No. 1 Florida vs. No. 4 Rider, 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ No. 2 Miami vs. No. 3 Troy, 6:00 p.m., ACCN
Hattiesburg regional
Friday, May 29
No. 1 Southern Miss vs. No. 4 Little Rock, 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ No. 2 Virginia vs. No. 3 Jacksonville State, 7:00 p.m., ESPN+
Tallahassee regional
Friday, May 29
No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 4 St. John’s, 3:00 p.m., ACCN No. 2 Coastal Carolina vs. No. 3 Northern Illinois, 8:00 p.m., ESPN+
Eugene regional
Friday, May 29
No. 2 Oregon State vs. No. 3 Washington State, 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 4 Yale, 8:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 3 Kentucky 6, No. 2 Wake Forest 5 No. 1 West Virginia vs. No. 4 Binghamton, 5:00 p.m., ESPN+
How do the NCAA baseball regionals work?
The NCAA baseball tournament is not your standard single-elimination, bracket format. The tournament kicks off with the regionals, followed by the super regionals, and ultimately the Men’s College World Series.
Regionals are a double-elimination format, with the 64 teams divided into 16, four-team mini-brackets. The top 16 teams in the nation each host a regional, and each of those 16 teams is the No. 1 seed in its regional. Games begin on Friday in a double-elimination format, with each bracket winner advancing to the super regionals.
Super regionals consist of 16 teams advancing to eight matchups, which are a three-game series. The winner of each super regional advances to the Men’s College World Series, which will see those eight teams split again into two brackets of four, in a double-elimination format. That builds to the Championship Series, which is a best-of-three series between the final two teams.
Who are the top 16 teams?
Here are the top 16 teams in the NCAA baseball tournament, ranked from No. 1 to No. 16. Each of these teams is hosting a regional this weekend, and the top eight are guaranteed to host a super regional … provided they advance.
Here are the 64 teams in the field, broken down into the 16 regionals. In addition to the top 16 overall teams being seeded, within each regional the teams are seeded No. 1 through No. 4:
Los Angeles regional
No. 1 UCLA (51-6) (No. 1 overall seed) No. 2 Virginia Tech (30-24) No. 3 Cal Poly (36-22) No. 4 Saint Mary’s (34-25)
The Orlando Magic have hired Sean Sweeney as head coach. Sweeney will finish the season as associate head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.
The Magic also considered veteran head coaches Billy Donovan and Jeff Van Gunfy before moving forward with Sweeney who will be in his first head coaching job.
The Magic fired Jahmal Mosley at the end of their season.
