NBA 101

Cameron Boozer Says Versatility Sets Him Apart, Cites Knicks As Model

Cameron Boozer said his ability to fill multiple roles on the floor is what sets him apart, pointing to the New York Knicks’ championship run as a blueprint for the kind of versatile play teams now covet. The Memphis Grizzlies’ first round draft pick spoke to The Athletic about his approach following a standout summer league performance.

“Versatility is the name of the game. That’s what teams are looking for,” said Boozer. “Teams want five guys who can make plays. Look at the Knicks this year. Everyone on that team was capable of doing more than one thing. Everyone was capable of playing on or off the basketball. That’s what I feel like I can do best. I can screen. I can handle it. You can put me in a lot of different scenarios.”

Boozer closely studied New York’s title run, taking note of how the team shared the ball, moved cohesively on both ends of the floor, and relied on players capable of multiple skill sets rather than a single dominant scorer. Those observations shaped his own vision for how he wants to impact games as a professional.

That approach was on full display during a dominant 10-day stretch at summer league, where Boozer averaged 18.5 points, eight rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game. His performance helped lead Memphis to the Las Vegas Summer League championship game, a narrow loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Selected third overall in the 2026 draft behind AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson, Boozer is expected to be a day-one starter for the Grizzlies alongside Cedric Coward, last season’s All-Rookie First Team selection. His combination of playmaking, physicality and positional flexibility as a 6-foot-10 forward has drawn comparisons to the multi-skilled roster construction that defined New York’s championship approach.

Dunc’d On: Dort/Risacher Trade; OKC, ATL, DAL, WAS, MEM, CHI Offseasons

Matisse Thybulle, Lakers Agree To One-Year, $3.3M Deal

Matisse Thybulle and the Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million contract.

Thybulle is coming off his three-year, $33 million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers that was originally signed as a restricted free agent offer sheet with the Dallas Mavericks in 2023 that was matched. Luka Doncic was with the Mavericks when Thybulle signed the offer sheet.

Thybulle appeared in 30 games last season with the Blazers, averaging 5.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals as one of the NBA’s best wing defenders.

Thybulle missed most of the 2024-25 season due to right knee tendinopathy.

The Lakers currently have 16 players on guaranteed contracts for the 2026-27 season, which will necessitate additional roster maneuvers before the start of the regular season.

NBA trade grades for Lu Dort 3-team deal with Hawks, Mavs, and Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder have traded one of the foundational players from their 2025 NBA championship run in an effort to trim payroll and stay out of the dreaded second apron. The Thunder traded Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal that also sends former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher to the Dallas Mavericks, according to ESPN insider Shams Charania. Here’s the full breakdown of the trade:

Thunder acquire: Three future second-round picks

Hawks acquire: Lu Dort, Ryan Nembhard

Mavericks acquire: Zaccharie Risacher

The Thunder have reportedly saved $224 million in luxury tax and payroll this season by trading Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe. OKC is now under the second apron, and they are acquiring a 2027 second rounder from the Chicago Bulls (via Dallas), a 2031 most favorable second rounder from the Hawks, and a 2032 most favorable from the Hawks in the deal, according to Jake Fischer. Atlanta has added another bulldog defender on the perimeter, and the Mavs are taking a flier on a failed No. 1 overall pick.

Let’s grade this trade from every side.

Hawks trade grade for Lu Dort deal

Atlanta found some magic after trading Trae Young to the Washington Wizards in January of last season. The Hawks finished 28-15 after the trade with the league’s No. 8 net-rating at +4.9, then proceeded to take two games off the New York Knicks in the first-round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.

In landing Dort, Atlanta adds another bulldog perimeter defender to pair with fDyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Dort is on an expiring $18.2 million deal for the 2026-27 season, which means the Hawks maintain a lot of cap flexibility ahead of the next summer. The Hawks are positioned to have $40+ million in cap space next season according to Charania, and they’re going to be very annoying to play against this year with arguably the league’s toughest defensive trio on the perimeter.

It feels like Atlanta has quietly become one of the best-run teams in the league since promoting Onsi Saleh to lead executive. The Hawks added Kingston Flemings via the brilliant Derik Queen trade, re-signed C.J. McCollum to a smart one-year deal, and added Devin Carter and Aaron Wiggins in trades. Risacher was drafted by the old front office, and he clearly wasn’t part of the Hawks’ long-term plans. Moving off him now seems fine to me given that he was set to make $31.2 million over the next two years. Atlanta is clearly loading up on defense around star forward Jalen Johnson, and they have the assets to make a bigger splash a year from now.

Dort is so physical defensively that he’s a borderline dirty player, and that might be putting it charitably. The East has gotten much stronger this summer, but no one will want to play the Hawks this year.

Grade: A-

Thunder trade grades for Lu Dort deal

Sam Presti always has a long-term vision in mind. He moved off Josh Giddey before he was due for an extension, and added a critical piece to a championship team in Alex Caruso in the process. Now he’s dealing Dort to significantly trim OKC’s tax bill, and potentially open up an extension for Cason Wallace.

Again: doing all of this on the fly (literally!) but Oklahoma City should see their luxury tax bill drop from ~$102.2M to ~$19.6M.

That’s the difference in the tax bands by shedding roughly $15.5M in one trade.

And of course, under the second apron now too. Cason Wallace…

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 19, 2026

The Thunder were always going to be very expensive once the extensions for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren all kicked in. Presti has done well to navigate the second apron as a small market team by moving off role players, replacing them with cost-controlled draft picks, and adding more future assets to potentially make more moves in the future.

The Thunder were the No. 1 team in our way-too-early power rankings. To get back to being a championship team, OKC will need Williams and Holmgren to regain the form they showed on the 2025 title run. In many ways, this team has outgrown Dort. Wallace feels like a more dynamic two-way player, and this also potentially opens up more opportunities for Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, Nikola Topic, and rookie Bennett Stirtz.

Presti isn’t perfect, it just feels that way sometimes. This is pretty good business to move off Dort, add some second-round picks, and maintain flexibility going forward.

Grade: A-

Mavericks trade grades for Zaccharie Risacher deal

Risacher was a pretty shocking No. 1 overall pick from the weak 2024 NBA Draft. I didn’t even have him as a top-10 prospect on my final board, though I shouldn’t exactly be taking a victory lap on that one given that I had plenty of bad calls on my board that year. ESPN was pushing Risacher as the No. 1 overall pick prospect that year. New Mavericks general manager Mike Schmitz started his career covering the draft for ESPN, so it isn’t too surprising that Schmitz saw him as a possible reclamation project.

Risacher was always a bet on a 3-and-D wing. So far, he hasn’t been too impressive in either area. Risacher’s defense graded out in the 26th percentile on EPM last season, and he’s a 36 percent three-point shooter on 8.5 attempts per 100 possessions for his career. Risacher offers very little shot-creation or playmaking. He’s not a plus rebounder for his position, either, and his scoring efficiency has been below league-average both years of his career.

Still, he’s only 21 years old, and could benefit from a change of scenery. He could be a good fit next to Cooper Flagg long-term if he actually becomes effective in the 3-and-D areas he’s supposed to be good at, and he’s already a pretty solid transition player who should run the floor well. I’ve never been a big fan of Risacher, but there’s an outline of a good player there, and the Mavs certainly bought very low on him in this deal. Schmitz knows what he’s doing, and if he believes in Risacher’s long-term future, then this is a fine flier to take at minimal cost.

Grade: B

Hawks Acquire Lu Dort, Ryan Nembhard; Mavs Receive Zaccharie Risacher In Three-Team Trade With Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed to trade Luguentz Dort to the Atlanta Hawks as part of a three-team deal that also involves the Dallas Mavericks. Oklahoma City will receive three second-round picks, with former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher going to the Mavericks, while the Hawks will also acquire Ryan Nembhard.

The move gives Oklahoma City seven second-round picks accumulated this offseason while pushing the team below the second luxury tax apron. The Thunder have now shed roughly $200 million in salary this summer through trades involving Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins.

Rather than decline Dort’s $17.7 million team option to save money outright, Oklahoma City exercised it, then used the trade to acquire future assets, create a $17 million trade exception and position Dort for a long-term contract in Atlanta that wasn’t financially feasible with the Thunder.

Atlanta now pairs Dort with Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker on the wing, giving the Hawks a strong perimeter defensive group. The team will also carry more than $40 million in cap space entering next summer.

Dort was Oklahoma City’s longest-tenured player, having joined the franchise as an undrafted two-way player in 2019 before earning multiple contract extensions. He averaged 8.3 points and 3.6 rebounds last season and has posted career averages of 11.6 points and 3.8 rebounds across seven seasons, all with the Thunder. He earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honors in 2025.

Dallas president Masai Ujiri and general manager Mike Schmitz had targeted Risacher throughout the offseason as part of an effort to build around the Mavericks’ young core under new coach Dusty May. Risacher, 21, averaged 9.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in his second NBA season and finished as runner-up to Stephon Castle in Rookie of the Year voting following the 2024-25 campaign.

Nembhard, 23, averaged 6.6 points, 5.3 assists and 2.2 rebounds in his rookie season last year.

Belgian Grand Prix: Who takes pole position at Spa?

Update: Kimi Antonelli has taken pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix.

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Just two races remain ahead of Formula 1’s August shutdown, this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix and the Hungarian Grand Prix next week.

Who will take pole position at historic Spa-Francorchamps?

Max Verstappen topped the timing sheets in the first hour of practice on Friday, ahead of the Ferrari duo of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. But Drivers’ Championship leader Kimi Antonelli struck back in the second hour of practice, leading the way with a lap time of 1:45.944, ahead of Lando Norris and Verstappen. Hamilton and Isack Hadjar rounded out the top five in FP2.

But later today, following the third hour of practice, the lap times will count for real. Follow along with us here at SB Nation as we track qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix. The session begins at 10:00 a.m. Eastern, so check back early and often. And you can also join the conversation at the brand new F1 Feed, here at SB Nation.

Belgian Grand Prix provisional grid

Here is the provisional starting grid for the 2026 F1 Belgian Grand Prix, which will be filled in throughout the session. It is worth noting that Norris will take a ten-place grid penalty as McLaren has fitted his MCL40 with a new power electronics unit, the fourth of the season and one more than the three allowed under the rules. Hadjar is also going to start at the back of the grid as Red Bull installed several new components over the season allowance, adding up to a 30-place penalty and a back-of-the-grid start.

Update: So although Norris qualified 3rd, he will start 13th.

Row	Position	Driver	Team	Position	Driver	Team
Row 1	1	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	2	Max Verstappen	Red Bull
Row 2	3	Lando Norris	McLaren	4	George Russell	Mercedes
Row 3	5	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	6	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari
Row 4	7	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	8	Arvid Lindblad	VCARB
Row 5	9	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	10	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull
Row 6	11	Liam Lawson	VCARB	12	Pierre Gasly	Alpine
Row 7	13	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	14	Nico Hülkenberg	Audi
Row 8	15	Carlos Sainz	Williams	16	Oliver Bearman	Haas
Row 9	17	Alexander Albon	Williams	18	Esteban Ocon	Haas
Row 10	19	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	20	Sergio Pérez	Cadillac
Row 11	21	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	22	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin

What happened in qualifying?

Here is how the qualifying hour unfolded. All updates are in Eastern time.

Q3

11:11: It’s Antonelli, as he nips Verstappen for pole. Norris bailed out of his final effort.

11:04: Red flag at Spa to clear gravel off the track, ahead of the final runs. But Norris tops the timing sheet after the opening efforts.

Look for Hadjar to give Verstappen a tow again, as he did on the first attempt.

10:51: Q3 is underway with 13 minutes on the clock. Pit lane roars to life with Lindblad leading a group of cars out that includes both McLarens and both Red Bulls.

10:44: Antonelli, Leclerc, Norris, Hamilton, Verstappen, Lindblad, Piastri, Russell, Hadjar, and Bortoleto are the ten drivers in the hunt for pole position, and advanced to Q3 in that order. Remember, however, that Norris and Hadjar are facing grid penalties, so the best Norris can start is P11. Hadjar’s penalty is sending him to the back of the grid.

Q2

10:42: Lawson, Gasly, Colapinto, Hülkenberg, Sainz, and Bearman are out in Q2.

10:34: The Ferraris are next, and Leclerc slots in second, with Hamilton fourth.

Antonelli, Leclerc, Norris, Hamilton, Verstappen, Lindblad, Piastri, Russell, Hadjar, and Bortoleto are the top ten right now. Lawson, Gasly, Hülkenberg, Colapinto, Sainz, and Bearman are in the drop zone.

10:32: Verstappen jumps to second, with Lindblad third and Piastri fourth, all of which shuffles Russell down to P5.

Russell then drops to P6 when Norris jumps to P2.

10:31: Antonelli sets the early benchmark with a 1:45.142, followed by Russell more than a half-second behind him.

10:26: Q2 is underway, but the track is quiet for now.

10:20: Norris, Verstappen, Hadjar, Hamilton, Russell, Lindblad, Leclerc, Antonelli, Piastri, Lawson, Bortoleto, Gasly, Colapinto, Hülkenberg, Sainz, and Bearman are the drivers moving on to Q2, in that order.

Q1

10:19: Albon, Ocon, Bottas, Pérez, Alonso, and Stroll are the six drivers out in Q1.

10:14: Four minutes are left, and the drivers are rolling out for their final push laps.

10:11: Seven minutes remain in Q1. Norris is at the top of the board, followed by Verstappen, Hadjar, Lindblad, and Antonelli.

Colapinto, Ocon, Pérez, Bottas, Alonso, and Stroll are the six in the drop zone. Hülkenberg sits 15th, and Albon in 16th.

10:05: Hamilton is on the track, as the Ferrari mechanics got the job done.

10:04: The clock hits 15 minutes and the rest of the grid roars to life.

10:01: Green light at Spa, and 18 minutes to lose the six slowest drivers. Stroll, Bottas, and Pérez are the three drivers on the grid. Stroll and Alonso each face a ten-place grid penalty, but they were more than a second behind the Cadillacs during practice.

9:57: Qualifying is set to begin in just a few minutes.

What happened in FP3?

The final hour of practice was more of the same at Spa.

Antonelli topped the timing sheets ahead of Norris, finishing more than one-tenth ahead of the McLaren driver. But the biggest story might have been the shunt from Hamilton, as the Ferrari driver found the barrier at Turn 13, in a crash similar to the one Pierre Gasly suffered during FP2:

Hamilton finds the barriers 💥 Here’s what happened 👇#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/FeNgjTo1Js

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 18, 2026

The mechanics at Ferrari now face a race against the clock to get his car ready for qualifying.

Here are the full results from FP3 at the Belgian Grand Prix:

FP3 CLASSIFICATION

Antonelli goes quickest with Norris and Verstappen not far behind 👀#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/pN5NfpLnSH

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 18, 2026

Nuggets Confident Of Retaining Peyton Watson Amid Interest From Bucks, Clippers, Hawks

The Denver Nuggets feel confident in its position to retain restricted free agent Peyton Watson despite growing interest from the Milwaukee Bucks, LA Clippers and Atlanta Hawks. League sources told The Athletic that Denver believes it simply needs to let the restricted free agency process play out.

The Bucks have emerged as a team exploring a potential sign-and-trade for the 23-year-old forward. The Clippers, currently in a holding pattern after their paused Kawhi Leonard trade with the Toronto Raptors, and the Hawks, who recently declined a team option on Jonathan Kuminga, have also expressed interest.

Watson broke out this past season, averaging nearly 15 points per game before a recurring hamstring strain sidelined him in February and ended his season in April. His absence exposed Denver’s lack of athleticism during a first-round playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Watson has become one of the best recent Nuggets draft picks, giving Denver a young wing archetype that is difficult to find across the league.

Any of the three interested teams would likely need to pursue a sign-and-trade given Watson’s restricted free agent status. Denver faces its own financial constraints in any potential re-signing, sitting above the luxury tax threshold and risking the $222 million second apron with an eight-figure contract for Watson.

The Nuggets have already committed significant money to Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon, along with a five-year, $125 million extension for Christian Braun last summer that has yet to match expectations. Denver also acquired Cam Johnson last summer in a deal sending Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn, a trade that has similarly underperformed, and lost Tim Hardaway Jr. to Miami in free agency this offseason.

Despite those financial pressures, sources say none of it will prevent Denver from ultimately re-signing Watson to a substantial deal. Watson is represented by Rich Paul, Calvin Andrews and Lucas Newton of Klutch Sports.

LeBron James Declines To Reveal Free Agency Decision At Fanatics Fest

LeBron James gave no indication of where he plans to sign during a live taping of his “Mind the Game” podcast Thursday at Fanatics Fest. James took audience suggestions naming the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers but did not otherwise identify potential destinations.

James emphasized that he expects to remain productive wherever he lands for his 24th NBA season.

“Looking forward to what’s next as I wind down the final stages of my journey,” said James. “Wherever I land in the fall, hopefully, you know, if you’re a ride-or-die LeBron fan, you’ve been down with me since Day 1. Hopefully, you ride with me here. If you’re a ride-or-die LeBron hater, that’s what you do anyway, so looking forward to seeing you as well. But it’s going to be pretty fun. It’s going to be pretty fun wherever I land. I’m going to do what I do best.”

James announced last month that he would not return to the Los Angeles Lakers after eight seasons with the franchise. James is weighing offers from the 76ers, Warriors, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers.

James thanked the Lakers and team governor Jeanie Buss for his tenure in Los Angeles, calling it an unbelievable ride. He also addressed recent criticism questioning his impact at 41, ahead of turning 42 in December.

“I’m seeing something on social media the other day that, wherever I go, we may be in the Play-In or some stuff like that and I’m not a factor anymore,” said James. “So maybe that as well, too, is a little motivation.”

Asked which team he enjoyed playing for most during his career, James paused before naming several, including his championship-winning Heat and Cavaliers teams, the 2020 Lakers and the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.

Tyrese Haliburton, who co-hosted the podcast taping, attempted to get James to reveal more details on stage but was reminded by James that the two had agreed beforehand he would not be making any announcements. Haliburton previously tried to recruit James to Indiana last month and received only a pair of crying-laughing emojis in response.

Teams have received very little information from James or Rich Paul throughout the process and there is no anticipated date of when he will make his decision.

LeBron James’ Free Agency Coincides With World Cup For Fourth Time In Career

Each of LeBron James’ four times changing teams during his NBA career has coincided with a World Cup including this offseason.

In 2010, James announced his decision live on ESPN to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat on July 8th, which was three days before Spain defeated the Netherlands on July 11th in the World Cup Final.

In 2014, James announced his decision to return to the Cavaliers via Sports Illustrated two days before Germany defeated Argentina in the World Cup Final. James attended the match held in Brazil.

But in 2018, James almost immediately announced his decision to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers at the start of free agency on July 1st. France defeated Croatia in the World Cup final 14 days later on July 15th.

Spain will play Argentina in the World Cup Final on Sunday, July 19th in New York.

James is reportedly considering the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves. James offered no tangible insights into which team he may be leaning towards in free agency during an interview with Tyrese Haliburton on Thursday.

Tim Connelly: LaMelo Ball, Wolves Can ‘Elevate’ Each Other

Tim Connelly and the Minnesota Timberwolves made a high risk, high reward trade for LaMelo Ball, which he explained during an interdictory press conference this week. The Wolves targeted a ball handler in the offseason to alleviate pressure off Anthony Edwards, who was heavily double teamed last season.

“He’s a lead guard, he’s a real point guard, which is hard to find,” Connelly said. “I think you see the impact that he has on his teammates, and I think it’s probably well-timed. He’s been through a lot. But he’s still only 24 years old. He’s a guy that we think is going to help elevate us, and hopefully we can help elevate him as well.”

Ball was Rookie of the Year with the Charlotte Hornets in 2021 and an All-Star in his second season. After a few injury-plagued seasons, Ball helped lead the Hornets back to the play-in.

“I feel like it’s God’s plan,” Ball said on Tuesday. “I just leave it up to Him, and I just feel extremely blessed.”

The Wolves believe Ball will have a compounding effect on their team.

“The way he plays is so much innate feel and connectivity and just … kind of fun to watch in a lot of ways,” Chris Finch said. “And a lot of things he does, you can’t really teach or coach.”