We’re on to the middle 10 in my annual 30-1 ranking of each NBA team’s offseason. This year you’ll find the Lakers and Celtics there, the (re-)ascendant Spurs, and a mix of strong playoff teams and rebuilding squads. Free to read, in @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/745...

2026 NBA offseason rankings: Where do the Spurs, Celtics, Lakers fall? (Gift Article)

The teams in the middle 10 have been active since their seasons ended, aggressively looking to address shortcomings. That goes a long way.

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Time for my annual 30-1 rankings of every NBA team’s offseason - just the offseason; these aren’t power rankings. We start with teams 30-21 today. Free to read, in @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/745...

2026 NBA offseason rankings: Knicks, Warriors, Trail Blazers among bottom 10 (Gift Article)

We're asking a simple question with this assessment: Is the team better now, at the end of the offseason, than it was at the beginning?

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A 5-12 season brought change across the board for the Commanders, in and out of the locker room. But Washington’s future is still all about 5 - Jayden Daniels - as the quarterback enters a pivotal third season in D.C. Free to read, in @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/747...

Jayden Daniels healthy, ready to lead Commanders back after rough sophomore year (Gift Article)

Daniels organized separate offseason workouts for his offensive skill players in Los Angeles.

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LeBron James could have ended his career back in Cleveland or Miami, where he’s won titles. In picking Philadelphia, with its 43-year NBA championship drought, its rabid fans and often caustic media, James is taking a harder path. Free to read, in @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/746...

By choosing the 76ers, LeBron James is taking the tougher, more meaningful path

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This is the job. Embrace it - and learn!

Jay Rosen@jayrosen.bsky.social · 3w ago

Yep.

Next: Grizzlies-Bulls, aka Boozer-Wilson…

It was just a summer league game. But for the Wizards, who have been so bad for so long, A.J. Dybantsa’s pro debut mattered greatly. The top pick in this year’s draft displayed the force, skill and charisma of a leading man. Free to read, in @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/743...

Wizards' AJ Dybantsa looked like a leading man on his first night as a pro

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Tarris Reed, Jr.’s motor: as advertised.

The Commanders will put the Diesel in the rafters. Our @nickijhabvala.bsky.social on Washington’s announcement it will retire Hall of Fame back John Riggins’ number 44 next season. Free to read, in @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/743...

Hall of Famer John Riggins to have No. 44 retired by Washington Commanders (Gift Article)

Riggins will be the third Washington player in as many years to have his jersey number immortalized by the franchise.

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On a scale of 0-100, level of drunkenness in this subset of humans?

This game is nuts! @fifawc26.bsky.social #Mexico #England

What a lousy day. Boomerang to the rescue. Damn near a perfect movie…still.

Boomerang: Eddie Murphy & Pops Talking

ALT: Boomerang: Eddie Murphy & Pops Talking

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Cade Cavalli has expressed remorse for his use of the word “boy” during a confrontation with Willson Contreras Tuesday. But the Nationals need to help him truly learn from this by connecting more with the city he represents. Free to read, in @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/741...

Cade Cavalli is contrite. What he and the Nationals do next is much more important (Gift Article)

Cavalli can use this moment to connect with the diverse community that supports him and the Washington Nationals.

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Cade Cavalli has expressed true remorse for his use of the word “boy” during a confrontation with Willson Contreras Tuesday. But the Nationals need to help him grow further by connecting more with the city he represents. Free to read, in @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/741...

Cade Cavalli is contrite. What he and the Nationals do next is much more important

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The “debate,” such as it is, about Jaylen Brown’s worth as a player has us back where we always are these days: arguing. We need to ask ourselves a different question, though: who does it benefit for us to keep yelling? Free to read, in @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/740...

Debate over Jaylen Brown's worth is misguided, but a perfect metaphor for our hot-take world

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Our @danwoikesports.bsky.social with major LeBron James news, in our free agent blog in @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/liv...

BREAKING: LeBron James will leave Lakers, won't retire

LeBron James has informed the Lakers he is leaving and will be playing elsewhere next season, league sources say. He has not yet decided where he’ll be playing next season and felt it was time to move...

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I’m still really happy that Ecuador won and got to the knockout round. But I must admit to being a little sad that Tom Hanks and his team had to lose.

Asked A.J. Dybantsa the last time he was humbled on the basketball court, and what he learned from it. He said, “my last game (a loss to Texas in the NCAA Tournament). We were a six seed, and they were an 11.”

The Wizards didn’t surprise with the first pick in the NBA draft. They took AJ Dybantsa, the powerful wing the team believes can be a centerpiece of its rebuild. A full house at the team’s watch party Tuesday was a first sign. Free to read, in @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/738...

Wizards get their man in AJ Dybantsa, hopeful he can lead them out of the dark (Gift Article)

With AJ Dybantsa, the Wizards' front office finally was able to draft a player with true superstar potential.

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Our @joshrobbins.bsky.social is on it, as he noted last week: the Wizards and Trae Young agree to a new four-year deal worth more than $212 million, with a player option in the fourth year. Free to read here, in @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/738...

Trae Young, Washington Wizards agree to new 4-year max contract: Source

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The Wizards got a gift when they won the first pick in Tuesday’s NBA draft. They should cash in that golden ticket by taking AJ Dybantsa, the kind of physical talent they’ve rarely had and been dominated by over the years. Free to read, in @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/737...

The Wizards' NBA lottery gift? Taking AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 pick

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My annual NBA Draft Confidential concludes with a look at the top big man prospects, starting with Duke’s Cameron Boozer and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson. Real talk from college coaches, NBA scouts and team executives. Free to read, in @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/737...

2026 NBA Draft confidential: Coaches, scouts on Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson and top big prospects

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The second installment of my annual NBA Draft Confidential dives into this year’s top wing prospects, led by BYU’s do-everything AJ Dybantsa, and is loaded with length, shooting and potential difference makers on defense. Free to read, in @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/736...

2026 NBA Draft confidential: Coaches, scouts, execs on AJ Dybantsa, top wing prospects

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The Wizards haven’t been secretive about their hopes of getting back into the first round to add to number one. Michael Winger said so after Washington won the lottery: “It’s not inconceivable that, you know, we find ways to acquire another pick or whatever the case may be.”

Mandami with the deep cuts at the Knicks’ victory rally : shouting out Toney Douglas, Langston Galloway, Lance Thomas, Renaldo Balkman!

We’re less than a week from the NBA draft, so it’s Confidential time! I’ve spent the last several weeks talking to coaches, NBA scouts & execs about the top prospects. We start with Darryn Peterson and a strong guard group. Free to read, in @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/736...

2026 NBA Draft confidential: Coaches, execs, scouts on Darryn Peterson, guard prospects

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The Lakers announce that the incomparable Lawrence Tanter, the team’s PA announcer at The Forum and Crypto.com Arena for the last 43 years, is retiring - God’s baritone overlaying the team’s great moments for generations. Free to read, in @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/736...

Lawrence Tanter, Lakers’ longtime public address announcer, retires (Gift Article)

Tanter, 76, suffered a health incident last March and did not return for the rest of the season.

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This is becoming a really cool story. Very glad we have @spencernusbaum.bsky.social to tell it, every day, in @theathletic.com (free to read here): www.nytimes.com/athletic/736...

For the first time in 7 years, the Nationals are 3 games over .500

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I am by no means a hockey expert. But love the tradition of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and what that trophy represents to the team that wins it every year. Congrats to the Carolina Hurricanes!

In a league of killers, Jalen Brunson is one of the best winners of his generation. He won two chips at Villanova in three years, and he's made the New York Knicks into NBA champions. At 6-foot-1-ish. He's a great, GREAT basketball player.