Preston Byers Articles - Page 9

Newly acquired Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant isn’t taking back what some perceived as a slight to Michael Jordan. On LeBron James and Steve Nash’s ‘Mind the Game’ podcast, Durant said, in regards to the constant commitment of playing professional basketball at an elite level, “Some people say, ‘I wanna go play baseball. And then […]

After parts of three seasons with the Miami Heat, Kevin Love was traded as part of the deal that netted the Heat Norman Powell. And while no one would argue that Love, 36, is better than Powell at the current stages of their careers, one of Love’s former teammates expressed dissatisfaction at how the trade […]

The Los Angeles Lakers are almost certainly very eager to sign Luka Doncic long-term after acquiring him in February, but it might be a while until they can do that. Doncic, 26, was traded by the Dallas Mavericks in a shocking deal to the Lakers ahead of this year’s deadline, sending shockwaves throughout the NBA, […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder are securing the long-term future of their franchise this offseason. Earlier today, OKC and Chet Holmgren agreed to a five-year maximum rookie contract extension, which could, if certain conditions are met, be worth up to nearly $250 million. But the Thunder, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania says, are turning their attention […]

Rumors have been swirling around LeBron James since Rich Paul hinted at the ‘King’ being traded more than a week ago, but Brian Windhorst, who has covered James for a long time, is effectively ruling out another Cleveland Cavaliers reunion. James, a native of Akron, Ohio, was drafted by the Cavs in 2003 and led […]

LeBron James and his agent, Rich Paul, have been making noise so far this offseason, leading some to believe James wants to be traded by the Los Angeles Lakers. One NBA insider, though, does not believe that to be the case. Almost immediately after James opted into his $52.6 million player option, signaling he would […]

The Los Angeles Clippers are in the process of reshaping their roster after an up-and-down 2024-25 season, and team president Lawrence Frank says there is more to come. During the moratorium period of NBA free agency, the Clippers mostly stood pat, re-signing James Harden and Nicolas Batum, in addition to replacing Drew Eubanks with free-agent […]

The Washington Commanders’ negotiations with Terry McLaurin don’t appear to be going very well. Following his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season and a year in which he nearly doubled his single-season touchdown total (13, previous high was 7), McLaurin has made it clear he wants a long-term extension. He and the Commanders, however, have not come […]

Brook Lopez is officially a part of the Los Angeles Clippers, which seemed to catch some by surprise. As The Athletic’s Fred Katz illustrated, it is not shocking Lopez signed with the Clippers — they reportedly agreed to a deal shortly after teams and players could officially begin negotiating with each other — but rather […]

Over the past years, the New York Knicks have been lauded for their turnaround from a perennial lottery team to an Eastern Conference contender. But this offseason is not being viewed as a success so far for New York. For many years, the Knicks were among the NBA’s most disappointing teams; despite one of the […]

The Cincinnati Bengals and star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson have had a rough time negotiating a contract extension with Hendrickson using the media to call out the Bengals for allegedly cutting off communication following the draft. Things may be improving, though, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “So it’s been a little sticky for sure, like […]

Josh Giddey is a restricted free agent, and there might be a gap in extension figures between Giddey and the Chicago Bulls. Drafted sixth overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Giddey was acquired by the Bulls last June in exchange for Alex Caruso. In his first season in Chicago, Giddey proved to be a valuable […]

Since the introduction of the aprons in the NBA salary cap, the league has undergone somewhat of a transformation. But that’s not necessarily why some teams are signaling a degree of “caution” about signing long-term contracts. Although the aprons, particularly the second apron, have greatly affected how many teams do business, several have bitten or […]

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz is under investigation by MLB and has been placed on paid leave as the investigation is conducted. According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Zack Meisel, the investigation centers on gambling. “Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz has been placed on “non-disciplinary paid leave” through the end of the All-Star break as […]

To say front offices around the NBA do not think highly of the New Orleans Pelicans’ executives would be a massive understatement. In the aftermath of the Pelicans’ stunning and highly criticized draft-day trade with the Atlanta Hawks, insiders have begun to report how dysfunctional and incompetent the New Orleans front office is believed to […]

The Philadelphia 76ers’ first season with the trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey was nothing short of a disaster, with all three dealing with injuries as the Sixers immediately went from Eastern Conference contender to one of the worst teams in the conference. Now, after drafting VJ Edgecombe with the third pick, […]

The Milwaukee Bucks made an unprecedented move yesterday when they waived Damian Lillard’s massive contract in order to create space to sign Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner. While some have applauded the Bucks for being creative in upgrading their roster immediately, considering Lillard, 34, was expected to miss the entire next season due to […]

It would seem likely that Nikola Jokic sticks around with the Denver Nuggets for a while, and yet, it is by no means a guarantee that the three-time NBA MVP signs an extension anytime soon with the team. Jokic signed a five-year, $276.1 million ‘supermax’ contract extension with the Nuggets in July 2022. He has […]

Denver Nuggets ownership has been criticized heavily, particularly over the past few seasons, for a perceived lack of interest in spending money. But one team insider is saying that it might be in the team’s best interest, not just the owners’, to avoid dipping into the luxury tax this season. Although the Nuggets controversially let […]

Deandre Ayton is one of the most intriguing NBA free agents on the market this summer, and it looks like the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks are the most interested in acquiring his services. By trading Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic and with their midseason trade for Mark Williams falling apart due to a […]

The New York Knicks’ search for a new head coach has not gone according to plan, but they are now seemingly closing in on adding not just one former NBA head coach but two. After swinging and missing on luring a current head coach to New York — the Knicks were denied chances to interview […]

The Detroit Pistons’ offseason likely has not gone according to plan primarily because Malik Beasley is under federal investigation for allegations of gambling. ESPN reported on Sunday that federal authorities are investigating Beasley, who played this past season with the Pistons, for allegations related to the 2023-24 season, when he played for the Milwaukee Bucks. […]

The Los Angeles Lakers apparently have some stiff competition in signing Dorian Finney-Smith this summer. With Finney-Smith, for whom the Lakers traded in late December, declining his player option, it seems that the Lakers will have to really fight for him in free agency or risk losing him to one of the most active teams […]

For the first time in his long, illustrious NBA career, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James may be involved in a trade. James, 40, picked up a player option that guarantees him $52.6 million next season. But it crucially does not guarantee that he will be a part of the Lakers by the time training […]

LeBron James exercised his player option, which, on the surface, would appear to be good news for the Los Angeles Lakers. However, Rich Paul’s subsequent comments to the media changed the tone of the move. Upon James picking up the option, which is worth $52.6 million, Paul seemingly indicated to ESPN’s Shams Charania that James […]

The Dallas Mavericks have reportedly honed in on their replacement point guard for the injured Kyrie Irving: D’Angelo Russell. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, who has long been plugged in with the Mavericks, Russell is believed to be by other teams a top target for Dallas this offseason. “The Mavericks continue to be described […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder are bringing back a piece of their bench unit after winning the 2025 NBA championship. Jaylin Williams has agreed to a three-year, $24 million contract extension with OKC, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who reported that, as part of the deal, the Thunder declined Williams’ team option, which would have guaranteed […]

The Los Angeles Lakers have yet another important offseason ahead of them, with several players currently on the roster expected to depart, whether the Lakers want them to. Dorian Finney-Smith was not widely expected to be one of them, considering the Lakers traded for him around the halfway point of this past season and, additionally, […]

The Oklahoma football program has a new quarterback in 2025, and John Mateer is dialed in. A fourth-year transfer from Washington State, Mateer will have the heavy hopes and expectations of a proud Sooners program on his shoulders in his first season in Norman. But he seems to be preparing for it by trying to […]

Texas football is officially transitioning from the Quinn Ewers era to the Arch Manning era. And consider the Ol’ Ball Coach skeptical about whether Manning will actually live up to the hype. While many Longhorns fans are rightfully excited about the heir of the Manning dynasty ascending to full-time starter, legendary college football coach Steve […]

The Pittsburgh Pirates had a lot of promise last season. Paul Skenes exploded into MLB, becoming one of the best and most popular pitchers. But this year has been quite different, even if Skenes hasn’t, and a big trade might be needed to improve the future of a team that has not made the playoffs […]

Longtime Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri is parting ways with the organization, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported. Ujiri, who held the positions of vice chairman and president of the Raptors, had been with Toronto since 2013. “BREAKING: Masai Ujiri is out as Vice Chairman and President of the Toronto Raptors, sources tell ESPN,” Charania posted on […]

Consider Bill Simmons not a fan of the Chicago Bulls’ draft-night trade with the Los Angeles Lakers. While it is equally plausible that Simmons’ dislike of the trade stems from his lifelong hatred of the Lakers, considering he is among the most well-known Boston Celtics fans, he was not alone in criticizing Chicago for what […]

The New Orleans Pelicans stunned fans and media members alike on Wednesday with a draft-night trade — and not in a good way. Despite being one of the NBA’s worst teams this past season, the Pelicans, in a move not seen often by bottom dwellers, traded away future draft capital to get back into the […]

The Boston Celtics seem resolute in not trading either Jaylen Brown or Derrick White this offseason, despite the expected dip with Jayson Tatum sidelined due to injury. But the Utah Jazz are reportedly still trying to change their mind. Over the past few days, the Celtics have traded away Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, both […]

Once thought to be a certain departure from the Florida Panthers’ roster this offseason, Brad Marchand is now viewed more as a coin flip to re-sign with Florida. Traded to the Panthers at the deadline by the Boston Bruins, Marchand embraced his new home with open arms, bringing the same highly skilled, highly antagonistic play […]

Despite obvious friction over the past few years, Jonathan Kuminga and Steve Kerr might be working together on the Golden State Warriors for a while longer. Kuminga essentially made it known that he was unhappy with his role — or lack of a prominent one — on the Warriors during the 2023-24 season. And things […]

Just a few years ago, the Portland Trail Blazers traded for Jrue Holiday only to trade him four days later to the Boston Celtics. This time, Holiday and the Blazers are reunited once again and seemingly for a longer period of time. Less than two years ago, Portland effectively reshaped the Eastern Conference with a […]

The Denver Nuggets are “definitely” offering three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic a lucrative contract extension this offseason, but they’re apparently not convinced he will sign it. While speaking with the media today, Nuggets CEO and president Josh Kroenke introduced some doubt that Jokic would put pen to paper this summer. “We’re definitely going to offer […]