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Tony Allen: Y'all was working in a in a real hectic environment during that time. It went viral with the Donald Sterling sh*t. Was that kind of hard to deal with? Matt Barnes: To me it didn't matter, TA, because I faced real racism in my life. In my senior year of high school like this dude was [expletive] with my sister and calling her a [n-word] this and spit on her and everything. She was a soft motherf*cker. I had to whoop this dude. And when I got suspended, this is in probably a couple months before I went to UCLA. I got suspended for a week, like midweek when I'm suspended, the KKK comes and like burns crosses and hangs mannequins in the tree like [n-word] die and swastikas everywhere. So I’ve seen like real hateful sh*t. So to hear like a owner talking about black people this and black people that, like I didn't give a [expletive] about what that old senile [expletive] had to say, but obviously the rest of the world did.
Former Tennessee forward Nate Ament named four pre-draft workouts during a SportsCenter interview, and the Dallas Mavericks were not on the list. The 6-foot-10 freshman said he had worked out for the Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Los Angeles Clippers ahead of Tuesday’s NBA Draft, where he is widely projected as a lottery pick after one season at Tennessee. The omission carries weight for Dallas, which holds the ninth pick and has been tied to interest in Ament. A team showing interest does not always work out a prospect, but Ament’s own account of his pre-draft circuit did not include the Mavericks, and his comments came days before the franchise goes on the clock with the No. 9 overall pick.
The reporting that ties Dallas to Ament comes from Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, who listed the Los Angeles Clippers (No. 5), Brooklyn Nets (No. 6), and Mavericks (No. 9) among the teams that have shown interest, with some rival executives viewing the Milwaukee Bucks at No. 10 as Ament’s floor. Fischer also linked the New Orleans Pelicans, who do not own a lottery pick, as a team interested in trading to gain positioning to select Ament. Two of the four teams Ament named, Brooklyn and the Clippers, also appear on Fischer’s list of interested suitors. Dallas does not appear among Ament’s stated workouts, even as it has been tied to interest at No. 9. Interest reported by league sources does not always translate to a completed workout.
Kevin O'Connor says Warriors still covet Kawhi Leonard: [Anthony] Slater goes on to write how 'Trey Murphy is the more obtainable wing for the Warriors to target.' He said 'The Pelicans have clung tightly to Trey Murphy, but league sources tell Slater that New Orleans has been signaling a desire to jump into the first round of the draft.' That last line is 150% true. The Pelicans are trying to get a pick in the top 20. The Warriors are definitely a team that we could see trade the number 11 pick to New Orleans for Trey Murphy. All that said though Tom, I do think the Warriors still want Kawhi Leonard. I still think the Warriors are still going for Kawhi Leonard. The Warriors still want Kawhi. Trey Murphy, as Anthony Slater says, seems to be just the more obtainable guy, but I don't think this Warriors' love for Kawhi Leonard has declined at all.
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The Clippers have also had discussions about trading down, although sources indicate that they do seem set on making an early draft selection this year.
The Lakers are interested in retaining Marcus Smart and sharpshooter Luke Kennard, sources told ESPN. Smart, who was recruited to L.A. by Doncic and has until June 29 to exercise the final year of his contract at $5.4 million, enjoyed his role with the Lakers and is hoping for a new contract and a raise, sources said. Kennard, for his part, was on an $11 million expiring contract and has interest in making L.A. his long-term home after previously playing 2½ seasons with the LA Clippers.
According to unofficial information from the USA that has crossed the Atlantic to Meridian Sports, Denver is impatiently waiting for 12:01 on the quartz clock on June 30 (Eastern American time) to start hunting Bogdan Bogdanovic!
Bogdan Bogdanovic stands at the center of a looming free agency chase by the Denver Nuggets, as reported by Serbian outlet Meridian Sport’s Djordje Matic on Thursday. The Nuggets are eagerly anticipating the June 30 opening of the free-agent market to bolster their championship ambitions ahead of the 2026–27 NBA Regular Season. The front office is prioritizing the Serbian guard due to his proven synergy with fellow countryman and superstar Nikola Jokic. They recognize that their on-court chemistry, built during successful runs with the Serbian senior national team, could significantly elevate the performance of the entire roster, as noted by Matic.
Jake Fischer: I’m told Arizona guard Brayden Burries impressed Clippers staffers during his visit in Los Angeles on Tuesday, and is very much under consideration for the fifth pick in next Tuesday’s NBA Draft. Sources say another top candidate for No. 5, Mikel Brown Jr., is slated to workout for the Clippers tomorrow.
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For now, though, let's say that the Bucks do stay at No. 10. We've already written about Milwaukee's interest in the top guards on the board … everyone from Darius Acuff Jr. to Keaton Wagler to Mikel Brown Jr. after flying down to Orlando to meet with Brown. I've since been told that a Milwaukee contingent including general manager Jon Horst and new head coach Taylor Jenkins also traveled to New York recently to visit with Nate Ament during this pre-draft process. Now the Bucks are being looked at by some rival teams as the absolute floor for the Tennessee forward. Sources say Ament has drawn interest as high as the Clippers at No. 5, Brooklyn at No. 6 and ranks as a strong contender to emerge as Dallas' ultimate pick at No. 9.
But team sources continue to indicate he's the type of established wing talent they would pursue in a win-now maneuver, depending on the price point. The problem: League sources said Ballmer has maintained a firm stance against a Leonard trade, preferring to continue building around his star forward.
Contrary to recent reports suggesting Jaylen Brown could be rerouted to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Boston Celtics’ aggressive pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jake Fischer Report downplayed the murmurs and speculations in his latest NBA update for Bleacher Report. Fischer shot down the notion that the Clippers would look to go after the Celtics superstar via a massive three-team trade along with the Milwaukee Bucks, insisting that the franchise would remain committed to picking at No. 5 for the upcoming NBA Draft. "I made calls on that and I have been told that that is not true, that Los Angeles has not looked into any real avenue here at all," the NBA insider indicated. "At this juncture, I have been told repeatedly that the Clippers have every intention to stick around the No. 5 pick and make a selection."
There's a clear distinction, mind you, in how those two have gone about their pre-draft processes. Sources say Wagler and Flemings competed head-to-head in a workout at the Clippers' facility last week … with word circulating that Wagler emerged as the more impressive prospect in that setting.