NBA Finals Game 5 Preview, Desmond Bane traded to Magic, Ja Morant's future and Kevin Durant trade rumors
Next, Vince and Jared react to Desmond Bane being traded to the Orlando Magic and discuss if Orlando gave up too many assets in the trade.
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Later, Vince and Jared take a look at the Memphis Grizzlies and debate what they should do moving forward with Ja Morant. Also, Vince and Jared give their thoughts on if the Miami Heat or Houston Rockets should make a push for Kevin Durant.
(1:56) NBA Finals Game 5 preview
(10:00) Rick Carlisle brings up officials
(17:01) Orlando Magic trade for Desmond Bane
(24:22) What does Bane trade mean for Ja Morant, Grizzlies?
(33:09) Can Ja Morant be the best player on a contending team?
(35:36) Should the Rockets pursue Ja Morant, Kevin Durant?
(41:58) Does Kevin Durant to the Miami Heat make sense?
(50:38) NBA needs to rethink Draft Night coverage
Desmond Bane traded from Memphis Grizzlies to Orlando Magic. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)
(AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)
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USA Today
29 minutes ago
- USA Today
Knicks reach deal to hire coach Mike Brown as Thibodeau replacement
The New York Knicks have their new coach. Former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown reached a deal to the helm, a person with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Friday, July 4. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter. Brown replaces Tom Thibodeau, whom the Knicks fired June 3. With the hiring of Brown, the Knicks are putting their faith in the former Kings, Lakers and Cavaliers coach to get them to their first NBA Finals since 2000. In firing Thibodeau the organization made it clear anything short of a championship is not good enough. Brown brings more than 23 years of NBA experience as a coach and assistant and a pedigree of working both in big markets and with star players. He had a brief stint in Los Angeles where he coached Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, but he has also worked with LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Tony Parker and, more recently, De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. As an assistant, Brown has worked under some of the best coaches in NBA history, inlcuding Bernie Bickerstaff, Gregg Popovich, Rick Carlisle and Steve Kerr. He has been either a coach or assistant of four NBA championship teams (three with the Warriors and one with the Spurs) and eight conference championship teams. In fact, in first season as an assistant in San Antonio, in 2000-01, he coached a 35-year-old Kerr. With the Knicks, Brown should have no problem carrying over the defensive identity that Thibodeau had installed over his time with the team. His true measure of success, however, aside from championship contention, will be to evolve New York's offense to have more creativity with All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns as the centerpieces. In nine-and-a-half seasons as a head coach, Brown has posted a 454-304 (.599) record and an Eastern Conference Championship (2007; Cavaliers). The Kings fired Brown on December 27. After crashing out in the NBA Eastern Conference finals, their deepest run in a quarter century, the New York Knicks were searching for a candidate who could get them to the Finals and their first championship since 1973. Knicks president Leon Rose thanked Thibodeau in a statement but said, in part, "Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans. This pursuit led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we've decided to move in another direction." The move came a little less than one year since the Knicks had signed Thibodeau to a three-year contract extension that was supposed to keep him with the franchise through the 2027-28 season. In five seasons with the Knicks, Thibodeau, 67, posted a 226-174 record (.565) and led New York to the playoffs in four of those seasons. This year marked the first time in 25 seasons that the Knicks had reached the Eastern Conference finals, though the Knicks lost the first two games of the series at home, before bowing out in six games to the Indiana Pacers. The Knicks had made multiple win-now offseason moves ahead of the 2024-25 season in an attempt to compete with the defending champion Boston Celtics and other top teams in the East. New York traded Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo for stretch center Karl-Anthony Towns and also unloaded a haul of picks for wing Mikal Bridges. The Knicks went on to win 51 games to finish third in the conference behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston.
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Isaiah Hartenstein explains why coming off the bench wasn't a big deal for him: "If you want to win, you have to sacrifice"
Isaiah Hartenstein explains why coming off the bench wasn't a big deal for him: "If you want to win, you have to sacrifice" originally appeared on Basketball Network. NBA players often preach sacrifice, but Isaiah Hartenstein backed it up with his actions. The Oklahoma City Thundercenter showed his commitment to the team when he accepted a bench role without hesitation in the 2025 Finals. Advertisement "I think if you want to win, you have to sacrifice," Hartenstein told Dan Katz of the "Pardon My Take" podcast, sharing his thought process during the role change. "So, knowing that, I was able to put my ego aside, and I trust Mark (Daigneault) fully. I mean, Mark's been great for us all season. I trust the decisions he was making, so it's more, I just wanna win so bad, and if it's me playing one minute, me playing 40 minutes, to me doesn't matter." "If you look at our whole team, each series, someone else sacrificed," added IHart. What makes the Thunder special Hartenstein started in 53 out of the 57 games he played in the regular season and 20 out of 23 contests in the playoffs. The only series where he was asked to step aside from his starting role was on the grandest stage: the NBA Finals. Advertisement As the 27-year-old mentioned, the Thunder pieces move up and down the rotation, and he was sometimes the casualty. His length and size were much needed against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the second round, but his minutes continued to slide down in the next two series. Hartenstein averaged only 19 minutes in the Western Conference Finals and the NBA Finals (from 27 in the Nuggets series) as Mark Daigneault opted for quicker, more switch-ready lineups against Minnesota and Indiana. Nonetheless, the seven-footer saw that as a blessing rather than a curse. "I think that's what made us special," Hartenstein stated, referring to OKC's luxury of falling back into different lineups. "It was no egos involved. No one was pouting in the locker room because he played 10 less minutes than the series before. It was, 'How can I help my team win?' I think that's what also makes us connected." Related: ESPN analyst says Ace Bailey was hoping to avoid Utah at all costs: "This was not one of his preferred destinations" Hartenstein practiced what he preached Daigneault received much criticism for "trying to fix what's not broken" heading into Game 1 vs. the Pacers. He inserted Cason Wallace into the starting lineup and relegated Hartenstein to the bench for matchup purposes. The noise was even louder when Indiana stole the game under OKC's noses, but the 2024 Coach of the Year stayed on course. Advertisement For Hartenstein, he already had Daigneault's back after the stinging loss. "We have one of the best coaches in the league. And so, we trust whatever choices he makes. With a winning team, if you wanna win a championship, there's gotta be sacrifices," Hartenstein said. "That's what I'm ready to do. If it's sacrificing minutes or sacrificing what I want to do on offense or defense. Whatever the team needs. It's not like you lose confidence when you play less minutes. I know I'm still one of the best bigs in the league." In another one of Daigneault's adjustments, Hartenstein started again in Game 7. He did what he needed to do, leading the team in rebounding (nine boards) while showcasing his playmaking skills (four assists). In fact, Hartenstein was one of only three Thunder players who recorded a dime in the deciding match. The other two were Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (12) and Jalen Williams (4). Advertisement For all the tactical changes OKC made, Hartenstein's attitude remained the welcome constant. He was ready to play one minute or forty, and in the game that decided everything, he showed why that mindset matters. That type of sacrifice is the backbone of any title run. Related: Adam Silver plans to use Artificial Intelligence after the NBA's injury surge: "Ingest all video of every game a player's played in to see if we can detect some pattern" This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.

Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Kel'el Ware wants to prove Heat ‘didn't make a mistake' by leaving him out of Durant trade talks
For all that the Miami Heat hasn't done yet amid a quiet offseason without many roster moves, one thing the Heat has done is stand by 21-year-old center Kel'el Ware. The Heat essentially made Ware off-limits in trade discussions with the Phoenix Suns for 15-time All-Star forward Kevin Durant last month, leading the Suns to eventually deal Durant to the Houston Rockets. Ware now wants to reward the Heat for its confidence in him, starting with a dominant summer league this year. 'It made me feel the Heat wanted me and they want to see how far I can get in the future and see how my development goes,' Ware said before the Heat opens summer league on Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs' summer squad as part of the California Classic at Chase Center in San Francisco (4:30 p.m., NBA TV). 'That makes me want to show them what I can do and how far I can go. 'They see the potential in me and they see what I can be. So my main goal is to just sort of repay that they didn't make a mistake.' While the trade rumors were swirling last month before Durant was eventually dealt to the Rockets, Ware would get updates from his agent but tried to ignore the speculation. 'I didn't really see too much of it,' Ware said. 'It was one of the things I was like if it happens, it happens. If not, it doesn't. You got to think the Heat didn't want to give me up, but that means the other team wanted me. I didn't really pay no mind to it.' Instead, Ware has kept himself busy by spending the first two months of his first full NBA offseason working to refine various areas of his game and addding new elements to his skill set. He also continues to focus on developing his body and adding muscle to his 7-foot frame, becoming an offseason regular in the Heat's facilities at Kaseya Center. 'My goals for the offseason and in the summer league is to show that I added more to my game, that I've gotten strong in the weight room,' said Ware, who was taken with the 15th overall pick in last year's draft. 'Just showing that I can be a force out there and be dominant.' After entering the NBA at 230 pounds, Ware is now at 246 pounds. He said the Heat wants him to hit 250 pounds. 'I don't fully know yet,' Ware said when asked if 250 pounds is the final target weight or just the next milestone on the scale. 'Right now, we're just 250. It all depends. The bigger you are, of course that kind of slows you down a little bit. But wherever my body feels comfortable, that's where we'll be.' Ware hopes his work this offseason will serve as the continuation of the momentum he built during his standout rookie campaign last season. Ware made tremendous progress during his rookie season, earning consistent minutes and then being promoted to a starting role in January after logging double-digit minutes in just two of the Heat's first 25 games this past regular season. The 7-foot Ware started next to the 6-foot-9 Bam Adebayo to form a double-big lineup for the final three months of the season. After being moved into a full-time starting role, Ware averaged 10.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 54.4% from the field and 21 of 76 (27.6%) on threes during his final 38 regular-season appearances last season. That midseason push was enough for Ware to earn a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, finishing just one spot away from making the All-Rookie First Team as the top vote-getter on the second team. 'Look, you know me. I don't really care for all of that,' Ware said of just missing All-Rookie First Team honors. 'I don't really care for all of that, the rewards and stuff like that. So me getting second team or me being sixth in the vote, that didn't really bother me. I'm just focusing on trying to expand my game to get better.' Ware's first true test of the offseason will come in the days ahead during summer league action following his impressive summer league debut last year. Ware averaged 18 points, 8.3 rebounds, one assist, one steal and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 61.8 percent from the field and 3 of 10 (30 percent) from three-point range during the Heat's six-game run to the Las Vegas Summer league championship last offseason. As a result of that production, Ware earned a spot on the All-Summer League First Team. The Heat is hoping for more from Ware in his second summer league experience, regardless of how many summer games he actually plays in. 'The best way to sum up Kel'el is I'm looking for him to put everybody on notice that he's here and he's for real in this league,' Heat assistant coach and this year's summer league head coach Eric Glass said. 'That's basically is how everything is summed up. Yes, there are specifics that we're trying to get into him. We always want to see him grow. There's leadership aspects. But he just needs to take the next step. He has all the capability in the world to go out and dominate games and practices and that's what we're looking for from him.' Ware accepts that summer challenge. 'That's part of me getting better,' Ware said, 'showing what I've added to my game and just able to go out there to be a force and compete.' Considering the rough way last season ended for Ware, he's motivated to become a better player this offseason. While the Heat was being swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, Ware produced a total of just 19 pounds, 19 rebounds and two blocks in 73 minutes during the four-game sweep in his first NBA playoff experience. He struggled against the Cavaliers' starting frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen while being targeted on the defensive end in pick-and-rolls. 'Of course there were some ups and downs,' Ware said of his rookie season. 'But it was still fun, getting out there, being able to play and being able to get some time out there, show the guys that I am able to compete. I don't think about the last four [playoff] games much. I let those go, because I know that's not really me or how I play.' Ware wants to prove he can be even better than what he showed as a rookie. The Heat believes Ware can do that and more based on the organization's decision to keep him out of trade discussions for Durant. 'That's always my goal to prove myself to be a better version of myself,' Ware said when asked if the organization's belief in him provides extra motivation this summer. 'I guess you could kind of say it adds to it, but not really. I'm always going to go out there and try to prove myself even more, just for myself.'