Latest news with #TheHamptons
Forbes
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Inside Camp Rubirosa: The Hamptons' Hottest New Pizzeria With A Summer Camp Twist
Welcome to Camp Rubirosa It's been said that going to The Hamptons is like going to summer camp for adults, so it's no surprise that one of this season's hottest new restaurants is a chic pizzeria with a playful camp theme. Located at 31 Race Lane in East Hampton, Camp Rubirosa is both the family-friendly spot Hamptonites have been craving and the one they didn't know they needed. Cheers to The Camptons Full of whimsy, gorgeously presented food, and delightful cocktails, Camp Rubirosa blends nostalgic Americana with the rustic charm of the Italian countryside. It's one of the most uniquely designed restaurants in the area, where every detail evokes a feeling. Here's a look inside and the story behind the happiest restaurant in The Hamptons, which is co-owned by restaurateur Maria Pappalardo and media entrepreneur and restaurateur behind Billy Durney's Sag Harbor Tavern, Brian Bedol. A Pizza Legacy Rubirosa's famed tie dye pizza If Rubirosa sounds familiar, it's because the restaurant has a location in Manhattan at 235 Mulberry Street. Pizza is truly a family affair for the Pappalardos. The founder's father, Giuseppe, opened a pizzeria on Staten Island, and Manhattan's Rubirosa was founded by her late brother AJ Pappalardo. After he passed away, Pappalardo stepped in to keep her family's legacy alive. Pappalardo tells me, 'Brian and I decided to partner in 24 hours, and from there, we hit the ground running. He was living in Sag Harbor and could be on site every day, while I was in the city, focusing on hiring and operations. We got really lucky with an incredible executive chef and a seasoned general manager who brought both local knowledge and pop-up experience. It was a total team effort.' A cool campfire While the duo could have opted for a super-upscale concept—and it would have been successful—she wanted to do something different. 'We wanted to lead with fun — something with its own casual energy, not just a copy of Rubirosa on Mulberry Street, but still true to the original flavors and signature dishes everyone loves.' While Camp Rubirosa has a distinctly different vibe from its city counterpart, a few signature dishes remain—like the camp-appropriate Tie-Dye pizza, made with vodka sauce, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and a vibrant swirl of pesto. Design Camp Once Bedol and Pappalardo were settled on the camp theme, that's when the hard work began. A fun warning One of the most surprising things about this restaurant—which feels as if it's been there for decades—is that the owners used AI to help create Instagrammable design moments Bedol tells me, 'Maria and I were both set on the camp theme, but she was thinking more glamping than traditional camping. I asked ChatGPT to design a restaurant entrance that felt like stepping into a glampsite, and it came back with the perfect concept in 60 seconds.' In less than three months (warp speed even by New York standards), they transformed the space, which was previously Dopo. 'It was a fully collaborative effort between Brian and me,' explains Pappalardo. With lots of wood and high-beamed ceilings, it was the perfect spot for a Camptons dining hall. The right direction 'We reupholstered the banquettes, added some fresh paint, and layered in details to bring it to life. A lot of it felt like dressing a movie set. We were figuring out how to tell a story with the space while keeping it light, playful, and true to the summer camp feel,' says Pappalardo. One of Bedol's Facebook Marketplace finds led him to a local artist in Montauk who said he could build it. 'He showed up the next day with two by fours and canvas and brought the iconic, Instagrammable entrance to life.' Camp chic The team then sought out all the authentic camp kitsch that decorates the walls, including an inflatable horse, vintage water skis, and painted signs. They ended up sourcing many of these items from Facebook Marketplace and Etsy along with the help of some local contractors. 'The goal was to create a collected, lived-in summer camp vibe in the Italian countryside using pieces full of character with a bit of quirk. We didn't want things to feel too polished or perfect,' says Bedol. Still, it's the perfect place to camp out this summer—and unlike dining hall fare, the menu is full of dishes you'll come back for again and again.
Daily Mail
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Bikini-clad Livvy Dunne hits the beach as she celebrates July 4th weekend with girls' trip to The Hamptons
Social media sensation Livvy Dunne spent her July 4th weekend with a girls' trip to The Hamptons, where she hit the beach and hung out with her friends. Dunne shared the details of her Independence Day on her Instagram story, first offering up some relatable content by sitting in standstill traffic to get to Bridgehampton, New York. Then came Dunne's selfie from the beach, a photo she captioned with red, white, and blue heart emojis. Dunne wore a straw hat while also donning a red and white bikini, laying stomach-first on the beach, just feet from the water. The former LSU gymnast also shared a photo in a white dress, wearing a pair of sunglasses and her tongue sticking out next to friend Lauren Maitland. Not in The Hamptons to celebrate the holiday with Dunne was her boyfriend, Paul Skenes, who was in Seattle with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Dunne has maintained her social-media profile since departing LSU, where she was one of the highest NIL earners in the country. Earlier this month, Dunne was in New York City for Fanatics Fest, and competed against the greatest competitive eater of all-time, Joey Chestnut, in an all-star chicken finger-eating contest. Dunne, DJ Khaled, Fanatics founder Michael Rubin and Julian Edelman all took part in the eating challenge alongside the legendary Chestnut. Dunne stunned attendees of an SI Swimsuit Party by performing the splits back on May 31 The 41-year-old holds dozens of eating records including the most hot dogs (76) in 10 minutes and the most chicken wings (182) in 30 minutes. Chestnut dominated a Raising Cane's contest, putting away 40 tenders in just five minutes. And Dunne's hilarious reaction to Chestnut was caught on camera. In a clip that flooded social media, the gymnast was seen open-mouthed as Chestnut demolished the chicken. At one point, Dunne appeared to retch as she struggled to keep the chicken down. She and Chestnut also posed for a picture to mark the occasion.
Metro
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
One of the ‘greatest TV shows of all time' launched 36 years ago today
If a friend asked you, 'What's the greatest TV show ever made about?' how would you answer them? Would you explain how it's about a brutal crime boss going to therapy? Perhaps you'd say it follows a chemistry teacher who starts cooking meth to provide for his family? Maybe you'd tell them it's about a bunch of wannabe influencers seeking a brand deal… I mean, love in a villa? Whatever show you think is the best of the best, though I very much doubt you'd tell them it's about nothing. And yet, 36 years ago today, a show 'about nothing' premiered on NBC and changed television forever. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. I'm talking, of course, about Seinfeld, one of the most influential and important series ever made. If you never watched it, then 'NO SOUP FOR YOU! Okay, that's not fair. Allow me to explain the series' premise because it's not really about 'nothing'. The show follows a fictionalised version of Jerry Seinfeld (Jerry Seinfeld) and follows him and his friends – George Costanza (Jason Alexander), Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards) as they navigate life in New York City. Now, there are ongoing plots like Jerry getting his own TV show (yes, it gets very meta), and George's terrible love life, but for the most part, the show focuses on the little things in life. This meant you got entire episodes focused on things like finding a car in a multi-storey car park, characters' sex lives, or, most famously, trying to get some soup. Looking to get started with Seinfeld? Why not start here… 10. The Jimmy ( Season 6, Episode 18) – Elaine dates a man whose annoying habit of referring to himself in the third-person annoys Jerry. 9. The Hamptons (Season 5, Episode 2) – Jerry and his pals visit a friend in The Hamptons, and it goes as well as you'd expect. 8. The Betrayal (Season 9, Episode 8) – Jerry sleeps with a woman George is trying to date. 7. The Merv Griffin Show (Season 9, Episode 6) – Kramer decides to recreate the Merv Griffin Show in his apartment. 6. The Bizarro Jerry (Season 8, Episode 3) – Elaine meets a man who is Jerry's exact opposite. Marine Biologist (Season 5, Episode 14) – George starts dating a woman who's convinced he's a marine biologist. 4. The Outing (Season 4, Episode 17) – Elaine convinces a journalist that Jerry and George are dating. 3. The Opposite (Season 5, Episode 21) – George does the exact opposite of what he'd normally do. 2. The Soup Nazi (Season 7, Episode 6) – The gang try and get some soup. 1. The Contest (Season 4, Episode 11) – Jerry and friends make a competition out of self-control. These plots may sound mundane, but they were the secret to the show's success because they made the characters and their world incredibly relatable. Creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld would then use this relatable world to make absolutely hilarious jokes and gags about the terribly recognisable gaffes and faux pas we all make on a daily basis. In a way, then, Seinfeld wasn't a show about nothing; it was a show about everything and everyone. Unsurprisingly, considering the brilliance of its premise, cast, and writing, Seinfeld was a huge hit, running for nine seasons from 1989 to 1998 and garnering legions of fans across the globe and turning Jerry into a household name. Indeed, the series' two-part finale was watched by 76.3 million people across America – making it the fourth-most watched series finale in US history. However, beyond the series' commercial and critical success, it had a major influence on the way TV was made. Arguably, the series' biggest influence is that it opened the door to TV shows about unlikable characters. Without Seinfeld, we definitely wouldn't have got Always Sunny or Peep Show, and there's an argument to be made that even stuff like The Sopranos owes a debt of gratitude to Jerry and his friends. Oddly, though, Seinfeld's biggest contribution to pop culture may be that it helped give us Friends. While Friends may be a far more traditional sitcom than Jerry's creation, the two share certain DNA – something that critics were keen to point out when Friends debuted, with some even labelling it a Seinfeld rip-off. Jerry himself has made several potshots at Friends for 'copying' his idea, once joking that the show is just Seinfeld 'with better-looking people'. Jerry's tongue-in-cheek comments aside, the real debt Friends owes Seinfeld is that Friends reruns often ran after Seinfeld, and this lead-in gave the show a massive boost in popularity. Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe on the show, once told The Daily Beast: 'It was in the summer when we were in reruns after Seinfeld, where Seinfeld was our lead-in, where we exploded.' 'I remember going to some party, and Jerry Seinfeld was there, and I said, 'Hi,' and he said, 'You're welcome,'' More Trending 'I said, 'Why, thank you…what?' Lisa continued. 'And he said, 'You're on after us in the summer, and you're welcome. I said, 'That's exactly right. Thank you.'' So I guess if it wasn't for Seinfeld there's an argument to be made there'd be NO FRIENDS FOR YOU! Watch all nine seasons of Seinfeld on Netflix. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: 'It's all I've been watching': TV fans crown the best streaming service MORE: WWE icon, 49, 'hasn't aged a day' in SmackDown return 25 years after debut MORE: Netflix has me hooked on this 'naughty' hidden gem Spanish period drama
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Sarah Jessica Parker looks strained with Matthew Broderick amid mounting criticism of And Just Like That
Sarah Jessica Parker looked strained as she stepped out with Matthew Broderick in The Hamptons this week - amid her show and Just Like That's falling ratings. The Carrie Bradshaw icon, 60, who has played the fashionista since the first season of Sex and the City in 1998, pursed her lips and looked somber as fans declared they were 'hate watching' the reboot's third season. SJP ditched her signature couture with a white sweater and jeans, paired with flat shoes as she hauled groceries to her car ahead of 4th of July weekend. Viewership for the third season has fallen amid backlash over the show's 'dull storylines', 'cartoonish acting' and 'boring' supporting characters. Data obtained by Samba TV last month found the third season premiere averaged 429,000 households during the live-plus-three-day viewership window. - a seven per cent decline on the season two premiere. Both season two and three have fallen way behind the first season's debut which was watched by 1.1million households. As of July 3, And Just Like That has been knocked off the top of HBO Max's streaming charts by fellow Cynthia Nixon led show, The Gilded Age. This comes after SATC veteran Kyle MacLachlan said creative differences have kept him from appearing on And Just Like That. The Emmy-nominated actor, 66, explained on Wednesday to Us Weekly his rationale in not yet reprising the role of Trey MacDougal, the ex-husband of Kristin Davis ' character Charlotte York, on the HBO series. 'Listen, I would love to come back and have fun,' said the actor, also known for his work as FBI special agent Dale Cooper on the iconic 90s mystery Twin Peaks. The veteran actor, appearing at a God's Love We Deliver's event in New York City on the late June evening, delved into detail about the creative differences he had with producers regarding a comeback to the franchise amid tension between Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall. 'What they suggested to me, I said, "I think there should be more." So I just said, "I wonder, if the relationship that Charlotte and Trey had demands a little more than their first idea."' MacLachlan told the magazine about what he thought would be a good destination for the Trey MacDougal character. 'I had suggested that Trey has maybe moved to Napa and has a very successful winery and label there - you can see where I'm going with this. He said, 'But no, I actually haven't said anything yet ... it'd be very interesting.' MacLachlan said that 'regardless' of if he returns or not, he think's the show is 'doing great.' The actor, who has been seen in films such as Echo Valley, Showgirls and Blue Velvet, had kind words for the principle cast of the HBO series. And Just Like That has seen Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Davis reprise their respective roles as Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbes and York. Said MacLachlan: 'They're all lovely. And I adore them.' Cattrall has not appeared on the rebooted show regularly amid years of tension with Parker.
New York Times
03-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Winners (Hawks), losers (July) and more from NBA free agency's first days
Remember when NBA free agency was an event, something that dragged on for days as players took meetings, teams prepared dog-and-pony shows for prospective free agents and entire front-office staffs huddled up in cramped hotel rooms in The Hamptons? It was only nine years ago that Kevin Durant put the entire league on hold while he figured out his next destination. It was only eight years ago that Gordon Hayward did the same. (I swear to you this really happened.) And it wasn't just the stars who got this treatment; take it from somebody who flew cross-country to make a sales pitch to Solomon Hill. Advertisement Welcome to the speed chess version of the same game. We're a few days into free agency, and aside from the annual drawn-out saga of restricted free agents, we're basically done. Having prepped for those aforementioned dog-and-pony shows while working in an NBA front office, good riddance. But I think there's another key reason we aren't seeing as much of that game anymore: Players of that caliber just don't become unrestricted free agents, or if they do, it's a set piece that they'll rejoin their current team. One of the consequences of the more generous extension terms in the collective bargaining agreement is that it's in the interests of both players and teams to continue extending the contracts of most star and near-star players. As a result, both the market of unrestricted free agents and the number of teams with the salary-cap space to pursue them have rapidly diminished. This year, the Brooklyn Nets were the only team that began the summer with max-level cap space. In a related story, the best player to change teams via free agency this summer was zero-time All-Star Myles Turner. The second-best, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, didn't start for his old team and probably won't for his new one. All the action has moved to the trade market, and the hot part of the trade market isn't in summer; it's the deadline in February. In the last three years, that's when talent such as Jimmy Butler, Luka Dončić, De'Aaron Fox, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Mikal Bridges all changed teams, as well as countless starter-caliber players a rung or two below on the hierarchy. Once upon a time, teams made all their moves in June and July and then played out the season; the trade deadline was reserved for smaller tweaks. Occasionally, it works out that way, but much less often. Advertisement Now, we're seeing a new phenomenon where some teams spend the summer prepping their rosters so they can wheel and deal the first week in February: by adding middle-class contracts or giving short balloon contracts to fringe players just so there is tradeable salary on the books come winter, or by lining up future draft picks so the Stepien rule doesn't torpedo a blockbuster trade, or by managing the tax aprons so their midseason trade flexibility isn't compromised. Sadly, we must conclude that it's a February league now, and when I decided to write a column on the biggest winners and losers of free agency so far, it wasn't hard to pick out the biggest loser: July. No superstar is making a TV show out of their free-agency decision anymore, because there's no 'Decision' to televise. That said, we still had plenty of action in the first few days of free agency. Perhaps it wasn't as monumental as Durant ditching the Thunder for Golden State, but a few teams shifted their fortunes this week. Let's look at who won, who lost and who was somewhere in between: Caw-caw! Under new GM Onsi Saleh, the Hawks had a fantastic draft week, acquiring Kristaps Porziņģis in a deal to be finalized soon and then burning the New Orleans Pelicans by getting an unprotected first-round pick in 2026 that could land one of the top picks in a loaded draft. They followed it up with stellar work in the free-agent market. Atlanta used its $25 million trade exception from the Dejounte Murray trade to land Nickeil Alexander-Walker from Minnesota at a price just above the non-taxpayer midlevel exception, essentially squeezing out all their competition, and then added Luke Kennard on a one-year deal. Those two additions fortify what was an extremely shaky shooting and ballhandling situation in the non-Trae Young minutes, and in Alexander-Walker, the Hawks added a second lockdown backcourt defender to go with stopper Dyson Daniels. The Hawks also seem likely to get some small bit of compensation for letting Clint Capela go to Houston in a sign-and-trade. Advertisement Now, for the fun part: Could Atlanta do more? Capela's outbound salary is enough to offset Alexander-Walker's, which means the Hawks could keep that $25 million trade exception alive for something else. They would have to work quickly since it expires on July 6, the first day deals can be ratified in the new cap year, and they would have to send out some salary to stay below the first-apron threshold (where they're hard-capped due to signing Kennard with the nontaxpayer MLE), but it's something to ponder. In the event things stay less spicy, the Hawks still have back-end work to do on the roster with their $5.1 million biannual exception and veteran's minimums; the Hawks are an estimated $7.4 million below the tax line with at least two open roster spots to fill and could use another small forward and a stretch four. There's a lot of buzz about this team's offseason activity. (See what I did there?) After a strong draft yielded Kon Knueppel, Liam McNeeley, Ryan Kalkbrenner and Sion James, Charlotte has low-key been busy in the trade market. We don't talk about the Hornets much, but this has been a solid summer. Somehow, Jeff Peterson's front office turned Jusuf Nurkić into Collin Sexton and a second-round pick, solving a glaring shot-creation deficiency in the non-LaMelo Ball minutes. They also secured Spencer Dinwiddie as a solid backup on a minimum deal, and he can start in a pinch if Ball's flimsy ankles take him out of action. The Hornets cashed out their Mark Williams stock just before they had to pay him, getting the pick that became McNeeley plus a likely late 2026 first from Phoenix, and then magnified that trade's value by turning incoming salary-match Vasilije Micić's potential buyout into two second-round picks from the Bucks and Pat Connaughton. Connaughton is another buyout candidate, especially after Charlotte agreed to a deal with Tre Mann for three years and $24 million. (That's probably the one move they made where I'm a little skittish.) Everything is still in progress, though. Charlotte has 15 contracts and four rookie draft picks and might want to bring back veteran locker room sage Taj Gibson. The Hornets can use their entire non-taxpayer MLE and stay below the tax and seem likely to use it to soak up unwanted salary in a trade. They also don't have a real starting center yet, although Mason Plumlee brings his left-handed free throws back to the Queen City. Don't mind us, we're just quietly bringing back 14 of the 15 players who dominated the league last season. The Thunder air-dropped little-used Dillon Jones onto the Wizards' roster to make room for first-rounder Thomas Sorber, re-upped Jaylin Williams and Ajay Mitchell on new team-friendly deals, extended MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and now just need to figure out extensions for Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. Advertisement Oklahoma City is a 68-win defending champion that is also somehow $1.2 million below the tax line. All that changes in 2026-27, and some hard decisions will soon follow. But few recent champions have ever been in a better position to repeat. Orange County's most famous theme park will have an enthusiastic regular visitor after the Clippers added Brook Lopez to a two-year deal for $18 million, a relative steal for a rim protector who also bombs away 3s. The Clippers' backup center situation behind Ivica Zubac immediately went from yikes-bad to arguably the best in the league; LA is still under the tax(!) and has one roster spot left for a veteran's minimum contract. Then the real fun begins: Hammering out terms on a possible extension for Norman Powell. We knew the Celtics would be taking a step back this year, but yikes. Jrue Holiday, Porziņģis and Luke Kornet are gone, Al Horford seems like he might be next, and the Celtics still are looking at deals to trim salary further. Boston knew this day was coming; the Celtics were openly talking about it even as they were smashing Dallas in the 2024 NBA Finals. The repeater penalty in the 2023 CBA basically demands that Boston finish 2025-26 below the luxury-tax line, and they still have to whittle down $20 million in salary to get there. That said, the Celtics have taken the scalpel about as painlessly as possible so far. Dumping Holiday and receiving two seconds was a minor miracle, and Boston can likely take back significant draft capital if deals emerge for mainstays like Derrick White, Sam Hauser and Jaylen Brown. Everything is on the table in a 'gap' year while Jayson Tatum rehabs a torn Achilles. Newcomers Anfernee Simons and Georges Niang shouldn't get too comfortable, and what would it take for you to drive off the lot with a lightly used Baylor Scheierman? Advertisement The real challenge, perhaps, comes next summer. Having torn so much down, how can the Celtics quickly build it back up so they can thrive again with a healthy Tatum? I've mentioned this before, but the Pacers painted themselves into a corner once they extended Andrew Nembhard last summer. By taking Nembhard's salary from $2 million to $18 million for 2025-26, Indiana put itself in a position where paying Myles Turner any kind of market rate would certainly put it into the tax. (That extension, by the way, paid Nembhard two years and $56 million in new money; he's a good player, but this was roughly double what Alexander-Walker got in free agency … for a guy they already had under contract.) Setting things up to be a tax team works better if your team is owned by Steve Ballmer as opposed to Herb Simon. We'll never know if the Pacers would have shelled out if Tyrese Haliburton hadn't been injured, but they've also never paid a cent of luxury tax in their history. The smart money was on that streak continuing. The Pacers, however, still have outs to survive this, particularly in the trade market. The first step is to turn Turner's departure into a sign-and-trade with Milwaukee, thereby generating a $24.5 million trade exception that they can use until next July. It likely will cost them a second-round pick, but it's worth it. Indiana also reacquired its 2026 first-round pick from the Pelicans just before the Haliburton injury, greatly lessening the worst-case scenarios for this coming season. That reacquisition also makes possible my favorite fake trade: Indiana sending a lightly protected 2027 first to Dallas for Daniel Gafford. He would need to fit into a trade exception created by a Turner sign-and-trade, but Gafford is a starting-caliber center who's tough and runs all day, plus he's signed for four years, and his money won't put Indiana into the tax. The Pacers' front office has also shown in the past that they can dig out of tight spots. They'll use this year to let Bennedict Mathurin explore the limits of his game, figure out what they have in 2023 lottery pick Jarace Walker and scavenge for other roster upgrades. With roughly $22 million in room below the tax, plus their nontaxpayer MLE and biannual exceptions, Indy has the means to get a reasonable stopgap center. But it will be a step down from Turner and will make everything harder when the Pacers try to recreate their 2025 playoff magic in 2026-27. Milwaukee made the best worst move of the offseason when it decided to stretch Damian Lillard's contract to sign Myles Turner to a four-year, $107 million contract. It also cost the Bucks two second-round picks (spent to salary dump Pat Connaughton) and their nontaxpayer MLE, all to replace Lopez with Turner at the cost of what is effectively a maximum contract ($22.5 million in dead cap for Lillard and $24.6 million in first-year salary for Turner). Advertisement Was all that worth it for a team that lost in the first round of the playoffs a year ago? In Milwaukee, the answer is yes, as long as it keeps Giannis Antetokounmpo from demanding a trade. The Bucks have chased their superstar forward's approval to stay in town with ever-more desperate moves to mortgage their future for the present; the Bucks have little young talent in the cupboard and don't control their first-round pick until 2031. What they do have is one guy who can carry them to the playoffs on his back, even if the surrounding talent seems unlikely to let them win anything of note while there. While the right logical move would be to move off Antetokounmpo for a fortune in draft picks and young talent (including returning some of the picks they sent out), it's not clear if the Bucks will ever choose that door without Antetokounmpo insisting. Desperately chasing Turner was the least-bad option remaining. I can't call the Lakers 'winners' until we see Dončić's John Hancock on a contract extension and until we know for sure that everything is cool with LeBron James. Also, the Lakers seem focused on 2026 cap room, which, as I noted above, isn't really a great mechanism to acquire elite talent anymore (just ask Philadelphia). They have two All-NBA players on their team right now, so maybe focusing a bit more on the present would be a solid plan. That said, L.A. did about as well as it could with its nontaxpayer MLE by splitting it between Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia. It's possible that they found a starting center for this year and a starting small forward for next year in the same exception. The Lakers can still use their $5.1 million biannual exception to add another player, and it won't even take them into the tax. That's a big deal on a team that was plagued by the awfulness of the supporting cast around its two superstars a year ago. You still wouldn't call the back end of L.A.'s rotation good, but it's an improvement. The Lakers are also sitting on $41 million in expiring money in Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber, but they probably can't take a big trade swing until the 2026 draft, when they can put three firsts into a deal (2026, 2031 and 2033) instead the lone first they can right now. We gave up another first to avoid the luxury tax! The fourth one of the Jokić era! Yay? I get some of the enthusiasm about Denver's secondary moves to fill out the bench. Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valančiūnas are all massive upgrades on the flotsam that passed for a second unit a year ago. Advertisement But they traded an extremely valuable asset — a 2032 unprotected first-round pick — in a swap of forwards that turned Michael Porter Jr. into Cam Johnson. You can nitpick small differences in their games, but this was a deal whose sole driving inspiration was avoiding paying the luxury tax again. That's a sad way to operate while the best player who will ever wear a Nuggets uniform is still in his prime. If you don't think this is bad, just consider: What else could the Nuggets have done with that 2032 pick if they had actually been looking at deals to make the team better, rather than just ones that let them tread water while avoiding spending money? Here's the thing, though: Jokić is so good that this team is a legitimate contender; the Nuggets gave the Thunder all they could handle in the second round in May and have some reinforcements this time around. It's just sad to think of how much opportunity has been squandered by the Nuggets constantly using draft picks to dump money. The one time they used future picks to actually build their team, they landed Aaron Gordon. (Top photo of Trae Young and Jayson Tatum: Maddie Malhotra / Getty Images)
