Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Kings hire B.J. Armstrong as assistant general manager

The Sacramento Kings announced today that B.J. Armstrong has been named assistant general manager. Armstrong will report to general manager Scott Perry.

“B.J. has an elite understanding of the game, and his basketball IQ, front office insight, and championship experience will be invaluable as we build towards the future,” said general manager Scott Perry. “He’s been a trusted advisor to me and many others in the basketball world for years, and I’m confident his perspective and leadership will make a significant impact on our organization.”

Armstrong brings over 30 years of NBA experience to Sacramento. After playing 11 seasons in the NBA (1989-2000), Armstrong joined the Chicago Bulls front office before departing in 2005. He then joined Wasserman as an agent and represented several NBA players including Derrick Rose, the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft and the youngest player to ever be named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player.

Armstrong was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1989 and played for them for six seasons, winning three NBA championships (1991, 1992, 1993). He also spent time with the Golden State Warriors (1995-1996), Charlotte Hornets (1996-1997), Orlando Magic (1997-1999), and returned to the Bulls for one final season (1999-2000). Armstrong was named an NBA All-Star in 1994. Over 11 seasons, Armstrong averaged 9.8 points and 3.3 assists per game.

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson wins 2024-25 NBA Coach of Year award

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson is the recipient of the Red Auerbach Trophy as the 2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year.

Atkinson, in his first season as the Cavaliers’ head coach and fifth season as an NBA head coach, has been named the NBA Coach of the Year for the first time. He becomes the third head coach to earn the honor with Cleveland, joining Bill Fitch (1975-76) and Mike Brown (2008-09).

Under Atkinson, the Cavaliers (64-18) finished with the second-best record in franchise history and earned the No. 1 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. He tied for the fourth-most victories by a head coach in his first season with a team.

Cleveland joined the 2006-07 Dallas Mavericks as the only two teams to have three separate winning streaks of 12 or more games in a season. The Cavaliers won their first 15 games to match the second-best start to a season in NBA history. They also recorded a team-record 16-game winning streak from Feb. 5 – March 14.

Atkinson led Cleveland to several other single-season franchise highs, including scoring average (NBA-leading 121.9 points per game), scoring differential (9.5 points per game), road victories (30) and three-pointers made (1,303).

Atkinson was named the NBA Eastern Conference Coach of the Month twice, for games played in October/November and December. He also earned a spot to serve as a head coach in the NBA All-Star Game for the first time.

Thunder Executive Sam Presti wins 2024-25 NBA Basketball Executive of Year award

Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti has been named the 2024-25 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year.

Presti has earned the annual honor for the first time. He previously finished second in the voting three times (2009-10, 2019-20 and 2023-24).

Presti assembled a team that went an NBA-leading 68-14 in the 2024-25 regular season, tied for the sixth-best record in league history. Oklahoma City set the NBA record for scoring differential, outscoring opponents by 12.9 points per game.

Last offseason, Presti’s player acquisitions included guard Alex Caruso and center Isaiah Hartenstein. Caruso, a Kia NBA All-Defensive Team selection in each of the previous two seasons, averaged 7.1 points and 1.61 steals per game and helped Oklahoma City lead the NBA in defensive rating (106.6) this season. Hartenstein averaged career highs of 11.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game in his first season with the Thunder.

Presti is in his 18th season with the Thunder franchise after being named general manager in June 2007. Prior to that, he spent seven years with the San Antonio Spurs, rising from video intern to vice president/assistant general manager.

Knicks notes heading into Game 2 against Celtics

On Monday, the Knicks won Game 1 of their second round playoff series on the road in Boston against the Celtics, 108-105.

Jalen Brunson recorded 29 points, five assists, two steals and five made three-pointers. This marked his 22nd playoff game as a Knick with 25+ points, which ranks third in Knicks history and only trails Patrick Ewing (43) and Walt Frazier (29). Brunson also passed Dick Barnett (922) for 9th on the Knicks all time playoff scoring list.

Brunson scored 20 points on 60-percent shooting and four made three-pointers on 100-percent three-point shooting in the second half. This marked his 14th second half in the playoffs as a Knick with 20+ points, which ranks first in Knicks history since the NBA started tracking quarter stats in 1996-97.

OG Anunoby registered 29 points, four rebounds and one steal, marking his fourth career playoff game with 25+ points. Anunoby also set a playoff career high with six made three-pointers.

Anunoby scored 20 points in the second half, marking his second career half in the playoffs with 20+ points.

Mikal Bridges recorded eight points, seven assists, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks, marking his third career playoff game with multiple blocks and multiple steals.

Bridges added two steals in overtime, becoming the first Knick since the NBA started tracking quarter stats in 1996-97 to have multiple steals in a playoff overtime.

The Knicks rallied back from a 20-point deficit against the Celtics, marking their largest playoff comeback since 1969-70.

Bucks guard Damian Lillard injury update: torn Achilles tendon

Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard underwent an MRI today that revealed a torn left Achilles tendon. Lillard suffered the injury during the first period of last night’s game vs. Indiana.

Lillard will miss the remainder of the 2025 Playoffs and undergo surgery to repair the injury.

Per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Lillard was injured in the first quarter of the game when he pushed off his left leg to collect an offensive rebound. His leg immediately buckled and he fell to the floor and reached for his lower leg. He sat until play was stopped by a foul, and Lillard needed assistance from Milwaukee coaches and players to exit the court.”

Payton Pritchard wins 2024-25 NBA Sixth Man of Year award

Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard is the recipient of the John Havlicek Trophy as the 2024-25 NBA Sixth Man of the Year for his contributions in a reserve role.

Pritchard has been named the Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year for the first time. He is the fourth player to earn the honor with the Celtics, joining Kevin McHale (1983-84 and 1984-85), Bill Walton (1985-86) and Malcolm Brogdon (2022-23).

In his fifth season, the 6-1 Pritchard averaged career highs of 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists in 28.4 minutes in 80 games (three starts). He shot a career-high 47.2% from the field, including 40.7% from three-point range. His 1,079 points off the bench were the most in the NBA.

Pritchard ranked fifth among all NBA players in three-pointers made with a career-high 255, the second most in a season in Celtics franchise history. He set an NBA single-season record for three-pointers made off the bench with 246 (his other nine threes made came as a starter).

Pritchard helped the Celtics (61-21) finish with the third-best record in the NBA and secure the No. 2 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.

Evan Mobley wins 2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of Year award

Cleveland Cavaliers forward-center Evan Mobley is the recipient of the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy as the 2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

A four-year NBA veteran, Mobley has been named the Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the first time. The 7-footer is the first player to earn the honor with the Cavaliers.

Mobley is the fifth 23-year-old to be selected as the Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, joining Alvin Robertson (1985-86), Dwight Howard (2008-09), Kawhi Leonard (2014-15) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (2022-23). No player younger than 23 has ever won the award, which has been presented annually since the 1982-83 season.

In the 2024-25 regular season, Mobley ranked sixth in the NBA in blocked shots per game (1.59) and 13th in defensive rebounds per game (7.0). He contested 10.4 shots per game, the third most among players who played in at least 70% of their team’s games (58 of 82).

Opponents shot 44.5% from the field when Mobley was the closest defender, 3.2% lower than their expected percentage on those shots (47.7%). That difference was the fourth largest among the 30 players who defended at least 1,000 shots for the season.

Behind Mobley, the Cavaliers ranked eighth in the NBA in defensive rating (111.8) and third in opponents’ field goal percentage (45.4). With him on the court, Cleveland had a defensive rating of 108.6 – which would be No. 2 in the league.

Mobley won the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month Award twice, for December and February. He was also named an NBA All-Star for the first time.

Overall, Mobley averaged 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 30.5 minutes in 71 games. He helped the Cavaliers (64-18) finish with the second-best record in franchise history and earn the No. 1 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.

Jalen Brunson wins 2024-25 NBA Clutch Player of Year award

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson is the recipient of the Jerry West Trophy as winner of the 2024-25 NBA Clutch Player of the Year award.

The award, which was first presented in the 2022-23 season, honors the NBA player who best comes through for his teammates late in close games. A global media panel of 100 voters selected the winner based on nominations from NBA head coaches.

In the 2024-25 regular season, Brunson averaged an NBA-high 5.6 points in clutch situations, which are defined as possessions in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the score is within five points. In those instances, he also led the league in field goals made (52) and ranked second in total points (156) and third in total assists (28).

Brunson shot 51.5% from the field and 84.0% from the free throw line in clutch time. In the 28 clutch games in which he played, the Knicks had a record of 17-11.

Overall, Brunson averaged 26.0 points and 7.3 assists in 35.4 minutes in 65 games this season. He ranked eighth in the NBA in both points and assists per game. Brunson was selected as an NBA All-Star for the second season in a row.

Knicks and Sixers to play two October 2025 preseason games in Abu Dhabi

The NBA and the Department of Culture and Tourism of Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) today announced that The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2025 will feature the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers playing preseason games on Thursday, Oct. 2 and Saturday, Oct. 4 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.

The Knicks currently feature two-time NBA All-Star Jalen Brunson, five-time NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns and 2022 NBA All-Defensive First Team member Mikal Bridges. Bridges and Brunson previously played in Abu Dhabi as members of the USA Basketball (USAB) Men’s National Team prior to the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Towns participated in The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2023 as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The 76ers currently feature 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player and seven-time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid, nine-time NBA All-Star Paul George and 2024 NBA All-Star Tyrese Maxey. Embiid previously played in Abu Dhabi as a member of the USAB Men’s National Team prior to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2025 will air live in the UAE, across the Middle East and around the world, reaching fans in more than 200 countries and territories on television, digital media and social media.

Lakers extend agreement with Rob Pelinka

The Los Angeles Lakers recently extended their agreement with Rob Pelinka, naming him President of Basketball Operations and General Manager.

“For eight seasons, I have relied on Rob’s vision and leadership to do what’s best for the Lakers organization,” said Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss. “I value his partnership and professionalism and believe in his ability to deliver championship-caliber basketball for Los Angeles and Lakers fans everywhere.”

Pelinka joined the Lakers in 2017 as General Manager and was named Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager in 2020.