Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Brooklyn Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith has received “exploratory interest” from the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Brooklyn Nets are heading in a different direction after they traded Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks for a bevy of first-round picks last week. Now that Brooklyn is headed into a rebuild, they will have to figure something out with forward Dorian Finney-Smith, someone that is drawing interest from yet another team.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype on Tuesday, the Philadelphia 76ers have shown “exploratory interest in trading” for Finney-Smith. After the 76ers recently signed star Paul George in free-agency, they are still looking to add more depth to the team and that presents another opportunity for the Nets to do business with someone that can provide them with young players and/or draft capital.
“The 76ers have exploratory interest in trading for Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, league sources told HoopsHype, but nothing is considered imminent there,” Scotto wrote. At this moment, Philadelphia would have to trade for Finney-Smith as he still has two years left on his current deal, including a player option for the 2025-26 season.
However, based off of Scotto’s reporting, it seems that nothing is close to happening between the Atlantic Division rivals just yet, which makes sense given that the 76ers are still trying to see what they can do in free-agency with the massive amount of cap space they had coming into the period.
Philadelphia appears to be the latest in the number of teams that have shown interest in Finney-Smith since he came to Brooklyn via the Kyrie Irving trade to the Dallas Mavericks. It’s possible that the 76ers could be vying with teams like the Los Angeles Lakers for Finney-Smith given that he has a coveted skill set as a forward who can stretch the floor and defend multiple positions.
76ers rookie Jared McCain has already seen the memes.
Philadelphia 76ers rookie guard Jared McCain has already seen the memes.
McCain, who was selected with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, still isn’t afraid to express himself. He paints his nails and posts videos of himself dancing for more than 3.3 million followers on his TikTok before ever playing his first game in the NBA.
He has garnered fans around the world after his one-and-done season at Duke, especially after playing particularly well for Duke during the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
But there is a learning curve and, like everyone else, he have some games that are better than others. When that happens, though, he already knows exactly what is going to happen. It will look something like this:
Fans are going to make memes using his viral dances, like the tweet included above, and it’s going to make him look very silly.
But he is prepared for that to happen and he recently acknowledged it.
I get all the comments about Jared McCain’s Tik Toks but listen to the guy and tell me he doesn’t seem built for it
In a way all the social media attention/hate may have prepared him for the scrutiny. His game certainly loves the bright lights as wellpic.twitter.com/ora5wlUGRU
“Even since high school, I’ve had the social media. I’ve gotten hate since high school. I’ve painted my nails high school. So I understand. The TikToks are always going to come into play after one bad game. I understand it.”
McCain speculated about what this will look like:
“I’ve been on Twitter. It’s going to be like: ‘Joel Embiid says Jared we need to make a 3.’ Then it’s like: ‘Jared McCain’ and it’s going to be one of my TikToks. I already know what it’s going to be.”
He added, however, that Duke set him up for that kind of a reception.
The rookie said he already knows what is going to come of it, he feels prepared for it, he will embrace it, and. he will work as hard as he can to prove to everyone that he belongs.
George will join star 76ers teammates Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in pursuit of an NBA title.
Free agent small forward Paul George has reportedly agreed to a four-year, $212 million maximum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN. The former Los Angeles Clippers swingman committed during a meeting with Sixers officials this week and will now return to the the NBA’s Eastern Conference to join star 76ers teammates Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in pursuit of an NBA title.
To talk it all over, CLNS Media reporter Bobby Manning reacts to the move and discusses whether this makes the Sixers the biggest threat to the Boston Celtics in the East next season in terms of title contention.
Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what he had to say about the impact of PG13 to the Sixers.
Gooood morning, folks! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for rocking with us today. Hope you had a fantastic weekend.
Can anyone explain exactly what the Los Angeles Clippers’ plan for free agency is here? Because I’m not even sure they know at this point.
Paul George decided to sign a 4-year, $212 million deal with the 76ers while you were sleeping, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. The Clippers big three is now officially down to an unintimidating two featuring James Harden (who never seems to come through in the playoffs) and Kawhi Leonard (who never seems to play in the playoffs anymore).
It’s not even just that he decided to sign in Philly that makes the Clippers losers. It’s that he decided not to sign with the Clippers. That just feels like the most Clippers thing ever to me.
Just think about the situation. George and the Clippers have been negotiating for months. We’ve all known there was a strong possibility that George would leave LA. The rumors have been circulating for months now. But now, here the Clippers are, losing George for absolutely nothing. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Nada.
It’s not like the Clippers didn’t have deals on the table. The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami reported that the Warriors offered half of their starting lineup plus Chris Paul and a first-round draft pick for George. The Clippers declined, well, here we are now. They’ve got nothing.
And, remember, the Clippers gave up everything for George.
L.A. moved future MVP candidate Shai Gilgeious-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, and a boatload of draft picks, including one that wound up being Jalen Williams. It’s safe to say the Thunder have officially won that trade now.
Clippers fans should fondly remember the Paul George era—it’s undoubtedly the best the franchise has ever had. Four playoff appearances in five years and a Western Conference Finals berth aren’t bad, but they’re not what L.A. set out to do.
But, man. They went through all of that for what amounts to nothing. Clippers gon’ Clip. Always.
Sam Reinhart is back
Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Speaking of free agency, Sam Reinhart has to feel like the man in Miami right now.
He scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal in the second period against Edmonton in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Now, a week later, and the man is paid.
Reinhart signed an 8-year, $69 million deal with the Panthers to remain with the franchise through the rest of his prime, ESPN reports.
That’s a sweet deal for the Panthers. You could argue it’s a steal, considering his production. Reinhart scored a franchise record 57 goals last year, including the first one of the season. He tacked in another 10 in the playoffs and got the last goal of the season, too. That one was for the Cup.
The Panthers got that guy locked in for $8.5 million annually. That’s less than what the Panthers are paying Aleksander Barkov ($10 million AAV).
Way to get it done, Florida.
Diana Taurasi said nice things!
And y’all said Diana Taurasi was just a hater. Obviously, she’s had some fairly stern things to say about Caitlin Clark. But after seeing the Fever play the Sun on Sunday, it’s pretty clear she’s got love for the rookie, too.
The two shared some pretty cool moments during the game and Taurasi even said nice words after! Do you know how hard it is to get Diana Taurasi to say nice words, folks?!?
Diana Taurasi when asked about Caitlin Clark's impact on women's basketball:
"It's amazing. What Caitlin's been able to do in her short career so far has been nothing short of remarkable. The one thing that I really love about her … she's put the work in. Even throughout her… pic.twitter.com/LolH8ioDjS
“It’s amazing. What Caitlin’s been able to do in her short career so far has been nothing short of remarkable. The one thing that I really love about her, she loves the game. You can tell she’s put the work in. Even throughout her short WNBA career, there’s been a lot of pressure. A lot of things thrown at here. She keeps getting better every single game. Her future is super bright.”
Alright. The beef talk is buried. This was super nice of DT. What a great moment. What a great game.
Quick hits: How the Clippers lost PG … Why you shouldn’t believe in England … and more
Few rookies can ask for a better situation than Jared McCain gets in Philadelphia, but that hasn’t translated to good Rookie of the Year odds.
[autotag]Jared McCain[/autotag] ended up in one of the best situations an NBA rookie can hope for.
With the Philadelphia 76ers drafting him with the 16th overall pick on Wednesday, he gets to share the court with superstars like Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Embiid won the league MVP award two seasons ago and finished second in each of the two previous seasons of voting, and Maxey won the Most Improved Player last season. On top of that, there’s noise of the Sixers adding stars like Paul George in free agency.
That situation, on top of McCain’s 41% 3-point percentage in college, should theoretically put him in position to play a key role on a championship favorite from year one. That hasn’t translated to low odds for the Rookie of the Year award, however.
As of Sunday afternoon, the DraftKings Sportsbook had McCain as a +4000 long shot to win the hardware this season, the 14th-lowest odds of any first-year player.
Despite Zaccharie Risacher coming off the board first to the Atlanta Hawks, second overall pick Alexandre Sarr takes the crown as the betting favorite for the award at +350.
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3005″]
Here are the top 14 players on the odds board for the award, including everyone with lower odds than McCain.
The four-time champion is reportedly planning on having discussions with four teams at the start of free agency.
All signs point to the end of the legendary Klay Thompson era with the Golden State Warriors.
Multiple reports have indicated that Thompson and the Warriors are set to part ways this summer after 13 years and four championships. The veteran sharpshooter is rumored to suit up in a new uniform for the first time in his career.
Shortly after the NBA’s free agency window opened on Sunday, Thompson is reportedly planning to have discussions with four teams. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Thompson is planning to have discussions with the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Shams Charania of The Athletic is reporting Thompson and the Warriors are exploring different sign-and-trade options. If the Warriors and Thompson’s preferred destination can agree to a sign and trade, Golden State could potentially acquire players or draft compensation.
After 13 iconic seasons together, sources say Klay Thompson is departing the Warriors and the sides will begin to work through sign-and-trade options — discussing now on @Stadium Free Agency Special: https://t.co/UzzmWYSvJk
In his final season with the Warriors, Thompson averaged 17.9 points on 43.2% shooting from the floor and 38.7% from beyond the arc to go along with 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 29.7 minutes per game.
With Jared McCain going to the Philadelphia 76ers, only one other athletic program can match Duke’s 2024 drafting feat.
When [autotag]Jared McCain[/autotag] got taken off the board with the 16th pick in Wednesday night’s NBA draft, he did more than simply realize a manifested dream from his childhood. He helped the Duke athletic program reach some elite company for the 2023-24 athletic calendar.
The Blue Devils became one of just two schools with a first-round pick at both April’s NFL draft and this week’s NBA draft.
Only USC, the home of Heisman-winning quarterback Caleb Williams and basketball star Isaiah Collier, can say the same for the 2024 draft cycle.
McCain and Barton, despite teaming up for the rare accomplishment, traveled very different paths to reach the professional level. Barton spent four seasons with the Blue Devils, starting as a center during his freshman season before moving to offensive tackle for the next three years.
McCain, a former five-star prospect from California, spent less than 12 months on campus in Durham before heading to the Sixers.
Back in 2022, however, a younger version of the California native had no doubts about him reaching that point.
The NBA released a short video on Saturday of McCain, still wearing a Philadelphia hat fresh off the draft stage, looking back at a two-year-old direct message he sent to the league’s social media account.
The message? McCain simply wrote, “I will be in the NBA.”
“Big believer in manifesting,” McCain said on draft night. “It was something I did because I felt like it was going to happen and now I’m here.”
McCain pointed out that so many basketball players don’t reach the highest level and encouraged fans to write down their goals to help visualize their success.
McCain, who will wear the number 20 for the Sixers, now gets to live out his NBA dreams alongside stars like Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in the City of Brotherly Love.
Jared McCain celebrated his new career as an NBA player in the best way he knows how: by making a TikTok.
Did anybody expect [autotag]Jared McCain[/autotag] to not make a TikTok to celebrate his new job as a Philadelphia 76er?
The freshman sensation and most popular person on campus last year finally got to wear a Philadelphia jersey on Friday, and he immediately shared a video for his three million followers on the social media platform.
McCain, who will wear the number 20 for Philadelphia, shared a short video of him dancing in his new NBA jersey on Friday. Within 24 hours, the short clip surpassed one million likes.
“You learn that, when you’re at the top, there’s going to be haters,” McCain continued. “There’s going to be people who are going to find any way to discredit your work, discredit everything about you. And you learn to live with it.”
During his introductory press conference with the Philadelphia 76ers, Jared McCain couldn’t pass up the chance to gas up the Blue Devils.
He might play in Philadelphia now, but Durham will always be home for Jared McCain.
The freshman sensation went to the 76ers with the 16th overall pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday. During his introductory press conference on Friday, when a reporter asked him about handling criticism, he couldn’t resist hyping up his old team.
“Being at Duke, you know, the best college program in the country by far,” McCain started with a grin on his face.
The newest member of the Sixers actually turned his joke into a productive answer, too.
“You learn that, when you’re at the top, there’s going to be haters,” McCain continued. “There’s going to be people who are going to find any way to discredit your work, discredit everything about you. And you learn to live with it.”
