After a Rookie of the Year campaign that saw Flagg establish himself as a franchise cornerstone, Dirk Nowitzki revealed he has remained in regular contact with the 19-year-old and is willing to help whenever needed.

“We met a few times. We’re obviously in contact,” Nowitzki said, according to DLLS Sports’ Abby Jones. “I write him when I see something. He knows that I’m in his corner. I want him to succeed and do well. He’s so far ahead of the curve already. But if there’s anything that he ever needs, I’m more than happy to help.”

Flagg averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game during his rookie season, despite Dallas finishing with the fourth-worst record in the Western Conference.

The Mavericks now enter a new chapter with head coach Dustin May taking over and Kyrie Irving returning after missing last season with an ACL injury.

Nowitzki is particularly interested to see how everything comes together under May and what a Flagg-Irving pairing could look like.

“We’ll have to wait and see how they all come together, obviously, with the new coach, with a new system, and a new coach,” Nowitzki said, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. “How is he going to transition? I’ve heard great things about him: about his leadership, about his work ethic, about how he approaches and talks to the guys. I think he’ll be loved by the players. But it’ll be interesting to see. What kind of plays is he running? What kind of system is he establishing — how does he want to play? But the big thing is, obviously, Kyrie coming back after a whole year off.

“I’ve seen some clips on social media in the last few weeks. He looks great. He looks shifty. He still looks explosive. To see Kyrie with Coop sharing the court will be super, super exciting. He kept some veterans around. He got some new players. You need to have Lively healthy, obviously; that’s a big key. But I think they got some nice pieces. If they execute well with Kyrie and Coop on the court, that could be a dangerous combo.”

READ MORE: Jayson Tatum Gets Real About Jaylen Brown Relationship

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The statue depicts Lowry wearing his No. 7 jersey while dribbling a basketball and stands above a nameplate reading, “The Greatest Raptor of All Time. Kyle Lowry | 2012-2021, 2026,” according to ESPN.

Lowry was also presented with a key to the city as Toronto continued celebrating the 40-year-old following his retirement in July.

The six-time All-Star spent nine seasons with the Raptors and played a central role in delivering the franchise’s first NBA championship in 2019.

His next major honor is already scheduled.

Toronto announced in August that Lowry’s No. 7 will be retired following the Raptors’ home game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 10. Lowry previously explained just how much seeing his jersey in the rafters will mean to him.

“I’ve been looking forward to this moment for years. I always said that Toronto is home, and that I’d retire a Raptor, and to see my No. 7 go up in that building is going to mean everything to me,” Lowry said, according to ESPN. “We built something special here — my teammates, the organization, the city and the fans, and all of Canada. We became champions together, and to be able to share this night with all of them, and with my family, is going to mean a lot to me.”

Lowry will become just the second player in franchise history to have his number retired, joining Basketball Hall of Famer Vince Carter, whose No. 15 went into the rafters in November 2024.

After 20 NBA seasons, Lowry finished his career averaging 13.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and six assists per game.

He officially closed out his playing career in Toronto after signing a one-day contract with the Raptors in July.

Now, with a golden statue outside the arena and his No. 7 soon heading to the rafters, Lowry’s legacy in Toronto will be hard to miss.

READ MORE: Pistons Turned Down Jalen Duren-Domantas Sabonis Trade: Report

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Boston enters the 2026-27 season looking very different after trading Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in a blockbuster deal that brought Paul George to the Celtics.

While questions remain over how George will fit alongside Jayson Tatum, Windhorst believes head coach Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics will have plenty of motivation to prove people wrong.

“I believe the Celtics will have a good year this year. I think we’re going to have to retrofit what we think is a good year because I think there’s going to be fewer wins for teams across the board,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s The Hoop Collective. “So, Celtics might win fewer games than they did last year, but still have a very good year. I just think Joe Mazzulla is going to be obsessed, and the team is going to be obsessed with proving everybody wrong. And I think they’re going to have a very good regular season.

“Now, whether or not they’re going to be better as a playoff team, having lost Jaylen Brown and swapping him out for Paul George, that, I think, is a different conversation. But I would not be surprised if the Celtics end up with a top-5 or 6 record this season.”

Brown’s departure ends a decade-long run in Boston and leaves the Celtics facing their first season without the former Finals MVP since he entered the league in 2016.

The Celtics were recently placed third in ESPN’s NBA Future Power Rankings, which assesses how teams are positioned over the next three seasons. Windhorst believes that may be slightly optimistic, even if Boston’s organizational track record gives it a chance to justify the ranking.

“This is too high. I think we all can agree this is too high, but it may not be ridiculous,” Windhorst said. “You’re basically saying the coach and the organization has a track record of getting it right, and you’re betting on them getting it right.”

Whether George can replace what Brown provided in the postseason remains a major question, but Windhorst clearly isn’t ready to count Boston out.

READ MORE: Lakers’ New Owners Have Their Eyes on a $30 Billion Valuation

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Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger’s group purchased the Lakers at a record $12.5 billion valuation last month, but according to an investor presentation reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, they believe the team could be worth at least $30 billion by the end of 2037.

Under more favourable conditions, the group reportedly sees a path to a valuation as high as $62 billion.

The projections are built around several areas of potential growth, including international expansion, sponsorships and increased media-rights revenue.

The Lakers are currently projected to generate around $681 million in revenue in 2026. The ownership group believes that figure could climb to more than $1.6 billion by 2037.

But, one part of the plan could hit Lakers fans directly in the wallet.

The group reportedly wants to reclaim around 6,000 season tickets currently held by brokers and sell them as single-game tickets. That could increase the average single-game ticket price from around $217 to $361.

The plan is expected to generate around $150 million in additional revenue by 2028, with another $40 million to $75 million potentially coming from new sponsorship opportunities and at least $20 million through operating efficiencies.

Media rights are another major part of the projection. The Lakers’ new owners are reportedly betting that television and streaming rights could double in value again when the NBA’s current $77 billion media deal expires.

It’s an enormous financial target, but the Lakers are already one of the most valuable franchises in sports.

Now, the new ownership group is betting it can turn the league’s biggest brands into an even bigger business, with fans potentially paying more along the way.

READ MORE: Jayson Tatum Gets Real About Jaylen Brown Relationship

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Duren has yet to agree to a long-term extension with Detroit and currently has a $9.6 million qualifying offer available for the 2026-27 season. Accepting it would allow the 22-year-old to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

For a player coming off the best season of his career, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin believes Duren taking that route would be a major problem for Detroit.

“If he makes the unprecedented decision to play for the qualifying offer, which has never happened for a guy of this status, and for a guy that would be leaving this kind of money on the table, that is an absolute disaster for Detroit,” McMenamin said on ESPN’s The Hoop Collective. “The only way you take that is to leave.”

Duren is coming off a career year in which he averaged 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists while earning his first All-Star selection and an All-NBA Third Team nod.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also believes accepting the qualifying offer would send a clear message about Duren’s future.

“If he signs for the qualifying offer, he’s gone,” Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective. “And not only that, you now are going to have a player that’s playing on the qualifying offer, and is going to make decisions based on that.”

McMenamin believes that could impact Detroit before Duren even reaches free agency, particularly when it comes to managing injuries during a contract year.

“Every time there’s a bump or a bruise, he’s going to err on the side of caution,” McMenamin added. “You don’t even get him this year. You get a shell of him this year.”

Duren’s value is also helped by how difficult it is to find young centers with his combination of age and physical tools.

“You don’t find players like this with this size in their 20s,” Windhorst added. “This is why the Lakers paid so much for Walker Kessler. You can debate about whether or not that trade was worth it. But the reason Walker Kessler was able to drive that value is you just can’t get your hands on players like this in their early 20s. It’s just hard.”

READ MORE: Stephen Curry Backs NBA’s Massive Clippers Punishment

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The Clippers were stripped of five first-round draft picks and fined $30 million after the league concluded its investigation into salary cap circumvention involving Leonard and potential endorsement deals.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was also suspended from all league and team activities for one year, while Leonard received a $700,000 fine.

Asked about the punishment and whether the severity of the NBA’s ruling surprised him, Curry said the lengthy investigation gave him confidence that commissioner Adam Silver had reached the appropriate decision, according to ClutchPoints.

“I wasn’t surprised,” Curry said. “I think the reason the investigation took as long as it did, and Steve Ballmer, I’ve gotten to know, he’s a great guy, who’s standing by the punishment, so there’s a reason that’s all happened the way that it has, and at the end of the day, Adam Silver had a job to do, and I think the punishment makes sense.”

Ballmer has accepted the NBA’s ruling despite disagreeing with aspects of the league’s findings, while Leonard has denied intentionally violating league rules.

The investigation ultimately brought an end to an already disappointing Clippers era.

Leonard has since been traded back to the Toronto Raptors, ending a seven-year run in Los Angeles that never produced the championship the franchise envisioned when it landed him in 2019.

His arrival also triggered one of the most consequential trades in recent NBA history. At Leonard’s request, Los Angeles acquired Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a blockbuster deal that sent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a massive collection of draft capital in the opposite direction.

The Clippers now enter their next chapter without Leonard and with Ballmer sidelined for the season, while also facing the long-term consequences of losing five future first-round selections.

And judging by Curry’s reaction, the scale of the punishment wasn’t unexpected.

For the four-time NBA champion, the league took its time investigating the situation before making its call, and ultimately, “the punishment makes sense.”

READ MORE: Pablo Torre Questions ESPNs Reporting of Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard Scandal

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Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason in a deal that brought Paul George and draft capital back to the Celtics, separating the duo for the first time since Tatum entered the NBA.

Speaking about Brown months after the blockbuster move, Tatum pushed back against the years of speculation surrounding their relationship and reflected on everything they accomplished together.

“There are just so many different narratives,” Tatum said during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show. “And so many different opinions and speculation. For me, I love that guy. What we were able to accomplish together in nine years, right? (We) went to the conference finals five times. We went to the championship twice. We won the championship. We’ve shared all-star games together. You can’t talk about him without talking about me and vice versa, right? The success that we’ve had as just two young kids growing up in this league, and really just pushing each other.”

Tatum and Brown finished their run together with a 332-167 regular-season record and went 73-48 in the playoffs, according to Fadeaway World.

Most importantly, the pair finally broke through in 2024, delivering Boston its 18th NBA championship after years of deep postseason runs.

But their partnership eventually became another example of the business side of the NBA. With Brown owed more than $183 million over the next three years, Boston ultimately decided to move in another direction.

Tatum isn’t interested in looking back at the split negatively.

“Unfortunately, the business of basketball is always going to play a part,” Tatum added. “Nobody has ever played together forever. But it’s not a thing to be sad or upset about. It’s a thing to celebrate what we were able to do, and he’s a tremendous person and a player. And I’ve got nothing but respect, and wish him the best as he moves forward.”

Tatum will now begin a new chapter alongside George, while Brown prepares for life in Philadelphia.

The former teammates won’t have to wait long to see each other again, with Boston and Philadelphia scheduled to meet on November 10.

READ MORE: Kawhi Leonard Stunned by Raptors Coach’s Draft Night Revelation

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Duren is “very seriously considering” accepting Detroit’s $9.6 million qualifying offer, allowing him to play out the season before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer, The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson reported last week.

They that such a move would signal “a relationship gone wrong” and could force the Pistons to consider trading Duren rather than risk losing him for nothing.

One team that is already in the picture is Sacramento.

The Kings showed interest in Duren early in free agency, but Detroit shut down trade talks at the time.

The Pistons previously rejected a sign-and-trade proposal from the Kings that included Sabonis for Duren because Detroit still wanted to sign Duren long term, according to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel.

“The Pistons didn’t want a deal to be over $35 million,” Siegel said. “That was the initial talk for the Pistons, not Jalen Duren, where they wanted to get him on a contract around $35 million. Jalen Duren and his camp viewed him as a max-level player, that wasn’t gonna be on the table at all, so they’ve been kind of headstrong on saying that they want over $40 million a year on a new deal.

“That’s where the discrepancy has lied. Our good friend over at The Athletic, Sam Amick, says that a five-year $195 million deal is on the table from the Pistons, around $37-$38 million annually. That hasn’t been accepted right now and if you’re Jalen Duren and his camp, I mean, what else do you really want at this point?”

With the two sides still unable to reach an agreement, Detroit could soon face a decision on whether to keep pushing for a long-term deal or explore the trade market.

READ MORE: Warriors Could Make Huge Draymond Green Trade Decision

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Walter agreed to purchase majority control of the Lakers in June 2025 after previously holding a minority stake in the franchise. Earlier this summer, it was reported that Walter was under investigation over allegations that billions of dollars in policyholder funds from insurance companies he controls were used to purchase sports teams without proper disclosure, according to The Athletic.

Speaking following the NBA’s recent Board of Governors meeting, Silver defended the league’s approval process and said nothing concerning emerged during Walter’s vetting.

“We went through the full process we all do. We spoke to governmental agencies. We spoke to, in the case of Mark Walter, in the heavily regulated insurance industry,” Silver said. “We spoke to other leagues in which he has investments and we found no red flags. Again, even to this day, these are, call them allegations, there are issues that are now being looked into. But independent of Mark Walter choosing to sell his team right now, he was not being investigated by our league.”

Shortly after news of the federal investigation surfaced, Walter agreed to sell the Lakers to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger in a deal reportedly worth $12.5 billion.

Silver was also questioned by journalist Pablo Torre about the NBA’s broader process for evaluating potential owners, including whether wealthy investors could use ownership of major sports franchises to improve their public standing.

The commissioner said the league takes its vetting process “very seriously,” while acknowledging there could still be ways to strengthen it.

“A lot of what we do is intensive database searching,” Silver said. “We also take to as many people as we can find and who have knowledge about these people and we do interviews. But beyond that, I will say, we’re always reassessing to see if we can do more.”

Walter’s sports portfolio has also undergone another significant change. While he remains an owner of MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, Clearlake Capital acquired his ownership interest in Premier League club Chelsea on Wednesday.

READ MORE: Warriors Could Make Huge Draymond Green Trade Decision

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The issue came to light after tickets went on sale this week, with some prices reaching eye-watering levels.

Tickets for the Knicks’ Oct. 20 season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers were listed with a get-in price of more than $1,000, while the average ticket price was reportedly around $2,500.

The Knicks have since acknowledged the mistake and paused individual ticket sales while the pricing is corrected.

Their statement read:

“We are pausing Knicks individual ticket sales due a mistake in our pricing. We are rolling back to last year’s prices plus an average increase of 12%. We will restart sales with new prices shortly, and anyone who already purchased individual tickets will be refunded the difference. Our intention was never to overcharge our loyal fans, and we thank everyone for their support of the Knicks and their patience as we get this right.”

Fans who purchased tickets at the inflated prices will receive a refund for the difference, while individual ticket sales are expected to resume early next week with the corrected pricing.

The team also confirmed that season-ticket holders and fans who purchased tickets during the earlier “Fan First” priority sale were not affected by the error.

The situation comes as demand for Knicks tickets continues to soar following their championship run last season.

READ MORE: Jayson Tatum Gets Real About Jaylen Brown Relationship

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