Heavy Sports • 16th August 2025

Report: Lakers Offseason Moves Don’t Guarantee A Better Record

The Los Angeles Lakers finished with their first 50-win season in five years, but their latest offseason moves aren’t expected to lead to a better record next year. Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report expects the Lakers to finish with the same 50-32 record next season. “The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t make a lot of changes to their 50-win team this offseason,” Bailey wrote. Los Angeles added Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia over the summer while losing Dorian Finney-Smith to the Houston Ro...

Heavy Sports • 16th August 2025

NBA Responds To Gambling Concerns After $180M Star’s Warning

The NBA currently has three players under investigation for potential gambling concerns, and the league and players’ association are in talks to take further steps to curb what is becoming a growing issue. In a report on ESPN.com, David Purdum wrote that both the NBA and NBPA are in favor of “Limitations on certain types of bets to reduce the risk of manipulation and combat athlete abuse by gamblers.”The news comes just days after Brooklyn Nets‘ $180 million star and former NBA champion Michael...

Heavy Sports • 15th August 2025

Joel Embiid Gets Crushing News After Sixers Schedule Release

The 2025-26 NBA schedule has been released, and things couldn’t be worse for the Philadelphia 76ers and their star, Joel Embiid. With their schedule for next year, the Sixers are tied for the most back-to-back games in the NBA, with 16 across the entire season. That comes after last year, when Embiid said he would likely not play in back-to-back games for the remainder of his career.That means a fully healthy Embiid, which remains unlikely, will miss at least 10% of their games in 2025-26.Embiid...

Heavy Sports • 15th August 2025

Kevin Durant, Rockets Praised By NBA Veteran And Record-Holder

Even after finishing with their best record in six years last season, the Houston Rockets have made a dramatic jump over the summer by adding Kevin Durant to their roster. Durant remains one of the top players in the NBA, with a resume and scoring ability that teams around the league would love to have. Now leading this Rockets team, Durant hopes to win the third championship of his career.Speaking on a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) former NBA player Jamal Crawford said he has high hopes for Dura...

Heavy Sports • 15th August 2025

Lakers Key Starter's Future Remains Unclear: ’Underrated Subplot’

The 2025-26 season will be one of the most important in the recent history of the Los Angeles Lakers. While LeBron James and Austin Reaves highlight their list of potential free agents for next summer, they have yet to decide on the future of Rui Hachimura. Hachimura is entering the last year of a three-year $51 million deal he signed with the Lakers in 2023. Now set for free agency, the franchise will have to make the decision on whether they want to keep him alongside Luka Doncic in the new er...

Heavy Sports • 15th August 2025

​​Steph Curry Breaks Silence On Warriors Disappointing Offseason

The Golden State Warriors are the only team in the NBA who have yet to add or resign a player in the 2025 offseason, but their lack of moves isn’t a worry for superstar Steph Curry.Speaking at his annual summer camp, the four-time champion commented on the Warriors’ quiet summer, highlighted by Jonathan Kuminga’s contract standstill with the team. “My confidence has been built on the identity we were able to create over the last third of the regular season last year. You know, the playoff journe...

Heavy Sports • 14th August 2025

Knicks' Jalen Brunson Predicted To Break 7-Year NBA MVP Streak

Through his first seven years in the NBA, Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks has transformed into one of the top point guards in the league. Last season, Brunson won the Clutch Player of the Year award, but this upcoming season, he has the chance to break a seven-year streak by becoming the first American to win the regular-season MVP award since 2018. “Has anyone’s profile soared more in the last three years than Brunson’s?” Shaun Powell of NBA.com wrote on Brunson being a top US-born candida...

Heavy Sports • 14th August 2025

Kevin Durant, Draymond Green Respond To Iconic Actor's Hot Take

During their time together on the Golden State Warriors, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green didn’t always get along. But now, years after they’ve been apart, the two have agreed on some recent criticism of today’s sports media. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, legendary actor Denzel Washington called out ‘talking heads’ in sports media. “All the shows are a bunch of guys…who have an opinion about what something should be when they haven’t done it,” Washington said. “Those who have, know wha...

Heavy Sports • 14th August 2025

Kyrie Irving Spills Truth On Split, Issue Playing With LeBron James

From 2014 to 2017, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were teammates on the Cleveland Cavaliers. They won the 2016 NBA Finals in a 3-1 series comeback against the Golden State Warriors, highlighted by James’ chase down block and Irving’s late three-pointer in Game 7. But after that historic series, James and Irving played only one more year together, with the point guard requesting a trade and being sent to the Boston Celtics. While the two have since repaired their relationship, Irving gave context...

Heavy Sports • 14th August 2025

Lakers Announce 2025-26 NBA Schedule, Legendary Coach Statue

The Los Angeles Lakers have announced their schedule for the 2025-26 NBA season. At the same time, the team confirmed that they will unveil a statue for legendary head coach Pat Riley. The Lakers will begin the season with an Opening Day Game against the Golden State Warriors. They will also play on Christmas Day against the Houston Rockets. The Riley statue will be unveiled on February 22nd, a night hosting the Boston Celtics. Both the Lakers’ Opening Day and Christmas games were previously ann...

Heavy Sports • 14th August 2025

LeBron James’ Lakers Future Remains Uncertain For 2026: Report

The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of a turning point in franchise history. Along with the impending sale of the team, the Lakers are now moving from the ‘LeBron James era‘ to the ‘Luka Doncic era’.While Doncic just signed a contract keeping him in Los Angeles until at least 2028, James picked up his player option for next year, setting himself up for free agency in 2026. Bobby Marks of ESPN wrote that James’ future with the Lakers remains uncertain.“The only guarantee is that James will be...

Heavy Sports • 13th August 2025

Bucks Get More Bad News On Giannis Antetokounmpo's Future

The Milwaukee Bucks have just two players from their 2020-21 championship team on their roster for next season: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis.While they had a successful run to the team’s first title in 50 years, the Bucks have undergone major change in the four years since, with drastic roster turnover, losing many of their top stars and impactful players.Brad Botkin of CBS Sports naming the Bucks a ‘loser‘ of the 2025 offseason does not bode well for Antetokounmpo’s future with the te...

Heavy Sports • 13th August 2025

Knicks Urged To Add Former Champion To Complete Offseason

The New York Knicks have made it clear that their first conference finals appearance in 25 years isn’t the peak of this current team.After bringing back superstar Jalen Brunson, along with Karl-Anthony Towns and the rest of their starters, they have one final roster spot to fill in hopes of completing what is expected to be a title-contending team.While there are multiple free agents still available, it doesn’t look like they will land former MVP Russell Westbrook or former first overall pick Be...

Heavy Sports • 13th August 2025

Ex-Warriors Champion Reveals Truth On 2018 Finals MVP Winner

The Golden State Warriors had a historic run over the past decade, winning titles in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022. While the 2016 addition of Kevin Durant was a huge factor in that success, Stephen Curry has been the biggest constant on the team and in their accomplishments.On a recent podcast appearance, former Warriors player Quinn Cook retold his perspective from the 2018 title-winning team, capping off back-to-back championships, with Durant claiming Finals MVP on both occasions. Cook said tha...

Heavy Sports • 12th August 2025

Lakers Latest Move Brings In A Friend Of Luka Doncic From Mavs

The Los Angeles Lakers‘ latest move shows they are 100% all-in on Luka Doncic leading the team for the future. According to Marc Stein, the Lakers have hired strength and conditioning coach Jeremy Holsopple. He was previously with the Dallas Mavericks and is a friend of Doncic, meaning Los Angeles is betting on his weight loss as a long-term change.“The Lakers are hiring Jeremy Holsopple as their new head strength and conditioning coach,” Stein wrote on X. “As Dallas’ athletic performance direct...

Heavy Sports • 12th August 2025

Insider: Lakers Center Depth Is A Major Cause For Concern

The Los Angeles Lakers struck out on landing a big-name center over the offseason in hopes of strengthening up what ended up being their biggest weakness in their early playoff exit. While they did sign Deandre Ayton to a two-year $16 million deal after he agreed to a buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers, he alone might not be enough to compete against the other big men in the Western Conference. “Nothing the Lakers do is under the radar, so this potential pitfall might seem more obvious than...

Heavy Sports • 12th August 2025

Warriors Signing Al Horford Would Only Increase Biggest Worry

The Golden State Warriors only have a few years left competing for titles with their core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and now Jimmy Butler.After they finalize a deal with Jonathan Kuminga, the team expects to sign free agent Al Horford. However, even with the addition of the champion center, they increase their biggest cause for concern over the next few seasons.As mentioned by Anthony Slater of ESPN, Curry, Green, Butler, and Horford are all over 35 years old, and trying to compete in a W...

Heavy Sports • 12th August 2025

LeBron James Could Set Next Untouchable NBA Record Next Year

The NBA records held by LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers go on and on. But perhaps one of his most unknown, yet still incredible, feats of his career is his Christmas Day records.Shams Charania of ESPN recently announced the NBA’s Christmas Day schedule for 2025, and on that list was the Lakers, facing off against the now Kevin Durant-led Houston Rockets.This will be James’s 20th Christmas game, holding 11 wins, already the most by a player in league history, as well as the record for most...

Heavy Sports • 11th August 2025

Kevin Durant Gets Bad News After Joining Rockets: Report

The Houston Rockets took the biggest swing of the offseason, trading for Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns. Durant arrives in the Lone Star State with just one year remaining on his contract, forcing the Rockets into a major decision about their future. While Durant said Houston was one of his preferred locations, the team might not feel comfortable offering him a max, or near max, extension to keep him around in his late 30s. According to Tim McMahon of The Hoop Collective Podcast, the Rockets...

Heavy Sports • 11th August 2025

Lakers Trade Pitch Lands Former Duke Star, Summer League MVP

All recent indications say the Los Angeles Lakers are done making offseason moves for the time being. But if a trade comes up that would be hard to turn down, as seen in the past, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka would likely not pass up on the opportunity.After a busy summer with Luka Doncic’s extension and weight loss, LeBron James’ eventful offseason, and adding free agents, the Lakers could make one more move in hopes of filling out their roster with another big man.According to a trade pi...

Heavy Sports • 11th August 2025

Knicks Shot Down On Offer To Sign Ex-Celtics Veteran Center

The New York Knicks are ready to compete with their current roster led by Jalen Brunson.Still, they should continue to fill in some of the gaps on their roster, just as they tried and failed to do last season. Hoping to land NBA veteran Daniel Theis, New York offered the German a contract after he was waived by the Oklahoma City Thunder at the trade deadline.Instead, Theis denied the offer, citing that he would only be there for ‘insurance.’“I could have gone to the Knicks, for example, but it w...

Heavy Sports • 8th August 2025

Jalen Brunson Predicted To Take Coveted Role From Steph Curry

Team USA took home the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, led by Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James. While the team featured some of the best American basketball players, Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks was a notable star who missed the cut for the historic roster. However, according to CBS Sports, Brunson is predicted to land a role on the team in 2028, assumed to take Curry’s position as the starting point guard in the Los Angeles Olympics in three years. “Brunson was “h...

Heavy Sports • 8th August 2025

Insider's Bold Prediction Is Bad News For LeBron James, Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers have made the decision that Luka Doncic will lead the team going forward. While LeBron James enters the final year of his contract, the Lakers have shifted their focus to their new, younger superstar. While that notion might not bode well for James, an insider’s latest prediction could also be bad news for him during the season. Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report wrote that Doncic, not James, would be the one taking the last shot in close games for Los Angeles next season. “Th...

Heavy Sports • 7th August 2025

Lakers' New Additions Named 'Most Overrated' Players Since 2020

The Los Angeles Lakers knew they had to find offseason talent to fill holes in their roster that were prevalent by the time they lost in the first round of the playoffs. They went out and got Deandre Ayton at center and Marcus Smart at guard, two players who’ve had ups and downs in their careers. While Ayton is a former first overall pick and Smart is a Defensive Player of the Year, Bleacher Report named both as some of the most overrated players in the NBA since 2020. While the Lakers signed bo...