LAS VEGAS – A charter plane carrying the Sacramento Kings was cruising at 30,000 feet, somewhere between Colorado and California on the night of Nov. 3, when Isaac Jones got a tap on the shoulder.

Six weeks before he died, Brandon Clarke sat in the back seat of a deputy’s patrol car, handcuffs digging into his left wrist as he shifted his 6-foot-8 frame in the cramped space.

Chet Holmgren still has Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti in his corner.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Chet Holmgren stood tall, one hand in the air, feet off the ground – tall and helpless to what was about to come.

They are currently the fiercest of competitors, facing off in the 2026 Western Conference finals. But for one celebratory moment on Friday, the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren were named members of the same team.

DALLAS – Zach Collins’ past year with the Chicago Bulls was defined by his time off the floor.

Life is good for Holmgren, who was drafted second overall in 2022 after spending his freshman season at Gonzaga. But the former Zags center, whose OKC Thunder begin defense of their NBA crown on Sunday, says he doesn't take anything for granted.

Nembhard's near triple double – 15 points, 23 assists and nine rebounds – in the Dallas Mavericks' season finale on Sunday put an exclamation point on a rookie season that had already far exceeded expectations.

DALLAS – When Klay Thompson agreed to come to the Dallas Mavericks in July 2024, he was viewed as the missing piece of a championship puzzle.