Kyrie Irving is the "most gifted player the NBA has ever seen" and holds the key to the Dallas Mavericks' chances of victory in the NBA Finals, according to former team-mate LeBron James.
James and Irving played together with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2014 to 2017, making the NBA Finals in each of those seasons and triumphing in 2015-16.
Irving then enjoyed stints with the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets before joining Dallas last February.
He has been in great form during the offseason, averaging 22.8 points and 5.2 assists as well as shooting 48.5 per cent from the field to help put Dallas in contention for their second NBA championship.
Speaking on an episode of his 'Mind the Game' podcast, James said of Irving: "I'm so happy and so proud to watch him continue his growth.
"I'm so f****** mad at the same time that I'm not his running mate any more.
"I would call Kyrie 'the wizard' all the time. There was nothing on a basketball floor that Kyrie couldn't do."
James highlighted Irving's performance in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, when he scored 24 of his 30 points in the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves, as the standout moment of this postseason.
While Boston may be favourites for the NBA Finals, which tip off on Thursday at TD Garden, James says Irving's ability gives Dallas a chance.
"That was like, 'oh s***, Dallas may be able to not only win the Western Conference finals, they might be able to win the whole thing'," James said of Irving's Game 1 display.
"Because of that wild card. He's the most gifted player the NBA has ever seen."
Report: Malik Monk returns to Kings on four-year contract
The Sacramento Kings will retain a key piece into the foreseeable future as they look to build upon two straight trips to the NBA's play-in tournament.
Deft scoring guard Malik Monk agreed to remain with the Kings on a four-year, $78million contract, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported late Thursday night.
The last year of the deal reportedly carries a player option.
Monk set career highs last season by averaging 15.4 points and 5.1 assists while finishing second in Sixth Man of the Year award voting.
Monk, a seven-year veteran out of Kentucky, was due to be an unrestricted free agent on June 30.
Monk had been linked to several teams searching for an infusion of perimeter scoring in free agency, including the Philadelphia 76ers and the Orlando Magic, but those clubs will now need to look elsewhere.
Monk has averaged 11.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 458 career NBA games.
While the Kings have yet to win a play-off series since 2004, Sacramento have strung together back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2004-06. In 2023, the club ended a 16-year post-season drought and forced the defending champion Golden State Warriors to a Game 7 in their first-round play-off series loss.
Report: Malik Monk returns to Kings on 4-year contract
The Sacramento Kings will retain a key piece into the foreseeable future as they look to build upon two straight trips to the NBA’s play-in tournament.
Deft scoring guard Malik Monk agreed to remain with the Kings on a four-year, $78million contract, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported late Thursday night.
The last year of the deal reportedly carries a player option.
Monk set career highs last season by averaging 15.4 points and 5.1 assists while finishing second in Sixth Man of the Year award voting.
Monk, a seven-year veteran out of Kentucky, was due to be an unrestricted free agent on June 30.
Monk had been linked to several teams searching for an infusion of perimeter scoring in free agency, including the Philadelphia 76ers and the Orlando Magic, but those clubs will now need to look elsewhere.
Monk has averaged 11.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 458 career NBA games.
While the Kings have yet to win a play-off series since 2004, Sacramento have strung together back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2004-06. In 2023, the club ended a 16-year post-season drought and forced the defending champion Golden State Warriors to a Game 7 in their first-round play-off series loss.
Thunder reportedly acquiring Caruso from Bulls for Giddey
Oklahoma City and Chicago have swapped guards, with the Thunder acquiring Alex Caruso from the Bulls in exchange for Josh Giddey on Thursday.
ESPN was the first to report the trade, which cannot become official until July 6.
The 30-year-old Caruso is considered one of the NBA's top defenders, having been named to a pair of All-Defensive teams.
He is also viewed as an important role player for a potential championship contender after helping the Los Angeles Lakers win the 2019-20 title.
The Thunder finished with the Western Conference's best record this past season, but were knocked out of the play-offs in the semi-final round by the Dallas Mavericks.
A seven-year NBA veteran, Caruso averaged career highs of 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds this past season, along with 3.5 assists and 1.69 steals while starting 57 of 71 games.
Giddey, the sixth overall pick of the 2021 draft, started 80 games for the Thunder this past season, but saw his numbers drop from 2022-23.
After averaging 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists in his second season, the 21-year-old Giddey averaged 12.3 points, 6.4 boards and 4.8 assists in 2023-24. He is a career 46.4 per cent shooter from 3-point range.
He was investigated for having an improper relationship with an underage girl, but the NBA and police were "unable to corroborate any criminal activity."
The NBA dropped its investigation.
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