Mike Vorkunov
@mikevorkunov
National NBA + basketball reporter at The Athletic — a self-indulgent way to say I write about basketball. Co-founder @30newsletter.bsky.social Host @businessdecisionmv.bsky.social Watch: www.youtube.com/@MikeVorkunov22 Email: mvorkunov@theathletic.com
Even with the second apron, NBA players have received their full 51% share of BRI (last season, there was a $317 million overage). So why is the second apron an issue for the NBPA? Here's what NBPA exec. director David Kelly told me: www.nytimes.com/athletic/743...
The NBPA has a new executive director and is using its voice again publicly. It is ready to push back against the NBA when needed, and unwinding the economic system installed in the 2023 CBA is a priority. "We have to be prepared to fight." Free for all to read: www.nytimes.com/athletic/743...
NEW YORK — Tyrese Haliburton asked LeBron James if he had a Decision to announce to everyone at Fanatics Fest during the live taping of the Mind the Game pod. LeBron: "We just talked about this in the back." Haliburton: "OK, OK, I'll leave it alone." And the podcast taping moved on.
Aspiration marketing employees did try to build a marketing campaign around Kawhi Leonard but no one is sure why it didn't go anywhere. One idea: to make Kawhi into a Marvel superhero. More on the investigation here (and free to read): www.nytimes.com/athletic/743...
Gary Trent Jr. had one of his worst seasons last year (single-digit PPG for the first time since 2019-20 + his MPG have dipped over 4 straight seasons). DARKO career arc is something. Very curious he gets $64 million guaranteed in an offseason when guaranteed money is hard to get.
LeBron James to the Knicks? Imagine hearing this on July 9, 2010. "It's difficult because the last thing you wanna do is mess up something like that," Rich Paul said on his Game Over podcast. "If the Knicks hadn't have won, there would be no board. He'd be going to the Knicks."
The NBA will experiment with new free throw rules during summer league. Players will take one free throw and it will be worth the same amount of points as the amount of free throws it replaces. So if a player got fouled on a 3, then that FT will be worth 3 points. The NBA graphic explainer:
Keon Ellis has agreed to a 2-year, $18 million deal with the Brooklyn Nets, league sources confirmed to @fredkatz.bsky.social and me. The contract has a team AND player option for Year 2, so either side can choose to opt in. Shams first on it. Here is a flow chart for the deal:
Interesting career trajectories for the top of the 2019 NBA draft (via Darko)
The NBA is reviewing today's indictment and continues to investigate Beasley. "We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.” The full quote:
Malik Beasley, a veteran NBA guard, and former lottery pick Ed Davis have been indicted on sports gambling charges by federal prosecutors in the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Yaxel Lendeborg is a risky pick by the Warriors. Bennett Stirtz, too. Since 2008, the history of players age 22 and older on NBA draft day is not great. Lendeborg is the second-oldest player drafted in the top 20 picks in the last 18 years.
Keaton Wagler was the No. 150 recruit in his high school class in 2025. One year later, he is the No. 5 pick in the NBA draft. Wild.
This insane. Polymarket paid content creators to record ads where they faked placing bets and winning money on a fake Polymarket website to promote the company, the WSJ reports. www.wsj.com/business/med...
This will actually be the first parade down the Canyon of Heroes for the Knicks. They didn't get one in 1970 (the mayor threw a lawn party at Gracie Mansion) or 1973 (NYC Mayor John Lindsay chose a celebration at City Hall, a lunch banquet, MVP awards, and gave out medals for NYC's 75th anniversary)
James Dolan receives the Larry O'Brien trophy from NBA commissioner Adam Silver. What a victory this is for Dolan, not just a NBA title but in his forever beef with the league. Background on it here: www.nytimes.com/athletic/622...
On OG's 'Hand of God' tip-in, no one on the Spurs even looked at OG the entire play. He inbounded it and had no eyes on him, let alone lay a finger on him. Breakdown was indicative of the confusion Spurs seemed to have before the play. They seemed confused pre-snap: www.nytimes.com/athletic/734...
The Knicks had a 0.4% percent chance to win Game 4 after this De'Aaron Fox jumper went in with 9:40 left in the third, according to ESPN analytics. It gave the Spurs a 29-point lead. The Spurs wouldn't score again for another 5 minutes and 5 seconds.
OG Anunoby, you just hit the greatest shot in MSG and Knicks history in more than 50 years. How does it feel? "It feels cool."
OG Anunoby won that game for the Knicks. He did it when the Knicks put him on De'Aaron Fox in the 4th quarter and he blew up the Spurs offense. He did it with 33 points. He did it with his flying game-winning tip-in. And now he has MSG chanting his name.
Jim Trusty, lawyer for Terry Rozier: "The NBA has literally flagrantly fouled the presumption of innocence...They're still trying to find ways to pretend they're victims & that Terry should be prohibited from playing basketball... They are not on the side of angels in this case."
Anthropic released its latest update AI model. Lots of safeguards because it's been touted as being so powerful. What could go wrong.
It's funny, Sam Presti talked about this kind of thing Monday morning, but in terms of SGA criticism. "The post-game press conference has turned into the bully pulpit to create competitive advantage...Everyone gets up there and they talk about the officials, and they discredit the other team."