NBA News Roundup: NBA 2K23 cover athlete revealed, Golden State Warriors provide updates on their young stars ahead of the Las Vegas Summer League, and more - July 7th, 2022
The NBA community is now looking forward to the Las Vegas Summer League when they can finally have some basketball action. All 30 teams will show off their young talent on an international stage and compete for a championship.
Moreover, the world-famous basketball video game NBA 2K just announced its cover athlete and is generating hype in the offseason. Fans will soon start to debate player ratings, team ratings, star attributes and badges and more.
The Kevin Durant saga in Brooklyn continues to dominate NBA rumors and news cycles. There is a lot of uncertainty around the Lakers as well as they look to acquire Kyrie Irving and trade Russell Westbrook.
There are a lot of topics to follow, so let's dive into the top five news stories from around the league in the last 24 hours.
LeBron James and Draymond Green were seen partying together this summer
Draymond Green and LeBron James have been friends and business partners for years. They are both represented by Klutch Sports and are partners in the tequila brand "Lobos 1707" among other things. Green has also been a part of James' HBO original show, "The Shop," several times.
The two stars were seen partying together this summer. Green and James' business partner Paul Rivera posted the video on their social media. The two forwards appeared to be inebriated, and they said:
"They didn't believe in us, God did!" "We had to win it" "a lot of rings" "They didn't believe in us"
@Money23GreenDraymond Green and LeBron James are partying together this summer 🌴
🎥 @Money23Green https://t.co/IZmE7ebAN9
Golden State Warriors sign LA Lakers sophomore Mac McClung
The Golden State Warriors selected Ryan Rollins as the 44th pick in last month's draft, but he is injured and will not participate in the Las Vegas Summer League. Mac McClung was a breakout undrafted player for the Lakers last season who often came up to the main team from the G League when asked.
He has now switched teams this summer and will participate for the Warriors in the Summer League. Teams can extend Vegas invites to any player in the G League and not just their affiliate's team. It looks like McClung will play for the Warriors just for the Summer League for now. But if he impresses the brass at the Dubs' front office, then he might receive a two-way offer.
With Ryan Rollins sidelined for Summer League, it looks like the Warriors have bolstered their guard depth by nabbing Mac McClung from the Lakers' squad.
McClung had a great year in the G League posting 21.6ppg, 7.5apg, 6.9rpg on .473/.374/.880 while earning Rookie of the Year. https://t.co/XQcoHBgD3m
Devin Booker revealed as the NBA 2K23 cover athlete
Devin Booker is the new cover athlete for NBA 2K23, 2K Sports announced. He had a brilliant season last year, deserving of the recognition. He was fourth in MVP voting and received more votes than Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and even his teammate Chris Paul.
The cover for NBA 2K21 was Damian Lillard and NBA 2K22 was Luka Doncic. Booker will be the latest to join this coveted list. Only a handful of players have ever been on the cover of the game, and several Hall of Famers haven't had the opportunity to make the cover.
Be Legendary in #NBA2K23
Introducing our NBA 2K23 Cover Athlete @DevinBook
Pre-order now: nba.2k.com/2k23/buy/ https://t.co/EOElD9mLHF
WNBA legends Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird will feature on the WNBA edition while Michael Jordan will feature on the Legends or special edition, aka "Michael Jordan Edition," this year.
Draymond Green's mother tweets in support of Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant has demanded a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, and everyone in the NBA community has been left dumbfounded.
Now many fans are wondering if their team will pull the trigger and trade away a host of assets to get Durant. The one team that seems out of the question but truly isn't is the Golden State Warriors. It seems ridiculous that Durant will rejoin his old team, the same one he departed from to "win on his own," especially after they just won a title without him.
The idea seems preposterous, but the Dubs might just have the best package to offer the Nets. They just won a championship and have a plethora of young talent, like Jordan Poole, James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and others. Thus, the Bay Area fans aren't thrilled about the idea of trading away their future.
However, Draymond Green's mother believes anyone who doesn't want Durant on their team is delusional as he is one of the greatest players ever.
This stuff is hilarious…. Everyone saying who don’t want one of the greatest players to ever play the game! I wouldn’t care what a spectator/commentator say period! Basketball players play basketball! GO PLAY! Wherever you want!
Golden State Warriors provide an update on their young stars ahead of Las Vegas
James Wiseman didn't play a single game for the Golden State Warriors last season but is now expected to finally see action in the Summer League. The team announced that he will not play in the first game against the New York Knicks on Friday but will make his debut in the coming games.
The team also announced that Jonathan Kuminga has joined the squad in Las Vegas, Nevada. Additionally, Ryan Rollins is out, and Mac McClung is now on the roster.
Here is the full update from Jama Mahlalela on James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga. Said Wiseman probably won’t play on Friday, “but I’d definitely imagine in the next few (summer league) games we’ll see him.” https://t.co/FxLFQJ71Bn