Former Kings general manager Monte McNair, the 2022-23 NBA Executive of the Year, is joining the Los Angeles Clippers in an advisory role, ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania reported Monday, citing league sources.
Former Sacramento Kings general manager Monte McNair, the 2022-23 NBA executive of the Year, is joining the Los Angeles Clippers in an advisor role, sources tell ESPN.
In McNair’s last season in charge, Sacramento entered the season with high expectations, but, instead, the team experienced lots of instability.
Less than three months into the season, McNair dismissed Mike Brown despite the coach signing a multi-year contract extension over the summer.
Over a month later, McNair was forced to trade a frustrated De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs for star Zach LaVine. Soon after, the organization lost key members of its staff, foreshadowing the end of McNair’s reign in Sacramento.
McNair is a graduate of Oak Park High School, located around 30 miles north of Los Angeles.
McNair is a graduate at Oak Park High School, about 30 miles north of LA. So this is a nice homecoming for him. https://t.co/cfxtrSUzkB
The 2025 NBA Finals return to Paycom Center in Oklahoma City as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder host Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers in Game 5. Tip-off is at 8:30 PM ET tonight on ABC.
The Thunder vs Pacers series will take place on ABC.
Thunder vs Pacers Series Scores and Schedule:
*All times listed are ET (* = if necessary)
Game 1: Pacers 111, Thunder 110
Game 2:Thunder 123, Pacers 107
Game 3:Pacers 116, Thunder 107
Game 4: Thunder 111, Pacers 104
Game 5: Pacers at Thunder – Mon. June 16, 8:30 PM on ABC
Game 6: Thunder at Pacers – Thu. June 19, 8:30 PM on ABC*
Game 7: Pacers at Thunder – Sun, June 22, 8 PM on ABC*
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for each game of the Thunder vs Pacers series!
Oklahoma City Thunder’s Path to the NBA Finals:
The Thunder are seeking their first NBA title since relocating to Oklahoma City in 2008. The last time the franchise reached the Finals was in 2012, dropping their series against LeBron James’ Miami Heat in 5. Here is how they advanced to the NBA Finals:
Oklahoma City swept the No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies in the First Round, eliminated the No. 4 Denver Nuggets in 7 in the Conference Semifinals, and defeated the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves in 5 in the Western Conference Finals.
The Indiana Pacers are seeking their first NBA title. The team’s last Finals appearance was in 2000, when they lost to the Lakers in 6. Here is the team’s path to the Finals:
Indiana eliminated the No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks and the No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers in 5 games, before knocking out the No. 6 New York Knicks in 6 to advance to the Finals.
OKLAHOMA CITY — You hear champions of NBA past talk about it all the time, how much playing deep into June takes out of you. Mentally, physically, emotionally. Until someone goes through it, they can never truly understand the toll.
There are only a few players in this NBA Finals who’ve gone through the nine-month grind — even the extra days in between games only help but so much. Once the NBA went away from the 2-3-2 format in 2014, it added cross-country flights, and it added days — which adds fatigue. For Pacers forward Pascal Siakam, he was a totally different specimen by the time the 2019 NBA Finals rolled around.
“In ’19, I was probably less than 200 pounds by the time I got to the Finals,” Siakam told Yahoo Sports Sunday afternoon before Pacers practice. “I mean I was this skinny. All the weight through the playoffs, it was so much.”
Listed at 230 pounds now, he was also listed as that going into training camp when he was a third-year forward with the Toronto Raptors, in the year he won Most Improved Player and had a breakout NBA Finals series against the Golden State Warriors. But the fact he lost so much weight during the long run through the playoffs speaks to how much more prepared players have to be in order to stay upright and effective, especially when their best is required.
“Now, I’m able to take care of my body, do different things,” Siakam said. “Because I’m just mature and I’m older too. So I’m able to really react well to all the things and media and everything, so it’s a different experience.
“It takes a toll mentally and physically, obviously. But the way I try to look at it is like, this is a blessing. This is where you want to be. So I think you try to take care of your body, obviously, but also just mentally thinking that, like, I’m blessed to be able to play at this time of the year.”
Siakam’s 3-point shooting took a dip in every round in 2019, going down to 24% in the Finals. This year, he’s at 43% overall despite going just 4 for 14 in the first four games against the Thunder. And by comparison, that 2019 series was a slog in pace compared to these two. It’s not just about stamina, even though that plays a big part in it.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault admitted Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was winded in Games 3 and 4 in Indianapolis, and you can see the general weariness on his face, even through the excitement and opportunity. It was one of the things he had to battle through to etch his name in Finals lore with his 15 points in the final five minutes of Game 4.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander takes a breather on the court in Game 4. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
“It’s a lot of games. It’s tiring, for sure,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But every game is tiring. When you’re giving your all, every possession, you’re going to be tired. I don’t think I’m the only one out there that is tired.”
The Thunder went to the second round last year before being upset by the Dallas Mavericks. That was the extent of their playoff experience before putting it together this time around. There’s only so much preparation one can put into offseason work — you have to go through it yourself to really get it.
“It’s something new. Something new for a lot of us, and a lot of us haven’t been this late into the season,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But I think above all, it’s been very fun. It’s been everything I dreamt it to be growing up. There’s no other place in the world I’d rather be, and I’m grateful to be here. Thankful for the experience, for sure.”
The niceties have dissipated ever-so-slightly in this series, which is tied 2-2 entering Monday’s pivotal Game 5. In 23 of the previous 31 Finals that have been tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 has gone on to win the series. There’s still respect between , and at some point there will be an acknowledgment about how special this series has been, but both teams are approaching the point of being tired of each other. Obi Toppin and Isaiah Hartenstein got into a lightweight shoving match that resulted in a flagrant foul and offsetting technical fouls. And Lu Dort committed a flagrant foul later on Toppin, knocking him upside the head on a drive. It’s part of the wild emotional swings that take place in every great Finals series.
The feeling the Thunder had following their late collapse in Game 1 is what the Pacers felt after blowing their chance at a 3-1 lead Friday night.
“Yeah, the emotional swings, I think I’ve honestly gotten better with them as time went on because we’ve had so many different series,” Thunder forward Jalen Williams said. “You go to Game 1 of Denver, I’ve never lost that way in a series that means a lot. Even this one, the way we lost the first game.”
Williams, like Siakam in 2019, is a breakout player in this series, after a shaky initial two games at home (26 points in Game 3, 27 in Game 4). His demeanor is similar to Gilgeous-Alexander’s, but it’s probably more of a learned behavior. The Thunder have grown up, especially in the last two months.
“There’s so many ups and downs and we’ve constantly had that throughout this run,” Williams said. “Then last year we had so many of those. I’m kind of numb to the ups and downs. It just kind of comes with basketball.”
OKLAHOMA CITY — You hear champions of NBA past talk about it all the time, how much playing deep into June takes out of you. Mentally, physically, emotionally. Until someone goes through it, they can never truly understand the toll.
There are only a few players in this NBA Finals who’ve gone through the nine-month grind — even the extra days in between games only help but so much. Once the NBA went away from the 2-3-2 format in 2014, it added cross-country flights, and it added days — which adds fatigue. For Pacers forward Pascal Siakam, he was a totally different specimen by the time the 2019 NBA Finals rolled around.
“In ’19, I was probably less than 200 pounds by the time I got to the Finals,” Siakam told Yahoo Sports Sunday afternoon before Pacers practice. “I mean I was this skinny. All the weight through the playoffs, it was so much.”
Listed at 230 pounds now, he was also listed as that going into training camp when he was a third-year forward with the Toronto Raptors, in the year he won Most Improved Player and had a breakout NBA Finals series against the Golden State Warriors. But the fact he lost so much weight during the long run through the playoffs speaks to how much more prepared players have to be in order to stay upright and effective, especially when their best is required.
“Now, I’m able to take care of my body, do different things,” Siakam said. “Because I’m just mature and I’m older too. So I’m able to really react well to all the things and media and everything, so it’s a different experience.
“It takes a toll mentally and physically, obviously. But the way I try to look at it is like, this is a blessing. This is where you want to be. So I think you try to take care of your body, obviously, but also just mentally thinking that, like, I’m blessed to be able to play at this time of the year.”
Siakam’s 3-point shooting took a dip in every round in 2019, going down to 24% in the Finals. This year, he’s at 43% overall despite going just 4 for 14 in the first four games against the Thunder. And by comparison, that 2019 series was a slog in pace compared to these two. It’s not just about stamina, even though that plays a big part in it.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault admitted Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was winded in Games 3 and 4 in Indianapolis, and you can see the general weariness on his face, even through the excitement and opportunity. It was one of the things he had to battle through to etch his name in Finals lore with his 15 points in the final five minutes of Game 4.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander takes a breather on the court in Game 4. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
“It’s a lot of games. It’s tiring, for sure,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But every game is tiring. When you’re giving your all, every possession, you’re going to be tired. I don’t think I’m the only one out there that is tired.”
The Thunder went to the second round last year before being upset by the Dallas Mavericks. That was the extent of their playoff experience before putting it together this time around. There’s only so much preparation one can put into offseason work — you have to go through it yourself to really get it.
“It’s something new. Something new for a lot of us, and a lot of us haven’t been this late into the season,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But I think above all, it’s been very fun. It’s been everything I dreamt it to be growing up. There’s no other place in the world I’d rather be, and I’m grateful to be here. Thankful for the experience, for sure.”
The niceties have dissipated ever-so-slightly in this series, which is tied 2-2 entering Monday’s pivotal Game 5. In 23 of the previous 31 Finals that have been tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 has gone on to win the series. There’s still respect between , and at some point there will be an acknowledgment about how special this series has been, but both teams are approaching the point of being tired of each other. Obi Toppin and Isaiah Hartenstein got into a lightweight shoving match that resulted in a flagrant foul and offsetting technical fouls. And Lu Dort committed a flagrant foul later on Toppin, knocking him upside the head on a drive. It’s part of the wild emotional swings that take place in every great Finals series.
The feeling the Thunder had following their late collapse in Game 1 is what the Pacers felt after blowing their chance at a 3-1 lead Friday night.
“Yeah, the emotional swings, I think I’ve honestly gotten better with them as time went on because we’ve had so many different series,” Thunder forward Jalen Williams said. “You go to Game 1 of Denver, I’ve never lost that way in a series that means a lot. Even this one, the way we lost the first game.”
Williams, like Siakam in 2019, is a breakout player in this series, after a shaky initial two games at home (26 points in Game 3, 27 in Game 4). His demeanor is similar to Gilgeous-Alexander’s, but it’s probably more of a learned behavior. The Thunder have grown up, especially in the last two months.
“There’s so many ups and downs and we’ve constantly had that throughout this run,” Williams said. “Then last year we had so many of those. I’m kind of numb to the ups and downs. It just kind of comes with basketball.”
There are many ways to make a living in the NBA. One of the most effective in 2025 is shooting 3-pointers at a high rate.
Almost every team uses the 3-point shot as a major focal point of their offense in 2025. Just look at the 2025 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. The Thunder ranked No. 6 and the Pacers were No. 9 in 3-point percentage during the regular season. The Pacers are shooting a league-best 39.3 percent from beyond the arc in the playoffs.
We can debate whether the abundance of 3-pointers in the modern game produces the most exciting product possible, but the fact is teams need to be able to shoot well from 3-point range to maximize their potential.
The Celtics are no strangers to taking 3-pointers. In fact, they set league records for 3-point shots made and attempted per game this past season.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea for the C’s to add even more shooting to their roster in the offseason, and the 2025 NBA Draft is a great place to find those players.
The Celtics own the No. 28 overall pick in the first round and the second pick (No. 32 overall) in the second round of the upcoming draft.
One player with the 3-point shooting talent to make an impact with the Celtics is Kentucky wing Koby Brea.
Learn more about Brea and his potential fit with the C’s below:
Koby Brea might have the prettiest 3-point shooting stroke in the 2025 draft class. He shot 43.5 percent from 3-point range at Kentucky last season — one year after hitting those shots at an impressive 49.5 percent rate for Dayton in 2023-24. Brea made 43.4 percent of his 3-pointers over his five-year college career.
The issue with Brea is there aren’t many other super-impressive aspects of his skill set. He’s not an elite defender. He doesn’t rebound at a high level. His playmaking ability doesn’t fill up a highlight reel.
As our Celtics insider Chris Forsberg explains, Brea is an intriguing draft fit for the Celtics based on his 3-point shooting, but can he improve the other areas of his game?
“Koby Brea as the best 3-point shooter in the entire draft? Finishing his college career at Kentucky, Brea shot 44 percent from 3-point range for the Wildcats during his fifth college season after transferring from Dayton,” Forsberg said, as seen in the video player above. “He has decent size for a wing and provides elite shooting from distance.
“But the rest of his game is light on NBA qualities. Brea is often compared to someone like Duncan Robinson. So if Brea’s 3-point shot transfers to the NBA, he could be a useful rotational presence. Brea is likely to be a second-round pick and could land on the Celtics’ radar if they’re willing to develop the rest of his game.”
The Brooklyn Nets have 52 jersey numbers worn by over 600 different players over the course of their history since the franchise was founded in 1967 as a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA), when the team was known as the “New Jersey Americans”.
Since then, that league has been absorbed by the NBA with the team that would later become the New York Nets and New Jersey Nets before settling on the name by which they are known today, bringing their rich player and jersey history with them to the league of today.
To commemorate the players who played for the Nets over the decades wearing those 52 different jersey numbers, Nets Wire is covering the entire history of the franchise’s jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. The 19th of those 52 different numbers is jersey No. 17, which has has had a total of seven players wear the number in the history of the team.
The seventh of those players wearing No. 17 played in the Brooklyn Nets era, guard alum Dennis Schroder. After starting his pro career abroad, Schroder was picked up with the 17th overall selection of the 2013 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks.
The Braunschweig, Germany native would also have stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Lakers again, and Toronto Raptors before he was dealt to Brooklyn in 2024. His stay with the team would span parts of two seasons before he was dealt to the Golden State Warriors shortly before the end of the year.
During his time suiting up for the Nets, Schroder wore only jersey No. 17 and put up 16.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game.
All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
