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Come Fan with UsFriday, August 7, 2026

It’s going to be that kind of party, Larry Nance Jr.?

Good morning. We have that and much more in Monday’s NBA newsletter.

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

TREMENDOUS: Lamar Odom is conscious and breathing on his own.

ALL I WANT IS CASH AND THANGS: A quick number crunch reveals that, as of right now, assuming player and team options are rejected, teams have a combined $1 billion in 2016 cap space lined up. Every single team could have at least $11 million in cap space without making a single salary-cutting deal. Three teams have at least $60 million in space lined up. This is incredible flexibility, and July 2016 is going to be a crazy time.

WHY DON’T WE GO TO THE END OF THE PREVIEW ROAD: Paul Flannery and I have high hopes and expectations for your Utah Jazz, though I personally believe the Dante Exum injury will leave them outside the playoff picture. Here’s SLC Dunk’s preview. We also have a lot to say about the Bucks, for whom context is everything. Here’s Brew Hoop’s preview.

And that’s all she wrote! Thirty teams previewed in 15 days. Whew. If you missed any or would like to revisit our work, they are all collected right here.

THE DRESS CODE, 10 YEARS LATER: Interesting piece by Marc Spears on the 10-year anniversary of the NBA dress code. Players hated it then, and for good reason. But it gave us Russell Westbrook wearing outlandish prints, Carmelo collecting hats and Dwyane Wade bringing capris into the male fashion mainstream. So, uh, thanks, Commissioner Stern?

HUH: Did the Cavaliers pull their five-year, $80 million offer to Tristan Thompson once he declined to sign the one-year qualifying offer before the deadline? Is Thompson now screwed and at the mercy of the Cavaliers’ needs?

DEAR GOD ALMIGHTY: Dang, Larry Nance Jr., I didn’t know it was going to be that kind of party. What a dunk.

NOTED: Julius Randle is ineligible for Rookie of the Year because he played 13 minutes last season. I mean, duh, but some people thought the NBA will allow him to be eligible. No. He’s not a rookie. Words have meaning!

NEAT: Evidence that the Boston Celtics are in fact fun to watch.

SWEET: The NBA is making opening day a big deal in the Bay, and Craig Sager will be on the sidelines!

NEXT STEP: New York’s civilian police conduct review board is apparently re-evaluating the Thabo Sefolosha case to see whether police involved acted inappropriately enough (in breaking Thabo’s leg for no good reason) to face discipline.

BUCK UP: Excellent Michael Lee piece on the impacts of Greg Monroe choosing Milwaukee.

Happy Monday. SB Nation’s big NBA preview is knocking on the door. The season is eight days away. Get hyped.

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