Bryan Toporek

Baltimore

Senior Quality Editor at Bleacher Report

Co-Host at The NBA Podcast

@BleacherReport Senior Multiplatform Editor / @TheNBAPod co-host / Contributor @ForbesSports and @Liberty_Ballers

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Articles

What Sixers’ Nick Nurse and Daryl Morey can learn from Michael Malone and Calvin Booth

1 week ago | libertyballers.com | Bryan Toporek

Photo byJesse D. Garrabranty/NBAE via Getty Images Last Tuesday, the Denver Nuggets made the shocking decision to fire title-winning head coach Michael Malone with only three games left in the regular season. They also announced that they wouldn’t be extending the contract of general manager Calvin Booth, which expires after this season.
Why The Sixers Plan To Get 'Younger, More Dynamic' Next Season

1 week ago | forbes.com | Bryan Toporek

The Philadelphia 76ers put the finishing touches on perhaps the most disappointing season in franchise history on Sunday. They entered the 2024-25 campaign with championship expectations, but they finished it with the fifth-worst record in the NBA. After the Sixers landed nine-time All-Star forward Paul George in free agency this past offseason, they loaded up on proven playoff performers with an eye on April, May and June.
Sixers offseason mailbag: Paul George and Joel Embiid trades, medical retirement and more

2 weeks ago | libertyballers.com | Bryan Toporek

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images With only two games left in this abomination of a lost season, Sixers fans have clearly turned their attention toward the summer. In the wake of the Denver Nuggets’ drastic shakeup this week, many of you seem to be wondering whether the Sixers could follow suit. On Wednesday, we asked you for your top Sixers offseason questions. Once again, you came through like Jalen Hurts in the Super Bowl.
Sixers offseason mailbag: Where do they go from here?

2 weeks ago | libertyballers.com | Bryan Toporek

Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images With one more loss or one more Brooklyn Nets win over the final three games of the season, the Sixers will be locked into at least the NBA’s fifth-worst record this season. That’s hardly what anyone expected when the year began with championship hopes, but if nothing else, at least they tanked correctly. The Sixers figure to enter the draft lottery on May 12 with a 63.9 percent chance of keeping their first-round pick.
How NBA’s New CBA Led To Nuggets Parting With Michael Malone And Calvin Booth

2 weeks ago | forbes.com | Bryan Toporek

With three games left in the 2024-25 NBA regular season, the Denver Nuggets embarked upon a drastic shakeup Tuesday. They both fired head coach Michael Malone and announced that they would not be extending the contract of general manager Calvin Booth, whose deal expires at the end of this season.
The salary-cap implications of the Sixers keeping their 2025 first-round draft pick

2 weeks ago | libertyballers.com | Bryan Toporek

Photo by Lance King/Getty Images As the Sixers near the end of their injury-ravaged 2024-25 campaign, they’re locked in an epic battle with the Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets for extra ping-pong balls. Every loss matters for the Sixers since they owe their 2025 first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it falls outside of the top six. The Sixers have the inside track for the NBA’s fifth-worst record this year, which would give them a 63.9 percent chance of keeping their pick.
The Brooklyn Nets Are The Wild Card Of 2025 NBA Free Agency

2 weeks ago | forbes.com | Bryan Toporek

The 2025 NBA offseason is expected to be light on free-agent fireworks. Only a handful of teams project to have salary-cap space, and most of the top potential free agents figure to stay with their current teams. However, the Brooklyn Nets loom as a wild card that could spoil other teams' plans this summer. The Nets are projected to have nearly $55 million in cap space, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac, which is by far the highest total in the league.
How Kelly Oubre Jr. factors into the Sixers’ long-term plans

2 weeks ago | libertyballers.com | Bryan Toporek

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images Kelly Oubre Jr. has been a revelation for the Sixers ever since he signed a one-year, veteran-minimum contract in September 2023. He started in 52 of his 68 appearances last season and 57 of 60 this year while averaging 15.3 points on 45.4 percent shooting, 5.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game over that span. This offseason, Oubre has a major decision to make.
Sixers offseason mailbag: NBA Draft options and Mickey Mouse March

3 weeks ago | libertyballers.com | Bryan Toporek

Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images On Wednesday, we learned that Joel Embiid is set to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee next week. As Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports wrote, it’s unclear what exactly that means for his prognosis moving forward. “The information we have currently does not offer a clear picture of the why behind this choice, or what precisely they hope to gain from an arthroscopic procedure,” Neubeck wrote.
Sixers offseason mailbag: Long live the Brooklyn Nets

3 weeks ago | libertyballers.com | Bryan Toporek

Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images The Brooklyn Nets might be carving out a spot in post-Process lore right next to Mike Muscala. As the injury-ravaged Sixers limp their way to the finish line of the 2024-25 season, the Nets have now won two straight games to break a tie for the NBA’s fifth-worst record.