Ricky O'Donnell

4 days ago | sbnation.com | Ricky O'Donnell

Photo by Logan Riely /NBAE via Getty Images Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder on the Fourth of July, Russell Westbrook posted a picture of a plate of cupcakes the next day, and the future of the Oklahoma City Thunder hung in the balance. Sam Presti had drafted three future NBA MVPs to start his tenure in OKC, and now two of them were gone.

5 days ago | sbnation.com | Ricky O'Donnell

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images The 2025 NBA Draft class has spent the last year under the microscope. Cooper Flagg going No. 1 overall has been a forgone conclusion from the moment he reclassified to accelerate his pro timeline, and Rutgers’ Dylan Harper quickly emerged as the consensus No. 2 pick. After that, the rest of the lottery-caliber prospects have spent the last 12 months shuffling around the draft board. Now their moment of truth has arrived.

5 days ago | sbnation.com | Ricky O'Donnell

Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images It’s not often a team makes a trade while they’re playing in the NBA Finals, but the Indiana Pacers pulled it off last week. As Indiana was locked in an intense battle with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the front office completed a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans that suddenly looks like a stroke of genius following the worst possible scenario playing out in the series.

5 days ago | sbnation.com | Ricky O'Donnell

Tyrese Haliburton has been playing through a calf strain to close the 2025 NBA Finals. Haliburton was a game-time decision for Game 6, but ended up playing in a game the Pacers won in a rout to keep their season alive. Haliburton was on fire to start Game 7 on Sunday night with three three-pointers in the first quarter. Before the end of the quarter, the Pacers star collapsed on the floor diving for a loose ball.

5 days ago | sbnation.com | Ricky O'Donnell

Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images The worst kept secret in the NBA has finally been resolved. Kevin Durant is a Houston Rocket, and the Phoenix Suns are getting back only a fraction of what they originally traded to get him. The Rockets acquired Durant for the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and five second round picks, according to Shams Charania. Houston won out over a bid from the Miami Heat.