Sam Merrill is playing the best ball of his career this season. He’s averaging 13.4 points and 2.2 assists while shooting an absurd 47.4% from three on 7.3 attempts per game. The former 60th overall pick has become indispensable for the Cavaliers, regularly appearing in the starting lineup. Cleveland is 7.2 points per 100 possessions better when he’s on the floor, according to Cleaning the Glass. His impact is off the charts. He’s one of the most underrated players in hoops.
On the surface, though, Merrill is just another three-point specialist, a trade that’s trending toward extinction in today’s NBA. Guys who can’t adapt to different situations and contribute in multiple ways aren’t valuable in high-leverage games. Joe Harris, Bryn Forbes, Evan Fournier and many more snipers have fizzled out of the league in recent years due to their one-dimensionalness. Why hasn’t Merrill met that same fate? He isn’t actually a specialist.
Bryn Forbes could outscore Jimmy Butler in a playoff series, but he couldn’t defend a parked car. Merrill, on the other hand, is an 81st percentile isolation defender and a 93rd percentile screen navigator according to BBall Index. He’s not the type of point-of-attack stalwart you’d stick on a star like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for a full game, but he guards his yard really well. Merrill stays disciplined, bumps guys off their spots with his thicker frame, contests shots and overall just doesn’t get picked on.
Merrill is also the definition of a low-mistake player. He commits just 1.2 turnovers per 75 possessions, an 80th percentile rate. He’s not a standout playmaker, but he keeps the ball moving.
Role players who can’t guard and cost their teams possessions are liabilities, and liabilities don’t see the floor in the playoffs. Merrill played 19.9 minutes a night for the Cavs in the 2025 postseason.
It’s true that most of Merrill’s value comes from his shooting. He is, after all, a top five shooter in the world. His medley of unbelievable efficiency and sky-high volume would be borderline unprecedented if Steph Curry didn’t exist. That said, though, he wouldn’t be able to put his three-point talents on full display if he couldn’t do the little things that help teams win.
Isaiah Joe is a very similar case. He’s lethal from beyond the arc, easily the best shooter on OKC’s roster and one of the better pure shooters in the league as a whole. And, just like Merrill, he doesn’t turn it over and he holds his own on D. Oklahoma City is 2.3 points per 100 possessions better offensively with Joe in the lineup, which is in large part because of his shooting (they need it), but again, he couldn’t make that big of a difference if he wasn’t well-rounded.
Sam Merrill and Isaiah Joe (two former Bench Mob Players of the Year, by the way) are redefining what it means to be three-point specialists, allowing them to make tangible impacts on contending teams. Moving forward, smart organizations should be prioritizing these modernized marksmen over the Luke Kennards and Buddy Hields of the world. They’ll be patting themselves on the back come playoff time.
Jon Horst is a fascinating fella. The moves he makes always seem to come out of left field. He works in silence and almost never does what’s obvious. You have to tip your cap to the guy, because the swings he takes have resulted in a championship, but also, more importantly, Giannis Antetokounmpo sticking around for all these years. He’s definitely not a bad GM, but he’s an unorthodox one for sure.
The main thing that makes the way Horst does business abstract is his taste in players. In the iconic movie Moneyball, Billy Beane seeks out players who are statistically effective but have some sort of prominent flaw. Horst does exactly that. Think about Milwaukee’s roster for second. It’s full of guys with odd and unique quirks.
Bobby Portis, for example, can be a game-changing microwave scorer off the bench, but he might be the least willing passer in the league and he’s addicted to head-scratching long twos.
Kevin Porter Jr. is one of the 75 most talented basketball players in the world, but he processes the game worse than some high school point guards and his shot selection is putrid.
Kyle Kuzma, to his credit, is having a genuinely solid bounce-back season after a pretty brutal 2025 playoffs, but, more often than not, he makes the sport look incredibly hard to play. The dude is just awkward.
Jericho Sims has bricks for hands.
Even Giannis himself has some fundamental flaws to his game, most notably his endlessly mind-blowingly poor performances at the free throw line.
Now, basketball is inherently a game of tradeoffs. No player or roster is without their blemishes, so winning games is all about maximizing the strengths of your personnel while hiding the downsides as much as possible. That said, though, this Milwaukee squad is extraweird, and unfortunately, it’s starting to show in the standings. This is the worst the Bucks have been in a long time. Even with Giannis healthy, it was clear heading into the trade deadline that there wasn’t much upside for things to get better without a classic Horst shocker. So, all eyes were on the man in the front office at the trade deadline. What would he do to try and turn things around for this team?
Well, he added another Moneyball guy, of course. Enter Cam Thomas.
Thomas is the best scorer on the planet. Just ask him, he’ll tell you. When he’s on the floor, he’s chucking up a shot every time he gets a chance. He’d rather take the most stupidly difficult middie you’ve ever seen than swing the rock. His playstyle is bonkers, as is his seeming unwillingness to change the way he approaches the game. To be fair, though, Thomas is unbelievably gifted when it comes to putting the ball in the net. He’s a 20-point game disguised as a human with an emotionless face.
You can’t blame Horst at all for taking a gamble on a talent like Thomas on such a cheap contract. There’s serious boom potential here, no matter what way you spin it.
But, at the same time, try to imagine a lineup of Thomas, Kevin Porter Jr., Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis and Jericho Sims without physically cringing or laughing out loud. There’s a relatively high chance that we’ll see that group spend significant time on the court together in the near future.
Look, things are pretty bleak for the Bucks right now. Giannis is injured. Cam Thomas is apparently supposed to be the savior. Fans are so starved for young talent that they’re rallying around Ousmane Dieng.
(Dieng, by the way, represents Horst’s other favorite type of flawed player: the “what does he even do?” prospect. Every year, the man drafts some raw kid with no clear NBA skill instead of a polished multi-year collegiate product, and he’s found little success in doing so. MarJon Beauchamp, AJ Johnson, Tyler Smith and Chris Livingston have all flamed out already. You’d think Horst would’ve learned his lesson by now.)
Despite all that, one thing is for sure: Bucks fans shouldn’t give up on this team. We’ve enjoyed quite the run of success in the Giannis era. We saw them win a freaking championship, man! Things were always going to spiral at some point, and the beginning of that fall off seems to be upon us. However, that doesn’t mean Milwaukee faithful should jump ship during the rebuilding period.
It’s gonna be frustrating to watch the post-All-Star-break Bucks if they’re going to commit to the tank. You’re probably going to want to throw your remote at your TV screen after watching KPJ and Cam Thomas take turns chucking up prayers. But, it would also be fun to see Ousmane Dieng break out into a real NBA player. It will be exciting when Thomas goes for 45 points in a meaningless game in April. If/when Giannis comes back, it’s always an absolute pleasure witnessing his greatness.
At the end of the day, part of true fandom is riding with your team through thick and thin. The Bucks are in the thick, yes, but there’s plenty of joy to be found in it. Stick with this funky, occasionally irritating yet lovable squad and it will feel extra rewarding when they return to contender status one day.
At the end of the day, at least you don’t have to be a Kings fan.
The 2026 NBA trade deadline was full of activity and surprises and could go down as one of the most exciting ones in recent memory. Winners and losers of the deadline will be the talk of the town in the coming days. Which teams made the best and worst moves? Which players will succeed or fail in their new situations?
This article is about a winner from the deadline, but not the kind you might think. Down south in the heart of Orlando, there’s a rookie who wasn’t directly affected by the chaos at all but is a big winner regardless. That rookie is Jase Richardson. Here’s why.
The Magic weren’t too busy at the deadline, but they did move off of Tyus Jones, shipping him to Charlotte. The team added Jones in free agency last summer, but he turned out to be a huge letdown of a signing. In 48 games for Orlando, Jones averaged 3.0 points and 2.4 rebounds on 34.2% from the field and 29.4% from three. The 29-year-old used to be one of basketball’s top backup point guards, but somewhere along the way he completely lost his magic, no pun intended. The only thing that kept him in the rotation was probably politics, honestly.
It took draft capital for Orlando to convince the Hornets to take on Jones, and Charlotte turned around and flipped the veteran to Dallas in short order. One more half season of poor play and Jones’ career could be over.
In his wake, Jones leaves 15.7 minutes of backcourt playing time free for the taking. Jase Richardson is undoubtedly licking his chops looking at that opportunity.
Richardson has already started to creep his way up the ladder in Orlando. In November, he was playing just 7.6 minutes per night, but that jumped up to 14.7 in December and 15.2 in January. With Jones out of the picture, he could easily see 20-25 minutes a game. He deserves that type of burn.
The Michigan State product has been really solid to start his career. He’s averaging 5.3 points (16.1 per 36) on 48/37/73 splits. That’s impressive efficiency for a first-year guard. His poise, confidence and feel stand out in the best way possible. Yes, he’s only played 35 games, but Richardson already moves like an old pro. He’s smaller in stature, limiting his defensive impact, but other than that, he’s the ideal guard for the Magic. They need as much offensive help as they can get. Richardson can be that spark.
What Richardson’s ceiling is remains to be seen, but the 20-year-old has already set the foundation for success in this league. Now, with more space to grow, he’ll be able to continue to cement himself as a prospect worth investing in. That’s why he’s walking away a winner from the trade deadline.
Don’t be surprised if Richardson’s name pops up more and more after the All-Star break. Hop on the bandwagon before it’s too late.
Bench Mob Blog’s core mission has always been to show love to the unknown players whose stories and impact go unnoticed by the average fan. That’s why the Bench Mob All-Star tradition was created back in 2022. This is a tribute to the NBA’s best end-of-bench ballers, guys who have been making names for themselves this season in limited roles. This collection of undrafted rookies, former second-round picks and G League studs is proof that value can always be found on the margins if teams put in the work. The 2025-26 squad is one of most well-rounded and exciting ones to date, featuring many players who have had unique journeys.
Let’s meet the team.
(Note: Bench Mob Player of the Day is an award handed out daily via X to the bench mobber who had the best game the prior night. Follow @finleykuehl to keep up with the winners!)
Caleb Love (Captain, 7x Bench Mob Player of the Day)
Too many high school and college stars fizzle out at the next level because they’re not willing to restart from the bottom and put in the extra grind. Caleb Love is determined to avoid that fate. Since going undrafted last June, the former NCAA All-American has been on a mission to prove that he belongs in the pros, and he’s been more than successful so far. Not only is the Blazers rookie having one of the best two-way contract seasons of all time, he’s also been one of the better freshmen in the league overall, an impressive feat considering how stacked this 2025 class is. Damian Lillard has taken Love under his wing and given him the nickname “Top-10 Pick,” and Love has really been playing up to that moniker. He ranks eight amongst rookies in PPG at 11.4 and fourth in total 3PM at 87.
The Arizona product’s microwave scoring and competitive drive have been invaluable for a Portland team that has been bit by the injury bug this year. All in all, Love has planted the seeds for a fruitful career that many thought he wouldn’t be able to have.
Love is the second rookie to be named captain of the Bench Mob All-Star team, with Herb Jones being the first to do so in 2022.
Dru Smith (7x BM POTD)
The basketball gods have not been kind to Dru Smith. He went undrafted in 2021 and spent a full season in the G League before signing his first NBA deal. He started to gain some traction in the rotation with the Heat in 2023, but then suffered a season-ending ACL tear. In 2024, bad luck struck again in the form of an Achilles tear. Despite all his setbacks, Smith has kept his nose to the grindstone. Now, he’s finally healthy, and he’s been the best version of himself.
Smith has become part of Miami’s nightly bench unit, earning his keep with his defensive tenacity. He ranks fifth in the entire league in total steals on the season. The Missouri product smothers ball handlers and never runs out of gas. He’s also a useful piece offensively who creates advantages by getting downhill and touching paint. If the Heat make the playoffs this spring, expect to see Smith on the floor when it matters most.
This is Smith’s second Bench Mob All-Star appearance— he was also a member of the 2024-25 squad.
Jordan Miller (6x BM POTD)
The Clippers had a dumbfounding start to the season, but now they’re one of the hotter teams in hoops. They wouldn’t have the same level of positive momentum without Jordan Miller. The third-year forward is playing the biggest role of his career, averaging 19.3 minutes, and he’s helped Los Angeles climb back up the standings with his offensive craft and versatility. Miller’s bag inside the arc is a thing of beauty. He mixes in decels, Euros, fakes and crossovers to get to his spots and hit middies and layups. He’s a streaky but respectable three-point shooter, too. In some ways, the former second-round pick has helped the Clips replace Norman Powell in the aggregate, Moneyball style.
Miller was on a two-way contract in 2024-25, earned a conversion, but was then demoted back to a two-way over the summer. Now, he’s made it very clear that he deserves a full-time standard deal.
Jamaree Bouyea (6x BM POTD)
Bouyea has been a revelation for a Suns team that’s seriously overperforming. Phoenix dug the shifty guard, who has played for five other teams, off the scrap heap. They gave him the runway to succeed and he’s taken off. Bouyea has the ball on a string and shakes and bakes defenders to get buckets. He’s also a defensive disruptor who plays bigger than his size. The 26-year-old is posting career highs in points per game, field goal percentage and three point percentage. The Bucks undoubtedly regret waiving him in October.
Luka Garza (5x BM POTD)
Garza, a collegiate juggernaut, has found his niche in the NBA by scaling down and playing to his strengths. The big man’s post bag is as deep as the Pacific and he has uncanny touch for a guy of his size. He’s always been a per-minute monster who can fill up the scoring column in short spurts, but Boston has given him the chance to see more extended run. He’s scoring 7.7 points per game on excellent efficiency, all as a result of the unbelievable amount of work he’s put in behind the scenes.
Pat Spencer (4x BM POTD)
Pat Spencer is one of one. He’s an enthralling showman with braggadocious flair and the game to back up his smack talk. The 6’2” guard was actually a superstar lacrosse player before he joined the league, but you’d think he’s been dribbling a basketball since he was in the womb with how well he processes the game. Spencer is a smooth-as-butter fit in Golden State’s complicated system because of his IQ and motor. He’s genuinely taken over games this year, delivering clutch performances, and he’s done all of it while looking like a corporate employee, making him all the more loveable.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin (4x BM POTD)
Cleveland’s emerging spark plug, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, didn’t even play serious basketball until he got to college. Now he’s an impactful bench player in the best league on Earth. How is that even possible? Well, Tomlin was blessed with physical gifts and he knows how to use them. The Harlem native is lengthy and bouncy and he hustles non-stop. He puts himself in position to score easy points inside, and whenever he gets a catch on a cut, he’s looking to detonate on the rim. In just 17.1 minutes per game, he’s averaging 1.4 offensive rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks. The Cavs as a whole haven’t consistently shown heart this season, but Tomlin always does.
Dylan Cardwell (3x BM POTD)
Nobody has more fun playing basketball than Dylan Cardwell. A smile never leaves his face when he’s on the floor. His celebration bag is bottomless. Some guys only show happiness like that when they’re having a big scoring night. That’s not true of Cardwell because he never has those. That’s right, he’s a rebounding and shot-blocking specialist (a phenomenal one at that), but he absolutely loves his thankless job. The rookie is breathing energy and joy into a lifeless Sacramento team. He’s going to stick around in this league for a long time.
Moussa Cisse (3x BM POTD)
Moussa Cisse is proof that counting stats are far from everything when it comes to player evaluation. Across his five year college career, he averaged a modest 6.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. Those figures don’t exactly scream “NBA player,” but he’s popped at the highest level. The undrafted rookie’s towering frame, blanketing reach and explosive leaping ability make him a formidable rim protector and lob threat. There’s no razzle-dazzle to his skillset, but he still makes plays that make you exclaim out loud. He’s given the Mavericks some great minutes this season, making a case for a contract conversion, especially with Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively in street clothes.
Dominick Barlow, who’s become a regular starter, has been the standout two-way story for the Sixers, but Jabari Walker is doing his thing, too. The rugged power forward is an enforcer on the glass, ranking third in offensive rebound percentage on Philly’s roster and fourth in defensive rebound percentage. He’s also a versatile defender who uses his burly frame to wall up and stop drivers in their tracks. Walker’s ruggedness has been key for the 76ers as they’ve quietly looked like dark horse contenders.
Walker was a member of the 2023-24 All-Bench-Mob Third Team, but this is his first All-Star selection.
Christian Koloko (3x BM POTD)
Koloko’s journey is one of persistence. He’s been through a lot in his young career, most notably a blood clot that kept him sidelined for the entirety of his sophomore campaign. Now fully healthy, he’s fighting to get back on track, but it hasn’t been easy. Two teams let him go this season alone: the Lakers and the Grizzlies. However, the Hawks have welcomed him with open arms since he joined them in January, throwing him right into the fire as a backup. He’s been a much-needed interior presence for Atlanta, notching 4.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per contest, looking almost every bit the player he was projected to be in the 2022 draft.
Zeke Nnaji (3x BM POTD)
Few teams have been hit harder with injuries as the Nuggets this year, but they’ve weathered the storm with strong contributions from their reserves. Zeke Nnaji, who’s a veteran for Denver at this point, has had some of the best stretches of his career, going toe-to-toe with the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid and coming up victorious. Once a stretch big, he’s transitioned into an opportunistic finisher and a quality interior defender. Maybe his contract isn’t so bad after all.
Every year, it feels like the Miami Heat unearth another second-round or undrafted gem. Their scouting department is the stuff of legends. Their work on the margins has been instrumental in their continued prosperity as an organization— they even made a Finals run on the backs of Caleb Martin, Max Strus and Gabe Vincent (well, and Jimmy Butler, of course).
This season, 2024 second-round pick Pelle Larsson has emerged as a trusted contributor for the Heat. He’s started 26 contests, playing 23.5 minutes a night and averaging 9.7 points. With each passing game, Larsson looks more and more like Miami’s next success story.
The first thing to know about Larsson is he’s one tough cookie. Don’t let his preppy appearance fool you. “Heat Culture” isn’t as prominent as it once was, but Larsson is helping keep it alive. He’s a fearless slasher who embraces and initiates physicality. Driving and getting to the free throw line are the 24-year-old’s strongest traits, literally and figuratively. He draws 4.3 fouls per 75 possessions (87th percentile) and finishes through contact at a 68th percentile rate (per BBall Index). Someone runs an account on X called “did Pelle get hit in the face?”, and on Heat gamedays, the answer is yes more often than not.
Larsson excels in catch-and-attack scenarios against closeouts, but he’s at his very best in transition. He runs the floor hard and finds the right lanes to position himself for easy buckets. He’ll even get up and catch a lob here and there. The Arizona product generates 1.18 stable points per possession in transition, which grades in the 79th percentile. He doesn’t just score in the open floor, he creates looks for others, too.
The Swedish wing complements his forceful approach on the court with keen decision-making. He’s not much of a true playmaker (yet), but he’s the definition of a connector. He’s a sharp passer in the half court who knows how to read help defense and find his allies in their spots. Larsson generates 4.36 high value assists (assists on threes or rim attempts) per 75 possessions, a 77th percentile rate.
On defense, Larsson is technically sound. He’s disciplined when guarding the ball, always playing D with his feet rather than his hands. He does a solid job containing his man and grades out as an 89th percentile perimeter isolation defender according to BBall Index. The sophomore does have some athletic deficiencies, though, and he’s a little too vulnerable to blow-bys and high-release jumpers to be considered a truly good defensive player at this time. He averages just 0.8 steals (20th percentile) and 0.35 blocks (34th percentile) per 75 possessions, unimpressive figures that correlate with his below-par physical tools.
Still, Larsson’s combination of finishing, passing and defensive know-how have made him a viable rotation player in this league already, and he has plenty of room left to grow. One way he could raise his ceiling is by becoming a more effective shooter. He shot 39.7% from three and 81.4% from the charity stripe in his college career, but those numbers are down to just 32.9% and 71.6% so far in the NBA. He’s not a high-volume guy, taking just 2.9 three-point attempts per game this season, and his misses fall all over the place on the rim. If he can channel some of his college self and get his efficiency from beyond the arc up to at least a league-average level, he’d be close to the ideal playoff role player.
Another skill Larsson could explore further is pick-and-roll ball handling. The Heat run a P&R-averse offense, so he doesn’t get a ton of reps, but he could likely play really well off ball screens because of his passing and slashing chops, as well as his patience. Being able to operate as a tertiary creator to some degree could elevate Larsson from role player to full-time starter status.
Pelle Larsson isn’t going to be an All-Star. Realistically, he won’t be anything close to that. But, he doesn’t need to be that. He’s already a highly useful supporting wing, the type of guy coaches want on the floor and teammates want to go to war with in important games. Larsson is enjoying a quality 2025-26 season, and he’s well on his way to proving himself as Miami’s next second-round gem.
It doesn’t really feel like it, but NBA trade season is upon us. Usually, multiple deals would have happened by this point of the season, but we’ve only seen Trae Young moved so far. That said, with the East being wide open and the West being tightly contested, many teams will surely be looking for ways to get better and find an edge in the coming weeks. Here are five mock trades that are far from blockbusters but would help teams improve on the margins and gear up for the home stretch of the year.
(Note: all of these deals were deemed possible by Spotrac’s trade machine. If you notice any financial issues here, don’t come at me.)
Trade #1
Bulls receive: Jonathan Kuminga
Warriors receive: Zach Collins
Kuminga’s time with the Warriors needs to come to an end. The team continues to keep him around just to completely refuse to play him— he hasn’t checked into a game since December 18th. From an outsider’s perspective, it’s borderline unfair, regardless of how good they think Kuminga actually is. Here, the former seventh-overall pick would find himself in a fresh situation where he would not just play, but potentially thrive.
Kuminga’s true talent and impact are tough to gauge, but at his best, he’s posted some impressive numbers. He averaged 15.3 points on 48/40/71 splits in the 2025 playoffs. His strengths as a play finisher and mid-range shotmaker are fueled by his athleticism and positional size. In Chicago, he could pop in the fast-paced system Billy Donovan has been working to build. It’s clear that Kuminga just doesn’t mesh with the way the Warriors play basketball. He needs more freedom, and he could find it in Chi-Town. Plus, unlike Golden State, the Bulls have traditional point guards in Josh Giddey and Tre Jones who could set Kuminga up in his spots. There’s a world where Kuminga just isn’t that good, but Chicago can afford to take that gamble because pretty much nothing could be worse than Patrick Williams.
Golden State has undoubtedly burned away a lot of Kuminga’s value by stowing him away on the bench, so getting any sort of draft capital for him is probably out of the question. However, in this package, they’d be adding a role player who could really help them out. Zach Collins is a tough-as-nails big man with standout feel for the game. The Dubs lack traditional center play, and Collins does quality work on the glass and in the paint on both ends. He is also very comfortable directing handoffs and split actions as a high post hub. Overall, Z-Bo would be more useful for the team than Kuminga is right now. As an extra sweetener, the Warriors would be shedding $4m of salary here.
Trade #2
Magic receive: Bogdan Bogdanovic
Clippers receive: Jonathan Isaac, 2027 SRP via BOS
The Magic need a guy who can make some freaking shots. They’re 27th in 3P% and 25th in three-point attempts per game. With Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black all being below-average shooters, the team just isn’t going to be too successful if they don’t add someone who can hit some threes. Desmond Bane was supposed to help, but even he’s shooting a paltry 33.5% from deep on the second-lowest volume of his career. Bogdan Bogdanovic is about as proven of a gun-for-hire as Orlando could get. The veteran shooting guard is a lifetime 38.1% three-point shooter who has drained countless timely treys both in the NBA and on the international stage for Team Serbia. He’s playoff tested and ready to compete.
Bogdanovic has fallen out of favor in Los Angeles as young guys such as Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller have begun to ascend, so in this deal the Clippers would be landing a bench piece they’d likely get more use out of. Jonathan Isaac’s offensive deficiencies have buried him into a 10th-man role, but he’s an elite per-minute defender who offers way more scheme versatility than Ivica Zubac and Brook Lopez. Ty Lue’s crew was a top-three defense in 2024-25, but they’ve fallen all the way to 22nd this year. Isaac would trigger some positive regression.
Trade #3
Lakers receive: Day’Ron Sharpe, Ziaire Williams
Nets receive: Gabe Vincent, Adou Thiero, 2028 FRP via LAL (lottery protected)
Things have gotten stale for the Lakers as they’ve slipped further away from the top of the Western Conference standings. They could use upgrades in a lot of areas on both sides of the ball. This trade would improve their 26th-ranked defense while also giving JJ Redick two guys he can consistently trust to play minutes (he’s had to experiment with lineups throughout the year). Sharpe is one of the best backup centers in hoops, a 98th percentile defensive rebounder and 73rd percentile rim protector (per BBall Index) who excels as a roll man on offense. Deandre Ayton can’t be counted on to give effort and play hard, but Sharpe can. Williams is a bothersome wing stopper who’s worked on his three-point shot over time. Sharpe and Williams are legitimate contributors at 24 years old which is why they’d command a first round pick.
Brooklyn would be happy to bring in some draft capital here while also clearing up more minutes for their developmental muses moving forward as they continue their tank. Adou Thiero is a fun athletic prospect who was selected 36th overall last June.
Trade #4
Pistons receive: Svi Mykhailiuk
Jazz receive: Marcus Sasser, 2027 SRP via DAL
Detroit is having an awesome year, rising to the pinnacle of the East behind the efforts of their formidable defense. Their offense doesn’t always pack a punch, though, and they definitely miss Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. to some degree— they’re just 26th in the NBA in three-pointers made per game. Svi Mykhailiuk is a solid rotation wing who would give the Pistons a little boost offensively. The Ukraine Maker is quietly averaging career-highs in points per game (9.0) and assists per game (2.0) while shooting 38.5% from beyond the arc with the Jazz this season. He’s started all 35 games he’s appeared in, but Utah has started giving him, Jusuf Nurkic and Kyle Anderson DNP-CDs as they try to bottom out for Boozer. There’s no reason why the Pistons couldn’t get Mykhailiuk for an interesting young player and a pick.
Trade #5
Hornets receive: Simone Fontecchio
Heat receive: Tre Mann
The hive has been buzzing in Charlotte recently, with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and company getting hot and picking up impressive wins against OKC and the Lakers. The vision for this team is starting to become actualized, so why not keep accelerating the growth? Tre Mann looked like a future 6MOY in 2024-25 before he went down with a season-ending injury. Since returning, he’s been limited to reserve duties for the Hornets, playing a career-low 17.6 minutes per game. He’s a fun player, but Simone Fontecchio would be more helpful for this squad. The Italian is a catch-and-shoot ace and a respectable positional defender who could play off of Ball and Miller. Mann does his finest work as an on-ball creator, which is why he’s struggled to mesh with Charlotte’s core, but Fontecchio wouldn’t have that problem.
Miami might get more out of Mann. They’ve committed to a ball-screen-avoidant attack, and the Florida product is a sharp ball handler and isolation scorer who could be a spark for what’s currently the 21st-ranked offense in the association.
Bench Mob Blog is now in its sixth year of existence. Building and maintaining this blog has been an incredibly fun and rewarding journey for me, and one of the best parts of the journey has been all the connections I’ve made along the way. My strong presence on Twitter has allowed me to cross paths with so many awesome people in the content creation space. I love what I do, I love the game of basketball and I recognize the grind of being a small creator in a crowded and competitive industry. That’s why I find it so important to support the people who are not only putting out thoughtful, quality work, but also those who are in this for the right reasons. Passion and positivity stand out in an online sphere dominated by click hunting, trolling and even bigotry. Today, I want to shout out 10 writers, YouTubers, Tweeters and other creators who not only are connections of mine, but also are the exact type of people who I want to see succeed in the NBA media world.
If my memory serves me right, Jacob and I first connected circa 2023 through the now-defunct blog LG Hoops. Since then, he’s been one of my absolute favorite people in this space. Jacob is a dedicated YouTuber who gives knowledgeable and spirited commentary on his New York Knicks and the league as a whole. His channel is one of my go-tos when it comes to finding something to watch while I eat. He and I have collaborated a few times, both on his channel and on podcasts, and talking ball with him is always a great time. Jacob’s channel has just over 430 subscribers right now, but he deserves to see that number to double (if not quadruple) this year. Go watch Jacoblocks!
Roundball embodies the type of positivity that shines through in what can be such a negative space. Who else is making full-length videos just gushing about Jevon Carter and Miles McBride? His YouTube channel, which I have appeared on, is full of informed analysis from creative angles. He loves and appreciates this game, and the humanity and humbleness he displays feel genuine even through a screen. His usual closing to his videos, “be kind, tell somebody you love them”, always resonantes with me. What I said about Jacob’s subscription count applies to Roundball, too. Go join the Roundball Renaissance!
My guy Eamon has been doing some really impressive work over the past year. When I first connected with him, he was covering the Celtics for Last Word on Basketball, but he’s since become the site expert for FanSided’s Dunking With Wolves, producing some of the best Timberwolves coverage out there. Even cooler, though, is his podcast, The Cassels Cast, where he discusses a wide range of NBA and NFL topics weekly with some fun guests, including myself, Jacoblocks and Bruce Veliz (who I’ll introduce shortly). If he wants it, a career in sportswriting feels fully attainable for Eamon at this point. Go read his work and listen to The Cassels Cast!
All of my colleagues at Brew Hoop do fantastic work. I wanted to give a special tip-of-the-cap to our newest editor Zac because he’s written some uniquely captivating stories that I can’t get enough of. An English teacher by day, Zac has a virtually unmatched command of language and a knack for storytelling. His screenplay-style pieces are truly unlike any other sports article I’ve read and they rock. Go read Zac’s work, and every other Brew Hooper’s, too!
A lot of people in the NBA media space act like they understand the game but actually don’t (I’m looking at you, Awful Coaching). That’s why people like Shax who have unbelievable basketball minds are a breath of fresh air. Shax is incredibly dedicated to his craft. He hand-tracks a laundry list of Xs and Os stuff and other analytics for every single Knicks game, breaking down hoops at an extremely high level. A lot of his work is free, which is wild, and you should absolutely check it out while that’s still the case. Go follow Shax!
If you’re into the history of the NBA, Josh is your guy in that department. He co-hosts a podcast called Once Upon a Dribble that tells the stories that matter from the league’s past. He often highlights forgotten primes from players many fans have only heard of through MyTeam on 2K, teaching the youth a thing or two about real ball knowledge. Josh is also just one of the all-around good guys in the NBA Twitter community. Go follow him and check out his podcast!
Speaking of good guys, Bruce is a beacon of positivity on NBA Twitter. It seems like he loves what he does and it shows. He’s highly supportive of fellow creators, too. Bruce covers the Phoenix Suns for SBNation’s Bright Side of the Sun and the NBA as a whole for his YouTube, Swish City. He and I recently collaborated on an article about Jamaree Bouyea, one of this season’s best two-way contract breakout stories. Go follow Bruce and read his work!
TipOff is one of the best in the graphic design game right now. They consistently churn out in-depth statistical analysis work that’s presented cleanly and effectively (my data storytelling professor would be proud). I’ve had the pleasure of working on a series of posts about two-way contract gems with them that have been noticed by the players we’ve highlighted. Accounts like TipOff’s give me hope that AI will never completely erase human design work. Go follow them!
Nobody is doing fantasy basketball coverage as thoroughly as the good folks at Dizzle Dynasty. Their extensive rankings and round-ups could turn anybody into a perennial champion in their fantasy leagues. The Dizzle crew are real hoops sickos— I did a podcast episode this fall with Zach and Brian all about two-way contract players. Go explore the Dizzle Dynasty universe!
Ben doesn’t do any writing or YouTubing, but he’s one of my favorite Twitter follows. He knows as much about the G League as anyone I’ve come across, and he keeps tabs on and analyzes all the players and transactions that the average fan blips past. If I was a G League GM, I’d hire him to my scouting department. Go follow Ben!
After reading this article, I hope you not only check out these creators, but also approach your sports media consumption with smaller outlets in mind. People love to complain about the state of national media and how it’s more about hot takes and clickbait than uplifting basketball. If you want to see change, you should support Jacoblocks, Roundball Renaissance, Eamon Cassels and everyone else who’s in this lane for the love of the game. They can and will be the difference makers.
Welp, that didn’t take long. Two days after his initial trade request and just hours after the announcement of his preferred destination, Trae Young was traded to the Washington Wizards in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. For such a star-studded deal, there isn’t a lot of shock factor here. After all, Young did publicly ask out, and the writing on the wall was in place long beforehand within the overall situation of the Hawks.
What is crazy, though, is the sharp collapse of Trae’s reputation and impact. Not even five years ago, he was taking over the city of New York and leading Atlanta to the Conference Finals. He led the NBA in total points and assists in 2021-22 while making All-NBA Third Team at 23 years old. Even last season, he paced the league with 11.6 assists per game while averaging 24.2 points. Young’s a stupendous talent, one of the best of the 2020s at the guard position. Yet, here we are, watching him getting flipped for nothing but expiring contracts. Trae once looked like one of the future faces of the league, but now he’s stuck in a weird limbo. The NBA just doesn’t value small guards who can’t play defense very much anymore. Heliocentric offenses are also on the decline. Now, Young is such a great offensive player that he’s still undoubtedly an All-Star in this league. However, with the way the sport is trending, it’s unclear what his role would and should look like on a winning team. Realistically, he can’t be a number one option for a real playoff contender anymore. Could he even be the second? Time will tell.
What’s almost certain, though, is that he’ll be a really fun addition to an intriguing young Wizards team. Washington has assembled an impressive collection of prospects, headlined by Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson and Bub Carrington. These kids have promising futures, but right now they’re playing without much leadership or structure. Young will come to town and help the youngsters get better by adding organization to the offense and generating tons of easy looks. He’ll put Washington in a better position to compete on a night-to-night basis, creating trial-by-fire opportunities for Sarr, George and company that will give them valuable experience and season them as pros.
Young is 27 years old, so he could stick around to grow with this group for the foreseeable future, but finding the right extension number for him is tricky. The Wiz would probably be unwise to throw a four or five year bag at him without first getting a good feel for how he gels with their core, but they’re set to have the financial flexibility to keep him around if they choose to.
The Hawks, despite shuffling their roster around several times, have been stuck in the middle of the pack for too long. A new era led by Jalen Johnson seems to be on the horizon, and with Young gone, the team will be able to immerse fully into their fresh future. While they continue to hunt playoff appearances in the short term, CJ McCollum will be an awesome gun-for-hire. Everyone knows what CJ does by now, and his blend of shooting and on-ball scoring will make him a smooth fit alongside Atlanta’s other starters. Because McCollum’s not a true point guard, Jalen Johnson can assume a full-time point forward role, which will be exciting to watch. Corey Kispert, the other new Hawk, had peaks and troughs during his time in D.C., but he’s fourth on the franchise’s all-time three-point makes list. He’ll give Quin Snyder another movement shooting piece to play around with. Defenders who face Kispert and Vit Krejci lineups off the bench will need to be prepared to chase through a billion off-ball screens.
Trae Young’s tenure in Atlanta was full of memorable moments. It’s going to be weird seeing him in another jersey for the first time. Overall, though, this feels like the right moment for the breakup. Brighter futures for both the Wizards and the Hawks are in the cards after this trade.
(Hot take to end things: Washington will have a better record than the Bucks in 2026-27.)
Tyler Smith, the 33rd pick in the 2024 NBA draft, was waived from his two-way contract with the Houston Rockets yesterday. This is the second time Smith has been cut this season; the Bucks, the team who drafted him, let him go in the process of trimming their roster after training camp. The young forward didn’t see the court for the Rockets at all during his month with the team, and in his rookie year with Milwaukee, he averaged just 5.3 minutes and 2.9 points across 23 appearances.
It hasn’t even been two years since he got drafted, but Smith’s career is already hanging on by a thread. Coming out of the G League Ignite, the 21-year-old was a promising prospect, ranked 14th on Bench Mob Blog’s big board. Now, after being cut twice with very little concrete production under his belt, it feels like his journey could be over before it truly begins.
But it’s not time to give up yet.
With raw, young prospects like Smith, it’s important to remember that their development is a slow grind. Outliers like Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyama and, heck, even Cason Wallace who come into the league as awesome players from day one have spoiled fans, distracting them from the fact that most young guys take time to adjust and grow before they become real contributors. Smith joined the NBA as a 19-year-old kid. He was never going to be a polished product this early, especially not to the degree playoff teams like Milwaukee and Houston are looking for. In order to properly evaluate Smith at this stage, you can’t consider what he is right now, but rather what he can become.
The potential with Smith is still very intriguing. He has a legitimate NBA skill, his shooting, which can’t be said about many of his unmolded peers. The 6’9” four man already hits stationary triples at a reliable rate, his form is quick, clean and repeatable, and he’s flashed the ability to come off down screens or relocations and get his puppies organized. Being a shooter with size will be enough to keep him on radars while he continues to iron out the rest of his game.
The two prominent things Smith needs to work on are his interior scoring and defensive impact. Because he’s a shooter, he’s going to attract tight closeouts, and he’ll need to at least be able to get by defenders and score on straight-line drives. Having some roll-man chops would help too since he’s a bigger guy. These are things he put on display somewhat often with the Ignite, but during his limited NBA playing time, he’s fallen mainly into a spot-up shooter role. More freedom and instilled confidence could help him reawaken his overall quality play finishing.
As for the defense, he’s not going to be a primary rim protector as a small-ball five, so he’ll need to lean more into being a weakside helper and a hedge guy against ball screens. He’s an average athlete for his position, so really working to understand positioning will be crucial. He’s an active communicator, and we’ve seen bits and pieces of sharp rotations and vertical contests from him, it’s just about putting it together with more consistency.
If you’re the player comp type, you could think of Tyler Smith as something of a baby Jabari Smith Jr. Houston’s former top-three pick is a perimeter-focused defender who is a jack of all trades, master of none on that end, and offensively he’s a movement shooter with a shallow off-the-dribble bag. Jabari is a true power forward, something Tyler should aspire to be given his current positional tweener status.
It’s true Tyler Smith is a ways away from being a real NBA player, let alone one of Jabari Smith’s caliber, but again, it’s all about the potential. This is a guy who is just barely 21 years old, has the framing of a defined role in place and still has so much room to get better. The G League Ignite did a poor job preparing its players for the next level, and the Bucks and Rockets were never going to prioritize Smith’s development to any degree. A new team, preferably a rebuilding one, could pull serious value from the former second-round pick if they invest effort into him and are patient with his progress. The theoretical nature of his game of course means there’s a possibility he doesn’t pan out, but he has enough upside to make him worthy of a serious look. That’s why his career shouldn’t be stamped as over just yet.
The G League’s annual Winter Showcase just wrapped up, with the Salt Lake City Stars winning the tournament championship (shoutout John Tonje, Steven Crowl and Max Klesmit). In the Showcase, players have the opportunity to display their talents in front of scouts and front office personnel from all 30 NBA teams. Several showcase standouts already earned new two-way deals, including Stanley Umude (Spurs) and MarJon Beauchamp (76ers). Here are a few more players who performed well in the Winter Showcase and are worthy of NBA opportunities:
(Note: ratings from twowaytalents.com, a Bench Mob Blog creation, are included in this article. After reading, go check out the site for more info on these guys!)
Killian Hayes
Hayes has been completely dismissed as a bust, but his story is still being written. The former seventh-overall pick has been one of the best guards in the G League all season long, averaging 24.0 points and 7.8 assists. He was always an NBA-level defender and passer, but now the scoring seems to be coming along. This isn’t just a minor league thing— he notched 9.0 points and 5.2 assists while shooting 38.1% from three in six games with the Nets last season, and he definitely showed “flashes” during his time in Detroit. Hayes is just 24 years old, and while he’s out of two-way eligibility, he’s still done enough to get a chance at redemption.
Coming out of Baylor, Bridges profiled as a useful plug-and-play 3&D forward. He joined the Suns on a two-way as a rookie in 2024-25, but didn’t get a fair shake, logging just 30 total minutes across eight appearances. He’s been playing with the Maine Celtics this season, averaging 13.4 points and an impressive 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks. On December 19th, he went for 28 points and eight triples against the SLC Stars. Bridges’ off-the-dribble game is limited, which dulls his appeal, but a 6’7” shooter with defensive chops will always have some sort of place in this league.
The Cavaliers have been searching for answers on the wing all season long, shuffling through rotations and struggling to find consistent results from anyone not named Jaylon Tyson. Tristan Enaruna could be part of the solution they need. The Cleveland State product has been dropping 19.4 points a night on 51.8% shooting for the Charge. He has an NBA frame, scores on and off the ball and brings some juice as a rebounder and defender. Enaruna already proved himself two-way worthy in Summer League. Now it’s just a no-brainer.
The NBA is turning into a ball pressure league (shoutout to Tyler Metcalf for his awesome article on that subject). Role-playing guards are being asked to give constant energy and pick up ball handlers full-court for long stretches of games. With this in mind, an NBA comeback for Dexter Dennis feels possible. Dennis is a 6’5” bundle of energy with strong athletic traits and a non-stop motor. He’s averaging 15.6 points and 1.0 steals for the Stockton Kings, doing damage in transition and as a slasher. Dennis played four games for the Mavericks in 2023-24. Why not see what he could do in a longer stay? The big-league Kings could certainly use the spark he provides.
Williams built a successful six-year college career by being as reliable as they come as a shooter. He was one of the Big 10’s best scorers during his time at Nebraska, posting 20.4 points a night as a senior. The undrafted rookie has brought his smooth bucket-getting to the pros. He’s connecting on 37.8% of 7.0 three-point attempts while totaling 14.9 points per contest for the Motor City Cruise. Williams has a clear NBA skill, and that should be enough to get him a foot in the door at some point, even if his ceiling is low.
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