It's best not to expect too much from NBA Summer League games, but that doesn't mean we should excuse poor play, especially from a player with high expectations like 2024 No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr.
Searle has legitimately argued that he had his worst performance at the annual summer showcase in Las Vegas this year, and the statistics back that up.
According to John Hollinger of The Athletic, Sarr shot 9-of-47 from the field in four games, a shooting percentage of 22.6 percent ($). Additionally, the 7-foot Frenchman had a low Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 3.8, which, as the columnist points out, was the worst performance of any first-round rookie in the tournament.
That may sound terrible, but the eye test lines up with the crude statistics. Sarr struggled with shot selection, as evidenced by his 0-for-15 shooting performance against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Much of the attention and blame from Summer League has been on Los Angeles Lakers second-round draft pick Bronny James, but when will Sarr be called out for his brutal on-court performance (or lack thereof)? Given the latter's draft history, it's fair to say he deserves more of the discussion.
The Cleveland Cavaliers' financial constraints mean they can't afford to give promising young utility player Isaac Okoro the raise he desires this summer, so Okoro may need to survey the market to see if other prospects are willing to meet his demands.
Like many teams, Cleveland is near or above the 2024-25 luxury tax threshold at this point in the offseason, but Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey identified two franchises with salary cap flexibility and said the Cavs are at risk of losing Okoro.
Bailey cited the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs as two potential destinations with the deep pockets to sign Okoro and be outside the Cavs' price range, but he has his eye on the two-way swingman heading to Salt Lake City.
“The Jazz don't have a lot of pure wings under contract,” Bailey noted, noting that Okoro's age (23) fits Utah's “timeline” and “their youngest, most developing roster.”
With more than $55 million to spare before penalties kick in, the Jazz could entice Okoro with a bid that would be tough for the Cavs to match. If Cleveland wants to keep their 2020 No. 5 overall pick in that scenario, they would have to pay the tax.
In other words, if Utah wants Okoro, it could put Cleveland in a tough spot, but as a restricted free agent, the Cavs have the final say.
Okoro had his best season to date last season, averaging 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting a career-best 39.1% from three-point range. Okoro's improved offensive output and excellent perimeter defense make him an intriguing player.
The Lakers tried and failed to make nearly every move this summer, but head coach JJ Redick has nonetheless expressed satisfaction with the state of their roster except for one big hole.
Redick recently appeared on SiriusXM NBA Radio And Los Angeles expressed a desire to add a “strong, powerful five.” The former 15-year player, podcaster, ESPN analyst and current Lakers sideline general knows what other teams in the Western Conference are doing and what they're paying attention to.
The Denver Nuggets have the best big man in the association in reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, while the Minnesota Timberwolves have an elite, big-bodied frontcourt led by Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. The Oklahoma City Thunder also signed traditional center Isaiah Hartenstein to a big contract, and the Memphis Grizzlies acquired 7-foot-4 phenom Zach Eddy with the ninth overall pick in this year's draft.
As Redick emphasized, “you're going to need big size” for the Lakers (or any team) in the West to make the playoffs, but Los Angeles lacks a pure pivot option outside of superstar Anthony Davis.
It remains to be seen what the Lakers have in store, but Redick seems committed to providing help to Davis in the paint.
