Basketball Intelligence For 6/24/25, PART ONE
Today's Best NBA Reporting And Analysis
THE FINALS
The Finals' 10 most important Thunderers
Mike Shearer, Basketball Poetry
Having an organization with talented players, a deep war chest of picks, and a healthy balance sheet is almost impossible. The Thunder have pulled off all three to the greatest degree we’ve seen in the modern era.
shai gilgeous-alexander just rewrote the pace of power
Bang!
This Thunder big 3 might be the one to start a dynasty
Ramona Shelburne, ESPN
The Architect, The Dagger, And The Pain: The 2025 NBA Finals Game 7
Matt Moore, Hardwood Paroxysm
The NBA Finals Deserved a Better Ending
Matthew Roberson, GQ
The Pacers Almost Gave Us a Totally New Championship Blueprint
Neil Paine
Haliburton latest to succumb to torn Achilles during NBA playoffs
Steve Henson, LA Times
HOU-PHX TRADE
Grades, reaction, Suns' next steps
ESPN
BOS-POR TRADE
Does Anfernee Simons maintain Celtics’ status as East contenders?
Zach Harper, The Athletic
LEAGUEWIDE
How to build a title team
Philip Rossman-Reich, World R Squared
How to be the Thunder
Henry Abbott, True Hoop
Here’s what it takes to win in the NBA Playoffs.
Louis Zatzman, SBNation
NBA Power Rankings: Thunder on top (of course); offseason outlook for all 30 teams
Law Murray, The Athletic
NBA offseason 2025: Draft, free agency, trade targets for 30 teams
Bobby Marks, ESPN
With Thunder on top, NBA’s ‘wide-open’ Western Conference is a thing of the past
John Hollinger, The Athletic
NBA Assistant Coach Carousel Tracker
Joe, Behind The Coaching
TEAM-SPECIFIC
CHA: Free Agent Target: Jake LaRavia
Richie Randall, Buzz Beat
CLE: The red carpet is rolled out for Cleveland in the Eastern Conference heading into the offseason
Danny Cunningham, The Inside Shot
HOU: Kevin Durant won't save the Rockets. But it's a good deal anyway
Henry Abbott, True Hoop
IND: Pacers’ legacy isn’t making the NBA Finals. It’s how hard they played
Fred Katz, The Athletic
IND: We all will miss watching Haliburton. And Indiana will be the worse for his absence.
Rohit Naimpally, From The Logo
IND: PODCAST: The Pacers' Magical Run to the NBA Finals
Tim Legler/Scott Agness, Fieldhouse Files
LAL: How will Lakers’ new ownership change the team? Plus, 4 more burning questions
Dan Woike, The Athletic
MIA: After missing on trade for Kevin Durant, busy and important part of offseason begins for Heat
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald
MIA: Details on what the Heat was willing to offer, and not offer, in its bid for Durant
Anthony Chiang/Barry Jackson, Miami Herald
ORL: How to build a title team: Lessons for the 2026 Magic
Philip Rossman-Reich, World R Squared
Links to fifteen (!) of today’s best Draft-related stories follow for paid subscribers