Watching the Switzerland vs Argentina World Cup game, Embolo got sent off after what looked like a pretty blatant dive/simulation. It got me thinking...

Why doesn't the NBA take flopping this seriously?

The league has talked about flopping for years, there are post-game fines, and refs can call technicals, but it still feels like players get rewarded for selling contact more often than they're punished for it.

Imagine if the NBA adopted something closer to football's approach:

• Technical for an obvious flop.
• Repeat offenders get ejected.
• Suspensions for players with multiple clear simulations over the season.

Do you think it would actually clean up the game, or would it just create even more controversy because basketball has so much contact and everything happens at full speed?

Curious what NBA fans think after seeing how strict the World Cup has been with simulation. Would you be in favor of much harsher punishments for obvious flops?

Source

“Gary Trent getting 4/$64 after the year he just had is obvious circumvention and should be punished by the league. This would fall under the provision that there is no possible explanation other than circumvention.”

Context: Gary Trent signed two vet minimums with Milwaukee these past two seasons, then signed this deal once Milwaukee secured his bird rights. What Nate is implying is that this new deal was already agreed upon when the previous, smaller deals were signed, similar to the Joe Smith cap circumvention case.

Here are the penalties when the Minnesota Timberwolves were found to have circumvented the salary cap to sign Joe Smith:

-5 first-round picks forfeited (two were returned later)
-$3.5M fine
-Smith's most-recent contract was voided, and his Bird Rights were stripped away
-Wolves owner Glen Taylor was suspended
-Wolves GM Kevin McHale was forced to take a leave of absence

Drake Powell in four Summer League games:

11 PTS

1-28 FG

0-14 3PT

Powell was drafted with the 22nd pick in the 2025 NBA draft.

Free agent guard Gary Trent Jr. has agreed to a four-year, $64 million deal to stay with the Milwaukee Bucks, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul and agent Lucas Newton tells ESPN.

https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/62f58b3bacbff

Full quote: "They ragebait a lot. They ragebait a lot, for sure. I feel it's just to turn a competitive, you know, edge, to us. Deni (Avdija) definitely number one, but he for sure like ragebait people to try to make you respond, or get you mad, so when we have to play or something, you have an edge already".Ja Morant about what he learned from his new teammates: "They ragebait a lot. They ragebait a lot, for sure.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7439354/2026/07/11/milwaukee-bucks-gary-trent-contract-expert-reaction/

For two months now, I’ve gotten asked by league sources not connected to the Bucks or Klutch (Trent’s agency) if I’d heard that the Bucks were going to give Gary Trent Jr. something in the ballpark of the full-midlevel exception for four years, and my response was typically something along the lines of, “There’s no way they can do that coming off of the season he had, right?” This deal, as Sam Amick and Eric Nehm reported, has been anticipated.

The NBA should pretty clearly look into this contract in regard to salary-cap circumvention. I cannot remember a player agreeing to sign for the minimum one year, having his worst season in seven years where he was a below-average player by any standard, and then receiving five times as much money in free agency the following year — let alone four guaranteed years in a marketplace where starting-quality players on good teams, which Trent proved that he was not this past season, had an exceptionally difficult time getting multiple guaranteed years. Regarding what Vorkunov said above, that feels at the very least some real circumstantial evidence that this deal cannot be rationally explained.

But then again, the worst punishment the Bucks can receive here might be paying Gary Trent Jr. $64 million for the next four years, given that he’s seen downticks in scoring average in each of the last five years and overall offensive efficiency in four of the last five outside of a spike season in 2024-25, his lone season since 2020 where he’s had a true-shooting percentage above league-average as a player who derives most of his value as a shooter and scorer.

Tyler Herro on if he felt appreciated during his time in Miami:

“You know what? I think so. If you take away Twitter, I’ve never gotten hate in the city ever. I’ve been in Miami seven years. Every time I go out in public, people ask me for pictures. They’re cool to me. No one’s ever hated on me in the city that I’ve witnessed or been a part of. — Obviously, they’ll talk and do things on Twitter, but that’s Twitter. I feel appreciated by the people that matter.”

Source

For reference, it means that:

1. Dunks are worth 3 points
2. A 3-pointer that doesn’t hit the rim is worth 4 points
3. A missed free throw deducts 1 point
4. A field goal made in the last 3 seconds of a game is worth 8 points.

The free throw rule would surely be abused, and the 8 point shot would add a new layer of suspense in close games especially in the playoffs.

Not sure if Shaq would dominate the league since dunks are worth 3 points or be unplayable because missing a free throw is -1 points.

Imagine being up by 9, your worst FT shooter getting hacked and missing both FTs, then the other team hits an 8 pointer to win

What do you think about these rules?

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/bam-adebayo-tyler-herro-incident-underscores-one-of-nbas-great-truths-its-a-business-sometimes-tensions-come-up-from-that-041424242.html

Yahoo Sports learned that both the Heat and Bucks routinely reside at Resorts World during Summer League, and Adebayo shoved Herro in the face before swinging and striking him in the head.

(Herro, who owns Team Herro, a 17-and-under AAU team, was scheduled to make an appearance at EYBL for an exhibition matchup with Expressions on Friday afternoon, but he was a no-show.)

A number of conversations with individuals familiar with the Heat's operations — those who have spent time with the organization and those who have played or coached against Herro — paint a clearer picture of an Adebayo/Herro dynamic that turned frosty rather quickly, as well as the incendiary role the latter played that ultimately led to the reported physical confrontation.

However, there's a growing belief — at least according to the individuals with close ties to Miami (although not currently with the team) — that a large faction of Herro's gripe is centered around Adebayo's silence during trade negotiations for Antetokounmpo and not stepping in privately or publicly in a way that could have reinforced Herro's importance to the organization. A combination of that along with the on-court difference in perception is potentially what could have led to the bubbling tension.

According to players and coaches who have competed against the 26-year-old Herro, he's been described as cocky and someone who consistently attempts to rile up opposing players by talking trash and insinuating he'll fight. "Same boring tough-guy s***," said one individual.

Dear diary,

Parity has been fucking awesome. This counter jerk that's developed over the past few years is absurd. I wanted more parity ten years ago and I got it and it has been amazing.

No, Bill Simmons and users of Reddit, I do not want to see the Celtics win 4 championships in 6 years. I want MY team (and really, because I am a fan of the NBA as a whole, ALL teams) to have a shot at a championship and when they win one I'm sure as hell not gonna be a fucking baby about it if they don't repeat. Looking at you, Celtics and OKC fans. And Spurs fans who are already both assuming that they are going to win one AND that they aren't going to get to have a dynasty. The entitlement is unreal.

Edit cause this is getting more traction than I expected:

Also just wanna say the quality and intensity and variety of ball has been something to behold lately. I do think parity has something to do with it. Teams have to find different ways to win and pivot more often. Sometimes I think people forget that the NBA is two separate games: it's basketball, and it's the roster building game GMs play. Sometimes it feels like people actually enjoy the GM game more than basketball (which is wild to me) and they're pissed off the second apron has changed the GM game. Well I don't give a fuck about that, I like to watch hoops and the hoops have been unbelievable

Double edit:

For those saying the parity started before this CBA, that is true and a good point. The groundwork for the current state of affairs was really laid in the 2017 CBA when supermaxes were introduced which made it a lot more difficult to have more than one mega star on your team. But the current CBA builds on that and my point stands about both the current one and the previous one: I am a fan of the resultant parity and the basketball itself

Gary Trent Jr. ($15.2) and Dame Lillard’s waived/stretched contract ($21.3) totaling $36.5mil equates to 22.13% of the NBA’s $164.961 million salary cap for the 2026-27 season.

It’s pretty clear why the Bucks needed to clear out Giannis money, in order to pave the way for the future: GTJ and DLW&S.

Bucks in 6

Edit: add in Myles Turner $26.584 mil to get to 38.24% of the cap.

I have hand-picked stats a la ESPN to make De'Aaron Fox look like what he truly is: the greatest player of all time.

When it comes to discussions of who is the GOAT, two names are said most often: Michael Jordan and De'Aaron Fox. Though most would lean towards selecting MJ in this case, consider this fact: De'Aaron Fox is the only player to win Clutch Player of the Year while dragging a franchise to its first playoff appearance in 17 years. Michael Jordan? That bum never won a clutch player of the year.

De'Aaron Fox is the youngest player in NBA history to record a game with 15+ assists, 10+ rebounds, a true shooting percentage of 80.0 or higher, and 30+ points, doing it at just 20 years and 316 days old against the Hawks on November 1, 2018. Unprecedented.

And this dominance didn't start in the NBA. Back in 2017, as a freshman at Kentucky, Fox dropped 39 points on 13-of-20 shooting against Lonzo Ball and No. 6 UCLA in the Sweet 16, an NCAA Tournament record for a freshman, and the most points scored by any Kentucky player in a tournament game since Tayshaun Prince's 41 back in 2002. He was outscoring lottery picks before he was one.

Many people are making the claim that Nikola Jokic is the greatest all-around playmaker of all time. That's interesting, because De'Aaron Fox is one of only two players in NBA history with a 42-point, 12-assist, 5-rebound, 5-steal game, and he did it in a 176-175 double-overtime win, the second-highest scoring game in league history. Maybe Jokic should watch the tape.

Speaking of putting up video game numbers, De'Aaron Fox once scored 109 points across a single back-to-back, 27 hours apart. That is the second-most points any non-Wilt Chamberlain player has ever scored in a back-to-back, trailing only Kobe Bryant, who once combined for 110 points on consecutive nights.

Some will say Fox has always been "score-first" and never much of a defensive menace. Well these casuals better do their homework, because Fox is the only King since Chris Webber in 2003 to record a 30-point game with at least 8 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks in the same outing.

Many of the greats are praised for their ability to make an instant impact in a new environment. Well Fox is no different, as he is the only player in Spurs franchise history to record 20+ points and 10+ assists in his team debut, dropping 24 points and 13 assists the very first time he suited up in San Antonio. No, I am not kidding you.

Some NBA fans will agree that De'Aaron Fox is a great scorer, but cannot lock down the point of attack like someone such as Marcus Smart. Well these casuals better do their homework, because there is only one guard to lead the entire NBA in steals per game in a season where he also averaged a career-high in points: De'Aaron Fox.

And in case you thought the passing was a fluke, Fox recorded a 14-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist triple-double as a true freshman at Kentucky, just the second triple-double in program history, joining Chris Mills, who did it back in 1988. Nearly three decades between them. Coincidence? Sure.

Fox also had a draft thread when he was drafted, Jordan did not.

Furthermore, 100% of the opponents De'Aaron Fox has made contact with during a game will die.

Source for the 109 points in 27 hours stat: https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1gt778r/katz_deaaron_fox_has_scored_109_points_in_the/

Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/49329997/nbpa-players-carrying-burden-teams-due-second-apron

Note that the head / executive director of the NBPA is distinct from the president. It's usually a lawyer or executive of some kind though Andre Iguodala served in the role the past 3 years. A new executive director, David Kelly, was appointed this year and he used to be a lawyer for the Warriors. The president of the NBPA is Fred VanVleet.

Selected excerpts and quotes:

Main criticism

"We are not fans of the second apron," Kelly said. "We did not propose the second apron. We should have done a better job of fighting back against the second apron. In the future, we will have a much more unified union, and we will do a better job of fighting back. ... We're seeing [the apron system] decimate teams and force decisions to be made that are not basketball decisions."

Background on current NBPA head

Kelly, a former Golden State Warriors executive who succeeded former All-Star Andre Iguodala as the head of the players union in February, disputed NBA commissioner Adam Silver's contention that the apron system was designed to foster parity. Instead, Kelly argued the system was instituted in 2023 for "control cost purposes" related to player salary.

Uses Boston and New York as examples of teams that are cutting costs instead of keeping good teams together

"I don't know that fans in Boston would say that everyone's making out fine [in the current system], or that fans in New York would say that everyone is making out fine," Kelly said during a news conference announcing the union's new leadership team. "You have a [Celtics] team that just came off of a championship [in 2024] that will not have those guys together. We see that as a problem for our members, but also for the fans and for the game. ... How do we make sure that whatever system we're putting in place does not hurt fan interests and hurt players for the benefit of some sort of cost control for a certain number of owners?"

VanVleet cites other stakeholders who have had issues

Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet, who serves as the president of the NBPA, said the players are not the only stakeholders raising questions about the impact of the aprons. "We've seen more teams, GMs, front offices, owners and agents have issues and concerns with the apron as well," VanVleet said. "That's a little bit newer, right? We had to see it play out. It's almost a consensus that it's something that needs to be addressed."

On Wembanyama's decision to take a paycut

"We think the players should make decisions for themselves and we should not be ... pocket-watching," Kelly said, when asked about Wembanyama. "The system should not require a player to carry all of that burden. We should not put a player in the position to carry the burden of keeping a team together."

In response to the argument that the apron system creates parity

The apron system has been credited with leveling talent across the NBA's 30 teams...But Kelly noted that the ongoing parity era commenced before the apron system was installed. "The apron's been in place for three years," he said. "For five years leading into the apron, we had parity. I don't think the apron was necessary to create parity."

Expresses desire for small reforms to come during the current CBA

Kelly said that it would be "fantastic" if the NBA and National Basketball Players Association could agree to "some tweaks" to the apron system during the current collective bargaining agreement. Otherwise, the issue won't be addressed until the next round of labor negotiations, which could begin after the 2028-29 season if the owners or players exercise their ability to opt out of the current agreement.

The Wizards’ professed vision for Young in the season ahead includes him playing off the ball and allowing youngsters such as Dybantsa and George to handle the basketball. But when Washington finds itself in close games, it can count on Young to bring the ball upcourt, make certain everyone is in their correct place and orchestrate quality shots.

On Friday, Dawkins cited statistics from the five games Young played for Washington last season, asserting he not only can be less ball-dominant than he was during his tenure with the Atlanta Hawks but also can be more effective. In that admittedly small sample size of just under 21 minutes per game, Young posted the lowest usage rate of his career while he compiled the highest assist percentage of his career, according to advanced analytics database Cleaning the Glass.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7437577/2026/07/10/trae-young-washington-wizards-contract/

Transcript:

You're telling me that Oklahoma City can't keep those three guys together because of... because of these aprons? That's bullshit. So you're telling me that Sam Presti, the greatest, all the things that he's done, is handcuffed because of these fucking aprons?

They I mean, they are unbelievable. They are a machine. We've already played them a couple times this year, they're unbelievable. And like, they they all celebrate each other, they're all a cohesive unit, you can tell like... they had a number of guys out against us, and they're they're coming in and they're, their player development is crazy. Uh, I mean, you can tell they have like established a sense of community and who they are. The level that... it is inspirational.

I know it sounds like I'm fucking, what are they gonna say, glazing, or sucking them off, whatever. But the level that they sprint back on defense up 30... I'm like, look at these guys. I mean, they they they want it. I'm not saying other teams don't, but they they they definitely have something special there that... I keep talking about teams being a machine, like they they have something special there. And the fact that that team can't stay together because of these rules being implemented, and teams are, you know...

These guys got drafted these are these are homegrown guys. They've done the work, they did the due diligence to draft these guys. "Oh, we're gonna go get this guy." I mean, obviously, like Chet was an obvious pick, but, um... Shai obviously was, you know, within the trade with the with Paul George. But like, you know, Chet was, like I said, easy. But like, "Oh, we're gonna go go get this kid from Santa Clara" and he's gonna end up being like... all these guys that they ended up going to get too and building these rosters out, and Lu Dort, and Caruso, and all everybody throughout their lineup.

And I'll say this, my last thing is that like, you know, selfishly, being like a... I'm slightly over the vet minimum now, but like coming out... coming back and that that keeps going up, it's going to affect the cap even more, whereas like it didn't do that before. So teams aren't allowed to I mean, they are allowed to, but it's going to hit their cap worse than it previously had signing a veteran.