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If you’re still associating Rebecca Black with 2011’s “Friday” single, it’s time for a new lesson. Sure, it was an infamous viral moment in pop culture. But the new era of the singer’s career signals a need to move on. She commemorated the 10th anniversary of “Friday” in February with an explosive remix featuring Dorian Electra, Big Freedia, and 3OH!3, doubling as the kickoff to an overall artist reinvention. And with the release of her new project Rebecca Black Was Here, she reclaimed her own narrative.

Released on June 16, the six-track follow-up to 2017’s RE / BL is a thrilling mix of sharp-edged hyperpop, glossy vintage-inspired melodies, and vulnerable lyrics detailing the heartache and self-reflection that comes with a fresh breakup. There’s a heightened self-assurance and confidence in Black’s tone, which is attributed to taking all creative reigns of her sound as well as stepping into her queer identity, which she revealed last April.

“Gosh, it’s been a really intense year and a half for all of us,” Black tells Uproxx over Zoom in her Los Angeles home. “I feel now, especially in hindsight, just really fortunate to have been able to take the time to really focus on what was important for me to prioritize in my life and in my world. Coming out definitely had a lot to do with the direction that my project has taken. I feel really good and proud of the progress that I’ve made.”

“I worked with such an incredible group of people who only encouraged that,” the 24-year-old continues. “They never shut my ideas down in a harsh way or got on me for anything that was too intense. They just really helped me grow and learn and listen and allowed me to take control in a lot of healthy ways. That I think hopefully lent to the project in the best way.”

That growth will soon be showcased on stage, as Black will embark on her first headlining tour beginning January 2022 alongside supporting act Alice Longyu Gao. Below, Uproxx catches up with Black about her love for pop experimentation and why it’s time for people to let go of past perceptions of her.

When we first spoke a few years ago, there were glimpses of you yearning for control. With this project, it sounds like you’ve nailed it.

Thank you. I mean, as a younger female in this industry, it’s very easy to have that control taken away from you. And in my case, I think being so young and having such an intense reaction to “Friday” to deal with as a kid really hindered that ability to take control of my own life and the things that I believed in. I just tried to never give up on that. And I’ve fallen so many times, so ungracefully. Now I just have a group of people who again, allow me to still move as I want to and follow whatever choices I want to make, especially creatively. I finally feel like that’s mine. I don’t feel like it’s anybody else’s anymore, which I struggled with for a long time.

I remember asking about your sound, and you said you’re not afraid to get moody or weird. With previous songs like “Do You?” and “Sweetheart”, there’s this trajectory where we’re like, “Okay, she’s slowly getting more experimental.” Then BAM, the weirdness has jumped all the way out on this project.

I definitely hear you. And listening back to some of the songs that I released a few years ago, I still have a lot of love for them. They were just a different part of my process. I think it was probably two and a half years ago that I really started to understand what I wanted to do. It was just learning how to express that and find people to bring the best parts out and really encouraged that. Even though the hyperpop world is as big as it is and we live in a time where niche is it, just go for it because that is what people want.

There’s so much in this overly saturated market of music and all people want is something that will spark some new thing for them or feel unique. But still, there are a lot of people that are afraid of that. I think a big part of finding my own sound that I have now was learning to not listen to some of the voices, even though you think you should trust them. You have to take a chance on yourself and on what you make. And I definitely did that with a lot of the songs on this project. One of the biggest silver linings of this last year was I got to shut out the peanut gallery in terms of making music. That allowed for just a lot more creativity. And I finally found joy in what I do in a new way.

And you could see that too, like with the “Personal” video. You go from being a B-movie housewife to going full Patrick Bateman on us. I know you love the ‘80s, so did you source from that?

I think it’s just an amalgamation of the things that I’ve grown up with and what I’ve always felt drawn towards. I am a huge — there’s gotta be a term for it — somebody who’s just obsessed with the ‘80s. That definitely comes through in “Girlfriend” and some of the other tracks of this project. I really had so much fun exploring some darker concepts. And I’m really into playing, especially in this era, with the perception of what people might have of what I’m going to do next. It’s fun to kind of break the expectation and go with whatever feels really exciting.

I also have to credit Weston Allen, who has been directing some of these videos for me. He takes my idea and says, “How do we make this as insane as it can be? Don’t think of a budget limit or anything like that. We’ll deal with that.” As an independent artist, I’m very familiar with the budget. [Laughs] But at the same time, I’m really milking every opportunity when we have to make anything a moment. I think I’ve just stopped underestimating what could be done with people who really care about and believe in a project.

What’s so interesting about this project is that each song has its own vision. There’s “NGL”, which gives me this PC Music vibe. It’s super off-the-wall, which had to be fun recording.

It was so fun, oh my gosh. I wrote it with Marshall Vore, who is a part of Phoebe Bridgers’ [2020 Punisher album], which is probably not what you’d expect and one of my favorite things about it. [Laughs] When Marshall and I first worked together, I was so almost confused as to why. I mean, I’m a huge fan of his work, but I just didn’t know how we were going to come together. He’s a huge fan of this glitch core music movement and is in contact with so many incredible young producers and artists and gives them a platform. So bringing in [producer] Glitch Gum to do the track was just so fun. The whole time writing this project, I never really felt like I had to live within any sort of constraint. And the way it turned out with every song being so different reminds me of some of my favorite things about pop, which is that it can be anything. That is how I would like pop, as a fan of it, to continue to be: something that pushes and isn’t afraid to break boundaries. I think that’s what’s made some of the most iconic pop artists of our time. If I can just try that for myself in my own little bubble, that is exciting for me.

I think you’re getting there, because “Girlfriend” has that ‘80s nostalgia. But then it’s juxtaposed by “Blue”, which lives up to its title with its very cold, chill-inducing feeling.

I wrote the song with an artist and writer who I work with a lot. She’s all over this project as well. Her name is Paris Carney and the track was produced by Cody Tarpley. This song was written in a really awful moment in my world, but it was really an important song for my own understanding of the situation and helping me process some really intense emotions. This project as a whole is essentially about one relationship and all of the extreme ups and downs of it. So that’s one of my favorite things about the project, as well as how each song represents an entirely different moment. Not one song is necessarily about the same thing, even though it’s all kind of about one broader experience.

Do you listen to FLETCHER by chance? Her last project did something similar where she worked with her ex-girlfriend and showed the different facets of relationships.

I love Carrie. And I think coming out before the project really allowed me to feel so much more free writing about that and actually speaking up.

I also wanted to mention “Worth It For The Feeling” because there are a few lines that really hit me: “I’ve been asking for everyone’s opinion, never learned to trust my own intuition. Don’t care if it’s a bad decision” and also “Gotta be honest, I’m scared to lose myself. After all the drama I feel like someone else.” It’s about really looking at yourself in the mirror and owning up to the mistakes that you’ve made.

Definitely, and almost all of the songs on this project are. The way that I experienced this relationship was I tried to be as cognizant of what I was doing and not putting everything on one person, which I think is really easy to do. But it’s when you really have built something with a person that means so much to you and that the other person isn’t necessarily a bad person at all. In fact, they’re just another person who it didn’t work out with. I didn’t want to make this about painting into somebody else’s words. In a lot of ways it was my imperfections and my fault, honestly, that that made things the way that they were.

So I try to always look at both sides as best as I can, even if I’m directly involved. There’s so much to learn about yourself through the mistakes that you make and the things that you try, but maybe don’t really work out. Maybe you think back to a few weeks or months or years later and go, “I don’t know if I would say or do that again.” I think that that’s an important part of healing and moving on.

Rebecca Black Was Here is out now. Get it here.

Unlike the last pair of videos promoting his new album, “Wusyaname” and “Lumberjack,” Tyler The Creator’s “Brown Sugar Salmon” is less of a music video and more a comedic sketch. In it, Tyler’s famished alter ego Tyler Baudelaire takes a train ride and goes through a frustrating experience as he tries to order dinner, only to discover that the service on this particular trip leaves a lot to be desired.

After ordering the titular dish, Tyler is told that the kitchen is all out and offered the “braised Bohemian beef,” which is also out of stock. A manager isn’t any help either, merely providing the same two choices — both of which are, as previously noted, unavailable. Poor Tyler.

The sketch is just the latest of Tyler’s unusual efforts to promote his next album, Call Me If You Get Lost, which drops this Friday, June 25. While videos like “Brown Sugar Salmon” and “Side Street” build out the world and narrative of Tyler Baudelaire and his adventures in love and travel, in the real world, Tyler has been using a mysterious phone number advertised by massive billboards to share cryptic snippets of the album’s new music, which he’s periodically updated over the past two weeks.

Watch Tyler The Creator’s “Brown Sugar Salmon” sketch above.

Call Me If You Get Lost is due 6/25 on Columbia Records. Pre-order it here.

A few weeks ago, writer/comic/director/producer/puppeteer Robert Smigel emailed me, trying to get some insight as to why no one was covering his new Fox comedy sketch show, Let’s Be Real. To which I quickly did a Google search for “Robert Smigel new show” before responding, to save myself the embarrassment of admitting I didn’t know what he was talking about.

Let’s back up a bit. I’ve known Smigel professionally since 2011 when I interviewed him for Vanity Fair about his scrapped script for a Green Lantern movie (if you can find this script floating around out there, it’s very funny; also, I’m doing exactly what Smigel hates: complementing him on work he did 15 years ago). One of the first two things I learned about Smigel is (a) he’s very passionate about his work and wears his heart on his sleeve and (b) Smigel does not have a publicist. So if there’s something he disagrees with in a piece you are doing on him, instead of a publicist, you might get a phone call from Smigel at 8 a.m. in the morning (which, yes, may have happened to me). And if you’ve ever seen Triumph the Insult Comic Dog in action, you do not want to have any kind of actual argument with Smigel because he’s too savvy and quick witted and you will definitely lose.

Let’s back up one more time. Back in 1996 Smigel – who had just come off writing for SNL and then as head writer for Late Night with Conan O‘Brien – was the co-creator and an executive producer of The Dana Carvey Show, a sketch comedy show that was absolutely stacked with future famous people like Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, and Charlie Kaufman, just to name a few. (I will use this moment to point out that back in 2011 I wrote an oral history of The Dana Carvey Show for GQ and, to this day, is still one of my favorite things I’ve worked on. Oh, also, when this piece published, it had been 15 years since The Dana Carvey Show went off the air.)

The moment Smigel knew The Dana Carvey Show was in trouble was when ABC gave them a lead-in of Tim Allen’s Home Improvement – a wildly successful sitcom that was the definition of a “family show,” which ended its episode that evening and, the next thing viewers saw, was Dana Carvey dressed as Bill Clinton with eight nipples, breastfeeding babies and puppies. The audience from Home Improvement did not like what they saw. All of this is mentioned because, well, do you want to take one guess who Smigel’s lead in was for his current show, Let’s Be Real? If you guessed Tim Allen’s family comedy Last Man Standing, you would be correct. Smigel sighs, “When I heard that Tim Allen’s show was going to be in front of mine, again, I was like, ‘God is a funny guy.’”

Let’s make no bones about it, Let’s Get Real is a weird show. And very political. With a combination of puppets playing famous celebrities and politicians, who interact with human actors, it feels like something you’d stumble upon late at night in college, drunk or stoned or both, and then watch it for hours. It certainly has an Adult Swim vibe to the whole thing, but yet it airs on Fox. No no, not FX. It airs on Fox the actual broadcast network. In primetime. You remember networks right? Those places that air procedural television shows like NCIS, or reality shows? Not usually a show with with a puppet Donald Trump trying to sell all the stuff he stole from the White House on his way out on Antiques Roadshow.

Now, to understand why Smigel is, let’s say, a little disappointed, you have to understand why this show exists in the first place. And it’s a little complicated. So I’ll try to explain it the best I can and keep it as simple as possible: Disney bought Fox from NewsCorp. One of the few things Disney did not get was the Fox broadcast network, because there are laws preventing one corporation from owning more than one network and Disney already owns ABC. But Disney did buy Fox Studios, the production company that made most of the shows that air on the Fox network, which is why Disney now owns The Simpsons, yet it still airs, for the time being, on Fox. If Disney and Newscorp, the still owner of Fox the network, can’t come to an agreement on a deal to still keep airing these shows, Fox will have very little programming of their own. So, Fox the network approached Smigel to develop Let’s Be Real, a concept that was already in development before Smigel signed on.

“This was a project that was presented to me. I didn’t go to them with this idea,” explains Smigel. “This was something that they were trying to develop on their own and they actually went as far as a pilot presentation that they made, and then they didn’t like it. My manager called me and said, ‘They’d love for you to consider developing this.’ And I watched it and I didn’t like it at all. I thought, well, this isn’t any fun. I’d rather watch Saturday Night Live. I didn’t even want to talk about it, but then I had a conversation with the production company and as we were having the conversation. I was just being very honest, telling them why I just had no desire to do this and I never really enjoyed Spitting Image for the same reason. It was just, it felt cold. As I’m talking to them, I’m saying, well, maybe if humans interacted with the puppets, then there might be some dynamic that’s interesting? I was talking about doing real life remotes. Instead of Triumph, you have Kanye West go to a Trump rally, kind of like that.”

But the thing is, now, he’s pretty proud of what he and his team have put together. He spends a good portion of our time talking about how funny his writers are and how good the voice-work has been. Reading into what he’s saying, it sounds more like, whether you like it or don’t like it, he’d be happy just for you to give it a chance. Barring that, I think he’d settle for you just knowing it exists.

“Even my mother didn’t watch the last show because they moved it to a different time and she had no idea,” says Smigel, who has a way of making even defeat a funny punchline. “But, no, no friends of mine knew about it. It was just one of those things. I tried. Like, Howard Stern had been asking for Triumph for a few months, so I timed it for this. And then Marc Maron is somebody who I met like eight years ago and asked me to be on his show, but that’s about all the publicity we got.”

More than anything he wanted to know why critics ignored it completely. Knowing something about that, and I know from the outside looking in, this might look like a job where writers and critics can just seek stuff out. But, for better or for worse, there are just so many shows right now. So, without a publicist emailing asking, “Hey, want to interview Robert Smigel about his new political comedy show?,” (to which I suspect quite a few people would have said yes), well, no one really has the time to go looking for it.

I did point out that a couple of weeks ago former president Barack Obama was on Conan O‘Brien’s podcast and, out of the blue, mentioned how much he loves Triumph. Smigel laughs, and make no mistake, he loved the compliment, but says, “That was not planned. I give Fox no credit. I give Fox PR no credit for that one. Then Obama screwed up because he was supposed to say, ‘And now he’s doing a show called Let’s Be Real.’”

Again, acting as his own publicist, he then asks me if an exclusive unseen sketch involving Marjorie Taylor Greene would help. I honestly don’t know the answer to that, but I told him it can’t hurt. Well, I guess unless it’s pro Marjorie Taylor Greene. (It is not.) So he sent me this:

So this is why all of this is a little strange, but also shows what a unique personality Smigel is: As mentioned, he has no publicist. And usually a person in Smigel’s position, with the help of a publicist, will do press before a series airs, not after it completes its run and got not great ratings.

“I wrote to you because I don’t want to have this conversation with you at The Bell House in Brooklyn, in front of 150 people in 15 years, where people tell me it was ahead of its time or some shit that I don’t even agree with,” Smigel laments. “I just wanted to try to nip the 15 year tribute in the bud.”

And when you look at Smigel’s career, he really does have a habit of that happening. “Yeah, I’m trying to avoid the whole: he only makes flops that we love years later. I was trying to avoid that for this one, just because I’m getting older, and I don’t know how many more flops I have in me. That I can keep playing that game. So I kind of like people to know about this because I tried to finish good.”

(I’m as guilty as anyone. When Smigel was on Marc Maron’s podcast he told a story of a never-aired SNL sketch called “Animal Pranks” and one of the pranks was “a turtle that thinks he’s going to meet Burt Reynolds, but the prank is, instead, it’s not Burt Reynolds but a Burt Reynolds impersonator.” Of course I told Smigel that, when I heard that, it made me laugh out loud on the street, to both Smigel’s delight and chagrin at the same time.)

I then ask Smigel, out of anything, what he wanted to accomplish by reaching out to me to talk about Let’s Be Real, a show that already aired and, in his words, nobody watched. What, more than anything, does he want people to take away from all of this. Smigel pauses, laughs a little bit, then says, “Well, it’s still on Hulu.”

You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

Okay, HBO Max. We see you.

The streaming platform is bringing its A-game this month, and by that, we mean it’s delivering a handful of new shows, straight-to-theater drops, and cult favorites to its growing subscriber list. Over on HBO Max, the new iteration of Gossip Girl serves up some drama while LeBron James headlines a Space Jam sequel. And, on HBO, a limited dark comedy series starring a whos-who of veteran talent looks like a promising binge.

Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) HBO and HBO Max this July.

Gossip Girl (HBO Max Original Series Premiere streaming 7/8)

Hello, Upper East Siders and anyone who’s missed the misbehaving privileged youth of Constance Billard. HBO Max is hitting the refresh button on this soapy teen drama, introducing a new set of wild and wealthy kids running the streets of New York City — or at least driving around them in daddy’s limo. This group though is going to wrestle with having wealth, power, and status so expect storylines to feel more inclusive and updated, but hopefully, just as scandalous.

The White Lotus (HBO Limited Series streaming 7/11)

A who’s who of comedy veterans (and Connie Britton) star in this limited series from HBO that focuses on the rich, white guests of a five-star Hawaiian resort and the native staff that must attend to their every deranged, insulting, inappropriate whim. Steve Zahn, Molly Shannon, Jennifer f*cking Coolidge, they’re all here and they all deliver some deliciously dark comedic turns.

Space Jam: A New Legacy, 2021 (Warner Bros. Film Premiere streaming 7/16)

LeBron James captains the sequel to everyone’s favorite 90s basketball/Looney Tunes crossover movie. James plays a version of himself as he tries to rescue his son from a rogue A.I. after they’re both trapped in a digital dimension. In order to do that, he’s got to lead a team of familiar cartoon characters to victory on the court.

Avail. 7/1
Come! (aka Eat!), 2020
8 Mile, 2002 (HBO)
All Dogs Go to Heaven 2, 1996 (HBO)
All Dogs Go to Heaven, 1989 (HBO)
Behind Enemy Lines, 1997 (HBO)
Beneath the Planet of the Apes, 1970 (HBO)
Bio-Dome, 1996 (HBO)
Black Panthers, 1968
Blackhat, 2015 (HBO)
Brubaker, 1980 (HBO)
Cantinflas (HBO)
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, 1972 (Extended Version) (HBO)
Cousins, 1989 (HBO)
Dark Water, 2005 (HBO)
Darkness Falls, 2003 (HBO)
Demolition Man, 1993
Dirty Work, 1998 (HBO)
Disturbia, 2007 (HBO)
Doctor Who Holiday 2020 Special: Revolution of the Daleks, 2020
Duplex, 2003 (HBO)
Escape from the Planet of the Apes, 1971 (HBO)
Eve’s Bayou, 1997
Firestarter, 1984 (HBO)
First, 201
For Colored Girls, 2010 (HBO)
For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada, 2012 (HBO)
Full Bloom, Max Original Season 2 Finale
Gandhi, 1982
Ghost in the Machine, 1993 (HBO)
The Good Lie, 2014 (HBO)
Gun Crazy, 1950
House on Haunted Hill, 1999
Identity Thief, 2013 (Extended Version) (HBO)
Ira & Abby, 2007 (HBO)
Joe Versus the Volcano, 1990
Judas and the Black Messiah, 2021 (HBO)
Laws Of Attraction, 2004 (HBO)
Lucky, 2017 (HBO)
Maid in Manhattan, 2002
Married to the Mob, 1988 (HBO)
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, 1997
Mississippi Burning, 1988 (HBO)
Monster-In-Law, 2005
Mousehunt, 1997 (HBO)
My Brother Luca (HBO)
No Sudden Move, Warner Bros. Film Premiere, 2021
Planet of the Apes, 1968 (HBO)
Pleasantville, 1998
The Prince of Tides, 1991
Project X, 1987 (HBO)
The Punisher, 2004 (HBO)
Punisher: War Zone, 2008 (HBO)
Rambo, 2008 (Director’s Cut) (HBO)
Reds, 1981 (HBO)
Reservoir Dogs, 1992 (HBO)
The Return of the Living Dead, 1985 (HBO)
Return of the Living Dead III, 1993 (Extended Version) (HBO)
Rounders, 1998 (HBO)
Saturday Night Fever, 1977 (Director’s Cut) (HBO)
Scream, 1996
Scream 2, 1997
Scream 3, 2000
Semi-Tough, 1977 (HBO)
The Sessions, 2012 (HBO)
Set Up, 2012 (HBO)
Snake Eyes, 1998 (HBO)
Staying Alive, 1983 (HBO)
Stuart Little, 1999
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 2003
Tom and Jerry in New York, Max Original Series Premiere
Trick ‘R Treat, 2009 (HBO)
Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls, 2007 (HBO)
Tyler Perry’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman, 2005 (HBO)
Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All by Myself, 2009 (HBO)
Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes To Jail, 2009 (HBO)
Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family, 2011 (HBO)
Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion, 2006 (HBO)
Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too, 2010 (HBO)
The Watcher, 2016 (HBO)
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep, 2007 (HBO)
Westworld (Movie), 1973
White Chicks (Unrated & Uncut Version), 2004
The White Stadium, 1928
Won’t Back Down, 2012 (HBO)
Zero Days, 2016 (HBO)

Avail. 7/2
Lo Que Siento por Ti (aka What I Feel for You) (HBO)

Avail. 7/3
Let Him Go, 2020 (HBO)
Nancy Drew, Season 2

Avail. 7/7
Dr. STONE, Seasons 1 and 2 (Subtitled) (Crunchyroll Collection)
Shiva Baby, 2021 (HBO)

Avail. 7/8
The Dog House: UK, Max Original Season 2 Premiere
Genera+ion, Max Original Season 1 Finale
Gossip Girl, Max Original Series Premiere
Human Capital, 2020 (HBO)
The Hunt, 2020 (HBO)
Looney Tunes Cartoons, Max Original Season 2 Premiere

Avail. 7/9
Frankie Quinones: Superhomies (HBO)

Avail. 7/11
The White Lotus, Limited Series Premiere (HBO)

Avail. 7/12
Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes, Documentary Series Premiere (HBO)
Wellington Paranormal, Season 1

Avail. 7/15
Tom & Jerry, 2021 (HBO)

Avail. 7/16
Betty, Season 2 Finale (HBO)
Space Jam: A New Legacy, Warner Bros. Film Premiere, 2021
Un Disfraz Para Nicolas (aka A Costume for Nicolas) (HBO)

Avail. 7/17
The Empty Man, 2020 (HBO)

Avail. 7/18
100 Foot Wave, Documentary Series Premiere (HBO)

Avail. 7/22
Through Our Eyes, Max Original Documentary Series Premiere

Avail. 7/23
Corazon De Mezquite (aka Mezquite’s Heart) (HBO)

Avail. 7/24
Freaky, 2020 (HBO)

Avail. 7/26
Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes, Documentary Series Finale (HBO)

Avail. 7/27
Batwoman, Season 2
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO)

Avail. 7/30
Uno Para Todos (aka One for All) (HBO)

Leaving 7/3
The ABC’s Of Covid-19: A CNN/Sesame Street Town Hall for Kids and Parents Part 2, 2020

Leaving 7/4
Annabelle, 2014
Annabelle Comes Home, 2019 (HBO)
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, 2021
The Curse of La Llorona, 2019
The Nun, 2018

Leaving 7/5
Lost And Delirious, 2001

Leaving 7/8
Mad Max: Fury Road, 2015

Leaving 7/10
It: Chapter 2, 2019 (HBO)

Leaving 7/11
An Elephant’s Journey, 2018
In the Heights, 2021
Thanks for Sharing, 2013

Leaving 7/15
Burlesque, 2010

Leaving 7/17
The Notebook, 2004

Leaving 7/26
The King’s Speech, 2010

Leaving 7/31
17 Again, 2009
A Clockwork Orange, 1971
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, 1985
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, 1988
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, 1989
A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984
A Nightmare on Elm Street, 2010
Adam’s Rib, 1949
America’s Sweethearts, 2001
Anaconda, 1997
The Apparition, 2012 (HBO)
Are We There Yet?, 2005
Argo, 2012 (Alternate Version) (HBO)
AVP: Alien vs. Predator, 2004 (Alternate Version) (HBO)
Badlands, 1973
Beau Brummel, 1954
The Benchwarmers, 2006
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2, 2011 (HBO)
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva La Fiesta!, 2012 (HBO)
Billy Madison, 1995 (HBO)
The Book Of Eli, 2010 (HBO)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula, 1992
Bringing Up Baby, 1938
The City of Lost Children, 1995
The Color Purple, 1985
The Comebacks, 2007 (Alternate Version) (HBO)
The Conjuring 2, 2016
The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course, 2002 (HBO)
Don’t Let Go, 2019 (HBO)
Downton Abbey, 2019 (HBO)
El Angel (aka The Angel), 2018 (HBO)
Eyes Wide Shut, 1999
Fool’s Gold, 2008
Fort Tilden, 2015 (HBO)
The Four Feathers, 2002 (HBO)
The Gay Divorcee, 1934
Get A Job, 2016 (HBO)
The Goonies, 1985
Grand Canyon, 1991 (HBO)
Hairspray, 1988
Happy Gilmore, 1996 (HBO)
Hellboy Animated Collection, 2006, 2007
The Hurricane, 1999 (HBO)
I Know What You Did Last Summer, 1997
Iniciales SG (aka Initials S.G.), 2019 (HBO)
J. Edgar, 2011
Jackie Chan’s First Strike, 1997
Jacob’s Ladder, 1990 (HBO)
Jeremiah Johnson, 1972
Keeper Of The Flame, 1943
Kill Bill: Vol. 1, 2003 (HBO)
Kill Bill: Vol. 2, 2004 (HBO)
Kung Fu Hustle, 2005
The Lego Ninjago Movie, 2014
Less Than Zero, 1987 (HBO)
Life Stinks, 1991 (HBO)
Lincoln, 2012 (HBO)
Little Children, 2006 (HBO)
Little Man Tate, 1991 (HBO)
Lovely & Amazing, 2002
The Lucky One, 2012 (HBO)
The Madness of King George, 1994 (HBO)
Marisol, 2019 (HBO)
Me 3.769, 2019 (HBO)
Michael Clayton, 2007
Mickey Blue Eyes, 1999
Monster-In-Law, 2005
Mulholland Dr., 2001
Muralla (aka Muralla, The Goalkeeper), 2018 (HBO)
Murder on the Orient Express, 1974 (HBO)
Music and Lyrics, 2007
My Dream Is Yours, 1949
My Girl 2, 1994
My Girl, 1991
My Sister’s Keeper, 2009
Now, Voyager, 1942
Old Dogs, 2009 (HBO)
The Opposite Sex, 1956
The Pledge, 2001 (HBO)
Precious, 2009 (HBO)
The Producers, 1968
The Prophecy, 1995 (HBO)
The Prophecy II, 1998 (HBO)
The Prophecy III: The Ascent, 2000 (HBO)
Prophecy IV: The Uprising, 2005 (HBO)
Prophecy V: The Forsaken, 2005 (HBO)
Pulp Fiction, 1994
Rachel and The Stranger, 1948
Radio Days, 1987 (HBO)
The Reluctant Debutante, 1958
Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise, 1987 (HBO)
Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love, 2005 (HBO)
Revenge of the Nerds, 1984 (HBO)
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, 1991
Roger & Me, 1989
Rollerball, 2002 (HBO)
Romance on the High Seas, 1948
Rumble in the Bronx, 1996
Safe House, 2012 (HBO)
Salvador, 1986 (HBO)
Shall We Dance?, 2004
Shallow Hal, 2001 (HBO)
Shocker, 1989 (HBO)
Sinbad of the Seven Seas, 1989 (HBO)
Sprung, 1997 (HBO)
Stop-Loss, 2008 (HBO)
Sunshine Cleaning, 2009 (HBO)
Swing Time, 1936
Tea for Two, 1950
Thief, 1981 (HBO)
This Is Spinal Tap, 1984 (HBO)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, 2011 (HBO)
Top Hat, 1935
Trapped in Paradise, 1994 (HBO)
Troll 2, 1990 (HBO)
Troll, 1986 (HBO)
Two Minutes of Fame, 2020 (HBO)
Underdog, 2007 (HBO)
Untamed Heart, 1993 (HBO)
Up in the Air, 2009 (HBO)
The Visitor, 2008
Waiting for Guffman, 1997
The Wedding Singer, 1998
Wendy, 2020 (HBO)
Wildcats, 1986 (HBO)
The Wings of Eagles, 1957
Without Love, 1945
Woman of the Year, 1942
Worth Winning, 1989 (HBO)
Young Man with a Horn, 1949

This week, Tucker Carlson decided to deflect (as Tucker is known to do, he’s very good at it) from a damning report about himself and piled onto Don Lemon. Let’s back up a second because there’s a huge mess here that isn’t even close to being mopped up.

The New York Times‘ Ben Smith recently reported that Tucker is secretly “a great source” for unflattering stories about Donald Trump. Instead of Tucker confirming or denying this story (there’s no way he would confirm, and he won’t deny because he loves speculative attention), Tucker decided to completely ignore the story both off-and-on the air. Tucker still won’t answer the still-pressing question of whether he’s been vaccinated, and he even pushed back at Smith with a crack about the writer’s sex life.

And Tucker decided that it was a good time to pick on Don Lemon, given that the CNN host had been profiled by the Washington Post magazine profile to promote his book, This Is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends About Racism. The WaPo mentioned that Lemon lives in Sag Harbor, N.Y., and Tucker used the opportunity to baselessly point out that Lemon lives in a multimillion dollar house in a community that “is just 3% African-American.” Tucker even added, “No, he does not live in Section 8 housing,” and then he argued that Lemon’s living situation is evidence that he “runs away from diversity.”

Lemon responded to these racially charged remarks with disappointment:

“Section 8 housing. Let me simply just say this: If you think that a Black person who doesn’t live in public housing can’t experience or understand racism in this country, well, that just says much more about you and your ignorance on these issues than it does about me.”

Lemon added that he generally prefers not to respond to these sorts of things from the “Fox Propaganda Network,” because he doesn’t like to “punch down.” Presumably, that’s why he didn’t directly respond to Carlson’s wild ranting about a kitchen decoration that he called a “white supremacist QAnon cookie jar” in Don Lemon’s kitchen. Carlson had rambled about “shapeshifters” while adding, “Now, we’re not calling anyone a white supremacist here, but you have to ask yourself… what is this symbol of hate posing as a cookie jar, doing in Don Lemon’s kitchen?”

Apparently, Lemon felt that addressing that particular jab would be a step too far.

In just a few days, the latest album from Faye Webster, I Know I’m Funny Haha, will be out in the world. She has shared some promising previews of the album leading up to it, and today, she has offered what will presumably be her final pre-release single, “A Dream With A Baseball Player.”

The song comes across like a bedroom jam with a funky bass line and some ’90s R&B vibes. Webster says of the track:

“A song about Ronald Acuna Jr, obviously. Off tour I spent so much of my time watching baseball that I thought I wanted to be a baseball player. But I’m not, so I guess the next best thing was having a crush on one. I guess this song explains what having a crush feels like. Having made up conversations with them in your head even though you don’t speak their language, wearing their team jersey every day, things that make you feel closer to this person that you don’t know at all. But I sang at the Braves game, and they let us meet so I think I got that one out of my system.”

Watch the “A Dream With A Baseball Player” video above. Webster also added a run of 2022 dates to her upcoming tour, so find her full list of upcoming shows below.

09/07/2021 — A&R Bar @ Columbus, OH
09/08/2021 — Mahall’s @ Cleveland, OH
09/09/2021 — Hi-Fi @ Indianapolis, IN
09/13/2021 — El Club @ Detroit, MI
09/14/2021 — Club Cafe @ Pittsburgh, PA
09/15/2021 — 9th Ward @ Buffalo, NY
09/17/2021 — Higher Ground @ Burlington, VT
09/18/2021 — Portland House Of Music @ Portland, ME
09/20/2021 — Sinclair @ Boston, MA
09/21/2021 — Music Hall of Williamsburg @ New York, NY
09/23/2021 — The Foundry @ Philadelphia, PA
09/24/2021 — Union Stage @ Washington D.C.
09/25/2021 — The Southern @ Charlottesville, VA
09/27/2021 — Mercy Lounge @ Nashville, TN
09/29/2021 — Georgia Theatre @ Athens, GA
09/30/2021 — Terminal West @ Atlanta, GA
02/01/2022 — Saturn @ Birmingham, AL
02/03/2022 — Trees @ Dallas, TX
02/04/2022 — The Parish @ Austin, TX
02/05/2022 — White Oak Music Hall @ Houston, TX
02/07/2022 — Crescent Ballroom @ Phoenix, AZ
02/08/2022 — The Casbah @ San Diego, CA
02/10/2022 — The Fonda @ Los Angeles, CA
02/11/2022 — The New Parish @ San Francisco, CA
02/13/2022 — Douglas Fir Lounge @ Portland, OR
02/14/2022 — Neumos @ Seattle, WA
02/15/2022 — The Biltmore @ Vancouver, BC
02/19/2022 — Slowdown @ Omaha, NE
02/21/2022 — Fine Line @ Minneapolis, MN
02/24/2022 — Horseshoe @ Toronto, ON
02/25/2022 — Petit Campus @ Montreal, QC
03/01/2022 — Webster Hall @ New York City, NY

I Know I’m Funny Haha is out 6/25 via Secretly Canadian. Pre-order it here.

Travis Scott might not want to be considered a “brand” or to “market” himself but at this point, it seems like every move he makes is selling something. His 2021 Astroworld Festival reportedly sold out in under an hour, and his Cacti spiked seltzer has become an instant best-seller at retailers all across the country.

So it should come as no surprise that the one-man brand is practicing a bit of corporate synergy to (ahem) spike sales of his spiked seltzer by taking a page out of Willy Wonka’s playbook. Starting today, fans will be able to secure entry to Astroworld Festival by finding one of 100 cans of Cacti that will unlock two tickets — a la Wonka’s golden tickets granting entry to the fabled chocolate factory. The cans are hidden inside 9-count variety packs of Cacti; they’re strawberry, decorated in custom Astroworld decorations, and signed by Travis himself.

Finding a can will allow fans to claim the tickets online, and Travis is also holding sweepstakes for some fans to win tickets digitally.

Intriguingly, the Astroworld Festival still has yet to announce a lineup for the event in November. That probably won’t stop Travis’ enthusiastic fans from pursuing those golden ticket cans; 2020 saw Travis’ prior partnership with McDonald’s become so successful it lifted the fast-food giant out of a historic sales slump.

For more info on Astroworld Festival, visit the official website.

Saweetie and Quavo may have publicly ended their relationship back in March amid cheating rumors, but they’re apparently still parsing through each other’s things. Though some may think it’s reasonable to keep a gift given by an ex partner after a split, that’s not the case with the luxury Bentley convertible Quavo gave Saweetie as the car is now up for sale.

For Saweetie’s birthday in December, Quavo went all out by getting her a custom powder blue Bentley complete with monogrammed headrests. Saweetie was overjoyed about the gift at the time, but it looks like Quavo took the car back after their breakup. According to a report from TMZ, Quavo has decided to put the GTC V8 car up for sale at the luxury and exotic car dealership Jakes Motorcars.

Saweetie didn’t get much use out of the whip before ending things with Quavo, as the car reportedly only has 2,191 miles on it. Due to its luxury look and low mileage, Quavo is apparently asking $279,888 for it. Seeing as Saweetie recently teamed up with Tesla for a new car giveaway, it doesn’t look like she’ll be needing that Bentley anyway.

Saweetie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Dave Chappelle isn’t above apologizing for things he has done and regretted—like the time he told Saturday Night Live viewers “to give Trump a chance” during his opening monologue shortly after the 2016 election. But one thing he’s definitely not sorry about is calling conservative commentator and professional shit-disturber Candace Owens a “rotten bitch” during his 8:46 comedy special, which premiered on YouTube in June of 2020.

As the Daily Beast reports, that earlier comment about Owens came up during the most recent episode of “The Midnight Miracle,” the podcast Chappelle hosts with Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey. When Chappelle asked his co-hosts, “There is no possible way that I owe Candace Owens an apology, is there?,” their response was an immediate: “F*ck that!”

To put Chappelle’s comment in better perspective: 8:46 was released shortly after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who has since been convicted of murder. At the time, Owens—whose career is essentially based on offering the worst possible takes at the worst possible times—had a lot to say about the case, which all really boiled down to her belief that Floyd was a bad guy who deserved what he got. So it was hardly surprising when Chappelle brought her up during his show, saying: “That rotten bitch, she’s the worst. I can’t think of a worse way to make money. She’s the most articulate idiot I’ve ever seen in my f*cking life.”

Owens responded to Chappelle’s comments at the time—calling him a legend, then daring him to make the same comments to her face. (Does she know anything about Chappelle?)

Chappelle, Kweli, and Bey also talked about how Owens—ever the contrarian—worked with the NAACP to sue her high school for discrimination back in the day, but that she has since transformed into the “mascot for colonial interests in America today.”

Jon Stewart joined in the conversation a little later in the episode, and offered his thoughtful take on why Chappelle was “so effective in what you said about Candace Owens: Because they have held you up as an avatar of truth-telling, because you’re willing to speak your art in the way that you want to speak it.”

Stewart also made the point that Owens’ whole brand is based on being a troll. “Her life is provocation, her brand is provocation, that’s how she makes her money,” Stewart said, adding that it’s a “provocation and a troll that’s meant to increase brand recognition.”

In the end, Chappelle did apologize to Owens for one thing: “I’m sorry I called you ‘articulate.’”

You can access Chappelle’s podcast here.

(Via Daily Beast)

On the heels of an interminable 2020 NBA Draft cycle, it may seem as if the 2021 NBA Draft is sneaking up on basketball observers. After all, there isn’t the kind of lengthy break between events this time around and, as such, there was a sense of relative normalcy as the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery unfolded on Tuesday, June 22. Much of the league is focused on the ongoing postseason but, for several clubs, the bouncing of ping-pong balls were of significant interest, and the Detroit Pistons landed the No. 1 overall pick.

While the top spot is always the grand prize, there were several interesting dynamics in play when things finally settled. The Houston Rockets will pick No. 2, avoiding a potential drop that would’ve resulted in an extra pick for the Oklahoma City Thunder. From there, the Golden State Warriors will pick twice in the Lottery and both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors hopped up the board.

As a disclaimer, this is a quick-fire mock draft and much will change in the future. Mock drafts are also different than big boards, which should be stressed at every turn.

1. Detroit Pistons – Cade Cunningham (G/F, Oklahoma State)

In the coming weeks, the Pistons may consider other candidates. Within seconds of the Lottery, however, Cunningham’s representation indicated he would visit only with Detroit and, at least in my view, he is the clear No. 1 prospect. The Draft should start at No. 2.

2. Houston Rockets – Evan Mobley (C/F, USC)

Mobley is my No. 2 overall player, but the Rockets could easily go in a different direction. For one, Christian Wood is currently the most valuable piece on Houston’s roster and he plays the same position. Then, there are plenty of folks who would prefer Jalen Green and/or Jalen Suggs to Mobley, regardless of fit. For now, we’ll still slot Mobley here, but with many caveats.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers – Jalen Green (G, G League Elite)

The Cavs also have a strong incumbent at center with Jarrett Allen, which may come into play should Mobley slide. Here, Green is available and he brings a sky-high upside as a scorer and a big-time athlete. Cleveland has invested heavily in its backcourt, but Green can play with either Darius Garland or Collin Sexton, at least in theory.

4. Toronto Raptors – Jalen Suggs (G, Gonzaga)

Toronto may be in a transition phase with Kyle Lowry hitting free agency. The Raptors do have Fred VanVleet, of course, but Suggs has the size to play either guard spot and he is a cerebral, highly skilled player. Given where they were mid-season, the Raptors coming away with Suggs would feel like a grand slam.

5. Orlando Magic – Jonathan Kuminga (F/G, G League Ignite)

Depending on who you ask, there is a top-4 or a top-5. Kuminga is very often associated with the No. 5 spot in a big board setting, though, and the Magic end up here. Every team in the NBA could use a player with the traits Kuminga brings, even when acknowledging that he seems to be less “safe” than the other four guys.

6. Oklahoma City Thunder – Scottie Barnes (F, Florida State)

Oklahoma City could’ve landed a pair of top-5 picks. Instead, they only pick at No. 6 and asset accumulation mode continues. Barnes isn’t unanimously beloved as a prospect, but he has incredibly interesting tools with a 7’2 wingspan and versatility on both ends of the floor. The Thunder can afford to swing.

7. Golden State Warriors (via Minnesota) – Jalen Johnson (F, Duke)

Golden State has two picks and they can get creative, should they decide to keep them. Johnson’s market is seemingly split after a weird season at Duke, but he has size (6’9) and versatility that could fit snugly with the Warriors. His passing would seemingly pop in the offense Steve Kerr runs, and some of his issues as a half-court scorer could be mitigated while playing with Steph Curry.

8. Orlando Magic (via Chicago) – James Bouknight (G, UConn)

Bouknight is a bucket getter. The Magic did invest in Cole Anthony last year, but that was a non-Lottery pick and Orlando should be in best player available mode. That may not be Bouknight, but they have to continue searching for creation help and he brings it.

9. Sacramento Kings – Moses Moody (G/F, Arkansas)

The Kings nailed their pick last year with Tyrese Haliburton. That opens things up a bit, with Haliburton and De’Aaron Fox forming Sacramento’s perimeter core. Moody would fit anywhere, but he is a 3-and-D prospect that just turned 19 years old, and he projects to be a highly valuable piece.

10. New Orleans Pelicans – Josh Giddey (G/F, Adelaide 36ers)

Giddey’s stock is exploding as a top-10 perch would’ve seemed wild a few months ago. The Pelicans could go in a number of directions, but Giddey is an impressive playmaker and ball-mover, and his creativity would fit nicely in what New Orleans found with “Point Zion” last season. They would need to buy his shooting to take him here, but that isn’t too much of a stretch.

11. Charlotte Hornets – Kai Jones (C/F, Texas)

Jones is kind of in his own category in this Draft. He flashes an absurd ceiling with some of the plays he can make offensively, and he’s a tremendous athlete at 6’11, with fluidity and explosiveness. If you see him on the wrong night, though, you will wonder why he’s a potential Lottery pick. The Hornets still don’t have their center of the future and, outside the top-10, it would be hard to find a player with higher upside.

12. San Antonio Spurs – Alperen Sengun (C/F, Beskitas)

Sengun is very Spurs-y. There are questions about his defense and athleticism at the NBA level, but he has been dominant force in the Turkish league. His skill level is really impressive for a player his size, and the buzz is that Sengun is trendy toward lottery lock status.

13. Indiana Pacers – Davion Mitchell (G, Baylor)

Mitchell is a fascinating evaluation and there is a defined split in his evaluation. Some see him as a potential top-7 pick, banking on the intangibles he showed in leading Baylor to a national title and appreciating his on-ball defensive aptitude. Others are very skeptical, referring to his middling free throw shooting, one-season uptick beyond the arc, and lack of height (6’0 in socks) as clear red flags. Mitchell will also be 23 years old when training camp begins. It will be fascinating to see where he lands.

14. Golden State Warriors – Keon Johnson (G/F, Tennessee)

The Warriors end up with both Lottery picks with the last name of Johnson. While Jalen’s skill set is nuanced, Keon’s primary appeal, at least right now, is his explosive athleticism. He does flash some intrigue as a passer, but Johnson will need to shoot it better to justify this slot.

15. Washington Wizards – Usman Garuba (C/F, Real Madrid)

Thomas Bryant is under contract and Robin Lopez had a strong year for the Wizards. However, neither is a long-term answer on both ends, and Garuba is a malleable piece that projects to be an impact defender in the NBA. Washington could go just about anywhere, though, even after taking a pair of combo forwards in the last two years.

16. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Boston) – Jaden Springer (G, Tennessee)

Oklahoma City has an impossibly deep war chest of picks and they can afford to swing as a result. Springer has his pros and cons, but he may have the highest ceiling of any remaining player on the board. In addition, his projected skill set, particularly defensively, would fit well next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

17. Memphis Grizzlies – Franz Wagner (F, Michigan)

The Grizzlies tried to fill their need for a big, defensive-minded wing when they acquired Justise Winslow. That didn’t work out and, even with the emergence of Kyle Anderson, Memphis could still be in the market for a do-it-all role player. Wagner does have some questions with his jump shot, but his defensive instincts are strong and he projects as a long-time role player that should contribute to winning.

18. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Miami) – Ziaire Williams (F/G, Stanford)

It was a weird year for Williams and he may fall below this as a result. At the same time, he is a Lottery-level talent at 6’7 with the ability to space the floor and check a lot of boxes as a modern wing. As noted above, Oklahoma City can keep taking swings, and he was a consensus top-10 pick out of high school for a reason.

19. New York Knicks – Sharife Cooper (G, Auburn)

Cooper is a tricky evaluation. He is absolutely electric as a passer and ball-handler, and he is remarkably quick with the ball in his hands. Cooper is also small with defensive questions and a jumper that is, at best, unproven. He is one of the players most difficult to pin down in terms of a range, with some observers talking Lottery and others not seeing it all.

20. Atlanta Hawks – Corey Kispert (G/F, Gonzaga)

Kispert’s perceived value took a hit in the championship game against Baylor, but he remains a tremendous shooting prospect. That is certainly his calling card, although Kispert, at 6’6 and 224 pounds, has enough size to potentially hold up defensively.

21. New York Knicks (via Dallas) – Isaiah Jackson (C, Kentucky)

Jackson may go higher than this, as he has fans across the league. The Knicks don’t have a glaring need at center if Mitchell Robinson sticks around long-term, but Jackson’s Kentucky connection might come in handy with the current pipeline from Lexington to New York City.

22. Los Angeles Lakers – Chris Duarte (G/F, Oregon)

The Lakers are clearly in win-now mode, so the fact that Duarte is 23 years old (and will be 24 soon) isn’t as much of an issue. Beyond that, Duarte is one of the best bets to be an early contributor in a positive way, as he can shoot, handle the ball enough, and defend his position.

23. Houston Rockets (via Portland) – Josh Christopher (G, Arizona State)

It feels like someone will take Christopher in the top 35 picks or so. He comes with high-end prep pedigree and clearly has a knack as a scorer. He also had an uneven season at Arizona State but, in general, scoring is rarely undervalued. Christopher will fill it up, and the Rockets have three picks, meaning they can take a swing or two.

24. Houston Rockets (via Milwaukee) – Trey Murphy (F, Virginia)

Murphy is the opposite of Christopher in a lot of ways. He is an elite-level shooter, at least at the college level, and there are tools for him defensively at 6’8 or 6’9. He wasn’t necessarily on the radar for most observers this season, but the buzz is strong on Murphy as a potential long-time rotation player.

25. Los Angeles Clippers – Tre Mann (G, Florida)

Reggie Jackson found a groove in the playoffs but, prior to that, it was no secret that the Clippers need a lead guard. Mann is more of a scoring/shooting threat than a distributor, but he’s 6’5 with the ability to pull up and a high-level feel for the game.

26. Denver Nuggets – Roko Prkacin (F, Cibona)

Prkacin is kind of a mystery, but the Nuggets can be patient. His statistical profile is intriguing, and Prkacin is the youngest player in the Draft — he’s 18 and won’t turn 19 until November. He wouldn’t help them right away, but Denver has the luxury of being able to stash him in a way that some other teams may not.

27. Brooklyn Nets – Miles McBride (G, West Virginia)

Brooklyn doesn’t need another guard, particularly if Spencer Dinwiddie returns. With that said, Dinwiddie could leave in free agency, and McBride is more of a two-way option that can change games defensively. He can shoot off the dribble, make enough plays, and bother the opposition in a change-up role next to Brooklyn’s stars.

28. Philadelphia 76ers – Cam Thomas (G, LSU)

It would be fair to say that Thomas isn’t known for his well-rounded game. In fact, one might say he was one-dimensional, or at least close to it, at LSU. Thomas can really score, though, and his profile as a shot creator is very intriguing at this point in the draft. Philadelphia does have other options in the backcourt after drafting Tyrese Maxey and giving Seth Curry a marquee role in the postseason, but Thomas would give them more options on the perimeter, something the team desperately needs.

29. Phoenix Suns – Ayo Dosunmu (G, Illinois)

Phoenix doesn’t need a ton right now, as evidenced by their trip to the Western Conference Finals. In the future, though, another shot creator in the backcourt wouldn’t hurt, particularly as Chris Paul ages and Cam Payne hits free agency. Dosunmu has fans around the league, and he really improved as a shot-maker during his college career.

30. Utah Jazz – Aaron Henry (G/F, Michigan State)

The Jazz really need another big wing defender. That is hard to find at this point in the Draft, but Henry might be able to deliver defensive value while fitting in Utah’s offensive scheme. He’s an underrated ball mover and, if he makes enough threes, he can stick as a low-usage role player who defends and makes the right plays.