The Celtics have picked up the fourth-year rookie options on Grant Williams and Romeo Langford.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1455194058817683456?s=21">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1455192705408065542?s=20">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;It's unsurprising to see the Celtics pick up the options on their young prospects as each have played a signficant role with the team of late.&nbsp;
Williams is averaging a career-high 9.8 points per game in just 23 minutes per game&nbsp;

The Celtics have picked up the fourth-year rookie options on Grant Williams and Romeo Langford.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1455194058817683456?s=21">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1455192705408065542?s=20">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;It's unsurprising to see the Celtics pick up the options on their young prospects as each have played a signficant role with the team of late.&nbsp;
In the early season, Williams and Langford are both averaging career-bests in points per game at 9.8 and 6 respectively.
&nbsp;

The Celtics have picked up the fourth-year rookie options on Grant Williams and Romeo Langford.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1455194058817683456?s=21">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1455192705408065542?s=20">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;It's unsurprising to see the Celtics pick up the options on their young prospects as each have played a signficant role with the team of late.&nbsp;
In the early season, Williams and Langford are both averaging career-bests in points per game at 9.8 and 6 respectively.
Both are defensive prospects but have been making strides on the offensive end as they get more playing time.

The Celtics have picked up the fourth-year rookie options on Grant Williams and Romeo Langford.
Source: Keith Smith
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;It's unsurprising to see the Celtics pick up the options on their young prospects as each have played a signficant role with the team of late.&nbsp;
In the early season, Williams and Langford are both averaging career-bests in points per game at 9.8 and 6 respectively.
Both are defensive prospects but have been making strides on the offensive end as they get more playing time.

The Celtics have picked up the fourth-year rookie options on Grant Williams and Romeo Langford.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/keithsmithnba/status/1455202261358022656?s=21">Keith Smith/Celtics Blog</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;It's unsurprising to see the Celtics pick up the options on their young prospects as each have played a signficant role with the team of late.&nbsp;
In the early season, Williams and Langford are both averaging career-bests in points per game at 9.8 and 6 respectively.
Both are defensive prospects but have been making strides on the offensive end as they get more playing time.
&nbsp;

The Celtics have picked up the fourth-year rookie options on Grant Williams and Romeo Langford.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/keithsmithnba/status/1455202261358022656?s=21">Keith Smith/Celtics Blog</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;It's unsurprising to see the Celtics pick up the options on their young prospects as most have played a significant role with the team of late.&nbsp;
In the early season, Williams and Langford are both averaging career-bests in points per game at 9.8 and 6 respectively.
Both are defensive prospects but have been making strides on the offensive end as they get more playing time.
&nbsp;

The Celtics have picked up the fourth-year rookie options on Grant Williams and Romeo Langford, as well as .
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/keithsmithnba/status/1455202261358022656?s=21">Keith Smith/Celtics Blog</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;It's unsurprising to see the Celtics pick up the options on their young prospects as all have played significant roles with the team.&nbsp;
In the early season, Grant Williams and Romeo Langford are both averaging career-bests in points per game at 9.8 and 6 respectively.
Both are defensive prospects but have been making strides on the offensive end as they get more playing time.
Aaron&nbsp;

The Celtics have picked up the fourth-year rookie options on Grant Williams and Romeo Langford, as well as third-year .
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/keithsmithnba/status/1455202261358022656?s=21">Keith Smith/Celtics Blog</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;It's unsurprising to see the Celtics pick up the options on their young prospects as all have played significant roles with the team.&nbsp;
In the early season, Grant Williams and Romeo Langford are both averaging career-bests in points per game at 9.8 and 6 respectively.
Both are defensive prospects but have been making strides on the offensive end as they get more playing time.
Aaron&nbsp;

The Celtics have picked up the fourth-year rookie options on Grant Williams and Romeo Langford, as well as third-year options on Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/keithsmithnba/status/1455202261358022656?s=21">Keith Smith/Celtics Blog</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;It's unsurprising to see the Celtics pick up the options on their young prospects as all have played significant roles with the team.&nbsp;
In the early season, Grant Williams and Romeo Langford are both averaging career-bests in points per game at 9.8 and 6 respectively.
Both are defensive prospects but have been making strides on the offensive end as they get more playing time.
Aaron&nbsp;

The Celtics have picked up the fourth-year rookie options on Grant Williams and Romeo Langford, as well as third-year options on Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/keithsmithnba/status/1455202261358022656?s=21">Keith Smith/Celtics Blog</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;It's unsurprising to see the Celtics pick up the options on their young prospects as all have played significant roles with the team.&nbsp;
In the early season, Grant Williams and Romeo Langford are both averaging career-bests in points per game at 9.8 and 6 respectively.
Both are defensive prospects but have been making strides on the offensive end as they get more playing time.
Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard have been healthy scratches for much of this season, but were key contributors on last year's Celtics as rookies and will likely play key roles in the Celtics future.&nbsp;

The Celtics have picked up the fourth-year rookie options on Grant Williams and Romeo Langford, as well as third-year options on Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard.

Celtics pick up options on Langford, Williams, Pritchard, Nesmith

The Suns have declined their third-year rookie option worth $4.7 million on Jalen Smith, their 10th pick of the 2020 draft.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1455193882770165766?s=20">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Despite the Suns success of late, they have gotten little production out of their lottery pi

The Suns have declined their third-year rookie option worth $4.7 million on Jalen Smith, their 10th pick of the 2020 draft.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1455193882770165766?s=20">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Despite the Suns success of late, they have gotten little production out of their lottery pick in big man Jalen Smith.

The Suns have declined their third-year rookie option worth $4.7 million on Jalen Smith, their 10th pick of the 2020 draft.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1455193882770165766?s=20">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Despite the Suns success of late, they have gotten little production out of their lottery pick in Jalen Smith.
The 6'10" power forward&nbsp;

The Suns have declined their third-year rookie option worth $4.7 million on Jalen Smith, their 10th pick of the 2020 draft.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1455193882770165766?s=20">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Despite the Suns success of late, they have gotten little production out of their lottery pick in Jalen Smith.
The 6'10" power forward is averaging just 2.1

The Suns have declined their third-year rookie option worth $4.7 million on Jalen Smith, their 10th pick of the 2020 draft.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1455193882770165766?s=20">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Despite the Suns success of late, they have gotten little production out of their lottery pick in Jalen Smith.
The 6'10" power forward is averaging just 2.1 and 1.5 rebounds on&nbsp;

The Suns have declined their third-year rookie option worth $4.7 million on Jalen Smith, their 10th pick of the 2020 draft.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1455193882770165766?s=20">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Despite the Suns success of late, they have gotten little production out of their lottery pick in Jalen Smith.
The 6'10" power forward is averaging just 2.1 and 1.5 rebounds on 44% shooting from the field and&nbsp;

The Suns have declined their third-year rookie option worth $4.7 million on Jalen Smith, their 10th pick of the 2020 draft.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1455193882770165766?s=20">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Despite the Suns success of late, they have gotten little production out of their lottery pick in Jalen Smith.
The 6'10" power forward is averaging just 2.1 and 1.5 rebounds on 44% shooting from the field and 22% from three in his young career.&nbsp;

The Suns have declined their third-year rookie option worth $4.7 million on Jalen Smith, their 10th pick of the 2020 draft.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1455193882770165766?s=20">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Despite the Suns success of late, they have gotten little production out of their lottery pick in Jalen Smith.
The 6'10" power forward is averaging just 2.1 and 1.5 rebounds on 44% shooting from the field and 22% from three in his young career, and has appeared in just two games this season.

The Suns have declined their third-year rookie option worth $4.7 million on Jalen Smith, their 10th pick of the 2020 draft.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1455193882770165766?s=20">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Despite the Suns success of late, they have gotten little production out of their lottery pick in Jalen Smith.
The 6'10" power forward is averaging just 2.1 and 1.5 rebounds on 44% shooting from the field and 22% from three in his young career, and has appeared in just two games this season.
Smith was productive in the Summer League this offseason however,&nbsp;

The Suns have declined their third-year rookie option worth $4.7 million on Jalen Smith, their 10th pick of the 2020 draft.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1455193882770165766?s=20">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Despite the Suns success of late, they have gotten little production out of their lottery pick in Jalen Smith.
The 6'10" power forward is averaging just 2.1 and 1.5 rebounds on 44% shooting from the field and 22% from three in his young career, and has appeared in just two games this season.
Smith was productive in the Summer League this offseason however, averaging 16.25 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.

The Suns have declined their third-year rookie option worth $4.7 million on Jalen Smith, their 10th pick of the 2020 draft.

Suns decline third-year option on 2020 lottery pick Jalen Smith

According to multiple sources, Hachimura hasn&rsquo;t been in the practice facility at the same time as his teammates. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t seen him at all,&rdquo; one source told [Quinton Mayo]. &ldquo;Maybe he does individual workouts at night, I&rsquo;m not sure. We have no idea what&rsquo;s going on with him.&rdquo;
Source: Quinton Mayo/Substack

According to multiple sources, Hachimura hasn&rsquo;t been in the practice facility at the same time as his teammates. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t seen him at all,&rdquo; one source told [Quinton Mayo]. &ldquo;Maybe he does individual workouts at night, I&rsquo;m not sure. We have no idea what&rsquo;s going on with him.&rdquo;
Source: <a href="https://mayoh.substack.com/p/addressing-the-elephant-in-the-room?r=2vngp&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_source=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quinton Mayo/Substack</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;

According to multiple sources, Hachimura hasn&rsquo;t been in the practice facility at the same time as his teammates. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t seen him at all,&rdquo; one source told [Quinton Mayo]. &ldquo;Maybe he does individual workouts at night, I&rsquo;m not sure. We have no idea what&rsquo;s going on with him.&rdquo;
Source: <a href="https://mayoh.substack.com/p/addressing-the-elephant-in-the-room?r=2vngp&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_source=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quinton Mayo/Substack</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Hachimura has not played all season for the Wizards. Mayo previously reported that the Wizards&nbsp;

According to multiple sources, Hachimura hasn&rsquo;t been in the practice facility at the same time as his teammates. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t seen him at all,&rdquo; one source told [Quinton Mayo]. &ldquo;Maybe he does individual workouts at night, I&rsquo;m not sure. We have no idea what&rsquo;s going on with him.&rdquo;
Source: <a href="https://mayoh.substack.com/p/addressing-the-elephant-in-the-room?r=2vngp&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_source=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quinton Mayo/Substack</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Hachimura has not played all season for the Wizards. Mayo previously reported that Hachimura was absent from the team as he looked to address his mental health. The former 2019 lottery pick has unfollowed all accounts except his personal apparel page on Instagram.&nbsp;

According to multiple sources, Hachimura hasn&rsquo;t been in the practice facility at the same time as his teammates. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t seen him at all,&rdquo; one source told [Quinton Mayo]. &ldquo;Maybe he does individual workouts at night, I&rsquo;m not sure. We have no idea what&rsquo;s going on with him.&rdquo;
Source: <a href="https://mayoh.substack.com/p/addressing-the-elephant-in-the-room?r=2vngp&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_source=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quinton Mayo/Substack</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Hachimura has not played all season for the Wizards. Mayo previously reported that Hachimura was absent from the team as he looked to address his mental health. The former 2019 lottery pick has unfollowed all accounts except his personal apparel page on Instagram. Coach Wes Unseld Jr. has said that there is no timetable for Hachimura's return.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

According to multiple sources, Hachimura hasn&rsquo;t been in the practice facility at the same time as his teammates. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t seen him at all,&rdquo; one source told [Quinton Mayo]. &ldquo;Maybe he does individual workouts at night, I&rsquo;m not sure. We have no idea what&rsquo;s going on with him.&rdquo;
Source: <a href="https://mayoh.substack.com/p/addressing-the-elephant-in-the-room?r=2vngp&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_source=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quinton Mayo/Substack</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Hachimura has not played all season for the Wizards. Mayo previously reported that Hachimura was absent from the team as he looked to address his mental health. The former 2019 lottery pick has unfollowed all accounts except his personal apparel page on Instagram. Coach Wes Unseld Jr. has said that there is no timetable for Hachimura's return.&nbsp;
Mayo wrote

According to multiple sources, Hachimura hasn&rsquo;t been in the practice facility at the same time as his teammates. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t seen him at all,&rdquo; one source told [Quinton Mayo]. &ldquo;Maybe he does individual workouts at night, I&rsquo;m not sure. We have no idea what&rsquo;s going on with him.&rdquo;
Source: <a href="https://mayoh.substack.com/p/addressing-the-elephant-in-the-room?r=2vngp&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_source=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quinton Mayo/Substack</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Hachimura has not played all season for the Wizards. Mayo previously reported that Hachimura was absent from the team as he looked to address his mental health. The former 2019 lottery pick has unfollowed all accounts except his personal apparel page on Instagram. Coach Wes Unseld Jr. has said that there is no timetable for Hachimura's return.&nbsp;
Mayo wrote, "'What&rsquo;s weird is Rui&rsquo;s name is sort of taboo around here &ndash; nobody mentions him or anything,&rdquo; another source added. &ldquo;You probably know more than we do at this point when it comes to what&rsquo;s going on with Ru.&rdquo;

According to multiple sources, Hachimura hasn&rsquo;t been in the practice facility at the same time as his teammates. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t seen him at all,&rdquo; one source told [Quinton Mayo]. &ldquo;Maybe he does individual workouts at night, I&rsquo;m not sure. We have no idea what&rsquo;s going on with him.&rdquo;
Source: <a href="https://mayoh.substack.com/p/addressing-the-elephant-in-the-room?r=2vngp&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_source=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quinton Mayo/Substack</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Hachimura has not played all season for the Wizards. Mayo previously reported that Hachimura was absent from the team as he looked to address his mental health. The former 2019 lottery pick has unfollowed all accounts except his personal apparel page on Instagram. Coach Wes Unseld Jr. has said that there is no timetable for Hachimura's return.&nbsp;
Mayo wrote, "'What&rsquo;s weird is Rui&rsquo;s name is sort of taboo around here &ndash; nobody mentions him or anything,&rdquo; another source added. 'You probably know more than we do at this point when it comes to what&rsquo;s going on with Ru.&rdquo;

According to multiple sources, Hachimura hasn&rsquo;t been in the practice facility at the same time as his teammates. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t seen him at all,&rdquo; one source told [Quinton Mayo]. &ldquo;Maybe he does individual workouts at night, I&rsquo;m not sure. We have no idea what&rsquo;s going on with him.&rdquo;
Source: <a href="https://mayoh.substack.com/p/addressing-the-elephant-in-the-room?r=2vngp&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_source=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quinton Mayo/Substack</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Hachimura has not played all season for the Wizards. Mayo previously reported that Hachimura was absent from the team as he looked to address his mental health. The former 2019 lottery pick has unfollowed all accounts except his personal apparel page on Instagram. Coach Wes Unseld Jr. has said that there is no timetable for Hachimura's return.&nbsp;
Mayo wrote, "'What&rsquo;s weird is Rui&rsquo;s name is sort of taboo around here &ndash; nobody mentions him or anything,&rdquo; another source added. 'You probably know more than we do at this point when it comes to what&rsquo;s going on with Ru.'"

Quinton Mayo previously reported that Hachimura was absent from the team as he looked to address his mental health.

Rui Hachimura has not been practicing with teammates, return date unclear

Cade Cunningham is not listed in the injury report for tomorrow&rsquo;s game against the Magic, and he is likely to make his NBA regular-season debut.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/jledwardsiii/status/1454201095161516039?s=21">James Edwards III/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS: Cade Cu

Cade Cunningham is not listed in the injury report for tomorrow&rsquo;s game against the Magic, and he is likely to make his NBA regular-season debut.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/jledwardsiii/status/1454201095161516039?s=21">James Edwards III/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Cunningham missed the

Cade Cunningham is not listed in the injury report for tomorrow&rsquo;s game against the Magic, and he is likely to make his NBA regular-season debut.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/jledwardsiii/status/1454201095161516039?s=21">James Edwards III/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Cunningham missed all of preseason and the Pistons' first four regular season games.
The winless Pistons desperately need their prized number one pick

Cade Cunningham is not listed in the injury report for tomorrow&rsquo;s game against the Magic, and he is likely to make his NBA regular-season debut.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/jledwardsiii/status/1454201095161516039?s=21">James Edwards III/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Cunningham missed all of preseason and the Pistons' first four regular season games.
The winless Pistons have desperately missed their prized number one pick

Cade Cunningham is not listed in the injury report for tomorrow&rsquo;s game against the Magic, and he is likely to make his NBA regular-season debut.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/jledwardsiii/status/1454201095161516039?s=21">James Edwards III/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Cunningham missed all of preseason and the Pistons' first four regular season games.
The winless Pistons have desperately missed their prized number one pick's play, and will need him to live up to h

Cade Cunningham is not listed in the injury report for tomorrow&rsquo;s game against the Magic, and he is likely to make his NBA regular-season debut.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/jledwardsiii/status/1454201095161516039?s=21">James Edwards III/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Cunningham missed all of preseason and the Pistons' first four regular season games.
The winless Pistons have desperately missed their prized number one pick's play, and will need him to live up to his hype if they are to be competitive this season.
The Oklahoma State product

Cade Cunningham is not listed in the injury report for tomorrow&rsquo;s game against the Magic, and he is likely to make his NBA regular-season debut.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/jledwardsiii/status/1454201095161516039?s=21">James Edwards III/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Cunningham missed all of preseason and the Pistons' first four regular season games.
The winless Pistons have desperately missed their prized number one pick's play, and will need him to live up to his hype if they are to be competitive this season.
The Oklahoma State product averaged 20.1 points, 6.5 rebounds,&nbsp;

Cade Cunningham is not listed in the injury report for tomorrow&rsquo;s game against the Magic, and he is likely to make his NBA regular-season debut.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/jledwardsiii/status/1454201095161516039?s=21">James Edwards III/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Cunningham missed all of preseason and the Pistons' first four regular season games.
The winless Pistons have desperately missed their prized number one pick's play, and will need him to live up to his hype if they are to be competitive this season.
The Oklahoma State product averaged 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game&nbsp;while shooting 50 percent from 3-point range on high volume

Cade Cunningham is not listed in the injury report for tomorrow&rsquo;s game against the Magic, and he is likely to make his NBA regular-season debut.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/jledwardsiii/status/1454201095161516039?s=21">James Edwards III/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Cunningham missed all of preseason and the Pistons' first four regular season games.
The winless Pistons have desperately missed their prized number one pick's play, and will need him to live up to his hype if they are to be competitive this season.
The Oklahoma State product averaged 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from three.

Cade Cunningham is not listed in the injury report for tomorrow&rsquo;s game against the Magic and is likely to make his NBA regular-season debut.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/jledwardsiii/status/1454201095161516039?s=21">James Edwards III/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Cunningham missed all of preseason and the Pistons' first four regular season games.
The winless Pistons have desperately missed their prized number one pick's play, and will need him to live up to his hype if they are to be competitive this season.
The Oklahoma State product averaged 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from three.

Cade Cunningham is not listed in the injury report for tomorrow’s game against the Magic and is likely to make his NBA regular season debut.

Cade Cunningham likely to debut Saturday

PUMA has announced a multiyear endorsement deal with 17 year-old, five-star prospect Mikey Williams &mdash; making him one of the youngest basketball athletes to sign with a global footwear company.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/boardroom/status/1453727543341694985?s=21">Boardroom</a>
ANALYSIS: Williams joins an exciting growing group of&nbsp;

PUMA has announced a multiyear endorsement deal with 17 year-old, five-star prospect Mikey Williams &mdash; making him one of the youngest basketball athletes to sign with a global footwear company.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/boardroom/status/1453727543341694985?s=21">Boardroom</a>
ANALYSIS: Williams joins an exciting growing group of emerging talent at Puma in&nbsp;

PUMA has announced a multiyear endorsement deal with 17 year-old, five-star prospect Mikey Williams &mdash; making him one of the youngest basketball athletes to sign with a global footwear company.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/boardroom/status/1453727543341694985?s=21">Boardroom</a>
ANALYSIS: Williams joins an exciting growing group of emerging talent at Puma in LaMelo Ball, Kyl

PUMA has announced a multiyear endorsement deal with 17 year-old, five-star prospect Mikey Williams &mdash; making him one of the youngest basketball athletes to sign with a global footwear company.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/boardroom/status/1453727543341694985?s=21">Boardroom</a>
ANALYSIS: Williams joins an exciting growing group of emerging talent at Puma in LaMelo Ball, RJ Barrett, Michael Porter Jr., and&nbsp;

PUMA has announced a multiyear endorsement deal with 17 year-old, five-star prospect Mikey Williams &mdash; making him one of the youngest basketball athletes to sign with a global footwear company.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/boardroom/status/1453727543341694985?s=21">Boardroom</a>
ANALYSIS: Williams joins an exciting growing group of emerging talent at Puma in LaMelo Ball, RJ Barrett, Michael Porter Jr., and Terry Rozier.

PUMA has announced a multiyear endorsement deal with 17 year-old, five-star prospect Mikey Williams &mdash; making him one of the youngest basketball athletes to sign with a global footwear company.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/boardroom/status/1453727543341694985?s=21">Boardroom</a>
ANALYSIS: Williams joins an exciting growing group of emerging talent at Puma in LaMelo Ball, RJ Barrett, Michael Porter Jr., and Terry Rozier. The young guard is&nbsp;

PUMA has announced a multiyear endorsement deal with 17 year-old, five-star prospect Mikey Williams &mdash; making him one of the youngest basketball athletes to sign with a global footwear company.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/boardroom/status/1453727543341694985?s=21">Boardroom</a>
ANALYSIS: Williams joins an exciting growing group of emerging talent at Puma in LaMelo Ball, RJ Barrett, Michael Porter Jr., and Terry Rozier. The young guard is one of the&nbsp;

PUMA has announced a multiyear endorsement deal with 17 year-old, five-star prospect Mikey Williams &mdash; making him one of the youngest basketball athletes to sign with a global footwear company.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/boardroom/status/1453727543341694985?s=21">Boardroom</a>
ANALYSIS: Williams joins an exciting growing group of emerging talent at Puma in LaMelo Ball, RJ Barrett, Michael Porter Jr., and Terry Rozier. The young guard has blazed a trail in the new era of name, image and likeness deals for high school and college athletes.&nbsp;

PUMA has announced a multiyear endorsement deal with 17 year-old, five-star prospect Mikey Williams &mdash; making him one of the youngest basketball athletes to sign with a global footwear company.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/boardroom/status/1453727543341694985?s=21">Boardroom</a>
ANALYSIS: Williams joins an exciting growing group of emerging talent at Puma in LaMelo Ball, RJ Barrett, Michael Porter Jr., and Terry Rozier. The young guard has blazed a trail in the new era of name, image and likeness deals for high school and college athletes. Williams previously became the first high school basketball player to ever sign with a professional sports agency when he joined Excel Sports this summer.

PUMA has announced a multiyear endorsement deal with 17 year-old, five-star prospect Mikey Williams &mdash; making him one of the youngest basketball athletes to sign with a global footwear company.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/boardroom/status/1453727543341694985?s=21">Boardroom</a>
ANALYSIS: Williams joins an exciting growing group of emerging talent at Puma in LaMelo Ball, RJ Barrett, Michael Porter Jr., and Terry Rozier. The young guard has blazed a trail in the new era of name, image and likeness deals for high school and college athletes. Williams previously became the first high school basketball player to ever sign with a professional sports agency when he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mikey-williams-signs-with-excel-sports-to-pursue-nil-endorsement-deals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined Excel Sports this summer</a>.

PUMA has announced a multiyear endorsement deal with 17 year-old, five-star prospect Mikey Williams — making him one of the youngest basketball athletes to sign with a global footwear company.

5-star prospect Mikey Williams signs endorsement deal with PUMA

Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams is expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a left wrist dislocation, source tells ESPN. He will undergo surgery soon.

Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams is expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a left wrist dislocation. Williams will undergo surgery soon.
Source: Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN

Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams is expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a left wrist dislocation. Williams will undergo surgery soon.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1454146967945334788?s=21">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
&nbsp;

Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams is expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a left wrist dislocation. Williams will undergo surgery soon.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1454146967945334788?s=21">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The third-year Williams was expected to take&nbsp;

Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams is expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a left wrist dislocation. Williams will undergo surgery soon.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1454146967945334788?s=21">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The sophomore Williams was expected to take a big leaps as a key player on this year's promising Bulls team.
&nbsp;

Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams is expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a left wrist dislocation. Williams will undergo surgery soon.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1454146967945334788?s=21">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The sophomore Williams was expected to take a big leaps as a key player on this year's promising Bulls team.
Williams was averaging just 6.6 points per game, but was expect

Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams is expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a left wrist dislocation. Williams will undergo surgery soon.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1454146967945334788?s=21">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The sophomore Williams was expected to take a big leaps as a key player on this year's promising Bulls team.
Williams was averaging just 6.6 points per game, but was a vital part of the Bulls depth.

Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams is expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a left wrist dislocation. Williams will undergo surgery soon.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1454146967945334788?s=21">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS: Williams left last night's game earlier with a wrist injury.
The sophomore Williams was expected to take a big leaps as a key player on this year's promising Bulls team.
Williams was averaging just 6.6 points per game, but was a vital part to the Bulls depth.

Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams is expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a left wrist dislocation. Williams will undergo surgery soon.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1454146967945334788?s=21">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS: Williams left last night's game with a wrist injury.
The sophomore Williams was expected to take a big leaps as a key player on this year's promising Bulls team.
Williams was averaging just 6.6 points per game, but was a vital part to the Bulls depth.

Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams is expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a left wrist dislocation. Williams will undergo surgery soon.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1454146967945334788?s=21">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS: Williams left last night's game with a wrist injury.
The sophomore Williams was expected to take a big leaps as a key player on this year's promising Bulls team.
Williams was averaging just 6.6 points per game, but was a vital piece to the Bulls' depth.

Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams is expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a left wrist dislocation. Williams will undergo surgery soon.

Patrick Williams expected out for season with wrist dislocation

The Toronto Raptors' G League affiliate Raptors 905 has announced that star forward Pascal Siakam has been assigned to the G League.

The Toronto Raptors' G League affiliate Raptors 905 has <a href="https://twitter.com/Raptors905/status/1454068946928381960" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that star forward Pascal Siakam has been assigned to the G League.
&nbsp;

The Toronto Raptors' G League affiliate Raptors 905 has <a href="https://twitter.com/Raptors905/status/1454068946928381960" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that star forward Pascal Siakam has been assigned to the G League.
Siakam underwent surgery in the offseason for a&nbsp;

The Toronto Raptors' G League affiliate Raptors 905 has <a href="https://twitter.com/Raptors905/status/1454068946928381960" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that star forward Pascal Siakam has been assigned to the G League.
Siakam underwent surgery in the offseason for a torn labrum in his shoulder.&nbsp;

The Toronto Raptors' G League affiliate Raptors 905 has <a href="https://twitter.com/Raptors905/status/1454068946928381960" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that star forward Pascal Siakam has been assigned to the G League.
Siakam underwent surgery in the offseason for a torn labrum in his shoulder. The 27-yeard-old averaged 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in 2020-21 for a Raptors team that missed out on the postseason. Siakam has spent his entire career with the team since being drafted in 2016.

The Toronto Raptors' G League affiliate Raptors 905 has <a href="https://twitter.com/Raptors905/status/1454068946928381960" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that star forward Pascal Siakam has been assigned to the G League.
Siakam underwent surgery in the offseason for a torn labrum in his shoulder. The 27-yeard-old averaged 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in 2020-21 for a Raptors team that missed out on the postseason. Siakam has spent his entire career with the team since being drafted 27th overall in 2016.

Siakam underwent surgery in the offseason for a torn labrum in his shoulder.

Pascal Siakam assigned to Raptors 905 in G League

WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Oct. 28, 2021 &ndash; NBA G League Ignite has added six veterans who will aid in the development of the team&rsquo;s elite youth prospects, the team announced today. The veteran group brings years of valuable playing experience ranging from the NBA to college and international professional leagues, and includes Dakarai Allen, Jessie Govan, Amauri Hardy, Pooh Jeter, Amir Johnson and Malik Pope.
&ldquo;We have a special group of veterans who have been super helpful and encouraging,&rdquo; said head coach Jason Hart. &ldquo;The group is led by Pooh Jeter, a consummate pro contributing to our younger players&rsquo; growth.&rdquo;
Additionally, Ignite&rsquo;s coaching staff has been finalized with assistant coaches Rod Baker and C.J. Williams, on-court player development coach Thomas Scott and video coordinator Nick Hamilton joining Hart&rsquo;s staff.&nbsp;
IGNITE VETERAN BIOS
Johnson and Govan return for their second stints with Ignite after joining the team for NBA G League single-site competition in the team&rsquo;s inaugural season. Johnson averaged 8.7 points and 3.3 rebounds with Ignite last season, while Govan added 7.8 points and 2.6 rebounds through eight games before suffering a season-ending injury.
Jeter, who spent time with the Sacramento Kings and in the NBA G League, also brings a wealth of international experience from a prolific career spanning the globe, including time in Spain, Israel, China, France, Turkey and the Ukraine.
The 2017 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, Allen&rsquo;s experience includes NBA G League stops with the Salt Lake City Stars (2017-18), Agua Caliente Clippers (2018-19) and Grand Rapids Drive (2019-20). He averaged 7.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in his season with the Drive.
Pope, who played with Allen at San Diego State, joined the Los Angeles Lakers for 2018 Summer League action before moving to Greece to play in the PAOK organization. He played for the NBA G League&rsquo;s Greensboro Swarm in 2019, averaging 6.7 points and 4.5 rebounds, and also spent time in NBA G League single-site competition earlier this year, joining the Austin Spurs in Orlando.
Hardy, who joins his younger brother Jaden, a 2022 NBA Draft Prospect, on Ignite&rsquo;s roster, was a four-star recruit who played four years of college basketball, including three seasons at UNLV and one at Oregon. He was a third team all-Mountain West selection as a junior after averaging 14.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
2021-22 NBA G LEAGUE IGNITE ROSTER
NO &nbsp; &nbsp;NAME &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; POS &nbsp; &nbsp;HT &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;WT &nbsp; &nbsp; DOB &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Hometown &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Prior to Ignite
4 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dakarai Allen &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; G &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;6-5 &nbsp; &nbsp; 193 &nbsp; &nbsp; 2/4/95 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sacramento, Calif. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Salt Lake City Stars
14 &nbsp; &nbsp; MarJon Beauchamp &nbsp; &nbsp; F &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 6-6 &nbsp; &nbsp; 199 &nbsp; &nbsp; 10/12/00 &nbsp; Yakima, Wash. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Yakima Valley Junior College
3 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dyson Daniels &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;G &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;6-6 &nbsp; &nbsp; 199 &nbsp; &nbsp; 3/17/03 &nbsp; &nbsp; Bendigo, Australia &nbsp; &nbsp; NBA Global Academy
11 &nbsp; &nbsp; Michael Foster Jr. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;F &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 6-8 &nbsp; &nbsp; 250 &nbsp; &nbsp; 1/16/03 &nbsp; &nbsp; Milwaukee, Wisc. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Hillcrest Prep (AZ)
15 &nbsp; &nbsp; Jessie Govan &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; C &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 6-10 &nbsp; 252 &nbsp; &nbsp; 7/25/97 &nbsp; &nbsp; Queens Village, N.Y. Indios de Mayag&uuml;ez (Puerto Rico)
7 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Amauri Hardy &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;G &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;6-1 &nbsp; &nbsp; 200 &nbsp; &nbsp; 4/3098 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Detroit, Mich. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; University of Oregon
1 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jaden Hardy &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;G &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;6-4 &nbsp; &nbsp; 198 &nbsp; &nbsp; 7/5/03 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Detroit, Mich. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Coronado HS (NV)
0 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Scoot Henderson &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;G &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;6-2 &nbsp; &nbsp; 195 &nbsp; &nbsp; 2/3/04 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Marietta, Ga. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kell HS (GA)
5 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Pooh Jeter &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; G &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;5-11 &nbsp; 175 &nbsp; &nbsp; 12/2/83 &nbsp; &nbsp; Gardena, Calif. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; BC Dnipro (Ukraine)
00 &nbsp; &nbsp; Amir Johnson &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; F &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 6-9 &nbsp; &nbsp; 253 &nbsp; &nbsp; 5/1/87 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Los Angeles, Calif. &nbsp; &nbsp; Philadelphia 76ers
21 &nbsp; &nbsp; Malik Pope &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; F &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 6-10 &nbsp; 215 &nbsp; &nbsp; 7/25/96 &nbsp; &nbsp; Elk Grove, Calif. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Austin Spurs
12 &nbsp; &nbsp; Fanbo Zeng &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; F &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 6-11 &nbsp; 199 &nbsp; &nbsp; 1/11/03 &nbsp; &nbsp; Harbin, China &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Windermere Prep (FL)
COACHING STAFF
Head Coach: Jason Hart
Assistant Coaches: Rod Baker, CJ Williams
On-Court Player Development Coach: Thomas Scott
Performance Coach: Ernest DeLosAngeles
Video Coordinator: Nick Hamilton
About NBA G League Ignite
NBA G League Ignite is a first-of-its-kind team dedicated to developing top young prospects in preparation for the NBA Draft. &nbsp;Based in Walnut Creek, Calif., the roster includes elite players who are eligible for the NBA Draft as well as NBA and NBA G League veterans who serve as mentors to the team&rsquo;s young talent. &nbsp;The program focuses on high-level competition and accelerated on-court development for players who are beginning their professional careers. &nbsp;Additionally, the team provides life skills training that includes financial literacy education, community service involvement and scholarship opportunities. &nbsp;While Ignite is not a traditional NBA G League team, competition includes games against NBA G League opponents and exhibitions against international teams.

NBA G League Ignite has added six veterans who will aid in the development of the team’s elite youth prospects.

G League Ignite announces veteran additions, coaching staff

LeBron James is out for tonight's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to ankle soreness, per Mike Trudell and the Lakers.
&nbsp;

LeBron James is out for tonight's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to ankle soreness, per Mike Trudell and the Lakers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
LeBron James is out tonight in OKC with right ankle soreness.
&mdash; Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersReporter/status/1453422602060435459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

James will miss his second consecutive contest. Anthony Davis is also listed as "questionable" for Wednesday's game. The Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs without James on Tuesday

LeBron James is out for tonight's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to ankle soreness, per Mike Trudell and the Lakers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
LeBron James is out tonight in OKC with right ankle soreness.
&mdash; Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersReporter/status/1453422602060435459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

James will miss his second consecutive contest. Anthony Davis is also listed as "questionable" for Wednesday's game. The Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs without James on Tuesday, winning&nbsp;

LeBron James is out for tonight's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to ankle soreness, per Mike Trudell and the Lakers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
LeBron James is out tonight in OKC with right ankle soreness.
&mdash; Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersReporter/status/1453422602060435459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

James will miss his second consecutive contest. Anthony Davis is also listed as "questionable" for Wednesday's game. The Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs without James on Tuesday, winning 125-121 in overtime.

James is listed out for Wednesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

LeBron James to miss second straight game due to ankle soreness

We are more than a week into the 2021-22 NBA season; can you believe it? Hot takes are flying, highlights are being made and surprise teams are making their marks out of the gate.&nbsp;
As fans begin their reactive discourses surrounding the early successes (or failures) of their respective squads, the conversations usually shift to front-office moves. People love to talk about roster construction and fitting the puzzle pieces together, so we decided to provide our own two cents on the subject.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which NBA franchise has the best front office? 
Alex Kennedy: The Toronto Raptors stand out to me. Masai Ujiri, Bobby Webster and Co. not only do a terrific job of identifying talent, they are also outstanding when it comes to developing their own players. After all, that&rsquo;s how they became the first team in NBA history to win a championship without a single lottery player on the roster. Ujiri may be the most valuable executive in the entire NBA, which is why the Raptors had to take care of him with his new deal as vice chairman/president (despite <a href="https://www.thestar.com/business/2021/10/25/edward-rogers-fought-plans-to-keep-raptors-masai-ujiri-but-was-thwarted-by-mlse-head-sources-say.html?utm_source=Twitter&amp;utm_medium=SocialMedia&amp;utm_campaign=Business&amp;utm_content=edwardrogersmasaiujiri" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attempts from the team's co-owner to oust him</a>). As ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31966285/masai-ujiri-gets-new-deal-vice-chairman-president-toronto-raptors-sources-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> when he signed his new contract: &ldquo;Ujiri has established himself as one of the most prominent, successful and sought-after executives in professional sports. In the final months of his expiring contract, Ujiri turned back overtures from several pro sports organizations beyond the NBA.&rdquo; Ujiri has taken Webster under his wing, and the two of them have created a special culture in Toronto. They have also identified quite a few diamonds in the rough such as Fred VanVleet (undrafted), Pascal Siakam (No. 27 overall), OG Anunoby (No. 23) and Malachi Flynn (No. 29). Scottie Barnes is looking like a tremendous pick too. The Raptors are in excellent hands going forward.
Nekias Duncan: If we're splitting up front-office duties between transaction/financial stuff, scouting and coaching, I'd find myself splitting hairs between the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat as the organizations with the best blend of those three. The Heat have been doing it longer, so I'll give them the slight edge.
Spencer Davies: Determining who has the best front office is a tough task. Are we judging this on the team's longevity as a legitimate competitor, or for the bold, win-now moves that create a championship window that becomes rather narrow? I've long maintained that the San Antonio Spurs have been the standard-bearer of how to run a team, but their questionable free-agency period made me take a step back. I also believe that the Utah Jazz deserve more love for what they've built. However, the mantle, for me, may very well belong to the Atlanta Hawks. Travis Schlenk has constructed a well-balanced team that employs a star in Trae Young, a perfect partner in John Collins, veterans to guide the youth and a soon-to-be Most-Improved-Player candidate in De'Andre Hunter. Draft well, make moves with care and allow the pieces to find their fits &mdash; that's how you build.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks, led by general manager Travis Schlenk, are on an absolute roll. They've drafted extremely well since Schlenk took the front office and nailed a number of key free-agent signings, including swooping in to acquire Bogdan Bogdanovic. Many people (including myself) doubted the Lloyd Pierce firing last season, but Nate McMillan came in and steered the team to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hawks are way ahead of their expected timeline.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with the Miami Heat. There are obviously plenty to choose from here, but since Pat Riley left New York for Miami 27 years ago, the Heat have missed the playoffs just six times. They&rsquo;ve managed the cap prudently, consistently fielded contenders and &mdash; from Alonzo Mourning to Dwyane Wade to Bam Adebayo &mdash; have always managed to find a way to land impact players. Anyone who&rsquo;s played in Miami will tell you a thing or two about &ldquo;Heat Culture,&rdquo; and the fact that they&rsquo;ve had such incredible continuity from an organizational standpoint says a lot. Let&rsquo;s also recall their six Eastern Conference crowns and three championships.
Evan Sidery: It has to be the Milwaukee Bucks, right? Jon Horst showed he can be very aggressive when needed during his acquisition of Jrue Holiday. There are many other solid contenders around the Association, but the Bucks&rsquo; front office put their chips into the middle of the table recently, and it paid off.
Blake Hairston: It&rsquo;s tough to pick one but there are a few that stick out for various reasons. As a draft guy, the Denver Nuggets have done a great job at selecting impact players over the years regardless of draft position. Also, It&rsquo;s hard to argue with what Jon Horst has built in Milwaukee with the exclamation point of a championship last season.
Alexander Cohen: This is a difficult question to answer. So many front offices considered to be the best in the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors have gone through rough patches of recent. Even the Spurs are finally missing the playoffs--no team is perfect. I'll stay with the Raptors though, despite their failure to do much of anything last year or get value back for Kyle Lowry. I still have faith in their development system, and that Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster will turn them into contenders again soon enough.
Mark Gunnels: The best front office in the NBA has to be the Milwaukee Bucks right now. They were able to lock up Giannis Antetokounmpo long-term while putting great complementary pieces around him with Khris Middleton, and the additions Jrue Holiday, PJ Tucker and Bobby Portis last year.

We are more than a week into the 2021-22 NBA season; can you believe it? Hot takes are flying, highlights are being made and surprise teams are making their marks out of the gate.&nbsp;
As fans begin their reactive discourses surrounding the early successes (or failures) of their respective squads, the conversations usually shift to front-office moves. People love to talk about roster construction and fitting the puzzle pieces together, so we decided to provide our own two cents on the subject.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which NBA franchise has the best front office? 
Alex Kennedy: The Toronto Raptors stand out to me. Masai Ujiri, Bobby Webster and Co. not only do a terrific job of identifying talent, they are also outstanding when it comes to developing their own players. After all, that&rsquo;s how they became the first team in NBA history to win a championship without a single lottery player on the roster. Ujiri may be the most valuable executive in the entire NBA, which is why the Raptors had to take care of him with his new deal as vice chairman/president (despite <a href="https://www.thestar.com/business/2021/10/25/edward-rogers-fought-plans-to-keep-raptors-masai-ujiri-but-was-thwarted-by-mlse-head-sources-say.html?utm_source=Twitter&amp;utm_medium=SocialMedia&amp;utm_campaign=Business&amp;utm_content=edwardrogersmasaiujiri" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attempts from the team's co-owner to oust him</a>). As ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31966285/masai-ujiri-gets-new-deal-vice-chairman-president-toronto-raptors-sources-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> when he signed his new contract: &ldquo;Ujiri has established himself as one of the most prominent, successful and sought-after executives in professional sports. In the final months of his expiring contract, Ujiri turned back overtures from several pro sports organizations beyond the NBA.&rdquo; Ujiri has taken Webster under his wing, and the two of them have created a special culture in Toronto. They have also identified quite a few diamonds in the rough such as Fred VanVleet (undrafted), Pascal Siakam (No. 27 overall), OG Anunoby (No. 23) and Malachi Flynn (No. 29). Scottie Barnes is looking like a tremendous pick too. The Raptors are in excellent hands going forward.
Nekias Duncan: If we're splitting up front-office duties between transaction/financial stuff, scouting and coaching, I'd find myself splitting hairs between the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat as the organizations with the best blend of those three. The Heat have been doing it longer, so I'll give them the slight edge.
Spencer Davies: Determining who has the best front office is a tough task. Are we judging this on the team's longevity as a legitimate competitor, or for the bold, win-now moves that create a championship window that becomes rather narrow? I've long maintained that the San Antonio Spurs have been the standard-bearer of how to run a team, but their questionable free-agency period made me take a step back. I also believe that the Utah Jazz deserve more love for what they've built. However, the mantle, for me, may very well belong to the Atlanta Hawks. Travis Schlenk has constructed a well-balanced team that employs a star in Trae Young, a perfect partner in John Collins, veterans to guide the youth and a soon-to-be Most-Improved-Player candidate in De'Andre Hunter. Draft well, make moves with care and allow the pieces to find their fits &mdash; that's how you build.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks, led by general manager Travis Schlenk, are on an absolute roll. They've drafted extremely well since Schlenk took the front office and nailed a number of key free-agent signings, including swooping in to acquire Bogdan Bogdanovic. Many people (including myself) doubted the Lloyd Pierce firing last season, but Nate McMillan came in and steered the team to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hawks are way ahead of their expected timeline.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with the Miami Heat. There are obviously plenty to choose from here, but since Pat Riley left New York for Miami 27 years ago, the Heat have missed the playoffs just six times. They&rsquo;ve managed the cap prudently, consistently fielded contenders and &mdash; from Alonzo Mourning to Dwyane Wade to Bam Adebayo &mdash; have always managed to find a way to land impact players. Anyone who&rsquo;s played in Miami will tell you a thing or two about &ldquo;Heat Culture,&rdquo; and the fact that they&rsquo;ve had such incredible continuity from an organizational standpoint says a lot. Let&rsquo;s also recall their six Eastern Conference crowns and three championships.
Evan Sidery: It has to be the Milwaukee Bucks, right? Jon Horst showed that he can be very aggressive when needed during his acquisition of Jrue Holiday. There are many other solid contenders around the Association, but the Bucks&rsquo; front office put their chips into the middle of the table recently, and it paid off.
Blake Hairston: It&rsquo;s tough to pick one but there are a few that stick out for various reasons. As a draft guy, the Denver Nuggets have done a great job at selecting impact players over the years regardless of draft position. Also, It&rsquo;s hard to argue with what Jon Horst has built in Milwaukee with the exclamation point of a championship last season.
Alexander Cohen: This is a difficult question to answer. So many front offices considered to be the best in the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors have gone through rough patches of recent. Even the Spurs are finally missing the playoffs--no team is perfect. I'll stay with the Raptors though, despite their failure to do much of anything last year or get value back for Kyle Lowry. I still have faith in their development system, and that Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster will turn them into contenders again soon enough.
Mark Gunnels: The best front office in the NBA has to be the Milwaukee Bucks right now. They were able to lock up Giannis Antetokounmpo long-term while putting great complementary pieces around him with Khris Middleton, and the additions Jrue Holiday, PJ Tucker and Bobby Portis last year.

We are more than a week into the 2021-22 NBA season; can you believe it? Hot takes are flying, highlights are being made and surprise teams are making their marks out of the gate.&nbsp;
As fans begin their reactive discourses surrounding the early successes (or failures) of their respective squads, the conversations usually shift to front-office moves. People love to talk about roster construction and fitting the puzzle pieces together, so we decided to provide our own two cents on the subject.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which NBA franchise has the best front office? 
Alex Kennedy: The Toronto Raptors stand out to me. Masai Ujiri, Bobby Webster and Co. not only do a terrific job of identifying talent, they are also outstanding when it comes to developing their own players. After all, that&rsquo;s how they became the first team in NBA history to win a championship without a single lottery player on the roster. Ujiri may be the most valuable executive in the entire NBA, which is why the Raptors had to take care of him with his new deal as vice chairman/president (despite <a href="https://www.thestar.com/business/2021/10/25/edward-rogers-fought-plans-to-keep-raptors-masai-ujiri-but-was-thwarted-by-mlse-head-sources-say.html?utm_source=Twitter&amp;utm_medium=SocialMedia&amp;utm_campaign=Business&amp;utm_content=edwardrogersmasaiujiri" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attempts from the team's co-owner to oust him</a>). As ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31966285/masai-ujiri-gets-new-deal-vice-chairman-president-toronto-raptors-sources-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> when he signed his new contract: &ldquo;Ujiri has established himself as one of the most prominent, successful and sought-after executives in professional sports. In the final months of his expiring contract, Ujiri turned back overtures from several pro sports organizations beyond the NBA.&rdquo; Ujiri has taken Webster under his wing, and the two of them have created a special culture in Toronto. They have also identified quite a few diamonds in the rough such as Fred VanVleet (undrafted), Pascal Siakam (No. 27 overall), OG Anunoby (No. 23) and Malachi Flynn (No. 29). Scottie Barnes is looking like a tremendous pick too. The Raptors are in excellent hands going forward.
Nekias Duncan: If we're splitting up front-office duties between transaction/financial stuff, scouting and coaching, I'd find myself splitting hairs between the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat as the organizations with the best blend of those three. The Heat have been doing it longer, so I'll give them the slight edge.
Spencer Davies: Determining who has the best front office is a tough task. Are we judging this on the team's longevity as a legitimate competitor, or for the bold, win-now moves that create a championship window that becomes rather narrow? I've long maintained that the San Antonio Spurs have been the standard-bearer of how to run a team, but their questionable free-agency period made me take a step back. I also believe that the Utah Jazz deserve more love for what they've built. However, the mantle, for me, may very well belong to the Atlanta Hawks. Travis Schlenk has constructed a well-balanced team that employs a star in Trae Young, a perfect partner in John Collins, veterans to guide the youth and a soon-to-be Most-Improved-Player candidate in De'Andre Hunter. Draft well, make moves with care and allow the pieces to find their fits &mdash; that's how you build.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks, led by general manager Travis Schlenk, are on an absolute roll. They've drafted extremely well since Schlenk took the front office and nailed a number of key free-agent signings, including swooping in to acquire Bogdan Bogdanovic. Many people (including myself) doubted the Lloyd Pierce firing last season, but Nate McMillan came in and steered the team to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hawks are way ahead of their expected timeline.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with the Miami Heat. There are obviously plenty to choose from here, but since Pat Riley left New York for Miami 27 years ago, the Heat have missed the playoffs just six times. They&rsquo;ve managed the cap prudently, consistently fielded contenders and &mdash; from Alonzo Mourning to Dwyane Wade to Bam Adebayo &mdash; have always managed to find a way to land impact players. Anyone who&rsquo;s played in Miami will tell you a thing or two about &ldquo;Heat Culture,&rdquo; and the fact that they&rsquo;ve had such incredible continuity from an organizational standpoint says a lot. Let&rsquo;s also recall their six Eastern Conference crowns and three championships.
Evan Sidery: It has to be the Milwaukee Bucks, right? Jon Horst showed that he can be very aggressive when needed during his acquisition of Jrue Holiday. There are many other solid contenders around the Association, but the Bucks&rsquo; front office put their chips into the middle of the table recently, and it paid off.
Blake Hairston: It&rsquo;s tough to pick one, but there are a few that stick out for various reasons. As a draft guy, the Denver Nuggets have done a great job at selecting impact players over the years regardless of draft position. Also, It&rsquo;s hard to argue with what Jon Horst has built in Milwaukee with the exclamation point of a championship last season.
Alexander Cohen: This is a difficult question to answer. So many front offices considered to be the best in the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors have gone through rough patches of recent. Even the Spurs are finally missing the playoffs--no team is perfect. I'll stay with the Raptors though, despite their failure to do much of anything last year or get value back for Kyle Lowry. I still have faith in their development system, and that Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster will turn them into contenders again soon enough.
Mark Gunnels: The best front office in the NBA has to be the Milwaukee Bucks right now. They were able to lock up Giannis Antetokounmpo long-term while putting great complementary pieces around him with Khris Middleton, and the additions Jrue Holiday, PJ Tucker and Bobby Portis last year.

We are more than a week into the 2021-22 NBA season; can you believe it? Hot takes are flying, highlights are being made and surprise teams are making their marks out of the gate.&nbsp;
As fans begin their reactive discourses surrounding the early successes (or failures) of their respective squads, the conversations usually shift to front-office moves. People love to talk about roster construction and fitting the puzzle pieces together, so we decided to provide our own two cents on the subject.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which NBA franchise has the best front office? 
Alex Kennedy: The Toronto Raptors stand out to me. Masai Ujiri, Bobby Webster and Co. not only do a terrific job of identifying talent, they are also outstanding when it comes to developing their own players. After all, that&rsquo;s how they became the first team in NBA history to win a championship without a single lottery player on the roster. Ujiri may be the most valuable executive in the entire NBA, which is why the Raptors had to take care of him with his new deal as vice chairman/president (despite <a href="https://www.thestar.com/business/2021/10/25/edward-rogers-fought-plans-to-keep-raptors-masai-ujiri-but-was-thwarted-by-mlse-head-sources-say.html?utm_source=Twitter&amp;utm_medium=SocialMedia&amp;utm_campaign=Business&amp;utm_content=edwardrogersmasaiujiri" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attempts from the team's co-owner to oust him</a>). As ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31966285/masai-ujiri-gets-new-deal-vice-chairman-president-toronto-raptors-sources-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> when he signed his new contract: &ldquo;Ujiri has established himself as one of the most prominent, successful and sought-after executives in professional sports. In the final months of his expiring contract, Ujiri turned back overtures from several pro sports organizations beyond the NBA.&rdquo; Ujiri has taken Webster under his wing, and the two of them have created a special culture in Toronto. They have also identified quite a few diamonds in the rough such as Fred VanVleet (undrafted), Pascal Siakam (No. 27 overall), OG Anunoby (No. 23) and Malachi Flynn (No. 29). Scottie Barnes is looking like a tremendous pick too. The Raptors are in excellent hands going forward.
Nekias Duncan: If we're splitting up front-office duties between transaction/financial stuff, scouting and coaching, I'd find myself splitting hairs between the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat as the organizations with the best blend of those three. The Heat have been doing it longer, so I'll give them the slight edge.
Spencer Davies: Determining who has the best front office is a tough task. Are we judging this on the team's longevity as a legitimate competitor, or for the bold, win-now moves that create a championship window that becomes rather narrow? I've long maintained that the San Antonio Spurs have been the standard-bearer of how to run a team, but their questionable free-agency period made me take a step back. I also believe that the Utah Jazz deserve more love for what they've built. However, the mantle, for me, may very well belong to the Atlanta Hawks. Travis Schlenk has constructed a well-balanced team that employs a star in Trae Young, a perfect partner in John Collins, veterans to guide the youth and a soon-to-be Most-Improved-Player candidate in De'Andre Hunter. Draft well, make moves with care and allow the pieces to find their fits &mdash; that's how you build.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks, led by general manager Travis Schlenk, are on an absolute roll. They've drafted extremely well since Schlenk took the front office and nailed a number of key free-agent signings, including swooping in to acquire Bogdan Bogdanovic. Many people (including myself) doubted the Lloyd Pierce firing last season, but Nate McMillan came in and steered the team to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hawks are way ahead of their expected timeline.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with the Miami Heat. There are obviously plenty to choose from here, but since Pat Riley left New York for Miami 27 years ago, the Heat have missed the playoffs just six times. They&rsquo;ve managed the cap prudently, consistently fielded contenders and &mdash; from Alonzo Mourning to Dwyane Wade to Bam Adebayo &mdash; have always managed to find a way to land impact players. Anyone who&rsquo;s played in Miami will tell you a thing or two about &ldquo;Heat Culture,&rdquo; and the fact that they&rsquo;ve had such incredible continuity from an organizational standpoint says a lot. Let&rsquo;s also recall their six Eastern Conference crowns and three championships.
Evan Sidery: It has to be the Milwaukee Bucks, right? Jon Horst showed that he can be very aggressive when needed during his acquisition of Jrue Holiday. There are many other solid contenders around the Association, but the Bucks&rsquo; front office put their chips into the middle of the table recently, and it paid off.
Blake Hairston: It&rsquo;s tough to pick one, but there are a few that stick out for various reasons. As a draft guy, the Denver Nuggets have done a great job at selecting impact players over the years regardless of draft position. Also, It&rsquo;s hard to argue with what Jon Horst has built in Milwaukee with the exclamation point of a championship last season.
Alexander Cohen: This is a difficult question to answer. Many of the front offices considered to be the best in the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors have gone through rough patches of recent. Even the Spurs are finally missing the playoffs--no team is perfect. I'll stay with the Raptors though, despite their failure to do much of anything last year or get value back for Kyle Lowry. I still have faith in their development system, and that Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster will turn them into contenders again soon enough.
Mark Gunnels: The best front office in the NBA has to be the Milwaukee Bucks right now. They were able to lock up Giannis Antetokounmpo long-term while putting great complementary pieces around him with Khris Middleton, and the additions Jrue Holiday, PJ Tucker and Bobby Portis last year.

We are more than a week into the 2021-22 NBA season; can you believe it? Hot takes are flying, highlights are being made and surprise teams are making their marks out of the gate.&nbsp;
As fans begin their reactive discourses surrounding the early successes (or failures) of their respective squads, the conversations usually shift to front-office moves. People love to talk about roster construction and fitting the puzzle pieces together, so we decided to provide our own two cents on the subject.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which NBA franchise has the best front office? 
Alex Kennedy: The Toronto Raptors stand out to me. Masai Ujiri, Bobby Webster and Co. not only do a terrific job of identifying talent, they are also outstanding when it comes to developing their own players. After all, that&rsquo;s how they became the first team in NBA history to win a championship without a single lottery player on the roster. Ujiri may be the most valuable executive in the entire NBA, which is why the Raptors had to take care of him with his new deal as vice chairman/president (despite <a href="https://www.thestar.com/business/2021/10/25/edward-rogers-fought-plans-to-keep-raptors-masai-ujiri-but-was-thwarted-by-mlse-head-sources-say.html?utm_source=Twitter&amp;utm_medium=SocialMedia&amp;utm_campaign=Business&amp;utm_content=edwardrogersmasaiujiri" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attempts from the team's co-owner to oust him</a>). As ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31966285/masai-ujiri-gets-new-deal-vice-chairman-president-toronto-raptors-sources-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> when he signed his new contract: &ldquo;Ujiri has established himself as one of the most prominent, successful and sought-after executives in professional sports. In the final months of his expiring contract, Ujiri turned back overtures from several pro sports organizations beyond the NBA.&rdquo; Ujiri has taken Webster under his wing, and the two of them have created a special culture in Toronto. They have also identified quite a few diamonds in the rough such as Fred VanVleet (undrafted), Pascal Siakam (No. 27 overall), OG Anunoby (No. 23) and Malachi Flynn (No. 29). Scottie Barnes is looking like a tremendous pick too. The Raptors are in excellent hands going forward.
Nekias Duncan: If we're splitting up front-office duties between transaction/financial stuff, scouting and coaching, I'd find myself splitting hairs between the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat as the organizations with the best blend of those three. The Heat have been doing it longer, so I'll give them the slight edge.
Spencer Davies: Determining who has the best front office is a tough task. Are we judging this on the team's longevity as a legitimate competitor, or for the bold, win-now moves that create a championship window that becomes rather narrow? I've long maintained that the San Antonio Spurs have been the standard-bearer of how to run a team, but their questionable free-agency period made me take a step back. I also believe that the Utah Jazz deserve more love for what they've built. However, the mantle, for me, may very well belong to the Atlanta Hawks. Travis Schlenk has constructed a well-balanced team that employs a star in Trae Young, a perfect partner in John Collins, veterans to guide the youth and a soon-to-be Most-Improved-Player candidate in De'Andre Hunter. Draft well, make moves with care and allow the pieces to find their fits &mdash; that's how you build.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks, led by general manager Travis Schlenk, are on an absolute roll. They've drafted extremely well since Schlenk took the front office and nailed a number of key free-agent signings, including swooping in to acquire Bogdan Bogdanovic. Many people (including myself) doubted the Lloyd Pierce firing last season, but Nate McMillan came in and steered the team to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hawks are way ahead of their expected timeline.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with the Miami Heat. There are obviously plenty to choose from here, but since Pat Riley left New York for Miami 27 years ago, the Heat have missed the playoffs just six times. They&rsquo;ve managed the cap prudently, consistently fielded contenders and &mdash; from Alonzo Mourning to Dwyane Wade to Bam Adebayo &mdash; have always managed to find a way to land impact players. Anyone who&rsquo;s played in Miami will tell you a thing or two about &ldquo;Heat Culture,&rdquo; and the fact that they&rsquo;ve had such incredible continuity from an organizational standpoint says a lot. Let&rsquo;s also recall their six Eastern Conference crowns and three championships.
Evan Sidery: It has to be the Milwaukee Bucks, right? Jon Horst showed that he can be very aggressive when needed during his acquisition of Jrue Holiday. There are many other solid contenders around the Association, but the Bucks&rsquo; front office put their chips into the middle of the table recently, and it paid off.
Blake Hairston: It&rsquo;s tough to pick one, but there are a few that stick out for various reasons. As a draft guy, the Denver Nuggets have done a great job at selecting impact players over the years regardless of draft position. Also, It&rsquo;s hard to argue with what Jon Horst has built in Milwaukee with the exclamation point of a championship last season.
Alexander Cohen: This is a difficult question to answer. Many of the front offices considered to be the best &mdash; such as the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors have gone through rough patches of recent. Even the Spurs are finally missing the playoffs--no team is perfect. I'll stay with the Raptors though, despite their failure to do much of anything last year or get value back for Kyle Lowry. I still have faith in their development system, and that Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster will turn them into contenders again soon enough.
Mark Gunnels: The best front office in the NBA has to be the Milwaukee Bucks right now. They were able to lock up Giannis Antetokounmpo long-term while putting great complementary pieces around him with Khris Middleton, and the additions Jrue Holiday, PJ Tucker and Bobby Portis last year.

We are more than a week into the 2021-22 NBA season; can you believe it? Hot takes are flying, highlights are being made and surprise teams are making their marks out of the gate.&nbsp;
As fans begin their reactive discourses surrounding the early successes (or failures) of their respective squads, the conversations usually shift to front-office moves. People love to talk about roster construction and fitting the puzzle pieces together, so we decided to provide our own two cents on the subject.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which NBA franchise has the best front office? 
Alex Kennedy: The Toronto Raptors stand out to me. Masai Ujiri, Bobby Webster and Co. not only do a terrific job of identifying talent, they are also outstanding when it comes to developing their own players. After all, that&rsquo;s how they became the first team in NBA history to win a championship without a single lottery player on the roster. Ujiri may be the most valuable executive in the entire NBA, which is why the Raptors had to take care of him with his new deal as vice chairman/president (despite <a href="https://www.thestar.com/business/2021/10/25/edward-rogers-fought-plans-to-keep-raptors-masai-ujiri-but-was-thwarted-by-mlse-head-sources-say.html?utm_source=Twitter&amp;utm_medium=SocialMedia&amp;utm_campaign=Business&amp;utm_content=edwardrogersmasaiujiri" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attempts from the team's co-owner to oust him</a>). As ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31966285/masai-ujiri-gets-new-deal-vice-chairman-president-toronto-raptors-sources-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> when he signed his new contract: &ldquo;Ujiri has established himself as one of the most prominent, successful and sought-after executives in professional sports. In the final months of his expiring contract, Ujiri turned back overtures from several pro sports organizations beyond the NBA.&rdquo; Ujiri has taken Webster under his wing, and the two of them have created a special culture in Toronto. They have also identified quite a few diamonds in the rough such as Fred VanVleet (undrafted), Pascal Siakam (No. 27 overall), OG Anunoby (No. 23) and Malachi Flynn (No. 29). Scottie Barnes is looking like a tremendous pick too. The Raptors are in excellent hands going forward.
Nekias Duncan: If we're splitting up front-office duties between transaction/financial stuff, scouting and coaching, I'd find myself splitting hairs between the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat as the organizations with the best blend of those three. The Heat have been doing it longer, so I'll give them the slight edge.
Spencer Davies: Determining who has the best front office is a tough task. Are we judging this on the team's longevity as a legitimate competitor, or for the bold, win-now moves that create a championship window that becomes rather narrow? I've long maintained that the San Antonio Spurs have been the standard-bearer of how to run a team, but their questionable free-agency period made me take a step back. I also believe that the Utah Jazz deserve more love for what they've built. However, the mantle, for me, may very well belong to the Atlanta Hawks. Travis Schlenk has constructed a well-balanced team that employs a star in Trae Young, a perfect partner in John Collins, veterans to guide the youth and a soon-to-be Most-Improved-Player candidate in De'Andre Hunter. Draft well, make moves with care and allow the pieces to find their fits &mdash; that's how you build.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks, led by general manager Travis Schlenk, are on an absolute roll. They've drafted extremely well since Schlenk took the front office and nailed a number of key free-agent signings, including swooping in to acquire Bogdan Bogdanovic. Many people (including myself) doubted the Lloyd Pierce firing last season, but Nate McMillan came in and steered the team to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hawks are way ahead of their expected timeline.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with the Miami Heat. There are obviously plenty to choose from here, but since Pat Riley left New York for Miami 27 years ago, the Heat have missed the playoffs just six times. They&rsquo;ve managed the cap prudently, consistently fielded contenders and &mdash; from Alonzo Mourning to Dwyane Wade to Bam Adebayo &mdash; have always managed to find a way to land impact players. Anyone who&rsquo;s played in Miami will tell you a thing or two about &ldquo;Heat Culture,&rdquo; and the fact that they&rsquo;ve had such incredible continuity from an organizational standpoint says a lot. Let&rsquo;s also recall their six Eastern Conference crowns and three championships.
Evan Sidery: It has to be the Milwaukee Bucks, right? Jon Horst showed that he can be very aggressive when needed during his acquisition of Jrue Holiday. There are many other solid contenders around the Association, but the Bucks&rsquo; front office put their chips into the middle of the table recently, and it paid off.
Blake Hairston: It&rsquo;s tough to pick one, but there are a few that stick out for various reasons. As a draft guy, the Denver Nuggets have done a great job at selecting impact players over the years regardless of draft position. Also, It&rsquo;s hard to argue with what Jon Horst has built in Milwaukee with the exclamation point of a championship last season.
Alexander Cohen: This is a difficult question to answer. Many of the front offices considered to be the best &mdash; such as the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors &mdash; have gone through rough patches recently. Even the Spurs are finally missing the playoffs--no team is perfect. I'll stay with the Raptors though, despite their failure to do much of anything last year or get value back for Kyle Lowry. I still have faith in their development system, and that Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster will turn them into contenders again soon enough.
Mark Gunnels: The best front office in the NBA has to be the Milwaukee Bucks right now. They were able to lock up Giannis Antetokounmpo long-term while putting great complementary pieces around him with Khris Middleton, and the additions Jrue Holiday, PJ Tucker and Bobby Portis last year.

We are more than a week into the 2021-22 NBA season; can you believe it? Hot takes are flying, highlights are being made and surprise teams are making their marks out of the gate.&nbsp;
As fans begin their reactive discourses surrounding the early successes (or failures) of their respective squads, the conversations usually shift to front-office moves. People love to talk about roster construction and fitting the puzzle pieces together, so we decided to provide our own two cents on the subject.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which NBA franchise has the best front office? 
Alex Kennedy: The Toronto Raptors stand out to me. Masai Ujiri, Bobby Webster and Co. not only do a terrific job of identifying talent, they are also outstanding when it comes to developing their own players. After all, that&rsquo;s how they became the first team in NBA history to win a championship without a single lottery player on the roster. Ujiri may be the most valuable executive in the entire NBA, which is why the Raptors had to take care of him with his new deal as vice chairman/president (despite <a href="https://www.thestar.com/business/2021/10/25/edward-rogers-fought-plans-to-keep-raptors-masai-ujiri-but-was-thwarted-by-mlse-head-sources-say.html?utm_source=Twitter&amp;utm_medium=SocialMedia&amp;utm_campaign=Business&amp;utm_content=edwardrogersmasaiujiri" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attempts from the team's co-owner to oust him</a>). As ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31966285/masai-ujiri-gets-new-deal-vice-chairman-president-toronto-raptors-sources-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> when he signed his new contract: &ldquo;Ujiri has established himself as one of the most prominent, successful and sought-after executives in professional sports. In the final months of his expiring contract, Ujiri turned back overtures from several pro sports organizations beyond the NBA.&rdquo; Ujiri has taken Webster under his wing, and the two of them have created a special culture in Toronto. They have also identified quite a few diamonds in the rough such as Fred VanVleet (undrafted), Pascal Siakam (No. 27 overall), OG Anunoby (No. 23) and Malachi Flynn (No. 29). Scottie Barnes is looking like a tremendous pick too. The Raptors are in excellent hands going forward.
Nekias Duncan: If we're splitting up front-office duties between transaction/financial stuff, scouting and coaching, I'd find myself splitting hairs between the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat as the organizations with the best blend of those three. The Heat have been doing it longer, so I'll give them the slight edge.
Spencer Davies: Determining who has the best front office is a tough task. Are we judging this on the team's longevity as a legitimate competitor, or for the bold, win-now moves that create a championship window that becomes rather narrow? I've long maintained that the San Antonio Spurs have been the standard-bearer of how to run a team, but their questionable free-agency period made me take a step back. I also believe that the Utah Jazz deserve more love for what they've built. However, the mantle, for me, may very well belong to the Atlanta Hawks. Travis Schlenk has constructed a well-balanced team that employs a star in Trae Young, a perfect partner in John Collins, veterans to guide the youth and a soon-to-be Most-Improved-Player candidate in De'Andre Hunter. Draft well, make moves with care and allow the pieces to find their fits &mdash; that's how you build.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks, led by general manager Travis Schlenk, are on an absolute roll. They've drafted extremely well since Schlenk took the front office and nailed a number of key free-agent signings, including swooping in to acquire Bogdan Bogdanovic. Many people (including myself) doubted the Lloyd Pierce firing last season, but Nate McMillan came in and steered the team to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hawks are way ahead of their expected timeline.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with the Miami Heat. There are obviously plenty to choose from here, but since Pat Riley left New York for Miami 27 years ago, the Heat have missed the playoffs just six times. They&rsquo;ve managed the cap prudently, consistently fielded contenders and &mdash; from Alonzo Mourning to Dwyane Wade to Bam Adebayo &mdash; have always managed to find a way to land impact players. Anyone who&rsquo;s played in Miami will tell you a thing or two about &ldquo;Heat Culture,&rdquo; and the fact that they&rsquo;ve had such incredible continuity from an organizational standpoint says a lot. Let&rsquo;s also recall their six Eastern Conference crowns and three championships.
Evan Sidery: It has to be the Milwaukee Bucks, right? Jon Horst showed that he can be very aggressive when needed during his acquisition of Jrue Holiday. There are many other solid contenders around the Association, but the Bucks&rsquo; front office put their chips into the middle of the table recently, and it paid off.
Blake Hairston: It&rsquo;s tough to pick one, but there are a few that stick out for various reasons. As a draft guy, the Denver Nuggets have done a great job at selecting impact players over the years regardless of draft position. Also, It&rsquo;s hard to argue with what Jon Horst has built in Milwaukee with the exclamation point of a championship last season.
Alexander Cohen: This is a difficult question to answer. Many of the front offices considered to be the best &mdash; such as the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors &mdash; have gone through rough patches recently. Even the Spurs are finally missing the playoffs &mdash; no team is perfect. I'll stay with the Raptors though, despite their failure to do much of anything last year or get value back for Kyle Lowry. I still have faith in their development system, and that Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster will turn them into contenders again soon enough.
Mark Gunnels: The best front office in the NBA has to be the Milwaukee Bucks right now. They were able to lock up Giannis Antetokounmpo long-term while putting great complementary pieces around him with Khris Middleton, and the additions Jrue Holiday, PJ Tucker and Bobby Portis last year.

We are more than a week into the 2021-22 NBA season; can you believe it? Hot takes are flying, highlights are being made and surprise teams are making their marks out of the gate.&nbsp;
As fans begin their reactive discourses surrounding the early successes (or failures) of their respective squads, the conversations usually shift to front-office moves. People love to talk about roster construction and fitting the puzzle pieces together, so we decided to provide our own two cents on the subject.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which NBA franchise has the best front office? 
Alex Kennedy: The Toronto Raptors stand out to me. Masai Ujiri, Bobby Webster and Co. not only do a terrific job of identifying talent, they are also outstanding when it comes to developing their own players. After all, that&rsquo;s how they became the first team in NBA history to win a championship without a single lottery player on the roster. Ujiri may be the most valuable executive in the entire NBA, which is why the Raptors had to take care of him with his new deal as vice chairman/president (despite <a href="https://www.thestar.com/business/2021/10/25/edward-rogers-fought-plans-to-keep-raptors-masai-ujiri-but-was-thwarted-by-mlse-head-sources-say.html?utm_source=Twitter&amp;utm_medium=SocialMedia&amp;utm_campaign=Business&amp;utm_content=edwardrogersmasaiujiri" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attempts from the team's co-owner to oust him</a>). As ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31966285/masai-ujiri-gets-new-deal-vice-chairman-president-toronto-raptors-sources-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> when he signed his new contract: &ldquo;Ujiri has established himself as one of the most prominent, successful and sought-after executives in professional sports. In the final months of his expiring contract, Ujiri turned back overtures from several pro sports organizations beyond the NBA.&rdquo; Ujiri has taken Webster under his wing, and the two of them have created a special culture in Toronto. They have also identified quite a few diamonds in the rough such as Fred VanVleet (undrafted), Pascal Siakam (No. 27 overall), OG Anunoby (No. 23) and Malachi Flynn (No. 29). Scottie Barnes is looking like a tremendous pick too. The Raptors are in excellent hands going forward.
Nekias Duncan: If we're splitting up front-office duties between transaction/financial stuff, scouting and coaching, I'd find myself splitting hairs between the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat as the organizations with the best blend of those three. The Heat have been doing it longer, so I'll give them the slight edge.
Spencer Davies: Determining who has the best front office is a tough task. Are we judging this on the team's longevity as a legitimate competitor, or for the bold, win-now moves that create a championship window that becomes rather narrow? I've long maintained that the San Antonio Spurs have been the standard-bearer of how to run a team, but their questionable free-agency period made me take a step back. I also believe that the Utah Jazz deserve more love for what they've built. However, the mantle, for me, may very well belong to the Atlanta Hawks. Travis Schlenk has constructed a well-balanced team that employs a star in Trae Young, a perfect partner in John Collins, veterans to guide the youth and a soon-to-be Most-Improved-Player candidate in De'Andre Hunter. Draft well, make moves with care and allow the pieces to find their fits &mdash; that's how you build.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks, led by general manager Travis Schlenk, are on an absolute roll. They've drafted extremely well since Schlenk took the front office and nailed a number of key free-agent signings, including swooping in to acquire Bogdan Bogdanovic. Many people (including myself) doubted the Lloyd Pierce firing last season, but Nate McMillan came in and steered the team to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hawks are way ahead of their expected timeline.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with the Miami Heat. There are obviously plenty to choose from here, but since Pat Riley left New York for Miami 27 years ago, the Heat have missed the playoffs just six times. They&rsquo;ve managed the cap prudently, consistently fielded contenders and &mdash; from Alonzo Mourning to Dwyane Wade to Bam Adebayo &mdash; have always managed to find a way to land impact players. Anyone who&rsquo;s played in Miami will tell you a thing or two about &ldquo;Heat Culture,&rdquo; and the fact that they&rsquo;ve had such incredible continuity from an organizational standpoint says a lot. Let&rsquo;s also recall their six Eastern Conference crowns and three championships.
Evan Sidery: It has to be the Milwaukee Bucks, right? Jon Horst showed that he can be very aggressive when needed during his acquisition of Jrue Holiday. There are many other solid contenders around the Association, but the Bucks&rsquo; front office put their chips into the middle of the table recently, and it paid off.
Blake Hairston: It&rsquo;s tough to pick one, but there are a few that stick out for various reasons. As a draft guy, the Denver Nuggets have done a great job at selecting impact players over the years regardless of draft position. Also, It&rsquo;s hard to argue with what Jon Horst has built in Milwaukee with the exclamation point of a championship last season.
Alexander Cohen: This is a difficult question to answer. Many of the front offices considered to be the best &mdash; such as the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors &mdash; have gone through rough patches recently. Even the Spurs are finally missing the playoffs &mdash; no team is perfect. I'll stay with the Raptors though, despite their failure to do much of anything last year or get value back for Kyle Lowry. I still have faith in their development system, and that Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster will turn them into contenders again soon enough.
Mark Gunnels: The best front office in the NBA has to be the Milwaukee Bucks right now. They were able to lock up Giannis Antetokounmpo long-term while putting great complementary pieces around him with Khris Middleton, and the additions of Jrue Holiday, PJ Tucker and Bobby Portis last year.

We are more than a week into the 2021-22 NBA season; can you believe it? Hot takes are flying, highlights are being made and surprise teams are making their marks out of the gate.&nbsp;
As fans begin their reactive discourses surrounding the early successes (or failures) of their respective squads, the conversations usually shift to front-office moves. People love to talk about roster construction and fitting the puzzle pieces together, so we decided to provide our own two cents on the subject.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which NBA franchise has the best front office? 
Alex Kennedy: The Toronto Raptors stand out to me. Masai Ujiri, Bobby Webster and Co. not only do a terrific job of identifying talent, they are also outstanding when it comes to developing their own players. After all, that&rsquo;s how they became the first team in NBA history to win a championship without a single lottery player on the roster. Ujiri may be the most valuable executive in the entire NBA, which is why the Raptors had to take care of him with his new deal as vice chairman/president (despite <a href="https://www.thestar.com/business/2021/10/25/edward-rogers-fought-plans-to-keep-raptors-masai-ujiri-but-was-thwarted-by-mlse-head-sources-say.html?utm_source=Twitter&amp;utm_medium=SocialMedia&amp;utm_campaign=Business&amp;utm_content=edwardrogersmasaiujiri" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attempts from the team's co-owner to oust him</a>). As ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31966285/masai-ujiri-gets-new-deal-vice-chairman-president-toronto-raptors-sources-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> when he signed his new contract: &ldquo;Ujiri has established himself as one of the most prominent, successful and sought-after executives in professional sports. In the final months of his expiring contract, Ujiri turned back overtures from several pro sports organizations beyond the NBA.&rdquo; Ujiri has taken Webster under his wing, and the two of them have created a special culture in Toronto. They have also identified quite a few diamonds in the rough such as Fred VanVleet (undrafted), Pascal Siakam (No. 27 overall), OG Anunoby (No. 23) and Malachi Flynn (No. 29). Scottie Barnes is looking like a tremendous pick too. The Raptors are in excellent hands going forward.
Nekias Duncan: If we're splitting up front-office duties between transaction/financial stuff, scouting and coaching, I'd find myself splitting hairs between the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat as the organizations with the best blend of those three. The Heat have been doing it longer, so I'll give them the slight edge.
Spencer Davies: Determining who has the best front office is a tough task. Are we judging this on the team's longevity as a legitimate competitor, or for the bold, win-now moves that create a championship window that becomes rather narrow? I've long maintained that the San Antonio Spurs have been the standard-bearer of how to run a team, but their questionable free-agency period made me take a step back. I also believe that the Utah Jazz deserve more love for what they've built. However, the mantle, for me, may very well belong to the Atlanta Hawks. Travis Schlenk has constructed a well-balanced team that employs a star in Trae Young, a perfect partner in John Collins, veterans to guide the youth and a soon-to-be Most-Improved-Player candidate in De'Andre Hunter. Draft well, make moves with care and allow the pieces to find their fits &mdash; that's how you build.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks, led by general manager Travis Schlenk, are on an absolute roll. They've drafted extremely well since Schlenk took the front office and nailed a number of key free-agent signings, including swooping in to acquire Bogdan Bogdanovic. Many people (including myself) doubted the Lloyd Pierce firing last season, but Nate McMillan came in and steered the team to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hawks are way ahead of their expected timeline.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with the Miami Heat. There are obviously plenty to choose from here, but since Pat Riley left New York for Miami 27 years ago, the Heat have missed the playoffs just six times. They&rsquo;ve managed the cap prudently, consistently fielded contenders and &mdash; from Alonzo Mourning to Dwyane Wade to Bam Adebayo &mdash; have always managed to find a way to land impact players. Anyone who&rsquo;s played in Miami will tell you a thing or two about &ldquo;Heat Culture,&rdquo; and the fact that they&rsquo;ve had such incredible continuity from an organizational standpoint says a lot. Let&rsquo;s also recall their six Eastern Conference crowns and three championships.
Evan Sidery: It has to be the Milwaukee Bucks, right? Jon Horst showed that he can be very aggressive when needed during his acquisition of Jrue Holiday. There are many other solid contenders around the Association, but the Bucks&rsquo; front office put their chips into the middle of the table recently, and it paid off.
Blake Hairston: It&rsquo;s tough to pick one, but there are a few that stick out for various reasons. As a draft guy, the Denver Nuggets have done a great job at selecting impact players over the years regardless of draft position. Also, It&rsquo;s hard to argue with what Jon Horst has built in Milwaukee with the exclamation point of a championship last season.
Alexander Cohen: This is a difficult question to answer. Many of the front offices considered to be the best &mdash; such as the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors &mdash; have gone through rough patches recently. Even the Spurs are finally missing the playoffs &mdash; no team is perfect. I'll stay with the Raptors though, despite their failure to do much of anything last year or get value back for Kyle Lowry. I still have faith in their development system, and that Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster will turn them into contenders again soon enough.
Mark Gunnels: The best front office in the NBA has to be the Milwaukee Bucks right now. They were able to lock up Giannis Antetokounmpo long-term while putting great complementary pieces around him with Khris Middleton and last year's additions (Jrue Holiday, PJ Tucker and Bobby Portis last year.

We are more than a week into the 2021-22 NBA season; can you believe it? Hot takes are flying, highlights are being made and surprise teams are making their marks out of the gate.&nbsp;
As fans begin their reactive discourses surrounding the early successes (or failures) of their respective squads, the conversations usually shift to front-office moves. People love to talk about roster construction and fitting the puzzle pieces together, so we decided to provide our own two cents on the subject.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Which NBA franchise has the best front office? 
Alex Kennedy: The Toronto Raptors stand out to me. Masai Ujiri, Bobby Webster and Co. not only do a terrific job of identifying talent, they are also outstanding when it comes to developing their own players. After all, that&rsquo;s how they became the first team in NBA history to win a championship without a single lottery player on the roster. Ujiri may be the most valuable executive in the entire NBA, which is why the Raptors had to take care of him with his new deal as vice chairman/president (despite <a href="https://www.thestar.com/business/2021/10/25/edward-rogers-fought-plans-to-keep-raptors-masai-ujiri-but-was-thwarted-by-mlse-head-sources-say.html?utm_source=Twitter&amp;utm_medium=SocialMedia&amp;utm_campaign=Business&amp;utm_content=edwardrogersmasaiujiri" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attempts from the team's co-owner to oust him</a>). As ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31966285/masai-ujiri-gets-new-deal-vice-chairman-president-toronto-raptors-sources-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> when he signed his new contract: &ldquo;Ujiri has established himself as one of the most prominent, successful and sought-after executives in professional sports. In the final months of his expiring contract, Ujiri turned back overtures from several pro sports organizations beyond the NBA.&rdquo; Ujiri has taken Webster under his wing, and the two of them have created a special culture in Toronto. They have also identified quite a few diamonds in the rough such as Fred VanVleet (undrafted), Pascal Siakam (No. 27 overall), OG Anunoby (No. 23) and Malachi Flynn (No. 29). Scottie Barnes is looking like a tremendous pick too. The Raptors are in excellent hands going forward.
Nekias Duncan: If we're splitting up front-office duties between transaction/financial stuff, scouting and coaching, I'd find myself splitting hairs between the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat as the organizations with the best blend of those three. The Heat have been doing it longer, so I'll give them the slight edge.
Spencer Davies: Determining who has the best front office is a tough task. Are we judging this on the team's longevity as a legitimate competitor, or for the bold, win-now moves that create a championship window that becomes rather narrow? I've long maintained that the San Antonio Spurs have been the standard-bearer of how to run a team, but their questionable free-agency period made me take a step back. I also believe that the Utah Jazz deserve more love for what they've built. However, the mantle, for me, may very well belong to the Atlanta Hawks. Travis Schlenk has constructed a well-balanced team that employs a star in Trae Young, a perfect partner in John Collins, veterans to guide the youth and a soon-to-be Most-Improved-Player candidate in De'Andre Hunter. Draft well, make moves with care and allow the pieces to find their fits &mdash; that's how you build.
Ethan Fuller: The Atlanta Hawks, led by general manager Travis Schlenk, are on an absolute roll. They've drafted extremely well since Schlenk took the front office and nailed a number of key free-agent signings, including swooping in to acquire Bogdan Bogdanovic. Many people (including myself) doubted the Lloyd Pierce firing last season, but Nate McMillan came in and steered the team to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hawks are way ahead of their expected timeline.
Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably have to go with the Miami Heat. There are obviously plenty to choose from here, but since Pat Riley left New York for Miami 27 years ago, the Heat have missed the playoffs just six times. They&rsquo;ve managed the cap prudently, consistently fielded contenders and &mdash; from Alonzo Mourning to Dwyane Wade to Bam Adebayo &mdash; have always managed to find a way to land impact players. Anyone who&rsquo;s played in Miami will tell you a thing or two about &ldquo;Heat Culture,&rdquo; and the fact that they&rsquo;ve had such incredible continuity from an organizational standpoint says a lot. Let&rsquo;s also recall their six Eastern Conference crowns and three championships.
Evan Sidery: It has to be the Milwaukee Bucks, right? Jon Horst showed that he can be very aggressive when needed during his acquisition of Jrue Holiday. There are many other solid contenders around the Association, but the Bucks&rsquo; front office put their chips into the middle of the table recently, and it paid off.
Blake Hairston: It&rsquo;s tough to pick one, but there are a few that stick out for various reasons. As a draft guy, the Denver Nuggets have done a great job at selecting impact players over the years regardless of draft position. Also, It&rsquo;s hard to argue with what Jon Horst has built in Milwaukee with the exclamation point of a championship last season.
Alexander Cohen: This is a difficult question to answer. Many of the front offices considered to be the best &mdash; such as the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors &mdash; have gone through rough patches recently. Even the Spurs are finally missing the playoffs &mdash; no team is perfect. I'll stay with the Raptors though, despite their failure to do much of anything last year or get value back for Kyle Lowry. I still have faith in their development system, and that Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster will turn them into contenders again soon enough.
Mark Gunnels: The best front office in the NBA has to be the Milwaukee Bucks right now. They were able to lock up Giannis Antetokounmpo long-term while putting great complementary pieces around him with Khris Middleton and last year's additions Jrue Holiday, PJ Tucker and Bobby Portis.

Which franchise has the best front office? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

NBA Roundtable: Which franchise has the best front office?

Jason Kidd played all 15 active players last night, in a move requested by the Mavericks' three-man 'leadership council'.
Source: Tim MacMahon/ESPN

Jason Kidd played all 15 active players last night, in a move requested by the Mavericks' three-man 'leadership council'.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1453203042094944259?s=20">Tim MacMahon/ESPN</a>

Jason Kidd played all 15 active players last night, in a move requested by the Mavericks' three-man 'leadership council', reportedly consisting of Luka Donc.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1453203042094944259?s=20">Tim MacMahon/ESPN</a>

Jason Kidd played all 15 active players last night, in a move requested by the Mavericks' three-man 'leadership council', reportedly consisting of Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis, and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1453203042094944259?s=20">Tim MacMahon/ESPN</a>

Jason Kidd played all 15 active players last night, in a move requested by the Mavericks' three-man 'leadership council', reportedly consisting of Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis, and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1453210305836822538?s=20">Tim MacMahon/ESPN</a>
&nbsp;

Jason Kidd played all 15 active players last night, in a move requested by the Mavericks' three-man 'leadership council', reportedly consisting of Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis, and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1453210305836822538?s=20">Tim MacMahon/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS: While players always have an ever-increasing role in today's NBA, there has never been suc

Jason Kidd played all 15 active players last night, in a move requested by the Mavericks' three-man 'leadership council', reportedly consisting of Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis, and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1453210305836822538?s=20">Tim MacMahon/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS: While players always have an ever-increasing role in today's NBA, there has never been anything quite like this.&nbsp;
It seemingly represents a shift in Kidd's personality as a coach, being far more accepting of what the players want than he was in Los Angeles.
It remains to be see

Jason Kidd played all 15 active players last night, in a move requested by the Mavericks' three-man 'leadership council', reportedly consisting of Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis, and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1453210305836822538?s=20">Tim MacMahon/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS: While players always have an ever-increasing role in today's NBA, there has never been anything quite like this.&nbsp;
It seemingly represents a shift in Kidd's personality as a coach, being far more accepting of what the players want than he was in Los Angeles.
It remains to be seen what other affects this council could theoretically have if they're already abel to have significant input on rotations.

Jason Kidd played all 15 active players last night, in a move requested by the Mavericks' three-man 'leadership council', reportedly consisting of Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis, and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1453210305836822538?s=20">Tim MacMahon/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS: While players always have an ever-increasing role in today's NBA, there has never been anything quite like this.&nbsp;
It seemingly represents a shift in Kidd's personality as a coach, being far more accepting of what the players want than he was in Los Angeles. But&nbsp;
It remains to be seen what other affects this council could theoretically have if they're already abel to have significant input on rotations.

Jason Kidd played all 15 active players last night, in a move requested by the Mavericks' three-man 'leadership council', reportedly consisting of Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis, and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1453210305836822538?s=20">Tim MacMahon/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS: While players always have an ever-increasing role in today's NBA, there has never been anything quite like this.&nbsp;
It seemingly represents a shift in Kidd's personality as a coach, being far more accepting of what the players want than he was in Los Angeles. But we do not yet know who exactly makes up this leadership group.
It remains to be seen what other affects this council could theoretically have if they're already abel to have significant input on rotations.

Jason Kidd played all 15 active players last night, in a move requested by the Mavericks' three-man 'leadership council', reportedly consisting of Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis, and Tim Hardaway Jr.

Mavs play 15 players at request of three-man 'leadership council'

Zach LaVine has suffered a small ligament tear in his left thumb.&nbsp;

Zach LaVine has suffered a small ligament tear in his left thumb. LaVine intends to play through the injury as it is a matter of "pain and tolerance".
Source: Shams Charania/The Athletic

Zach LaVine has suffered a small ligament tear in his left thumb. LaVine intends to play through the injury as it is a matter of "pain and tolerance".
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1453368316442071041?s=21">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>

Zach LaVine has suffered a small ligament tear in his left thumb. LaVine intends to play through the injury as it is a matter of "pain and tolerance".
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1453368316442071041?s=21">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Bulls have gotten off to a 4-0 start, in large part to LaVine's heroics.

Zach LaVine has suffered a small ligament tear in his left thumb. LaVine intends to play through the injury as it is a matter of "pain and tolerance".
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1453368316442071041?s=21">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Bulls have gotten off to a 4-0 start, in large part due to LaVine's heroics.
LaVine is averaing 25.5 points, 5.3 rebounds,&nbsp;

Zach LaVine has suffered a small ligament tear in his left thumb. LaVine intends to play through the injury as it is a matter of "pain and tolerance".
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1453368316442071041?s=21">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Bulls have gotten off to a 4-0 start, in large part due to LaVine's heroics.
LaVine is averaging 25.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game

Zach LaVine has suffered a small ligament tear in his left thumb. LaVine intends to play through the injury as it is a matter of "pain and tolerance".
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1453368316442071041?s=21">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Bulls have gotten off to a 4-0 start, in large part due to LaVine's heroics.
LaVine is averaging 25.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.

Zach LaVine has suffered a small ligament tear in his left thumb. LaVine intends to play through the injury as it is a matter of "pain and tolerance".
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1453368316442071041?s=21">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Bulls have gotten off to a 4-0 start, in large part due to LaVine's heroics.
LaVine is averaging 25.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.
Despite the Bulls being undefeated, they have only edged out

Zach LaVine has suffered a small ligament tear in his left thumb. LaVine intends to play through the injury as it is a matter of "pain and tolerance".
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1453368316442071041?s=21">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Bulls have gotten off to a 4-0 start, in large part due to LaVine's heroics.
LaVine is averaging 25.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.
Despite the Bulls being undefeated, they have only edged out poor teams

Zach LaVine has suffered a small ligament tear in his left thumb. LaVine intends to play through the injury as it is a matter of "pain and tolerance".
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1453368316442071041?s=21">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Bulls have gotten off to a 4-0 start, in large part due to LaVine's heroics.
LaVine is averaging 25.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.
Despite the Bulls being undefeated, they have only edged out poor teams and a LaVine absence could hamper them significantly.

Zach LaVine has suffered a small ligament tear in his left thumb. LaVine intends to play through the injury as it is a matter of "pain and tolerance".