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Trail Blazers

The 2022 NBA Draft Lottery was last night, so we now have our top-14 picks!
Unfortunately, many of these teams &mdash; like the Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets &mdash; have grown accustomed to picking in the lottery year after year.
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Of those top-14 teams, some should try to win now. And no, that doesn&rsquo;t necessarily mean they have to trade their first-round pick, especially after observing how Rookie-of-the-Year winner Scottie Barnes and runner-up Evan Mobley impacted winning this season. But, for some teams, you could say that if they were better at development, they wouldn&rsquo;t be in the lottery this often.
But we digress. Here are some teams who should strongly consider using their lottery pick in a win-now trade so that they&rsquo;re not back in the same position next season in an increasingly wide-open NBA.
(Did we include specific trade ideas? No, we aren't firing up the trade machine here. It's May, and what do you want? 2,500 words? On the Lottery? During the Conference Finals?)
Sacramento Kings
The Kings, who were the only team to jump in the lottery last night, have picks No. 4 and No. 37 in the upcoming draft, <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Kings.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">along with all of their pending first-rounders</a> and many of their seconds.
Absolutely no team in the NBA needs to make the playoffs more than the Kings. The team was a perennial playoff participant from 1999 through 2006, which is hard to fathom since they haven&rsquo;t reached the postseason ever since. Their eight-straight playoff trips included four consecutive runs to at least the Western Conference Semifinals, with a Western Conference Finals trip in 2002. They have not made the playoffs since 2006; they&rsquo;ve only finished above 10th place in the West once, in 2019, when they went 39-43 &mdash; their best record in 16 years, and one of only two seasons in which they&rsquo;ve had more than 33 wins.
Last season, they made the now keystone Kings-Pacers trade, dealing Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristian Thompson for Domantas Sabonis (who represented them at the lottery), Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a 2023 second-round pick. With the pairing of Sabonis (26 years old) and De&rsquo;Aaron Fox (24 years old), it may make more sense to add a similarly aged starter who can help their 2022-23 presumed playoff push.
Also, expected on the roster next season is Davion Mitchell, who will enter his sophomore season but is already 23 years old and may earn an All-Rookie selection soon. Richaun Holmes saw his role take a hit once Sabonis arrived and missed much of the latter portion of the season <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/being-accused-ex-wife-domestic-010013091.html">dealing with a personal issue</a>. Otherwise, for now, Holmes, Harrison Barnes and Mitchell are among the players under contract for next season.
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Dealing the No. 4 overall pick could land them a damn good player. John Collins, Gordon Hayward, Julius Randle, Jerami Grant and Christian Wood are among those who <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/five-nba-players-who-feel-destined-to-be-traded-this-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may find a new home this summer</a>. Could the Utah Jazz look to move on from <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-desinations-for-donovan-mitchell-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donovan Mitchell</a> or <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-rudy-gobert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rudy Gobert</a>&nbsp;in the coming months?
The Kings will have to attach players to the No. 4 pick, but imagine if Sacramento could put another win-now piece alongside Fox and Sabonis? They should make some calls to see what a package built around the No. 4 pick could return.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Despite all of the draft picks the Thunder own, they simply can&rsquo;t draft everyone. In this year's draft, OKC owns No. 2, No. 12, No. 30 and No. 34. Over the next five years, they will have 17 first-round picks and 30 selections in total. This is something you do in NBA 2K when you plan on building a dynasty, but at some point, most virtual GMs realize that you need to start having actual players on your roster to win rather than just continually flipping players for picks while toiling at the bottom of the standings.&nbsp;
At some point, Oklahoma City needs to make its run. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is about to enter the first season of his five-year, $172 million extension, which will see him earn just under $30 million next year. SGA turns 24 years old this summer and is a cornerstone for the franchise as their best player at the moment. Last year's No. 6 overall selection Josh Giddey looks like a keeper who almost certainly will be on an All-Rookie team this season. Lu Dort, Tre Mann, Kenrich Williams, Darius Bazley, Ty Jerome and Aleksej Pokusevski are all under contractual control for next season.
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OKC could quickly assemble a package for a high-level starter or borderline star to join SGA and Giddey, particularly with whoever else is retained. They have more than enough draft capital and could probably get close to anyone they want as a result. In terms of their roster, they just need good two-way players who fit what they&rsquo;re trying to build culturally and schematically. Literally, anything goes here.
At some point, the Thunder will have to package some of these draft picks or prospects. We'll see when Sam Presti decides to flip that switch.&nbsp;
Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers are in a tough spot with Damian Lillard, and what Lillard wants will factor in to their decision-making. He clearly wants to win but, by all accounts, he prefers to stay in Portland. It may be difficult to check both of those boxes with the Blazers as presently constructed. In the Lillard-CJ McCollum era, Portland made the playoffs every season and reached one Western Conference Finals in 2019. They were <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-salute-to-the-defiance-of-damian-lillard-and-cj-mccollum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">often failed by suboptimal roster construction around Lillard and McCollum</a>, and then the elite backcourt would be unfairly blamed for the team's struggles.
With the No. 7 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and the assumption that Lillard remains, what&rsquo;s their next move as they once again attempt to win with their elite 6-foot-3 shot creator? Lillard is due over $42 million next season, the second season of a four-year supermax that will include a player option worth close to $49 million in 2024-25.
Eric Bledsoe&rsquo;s $19 million and Josh Hart&rsquo;s $12 million are the only other big salaries on the books for next season. A decision awaits on dynamic guard Anfernee Simons, who is reminiscent of the aforementioned McCollum, as he is up for an extension this summer as he enters restricted free agency. <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/02/25/restricted-free-agent-to-be-anfernee-simons-i-100-want-to-stay-in-portland/#:~:text=signed%20a%20three%2Dyear%2C%20%2451.8,board%20career%20highs%20this%20season." target="_blank" rel="noopener">He reportedly wants to stay in Portland</a>.
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Ultimately, if the Blazers decide to package the No. 7 overall with some combination of players, could they look to include Simons via a sign-and-trade? It depends how aspirational a supposed deal could get and who they are getting in return. Only $3.9 million of Bledsoe&rsquo;s deal <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/eric-bledsoe-6900/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is fully guaranteed until June 29</a>, making him a prime trade-and-waive candidate between now and the draft.
Here's the reality: Portland&rsquo;s roster requires a full rebuild, but if Lillard is going to remain, selecting a rookie at No. 7 might not be ideal. And given their history and Simons' fit alongside Lillard, you might want to look at a big.

Bryan Fonseca argues that there are three NBA teams who should look to trade their lottery pick for a win-now piece.

Which NBA Draft Lottery teams should make a win-now trade?

Objectively, Damian Lillard is as accomplished as nearly anyone in the NBA, but the legacies of all-time greats are judged against other all-time greats. Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal teases Charles Barkley on "Inside the NBA" about having won zero championships because he can. Win one, and you&rsquo;re forever a member of the club. Fail to do so, and you&rsquo;ll remain on the outside looking in.
Granted, being an all-time great is a good club to be a part of, but failing to win a championship can be utterly haunting. Just watch players like Barkley and Patrick Ewing talk about failing to win on the biggest stage. You hear regret in their voices. And pain. And there&rsquo;s nothing they can do about it.
It&rsquo;s premature to lump Lillard in with the aforementioned greats. After all, he&rsquo;s still only 31, meaning he has years remaining before we can have an honest discussion about his place amongst league legends (with or without a championship). I&rsquo;ll happily wait until he&rsquo;s retired to assess his legacy.
What I will address now is the fact that Lillard&rsquo;s inability to deliver a championship to Portland in his 10 seasons is actually not his fault. In fact, I posit that that no superstar in recent memory can be blamed less than Lillard for his team&rsquo;s shortcomings. Lillard has faced a grueling uphill battle since joining the Trail Blazers as a rookie, and his presence has resulted in Portland consistently outperforming their talent.
First, let&rsquo;s inventory how Lillard&rsquo;s Trail Blazers have fared in the postseason. In total, Portland has missed the playoffs twice since Lillard was drafted: once during his rookie year and again in 2021-22, a season in which Lillard was shut down in late December due to abdominal surgery. Had Lillard been healthy all season, his Blazers may have made their ninth consecutive postseason appearance.
Once there, Lillard is an impactful postseason player, posting 25.7 points and 6.2 assists per game in 12 career postseason series. Across his playoff career, he&rsquo;s shot 41.2% from the field, 36.9% on threes and 88.7% on free throws. He&rsquo;s also had several epic shots that were either game-winners or series-enders, which probably inspired Robert Horry, an all-time great shooter himself, to recently refer to Lillard the best clutch shooter ever.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Robert Horry calls Damian Lillard the best clutch shooter ever over Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant &ldquo;He has hit a clutch shot versus every team in the NBA.&rdquo;<a href="https://t.co/lg34EjTZNB">https://t.co/lg34EjTZNB</a>
&mdash; NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1525203234650050562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Despite his heroics, Lillard&rsquo;s Trail Blazers have never reached the NBA Finals. They did succeed in reaching the Western Conference Finals once in 2019. They ultimately lost to the Golden State Warriors. They also lost to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals in 2014, the 73-9 Warriors in the Western Conference Semifinals in 2016 and the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the first-round in 2020. So, four of Lillard&rsquo;s eight postseason appearances ended against either the eventual champions or the dynastic Warriors.
Like Barkley and Ewing before him, Lillard has been a victim of time and circumstance, as his prime fell right in the middle of the Golden State Warriors&rsquo; historic run. But in Lillard&rsquo;s case, his struggles have been about more than his opponents. After all, Lillard is not dominated by any one player like how Jordan dominated his era. His circumstances are more a result of his supporting cast, or lack thereof.
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Lillard&rsquo;s stance on recruiting is that he wants to remain in Portland. He&rsquo;ll assist in recruiting free agents to Rip City, but he will not entertain recruiting pitches from other teams&rsquo; stars, a fair and respectable stance. For whatever reason, Lillard has been unsuccessful in recruiting others thus far. For example, he failed to land Kelly Oubre in Portland just last summer. However, there are limited examples of a dedicated push by Lillard in recruiting. Whether he foregoes recruiting or fails at it , the result is the same, and it hurts.
But as much as Lillard could participate in team building, there is a management team that is paid a handsome salary to build the team into a legitimate contender, regardless of Lillard's recruitment style. Frankly, that front office has failed to surround Lillard with top-tier co-stars.
A quick inventory of recent NBA champions reveals that Portland&rsquo;s talent is simply insufficient. Seven of the last 10 champions had multiple All-Stars. The other three were San Antonio in 2014, Cleveland in 2016 and Milwaukee in 2021, and we know all three teams had far more talent than any Portland team. Comparatively, battling all-time great competition, Lillard&rsquo;s only active All-Star teammate has been LaMarcus Aldridge, and they only overlapped as All-Stars twice.
There is also CJ McCollum, who was the 2015-16 Most Improved Player. Despite not being named to an All-Star team, he&rsquo;s certainly been an All-Star caliber player for much of his career. He&rsquo;s even (slightly) better in the playoffs, where he&rsquo;s scored 20.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in 13 series.
McCollum's and Aldridge&rsquo;s better seasons sadly didn&rsquo;t overlap. Aldridge&rsquo;s final season in Portland (2014-15) was McCollum&rsquo;s sophomore season, and McCollum wasn&rsquo;t yet the McCollum we've come to know.
Portland could be on to something now. Anfernee Simons could prove to be a valid backcourt mate for Lillard. The former IMG star had a breakout season last year, averaging 17.3 points per game on 40.9% on three-pointers. If Joe Ingles can regain his pre-injury form and Jusuf Nurkic can remain healthy, there are some promising pieces in the mix.
However, the Trail Blazers still need at least one more creator. Fortunately, Portland has a 37.2% chance of sneaking into the top-four in this year&rsquo;s NBA Draft. Doing so would equip them with a valuable trade chip that could deliver exactly the type of player they need and maybe get them closer to becoming NBA Champions.
Regardless as to what happens with Portland in the immediate future, a closer look at Lillard's body of work reveals just how great he really is. Soon, he may join that elusive and exclusive championship club, but even if he doesn&rsquo;t, we should be careful how we refer to his failures. Because more so than practically anyone in NBA history, not winning a championship shouldn't paint our perception of Lillard.&nbsp;
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Damian Lillard is already an all-time great. We can't ignore his postseason failures, but he can't be defined by them, either.

Damian Lillard's inability to win isn't his fault

The Trail Blazers' season started with Damian Lillard declaring his faith the team would be competitive. It ended with him on the bench in street clothes, watching as Portland lost its 11th straight game.
With a spate of injuries, a new coach, a front-office shakeup and a roster overhaul, the Blazers' turbulent season was less about the present and more about rebuilding for the future.
Portland heads into the offseason with at least one lottery pick and cap space, armed with a plan to build around six-time All-Star Lillard. He made a promise to fans at the Moda Center for the team's final game.
&ldquo;This year a lot of things came up that we didn&rsquo;t expect. A lot of hard times. But you guys continue to show up. Continue to show us love. Continue to be the fans that I&rsquo;ve always known," he said. "And I just need y&rsquo;all to know one thing: This will not continue. Next year we&rsquo;re gonna come back better than we&rsquo;ve been.&rdquo;
It was a far cry from the start of the season, when <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-portland-trail-blazers-damian-lillard-nipsey-hussle-8e42df230931af414e83df09eeae26b9">Lillard flashed his Olympic gold medal and said:</a> &ldquo;I think over the years we&rsquo;ve always had a competitive team, I think we&rsquo;ll be competitive again.&rdquo;
The Blazers finished 27-55, their worst season since 2005-06 when they won just 21 games. Clearly eying draft position after the NBA trade deadline, 11 of Portland's losses following the All-Star break were by more than 30 points.
Over the course of the season the Blazers used 34 different starting lineups, winding up at 13th in the Western Conference.
&ldquo;It's not been a season that any of us expected, but the way that I kind of see it in all honesty, this year has kind of been like a real microcosm of life. You have these great ideas and plans and thoughts, and then things happen and you have to pivot," said first-year Portland coach Chauncey Billups. "And then it becomes about how you pivot, and what you do.&rdquo;
INJURIES ABOUND
Lillard was the most significant of the Blazers' injuries this season. He played in just 29 games, the result of a nagging abdominal injury that required surgery in January.
Backcourt partner CJ McCollum missed 17 games with a collapsed lung. Others who missed significant time included Nassir Little, who sustained a labral tear in his left shoulder in late January and missed the rest of the season; Jusuf Nurkic, shut down for the final 22 games of the season with plantar fasciitis; and Larry Nance Jr., who missed 17 games with right knee inflammation before he was traded.
And that's not to mention the games missed because of COVID-19 protocols.
SHAKEUPS AT THE TOP
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/basketball-los-angeles-clippers-portland-trail-blazers-nba-sports-d396c10b6f9fb6fd2294fdbf85e0e2ae">Billups was hired in the offseason as the team's new coach, </a> replacing Terry Stotts, who had led the team to playoff appearances in the past eight seasons. Billups had limited experience with just one season as an assistant NBA coach.
Blazers President and CEO Chris Magowan stepped down in November and was replaced by Dewayne Hankins, a team vice president and chief commercial officer.
General manager Neil Olshey was then dismissed by Portland in December following an outside investigation into concerns about workplace environment. Joe Cronin, an assistant GM, was promoted to fill the role on an interim basis.
SHAKEUPS ON THE COURT
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/portland-trail-blazers-nba-sports-anfernee-simons-damian-lillard-ac8ac08b3e767746a75214b0ad1962ea">The Blazers made a flurry of multiplayer deals before the February deadline.</a> Five Blazers who played in the team&rsquo;s opener against Sacramento were no longer with the team, including three starters.
The most significant of the deals involved McCollum, who had been drafted by the Blazers in 2013 and formed a close bond with Lillard. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-pelicans-portland-trail-blazers-nba-sports-new-orleans-ba8eb752b95b311947df90132b93eee4">He was sent to the New Orleans Pelicans along with Nance and Tony Snell. </a>
Portland also traded Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Los Angeles Clippers for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, rookie Keon Johnson and a second-round pick in 2025. The day before the deadline, the Blazers acquired injured forward Joe Ingles in a three-team trade with Utah and San Antonio.
ANFERNEE'S RISE
The one bright spot in an otherwise forgettable season was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-james-harden-kyrie-irving-portland-trail-blazers-adcd0df67820677f5bac7c07202ba2f9">the rise of guard Anfernee Simons</a>.
Simons took advantage of the opportunity when Lillard was injured. After taking over as starter, he averaged 23.4 points and 5.8 assists.
Just 22, he scored a career-high 43 points on Jan. 3 against Atlanta, making him the youngest Trail Blazer ever to have a 40-point game. On Feb. 14 in Milwaukee, he had seven 3-pointers, and he finished with 18 games with five-plus 3s.
The Blazers also shut him down for the final stretch of the season. He missed the final 17 games with left knee patellar tendinopathy.

Portland heads into the offseason with at least one lottery pick and cap space, armed with a plan to build around Damian Lillard.

Trail Blazers look to rebuild after turbulent season

For a third of the NBA, summer break comes early.&nbsp;
Though 10 teams didn't make the playoffs, it's not all doom and gloom. Several NBA bottom-feeders took tangible steps forward in their rebuilding efforts, while others &mdash; well, they're not supposed to be here.
Every franchise enters the offseason with summer plans. As teams get eliminated from the postseason, I'll be rounding up every team's offseason outlook and posing one question they must answer over the summer. You'll see each squad's 2022 NBA Draft chest, plus their potential free agents, along with the central question.&nbsp;
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Let's get started!
DETROIT PISTONS 
Draft assets: First-round pick (14.0% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick (via Brooklyn)
Potential free agents:&nbsp;Marvin Bagley III (restricted), Cory Joseph (player option), Hamidou Diallo (team option), Frank Jackson (team option), Luka Garza (team option), Carsen Edwards (team option), Rodney McGruder 
Central question: How do the Pistons build an offense around Cade Cunningham?
This was a pretty solid season for Detroit as far as rebuilding efforts go. Cade Cunningham emerged as a Rookie of the Year front-runner and two-way centerpiece who has fans ecstatic about his ceiling. The Pistons finished a solid 10-14 after the All-Star break, and have shown flashes of an improving defense. They did still finish with the 28th-ranked offense, per Cleaning the Glass, and one of the worst shooting rates in the NBA.
Cunningham had to carry a ridiculous offensive load in the latter stages of the season. Detroit has the power to change that in 2022-23, starting with its high draft pick. Maybe Jabari Smith's lights-out scoring means he's an ideal secondary option? Perhaps Paolo Banchero thrives as an additional creator, or maybe Chet Holmgren makes sense as a finisher and spot-up threat? The fun part about Cunningham is that his versatility creates so many pathways for the Pistons in the draft &mdash; whether or not the ping pong balls fall their way.
Detroit wields a cap hold of approximately $28 million on Bagley, and once that lifts (either via a new contract or letting him walk), the Pistons should have a solid chunk of cap space to add to the supporting cast.
HOUSTON ROCKETS
Draft assets: First-round pick (14.0% chance at No. 1), better of Brooklyn/Miami first-round picks
Potential free agents: John Wall (player option), Dennis Schroder, Bruno Fernando (restricted), Jae'Sean Tate (team option), Anthony Lamb (qualifying offer), Trevelin Queen (qualifying offer)
Central question: How patient is the front office willing to be?
Houston's 2021 draft strategy of "draft talent, figure out the fit later" appears to be working out. Jalen Green demonstrated an Anthony Edwards-esque leap post-All-Star break, Alperen Sengun is already one of the NBA's best passing bigs, and guys like Josh Christopher and KJ Martin routinely hinted at upside. Houston gets another prime shot at a franchise cornerstone this draft cycle. We're approaching Stage 2 of the strategy, though: figuring out how the pieces fit.&nbsp;
The Rockets were one of two NBA teams with bottom-five ratings on offense and defense. They led the league in rim frequency and were fourth in three-point frequency, but posted mediocre shooting clips. Houston evokes memories of the rebuilding Nets, who played a similarly extreme brand of ball for a few years as the team slowly reshaped into a fun playoff squad. Does the front office have the foresight to let head coach Stephen Silas work things out with his roster of young guns?&nbsp;
INDIANA PACERS
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
How is there a &ldquo;rebuild&rdquo; to afraid of if it isn&rsquo;t a rebuild? <a href="https://t.co/0pDD7E6Mss">pic.twitter.com/0pDD7E6Mss</a>
&mdash; Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper) <a href="https://twitter.com/C2_Cooper/status/1512127632758001664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Draft assets: First-round pick (10.5% chance at No. 1), First-round pick (if 15-30, via Cleveland), Second-round pick (via Houston), Second-round pick (via Phoenix)
Potential free agents: Ricky Rubio, T.J. Warren, Jalen Smith, Lance Stephenson, Nate Hinton (restricted), Oshae Brissett (team option)
Central question: How extreme is the incoming rebuild, and what veterans mesh with the future vision?
Notably unlisted among the potential free agents are Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner, Buddy Hield and T.J. McConnell. All range from solid starters to rotational complements, and 3 of the 4 (not Turner) will be 30 next season. The Pacers are clearly retooling, as evidenced by their trade-deadline fireworks and Tyrese Haliburton's subsequent high usage. They also have publicly flip-flopped regarding the direction of the team; see the above Tweet.
Indiana doesn't have the pure depth of talent to straddle the line. The Pacers can trade many of these talented players and build up a chest of draft picks and young pieces, or they can charge ahead, turn their picks into win-now players and hope Haliburton is ready for the playoff push. But a middle ground doesn't exist in an Eastern Conference where just about every team has solidified its direction.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Draft assets: None
Potential free agents: Russell Westbrook (player option), Kendrick Nunn (player option), Austin Reaves (team option), Stanley Johnson (team option), Carmelo Anthony, Avery Bradley, Wayne Ellington, Dwight Howard, Kent Bazemore, Malik Monk, D.J. Augustin, Wenyen Gabriel, Mason Jones (restricted)
Central question: What does team-building around two injury-prone superstars look like?
LeBron James <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lebron-james-i-dont-have-a-cap-on-how-long-i-want-to-play" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turns 38 next season</a>, and has played 60-plus games just once in the past four seasons. Anthony Davis has now missed more than half the season in back-to-back years. Sure, the Lakers were a mess regardless of their stars' health, but going forward, is pursuing fits next to James and Davis even worthwhile if the two won't consistently be on the court?
With just three players under contract (the aforementioned stars, plus Talen Horton-Tucker), the Lakers enter another offseason of a roster overhaul. This time, I'd recommend almost entirely forgetting about James and Davis when building the squad and simply try to assemble units that make sense together.&nbsp;
NEW YORK KNICKS
Draft assets: First-round pick (2.5% chance at No. 1, could change based on Play-In results), Second-round pick via Boston and Charlotte (if 56-60)
Potential free agents: Mitchell Robinson, Ryan Arcidiacono 
Central question: What's going to happen with the veterans?
The top six moneymakers for the Knicks next season are all 27 or older, and I think many fans would say that out of the group, only Julius Randle should have started &mdash; and he seriously regressed this season. The young Knicks <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/explain-one-play-young-knicks-playing-chess" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clearly showed they're ready to take the mantle</a>.
So what happens with Randle, Evan Fournier, Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel and Kemba Walker? Is Tom Thibodeau prepared to reduce their (their meaning Burks specifically in this case) minutes and usage, will trades be coming, or will Madison Square Garden burn when Immanuel Quickley opens the season by playing 16 minutes off the bench? New York has drafted extremely well in recent seasons, but the ceiling of the young core is capped if these youngsters don't get a chance to prove themselves in meaningful situations.
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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER 
Draft assets: First-round pick (12.5% chance at No. 1), First-round pick via Clippers, First-round pick via Phoenix, Second-round pick
Potential free agents: Derrick Favors (player option), Mike Muscala (team option), Lu Dort (team option), Isaiah Roby (team option), Melvin Frazier (restricted)
Central question: What is the pathway in the frontcourt?
I've stanned Sam Presti's team-building strategy for years now, and I still think it's on track for a serious payoff. Josh Giddey slots in somewhere on your All-Rookie ballot, and draft classmates Tre Mann, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins flashed rotation-caliber play as well. It is simply a joy to watch a random young player have a breakout game on any given night, and OKC has already shown the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-oklahoma-city-thunders-emerging-defensive-identity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">early stages of a prominent defense</a>.
Next up: Capitalize on a draft loaded with intruiging frontcourt players. Banchero, Holmgren and Smith are obviously the best of the best. But even if the Thunder slide in the lottery, they could pounce on an athletic shot-blocker like Jalen Duren, or use one of their later picks on a center like Mark Williams. I'm just spit-balling, but the point is that OKC has plenty of chances to find its big-man anchor and further flesh out its core.
ORLANDO MAGIC
Draft assets: First-round pick (14.0% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick, Second-round pick via Indiana
Potential free agents: Gary Harris, Robin Lopez, Bol Bol (restricted), Ignas Brazdeikis (restricted), Admiral Schofield (restricted)
Central question: How do the offensive pieces fit together?
Orlando quietly logged a 17th-ranked defense this season, and an 11th-ranked unit since Feb. 1. A dismal offense ultimately doomed the Magic, who were riddled with inconsistent shotmaking and poor team efficiency marks throughout the half-court. We don't need to sound any player alarms; it takes time for young guards in particular to grasp the responsibilities of running NBA offenses.&nbsp;
But what if I told you Orlando has wielded bottom-10 offensive ratings every season for the last decade?&nbsp;
Change can start in the draft, again with some of the top offensive forward options like Banchero or Smith. Adding another ball-dominant guard in Jaden Ivey might be overkill, but AJ Griffin and Bennedict Mathurin feel like good wing fits at first glance. Spotrac estimates the Magic could have up to $30 million in practical cap space, leaving plenty of room for veteran players to accentuate the young talent.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
THE D IN DREW STANDS FOR DUNK DO NOT GOOGLE THIS <a href="https://t.co/2AojdAskYV">pic.twitter.com/2AojdAskYV</a>
&mdash; Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1508636734900166659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Draft assets: First-round pick (9.0% chance at No. 1), First-round pick via New Orleans (if 5-14), Second-round pick, Second-round pick via Memphis
Potential free agents: Joe Ingles, Jusuf Nurkic, Ben McLemore, Anfernee Simons (restricted), CJ Elleby (restricted), Elijah Hughes (restricted), Keljin Blevins (restricted)
Central question: Is Portland actually trying to win "now" or win soon?
Some really great development happened for the Blazers during the "wash" portion of the season in the form of players like Trendon Watford, Keon Johnson and Drew Eubanks. Add them to Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little and the incomng draft picks, and Portland suddenly has... kind of a sneaky-deep prospect pool? There's real potential to mold this group into a rotation cast that gives Portland one of its deepest rosters in years.
That's why these <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jerami-grant-trade-rumors-portland-is-still-the-frontrunner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jerami Grant trade rumors concern me</a>. Giving up a possible lottery pick to try and piece together a short-term playoff team risks too much and keeps the Trail Blazers in the limbo they have lounged in for several years. Understandably, the franchise wants to build a contender while Damian Lillard is invested and in his prime. With some patience, Portland can without sacrificing sustainibility.
SACRAMENTO KINGS
Draft assets: First-round pick (7.5% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick, Second-round pick (via Chicago)
Potential free agents: Jeremy Lamb, Josh Jackson, Damian Jones, Donte DiVincenzo (restricted), Neemias Queta (restricted), Trey Lyles (team option)
Central question: How does Sacramento turn into a competitive NBA defense?
The Kings have trotted out lackluster defenses for as long as I can remember. In fact, they haven't ranked above 20th in Defensive Rating since 2005-06 &mdash; notably, the last time they made the playoffs.
And that didn't change under interim head coach Alvin Gentry. (Gentry will not return as head coach next season, but is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shams-alvin-gentry-no-longer-interim-coach-of-the-kings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in talks for a front-office role</a>, per ESPN.) However, the on-paper roster actually shines some hope. Davion Mitchell made highlight reels out of his "Off-Night" defense. Justin Holiday is a solid individual defender, as is Harrison Barnes, and even De'Aaron Fox has his sporadic moments.&nbsp;
Can Sacramento find a head coach who turns a group of intriguing players with defensive potential into even an average squad? What draft and free agency options exist? Of course, the Kings would like to end their NBA-leading playoff drought. That'll come with changing the culture on defense.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Draft assets: First-round pick (2.5% chance at No. 1, depends on Play-In results), Second-round pick (via Dallas)
Potential free agents: Bradley Beal (player option), Thomas Bryant, Raul Neto, Tomas Satoransky, Anthony Gill (restricted), Cassius Winston (restricted)
Central question: What style of guard play is a feasible best fit?
Okay, so obviously the biggest question mark surrounds Bradley Beal's free agency. But from a conceptual standpoint, Washington has tried and failed over the past few seasons to find Beal's best-fitting partner in crime. John Wall, Russell Westbrook and Spencer Dinwiddie were each supposed to provide the downhill juice Beal lacks. The Wizards either did this at serious expense of another skill area (Wall, Westbrook), or it just didn't translate their at-rim ability (Dinwiddie). All battled injuries as well.
"I think we need bigger guards," <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/bradley-beal-outlines-what-wizards-need-build-contender" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beal said in March</a>. "We need more guys that can get in the paint for us, more ball-handlers, more guys that can really create and get two feet in the paint, but also who can knock down threes."
I mean, Beal's needs make total sense. The problem is that every other basketball team on Earth also wants this type of guard.
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Ethan Fuller sets the offseason stage for each team that missed the NBA playoffs.

Summer plans for the NBA's 10 non-playoff teams

SAN ANTONIO (AP) &mdash; Keldon Johnson scored 28 points and the San Antonio Spurs defeated the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers 113-92 on Sunday night to strengthen their bid for a play-in berth.
Coupled with the Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; loss to Denver, San Antonio&rsquo;s magic number for clinching 10th place in the Western Conference is two games. The Spurs (33-45) also hold the tiebreaker over the Lakers (31-47) with a better conference record.
San Antonio won a two-game weekend series with Portland to complete a four-game sweep of the Trail Blazers. It was the sixth win in seven games for the resurgent Spurs.
San Antonio's Zach Collins had 18 points and 13 rebounds for his first career double-double. Tre Jones added 18 points and Keita Bates-Diop 12.
The Blazers struggled to maintain any consistency offensively without Damian Lillard, Jusuf Nurkic, Josh Hart, Eric Bledsoe, Anfernee Simmons and several other injured players.
Keon Johnson and Ben McLemore had 19 points each to lead Portland.
San Antonio was without Dejounte Murray and Jakob Poeltl.
As they did Friday, the Trail Blazers took an early lead as the Spurs struggled to adjust without its missing starters.
Johnson responded with his sixth straight 20-point game.
San Antonio outscored Portland 34-16 in the third quarter to overcome a 13-point deficit.
The Spurs tied the game at 23 on a runner by Josh Richardson off a pair of offensive rebounds and then took the lead on Lonnie Walker IV&rsquo;s 3-pointer.
The Blazers regained the lead in the second quarter, much to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich&rsquo;s dismay. The veteran called a timeout with 7 minutes remaining after San Antonio allowed a 3-pointer that put up Portland up 43-37.
The Blazers were 6 for 10 on 3-pointers in the second quarter and shot 52% overall in the period. Portland finished 16 for 44 on 3-pointers and shot 40% overall.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Portland has lost four straight to San Antonio. The Trail Blazers' last victory at the AT&amp;T Center was May 8, 2021. ... Portland is 27-51, its first 50-loss season since going 32-50 in 2007. ... Rookie F Greg Brown III was assessed a clear path foul with 11:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. After committing a turnover, Brown began attempting to wrap up Tre Jones near midcourt on a fast break. ... G Kris Dunn received a flagrant foul 1 after hitting Johnson in the head on a layup attempt with 8 minutes remaining in the fourth. Initially ruled a common foul, the penalty was changed after video review. Johnson had to reinsert a contact lens before shooting free throws.
Spurs: San Antonio star Manu Ginobili received a standing ovation after the Spurs honored the Argentinian for his selection to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Spurs showed a video of Ginobili receiving a call from Hall of Fame president John Doleva informing him of the selection. San Antonio then cut to a live shot of Ginobili, who was in attendance &mdash; which drew another huge roar and standing ovation. ... Murray and Poeltl were both late scratches from the starting lineup. Murray is still battling a non-COVID upper respiratory illness. Poeltl has a back injury. ... Collins was a rebound shy of completing his first career double-double on Friday. ... C Jock Landale did not return after spraining his right foot 30 seconds into the second quarter. After writhing in pain on the court for about a minute, Landale walked back to the locker room unassisted. ... Romeo Langford played for the first time since March 7 after missing 12 straight games due to an injured hamstring.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: At Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.
Spurs: At Denver on Tuesday night.

Keldon Johnson led the San Antonio Spurs with 28 points in their play-in strengthening win against the Trail Blazers.

Spurs top short-handed Blazers to strengthen play-in hopes

This season hasn&rsquo;t gone as planned for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Entering the campaign, the Blazers were hoping to be one of the Western Conference&rsquo;s top teams. With new head coach Chauncey Billups and a veteran-laden roster, Portland hoped to continue their eight-year playoff streak and go on a deep run in the postseason. To get an idea of how Portland was perceived last summer, recall that Larry Nance Jr. asked his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers to trade him to the Blazers because he wanted to join a contender.
Now, at 27-48, Portland has the 12th-best record in the West. The Blazers currently sport the NBA's 25th-ranked offense (scoring 106.3 points per 100 possessions) and 29th-ranked defense (allowing 113.3 points per 100 possessions). And after trading away vets such as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/after-a-crazy-season-cj-mccollum-is-thriving-with-pelicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CJ McCollum</a>, Norman Powell, Robert Covington, Tony Snell and Nance, Portland seems headed for the NBA draft lottery for the first time since 2013.
Throughout this disappointing season, there has been an undeniable bright spot for the Blazers: Anfernee Simons. The 22-year-old took the next step in his development and proved that he was ready to take on an increased role. His emergence is a big reason why Portland&rsquo;s front office felt comfortable trading away McCollum and Powell prior to the deadline.
Simons averaged 22.0 points, 5.5 assists, 4.1 threes and 2.8 rebounds in 30 games as a starter, while shooting 45.2% from the field, 41.5% from three and 87.1% from the free-throw line. This offseason, Simons is poised to hit restricted free agency and get a lucrative payday.
During his first three seasons in the NBA, Simons had just five games with 20 or more points. This season, he did it 19 times despite only playing 57 games. (He&rsquo;s been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to patellar tendinopathy in his left knee).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Anfernee Simons🔥 🐜 In the win vs Trae &amp; the Hawks 43 Points (career-high) 13/21 Shooting 9 Threes (ties career-high) 7 Assists <a href="https://t.co/Wt5uiLzO7J">pic.twitter.com/Wt5uiLzO7J</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1478240059140841473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2022</a></blockquote>

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On Jan. 3, he had a 43-point, 9-three, 7-assist performance to defeat the Atlanta Hawks. Last month, he helped the Blazers upset the Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies in back-to-back road games, finishing with 31 points and 6 assists in both contests. Portland was 7-1 when Simons scored at least 29 points this season.
&ldquo;They believe in me. They think I'm a great player and I can help them win,&rdquo; Simons <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/a-conversation-with-anfernee-simons?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjI2MjQ1LCJwb3N0X2lkIjo1MDI2MzY0NiwiXyI6IkZsWjNwIiwiaWF0IjoxNjQ4NTcyMDMyLCJleHAiOjE2NDg1NzU2MzIsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0zOTIyMDUiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.dZ6HuN__uKrHVFj7kSlYaP1sSa_nUd8qqOfXCIcfVsc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Marc Stein</a>. &ldquo;It's crazy how stuff moves pretty fast in the NBA &mdash; just being prepared when my opportunity was presented and taking full advantage of that. And I think I've been doing that. I gained the organization's trust. For them to make these moves just shows that they believe in me and want me to succeed.&rdquo;
Simons&rsquo; huge strides have him being mentioned as a potential candidate for the Most Improved Player award. If he wins, he would become the fourth Blazer to win Most Improved, joining CJ McCollum (2015-16), Zach Randolph (2003-04) and Kevin Duckworth (1987-88). LaMarcus Aldridge finished as the MIP runner-up twice (in 2007-08 and 2010-11), but he came up short to Hedo Turkoglu and Kevin Love, respectively.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think I put myself in a good position to at least be nominated for it &mdash; to at least be in talks for being Most Improved,&rdquo; Simons <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/a-conversation-with-anfernee-simons?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjI2MjQ1LCJwb3N0X2lkIjo1MDI2MzY0NiwiXyI6IkZsWjNwIiwiaWF0IjoxNjQ4NTcyMDMyLCJleHAiOjE2NDg1NzU2MzIsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0zOTIyMDUiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.dZ6HuN__uKrHVFj7kSlYaP1sSa_nUd8qqOfXCIcfVsc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Stein</a>. &ldquo;But I can't control who picks who, so I'm just going to continue to work hard on trying to get better.&rdquo;
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Simons acknowledges that he still has plenty of work to do, and he knows what aspects of his game he wants to hone next.
&ldquo;[I] just want to continue to get better at playmaking &mdash; continue to see the floor better &mdash; and work on finishing around the rim and getting fouled,&rdquo; Simons <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/a-conversation-with-anfernee-simons?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjI2MjQ1LCJwb3N0X2lkIjo1MDI2MzY0NiwiXyI6IkZsWjNwIiwiaWF0IjoxNjQ4NTcyMDMyLCJleHAiOjE2NDg1NzU2MzIsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0zOTIyMDUiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.dZ6HuN__uKrHVFj7kSlYaP1sSa_nUd8qqOfXCIcfVsc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Stein</a>. &ldquo;A lot of the great players know different ways to draw fouls.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;ll be interesting to see how Coach Billups utilizes Simon and Damian Lillard together next season. This season, Simons didn&rsquo;t move into Portland&rsquo;s starting lineup until Lillard was sidelined due to an abdominal injury that required surgery. In the 27 games in which they both suited up, Simons came off of the bench and his role was limited, averaging 12.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists. How will they fare when both players are in the starting lineup?
"I think we complement each other well&hellip; We're gonna be a hard backcourt to navigate and guard because we're both threats in the pick-and-roll, making plays and scoring the ball,&rdquo; Simons <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/a-conversation-with-anfernee-simons?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjI2MjQ1LCJwb3N0X2lkIjo1MDI2MzY0NiwiXyI6IkZsWjNwIiwiaWF0IjoxNjQ4NTcyMDMyLCJleHAiOjE2NDg1NzU2MzIsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0zOTIyMDUiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.dZ6HuN__uKrHVFj7kSlYaP1sSa_nUd8qqOfXCIcfVsc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Stein</a>. &ldquo;Teams are going to have to choose who they want to blitz.&rdquo;
Lillard is nearly a decade older than Simons and he has emerged as the young guard&rsquo;s mentor in recent years. Simons has learned a ton from watching Lillard &mdash; on and off the court. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &ldquo;I've been watching him my whole career, so I've picked up on things he does. He's probably one of the most humble dudes I've ever met &mdash; especially with the success that he's had,&rdquo; Simons <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/a-conversation-with-anfernee-simons?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjI2MjQ1LCJwb3N0X2lkIjo1MDI2MzY0NiwiXyI6IkZsWjNwIiwiaWF0IjoxNjQ4NTcyMDMyLCJleHAiOjE2NDg1NzU2MzIsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0zOTIyMDUiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.dZ6HuN__uKrHVFj7kSlYaP1sSa_nUd8qqOfXCIcfVsc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Stein</a>. &ldquo;He walks around like he's a normal person. Each and every day he's always giving people confidence and encouraging people. Just to see that firsthand and see how he works and what he puts into being who he is, it's amazing to see. He's my vet. He's been helping me my whole career and I'm very grateful to have him as a teammate.&rdquo;
While Blazers fans would love to forget this frustrating season, at least some good came out of this campaign, with Simons beginning his ascent to stardom and putting the league on notice.
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Anfernee Simons has been an undeniable bright spot for the Portland Trail Blazers this season.

Blazers' Anfernee Simons seems poised for stardom

Sure, his Portland Trail Blazers may be headed to the NBA Draft Lottery for the first time in eight years. And yes, along with Norman Powell and Robert Covington, CJ McCollum was traded away.
But the best days are ahead in Portland. That is, if you&rsquo;re to take Damian Lillard&rsquo;s word for it.
According to the 31-year-old superstar, the "best is yet to come" for both him and the Blazers franchise, and a championship remains the goal.
It may appear unlikely for the lottery-bound Blazers, but in a recent sitdown <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/damian-lillard-talks-injury-rehab-trying-to-win-title-with-blazers-the-best-days-for-me-have-yet-to-come-161033594.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports</a>, Lillard&rsquo;s message was clear: Be afraid &mdash; of him and Portland, that is.
&ldquo;It's the first time that I can say I was pain-free since maybe 2016, 2017,&rdquo; Lillard <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/damian-lillard-talks-injury-rehab-trying-to-win-title-with-blazers-the-best-days-for-me-have-yet-to-come-161033594.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed during his sitdown with Yahoo</a>.
&ldquo;I think that's when I first started having issues. That was the last time I was probably moving freely, easily and just flowing the way I am right now.&rdquo;
Despite living with and playing through the pain between the 2018 and 2021 seasons, Lillard has both been named an All-Star and to the All-NBA First and Second Teams. And although he wasn&rsquo;t able to fully participate with his Blazers this year, he is looking forward to the challenge of continuing to lead the franchise, especially with the seldom-seen financial flexibility they&rsquo;re expected to have after some midseason moves &mdash; the most notable of which saw McCollum traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.
&ldquo;We've positioned ourselves to do something that we haven't been able to do since I've been here, which is we&rsquo;ve opened up money,&rdquo; Lillard <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/damian-lillard-talks-injury-rehab-trying-to-win-title-with-blazers-the-best-days-for-me-have-yet-to-come-161033594.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
&ldquo;We got picks, we got a $22 million trade exception, we got a $6 million trade exception, we got the full Mid-Level (Exception), we got the Bi-Annual (Exception). We have an opportunity, and we got flexibility.&rdquo;
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Still, though, Lillard realizes that nothing is guaranteed, and that the team has to be able to sell both him and its vision to players. Ultimately, that will be Portland's challenge this summer. But the silver lining in Dame&rsquo;s extended absence has been the opportunity it&rsquo;s afforded to some of the team&rsquo;s lesser-known (and inexperienced) players to get repetitions &mdash; and, for some, prove that they belong in the NBA.
Anfernee Simons, for example, is stepping up admirably. In 57 games (30 starts), the 22-year-old has turned in career-high numbers nearly across the board: 17.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 29.5 minutes per game. He&rsquo;s also connected on 44.3% of his field goals, including 40.5% from three-point territory.
Aside from Simons, head coach Chauncey Billups has found value in the likes of Drew Eubanks, Trendon Watford, Brandon Williams and CJ Elleby. They haven&rsquo;t necessarily led Portland to as many wins as the team would have liked, but each has shown flashes of potential and given Billups productive minutes. The hope is that they will improve to the point where they can join Josh Hart, Justise Winslow, Jusuf Nurkic and, of course, Lillard as members of the rotation.
That being said, Lillard isn't naive to the fact that whatever happens in Portland will start and end with him. And though he would be considered &ldquo;older&rdquo; on the youth spectrum, he draws optimism from many of his elders who are still playing at a high level. Think about DeMar DeRozan (32), Kevin Durant (33), Steph Curry (34), Chris Paul (36) and LeBron James (37), just to name a few.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17956775_lg.jpg" alt="" width="585" height="390" />
&ldquo;It seems like after I announced that I was having surgery, people were like, &lsquo;Oh, he's 31 and having this done.&rsquo; Man, 31 is not old,&rdquo; Lillard <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/damian-lillard-talks-injury-rehab-trying-to-win-title-with-blazers-the-best-days-for-me-have-yet-to-come-161033594.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
&ldquo;We have guys around the league older than me that are still playing at a high level... My game will age well, and I don't have a history of injuries,&rdquo; Dame defiantly added, passively pointing out the fact that, during his first seven seasons, he appeared in 95.5% of his career games.
Sure, the last three seasons have been a different story &mdash; he will have missed 66 games in all &mdash; but he&rsquo;s confident that the abdominal issue that&rsquo;s hampered him will become a distant memory.
&ldquo;The [injury] that I just had is not a bad injury to have,&rdquo; Lillard said.
&ldquo;I'm going to come back and be fine... Like I said, my best is yet to come.&rdquo;
Citing winning the league MVP and a championship as his priorities <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/damian-lillard-talks-injury-rehab-trying-to-win-title-with-blazers-the-best-days-for-me-have-yet-to-come-161033594.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">during the interview</a>, the rest of the NBA should certainly wonder just how much better Damian Lillard could be.
If he could even return as the same player we last saw, much less an improved version of himself, with a good move or two, there&rsquo;s plenty of reason to believe that Portland can become a contender once again &mdash; and in short order.
If you&rsquo;re to take Lillard&rsquo;s word for it, it&rsquo;ll be sooner rather than later.
For the 31-year-old superstar, eager to put the 2021-22 campaign behind him, next season simply can&rsquo;t come soon enough.
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Moke Hamilton reacts to Damian Lillard's latest interview with Yahoo and how the Blazers superstar remains faithful in the organization.

Pain-free Damian Lillard adamant best days are ahead for him, Blazers

Most NBA teams have approximately 10-12 games left on the regular season calendar. It's all about the playoff races, and as we hit the home stretch, three are worth monitoring.&nbsp;
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets are tied for sixth place in the Western Conference, with Dallas just above them by 1.5 games. Whoever loses out on this race gets the unfortunate ticket to the play-in tournament with three other teams who simply don't measure up. But just down the standings is a tie between the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers for ninth. Have the Lakers really fallen this far, and could they fall even further?
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors have jockeyed for the sixth seed in the East, but the weary Chicago Bulls have sagged into the battle as well. But Brooklyn, Charlotte and Atlanta can at least feel safe in their play-in chances since no one else appears to want a postseason spot.&nbsp;
As the tension increases, several of these playoff tightrope acts appear in this week's rankings.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that are so common throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they are updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;Charlotte currently rides a four-game winning streak and has moved into ninth in the East standings with a real chance at overtaking Brooklyn for eighth place. Cleveland, despite some injury woes, maintains its hold on sixth place and could even jump the struggling Bulls.
Though Houston is among the NBA's bottom-feeders, the Rockets continue to find promise in its young core, led this week by Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun and KJ Martin.
10. Golden State Warriors (47-24)
Just as Draymond Green makes his return, Stephen Curry goes down with a foot injury. Curry feels confident that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/warriors-curry-expects-to-return-by-start-of-playoffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he'll be back to start the playoffs.</a> But the Warriors remain in a tight seeding race with Memphis and Utah, and will now have to sort out the West hierarchy without their centerpiece. Seeding is critical in determining when Golden State matches up against the almighty Suns and if they could catch a play-in team (by being a No. 2 seed) versus a rested playoff squad.&nbsp;
(Last week: 10)
9. Chicago Bulls (41-29)
Chicago's offense is in a state. The Bulls wield the 26th-ranked offense in the NBA since the All-Star break and have gone 3-8 out of the pause. Their halfcourt offense is ranked seventh on the season per Cleaning the Glass, but has dropped to 21st since the break and is averaging just 93.4 points per 100 possessions.
Chicago is at its healthiest in a long time with only Lonzo Ball and Patrick Williams sidelined. The Bulls need to get the offense back on track before Cleveland and Toronto shoot past them in the East standings.
(Last week: Unranked)
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8. Brooklyn Nets (37-34)
Kyrie Irving, with everything that surrounds his persona and playing status, is the most electric player in basketball right now. I mean, the man is averaging 37.8 points per game since the All-Star break while shooting 55.3% on 9.4 three-point attempts per game. He dropped 60 on the Orlando Magic this past week... and then scored a combined zero points in the next two games because of his playing status.
Could Irving haved turned the tide in a narrow 113-111 home loss to Dallas? I'm guessing so. Is this a preview of how the Nets' postseason could be affected by his own actions? I think so.
(Last week: 6)
7. Atlanta Hawks (35-36)
So Atlanta is under .500 and has been hovering there for several weeks now. I was listening to <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mailbag-madness/id1547857052?i=1000554467191" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Friday's episode of The Dunker Spot</a>, and Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones Jr. forced me to hit the reality-check button on the Hawks.
Atlanta is 7-6 since the All-Star break and has leveled out with an offense and defense that fall around league average in efficiency over the past two weeks. John Collins is now out indefinitely with a finger injury, depriving Trae Young of his chief running mate. The Hawks have two rotation players over age-30 (Danilo Gallinari and Lou Williams) and underwent little roster change in the offseason or at the trade deadline. Yet they have undoubtedly regressed since their breakout Eastern Conference Finals run last season.
What exactly is the read on this team long-term, especially if they go out with a whimper in the play-in tournament?
(Last week: Unranked)
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/qq_lg.jpg" alt="" width="727" height="367" />
6. New York Knicks (30-41)
It's bizarre to see the Knicks, Pelicans and Lakers all sitting together at 30-41 after what feels like three radically unique seasons. But though New York's playoff chances have all-but evaporated, we're getting some fun moments in the twilight of the season.&nbsp;
Enter Immanuel Quickley. The second-year guard is putting up 14.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in his last 10 contests. Quickley has finally found his perimeter touch and is making 43.2% of his long-range attempts. New York is 5-5 in March, which is a relative positive given the course of the season, and I'm still very high on Quickley's future in this backcourt.
(Last week: 5)
5. Dallas Mavericks (43-28)
<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33527472/ex-gm-donnie-nelson-sues-dallas-mavericks-says-was-fired-reporting-sexual-misconduct-team-denies-claim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Don Van Natti Jr. published a full report</a> of ex-GM Donnie Nelson's recent lawsuit against the Mavericks on Thursday. Included in the lawsuit is a claim from Nelson that owner Mark Cuban fired him "as retaliation for reporting that Cuban's chief of staff sexually harassed and sexually assaulted his nephew during a job interview in 2020."
This is obviously extremely serious, but additionally, it reinforces a pattern of discord in the Mavericks' front office that is suspiciously intertwined with a history of poisonous culture in the organization. Remember when the Mavericks were <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/nba-statement-dallas-mavericks-workplace-investigation-official-release" target="_blank" rel="noopener">investigated back in 2018</a> and the not-so-heavy punishments laid out? There's no way to properly state how dangerous this trend looks on the Mavs and the NBA at large, especially as the Suns' Robert Sarver situation is still unresolved.
(Last week: Unranked)
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4. Portland Trail Blazers (26-44)
Removing Anfernee Simons due to injury, Portland's four leading per-game scorers in March are: Josh Hart (20.5), Brandon Williams (16.6), Trendon Watford (15.9) and Drew Eubanks (12.0). I don't mean this as slander toward the players at all. Hart in particular has been a force since the trade from New Orleans and the latter three have maximized their real shots at sticking in the NBA. It's more of a reminder of where Portland is right now without any cornerstone young talent or heathy, proven veterans playing.&nbsp;
(Last week: 2)
3. Sacramento Kings (25-48)
We've hit that same old slog with the Kings, who are plum out of playoff hope and spring momentum with a 2-8 record in March. Sacramento is one of six teams with bottom-10 ratings on both offense and defense since the All-Star break.
(Last week: 3)
2. Washington Wizards (30-40)
Bradley Beal's upcoming offseason has overshadowed the floundering on-court Wizards. Shams Charania reported today that the 76ers seriously attempted to trade for Beal during the season before ultimately pivoting back to James Harden. The Heat are <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-heat-legitimate-suitor-for-bradley-beal-if-he-hits-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> a "legitimate suitor" should Beal hit free agency in the summer.
For the n-th time, the Bradley Beal sweepstakes feels more important than anything happening on the court. Washington lost six-straight before beating our top (or bottom, depending on your perspective) team.
1. Los Angeles Lakers (30-41)
The San Antonio Spurs are 5-8 since the All-Star break. Their remaining 10 games include winnable matchups against the Pelicans, Rockets and Trail Blazers (three times) and imposing tasks versus the Warriors, Mavericks, Timberwolves, Nuggets and Grizzlies. Going 5-5 or better in 10 games won't be easy for a young Spurs team that still sits 2.5 games back of a play-in bid.
All of this is to say: The Lakers are somehow making a very safe situation feel treacherous. Eight of their final 11 contests are against top-six seeds. There's a very real chance that this race comes down to the final days.
(Last week: 4)
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Ethan Fuller is back with this week's Sour Rankings as the NBA's playoff races tighten up.

NBA Sour Rankings: Lakers' Play-In bid still not guaranteed

Trae Young scored 21 of his 46 points in the third period and the Atlanta Hawks recovered from a 15-point second-half deficit to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 122-113 on Monday night.
Young, who scored 47 points a night earlier in a win over Indiana, added 12 assists against the Blazers.
The Hawks (34-34), who entered the game ninth in the Eastern Conference, have won three straight to reach .500 for the first time since Dec. 15, when they were 14-14.
De&rsquo;Andre Hunter scored 20 points for Atlanta, including a 3-pointer to put the Hawks ahead 116-111.
Josh Hart led Portland with 31 points. The Blazers began the night 11th in the Western Conference, one spot out of the play-in tournament.
Portland led 67-58 at halftime as Atlanta made only 19 of 59 shots (32.3%) from the field, their worst-shooting first half this season.
The Blazers made 56.5% (26 of 46) of their shots in the half. Portland scored the first six points of the second half, stretching its lead to 73-58.
Young scored the next eight points, and 17 of Atlanta&rsquo;s first 19 in the third period, to lead the Hawks&rsquo; rally. Two free throws by Hunter put Atlanta ahead 79-77, its first lead since the opening quarter.
The Hawks led 104-93 early in the fourth before Portland went on a 10-0 run, capped by Brandon Williams&rsquo; 3-pointer. Kevin Huerter responded with a 3 for Atlanta.
Trendon Watford had 22 points and Williams added 20 for Portland.
The Blazers snapped a six-game losing streak by beating Washington on Saturday night as Hart scored a career-high 44 points.
&ldquo;Having to be that scoring option is a new role for Josh,&rdquo; Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said before Monday night&rsquo;s game. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re asking him to do things he&rsquo;s not really used to.&rdquo;
Hart looked comfortable while scoring 25 points in the first half against the Hawks. He finished 4 of 7 from 3-point range.
Young is plenty comfortable against the Blazers. He set a career high with 56 points in Atlanta&rsquo;s 136-131 loss at Portland on Jan. 3.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: PG Kris Dunn, who signed a 10-day contract before the game, had two points in 20 minutes. It was Dunn&rsquo;s first game since he played four games with Atlanta last season. He started in a combined 119 games in three seasons with Chicago. Dunn adds backcourt depth as Anfernee Simons (patellar tendinopathy in his left knee) is expected to miss up to two weeks.
Hawks: F Danilo Gallinari (right Achilles tendon soreness) was held out, leaving the Hawks thin at forward. Gallinari had been the fill-in starter for John Collins (right finger sprain, right foot strain), who missed his second straight game. Coach Nate McMillan said Gallinari has played through the injury &ldquo;most of the season. ... Sometimes it flares up.&rdquo; ... Clint Capela had eight points and 16 rebounds.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: Continue a five-game trip at the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.
Hawks: At Charlotte on Wednesday night.

Trae Young scored 21 of his 46 points in the third period and the Hawks recovered from a 15-point second-half deficit.

Trae Young has 46 points, Hawks top Trail Blazers 122-113

Most NBA teams have approximately 15 games left in their regular-season schedules. Even if some squads are still mathematically in the postseason hunt, we can start to distinguish the desperate bids from the real races.
In the Eastern Conference, the Washington Wizards (despite how things look on the court) continue to chase the Charlotte Hornets and are three games back of an East Play-In spot. The Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs all hold some grip onto the Western Conference Play-In battle. But as the games wind down, the intensity ratchets up, and every loss can feel like a brick wall.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Toronto Raptors are riding a three-game win streak that includes quality victories over the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets. They now sit just one game back of the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers for the all-important sixth seed and definitely have enough momentum to take it with 15 games left in the regular season.
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10. Golden State Warriors (46-22)
The Warriors rallied with a massive week highlighted by two double-digit wins against the Nuggets and a Saturday primetime victory against the Milwaukee Bucks. The win over the Bucks was particularly impressive because Stephen Curry attempted just 7 field goals; Klay Thompson (38 points), Jordan Poole (30 points) and Andrew Wiggins (21 points) carried the scoring load. Golden State has looked rudderless at times without Draymond Green, but hopefully this three-game hot stretch inspires confidence.
(Last week: 7)
9. Houston Rockets (17-51)
Jalen Green is still playing superb basketball, but KJ Martin has come alive with a longer leash as Houston wades through its rebuilding season. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kj-martin-more-than-meets-the-eye" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Schindler wrote a fantastic article</a> over the weekend on Martin's mini-breakout. The 21-year-old is up to 43.8% from three-point range since the break and is much more than a slasher, as Mark illustrates. This is what you hope happens amidst all the losing, and if it continues, Houston might get out of the rankings altogether next week.
(Last week: 8)
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (38-29)
It's been a rough post-All-Star run for Cleveland, who is just 3-6 since the break. Jarrett Allen's finger fracture has impacted the Cavs' top-tier defense; it's now ranked 25th over the past two weeks. Caris LeVert, Lauri Markkanen and Rajon Rondo have also dealt with their own injuries. Cleveland is now just a single game up on Toronto in a tightly-packed East playoff race. The overall picture is still bright, but the recent downturn is simply a bummer for a franchise that can feel a tangible post-LeBron playoff appearance within its grasp.
(Last week: Unranked)
7. Charlotte Hornets (33-35)
Last week I attempted, for the second time this season, to point out a solid defensive stretch by the Hornets. Once again, they made me look like a buffoon. Charlotte gave up at least 115 points in all three of its games this past week, going 1-2 against the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and Pelicans. At least Isaiah Thomas got in a nice game with 14 points against New Orleans. No matter how you feel about his viability as an NBA player, it's impossible not to root for Thomas.
(Last week: 9)
6. Brooklyn Nets (35-33)
Nets Twitter (and I presume the rest of Nets fandom) positively exploded with joy in Brooklyn's dominant 129-100 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. The triumph is perhaps the highlight of the season to date and hopefully a spark plug, as Brooklyn has rattled off three consecutive victories. We also need to keep talking about Bruce Brown, who is averaging 14.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game since the All-Star break.&nbsp;
(Last week: 1)
5. New York Knicks (28-40)
I'm an absolute sucker for Deuce McBride propaganda, so here you go:
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Deuce has been freakin absurd at the nail as he's finally started to get rotation minutes <a href="https://t.co/2m98NjOo4p">pic.twitter.com/2m98NjOo4p</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1502679211127054337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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New York went 2-2 this week, but with some respectable losses to the Memphis Grizzlies and Miami Heat. More importantly, we're seeing meaningful time and flashes from young talents, whether it be McBride, RJ Barrett, Jericho Sims or Immanuel Quickley. That's all that matters over the final weeks.
(Last week: 2)
4. Los Angeles Lakers (29-38)
LeBron James has now dropped multiple 50-bombs out of the All-Star break and continues his lopsided battle with Father Time. Also lopsided? The Lakers are 2-0 since the break when James scored at least 50 points and 0-7 when he doesn't. That's... not exactly a desirable bar for success. Los Angeles now looks ahead at 6 games in 10 days with five against current playoff teams. I would not be surprised if they entered a March 27 contest against New Orleans behind the Pelicans in the standings.
(Last week: 3)
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3. Sacramento Kings (24-45)
Sacramento stands four-and-a-half games behind a Play-In spot, is 2-7 since the All-Star break and has bottom-10 metrics on both ends of the floor during that span. The Kings are giving up the ninth-highest frequency of three-pointers to opponents per Cleaning the Glass, and those teams are shooting a strong 38.2% from the floor. Sacramento has the playoff-bound Chicago Bulls, Bucks, Celtics and Suns next on tap, which doesn't bode well for them stopping the current four-game slide.
(Last week: 4)
2. Portland Trail Blazers (26-40)
Despite sitting 11th in the West and just one game behind the Pelicans, Portland simply can't put enough quality games together. The Blazers finally earned a 127-118 win over the Wizards to snap a six-game skid on Saturday. Anfernee Simons is down with a knee injury and will be re-evaluated in 1-to-2 weeks, meaning Portland loses its most coveted young player for the short-term future. Props to Josh Hart for his 44-point explosion though.
(Last week: 5)
1. Washington Wizards (29-37)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Win, loss, tie, blowout either way: what on earth is this roster and minutes distribution man I know KP didn&rsquo;t play, but like how does that clear anything up lol <a href="https://t.co/1VkTfPnQfh">pic.twitter.com/1VkTfPnQfh</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1503001470148427779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Mark Schindler highlighted the rotation discord in Washington, and it's pretty baffling. Corey Kispert is playing 39 minutes? Deni Avdijia is playing 13 minutes? Washington should either be making a last-ditch playoff push (three games out of 10th right now) or committing to playing the more experienced young lottery talents it has added over the past few years. Yet somehow, neither is happening.
(Last week: 6)
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The Wizards and Trail Blazers are tumbling in Ethan Fuller's latest Sour Rankings.

NBA Sour Rankings: Wizards, Trail Blazers in postseason peril

Blink and you might have missed it, but Jalen Brunson has already arrived on the national scene.
Not only has Brunson thrived with the Dallas Mavericks this season, he was also highly coveted prior to the 2022 trade deadline, with several teams expressing interest in the 25-year-old.
The New York Knicks were among the potential suitors, but a trade didn't come to fruition. However, New York is <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/06/26/ben-simmons-damian-lillard-how-knicks-can-acquire-new-pg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> interested in pursuing Brunson when he hits unrestricted free agency this offseason.
It's worth noting that Brunson&rsquo;s father is a former Knick and was the first client of team president Leon Rose. Brunson&rsquo;s father also served as Tom Thibodeau&rsquo;s assistant in Chicago and Minnesota &ndash; and the Knicks have long sought to fill their hole at point guard. Brunson&rsquo;s overall fit in New York is debatable; but regardless, the Knicks' interest will almost certainly drive up Brunson&rsquo;s price point.
But Brunson was already due for a big pay day after his terrific 2021-22 campaign. Last season appeared to be somewhat of a breakout year for Brunson &ndash; 12.6 points, 3.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 25 minutes per game &ndash; but he&rsquo;s demonstrated an even higher ceiling this season.
In 2021-22, Brunson is averaging 16.0 points, 5.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 32.1 minutes per game, starting in 46 of the Mavericks&rsquo; 64 games. He is shooting 38% on three-point attempts and a blistering 70% at the rim &ndash; and that's despite measuring only 6-foot-2. In his 46 starts, he's averaging 17.6 points, 5.7 assists, 4.0 rebounds and a steal on .500/.401/.835 shooting splits.
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Prior to entering the NBA, Brunson established himself as a top-tier player in college. He was named the AP National Player of the Year in his third and final season at Villanova, averaging 18.9 points, 4.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game &ndash; all while leading the Wildcats to a national championship. Despite leading the team in points and assists, Brunson was overshadowed by a few of his teammates &ndash; namely, Mikal Bridges and Donte DiVincenzo.
Brunson ultimately fell into the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft due to questions about his size and defensive shortcomings. He was eventually selected No. 33 overall by the Mavericks. He is one of only two AP National Players of the Year to slip into the second round since the award's inception in 1961. The other? Also an undersized point guard, who was drafted just one year before Brunson: Frank Mason III.
Mason played four seasons in the NBA, and never established himself as a fixture for any of his three teams. Brunson has been quite a bit more successful thus far.
Does this mean that Brunson can lead a team to contention, maybe even a championship? Possibly. Let&rsquo;s remember that he has benefited from playing alongside an oversized &ndash; and incredibly gifted &ndash; lead guard in Luka Doncic. But with Doncic out of the lineup this season, Brunson has been even better, averaging 19.9 points and 7.8 assists. While the Mavericks only won seven of their 16 games without Doncic this season, let&rsquo;s not be too hard on Brunson. Doncic is an incredibly special player, the likes of which very few players can replace.
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It should be said that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/spencer-dinwiddie-thriving-with-mavs-after-messy-exit-from-wizards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the arrival and fit of Spencer Dinwiddie</a> has the potential to complicate negotiations between Brunson and Dallas on a long-term deal. Brunson will reportedly look for a contract that's worth approximately $80 million over four years. What does Dallas do if he holds firm on that figure?
The thing about Dinwiddie is that he and Brunson have co-existed nicely. The Mavericks are currently 7-2 &ndash; with two wins against Golden State and one against Miami &ndash; in games where Dinwiddie and Brunson have shared the floor.
But Dallas is already way over the 2022-23 salary cap. Signing Brunson to an extension seriously restricts the Mavericks&rsquo; ability to make additional moves. And considering that Doncic and Dinwiddie are both on-ball playmakers, does Dallas really want to invest in a third guard?
But the argument for Brunson signing elsewhere is weakened by the fact that there will be very few teams with cap space. In fact, only the Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs are projected to have cap room.
The Magic have too many guards as is, the Pacers just brought Tyrese Haliburton on board, and the Trail Blazers will probably work to keep Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons. The Pistons showed interest in Brunson at the deadline, so maybe there&rsquo;s a match in Detroit. It&rsquo;s also worth mentioning that a lack of cap space does not prohibit prospective teams from potentially landing a player via a sign-and-trade.
Ultimately, Brunson could end up being one of the crown jewels of <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-free-agency-preview-ranking-the-top-10-guards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the 2022 free-agent class</a>. He appears more than open to remaining in Dallas &ndash; but, according to ESPN&rsquo;s Tim MacMahon, money is a bigger priority than remaining with his current team.
Regardless of where Brunson ends up next season and beyond, he looks ready to take on a bigger role. If Brunson takes another step forward, $20 million per season could look like a bargain. But he could also struggle in a different system, with new teammates, coaches and surroundings. One way or the other, Brunson is a player who will be closely watched going forward. He's ready for the spotlight.&nbsp;
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Jalen Brunson's fortuitous breakout season should result in a significant pay day, but where will he play next season?

Mavericks' Jalen Brunson looks ready for the spotlight

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons is out for at least a week because of mild patellar tendinopathy in his left knee.
Simons has missed two games because of the injury, which was confirmed by an MRI, the Blazers announced on Friday. He will be reevaluated in one to two weeks.
Simons has played in 57 games this season with 30 starts, averaging 17.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
Simons took on a greater role for the Blazers with Damian Lillard sidelined since late December by an abdominal injury that required surgery.
The Blazers (25-40) were coming off a 123-85 loss at Utah on Wednesday. Portland has lost six straight and is currently in 11th in the Western Conference standings.
The Blazers host the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons is out for at least a week because of mild patellar tendinopathy in his left knee.

Portland's Anfernee Simons sidelined with left knee injury

Although some top-tier players who were expected to hit free agency this coming summer have already signed extensions, the 2022 NBA free-agent class will feature quite a few stars.
In particular, the crop of guards up for grabs is quite impressive, which is where we will begin this three-part ranking series.
1. James Harden &mdash; Philadelphia 76ers &mdash; Player Option
James Harden holds a player option worth $47.4 million for the 2022-23 season, and it was reported that Harden would exercise it in conjunction with his trade from Brooklyn to Philadelphia. Although he hasn't done so yet, Harden has said he plans to. Over the summer, the maximum offer the Sixers can present to Harden is a pact that would pay him up north of $270 million over the next six years, which ESPN analyst Bobby Marks declared would be the "worst contract in NBA history." Here's a look at what Harden's annual salary would look like:
2022-23: $47.4 million 2023-24: $49.7 million 2024-25: $53.7 million&nbsp; 2025-26: $57.7 million 2026-27: $61.7 million&nbsp;
2. Zach LaVine &mdash; Chicago Bulls &mdash; Unrestricted
Zach LaVine bet on himself instead of signing a four-year, $105 million extension last offseason, and the gamble has most certainly paid off. He's averaging 24.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.9 made three-pointers while shooting 40.0% from downtown and a career-high 85.7% from the free-throw line. Steph Curry is the only player in the NBA to match or exceed LaVine in those statistical categories this season. With LaVine playing at such a high level and the Bulls near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, Chicago is fully expected to offer him a max deal of five years at approximately $200 million. The most any other team can offer LaVine is around $160 million over four years.
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3. Bradley Beal &mdash; Washington Wizards &mdash; Player Option
The Wizards announced last month that Bradley Beal underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist. Prior to the injury, Beal's scoring average had dipped dramatically (from 31.3 points per game in 2020-21 to 23.2 this season), and he was shooting just 30.0% from downtown, but the three-time All-Star was averaging a career-high 6.6 assists. Beal's player option for the 2022-23 season is worth $36.4 million.
4. Kyrie Irving &mdash; Brooklyn Nets &mdash; Player Option
It's been a tumultuous season for both Kyrie Irving and the Nets. Kyrie's refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19 &mdash; which resulted in him being banished from the team for the first half of the year before Brooklyn welcomed him back to play in road games &mdash; reportedly was an important factor in James Harden's decision to demand a trade. In the preseason, the Nets were heavy favorites to take home the title, but find themselves below .500 and in ninth place in the East. Brooklyn is just 1-9 in the last 10 games Irving has appeared in. Considering all the drama (and the reports that Irving would consider retirement if he was traded), it seems safe to assume Kyrie will remain in Brooklyn. But when it comes to Mr. Irving (who has a player option for the 2022&ndash;23 season worth $36,934,550), making assumptions often proves unwise. Stay tuned.&nbsp;
5. Anfernee Simons &mdash; Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; Restricted
It could be argued that Anfernee Simons has increased his value more than any player in the league over the last five months. After averaging a modest 7.8 points per game last season, Simons is pouring in 17.3 points per game in 2021-22, which represents the largest year-over-year increase in the NBA this season. And his numbers are even more impressive dating back to the start of the New Year, when he was permanently inserted into the starting lineup.
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38 points (9 threes), 3 rebounds, 3 assists in 40 minutes. If you're not taking notice of <a href="https://twitter.com/AnferneeSimons?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@anferneesimons</a> yet, you should be! <a href="https://t.co/5IPvZXFvyo">pic.twitter.com/5IPvZXFvyo</a>
&mdash; Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1500324039100755972?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Over the 27 games he's appeared in since the calendar flipped to January, the 22-year-old Simons is averaging 23.4 points, 5.8 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 4.4 made triples, while shooting 42.3% from downtown and 86.6% from the charity stripe. Simons leads the league in made three-pointers (119) in 2022. Yes, he's struggled on the defensive end, but one of the primary reasons the Blazers made multiple major moves before the deadline (trading away CJ McCollum, Norman Powell and Robert Covington) was to clear up cap space to sign Simons to a considerable extension this summer. They are not going to let him walk.
6. Jalen Brunson &mdash; Dallas Mavericks &mdash; Unrestricted
After two solid, if unspectacular, seasons to start his NBA career, Jalen Brunson took a significant step forward last season; he averaged 12.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 treys in 25.7 minutes per game, while shooting 52.3% from the floor and 40.5% from downtown. The Villanova product has continued to improve in 2021-22, posting career-highs in points (16.2), assists (5.3) and rebounds (3.7) per contest. Brunson also showed he could shoulder increased responsibility by stepping in and stepping up when Luka Doncic missed 14 of Dallas' first 35 games this season. Jalen played the best basketball of his NBA career over an eight-game stretch in mid-to-late December, when he averaged 22.4 points and 7.9 dimes a night. This offseason, Brunson reportedly will be seeking a four-year, $80 million deal. The New York Knicks are among the teams expected to express serious interest.
7. Collin Sexton &mdash; Cleveland Cavaliers &mdash; Restricted
Collin Sexton injured his left knee in a game in early November, and an MRI revealed a torn meniscus. He had surgery a week later, sidelining him for the entirety of the 2021-22 campaign. It will be fascinating to see what offers he receives on the open market. Last season, Sexton averaged 24.3 points and 4.4 assists while shooting 47.5% from the floor, 37.5% from downtown and 81.5% from the free-throw line. However, he struggled defensively, and the Cavs registered a league-worst 60-159 record over the first three years of his career. With Sexton out of action this season, Cleveland is 10 games above .500. Because he is restricted, the Cavs can match any offer he receives this summer.&nbsp;
8. Malik Monk &mdash; Los Angeles Lakers &mdash; Unrestricted
Mailk Monk, the 11th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, failed to live up to expectations over the first four years of his career in Charlotte. He made just one career start as a member of the Hornets, and had averaged 9.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 233 appearances while shooting below 34% from downtown. As a result, the Los Angeles Lakers were able to ink him to a one-year contract at the veteran minimum ($1.7 million) for this season. Surprisingly, Monk has established himself as one of the Lakers' most consistent and effective players. In the 23 games he's started for L.A., Monk has averaged 17.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists while posting a True Shooting percentage of 58.8%. He will look to cash in with a significant pay raise in July.&nbsp;
9. Russell Westbrook &mdash; Los Angeles Lakers &mdash; Player Option
Besides Monk's unexpected success and the MVP-caliber performance of the ageless wonder that is LeBron James, the 2021-22 Lakers season has been an absolute nightmare. L.A. is eight games below .500 and desperately fighting just to make the Play-In Tournament. And Russell Westbrook is the player <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/russell-westbrook-opens-up-about-shaming-from-lakers-fans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the public has pilloried and pinned the Lakers' failures on</a>. Russ has a player option for the 2022-23 season worth a whopping $47,063,478, so there is almost zero chance of him opting out. The Lakers will undoubtedly explore all possible trade scenarios this offseason.
10. John Wall &mdash; Houston Rockets &mdash; Player Option
John Wall showed flashes of his immense talent last season, when he averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists per game for the Rockets, but he hasn't set foot on an NBA court since April 2021. Wall will almost certainly exercise his player option for 2022-23 worth $47.4 million. At that point, he'll be on an expiring contract, which will make it far easier for Houston to move him.
Best of the Rest: Dennis Schroder, Patty Mills (player option), Kendrick Nunn (player option), Victor Oladipo, Gary Payton II, Gary Harris, Lonnie Walker IV (restricted), Tomas Satoransky, Ricky Rubio, Goran Dragic, Delon Wright, Lou Williams, Facundo Campazzo (restricted), Bruce Brown Jr., Donte DiVincenzo (restricted), Pat Connaughton (player option), Jeremy Lamb, Tyus Jones, Cory Joseph
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Tommy Beer ranks the top guards who could be available as part of the 2022 NBA free-agent class.

2022 NBA Free Agency Preview: Ranking the top-10 guards

This week found me recalling an early-season article from <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tom-thibodeau-isnt-the-only-reigning-coach-of-the-year-to-struggle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moke Hamilton on the Coach of the Year curse</a>. Moke wrote this when the Knicks were 12-12; they're now 11 games under .500 and the aura surrounding Thibodeau's first season in New York is all but gone.
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Sixers feeling comfortable switching Maxey on Randle and not doubling feels like the Knicks season in a nutshell. <a href="https://t.co/1ws9NEhqbT">pic.twitter.com/1ws9NEhqbT</a>
&mdash; Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) <a href="https://twitter.com/stevejones20/status/1498010231904813059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Julius Randle is nowhere near the All-NBA player he was last season, and the complementary players haven't challenged defenses consistently. Here we are with New York well out of the postseason race and once again figuring out a franchise direction for the season. There's a good quote from Evan Fournier hidden in this week's rankings.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;Utah has won 8 of its last 9 games, and Donovan Mitchell is on fire. With two great wins over the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns, the Jazz break free of this list.
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10. New Orleans Pelicans (25-36)
The Zion Williamson saga was the dominant subject of NBA conversations last week. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/new-orleans-pelicans-zion-williamson-lack-of-transparency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Schindler's recent piece</a> explains just how layered this situation is. Unfortunately, the off-court tension distracts and hampers the fact that this team has been really, really good out of the All-Star break. New Orleans steamrolled the Suns and Los Angeles Lakers. The Pelicans have the best defensive rating in this uber-small sample size, and have been much-improved on offense with CJ McCollum in the fold. I fully expect them to leave the Sour Rankings behind next week as long as there's no more Zion drama.
(Last week: 10)
9. Milwaukee Bucks (36-25)
So... the Bucks have not been very good recently? Milwaukee is 12-12 in the 2022 calendar year and has lost 4 of its last 5 games. Since Jan. 1, the team has the 18th-ranked defense in the NBA and the 27th-ranked defense over the past two weeks without missing any of their signature defensive studs for extended periods. The Bucks face the Charlotte Hornets on Monday but then have the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and Suns on the schedule. They're still my pick to come out of the East, but I admittedly don't think the public sphere is showing enough concern.
(Last week: Unranked)
8. Portland Trail Blazers (25-36)
Portland opened up the post-All-Star stretch by getting its doors absolutely smashed with two 30-plus-point losses to the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets. The Trail Blazers are dealing with several serious injuries and simply don't have the depth to remain competitive at this stage. As much as we love Anfernee Simons and Josh Hart, they won't be the duo to lead Portland to Play-In games. Drew Eubanks is currently the only center in the rotation.
(Last week: 8)
7. Charlotte Hornets (30-32)
Gordon Hayward remains out with an ankle injury, but hopefully Charlotte is finding some of its footing amid a tense Eastern Conference playoff race. I'd like to shout out JT Thor, who has emerged as a rotation piece. The rookie second-round pick has played at least 10 minutes in each of the last five contests after not reach double-digit minutes since Dec. 13. I don't know how long this lasts, but I'm intrigued to watch more of him and see if he's grown comfortable enough to stay this season.
(Last week: 6)
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6. Houston Rockets (15-45)
Jalen Green had put together a really strong stretch prior to his dud in Houston's 99-98 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers. The rookie has a 57.2% True Shooting percentage in February, is hitting 38.6% of his threes and averaging 16.5 points per game &mdash; all monthly bests outside of a December in which he only played three games. While the Rockets flounder on their current nine-game skid, at least Green is showing the scoring promise he's been labeled with throughout his basketball career.
(Last week: 5)
5. Washington Wizards (27-33)
Kind of a radical return for the Wizards, who lost a crazy 157-153 double-OT game to the San Antonio Spurs and fell narrowly again on the second night of a back-to-back versus the Cleveland Cavaliers. We're in the sans-Bradley Beal, pre-Kristaps Porzingis purgatory world, so Washington expectedly has some tough sledding coming out of the All-Star break.&nbsp;
One small stat of note: Rui Hachimura is canning 48.8% of his three-pointers since rejoining the team. That's a 16% spike from last season, and hopefully a positive indicator of Hachimura expanding his range since he was drafted ninth overall in 2019.&nbsp;
(Last week: 4)
4. Sacramento Kings (22-40)
The Kings are 3.5 games out of a Play-In spot with 20 games to go, and are currently riding a four-game losing streak. It's desperation time for De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and the rest of this win-now-ish group. Sacramento began the stretch run with two understandable defeats to Denver, but the schedule gets easier.
Four of the next five contests are against teams well under .500 in New Orleans, Oklahoma City, San Antonio and New York. It's imperative that the Kings find a groove over the next two weeks.
(Last week: 7)
3. Brooklyn Nets (32-29)
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Kyrie Irving scored a season-high 38 points (14/26 FG) in a win vs the Bucks! Dragic: "When you watch Kyrie, it feels like he's in the video games. It's just crazy how he moves &amp; how he's making those tough shots."<a href="https://t.co/eLfonZsyWO">pic.twitter.com/eLfonZsyWO</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1497893361759444997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Man, was that a necessary win against the Bucks on Saturday. Brooklyn numbed the 129-106 thumping by the Boston Celtics early in the week and grabbed a win with Kyrie Irving back as Kevin Durant nears a return. Unfortunately, it appears Nic Claxton is getting the short end of the stick again with Andre Drummond and LaMarcus Aldridge taking place over him in the rotation. Sigh.&nbsp;
(Last week: 3)
2. New York Knicks (25-36)
&ldquo;I feel like sometimes we&rsquo;re looking at each other, second-guessing what play we&rsquo;re going to run, who we&rsquo;re going to go to... What is he going to do? We have no expectations right now from each other because we have no rhythm and no confidence in the fourth quarter. So again, as long as we don&rsquo;t fix that as players, things are not going to change.&rdquo;
That quote comes from Evan Fournier. It's not a great look at all for the Knicks, who have been outscored 252-161 in the fourth quarter and overtime over the past eight games, <a href="https://www.sny.tv/articles/evan-fournier-admits-knicks-no-confidence-late-games" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per SNY's Ian Begley.</a> Yikes.
(Last week: 2)
1. Los Angeles Lakers (27-33)
The Lakers are very much the viral laughingstock of the NBA right now after losing by 30 to the Pelicans. I'm not a fan of StatMuse and the way it uses its platform, but this was pretty funny:
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The Lakers are 6-14 since Desmond Bane said "Them footsteps ain't scaring nobody." Only the Rockets have fewer wins in that span. <a href="https://t.co/M3tQ0UbfQg">pic.twitter.com/M3tQ0UbfQg</a>
&mdash; StatMuse (@statmuse) <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1498354136605102082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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(Last week: 1)
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The Lakers and Knicks continue to dominate in the latest NBA Sour Rankings installment.

NBA Sour Rankings: Too much second-guessing

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast,&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249">&ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo;</a>&nbsp;on Apple Podcasts, Spofify or wherever you&nbsp;listen to your podcasts. This season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is up hundreds of dollars on PrizePicks.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s go ahead and dive into Sunday's best NBA betting action.
Indiana Pacers vs. Boston Celtics (-9.5)
The Celtics have been one of the best teams in the NBA during the new calendar year. Thanks to a great blend of play on both ends of the court, Boston has risen way up the Eastern Conference standings over the last few months. Against Indiana on Sunday, it&rsquo;s hard to envision the Celtics&rsquo; winning ways stopping anytime soon. Bet big on Boston to win this one in Indy.
Pick: Celtics -9.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Jayson Tatum over 27.5 points, Buddy Hield over 17.5 points, Robert Williams over 11 rebounds, Tyrese Haliburton over 7.5 assists
Charlotte Hornets (-10) vs. Detroit Pistons
This is an underrated but fun game for Sunday&rsquo;s slate of action. The Pistons are at the bottom of the totem pole, but No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham has been fantastic as of late. In this one, though, Cunningham won&rsquo;t be able to get it done in Charlotte. The Hornets&rsquo; high-flying, fast-paced offense will be too much for the Pistons to handle.
Pick: Hornets -10
PrizePicks Power Play: Miles Bridges over 19.5 points, Jerami Grant over 17.5 points, Cade Cunningham over 16.5 points, LaMelo Ball over 7.5 assists
Golden State Warriors (-3.5) vs. Dallas Mavericks
Who&rsquo;s ready for Stephen Curry versus Luka Doncic on Sunday? I certainly am, because it&rsquo;s going to be a must-watch basketball event. When both of these players get hot, they are simply unstoppable on the offensive end. The question is, who&rsquo;s going to step up alongside Doncic to pull off the upset over the Warriors? It&rsquo;s hard to envision who will be able to, especially in San Francisco. We favor the Warriors here heavily.
Pick: Warriors -3.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Luka Doncic over 29.5 points, Stephen Curry over 24.5 points, Kevon Looney over 7.5 rebounds, Jalen Brunson over 4.5 assists
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets (-8.5)
Don&rsquo;t bet against the defending MVP in this spot, especially against the Trail Blazers. The Anfernee Simons show is fun in Portland, but what else is there right now that&rsquo;s appealing long-term? Honestly, not much, which is why Portland will be such an interesting team to follow heading into this offseason. In the meantime, bet big on Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets to take care of business on the road.
Pick: Nuggets -8.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Nikola Jokic over 26.5 points, Anfernee Simons over 24.5 points, Josh Hart over 16.5 points, Aaron Gordon over 5.5 rebounds
Los Angeles Lakers (-1) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Are we really going to bet on the Lakers as favorites once again? Absolutely, and hopefully it doesn&rsquo;t backfire this time. LeBron James should be able to put up monster numbers against the Pelicans, but this is going to be a closely-contested battle throughout. Betting on LeBron is never a bad idea, so let&rsquo;s take that route here on Sunday.
Pick: Lakers -1
PrizePicks Power Play: LeBron James over 29.5 points, CJ McCollum over 24.5 points, Jonas Valanciunas over 11.5 rebounds, Russell Westbrook over 6.5 rebounds
Make sure to&nbsp;<a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News">check out PrizePicks</a> and use the promo code NEWS when you sign up, and they&rsquo;ll instantly match your deposit up to $100! Also, make sure to listen to &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; for daily betting analysis on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

For a great Sunday NBA slate, "Nothing But Bets" provides picks against the spread alongside PrizePicks Power Play projections.

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 2/27/22

As <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lakers-wont-mortgage-future-for-lebron-this-is-the-bed-you-made" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ramona Shelburne said</a> when she paraphrased the Los Angeles Lakers' front office stance: "You guys got yourselves into this; this is the bed that you made."
We're past the trade deadline and NBA All-Star weekend and into the season's stretch run. Aside from some leftover waivings and G League call-ups, teams have their rosters set. From here on out, it's about just playing with the guys you have.&nbsp;
For the teams in this week's Sour Rankings, there's still time to adjust season goals and find a measure of success. Young rosters might hope for promising player development instead of wins. Those on the fringe of playoff contention might have the Play-In Tournament or the traditional postseason as a benchmark. Disappointing title hopefuls can salvage positivity even if they don't go all the way.
I've listed a target for each squad on the list. It might not be the ideal outcome, but the bar can at least bring some level of satisfaction to a year gone awry.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Oklahoma City Thunder made a brief pit stop, but <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/josh-giddeys-rise-make-thunders-rebuild-even-more-intriguing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Giddey's brilliance</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-oklahoma-city-thunders-emerging-defensive-identity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">team-wide budding defense</a> launched them right back out.
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10. New Orleans Pelicans (23-36)
Zion Williamson's general situation has once again made things sour. CJ McCollum <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/cj-mccollum-on-zion-williamson-i-havent-had-conversations-with-him-directly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said on TNT</a> that he has yet to speak with Williamson since being the blockbuster addition for the Pelicans at the trade deadline. The quotes raise serious questions about how Williamson and the Pelicans are handling his extended absence.
At this point, who knows if Williamson will return this season. New Orleans should be aiming to make the Play-In games behind Brandon Ingram and McCollum. The latter has gotten off to a hot start with his new team. The Pelicans are two games back of the Trail Blazers for 10th place in the Western Conference and have plenty of time to move up.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Utah Jazz (36-22)
The Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns have asserted themselves as the favorites in the West. No other team, including Utah, is in a similar tier. The Jazz also didn't make any significant moves to inspire title hope at the trade deadline, and a recent five-game winning streak doesn't exactly turn the tables. Utah hasn't reached the conference finals since 2006-07, and that seems like a reasonable, yet valuable goal since the team will likely have to get through one of the two powers to get there.
(Last week: 8)
8. Portland Trail Blazers (25-34)
Anfernee Simons averaged 28.0 points and 6.0 assists while shooting 44.8% from long range over his last five games entering the break. He's been the breakout star of the 2022 calendar year, and has given a listless Trail Blazers team some life. Simons' development might be more important than any team outcome, especially if Damian Lillard does not return this season. If he can finish out the year as the dynamic offensive weapon he's becoming, Simons can show Portland why he's a long-term core piece for the next era.
(Last week: 6)
7. Sacramento Kings (22-38)
When the Kings swung on Domantas Sabonis (and to a lesser extent, Donte DiVincenzo), they basically set the goal: make the playoffs. Play-In exits won't do any good for a franchise that has not made a postseason appearance since 2005-06 and just dealt arguably its top young talent, however. Sacramento is tied with New Orleans and also two-and-a-half games out of 10th in the West. It's going to be a brawl for that last spot, but if the Kings do snag it and advance through the mini-bracket, that means the Sabonis-De'Aaron Fox pairing is worth building around.
(Last week: 5)
6. Charlotte Hornets (29-31)
Charlotte has a top-10 Defensive Rating over the past two weeks, part of this wild roller-coaster ride the Hornets' defense has been on throughout the season. The team's Offensive Rating, however, ranks 27th during that stretch. Gordon Hayward's absence dealt a tough blow to the lineup's synergy. Ultimately, this is still a young team growing into its potential. Remaining in Play-In and playoff contention is a given goal, but I'd also like to see the team find some consistency on both ends and shoot for league-average ratings or better for the rest of the schedule.
(Last week: 9)
5. Houston Rockets (15-43)
On a seven-game slide, Houston has give up a whopping 128.9 points per 100 possessions in February, nearly five points more than any other team. This is an extremely young roster that will take time to mesh on defense, but that's still extremely rough. Tanking outright is not a "goal," but record isn't exactly a concern at this stage.&nbsp;
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More of this, please. They&rsquo;re giving it to you. <a href="https://twitter.com/JalenGreen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JalenGreen</a> <a href="https://t.co/zfRvLkunXL">pic.twitter.com/zfRvLkunXL</a>
&mdash; heypartner (@theheypartner) <a href="https://twitter.com/theheypartner/status/1495761190370353155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Jalen Green is averaging 16.5 points per game this month while canning 41.7% of his three-pointers. He's the face of the future in Houston, so his flashes are what the fans and front office should want to see. As long as Green demonstrates noteworthy growth this spring, things will look up for the Rockets.
(Last week: 7)
4. Washington Wizards (27-31)
Kristaps Porzingis has yet to make his Wizards debut. When he does, it marks the start of a desperate push for Washington to appease Bradley Beal and make the playoffs. The Wizards are in 11th place and currently out of the Eastern Conference postseason picture, but sit just a game back of Charlotte and the Atlanta Hawks. A Play-In appearance can't satisfy; but a playoff appearance is much easier said than done. If two of Toronto, Boston and Brooklyn don't make it to a top-six seed, making the traditional eight is going to be a tall order for the Wizards or any other team.
(Last week: 4)
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3. Brooklyn Nets (31-28)
The Nets sorely needed this All-Star break to put the drama of the James Harden trade and the stench of losing behind them. Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons are still out for an indefinite period, and Kyrie Irving is still unvaccinated, so this current ragtag bunch will have to keep Brooklyn in the playoff hunt. (They did also just ink Goran Dragic to a rest-of-the-season contract on Monday as well.) This is still a title contender on paper... but so was the pre-deadline iteration of the Nets. However, the East is wide open, and fans should expect a healthy roster to go at least two rounds in the postseason. 
(Last week: 2)
2. New York Knicks (25-34)
New York went 3-13 in a one-month span before the pause and promptly decided to forge ahead at the trade deadline with no changes. This doesn't bode well for a team with several veterans, but almost no hope of extending its season at this time.
Since Jan. 17, the Knicks have a 25th-ranked defense and a 22nd-ranked offense. The defense especially needs to improve for the sake of Tom Thibodeau's viability as a head coach. If it's not league-average or better the rest of the way, New York's direction will start to look a lot like the Thibodeau era in Minnesota.
(Last week: 3)
1. Los Angeles Lakers (27-31)
In the latest Hollywood drama, LeBron James <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lebron-james-on-cleveland-return-the-doors-not-closed-on-that" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kept things pretty wide open</a> when he chatted with The Athletic's&nbsp;Jason Lloyd about his future. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rob-pelinka-refused-to-trade-russell-westbrook-draft-pick-for-john-wall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report also wrote</a> that Rob Pelinka refused to trade Russell Westbrook and a first-round pick for John Wall. So yeah, there's a very obvious disconnect within this franchise.
The Lakers cannot be satisfied with stumbling their way through a Play-In bracket that James himself has gone on record hating. They have to be a top-six seed for the sake of roster durability and image. But being six games behind sixth-place Denver right now, Los Angeles may have already run out of luck.
(Last week: 1)
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Ethan Fuller gives end-of-season benchmarks for success to the league's disappointing teams.

NBA Sour Rankings: Can teams in the dumps still salvage success?

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Jusuf Nurkic had 32 points and eight rebounds, Anfernee Simons added 31 points and six assists and the Portland Trail Blazers overcame Ja Morant&rsquo;s 44-point performance, beating the Memphis Grizzlies 123-119 on Wednesday night.
Josh Hart added 22 points, six assists and seven rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who won their fourth straight after leading most of the game and weathering a frantic finish.
&ldquo;They made a heckuva run, as they should. They&rsquo;re at home,&rdquo; Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;We can&rsquo;t lose our composure. Keep playing the way that we play, and we did that.&rdquo;
Morant matched his career high in scoring as Memphis had its six-game winning streak halted. Desmond Bane scored 30 points and Brandon Clarke finished with 12.
The Grizzlies benefitted from a big scoring night from Morant and Bane, the team&rsquo;s starting guard tandem. Their 74 points came on 20 of 39 shooting, Bane hit 7 of 12 from outside the arc, the seven made 3-pointers a career high. At times, the Trail Blazers tried to clog the middle to cut down on Morant&rsquo;s paint points.
That opened the door for Bane.
&ldquo;If you shift (defensively), you&rsquo;re too late,&rdquo; Morant said. &ldquo;&hellip; Just reading (defenders). If they help, I already know I&rsquo;ve got (Bane) on the wings to knock down the 3-ball. If they try to stay home, I&rsquo;m in the paint.&rdquo;
Memphis had trouble generating offense through the first half and into the third quarter. The Grizzlies used an offensive burst and closed within a possession on a couple of occasions, but Portland maintained the lead it held since the opening minutes.
Memphis finally caught the Trail Blazers with just less than five minutes remaining in the fourth as Bane scored seven straight points.
The teams swapped the lead, with Nurkic keeping Portland in the game by scoring nine straight points. Simons followed with a 3-pointer from the right wing for a 122-117 lead with 44 seconds left, helping preserve the victory.
&ldquo;I had the ball in the hands of the dude that we needed it to be in,&rdquo; Billups said of Simons&rsquo; 3-pointer. &ldquo;We got what we wanted.&rdquo;
He later added: &ldquo;That was a big, big shot.&rdquo;
Portland, which is dealing with numerous injuries to Damian Lillard and forward Nassir Little, along with several trade-deadline acquisitions, are working with a pieced-together roster. In addition to the injuries, solid producers like Norman Powell, Robert Covington and CJ McCollum were sent elsewhere at the deadline.
The Trail Blazers have played well during their winning streak, including a double-digit win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday. They continued that trend in the first half.
Portland shot 60% until the late stages of the half, and Memphis seemed a step slower than it had during its recent winning streak. That translated into a 68-57 Portland lead at the break, despite Morant scoring 27 points.
&ldquo;Giving up 68 points in the first half is not up to our standards,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;&hellip; We threw a lot of different looks at them, and nothing really worked.&rdquo;
But the Trail Blazers still had to endure a Memphis rally at the end.
&ldquo;I feel like people still try to overlook us,&rdquo; Nurkic said. &ldquo;I think we&rsquo;re playing hard. That&rsquo;s no doubt. Making shots obviously helps. But we play the right way. It gives us a chance to win. &hellip; Tonight, was a playoff-type of basketball.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Simons has recorded at least 29 points in each of his last three games. &hellip;. The four-game winning streak matches the longest of the season for Portland. It won four straight from Nov. 15-23. &hellip; Portland captured the season series 3-1 over Memphis.
Grizzlies: Morant, who missed Tuesday&rsquo;s win at New Orleans with a sore ankle, returned to action and started. &hellip; Morant&rsquo;s 20 first-quarter points marked a season-high for a Memphis player in a period. &hellip; Had scored at least 120 points during the six-game winning streak. &hellip; Memphis is now 24-3 when Clarke scores in double figures.
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LIVING AT THE LINE
Morant finished the night 21 of 25 from the line, the 21 made free throws was a franchise record. Nurkic was amazed at the number. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know the last time I remember playing somebody that shoots 25 free throws,&rdquo; Nurkic said, adding &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t remember Dame (Damian Lillard) shooting 25 free throws. &hellip; I wasn&rsquo;t happy about it. It was amazing. At some point, he had more free throws than our whole team.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: Host Golden State on Feb. 24 after the All-Star break.
Grizzlies: On All-Star break until Feb. 24 at Minnesota.

Nurkic had 32 points, Anfernee Simons added 31 and Portland overcame Ja Morant’s 44 to beat Memphis 123-119.

Blazers overcome Morant's 44 points, beat Grizzlies 123-119

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-bucks-back-into-top-tier-mavs-move-up-into-top10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
The Phoenix Suns continue to cruise, while the Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics have been grinding their way into the NBA's upper-echelon as of late.
1. Phoenix Suns (46-10) &harr;️&nbsp; Last Week: 1
The Suns have been, by far, the best and most consistent team in the NBA this season. They proved it once again last week by beating up on three of the Eastern Conference's best teams (the Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks) in succession.
2. Memphis Grizzlies (40-18) ⬆️ Last Week: 3
The Grizz are currently riding another five-game winning streak and have won 21 of their last 25 contests. Memphis will look to make it seven in a row heading into the All-Star break by beating the New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers this week.&nbsp;
3. Golden State Warriors (42-16) ⬇️ Last Week: 2
The Warriors have dropped 3 of their last 4 games, including an embarrassing home loss to the New York Knicks last Thursday and a 15-point shellacking by the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. Golden State is now five games behind the Suns for the top spot in the Western Conference. "Our defense has just been bad for six, seven games now. It's hard to win in this league when you're looking like we are defensively, with so many holes," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said after Monday's loss.&nbsp;
4. Miami Heat (37-20) ⬆️ Last Week: 5
The Heat welcomed Kyle Lowry back earlier this month, and have won each of the five games they've played with their point guard in the lineup.&nbsp;
5. Chicago Bulls (37-21) ⬆️ Last Week: 6
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
40 POINTS for <a href="https://twitter.com/DeMar_DeRozan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeMar_DeRozan</a>. 4 straight wins for <a href="https://twitter.com/chicagobulls?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chicagobulls</a>. <a href="https://t.co/zj9U5zwzYG">pic.twitter.com/zj9U5zwzYG</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1493464239973011459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Shockingly, DeMar DeRozan has pushed his name into the fringes of the MVP conversation of late due to his awe-inspiring play over the past few weeks. He has scored at least 30 points in seven consecutive contests, making him the first Bull with such a streak since Michael Jordan during the 1996-97 season. During this seven-game stretch, DeRozan is averaging 37.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.7 assists, while shooting 58% from the floor.&nbsp;
6. Utah Jazz (36-21) ⬆️ Last Week: 10
On Monday night, the Jazz wrapped up a perfect 6-0 homestand with an easy victory over the Houston Rockets. They also welcomed back Rudy Gobert in that contest, who had missed nine games due to a left calf strain. It was the first time Utah had its entire starting five on the floor together since Jan. 13.&nbsp;
7. Philadelphia 76ers (34-22) ⬆️ Last Week: 8
James Harden spoke with the media on Tuesday for the first time since his arrival in Philadelphia and said the Sixers were a "perfect fit" and his first choice. "Obviously, you got the best big man in the league in Joel [Embiid] and then obviously the coaching. Just from top to bottom, it made sense," Harden said. The Beard also seemed to take a swipe at a former teammate, stating, "I needed to be around guys that I know want to win and are willing to do whatever it takes to win."
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (35-22) ⬇️ Last Week: 7
The NBA announced Monday that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jarrett-allen-named-nba-allstar-replacement-for-injured-james-harden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jarrett Allen would replace James Harden</a> (hamstring) in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. Allen is averaging career highs in points (16.2), rebounds (11.1), assists (1.8), steals (0.76) and minutes (32.6) this season.
9. Milwaukee Bucks (35-23) ⬇️ Last Week: 4
The Bucks' loss to the Suns in Phoenix last Thursday was understandable, if not acceptable &mdash; but Monday's defeat to the Blazers was demoralizing. Milwaukee's defense has been horrendous as of late. The team ranks 27th in the NBA in Defensive Efficiency dating back to late January.
10. Boston Celtics (33-25) ⬆️ Last Week: 13
The Celtics are riding the league's longest winning streak, having notched eight straight victories. They have been the best defensive team in the NBA in 2022, and added Derrick White prior to the trade deadline, who should help them on both ends of the floor.&nbsp;
11. Dallas Mavericks (33-24) ⬇️ Last Week: 9
On Monday, Luka Doncic was named the Western Conference Player of the Week after averaging a whopping 43.0 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists over Dallas' past three games. In the two games he played against the Los Angeles Clippers late last week, Doncic tallied 96 points, 24 rebounds, 14 assists and 13 made three-pointers. According to Basketball-Reference, he is the first player in NBA history with at least 96/24/14 and 13 treys over a two-game span.
12. Denver Nuggets (32-25) ⬇️ Last Week: 11
The Nuggets didn't make a major move at the deadline, but Denver fans are hoping two key contributors return before the playoffs arrive. Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said last week that he believes Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. will be physically cleared to return "hopefully in the not too distant future."
13. Minnesota Timberwolves (30-27) ⬆️ Last Week: 14
Anthony Edwards tallied 37 points with 7 threes, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals in Sunday's victory over the Indiana Pacers. However, it was his very first bucket of the game that made history, as it was the 2,500th point of his career. At 20 years, 192 days old, Ant-Man is the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to reach that total. LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are the only players to reach that milestone at a younger age.&nbsp;
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14. Toronto Raptors (31-25) ⬇️ Last Week: 12
The Raps had won eight straight games before losing to Denver over the weekend, and then shockingly, Toronto was pummeled by the Pelicans on Monday night, 120-90.&nbsp;
15. Brooklyn Nets (30-27) &harr;️ Last Week: 15
Although Ben Simmons has yet to suit up, the other players the Nets got in the Harden deal provided a much-needed spark Monday night, and helped snap Brooklyn's 11-game losing streak. Seth Curry racked up 23 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in 32 minutes in his Nets debut, while Andre Drummond chipped in 11 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and a block in 24 minutes.
16. Los Angeles Clippers (29-30)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 20
The Clippers have registered two impressive victories in a row. They held off the Mavericks in Dallas on Saturday, despite a 45-point explosion from Luka Doncic. Then, on Monday, L.A. beat the Warriors, 119-104.&nbsp;
17. Charlotte Hornets (29-29) ⬇️ Last Week: 16
The Hornets have lost 7 of their last 8 games, and their only victory during this stretch has been over the hapless Detroit Pistons. Charlotte hasn't beaten a team with a winning record since defeating the Celtics back on Jan. 19.
18. Los Angeles Lakers (26-31) &harr;️ Last Week: 18
As BasketballNews.com <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-the-lakers-landed-here-a-stepbystep-look-at-how-la-managed-to-turn-a-championship-roster-into-a-sub500-mess" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detailed earlier this week</a>, the Lakers have somehow managed to turn a championship-level roster into a team that finds itself six games below .500 with an outside chance of finishing the season on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.&nbsp;
19. Atlanta Hawks (26-30) ⬇️ Last Week: 17
Not only have the Hawks lost 4 of their last 5 games, but the team also learned over the weekend that forward John Collins &mdash; who injured his foot in Friday's loss to the San Antonio Spurs &mdash; has been diagnosed with a right foot strain and will be sidelined through the All-Star break.
20. Washington Wizards (26-30) ⬆️ Last Week: 21
Washington head coach Wes Unseld Jr. told reporters Monday that there is a chance that the newly-acquired Kristaps Porzingis &mdash; who has been dealing with a bone bruise in his right knee &mdash; may be medically cleared to play this week. "He's doing a little bit more every day on the floor," Unseld said. "That's a positive sign, but we still have to be cautious with it. When the time's right, he's ready."
21. Portland Trail Blazers (24-34) ⬆️ Last Week: 25
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/AnferneeSimons?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AnferneeSimons</a> drops 31 PTS on the road to give the <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@trailblazers</a> their 3rd straight W! 🙌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA75?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA75</a> <a href="https://t.co/AlS3oTWN8Q">pic.twitter.com/AlS3oTWN8Q</a>
&mdash; NBA Philippines (@NBA_Philippines) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA_Philippines/status/1493473746228711424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Break up the Blazers! After Portland busted up its core at the deadline, most pundits assumed the team would sink to the bottom of the standings. However, the Blazers are 3-0 since trading away CJ McCollum and Co., with shocking wins over the Lakers, Knicks and Bucks. During this three-game stretch, Anfernee Simons is averaging 30.0 points, 6.3 assists and 6.0 made treys, while slashing .486/.462/.800.
22. New Orleans Pelicans (23-34) ⬇️ Last Week: 19
On Monday, the Pels ended a brief two-game losing streak with an impressive blowout victory over the Raptors. CJ McCollum &mdash; who tallied 36 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists on Saturday &mdash; scored 23 points on an efficient 9 of 13 shooting in Monday's 120-90 win over Toronto.&nbsp;
23. New York Knicks (25-33) ⬇️ Last Week: 22
The Knicks have lost 9 of their last 12 games, and things don't get any easier over the next few weeks. After hosting the Nets on Wednesday, New York will play Miami and Philadelphia right after the All-Star Break before embarking on a brutal seven-game road trip (its longest of the season).&nbsp;
24. Sacramento Kings (22-37) &harr;️ Last Week: 24
De'Aaron Fox has scored more than 25 points in each of the four games he's played since returning from an ankle injury after the trade deadline. Fox is averaging 27.0 points (on 49.4% shooting), 4.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 made three-pointers during this four-game stretch. &nbsp;
25. San Antonio Spurs (22-36) ⬇️ Last Week: 23
With their loss to the Bulls in Chicago on Monday, the Spurs are just 1-12 this season in the 13 games they've played against teams that are currently over .500.
26. Oklahoma City Thunder (18-39) ⬆️ Last Week: 27
After tallying 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a loss to the Bulls on Saturday, Josh Giddey exploded for a career-high 28 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in OKC's victory over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. Giddey is the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double in back-to-back games.
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27. Indiana Pacers (19-39)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 26
The Pacers' moves before the deadline have given Oshae Brissett a chance to step in, and the 23-year-old out of Syracuse has stepped up. Over Indiana's past three games, Brissett is averaging 18.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 2.3 made triples (on 43.8% shooting from downtown) in 34.7 minutes per contest.
28. Houston Rockets (15-41) &harr;️ Last Week: 28
The Rockets have lost 9 of their last 10 games, and have to travel to Phoenix to take on the league-leading Suns on Wednesday night.
29. Orlando Magic (13-46) &harr;️ Last Week: 29
In a season with few other bright spots for Orlando, Franz Wagner continues to impress. The rookie sensation stuffed the stat sheet with 26 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in Monday's loss to the Nuggets.
30. Detroit Pistons (12-45) &harr;️ Last Week: 30
Marvin Bagley III, who the Pistons acquired from the Kings at last week's deadline, finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds in 21 minutes in his Pistons debut on Monday. Bagley will compete for minutes with Isaiah Stewart and Kelly Olynyk over the second half of the season.
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Tommy Beer checks in with an installment of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings.

NBA Power Rankings: Celtics break into top-10, Jazz heating up

Long overdue for a makeover, the Portland Trail Blazers became sellers at this year&rsquo;s trade deadline. CJ McCollum, Norman Powell and Robert Covington are all gone in place of more youth and future cap flexibility.
With Damian Lillard presumably out for the rest of the season, this provided Portland the ideal opportunity to hit the reset button. The main question, though, always circles back around to Lillard&rsquo;s long-term future with the Blazers.
Is Lillard seriously going to sit through an extended rebuild through his mid-30s? With three years remaining on Lillard&rsquo;s contract in 2022-23, here&rsquo;s the current core group to move forward with: Anfernee Simons, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nassir-little-sheer-will-intensity-gives-portland-trail-blazers-a-boost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nassir Little</a>, Josh Hart, Keon Johnson, Justise Winslow, Didi Louzada, Greg Brown III.
Simons has proven to be a real building block during his full-fledged breakout campaign, but there are many questions outside of him. Little has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/qa-nassir-little-on-blazers-struggles-his-development-gm-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flashed some improvements</a>, but consistency for him was still needed before going down with an injury. Hart and Johnson were the primary pieces returned in the Blazers&rsquo; midseason roster remake.
In the end, will that crop of young players be enough to keep Lillard content while also competing within an actual championship window? That answer remains murky at best, particularly a Finals appearance being close to feasible.
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Portland created oodles of flexibility this summer via free agency or the trade market to improve rapidly around Lillard. If the next disgruntled star wants out this summer, the Blazers can at least have a seat at the table as potentially realistic destinations. They are set up well with future draft capital, plus multiple young players and a large, soon-to-be expiring contract with Eric Bledsoe.
The franchise can get into many discussions simply based off the variability of its asset collection. They could&rsquo;ve gotten more in both deals &mdash; which could loom large if they swing-and-miss this offseason &mdash; but the idea on paper makes sense.
The Blazers' last roster makeup was based around the dynamic high-usage backcourt of Lillard and McCollum. The backcourt's defensive abilities, or lack thereof, limited its potential ceiling. In the next chapter for Portland, what will be necessary to build an instant contender?
With it being unlikely that the Blazers land a star-level player, the NBA Draft is their best bet to reshaping on the fly while also achieving another chapter post-Lillard. In the McCollum trade, Portland received a 2022 first-round pick from the Pelicans where it&rsquo;s likely to convey this season (protected 1-4, 15-30).
With two top-10 picks at its disposal, Portland has the artillery to make some splashy moves on draft night, whether it be acquiring two young prospects or a seismic blockbuster trade.
Lillard seemingly is fine on the surface signing another record-breaking contract with the Blazers, but, deep down, when will this reach a level of discontent where lines are drawn? When will Lillard make the pressure too hot for the Blazers to handle? For a scorer of Lillard&rsquo;s caliber, he deserves to legitimately chase championships during the second half of his prime years. At the moment, that destination isn&rsquo;t realistically in Portland.
Building a team around young players and maybe a re-signed Jusuf Nurkic isn&rsquo;t going to make even a noticeable dent in the Western Conference. Sure, Simons is a fun backcourt partner with Lillard, but it keeps Portland in the same position it was with McCollum all these years already.
This is what makes the Jerami Grant rumors so interesting around the Blazers entering such an important offseason. As said on <a href="https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1mrxmaWXOqwxy?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's Trade Deadline Twitter Space</a>, HoopsHype&rsquo;s Michael Scotto relayed Grant to Portland was generating the most buzz before the deadline with less than 24 hours to go. Grant&rsquo;s fit with Lillard and the Blazers would be excellent, finally providing a real two-way wing next to his offensive profile.
Grant, Lillard and Simons is something to build around, but it&rsquo;s again another roadblock when seriously considering a real Finals push. If we&rsquo;re being honest, Grant is the likely move Portland makes to push more chips in with Lillard. How it plays out is a completely different story though.
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For both Lillard and the Blazers, the realization that it might be time for a split is closing in. As we just saw in the Super Bowl with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, staying loyal forever doesn&rsquo;t always lead to the ultimate prize. Stafford <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/matthew-stafford-trade-rams-send-two-first-round-picks-a-third-round-pick-and-jared-goff-to-lions-for-qb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requested a trade</a> from the lowly Detroit Lions and instantly won a championship with Los Angeles.
Lillard is the NBA&rsquo;s version of Stafford, so loyal to a fault and always putting the team on his back. Stafford eventually knew the time arrived to make a change for his legacy's sake. Lillard has to be envisioning this when canvassing Portland&rsquo;s future outlook.
It&rsquo;s again slowly bubbling under the surface, but the Blazers remain one of the most intriguing teams in the league for yet another offseason. How Portland maneuvered at the deadline gave a sneak peek into what should be a summer with gigantic stakes.
Now, we wait and see how it all unfolds for an organization with change occurring on all levels.
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After a roster overhaul, which direction will the Portland Trail Blazers pursue? Damian Lillard's long-term future depends on it.

As Blazers begin makeover, does Damian Lillard staying even make sense?

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast "Nothing But Bets" on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3rnooUvIsHtvykhPY9Ddt8?si=36d61d2c59a44523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a> or wherever you listen to podcasts. This season, "Nothing But Bets" is 55% against the spread, plus we're up hundreds of dollars on PrizePicks.
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For this fun Monday slate, which picks and trends are the best to wager on? Let&rsquo;s break it all down as you lock in bets and lineup cards:
Washington Wizards (-4) vs. Detroit Pistons
This feels like the perfect opportunity for the underdog to make this one closer than expected throughout. Washington is without Bradley Beal, plus Kristaps Porzingis isn&rsquo;t making his debut just yet. No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham has been such fun to watch this season, and he&rsquo;s why I believe the Pistons cover the 4-point spread.
Pick: Pistons +4
PrizePicks Power Play: Cade Cunningham over 15.5 points, Saddiq Bey over 16.5 points, Kyle Kuzma over 21.5 points, Thomas Bryant over 5.5 rebounds
New York Knicks (-10) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
All season long on "Nothing But Bets," we&rsquo;ve been tailing the Thunder as double-digit underdogs. More often than not, it&rsquo;s been a very sound strategy to deploy. It&rsquo;s time to hammer the Thunder against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, mainly in large part to New York&rsquo;s inconsistencies. Josh Giddey and the young Thunder keep cashing for the plus bettors.
Pick: Thunder +10
PrizePicks Power Play: Julius Randle over 23.5 points, Darius Bazley over 14.5 points, Josh Giddey over 6.5 assists, Evan Fournier over 2.5 rebounds
Brooklyn Nets vs. Sacramento Kings (-2.5)
Sacramento has found their winning ways recently, thanks in large part to the blockbuster trade for Domantas Sabonis. The results between Sabonis and De&rsquo;Aaron Fox have been fantastic thus far. In Brooklyn against a Nets team without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, we&rsquo;re betting on the Kings to keep stacking up victories.
Pick: Kings -2.5
PrizePicks Power Play: De&rsquo;Aaron Fox over 22.5 points, Domantas Sabonis over 11.5 rebounds, Patty Mills over 14.5 points, Seth Curry over 14.5 points
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Milwaukee Bucks (-11.5) vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Portland looks completely different after this year&rsquo;s trade deadline. Heading on the road to play the defending champions is a bad outcome waiting to happen. Milwaukee easily handles business against the newly tanking Trail Blazers.
Pick: Bucks -11.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Khris Middleton over 23.5 points, Anfernee Simons over 21.5 points, Jusuf Nurkic over 11.5 rebounds, Jrue Holiday over 8.5 assists
Chicago Bulls (-3.5) vs. San Antonio Spurs
The DeMar DeRozan revenge game, and we&rsquo;re happy to take advantage of the low spread across the board. Chicago has been outstanding this season as favorites, plus DeRozan&rsquo;s scoring will be too much for his former team. We feel confident locking in Chicago because of DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic.
Pick: -3.5
PrizePicks Power Play: DeMar DeRozan over 31.5 points, Dejounte Murray over 22.5 points, Nikola Vucevic over 13 rebounds, Jakob Poetl over 8 rebounds
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Toronto Raptors (-3.5)
Toronto continues to be one of the best stories in the NBA this season. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet have been arguably playing at near-All-NBA levels, plus their young core continues to take significant strides forward. The Pelicans have been more consistently lately, but it&rsquo;s hard to envision a scenario where they stop the Raptors&rsquo; momentum.
Pick: Raptors -3.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Brandon Ingram over 21.5 points, Pascal Siakam over 21.5 points, Fred VanVleet over 19.5 points, CJ McCollum over 19.5 points
Utah Jazz (-15) vs. Houston Rockets
A huge spread for this game, but it&rsquo;s definitely worthy of the large line. Utah on all accounts hold significant advantages across the board compared to Houston. Donovan Mitchell will easily be able to have his way with the Rockets, so this feels like one of the best bets of the night for Monday&rsquo;s slate.
Pick: Jazz -15
PrizePicks Power Play: Donovan Mitchell over 24.5 points, Kevin Porter Jr. over 14.5 points, Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate over 11.5 points, Bojan Bogdanovic over 2.5 threes
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Denver Nuggets (-11.5) vs. Orlando Magic
Nikola Jokic is playing at an outrageously high level right now, even better than last season&rsquo;s jaw-dropping MVP campaign. Jokic is carrying a Nuggets team without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., further solidifiing his status among the NBA&rsquo;s elite. Denver could be a sleeper team in the playoffs, especially once Murray returns. Against the Magic, I believe Jokic and the Nuggets easily cover the 11.5-point spread.
Pick: Nuggets -11.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Nikola Jokic over 24.5 points, Will Barton over 15.5 points, Jalen Suggs over 13.5 points, Mo Bamba over 6.5 rebounds
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors (-6)
It&rsquo;s never a wise strategy to bet against Stephen Curry and the Warriors. On Monday, it&rsquo;s no different when they play against the Clippers in Los Angeles. Not only are the Clippers without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George (potentially <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ty-lue-kawhi-leonard-is-probably-not-gonna-come-back-this-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">for the rest of the season</a>), one of their new additions in Norman Powell is already dealing with an injury as well. Wagering on the Warriors here feels like the best move.
Pick: Warriors -6
PrizePicks Power Play: Stephen Curry over 22.5 points, Reggie Jackson over 18.5 points, Klay Thompson over 18.5 points, Ivica Zubac over 7.5 rebounds
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Who are the best bets for tonight's NBA games? Which players should you target in daily-fantasy? We've got you covered!