Golden Hurricane

The 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals are set, with the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, and New York Knicks advancing after hard-fought first-round series. Here's a breakdown of how each team secured its spot and what lies ahead.
<h3>Boston Celtics: Depth and Dominance</h3>
The defending champion Boston Celtics showcased their depth and resilience in a commanding 4&ndash;1 series victory over the Orlando Magic. Despite facing challenges, including Jayson Tatum's wrist injury that sidelined him in Game 2, the Celtics maintained their composure and executed effectively.
Jaylen Brown stepped up impressively, averaging 23 points per game and shooting 44.4% from three-point range. His standout performance came in Game 2, where he scored 36 points, leading the team in Tatum's absence. Derrick White also contributed significantly, particularly in Game 1, where he hit seven three-pointers en route to 30 points.
The Celtics' bench proved vital, with Payton Pritchard adding 19 points on 75% shooting in Game 1. Kristaps Porziņģis provided a strong presence inside, recording a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds in Game 2. Boston's ability to adapt and rely on multiple contributors underscores its championship pedigree.
<h3>Indiana Pacers: Overcoming Adversity</h3>
The Indiana Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals by defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 4&ndash;2. The series was marked by the Bucks' injury woes, with Giannis Antetokounmpo missing the entire series and Damian Lillard also sidelined. The Pacers capitalized on this, displaying balanced scoring and solid defense.
Pascal Siakam led the way for the Pacers while Tyrese Haliburton orchestrated the offense efficiently. Myles Turner provided a strong inside presence, and the Pacers&rsquo; numbers just overwhelmed the Bucks&rsquo; shallow rotation.
The Pacers' defense was particularly effective in Game 1, where they held the Bucks to just 98 points, their lowest allowed in the 2025 playoffs. Their ability to exploit the Bucks' weakened lineup and maintain consistent performance highlights their growth and resilience.
<h3>New York Knicks: Clutch Performances Propel Advancement</h3>
The New York Knicks secured their spot in the semifinals with a 4&ndash;2 series win over the Detroit Pistons. Jalen Brunson was instrumental, averaging 31.5 points and 8.2 assists per game. His most notable moment came in Game 6, where he hit a game-winning three-pointer under heavy defense, sealing the series.
Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby provided substantial support, each contributing 23 points in Game 1. The Knicks' defense also played a crucial role, with Mikal Bridges' efforts being particularly noteworthy. Coach Tom Thibodeau praised the team's collective resilience and emphasized the importance of their grit and winning mindset.
The Knicks' advancement sets up a highly anticipated matchup against the Boston Celtics, rekindling a rivalry that dates back decades. Their ability to perform under pressure and execute in clutch moments will be vital as they face the defending champions.
&ndash; &ndash; &ndash;
As the Eastern Conference Semifinals commence, the stage is set for intense competition. The Celtics' depth will battle against the Knicks&rsquo; top-heavy lineup, while the Pacers' balanced attack goes head-to-head against the Cavaliers&rsquo; mob in what promises to be a thrilling continuation of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

The 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals are set, with the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, and New York Knicks advancing

Boston, Indiana, New York complete 2025 East semis playoff cast

The NBA has officially announced the finalists for its 2024-25 season awards, spotlighting standout performances across the league.&nbsp;
Leading the Most Valuable Player (MVP) race are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks). Gilgeous-Alexander, who averaged a league-high 32.7 points per game, guided the Thunder to an NBA-best 68&ndash;14 record. Jokić delivered a stellar season with averages of 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game, while Antetokounmpo contributed 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game.
Defensive Player of the Year Finalists:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Dyson Daniels (Atlanta Hawks)​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers)​</li>
</ul>
Notably, Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs was ineligible due to playing only 46 games this season.&nbsp;
Most Improved Player Finalists:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons)​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ivica Zubac (Los Angeles Clippers)​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Dyson Daniels (Atlanta Hawks)</li>
</ul>
Rookie of the Year Finalists:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs)​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Zaccharie Risacher (Atlanta Hawks)​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Jaylen Wells (Memphis Grizzlies)​</li>
</ul>
Sixth Man of the Year Finalists:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Malik Beasley (Detroit Pistons)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ty Jerome (Cleveland Cavaliers)​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Payton Pritchard (Boston Celtics)​</li>
</ul>
Clutch Player of the Year Finalists:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks)​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves)​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets)​</li>
</ul>
Coach of the Year Finalists:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Kenny Atkinson (Cleveland Cavaliers)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ime Udoka (Houston Rockets)​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">J.B. Bickerstaff (Detroit Pistons)​</li>
</ul>
The winners will be announced during the NBA Playoffs, with dates to be determined.​

The NBA has officially announced the finalists for its 2024-25 season awards.

NBA announces finalists for 2024-2025 NBA Awards

Views are the author&rsquo;s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the website.
As the 2024-25 NBA regular season winds down, it&rsquo;s time to spotlight the standout performers who rose above the rest. From breakout stars to defensive anchors and rookie sensations, here are my picks for the major awards this season &mdash; including some deserving runner-ups and honorable mentions.
<h3>Most Improved Player: Dyson Daniels (Atlanta Hawks)</h3>
Runner-ups: Ivica Zubac, Christian Braun
Notes: Dyson Daniels has made the leap. After being traded to the Atlanta Hawks, Daniels not only found a larger role but embraced it fully, evolving into a dynamic two-way guard. His length, defensive instincts, and vastly improved shooting have made him one of the league&rsquo;s biggest revelations. Daniels went from being a defensive specialist to a legitimate secondary playmaker and spot-up threat, thriving alongside Trae Young. Daniels also has a legitimate case for the Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league in steals, and this only strengthens his case for Most Improved.
Ivica Zubac has a notable case for runner-up after seeing growth as a more consistent interior anchor for the Clippers. Zubac also had a huge year offensively, often conniving with James Harden for lob and post opportunities. Meanwhile Christian Braun carved out a bigger offensive role in Denver with increased minutes and responsibility as he saw the biggest increase in PPG from over a season ago.
<h3>Sixth Man of the Year: Payton Pritchard (Boston Celtics)</h3>
Runner-ups: Malik Beasley, Ty Jerome
Pritchard stepped up in Boston&rsquo;s championship-caliber rotation, giving them much-needed energy, scoring punch, and floor-spacing off the bench. He played with confidence, controlled tempo, and was crucial during clutch stretches when starters rested. His knack for scoring in bunches and orchestrating the offense when Jrue Holiday or Derrick White sat was invaluable.
Beasley&rsquo;s sharpshooting in Detroit has stood out, garnering a league-2nd-best 319 threes as a bench player while Ty Jerome&rsquo;s steady second-unit play in Cleveland has them at the top of the East and worthy of 6th man consideration.
<h3>Defensive Player of the Year: Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)</h3>
Runner-ups: Evan Mobley, Lu Dort
This should have been Victor Wembanyama&rsquo;s award if not for the blood clot injury, but here we are. There should be a winner, and my pick would be Draymond Green. Even in his 30s, Green remains a defensive savant. He quarterbacked Golden State&rsquo;s schemes, constantly switching, communicating, and anchoring a defense that ranked among the best post-All-Star break. While Green&rsquo;s impact isn&rsquo;t always in the stat sheet, his presence turned the Warriors into a top-tier defensive team when he was on the floor.
Mobley continued to showcase elite versatility for Cleveland, while Dort was once again a perimeter nightmare for opposing guards and wings. Both Mobley and Dort deserve these runner-up spots due to their teams (Cleveland and OKC) performing well because of them.
<h3>All-Defensive Teams</h3>
1st Team: Draymond Green, Evan Mobley, Lu Dort, Amen Thompson, Dyson Daniels 2nd Team: Jalen Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaren Jackson Jr., Toumani Camara, Ivica Zubac
Amen Thompson&rsquo;s disruptive length and switchability earned him a First-Team nod as a rookie, while Dyson Daniels brought relentless on-ball pressure. On the Second Team, Shai&rsquo;s defensive improvements were evident this year, and Camara turned heads with his rugged, fearless wing defense in Portland. Zubac was a rock-solid rim protector all season long.
<h3>Rookie of the Year: Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs)</h3>
Runner-up: Zaccharie Risacher
Castle made an immediate impact in San Antonio with his poise, defense, and playmaking. He embraced the challenge of playing next to Victor Wembanyama and flourished as a stabilizing backcourt force. Castle's two-way effort, ability to guard multiple positions, and unselfish offense stood out in a deep rookie class.
Risacher showcased his offensive polish and smooth shooting stroke in Atlanta and made a strong late push for the award.
<h3>All-Rookie Teams</h3>
1st Team: Stephon Castle, Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, Jaylen Wells, Zach Edey 2nd Team: Bub Carrington, Isaiah Collier, Matas Buzelis, Kel&rsquo;el Ware, Yves Missi
From Sarr&rsquo;s shot-blocking to Jaylen Wells&rsquo; scoring flashes, this rookie class was filled with gems despite a no-clear-star tag. Edey proved his game could translate at the next level, and Buzelis quietly put together a solid two-way campaign. Carrington and Collier each had stretches of brilliance at the point guard spot for their respective teams.
<h3>Coach of the Year: Kenny Atkinson (Cleveland Cavaliers)</h3>
Runner-ups: J.B. Bickerstaff, Tyronn Lue Honorable Mentions: Ime Udoka, JJ Redick, Mark Daigneault
Kenny Atkinson&rsquo;s return to head coaching was a rousing success. He reshaped the culture in Cleveland, maximizing the young core&rsquo;s strengths and installing a balanced system that translated to wins. The Cavaliers became the best team in the East, and Atkinson&rsquo;s ability to unlock both offense and defense from a good squad last year to a better squad this year was remarkable.
Bickerstaff turned Detroit around after a league-worst record , and Lue once again juggled egos and lineups with the Clippers to keep them near the top of the West despite losing Paul George in free agency.
<h3>Clutch Player of the Year: Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks)</h3>
Runner-ups: Anthony Edwards, Stephen Curry
Jalen Brunson owned the fourth quarter. His combination of poise, patience, and pure bucket-getting in crunch time made him one of the league&rsquo;s most dangerous closers. Whether isolating, using the pick-and-roll, or getting to his spots, Brunson delivered when it mattered most &mdash; and turned Madison Square Garden into his stage.
Edwards embraced the big moments in Minnesota to have one of the most points in clutch time, while Curry remained a timeless threat late in games.
<h3>All-NBA Teams</h3>
1st Team: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards 2nd Team: Karl-Anthony Towns, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Cade Cunningham, Donovan Mitchell 3rd Team: Jalen Brunson, Evan Mobley, Jaren Jackson Jr., James Harden, Ivica Zubac
SGA led the way with MVP-level consistency and picking Jokic, Antetokounmpo, and Tatum were no brainers.Edwards made his All-NBA debut with a huge leap in production and impact, being a top 5 scorer in the league. Cade Cunningham took over the reins in Detroit and finally stayed healthy, while Zubac&rsquo;s defensive presence and scoring efficiency earned him a well-deserved spot among the league&rsquo;s elite.
<h3>Most Valuable Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)</h3>
Runner-up: Nikola Jokic Honorable mention: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Rather than rehash the argument, I&rsquo;ll let this piece explain it in full detail: 🔗 <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/making-shai-gilgeousalexanders-case-as-the-2025-nba-mvp">Making Shai Gilgeous-Alexander&rsquo;s case as the 2025 NBA MVP</a>

As the 2024-25 NBA regular season winds down, it’s time to spotlight the standout performers who rose above the rest.

OPINION: Picking the 2024-2025 NBA Awards winners

After a long four-month offseason, the 2023-24 NBA season officially kicks off on October 24. Preseason action is currently underway, with teams evaluating their roster and getting ready for the start of the regular season.
There were a few roster rule changes of note this offseason that were introduced as part of the new CBA. Now, each team can sign up to three two-way players (up from two) who are able to play up to 50 games with their NBA team and spend the rest of their season in the G League. Also, offseason rosters were originally limited to 20 players but have since increased to 21.&nbsp;
Each team needs to be at 15 standard contracts prior to the start of the season, which means a few players on guaranteed deals will have to be cut prior to the season. While some teams have a pretty set roster, others (like the Oklahoma City Thunder) will be forced to part ways with talented players to reach their roster limit.&nbsp;
Looking at the Atlantic Division, let's see how each team&rsquo;s lineup is shaping up and what questions they may need to answer before the start of the season.
(This is part one of a six-part series, with more divisional previews coming soon).
<h1>BOSTON CELTICS</h1>
Outside of the top-six players, who will be the most reliable depth option?
After acquiring Jrue Holiday, the Boston Celtics may have the best top-six of any team in the league. While we can add the Holiday trade to their list of aggressive offseason transactions, their depth has taken somewhat of a step back.&nbsp;
They will have to replace four rotation players from last year&rsquo;s Conference Finals team with a few players who don&rsquo;t have much experience in playoff situations. Three players who should definitely see more minutes are Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet. Pritchard has played well on both ends of the floor when given an opportunity, notably shooting 40% from three-point range over his first three seasons. The Celtics rewarded him with a team-friendly extension that should see him take up about 5% of the salary cap over the next four years. Hauser has also been a stellar three-point shooter, knocking down 42% since coming into the league.&nbsp;
The frontcourt is probably the most notable weakness on the team&rsquo;s depth chart. Joe Mazzulla has expressed confidence that <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2023/10/7/23907608/boston-celtics-depth-sam-hauser-luke-kornet-payton-pritchard-joe-mazzulla-blake-griffin-bus-one-boys" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kornet should be successful on both ends of the floor and will be their go-to backup center to start the season.</a> The preseason will be important in determining who else (i.e. Oshae Brissett, Jordan Walsh, Svi Mykhailiuk, etc.) may stand out for Mazzulla and get an opportunity for playing time behind Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
The Celtics have the least amount of players on guaranteed contracts in the league (10). However, their roster for opening night is likely set unless they want to open up flexibility to sign other veteran players or buyout candidates later this season. If they choose to cut someone, it would very likely be a player on a non-guaranteed deal. Mykhailiuk and Dalano Banton each have a partial $200,000 guarantee that increases to over $1,000,000 if they make the roster. Kornet, Wenyen Gabriel and Lamar Stevens all have non-guaranteed contracts.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 19 players (10 guaranteed, 2 partially guaranteed, 3 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 1 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Jrue Holiday, G/F Jaylen Brown, F Jayson Tatum, F/C Al Horford, F/C Kristaps Porzingis
Projected Rotation Players: G Derrick White, G Payton Pritchard, C Luke Kornet (non-guaranteed), F Sam Hauser, F Oshae Brissett
Projected Reserves: F Jordan Walsh, G/F Svi Mykhailiuk ($200K guaranteed), F Wenyen Gabriel (non-guaranteed), G Dalano Banton ($200K guaranteed), F Lamar Stevens (non-guaranteed)
Projected Two-Way Players: C Neemias Queta, G JD Davison, G Jay Scrubb (Injured)
Projected Roster Cuts: G DJ Steward (Exhibit-10)
<h1>BROOKLYN NETS</h1>
What is Ben Simmons' role?
Ben Simmons has only played 42 games since being acquired by the Nets in February 2022, dealing with physical and psychological hurdles that have made him somewhat of an afterthought. Head coach Jacque Vaughn has expressed confidence that Simmons is now 100% healthy and ready to contribute again at a high level.&nbsp;
He seems to be penciled in as the team&rsquo;s starting point guard, starting in the Nets&rsquo; first preseason game. Though it was just a small 14-minute sample size, Simmons looked a lot like his former All-Star self. Having not played since February 15, he looked athletic, aggressive and confident before sitting out the second half.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He attacked the rim, I think he played with pace, looked pretty natural out there getting up and down the floor, communicating with guys into the flow of the game,&rdquo; Vaughn said, <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/10/10/ben-simmons-passes-eye-test-in-nets-preseason-opener/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praising his $38-million man</a>. &ldquo;Really good to see.&rdquo;
Vaughn has some options when it comes to starting lineups where he could go smaller, with a backcourt of Simmons and Spencer Dinwiddie, or decide to start Dorian Finney-Smith and use Mikal Bridges as a big two-guard.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
Darius Bazley, Harry Giles and Trendon Watford are all on non-guaranteed deals and are vying for the final two roster spots. The Nets also have an open two-way spot, which I believe they could potentially use on a player like <a href="https://www.si.com/college/tennessee/mens-basketball/kennedy-chandler-starring-in-nba-summer-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Summer League standout</a> and former Memphis Grizzlies second-rounder Kennedy Chandler.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 18 players (13 guaranteed, 3 non-guaranteed, 2 two-way)
Projected Starters: G/F Ben Simmons, G Spencer Dinwiddie, F Mikal Bridges, F Cameron Johnson, C Nicolas Claxton
Projected Rotation Players: F Dorian Finney-Smith, F Royce O&rsquo;Neale, G Cameron Thomas, G Dennis Smith Jr., C Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe
Projected Reserves: G/F Lonnie Walker IV, C Noah Clowney, F Dariq Whitehead, F Darius Bazley (Non-Guaranteed), C Harry Giles (Non-Guaranteed)
Projected Two-way Players: G Armoni Brooks, F Jalen Wilson, G Kennedy Chandler* (Projected Signing)
Projected Roster Cuts: F Trendon Watford (Non-Guaranteed)
<h1>NEW YORK KNICKS</h1>
Who will be the first option off the bench?
New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has his fair share of options to headline his second unit. In his third year, Immanuel Quickley had his best season to date, finishing as the runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year award behind Malcolm Brogdon. Quickley was the primary scorer for the second unit, but he shouldn&rsquo;t have to carry the entire load on offense with the addition of Donte DiVincenzo.&nbsp;
DiVincenzo impressed last season with the Golden State Warriors as a reliable bench shooter and should spot minutes for Quentin Grimes and R.J. Barrett when offensive pushes are needed. Josh Hart could also be the team&rsquo;s sixth man, just like he was during the Knicks&rsquo; playoff run. After being traded from Portland, Hart averaged 30 minutes per game despite coming off the bench most of the time. It is worth noting the Knicks-Villanova connection between Hart, DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson, who should fit seamlessly together on the floor thanks to their pre-existing chemistry. While unlikely to be the first off the bench, Isaiah Hartenstein also deserves mention since he has been one of the league&rsquo;s better backup centers and could see more time if Mitchell Robinson gets in foul trouble. In terms of rotation issues, Thibodeau should see this as a good problem to have regardless of who he brings off the bench first.&nbsp;
Roster Decisions
The Knicks have three spots up for grabs between Ryan Arcidiacono, DaQuan Jeffries, Isaiah Roby and Duane Washington Jr. All are on non-guaranteed deals that won&rsquo;t be fully guaranteed until the league-wide guarantee date on January 10.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (12 guaranteed, 4 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Jalen Brunson, G Quentin Grimes, G/F R.J. Barrett, F Julius Randle, C Mitchell Robinson
Projected Rotation Players: G Josh Hart, G Immanuel Quickley, G Donte DiVincenzo, C Isaiah Hartenstein, G Miles McBride
Projected Reserves: G Evan Fournier, C Jericho Sims, F Isaiah Roby (non-guaranteed), G Ryan Arcidiacono (non-guaranteed), G/F DaQuan Jeffries (non-guaranteed)
Projected Two-way Players: F/C Nathan Knight, G/F Dylan Windler, F Jaylen Martin
Projected Roster Cuts: G Duane Washington Jr. (non-guaranteed), G Charlie Brown Jr. (Exhibit-10), F Jacob Toppin (Exhibit-10)
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/embiid332.jpg" alt="" width="672" height="440" />
<h1>PHILADELPHIA 76ERS</h1>
Will Tyrese Maxey become more of a creator and how can that adjust the rotation?
The Sixers&rsquo; ceiling is contingent on how much Tyrese Maxey can improve this season. Maxey hasn&rsquo;t needed to be the team&rsquo;s primary distributor since James Harden joined the team, allowing him to blossom into a reliable 20-PPG scorer. Regardless of whether Harden&rsquo;s trade situation is resolved, Maxey will need to become a better creator and distributor if he wants to take his game to the next level. Prior to Harden&rsquo;s arrival, Maxey had an impressive 4:1 assist-to-turnover ratio despite his small frame and risk-averse tendencies.&nbsp;
Interestingly, team president Daryl Morey has held off on giving Maxey an extension this offseason, electing to wait until next summer to pay his budding young guard. Maxey will likely demand near max-level money that could harm Philly&rsquo;s flexibility to go after star players next offseason. If he can improve his ball-handling and distribution tendencies, the Sixers&rsquo; offense should benefit tremendously, helping the offensive output of players like P.J. Tucker and Paul Reed and easing the reliance on De&rsquo;Anthony Melton and Patrick Beverley.
Roster Decisions
Two players will likely be fighting for the Sixers&rsquo; final roster spot. The team re-signed veteran Danny Green, who played for the team from 2020 to 2022, to a non-guaranteed deal. They also brought over young big Filip Petrusev, who was drafted by Philadelphia in 2021. Petrusev signed a multi-year deal that was partially guaranteed for $559,782 this season and non-guaranteed next year. Although unlikely, the 76ers could also elect to waive Montrezl Harrell despite his deal being fully guaranteed, as he should miss this season with a torn ACL.
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (14 guaranteed, 1 partially Guaranteed, 1 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Tyrese Maxey, G James Harden, F P.J. Tucker, F Tobias Harris, C Joel Embiid
Projected Rotation Players: G De&rsquo;Anthony Melton, G Patrick Beverley, F/C Paul Reed, F/G Kelly Oubre Jr., F Danuel House
Projected Reserves: C Mo Bamba, F Furkan Korkmaz, G Jaden Springer, G/F Danny Green (non-guaranteed), C Montrezl Harrell (injured)
Projected Two-way Players: G Terquavion Smith, G Ricky Council IV, F Azuolas Tubelis
Projected Roster Cuts: F/C Filip Petrusev ($559,782 guaranteed), G David Duke Jr. (Exhibit-10), G Javonte Smart (Exhibit-10)
<h1>TORONTO RAPTORS</h1>
What style does Darko Rajakovic bring to Toronto and who will benefit the most?
New coach Darko Rajakovic inherits an interesting Raptors team with plenty of talent, but they may be facing a crossroads in terms of how successful they can be as a group. Rajakovic is in his first NBA head coaching gig after three seasons as an assistant with the Grizzlies and is known around the league as a pick-and-roll guru.&nbsp;
The idea of the Raptors being a primary pick-and-roll team became less appealing when they were unable to retain Fred VanVleet in free agency, replacing him with a less reliable shooter in Dennis Schr&ouml;der. Instead, Rajakovic will likely rely on Schr&ouml;der and his newly paid center Jakob Poeltl for more ball movement and playmaking. Rajakovic compared Poeltl to Domantas Sabonis before the Raptors&rsquo; preseason win over the Sacramento Kings on October 9 and could use him in a similar role. If Poeltl can be 70% of what Sabonis was last season, it can be a huge boost to an inconsistent offense.
Roster Decisions
The Raptors have 15 players on guaranteed deals going into the season, but also carry Jeff Dowtin Jr. on a non-guaranteed deal. Dowtin played on a two-way contract with Toronto last season, appearing in 25 games. With the roster full, Dowtin is unlikely to make the regular-season roster but he has still <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/raptors/news/toronto-raptors-praise-jeff-dowtin-jr-as-roster-decisions-await" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impressed the coaching staff this preseason</a>. If any player is in danger of losing their roster spot to Dowtin, it would likely be former first-round pick Malachi Flynn. Dowtin&rsquo;s deal becomes guaranteed for $900,000 on October 21, four days before the team&rsquo;s season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves. I would expect the Raptors to make a decision on Dowtin before then.&nbsp;
Rotation
Current Roster Count: 21 players (15 guaranteed, 1 non-guaranteed, 3 two-way, 2 Exhibit-10)
Projected Starters: G Dennis Schr&ouml;der, F/G Scottie Barnes, F OG Anunoby, F Pascal Siakam, C Jakob Poeltl
Projected Rotation Players: G Gary Trent Jr., F Precious Achiuwa, F/C Chris Boucher, F Jalen McDaniels, G/F Gradey Dick
Projected Reserves: F Thaddeus Young, G Malachi Flynn, F Otto Porter Jr., C Christian Koloko, G/F Garrett Temple
Projected Two-way Players: G/F Ron Harper Jr., G Markquis Nowell, G Javon Freeman-Liberty
Projected Roster Cuts: G Jeff Dowtin (non-guaranteed), F Mouhamadou Gueye (Exhibit-10), C Makur Maker (Exhibit-10)
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Blake Stern previews the Atlantic Division, breaking down each team's projected lineup and a burning question entering the season.

NBA Atlantic Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

When the new league year began on July 1, NBA teams were quick to sign free agents and start negotiating extensions with some of their younger players.&nbsp;
Players who were selected in the first round of the NBA Draft are signed to rookie-scale contracts, which are eligible to be extended on the first day (July 1) of the fourth and final year of their deal. This past offseason, the vast majority of players eligible for rookie-scale extensions were picked in the first round in 2020. Teams have until the day before the start of the 2023-24 regular season (which begins on October 24) to agree to an extension, or else those players will hit restricted free agency next summer.&nbsp;
Out of the 30 first-round picks in the 2020 NBA Draft, 27 were eligible for rookie-scale extensions. In addition, the Orlando Magic&rsquo;s Chuma Okeke also became eligible for a rookie-scale extension because he signed his rookie deal in 2020, a year after he was drafted due to injury. So far this offseason, five players have signed extensions, with four of them receiving maximum contracts.&nbsp;
Those who received the max signed what&rsquo;s called a Designated Rookie Extension, which has a starting salary at 25% of the 2024-25 salary cap (projected at $37,405,750) with 8% raises over five years (for a total contract value of $216,953,350). However, via the &ldquo;Derrick Rose rule,&rdquo; if any of the players who signed one of these extensions is a member of any of the 2023-24 All-NBA teams, their starting salary will be set at 30% of the 2024-25 salary cap (projected at $44,886,900) with 8% raises over five years (for a total contract value of $260,344,020). These players include Minnesota&rsquo;s Anthony Edwards, Charlotte&rsquo;s LaMelo Ball, Indiana&rsquo;s Tyrese Haliburton and Memphis&rsquo; Desmond Bane. However, Bane&rsquo;s extension doesn&rsquo;t contain the &ldquo;Rose Rule&rdquo; language, so he can&rsquo;t receive a starting salary raise even if he earns an All-NBA nod.
There is also a new wrinkle in the Collective Bargaining Agreement that changed the rules in regards to rookie-scale extensions, allowing teams to offer all players an extension up to five years. Previously, only players who were offered maximum contracts could agree to an extension up to five years. So far, no team has given out a five-year non-max extension.
The only player who has signed a non-max rookie extension this offseason is Detroit&rsquo;s Isaiah Stewart. Stewart, the No. 16 pick in 2020, has been a starter for the rebuilding Pistons over the past few years. The tough, defensive big man agreed to a four-year, $64 million extension with $60 million guaranteed, $4 million in potential performance bonuses and a team option in the final season. Stewart&rsquo;s extension could serve as a potential benchmark for other big man extension candidates like Toronto&rsquo;s Precious Achiuwa and Atlanta&rsquo;s Onyeka Okongwu.
With 21 first-round picks (and Okeke) still awaiting a potential extension, let&rsquo;s take a look at who is most likely to receive an extension and what their deals might look like.
LIKELY TO BE EXTENDED
Patrick Williams (Chicago Bulls): Williams has been a steady force for the Bulls amid the team&rsquo;s struggles to consistently play winning basketball. The former Florida State forward has improved his shooting each year of his career but has yet to really break out as a primary scoring option for Chicago. Williams is just 22 years old and still has a lot of potential, so he should command an extension similar to what Atlanta&rsquo;s De&rsquo;Andre Hunter received last summer.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $90,000,000, no options
Onyeka Okongwu (Atlanta Hawks): Okongwu has been slotted as the Hawks&rsquo; center of the future for a few years now and has mostly looked the part backing up Clint Capela. Atlanta has a very crowded cap sheet, especially after extending Dejounte Murray. It is possible they could look to move Capela soon in order to free up cap space and give the starting center job to Okongwu. As mentioned above, look for Okongwu to ask for slightly above what Detroit gave Isaiah Stewart.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $72,000,000, could earn up to $80,000,000 with incentives, no options
Devin Vassell (San Antonio Spurs): The Spurs should try to lock up some of their reliable young pieces as they begin the Victor Wembanyama era. Similar to what San Antonio did with Keldon Johnson, they&rsquo;ll likely look to give Vassell a long-term value deal. They also could take advantage of the new CBA rules, keeping the former No. 11 pick under contract through 2029.
Extension Prediction: Five years, $110,000,000, no options
Josh Green (Dallas Mavericks): Green has quietly been developing very nicely with the Mavericks and could fight for a spot in the starting lineup this fall. The Australian native has shown real potential as a 3-and-D wing and could command the full mid-level exception if he reaches the open market next summer. Dallas shouldn&rsquo;t (and most likely won&rsquo;t) let that happen.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $65,000,000, no options
Immanuel Quickley (New York Knicks): Quickley is coming off his best season as a pro that saw him finish as runner-up for the NBA&rsquo;s Sixth Man of the Year award. A scoring machine, the former Kentucky guard would likely start for a good chunk of NBA teams, but will likely have to be the backup as long as Jalen Brunson is in New York. The Knicks would certainly love to keep Quickley, but look for them to wait all the way up to the October 23 deadline to pay him in order to maintain trade flexibility.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $88,000,000, could earn up to $92,000,000 with incentives, no options
Jaden McDaniels (Minnesota Timberwolves): McDaniels is certainly viewed as a core piece by the Timberwolves&rsquo; brass as they fought hard to keep him out of the Rudy Gobert trade, sacrificing more draft capital instead. The Washington product has been a versatile, two-way player since arriving in Minnesota and is an ideal wing next to Anthony Edwards. He should be paid accordingly.
Extension Prediction: Four years, $100,000,000, no options, declining annual salary
LIKELY TO REACH RESTRICTED FREE AGENCY
James Wiseman (Detroit Pistons): Wiseman has been better on both sides of the ball since being traded to Detroit last February, but his game still needs to be developed further if the Pistons are to seriously invest in him.
Isaac Okoro (Cleveland Cavaliers): Cleveland has been looking for a permanent solution at their starting small-forward position for some time now, resulting in them paying Caris LeVert and signing Max Strus. Okoro hasn&rsquo;t shown he can be the Cavs&rsquo; long-term solution.
Obi Toppin (Indiana Pacers): If Toppin had stayed in New York, there&rsquo;s no way he would have been extended. Now in Indiana, the former Naismith National Player of the Year should get a chance to start and improve his stock going into next summer.
Deni Avdija (Washington Wizards): Avdija is a pretty good young player outside of his shooting struggles. With a new regime in Washington, Avdija may be a trade candidate if new president Michael Winger doesn&rsquo;t see him as a part of the team&rsquo;s long-term plan.
Aaron Nesmith (Indiana Pacers): A starter for the Pacers last year, Nesmith may be buried on the depth chart with the additions of Toppin and rookie Jarace Walker. He hasn&rsquo;t made enough of an impact to warrant an extension.
Cole Anthony (Orlando Magic): Anthony has been a solid bench contributor for Orlando since being drafted out of North Carolina. However, the Magic backcourt is extremely crowded with the addition of rookie Anthony Black, making them unlikely to prioritize securing a deal with Anthony.
Aleksej Pokusevski (Oklahoma City Thunder): Poku is coming off a fractured leg that kept him out for the back half of last season. He needs to show that he can be a long-term piece if he wishes to stay with the Thunder.
Saddiq Bey (Atlanta Hawks): Bey is certainly talented enough to warrant an extension, fitting into the starting five seamlessly after being acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline. However, the team may have to choose between extending Bey or Okongwu in order to manage their already-very-full salary cap sheet.&nbsp;
Precious Achiuwa (Toronto Raptors): The Raptors have already committed to a center in Jakob Poeltl this offseason. Achiuwa hasn&rsquo;t shown enough to break through outside of his bench role to warrant an extension.
Zeke Nnaji (Denver Nuggets): Despite not being a regular member of the rotation, Nnaji has shown he is a capable backup option to Nikola Jokic when he&rsquo;s on the floor. While an extension isn&rsquo;t in the cards, the Nuggets should look to retain him.
Payton Pritchard (Boston Celtics): Boston would probably love to keep Pritchard on a team-friendly deal, as he has been a reliable insurance option for them since coming into the league. The former Oregon guard will more than likely want to test the free-agency market to see if he can possibly find a path to more playing time elsewhere.
LIKELY TO NOT RECEIVE A QUALIFYING OFFER, BECOME AN UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT NEXT SUMMER
Killian Hayes (Detroit Pistons): Hayes has not lived up to his top-10 pick billing and has fallen out of Pistons general manager Troy Weaver&rsquo;s long-term outlook. Detroit could extend him a qualifying offer next summer, but he likely won&rsquo;t receive much interest on the open market.
Kira Lewis Jr. (New Orleans Pelicans): Lewis has been relegated to a reserve while suffering through multiple injuries through his first three years in the NBA. The Pelicans have made it known league-wide that he is available for trade.
Chuma Okeke (Orlando Magic): Okeke has struggled with his all-around game for the better part of the last two years and is unlikely to be retained by Orlando going forward.
Malachi Flynn (Toronto Raptors): Flynn hasn&rsquo;t taken advantage of the many opportunities he&rsquo;s had to be a part of the Raptors&rsquo; rotation as the backup point guard. He may see some run this year, but the Raptors may have seen enough to move on this summer.
THE TYRESE MAXEY WILD CARD
Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers): Maxey is the wild card of the rookie-extension candidates, as Sixers general manager Daryl Morey has said that the team will hold off on extending the 22-year-old shooting guard in order to maintain trade and cap flexibility going into next summer. Maxey has blossomed into a core member of the 76ers going forward and would likely receive close to, if not the full, max rookie extension. With no end in sight to the James Harden debacle, the Sixers may want to secure their young prize before their situation could turn worse.

Blake Stern takes a look at which players are most likely to receive a rookie-scale extension prior to the October 23 deadline.

Checking in on the NBA's rookie-scale extension candidates

MONTREAL (AP) &mdash; OG Anunoby scored 32 points and Scottie Barnes added 25 as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Boston Celtics 137-134 in overtime Friday on the final night of NBA preseason play.
Precious Achiuwa had 18 points and eight rebounds for the Raptors, including the game-sealing rebound after Boston's Payton Pritchard missed a potential game-tying shot and a chance to force a second OT.
Khem Birch, playing in his hometown, was the starting center for the Raptors. He finished with four points, four rebounds and two assists. The Bell Centre crowd got a chance to cheer on their local player when Birch drove to the net for a dunk in the first quarter.
Derrick White and Jaylen Brown each scored 23 points for the Celtics. Jayson Tatum added 21 points and five assists. Marcus Smart finished with 15 points.
The teams were tied at 127 at the end of regulation after Toronto&rsquo;s Josh Jackson made one of two free throws with 21.5 seconds left. The Celtics had a chance to avoid overtime, but shots by Pritchard and Sam Hauser in the closing seconds were off the mark.
In the extra period, Toronto scored the first seven points and held on for the win.
ROCKETS 122, PACERS 114
Jalen Green hit 10 of 15 shots and scored 33 points as Houston beat host Indiana to finish the preseason with four wins in five games.
Green made 4 of 7 shots from 3-point range and all nine of his free throws. Kevin Porter Jr. had 22 points and seven rebounds, and Alperen Sengun finished with 12 points, five assists and four rebounds.
Buddy Hield led the Pacers with 19 points. Bennedict Mathurin, the sixth overall pick in last summer&rsquo;s draft from Arizona, continued his solid preseason play by posting 18 points and five rebounds.
MAGIC 114, CAVALIERS 108
Paolo Banchero, the top pick in this year&rsquo;s draft, scored 17 points on 6-for-12 shooting as host Orlando used a second-half rally to beat Cleveland.
Banchero also had five rebounds and two assists. Cole Anthony scored 14 points, and Franz Wagner added 13. Caleb Houstan scored 11 for Orlando, which outscored Cleveland 62-53 after halftime.
Isaac Okoro led the Cavaliers with 17 points on 6-for-7 shooting. Claris LeVert had 15 points, and Lamar Stevens added 12.
The Cavaliers gave most of their starters, including Kevin Love, Darius Garland and recently acquired Donovan Mitchell, the night off. But Cleveland big man Evan Mobley was back in the lineup after injuring his right ankle earlier in the preseason.
Mobley finished with eight points, going 1 for 4 from the field and making 6 of 8 free throws in 17 minutes.
KNICKS 105, WIZARDS 89
Jalen Brunson, signed in the offseason with hopes of providing steady point guard play, scored 27 points to lead host New York past Washington.
Brunson, who signed a four-year deal with the Knicks, was 10 of 16 from the field and handed out five assists. Mitchell Robinson scored 20 and RJ Barrett added 19. Robinson and Barrett each had 12 rebounds as the Knicks controlled the boards 66-40.
New York dominating inside throughout, outscoring Washington in the paint 58-36.
Rui Hachimura led the Wizards with 20 points and eight rebounds. Bradley Beal finished with 16 points, five rebounds and three steals in 30 minutes. Monte Morris chipped in 10 points.
NETS 112, TIMBERWOLVES 102
Kyrie Irving scored 26 points in 30 minutes as visiting Brooklyn defeated Minnesota.
Kevin Durant added 20 points in 31 minutes for the Nets, and Day&rsquo;Ron Sharped added 15 points. Ben Simmons fouled out in 13 minutes, scoring two points and handing out six assists.
The game provided a look at the Timberwolves bigger front line with Rudy Gobert, acquired in the summer, and Karl-Anthony Towns. Gobert was perfect on six shots and finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and four steals in 30 minutes. Towns had 15 points and nine rebounds in 33.
D&rsquo;Angelo Russell led the Timberwolves with 17 points and six assists, while Anthony Edwards added 12 points on 4-for-14 shooting from the field.

OG Anunoby scored 32 points and Scottie Barnes added 25 as the Raptors defeated the Celtics 137-134 in overtime Friday on the final night of NBA preseason play.

OG Anunoby scores 32, Raptors beat Celtics in overtime 137-134

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid and James Harden were done with their preseason debuts long before Montrezl Harrell scored the go-ahead basket with 26 seconds left, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat Cleveland 113-112 on Wednesday night in Donovan Mitchell's first game with the Cavaliers.
Embiid had 12 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes before taking a seat after halftime. Harden played 19 minutes and scored nine points, going 3 of 9 from the field but adding five assists.
Tyrese Maxey, who had 20 points in Monday&rsquo;s win over the Nets, continued his good start to the preseason, leading Philadelphia with 21 points in the first half. He went 9 of 11, making all three of his 3-pointers. Harrell, who signed a two-year contract with Philadelphia during the offseason, scored 13 points.
Mitchell scored 16 points in his first game since being traded from Utah, while Darius Garland and Raul Neto each had 12. Dean Wade and Sharife Cooper finished with 11 points apiece.
Cleveland played without second-year big man Evan Mobley, who is expected to be out a couple of weeks with a right ankle sprain suffered this week.
The Cavaliers got an optimistic glimpse of the backcourt tandem of Mitchell with Garland in the first half. Mitchell was 6 of 9 for the game, including 3 of 4 from outside the arc to go with five assists. Garland, meanwhile, made 4 of 7 shots and handed out four assists.
Shake Milton had 12 points for Philadelphia, while De&rsquo;Anthony Melton, picked up from Memphis in a draft night trade, had 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.
DOC UNDER THE WEATHER
Doc Rivers was absent from the game with an undisclosed illness. Assistant coach Dave Joerger, who has head coaching experience with the Grizzlies and the Kings, ran the club.
PACERS 122; HORNETS 97
Aaron Nesmith scored 16 points, rookie Benedict Mathurin, the No. 6 pick in the draft from Arizona, added 15 and Indiana beat Charlotte. Isaiah Jackson finished with 13 points, while Myles Turner and Chris Duarte contributed 12 points apiece. Mathurin was 5 of 10 from the field, despite missing all four of his 3-pointers over 19 minutes.
Terry Rozier led the Hornets with 18 points and P.J. Washington finished with 13. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 11 points and nine rebounds, while LeMelo Ball scored 12 points and handed out seven assists.
RAPTORS 125; CELTICS 119, OT
Pascal Siakam and Precious Achiuwa scored 13 points apiece and Toronto used an early burst in overtime to beat Boston.
Josh Jackson also had 13 points for the Raptors. Siakam recorded six rebounds and Achiuwa seven boards as the Raptors improved to 2-0 in the preseason.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 23 points and Sam Hauser had 22, connecting on 8 of 12 shots, including 5 of 8 from outside the arc. Jayson Tatum finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds for Boston, now 1-1 in the preseason.
Payton Pritchard scored 17 points and had five assists
The teams were tied at 110 at the end of regulation after Jeff Dowtin (10 points) converted a 9-footer for the Raptors. Pritchard&rsquo;s 18-footer was off the mark as time in regulation ran out, sending the game to the extra period.
The Raptors outscored the Celtics 11-4 to open overtime and never relinquished the lead.
MAVERICKS 98; THUNDER 96
Jaden Hardy scored 21 points, Christian Wood finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Dallas used a fourth-quarter rally to beat Oklahoma City.
Dwight Powell finished with 13 points and five rebounds for the Mavericks in their opening game of the preseason.
Josh Giddey led the Thunder with 13 points, shooting 6 for 10. Rookie Jalen Williams, the 12th overall pick out of Santa Clara, finished with 10 points.

The 76ers beat Cleveland 113-112 on Wednesday night in Donovan Mitchell's first game with the Cavaliers.

Embiid, Harden help 76ers top Cavs in Mitchell's debut

Is the NBA ready to add an expansion team? Evan Sidery explores what kind of team you could build in a present-day expansion draft.

NBA Expansion Mock Draft: What would a new expansion team look like?

It's #DeadlineSZN in the NBA, which opens up the possibility of a host of players -- ranging in role and status -- could be on the move.&nbsp;
The big names are well known: Ben Simmons* and James Harden*, CJ McCollum, Jerami Grant, Domantas Sabonis and others have seen their name tossed around the rumor mill. As fun as those guys are to track, it's generally the under-the-radar names that swing things in terms of mid-season deals.
A prime candidate for this distinction is Magic guard Gary Harris. Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer dropped this nugget in his latest intel piece:
<blockquote>
League personnel expect Orlando will find a new home for Terrence Ross in a similar deal structure that saw the Magic part with Evan Fournier for two second-round picks last season. Meanwhile, Gary Harris has been painted as a potential buyout candidate if he is not moved.
</blockquote>
Harris originally made hay as an off-ball merchant in Denver -- flying down the court in transition, knocking down triples, and back-cutting unsuspecting defenders for buckets -- while doubling as a sturdy on-ball defender. His 2017-18 campaign -- 17.5 points (55/40/83 splits), 1.8 steals -- firmly cemented him as one of the best young two-way guards in the sport.
Injuries and a sputtering shot -- he converted 33.7% of his threes on 3.9 attempts over the next three seasons -- led to a decline in prominence in Denver and the eventual trade to Orlando (as part of the Aaron Gordon trade).
Harris has bounced back a bit this season, averaging 11.6 points (51/38/84 splits) in a shade under 30 minutes. He can still get loose off the ball, and has shown some springiness when attacking closeouts.
He isn't the same guy defensively. Once a sticky point-of-attack guy, physical decline has made screen navigation more of a chore for him. His pick-and-roll film is littered with late/peel switches after losing contact with the ball-handler.
That isn't necessarily a bad thing; it just means expectations need to be realistic.
He remains active as a help defender, makes solid off-ball reads, and has experience punching above his weight class on switches. Even at the point-of-attack, he's fine against non-elite ball-handlers and can still flow between pressing the handle and dropping back to give a cushion.
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There's utility for Harris in a scheme that doesn't make his screen navigation the end-all, be-all -- think a two-to-the-ball scheme like Minnesota or Milwaukee, or a heavy switching style like the Celtics or Clippers employ.
BUYOUT CANDIDATES
You know who's a hand-in-glove fit for what Harris provides on both ends? The Denver Nuggets.
He established great handoff and random-nonsense chemistry with Nikola Jokic earlier in his career; the Harris-Jokic handoff generated over 1.08 points per possession during the 2017-18 campaign, per Second Spectrum. His shooting and cutting would be welcomed to that injured guard room.
The Celtics have been trying to get consistent production from their backup guards/wings all season long. Peyton Pritchard, Romeo Langford, and Aaron Nesmith have all taken turns showing flashes; a vet like Harris could help solidify that spot.&nbsp;
The Lakers could use ... just about all the help they can get in the backcourt. With their half-court attack being built around the interior (or mid-post) play of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, having Harris as a spacer or cutter in some of their more intricate sets could be a solid fit.
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>The Raptors need a ball-handler more than anything, but Gary Trent Jr. is their only (movement) shooter. There's room for Harris, if for no other reason than the Raptors' 6.5-man rotation.</li>
<li>The Cavs just made a swing with the Caris LeVert deal, but it'd be fun to watch Harris play off of Evan Mobley in the high post.</li>
<li>The Nets desperately need shooters, especially in light of Joe Harris potentially needing a second surgery. If Paul Millsap ends up getting bought out, Harris could take that roster spot pretty easily.</li>
</ul>

Nekias Duncan breaks down potential landing spots for Magic guard Gary Harris.

Examining possible landing spots for Gary Harris

Former NBA scout and BasketballNews.com scouting advisor, Doc Martin, recently attended Overtime Elite&rsquo;s opening weekend at their brand new arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
Although Martin took notes on a number of the team&rsquo;s prospects, he was asked to focus on Jean Montero, who is currently ranked No. 16 on BasketballNews.com's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>.
Here is Martin's scouting report on Montero:
Jean Montero | Overtime Elite
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<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 41.0373%; height: 22px;">Height: 6-2</td>
<td style="width: 58.0126%; height: 22px;">Position: Guard</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 41.0373%; height: 22px;">Weight: 172</td>
<td style="width: 58.0126%; height: 22px;">Draft Day Age: 19.1</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 41.0373%; height: 22px;">Wingspan: 6-4</td>
<td style="width: 58.0126%; height: 22px;">Nationality: Dominican Republic</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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Roles: Three-Level Scorer, Crafty Finisher, Facilitator, Floor General, Primary Ball-Handler
Strengths: Jean Montero is the type of guard that can score, but doesn't always look to score. He has a presence and command on the floor, and plays at a really good pace. He handles the ball well enough to where he never seems to be in a rush with one or multiple defenders around him. Montero has the type of skill where he can see the action before it happens. He plays downhill in pick-and-roll actions and routinely makes the simple play, dropping pocket passes, throwing lobs to the rim for rolling bigs or firing skip passes to the wings lifting out of the corners. What I love most about Montero &mdash; which is similar to college and NFL quarterbacks &mdash; is that he's able to throw to teammates who are open, getting them easy buckets. He can finish with either hand, whether it&rsquo;s below or above the rim in transition. He plays unselfishly and advances the ball, and has solid shooting mechanics with NBA three-point range (and a few feet beyond).
Concerns: I would like to see Montero be a bit more disciplined defensively. There were several instances where guards were getting downhill just a bit too easily, mostly in the pick-and-roll actions.
Questions
<ul>
<li>Does he have the physical gear to defend elite NBA point guards?&nbsp;</li>
<li>There was no one at this event that could challenge him this weekend. How will he respond against equal or better competition?</li>
</ul>
Bottom Line: After watching Montero play this weekend, it's clear that he's Overtime Elite&rsquo;s best pro prospect for the 2022 NBA Draft. He plays the right way and gets all of his teammates involved. He brings a lot of intangibles to the table that would make any coach feel comfortable with him on the floor. It would be hard to get it wrong by selecting this young man.&nbsp;

After attending Overtime Elite's opening weekend in Atlanta, Doc Martin shares his takeaways from watching Jean Montero.

2022 NBA Draft: Jean Montero scouting report

The Boston Celtics enter the 2021 NBA preseason with one of the deepest training camp rosters they have fielded in recent years.
While the preseason remains as meaningless as ever for team projections, the closed training camp practices and four preliminary contests should help sift through an experienced group. Only one Celtic is a rookie (two-way player Sam Hauser), and 17 of the 20 players have at least two years of NBA experience.&nbsp;
The competition should be fantastic throughout the depth chart. But some battles take on a higher importance as new head coach Ime Udoka finalizes his squad and shapes his team's identity. I have five groupings I'll be particularly interested in as opening night inches closer.
Robert Williams III vs. Al Horford &mdash; Who opens the season as the starting center?
This is the highest-profile "question mark" for the Celtics entering training camp. They just gave Williams a four-year, $54 million contract extension, and he finally started to string together healthy games in his third season. Horford, however, has more experience and notoriety given his last run in Boston. None of this is going to matter because Udoka will play whoever best complements Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Who had the NBA&rsquo;s highest FG% inside the restricted area last season? Per NBA Stats (min. 100 attempts): 1. Giannis Antetokounmpo 💪 - 80.7% 2. DeAndre Jordan - 79.9% 3. Robert Williams III - 78.0% 4. Michael Porter Jr. - 77.5% 5. Daniel Gafford - 76.7% <a href="https://t.co/QjL19obD94">pic.twitter.com/QjL19obD94</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1437056999569637383?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Is that Williams, who was one of the most efficient interior finishers in the entire NBA last season? He's an eye-popping lob threat who can move the ball well for a paint presence and protect the rim at a high level. Horford, in contrast, can stretch the floor, pass the ball well and open up more versatile defensive approaches. He can theoretically play power forward as well, though I'm skeptical of that as a realistic option.
We'll see how Udoka deploys Tatum and Brown as playmakers. Perhaps the spacing with those two, Marcus Smart and Josh Richardson clicks, and Williams can finish plays as a roller or dunker spot threat. Or maybe the Celtics need a stretch big as they have in past seasons. Either way, both should receive heavy minutes regardless of their place in the starting lineup.
My prediction:&nbsp;Williams starts, barring injury.
Dennis Schr&ouml;der vs. Payton Pritchard &mdash; Who runs the bench offense and when?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Which rookies led the NBA in &ldquo;deep&rdquo; threes made (&gt;27 feet) last season? Per Sportradar: 1. Immanuel Quickley - 34 (38.6 FG%) 2. Payton Pritchard - 32 (40.5 FG%) 3. LaMelo Ball - 28 (34.1 FG%) 4. Saddiq Bey - 21 (35.6 FG%) 5. Anthony Edwards - 20 (27.4 FG%) <a href="https://t.co/Ti8afYE0mS">pic.twitter.com/Ti8afYE0mS</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1436075090555310084?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Smart should be penciled in as the starting point guard and Richardson (more on him soon) appears to have the edge as a shooting guard. Schr&ouml;der would then come off the bench as a starting-caliber point guard, while Payton Pritchard looks ready for a larger load after his dominant summer league.
What responsibilities would they each have? The 28-year-old Schr&ouml;der is a seasoned lead guard who can attack off the dribble and finish at the rim. Pritchard doesn't have the same explosiveness, but instead has impressive range as a perimeter shotmaker. He orchestrated the Celtics offense in Las Vegas and became a backup point guard by default as a rookie. Is that enough to take responsibility off of Schr&ouml;der &mdash; and how will each fare without the ball in his hands?
My prediction: Schr&ouml;der gets more lead-guard run as a capable veteran.
Josh Richardson vs. Aaron Nesmith vs. Romeo Langford &mdash; Who capitalizes on available minutes?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Josh Richardson on getting vaccinated: "That subject is pretty personal. I talked about what I'm going to do ... with my family and my circle. I'm not really sure. I think it's good that people are still educating themselves on the subject. Going forward, I'm not sure."
&mdash; Souichi Terada (寺田惣一) (@SouichiTerada) <a href="https://twitter.com/SouichiTerada/status/1442536533135970304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
Richardson should be starting for the Celtics as a two-way wing due for some positive regression. But the vaccine situation matters, from a public health and player availability perspective. Yes, he does not say he is unvaccinated outright, but this is a pretty loud hint that Richardson could miss opening night against the New York Knicks, and potentially more games.&nbsp;
In the possible absence, is Aaron Nesmith <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/aaron-nesmith-is-ready-for-whatever-else-the-boston-celtics-throw-at-him" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ready to step up</a>? The second-year wing flashed off-dribble attacking ability in summer league and is a known three-point threat. But Nesmith has an injury history, as does third-year guard Romeo Langford. The No. 15 pick from the 2019 draft has played just 50 games in his NBA career and is still a relative unknown. Who will we see in what roles, and when?&nbsp;
My prediction: Absolutely no idea.

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Grant Williams vs. Juan Hernangomez vs. Garrison Mathews &mdash; Who is the stretch 4 off the bench?
Boston brought aboard Hernangomez, Mathews and Hauser this summer, and each slots into that hyper-specialist, sharpshooting forward role. With context, Hernangomez would seem to have the edge as the primary piece of a trade from Memphis, while Mathews is currently on a non-guaranteed contract and Hauser is signed on the two-way deal. But they'll ultimately have to fit with the incumbent in Williams.
The Celtics' other 2019 first-round pick has been... interesting through his first two seasons. He is woefully streaky as a shooter, registering three months over 40% from three last season along with two under 32%. He's also a 6-foot-6 forward who works really hard on the defensive end, but can be outmatched due to his size.
It would be surprising to see Williams out of the rotation entirely, but Udoka could drastically alter his role depending on how he gets going this fall.
My prediction: Williams and Hernangomez stick in the rotation, but Hernangomez has more offensive responsibility.
Which veterans hang onto the end of the roster?
Jabari Parker, Theo Pinson, Ryan Arcidiacono, Juwan Morgan and Mathews are all signed to non-guaranteed training camp deals or partially-guaranteed contracts. The Celtics only have one active roster spot and one two-way contract available. Five veterans are essentially fighting for two spots, and that does not even include Bruno Fernando, who is on a fully-guaranteed deal as the fourth center on the depth chart.
That's a pretty serious battle for six veterans. The NBA G League website says that players in their fourth season or earlier are eligible for a two-way contract. This would make Fernando, Pinson, Morgan and Mathews eligible two-way players, though I would be suprised if a 24-game starter in Mathews were to opt to stay on a two-way deal.&nbsp;
Do the Celtics want steady guard depth in Arcidiacono and his 5.6 assist-to-turnover ratio from last season? Or do they opt for a scoring forward in Parker or Mathews? What about keeping the guaranteed-contract player they have in Fernando? And what about that last two-way slot?
Ultimately, these will be the most pressing questions during preseason action since all of these players should get quality playing time.
My prediction: Fernando and Mathews get the final active roster spots. Pinson gets the two-way.
Boston may not have a title-contending roster on paper. But it's clear that Udoka and Brad Stevens are building for the present and searching for the best complements to Tatum and Brown. As the two young stars creep towards their primes, it's becoming time to open the Celtics' window of opportunity.

Ethan Fuller takes a look at five competitions that could break out during the Celtics' preseason process.

5 battles to watch during Celtics training camp and preseason

At the halfway mark of 2021 NBA Summer League, we're seeing prospects rapidly adapt to the next level. In some cases on Thursday, players visibly evolved over the course of a single game.
Rookies like James Bouknight and Cam Thomas turned frustrating first quarters into dominant performances. Other veterans continued to show their overall grasp on the NBA. We saw two more games reach overtime, underscoring what has been a competitive slate so far.
Below are the studs and duds from Day 5:
STUDS
Tre Jones, guard, San Antonio Spurs
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TRE JONES GETS IT TO GO! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> on ESPNU <a href="https://t.co/UkiNhTrqMU">pic.twitter.com/UkiNhTrqMU</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1425926354894266386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 34 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 12-for-20 FG, 1-for-3 3PT
This was arguably the most dominant performance of NBA Summer League thus far. Jones was in complete command on the offensive end, beating players off the dribble, pulling up in the mid-range and dishing all sorts of impressive passes. He pushed the ball in transition and consistently pressured the defense in what became a close shootout.
In the closing seconds, Jones scored the go-ahead bucket on a tough layup, and then stole the ball from Vernon Carey Jr. to ice the 106-105 win over Charlotte. Simply a masterclass from the second-year point guard.
James Bouknight, guard, Charlotte Hornets
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Absolutely filthy hesi from James Bouknight as he finishes this lay high up off the glass!! <a href="https://t.co/8Z7LyWSUZM">pic.twitter.com/8Z7LyWSUZM</a>
&mdash; Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/AC__Hoops/status/1425922734022856710?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 23 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 11-for-23 FG, 1-for-4 3PT
Thursday's matchup against Tre Jones and the Spurs was a challenge. Bouknight felt the pressure early, and played hesitantly for a large portion of the first half. But I was thoroughly impressed with how he adapted. The 2021 lottery pick found his confidence and got to his spots off the dribble. He also consistently forced the defense into tough spots when he attacked the basket.
Bouknight floored me as a passer as well. He should have finished with double-digit assists; on multiple occasions, such as one fast-break blunder, teammates blew impressive dimes from the rookie guard. Bouknight also finished with zero turnovers &mdash; even more amazing when considering his usage.
Cam Thomas, guard, Brooklyn Nets
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CAM THOMAS IS REALLY LIKE THAT 🤯 A game-tying bucket followed by a one-legged three to win it in sudden-death! <a href="https://t.co/8mdLLqD1HY">pic.twitter.com/8mdLLqD1HY</a>
&mdash; SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1425966738638721024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 31 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 10-for-23 FG, 2-for-6 3PT
Thomas did not play his best 33-plus minutes of basketball on Thursday. He started off by forcing a lot of shots, not looking to beat defenders or pass. But towards the latter stages of the game, the rookie guard seemed to see the floor better, make the right decisions and find his shooting touch.
Of course, he canned two monster buckets to end things &mdash; one three to send the game to a sudden death double-overtime, and then the golden shot. That microwave potential is the way Johnson can earn immediate playing time off the bench for the Nets.
Sam Hauser, forward, Boston Celtics
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Undrafted rookie Sam Hauser proving he belongs in the league. 21pts/7ast/6-10 3PA <a href="https://t.co/MF4Tu8ZTku">pic.twitter.com/MF4Tu8ZTku</a>
&mdash; High Motor Hoops (@HighMotorHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/HighMotorHoops/status/1425991310486425603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats:&nbsp;21 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 7-for-12 FG, 6-for-10 3PT
This was a statement game for Hauser, who had sputtered out of the gate with the Celtics. The sharpshooting forward looked like his Virginia self, drilling threes off the catch as part of a team-wide hot streak. He also moved the ball much better compared to his prior two contests, helping Boston set a summer league record with 33 team assists. Then, on the defensive end, he seemed to keep defenders in front of him and shuffle his feet well. Good showing from the Celtics' two-way signing.
Ishmail Wainright, forward, Toronto Raptors
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Two years ago, Ishmail Wainright played in the German 2nd division finals. Now he's under the contract with Toronto Raptors. The first time <a href="https://twitter.com/Wainright24?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Wainright24</a> stepped on the court straight from the airport, his coach Buzas saw his success was all programmed: <a href="https://t.co/R83Dwkv3Mb">https://t.co/R83Dwkv3Mb</a>
&mdash; Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) <a href="https://twitter.com/Urbodo/status/1425820905855324173?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 20 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks, 7-for-12 FG, 4-for-6 3PT
Wainright may be an unheralded name to most; the 26-year-old forward played for Baylor until 2017 and spent 2020-21 playing with Strasbourg in France. But people who tuned in surely will remember the name. The 6-foot-6 wing was engaged on both ends, made quality shots and did not force himself into the action. it was a poised all-around performance, and it makes sense why Toronto has Wainright signed to a two-year contract.
Tyrese Maxey, guard, Philadelphia 76ers
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My play of the night: Tyrese Maxey perfectly executes the Matisse Thybulle blocked jumper [pretty much] for the win. cc: <a href="https://twitter.com/TyreseMaxey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TyreseMaxey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MatisseThybulle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MatisseThybulle</a> <a href="https://t.co/ocnCCseHCt">pic.twitter.com/ocnCCseHCt</a>
&mdash; Lauren Rosen (@LaurenMRosen) <a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenMRosen/status/1426029134510268417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 31 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 11-for-23 FG, 1-for-8 3PT
Maxey didn't have his three-point shot falling Thursday night and bricked a couple of bad looks. But otherwise, the slashing guard displayed his signature ability to get to the rim at will. Maxey also had a couple of nice pull-up jumpers and step-backs he used to mix things up. And he finished off a 96-88 overtime win against Atlanta by clamping up Sharife Cooper in the closing seconds.
Other notable performers: Paul Reed (Sixers), Sharife Cooper (Hawks), Chris Duarte (Pacers), Payton Pritchard (Celtics), Jaime Echenique (Wizards), Jalen Smith (Suns)
DUDS
Ayo Dosunmu, guard, Chicago Bulls
Box Score Stats:&nbsp;2 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 1-for-7 FG, 0-for-3 3PT
The Bulls only scored 59 points as a team, and there were a couple of dud-worthy performances that came from Chicago. Dosunmu had a hard time gaining separation from the Timberolves defenders and didn't get many quality looks at the basket. As a defender, he got shaken often and was hit with some bruising screens. It didn't seem like Dosunmu was involved in the offense; he often stayed on the wings and in the corners.
Marko Simonovic, center, Chicago Bulls
Box Score Stats: 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1-for-8 FG, 0-for-4 3PT
Eight of Simonovic's 10 points came at the charity stripe. The 21-year-old was otherwise effective for most of the game, and didn't play with the strength and physicality necessary in the paint. He was not particularly impactful as a screener, and in the second half was part of a team-wide collapse defensively.&nbsp;
Emmanuel Mudiay, guard, Portland Trail Blazers
Box Score Stats: 6 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 3-for-7 FG, 0-for-3 3PT
Unfortunately, Mudiay's summer league play is reminiscient of his last seasons in the NBA. The 25-year-old did post a threat offensively and was inconsistent defensively. His shooting form is still an issue. He does not command the offense like a five-year NBA veteran should at this stage. The veteran trio of Mudiay, Michael Beasley and Kenneth Faried have been collectively underwhelming, and it's hard to feel good about their NBA comebacks right now.
R.J. Hampton, guard, Orlando Magic
Box Score Stats: 3 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1-for-6 FG, 0-for-1 3PT
The entire Magic squad was frigid in the 108-71 loss to Boston. Hampton was no different, but he seemed to seal his fate with his shot selection. The second-year guard often drove headstrong into crowds and finished poorly. He's not the type of guard who probes and gets to his spots around the court while keeping his head up. I'd like to see Hampton take his time a bit more, although in fairness, he's probably third in the pecking order for facilitation duties behind Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony.
Zeke Nnaji, forward, Denver Nuggets
Box Score Stats: 6 points, 9 rebounds, 2-for-10 FG, 0-for-4 3PT
Nnaji has appeared seriously out of sorts offensively in summer league. The 2020 first-round pick just does not have a consistent post move he can go to in the half-court, and coughed up five turnovers in large part from being unable to create anything on his own. Nnaji is now 0-for-10 from long range in his two games played. There's no sugarcoating it: the offensive game is a mess right now.

Viewers witnessed an epic battle between Tre Jones and James Bouknight, two of the standout performers on the fifth day in Vegas.

Studs and duds from the fifth day of NBA Summer League

The Bradley Beal Sweepstakes may finally be heating up.
There's been smoke around Beal's name for well over a year now. As teams hunt for the next disgruntled star to trade for, Beal has popped out as an ideal target.
First and foremost, he's really freakin' good at basketball. Beal is averaging a 29-5-5 stat line over the past three seasons on a robust 58.4% True Shooting percentage (TS%). Known as an elite shooting prospect coming out of Florida many years ago, Beal has transformed himself into one of the most complete offensive players in the sport.
His 35.1% clip on threes over the past three seasons undersells his shooting ability. His volume (7.3 attempts per game) and degree of difficulty -- he takes a ton of threes off the bounce -- factor into that lower-than-you-think number. At this point, the three-point shooting complements the rest of this game, not the other way around.
There aren't many better slashers than Beal. While not a LaVine-like leaper, Beal uses his lower body strength, varying stride length and keen understanding of body angles to generate good looks -- and does so often. He's converted at least 60% of his shots inside of three feet in all but one season of his career, and is now a regular at the free-throw line.&nbsp;
Beyond that, Beal may finally be <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bradley-beal-mulling-future-in-washington-decision-could-be-made-next-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ready to look for greener pastures</a>. He's been steadfast in his desire to build something in Washington, provided that they build a winner around him. And to the team's credit, genuine efforts have been made. Most notably, the Wizards traded former franchise cornerstone John Wall in a deal for Russell Westbrook to add much-needed star power to the roster.
Ultimately, it hasn't worked thus far. Combine that with Beal's contract status, and it's easy to see why things are starting to come to a head. According to <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2946317-sources-bradley-beal-considering-trade-request-before-nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer</a>, Beal may make a decision on his future as early as this week.
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If a trade request does come, here are a few teams that should throw their hats in the ring for the All-Star guard.
BOSTON CELTICS
The connection between Beal and Jayson Tatum is an obvious one. Depending on what some of the teams on the fringes decide to do, a strong argument could be made for Jaylen Brown being the best player that could be offered to Washington.&nbsp;
The Wizards would likely ask for more -- picks, prospects like Robert Williams and/or Payton Pritchard, and maybe Marcus Smart, as well. The Celtics wouldn't have to bend on literally all of it, but this is more so to show that they have the assets necessary to swing.
PHILADEPHIA 76ERS
The Sixers desperately need a boost in three-level shot creation. In addition, they need a boost in half-court playmaking. Beal would provide both of those things, the former in abundance.
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The bag of opinions on Ben Simmons is mixed right now, but he's still a young All-Star that's locked in long-term. The Sixers have more to offer on the asset front -- specifically Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle -- if it comes down to it.&nbsp;
TORONTO RAPTORS
The Raptors may not be openly shopping any of their core guys or the No. 4 pick, but they also don&rsquo;t seem overly attached to anyone outside of OG Anunoby. The Raptors can get in the dance if they want; how many teams are beating two of Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet or Anunoby, plus (future) pick capital? Not many, from my view.&nbsp;
Of course, the question of Beal re-signing would make the Raptors antsy. You also don't want to remove too much of the defensive infrastructure if you're bringing Beal in. This remains one of my favorite landing spots for Beal if the Raptors are serious about him, though.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
The Warriors fit seems a bit wonky to me -- Steph Curry, Beal and post-post-injury Klay Thompson doesn't scream "elite defense," for whatever that's worth to you -- but it's hard to fault <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/warriors-interested-in-bradley-beal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Warriors for being interested</a>. That is a ton of offensive firepower, and Steph deserves to have someone to spell him of some of his on-ball creation burden.&nbsp;
Andrew Wiggins gives you the salary. James Wiseman is (Golden State's version of) the blue-chipper. Two lottery picks (No. 7, No. 14) this season, plus virtually all of their first-rounders moving forward, give the Warriors enough ammo to put together an intriguing package.
ATLANTA HAWKS
The Hawks are fresh off a surprise Eastern Conference Finals appearance. They have their clear alpha in Trae Young, and are primed for a consolidation deal as payday nears for some of their younger guys.&nbsp;
They're not going to be able to -- well, they're just not&nbsp;going to -- pay all of John Collins, De'Andre Hunter, Cam Reddish, Onyeka Okongwu and Kevin Huerter over the next three offseasons. A combination of two, maybe three of those guys plus picks could get a conversation started.&nbsp;
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OTHER SUITORS
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
They're in the Atlanta class for me, but I'd love to see the Grizzlies take a shot at Beal. They have a good enough mix of young pieces, veterans and pick capital to get on the phone at least. The real make-or-break component of this is if they'd be willing to part with Jaren Jackson Jr. -- because the Wizards would rightfully ask for him. From Memphis' side, the point of a Beal trade would be to form a Big Three with him, Jackson Jr., and Ja Morant. Beyond that, they'd have to be certain that Beal would want to re-sign. Improbable, but not impossible is how I'd view it.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
Even after their <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mem-trades-jonas-valanciunas-no-17-pick-to-pelicans-for-eric-bledsoe-no-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deal with the Grizzlies</a>, the Pelicans still have picks to dangle from the Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday trades, plus young prospects (Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jaxson Hayes, Kira Lewis Jr.) to toss in. They, uh, also have Brandon Ingram to headline a deal if it comes down to it, though the Pelicans would obviously prefer not to do so.
MIAMI HEAT
The Heat have been linked to Beal for the entirety of this process. I would imagine that two things are true: Wizards brass doesn't view Tyler Herro as lowly as NBA Twitter does at this point, but it's also unlikely that they view him as a blue-chipper. Without a bunch of firsts and swaps to throw in (thanks, OKC), the Heat would need Beal to push for them specifically. That's not impossible, but it's hard to justify them as a top-tier destination with that many hoops to jump through.&nbsp;
DENVER NUGGETS
The Nuggets can get into this if they want to with a package built around Michael Porter Jr. Healthy Jamal Murray, Beal and Nikola Jokic is enough to guarantee an elite offense year round. The funky question I don't have a real grasp for yet: Do you trust Beal or Porter Jr. more on the defensive end at this point?

Nekias Duncan examines potential trade partners for Wizards star Bradley Beal if he decides to ask for a trade.

Examining potential trade destinations for Bradley Beal

Before we know it, the 2021 NBA Draft will be upon us, and it&rsquo;ll be even more of a crapshoot than the last one because NBA scouts have been unable to attend most college games or travel overseas to look at international prospects.
Veteran scouts used to working in packed gyms and arenas are instead poring over grainy game film from overseas and DVR&rsquo;d recordings of college games in order to get the best info they can on the players who will be available on July 29 &ndash; exactly three months from today.
With the 2020-21 NBA season winding down, this is a good time to look back at the 2020 draft and see how each of the first-round picks have panned out.
<ol>
<li>Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves: Either Edwards or LaMelo Ball will win Rookie of the Year, and Edwards probably wouldn&rsquo;t even be in the conversation if Ball had not gone down with an injury. The 19-year-old has increased his field goal percentage and three-point percentages over the course of the month of April, but his scoring has dipped from 24.2 points per game in March to 21.3 in April. His team has won five of seven, including two against the league-leading Jazz. He leads all rookies with 142 threes. (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/revisiting-the-2020-nba-draft-how-are-firstround-picks-doing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Our Spencer Davies believes Edwards deserves ROY</a>). </li>
<li>James Wiseman, Golden State Warriors: He is out for the season after he had surgery to fix a meniscus injury in his right knee. The recovery time will be months rather than weeks. Wiseman averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds and showed flashes during his first season. The Dubs will be able to pair him with another top young prospect if Minnesota&rsquo;s pick falls outside of the top three. Golden State acquired it in the D&rsquo;Angelo Russell-Andrew Wiggins trade. It is unprotected the following season. </li>
<li>LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets: He has not played in five weeks, but he is expected back any day after recovering from a broken wrist. He will have only a few days to re-acclimate himself with his teammates, including Malik Monk, whose return from a sprained ankle will coincide with Ball&rsquo;s. The rookie is averaging 15.9 points, 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds in just 28.6 minutes per game. </li>
<li>Patrick Williams, Chicago Bulls: He has started all 61 games he has appeared in, but he&rsquo;s averaging only 9.1 points and 4.6 rebounds and has eclipsed the 20-point mark only twice all season. He has reached double figures in points in only one of the Bulls&rsquo; last 11 games, but let&rsquo;s not forget he is only 19 years old &ndash; same as Edwards and Ball. Some 19-year-olds adapt quicker than others. </li>
<li>Isaac Okoro, Cleveland Cavaliers: He has started all 57 games he has played in, but the 20-year-old&rsquo;s numbers are quite pedestrian: 8.5 points, 42.2% from the field, 28.9% from three-point range, 2.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He had a season-high 20 points against Toronto on Monday, but went 1-for-8 on threes. He leads all rookies in minutes (31.8). </li>
<li>Onyeka Okongwu, Atlanta Hawks: He was never going to get a ton of run on a roster that already included Clint Capela and John Collins, and he is logging only 11.3 minutes per game. He has reached double figures in points three times and in rebounds once in 41 games. </li>
<li>Killian Hayes, Detroit Pistons: The French-American teenager has been getting consistent minutes this month after recovering from a hip injury (torn labrum) that sidelined him for three months. He has shown a knack for getting steals, but needs to learn how to draw fouls and get to the free throw line. He is 7-for-7 from the line in 10 games this month. </li>
<li>Obi Toppin, New York Knicks: He has appeared in 53 games without a single start and has scored in double figures only three times. But he plays for a coach, Tom Thibodeau, who brings rookies along slowly, and he has shot below 50% in only four of 15 games this month. </li>
<li>Deni Avdija, Washington Wizards: The rookie from Israel is out for the season with a hairline fracture in his ankle after starting 32 of his 54 games. He had been unspectacular, averaging only 6.3 points and making 53 three-pointers. </li>
<li>Jalen Smith, Phoenix Suns: He was sent down to the G-League in February, and he has seen mostly garbage time minutes in his 22 appearances. He&rsquo;s averaging 1.1 points, and he has attempted only three free throws all season (making one). </li>
<li>Devin Vassell, San Antonio Spurs: He has made two starts in 51 appearances and has shown some flashes, but he needs to become more consistent. He has seven double-figure scoring nights, two of which have come in the Spurs&rsquo; past six games. </li>
<li>Tyrese Haliburton, Sacramento Kings: Right now, he has to go down as the steal of the lottery and he&rsquo;s almost certain to finish third in Rookie of the Year voting behind Ball and Edwards. He&rsquo;s averaging 12.8 points and 5.3 assists with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.44, ninth-best in the NBA. In 18 games as a starter, he's averaging 14.6 points, 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals. </li>
<li>Kira Lewis, Jr., New Orleans Pelicans: The 20-year-old backs up Lonzo Ball and plays 16.5 minutes per night. He is steady but has had limited opportunities, having gone for 20 points one time. He ranks 12th among rookies in assists with 2.3 per game. </li>
<li>Aaron Nesmith, Boston Celtics: He had his best game of the season on Wednesday in a victory over Charlotte with 15 points, nine rebounds, three steals and three blocks. It was only his fourth double-figure scoring game of the season. He became <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-aaron-nesmith-is-first-boston-celtics-rookie-with-15-points-3-steals-and-blocks-since-paul-pierce">the first Celtics rookie to record a 15-3-3 game since Paul Pierce</a> did it in 1998-99. </li>
<li>Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic: He&rsquo;s experiencing trial by fire after the early-season injury to Markelle Fultz, and has improved every month. He is currently on a run of 10 consecutive double-figure scoring games and ranks fourth among rookies in scoring (12.0), third in assists (4.4) and fourth in free throw percentage (81.3%). </li>
<li>Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons: He leads all rookies in rebounds (6.6), field goal percentage (57.4) and blocks (1.15) despite playing only 20.4 minutes per game. A very solid building block for Troy Weaver. </li>
<li>Aleksej Pokusevski, Oklahoma City Thunder: The 19-year-old is second among rookies in blocks per game (1.1) and is getting a lot of run on Sam Presti&rsquo;s rebuilding project, logging 25-plus minutes in 20 of the past 22 games. He&rsquo;s sixth among rookies in rebounding (4.6). </li>
<li>Josh Green, Dallas Mavericks: The Aussie shooting guard gets a little bit of run here and there, but his season-high is 8 points. He&rsquo;s only playing 10.3 minutes per game, but he has started in five games. </li>
<li>Saddiq Bey, Detroit Pistons: He&rsquo;s second among rookies in made three-pointers (139), seventh in scoring (11.3), seventh in three-point percentage (37.7%), second in free throw percentage (87.1%), 12th in rebounding (4.2) and ninth in minutes played (25.8). He might be Detroit&rsquo;s best rookie. </li>
<li>Precious Achiuwa, Miami Heat: He has appeared in 55 games and does not appear among the rookie league leaders in any category except rebounding, where he is 16th with 3.6 boards per game. He&rsquo;s only playing 12.4 minutes per game. </li>
<li>Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers: Maxey is a very solid player who caught everyone&rsquo;s attention on Jan. 9 when he dropped 39 points on Denver, which got Rafael Stone of Houston quite interested and may have kept James Harden from becoming a member of the Sixers. He has made 10 of his last 11 shots in the past two games. He&rsquo;s eighth among rookies in field goal percentage (46.1%). </li>
<li>Zeke Nnaji, Denver Nuggets: He cracked the rotation in February and March, but he hasn&rsquo;t played as much recently on a veteran-laden Nuggets team. He has scored just five points this month. In February, he averaged 5.9 points and 1.3 threes while shooting 46.7% from three. </li>
<li>Leandro Bolmaro, Minnesota Timberwolves: He&rsquo;s having a strong season in the ACB for FC Barcelona, where he is teammates with Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic. His coach is Sarunas Jasikevicius. Heck of a draft-and-stash. </li>
<li>R.J. Hampton, Denver Nuggets: He was dealt to Orlando as part of the Aaron Gordon trade, and let&rsquo;s just say he was winning a lot more in Denver. He is playing 23 minutes per night with the Magic and has made one start. With the Magic, he's averaging 8.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in 23.0 minutes. </li>
<li>Immanuel Quickley, New York Knicks: He has captured the imagination of Knicks fans, is fifth among rookies in scoring (11.7) and leads all rookies in free throw percentage (89.5%). He is also fifth among rookies in three-point percentage (38.7%). </li>
<li>Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics: He has been much more productive than Nesmith. He has appeared in 57 of 63 games, is second among rookies in three-point percentage (41.6%, trailing only Desmond Bane) and he has only missed four free throws all season (in 41 attempts). </li>
<li>Udoka Azubuike, Utah Jazz: He has appeared in only 12 games and has a season-high of 4 points. Rudy Gobert is sort of in his way. </li>
<li>Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves: One of the few people who can say &ldquo;I beat the Jazz twice this season,&rdquo; McDaniels is 20th in scoring (6.8), 15th in rebounding (3.7), third in blocks (0.96) and 10th in three-point percentage (36.6%) among rookies. </li>
<li>Malachi Flynn, Toronto Raptors: One of the league&rsquo;s older rooks (22), he has been tutored by Kyle Lowry and has seen his role increase significantly this month as the team from Tampa plays out the string. He&rsquo;s shooting over 40 percent on threes in April, while taking a bunch of them. </li>
<li>Desmond Bane, Memphis Grizzlies: He leads all rookies in three-point percentage (45.5%), and he is 10th in scoring (9.1) and sixth in field goal percentage (47.1%). He averages 22 minutes for a team that has eight players averaging in double figures.</li>
</ol>
With the condensed schedule, limited practice time and COVID protocols, this season has not been easy for these rookies. Let&rsquo;s hope their sophomore campaign isn&rsquo;t as strange or difficult.

As the 2020 NBA Playoffs approach, some rookies are separating themselves from the pack, writes Chris Sheridan.

Revisiting the 2020 NBA Draft: How are the first-round picks doing?

The Dominican Republic is a place that is mostly known as a hotbed for talent on the baseball diamond, and not the hardwood. However, its basketball talent pedigree, although not as credible as some of the other countries in the Caribbean and Latin America, and lineage of players is still impressive.
Current NBA players such as Al Horford and Karl-Anthony Towns (whose mother was Dominican) -- and former NBA players like Francisco Garcia, Felipe Lopez and Charlie Villanueva, along with others -- are among the top talents the nation has produced. As we head into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, I recently took a deep dive into Chris Duarte of the Oregon Ducks, who will likely be the next player of Dominican descent to play in the NBA.
Hailing from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, then attending high school in Troy, New York and junior college in Niceville, Fla., and now the University of Oregon, in Eugene, Ore., Chris Duarte has not had the typical path of most NBA prospects.
To start, Duarte originally played baseball, and more specifically was a pitcher who threw 90-mile-per-hour fastballs. Of course, being a baseball player by trade is not atypical where he's from. Duarte didn&rsquo;t actually start taking basketball seriously until he was 13 years old, as he sought to emulate his older brother, Michael, whom he noticed had taken a liking to the sport. Despite a late introduction to the game, Chris's talent was apparent even in the early stages of his development.
Once he turned his focus exclusively to hoops, Duarte spent his adolescence dominating his peers in local tournaments, eventually progressing to larger and larger stages. Fortunately for all of the basketball world, Duarte&rsquo;s family moved to New York, in large part because they sought to help cultivate his basketball skills and abilities.&nbsp;
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Duarte attended Redemption Christian Academy in Troy for his junior and senior years of high school. He helped lead Redemption to an 8-8 record his junior year and 5-7 record his senior year, while playing a fairly rigorous national schedule featuring teams like Brewster Academy and Victory Rock Prep. On the grassroots scene, Duarte competed in the Nike EYBL (Elite Youth Basketball League) with the NY Lightning. He played a feature role in his lone AAU season with the club, playing alongside mid-to-high major talents like Aundre Hyatt (LSU), Nathan Mensah (San Diego State) and Isaac Kante (Hofstra). Over 18 games, Duarte posted 9.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game in just under 23 minutes per contest.&nbsp;
Upon his graduation from Redemption Christian Academy, Duarte was selected to play in the Jordan Brand&rsquo;s New York Regional Game. Separate from the more well-known and more prestigious All-American games that most people are familiar with, the regional game still featured a bounty of high-major talents, with guys like Jordan Nwora (Louisville), Collin Gillespie (Villanova), Darryl Morsell (Maryland), and Jose Alvarado (Georgia Tech). Duarte registered 18 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists for the &ldquo;City&rdquo; team in a 170-162 loss to the &ldquo;Suburban&rdquo; team.&nbsp;
A month after the Jordan Brand game, Duarte committed to Western Kentucky and joined Rick Stansbury&rsquo;s inaugural recruiting class. He enrolled there in June 2017, but never played a minute for the Hilltoppers. (The crown jewel of that recruiting class, Mitchell Robinson, also did not suit up for WKU).
Duarte failed to qualify academically and was faced with two options: sit out a full-year and try to gain eligibility for the 2018-2019 season, or play at the junior college level, where he could hit the floor right away. Duarte opted for the latter, joining well-known JUCO powerhouse Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Fla.
At Northwest Florida, Duarte played a crucial role for head coach Steve DeMeo&rsquo;s Raiders in the 2017-18 season. Coming off the bench for all but one game, Duarte registered 12.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per contest, playing next to future Illinois Illini guard Andres Feliz. The NWF Raiders made it to the Elite Eight of the NJCAA National Championship, where they were upset by the No. 10 seed College of Southern Idaho Golden Eagles, 107-93. For his efforts on the season, Duarte was named First-Team All-Panhandle Conference.
Six games into his sophomore season, Duarte signed his letter of intent to play for the Oregon Ducks under Dana Altman. That year, Duarte was the unquestioned leader of the NWF team, starting all 33 games and leading the team in scoring at 19.3 points per game. With the help of fellow March Madness star Javion Hamlet (North Texas), the Raiders registered a 28-5 regular-season record and a No. 1 overall seed in the 2018-19 edition of the NJCAA National Championship bracket. Northwest Florida State again fell in the Elite Eight, to Ranger College (TX), 66-63. Duarte was named the NJCAA National Player of the Year and a First-Team All-American. 
&ldquo;Chris is everything a coach wants in a student-athlete," DeMeo, now an assistant coach at St. John&rsquo;s, said of Duarte on the team website. "He is a great student, great person and a very special basketball player. Chris has really set the bar high here at Northwest Florida for all of our future Raiders, and I look forward to watching him grow and develop at Oregon and even beyond college.&rdquo;
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In his first season with Oregon, Duarte immediately settled into a role as the wingman to four-year starter and All-American Payton Pritchard, who is now with the Boston Celtics. Duarte was the second leading scorer, averaging 12.9 points per game while starting all the games he appeared in for the Ducks. He registered three 20-point games on the season, including a 30-point, 11-rebound, and 8-steal eruption in a home win v.s USC.
For most of the final month of that regular season, Duarte battled through a right hand injury, and it was apparent, as his effectiveness dwindled. His points average dipped to 6.2, his field goal percentage plummeted to 30.2% and his three-point percentage slipped to 13.6%. However, his toughness and resilience remained evident consistently. He finally succumbed to his injury, undergoing surgery to repair a broken finger on his shooting hand on Feb. 27, 2020. Altman ruled him out for the Pac-12 Tournament before COVID wiped out the entirety of the NCAA postseason. The pandemic cancellation was especially hard on the Ducks, as they finished 24-7, were the regular-season conference champions and seemed poised to be a potential threat in the big dance.&nbsp;
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Duarte entered this current season with the spotlight more firmly on him, as he was the Ducks leading returning scorer. He was tasked with being the nucleus of a team, featuring four transfers in Eugene Omoruyi (Rutgers), LJ Figueroa (St. John&rsquo;s), Eric Williams Jr. (Duquesne), and Amauri Hardy (UNLV). To further complicate team chemistry, Will Richardson -- the longest-tenured Duck in the rotation -- underwent thumb surgery prior to Oregon&rsquo;s first game in December against Missouri.
Despite the challenges, Duarte was nothing short of sensational coming out of the gates, as he shouldered a massive scoring load while still excelling on the defensive end. He posted averages of 18.4 points, 2.5 steals and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 45.6% from three-point range. Oregon started the season with a 9-2 record, peaking at No. 17 in the polls in that time frame. The Duarte-led Ducks stormed through Pac-12 conference play, finishing 14-4 and narrowly capturing the regular-season conference title over USC.
Duarte finished the regular season with a strong average of 19.2 points per game, while shooting 52% from three-point range over his last five games.
&ldquo;The first time that I saw Chris Duarte was his junior year at Oregon. I thought he was a solid player. I noted that he had good size for a wing, played hard, was super competitive, and he could really shoot the ball," added Matt Babcock, BasketballNews.com's Lead NBA Draft Analyst. "My evaluation of him was certainly positive, but I can&rsquo;t say that I was overly confident that he was going to be a sure-fire NBA player.
"However, fast-forward to this season, and Duarte has played on such a high level all season long and has subsequently changed the narrative for me. I watched him play in person in early January this year, and he was incredible. From there, I watched film on him keenly, and I must say that I was left thoroughly impressed with him as a player. I expect some to be critical of his age, as he is older for a draft prospect, but I think he&rsquo;s worthy of being a first-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, regardless of his age.&rdquo;
Granted a first-round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament for their regular season performance, the Ducks demolished Arizona State in the quarterfinals by 18 points. In the semifinal game against Oregon State, the team got a nightmarish wake-up call, as the Beavers won by 11 in a wire-to-wire victory that was never in doubt. But this would not be the last we saw of Duarte and the Ducks.
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Altman&rsquo;s squad entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 7 seed, slated to play the No. 10 seed VCU Rams in the first round. Last weekend, over a year after he missed out on his first opportunity at a March Madness debut, Duarte was set to take the biggest stage in a matchup against another NBA prospect in Na&rsquo;Shon &ldquo;Bones&rdquo; Highland. His debut, however, would be delayed another 48 hours, as the Ducks&rsquo; first-round matchup was deemed a "no contest," as a COVID breakout ensued within the Rams&rsquo; locker room. The Ducks automatically advanced to the next round of the tournament.
In the second round, the Ducks headed towards a clash with Iowa and consensus All-American Luka Garza. In that game, Duarte wasted no time in making his presence felt, as he scored 23 points and dished out 7 assists against the Hawkeyes. Oregon ultimately ran away with the game, as the team ended the first half strongly and dominated Iowa in the second half.&nbsp;
Sunday night, Chris Duarte and the Oregon Ducks face the USC Trojans, a conference foe they are very familiar with -- and the team they barely edged out for the Pac-12 regular-season title. Another interesting element of this matchup is USC's star freshman, Evan Mobley, a likely top draft pick this summer. This should be a star-studded matchup, and we'll see if Chris Duarte can continue to elevate his stock and perhaps convince the general public to join Matt Babcock in considering him as a worthy first-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Grant Aqui details the unique journey of Chris Duarte to college basketball's biggest stage and blossoming into an NBA Draft prospect.

From the Dominican Republic to The Big Dance, Chris Duarte continues to climb

The NBA trade deadline is now nine days away, and while we can safely assume that all 30 teams want to get better, we must proceed expecting two teams --the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks -- to play big roles in dictating what the market will look like.
There are lots of big men available, and anybody who tells you that Andre Drummond or Hassan Whiteside or JaVale McGee would not make a difference in an Eastern Conference playoff series has not been paying attention. Or as Gregg Popovich would say: &ldquo;Living in a phone booth.&rdquo;
Also, those who assume the Knicks (with $15.7 million in cap space) are not in win-now mode do not understand Tom Thibodeau. The guy is married to a basketball, and he is anxious to do in New York what he was unable to do in Minnesota and, to a lesser degree, in Chicago.
And then we have the Celtics, who are sitting on the largest trade exception ($28.5 million) in NBA history and are worse off that they were a year ago when they made the Eastern Conference Finals. Danny Ainge cannot stand pat and expect to get past the Nets, Sixers, Bucks or Heat.
The rumor mill will be churning between now and March 25, and every contending team in the East will be scheming to make an addition that attacks the weaknesses of Brooklyn and Philadelphia, while every Western team will try to find a way to compete with the three-point shooting of the Utah Jazz and the depth and experience of the Los Angeles Lakers.
So let&rsquo;s go through the league alphabetically and assess each team&rsquo;s needs, expectations and expendables.
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ATLANTA HAWKS: Nate McMillan is 5-0 as head coach, and the most active team in the weeks leading up to training camp remains built (if fully healthy) to advance if all of the pieces can fit together with almost zero practice time. John Collins is entering restricted free agency and is not as productive as he was a year ago, but he makes just $4.1 million. Put him in a deal with Tony Snell, though, and those combined salaries equal $16.3 million, which can get you a nice player.
BOSTON CELTICS: What made them special a year ago was the ability to get offensive production from three All-Star caliber starters: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward. But Hayward is gone, Enes Kanter is doing big things in Portland (remember how he was a game-changer for Boston in the postseason a year ago?) and Kemba Walker is shooting 38% in his 10th season. Standing pat is not an option.
BROOKLYN NETS: At some point they will need a third center to join DeAndre Jordan and Nicolas Claxton, but the buyout market or the China market (the CBA season ends before the NBA playoffs) may be the easiest way for Sean Marks to add an extra big body if they cannot get a big man whose contract fits into their $5.7 million disabled player exception. Spencer Dinwiddie is the only superfluous player on the roster, but he is out for the remainder of the season, and the Nets have no future draft picks to throw into a deal. They used them all in the Harden trade.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS: Michael Jordan&rsquo;s team is 100-1 to win the East despite having the lock for Rookie of the Year, a four-game winning streak and a roster chock full of young and hungry players who, for the most part, lack postseason experience. At a certain point, they have to realize they could have done better than Cody Zeller ($15.4 million) with the fourth pick of the 2013 draft. It might be time to sacrifice a future first-round pick or two to upgrade at center. Malik Monk has been playing well lately, otherwise, we would predict his imminent departure. The Hornets have an open roster spot and $4 million in cap room.
CHICAGO BULLS: It would be delusional of them to think they can advance beyond the first-round of the playoffs, which is why they have to consider getting a good young player from a contender in exchange for Thaddeus Young ($13.5 million), who is the leading candidate to finish a distant second to Jordan Clarkson in Sixth Man of the Year voting. &nbsp;Tomas Satoransky ($10 million this year and next year) is 29 years old and could be combined with Young to bring in a good young player. Here is an idea:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Who says no? <a href="https://t.co/Pc61DX8jQV">pic.twitter.com/Pc61DX8jQV</a>
&mdash; Chris Sheridan (@sheridanhoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/sheridanhoops/status/1371826941804883973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

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CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: Aside from the inevitable Drummond and McGee moves (best offers arrive at 2:59 p.m. on deadline day), Koby Altman will probably keep quiet after acquiring Jarrett Allen from the Nets and sending Kevin Porter Jr. to the Rockets. Kevin Love is going to be dead money for two more seasons and Cedi Osman is looking like he will be in the same category, though not quite as expensive. It&rsquo;ll be a long road back.
DALLAS MAVERICKS: They should be better than their record (20-18), but the West is tough. Dwight Powell ($11 million this season and the next two) is not worth what he is being paid and could be packaged with more future No. 1 picks (the Mavs can&rsquo;t trade their own first-round draft pick until 2025 because they owe the Knicks their 2021 and 2023 picks), if mortgaging the future is something Mark Cuban is cool with. Powell and James Johnson for Drummond works cap-wise.
DENVER NUGGETS: A rumor is out there that the Nuggets have spoken to the Magic about acquiring Aaron Gordon, and the price would include Bol Bol. They currently do not look like they have enough to come out of the West, and JaMychal Green has not been an adequate replacement for Jerami Grant. To a lesser degree than Boston, standing pat does not seem like the most prudent option. They have a $9.6 million trade exception, so expect them to make some sort of acquisition that improves the roster. They are one player away from being one player away.
DETROIT PISTONS: Troy Weaver might have already made his &ldquo;deadline deal&rdquo; in getting Hamidou Diallo from the Thunder. Wayne Ellington is superfluous, and one would think teams might like a 14-year veteran who shot 42% from three-point range with a manageable $1.6 million salary&hellip; But the Knicks couldn&rsquo;t find a taker for him a year ago.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: Limbo sucks, but Klay Thompson will be back next season. In the meantime, the best they can do is hope that the Wolves&rsquo; pick is not top three and they can get another high lottery pick to put next to James Wiseman for the years ahead. Kelly Oubre Jr., Kent Bazemore, Brad Wanamaker and Marquese Chriss are all on expiring contracts. Their combined salaries total $20.6 million. The Warriors can acquire a player into Thompson&rsquo;s $9.25 million disabled player exception.
HOUSTON ROCKETS: We are seeing a flurry of Victor Oladipo trade rumors, which is strange because he was the biggest piece they got in the Harden trade. If they are disappointed in him (and his expiring $21 million contract) they must not have been watching Pacers playoffs games the past few seasons. Kevin Porter Jr. was a nice pickup, and Rafael Stone is probably on the hunt for another player who has worn out his welcome for non-basketball reasons. P.J. Tucker is headed somewhere. Dante Exum (expiring $9.6 million contract) didn&rsquo;t quite work out for a fifth overall pick, eh?
INDIANA PACERS: Acquiring Caris LaVert for Oladipo as part of the Harden trade will go in Kevin Pritchard&rsquo;s trophy case, so the question now becomes &ldquo;What next?&rdquo; aside from waiting for T.J. Warren&rsquo;s broken foot to heal. They are in 10th place, which wasn&rsquo;t exactly what they had in mind for this season. Still, Indiana has a nice mix of players in their mid-to-late 20s. Doug McDermott (expiring $7.3 million) and T.J. McConnell (expiring $3.5 million) could be a useful shooter and pest duo for a playoff team willing to give up a draft pick and a matching expiring salary. Indiana is probably better off keeping both and rolling the dice in the play-in postseason.
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LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: They have everything they need except the Lou Williams they had gotten used to over the past three seasons. His scoring average is down almost six points. Serge Ibaka (scoring average down 4.5 points) is showing his age at 31 and has a 15% trade kicker. Both still have plenty of playoff experience, but Jerry West likes to make trades when he can find the right ones. The Clippers are an interesting team to watch at the deadline because they have an open roster spot, but they are also within a $500,000 of the hard cap, which limits their options.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS: They need nothing except for Anthony Davis to be healthy, so the Lakers are the winner of the &ldquo;Most Unlikely To Make A Trade&rdquo; award. They are option No. 1 for pretty much everybody getting a buyout after the deadline.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: More than a year later, we are still trying to figure out the Justise Winslow acquisition. Taylor Jenkins&rsquo; rotation goes 10 deep, not including the team&rsquo;s highest-paid player in Gorgui Dieng -- $17.2 million. They are young and they are not a good team, yet they are still in contention for a play-in spot, so that incentivizes them to get creative.
MIAMI HEAT: The rule of thumb used to be &ldquo;Pat Riley hates making midseason trades,&rdquo; but he went out and got Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder last season and built an NBA Finals team. So you would think they would be predisposed to tinker despite their recent run of 11 victories in 12 games. Kelly Olynyk ($12.6 million) and Moe Harkless ($3.6 million) are on expiring deals, and Avery Bradley is gathering dust. They can take on long-term money if the incoming player is worthy of it, but that would likely involve trading a starter (Olynyk). They also have a $7.5 million trade exception but owe Oklahoma City two first-round picks.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS: Veteran Bucks writer <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-sheridan-show/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-16-gery-woelfel-on-milwaukee-bucks-chances,-possible-trade,-other-east-contender">Gery Woelful said on my most recent podcast</a> that he fully expects the Bucks to try to find an upgrade from Donte DiVincenzo at shooting guard. The salaries of DiVincenzo and D.J. Wilson add up to $7.5 million, and it is hard to see Jon Horst moving anyone else on this roster. They are not last year&rsquo;s Bucks, but they theoretically have enough to get to the NBA Finals. They are very close to the hard cap and cannot trade any more picks after using so many in the Jrue Holiday acquisition.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: The team is for sale, so do not expect Gersson Rosas to take on any long-term money. They have already changed coaches, and they have nothing anybody would want except for Karl Anthony-Towns, who isn&rsquo;t going anywhere. Okay, they have Ed Davis, who may be somebody&rsquo;s consolation prize as contending teams search for bigs. Nominations for the Dumpster Fire Award are now closed.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are not available. You can safely assume that everyone else is, and David Griffin does not need to hold anybody else up because he already did that to Horst. This was not supposed to be a throwaway season, but it is. The Pelicans would like to get J.J. Redick closer to his family, who live in Brooklyn. Exactly how close? Well, when Redick played for the Sixers, he commuted to Philadelphia. So &ldquo;close&rdquo; is a relative term. Boston is drivable from Brooklyn.
NEW YORK KNICKS: As mentioned above, they are the team to watch most closely. They can take on long-term money if the incoming player is someone who can tolerate Thibodeau&rsquo;s coaching style, and they would bring in a player on an expiring contract if they believed that player&rsquo;s Bird rights would be of value over the summer. Leon Rose is one year away from having a top-three team in the East if he plays his cards right a week from Thursday.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: Sam Presti likely has George Hill, Trevor Ariza and Mike Muscala available to the highest bidders. Hill was an important piece of the Bucks last season and could help a playoff team needing a bench shooter and veteran voice in the locker room. At a certain point, Presti is going to have to package together some of the 20 extra first and second-round picks he has accumulated through trades, but that point is probably a couple of years away as the rebuild runs its course. Important: If Houston&rsquo;s pick is in the top four, the Thunder get it. Also, Presti has three trade exceptions; the largest is $27.6 million.
ORLANDO MAGIC:&nbsp; Aaron Gordon trade rumors are everywhere, which makes sense because the time to cash in on their seven-year investment is now. They need to get younger and acquire assets to build around Markelle Fultz, Nikola Vucevic and Jonathan Isaac. Their ceiling should not be the kind of first-round exits they have been producing the past two seasons, and they have not won a single playoff series since 2009-10. So, it would be shocking to see them keep Gordon, who is only 25 years old and can bring a lot in return. Gordon is a good guy who needs a change of scenery and deserves one. Same goes for Evan Fournier.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: They wanted James Harden and did not get him, and Doc Rivers still somehow kept Ben Simmons committed to the team. That is pretty huge, because players who know they have been shopped usually resent it. They are in first place in the East and have a roster with the proper pieces to match up with Brooklyn. Mike Scott&rsquo;s expiring $5 million deal and the Knicks&rsquo; 2021 second-round pick are Elton Brand&rsquo;s most movable trade assets, but Scott has been playing well lately. Terrence Ferguson, Vincent Poirier and Tony Bradley are on expiring contracts but would bring little in return.
PHOENIX SUNS: Acquiring Chris Paul checked the &ldquo;monster trade&rdquo; box, and the NBA&rsquo;s most overachieving team will likely abide by the &ldquo;If It Ain&rsquo;t Broke, Don&rsquo;t Fix It&rdquo; rule. That being said, if an on-the-ball defender capable of defending LeBron James is out there somewhere, you kick the tires on just about anything that does not include Devin Booker, DeAndre Ayton and Chris Paul. Ariza would seem to be a fit.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: Like Dallas, they should be better than their record&hellip; and would be if C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic had not gotten injured. At full strength, they are going to be a tough out in the postseason. Gary Trent Jr. is on an expiring contract and they may fear losing him, so keep that in mind with these guys. They are sleepers.
SACRAMENTO KINGS: What they can get for Whiteside will be interesting to see, because he was killing it for the Blazers last season. Then, Nurkic returned in the bubble. Whiteside does not exactly have the best reputation around the league, which is why he played in Lebanon and China before resurrecting his career. There are also a lot of Harrison Barnes rumors out there, and like the Magic and Gordon, it may be time for the Kings to cash in on the three-year investment they made in Barnes after acquiring him from Dallas. He makes $22.2 million. Does Nemanja Bjelica have any value? Same question has to be asked of Jabari Parker.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS: The LaMarcus Aldridge era is in its final days, and you have to wonder if the Patty Mills era is, too. Derrick White is signed long-term and Dejounte Murray is damn good. The expiring contracts of Aldridge and Mills add up to $37.2 million, and if you include Rudy Gay&rsquo;s expiring deal that number becomes $51.2 million. They are 20-16, yet, as currently constituted, not good enough to do much in the postseason. R.C. Buford wins the award for the league executive most overdue to make a trade.
TORONTO RAPTORS: The name that is out there now is Kyle Lowry, who has spent nine seasons of his 16-year career playing for the team that now calls Tampa its home. Having lost five in a row and sitting in 11th place in the Leastern Conference, Masai Ujiri must determine whether it is time to turn Lowry&rsquo;s expiring $30.5 million contract into something of value. At 35 years old, Lowry can still play and, percentage wise, is hitting threes, twos and free throws better than he has over the past four seasons. But this would not be a giveaway, and a sign-and-trade in the offseason is still possible.
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UTAH JAZZ: Like Phoenix, the &ldquo;If It Ain&rsquo;t Broke , Don&rsquo;t Dix It&rdquo; rule applies. They are in first place in the West, are making threes better than anybody and have Rudy Gobert finding new and incredible ways to never, ever be mentioned in the MVP debate. None of their nine rotation players is going anywhere, and no one else on the roster has either a big contract or much trade value. Still, someone on the team could be a giveaway because the Jazz are $1.9 million over the luxury tax line. They have already traded five of their next seven second-round picks (they don&rsquo;t have one until 2025).
WASHINGTON WIZARDS: You&rsquo;ve got to feel bad for Tommy Sheppard, one of the best guys and better GMs in the league -- he was able to turn John Wall into Russell Westbrook but then lost Thomas Bryant and had his team put on ice because of COVID issues. They are now playing the busiest second-half schedule of any Eastern Conference team, and they theoretically have a puncher&rsquo;s chance against practically anyone in the conference if Westbrook keeps triple-doubling (he leads the league with 11). But they have lost four in a row and rank 12th. Robin Lopez and his expiring $7.3 million contract is their best trade asset. If they combined Lopez with Ish Smith&rsquo;s expiring contract, that totals $13.3 million.

With one week before the NBA's trade deadline, Chris Sheridan previews what could be in store for all 30 of the league's teams.

What to expect from all 30 NBA teams ahead of the Trade Deadline

There are 18 days until the NBA All-Star break, which was supposed to be a break with no All-Star festivities. But then that plan changed, much to the dismay of many of the league&rsquo;s top superstars.&nbsp;
The Utah Jazz look unstoppable, sort of like the Milwaukee Bucks did at this time a year ago, and there is not a whole lot of defense being played as teams slog their way through the mid-winter schedule and make adjustments on the fly (whether because of coronavirus issues or injuries or slumps).
Every night brings major surprises, some of them positive &ndash; as fans of the Detroit Pistons could tell you. Until recently, they were the worst team in the East; now, they are making us NBA hardcores take notice of the likes of Saddiq Bey and Mason Plumlee.
The week begins with news that Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis will both be back on the shelf; Durant with a hamstring issue and Davis with an Achilles. Neither injury is particularly serious, and let&rsquo;s all remember that what happens in February often has very little impact in May and June when things ramp up.
So with 18 days remaining until the All-Star break, here are 18 observations (aside from the ones listed above) that will be at the forefront of NBA conversations between now and the All-Star break.
1. What on earth is wrong with the Boston Celtics? They got toasted by the Washington Wizards, the worst team in the East, on Sunday afternoon to make it four losses in their past five games. Prior to that, they lost to the Detroit Pistons and they are now 13-13. It looks like they miss Gordon Hayward more than we anticipated, and there is no underestimating how important Marcus Smart is to that team. Payton Pritchard has earned Brad Stevens&rsquo; trust, but what about rookie Aaron Nesmith, the No. 14 overall pick in the draft? He did log 29 minutes of garbage time on Sunday, which is a step in the right direction... or he was being showcased.
2. Why are so many superstars speaking out about having to play in an All-Star game? Well, they were told at the outset of the season that they were going to have a one-week break, and then that promise was broken. NBA contracts include language that obligates players to participate in All-Star activities if invited, so three Saturdays from now a bunch of players will be flying into Atlanta, locking themselves in their hotel rooms and getting ready for the annual Sunday night show. Let&rsquo;s just hope the fourth quarter is competitive, like it normally is.
3. When can we expect the Utah Jazz to lose a game? On Thursday, we were wondering whether it would come in a span of the next eight days, because the schedule was getting tough for them. But they beat the Milwaukee Bucks by 14 and the Miami Heat by 18. Tonight, it is Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers trying to end the Jazz&rsquo;s hot streak, and then Utah plays back-to-back games against the Clippers at the Staples Center on Wednesday and Friday. If Paul George (right foot) and Kawhi Leonard (left leg contusion) are both healthy by then, we will have a litmus test.
4. Will the New York Knicks or Brooklyn Nets trade for a big man? Brooklyn has had a donut problem (a hole in the middle) since Jarrett Allen was traded in the James Harden deal, and Noah Vonleh and Norvel Pelle do not look like long-term solutions. The Cleveland Cavaliers are sitting Andre Drummond until they can find a trade partner, and JaVale McGee is expendable as well. The same goes for Hassan Whiteside in Sacramento. The Nets may not have the assets to trade for any of them unless they surrender Joe Harris, so they&rsquo;ll likely wait to see who is bought out. Meanwhile, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters that he is OK with moving Julius Randle over to center while Mitchell Robinson recovers from a broken hand (and they also have Nerlens Noel). The Knicks have won four of their last six games, but will have to contend with Clint Capela and Nikola Vucevic in their next two games, after which Leon Rose, Thibs and Worldwide Wes may need to come up with a plan to find a new center.
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5. What is wrong with the Milwaukee Bucks? They lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder last night and have been surrendering more than 123 points a night in their current three-game losing streak. A year ago, on Feb. 15, they were 46-8 and Giannis Antetokounmpo had pretty much wrapped up the MVP award. But this season, they have been running hot and cold like a leaky faucet (the three recent losses were preceded by five-straight wins, which followed consecutive losses, which followed consecutive wins). They&rsquo;ll need better, more consistent production from Brook Lopez, who scored 6 points last night against Al Horford. His scoring has dropped from 12.0 points per game to 10.8, and his assists are down from 1.5 to 0.6. His next double-figure rebounding game will be just his third of the season. It is worth noting that Milwaukee is trying to get their new pieces acclimated, which hasn&rsquo;t helped.
6. Which teams figure to be active at the trade deadline? I would say the New Orleans Pelicans are the team to watch. If the supporting cast around Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram continue to underperform, they will look for hungrier players along with extra draft picks to add to the ones they got from Milwaukee in the Jrue Holiday-Eric Bledsoe deal. New Orleans has lost its last three games -- not playing a lick of defense against Chicago, Dallas and Detroit -- and 11-15 is not where they wanted to be, especially with Zion shooting an unfathomable 65.5 percent from the field this month (he was 14-for-15 against the Mavs on Friday). Boston, New York and Brooklyn have already been mentioned, and major underachievers (Miami, Dallas, Toronto) are always looking to tinker in order to bolster their roster for a playoff push.
7. What makes this season very different from last year&rsquo;s campaign? Aside from the coronavirus disruptions, the rule change that will allow for 20 of the 30 teams to qualify for the playoffs (including the play-in tournament) has disincentivized players from competing at their highest level during the regular season. One Eastern Conference coach (who spoke on the condition of anonymity) said it has been one of the worst rules changes ever enacted. We&rsquo;ll see if he feels the same way if his team finishes ninth or 10th and has a chance to play meaningful postseason games rather than beginning preparations for the draft extra early.
8. Why are the Phoenix Suns sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference? The addition of Chris Paul is the biggest reason, and they are 6-0 thus far on a seven-game homestand that ends Tuesday night against a Brooklyn team that will be without Kevin Durant. They&rsquo;ve won nine of 10, and at a certain point, Mikal Bridges <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-mikal-bridges-phoenix-suns-breakout-season-three-point-shooting-pick-and-roll-defense-deandre-ayton-turnover-percentage-monty-williams-chris-paul-villanova-jay-wright-ashley-howard">has to enter the Most Improved Player conversation</a> (<a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/103?category=awards&amp;subcategory=most-improved-player">he is 100-1 at DraftKingsSportsbook</a>, where <a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/103?category=awards&amp;subcategory=mvp">Chris Paul is 500-1 to be MVP</a>).
9. Who is the Coach of the Year? One would assume that Quin Snyder (Jazz) and Doc Rivers (Sixers) would be the frontrunners, but get this: None of the major sportsbooks operating in the legalized U.S. sports gambling market have Coach of the Year odds listed. This award typically goes to the coach whose team has overachieved the most, and everyone expected the Sixers and Jazz to be good. So Monty Williams in Phoenix, Thibodeau in New York, Terry Stotts in Portland (he lost C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic) and James Borrego in Charlotte may be in the mix.
10. Who will be the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft? Cade Cunningham of Oklahoma State is the flavor of the moment, followed by Jalen Green of the G-League Ignite, a team that just began playing bubbleball last week. Scouts are being hampered by their inability to get inside gyms, watch prospects closely and observe things such as body language, pre-game habits, interactions with teammates, etc. Because of that, this summer&rsquo;s draft is going to be more of a crapshoot than usual, and the team with the most first-round picks is Oklahoma City with three. Houston and New York have two apiece.
11. What is the best game to watch over the remainder of the first half of the season? Many teams are starting to allow fans back into the arenas, but we will probably not see a full house until next season, which removes the crowd factor for the most part (shout out to Courtside Karen), which would normally make certain matchups more enticing. If Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis are back by Thursday, Nets-Lakers on TNT is a candidate. We have Jazz-Clippers on Wednesday and Friday, followed by a Heat-Lakers NBA Finals rematch on Saturday (ABC) and Nets-Clippers the following night. Fans will be allowed at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 23 when Steph Curry faces the Knicks, but the winner in this category is Lakers at Jazz on Friday, Feb. 24.
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12. Who will win the Rasheed Wallace Award (a.k.a. Hothead of the Year)? Dwight Howard of the Sixers and Russell Westbrook of the Wizards are tied for the league lead in technical fouls with eight apiece. Among coaches, Nick Nurse of Toronto leads with five.
13. What record might fall? Jose Calderon holds the record for the highest free-throw percentage (98.1 percent in 2008-09 for Toronto). Entering Monday&rsquo;s games, Suns guard Chris Paul is 68-for-70 (97.1 percent) and Nets guard Kyrie Irving is 77-for-81 (95.1 percent). If either has a few games of perfection from 15 feet away, perhaps Calderon&rsquo;s record will be in jeopardy.
14. Anzejs Pasecniks of the Washington Wizards was released a month ago after appearing in one game. In five minutes of playing time, he committed six turnovers to go along with two personal fouls, one assist and one offensive rebound. Ish Smith converted the bucket off the Latvian kid&rsquo;s assist. That&rsquo;s a rough outing.
15. Monte Morris of the Denver Nuggets leads the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio at 5.5 (among qualified players) and Pat Connaughton of the Milwaukee Bucks is at 5.7. Among players who log major minutes, DeMar DeRozan of San Antonio is at 4.20. In the steals-to-turnover ratio category, Matisse Thybulle is head and shoulders above everyone at 5.0. Among players who log major minutes, the league leader in steals is Jrue Holiday of Milwaukee with 1.91 per game.
16. In the &ldquo;hustle stats&rdquo; categories, Ben Simmons leads the NBA with 4.1 deflections per game, Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the league in loose balls recovered (38), Domantas Sabonis leads the league in screen assists (6.7), and Montrezl Harrell and Kyle Lowry are tied for the league lead in charges drawn (12).
17. The league&rsquo;s oldest player, Udonis Haslem of Miami, wears uniform No. 40&hellip; matching his age. The youngest player, Oklahoma City&rsquo;s Aleksej Pokusevski, the No. 17 overall pick in the 2020 draft, is 19 years old and has 19 blocked shots.
18. What&rsquo;s the season-low for offensive rebounds in a game? One. The Philadelphia 76ers were the team to grab a single offensive rebound against Washington on Jan. 6, when the Sixers scored 141 points. Danny Green grabbed the lone offensive board.

With the NBA All-Star break approaching, Chris Sheridan shares his thoughts on the season thus far.

Sheridan: 18 observations with 18 days until NBA All-Star break

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