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Trail Blazers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Kevin Durant scored 38 points, Seth Curry returned to the lineup with seven 3-pointers in his best game as a Net, and Brooklyn rallied to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 128-123 on Friday night.
Curry finished with 27 points, his most since coming from Philadelphia last month in the trade headlined by James Harden and Ben Simmons. Curry had missed the previous three games with left ankle soreness.
Andre Drummond and Bruce Brown each added 17 points for the Nets. They bounced back from their loss at the buzzer to Dallas on Wednesday and won for the fifth time in six games.
Josh Hart scored 25 points for the Trail Blazers, who led by 18 early in the second half but couldn't hold on and lost their third straight. Brandon Williams added 24 points.
Durant shot 11 for 15 from the field and added six rebounds and six assists, but the decisive stretch came when he was on the bench to begin the fourth quarter. The Nets opened with a 10-0 spurt, featuring two 3-pointers by Curry, to turn a tie game into a 111-101 lead.
Portland would get it down to three late but Curry finished it off with two free throws the final time.
Playing again without Kyrie Irving at home, the Nets allowed the Blazers to make nine of first 12 shots, but recovered for a 34-33 lead after one behind 13 points from Durant. Portland then shot 18 for 25 (72%) in a 42-point second quarter. Ben McLemore's 3-pointer made it 75-62 at the break.
Portland extended the lead to 82-64 with a good start to the third. The Nets charged back by hitting 13 of 18 shots in the third, outscoring the Blazers 39-26 to even it at 101 heading to the fourth.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Justise Winslow played in his second straight game since returning from a sore right Achilles tendon. Coach Chauncey Billups said he came through Wednesday's game well and had a good workout Thursday.
Nets: Durant was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Friday for directing obscene language toward a fan with 9.4 seconds left in the first half of the loss to Dallas on Wednesday. ... The Nets had lost six straight home meetings, though one was a designated home game played at Walt Disney World during the restart in 2020
FORGETTING FEBRUARY
Coach Steve Nash said he couldn't recall whether he noticed if Simmons, who remains out with a back injury, appeared to have any physical issues after the Nets acquired him from Philadelphia on Feb. 10.
&ldquo;What was that, a month ago?&rdquo; Nash said. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t remember if he was having issues or if it flared up.&rdquo;
Simmons' back began bothering him after he tried to rebuild his conditioning after the trade and has done nothing more than individual workouts. Nash revealed that the guard had an MRI he believed was a couple weeks ago and how no update on how Simmons felt after getting an epidural earlier this week.
STANDINGS SITUATION
Toronto went into play Friday tied with Cleveland for sixth place in the East. If the Raptors avoid seventh and the play-in, the Nets wouldn't have to worry about possibly playing there without Irving, who can't travel to Canada because he is unvaccinated.
&ldquo;Not that I&rsquo;m oblivious to all that, but I&rsquo;m not like refreshing my screen to find out what the standings are,&rdquo; Nash said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re focusing on ourselves, trying to improve, trying to put ourselves in a position where we&rsquo;ll be ready for that game no matter who we play.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: At Indiana on Sunday.
Nets: Host Utah on Monday night.

Kevin Durant scored 38 points, Seth Curry hit seven 3-pointers and the Brooklyn Nets rallied to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 128-123.

Durant, Curry lead Nets back to beat Trail Blazers 128-123

As I got heavily into the NBA when I was in high school, I found a particular affinity for the Sacramento Kings. Rudy Gay was the one for me, man. I loved the old UConn highlights and the dunk packages he put on display in Memphis and Toronto, and I was like "Okay, yes." I thought Ben McLemore as Ray Allen was a bit much, but Ben as Wes Matthews with more juice? I was in.
DeMarcus Cousins, he was an anomaly to me.
My entire time growing up as a casual fan of the game, the idea of centers with superlative ball skills never crossed my mind! My dad showed me reels of Kevin McHale, Moses Malone and other post-centric savants, so that was the foundation of what I thought a big man in basketball was.
And then I saw this for the first time!
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That was one of the first earth-shattering moments for me in sports.&nbsp;
All the concepts and boxes I'd placed big men into combusted like an atom bomb as soon as I saw that clip in study hall.
A 6-foot-11 center can run the floor and go for a coast to coast jam like THAT? 
I dove in more. I started to recognize the passing with more regularity. He expanded his game out to the perimter towards the end of his Sacramento tenure, taking over 5 threes per game prior to the trade to New Orleans. (There were a lot of "Is DeMarcus Cousins shooting too many threes?" questions, and I kept the receipts). The flashes of him and Anthony Davis together were mind-bending. That team was going to be my NBA League Pass darling.
Through the first 48 games prior to Boogie's injury, the Pelicans were 27-21 with the seventh-ranked offense in the league. Davis, Cousins and Jrue Holiday were beating teams by plus-6.9 points per 100 possessions when sharing the court. I'm not trying to plunge the knife deeper Pels fans, but man, people need to remember how freakin' good that team was!
New Orleans wasn't a title contender, but it had a foundation that was so enticing. The Pels went on to sweep the Portland Trail Blazers in that 2017-18 postseason in Jrue Holiday's national-coming-out party, and lost in five games to the Golden State Warriors in the second round. All without Cousins, who missed half of the season and the playoffs due to injury. Yeah, I'm choked up reminiscing on a Wednesday afternoon.
Injured again in Golden State the following campaign and bouncing around &mdash; playing in Houston and with the Los Angeles Clippers last year &mdash; Cousins went on to play just 71 regular-season games over the next three years.
However, earlier this season, he played 17 games with the Milwaukee Bucks. And while he wasn't perfect.... *whispers* I think they should have kept him. The physical limitations after his multitude of lower-body injuries have made him most suited as a drop defender; although, he had some interesting moments of playing at the level of the screen. When the Bucks waived him, I was kind of at a loss.
But I think he's more than proven that the decision may have been a mistake on Milwaukee's end as he's played perhaps his best basketball post-New Orleans as a Denver Nugget!
The Nuggets are 13-1 when Cousins plays, and while pointing the finger to him as the sole reason would be ridiculous, he's absolutely played a part in their success.
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In fact, Denver is 16-5 since Jan. 23 (Cousins' first game with Denver) with the sixth-ranked offense and defense in the league, per Cleaning the Glass. While On/Off stats are finicky, Nikola Jokic's plus-20.6-point differential is not a mirage. That number partially paints the picture of his MVP-caliber season as one of the most impactful individuals in the league. Yet, it also leaves brushstrokes of the struggles of Denver's bench this season.
Michael Porter Jr.'s injury pushed depth players into much larger roles than could have been conceived in the preseason. The lack of a true backup center on the roster was greatly felt, as JaMychal Green struggled to find consistency with his shot and Jeff Green at the 5 has been a mostly rough look.
Cousins, on the other hand, has been able to bring some real stability off the bench. The Nuggets can replicate some of their Jokic staple actions with Cousins' passing and court vision.
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He can attack off the bounce, his shot is enough of a threat to warrant regular-season closeouts and he makes really solid, quick decisions; defenses almost have to guard him out on the perimeter. He draws two with ease, absolutely feasting on post mismatches, but more importantly, he's drawing them routinely. He can create advantages and stir the drink at times for bench lineups.
Golden State and Houston left those games battered after dealing with Cousins on the interior.
He's been setting some absolutely bone-crushing screens, paving the way for Denver's guards and wings to open shots.
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Cousins and Bones Hyland (<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/winners-lounge-bones-hyland-joins-the-show-to-break/id1070099369?i=1000553132548" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shout out to Bones and DNVR</a>) have sneakily developed a really nice two-man game in pick-and-roll.
Their chemistry has really seemed to bud over the past few weeks, Bones has continued to grow in his role, and the Nuggets' bench is steadily becoming at least neutral after being one of the worst units in the league earlier this season.
Bones-and-Boogie lineups are pummeling the opposition, scoring 123.2 points per 100 possessions per Cleaning the Glass (98th percentile). It's worth taking that with a grain of salt, as it's only a 198 possession sample, but it tracks with what's played out on the court.
Defensively, Cousins has, again, been solid. He's been fine as a drop defender, but the Nuggets have also tapped into some higher showing with him, or even all-out blitzes on unsuspecting guards. He's still got some short-area quickness that can take ball-handlers by surprise, along with some fantastic hand speed and hand-eye coordination to pick pockets.
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That the Nuggets can run more than one base scheme with Cousins on the court has made it even more viable for him to play a significant amount of time.
Is Cousins a 13.2-point, 7.0-rebound, 3.0-assist, 2.1-steal/block-on-64.0%-True-Shooting guy moving forward (his six games since the All-Star Break)? Probably not! But, this stretch, along with his full tenure in Denve, has shown he has more than something in the tank. He's playing quality minutes and filling a void the Nuggets were unable to for half the season.
The Nuggets are 9-1 in their last 10, one-and-a-half games back from the No. 4 seed in the Western Confeerece, and Porter's <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2022/03/03/nuggets-michael-porter-jr-jamal-murray-grand-rapids/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">potential return looms on the horizon</a>. This team is good, and Cousins playing a small part in that has been awesome to watch unfold.
Keep Boogie and the Nuggets on your radar as the season closes.
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After a slew of injuries and bouncing around as a journeyman for the past few seasons, DeMarcus Cousins has found a home in Denver.

Boogie's back: DeMarcus Cousins filling much-needed void for Nuggets

The best defensive rating the NBA over the past two weeks belongs to the Charlotte Hornets.
... Excuse me?!
One month ago, our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/hornets-embarrassing-defense-sinking-their-enticing-potential" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evan Sidery wrote </a>about how the Hornets' defense was derailing one of the NBA's most exciting young teams. And he was right. But man, how things have changed.
Charlotte is a scorching 9-3 in the past month and has improved to 25-20 on the season, pushing itself almost out of the Play-In tier of the Eastern Conference playoff race. On primetime national television Wednesday night, the Hornets wadded up the Boston Celtics and their two wing stars in a sneaky-big 111-102 victory. Since Dec. 23, the Hornets are third in Cleaning the Glass' defensive rating metric, and as already mentioned, first in the past two weeks.
Is this sustainable, or a product of good fortune? The answers are complicated.
The Hornets have given up the most wide-open field goal attempts per game in the entire NBA since the stretch has begun. NBA Stats qualifies those as shots where a defender is no closer than 6 feet from the shooter. Charlotte's defense has allowed 24.2 of those attempts per game &mdash; but that's not the whole story.
Opponents have been hitting those shots at a 60.9% Effective Field Goal percentage, good for ninth-highest in the league. So this isn't a case of waiting for regression to the mean. Teams are making the Hornets pay, and yet, they're still putting together an elite defense.
It gets weirder. Transition plays are generally a red flag for defenses because they typically lead to easy shots with a ton of spacing before a defense can get set. Per Cleaning the Glass, Charlotte is allowing opponents to get out in transition on 16.8% of their possessions during the winning stretch &mdash; third-highest in the league. But they've also been the No. 1 transition defense in that time.
Over the entire season, the five-man lineup of LaMelo Ball, Kelly Oubre Jr., Gordon Hayward, Miles Bridges and Mason Plumlee has been the seventh-stingiest transition group among all NBA units with at least 100 possessions of court time. (I simply would not have expected that.)
The Hornets have used turnover generation as the bedrock of their lockdown effort. Per Cleaning the Glass, opponents have coughed up the ball on 16.5% of their possessions since Dec. 23, which is the second-highest rate among NBA defenses.
Charlotte ranks at the top in deflections per game (18.3) and in defensive loose balls recovered (3.8) during that same timeframe, according to NBA Stats. Five players are averaging at least 2.5 deflections: Oubre (3.3), Cody Martin (2.8), PJ Washington (2.6) and Plumlee (2.5). Oubre, Martin, Hayward, Ball and Terry Rozier are all swiping at least one steal per game.
This defense isn't all about swinging for steals. Per Cleaning the Glass (pun, ha), the Hornets are limiting opponents' offensive rebounds and free-throw opportunities at top-10 rates. But by the numbers, Charlotte has aimed to cause chaos and ignite its own fastbreak opportunities &mdash; at whatever the cost. And the squad is an elite offensive unit when it gets running.
Is the approach sustainable? To be honest... I'm doubtful. Teams are going to figure out how to beat the Hornets in transition, whether they're doing something schematically or are just on a roll with getting stops. Their reckless abandon often means easy chances for the other team, and they will continue to capitalize on wide-open looks.&nbsp;
For now, though, it's making one of basketball's most entertaining teams even more fun to watch.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I find in the void):
<ul>
<li>Sticking with Charlotte: Rozier has been one of the hottest shooters in basketball as of late. He's making pull-ups at a 60.3% eFG rate since Thanksgiving, which is second behind only Tyrese Haliburton (min. 75 attempts). Gordon Hayward (54.5%) ranks seventh.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Among all five-man lineups with at least 100 possessions of action this season, this odd Portland Trail Blazers unit has the best net rating, per CTG: Anfernee Simons, Ben McLemore, Nassir Little, Robert Covington and Jusuf Nurkic.&nbsp;</li>
<li>I highly recommend you go back and read <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-do-the-mavericks-have-an-elite-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this breakdown from Nekias Duncan</a> on the Mavericks' defense, another group that was never supposed to be good, but has flipped that script.</li>
<li>More cool stats and graphics from Mark Cheung! If you're reading this, I'm a big fan:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
<a href="https://t.co/MZNrQj2Se7">pic.twitter.com/MZNrQj2Se7</a>
&mdash; Mark (@MarkC_NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkC_NBA/status/1483882912739041286?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Ethan Fuller investigates why the Hornets have been weirdly and wildly successful on defense.

Stats Notebook: Hornets buzzing behind a weirdly-successful defense

CJ McCollum scored 16 points in his first game back from a collapsed lung, Jusuf Nurkic added 21 points and a season-best 22 rebounds, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Orlando Magic 98-88 Monday night.
McCollum missed 17 games over six weeks after being injured Dec. 4. The ninth-year pro started Monday but played on a minutes restriction. He made 7 of 13 shots and 2 of 4 3-pointers in 28 minutes.
&ldquo;I felt good because I had worked on my game,&rdquo; said McCollum, who was present for the birth of his first child while he was away from basketball. &ldquo;I worked extremely hard over the last two weeks to recondition, build my body back and getting up shots. And I think you can tell.&rdquo;
Portland beat the Magic for a 10th straight time dating to Jan. 13, 2017. The Blazers have won four of five games overall and are 4-14 on the road. The Blazers won their second straight road game after ending a nine-game road skid Saturday in Washington.
&ldquo;I thought we played well and a few of the things that we focused on trying to take away, we did a good job,&rdquo; Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;It was good to have CJ back. He didn&rsquo;t force anything. He was right back like he never left.&rdquo;
Ben McLemore added 14 points and four 3-pointers for the Blazers. Nurkic registered his team-best 18th double-double and finished one rebound shy of tying a career high.
Assistant Jesse Mermuys coached Orlando after head coach Jamahl Mosley and assistant Nate Tibbetts entered the NBA&rsquo;s health and safety protocols Monday afternoon. Mosley became the NBA&rsquo;s 17th head coach put into the protocols this season.
Orlando never led after scoring the game&rsquo;s first basket and fell to 0-20 when failing to score 100 points. Franz Wagner and Mortiz Wagner each had 14 points.
The Magic lost their second straight after ending a 10-game losing streak Friday in Charlotte. Orlando hasn&rsquo;t won at Amway Center since Dec. 1 and dropped to an NBA-worst 2-16 at home.
&ldquo;We missed shots that we normally make,&rdquo; said Magic center Mo Bamba, who had nine rebounds and four blocks. &ldquo;In those situations we need to be able to fall back on our defense.&rdquo;
Orlando native Anfernee Simons played in front of several dozen family members but struggled throughout with just 13 points. He was coming off a 31-point effort in Portland&rsquo;s win Saturday. Fellow Orlando native Nassir Little added 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Blazers.
&ldquo;I thought Nas was incredible, just with the way he was crashing the glass and getting us extra opportunities,&rdquo; Billups said.
Orlando got within nine midway through the third quarter, but it was turned back by a 16-2 Portland burst. McLemore hit three 3-pointers and two free throws during the run.
McCollum scored Portland&rsquo;s first and last baskets of the first half and the Blazers led 54-40 at the break.
MCCOLLUM MAKES HIS RETURN
Even though he missed more than a month of game action, McCollum stayed in close contact with the team and regularly called and texted with Billups. The first-year head coach said the guard has been extraordinarily eager to get back on the floor following his lengthy absence.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just good to have him back on the floor; it&rsquo;s good to have him back around the locker room and around the guys because he&rsquo;s one of our leaders and he gives us life,&rdquo; Billups said.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Norman Powell has cleared COVID-19 protocols but missed his fifth straight game. Billups said the guard should play Wednesday. ... Nurkic registered the third 20-point, 20-rebound game of his career.
Magic: Mermuys said he spent most of Monday preparing for his first shot to be a head coach at the NBA level. &ldquo;Today has been a good day with a lot of reflection and its&rsquo;s under some tough circumstances, obviously. But I&rsquo;ve dreamt of being a head coach in the NBA for a really long time. This isn&rsquo;t that, but it&rsquo;s an opportunity, for sure.&rdquo; ... Wendell Carter Jr. missed his sixth straight game with a sore left hamstring.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: Play at Miami on Wednesday night.
Magic: Play at Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

CJ McCollum scored 16 points in his first game back from a collapsed lung and the Blazers beat the Magic 98-88.

CJ McCollum returns, scores 16 points in Blazers' 98-88 win

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Anfernee Simons had a career-high 43 points and the Portland Trail Blazers overcame an NBA season-best 56 points by Atlanta's Trae Young, snapping a four-game losing streak in a 136-131 win over the Hawks on Monday night.
Young shot 17 for 26 from the field, 7 for 12 from 3-point distance and 15 for 15 from the line for his career-high scoring total, and added 14 assists. His 56-point game eclipsed Kevin Durant's 51-point performance for the Nets at Detroit on Dec. 12. Golden State's Stephen Curry and Boston's Jaylen Brown have had 50-point games this season.
Young became the first player with 50-plus points and 14-plus assists in a game since James Harden with the Houston Rockets on Dec. 31, 2016. 
Simons had a career-high nine 3-pointers, the most for a Portland player this season. After missing Portland's last game, Simons started in place of All-Star Damian Lillard, who was out because of injury management. 
Portland trailed at the start of the final quarter, but took a 112-107 lead after Ben McLemore's layup and Nassir Little's 3-pointer with 7:43 left. Simons' floater extended the lead to 118-111, but the persistent Hawks kept it close down the stretch. 
Young came down hard on the court after an attempted layup with less than a minute left, but recovered to make a pair of free throws that closed the gap to 127-125. 
Jusuf Nukic made a layup and added a free throw to make it 130-125 and Portland held on for the win. 
Atlanta coach Nate McMillan entered the league's health and safety protocol on Saturday. But six Hawks players were available to return from protocols for the game against the Blazers, including Sharife Cooper, Danilo Gallinari, Kevin Huerter, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Onyeka Okongwu and Delon Wright. 
Five Hawks, including Bogdan Bogdanovic, remain in the protocol. At one point, Atlanta was without a league-high 12 players. 
Joe Prunty took over in McMillan's absence. The Hawks were coming off a 121-118 win in Cleveland on Friday that snapped a three-game losing streak. 
The Blazers were without Lillard because of abdominal tendinopathy, which has bothered him since the Olympics. The team was also still missing backcourt teammate CJ McCollum because of a collapsed lung. 
But Nurkic, the starting center, returned from the protocols for the game against the Hawks, <a href="https://twitter.com/bosnianbeast27/status/1478141321630023683">announcing his availability personally via Twitter. </a> He finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds. 
Blazers coach Chauncey Billups also was back on the sideline after missing three games. 
Portland jumped out to a 18-7 lead midway through the opening quarter. Atlanta perked up after its sluggish start, taking a 37-36 lead on Delon Wright's 3-pointer. 
The Blazers reclaimed the lead and went up 58-46 on Nassir Little's 3-pointer. Portland led 70-65 at the break. 
Young had 29 points and nine assists in the first half. He has scored 29 or more points in 16 straight games to tie Dominique Wilkins’ team record, set between December 1985 and January 1986. 
The Hawks took a 91-90 lead on Huerter's layup and held on for a 105-100 lead going into the final quarter. 
TIP INS
Hawks: Atlanta is in the midst of a season-long six-game road trip. ... Young's streak of games with 25 or more points is the longest in the NBA this season. ... Young is the first NBA player to reach 29 points and nine assists in the first half of a game this season. 
Trail Blazers: Portland's Dec. 23 game against the Brooklyn Nets that was postponed has been rescheduled for Jan. 10 at the Moda Center. 
UP NEXT
Hawks: Visit the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night. 
Trail Blazers: Host the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. 
___

Trae Young scored 56 points, but the Atlanta Hawks fell to the Portland Trail Blazers, 131-136.

Trae Young scores NBA season-best 56 points, Hawks fall to Blazers

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; One day after quietly celebrating his 37th birthday at home with his family, LeBron James put on an age-defying performance.
James became the oldest player in NBA history to have a game with at least 40 points and 14 rebounds, scoring a season-high 43 on Friday night as the Los Angeles Lakers rolled to a 139-106 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
According to Sportradar, the oldest player to have a 40-14 game was Larry Bird, who was 35 when he had 49 points and 14 boards for the Boston Celtics in 1992 (which coincidentally also came against the Trail Blazers).
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&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t feel like I have been in the league 19 years. When I am daily reminded of it, I feel it sometimes," James said after his 67th 40-point game of his career and sixth in four seasons with the Lakers. &ldquo;Sometimes you do have to remind people you can still do what you can do at a high level.&rdquo;
James was 16 of 26 from the field and made five 3-pointers in a game where the Lakers led throughout.
&ldquo;If that&rsquo;s what our team needs to win, I&rsquo;m OK with that,&rdquo; said James, who during the last seven games &mdash; including Friday &mdash; is averaging 36 points and has made 57.8% of his shots from the field. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not a guy who goes out and sees if I can jack up a bunch of shots. The streak I have been on with my scoring I have been efficient. I take pride in that as a player.&rdquo;
His seven-game streak is not an anomaly: He's done it four other times. But this is the first since he was with Miami Heat in February 2013. James&rsquo; longest stretch is 10 with the Cleveland Cavaliers late in the 2005-06 season.
The Lakers were up 69-54 at halftime on 27 points from James, who went coast-to-coast for a dunk to give Los Angeles a 53-37 advantage midway through the second quarter. He topped the 40-point mark on a 3-pointer from 27 feet out with 8:25 remaining to put the Lakers up 109-84.
Los Angeles' largest lead was 35 in the game&rsquo;s final minute.
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&ldquo;This is just LeBron James playing at a superior level more than what is happening around him,&rdquo; Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. &ldquo;While (Anthony Davis) is out, he is intent on doing everything he can to pile up wins and play at an extra-high level.&rdquo;
Malik Monk scored 18 points, Carmelo Anthony added 16 points and Russell Westbrook (15 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists) recorded his ninth triple-double this season for the Lakers, who had dropped six of their last seven coming into the game.
Portland's Ben McLemore came off the bench to tie his season-high with 28 points in his first game back after clearing the league's health and safety protocols. Damian Lillard added 18 points for the Trail Blazers, who have dropped four straight and 11 of their last 13.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we played with enough force. They dictated the start,&rdquo; said Portland assistant coach Scott Brooks, who is directing the team while head coach Chauncey Billups is in the league's COVID-19 protocols. &ldquo;They were attacking on both ends of the floor and we were back on our heels. You can&rsquo;t do that against good teams. We gave them too much respect.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Portland had a season-high 21 offensive rebounds. ... McLemore&rsquo;s 16 points in the first quarter were a season-high for a player coming off the bench during the first 12 minutes of a game this season. ... Lillard hit a 3-pointer late in the second quarter to tie Paul Pierce ninth on the all-time NBA list with 2,143.
Lakers: Los Angeles made a season-high 19 3-pointers ... The team's 43 first-quarter points were a season high. ... With his second field goal of the night, Anthony passed Dominique Wilkins for 15th place on the NBA&rsquo;s all-time field goals made list. ... Vogel was back on the Lakers&rsquo; sideline after missing six games after testing positive for COVID-19.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: Host Atlanta on Monday to begin a four-game homestand.
Lakers: Host Minnesota on Sunday.
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LeBron became the oldest player in NBA history to have a game with at least 40 points and 14 rebounds, as the Lakers beat Portland.

James scores season-high 43, Lakers beat Trail Blazers

Portland guard Damian Lillard will be sidelined for at least 10 days with an MRI reveal of a lower abdominal tendinopathy, and forward Nassir Little will also be out for at least a week with a left ankle sprain, the team says.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1466153041766191105" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: With Little and Lillard set to miss some time, Ben McLemore and Afernee Simons are candidates to absorb most of those available minutes. Look for CJ McCollum to also take on a bigger role passing and distributing the ball with Lillard out of the lineup.&nbsp;

Blazers Dame Lillard (abdominal tendinopathy) and Nassir Little (ankle) set to miss some time.

Dame Lillard (abdominal injury), Nassir Little (ankle) set to miss time

For all the handwringing this summer over Damian Lillard's happiness in Portland, the Trail Blazers guard is staying put, hopeful the team's moves will pay off.
The biggest, of course, was parting ways with coach Terry Stotts after nine seasons. Portland hired Chauncey Billups, who has no prior experience as an NBA head coach.
The nucleus of Lillard, guard CJ McCollum and center Jusuf Nurkic remains intact, but Portland shored up the roster with the addition of Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller and Ben McLemore. Carmelo Anthony and Enes Kanter have moved on.
While the team didn't strike any splashy offseason deals, Lillard believes the Blazers are in a better place,
&ldquo;Obviously at the end of last season, I wanted to see our roster improve, I wanted us to have a better chance to win,&rdquo; Lillard said. "And we had our conversations throughout the summer about what that looked like and how we could take steps in that direction, and I come into this season with faith that that&rsquo;s going to happen and that we&rsquo;re going to do that.&rdquo;
Portland finished 42-30 last season and earned the sixth seed in the Western Conference. The team won 10 of its final 12 regular-season games but the playoffs ended quickly with the Blazers eliminated by Denver in the opening round.
Lillard is entering his 10th NBA season. The closest he&rsquo;s come to a title was a trip to the Western Conference finals in 2019.
He ranked third in the NBA with an average of 28.8 points last season, and was in the top 10 with 7.5 assists. But it may be Portland's last season with their All-Star and Olympian, unless the team gets results.
&ldquo;I think we all know we've got to get over the hump,&rdquo; Nurkic said.
ANFERNEE'S OPPORTUNITY
Portland didn't make any moves for a proven backup point guard in the offseason, an issue that's plagued the Blazers in recent years. McCollum has taken on those duties at times.
Anfernee Simons, going into his fourth year in the NBA, is looking to fill the role.
When Lillard was given the night off in a preseason game against the Sacramento Kings, Simons scored 24 points.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s continued to make strides and stay aggressive. I want him to always just be confident," Billups said. "Even some nights those shots aren&rsquo;t going to be falling, just him being aggressive and getting spots he wants to get to and playmaking.&rdquo;
MORE INVOLVED
Nurkic is excited about taking on a greater offensive role this season.
Nurkic was frustrated with how he was used last season under Stotts, who leaned on him defensively. Nurkic averaged 11.5 points and nine rebounds last season but missed time because of a broken wrist.
Billups told Nurkic in the offseason that he'd expand his presence on both ends. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking for a big year personally for me and the team," Nurkic said.
VACCINATION STATUS
The Blazers are 100% vaccinated among the players and coaching staff. Lillard said when the vaccinations became available, he wanted to line up his whole family for the shot.
&ldquo;I have a lot of people in my family who I&rsquo;m tight with and spend a lot of time around, and I&rsquo;m just not going to put their health or their lives in danger because I have to go do research,&rdquo; Lillard said. &ldquo;As a kid I had to get shots my whole life, before I went to college I had to get shots. And I couldn&rsquo;t tell you one thing about any of them.&rdquo;
FRAUD CASE
Trail Blazers assistant coach Milt Palacio was among 18 former NBA players who were charged in federal court this month with defrauding the league&rsquo;s health and welfare benefit plan. Authorities said the scam involved claiming fictitious medical and dental expenses.
As a result, Palacio was placed on administrative leave by the Blazers.
&ldquo;The federal investigation is independent of the Trail Blazers organization and we will have no further comment pending the outcome of the legal process,&rdquo; the team said.
Former Trail Blazers Sebastian Telfair, Darius Miles and Ruben Patterson were also charged.
BUSY OFFSEASON
The Blazers backcourt didn't rest in the offseason.
Lillard got married to his college sweetheart, won an Olympic gold medal, and released new music. Not to be outdone, CJ McCollum announced he and his wife are expecting their first child, bought a winery and that he was named president of the NBA Players Association.
Lillard brought his gold medal to the team's annual media day, asking whether he should pass it around to the reporters present. Then he quickly changed his mind: &ldquo;Y&rsquo;all can&rsquo;t touch my medal.&rdquo;

For all the handwringing this summer over Damian Lillard's happiness in Portland, the Trail Blazers guard is staying put.

Damian Lillard embarking on pivotal season with Blazers

If this summer taught Damian Lillard anything, it&rsquo;s that he's dedicated.
The Trail Blazers guard married his longtime girlfriend and the mother of this three kids, played in the Olympics despite withdrawing his name from consideration from the national team a few years ago, and worked on his second career in music.
He said the busy offseason centered him, because he acted on his convictions.
"All of those things that I stuck with is what has me here," Lillard said Monday at the team's media day. &ldquo;What keeps me so invested here is I want to see it through. I want to see it happen. I mean what I say.&rdquo;
There was speculation at the end of last season that Lillard might be looking to move on from the Blazers.
Lillard fueled rumors about his future in Portland following the team's first-round elimination from the playoffs. He posted a photo of himself in street clothes at the Moda Center, and quoted the late rapper and activist Nipsey Hussle.
&ldquo;How long should I stay dedicated?&rdquo; he wrote. &ldquo;How long til opportunity meet preparation?&rdquo;
But in the offseason the Blazers dismissed longtime coach Terry Stotts and hired Chauncey Billups to take over. The team also added players including forward Larry Nance Jr., center Cody Zeller and Ben McLemore.
While Portland didn't end up making making a blockbuster deal that some fans wanted, the Blazers have solid depth.
&ldquo;We've established so much as a team and as an organization, we don't want to just go do something to just to say, 'I made a change.' You want it to be in line with something that could actually make us better, something that could send us to the level that we're trying to get to," Lillard said. &ldquo;We've done some things that I like. I didn't expect us to go out there and get Kevin Durant all of the sudden.&rdquo;
Portland finished the regular season 42-30 and earned the sixth seed in the Western Conference. The team was riding momentum, having won 10 of its final 12 regular-season games. But the playoffs were brief as Portland was eliminated in the opening round by Denver.
Lillard averaged 28.8 points and 7.5 assists during the regular season.
&ldquo;Everybody knows the affinity he has for the city, for the fan base. He's really excited,&rdquo; Billups said. &ldquo;At the end of the day, Dame wants exactly what we all want, and that's to be successful and win. I think he's happy with what's happened this summer, with our roster being a lot deeper. A little less pressure for him to be absolutely amazing every single night.&rdquo;
The Blazers announced Monday that the team is 100% vaccinated.
Lillard said the decision to get the vaccination was an easy one.
&ldquo;I have a lot of people in my family who I'm tight with and spend a lot of time around, and I'm just not going to put their health or their lives in danger because I have to go do research,&rdquo; Lillard said. &ldquo;As a kid, I had to get shots my whole life, before I went to college, I had to get shots. And I couldn't tell you one thing about any of them.&rdquo;
Lillard is entering his 10th NBA season. The closest he&rsquo;s come to a title was a trip to the Western Conference finals in 2019.
Perhaps this is the season the Blazers take the next step.
&ldquo;I think over the years we&rsquo;ve always had a competitive team, I think we&rsquo;ll be competitive again,&rdquo; Lillard said. &ldquo;Obviously, at the end of last season I wanted to see our roster improve. I wanted us to have a better chance to win. And we had our conversations throughout the summer about what that looked like, and how we could take steps in that direction. I come into this season with faith that that&rsquo;s going to happen.&rdquo;

Lillard: “What keeps me so invested here is I want to see it through. I want to see it happen. I mean what I say.”

Damian Lillard has faith Blazers will be better this season

In arguably the most important offseason in Portland Trail Blazers&rsquo; history (given what&rsquo;s at stake with Damian Lillard's future), the front office needed a marquee move. After re-signing Norman Powell and adding role players such as Cody Zeller, Tony Snell and Ben McLemore in free agency, Neil Olshey and Co. acquired one of the league&rsquo;s most underrated and versatile players: Larry Nance Jr.
The Blazers landed Nance in exchange for Derrick Jones Jr. and a protected first-round pick as part of a three-team trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls. Last season, Nance averaged 9.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 47.1% from the field and 36.0% from three.
At one point in January, Nance ranked first among all NBA players in steal percentage (3.3%), steals per game (2.4), deflections per game (4.8) and loose-balls recovered (21), while also ranking second in defensive win shares (.9). While he only played 35 games due to injuries (including a fractured finger), he finished the season ranked fourth in steal percentage (2.8%), fourth in steals per game (1.7) and sixth in deflections per game (3.4).&nbsp;
Cleveland went from having the NBA&rsquo;s 30th-ranked defense in 2019-20 (allowing 113.6 points per 100 possessions) to climbing as high as No. 1 in the NBA (allowing 103.3 points per 100 possessions) before he was sidelined. Nance was a huge reason for this improvement, and now he&rsquo;ll try to help the Blazers&rsquo; 29th-ranked defense undergo a similar turnaround.
BasketballNews.com caught up with Nance to discuss his recent trade request, his departure from his hometown Cavaliers, his excitement about joining Portland, his goals for the upcoming season, his fit with the Blazers, becoming a father and more.
In your Cleveland.com <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2021/08/larry-nance-jr-cleveland-will-always-be-home-for-the-nances-its-in-our-blood.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a>, you explained that this trade was a collaboration with the Cavaliers' front office and that you had expressed a desire to join a win-now team. When did you decide that you wanted to move on from the Cavs and find a new home?&nbsp;
Larry Nance Jr.: &ldquo;I kind of realized it midway through or toward the end of last year. It was a really tough year for me, individually, and for us as a team &ndash; with me having an injury-riddled season, unfortunately. But more so it kind of happened just throughout that year, just trying to get excited about the future of the team and where we were headed and all of that. That team has an unbelievably bright future and, like I said in the article, I think they&rsquo;re going to be really, really, really good &ndash; but just, unfortunately, not in the timeframe that I have. If I was 22, there might not be a better place in the world for me. But being 28, I&rsquo;ve just been dying to get back to the playoffs, especially after watching some of these playoff series and seeing these guys who play the same position and do the same things as me; they are me to a T. So, I wanted to jump on the opportunity [to compete now], and Portland is an unbelievable spot for that.&rdquo;
You&rsquo;ve said that watching Bobby Portis and P.J. Tucker step up for the Bucks during their championship run made you realize that you could do a lot of those same things for a contender. Do you feel like you could be that kind of presence that pushes a team over the top? And what exactly was going through your head when you watched those guys?
Nance: &ldquo;First of all, Bobby is a good friend of mine, so I was happy as heck for him. He&rsquo;s the ultimate competitor. But also, seeing that was so much of, &lsquo;Oh man, those are plays that I make every single game in Cleveland, and it&rsquo;s just not really necessary,&rsquo; or, &lsquo;They aren&rsquo;t ready for that kind of impact to be made&hellip;&rsquo;&rdquo;
Yeah, the stakes are different.
Nance: &ldquo;Yeah, it&rsquo;s just different. So watching a guy like Bobby and watching a guy like P.J. and watching all of those guys who fit that mold around the league, they&rsquo;re kind of the unsung [heroes]. I don&rsquo;t need any plays run for me, just like P.J. doesn&rsquo;t need any plays run for him. And even if you look at the box score and [their impact] doesn&rsquo;t show up in terms of numbers, their coach can&rsquo;t take them off of the court because they're so important.&rdquo;
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Knowing how much you love Cleveland, deciding to move on must have been really difficult and bittersweet.
Nance: &ldquo;It was not easy. It was really difficult. My house in Cleveland is seven minutes from where I grew up, seven minutes from my parents, 10 minutes from my sister and five minutes from the high school that I went to, so it was a situation that I adored for so many reasons. That community has been so good to me, and it was a really hard decision to make. But at the end of the day, your career is so short. And especially when you get a chance to come to a team like this with a player like Dame [Lillard] and C.J. [McCollum], it&rsquo;s really hard to pass up.&rdquo;
Because this was a mutual thing, were you kept in the loop on what was happening as Cleveland weighed their options? How did you find out about the trade?&nbsp;
Nance: &ldquo;I found out how you&rsquo;re supposed to find out: Koby [Altman] called me and my agent called me, so I got a chance to call my family and let them know before the news broke. Hats off to Koby and the entire front office for that because they handled it much better than previous situations I&rsquo;ve been in... (laughs) It was great. I was actually on a plane to Miami and I found out via phone call, so it was easy. I got to call my wife. But the hardest call was definitely to my parents. I had gone to them before and kinda told them, &lsquo;Hey, you guys, just so you know, here&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m thinking. I just want to keep you guys in the loop.&rsquo;&rdquo;
We've talked about how you had a unique connection with Cavs fans since you grew up in Cleveland rooting for the Cavs and Browns. After this trade, there was an outpouring of love and support from fans who were sad to see you go. How did that feel?
Nance: &ldquo;It was great. It means the world that my hometown thinks so highly of me and wanted me to stay, and that&rsquo;s something that I absolutely will not take for granted. I love them. That&rsquo;s my community; I am a Cavs [fan] &ndash; that was me at one point! It was great to see. But at the same time, I also wanted to put the article out there to let them know, &lsquo;Hey, this is not a time for you guys to be mad at the front office or do anything like that because, at the end of the day, this was my decision. You should be excited about your team.&rsquo; And just because I&rsquo;m not in Cleveland anymore and just because I&rsquo;m playing for the Blazers doesn&rsquo;t mean I won&rsquo;t be keeping one eye on the Cavs and wishing Darius Garland and Collin Sexton and Isaac Okoro and all of the young guys well. I just don&rsquo;t want them to win two times a year. That&rsquo;s it!&rdquo;&nbsp;
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When you were on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-larry-nance-jr-cleveland-cavaliers-kevin-love-draymond-green-small-businesses-crohns-sexland-collin-darius-drummond" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my podcast</a> earlier this year, you talked about studying Draymond Green and trying to have a similar impact on games. After this trade was announced, you texted me that you want to be Portland&rsquo;s Draymond Green. Can you elaborate on that?
Nance: &ldquo;When I say I want to &lsquo;play the Draymond role,&rsquo; [it&rsquo;s important to note] that there&rsquo;s only one Draymond Green. You know what I mean? He&rsquo;s a ridiculous talent and, as we&rsquo;ve talked about before, I think the world of him and his game. I try to model myself in that mold. But when I said that, I&rsquo;m thinking more so about playing hand-off ball in Cleveland and I got to do a lot of that with the guys I played with there, but it&rsquo;s just a whole different layer of difficulty to guard when you&rsquo;ve got Dame and C.J. flying off that thing. I&rsquo;m just really excited to see how we work together. I&rsquo;m going to be who I am defensively and that&rsquo;s a menace, and someone you need to watch out for in the passing lanes. That&rsquo;s who I am. But offensively, I&rsquo;m excited for the DHOs, the handoffs and just being able to impact the game without being required to have the ball so much. Everybody has a skill set and that is not mine, so it&rsquo;s great to be around guys that do have that in their skill set.&rdquo;
(On <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-larry-nance-jr-cleveland-cavaliers-kevin-love-draymond-green-small-businesses-crohns-sexland-collin-darius-drummond" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Alex Kennedy Podcast</a> in January, Nance said: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always watched Draymond; I'm a massive Draymond Green fan. I think he&rsquo;s criminally underrated in terms of his impact on the game and impact on those championship teams. I think he's the definition of a winner. I watched his film and I studied how he talks to those guys on the defensive end and how he took charge of that [team]. I studied how he was an anchor, guarding three or four different positions at times. And there's none of that that I don't see in myself&hellip; I talked to JB [Bickerstaff] a lot over the summer about being versatile &ndash; guarding some bigger 2s, all 3s, all 4s and some smaller 5s and, defensively, trying to play that Draymond role.&rdquo;)
I feel like your game can fit on just about any team, but it feels like this fit in particular is perfect. One of our writers, Nekias Duncan, actually <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/what-larry-nance-jr-brings-to-the-portland-trail-blazers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote a film-breakdown piece</a> explaining why you're exactly what Portland was missing. How do you feel you fit with the Blazers?&nbsp;
Nance: &ldquo;I think I fit like a glove, I really do. I couldn&rsquo;t pick a better situation. Last year, the Blazers finished sixth in a loaded Western Conference and their defense was 28th. Their defense was 28th! When JB [Bickerstaff] had just gotten the job in Cleveland, we finished 30th in defense for that year. Coming into this past year, I purposefully set [a goal in] my mind, like, &lsquo;That ain&rsquo;t happening again.&rsquo; Before I broke my hand, we played the first 25 games of the season against good competition and we were a top-three defense in the NBA, and I was leading the league in deflections, leading in steals and doing all of that type of stuff. That&rsquo;s the type of thing that I&rsquo;m planning on bringing here. Can you imagine? If they finished sixth last year while having the 28th-ranked defense, if we move that up to, say, 12th, that&rsquo;s a potent combination. Anytime you can surround guards like we have here with guys that are willing to grind on the defensive end behind them? Whew, that&rsquo;s a winning combo.&rdquo;
During that stretch, the Cavs&rsquo; defense was ranked No. 1 at one point too. Since you&rsquo;ve been part of a worst-to-first turnaround, you know what it takes to make that kind of drastic improvement. What are the keys to that, and what lessons will you try to pass on to your new teammates?
Nance: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s all about activity. Your activity level is extremely important. When you&rsquo;re on defense, there should be no time when you&rsquo;re relaxed. There should be no time when you&rsquo;re relaxed &ndash; whether your man has the ball or not, whether you think you&rsquo;re involved in something or not. (And if you don&rsquo;t think you&rsquo;re involved in something, you&rsquo;re wrong; that&rsquo;s just kinda how this league works, there are counters to everything.) It&rsquo;s just activity. Keep your hands high. All of that type of stuff. But I&rsquo;d say the biggest thing overall is just the level of care. You know what I mean? If you genuinely care about defense and getting stops and want to be good on that end, then you will be good on that end. I think the level of care is really what I&rsquo;m going to be stressing.&rdquo;
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C.J. McCollum is also from Ohio and he's a big Cleveland Browns fan, just like you. Did you guys already have a relationship or are you just now getting to know each other?
Nance: &ldquo;C.J. is a great guy! I hadn&rsquo;t had a relationship with him before I got out here. Obviously, we knew of each other and every time we&rsquo;d play each other, it was kinda like, &lsquo;O-H, I-O!&rsquo; But we didn&rsquo;t have a personal relationship. But it&rsquo;s been good, getting to come out here and spend time with these guys. Of course, C.J. is such an impressive human being. He has his hands in a lot of different things, and he&rsquo;s just such an impressive human that, like, how could you not get along with a guy like that?! I&rsquo;m excited about it; I&rsquo;ll have another Browns fan around. I think I was the only Browns fan on the entire Cavs team, so I&rsquo;m glad I&rsquo;m not alone. Now, the Blazers might have the only two Browns fans in the NBA. (laughs)&rdquo;
We&rsquo;ll see if you two can convert some of your other teammates into Browns fans.
Nance: &ldquo;Oh, I&rsquo;m working on them. Absolutely.&rdquo;
You wanted to join a win-now team and you were involved in the trade discussions that landed you in Portland, so clearly you think the Blazers can compete right now. What are your expectations or goals for the team entering this season?
Nance: &ldquo;For me, my biggest thing is: Look, I didn&rsquo;t come out here [to lose]. I had a comfortable, cushy situation in Cleveland; I lived close to my family, I was happy and it was all good. I did not come out here to half-ass this thing. I&rsquo;m all in, and that means going for it all. Last year, we saw a few teams come out of nowhere; the Hawks came out of nowhere, the Suns came out of nowhere. There were teams that surprised some people, and that&rsquo;s fully what I&rsquo;m planning on doing here. I know these guys are excited as well, because we&rsquo;ve been busting our tails leading up to training camp. We should be ready to hit the ground running.&rdquo;
You recently became a father, and I&rsquo;m so happy for you and your wife! You always hear people talk about how having a kid changed them; have you experienced that?&nbsp;
Nance: &ldquo;So, it&rsquo;s funny&hellip; I was told the same thing and it was always a teammate or someone saying, &lsquo;No, man, you just want to go straight home and see your baby,&rsquo; and all of that type of stuff. For me, of course she changed my life and everything for the better. But at the same time, I always wanted to be home anyway. (laugh) So now there&rsquo;s just that much more reason for me to go home and spend time there. I have an extra little treat [and reason] to be there. But it really is the greatest thing, and there&rsquo;s nothing I&rsquo;d rather do than spend time with that kid.&rdquo;

Larry Nance Jr. spoke to Alex Kennedy about his recent trade request, leaving Cleveland, expectations for the Blazers and more.

Larry Nance Jr. Q&A: 'I did not come out here to half-ass this thing'

The 2021-22 NBA season is right around the corner. One month from now, training camps will get underway. This season, BasketballNews.com will be covering the NBA from every possible angle, including ramped-up sports-betting content.
After providing some <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/5-best-bets-on-future-nba-awardwinners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interesting future bets on the NBA award races</a>, let's take a look at the 2021-22 playoff odds. Many teams went all-in this offseason, determined to make the playoffs and go on a run.
After examining the 2021-22 playoff odds, seven teams stand out as worthy fliers. Let&rsquo;s dive into which organizations have intriguing odds that you can capitalize on before it&rsquo;s too late.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: +575 odds to make playoffs
Realistically, the team that could make you a lot of money by the end of the regular season resides in Minnesota. Although the Western Conference is still loaded &ndash; with as many as 12 teams having realistic playoff aspirations &ndash; don&rsquo;t sleep on the Timberwolves finally making a push.
Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the most gifted scorers in the Association and a consistent 40% three-point shooter. Last year's No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/basketball-news-will-anthony-edwards-surge-lead-to-nba-rookie-of-the-year-award-minnesota-timberwolves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made a leap in the second half</a> of his rookie season, averaging 23.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.9 threes and 1.4 steals in 36 games after the All-Star break. He should build off of that during his sophomore campaign, and he could crack 25.0 points per game. D&rsquo;Angelo Russell has struggled with injuries during his year-plus stint in Minnesota, but he&rsquo;s another offensive weapon that Minnesota can utilize. The Timberwolves&rsquo; roster features a lot of youth and a lot of subpar defenders, but a whole lot of points will be scored. Minnesota is hoping to out-race teams in "track-meet" style matchups where reaching 130-plus points each night is the primary objective.
Here's another underrated reason why you should take a flier on Minnesota at +575 playoff odds: the Ben Simmons rumors. Minnesota is reportedly the one team who has continually kept a dialogue going with Philadelphia. Now, after acquiring big expiring contracts in Taurean Prince and Patrick Beverley this offseason, the Wolves can make a deal work cap-wise while also throwing in a sweetener like up-and-coming prospect Jaden McDaniels. Philadelphia&rsquo;s asking price is absurd, but Minnesota can offer picks plus Prince, Beverley, McDaniels and Josh Okogie to make the salaries work. The Sixers will likely want a third team to get involved to create a more appealing package, but don&rsquo;t rule out Minnesota as Simmons&rsquo; eventual destination. If that happens, you&rsquo;ll be lucky to have chased these +575 odds before they might break even within a few months time.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS: +500 odds to make playoffs
The 2021-22 season may be the Wizards&rsquo; last chance to impress Bradley Beal. Entering the final year of his contract, Beal could become an unrestricted free agent next offseason. The Wizards will <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/bradley-beal-will-be-eligible-extension-wizards-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> offer him to a max extension this summer, but it remains to be seen if he's interested in signing it.
Regardless, give Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard some credit. Once Russell Westbrook asked out, he retooled Washington&rsquo;s roster on the fly and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wizards-retooling-led-to-a-competent-roster-surrounding-bradley-beal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">built a competent rotation</a> best suited to fit Beal&rsquo;s special skillset. Spencer Dinwiddie is the perfect backcourt partner alongside Beal. Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope add more scoring punch. Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert are talented prospects who provide versatility. Davis Bertans should have a bounce-back season beyond the arc and provide elite shooting. Daniel Gafford, Montrezl Harrell and Thomas Bryant is an intriguing trio of big men. Overall, Washington now has a deeper rotation that should fit together better than last year's group.
If everything clicks for the Wizards, they should push for a playoff spot (perhaps with a second-straight appearance in the play-in tournament). Although Westbrook is gone, Beal should be able to lead a more well-rounded roster to a record above .500. If that&rsquo;s the case, betting on Washington right now at +500 odds seems like a smart investment.
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PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: +200 odds to miss playoffs
Damian Lillard seems to have one foot out the door in Portland. Fed up with the Blazers&rsquo; <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-nba-team-had-the-worst-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lack of urgency to build a contender around him</a>, nothing has really changed since he vented about how additional changes were needed. GM Neil Olshey re-signed Norman Powell (who fits well alongside Lillard) on a five-year deal and added Cody Zeller, Tony Snell and Ben McLemore to improve Portland's second unit. The Blazers also traded Derrick Jones Jr. and a future lottery-protected first-round pick to bring in Larry Nance Jr., who is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/what-larry-nance-jr-brings-to-the-portland-trail-blazers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a perfect complementary piece that should help on both ends</a> of the floor.
Aside from Nance, the additions are pretty underwhelming, and the team lost Carmelo Anthony, Enes Kanter and Zach Collins. Considering what's at stake, it's surprising that the Blazers didn't make more moves to show Lillard that the organization is committed to winning. Olshey and Co. are playing a very dangerous game here, especially if the Blazers stagnate in the standings next season.
If teams like Minnesota, New Orleans and Memphis see a big leap from their young cores, Portland could find themselves outside of the playoff picture. And if that&rsquo;s the case, Lillard will be gone next offseason.
At +200 odds to miss the playoffs, it&rsquo;s a worthy gamble when you realize the Lillard situation hangs over the organization. If the Blazers get off to a slow start, could Lillard ask out mid-season? At the moment,&nbsp; it's hard to feel comfortable about Portland&rsquo;s playoff hopes.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS: +175 odds to make playoffs
Charlotte <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/hornets-ready-to-fly-up-standings-following-strong-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quietly had one of the best offseasons</a> in the Association. Not only did they re-sign Terry Rozier on a four-year deal, they also brought in Kelly Oubre Jr. to add some more scoring potency off their bench. Mason Plumlee, who has been a steady starting center over the years, was acquired pretty much for free. Add in the draft picks of James Bouknight and Kai Jones, and Charlotte will be one of the most fun teams to monitor throughout the 2021-22 season.
LaMelo Ball is poised to take another leap in his sophomore campaign, which should help bolster Charlotte&rsquo;s playoff probabilities even further. The Hornets&rsquo; rotation is now 10-11 players deep, which hasn&rsquo;t been the case in years. With a nice blend of win-now veterans alongside promising high-upside prospects, Charlotte could be one of the best bets to make off this list.&nbsp;
Gordon Hayward&rsquo;s health will also play a factor here. The Hornets were above .500 before Hayward went down with a season-ending injury. Despite Hayward's injury and Ball being sidelined for a significant stretch, the Hornets still earned a spot in the East's play-in tournament last year. If Hayward can stay healthy throughout the regular season and their offseason additions fit in, Charlotte could comfortably finish in the East's top-eight for the first time since 2015-16.&nbsp;
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NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: +170 odds to make playoffs
It's always fun to bet on Zion Williamson, who has already reached superstardom. After averaging 27.0 points during his sophomore season, Williamson could realistically average 30.0 or more now that the new-look Pelicans will have better floor-spacing. A smart head-coaching hire (Willie Green) and roster upgrades around the margins should lead to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/by-making-zion-williamsons-job-easier-the-pelicans-should-finally-have-real-playoff-potential" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a boost in performance from New Orleans</a>.
Brandon Ingram is flying under the radar as well. If Ingram continues to be one of the most promising two-way wings in the Association, New Orleans is cooking with gas in 2021-22.
It will be tough to break through in a loaded Western Conference, but Williamson is a generational talent. If the Pelicans find success early in the regular season, they could ride that wave of momentum toward a play-in appearance. With Williiamson in a win-or-go-home situation for a playoff spot, I&rsquo;m betting on New Orleans.&nbsp;
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INDIANA PACERS: +145 odds to miss the playoffs
Everything went wrong for the Pacers last season. Nate Bjorkgren was an awful head coach who failed to relate to players and whose scheme didn&rsquo;t match the roster. Rick Carlisle&rsquo;s return to Indiana is a huge deal for an organization that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-face-makeorbreak-202122-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">needs to succeed in a make-or-break 2021-22 season</a>. If the Pacers fail to make significant headway, big changes are in store for this roster.
Again, the Eastern Conference looks to be very much improved. Chicago may have leapfrogged Indiana in their division. Charlotte and Washington might be doing the same thing with solid rosters that could immediately fit together well. Meanwhile, Indiana has questions. Will Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-rick-carlisle-make-a-domantas-sabonis-myles-turner-pairing-work-for-the-pacers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">find success with their jumbo-sized frontcourt</a>? Will T.J. Warren <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-100-million-payday-awaits-tj-warren-if-he-continues-to-silence-the-critics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stay healthy in a contract year</a>? What can we expect from the backcourt of Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert, which barely played together last season due to separate injuries?
On paper, the Pacers have a solid squad. However, if they get off to a slow start, they could be one of the teams ready to sell-high around the trade deadline. They have a number of attractive pieces and rival executives have been circling like vultures for a while (just look at how often Turner has surfaced in trade rumors). At +145 odds, this seems like a flier worth taking.
NEW YORK KNICKS: +125 odds to miss the playoffs
After a really solid offseason, it's clear that the Knicks are banking on continuity. Also, bringing aboard Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker should help bolster a rotation that was already impressively deep. However, could the Knicks be the team that regresses the most in 2021-22? It&rsquo;s a realistic possibility, especially with how many young squads in the Eastern Conference are on the rise.
What if Julius Randle stagnates and doesn&rsquo;t improve? They'll need him to continue playing at a high level, while R.J. Barrett, Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley and their 2021 rookie class must hit the ground running early in the regular season too.
New York finished as the No. 4 seed last season, but for the first time in years, there will be real drama surrounding the East's playoff picture.
Tom Thibodeau helped the Knicks overachieve last season. The question is, can this team do it again? It's possible they take a step forward and once again earn homecourt advantage in the playoffs. But it truly could go either way for the Knicks, making this a worthy bet at +125.

Which NBA teams could win you some money come playoff time? Evan Sidery looks at 7 teams whose postseason odds stand out.

2021-22 NBA playoff odds: 7 teams worth betting on

This summer, there were a handful of teams that got better through the NBA Draft and free-agency period. Recently, our staff discussed the organizations that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-nba-team-had-the-best-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had the best offseason</a> as well as the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-breaking-down-this-offseasons-most-underrated-moves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most underrated moves of this summer</a>. But who didn't take advantage of this window to add to their roster?
Today, we asked our writers:
Which NBA team had the worst offseason?
Nekias Duncan: I&rsquo;m just not a fan of what the Portland Trail Blazers did. Their coaching hire of Chauncey Billups was mired in controversy. There&rsquo;s been no major swing on the roster, with their best free agent acquisition being Cody Zeller. They got virtually nothing from the draft, then followed that up by building a summer league roster that frankly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/news/authors/nekias-duncan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">didn&rsquo;t make much sense</a>. I can&rsquo;t say I&rsquo;m a fan of how things have been handled.
Jackson Frank: It&rsquo;s the Dallas Mavericks for me. They didn&rsquo;t get substantially better in an offseason when they touted lots of cap space and resemble a very similar team to last year. They still need a secondary creator to aid Luka Doncic. The wing defense is lackluster. The center rotation is worrisome. This just felt like a considerable misstep, given Luka&rsquo;s superstardom and the financial flexibility drying up moving forward.
Alex Kennedy: In one of the most important offseasons in the Portland Trail Blazers' history (given what's at stake with Damian Lillard's future), Neil Olshey and Co. dropped the ball. The team lost Carmelo Anthony, Enes Kanter and Zach Collins, and their only notable moves were re-signing Norm Powell and adding Cody Zeller, Tony Snell and Ben McLemore. Entering this offseason, Lillard said: "I think if you look at our team as it is going into next season, I don&rsquo;t see how you can say, &lsquo;This is a championship team. You just need a new coach.&rsquo;" He's 100% right, and now the roster is arguably worse than when he made that comment. When asked about Portland's free-agency moves, Lillard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/damian-lillard-not-unhappy-with-blazers-despite-losses-in-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was honest</a> and said, "We weren&rsquo;t able to go out there and get some of the guys that we would have liked."&nbsp;
Spencer Davies: Surprisingly, I am asking myself what the San Antonio Spurs are doing with their money. Bringing in veterans like Thaddeus Young, Doug McDermott, Zach Collins, Bryn Forbes and Al-Farouq Aminu would make more sense if they were contending for a postseason spot... but that almost certainly won&rsquo;t be the case. From a developmental standpoint, it should be good to have these guys around to mentor Dejounte Murray, Derrick White and Keldon Johnson. Still, it kind of takes time away from Lonnie Walker Jr. and Devin Vassell, and that&rsquo;s the last thing you want for a team that&rsquo;s going to reset after losing DeMar DeRozan and a slew of vets who had been around for years. That said, taking Josh Primo as a take-your-time project is intriguing... just maybe not so much for the other young players who play that position. Oh, and Jakob Poeltl signed an extension not too long ago too, yet R.C. Buford decided to invest in Collins. This summer just seemed like an interesting, maybe not-so-smart way to use cap space for one of the best-run organizations in sports.
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Imman Adan: The New Orleans Pelicans. They went all in, giving up two future first-round picks in the Memphis Grizzlies deal for Jonas Valanciunas, and a pick swap. They also didn&rsquo;t re-sign Lonzo Ball, moved off of Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams' money and gave up Wes Iwundu with very little to show for it. I&rsquo;m all for big swings, but this didn&rsquo;t feel all that calculated. It's hard to understand what they&rsquo;re trying to accomplish, and they certainly took a step back.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Evan Sidery: I have no idea what the Spurs are doing. Why sign Doug McDermott to a big contract, while also signing Bryn Forbes? Zach Collins on a multi-year deal was another head-scratching move. The Spurs <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/with-veterans-moving-on-san-antonio-spurs-would-be-wise-to-hit-the-reset-button" target="_blank" rel="noopener">should be trying to tank this year</a>, but that might not be their plan internally. Give those minutes opened by veteran departures to your young core, not new free agents. Now, players like Devin Vassell and Lonnie Walker are still stuck to the bench.
Ethan Fuller: Portland could win this off of the Chauncey Billups hiring (and subsequent fallout) alone, and I'm sure some of our fellow writers picked the Trail Blazers. So I'll add another team in the Dallas Mavericks, whose offseason <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mavericks-gm-donnie-nelson-agree-to-mutually-part-ways-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consisted of a front-office blowup</a>, three minor roster additions <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/reggie-bullock-mavs-agree-to-threeyear-deal-worth-305m">headlined by Reggie Bullock</a> and the hiring of Jason Kidd as head coach. Kidd not only was convicted of domestic abuse in 2001 &mdash; and has done little publicly to atone for it &mdash; but he also has a 183-190 record as the head coach of talented teams. And there is <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/book-jason-kidd-held-christmas-163516649.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anecdotal evidence of a problematic past</a> in Milwaukee. It's hard for a team to regress with a rising star, but that seems to be what the Mavs are doing despite Luka Doncic's ascension.
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Jesse Blancarte: In an offseason where the Portland Trail Blazers are at risk of superstar Damian Lillard demanding to be traded, the franchise failed to make any moves that would quell the situation. Re-signing Norman Powell was a good move. However, Portland lost notable players like Enes Kanter, Carmelo Anthony and Zach Collins. The only other additions so far include Cody Zeller on a minimum contract, Tony Snell and Ben McLemore. Unless Portland has a few tricks up its sleeves, it seems likely Lillard and C.J. McCollum are going to lack the support they need on the court to take Portland on a deep playoff run next season.
Drew Maresca: I was on the fence between the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers, but Doncic&rsquo;s re-signing made the difference for me. Ultimately, Dallas is now where Portland was two years ago. The Blazers needed to do something to impress Damian Lillard, and they failed. Lillard is insanely loyal, but even the most loyal among us has limits. Lillard will end up giving Portland an ultimatum at some point in the near future, and the Blazers might find themselves stonewalled into trading Lillard instead of building around him. Who knows, it might already be too late.
Chris Sheridan: That is a tough one because the summer is a time of hope for all 30 teams. But the Orlando Magic are the winners of this category. They added Robin Lopez and head coach Jamahl Mosley, but little else outside of their draft picks. I hated the Nikola Vucevic trade when they made it. I hated it even more when Khem Birch was waived and outplayed his replacement Wendell Carter Jr. with the Toronto Raptors late last season. I do not see much hope here for an Orlando win total north of the teens.

Which team did the worst job during the 2021 NBA offseason? Our writers share their thoughts.

Roundtable: Which NBA team had the worst offseason?

The biggest offseason domino yet to fall is Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons.
Coming off a forgetful playoff run where he seemed allergic to having the basketball in his hands late in games, Simmons and the Sixers are at a crossroads. Will the 25-year-old max All-Star stay in Philadelphia, or will he be shipped off elsewhere before the 2021-22 season begins?
Last season, Simmons averaged a career-low 14.3 points to go along with 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists. However, he's been a plus-defender his entire career; there&rsquo;s no denying the impact he has on that end of the floor. Coming off two consecutive seasons in which he was named to the All-Defense First Team, any organization should be able to utilize the jumbo-sized, uber-athletic point-forward on both offense and defense.
However, it&rsquo;s fair to wonder whether Simmons can reach his full potential in a Sixers uniform. With Joel Embiid, Simmons isn't utilized as a post-passing savant who can abuse mismatches against slower-footed bigs. In an offense built entirely around Simmons, he could flourish with more freedom.
Simmons is an interesting case study for star-caliber players on massive salaries. With his trade value at an all-time low, Philadelphia is still asking for an enormous return &mdash; four first-round picks and an All-Star has been reported. Nobody will give Sixers GM Daryl Morey that much value in any Simmons deal, so what makes sense in a potential package?
Let&rsquo;s go ahead and take a look, name some teams that should be calling Philadelphia and assemble some trade packages.
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SACRAMENTO KINGS
The pressure is on for Sacramento to finally field a winning team and snap their 15-year playoff drought. Whether it be Simmons or Pascal Siakam, I&rsquo;ve suggested that the Kings finally push their chips into the middle of the table for an aggressive win-now move.
Simmons would be the perfect piece to fit into their puzzle alongside De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. The Kings&rsquo; backcourt duo had a positive net rating last season, and adding Simmons to the mix gives them a very fun playmaking trio that can play off one another.
Playing the four alongside Richaun Holmes provides little spacing, but Simmons could become the de-facto primary ball handler with Fox and Haliburton providing spacing around the perimeter. A potential starting unit featuring Fox, Haliburton, Harrison Barnes, Simmons and Richaun Holmes could hold up on both ends of the court.
Philadelphia receives: Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks
Sacramento receives: Ben Simmons
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
In a similar position as Sacramento, Minnesota could rise in the Western Conference with an impact move. Karl-Anthony Towns is a bonafide superstar, while Anthony Edwards has great potential. Tossing Simmons into the Timberwolves&rsquo; lineup would be exactly how they can become a more well-rounded team.
The question is, would Minnesota pull the trigger on trading Towns&rsquo; good friend D&rsquo;Angelo Russell? If so, Minnesota&rsquo;s new Big 3 would be outstanding.
Imagine the endless possibilities with Simmons flanking Towns and Edwards. The Wolves&rsquo; primary scoring duo could still have their way offensively, but Simmons would be the glue holding everything together from a playmaking and defensive standpoint.
Philadelphia receives: D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Jaden McDaniels, future first-round pick
Minnesota receives: Ben Simmons
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
What exactly are the Spurs up to right now? Signing Doug McDermott and Bryn Forbes, San Antonio might be picturing a scenario where they are good enough to push for the playoffs. The strategy for San Antonio should revolve around tanking and focusing on the internal development of their young core.
However, if the Spurs want to make one more big push before head coach Gregg Popovich&rsquo;s presumed retirement, maybe a Simmons trade could go down.
San Antonio has a strong ecosystem in which Simmons could rebuild his value. Surrounded by plus three-point shooters, Simmons can reach his ceiling in a role where everything is built around his strengths.
Philadelphia receives: Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker, Thaddeus Young, future first-round pick
San Antonio receives: Ben Simmons
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Would the Warriors even be interested in Simmons? It&rsquo;s a real question to ask with Draymond Green already playing a similar role. However, as Green ages, he&rsquo;s the perfect mentor for Simmons to learn from.
Golden State has one big move left up their sleeve with Andrew Wiggins' contract and a lot of young prospects &mdash; James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Jordan Poole. Surely they have their eyes on All-NBA talents such as Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal, but Simmons could be the most realistic player to add with their current collection of assets.
Imagining Simmons flanked by Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson is a fun exercise, too. Maybe down the line, this is the type of environment where Simmons could become a player where the offense is adequately spaced for him to feast on drives to the basket.
Philadelphia receives: Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, Jordan Poole, two future first-round picks
Golden State receives: Ben Simmons
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WASHINGTON WIZARDS
One team that has finally tried to build around their star the right way is Washington, which is set to give Bradley Beal a competent roster for the 2021-22 season. However, Beal is entering the final year of his deal.
Would Simmons work well alongside Beal? That&rsquo;s a legitimate concern, but a home run swing that could be necessary for Beal to commit long-term in the nation&rsquo;s capital.
Simmons and Beal flanked by shooters and prospects is a nice foundation for Wizards GM Tommy Shepard to build around for the next five-plus years.
Philadelphia receives: Davis Bertans, Kyle Kuzma, Deni Avdija, two future first-round picks
Washington receives: Ben Simmons
TORONTO RAPTORS
Another team facing a fork in the road with their current roster construction, Toronto has to decide on what happens with Pascal Siakam. Will Toronto keep Siakam around with their young core, or flip him for more long-term value?
If the Raptors want to make an aggressive win-now push while also offloading Siakam, enter Simmons.
A potential lineup of Simmons with Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes and Precious Achiuwa sounds like something Toronto would love to try.
Is Simmons open to moving across the border? If so, this could be a win-win deal for both sides as they begin new eras for their respective organizations. Siakam and Embiid is a terrifying frontcourt for Philadelphia, and the duo would allow Tobias Harris to slide back into the small forward position. Meanwhile, Toronto brings Simmons aboard as their new face of the franchise with a solid young nucleus surrounding him.
Philadelphia receives: Pascal Siakam
Toronto receives: Ben Simmons
INDIANA PACERS
No surprise, Indiana is another team that could be staring down the barrel of important, franchise-altering decisions within a year. The Pacers have a great, well-balanced roster that&rsquo;s been plagued by injuries over the last few seasons. T.J. Warren, who broke out in a huge way during the Orlando Bubble, only played four games during the 2019-20 campaign. Caris LeVert missed time due to a cancerous tumor that was discovered after the James Harden trade. Myles Turner and Malcolm Brogdon continue to miss time here and there due to various injuries, not helping remove the "injury-prone" labels placed on them in the past.
Rick Carlisle is making a triumphant return to Indiana after more than a decade, and the Pacers feel a coaching switch and better health might be their best bet to jump up another rung in the Eastern Conference standings.
Indiana has sniffed around Simmons' availability already this offseason, though. Having a tough time being able to pitch top free agents on coming to Indianapolis, making an aggressive trade might be the only way for it to happen.
Although one of Myles Turner or Domantas Sabonis would need to be moved to a third team in this hypothetical scenario, Indiana going star hunting could be the necessary tweak to change their long-term fortunes.
Philadelphia receives: Malcolm Brogdon, Jeremy Lamb, two future first-round picks
Indiana receives: Ben Simmons
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
After drafting Evan Mobley No. 3 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, Cleveland has a bright, young core. Darius Garland, Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Isaac Okoro and Collin Sexton will be fun to watch, but do all of the pieces actually fit together? The Cavaliers have reportedly shopped Sexton this offseason with a big-money extension potentially waiting for him in 2022. Cleveland prefers Darius Garland, who has continued to develop in his first two seasons. Being able to play off the ball as well, Garland has already shown the ability to function alongside another primary ball handler.
Kevin Love is the odd man out of Cleveland right now, but a buyout doesn&rsquo;t seem to be on the horizon; he has two years remaining on his extension.
Could Philadelphia and Cleveland build a win-win package around Simmons for Love and Sexton? It&rsquo;s a long-shot, but one that might have already been explored. Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein mentioned earlier this offseason that Cleveland is another team who has previously expressed interest in acquiring Simmons.
A core in Cleveland consisting of Simmons, Garland, Mobley, Allen and Okoro is something that&rsquo;s at least intriguing on surface level.
Philadelphia receives: Kevin Love, Collin Sexton, two future first-round picks
Cleveland receives: Ben Simmons
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PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
This is Portland&rsquo;s last chance to build a Finals contender around Damian Lillard. So far this offseason, they haven&rsquo;t come close. Re-signing Norman Powell was a necessary step, but retooling their bench with Cody Zeller, Tony Snell and Ben McLemore won&rsquo;t get it done.
The Blazers are stuck in the middle, which is the worst place to be. With that being said, it&rsquo;s time to finally break up the Lillard, C.J. McCollum backcourt. Whether it be Simmons or Siakam, Portland needs to finally make an aggressive push to appease their disgruntled superstar.
A deal revolving around Simmons and McCollum makes sense for both parties. McCollum can function as a score-first combo guard who can play well off Embiid, while Simmons provides a beautiful blend of playmaking and defense alongside Lillard.
Philadelphia receives: C.J. McCollum, Nassir Little, two future first-round picks
Portland receives: Ben Simmons
Simmons' future is the biggest question remaining in an already eventful 2021-22 offseason. Odds are, he'll be moved to the highest bidder. Perhaps it'll end up being one of the aforementioned teams.

Ben Simmons is the last big domino left to fall this offseason. Will he stay in Philadelphia? It's time to explore potential destinations.

Examining potential trade destinations for Ben Simmons

Damian Lillard has watched from afar as Carmelo Anthony left for Los Angeles, Enes Kanter departed for Boston and Norman Powell stuck around.
As he takes part in the Olympics with Team USA and prepares for the gold medal game against Team France, he is neither happy nor upset with what has gone down this week concerning his Portland Trail Blazers.
&ldquo;Honestly I haven&rsquo;t really dove too deep into it. I&rsquo;ve really been focusing on here,&rdquo; Lillard said Friday on a USA Basketball conference call.
&ldquo;There are a lot of things that are out of my control. When you go into free agency and things like this, you never know what&rsquo;s going to happen. You never know where guys are going to end up and why they go there. You just try to have conversations and try to convince guys to be a part of our team.&rdquo;
None of the major free agents signed with Portland, which was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round in six games by the Denver Nuggets. It was the second straight first-round departure for the Trail Blazers after advancing to the Western Conference Finals in 2018, and it has fueled speculation that Lillard will ask for a trade from Portland at some point during the upcoming season.
The Blazers fired head coach Terry Stotts at the conclusion of the postseason and have hired Chauncey Billups as head coach and former Washington Wizards head coach Scott Brooks as an assistant, so there will be a new bench regime in Portland when the 2021-22 season gets underway.
The marquee players who found new homes &mdash; a group that included Kyle Lowry, Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, Spencer Dinwiddie, P.J. Tucker, Kemba Walker and Otto Porter Jr. &mdash; chose teams that are not based in Oregon.
The Blazers landed Cody Zeller and Tony Snell while also inviting Michael Beasley, Kenneth Faried and Emmanuel Mudiay &mdash; all of whom played in China last season &mdash; to play for its summer league team.
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&ldquo;Obviously, this go-round, we weren&rsquo;t able to go out there and get some of the guys that we would have liked,&rdquo; Lillard said. &ldquo;You know, you go down the list and you go through the guys you like that are out there and haven&rsquo;t committed to another team or that was a part of your plans in free agency and you get the ones that want to be a part of what you are doing, and I think that&rsquo;s what we did.&rdquo;
Barring any trades over the remainder of the summer, Portland figures to go into training camp with Lillard and C.J. McCollum as the starting guards, Powell as the small forward, Robert Covington as the starting power forward and Jusuf Nurkic and Zeller as the centers. Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little and Ben McLemore are among their reserves, and 6-foot-9 Greg Brown of the University of Texas is the only rookie after the Blazers, who did not have any of their own picks, acquired the No. 43 pick from the Pelicans in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick.
That certainly does not make the Trail Blazers the winners of the offseason, an award that may end up going to the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets or Detroit Pistons.
But Lillard sounded anything but upset. More like matter-of-fact.
What next season brings is among the many, many unknowns that everyone in the NBA and around the world must deal with as 2021 rolls along.
For now, Lillard&rsquo;s focus is on getting a gold medal against France. By the time Saturday arrives in the United States, we will all know whether that particular goal was accomplished.

Portland lost Carmelo Anthony and Enes Kanter while not making any high-profile acquisitions. Lillard is taking it in stride, though.

Damian Lillard not unhappy with Blazers despite losses in free agency

Damian Lillard wants to win big right now. The Portland Trail Blazers know what&rsquo;s at stake during the 2021-22 season for their future organizational structure. With Lillard and his camp frustrated about the Blazers&rsquo; stagnation, it&rsquo;s of the upmost importance to figure things out quickly in the Pacific Northwest.
However, how can Portland realistically jump back to the top of a vaunted Western Conference?&nbsp;
During their magical run in the 2019 playoffs, when Portland ultimately reached the Western Conference Finals and got swept by the Golden State Warriors, it felt like lightning in a bottle. Ever since, Portland&rsquo;s disappointing playoff track record has tried Lillard&rsquo;s patience. Portland&rsquo;s superstar had to go supernova in the Orlando Bubble for the Blazers to even make the postseason as the No. 8 seed, only to be throttled by LeBron James and Los Angles Lakers in five games. Then, this past season, Portland lost in the first round once again to a shorthanded Denver Nuggets squad missing Jamal Murray and Will Barton.
So far this offseason, Portland seems content on running it back with their core. Re-signing Norman Powell to a five-year, $90 million extension had to happen after trading one of their top young assets, Gary Trent Jr., to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Powell. In 27 games with the Blazers last season, Powell averaged 17 points and 1.3 steals while shooting 36.1% on three-pointers. Powell proved his worth as a long-term piece to the Blazers&rsquo; puzzle as a snug fit alongside Lillard. Among two-man lineup combinations featuring Lillard, Powell ranked second in net rating behind only C.J. McCollum.
Although it was a disappointing conclusion to a season that showed promise, Portland&rsquo;s newfound starting lineup fared well in advanced metrics. The five-man lineup of Lillard, McCollum, Powell, Robert Covington and Jusuf Nurkic carried a +13.4 NetRtg in 370 minutes. This ranked No. 2 in the league for starting lineups in net rating, trailing only the Philadelphia 76ers' starters; Portland&rsquo;s well-balanced attack was 12-9 in the regular season post-Powell trade.
Outside of re-signing Powell to his $90 million extension, the Blazers have made some moves on the margins to improve their depth. Cody Zeller, Ben McLemore and Tony Snell were all signed to one-year deals. Zeller will provide competency behind Nurkic as a backup center, while Snell and McLemore can adequately space the floor and be versatile defenders.
Currently, here&rsquo;s how the projected rotation looks for Portland:
Starters: Lillard, McCollum, Powell, Covington, Nurkic
Second Unit: Anfernee Simons, McLemore, Snell, Nassir Little, Zeller
Is that enough for Portland to break through the middle of the pack in the West? Quite simply, no, it&rsquo;s not &mdash; even with the advanced metrics showing that their starting lineup was very strong. Losing to Denver the way they did helped push Lillard near his boiling point in terms of frustration, and those concerns are valid on his end. Signing three role players to bolster their second unit is nice, but it&rsquo;s not what&rsquo;s needed to really put Portland back on the map as a real threat to make a deep postseason run.
Lillard&rsquo;s longtime backcourt partner, McCollum, is the key to how Portland can necessarily retool around their disgruntled 31-year-old superstar.
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Portland&rsquo;s dynamic score-first backcourt pairing has finally run its course. Since Powell is more well-rounded, he's a better fit next to Lillard &mdash; providing stronger defense, capable playmaking and spot-up shooting. The super small-ball lineup between Lillard, McCollum and Powell will not hold up in playoff-style basketball, especially as teams out West continue to get larger. Portland now must dangle McCollum out there on the trading block to add the necessary size and versatility to keep Lillard content long-term.
What can the Blazers even get in return for McCollum, though? That&rsquo;s a tricky question, because it&rsquo;s fair to say that McCollum&rsquo;s contract doesn't have a ton of value at the moment. With three years, $100 million remaining on the deal, Portland will need to package McCollum with a future first-round pick, high-upside prospects or both to receive a difference-maker in return.
Two names stand out from the rest, in terms of fits in Portland: Ben Simmons and Pascal Siakam.
Simmons and Philadelphia seemed destined for a breakup, but Sixers GM Daryl Morey&rsquo;s asking price is astronomical (four first-round picks plus multiple players). If Portland were to flip McCollum (and other assets) to Philadelphia, Simmons arrives and helps take some pressure off of Lillard to create for others. Lillard can focus on getting buckets, while Simmons sets everything up and provides elite defense.
Although Simmons goes through terrifying moments on offense, his special blend of playmaking and on-ball defense can make up for it in the right situation. The 6-foot-10, 24-year-old point-forward can make magic happen in transition thanks to his court vision and elite athleticism. And on defense, Simmons just finished second in Defensive Player of the Year honors behind Rudy Gobert. Offering menacing perimeter defense, Simmons can freeze out top scoring guards from finding a rhythm. Also, with his size, Simmons can guard up to four positions. Simmons regaining his confidence and finding his true untapped potential seems impossible now in Philadelphia.
For Simmons and Portland, this could be the perfect marriage. Imagine a lineup featuring Lillard, Powell, Covington, Simmons and Nurkic. Although Simmons and Nurkic is a clunky fit in the frontcourt, the floor is spaced out for the Australian product to produce some damage around the rim while also helping Lillard immensely on both ends. Portland's defense has been their biggest weakness and he'd help a ton on that end of the floor too.
Portland's offer for Simmons would probably look something like McCollum, Little or Simons, plus two first-round picks. Yes, that&rsquo;s a high price to pay, but one that could help smooth things over with Lillard and give the Blazers a chance to make a leap up the Western Conference standings. It remains to be seen if Morey will budge from his asking price and accept an offer like this, but Portland has to try.
Siakam offers similar defensive versatility as Simmons, but he is more of a positive on the offensive end. The Raptors&rsquo; star would slide right into the Blazers&rsquo; lineup at power forward, allowing the Lillard-Powell backcourt to coalesce even further after promising results last season. In 56 games during the 2020-21 campaign, Siakam averaged 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game. A year prior, Siakam was a member of the All-NBA team as he grew into the No. 1 role following Kawhi Leonard&rsquo;s departure.
After Toronto drafted Florida State&rsquo;s Scottie Barnes with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, rumors started to pick up steam about Siakam potentially being shopped around to the highest bidder. Add on the Raptors also receiving another promising prospect in the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade, Precious Achiuwa, and the frontcourt's long-term vision starts to form. After Lowry&rsquo;s departure to South Beach, Toronto&rsquo;s timeline is murky. They still have Fred VanVleet, but everyone else is a strong member of their young core led by ever-improving wing OG Anunoby. Siakam can certainly still be part of Toronto&rsquo;s long-term plans, but, similar to Portland, would it be in their best interest to move off Siakam&rsquo;s contract, which has $106.4 million remaining through the 2024 season?
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Similar to the Simmons trade idea, shipping McCollum to Toronto for Siakam would be a steep price. Potentially having to include a young player (Little or Simons) plus a future first-round pick alongside McCollum would be a big step, but one that might have to occur anyways with Lillard&rsquo;s discontent.
Although the Blazers are still a strong playoff team with their current roster construction, is another middle-of-the-pack finish enough to keep Lillard long-term? Lillard has already answered that question.
&ldquo;Where we are isn&rsquo;t good enough,&rdquo; Lillard said about Portland&rsquo;s roster during Team USA&rsquo;s lead up to the Tokyo Olympics. "I just think we&rsquo;ve reached that point where it&rsquo;s like, OK, but it&rsquo;s not enough. Do we actually want to win it all? Is that what we&rsquo;re shooting for? We&rsquo;ve got to do things to show that. We&rsquo;ve got to put action behind that desire to win at that level...
"I think if you look at our team as it is going into next season, I don&rsquo;t see how you say, &lsquo;All right, this is championship team, you just need a new coach,&rsquo; when we lost in the first round to a team that was hurt."
It&rsquo;s time to make an aggressive push to keep Lillard happy, or this could get ugly by this time next year (or sooner).

Will the Portland Trail Blazers be able to keep Damian Lillard happy? Should they run it back or make a big move this offseason?

Will the Blazers make a big move to keep Damian Lillard happy?

Russell Westbrook is now a Los Angeles Laker, becoming the latest star who will don the purple and gold.
Thursday night's biggest trade featured the Washington Wizards sending Westbrook and two future second-round picks to the Lakers in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and No. 22 in the 2021 NBA Draft (which was later traded for Aaron Holiday and Isaiah Todd).
There had been rumblings that the Lakers' top priority this offseason was adding a veteran point guard (which is why they were also linked to Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry, etc.). Now, Westbrook fills that need.
Once Westbrook met with Anthony Davis and LeBron James at the latter's house two weeks ago, Los Angeles zeroed in on the nine-time All-NBA selection. The trio discussed the possibility of teaming up and what kind of sacrifices would be neccessary, according to <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2021-07-29/lakers-acquire-russell-westbrook-wizards-trade-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times</a>.
&ldquo;They talked about putting their egos aside and playing as one in their quest to bring the Lakers another NBA championship," Turner <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2021-07-29/lakers-acquire-russell-westbrook-wizards-trade-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. "James and Davis talked about the two of them changing positions if that was best for the team &mdash; James moving from small forward to power forward and Davis from power forward to center.
"Westbrook let James and Davis know he doesn&rsquo;t mind playing off the ball when James initiates the offense, something he did while playing alongside James Harden with the Houston Rockets... Westbrook talked about how his only intention was winning and coming back home to Los Angeles to become a champion."
Last season, the trio of James, Davis and Westbrook averaged a combined 69.0 points, 27.1 rebounds, 22.6 assists, 4.3 threes and 3.8 steals.&nbsp;
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As a kid in Los Angeles, Westbrook was a Lakers fan and his favorite player was Magic Johnson. He has said that his parents were even bigger fans of the Lakers than him.&nbsp;
The former MVP will earn $44,211,146 this upcoming season, and he has a player option for $47,063,478 in 2022-23. Because of his large contract, Westbrook hadn't been mentioned in many trade rumors as of late, so these talks were somewhat surprising when they were initially reported.
Westbrook and the Wizards got off to a slow start last season; however, he got much more comfortable after the All-Star break, lifting Washington into the playoffs by averaging 23.6 points, 13.1 assists, 12.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals. He looked like Vintage Russell Westbrook late in the season, breaking Oscar Robertson's career triple-double record (182) and recording 27 triple-doubles in 34 games.
The Lakers now have two players who rank top-five in NBA history in career triple-doubles &ndash; Westbrook is first (184) and James is fifth (99).
In order to improve their depth, the Lakers will likely look to sign veteran free agents who want to chase a ring and play in L.A. DeMar DeRozan has been mentioned as a possibility since he's from Compton and has said that his top priority in free agency is joining a contender. However, it remains to be seen if he's willing to take a significant paycut (since L.A. has no cap room). Carmelo Anthony, Rudy Gay and Reggie Bullock have been brought up as some other potential targets.
The Lakers will have <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/what-do-the-lakers-have-to-address-in-the-2021-nba-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some decisions to make</a> regarding their own free agents, including Talen Horton-Tucker (RFA), Dennis Schroder (UFA), Andre Drummond (UFA), Alex Caruso (UFA), Wesley Matthews (UFA), Markieff Morris (UFA), Ben McLemore (UFA) and Jared Dudley (UFA).
Entering the 2021-22 season, the Lakers' Big Three has a combined 34 All-Star appearances, 30 All-NBA selections, 10 All-Defensive Team nods, five MVPs, six All-Star Game MVPs, three scoring titles, four assist titles and three block titles.

Two weeks ago, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis and LeBron James met at the latter's house to talk about possibly teaming up.

How LeBron James, Anthony Davis recruited Russell Westbrook to Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off a disappointing first-round exit after winning the NBA championship in 2020. Injuries derailed the defending champions, who now enter the 2021 offseason with little cap flexibility and some <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/what-do-the-lakers-have-to-address-in-the-2021-nba-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">big decisions to make on key players</a> who are up for new contracts.&nbsp;
LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined will take up roughly $76.5 million of the Lakers&rsquo; salary cap space. The overall total with current contracts on the books (including player options, qualifying offers, and non-guaranteed salary) could be as high as roughly $127 million next season. Along with LeBron and Davis, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma and Marc Gasol are set to be wearing purple and gold next season.
Some key players who are free agents include: Dennis Schroder, Andre Drummond, Alex Caruso, Markieff Morris, Wesley Matthews, Ben McLemore and Talen Horton-Tucker (who will likely pass on the Lakers&rsquo; qualifying offer and become a restricted free agent). Also, Montrezl Harrell has a $9.7 million player option for next season.
While the Lakers can never be counted out as candidates to trade for a superstar, the likelihood is that&nbsp; L.A. will not be able to swing a deal for <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/damian-lillard-says-report-he-plans-to-request-a-trade-is-not-true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">someone like Damian Lillard</a> this offseason. The Lakers do not have a core of young players to throw in a trade or a stash of draft picks to barter with. With little cap flexibility, the simplest path towards filling out the roster this offseason is through re-signing the free agents from last season&rsquo;s squad. While that will not make for the most exciting offseason in Lakers&rsquo; history, it would ensure the Lakers have a baseline of talent to put around LeBron and Davis.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Perhaps the most important player for the Lakers to focus on at the beginning of free agency is Schroder. Schroder reportedly turned down a four-year, $84 million extension during the season, which indicates that he believed he could get even more from the Lakers in the offseason -- when they could offer him significantly more money.
The Lakers are in a tough spot with Schroder. The 27-year-old is reportedly looking to <a href="https://twitter.com/manuel_baraniak/status/1409976057189572611?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sign a new deal with the Lakers in the $100-$120 million range</a>. While that may seem like an absurdly high number for Schroder, the fact is that the Lakers are the only team able to pay him this much money because he has Bird Rights. The Lakers cannot pass on Schroder and try to pay another free agent with that kind of money since that player would not have Bird Rights, leaving L.A. with little cap flexibility. This gives Schroder tremendous leverage in these negotiations. With LeBron nearing the end of his career and Davis on the roster, the Lakers need to maximize their roster and compete for a championship this upcoming season, which means Schroder may in fact get his massive payday.
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Another tough question for the Lakers is what to do with Drummond. Drummond averaged 11.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1 block in 24.8 minutes per game with the team last season (21 total games). It is difficult to say whether Drummond would be a good fit alongside a healthy LeBron and AD since the three did not play in a lot of games together this season. Drummond is still relatively young (he is turning 28 in less than a month) and can produce big box score numbers. He is certainly worth bringing back for another season, but at what price?
The Lakers can only offer him 120 percent of his salary from this season, or they could offer him more money using their mid-level exception. However, considering that Drummond will be looking for more money in free agency than the Lakers can offer and that he didn&rsquo;t seem to fit particularly well on the roster, it is possible that Drummond will not be returning to Los Angeles next season.&nbsp;
The next big question for the Lakers is what will happen with Horton-Tucker. Horton-Tucker is only 20 years old (he turns 21 later this year), and has already developed into a quality player with a good amount of upside. The young wing will certainly pass on the Lakers&rsquo; qualifying offer to become a restricted free agent.
Horton-Tucker&rsquo;s situation is somewhat unique, as he only has two years of NBA experience under his belt, meaning the Lakers will have Early Bird Rights instead of full Bird Rights. This is important because it means that another team can offer Horton-Tucker a poison-pill type of contract that would boost his salary significantly in the third and fourth years of that deal; the Lakers would have a difficult decision to make on whether to match this type of offer sheet. Notably, the third year of that possible deal would fall in the 2023-24 season, which is when LeBron&rsquo;s current contract expires. It is unclear whether the Lakers want to invest a big portion of their future cap space in Horton-Tucker two years from now when James may no longer be wearing a Lakers jersey and the team may be looking to transition.
The next free agent priority for the Lakers is Caruso, a fan favorite who has developed into a quality backup guard and a particularly stingy defensive player. The Lakers want to bring Caruso back on a new deal, but Caruso has performed well enough that other teams are going to at least consider offering him a contract large enough to lure him away from Los Angeles. However, Caruso has expressed his desire to return to the Lakers, who have Bird Rights on Caruso and can offer him a significant raise over the $2.75 million he made last season.
If the Lakers manage to bring Caruso back on a new deal, it&rsquo;s possible they will look to expand his role and give him more playing time. With Caruso on a relatively small salary over the last few seasons, it was not critical for Caruso to produce big numbers with heavy minutes. But with a bloated cap sheet and a bigger salary, the Lakers may look to get more production out of Caruso if he signs a new contract with the team this offseason.
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In terms of the Lakers&rsquo; remaining key players, things become a lot simpler.
Harrell has a $9.7 million player option for next season, which means he gets to decide whether he returns to Los Angeles next season or not. Harrell was a solid contributor throughout the regular season, but his defensive limitations were once again exposed in the playoffs. This led to Frank Vogel benching Harrell in Game 2 and Game 3 in the first round against the Phoenix Suns. This may have dropped his value in free agency, enough that he will consider exercising the option and testing free agency next year. However, it would not be shocking for Harrell to test free agency again this offseason, betting on the idea that another team will ignore his playoff struggles over the last two seasons.
Harrell is still only 27 years old, so he should have a few more seasons in his athletic peak, but the back end of a long-term contract could be problematic down the road.&nbsp;
Morris is a solid forward who can spread the floor and help the Lakers, especially in small-ball lineups. Morris can be streaky in terms of his overall production, but if he is willing to come back on a relatively small deal, the Lakers will not hesitate to re-sign him.
Matthews provided the Lakers with some solid production on both ends of the court. The veteran guard is known for his defensive prowess and three-point shooting. However, Matthews is now 34 years old; we can't forget his injury history, as he suffered an Achilles tear in 2015. It is reasonable to believe that Matthews can provide more defense and three-point shooting next season, but there is always the risk that his production could plummet as he gets deeper into his NBA career.
Despite those factors, the Lakers would likely bring back Matthews back on an affordable contract if another team does not lure him away.
The Lakers could also bring back Ben McLemore on a small deal, but it&rsquo;s not clear how big of a priority he is for them this offseason. McLemore is 28 years old, still has plenty of athleticism and can score in bunches. McLemore has never rounded his game out, and it&rsquo;s unlikely that he'll have a breakout season, but he is a decent option to have at the end of a rotation.&nbsp;
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Outside of their own free agents, the Lakers will certainly look beyond last season's roster to bolster theirs for the 2021-22 campaign. The Lakers can try to make some big trades that could bring back a notable player or two by trading someone like Kuzma. While Kuzma has improved on both ends of the court over the last few seasons, it&rsquo;s no secret that his role has been unclear at various times, which <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kyle-kuzma-sounds-off-on-inconsistent-role-with-los-angeles-lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he believes has negatively impacted his production</a>. The Lakers could also engage in a sign-and-trade with one of their own free agents, but that will trigger the hard cap and would limit the team&rsquo;s flexibility, so don&rsquo;t expect that to happen unless a deal for a major player emerges.&nbsp;
The Lakers need to add more shooting around LeBron and Davis, so it&rsquo;s possible they will target someone who can spread the court with their mid-level exception.
Someone like Jeff Green could make sense for Los Angeles. Green is now 34 years old, but he shot well for the Brooklyn Nets last season (41.2% from beyond the arc), and can play as a small-ball center and defend relatively well.
The Lakers have also been linked to Spencer Dinwiddie, who has reportedly expressed his interest in signing with the purple and gold. However, Dinwiddie will <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/spencer-dinwiddie-says-5year-125-million-contract-could-keep-him-with-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">certainly wait to see what kind of offers materialize</a> before considering playing for the Lakers on a massive discount.
Also, someone like Reggie Bullock, who played for the Lakers briefly a few years ago, could add valuable shooting from the wing on an affordable deal.&nbsp;
The Lakers face a somewhat challenging offseason. The franchise always looks to get involved in deals for star players, but without a war chest of tradeable young players and draft picks, it is more likely the Lakers will have to focus on bringing back their own players and rounding out the roster with a few free agents that can be had on bargain contracts.

Jesse Blancarte goes over what moves could be coming next for the Lakers, who could return, who could make sense to add and more.

Without many assets, the Lakers face a somewhat challenging offseason

A mere 236 days ago, the Los Angeles Lakers hoisted their 17th NBA title in Orlando. But fast-forward eight months later, and things feel hollow in Hollywood.
The No. 7 seed Lakers lost in six games to the Suns with the final dagger coming last night, and even with LeBron James on the court, yesterday's outcome never seemed in doubt. Phoenix led by as much as 29 points, and never let the margin slim to single digits in the second half.
Anthony Davis left early in the contest after <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/irresponsible-los-angeles-lakers-medical-team-anthony-davis-robert-griffin-iii-team-doctors-second-opinion-athlete-injuries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attempting to play through a groin strain</a>. James' impact waxed and waned throughout the night. L.A.'s supporting cast failed to step up. Now, for just the second time in 16 years, a James-led squad will watch the NBA conference semifinals from the couch.
Suddenly, the 2021 offseason looms large for a team hampered by injuries and inconsistency. Los Angeles must take stock of a number of key free agents, and decide whether to keep continuity or start fresh behind its two stars. Here's a quick primer on the Lakers' offseason itinerary:
<h3 style="text-align: left;">NBA Draft</h3>
The Lakers own the 22nd pick in the NBA Draft. As it stands currently, this would be the franchise's highest draft spot since selecting Lonzo Ball second overall back in 2017. L.A. hasn't made a pick in the first round since picking Moritz Wagner with the No. 25 overall choice in 2018.
Rob Pelinka and the front office will have to decide whether to use the pick on a rotation-ready player, a developmental talent similar to Talen Horton-Tucker or as a trade asset.&nbsp;
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">Free Agency</h3>
With seven players entering unrestricted free agency and one restricted free agent, <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/yearly/cap/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Spotrac</a>, the Lakers are in a pivotal year for roster construction. Among the free agents are:
Talen Horton-Tucker (RFA) --&nbsp;The lone restricted free agent, Horton-Tucker showed flashes of a strong, versatile scorer in his second year. The 20-year-old averaged 9.0 points, 2.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds across 65 contests as a bench piece. His best performance came May 12 against Houston, when Horton-Tucker put up 23 points and 10 rebounds in a victory. He's one of the few true "prospects" on the team, but could be in line for a serious pay raise if another team wants to squeeze the Lakers.
Dennis Schroder (UFA)&nbsp;-- Schroder averaged 15.4 points and 5.8 assists per game as L.A.'s starting point guard in the regular season, but went remarkably cold as the playoffs wore on. The 27-year-old reportedly <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2021/03/30/report-dennis-schroder-rejected-four-year-84m-contract-extension-from-lakers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turned down a 4-year extension worth $84 million</a> back in March. It remains to be seen what Schroder wants as a free agent, and if the Lakers still wish to give him that kind of money in an extension.
Andre Drummond (UFA) -- As a prime buyout acquisition who fell out of L.A.'s rotation in the playoffs, Drummond sits in limbo. He's still one of the league's best rebounders (10.2 per game with the Lakers), but struggled mightily with efficiency and turnovers at the center spot. The team must decide if he's earned at least another offseason to help <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/andre-drummond-simplifying-the-game-producing-for-los-angeles-lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acclimate with the roster</a>.
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Alex Caruso (UFA)&nbsp;-- The 27-year-old emerged as one of the team's best 3-and-D complements. Caruso played in 61 games, made over 40% of his three-point attempts and was one of the few bright spots during some of L.A.'s rough patches in the spring. He made just $2.75 million this past season, and will assuredly receive more lucrative offers as a free agent.
Wesley Matthews (UFA) --&nbsp;Matthews helped the Lakers become the league's best defensive team with his chops on the perimeter. But a 51.7% True Shooting Percentage was a career low for the veteran shooting guard, and he made just 10 of 33 playoff field goal attempts. The 33-year-old made $3.6 million in 2020-21 and should be valued by contending teams.
Markieff Morris (UFA) --&nbsp;In his second year with the purple &amp; gold, Morris dealt with shooting inconsistencies, hitting on just 31.1% of his threes. He averaged 9.5 minutes per game in the playoffs, and made a tad over $1.6 million this past season.
Ben McLemore (UFA)&nbsp;-- The Lakers signed McLemore in April after he was waived by the Houston Rockets, and the former 2013 lottery pick mostly contributed as a bench scoring spark. He played only 36 minutes in the postseason, making two of his nine field goal attempts.&nbsp;
Jared Dudley (UFA)&nbsp;-- At this stage of his career, Dudley's primary value comes from his voice in the locker room. The 35-year-old played just 12 games in the regular season and five total playoff minutes as a reserve.
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">Salary Cap Outlook</h3>
To be frank: the Lakers have no cap space. According to the <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/cap/2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data at Spotrac</a>, Los Angeles will be shelling out over $116 million next season to LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell (player option), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Marc Gasol and Alfonzo McKinnie (non-guaranteed). And the franchise still has to pay Luol Deng $5 million in dead cap money after stretching his deal years ago.
Theoretically, the Lakers could nix McKinnie's non-guaranteed deal worth $1.9 million and hope Harrell declines his $9.7 million player option. That could put the team a hair under the estimated $112 million salary cap -- assuming they also renounce every other free agent mentioned above. The chances of all of those things happening seem pretty low, though.
Essentially, Hollywood cannot spend Hollywood money this year to mix up its roster. The Lakers will have to be cunning on the trade market, pick up veterans on minimum deals and navigate any mid-level exception contracts.&nbsp;
It's been a challenging year for the Lakers, who were faced with the shortest offseason in the NBA before opening 2020-21 as the defending champs.
But with the wound of a first-round loss still fresh, the hard work has only just begun.

The Lakers have eight potential free agents and the No. 22 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Ethan Fuller breaks down the decisions that must be made.