New York Knicks

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The 2023-2024 NBA season has wrapped up and the race for the league&rsquo;s annual awards has officially ended. Here&rsquo;s a look at my picks of the NBA's award winners.
Most Improved Player: Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
(Runner-ups: Coby White, Jalen Johnson)
Notes: In the end, Tyrese Maxey takes the award with the amount of burden and responsibility in a Philadelphia team reeling from the loss of James Harden to become a true No. 2 option behind reigning MVP Joel Embiid. White improved a lot this year, increasing his averages both numbers and his shooting percentages. Johnson, like White, has also increased his usage and averages by a lot, featuring as the third option behind DeJounte Murray and Trae Young, or even as the second option without one of those two. A jumbo playmaking forward, Johnson showed improvements in his playmaking as well as his ability to score and had increased numbers in shooting as well. Ultimately, Maxey wins this award out because he was a guy who increased his usage and his role while playing most of the season without Embiid.
Sixth Man of the Year: Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves
(Runner-ups: Malik Monk, Bobby Portis)
Notes: Naz Reid has been the best player off the bench this season with the way he has been an offensive spark plug for the Timberwolves this season. He&rsquo;s had a phenomenal season, and he had to start and fill in for Karl-Anthony Towns when he went down while still being an efficient scorer as he is. If you factor in all the stuff for these awards, you could actually make a case for Monk, for Portis, maybe even guys like Norman Powell for the Clippers and Bogdan Bogdanovic for the Hawks. But with Minnesota going 56-26 and having the second most wins in franchise history &ndash; ultimately ending up atop the three best teams in the West, this gives a little bit of boost to Naz Reid due to his importance to the team.
Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
(Runner-ups: Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis; Honorable mention: Bam Adebayo)
Notes: One of the hardest awards to figure out. Minnesota had the best defense in the league for a reason, and based on that Rudy Gobert would be a deserving winner of the award. When he&rsquo;s off the floor, the team does not perform defensively the way it does when Gobert is on the floor. This was hard because Wembanyama had a legitimate case, being the generational defender that he was. Davis also had a strong case with how he carried single-handedly the Lakers&rsquo; defense, while Adebayo had the immense burden of playing all the defensive schemes in Miami. Ultimately, it ended up with Gobert with the way he lifted a good defensive team to the best in the league, manning that paint and being that anchor that holds all of the pieces together.
All-Defensive Team:
1st Team - Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, Herb Jones
2nd Team - Derrick White, Jalen Suggs, Jaden McDaniels, Alex Caruso, Jonathan Isaac
Notes: Starting this year, the NBA&rsquo;s All-NBA teams and defensive teams were positionless so I had to cheat a little bit here, putting 4 bigs in the 1st team. Gobert, Wembanyama, Davis, and Adebayo are no-brainers considering their defensive impact for each of their teams, while Jones takes the last spot in the 1st team for his ability to disrupt offenses as well as guarding each team&rsquo;s best player night in and night out for the Pelicans.&nbsp;
The second team features White (most blocks for a guard), Suggs and Isaac (best defensive players for the 4th best defense in the league, helping to lead the Magic back to the playoffs), McDaniels (best wing defender for the best defense in the league), and the perennial all-defense player Caruso who brings it in defensively every game.
Rookie of the Year: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
(Runner-up: Chet Holmgren)
Notes: Despite Holmgren having far and away the better team success, there&rsquo;s no denying Wembanyama&rsquo;s greatness in his rookie year. The French phenom has transcended the game both figuratively and on the eye test &ndash; he is simply a generational talent who is going to take over the league soon. Holmgren got off to a hot start in the first two months of the season but since January, Wembanyama has locked up the award for himself with out-of-the-world numbers for a rookie. He was dubbed as the best prospect since LeBron James and now he is well on his way to being one of the greatest of all time if he remains healthy after a historic rookie season.
All-Rookie Team:
1st Team - Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Brandon Miller, Jaime Jaquez Jr., GG Jackson
2nd Team - Ausar Thompson, Amen Thompson, Keyonte George, Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis
Notes: There were several names to choose from here, and it felt hard to cut some of them here. Jordan Hawkins of the Pelicans has had a good start to the year when the team had all those injuries paving the way for him to play early into the season but has seen the bench since as NOLA got healthier and players came back; Cason Wallace had such a good shooting year off the bench for the No.1 seeded Thunder despite shooting being labeled by scouts as his biggest weakness coming into the NBA; Dereck Lively II being center that Luka Doncic needed and fit well with by catching all those lobs and helping the Mavs&rsquo; defense this season big time; No.2 overall pick Scoot Henderson had a good close to his rookie year.
All in all, these 10 rookies have felt like the best rookies in terms of production, opportunity, and narratives surrounding them. Of course, Wembanyama and Holmgren are automatic locks; Miller has been the best player in Charlotte without LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams; Jaquez is a vital piece off the bench for Erik Spoelstra&rsquo;s playoff-bound Heat team; and GG Jackson becoming a legit NBA scorer despite being the youngest player in the league to round out the first team.
The Thompson twins have just been defensive monsters ever since stepping foot in the league; George playing point guard at Utah has turned some heads and he has stepped up with the opportunity given to him; while Podziemski and Jackson-Davis have arguably been rotational pieces to the Warriors despite being rookies and has contributed a lot to them finding a way to fit in a complex team.
Coach of the Year: Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder
(Runner-ups: Chris Finch, Jamahl Mosley)
Notes: There have been so many good coaches this season that have elevated their teams to good records, say Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets and Tom Thibodeau from the New York Knicks. But my Coach of the Year pick goes to Mark Daigneault of the OKC Thunder because this award tends to favor the expectations set for a team before the start of the season. The Thunder weren&rsquo;t supposed to be this good this season, but Daigneault catapulted them into one of the best teams not just in the West but the entire NBA. The evidence is written on the wall: No.1 in the West despite being the second youngest team in the league; having a top 5 ranking on both offense and defense and no.2 overall net rating. Finch and Mosley take the runner-up spots with the work they had to lift both the Timberwolves and the Magic to being top 4 seeds in their conferences as well as having top-rated defenses in the league.
Clutch Player of the Year: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
(Runner-ups: DeMar DeRozan, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)
Notes: Another tough and close race, but ultimately it goes to Curry. Despite the Warriors&rsquo; so-so record, Curry had the most clutch time points, shot 50% from the field, and 46% from three in clutch time. Curry had the most threes than anyone in crunch time &ndash; being just the incredible clutch-time performer that he is &ndash; and always been.
All-NBA Team:
1st Team - Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum
2nd Team - Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James
3rd Team - Stephen Curry, Domantas Sabonis, Kawhi Leonard, Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton
Notes: With Jalen Brunson carrying the Knicks to a second seed in the East playing without Julius Randle since January, it was incredibly hard to leave him off the 1st team. However, by the slightest of margins, I gave the nod to Tatum for being the best player on the best team in the league by a wide margin.
All the other picks were pretty explanatory, with the top 4 in the MVP race in Jokic, Doncic, SGA, and Giannis all expected to be first-teamers. The second team kind of got tougher besides Brunson, with legends Durant and James making the list because of the seasons they had leading their team as well as playing their most regular season game in years. Rounding out the second team were Edwards and Davis, two stars with the biggest impacts on their teams in the tough Western Conference.
The third team is actually a toss-up with a lot of good cases from the league all around, but ultimately I went with Curry, Sabonis, Leonard, Booker, and Haliburton.
Most Valuable Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander&nbsp;
(Runners-up: Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic; Honorable mention: Giannis Antetokounmpo)
Perhaps the closest race out of all the awards, all three players here are each deserving with their narratives and the numbers that support each of their cases. You can never go wrong picking one over the other, so it came down to personal opinion on who I thought had the strongest case this season. His case?
-Leading the second youngest team in the league to No.1 in the West
-3-1 series vs Denver
-3-1 series vs Dallas
-First player since Steph and MJ to average 30/5/5 in a season with 2+ steals
-Second in defensive net rating for guards
One could make the argument for Nikola Jokic being the best player in the world having better numbers than his two MVP seasons while Luka Doncic had one of the best seasons statistically in all facets of the game, but there&rsquo;s no denying SGA&rsquo;s strong case as well given the expectations for this young Thunder team.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is my MVP.

The 2023-2024 NBA season has wrapped up and the race for the league’s annual awards has officially ended.

OPINION: Picking the 2023-2024 NBA Awards winners

After months of scrolling through countless Damian Lillard trade rumors, the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bucks-shock-nba-world-by-acquiring-damian-lillard-in-blockbuster-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news finally broke</a> on Wednesday afternoon that the Portland Trail Blazers' long-time franchise cornerstone was headed to the Milwaukee Bucks. In one of the more surprising blockbuster trades in recent memory, the seven-time All-Star guard will pair with Giannis Antetokounmpo to form one of the best duos in the league.&nbsp;
Now, the new big fish in the trade market is none other than the player Lillard was dealt for: Jrue Holiday. The Blazers' return featured Holiday, former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns second-rounder Toumani Camara, an unprotected Bucks 2029 first-rounder, and 2028 and 2030 first-round pick swaps from Milwaukee. The circumstances of Lillard&rsquo;s trade request and his desire to be dealt specifically to the Miami Heat dampened his trade value, but the Blazers were able to come away with a &ldquo;palatable&rdquo; return.
 However, Holiday is unlikely to stay in Portland for long as he does not fit their rebuilding timeline around core players Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1707100851880259810" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN&rsquo;s Bobby Marks</a> graded Portland&rsquo;s trade return as &ldquo;incomplete&rdquo; pending the potential assets the team receives for Holiday when they flip him.
Many contending teams are reportedly rushing to the phones to make moves in reaction to the Lillard blockbuster, with several expressing serious interest in Holiday. These possible suitors include the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers and Heat. Teams must factor in Holiday's potential free agency next summer and the possibility of signing him to a long-term extension, which he becomes eligible for on Feb. 22. Perhaps the Blazers will have some urgency to deal Holiday prior to Media Day on Oct. 2 in order to avoid questions and logistics about bringing him in for training camp.&nbsp;
For any team over the luxury-tax apron ($171,294,000) to trade for Holiday, they need to trade away at least $33,175,536 (90% of Holiday&rsquo;s 2023-24 salary) in salaries in order to legally execute a trade. The rest of the league will only need to send out $27,646,280 (75% of Holiday&rsquo;s 2023-24 salary) in order to make a deal.&nbsp;
Another important CBA note with any Holiday trade is that his $36,861,707 salary cannot be aggregated with other contracts for two months. While Holiday is still eligible to be immediately rerouted elsewhere, he cannot be traded with other players. For example, just a few months back, Chris Paul was traded to the Washington Wizards and then quickly rerouted in a separate deal to Golden State. Because Paul was the only salary going back to the Warriors, he was legally allowed to be traded. This must be taken into consideration when proposing potential trade ideas.
With Holiday potentially on the move in the coming days, let&rsquo;s take a look at some potential deals for the 33-year-old.
Realistic Trade Destinations
BOSTON CELTICS
Celtics receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Al Horford, Dalano Banton (salary guarantee increased to $1,009,853 to satisfy trade rules), 2024 GSW top-4 protected first-round pick, 2025 BOS first-round pick, 2026 BOS first-round pick swap, 2024 CHI/DAL/NO (most favorable) second-round pick, 2026 MIN/NO/NYK/POR (most favorable) second-round pick
By trading away Marcus Smart this summer, the Celtics lost the key cog to their juggernaut defense. Despite not having a Defensive Player of the Year award, Holiday would probably serve as an upgrade to Smart on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor, helping the Celtics compete against the new-look Bucks in the East. If they wish to enter the Holiday sweepstakes, they would need to trade Malcolm Brogdon ($22,500,000), whom they were close to dealing to the Clippers in July. Along with Brogdon, they would have to sacrifice either Al Horford ($10,000,000) or Robert Williams III ($11,571,429) to make the salaries work. They have all of their own draft picks to trade as well as the Golden State Warriors' pick in 2024, which they got from the Smart trade.
MIAMI HEAT
Heat receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: Kyle Lowry, Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, 2027 MIA first-round pick, 2029 MIA top-14 protected first-round pick, 2028 MIA first-round pick swap, 2024 MIA top-50 protected second-round pick, 2026 LAL second-round pick, 2027 HOU/IND/MIA/OKC/SA (least favorable) second-round pick
Missing out once again in their pursuit of a star third option to pair with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, Miami could use an upgrade like Holiday to their seemingly incomplete roster. Holiday would provide a must-needed scoring punch and would fit seamlessly in Miami&rsquo;s hard-working culture. While their Lillard trade package was highlighted by Tyler Herro, they likely wouldn&rsquo;t use him in any trade for Holiday. Their salary going out in a deal would come from Kyle Lowry&rsquo;s expiring salary ($29,682,540) and some combination of younger players like Jaime Jaquez Jr. ($3,510,533), Nikola Jovic ($2,352,000) and Haywood Highsmith ($1,902,137). While they are somewhat restricted in terms of draft assets, they can offer up to three first-round picks if they amend their 2025 first-round pick they owe the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have three second-rounders to offer as well.&nbsp;
NEW YORK KNICKS
Knicks receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: RJ Barrett, Reggie Bullock, Khem Birch, 2024 DAL top-10 protected first-round pick, 2024 DET top-18 protected first-round pick, 2024 WAS top-12 protected first-round pick
Spurs receive: Evan Fournier, 2026 MEM top-42 protected second-round pick, 2027 NO/POR (less favorable) second-round pick
The Knicks may be holding out for when the next superstar &ndash; i.e. Joel Embiid, Donovan Mitchell or Giannis Antetokounmpo (although maybe not anymore?) &ndash; asks for a trade. While New York may be focused on further down the line, acquiring a player like Holiday could allow them to boost their roster right now without giving up enough capital to harm their future superstar pursuits. A Knicks trade that would not harm their trove of draft assets would have to send out RJ Barrett ($23,883,929), who potentially fits Portland&rsquo;s rebuilding timeline. Jrue could line up as the team&rsquo;s starting shooting guard alongside Jalen Brunson, while Josh Hart would play more minutes at small forward to mitigate the loss of Barrett. Evan Fournier&rsquo;s large salary ($18,857,143) would also have to be in any deal for the Knicks to take in Holiday. Portland wouldn&rsquo;t want to acquire both Fournier and Barrett as that would push them over the luxury tax, therefore they would likely route Fournier to another team (like San Antonio).
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Clippers receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: Marcus Morris Sr., Robert Covington, Amir Coffey, Jason Preston (salary fully guaranteed), 2028 LAC first-round pick, 2030 LAC first-round pick, 2029 LAC first-round pick swap
The Clippers may have been given an olive branch with a player like Jrue Holiday becoming available, as he's an impact player at a price they can afford. It also provides an alternative for the Clippers to land a third star while avoiding the potential drama/issues that could come with acquiring a player like James Harden. The Clippers have a lot of high-salary veterans they could use to get to Holiday&rsquo;s number like Norman Powell ($18,000,000), Marcus Morris Sr. ($17,116,279), Nicolas Batum ($11,710,818) and Robert Covington ($11,692,308). They would probably like to keep Terance Mann, who they seem to not want to include in a potential Harden trade, although his $10,576,923 could be useful. Portland could view their unprotected picks in 2028 and 2030 as some of the best draft assets they could receive due to their aging stars and lack of postseason success.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
76ers receive: Jrue Holiday
Clippers receive: James Harden, 2024 NYK second-round pick, 2029 PHI second-round pick, 2030 PHI second-round pick
Trail Blazers receive: Marcus Morris Sr., Robert Covington, Amir Coffey, Jason Preston (salary fully guaranteed to satisfy trade rules), 2028 LAC first-round pick, 2029 PHI first-round pick, 2029 LAC first-round pick swap
Amidst the James Harden debacle, Daryl Morey has remained steadfast in getting a formidable return if they choose to trade the disgruntled All-Star. A reunion with Jrue Holiday, who played in Philadelphia from 2009 to 2013, certainly should get Morey and the Sixers' attention. Holiday would certainly upgrade their defense while being a good support and influence on Tyrese Maxey. The Trail Blazers would have little interest in taking a direct package from Philadelphia, which would almost certainly be headlined by Harden ($35,640,000). Harden's desired destination, the Clippers, should still be interested in acquiring him, but may be more interested in trading for Holiday directly. Portland would likely get a similar package to what they would receive if they traded directly with the Clippers, potentially leaving Philadelphia out to dry. The Sixers would have to incentivize the Clippers by trading some draft capital to take Harden instead of Holiday.
Honorable Mentions
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
The Warriors are a logical Holiday destination in terms of fit and trade assets. A trade package would have to send the newly acquired Chris Paul back to Portland or a third team along with a young player like Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody or Brandin Podziemski, plus a draft pick. Given that coach Steve Kerr has talked all summer about bringing Paul into the fold, it would be pretty surprising if the team pivoted from the future Hall-of-Famer just before training camp. If the Warriors do choose to jump in the Holiday waters, they could quickly move to the front of the line.&nbsp;
TORONTO RAPTORS
Toronto was considered the favorite to acquire Lillard at one point, with a package that was likely headlined by OG Anunoby and draft assets. In order to acquire Holiday, they would need to use a similar package, albeit with less draft capital involved. It seems as though the Raptors were being coy about potentially dealing Anunoby for Lillard, according to <a href="https://torontosun.com/sports/basketball/nba/toronto-raptors/options-for-raptors-with-damian-lillard-trade-dream-done" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun</a>. If Masai Ujiri was unwilling to include Anunoby in trade discussions before, it&rsquo;s unlikely he will do so for a player like Holiday.&nbsp;
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
Holiday would be a near perfect fit alongside Anthony Edwards in the Wolves' backcourt and would greatly improve their defense. However, Minnesota simply doesn&rsquo;t have the right salaries or draft assets to realistically get to Holiday&rsquo;s number unless they are willing to part ways with Karl-Anthony Towns. Even if Tim Connelly was willing to deal Towns for Holiday, the trade may not be what Portland is looking for with the 2015 No. 1 overall pick&rsquo;s five-year supermax extension beginning next season. The idea of paying supermax money to Towns will likely be a turn off for Blazers GM Joe Cronin.
ORLANDO MAGIC
Orlando is probably the most fun dark-horse destination for Jrue. While Markelle Fultz has been a suitable lead guard when healthy, Holiday would bring a championship-level veteran presence that could be useful for Orlando&rsquo;s young squad. The question with the Magic is whether they would actually pursue a deal that would accelerate their timeline with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, as well as whether they would part with draft capital that they could potentially use down the line in future trades.

With the Blazers looking to flip Jrue Holiday, Blake Stern breaks down several teams that make sense as a trade suitor.

NBA trade rumors: Examining potential destinations for Jrue Holiday

Most NBA teams have a young core of some sort, but some are better than others.
Each year, teams try to add to their young nucleus through the draft. The 2023 NBA Draft just featured the most highly-anticipated prospect since LeBron James in Victor Wembanyama, plus a number of other talented rookies like Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller and the Thompson twins.
Entering the 2023-24 season, which team has the best young core? Today, we'll rank the five best cores from around the league. The criteria is simple: players must be age-25 or younger to be considered.
5. Orlando Magic&nbsp;
The Magic landed young star Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 overall pick last season, pairing him with 2021 lottery pick Franz Wagner to form a nice one-two punch. Cole Anthony had high expectations entering the league, but he hasn't quite become the player that fans wanted him to be. One player who has exceeded expectations is Wendell Carter Jr. After a shaky start to his career with the Chicago Bulls, Carter has found his place on the Magic and is considered one of the better young starting centers in the NBA. He isn't the only player who turned his career around after landing in Orlando, as Markelle Fultz is playing his best basketball and has a nice redemption story of his own. Other young players who have an opportunity to make an impact going forward are Orlando's recent lottery picks Anthony Black and Jett Howard, both of whom are 19 years old. Orlando has consistently been one of the worst teams in the league for several years now and while their rebuilding roster is solid, it isn&rsquo;t quite as good or enticing as some of the other teams on our list.
Notable Players: Paolo Banchero (20), Franz Wagner (23), Wendell Carter Jr. (24), Anthony Black (19), Jett Howard (19), Markelle Fultz (25), Cole Anthony (23), Jalen Suggs (21), Jonathan Isaac (25), Caleb Houstan (20)
4. New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans are the only young core on this list with postseason experience, as they made the playoffs in 2021-22 and made the play-in tournament last season. Their young core is largely carried by four players: Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones. Ingram has become a terrific scorer, and he's coming off a season in which he averaged career-highs in points (24.7) and assists (5.8). While Williamson has been one of the best players in the NBA when healthy, we haven&rsquo;t seen him on the court very much since he was drafted in 2019. Murphy is a terrific shooter and Jones has had a very solid start to his career as well, making a name for himself as a lockdown perimeter defender. New Orleans has a few other young players with potential including Dyson Daniels, Jordan Hawkins and Kira Lewis Jr., but they have yet to prove themselves. Ingram, Williamson, Murphy and Jones are the main reason why the Pelicans are ranked here.
Notable Players: Brandon Ingram (25), Zion Williamson (23), Trey Murphy III (23), Herb Jones (24), Dyson Daniels (20), Jordan Hawkins (21), Kira Lewis Jr. (22)
3. Houston Rockets
The Rockets have one of the more underrated young cores in the NBA, as their lack of success has prevented them from getting much recognition. Fortunately for the Rockets, their main issue has been lack of experience, and the team addressed it this offseason. They had money to spend and they brought in some veterans to help lead the team, most notably Fred VanVleet. That said, their young core is still extremely talented and got even better through this year&rsquo;s draft. The key for this Rockets team to succeed is to make sure these young players continue to develop at a high rate, which is where new head coach Ime Udoka and his staff come in. They have multiple players on their roster with All-Star potential, and it's possible they'll compete for a play-in spot by the end of the season.
Notable Players: Jalen Green (21), Jabari Smith (20), Alperen Sengun (21), Amen Thompson (20), Tari Eason (22), Kevin Porter Jr. (23), Cam Whitmore (19)
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/vw2.jpg" alt="" width="711" height="400" />
2. San Antonio Spurs&nbsp;
The Spurs undoubtedly have one of the NBA's best young cores. No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama has made San Antonio the team to watch this season. That said, they likely won&rsquo;t be a playoff team for at least another year. While it's possible that they'll shock everyone, it will be difficult for Wembanyama to lead them to the postseason as a rookie. He will likely need at least a year to adjust to the NBA and develop before taking that next leap in his career. Wembanyama isn&rsquo;t the only young star on the Spurs, as they have already started developing fellow cornerstones Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson, who have made quite an impression. Throw in Tre Jones, Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham, Romeo Langford and Blake Wesley, and it's clear why the Spurs are this high. Other young players who have shown promise are Charles Bassey and Julian Champagnie, both of whom came over from the Philadelphia 76ers&rsquo; organization. These two players have displayed a ton of potential, particularly in the G League and Summer League, and they could be solid contributors for years to come.&nbsp;
Notable Players: Victor Wembanyama (19), Keldon Johnson (23), Tre Jones (23), Devin Vassell (22), Jeremy Sochan (20), Malaki Branham (20), Romeo Langford (23), Zach Collins (25), Blake Wesley (20), Julian Champagnie (22), Charles Bassey (22), Dominick Barlow (20), Sandro Mamukelashvili (24)
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Spurs were a hard core to beat but, to nobody&rsquo;s surprise, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the best young core in the NBA. Not only do they have the youngest starting lineup in the league, it is filled with young stars. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as one of the best guards in the league, while Josh Giddey and Rookie-of-the-Year runner-up Jalen Williams just had a terrific season. Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 overall pick in last year's draft, hasn't played yet but he will undoubtedly make an immediate impact and could give OKC a Rookie-of-the-Year finalist for the second year in a row. Despite how young the Thunder are, they could make a serious playoff push this season, with Shai at the steering wheel. Perhaps what's scariest about the Thunder is that they have 35 draft picks over the next seven years, including 15 first-rounders, so their already-impressive young core is still a work in progress.
Notable Players: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (25), Chet Holmgren (21), Josh Giddey (20), Jalen Williams (22), Cason Wallace (19), Luguentz Dort (24), Aleksej Pokusevski (21), Isaiah Joe (24), Tre Mann (22), Jaylin Williams (21), Ousmane Dieng (20), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (22), Keyontae Johnson (23)

Entering the 2023-24 season, which NBA teams have the best young core? Hunter Simpson ranks the best cores from around the league.

Ranking the NBA's top-5 young cores entering the 2023-24 season

Stephen Curry scored 36 points, Kevon Looney matched his career high with 20 rebounds to go with nine assists, and the Golden State Warriors got right back in their first-round playoff series by thumping the Sacramento Kings 114-97 in Game 3 on Thursday night to pull within 2-1.
As suspended star Draymond Green watched from home, the defending champions dominated without him as they have done so many times before. The fiery forward was suspended without pay for stepping on the chest of Domantas Sabonis in the fourth quarter of Monday's Game 2 at Golden 1 Center. The Warriors also were without key defensive stopper Gary Payton II after the guard became ill Wednesday.
Curry shot 12 for 25 with six 3s while Andrew Wiggins added 20 points and seven rebounds for the Warriors, who never trailed and will now try to even the best-of-seven series in Game 4 on Sunday back on their home court at Chase Center.
Sabonis, who grabbed Green's foot during the play in question, was booed at every chance. The big man underwent tests that revealed a bruised sternum but was able to practice Wednesday and cleared to play. He had 14 rebounds by halftime and 16 total to go with 15 points. But Golden State's smothering interior defense led to some spectacular plays on offense.
De&rsquo;Aaron Fox was 5 for 14 in the first half for 12 points but finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Kings. Fox scored 62 in the first two games.
Jordan Poole &mdash; playing on a tender left ankle &mdash; started in Green&rsquo;s place and had 16 points and five rebounds, while the Warriors also counted on contributions from Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Donte DiVincenzo.
Looney, who led the NBA in offensive rebounds and played in his 218th straight game, corralled a key board from the offensive glass that led to Curry's 3 to beat the halftime buzzer and make it a double-digit Warriors lead at 53-41.
Harrison Barnes added 17 points against his old team for Sacramento, whose fans were told to leave those noisy cowbells at home because they're banned at Chase Center. Warriors fans were raucous in their own right sporting yellow &ldquo;Gold Blooded&rdquo; t-shirts and pounding Thunderstix.
Leading into Game 3, Golden State coach Steve Kerr shared with the team his favorite John Wooden quote of all time: &ldquo;Be quick, but don&rsquo;t hurry.&rdquo; That&rsquo;s a mantra he challenged the Warriors to use to take better shots and be more careful with the ball to limit turnovers.
He felt the Warriors had been in a hurry and committing unforced turnovers, rushed to make a play.
They seemed like their old selves in this one.
NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown, who received a shipment of new Vans sneakers, warned of what might happen if his team let down even in the slightest: &ldquo;If we&rsquo;re overconfident we&rsquo;re going to get our behinds handed to us because these guys are champions.&rdquo;
Curry and Co. made sure of that.
E-40 IS BACK
Rapper E-40 returned courtside for Game 3 fashionably late and fashionable.
The hip-hop star whose real name is Earl Stevens alleged &ldquo;racial bias&rdquo; after being kicked out of Game 1 at Sacramento's Golden 1 Center. He and the Kings put out a joint statement Wednesday explaining there was a &lsquo;miscommunication&rsquo; and said it was an &ldquo;unfortunate misunderstanding&rdquo; between both parties.
&ldquo;We're OK, can't complain,&rdquo; he said Thursday of being satisfied with the Kings' response.
Curry and E-40 shared a celebratory embrace shortly after the final buzzer as Curry made his way to the tunnel.
TIP-INS
Kings: The Kings were outrebounded 60-53. ... Sacramento shot 11 for 46 on 3s. ... The Kings made it to the free-throw line just eight times in the initial two quarters and 23 for the game.
Warriors: Wiggins had a memorable second-quarter sequence with a block then 3-pointer moments later. ... Moody had a three-point play and dunk over a sizzling 38-second stretch late in the third putting Golden State up 76-63 and finished with 13 points. ... In a quiet outing, Klay Thompson had 13 points on 5-for-15 shooting but hit two timely shots down the stretch.

The Golden State Warriors got right back in their first-round playoff series by thumping the Sacramento Kings 114-97 in Game 3.

Curry scores 36 points, Warriors beat Kings 114-97 without Green

While NBA teams are looking ahead to the upcoming draft with much anticipation, that doesn&rsquo;t necessarily mean the incoming freshman class of college basketball players is any better than usual.
The fact of the matter is that the top 2023 draft prospects aren&rsquo;t playing college basketball.
That goes for Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 French phenom who almost certainly will be selected No. 1 overall. The same is true of Scoot Henderson, who plays for the G League Ignite and is generally rated just behind Wembanyama.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a chance conceivably that a college player might not even get taken in the top five,&rdquo; said Eric Bossi, the director of basketball for 247Sports.
Indeed, ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony released a mock draft last month that was headed by three guys who aren&rsquo;t playing college basketball: Wembanyama, Henderson and Amen Thompson of Overtime Elite, a new basketball league that offers training and a salary for pro prospects willing to forfeit their college eligibility. Givony did have Arkansas freshman Nick Smith Jr. going fourth.
Even though they might not get taken at the top of next year&rsquo;s draft, plenty of exciting freshmen are ready to make an impact this season. Duke coach Jon Scheyer is beginning his career with the nation&rsquo;s top-ranked recruiting class according to composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports.
The seventh-ranked Blue Devils signed five of the nation&rsquo;s top 27 recruits in this class: Dereck Lively (No. 1), Dariq Whitehead (No. 2) and Kyle Filipowski (No. 4), Mark Mitchell (No. 22) and Tyrese Proctor (No. 27). Mitchell scored 15 points and Filipowski and Proctor had seven each Wednesday in the seventh-ranked Blue Devils&rsquo; 82-45 exhibition victory over Fayetteville State.
Lively and Whitehead didn&rsquo;t play in that game as they recover from injuries.
&ldquo;Dariq definitely won&rsquo;t play Monday,&rdquo; Scheyer said, referring to Duke&rsquo;s regular-season opener against Jacksonville. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s still a couple of weeks away. With Dereck, he&rsquo;s still day-to-day. He&rsquo;s been really ramping up. I think the big thing for both of those guys is not just being completely healthy, which they&rsquo;re right there. But you have to build up your game shape again, and we don&rsquo;t want to put them out too early at all.&rdquo;
Here&rsquo;s a look at some freshmen who could have big seasons.
AMARI BAILEY, UCLA
This 6-foot-5 guard is from Chicago but actually played high school basketball at Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth, California. He&rsquo;s ranked ninth in his class according to the 247Sports Composite. He started and had six points and eight rebounds in UCLA&rsquo;s exhibition victory over Concordia on Wednesday. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve got two guys that are rock solid they can count on in Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jaquez, but they really need a third guy to step up and be a threat on a nightly basis,&rdquo; Bossi said. &ldquo;Bailey&rsquo;s the right kind of guy.&rdquo;
KEYONTE GEORGE, BAYLOR
Big 12 coaches made their expectations for George clear when they named him the conference&rsquo;s preseason freshman of the year. The 6-4 guard averaged 22.8 points for Baylor this summer at the GLOBL JAM international tournament. George is from Lewisville, Texas, but played for IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He&rsquo;s ranked seventh in the 247Sports Composite.
GG JACKSON, SOUTH CAROLINA
Jackson was regarded as the nation&rsquo;s No. 1 prospect until he decided to reclassify and enter college a year early. Jackson had been committed to North Carolina until he reclassified and opted to enroll at South Carolina. The 6-9 forward from Ridge View High School in Columbia, South Carolina, is ranked sixth in this class, according to the 247Sports Composite. South Carolina says he&rsquo;s the highest-ranked prospect ever to sign with the Gamecocks. Jackson was named the MVP of the National Basketball Players Association top-100 camp in July.
DERECK LIVELY II, DUKE
Once he&rsquo;s healthy enough to play, this 7-1 center from Philadelphia should emerge as an immediate force on defense. Scheyer says Lively &ldquo;is as unique of a big as there is in the country&rdquo; because of his ability to defend in a variety of ways. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve talked about how to maximize what he can do on the defensive end especially, but that versatility for us is something that we can really use throughout the course of the season,&rdquo; Scheyer said. Lively played at Westtown School in West Chester, Pennsylvania, which also produced former Duke player and NBA lottery pick Cam Reddish.
NICK SMITH JR., ARKANSAS
Although he hasn&rsquo;t played a college game yet, Smith earned preseason first-team all-Southeastern Conference honors from the league&rsquo;s coaches and media. His prep career at North Little Rock (Arkansas) earned him the USA Today national high school player of the year award. The 6-5 guard is ranked third in the 247Sports Composite. &ldquo;He is a player that kind of moves on the floor effortlessly almost like he is on skates,&rdquo; Arkansas coach Eric Musselman said. &ldquo;He is cosmetically pleasing to watch offensively with the way that he can find seams in the defense, and he is a really good shooter as well.&rdquo;
CASON WALLACE, KENTUCKY
Wallace, a 6-4 guard from Dallas, is the nation&rsquo;s No. 8 player in his class according to the 247Sports Composite. He averaged 10.5 points and had a team-high 12 steals in Kentucky&rsquo;s four-game international exhibition tour this summer. Wallace had nine points and a team-high seven rebounds Sunday in an exhibition victory over Missouri Western State. Kentucky coach John Calipari has praised Wallace&rsquo;s defense.

Duke coach Jon Scheyer is beginning his career with the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class.

No. 7 Duke’s class heads list of impact freshmen

Nekias Duncan previews the Hawks, Hornets, Heat, Magic and Wizards ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season.

2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Southeast Division

LAS VEGAS (AP) &mdash; Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson have been linked constantly over the last couple years, with just about every prognosticator anointing them as the top two picks in the 2023 NBA draft.
Thing is, they don&rsquo;t know each other.
That&rsquo;s about to change. Wembanyama &mdash; he&rsquo;s listed at 7-foot-2, some say he&rsquo;s 7-foot-4 &mdash; and the Paris-based club Metropolitans 92 are in Las Vegas to take on Henderson and the G League Ignite in a pair of exhibitions, the first on Tuesday and the second on Thursday.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re playing against an NBA team, with NBA rules, on an NBA court,&rdquo; Wembanyama said Monday. &ldquo;This is really going to be a first for me. I&rsquo;m curious to know how it&rsquo;s going to go. I know it&rsquo;s going to go well, but I&rsquo;m still curious.&rdquo;
Victor vs. Scoot. Scoot vs. Victor. They&rsquo;re not playing 1-on-1, but they are the clear headliners and the reasons why these first-of-their-kind games were put together.
Wembanyama is listed as a center but plays all over the floor with guard skills in a big-man frame; Henderson is a point guard who has been getting tons of attention for years.
&ldquo;Out of all the prospects I&rsquo;ve heard about in our class, I think he&rsquo;s my favorite one,&rdquo; Wembanyama said. &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s the most reliable that I&rsquo;ve seen. He&rsquo;s really a great player. If I was never born, I think he would deserve the first spot.&rdquo;
Henderson &mdash; a five-star recruit from Georgia who signed with the Ignite last year and played in 10 games &mdash; sees these two games as an opportunity, downplaying the 1-on-1 storyline.
&ldquo;People always try to compare and contrast whoever. I don&rsquo;t look at it like that,&rdquo; Henderson said. &ldquo;I look at it as two good ballplayers.&rdquo;
The Ignite program exists to develop young prospects in preparation for the NBA Draft, mixing them with veteran talent to help guide them along the way. It has featured three eventual top-10 picks &mdash; Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga last year, Dyson Daniels this year &mdash; in its first two seasons.
Henderson is a huge draw for the Ignite this year. The Ignite also have Shareef O&rsquo;Neal, the son of Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal. But much of what the Ignite would ordinarily be doing right now would be barely noticed nationally; hence, the games against Wembanyama were put together.
The Los Angeles Lakers are playing in Las Vegas this week, a pair of preseason matchups against Phoenix and Minnesota. Wembanyama is going to those as a fan; he'll have a slightly different view of NBA games next season.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of those type of players, honestly, where you say like there&rsquo;ll never be like another Shaq or there&rsquo;ll never be another that,&rdquo; Ignite coach Jason Hart said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s that. You&rsquo;ll never see another one of those. The scouting report on him is tough. ... I&rsquo;m honored that I&rsquo;m getting to play him at 18, because at 24, he&rsquo;s going to be something different.&rdquo;
Wembanyama has been a pro for three seasons already, spending last season with ASVEL in France &mdash; a club owned by San Antonio Spurs legend Tony Parker. He made the decision this year to join Metropolitans in part to be coached by Vincent Collet, who also coaches the French national team.
Collet is welcoming the chance.
&ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s the best prospect we&rsquo;ve ever had in our league,&rdquo; Collet said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s amazing, not only by his size, but incredible skills. Despite that, he still needs to learn the game. He&rsquo;s very young. ... We will try to give him this experience. That&rsquo;s the deal we have together, him and me. We want to give him the experience before he gets to the league. It&rsquo;s most important to get him ready for what will follow next year.&rdquo;

Victor vs. Scoot. Scoot vs. Victor. They’re not playing 1-on-1, but they are the clear headliners on Tuesday night.

Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson set to clash in top prospect battle

Top NBA Draft prospects Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson will face off in Nevada on October 4 and 6 in a pair of exhibition games.&nbsp;
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NEWS: Victor Wembanyama, the projected No. 1 pick in 2023, will face off against projected No. 2 pick Scoot Henderson and G League Ignite in a pair of ESPN televised games outside Las Vegas October 4 and 6, a source told ESPN. Story: <a href="https://t.co/CGyzvGlG19">https://t.co/CGyzvGlG19</a>
&mdash; Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) <a href="https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/1567267595107155969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Source: <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34537113/victor-wembanyama-projected-no-1-pick-2023-nba-draft-match-another-star-prospect-scoot-henderson-nevada-exhibitions-source-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN</a>
The projected 2023 No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama will travel to Nevada with his team (Metropolitans 92 from Paris) to face off against the G League Ignite and projected 2023 No. 2 pick Scoot Henderson. This matchup will give Scoot an opportunity to make a case that he should be the No. 1 overall pick.
Wembanyama was recently measured at 7-foot-4 with an 8-foot reach, and he has shown elite skills on both ends of the floor. He's a dominant shot-blocker who can score the ball inside and out. He has played professionally overseas and made his EuroLeague debut last season.
Henderson is a 6-foot-3 guard with extreme athleticism and explosive rim-finishing ability, which has caused his draft stock to soar. Last season, he had no problem dominating with the G League Ignite despite being just 17 years old. For more on Henderson's potential, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/scoot-henderson-aspirations-far-exceed-any-hype-we-can-give-him" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out this feature</a> by our Spencer Davies.
When these two prospects face off, every NBA talent evaluator will be watching.

Top prospects Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson will face off in Nevada on October 4th and 6th in two exhibition games.

Top prospects Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson to face off in Nevada

As we officially put the finishing touches on &ldquo;Bet Week&rdquo; here on BasketballNews.com, NBA over/under win total projections have been released for every team.
Which numbers stand out most to hammer one way or another from a betting perspective? In this piece, I unveil my over/under predictions for every team in the Western Conference. All odds are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Phoenix Suns: Over 52.5 (-110)
Even if the Suns don&rsquo;t acquire Kevin Durant, they remain in an advantageous position to finish near the top of the Western Conference standings. Phoenix still has a stacked rotation, with the biggest difference being Dario Saric&rsquo;s return to the backup big role in place of JaVale McGee. If Devin Booker and the Suns&rsquo; formidable young core continue taking steps forward, it&rsquo;s hard to envision much of a drop-off occurring in the win-loss column.
Phoenix&rsquo;s postseason exit was one of the ugliest we&rsquo;ve seen in recent memory, but a loss like that could rattle this group enough to come back similarly to the team's Finals experience in 2021. I&rsquo;m hammering the over here, as the Suns remain one of the most dangerous squads in the Association. If Durant comes, that&rsquo;ll be the ultimate cherry on top.
Los Angeles Clippers: Over 52.5 (-110)
A fully healthy Clippers squad with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will always stay in the conversation among the league's elite tier. Last season, we were all robbed of seeing this dynamic duo in action together, but all the time off leads me to believe we should see them play more than usual. If so, the over/under of 52.5 wins is one I&rsquo;m comfortable placing the over wager upon.
Los Angeles not only has a loaded rotation similar to Phoenix, but it has a historically potent wing tandem ready to go on a revenge tour. As one of my favorite bets in the West, lock in the Clippers&rsquo; over with the utmost confidence.
Golden State Warriors: Over 51.5 (-115)
The defending champions check in third in the West, which feels like an undersell of what they just accomplished. Stephen Curry is still playing at an all-time level, and Klay Thompson began to find his footing throughout the Warriors&rsquo; run to a championship.
Feeling confident in the over also has to do with the development of the team's younger, up-and-coming players. Though dependent upon how much more Golden State will go into the luxury tax long-term, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins look to be entrenched long-term pieces. Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman are the ultimate wildcards for Golden State. Even if only one takes off from a development perspective in 2022-23, 51.5 wins is a number to hit the over on.
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Denver Nuggets: Over 49.5 (-140)
Nikola Jokic enters this season as a trendy dark-horse selection for MVP as the back-to-back award winner, which is incredible to even think about. The Nuggets have stayed competitive amidst their countless injury issues because of Jokic&rsquo;s greatness.
Now, with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. eventually expected back at 100%, Denver is a team many bettors are hammering the over on with -140 moneyline odds on 49.5 wins. Frankly, I&rsquo;m in lockstep with the sportsbooks because Denver was a team that sneakily improved on the margins this offseason. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was an underrated acquisition from the Washington Wizards, and he&rsquo;s earned a new multi-year extension upon his arrival.
If Murray and Porter&rsquo;s health cooperate alongside the all-world talent that is Jokic, 50 wins for the Nuggets just feels right to say. Even above that mark is an appropriate projection, because Jokic elevates the floor that much on his own.
Memphis Grizzlies: Under 48.5 (+105)
Ja Morant qualified as our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/best-bets-for-202223-nba-most-valuable-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">under-the-radar MVP selection</a> during &ldquo;Bet Week,&rdquo; but the loss of Jaren Jackson Jr. early on looms large for the Grizzlies. Although he flies under the radar a little bit too often, JJJ is an anchor to a defense that&rsquo;s done a complete 180 over the last year.
A lot will be on the plate of Morant, which he won&rsquo;t have a problem with, but what about the rest of the West? The Clippers and Nuggets are healthy now, plus the Suns and Warriors will remain in the title race as well. If Morant can carry the Grizzlies in similar territory without JJJ, his MVP argument could become very valid.
I&rsquo;m going to tread lightly on Memphis and select the under here with plus-money value. Morant will put up spectacular numbers once more, and Desmond Bane should continue to emerge in the backcourt. For my current projection, the Grizzlies will slot in as a No. 5 or No. 6 seed.
Dallas Mavericks: Under 48.5 (-105)
The argument against the Mavericks is almost identical to the one I just presented for Memphis. Luka Doncic enters as the heavy betting favorite for MVP, but will he alone be enough to lift Dallas into truly elite territory? That&rsquo;s one of my biggest questions entering 2022-23, because players like Doncic and Morant fit the billing of talents who can lift teams all on their own.
Months away from it now, it&rsquo;s still stunning to think back to the Mavs&rsquo; Game 7 shellacking of the Suns in the West semifinals. Once Doncic figured out Phoenix&rsquo;s defense, it was game over. Could Doncic do this to the rest of the league? There&rsquo;s no doubt he will put up monster numbers, but the Mavericks fit into the same tier as the Grizzlies right now around 47-48 wins.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Over 47.5 (-140)
I&rsquo;ll continue to bang the Minnesota drum until proven otherwise because I&rsquo;m all-in on the Timberwolves taking a huge step forward. Anthony Edwards checks every box for a young superstar, and their new addition in Rudy Gobert will augment a talented rotation. Karl-Anthony Towns being flanked by Gobert makes up one of the most unique frontcourt combinations we&rsquo;ve ever seen in the modern NBA, but this type of move is a risk an organization like Minnesota must take. Towns and Edwards are ready to win big soon, so adding an elite rim-protector like Gobert allows those gifted scorers to focus on that end.
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Bookmark this if you want, but here&rsquo;s perhaps my biggest hot take: Minnesota will win the Northwest Division and become a top-four seed. With how everything stacks together for Minnesota, this is a team well-positioned to take a leap similar to the one we&rsquo;ve seen from Phoenix and Memphis in recent years.
Los Angeles Lakers: Under 45.5 (-105)
Unless Kyrie Irving is walking through the door anytime soon, I&rsquo;m taking the money and running as quickly as possible on the Lakers' under here. LeBron James and Anthony Davis will do their usual damage, but this roster is nowhere close to being finished. Also, there&rsquo;s no way anyone can truly believe the Lakers are a Finals contender with their ongoing saga surrounding Russell Westbrook. From the very beginning, Westbrook&rsquo;s fit was super clunky alongside LeBron and AD. Now, the triple-double king continues to be the main target of trade rumors, many of which are linking him to the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs as a pure salary-dump option.
Indiana is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lakers-would-be-foolish-not-to-accept-pacers-lifeline-to-extend-their-title-window" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offering the Lakers a lifeline to fix the Westbrook situation</a>. The Pacers are willing to take on the $47 million owed to Westbrook while also sending Los Angeles back two starters in Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. The current hold-up in trade negotiations reportedly is draft pick compensation. Los Angeles refuses to offer its 2029 first-round pick on top of the 2027 selection, which the Pacers believe is more than a fair price to pay.
In the meantime, I&rsquo;m going to take the Lakers under 45.5 wins while it remains at plus value. Until any resolution is reached on the roster, I&rsquo;m betting against L.A.
New Orleans Pelicans: Over 44.5 (-140)
Compared to almost any other team in the NBA, New Orleans projects supremely well long-term if Zion Williamson&rsquo;s health cooperates. Williamson and Brandon Ingram have each shown on separate occasions they can be the No. 1 option for New Orleans. CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas are ideal veteran pieces in the starting unit as well. Well-balanced on both ends of the court, the Pelicans have completely bought into what head coach Willie Green brought over from Monty Williams in Phoenix.
With Williamson, Ingram and McCollum, the Pelicans should be a team projected closer to 50 wins. I absolutely love the over here on 44.5 wins, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if New Orleans finishes as a playoff lock instead of a Play-In Tournament competitor.
Portland Trail Blazers: Under 40.5 (-110)
Kudos to Damian Lillard because he will not leave the Blazers hanging anytime soon. He&rsquo;s all-in on winning in Portland, which reminds me so much of Reggie Miller with the Pacers a few decades back. Portland re-signed Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons, but two notable splashes occurred this offseason. Jerami Grant is the Blazers&rsquo; first true wing threat in years, and the ultimate wildcard from the 2022 NBA Draft fell into their laps at No. 7 overall. What if Shaedon Sharpe hits his ceiling? That&rsquo;s something Portland has in their back pocket, because Sharpe&rsquo;s scoring prowess forecasts very well alongside Lillard. They'll just have to hope he can get healthy and stay healthy.
The West remains a tough customer though. So, with that being said, the Blazers fall into the category of a feisty team that&rsquo;s competitive most nights on their way to a sub-40-win campaign. It's certainly not the outcome Blazers fans hope for, but there&rsquo;s a large number of teams ahead of them at the moment.
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Sacramento Kings: Over 32.5 (-120)
The Kings actually had a good offseason. Yes, you&rsquo;re reading that right. Keegan Murray at No. 4 overall looks to be a lights-out scorer with an extremely high floor. Ideally, Murray can become the third piece to a long-term trio in Sacramento alongside De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Also, don&rsquo;t forget about the Kings adding much-needed help on the perimeter with Kevin Huerter via trade and Malik Monk via free agency.
I had to double-take upon finding this fact, but the Kings have only exceeded 33 wins once over the last 14 years (2018-19 was that season).
Luckily for Sacramento, I&rsquo;m projecting them to finish with at least 33 wins for 2022-23. If the Kings underachieve once more, I wonder what the future looks like for an organization that stays in topsy-turvy mode.
Utah Jazz: Under 31.5 (-110)
Assuming Donovan Mitchell is eventually traded, this number will crumble down into the 20s. Utah is in the midst of a full-scale rebuild attempt for the first time in over a decade, and all signs point to Mitchell&rsquo;s exit soon enough from Salt Lake City. Gobert being dealt within the division to Minnesota for a historic amount of draft capital shook up the trade market for good, as it&rsquo;s holding up potential blockbusters revolving around Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Mitchell.
Moving forward, there&rsquo;s no reason why you should feel confident about betting the Utah over unless Mitchell keeps them above water staying around until February. If not, you&rsquo;re putting an awful lot of faith into the hands of Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson to carry the roster. (If they're there.)
The smart route is to go with the under for the Jazz. Lock in with extreme confidence that Jazz executive Danny Ainge eventually tears it all down within a few months.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Under 26.5 (+100)
Until the Thunder stop their tanking ways, I can&rsquo;t willfully bet an over on them. Following their aggressive draft night &mdash; obtaining three lottery picks headlined by No. 2 overall selection Chet Holmgren, who many viewed as the best overall player &mdash; maybe that "tanking" buzzword is in their rearview mirror.
OKC&rsquo;s roster is young, but the talent screams out as a team that could propel itself forward in a huge manner. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey profile as a super fun long-term backcourt pairing. Luguentz Dort is a pitbull defender who continues to improve his outside shot, which earned him a lucrative five-year extension.
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The Thunder could easily make me look foolish selecting the under, but something along the lines of 25 or 26 wins feels spot on. Can Sam Presti resist the temptation of not tanking for Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson in 2023?
Houston Rockets: Over 23.5 (-125)
The Rockets have one of the most interesting young cores to monitor heading into next season. Jalen Green began to turn the corner over the last month of the season, averaging 22.3 points on a 59.9% True Shooting percentage. Jabari Smith Jr., Houston&rsquo;s No. 3 overall selection from the 2022 draft, projects as a score-first wing/big hybrid who should excel alongside Green and Kevin Porter Jr. Alperen Sengun, a throwback Turkish big man, is an underrated prospect with an unlimited ceiling once the small aspects of his game are figured out.
Houston is nowhere close to being competitive, but that&rsquo;s totally okay. The team controls the Brooklyn Nets&rsquo; draft for the next season years, so the Rockets are set up arguably as well as anyone right now with the chaos surrounding that whole situation. If the youth jells together and the organization obtains another top pick in next year&rsquo;s draft, be on the lookout for this core to ascend.
For the over/under, 23.5 wins feels a little low, in my opinion. I&rsquo;m projecting the Rockets with 25 victories, so give me the over at -125 odds on DraftKings.
San Antonio Spurs: Under 22.5 (-110)
Once Dejounte Murray was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, it sounded the alarm that the Spurs are finally waiving the white flag on competing for wins effective immediately. San Antonio obtained three future first-round picks for Murray, a haul for a team pressing the reset button at the perfect time.
Las Vegas projects the Spurs with the worst over/under for next season, and there&rsquo;s no real reason to go against them there. Keldon Johnson will put up numbers following his long-term extension, but inexperience is the main theme for San Antonio. The Spurs should be on their way to 20 wins or less, so hammer the under.

Evan Sidery goes over win totals for the Western Conference. Who stands out?

Best Bets: NBA Western Conference over/under projections

The G League Ignite said Friday that the team has struck a multiyear deal to relocate to Henderson, Nevada.
The Ignite had been training in Walnut Creek, California, since their inception and played home games this past season in Las Vegas, about 15 miles from their new home.
The team exists to develop young prospects in preparation for the NBA Draft. It has featured three eventual top-10 picks &mdash; Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga last year, Dyson Daniels this year &mdash; in its first two seasons.
&ldquo;With avid sports fans in the Las Vegas area who have quickly embraced their hockey, football and WNBA teams, we can&rsquo;t wait for NBA G League Ignite to showcase its future NBA stars and exciting brand of basketball,&rdquo; G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim said.
The team&rsquo;s new arena, the Dollar Loan Center, is a 5,500-seat building that opened earlier this year. It also is home to American Hockey League affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights &mdash; the Henderson Silver Knights &mdash; and the Indoor Football League&rsquo;s Vegas Knight Hawks.

The G League Ignite said Friday that the team has struck a multiyear deal to relocate to Henderson, Nevada.

G League Ignite moving to Vegas suburb of Henderson, Nevada

Bookmark this page and we'll keep you up-to-date on every NBA rumor. We'll continue updating this tracker over the next 24 hours.

NBA Rumor Tracker: Compiling the latest news and intel

Everyone has seen the stat:&nbsp;The Memphis Grizzlies are 20-5 without Ja Morant.
It doesn't make sense... unless it does.&nbsp;
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Are we gonna have a discussion about the fact that many of these beatdowns have happened without Ja Morant? Is there a discussion to be had?
&mdash; Peter Edmiston (@peteredmiston) <a href="https://twitter.com/peteredmiston/status/1524591756901294086?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The discussion is not about whether the Grizzlies are better without Ja Morant. They aren't.
They are different, and different in ways that give Memphis rightful hope that it has a puncher's chance at winning this series against the Golden State Warriors.
The Grizzlies have outplayed the Warriors for the majority of the series. Golden State is up 3-2 due to its experience closing out games versus <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-the-grizzlies-overcome-their-youth-against-experienced-warriors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the youth of Memphis</a>. Game 4's ending is evidence that Memphis needs Morant, as the team could not create baskets down the stretch to stave off the Warriors' comeback.&nbsp;
So, without their superstar, how can the Grizzlies complete a 3-1 comeback? What's the formula?
Let's dig in.
DEFENSIVE INTENSITY AND FOCUS
The formula for Memphis in the regular season was defense leading to quick offense. The Grizzlies thrived on creating chaos and led the league in points off turnovers and fast-break points.&nbsp;
In Round 2, Memphis currently leads the NBA with 20.8 points off turnovers per contest. They are fourth in Defensive Rating (108.0), first in steals per game (10.6) and second in blocks per game (6.0). Another indicator of defensive intensity is a team's amount of deflections, a stat in which the Grizzlies lead the NBA with 16.0 per game in the second round as well.
In two games without Morant, Memphis has held the Warriors to an average of 98.0 points and forcing 19.0 turnovers per contest while amassing 32 total deflections during that span. Even more wild is the team's 94.7 DRTG without Morant in this series, holding the Warriors to a 49.1% Effective Field Goal percentage.&nbsp;
In the first two possessions of Game 5, the Grizzlies got exactly what they wanted from the Warriors &mdash; an Andrew Wiggins three and a Draymond Green three. Memphis is clearly forcing someone other than the Splash Brothers to try and beat them. In fact, the first five shots by the Warriors were by players not named Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson, and Curry did not take his first shot until there was 4:43 left in the first quarter.
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At this point in the game, Jordan Poole had been struggling with his shot. Since Kevon Looney isn't much of an offensive threat, Steven Adams plays drop coverage and allows De'Anthony Melton plenty of space to navigate the screen. Dillon Brooks face-guards Curry while Jaren Jackson Jr. is in help position due to the non-shooting threat of Green. Melton is a plus-defender off the bench. and his wingspan creats havoc for opponents, as Poole experienced on this possession.
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Memphis has made it quite clear that its game plan is to funnel the Warriors into the paint. When Green is playing on the perimeter, it allows Adams to cut off the backdoor plays, forcing Thompson into a baseline jumper rather than a layup while having the step on Tyus Jones.
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Jackson blitzes Curry on the screen, forcing Curry to get off the ball making a soft pass to a rolling Nemanja Bjelica. Jones gambles by leaving Thompson and gets the steal, but its the positioning of Desmond Bane and Adams that matters.
Again, Adams is 15 feet away from Green while Bane vacates Wiggins in the corner. Both are in help, and Memphis will either live with a Wiggins three or recover and rotate if the ball were kicked to Green on the perimeter.
In the two games without Morant, the Grizzlies have made life incredibly difficult for Curry, Thompson and Poole.
<ul>
<li>Curry: 14-of-35 (40.0%) and 6-of-22 from deep (31.8%)</li>
<li>Thompson: 13-of-32 (40.6%) and 3 of 3 from deep (23.1%)</li>
<li>Poole: 5-of-18 (27.8%) and 1 of 6 from deep (16.7%)</li>
</ul>
Meanwhile, Poole and Green have combined for 15 turnovers alone during the two games and 37 in the series. Green has more than doubled his total turnovers from the first round against the Denver Nuggets.
Memphis must continue creating chaos on defense and scoring off turnovers in order to have a chance without Morant.
JAREN JACKSON JR. 
Simply put, the Warriors do not roster a player who can guard Jaren Jackson Jr. when he is not settling for perimeter shots. It has been an interesting case study when it comes to the offense of JJJ with and without Morant.
The strength of Ja is getting downhill and attacking the rim; therefore, Jackson must not be occupying that space. JJJ floats around the perimeter for catch-and-shoot opportunities way too often when Morant is on the floor. So it makes sense that Jackson shoots 3.7% better when Morant is not playing, because he gets to the rim more often.&nbsp;
A contributing factor to the team's Game 4 loss was Memphis failing to get the ball to JJJ down the stretch, as he shot just four times in the final eight minutes. Jackson has to be the featured guy for this team to have any hope of advancing.&nbsp;
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Mismatch.
Just call it what it is for the Warriors attempting to guard him. Memphis obviously drew this up to look for Jackson early on a post-up on the young and undersized Jonathan Kuminga. A key to featuring a player is getting him looks early. Look for the Grizzlies to do much of the same in Game 6 (and potential Game 7).
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Thompson has certainly lost a step and is not the perimeter lockdown defender he once was; the 7-foot Jackson is able to get by Thompson on the perimeter, forcing a Klay foul to prevent an easy bucket. As long as JJJ does not resort to only going left when he is headed downhill, he can put immense pressure on the Warriors' defense.
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Memphis has run this action multiple times for both Jackson and Bane, and should continue to do so. When Jaren has it going from deep, it is a massive game-changer for the Grizzlies in any game. Memphis needs a repeat performance from Game 5 Jaren.
AUXILIARY OPTIONS
Bane has been dealing with a bulging disc in his back. The Warriors have obviously game-planned to render Brandon Clarke ineffective on the offensive glass. Melton is still a wild card, and Brooks has been a hot mess.
In order for the Grizzlies to survive and advance, Bane has to be lethal, Clarke needs to be active on the glass, Melton has to show up and Brooks needs to play within himself. In Game 5, those things happened for the most part.&nbsp;
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This should tell you that Bane is closer to 100%. In the previous meetings, he was mostly limited to spot-up shooting. His ability to put the ball on the floor and turn the corner is crucial for Memphis' offense.
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Clarke got loose in Game 5. After four games of focused boxing out on BC, the Warriors allowed him to make a massive impact on the offensive glass. Clarke was the biggest X-factor in the first round for Memphis, and will need the same level impact going forward.
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Melton can be very hit or miss offensively. If he hits his first shot, watch out, because he is about to go on a binge. If he misses the first few, his minutes get cut rather quickly. Melton is a player who thrives off chaos on the defensive end, constantly deflecting balls, blocking shots and racking up steals. His ability to defend off the bench is key for the Grizzlies.
Its a long shot, but the Memphis Grizzlies are capable of coming back from a 3-1 deficit &mdash; even without their superstar. Can the Grizzlies stay locked in and play exceptional basketball for two more games?
Obviously, many things have to go right &mdash; but they did in Game 5.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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Justin Lewis highlights what led to the Grizzlies' win in Game 5 over the Warriors and explains why Memphis can still take this series.

Despite missing Ja Morant, the Grizzlies can still defeat the Warriors

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Stephen Curry scored 30 points, Klay Thompson had 21 and nine rebounds and the Golden State Warriors shut down Ja Morant's supporting cast to embarrass the Memphis Grizzlies 142-112 on Saturday night for a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
Morant's 3 just before the halftime buzzer got the Grizzlies to 64-57 at the break and gave him 17 of his 34 points after a 47-point performance in Game 2. But Morant couldn't do it alone for Memphis, and he was done after rubbing his tender right knee and limping off with 6:19 to play before heading to the locker room.
Still bothered by Dillon Brooks' hard foul in Game 2 that sidelined Gary Payton II, Draymond Green and Golden State kept cool from the opening tip &mdash; methodically running away with it. Instead, Memphis forward Kyle Anderson got ejected with 6:19 left for arguing an offensive foul.
Brooks was suspended for his Flagrant 2 foul in the first quarter Tuesday when he pounded the head of a driving Payton, who landed awkwardly and fractured his left elbow. He will be sidelined indefinitely, also with ligament and muscle damage.
Coach Steve Kerr said the play was &ldquo;dirty&rdquo; and broke an NBA &ldquo;code&rdquo; injuring someone and threatening his career, while Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins and his Grizzlies players defended their hard-nosed style as not dirty at all.
Brooks will be back for Game 4 on Monday night at Chase Center, where the raucous sellout crowd included two women holding signs of Payton's face insisting the <a href="https://twitter.com/JanieMcCAP/status/1523082755487109120">Warriors &ldquo;Win it for Gary.&rdquo;</a>
Golden State did so with a balanced attack and energy on both ends after Green called for the offense to do more to better the defense.
Jordan Poole scored 27 points off the bench and Andrew Wiggins added 17 points for Golden State, which used a 10-0 run out of halftime to take command for good.
Rookie Jonathan Kuminga provided a spark starting in Payton&rsquo;s place, while Ziare Williams was in for Brooks.
Curry missed his initial two shots then scored his first points of the game by making a big 3 with 0.9 left in the first as the Warriors trailed 28-26.
Morant hit a 31-foot 3-pointer midway through the first and Williams dunked shortly after for a 21-8 lead and Memphis made 6 of 9 shots to start the game. But the Grizzlies went cold and made only 3 of the next 12 and watched the Warriors close the quarter with an 18-7 burst.
THOMPSON'S TOUCH
Thompson shot 8 for 13 with four 3-pointers in a solid shooting night.
He had been 11 for 38 from the floor, including 5 of 22 on 3-pointers, so far in the series before finding a better groove. Kerr figured it would happen soon enough.
&ldquo;Klay has been in a little bit of a rush. He's trying too hard to get himself going and he just needs to be a little more patient,&rdquo; Kerr said. "He&rsquo;s had some good looks, but he&rsquo;s also forced some others. He hasn&rsquo;t really gotten into a good rhythm, so that&rsquo;s hopefully something we can accomplish tonight.&rdquo;
ADAMS' ABSENCE
Grizzlies center Steven Adams was available to play for the first time this series series after coming out of the league health and safety protocols but the big man didn't play until the game was out of hand.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: G Desmond Bane's troublesome back was sore during Game 2 but has improved. &ldquo;His back is progressing. I don't think he's at full strength like he was in the regular season but he&rsquo;s the ultimate competitor,&rdquo; coach Taylor Jenkins said. Bane had 16 points in 29 minutes. ... Memphis shot 6 of 11 from 3-point range in the opening quarter.
Warriors: The Warriors outrebounded the Grizzlies 21-14 in the first half and 53-37 overall. ... Golden State is 4-0 playing at home during this postseason and 49-11 dating to the 2015 title run that ended with the franchise's first championship in 40 years.

Led by Steph Curry's 30 points, the Golden State Warriors routed the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 3.

Curry, Thompson lead Warriors past Morant, Grizzlies 142-112

In the G League Ignite&rsquo;s inaugural season last year, the program produced several notable NBA Draft picks: Jalen Green (No. 3 overall, Houston Rockets), Jonathan Kuminga (No. 7 overall, Golden State Warriors) and Isaiah Todd (No. 31 overall, Washington Wizards). Former five-star recruit and UCLA commit Daishen Nix didn&rsquo;t hear his name called, but was signed to a two-way contract shortly after the draft. Despite the complications and challenges the Ignite faced with the pandemic last season, I&rsquo;d say it was a success overall.
This past weekend, I traveled to Des Moines, Iowa to see the new-look Ignite take on the Iowa Wolves (the Minnesota Timberwolves affiliate) in their 2021-22 season opener.
The young Ignite struggled mightily early on versus a talented Wolves team, having trailed 65-34 at halftime. However, with things looking bleak, newly-appointed head coach Jason Hart impressively kept the energy level high. His team subsequently chipped away at the deficit, closing the gap to make it a competitive game in the second half despite ultimately falling, 98-87.&nbsp;
Although the young prospects started off their pro careers with that common &ldquo;deer in the headlights&rdquo; look, I found the game to be very fruitful from a scouting perspective, nonetheless. Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Rod Strickland have done a terrific job of carrying over the momentum they created last season, and it&rsquo;s great to see that they have put together another very talented group of young NBA prospects.&nbsp;
Prior to attending the game in Iowa, I had previously crossed paths with the American prospects &mdash; Jaden Hardy, Michael Foster and MarJon Beauchamp &mdash; multiple times. I have also watched an extended amount of film on Australian prospect Dyson Daniels, who our very own <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-little-guy-from-bendigo-dyson-daniels-game-is-unlike-anyone-elses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spencer Davies interviewed this summer</a> too. So I didn&rsquo;t go into that game starting my evaluations from scratch, and had a decent level of familiarity with these young men. That said, this was the first time I was able to see them in their new professional setting &mdash; naturally, the next step in my evaluation process.
Here are my thoughts on each of the Ignite&rsquo;s top prospects:
Jaden Hardy
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 85%; height: 66px; border-style: none;" border="0">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 22px;">Height: 6-4</td>
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 22px;">Position: Guard</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 22px;">Weight: 198</td>
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 22px;">Draft Day Age: 20.1</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 22px;">Wingspan: 6-9</td>
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 22px;">Nationality: USA</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
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Jaden Hardy is already well-known as a dynamic scorer. I might even go as far as to call him a potentially-elite scorer. However, in this specific game, he was not. Hardy&rsquo;s game generally starts from the outside. He is a terrific outside shooter with limitless range, which subsequently opens things up for him and allows him to use his explosiveness and finishing abilities at the rim. He clearly wasn&rsquo;t feeling it in Iowa, as his outside shots weren&rsquo;t falling, which seemed to put some additional pressure on him to create more off the dribble and get to the hole. Despite only shooting 1-of-8 from three-point range, Hardy still ended up with 12 points and 6 assists. To be clear, I&rsquo;m not concerned with one off shooting night at all. I have no doubt that the kid can fill it up.
I&rsquo;m intrigued to watch Hardy more and get a better feel as to whether he can play some point guard, or if he will be limited to strictly playing as a shooting guard primarily as a scorer. If he is limited to only playing off the ball, I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s necessarily a huge knock on his evaluation; it just changes the outlook as to what his long-term role will be.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;m also going to be keeping an eye on his defensive fundamentals and discipline. I can&rsquo;t say that I was overly alarmed, but he has a lot of room for growth on that end of the floor. At the same time, similar things were said about Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball and Jalen Green at the same stage in their development &mdash; and they&rsquo;re all just fine.
We currently have Jaden Hardy at No. 3 on our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>, and I am comfortable with him in that spot for now. At this point, I believe that, in some type of order, Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero and Hardy are the &ldquo;Big Three&rdquo; of the 2022 draft class.
Dyson Daniels
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 89.6695%; height: 75px; border-style: none;" border="0">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 25px;">
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 25px;">Height: 6-6</td>
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 25px;">Position: Guard/Forward</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 25px;">
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 25px;">Weight: 198</td>
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 25px;">Draft Day Age: 19.3</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 25px;">
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 25px;">Wingspan: 6-7</td>
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 25px;">Nationality: Australia</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
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As opposed to most NBA prospects who I track for years and see in live action before they step into their pre-draft season, this was the first time I had seen Dyson Daniels in person. As mentioned before, I had spent time watching film on him, but I find it hard to get a great grip without seeing a prospect with my own two eyes.&nbsp;
At first glance, Daniels more than passes the eye test. At 6-foot-6 and 199 pounds, he looks like an NBA player. Interestingly, Daniels started at point guard as Scoot Henderson &mdash; who will be eligible for the 2023 NBA Draft &mdash; was out with a minor injury. Although Daniels looks like he&rsquo;d be an athletic and slashing wing, his greatest strength is his ability to get to his spots off the bounce. My early impression is that, regardless of what position he plays, his ability to create is what appeals the most.
Daniels showed flashes of major upside as a versatile guard with terrific positional size, but was unassertive, which seemingly led to a lack of production. It was only his first game with the Ignite, so I&rsquo;m not going to overreact here, but I would like to see him break out of his shell a bit moving forward.&nbsp;
We will be tracking Daniels very closely moving forward, as he has a lot of talent. He is currently ranked 21st on our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Big Board</a>.
Michael Foster
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 85%; border-style: none; height: 66px;" border="0">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 22px;">Height: 6-8</td>
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 22px;">Position: Forward</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 22px;">Weight: 250</td>
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 22px;">Draft Day Age: 19.4</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 22px;">Wingspan: 6-11</td>
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 22px;">Nationality: USA</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/20210913_ng0934_ignite_lg.JPG" alt="" width="650" height="433" />
I have seen Michael Foster play in-person many times. There&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/michael-foster-wont-be-stopped-from-turning-nba-dream-into-reality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a lot to like about him</a> &mdash; his physical profile, tools and raw skill set are undeniable. He played hard and was terrific on the boards in the game vs. the Wolves, but offensively he left me wanting more, as he has done before. Actually, his lack of self-awareness on the offensive end has made me increasingly frustrated.&nbsp;
When evaluating Foster, I can&rsquo;t help but think about a scene from an old Vince Vaughn movie named, &ldquo;Swingers.&rdquo; In the scene, Vaughn&rsquo;s character said something along the lines of:
You&rsquo;re a big bear with big claws and fangs, and there&rsquo;s like this little bunny just cowering in the corner. You&rsquo;re looking at these claws, and you&rsquo;re thinking to yourself, &lsquo;I don&rsquo;t know how to kill the bunny.&rsquo;
Although I&rsquo;ll admit the analogy is a bit off the wall, I think it fits. Foster has the physical tools and skills to be such a physical force, but regularly chooses to be a finesse player.
If I were coaching Foster, I would set him on a two-dribble limit and only give him the green light to shoot jumpers off the catch; my hope would be that it would force him to simplify his game. I&rsquo;d like to see Foster turn himself into a rebounding machine who is constantly looking to tear the rim down, while also being able to hit an open shot from the perimeter. He&rsquo;s certainly capable of doing these things, but he needs to choose to play that way.
I&rsquo;m not giving up on Foster as a prospect, but I think he needs to make the next steps in his development in order to even come close to maximizing his talent.
MarJon Beauchamp
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 89.6695%; height: 100px; border-style: none;" border="0">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 22px;">Height: 6-6</td>
<td style="width: 53.6301%; height: 22px;">Position: Guard/Forward</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 22px;">Weight: 199</td>
<td style="width: 53.6301%; height: 22px;">Draft Day Age: 20.8</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 48.1356%; height: 22px;">Wingspan: 7-0</td>
<td style="width: 53.6301%; height: 22px;">Nationality: USA</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
MarJon Beauchamp (<a href="https://twitter.com/Marjon32?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Marjon32</a>) putting his explosion &amp; athleticism on full display with a couple monster dunks, including this one that fired up the Ignite bench. <a href="https://t.co/SiZf3d0IBn">pic.twitter.com/SiZf3d0IBn</a>
&mdash; Derek Murray (@DMurrayHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/DMurrayHoops/status/1454247282271039490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to spend some time with MarJon Beauchamp and watch him work out after he joined trainer Frank &ldquo;Hell&rsquo;s Trainer&rdquo; Matrisciano&rsquo;s Chameleon BX (now Stealth X Athletics). It seems as if the pandemic really threw a wrench in the program&rsquo;s plans, as MarJon has not gotten much exposure since I first saw him. However, as soon as he took the court in Des Moines, it was instantly noticeable that he had transformed his body. Once a skinny kid, Beauchamp now looks like a grown man physically. And you know what? He played like one too.
Tallying 18 points and 8 rebounds, Beauchamp utilized his athleticism to execute various slashing moves, throw down some impressive dunks and contribute on the boards. If he&rsquo;s able to prove to be reliable enough as an outside shooter, I think he&rsquo;ll find a place for himself in the NBA.
Following my trip to Des Moines, I&rsquo;m not sure any player helped himself more than Beauchamp did. As a result, we have moved him up our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Big Board</a>. He is currently ranked No. 48.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Today is November 1, and the NBA Draft is set to take place on June 23, 2022. The NBA Draft process is exactly that &mdash; a process. As an NBA Draft Analyst, I spend years evaluating prospects, starting when most are at the high school level. My personal approach is to not be overly concerned with being the first to be right about a prospect, but rather to organize my schedule and my efforts to make sure that I&rsquo;m able to gather the proper amount of relevant information to be able to come to a conclusive evaluation by draft night.
I&rsquo;ve now shared my candid thoughts with you as to where I stand with each of the G League Ignite&rsquo;s prospects at this particular point in the process. One thing I really like about evaluating prospects early in the season is that there is still plenty of time for the prospects to change the narrative &mdash; for better or worse.&nbsp;
And for that reason, I&rsquo;ll continue to watch closely.

Matt Babcock provides his thoughts on each of the G League Ignite’s top NBA Draft prospects after seeing their pro debuts in Iowa.

Babcock: Takeaways from the G League Ignite’s season-opener

WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Oct. 13, 2021 &ndash; Fanbo Zeng, a top international prospect from China, has signed to play with NBA G League Ignite, NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim announced today.
A native of Harbin, China, Fanbo was among ESPN&rsquo;s top-ranked forwards in the class of 2022. He spent two years at Windermere Prep in Florida before returning to China in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. &nbsp;As a sophomore in 2019-20, Fanbo averaged 15.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 2.1 assists to earn Class 3A First Team All-State and Orlando Sentinel All-Area First Team honors.
NBA G League Ignite is a first-of-its-kind program that gives top young prospects a chance to begin their professional careers while receiving mentorship and life skills training and preparing for the NBA Draft. Fanbo joins an elite group of young talent, including Jaden Hardy, Michael Foster, MarJon Beauchamp, Dyson Daniels and Scoot Henderson on Ignite&rsquo;s latest roster. The mix of top youth standouts and NBA and G League veterans look to continue the program&rsquo;s success after its inaugural season, which featured strong debuts by elite prospects Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Daishen Nix and Isaiah Todd, and international standout Princepal Singh.
(Editor's Note: Read our Spencer Davies' exclusive interviews with G League Ignite standout prospects&nbsp; <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/michael-foster-wont-be-stopped-from-turning-nba-dream-into-reality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Foster Jr.</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-little-guy-from-bendigo-dyson-daniels-game-is-unlike-anyone-elses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dyson Daniels</a> to learn more about each player's goals with the program.)

A native of Harbin, China, Fanbo was among ESPN’s top-ranked forwards in the Class of 2022.

Chinese top prospect Fanbo Zeng signs with G League Ignite

More than a dozen former NBA players have been charged in New York federal court in an alleged multi-million-dollar health insurance fraud scheme to rip off the league's benefit plan, according to an indictment unsealed in the Southern District on Thursday.
Source: <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/nba-veterans-arrested-in-alleged-health-insurance-fraud-scheme-sources/3311071/?_osource=db_npd_nbc_wnbc_twt_shr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Dienst/NBC New York</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;According to <a href="https://twitter.com/Tom_Winter/status/1446122432700424195" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tom Winter</a>, the players include: Glen Davis, Sebastian Telfair, Darius Miles, Will Bynum, Tony Allen and Shannon Brown, among others. Dienst reports that the players participated in the scheme from 2017-2020, "by submitting fake reimbursement claims for medical and dental services that were never actually rendered." The fraud claims total up to about $3.9 million.

Glen Davis, Sebastian Telfair and Darius Miles were among the players listed in the scheme.

At least 18 former NBA players indicted in alleged insurance fraud scheme

The first practices of the season in the NBA are here, with teams set to hit the floor on Tuesday to formally begin getting ready for the 2021-22 campaign.
A six-pack of things to watch as things get started:
THE CHAMPS
Milwaukee is running it back.
The Bucks used eight players in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, the title-clincher against Phoenix, and seven of them are still on the roster; the exception is P.J. Tucker, now part of the Miami Heat. The Bucks also have seven of their top eight scorers, in terms of total points, back from a year ago; the exception in that case is Bryn Forbes, who returned to San Antonio.
Plus, Giannis Antetokounmpo played the game of his life to finish off that title run, a 50-point, 14-rebound masterpiece &mdash; and he isn&rsquo;t even 27 yet. His best easily may be yet to come.
CAMP CENTRAL
San Diego hasn&rsquo;t technically had an NBA team since 1984.
This week, the city has three.
The Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets and Brooklyn Nets are all calling San Diego home this week for training camp. They&rsquo;re all practicing separately, using three different facilities. The Nets will play in Los Angeles against the Lakers on Sunday before returning home, while the Nuggets and Clippers will play in Los Angeles on Monday.
YOUTH IS SERVED
If so inclined, the Houston Rockets might be able to do something very rare in the preseason.
Start with a three-guard lineup: Josh Christopher, Jalen Green and Daishen Nix. Put Usman Garuba at forward, put Alperen Sengun at center.
It adds up to five teens on the floor.
There are no fewer than 21 teens on NBA rosters as training camps begin Tuesday, including five Rockets and a trio of 18-year-olds &mdash; Golden State&rsquo;s Jonathan Kuminga, Oklahoma City&rsquo;s Josh Giddey and San Antonio&rsquo;s Joshua Primo.
Of those, Kuminga and Giddey will turn 19 before the regular season begins. Primo doesn&rsquo;t turn 19 until Dec. 24. He&rsquo;ll be 18 years, 300 days old when the Spurs open their season Oct. 20 against Orlando.
That means he&rsquo;s in line to become the youngest player in an NBA game in more than 15 years &mdash; Andrew Bynum was 18 years, 191 days old when he appeared in a playoff contest for the Los Angeles Lakers against Phoenix on May 6, 2006.
There have been four 18-year-olds to debut in the NBA since Bynum: Dragan Bender, Sekou Doumbouya, Devin Booker and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But technically, if Primo debuts before Nov. 17, he&rsquo;ll be younger than any of them were for their NBA regular-season games by a matter of days.
HOW THINGS CHANGE
It hasn&rsquo;t even been a year since the 2020 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat &mdash; they were played in October.
&ldquo;Feels like three years ago,&rdquo; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
The Lakers used 12 players in that series; of those, only LeBron James and Anthony Davis have remained with the team on an uninterrupted basis. Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard are back now, after playing elsewhere last season.
The Heat also used 12 players in that series; of those, only Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson remain in Miami.
It should be noted that in both cases, the Lakers (Talen Horton-Tucker) and the Heat (Udonis Haslem, Gabe Vincent) have had other players remain on the roster since those finals. They just didn&rsquo;t play in that title series inside the restart bubble at Walt Disney World.
PRESEASON PERSPECTIVE
The games that start Sunday when Brooklyn visits the Los Angeles Lakers mean, and this can&rsquo;t be stressed enough, absolutely nothing in terms of wins and losses.
Milwaukee went 0-3 in the preseason last year and won the NBA title. Phoenix went 0-4 in the preseason last year and went to the NBA Finals.
The only team in the last 25 years that had the best record in the preseason and went on to win the NBA crown was Golden State in 2016-17.
FINALLY, HOME
For Raptors fans in Toronto, the wait is nearly over.
The team plays at home next week. Really at home, that is.
For the first time since Feb. 28, 2020, the Raptors will play a game in Toronto when they open their preseason schedule against Philadelphia. Only a handful of players and staff remain from that team, so the Raptors are having camp in Toronto instead of going elsewhere in Canada &mdash; as they&rsquo;ve done often in recent years.
Toronto called Tampa, Florida, home last season because of the pandemic.
&ldquo;We thought it was really important to re-establish our base here and get everyone familiar with the city,&rdquo; Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said. &ldquo;A lot of our players, a lot of our staff, haven&rsquo;t been here, so we thought that was really important for us to do that.&rdquo;

The first practices in the NBA are here, with teams hitting the floor on Tuesday to formally begin getting ready for the 2021-22 campaign.

6 things to watch for as NBA training camps are set to open

WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Sept. 23, 2021 &ndash; MarJon Beauchamp, a former four-star recruit, has signed with NBA G League Ignite, NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim announced today.
Beauchamp joins an Ignite roster that features top young standouts Jaden Hardy, Michael Foster Jr., Scoot Henderson and Dyson Daniels. The team is coached by former NBA player Jason Hart.
&ldquo;I chose the Ignite path because I know it&rsquo;s going to prepare me both on and off the court,&rdquo; Beauchamp said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great opportunity to showcase my skills while staying humble and learning what it takes to be a professional.&rdquo;
Beauchamp played at Yakima Valley College, where he averaged 30.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from three-point range in 12 games.
Ignite is coming off a successful inaugural season that produced NBA Lottery picks Jalen Green (No. 2 overall, Houston Rockets) and Jonathan Kuminga (No. 7 overall, Golden State Warriors). This year&rsquo;s team will make its official debut Friday, Nov. 5 against the South Bay Lakers to tip off the 2021 NBA G League Showcase Cup.
Basketball News NBA Draft analyst Matt Babcock provided his thoughts on Beauchamp:
"I haven&rsquo;t seen MarJon Beauchamp play live recently but I have been intrigued by him in the past. He's a long, wiry and athletic wing that possesses NBA upside. I currently have it penciled into my schedule to see the G League Ignite play against the South Bay Lakers on Nov. 5 in California. I&rsquo;m certainly looking forward to getting a pulse on MarJon&rsquo;s development and tracking him throughout the season."

Beauchamp joins an Ignite roster that features top young standouts Jaden Hardy, Michael Foster Jr., Scoot Henderson and Dyson Daniels.

MarJon Beauchamp signs with NBA G League Ignite

It&rsquo;s not often that an aspiring professional basketball player makes their debut on the big screen and the NBA hardwood simultaneously, but Michael Foster is right on track.
Projected as a first-rounder in the 2022 NBA Draft, the burly 18-year-old power forward is set to appear in Adam Sandler&rsquo;s upcoming Netflix film, "Hustle," in a small role. There's no concrete release date, so it&rsquo;s conceivable that Foster will kick off his NBA and acting careers in the same year.
&ldquo;That opportunity really came out of nowhere,&rdquo; Foster told BasketballNews.com in a phone interview. &nbsp;&ldquo;I was at a tournament when my guy Avery [Smith] had told Chianti [Clay Sr.] about it, and then Chianti told me that I had to do a little audition. I'm like, 'I gotta do an audition?'&nbsp;
&ldquo;It seemed so simple. I had to just dunk the ball, turn around, say a couple lines. But it's tough once you've got two phones recording you, flashlight on. It's like, 'Aw, you've got to say it like you really mean it.&rsquo; It's tough, but I got through it and they liked it and now I'm there."
Before either happens, however, Foster has the task of spending the next season preparing in Walnut Creek, California with the G League Ignite. Though it won&rsquo;t technically be on the top stage, this will still be his introduction to the pro level. He&rsquo;ll be competing in games against former NBA players scattered throughout the G League, as well as practicing against former pros and other top prospects on the Ignite (including Jaden Hardy, Scoot Henderson, Dyson Daniels, MarJon Beauchamp and Fanbo Zeng).
Foster already got a taste of what that will be like. While he was in Los Angeles in early August, he participated in scrimmages with players from the Sacramento Kings and Detroit Pistons for a few days prior to NBA Summer League. He played with a number of guys who were a part of the 2021 draft class as well, so he got a little bit of a head start before the Ignite start camp for the upcoming campaign.
&ldquo;It's pretty fun [knowing I&rsquo;m getting ready for my first pro season]. It motivated me a lot to get up every morning, go extra hard in the gym, push myself,&rdquo; Foster said. &ldquo;Of course I've never played an NBA game, but I've been hooping with a couple professional basketball players... I'm an open book for anything. I know the game's gonna be different &mdash; the speed of the game, the physicality, all things like that &mdash; so it's just a mental state I've gotta keep myself in."
It always helps to have an NBA-ready body before you get there. At 6-foot-10 with an imposing 220-pound muscular frame, Foster has that part taken care of &mdash; and he might not be done.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I'm growing by the month actually,&rdquo; he said with a laugh.
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&mdash; Michael Foster (@MichaelFoster__) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelFoster__/status/1391575734427082753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Foster believes that his strength separates him from the pack, but he knows that this alone won't get him very far.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I know everybody be like, 'He got a pro body already,' but people don't understand that one of the major things on the next level is being able to control your body, be able to guard bigger, better players, faster,&rdquo; Foster said. &ldquo;You go in there &mdash; and it's no offense to the skinnier and little guys &mdash; but at some point, you're gonna have to hit that weight room... unless you leap like Kevin Durant, and it ain't that many people like that."
When asked if he feels he'll be able to beat up players at the next level, Foster doesn't hesitate.
"Ain't no question. Playing against a couple pros, everybody be like, 'Oh my God, his strength is on another level.' But I'm still learning to control my strength and my body control and things like that..." he said, before adding that he wants to be a multi-dimensional player.
"I probably look at the game differently... Once you're bigger &mdash; 6-foot-8, 6-foot-10, 6-foot-9 &mdash; everybody wants to be that forward that can do it all, [like] Kevin Durant or LeBron James. I'm pretty sure everybody's mimicking their game after them too."
Foster believes his best attributes are "my strength, my speed, the way I move [despite being] this big of a guy." He&nbsp;is extremely confident in his scoring, rebounding and shot-blocking abilities. He additionally insists that he&rsquo;s a good defender who can guard 1-through-5 and play positionless basketball. As for aspects he needs to improve on, Foster points to his outside stroke and decision-making with the ball in his hands.
&ldquo;My shot selection. Like, take the first one instead of taking the hard one, turning to a stepback, doing fades when I don't got to," Foster said when asked of what he's got to get better at. "And overthinking sometimes, for sure.&rdquo;
BasketballNews.com's Lead NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock is a big believer in what Foster brings to the table, especially after watching Foster work out a few weeks ago.
Michael Foster&rsquo;s physical profile and athleticism are intriguing as he is 6-foot-9 and possesses extreme power and explosiveness. He also has a solid skill set, including an ability to shoot the ball from outside. This year while he is with the G League Ignite, I&rsquo;d like to see him simplify his game. If Foster limits how much he tries to do off of the dribble, improves his shot-selection, and uses his physical tools more effectively, I think he will elevate his game and draft stock exponentially.
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It was great to see Michael Foster before he heads out to join the G League Ignite. Foster possesses big-time physical tools and major upside. I&rsquo;ll certainly be tracking him closely this season in preparation for the 2022 NBA Draft. <a href="https://t.co/w381xbDtNO">pic.twitter.com/w381xbDtNO</a>
&mdash; Matt Babcock (@MattBabcock11) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1428014146235240452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Ignite&rsquo;s roster features plenty of future NBA talent for Foster to develop alongside. Aside from the highly-talented Jaden Hardy (whom he&rsquo;s gone head-to-head with in high school), Foster doesn&rsquo;t have previous relationships with his new teammates. &nbsp;He keeps in touch with Hardy and Scoot Henderson over texts here and there, and they've all been getting to know one another while taking a financial literacy class together via Zoom.
In late July, it was announced that Jason Hart would be taking the Ignite's head-coaching reins from Brian Shaw, who took an assistant coaching job under Tyronn Lue with the Los Angeles Clippers. During the the team's mini-camp last month, Foster said that Shaw informed the group of his plans to pursue an NBA coaching opportunity that he'd been chasing. The message? That this is a business and when chances like that come along, you&rsquo;ve got to do what&rsquo;s best for your family.
Foster said that he&rsquo;s had some brief conversations with Hart, whom he met in Los Angeles while working with NBA shooting specialist Chris Matthews, known as <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lethalshooter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"Lethal Shooter"</a> on social media.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a cool guy,&rdquo; Foster said of Hart. &ldquo;He understands that the game is evolving. He understands he's got young guys going against older, stronger guys. He told us that they're gonna want to play on their [own] level. They're gonna try to slow the game down, this and that. But he said we've got to do our best to speed 'em up and keep our composure."
As we saw in this most recent NBA Draft, the Ignite program helped elevate its inaugural prospects into top-tier picks. Foster relays that seeing Jalen Green go No. 2 to Houston and Jonathan Kuminga go No. 7 to Golden State on draft night only solidifies his trust in the Ignite and what they can do for him.
Foster is quite familiar with both of those guys, as well as Isaiah Todd (No. 31 to the Washington Wizards). He and Green were on the same Team USA junior squad, and the two shared Co-MVP of the 2019 Chick-Fil-A Classic. And before Kuminga reclassified, he and Foster were in the same class.
&ldquo;We was debatable; they had me I think like fifth [overall] and he was No. 1, but we was always the two cats... [Like], 'Okay, them pros. It ain't too many people like that in our class of 2021,&rsquo;" Foster said of Kuminga. &ldquo;He went there [to the Warriors]. He boosted my confidence by that. The G League did a great job making him who he is today. That right there just made me like, 'Okay, they're really over there wanting better for the kids.'
&ldquo;We always had that competitive edge, being debated as the two best in the class. Of course we're going at each other every time we'd see each other. So [I&rsquo;m] pretty sure that he knows about me; we for sure know about each other.&rdquo;
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As he&rsquo;s embarked on this journey from his hometown of Milwaukee to Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix to the West Coast, Foster has leaned on his strong support system. Chianti Clay Sr. (his coach and mentor) and Chianti Clay Jr. (his coach's son and former teammate, who's a great prospect in his own right) have been by Foster&rsquo;s side since his middle-school days. Avery Smith and Josh Williams are &ldquo;his guys&rdquo; who work out with him and help motivate him. Foster&rsquo;s mother, sister, brother and father support and pull for him too.
&ldquo;In my inner circle, I've got them wanting me to be the greatest I can be. And that's also my mindset. My mindset is the main thing,&rdquo; Foster said.
Clay Sr. told Foster that he's different from any of the other players he's taken under his wing.
&ldquo;He had plenty of guys that could've made it out of Milwaukee, but they decided to do anything that got theirself put in a different situation. But me, see, I'm just different. I'm more low-key of a guy,&rdquo; Foster said. &ldquo;I've got one goal in life, and that's to become an NBA player and take care of my family. Ain't nothing gonna stop me from getting there. God forbid I get injured or anything like that, but I feel like I can bounce back from anything if I really put my mind to it.&rdquo;
At Hillcrest Prep, Foster averaged 32.2 points and 18.4 rebounds per game during his senior season. He was an All-American who tore up the high-school scene as the No. 7 prospect in the 2021 class before becoming the Ignite&rsquo;s first commit for the 2021-22 season. The school hadn't seen that kind of dominance from a big man since Deandre Ayton.&nbsp;
In an <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/high-school/2021/01/21/hillcrest-preps-michael-foster-aspires-better-than-7-footayton/4235442001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview last winter with The Arizona Republic</a>, Foster sternly spoke about being associated with the Phoenix Suns star: &ldquo;I want to be better than him.&rdquo;
That sentiment has not changed, and now a year away from achieving his NBA dream, his objectives extend beyond himself.
&ldquo;Being the best I can be, that's one goal,&rdquo; Foster said. &ldquo;I don't know what the [Ignite] record was last year, but the team goal is to have a better record [than 8-7]. Go for the championship for the G League or being a better playoff seed than the previous year.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Of course, I want to get my numbers up, but you know, you've got to do what you've got to do first. To get your numbers up, you've gotta play team ball, you've got to play more games. So that's the goal, be a better team than last year."

G League Ignite forward Michael Foster speaks with Spencer Davies about his game, his goals for the upcoming season and more.

G League Ignite's Michael Foster won't let anything stop his NBA dream

Once listed as the <a href="http://www.espn.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/playerrankings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top recruit in the Class of 2022</a> in ESPN's Top 100, Emoni Bates announced last week that he would be reclassifying into the Class of 2021.
According to multiple reports, Bates has <a href="https://usatodayhss.com/2021/emoni-bates-reclassification-final-four?fbclid=IwAR1v9HawRlpAHvLriI_O1T_rpLZeTjU9Dc_AapZ47qCFR1aHCNffS0DTRAI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cut down his list</a> to the NBA G League Ignite, Memphis, Michigan State, and Oregon.
With plenty of options to choose from now in amateur-to-pro preparation, it is becoming a new trend for elite high school athletes to bypass the development that the high school level could provide for their games. And while the traditional college route has been gaining traction with top high school recruits due to the NIL decision by the Supreme Court, Bates has been open to going the professional route straight out of high school.
The Athletic&rsquo;s Brendan Quinn reported in March that Bates will in fact take his talents to the G League and seek the &ldquo;most lucrative deal the G League can muster&rdquo; prior to turning pro after the fact.&nbsp;
24/7 Sports writer Jerry Meyer wrote in <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Emoni-Bates-46056542/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his scouting report of Bates</a>: &ldquo;Extremely thin but has great length for such a skilled player. Plays with strength, though, and doesn&rsquo;t avoid contact... Quick twitch athlete who moves feet well and is quick off the floor. Elite three-level scorer. Has deep range off catch or dribble. Can score in a multitude of ways... Handles well, has plethora of moves and can attack either direction. Has a feel as a passer. Dangerous offensive rebounder. Good defensively when focused. Has defensive versatility. Elite, elite prospect."
Already signed to the G League Ignite is five-star recruit Jason Hardy, whom CBS Sports <a href="https:%20//www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2022-nba-mock-draft-paolo-banchero-to-thunder-chet-holmgren-to-magic-among-way-too-early-projections/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">predicts to go No. 4 in the 2022 NBA Draft</a>. The team also rosters five-star guard Scoota Henderson &mdash; another top-10 prospect &mdash; and five-star power forward Michael Foster.
With the addition of Bates, the G League Ignite could be well on their way to forming a "Fab Five" by landing the best prospects at each position, which could be the growing trend amongst top high school recruits in the near future.
It&rsquo;s important to note that, because Bates doesn&rsquo;t turn 19 until January 2023, he would not be eligible for the next year's draft. However, he won't be alone, as the Ignite signed Scoota Henderson for two years since he reclassified as well (and also won&rsquo;t be draft eligible until '23).
Now, here's a little bit about the G League Ignite: &nbsp;
In year one, the G League Ignite experiment proved to be a great success, as three players were selected during the 2021 NBA Draft. The Houston Rockets selected Jalen Green with the No. 2 overall pick, the Golden State Warriors selected Jonathan Kuminga with the No. 7 overall pick and the Milwaukee Bucks selected Isaiah Todd at No. 31 (he was later traded to the Washington Wizards).
That trio is now a trendsetter, as top high school recruits will likely feel much more comfortable following in those footsteps of pursuing this alternate path to the NBA and bypassing the traditional NCAA route.&nbsp;
However, this route isn&rsquo;t for everyone, but rather a small subset of the creme de la creme. Each of these three players was a five-star high school recruit in 2020 before joining the Ignite, so it&rsquo;s not for everyone. Still, it does provide a viable option for that special elite-of-the-elite group who choose not to opt for the traditional college route.
The NBA maintains its controversial age limit of draft-eligible athletes, requiring them to attend college for at least one year (one-and-done rule), so the need for an alternative is tremendous.&nbsp;
The mastermind behind the G League Ignite program is former NBA player Shareef Abdur-Rahim. He installed this experiment with the overall mission of providing &ldquo;NBA Draft readiness and growth of professional life skills.&rdquo;
The G League Ignite compensates players for their services (unlike the NCAA) and prepares them to be a professional athlete &mdash; both on and off the court &mdash; while playing with and against NBA veterans or other professional leagues. The program teaches the young men about what it takes to be a professional, and it includes courses on media training, financial literacy training and Zoom sessions with former NBA veterans to prepare them for what they are walking into.
For years, the National Basketball Players Association has attempted to do something similar in a crash course for a weekend for incoming NBA rookies, but what Abdur-Rahim has done is expand that training into a year-round program. So with financial backing of Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA, we have had the birth of a true NBA developmental team.&nbsp;
To discuss this further, I had<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-rematch/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-30-g-league-ignite-head-coach-jason-hart-talks-evan-mobley,-ignites-draft-success" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> the opportunity to catch up with Jason Hart</a>, the newly-named head coach of the Ignite and my former teammate at Syracuse University.
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Etan Thomas: ​Coach Jason Hart, how are you doing, sir?
Jason Hart: ​Good man. Glad to be here. How you doing, man?
Etan: ​I'm good. My point guard for four years at Syracuse University and the new head coach of the G League Ignite, I want to say big congratulations to you.
Jason Hart: ​Thank you, man. Thank you. It's an honor to be here obviously with you, but also excited to get a chance to coach at the professional level.
Etan: ​So I know this is something you've been wanting to do for a long time and you have had this love for coaching for a long time. So just talk to me about how excited you are about this opportunity.
Jason Hart: ​Well, I'm super excited. I got into coaching obviously to give back and stay connected with the game. College was where I wanted to be. It has always been a dream of mine to be a college head coach. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. And when the opportunity presented itself in the G-League, I jumped on it and I'm happy to continue my coaching career, obviously at a higher level.
Etan: ​So let's get into the G League Ignite, a lot of people don't really understand the setup. They've been signing top prospects to play against G League veterans to prepare them for the NBA draft and the Ignite are based in California, and they're expected to play more of a traditional G League schedule this coming year. But talk to everybody about how it actually works.&nbsp;
Jason Hart: ​So the G League Ignite was created by Shareef Abdur-Rahim a very good friend of mine dating back from our days in Sacramento. Obviously, he's the president of the G League. And so this team was formed to keep our high school basketball stars from taking their talents overseas when RJ Hampton and LaMelo Ball went to Australia to play. It was an idea that was created for high school players who are good enough and who we think are good enough to have a chance to go to the next level, stay and develop in somewhat of a farm system, hone their talents against not only G Leaguers, but draft-pick kids who are playing for the Lakers or the Clippers and take the time to develop those guys, and then they go and get drafted in June.
​It was also formed to help these young men become pros off the court as well. It's a transition from high school, from them eating candy before the games to now understand how to take care of their bodies and get their minds mentally prepared to play against professionals. So it's more of a hands-on approach with 18-year-olds who have a high skill set, high level of talent and putting them in a position to succeed, and then surrounding them with veterans who are going to show them the ropes of the NBA lifestyle, of the NBA, and being able to push them in moments in the games to get them uncomfortable outside of their box. Also academically you have a scholarship for when you want to go back to school, there&rsquo;s a pilot program through a few universities particularly Arizona State. And they can go to school and get their degree if they want to choose that route as well, but they have an academic piece too. And then also they get paid a handsome amount of money for basically a season. But it's not for everybody. It's not for kids who need more time to develop in college, but it's for special-types-of-talent kids. Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, those two are two of the players that played in the league.
Etan: ​One person that comes to mind is Winfred Walton. I think he would have been fantastic for a program like this. People don&rsquo;t understand how good he was, people forget. Let's talk about him for a minute, because when we got to Syracuse, it was right after John Wallace and Cuse In The House and they had just played in the championship game. So, you had John Wallace, you had Otis Hill, you had, Jason Cipolla, they were all on the court. So we come in there young, you know, fresh out of high school. And Fred went in there and was like, let's play us against y'all. You remember And pointed to us the other freshman. John Wallace said y'all not ready for that yet, and Fred was like whatever we're ready. Let's go. So it was me, you, Rock, Ramel Lloyd, Leshaun Howard and Fred.
​We had like our own Fab Five, to be honest with you. It&rsquo;s just that Fred didn't work out and had to leave and Rock transferred. But we had a crew. Talk about that when we scrimmaged them because they had just come back from playing in the national championship game, right, against Kentucky. And Fred was going to work.
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Jason Hart: ​Fred, like you said, he was a next-level of talent. Obviously, he had a chance to go out of high school and get drafted, but the G League Ignite program would have helped him because it would have allowed him to obviously be paid, but he was an elite talent. His body was already developed. He would've been able to do that. And we would have had him in a structured environment where we can watch his every move, mental aspect of the game and see that his dreams come true. But definitely, he was elite. He would have benefited from this program, but also he could have gone straight out of high school. He was that good. And his confidence was crazy. I think his game was more mature obviously than ours. He was special. I remember the school gave him No. 44. And they crossed out 44. So nobody could touch it. So that tells you how special he was coming in.&nbsp;
Etan: ​So I want to talk about that game though, because that game, he was going to work on John Wallace.&nbsp;
Jason Hart​: Well, Fred was bigger than J Dub. John was maybe 6-8, 6-9, for sure. Fred was 6-10 and a half, 235 [pounds] at 18 years old. So I remember the game and John Wallace was coming off a high, maybe one of the better players in the entire country for college. And so I remember man, we played them and Fred kind of gassed that game up. And we was like, okay, well we gotta play them. But you know what? That mindset right there, they don't do that anymore. In the college game they don't play pickup anymore versus the older guys and our guys, our generation now is suffering from let's just do skill work all the time. And so how we pulled ourselves up, we used to play pick up all the time. That doesn't happen anymore. Especially at the college game. It's more we set up appointment times to where we can do all skill work. And amongst the players, they don't like to do pickup anymore.
Etan: ​That's crazy, but going back to the G League Ignite, they had two players in the draft taken with Jalen Green going to Houston and Jonathan Kuminga going to Golden State, and both still have tremendous upsides. So with them having this success that they had going the route of going to the G League Ignite team as an alternative to going the college route or going overseas and hearing the announcers gush over them, the way that they did. Do you think that this is now going to really open the flood gates for high school players to really do the same, the top, top high school players?
Jason Hart: ​I think it just gives them another option. Obviously, they have the G League experience. You have the Overtime [Elite], it's another high school league that they formed. And they're getting paid out of that as well. I just think that with those two guys, obviously being that it was the inaugural season and they were able to get drafted so high. I think it gives the top-level players, an opportunity to come showcase their talent versus pros and being able to be coached and putting their environment to where it's going to help them succeed on and off the court. College is not for everybody. Like we just said, if Winfred didn't have to go to college, he probably would have been in the pros and had a 10-year career. So I think given our kids, the culture, the basketball coaching options to help them be successful. And that's what it's designed to do. And hopefully, it attracts more talent and it keeps this thing going.
Etan: ​I don't think attracting the talent is going to be a problem you know, to be honest with you,
Jason Hart: ​It's getting the right ones and then giving the kids just options. And so when you have options in life and you make the right decision, it obviously leads to a bright future.
Etan: ​That's definitely true. So, you said that you hope that they give you know, keep attracting talent. I don't know the rules, you know what I mean? So I don't want to, if you're not supposed to mention anything or how they do tampering, I don't even know how the rules are. So if you're looking at, you know watching high school now, who are some guys that you think could make that jump you know, to go to the G League route? Not saying that you're recruiting them to come to you or anything. I just want to make that clear for all that you know, NBA compliance people, whatever, not asking that. And that's not what coach Hart is saying. Just who are some people who could make that jump now that you see?
Jason Hart: ​Well, I'm not sure how the rules are set up, but we are actively recruiting the players that go to the power five schools, the elite schools. And so I don't know if we can say the names because they're not signed to us. It's just like a kid getting recruited to UCLA or Duke. We can't promote a player that's not signed to us. But when we are recruiting, we are sitting next to the Kentuckys and the Kansases. And it's not more of a being a threat, but obviously it's just options. And so your favorite top high school players, international players, 18, 19-year-old, same thing. It's a wide margin of players, of areas we try to cover. And obviously, we are looking for the top youth talent in high school and overseas.
Etan: ​So you are able to go to the top. So say like, we just had the EYBL Peace Jam Fest. You're able to go there and just right next to the coaches?
Jason Hart: ​I'm at the NBA Top 100 camp right now.
Etan: ​In Orlando.
Jason Hart: ​Yeah. And Rod Strickland &amp; Shareef Abdur-Rahim were at Peach Jam.
Etan: ​Got you. So it's the same you're at the same places.
Jason Hart: Yes, same places. I don't want schools to be like, man, they [are] trying to steal our players. That's not the goal. That's not, the intent is to give options for those who don't want to attend college and have the ability and confidence about themselves that they're ready to be professionals at an early age.
Etan: ​I definitely agree. So now as far as players going into the G League, and this is the part where I'm going to be really interested in to see how that develops &mdash; because I think that the NIL change will help some players in making the decision who are in a tough financial home situation and want to go pro for that reason. Well, now it will say, okay, well now I can make some money and take care of my family and stuff like that while I'm in school. I think that will help keep some guys in college a little bit longer. But more so about the G League and I don't want to, you know, I touched on the point earlier, but I want to keep on it because with these two high draft picks, in my opinion, I think it has to be the thought of every top high school player out there that if they did it and they hear the announcers gushing over them, the way that they did, they went number two and number seven.
So now they're like, okay, I could definitely do that. And I think it's going to open it up even more so where y'all might have to even be turning guys away, like, okay, we can't take any more high school guys. Or we're going to even open up another team up to the same thing. I think that many high school guys are going to grow up to be going this route. Do you agree with that?
Jason Hart: ​I totally agree. And during the draft, the G League Ignite team got a lot of positive remarks. And like I said, it's an option for players who have the ability and are ready. It&rsquo;s not for everybody, I can&rsquo;t say that enough. But I think those two guys obviously being the trend-setters and Isaiah Todd was another player that was drafted. Trend-setters in terms of the new age where we living in. I mean, this is something that was unprecedented being at this team was formed last year. And to have two lottery picks with the first seven picks and then another one at No. 31, it's definitely going to open the flood gates, but it also has to be a right fit. And it has to be something that you're willing to sacrifice and learn and be willing to accept coaching. But, you know, Hey, come join the G League, if that's your goal. And I'm saying it on your show. It's a win-win for all and hopefully, we can keep this thing going and make this team a destination for the elite talent.

Etan Thomas writes about Emoni Bates' reclassification and the route he may take, and also speaks with G League Ignite head coach Jason Hart.