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Celtics

One of the breakout stars of this year&rsquo;s NBA playoffs has been Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson. He&rsquo;s old-school, unconventional, talented, savy and up for a big pay day this summer. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound guard and Villanova alum was selected No. 33 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft and is one of the better second-round draft picks over the past few classes.
Last year, he was a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, averaging 12.6 points and 5.5 assists on 52/41/80 shooting splits in this third season with the Mavericks. This season, as a full-time starter, while watching his minutes jump from 25.0 to 31.9 per game, his productivity increased to 16.3 points and 4.8 assists per game on 50/37/84 shooting. In the playoffs (35.2 minutes per contest), Brunson jumped to 21.6 points and 3.7 assists per contest on 47/35/80 shooting.
His 2022 postseason included signature performances like a 41-point game in a win over the Utah Jazz in Game 2 without Luka Dončić and a 31-point effort against the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. He also had a meaningful 24 points on 11-of-19 shooting in Dallas&rsquo; shocking Game 7 romping of the Phoenix Suns.
But now, he&rsquo;s an unrestricted free agent. Dallas has a lot of questions to answer. How can they best build around Dončić? What do they do with Tim Hardaway Jr.? If they want to upgrade at center, what's the best answer at that position?
Among the most important questions is: do they extend Brunson? Here are some teams to watch in the Brunson sweepstakes this offseason.
NEW YORK KNICKS
The New York Knicks haven&rsquo;t had a reliable point guard since Raymond Felton in their famed 54-win season back in 2012-13. Since then, it&rsquo;s largely been a revolving door of meh at the point of attack at Madison Square Garden. Jose Calderon was past his peak when he got to New York. Iman Shumpert, though very talented, wasn&rsquo;t a natural point guard. Frank Ntilikina is closer to a three-and-D wing than a true floor general. Jerian Grant never panned out. Neither has Kemba Walker. Derrick Rose has arguably been the best of the bunch.
Walker, Rose, Alec Burks, Immanuel Quickley and Miles McBride make up the Knicks' point guard depth chart for 2022-23, in no particular order. Walker&rsquo;s health can&rsquo;t be trusted for an entire season. Burks isn&rsquo;t a true point guard and might be a trade chip. Quickley, if he starts, is probably better suited next to a natural point, and the same could be said for R.J. Barrett. And McBride is young, raw and inexperienced. Brunson is better than all of them, hard stop.
Because Brunson will be unrestricted, the highest-bidder has a chance. The bad news for the Knicks is that <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/new-york-knicks/cap/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">they&rsquo;re pretty much capped out</a>.
That means getting Brunson to New York would require a sign-and-trade. The good thing is that the Mavericks need a Mitchell Robinson type of center, and for about two years, I've been pushing for Brunson-Robinson swap. The Knicks should throw in something else, be it draft capital and or an additional young piece to make the deal work (for cap purposes too), but that&rsquo;s the framework that can come from this. Robinson gives Luka a lob threat, gives the team a higher upside defensively, and gives the coaching staff a player who can share the floor with just about anyone on the roster.&nbsp;
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LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
If Brunson can play with Dončić and Spencer Dinwiddie, he can share a backcourt with Reggie Jackson. Kawhi Leonard has <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2020/10/19/report-kawhi-leonard-wants-clippers-to-add-point-guard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wanted a point guard</a>, but the Clippers still don&rsquo;t have one. It&rsquo;s Jackson, and that&rsquo;s it. Norman Powell, Luke Kennard and Terance Mann are guards, but they're all wings. 2021 second-round pick Jason Preston still hasn&rsquo;t played due to injury, and Xavier Moon was a two-way guy last year who played just 10 games. <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2020/10/19/report-kawhi-leonard-wants-clippers-to-add-point-guard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leonard&rsquo;s been wanting a point guard for two seasons</a>, and it&rsquo;s time for the Clippers to address that spot since both Leonard and Paul George are due back next season.
Given the Clippers' cap situation, this would most certainly be a sign-and-trade. Powell, Marcus Morris, Kennard and Robert Covington all make between $12 and $16 million next season, and any of them could make sense going to Dallas. Only one or two of them would probably need to go at most, among other compensation (i.e. young players and picks).
Brunson in L.A. would join the starting line-up alongside Jackson, Leonard, George and a center. Ivica Zubac is an expiring $7.5 million contract next season, and he could actually be a piece Dallas wants in return. Assuming he stays in Los Angeles, Zubac rounds out their starting five and gives Los Angeles a true point guard, which they&rsquo;re clearly missing.
DALLAS MAVERICKS&nbsp;
The Mavericks reportedly had multiple opportunities to sign Brunson to a four-year, $55.5 million deal before and during the season, <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/04/25/report-mavericks-didnt-offer-jalen-brunson-contract-extension-until-after-trade-deadline/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per reports</a>, but did not. As a result, he could be looking at <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2952513-latest-nba-trade-intel-lakers-realistic-targets-myles-turner-landing-spots?share=sms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">something in the $80 million range</a>, and possibly more after these playoffs.
Clearly, the offense works with him and Luka in the backcourt, blending in Dinwiddie in a natural role as a combo guard off the bench who can finish games. Dallas can keep their core together (those three and Dorian Finney-Smith) and work around the margins.
After losing to the Warriors in Game 5, Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban said that keeping Brunson is a priority, and damn near guaranteed that it&rsquo;ll happen.
"We can pay him more than anybody,&rdquo; Cuban said. "I think he wants to stay, and that's most important. I think [Jason Kidd] has a big part to play in that... JB blossomed as a player as much as anybody on this squad. From where he was last year to how far he came this year is a tribute to how hard he worked. And the support he got from his dad and his family and his girlfriend, but also, what he was able to learn from [Kidd]. I think he recognizes that, and I think he wants to stay."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/mcuban?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mcuban</a> reflecting on the 2021-22 Dallas Mavericks season with Marc Stein. <a href="https://twitter.com/dallasmavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dallasmavs</a> | 📺 BSSW | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dALLasIN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dALLasIN</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheSteinLine</a> <a href="https://t.co/YZROfVsnq0">pic.twitter.com/YZROfVsnq0</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsSW/status/1530038560673435658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Brunson didn&rsquo;t have the exact same tone, but he&rsquo;ll cross that bridge when he gets there, it seems.
"When it&rsquo;s time, it&rsquo;s time. I&rsquo;m not worried about it right now," Brunson said, <a href="https://twitter.com/sixfivelando/status/1530037759955636242" target="_blank" rel="noopener">via Landon Thomas of Mavs Fans For Life</a>. "I&rsquo;m just really happy I got to play with these guys and what we did this year. I&rsquo;ll think about that later.&rdquo;
For Dallas, this is probably the move. Keep Brunson and build around the margins, particularly on the interior. Four years in, we can now say, as long as you have Luka, you have a chance. You just have to nail what&rsquo;s around him, and Brunson is someone you should want back in Dallas.
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Jalen Brunson was a breakout star for the Mavericks this postseason and is now an unrestricted free agent. Where will he end up?

Examining potential free-agent destinations for Jalen Brunson

In spite of Luka Dončić only playing half of the series, the Utah Jazz have been eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs, which can only mean it&rsquo;s time to blow them up!
Okay, not really... but maybe? Virtually everyone is expecting organizational changes given the team's recent underachievement in the playoffs stemming from successful regular seasons. This incarnation of the Jazz was established in 2017-18, behind then-rookie Donovan Mitchell&rsquo;s quick rise to stardom and Rudy Gobert&rsquo;s emergence as an annual Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
That season, Mitchell &mdash; filling the void left by Gordon Hayward &mdash; finished his first season as a 20-point-per-game scorer despite being picked No. 13 overall and averaging just over 14 points per game in his first 19 appearances. Gobert, even having played only 56 games, was awarded his first of now three DPOY awards.
In these five years, there have been as many playoff trips &mdash; three as the No. 5 seed (including this season), one as the No. 6 in the Orlando Bubble, and another as the top overall seed in the Western Conference last year.
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In 2017-18, the Jazz overachieved, taking down the Russell Westbrook-Paul George-Carmelo Anthony-led Oklahoma City Thunder in six games before losing to the No. 1 seed Houston Rockets in five contests.
In 2018-19, Utah lost to the Rockets again in five, this time in the first round, and Houston even led 3-0 with a +55 scoring margin before dropping Game 4.
In 2019-20, the Jazz squandered a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets, losing Game 7 in the final seconds of the opening round.
Last season &mdash; despite the Los Angeles Clippers losing Kawhi Leonard to a torn ACL (that he&rsquo;s still not back from) &mdash; the Jazz <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD2yBy-EqnU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost in six games to the Clippers</a> in the West semifinals, and Gobert was dunked on by both Terance Mann and social media in the ending.
And finally, this postseason &mdash; in a series with Dončić missing the first three games with a calf injury, in which Utah still trailed 2-1 upon his return &mdash; Utah lost on yet another last-second heartbreaker.&nbsp;
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THE PLAYOFF DROUGHT IS OVER. THE DALLAS MAVERICKS ADVANCE TO THE SECOND ROUND SINCE 2011!<a href="https://twitter.com/dallasmavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dallasmavs</a> | 📺 BSSW | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dALLasIN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dALLasIN</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> <a href="https://t.co/VcWGAdSOL4">pic.twitter.com/VcWGAdSOL4</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsSW/status/1519896562079518727?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Given <a href="https://twitter.com/tribjazz/status/1482077811019902980">the sniping back-and-forth between Mitchell and Gobert</a>, the Jazz's inability to break through and how far behind they appear from the top teams in the West, this seems like the summer where sizeable moves will be coming.
Personally speaking, it feels like we&rsquo;re heading toward Mitchell requesting a trade and moving on, but either way, one of Mitchell or Gobert &mdash; perhaps both &mdash; may be on the move in the coming months. Our Evan Sidery <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-rudy-gobert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently looked at five trade ideas involving Gobert</a>.
Today, let's look at where Mitchell could end up, <a href="https://fanspo.com/nba/trade-machine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">using this trade machine</a>.
Mitchell is due $30.3 million next year, $32.6 million in 2023-24, $34.9 million in 2024-25, and has a player option for $37 million in 2025-26. Keep that in mind as we embark on this journey together. (Why did I sound like Professor Oak there?)
New York Knicks
Mitchell&rsquo;s father, Donovan Sr., works with the New York Mets organization. The 25-year-old Mitchell himself is a native of Elmsford, New York. Naturally, with the New York Knicks, there will be Mitchell smoke until a deal (or something else) actually happens. Because Tommy Beer already <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/expect-the-knicks-to-make-a-real-run-at-donovan-mitchell-this-summer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke down the possibility of a Mitchell-to-New-York trade</a>, we won&rsquo;t stay here too long.
Regarding the Knicks&rsquo; actual proposal, the first look would be to RJ Barrett, who is extension eligible this summer, entering year four and making $10.9 million next year. The idea, for New York, should be to team Barrett and Mitchell together. If that&rsquo;s not possible, and the Mitchell deal were to have to get done, Barrett is your chief trade chip, along with first-round draft picks. The Knicks have all their own first-rounders as of this writing.
Usable salaries for the Knicks next year include Evan Fournier, who&rsquo;ll be at $18 million, Derrick Rose at $14.5 million, Alec Burks at $10 million, Nerlens Noel at $9.2 million and Kemba Walker at over $9.1 million. Rose, Burks and Noel all have team options for 2023-24, so they have ostensibly expiring deals. Walker&rsquo;s next season is his last under contract, and Fournier is signed through 2025, but that also includes a team option. Cam Reddish and Taj Gibson also enter the last year of their respective deals, at about $6 million and $5.1 million each, respectively.
The contract elephant in the room is Julius Randle&rsquo;s, which is a four-year, $117 million extension that begins next season at $26.1 million. It&rsquo;ll gradually increase until his player option for $32.4 million kicks in for 2025-26. The Knicks might try to move Randle instead, but what sense does that make for Utah? And if Utah isn&rsquo;t getting Barrett, would they want a package of the aforementioned veterans (say, Fournier and Burks), along with one or two of Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, or Miles McBride (who make between $1.6 and $2.3 million next year) and picks?
It&rsquo;ll be hard to do without Barrett, and maybe Randle gets involved in a three-team deal, but the Knicks have the picks, salaries and prospects to make it work, if that&rsquo;s the route the Jazz want to go.
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons seem like a team that could be a version of this past season&rsquo;s Cleveland Cavaliers &mdash; not in terms of play style or once being a top-four team in the Eastern Conference standings necessarily, but from the standpoint of being competitive a year sooner than we think and playing meaningful games down the stretch (like one or two in the Play-In Tournament).
Given that 20 of 30 NBA teams will have games beyond the regular season, the Pistons may (should) attempt to get one of those spots.
Last year&rsquo;s No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham is <a href="https://youtu.be/I9OLPXxgYWk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">someone you can build with</a>. Saddiq Bey should be a more efficient scorer with more experience and better teammates. Most of the rest is to be determined, but Detroit can start by using Jerami Grant&rsquo;s near $21 million expiring deal next summer.
What comes next depends on what stage the Jazz want to be closer to. If this is a rebuild, you can ask for a combination of Killian Hayes and Hamidou Diallo (both of whom make over $5 million next year), for example, and Hayes has a $7.4 million team option for 2023-24. If not, Kelly Olynyk has $12.8 million coming to him next year that&rsquo;s usable. Utah can in throw in, hypothetically, Royce O&rsquo;Neale&rsquo;s $9.3 million deal next year and get Olynyk anyway.
So the player framework can look something like:
<ul>
<li>Donovan Mitchell for Jerami Grant and Kelly Olynyk</li>
<li>Donovan Mitchell for Jerami Grant, Killian Hayes and Hamidou Diallo</li>
<li>Donovan Mitchell and Royce O&rsquo;Neale for Jerami Grant, Killian Hayes, Hamidou Diallo and Kelly Olynyk plus a sh*t ton of draft picks. The Pistons would be moving something like three first-rounders in the deal, and potentially multiple first-round pick swaps.</li>
</ul>
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Miami Heat
I brought this up during <a href="https://youtu.be/XBQwn0pOAa4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's NBA Trade Deadline stream</a>.&nbsp;
The Heat didn&rsquo;t do it then, but it might still be on the table depending on how these playoffs go. The Heat might not offer the best return package because of their draft picks, but they did unlock additional firsts by moving KZ Okpala to Oklahoma City in February. And, for Miami, we&rsquo;re mainly talking about one package. But again, it depends on the results of this postseason.&nbsp;
Currently, the Heat are getting ready to face the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, a matchup they&rsquo;re favored to win (albeit narrowly). If they lose this particular series, or if they win and Tyler Herro continues to struggle in the playoffs, or even if Miami makes a deep run and Herro elevates from a slow start, he&rsquo;d be the primary chip in a Mitchell deal. Furthermore, the <a href="https://twitter.com/GregSylvander/status/1482101290964504580" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Heat are on Mitchell&rsquo;s shortlist</a>, according to Greg Sylvander of Five Reasons Sports.
The deal, as I mentioned on our stream, would include Herro &mdash; who is still on a rookie-scale contract ($5.7 million next year), but is extension-eligible this summer and wouldn&rsquo;t kick-in until 2023. Then comes Duncan Robinson, who&rsquo;ll enter the second year of a five-year, $90 million deal next season, which bookends with a near $20 million player option and rises to $16.9 million next season.
According to the trade machine, Omer Yurtseven&rsquo;s $1.7 million next season makes the math work, and would give Utah a Gobert backup who&rsquo;ll, if nothing else, get you 10 rebounds in 15 minutes on occasion. Would the Heat have to throw in at least one of Gabe Vincent, Max Strus or Haywood Highsmith (all of whom make between $1.7 and $1.8 million next year)? Perhaps. And from there, Miami has tradeable first-rounders in 2022, 2024 and 2026. So, in summation, it could look like this:
<ul>
<li>Donovan Mitchell for Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Omer Yurtseven, one of Gabe Vincent/Max Strus/Haywood Highsmith, draft capital</li>
</ul>
But if Herro has a big playoff run moving forward, the Heat may instead opt to move Robinson in a separate, smaller deal for a worthy big man in their rotation, and mostly run it back otherwise.
Atlanta Hawks
Alright, now you saw what the Heat did to Trae Young in the first round. The Hawks clearly are not only poised to get Young some help, but make a 3-for-1-ish deal to consolidate some depth into a higher-end starter &mdash; or in the case of Mitchell, a fellow offensive starter. His teammate, Gobert, is probably the better fit, but one, I&rsquo;m not writing about Gobert (our Evan Sidery will handle that) and two, if Gobert is frustrated with Mitchell&rsquo;s defense...
But anyway, you gotta start somewhere. And for Atlanta, part of why the Heat neutralized Young is their malleability defensively, but also, the Hawks don&rsquo;t have another true star to account for on the perimeter. Mitchell would give Young a viable tag team partner offensively to spread the defensive focus. To do so, the Hawks could play this a few different ways.
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The obvious trade chip is John Collins, and there could be questions about his fit next to Gobert, but it&rsquo;s not a bad place to start if you&rsquo;re moving someone of Mitchell&rsquo;s caliber. Collins will make $23.5 million next year, and between $25.3 and $26.6 million through 2025-26. Collins has had rumored friction with Young, though they&rsquo;ve downplayed it over the years. From there, if you use Collins in a possible deal, it gets interesting.&nbsp;
De&rsquo;Andre Hunter &mdash; who makes $9.8 million next year in the last season of a rookie deal and is extension-eligible this summer &mdash; seems logical for both the Jazz to want and the Hawks to keep. Hunter was Atlanta's best player against the Heat, and has been a quality two-way wing when healthy. Is a framework of Collins and Hunter for Mitchell straight up enough of a deal for both sides? Sheeeeeiiiiit, ask them, but it sounds good to me!
<ul>
<li>Donovan Mitchell for John Collins and De'Andre Hunter</li>
</ul>
No Collins? Okay. You&rsquo;re not moving Clint Capela&rsquo;s long-term deal for Utah in a Mitchell move, so that&rsquo;s out of the picture. Kevin Huerter would absolutely have to be part of this, and no, that&rsquo;s not a white Utah joke. Hu-why would you think that?&nbsp;
Huerter begins his $65 million extension next year, the first of four, banking $14.5 million in 2022-23. Hunter probably stays in the deal because Utah has to get something really good, and the Hawks simply can&rsquo;t extend everyone. Again, Atlanta should want to keep Hunter, but this is the price of doing business. But if you&rsquo;re throwing in Huerter instead of Collins (which does work on the trade machine since different rules apply in the offseason than in-season), you&rsquo;ll need multiple first round picks &mdash; of which the Hawks have all their own &mdash; so that could get done.
Could Utah also want Onyeka Okongwu? Sure, but he seems like Atlanta's 5-man of the future, and a separate deal moving off Capela might be more likely. So the second proposal could look like this:
<ul>
<li>Donovan Mitchell for De'Andre Hunter, Kevin Huerter, draft capital</li>
</ul>
Now, the Hawks would still need to figure some things out defensively, seeing as how they&rsquo;d be led by two 6-foot-1 scorers in the backcourt. They could just became the new Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to some extent, but <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-salute-to-the-defiance-of-damian-lillard-and-cj-mccollum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Portland Trail Blazers are as much to blame for that &ldquo;not working,&rdquo;</a> and the Hawks can learn from those team-building mistakes.&nbsp;
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Bryan Fonseca takes a look at four logical landing spots for Utah Jazz star guard Donovan Mitchell.

Examining potential trade desinations for Donovan Mitchell 

The Indiana Pacers just wrapped up their worst season since 1989. Finishing with a 25-57 record, Indiana has decided upon a path it hasn't ventured down in decades.
On Christmas, the Pacers were in no man&rsquo;s land in the Eastern Conference sitting at 14-19. The frontcourt pairing between Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner was still working on occasion, but it didn&rsquo;t make any dent as a true competitor. Malcolm Brogdon was supposed to be Indiana&rsquo;s long-term answer as its primary floor general, but he could barely stay on the court due to injury woes. Speaking of injuries, Orlando Bubble superstar T.J. Warren didn&rsquo;t play in a single game this season due to a nagging foot injury; four total games over two full seasons for the former Phoenix Suns wing.
Indiana&rsquo;s vision for a sustainable contender just simply wasn&rsquo;t working. Running stagnant with a roster that was just competitive enough to sneak into the postseason, the Pacers finally pressed the rebuild button during the holiday season. From Dec. 25 and on, Indiana went on to an 11-38 finish.
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After trading away Sabonis and Caris LeVert, Indiana is now in an advantageous long-term position, even in spite of not conveying the first-round pick acquired via the Cleveland Cavaliers. (Cleveland will keep its first-round pick due to the loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, as the team misses the NBA Playoffs.)
The cupboard is anything but bare. Sending out Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings brought back a potential face of the franchise in Tyrese Haliburton. The second-year point guard from Iowa State continued to blossom in a more featured role away from De&rsquo;Aaron Fox in Sacramento. Haliburton averaged 17.5 points, 9.6 assists and 1.8 steals for Indiana, immediately planting himself as a primary pillar for the next great Pacers team.
Chris Duarte also made noise during his rookie campaign for Indiana before a nagging toe issue hampered his availability post-All-Star break. Showing a true scorer&rsquo;s mindset, Duarte displayed why he&rsquo;s another key piece to the Pacers&rsquo; puzzle.
Outside of the Haliburton and Duarte pairing, plus the exciting unknown ahead, the Pacers have one more young prospect that is so intriguing to project.
Isaiah Jackson, the No. 22 overall pick from the 2020 NBA Draft, has all the potential to take a massive sophomore jump in 2022-23.
Still a raw prospect, Jackson flashed tantalizing two-way talent in different spurts throughout the Pacers&rsquo; midseason downturn. The sample size for Jackson was small &mdash; 36 total games and 15 starts &mdash; but it&rsquo;s hard to ignore what the ceiling could look like for the former Kentucky Wildcat big man.
Over Jackson&rsquo;s final 18 games of the season, Indiana saw a glimpse of true two-way success. In only 21.6 minutes per game, Jackson averaged 12.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 2.2 blocks on an impressive 62.6% True Shooting percentage. When stretching those minutes to per-36 thresholds, Indiana&rsquo;s rookie was outstanding: 20.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 3.6 blocks.
The reason why Jackson is such a moldable piece of clay for Indiana is because of the uncertain future revolving around Myles Turner. Having been the subject of trade rumors for multiple years now, which again got red-hot back in February, Turner now enters the last year of his contract. If the Pacers were to decide to move off Turner this offseason, now would be the ideal time if it wasn&rsquo;t at the trade deadline, as it would allow Jackson to fully blossom.
Jackson showed already for the Pacers he can fill the Turner role seamlessly. Not only can Jackson rim-run and block shots at an above-average level, but the floor-spacing potential is certainly there as well. Also, unlike Sabonis and Turner, Jackson provides the Pacers an athletic lob threat that hasn&rsquo;t been present within the organization for years now.
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Sheesh Isaiah Jackson 😳 <a href="https://t.co/MxOHikwsXL">pic.twitter.com/MxOHikwsXL</a>
&mdash; NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1513267754370953220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Indiana is in an ideal spot to choose any direction for Jackson&rsquo;s immediate future. Whether it be moved up into a starting role replacing Turner or slow-playing his development behind Turner one more season, Jackson&rsquo;s early trajectory is so promising. Jackson checks the rim-protection box with emphasis, plus the perfect pick-and-roll partner near the rim for Haliburton to execute with.
Entering arguably the most important offseason in franchise history, Indiana can continue to blow it all up and reset around an exciting core of young players. Haliburton, Duarte and Jackson are locked in. The future top-seven draft pick is cemented as well. Outside of that, anything is possible for the Pacers&rsquo; roster construction avenues.
Running in place for years at this point, the Pacers&rsquo; fresh start was much-needed. Now, it&rsquo;s time to see how all the new parts work together over an extensive long-term period. As far as the most interesting topics for the Pacers, Jackson&rsquo;s potential Year 2 jump could eventually change everything in Indianapolis.
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As the Pacers begin an extensive rebuild, don't forget about the potential long-term possibilities for big man Isaiah Jackson.

Isaiah Jackson provides Pacers ready-made Myles Turner replacement

The signs were there for De'Andre Hunter's big game on Wednesday night.&nbsp;
Take the Atlanta Hawks' opening possession, for example. It started with a pick-and-roll headlined by Trae Young. The Charlotte Hornets trapped it, a strategy that mirrors the one they deployed during their last outing, putting Young in retreat mode.&nbsp;
Young fired a relief pass to Danilo Gallinari, creating a 2-on-1 advantage. P.J. Washington picked up Gallinari, forcing a long closeout for Miles Bridges (boy, did he have himself a night) to Hunter in the corner. Gallinari swung a pass to Hunter, and we got this:
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It's a missed shot, but it was an important one for Hunter. He beat a closeout with a quick up-fake, then quickly flowed into a pull-up middy. It's a reasonable shot that Hunter has grown comfortable with in his short NBA career, but the key is his decisiveness.
Quick, quick, quick.&nbsp;
Hunter has displayed growth as an on-ball creator, but not to the point where he warrants a ton of lead duties. He's mostly tasked with operating off the ball, feasting off the opportunities created by Young and others.
Though the outline of a strong play finisher are there &mdash; he's converted 37.7% of his catch-and-shoot threes in his career, and has generated nearly 1.1 points per possession when facing a closeout, per Second Spectrum tracking &mdash; there's been a fluidity missing.&nbsp;
Tune into a Hawks game, and you're likely to see some variation of this: an advantage being created by Young, the ball swinging around the perimeter to Hunter, then Hunter holding the ball for a beat before making some sort of move. The advantage would be diminished, if not eliminated altogther.
He's shown flashes of making lemonade out of lemons, using his high release point to knock down tough jumpers, or using his strength to create an edge on drives. But the process was disjointed. You'd come away wishing Hunter would just go.
That's what made Hunter's first possession from Wednesday's blowout Play-In Tournament win over the Hornets so encouraging. It's what made the whole first quarter encouraging. The stat line from the quarter won't blow you away &mdash; 3 points on 1 of 4 shooting, an assist &mdash; but the processing speed will.
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With that backdrop, Hunter's explosive third quarter makes sense.&nbsp;
He exploded for 16 points on 7 of 8 shooting. Of those eight attempts, six of them came in the painted area or right at the rim. He was buzzing off the ball, staying light on his feet before jetting inside for cuts or attacking the basket after receiving a pass. The Hornets struggled to deal with him once he got a head of steam.
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Hunter only took two jumpers in the quarter: a pull-up middy after attacking a wild closeout (a good shot for him that missed), and a heat check from the corner over the outstretched arms of Montrezl Harrell. You don't love the hold-hold-jab shots from Hunter, but he earned that attempt. It also helps that he made it.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/1vc0ti" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Hunter averaged <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/touches/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612737&amp;sort=AVG_SEC_PER_TOUCH&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2.22 seconds per touch</a> during the regular season. On Wednesday night, that number was <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/touches/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=PlayIn&amp;TeamID=1610612737&amp;sort=AVG_SEC_PER_TOUCH&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">down to 2.04</a>. If you break the season up into fragments, you'll see the gradual improvement in pace.
<ul>
<li>First 17 games: 2.30 seconds per touch</li>
<li>Next 18 games: 2.23 seconds per touch</li>
<li>Last 18 games: 2.11 seconds per touch</li>
<li>Play-in game: 2.04 seconds per touch</li>
</ul>
That might not seem like much, but every tenth of a second matters in the NBA. Any pause in action can be the difference between an open shot or a contested one. An ill-timed jab step can turn a scrambling defense into a recovering one. Coaches talk about a 0.5 rule &mdash; making the decision to shoot, drive or pass in under a second &mdash; for a reason.
The Hornets went into the game making the same bet from their last outing: We're going to force the ball out of Young's hands, and see if the other guys can make good, quick decisions. Hunter made the bet look not-great in the first quarter, and slammed the door on it in the third.
In the <a href="https://twitter.com/sarah_k_spence/status/1514430216940175371?s=20&amp;t=lBjuzOB3YEcgk-uQu4C5Fw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">words of Young</a>, that's the type of aggressiveness the Hawks need from Hunter on a nightly basis.
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Nekias Duncan highlights the decisiveness of De'Andre Hunter during his big game against the Hornets.

The value of playing fast: How De'Andre Hunter helps the Hawks best

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
<iframe src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=BNI5735260596" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for Wednesday's Play-In Tournament slate.
Atlanta Hawks (-6) vs. Charlotte Hornets
Betting against Trae Young and the Hawks in this spot is a dangerous game to play, which is why we&rsquo;re wagering on the favorite here. If you haven&rsquo;t been monitoring closely, Young has been putting up monster numbers while keeping Atlanta afloat post-All-Star break.
<blockquote class="q4-performance" data-sport="basketball" data-q4="468b73a5-3137-3f56-9619-fe3b3c5c708d" data-gid="6167e6b9-6a64-473b-90f3-9af2af05e8b3" data-server="api.quarter4.io">
&nbsp;
&mdash; Wednesday, April 13th Charlotte Hornets @ Atlanta Hawks</blockquote>

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On the other hand, Charlotte is such a feisty team. The Hornets have shown on multiple occasions that they can hang with anyone when they get hot offensively. Young against LaMelo Ball is going to be such a fun 1-on-1 matchup to follow along with as well. In the end, the postseason experience for Atlanta looms large. Hammer the Hawks in the Play-In as home favorites.
Pick: Hawks -6
Player Props: Trae Young over 30.5 points, Miles Bridges over 21.5 points, Clint Capela over 13.5 rebounds, LaMelo Ball over 8.5 assists
New Orleans Pelicans (-5.5) vs. San Antonio Spurs
Kudos to Pelicans head coach Willie Green, because this reminds me an awful lot of Phoenix&rsquo;s sudden turnaround under Monty Williams. Green learned under Williams for a few seasons, and now those same principles are being applied magnificently in New Orleans. CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram are a dynamite wing duo, but just imagine the possibilities once Zion Williamson eventually returns. If Williamson returns to form, the Pelicans have those same ingredients we&rsquo;ve seen surge with the Suns and Grizzlies.
The Spurs will be a tough out on Wednesday, especially with Dejounte Murray and their versatile two-way wings. However, we feel confident locking in the Pelicans to win and ultimately cover the 5.5-point spread.
Pick: Pelicans -5.5
Player Props: CJ McCollum over 26.5 points, Brandon Ingram over 23.5 points, Jakob Poeltl over 9.5 rebounds, Dejounte Murray over 9.5 assists
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Who are the best bets for tonight's NBA Play-In Tournament games? We've got you covered!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 4/13/22

The Atlanta Hawks never expected to be in this position.
Not after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">last summer's surprising run</a> to the Eastern Conference final.
But here they are, needing to win two play-in games just to make the playoffs.
First up: the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night in a matchup between the ninth and 10th seeds in the East.
&ldquo;Our destiny is in our hands," Hawks center Clint Capela said.
Atlanta was one of the biggest surprises of the 2021 postseason, knocking off both the Knicks and the top-seeded 76ers before losing to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in a highly competitive conference final.
With a young core led by Trae Young, the Hawks set a goal of finishing in the top four in the East this season. Instead, after a year plagued by COVID issues, injuries and a strange lack of chemistry, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-knicks-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-d384100801dae1e50a25ac311eacbefa">they had to settle</a> for the next-to-last play-in spot.
&ldquo;We have to live in the moment,&rdquo; coach Nate McMillan said. &ldquo;We can't think about all of that. We have a game we have to win."
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlotte-hornets-washington-wizards-atlanta-hawks-miami-heat-nba-f8aabc07c1007bb2717017faab063239">The Hornets</a> are in the play-in tournament for the second year in a row. While they haven't made the playoffs since 2016, they appear to be a franchise on the rise.
&ldquo;We feel like we can definitely win and sneak into the playoffs,&rdquo; guard Terry Rozier said.
The winner of the 9-10 game advances to a road contest Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
&ldquo;We've still got a chance to make the playoffs,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;We've got to take advantage of it.&rdquo;
COLLINS UPDATE
The Hawks have been without one of their top players, John Collins, since March 11 because of a sprained foot and an injured finger.
Collins has stepped up his rehab in recent days, including some 4-on-4 workouts.
Coach Nate McMillan said he's not sure if Collins will be able to play limited minutes against the Hornets, but the Hawks are preparing to go without him.
&ldquo;He's been out for so long," McMillan said. "The focus is on the guys that we do have in uniform. If we're lucky enough to get him back, we'll talk about that and adjust to that.&rdquo;
PLAY-IN REDUX
The Hornets had 10 more victories than a year ago in the abbreviated 72-game schedule, but they still finished 10th in the East for the second straight season.
In the 2021 play-in game, Charlotte was routed 144-117 by ninth-seeded Indiana. Several Hornets players have talked about the sting of that loss providing momentum coming into this season.
Charlotte is healthier and playing much better than it was a year ago. The Hornets won 11 of their last 15 games.
&ldquo;Most years we would be the seven or the eight seed &mdash; most years &mdash; but this year the East was more competitive," Hornets coach James Borrego said. &ldquo;I am really proud of this group.&rdquo;
SMALL BALL
Led by guards LaMelo Ball and Rozier, the Hornets ranked fourth in the league in scoring (115.3 points per game) and have been especially effective when going with a small lineup.
Charlotte can really get out and run when 6-foot-7 P.J. Washington and 6-6 Miles Bridges are playing the center and power forward positions.
&ldquo;They play small and they play fast,&rdquo; said McMillan, whose own team ranked sixth in the league in scoring (113.9). &ldquo;They are a team that wants to get out in transition."
DOUBLING TRAE
Young had a historic season, becoming only the second player in NBA history after Tiny Archibald to lead the league in both total points (2,155) and assists (737).
The Hornets had good success against Young in their final regular-season matchup, using a wave of double teams to hold him to a season-low 9 points on 3-of-12 shooting.
Young did manage to dish out 15 assists in that game.
&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t let him breath,&rdquo; Rozier said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a pretty confident player, but we just have to make it tough for him.&rdquo;
HOME EDGE
The Hawks claimed the No. 9 seed on a tiebreaker with the Hornets, which is why this game is being played in Atlanta.
That's a big break for the Hawks, who were much better at home (27-14) than they were on the road (16-25).
The Hornets, by comparison, had virtually the same record in Charlotte (22-19) as they did away from home (21-20).
&ldquo;Whenever we play at home, we are much more confident, the energy is better, the focus is better,&rdquo; Capela said. &ldquo;To get that first game at home, it's a huge advantage for us.&rdquo;

The Hawks are set to square off against the Hornets, and need two wins to make back-to-back postseason appearances.

After run to East finals, Hawks face Play-In game vs. Hornets

Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard sent a clear message at the trade deadline.
It's time for a shakeup.
After posting a second straight losing record at home, missing the playoffs for the first time in seven years and recording their fewest wins in a season since 1984-85, the Pacers are embarking on their biggest offseason overhaul in years.
A three-trade flurry in February culminated in sending two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento and Caris LeVert, widely considered one of Pritchard&rsquo;s cornerstone pieces, to the Cavaliers.
&ldquo;This franchise, right now, is in one of the most exciting positions it could possibly be with the potential for a top-five pick and the potential to possibly have Cleveland&rsquo;s (first-round) pick," coach Rick Carlisle said, noting Indiana also holds Houston's early second-round pick. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to get it right in the draft, and we&rsquo;re going to have a great summer, and next year&rsquo;s going to be an exciting year.&rdquo;
Things certainly can't get much worse than they did this past season.
Injuries again derailed the Pacers' postseason plans as Carlisle won just 25 games in the first year of his second tenure with the team. Lengthy absences of guards Malcolm Brogdon and T.J. McConnell, forward T.J. Warren and center Myles Turner &mdash; all projected to be key rotational players &mdash; prompted Pritchard to pull the plug and start dealing.
The new plan is to build around point guard Tyrese Halburton. Indiana views the 22-year-old as a budding star, capable of ending its long quest to find a playmaking ball-handler.
Haliburton's new teammates embraced the move.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m especially excited about playing with Tyrese, just the way he came in here and made an impact on our organization, on our fans and on the guys around him," Turner said Monday. &ldquo;He makes everybody better."
What else did the Pacers learn from mixing, matching and experimenting with lineups over the final 26 games?
Buddy Hield, who came over from Sacramento with Haliburton, and Jalen Smith, who arrived in a trade with Phoenix, also were solid players. Rookie center Isaiah Jackson provides a different kind of post presence and rookie guard Chris Duarte became one of Indiana's most consistent players until an injured toe sidelined him.
Forward Oshae Brissett continued to develop, and Carlisle may have unearthed a couple more hidden gems with midseason pickups Duane Washington Jr. and Terry Taylor.
This summer could be equally busy as Pritchard tries to put the Pacers back in playoff position.
&ldquo;I think first we've got to get healthy, that's obvious and then it'll be up to the front office what pieces they add, what pieces they trade,&rdquo; Brogdon said. &ldquo;When you make a move like we did, a monumental move in the middle of the season, I think there are other moves that follow and I think we'll be seeing that this summer.&rdquo;
WHAT'S NEXT
Brogdon and Turner would be the most attractive trade candidates. Both are proven veterans, capable of helping a playoff team become a title contender and both are on expiring contracts. Brogdon counts $22.6 million against the salary cap while Turner, a two-time blocked shots champ, would be an $18 million cap hit. The Pacers could be looking to add more draft picks, free up cap space for free agency or add veterans.
WATCHING THE CAVS
The Pacers thought they'd definitely have two first-rounders when they got the Cavs' lottery-protected pick two months ago. But a late-season swoon has jeopardized that possibility. Cleveland finished eighth in the Eastern Conference and now needs to win one game to make the playoffs. Two losses would mean they'll keep the pick, preventing the Pacers from having three of the top 35 picks in June.
NOT FINISHED YET?
Fan favorite Lance Stephenson provided a second-half spark on and off the court for Indiana. While it seems unlikley Indiana would keep the soon-to-be 32-year-old on a young team building for the future, Stephenson isn't ready to end his career.
&ldquo;I'm just trying to keep my body strong and sharp," he said. "I'm just mad that the season is over because I feel great right now, I feel like I can keep going."

The Pacers are embarking on their biggest offseason overhaul in years.

Pacers start long offseason looking to overhaul roster

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

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

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

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

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

One of Bam Adebayo&rsquo;s favorite plays of the season was during a game Miami played at Charlotte in early February, when most of the things that happened didn&rsquo;t show up on a stat sheet.
It was late in the first half. Adebayo started the possession guarding Mason Plumlee, then switched onto LaMelo Ball after a screen. Ball couldn&rsquo;t get past him, so he flipped the ball to Terry Rozier. Adebayo was waiting for him, too, so Rozier gave the ball up to Miles Bridges. With the shot clock running down, Bridges tried to drive on Adebayo.
Didn&rsquo;t work. Adebayo blocked the ensuing layup try with ease.
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Bam Adebayo switched three times onto perimeter players this possession: He handled all of them. It ends with an emphatic rejection of Bridges followed by a slam on the other end. What. A. Player. Two-way monster<a href="https://twitter.com/hothothoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hothothoops</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HEATCulture?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HEATCulture</a> <a href="https://t.co/c6XrHnRoRz">pic.twitter.com/c6XrHnRoRz</a>
&mdash; Matt Hanifan (@mph_824_) <a href="https://twitter.com/mph_824_/status/1490128662720512000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;I guarded three dudes in one possession,&rdquo; Adebayo said, forgetting that it was technically four. &ldquo;And a fan watching it would be like, &lsquo;OK, Bam got the block.&rsquo; They probably didn&rsquo;t see the rest of it. That&rsquo;s the thing with defense. It&rsquo;s more than who&rsquo;s got the most steals or the most blocks.&rdquo;
A panel of media voters will decide later this month on the NBA&rsquo;s awards for this season, and Adebayo isn&rsquo;t shy about saying that he thinks he merits consideration as the league&rsquo;s Defensive Player of the Year. It&rsquo;s a tough club to break into with perennial candidates like Utah&rsquo;s Rudy Gobert, Golden State&rsquo;s Draymond Green and the Milwaukee duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday all obviously worthy, plus with Boston&rsquo;s Marcus Smart and Phoenix&rsquo;s Mikal Bridges deservedly getting plenty of attention this season as well.
The Eastern Conference-leading Heat, who still try to prioritize defense even in this era of higher scores than a decade ago, say Adebayo is equally &mdash; if not more &mdash; deserving, with Miami coach Erik Spoelstra insisting that his center makes an imprint on the game &ldquo;like few can in this Association.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We want him to put his fingerprints on the game defensively in all different kinds of ways, in a lot of different schemes and guarding really every position, one through five,&rdquo; Spoelstra said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s legit. That&rsquo;s not just a saying. Every single night at some point he will guard every single player ... and he&rsquo;s one of the few guys in the league that can do that.&rdquo;
Adebayo was one of three players with a first-place DPOY vote last year, with Gobert &mdash; the runaway winner &mdash; getting 84 and runner-up Ben Simmons, now with Brooklyn, getting 15. Adebayo got the other.
He finished fourth in the overall voting a year ago, after finishing fifth in 2019-20.
&ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s in that mix now,&rdquo; Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;I think just the versatility that he brings, that&rsquo;s what separates, to me, the best defenders in the league &mdash; the versatility to guard multiple positions, multiple actions, to roam and protect teammates. He does all of that. He can guard one through five on switches. He is absolutely elite.&rdquo;
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Adebayo is having his best season for the Heat, averaging 19.0 points and 10.3 rebounds, along with a career-best 1.5 steals per game and nearly one block per contest. The steals and blocks numbers aren&rsquo;t overwhelming, but that&rsquo;s also the point to Adebayo&rsquo;s argument.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s one of those things where, in our game, everybody looks at the final column &mdash; how many points did you score or just what&rsquo;s on that sheet,&rdquo; Adebayo said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s like that dictates your total impact on the game. And that&rsquo;s not the way the game works. It&rsquo;s like defense doesn&rsquo;t matter, until it does.&rdquo;
Adebayo has a long list of players that he thinks are at the top of the top right now defensively. He says Holiday, Mikal Bridges, Green and his Miami teammate P.J. Tucker should all be among those in the conversation.
But he&rsquo;s also not afraid to state his case.
&ldquo;In my mind, I think I&rsquo;m the Defensive Player of the Year,&rdquo; Adebayo said. &ldquo;To me, defense is all about pride. My teammates let me be who I am because they know that if I put my fingerprints on a game, good things can happen.&rdquo;

Bam Adebayo believes he deserves this season's Defensive Player of the Year award, and he explains his reasoning.

Heat's Bam Adebayo: 'I think I’m the Defensive Player of the Year'

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Miles Bridges scored 23 points, P.J. Washington added a season-high 21 and the Charlotte Hornets routed the road-weary Dallas Mavericks 129-108 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.
Terry Rozier scored 18 points, and LaMelo Ball and Kelly Oubre each had 17 points for the Hornets. They shot 20 of 42 from 3-point range.
&ldquo;We knew it was going to turn around for us eventually,&rdquo; Bridges said, referring to the Hornets losing 11 of their final 13 games in February.
Luka Doncic had 37 points and eight 3s for the Mavericks, who were playing their fifth road game in eight nights and on the second night of a back-to-back. Doncic did not play in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand.
The Hornets (36-35) moved into sole possession of ninth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game ahead of Atlanta. They are one game behind eighth-place Brooklyn.
&ldquo;We are playing well, we are playing hard and we are playing together and that&rsquo;s all I can ask for,&rdquo; Hornets coach James Borrego said. &ldquo;... Right now we have to sustain it and keep our foot on the gas.&rdquo;
Said Bridges: &ldquo;As long as we keep playing like this I think we&rsquo;re going to be good in the standings.&rdquo;
The Hornets are playing unselfish basketball, averaging 34 assists during their win streak.
&ldquo;We all are good 1-on-1 players and it is tough sometimes to get to the second side" of the court, Bridges said. &ldquo;But everybody is buying into the offense.&rdquo;
The Mavericks (43-28) beat Houston, Boston and Brooklyn to open the five-game trip, but lost at Philadelphia and Charlotte on consecutive nights to fall 1 1/2 games behind the fourth-place Utah Jazz in the West.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said his team&rsquo;s play on defense over the last two games needs to improve.
&ldquo;Sometimes when you rely on scoring when things are good there can be some slippage on the defensive end,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;We are trending down and we have to pay attention to that and get back to playing the way that we have in the past.&rdquo;
The Hornets came out of the gates hot, bolting to a 19-4 lead after making their first seven shots from the field, including five 3s. The Mavericks looked slow closing out on shots as Charlotte made eight 3s in the first quarter.
Dallas showed signs of life by battling back to take the lead late in the second quarter, but the Hornets closed the first half on an 11-0 run to take a 61-52 edge at the break.
Charlotte pulled away in the third quarter despite 21 points from Doncic, and extended the lead to 32 in the fourth quarter. Charlotte was 15 of 22 from the field in the third quarter and outscored the Mavericks 41-28 as Bridges and Washington combined for 23 points.
WORKING ON THE ZONE
Nobody plays more zone than the Hornets, and that was on full display against the Mavericks.
Kidd said that he expects more teams to play zone against them in the playoffs, so Saturday night's game was a good learning experience for his team.
&ldquo;Teams are trying to take the ball out of Luka's hands, so other guys are going to have to make plays and step up and make shots," Kidd said. "So this is a great dress rehearsal for them.&rdquo;
TIP INS
Mavericks: Spencer Dinwiddie (injury recovery, right knee), Tim Hardaway Jr. (left foot surgery) and Theo Pinson (right fifth finger fracture) all sat out. ... Davis Bertans fouled out early in the fourth quarter with two points. ... With the Mavs trailing by 31 in the fourth quarter, Dallas fans in the crowd began chanting &ldquo;We want Boban&rdquo; Marjanovic. He did not play.
Hornets: Gordon Hayward missed his 16th straight game with a sprained left ankle.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Host Minnesota on Monday night.
Hornets: Host New Orleans on Monday night.
&nbsp;

Miles Bridges scored 23 points, P.J. Washington had 21 and the Charlotte Hornets routed the Dallas Mavericks 129-108.

Hornets rout road-weary Mavs 129-108 for 4th straight win

Although some top-tier players who were expected to hit free agency this coming summer have already signed extensions, the 2022 NBA free-agent class will feature quite a few stars.
After <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-free-agency-preview-ranking-the-top-10-guards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">examining the best guards up for grabs in free agency</a>, let's rank the top free-agent forwards set to hit the open market this summer:
1. Miles Bridges &mdash; Charlotte Hornets &mdash; Restricted
Charlotte reportedly offered Miles Bridges a contract extension worth $60 million over four years this past summer, which was rejected. With Bridges exploding this season (averaging a career-high 20.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists), the Hornets' front office likely regrets not upping that offer, as the stud power forward is now in line for a massive pay raise. He is one of only five players in the NBA this season to have knocked down at least 125 three-pointers while also averaging at least 20/7/3. The other five players are LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum and Karl-Anthony Towns.
2. Luguentz Dort &mdash; Oklahoma City Thunder &mdash; Team Option
Lu Dort established himself as one of the league's elite young defenders early on in his career. This season, he has proven he is also capable of putting up points on the offensive end. Before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery earlier this month, Dort was averaging 17.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.5 made three-pointers. Over his final eight games, he averaged more than 23 points a night. The Thunder front office has an interesting decision to make. If OKC exercises its team option, Dort can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023. However, he would be eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $58 million in that scenario. Dort would become a restricted free agent this July if the option is declined.&nbsp;
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3. Marvin Bagley III &mdash; Detroit Pistons &mdash; Restricted
A trade from Sacramento to Detroit has given Marvin Bagley a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-marvin-bagley-iii-shed-the-bust-label-with-the-pistons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">much-needed opportunity to revive his career</a>. He has scored in double-digits in each of his last seven games for the Pistons, and is averaging 16.0 points (on 56.7% shooting), 7.3 rebounds and a steal during this current stretch. According to Evan Sidery of BasketballNews.com, "the most plausible scenario &mdash; unless Bagley is completely sold on his long-term fit in Detroit &mdash; is to sign a one-year qualifying offer to make him an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023."
4. Robert Covington &mdash; Los Angeles Clippers &mdash; Unrestricted
Robert Covington, who is now on his fifth team in the past four years following the trade that sent him from Portland to Los Angeles, has seen his production decline in recent seasons. However, the 31-year-old RoCo is still capable of contributing on both ends of the floor due to his 3-and-D skill set.
5. Jae'Sean Tate &mdash; Houston Rockets &mdash; Team Option
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Undrafted in 2020, Jae'Sean Tate earned his way onto the NBA's All-Rookie team last season by averaging 11.3 points, 5.3 boards, 2.5 dimes and 1.2 steals. Despite logging fewer minutes this season, Tate has increased his scoring (12.3 PPG), rebounding (5.5 RPG) and assist (3.0 APG) averages. The Rockets can retain Tate for the 2022-23 campaign by picking up a team option worth just $1.8 million.
6. Nicolas Batum &mdash; Los Angeles Clippers &mdash; Player Option
It seems as though Nic Batum has been around forever, but he's only 33 and has proven this season that he has plenty of treads left on his tires. Although his stats don't jump off the page, nearly everyone in the Clippers organization has raved about how much Batum brings to the table &mdash; both on the court and inside the locker room &mdash; as a respected leader. Los Angeles, playing without its two superstars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, has greatly exceeded expectations this season, and Batum, one of LA's most valuable all-around players, is a significant reason why. He'll have plenty of interested suitors this summer. Expect him to opt out and cash in.&nbsp;
7. Chris Boucher &mdash; Toronto Raptors &mdash; Unrestricted
Chris Boucher is in the second season of a two-year, $13.5 million pact he signed in 2020. After averaging 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in 2020-21, his production and efficiency have dipped in 2021-22. He shot 38.3% from downtown last season, but that number has fallen below 29% this year, as his scoring average has dropped to 9.1 points per contest. However, it's worth noting that Raps are allowing just 105.3 points per 100 possessions with Boucher on the floor, and that his Net Rating of plus-4.9 is tops on the team, just ahead of Pascal Siakam (plus-4.5).
8. Thaddeus Young &mdash; Toronto Raptors &mdash; Unrestricted
Thad Young played well for Chicago in 2020-21 (averaging 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals in just 24 minutes a night), but had spent most of this current season in and out of the Spurs' rotation prior to being traded to Toronto in February. A consummate professional who's well respected around the league, Young should draw plenty of interest from contenders looking for a reliable vet to bring off the bench.&nbsp;
9. Joe Ingles &mdash; Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; Unrestricted
Unfortunately, in late January, Joe Ingles suffered a torn ACL in his left knee that ended his 2021-22 campaign. Over the past few seasons, he has been one of the league's more efficient long-range snipers (he averaged a career-high 12.1 points and 2.7 made three-pointers per game in 2020-21); however, the Aussie swingman will be 35 years old in October and working his way back from a major injury to boot. On the bright side, Ingles' game was never predicated on athleticism. He said last month he has "zero doubt" he'll be playing in the NBA again.
10. T.J. Warren &mdash; Indiana Pacers &mdash; Unrestricted
T.J. Warren was a beast in the Orlando Bubble at the end of the 2019-20 season, when he averaged 31.0 points, 6.3 boards and 3.7 made treys. That said, he played just four games last season, and hasn't set foot on an NBA court during the entire 2021-22 campaign. He'll have to provide medicals to any team interested, but he's still just 28 years old. Some team will likely roll the dice on a one-year, make-good contract in hopes of Warren resurrecting his career.&nbsp;
Best of the Rest:
Otto Porter, Kyle Anderson, P.J. Tucker, Derrick Jones Jr., Carmelo Anthony, Hamidou Diallo (team option), Al-Farouq Aminu, Andre Iguodala, Taurean Prince, Blake Griffin, Caleb Martin, Jeff Green, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Cody Martin
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Tommy Beer ranks the top forwards who could be available as a part of the 2022 NBA free-agent class.

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

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Trae Young scored 33 of his 47 points in the first half, and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Indiana Pacers 131-128 on Sunday night.
Atlanta, 10th in the Eastern Conference, had seven players score in double figures and shot 54.8% from the field. Danilo Gallinari and De'Andre Hunter had 15 points apiece, and Kevin Huerter finished with 14.
The Hawks have won 13 of 15 at home and two straight overall. They had a season-high 77 points in the first half.
Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield each scored 25 points for Indiana, which has dropped four of five and 13 of 17. The Pacers, 13th in the East, fell to 8-27 on the road.
Young&rsquo;s 33 first-half points were a career high for either half. He was coming off his NBA-leading 23rd game of at least 25 points and 10 assists in Friday&rsquo;s win over the Los Angeles Clippers. That&rsquo;s 10 more than James Harden, the next closest player. He finished with five assists.
The Hawks&rsquo; biggest lead of the first half was 19 in the closing seconds on Young&rsquo;s two free throws. Atlanta shot 60% from the floor in the first half, 59.1% on 3s.
Young was 9 for 13 from the floor, including 7 for 9 on 3s, in the first two quarters. He did as he pleased most of the game, pulling up for long 3s, showing off his ballhandling ability and scoring with ease.
Indiana went on a 21-10 run to begin the third and pulled within seven at the 6:09 mark, but Young drove the lane for a runner and hit a layup on a fast break to make it 94-82 and cause the Pacers to call timeout.
Young went 14 for 14 on free throws.
The Pacers, down to eight players because of injuries, pulled within two on Duane Washington Jr.&rsquo;s free throws with 1:09 remaining in the game. Young knocked down a pair of free throws with 28.8 seconds to go and two more with nine seconds left to help close it out.
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TIP-INS
Pacers: C Goga Bitadze (right foot), G Chris Duarte (left big toe) and G Lance Stephenson (left ankle) were questionable before the game but were ruled out. ... G Malcolm Brogdon (concussion), G T.J. McConnell (right wrist), C Myles Turner (left foot), F T.J. Warren (left foot), and G Ricky Rubio (left knee) were out.
Hawks: F John Collins, the team&rsquo;s second-leading scorer and rebounder, was out with a right finger sprain and a right foot strain. Gallinari started in his spot and scored 11 points in the second quarter. ... Atlanta&rsquo;s previous first-half high was 76 points, coming against Indiana on Feb. 8. ... Young reached 40 points for the seventh time this season.
TOUGH TO STOP
Atlanta coach Nate McMillan has been impressed all season with Young&rsquo;s ability to run the pick-and-roll and create scoring opportunities for his teammates. The Hawks rank seventh in scoring and Young is fifth in scoring and third in assists.
&ldquo;I think we&rsquo;ve seen pretty much everything teams have tried to do,&rdquo; McMillan said. &ldquo;Trap, they deny, they try to play box-and-one. Normally he&rsquo;s going to get the best defender and normally they&rsquo;ve tried to (use) length. They switch one through five, so Trae has seen really all the defenses this year. Trae does a good job creating offense out of that set so we&rsquo;re going to continue.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Pacers: Host Memphis on Tuesday.
Hawks: Host Portland on Monday.

Trae Young scored 33 of his 47 points in the first half, and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Indiana Pacers 131-128 on Sunday night.

Trae Young scores 47, Hawks hold off Pacers 131-128

The NBA is built on star power, more so than perhaps any other sport. The seventh man on most teams has a larger following than some of the most marketable stars in other sports. Stars bend defenses, they isolate late in games when it's do-or-die time, and they're simultaneously the foundation and roof of a team's winning viability.
Much of what I've written about in regards to the youth development in the league this season has been tracking what's happening and why, pinpointing growth areas. I've always been pretty averse to projection, at least without much concrete backing; it's so finicky and I don't want to box in what someone can be.
Yet, throughout the season, I keep coming back to one player. Kenyon Martin Jr, has it.
He's played pretty well recently, averaging 11.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists on 63.8% True-Shooting in March, but his future projection fascinates me. No, he's not going to be a high-usage ball-dominant star, but when I watch him play, I not only see the outline of one of the most valuable role players in the league, but an already strong foundation as a pro.
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The Rockets have decided to guarantee the $1.8 million salaries of Garrison Mathews and K.J. Martin for 2022-23, sources told ESPN. Mathews, 25, and Martin, 21, have proven themselves as role players who fit in the Rockets&rsquo; long-term rebuilding plans.
&mdash; Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1502409270192586752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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After the Rockets <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rockets-guarantee-garrison-mathews-kj-martins-deals-for-202223" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fully guaranteed his contract</a> for the upcoming season and two-straight starts (due to injury), I couldn't put off writing about his upside any longer.
Why do I think KJ Martin has this upside? For starters, the game of basketball continues to adapt. As I wrote about recently when discussing the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/explaining-why-we-need-to-appreciate-screening-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">importance of screening</a>, the ability for every player on the court to make positive decisions with the ball in their hands has become more and more vital over the past few seasons. While most players won't be relied upon to cause the initial dent in the offense (KJ among them), can you not only finish an advantage, but continue it? Can you continue to put pressure on a defense, exacerbating rotations?
Part of what intrigues me the most about KJ is his elite potential as a supplementary player in pick-and- roll. Saying he is one of the best screeners in the NBA is not an overstatement.
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KJ Martin, your favorite screener's favorite screener <a href="https://t.co/aoDSF5Q6iu">pic.twitter.com/aoDSF5Q6iu</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1501981608643076100?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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He's adept at utilizing angles, re-screening and continually shifting himself to better adjust for his ball-handler, something that's been an absolute boon for Jalen Green's development.
His subtle slot screens in early offense or off quick-ball reversals give Houston some of their best looks.
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KJ does everything in his power to get his man open while also coming dangerously close to getting called for an offensive foul every time. It's an art form, a Southeastern Texas Van Gogh, not yet appreciated in his time. It's easy to see the open space, but it's not always easy to see in-game why the space is open, and so often it can be attributed to a KJ Martin screen.
Kevin Porter Jr. is rejected harshly by Carmelo Anthony, but this screen is just breathtaking. The flip and re-screen is just awesome and totally takes Austin Reaves out of the action.
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The screening matters so much, because what makes him such a useful offensive player is what he can do from it. To thrive and survive on the margins as an offensive player, the thresholds are higher for competency, and Martin surpasses them.
He's shooting 62.8% as a pick-and-roll roll man, according to Second Spectrum Tracking, which is among the top third of qualified players in the league. Not bad for a 6-foot-6 forward!&nbsp;
He excels flowing from impactful contact screens into rolls that put pressure on the rim, which is easier said than done.
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Martin can struggle a bit with lengthy rim protectors who possess good timing, but his vertical pop and touch around the rim allow him to play much bigger than his listed size.
His ability to hit short-roll passes with regularity and in a timely manner makes it harder to just load up at the rim. His passing isn't otherworldly, but it's pretty good for his role and much better than I expected coming into the NBA.
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Oh, about that vertical pop &mdash; it's absolutely menacing in early offense. If a defense cannot get set in transition or off of a make, good lord, batten down the hatches because he is rolling to the rim ASAP.
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He's fantastic at pushing the ball up, kicking it ahead in transition and then flowing into the offense from there. That's anther important point, even if he's not involved directly in an action, he finds ways to make himself felt. His cutting is fantastic. Lay off him in the slot, and he'll 45 cut or slide in for an offensive board. Sag off him in the corner and he'll time his baseline rim runs for lobs or roam to the paint for a quick touch shot or two-footed dunk without even loading (he's like THAT as a leaper).&nbsp;
What unlocks everything for KJ is the shot &mdash; something that's fallen for him at an exceptional clip of late: 37.7% on 2.5 per game in 2022, and 46.7% on 3.3 per game since the All-Star Break.
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His shot was a major question coming into the league, and getting to just under 230 attempts across his two seasons at 35.5%, it's starting to seem reasonable that the shot is going to at least be average on volume. I'm not sure he'll ever be able to incorporate movement (AKA off pin-downs or exit screens), and while it would be awesome if he could, all he needs is a respectable shot that he takes with confidence to unlock the rest of his game.
Hitting a relocation three against a closeout is about as much as you can ask for!
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I think he needs to quicken his release over the coming year or two to make it easier for him to get his shot off on more contested looks, especially considering he's mostly shooting a set shot. But the mechanics look good!&nbsp;
Martin has popped as a catch-and-drive player, making lightning quick decisons to attack off the bounce if given space on the catch. He's explosive with his first step, and his handle is tight enough that he can put the ball on the floor a few times before attacking the rack. He's shooting 48.8% on drives, nothing wild, but also nothing to scoff at; he's in the same ballpark as Jimmy Butler, Andew Wiggins and Herb Jones in terms of his field goal percentage on drives, per Second Spectrum (albeit on lower volume).
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He's not ultra crafty and doesn't have much shake, but he has some verve as a finisher alongside his line-drive juice that makes him effective.
The recent game against the Utah Jazz on March 2 was a great encapsulation of where he's at and the importance of his shot for establishing himself as an offensive player. He took eight three-pointers in that game, nearly all of them open. The Jazz played Rudy Gobert on him for stretches defensively (Terance Mann vibes ran heavy), and eventually, Gobert had to close on him.
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On the surface, these plays are nothing crazy, but being able to capably take a center (and a pretty mobile one at that) off the dribble and make a good kick out to keep the offense flowing is absolutely essential.
If he does get stonewalled on a drive, which happens mostly when he gets funneled baseline and has to drive with his left, he doesn't stop the ball or post up.
This is the good stuff part, which makes him pass the threshold as a margins-based player.
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To create a good look on the quick-pitch impromptu DHO is just awesome stuff. Again, ideally he's making that drive, but he's defended by a perennial DPOY, so I'll take this with a grin.
I think the question is: what happens when he gets to a level where he is demanding consistent closes? Can he add a little more polish to his handle? As mentioned earlier, can that release quicken a hair? I certainly lean yes, because those things are relatively commonplace developments, but it's definitely worth noting.&nbsp;
Earlier this season, we saw this with Myles Turner, who is a very different player, but it's the same concept. When a player who gets treated as a non-shooter starts to get treated like a shooter, the equation changes for them and what their role in the offense looks like and the space afforded to them. I lean toward KJ having more that he can lean into, making it more viable for him to handle being treated as a shooter; he's shown really quality footwork to shoot off the pop, which is huge when paired alongside a downhill threat like Jalen Green (have I mentioned how much I love their two-man game already and its potential?).
Put a perimeter player on him to guard the shot and he could be called up for a quick screen to take advantage of that or force a switch that he could slip. Point being, he has a ton of versatility in how he can be utilized in an offense, and I think that only increases his value if defenses begin to consistently respect his shot.
I mean, look at what happened when Miami laid off him entirely in their recent outing when he played the 5 in downsized line-ups (some of the more effective units in that game).
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The defense is where things get even more interesting with Martin. At the moment, he is not a good defender on balance. He does things that ARE good, but he has some drawbacks right now that inhibit him being more valuable on that end. It's also very worth noting that Houston's team defensive context is uhhh... tough, ranking 30th in defensive efficiency on the season, per Cleaning the Glass.
He has some of the young-player-on-a-bad-team tropes: He can get back cut due to ball watching, his screen navigation can be rough and while he has some promising flashes, pin-ins can erase him in the corners. His point-of-attack defense can leave you a bit wanting too.&nbsp;
Martin can have some really solid moments of riding out his defender to the rim, keeping his arms up and getting a decent contest around the basket.
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However, he lacks much length; he stands 6-foot-6, but has a 6-foot-7 wingspan, which isn't the end-all be-all, but it certainly makes an impact. He can have some moments of foul proneness on the ball, because he often uses his chest to bump off offensive players, which yeah, that's a way to get a consistent whistle against heady ball-handlers.
He's a solid lateral athlete, but that limited length makes it more difficult to crowd offensive players.
Yet, his defensive value comes from what he does that defies that logic. Martin is a legitimately impactful rim protector! His timing is fantastic and his verticality (especially for his size) is among the best in the league.
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He's excellent roaming the baseline and playing as the low man off the weak corner.
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I do think there's a ceiling to what he can be as an on-ball defender, likely a neutral, with some more positive play in the right match-ups. However, he has the tools and technique to be a top-notch team defender. In the right scheme and with the right personnel, I'm pretty confident he'll develop into a plus defensive player.
Martin's playing time has been confusing this season. He started out with DNP coach's decisions to open the year in spite of an awesome closing stretch last season &mdash; from when he first began starting in April to the end of the year (averaging 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 39.3% from deep on 4.7 attempts per game).&nbsp;
I'm not saying he&nbsp;has to start, but I would really like to see it happen (partially due to my own wanting, but also because he genuinely seems like he would excel with more minutes). KJ Martin appears ready for more.
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Kenyon Martin Jr.'s contract was recently guaranteed for the 2022-23 season by the Rockets. Where is he headed as a player?

KJ Martin: More than meets the eye

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Jayson Tatum scored 16 of his 44 points in the fourth quarter, and the Boston Celtics defeated the Charlotte Hornets 115-101 on Wednesday night for their fourth straight win.
Tatum, coming off a 54-point performance against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, made 16 of 24 shots from the field and 6 of 9 from beyond the 3-point arc. He also made all six free throws.
He was also effective on defense, helping limit the red hot Terry Rozier to just 14 points on 5-of-17 shooting.
The Celtics are looking like a championship contender, having won 15 of their past 17 games as they continue their rise up the Eastern Conference standings.
&ldquo;Defense, defense, defense &mdash; that's been the key,&rdquo; Tatum said.
Jaylen Brown had 15 points, while Robert Williams chipped in with 11 points and 11 rebounds and Al Horford added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics (40-27), who were in control most of the game.
Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington each had 17 points to lead the Hornets, who fell to 1-12 on the second night of back-to-back games.
It was the second straight night the Hornets have been victimized by a star player on their home court. They allowed Brooklyn's Kyrie Irving to score 50 points in a 132-121 loss on Tuesday night.
&ldquo;He made six highly contested 3s,&rdquo; Hornets coach James Borrego said of Tatum. &ldquo;We double-teamed him, we trapped him. He is a hell of a player and is playing as well as anyone right now.&rdquo;
Tatum began to got hot at the end of the third quarter, helping Boston build an 87-78 lead.
Tatum opened the fourth quarter with a fall-away 3 from the right corner and a long 3 from right wing as the lead increased to 18 points. A few minutes later he canned another 3 from the other wing, even as his body was shifting to the left.
The Hornets mostly played zone against the Celtics in an effort to contain Tatum, but it didn't work.
&ldquo;Not be stagnant and shoot a lot of threes, because that&rsquo;s kind of what they want you to do," Tatum said of the key to beating the zone. &ldquo;You have to move the ball and get to the middle.&rdquo;
Charlotte has not participated in a playoff series since the 2015-16 season and this year's hopes are beginning to look bleak as they're ninth in the Eastern Conference standings, a half-game ahead of the Atlanta Hawks and one game up on the Washington Wizards.
There is the possibility that Gordon Hayward could return in the next few weeks, which would certainly help take the scoring load off of Rozier, Ball and Bridges.
MOVING THE BALL
The Celtics finished with 30 assists, with Marcus Smart and Derrick White combining for 17 assists and only one turnover.
&ldquo;They are doing a great job of finding guys and passing up good shots to get great ones for others,&rdquo; Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. &ldquo;That is what it is going to take moving forward. You can't rely on one guy or two guys to score all of the points. We want to have an unselfish team that plays a good appealing brand of basketball, and I think we're doing that."
White, who was acquired in a trade from the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 10, said his goal has been just to fit in with his new Boston teammates and &ldquo;try not to mess it up."
BALL&rsquo;S STRUGGLES
Hornets All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball struggled with his father LaVar Ball looking on from courtside seats, committing six turnovers in the game&rsquo;s first 14 minutes before being benched for the remainder of the second quarter for Isaiah Thomas.
Ball later returned and finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.
Tatum received a hug from LaVar Ball as he left the floor.
UP NEXT
Celtics: Host Pistons on Friday night.
Hornets: Visit Pelicans on Friday night.

Jayson Tatum scored 16 of 44 points in the fourth, and the Celtics beat the Hornets 115-101 on Wednesday for their fourth-straight win.

Jayson Tatum stays hot, scores 44 as Celtics beat Hornets 115-101

With the 2022 NCAA Tournament right around the corner, it's time for conference tournaments to begin so teams can begin punching their ticket to The Big Dance in March.
Mid-major tournaments have already gotten underway, on Wednesday, five Power Five tournaments will have begun theirs to join the club.
(Editor's note: Check out our breakdowns of the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/top-2022-nba-draft-prospects-acc-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ACC</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/top-2022-nba-draft-prospects-big-ten-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Big Ten</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/top-2022-nba-draft-prospects-pac12-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pac-12</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/top-2022-nba-draft-prospects-sec-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SEC</a>.)
Since everyone will have their eyes on the best players in these conferences over the next few weeks, BasketballNews.com has highlighted each Power Five and its top 2022 NBA Draft prospects.
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Here are the names to look out for in the Big 12.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/kendall-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kendall Brown</a>
Forward | Baylor
Height: 6-8 Weight: 205 Wingspan: 6-10
Class: Freshman Draft Day Age: 19.1 Nationality: USA
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A big, strong and explosive wing with a high motor, Kendall Brown has provided an impact as a freshman at Baylor this season. Brown can finish with both athleticism and finesse as a slasher despite lacking elite self-creation. He is also a terrific defender, using his length and quickness to disrupt the opposition. Brown is a potential lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/ochai-agbaji" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ochai Agbaji</a>
Guard-Forward | Kansas
Height: 6-5 Weight: 215 Wingspan: 6-10
Class: Junior Draft Day Age: 22.2 Nationality: USA
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Ochai Agbaji is a versatile wing who has shown promise as a defender, slasher and shooter. Early in his career, he was known for his athleticism and defense. However, this season, he has emerged as one of the best shooters in America, making giant leaps as a scorer in both volume and efficiency. Agbaji has solidified himself as a viable 3-and-D option at the NBA level, and is a candidate for National Player of the Year.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/jeremy-sochan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeremy Sochan</a>
Forward | Baylor
Height: 6-9 Weight: 230 Wingspan: 7-0
Class: Freshman Draft Day Age: 19.1 Nationality: Poland, UK
Jeremy Sochan is an energetic, athletic forward with positional size at 6-foot-9. He has a tremendous motor and excels as a defender and rebounder due to his footwork and length. Although still 18 years old, Sochan has shown flashes of self-creation, but is primarily scoring off of cuts at the rim and catch-and-shoot threes at the moment. He will still only be 19 on Draft Day, but he is already showing why he has big-time potential at the NBA level. Sochan's combination of size, athleticism, instincts and skill is unique.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/christian-braun" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christian Braun</a>
Guard-Forward | Kansas
Height: 6-6 Weight: 205 Wingspan: N/A
Class: Junior Draft Day Age: 21.2 Nationality: USA
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At 6-foot-6, Christian Braun has positional size, showing the ability to score from anywhere on the floor. He has a smooth release from three and can pick his spots off the dribble. He is reliable on and off the ball on offense, while providing intelligent defense on the other end. Braun is a well-rounded player and makes a strong case for the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/matthew-mayer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matthew Mayer</a>
Forward | Baylor
Height: 6-9 Weight: 225 Wingspan: 6-10
Class: Senior Draft Day Age: 22.6 Nationality: USA
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At 6-foot-9, Matthew Mayer is a fluid ball-handler and scorer who has been an essential piece of Baylor's success the last two seasons. Although his role and usage have never been overly significant, his impact is often felt on both ends of the floor. He projects as a scoring wing at the NBA level who plays strongly on and off-ball defense, providing true versatility. In addition, Mayer has positional size, making him worth monitoring down the stretch as he makes a case for himself in 2022.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/terrence-shannon-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Terrence Shannon Jr.</a>
Guard-Forward | Texas Tech
Height: 6-6 Weight: 215 Wingspan: 6-8
Class: Junior Draft Day Age: 22.1 Nationality: USA
Terrence Shannon Jr. is an energetic, athletic wing who hangs his hat on defense. He possesses an impressive frame and mobility, and is a solid on-ball defender who provides versatility. He missed many games due to injury to start this season, and will need to show more consistency as a shooter and rim-finisher. However, Shannon&rsquo;s physical tools alone make him a viable option in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Others worth noting:
James Akinjo | Baylor
Izaiah Brockington | Iowa State
Mike Miles | TCU
Taz Sherman | West Virginia
Jalen Wilson | Kansas
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Matt Babcock highlights the top 2022 NBA Draft prospects in the Big 12 Tournament.

2022 NBA Draft: Top prospects in the Big 12 Tournament

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

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

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

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

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

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Karl-Anthony Towns gave big men everywhere something to shoot for.
Minnesota's 7-footer became the first center to win the 3-Point Shooting Contest, defeating seven guards during the NBA's All-Star Saturday and providing a memorable moment on a night the dunk contest barely got off the ground.
Towns, who has spent his entire career proving doubters wrong about his range, posted a 29 &mdash; the highest total in the competition &mdash; during the final round to defeat Atlanta's Trae Young and Luke Kennard of the Los Angeles Clippers, who tied for second with 26 each.
New York's Obi Toppin won the four-person dunk contest, scoring a 47 out of 50 in the final round by putting the ball between his legs in the air, touching it off the backboard and re-directing it through the rim.
Golden State's Juan Toscano-Anderson was second as the dunk contest, once a marquee event that at times trumped the All-Star Game, fell flat.
A trio of Cleveland Cavaliers, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, won the Skills Challenge.
After his surprising 3-point win, Towns accepted his trophy at mid-court and immediately turned toward Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal sitting courtside in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
&ldquo;I told you Shaq,&rdquo; Towns said. &ldquo;Vegas got the odds wrong.&rdquo;
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Towns was considered, well, a long shot among a field of shot makers that included Young, Kennard, New Orleans' CJ McCollum, Brooklyn&rsquo;s Patty Mills, Toronto&rsquo;s Fred VanVleet, Chicago&rsquo;s Zach LaVine and Memphis&rsquo; Desmond Bane.
&ldquo;I wanted to prove I was the best shooting big man in the world, and now I got the trophy to prove it,&rdquo; Towns said.
There have been other big men crowned 3-point champions, but Kevin Love (2012) and Dirk Nowitzki (2006) are considered power forwards.
&ldquo;I think this is a nice little thing to put on that r&eacute;sum&eacute;,&rdquo; Towns said. &ldquo;Big man hasn&rsquo;t won in 10 years, and, of course, 10 years ago, a decade ago, who won it? The Wolves. It&rsquo;s coming back home where it belongs.&rdquo;
The dunk contest started with some promise and fizzled fast.
Orlando's Cole Anthony caused a stir when he swapped his sneakers for a pair of Timberland boots and then dunked in them with an assist from his father, former NBA guard Greg Anthony.
Toppin said all the participants are great dunkers who wanted to put on a show, and they all were encouraging each other.
&ldquo;When Cole missed those two first ones with the Timbs on, I was like no those Timbs are heavy," Toppin said. &ldquo;I was like, we got to boost his energy up. I was trying to get everybody on their feet.&rdquo;
It worked, momentarily.
But Anthony couldn't complete his second dunk in three tries and he was eliminated along with Houston's Jalen Green, who also struggled while trying to impress a panel of Hall of Fame judges &mdash; Julius Erving, Isiah Thomas, David Robinson, Clyde Drexler and Dominique Wilkins.
The hometown Cavs added another moment to their impressive season by winning the re-formatted Skills Challenge, which pitted teams and not individual players.
Garland, Mobley and Allen teamed up to outperform Team Antetokounmpo &mdash; MVP Giannis and his brothers Thanasis and Alex &mdash; and a rookie trio of Detroit's Cade Cunningham, Toronto's Scottie Barnes and Oklahoma City's Josh Giddey.
Mobley, a leading candidate for rookie of the year honors, sealed the win by making a half-court shot on his first attempt, allowing the Cavs to close the segment of the contest in 5.5 seconds and defeat Team Rooks.
The Cavs started the shooting competition off target as Allen, hardly known for his outside touch, made just two shots in 30 seconds. However, Garland brought Cleveland back &mdash; and brought their crowd to life &mdash; scoring 21 points.
However, the Cavs came out of the relay portion tied with Team Antetokounmpo for second place and needed Garland to win a shoot-off with Thanasis to place Cleveland in the final.
After Cunningham drained his 47-footer in 9.9 seconds, Mobley calmly stepped into his winning shot.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of a kind,&rdquo; Allen said of his 20-year-old teammate. &ldquo;Defense, offense and now half court. The whole league knows Evan by now. If they&rsquo;ve ever driven to the paint, they definitely know him, so the NBA should know him by now.&rdquo;

Karl-Anthony Towns posted a 29 during the final round to defeat Atlanta's Trae Young and Luke Kennard of the Clippers.

Center of attention: Towns wins All-Star 3-Point Contest

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; The latest from All-Star Saturday:
Obi Toppin won the slam dunk contest, earning a 47 on his final dunk when he needed to do little more than put the ball in the basket after Juan Toscano-Anderson couldn't on his previous try.
In a disappointing finish to All-Star Saturday, the four dunkers occasionally left the judging panel of Hall of Famers with expressionless looks on their faces.
Toppin, the New York Knicks forward, beat Golden State's Toscano-Anderson in the final round to win the event after finishing second as a rookie.
Houston rookie Jalen Green and Orlando guard Cole Anthony failed to advance. Anthony couldn't make his second dunk and appeared to hurt his thumb banging it against the rim.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Obi Toppin had some creative dunks to become the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATTSlamDunk?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATTSlamDunk</a> Champion! 🏆 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StateFarmSaturday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StateFarmSaturday</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAAllStar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAAllStar</a> <a href="https://t.co/Mt0DJqgjbc">pic.twitter.com/Mt0DJqgjbc</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1495254668313874433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

___
The big man was the big winner in the 3-point contest.
Minnesota All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns showed off his long-range shooting skills and was a surprising winner of the event, scoring 29 points in his final round.
Towns beat Luke Kennard of the Clippers and Atlanta's Trae Young in the final round.
Towns has long considered himself the best-shooting big man in the game and vowed he was going to back up his boasts with a victory.
"I needed this trophy to prove it," Towns said.
Brooklyn's Patty Mills, Toronto's Fred VanVleet, Chicago's Zach LaVine, Memphis' Desmond Bane, and New Orleans' CJ McCollum failed to advance.
___
The host Cleveland Cavaliers were the first winners of the revamped Skills Challenge.
Rookie Evan Mobley gave his team a victory by nailing a halfcourt shot on his first attempt, allowing the Cavs to close out the final portion of the contest in 5.5 seconds.
All-Stars Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland were the other members of the winning team to kick off All-Star Saturday.
The rookie squad of No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham of Detroit, Scottie Barnes of Toronto and Josh Giddey of Oklahoma City was the runner-up in the contest combining shooting, passing and dribbling.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers Thanasis and Alex finished third.
The Antetokounmpo brothers clearly enjoyed competing together as a team. There were engaged and all smiles from the outset of the challenge. They were asking the referees for a video review of the end of the passing portion of the event.
Still to come is the 3-point shooting and dunk competitions.

New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin won the slam dunk contest on NBA All-Star Saturday night.

NBA All-Star Saturday: Obi Toppin wins dunk contest as others struggle

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast "Nothing But Bets" on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3rnooUvIsHtvykhPY9Ddt8?si=36d61d2c59a44523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a> or wherever you listen to podcasts. This season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is up hundreds of dollars on PrizePicks.
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Without further ado, let&rsquo;s go ahead and dive into Thursday&rsquo;s slate of games.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Miami Heat (-5.5)
This feels like the perfect opportunity for Miami to make a lasting statement around the Association before the All-Star break. Flying way under the radar right now, the Heat sit atop the Eastern Conference standings as a legitimate Finals threat. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo should be able to produce big-time against the Hornets&rsquo; inconsistent defense. Hammer the Heat here, especially with the spread at only -5.5.
Pick: Heat -5.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Jimmy Butler over 22.5 points, Terry Rozier over 20.5 rebounds, Bam Adebayo over 12 rebounds, LaMelo Ball over 6 rebounds
Brooklyn Nets (-4.5) vs. Washington Wizards
We&rsquo;re forecasting fatigue to play a factor in this matchup, especially after the Nets&rsquo; jaw-dropping 28-point comeback win over the New York Knicks yesterday. Washington has been in a complete spiral, but the more well-rested Wizards could keep this one closer than many expect. We&rsquo;re going to lock in the Wizards to cover the 4.5-point spread, mainly because of that aforementioned comeback from Brooklyn on Wednesday.
Pick: Wizards +4.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Kyle Kuzma over 22.5 points, Patty Mills over 13 points, Corey Kispert over 12.5 points, Andre Drummond over 11.5 rebounds
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Dallas Mavericks (-2.5)
Are you really going to bet against Luka Doncic putting on a show in the Mavericks&rsquo; last game before All-Star weekend? I didn&rsquo;t think so. Expect Doncic to pour in the points with ease as Dallas gets a much-needed victory. New Orleans is a very scrappy team, especially after the CJ McCollum trade, but we&rsquo;re favoring Luka magic to reign supreme on Thursday night in the Bayou.
Pick: Mavericks -2.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Luka Doncic over 30.5 points, Brandon Ingram over 21.5 points, Jonas Valanciunas over 10.5 rebounds, Jalen Brunson over 4.5 assists
Milwaukee Bucks (-6.5) vs. Philadelphia 76ers
This is going to be the game of the day. Who&rsquo;s ready for a clash of the titans between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid? Arguably the two leading candidates for Most Valuable Player right now, both superstars will put on a show for the national audience. However, in this one, we&rsquo;re leaning towards hammering Milwaukee as the favorite. Although Embiid will still put up his monster numbers, who&rsquo;s going to step up alongside him without James Harden?
Pick: Bucks -6.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Joel Embiid over 31.5 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo over 29.5 points, Khris Middleton over 18.5 points, Mattise Thybulle over 2.5 blocks/steals
Los Angeles Clippers (-11) vs. Houston Rockets
Houston almost pulled off a massive upset on Wednesday when it played the league-leading Phoenix Suns. Now, on the second night of a back-to-back, it&rsquo;s hard to envision the young, inexperienced Rockets keeping this one close against a tough Clippers team. Los Angeles, of course, is without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, but the team continues to fight and stay afloat. We&rsquo;re betting on L.A. to not only win, but to do so in emphatic fashion.
Pick: Clippers -11
PrizePicks Power Play: Marcus Morris over 17.5 points, Jalen Green over 14.5 points, Ivica Zubac over 9.5 rebounds, Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate over 6 rebounds
&nbsp;
Make sure to <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out PrizePicks</a> and use the promo code NEWS when you sign up, and they'll instantly match your deposit up to $100! Also, make sure to listen to "Nothing But Bets" for daily betting analysis on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3rnooUvIsHtvykhPY9Ddt8?si=36d61d2c59a44523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a> or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Who are the best bets for tonight's NBA games? Which players should you target in daily fantasy? We've got you covered!

C.J.