Eagles

Joel Embiid is the latest superstar to commit to Team USA for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
In recent weeks, Team USA managing director Grant Hill had been recruiting Embiid, who was born in Cameroon and also has French citizenship. Ultimately, Embiid decided to represent the United States.
"After talking to my family, I knew it had to be Team USA," Embiid <a href="https://twitter.com/JoelEmbiid/status/1710067831339884793" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>. "I want to play with my brothers in the league. I want to play for my fans because they&rsquo;ve been incredible since the day I came here. But most of all, I want to honor my son, who was born in the US. I want my boy to know I played my first Olympics for him.
"I&rsquo;m really proud and excited about this decision. It was not easy. I am blessed to call Cameroon, France and the USA home."
Embiid will join a star-studded squad that could also include Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Bam Adebayo, Donovan Mitchell and Jimmy Butler &ndash; all of whom have said that they will play for Team USA if selected.
"It's exciting for USA Basketball that Joel Embiid wants to represent the United States," Hill <a href="https://www.espn.com/olympics/basketball/story/_/id/38574625/joel-embiid-commits-team-usa-2024-olympics-sources-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. "Joel and I have had several conversations about his goals and I'm looking forward to continuing that dialogue knowing that one of those goals is to represent USA Basketball next summer in Paris. As I've said before, I'm looking forward to the process of building the 2024 USA Basketball Men's national team roster over the next several months."
Team USA failed to medal at this summer's FIBA World Cup in the Philippines, and a major reason was their lack of size of rebounding. The only big men on the World Cup roster were Jaren Jackson Jr. and Walker Kessler (who barely played), with Paolo Banchero and Josh Hart serving as small-ball 5s.
By the end of the World Cup, Team USA head coach Steve Kerr found himself turning to five-guard lineups that featured Hart at center. Hart led Team USA in rebounding with 5.1 boards per game, followed by Anthony Edwards' 4.6 rebounds per game.&nbsp;
Now, Team USA will be able to turn their biggest weakness into a legitimate strength after adding Embiid, who averaged an absurd 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 blocks, 1.0 steal and 1.0 three per game last season with the Philadelphia 76ers.
It's worth noting that this is a huge blow to France, the reigning Olympic silver medalist. The French national team would have been much scarier if they entered the Paris Olympics with Embiid, Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum, Bilal Coulibaly and Evan Fournier among others.
To recap, Embiid's commitment means that Team USA added the NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player, filled their biggest need and kept him from joining arguably their biggest competitor in the 2024 Olympics.
Other news from around the web: <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/dress-to-impress-why-barbie-and-ken-are-the-hottest-couples-costume-this-halloween/ar-AA1iaTEh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barbie and Ken are the hottest couples costume this Halloween</a>

Joel Embiid is the latest superstar to commit to Team USA for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Joel Embiid is latest superstar to commit to Team USA for Olympics

The NBA announced that 242 players have filed as early-entry candidates for the 2023 NBA Draft. Here is the complete list.

NBA announces 242 early-entry candidates for 2023 NBA Draft

Here's the list of NCAA players who have as of April 6 filed for consideration as a candidate for the 2023 WNBA Draft

2023 WNBA Draft: Full list of prospects who have entered

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Brandon Miller scored 24 points and Mark Sears made seven of eight free throws over the final 1:04 to help No. 2 Alabama top Arkansas 86-83 on Saturday.
Miller delivered his second straight huge game for the Crimson Tide (25-4, 15-1 Southeastern Conference) since police alleged in courtroom testimony that he brought a gun to former teammate Darius Miles, who is charged with capital murder in a fatal shooting.
The week&rsquo;s details cast a different light on Miller&rsquo;s regular pregame introduction, which is a Tide staffer giving him a pat down. Coach Nate Oats said after the game that intro for Miller is now over.
Fellow freshman Nick Smith Jr. of Arkansas (19-10, 8-8), another potential NBA draft lottery pick who helped keep the Razorbacks in it with a late 3-pointer, scored 24 points. Davonte Davis added 21 points for Arkansas, Council scored 20, and the rest of the team combined for 18 points.
Jahvon Quinerly had 16 points and seven assists for the Tide, and Noah Clowney had 10 points and 13 rebounds.
NO. 1 HOUSTON 76, EAST CAROLINA 57
GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Marcus Sasser scored 22 points to help Houston clinch outright possession of the American Athletic Conference regular-season title.
Tramon Mark added 20 points for the Cougars (27-2, 15-1), while J&rsquo;Wan Roberts had 17 points and 12 rebounds in Houston&rsquo;s ninth straight victory.
East Carolina (14-14, 5-10) had an energetic home crowd for the first-ever visit from a No. 1-ranked team to Minges Coliseum, as well as the program&rsquo;s first game against a top-ranked opponent in more than 31 years. But the Cougars never trailed and led for all but 56 seconds. Ezra Ausar scored 15 points to lead the Pirates.
NO. 3 KANSAS 76, WEST VIRGINIA 74
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Dajuan Harris was one point shy of a career high, scoring 17 points to help lift Kansas over West Virginia.
The Jayhawks&rsquo; stifling defense kept West Virginia from attempting a shot in the final 20 seconds. The Mountaineers&rsquo; Joe Toussaint traveled on their final possession of the game. Baskets by K.J. Adams and Kevin McCullar extended the Jayhawks&rsquo; lead to 75-68 late as they grinded out the victory.
Harris led Kansas (24-5, 12-4 Big 12) with 7-of-9 shooting from the field and had six assists and six steals.
Erik Stevenson led West Virginia (16-13, 5-11) with 23 points. Tre Mitchell scored 20, Kedrian Johnson scored 15 and Emmitt Mathews Jr. had 13.
NO. 17 INDIANA 79, NO. 5 PURDUE 71
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Jalen Hood-Schifino scored a career-high 35 points and Trey Galloway added 10 of his 13 in the second half to lead Indiana over Purdue.
The Hoosiers (20-9, 11-7 Big Ten) snapped a seven-game losing streak in West Lafayette and pulled their first season sweep in this bitter rivalry since 2012-13.
Zach Edey led the Boilermakers with 26 points and 16 rebounds and Fletcher Loyer added 14 points. Purdue (24-5, 13-5) has lost three of four and blew a chance to clinch a share of the conference crown in front of its home fans, who stood outside in chilly temperatures and snaking lines for hours before tip-off.
NORTH CAROLINA 71, NO. 6 VIRGINIA 63
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Pete Nance scored 22 points to lead North Carolina past Virginia.
Nance shot 7 of 10 from the floor and was 4 of 4 from behind the arc, the most 3-pointers the fifth-year forward has made in ACC play. He added two assists and four blocks.
R.J. Davis notched the fourth double-double of his career with 16 points and 10 rebounds for North Carolina (18-11, 10-8 Atlantic Coast Conference), which got a much-needed boost to its NCAA Tournament resume with a Quadrant 1 win &mdash; the first of the season for the Tar Heels.
Jayden Gardner had 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead Virginia (21-6, 13-5), which lost its second in a row. Armaan Franklin added 14 points.
ARIZONA STATE 89, NO. 7 ARIZONA 88
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Desmond Cambridge Jr. hit a 60-foot shot at the buzzer and Arizona State rallied from a 10-point deficit to beat Arizona.
The Wildcats (24-5, 13-5 Pac-12) built a 10-point lead midway through the second half before going more than six minutes without a field goal as Arizona State pulled ahead by one.
The Sun Devils (20-9, 11-7) went up 86-85 on Warren Washington&rsquo;s layup with just a minute left, but Pelle Larsson put Arizona back up on a layup with 29 seconds left. Arizona State&rsquo;s DJ Horne missed a jumper with 4 seconds left and the Sun Devils had a final shot after Oumar Ballo hit one of two free throws.
Catching the ball with 2.4 seconds left, Cambridge launched a shot from beyond half-court to finish with 19 points and give the Sun Devils a big boost in their bid to make the NCAA Tournament.
NO. 9 BAYLOR 81, NO. 8 TEXAS 72
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Jalen Bridges had 17 points for ninth-ranked Baylor, which overcame a huge deficit with an impressive run right after freshman standout Keyonte George left injured early and beat Big 12 co-leader Texas.
Adam Flagler had 14 points for the Bears (21-8, 10-6). Dale Bonner added 13 points, including seven in an quick spurt after halftime while Flo Thamba had 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Dylan Disu had a season-high 24 points for Texas (22-7, 11-5), which twice got even early in the second half but never could regain the lead.
NO. 10 MARQUETTE 90, DEPAUL 84
MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Kam Jones and Tyler Kolek each scored 22 points while helping Marquette clinch a share of its first Big East regular-season championship in a decade.
Kolek also had 14 assists as Marquette (23-6, 15-3) rolled to a 49-28 halftime lead and hung on after DePaul (9-20, 3-15) got close down the stretch. Marquette has won nine of its last 10, while DePaul has lost 10 straight.
This is Marquette&rsquo;s first conference title in 2013, when the Golden Eagles shared the Big East crown with Georgetown and eventual national champion Louisville.
Umoja Gibson led DePaul with 20 points and eight assists. Nick Ongenda added 16 points and 12 rebounds.
NO. 11 TENNESSEE 85, SOUTH CAROLINA 45
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Josiah-Jordan James came back from missing four games with an injury to score 18 points to lead Tennessee to a rout of South Carolina.
James, who suffered an ankle injury against Vanderbilt on Feb. 8, shot 4 of 7 on 3-pointers for the Volunteers (21-8, 10-6 Southeastern Conference). Jahmai Mashack scored 14 points, Zakai Zeigler had 13 points and 11 assists, and Olivier Nkamhoua and Uros Plavsic scored 10 each.
Hayden Brown led the Gamecocks (10-19, 3-13) with 18 points.
NO. 12 GONZAGA 77, NO. 15 SAINT MARY&rsquo;S 68
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) &mdash; Drew Timme scored 19 points and Gonzaga earned a share of the West Coast Conference regular-season title with a win over Saint Mary&rsquo;s.
Anton Watson had 17 points and Malachi Smith added 13 off the bench for the Bulldogs, who have won or shared the conference title in 11 straight seasons. Gonzaga (25-5, 14-2) also reached the 25-win mark for the 16th season in a row &mdash; and avenged a loss to the Gaels earlier this month in Moraga.
Logan Johnson led the Gaels (25-6, 14-2) with 27 points.
Because the teams shared the regular-season title, the WCC will use the NCAA&rsquo;s NET rankings to determine the top seed for the conference tournament.
FLORIDA STATE 85, NO. 13 MIAMI 84
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Matthew Cleveland&rsquo;s 3-pointer as time expired capped Florida State&rsquo;s comeback from a 25-point second-half deficit and a win over Miami.
Jordan Miller had given Miami the lead on a 3-pointer with 4.9 seconds left. But Cleveland let fly from about 25 feet and the ball swished to give the Seminoles (9-20, 7-11 Atlantic Coast Conference) their best moment of the season.
Cleveland and Darin Green Jr. each had 20 points for Florida State, which also got 13 from Caleb Mills and 11 from Jalen Warley.
Miller led Miami (23-6, 14-5) with 21 points. Norchad Omier had 15, Isaiah Wong scored 14 and Bensley Joseph added 12 for the Hurricanes, whose seven-game winning streak and perfect home season were ended.
NO. 18 UCONN 95, ST. JOHN&rsquo;S 86
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Jordan Hawkins scored 20 points, Adama Sanogo added 18 points and nine rebounds, and UConn beat St. John&rsquo;s.
Andre Jackson Jr. had 15 points, Joey Calcaterra also scored 15 to lead a strong effort by Connecticut&rsquo;s bench and the resurgent Huskies (22-7, 11-7 Big East) avenged an 11-point loss to St. John&rsquo;s at home last month.
UConn won for the sixth time in seven games, closing in on a first-round bye in the Big East Tournament.
AJ Storr had 20 points and Posh Alexander added 18 for the Red Storm (17-13, 7-12), who had won three of four.
NO. 14 KANSAS STATE 73, OKLAHOMA STATE 68
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) &mdash; Markquis Nowell had 22 points, eight assists and four steals in Kansas State&rsquo;s third straight win, beating Oklahoma State.
Keyontae Johnson added 17 points for the Wildcats (22-7, 10-6 Big 12), who swept the regular-season series.
Kalib Boone scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half on Senior Day for Oklahoma State. Caleb Asberry scored 13 points and John-Michael Wright added 12 for the Cowboys (16-13, 7-9), who have lost four straight.
VILLANOVA 79, NO. 19 CREIGHTON 67
PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Eric Dixon scored 18 of his career-high 31 points in the first half, Cam Whitmore added 17 and Villanova defeated Creighton.
Dixon also set a career high with six 3-pointers for Villanova (15-14, 9-9 Big East), which has won five of six.
Arthur Kaluma scored 19 points and Ryan Kalkbrenner had 18 for Creighton (18-11, 12-6). The Bluejays have lost three of four following an eight-game winning streak.
NO. 22 SAN DIEGO STATE 73, NEW MEXICO 71
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) &mdash; Lamont Butler&rsquo;s 3-pointer at the buzzer gave San Diego State a win at New Mexico.
After Jaelen House&rsquo;s steal and end-to-end run for a layup with 5.6 seconds left gave New Mexico a 71-70 lead, Butler unhurriedly brought the ball up court before dropping his shot, giving him 10 points for the Aztecs (23-5, 14-2 Mountain West).
Darrion Trammell scored 18 points to lead the Aztecs. Matt Bradley added 11 as San Diego State won its sixth straight.
Jamal Mashburn Jr. finished with 20 points for New Mexico (20-9, 7-9) and House had 15.
OKLAHOMA 61, NO. 23 IOWA STATE 50
AMES, Iowa (AP) &mdash; Jacob Groves led Oklahoma with 16 points as the Sooners knocked off Iowa State.
The Sooners (14-15, 4-12 Big 12) had lost nine of their previous 11 games but erased an early 11-point deficit and seized control with a 17-2 run in the second half.
Groves shot 4 of 5 from the 3-point line. Tanner Groves added 9 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.
The Cyclones (17-11, 8-8) shot just 31%. Gabe Kalscheur led Iowa State with 12 points.
NO. 24 TCU 83, TEXAS TECH 82
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) &mdash; JaKobe Coles made two free throws with 4.3 seconds remaining, and TCU beat Texas Tech despite blowing a 12-point lead in the final eight minutes.
After De&rsquo;Vion Harmon&rsquo;s steal and layup put the Red Raiders in front by one with 12 seconds remaining, Coles caught a pass from Emanuel Miller in the lane and was fouled by Fardaws Aimaq going up for the shot. The Horned Frogs (19-10, 8-8 Big 12) weren&rsquo;t in the bonus.
Harmon&rsquo;s desperation 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded wasn&rsquo;t close, ending a four-game winning streak Texas Tech (16-13, 5-11).
Mike Miles Jr. scored 24 points for the Horned Frogs, who had lost five of six and were coming off a loss to No. 3 Kansas at home. Miller had 14 points and 12 rebounds for TCU.
Aimaq scored 19 points, Harmon had 18 and Kevin Obanor finished with 17 points and nine rebounds for Texas Tech.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 69, NO. 25 TEXAS A&amp;M 62
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) &mdash; Tolu Smith had 17 points and Shakeel Moore had 14 as Mississippi State knocked off Texas A&amp;M.
Cameron Matthews had 11 points for the Bulldogs (19-10, 7-9 Southeastern Conference), who held the Aggies to one field goal in the final 14 minutes and outscored them 34-18 during the same time period.
Wade Taylor IV led Texas A&amp;M (21-9, 13-3) with 21 points, including four 3-pointers, and Henry Coleman III and Andersson Garcia each had 11.

A recap of Saturday's slew of action in top 25 NCAA men's college hoops.

Miller has another big game as No. 2 Alabama tops Arkansas

Fresh off the 2023 Basketball Africa League Combine and heading toward the NBA Paris Game between the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons in France, retired 13-year basketball pro Joakim Noah is soaking up every second of the international scene.
With Noah on site for both, Basketball News had the chance to catch up with the longtime Bull and former national-champion Florida Gator to discuss the rise of the BAL, the Paris Game on Thursday, basketball expanding to a global stage and much more.
Being at the BAL Combine and seeing the momentum of the league going into its third season, what's the energy like there?
Joakim Noah: "Well, it's very special to be in Paris. This is a full-circle moment for me personally, and to be able to come to the Combine and to see the energy of the young men trying to get jobs and work in the BAL, I thought it was really special. Obviously, we're building a professional league and it's growing. To build something sustainable... to see the growth from year-to-year is really special, but also to see the energy of the kids who want to be a part of it. Kids who are from all around the world, and everybody, you can feel that the kids are just in really high spirits and want to be a part of it. This is obviously so much bigger than basketball, and everybody who was at the Combine felt that way."
There are many former players who are heavily invested in the BAL, including guys you've played with and against like Grant Hill, Dikembe Mutombo, Ian Mahinmi and Luol Deng to name a few. All of you coming together and contributing to this, how does that feel?
Noah: "I think the contributions of some of the players that were able to invest is great because it also changes our mindset. Because you know, we were raised as competitors and competition can be very divisive, and just to be able to be in a position to be able to grow and unite is special. Not everybody has an opportunity to have that, to be at the table with the big dogs and see how we can grow something from scratch is really special. And now that we have this platform, especially for African players, it's really powerful."
What is the ultimate goal for the league?
Noah: "I think just to have a really powerful league on the continent where African kids don't feel like they have to go anywhere to get paid off of basketball. The game is growing, it's the fastest growing sport in the world and a lot of the talent comes from the motherland. So just to be a part of this and to watch the growth and seeing it at the highest level, but also on a grassroot level, is what it's all about. And now, we're able to have those conversations at a table altogether and look at the big picture and see where the growth needs to happen.
"I mean, Africa's so big, so different culturally. I'm learning a lot, and I feel like not only am I involved in something that I know a little bit about &mdash; because basketball has been my whole life &mdash; but I feel like I found my purpose. And there's a lot to be proud of with that. I didn't grow up on the continent, I wasn't born on the continent, but this is my heritage, and I feel like a lot of people feel that way. I felt that at the Combine (Monday). It's like, people came from all around the world to be a part of this and the energy was that the people who were involved really understand that big picture, and just want to see this game grow. And it's bigger than them just playing and getting a check. A lot of the time with basketball, that's what it becomes, but with this opportunity, I think that people really feel the purpose and I'm proud to be a part of that."
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/2023_01_16_bal_combine_-151-1.png" alt="" width="732" height="366" />
You kind of mentioned it, but internationally, the game is becoming so popular and has a ton of momentum. Even in the NBA, you're seeing more of that at a rapid pace, as there were 58 European players and nine different players from France on opening night. We know that Victor Wembanyama is at the top of NBA Draft conversations. In general, the way basketball is growing across the world, why do you think it's happened so fast and is this going to continue in that trajectory?
Noah: "You know, I remember being in Paris and going to my first NBA game and seeing Michael Jordan play and the power of his influence all around the world. My father brought me to the game in Bercy. And 25 years later, the Bulls are coming to play in Paris again. The French players have had that kind of access. And now, the future of not just French basketball, but the future of basketball is this kid Wemby, who's an unbelievable talent. He grew up seeing a lot of winning, not just in basketball, but you think of France with winning the World Cup. He was raised and he saw what winning is all about and he knows that it's very possible.
"So when I was coming up, [Tariq] Abdul-Wahad was the only NBA player. And I remember seeing Tony Parker coming up at 15 years old playing at ABCD Camp and seeing the career that he had, that was my inspiration. And now, there's just a whole generation of French players and they're just taking it to the next level. But France is a country that has all the resources to be the best. They have everything. They have the coaching, they have the structures, they have the stadiums. They have everything. So you see the growth, and that's what we're trying to do in Africa. The structures aren't there yet, and we have to build it step-by-step."
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You brought up the Paris game. The Bulls are going to be taking on the Detroit Pistons, and Killian Hayes is a French player who's found his stride this year. How special is it to play in your home country in such an event?
Noah: "Well I can't even imagine how he feels, but it's a beautiful story being able to play in front of your family and friends in your country. Nothing gets better than that. So it's gonna be really special for him. And just understanding that there's gonna be younger kids there watching him, and he's gonna be inspiring as well. So not only is it an unbelievable feeling to play on that court, but understanding every layup, every dunk, every opportunity that he gets on the court is inspiring for the next generation."
Going back to finding your purpose in working with the BAL, but on a broader subject, what has your transition to retirement been like? It sounds like you have a solid feel of what you're trying to accomplish post-career.
Noah: "Oh, a hundred percent. I think that everybody who's in this position, our careers are short. It's crazy to know that I won't be playing basketball anymore. It happens so fast. You have a dream from when you're a kid and not everybody gets to live out their dreams as players, and I was able to do that. I got to do it at the highest level, and I'm really proud of that. Now, I have my family. I just got married this summer, I have my kids. So I'm really happy, trying to find that balance of working and working on my purpose work and raising my family."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Joakim Noah (<a href="https://twitter.com/JoakimNoah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoakimNoah</a>) lending a hand to the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JrNBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JrNBA</a> ‼<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAParis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAParis</a> <a href="https://t.co/23ejEVVfqz">pic.twitter.com/23ejEVVfqz</a>
&mdash; NBA Cares (@nbacares) <a href="https://twitter.com/nbacares/status/1615701027122036736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

Do you still keep in touch with your college teammates like Al Horford who's still playing and Corey Brewer who's coaching in New Orleans and your old Bulls teammates?
Noah: "Oh of course. These are people that I shared some of the most special times of my life with. I love Corey. We just sat down not long ago. Obviously, I have strong relationships with everybody and was able to do a beautiful trip with Derrick [Rose] to Africa, where he brought the Simeon (Academy) kids to Senegal this summer. These are all trips, these are all moments that I'm really proud of the relationships that I build off the court. And I just want to keep building."
If there are any players in the NBA today that you have your eye on, who would you say stands out?
Noah: "I love Bol Bol. Bol Bol is probably my favorite player to watch right now. I love to see his growth. Obviously, his back story is unbelievable. His father was so much more than just a basketball player. And just to see him become the player that he is and you just see him... you're not used to seeing somebody who's that tall &mdash; 7-foot-2 African guy &mdash; with handles, with that kind of ability. It just shows how much the game has grown. I just love watching him play. He's just a really exciting player. I wish him nothing but the best."
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More infomation regarding the BAL and the NBA Paris Game:
<ul>
<li>The third BAL season will tip off on March 11 and once again feature the top 12 club teams from 12 African cities playing games in Dakar, Senegal; Cairo, Egypt; and Kigali, Rwanda over three months in 2023</li>
</ul>
<ol>
<ol>
<li>The 12 club champions will be divided into two conferences.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<ul>
<ul>
<li>The Sahara Conference will play a 15-game group phase at the Dakar Arena in Dakar from March 11-21.</li>
<li>The Nile Conference will play a 15-game group phase at the Hassan Mostafa Indoor Sports Complex in Cairo from April 26 &ndash; May 6.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The top four teams from each conference will advance to an eight-game, single elimination Playoffs and Finals at BK Arena in Kigali from May 21-27.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Each of the 12 BAL teams will have up to 13 players, at least eight of whom will be citizens in their respective team&rsquo;s home country and up to four of whom can be from other countries, with no more than two players per team from outside of Africa.&nbsp;</li>
<ul>
<li>One roster spot on each team is reserved for an NBA Academy Africa prospect as part of the BAL Elevate program, which will once again provide an opportunity for the next generation of African prospects to participate in a professional league, showcase their talent on a global stage and help their respective teams compete for the 2023 BAL Championship.</li>
</ul>
<li>The BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the NBA, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that completed its second season in May 2022.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, the BAL builds on the foundation of club competitions FIBA Africa has organized in Africa and marks the NBA&rsquo;s first collaboration to operate a league outside North America.</li>
<li>On May 28, Tunisia&rsquo;s US Monastir defeated Angola&rsquo;s Petro de Luanda 83-72 to win the 2022 BAL Finals in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,000 at BK Arena.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The 2022 BAL season featured players from 23 countries across Africa, Europe, and the U.S, reached fans in 214 countries and territories in 14 languages - including all 54 African countries - and generated more than 600 million online engagements.</li>
</ul>
NBA Africa
<ul>
<li>With the support of strategic partners, in May the NBA launched NBA Africa as a new, standalone entity that conducts the league&rsquo;s business in Africa, including the BAL.</li>
</ul>
o&nbsp;&nbsp; The investors&rsquo; and strategic partners&rsquo; expertise in a wide range of industries and established relationships with African businesses, governments and NGOs will help accelerate the NBA&rsquo;s growth across the continent.&nbsp;
o&nbsp;&nbsp; The funding will contribute to the growth of the BAL, help expand the NBA&rsquo;s presence in priority African markets and Africa&rsquo;s basketball ecosystem, and deepen the league&rsquo;s engagement with players and fans through initiatives such as the launch of additional NBA Academies and social responsibility initiatives that improve the livelihoods of African youth and families.
<ul>
<li>The strategic investors include a consortium led by Babatunde &ldquo;Tunde&rdquo; Folawiyo, Chairman and CEO of Yinka Folawiyo Group; and Helios Fairfax Partners Corporation (HFP), led by Tope Lawani, Co-CEO of HFP and Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Helios Investment Partners.</li>
</ul>
o&nbsp;&nbsp; NBA Legends Junior Bridgeman, Luol Deng (South Sudan), Grant Hill, Ian Mahinmi (France; ties to Benin), Dikembe Mutombo (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Joakim Noah (grandfather from Cameroon) have also invested in NBA Africa and will use their collective influence to contribute to our growth goals.
<ul>
<li>In July, the NBA announced that former President Barack Obama has joined NBA Africa as a strategic partner and will help advance the league&rsquo;s social responsibility efforts across the continent, including programs and partnerships that support greater gender equality and economic inclusion.</li>
<li>In December, global economist and New York Times best-selling author Dr. Dambisa Moyo and Academy Award-winning actor and social activist Forest Whitaker joined NBA Africa as strategic investors.</li>
</ul>
The NBA Paris Game 2023
<ul>
<li>The NBA Paris Game 2023 will feature the six-time NBA champion Chicago Bulls and the three-time NBA champion Detroit Pistons playing a regular-season game at the Accor Arena in Paris on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023.</li>
<li>The NBA Paris Game 2023 will mark the first NBA game in Europe since 2020 and the league&rsquo;s 12th game in France since 1991.&nbsp; The NBA Paris Game 2020 &ndash; the first regular-season NBA game in Paris &ndash; took place Jan. 24, 2020, and featured the Charlotte Hornets and the Milwaukee Bucks.</li>
<li>The NBA Paris Game 2023 will mark the Bulls&rsquo; third game in Paris, having played two preseason games in the French capital in 1997.
<ul>
<li>The Bulls are among the top three most-popular NBA teams in international merchandise sales (No. 2 in Europe), among the top five most-popular teams on NBA League Pass outside the U.S. (No. 5), and among the top five most-popular NBA teams on social media in terms of following (No. 2 on Facebook, No. 4 on Instagram, No. 4 on Twitter)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Pistons will be playing their first game in France, having previously played regular-season games in London (2013) and Mexico City (2019).</li>
</ul>
NBA in France
<ul>
<li>NBA games and programming have aired in France since 1985.</li>
<li>During the 2022-23 NBA season, fan in France can watch the NBA on beIN SPORTS, the NBA&rsquo;s exclusive Broadcast &amp; Digital partner in France, and NBA League Pass. beIN SPORTS airs up to 14 live games per week during the regular season, as well as the Play-In, Playoffs, all Conference Finals, Finals, All-Star Weekend, the Draft and Classic Games.</li>
<li>The 2022-23 regular season features 45 games that will air in primetime in Europe, the Middle East and Africa as part of &ldquo;NBA Saturdays and NBA Sundays presented by NBA 2K23,&rdquo; marking the 10th consecutive regular season that the league has scheduled weekend games that air in primetime in EMEA.</li>
<li>France ranks fourth among European markets in League Pass subscriptions.</li>
<li>Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 games &ndash; featuring French star and top 2023 NBA Draft prospect Victor Wembanyama &ndash; are available for free on the new NBA App throughout the 2022-23 including the LNB All-Star Game and select LNB Betclic ELITE Playoffs and Finals games.</li>
<li>The NBA&rsquo;s localized social media channels in France (Facebook and Twitter) have more than 1.5M collective followers.</li>
<li>The NBA Paris Game 2023 will mark the second regular-season game in France, the 12th NBA game overall in France (dating back to 1991) and the 94th NBA game in Europe (dating back to 1984).</li>
<li>Opening-night rosters for the 2022-23 NBA season featured 58 European players, including nine players from France.
<ul>
<li>France has had more players drafted into the NBA than other country outside North America and has been the most-represented European country in the NBA for each of the last 16 seasons.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <a href="https://pr.nba.com/nba-fanatics-paris-store-open/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pr.nba.com/nba-fanatics-paris-store-open/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1674099893476000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2Pk9FJqixBAsT8n3qeg9n7">NBA Paris Store</a> &ndash; the first in France &ndash; opened&nbsp;in July 2022 and has featured player appearances by Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat and Alex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls. Top selling teams Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.</li>
<li>The NBA works with 18 marketing partners in France: adidas, EA, FDJ/ParionsSport, Foot Locker, Hennessy, Hotels.com/Expedia, ISG, Kellogg&rsquo;s, Microsoft, Mitchell &amp; Ness, New Balance, New Era, Nike, Rakuten, SAP, Tissot, Under Armour, Yop, and 2K Sports</li>
</ul>

Spencer Davies speaks with Joakim Noah ahead of the 2023 NBA Paris Game about his BAL passion, international hoops and more.

Joakim Noah Q&A: NBA Paris Game, investing in BAL, basketball's growth

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Anthony Davis scored a season-high 44 points, LeBron James overtook Magic Johnson on the NBA&rsquo;s career assists list and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 133-129 in a thriller Friday night.
Davis and James helped give Lakers coach Darvin Ham a triumphant return to Milwaukee. Ham worked on Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer&rsquo;s staff from 2018-22, and the former colleagues shared a big hug before the game.
Ham, an assistant coach on Milwaukee&rsquo;s 2021 championship team, also played for the Bucks from 1999-2002.
The Lakers withstood a 40-point night from Milwaukee&rsquo;s Giannis Antetokounmpo, who also had seven rebounds and five assists. The Lakers also spoiled the seasondebut of Milwaukee&rsquo;s Khris Middleton, who had 17 points and seven assists in his return from offseason wrist surgery.
During a fourth quarter that featured three ties and six lead changes, James put the Lakers ahead for good by sinking a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3:22 left.
James finished with 28 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. He improved his career assist total to 10,144 and moved into sixth place on the list, ahead of Johnson (10,133).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
LeBron James has officially passed Magic Johnson for the 6th most assists of all-time. History for the 👑 <a href="https://t.co/tE5s3gSqSg">pic.twitter.com/tE5s3gSqSg</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1598871221659381760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

HEAT 120, CELTICS 116, OT
BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Bam Adebayo scored 28 points, Tyler Herro had 26 and Miami completed a split of two games in Boston, beating the Celtics after Boston's Jaylen Brown banked in a long 3-pointer to force overtime.
Heat scoring leader Jimmy Butler returned to the lineup and had 25 points in 36 minutes after missing the previous seven games with a sore right knee. He added 15 rebounds.
Kyle Lowry chipped in with 20 points before fouling out in OT for the Heat, who sent Boston to just its second loss in 16 games.
Brown sent the game to overtime by banking in his long 3 with 1.7 seconds to play in regulation. He finished with 37 points.
Boston star Jayson Tatum scored just 14 points on a cold shooting night, going 5 of 18 from the floor, including 0 of 7 on 3-point attempts. He had 49 points in the Celtics&rsquo; 134-121 victory on Wednesday night.
ROCKETS 122, SUNS 121
PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; Jalen Green scored 21 of his 30 points in the second half and Houston overcame a 16-point deficit to stun short-handed Phoenix.
Houston won after blowing a six-point lead in the final two minutes. Devin Booker and Cameron Payne made back-to-back 3-pointers to tie it at 121, but the Rockets pushed ahead by a point when Green made one of two free throws with 28.8 seconds remaining.
That set up a frantic final possession that included four missed shots by the Suns, including a 16-foot jumper by Booker at the buzzer.
It was one of the few blemishes for Booker, who led the Suns with 41 points on 15-of-25 shooting. The three-time All-Star is in the midst of one of the best scoring stretches of his career. He had 44 points at Sacramento on Monday night and 51 against Chicago at home Wednesday night.
JAZZ 139, PACERS 119
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Lauri Markkanen had 24 points and 13 rebounds to help Utah rout Indiana.
Rookie center Walker Kessler scored a career-high 20 points on 7-of-7 shooting and had 11 rebounds for Utah. Jordan Clarkson had 19 points and Collin Sexton added 18 as the Jazz shot 55% from the field and matched a season high for points.
Myles Turner scored 18 points for Indiana. The Pacers lost for the third time in four games on their trip.
HAWKS 117, NUGGETS 109
ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Dejounte Murray scored 34 points, rookie A.J. Griffin tied a career high with 24 subbing for injured Trae Young and short-handed Atlanta beat Denver.
Denver star Nikola Jokic, the two-time defending NBA MVP, had just four points in the first half on 2-of-5 shooting, but finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
The Hawks were riddled with injuries before the game with Young, their leading scorer, sidelined by soreness in his right shoulder and John Collins out at least two weeks and De&rsquo;Andre Hunter out at least one week. In all, Atlanta had eight players listed on the injury report.
HORNETS 117, WIZARDS 116
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Terry Rozier scored 25 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. added 22 and Charlotte held off a second-half rally by Bradley Beal and Washington to hand the Wizards their fifth loss in six games.
P.J. Washington had 21 points and Mason Plumlee added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Hornets. They have won three of their last four.
Beal scored 33 points, but turned the ball over twice and missed an open jumper in the final minute with Washington trailing by one.
NETS 114, RAPTORS 105
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Kyrie Irving scored 27 points and Brooklyn built a huge lead in beating Toronto for its fourth victory in a row.
Brooklyn led by 36 points midway through the second quarter and held a 93-72 advantage at the start of the fourth.
Kevin Durant had 17 points and Nic Claxton added 15 for the Nets.
Pascal Siakam scored 24 points for Toronto.
PELICANS 117, SPURS 99
SAN ANTONIO (AP) &mdash; Zion Williamson scored 30 points and matched a career high with 15 rebounds and New Orleans past San Antonio, with the Spurs without coach Gregg Popovich.
Jonas Valanciunas added 21 points and 11 rebounds for New Orleans, which has won three straight and eight of 10 to remain atop the Southwest Division ahead of Memphis.
San Antonio has lost 10 straight, matching the franchise&rsquo;s longest losing streak set in 1987.
Popovich was at the AT&amp;T Cente.r but missed the game due to a minor medical procedure. He will also miss a home game Sunday against Phoenix. Former Philadelphia coach Brett Brown coached the Spurs in Popovich&rsquo;s absence.
GRIZZLIES 117, 76ERS 109
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Ja Morant had 28 points and eight rebounds, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 22 points and four blocks &mdash; one in the closing minute &mdash; and Memphis beat Philadelphia.
Dillon Brooks finished with 17 points to help Memphis win for third time in four games.
Joel Embiid had 35 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for Philadelpia. Tobias Harris added 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Shake Milton had 17 points and six assists.
The Grizzlies led by 18 early in the fourth, but the 76ers had another push left, cutting the Memphis lead to single digits with about five minutes left and to 111-106 with three minutes to go.
CAVALIERS 107, MAGIC 96
CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Donovan Mitchell scored 34 points, Evan Mobley had 19 points and 13 rebounds and Cleveland beat Orlando.
Mitchell poured in 16 points in the first nine minutes, outscoring Orlando himself by one, and the Cavaliers never relinquished control. Cleveland eventually led by 20 in winning for the 10th time in 11 home games this season.
Rookie forward Paolo Banchero scored 22 points for NBA-worst Orlando. They have lost seven straight to fall to 5-18.

Anthony Davis and LeBron James lifted the Los Angeles Lakers past the Milwaukee Bucks 133-129 in a thriller on Friday night.

Anthony Davis, LeBron James help Lakers beat Bucks, 133-129

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Bam Adebayo scored 30 points, including a pair of free throws to put Miami up for good with 35 seconds left, and the Heat rallied from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Phoenix Suns 113-112 on Monday night.
Phoenix had three shots to win on its final possession &mdash; a missed layup by Cameron Payne, a jumper from Devin Booker that Jimmy Butler blocked, and then a 3-pointer from Booker that fell short.
Butler finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for Miami. Caleb Martin and Kyle Lowry each scored 15 for Miami, which got back to .500 at 7-7.
Booker led Phoenix with 25 points, and Duane Washington Jr. added 21. Deandre Ayton finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Suns, who shot only four free throws compared to 25 for Miami.
CELTICS 126, THUNDER 122
BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Marcus Smart scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half, and Boston beat Oklahoma City for its seventh straight win.
Boston trailed by 15 in the third quarter but outscored Oklahoma City 37-26 in the fourth.
Jayson Tatum had 27 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics. Jaylen Brown scored 26, and Al Horford added 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Smart also had eight assists and five rebounds, and reserve Payton Pritchard added 10 points, leading a key surge late in the third and early in the fourth as the Celtics rallied.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 37 points. Lu Dort scored 21 and Aleksej Pokusevski finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
HAWKS 121, BUCKS 106
MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; De&rsquo;Andre Hunter scored 24 points and Trae Young had 21 points and nine assists, leading Atlanta over Milwaukee.
Clint Capela added 19 points and 10 rebounds as the Hawks won for the fifth time in seven games. Dejounte Murray also scored 19, and John Collins had 16 points and nine boards.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, who missed the previous two games and three of the past four with left knee soreness, scored 27 points in 31 minutes. The Bucks have lost three of four after a 9-0 start.
It was the third meeting between the teams in 16 days. MarJon Beauchamp had 20 points for the Bucks, who dropped to 7-1 at home.
WARRIORS 132, SPURS 95
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Back in the starting lineup for a night, Jordan Poole scored a season-best 36 points on the debut of his first bobblehead and led Golden State past San Antonio.
Poole shot 13 for 20 and knocked down five 3-pointers. He exited with 8:04 left following his 13th career game of 30 or more points.
Stephen Curry added 16 points, five rebounds and five assists in 27 minutes. It was the second game of a back-to-back for the Warriors after they lost 122-115 at Sacramento on Sunday to fall to 0-7 on the road.
Keldon Johnson had 15 points for the injury-plagued Spurs.
RAPTORS 115, PISTONS 111
DETROIT (AP) &mdash; Dalano Banton scored 27 points and Chris Boucher added 20 as short-handed Toronto snapped a three-game losing streak with a victory over Detroit.
O.G. Anunoby added 19 points and seven rebounds for the Raptors, who played without Fred VanVleet (non-COVID-19 illness), Pascal Siakam (abdominal strain) and Gary Trent (hip).
Rookie guard Jaden Ivey scored 21 for the Pistons, who lost their fourth straight. Bojan Bogdanovic added 18 points.
HORNETS 112, MAGIC 105
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) &mdash; LaMelo Ball had 17 points and nine assists, and Charlotte stopped an eight-game slide by beating Orlando.
Seven players scored in double figures for the Hornets, including their entire starting lineup. Mason Plumlee had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Terry Rozier scored 17, and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 16.
Franz Wagner scored 23 points and Wendell Carter Jr. added 20 for Orlando, but the Magic committed 22 turnovers.
Ball, who missed the Hornets&rsquo; 113-93 loss at Orlando last month because of a sprained ankle, played in only his second game of the season after missing the first 13.
CLIPPERS 122, ROCKETS 106
HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Paul George scored 22 points in three quarters to lead Los Angeles past Houston.
George, who also had eight rebounds and five assists, spent the fourth quarter on the bench with the game in hand as Clippers coach Tyronn Lue didn&rsquo;t play his starters in the final period on the front end of a back-to-back.
Jalen Green scored 25 points and Kevin Porter Jr. added 20 for the Rockets, who dropped their third in a row.
Reggie Jackson had 17 points and six assists to help the Clippers win for the third time in four games.

Bam Adebayo scored 30 points, and the Heat rallied from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Suns 113-112 on Monday.

Adebayo scores 30 points as Heat rally past Suns 113-112

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Fred VanVleet scored 24 points, Pascal Siakam added 23 and the Toronto Raptors rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Miami Heat 98-90 on Monday night and split their two-game trip to South Florida.
Gary Trent Jr. scored 18 points, including a 3-pointer that put Toronto up by six with 22.6 seconds left. Precious Achiuwa grabbed 22 rebounds for the Raptors, the most ever by a Toronto reserve.
Toronto outscored Miami 27-14 in the fourth quarter, getting five 3&rsquo;s in the final 12 minutes. The Raptors outscored the Heat 42-24 from 3-point range.
Jimmy Butler scored 26 points for Miami, which got 22 points and 15 rebounds from Tyler Herro. Bam Adebayo had 14 points and Duncan Robinson added 12 for the Heat.
Toronto&rsquo;s first four games of the season: a three-point win, a four-point loss, a three-point loss and a now an eight-point victory. Those were all against teams that expect to be Eastern Conference contenders &mdash; Cleveland, Brooklyn, Miami &mdash; and now the Raptors are to start a two-game set against Philadelphia.
Total score through those games: Toronto 420, Opponents 416.
&ldquo;The East is not for the faint-hearted,&rdquo; Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.
The Raptors were without reigning NBA rookie of the year Scottie Barnes, who sat out with a sprained right ankle and will be listed as day-to-day. Miami was without Caleb Martin and Nikola Jovic, both suspended one game by the league for their roles in a scuffle during Saturday night&rsquo;s game. Martin, the league said, instigated the event with Toronto&rsquo;s Christian Koloko, and Jovic was suspended for leaving the Heat bench area.
&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t have any issues with how the league viewed it,&rdquo; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Siakam started alongside Koloko for Toronto, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/toronto-raptors-miami-heat-nba-sports-pascal-siakam-f9bf61b6ce02ca548b39470caa8d4e66">first time in NBA history that two players born in Cameroon</a> started for the same team in the same game.
TIP-INS
Raptors: Koloko got his first career start and became the 175th player to get at least one of those for Toronto. ... VanVleet&rsquo;s first 3-pointer of the night was the 802nd of his career, breaking a tie with Morris Peterson for second-most in Raptors history. Kyle Lowry made 1,518. ... Chris Boucher, making his season debut after recovering from a hamstring issue, had 10 points in 12 minutes.
Heat: Strus started in Martin&rsquo;s spot. ... Miami went 1-3 on its season-opening four-game homestand, allowing an average of 108.5 points. ... Victor Oladipo (left knee) and Omer Yurtseven (left ankle) remained sidelined and have yet to make their season debuts. ... The Heat held Toronto to 40% shooting, but shot only 35%.
CONTRITE MARTIN
Martin spoke out about his suspension, revealing that he called Koloko to apologize and promised him a future dinner. He accepted his sanction, and said his only issue with the penalties handed out during the game and from the league on Sunday was that Koloko paid too high a price. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think that Christian should have gotten thrown out or ejected anyways. He did what he had to do,&rdquo; Martin said.
UP NEXT
Raptors: Host Philadelphia on Wednesday, then will again on Friday.
Heat: Visit Portland on Wednesday, the start of a three-game trip.

Fred VanVleet scored 24 points, Pascal Siakam added 23 and the Raptors rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Heat 98-90.

Raptors clamp down on Miami, top Heat 98-90 for split

JOHANNESBURG AND LONDON &ndash; The 2022-23 NBA regular season features 45 games that will air in primetime in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) as part of &ldquo;NBA Saturdays and NBA Sundays presented by NBA 2K23,&rdquo; marking the 10th consecutive regular season that the league has scheduled weekend games that air in primetime in EMEA.
The 45 games start as early as 12 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CET and feature the league&rsquo;s biggest stars, including two-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player and 2021 NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria), four-time NBA champion and 2022 Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), 2021-22 Kia All-NBA First Team member Luka Doncić (Dallas Mavericks; Slovenia), five-time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon), four-time NBA champion and Finals MVP LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), and reigning back-to-back Kia NBA MVP Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets; Serbia).
&ldquo;Scheduling weekly games in primetime for fans in Europe, the Middle East and Africa is a critical component of our efforts to make the excitement of NBA basketball more accessible to casual and hardcore fans,&rdquo; said NBA Senior Vice President, Head of International Content Partnerships Matt Brabants. &nbsp;&ldquo;Over the last 10 years we&rsquo;ve seen a tremendous response to this initiative from fans across these regions, and with the quantity and quality of talent from Europe and Africa in the NBA at an all-time high and weekly appointment viewing in primetime, there has never been a better time to be an NBA fan in EMEA.&rdquo;
&ldquo;The growing impact of African players in the NBA is evident every time you turn on a game,&rdquo; said NBA Africa Senior Director, Global Media Partnerships Kornelia Semmelink. &nbsp;&ldquo;As our footprint on the continent continues to grow, the NBA Saturdays and NBA Sundays presented by NBA 2K23 initiative is one of many ways we&rsquo;re providing localized content to our passionate fans in Africa at a time that is convenient for them on the devices and platforms they use most.&rdquo;
In addition to &ldquo;NBA Saturdays and NBA Sundays presented by NBA 2K23,&rdquo; games that will air in primetime in EMEA this season include The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2022 (Oct. 6 and 8 during the preseason), one game on the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S. (Nov. 25), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 16), The NBA Paris Game 2023 (Jan. 19) and the final day of the regular season (April 9). &nbsp;In total, NBA games and programming reach fans in more than 100 countries and territories across EMEA through the league&rsquo;s broadcast partners in those regions and NBA League Pass, which features a season-long subscription package.
During the 2021-22 season (regular season and Playoffs), a record 56 games aired in primetime in EMEA. &nbsp;Opening-night rosters for the 2021-22 NBA season featured 65 players from Europe and the Middle East, 14 players from Africa and more than 30 players with at least one parent from Africa.
Below are highlights of the &ldquo;NBA Saturdays and NBA Sundays presented by NBA 2K23&rdquo; schedule. &nbsp;The complete schedule is available here.
&bull; Sunday, Oct. 30: 2020 NBA All-Star Brandon Ingram, 2021 NBA All-Star Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans visit seven-time NBA All-Star Paul George, two-time NBA champion and Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers at 3 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. CET.
&bull; Sunday, Nov. 27: Curry, four-time NBA All-Star Draymond Green, five-time NBA All-Star Klay Thompson and the defending NBA champion Warriors visit three-time NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns, three-time NBA All-Star and Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert (France), 2020-21 Kia NBA All-Rookie First Team member Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves at 3:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 p.m. CET.
&bull; Sunday, Dec. 25: 2020 NBA champion and eight-time NBA All-Star Anthony Davis, James and the Lakers visit Doncić and the Mavericks at 2:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. CET on Christmas Day, followed by an NBA Sundays presented by NBA 2K23 rematch in Dallas on Feb. 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 p.m. CET.
&bull; Saturday, Jan. 14: Six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler, 2020 NBA All-Star Bam Adebayo, 2021-22 Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro and the Miami Heat host Antetokounmpo, three-time NBA All-Star Khris Middleton, four-time Kia NBA All-Defensive Team member Jrue Holiday and the Bucks at 1 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CET.
&bull; Saturday, Jan. 28: Jokić and the Nuggets visit Embiid, 2017-18 Kia NBA MVP and 10-time NBA All-Star James Harden and the 76ers at 3 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. CET as part of NBA Rivals Week. &nbsp;Embiid and Jokić were the top two 2021-22 Kia NBA MVP finalists, with Jokić winning the award for the second consecutive season.
&bull; Sunday, Feb. 12: Three-time NBA All-Star Jayson Tatum, 2021 NBA All-Star Jaylen Brown, 2021-22 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics host 2022 NBA All-Star Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies at 2 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CET.
&bull; Sunday, March 5: Curry, Green, Thompson and the Warriors visit Davis, James and the Lakers at 3:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 p.m. CET.
&bull; Sunday, April 9: Three-time NBA All-Star Devin Booker, 12-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns host George, Leonard and the Clippers at 3:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 p.m. CET.
The NBA yesterday released the complete game schedule for the 2022-23 regular season, which will tip off on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022, and conclude on Sunday, April 9, 2023. &nbsp;The complete schedule and team-by-team schedules are available at NBA.com here. &nbsp;
About the NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball. &nbsp;Built around five professional sports leagues: &nbsp;the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 214 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents. &nbsp;NBA rosters at the start of the 2021-22 season featured a record 121 international players from 40 countries. &nbsp;NBA Digital&rsquo;s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass. &nbsp;The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 2.1 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms. &nbsp;Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.
About NBA Africa
NBA Africa is a standalone entity formed in May 2021 that conducts the NBA&rsquo;s business in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL). &nbsp;The NBA has a long history in Africa and opened its African headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2010 before opening additional offices in Dakar, Senegal, and Lagos, Nigeria. &nbsp;The league&rsquo;s efforts on the continent have focused on increasing access to basketball and the NBA through youth and elite development, social responsibility, media distribution, corporate partnerships, NBA Africa Games, the BAL, and more.
NBA games and programming are available in all 54 African countries, and the NBA has hosted three sold-out exhibition games on the continent since 2015. &nbsp;The BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that recently completed its second season. &nbsp;Fans can follow @NBA_Africa and @theBAL on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

The 2022-23 NBA regular season features 45 games that will air in primetime in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

NBA to feature 45 weekend primetime games in Europe, Middle East, Africa

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

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

The Phoenix Suns are coming off a successful season in terms of win-loss production, setting a new franchise record for regular-season victories. But, an ugly postseason ending against the Dallas Mavericks brought a murky long-term picture into focus. With the Western Conference getting even stronger, including fully healthy rosters for the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets, did the Suns miss out on a suddenly attainable two-year window?
There are a few different ways to look at it. Yes, the last two seasons were certainly the best time to strike while the iron was hot and opposing teams were &ldquo;weaker," but the Suns not too long ago were in the NBA&rsquo;s proverbial cellar. Chris Paul&rsquo;s arrival alongside a young core taking steps forward propelled Phoenix into a position it had never imagined. In Year 1 of the CP3 era, the Suns made a Finals appearance where they were right on the doorstep of achieving a franchise first. And last season, we all witnessed their dominant regular season, machine-like in their efficiency &mdash; especially in clutch situations.
If the Suns ran back their rotation, nobody would really blame them, assuming Game 7 vs. Dallas was a pure anomaly. However, Kevin Durant threw a wrench into the Suns&rsquo; plans hours before the new league year opened on June 30 requesting a trade. As Yahoo Sports&rsquo; Chris Haynes reported, Durant&rsquo;s preferred destination atop his wish list was Phoenix.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
When a player like Durant wants to play for your basketball team, anything is on the table to make it happen. Patience is a virtue, especially in situations like this. Phoenix and other interested teams are trying to wait out the Brooklyn Nets' historically high asking price for one of the NBA&rsquo;s greatest scorers ever.
From Durant&rsquo;s perspective, the draw to Phoenix is obvious. Playing alongside Devin Booker, a player he&rsquo;s long admired from afar as a developing young star, takes pressure off of him to carry the scoring burden. Meanwhile, Paul setting KD up every single time down the court makes life a whole lot easier as well, in turn allowing the 37-year-old to embrace the No. 4 offensive role.
Since Durant requested out of Brooklyn last month, the Suns&rsquo; chances of acquiring him have dimmed as a result of the Indiana Pacers&rsquo; aggressive pursuit of Deandre Ayton in restricted free agency. Ayton sought a full max contract, which Indiana gladly threw his way before the Suns matched it in less than five minutes. The presence of Ayton on the Suns&rsquo; roster means any Durant deal must include Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson and all of their allowable draft capital through 2029. It's a heavy price to pay that would gut their rotation, but a price well worth it &mdash; especially when Durant is seeking out your organization as his desired landing spot.
When written out in totality, the expected cost to bring Durant to the Valley would be an understandably jaw-dropping package.
Suns receive: Kevin Durant
Nets receive: Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder or Dario Saric, Cameron Payne or Torrey Craig, four first-round picks (unprotected), three first-round pick swaps
The longer the Durant saga drags out, the more likely it is that he begins the season in Brooklyn. And honestly, there's no need for Brooklyn to cave on this type of offer from Phoenix anyhow, unless Durant truly forces his way there. With the way this is trending in a negotiation stalemate, Durant's No. 1 destination might need to become a forcible entry witout Brooklyn's cooperation. Throughout Durant's career, though, he's never shown himself to make a scene. (For example, how Jimmy Butler demanded his way out of Minnesota in 2018.
From the Suns&rsquo; perspective, they seem more than okay waiting it out and trotting back a rotation filled to the brim with reliable depth. Even without Durant, the Suns should be a lock to win 50-plus games next season because of their foundational pieces in Booker, Paul, Ayton, Bridges and Johnson. Over a massive sample size since 2020, Phoenix has consistently proven they&rsquo;re one of the league&rsquo;s best without another superstar being thrown into the mix.
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Following their embarrassing exit in Game 7, where does this version of the Suns stack up within a reloaded West? They fall within Tier 1, but the competition is fierce with real debates for who could sit in the top spot.
Whichever route the Suns eventually go down with Durant, they&rsquo;re destined to still be a top choice to eventually represent the West in the NBA Finals. The impetus to win it all is right now, as Paul&rsquo;s late peak could maybe extend another few years.
As Suns general manager James Jones recently told ESPN&rsquo;s Kevin Arnovitz, a franchise should never exit a &ldquo;win-now&rdquo; approach in team-building. If that&rsquo;s the case, this Durant cloud will hover until a resolution is reached.
In the meantime, Jones and the Suns will continue working in silence, trying to keep their record-breaking organizational turnaround on a pathway to sustain elite levels of success.

The Suns appear okay running their roster back, but Kevin Durant's desire to play there makes it even more interesting.

Why the Phoenix Suns seem content waiting out the Kevin Durant saga

Tre Mann had 15 points and seven assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to an 86-80 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night in the NBA Summer League.
Oklahoma City's three first-round picks draft all contributed to the victory.
No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren had eight points, five rebounds, five steals and three assists before fouling out. No. 12 pick Jalen Williams added 12 points, while No. 11 pick Ousmane Dieng &mdash; acquired in a draft-day trade with the Knicks &mdash; had 12 points and seven rebounds.
Sacramento's Keegan Murray &mdash; the fourth overall choice &mdash; had 29 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Jared Rhoden added 16 points and eight rebounds. Keon Ellis had 14 points and five assists.
BUCKS 87, TIMBERWOLVES 75
Sandro Mamukelashvili had 18 points and 15 rebounds to lead Milwaukee Bucks past Minnesota.
Mamukelashvili, who was coming off a 28-point game Monday, also had four of Milwaukee's 25 assists on 30 field goals.
MarJon Beauchamp made four of Milwaukee's 15 3-pointers and finished with 15 points. Rayjon Tucker, Lindell Wigginton and Zylan Cheatham each scored 14 points.
Kevon Harris scored 16 points for Minnesota. Terrell Brown Jr. added 14 points, Wendell Moore Jr. had 13 and Marial Shayok 11.
HORNETS 91, CAVALIERS 80
Bryce McGowens made five 3-pointers and scored 24 points as Charlotte beat Cleveland.
Mark Williams, Brady Manek and LiAngelo Ball each scored 12 points, and Kai Jones added 11 for Charlotte (2-1).
Ochai Agbaji scored 24 points, with four 3-pointers, for Cleveland (1-2). Cameron Young added 11, Amauri Hardy had 10 and Isaiah Mobley grabbed 11 rebounds. The Cavaliers were 5 of 25 from distance.
PELICANS 106, WIZARDS 88
Deividas Sirvydis scored 25 points, going 6 of 10 from 3-point range, to help New Orleans beat Washington.
New Orleans trailed at halftime, but outscored Washington 28-15 in the third quarter to take the lead for good.
Jared Harper made 10 of 14 free throws and had 18 points and six assists for New Orleans (2-1). Daeqwon Plowden added 16 points and Dereon Seabron had 13.
Vernon Carey Jr. made his first five shots and scored 11 points for Washington (1-2). Tyler Hall also scored 11 points and Tahjere McCall added 10.
RAPTORS 80, JAZZ 74
D.J. Wilson had 22 points and nine rebounds, Jeff Dowtin added 19 points and Toronto handed Utah its first loss.
<a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1547380055629877248">Dowtin made a contested layup with 45.6 seconds left</a> for a four-point lead. Utah missed 3-pointers on its next two possessions and Dowtin sealed it with two free throws.
Jared Butler scored 12 points, Leandro Bolmaro added 11 and Darryl Morsell had 10 for Utah (2-1).
76ERS 75, HEAT 71
Trevelin Queen scored 16 points, Tyler Bey added 14 and Philadelphia held off Miami.
Malik Ellison had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Philadelphia.
Javonte Smart topped Miami with 20 points, and Haywood Highsmith had 17 points, seven rebounds and three blocks.
NUGGETS 80, CLIPPERS 75
Matt Mitchell had 17 points and six rebounds to help power Denver past Los Angeles.
Nuggets first-rounder Christian Braun &mdash; 21st overall &mdash; had eight points to go along with 12 rebounds, five assists and three blocks.
Jay Scrubb led the Clippers with 18 points.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Tre Mann had 15 points and seven assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to an 86-80 victory over the Kings on Wednesday night.

Mann leads Thunder past Kings 86-80 in Summer League play

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

NBA Rumor Tracker: Compiling the latest news and intel

The Tyrese Haliburton era is well on its way in Indianapolis, which means it&rsquo;s likely time to say adios to Malcolm Brogdon in an Indiana Pacers uniform. Brogdon is one of the more <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/five-nba-players-who-feel-destined-to-be-traded-this-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obvious trade candidates in the NBA this offseason</a> thanks to his consistent injury issues and Haliburton&rsquo;s quick emergence. Despite Brogdon's missed games, he will still attract interest from rival teams.
During Brogdon&rsquo;s three-year tenure with the Pacers, he averaged 18.9 points, 6.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 0.8 steals per game on a 55.3 True Shooting percentage. Brogdon always produced when he was on the court for Indiana, but his availability was an issue. Going forward, it&rsquo;s going to be hard for Brogdon to shed the &ldquo;injury prone&rdquo; label because it&rsquo;s been an issue dating back to his collegiate career at the University of Virginia.
Aside from injury concerns, Brogdon&rsquo;s market will be robust with playofff or championship-hopeful teams lining up for his services. As a versatile multi-positional defender, connective playmaker and secondary scorer, Brogdon can really help a team that's going in the opposite direction as the rebuilding Pacers.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s go ahead and dive into the most realistic trade packages Indiana could expect for Brogdon this offseason. As Indiana turns the page to Haliburton, it&rsquo;s time to extract some value from a potential Brogdon deal.
Phoenix Suns
Pacers receive: Landry Shamet, Dario Saric, 2024 1st-round draft pick (lottery protected)
Suns receive: Malcolm Brogdon, 2022 No. 31 pick
Phoenix&rsquo;s lack of guard depth was exposed throughout the playoffs. They simply can&rsquo;t rely on Cameron Payne anymore, who was a DNP-CD when it mattered most in the Western Conference Semifinals. Phoenix flirted with the idea of chasing Brogdon before signing Ricky Rubio back in 2019. Three years later, bringing Brogdon to the Valley as the Suns&rsquo; short-term backup and long-term fit alongside Devin Booker is a home run transaction.
Also, there has been some buzz that the Suns are trying to get into the 2022 NBA Draft. They have met with multiple players projected to be selected in the mid-to-late first round, including LSU&rsquo;s Tari Eason, Ohio State&rsquo;s E.J. Liddell and Duke&rsquo;s Wendell Moore. Adding any of those prospects will be impossible without adding a pick. The Suns could always buy an early second-round pick for $3 million, but that&rsquo;s never been their way of thinking.
Is this where Suns GM James Jones could get creative to snag a championship piece at discounted value? Brogdon and Chris Paul sharing minutes is a dream scenario for Phoenix since all 48 minutes at point guard would provide well above-average production. Also, we could see three-guard lineups galore thanks to Brogdon&rsquo;s versatility.
In this scenario, Indiana would add a shooter in Shamet who only has two guaranteed years left on his extension. Maybe Shamet could be their Buddy Hield replacement if they also decide to trade him soon. Adding a future first for Brogdon is the right risk for Indiana to take as well.
Utah Jazz
Pacers receive: Mike Conley, Jared Butler, 2025 2nd-round pick
Jazz receive: Malcolm Brogdon
The Jazz desperately need to shake things up. Stagnation is on the horizon in Salt Lake City, if it hasn&rsquo;t reached that point already. Utah may blow it up this offseason, but even if they don't, they need to do something in order to keep Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert happy long-term.
As we saw during the Jazz&rsquo;s quick postseason exit, Conley seems like a shell of himself. Looking back on that trade now, Utah has to be kicking themselves for surrendering so much for the veteran point guard.
Utah needs to get creative to avoid moving one of Mitchell or Gobert soon, so Conley going back home to Indianapolis makes a lot of sense here. Brogdon is a huge upgrade over Conley, and he helps address a dire need of perimeter defense.
Indiana would add a veteran mentor for Haliburton to lean on for a year since Conley&rsquo;s contract isn&rsquo;t fully guaranteed in 2023-24. Adding a young scoring guard in Butler alongside a future second-round pick might not be enough for the Pacers, but it's at least enough to start negotiations.
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Los Angeles Lakers
Pacers receive: Russell Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, 2023 2nd, 2025 2nd, 2027 1st (lottery protected)
Lakers receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield, Goga Bitadze
This only makes sense if the Pacers are willing to take on the final year of Westbrook&rsquo;s contract, which would have any team second-guessing themselves beforehand. Surprisingly enough, Indiana is actually the betting favorite to land Westbrook if the Lakers offload him this offseason.
The Pacers would need a hefty return in order take on Westbrook while also relinquishing Brogdon and Hield. Adding Horton-Tucker, two future second-round picks and the Lakers&rsquo; next available first-round selection gets the job done. Los Angeles would hate to part with THT and even more draft capital, but Brogdon and Hield are perfect pieces to place alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Who knows, maybe Bitadze slides into the Lakers&rsquo; rotation as the backup center?
Indiana is embracing a full-scale rebuild, and pulling off a move like this would be consistent with that approach.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Pacers receive: D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, No. 19 pick, No. 40 pick
Timberwolves receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Goga Bitadze, No. 31 pick, 2023 2nd (via San Antonio Spurs)
As <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-dangelo-russell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our Nekias Duncan recently wrote</a>, a D&rsquo;Angelo Russell departure from Minnesota feels imminent this summer. It&rsquo;s another unfortunate turn in the career for Russell, who continues to bounce around the Association, unable to find a long-term home. The fit in Minnesota alongside good friend Karl-Anthony Towns had its moments, but Russell&rsquo;s negatives popped up in the postseason when it mattered most. After being benched in crunch-time situations by head coach Chris Finch and not having his name mentioned in The Athletic&rsquo;s recent story on new executive Tim Connelly, it wouldn't be shocking to see Russell playing elsewhere in 2022-23.
Even with the Pacers already having Haliburton and Chris Duarte, this feels like a spot where they could take a year-long look at Russell as a potential long-term backcourt piece. As a former top-three pick, Russell would bring more fanfare to the Pacers&rsquo; rebuild. And if he meshes well alongside Haliburton, Russell could become a long-term piece in Indiana and finally find a home.
From the Timberwolves&rsquo; point of view, this makes a whole lot of sense. Brogdon is a much better fit alongside Towns and Anthony Edwards, as he's easily able to slide into the No. 3 scoring role while providing an ideal complementary low-usage skill set. Taking a flier on Bitadze, a former top-20 pick, is also interesting, and as he could back up Towns.
Miami Heat
Pacers receive: Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, 2023 1st (lottery protected)
Heat receive: Malcolm Brogdon
As we&rsquo;ve seen unfold late in the postseason, Miami needs to find another offensive creator. Simply put, the Heat need more weapons to compete with the NBA&rsquo;s current juggernauts. Luckily for Miami, some much-needed flexibility could be on the way.
The Duncan Robinson contract looks like a disaster, but what if they could use his bloated salary and some future draft capital to bring in an immediate impact piece? Brogdon feels like the perfect remedy for Miami since he can take playmaking pressure off of Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry. Brogdon and Lowry could split minutes, which is a huge benefit for both players and would help keep them fresh and out of the training room.
For Indiana, they could be comfortable taking on Robinson&rsquo;s contract with all of their salary-cap space currently available. Adding Strus and a draft pick could make this deal worth it for the Pacers.
All of a sudden, Miami is now in a strong position to make another deep postseason push with Brogdon onboard for 2022-23 and beyond.
***
Every team in the NBA needs shooting, defensive versatility and playmaking. Even with his injury history, Brogdon would be well worth the risk for any team looking to take the next step forward.
If Brogdon is able to stay healthy, adding him at this price could be a coup for whichever team is next after Milwaukee and Indiana.
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With the Tyrese Haliburton era blossoming for the Pacers, Malcolm Brogdon is one of the most logical NBA trade candidates.

Examining potential trade destinations for Malcolm Brogdon

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.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for the night portion of Sunday's postseason slate.
Atlanta Hawks vs. Miami Heat (-1.5)
Trae Young&rsquo;s Game 3 heroics led to an intriguing rubber match on tap for Sunday night&rsquo;s NBA playoff action. If the Hawks can somehow tie this series up against Miami, a lot of scenarios could soon unfold here. However, we&rsquo;re not forecasting that to happen. In the end, confidently hammer the Heat to take a 3-1 series lead. If Jimmy Butler gets going again offensively, plus Young is stymied on the offensive end, Miami should be able to escape Atlanta with a victory. The Heat&rsquo;s well-balanced two-way attack proves too much for the Hawks to handle in a pivotal playoff game.
Pick: Heat -1.5
Player Props: Trae Young over 26.5 points, Jimmy Butler over 24.5 points, Bam Adebayo over 8.5 rebounds, Kevin Huerter over 2.5 threes
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New Orleans Pelicans vs. Phoenix Suns (-2)
No Devin Booker, no problem for the Phoenix Suns in Game 3 as they handled business on the road in New Orleans. Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton carried the load just fine for Phoenix, so why not lock in the same idea for Game 4? The Suns are the far more talented team compared to New Orleans, even without Booker. If Ayton once again dominates Jonas Valanciunas inside, the Pelicans are in trouble. In the Pelicans&rsquo; lone win in Game 2, it was due to unsustainably hot three-point shooting alongside attacking the glass recklessly. If the Suns play within their system, they will head back to the Valley with a 3-1 series lead, even without their best player. Hammer as a best bet of the day Suns -2 over the Pelicans.
Pick: Suns -2
Player Props: Brandon Ingram over 25.5 points, CJ McCollum over 25.5 points, Chris Paul over 12.5 assists, Cameron Johnson over 2.5 threes
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For a loaded NBA postseason slate, "Nothing But Bets" drops off their favorite picks against the spread and player props.

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 4/24/22

When canvassing the Western Conference standings, an overall ideology is beginning to crystalize on potential deep postseason runs. At the moment, it looks like a one-team race with a few others having an outside shot. (For our Eastern Conference outlook, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/betting-the-east-possibilities-are-endless-for-nba-finals-contenders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.)
From a betting perspective, sportsbooks are in consensus that the Phoenix Suns are far and away the best team in the West. And when you see the odds discrepancies, it&rsquo;s really not even close. Thanks to the odds, we&rsquo;re able to break down the West into four realistic tiers for who will come out on top and represent the conference in the NBA Finals.
Tier 1: Phoenix Suns +115
If all goes to plan for the Suns, this should be a relatively easy repeat run back to the NBA Finals. Somehow, some way, national pundits actually believed Phoenix couldn&rsquo;t build off last year&rsquo;s jaw-dropping postseason performance. On the way, the Suns&rsquo; chemistry has blossomed alongside adding much-needed depth pieces to fortify the second unit.
When looking through the Suns&rsquo; roster, it&rsquo;s honestly hard to find any holes. Devin Booker and Chris Paul have proven to be a historically lethal backcourt, especially when the game is on the line. Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson have taken leaps to form a seamless wing duo and complement each other well. Deandre Ayton is proving yet again that he&rsquo;s an anchor to Phoenix&rsquo;s system providing plus-two-way efficiency on both ends of the court.
Injuries (knock on wood) are the only roadblock standing in front of Phoenix. Loaded to the gills with championship-level contributors, betting on the Suns is a wise investment in the West.
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Tier 2: Golden State Warriors +440, Memphis Grizzlies +600
At this point, it&rsquo;s surprising that Tier 2 hasn&rsquo;t seen the odds flip between both teams represented. After a red-hot start to the season, the Warriors have fallen off a cliff thanks to injuries and overall inconsistencies. No surprise, but Golden State looks lost without Stephen Curry on the court. Thanks to Curry, Vegas still believes the Dubs have the second-best odds to make the 2022 NBA Finals, but do they really hold multiple advantages against a resurgent Grizzlies group?
Even without Ja Morant, the Grizzlies continue to prove they are a legit force to be reckoned with. Armed with a young superstar and ideal complementary pieces across the board, Memphis looks the part of a finally awakened sleeping giant. Morant should be able to go toe-to-toe against Curry if Memphis and Golden State square off in the playoffs. Also, I favor the Grizzlies&rsquo; depth compared to the Warriors.
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Curry is the ultimate trump card, which shows in the odds, but the Grizzlies feel like the perfect flier at +600 odds to be this year&rsquo;s version of the 2021 Suns. All of a sudden, Memphis feels like a strong championship contender.
Tier 3: Utah Jazz +950, Dallas Mavericks +1000, Denver Nuggets +1100
Now we&rsquo;re entering into the portion of the conference where odds really begin to dwindle. Phoenix, Golden State and Memphis all have the goods to make a Finals push. Outside of those three teams, many questions loom around the West.
Doesn&rsquo;t it feel like the title window has already closed on the Jazz? A regular-season juggernaut over the last few years, Utah&rsquo;s inconsistencies are beginning to raise serious long-term roster questions. Will Donovan Mitchell or Rudy Gobert be traded if the Jazz have an early postseason exit? That idea feels more plausible than skeptical, which says a lot about where Utah&rsquo;s mindset currently is.
Luka Doncic is single-handedly carrying the Mavericks to the postseason, this time without a secondary star alongside him. After Dallas traded Kristaps Porzingis, Doncic has taken on a James Harden-esque usage level and thrived. Fatigue will surely play a factor down the road with Doncic, but, in the meantime, it&rsquo;s an uneasy feeling to wager against Dallas. If Doncic catches fire in the playoffs, who&rsquo;s to say the Mavericks can&rsquo;t make a shocking run to the West Finals?
Denver is in the exact same position as Dallas, but instead it&rsquo;s Nikola Jokic once again proving why he should be the back-to-back MVP. Without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., Jokic is putting up historic numbers keeping the Nuggets afloat. It&rsquo;s unlikely either of Denver&rsquo;s co-stars return to help Jokic, but what happens if they draw a favorable postseason matchup? Denver feels like a team who could make some early noise, but fizzle out once they run into the West&rsquo;s top tier.
Amongst this group, throwing a dart on Denver at +1100 odds because of Jokic&rsquo;s brilliance seems like the wisest strategy.
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Tier 4: Minnesota Timberwolves +2200, Los Angeles Clippers +2500
Rounding out the West&rsquo;s most realistic postseason contenders, the Timberwolves and Clippers feel the same. No wonder why they&rsquo;re odds are nearly identical, especially in the bottom tier of the West&rsquo;s true title hopefuls.
It&rsquo;s been awesome to watch Minnesota this season, especially when the team gets cooking on both ends of the court. Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and D&rsquo;Angelo Russell is a fun trio, plus complementary pieces like Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaden McDaniels have shined at different portions of the 2021-22 campaign. Poised for the Play-In Tournament, how will Minnesota function being on the doorstep of the postseason for the first time since the Tom Thibodeau/Jimmy Butler era?
Paul George is back for the Clippers, which should honestly change the whole calculus here. As we saw last season, Los Angeles can more than hold its own in the postseason &mdash; even without Kawhi Leonard. If George gets hot again, the Clippers could truly shock the world in the first round with an upset; it&rsquo;s probably not wise to bet on that though. Still, with more postseason experience where live bullets are flying, the Clippers feel like the safer choice here.
As you can see, the Western Conference feels like it&rsquo;s settling in, and we're getting a better vision of how the postseason could play out. Phoenix as the heavy favorite, almost at even odds to make the Finals, honestly feels right on the money. Golden State and Memphis are the two sleepers, but this is truly the Suns&rsquo; conference once again.
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With the NBA postseason drawing near, which teams have the best odds to come out of the Western Conference?

Betting the West: Suns favorites to represent conference in NBA Finals

Every day,&nbsp;BasketballNews.com&nbsp;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. This season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is up thousands of dollars on PrizePicks.
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Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA betting plays for Wednesday&rsquo;s slate.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Boston Celtics (-7.5)
This is going to be such a fun matchup to follow along with on Wednesday night. Boston continues to make a push near the top of the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, if you haven&rsquo;t already, make sure you watch the Hornets because they are such an entertaining team. Waffling back-and-forth on this one, we&rsquo;re leaning towards hammering the underdog. If this turns into a shootout, it&rsquo;s hard to envision it being a blowout. Give us the Hornets at +7.5 with too many points to cover.
Pick: Hornets +7.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Jayson Tatum over 29.5 points, Miles Bridges over 18.5 points, Robert Williams over 11.5 rebounds, LaMelo Ball over 5.5 assists
Milwaukee Bucks (-4.5) vs. Atlanta Hawks
In a rematch of the 2021 East Finals, both teams are currently going in opposite directions. The Bucks are gaining steam, while the Hawks are fighting for their playoff lives once more. This has the makings of a monster outing form Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Milwaukee should take care of business at home, so we feel there&rsquo;s great value to be had on the 4.5-point spread. Hammer with emphasis Milwaukee as one of the best bets for Wednesday&rsquo;s action.
Pick: Bucks -4.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Giannis Antetokounmpo over 29.5 points, Trae Young over 26.5 points, Khris Middleton over 20.5 points, Clint Capela over 10 rebounds
Miami Heat (-4.5) vs. Phoenix Suns
In what could be an NBA Finals preview, the Heat and Suns square off in South Beach tonight. Devin Booker is back from COVID-19 health ands safety protocols, so he will be a much-needed boost for Phoenix. Chris Paul and Cameron Johnson remain out, so this could be tough sledding against Miami. However, we are not going to bet against the Suns as underdogs. When given plus money, Phoenix has been winning back bettors' cash all season long. We&rsquo;re not going to go against that strategy now, so lock in the underdog Suns to cover the 4.5-point spread.
Pick: Suns +4.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Devin Booker over 26.5 points, Bam Adebayo over 18.5 points, Mikal Bridges over 13.5 points, Jimmy Butler over 6.5 made free throws
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Who are the best bets for tonight's NBA games? Which players should you target in daily fantasy? We've got you covered!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 3/9/22

I'd like to take you on a trip down memory lane, if I may.
The date is Jan. 11, 2021. It's a chilly night in Charlotte, North Carolina. People are stuck in traffic, because that's how it goes after 5 p.m. in this city. There are no fewer than 12 Cook Out locations flooded &mdash; and for that, we say thank you and God bless.
More importantly, there's a basketball game going on between the Charlotte Hornets and the New York Knicks.&nbsp;
Midway through the third quarter, then-rookie phenom LaMelo Ball decides to push the ball in transition. He glides through the middle of the floor, targeting fellow rookie Immanuel Quickley on a drive as he backpedals.&nbsp;
LaMelo decelerates before crossing to his right, then begins his gather. Something funny happens from there though.
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That's right &mdash; LaMelo attempts, possibly, the worst James Harden impersonation of all-time. He goes searching for Quickley's arm and gets nothing but air. The momentum from the flail alters his balance &mdash; the last thing he needs since he's in the midst of a wrong-hand finish.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Show 10 random NBA fans that clip, and I guarantee at least eight of them give some sort of "that's what you get" sentiment for trying to generate contact. I immediately fell &mdash; and continue to fall &mdash; on the other side of the aisle. As I <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1348806292882808833?s=20&amp;t=H-TnrjRhKj4jxJtee4KwqA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted in the moment</a>: That attempt is proof that foul-drawing is a skill.
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NBA offenses have never been as prolific as they are right now.
We're buzzing with buckets in this era, currently riding a four-season streak of the league's average Offensive Rating eclipsing <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_stats_per_game.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">110 points per 100 possessions</a>.
The emphasis on shooting and spacing &mdash; linked, but not synonymous! &mdash; has led to a more open game. Ball-handlers are more dynamic, blending slick handles, a more-willing trigger from (super) deep and driving chops that leave defenders asking, "What the heck am I supposed to do with this?"
We love buckets around these parts. Pull-ups. Stepbacks. Floaters. Eurosteps. Reverse lay-ins. Thunderous finishes. Post work &mdash; hooks, up-and-unders, fadeaways. Scoring is fun, obvious to the eye, and easy to break down and compare for the most part.
There is a brand of scoring that doesn't get the respect it deserves, however: free throws. Not only are they boring to watch, but the process in which they're earned also has an approval rating of, like, six percent.
Don't take my word for it: I asked y'all.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
What's your least favorite part of NBA offense?
&mdash; Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1500833149051445253?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

It's anecdotal of course, but it's telling that 72.3% of the vote &mdash; well over 4,500 people &mdash; voiced their displeasure of foul-drawing. Or foul *baiting*, since that distinction matters to so many of you.
You can cycle through the replies and quote tweets if you'd like, but the common theme was a sense of gaming the system. Those dreaded non-basketball plays. The flailing. The possessions where players make moves to draw contact versus trying to make the shot.
It's a fair position in vacuum. I got a hearty laugh out of Chris Paul drawing a rip-through foul on young Jonathan Kuminga some 70 feet from the basket, but I can understand why that might be annoying.
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(On the Paul front, he t<a href="https://youtu.be/C4BKdCT95h0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alked about the rip-through</a> on JJ Redick's podcast not too long ago. I'd recommend it; also, he's right.)
What I will say, however, is that foul-drawing as a concept seems pretty underrated. Flat-out disrespected, even. I don't think enough people understand the level of skill it takes to draw fouls consistently.&nbsp;
LET IT RIP
Actually, let's talk about the Paul thing for a minute.
Did you know he's essentially made ICE coverage &mdash; the tell is when the on-ball defender positions himself in a way to force the ball-handler towards the sideline &mdash; unplayable against him?
Going into an ICE possession, you have to worry about him snaking the pick and flowing into the pull-up middy he shoots 8,032% on. He's one of the three best pocket passers in NBA history (argue with your mother), so any miscue can lead to a shot at the basket for his big. If all else fails, he can string out the pick, force a late switch and either:
<ul>
<li>Abuse it himself</li>
<li>Let his big brutalize a small guard</li>
</ul>
On top of that, you can't even press him prior to his drive because he'll locate your arm. If you think you can get your hand out of the cookie jar quickly enough, you can't. He's too quick, too good at timing it.
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Over the past three seasons, Paul-led ball screens are generating north of 1.1 points per possession against ICE coverage &mdash; the second-best mark among high-volume guards, per Second Spectrum. Again, Paul as a scorer and passer against the coverage is deadly enough.
On the foul front, only Ja Morant (91) has drawn more fouls against ICE coverage than Paul (83) during that span. Considering the stark difference in athleticism and shot profile between the two, you can surmise who's drawing what type of fouls the most.
Of course, Paul isn't the only guy that can make you pay in that way.&nbsp;
Kevin Durant might be the godfather of the move. He doesn't go to it as often anymore, but he's sure to remind you to keep your hand out of the cookie jar.
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Trae Young sprinkles it in as well, though we'll talk about him a little later.
TAKING STRIDES
Can we talk about the Cameroonian Cheat Code?
People are&nbsp;furious&nbsp;with the whistle Joel Embiid gets. I get it in a vacuum; it's a bit wild to watch a guy that&nbsp;big hit the ground (or flail his arms) as often as he does.&nbsp;But man, I really do implore you to dig into the subtleties of his foul-drawing.
Think about your priors when defending Embiid. He's bigger than you, stronger than you and likely quicker than you. You're already working at a disadvantage before digging into the skill level. Then, he's smart on top of all of that.&nbsp;
If you think guards can be handsy before an attack, bigs definitely are. Embiid has countered by mastering the rip-through in his own right. Because he's so comfortable with his jumper now, defenders are even more susceptible to his pump fake. You're truly at his mercy when he faces up.
On a related note &mdash; very, very, very,&nbsp;quietly, Embiid is one of the most skilled drivers in basketball.
The threat of the jumper (and pump fake) opens up driving opportunities for him. I've found myself in awe of the way he decelerates or changes his stride length when attacking the basket. And when those skills work in conjunction, defenders have no idea what to do with him.
I still have the foul he drew against Evan Mobley last week on a loop in my head.
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Mobley is already one of the best defenders in the sport, and he has nothing here. Embiid faces up, hits Mobley with a stutter-rip (shout out <a href="https://twitter.com/abovethebreak3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PD Web</a>) and immediately gains inside leverage. On the gather, Embiid hits the brakes on his second step and waits out the Mobley contest to draw the foul.
Think about the amount of balance it takes to pull that off, as well as the strength it takes to power through and get a shot up.
You know who else is good at throwing defenders off in that way without really getting credit for it? Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It turns out "Run and Dunk Man" has a little more to him. He doesn't just hit you with spin moves and Eurosteps; he mixes up the speed and stride length of those moves.
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LEVERAGE PLAYS &mdash; STRENGTH VS. SLICK
Zooming out, there's a difference between players who can knock defenders off-balance and players who can shift defenders off-balance. The best foul-drawers are able to do both, of course, but it's rare to find a player with a pure 50/50 split between those methods.
You generally think of bigs &mdash; Giannis and Embiid in particular &mdash; when you think of strength-based foul-drawing, which is precisely why Jimmy Butler is so unique.
He doesn't possess elite burst. The handle isn't great. His jumper is non-threatening. He's passive at times as a scorer. And yet, Butler (5.17) is one of <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/totals/nba/player?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four high-minute players</a> averaging at least 5 two-point shooting fouls drawn per 100 possessions: Embiid (8.16), Giannis (7.82) and DeMar DeRozan (5.03) are the others.
Butler does possess great footwork, which helps him in face-up situations. He may be the NBA's prominent stutter-rip enthusiast. But man, does he do a lot of work with his shoulder.
If he gains an inch, he's driving his shoulder into his defenders' chests. And if they try to recover, he's able to pump fake them into oblivion, or plow through them for foul calls. Look no further than his masterclass against the Houston Rockets on Monday night.
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As annoyed as people have been with Harden's tricks, his ability to power through guys has gone grossly under the radar for most of his career. Remember the LaMelo play up top? Harden has the cadence down&nbsp;and&nbsp;the strength to power through.
He weaponizes his strength with a low, lull-em-to-sleep dribble that unlocks the rest of his game. Stay lax? Stepback time. Try to shade him a certain way? He's able to attack your front foot and getting downhill. Try to disrupt the dribble? He's powering through that sucker.
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Then, there's the finesse side of the equation, where unpredictability can put defenders in torturous positions.
That's where Young comes in. He's a tricky little booger you can never really catch. His ability to change directions is nearly unrivaled in the leauge.
You don't think of him as&nbsp;explosive&nbsp;because of the lack of vertical juice, but he's a pretty violent dude in terms of darting around; he's the NBA's (peak) LeSean McCoy in that regard. On top of that, I'm not sure anybody in the league decelerates quite like him. To have that, on top of his ball skills, is simply unfair.
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I'm not here to argue that watching these guys rack up 10 to 12 free throws on a given night is as fun as an ankle-breaking crossover that flows into a pull-up.&nbsp;
I do think there needs to be more credit given toward how hard it is to make defenders wrong as consistently as these guys do. There are so many split-second reads (and microskills) at play that can be missed if you aren't paying attention.&nbsp;
Or put another way: If it was easy to flop or grift your way into calls, more people would pull it off consistently.
They don't for a reason.
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Citing different methods, Nekias Duncan gives flowers to some of the best foul-drawers in the league.

A gift, not a grift: Coming to the defense of foul-drawing

Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler each scored 21 points, and the Miami Heat pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 99-82 on Saturday night.
Gabe Vincent scored 16 points and Caleb Martin added 14 for the Heat, who are 11-2 in their last 13 games. Miami was again without Kyle Lowry, who missed his fourth consecutive game because of personal reasons.
Miami went 3-1 on the week against four East contenders, beating Chicago, Brooklyn and now Philadelphia. The only loss was at Milwaukee, a game where the Heat led by 14 midway through the fourth quarter before collapsing.
Joel Embiid finished with 22 points and 15 rebounds for Philadelphia, which held out James Harden on the second night of a back-to-back as he recovers from a left hamstring injury. The 76ers had a season-low in points and fell to 1-14 when scoring less than 100 points.
Tyrese Maxey added 17 points for the 76ers, who ended a five-game winning streak. Tobias Harris added 16 for Philadelphia.
The win gave Miami (43-22) a season-high three-game lead in the Eastern Conference over the second-place 76ers (39-24), with Milwaukee and Chicago (both 39-25) 3 1/2 games back.
&ldquo;I really don&rsquo;t look at the standings,&rdquo; 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;What do they matter? You have to win. And I swear to God, after 82, someone&rsquo;s going to tap me and say &lsquo;This is who you&rsquo;re playing.&rsquo; ... You can only control what you can control. The other stuff is for everyone else to talk about.&rdquo;
It was the first time since a three-game stretch in mid-December where Philadelphia trailed by 20 in consecutive outings. The 76ers trailed by 21 against Cleveland on Friday night before rallying to win 125-119.
The biggest deficit Saturday was 20, with Miami taking a 40-20 edge on a 3-pointer by Martin with 8:03 left in the half. Philadelphia went on a 12-2 run to cut the margin in half over the next 3 minutes, but Miami wound up taking a 54-40 edge into the break.
In the third, the 76ers kept chipping away. An 11-2 run got Philadelphia within two, before Vincent made a 3-pointer to end the quarter and send Miami into the final 12 minutes with a 73-68 lead.
Miami then outscored Philadelphia 26-14 in the fourth.
TIP-INS
76ers: Philadelphia remained 12 wins shy of 3,000 all-time, a milestone only the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers have reached. ... Embiid got his ninth rebound with 3 seconds left in the first quarter. He didn&rsquo;t get his 10th until 9:05 remained in the third quarter.
Heat: Duncan Robinson&rsquo;s first 3-pointer of the night was the 713th of his career, breaking a tie with Eddie Jones and moving him into No. 2 on Miami&rsquo;s all-time list. Tim Hardaway has the club record with 806, something Robinson has a shot of reaching before the season ends. ... Heat managing general partner Micky Arison was among those at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday for Mike Krzyzewski&rsquo;s final home game at Duke. Heat CEO Nick Arison was Duke&rsquo;s manager during his college days there.
SLAP HAPPY
Embiid flailed at a loose ball in the third quarter and wound up slapping Butler &mdash; his former Philadelphia teammate &mdash; in the side of the head, a play that did not appear to be intentional. Embiid went over to Butler and apologized but was given a technical anyway.
STAYING HOME
This was the opener of a stretch where Miami plays 11 out of 12 games at home. The Heat play one road game between now and March 30 &mdash; that being at Philadelphia on March 21. Miami has now played 29 home games so far this season, tied for the fewest in the league with Orlando, Houston and Denver. The Heat also have only five road games left, also tied for the fewest in the league with Orlando.
UP NEXT
76ers: Host Chicago on Monday.
Heat: Host Houston on Monday.

Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler each scored 21 points, and the Heat pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the 76ers, 99-82.

Heat top 76ers 99-82, move 3 games ahead in East race

The 2021 NBA offseason featured blockbuster trades, draft-day surprises and some big-name players changing teams. Those are typically the transactions that garner the most attention, but what were some of the under-the-radar moves that deserve to be highlighted?
Now that most of the free agents have signed and the dust has settled, we asked our writers:
What was your favorite "underrated move" of this offseason?
Jackson Frank: I really liked the Pistons nabbing Kelly Olynyk. A versatile offensive big man to pair with their young guards in Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes is so important. He&rsquo;s going to help facilitate their development and ease some of their creation burden with his pick-and-pops, dribble handoffs and mismatch-hunting in the post. Good, complementary players for young dudes is critical and Olynyk is exactly the former.
Alex Kennedy: Victor Oladipo went from being regarded as one of the top free agents in this class to a complete afterthought. After signing a one-year, minimum deal with the Heat, he's the ultimate low-risk, high-reward addition. If it doesn't work out, Miami can cut him or let him walk. If he gets healthy and has a strong bounce-back season, he'll be a steal. The 29-year-old will need to make an impact in order to ink a more lucrative deal next offseason. Oladipo's days as an All-NBA player are likely over, but he doesn't even need to play at that level in order to drastically outperform this contract. Despite his struggles last year, he averaged 20.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.6 threes and 1.3 steals in 29 games with the Rockets and Pacers. After Oladipo's season-ending quad surgery in May, his surgeon <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31489484/miami-heat-victor-oladipo-cleared-full-contact-basketball-november-doctor-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told ESPN</a>, "I was amazed he was playing with what he had. I'm very optimistic that I could clear him in six months, by November." If he was able to put up those numbers on a badly-injured quad that he had no business playing on, he should be able to help the Heat. Miami had an exciting offseason &mdash; from acquiring Kyle Lowry to signing P.J. Tucker to extending Jimmy Butler and Duncan Robinson &mdash; but re-signing Oladipo at the minimum was another impressive move that could look really smart come playoff time.
Nekias Duncan: I like Isaac Bonga heading to Toronto. There&rsquo;s been a clear emphasis in adding rangy defenders, and Bonga fits the bill while adding a hint of ball skills. I felt like he was a bit buried in Washington, so I&rsquo;m interested to see if he gets more burn.
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Spencer Davies: Patty Mills to the Brooklyn Nets on a two-year, $12 million deal. With Spencer Dinwiddie leaving and no regularly-dependable backup in the backcourt, Mills will bring an edge and depth to Steve Nash&rsquo;s second unit in this go-round. While he may not be the FIBA Patty that everybody loves, Mills will not hesitate to take shots and bury triples when one of James Harden or Kyrie Irving is getting a rest. That&rsquo;s going to make Brooklyn a tough customer from a pace standpoint, as well.
Imman Adan: It&rsquo;s not that the move itself was underrated, but I'm surprised that people are more focused on what the Wizards-Lakers trade means for Los Angeles and for Bradley Beal rather than focusing on how much of a win it is for Washington. John Wall&rsquo;s massive contract was widely considered one of the worst deals in the league, yet they turned him into Russell Westbrook and then turned Westbrook into multiple talented rotation pieces and no behemoth contract. Just a massive win for the Wizards' books.&nbsp;
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Chris Sheridan: That would be Miami signing P.J. Tucker away from Milwaukee. I am a huge fan of guys who kill it on defense, and we saw P.J. do a great job against the Brooklyn Nets in their second-round series when the Bucks came back from being down 3-2. Milwaukee is going to miss that guy. The reason they got him in the first place was to have someone who could guard opposing forwards in the postseason, and there will come a time when the Bucks realize how much they miss him. Both Tucker and Jimmy Butler really get after it on the defensive end, so kudos to Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra and Andy Elisburg for snatching Tucker away from the Bucks in free agency.
Ethan Fuller: I'm a big fan of the Los Angeles Clippers' draft class as a whole. The Clippers went after their favorite prospects, trading up to get uber-athletic Keon Johnson at No. 21 and cerebral playmaker Jason Preston at No. 33. Then, they took a flier on a former five-star player in Brandon Boston Jr. with the No. 51 pick. All three possess immense upside, and the Clippers are deep enough where they don't need any rookie to step into the rotation right away.
Evan Sidery: In terms of overall value, the Phoenix Suns hit a home run re-signing backup point guard Cameron Payne to a three-year, $19 million deal. Compared to other backup facilitators, Payne&rsquo;s annual value fell well below what others have been paid over the last few offseasons. After Phoenix gave Payne a chance to revive his NBA career, the 27-year-old point guard returned the favor by giving the Suns a discount. Payne, who has become a wonderful fit within their system, will continue to play a vital role for the Suns as a key cog to their improved second unit. Payne, Landry Shamet, Cameron Johnson and JaVale McGee will give Phoenix such a strong bench.
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Jesse Blancarte: The Los Angeles Clippers&rsquo; trade for Eric Bledsoe. There may be some pushback on this selection, but hear me out. Yes, Eric Bledsoe has struggled over the last few seasons. Yes, Patrick Beverley is a high-level defender (when healthy) and was an emotional leader for the Clippers. Yes, Rajon Rondo has championship experience and is capable of elevating his game in the postseason. But with this deal, the Clippers lowered this season's luxury-tax payment significantly, opened a needed roster spot and took a reasonable chance on Bledsoe having a bounce-back season. With Kawhi Leonard sidelined for possibly the entire season, Bledsoe offers another playmaker who can attack the basket and defend multiple positions.
Drew Maresca: This one&rsquo;s easy &mdash; Kemba Walker to New York. It flew under the radar given the timing of the move relative to the other major signings, but adding a legitimate point guard who is just <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/an-indepth-breakdown-on-how-and-why-kemba-walker-will-help-the-knicks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two years removed from an All-Star selection</a> is a big deal for a team that&rsquo;s been looking for a reliable point guard for (literally) decades. Just two years ago, Walker signed a four-year max contract worth $141 million, so the fact that New York was able to sign him to a two-year, $18 million deal makes the move even more impactful.
Jonathan Concool: P.J. Tucker to the Heat. 100%. I think this also wins because absolutely no one saw this move coming. Tucker, who is coming off his first championship with the Milwaukee Bucks, was expected to remain with the team considering how much he contributed during their postseason run. However, Pat Riley had other plans. The Heat nailed their offseason &mdash; re-signing Duncan Robinson and Jimmy Butler, acquiring Kyle Lowry, and then bringing in more veteran, championship experience in Tucker. Tucker does so many things that don&rsquo;t show up on a box score and he'll be a key contributor for the Heat, who are clearly serious about making another deep playoff run.
Jannelle Moore: My pick for the best underrated move is JaVale McGee joining the Phoenix Suns. The Milwaukee Bucks exposed Phoenix&rsquo;s lack of depth at center. By signing McGee &mdash; a serviceable big with playoff experience and three championships on his resume &mdash; the Suns addressed that need.

Now that most of the free agents have signed and the dust has settled, what were some of the most underrated offseason moves?