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Lakers

Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals will be played on Thursday, June 2. Remarkably, that date is the exact one-year anniversary of the Boston Celtics' announcing Brad Stevens had stepped away from head coaching duties to assume the role of president of basketball operations in place of the departing Danny Ainge.
Let's have a look back at what has been an extraordinary and almost unimaginable 12 months&hellip;
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During his eight seasons on the sidelines in Boston, Stevens was viewed as one of the league's better head coaches. He was regarded as an elite tactician and considered an important part of the Celtics' sustained success. Under his stewardship, Boston advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals three times in four years.
So when the club announced that its long-time top executive in Ainge was retiring and that Stevens would be promoted to team president last June, it came as a shock to most. Would Stevens be able to replicate the regular-season success he enjoyed as head coach? Could Boston get over the hump and advance all the way to the NBA Finals?
Although Ainge left a roster stocked with a budding superstar in Jayson Tatum, his All-Star caliber sidekick in Jaylen Brown, veteran stalwart Marcus Smart and a few promising youngsters, Stevens took control at a precarious juncture. Boston entered last summer capped out (with a directive from ownership not to incur a costly luxury tax bill) and lacking excess draft capital.&nbsp;
Stevens' first order of business was parting ways with Kemba Walker and his cumbersome contract. With two years and $73 million remaining on his deal, Walker was the team's highest-paid player. When healthy, the four-time All-Star Walker was highly productive on the offensive end for the C's, but his balky left knee had robbed him of his quickness. Some suggested the Celtics sit tight, hoping that an entire offseason of rest would allow Kemba to re-establish himself as a quality starter. If Boston wanted to trade Walker, Stevens would have to get creative.
The week before the 2021 NBA Draft, Stevens dealt Boston's first-round pick (16th overall) and a 2025 second-round draft pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Al Horford and a 2023 second-rounder.&nbsp;
At the time, Stevens' first significant move as team president was considered highly questionable.&nbsp;
Following the 2019-20 season, when Horford posted career-worst numbers for the Philadelphia 76ers after signing a monstrous four-year, $109 million pact, the veteran big man's contract was viewed as one of the worst in the league. In December 2020, the Sixers were forced to attach a future first-round pick and the draft rights to Vasilije Micic (who just won his second EuroLeague Final Four MVP) in a trade with OKC just to get out from under Horford's contract.
During his lone season in Oklahoma City, Horford appeared in just 28 games for the Thunder. After the trade deadline passed in February 2021, the Thunder shut him down for the rest of the season. At the time, it felt like Stevens was trading for a potentially washed-up 35-year-old center with two years and $53.5 million left on his contract ($41 million of it guaranteed).
But after struggling at times to find his groove in the regular season, Horford has been a crucial cog in the Celtics' run to the Finals. During these playoffs, he is averaging 11.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.9 three-pointers,1.6 blocks and 0.9 steals per game, all while shooting 50.0% from the floor, a scorching 43.2% from downtown, and 83.3% from the free-throw line.
Per Basketball-Reference, Horford is just the third player in NBA history (joining Draymond Green and Rasheed Wallace) to average more than 1.5 blocks and more than 1.5 made treys in a postseason (minimum 15 games played). Horford is also the first player ever over the age of 35 to tally more than 25 blocks and more than 25 three-pointers in a single postseason.
To say the Walker/Horford trade has worked out well for Boston would be a dramatic understatement.&nbsp;
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After acquiring Horford, Stevens' next critical decision would be choosing a new head coach. After interviewing several candidates, Stevens zeroed in on Ime Udoka and officially hired him in late June. Udoka was a bit of a gamble, as he had never been a head coach, having spent the previous nine seasons as an assistant with San Antonio (2012-13 to 2018-19), Philadelphia (2019-20) and Brooklyn (2020-21).&nbsp;
Udoka's job was made that much more difficult when the C's stumbled out of the gates this season. By the turn of the new year, there was some finger-pointing in the locker room with the Celtics losing too many winnable games. Three weeks into January, Boston was still below .500 with a 23-24 record.
However, Udoka remained stoically stern, providing a calm and reassuring presence in the locker room and on the sideline. His ability to outcoach opponents and his command of the X's and O's gained him the trust of his team. Over the second half of the season, Boston ranked in the top three in Defensive Efficiency, and led the league in Offensive Efficiency (122.6) and Net Rating (plus-12.7) by a wide margin.
Udoka earned Coach of the Month honors on multiple occasions, and would go on to finish fourth in the NBA Coach of the Year voting. The league-wide respect he's garnered has only increased as he's helped guide his team to the championship series.&nbsp;
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When the free agency frenzy commenced in July 2021, Stevens had to decide what to do with shooting guard Evan Fournier. Ultimately, Boston opted to let Fournier leave for New York.
The Celtics' only free-agent addition of note last summer was inking Dennis Schroder to a team-friendly, one-year deal for $5.9 million. However, Stevens signed Marcus Smart (four years, $76.5 million) and Robert Williams III (four years, $48 million) to lengthy extensions.
The Smart signing, in particular, looks genius in retrospect.&nbsp;
It had been rumored that Ainge was seriously considering trading away Smart in different deals in years past. However, Stevens made it clear that he was committing to Smart for the long term. Just as importantly, Stevens let it be known he would entrust Smart with the team's primary point guard duties. This may seem like an easy decision with the benefit of hindsight, but it's important to point out that entering this season, Smart had started in just 228 of the 449 games he had appeared in. And a large percentage of those starts were alongside point guards such as Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas.&nbsp;
The C's flourished with Smart installed as the floor general, especially on the defensive end. Smart, as we know, would be named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first guard to win the award since Gary Payton in 1996.
Starting in each of the 71 regular-season games he played, Smart finished the season ranked seventh in the NBA in steals per game (1.68), ranked fifth among all guards with a Defensive Rating of 105.2, and led the NBA with 1.1 loose balls recovered per contest. He was also near the top of the league in deflections, charges drawn and defensive rebounds. On the offensive end, he averaged a career-high 5.9 assists per game and posted an Effective Field Goal percentage above 50% for the first time.
Had Stevens not locked up Smart last summer, he would undoubtedly have been one of the most highly sought-after players on the free-agent market next month.&nbsp;
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Before being sidelined by a knee injury late in the season, Williams had also been enjoying a breakout 2021-22 campaign, averaging career-highs in points (10.0), rebounds (9.6), blocks (2.2), steals (0.9), field-goal percentage (73.6%) and free-throw percentage (72.2%). Like Smart, Williams' value now exceeds his salary.&nbsp;
In February, Stevens recognized Boston's backcourt needed an upgrade. Hence, he sent Josh Richardson and Romeo Langford and a top-four-protected 2022 first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Derrick White at the trade deadline. Udoka, who was familiar with White having spent time as an assistant in San Antonio, asked him to sacrifice some of his offense. White would serve as a reserve, which meant fewer field goal attempts and fewer minutes. White embraced the role, supplied solid defense on the perimeter and knocked down a handful of big buckets during Boston's run to the Finals.
Ironically, of all the trades and signing Stevens has made over the past 12 months, arguably the most important and impactful are the ones he did NOT agree to. It sounds outlandish now because the C's are four wins away from the franchise's 18th championship, but plenty of pundits and fans in New England had been calling for the Celtics to break up the duo of Brown and Tatum.
While there was no denying their collective talent, many argued the roster was unbalanced, and that the skill sets Tatum and Brown brought to the table were a bit duplicitous. Thus, some folks contended that the best path forward was trading Brown (possibly in a package with Smart) for a pure point guard (such as Damian Lillard).
Pressure and the corresponding rumors reached a fever pitch in the dark days of December and January.&nbsp;
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Damnit I&rsquo;m holding everybody in Boston accountable, from the front office, to the coaching staff and down to Jaylen and Tatum. It&rsquo;s time to break them up! Carry on&hellip; <a href="https://twitter.com/FirstTake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FirstTake</a> <a href="https://t.co/2fNHMFavfd">pic.twitter.com/2fNHMFavfd</a>
&mdash; Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) <a href="https://twitter.com/KendrickPerkins/status/1479494503765524483?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As noted above, Boston was below .500 for much of the season. On Jan. 15, the Celtics had a worse record than both the Knicks and Washington Wizards. Boston was 11th in the East, on the outside of the Play-in Tournament looking in.&nbsp;&nbsp;
But Stevens never budged, trusting in the roster he helped construct. And the results speak for themselves. Twelve months after he was hired, Stevens's squad is preparing for the NBA Finals.&nbsp;
Earlier this month, the NBA announced Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Zach Kleiman as the winner of the 2021-22 Basketball Executive of the Year Award. Stevens came in sixth, receiving only one first-place vote. However, that award is based on regular-season accomplishments.
Given how well Boston has performed in the playoffs, there is little doubt about which executive's moves have looked best in the postseason.&nbsp;
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Tommy Beer reviews Brad Stevens' first season as Celtics president with his one-year anniversary coinciding with NBA Finals Game 1.

Brad Stevens deserves massive credit for the Celtics' success

The 2021-22 season wasn&rsquo;t supposed to end this way for the Phoenix Suns... not even close. After a shocking exit in the Western Conference semifinals, where do the Suns turn now? With how well-built Phoenix&rsquo;s roster is, there actually aren&rsquo;t many holes. However, the potential domino effects are franchise-altering and there are a number of different directions the team may go.
The future of Deandre Ayton is now <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/uncertain-future-of-deandre-ayton-becomes-top-topic-for-suns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">murkier than expected</a> following Phoenix's shocking Game 7 blowout defeat on its home court against the Dallas Mavericks. Ayton only played 17 minutes, which included a verbal skirmish with Suns head coach Monty Williams.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s internal,&rdquo; Williams said of why Ayton was benched in Game 7.
Ayton will be a restricted free agent after the Suns decided not to extend a five-year, rookie-scale max offer his way before the regular season began. He was the NBA's first No. 1 pick since Anthony Bennett to not sign a contract extension before entering the final year of his rookie deal.
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There&rsquo;s a potentially awkward dynamic on the horizon between Ayton and the Suns. Ayton wants the highest possible dollar amount, but Phoenix&rsquo;s stance at this point is unknown. ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski reported in October that the Suns didn&rsquo;t view Ayton as a max-level player who deserved a five-year contract. Is it possible that the Suns&rsquo; stance has changed after Ayton&rsquo;s 2021-22 campaign?
Suns general manager James Jones said Wednesday during his season-ending press conference that the team's main theme will be continuity, foreshadowing the likelihood of Phoenix running it all back with a core that set a new franchise record for wins.
&ldquo;We want to continue to keep our consistency, our continuity,&rdquo; Jones said.
Robert Sarver, the Suns' owner since 2004, also spoke on-record recently to BasketballNews.com about Ayton&rsquo;s future in Phoenix. It sure feels like Phoenix values the 2018 No. 1 overall pick, but at what cost?
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;s so divisive here,&rdquo; Sarver told BasketballNews.com last month. &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s shown that he&rsquo;s improved each year, helps us on both the defense and the offense. I think offensively, you see this year he&rsquo;s taken another good step in terms of his touch and his ability to score around the basket. So, he&rsquo;s been a key part of what we&rsquo;re doing.&rdquo;
Whichever direction the Suns decide to go with Ayton will have a significant impact on this offseason. It could be relatively boring summer in the Valley, or Ayton&rsquo;s value could be parlayed into going all-out for a superstar.
Expect to see the Suns let Ayton test the open market in July. If he receives a max offer sheet, that&rsquo;s when the clock officially begins to tick on how explosive Phoenix&rsquo;s plans could become.
Another housekeeping note for Phoenix related to contracts is a massive one set to be signed this summer. Once Devin Booker officially is announced on an All-NBA team, he will become eligible for a four-year, $211 million supermax contract. It&rsquo;s an easy decision for Booker and the Suns, so a hefty new contract for Booker will keep him in Phoenix through at least 2027-28.
2022-23: $33.8 million
2023-24: $36.0 million
2024-25: $47.1 million
2025-26: $50.9 million
2026-27: $54.7 million
2027-28: $58.5 million
Add in the Ayton situation on top of a looming Booker supermax, and Phoenix is ready to fully commit to paying deep into the luxury tax. Don&rsquo;t forget that Cameron Johnson is another significant piece to the puzzle for Phoenix and he could be signing his own extension this summer that keeps him in Phoenix long-term through his prime years.
Running it back with this core feels like the route that will be traveled, and you can't blame the Suns for that line of thinking considering their immense success over the last two seasons after toiling in obscurity.
&ldquo;As your team improves, typically your payroll increases,&rdquo; Jones said Wednesday when asked about potential luxury-tax issues.
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As mentioned, this builds upon what Sarver already confirmed to BasketballNews.com last month. For the first time since 2009-10, Phoenix will be paying the luxury tax and continue to do so for the next few years, too.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not saying we&rsquo;re a market that can be in it for 10 years in a row, but when you get to a certain level where you have a chance to compete and you&rsquo;re a top-four, top-six, top-eight team, [you pay it],&rdquo; Sarver said. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re at that level where you have a legitimate chance to compete &mdash; get to your Conference Finals and maybe win a championship &mdash; then I think you go in the tax; you pay and you do what you gotta do.&rdquo;
Committing to being a full-time tax team is a huge change of pace from years past for the Suns, but the time is now to compete for their first NBA title.
Outside of the contractual angles that cloud the current in Phoenix, what moves need to be made in order to improve their roster?
After witnessing the failures behind Chris Paul and Booker in the backcourt &mdash; mainly from backup point guard Cameron Payne, who finished the postseason with a ghastly 35.2% True Shooting percentage &mdash; finding more creators is of the utmost importance.
The Suns had a golden opportunity at the trade deadline to acquire Eric Gordon, but haggling over a future first-round draft pick ended those discussions. It&rsquo;s hard to deny how much a player like Gordon would&rsquo;ve helped Phoenix&rsquo;s offense when it began to sink against Dallas. If the Suns had a competent starting-level third guard, there&rsquo;s a good chance they'd be playing the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals instead of the Mavericks.
Whether it be signing a free agent or utilizing the trade market, some potentially available backup guard options who could help Phoenix immediately include: Jordan Clarkson (trade), Eric Gordon (trade), Derrick Rose (trade), Terrence Ross (trade), Ricky Rubio, Dennis Schroder, Tyus Jones, Delon Wright and Goran Dragic.
The Suns&rsquo; roster is already filled with quality depth pieces, but how can this team take the next step? Will Ayton be part of their long-term vision alongside Booker and Mikal Bridges? Can the Suns take advantage of their flexibility with $30-plus million in expiring contracts? Is star-hunting actually in the cards?
Following one of the most disappointing playoff performances in recent memory, how the Suns respond moving forward will show how resilient this group truly is.
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After a shocking postseason exit for the Suns, what's next ahead? Evan Sidery previews an interesting offseason ahead.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Phoenix Suns?

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

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

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

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

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Desmond Bane had 24 points and the Memphis Grizzlies overcame the absence of star Ja Morant with balanced scoring in a 122-98 victory over the NBA-worst Houston Rockets on Sunday.
Bane was one of six Memphis players to score at least 13 points on a day Morant sat out with a sore knee.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve just got a great team," coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;They uplift each other. They they rise up when someone&rsquo;s out and ... they know we&rsquo;ve got a job to do out there and that&rsquo;s to compete to our level. Luckilym when guys have been out, especially Ja recently, they&rsquo;ve stepped up."
The Grizzlies led by double figures for most of the game and had a 13-point lead after three quarters. Kenyon Martin Jr. opened the fourth quarter with a dunk for Houston before Memphis used a 15-0 run to push its advantage to 99-73 with nine minutes to go.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had two 3-pointers and a block in that stretch and Brandon Clarke added four points as the Grizzlies forced two turnovers to help pad the lead.
&ldquo;I thought we did a great job getting stops and converting that to easy shots on the other end," Jenkins said of about the team's success during that huge run.
Jenkins said Morant was OK and that he just wanted to give him some time to rest with the team&rsquo;s next game not until Wednesday night. Morant has helped the Grizzlies to the second-best record in the NBA this season behind Phoenix at 49-23. But Memphis has done well without him too, going 14-2 in games that he&rsquo;s missed.
Dennis Schroder had 17 points off the bench for the Rockets. They have dropped five straight.
Coach Stephen Silas was disappointed that his team let its poor shooting impact its performance on the other end of the court.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been doing that a lot this season, getting frustrated with the offense and letting it creep into our defense," he said.
The Grizzlies led by 12 at halftime and had extended the lead to 17 after two free throws by Jackson midway through the quarter. Houston got hot after that, making the next 10 points to get to 71-64.
Schroder started things off in that stretch with a 3-pointer and Alperen Sengun had five points, capped by a steal and dunk to help the Rockets cut the deficit.
A 3-pointer by De&rsquo;Anthony Melton&rsquo;s ended Houston&rsquo;s run and started an 8-3 run for Memphis that extended the lead to 79-67 with about three minutes left in the third.
Houston got within 10 late in the third quarter on a dunk by Kevin Porter Jr., but another 3 by Melton gave the Grizzlies an 84-71 lead entering the fourth quarter. TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Dillon Brooks scored 20 points. ... Melton had 16 points and seven rebounds. ... Memphis was 16 of 34 on 3-pointers.
Rockets: Eric Gordon missed a third straight game with an illness. ... Houston made just 10 of 31 3-pointers. ... Rookie Jalen Green, the second overall pick in the draft, had a tough day, shooting 3 of 13 with eight points. ... Sengun had 12 points and nine rebounds off the bench.
THEY SAID IT
Schroder on embracing a leadership role since being traded to this young team about two months ago: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s different. But to help the young guys day in and day out and help them go through this process is great."
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: Host Brooklyn on Wednesday night.
Rockets: Host Washington on Monday night.

Desmond Bane had 24 points and the Memphis Grizzlies scored a 122-98 victory over the Houston Rockets

Bane has 24 points, Grizzlies rout Rockets without Morant

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Rookie Jalen Green scored a career-high 32 points, including 10 in overtime, and the Houston Rockets outlasted the slumping Los Angeles Lakers for a 139-130 win Wednesday night.
&ldquo;That was so much fun and exciting and great for a packed house to see us play like that,&rdquo; coach Stephen Silas said. &ldquo;And also great for our team to respond to the adversity, get down and come back out fighting."
The Rockets, who have the worst record in the Western Conference, withstood a triple-double from LeBron James and 30 points from Russell Westbrook to get just their second win in 15 games.
&ldquo;We have a really small margin of error this season and teams are making us pay," James said.
The loss is the ninth straight on the road for the Lakers, who have dropped six of their last seven games and are running out of time to get things together before the playoffs begin.
&ldquo;It is hard losing when you&rsquo;re pouring everything you have into it and trying to get traction for this group," coach Frank Vogel said. &ldquo;But we&rsquo;ve got resolve and this is a tough stretch we have to fight through."
Green, the second overall pick in the draft, opened overtime with a layup before adding a 3-pointer and then swishing a hook shot soon after that to make it 127-120. Eric Gordon added a 3-pointer to push the lead to 10 before the Lakers finally scored in the extra period on a basket by Westbrook with 2 1/2 minutes to go.
But the Rockets used a 6-3 run with 3s from Kenyon Martin Jr. and Green around a 3 from James to extend the lead to 136-125 with a minute left in OT and seal the victory.
&ldquo;We had too many defensive breakdowns throughout the game," Vogel said. &ldquo;Our guys fought but it just wasn&rsquo;t enough."
Green was asked about his big night.
&ldquo;It felt good," he said. &ldquo;They kept feeding me. Told me to keep attacking until they stop me. So that&rsquo;s what I did. The basket felt super big tonight.&rdquo;
James had 23 points, 14 rebounds and a season-high 12 assists for his fifth triple-double of the season. But his career-long streak of consecutive games with 25 points ended at 23 games on a night he was 9 of 26 overall and made just 1 of 9 3-pointers.
&ldquo;I missed a lot of shots that I know I&rsquo;m capable of making, have made throughout the course of the season and my career," he said. &ldquo;Shots just weren&rsquo;t falling for me tonight."
It was his first game since scoring a season-high 56 points Saturday night after he sat out Monday at San Antonio with a sore left knee.
Rookie Alperen Sengun set career-highs with 21 points and 15 rebounds and fellow rookie Josh Christopher added 21 points off the bench to help the Rockets to the win.
Silas spoke of growth of Green and Christopher, who are 20 years old, and the 19-year-old Sengun after their performances Wednesday night.
&ldquo;It means a lot," he said. &ldquo;It means that they&rsquo;re learning the importance of the work and sticking with it and fighting through the hard times and finding success at the end of the rainbow when the lights are the brightest."
A jump shot by Westbrook tied it at 120-all with a minute to go but he missed a shot a few seconds later to give Houston the ball back.
Green missed a layup under heavy pressure from James to give the Lakers another shot to take the lead.
James missed an off-balance shot in the lane with 17 seconds left but officials ruled that Houston knocked the ball out of bounds while vying for the rebound. The Rockets challenged the call, but it was upheld.
James drove into the lane and dished to Carmelo Anthony in the corner for the final shot of regulation, but his 3-point attempt was off to send it to OT.
A 5-2 spurt by the Rockets in the fourth tied it up, but James drove into the lane and finished with a monster, one-handed dunk to put the Lakers up 113-111 with 5 &frac12; minutes to go.
Los Angeles trailed by 1 with about three minutes left when James made 1 of 2 free throws to make it 118-116.
Green scored four quick points to give the Rockets a 120-118 lead with about two minutes left. He made two free throws and then grabbed a rebound on the other end and finished with a jumper to put Houston on top.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Malik Monk had 20 points. ... L.A. made 18 of 47 3s. ... Austin Reaves added 17 points.
Rockets: Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate sat out with a sore left ankle. ... Dennis Schroder returned after missing four games with a sprained right ankle and had 12 points.
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THEY SAID IT
Anthony on how well the Rockets played Wednesday night: &ldquo;It is surprising that we were in a game that close and that tight. But that says something about the Rockets. They don&rsquo;t quit coming at you."
UP NEXT
Lakers: Host Washington Friday night.
Rockets: Host Dallas Friday night.

Rookie Jalen Green scored a career-high 32, including 10 in overtime, and Houston outlasted the slumping Lakers 139-130.

Rookie Jalen Green has 32 as Rockets down Lakers in OT, 139-130

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

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

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

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

Kevin Porter Jr. scored 29 points, Christian Wood added 28 points and 13 rebounds and the Houston Rockets beat the Memphis Grizzlies 123-112 on Sunday night to end a 12-game losing streak.
Porter scored 19 of his 22 second-half points in the third quarter to help Houston overcome a 10-point halftime deficit. Wood has scored at least 20 points in three games.
&ldquo;I honestly would say this is the best that we have all played altogether,&rdquo; Wood said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s really good to see when we are all clicking like that. It&rsquo;s a really scary sight, so we just have try to harp on that, try to build on that, try to see if we can repeat that same effort, that same energy.&rdquo;
Jalen Green added 24 points and eight rebounds, and Eric Gordon had 12 points in the Rockets&rsquo; first victory since beating Cleveland on Feb. 2.
&ldquo;Grit, desperation a little bit, togetherness and just a collective will to win,&rdquo; Houston coach Stephen Silas said. &ldquo;We were tired of losing, and it showed in our performance, not just at the end of the game. &hellip; We came out in the second half and played so good. Christian Wood, this was the best game I&rsquo;ve seen him play.&rdquo;
Desmond Bane scored 28 points, and Ja Morant added 22 points and six assists for Memphis, coming off a home victory Saturday night over Orlando. Steven Adams had season-high 23 points and finished with 12 rebounds.
&ldquo;They played great. We played terrible,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;They played great the entire the game. Wood in the first half. Porter, Green they brought it tonight. &hellip; We didn&rsquo;t play well individually. We didn&rsquo;t play well as a team. They kicked our butts.&rdquo;
After Brandon Clarke cut Houston&rsquo;s lead to 108-107 with a layup with 5 1/2 minutes remaining, the Rockets responded with a 10-1 run to open up a 10-point lead on a layup by Porter with 2:42 left.
Trailing 82-75 with four minutes left in the third, Houston scored 11 straight to take an 86-82 lead with 1:48 remaining in the quarter. But Bane scored eight and the teams were tied at 92 after three.
The Rockets shot 52% and made 13 of 35 on 3-pointers. Houston outrebounded the Grizzlies 45-40 and had a 22-13 advantage in second chance points. The Grizzlies were 5 of 26 on 3-pointers.
&ldquo;We gave them too much life in the game,&rdquo; Jenkins said. &ldquo;We could have been up 20 if you ask me. We didn&rsquo;t come out with the urgency we needed to. That 10-point (halftime) lead wasn&rsquo;t even a 10-point lead if you ask me. They came back with a storm, had it tied, but it felt like we played down the entire night. We didn&rsquo;t have it tonight.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Memphis made 19 of 27 free throws. &hellip; The Grizzlies turned 17 Houston turnovers into 24 points. &hellip; Memphis held a 72-56 advantage in points in the paint and had 17 fast break points.
Rockets: G Dennis Schroder missed his third straight game with a right ankle sprain. Silas said Schroder was day-to-day, and could possibly return on Monday, but if not, probably on Wednesday. &hellip; Houston had a season-high 40 points in the third quarter.
HE SAID IT
&ldquo;Those games where there&rsquo;s individual improvement for a couple guys and then the rest of the guys are mad, aren&rsquo;t great. But when everybody contributes to a win and feels good leaving the locker room with whatever they did, it&rsquo;s important for morale, it&rsquo;s important for us moving forward and it&rsquo;s important for the organization as a whole.&rdquo; &ndash; Silas on the Rockets&rsquo; winning as a team.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: Host New Orleans on Tuesday night.
Rockets: At Miami on Monday night.

Kevin Porter Jr. scored 29 points, Christian Wood added 28 points and 13 rebounds and the Rockets beat the Grizzlies 123-112.

Rockets beat Grizzlies 123-112 to end 12-game losing streak

DeMarcus Cousins, starting in place of ailing Nikola Jokic, scored a season-high 31 points and the Denver Nuggets bounced back from a loss to beat the struggling Houston Rockets 116-101 on Friday night.
Jokic, the reigning MVP, was held out because of a non-COVID-19 illness.
Cousins, a midseason acquisition by the Nuggets following his release by Milwaukee, found out he was starting for Jokic during the pre-game shootaround.
&ldquo;I was trying to take the best shots, trying to make the right play every possession,&rdquo; Cousins said. &ldquo;I play the game the right way. It was very satisfying and it&rsquo;s even better when you have a coach that believes in you, an organization that believes in you and teammates that have your back. That&rsquo;s all I&rsquo;ve been searching for on this journey. I&rsquo;ve found that right now and like I said earlier, I&rsquo;m going to leave everything on the floor.&rdquo;
JaMychal Green and Jeff Green each added 14 points apiece as Denver shook off a loss to Oklahoma City on Wednesday night for its seventh win in eight games.
Will Barton had 11 points, hitting two 3-pointers to pass JR Smith as the Nuggets&rsquo; career leader with 769.
Christian Wood had 22 points for Houston, and Jalen Green added 18. The Rockets have lost 12 straight.
Barton hit two 3-pointers a minute apart late in the third quarter to break the mark. The Nuggets called a timeout during their ensuing possession and Barton&rsquo;s milestone was flashed on the scoreboard, bringing the crowd to its feet with a roaring ovation that Barton acknowledged with an appreciative wave of his arms.
&ldquo;It was a surreal moment,&rdquo; Barton said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s something you dream of as a kid, to one day make history at the biggest stage."
Cousins added a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws around a jumper by Garrison Mathews in the final 1:16 of the third period and Denver took a 17-point lead into the final quarter. &ldquo;They had the lead the whole game,&rdquo; said the Rockets&rsquo; Eric Gordon. "This is a game where you&rsquo;ve got to come in here and take it from them. You&rsquo;ve got to disrupt their rhythm somehow. Of course we&rsquo;re in the game but it&rsquo;s a different kind of energy and effort to really try to win the game and we just didn&rsquo;t have that tonight.&rdquo;
Cousins&rsquo; dunk, one of several that he had in the game, put the Nuggets up 103-89 with 4:43 left and Denver maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way. Cousins was taken out of the game with just under two minutes remaining and got a hug from coach Michael Malone and an ovation from the crowd.
TIP-INS
Rockets: G Dennis Schroder missed a second consecutive game with a sprained right ankle. &hellip; Former Nuggets star Kenyon Martin was on hand in the stands to watch his son, Kenyon Martin Jr., play for the Rockets. &hellip; Houston has only seven wins in 34 road games.
Nuggets: G Austin Rivers also was ruled out of the game because of a non-COVID-19 illness. &hellip; F Zeke Nnaji remains sidelined due to bilateral knee soreness. &hellip; Cousins&rsquo; previous season high was 22 points against Dallas on Dec. 23 while with Milwaukee. &hellip; Denver swept its season series with the Rockets 3-0.
UP NEXT
Rockets: Host Memphis on Sunday night.
Nuggets: Host New Orleans on Sunday night.

DeMarcus Cousins, starting in place of ailing Nikola Jokic, scored a season-high 31 points.

Cousins leads in Jokic's absence, Nuggets beat Rockets

Dennis Schroder is on course to finish the season in Houston, league sources say.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1496208073249148935" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Stein (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Stein added that, "neither the Rockets nor Schroder favor a buyout, sources say, with a March 1 deadline looming for any buyout candidate leaguewide to be released to ensure playoff eligibility with his next team."
Schroder was acquired at the deadline from the Celtics and will likely be heading towards unrestricted free agency in the summer.

According to Marc Stein, Dennis Schroder could finish the season in Houston as neither side favors a buyout at the moment.

Dennis Schroder could finish season in Houston?

After the Los Angeles Lakers were embarrassed by the Milwaukee Bucks at home on Tuesday night (before Los Angeles lost to a bad Portland Trail Blazers team missing half their roster), a reporter asked LeBron James how his squad stacks up against Milwaukee and the league's other elite teams.
LeBron gave a surprisingly candid response: "<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lakers-players-believe-changes-must-be-made-before-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">We ain't on their level</a>."
When asked if he believed the Lakers could eventually reach the Bucks' level this season, <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nba/lebron-james-admits-lakers-are-not-on-championship-level#:~:text=After%20the%20game%2C%20LeBron%20James,a%20flat%2C%20%22No.%22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James replied</a>, "Where they are right now? I don't know. Do I think we can reach the level where Milwaukee is right now? No. Is that what you want to hear from me? No. We can't get to where they are right now. They're the defending champions for a reason and I guarantee you if you would've asked teams coming out of the bubble if they could get to the level that we were playing at when we won a championship, they would've said the same thing."
Let's flashback to the championship group for a second, shall we?
It may seem like it's been 16 years or so since LeBron led LA to a title in the bubble, but, incredibly, it's been less than 16 months. The Lakers beat the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the Finals on Oct. 11, 2020. The team's two cornerstones, Anthony Davis and LeBron, remain, but the rest of the rotation has been turned over completely.&nbsp;
So, how did this team go from raising the Larry O'Brien trophy, to being four games under .500 and fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament just a year-and-a-half later?&nbsp;
Let's break it down.&nbsp;
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In the offseason following their championship, LA's major move was trading Danny Green (a significant two-way contributor on their title team) and LA's 2021 first-round pick (Jaden McDaniels) to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Dennis Schroder. That summer, LA re-signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (three years, $39 million) and used its cap space to ink free agent Montrezl Harrell to a two-year, $18.9 million contract. They also brought in Wesley Matthews and Markieff Morris for the veteran minimum and inked Marc Gasol to a two-year, $5.3 million deal.&nbsp;
In mid-March, in the days leading up to last season's trade deadline, the Lakers were cruising. More than halfway through the 2020-21 campaign, the Lakers' were 15 games above .500 and owned the league's second-best record at 28-13.&nbsp;
At that point, the Lakers made a decision that would come back to haunt them. Hindsight is 20/20, of course, but the Lakers arrived at a fork in the road and chose the wrong path. They've been headed downhill ever since. (Over the past 11 months, the Lakers are 43-51 in the 94 games they've played).&nbsp;
On the eve of the 2021 trade deadline, the Lakers and Toronto Raptors were engaged in serious discussions on a potential deal that would have sent Kyle Lowry to LaLa Land, giving LeBron and Co. the established veteran point guard (and proven winner) the team desperately needed. The Lakers and Raps <a href="https://theathletic.com/2477311/2021/03/25/what-the-lakers-were-willing-to-trade-for-kyle-lowry-and-what-it-says-about-the-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> were close to finalizing a swap sending Schroder, Caldwell-Pope and some draft capital to Toronto in exchange for Lowry. Yet, in the hours right before the deadline arrived, "the sticking point was the inclusion of Talen Horton-Tucker," <a href="https://theathletic.com/2477311/2021/03/25/what-the-lakers-were-willing-to-trade-for-kyle-lowry-and-what-it-says-about-the-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Jovan Buha and Bill Oram of The Athletic</a>.&nbsp;
"Rob Pelinka, the Lakers' vice president of basketball operations, insisted that price was too high for the 35-year-old Lowry, and that he was not willing to trade Horton-Tucker, the 20-year-old combo guard who has emerged as a valuable rotation player for the Lakers in his second season," Buha and Oram <a href="https://theathletic.com/2477311/2021/03/25/what-the-lakers-were-willing-to-trade-for-kyle-lowry-and-what-it-says-about-the-future/">reported</a>.
Looking back, it's impossible not to wonder how the future of several franchises might have changed if the Lakers had been willing to pony up for Lowry, who is now averaging 13.0 points and 8.1 assists per game for the Heat. This is the same Heat team that is poised to enter the All-Star break with the best record in the Eastern Conference.&nbsp;
As we know, the Lakers stood pat at last year's deadline and would struggle mightily in the six subsequent weeks. Over a 25-game stretch from mid-March through the first week in May, LA posted an 8-17 record.
The Lakers would eventually be eliminated in six games by the Suns in the first round of the 2021 playoffs. Anthony Davis returned to the Lakers' starting lineup in Game 6 after missing the second half of Game 4 and all of Game 5 due to a groin injury, but logged just five minutes before limping off the court. It was the first and only time in LeBron's career that he lost a first-round series (he had been 14-0).
"What matters to me is getting this team back healthy," James told reporters after the loss to Phoenix.
Well, as it turns out, Pelinka and James were unwilling to run it back with the same squad and hope the group would avoid injuries.&nbsp;
Instead, the Lakers rolled the dice, agreeing to one of the most dramatic and controversial trades in recent NBA history.&nbsp;
On the evening of July 29, both Woj and Shams <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1420855153410854925" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the Lakers had consented to take on Russell Westbrook (and his onerous contract).&nbsp;
A week later, the trade was officially announced. LA had traded away Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma and the draft rights to Isaiah Jackson (whom the Lakers had selected with the 22nd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft) in exchange for Russ and several future second-rounders.&nbsp;
The justification from the Lakers was that they viewed Westbrook as an offensive powerhouse that could lighten the load LeBron had been forced to carry.&nbsp;
The Lakers rounded out their roster this past offseason by adding Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard, Wayne Ellington, Kent Bazemore, Carmelo Anthony, Malik Monk and Rajon Rondo. They gave Kendrick Nunn the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.9 million for two years). They also re-signed Horton-Tucker to a three-year deal worth $32 million.
Shockingly, despite advanced analytics that confirmed he was a near-perfect fit playing alongside LeBron, the Lakers decided not to bring back Alex Caruso, who had excelled as a role player in LA. Caruso's aggressiveness and versatility on the defensive end, as well as unselfishness on offense, made him an ideal wingman to AD and King James.&nbsp;
However, having Westbrook on the books for $44.2 million in 2021-22 and another $47.1 million in 2022-23 undoubtedly played a part in Pelinka's decision to let Carouso leave.&nbsp;
Still, as he explained on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-the-lakers-botched-alex-carusos-free-agency-and-lost-a-key-piece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JJ Redick's "Old Man and the Three" podcast</a> back in November, Carouso had hoped to re-sign with the Lakers and was even willing to give them a hometown discount. Before ultimately accepting the offer he received from Chicago (a four-year, $37 million contract, though the final season only carries a $3 million guarantee), <a href="https://twitter.com/oldmanandthree/status/1458257821405954052?s=21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caruso said</a> he and his agent "went back to L.A., asked if they could do the same, they said no. We asked for something else that was a little bit less; they said no."
As it turns out, the concerns many critics envisioned over the summer related to potential issues arising from the addition of Westbrook have reared their ugly head. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, Westbrook's declining athleticism has hamstrung the former All-Star.
At various points this season, Westbrook's alarming regression has been uncomfortable to watch. In the closing minutes of LA's victory over the New York Knicks last weekend, Russ found himself alone in the corner and as he was about to launch a three-pointer, the home crowd <a href="https://twitter.com/FanMahome/status/1490172360892329985">screamed at him not to shoot</a>. Coach Frank Vogel yanked him out of the lineup in overtime vs. New York. In the Lakers' embarrassing loss to the Bucks on Tuesday, Westbrook was benched for the final 14 minutes of the game, including the entire fourth quarter. Russ sat out Wednesday's loss to Portland with a "lower back" injury.&nbsp;
His counting stats on the season are solid (18/7/7), but the peripheral numbers are putrid, and his plus/minus is the worst on the team. This season, the Lakers have been outscored by 123 points with Westbrook on the floor, whereas they have outscored their opponents by 35 points with Russ on the bench.
The situation has careened toward rock-bottom this month. Over the Lakers' last four games, Westbrook is shooting just 27% from the floor, 15% from downtown and 55.0% from the free-throw line. He's also leading the league in turnovers.
Yet, now that the 2022 trade deadline has passed, we know that Lakers fans have no choice but to hope Russ can somehow locate his confidence and contribute to winning.&nbsp;
It has been rumored this week that the Houston Rockets were willing to trade John Wall to the Lakers for Westbrook, but Pelinka was reportedly unwilling to include LA's 2027 first-round pick, which Houston was demanding. Will the decision come back to bite LA, as refusing to include THT at last year's deadline did? Even if Wall failed to live up to expectations, would it have amounted to addition by subtraction?&nbsp;
Although Monk has been fantastic, and Melo has given LA as much as they could have hoped for, Howard, Ellington and Bazemore have failed to deliver. Ariza is averaging 4.2 points while shooting 36% from the floor. Rondo is no longer on the roster. Nunn, hampered by a bone bruise in his right knee, has yet to log a single second in an NBA game this season. Horton-Tucker is converting career-lows from the floor (41%) and behind the arc (27%). Despite playing nearly six more minutes per game, THT is averaging fewer assists this season (2.7) than he did in 2020-21, while still committing 1.5 turnovers a night.
Sum it all up, and you see why the Lakers have lost more than half of their games and find themselves in ninth place in the West, despite LeBron authoring the greatest season in NBA history by a 37-year-old.&nbsp;
This is a particularly bitter pill for Lakers fans to swallow considering the team purportedly had several different options to choose from this summer when shopping around their Kuz/&rsquo;Trez/draft picks package, including a deal for Sacramento sharpshooter Buddy Hield. In that scenario, the Lakers could have held onto KCP and added Hield, and the combined salary of both players still would have been $8 million less than Westbrook's cap hit of $44.2 million.&nbsp;
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To be fair, it's worth noting that in 2020-21, Westbrook played his best basketball of the season after the All-Star break. Over the Wizards' final 35 games of the season, he averaged 23.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 13.4 assists and 1.5 steals, while shooting a respectable 44% from the floor, 32% from behind the arc and 72% from the FT line. Washington closed the regular season by going 17-6 over their final 23 contests and advanced to the playoffs.&nbsp;
Will Russ and his teammates feel less pressure now that the deadline has passed? LeBron and the Lakers don't need Westbrook to dominate the ball and chase triple-doubles, but they do need him to focus on playing the best defense of his career and help facilitate the offense, especially when James needs a breather.&nbsp;
If Russ cannot shake out of his slump, LA will have a very tough time getting back on track and achieving the goals they set for themselves back in October.&nbsp;
And if Los Angeles fails to right the ship (wasting a year of "Prime LeBron" in the process), the team's fans will look back with rage on the terrible trades and free-agency failures over the past 12 months that led to the Lakers' demise.&nbsp;
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Tommy Beer delves into the errors of the Lakers' ways following their championship success one-and-a-half years ago.

How the Lakers managed to turn a contending team into a sub-.500 mess

The 2022 NBA trade deadline has come and gone, and the likes of James Harden, Ben Simmons, CJ McCollum, Domantas Sabonis, Tyrese Haliburton and Kristaps Porzingis each found themselves with new addresses.
However, for those teams that weren&rsquo;t as fortunate, there will still be opportunity to improve. Impact players often become available on the buyout market, and this year is no exception.
As of Friday morning, there were reports of a few players already having been waived, and in the right situation, they may be able to help a playoff contender.
DeAndre Bembry, pending free agent
With injuries to Kevin Durant and James Harden, as well as the issue with Kyrie Irving&rsquo;s part-time availability, DeAndre Bembry emerged as a fairly reliable two-way player for Steve Nash. The six-year pro made a name for himself as a member of the Atlanta Hawks before eventually joining the Nets last August.
Bembry was waived by the club after it agreed to terms with the Philadelphia 76ers on the trade that sent Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond to Brooklyn in exchange for James Harden and Paul Millsap.
Gary Harris, Orlando Magic
Still quite productive, Harris can help a contending team. Orlando still owes him slightly less than half of his $20.5 million salary for the remainder of the season, but if the team isn&rsquo;t planning on re-signing him over the summer, a buyout is a possibility. Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported that Harris may be bought out, which led to our Nekias Duncan <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-gary-harris-likely-on-the-move" target="_blank" rel="noopener">breaking down possible landing spots for Harris</a>.
Whether or not Harris hits the market likely boils down to how much of his salary he would be willing to give up to secure his freedom and latch on with a contender. This season, Harris has averaged 11.7 points, while shooting 44.4% from the field, 38.8% from three and 84.4% from the free-throw line.
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Goran Dragic, San Antonio Spurs
The 14-year veteran spent six years with the Miami Heat before being traded to the Toronto Raptors in the sign-and-trade agreement that landed Kyle Lowry in South Beach, and he appeared in only five games for Toronto before being traded to San Antonio for Thaddeus Young on deadline day.
San Antonio &mdash; who also traded Derrick White to the Boston Celtics on deadline day &mdash; appears content with newly-minted All-Star Dejounte Murray, Keldon White, Devin Vassell and Lonnie Walker patrolling the perimeter. There&rsquo;s very little chance Dragic would play much in San Antonio and probably even less chance that he remains long-term. The Dallas Mavericks are considered the favorite to add Dragic if he's bought out.
Dennis Schroder, Houston Rockets
After just 49 games, Schroder was traded by the Boston Celtics to Houston in a trade that saw Daniel Theis reunited with his former club.
Just last year, Schroder famously turned down a four-year deal from the Los Angeles Lakers worth up to $84 million. He eventually signed with Boston for $5.9 million.
Having been dealt to the Rockets, Schroder would seem a likely candidate for a buyout. The remaining salary due to him is relatively cheap, the Rockets are rebuilding and have turned their offense over to Kevin Porter Jr. Schroder himself should know that a big contract this offseason will only result from helping a team go on a deep playoff run.
Tristan Thompson, Indiana Pacers
Included in the trade that saw Tyrese Haliburton sent to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Domantas Sabonis, Tristan Thompson has proved in spurts this season that he can still be somewhat effective.
Teams thinking about winning the Eastern Conference will need to have at least a few big bodies to present resistance to the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Nikola Vucevic, Bam Adebayo and Kevin Durant.&nbsp;
To that end, the 30-year-old big man &mdash; who is in the final year of a contract paying him about $9.2 million &mdash; would probably rather relocate to a playoff contender that will offer him more minutes and a chance to compete than the Pacers will.
Robin Lopez, Orlando Magic
With Mo Bamba and Wendell Carter Jr. showing flashes this season, Lopez has often been the odd man out in head coach Jamahl Mosley&rsquo;s rotation. For the same reasons as Thompson, Lopez will likely become a buyout candidate.
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DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Lakers
Jordan secured a buyout from the Detroit Pistons after the Brooklyn Nets dealt him to the Motor City in September. A return to Los Angeles made sense at the time, but with Stanley Johnson now commanding rotation minutes, there&rsquo;s barely enough minutes for Dwight Howard, much less Jordan.
Jordan has appeared in just four contests since Christmas, so unless head coach Frank Vogel suddenly has a change of heart and believes the key to turning around the Lakers&rsquo; season is playing bigger lineups, it&rsquo;s difficult to imagine Jordan being happy with sticking around.&nbsp;
Kent Bazemore, Los Angeles Lakers
Similar to Jordan, Bazemore has struggled to find a fit on this Lakers team. After beginning the season as a starter, he&rsquo;s played 62 total minutes since Dec. 19.&nbsp;
The Lakers were obviously unable to make a trade on deadline day, so the team&rsquo;s only hope for external improvement will come on the buyout market.
The only problem is that Los Angeles already has 15 guaranteed contracts on its books, meaning someone would have to be waived in order for the team to add another player.&nbsp;Like Jordan, Bazemore would seem a sensible candidate.
Michael Carter-Williams, pending free agent
The former Rookie of the Year saw his tenure with the Orlando Magic end when the Magic executed a trade with the Boston Celtics. Boston sent Bol Bol and PJ Dozier to Orlando along with a future second-round draft pick and cash. The move amounted to a salary dump for Boston, and Orlando got cash and the pick as their compensation.
The only issue? Orlando had to create the two roster spots in order to complete the transaction, which led to Carter-Williams and teammate E&rsquo;Twaun Moore being waived. The 30-year-old started 25 of his 31 games for the Magic this season, averaging 8.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 0.8 steals.
E'Twaun Moore, pending free agent
Like his teammate Carter-Williams, Moore was waived as a result of the aforementioned transaction with the Celtics.
At 31 years old, Moore &mdash; whose most productive years were as a member of the New Orleans Pelicans &mdash; no longer fit in with the youth movement in Orlando.
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Nearly every season, contending teams manage to land a player or two who secures a post-deadline buyout.&nbsp;In order for a player to be eligible to suit up in the playoffs, however, they must be waived by March 1 and rostered by another team by April 11.
So for those teams that didn&rsquo;t have the good fortune of landing an impact on deadline day, they'll shift their focus to the buyout market.
All hope, obviously, is not lost.&nbsp;
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After a busy trade deadline, the NBA shifts its attention to the buyout market. Moke Hamilton looks at 10 players who may be available.

NBA buyout candidates: 10 players who could be available

Brad Stevens woke up on Thursday morning and took care of business.&nbsp;
How often does that happen with the Celtics? Up until the past three weeks, Boston had been trademarked as the team who played wildly up and down to its competition, blowing leads left and right all while failing to establish an identity. And in recent years, the franchise was spearheaded by a Danny Ainge-led front office known for either adrenaline-inducing blockbusters or crickets from the transaction log.
Something is different. The Celtics have shredded an easy February schedule like they're supposed to. And new president of basketball operations Brad Stevens made exactly the moves he needed to make at this trade deadline &mdash; no more, no less. From an outsider's perspective, Boston had to check off three boxes on Thursday:
<ul>
<li>Find value for Dennis Schr&ouml;der before his contract expires (and replace him if he is traded)</li>
<li>Get under the luxury tax</li>
<li>Acquire a viable third center</li>
</ul>
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Stevens accomplished all three and even created more flexibility. When our staff went through gut-reaction winners and losers of the deadline on our live show, all of us counted the Celtics as winners. They still have five available roster spots, so the moves aren't finished. On Friday morning at his media availability, Stevens clearly outlined his personal goals with the deals:
"I thought all year that what we really needed to continue to focus on were adding guys that really know how to play, that make the right basketball decisions, and really have a great self-awareness to do what they do best and accentuate our best players."
It starts with Derrick White. The 27-year-old combo guard replaces Schr&ouml;der on the depth chart but could not be a more different player. Brad Stevens gave a glowing review of White, who has apparently been on his radar going back to his time with the USA Select Team:
"We've thought for years that Derrick was a really good fit with our best players," Stevens said. He is an excellent defender. He just makes the right play on offense, over and over and over. He's a guy that only cares about winning [and] that will do all of the little things, as you can see in some of his stats defensively with regard to willingness to put his body on the line, activity, shot challenges, all of those things. And on offense, just by making simple plays&nbsp;and doesn't need to do anything [or] be on the highlights to really impact winning... We felt really fortunate to be able to get a guy like that on a long contract that we think is, again, a perfect fit for our best players."
That covers the bases. White is averaging 5.6 assists per game this season with a 25.2% assist rate; the latter ranks in the 82nd percentile at his position, per Cleaning the Glass. His assist-to-usage rate of 1.12 is in the 76th percentile. For comparison, Schr&ouml;der had an&nbsp;assist-to-usage rate of 0.93 (12th percentile). And these numbers come as White frequently shared the floor with lead guard Dejounte Murray.
White's assist-to-pass ratio of 14.5% ranks eighth in the entire NBA.
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If Derrick White is doing this for the Celtics... 😮&zwj;💨 <a href="https://t.co/fZsrffM9ig">pic.twitter.com/fZsrffM9ig</a>
&mdash; Ethan Fuller (@ethman43) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1492162183039533059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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In theory, the ball should stick less with White and Marcus Smart in the backcourt, and White is more than capable of running an offense when Smart and/or Jayson Tatum isn't on the floor. In the below clips, he's making reads in split seconds. It's easy to picture Robert Williams or Al Horford as Jakob Poeltl, or Grant Williams/Jaylen Brown shooting these corner attempts.
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White isn't going to wow you with a highlight reel pass. But whether it's turning a good shot to a great shot, applying pressure with his cuts or pushing the transition pace, he brings several skills that Boston hasn't nailed down consistently.
Many Celtics fans were immediately concerned by White's 31.4% three-point clip. It's reasonable, and he likely won't ever be an elite marksman or pull-up dagger machine. But there's a bit more to unpack on the efficiency front.&nbsp;
White is making 22% of his corner threes this season. That is... extremely bad, and also 26 percentage points lower from 2020-21. He's making 34% of his threes above the break, which is slightly above league-average. White is making 32.3% of his catch-and-shoot three-pointers, per NBA Stats, when he's typically been in the 38-39% range in recent seasons. Brad Stevens said on Friday he thinks White is a better shooter than the base numbers suggest. I'm inclined to agree.&nbsp;
These aren't even White's key selling points. Flip to the defensive side of the ball and he'll show you why many now think the Celtics could boast the stingiest unit in the NBA. Nekias Duncan lauded White as one of the best point-of-attack players in the league on our show yesterday, and I'd take him at his word. White has a fantastic blend of speed and strength at 6-foot-4 and can mirror drives from the NBA's toughest guards. Here's one clip of him smothering Shai Gilgeous-Alexander:
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White's block rate is in the 97th percentile at his position. It has been there, or higher, in each of the last four seasons. I truly fear for opposing backcourts if he and Marcus Smart share the floor.
The Celtics gave up Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, a 2022 lightly-protected first-round pick and the right to swap first-rounders in 2028 in exchange for White. That's quite a package for a player who is either a solid complementary starter or a really great bench piece. Stevens himself acknowledged that giving up first-round picks is an inherent risk. But it's the type of move that signals to Tatum and Brown that they're worth building around.&nbsp;
With minutes left on the clock, Boston snuck in another deal with the Rockets. Stevens sent Enes Freedom, Bruno Fernando and Schr&ouml;der to Houston for Daniel Theis. With White in the fold, there was no need to keep Schr&ouml;der even in the short term, and the Celtics also moved two centers who should not play in the rotation to bring back a very capable depth big.
Theis returns after less than a calendar year away from Boston. The 29-year-old started 21 of 26 games with the Rockets and averaged 8.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He's a stalwart interior finisher; per Basketball Reference, Theis has made at least 71% of his shots within three feet of the basket in every year of his NBA career. He's not the stretch big man his three-point volume suggests, but Theis can at least make around one per game in theory.
Theis also isn't an event-creator on defense. He's a bruiser who can come off the bench and be a more viable switcher than Freedom or Fernando ever were. Ime Udoka should at least feel more comfortable deploying Theis in the rotation so Robert Williams III and Al Horford are not overextended.
"Rob and Al are our guys and they're playing great, but if you miss any time with those two guys, you can plug Theis in and it'll be a seamless transition," Stevens said.
So in two trades, the Celtics have upgraded their secondary guard spot and their bench center spot at the risk of missing out in the draft. With the help of a third trade from earlier in the morning, they also gave themselves extra time for moves via the buyout market.
Boston dealt PJ Dozier, Bol Bol, a second-round pick and cash considerations to Orlando for a conditional second-round pick. The goal was clearly to get under the luxury tax, and per <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/boston-celtics/cap/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotrac</a>, Boston did that.
Between the three moves, the Celtics have a whopping five open roster spots to fill. The needs are glaring: shooting and wing depth. That's especially compounded after trading Richardson.
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<a href="https://theathletic.com/3124166/2022/02/10/celtics-trade-deadline-roundtable-brad-stevens-bets-big-on-derrick-white/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic's&nbsp;Jared Weiss</a> wrote that he's "gotten the impression" the Celtics will at least take a look at Gary Harris on the buyout market. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-gary-harris-likely-on-the-move" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nekias Duncan</a> listed Boston as a potential landing spot for Harris. If the three-point clip stays up, Harris would make a lot of sense as a plug-and-play shooting guard.
With so many lopsided deals around the league in terms of roster size, Boston should have options. Maybe Orlando also buys out Terrence Ross. Perhaps the Lakers waive Kent Bazemore or the Clippers let go of recently-acquired Rodney Hood?
The G League is also loaded with potential fits. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Boston is already signing Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet to rest-of-season contracts from the Maine Celtics. Hauser's signature skill is shooting and Kornet can stretch the floor as well.
Stevens was vague at his press conference, saying he wanted players with "skill." The Celtics have five opportunities (including Hauser and Kornet) to find such players. Udoka has another tough choice to make, too &mdash; should he break up the current buzzsaw starting lineup and insert White, or bring a starting-caliber guard beginning a four-year, $73 million contract extension off the bench?
For all the angst about Schr&ouml;der's tendency to stop the ball, he was also a much-needed driving threat. White gets to the rim at a level around league-average, but he's not the blazing downhill driver Schr&ouml;der is. Will that affect how the ball is able to move, especially if the Celtics don't have enough shooters on the perimeter?
Clearly these deals don't end the questions. For now, though, fans should feel confident that Brad Stevens was clear and deliberate with his trade deadline moves. Derrick White and Daniel Theis appear to be the complementary talents Boston should be seeking to bolster a lineup hunting postseason contention.
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Ethan Fuller shows how the additions of Derrick White and Daniel Theis fit into the current rotation for the Boston Celtics.

Evaluating the Celtics' trade deadline additions and next steps

Nekias Duncan thoroughly grades every NBA trade from 2022 Deadline Week.

Grading every move from 2022 NBA trade deadline week

The Los Angeles Lakers failed to gain traction on a Russell Westbrook trade despite pressure from some members of the coaching staff, accoording to The Athletic's Bill Oram.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Here's everything I've learned about the Lakers efforts prior to the trade deadline, including flirting with a reunion with Dennis Schroder before Boston flipped him to Houston instead. <a href="https://t.co/L5Kcs5rDED">https://t.co/L5Kcs5rDED</a>
&mdash; Bill Oram (@billoram) <a href="https://twitter.com/billoram/status/1491883412231127063?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2022</a>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</blockquote>
The Lakers path to shedding Westbrook's salary prior to the start of next season seems tenous at best. Westbrook stands to make $47 million next year, which is the final year of his deal (player option.) Further complicating matters is the fact that Los Angeles has limited assets to include in a deal as a sweetener.
Tensions remain high in Los Angeles with Westbrook hoping to make his way back into the team's closing rotation. Unfortunately, the Westbrook-LeBron James-Anthon Davis pairing has not worked out as planned. The Lakers are currently 26-30, good for ninth place in the Western Conference.

Lakers fail to move Westbrook despite pressure from coaching staff

The Boston Celtics have traded Dennis Schroder for the Rockets' Daniel Theis.
Source:<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1491864450311274503"> Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Bruno Fernando and Enes Kanter are reportedly also headed to Houston, and the latter will be waived per Jonathan Feigen.
Schroder had not been a great fit with the Celtics this season, averaging 14.4 points per game off the bench.
Theis, who had also struggled in Houston, will rejoin the Celtics.
Theis had spent the first four years in Boston until being moved at last year's deadline.&nbsp;

The Boston Celtics have traded Dennis Schroder for the Rockets' Daniel Theis.

Celtics trade Dennis Schroder to Rockets for Daniel Theis

It&rsquo;s been almost a given in NBA circles that the Celtics&nbsp;will move Dennis Schroder to get under the luxury tax, and while that remains the most likely outcome, we&rsquo;re hearing it&rsquo;s possible he could still be on the club after Thursday.
A couple of NBA clubs that have looked into Schroder have found that the Celtics aren&rsquo;t just looking to give him away...
The feeling here is that if Boston can get something at all reasonable for Schroder, they&rsquo;re comfortable replacing his minutes at the point with Payton Pritchard and Josh Richardson &mdash; though at least some there would like to keep Schroder in case of injury to someone higher in the rotation.
SOURCE: <a href="https://heavy.com/sports/boston-celtics/dennis-schroder-nba-trade-rumors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com</a>
ANALYSIS: With Jaylen Brown's cap number decreasing after he missed the All-Star Game, it'll be easier for the Celtics to get under the luxury tax, <a href="https://heavy.com/sports/boston-celtics/dennis-schroder-nba-trade-rumors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writes</a> Bulpett. Boston just needs to cut "less than $1 million" to get there, so they have some options and don't necessarily need to trade Schroder.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s been playing well, and he&rsquo;s been a good part of what they&rsquo;re doing lately,&rdquo; one NBA exec <a href="https://heavy.com/sports/boston-celtics/dennis-schroder-nba-trade-rumors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said of Schroder</a>. &ldquo;I still think they might prefer to move him, but now they&rsquo;re looking for an asset in return. They don&rsquo;t feel like they have to trade him now, and they&rsquo;d like to turn him into an asset for next year.&rdquo;
The <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10026215-celtics-trade-rumors-dennis-schroder-talks-held-with-bucks-donte-divincenzo-linked" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Milwaukee Bucks</a>, <a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/nba-trade-deadline-rumors-intel-james-harden-ben-simmons-harrison-barnes-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago Bulls</a> and <a href="https://theathletic.com/3117052/2022/02/08/milwaukee-bucks-pursuing-celtics-grant-williams-what-im-hearing-about-the-nba-trade-deadline/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> are among the teams that have reportedly expressed interest in Schroder. The Cavs have continued to pursue Schroder even after acquiring Caris LeVert, reports <a href="https://theathletic.com/3117052/2022/02/08/milwaukee-bucks-pursuing-celtics-grant-williams-what-im-hearing-about-the-nba-trade-deadline/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jared Weiss of The Athletic</a>.
Milwaukee is <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10026215-celtics-trade-rumors-dennis-schroder-talks-held-with-bucks-donte-divincenzo-linked" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> offering Donte DiVincenzo, Chicago is <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2953006-trade-deadline-intel-wizards-among-nbas-most-active-shoppers-eyeing-sabonis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> proposing Troy Brown Jr. and a second-round pick, while Cleveland is <a href="https://theathletic.com/3117052/2022/02/08/milwaukee-bucks-pursuing-celtics-grant-williams-what-im-hearing-about-the-nba-trade-deadline/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> dangling two of Kevin Pangos, Ed Davis and Dylan Windler (plus draft compensation).
This season, Schroder is averaging 14.4 points, 4.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.4 threes and 0.9 steals in 29.5 minutes per game, while shooting 43.8% from the field, 34.9% from three and 84.6% from the free-throw line.
Last offseason, the 28-year-old signed a one-year, $5.9 million deal with the Celtics &mdash; just months after turning down a four-year, $84 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Boston is currently 31-25, which is the seventh-best record in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics have the NBA's third-best defense (allowing 103.3 points per 100 possessions) and 16th-best offense (scoring 108.0 points per 100 possessions).
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The Bucks, Bulls and Cavaliers are among the teams that have reportedly expressed interest in Schroder.

Bucks, Bulls, Cavs want Dennis Schroder, but Celtics may keep him?

Leading up to the 2022 NBA trade deadline, all eyes have been on the Indiana Pacers since&nbsp;a roster overhaul seemed imminent.&nbsp;
Now, after a busy couple of days, the Pacers have traded Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert, Justin Holiday and Jeremy Lamb. Over the course of 48 hours, they acquired Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Tristan Thompson, Ricky Rubio, a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick and two second-round picks.
While the Pacers <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-expected-to-flip-ricky-rubios-expiring-contract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may still flip Rubio's $17.8 million expiring contract</a> before Thursday's deadline, it's possible that they've completed all of their major trades.
In other words, Myles Turner may be staying put in Indiana.
After dealing Sabonis, the Pacers may hold onto Turner and see how he fits with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-exit-blockbuster-trade-with-kings-as-huge-winners-thanks-to-tyrese-haliburton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">their new pieces</a>. And since Turner is just 25 years old, he's on a similar timeline as Tyrese Haliburton (21), Chris Duarte (24) and Co.
Turner is a big fan of Haliburton's game and is excited about the possibility of playing with the young guard, sources told BasketballNews.com.
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This wouldn't be the first time that Turner has popped up in trade rumors and seemed on the verge of being dealt only to remain with the Pacers, and both sides seem fine with continuing this marriage.
A number of teams have expressed interest in Turner, including the Milwaukee Bucks (who <a href="https://heavy.com/sports/boston-celtics/dennis-schroder-nba-trade-rumors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> want him to fill Brook Lopez's role) and Detroit Pistons (who <a href="https://heavy.com/sports/boston-celtics/dennis-schroder-nba-trade-rumors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> offered Jerami Grant for Turner, which the Pacers rejected).
However, it's unclear if any team has been willing to meet Indiana's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-mavs-blazers-wolves-knicks-lakers-hornets-targeting-myles-turner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asking price</a> of two first-round picks or a promising young player and a first-rounder.
Turner has been out since Jan. 14 as he recovers from a stress reaction in his left foot. This season, he's averaging 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 1.5 threes on .509/.333/.752 shooting splits. He's on pace to lead the NBA in blocks per game for the second-straight season (and the third time in four years).
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While teams like the Bucks and Pistons have expressed interest in Myles Turner, the Pacers may keep the 25-year-old shot-blocker.

Pacers may hold onto Myles Turner despite offers from Bucks, Pistons

Over the weekend, Boston offered [Dennis] Schr&ouml;der to Milwaukee for Donte DiVincenzo, which the Bucks countered asking for Grant Williams, sources with knowledge of the discussions told&nbsp;The Athletic. Though sources said the Celtics balked at the offer, the teams continue to explore frameworks that include Williams.
Source: <a href="Schr&ouml;der" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jared Weiss/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Weiss adds that Schr&ouml;der has also been targeted by the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls. The veteran point guard is making $5 million on a one-year deal and playing as a backup point guard for the Celtics. According to Weiss, Boston has also been discussing deals for Josh Richardson, including a potential trade with the Timberwolves involving Malik Beasley.

The Celtics did not want to include Grant Williams in the reported deal but are open to trading him.

Celtics, Bucks discussed Dennis Schroder trade for Donte DiVincenzo

The Boston Celtics are in the midst of a disappointing 2021-22 season. Not in the mix as legitimate title contenders, how will Boston approach Thursday's NBA trade deadline.
Well, <a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/nba-trade-deadline-rumors-intel-james-harden-ben-simmons-harrison-barnes-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to The Action Network's Matt Moore</a>, their primary goal is to dip below the luxury tax threshold.
Moore relayed that the Celtics have two offers currently on the table for Dennis Schroder coming from the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks. Both teams are currently pushing for an NBA Finals appearance, so Schroder would definitely help in the scoring department.
Marcus Smart has also been brought up as a potential target for multiple teams around the Association, but so far Boston isn't budging on the versatile guard.
Stay tuned to BasketballNews.com as breaking news comes in, because this trade deadline is setting up to be a wild one.

As the Boston Celtics go through a disappointing season, what's their main goal at the trade deadline? Now, we know their plans.

Celtics aim to avoid luxury tax with trade deadline looming

Five years ago, around this time, Brooklyn Nets fans were arguing over Yogi Ferrell and Spencer Dinwiddie with hostility.
Seriously, go back and look. You would&rsquo;ve had no idea unless you were covering the Nets, but it was a divisive time in Brooklyn&rsquo;s era. (Even if it didn&rsquo;t rise to the publicity of, say, Kyrie Irving&rsquo;s vaccination status.)
Almost to this exact date in 2017, Ferrell memorably had what is still the best game of his NBA career, dropping 32 points in a nationally-televised game between his Dallas Mavericks and Damian Lillard&rsquo;s Portland Trail Blazers while on a 10-day contract. That same day, Dinwiddie netted 13 (which tied for his second-highest output of the season), and it would be the last time he broke double figures for 10 more days.
The debate grew hilariously one-sided the following season, and Dinwiddie became a fringe All-Star candidate in both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. But the reason no one saw this coming initially is because Dinwiddie came up as a pass-first, low-turnover, traditional point guard &mdash; somebody who at one time went <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/dinwisp01/gamelog/2017">five games (134 minutes)</a> without committing a turnover and took eight shot attempts per 36 minutes; that figure leapt to 13.1, 15.6, and 18.4 the next three seasons.
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Dinwiddie&rsquo;s game has seen multiple iterations.
The score-first, old-school point guard from 2016-17.
The inefficient, yet ultra-timely scorer who still rarely turned the ball over as a floor general in 2017-18.
The near All-Star who became a full-fledged, scoring point as a sixth man in 2018-19.
The even-nearer All-Star combo guard who averaged around 20.0 points and 7.0 assists and got to the free-throw line at will in 2019-20.
But last year, he tore his ACL for the second time in his basketball-playing life, and is still working his way back while in Washington.
The Wizards <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/wizards-focusing-chemistry-after-bradley-beal-speech-and-players-only-meeting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had a players&rsquo; only meeting before the regular season began</a>. Since a 10-4 start, the team's gone 13-22. Even worse, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/washington-wizards-kentavious-caldwell-pope-montrezl-harrell-separated-after-fight-at-halftime-oklahoma-city-thunder-052704731.html#:~:text=At%20halftime%20of%20their%20122,to%20The%20Athletic's%20Shams%20Charania.&amp;text=Caldwell%2DPope%20banked%20in%20a,to%20its%20second%2Dstraight%20win">tried putting on a WBC Heavyweight Title bout in the Wizards locker room</a> a few weeks ago.
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Dinwiddie, who turns 29 in April, claims that the topic of leadership <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dinwiddie-says-his-leadership-wasnt-necessarily-welcomed-by-wizards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wasn&rsquo;t welcomed when he brought it up earlier this season</a>. (<a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/2017/3/21/15009886/the-dude-is-different-dinwiddie-on-sports-social-media-and-the-8-billion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">He's never been shy.</a>) And now, <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2022/1/31/22910354/los-angeles-clippers-nba-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin O&rsquo;Connor of The Ringer is reporting</a> that the Wizards don&rsquo;t even want Dinwiddie there:
<blockquote>
&ldquo;The Wizards want to move Dinwiddie because he looks like a shell of his former self and his teammates don&rsquo;t want him there. Schr&ouml;der is fine, but he leans too far toward scoring and would be an awkward fit next to Jackson.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
To be fair, this entire Wizards team looks like a shell of their 10-4 selves from this past November, but anyway...
Dinwiddie, who is averaging 13.0 points, 5.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds on .383/.314/.807 shooting splits is in the first season of a three-year, $54 million deal signed this past summer. After earning $17.1 million this campaign, he&rsquo;ll rake in $18 million in 2022-2023; he has $10 million of $18.9 million guaranteed for the season after. And since the Wizards evidently want to trade him, let&rsquo;s help &lsquo;em out.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cavaliers receive: Spencer Dinwiddie, 2026 or 2028 first-round pick 
Wizards receive: Ricky Rubio 
This trade is quite simple on paper, and it starts with Ricky Rubio&rsquo;s $17.8 million expiring contract heading to Washington in exchange for Dinwiddie. Rubio has a torn ACL and is expected to return at some point, just not this season. It feels like someone should send the other a draft pick or two here, but you could make the case going either way.&nbsp;
For the Cavs, they&rsquo;d be sending over Rubio while inheriting Dinwiddie&rsquo;s sizable contract as a result, so they should probably ask for some draft compensation as a result &mdash; and would be right to do so. In the Wizards' case, they&rsquo;d be trading Dinwiddie for someone who may never suit up for them and may want compensation for that reality alone.
To me, Cleveland should get the draft compensation since this deal could impact how it maneuvers this summer &mdash; including Collin Sexton&rsquo;s future, which still needs addressing. The good thing is the pathway to doing that would remain, and Dinwiddie could play the Rubio role this season.
Rubio averaged 13.1 points and 6.6 assists in 28.5 minutes per contest in all but eight games off the bench, while posting .363/.339/.854 shooting splits. He was as impactful as he possibly could&rsquo;ve been given the poor shooting, if you simply watched. Dinwiddie&rsquo;s numbers, as outlined earlier, are strikingly similar, and coming off the bench for a good team might be more ideal for him than starting for an aimless one. And the reason the Wizards' pick is so far into the future is because <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-trade-deadline-2022-how-complex-stepien-rule-decides-which-teams-can-and-cant-deal-first-round-picks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Stepien Rule prevents them from moving anything sooner</a>. (It makes this more difficult.)
Boston Celtics
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Celtics receive: Spencer Dinwiddie, 2026 or 2028 first-round pick&nbsp; 
Wizards receive: Dennis Schr&ouml;der, Josh Richardson 
As<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/reshaping-the-celtics-for-a-playoff-push-part-1-the-backcourt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Justin Lewis noted last week in our Celtics two-part retooling series</a>, these dudes need an actual point guard. The version Dinwiddie seems to play now is a less-effective version of the 2018-19 combo guard he became, but again, let&rsquo;s consider the environment. The Celtics are probably looking for a bigger trade deadline splash, but if pure-point Dinwiddie were to arrive in Boston, that&rsquo;s a better fit next to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown than Dennis Schr&ouml;der is.
Because Dinwiddie's deal runs longer than Richardson's or Schr&ouml;der's, you're attaching a first here, Washington, at a minimum. Maybe add a second-rounder that would come sooner.&nbsp;
A big part of why Dinwiddie&rsquo;s been less effective isn&rsquo;t only his shooting splits, but his free-throw rate is the lowest of his career at .240, and he&rsquo;s only averaging 3.9 attempts from the line per 36 minutes, the lowest figure since his rookie season in 2014-15. That free-throw rate needs to elevate in Boston, and playing next to the Jays should provide those open lanes for spaced threes and clear drives to create more of that rim pressure we haven&rsquo;t seen much of in Washington.&nbsp;
Philadelphia 76ers
76ers receive: Bradley Beal, Spencer Dinwiddie, Davis Bertāns, 2026 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick 
Wizards receive: Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris 
This looks ugly as hell, and is probably not very likely, but it could actually work.&nbsp;
For Washington, you get rid of two unfavorable contracts; Bertāns especially. You also acquire Simmons, who is beginning his max extension (has he even gotten paid from it yet since he hasn't played?) that'll run through 2025. Beal, as we know, has a player option for next summer, but is more likely to sign an extension this summer that will take him well into his 30s. The Wizards <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/wizards-trade-deadline-notes-bradley-beal-domantas-sabonis-jerami-grant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly still don't want to trade Beal</a>, but what's honestly the upside in keeping him now? To be Portland East? Regarding Tobias Harris, the Wizards may (and probably should) try rerouting him under this scenario. Harris will see over $38 million next season, and over $40 million in 2023-24.&nbsp;
For Philly, it finally rids the organization of the Simmons experience, which it'll probably they need to do to have any chance of competing this year. It also gets rid of Harris, but at a price. At least, Dinwiddie gives the Sixers a real point guard option to mix in, who can even play with Tyrese Maxey and has one fully guaranteed year left. Bertāns is getting between $16 and $17 million each year through the 2024-25 season, though that's partially guaranteed. Functionally, he can be a 4 next to Embiid, which may even help given the way Embiid is passing this season. The first-round picks are the reward for taking back bad contracts, and, of course, getiting Beal.&nbsp;
I'm still not positive it's a deal either of these teams want, but sometimes, we don't know what's best for us anyhow.&nbsp;
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Bryan Fonseca takes a look at three logical landing spots for Wizards point guard Spencer Dinwiddie.