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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

After an impressive season that culminated in a third-place finish for the NBA's Rookie of the Year award, Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham recently opened up about a valuable lesson he learned during his first year as a pro.
&ldquo;I think the biggest thing I learned is that the league, the media, nobody will care until you&rsquo;re winning,&rdquo; Cunningham <a href="https://www.slamonline.com/the-magazine/cade-cunningham-slam-238/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told SLAM</a>. &ldquo;I could feel bad for myself all I want about [how] people didn&rsquo;t respect or appreciate the season I had or anything, but I didn&rsquo;t win a lot of games.
"I think that&rsquo;s been the biggest thing that I&rsquo;ve locked in on and I decided within: I have to win games if I want people to respect my name. And if not, then I can&rsquo;t be mad at people not watching enough games and how I really play. That&rsquo;s the challenge that I&rsquo;ve tried to take on. I&rsquo;ve talked to teammates [and] we&rsquo;re all trying to take that challenge on. I think that&rsquo;s the next step for us.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Cunningham played well as a rookie, averaging 17.4 points, 5.6 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 threes and 1.2 steals in 64 games. And he looked significantly better in the second half of the season, posting 21.1 points, 6.5 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.3 threes and 1.1 steals per game after the All-Star break.
However, to his point, the Pistons finished the season 23-59, which was the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference (and the third-worst record in the NBA). Detroit boasted the league's 28th-ranked offense (scoring 103.3 points per 100 possessions) and 23rd-ranked defense (allowing 111.1 points per 100 possessions).
Cunningham seems determined to change that. It's not uncommon for a young player to spend years trying to put up numbers and prove he is a star, so it's great to see Cunningham already prioritizing team success over individual accolades and taking a mature approach as a 20-year-old.&nbsp;
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Perhaps Hall-of-Famer Isiah Thomas has helped Cunningham see the bigger picture, as SLAM notes that Thomas has had several conversations with Cunningham about leadership and other topics.
Fortunately, the Pistons are in excellent position to add some some reinforcements alongside Cunningham. Detroit has the No. 5 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock currently projects</a> that the Pistons will select Kentucky's Shaedon Sharpe.
Also, the Pistons currently project to have the second-most cap space in the NBA this offseason ($25.80 million), trailing only the Orlando Magic ($28.67 million). If Detroit is able to add some key pieces alongside Cunningham, perhaps the organization can right the ship and return to the playoffs sooner than later.
Cunningham was also asked about this season's Rookie of the Year award, which went to Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (with Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley finishing as the runner-up). While Cunningham felt he should have won the award, he's happy for his former high-school teammate and he's glad the debate is over.
&ldquo;Scottie is my brother, I&rsquo;m happy that he got that award," Cunningham said. "I feel like it&rsquo;s great that it&rsquo;s him, [my] Montverde teammate. I&rsquo;m super excited [for him]. I mean, it&rsquo;s never really been about that award for me. I&rsquo;ve had a ton of questions asked about it, you know&mdash; 'Rookie of the Year, what do you think about you winning?' So, I&rsquo;ma answer the question, you know? I feel like I should win it. That&rsquo;s natural. But it was never a knock on those guys. I love their game and I&rsquo;m happy that now we can quiet that question down. Congrats to Scottie, man, I love my dog.&rdquo;
While Cunningham didn't win the Rookie of the Year, award there's no question that he has a bright future and the Pistons are thrilled to have him.&nbsp;
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Cade Cunningham learned a valuable lesson during his rookie season — something that many young players take years to grasp.

Cade Cunningham shares valuable lesson he learned as a rookie

James Harden has averaged at least 15 field goal attempts per game in each of his last 10 regular seasons, encompassing his entire tenure with the Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers. He's put up at least 12 shots per game in 10 ten postseason appearances since 2013.&nbsp;
So when Harden took just two attempts in the Sixers' Game 6 exit against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals, it was jarring to those who watch Harden and those who have followed the drama of the franchise over the past year. After all, it was just one season ago where Ben Simmons' shot selection created a firestorm that ultimately led to February's blockbuster deal.
But this felt different. Harden is one of the greatest scorers the NBA has ever seen. And the performance distracted from the fact that, even in his battle against Father Time, Harden is still one of the most talented floor generals in the world.&nbsp;
His "down" year included 22.0 points, 10.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game spanning a tenuous winter with the Nets and a midseason trade to Philadelphia. He still has the step-back, the strength and the court vision, even as his quick first step appears to be sputtering with age and injuries.
Harden is a game-changer for the 76ers, and it's why he is by far the chief offseason storyline. The 32-year-old holds a player option for next season. He could either opt-in and potentially sign an extension that could pay over $60 million in 2026-27, or decline and test the waters in unrestricted free agency. One more interesting wrinkle: According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, few around the league expect Philly to pony up with that max contract extension:
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/WindhorstESPN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WindhorstESPN</a> says to pump the brakes on Harden returning to Philadelphia next season with a max deal. "Nobody in the NBA believes that the Sixers are going to give James Harden a max contract.&rdquo; <a href="https://t.co/vASDx6p0ek">pic.twitter.com/vASDx6p0ek</a>
&mdash; Get Up (@GetUpESPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/GetUpESPN/status/1525118767511924736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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It's a pivotal summer for Harden and the franchise. Should Philadelphia <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/signing-james-harden-to-a-max-contract-could-cripple-the-sixers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commit upwards of $200 million to a guard showing signs of physical decline who turns 33 next season</a>? Or should the team lower the offer and risk seeing an extremely talented, experienced playmaker (and a great fit with Joel Embiid) walk?
So Harden's contract is item No. 1 on president of basketball operations Daryl Morey's agenda. The next is evaluating which current rotation players are fit for long-term success.&nbsp;
Ten different Sixers averaged 10 or more minutes per game in the playoffs. It often felt like Sixers head coach Doc Rivers didn't know where to look for help outside of Embiid, Harden, Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey. DeAndre Jordan, Matisse Thybulle and Georges Niang, among others, frequently drew the ire of fans on social media.&nbsp;
Jordan will hit the open market this summer along with fellow veteran big man Paul Millsap. But Philly doesn't have many other free agency decisions to make; Shake Milton (team option), Myles Powell (restricted) and Harden are the only others to monitor.
The luxury tax hampers the 76ers, who will only have the taxpayer mid-level exception to add free agents unless Harden leaves and opens up some cap space. That MLE is valued at approximately $6.3 million. Maybe Philly locks in a permanent backup center like Thomas Bryant or Chris Boucher? Or perhaps they look for wings, whether it be a shooter like Bryn Forbes or a playmaker such as Kyle Anderson. Either way, it's at least a chance to reel in a rotation-caliber addition.
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The Sixers are also absent from the current NBA Draft picture. They traded their first-rounder to Brooklyn in the James Harden trade (though the Nets can defer that pick to 2023) and their second-rounder is headed to Miami.&nbsp;
If Philly wants to make a serious splash, it'll have to turn to the trade machine. Morey has reasonable pieces at his disposal. Thybulle, for all of his offensive warts, is one of the best wing defenders in the NBA and will make just $4.38 million next season before entering restricted free agency. Niang is set to enter the final year of his current contract and will collect $3.47 million. Harris still has two years left on his massive deal, but the 29-year-old deserves credit for a resurgent playoff effort.
Ultimately, Morey's maneuvering will only do so much for a Sixers roster in need of tweaks and growth. The biggest development might come in the offseason gym with young players who have yet to realize their potential.
Paul Reed emerged as a high-energy bench big in the playoffs, but still has leaps to make away from the boards. Charles Bassey, picked 53rd overall last season, is another athletic center preparing for his opportunity. We're still waiting on 22-year-old Isaiah Joe (non-guaranteed for next season) to round out his flashes of microwave perimeter scoring.
I was a fan of Jaden Springer, last year's No. 28 overall pick, at draft time. Springer averaged 15.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game with the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League, flying around on defense. But he still has a long way to go as an NBA guard on offense.
If any of these players break through into the full-time rotation next year, that's a major win for the 76ers development system. Trades can only accomplish so much when teams are sending pieces out to make additions. For Philly to take that next step as a championship contender, they'll need to see in-house improvement from Harden, the supporting cast and the young guns.
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James Harden's pending player option highlights a pivotal summer for the 76ers. Ethan Fuller dives in.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Philadelphia 76ers?

The Utah Jazz&rsquo;s 2021-22 season is officially over. The Jazz believed they were a championship contender, but this marks another season ending in disappointment and heartbreak. Now, looking ahead at what&rsquo;s to come in Salt Lake City, massive changes seem to be on the horizon. Whether it be Donovan Mitchell or Rudy Gobert on the move, something&rsquo;s gotta give. Other veterans such as Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic could be on the move too.
While our Bryan Fonseca recently broke down <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-desinations-for-donovan-mitchell-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">possible trade destinations for Mitchell</a>, it's seems likely that the Jazz will try to appease their young star shooting guard. Gordon Hayward already broke Utah&rsquo;s heart a few years ago when he left in free agency. If Mitchell requested a trade, it would send shockwaves throughout Utah. Unlike Hayward, Mitchell has star power that transcends Utah and he could potentially lead the team to heights they haven&rsquo;t reached since the 1990s with John Stockton and Karl Malone.
If the Jazz have to move their homegrown three-time Defensive Player of the Year in order to keep Mitchell, I'm almost certain it would happen. It&rsquo;s an unfortunate twist of fate for Gobert, but leaving the Jazz&rsquo;s system might be the best thing for him so he can truly blossom into a true two-way presence.
As seen throughout Utah's first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks, Gobert was ignored or simply used as a decoy more often than not. If Gobert is used on a more consistent basis in a different environment, who knows what he could accomplish as one of the NBA&rsquo;s premier lob threats?
Gobert hitting the trade market would result in a feeding frenzy around the Association. Whether it be title contenders or rebuilding teams who feel close to a massive leap, Gobert could be viewed as the missing piece to the puzzle.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into five realistic destinations for a Gobert blockbuster deal this offseason.
Chicago Bulls
Chicago knows they&rsquo;re in desperate need of a defensive jolt. Adding Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso in the backcourt already brought a new identity to the Bulls, who were seemingly allergic to defense before their arrival. Myles Turner has been mentioned as a possible target for Chicago, but the Indiana Pacers are <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/despite-trade-talks-the-pacers-want-to-keep-myles-turner-longterm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> expected to keep him long-term. Why not swing for the fences with Gobert? Acquiring the 29-year-old would be a crown-jewel moment for the organization.&nbsp;
Imagine the possibilities for Chicago with Gobert patrolling the paint with Ball and Caruso hawking the perimeter. It&rsquo;s the perfect complement to offensive dynamos Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Chicago&rsquo;s new starting lineup of Ball, Caruso, LaVine, DeRozan and Gobert would seemingly have no holes in it from a two-way perspective.
I absolutely love this idea for Chicago, and they should be blowing up the Jazz&rsquo;s phone this summer if it seems plausible.
Jazz receive: Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams, Coby White, draft compensation
Bulls receive: Rudy Gobert
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New York Knicks
The Knicks are bound to blow it up one way or another soon enough. Julius Randle feels like <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/five-nba-players-who-feel-destined-to-be-traded-this-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the most obvious trade candidates</a> to potentially hit the market this offseason. If the Knicks are done with Randle, could they parlay him and other young pieces to acquire Gobert? While <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-desinations-for-donovan-mitchell-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York would love to land Mitchell</a>, the Knicks should seriously explore a Gobert trade since the organization needs some sort of game-changing move.
The 2022-23 season feels like a make-or-break year for the current Knicks regime. Head coach Tom Thibodeau&rsquo;s seat is red-hot, plus the Knicks&rsquo; front office has to be itching to make some sort of move to change course from a stale build.
Gobert&rsquo;s arrival would signal New York is ready to finally ascend the Eastern Conference standings. Sure, Gobert isn&rsquo;t a true &ldquo;superstar,&rdquo; but he&rsquo;s far and away the most impactful player the Knicks could realistically reel in this offseason. Gobert being the adult in the room for an accelerated rebuild in the Big Apple is a fun scenario, especially as it provides a high-floor outcome immediately.
New York&rsquo;s current roster has ample flexibility to turn it all over again by 2023. If the Knicks clear out all of their contracts with team options and expiring deals, sans the young core, they will have a max slot open for the loaded 2023 free-agent class. Would Gobert and RJ Barrett be able to sell a star on New York? If Barrett takes the leap forward that many expect, that&rsquo;s a fun big/wing duo to build around long-term.
Utah will likely want at least another young asset or two in return as part of this projected blockbuster, but the framework is strong enough to build off it.
Jazz receive: Julius Randle, Alec Burks, Quentin Grimes, draft compensation
Knicks receive: Rudy Gobert
Atlanta Hawks
Want to find the perfect fit for Gobert outside of Utah? The Hawks are the ideal destination for Gobert, who would be able to shine outside of the Jazz&rsquo;s system. Trae Young pick-and-rolls with Gobert would simply be unfair to try to guard, and it would help insulate their star point guard in a better situation.
Atlanta also has the right amount of assets to make this compelling for Utah to pull the trigger. Whether it be John Collins or Bogdan Bogdanovic, either one could be the centerpiece to a Gobert deal. Also, Atlanta has an upcoming expiring salary in Danilo Gallinari with only $5 million guaranteed on his contract. If you throw together Collins, Gallinari and future draft compensation, it could be enough for the Jazz to take negotiations more seriously. Clint Capela could also be re-routed to another team to free up further cap flexibility as well.
For Atlanta, they are ready to win right now with Young leading the way. With Young, Kevin Huerter, De&rsquo;Andre Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson, they have a young core that's ready to take the next step. Gobert brings a star piece to an organization that has the urgency to compete right now in the East, and they'll want to bounce back after how they crashed and burned to end their 2021-22 season. Also, the Hawks had the NBA's 26th-ranked defense this season (allowing 112.1 points per 100 possessions), so adding a three-time Defensive Player of the Year could be just what they need.
It wouldn&rsquo;t be a surprise to see a player of Young&rsquo;s caliber push for Gobert to join him in Atlanta too. With all the trade rumors swirling around Collins since he signed a five-year extension, this deal makes a lot of sense for both sides to explore further.
Jazz receive: John Collins, Danilo Gallinari, future draft compensation
Hawks receive: Rudy Gobert
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Golden State Warriors
Smoke is already forming around this possibility, if the Jazz indeed decide to blow it up in a few months. For the Warriors, it&rsquo;s an all-in move to create another dynasty in the final prime years of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. With so much young talent climbing the ladder in the reloaded Western Conference, the time is now for the Warriors to make a splashy move to keep themselves atop the standings.
This will be the last time the Warriors can explore potential deals revolving around Andrew Wiggins&rsquo; bloated salary as well. Next season, Wiggins will be on an expiring contract making $33.6 million. With Wiggins, Golden State can immediately enter the conversation for Gobert while also having some intriguing young pieces that could appeal to Utah.
Jonathan Kuminga is likely off limits from the Warriors&rsquo; perspective, flashing real two-way potential throughout this season. However, what about a combination of Moses Moody and James Wiseman? Instantly, Utah can replenish their young core with two immediate contributors to place alongside Mitchell long-term. Throw in some future draft picks and the Jazz might be the ones who are ready to press &ldquo;accept&rdquo; on this hypothetical trade.
Golden State&rsquo;s new-age lineup of dominance would simply be unfair. Take a look at the Warriors&rsquo; projected lineup with Gobert: Curry, Jordan Poole, Thompson, Green and Gobert. With all of the versatility on display here, it could vault Golden State into a different stratosphere entirely.
Jazz receive: Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, Moses Moody, future draft compensation
Warriors receive: Rudy Gobert, Rudy Gay
Detroit Pistons
Here&rsquo;s a surprise team that could become very aggressive in the Gobert sweepstakes if the chips fall their way this offseason. No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham flashed superstar potential for the Pistons during his rookie campaign, especially after the All-Star break.
If the Pistons get lottery luck once more with a top pick in this year&rsquo;s draft, could they decide to push some chips into the middle of the table for Gobert? Imagine if the Pistons had a trio of Cunningham, Gobert and a top prospect (Jabari Smith or Paolo Banchero?) to build around for the next five-plus years.
For the Pistons, acquiring stars via the draft or trades is the only realistic route to obtaining a game-changing talent. We already saw it on display with their former regime when they traded for Blake Griffin, which led to little progress long-term. Unlike Griffin, Gobert actually fits into the organization's long-term calculus.
From the Jazz&rsquo;s perspective, they would be asking for a heavy return from a team like Detroit. We&rsquo;re talking two key pieces to their core as well as veteran wing Jerami Grant. Would the Pistons feel comfortable moving Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart for Gobert? That may be Utah's asking price.
Jazz receive: Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart, Kelly Olynyk, future draft compensation
Pistons receive: Rudy Gobert, Nickeil Alexander-Walker
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Entering a pivotal offseason, will the Utah Jazz blow it up? If so, which teams make sense as a landing spot for Rudy Gobert?

Examining potential trade destinations for Rudy Gobert

The NBA sent four teams home from its Play-In Tournament after Friday night, but all four are poised to contend next season.
Though the Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs exited early, their trio of All-Star guards and exciting young cores mean all three should be back in the hunt &mdash; provided they beef up their rosters in the offseason. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers weren't supposed to make it this far without their franchise cornerstones; that only creates more buzz surrounding a 2022-23 championship contender.
What can these franchises do this offseason to set themselves up for success? I've written up some summer plans for all four squads, including draft assets (via Tankathon), potential free agents (via Spotrac) and a central team-building question (via my deranged mind). If you missed last week, I did the same for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/summer-plans-for-the-nbas-nonplayoff-teams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10 teams who did not crack the NBA postseason</a>.
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Let's dive in.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS
Draft assets:&nbsp;First-round pick, First-round pick via Pelicans, Second-round pick, Second-round pick via Toronto (if 55-60)
Potential free agents:&nbsp;Montrezl Harrell, Isaiah Thomas, Miles Bridges (restricted), Cody Martin (restricted), Arnoldas Kulboka (restricted), Scottie Lewis (restricted)
Central question:&nbsp;How can the Hornets construct an interior defense?
Charlotte's bottom-10 defense doomed the franchise several times in the regular season and, ultimately, in the Play-In loss to Atlanta. The Hornets gave up boatloads of at-rim attempts and three-pointers, and simply looked like turnstiles at times. Improvement is necessary across the board, but an on-paper view highlights a clear need for upgrades inside.
Mason Plumlee is a fine basketball player, but he's not anchoring a high-level NBA defense. Neither is Montrezl Harrell, and 2021 first-round pick Kai Jones barely touched the floor in Charlotte. The Hornets don't have a whole lot of salary flexibility with big-money deals in place for Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier. Miles Bridges' restricted free agency is also a key offseason focal point.&nbsp;
Though the Hornets likely can't throw outright money at a Deandre Ayton-level restricted free agent, perhaps they could work a sign-and-trade for a lesser-known young talent. Maybe Mo Bamba fits the bill from Orlando? Charlotte was tied to trade rumors surrounding Myles Turner before the trade deadline, and the front office could also elect to sign a veteran at a mid-level exception.
Regardless of the pathway, the Hornets have needed to address the center position for years now. With a playoff leap now the expectation in 2022-23, they can't afford to let another summer slip away.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Draft assets:&nbsp;First-round pick, Second-round pick via Spurs, Second-round pick via Heat
Potential free agents:&nbsp;Ed Davis, Rajon Rondo, Brandon Goodwin, Collin Sexton (restricted), Moses Brown (restricted), RJ Nembhard (restricted), Dean Wade (team option)
Central question:&nbsp;What is Collin Sexton's future in Cleveland?
The Cavaliers may have slid out of the playoffs, but this was a banner year for the franchise's long-term trajectory. Darius Garland emerged as a cornerstone point guard, Evan Mobley might win Rookie of the Year, and the frontcourt pairing with Jarrett Allen looks to be a mainstay in the Eastern Conference. Injuries ultimately derailed what was a top-four seed. Most of the rotation is under contract and under 30, hinting at continued growth.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Darius Garland -&gt; Jarrett Allen -&gt; Evan Mobley (Lob) <a href="https://t.co/nDQz7tkxbs">pic.twitter.com/nDQz7tkxbs</a>
&mdash; Jackson Lloyd (@JacksonLloydNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/JacksonLloydNBA/status/1515354588353728522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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This seaon's leap makes the situation with Sexton... difficult. Let's not forget that the combo guard is a season removed from a 24-point-per-game season as an efficient primary scorer, and that the Cavs were 19th in Offensive Rating this year. Sexton can meaningfully boost Cleveland simply as a bucket-getter, nevermind if he keeps improving as a playmaker.
What kind of contract do the Cavs offer to a 23-year-old who missed nearly a full season with a knee injury though? If a desperate team decides to throw money at Sexton to force the franchise to match, is there a limit to the front office's willingness? What would an extension mean for Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert?&nbsp;
Sexton is one of the biggest dominoes in the upcoming offseason, and arguably the most unpredictable.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Draft assets:&nbsp;Second-round pick
Potential free agents: Robert Covington, Rodney Hood, Isaiah Hartenstein, Amir Coffey (restricted), Xavier Moon (restricted), Ivica Zubac (team option), Nic Batum (player option)
Central question:&nbsp;What does a fully-healthy 10-man rotation look like?
Nobody expected the Clippers to be a playoff contender without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and they still almost cracked the postseason with the supporting cast chipping in. L.A. made a splash at the trade deadline by adding Norman Powell and Robert Covington, two players who conceivably make sense next to the franchise's two stars.
This roster is deep. It's a great problem to have, but it's still a problem with several rotation options potentially hitting free agency. Covington will likely command a solid new deal as one of the league's more reliable two-way complements, and Batum could easily decline his $3.3 million team option in search of a raise. Ivica Zubac and Isaiah Hartenstein may both hit free agency; what would happen to the center rotation in that case?
The Clippers have Leonard, George, Powell, Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, Terance Mann and Marcus Morris locked down for next season. That's already seven rotation-caliber players, and it doesn't account for leaps from young talents like Brandon Boston Jr., Jason Preston or Amir Coffey. A roster crunch is inbound, and the organization can't let a quality addition slip away as it positions itself for title contention next season.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Draft assets:&nbsp;First-round pick, first-round pick via Raptors, first-round pick via Celtics, second-round pick via Lakers
Potential free agents:&nbsp;Lonnie Walker IV (restricted), Devontae Cacok (restricted), Joe Wieskamp (restricted), DJ Stewart Jr. (restricted), Robert Woodard II (restricted)
Central question:&nbsp;How do the Spurs toe the line between developmental patience and consolidation?
San Antonio valiantly fought to get to the Play-In Tournament before losing to New Orleans, but also had one of the more underrated developmental seasons across the roster. Dejounte Murray made his All-Star leap and Jakob Poeltl established himself as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jakob-poeltl-san-antonios-newest-watchful-protector" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the league's better rim-protectors</a>; the Spurs collectively were just a tick under league-average on both ends of the floor, per Cleaning the Glass.
One of the NBA's youngest rosters is well on track and about to receive another influx of potential. San Antonio could use its three first-rounders (including its own lottery pick) to add to the frontcourt or find another lead guard. However, the Spurs already have 12 players locked down for next season under at least partial guarantees, and 11 of them are under 30. They have a pathway to over $24 million in salary cap space this summer should they move on from restricted free agents like Walker.&nbsp;
There's an avenue, with draft picks, young players and cap space, for San Antonio to make a serious splash. Is that in the programming for this franchise, though? San Antonio hasn't acquired a star via trade in several years, unless you want to count adding DeMar DeRozan in the Kawhi Leonard blockbuster. At the same time, there are only so many minutes to go around for the young guns, especially if the Spurs think they can compete for the playoffs.
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Ethan Fuller sets the stage for the NBA's four Play-In exits approaching the offseason.

Summer plans for the Spurs, Hornets, Cavaliers and Clippers

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

Is it fair to say this is a fun time for the Knicks?
No, the season hasn't gone as expected. Missing the play-in altogether a year after a strong regular season and playoff berth wasn't on the bingo card for most, especially in light of their acquisitions this offseason.
If there's a silver lining, it's this end-of-season stretch. The Knicks have gone 11-11 since the All-Star break, boasting a net rating (plus-3.1) higher than the Mavericks (plus-2.8), Nets (plus-2.5) and Warriors (plus-0.8).
As far as the fun goes, it's nice that the young guys are driving a lot of the success. Immanuel Quickely is making real strides as a lead ball-handler. Ditto for RJ Barrett, whose shoulder-chucking drives are putting dents in this chest of his defenders and the hearts of defenses. And if the Knicks don't have the most athletic frontcourt in the league with Obi Toppin and Jericho Sims, they can't be far from the top.
It's hard not to leap off your couch watching these dudes jet after misses or turnovers. Quickley's bound to pull-up from anywhere. Barrett is a freight train. Toppin and Sims can highpoint lobs with the best of them. But from a projection standpoint, possessions like this one from Friday night's action stand out:
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The Knicks push after a miss but pull things back since an early advantage isn't present. Not yet, at least.
Toppin is defended by Cassius Winston, an unfavorable cross-match that was formed by a switch on the prior possession. Toppin goes to the block early in the possession but retreats to the corner after Quickley makes the call.&nbsp;
This is where the fun begins.
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Quickley calls up Sims to set a screen -- a screen that Quickley doesn't really plan to use. While Sims is coming up to Quickley, Toppin works his way back to the right block with Winston on him.
With Sims above the free throw line, his defender (Thomas Bryant) is able to provide relief on the interior. The only player who could make a rotation to help on the Winston-on-Toppin mismatch is Isaiah Todd, though he's occupied by Feron Hunt in the left corner.
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With Winston attempting to front and no help on the backside, there's a lob available for Toppin. Quickley nails the pass, leading to the easiest half-court bucket of the night for Toppin. Two of Toppin's career-high 35 points, might I add.
The Quickley-Toppin connection hasn't just been fun; it's been good. Consider these numbers since the All-Star break:
<ul>
<li>The Knicks have generated 1.09 points per possession (PPP) on trips featuring a Quickely-Toppin ball screen. It's a number on par with combos like Monte Morris and Nikola Jokic (1.09 PPP), Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns (1.08 PPP), and DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic (1.06 PPP), per Second Spectrum.</li>
<li>With Quickley and Toppin <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/lineups/advanced/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;GroupQuantity=2&amp;SeasonSegment=Post%20All-Star&amp;TeamID=1610612752" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on the court</a>, the Knicks have outscored opponents by 11.1 points per 100 possessions.</li>
</ul>
The jury is out on what this roster will look like come October. But at the risk of sounding recency bias-y, it's hard to argue against prioritizing these young guys.
Toppin has flourished in the non-Julius Randle games, boasting averages of 23.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists over his last four contests. The answer may not be to flat-out trade Randle, but there should be more time carved out for Toppin moving forward regardless.
Quickley has shown spark-plug potential since his rookie season, and we're starting to see him grow more in half-court settings. Look further down the roster, and you'll remember the Knicks flipped a first rounder (among other assets) for Cam Reddish a couple of months ago. It would behoove them to find room for him, too.
It's time for the younger pieces to be prioritized and empowered. The next era of great Knicks basketball may depend on it.
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Nekias Duncan highlights a possession showcasing growth from the Knicks' young core.

Explain one play: Young Knicks playing chess

There wasn&rsquo;t exactly a consensus about how the 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; season would end, but it&rsquo;s probably safe to say that nobody foresaw this.
On Tuesday night, the Lakers saw their bleak playoff hopes reduced to zero when the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Denver Nuggets, and immediately thereafter &mdash; and rightfully so &mdash; Frank Vogel, Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook were all in the news.
In the end, there&rsquo;s no single reason the Lakers turned in one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history &mdash; there&rsquo;s enough blame to go around.
What Rob Pelinka needs to figure out is how to fix it.
The answer, ironically, would probably be to start thinking small.
This past season, the team managed to find some serviceable pieces to augment the star-studded core, but only Davis, James, Talen Horton-Tucker and Austin Reaves are under contract next season. The Lakers hold a team option on Stanley Johnson and Westbrook and Kendrick Nunn both have player options they are likely to pick up.
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The official 2021-22 Kendrick Nunn highlight reel 🎥 <a href="https://t.co/wDPehJyqpN">pic.twitter.com/wDPehJyqpN</a>
&mdash; Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersLead/status/1508967570560458762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Combined &mdash; thanks in large part to the commitments to Westbrook, James and Davis &mdash; the Lakers are in line to have about $148 million on their 2022-23 ledger, which is already about $26 million over the projected salary cap.
Said differently, outside of offloading one of Westbrook, James or Davis without taking much salary back in return, the team wouldn&rsquo;t be able to manufacture enough cap space to have a competent opportunity of improving via free agency. Obviously, the club could go the route it went this past season and hand out one-year, minimum salary contracts to aging veterans, but the players who could actually make a difference for the Lakers won&rsquo;t exactly be lining up to sign on the dotted line given the performance of this year&rsquo;s team.
To make matters even worse, the Lakers don&rsquo;t own a pick in this year&rsquo;s draft. Their first rounder was sent to New Orleans in the Anthony Davis trade, while their second-round pick is owned by the Spurs.
So how does a team with no cap space and no draft picks improve?
Simple: by thinking small.
Ask the Brooklyn Nets, and look toward the Miami Heat.
A historically frugal franchise, Miami has never necessarily found itself in the kind of salary cap hell the Lakers are in at the moment. Part of the reason why is because one of the constants during Pat Riley&rsquo;s tenure has been investing heavily in scouting and player development. The same rings true of most successful small market franchises.
Players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis may win you the championship, but throughout history, it&rsquo;s always been players like Alex Caruso, Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who get you there in the first place.
Contenders invariably unearth valuable and sometimes unknown role players and maximize those role players' talent. For example, this year's Miami team has enjoyed the combination of Tyler Herro, Max Strus and Omer Yurtseven combining to earn only about $7 million. That's about $3 million less than Talen Horton-Tucker alone. Strus and Yurtseven are far from household names, but Miami wouldn&rsquo;t be entering play on April 6 as the first seed out East without them, especially considering the injuries the team has dealt with this season.
Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn also go on a list that features the likes of Bam Adebayo, Mario Chalmers, Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem as players drafted and developed by the staff in Miami.
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Some time ago, the Lakers had what looked like a competent core of young players. It&rsquo;s hard to imagine that just four years ago, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart and Jordan Clarkson were all teammates in Los Angeles. They&rsquo;ve all come and gone, most to facilitate the arrivals of LeBron, Davis and then Westbrook.
The Lakers do have a championship to show for that roster churn, but from this point forth, the way out might actually be to go back to the drawing board. Sean Marks and his Brooklyn Nets, another franchise that Lakers VP of Operations Rob Pelinka would be wise to mimic this summer, provide a blueprint for how to go about doing that.
When Marks took over the Nets in 2016, Brooklyn was not in a good place. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry had all come and gone, and the draft picks that became Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Collin Sexton were living their best lives elsewhere. The Nets had a bloated payroll, a team of scrubs and no future.
The NBA's Chicago Draft Combine was only two months after Marks was hired in Brooklyn, and despite not owning a first-round pick, he sent quite a contingent to the Windy City. Their directive was to do as much recon work as possible to find Marks some players who could help. Marks used Thaddeus Young to trade his way into the first round and came away from the draft with Caris LeVert and Isaiah Whitehead. Within the next six months, he signed two diamonds in the rough, Joe Harris and Spencer Dinwiddie.
One season later, Marks drafted Jarrett Allen and landed D&rsquo;Angelo Russell in a trade with the Lakers, and that was essentially the core that both got Brooklyn back on track and ultimately landed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
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Highlights Kyrie Irving &amp; Kevin Durant 🆚 Sixers<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NetsWorld?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NetsWorld</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBATwitter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBATwitter</a> <a href="https://t.co/viw7ZzQQIZ">pic.twitter.com/viw7ZzQQIZ</a>
&mdash; Back2Back (@B2BFR) <a href="https://twitter.com/B2BFR/status/1502186067541307394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Obviously, that all took time to come to fruition, and time isn't something that LeBron James has. But the point is that no matter how daunting the situation, a competent NBA front office can build a team without having the most obvious assets readily available. That the Lakers have two superstars should actually make the task a bit less difficult.
In this league, there are generally two types of teams: those who rely on free agency and trades to build their contender, and those who build their programs organically, most often through the draft. Big-market teams tend to be the former, while small market teams usually go the other route.
If either Marks or Riley were put in charge of the Lakers&rsquo; front office, they would probably trade Horton-Tucker for draft capital after realizing he&rsquo;s not the right fit there. They&rsquo;d engage the Pelicans, Blazers, Thunder, Rockets, Pacers and Grizzlies &mdash; teams who may have multiple first-round picks &mdash; and find a way to come away from the draft with a young piece and at least one more promising player from the summer circuit. Only then would they go knocking on the doors of guys like Tristan Thompson, Semi Ojeleye and Victor Oladipo, all of whom could help and potentially be had for cheap.
By the time the 2022-23 season tips off, the team could be remade. Some names we&rsquo;d know, and many we wouldn&rsquo;t. But as we&rsquo;ve seen before, often, it&rsquo;s the names we don&rsquo;t know who end up making the biggest difference. Alex Caruso, anyone?&nbsp;
Neither DeMar DeRozan, Buddy Hield nor Kyle Lowry will be coming to save the day; Pelinka and James got themselves into their current mess, and they&rsquo;ll have to get themselves out.
With their season ending much sooner than anyone could have imagined, the Lakers will have plenty to address over their long summer.
But, at least in the NBA, small steps can lead to major strides.
With few options, the Lakers should be so wise.
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With the Los Angeles Lakers out of playoff contention, they must now focus on rebuilding like a small-market team.

Only fix for LeBron’s Lakers is to operate like a small-market team

Anyone else love going back and looking at old box scores and falling down afternoon-long rabbit holes, or am I the weirdo?
You might&rsquo;ve read the headline and either recalled this event actually happening, or are befuddled at how such a thing could take place, even in that NBA.
This article, published on April 6, 2022, marks 25 years since the Del Harris-led Los Angeles Lakers held Jim Cleamons and his Dallas Mavericks to 2 points in the third quarter of a regular-season game.
The contest was held at the LA Forum, where a 50-24 Laker team met a 22-53 Mavs squad with two weeks remaining before the playoffs started. Staples wasn&rsquo;t that big yet, and Crypto didn&rsquo;t exist. (Some might say it still doesn&rsquo;t, but you can fight about that amongst yourselves.)
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A large-ass, Biggie verse-having, All-Star center named Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal had been <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/14/sports/injury-to-o-neal-is-a-blow-to-lakers.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">out with a knee injury</a> suffered that February, which he returned from five days later. Something tells me, if you made it here, you&rsquo;ve heard of him. Also on the Lakers, quite famously, was a talented rookie named Kobe Bryant, who had been playing regular rotation minutes at 18 years old, but wasn&rsquo;t yet Kobe.
The Mavericks had traded a controversial-but-talented point guard in Jason Kidd earlier in the season &mdash; along with Tony Dumas and Loren Meyer &mdash; to the Phoenix Suns for a package highlighted by Michael Finley, Sam Cassell and A.C. Green. They also dealt Jamal Mashburn to the Miami Heat several weeks later for Kurt Thomas, Sasa Danilović and Martin M&uuml;&uuml;rsepp.
And right before the deadline, Dallas rerouted Cassell as part of a five-man package including Jim Jackson, George McCloud (who wound up on the Lakers retroactively), Eric Montross and Chris Gatling for Shawn Bradley, Khalid Reeves, Robert Pack and Ed O&rsquo;Bannon &mdash; famously the Most Outstanding Player of the 1995 Final Four, and <a href="https://www.primerus.com/business-law-articles/ed-obannon-shines-a-light-upon-student-athletes-right-of-publicity-624201.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">killer of EA's NCAA Football and NCAA Basketball video game franchises</a>. This move not only cemented Dallas&rsquo; rebuild, but it officially made way for a <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/mavericks/2018/06/06/flashback-jamal-mashburn-on-what-really-happened-between-jason-kidd-jim-jackson-and-toni-braxton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Toni Braxton-less future in Texas</a>.
The Mavericks, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DAL/1997_games.html">who came in as losers of 10 straight heading into this game</a> &mdash; a lengthy skid that never saw the team score more than 92 points &mdash; went into Hollywood and started Pack, Finley, Green, Bradley and Derek Harper. Without Shaq, the Lakers began with Derek Fisher, Eddie Jones, Jerome Kersey, Corie Blount and Sean Rooks, who played a game-high 43 minutes (33 over his season average).
<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199704060LAL.html">The Mavericks led 30-17 after the first quarter and 51-37 at halftime</a>. The teams combined to attempt 12 threes in the first half, which most teams would typically combine to do in a quarter today. The Mavericks shot 21 of 44 from the field and outrebounded the Lakers 24-16 while holding L.A. to 12 of 32 shooting.
Bryant and Robert Horry went a combined 2 of 9 off the bench, and Rooks had logged 10 points and 7 boards to that point. Harper and Finley combined for 25 points on 9 of 15 shooting, while Bradley had 9 points and 9 rebounds.
Okay, now let's get to why you&rsquo;re here.
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Not only did the Mavericks score 2 points in the entire third quarter, but the points came from a pair of Harper free throws with 1:51 left in the quarter. So it took over 10 minutes to even get on the board in this period.
Anyway, the Mavericks shot 0 of 15 from the field for the quarter and missed all 4 of their three-balls. They also had 9 turnovers and only made one substitution over the entire 12 minutes, removing Pack for Sa&scaron;a Danilović about halfway through the third. That meant Green, Harper, Finley and Bradley were each a minus-25 for the quarter, and Pack was a minus-20.
For good measure, the Mavericks third quarter could be summed up like this:
<ul>
<li>Points: 2</li>
<li>Fouls: 3</li>
</ul>
The Lakers outscored the Mavericks 27-2 and still just led 64-53 after three. L.A. shot 10 of 17 in the quarter, made 5 of 7 triples, only needed to pull down 8 rebounds and turned the ball over just twice.
The Mavs outdid their horrific third quarter only 48 seconds into the fourth with two layups. They even cut their deficit to as close as 7 points in garbage time before the Lakers pulled away with a 87-80 win.
Fisher scored 21 points &mdash; not even close to a career-high for him &mdash; but to that point, his highest point tally had been just 14. In fact, the 21 points would remain a career-best mark for Fisher until he netted 26 points on March 13, 2001 in a win over the Boston Celtics four years later.
Sean &ldquo;2019 Bam Adebayo&rdquo; Rooks ended the night with 15 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks. Bryant logged about 22 minutes off the bench, netting 13 points on 3 of 9 shooting, also finishing with 3 steals and going a perfect 5 of 5 at the free-throw line.
Harper led the Mavs with 18 points on 6 of 15 shooting. Finley only put up 9 shots in over 34 minutes of play. The next time he put up just 9 shots in that many minutes? <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200203310WAS.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">March 31, 2002</a>.
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So, what ended up happening to these two teams? Glad you asked!
The Lakers finished 56-26 and fourth in the Western Conference, sweeping the Kenny Anderson, Isaiah Rider, and Rasheed Wallace-led Portland Trail Blazers in Round 1. Then, in the West semifinals, L.A. fell to the No. 1 seed Utah Jazz, who eventually lost to the Chicago Bulls in the 1997 NBA Finals. The Lakers still had a few more years of Harris before Phil Jackson eventually came to clean things up prior to the 1999-2002 three-peat era.
The Mavericks finished 24-58 and were actually still fourth in the Midwest Division among seven teams, completing 1996-97 with only the sixth-worst record in the league. Unfortunately, they didn&rsquo;t own their own draft pick, but fortunately, the Celtics &mdash; who had it at No. 6 &mdash; used it on Ron Mercer, so it wasn&rsquo;t an egregious miss.
Tracy McGrady did go No. 9 overall, and the Mavs did settle on Kelvin Cato at No. 15, but they landed with a kid named Dirk Nowitzki in the 1998 NBA Draft after another 20-win season.
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Bryan Fonseca revisits when the Mavericks only mustered a measly 2 points in the third quarter against the Lakers.

25 years ago, the Mavericks scored just 2 points in an entire quarter

Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 19 rebounds and 11 assists for his 19th triple-double of the season, and the Denver Nuggets held on to beat the Charlotte Hornets 113-109 on Monday night.
Aaron Gordon added 21 points and Will Barton scored 18 for the Nuggets, who earned a split of the season series.
Miles Bridges had 27 points and 11 rebounds and LaMelo Ball added 22 points, 11 assists and six rebounds for Charlotte, which fell to 1-13 in the second night of back-to-backs. The loss dropped the Hornets to ninth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind the idle Brooklyn Nets.
Denver took a 83-74 lead into the fourth quarter and quickly extended it to 13 points. The Hornets battled back to cut the lead to one with 4:07 left behind 3-pointers from Isaiah Thomas, Bridges and Ball and an alley-oop dunk by Bridges.
The Hornets had several chances to tie the game, but shots wouldn't fall.
Monte Morris put the Nuggets up by five with two free throws with 38.8 seconds left before Rozier answered with a 3.
Jokic missed a jumper on Denver's next possession, but got his own rebound and was fouled hard with 8.6 seconds left. He made both shots to make it a two-possession game.
The Hornets couldn't score on their final possession, losing for only the second time in the last eight games.
Denver dominated the offensive boards and finished with 32 second-chance points.
HARRELL EJECTED
Montrezl Harrell and Gordon exchanged words and some light shoves near the end of the third quarter, resulting in Harrell getting two technical fouls and being ejected from the game.
Gordon was assessed one technical foul, but remained in the game.
It started when Harrell appeared to step over Austin Rivers &mdash; who was on the ground after taking a shot to the head &mdash; and then shoved Gordon with one arm, prompting a retaliatory shove from Gordon. The two then had to be separated by teammates and, after a long delay, Harrell was ejected.
TIP INS
Nuggets: Outrebound Charlotte 51-40. ... Morris had 14 points and nine assists.
Hornets: Had 33 assists. ... Bridges and Terry Rozier were a combined 4 of 17 from 3-point range.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: At Pelicans on Wednesday night.
Hornets: At Knicks on Wednesday night.

Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 19 rebounds and 11 assists for his 19th triple-double of the season.

Jokic's triple-double lifts Nuggets past Hornets 113-109

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Celtics coach Ime Udoka has his priorities set for the final push to the playoffs, and trying to figure out Boston's best matchup isn't among them.
&ldquo;Teams manipulate where they want to play. We&rsquo;re not concerned about that,&rdquo; the rookie head coach said on Sunday after the Celtics cruised past the Minnesota Timberwolves 134-112 and climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s too much closeness to try to manipulate things and pick an opponent," Udoka said. &ldquo;Home court advantage is the main thing, and let the chops fall where they&rsquo;re going to fall.&rdquo;
Jayson Tatum scored 34 and Jaylen Brown had 31 points and 10 rebounds to lead Boston to its sixth straight win. The Celtics won for the 24th time in their last 28 games and, combined with the 76ers loss to Phoenix, took over the No. 1 spot in the East.
Boston and Miami have the same record at 47-28. The Celtics have beaten the Heattwice this season, and the teams meet again Wednesday.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a journey,&rdquo; Tatum said. &ldquo;We had to find our identity. Lost some teammates; got some new guys. We&rsquo;ve had to battle, but it&rsquo;s been fun. We had some tougher times, but we&rsquo;ve benefited from it, and made us better."
This win came at the expense of the team that until recently had been the one of the hottest in the NBA: Minnesota is 12-5 since the All-Star break, winning 10 of 11 before back-to-back losses to Phoenix and Dallas this week.
Anthony Edwards scored 24 and Karl-Anthony Towns added 19 as the Timberwolves opened a four-game road trip with a loss &mdash; their third in four games.
The Celtics scored 13 of the first 15 points in the second quarter to open a double-digit lead they never relinquished. It was 72-49 at halftime.
By that point, the only question was whether Tatum would move into the NBA lead in scoring. He did, finishing the day with 1,923 points to pass Atlanta's Trae Young (1,915) for the top spot.
The Celtics star already has one of the top 15 scoring seasons in Celtics history and has seven games left to become the seventh player in franchise history to top 2,000 points in a season. He would join John Havlicek, Paul Pierce, Larry Bird, Isaiah Thomas, Kevin McHale, Sam Jones.
OUT
The Celtics were without forward Al Horford, who missed the game for undisclosed personal reasons and is unlikely for Monday night in Toronto. Minnesota missed Malik Beasley, who left Friday night&rsquo;s game with a sprained ankle.
Brown and Tatum both tested their sore knees before the game and were cleared to play. Robert Williams III, who had 13 points and 10 rebounds, limped off the court at the end of the third quarter with the Celtics up 26, and did not return.
The team said he had a left knee sprain. Udoka said Williams had &ldquo;quite a bit of pain&rdquo; but the team would know more after seeing a scan on Monday.
Udoka said some players might sit out against Toronto in the second game of a back-to-back on Monday night &mdash; even with the East's top four seeds within a half-game of each other. (Boston and Miami were 47-28, with Milwaukee and Philadelphia at 46-28.)
&ldquo;As far as rest goes, that&rsquo;s the main thing,&rdquo; Udoka said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got some guys who&rsquo;ve got some nicks now and you have to be smart about it.&rdquo;
FINED
The NBA fined Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince $15,000 on Sunday for making an obscene gesture on the court in their 116-95 win over Dallas. At end of the third quarter of Friday night&rsquo;s game, Prince and Dallas&rsquo; Luka Doncic both got technical fouls for exchanging words.
TIP-INS
Towns was removed for a substitute late in the third quarter. He walked off the court and straight to the locker room. ... It&rsquo;s the seventh time this year Tatum and Brown have scored at least 30 apiece.
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: At Toronto on Wednesday night.
Celtics: At Toronto on Monday night.
&nbsp;

Jayson Tatum scored 34 as the Celtics beat the Timberwolves 134-112 and climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference.

Celtics beat T'Wolves 134-112, take over top spot in East

With respect to Juwan Howard and the University of Michigan men&rsquo;s basketball team, the second- and third-best upsets of the Men&rsquo;s NCAA Tournament in the Round of 32 &mdash; after Saint Peter&rsquo;s stunning Murray State &mdash; came at the hands of the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes and No. 11 Iowa State Cyclones.
In the Midwest Regional, we already saw a classic 12/5 upset in the opening round, featuring Atlantic-10 champion Richmond outlasting Big Ten champion Iowa 67-63 on Thursday. Miami got by USC 68-66 in a 10/7 win on Friday, as did 11-seeded Iowa State in beating No. 6 LSU in a 59-54 victory.
But on Sunday after, Iowa State shut down the third-seeded University of Wisconsin Badgers in Milwaukee 54-49. The stunner was followed by Miami blowing out No. 2 Auburn and expected top-three NBA Draft pick Jabari Smith 79-61 later that evening.
This sets the stage for a seemingly improbable Sweet 16 matchup between two double-digit seeds, which has only happened four other times in the tournament&rsquo;s history.
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The Miami (FL) Hurricanes have a forecast 78% chance to win against The Iowa State Cyclones with a spread of -5.0/5.0 and an over/under of 139.0. The Miami (FL) Hurricanes are 0 - 0 against The Iowa State Cyclones in the 2021-22 Season.
&mdash; Friday, March 25th Iowa State Cyclones @ Miami (FL) Hurricanes</blockquote>

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In 1997, No. 10 seed Providence &mdash; led by God Shammgod &mdash; beat No. 14 Chattanooga 71-65, or as the Washington Post put it, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1997/03/22/providence-gets-help-from-god/3f1b5666-3f30-4f88-b6f0-8d046204a8d8/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GOT HELP FROM GOD</a>.&rdquo; Other notable players on Providence then? Longtime Indiana Pacer forward Austin Croshere and subsequent Big East scoring champion Jamel Thomas. You may also remember the latter from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltkGPCGu-WY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Through The Fire</a>, the Sebastian Telfair documentary from 2005.
In 2011, No. 11 VCU outlasted No. 10 Florida State 72-71 in overtime, and subsequently defeated No. 1 Kansas 71-61 in the Elite Eight to reach the Final Four that year.
In 2014, No. 11 Dayton defeated No. 10 Stanford 82-72, led by 18 points from current NBA G League guard Jordan Sibert.
Lastly, and most recently in 2016, No. 10 Syracuse slipped by No. 11 Gonzaga with a 63-60 victory. Guided by first-round picks Malachi Richardson (2016) and Tyler Lydon (2017) &mdash; along with 2016 second-rounder Michael Gbinije &mdash; the Orange claimed victory over No.1 Virginia in the Elite Eight.
Both VCU and Syracuse lost in the national semifinals in 2011 and 2016, respectively.
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(Back when putting mainstream music in highlights was acceptable.)
Additionally, there have been 15 double-digit-seeded teams to crack the Elite Eight, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_Eight">according to the NCAA Tournament's Wiki</a>. (Oh, come on. I don&rsquo;t use them for much, but don&rsquo;t act like they didn&rsquo;t get you through college, too!)
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This Miami-Iowa State matchup obviously guarantees that at least one double-digit seed will advance to the Elite Eight.
This Miami team has experienced some distinct highs of any squad left in the tournament this season, considering its standing as a No. 10 seed. After an inconsistent 4-3 start to their season, the Hurricanes won nine straight games from Dec. 1 through Jan. 8, highlighted by a win over then-second-ranked Duke at Cameron Indoor, 76-74, capping a 5-0 start to ACC play.
Additionally, they Kimbo Sliced the North Carolina Tar Heels in the face 10 days later with an 85-57 victory, which was sandwiched in between two one-point losses to Florida State, who isn&rsquo;t in any postseason this year. Again, inconsistency from The U.
Most notably, the Canes have one of the oldest teams in all of Division I. Due to COVID's effect on college sports seasons, Miami players were subsequently offered an extra year of eligibility without consequence, and have taken advantage of it. The Canes have an average age of 21.38, <a href="https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/sports/college/2022/01/15/miami-hurricanes-5-1-start-acc-due-jim-larranaga-healthy-roster/9198049002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">making them the oldest bunch in the ACC and ninth in all of Division I</a>. Kameron McGusty, Charlie Moore and Sam Waardenberg are 3 of Miami&rsquo;s 5 leading scorers, and all of them are sixth-year seniors.
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Though McGusty leads the Canes in scoring with 17.5 points per game &mdash; and was the team&rsquo;s lone <a href="https://theacc.com/news/2022/3/6/athlete-awards-acc-unveils-2021-22-mens-basketball-awards.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">All-ACC First-Team selection</a> &mdash; junior guard Isaiah Wong has been the team&rsquo;s breakout star in the tournament. Wong, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/31769253/isaiah-wong-withdraw-nba-draft-rejoin-miami-hurricanes-junior-season">who entered the 2021 NBA Draft before returning to school</a>, dropped 22 points on 7 of 12 shooting against USC; he followed it up with 21 points on 8 of 18 shooting in the win over Auburn while also pulling down 6 rebounds. Between the two games, the 2022 All-ACC Third-Teamer has made 13 of his 14 attempts from the free-throw line.
Iowa State is 304th in points per game, but 20th in fewest points allowed. So, if the Cyclones have their way, they&rsquo;ll be looking to ground the Canes, who are 77th in points and 35th in Offensive Rating out of 358 D-I programs. The Cyclones were ranked as high as No. 8 earlier this season, and were in the top-25 for nine straight weeks from December through February &mdash; largely thanks to a 12-0 start. Iowa State's big wins this season included upsets over No. 25 Xavier and No. 9 Memphis in November, both while unranked. &nbsp;
Former Penn State and St. Bonaventure guard Izaiah Brockington arrived to Iowa State following last season, and won Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team for his efforts. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Brockington is the Cyclones' leading scorer and rebounder at 17.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest. The 6-foot freshman Tyrese Hunter became a constant presence in the Iowa State backcourt, averaging 10.9 points and 4.9 assists en route to Big 12 Rookie of the Year honors.
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Hunter and Brockington combined for 42 of the Cyclones' 59 points in Round 1.
Additionally, the Cyclones have senior guard Gabe Kalscheur, who is averaging 9.5 points per game this season. Kalscheur exploded for 22 points on 10 of 19 shooting in ISU's win over Wisconsin.
The winner between Miami and Iowa State on Friday night will face the winner of Kansas and Providence this coming Sunday night, which could potentially give us yet another double-digit seed in the Final Four.
We'll see if one of these teams can continue an improbable run through the weekend.&nbsp;
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Bryan Fonseca revisits the history of double-digit matchups in the Sweet 16 and previews the Canes-Cyclones clash.

Double-digit seeds Miami, Iowa State to improbably meet in Sweet 16

Although some top-tier players who were expected to hit free agency this coming summer have already signed extensions, the 2022 NBA free-agent class will feature quite a few stars.
After <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-free-agency-preview-ranking-the-top-10-guards">ranking the best guards</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-free-agency-preview-ranking-the-top10-forwards">forwards set to hit the open market</a>, let's complete this series by highlighting the top-10 big men up for grabs this summer. &nbsp;
1. Deandre Ayton &mdash; Phoenix Suns &mdash; Restricted
Deandre Ayton is the crown jewel of this year's free-agent center crop. Although the Suns surprisingly chose not to offer him a max extension last offseason (worth approximately $173 million over five years), Phoenix is still in the driver's seat, as the franchise can match any offer the former No. 1 overall pick receives this summer. Expect them to do just that for a young, improving player who is a foundational cornerstone of a team with championship aspirations.&nbsp;
2. Jusuf Nurkic &mdash; Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; Unrestricted
After a disappointing 2020-21 campaign, Jusuf Nurkic bounced back impressively this season, averaging 15.0 points, a career-high 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 53.5% from the floor. Nurkic has been sidelined by plantar fasciitis for the past month, and will likely miss the rest of the season. However, he'll likely be ready to rock by the start of training camp next September. Due to Nurk's tight bond with Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, many pundits expect Portland to re-sign the big man to a multi-year deal.&nbsp;
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3. Mitchell Robinson &mdash; New York Knicks &mdash; Unrestricted
The Knicks technically have until June 30 to ink Mitchell Robinson to an extension worth up to $48 million over four years. However, the two sides have not yet reached an agreement, so it appears Mitch Rob will be able to test the market for his services. While he has flashed All-NBA Defense upside in short spurts throughout his four-year career, Robinson has battled numerous injuries and baffling inconsistency. His regression at the free-throw line (he's shooting below 50% in each of the past two seasons) is obviously worrisome as well. Nevertheless, few big men can supply the type of high-flying athleticism and rim-protection he brings to the table.
4. Bobby Portis &mdash; Milwaukee Bucks &mdash; Player Option 
With Brook Lopez sidelined for most of the 2021-22 season, Bobby Portis stepped in and stepped up for the Bucks, starting 57 of the team's last 58 games. He is averaging career-highs in scoring (15.1 points), boards (9.1), steals (0.8), blocks (0.8) and made three-pointers (2.0). Portis is currently one of only two players in the NBA averaging at least 9 rebounds and 2 made treys per game. (Luka Doncic and Karl-Anthony Towns are the other two members of this club.) Portis' player option for 2022-23 is only worth $4.6 million, so he is expected to opt-out and search for a significant raise.
5. Ivica Zubac &mdash; Los Angeles Clippers &mdash; Team Option 
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Zubac is a bonafide firefighter for LAC. In one possession he 1) traps Trae 28 ft out 2) sprints towards Capela hands up to dissuade the pass to the roller 3) checks Capela and stops the Collins drive 4) gets in front of Capela as the shot goes up and wins the glass battle <a href="https://t.co/OjS3dxuz4P">pic.twitter.com/OjS3dxuz4P</a>
&mdash; Justin W. (@LAClippersFilm) <a href="https://twitter.com/LAClippersFilm/status/1503470104041861120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Ivica Zubac's team option for next season is $7.5 million, so it's an easy decision for the Clippers to pick it up. He just turned 25 years old last week and continues to improve steadily. Zubac is posting career-highs in just about every statistical category this season.
6. Montrezl Harrell &mdash; Charlotte Hornets &mdash; Unrestricted
Montrezl Harrell has had another productive and efficient season off the bench, averaging 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists, while shooting 63.9% across 62 games for both the Wizards and Charlotte Hornets (following a midseason trade).&nbsp;
7. Mo Bamba &mdash; Orlando Magic &mdash; Restricted
After struggling mightily over his first three years in the NBA, Mo Bamba, the sixth overall pick in the 2018 draft, is enjoying the best year of his pro career. He is on pace to become the first player in Magic franchise history to average more than 1.5 blocks and 1.0 made three-pointers per game over an entire season. However, the Magic inked center Wendell Carter Jr. to a four-year, $50 million contract extension back in October and have Mo Wagner (brother of their prized rookie, Franz) under contract next season as well. In addition, lineups with both WCJ and Bamba have not performed well. Thus, Orlando will likely let the former lottery pick walk if another team offers a contract the team is uncomfortable matching.&nbsp;
8. Nic Claxton &mdash; Brooklyn Nets &mdash; Restricted
Nic Claxton continues to impress in limited playing time off the bench for Brooklyn. His per-36 minute averages this season are outstanding: 15.2 points (on 65.1% shooting), 9.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. The Nets have limited depth due to the high salaries of their top players, and billionaire owner Joe Tsai is unafraid of paying the luxury tax, so Brooklyn is expected to match any reasonable offer Claxton receives.&nbsp;
9. Andre Drummond &mdash; Brooklyn Nets &mdash; Unrestricted
Andre Drummond has increased his value following the trade that sent him from Philadelphia to Brooklyn. He has started all 14 games he's played as a Net, and is averaging 11.4 points (on 62.5% shooting), 9.6 rebounds and 0.9 blocks for Brooklyn. Drummond can boost his value significantly with a strong showing in the playoffs.&nbsp;
10. Thomas Bryant &mdash; Washington Wizards &mdash; Unrestricted:
Thomas Bryant inked a three-year, $25 million deal back in 2019 and played very well for the Wiz during the first year of that pact, averaging 13.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in under 25 minutes a night. He also started the following season impressively before tearing his ACL in early 2021. Bryant returned to action in January, but has seen his minutes reduced following Washington's acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis. Still just 24 years old, Bryant could be a worthwhile investment for a team in the market for a young big.&nbsp;
Best of the Rest:
LaMarcus Aldridge, JaVale McGee, Dwight Howard, Isaiah Hartenstein, Hassan Whiteside, Derrick Favors (player option), Tristan Thompson, Kevon Looney, JaMychal Green, Frank Kaminsky, Mike Muscala (team option), Bismack Biyombo
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Tommy Beer ranks the top centers who could be available as a part of the 2022 NBA free-agent class.

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

Isaiah Thomas is back.
Well, not&nbsp;back &mdash;&nbsp;this isn't the 2016-17 campaign in which Thomas carried a Boston Celtics offense to the tune of 28.9 points (on 62.5% True Shooting) and 5.9 assists per game. But Thomas has found a home for the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/charlotte-to-sign-isaiah-thomas-for-the-rest-of-the-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rest of the season</a>, providing the currently-streaking Charlotte Hornets with a nice boost of offense.
Since joining the team three weeks ago, Thomas is averaging a shade under 10 points while draining 48.0% of his threes (3.6 attempts). During the Hornets' five-game winning streak, Thomas is averaging 10.8 points in 14 minutes per contest thanks to some insane shooting from deep (58.8% on 3.4 attempts).
Much like his peak days, Thomas is getting busy in the pick-and-roll.
He remains a pull-up threat, making any sort of "under" coverage nearly untenable. While not as bursty as he used to be, he's able to attack gaps and flow into floaters and push shots. His shot diet has altered since his last full-ish season with the Washington Wizards in 2019-20, with more of his shots coming at the rim or floater range (43% vs 34%) per Cleaning The Glass.
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The Hornets have scored 1.16 points per possession (PPP) on trips featuring a Thomas-led pick-and-roll, per Second Spectrum. That number rises to 1.3 on trips where Thomas and Montrezl Harrell &mdash; a violent rim-runner with an intermediate touch he can use when the rim is cut off &mdash; team up.
That two-man game is the bedrock of Charlotte's second unit, with built-in secondary options if an advantage isn't created.
A favorite as of late: a high ball-screen with Thomas and Harrell that flows into an empty corner handoff.
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Think about the options here. A switch would have Willy Hernangomez on an island against Thomas, and Jose Alvarado (fiesty!) on Harrell. Neither would be great options. Playing drop coverage would likely give Thomas a gap to pull-up into, though Alvarado is a stout on-ball defender that could make Thomas uncomfortable.&nbsp;
They instead opt to blitz, taking the ball out of Thomas' hands. But taking the ball out of his hands simply means putting it into the hands of LaMelo Ball, the Hornets' best player.&nbsp;
Giving LaMelo a roller like Harrell is a tough proposition; doing so with an empty side puts the defense in a bind like this:
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Alvarado peels over to the nail to cut off Ball's drive, but that leaves Thomas open for a catch-and-shoot opportunity. Harrell, of course, is rolling into the empty side with no help present. On the weak side, PJ Washington is in prime position to screen off his man (Naji Marshall, No. 8) or Kelly Oubre's man (Trey Murphy III, No. 25) to create a shot.&nbsp;
The Hornets don't just flow into handoffs after Thomas-led ball-screens; they can pivot to off-ball screens for shooters as well.
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This is nice movement set to get Terry Rozier a look. Jalen Brunson does a great job of staying attached, so it simply flows into a downhill attack with Mason Plumlee filling the lane.
Dwight Powell dropped back pretty far on the initial ball-screen, which ends up giving Rozier a runway to drive into. With Miles Bridges chilling in the left corner, Maxi Kleber is stuck between tagging Plumlee on the roll, or staying home on the shooter.&nbsp;
Having a threat like Thomas is incredibly annoying for defenses.
It's especially annoying when he's the first layer of a multi-pronged attack.
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Nekias Duncan breaks down the ways Isaiah Thomas is impacting the Hornets' offense.

Explain one play: Isaiah Thomas as the Hornets' tip of the spear

The Charlotte Hornets are signing guard Isaiah Thomas to a new contract for the remainder of the season, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1506091336533004298" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>. After previously signing 10-day contracts with the Lakers and Mavericks, Thomas finds home in Charlotte where he's averaged 10 points and has assumed a leadership role. The Hornets are 7-2 since signing Thomas.
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Sources: The Charlotte Hornets are signing guard Isaiah Thomas to a new contract for the remainder of the season. After 10-days with Lakers, Mavs, Hornets, Thomas finds home in Charlotte where he's averaged 10 points and assumed leadership role. Hornets: 7-2 since signing Thomas.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1506091336533004298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS:&nbsp;It appears Christmas came early in 2022. Thomas being signed for the rest of the season, even if it's nowhere close to the role he once had five years ago, is a win for everyone who rooted for him. Even better, Charlotte's not keeping him around for purely sentimental reasons.
The Hornets have benefited from having him around, and they recognize as much. Here's to hoping we never have to see IT fight for 10-day contracts again.

Charlotte has signed two-time All-Star Isaiah Thomas for the rest of the season.

Charlotte Hornets to sign Isaiah Thomas for the rest of the season

Last night, on his 42nd birthday, Jamal Crawford announced his retirement from the NBA. Crawford is one of eight players in NBA history to play for 20 seasons; only Vince Carter (22), Robert Parish (21) and Kevin Willis (21) had a longer career.
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&ldquo; Goodbye to the game, all the spoils the adrenaline rush.&rdquo; Thank you basketball, I owe you everything &hellip;..✌🏾 <a href="https://t.co/PpKYjoqz9p">pic.twitter.com/PpKYjoqz9p</a>
&mdash; 🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) <a href="https://twitter.com/JCrossover/status/1505795444693082112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
Crawford will go down as arguably the greatest sixth man of all-time, and he's one of just two players to win the Sixth Man of the Year award three times. He was known for creating instant offense off of the bench, and he was one of the league&rsquo;s best ball-handlers &mdash; consistently coming up with new moves and wowing fans with his handles. He scored the second-most points off the bench in NBA history (trailing only Lou Williams), per <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1505915685238497285" target="_blank" rel="noopener">StatMuse</a>.
Crawford was also known as one of the best teammates around the league, winning the NBA&rsquo;s Teammate of the Year award in 2018. He has strong relationships with many people around the basketball world &mdash;&nbsp; from players to coaches to executives to media. Throughout his career, he garnered a ton of respect from fellow players because of his immense love of the game and electrifying style of play, which inspired plenty of younger hoopers (especially in his hometown of Seattle).&nbsp;
Over the years, Crawford has done everything in his power to help up-and-coming Seattle-area players, even letting some live with him throughout his NBA career (including Isaiah Thomas, Nate Robinson and Abdul Gaddy among others).
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what it&rsquo;s all about. When you&rsquo;re a kid, you think it&rsquo;s all about you making it. Then, as you get older, the real joy, the real fulfillment, comes from seeing someone else make it," Crawford <a href="https://hoopshype.com/2018/09/03/nba-seattle-supersonics-sonics-jamal-crawford-proam-crawsover/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told me</a> in 2018. &ldquo;How can I tell someone like Isaiah Thomas or Brandon Roy or Nate Robinson or Tony Wroten or any of these guys to go help the next generation if I&rsquo;m not doing it? It all goes full circle. That&rsquo;s the payback. I don&rsquo;t want anything from those guys, I just want them to do it for the next generation... Before looking at their talent, I like to see how good of a kid they are and what kind of character they have. That&rsquo;s No. 1 for me. Once I see that, I&rsquo;m willing to help to the moon and back. I want to work with them and show them that this [lifestyle] is attainable.&rdquo;
When Crawford thinks about his career, he's said that passing down that pay-it-forward mentality to the next generation of Seattle players is one of his proudest achievements. Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine raves about Crawford, and he now tries to help younger players just as Crawford helped him.
&ldquo;Jamal is just, like, the best human being. He&rsquo;s a great person,&rdquo; LaVine&nbsp;<a href="https://hoopshype.com/2018/09/03/nba-seattle-supersonics-sonics-jamal-crawford-proam-crawsover/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told me</a> in 2018. &ldquo;I try to be the same way; it&rsquo;s just how you&rsquo;re supposed to be, how you&rsquo;re supposed to treat other people. I thank my parents [for instilling that]. I remember being in high school &ndash; or even right before I entered high school &ndash; getting little invites to their pro runs. To be a high-schooler going up against Brandon Roy, Jamal, Nate Robinson, Tone [Wroten]? You keep getting better and better. You can see the progression, and they can see that you&rsquo;re part of that group of players who will carry on Seattle basketball. You start from a young age and then once you get there [to the pros], you just pass it down the same way.&rdquo;
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Crawford is beloved by quite a few fan bases, having suited up for the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets.
After a productive 2018-19 season with the Suns (where Crawford was a strong leader and scored 51 points in his final game), he had a hard time getting signed by NBA teams. The Nets ultimately signed him during the NBA Bubble in Orlando, but he appeared in just one game before injuring his left hamstring. That would end up being Crawford&rsquo;s final NBA game, as he remained unsigned throughout the 2021-22 season &mdash; even when COVID-19 ravaged rosters and created opportunities for other veterans.
What&rsquo;s next for the 42-year-old? He has already been co-hosting the HooperVision broadcasts on NBA League Pass alongside Quentin Richardson, and he has received other offers in the media space (such as podcasting opportunities). Crawford has long been considered an excellent candidate for a broadcasting gig, and now he can seriously pursue that.&nbsp;
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Recently, Crawford has been coaching his son's basketball team, and he revealed on a Twitter Spaces conversation several months ago that he has received coaching and front-office offers from NBA teams. He has said that he wants to become an NBA executive someday because he feels that the NBA needs more former players in those positions, but it remains to be seen when he&rsquo;ll pursue that.
&ldquo;I [have] wanted to get into management just from the standpoint, I think we need more players in those roles and positions, someone that can give some insight into what it is like in the locker room,&rdquo; Crawford said, according to <a href="https://landonbuford.com/2021/10/03/jamal-crawford-reveals-he-has-gotten-nba-coaching-front-office-offers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Landon Buford</a>. &ldquo;Everything is not about numbers; sometimes, it is: what is driving this person? For example, how much does this person love the game? And is there something off the court affecting his on-the-court play? Those are the little nuances that I don&rsquo;t think they are looking at.
&ldquo;I would love to do that still, but I am enjoying coaching my son&rsquo;s team right now. Like, I am having a ball doing that. And I&rsquo;ll tell you guys that I have gotten offers for front-office and coaching in the NBA. I have put it on pause because I enjoy doing this, and I&rsquo;m the parent that is good with keeping the scorebook. The coach asked me to help out and that turned into a bug. I look forward to it and that&rsquo;s the immediate step basketball-wise, and then the other [stuff] will be there like TV and management hopefully at some point down the road.&rdquo;
After an amazing 20-year career, the basketball world is excited to see what the future holds for Crawford.
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Last night, on his 42nd birthday, Jamal Crawford announced his retirement after a 20-year NBA career. What's next for Crawford?

Jamal Crawford retires after 20-year NBA career: What's next for him?

Most NBA teams have approximately 15 games left in their regular-season schedules. Even if some squads are still mathematically in the postseason hunt, we can start to distinguish the desperate bids from the real races.
In the Eastern Conference, the Washington Wizards (despite how things look on the court) continue to chase the Charlotte Hornets and are three games back of an East Play-In spot. The Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs all hold some grip onto the Western Conference Play-In battle. But as the games wind down, the intensity ratchets up, and every loss can feel like a brick wall.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Toronto Raptors are riding a three-game win streak that includes quality victories over the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets. They now sit just one game back of the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers for the all-important sixth seed and definitely have enough momentum to take it with 15 games left in the regular season.
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10. Golden State Warriors (46-22)
The Warriors rallied with a massive week highlighted by two double-digit wins against the Nuggets and a Saturday primetime victory against the Milwaukee Bucks. The win over the Bucks was particularly impressive because Stephen Curry attempted just 7 field goals; Klay Thompson (38 points), Jordan Poole (30 points) and Andrew Wiggins (21 points) carried the scoring load. Golden State has looked rudderless at times without Draymond Green, but hopefully this three-game hot stretch inspires confidence.
(Last week: 7)
9. Houston Rockets (17-51)
Jalen Green is still playing superb basketball, but KJ Martin has come alive with a longer leash as Houston wades through its rebuilding season. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kj-martin-more-than-meets-the-eye" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Schindler wrote a fantastic article</a> over the weekend on Martin's mini-breakout. The 21-year-old is up to 43.8% from three-point range since the break and is much more than a slasher, as Mark illustrates. This is what you hope happens amidst all the losing, and if it continues, Houston might get out of the rankings altogether next week.
(Last week: 8)
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (38-29)
It's been a rough post-All-Star run for Cleveland, who is just 3-6 since the break. Jarrett Allen's finger fracture has impacted the Cavs' top-tier defense; it's now ranked 25th over the past two weeks. Caris LeVert, Lauri Markkanen and Rajon Rondo have also dealt with their own injuries. Cleveland is now just a single game up on Toronto in a tightly-packed East playoff race. The overall picture is still bright, but the recent downturn is simply a bummer for a franchise that can feel a tangible post-LeBron playoff appearance within its grasp.
(Last week: Unranked)
7. Charlotte Hornets (33-35)
Last week I attempted, for the second time this season, to point out a solid defensive stretch by the Hornets. Once again, they made me look like a buffoon. Charlotte gave up at least 115 points in all three of its games this past week, going 1-2 against the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and Pelicans. At least Isaiah Thomas got in a nice game with 14 points against New Orleans. No matter how you feel about his viability as an NBA player, it's impossible not to root for Thomas.
(Last week: 9)
6. Brooklyn Nets (35-33)
Nets Twitter (and I presume the rest of Nets fandom) positively exploded with joy in Brooklyn's dominant 129-100 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. The triumph is perhaps the highlight of the season to date and hopefully a spark plug, as Brooklyn has rattled off three consecutive victories. We also need to keep talking about Bruce Brown, who is averaging 14.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game since the All-Star break.&nbsp;
(Last week: 1)
5. New York Knicks (28-40)
I'm an absolute sucker for Deuce McBride propaganda, so here you go:
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Deuce has been freakin absurd at the nail as he's finally started to get rotation minutes <a href="https://t.co/2m98NjOo4p">pic.twitter.com/2m98NjOo4p</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1502679211127054337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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New York went 2-2 this week, but with some respectable losses to the Memphis Grizzlies and Miami Heat. More importantly, we're seeing meaningful time and flashes from young talents, whether it be McBride, RJ Barrett, Jericho Sims or Immanuel Quickley. That's all that matters over the final weeks.
(Last week: 2)
4. Los Angeles Lakers (29-38)
LeBron James has now dropped multiple 50-bombs out of the All-Star break and continues his lopsided battle with Father Time. Also lopsided? The Lakers are 2-0 since the break when James scored at least 50 points and 0-7 when he doesn't. That's... not exactly a desirable bar for success. Los Angeles now looks ahead at 6 games in 10 days with five against current playoff teams. I would not be surprised if they entered a March 27 contest against New Orleans behind the Pelicans in the standings.
(Last week: 3)
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3. Sacramento Kings (24-45)
Sacramento stands four-and-a-half games behind a Play-In spot, is 2-7 since the All-Star break and has bottom-10 metrics on both ends of the floor during that span. The Kings are giving up the ninth-highest frequency of three-pointers to opponents per Cleaning the Glass, and those teams are shooting a strong 38.2% from the floor. Sacramento has the playoff-bound Chicago Bulls, Bucks, Celtics and Suns next on tap, which doesn't bode well for them stopping the current four-game slide.
(Last week: 4)
2. Portland Trail Blazers (26-40)
Despite sitting 11th in the West and just one game behind the Pelicans, Portland simply can't put enough quality games together. The Blazers finally earned a 127-118 win over the Wizards to snap a six-game skid on Saturday. Anfernee Simons is down with a knee injury and will be re-evaluated in 1-to-2 weeks, meaning Portland loses its most coveted young player for the short-term future. Props to Josh Hart for his 44-point explosion though.
(Last week: 5)
1. Washington Wizards (29-37)
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Win, loss, tie, blowout either way: what on earth is this roster and minutes distribution man I know KP didn&rsquo;t play, but like how does that clear anything up lol <a href="https://t.co/1VkTfPnQfh">pic.twitter.com/1VkTfPnQfh</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1503001470148427779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Mark Schindler highlighted the rotation discord in Washington, and it's pretty baffling. Corey Kispert is playing 39 minutes? Deni Avdijia is playing 13 minutes? Washington should either be making a last-ditch playoff push (three games out of 10th right now) or committing to playing the more experienced young lottery talents it has added over the past few years. Yet somehow, neither is happening.
(Last week: 6)
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The Wizards and Trail Blazers are tumbling in Ethan Fuller's latest Sour Rankings.

NBA Sour Rankings: Wizards, Trail Blazers in postseason peril

With a couple of curses, a primal scream, and a few tears, too, Kevin Garnett helped hoist his No. 5 to the TD Garden rafters on Sunday alongside the 2008 NBA championship banner he helped win after arriving in Boston.
On a day that featured live and video tributes from ex-teammates, former Celtics greats, other NBA A-listers &mdash; and even musician Kenny G &mdash; Garnett became the 24th person in franchise history have is number retired.
None of the previous honorees them had quite the same combination of intensity, hard work and humor that Garnett brought when he joined Paul Pierce and Ray Allen for a New Big Three that ended the longest title drought in franchise history.
&ldquo;Before he got here, we had one of our worst seasons. He was just that injection in the heart that we needed,&rdquo; Pierce, whose No. 34 was retired in 2018, said in the postgame ceremony. &ldquo;You brought a sense of culture to this team that was desperately, desperately needed. You brought Boston pride &mdash; Celtic pride &mdash; back.&rdquo;
Wearing a dark suit and a black turtleneck, with a Ukrainian flag ribbon on his lapel and a Celtics green pocket square, Garnett came onto the court with his daughters and was greeted by former teammate and current broadcaster Brian Scalabrine.
With the championship trophy on a table behind them, Scalabrine asked where Garnett got the passion that propelled him from the fifth overall draft pick out of a Chicago high school to the basketball Hall of Fame.
&ldquo;Nobody tells you how to use your superpower,&rdquo; Garnett said, adding that he watched his mother work hard to raise him. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s in my DNA. I figured it out.&rdquo;
The day also included a reunion with Allen, ending a public feud that began when the sharpshooting guard left the Celtics to sign with the Miami Heat. The two players hugged and were soon joined by Pierce before Garnett shouted into the microphone: &ldquo;Ray&rsquo;s next, damn it!&rdquo;
Garnett played only six seasons in Boston, but they included five of his 15 career All-Star appearances and the 2008 championship &mdash; the 17th for the Celtics. He was the 2004 MVP with Minnesota, where he started and ended his 21-year NBA career.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad to see you&rsquo;re a member of this elite club,&rdquo; Hall of Famer Bill Russell told him in a videotaped tribute. &ldquo;I always enjoyed watching you play, and now our jerseys hang together in the rafters.&rdquo;
The Celtics presented Garnett with a piece of the original parquet floor, a custom bottle of tequila, a portrait of him popping his Celtics jersey, and &ldquo;an NFT gift basket.&rdquo; His daughters joined him as he raised the banner to the rafters, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Other tributes came in from Kevin McHale, the Celtics Hall of Famer who was also the Timberwolves general manager who traded Garnett to Boston; the TNT broadcast crew, including Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal and Charles Barkley; Danny Ainge, the general manager who built the '08 championship team; and former teammates Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo. (Former Piston Isiah Thomas, who was in the crowd, was booed.)
&ldquo;You changed the culture of the Boston Celtics. You taught us so much about what it takes to win,&rdquo; said ex-Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who is now coaching the Philadelphia 76ers. "Every coach in America &mdash; in the world &mdash; should have a chance to coach a Kevin Garnett, the greatest team player who ever played the game.&rdquo;
During the game, which the Celtics lost 95-92 to the Dallas Mavericks, videos regaled the fans with stories of Garnett's legendary intensity, including the time he challenged teammate Glen &ldquo;Big Baby&rdquo; Davis to arm wrestle.
Kenny G played &ldquo;Loving You&rdquo; on the saxophone. &ldquo;From one KG to another, congratulations,&rdquo; he said.
As fans filed out about an hour after the loss that snapped a five-game winning streak and was the day&rsquo;s only sour note, the arena rang out with the 1970s-era &ldquo;Gino Time&rdquo; video that the Celtics would play when Garnett&rsquo;s Celtics had wrapped up another victory.

With a couple of curses, a primal scream, and a few tears, Kevin Garnett helped hoist his No. 5 to the TD Garden rafters on Sunday.

Tears, swears as Celtics retire Kevin Garnett's No. 5

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

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

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

I&rsquo;ve had the privilege of being around some great players, including some guys from the NBA&rsquo;s 75th&nbsp;anniversary team.
In Boston, I was teammates with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. In Miami, I had Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal and Dwyane Wade showing me how to become a champion. I played with Chris Paul in New Orleans, coached LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in Cleveland, and was fortunate to have other guys like Antonio McDyess, Nick Van Exel and Steve Francis show me what success at the NBA level looked like.
I&rsquo;ve been around the game for a long time and, even though the game has changed, one of the constants has been players of the older generation telling the younger players they couldn&rsquo;t cut it &ldquo;back in the day.&rdquo;
Charles Oakley became the latest to make those kinds of comments earlier this week when Oak said that Giannis Antetokounmpo wouldn&rsquo;t even be a starter if he played back in the 1980s or 1990s.
I wouldn&rsquo;t necessarily say that I agree with Oak, but to be honest with you, I understand why he would feel that way. To go even further, I understand why most of the older players feel that way about the younger players in general.
There&rsquo;s always going to be people on either side of the argument, but one thing we can all agree on is the fact that the game is way different now than it was 30 years ago.
On a personal level, I feel like I&rsquo;m kind of caught between the two generations. I grew up watching Scottie Pippen and people compared me to him. I was drafted in 1999, but I was shown the ropes by guys like McDyess and Nick the Quick, who more so came up in those times. At the same time, I played 12 years and I think I saw that transition happen right before my eyes. Things just slowly evolved.
Truth be told, I think there&rsquo;s a lack of respect on both parts.
Older players like Oakley look at younger players and, for the most part, don&rsquo;t really think they&rsquo;re tough. Today, the league is more about protecting offensive players, protecting shooters and encouraging high-scoring games than it was back in the 1990s. Go back and watch some tape and you&rsquo;ll see. If Michael Jordan played by today&rsquo;s rules, for example, he could probably average 50.
Meanwhile, if Steph Curry went back to the 1980s and had to play against Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Bad Boys, and if he was seeing that kind of competition every night, if he wasn&rsquo;t encouraged to shoot 15 three-pointers every game&hellip; Would he have become the same player?
Maybe he still would have. I&rsquo;m just saying, that&rsquo;s where the arguments come from. Older players just think that the league has become soft, and they don&rsquo;t respect how players exaggerate contact and go out of their way to draw fouls the way it&rsquo;s become so common in today&rsquo;s game.
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On the other hand, one of the things I&rsquo;ve heard a lot from younger players and people who think guys like Giannis and Steph could go back and dominate is the &ldquo;lack of skill&rdquo; that some of the older players had, and I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s true at all.
In recent times, we began to equate a guys&rsquo; skill with his flash. Guys like Dr. J, George Gervin and Dominique Wilkins got accolades and attention, partially because of the things they could do, but so many other guys &mdash; guys like Charles Oakley &mdash; simply played the game in a no-nonsense type of way.
Guys like Oakley focused on fundamentals and on being able to perform their jobs well on the court, and I think the current generation of players and fans &mdash; when they look back at those guys &mdash; try to act like they weren&rsquo;t &ldquo;good&rdquo; because they weren&rsquo;t doing flashy dunks or crossing people over.
Even worse, a lot of the time we try to act like a lot of what we see today isn&rsquo;t a result of evolution. Guys like Giannis and Steph were either watching the previous generation or were taught by the guys who came before them. Would we have gotten Giannis if we never had Kevin Durant? Would we have had KD if we never had Dirk? Would we have had Dirk if we never had someone like George Gervin or Ralph Sampson?
I grew up being taught to respect my elders, and I think we should remember to do that.
At the same time, the older generation needs to understand that the game has changed and is just played differently. There&rsquo;s no reason to think that someone like Steph wouldn&rsquo;t have been able to get buckets against someone like Isiah or Derek Harper or whoever. He would&rsquo;ve had to adjust and find ways to be effective, just like he did in his earlier days when he was squaring off against other tough defenders.
The whole thing actually got me thinking: if I had a time machine and could make an imaginary pickup game with today&rsquo;s players against players from the 1980s and 1990s, which matchups would I like to see?
Ultimately, I think the winning team would be decided by which set of rules the imaginary pickup game was played under. If you were playing with today&rsquo;s rules, Isiah would probably get called for three hand-checking fouls on Steph in the first five minutes of the game.
If we were playing in the 1990s, though, Anthony Davis would probably get caught with an elbow from Karl Malone and need some time to recover. Worse for AD? There probably wouldn&rsquo;t even be a foul called on the play.
If I could have it my way, I&rsquo;d take one player from each position and two wildcards.
At point guard, as I&rsquo;ve already hinted at, I&rsquo;d like to see Chris Paul vs. Isiah. Both are all-time great point guards and both guys are tough competitors.
At shooting guard, I&rsquo;d take Reggie Miller and James Harden. Two of the greatest shooters ever, and also two of the best actors, haha. I&rsquo;d be interested in seeing how well Reggie would be able to keep up with and stay in front of James and also whether James could be effective without necessarily getting a bunch of free throws.
I&rsquo;d obviously have to put MJ and LeBron in there. Even though MJ is a shooting guard, I&rsquo;d have to cross-match them. It&rsquo;d be great to see whether MJ could score on LeBron at will the way he pretty much did against everyone else.
Karl Malone and Anthony Davis is an interesting one. Malone was as tough as they come, and AD doesn&rsquo;t really have that type of reputation. That said, AD is a superior offensive player and one who can score from almost anywhere. I&rsquo;d definitely want to see how The Brow managed to hold his own against The Mailman.
At center, I&rsquo;d take Shaq and Joel Embiid to go at it. Embiid reminds me of Shaq a little just because he&rsquo;s so dominant, but so agile. Because Shaq was so strong, people really don&rsquo;t give him the credit he deserves for being a great defender (when he tried) and for being able to move without the ball and see his teammates.
For my two wildcards, so to speak, I&rsquo;d want to cross-match Kevin Durant and Larry Bird and Steph Curry and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. Durant and Curry are probably the superior talents, but Bird never saw a challenge he couldn&rsquo;t meet. He also never saw a player quite like KD, though, so it&rsquo;d be interesting. Curry would obviously have to be in this matchup, and the reason I&rsquo;d pick Abdul-Rauf is mainly because I think he&rsquo;s someone who isn&rsquo;t talked about enough. He definitely wasn&rsquo;t on the level of Steph, but he was a great scorer and someone who could control a game. And even if Steph was lighting him up, he wouldn&rsquo;t be asking for any double-team. If Abdul-Rauf played in this generation, I think his entire career would have been different.
So that would be my ultimate pickup game:
Isiah Thomas, Reggie Miller, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal, Larry Bird and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf vs. Chris Paul, James Harden, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry.
Just writing out those names for the new-school team makes me wonder how on earth the old-school team would be able to stop them from scoring&hellip; But I think Isiah, MJ, Malone and Shaq would band together to find a way&hellip; Or at least go down swinging. Probably literally, too.
The game has definitely changed. Some people may like the changes, some may not. Either way, one thing is for sure: no matter what era you&rsquo;re from, it&rsquo;s not easy to succeed in the NBA. We all deserve each other&rsquo;s respect, and whether or not you agree with Oak and his assessment of Giannis, we can&rsquo;t take away the fact that the Greek Freak is the reigning Finals MVP.
Whether in 1980 or 2021, that trophy has always carried the same weight. That&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;d challenge my old-schoolers to always keep in mind.
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James Posey discusses the changes he's witnessed in the NBA over the last decades, and describes his ultimate pick-up game matchups.