Bulldogs

Cleveland Cavaliers president Koby Altman is typically one of the NBA's busiest executives when the trade deadline comes around. In fact, since taking over for David Griffin as the Cavs' general manager in July 2017, there hadn&rsquo;t been a single deadline where he stood pat.
On Thursday, that changed, as the Cavaliers decided not to make a trade.
&ldquo;My guys over there, they said, 'Koby I'm proud of you,' for not [making a move],&rdquo; Altman said with a grin at Cleveland Clinic Courts in his first media appearance this season. &ldquo;Because you could make deals. You can. There's things you can land the plane on. Don't just do something to do something. Let's be very, very intentional with what we're doing. It's different when you're in asset collection mode. It's different when you're trying to accumulate picks. That becomes a different motivation. I think where we are now is being very, very intentional [with] how you're going to help this young core grow and set them up for success. And if the move wasn't there to do it, don't do it. I guess we sat this one out.
&ldquo;I think there's value in continuity. I think there's value in giving this group a runway. And sometimes as a GM, you just say to yourself, 'Don't mess this up.' And I think that was a big key for us this deadline. [That's] not easy for me; you guys know I'm volume-heavy. But to take a step back and realize the growth we've seen already, mixed with the results... I didn't see anything that was appreciably gonna make us better and put us over the top. And so, I'm really happy with where we are and where we're going.&rdquo;
We all know the NBA community abides by a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately code, but remember Donovan Mitchell? The 26-year-old first-time All-Star starter who&rsquo;s already stamped his name in the Cavs history books and helped lead Cleveland to a torrid start? One of the best shooting guards in the league who&rsquo;s already won two Player of the Week awards and has brought 39 games worth of playoff experience with him to the team? The dude who <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-breaking-news-donovan-mitchell-scores-nbaseasonhigh-cavs-franchisebest-71-in-win" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped 71 freaking points in one night</a>?
Lest we forget that Altman already launched his full-court heave on the first day of September, prior to the frenzy that was this past week.
&ldquo;I'm really glad we did what we did in the summer, to bring in a Donovan Mitchell, because it's so competitive &mdash; hyper-competitive in the trade market, hyper-competitive in the standings. And so, that was our big move to really lift our ceiling,&rdquo; Altman said. &ldquo;I knew that we weren't going to top that move come trade deadline (laughs). I think it's been a seamless fit. I think it's been some really exciting basketball... I think we had a great future without Donovan, and I can't imagine not having him right now.
&ldquo;We don't need to take swings. We don't need to take these &lsquo;find this incredible talent that you have to build around&rsquo; (approaches). I think we've found that, which is the hardest part. And now, does it work within the group and does it make the team better?&rdquo;
Altman&rsquo;s reasoning behind this approach is logical in short-term and long-term lenses. First and foremost, he brought up the delicate nature of a rare, connected locker room. That&rsquo;s why, though he&rsquo;ll leave open the idea of scouring the buyout market with an open roster spot available, everything will be about fit and skill set when it comes to any addition.
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The Cavs are in a position that they haven&rsquo;t been in during his tenure. They boast the fifth-best record in the NBA while employing the second-youngest starting five (average age of 23.2 years old) in the league, and a majority of that core still has yet to experience postseason basketball.
&ldquo;There's no trade I could've accomplished that was going to account for Darius Garland playing in his first playoff series, Evan Mobley playing in his first playoff series, Isaac Okoro playing in his first playoff series. We have to go through that as a team,&rdquo; Altman said. &ldquo;We're gonna have to go down the stretch here and battle for our position. We're gonna have to go in, hopefully, knock on wood, to a playoff series and see what that feels like, and I'm excited about that.&nbsp;
&ldquo;And that's the growth, that's the maturation that I wanna see from this group down the stretch, and really take a step back and let them experience this kinda basketball that's very, very new for us, and give them the runway to achieve, have setbacks and grow from those experiences. But it's a really, really exciting place to be... Give this group what they deserve [with] what they've already accomplished.&rdquo;
Given his expiring contract situation, there were a lot of questions surrounding Caris LeVert, a hot name on the trade front. Multiple teams inquired about his status with the Cavs and what it&rsquo;d take for the franchise to part ways with him. Altman instead revealed that &ldquo;there&rsquo;s a lot of interest to keep him here,&rdquo; and explained his rationale behind sticking with LeVert.
&ldquo;We acquired Caris last year in vastly different circumstances. If you remember, we had Darius Garland and no other ball-handlers; Ricky [Rubio] was out for the year, we had lost Collin [Sexton] for the year. And so, we brought Caris in under vastly different pretenses. I think what he's done this year is try to adapt his game to two ball-dominant, all-world guards," Altman said. "He's gotten better at his spot-up shooting; he's at a career-high this year at 37% in terms of shooting, and that's not even his real piece. He's just a really good basketball player, and I think he's embraced the challenge of being a defensive stopper.
&ldquo;The thing that really speaks to me too is, and I'm a softy for this, but guys that really want to be here. Guys that show up every day to work, that have a great attitude, that whatever their role is &mdash; and he had to take a substantial step back, be a sixth-man type when he could be starting in the NBA on a lot of different teams &mdash; and being like, 'I want to make this work. I want to be here.' That's meaningful to me, that's meaningful to this organization and it's a big reason why he's here. The other thing too is, let's be honest, we're not playing guys 82 games a year anymore. And to be able to spot start Caris at times is an absolute luxury. We learned that last year we can't have enough ball-handlers. We'll see in the playoffs. I know it's been a few years now, [but] to break your man off the dribble when everything else breaks down and your set play is not working, you're gonna need guys to go get some stuff for you and manufacture some runs. He remains a very important part of what we're doing. He's just a really good basketball player. I know he's thrilled to still be here, and we're happy that he's here as well.&rdquo;
As per usual, Kevin Love&rsquo;s name surfaced in rumblings for another year. This time around, it made sense because he&rsquo;s recorded five straight DNP-CDs and missed action in the three previous games due to a bothersome thumb injury. Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff stated Wednesday night that the veteran big man is healthy and available, but wants to see what this new, healthy iteration of the team can do.&nbsp;
Asked about Love, Altman responded by saying that he&rsquo;s never had conversations with him or his representation about a buyout and doesn&rsquo;t anticipate it happening. He did however share that he and the 35-year-old have talked about making a sacrifice and staying ready when his chance to play comes again. Altman feels he&rsquo;ll have that opportunity at some point this season.
After striking a rhythm over the last week, Altman is pleased with what he&rsquo;s seen from this current Cavs rotation that&rsquo;s added some bodies off the injured list. Ricky Rubio &mdash; whom he considers midseason acquisition-like &mdash; came back in the fold less than a month ago and is rounding into form with the bench bunch, and Dean Wade has been getting his legs back under him since returning on Jan. 21, providing meaningful spacing and defensive chops.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Are the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a> finding stability? J.B. Bickerstaff, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Dean Wade weigh in (with hand signals and all 🎢). <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/oTD1TBWkyl">pic.twitter.com/oTD1TBWkyl</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1623719182910070786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

When the franchise pulled the trigger on the Mitchell blockbuster, it created a significant void left by now-Utah-Jazz-All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen. For much of the season, the wing has been anything but consistent and a point of contention around town. A whopping 18 different starting lineups is an obvious indication of that, which has included starts at small forward from LeVert, Okoro, Wade and Lamar Stevens. (That&rsquo;s due to injury and mixing and matching.)
However, to Altman&rsquo;s point of internal additions, Cleveland has seen a fresh version of Okoro emerge since the turn of the new year. From Jan. 4 and on &mdash; when &ldquo;Ice&rdquo; reentered the starting five &mdash; the burly third-year swingman over 19 games has averaged 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per contest on 58.5% from the field, including a scorching 49.0% clip beyond the arc.&nbsp;
Coupling his already-stout defense with the threat of knocking down triples in the corner &mdash; and playmaking for teammates off the catch when closed out on &mdash; has helped Okoro earn the Cavs&rsquo; trust.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so happy for Isaac, who puts the most work in that now he deserves that sorta 3-and-D position that we drafted him as, that can guard 1-through-4, that really puts pressure on the defense,&rdquo; Altman said. &ldquo;I think what you're seeing from us and from Isaac specifically is a dude that, right away, you feel that defense as soon as you get across half-court, or you want to take a shooter out and he's making you catch 40 feet out. That sets the tone for your defense, and he does that remarkably well. And now, he's hitting the three-ball and giving space to our guards, which we really need.&rdquo;
It also played a factor in Altman avoiding a potential disruption in Okoro&rsquo;s rhythm.
&ldquo;Obviously, everybody wants more shooting. It's something I looked at. But I also know... where are those minutes gonna go to?&rdquo; Altman argued. &ldquo;And that starting five, which has been really good with Isaac Okoro, who are you taking off the floor there when that group as a starting five is a plus-7.3 net rating with a substantial size now? Who are you taking off the floor there, right?
&ldquo;Between him, Dean, Cedi [Osman], we always wanted to hopefully have that be internal and not use more assets to go outside and hope it works. That's the other part too is, at the deadline, you're making these deals and hoping that it fits. You're ingratiating a new person into this system, everybody has to adapt around this person, you have to change the way you play a little bit to accentuate their positives. Keeping the continuity and letting the internal growth happen, I think, was a big part of (standing pat). And seeing those signs certainly gave us pause to... Isaac's only 22 years old, and he's getting better every single day. Let's let that play out.&rdquo;
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Flexibility is still present in Cleveland&rsquo;s books despite being over the salary cap. Altman noted how Mobley still being on his rookie-scale deal will allow the Cavs to re-sign LeVert and Love and use their mid-level exception if they choose. There are also second-round picks at their disposal, and if Thursday taught us anything, it&rsquo;s that they can be quite valuable.
Mitchell and Garland are meshing well with one another as the games pass, Mobley and Jarrett Allen have not shown signs of slowing down and Okoro is coming into his own. Rubio, LeVert, Wade and Osman have had their moments individually and are looking to put it all together to bolster the bench production. As long as the team can stay away from the injury bug, with a softer schedule in the second half of the season, there&rsquo;s no reason to expect any kind of decline. &nbsp; The overlying theme of the Cavs' strategy at this point? If it ain&rsquo;t broke, don&rsquo;t fix it.

Spencer Davies summarizes Cavaliers president Koby Altman's first press conference of the season after a quiet trade deadline.

Koby Altman counting on Cavaliers' continuity, growth from within

NBA and FIBA&rsquo;s Global Basketball Development and Community Outreach Program will be Held Aug. 7-10 in Canberra in Partnership with Basketball Australia.
12th Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp Will Bring Together Over 60 of the top High-School Age Boys and Girls from more than 15 Countries Across Asia-Pacific.
NEW YORK AND CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, Aug. 4, 2022 &ndash; The National Basketball Association (NBA), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and Basketball Australia (BA) today announced over 60 of the top boys and girls from more than 15 countries across Asia-Pacific will travel to Canberra, Australia for the 12th Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Asia camp from Sunday, Aug. 7 &ndash; Wednesday, Aug. 10 at NBA Global Academy, the league&rsquo;s elite basketball training center at BA&rsquo;s Centre of Excellence at the Australian Institute of Sport.
BWB Asia 2022 will mark the first time the NBA and FIBA&rsquo;s global basketball development and community outreach program will be held in Asia-Pacific since 2019 in Japan and the first in Australia since 2016 in Melbourne. &nbsp;The camp will bring together the top male and female players ages 18 and under from throughout Asia-Pacific to compete alongside their peers from across the region and learn directly from current and former NBA, WNBA and FIBA players and coaches.
The campers will be coached by NBA players Jarrett Allen (2022 NBA All-Star for the Cleveland Cavaliers; U.S.), Josh Green (Dallas Mavericks; Australia), Cameron Johnson (Phoenix Suns; U.S.) and Coby White (Chicago Bulls; U.S.). &nbsp;NBA assistant coaches Damian Cotter (Bulls; Australia), David Akinyooye (Oklahoma City Thunder; U.S.) and Eric Glass (Miami Heat; U.S.); New York Knicks international scout and Serbia Men&rsquo;s National Team assistant coach Adam Tatalovich (U.S.); former WNBA players Kristi Harrower (Australia) and Annie La Fleur (Australia); and former Australia Women&rsquo;s National Team player Jenni Screen (Australia) will also serve as BWB Asia coaches.
Patrick Hunt (President of the World Association of Basketball Coaches; Australia) will serve as camp director, while Dan Shimensky (Denver Nuggets; U.S.) will serve as the camp&rsquo;s athletic trainer.
Players and coaches will lead campers through a variety of activities, including movement efficiency drills, offensive and defensive skill stations, three-point contests, 5-on-5 games, and life skills and leadership development sessions. &nbsp;A ceremony on the final day of the camp will award the BWB Asia 2022 MVP, Defensive MVP, Three-Point Champion and the Patrick Baumann Sportsmanship Award to the boys and girls who distinguish themselves on the court and as leaders.
A record 41 former BWB campers were among the record 121 international players on 2021-22 NBA opening-night rosters, including 2022 NBA All-Rookie Second Team member and NBA Global Academy graduate Josh Giddey (Thunder; Australia; BWB Asia 2018 and BWB Global 2020), Green (BWB Global 2018) and 2020 NBA All-Rookie Second Team member Rui Hachimura (Washington Wizards; Japan; BWB Global 2016).
The NBA and FIBA have hosted 64 BWB camps in 30 countries since the program&rsquo;s launch in 2001. &nbsp;BWB has reached more than 3,800 participants from 133 countries and territories, with 105 former campers having advanced to the NBA or WNBA.
BWB Asia 2022 will be supported by Nike, which will outfit participants with Nike apparel and footwear, and Gatorade, which will keep players and coaches hydrated throughout the camp.
Fans in Australia can follow the NBA at NBA.com/Australia and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and follow BWB using the hashtag #BWBAsia.
The following is a complete list of players participating in BWB Asia 2022 (rosters subject to change):
GIRLS ROSTER
<table width="399">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="198">
First Name
</td>
<td width="201">
Last Name
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Opal
</td>
<td width="201">
Bird
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Layla
</td>
<td width="201">
Cameron
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Holly
</td>
<td width="201">
Griffiths
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Lulu
</td>
<td width="201">
Laditan
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Ruby
</td>
<td width="201">
Vlahov
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Shomira
</td>
<td width="201">
Bidaye
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Kavya
</td>
<td width="201">
Singla
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Angelica Jennifer
</td>
<td width="201">
Candra
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Deewell Windy Dido
</td>
<td width="201">
Gosal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Vanissa Renata
</td>
<td width="201">
Siregar
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Reina
</td>
<td width="201">
Fukuo
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Honoka
</td>
<td width="201">
Morioka
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Chinami
</td>
<td width="201">
Yokoyama
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Anna
</td>
<td width="201">
Kochura
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Waimanu
</td>
<td width="201">
Clarken
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Maia Riley
</td>
<td width="201">
Jones
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Lilly
</td>
<td width="201">
Taulelei
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Quinn Kacey
</td>
<td width="201">
Dela Rosa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Dianne Camille
</td>
<td width="201">
Nolasco
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Kayla
</td>
<td width="201">
Lim
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Seo
</td>
<td width="201">
Jinyeong
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Sooin
</td>
<td width="201">
Kim
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Siriwimon
</td>
<td width="201">
Damrongchai
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Priscilla Langkilde
</td>
<td width="201">
Jensen
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
BOYS ROSTER
<table width="397">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Lachlan
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;">Brewer</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Carlin
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Briggs
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Joshua
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Dent
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Joshua
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Hughes
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Joshua
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Ibukunoluwa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
James
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
O&rsquo;Donnell
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Kye
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Savage
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Roman
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Siulepa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Rocco
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Zikarsky
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Soy
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Pisey
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Junjie Barry
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Wang
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Yijiong &ldquo;Joe&rdquo;
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Zhang
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Xian-Wei
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Lin
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Arthur Vadel
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Krisma Putra
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Mohamad
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Amini
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Sarem
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Jafari
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Akira
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Jacobs
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Yuto
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Kawashima
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Taiga
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Okada
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Hayato
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Wakugawa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Adil
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Kuantayev
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Daniil
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Severgin
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Rayan
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Hachem
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Azbayar
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Altangerel
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Kaia
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Berridge
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Dontae
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Nance
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
William
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Passi
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Kalid
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Petzer
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
William
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Shortt
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
L.A. John
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Andres
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Jared
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Bahay
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Caelum Emmanuel
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Harris
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Seungwoo
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Kim
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Chan You
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Ko
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Gwanwoo
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Lee
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Vladimir
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Bespalov
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Artyom
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Malikov
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Dinh Quang
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Duong
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Jarrett Allen, Josh Green, Cam Johnson and Coby White will coach over 60 of the top high-school age girls and boys from 15+ nations.

4 NBA players to coach at Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp in Australia

Among this offseason's crop of free agents, some players are flying under the radar. Coming off a torn meniscus, Cleveland Cavaliers combo guard Collin Sexton enters restricted free agency with an uncertain long-term future with the organization.
With Darius Garland&rsquo;s massive jump last season, alongside the midseason addition of Caris LeVert (who is extension-eligible), does Sexton still fit into Cleveland&rsquo;s vision? At the moment, Sexton feels slotted into a sixth man role for the Cavaliers or as a secondary piece behind Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Throughout his career in Cleveland, Sexton has shown a true knack for scoring the basketball at an efficient clip, averaging 20.0 points, 3.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game on 55.0% True Shooting.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Cavaliers extended a qualifying offer to Sexton, which means they can match any offer sheet he receives the open market. However, how many teams will seriously pursue Sexton? After the draft, the landscape looks much clearer for potential destinations outside of Cleveland.
A return to the Cavaliers is certainly possible. But let&rsquo;s dive into the three best landing spots for Sexton around the league if he doesn't stick around in Northeast Ohio.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS 
It&rsquo;s no secret at this point that the Wizards covet a point-guard upgrade to pair alongside Bradley Beal. Whether it be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dejounte Murray, Malcolm Brogdon or Tyus Jones, Washington seems to be making calls everywhere at the moment.
Could we be underrating the Wizards as a potential fit for Sexton in the process? Next to Beal, Sexton would consistently see open looks, but his playmaking chops would have to improve to a more consistent level, as Washington needs a smooth operator to run head coach Wes Unseld Jr.&rsquo;s system.
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The offensive fit for Sexton with Beal is super fun, but the defense is also super questionable. However, there&rsquo;s no denying Sexton would be the best point guard Beal has played with in D.C. since John Wall. And that&rsquo;s not hyperbole either. The Wizards need to have something click for them in their backcourt, and the clock is now restarting once Beal inks his new lucrative deal.
It's highly unlikely that Sexton would come to D.C. with a mid-level exception offer &mdash; regardless of whether it's the $10.3 million non-taxpayer annually or the $6.3 million taxpayer annually &mdash; so the team would have to get creative to get him there, likely via a sign-and-trade. We know that Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could be available, but would that entice Cleveland? How about Deni Avdija or Rui Hachimura, both of whom have flashed upside albeit inconsistently?
Sexton would solve a lot of scoring woes for Washington, but is the price of admission worth it for a team seemingly trying to simultaneously retool and make win-now moves?
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
A week ago, this option would&rsquo;ve never seriously been considered. Now, it seems San Antonio is seriously considering a pivot to a full-scale rebuild, which would mean trading away their All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray. The Atlanta Hawks have been consistently rumored as a potential landing spot for Murray, and it makes a lot of sense <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dejounte-murray-trade-rumors-nba-atlanta-hawks-san-antonio-spurs-john-collins-deal-atl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as I covered earlier this week</a>.
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From the perspective of Sexton and the Spurs, it could become a realistic marriage that makes sense for both sides. The Spurs' hole at point guard would be serious, but trading Murray could easily signal their intentions to tank the season for generational prospect Victor Wembanyama. Would Sexton fit the Spurs&rsquo; new timeline around their young core? Absolutely. Remember, Sexton is only 23 years old, so he actually makes sense as a long-term piece to their puzzle alongside Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan and others.
While the market for Sexton away from Cleveland is thinner than expected, San Antonio truly makes sense as a logical landing spot.
DALLAS MAVERICKS
With Dallas now expected to lose Jalen Brunson to the New York Knicks in free agency, could Sexton all of a sudden become a realistic fallback option? If the Mavericks are able to secure a large trade exception in a deal with New York for Brunson, they could become an interesting trade candidate for guards such as Malcolm Brogdon or Sexton. (However, it's looking like the Knicks will be able to sign Brunson outright.)
Alongside Luka Doncic, Sexton would excel in a score-first role. For the Mavericks, Sexton represents a player with upside on the same timeline as Doncic.
The big question becomes: What exactly would the Mavericks be willing to pay for his services if they create that aforementioned traded-player exception? If it&rsquo;s on a similar tier as Brunson, around $20 million, it actually could be a very plausible reality for Sexton to be a strong backcourt partner with Doncic in Dallas. (If Dallas doesn't get a traded-player exception, they would only have the mid-level exception, so sign-and-trade would be the only realistic route to land Sexton.)
However, thinking out loud, it should be noted that Tim Hardaway Jr. will be returning in basically the same role, and his contract is designed to descend year-by-year &mdash; an advantageous structure given that Doncic is starting his rookie max extension next season. (Dorian Finney-Smith also begins his new deal.) Spencer Dinwiddie joined the Mavs' fray at the trade deadline to boot, and proved to be a key contributor in multiple moments after he was acquired as well.
It will be very interesting to see where exactly Sexton lands within the next few weeks. If he ends up staying in Cleveland, will it be beyond the 2022-23 campaign?
These looming questions will soon be answered for Sexton, the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">No. 9 ranked free agent on BasketballNews</a>, but he&rsquo;s one of the more interesting names to follow as we close in on the official start of the new league year.
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If Collin Sexton moves on from the Cavs, which teams make sense as a landing spot? Evan Sidery breaks down potential destinations.

Examining potential free-agency destinations for Collin Sexton

We have reached the point where Stephen A. Smith is conjuring up the narrative that Zion Williamson is holding back the New Orleans Pelicans from contending for a title.
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When did we get to this part of the Twilight Zone, I need to get out 😭😭😭 <a href="https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PelicansNBA</a> <a href="https://t.co/sOnggL7FYf">pic.twitter.com/sOnggL7FYf</a>
&mdash; Devonte Graham Bricks (@Marvason) <a href="https://twitter.com/Marvason/status/1521244564966756359?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Let's not discuss that clip any further besides pointing out how dramatically <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wednesday-was-a-celebration-of-how-far-the-pelicans-have-come" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Pelicans changed course and captured the respect of the national basketball audience</a> this season. Stephen A.'s rant is less relevant for its substance and more noteworthy because ESPN is&nbsp;still talking about the Pelicans even after they were eliminated from a hard-fought, first-round series. New Orleans started 1-12 (!!) and turned into one of the NBA's true darlings in a matter of months &mdash; all without its most marketable star.
Brandon Ingram asserted his star status, averaging 22.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game (27.0/6.2/6.2 during the postseason) while taking a leap as a playmaker. CJ McCollum fit right in as a "1B" creator and microwave shooter after the trade deadline. Herb Jones is the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/reassessing-herb-jones-upside" target="_blank" rel="noopener">certified steal of the 2021 NBA Draft</a>, and undrafted rookie Jose Alvarado isn't too far behind.
There is no hyperbole fit to describe the sheer joy I had watching the Pelicans through the wins and losses of this season, and if you followed along, you recognize the progress that far exceeded the record and results.
Perhaps the best part is that New Orleans remains built for the future.
Only three players hit free agency this offseason: Tony Snell, Jared Harper and Gary Clark. Everyone else is under contract for 2022-23 &mdash; no team options, no restricted free agents and no partial guarantees, per Spotrac. On the signing front, Zion is the biggest domino, as he'll be eligible to sign a rookie extension before hitting restricted free agency in summer 2023. At least publicly, he is giving positive indications:
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I asked Zion Williamson if offered an extension this summer by the Pelicans would he sign it? His answer. &ldquo;Of course, I couldn&rsquo;t sign it fast enough.&rdquo;
&mdash; Fletcher Mackel (@FletcherWDSU) <a href="https://twitter.com/FletcherWDSU/status/1520095546752516096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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However, Williamson has now missed a whopping 141 games in his NBA career. Even if he inks a max extension, which Dan Feldman of NBC Sports says <a href="&ldquo;Obviously,%20that%20conversation%20is%20going%20to%20be%20one%20that%20will%20be%20a%20challenge,&rdquo;%20Griffin%20said.%20&ldquo;When%20it&rsquo;s%20time%20to%20have%20that,%20we&rsquo;ll%20have%20it.%20And%20right%20now%20what%20we&rsquo;re%20focused%20on%20is%20him%20being%20healthy,%20and%20(being%20in)%20kind%20of%20elite%20condition%20to%20play%20basketball%20and%20we&rsquo;ll%20start%20there.&rdquo;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">could be worth well over $180 million</a>, Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin implied that talks might be complicated.
&ldquo;Obviously, that conversation is going to be one that will be a challenge,&rdquo; Griffin said. &ldquo;When it&rsquo;s time to have that, we&rsquo;ll have it. And right now what we&rsquo;re focused on is him being healthy, and (being in) kind of elite condition to play basketball and we&rsquo;ll start there.&rdquo;
Ultimately, Williamson's health and wealth are the rudder of the Pelicans' ceiling. But Griffin still has much to address on other fronts.
New Orleans has the Lakers' first round pick with zero protections &mdash; an exciting opportunity given that pick has the eighth-best lottery odds. At the very least, the Pelicans get a free chance to add another young talent to the rotation, and if things break right, they could add another franchise cornerstone.
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Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock projects New Orleans to pick Duke freshman AJ Griffin in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our latest mock draft</a> if they remain at No. 8. Griffin is a high-upside choice as one of the youngest players in the draft class. A long, 6-foot-6 wing, he's returned from injuries in high school and at Duke, and flashes traits of a dynamic three-level scorer and creator.
The Pelicans send their first-rounder to Charlotte as part of last summer's Devonte' Graham trade. But they still hold their own second-round pick (No. 41 overall) and a pick from Utah (No. 52). Babcock has Kentucky center Oscar Tshiebwe and Villanova guard Collin Gillespie mocked to New Orleans in the second round.
Even with a packed roster and their draft picks, the Pelicans still have assets to get frisky in free agency. They'll have $10.2 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception to use on a free agent along with a $4 million bi-annual exception. More notable is their $17 million trade exception generated from trading Steven Adams to the Memphis Grizzlies. New Orleans could absorb a player into that exception with some financial flexibility.
But how much should the Pelicans shake things up? Since Jan. 1, they sported the 17th-best offense and defense, according to Cleaning the Glass, and were still only the ninth seed in a deep Western Conference at season's end. Yet we saw other young prospects &mdash; most notably Jaxson Hayes and Trey Murphy III &mdash; visibly develop as the year moved along. The five-man unit of McCollum, Ingram, Jones, Hayes and Jonas Valanciunas played 294 possessions after the trade deadline and was a solid plus-7.1 points per 100 possessions.
New Orleans receives one of the NBA's biggest boosts if Zion Williamson comes back healthy to open 2022-23. Willie Green gets a summer to prepare after a stellar first season as a head coach. The Pelicans have a bright future ahead, and this offseason should purely be icing on the cake.
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The Pelicans surprised everyone with their run to the NBA Playoffs, and have only just begun an exciting trajectory.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the New Orleans Pelicans?

Trae Young scored 32 of his 38 points in the second half and the Atlanta Hawks overcame losing center Clint Capela to a knee injury to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 107-101 in the play-in on Friday night and earn the Eastern Conference's No. 8 playoff seed.
Young started slowly for the second straight game, but &ldquo;Ice Trae,&rdquo; as he fancies himself, heated up when it mattered most.
The All-Star guard scored 16 points in third quarter to rally the Hawks from a 10-point halftime deficit, and added another 16 in the fourth to finish off the Cavs, whose inexperience showed throughout the second half.
Bogdan Bogdanovic added 19 points for Atlanta, which will play No. 1 seed Miami in the first round. Game 1 is Sunday in South Florida.
The Hawks, who made it to the conference finals a year ago, may have to go forward without Capela. The 6-foot-10 center hyperextended his right knee late in the first half, had to be helped from the floor and couldn't return.
Lauri Markkanen scored 26 and Darius Garland 21 for the young Cavaliers, whose unexpected season fell just shy of a playoff berth.
Cleveland hasn't been to the playoffs since 2018, and the Cavs haven't been to the postseason without LeBron James on their roster since 1998.
As if to add insult to injury, James tweeted an emoji of an ice cube in the closing seconds &mdash; a nod to Young &mdash; as the Hawks were ending Cleveland's season.
Lifted by a rowdy, towel-waving crowd in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the Cavs were in position to advance and played well in long stretches. However, Cleveland's offense bogged down in the third quarter, and the Cavs had no answer defensively for Young.
As the final seconds ticked off, Young waved goodbye as the Cleveland crowd thinned out and headed to the exits.
Those who stayed saluted the Cavs, who weren't expected to get this far after winning just 22 games last season. While they've been relegated to lottery picks and losing since James left after a four-year run to the NBA Finals four years ago, the future in Cleveland is bright.
With the season on the line, Cleveland got a huge emotional and defensive lift by the return of All-Star center Jarrett Allen, who had missed the previous 19 games with a broken finger on his left hand. Allen finished with 11 points.
The Hawks were in big trouble late in the third quarter, when Young finally heated up.
Ignoring some vulgar chants by Cleveland fans, the dazzling guard made a pair of 3-pointers and scored Atlanta's final 12 points in the quarter as the Hawks closed with a 17-8 run over the final 3:48 to tie it 84-all going into to the final 12 minutes.
Markkanen made four 3-pointers and Cleveland hit six shots from long range in the first 12 minutes to open an 11-point lead after one.
Atlanta helped with some sloppy play and committed seven turnovers, four by Young.
But once he started taking care of the ball, and making shots, there was no stopping him.
TIP-INS
Hawks: Danilo Gallinari added 14 points. ... Young averaged 32.5 points in four games against Cleveland in the regular season. ... F/C John Collins (finger, foot) and Lou Williams (back) both sat out. ... Committed a league-low 11.9 turnovers per game during the regular season.
Cavaliers: Kevin Love only played 10 minutes &mdash; one in the second half. ... Cleveland's 22-win improvement was the second biggest in club history. The 1991-92 Cavs made a 24-game jump.
CLEVELAND ROCKS
It was an extraordinary sports night in Cleveland.
While the Hawks and Cavaliers tangled with a postseason spot up for grabs, the Guardians played their first home game since changing their name next door at Progressive Field.
The doubleheader was reminiscent of 2016, when the Cavs received the NBA title rings on opening night as Cleveland&rsquo;s baseball team, then called the Indians, hosted a World Series game.
UP NEXT
Hawks: Atlanta went 1-3 vs. Miami during the season.
Cavaliers: More time to rest up after an injury-ravaged season.

Trae Young scored 32 of his 38 points in the second half to lift the Hawks to the playoffs.

Trae Young's 38 lift Hawks past Cavs for No. 8 playoff seed

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-a-new-years-resolution-for-each-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
Ja Morant and his high-flying Memphis Grizzlies, who are riding a nine-game winning streak, leap all the way up to No. 3 in this week's Basketball News Power Rankings.&nbsp;
1. Golden State Warriors (30-9) &harr;️ Last Week: 1
The Warriors, who were already one of the best teams in the league, welcomed back one of this generation's best two-way players in Klay Thompson on Sunday night. We'll see if Klay can stay healthy, but he certainly looked solid in the Dubs' victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, scoring 17 points in 20 minutes. Cool factoid on Thompson: He had been sidelined for 941 days before suiting up Sunday and scoring 17 points. The only player in NBA history to miss more time due to injury and score more points in his first game back was Bill Walton (20 points in 1982) after missing 962 days. (Editor's Note: Etan Thomas <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/exwarriors-coach-mark-jackson-is-happy-to-see-klay-thompson-back-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke with Mark Jackson about Thompson's return</a> recently.)
2. Phoenix Suns (30-9) &harr;️ Last Week: 2
After a disappointing rookie season, the Suns declined Jalen Smith's team option of $4.7 million for the 2022-23 season. As a result, Smith, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Well, after injuries and a Covid outbreak left the team short-handed in late December, Smith <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/suns-have-a-big-man-predicament-theyre-happy-to-deal-with" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stepped in and stepped up</a>, surprisingly averaging 15.8 points (on 55.4% shooting) and 10.2 rebounds over a six-game stretch.&nbsp;
3. Memphis Grizzlies (28-14) ⬆️ Last Week: 6
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LeBron on <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JaMorant</a>'s insane block: "They got rockets in his calf muscles. It was a spectacular play. Salute." <a href="https://t.co/FSkjD6nXZ5">pic.twitter.com/FSkjD6nXZ5</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1480539311921577992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Ja Morant set the internet ablaze when the highlight clip of his block of Avery Bradley went viral, and the Grizzlies notched a franchise-record ninth straight win Sunday night in Los Angeles. "That's probably the best block I've ever seen live. Probably the best block I've ever seen, period," Jaren Jackson Jr. told reporters after the game. "That was crazy. I knew he was going to do it, too, because he always loads up right before." In the two games Memphis played in L.A. over the weekend, Jackson was magnificent, racking up 47 points, 20 rebounds, 11 blocks (!!), 4 steals and 3 treys.&nbsp;
4. Chicago Bulls (26-11) &harr;️ Last Week: 4
Thanks to a rare poor shooting night, the Bulls finally had their nine-game winning streak snapped Sunday night in Dallas. Chicago, which leads the NBA in three-point accuracy this season, made only 11 of the 33 triples the team tried vs. the Mavs. No Bulls team has won 10 or more games in a row since Michael Jordan's final season in the Windy City (1997-98).
5. Utah Jazz (28-13)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 3
The Jazz wrapped up a five-game road trip Monday night with a disappointing loss to the Detroit Pistons. Utah led Detroit by as much as 22 points in the first half, but was outscored 94-62 in the final 30 minutes. It's the Jazz's third straight defeat. They'll look to get back on track when they return home Wednesday to host the Cavs. &nbsp; 6. Miami Heat (25-15) ⬆️ Last Week: 8
Like most other teams in the league, the Heat have been hit hard by injuries and COVID this season, but it hasn't slowed them down. Consider this: Tyler Herro leads the team in total points this season, Caleb Martin leads the team in blocks and the team's three leading rebounders are Dewayne Dedmon, Omer Yurtseven and P.J. Tucker. And yet, Miami is still somehow 10 games over .500 and in third place in the conference. Head coach ​​Erik Spoelstra is doing an excellent job once again.&nbsp;
7. Milwaukee Bucks (26-17)&nbsp;⬇️&nbsp;Last Week: 5
After back-to-back defeats in Charlotte, the Bucks have lost 4 of their past 5 games. "You are definitely concerned anytime you lose four out of five," <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401360426" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Khris Middleton said</a> after Monday's loss to the Hornets. "And you never want to lose two in a row. You understand what the circumstances are (with players being out) and you never want to use that as an excuse. We understand what we're going through and everybody is going through. But we still have to go out there and compete." Things don't get any easier for the Bucks, as they travel home to take on the Warriors on Thursday night.&nbsp;
8. Brooklyn Nets (25-14) ⬇️ Last Week: 7
The Nets are in the middle of a brutal stretch in which they play four games in five days, and five games in seven days. After beating the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday afternoon, Brooklyn flew across the country to Portland to make up for a contest initially scheduled for Dec. 23 that was postponed because of COVID-19 complications. James Harden was unable to play in Monday's loss to the Blazers due to a hyperextended left knee, but head coach Steve Nash said Harden should be available for Wednesday's game in Chicago.
9. Philadelphia 76ers (23-16) ⬆️ Last Week: 10
Philly is rolling right now. Having won seven straight games, it is the longest winning streak in the Eastern Conference; the Grizz are the only team in the league with a longer streak. Joel Embiid has been the engine driving the Sixer train all season, and during this seven-game stretch, he is doing it all, averaging 32.9 points (on 56% shooting), 10.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.4 blocks.&nbsp;
10. Cleveland Cavaliers (23-18) ⬇️ Last Week: 9
Darius Garland continues to make his case for the NBA's Most Improved Player award. Over his last eight appearances, Garland is averaging 20.9 points, 6.8 assists, 3.0 boards, 1.1 steals and 2.6 made three-pointers. He also has posted a remarkably impressive +253 plus/minus this season, which is the sixth-best individual +/- in the NBA, one spot ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
11. Charlotte Hornets (22-19) ⬆️ Last Week: 12
After closing out last week with a victory over the defending champs, the Hornets started this week on a high note by defeating the Bucks once again. Terry Rozier poured in 27 points to go along with 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 triples and 2 steals in Monday's victory. Over the Hornets' last seven games, Scary Terry is averaging 23.9 points, 4.7 boards, 3.7 assists, and 4.6 triples, while shooting a scorching 51.7% from the field and 50% from downtown (having made 32 of his last 63 three-point attempts).&nbsp;
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12. Dallas Mavericks (22-18) ⬆️ Last Week: 15
The Mavs have won six straight, and registered one of their most impressive victories of the season Sunday night vs. the Bulls, ending Chicago's nine-game win streak. The Mavs have missed Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis for stretches this season, but Jalen Brunson has appeared in 39 of Dallas' 40 games this season and played very well. (Coming into Sunday, he led the team in total points and assists in 2021-22.) Brunson has been especially productive this past month, averaging 19.3 points (on 51% shooting), 7.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 made treys over the Mavs' previous 13 contests.&nbsp;
13. Toronto Raptors (20-17) ⬆️ Last Week: 18
The red-hot Raps extended their winning streak to a season-high six games on Sunday with a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Fred VanVleet has been playing at a truly elite level as of late. Over his last seven appearances, FVV is averaging 30.6 points, 7.4 assists, 5.0 assists, 2.0 steals, 5.9 (!!) made three-pointers and just 0.9 turnovers, while shooting 46% from downtown and 96.7% from the charity stripe. The Raps are 7-0 in those seven games. VanVleet <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/making-all-star-case-fred-vanvleet-toronto-raptors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deserves an All-Star nod this year</a>.&nbsp;
14. Denver Nuggets (20-18)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 11
The Nuggets are back above .500 after winning 5 of the 7 games they've played since Christmas. It's been Nikola Jokic, of course, who has powered Denver during this recent streak. Over his last eight games, the Joker is averaging a mind-boggling 26.1 points, 17.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists.&nbsp;
15. Los Angeles Lakers (21-20)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 13
The Lakers' had won four in a row and 5 of their previous 6 games before getting blown out by the Grizz on Sunday night. However, the loss can't be pinned on LeBron James, who is somehow still playing at an incredibly high level despite turning 37 years old two weeks ago. Over L.A.'s past 11 games, James is averaging 34.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.5 blocks, and 3.1 triples.&nbsp;
16. Minnesota Timberwolves (20-20) ⬆️ Last Week: 19
Karl-Anthony Towns was dominant in the Wolves 141-123 victory over the Houston Rockets in Sunday night, pouring in a season-high 40 points to go along with 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Last week, the Wolves also received a nice boost from Jarred Vanderbilt, who has averaged 16.0 rebounds (!!), 12.3 points (on 63% shooting), 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals over Minnesota's past three games.&nbsp;
17. Washington Wizards (20-20) ⬇️ Last Week: 14
The Lakers may be questioning their end of August's blockbuster Russell Westbrook trade, but the Wizards have to be delighted with the early returns. On Sunday night, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 14 points, including a clutch three-pointer late in the fourth quarter to lead the Wiz past Orlando; meanwhile, Kyle Kuzma racked up 27 points and a career-high 22 rebounds in the victory. Over Washington's last six games, Kuz is averaging 27.0 points (on 53% shooting) and 13.0 rebounds. The only other player in the league averaging at least 27 points and 11 boards this month is Giannis.&nbsp;
18. Los Angeles Clippers (20-21)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 16
The Clippers had lost 6 of 8 since losing Paul George to an elbow injury, but L.A. got back on track Sunday with a much-needed victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Clips fans also got some encouraging news via Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, who reported late last week that Kawhi Leonard is ahead of schedule in his rehab from his torn right ACL, and there's a "strong possibility" <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kawhi-leonard-knee-ahead-of-schedule-strong-chance-he-returns-this-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he could return this season</a>.
19. Boston Celtics (20-21)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 17
After losing last Wednesday to San Antonio and then blowing a 25-point second-half lead to the New York Knicks the following night, it appeared the Celtics were spiraling. However, Boston head coach Ime Udoka challenged his team, and the C's have responded with two consecutive wins, including a revenge win over New York and an overtime victory vs. the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
20. New York Knicks (20-21) ⬆️ Last Week: 21
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
30-ball from Barrett 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/RjBarrett6?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RjBarrett6</a> drops 31 PTS to lead the <a href="https://twitter.com/nyknicks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nyknicks</a> to the huge home win! <a href="https://t.co/qkgDGoIldA">pic.twitter.com/qkgDGoIldA</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1480894789356769281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The Knicks got a much-needed win over the Spurs on Monday, thanks in large part to RJ Barrett's 31 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds. It was the fourth time Barrett has scored 30-plus points this season, and New York is undefeated (4-0) in those games, with three of the wins by double-digits. After a nasty midseason slump, it appears Barrett is back on track. Over his last six games, RJ is averaging 23.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.3 triples. &nbsp;
21. Atlanta Hawks (17-22) ⬇️ Last Week: 20
The Hawks wrapped up their six-game road trip Sunday with a loss in Los Angeles, finishing just 2-4 on their West Coast swing. Atlanta, now five games under .500, has been one of the league's most disappointing teams this season. Interestingly, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein, the Hawks have emerged as a new "suitor to watch" and potential <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/hawks-emerging-as-a-potential-landing-spot-for-ben-simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sixers trade partner in the Ben Simmons saga</a>.&nbsp;
22. Portland Trail Blazers (16-24) ⬆️ Last Week: 23 
Anfernee Simons remained red-hot in the Blazers' victory over the Nets on Monday night, dishing out a career-high 11 assists to go along with 23 points and 6 rebounds. Given an expanded role with Dame Lillard sidelined by an abdominal injury, Simons <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/anfernee-simons-is-stepping-up-with-more-responsibility-portland-trail-blazers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has played remarkably well</a>. Over Portland's last five games, he is averaging 27.8 points (on 51% shooting), 7.6 assists and 5.0 made treys. He's one of seven players averaging more than 27 points and 5 dimes in January. The other five are Giannis, Trae Young, Joel Embiid, Fred VanVleet, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Not bad company for the kid to keep.
23. Indiana Pacers (15-26) ⬆️ Last Week: 24
The Pacers have lost 7 of their last 8 games, but Domantas Sabonis has done everything possible to prop up his teammates during this stretch, as he's averaged 23.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.1 made three-pointers.&nbsp;
24. Sacramento Kings (16-27)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 22
Encouragingly, over his last 14 games dating back to Dec. 17, Tyrese Haliburton is averaging 18.4 points, 9.1 assists (vs. just 2.7 turnovers), 1.5 steals and 2.7 made three-pointers while shooting 50.8% from the field, 50.7% from downtown and 84.6% from the free-throw stripe. Discouragingly, over that same stretch, De'Aaron Fox is averaging 19.0 points, 5.2 assists (vs. 2.9 turnovers), 0.9 steals and 0.5 made three-pointers while shooting 43.2% from the floor, 17.9% from downtown and 77.6% from the line. The Kings have lost five straight games.
25. San Antonio Spurs (15-25) &harr;️ Last Week: 25
The Spurs are struggling as losers in 7 of their last 8. Yet, one bright spot has been the play of Dejounte Murray. In the four games he's played since returning from COVID protocols, Murray is averaging 23.0 points. 9.5 dimes, 6.8 boards, 1.3 triples and 2.5 steals.&nbsp;
26. Oklahoma City Thunder (13-26) &harr;️ Last Week: 26
OKC has lost 6 of its last 7. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has appeared in 5 of these 7 contests, and although he's put up solid counting stats, he's been highly inefficient offensively. During this current stretch, SGA is attempting a team-high 17.6 shots a night, but is shooting just 33% from the floor and 20.8% from downtown.&nbsp;
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27. New Orleans Pelicans (14-26) &harr;️ Last Week: 27
Before sitting out Sunday, Josh Hart had been on a two-week tear for the Pels. Over his previous eight games, Hart was averaging 17.8 points (on 53.3% shooting), 9.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.6 treys. However, New Orleans has lost 4 of its past 5 contests. &nbsp;
28. Detroit Pistons (9-30) ⬆️ Last Week: 29
The Pistons stunned the Jazz on Monday night, beating Utah by double-digits. Rookie sensation ​​Cade Cunningham led the way, scoring a career-high 29 points (on 10-of-17 shooting) and chipping in 6 rebounds, 5 treys, an assist, a block and just 2 turnovers in the 126-116 win.
29. Houston Rockets (11-31) ⬇️ Last Week: 28
After getting blown out by the Sixers Monday night, the Rockets have now lost 11 of their past 12 games. Things don't get any easier for Houston, as they are about to embark on a five-game road trip that concludes with back-to-back games vs. the Jazz and Warriors.&nbsp;
30. Orlando Magic (7-34) &harr;️ Last Week: 30
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Monday that the Magic had signed president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and general manager John Hammond to contract extensions that run through the 2025-26 season. Despite Orlando's struggles this year, ownership is "pleased with the direction of the team's rebuild, including the hiring of coach Jamhal Mosley and drafting of first-round picks Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony."

Tommy Beer checks in with an installment of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings.

NBA Power Rankings: Grizz sizzling; Raptors, 76ers, Mavs streaking

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-jazz-jump-up-into-top-tier-grizz-and-cavs-climb-into-the-top-8-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
The Phoenix Suns finally push past the Golden State Warriors to grab the top spot in the Basketball News Power Rankings for the first time this season, while the Cleveland Cavaliers climb into the top five.&nbsp;
1. Phoenix Suns (24-5) ⬆️ Last Week: 2
The Suns have posted a ridiculous 23-2 record over their last 25 games. And Phoenix welcomed back leading-scorer Devin Booker, who hadn't played in almost three weeks after injuring his hamstring in late November, in their 137-106 thrashing of the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night. The Suns have also gotten tremendous production from sharpshooter Cam Johnson this month. He's averaging 14.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.0 made triples (while shooting better than 44% from downtown) over his past nine contests.&nbsp;
2. Golden State Warriors (25-6) ⬇️ Last Week: 1
Golden State played without Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole (both are in health and safety protocols) but was still able to beat the Sacramento Kings by 15 points on Monday night, as they improved to a league-best 15-2 at home. Draymond Green led the way for the Warriors, racking up 16 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 2&nbsp; blocks and 2 steals. It was Green's 31st triple-double of his career. Remarkably, Golden State has won 30 of the 31 games in which Green has recorded a triple-double.&nbsp;
3. Brooklyn Nets (21-9) ⬆️ Last Week: 4
The Nets made headlines last week when they announced that All-Star guard Kyrie Irving would be welcomed back to Brooklyn. Although Irving remains unvaccinated, which will prevent him from playing in home games due to New York City's vaccine mandates, Kyrie will be able to practice with the team and play in road games (except for the matchups with the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden and the Toronto Raptors up north). The Nets roster has been decimated by COVID-19 of late, with 10 players, in addition to several staff members, in health and safety protocols.
4. Utah Jazz (21-9) ⬇️ Last Week: 3
Not only is Rudy Gobert dominating the paint per usual (averaging 15.4 points and 15.0 rebounds this season) while also leading the league in FG% (72.3%). He's also shooting a career-high 69.3% from the free-throw stripe thanks to a revamped shooting stroke. His complete skill set was on display in Monday's victory over the Hornets, as Gobert racked up 23 points and 21 rebounds while knocking down a career-high 15 free throws on 16 attempts.&nbsp;
5. Cleveland Cavaliers (19-12) ⬆️ Last Week: 8
The NBA announced Sunday that a total of five games involving nine teams would be postponed in response to COVID-19 outbreaks impacting several squads. One of the postponed contests was the Cleveland-Atlanta game scheduled for Sunday night after the Cavs, who have won six in a row, announced that five players entered protocols earlier that day. According to The Associated Press, all five Cavs &mdash; Jarrett Allen, Lamar Stevens, Dylan Windler, Denzel Valentine and RJ Nembhard &mdash; tested positive for COVID-19.
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6. Milwaukee Bucks (19-13) ⬇️ Last Week: 5
The Bucks, forced to play without both Giannis Antetokounmpo (health and safety) and Khris Middleton ((left knee hyperextension), have lost two in a row. They look to get back on track Wednesday vs. the Houston Rockets, and it sounds like there is a good chance Middleton will be cleared to return to action.&nbsp;
7. Chicago Bulls (19-10) ⬇️ Last Week: 6
The Bulls took plenty of heat for signing DeMar DeRozan to a three-year, $85 million contract last offseason, but the early returns have been exceedingly positive. Not only is DeRozan averaging a team-high 26.8 points, but he's also scoring them when Chicago needs them most. DeMar is averaging a league-best 8.0 points per game in the fourth quarter of games this season. He is shooting a scorching 54.2% from the floor, 45.5% from downtown and 91.2% from the free-throw line in the final frame.&nbsp;
8. Miami Heat (18-13) ⬆️ Last Week: 9
The shorthanded Heat have won 2 of their last 3, thanks partly to a very unexpected lift from Max Strus, who <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/qa-max-strus-on-heats-nextman-up-mentality-building-confidence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke to our Spencer Davies at the beginning of last week</a>. The unheralded third-year pro exploded for a career-high 32 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 8 treys in a win over the Orlando Magic on Friday. He followed that up with 24 more points and four more triples on Sunday.
9. Memphis Grizzlies (19-13) ⬇️ Last Week: 7
The Grizzlies surprisingly posted a 10-2 record in 12 games Ja Morant missed due to a sprained left knee. The star point guard returned to action Monday night and played well, tallying 16 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds in less than 30 minutes. However, after the game, Morant told reporters that some fans told him he should sit back out. He acknowledged that "the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ja-morant-hurt-by-fans-telling-him-to-sit-back-out-as-grizz-fall-to-thunder" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remarks from the fans actually hurt</a>," but Ja added, "I'm going to do what I normally do and bounce back and I'm very excited for this next game."
10. Philadelphia 76ers (16-15) ⬆️ Last Week: 11
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🔥Joel Embiid with a HUGE GAME in the <a href="https://twitter.com/sixers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sixers</a> win! 41 PTS, 10 REB, 5 AST, 4 BLK, 2 STL <a href="https://t.co/r471bTMV01">pic.twitter.com/r471bTMV01</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1473141177650237441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Joel Embiid put Philadelphia on his back Monday night and carried them to a 108-103 victory over the Boston Celtics. Embiid tallied 41 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks and 2 steals. The much-needed win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Sixers.&nbsp;
11. Denver Nuggets (15-14) ⬆️ Last Week: 16
He seems to be running a distant third behind KD and Steph in the MVP race according to some fans and TV pundits, but you could make a very strong argument that Nikola Jokic is on pace to bring home another MVP award. How valuable is he to Denver's success? The Nuggets are 11-4 when Jokic scores 25 or more points this season. They are 2-6 when he scores fewer than 20 points or does not play. Over the nine games Denver has played this month, Joker is averaging 26.4 points, 13.1 rebounds and 9.2 (!!) assists a night. Yes, he's dishing out more dimes than Chris Paul or Trae Young. Crazy.&nbsp;
12. Los Angeles Clippers (16-15) ⬇️ Last Week: 10
Paul George returned to action on Monday night after missing the previous five games with a sprained right elbow. PG-13 poured in 25 points, but it wasn't enough, as the Clippers were whipped by the Spurs, 116-92. It was L.A.'s third consecutive defeat.&nbsp;
13. Los Angeles Lakers (16-15) ⬆️ Last Week: 14
Anthony Davis sprained his left knee on Friday, and we learned over the weekend that he'll likely miss four weeks of action. The Lakers are just one game over .500, and that's with LeBron James playing at a very high level and logging a ton of minutes. King James will have to carry the team on his back for the next month to keep L.A. afloat. We know the Lakers will be buyers at the deadline, so it'll be interesting to see if they try to make a move sooner rather than later.&nbsp;
14. Charlotte Hornets (16-17) ⬇️ Last Week: 12
The Hornets are in the midst of an exhausting six-game road trip and have lost 4 of their first 5 on this current West Coast excursion. Charlotte plays just once more this week (the final game of the trip is Thursday in Denver) before heading home to take on the Rockets next Monday.&nbsp;
15. Minnesota Timberwolves (15-15) ⬆️ Last Week: 20
The Wolves have won four in a row despite playing without Anthony Edwards, Josh Okogie, and Taurean Prince. And on Monday, Patrick Beverley and Jarred Vanderbilt entered the NBA's health and safety protocols as well. Unsurprisingly, Karl-Anthony Towns has been doing the heavy lifting for Minny. Kat is averaging 26.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 triples during this four-game streak.&nbsp;
16. Washington Wizards (16-15) ⬇️ Last Week: 13
After scoring more than 30 points just twice over the first eight weeks of the season, Bradley Beal may finally be heating up. Over the three games the Wiz played last week, Beal averaged 31.0 points and 5.7 assists while shooting above 56% from the field and 42.9% from three-point territory.&nbsp;
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17. Boston Celtics (15-16) ⬇️ Last Week: 15
The C's have yet to win consecutive games this month, but it should be noted that they have played the league's most demanding schedule in December. Of the 12 games on Boston's calendar from Dec. 1 through Christmas Day, 10 of their 12 opponents have winning records. The Celtics take on the Cavs and Bucks later this week.&nbsp;
18. Dallas Mavericks (14-15) ⬇️ Last Week: 17
Kristaps Porzingis has been playing well of late, but exited Sunday's game with what the team called "right foot soreness." Luka Doncic is dealing with left ankle soreness and will miss his fifth straight game Tuesday vs. Minnesota.
19. Toronto Raptors (14-15) &harr;️ Last Week: 19
Fred VanVleet, Malachi Flynn, Scottie Barnes and Precious Achiuwa all entered the league's COVID protocols on Tuesday, bringing the total number of Raptors in health and safety protocols to seven. As of Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday's game vs. the Bulls has yet to be postponed.&nbsp;
20. Atlanta Hawks (14-15) ⬇️ Last Week: 18
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Stay safe🙄🤦🏽&zwj;♂️🤷🏽&zwj;♂️😷 <a href="https://t.co/0cBfsg0CaW">pic.twitter.com/0cBfsg0CaW</a>
&mdash; Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTraeYoung/status/1472601570579779592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Hawks haven't won consecutive games since late November and are just 3-6 over their last nine contests. Because Sunday's game vs. Cleveland was postponed, Atlanta will have four full days off between their last game (a loss last Friday to Denver) and their next matchup Wednesday vs. Orlando. However, the team announced over the weekend that Trae Young had entered health and safety protocols, which will likely sideline him through the Hawks' Christmas Day showdown with the Knicks at MSG. On Tuesday, Clint Capela and Danilo Gallinari joined Young.
21. Indiana Pacers (13-18) &harr;️ Last Week: 21
After a very slow start to the season, it appears the Pacers are finally headed in the right direction. Indy has won 4 of the last 6 games, and the two losses during this recent stretch were to Golden State and Milwaukee. The team's success has coincided with an uptick in Caris LeVert's performance. He's averaging 21.9 points and 4.3 assists over his last seven appearances.
22. New York Knicks (13-17) &harr;️ Last Week: 22
Like many teams, the Knicks have been hit hard by COVID-19. What makes New York's recent run of back luck so frustrating for fans is that the team's young players seem to be sidelined following breakout performances. After Obi Topping scored a career-high 19 vs. the Raptors, he entered health and safety protocols the next day. Two days after Quentin Grimes poured in a franchise-record 27 points in his first career start, he was sidelined. Miles "Deuce" McBride stepped in and stepped up (15 points, 9 assists, zero turnovers) last Thursday in a win over the Rockets, and was forced into healthy protocols the following afternoon.
23. Portland Trail Blazers (13-18) ⬆️ Last Week: 24
The Blazers have won two in a row after snapping a disastrous seven-game losing skid late last week. They have another winnable game Tuesday when they take on the New Orleans Pelicans on the road. Dame Lillard is averaging over 30 points a night since returning from an abdominal injury on Dec. 12.&nbsp;
24. Sacramento Kings (13-19) ⬆️ Last Week: 26 
With De'Aaron Fox (health and safety protocols) sidelined, Tyrese Haliburton has been a beast for the Kings. In the three games Fox has missed, Haliburton is averaging 24.0 points, 10.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 treys while shooting 54.7% from the floor, 57.1% from downtown and 85.7% from the charity stripe.&nbsp;
25. San Antonio Spurs (12-18) ⬇️ Last Week: 23
Dejounte Murray remained red-hot in Monday's win over the Clippers, tallying 24 points, 12 rebounds, 13 assists and 4 steals in 31 minutes. It was his third triple-double in five games, and his sixth this season. Murray is averaging 17.0 points, 10.4 assists, 9.6 boards and 2.2 thefts of the Spurs past five contests.
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26. Oklahoma City Thunder (10-19) ⬆️ Last Week: 27
After ripping down a career-high 18 rebounds to go along with 10 assists and 8 points against the Clippers on Saturday, Josh Giddey put up 19 points, 11 assists and 5 rebounds in Monday's victory over the Grizzlies. Those are remarkable numbers in back-to-back games for a 19-year-old rookie. Over OKC's last seven games, he's averaging more than seven dimes and seven boards.&nbsp;
27. Houston Rockets (10-20) ⬇️ Last Week: 25
The Rockets have come back down to earth following their shocking seven-game win streak, as they have lost 5 of their last 7. Jalen Green (left hamstring) has been sidelined since Nov. 24, but coach Stephen Silas said he is hopeful Green will return by Christmas or early next week. Kevin Porter Jr. (left thigh bruise) is reportedly targeting a return before the end of December as well.&nbsp;
28. New Orleans Pelicans (10-21) &harr;️ Last Week: 28
After an awful start to the season, in which they won just 3 of their first 19 contests, the Pels are slowly but surely making progress and have won 3 of their last 4. Jonas Valančiūnas has picked up his production of late, averaging 20.8 points (on 61.6% shooting) to go along with 11.4 boards over his past five contests.
29. Detroit Pistons (5-24) ⬆️ Last Week: 30
The Pistons snapped their 14-game losing streak by beating the Heat Sunday night in the Motor City. Saddiq Bey, who scored a team-high 26 points in the victory over Miami, finally broke out of a nasty shooting slump last week. Bey, who was shooting below 35% from the floor and below 30% from downtown over the Pistons' first 25 games this season, averaged 25.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.0 made treys while shooting 54.3% from the floor, 42.9% from behind the arc, and 94.7% from the free-throw stripe over his last three.&nbsp;
30. Orlando Magic (6-25) ⬇️ Last Week: 29
Franz Wagner, the eighth overall pick in the 2021 draft, isn't drawing much national attention, but he has been fantastic for the Magic this month. Over Orlando's last 10 games, Wagner is averaging 18.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals per contest.

NBA Power Rankings: Suns eclipse Warriors for the top spot

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo's status is still uncertain for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. But Antetokounmpo is battling to be ready for the series.
According to NBA TV&rsquo;s Jared Greenberg, Antetokounmpo will work out in a private gym in Phoenix in front of &ldquo;an army of observers&rdquo; to see how the Greek superstar is performing with his injured knee. Per Greenberg, he&rsquo;s made significant progress over the last several days, originally going through drills on one leg to now being able to use the recovering leg.
The two-time MVP hyperextended his knee in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals after tangling with the Hawks' Clint Capela. Prior to the injury, the star forward was averaging 26.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game in the series.
He has been able to do individual workouts, but hasn&rsquo;t been doing them with the team itself, per Greenberg, who also said that Antetokounmpo is &ldquo;fighting tooth and nail&rdquo; to be in the lineup for Game 1. No official injury designation has been listed yet.

Antetokounmpo has yet to practice with the team, but has made significant progress since injuring his knee.

Giannis Antetokounmpo 'fighting tooth and nail' to be ready for NBA Finals

The NBA landscape was rocked this afternoon when the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-brooklyn-nets-acquire-james-harden-houston-rockets-cleveland-cavaliers-three-way-trade-jarrett-allen-caris-levert-four-first-round-picks-taurean-prince-dante-exum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Houston Rockets traded James Harden</a> to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a massive four-team blockbuster that included the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers. The news instantly dominated basketball conversations on social media.&nbsp;
Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum summed up the public sentiment in this tweet:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Right before my nap huh . Most entertaining sport in the business
&mdash; CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) <a href="https://twitter.com/CJMcCollum/status/1349468790057123841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Here are some more social-media posts from NBA players watching the drama unfold:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
That&rsquo;s a lot of firepower in Brooklyn <a href="https://t.co/6JIi5YxM7k">https://t.co/6JIi5YxM7k</a>
&mdash; Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard/status/1349480212182958082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A live look at the NBA right now.... <a href="https://t.co/kdYIJqY2TC">pic.twitter.com/kdYIJqY2TC</a>
&mdash; Andre Drummond (@AndreDrummond) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndreDrummond/status/1349470884122259458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Well that escalated quickly 😳😳
&mdash; Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) <a href="https://twitter.com/paulpierce34/status/1349465168627974145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NBA crazyy ain&rsquo;t it..🤣🤷🏽&zwj;♂️
&mdash; Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTraeYoung/status/1349492991719661568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Woah😂
&mdash; Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) <a href="https://twitter.com/spidadmitchell/status/1349467227817435140?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It&rsquo;s about to go down 😀
&mdash; Jusuf Nurkić (@bosnianbeast27) <a href="https://twitter.com/bosnianbeast27/status/1349465273485561856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Trapped in hyperbaric chamber for &gt;2hrs and sheesh...
&mdash; Spencer Dinwiddie (@SDinwiddie_25) <a href="https://twitter.com/SDinwiddie_25/status/1349501557704957952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Not Going To Lie If LeBron Beat This Nets Team In The Finals Its No Discussion On Who The Best Player To Ever Play Is Forreal 🤷🏾&zwj;♂️
&mdash; Isaiah Whitehead (@isaiahwhitehead) <a href="https://twitter.com/isaiahwhitehead/status/1349503268305711104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Wow 😱🤯...
&mdash; Thad Young (@yungsmoove21) <a href="https://twitter.com/yungsmoove21/status/1349478807770705923?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WOW
&mdash; Bradley Beal (@RealDealBeal23) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealDealBeal23/status/1349465224303276037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I&rsquo;m pretty sure Deandre Jordan will be starting but yes they look great on paper tho! Carry on... <a href="https://t.co/9O8W2RLbtH">https://t.co/9O8W2RLbtH</a>
&mdash; Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) <a href="https://twitter.com/KendrickPerkins/status/1349497284724191241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
League is crazy right now <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA</a>
&mdash; Rudy Gay (@RudyGay) <a href="https://twitter.com/RudyGay/status/1349474125153267712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I think it goes without saying that you can&rsquo;t pick Brooklyn in 2k no more 🥲
&mdash; Mo Bamba (@TheRealMoBamba) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealMoBamba/status/1349479354984787969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Former NBA coach George Karl wonders how Steve Nash will integrate Harden into the Nets' offense:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I hope Steve Nash knows magic cause getting three ball dominant players to work well together for the Nets is going to require special tricks!
&mdash; George Karl (@CoachKarl22) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachKarl22/status/1349510464238219265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Royce O'Neale of the Utah Jazz was shocked and sent his best wishes to Taurean Prince, who was traded from the Nets to the Cavaliers:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Wtf just happened 👀
&mdash; Royce O'Neale (@BucketsONeale00) <a href="https://twitter.com/BucketsONeale00/status/1349465459364491265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
My dawg TP just went to Cleveland Hope he get off and go hoop 🙏🏾💫
&mdash; Royce O'Neale (@BucketsONeale00) <a href="https://twitter.com/BucketsONeale00/status/1349465861032013824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. took note of Cleveland adding yet another big man when they acquired center Jarrett Allen in the deal:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The big man is BACK!!! 😂
&mdash; Larry Nance Jr (@Larrydn22) <a href="https://twitter.com/Larrydn22/status/1349478532238483456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sexland is now surrounded by trees
&mdash; Larry Nance Jr (@Larrydn22) <a href="https://twitter.com/Larrydn22/status/1349486182804172801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Here's what NBA players and coaches were posting on social media after the Brooklyn Nets landed James Harden in a four-team trade.