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Hawks

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Dejounte Murray scored 34 points, rookie A.J. Griffin tied a career high with 24 subbing for injured Trae Young and the short-handed Atlanta Hawks beat the Denver Nuggets 117-109 on Friday night.
&ldquo;I think we just showed how deep we are," Murray said. &ldquo;Young talent and bunch of hard-working guys. We had three key guys out, three starters, and it's hard to win games in this league like that, especially playing a team like that that's feeling each other. Obviously their record shows what they've been doing this season."
Denver star Nikola Jokic, the two-time defending NBA MVP, had just four points in the first half on 2-of-5 shooting, but he and the Nuggets got hot in the third, cutting a 16-point deficit with a 14-1 run to make it 64-62 on Aaron Gordon&rsquo;s layup. Jokic had 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Denver tied it at 75 on Jamal Murray&rsquo;s free throw with 3:34 to go in the third and took its first lead when Jokic&rsquo;s straightaway 3 beat the shot-clock buzzer to make it 79-78 late in the period.
The Nuggets pulled within three on Bruce Brown&rsquo;s layup with 3:37 left in the game, but couldn&rsquo;t close the gap any further after Atlanta went on an 8-0 run, ending with Murray&rsquo;s layup with 33 seconds to go.
It marked the first time this season that the Hawks placed seven players in double figures.
&ldquo;A lot of guys were ready to step up and ready to play," Murray said. &ldquo;The main thing I try to preach to these guys is try to be confident each and every day. It's just basketball. You're going to turn the ball over. You're going to make mistakes. Overall, I think we were having a lot of fun as well."
The Hawks were riddled with injuries before the game with Young, their leading scorer, sidelined by soreness in his right shoulder and John Collins out at least two weeks and De&rsquo;Andre Hunter out at least one week. In all, Atlanta had eight players listed on the injury report.
&ldquo;I give them 100% credit," Nuggets guard Ish Smith said. &ldquo;There's 450 guys in this league. You've got to respect everybody. I think they've got talented guys. They got a chance to play and they played well.&rdquo;
Atlanta has won two straight after dropping three in a row. The Nuggets snapped a four-game winning streak.
The Hawks outscored Denver 26-11 in points off turnovers.
&ldquo;We knew they would come out more aggressive and what they did was get their transition game going," Atlanta coach Nate McMillan said. &ldquo;We were late getting back in transition in that third quarter. They got back in the game pretty quickly."
TIP-INS:
Nuggets: F Michael Porter Jr. missed his fifth straight game with a left heel strain. ... Jamal Murray was a game-time decision with a deep thigh contusion. ... F Jeff Green was out with a right knee contusion, but coach Michael Malone said the team is hopeful he can play in the next game.
Hawks: Young was a game-time decision with right shoulder soreness. ... Griffin started in his spot. ... G Bogdan Bogdanovic made his season debut after missing 22 games following knee surgery and scored five points in 22 minutes. ... Collins (left ankle sprain) and Hunter (right hip flexor strain) were replaced in the lineup Jalen Johnson and Jarrett Culver, who&rsquo;s on a two-way contract. ... Johnson started in Collins&rsquo; spot and had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: At New Orleans on Sunday.
Hawks: Host Oklahoma City on Monday night.

Dejounte Murray scored 34 points, and the short-handed Atlanta Hawks beat the Denver Nuggets 117-109 on Friday night.

Dejounte Murray scores 34 points, short-handed Hawks beat Nuggets

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Trae Young had 30 points and 14 assists and the Atlanta Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak with a 125-108 win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.
Dejounte Murray added 27 points and Clint Capela finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds after a dominating first quarter in which Atlanta built an 11-point lead.
Franz Wagner had 22 points and six rebounds for Orlando, which lost its sixth straight. Paolo Banchero added 20 points and five assists.
The game marked the season debut of Magic point guard Markelle Fultz (toe fracture), and the return of guard Cole Anthony, who missed 17 games with a torn right oblique.
By the time AJ Griffin hit Atlanta's first 3-pointer, the Hawks led by 14 points. Young's first 3-pointer put Atlanta up 66-45 and he was just heating up after spending most of the first half setting up teammates.
When the Magic rallied in the fourth quarter, Young, Capela and Murray got back in the game for a few minutes. But Orlando never got closer than 15 points.
Led by Capel and Jarrett Culver (12 rebounds), Atlanta had a 49-33 rebound advantage.
TIP-INS
Hawks: John Collins, who injured his left ankle after making a dunk that didn't count at the halftime buzzer, did not play in the second half. ... G Bogdan Bogdanovic (knee), F Jalen Johnson (ankle) and G Justin Holiday (COVID-19) were declared out before the game, and the availability of De'Andre Hunter, who reported right thigh tightness Tuesday night, was a game-time decision. Hunter played only seven minutes.
Magic: Fultz, who fractured a left toe in early October and missed the first 21 games, had eight points and four assists in 17 minutes. ... G Gary Harris started, but did not play in the second half due to a strained right hamstring. ... C Mo Bamba (back), G Jalen Suggs (ankle), F Chuma Okeke (ankle) and C Wendell Carter Jr. (foot) were unavailable for the Magic. ... Orlando's opponents have shot 54% or better in three straight games.
&nbsp;

Trae Young had 30 points and the Atlanta Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak with a 125-108 win over the Orlando Magic.

Young, Hawks stop 3-game skid with 125-108 win over Magic

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Jalen Green scored 30 points, Kenyon Martin Jr. and rookie Jabari Smith Jr. added 21 each and the Houston Rockets overcame a 15-point second half deficit to beat the Atlanta Hawks 128-122 on Friday night.
The Rockets (4-14) got a rare win in this tough season despite huge nights from Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. Young had a season-high 44 and Murray set career highs with 39 points and eight 3-pointers in a game where big man Clint Capela didn&rsquo;t play.
Green made four quick points to put the Rockets up 118-117 with about two minutes to go. Garrison Mathews grabbed a steal after that and made two free throws after he was fouled on the other end.
Young made 1 of 2 free throws for Atlanta before Smith made it 122-118 on a put-back layup with just over a minute remaining.
Green fouled out just after that and Young made 1 of 2 free throws again. An off-balance layup by Mathews pushed Houston&rsquo;s lead to 124-119.
Daishen Nix made a free throw with about 30 seconds left to add to Houston&rsquo;s lead and Mathews added two free throws to make it 127-119 with 13.3 seconds to go.
The Rockets scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter, with 3s by Smith and Mathews, to get to 104-102 with about 10 minutes to go.
Murray gave Atlanta its first points of the quarter with two free throws to start a 6-2 run that made it 110-104.
Houston then used an 8-2 spurt, capped by a 3 from Green, to tie it at 112-all with about five minutes to go.
Murray hit a 3-pointer seconds later to give Atlanta the lead and put his finger to his lips to hush the crowd as he ran down the court.
The Hawks led by 3 at halftime and scored the first nine points of the third, with a 3 from Murray, to make it 81-69 with about 8 1/2 minutes left in the quarter.
Green made three free throws before Atlanta went on a 9-2 run, with two 3s from Murray, to push it to 90-74 with about seven minutes left in the third.
The teams got into a scuffle after that with Murray and Smith pushing each other and jawing. Young and Green then ran over and began pushing each other and arguing while Murray and Smith were separated. All four players were given technical fouls after a review.
The Rockets trailed by 11 later in the third when coach Stephen Silas got a technical foul for yelling at the referees when he thought Martin was fouled.
Two free throws by Young made it 104-92 late in the third but Porter made a basket near the buzzer to get Houston within 10 entering the fourth.
TIP-INS
Hawks: Capela missed the game with dental pain. &hellip; Bogdan Bogdanovic sat out as part of recovery from a right knee injury. &hellip; Jarrett Culver was out with a bruised hip. &hellip; Atlanta made 15 of 39 3-pointers.
Rockets: Eric Gordon missed the game with a groin injury. &hellip; Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate was out for an 11th straight game with a sore right ankle. ... Mathews had 20 points off the bench.
UP NEXT
Hawks: Host Miami on Sunday.
Rockets: Host Oklahoma City on Saturday night.

Jalen Green scored 30 points and the Rockets overcame a 15-point second half deficit to beat the Hawks 128-122 on Friday night.

Jalen Green has 30 points, Rockets rally to beat Hawks 128-122

ATLANTA &ndash; The Atlanta Hawks have signed guard Jarrett Culver to a two-way contract, the team announced Monday. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed.&nbsp;
Culver comes to Atlanta from the Memphis Grizzlies where he appeared in 37 games this past season, averaging 3.5 points and 1.3 rebounds in 9.1 minutes. The 6-6 guard saw action in three postseason games with the Grizzlies, tallying 2.3 points and 2.3 rebounds in 7.3 minutes.
He also saw action in four games (all starts) with the Memphis Hustle, NBA G League affiliate of the Grizzlies, notching 18.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks in 33.1 minutes.
Drafted by the Phoenix Suns with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Culver&rsquo;s draft rights were traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves on July 6, 2019. Over his three-year career, the Lubbock, Texas native has suited up for the Timberwolves (2019-21) and Grizzlies (2021-22), appearing in 134 games (42 starts), averaging 6.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 17.5 minutes (.401 FG%).
Culver played collegiately at Texas Tech for two seasons (2017-19), seeing action in 75 games (58 starts), registering 14.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 29.5 minutes (.459 FG%, .341 3FG%, .687 FT%).
The 2019 Big 12 Player of the Year led the Red Raiders to the 2019 NCAA Championship Game as a sophomore, their first-ever Final Four and championship game appearance, en route to being named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team.
In his freshman season, Culver guided Texas Tech to its first Elite Eight in program history. Culver, who finished his Red Raider career with 1,119 total points, became the first player in Texas Tech history to pour in at least 1,000 points as a freshman-sophomore.

Culver comes to Atlanta from Memphis, where he appeared in 37 games last year, including three playoff contests.

Atlanta Hawks sign Jarrett Culver to two-way contract

It's been nearly one month since the NBA's free-agency period got underway, and most of the notable players have already been signed. However, there are still a handful of available players.
Here's a look at the remaining free agents:&nbsp;
COLLIN SEXTON, RESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Collin Sexton injured his left knee last November, and an MRI revealed a torn meniscus that required season-ending surgery. The market has dried up for Sexton, and his best bet may be re-signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers on the qualifying offer (worth $7.2 million) and then hitting unrestricted free agency next summer. During the 2020-21 season, Sexton averaged 24.3 points and 4.4 assists while shooting 47.5% from the floor, 37.5% from downtown and 81.5% from the free-throw line. However, he struggled defensively, and the Cavs registered a league-worst 60-159 record over the first three years of his career. With Sexton out of action last season, Darius Garland emerged as an All-Star and the 44-38 Cavs made the Play-In Tournament.
MILES BRIDGES, RESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Miles Bridges is coming off a breakout season, averaging a career-high 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.9 threes and 0.9 steals. It seemed like the forward was due for a massive pay raise and Charlotte Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak even said that the team was going to re-sign him. However, that was before Bridges was arrested for domestic violence on the eve of free agency. Bridges' wife, Mychelle Johnson, <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1542723880619581440/photo/4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently spoke out</a> about Bridges' alleged abuse and documented her serious injuries. Not only has this situation understandably scared teams away, it's also very possible that the NBA will suspend Bridges.
MONTREZL HARRELL, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Montrezl Harrell just delivered another productive and efficient season as a reserve, averaging 13.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 23.1 minutes, while shooting 64.5% from the field. Harrell started the season with the Washington Wizards and then got traded to the Charlotte Hornets prior to the deadline. However, it's worth noting that the 28-year-old is facing felony drug charges after officers claimed to find three pounds of marijuana in his car during a traffic stop back in May. That's likely why the former Sixth Man of the Year is still available.
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DENNIS SCHRODER, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last offseason, Dennis Schroder signed with the Boston Celtics at a significant discount. After struggling during the first half of the season, he was traded to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Daniel Theis. He finished last season averaging 13.5 points, 4.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 threes per game, while shooting 43.1% from the field, 34.4% from three-point range and 85.3% from the free-throw line.
HASSAN WHITESIDE, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Hassan Whiteside is a solid backup center who protects the rim. Last season, while backing up Rudy Gobert on the Utah Jazz, he averaged 8.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 17.9 minutes per game. In eight starts, the 33-year-old averaged 11.5 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks while shooting 63.5% from the field.
CARMELO ANTHONY, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last season, 37-year-old put up 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.2 threes, 0.8 blocks and 0.7 steals in 26.0 minutes per game with the Los Angeles Lakers. In recent years, he has shot the ball much better from three-point range, knocking down 37.5% of his three-point attempts last year and 40.9% from deep the year before. Anthony has been working out with his son, Kiyan, at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas as he prepares for next season.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Carmelo Anthony (<a href="https://twitter.com/carmeloanthony?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@carmeloanthony</a>) working out at <a href="https://twitter.com/impactbball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@impactbball</a> in Las Vegas: <a href="https://t.co/Rnz8Bam7EO">pic.twitter.com/Rnz8Bam7EO</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1547693404414365702?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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DEMARCUS COUSINS, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Cousins became a key contributor after joining the Denver Nuggets in February, averaging 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per contest. He looked great at times during the playoffs too, scoring an efficient 19 points in 15 minutes during Game 5 against the Golden State Warriors. The 31-year-old can still help a team.
&ldquo;I belong in this league,&rdquo; Cousins said after Denver was eliminated. &ldquo;I was given the opportunity; I'm thankful for Mike Malone. I spoke with him before. A lot of doors closed for me. Mike looked out, gave me an opportunity. I just tried to take the best advantage of it as I could. That's what I did.&rdquo;
JEREMY LAMB, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last season, the Indiana Pacers traded Lamb to the Sacramento Kings as part of the Domantas Sabonis deal. In 56 games, Lamb averaged 7.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 three in 16.7 minutes a night. The 30-year-old struggled with his shot, knocking down just 38.3% of his attempts from the field and 32.4% of his threes (after shooting 45.1% from the field and 40.6% from three the previous year).&nbsp;
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TRISTAN THOMPSON, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last season, Thompson suited up for the Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls, averaging 6.0 points and 5.1 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game. At this stage of his career, the 31-year-old is a solid backup big man who can provide frontcourt depth.
ANDRE IGUODALA, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT
Last season, Iguodala rejoined the Golden State Warriors, averaging 4.0 points, 3.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks in 19.5 minutes across 31 games. At this stage of his career, the 38-year-old is mainly a veteran leader and strong locker-room presence, but he can still produce in limited reserve minutes. Don't be surprised if he re-signs with Golden State.
HONORABLE MENTION: LaMarcus Aldridge (UFA), Wayne Ellington (UFA), Blake Griffin (UFA), Markieff Morris (UFA), Isaiah Thomas (UFA), DJ Augustin (UFA), Sharife Cooper (UFA), Dwight Howard (UFA), Rajon Rondo (UFA), Jordan Nwora (RFA), Lou Williams (UFA), Eric Bledsoe (UFA), Juan Hernangomez (UFA), Josh Jackson (UFA), Duane Washington Jr. (UFA), Paul Millsap (UFA), Eric Paschall (UFA), Moses Brown (UFA), Jarrett Culver (UFA), Rodney Hood (UFA), Avery Bradley (UFA), Kent Bazemore (UFA), Michael Carter-Williams (UFA), Brandon Goodwin (UFA), Tony Snell (UFA), Ben McLemore (UFA), Langston Galloway (UFA), Elfrid Payton (UFA)

Nearly one month into the NBA's free-agency period, which players are still available?

2022 NBA Free Agency: Which players are still available?

Less than three weeks until the NBA&rsquo;s free-agency period gets underway, how many teams project to have significant cap space this offseason?
As of now, there are just six NBA teams that are poised to have considerable spending power this summer: the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies, Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs.
It's worth noting that these are just projections because front offices still need to make decisions on team options, non-guaranteed contracts, whether to renounce their own free agents, etc. These projections are courtesy of <a href="https://www.duckingthetax.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ducking The Tax</a>.
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Let&rsquo;s examine each team's cap situation:
Detroit Pistons: $27,673,195
The Pistons have some decisions to make this offseason. Jerami Grant has been mentioned in trade rumors over the last two seasons, and he might finally get moved. Marvin Bagley III is a restricted free agent and since he failed to start 41 games or play 2,000 minutes this season, his qualifying offer decreased from $14.8 million to $7.3 million. Cory Joseph has a player option worth $5,155,000. Also, the following players have a team option: Frank Jackson ($3,100,000), Hamidou Diallo ($5,200,000), Luka Garza ($1,563,518) and Carsen Edwards ($1,815,677).
Detroit has the No. 5 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and could have the most cap space in the NBA, so this is a huge offseason for Troy Weaver and Co. Given the Pistons&rsquo; flexibility and desire to add talent around Cade Cunningham, Detroit has been mentioned as a possible suitor for Deandre Ayton, Jalen Brunson, Collin Sexton and Mitchell Robinson among others. It remains to be seen if the Pistons will use the bulk of their cap space this summer.
Orlando Magic: $25,516,309&nbsp;
All eyes are on the Magic entering this offseason, as they own the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and they will have a ton of cap space. Some projections have Orlando with more cap space than Detroit, but it depends what the Magic do over the next few weeks.
Mo Bamba is a restricted free agent with a $10,096,703 qualifying offer, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-destinations-for-mo-bamba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his days in Orlando may be numbered</a> since the Magic are expected to draft Jabari Smith or Chet Holmgren. Bol Bol ($2.7 million qualifying offer), Ignas Brazdeikis ($1.5 million qualifying offer) and Admiral Schofield ($1.5 million qualifying offer) are also restricted free agents. Orlando has a team option for Moe Wagner (($1,878,720) and Devin Cannady ($1,752,638). Also, Gary Harris and Robin Lopez are unrestricted free agents, and Orlando can free up additional space by renouncing their rights.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s also worth noting that this projection includes the $10,907,160 salary that they'll have to pay their No. 1 pick next year. Orlando won just 22 games this season, and it doesn&rsquo;t seem like the team is in any rush to take the next step forward; the Magic may be comfortable dragging out this rebuild for a few more years and focusing on their young core&rsquo;s development in the meantime.
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Portland Trail Blazers: $24,063,805
Anfernee Simons is a restricted free agent with a $5,758,551 qualifying offer, and re-signing him is Portland&rsquo;s top priority this offseason. In his 30 games as a starter this season, he averaged 22.0 points, 5.5 assists, 4.1 threes and 2.8 rebounds on .452/.415/.871 shooting splits.
CJ Elleby, Elijah Hughes and Keljin Blevins are also poised to be restricted free agents. Only $3.9 million of Eric Bledsoe's $19.4 million salary is guaranteed, so waiving him would give Portland significantly more cap space. Also, Josh Hart's $12.9 million deal is non-guaranteed, giving the Blazers even more flexibility (although the team will likely want to keep Hart). Portland has several unrestricted free agents, including Jusuf Nurkic, Joe Ingles, Ben McLemore, Cody Zeller and Drew Eubanks.
The Blazers can create enough cap space to offer a max deal this offseason, but they'd have to waive the Bird rights of Nurkic, Ingles, McLemore, Zeller and Eubanks, as well as Bledsoe and Hart. A <a href="https://www.duckingthetax.com/blog/the-pivotal-offseason-in-portland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more likely outcome</a> is Portland operating as an over-the-cap team, re-signing Nurkic, using its $21 million traded-player exception and then using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception worth $10,349,000. (In this scenario, they'd still be waiving Bledsoe.) The Blazers are a team to watch this offseason, as they have been linked to numerous players in trade rumors. Portland is being aggressive as they look to surround Damian Lillard and Simons with talent.
Memphis Grizzlies: $19,273,650
Seeing the Grizzlies on this list may surprise some people, but they can actually clear quite a bit of cap space this summer. The question is: Will they make the necessary moves to do so?
Memphis could remain over the cap and prioritize re-signing Kyle Anderson and Tyus Jones, who are both unrestricted free agents. Or, the Grizzlies could decide to renounce Anderson, Jones and Jarrett Culver, which would carve out $19.3 million in cap space that they could play with. Another option is they could try to pull off a sign-and-trade using some of their young players and draft picks (since they have eight first-rounders in the next five drafts). Memphis is already a contender, and the franchise enters this offseason as a bit of a wild card given all of its options.
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Indiana Pacers: $17,477,594
This projection factors in the $6,498,600 salary that Indiana will have to pay the No. 6 overall pick, assuming the team makes the selection. The Pacers could free up more cap space, but that would entail getting rid of certain players (or trading their pick). Oshae Brissett ($1,846,738) and Keifer Sykes ($1,563,518) have a team option. Only $625,000 of Terry Taylor's $1,563,518 salary is guaranteed, and Duane Washington Jr.&rsquo;s $1,563,518 salary is non-guaranteed too. Indiana can free up additional cap space by renouncing the rights to unrestricted free agents TJ Warren, Ricky Rubio, Jalen Smith and Lance Stephenson.&nbsp;
The Pacers were a 25-win team this season after blowing up their roster, trading away Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert, Torrey Craig, Justin Holiday and Jeremy Lamb. It&rsquo;s possible that they aren&rsquo;t done making trades, as Malcolm Brogdon has been <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-malcolm-brogdon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rumored to be available</a> and Myles Turner could be shopped once again. The Pacers are focused on building around their young core that includes Tyrese Haliburton, Isaiah Jackson and Chris Duarte among others.
San Antonio Spurs: $14,204,803&nbsp;
Some projections have the Spurs with significantly more cap space, and it&rsquo;s true that San Antonio's decision-makers could free up more cap room if they so choose. However, that would require them to renounce the rights to Lonnie Walker IV (who&rsquo;s a restricted free agent with a $6,319,683 qualifying offer and $13,343,688 cap hold) and release Zach Collins (who has a $7,350,000 salary, but only $3,675,000 is guaranteed). Tre Jones' $1,782,621 is also non-guaranteed, but it seems unlikely that San Antonio would move on from the 22-year-old. Also, this projection includes the salaries that San Antonio will have to pay its three first-round picks (No. 9, No. 20 and No. 25), assuming the organization keeps those selections.
While these six teams project to have the most cap space, other teams could still get under the cap via trades. And even if a team doesn&rsquo;t have cap room, it could still make a significant free-agent addition using the mid-level exception.
Who are the top players available in this summer&rsquo;s free-agent class? <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out our NBA free-agent rankings and scouting reports here</a>. And for more information about the salary cap and relevant terms to know between now and the start of free agency, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-freeagency-glossary-relevant-terms-to-know-before-july-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out our free-agency glossary</a>.
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With less than three weeks until NBA free agency gets underway, there are only six teams that project to have significant cap space.

Which NBA teams have the most cap space entering free agency?

In terms of their title-contending window, the Memphis Grizzlies are perhaps in the best position of any team in the NBA.
The fact is that Memphis forced their window open a few years earlier than anyone would have anticipated. The oldest guys on the current roster are Steven Adams and Kyle Anderson, both 28 years of age. At the start of the 2022-23 season, the top three players for the Grizzlies will be 24 years old (Desmond Bane) and 23 years old (Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.). The team with the second-best record in the league has a core that has not even scratched its prime.
Memphis is here, and with Morant likely to be locked up through 2027, this franchise will be competitive for quite a while. And moving ahead, recently named 2022 NBA Executive of the Year Zach Kleiman is now tasked with some decisions for Memphis to continue on this fast-rising arc.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s definitely a lot to be said about core continuity,&rdquo; Kleiman <a href="https://dailymemphian.com/article/28749/zach-kleiman-named-nba-executive-of-the-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently told Drew Hill of the Daily Memphian</a>. &ldquo;We are not going to have any issue paying anyone who we want to pay. There is not going to be any issue with retention here. I&rsquo;m very grateful, and we wouldn&rsquo;t be in this spot without (Grizzlies owner) Robert [Pera]&rsquo;s vision and support and commitment on that end. We are not worried about small-market notions or this or that. We are not going to have any issue whatsoever keeping together who we want as we continue to prioritize continuity.&rdquo;
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There a few names that come to play in regards to "retention." Heading into this offseason, Tyus Jones, Jarrett Culver and Anderson will all be entering unrestricted <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free agency</a>. The Grizzlies were able to steal Jones and Anderson from their respective teams during their restricted-free-agency summers, but now the question is whether they will retain either of them this offseason.
There should be little to no argument that Jones is the best backup point guard in the NBA. His steady play and care of the ball played a major role in the Grizzlies winning the way they did this season, even when Morant went down with injury. In his exit interview, Jones told reporters that, while he does desire to be a starting point guard, he "loves the organization and playing with this team."
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Paying Tyus starter money to back up Morant is like paying for an expensive insurance policy. You may never get your money's worth, but when you need it in an emergency situation, you are sure glad you have it. With Ja's style of play, having Jones on the roster seems like the most valuable potential signing Memphis could have this summer. They could front load the contract to make the money work long-term, and then draft another point guard to be ready by the end of Jones' next deal.&nbsp;
Anderson, while more likely to return than Culver, has probably played his last game in a Memphis uniform. His veteran presence was important in the playoffs this season, but his inability to shoot leaves Memphis looking for an upgrade. Anderson is a holdover from the Chris Wallace regime, and though he has been a cultural fit in the locker room, it may be time to move on.
Adams, Dillon Brooks and Killian Tillie will all be on expiring deals worth over $30 million combined going into next season, and both Morant and Brandon Clarke are eligibile for their rookie-scale extensions. While Morant will get a max offer the second he is eligible, the decision on Clarke will loom large this summer. Memphis would do well to avoid restricted free agency in 2023 with the springy forward, and should look at a four-year, $50 million dollar extension as the ceiling for him.&nbsp;
With a pair of first-round picks and enough expiring money and cap space heading into the 2022 NBA Draft, will Memphis make a splash? The free-agent market is not enticing enough for them to sign anyone &mdash; especially considering they are going to have to pay Bane soon as well. A reunion with Delon Wright seems to be the best option if Memphis were to lose the Jones sweepstakes. Don't expect the Grizz to put their name in the hat for Zach Lavine this summer either.&nbsp;
Could Memphis pry Pascal Siakam away from Toronto for a package of Adams, Brooks and three first-round draft picks? Or perhaps Utah is open for business and there is a similar package, plus De'Anthony Melton, for Donovan Mitchell. A simpler upgrade for the Grizz could be Brooks and a pick for Bojan Bogdanovic, a veteran shooting presence Memphis needs.&nbsp;
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The Grizzlies' summer will be unpredictable. On one hand, they could be completely silent, doing nothing crazy and opt to run it back. On the other, they could swing for it, seeing their window open before Morant hits his first max contract.
Another big storyline for them will be the development of Ziaire Williams at NBA Summer League. The previous season, Bane went from a low-usage rookie to a summer-league standout to receiving a Third Team All-NBA vote. Williams is on the Bane plan, and if he were to breakout in a similar way, that is a massive development for the Grizzlies' title aspirations.
No matter what Memphis does this summer, the organization is ahead of schedule. Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane make up one of the most lethal trios in the league, and they are just getting started.
The Grizzlies do not care if you believe in them. They believe in themselves, and are going to be in the thick of it for years to come.&nbsp;
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Justin Lewis takes a look at the upcoming decisions the Grizzlies have to make in free agency and with their own roster this summer.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Memphis Grizzlies?

With one week to go before the 2022 NBA trade deadline, talks are heating up around the league. In a year that seems very wide open, many teams could be enticed to make a win-now move and push some chips to the middle of the table. According to the rumor mill, we could see deadline deals involving a number of significant contributors who can swing potential playoff series.
So, which teams and players make the most sense together? Let&rsquo;s go dive into the moves that could swing the Western Conference standings despite Phoenix already creating noticeable distance up top.
Phoenix Suns: Eric Gordon
Will the rich get even richer? Phoenix may try to make a bold move and remove all debate over who's the West's No. 1 seed. As I mentioned previously, it&rsquo;s no secret that the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-the-suns-are-an-underrated-team-to-watch-at-the-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Suns have inquired about Eric Gordon and Thaddeus Young</a> as midseason upgrades. Gordon would be via trade, while Young could be scooped up via the buyout market if no trade happens in San Antonio.
If the Suns were to accomplish this, their rotation would be absurd heading into a postseason as title favorites:
Starting Lineup: Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Deandre Ayton
Second Unit: Cameron Payne, Eric Gordon, Cameron Johnson, Thaddeus Young, JaVale McGee
That right there is a dominant playoff rotation with no holes presented. On top of that, it&rsquo;s the type of trade teams make when they know how close they are to the ultimate goal. Phoenix checks all the boxes, and so do the fits of Gordon and Young in the Valley.
Gordon would immediately step in as a reliable third guard, with way less volatility than what Payne and Landry Shamet have presented this season. Gordon&rsquo;s versatility and sharpshooting would bring another boost to an already elite offense for the Suns.
Phoenix would have to send out Dario Saric, Jalen Smith and a cheap expiring contract (i.e. Elfrid Payton, Abdel Nader, Frank Kaminsky). The Houston Rockets have also let it be known they want a future first-round pick in any Gordon deal. Phoenix shouldn&rsquo;t feel concerned about relinquishing a protected 2024 first-round pick, especially with its championship window being right now.
Keep an eye on Phoenix, folks. They are positioned well to make a few notable splashes through different avenues.
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Dallas Mavericks: Myles Turner
Does Dallas really want to lock in this core around Luka Doncic? The answer should be "No," although Jalen Brunson and Dorian Finney-Smith have provided strong chemistry alongside the Mavs&rsquo; young superstar point forward. Maybe the Mavs decide to keep Brunson around, but it&rsquo;s going to be a tough pill to swallow paying both him and Finney-Smith this summer.
With that being the case, now is the perfect time to strike on one of those assets to bring aboard a game-changing piece. Enter Myles Turner, who instantly jolts an already-recharged Dallas defense.
Turner instantly provides an elite rim-protector to take pressure off Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. The Mavs might take a small step back in rebounding with this move, but Doncic should be more than capable of taking on those duties.
The Indiana Pacers would receive Dwight Powell&rsquo;s salary, Finney-Smith as a looming restricted free agent and a first-round pick. With Turner&rsquo;s value down due to a foot injury &mdash; which could have him back on the court next month &mdash; this might be the best offer available for the Pacers.
With the sudden emergence of Isaiah Jackson and Terry Taylor, Indiana would be wise to move off Turner immediately. The Pacers are in a rare position to focus on the internal player development of their young core and simultaneously lose their way into a top draft pick. Focus on the young guys and take a flier on how Finney-Smith could fit next to Domantas Sabonis long-term.
Memphis Grizzlies: Kenrich Williams
One of the most underrated wings on the trade market resides in Oklahoma City. Kenrich Williams is a key glue guy for the Thunder, but imagine how much more valuable his presence would be on a real championship contender this postseason.
Williams is a name that checks a lot of boxes for wing-hungry contenders. I thought about sending Williams to Phoenix for this exercise, but settled upon how brilliant his fit would be in Memphis. The Grizzlies need another versatile wing to keep up in the West. Williams helps bring their strong start even more stability.
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Oklahoma City reportedly is looking for a future first-round pick in exchange for Williams. Memphis can provide that, plus an intriguing flier on a former lottery pick who hasn&rsquo;t panned out yet in Jarrett Culver.
It&rsquo;s not a star-type move, but Williams is one of those under-the-radar pieces that could thrive in the postseason.
Utah Jazz: Harrison Barnes
It&rsquo;s time for the Jazz to push those chips all-in, especially with their slump as of late with multiple core pieces out due to injury. Utah has fallen off its earlier pace trying to keep up with the Suns and Golden State Warriors. Now, they&rsquo;ve been leapfrogged by the Grizzlies, and multiple teams loom over the Jazz slipping even further in the standings.
Three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert can&rsquo;t do everything by himself in Utah. The Jazz have been exposed on multiple occasions for not having more versatile defenders surrounding Gobert to make his job a little bit easier.
Now, with Joe Ingles out for the season with a torn ACL, Utah needs to find an immediate contributor on the wing who can help bring the team much-needed, two-way versatility. Harrison Barnes makes so much sense as what the Jazz need to make the jump. Barnes and Jerami Grant have both been linked to the Jazz, so this has some serious smoke behind it.
Barnes is an excellent floor-spacing option who wouldn&rsquo;t take touches away from Donovan Mitchell. Also, the veteran forward is versatile enough to handle tough assignments on the wing, especially envisioning how it would look against Phoenix and Golden State.
Swapping out Ingles&rsquo; contract, Royce O&rsquo;Neale and a first-round pick for Barnes would be an instant upgrade for the Jazz. It brings them back into the conversation as real Finals threats atop the West with the Suns and Warriors.
How would you grade this rotation for the Jazz if it actually came to fruition?
Starting Lineup: Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic, Harrison Barnes, Rudy Gobert
Second Unit: Trent Forrest, Jordan Clarkson, Rudy Gay, Eric Paschall, Hassan Whiteside
That bench is a little thin for Utah, but the potency of the starting five completely outweighs that. Utah needs to make a big move, and the time is now.
Welcome to the Wild West, folks. This trade deadline is going to be a very interesting one for the Western Conference's true title contenders.
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The Western Conference feels wide open. How could the trade deadline have an impact? Here are four potentially massive moves.

4 potential NBA trade-deadline deals that would shake up the West

When looking through the NBA standings, one team continues to show no signs of slowing down as a team officially taking the leap forward to sustainable playoff contender. The Memphis Grizzlies are breaking through their ceiling ahead of schedule, thanks in large part to point guard Ja Morant taking the leap to superstardom in his third season.
Thankfully, basketball fans weren&rsquo;t robbed of what could&rsquo;ve been a special season from Morant early on in the 2021-22 season with what looked to be a more serious knee injury.
Six weeks ago, Morant landed awkwardly on his left knee resulting in a sprain. In real-time, it looked way worse when remembering catastrophic injuries in the past with lower extremities. Morant stutter-stepped on a drive to the rim, which caused a non-contact buckling of his knee. In his absence, Memphis stayed afloat in the Western Conference as their young core carried the burden, spearheaded by late first-round steal Desmond Bane, who continues to look the part of a perfect backcourt complement alongside Morant.
Memphis is 25-14, comfortably sitting as the No. 4 seed in the West. As Morant&rsquo;s ascension continues full steam ahead, it&rsquo;s time to realize how strong this Grizzlies team is positioned both now and long-term.
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Morant is the straw that stirs the drink on Beale Street in Memphis, but the Grizzlies are a team littered with enticing pieces fitting together seamlessly on the fly. Bane is averaging 17.4 points per game while carrying an above-average 58.5% True Shooting percentage, boosted by his three-point marksmanship.
Jaren Jackson Jr. is taking strides forward in Year 4 after losing a full season to his own knee injury suffered in the 2020 Orlando Bubble. He's averaging 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.
After a short stint with the Phoenix Suns, De&rsquo;Anthony Melton has found a home in Memphis as an energizer third guard who brings endless amounts of two-way versatility. Dillon Brooks still remains as a key cog in the Grizzlies&rsquo; machine when he&rsquo;s been on the court this season, averaging 19.3 points per game himself.
The Grizzlies&rsquo; front office has consistently taken flyers on productive, high-upside college prospects and maximized on signing castoffs. Case in point with former Minnesota Timberwolves lottery pick Jarrett Culver. Memphis has continuously hit on second-round picks as well, with Xavier Tillman and Killian Tillie carving out roles. Last summer's No. 10 overall pick Ziaire Williams is working his way into the mix and could be a future asset to the Grizzlies&rsquo; successful rise in the West.
Add it all together and the Grizzlies are nowhere close to a mirage. If anything, they are just now beginning their climb in the Western Conference for years to come. Aided by a superstar in Morant, a valuable collection of successful young role-players who can fill multiple avenues of on-court value, stabilizing veteran presences like center Steven Adams, Memphis has hit the jackpot.
Morant has been everything the Grizzlies hoped for when they found their own lottery luck and jumped up to the second spot in the 2019 NBA Draft. Morant was a fast-paced, jaw-dropping offensive engine who provided endless highlight reel moments during his two collegiate seasons at Murray State. A meteoric rise in his sophomore season led to some even debating him alongside surefire No. 1 pick Zion Williamson.
Morant immediately showed during his rookie season how special of a player he was. Fast-forward to now, though, he&rsquo;s beginning to really take hold of being one of the best young lead guards in the Association.
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Morant is averaging 25.1 points, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals while taking a superstar-esque jump from the perimeter, shooting 40.0% on three-pointers. It&rsquo;s resulted in Morant&rsquo;s True Shooting percentage skyrocketing to a career-best 57.7% this season. When Morant has been on the court, Memphis is 15-12. He&rsquo;s not only carrying this Grizzlies squad, but taking the leap in the process.
As a true three-level scorer with rare explosive burst to the basket, Morant is a gem in the backcourt. When comparing him around the Association, his unique scoring blend makes him a nearly unstoppable weapon to contain. After an adjustment period returning from his sprained left knee, Morant is averaging an eye-popping 33.2 points over his last five games.
The Grizzlies are winning with a superstar buoying their offense, but the defense is there in more consistent spurts as well. Memphis ranks No. 7 in offensive rating (111.7) while being smack dab in the middle of the league in defensive rating (108.7). It&rsquo;s a sustainable formula head coach Taylor Jenkins is firing off on a nightly basis, which makes Memphis a real threat to nab a top-five seed this season.
When the Grizzlies snuck into the playoffs last season after defeating Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, it provided much-needed playoff experience despite a quick first-round exit against the top-seeded Utah Jazz. Memphis not only came back stronger with internal development success stories across the board, but they found their weaknesses and turned them into passable grades.
It will be very interesting to see what the Grizzlies now do with a month left before February&rsquo;s trade deadline. Will they make a win-now move to further bolster their chances of securing homecourt advantage in April? It&rsquo;s a serious discussion to be had and could continue during the upcoming offseason.
Everything is falling into place for Memphis after a few down years following the successful Grit &rsquo;N Grind era. Now, a new era of Grizzlies basketball is thriving, with a completely different identity built around fast-paced play and relentless offensive firepower. They have a full-blown budding superstar in Morant alongside multiple young players who are taking leaps to serious starting quality as well.
Welcome back to playoff basketball, Memphis. You won't be leaving anytime soon.

After a few down years, a new era of Memphis Grizzlies basketball is taking the NBA world by storm with no signs of slowing down.

The Grizzlies are the NBA's latest rebuild success story

NEW YORK (AP) — Ja Morant scored 36 points and five Grizzlies scored in double figures as Memphis extended its winning streak to five games with a 118-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.
Desmond Bane scored 29 points, Brandon Clarke added 16, and Jarrett Culver and Tyus Jones had 12 apiece.
Kevin Durant led the Nets with 26 points on 8-for-24 shooting from the field, including 2 for 8 from 3-point range. James Harden added 19 points in 5-for-14 shooting. Nic Claxton added 11 points and Blake Griffin and Bruce Brown each finished with 10 points as Brooklyn lost its third straight.
Morant scored 18 points in the third period and had a spectacular tomahawk dunk that drew a gasp from the Barclay Center crowd of more 17,000, which included NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown, whose career is on hold after leaving the field and his Tampa Bay teammates in the Buccaneers’ win over the Jets on Sunday.
The first of two regular-season matchups between the leaders in the Atlantic and Southwest divisions concerned Brooklyn coach Steve Nash. Nash, in his pregame comments, pointed to the Grizzlies’ ability to offensive rebound and force turnovers, parts of the game in which the Nets have struggled.
Memphis scored 14 points off nine Brooklyn turnovers in the opening quarters and led 56-47 at halftime. The Grizzlies also grabbed 13 offensive rebounds, which helped them score 18 second-chance points.
Memphis built its lead to as many as 25 points in the third quarter by continuously attacking the paint, led by Morant’s acrobatic drives.
The Grizzlies extended their lead to 28 points in the fourth quarter. With Durant and Harden on the bench, Brooklyn’s reserves cut the deficit to 10 points, but got no closer. 
Brown scored seven of his 10 points in the period, and Jevon Carter (six), Day’Ron Sharpe (six), and Cam Thomas (eight) scored all of their points during the ill-fated comeback attempt.
TIP-INS:
Grizzlies: The NBA announced before the game that Morant was named the player of the week in the Western Conference. The second overall pick in the 2019 draft averaged 34.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 34 minutes in three games — all wins — over the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs. Morant, who was awarded player of the week for the first time in his career, is averaging 24.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.48 steals in 32.4 minutes, and has started every game this season for Memphis.
Nets: The Nets have had their season upended by the pandemic. Brooklyn, which had 10 players in COVID-19 protocol as far back as Dec. 17, announced prior to the game that the NBA rescheduled five of its games. The Nets will host San Antonio at noon on Jan. 9, before flying to Portland to play the Trail Blazers the next night. Brooklyn’s game against Denver, initially scheduled for Dec. 19, was moved to Jan. 26. That forced the league to move the previously scheduled matchup against the Toronto Raptors to Feb. 28. Finally, the league shifted the Dec. 21 game against Washington to Feb. 17. … The Nets were short-handed as starting center LaMarcus Aldridge missed the game with a sore right foot.
UP NEXT:
Grizzlies: Visit Cleveland on Tuesday night.
Nets: Visit Indiana on Wednesday night.
___
MORE AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Ja Morant scored 36 points, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Brooklyn Nets on the road.

Morant leads Grizzlies over Nets; Antonio Brown looking on

PHOENIX (AP) — Ja Morant scored 33 points, including a layup with 0.5 seconds to play that gave the Memphis Grizzlies a 114-113 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night. 
Morant’s basket came after Devin Booker’s 3-pointer with 5 seconds to play gave the Suns their first lead since early in the game. After a timeout, Morant drove the left side of the lane and banked it in. Phoenix’s final shot from the corner was off the mark.
Desmond Bane scored 32 points, 19 in the first half when Memphis built a 60-48 lead. Steven Adams had 13 points and 16 rebounds as the Grizzlies dominated the boards, 50-35.
Booker led the Suns with 30 points. Deandre Ayton and Jae Crowder, as well as coach Monty Williams, were placed in the COVID-19 protocols. The Suns lost their second straight at home following the Christmas defeat to Golden State. The Suns had won 15 in a row in Phoenix after losing their first two of the season at home.
Bane scored 28 on Sunday night in the Grizzlies’ victory in Sacramento.
Cameron Johnson scored 19 for the Suns. Jalen Smith had 15 points and nine rebounds. Cam Payne also scored 15 and Chris Paul had 13 points and 13 assists.
The Suns, who trailed by as many as 18, got within 112-110 on Mikal Bridges’ basket with 32 seconds left. After a shot-clock violation, the Suns got the ball back with 8 seconds to go and Booker made his shot from the top of the key, but left Morant and Memphis enough time to take the lead again. 
Elfrid Payton, who was placed in the protocols on Sunday, was cleared to play before the game. Associate coach Kevin Young filled in for Williams.
Memphis played without Dillon Brooks, Jarrett Culver, De’Anthony Melton and Yves Pons, all in the protocols.
LAST-MINUTE ADJUSTMENTS
Young, 40, has been an assistant with the Suns and the 76ers, where he worked with Williams. He began his coaching career when he was 23, with the Shamrock Rovers in Dublin in the Ireland Super League. He also has coached three teams in the NBA Development League.
Young referenced his time in the D-League when he was asked about dealing with the sudden lineup changes, remembering a time when three of his players were called up to the NBA within an hour.
As a result, he knew to expect the unexpected.
“You see what’s going on (with the virus), you just start kind of mentally preparing for things like this,” Young said before the game.
“Everyone’s going through the same thing. You kind of get lost in the task at hand, you got a job to do and I think that’s the approach we’ve all taken. Just keep it simple.” 
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins says his team doesn’t worry about the opponent in the moment. “If things have to change a little bit, our guys are really good at changing on the fly.”
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Have 10 or more steals in 12 of its last 13 games. The Grizzlies entered Monday leading the NBA in steals with 10.4 per game.
Suns: Signed forward Emanuel Terry to a 10-day contract Monday. Terry, who is 6-9, played in two games with the Suns during 2018-19, and was playing for the G League Stockton Kings this season.
NEXT
Grizzlies: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
Suns: Host Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

Ja Morant scored a contested layup with .5 seconds remaining, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Phoenix Suns 114-113.

Morant scores in final second, Grizzlies edge Suns 114-113

Stephen Curry scored 46 points and made eight 3-pointers, Gary Payton Jr. added a clutch 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter and the Golden State Warriors held off the Memphs Grizzlies 113-104 on Thursday night.
Payton finished with 22 points and Draymond Green had nine assists to help the Warriors improve an NBA-best 16-2 record at home. The Warriors (26-6) remain one-half game behind the Suns (26-5) for the best record in the NBA, with the teams set to meet on Christmas in Phoenix.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s about as good as it gets against a very physical defense with great size,&rdquo; Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;Over the last 10-12 games, Memphis had the best defensive rating in the league. For Steph to go out and get 46, he showed every bit of his talent tonight. This was his most efficient game in a couple weeks, for sure.&rdquo;
The Warriors led comfortably most of the second half before the Grizzlies made a late push and tied it at 102-all on De&rsquo;Anthony Melton&rsquo;s layup. But Juan Tosco-Anderson scored on a reverse, Payton made his fourth 3 and Curry scurried past three defenders in the key for a layup to help Golden State pull away.
Curry and Green both noted the significance of the win, citing the Grizzlies victory over the Warriors in the play-in game last season.
&ldquo;Definitely wanted this one,&rdquo; said Curry, who twisted his ankle in the fourth quarter but noted he was OK. &ldquo;Definitely felt like it was one (we) cant let slip by because of the history but also because knowing what it&rsquo;s going to take to win a game like this. You carry that chip on your shoulder and understand this is our home court.&rdquo;
Ja Morant had 21 points for Memphis, which had won its previous six road games.
&ldquo;We got a ton of good looks in the paint, missed 30 shots, couldn&rsquo;t get our 3-ball going,&rdquo; Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re a hard team to beat. They played really well tonight.
With MVP chants ringing throughout the night, Curry made 13 of 22 shots (8 of 14 beyond the arc) and was 12 for 12 on free throws to top the 30-point mark for the 12th time this season and the 225th of his career.
&ldquo;He had a great offensive night,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;He found space tonight. Guys did a good job of trying to get him the ball and not forcing it. You let a guy like that get clean looks, it starts an avalanche.&rdquo;
The Grizzlies got off to a fast start, connecting on 13 of their first 19 shots to take a 10-point lead.
Golden State, which blew a 19-point lead when the two teams played in October, came back to tie it at 51 following Tosco-Anderson&rsquo;s one-handed dunk and two free throws from Curry.
Curry got the Warriors rolling in the third, making three 3s, including one as he fell flat on his back. The NBA&rsquo;s 3-point king also made four free throws, fed Payton with a no-look pass for a 3-pointer then added a steal and layup.
&ldquo;Greatest shooter of all time,&rdquo; Morant said. &ldquo;We know he&rsquo;s going to make shots. We just have to make it very tough for him to get it off. We had some mental lapses during the game and he made us pay for it.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Brooks was whistled for a technical late in the second quarter and Kyle Anderson got one while sitting on the Memphis bench early in the second half. &hellip; Jarrett Culver has entered into the NBA&rsquo;s COVID-19 health and safety protocols. &hellip; Brandon Clarke missed his 11th game with right knee soreness. &hellip; Santi Aldama (right calf soreness) sat out his fourth consecutive game.
Warriors: Curry was four points shy of his season-high of 50. &hellip; Green got his sixth technical of the season in the fourth quarter. &hellip; Golden State had assists on 16 of its first 19 made shots. &hellip; Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole and Damion Lee went into the COVID-19 health and safety protocols. &hellip; Golden State signed free agent guard Quinndary Weatherspoon to a 10-day contract.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: Face the Kings in Sacramento on Sunday.
Warriors: Play the Suns in Phoenix on Saturday. The two teams have split a pair of games this season, with the home team winning each.

Stephen Curry scored 46 points and made eight threes and Gary Payton Jr. added a clutch triple late in the fourth quarter.

Curry scores 46, Warriors hold off pesky Grizzlies 113-104

For the umpteenth season in a row, Buddy Hield is on the trade market and actively being shopped by the Sacramento Kings <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/article256556286.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee</a>.
<blockquote>
One source said the Kings are still shopping a package including Buddy Hield and Marvin Bagley III in hopes of getting a good player in return.&nbsp;
</blockquote>
With Tyrese Haliburton&rsquo;s emergence and Davion Mitchell&rsquo;s initial pop, Sacramento has consistently relied upon three-guard lineups &mdash; four of the top five players in minutes played for the Kings this season are guards.&nbsp;
While I wouldn&rsquo;t argue that Hield is the most replaceable of the guards, he is the oldest by a wide margin and the only guard on a non-max or rookie-scale contract, likely making him the easiest to trade without tearing apart the team structure in its entirety (hence why he&rsquo;s been in trade talks for multiple years).
The initial $24 million hit on his four-year contract, inked during the 2019 off-season, likely played into reticence or difficulty to trade for Hield. A descending scale on his deal and looming <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mortenjensen/2021/09/19/with-new-tv-deal-looming-nba-teams-could-spend-big-on-extensions/?sh=51344fc73e85" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cap spike</a> could potentially temper trade discussions to the right degree.
While Hield has had a slow start to the season, he&rsquo;s caught fire the past two weeks, indicating a return to form. He's shooting 47% from three over the last 10 days on 9.4 attempts per game.
Buddy Hield is undoubtedly a specialist, but the level to which he specializes as a shooter brings much more value than that &ldquo;shooter&rdquo; label may imply.&nbsp;
Per Stathead, no player has hit more threes since the 2018-19 season than Hield, nailing just shy of a thousand in that span (950) with the next closest player, James Harden, nearly 100 behind (862).&nbsp;
He&rsquo;s an elite shooter off-the-catch and from a standstill, but his shooting variety is what makes him such a remarkable offensive player. An elite combination of movement, flexibility, and footwork open up his arsenal.
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He maintains balance and can start and stop on a dime, which allows him to create the slivers of space necessary to garner clean looks. Basketball Index uses NBA tracking data to contextualize data and create metrics to track overarching aspects of the game. For instance, Buddy Hield is in the fourth percentile of openness rating this season, which combines numerous factors to estimate how open a player is on average when they shoot. In essence, Hield is almost never open, which tracks with the eye test &mdash; defenses swarm him.
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One of my favorite aspects of Hield's game is his utility as a screener. The Sacramento Kings run "Spain" pick-and-roll a great deal, mostly with Hield as the back-screener in the action, flaring up after making contact to fly out for an open shot.&nbsp;
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Hield&rsquo;s proficiency as a movement shooter out of these sets has allowed the Kings to create a sort of gravity well between De&rsquo;Aaron Fox&rsquo;s downhill drive and Hield&rsquo;s shooting threat. It has created constant headaches for defenses for multiple seasons now. I cannot stress enough how rare it is for a player to be able to replicate this kind of action and hit that shot with consistency.
On the subject of the ridiculous number of difficult shots in his diet, he&rsquo;s particularly an artist as a pull-up shooter &mdash; especially on pick-and-roll actions.&nbsp;
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Hield is hitting 35.3% of his 3.7 pull-up three-point attempts per game, well above the league average (~31%). Putting that into context, this is actually the worst he&rsquo;s shot on threes off-the-dribble since his first full year in Sacramento (35.9%).&nbsp;
That prolific ability as an off-dribble shooter makes it nearly impossible to go under on-ball screens involving Hield. He doesn&rsquo;t possess great accuracy or court vision as a passer, but the windows provided to him by his scoring gravity are consistently there, and his playmaking out of the pick-and-roll has blossomed the past few years.
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No, Buddy Hield is not a perfect player, and his shortcomings as an athlete and defender do require gameplanning and proper roster construction to amplify what he does well. However, the right team could get the most out of his skill set moving forward if he is traded.
Which teams around the league should be looking into a deal for Buddy Hield and what would it take for a trade to work?
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Orlando Magic
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Orlando is currently 10th in three-point attempts but only 26th in three-point percentage &mdash; spacing has been an issue across the majority of the Magic&rsquo;s lineups. Hield would immediately be the best shooting threat on the team, and could be an intriguing off-ball partner to Cole Anthony and Franz Wagner as they continue to grow on-the-ball.
Terrence Ross&rsquo; career-low shooting has played a part in Orlando&rsquo;s spacing issues, and he seems ripe for a new opportunity for a myriad of reasons.
The main purpose of the deal for Sacramento is to add depth via Ross and potentially Michael Carter-Williams (whose timetable for return <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2021/08/24/magic-michael-carter-williams-to-miss-start-of-season-with-ankle-injury/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is still indefinite</a>), while also adding an intriguing young player in Chuma Okeke on the wing. Okeke missed the beginning of the season recovering from injury after a solid close last season, and he has struggled to find his footing offensively. He hasn&rsquo;t looked quite the same post-injury in general, and the budding potential of Franz Wagner &mdash; along with the looming return of Jonathan Isaac to an already loaded frontcourt &mdash; makes it appear that Okeke could be on the outside of the lineup looking in.
I probably wouldn&rsquo;t be ready to move on from Okeke if I was in charge of the Magic's front office but, all things considered, there&rsquo;s sensibility to this deal on both sides &mdash; but it may need evening out in the way of draft capital from Orlando.
Memphis Grizzlies
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The Grizzlies have been in need of a consolidation trade for a few seasons now, and this is probably not the one! But it's an intriguing look for both sides nonetheless.&nbsp;
Memphis is two years away from new contracts hitting the cap sheet for Ja Morant (presumably) and other members of the core rotation. While Hield isn&rsquo;t the star likely envisioned as the next player to tip the scales in Memphis, he could be someone who does push the needle while smoothing out a jammed rotation. He'd also provide shooting and spacing to a team that&rsquo;s relatively average in that area, and lacks the elite dynamic that few players can add to an offense like Hield.&nbsp;
In a year and a half or two years from now when the Grizz need to re-up, Hield will be on an expiring deal and maybe part of the consolidation trade that does net Memphis a third star. Regardless, he offers a skill set that&rsquo;s intriguing to ponder alongside Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Kyle Anderson&rsquo;s role has decreased in Memphis after starting all of last year, and he would likely slide back into a starting role with Sacramento. His defense, along with his connective passing and positive decision-making on both ends, could do wonders for the Kings. While he is on an expiring deal, perhaps trading for him could give them a better path to re-signing Anderson than would be available if he were on the open market.
Jarrett Culver has looked like an NBA player in his short time in Memphis, which has been awesome to see. Admittedly, that would make me wary of trading him to Sacramento, but in the reality of this trade, the Kings would love to add a young player at a position of need. John Konchar is a solid role player who would likely factor into the back end of the rotation &mdash; that's a spot the Kings need more consistent play from.
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Detroit Pistons
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This is my favorite deal with regards to potential for both sides. Jerami Grant has grown as a player in Detroit, but has been overtaxed in his role. Shams Charania of The Athletic <a href="https://theathletic.com/3011544/2021/12/13/optimism-for-a-kyrie-irving-return-the-latest-on-ben-simmons-trade-talks-and-more-nba-news-and-notes-inside-pass/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently reported</a> that the Pistons are fielding calls for Grant.
I do wonder what it would look like, and particularly if there would be growing pains if Grant tried to return to a reduced role after high-usage play and some success with the Pistons. However, he would fit pretty well on this team. Ideally, both he and Harrison Barnes are fours, but Grant is a better option at the three-spot than anyone the Kings have employed there since&hellip; Rudy Gay? (Bogdan Bogdanovic was a two-guard)
While the Kings would miss Hield&rsquo;s powers as a spacer, Grant can and will shoot, albeit at a lesser level &mdash; but adding size and athleticism on the wing would be a boon for this team.
On the other hand, Hield to Detroit intrigues me a great deal. The Pistons are the worst shooting team in the league, and while part of that is explained by a slow start from pretty much everyone, it&rsquo;s largely held up. Cade Cunningham and Frank Jackson have both shot well over the past month and a half and Saddiq Bey has come on in the past week, but this is just a bad shooting team regardless of shot luck.
Imagining "Spain" actions with Hield, or even Hield as a direct screener for Cade is so enticing. The best way to get the most out of a young player and bolster his development is to surround them with veterans who can maximize their best skill sets, or ease the load they carry. Hield would do wonders for Detroit&rsquo;s offense (though he couldn't possibly fix them), and could be a quality running mate for Cunningham as he grows as an initiator.
None of these deals are perfect, but most trades aren&rsquo;t &mdash; there are some merits for both sides making these moves. While it&rsquo;s unlikely that any of these deals end up ultimately being made if the Kings do finally move Hield, they provide an interesting framework for viewing his fit within some of the organizations that are reportedly active in the trade market. Regardless, Buddy Hield is one of the higher profile players that&rsquo;s been in reported trade talks in the young season, and he could alter a team&rsquo;s identity prior to the trade deadline.

Buddy Hield is on the trade block again. Mark Schindler writes on what he brings and some possible landing spots that make sense.

Examining potential trade destinations for Buddy Hield

The Phoenix Suns surprised the NBA when they drafted former Maryland big man Jalen Smith with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Less than a year later (348 days to be exact), Phoenix is already pulling the plug on further developing potentially their last lottery pick for the extended future.&nbsp;
Coming to the conclusion that they swung-and-missed on Smith, Phoenix is already committed to wiping their hands of the mistake as soon as possible. The team declined to pick up Smith's third-year option, which means he'll be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
In 2019, the Suns uncovered a gem when they traded back from No. 6 overall (which became Jarrett Culver) to nab Dario Saric and North Carolina sharpshooter Cam Johnson&rsquo;s rights from the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, the following year, Suns GM James Jones over-calculated and tried to be the smartest one in the room in terms of his evaluation of Smith. The big man was projected as a mid-to-late first-round pick by most credible draft experts, which is why jaws dropped when the Suns reached for Smith with a top-10 selection.
Smith's season in the Valley was somewhat tumultuous. He was outside of Phoenix's rotation, so he saw some time in the G-League with the Agua Caliente Clippers and didn&rsquo;t stand out. That was the first real sign of concern. Then, in his first-ever Summer League action, Smith continued to be just a guy rather than showing some real promise against many players on the NBA bubble.
Smith was soon involved in trade rumors, with the Suns reportedly trying to package him for a win-now veteran piece to bolster their second unit. Nobody bit on a former lottery pick less than a year after he donned a Suns hat on draft night. Thaddeus Young was the Suns' top target, and now you have to wonder if those talks will intensify with Smith&rsquo;s option declined and Young barely logging minutes in San Antonio.
Once <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/suns-decline-thirdyear-option-on-2020-lottery-pick-jalen-smith" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news leaked</a> from The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania on Monday morning, Suns head coach Monty Williams spoke of Smith&rsquo;s situation after practice. In short, Williams summarized that Phoenix&rsquo;s plans for Smith changed after Chris Paul and Jae Crowder arrived that same offseason. If that&rsquo;s the case, yikes. What a waste of a potential long-term asset and investment.
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&ldquo;He hasn&rsquo;t been dealt the best hand, as far as just not being a rookie but being a rookie [and] all of a sudden everything changed when we got Chris and Jae. All of a sudden, our trajectory changed,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;So, instead of being a young guy who could just come out and play with Mikal (Bridges) and all the young guys we had, he got COVID. Got drafted, two weeks later he&rsquo;s in training camp. He&rsquo;s had a whirlwind, so it&rsquo;s hard to grade him because he hasn&rsquo;t had the chance to play. And I feel somewhat responsible for that, but it&rsquo;s just been the cards we&rsquo;ve been dealt."
Smith was short and to the point when asked about it on Monday.
&ldquo;You just control what you can control," Smith said. "Just come here and hoop. That&rsquo;s my job, just coming in here and hooping. All that outside stuff handles itself.&rdquo;
As you can tell, Smith didn&rsquo;t really dive into his thoughts on the situation. But from a historical perspective, Smith joins Earl Clark (2009) and Kendall Marshall (2013) as the Suns' only lottery picks in recent memory to have their third-year options declined. It&rsquo;s a damning indictment when you realize that Suns busts from 2016, Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss, didn&rsquo;t suffer the same fate.
Smith was supposed to develop for a few years behind Saric (and now JaVale McGee), then assume the long-term role of unique two-way connector for the Suns&rsquo; second unit (backing up Deandre Ayton). Less than a year later, the Suns are ready to completely move on. If this was just about limited opportunities for playing time on a win-now contender, it seems unlikely that Phoenix would decline his third-year option. It seems that the Suns' decision-makers haven't been impressed by Smith behind the scenes.
Imagine the possibilities for Phoenix&rsquo;s long-term future if they would&rsquo;ve hit on their last lottery pick for potentially the rest of the 2020s. They passed on all of the following prospects for Smith: Tyrese Haliburton, Devin Vassell, Saddiq Bey, Tyrese Maxey and Desmond Bane among others. After losing Torrey Craig in free agency, Vassell, Bey or Bane would&rsquo;ve been ideal replacements. Haliburton or Maxey being tutored by Paul before eventually taking the reins at point guard would've been incredible for all involved (although Haliburton seemd intent on landing in Sacramento).
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Now, the Suns will let Smith enter unrestricted free agency after his second NBA season. Look for Phoenix to soon try to package Smith with salary filler in an effort to make a move that improves their 2021-22 title chances. It&rsquo;s a sudden fall from grace for Smith, but one that&rsquo;s necessary with player and organization being on opposite ends of the spectrum with prioritized development.
&ldquo;If he just plays with energy, defends and rebounds, he could find himself a box. It&rsquo;s just hard to get him on the floor where we really can see what he can do, because when you&rsquo;re playing two, three, four minutes, it&rsquo;s hard to get a rhythm,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the part where you just feel bad for him, because he just works his tail off. He&rsquo;s in the gym every single day. He doesn&rsquo;t miss days. He just hasn&rsquo;t had the chance to carry it over to the floor... When he&rsquo;s out there, we saw it the other day, like the blocked shot he had. Not many guys can do that on the move."
Smith's days in Phoenix are numbered, and it'll be interesting to see whether the 21-year-old is able to realize his full potential elsewhere in the Association.

The Suns shocked everyone when they drafted Jalen Smith at No. 10 in the 2020 NBA Draft. Now, they're admitting it was a mistake.

Suns admit drafting Jalen Smith was mistake, decline third-year option

The Memphis Grizzlies are in no mood to linger over winning not one, but two NBA play-in games just to reach the playoffs for the first time in four years.
These young Grizzlies have so much more in mind with winning championships the eventual goal.
&ldquo;We want to do that in Memphis as soon as we possibly can," general manager Zach Kleiman said. "I&rsquo;m not going to be unrealistic and put timeframes on that. But there&rsquo;s a lot of belief in this group. And we want to continue to build off of last season. And I have a lot of confidence that this group will be able to.&rdquo;
The Grizzlies <a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-lakers-memphis-grizzlies-utah-jazz-san-antonio-spurs-golden-state-warriors-d21f2a3436e6d2bdc24af97482397617" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beat San Antonio</a>, then <a href="https://apnews.com/article/san-antonio-spurs-golden-state-warriors-memphis-grizzlies-nba-sports-1596f4e78133a45c597426853587e67e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Golden State</a> to earn the No. 8 seed in the West. Then they <a href="https://apnews.com/article/memphis-grizzlies-utah-jazz-nba-sports-89240812eb4dc5501110af498a68815f" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> beat Utah to open their first-round series</a> before <a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-clippers-memphis-grizzlies-dallas-mavericks-utah-jazz-nba-23c6817b183e9aba8138000e5fa57184" target="_blank" rel="noopener">losing in five games</a>. Memphis spent the summer healing and preparing for a pivotal season.
Whether the Grizzlies improve on their 38-34 record of last season will depend largely on the continuing development of their two young stars.
Jaren Jackson Jr. just turned 22 last month but played only 11 games last season as the Grizzlies went cautiously with his recovery from knee surgery. Ja Morant turned 22 in August, and the point guard who led Memphis in scoring with 19.1 points a game last season has much more in his sights this season.
No matter what happens, the Grizzlies potentially have three first-round draft picks next summer with the team's books in good position with the salary cap to further tweak the roster.
JA AND JAREN
The Grizzlies see the 6-foot-11 Jackson, the fourth overall draft pick in 2018, as a cornerstone piece of this franchise. Morant is the other, though they haven't played that many games together yet through two seasons. They spent plenty of time together this offseason to hone their chemistry.
&ldquo;He's able to do so much on the floor,&rdquo; said Morant, the 2020 NBA Rookie of the year. &ldquo;We weren&rsquo;t able to play a lot due to injuries. Both our goals this offseason was to work on our bodies, make sure we&rsquo;re healthy and have a healthy season, healthy career.&rdquo;
JACKSON'S CONTRACT
The Grizzlies have a big decision on Jackson. They can extend him before Oct. 18 or see what Jackson does over a full season. A member of the NBA All-Rookie team, he improved his scoring and minutes before a knee injury knocked him out of the NBA bubble at the end of his second season.
Jackson has heard all the talk of how much is expected of him.
&ldquo;My job is just to keep working at that,&rdquo; Jackson said. &ldquo;Everyone has their job. And I think as I continue to grow and continue to develop into what I want to be and what I want to be for this team, it's just a special thing.&rdquo;
DEEP ROSTER
Memphis had 16 players average at least 10 minutes last season, and the roster remains just as deep even with double-double regular <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-nba-basketball-memphis-grizzlies-new-orleans-pelicans-f508627be486b57814ad3ffa71f28d5a">Jonas Valanciunas</a> now in New Orleans replaced by Steven Adams and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-nba-milwaukee-bucks-memphis-grizzlies-grayson-allen-0994addfbabad895270fe92ca43b9e8e">Grayson Allen traded</a> to Milwaukee. The Grizzlies moved Patrick Beverly quickly to Minnesota for <a href="T-wolves seal deal with Grizzlies for ace defender Beverley">Jarrett Culver</a>, a first-round pick in 2019.
Then the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-nba-ziaire-williams-6c784f8b2cf0bb51ab647576b91d84f0">Grizzlies traded up to select Ziaire Williams</a> at No. 10 overall.
Coach Taylor Jenkins has to figure out how to use all the players on his roster, starting with how much to play Jackson at center and where to put Kyle Anderson who played at power forward much of last season with Jackson out. Anderson noted Utah, the NBA's top team last season, had a roster that easily went 10 deep.
&ldquo;I think we have something very similar, if not better, over here than that," Anderson said.
DEFENSIVE BROOKS
Dillon Brooks goes into his fifth season with Memphis targeting a spot on the NBA's All-Defensive team. He loves to talk trash and aggravate the person he's guarding into just a miserable night. And Brooks usually is guarding the opponent's best player like the playoffs when he guarded Donovan Mitchell.
SEASON AHEAD
The Grizzlies open the season Oct. 20 hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers before going on a four-game road swing. The challenging portion will be January with nine road games and February with seven away from Memphis and only three at home. They conclude the schedule with two home games, including the season finale against Boston on April 10.

After beating Utah to open their first-round series before losing in five games, the Grizzlies spent the summer healing and preparing for a pivotal season.

Grizzlies hope to continue growing with Morant, Jackson Jr.

The Memphis Grizzlies are trading Patrick Beverley to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Jarrett Culver and Juancho Hernangomez, sources tell ESPN.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1427646798089359361" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Beverley was traded to Memphis from the Clippers a few days ago, and now he's headed to Minnesota to provide a much-needed defensive boost in the backcourt. The Wolves had a hole at backup point guard after trading Ricky Rubio to Cleveland.
In return, the Grizzlies get a sharpshoting forward in Hernangomez. They also look to revitalize Jarrett Culver, who still has room to grow as a 22-year-old sixth overall pick from the 2019 NBA Draft.

Beverley was traded to Memphis from the Clippers a few days ago, and now he's headed to Minnesota.

MEM trades Patrick Beverley to MIN for Jarrett Culver, Juancho Hernangomez

NBA free-agency activity fizzled out after many teams spent all of their available cap space. However, there's one situation that may not be resolved anytime soon: Lauri Markkanen and the Chicago Bulls are in a stalemate over his impending future.
Markkanen&rsquo;s restricted free agency has been a nightmare for the seven-foot Finnish big. Many teams pivoted to other options once Markkanen overvalued his worth on the open market. The fact that the Bulls could match any offer sheet for the 24-year-old likely scared some teams away too.
The Charlotte Hornets were very interested in Markkanen, reportedly preparing an offer sheet for the Bulls&rsquo; power forward. At the last minute, Charlotte went in a different direction and signed Kelly Oubre Jr. to a two-year deal. The San Antonio Spurs also poked around and inquired about Markkanen, but decided against bringing him onboard in the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade with Chicago.
During the 2017-18 season, Markkanen flashed as one of the best rookies in the 2017 NBA Draft class. Averaging 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in just under 30 minutes per game, while shooting 36.2% on three-pointers, Markkanen looked the part of an eventual long-term building block for the Bulls. However, over the last three years, the former No. 7 overall pick hasn't shown much else.
His averages over the last three seasons have been nearly identical to his rookie year: 15.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 36.9% from three in 29.3 minutes. Although the former Arizona Wildcat finally improved his three-point efficiency in 2020-21 (shooting 40.3% from deep), he's become stagnant everywhere else. Is Markkanen worth over $15 million per year as a floor-spacing stretch big who is a subpar rebounder and even worse defender? The quick answer is no, and teams seem to agree judging by how they've approached the early stages of Markkanen's free agency.
Chicago is willing to let Markkanen exit, but they&rsquo;re playing hardball. The Bulls want a future first-round pick while also not taking salary back in a potential sign-and-trade scenario. This not only limits the pool of teams, but it also requires the franchise that wants Markkanen to give up additional draft capital they may not want to relinquish.
At this moment, a return for Markkanen to the Windy City for his fifth season is certainly on the table. Markkanen&rsquo;s qualifying offer is $9 million, so this could be a scenario where he signs the dotted line, then becomes an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
However, if Markkanen eventually gets his wish with a fresh start elsewhere, which teams make the most sense for him? Let&rsquo;s explore several possible landing spots.
DALLAS MAVERICKS
If a team wants to get involved in a sign-and-trade for Markkanen, they need to have one of these two things: a traded player exception (TPE) or salary-cap space. At this point, there are very few teams with enough wiggle room to give Markkanen an annual salary above $10 million, so the TPE could be the best bet to make a move occur.
Dallas certainly fits the billing, as they own a $10.9 million TPE. Does Markkanen want to sign a three-year deal that pays just $1.9 million more than his qualifying offer? Unless he's dead set on never returning to Chicago, it&rsquo;s not the best financial move for Markkanen.
If the Mavericks want to acquire Markkanen while saving their TPE, they would need to offload Dwight Powell&rsquo;s $11 million salary for 2021-22 plus another piece. For example, to meet the Bulls&rsquo; own demands, Dallas sends Chicago a heavily protected future first-round pick, while a team willing to absorb big salary (like the Oklahoma City Thunder) takes on Powell, plus whatever else, while also receiving their own draft compensation for the courtesy.
In terms of fits for Markkanen, Dallas certainly stands out as the best one remaining. With the potential to start alongside Kristaps Porzingis at power forward, Markkanen would play a low-usage role as a floor-spacing big who can open up the floor even further for Luka Doncic. The defensive fit between Markkanen and Porzingis is potentially horrific, but the offense could be bolstered even further with the Finnish product&rsquo;s arrival.
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NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
New Orleans currently possesses the largest traded player exception in the NBA after offloading Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe in a draft-day trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, and they can use their $17.1 million TPE to absorb Markkanen for a price that works for both sides.
The Pelicans need to keep adding perimeter shooters alongside Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Right now, there&rsquo;s not enough. Although they acquired Devonte&rsquo; Graham via sign-and-trade, plus drafted sharpshooting wing Trey Murphy III at No. 17 overall, they need to keep adding more to their arsenal. Markkanen would certainly provide fit in that role, coming off the bench in the Bayou for around 25 minutes per game.
Jonas Valanciunas will be the starter alongside Williamson in the Pelicans&rsquo; frontcourt, but Markkanen could be primed to slot in as an eventual starter down the road. The fit between Williamson and Markkanen is actually really solid, especially if the Pelicans&rsquo; former No. 1 overall pick is able to emerge as a rim protector like he showed in college.
BOSTON CELTICS
Markkanen in Boston would certainly be an intriguing scenario. Operating as a floor-spacing reserve big, Markkanen would provide another scoring punch to a retooling Celtics roster that's banking on further internal development from their fortified young core.
Boston only has a $9.7 million TPE at their disposal, which means they would need to get creative to fit Markkanen on their books. Josh Richardson, who was recently acquired from Dallas, best fits the salary-matching requirement to make a complicated Markkanen sign-and-trade work. Richardson is eligible to be traded again on August 19.
Adding Richardson&rsquo;s $11.6 million alongside another piece on their roster, for example Grant Williams at $2.6 million, gives Markkanen close to his desired annual value. Dumping Richardson and Williams onto a team like Oklahoma City makes this three-team scenario work for all sides. (However, it remains to be seen if Boston would be willing to part with Richardson and Williams to land Markkanen.)
If Boston decided to pull the trigger, the rotation would look like this after adding Markkanen:
Starters: Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Robert Williams
Second Unit: Dennis Schroder, Romeo Langford, Aaron Nesmith, Lauri Markkanen, Enes Kanter
That&rsquo;s a legitimate 10-man rotation, including a nice mix of versatility off the bench for the Celtics. Keep an eye on Boston as a dark-horse destination for an eventual Markkanen sign-and-trade.
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MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
How ironic would it be for Markkanen to end up with the organization that initially drafted him? When Markkanen walked across the stage on draft night, he donned a Timberwolves hat, and then he and Zach LaVine were dealt to the Bulls as part of the Jimmy Butler blockbuster trade. Maybe we'll see a pseudo reunion in the cards soon? Minnesota has reportedly showed interest in the 24-year-old.
Minnesota possesses no TPE, so they would need to offload salary to a third team to meet Chicago&rsquo;s negotiation price. Luckily for the T-Wolves, they have a few different scenarios to make a Markkanen sign-and-trade occur. The first one revolves around Taurean Prince&rsquo;s $13 million expiring, which is eligible to traded again on August 18. Another example features Jarrett Culver and Juancho Hernangomez, combining to make $12.4 million next season.
Whichever direction Minnesota decides to go, they can make a Markkanen deal happen (defense be damned). Adding Markkanen alongside Karl-Anthony Towns, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards would give Minnesota quite possibly the worst quartet ever assembled defensively.
There&rsquo;s a chance Markkanen could start for the Timberwolves or come off the bench behind ascending prospect Jaden McDaniels, who's a better complement alongside Towns in frontcourt combinations. Markkanen would provide a nice scoring boost for Minnesota, likely sliding in as their sixth man of the future.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Mentioned multiple times already in this exercise as a potential dumping ground to make complicated sign-and-trade scenarios work, would the Thunder actually be interested in Markkanen themselves? It&rsquo;s an interesting thought, especially when you realize they can outright sign him without issue or use their $12.8 million TPE in a trade. With 35 draft picks over the next five years, maybe they value Markkanen enough to relinquish one to pair him alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?
The Thunder are creating an all-in scenario revolving around high-upside swings in the draft featuring boom-or-bust prospects like Aleksej Pokusevski, Darius Bazley, Theo Maledon and Josh Giddey. Bringing at least an established presence on board could provide a win in the short and long-term for Oklahoma City. If Markkanen is able to reach his near-ceiling outcome eventually, Oklahoma City would have a nice scoring combination in their starting lineup.
Does Thunder GM Sam Presti even want to get involved in the Markkanen sweepstakes, though? That&rsquo;s the big question. The more likely scenario involves Presti adding more picks to his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tanking-101-how-the-thunder-built-their-asset-treasure-trove-for-a-hopefully-bright-future" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ever-growing collection of future draft capital</a> thanks to Markkanen being shipped off elsewhere.

Lauri Markkanen is the biggest name remaining in free agency. Let's examine some possible destinations for the former No. 7 overall pick.

Examining potential free-agency destinations for Lauri Markkanen

Heading into the 2021-22 NBA season, the Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the NBA&rsquo;s most intriguing teams. They have a solid young nucleus, a new head coach, new ownership, and a tough climb in terms of scaling the ladder in the Western Conference.
With so many teams either in win-now mode, or ascending rapidly thanks to internal development, Minnesota once again could be on the outside looking in for a real playoff opportunity in 2021-22.
In their current state, the T-Wolves have to rely on their 25-and-under trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards. When all of them were on the floor together last season, Minnesota was 13-11.&nbsp;
In a small sample size (324 minutes) featuring Minnesota's trio, their three-man lineup offensive rating was 120.9, which would&rsquo;ve ranked No. 1 for any team last season. However, the defensive rating checked in at 116.0 &mdash; a mark that puts Minnesota last in the Association for team-wide advanced metrics. Although the overall net rating for Minnesota&rsquo;s young Big 3 still checked in at +5.3, they were relying on outscoring the opposition at a pace that seemed unsustainable over a full 82-game schedule.
Toss starting shooting guard Malik Beasley into the mix &mdash; who has canned 40.6% of his three-pointers since arriving in Minnesota two years ago &mdash; and the total sample size for the four-man unit was 13 minutes. Yes, you read that right, 13 minutes. That's all that Towns, Russell, Edwards and Beasley suited up together for during the 2020-21 campaign.
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Minnesota is betting on its young core to take necessary steps forward, but new head coach Chris Finch must also figure out how to utilize his pieces more efficiently. Once Finch replaced Ryan Saunders &mdash; an incredibly tough adjustment coming over from the Toronto Raptors &mdash; Minnesota&rsquo;s offense started to click into high gear. One of the biggest beneficiaries from Finch&rsquo;s arrival was 2020 No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards.
Edwards began to turn heads over the final stretch of last season, with many ending the campaign under the belief that he could eventually become a consistent 25-plus point per game scorer. Edwards&rsquo; emergence became one of the few bright spots from another downtrodden season for Minnesota.
Pre-All-Star Break: 14.9 points, 4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.9 steals; 37.1 FG%, 46.6 TS%
Post-All-Star Break: 23.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals; 45.4 FG%, 56.7 TS%
After the All-Star break, Edwards placed himself in elite company. Only six other players averaged his stat line and efficiency over that span: Stephen Curry, James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Jayson Tatum and Julius Randle. During his rookie season at age 19, Edwards put the NBA world on notice; he&rsquo;s one of the brightest young wing scorers.
With Edwards&rsquo; fast rise, another rookie for Minnesota turned into a legitimate rotation piece: No. 28 overall pick Jaden McDaniels. Although McDaniels&rsquo; numbers weren&rsquo;t gaudy &mdash; 6.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.0 blocks in 24 minutes &mdash; his improvement as a shooter late in the season provides promise for him complementing their core. McDaniels drained 38.3% of his three-pointers after the All-Star break for Minnesota, where he also forced Finch&rsquo;s hand with his plus-defensive versatility. At his peak, McDaniels figures to be a jumbo 3-and-D do-it-all big who doesn&rsquo;t need plays run for him. He's already passed the eye test with flying colors, and now he should slide right in as Minnesota&rsquo;s starting power forward alongside Towns, Russell, Edwards and Beasley.
Minnesota also drafted point-forward Leandro Bolmaro from Argentina in the 2020 draft, who plans to join the roster after being stashed last season overseas. After Ricky Rubio was traded to Cleveland for veteran wing Taurean Prince, Bolmaro figures to play an important role as a playmaker off the bench immediately.
&ldquo;This draft class was a game-changer for this organization,&rdquo; <a href="https://theathletic.com/2738320/2021/08/11/jaden-mcdaniels-is-becoming-the-rare-late-first-round-success-story-for-the-wolves/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timberwolves GM Gersson Rosas recently told The Athletic&rsquo;s Jon Krawczynski</a>. &ldquo;When it happens like that, you want to be right more often than you&rsquo;re wrong. And nobody&rsquo;s always right.&rdquo;
With high hopes for the 2020 draft haul helping pull Minnesota into real playoff contention eventually, how does their rotation stack up for 2021-22?
Starters = Russell, Beasley, Edwards, McDaniels, Towns
Second Unit = Bolmaro, Josh Okogie, Jarrett Culver, Prince, Juancho Hernangomez, Naz Reid
Although the starting lineup has huge potential &mdash; especially with the projected sophomore leaps for Edwards and McDaniels &mdash; Minnesota&rsquo;s second-unit is shallow on NBA experience and net-positive players. For the Timberwolves to become a real playoff threat, the Towns/Russell/Edwards trio needs to be dominant. And it&rsquo;s fair to wonder if Edwards needs to become his post-All-Star break self every single night for Minnesota to take those necessary steps forward.
Minnesota&rsquo;s core is locked in for the foreseeable future. Towns and Russell are best friends on-and-off the court and have a bond that developed during the 2015 pre-draft process. But is the former No. 2 overall pick the best fit moving forward with Edwards&rsquo; becoming a real 1B option?
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Moving forward, there&rsquo;s no reason for Minnesota to not treat Edwards as their second star behind Towns. He&rsquo;s already proven to have more two-way ability than Russell, who is an above-average three-level scorer. Still, the point guard has been graded across multiple metrics as the worst defender for his position. For a team starved of impact defenders, Russell is the opposite. He brings scoring and some playmaking, but not much else.
For Towns, the clock is already ticking in Minnesota. He&rsquo;s experienced the playoffs one time in his six-year career after being selected No. 1 overall. And that one appearance was due to Jimmy Butler, who is no longer with the franchise. Towns&rsquo; career record is nearly 100 games below .500 at 185-279. Halfway through his rookie-scale max contract extension &mdash; which expires after the 2023-24 season &mdash; the time is now for Minnesota to put the necessary pieces around him before it&rsquo;s too late.
Edwards feels like a lock to be a key cog in the Timberwolves' rise. McDaniels has shown flashes of a competent frontcourt partner alongside Towns. Questions still loom about Russell&rsquo;s overall value in a winning situation, but right now, Minnesota&rsquo;s roster is still on the youthful side of the spectrum.
Banking on the young core is a necessary risk for a small market like Minnesota, but there needs to be some urgency. If all goes well for the Timberwolves this season, these Towns-related concerns will wash away.
In the end, it'll be determined by whether this appealing core centered around he and Edwards stakes their claim as a rising team in the Western Conference.

The 2021-22 season will be an important one for the Timberwolves. Can they defy the odds and make an improbable run to the postseason?

Can the Timberwolves step forward in the loaded Western Conference?

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Ricky Rubio scored 26 points and rookie Anthony Edwards added 25 as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Golden State Warriors 126-114 on Thursday night.
Edwards’ big fourth quarter helped spark the win for Minnesota, which extended its season-long winning streak to four games. The Timberwolves rookie scored 18 of his 25 points in the fourth.
Stephen Curry overcame early shooting struggles to finish with 37 points for Golden State. Andrew Wiggins added 27 points against his former team in his first game in Minnesota since he was traded by the Timberwolves last season.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Wolves. Towns and Juancho Hernangomez hit consecutive 3-pointers to extend Minnesota’s lead to 10 in the fourth quarter. The Wolves never relinquished the lead.
Curry scored 16 points in the third to give Golden State a two-point lead after three. He capped his big quarter with a four-point play that put the Warriors up 91-89. Curry finished 11-of-27 from the floor and 6-of-17 from 3-point range.
Wiggins gave the Warriors a lift early, scoring 10 points in the first quarter and finishing the first half with 18. He was acknowledged on the Target Center video board pregame and received a nice ovation from the fans in attendance.
Golden State tied the game just before the half but a Towns dunk over former teammate Wiggins with 2.4 seconds left sent Minnesota into the locker room with a 60-58 lead.
D’Angelo Russell sparked Minnesota late in the first as the Wolves closed the quarter with a 12-0 run. Russell had five points and four assists in a six-minute stretch off the bench.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Kelly Oubre missed Thursday’s game with a left wrist injury. He reaggravated an injury that caused him to miss five games earlier this year.
Timberwolves: Head coach Chris Finch said Thursday’s there’s a chance Malik Beasley could return for a few games at the end of the season. Beasley is currently sidelined with a left hamstring injury and resumed on-court workouts on Tuesday. ... G Jarrett Culver has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury, the team announced Thursday. He’ll have arthroscopic surgery on May 7. Culver averaged 5.3 points in 34 games.
UP NEXT
Warriors: Golden State’s four-game road trip continues with a game Saturday at Houston, followed by a pair of games at New Orleans.
Timberwolves: Minnesota continues its three-game homestand by hosting New Orleans on Saturday. The Timberwolves are 2-0 this year against the Pelicans.

Ricky Rubio scored 26 points and rookie Anthony Edwards added 25 as the Timberwolves beat the Warriors 126-114 on Thursday night.

Rubio, Edwards lead Wolves to 126-114 win over Warriors

Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley will miss 4-to-6 weeks with a Grade 3 left hamstring injury.
Source: <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1379191894018813957" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Malik Beasley was in the midst of a career season before serving his 12-game suspension by the league for an arrest that occurred last summer. Since returning from the suspension, Beasley had been unable to find his rhythm again, and will now miss more time with a hamstring injury. With the T-Wolves clearly out of contention for a playoff spot, don't expect Minnesota to rush back the five-year player out of Florida State, and with the timeline that the team gave on Beasley, it's likely his season could be over.
Expect Jordan McLaughlin, Josh Okogie, and Jarrett Culver to see increased roles in his absence.

Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley will be out 4-6 weeks with a hamstring injury, according to Shams Charania.