Red Hawks

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In the first few days of his second presidential term, Donald Trump signed a number of executive orders that will have an impact on the healthcare industry, some issuing new policies and some rescinding policies set forth by prior administrations. This has had a devastating impact on the American people.
While the country is on pins and needles awaiting the next bomb (both literally and figuratively) to drop from the Trump administration, Michael Jordan has figured out a way to actively combat one of the casualties (U.S. Health Care) of Trump&rsquo;s plan for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants and extended tax cuts for the upper echelon of the American population.&nbsp;
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<div>From an <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/01/republicans-medicaid-cuts">article in The Guardian titled:&nbsp;&ldquo;Medicaid recipients fear &lsquo;buzzsaw cuts&rsquo; for Trump&rsquo;s agenda&rdquo;</a>, it reads&nbsp;</div>
<div>&ldquo;Republicans are considering a rollback of the federal social safety net, particularly Medicaid, which has nearly 80 million enrollees in all 50 states. The budget plan proposes an $880bn reduction in funding for the insurance over the next 10 years, an amount that experts warn would hollow out the program and have ripple effects across the entire American healthcare system.&rdquo;</div>
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<div>From an <a href="https://www.maynardnexsen.com/publication-president-trumps-latest-executive-orders-impacting-health-care">article in the MaynardNexsen titled &ldquo;President Trump&rsquo;s Latest Executive Orders Impacting Healthcare&rdquo;</a> it reads &ldquo;President Trump rescinded former President Joe Biden&rsquo;s order that extended the enrollment periods for Affordable Care Act (Obama Care) plans in most states, and granted additional funding for third parties aiding enrollment in ACA insurance. While ACA enrollment nearly doubled under the Biden administration to about 24 million people, those gains are attributed primarily to government subsidies that lowered the cost of ACA premiums. The effect this rescission will have on enrollment trends is one thing to watch in the coming years&rdquo;</div>
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<div>While all this is happening in real-time, Michael Jordan opened his fourth health clinic in North Carolina on February 19 in Wilmington. This new clinic, established in collaboration with Novant Health, focuses on providing care to uninsured and underinsured patients.</div>
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<div>MJ has spoken publicly exhibiting a tremendous amount of sincerity and passion about how important these clinics are and how many people they will help. He has addressed the growing issue of healthcare disparities and affirmed his dedication to providing healthcare to all people regardless of their income or economic status in particular in his hometown of North Carolina.&nbsp;</div>
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<div>Many people are pleasantly surprised to see this side of MJ, but it goes along with what I witnessed as his teammate for the Washington Wizards.&nbsp;</div>
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<div>I recall one time in particular when I was sitting in the training room getting treatment and he was getting his knee drained, which fans didn&rsquo;t know at the time he had to often do in order to continue playing. MJ asked me about a book (Soul On Ice by Eldridge Cleaver) he saw me reading on the plane and we engaged in a deep conversation about race, politics, the community, and much more.&nbsp;</div>
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Sitting in earshot was his bodyguard, George, who chimed in and said jokingly, &ldquo;Yeah Michael doesn&rsquo;t like to tell anybody the things he does, so people don&rsquo;t think he does anything&rdquo;&nbsp;
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<div>He then proceeded to tell me a story of when MJ was all set to have this big event at an exclusive golf resort in Georgia back in the day, and he found out that they were still keeping an old tradition of not allowing Black People to join the club, but of course, they would let MJ participate. Well, long story short, right before the event, MJ informed the organizers that he was going to cancel everything if they didn&rsquo;t change their policy and of course, they capitulated to his demands.&nbsp;</div>
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<div>I remember responding saying, &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a great story that people need to hear. Why wouldn&rsquo;t you tell people that ?&rdquo; And MJ looked at me and said, &ldquo;No, I don&rsquo;t do it for that.&rdquo; I remember looking at George and him saying, &ldquo;See, he doesn&rsquo;t want to tell anybody anything&rdquo;&nbsp;</div>
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<div>I tell this story for this reason. Playing with MJ for two years with the Wizards, I saw him do a lot of things quietly that nobody knew about. And from time to time I would whisper to him, &ldquo;You&rsquo;re not gonna tell anyone about this either huh?&rdquo; And he would just smile and shake his head. In fact, he didn&rsquo;t even tell anyone that he donated his entire salary to the victims of 9-11. I remember being in the locker room when he was watching the coverage on TV and made the decision. Nobody found out until later that he did that.&nbsp;</div>
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<div>Now, for years I have been on panels and programs talking about activism and athletes and they would always bring up MJ as the antithesis to the activist athlete and his infamous statement &ldquo;Republicans Buy Shoes Too&rdquo;. They would always paint MJ as the athlete who doesn&rsquo;t care about the community or really anything outside of himself and I would always push back on that because that&rsquo;s just not what I saw when I was his teammate. Now, did he lend his voice to causes or speak out on political issues that directly impact the Black Community? No, he didn&rsquo;t. But did he do nothing behind the scenes and have no interest or care for the community? I can&rsquo;t say that because that&rsquo;s not what I saw.&nbsp;</div>
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<div>People don&rsquo;t know about MJ&rsquo;s community impact platform, known as the Black Community Commitment (BCC), which is a 10-year, $100 million initiative focused on creating equitable futures for Black Americans through education, economic justice, narrative change, and social justice.</div>
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<div>They also don&rsquo;t know about him funding nonprofit institutional grantees and grassroots organizations across the country through his Open Call Community Grants program.&nbsp;They don&rsquo;t know about his Jordan Brand Wings Scholars Program which has sent hundreds of kids to college on full scholarships. But like George told me in the training room, he doesn&rsquo;t tell anyone so people assume he does nothing in the community.&nbsp;</div>
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<div>Now, going back to MJ&rsquo;s 4th healthcare clinic.&nbsp;There is indeed currently a national healthcare crisis in the United States.&nbsp;In 2025, an estimated 27.1 million Americans of all ages are projected to be uninsured, representing an uninsured rate of 8.2%, according to data from the National Health Interview Survey. MJ&rsquo;s efforts have helped thousands of uninsured Americans actually receive care.</div>
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<div>Furthermore, as many Americans have found out the hard way, being insured does not guarantee full coverage. There is a large percentage of working-class Americans who are currently drowning in medical expenses, faced with increased costs of medications (thanks to the Trump administration), and higher co-pays all while having limited access to essential treatments.&nbsp;</div>
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<div>An article by Vishwesha Kumar of Fadeaway World, described Jordan&rsquo;s Health Clinic as,&nbsp;&ldquo;After witnessing the positive impact of these centers, Jordan donated $10 million to Novant Health to expand the project, leading to additional clinics being built in Wilmington. His efforts have helped thousands of patients receive their first-ever primary care visits, reinforcing his dedication to improving healthcare access.</div>
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The new Wilmington facility spans 7,300 square feet and includes 12 patient rooms, offering comprehensive medical services to uninsured and underinsured individuals. In addition to primary care physicians, the clinic will have a community health worker to connect patients with essential local resources. The facility will be open on weekdays, aiming to serve as a lifeline for many who struggle to access consistent coverage.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Micheal Jordan doesn&rsquo;t have to do any of this. He could ride off into the sunset and not care about what anyone thinks about him. He doesn&rsquo;t need any additional notoriety. He already has all the fame a man could possibly have. He doesn&rsquo;t need pats on the back or nods of approval from anyone. He does this because he genuinely cares.&nbsp;
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<div>&ldquo;Michael Jordan gives back but you didn't know it. Like LeBron does, but it's just seldom they show it.&rdquo;~Nas</div>
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While all this is happening in real-time, Michael Jordan opened his fourth health clinic in North Carolina.

In This Trump Era, Michael Jordan’s Free Health Clinics Are Very Much Needed

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

NBA announces 242 early-entry candidates for 2023 NBA Draft

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) &mdash; Zia Cooke scored five of her 24 points in overtime to help No. 1 South Carolina remain unbeaten with a 64-57 victory over Mississippi on Sunday.
The defending national champion Gamecocks (27-0, 14-0 Southeastern Conference) got one of their biggest scares of the season before winning their 33rd straight game. The Rebels (20-7, 9-5) never trailed by more than six points in regulation and flirted with their first win over a No. 1 team in 46 years.
Cooke had six rebounds and four assists to help off-set a 7-of-18 shooting performance. Aliyah Boston added 13 points and 11 rebounds on 4-of-14 shooting and didn&rsquo;t score in the first quarter.
The deep Gamecocks didn&rsquo;t get their usual supply of scoring help for the two stars, though Kamilla Cardoso had eight points and 11 boards.
Angel Baker led Ole Miss with 17 points.
No. 2 INDIANA 83, PURDUE 60
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Mackenzie Holmes scored 20 points, Grace Berger added 14 points and 10 assists and Indiana beat Purdue to clinch a share of its first Big Ten regular-season title in 40 years.
The Hoosiers (26-1, 16-1 Big Ten) won their 14th straight, matching the second-longest winning streak in school history, before cutting down the nets in front of the program&rsquo;s first home sellout. Indiana has broken the single-game attendance mark four times this season, this time celebrating its 18th straight home win in front of 17,222.
Lasha Petree led Purdue with 23 points and Abbey Elliss added 12. The Boilermakers (17-8, 8-7). have lost nine straight in this rivalry.
No. 4 UTAH 74, ARIZONA STATE 69
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Gianna Kneepkens scored 22 points and Jenna Johnson added 15 to push Utah to a Pac-12 victory over stubborn Arizona State.
The Utes (23-3, 13-3), who had a seven-game winning streak stopped at No. 18 Arizona on Friday, struggled to put away Arizona State without post player Alissa Pili.
Pili, the Pac-12&rsquo;s leading scorer at 20.7 points per game, did not play after suffering an apparent right ankle sprain the final minutes of the loss at Arizona. Her ankle was re-taped on the bench after the first quarter but she never entered the game.
Sydney Erikstrup had 15 points, Treasure Hunt had 13 and Kayla Mokwuah had 11 for the Sun Devils (7-18, 0-16), who lost their 16th straight game despite leading most of the way.
No. 5 LSU 90, FLORIDA 79
GAINSVILLE, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Angel Reese had her ninth first-half double-double, Jasmine Carson had a career-high five 3-pointers before the break, and LSU raced past Florida.
Reese finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds for her 25th double-double of the season, two shy of Sylvia Fowles&rsquo; LSU single-season record. She also had five assists, three blocks and two steals.
Carson also scored 25 points, a career-high, as the graduate transfer from West Virginia went 7 of 14 behind the arc, helping the Tigers (25-1, 13-1 Southeastern Conference) to a season-best 11 3s on 20 attempts. The last time LSU had a player hit seven 3-pointers was in 1997.
KK Deans, a West Virginia transfer, matched her career high with 30 points, for the Gators (14-13, 3-11), who have lost five straight.
No. 9 DUKE 56, VIRGINIA 52
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) &mdash; Elizabeth Balogun scored 12 points, Taya Corosdale had 10 and Duke survived a stern test from Virginia.
The Blue Devils (22-4, 13-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) led only 47-45 with just over eight minutes left, but Celeste Taylor hit a 3-pointer from right in front of the Duke bench to make it a five-point game, starting a 7-2 run that gave them some breathing room and they held on.
Taylor Valladay led Virginia (15-12, 4-12) with 19 points and McKenna Dale had 10. The Cavaliers had split their last six meetings with the Blue Devils after ending a 26-game losing streak in the series, but still lost for the 30th time in the last 33 meetings.
No. 10 NOTRE DAME 83, PITTSBURGH 43
PITTSBURGH (AP) &mdash; Maddy Westbeld and Sonia Citron scored 13 points each and Notre Dame used a huge first-quarter push to race by Pittsburgh.
The Fighting Irish (22-4, 13-3 ACC) went on an 18-3 burst over the final 6:47 of the opening frame to build a 16-point lead that the Panthers (10-17, 3-13) never really threatened.
Ten days after avoiding an upset at home against Pitt and three days after Olivia Miles hit a game-winning jumper at the buzzer to top Louisville, the Fighting Irish made sure no such heroics were necessary this time around.
No. 11 VIRGINIA TECH 75, N.C. STATE 62
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) &mdash; Roommates Elizabeth Kitley and Georgia Amoore both had double-doubles and Virginia Tech won its fifth straight, defeating North Carolina State.
Kitley had 24 points and 10 rebounds for her 50th career double-double and had six blocks. Amoore had 15 points and 11 assists, which tied her career high.
Virginia Tech (22-4, 12-4 ACC) has won six straight, the previous three against ranked teams, starting with a 73-61 win over the Wolfpack. That marked the Hokies&rsquo; first-ever win in Raleigh and now they have their first-ever sweep of NC State.
Aziaha James scored 20 points in her first start for the Wolfpack (18-9, 8-8), who are out of the poll for the first time in 96 weeks dating to February of 2018.
No. 15 OKLAHOMA 86, KANSAS 80
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Madi Williams scored 23 points, Liz Scott had a double-double, and Oklahoma held off Kansas.
A free throw by Zakiyah Franklin drew Kansas within 82-80 with 3:12 remaining. Neither team would score another field goal as Kansas missed its last nine shots and Oklahoma&rsquo;s last field goal came with 5:12 remaining.
Williams made two free throws with 37 seconds left and Ana Llanusa added two more with nine seconds left to wrap up Oklahoma&rsquo;s sixth consecutive victory.
Scott had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Sooners (22-4, 12-3 Big 12).
The Jayhawks got 73 of their 80 points from the trio of Franklin, Holly Kersgieter and Taiyanna Jackson. Franklin led with a career-high 30 points, Kersgieter added 24 and Jackson 19 for Kansas (16-9, 6-8). Jackson added 13 rebounds.
No. 17 TEXAS 74, WEST VIRGINIA 48
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Shaylee Gonzales had 18 points, Rori Harmon scored 16 and Khadija Faye added a double-double to power Texas to a romp over West Virginia.
Gonzales made half of her six 3-pointers and all seven of her free throws for the Longhorns (21-7, 12-3 Big 12 Conference). Harmon sank 10 of 12 fouls shots and added six rebounds and six assists. Faye finished with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting and 11 rebounds.
Ja&rsquo;Haiya Quinerly had 16 points before fouling out to pace the Mountaineers (16-9, 7-7). Madisen Smith hit three 3-pointers and scored 12. Jayla Hemingway pitched in with nine points and seven rebounds.
No. 18 ARIZONA 61, No. 21 COLORADO 42
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Shaina Pellington scored 19 points with five assists and Arizona smothered Colorado, ending the Buffaloes&rsquo; five-game winning streak.
The Wildcats (21-6, 11-5 Pac 12 Conference) held the Buffaloes to their lowest total of the season and their worst shooting game, 28.3% overall (15 of 53), 1 of 12 from 3-point range (8.3%).
Esmery Martinez had 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and seven rebounds for the Wildcats, who were coming off a 10-point win over No. 4 Utah and have won five of six.
Tameiya Sadler led the Buffaloes with 12 points and Quay Miller added 10 with 10 rebounds.
No. 19 NORTH CAROLINA 71, WAKE FOREST 58
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Deja Kelly had 24 points, five rebounds and six assists to lead North Carolina to a victory over Wake Forest.
Destiny Adams added 11 points off the bench and Kennedy Todd-Williams scored 10 for the Tar Heels (19-8, 10-6 ACC).
North Carolina went up by 20 midway through the fourth quarter and cruised from there, making just two field goals and three free throws over the final 6 1/2 minutes.
Wake Forest (14-13, 5-11) shot 3 for 14 in the third quarter and was outscored 16-6. The shooting slump came after the Demon Deacons shot 50% in the first half and trailed just 40-36 at halftime.
No. 24 FLORIDA STATE 80, GEORGIA TECH 66
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Ta&rsquo;Niya Latson scored 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting and 9-of-10 free throws, leading Florida State to a victory over Georgia Tech.
Latson scored 24 points through three quarters and the Seminoles took a 63-57 lead into the fourth. Latson, a freshman averaging 21.8 points per game, had gone nine games without reaching 20 points.
Georgia Tech got within four points early in the fourth quarter, but the Seminoles responded with an 8-0 run that gave them a 73-61 lead with 4:11 remaining. Florida State added 3-pointers from Latson and Erin Howard to close out the victory. The Yellow Jackets made one of their last 12 shots from the field.
Sara Bejedi scored 14 points and O&rsquo;Mariah Gordon added 10 off the bench for Florida State (22-7, 11-5 ACC).
Cameron Swartz scored 17 points, Kara Dunn 16, and Kayla Blackshear 10 for Georgia Tech (13-13, 4-11).
CALIFORNIA 81, No. 25 USC 78, OT
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Jayda Curry scored 27 points and Michelle Onyiah had six points in overtime as California upended USC.
The Trojans (19-8, 9-7 Pac-12), back in the rankings for the first time since 2016, had their chances to win this one after falling to No. 3 Stanford 50-47 on Friday.
From the final four minutes of regulation until Destiny Littleton hit a 3-pointer with 1:08 to go in overtime, USC missed eight straight shots. After Littleton tied the game at 78 and Leilani McIntosh put the Golden Bears (13-14, 4-12) on top with two free throws with 44 seconds to go, the Trojans came up empty on their next possession despite two offensive rebounds.
Onyiah made 1 of 2 from the line with eight seconds to go and Littleton&rsquo;s late 3 was off the mark.

A recap of a busy Sunday in top-25 women's action includes a thriller between the Gamecocks and Rebels that had to go to overtime.

Top-ranked South Carolina edges Ole Miss in OT

PHOENIX (AP) — It looked like Father Time might be making some gains on the 37-year-old Chris Paul over the past few months.
The 12-time All-Star proved on Monday night he's not going down without a fight.
Paul scored a season-high 28 points, Deandre Ayton added 21 points and 11 rebounds and the Phoenix Suns rolled past the Los Angeles Lakers 130-104. 
The Suns did just about everything well in the blowout win. They shot 50% from the field, made 20 3-pointers, had a 51-36 rebounding advantage and just eight turnovers.
“When we play like that, it's tough to stop us,” Paul said.
The game was almost more notable for who wasn’t playing instead of the action on the court. The Lakers were missing their All-Star trio of LeBron James (left ankle soreness), Anthony Davis (right foot soreness) and Russell Westbrook (left foot soreness).
The Suns were missing six players, including three-time All-Star Devin Booker (right groin soreness), who scored a season-high 58 points in Saturday’s win over the Pelicans.
Paul had his best scoring game of the season in Booker's absence, shooting 9 of 18 from the field, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range. The point guard had a slow start to the year, coming into the game averaging a career-low 11.1 points per game, but he's been more productive over the past few weeks since returning from a heel injury.
Paul's built his stellar career on passing the basketball and not necessarily scoring, but with Booker on the bench, the Suns needed his production.
“I was happy to see him aggressive, knocking down shots and taking shots,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “Everyone on the team, we tell Chris to shoot the ball. It's the most unbelievable thing ever — having to tell a Hall of Fame player to shoot.”
Paul said he doesn't mind that Williams and his teammates are always bugging him to shoot.
“I guess it could be worse,” Paul said laughing. “They could tell me not to shoot.”
The Suns have won three straight, bouncing back after dropping five in a row. All five starters scored at least 15 points.
Phoenix also has a six-game winning streak over the Lakers during the regular season.
Phoenix led by 26 points early in the third quarter, but the Lakers cut that advantage to 91-77 late in the third. The Suns responded with back-to-back 3-pointers from Ish Wainright and Landry Shamet and took a 99-77 lead into the final quarter.
“That is a well-oiled machine over there,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “They took care of business over there tonight and I felt that our guys competed to best of their ability.”
Dennis Schroder led the starless Lakers with a season-high 30 points. He shot 12 of 19 from the field. Kendrick Nunn scored 17 points off the bench. Lonnie Walker IV and Thomas Bryant both added 16 points.
“End of the day, it is the next man up mentality,” Schroder said. “Everybody has to be ready to play and compete at the highest level. You can’t control if someone is going to be out.”
The Suns jumped out to a 38-24 lead, shooting 66.7% in the first quarter. Paul scored 14 points. Torrey Craig made a wide-open 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer to give the Suns a 68-44 advantage.
TIP-INS
Lakers: G Austin Reaves (right ankle sprain) and G Juan Toscano-Anderson (right ankle sprain) were not available.
Suns: Ayton returned after missing two games. ... Along with Booker, F Cameron Johnson (right meniscus tear), F/C Jock Landale (concussion), G Cameron Payne (right foot strain) and G Duane Washington Jr. (left hip muscle strain) were not available. ... Hosted a 43rd consecutive sellout crowd. ... Craig scored 17 points on his 32nd birthday.
UP NEXT
Lakers: Travel to face Sacramento on Wednesday.
Suns: Host Washington on Tuesday.
___
AP NBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/NBA">https://apnews.com/hub/NBA</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Sports">https://twitter.com/AP_Sports</a>

Chris Paul scored a season-high 28 points, and the Phoenix Suns rolled past the Los Angeles Lakers 130-104.

Paul scores season-high 28, Suns roll past Lakers 130-104

Nekias Duncan takes an early look at this year's NBA award races with an in-depth look at who leads the pack through mid-December.

Nekias Duncan's 2022-23 NBA award front-runners: MVP, DPOY, ROY, more

Last week, after reports surfaced that the Sacramento Kings were willing to deal the fourth overall pick in the right deal, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trades-involving-the-sacramento-kings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">we examined several potential trade scenarios</a>.
On Tuesday, plugged-in reporter <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10037274-latest-nba-offseason-intel-does-og-anunoby-want-out-of-toronto">Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report</a> relayed that the Portland Trail Blazers "remain widely expected to pursue trade scenarios with the No. 7 pick in order to add a complementary veteran alongside All-NBA guard Damian Lillard."
In addition, The Athletic's John Hollinger and Sam Vecenie <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10036663-nba-trade-rumors-blazers-to-use-no-7-draft-pick-to-rebuild-around-damian-lillard">reported</a> the Blazers lottery pick "seems even more certain to be on the move," adding that Portland "will push to immediately put a competitive team around Damian Lillard rather than start over."
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So, let's analyze several potential trade scenarios that might make sense for both Blazers and possible partners.
Detroit Pistons trade Jerami Grant to the Blazers in exchange for the No. 7 overall pick and the rights to Milwaukee's first-round pick in 2025
Although Jerami Grant hasn't received much national attention while playing for the Pistons, he has posted solid numbers and is respected league-wide as a valuable, versatile, two-way contributor. During his two years in Detroit, he's averaged 20.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.0 made treys and 1.1 blocks per game. Only three other players have averaged at least 2.5 dimes, 2 treys and a block per contest over the past two seasons: LeBron James, Karl-Anthony Towns and Kevin Durant.
Grant, who was a teammate with Lillard on Team USA last summer, just turned 28 and is in the heart of his prime. However, Grant has just one season left on the three-year, $60 million deal he signed in 2020. Yet, if the Blazers acquired Grant before Aug. 9, he would be eligible to sign an extension for up to $112 million over four years. If the Blazers are looking to "win now," Grant would be a superb addition. In February, it was reported that Portland and Detroit had discussed a deal for Grant before the trade deadline.&nbsp;
The Blazers gained a $20.9 million trade exception in the deal that sent CJ McCollum to New Orleans, and Grant's $20 million salary in 2022-23 would fit snugly into that exception.&nbsp;&nbsp;
From the Pistons' perspective, the seventh pick would allow them to add another young prospect alongside Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and Killian Hayes. <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10037274-latest-nba-offseason-intel-does-og-anunoby-want-out-of-toronto" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Fischer</a>, Detroit's "known asking price" for Grant is "two first-round picks or a first and a promising rookie-scale prospect."&nbsp;
Toronto Raptors trade OG Anunoby to the Blazers in exchange for Nassir Little, the No. 7 and No. 36 picks and a 2024 first-round pick
Fischer <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10037274-latest-nba-offseason-intel-does-og-anunoby-want-out-of-toronto" target="_blank" rel="noopener">notes</a> in his latest post that "word has circulated among rival front offices that OG Anunoby grew dissatisfied at times with his role in Toronto." And although Portland is one of the potential landing spots OG has been linked to in trade chatter, "league personnel believe Toronto would require far more than [Josh] Hart and the seventh pick to part with Anunoby, considered to be a darling of Raptors lead executive Masai Ujiri."
So, would the No. 7 selection paired with Nas Little, an early second-rounder and a future first be enough to entice Ujiri? Little is coming off what looked to be the best season of his young career before going down with a shoulder injury. In the 23 games he started for Portland, he averaged 11.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.4 made three-pointers and 1.1 blocks, while posting the second-best Net Rating among all of the Blazers' rotation regulars. He won't celebrate his 23rd birthday until next February and is locked into his rookie contract, which will pay him just $4.1 million next season.&nbsp;
Like Grant, Anunoby's salary would fit into the Blazers trade exception.&nbsp;
It's also worth noting that the <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/raptors/news/toronto-raptors-dyson-daniels-g-league-ignite-draft-prospect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raptors met with</a> G League Ignite prospect Dyson Daniels, a highly-touted prospect who will almost assuredly be a top-10 pick in the upcoming draft. Because the Raptors don't have a first-rounder in this year's draft (having traded the No. 20 selection to the San Antonio Spurs), "news of Daniels' interview with the Raptors seemed to <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/raptors/news/toronto-raptors-portland-trail-blazers-nba-draft-trade-rumors-dyson-daniels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raise some questions</a> about Toronto's plan for the future."&nbsp;&nbsp;
Oklahoma City Thunder send Luguentz Dort and the No. 12 pick to the Blazers in exchange for the No. 7 pick, Justise Winslow and Drew Eubanks
Lu Dort established himself as one of the best young defenders in the NBA this past season and is a highly-valued, two-way contributor for OKC. Not only did he excel on the defensive end, but he also showed significant improvement offensively. Over the final nine games Dort appeared in (before tearing his left labrum), he averaged 22.3 points and 3.2 made three-pointers while shooting over 37% from downtown and 82% from the free-throw stripe. However, Thunder general manager Sam Presti has to ask himself how much he is willing to pay to keep Dort in Oklahoma City for the long term.
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Dort has one year left on the minimum salary contract he signed back in 2020, but if OKC exercises his $1.9 million team option for 2022-23, they risk losing him in free agency next summer. If OKC picks up the option, Dort would be eligible to sign an extension worth nearly $60 million over four years, starting with an annual salary of approximately $13 million. (Dort's team option for the 2022-23 season would need to be exercised in order to be traded. Otherwise, he would not be eligible.)
If Presti has reservations about committing major money to Dort (for context, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the only player currently on the OKC roster with more than $6 million in guaranteed salary over each of the next two seasons), would he consider trading away Dort to move up into the top seven?
While the Blazers have plenty of offensive firepower in their backcourt with Lillard and Anfernee Simons, they need to bolster their defense. Consequently, they may be willing to pony up and do what it takes to lock Dort up and ink him to a lucrative, long-term contract.
(FWIW, Lillard <a href="https://okcthunderwire.usatoday.com/2022/05/26/damian-lillard-likes-tweet-that-suggests-the-trail-blazers-should-send-no-7-pick-for-lu-dort/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently liked a tweet</a> suggesting Portland trade the No. 7 pick for either Dort or Jerami Grant.)
New York Knicks send Julius Randle and the No. 11 pick to the Blazers in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, the No. 7 and No. 36 picks
Which Julius Randle would the Blazers be trading for?
The dude that earned a second-team All-NBA nod in 2020-21 after becoming just the seventh player in NBA history to average at least 24 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists over an entire season? (Joining ​​Wilt Chamberlain, Nikola Jokić, Larry Bird, Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson.) Or the guy who was wildly inefficient in 2021-22, when he became the first player in league history to attempt more than 300 three-pointers and 300 free throws, yet shot below 42% from the floor, below 31% from downtown and below 76% from the charity stripe?
For a Blazers team with limited options due to Lillard's hefty salary and the prohibitive cost of re-signing both Simons and Jusuf Nurkic, it may make sense to add Randle in the hopes that he regains his All-Star form. Randle is in prime and, like Lillard, is signed through the 2024-25 season. A starting lineup of Dame, Simons, Hart, Randle and Nurk, with Little in the sixth-man role, could be a dangerous team. And to add Randle, the Blazers would only have to move back four spots in the first round and part with a second-rounder. In a draft in which there is little consensus after the top four picks, the prospect Portland is targeting at seven might still be on the board at 11.
As for the Knicks, if they want a crack at Dyson Daniels, Shaedon Sharpe or Bennedict Mathurin, they will likely have to jump up a few slots. And parting ways with Randle could be viewed as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trades-involving-the-sacramento-kings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">addition by subtraction</a>, as it would clear his contract from New York's cap and open up a spot in the starting lineup for Obi Toppin (who averaged <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trades-involving-the-sacramento-kings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">27.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 made three-pointers</a> per game in April). Bledsoe has just one year left on his contract, and that one season is only partially guaranteed for $3.9 million.&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Before wrapping up, it's worth noting that the Blazers have also been linked to both Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine and Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton via sign-and trades. <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10036706-early-nba-free-agency-buzz-intel-on-deandre-ayton-zach-lavine-and-more">Per Fisher</a>, "Portland is most often mentioned as a top LaVine suitor. LaVine is a Seattle native, just a few hours' drive north of the Trail Blazers' facilities, and shares a relationship with Damian Lillard from their Team USA days." Regarding Ayton, Fisher <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10036706-early-nba-free-agency-buzz-intel-on-deandre-ayton-zach-lavine-and-more">writes</a>, "Portland, where free-agent center Jusuf Nurkic is expected to command far less than Ayton on the open market, could be a trade partner."</li>
</ul>
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Tommy Beer breaks down four possible trade scenarios for the Blazers on the night of the 2022 NBA Draft.

Analyzing 4 hypothetical trades for the Blazers' No. 7 draft pick

Despite their recent playoffs ousting <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/chris-pauls-masterclass-game-6-performance-the-latest-moment-of-greatness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at the hands of Chris Paul</a>, the future for the New Orleans Pelicans feels much brighter than most projected at the turn of the year. Three rookies combined to play 32% of Willie Green's rotational minutes, including lineups that contained all three. It's not often that a singular rookie plays positive minutes in a competitive playoff series, and it's near unheard of to have a trio doing the same.
Trey Murphy III, the 17th overall pick in last year's draft, and Jose Alvarado, the undrafted free agent signing who steadily garnered a cult following this year, had huge moments in this series.&nbsp;
Herbert Jones stood above the rest.
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Still thinking about this from Herb <a href="https://t.co/4SVi3fLkM0">pic.twitter.com/4SVi3fLkM0</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) <a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler/status/1520109239884292096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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If you follow me and my work, your timeline has been absolutely littered with clips and musings about the southpaw forward dating back to Summer League.
His defensive play has stood out since he was at Alabama, where he was the 2020-21 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and 2x SEC All-Defense, and that's what allowed him to make his mark for the Pelicans this season. How good was his defense? We had him on our Second Team All-Defense during our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/defensive-awards-and-a-celebration-of-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defensive awards roundtable</a> with myself, Jackson Frank, and Nekias Duncan.
Jones is not just awesome for a rookie; he's awesome period and has legitimately staked his claim as one of the best defenders in basketball.
His help instincts are fantastic. He makes rotations and defensive slides with a consistent intensity that few can match. Jones is a stonewall at the point of attack and already might be the best screen navigator in the league. He's adept at utilizing his hands and feet simultaneously to keep the ball in front. What makes him special to me as a defender is his body control. Considering how much time he spends defending primary options, it's remarkable that he didn't have a higher foul rate: 4.1% was in the 25th percentile this year per Cleaning the Glass, but that doesn't take into account defensive responsibility.
Jones finished 6th in BBall Index's matchup difficulty ranking, which gauges the players guarded and adjusts their defensive metrics accordingly. Jones had the fourth-lowest foul rate out of the top six defenders in matchup difficulty. He ended behind Dorian Finney-Smith, De'Andre Hunter, and Luguentz Dort but just ahead of Dillon Brooks and Matisse Thybulle.
Defense is the foundation of Jones' game, but we've seen numerous defense-first prospects come into the league and struggle to establish a larger role on their respective roster. Jones became a full-time starter at the end of November, averaging 31.3 minutes per game from November 24th to the end of the regular season. He closed games for the Pelicans. He took on more ball-handling duties both in bringing the ball up the court and some secondary offensive actions.
How did we get here? How did Herb Jones go from, "He could be a useful rotation player," to viable NBA starter?
Oddly enough, Jones has shown a greater level of touch in the NBA than he ever did in four years at Alabama, which is a wild thing to ponder.
Let's pull back the covers here.
According to Instat Scouting, Jones shot 35.6% on drives as a senior at Alabama (104 attempts) and 34.5% for his career. As a rookie in the NBA, Jones shot 46% on drives according to Second Spectrum tracking data (137 attempts). That is an astounding growth!&nbsp;
For reference, if Herb had shot 35.6% in the league, that would've made him the fourth least efficient finisher of drives in the league (1.5 FGA on drives per game, at least 40 games played). While 46% is still a bit below average, it can't be undersold what an upgrade that is.
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As a driver at Alabama, Jones really struggled with decceleration. He was fantastic at getting to the rim, but he was equally adept at smothering himself once he got there. There was fairly minimal pacing to his delivery. There were a ton of awkward footing jumps. So many of his attempts at the rim just felt off before they even left his hand. The handle is quite solid for his size, but the exchange from the floor to the rim felt clunky.
In the NBA, Jones gets to attack off the catch more and benefit from stepping into downhill attacks, yet he's better even with the ball in his hands.
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He's thrown in more hesitation and stutters. He's using the rim more to protect some of his drives and attempts rather than trying to force up a tough touch shot after barreling into the paint. The footwork is a good deal more crisp than last season, and he seems better at getting skinny through tight spaces in traffic.
He still has some really rough misses. Late help or an eager low man can clean up his shots. He doesn't have a ton of counters right now. He was 3-for-21 on floaters this year on drives according to InStat, which is about where he was at Alabama. He still has some "Woah, what was that?" type misses, but it's hard to deny both in watching and via data that he has better touch. It's been one of the weirdest things to follow this year, and finally pulling the numbers was startling.
Let's peel back another layer.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 154px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 44px;">
<td style="width: 18.1217%; text-align: center; height: 44px;">Season</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; text-align: center; height: 44px;">3 Point Percentage</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; text-align: center; height: 44px;">3 Point Attempts</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; text-align: center; height: 44px;">Free Throw Percentage</td>
<td style="width: 18.1267%; text-align: center; height: 44px;">Free Throw Attempts</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">2017-18 (Freshman)</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">26.9%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">7/26</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">50%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1267%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">24/48</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">2018-19 (Sophomore)</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">28.6%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">6/21</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">49.5%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1267%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">52/105</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">2019-20 (Junior)</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">7.1%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1/14</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">62.5%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1267%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">65/104</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">2020-21 (Senior)</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">35.1%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">20/57</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">71.3%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1267%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">92/129</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">2021-22 (NBA)</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">33.7%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">57/169</td>
<td style="width: 18.1217%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">84%</td>
<td style="width: 18.1267%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">137/163</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Data courtesy of Basketball Reference and College Reference
Again, astounding development.&nbsp;
I'm not comfortable in saying what level of shooter he could be in time, but to go from where he was two years ago to now is an insane growth curve.
He was ignored as a shooter at Alabama last year, and while he eventually was in the playoffs most of the time this year, the growth in confidence was immense. His shot was a bit up and down, but Pels shooting coach Fred Vinson, along with Jones' work ethic, has seemingly been a Dragon Ball-Z esque fusion dance combination.
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At Alabama, he brings the ball across his face from right to left on the release, and while he's squared up, his feet are pretty close together with a notable valgus collapse (reverse "V" shape with knees).
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In the NBA, the ball isn't coming all the way across his body anymore. There's still the valgus collapse, but it's not as pronounced, giving him a much cleaner shot overall that's easier to replicate.
He has a very good feel for the game and excellent court vision, which he put on display throughout much of his amateur career, but his improved efficacy as a driver allows him to showcase more live dribble playmaking rather than strictly connecting plays. Drawing closeouts as a shooter and having the ability to run actions or spark plays as a secondary initiator allows him to flex those playmaking chops.
The gains he's made this season have arguably made him the most viable he's ever been as an offensive creator. He already has the basis to be a starter on a playoff team, because he was one this year. While every player has some sort of ceiling due to physical limitations or other limitations in their game, it's hard to put a cap on what his ceiling might be.
If you'd asked me last year whether or not I thought Herb Jones could be a starter in the NBA, I probably would've said it was unlikely barring some sizable growth. Well, that sizable growth has happened.
The level of defender that Jones is, along with an already solid baseline of offensive plays, will allow him something that many prospects struggle to get: playing time. Because he can already do impactful things on the court, he'll continue to get incredibly valuable in-game reps. The G-League is great, but getting to craft your game at the highest level is an entirely different developmental scenario.
Could Jones be an All-Star someday? I can't rule it out. He's already blown me away with his growth. I wouldn't bet on it happening, but I certainly wouldn't bet against it either.
Can he take more steps as a ball-handler or find some extra bend as a driver? I wouldn't call him a stiff driver, but he doesn't generate crazy power with his first step. If there's some added flexibility in his legs, maybe he gets an extra oomph of burst.
Can he find more with his touch outside of just his jump-shot from three? Herb took 53 jumpers inside the arc and hit 35.8% of them according to InStat. Is there some pull-up viability in time? Can he factor in more pacing and craft out of ball-screens? Can all these things compound into him becoming capable of carrying a larger creation burden?
Again, I'm not sure, but the point remains that higher pathways are within reach as he continues to develop. Herb Jones is already a star in his role, and there might be more there than meets the eye or that can be ascertained on paper when taking his full developmental journey into context.

After a remarkable rookie season from Herbert Jones, what can we take away from his play and project about his future?

Reassessing Herb Jones' upside

The college basketball season is underway, which means BasketballNews.com's scouting coverage has been kicked into full gear. The bulk of my travel and scouting schedule is set through the entire season, and let me tell you &mdash; I have some terrific basketball to see! As I scour the map evaluating prospects at various levels, I'll be sharing my takeaways every step of the way. I hope you enjoy it!
Here&rsquo;s who I watched in-person this last week:
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/jabari-smith" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jabari Smith</a> - Auburn vs. South Florida MIN: 28 | PTS: 9 | REB: 10 | AST: 0 | STL: 0 | BLK: 1 | FG: 3-12 | 3PT: 2-7 | FT: 1-2 | TO: 1
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I am in Tampa, Florida tonight to watch top-rated Jabari Smith and his Auburn Tigers take on the South Florida Bulls. To start the season, Smith, a 6'10" forward is averaging 15.5 points and 8 rebounds per game. He is currently ranked at No. 3 on our 2022 NBA Draft Big Board. <a href="https://t.co/Yp1BgGkgEf">pic.twitter.com/Yp1BgGkgEf</a>
&mdash; Matt Babcock (@MattBabcock11) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1461843250311045131?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2021</a></blockquote>

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A little over a year ago, I visited Phoenix, Arizona to attend Dinos Trigonis&rsquo; Pangos All-American Festival. There, Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren stole the show. However, I was also able to see Jabari Smith, a 5-star recruit that was committed to the Auburn Tigers. I loved his potential as a mobile, stretch 4, but he seemed to be quiet and somewhat unassertive, and I was left with some questions about his lack of strength and overall toughness. &nbsp;
Fast forward to this past Friday, and I had an opportunity to see Smith for the first time with the Tigers as they took on the South Florida Bulls in Tampa, Florida.
Although it was not Smith&rsquo;s best game &mdash; he only shot 3-for-12 from the field &mdash; I walked away thoroughly impressed. He possesses a unique combination of length, fluidity as an athlete and an ability to shoot the ball with range, giving him a ton of potential on the offensive end. On the defensive end, I&rsquo;m not sure he is getting enough attention for his talent and upside. He has aggressive hands, covers a lot of ground laterally with ease and makes quick reactions. He has gotten much stronger, has a frame that looks like it will fill out very well, and subsequently, has become tougher and more physical. Any questions that I had about his lack of toughness and assertiveness have been tossed out the window. In fact, I&rsquo;m not overly concerned about anything with him.&nbsp;
Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren are still top-tier prospects in my book, but Smith is not far behind, at all. He can score on all three levels and has a chance of being an exceptional defender. He checks a lot of boxes. I think he has a chance of becoming a prototypical stretch 4, which can&rsquo;t be said lightly. If someone wanted to make an argument for Smith as the top prospect for this year&rsquo;s draft, I&rsquo;d be more than willing to listen.
We currently have Jabari Smith ranked at No. 3 on the BasketballNews.com <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/patrick-baldwin-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patrick Baldwin Jr.</a> - UW-Milwaukee vs. Florida MIN: 34 | PTS: 13 | REB: 3 | AST: 1 | STL: 2 | BLK: 2 | FG: 6-15 | 3PT: 0-3 | FT: 1-2 | TO: 3
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I&rsquo;m in Gainesville, Florida tonight to see projected lottery pick Patrick Baldwin Jr. and his UW-Milwaukee Panthers take on the Florida Gators. Baldwin Jr., a smooth 6-foot-9 wing, is currently slotted as the No. 6 player on the <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> 2022 NBA Draft Big Board. <a href="https://t.co/bne3hgnd9c">pic.twitter.com/bne3hgnd9c</a>
&mdash; Matt Babcock (@MattBabcock11) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1461460374650343428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Prior to arriving at the O&rsquo;Dome in Gainesville, Florida, I had seen freshman Patrick Baldwin Jr. before, but it had been a couple of years back at a USA Basketball mini-camp. Seeing him recently, his size was the first thing that grabbed my attention. Listed at 6-foot-9 and 220 pounds, he looked like a power forward and not a guard, the position he is listed as on the UW-Milwaukee website. I also noticed that he has huge hands, as he snatched the ball from the ground with ease like Kawhi Leonard might do. Once the Panthers began formal warmups, they split into two groups: guards and bigs. Baldwin worked out with the guards. I found all of that to be interesting. That said, it was immediately apparent that his skill level was very high. He handles the ball well and has a terrific shooting stroke, especially for a player of his size. Before tip-off, I was very intrigued, to say the least.
Once the game started, it was clear that UW-Milwaukee was far overmatched by an experienced Florida team. It was not a very good game overall. Baldwin showed flashes of his high skill level, consisting of abilities to shoot with range, dribble, pass and utilize advanced footwork. Despite Baldwin&rsquo;s translatable tools and skills, his casual approach was concerning. I left the arena torn; I felt teased and wanted to see more. The good thing is I&rsquo;m able to watch him again Tuesday night, as I&rsquo;ll be in attendance to see his UW-Milwaukee team take on Bowling Green in Fort Myers, Florida. I&rsquo;m also set to see him in Colorado on Dec. 10 &mdash; so stay tuned for more updates on him.
In the meantime, we currently have Patrick Baldwin Jr. ranked No. 6 on the BasketballNews.com 2022 NBA Draft Big Board.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/matthew-cleveland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matthew Cleveland</a> - Florida State vs. Loyola Marymount MIN: 17 | PTS: 13 | REB: 1 | AST: 1 | STL: 1 | FG: 6-8 | 3PT: 0-1 | FT: 1-2 | TO: 0
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I have a close eye on Florida State&rsquo;s Matthew Cleveland tonight in Jacksonville, Florida, as the Seminoles take on the Loyola Marymount Lions. Through 3 games this season, Cleveland, a true freshman, is averaging 8.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. <a href="https://t.co/3WHjH4aSjG">pic.twitter.com/3WHjH4aSjG</a>
&mdash; Matt Babcock (@MattBabcock11) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1462556486723330055?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Last spring, I was able to see Matthew Cleveland play for the first time, as his high school team (Pace Academy) was competing at GEICO Nationals in Fort Myers, Florida. I was impressed with him, as he was an aggressive and effective slasher and scorer. Although I can&rsquo;t say I had a firm grip of him as a prospect going into the season, he had made a big enough impression for me to justify including him in our initial 2022 NBA Draft Big Board.
Sunday night in Jacksonville, Florida, I was able to see Cleveland for the first time with his new team and school, Florida State. Despite not starting for the Seminoles and head coach Leonard Hamilton giving 11 players double-digits minutes of playing time, Cleveland was able to show a lot of the things that made me like him in the first place. Listed at 6-foot-7 (I question if he&rsquo;s actually that tall) with a reported 6-foot-11 wingspan, Cleveland is visibly long for a wing. Watching him, I found him to be extremely mature and poised, especially for a freshman; he made terrific decisions throughout the game. He has room for improvement as an outside shooter, but his ability to score as a slasher while also being a great defender is a valuable combination. I&rsquo;m quite confident that he will develop into a steady contributor in the NBA &mdash; he&rsquo;s solid! It is yet to be seen whether or not he&rsquo;ll play a big enough role for the Seminoles this season to generate widespread media attention for himself, but let&rsquo;s not forget that Patrick Williams was selected No. 4 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft after coming off the bench for Florida State as a freshman and only playing 22 minutes per game.&nbsp;
We currently have Matthew Cleveland ranked at No. 27 in our 2022 NBA Draft Big Board.
Last Week's Takeaways: <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/babcock-takeaways-banchero-agbaji-keels-and-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paolo Banchero, Ochai Agbaji, Trevor Keels, more</a>.

Matt Babcock details his scouting observations from this past week's trip around the state of Florida.

Babcock’s Takeaways: Jabari Smith, Patrick Baldwin, Matthew Cleveland

Etan Thomas has a direct message for Ben Simmons, who hopefully will have an opportunity to shut up his critics.

An open letter to Ben Simmons from Etan Thomas

There might not be a prospect that has helped himself more at the G League Elite Camp this year than Aaron Wiggins of the Maryland Terrapins. Although he does not possess any one specific trait or attribute that jumps off the page, Wiggins, a 6-foot-6 wing, has shown a well-rounded skill set over the course of two days in Chicago.
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Wiggins has undoubtedly gained major momentum and changed the narrative for himself recently, but we shouldn't be so surprised. Over the course of his last 10 games at Maryland, Wiggins averaged 18.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, and shot 40.3% from three-point range.
I spoke to Wiggins&rsquo; agent, Austin Walton, earlier this morning, and he mentioned that interest from NBA teams had increased significantly in recent days. He continued to explain to me that Wiggins and his family have decided to preserve his college eligibility in order to keep the door open for a return back to Maryland next season. However, if things keep trending up, and he is provided a certain level of assurance, it is certainly possible that Wiggins stays in the 2021 NBA Draft.
I told Walton, &ldquo;Tell Aaron to keep doing exactly what he&rsquo;s been doing. I&rsquo;ve been intrigued by him in the past and everything seems to be clicking for him at the right time.&rdquo;
Stay tuned for our updated 2021 NBA Mock Draft, which will be released tomorrow. To see the current version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft">click here</a>.

Maryland's Aaron Wiggins has shown a well-rounded skill set over the course of two days at G League Elite Camp in Chicago.

Aaron Wiggins moves the needle at G League Elite Camp

The Milwaukee Bucks tricked y&rsquo;all, man.&nbsp;
They had you believing in them as legitimate title contenders. Giannis Antetokounmpo had you thinking that he was ready to be the first option and "the guy&rdquo; on a championship team. Head coach Mike Budenholzer convinced some of you that he would make the proper adjustments to put this team in a position to win their pivotal series against the Brooklyn Nets.
Instead, the Bucks are on the brink of elimination and it&rsquo;s been mostly by their own doing. Kevin Durant turning in an otherworldly performance in Game 5 doesn&rsquo;t negate the fact that the Bucks had a chance to win the series, and ended up blowing it because they refuse to get out of their own way.
Here are a few reasons why the Bucks are squandering this series, and ultimately, their best chance to win a title in the foreseeable future.&nbsp;
Bud&rsquo;s Stubbornness and Ineptitude
You might think that a two-time NBA Coach Of The Year like Budenholzer would have the ability to adapt and make adjustments to his game plans, and you would be right. Budenholzer does have the ability to make adjustments, just like every coach in the league does. The problem is that he doesn&rsquo;t want to adapt and adjust.
In Game 5, Budenholzer presented a masterclass in coaching malpractice. Instead of double-teaming Durant with their best defenders in Jrue Holiday and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Budenholzer deployed Khris Middleton and PJ Tucker.
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Notice the first two Nets possessions in this video. &nbsp;At the four-second mark, the Bucks are in man-to-man coverage. Tucker can&rsquo;t fight over the Joe Harris screen, and Durant gets a switch to go against Middleton. Durant crosses Middleton up, and before Giannis and Brook Lopez could get in a position to contest, Durant scores.
Instead of utilizing drop coverage in the first possession, Budenholzer should have made Giannis the help defender for Middleton and trapped Durant while Holiday could play the passing lanes with Lopez rotating to the corner.
At the 17-second mark in the clip, Tucker is defending Durant, while Lopez appears to be in drop coverage. Durant swipes to the right and pulls up for a mid-range jumper over Tucker.
In this example, it should have been a Middleton/Tucker trap while Giannis could roam the passing lane while looking for an easy steal and opportunity to score in transition.
This was a recurring theme in the game, and it was the way the Nets battled back despite the rest of the team not shooting well and James Harden being severely compromised: Man-to-man "defense" and ineffective drop coverages.
Sometimes you don&rsquo;t guard a player, you guard their habits and tendencies. In Durant&rsquo;s case, it&rsquo;s either an isolation or a pick-and-roll situation. Tucker, Middleton and even Giannis individually had no chance against Durant. However, why not deploy traps? Why not switch up the coverage from man to zone? Budenholzer has a penchant for being stubborn and doing things the hard way. Those two Coach Of The Year awards gave him that leeway, but after this series, that leeway might not be there anymore.&nbsp;
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Lack of Ball Movement and Suspect Shot Selection
Another thing that cost the Bucks in Game 5 -- and possibly the series -- is the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/milwaukee-bucks-back-mo-avoid-disaster-vs-brooklyn-nets-nba-playoffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">abandonment of ball movement</a>. In the second half in Brooklyn on Tuesday night, the Bucks stopped moving the ball and became caught up in iso situations that led to turnovers. The Bucks had 12 assists on 28 baskets after a Holiday assist to Lopez, a three that pushed Milwaukee to a 17-point lead with 7:09 left in the third quarter. When Brooklyn seized a 99-98 lead with a little over five minutes remaining in the game, the Bucks had just three assists, finishing the game with 18 total on 41 field goals.
If the Bucks&rsquo; offense would have been more patient to get the best shot possible instead of settling for stepbacks and air-balling them (Holiday), or settling for a fadeaway 12-footer on the block over Harden rather than driving to the lane for a score or free throws (Giannis), they probably could have won Game 5 and gained momentum for possible close-out Game 6. Now, they are down 3-2 and looking at another second-round exit in the postseason.
A Big Freaking Problem for Giannis 
There is no doubt that Giannis Antetokounmpo is great. He&rsquo;s won two NBA MVPs for a reason. However, there are legitimate questions about his readiness to become the unquestioned and undisputed number one option on a title team. Despite having a solid series statistically, Giannis&rsquo; weaknesses, and his own inability to change, have been exposed.
Despite shooting a lowly 24% from deep, Giannis continues to force the issue. He still doesn&rsquo;t have a consistent reliable jumper to justify that. He also doesn&rsquo;t have post moves to diversify his skills offensively.
Giannis may be classified as a "wing" in the vein of a Durant, for example, but it&rsquo;s time for him to embrace the possibility of being a 5-man. If Budenholzer would move Giannis to the 5, it's conceivable that the Bucks would be in a better position to win the series. If Giannis is willing to lean into being a big, he should call up Hakeem Olajuwon and work with him during the offseason to help the Greek Freak develop his footwork and touch in the paint.
Imagine Giannis with post moves like this!
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Enough said.
The Milwaukee Bucks have been a team that&rsquo;s been "almost there" for years. The inability to change has been the culprit of their inability to get over the hump. In prior seasons, Giannis avoided the harsh beams of the light of scrutiny, and Budenholzer had avoided the unemployment line.
After this series, niether of them may be so lucky.

Jannelle Moore analyzes how the Bucks, starting with Mike Budenholzer and Giannis Antetokounmpo, have squandered their series vs. the Nets.

What the Buck? Giannis, Bud on verge of another self-inflicted playoff collapse

Midwest Mania, a high-school tournament that's held in Indianapolis, features a wide age group and players in a variety of situations. Many of the participants are decent high-school players who are looking for an opportunity to get national exposure for the first time. They're hoping this event, which was put together by Chad Babel and MADE Hoops, can serve as their coming-out party.&nbsp;
However, one player in attendance has had a completely different path thus far: high-school sensation Emoni Bates.
At this point, Bates probably doesn&rsquo;t need much of an introduction. He&rsquo;s the youngest player ever to win the Gatorade National High School Player of the Year award, doing it as a sophomore. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated when he was 15 years old. He has been labeled a &ldquo;prodigy&rdquo; and a &ldquo;once-in-a-generation talent.&rdquo; He has already been mentioned as the next in line to follow NBA greats like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. He is currently the No. 1 ranked player in the class of 2022, and although he&rsquo;s committed to Michigan State, many have said they doubt he&rsquo;ll ever step foot on a college campus.&nbsp;
The expectations for Emoni Bates are lofty, to say the least.
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Recently, Bates has had some struggles on the floor. I watched him at Flyin&rsquo; to the Hoop in Dayton, Ohio, a little over a month ago and although he showed flashes of greatness, he did not have a good showing overall. On the second day of that event, TyTy Washington and AZ Compass Prep blew out Emoni&rsquo;s team (Ypsi Prep). Following that game, Washington gained quite a bit of national attention and decommitted from Creighton, and he has been one of the hottest names in the country ever since.
For Midwest Mania, Emoni suited up for his father&rsquo;s team, Bates Fundamentals. In their first game, they faced E1T1, which featured two players from Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School in Tampa, Florida: Dillon Mitchell and Emanuel Sharp. Like TyTy Washington in Dayton, the boys from BMCHS took advantage of this match-up against Bates, using this big stage and national-media audience to gain more recognition. Mitchell, a 6-foot-8 athletic wing, went head-to-head with Bates and was terrific. He went from hardly being on the map to being smack dab in the middle of it. Sharp was impressive as well; he&rsquo;s a tough, assertive scorer, and a good overall player. His father, Derrick Sharp, was a great player for Maccabi Tel Aviv. E1T1 beat Bates Fundamentals with ease, and Mitchell and Sharp walked off the floor as victors in more ways than one.
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Despite a somewhat disappointing performance, Bates and Bates Fundamentals had a chance to redeem themselves in their second game of the day, which was perhaps the main event of Midwest Mania. They faced Team Final, which was a showdown between the top-two players in the class of 2022: Bates and Jalen Duren. Team Final also consisted of other high-level prospects such as Dereck Lively II and Justice Williams.
Bates&rsquo; struggles continued in that game too. His shot selection was questionable and there seemed to be several missed shots between each dramatic shot that he made. He tried to do a little too much (probably because of all the cameras and attention), and he resorted to playing &ldquo;hero ball.&rdquo; Team Final beat Bates Fundamentals, and Duren and his teammates celebrated on the floor.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, Twitter was buzzing with critiques of Emoni.
There&rsquo;s no denying that Bates has some things he needs to work on. Personally, I&rsquo;d like to see him pick and choose his spots more, take better shots, move without the ball and become a little more composed.&nbsp;
He has a lot of room for growth, but keep in mind that Emoni is only 17 years old. He&rsquo;s a young guy and, of course, he&rsquo;s still developing.
Considering the cloud of negativity surrounding Emoni at the moment, Bates is still a special talent, in my mind (even though he's had a few games that haven&rsquo;t lived up to everyone&rsquo;s expectations).
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At nearly 6-foot-9, Bates has incredible range with a quick-and-smooth release. He has good handles and is a high-level passer. Many people have compared Bates to Kevin Durant. It&rsquo;s often unfair to compare young prospects to NBA greats, but the similarities between Bates and Durant are undeniable. There have not been many players with their body type and such a unique and high skill level.
Do I think Emoni Bates is a surefire NBA superstar and future Hall of Famer? No, I don&rsquo;t. I think that&rsquo;s a ridiculous expectation to put on any kid. However, I think Bates has as good a chance as any player I&rsquo;ve seen in recent memory due to his natural talent.
Any athlete who has found the ultimate level of success has God-given talent. However, the only way for them to maximize their potential is by continuing to develop. Nobody is done growing at 17 years old. Also, every great athlete faces criticism and adversity at some point. Perhaps this small bump in the road triggers Emoni&rsquo;s inner greatness and allows him to take the next big strides in his development.&nbsp;
If that happens, it&rsquo;s very likely that we&rsquo;ll see a star emerge before our very eyes.

Emoni Bates has struggled as of late, but Matt Babcock still believes in the high-school phenom and his incredible talent.

Despite recent criticism, Emoni Bates remains a special talent

R.J. Hampton will never forget the first time he stepped foot on an NBA floor only 13 months ago.
Two games into his professional basketball career with the National Basketball League&rsquo;s New Zealand Breakers, his team made the trip over to the United States in early October for a pair of exhibition matchups -- first against the Memphis Grizzlies, then versus the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"That was a great experience for me,&rdquo; Hampton told reporters this week. &ldquo;I was very blessed even to be on an NBA court at 18 years old, playing against Ja Morant, playing against Chris Paul. I learned so much from those guys. I took a lot away from those games that now, over 365 days later, I can go back and prove myself."
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Hampton is one of the more intriguing young prospects in the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft. A standout in Dallas as a high schooler, he won two gold medals as a part of USA Basketball -- once in the 2017 FIBA U-16 Americas Championship, and again in the 2018 FIBA U-17 Basketball World Cup.
In three years at Little Elm High School, Hampton scored 2,854 points. In his final season, he averaged 32 points, 9.7 rebounds, 6.4 rebounds and 3.9 steals per game. Following a strong showing on the AAU circuit via the 2019 Nike EYBL -- where he scored 28.8 points per contest, second-highest in the league -- the top-five prospect made the decision to reclassify in the 2019 high-school recruiting class. According to the NBA's draft guide, had Hampton returned to high school, he would've been on pace to finish as one of the top-50 high-school scorers of all-time.&nbsp;
However, in lieu of going to college, Hampton elected to go the professional route overseas, similar to what recent NBA players such as Terrance Ferguson, Emmanuel Mudiay and Brandon Jennings did. Luckily for him, his family was overseas with him, so they experienced that together.&nbsp;
Off the floor, Hampton would watch a lot of TV and play video games during his free time. On the floor, he was playing against grown men, including former NBA talent, allowing him to get a taste of the physicality presented at the next level -- something that college prospects have to learn the hard way.
&ldquo;Playing in the NBL, I kinda already went through that learning curve, so I feel confident,&rdquo; Hampton said of the advantage of pro experience. &ldquo;I expect to get on the floor as fast as possible and make an immediate impact in the next coming years. I want to be a guy that is looked upon and one of the players that everybody counts on to get us wins."
Hampton broke out at the very beginning during the NBL Blitz showcase in front of NBA scouts. In his second game with the Breakers, Hampton notched 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the field, nabbing five rebounds and recording three steals with a pair of assists. It was a glimpse of his true capabilities that we wouldn&rsquo;t really see the rest of the season.
&ldquo;Coming out of high school [as] a top-five player in my class, I feel like I went to a situation where I didn't get to score a lot of points and do the 'oohs and aahs' that some other players got,&rdquo; Hampton said. &ldquo;But I think I learned a lot from my time over there, and I definitely think that's gonna further me immediately in the NBA."
Hampton went on to start 12 games, but his 17-game tenure in New Zealand was cut short last winter. Sidelined by a hip injury that forced him out of action, both parties made a mutual decision to have the highly-touted guard return home to the states in February to prepare for the NBA Draft.
Hampton&rsquo;s been putting in work with his trainer, Tyler Relph, over the last two years in order to ready himself for the next level.
"Going over to New Zealand, I wouldn't say it was the most ideal situation [for R.J.]," Relph told BasketballNews.com over the phone. "For a young kid, he just did a great job dealing with it, and I think it matured him a ton. So I think he's immediately ready mentally for what the NBA brings. He's pretty much just a totally different person."
According to Relph, Hampton gained between 22-25 pounds of muscle since his return from overseas.
"Immediately, your game transforms when you can take contact," Relph said. "Defensively, you can get in front of guys and bump 'em off spots, get through ball screens and stuff like that."
In addition, part of the pre-draft process has been reconnecting with the two people that recruited Hampton when he reclassified -- Penny Hardaway and Mike Miller of the Memphis Tigers. Though he never suited up in the blue-and-gray threads, all three have continued to have a great rapport. Hardaway is in his ear about being a pure point guard and making the right reads, while Miller has assisted him with his jumper -- an aspect of the game that Hampton is heavily focused on.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He changed my base,&rdquo; Hampton said of Miller. &ldquo;A lot of times, I was skinny, down low with my shot; it caused me to be unbalanced, so he gave me a wider base. One thing Mike Miller did, he shot in the NBA Finals with his shoe off. He has tremendous confidence, so being a confident shooter is something we&rsquo;ve worked on for the past six, seven months in different drills.&rdquo;
Relph said the shot adjustments are extremely noticeable.
"That's another thing that people are knocking him [about], and now that's the thing that translates right away to next year," Relph said. "He's changed a lot. Mike did a ton with his base, which looks phenomenal. And then, we just changed where he brings the ball up from, his shooting path, and he's been great. His shot has improved leaps and bounds, and now I would say he's a good shooter that can consistently make NBA threes."
Relph raves over Hampton's ability to leap off any foot at any time. Some guys are one-foot leapers, some guys need two steps, but the 19-year-old can fly in any scenario. Furthermore, Relph said that Hampton's god-given speed will vault him into the top-five fastest players in the NBA right away.
"You have Lamborghinis that can go from 0-to-60 in a split second, then you have cars that take a while to get there -- he's a Lamborghini," Relph said. "His slow-to-quick twitch is second to none.
"I think that he has a chance to be just an elite scorer in the league -- with the combination of his speed, creating separation, getting into his shots. He's got a great feel of when to score; he knows when he has space. He can make any shot, he can make contested shots. His ability to rise in the mid-range is elite."
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So far, Hampton has worked out for seven teams in person -- the Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets.&nbsp;
"His confidence right now is just at an all-time high," Relph said. "He's had great workouts for teams. Every team has said how much different he looks and how much better he looks and how much he's improved."
When asked about a potential fit on the Nets, Hampton loved the idea of playing off Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant and gaining wisdom from the veteran duo, as well as the blossoming Caris LeVert and new head coach Steve Nash. It definitely helps that he&rsquo;s spoken with Nets GM Sean Marks (who's from New Zealand) over the phone and face-to-face.
Hampton also mentioned that his workout with the Celtics went well, as Danny Ainge, Austin Ainge and Brad Stevens all attended and spoke with the soon-to-be rookie.
When asked what aspects of his game will translate easiest to the NBA, Hampton points out his speed, athleticism and ability to make plays for himself and his teammates. Early on, his biggest challenge may be getting back into a groove because he hasn&rsquo;t played in a game since Jan. 12. As far as his position and role are concerned, his main focus is having the versatility to guard 1-through-3.
"What all rookies are gonna have to work on is speed of the game, the physicality of the NBA and defensive rotations and reads," Relph said. "And then, the grind of an 82-game season... I think people are gonna be surprised at how good he'll be at making other guys better."
It&rsquo;s odd to conduct interviews virtually in comparison to the norm, but Hampton has taken it in stride. He feels great. In fact, Hampton went as far to say that he and LaMelo Ball are the readiest prospects in this 2020 draft class.
During this pre-draft process, Hampton's schedule has been rigorous. He wakes up to run a couple miles every morning, then he'll go lift weights and do some strength training before working out with either Relph or Miller (depending on what city he's in). Relph said his committment has been outstanding.
Hampton understands how unique of a year this is going to be. The draft process is moving quickly. Before he knows it, Nov. 18 will be here. Then, free agency; then, training camp; and then, opening night on Dec. 22.
"I think the biggest thing I expect [is] just to go in there and work every day, go in there and prove myself again, working my ranks up through the NBA. [I want to] have a great team, great system that I can thrive in,&rdquo; Hampton said. &ldquo;I want to be as ready as possible.&rdquo;

R.J. Hampton and his trainer, Tyler Relph, give a behind-the-scenes look at his pre-draft training ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft.

R.J. Hampton excited to prove himself: 'I want to be as ready as possible'

James Posey talks to T.J. Ford about his upbringing, the 2003 NBA Draft, getting traded, how a tough season Indiana strengthened their bond and more.

Justin