Eagles

The NBA announced the 76 players who are expected to attend the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, which is scheduled for May 18-20 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.
The 2022 NBA Draft Combine is an important step in the draft process for NBA prospects, leading up to 2022 NBA Draft on June 23.&nbsp;
Players will have interviews with NBA teams and participate in five-on-five games, shooting drills and strength-and-agility drills from May 18-20. Coverage of the 2022 NBA Draft Combine begins Thursday, May 19 on ESPNews from 3-5 p.m. ET and transitions to ESPN2 from 5-7 p.m. ET. The coverage continues on Friday, May 20 from 1-2 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and 2-5 p.m. ET on ESPNews.
Additionally, a select number of standout players from the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-announces-field-of-44-draft-prospects-for-g-league-elite-camp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA G League Elite Camp</a>, which takes place May 16-17 at Wintrust Arena, will be invited to participate in the 2022 NBA Draft Combine.
Here is the complete list of expected attendees for this year's NBA Draft Combine (and check out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's 2022 NBA Mock Draft</a> to see where each player is projected to go):&nbsp;
<table style="font-weight: 400;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" width="832">
Player (College/Club)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ochai Agbaji (Kansas)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jake LaRavia (Wake Forest)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Milwaukee)
</td>
<td width="442">
Justin Lewis (Marquette)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Paolo Banchero (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
E.J. Liddell (Ohio State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Dominick Barlow (Overtime Elite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Marjon Beauchamp (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Matthew Mayer (Baylor)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Hugo Besson (New Zealand Breakers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Bryce McGowens (Nebraska)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Malaki Branham (Ohio State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Leonard Miller (Fort Erie Intl. Academy [Canada] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Christian Braun (Kansas)
</td>
<td width="442">
Josh Minott (Memphis)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kendall Brown (Baylor)
</td>
<td width="442">
Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
John Butler Jr. (Florida State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Julian Champagnie (St. John&rsquo;s)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jean Montero (Overtime Elite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee)
</td>
<td width="442">
Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Max Christie (Michigan State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Keegan Murray (Iowa)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kofi Cockburn (Illinois)
</td>
<td width="442">
Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Dyson Daniels (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Johnny Davis (Wisconsin)
</td>
<td width="442">
Gabriele Procida (Fortitudo Bologna [Italy] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
JD Davison (Alabama)
</td>
<td width="442">
Orlando Robinson (Fresno State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Moussa Diabate (Michigan)
</td>
<td width="442">
David Roddy (Colorado State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ousmane Dieng (New Zealand Breakers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Ryan Rollins (Toledo)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Khalifa Diop (Gran Canaria [Spain] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Dereon Seabron (North Carolina State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jalen Duren (Memphis)
</td>
<td width="442">
Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Tari Eason (LSU)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jabari Smith (Auburn)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Keon Ellis (Alabama)
</td>
<td width="442">
Terquavion Smith (North Carolina State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Michael Foster Jr. (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jeremy Sochan (Baylor)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Collin Gillespie (Villanova)
</td>
<td width="442">
Matteo Spagnolo (Cremona [Italy] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
AJ Griffin (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
Julian Strawther (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jaden Hardy (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Dalen Terry (Arizona)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ron Harper Jr. (Rutgers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Drew Timme (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jabari Walker (Colorado)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Harrison Ingram (Stanford)
</td>
<td width="442">
TyTy Washington Jr. (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jaden Ivey (Purdue)
</td>
<td width="442">
Peyton Watson (UCLA)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana)
</td>
<td width="442">
Blake Wesley (Notre Dame)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Nikola Jovic (Mega [Serbia] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Alondes Williams (Wake Forest)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Johnny Juzang (UCLA)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jalen Williams (Santa Clara)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ismael Kamagate (Paris [France] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Jaylin Williams (Arkansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Trevor Keels (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
Mark Williams (Duke)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Walker Kessler (Auburn)
</td>
<td width="442">
Trevion Williams (Purdue)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Christian Koloko (Arizona)
</td>
<td width="442">
Fanbo Zeng (G League Ignite)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

The NBA announced the 76 players who are expected to attend the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, which takes place May 18-20 in Chicago.

NBA announces 76 prospects who will attend 2022 NBA Draft Combine

Across the country, teams are competing in conference tournaments and trying to punch their ticket for the NCAA Tournament. Selection Sunday is tomorrow, and then the tourney starts next Tuesday. Here's a recap of Saturday's action.
The Upsets, the Madness
Virginia Tech def. Duke 82-67, ACC Final Hunter Cattoor put on a clinic, hitting 11 of 16 from the field for 31 points. The teams were neck and neck in the first half, as the Hokies took a three point lead into the break. They would slowly extend that lead during the remainder of the contest, when a Justyn Mutts dunk gave them an advantage of 12 points with 2:28 left, all but sealing the deal. Virginia Tech enters the NCAA Tournament red hot. Tough night for Duke.&nbsp;
Memphis def. SMU 70-63 - AAC Semifinal You do not want to play the Tigers right now. They have been red hot over the last few weeks and will take great momentum into the American Championship game. They had three players in double-figures in this one, along with strong outings from Earl Timberlake and Tyler Harris off the bench. Watch out.&nbsp;
Texas A&amp;M def. Arkansas 82-64 - SEC Semifinal Even after strong performances this week, the Aggies were given only a 31% chance of winning today, but they put on a clinic. They held a 12 point lead at the break and never let off the gas. Quenton Jackson poured in 20 points in a great showing, and now the Aggies look forward to playing for the SEC Championship.
Tennessee def. Kentucky 69-62 - SEC Semifinal The Volunteers took a 7-4 lead 3 minutes into the game and never gave it back. TyTy Washington was able to cut that lead to 3 points with 1:31 to play, but Zakai Zeigler hit clutch free throws to ice it. Kennedy Chandler, Santiago Vescovi and co. move on to the SEC Championship game.
Richmond def. Dayton 68-64 - Atlantic 10 Semifinal Dayton had an eight point lead at the break and a 14 point advantage with 13 minutes to play, but simply couldn&rsquo;t hold on. Grant Golden, Tyler Burton and co. stormed back to steal the four point win. The Spiders move into the A10 Championship game and will look to steal an auto-bid in the NCAA Tournament.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17881508_lg.jpg" alt="" width="406" height="302" />
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Best Games of the Day
Iowa def. Indiana 80-77, Big Ten Semifinal The Hoosiers led by nine with 5:31 to play, but Keegan Murray did what he usually does &mdash; turned on the jets late. Jordan Bohannon banked in a last-second three which sent the fans into a frenzy, propelling the Hawkeyes into the Big Ten title game. This ends a great run from Indiana &mdash; now they await their fate on Selection Sunday.
Boise State def. San Diego State 53-52 - Mountain West Final The biggest lead in this one was three points. However, once the Broncos took a 48-47 lead with 6:41 to play, they never gave it back. Degenhart led them in scoring with 13 points, and now they look ahead to the Big Dance.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17884930_lg.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="267" />
Headed to the Big Dance, Tickets Punched
Kansas def. Texas Tech 74-55, wins Big 12 Championship
Arizona def. UCLA , wins Pac 12 Championship
Virginia Tech def. Duke 82-67, wins ACC Championship
Villanova def. Creighton 54-38, wins Big East Championship
Boise State def. San Diego State 53-52, wins Mountain West Championship
Akron def. Kent State 75-55, wins MAC Championship
UAB def. Louisiana Tech 82-73, wins C-USA Championship
Texas Southern def. Alcorn State 87-62, wins SWAC Championship
Vermont def. UMBC 82-43, wins America East Championship
Norfolk State def. Coppin State 72-57, wins MEAC Championship
Saint Peter&rsquo;s def. Monmouth 60-54, wins MAAC Championship
Montana State def. Northern Colorado 87-66, wins Big Sky Championship
Texas A&amp;M-CC def. SE Louisiana 73-65, wins Southland Championship
New Mexico State def. Abilene Christian 66-52, wins WAC Championship
CSU Fullerton def. Long Beach State 72-71, wins Big West Championship
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Derek Murray takes us through the latest developments from NCAA basketball's conference tourneys.

March Madness: Conference tournament Saturday recap

Recently, a <a href="https://twitter.com/harrisonwind/status/1497303031133589506?s=21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chart went viral</a> that showed each NBA team's local broadcast and how they have fared in terms of their average TV rating this season.
The Golden State Warriors (7.53 average rating), Cleveland Cavaliers (3.74), Philadelphia 76ers (2.72), Milwaukee Bucks (2.61) and Chicago Bulls (2.52) led the pack. Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets (.19), Orlando Magic (.27) and Los Angeles Clippers (.55) finished in the bottom three.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/fmd9k2yvqaavvp1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="629" height="611" />
But which markets have delivered the highest ratings for national NBA games across ABC, ESPN and TNT? A league source shared that information with BasketballNews.com, so here are the top-10 highest-rated markets for nationally televised NBA games so far this season:
1. New Orleans
2. San Francisco
3. Memphis
4. Raleigh-Durham
5. Sacramento
6. Los Angeles
7. Atlanta
8. Norfolk
9. Birmingham
10. Richmond
It's interesting to see New Orleans at No. 1 in national viewership, especially since the Pelicans' broadcast ranks 16th in terms of local ratings. (Similarly, the same applies to Atlanta and the North Carolina areas.)
Also, it's surprising that Norfolk, Birmingham and Richmond are in the top-10 considering they don't have an NBA team in their respective state. Virginia is known for having avid college basketball fans, but it's shocking to see two different Virginian cities ranked this high. This isn't some fluke either. If you look at <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1116774114331701251" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the highest-rated markets for national NBA games during the 2018-19 season</a>, Norfolk was No. 1, Birmingham was No. 5 and Richmond was No. 8. These cities are consistently tuning in to NBA games.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Here are ESPN and ABC&rsquo;s top 10 highest-rated local markets for the 2018-19 regular season, according to the NBA: 1. Norfolk 2. Oklahoma City 3. New Orleans 4. Memphis 5. Birmingham 6. San Francisco 7. Raleigh-Durham 8. Richmond 9. Houston 10. Los Angeles A LOT of surprises!
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1116774114331701251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2019</a></blockquote>

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

It's also shocking to see how many smaller markets are listed here, including New Orleans (<a href="https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/nba-market-size-nfl-mlb-nhl-nielsen-ratings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">50th-largest sports market</a>), Memphis (<a href="https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/nba-market-size-nfl-mlb-nhl-nielsen-ratings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">51st-largest sports market</a>), Raleigh-Durham (<a href="https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/nba-market-size-nfl-mlb-nhl-nielsen-ratings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">24th-largest sports market</a>) and Sacramento (<a href="https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/nba-market-size-nfl-mlb-nhl-nielsen-ratings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">20th-largest sports market</a>).
Meanwhile, some of the biggest markets &mdash; such as New York (the largest market), Chicago (third-largest market), Philadelphia (fourth-largest market) and Dallas (fifth-highest market) &mdash; are nowhere to be found.
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Which markets have delivered the highest ratings for national NBA games this season? Some cities in the top-10 will surprise you.

Which markets deliver the highest ratings for national NBA games?

With the NBA trade deadline over and done with, the BasketballNews.com staff wants to share our thoughts on the moves that went down. Since Nekias Duncan thoroughly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grading-every-move-from-the-2022-nba-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">graded each and every trade from the past week</a>, we asked the rest of our team to react to the results of the ever-so-eventful week.
Here are our staff's thoughts on the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-who-are-your-biggest-2022-nba-trade-deadline-losers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">losers of the 2022 NBA trade deadline</a>. Now, in our latest Roundtable, we asked our writers the following question:
Who are the biggest winners of the NBA trade deadline? 
Alex Kennedy: My trade deadline winners are the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers. I was someone who believed that Daryl Morey should trade Ben Simmons sooner than later, because I thought Simmons' trade value would only decrease over time. I didn't think the 76ers would actually be able to land a star player for Simmons, but I was clearly wrong. Morey's gamble paid off and now he's reunited with James Harden. As for the Pacers, I love&nbsp;what they did over the last week. We all knew that they were going to make drastic changes, but I was really impressed with how much they were able to get back for Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert and Torrey Craig. I love the addition of Tyrese Haliburton, and I truly believe he's going to develop into a star in Indiana. I also liked the buy-low addition of Jalen Smith, who was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Kevin Pritchard and Chad Buchanan deserve credit for pulling off some smart trades and assembling an impressive young core.
Spencer Davies: I&rsquo;m going to be contrarian here, but good for the win-now teams who aren&rsquo;t really in a position to contend this season, yet still went for a swing. I&rsquo;m talking about the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers. The Pels acquired a 20 point-per-game scorer in CJ McCollum to put next to Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson (defense we&rsquo;ll worry about later; Herb Jones and his 10 arms have it all covered anyway). My thoughts on the Kings acquiring an All-Star such as Domantas Sabonis are well-documented, and now, they&rsquo;ve added an underappreciated two-way guard in Donte DiVincenzo, who&rsquo;s still finding his form since his playoff injury last year. Finally, as for the Clippers, Norm Powell and Robert Covington are championship-caliber veterans who will get acclimated the rest of the season as L.A. stays afloat &mdash; and fit like a glove in Tyronn Lue&rsquo;s rotation next year beside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Individually, I also have to give big-ups to Daryl Morey for sticking to his guns.
Ethan Fuller: The Celtics and Pacers each made the right moves for their franchise directions. Boston needed to find another ball-handling guard to fit with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and the team did exactly that by adding Derrick White. They also brought back a perfect third center in Daniel Theis while clearing roster space to pursue bench upgrades on the buyout market. Indiana is crushing its rebuild initiation. Tyrese Haliburton is obviously the headliner, but the Pacers also netted a first and second-round pick, plus a noteworthy flier in Jalen Smith and tradeable players like Buddy Hield. They also didn't overextend with any forced moves.
Bryan Fonseca: It would be silly to say Indiana, and as much as I do like Tyrese, I'm not a *full-blown* Haliburton hipster. He can be an All-Star, for sure, but Domantas Sabonis is already that. The deal isn't *that* one-sided. I could say Brooklyn or Philly for getting themselves out of a situation, but both teams might've just traded one set of problems for another. In fact, I'd say that's likely. So, you know what, I really enjoy what New Orleans did. You can't rebuild forever and Zion Williamson's already extension-eligible this summer. We'll have to see him again at some point, and with CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram, you should be competitive, especially next year &mdash; if you have mostly good health. To me, it's a diet version of the Chicago Bulls adding DeMar DeRozan.&nbsp;
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Evan Sidery: Exiting this year&rsquo;s trade deadline, it's rare to list both teams from the biggest transaction as winners. That's exactly what happened in the Sixers and Nets&rsquo; blockbuster when James Harden and Ben Simmons swapped places. Harden joins Joel Embiid forming a lethal, potentially transcendent one-two scoring combination. Philadelphia pushed the chips in as Embiid continues to display rare big man dominance. For Brooklyn, this situation was untenable with Harden&rsquo;s on-court pouting. The Nets&rsquo; Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden will be looked back on with so many questions down the road. Both teams shook it up, and in the end it's fair to say both teams made weaknesses a strength. Harden is Daryl Morey&rsquo;s big moment in Philly, but Simmons could finally be fully maximized alongside Durant.
Mat Issa: Of course, the 76ers are &ndash; any time you can end an annoying, eight-month-old saga by securing a top-12 player in the world, you&rsquo;ve won immensely. However, the team that really stands out to me is their counterpart in the deal, the Brooklyn Nets. Despite having their back against the wall with very little leverage (thanks to Harden&rsquo;s displeasure being confirmed the morning of the deadline), the team netted a pretty nice return. Say what you will about him, but Simmons was a solid All-Star in a suboptimal situation in Philadelphia. Next season, he&rsquo;ll be operating with the perimeter gravity that the likes of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Joe Harris, and Seth Curry (another valuable piece from the deal) afford you. Also, adding a solid backup center and some draft capital is always nice, as well.
Justin Lewis: The Brooklyn Nets, because they just became a better team. The Detroit Pistons paid next to nothing for a shot at Marvin Bagley. The Memphis Grizzlies because Dallas got worse and no one in the West really made a move to pull closer or further away from them.
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Who are your biggest NBA trade deadline winners? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

Roundtable: Who are the biggest winners of the NBA trade deadline?

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-sixers-and-nuggets-on-come-up-nets-sliding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
The Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics (thanks to their dominant defense) are three of the big climbers this week, while the Nets continue to head in the wrong direction.
1. Phoenix Suns (44-10) &harr;️ Last Week: 1
Despite posting the NBA's best record, the Suns are reportedly looking to upgrade their roster. <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rumors-james-harden-ben-simmons-caris-levert-collin-sexton-malik-beasley-thaddeus-young/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype</a>, Phoenix is one of two teams (the Minnesota Timberwolves being the other) that have expressed interest in trading for San Antonio Spurs veteran Thaddeus Young.
2. Golden State Warriors (41-13) &harr;️ Last Week: 2
It appears Klay Thompson is finding his groove, which is bad news for the rest of the NBA. Klay has scored over 20 points in back-to-back games and is averaging 19.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.6 made treys (while shooting 42.9% from downtown) over his last five contests. &nbsp;
3. Memphis Grizzlies (38-18) &harr;️ Last Week: 3
The Grizz just keep on winning. They've won 6 of their last 7 games and 19 of their previous 23. Memphis has not lost consecutive contests since before Christmas. Over their last 20 games, Ja Morant is averaging 29.9 points (while shooting over 51% from the floor), 6.7 dimes, 6.3 assists, 1.6 made triples and 1.1 steals. Those are jaw-dropping numbers for any player, let alone a 22-year-old kid in just his third pro season.
4. Milwaukee Bucks (35-21) ⬆️ Last Week: 9
Interesting statistical factoid from the Bucks 137-113 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. In that game, Milwaukee became the first team in NBA history to have each member of its starting lineup score at least 15 points, grab at least 5 rebounds and knock down at least 2 three-pointers.
5. Miami Heat (35-20) &harr;️ Last Week: 5
When the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night, Miami clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference through the end of last week, which means Erik Spoelstra and his staff will head to Cleveland later this month to coach Team Durant in the All-Star Game.
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6. Chicago Bulls (33-21) &harr;️ Last Week: 6
The Bulls, playing without two of their best perimeter defenders in Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, have lost 3 of their last 4. However, after playing Wednesday in Charlotte, Chicago begins a six-game homestand that wraps around All-Star weekend. Following the matchup with the Hornets, the Bulls don't play on the road again until Feb. 28.&nbsp;
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (33-21) ⬆️ Last Week: 8
The Cavs acquired Caris LeVert from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for injured point guard Ricky Rubio and three draft picks over the weekend. "Very excited to add a dynamic young player of this caliber and experience," Cleveland president Koby Altman told reporters. "LeVert fits uniquely into our culture, and his Ohio roots bring an immediate connection to our community. We look forward to seeing what type of impact he can make on this roster." It's an excellent addition for the Cavs to supply them with the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/reaction-caris-levert-fills-blended-need-for-cavs-as-pacers-reset" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scoring wing they were looking for</a>, making Cleveland that much scarier come playoff time. LeVert is expected to be active for Wednesday's game against the Spurs.
8. Philadelphia 76ers (32-22) ⬇️ Last Week: 4
The Sixers are 10 games over .500 and Joel Embiid is doing much of the heavy lifting. Over his last 10 games, the big man is averaging 36.0 points, 12.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists. In the process, he may have established himself as the odds-on favorite to take home the MVP award entering the All-Star break. &nbsp;
9. Dallas Mavericks (32-23) ⬆️ Last Week: 10
Reggie Bullock tallied 22 points (on 8 of 14 shooting with 6 made three-pointers), 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. He's been a big part of the Mavs success of late. Over Dallas' past seven games, Bullock is averaging 17.9 points (while shooting 50.0% from the floor), 5.4 rebounds, 4.6 treys, 1.3 steals and just 0.6 turnovers.
10. Utah Jazz (33-21) ⬆️ Last Week: 11
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Donovan Mitchell sealed the win for the <a href="https://twitter.com/utahjazz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@utahjazz</a> with 3 fourth-quarter steals, after GOING OFF for 21 points in the first half! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TakeNote?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TakeNote</a> 🕷 <a href="https://twitter.com/spidadmitchell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@spidadmitchell</a>: 32 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST, 4 STL <a href="https://t.co/IiPsFfYDIu">pic.twitter.com/IiPsFfYDIu</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1490927965319970816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Donovan Mitchell racked up 32 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals in Utah's victory over the Knicks on Monday night. Rudy Gobert (left calf strain) did not play in the win, but the Jazz are hoping he is cleared to return to the action later this week. They also just acquired Nickeil Alexander-Walker <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nickel-alexanderwalker-on-the-move-again-as-blazers-jazz-spurs-complete-threeteam-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in a three-team deal</a> to add some youth (and depth) to their backcourt.
11. Denver Nuggets (30-24) ⬇️ Last Week: 7
Nikola Jokic was at it again Sunday, registering another triple-double in Denver's 124-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets. The Joker finished with 27 points (on 12 of 15 shooting), 12 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals and just 2 turnovers in only 30 minutes. This one (his NBA-leading 14th triple-double) was notable because it was the second time in Jokic's career he's recorded a 25-point triple-double while also shooting above 80% from the floor. Wilt Chamberlain is the only player in NBA history with more than one such game.
12. Toronto Raptors (29-23) ⬆️ Last Week: 14
The Raptors, who are currently riding a six-game winning streak, have discussed a trade that would send Goran Dragic (and his $18 million expiring contract) to the Hawks in exchange for Danilo Gallinari, <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2953236-nba-trade-intel-cj-mccollum-has-become-best-player-likely-dealt-at-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report</a>.
13. Boston Celtics (31-25)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 15
The Celtics have posted a 13-4 record dating back to New Year's Eve, and it's their defense that has turned Boston's season around. Over this 17-game stretch, the C's are allowing just 101.5 points per 100 possessions. To put that number in context: No team in the NBA other than Boston is allowing fewer than 106.5 points per 100 possessions over the past six weeks. Boston ranks first in Net Rating in 2022 as well. As usual, Marcus Smart has led the charge (pun intended) on the defensive front. He leads his team in pass deflections (64 more than any other Celtic) and charges drawn.
14. Minnesota Timberwolves (29-25) ⬆️ Last Week: 17
In the 18 games this season in which Minnesota has been able to roll out its preferred starting five of D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, Jarred Vanderbilt and Patrick Beverley, the Wolves are 13-5.
15. Brooklyn Nets (29-25) ⬇️ Last Week: 12
The Nets have lost nine straight games. They are 12 games under .500 dating back to late December. Kevin Durant is still weeks away from returning to action after spraining the medial collateral in his left knee last month. James Harden looks puffy and is nursing a hamstring injury. Joe Harris suffered a setback in his recovery from left ankle surgery in late January and reportedly could need a second surgery. Of the 27 games remaining on the Nets schedule, 14 of them are on the road. However, four of those contests are against either the New York Knicks or Raptors, which means Irving will only be able to suit up for (at most) 10 games. But, yeah, other than that, everything is all good in Brooklyn.&nbsp;
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16. Charlotte Hornets (28-27) ⬇️ Last Week: 13
Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2953236-nba-trade-intel-cj-mccollum-has-become-best-player-likely-dealt-at-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> this week that the Hornets are one of several teams that have expressed interest in Spurs big man Jakob Poeltl. The Bulls and Raps have also been rumored to be interested in Poeltl.
17. Atlanta Hawks (26-28) ⬇️ Last Week: 16
The Hawks were just 1-3 in their previous four games prior to Tuesday (although that one win was impressive &mdash; a victory at home over the Suns last Thursday, which snapped their 11-game winning streak). Atlanta took advantage of a reeling Indiana Pacers squad Tuesday night, beating them 133-112.
18. Los Angeles Lakers (26-29) &harr;️ Last Week: 18
Over the Lakers' last four games, Russell Westbrook is shooting a putrid 27.5% from the floor, 15.4% from downtown and 55.0% from the charity stripe. Late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's victory over the Knicks, when Westbrook was alone with the ball in the corner, the home crowd shouted at him not to shoot. When New York forced overtime, head coach Frank Vogel benched Russ for Talen Horton-Tucker. Westbrook was also benched for the final 14 minutes in Tuesday&rsquo;s loss to the Bucks. Will the Lakers admit they made a mistake before the deadline and reroute Russ out of Los Angeles?
19. New Orleans Pelicans (22-32) ⬆️ Last Week: 23
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🔥 Brandon Ingram WENT OFF for 17 points in the 3rd quarter on his way to 33 points and the <a href="https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PelicansNBA</a> win! <a href="https://twitter.com/B_Ingram13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@B_Ingram13</a>: 33 PTS, 12 AST, 3 STL <a href="https://t.co/3uT1ocPpgg">pic.twitter.com/3uT1ocPpgg</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1490683017949552641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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New Orleans, who won just one of their first 13 games this season, is now riding a four-game winning streak and has jumped up into 10th place in the Western Conference. And on Tuesday, the team <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-the-pelicans-pushing-chips-in-on-cj-mccollum-was-a-wise-investment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added a stud scorer to its roster</a>. The Pels acquired CJ McCollum along with Larry Nance and Tony Snell from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Jason Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Didi Louzada and draft compensation. I love this deal for New Orleans.&nbsp;
20. Los Angeles Clippers (27-29) ⬇️ Last Week: 19
Last week, the Clippers made a shrewd trade, sending Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson, and a second-round pick to the Blazers for Norman Powell and Robert Covington. It will help not only help them make a playoff push this year, but will also <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/breaking-down-why-the-blazersclippers-deal-works-for-both-sides" target="_blank" rel="noopener">round out their roster next season</a> when they can count on both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George returning to full strength. Powell looked great in his Clippers' debut on Sunday, tallying 28 points on 9 of 16 shooting in just 24 minutes. He followed that up with a 16-point night in a lopsided loss to the Grizz.
21. Washington Wizards (24-29) ⬇️ Last Week: 20
After the 2021-22 season started with plenty of promise, the Wiz have lost 8 of 9 heading into Thursday's matchup with the Nets. They will likely look to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-trade-destinations-for-spencer-dinwiddie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trade the struggling Spencer Dinwiddie</a> before the deadline arrives.&nbsp;
22. New York Knicks (24-31) ⬇️ Last Week: 21
New York has lost 10 of its last 12 games, but Mitchell Robinson had been playing some of the best basketball of his career before sitting out Tuesday's loss due to a back injury. Over the last month, Mitch Rob is averaging 11.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. During this stretch, the only other players in the NBA also averaging double-digit points and rebounds to go along with at least 1.4 blocks are Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
23. San Antonio Spurs (20-34) ⬆️ Last Week: 24
Spurs fans learned Monday that Dejounte Murray will make his NBA All-Star Game debut after being named an injury replacement by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Murray is averaging 19.6 points, 9.2 assists, 8.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals this season, and has a chance to become just the third player ever to average at least 8 assists, 8 rebounds and 2 steals per game over an entire season.&nbsp;
24. Sacramento Kings (20-36) ⬆️ Last Week: 26
The Kings shook up the league Tuesday afternoon, trading Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson to Indiana for Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday and a 2027 second-round pick. It is stunning that Sacaremto would part ways with Haliburton. The 21-year-old has exceeded all expectations since being drafted in 2020. He is on pace to become just the second player in NBA history to average at least 5 assists and 2 made three-pointers per game while shooting over 40% from downtown in each of his first two pro seasons. (The only player to have accomplished this feat is Stephen Curry.)
25. Portland Trail Blazers (21-34) ⬇️ Last Week: 22
The Blazers made waves on Tuesday, trading away former franchise cornerstone CJ McCollum. It continued on Wednesday afternoon, as Portland rerouted Nickeil Alexander-Walker to Utah for Joe Ingles' expiring $14 million deal in a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nickel-alexanderwalker-on-the-move-again-as-blazers-jazz-spurs-complete-threeteam-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three-team trade</a>. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday that "Portland plans to fully reshape the roster around Damian Lillard now... the plan is to pursue high-end talent now, not retreat." The team's also created a ton of cap space in the process and has a $21 million trade exception at its disposal.
26. Indiana Pacers (19-37) ⬇️ Last Week: 25
The Pacers, who are just 5-18 since Christmas, began breaking down their roster by trading Caris LeVert to the Cavs on Sunday, and then <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-exit-blockbuster-trade-with-kings-as-huge-winners-thanks-to-tyrese-haliburton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shipped off Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento</a>, as noted above. As our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bucks-interested-in-trading-for-myles-turner-pacers-may-keep-him" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Kennedy reported</a>, Myles Turner is "a big fan of Tyrese Haliburton's game and is excited about the possibility of playing with the young guard." It appears Turner may stay in Indiana.
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27. Oklahoma City Thunder (17-36) &harr;️ Last Week: 27
The Thunder lost to the Warriors on Monday night, but Luguentz Dort had another strong outing, tallying 26 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. In the three games OKC has played without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort is averaging 23.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.0 three-balls.
28. Houston Rockets (15-39) ⬆️ Last Week: 29
The Rockets would love to join this week's wheeling and dealing by exchanging veteran shooting guard Eric Gordon for draft capital. We'll see if they find a willing trade partner.&nbsp;
29. Orlando Magic (13-43) ⬆️ Last Week: 30
We know the Magic hope to flip Terrence Ross and Gary Harris in exchange for draft picks before Thursday's deadline. The question is whether they will also look to deal big man Mo Bamba. After struggling over his first three years in the NBA, Bamba is posting career-highs across the board this season. However, Orlando inked center Wendell Carter Jr. to a four-year, $50 million contract extension back in October. The Magic are reportedly willing to listen to offers for Bamba, who has a $10.1 million qualifying offer for 2022-23 and will be a restricted free agent this summer.
30. Detroit Pistons (12-42) ⬇️ Last Week: 28
Killian Hayes has played a bit better of late, but he has failed to live up to expectations since being selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. This season, Hayes is one of only two players in the NBA logging more than 20 minutes per game yet shooting below 38% from the floor and averaging fewer than 10 points per contest. For his career, he is just 50-of-179 from downtown (27.9%)... The Pistons have lost 9 of their last 10 contests.
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Tommy Beer checks in with an installment of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings.

NBA Power Rankings: Bucks back into top tier, Mavs vault into top-10

Moke Hamilton reacts to the BasketballNews.com staff's picks for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game and explains his selections.

Selecting the 2022 NBA All-Star reserves

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Three of the four California NBA franchises have now resided in the Sour Rankings for multiple consecutive weeks.&nbsp;
This might be the worst check-in to date. The Los Angeles Lakers, with a coach on the brink of getting fired, an avalanche of roster criticism and a storm of rumors, have taken the No. 1 spot in these rankings. Not far behind are the Sacramento Kings, who continue to let an attainable Play-In bid slip away while trade gossip engulfs their own headlines. And the L.A. Clippers, while battling admirably, approach a criticial franchise inflection point with this week's trade deadline.
It is wild on the West Coast, and don't expect things to calm down anytime soon.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst power rankings. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
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The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going:
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Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Houston Rockets managed to sneak out this week after going 1-1 with a nice win over the Utah Jazz and a "good effort" loss to the Golden State Warriors. KJ Martin tallied 14 points, 3 assists and 2 steals in that Friday defeat off the bench. Also, a shoutout to Rio Grande Valley prospect Daishen Nix, who is putting up over 27 points per game for Houston's G League affiliate this month.&nbsp;
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10. Utah Jazz (30-17)
Expectations are high in Utah. This is a reigning No. 1 seed that needs to take the leap to legitimate title contender, and as of this recent stretch, the Jazz simply aren't there. Utah is 3-7 in its last 10 games with an 18th-ranked defense over the past two weeks. The Rudy Gobert slander is back, but as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rudy-gobert-has-a-point" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nekias Duncan wrote recently</a>, he's far from the main problem with this defense.
The Jazz are reportedly looking for <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jazz-looking-for-wing-defenders-on-trade-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wing defenders on the trade market</a>, which could sorely help while teams run rampant against Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic, and even Royce O'Neale.
(Last week: unranked)
9. Los Angeles Clippers (23-25)
The Clippers and their injury-plagued roster keep battling, and went a solid 2-2 with close losses to the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets this week. They've been a bottom-10 team on both ends recently, but are still solidly ninth in the West, so LAC remains in a limbo state ahead of the trade deadline.&nbsp;
If the Clippers are truly<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/clippers-reportedly-willing-to-discuss-majority-of-veterans-in-trades" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> willing to discuss most of their veterans in trade talks</a>, teams should be lining up to make offers for Nic Batum. The 33-year-old continues to be one of the league's most underrated complementary players. He's up to a career-high 64.9% True Shooting percentage and has been lights-out from beyond the arc while consistently taking tough defensive matchups.
(Last week: 9)
8. Portland Trail Blazers (20-26)
Anfernee Simons has almost singlehandedly given Portland joy. He's averaging 25.0 points and 7.2 assists per game in the month of January, while the Blazers have quietly gone a respectable 7-4 this month. Portland is now three games up on the Kings for the final Play-In bid in the West, and that should be comfortable breathing room given Sacramento's state right now.
The Blazers have 5 games in 7 days coming up, including matchups against Minnesota, Dallas and Chicago. If they can break .500 in that stretch, they might leave the Sour Rankings entirely.
(Last week: 2)
7. Atlanta Hawks (21-25)
Of course, the Hawks' best stretch of winning comes when trade rumors are swirling. Atlanta has taken its last four games, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets this week. Trae Young is averaging 31.3 points and 9.0 assists per game during the streak while canning 47.6% of his three-pointers, so he's on fire.
Onyeka Okongwu has also blended in seamlessly with the starters while Clint Capela has been out. De'Andre Hunter is on track to the tune of 18.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Is it too early to be back on the Hawks train?
(Last week: 1)
6. Boston Celtics (24-24)
Jayson Tatum's 51-point bombshell on Sunday essentially saved the Celtics from a potential No. 1 ranking this week. He now has the most 50-point games (5) in franchise history, and he is 22 years old (!!!). It's been a brutal year for Tatum, so Celtics fans certainly hope Sunday's performance was a spark.
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Jayson Tatum delivered for us tonight with a 51-point performance that fueled a 116-87 win over the Wizards. <a href="https://t.co/HcrvPH0UMP">pic.twitter.com/HcrvPH0UMP</a>
&mdash; Boston Celtics (@celtics) <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1485460341513498624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Meanwhile, the same team also went scoreless for seven crucial fourth-quarter minutes and blew a winnable game against Portland. In a 2-2 week, the Celtics move up by default against a struggling middle pack in the East. Perhaps a fully-healthy starting five is what the team has always needed.
(Last week: 3)
5. New York Knicks (23-24)
So the Knicks have a sneaky 10th-ranked offense and fifth-ranked defense over the past two weeks. I know it doesn't reflect much in the record (1-2 this week) or today's rankings, but I do think good things are slowly happening.
From what I've seen and read, the biggest gripe appears to be that Tom Thibodeau still won't fully unleash his young talent. Immanuel Quickley has started just 2 of his 43 games played. Quentin Grimes has maximized his bench role with quality two-way play. Miles "Deuce" McBride has graduated from the G League. There's a lot of excitement around these backcourt players in particular and the fans are hungry for more.
(Last week: 4)
4. Indiana Pacers (17-30)
The Pacers' state of affairs hasn't meaningfully changed for over a calendar month. So this time, I'm giving the floor to Justin Holiday, who has been a bright spot in dim places for Indiana. The eldest Holiday brother is shooting a scorching 42.0% from beyond the arc and averaging 13.4 points per game in January, while being one of the few plus perimeter defenders on the roster. He's another Batum-level role-player who, if I were GM of a contender, I'd heavily pursue before the trade deadline.
(Last week: 6)
3. Washington Wizards (23-24)
Fortunately, the Wizards don't seem all too concerned with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bradley-beal-likely-to-decline-player-option-team-has-not-talked-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bradley Beal's likely free agency</a> this offseason. Unfortunately, their on-court slide continues after an 0-3 week with losses to the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors and Celtics. Washington started 10-3 and has since gone 13-21 with the league's 22nd-ranked offensive rating and 26th-ranked defensive rating. The Wizards have two more games this month and some extended time off before the schedule ramps back up in February.&nbsp;
(Last week: 8)
2. Sacramento Kings (18-30)
So the Kings are <a href="https://theathletic.com/3078346/2022/01/19/insiders-think-a-ben-simmons-deal-gets-done-plus-a-pulse-on-teams-desperation-factor-nba-trade-deadline-roundtable/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> thinking about acquiring Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris from Philly and... I just don't know if that's how you get out of 15 years' worth of directionless mediocrity. They're both great players, but do they significantly raise the ceiling when the Sixers would get a haul in return?&nbsp;
Sacramento is 2-8 in its last 10, and this quote from the aformentioned report by Sam Amick sums things up nicely:
"The widely held belief is that this front office, with general manager Monte McNair in his second season after working for all those years with Morey in Houston, simply must do a deal of significance now. To no one&rsquo;s surprise, there has been a collective loss of faith in the prospect of this core evolving into a contender in the West."
(Last week: 5)
1. Los Angeles Lakers (23-24)
The Lakers' woes have been the talk of the NBA for the past week. I don't need to add anything because an article and a video clip will cover everything you need to know. Frank Vogel appears to be coaching for his job every game, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-lakers-have-put-frank-vogel-in-a-very-difficult-position" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as Alex Kennedy wrote, that's pretty brutal.</a> As for this roster, let JJ Redick explain:
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&ldquo;[The Lakers] are a bad team! &hellip; These are guys that are past their prime, that&rsquo;s the reality.&rdquo; &mdash;<a href="https://twitter.com/jj_redick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jj_redick</a> <a href="https://t.co/VMzY26su1B">pic.twitter.com/VMzY26su1B</a>
&mdash; First Take (@FirstTake) <a href="https://twitter.com/FirstTake/status/1483497600623910913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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I'll ask: What is the best return we can reasonably expect from a package of Kendrick Nunn, Talen Horton-Tucker and a 2027 first-round pick?
(Last week: 7)
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The Lakers and Kings occupy the top two spots in this week's rankings.

NBA Sour Rankings: Collapses in California

I have a terrible habit of going to the grocery store without a list, something my mom's scowled at me for since I was in high school. I'd pick out all the coolest brands I could find, parse through the best produce, and by the time my mom was rummaging through the family's food for the rest of the week, I'd be getting an earful about how I spent $143 without actually being to construct a meal for four. Planning has never really been my thing.
"You bought rice, oyster sauce, and chicken, but no veggies or eggs to actually make stir fry!"
And that sentence my friends, sums up where I'm at with the Brooklyn Nets at the moment. Few contenders have flummoxed me more than Brooklyn this season, as I routinely feel a push-pull among the Nets' line-ups and roster construction that <a href="https://theanalyst.com/na/2021/10/will-a-deeper-frontcourt-lift-the-brooklyn-nets-to-the-top-in-2021-22/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I've found intriguing since free agency ended</a>.
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The Nets have shuffled their guys minutes a lot this year, with injuries and illness often forcing changes. Lately, rookies Kessler Edwards and Day'ron Sharpe have been getting an opportunity. <a href="https://t.co/xlwWKGSCwI">pic.twitter.com/xlwWKGSCwI</a>
&mdash; Tom Bassine (@tvbassine) <a href="https://twitter.com/tvbassine/status/1484939670802735112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Inconsistency is the new consistency for the 21-22 Nets, as Tom Bassine shows.
(He makes tremendous data visualizations and is a great dude, <a href="https://twitter.com/tvbassine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strongly recommend following him</a> if you don't already.)
The Nets are <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeVirayNBA/status/1484586445486850049" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tied for first</a> with the Lakers in total number of different starting lineups used this season (22), and while they have certainly been impacted heavily by injury and COVID absences, so have the majority of the teams in the league.
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NBA injury plot. Games missed by injured players versus team wins. Bubble size represents cumulative quality of players lost (Lost-ws metric) <a href="https://t.co/suz6bCvQy8">https://t.co/suz6bCvQy8</a> <a href="https://t.co/BznwVXNt84">pic.twitter.com/BznwVXNt84</a>
&mdash; Man Games Lost NBA (@ManGamesLostNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ManGamesLostNBA/status/1483204710131814403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The struggles to blend the roster existed prior to Joe Harris' injury, which only complicated matters a bit further. With Kevin Durant now out for roughly the next month, things get a bit murkier.
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Brooklyn started the year winning with staunch defense, as they sought to work out the kinks of the offense and James Harden's post-injury rust. While shot-luck and variance was notably in Brooklyn's favor early in the year, their seventh ranked defense up until Christmas wasn't a mirage. Outside of the top two and sometimes three stars that Brooklyn hinges upon, the roster is built largely with a defensive-slant. However, with Kyrie Irving's return, and continued efforts to help James Harden find his rhythm, Brooklyn has leaned more heavily into some of their offensive role players and shifted rotations.
The Nets are second in offense since Dec. 26, but also have plummeted to 27th in defense over that same stretch per Cleaning the Glass.
So much of this revolves around their frontcourt. I wasn't fully sure what to make of the team prioritizing the 4 and 5 spot as much as they did, and in the way that they did this offseason, but I was intrigued nonetheless. They built out a big rotation full of utility, but the versatility seemed questionable and we've seen how that has played out.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nets-paul-millsap-agree-to-find-new-home-for-fourtime-allstar-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paul Millsap</a> never really got the run I was hoping for, but he also just didn't quite play well enough to warrant a bigger role. But, that's part of the issue. So many of the Nets' frontcourt players can play positive NBA minutes, but finding ways to play them together and get them all going &mdash; while maintaining a modicum of stability in lineups &mdash; has been an adventure.
Let's just run through some things that have been weighing heavily on my mind thinking about this team.
Blake Griffin not being last year's Blake Griffin really hindered this team early, and took away one of their few guys they could rely on as a short-roll playmaker, shooter, screener, and dribble hand-off operator. He's been better in the new year, but he's hitting 26% of his threes since entering the rotation again in early December, and defenses are playing him accordingly. He was absolutely scorching against Milwaukee in the playoffs &mdash; and they were still pretty comfortable sagging off or late contesting him. Without defenses giving him solid close-outs that he can attack, it's a lot harder for him to get the most out of his skill set at this stage, so TBD on Blake as part of the rotation.
Bembry and Brown
Starting the season without Kyrie and subsequently losing Joe Harris has been extremely destructive for Bruce Brown's role this season. His floater hasn't hit in quite the same way either, partially due to the spacing of the team. I'm not inside Steve Nash's head, but he has seemed overall a bit reluctant to rely on Brown as a release valve, do everything quasi-big &mdash; again influenced by the spacing issues already present. But really it's a confluence of events that have been both vexing and frustrating from a viewing perspective.
"Play Bruce Brown, he's good!"
"We don't have the spacing required to play him!"
"But, what about his defense and finding a way to get him going again?"
"We need to get three bigs on the roster going too!"
Outside of Harris, Irving, Durant and Mills, there is one player on the roster shooting above league average from three on one or more attempts per game (Kessler Edwards). Harden is shooting below average from three, but is still defended like he's shooting 45% from deep. Irving only plays in half the games, Harris is out as previously mentioned; the team routinely has two non-shooters on the court.&nbsp; More importantly, their players who aren't shooting well are guarded like it, which matters more than the percentages to a degree.
Last season, Bruce Brown was playing in lineups with Irving, Harden, Harris and one of Jeff Green or Blake Griffin (41% and 38% three-point shooters on volume). It was a much more inhabitable environment for a fringey, margins-based offensive player &mdash; and that environment just doesn't exist right now.
Add in Bembry who has had some really quality stretches, but largely brings the exact same things as Brown: ball-handling, some playmaking chops, perimeter defense and opportunistic scoring.&nbsp;
It's not as simple as saying "pick one," but to an extent, it feels like Brooklyn needs to prioritize which player they most believe in, in the rotation moving forward. The offense has opened up a bit more, and it's just so difficult to actually make the duo work together when there's really only room for one of them.
Rolling, Screening, and Lobs Oh My
One of the trends I've absolutely loved to follow over the past few weeks has been the budding chemistry between James Harden and rookie Day'Ron Sharpe. Sharpe is already the best and most dynamic screener on the team, in regards to his ability to screen open teammates, run DHO's and flow into the lane after setting solid screens.
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Despite it looking better and more consistent lately, James Harden's burst has just not routinely been what it was. Setting screens that actually generate separation and give him a runway are huge in the success of his pick-and-roll possessions. Sharpe is capable of that, making decisions on the roll with the ball, and is solid around the rim. However, he doesn't quite give Harden a lob threat (he can catch lobs, but he needs to load up first), which makes it easier for opposing bigs to get into his grill and play up on him in coverages.&nbsp;
It's a small gripe, but it's noticeable and makes me question a bit what his playoff utility might look like &mdash; if there is any this season for him. I've quite liked his defense and activity as well, just a really fun player, but again, his emergence makes things murky for Brooklyn again!
Nic Claxton had a really rough stretch to start the year, missing the entirety of November. Now he's out again with a hamstring injury. But he may be the most important big on the roster. His ability to not just switch on defense, but switch with purpose at a high level, unlocks what proved to be one of Brooklyn's most important looks in the postseason.
His offense has largely been lobs and putbacks, but he started to really put together intriguing stuff as a decision-maker in December and early January, looking the part of a starting center for Brooklyn. Claxton had 14 assists in 9 games from Christmas Day to Jan. 10 when he was injured, a small number and sample size. However, 14 assists is 22% of his career totals and tracked with what was visible on the court &mdash; much improved decision-making and some capability to dish the ball on the roll.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Another clip in the bag of short roll Nic <a href="https://t.co/Dc8VgD8vUr">pic.twitter.com/Dc8VgD8vUr</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1475119575704522765?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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This is a minor showing in a major area, one that's vital for Claxton unlocking himself as a roller, and in helping to smooth out the offense when he's out there. Whether or not he can continue to execute in that area once he returns is huge for his ability to solidify his rotation spot, and paper over some of the roster inflexibility.
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Moving Forward
So where does that leave the Nets?&nbsp;
Durant, Harden and (sometimes) Irving are of course locks in the rotation. Patty Mills has cemented himself as has LaMarcus Aldridge, although his utility in the playoffs is probably going to be match-up dependent to a degree. Joe Harris is a lock when he returns from injury and Claxton likely is as well.
Kessler Edwards has already solidified his spot in my mind, as he's capable of linking together lineups in a way that very few players on the roster are capable of right now. He moves the ball, will take his threes (and make them at a high level), and plays very good defense with size at the 3 and 4 spots.&nbsp;
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Oh, hello Kessler Edwards! <a href="https://t.co/dDbCp3spAY">pic.twitter.com/dDbCp3spAY</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1481626183641047046?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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His flashes have been extremely encouraging, and I'm not really sure how his blend of skill and size don't keep him from playing 20+ minutes per game the rest of the regular season. While I'm unsure how to feel about a rookie being a 7th or 8th man on a contender in the postseason, he's playing well enough at the moment to really make you go hmmmm.
Outside of that, I'm just not really sure what to make of this team's rotation, and I'm not sure Steve Nash does either considering how much tinkering he's been doing throughout the season.
(Not at all to discredit him, I think he's done a very good job this year; this is such a hard roster to figure out.)
Cam Thomas really looks to be a year or two away barring some substantial growth as he gets comfortable operating off the ball. James Johnson does wily veteran things and is a capable defensive option when switching everything, but he has similar offensive drawbacks to Brown and Bembry. I have loved the David Duke Jr. experience, but he's not there yet consistently as a contributor on offense. Outside of a stretch in November, Jevon Carter's jumper has just died and I have no idea what happened there.
 I'm just not really certain where the Nets go to figure out who they are as a playoff team. We know they can slant towards defense as Kevin Durant and James Harden shoulder the load at home. We know they can run opposing teams off the court with shot-making when Irving plays away games. How do they figure out a way to blend the two &mdash; and can they, given the personnel on the roster?
The best version of the Nets last year found themselves in the playoffs. It's fair to reason that the Big 3 will be more locked in and active defensively come playoff time yet again (James Harden, please move your feet, or contest, or something), but they need to find their backbone before then.
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The Brooklyn Nets are a contender, but their rotations are anything but cemented as they search for stabilization on an imperfect roster.

What exactly DO the Brooklyn Nets have?

You know, Mario Chalmers was on this list.
And then, the Miami Heat have a COVID outbreak, and guess who&rsquo;s back in the 305 despite strugglinig in the G League and in Puerto Rico this year? You guessed it: Rio, the former LeBron James soundboard, the damn Alaskan Assassin and two-time NBA champion.
(To his credit, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/players/mario-chalmers-1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he did play well in Greece last season</a> though.)
But it signals where we are. This 2021-2022 season, we&rsquo;ve already seen more basketball players suit up in NBA uniforms than any campaign prior. We haven&rsquo;t even begun the whole 2022 portion of this yet. In fact, we&rsquo;re a good two or three weeks from being halfway through the season.
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Wild stat via <a href="https://twitter.com/StatsWilliams?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StatsWilliams</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPNStatsInfo</a>: 541 NBA players have played in at least one game this season, setting a record for the most in a season&hellip;ever. It&rsquo;s Dec. 27.
&mdash; Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baxter/status/1475649242278477826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Seemingly everyone&rsquo;s making jokes about staying ready for that call, but at this point, I&rsquo;m looking at my high school stats like, hmm, maybe I could <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/basketball/news/76ers-myles-powell-enters-health-and-safety-protocols/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fill in for Myles Powell</a> if I still got it. (I don&rsquo;t. Never quite did either. This.... was always the more likely path.)
Believe it or not, there are&nbsp;still&nbsp;some names we&rsquo;re going to see pop up who haven&rsquo;t yet gotten the NBA opportunity during this already historic season. Some veterans are coming close enough to get noticed, while others are overseas yet to get a call because it&rsquo;s just easier to pull a G Leaguer for 10 days. (More on that later, but not too much later.)
Kenneth Faried, Grand Rapids Gold 
Kenneth Faried, 32, might get back on his name, and he was a good-ass player for a time. The explosive rim-runner enjoyed an eight-year NBA run from 2011-2019, which included <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/farieke01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">peak seasons of 13.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game on 53.6% shooting</a> between 2013-2016 as an everyday starter for the Denver Nuggets. He's posted 11.4 points and 8.1 rebounds over his NBA career on 54.6% from the field.
Like many other vets, he was a step behind the productivity he once displayed; then, you looked up one day and the dude was out of the league. Even after being a center for the small-ball Houston Rockets of 2018-19, posting 12.9 points and 8.2 rebounds in just over 24 minutes per game, shooting nearly 60% from the field and having the third-best win shares per 48 minutes on the team at .198 (after James Harden and Clint Capela), we haven&rsquo;t seen him in the NBA since.
In 2019-20, he played in China, averaging 17/10 while <a href="https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Kenneth-Faried/Summary/2303#International" target="_blank" rel="noopener">primarily coming off the bench</a>, but considering what former NBAers tend to do in the Chinese Basketball Association, it didn&rsquo;t garner much attention. He suited up for three games in Puerto Rico earlier this year for Leones de Ponce. One of his teammates, Aleem Ford, is currently with the Orlando Magic.
We also saw Faried suit up for the Portland Trail Blazers summer league team in August, where he <a href="https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/summer/1/NBA-Summer-League/47/stats/Portland-Trail-Blazers/24/Averages/All/trb/All/desc/1/Summer_League" target="_blank" rel="noopener">led the team in rebounds by about three per game despite being ninth in minutes</a>.&nbsp;
As <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-veterans-kenneth-faried-and-earl-clark-join-g-league-affiliates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com noted earlier this week</a>, Faried is returning to the G League, presumably for an advantage in proximity. Faried is coming off a stint with CSKA Moscow of VTB United and the EuroLeague, where he struggled.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/players/kenneth-faried-1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">He averaged fewer than 3 points and 3 rebounds in 11 games</a> while coming off the bench and shooting 33.3%. Someone might be willing to overlook that if he&rsquo;s decent in the G League. Faried will be with the Grand Rapids Gold, the Denver Nuggets afflilate (and where Lance Stephenson played before inking his Atlanta Hawks hardship deal).
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Earl Clark, Sioux Falls Skyforce 
That Earl Clark!?!??!?!?
Yeah, Clark is returning to the G League along with Faried, and will be suiting up with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Miami Heat's affiliate. Clark was a lottery pick in 2009, and after six years in the NBA, he hasn&rsquo;t returned. His career averages stand at 4.4 points and 3.0 rebounds on 40/33/66 shooting splits.&nbsp;
Outside of the NBA, the 34-year-old Louisville alum <a href="https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Earl-Clark/Summary/1619#International" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had stints in the G League, China, Turkey, Montenegro, Korea, and Liga ACB in Spain</a>, arguably the most competitive domestic league in the world outside of America.&nbsp;
Honestly, there ain&rsquo;t much else to say here other than, "Wow." Watching Clark return after seven years would (respectfully) be more improbable than Julianna Pe&ntilde;a beating the piss out of Amanda Nunes for the UFC Bantamweight Championship earlier this month. And, well, that did&nbsp;happen...
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Beşiktaş Icrypex 
A strong argument could be made that Rondae Hollis-Jefferson currently is the best player here, and it might be by a safe distance. He&rsquo;s high on the list of guys who shouldn&rsquo;t be&nbsp;out of the league&nbsp;entirely in favor of "Undrafted Rookie X," but because he&rsquo;s 6-foot-6 and never became an adequate three-point shooter, it&rsquo;s been held against him, and thus, he&rsquo;s in Turkey.&nbsp;
Hollis-Jefferson&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/teams/besiktas/2022.html">currently leads Beşiktaş Icrypex</a> with 13.1 points per game and also puts up 4.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals in 29.4 minutes per game in the Turkish Super League. Hollis-Jefferson is hitting 49.1% of his shots from the field, 33.3% from three on 1.4 attempts per game and 79.5% on free throws on a team-high four tries per contest. Additionally, he reportedly <a href="https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketball/2021/9/27/22697293/arizona-wildcats-rondae-hollis-jefferson-nba-turkey-besitkas-icrypex-nets-raptors-trailblazers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has an opt-out clause</a>, which would allow him to leave for the NBA if presented with a suitable contract.
Hollis-Jefferson, a first-round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, made his bones as a part of the Brooklyn Nets&rsquo; pre-super-team core. Most notably, he led the team in scoring and initiated the offense on many D&rsquo;Angelo Russell-less nights during the 2017-18 season.
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Covering those games, it felt like he averaged more than 2.5 assists per game; maybe it was all those hockey assists that ended up being Joe Harris, DeMarre Carroll or Allen Crabbe threes. He finished the season at 13.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game on 47.2% shooting from the field and 78.9% from the free-throw line on 4.6 attempts per game. He was only 13 of 54 from three, but showed the ability to create mid-range offense and attack the basket better than any other Net that season.
<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/holliro01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Subsequent injuries limited his minutes the following season</a>. However, he did play a valuable role off the 2019-20 Toronto Raptors bench before journeying to Portland at the tail end of last season.
In a few days, he&rsquo;ll just turn 27 years old. He&rsquo;s still a multi-positional defender, an effective slasher and an instinctual passer for his position. Surprisingly, he&rsquo;s not in an NBA rotation somewhere, or even a roster, considering, well, all of this.
As an added bonus, Shane Larkin is another name to ponder, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mulling-over-6-options-for-the-cavs-with-ricky-rubio-out-for-the-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our Spencer Davies mulled over earlier this week</a> when listing Ricky Rubio replacement options in Cleveland prior to the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/cavs-smart-and-swift-to-acquire-backup-point-guard-but-is-rondo-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rajon Rondo trade</a>.

With so many familiar faces coming back into the NBA fray, Bryan Fonseca lists a few more names who could make their return.

Other veterans worth keeping an eye on for an NBA comeback

Let's talk about passed-up layups.&nbsp;
The scene has been set, explored, revisited, psychoanalyzed. You name it, it's been done.&nbsp;
Ben done, if you will.
Ben Simmons, in a high-pressure situation against the Atlanta Hawks, had a layup opportunity. Instead of taking it, he dished the ball off to Matisse Thybulle, who would eventually earn a trip to the free-throw line. It was an inexplicable choice by a player as talented &mdash; and even more simply, as large and open &mdash; as Simmons, but it was just that. An inexplicable choice.
But it's a choice that began (or accelerated, depending on your priors with Simmons) the downward spiral of his status as a star-caliber player. It set the stage for the mess we've had the (dis)pleasure of reading about for months.
The Philadelphia 76ers lost the series to the upstart Hawks. Doc Rivers said things that he later said he didn't say. Simmons didn't take too kindly to it.
Simmons asked out. The Sixers made it clear they would only move him for a bounty. Teams weren't &mdash; and, as of this writing, still aren't &mdash; willing to give up said-bounty.
Simmons didn't report to training camp, and was fined. The fines stopped once Simmons did report, but before expressing his bout with mental health issues. The mental health element permeating throughout the entire ordeal is a sensitive one &mdash; one that has made me incredibly uncomfortable to see dissected and speculated about in real time.
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Meanwhile, the Hawks are in their own sort of spiral.
Their playoff run ended with a loss to the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks, but things were looking upward.&nbsp;
Trae Young (further, officially) announced himself to the world as a bona fide star. His supporting cast, highlighted by John Collins, Clint Capela and Bogdan Bogdanovic, proved to be impactful in its own right. Skilled. Versatile.
It was hard not to be excited by this Hawks team. Star talent, strong coaching, a deep roster.
Whew, buddy, is this a deep roster!
Whew, buddy... this is... a deep roster.
So deep, in fact, that head coach Nate McMillan mentioned during Media Day we'd see some all-bench units in an effort to spread the wealth.
Those lineups haven't done very well.&nbsp;
The Hawks have dealt with lineup questions, a lack of "oomph" defensively (27th in defensive rating), an adjustment period to let-'em-play officiating, a who-gets-to-the-rim-besides-Trae problem, a tough opening schedule and a stronger conference overall.
They are currently the losers of five straight, tied with the Hornets for the longest skid in the conference. Words like "sacrifice" and "boredom" have been uttered; that ain't what you want to hear less than a month into a new season.
I have a theory. A question, really: What if the Hawks are passing up a layup of their own?
What if the Sixers and Hawks have the answer to each other's problems?
Why haven't we explored the possibility of Simmons as a Hawk?
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On the Sixers' side, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/early-results-suggest-sixers-may-be-better-off-without-ben-simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">they haven't missed Simmons too much</a>. They're 8-4, sporting a top-five offense and defense in the half-court, per Cleaning The Glass. A COVID outbreak has Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris out of the lineup, so a slide wouldn't come as a surprise. But when upright, this team has been good.
You can thank The Others&trade; for that. Seth Curry is the best shooter in the league right now. Tyrese Maxey has taken a step as a shot-creator. The bench, headlined by Andre Drummond and Georges Niang, has been stellar.
This is where they stand while getting zero production from Simmons' roster spot; one would think that replacing that spot with someone who actually wants to play there would be a positive.
And for the Hawks, Simmons could solve a bit of their squad's on-court issues.&nbsp;
Young is averaging 20.8 drives per game, and is taking 9.2 shots via drives per <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612737&amp;sort=DRIVES&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA.com tracking data</a>. Bogdanovic is second on the team in drives... at 6.8. Simmons has averaged north of 10 in all but one season of his career; he averaged 9.9 during the 2018-19 campaign, operating in a phone booth while splitting ball-handling duties with Jimmy Butler.
Simmons, despite his own self-creation limits, is an elite creator of offense for others. From 2018 to 2021, only Russell Westbrook (747) has assisted on more three-pointers (694) than Simmons. Young ranks No. 6 in that time frame with 650 helpers. That drive-and-kick dynamic would be a nice complement to Young, who leads NBA in rim-assists (947) during that stretch.
It's fun to imagine a Young-Simmons pick-and-roll tandem. Simmons has the finishing and playmaking chops to be a devastating short-roll guy. On one hand, he's never had a ball-handler as dynamic as Young to set him up. On the other, he hasn't consistently screened hard enough to maximize his opportunities as a roll-man.
As the Hawks have seemingly leaned into more switching this season, is there a better fit for that kind of scheme than Simmons? Having Simmons in the frontcourt could open up a world of grab-and-go sequences that can't be replicated by anyone else in their frontcourt.
(Well, there's rookster Jalen Johnson, but he isn't on the main roster right now, much less in the big-boy rotation.)
And to that point: the Hawks are 19th in transition frequency this year after ranking 20th the season before.
The Sixers have ranked seventh, eighth, 15th (the Al Horford season) and fifth in transition frequency over the past four seasons, mostly off the strength of Simmons pushing the pace.&nbsp;
There are half-court questions to be had, dependent on lineups. What would a potential Simmons-Collins-Capela frontcourt look like, especially when Simmons isn't involved in ball-screens?
Luckily, Simmons has experience navigating tight quarters. He's had to operate around the dunker spot (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subscribe!</a>) when necessary. He's also adept at making slot cuts from the perimeter if defenders cheat off of him.&nbsp;
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Of course, that's making the assumption that all three would play together.
If the Hawks are intent on switching as much as they have been this season, they could opt to start Simmons and Collins up front and really lean into that style. If Capela &mdash; off to a slow start on both ends this year &mdash; becomes the odd man out entirely, there are teams (DAL, CHA, BKN, TOR) that make sense as suitors when he's trade-eligible this offseason.
The real question is one I admittedly don't have a great answer to, that question is: What would the Sixers want from the Hawks?
Aside from the optics of trading with the team that just beat you in the postseason, it would take some creativity from Atlanta's side to appease Daryl Morey. The good news is the Hawks have the salary and pieces necessary to put together intriguing packages.
Even if we were to work under the assumption that Young and Collins are off the table, the Hawks have three young pieces (De'Andre Hunter, Cam Reddish, Onyeka Okongwu) who could potentially serve as a headliner, mid-to-high salary vets that could bolster Philadelphia's rotation and <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Hawks.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most of their future picks</a> moving forward.
An example &mdash; example, people! &mdash; of something that works salary-wise:
<ul>
<li>Hawks get: Ben Simmons, Shake Milton</li>
<li>Sixers get: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Cam Reddish, Delon Wright, Jalen Johnson</li>
</ul>
Just eye-balling it, I'd imagine the Sixers would want more in terms of draft capital. They might push for Okongwu over Johnson if they'd prefer a young big in the pipeline behind Embiid. Have your own fun with the trade machine if you must.
The important thing here is that there's a conversation to be had between the two sides.
Simmons and the Sixers are primed for a divorce. The Hawks are primed for a consolidation deal. It's at least worth exploring if these two can make magic.

Nekias Duncan explores what a Ben Simmons-to-Atlanta deal would look like, and why it would make sense for both sides.

The Hawks should look into a Ben Simmons trade with the 76ers

The 2021-22 college basketball season is officially underway!
Subsequently, our scouting staff will have its eyes glued on NBA prospects across the country. However, considering that the bulk of top draft selections are one-and-done freshmen each year, we will take an emphasized look at college newcomers.
I recently shared a list of the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-top-incoming-college-freshmen-with-pro-potential" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top freshmen we will be keeping close tabs on</a>. Below are last night&rsquo;s stat lines from a number of those NBA prospects that we currently have included on our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>:
Chet Holmgren - Gonzaga vs. Dixie State MIN: 28&nbsp; PTS: 14&nbsp; REB: 13&nbsp; AST: 6&nbsp; FG: 4-6&nbsp; 3FG: 0-2&nbsp; FT: 6-9&nbsp; TO: 2 BLK: 7
Paolo Banchero - Duke vs. Kentucky MIN: 31&nbsp; PTS: 22&nbsp; REB: 7&nbsp; AST: 0 FG: 7-11&nbsp; 3FG: 0-3&nbsp; FT: 8-9&nbsp; TO: 1&nbsp; STL: 2 &nbsp;
Jalen Duren - Memphis vs. Tennessee Tech MIN: 31 PTS: 15&nbsp; REB: 6&nbsp; AST: 2&nbsp; FG: 7-10&nbsp; 3FG: 0-0&nbsp; FT: 1-2 TO: 3 BLK: 5
Jabari Smith - Auburn vs. Morehead State MIN: 21&nbsp; PTS: 8&nbsp; REB: 6&nbsp; AST: 3&nbsp; FG: 3-6&nbsp; 3FG: 2-3&nbsp; FT: 0-0&nbsp; TO: 0&nbsp; STL: 3&nbsp; BLK: 1
Patrick Baldwin Jr. - UW Milwaukee vs. North Dakota MIN: 37&nbsp; PTS: 21&nbsp; REB: 10&nbsp; AST: 1&nbsp; FG: 6-14&nbsp; 3FG: 2-7&nbsp; FT: 7-8&nbsp; TO: 3&nbsp; BLK: 1&nbsp;
AJ Griffin - Duke vs. Kentucky MIN: 11&nbsp; PTS: 2&nbsp; REB: 2&nbsp; AST: 0&nbsp; FG: 1-3&nbsp; 3FG: 0-1&nbsp; FT: 0-0&nbsp; TO: 0 
Peyton Watson - UCLA vs. CSU Bakersfield MIN: 20&nbsp; PTS: 7&nbsp; REB: 5&nbsp; AST: 0&nbsp; FG: 2-11&nbsp; 3FG: 0-5&nbsp; FT: 3-4&nbsp; TO: 3&nbsp; BLK: 2&nbsp; STL: 1
TyTy Washington - Kentucky vs. Duke MIN: 28&nbsp; PTS: 9&nbsp; REB: 3&nbsp; AST: 3&nbsp; FG: 3-14&nbsp; 3FG: 0-2&nbsp; FT: 3-4&nbsp; TO: 0&nbsp; STL: 1&nbsp; 
Kennedy Chandler - Tennessee vs. UT Martin MIN: 22&nbsp; PTS: 20&nbsp; REB: 1&nbsp; AST: 4&nbsp; FG: 7-10&nbsp; 3FG: 4-4&nbsp; FT: 2-2&nbsp; TO: 3&nbsp; &nbsp;
JD Davison - Alabama vs. Louisiana Tech MIN: 26&nbsp; PTS: 12&nbsp; REB: 6&nbsp; AST: 6&nbsp; FG: 3-4&nbsp; 3FG: 1-2 &nbsp; FT: 5-7&nbsp; TO: 2&nbsp; STL: 1
Daimion Collins - Kentucky vs. Duke MIN: 2&nbsp; PTS: 0&nbsp; REB: 0&nbsp; AST: 0 FG: 0-0&nbsp; 3FG: 0-0&nbsp; FT: 0-0&nbsp; TO: 1&nbsp;&nbsp;
Max Christie - Michigan State vs. Kansas MIN: 31&nbsp; PTS: 9&nbsp; REB: 3&nbsp; AST: 0&nbsp; FG: 3-10&nbsp; 3FG: 2-4&nbsp; FT: 1-2&nbsp; TO: 2&nbsp; &nbsp;
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield vs. UT Martin MIN: 19&nbsp; PTS: 7&nbsp; REB: 6&nbsp; AST: 0&nbsp; FG: 3-5&nbsp; 3FG: 1-1&nbsp; FT: 0-0&nbsp; TO: 1&nbsp; STL: 2&nbsp; BLK: 2
 Others:
Nate Bittle - Orgeon vs. Texas Southern MIN: 7&nbsp; PTS: 0 REB: 0&nbsp; AST: 0&nbsp; FG: 0-1&nbsp; 3FG: 0-0&nbsp; FT: 0-0 TO: 0&nbsp; BLK: 1&nbsp; 
Nolan Hickman - Gonzaga vs. Dixie State MIN: 17&nbsp; PTS: 11&nbsp; REB: 2&nbsp; AST: 2&nbsp; FG: 5-9&nbsp; 3FG: 1-4&nbsp; FT: 0-0&nbsp; TO: 1&nbsp; STL: 1
Harrison Ingram - Stanford vs. Tarleton MIN: 31&nbsp; PTS: 16&nbsp; REB: 7&nbsp; AST: 1&nbsp; FG: 7-11&nbsp; 3FG: 1-2&nbsp; FT: 1-1&nbsp; TO: 1
Trevor Keels - Duke vs. Kentucky MIN: 34&nbsp; PTS: 25&nbsp; REB: 1&nbsp; AST: 2 &nbsp; FG: 10-18&nbsp; 3FG: 1-4 &nbsp; FT:&nbsp; 4-6 TO: 2&nbsp; STL: 3
Bryce McGowens - Nebraska vs. Western Illinois MIN: 39&nbsp; PTS: 25&nbsp; REB: 6&nbsp; AST: 0&nbsp; FG: 7-18&nbsp; 3FG: 1-6&nbsp; FT: 10-12&nbsp; TO: 2&nbsp; 
Efton Reid - LSU vs. UL Monroe MIN: 24&nbsp; PTS: 16&nbsp; REB: 6&nbsp; AST: 1&nbsp; FG: 7-10&nbsp; 3FG: 0-1&nbsp; FT: 2-3&nbsp; TO: 2&nbsp; BLK: 1
Hunter Sallis - Gonzaga vs. Dixie State MIN: 13&nbsp; PTS: 9&nbsp; REB: 2&nbsp; AST: 0&nbsp; FG: 4-7&nbsp; 3FG: 0-0&nbsp; FT: 1-1&nbsp; TO: 0&nbsp;

Derek Murray highlights the box scores of college basketball's top freshmen with one-and-done potential for the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Opening night stat lines from potential one-and-dones

Every year, there are NCAA freshmen who step into college basketball and dazzle right off of the bat, subsequently earning opportunities to be selected in the NBA Draft following their lone season at the college level. This year will be no different.
Here is a list of incoming freshmen that we currently have included in our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>:
1. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/chet-holmgren" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chet Holmgren</a> | Gonzaga | Forward/Center
2. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/paolo-banchero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paolo Banchero</a> | Duke | Forward
4. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/jalen-duren" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jalen Duren</a> | Memphis | Center
6. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/jabari-smith" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jabari Smith</a> | Auburn | Forward
7. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/patrick-baldwin-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patrick Baldwin Jr.</a> | UW-Milwaukee | Forward
8. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/caleb-houstan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caleb Houstan</a> | Michigan | Forward
9. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/aj-griffin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AJ Griffin</a> | Duke | Guard/Forward
12. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/tyty-washington" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TyTy Washington</a> | Kentucky | Guard
13. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/kennedy-chandler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kennedy Chandler</a> | Tennessee | Guard
14. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/jd-davison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JD Davison</a> | Alabama | Guard 
16. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/peyton-watson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Peyton Watson</a> | UCLA | Guard/Forward
23. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/daimion-collins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daimion Collins</a> | Kentucky | Forward
24. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/kendall-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kendall Brown</a> | Baylor | Forward
25. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/matthew-cleveland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matthew Cleveland</a> | Florida State | Guard/Forward
While the players listed above are currently included on our Big Board, here is a list of other freshmen prospects (in alphabetical order) who our scouting staff will be keeping close tabs on:
Nate Bittle
Forward/Center | Oregon
Height: 7-0 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wingspan: 7-5 Weight: 215 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Draft Day Age: 19.1
Nate Bittle is a long and lanky stretch big who can really open up the floor as a shooter. On the offensive end, he&rsquo;s an adequate passer, and has shown great promise as a scorer on all three levels. He can get bumped off his line with contact and needs to fill out his frame, but his combination of length and touch is impressive at his age. On defense, Bittle utilizes his length really well as a rim-protector, but it&rsquo;s yet to be seen how his lateral mobility and movement skills translate to tougher competition. The Oregon native will suit up for his home-state Oregon Ducks this season as one of four centers listed at 6-foot-11 or taller. He will likely be utilized as a floor-stretcher, but I&rsquo;m curious to see how he fits in their lineup construction.&nbsp;
Max Christie 
Guard | Michigan State
Height: 6-6 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wingspan: 6-9 Weight: 190 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Draft Day Age: 19.8
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/unnamed_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="433" />
Max Christie is a sharpshooter who has the potential to be one of the best 3-and-D prospects in the 2022 draft class. He averaged 24.0 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.1 steals and 2.0 blocks per contest as a high-school senior, and was named Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year. His combination of shot-making and finishing craft should allow him to provide value offensively quickly for the Michigan State Spartans, as they will likely rely on him to carry a heavy load. Christie is an active rebounder and defender who uses his hands well to contest shots and deflect passes when engaged. He&rsquo;s a skilled playmaking wing who has the tools to produce at a high level, which could potentially propel him into the 2022 draft.
Moussa Diabate 
Forward/Center | Michigan
Height: 6-11 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wingspan: 7-3 Weight: 210 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Draft Day Age: 20.4
Born in Paris, France, Moussa Diabate comes to Michigan after two years at IMG Academy. He is a long, athletic, high-energy big with the ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor. Due to his aggressive nature, he excels on the offensive end by finishing through contact and being a high-level rebounder. He also has the ability to block shots and impact plays around the rim on the defensive end. With improvement as a ball-handler and shot-maker, Diabate can make a great case for himself as a one-and-done option next summer.&nbsp;
Cerebro Sports note: Per their 2021 Geico Nationals data, he was one of only six players to post a Defensive Statistical Impact rating of &gt; 90 and &gt; 60 in the Big Man Strengths metric.
Nolan Hickman
Guard | Gonzaga
Height: 6-2 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wingspan: 6-6 Weight: 185 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Draft Day Age: 19.1
Nolan Hickman comes to Spokane, Washington as Gonzaga&rsquo;s fifth-highest rated recruit of all-time. The 6-foot-2 point guard is an impressive athlete who can get to his spots and create scoring opportunities at will. His tight handles and skills as a facilitator only make him that much more lethal when paired with his shooting. He is routinely found at the top of Cerebro Sports&rsquo; Floor General Skills and Pure-Scoring Prowess metrics, regardless of the event and competition. Hickman is a fiery competitor in all facets of the game, and could be poised for a strong year for the Bulldogs.
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield 
Forward/Center | Tennessee
Height: 6-10 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wingspan: 7-1 Weight: 246 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Draft Day Age: 18.9
After graduating from Scotland Campus Prep in Pennsylvania, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield returns to his home state of Tennessee to play for the Volunteers. Standing 6-foot-10 and 246 pounds, he has the tools to be an ideal power forward in today&rsquo;s game. He&rsquo;s a powerful athlete with strength, length and an ability to score from anywhere on the floor. He is already a tremendous rebounder who has also shown promise as a ball-handler and defender. He will still be only 18 years old on draft night, and has plenty of room to develop into an elite prospect.&nbsp;
Harrison Ingram 
Forward | Stanford
Height: 6-8 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wingspan: 7-0 Weight: 230 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Draft Day Age: 19.6
Harrison Ingram is one of the most intelligent and competitive prospects in this year&rsquo;s freshman class. At 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan, he is savvy on both ends of the floor, and is capable of playing both on and off the ball. Even though he&rsquo;s not an elite athlete, he has shown flashes as a shooter and projects well as a high-level defender. Another aspect of his game that stands out is his poise, as he rarely gets sped up and plays under control. As a skilled point-forward who can make plays, score and also be effective on the glass, Ingram has a great opportunity to shine for the Cardinal.
Cerebro Sports note: Per their database, Ingram was one of only four players in the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup with a Defensive Statistical Impact rating &gt; 92 and a Three-Point Efficiency rating &gt; 58.
Trevor Keels 
Guard | Duke
Height: 6-4 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wingspan: 6-7 Weight: 221 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Draft Day Age: 18.8
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/unnameddd_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="504" />
The Clinton, Maryland native comes to Duke after finishing high school as a consensus top-25 prospect. At 6-foot-4 and 221 pounds, Trevor Keels has phenomenal physical strength for his age and position. He excels in attack mode on the offensive end, using his combination of strength and skill to score on all three levels. He possesses a unique ability to finish through contact in the lane, and also knock down shots by spotting up or as his own creator. At the Iverson Roundball Classic in May, Keels&rsquo; footwork and smooth shooting stroke impressed me, a swing skill he&rsquo;ll look to maintain as a freshman. With continued improvement as a passer, shooter and on-ball defender, Keels has a chance to be a solid one-and-done option.&nbsp;
Bryce McGowens
Guard | Nebraska
Height: 6-7 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wingspan: 6-9 Weight: 179 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Draft Day Age: 19.6
Possessing positional size and length, Bryce McGowens has a chance to be one of the best shot makers in college basketball. He&rsquo;s flashed space creation as a shooter with pull-up craft, ball-handling and the ability to elevate over defenders. Although he can be a bit streaky, the mechanics and fluidity with his shooting are special. He is also a solid defender due to his length, athleticism and instinctual play. With his combination of great athleticism, shot-making and finishing craft at the rim, McGowens should be a go-to scorer for the Huskers, and will look to make a strong case as a potential draft pick in 2022.
Hunter Sallis
Guard | Gonzaga
Height: 6-5 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wingspan: 6-8 Weight: 175 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Draft Day Age: 19.2
Hunter Sallis stands 6-foot-5, giving him solid positional size as a scoring guard who also excels as a facilitator. The McDonald&rsquo;s All-American averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game as a high-school senior. Gonzaga will have a handful of capable ball-handlers on the roster this season, but Sallis&rsquo; ability to control the game and be a scoring floor general should create a solid role for him. He will need to add physical strength, but the size, skill set and scoring prowess give promise to him as a likely high-level prospect. Sallis is currently included on the 2022 Jerry West Award preseason watchlist, and has the potential to be one of the leaders of the Zags&rsquo; offense.&nbsp;

Derek Murray analyzes the upcoming college freshman class and under-the-radar names to watch out for in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Top incoming college freshmen with pro potential

Nikola Vucevic has become a terrific player, but he never seems to get the attention he deserves. Will that change in Chicago?

Nikola Vucevic may finally get credit he deserves with new-look Bulls

Opening night of the NBA season is just 16 days away, which means this year's top rookies will soon see their dreams come true when they step onto a professional court.&nbsp;
Between the close-to-normal offseason, Las Vegas Summer League and upcoming preseason, we now have a decent grasp on who each player is and what skills they could bring to the court. And while it takes years (decades, arguably) to ultimately assess a career, some young talents can outshine their draft position in a single season.
I'm writing this week's Stats Notebook on the All-Rookie teams, and I'll end by making my predictions for the squads. But the train of thought left the station a few days ago with this stat:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
At least one non-top-20 draft pick has made an All-Rookie First Team in 7 of the last 8 seasons. Who could it be this year 🤔 <a href="https://t.co/5PkFWcaVov">pic.twitter.com/5PkFWcaVov</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1443983998343159842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Patterns exist in recent All-Rookie history; some are obvious, while others are more subtle. I'm going to put them to work to create my teams. First off, let's start with the top picks: Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green. I would consider them both locks to be on the All-Rookie First Team in spring.
Since 2008-09, No. 1 overall draft picks have appeared on all but three All-Rookie First Teams. The exceptions: 2009-10 (when Blake Griffin missed the season due to injury), 2013-14 (Anthony Bennett... didn't work out) and 2016-17 (Ben Simmons did not play due to injury). Griffin and Simmons both were awarded the following season; only Bennett and Markelle Fultz never made an All-Rookie first team. So unless you have an extremely negative view on Cunningham, I'd pencil him in.
Green is perhaps the best scorer in this rookie class. Since 2008-09, 30 qualifying rookies have averaged at least 15 points per game, according to Sportradar. Only three &mdash; Eric Gordon (2008-09), Dennis Smith Jr. (2017-18) and Collin Sexton (2018-19) &mdash; did not make the All-Rookie First Team, and they all landed on the Second Team. If you buy Green as a day-one bucket, which I do, he'll make it.
Jalen Suggs may be another score-first addition to the list. He's not nearly as polished as Jalen counterpart, but the Orlando Magic are a rebuilding team that should prioritize his development. Suggs might be the leading scorer on the team as a rookie, even with a crowded backcourt.&nbsp;
Here's another noteworthy factor: age. At least one player over 21 years old (as of Feb. 1 of that season) has made all but two First Teams since 2008, with the outliers being 2018-19 and 2015-16. I'm a firm nonbeliever of the "age equals NBA-readiness" agenda. But a statistic is a statistic.
The top-five picks who will clear age-21 by February are: Davion Mitchell, James Bouknight, Chris Duarte, Corey Kispert and Trey Murphy III. Depending on your thoughts regarding each player's available minutes, I'd consider them as the primary options to check this box.&nbsp;
Finally, we'll return to the Twitter stat, and spell out those surprise players who made the All-Rookie First Team:
<ul>
<li>2020-21: Jae'Sean Tate (undrafted)</li>
<li>2019-20: Brandon Clarke (No. 21), Eric Paschall (No. 41) and Kendrick Nunn (undrafted)</li>
<li>2018-19: None (The All-Rookie First Team was literally the top five draft picks)</li>
<li>2017-18: Kyle Kuzma (No. 27)</li>
<li>2016-17: Malcolm Brogdon (No. 36), Willy Hernangomez (No. 35)</li>
<li>2015-16: Nikola Jokic (No. 41 in 2014)</li>
<li>2014-15: Jordan Clarkson (No. 46)</li>
<li>2013-14: Mason Plumlee (No. 22), Tim Hardaway Jr. (No. 24)</li>
<li>2012-13: None (lowest was No. 7 pick Harrison Barnes)</li>
<li>2011-12: Kenneth Faried (No. 24)</li>
</ul>
So in eight of the last 10 seasons, a player selected after pick No. 20 cracked the All-Rookie First Team. That's a pretty large pool, but we can try to narrow it.&nbsp;
Four of these honorees made the list on playoff teams: Kenneth Faried with the Denver Nuggets, Mason Plumlee with the Brooklyn Nets, and Kendrick Nunn with the Miami Heat. Also, only Plumlee and Willy Hernangomez averaged less than 20 minutes per game. So following the trend, this selection would have to have a clear path to playing time, and that probably happens with a franchise unlikely to make the postseason.
It's still a bit of a wild-card selection, but Usman Garuba and Josh Christopher immediately stand out as potential options on the Houston Rockets. Second-round picks Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins could receive opportunities with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Logical fallacies exist with this layout &mdash; some "qualifiers" could overlap with each other. But given all of this, here's how my All-Rookie First Team looks:
Preseason All-Rookie First Team: Cade Cunningham (G), Jalen Suggs (G), Jalen Green (G), Trey Murphy III (F), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (F)
For the Second Team, I'll only add one additional note. Four of the last five eligible (2018-19 doesn't work for obvious reasons) lists included at least one top-five pick on an All-Rookie Second Team. Given that Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley should both have rotation roles with their respective squads, I feel good about marking them down. Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland makes the cut because he could be an electric microwave scorer in Denver with the absence of Jamal Murray.
Preseason All-Rookie Second Team: Davion Mitchell (G), Bones Hyland (G), Scottie Barnes (F), Evan Mobley (F), Alperen Sengun (C)
As always, remember that these are just All-Rookie teams and not career projections. Based on some of the earlier names I mentioned, it's pretty clear that making an All-Rookie team isn't exactly a ticket to Springfield. But with such a deep rookie class, I think the races this year could be extremely fun to track.

Ethan Fuller looks at past All-Rookie honorees to predict this year's teams.

Stats Notebook: Predicting the NBA All-Rookie teams from past trends

Nekias Duncan breaks down all five teams in the Atlantic Division for his 2021-22 NBA season preview.

2021-22 NBA Season Preview: Atlantic Division

Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton.
Two elite offenses. A pair of defenses where timely switches may determine their success or failures. A pair of head coaches with questions to answer.
I do not need to sell you on why this year's Bucks-Nets series may be the most anticipated gathering of the postseason. Star power, tactical intrigue and sweet, sweet #narratives will be on full display for however long the series goes on.
My job is a simple one: cut out the fluff, figure out what matters and give my best guesses on what you'll see.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR -- TRANSITION/EARLY OFFENSE
The Bucks and Nets were elite transition teams, ranking fourth (14.5) and sixth (14.3), respectively, in fast break points. Both got <a href="http://stats.inpredictable.com/nba/ssnTeamPoss.php?season=2020&amp;po=0&amp;frdt=2020-12-22&amp;todt=2021-06-01&amp;view=off&amp;sort=aoeffdr&amp;order=DESC" target="_blank" rel="noopener">busy after missed shots</a>, with the Nets (1.18 points per possession, 3rd) edging out the Bucks (1.15, 8th) in that metric.
Both squads look to space properly around their stars, though they tend to attack in slightly different ways. Giannis prefers to go middle. With spacers trailing to either side of him, it's difficult to build a wall on the fly while also accounting for those shooters. You have to pick a poison, basically.
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You may get a slightly different flavor from Brooklyn, particularly when Harden gets the outlet. He can rumble in -- he's drawn shooting fouls on 15.2% of his transition attempts since joining the Nets, per Synergy -- but often elects to turn down the speed dial and utilize early (drag) screens.
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About those drag screens: the Nets love to run them with an empty corner. Making their ball screens a 2-on-2 endeavor is typically trouble for their opponents. They'll get an unfavorable switch, or some sort of advantage in which the defense can't provide help in good conscious.
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The Bucks will also mix in those empty corner looks, particularly when Giannis is operating as the screener. For the most part, they prefer to keep things middle with their ball screens. They'll oscillate between five-out spacing and their dunker spot-infused setup depending on the lineup on the floor.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/lddaf2" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
WHAT TO WATCH FOR -- OUT OF BOUNDS
The Nets have a clear emphasis with their baseline or sideline-out-of-bounds plays: force the defense to make a quick, uncomfortable decision.
One of their most common sideline plays -- and one of the most common actions throughout the NBA -- is a quick-hitter in which the inbounder passes it to a big above the break. The inbounder will then receive a back-screen; the player that sets the back-screen will then lift above the break to flow into a dribble handoff or pick-and-roll with the big.&nbsp;
This ultimately isn't going to lead to anything, but here's an example of the set-up.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/nt5ez3" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Now, that's Mike James and Landry Shamet hooking up before flowing into a dance with DeAndre Jordan. There's a pocket for a pull-up middy that James opts not to take.
Imagine that same action with two of Harden, Irving, Durant or Joe Harris doing the initial exchange.&nbsp;
Now imagine&nbsp;that&nbsp;with counters, because the Nets have them. These aren't all scoring plays, but this gives you an idea of how the Nets can stress you out.
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If there's anything to keep an eye out for on the Bucks side, it's this screening action for Middleton if he's operating as the inbounder. He can be hit on a cut if it's there, a post-up on the opposite side (especially if there's a switch) or a clear out on the opposite wing if he's tracked all the way through.
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KEY QUESTIONS
1) Can either team afford to play drop coverage?
This could be referred to as the Brook Lopez Question. It could also be referred to as the DeAndre Jordan Question.&nbsp;
From my view, this is a more pressing question for the Nets. Jordan hasn't played a second during the postseason, and has only appeared in three games (44 minutes) since the beginning of May. It's clear they've leaned into a center rotation of Blake Griffin, Jeff Green and Nicolas Claxton -- with a little Durant mixed in there.
There are two issues with that.
Green is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jeff-green-out-for-at-least-10-days-with-plantar-fascia-injury" target="_blank" rel="noopener">currently out</a> with a strained plantar fascia. There's no telling when he'll be back, or how effective he'll be when he returns. The other issue is that, from a size and physicality standpoint, Jordan is the only player on the Nets roster with a prayer of defending Giannis.
If Jordan does get the assignment again, he'll have a simple job: hang back in the paint, dare Giannis to shoot jumpers and absorb blows at the rim if he attacks.&nbsp;
That was a sound plan in the first half of their first meeting, but Giannis <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-brooklyn-nets-deandre-jordan-milwaukee-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-playoff-preview-defense-center-key-nekias" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found utility</a> operating as a handoff man or screener in the second half of that game. Over the next two meetings, Giannis scored 85 points while shooting 52% from two and 40% from three.&nbsp;
Here's Giannis' shot chart with Jordan as his defender in those two meetings, per InStat tracking data.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/field-goals-giannis-antetokounmpo-1_lg.png" alt="" />
Giannis found his comfort zone in the second meeting. He brought the funk to Jordan, mixing in shoulder charging-drives, jump hooks, turnaround jumpers... you name it, he did it. If he can get to his spots and do what he wants against the Nets' best option, what do you do?
On the flip side, the Bucks have their own questions to answer in regards to Lopez. This isn't the Miami Heat, with all due respect.
For all the hoopla about Lopez hanging in a drop and the exploits that could come into play, the Heat ultimately didn't have the pull-up chops to make him (and the Bucks) bend. The Nets do, so Lopez in space could be problematic for Milwaukee.
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To that point: Brooklyn scored roughly 1.1 points per possession in the pick-and-roll when the Bucks were in drop coverage during the season series, per a source with access to Second Spectrum tracking data. That number was nearly cut in half (0.53 PPP) when the Bucks switched, though the sample (17 picks) is pretty small.
The Bucks will need Lopez if he can hold up, though. Not only is his rim protection value essential, but he's also been a security blanket on the other end of the floor.
He's figuratively and literally a large part of the Bucks' ability to clean the glass; their rebound rate drops nearly four percentage points with Lopez <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/vs/advanced/#!?TeamID=1610612749&amp;VsPlayerID=201572&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on the bench</a>.&nbsp;
Teams also have to be a bit careful about stashing smaller or worse defenders on Lopez. He's been more than willing to punk dudes on the block. He's generated nearly 1.2 points per possession when shooting out of the post against guards or forwards this season, per the Second Spectrum source.
2) How will the Bucks match up?
Donte DiVincenzo may not be a household name, but his ability to slither over screens will be missed. He <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203925/head-to-head/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;Matchup=Offense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">got the Harris assignment</a> during the regular season meetings and did a decent job of tracking him. With DiVincenzo out, the Bucks are going to have some decisions to make.
Will they roll with Pat Connaughton in his place? There isn't a great matchup for him. Looking through his Brooklyn film, he looked more comfortable using his body to absord blows than he was navigating screens. His best flashes came when matched up against Green on stray possessions.
I think back to the first meeting where Durant or Harden were able to isolate him. Let's just say things did #not #go #well.
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He could be an innings eater of sorts against Harden. Harden would win that matchup, but maybe the gamble would be baiting the Nets into a heavier-than-they'd-like dosage of isolation play. That would allow Middleton (fresh off the Duncan Robinson assignment) to track Harris, Holiday to defend Kyrie and Giannis to take the Durant matchup from the jump.&nbsp;
The Bucks could opt to size up, inserting PJ Tucker in place of DiVincenzo and switching everything 1-through-4. I'd worry about what that would do to the Bucks on offense; both Tucker and Lopez can knock down open shots, but defenses don't defend them like true scoring threats. There's a reason that lineup only saw <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/lineups/advanced/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612749&amp;sort=MIN&amp;dir=1&amp;CF=GROUP_NAME*E*holiday:GROUP_NAME*E*middleton:GROUP_NAME*E*antetokounmpo:GROUP_NAME*E*lopez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">five minutes together</a> in the regular season.&nbsp;
3) How effective will Giannis be in pick-and-roll?
If the second half of the first meeting was any indication, the Bucks should be able to get good looks out of Giannis-as-screener actions. Allowing him to rumble into open space is a problem; switching a small onto him is a problem.
The Middleton-Giannis pick-and-roll, in particular, has been effective all season long. The Bucks scored 1.1 points per possession on trips featuring a ball screen between the two, per the Second Spectrum source.
What I'm curious about is the inverse. There were roughly a handful of possessions in which Giannis had a smaller player screen for him, with most of those coming in the second meeting. A quality (for Giannis) look was created every time.
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Very quietly, Giannis generated 1.23 points per possession as the pick-and-roll ball handler (passes included) this season, the best mark among 146 players to initiate at least 150 pick-and-rolls per Synergy. That number rose to 1.3 points per possession when a guard set the screen for Giannis.
I'm curious to see how often the Bucks work that wrinkle into the plan. With the Nets being a switch-heavy as they are, Milwaukee may be able to mismatch-hunt a bit.
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>It's a bit of a hat tip to the "drop coverage" section, but keep an eye on the way the Nets utilize Harris. He's mostly the beneficiary of the Big Three, spotting up and relocating when necessary to cash in on catch-and-shoots. The Nets have a bevy of stagger plays built in to get him easy looks, though. This one popped on film.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>As was the case in the first round, Bryn Forbes minutes are going to be a barometer of the series. If he has a sizable role, it'll be due to him shooting well enough to do so. But also... these Nets are a lot more predatory than the Heat. The show-and-recovery sequences will have to be on point, because he simply won't survive on switches.</li>
<li>To that point, keep an eye on the Harden-Bruce Brown connection. The Nets scored over 1.2 points per possession when Brown screened for Harden this season, per the Second Spectrum source. Brown seems like a natural hiding place for a second unit guy like Forbes, but that could be fool's gold.</li>
<li>Even if the Bucks don't start this way, this has to be the series we see the Tucker-Giannis frontcourt to close things out. The Holiday-Middleton-Tucker-Giannis quartet has played 43 total minutes to this point; they have a plus-17.5 net rating in that time frame. The fifth will probably be the better of Connaughton or Forbes, though I guess you can never count Jeff Teague out of these things, amirite?</li>
<li>Very quietly, the Nets were a middling team against zone (0.97 PPP, 18th, per Synergy). The Bucks experimented with some zone in the second half of the season. I wouldn't be shocked to see them mix it in against Brooklyn's second unit.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Speaking of second units, Claxton vs Bobby Portis is going to be an under-the-radar battle that could swing a quarter, which could swing a game, which could swing the series. There are avenues (Portis' ineptitude in drop, Claxton's jumpiness or middling physicality) in which either guy could get played off the floor. This is a matchup to keep an eye on.</li>
</ul>

Nekias Duncan breaks down all the film, key matchups and numbers necessary to prepare for Brooklyn and Milwaukee's second-round clash.

NBA playoff primer: What you should look out for in Nets-Bucks

In BasketballNews.com's latest roundtable discussion, we asked our staff the following question:
Which active NBA player would make the best coach someday?
Nekias Duncan: I think it has to be Chris Paul. His IQ is insane, he&rsquo;s a tremendous leader, and he has plenty of experience calling out sets on both ends. Heck, he already runs camps. It should be a pretty easy transition for him, if he ever wants to do it.
Alex Kennedy: Every offseason, the NBA does <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/2020-21-gmsurvey">an annual GM survey</a> where they ask executives a bunch of questions about the upcoming season, and they always ask this. Over the years, the GMs have made some good calls; for example, they correctly predicted that Steve Nash and Chauncey Billups could become solid coaches someday. This year, their pick was Chris Paul (who received 36% of votes). Rajon Rondo (29%) was their runner-up, followed by Udonis Haslem (7%) and Garrett Temple (7%). Paul is the obvious choice, but Haslem and Temple were the first names that popped into my head. Haslem has basically been a well-paid assistant coach on the Miami Heat in recent years, and players really respect him. Temple has an incredible basketball IQ and he&rsquo;s known for being a terrific leader, plus he has a ton of relationships with players, coaches and executives around the NBA. After Troy Brown Jr. was traded to the Chicago Bulls recently, Temple told me that he was excited to take Troy under his wing, sharing some veteran tips with him and working on his defensive angles. Haslem and Temple seem more likely to take on a coaching gig than Paul, but all three would probably thrive.
Spencer Davies: When you think of the great cerebral minds in this league, the first man that comes to mind is LeBron James. Seriously, just listen to him replay scenarios and situations that happened verbatim. However, he&rsquo;s already shot down the idea of any coaching future. Chris Paul is definitely up there, just for the sheer fact that he can process things mentally probably better than anybody else in the NBA. Harrison Barnes seems to fit the bill as well. Something that&rsquo;s pretty common, though, is players who aren&rsquo;t exactly in the spotlight nor have the flashiest numbers during their career turning into top-tier leaders on the sidelines. So because of that, I&rsquo;ll go with two role players who could be solid coaches: Garrett Temple and Matthew Dellavedova.
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Jonathan Concool: Knowing that the high-profile players usually don&rsquo;t pursue coaching in their post-playing career, I&rsquo;m going to go with Jared Dudley. The 35-year-old has played 14 seasons and is currently on the Los Angeles Lakers, though he is currently sidelined with a torn MCL. Even when healthy though, Dudley hasn&rsquo;t seen the floor much, as the value he provides goes beyond on-court statistics. The Lakers coaching staff has praised Dudley for the leadership and basketball knowledge he brings to the team, and I think he could transition to some sort of coaching role when he retires.
Moke Hamilton: Being successful as a coach is just as much about having the requisite personality traits as it is about knowing the game. This question is also really one that should be answered based on personal experiences with a player and/or having relationships with guys who have shared a locker room with him. So without knowing every player in the league well, for me, the answer is Ed Davis. Davis has never really been a household name, so to speak, but I got to know him well during his time in Toronto and Brooklyn. You never find him without his iPad mini. He&rsquo;s always studying. He&rsquo;s taken a number of younger players under his wing, and strikes an excellent balance between challenging guys and teaching them. Years ago, I recall one of his understudies telling me that Davis has everything he needs to be a head coach, and I second that sentiment. There&rsquo;s a reason he&rsquo;s always able to find a job in the league.
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Mark Gunnels: Give me Rajon Rondo. First he was groomed by the likes of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen at an early age and now he's widely recognized as one of the best floor generals of this generation.&nbsp;
Ethan Fuller: I think Kyle Lowry brings everything you could ask for in a potential NBA coach. He has loads of playoff experience, including a championship run, and has always shined the spotlight away from himself and made his teammates better. Lowry's energy and I.Q. have manifested on the court. I've also never heard a bad word about him as a person. He'd be an ideal mentor, tactician and leader once his playing days are over.
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Jannelle Moore: Draymond Green would make the best coach in the future because his approach to the game is so cerebral. Think of how he makes his impact. His attention to detail is incredible, and he knows exactly how to pick apart defenses with his playmaking and how to disrupt offenses. And he&rsquo;d be able to disseminate this information in a way that his players can comprehend.&nbsp;

Which active NBA player will make the best coach someday? Our BasketballNews.com staff weighs in.

Roundtable: Which active NBA player will make the best coach someday?

Joel Embiid was happy to be back on the court even if he wasn&rsquo;t thrilled with his game.
Embiid had 24 points and eight rebounds in his return to the lineup, and Tobias Harris scored 32 to lead the Philadelphia 76ers over the Minnesota Timberwolves 122-113 on Saturday night.
Embiid missed the previous 10 games due to a bone bruise in his left knee. The four-time All-Star and MVP candidate entered averaging 29.9 points and 11.5 rebounds in 31 games this season.
Philadelphia fans were happy to see their favorite big man back in action, serenading a smiling Embiid with &ldquo;M-V-P! M-V-P!&rdquo; chants when he was shown on the big screen during warmups.
With his left knee heavily wrapped, Embiid moved well but his game wasn&rsquo;t quite as sharp as it had been before he got injured March 12 at Washington. Embiid shot 6 of 14 from the field, but missed all four 3-point tries, and converted 12 of 17 free throws.
&ldquo;It felt great,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Just trying to get my rhythm back. I&rsquo;m going to blame the brace I was wearing. I just felt like I didn&rsquo;t have my rhythm all game. It felt like I wasn&rsquo;t smooth. I hate the brace.&rdquo;
Ben Simmons added 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Philadelphia (34-15), which pulled even with idle Brooklyn for the best record in the Eastern Conference.
&ldquo;We won the game, but I wasn&rsquo;t thrilled how we played,&rdquo; coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;It was one of those sloppy, ugly games. We had so many chances to put the game away, but we refused to do that tonight.&rdquo;
Karl-Anthony Towns had 39 points, 14 rebounds and five assists for the Timberwolves, who have the worst record in the NBA at 12-38.
&ldquo;He is unstoppable. Just give him the ball,&rdquo; said teammate Anthony Edwards, who added 27 points.
Led by Towns&rsquo; 17 points and eight rebounds, Minnesota hung around in the first half and trailed just 64-60 at the break. Philadelphia used a quick 13-0 run to start the second half, over which the 76ers didn&rsquo;t miss a shot, to take control. The spurt was capped by Seth Curry&rsquo;s free throw that made it 77-60 with 9:03 left in the third quarter following a technical foul on Minnesota coach Chris Finch.
That was too much ground for the Timberwolves to make up &mdash; although they did make it a game late.
Minnesota got as close as four on several occasions in the last five minutes, the last on Edwards&rsquo; dunk with 2:02 left. But Harris was too much down the stretch, coming up with an answer every time the Timberwolves got close. Harris hit the final four 76ers field goals, including a driving dunk that made it 117-111 with 1:46 to play.
&ldquo;Win by any means, that&rsquo;s really my mentality,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;My intention is to do whatever I can to walk in the locker room with a win.&rdquo;
TOWNS VS. EMBIID
The two big men have an adversarial history, with both earning suspensions for a fight during an October 2019 game in Philadelphia that was followed by a postgame exchange of social media barbs.
There were some moments on Saturday that could&rsquo;ve gotten heated, but Towns remained calm throughout and leaned on his play.
He provided a highlight in the first half when he dunked over Embiid with 8:15 left in the second quarter.
&ldquo;Just a play, two points. Felt good to get two points on the board,&rdquo; Towns said. &ldquo;I ain&rsquo;t worried about that squabble; I&rsquo;m trying to get wins.&rdquo;
Towns, booed during introductions and whenever he touched the ball, followed up the dunk with an emphatic block of Matisse Thybulle&rsquo;s layup attempt on Philadelphia&rsquo;s ensuing possession.
Embiid gained some revenge late in the half when he crossed over Towns, was fouled and hit a short baseline jumper before landing on the court.
Philadelphia&rsquo;s big man spun Towns around with a hard foul with 7:04 left in the third, but nothing came of it. Embiid tried to keep Towns calm, although Towns walked away looking unhappy. Finch wanted the officials to review the play for a possible flagrant foul, but there was no review.
Embiid did get whistled for a Flagrant 1 foul with 7:38 left in the fourth when he slashed down at Towns&rsquo; arms as he was driving to the basket.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not here to live out a narrative people want; I&rsquo;m here to win the game,&rdquo; Towns said. &ldquo;I take hard fouls every game.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: Finch, a Pennsylvania native from Reading, said he had friends in attendance. &hellip; Ricky Rubio (back) and Malik Beasley (hamstring) didn&rsquo;t play. &hellip; Minnesota dropped to 5-21 on the road.
76ers: Rivers said afterward Embiid&rsquo;s status for Sunday&rsquo;s game against Memphis wasn&rsquo;t yet determined but the team would be more &ldquo;cautious than aggressive&rdquo; with its star center. &hellip; Philadelphia improved to 20-4 at home and 17-5 against teams under .500. &hellip; Veteran G George Hill participated in non-contact drills at shootaround. Hill, acquired by the 76ers on March 25, has been out since Jan. 24 with a thumb injury. &hellip; Embiid has missed 16 games with back and knee injuries this season.
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: Host the Sacramento Kings on Monday.
76ers: Host the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Embiid missed the previous 10 games due to a bone bruise in his left knee.

Embiid scores 24 points in return, 76ers beat Timberwolves

Prior to this year's NBA Trade Deadline, BasketballNews.com rounded up its writers and asked them to share their thoughts and predictions ahead of Thursday's flurry of moves. Over the next few days, we'll be dropping a number of these Roundtable articles. Today, we asked our staffers:&nbsp;
Which team should be a seller?
Nekias Duncan: Aside from Toronto, it would be nice to see the Orlando Magic finally sell off some stuff. Aaron Gordon isn&rsquo;t a long-term fit, nor is Terrence Ross, Evan Fournier, Khem Birch&hellip; you get my drift. It&rsquo;s time to make some moves so that a long-term vision for this roster can become clear. Right now, there&rsquo;s no telling what the Magic are even trying to do.
Alex Kennedy: The Detroit Pistons have the second-worst record in the NBA at 12-31, and the team clearly isn't going to be competing for a playoff spot in the near future. With that in mind, I'd be looking to move veterans like Wayne Ellington (33 years old), Mason Plumlee (31) and Rodney McGruder (29) for young players and draft picks. Moving Derrick Rose for Dennis Smith Jr. and a second-round pick was smart; that's exactly what this team should be doing. I loved the addition of Hamidou Diallo too. We'll see if Detroit continues to make these kinds of moves on Thursday.
Spencer Davies: You almost have to preface that question with its own question: &ldquo;Who has assets?&rdquo; It&rsquo;s no secret that the Houston Rockets want to get the most they can for Victor Oladipo. We&rsquo;ve heard the rumblings surrounding the Orlando Magic with Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier, as that era is likely coming to an end. Are the Sacramento Kings going to continue on that same path? Because Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes are good pieces that could return some value. It also wouldn&rsquo;t be surprising to see the Toronto Raptors cash in on Norman Powell&rsquo;s career season, as he&rsquo;s going to look for a big pay day in the summer.
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Chris Sheridan: The Orlando Magic. John Hammond needs to keep Nikola Vucevic and get whatever he can for Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier to engineer a quick rebuild built around Vuc, Jonathan Issac and Markelle Fultz. The Magic were a Murphy's Law victim this season, but even at full strength were never going to be a championship contender. They need one or two good, young coachable wing players and an extra first-round pick. Gordon is in demand, and I expect Hammond to be able to get good value in return -- the type of value that enables a quick turnaround.
Moke Hamilton: If you&rsquo;re a team that&rsquo;s under .500 without at least one young superstar-caliber player who can conceivably lead you to the playoffs, then you should be a seller. The Rockets seem to qualify, as do the Wizards and Magic. If I had to pick one, I&rsquo;d probably go with the Magic, though. You can only try with Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon for so long before you decide to go in another direction, and each have enough value to get a decent return back in a potential deal. The Wizards at least have Brad Beal (and Russell Westbrook), while Houston has assembled a nice collection of future draft picks in recent months. It might be time for Orlando to embrace rebuilding (again) around Markelle Fultz and whichever of Cole Anthony, Jonathan Isaac or Mo Bamba gives them the look and feel of a cornerstone.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/uj_lg.jpg" alt="" />
Jannelle Moore: I think the Toronto Raptors should sell. Kyle Lowry will be a unrestricted free agent after the season and their best bet is trading him now to get a player (and picks) to help them rather than letting him walk in the offseason without getting anything in return.&nbsp;
Ethan Fuller: This might be an off-beat pick, but the Indiana Pacers should absolutely sell. They are another East contender under .500, but don't have the star power to inspire confidence. What they do have are a number of solid rotation pieces (Myles Turner, Doug McDermott, Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday, T.J. McConnell and more) who could help teams chasing a title. It's time for Indiana to reload the prospect chest and raise the franchise's ceiling.
Danny Cunningham: The Toronto Raptors should be sellers this year, although it&rsquo;s unlikely that will actually happen. Banners hang forever, and that franchise will always have the magical playoff run of 2019, but it&rsquo;s probably time for Masai Ujiri to examine what the future of the team looks like and put in place building blocks around Pascal Siakam to try and open up another window of contention, because this just isn&rsquo;t their year.
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Jonathan Concool: The Orlando Magic. It&rsquo;s time to move on from Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon. These guys are far too talented to be wasting their primes on a team that hasn&rsquo;t won a playoff series since 2010. Orlando could get real assets in return and start rebuilding from scratch, as a fresh start is desperately needed down in Central Florida.
Sharon Brown: I believe the San Antonio Spurs might be sellers and will finally get with the youth movement. LaMarcus Aldridge already isn't with the team. Is it possible that we could see them part ways with DeMar Derozan, Rudy Gay and/or Patty Mills next?
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MORE ROUNDTABLES:&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-trade-deadline-roundtable-will-this-be-an-active-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Will this be an active trade deadline?</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-trade-deadline-roundtable-who-is-the-biggest-name-that-will-be-moved" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Who's the biggest name that will be dealt?</a>
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<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1habvwh r-i023vh"><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-trade-deadline-roundtable-which-team-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Which team desperately needs a trade?</a></div>
</div>

As the NBA trade deadline approaches, which teams should be sellers? BasketballNews.com's staff shares their thoughts!

NBA Trade Deadline Roundtable: Which team should be a seller?

Prior to this year's NBA Trade Deadline, BasketballNews.com rounded up its writers and asked them to share their thoughts and predictions ahead of Thursday's flurry of moves. Over the next few days, we'll be dropping a number of these Roundtable articles. Today, we asked our staffers:&nbsp;
Which team is in desperate need of a trade?
Nekias Duncan: Though I have my doubts about a Kyle Lowry deal getting done, Toronto absolutely should opt to take a step back. This season has never really been fair to them: relocation, injuries, COVID. On the flip side, they&rsquo;re now presented with an opportunity to sell high on at least one of Lowry or Norman Powell, nab a high lottery pick, and retool for next season and beyond.
Spencer Davies: If your answer isn&rsquo;t the Boston Celtics here, you&rsquo;d be crazy. Understanding how much COVID protocols, the recovery process, injury and lineup inconsistencies have affected their season, there is no reason a team with two All-Stars like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown should have a sub-.500 record. Our Ethan Fuller <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-boston-celtics-ball-movement-problems-go-beyond-eye-test-jayson-tatum-jeff-teague-kemba-walker-brad-stevens" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detailed the issues in his latest breakdown</a> of the C's obsession with isolation offense; there&rsquo;s a lack of ball movement. Is there a player out there that fixes that issue alone? No. But a Harrison Barnes certainly wouldn&rsquo;t hurt, nor would a George Hill-type.
Alex Kennedy: After losing 12 of 14 games, the Toronto Raptors should be active before the deadline. They should get as much as they can for Kyle Lowry rather losing him for nothing this offseason when he hits unrestricted free agency. Also, Norman Powell is playing his way into a huge payday this offseason, so trading him now may be Toronto's best move (if they aren't interested in matching the offers he's bound to receive). The Boston Celtics are an obvious pick to shake things up, but Toronto stands out to me.
Chris Sheridan: Boston. The Celtics made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season and are the East's biggest underachievers. In fact, nobody is a close second (thanks to Nate McMillan in Atlanta). They are one game under .500 and need someone who can give them what Gordon Hayward gave them a year ago. Kemba Walker has never been a great shooter, but 39 percent this season is not getting it done. I would not be surprised to see Danny Ainge trade him.
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Moke Hamilton: I&rsquo;d probably say the Celtics. When I look at the standings, they strike me as being the biggest underachiever relative to the expectations, and while that can be partially explained by their injury misfortunes, they&rsquo;re simply too talented to be the eighth seed out East. Fortunately, the Celtics have some assets that they could package in an attempt to land an impact player... Hopefully, for their sake, they manage to do something that&rsquo;ll change their fortunes.
Ethan Fuller: Honestly, quite a few teams need to make a move, but I'd pick the Celtics as a standout team right now. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are certified young stars, yet this team hangs below .500 over halfway through the season. Danny Ainge has also <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-boston-celtics-danny-ainge-our-roster-obviously-is-not-good" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publicly criticized the makeup of the roster</a>. Now he has to back up his criticisms and bring in better-fitting talent.
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Danny Cunningham: There are a few teams that come to mind. The Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics certainly qualify, but the Denver Nuggets look like a team that needs a bit more to reach the level they were able to get to last year during the playoffs. If the Nuggets are going to only go as far as Nikola Jokic can take them, the playoffs probably won&rsquo;t be as fun this year as they were in 2020.
Jannelle Moore: The Golden State Warriors are in desperate need for a trade for the present and their immediate future. They need help offensively to make a significant push to avoid the play-in tournament this year and to solidify depth next year. However, I don't believe they will do much (if anything at all) because of salary-cap constraints, and not to mention taking their time in finding players that will fit.
Jonathan Concool: The Boston Celtics have underachieved in just about every way this season; they currently sit at 21-22 on the season, which is tied for seventh in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics are a year removed from being a top three-team in the conference, and with their roster not changing much from last season, there are a lot of questions surrounding the team. I expect Danny Ainge to be very active this week in trying to acquire a notable player like Aaron Gordon or Jerami Grant.
Sharon Brown: The Boston Celtics need a big rebounder to help them in the postseason. The Celtics received a $28.5 million Traded Player Exception when Gordon Hayward was traded to the Charlotte Hornets via a sign-and-trade. Nikola Vucevic from Orlando might be what they're missing (although the Orlando Magic may not be willing to part with him). Vooch is averaraging 24.6 points and 11.8 rebounds.&nbsp;&nbsp;
MORE ROUNDTABLES: <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-trade-deadline-roundtable-will-this-be-an-active-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Will this be an active trade deadline?</a> <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-trade-deadline-roundtable-who-is-the-biggest-name-that-will-be-moved" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Who's the biggest name that will be dealt?</a>

Which NBA team desperately needs to shake things up prior to Thursday's trade deadline? BasketballNews.com's staff weighs in.

Keane