New York Knicks

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Jayson Tatum missed his first six 3-pointers before he drilled two straight clutch ones late in the game that pushed the Celtics past the Philadelphia 76ers 95-86 on Thursday night to send the Eastern Conference semifinals back to Boston for Game 7.
The defending conference champs are in familiar territory. Boston trailed 3-2 last season in the second round against Milwaukee before it won Game 6 on the road and the clincher at home.
Game 7 is Sunday.
Tatum, who averaged 30.1 points in the regular season, never stopped shooting even as the misses kept coming. He missed 14 of his first 15 shots overall from the floor and his ineffectiveness was a key reason the Celtics couldn&rsquo;t hold a 16-point lead.
With a shot at their first conference final since 2001 at stake, the Sixers slogged through the first half before Joel Embiid flashed his MVP form and rallied the Sixers to a fourth-quarter lead.
Tyrese Maxey hit two free throws with 5:25 left for an 83-81 edge.
And that was it for Philly.
Tatum buried one 3 for the 84-83 lead and a second that made it 87-83 and put the Celtics in firm control of Game 6.
Embiid and Tyrese Maxey each scored 26 points for the 76ers.
76ers coach Doc Rivers has blown three 3-1 series leads over his playoff career. While the 76ers never got that far ahead, this is their second loss at home in the series and they seemingly had seized momentum in the fourth quarter.
Tatum instead stuck it to the 76ers with one final 3-point dagger for a 95-84 lead.
After Embiid&rsquo;s pull-up jumper tied the game 81-all, 76ers didn&rsquo;t make a bucket over the final 6:13 of the game
Tatum missed all 10 shots, including five 3-point attempts, in the first half half as the Celtics led by seven. Tatum has said he may need surgery on his left wrist in the offseason in the wake of a hard fall. Whatever the cause of his shooting ails, he found the cure in the final 12 minutes and the East champs still have life.
Tatum finished with 19 points on just 5-for-21 shooting but the final stat line mattered little after he keyed the 14-3 run that kept the Celtics&rsquo; conference repeat hopes alive under rookie head coach Joe Mazzulla.
Just like Game 3 when the Sixers squandered the momentum off Embiid&rsquo;s MVP ceremony, the 76ers again failed to keep a packed house as rocking as they were at tipoff. The Celtics took a fast 15-3 lead and that silenced the crowd and discombobulated the Sixers.
The Celtics led 40-26 because -- in part because of three 3s from Malcolm Brogdon -- but an ineffective half from Embiid, James Harden and Tobias Harris. Embiid and Harris started 1 of 7 and Harden 2 of 8 and yet, the deficit could have been much worse.
The Sixers steadied themselves somewhat -- creaky Harden surprised everyone with a rare, thunderous dunk -- and the Sixers had life down only 50-43 at the break.
HE SAID IT
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m ready for war.&rdquo; -- Mazzulla, with a stern look, on his mood ahead of Game 6.
BIG FANS
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, Roots drummer Questlove, Eagles center Jason Kelce and his brother and Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, and baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. attended the game.
TIP-INS
Celtics: Boston started 6-foot-10 Robert Williams instead of Derrick White. Williams started his first postseason game of the season. Mazzulla said he made the change because &ldquo;Rob gives us a lift.&rdquo;
76ers: Harden finished 4 for 16, 0 for 6 behind the arc.

The Celtics defeated the 76ers 95-86 on Thursday night to send the Eastern Conference semifinals back to Boston for Game 7.

Tatum’s 4th quarter pushes Celtics past 76ers 95-86, forces Game 7

Ja Morant will be away from the Memphis Grizzlies for at least their next two games, the team announced Saturday, not long after the NBA opened an investigation into a social media post by the guard after he livestreamed himself holding what appeared to be a gun at a nightclub.
Morant said in a statement distributed through the agency that represents him that he takes &ldquo;full responsibility&rdquo; for his actions &mdash; adding that he was going to &ldquo;take some time away to get help.&rdquo;
The video was streamed by Morant on his Instagram page early Saturday, hours after the Grizzlies played in Denver. They were flying to Los Angeles on Saturday for games against the Clippers on Sunday and the Lakers on Tuesday.
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Grizzlies star Ja Morant was allegedly seen showing off a gun on his IG Live this morning.<a href="https://t.co/HlhvoWlnYy">pic.twitter.com/HlhvoWlnYy</a>
&mdash; ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1632036086288461824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Morant will miss those two games, at minimum, the Grizzlies said, without any further comment.
&ldquo;We are aware of a social media post involving Ja Morant and are investigating,&rdquo; NBA spokesman Mike Bass said earlier Saturday.
The league will try to speak with Morant as part of that investigation, though it is unclear when any meeting may occur. Morant apologized in the statement released by Tandem Sports + Entertainment.
&ldquo;I take full responsibility for my actions last night,&rdquo; Morant said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down. I&rsquo;m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.&rdquo;
It was not immediately clear what Morant meant by &ldquo;help&rdquo; or if he planned to be away from the team for longer than the two-game minimum announced by the Grizzlies.
The league, if it finds wrongdoing, could fine or suspend Morant. Based on the Grizzlies&rsquo; statement, the earliest Morant could play again is Thursday at home against Golden State. His Instagram and Twitter accounts were disabled shortly after the Grizzlies announced his absence.
Memphis is currently No. 2 in the Western Conference standings, led by Morant, a two-time All-Star averaging 27.1 points and 8.2 assists per game.
This is at least the second time in the last few weeks that Morant has been the subject of a league investigation. Morant&rsquo;s actions were investigated by the league after a&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/memphis-grizzlies-indiana-pacers-nba-sports-temetrius-morant-691ebf33edbf85aef5db428406c8976e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jan. 29 incident in Memphis</a>&nbsp;that he said led to a friend of his being banned from home games there for a year.
That incident was following a game against the Indiana Pacers; citing unnamed sources, The Indianapolis Star and USA Today reported that multiple members of the Pacers saw a red dot pointed at them, and The Athletic reported that a Pacers security guard believed the laser was attached to a gun.
The NBA confirmed that unnamed individuals were banned from the arena but said its investigation found no evidence that anyone was threatened with a weapon.
Morant responded to that incident by tweeting that the reports &ldquo;paint this negative image on me and my fam. &amp; banned my brother from home games for a year. unbelievable.&rdquo; During the Jan. 29 game, there was barking between Pacers players and friends of Morant seated along the sideline. A close friend of Morant&rsquo;s, Davonte Pack, was escorted from the arena as Pacers bench players shouted in Pack&rsquo;s direction.
Pack and Morant also are involved in a civil lawsuit brought after an incident at Morant&rsquo;s home this past summer, in which a 17-year-old alleged that they assaulted him. The Shelby County district attorney&rsquo;s office said in January that it was &ldquo;aware of the incident, and after careful review of the facts, decided that there was not enough evidence to proceed with a case.&rdquo;
There is precedent for the NBA when sanctioning a player over conduct involving guns. In January 2010, then-Commissioner David Stern suspended Washington&rsquo;s Gilbert Arenas indefinitely without pay after saying the player&rsquo;s behavior made him &ldquo;not currently fit to take the court.&rdquo;
The suspension followed Arenas getting photographed before a game in Philadelphia playfully pointing his index fingers in a gun imitation at his teammates while he was under investigation by federal and local authorities after admittedly bringing guns into the Wizards&rsquo; locker room.
Arenas ultimately missed 50 games, the rest of the 2009-10 season.
Morant, the No. 2 pick in the 2019 NBA draft, has become a full-fledged superstar. His five-year, $194 million extension with the Grizzlies kicks in to start next season and would rise to about $230 million if he makes an All-NBA team this season.
He also is a sought-after endorser. On Christmas, Nike unveiled Morant&rsquo;s first signature shoe, which is set to be released in the coming weeks. And earlier this week, Powerade announced a multiyear endorsement deal with Morant.
On the same day the Powerade deal was revealed, The Washington Post published a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/03/01/ja-morant-punch-teen-laser/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">story</a>, based on police records it obtained, detailing how Morant and some associates &ldquo;have been accused of threatening and even violent behavior,&rdquo; the newspaper said.
The questions about Morant&rsquo;s conduct come at a time when gun violence again is a prominent talking point in the sports world.
Top NBA draft prospect Brandon Miller and his Alabama teammate Jaden Bradley, by courtroom revelations, have been&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-sports-tuscaloosa-alabama-crimson-tide-top-25-college-basketball-today-39eab4a038324d58910da79372722ad1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">linked to the scene of a killing</a>. Neither has been charged or accused of a crime, but then-teammate Darius Miles and another man are facing capital murder charges.
And New Mexico State&rsquo;s men&rsquo;s basketball season was shut down in February because of a&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/new-mexico-state-basketball-shooting-crisis-d2b20604aa91ddc11cc32a4f12e660f6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fatal shooting and allegations of locker-room hazing</a>. Mike Peake, the New Mexico State player implicated in the shooting death of New Mexico player Brandon Travis in November, said he was acting in self-defense and has not been charged with a crime.

Ja Morant will step away from the Memphis Grizzlies for at least their next two games after a string of concerning incidents.

Grizzlies' Ja Morant steps away to 'get help' after recent incidents

Only 18 times in NBA history has a player averaged 20-plus points, 10-plus assists and 5-plus rebounds per game across an entire season. James Harden and Nikola Jokic are on pace to join the list this year.
Three NBA players &mdash; Russell Westbrook, Oscar Robertson and Isiah Thomas &mdash; have put up at least 20 points and 10 assists per game over four or more separate seasons in their career. Harden is on pace to be the fourth.
Harden missing out on his 11th NBA All-Star appearance is simply a travesty. Maybe it's because the scoring volume is down, or because he's no longer the top bucket-getting option on his team. Whatever the case may be, he deserves applause for the way he has adapted with age and in a new role to help Philadelphia reinvent its path to contention.&nbsp;
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6 threes for <a href="https://twitter.com/JHarden13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JHarden13</a> and call it a SZN HIGH! <a href="https://t.co/OZF4WCWR1i">pic.twitter.com/OZF4WCWR1i</a>
&mdash; Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) <a href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1620969675780935684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2023</a>
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Harden is currently posting 21.0 points, 10.9 assists and 6.4 rebounds per contest. His mark of 14.9 field goal attempts per game is the lowest since his days on the Oklahoma City Thunder, but his overall efficiency is on par with his prime years in Houston &mdash; albeit in different forms. And with a dominant scorer in Joel Embiid by his side, Harden has reached new heights as a table-setter.
At 33 years old, Harden doesn't attack the basket with the same ferocity as his peak years. Only 24% of his shot attempts are coming at the rim (career-low), per Cleaning the Glass, and he's driving the basketball 13.3 times per game (lowest since 2013-14), according to Second Spectrum. They're still high numbers for most NBA players, but low by Harden's standards. His straight-line speed, probably still underrated in his heyday, has been sapped a great deal.
That's okay. Harden has been&nbsp;relatively&nbsp;confined to the perimeter, and he's made it work with a 38.8% three-point clip, his best since 2011-12. One key reason for the jump: Harden is canning a red-hot 47.7% of his attempts off the catch, which make up over one-eighth (12.7%) of his total shot diet, according to PBP Stats. That's the largest share of catch-and-shoot treys he's logged since 2016-17 and almost double last year's frequency.&nbsp;
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James Harden&rsquo;s reaction to making three catch-and-shoot 3s was pretty funny. And then, more serious: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been working on it, so that&rsquo;s pretty exciting. You don&rsquo;t do too much, just catch-and-shoot it. You put the work in, I work on it every day.&rdquo; <a href="https://t.co/bH9p2iGTNX">pic.twitter.com/bH9p2iGTNX</a>
&mdash; Rich Hofmann (@rich_hofmann) <a href="https://twitter.com/rich_hofmann/status/1620982628995448832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2023</a>
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This isn't to say Harden has completely disavowed his iso-ball ways. According to Synergy, he takes the third-most isolation possessions per game (6.2) in the NBA. But those possessions are less taxing because he has a co-superstar beside him; Embiid actually logs a slightly higher isolation volume (6.3). And Harden doesn't have to will himself to the basket at his age &mdash; Embiid is also collapsing defenses.
The Harden-to-Embiid assist combination is the most popular connection in the league this season. The Beard has hit up The Process 150 times, per PBP Stats, including 71 Embiid buckets at the rim. Their 40-assist lead on the second-most prominent combo of Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield (110) is as large as that duo's edge between it and the 31st-ranked coupling (a tie between Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett, Killian Hayes and Bojan Bogdanovic, and Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton).&nbsp;
Meanwhile, though much less often, Embiid is the most frequent passer when Harden picks up an assisted bucket. They've teamed up 19 times this season, including 11 Harden makes from beyond the arc.
The Embiid-Harden pick-and-roll has boosted their ascension to perhaps the most dynamic two-man action tandem in the league. But Harden's comfort in Philly is also boosting the supporting cast &mdash; most exemplified in Tobias Harris.&nbsp;
Harris, now 30 years old, has quietly settled into an efficient complementary role while Harden, Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Shake Milton initiate most offensive possessions. He's shooting a career-best 58% from two-point range. Harris' at-rim frequency (34%), field goal percentage (69%) and assisted-make rate (62%) are all the highest of his four-plus seasons with the Sixers, according to Cleaning the Glass.
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Less than a minute into the second half, James Harden records his 71st career triple-double with this dime to Tobias Harris 🔥<a href="https://t.co/uC4MpbmmYv">pic.twitter.com/uC4MpbmmYv</a> <a href="https://t.co/VEgsAzQYG2">https://t.co/VEgsAzQYG2</a>
&mdash; ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1612200618436730880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The scoring opportunities get easier with Harden on the floor. The former MVP sends 18.1% of his passes to Harris, who in turn makes 59.2% of his ensuing twos and 37.7% of his threes. Harris has typically averaged 8-10 drives per game over the course of his prime years vs. his 6.7 drives this season. The creation burden has been lessened and the efficiency has increased.
It helps that the Sixers added De'Anthony Melton to space the floor and act as a secondary ball-handler, and Maxey certainly gives them another sharp driving punch. But Harden has made everyone, including Harris and Embiid, better since finding his comfort level on the team.
Harden's average of 92.7 touches per game ranks third in the NBA and is still on par with his typical touch rate throughout his career. He's still the ignition for Philly's ninth-ranked offense and a matchup nightmare when he's on the floor, even if the picture looks a little different.&nbsp;
Whether it's the lack of All-Star recognition or the general lack of buzz, Harden's superstardom has taken a back seat in the national consciousness. Don't make that same mistake.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>A cool blocked shot locations graphic from Edoardo Vergani. Look at Bol Bol!</li>
</ul>
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NBA: Blocked shot location of the 12 players with most blocks during this season! What pops out? Let me know! <a href="https://t.co/shFXLWFonW">pic.twitter.com/shFXLWFonW</a>
&mdash; Edoardo Vergani (@ed_vergani) <a href="https://twitter.com/ed_vergani/status/1621863738931400705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2023</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>Brandon Miller is such a fascinating NBA Draft prospect:</li>
</ul>
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Brandon Miller is putting up unprecedented versatility and efficiency in his jumpshot diet for a college big wing. Here's how he compares to some other 6'7+ shooters - Jabari Smith, Keegan Murray, Saddiq Bey, Brandon Ingram, and Khris Middleton. <a href="https://t.co/DUNsKNXfb4">pic.twitter.com/DUNsKNXfb4</a>
&mdash; Mark (@MarkC_NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkC_NBA/status/1621229412091039744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2023</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>The Pacers are an absolutely chaotic basketball team, as shown in this table from Tom Bassine:</li>
</ul>
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Net rating in each quarter. Best by Q: 1 - Nuggets 2 - Pacers 3 - Thunder 4 - Cavs <a href="https://t.co/0dKf9ChDbI">pic.twitter.com/0dKf9ChDbI</a>
&mdash; Tom Bassine (@tvbassine) <a href="https://twitter.com/tvbassine/status/1622230703017525249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2023</a></blockquote>

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James Harden is on pace to be the third player to average 20 points and 10 assists in five seasons. Ethan Fuller praises his play.

NBA Stats Notebook: Giving James Harden the flowers he deserves

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Texas fired basketball coach Chris Beard on Thursday while he faces a felony domestic family violence charge stemming from a Dec. 12 incident involving his fianc&eacute;e.
The Associated Press obtained the termination letter that was sent to Beard&rsquo;s attorney.
Beard had five years left on a seven-year guaranteed contract that includes a provision he could be fired for cause if he was charged with a felony. The charge of assault by strangulation/suffocation family violence carries a possible prison sentence of two to 10 years if convicted; the woman told police he strangled and bit her, but later denied Beard choked her.
Beard had been suspended without pay since he was arrested, and school officials have said there is an ongoing internal investigation.
Police responded to an emergency call at Beard&rsquo;s house after midnight on Dec. 12 and arrested him after Beard&rsquo;s fianc&eacute;e, Randi Trew, told officers he choked her from behind, bit her and hit her when the two got in an argument. Beard&rsquo;s attorney has said the coach is innocent.
The Associated Press does not typically identify alleged victims of extreme violence, but Trew issued a public statement on Dec. 23 in which she denied telling police Beard choked her. She also said she never intended for him to be arrested or prosecuted.
&ldquo;Chris did not strangle me, and I told that to law enforcement that evening,&rdquo; Trew said in her statement. &ldquo;Chris has stated that he was acting in self-defense, and I do not refute that. I do not believe Chris was trying to intentionally harm me in any way.&rdquo;
Trew&rsquo;s statement did not address why she made the emergency call or other details in the police report, such as bite marks and abrasions on her face and telling officers that she couldn&rsquo;t breathe for about five seconds.
According to the arrest affidavit, Trew initially told police that she and Beard they had been in an argument where she broke his glasses before he &ldquo;just snapped on me and became super violent.&rdquo; Police reported Trew said Beard slapped her glasses off her face and &ldquo;choked me, bit me, bruises all over my leg, throwing me around and going nuts.&rdquo;
The Travis County district attorney&rsquo;s office has not responded to previous requests for comment on Beard&rsquo;s case or whether Trew&rsquo;s Dec. 23 statement would change how prosecutors proceed with the felony charge.
A Jan. 18 court hearing is scheduled, according to online records.
Beard led Texas Tech to the 2019 NCAA Tournament championship game and was hired at Texas in 2021 with the expectation that he would lift his alma mater to the same elite level. He had the Longhorns program humming this season, starting 6-0 and ranked as high as No. 2.
Associate head coach Rodney Terry took Beard&rsquo;s place during the suspension. The Longhorns (12-2, 1-1 Big 12) won their first five games under Terry before losing 116-103 to Kansas State on Tuesday.
A Texas graduate, Beard spent 10 seasons at Texas Tech as an assistant under Bob Knight from 2001-2011, then returned there as head coach in 2016.
He was 112-55 in five seasons with the Red Raiders and was named The The Associated Press coach of the year in 2019 as he guided Texas Tech to a 31-7 finish and lost in an overtime thriller to Virginia in the national championship game.
His departure for Texas &mdash; a deal reached after a meeting with Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte that included a McDonald&rsquo;s breakfast an hour&rsquo;s drive north of Lubbock &mdash; left Texas Tech officials frustrated.
As soon as he landed in Austin, Beard set out to rebuild a program from the ground up as he rebuilt the Texas roster and tried to whip up new enthusiasm for the program as he engaged with students and held often comedic &ldquo;fireside chats&rdquo; on campus. In his first season, he led Texas to a first-round victory over Virginia Tech that was the Longhorns&rsquo; first NCAA Tournament win since 2014.

Beard had been suspended without pay since he was arrested, and school officials have said there is an ongoing internal investigation.

Texas fires Chris Beard amid felony domestic violence charge

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Hawks coach Nate McMillan said Friday he has no plans to retire in the middle of the season, brushing back a report citing unnamed sources.
The Athletic reported that McMillan is considering stepping down before the season ends, but McMillan said that&rsquo;s not true.
&ldquo;We have a race to prepare for,&rdquo; McMillan said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re trying to get our guys healthy and make another run at the playoffs, but the things that were reported, look, I&rsquo;m here to coach this year, and I&rsquo;ve talked to (owner) Tony Ressler many times, and our goal is to make the playoffs. And that&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m working towards.&rdquo;
McMillan, 58, said he had no immediate reaction to the report. He is in the middle of his third season with the Hawks, who are 17-18 and in ninth place in the Eastern Conference.
&ldquo;I read that article briefly,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never spoke to that reporter before. I think the last two weeks he&rsquo;s written a couple of articles with some sources in our organization that are making some comments about me and some things that I&rsquo;m saying and doing.
&ldquo;Look, at the end of the year, I&rsquo;ll do as I&rsquo;ve always done. I&rsquo;ll talk with my family and see if that flame, that fire, to continue next season, but that&rsquo;s the end of the season. All of us think about retiring, but that&rsquo;s at the end of the season. We&rsquo;re going to move past that, that story.&rdquo;
McMillan took over as coach when Lloyd Pierce was fired during the 2020-21 season and led the Hawks to the Eastern Conference finals. He was signed to a four-year contract after the season.
McMillan has a 748-656 record in five seasons with Seattle, seven with Portland, four with Indiana and parts of three with Atlanta. He was upset that a disagreement with Hawks star guard Trae Young during a shootaround became public on Dec. 2. Young was injured but skipped the game that night, leading to speculation that McMillan and Young are at odds.
It&rsquo;s been a busy season in the front office, with Travis Schlenk stepping down last week from his position as president of basketball operations to work as an adviser. General manager Landry Fields has assumed control of daily operations. Fields was promoted to GM earlier this year.
McMillan spent his entire 12-year playing career with Seattle, ending in 1997-98, and averaged 5.9 points and 6.1 assists.

Hawks coach Nate McMillan said he has no plans to retire or resign in the middle of the season, shooting down a recent report.

Nate McMillan says he has no plans to resign or retire midseason

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Texas men&rsquo;s basketball coach Chris Beard was arrested early Monday on a felony family violence charge, according to Travis County Jail records.
The county Sheriff&rsquo;s Office said the 49-year-old Beard was arrested by Austin police and booked at 4:18 a.m. on a charge of assault on a family or household member in which their breath was impeded, or choking, in common terms.
The charge is a third-degree felony in Texas, with a possible punishment of two to 10 years in prison. The jail records showed Beard had not yet posted bond as of Monday morning and did not indicate when he would be making an initial court appearance. No attorney for him was listed.
&ldquo;The university is aware of the situation regarding Chris Beard. We are continuing to gather information and monitoring the legal process,&rdquo; the school said in a statement.
The Longhorns (7-1), who have been ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 this season, host Rice on Monday night.
Beard is in his second season of a seven-year guaranteed contract that pays him more than $5 million per year. Before coming to Texas, he Texas Tech to the 2019 NCAA Tournament championship game.
Texas freshman guard Arterio Morris also faces a misdemeanor family violence charge stemming from a June arrest after an incident with a former girlfriend and faces a Wednesday court hearing in Denton County near Dallas.
Morris was a top national recruit out of Dallas and has been allowed to play this season despite the charge, and averages 17 minutes and 6.5 points per game. Morris&rsquo; attorney Justin Moore has said Moore is innocent of the assault charge.&nbsp;

Beard's charge is a third-degree felony in Texas, with a possible punishment of two to 10 years in prison.

Texas coach Chris Beard arrested on family violence charge

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) &mdash; New Mexico State&rsquo;s athletic director says power forward Mike Peake has been suspended indefinitely from the basketball team in connection with last month&rsquo;s fatal shooting of a student from a rival university.
That game was canceled along with the Dec. 3 rematch in Las Cruces.
Mario Moccia also told reporters Monday night that neither he nor the school could comment on Peake&rsquo;s enrollment status as a student. The 21-year-old Peake has not been charged in the Nov. 19 pre-dawn shooting on the University of New Mexico&rsquo;s campus in Albuquerque hours before the host Lobos were to play the Aggies.
&ldquo;Mike is suspended from our basketball team until the completion of the university&rsquo;s investigation and the investigation of the proper authorities,&rdquo; Moccia said. &ldquo;When those investigations will be complete, I can&rsquo;t say.&rdquo;
State police investigators said 19-year-old Brandon Travis conspired with two other UNM students and a teenage girl to lure Peake onto campus.
The subsequent shootout left Travis dead at the scene and Peake hospitalized with a leg wound that has required several surgeries.
A brawl at an Oct. 15 UNM-NMSU football game in Las Cruces was a precursor to the shooting, police said.
First-year NMSU men&rsquo;s basketball coach Greg Heiar was not made available to talk to media until 10 days after the shooting.
He expressed his condolences for Travis and his family and said he took full responsibility for the actions of multiple players who sneaked out of the hotel on that morning of the game.
But until Monday, NMSU officials had not spoken publicly about any specific discipline for Peake related to the shooting.
&ldquo;If there is criticism over this decision, I am in a position to take it on myself,&rdquo; Moccia said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve known this player for years and I know what kind of person he is. I didn&rsquo;t feel a need to rush to judgment. I wanted to give the investigation time to play out before making any decisions.&rdquo;
Peake, a 6-foot-7 junior from Chicago, played one season at Georgia before transferring to Austin Peay. He joined New Mexico State in 2021 and averaged 4.1 points and 2.4 rebounds last season, helping the Aggies reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Until Monday, NMSU officials had not spoken publicly about any specific discipline for Peake related to the shooting.

New Mexico State suspends Mike Peake after shooting

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Kansas suspended Hall of Fame coach Bill Self and top assistant Kurtis Townsend for the first four games of the season Wednesday, along with imposing several recruiting restrictions, as part of the fallout from a lengthy FBI investigation into college basketball corruption.
Norm Roberts will be the acting coach for the defending national champions beginning with their opener Monday night against Omaha. Self and Townsend also will miss games against North Dakota State and Southern Utah along with a high-profile showdown between the No. 5 Jayhawks and No. 7 Duke in the Champions Classic.
Self and Townsend will rejoin the team to face North Carolina State at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas on Nov. 23.
The school already had barred the two coaches from off-campus recruiting this past summer. It will also reduce the number of official visits during the 2023-24 academic year, reduce the total number of scholarships by three over a three-year span and reduce the number of permissible recruiting days during the upcoming year by 13 days.
There were no official visitors this year for Late Night at the Phog, the annual celebration to kick off the season.
&ldquo;Coach Townsend and I accept and support KU&rsquo;s decision,&rdquo; Self said in a statement. &ldquo;We are in good hands with Coach Roberts, and I am confident that he will do a great job on the bench leading our team. I am proud of the way our guys have handled this situation and I look forward to returning to the bench for our game against N.C. State.&rdquo;&nbsp;
The infractions case against Kansas stems from a federal investigation in 2017 that led to the conviction of shoe company executives, a middleman who worked with them and several assistant coaches.
Kansas was among the schools named in the case, along with Arizona, LSU, Louisville and N.C. State.
The Kansas case hinged on whether representatives of apparel company Adidas were considered boosters &mdash; the school contends they were not &mdash; when two of them arranged payments to prospective recruits. The school never disputed that the payments were made, only that it had any knowledge that the inducements were happening.
Auburn received four years of probation through a traditional NCAA infractions process for a similar case, but Kansas joined other schools in appealing its case to an Independent Accountability Review Panel, which was among the proposals made by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in 2018 to reform the sport.
The panel works outside the purview of the NCAA and was designed to handle particularly complex cases. But its work has been painfully slow &mdash; NCAA president Mark Emmert acknowledged the process takes &ldquo;way too long&rdquo; &mdash; and Kansas decided to self-impose restrictions while continuing to wait for the IARP to announce its decision.
&ldquo;We are hopeful these difficult self-imposed sanctions will assist in bringing the case to a conclusion,&rdquo; Kansas athletic director Travis Goff said in a statement, and declining any additional comment. &ldquo;Until then, we will continue to focus on supporting our outstanding men&rsquo;s basketball student-athletes and coaches.&rdquo;
Kansas had already doubled down on Self by signing him to a new contract in April 2021.
Under the terms of the five-year deal, Self gets one additional year after the conclusion of each season &mdash; in effect, making it a lifetime contract. It guaranteed him $5.41 million per year with a base salary of $225,000, a professional services contract of $2.75 million and an annual $2.435 million retention bonus.
The contract includes a clause that states the school cannot fire Self for cause &ldquo;due to any current infractions matter that involves conduct that occurred on or prior to&rdquo; the signing of the deal. And while he would have to forfeit half of his base salary and professional services pay while serving any Big 12 or NCAA suspension, it&rsquo;s unclear whether that includes any self-imposed suspensions such as the one handed down Wednesday.
&ldquo;Throughout this process, we have had ongoing conversations with all the involved parties,&rdquo; Kansas chancellor Douglas A. Girod said in a statement. &ldquo;We believe the actions we are announcing today move us closer to resolving this matter.&rdquo;
Making the Kansas case more complex, though, is the rapidly shifting landscape of college sports. Some of the alleged infractions from the 2017 investigation would no longer be against the rules following name, image and likeness legislation, which has allowed athletes in all sports to begin making money from endorsements and other off-the-field business arrangements.
Meanwhile, the days of postseason bans and crippling scholarship reductions as punishments appear to be ending.
Memphis was placed on three years of probation in August and slapped with a public reprimand and fine for violations in the recruitment of James Wiseman, now with the Golden State Warriors. But the Tigers escaped any scholarship penalties or postseason bans because the IARP said it did not want to punish current athletes.
Even as the IARP continues to work on several cases, the NCAA&rsquo;s Division I Transformation Committee earlier this year put forth a recommendation to end the process. The proposal was swiftly adopted by the Division I Board of Directors.
&ldquo;We look forward to commenting further when this process is fully resolved,&rdquo; Girod said of the IARP process. &ldquo;Until then, I want to reiterate our unwavering support of Coach Self and our men&rsquo;s basketball program.&rdquo;

Bill Self and Kurtis Townsend will rejoin the team to face North Carolina State at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas on Nov. 23.

Kansas suspends Self for 4 games in ongoing infractions case

Dating back to when he was 9 years old, Malcolm Brogdon has made plenty of trips to Africa, a place he <a href="https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/brogdon-helps-bring-clean-water-joy-east-african-communities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">truly loves and is passionate about</a>. This past week marked yet another visit with the NBA for Basketball Without Borders, where he along with several players and coaches from around the league played a part in grooming the next generation of basketball youngsters &mdash; on and off the floor.
&ldquo;I just have a heart for it over here, a heart for the continent and developing these guys and giving them a real opportunity,&rdquo; Brogdon told Basketball News via Zoom.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think it's always an amazing opportunity when I get to come over here and work with the young talent, because there's a wealth of it in Africa. They don't have the resources and they don't have the nutrition and the development that we have, but once they do, these kids are gonna take off. So I definitely applaud the NBA for being over here and giving them an opportunity.&rdquo;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/0c3a0557.png" alt="" width="700" height="350" />
(Photos via NBA Africa)
Held in Cairo, Egypt, for the first time since the program expanded into Africa, Basketball Without Borders returned after a brief hiatus. (The last event occurred in Dakar, Senegal, in 2019, which Brogdon also participated in at the time.) BWB Africa 2022 brought together over 60 of the top men and women&rsquo;s prospects under the age of 18 to learn and compete.
The camp featured a variety of activities, including movement efficiency drills, offensive and defensive skill stations, three-point contests and 5-on-5 games, plus sessions about life skills and leadership development. In addition, everybody involved was able to explore the country &mdash; most notably seeing the pyramids and going to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/_l5s4228-1-1.png" alt="" width="700" height="350" />
Finding himself coaching for the second consecutive time, Brogdon quips that such a responsibility &ldquo;is a whole different monster than playing.&rdquo; With that being said, the 29-year-old envisions he&rsquo;ll continue to be involved in developing the future talent that comes from Africa.
&ldquo;It's up to guys like myself in the NBA that have a platform and have a name that can come over [to] encourage these guys, shine some light in their life, work with them and learn from them, and allow them to learn from you,&rdquo; Brogdon said.
With BWB Africa coming to a close on Wednesday, Basketball News spoke with Brogdon about his foundation, the Boston Celtics&rsquo; upcoming season and more.
You&rsquo;ve long talked about how important your platform as an NBA player is and how it can be used to help people. Could you speak about your clean water initiative in East Africa and your <a href="https://www.brogdonfamilyfoundation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brogdon Family Foundation</a> that started two years ago?
Brogdon: "For sure. I have a foundation, the Brogdon Family Foundation. It focuses on two things. One side is education domestically and the other side is clean water internationally. Especially on the clean water side, we've seen a lot of progress over the last couple of years. We're building clean water wells in East Africa &mdash; Tanzania and Kenya. We have over 20-to-25 wells in the ground in those two countries. We're doing a lot of really good work and really impacting people's lives."
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/brogdon1.png" alt="" width="560" height="448" />
It&rsquo;s got to be cool to be able to spend time with Grant Williams out there, especially now that you&rsquo;re teammates with him. Have you gotten the chance to get to know him better and talk ball?
Brogdon: "Yeah, we've talked a lot of basketball. We've spent a lot of time together. We've talked business, we've talked life. I got to meet his mom, she's here. Grant's a great guy. He's a smart guy. He takes the game serious, takes life serious. He's an impressive guy, so I've really enjoyed my time with him."
I&rsquo;m sure you&rsquo;re stoked for camp to start in a few weeks. You seem thrilled to be playing in Boston now. What makes that organization stand out to you?
Brogdon: "Their history, right? I mean, they're the most winning organization in the league, and I think they're more hungry to win than anybody. You can see that with the move they made for me and [Danilo] Gallinari. They want to improve. They want to win a championship. It's all about Banner 18 for 'em. Now that's all it's about for me as well, and I'm excited to be a part of that."
Have you had the chance to talk to Gallo after <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/danilo-gallinari-diagnosed-with-meniscus-tear-no-ligament-damage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his injury</a>?
Brogdon: "I reached out to him. I sent him a text that just said, 'Hey man, praying for you. Get healthy, we need you this year.' He said, 'I appreciate it, brother.' It was short. When you get injured, it's frustrating. You want people to check on you, but a lot of the time, you don't want to talk a lot about it, so I just sent a text out to let him know I was thinking about him and I was praying for him."
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How do you feel you can complement Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown best?
Brogdon: "I think I can just relieve pressure. Whether that's touching the paint, getting 'em easy shots. Whether that's guarding players that they need a break on the defensive end [against] so they can focus on offense.
"But [mostly], being a steady presence on the floor that can help control the end of games, that can help control the flow of the game to make sure that they're getting the ball in their spots, [so] they're never having to overdo it to get a look or run their bodies into the ground. I want to be that guy that can create for 'em."
You're joining a guard room with Marcus Smart, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard. It feels like the lineup combinations could be very fun.
Brogdon: "Yeah. We're talented, we're deep. A year ago, people were talking about, 'The Celtics didn't have depth.' Well, that's not gonna be an issue. I think this year we'll have a wealth of talent coming off the bench, and I'm excited about it. I'm excited. I think we've got smart, more-than-capable guys coming off the bench that are versatile on both sides of the ball, and we can really be dangerous."
What do you admire most about Ime Udoka? What have your conversations with him been like?
Brogdon: "I admire his authenticity, his realness. He's a straight shooter, he's very direct. There's not a lot of gray area with him. You can have coaches that don't want to tell you the truth, that sorta beat around the bush. He's far from that, so I really appreciate that about him. It's hard to find. I've had maybe two conversations with him. I can tell he's a player's coach. He was in the league for a while, he knows how to talk to you, he knows how to relate to you, but he also knows how to coach."
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Background on Basketball Without Borders Africa
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">The first Basketball Without Borders Africa camp took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2003.</li>
<li aria-level="1">In total there have been 18 BWB Africa camps, with the most recent camp taking place in Cairo, Egypt, from Aug. 28-31, 2022.</li>
<li aria-level="1">More than 1,400 men and women from more than 30 African countries have participated in BWB Africa.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Camps have been attended and supported by more than 150 NBA and WNBA coaches, players and NBA team personnel.</li>
<li aria-level="1">BWB Africa camps have been conducted in South Africa (2003-2009; 2011-2015; 2017-2018), Senegal (2010, 2019), Egypt (2022) and Angola (2016).</li>
<li aria-level="1">Twelve former BWB Africa campers have been drafted into the NBA: Khalifa Diop (BWB Africa 2018), Christian Koloko (BWB Africa 2017), Pascal Siakam (BWB Africa 2012), Joel Embiid (BWB Africa 2011), Kostas Antetokounmpo (BWB Africa 2015), Chukwudi Maduabum (BWB Africa 2010), Gorgui Dieng (BWB Africa 2009), Christian Eyenga (BWB Africa 2005), Hamady N'diaye (BWB Africa 2004), Solomon Alabi (BWB Africa 2004), Mouhamed Saer Sene (BWB Africa 2004), Luc Mbah a Moute (BWB Africa 2003)</li>
</ul>
Background on Basketball Without Borders
<ul>
<li aria-level="2">Basketball Without Borders (BWB) is the NBA and FIBA&rsquo;s global basketball development and community outreach program that was launched in 2001.</li>
<li aria-level="2">The first-ever BWB camp took place in Europe in July 2001: Vlade Divac (Serbia) and Toni Kukoc (Croatia), together with former teammates from the Yugoslavia national team, reunited in Treviso, Italy, to work with 50 children from the former Yugoslavia.</li>
<li aria-level="2">The NBA and FIBA have staged 65 BWB camps in 40 cities across 30 countries on six continents.&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="2">BWB has hosted more than 3,800 participants from 133 countries and territories.</li>
<li aria-level="2">More than 310 current and former NBA/WNBA players have joined more than 240 NBA team personnel from all 30 NBA teams to share their expertise and knowledge with participants.</li>
<li aria-level="2">The NBA typically hosts four regional BWB camps over the summer (Africa, Europe, Asia, Americas), and in 2015 created the BWB Global camp, which is held annually at NBA All-Star for the top prospects from the previous summer&rsquo;s camps</li>
<li aria-level="2">There have been 105 former BWB campers drafted or signed by NBA or WNBA teams, including a record 41 players on opening-night rosters last season.
<ul>
<li aria-level="2">Notable former BWB campers include Deandre Ayton, Josh Giddey, RJ Barrett, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lauri Markkanen, Joel Embiid, Danilo Gallinari, Marc Gasol, Rui Hachimura, Jonas Valanciunas, Jamal Murray, Nicolas Batum, Pascal Siakam and Awak Kuier.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

Spencer Davies chats with Malcolm Brogdon about his involvement with BWB Africa, his foundation, next year's Celtics and more.

Malcolm Brogdon Q&A: Fit with Celtics, BWB Africa experience

Compared to a grind-it-away offseason last summer that helped earn him a huge payday, Cleveland Cavaliers big man Jarrett Allen has been traveling and spending much more time with family this go-round.
Allen's latest adventure? Canberra, Australia, where the 24-year-old is participating in the Basketball Without Borders Asia program as a coach for the first time in his career.
"I've been trying to come here to BWB for a while, but things just never lined up,&rdquo; Allen told Basketball News over the phone. &ldquo;I just liked the idea of the world-life travel, the connecting basketball globally, expanding the NBA globally. I just think it's a great opportunity to share the game.&rdquo;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/2v6a2153-1-1.png" alt="" width="700" height="350" />
Working alongside Chicago Bulls guard Coby White, Dallas Mavericks swingman Josh Green and Phoenix Suns forward Cam Johnson, Allen&rsquo;s been appreciative to get to know the guys he competes against. Together, the four NBA players are providing their best knowledge and advice to the next generation of hoopers to ensure the game of basketball continues to thrive.
&ldquo;That's who's coming after us. That's literally the future of the game, both globally and in the States,&rdquo; Allen explained. &ldquo;We have to share our knowledge to the people coming after to just make things better for the future."
Part of the reason Allen feels so strongly about this is that he had the proper guidance when he was in these campers&rsquo; shoes.
&ldquo;I don't remember the names well. But just growing up, [during] my summer workouts when I was their age [at Texas], I used to practice against some college and NBA players,&rdquo; Allen said. &ldquo;They would always take the time to help me, to show me little tips about how they played the game, how they played their position, and just helped me get my game to the next level. So that's what I'm trying to do with these kids.&rdquo;
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With BWB Asia Camp wrapping up on Aug. 10, Basketball News spoke with Allen about his involvement, his offseason, the Cavs&rsquo; upcoming year and more.
I'm sure Matthew Dellavedova told you good things about Australia. Have you been there before?
Allen: "This is my first time, but so far so good (laughs)."
Did you get any good coaching tips from J.B. Bickerstaff?
Allen: "Ah, no! Actually, I could've asked him (laughs). Honestly, I've been meeting great coaches out here, great people. It's been an amazing experience."
Have you gotten any kinds of unique questions from the campers?
Allen: "The kids didn't really ask me questions. They were kinda shy. But one of the kids just asked about leadership and how to become a better leader, which is surprising. I bet you none of us would've asked that growing up. But it goes to show the kids are trying to be the best they can."
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How&rsquo;s the offseason gone for you?
Allen: "Offseason's going pretty well. It's been kinda just a normal offseason, honestly."
Is your finger feeling alright?
Allen: "The finger's completely healed, not even like I broke it anymore."
Are you eager to start back up again at your own training camp in Cleveland?
Allen: "Aw yeah. I mean, it feels like the season's been done for eight months. Around this time of the year, I get itching to play, I get ready to get back on the court. But the good thing [is] it's about two months away."
You and Darius Garland are going into your second-and-a-half season together basically. Why do you think you guys have meshed so well as a tandem, and how would you like to build on that this coming year?
Allen: "Things really clicked for us as soon as I got to Cleveland. Obviously, we all know he's an amazing point guard. But the thing that I don't think people realize is just how willing he is to learn the game, how willing he is to work with myself to try to figure out the best position for me to catch the ball and to just finish a lob. And I see it expanding even further.
"Just every single year, especially with him and I, we've improved our games together, improved our chemistry, improved how we play the game together. And I think we still have a long way to go."
What did you think of the team bringing in Robin Lopez? 
Allen: "I'm happy with the Robin [addition]. I know him from just playing against him on the court. He's a great dude. The Lopez brothers altogether, just the things beyond social media battles, great guys. Especially defending [Robin], [he's a] great player &mdash; Captain Hook (laughs). He has the best hook shot in the league."
Ricky Rubio&rsquo;s back in the fold too. The locker room&rsquo;s gotta be thrilled about that.
Allen: "It's so good to have Ricky back. Off the court, great guy. He was a glue guy for us, to be able to keep us together. [He] came in with a positive attitude every day, willing to work. And even especially on the court, he ran the offense, he got us to where we needed to be."
Are we going to see more of that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WVdTvfC2ik" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high-low action</a> with Evan Mobley?
Allen: "Oh absolutely, that's not going anywhere (laughs). I mean hey, we've got Lauri [Markkanen] too. We've got all three levels of scoring."
Is anybody coming into the paint after what you two did last year?
Allen: "(Laughs) You know, if they do, they're gonna know what happens."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Kevin Love: 22 PTS, 6 REB, 6 3PM Jarrett Allen: 19 PTS, 11 REB, 5 BLK Evan Mobley: 17 PTS, 11 REB, 4 BLK The <a href="https://twitter.com/cavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cavs</a> big men put in work in their win 💪 <a href="https://t.co/jSdNxx5rAl">pic.twitter.com/jSdNxx5rAl</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1466414382519398417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

You were right there in the thick of it before the injuries hit. Do you feel you guys would&rsquo;ve gotten further/made more of a run had everybody been healthy?
Allen: "You know, with that, you never can say for sure. I don't like saying if we could've made it or not because what happened, happened. But the possibility is definitely there, and the question is there, of just how far could we have made it."
Being sidelined had to sting, especially with the timing. You guys were surging before the All-Star break.
Allen: "Yeah, we were. It was the whole timing of the injury, right? When we were rolling and then, things started to not go where we wanted to go toward the end of the season. So this year, coming out, I think we're all full-steam ahead."
What&rsquo;s the vibe been with the guys?
Allen: "We have our own little group chat. We share memes, check in on each other every now and then. We're all [ready] to play again."
I'm sure the pictures from Kevin Love and Cedi Osman's weddings made it in there.
Allen: "(Laughs) I'm super excited for them."
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Here&rsquo;s something I always wanted to ask you &ndash; how did you get so invested in anime? Those likes pop up on the Twitter feed quite a bit! 
Allen: "(Laughs) I just think it's a fun thing to do. People have things that they like, have different types of hobbies, different things. That's just who I am. It's the things I like to do, things I don't mind sharing that I like."
Have you ever gotten fan art before?
Allen: "Some. Normally, me as <a href="https://www.funimation.com/shows/afro-samurai/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Afro Samurai</a> (laughs). But other than that, nothing too crazy."
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/bwb-day-4-finals-145.png" alt="" width="700" height="350" />
Background on Basketball Without Borders
<ul>
<li>Basketball Without Borders (BWB) is the NBA and FIBA&rsquo;s global basketball development and community outreach program that has been conducted annually since 2001.</li>
<li>The first-ever BWB camp took place in Europe in July 2001: Vlade Divac (Serbia) and Toni Kukoc (Croatia), together with former teammates from the Yugoslavia national team, reunited in Treviso, Italy to work with 50 children from the former Yugoslavia.</li>
<li>Since then the NBA and FIBA have staged 65 BWB camps in 42 cities in 30 countries on six continents with more than 3,700 participants from 133 countries and territories.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The NBA typically hosts four regional BWB camps over the summer (Africa, Europe, Asia, Americas), and in 2015 created the BWB Global camp, which is held annually at NBA All-Star for the top prospects from the previous summer&rsquo;s camps.</li>
<li>More than 310 current and former NBA/WNBA players have joined more than 240 NBA team personnel from all 30 NBA teams to share their expertise and knowledge with participants.</li>
<li>More than 100 former BWB campers have made it to the NBA or WNBA, including Marc Gasol, Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam, Nicolas Batum, Jonas Valanciunas, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, Danilo Gallinari</li>
<li>A record 41 former BWB campers were on opening-night rosters for the 2021-22 season.</li>
<li>The highest-drafted former BWB campers are:
<ul>
<li>No. 1 overall: Deandre Ayton (Bahamas; 2018), Andrea Bargnani (Italy; 2006)</li>
<li>No. 3 overall: RJ Barrett (Canada; 2019), Joel Embiid (Cameroon; 2014), Enes Kanter Freedom (Turkey; 2011)</li>
<li>No. 4 overall: Dragan Bender (Croatia; 2016)</li>
<li>No. 5 overall: Jonas Valančiūnas (Lithuania; 2011)</li>
<li>No. 6 overall: Josh Giddey (Australia; 2021); Danilo Gallinari (Italy; 2008); Bennedict Mathurin (Canada; 2022)</li>
<li>No. 7 overall: Killian Hayes (France; 2020), Lauri Markkanen (Finland; 2017), Jamal Murray (Canada; 2016)</li>
<li>No. 8 overall: Frank Ntilikina (France; 2017)</li>
<li>No. 9 overall: Deni Avdija (Israel; 2020) and Rui Hachimura (Japan; 2019)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

Spencer Davies chats with Jarrett Allen about his involvement with BWB Asia, his offseason, the Cavs’ upcoming year and more.

Jarrett Allen Q&A: Cavaliers' offseason, Basketball Without Borders

As the Atlanta Hawks try to retool around superstar point guard Trae Young following a very disappointing postseason appearance, they have been very aggressive in trade talks as of late.
&ldquo;With the Hawks, they&rsquo;re as motivated as any team in the league to make a significant deal or deals to improve their team and try to find a co-star for Trae Young,&rdquo; <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10039377-woj-hawks-as-motivated-as-any-team-in-nba-want-trade-for-co-star-with-trae-young" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski said last week on SportsCenter</a>. &ldquo;I think very likely John Collins is going to be part of any of those deals. I think he&rsquo;s very likely on the move somewhere this week as they try to do something big in Atlanta.&rdquo;
The Hawks were reportedly dangling Collins and Kevin Huerter to the Sacramento Kings in hopes of moving up to No. 4 in the 2022 NBA Draft for Purdue&rsquo;s Jaden Ivey, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/34121058/2022-nba-mock-draft-projecting-all-58-picks-based-latest-intel-scouting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per ESPN&rsquo;s Jonathan Givony</a>.
Although Atlanta didn&rsquo;t move Collins on draft night, the athletic forward could be on the move soon. <a href="https://theathletic.com/live-blogs/2022-nba-draft-live/vwppvqcjn6UR/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to The Athletic&rsquo;s Sam Amick</a>, Collins was also linked to the Kings in talks that didn't include the No. 4 pick, while also drawing interest from the Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards.
Atlanta&rsquo;s desire to improve their roster isn't going unnoticed, and now there appears to be a golden opportunity for Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk. <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nba-draft-postmortem-and-fa-preview-with-seth-partnow/id1618992995?i=1000567653282" target="_blank" rel="noopener">As Bleacher Report&rsquo;s Jake Fischer originally reported</a>, the San Antonio Spurs are showing a willingness to trade All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray, but the price would be significant. It would take a &ldquo;Jrue Holiday-like&rdquo; package of three future first-round picks for San Antonio to even consider dealing Murray, and the Hawks might be a willing trade partner.
Fischer added this bombshell related to Murray and the Hawks on the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nba-draft-postmortem-and-fa-preview-with-seth-partnow/id1618992995?i=1000567653282" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest episode of Please Don&rsquo;t Aggregate This</a>: &ldquo;I know that Dejounte and Trae want to play together, or at least have interest in doing it."
It's worth noting that Murray and Young are both represented by the same agency, Klutch Sports. Suddenly, this starts to make a lot of sense from all angles.
Why would the Spurs be open to this? Murray&rsquo;s trade value is at an all-time high right now coming off a breakout season, and he has two years, $34.3 million remaining on his current contract. If the Hawks are willing to meet their asking price, the return package would be significant for San Antonio. It's possible the Spurs want to bottom out for potential generational prospect Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Murray averaged 21.1 points, 9.2 assists, 8.3 rebounds and a league-leading 2.0 steals per game for San Antonio during the 2021-22 campaign. In his first season with a usage rate above 25%, Murray thrived with more responsibilities on his plate. Murray, who doesn&rsquo;t turn 26 years old until September, is about to enter the prime of his career. It's very possible that he has yet to play his best basketball, which is a scary thought for the rest of the league.
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The right system could accentuate Murray&rsquo;s strengths. For the Hawks, Murray would be the ideal yin-yang combination alongside Young. With Murray&rsquo;s tenacious defense and ability to create havoc in all areas of the game, Young can conserve his energy and focus on running Atlanta&rsquo;s offense at an efficient rate. With an ability to get downhill better than most players around the Association, Murray would benefit immensely playing next to the gravity thief that is Young. In one-on-one situations, Young&rsquo;s floor-spacing acumen would make Murray&rsquo;s role so much easier.
Perhaps San Antonio had a realization about where they truly stand right now. After adding three first-round prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft &mdash; Baylor&rsquo;s Jeremy Sochan, Notre Dame&rsquo;s Blake Wesley and Ohio State&rsquo;s Malaki Branham &mdash; the Spurs are clearly committed to their youth movement. This rookie trio joins Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Josh Primo, Tre Jones and Romeo Langford as foundational pieces in San Antonio. Next year, the Spurs project to have 11 players who are age-22 or younger on their roster.
San Antonio seems focused on stockpiling prospects and developing their young core. There&rsquo;s no denying that Murray is a star-level player, but the two sides may be going in different directions soon enough. Since Murray is about to turn 26 years old and will want to be in a winning situation soon, perhaps he doesn't fit the team's timeline and that's why the Spurs are weighing their trade options.&nbsp;
The Hawks actually have a solid amount of assets that could be appealing and make the Spurs seriously consider dealing Murray. Collins would be the centerpiece of the package for salary purposes, but the Hawks also own two first-round picks in next year&rsquo;s draft along with all of their own first-rounders going forward. Even No. 16 overall pick AJ Griffin, who worked out for the Spurs during the pre-draft process, could be a potential trade chip used in a Murray blockbuster.
It's worth noting that Collins is a year younger than Murray, and San Antonio has been linked to him since last offseason when he was a restricted free agent.
&ldquo;The Spurs are definitely doing intel on John [Collins], like I know that,&rdquo; <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nba-draft-postmortem-and-fa-preview-with-seth-partnow/id1618992995?i=1000567653282" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fischer said on the latest episode of Please Don&rsquo;t Aggregate This</a>. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re calling around, asking about him.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s rare to find a potential blockbuster where all the dots begin to connect in rapid succession. If the Spurs are serious about listening to offers on their All-Star point guard, the Hawks won't be the only team making an aggressive push for Murray &mdash; plenty of other star-starved organizations will do the same. Thanks to his versatile skillset, Murray is an elite connecting piece for any potential win-now franchise.
In Atlanta, one could argue that Murray would be in the best situation of his career. Forming a one-two punch alongside Young in the backcourt while also being flanked defensively by De&rsquo;Andre Hunter and Clint Capela, Atlanta would have the chance to make serious noise next season if this happens.
This could be a win-win trade, but we'll see if the Hawks are willing to meet the Spurs' asking price. But given the recent rumors, don't be surprised if Murray is playing in Atlanta by the start of next season.
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Could Dejounte Murray actually join the Atlanta Hawks soon? Evan Sidery says it makes a lot of sense after connecting the dots.

The Hawks are the perfect trade destination for Dejounte Murray

BasketballNews.com's Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock presents a series that will peel back the curtain from his time as a sports agent, giving a glimpse at some of his personal experiences working in the sports agency business for over a decade.
In the fifth entry of his series, Babcock shares his experience of living in Bologna, Italy as an assistant coach of a professional basketball team before becoming a sports agent. &nbsp; A little over 15 years ago, I received a call from sports agent Sam Goldfeder. On that call, he notified me that he had successfully brokered an assistant coaching position for me with the professional basketball team, Virtus Bologna, in Bologna, Italy. He explained that the team's season had already begun, and if I wanted to accept the job, I would need to pack my bags and fly to Italy right away. Although it was an unorthodox approach to chasing my dream of following in my family's footsteps and working in basketball, I decided to take a chance. I accepted the job. Before I knew it, I left my family's home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to travel nearly 5,000 miles to Bologna, Italy without knowing many details. I was 22 years old and set to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
I vividly remember walking into the gym for my first team practice. I was excited but nervous. The first person I saw had a familiar face: former NBA player Travis Best. I had never met him before, but I had seen him play many times when he was the backup point guard of the great Indiana Pacers teams during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and he also played a role in the basketball movie "He Got Game." Travis approached me, introduced himself and kindly welcomed me to the team. He mentioned that he had gotten to know my uncle, Pete Babcock, the general manager of the Atlanta Hawks, while Travis had been in college at Georgia Tech.
We continued to chat, and it became apparent that he mistakenly thought I was his new teammate. I'm sure he was surprised when I told him I wasn't his teammate but his new assistant coach. Travis was 34 years old at the time and twelve years older than me. Ironically, I was there to start my coaching career as a 22-year-old kid, and he was winding down his playing career, which included ten years in the NBA. Although more of a complementary player while he was in the NBA, Travis was a star in Italy and widely known throughout Bologna as "The Best." He was our team's top player. He treated me well, and despite our age difference, we developed a friendship during my time there.
Following my conversation with Travis, I met the rest of the team. Many of them I had seen play numerous times when they were college stars in the United States. We had big man Kris Lang who had played at North Carolina, Danish forward Christian Drejer who played at Florida, sharpshooter Brett Blizzard from UNC-Wilmington, Ilian Evtimov from North Carolina State and even a fellow Arizona Wildcat, Bennett Davison, who was at U of A before me. He was also a college roommate of my former assistant coach, Josh Pastner. Their team won the National Championship in 1997. Bear Down!
It would be great to say that I finally felt at home in this foreign country once my first practice with the team had started. However, that wouldn't be true. It was quite the opposite, as I quickly found myself out of my element.
Let me explain.
Our team was conducting what is commonly called a "shell drill," which is a traditional exercise for a team to work on their defensive positioning and rotations. I had seen and done the shell drill what felt like a million times at that point. I would have been entirely confident to explain the principles of the drill and provide extensive direction to anyone at any time and without any preparation. Everything started with that drill as I would have expected. The players on offense each took a stationary position around the perimeter and moved the ball from one player to another. Each defensive team member would shift their position depending on the place of the ball. Up to that point, everything was normal. However, one of the players threw a skip pass and drove baseline to force the team to make a more dramatic defensive rotation. That is when things got kooky.
Rather than the nearby post player sliding over to the baseline to cut off the driving ball-handler, which is the standard way of doing it in the United States, the weak side guard sprinted from the opposite end of the court to cut off the man instead. When that happened, my mouth opened, and my jaw hit the ground in disbelief. I had never seen or heard of anything like that before. Travis Best looked at me and started cracking up. He said, "I was waiting for that to happen. I knew that you would be shocked." The other American players caught on, and everyone had a nice laugh before resuming practice. I thought, "This isn't going to be as easy as I thought."
I learned that Europeans do many things differently regarding practicing, playing, coaching and preparing for the game. And although I can't say I agree with all of the philosophies, I am happy I was able to experience something new. As an ambitious 22 year old, I needed to learn and develop. Learning from a coach with significantly different coaching methods challenged me and allowed me to open my mind to new ideas. It also forced me to make decisions internally about how I saw the game and how I thought it should be played.
I had been provided a car by the team, but I was lucky to have my apartment in the "city centre" (downtown), so I could easily walk around the city. It was a short walk from the Piazza Maggiore, the main square in town, and I spent much of my time just wandering and exploring. Rich in history, Bologna was one of the most prominent cities in Europe during the Middle Ages and is the home of the University of Bologna, the oldest university in the world. It's still considered a college town.
Another part worth noting is that Bologna is in the Emilia-Romagna region, which is known for its food and wine in a country famous for its culinary excellence. Yes, the food there really was good! During my time in Bologna, I established a newfound love for gelato, espresso, vino tinto (red wine) and numerous traditional Italian dishes, including ragu alla bolognese (bolognese sauce), which originated in Bologna. I ate so much pasta! My culinary experience while in Italy was indescribably good. However, my off-the-court experiences in Italy can not be summed up that easily.
My eyes were opened more and more as I met new people and experienced different things. I learned that Italians generally choose to intently live every part of their lives with passion. That was something that made an impact on me. I have tried to adopt and apply that approach to my own life and "stop and smell the roses," even today.
Throughout Italy, soccer is the top sport. However, in Bologna, basketball is king. During the 2006-2007 season, that was especially true as my team, Virtus, and our cross-town rival Climamio were the top two teams in all of Italy. To add to the excitement of being a part of that great rivalry, Climamio had the top international NBA prospect on their team, Marco Belinelli, who attracted many NBA personnel to town to evaluate him. The Golden State Warriors selected Belinelli with the 18th pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.
I was regularly invited to dinner by NBA scouts who were in town to see Belinelli,which was a terrific experience for a young guy like myself trying to learn and grow within the basketball world. Ristorante da Nello was the usual choice for NBA folks. I remember on one occasion going to dinner with Jacinto Castillo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Dennis Lindsey of the Houston Rockets. Jacinto, a Spaniard from Malaga, Spain, worked with my dad for years and is one of my favorite people. I did and still do consider him to be "the most interesting man in the world." Dennis Lindsey, the assistant general manager for the Rockets, has been a friend of my family for years and someone I have always respected. He has been an executive in the NBA for years.
I have been fortunate to have had many opportunities like that dinner with people like Jacinto and Dennis. Some of my most valuable learning experiences throughout my life and career have been at dinners where I've been a sponge listening to veteran basketball people share thoughts, opinions, and stories. Those experiences have probably contributed to my development as a basketball person more than anything else, and I'm certainly thankful for them.
Days and weeks passed, and I continued to fall in love with the city, the country and the culture. I also became close with the players and my co-workers on the team. Socially everything was great for me, and I loved living in Bologna. However, I had gone there blindly without really knowing any details about the job. After I arrived, I was informed that I could not travel with the team until I received a coaching license. They talked to me about getting the license and having me commit to a two-year contract. However, I was unsure if I wanted to commit to being away from home for so long. Also, I was given little direction in terms of what the expectations were for my role. In hindsight, I needed guidance and structure, as I was young and immature. Honestly, I wasn't ready for a job like that yet, and I struggled to find my footing workwise.
When winter break came, all of the players went home for a couple of weeks, but the team had me stay in town, although there wasn't any work for me to do. I remember driving around by myself on Christmas night, lost and hungry, desperately searching for somewhere to eat dinner because the restaurant I usually went to was closed. During that pitiful drive, the song by Stevie Wonder, "I Just Called to Say I Love You," came on the radio, and I began to miss my family, and subsequently, homesickness crept in.
It was something I had never dealt with before, and in the following days, I began to look at the glass as half empty and harped on the negatives. I called Sam Goldfeder, who had become my mentor. I talked with him about my frustrations, and over a few weeks, we discussed the idea of me working for him and his agency, Excel Sports Management. He said he would do his best to push the idea through, but for any job to come to fruition, I would need to meet with his partner and the company owner, Jeff Schwartz.
I ultimately decided to leave Bologna, Italy, and fly back to the United States to meet with Sam and Jeff in Los Angeles.
And that's when my career as a sports agent really began.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/my-past-life-as-a-sports-agent-bologna-italy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read the last entry of this series</a>: "My past life as a sports agent: Bologna, Italy" 
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.babcockhoops.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BabcockHoops.com</a>.
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Matt Babcock shares his experience living of in Italy as a pro assistant basketball coach before becoming a sports agent.

My past life as a sports agent: Ciao means hello and goodbye

It was the summer of 2001, and I had just finished my junior year of high school.
I received a phone call on my family's home phone in Milwaukee, Wisconsin &mdash; it was a representative from Adidas calling to invite me to be a participant at the famed ABCD Camp.
A prestigious camp held at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey, the ABCD Camp was established in 1984 and would continue until 2006. The camp was sponsored by Adidas and run by legendary shoe company executive Sonny Vaccaro. His main claim to fame was his role in developing and executing Michael Jordan's Air Jordan brand with Nike. After leaving Nike, Sonny joined Adidas, where he was able to get the ABCD Camp rolling.
Each year, the camp was comprised of the top high school players in the country. In 2001, the NBA had not yet set the age limit restricting high school players from declaring for the NBA draft following their senior year. Because of this, not only was every prominent college coach at this event, but so were all of the NBA scouts and front-office personnel. At that point, the ABCD Camp was the mecca of high school basketball.
I was beyond excited to get invited, but I must admit, it was somewhat intimidating. Luckily I wouldn't be going alone, as several of my good friends received invitations to the camp too.
My roommate at the camp was Dan Grunfeld, who was, and still is, one of my best friends. Dan is the son of Ernie Grunfeld, who, at the time, was my dad's boss and the general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks. Dan became a star player at Stanford and led the (then) Pac-10 conference in scoring his junior year, and had a successful career playing in Europe. In addition, our good friend and my high school teammate, Coby Karl, was also with us. Coby is the son of George Karl, who was the head coach of the Bucks at the time. Coby played a few years in the NBA after starring at Boise State.
The three of us were teammates as a part of the AAU program, Friends of Hoop.
Also with us from Milwaukee was Steve Novak, who has been a friend of mine since we were AAU teammates on the Wisconsin All-Stars all the way back when we were in middle school. Once Steve and I got to high school, we had some great battles during our freshman and sophomore years. (I was at Shorewood High School and he was at Brown Deer High School, one of our conference rivals. Steve went on to team up with Dwyane Wade at Marquette, and had a long successful career in the NBA.)
So there's no denying that Milwaukee was represented well at the ABCD Camp that year.
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For whatever reason, I didn't fly with my friends from Milwaukee. Instead, I flew by myself to La Guardia Airport in New York. When I landed, an Adidas representative was waiting and drove another player, DeAngelo Collins, and I to the hotel in New Jersey. It's probably not a name that will ring a bell for many people, but at the time, he was a well-known player. As soon as I saw him, I knew who he was &mdash; although we had never met before. DeAngelo was one of the top-ranked players in the country, became a McDonald's All-American and entered his name in the NBA Draft after his senior year of high school. (Unfortunately, he went undrafted and only had a short professional career overseas).
Anyway, as I was sitting next to DeAngelo in a van heading to the camp hotel, my nerves kicked up another notch. I knew that, at the end of that ride, the rest of the top high school players in the country awaited.
When I arrived at the hotel, my friends from Milwaukee were there. We had to sign in, collect a bag full of Adidas gear and take some photos. When Dan and I finally got to our room, we had a moment where we talked about how excited we were to be there. The whole experience was exciting and fun, but intense at the same time. Whether it was the top-ranked player in the country or the last guy invited, we all wanted the same thing &mdash; to improve our stock. The ABCD Camp was the biggest stage any of us had played on at that point in our careers. It was an opportunity to move up in the player rankings, which would subsequently lead to more scholarship offers or even interest from NBA teams, for some.
Coby, Dan and I had somewhat similar backgrounds, as we all grew up around the game, as our dads and families all had careers working in the NBA. As I was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/growing-up-a-buck-from-ray-allen-to-giannis-antetokounmpo-dave-babcock-remains-milwaukee-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">growing up</a>, my dad would often suggest that I "get some shots up" or do my "Pistol Pete" ball-handling routine instead of playing video games, but generally, my family never put a lot of pressure on me to be a great player. I never got the impression that Coby or Dan felt much direct pressure from their families either. However, I think I can speak for the three of us in saying that we all put a significant amount of pressure on ourselves due to our backgrounds. And at the ABCD Camp, I certainly felt the pressure. But I was motivated and determined to move the needle!
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The first night, all of the players went to the gym for Sonny's welcome speech. He spoke to our group to set expectations for the camp, and gave some general advice. We then split up to join our assigned teams and had a light practice. That allowed us to meet our teammates for the camp and our teams' coaches. The coaches tried to implement some basic offensive and defensive principles during that practice. However, the reality was the camp was "pick-up ball" with some freelance referees.
My team's head coach was Chris Grant, who worked for my uncle, Pete Babcock, the general manager of the Atlanta Hawks at the time. (I don't think that was a coincidence). Chris started his career as an intern for my uncle after playing in college at the University of San Diego. Years later, he worked his way up and became the Cleveland Cavaliers' general manager. The top player on our team was Josh Smith from Atlanta, Georgia. He was a year younger than me, but he was a high-profile prospect. A couple of years later, Josh was selected in the first round by the Hawks directly out of high school. He had a successful NBA career, and was one of the top players for the Hawks for years.
Following practice, we returned to our rooms for the night. Dan and I talked about our teams. He told me he had a player on his team that was good. I had never heard of him before &mdash; his name was Carmelo Anthony.
We had a few things to do the following day before live games began. First, there was a guest speaker, but not just any guest speaker; it was Kobe Bryant. He talked to us about some of his personal experiences going through a lot of the same things we were all going through as high school players. It was incredible to listen to a player who had been living the life that every one of us dreamed about for ourselves. To say Kobe's talk was inspiring would be an extreme understatement. Although just a young guy at the time, Kobe had such distinct confidence and determination. It was a privilege to meet Kobe and listen to him speak.
Following the session with Kobe, the players had to take prep ACT and SAT classes. We were seated at tables with about a handful of players per table. I remember sitting with Travis Outlaw, who was a hilarious, nice guy. Travis declared for the 2002 NBA Draft after high school, and was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. He went on to play in the NBA and had a good career.
At the table directly next to me was a younger player that I did not know. Like most of us, he didn't seem interested in that class. Halfway through picking out his braids and leaving half of his hair in an afro, he decided he would lay his head down and take a nap. The teacher wasn't happy about that and kept lecturing him, saying things like, "This is important, your future depends on this" &mdash; something along those lines. Finally, the player sat up and said, "I'm going pro!" and put his head back down.
Soon after, I found out the player's name was LeBron James.
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Finally, when classes finished up, the real reason we came to town was about to begin. It was time to hoop.
The games started, and they were great! There was so much talent in each game. I had the opportunity to share the court with future NBA All-Stars like Carmelo, LeBron, Chris Bosh, Deron Williams and many other soon-to-be standout pros. The gym was buzzing, and it was quite the scene. "Oohs and ahhs" could be heard left and right. The stands were filled with famous coaches, including Coach K, Lute Olson and Rick Pitino. NBA scouts and media members were busy taking notes and trying to find the next NBA star.
The actual gameplay was pretty sloppy, as expected. In most showcase types of events, players will play "to get their's." Also, there is not much of a game plan without much practice time, which usually results in poor ball movement and limited opportunities for lower-ranked players (like myself) to have the ball in their hands.
Despite the challenges, I played pretty well. I shot a high percentage, and even had one game where I scored 15 points and hit a handful of three-pointers. Because I had limited opportunities to have the ball in my hands, I made an extra effort to be as effective as possible without the ball. I noticed that the referees were quick to call offensive fouls during this camp, so I decided to get in the lane when players would drive to the hoop to draw charges. My strategy worked well, and I drew several charges.
However, I tried this tactic in one particular game and my plan backfired, as the player on the other end was LeBron. He laid one of his now-signature tomahawk dunks right on me. I flew back probably 10 feet, and the gym went crazy. That was my formal introduction to "King James."
It's been said that the 2001 ABCD Camp is when LeBron broke onto the scene and the whole media frenzy began for him. His legendary battle with the No. 1 player in my class, Lenny Cooke, happened at this camp. Dan and I were sitting together in the bleachers watching that game. I am happy to say that I was a "witness" to the making of one of the greatest stars our game has ever seen.
All in all, I did well at the camp, and I was able to generate more interest from schools, which was my goal. However, more than 20 years have passed since that ABCD camp, and the most valuable experience turned out to be the memories that I will cherish forever.
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Editor's Note: This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.babcockhoops.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BabcockHoops.com</a>.
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Matt Babcock relives his experience at the 2001 ABCD Camp, where a number of high schoolers stood out before becoming NBA stars.

ABCD Camp: The mecca of high school basketball circa 2001

The Atlanta Hawks fought hard just to make the playoffs.
They battled to the very last second against the top-seeded team in the East.
But in the end, there's only one word to describe this season.
Disappointing.
Coming off <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">a surprising run to the Eastern Conference final</a> in the summer of 2021, the Hawks entered this season thinking of themselves as a potential championship contender.
Instead, they took a big step backward, spending much of the year under .500 before a late surge got them into the play-in tournament with the ninth-best record in the conference.
The Hawks won two straight in the tournament &mdash; including <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cleveland-cavaliers-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-trae-young-c10ce79815156de0cb02475b8b93805f">a road victory</a> at Cleveland &mdash; to take the No. 8 playoff seed, but they were no match for the Miami Heat in the opening round of the playoffs.
Atlanta lasted only five games, finished off by <a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-1c8157e72efbe6347914f1dcb55626fc">a 97-94 defeat</a> Tuesday night.
It really wasn't a surprising result, given the Hawks lack of consistency during the regular season.
There were some obvious culprits &mdash; a rash of injuries, not to mention a COVID-19 outbreak that forced the team to essentially rely on a G-League roster just to take the court &mdash; but there were also mysterious lapses in effort that no one could put a finger on.
&ldquo;We have to play better during the regular season to put ourselves in a better ranking, a better position to approach the playoffs,&rdquo; Danilo Gallinari said. &ldquo;We let a lot of games go. We had too many ups and down during the season. When it's playoff time, you can't take games off, minutes off. You've got to play every game the same way.&rdquo;
From a summer filled with hope, the Hawks head into an offseason that looks much more tumultuous.
&ldquo;It was a tough season. This was not a good result,&rdquo; Gallinari said. &ldquo;Where do we go from here? I have no idea.&rdquo;
MAJOR MOVES?
When the Hawks were struggling at the trade deadline, general manager Travis Schlenk passed on the chance for a major overhaul. The only deal he made was sending Cam Reddish to the New York Knicks for little-used Kevin Knox and a protected first-round ick.
Now that he's seen his team's body of work over an entire season, Schlenk will likely go for much bigger changes this offseason. After all the optimism generated by the 2021 postseason run, it seems clear the current roster isn't capable of competing for a championship.
John Collins, just one year into a five-year, $125 million contract, has been mentioned frequently as potential trade fodder.
TYING UP TRAE
After becoming just the second player in NBA history to lead the league in total points and assists, Trae Young endured a miserable playoff series against the Heat.
Miami limited Young to just 15.4 points per game, twice holding him to single digits. He shot just 32% from the field (22 of 69) and had as many turnovers as assists (30 apiece).
Young and the Hawks must figure out a way to get him more involved away from the ball and come up with ways to produce offense when the other team is intent on shutting down Atlanta's best player.
&ldquo;This is part of my growth,&rdquo; the 23-year-old Young said. &ldquo;The next time I face this sort of challenge, I'm gonna be better.&rdquo;
ANOTHER STAR
With no one on the current roster who seems capable of taking the scoring load off Young on a consistent basis, the Hawks may look to bring in another top-level player to complement their young star.
The Hawks have an abundance of role players, but no really elite player beyond Young. There were far too many nights when they looked like a one-man team.
CONTRACT DECISIONS
This summer, the Hawks must decide what sort of commitment to make to De'Andre Hunter, who closed the season with a career-best 35 points in the Game 5 loss to the Heat.
The Hawks love Hunter's defense and believe he can become more of a force offensively, but he's battled injuries and inconsistency over his first three seasons in the league.
Now, he's eligible for a rookie extension worth up to $184 million over five years.
The Hawks already have big money tied up in players who struggled to meet expectations this season, including Collins, Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela and Kevin Huerter.
BIG O
The Hawks will be looking for ways to get Onyeka Okongwu a bigger role.
Only 21, the undersized center missed the first part of the season recovering from shoulder surgery but played well as his minutes increased down the stretch.
He'll spend this offseason looking for ways to expand his offensive repertoire.

The Hawks a big step backward, spending much of the year under .500 before a late surge got them into the Play-In Tournament.

After surprising playoff run, Hawks take a big step backward

The Atlanta Hawks had such high hopes.
After a surprising playoff run that came up just short of the NBA Finals, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">they came into this season</a> with a deep roster led by one of the league's most exciting young players.
Yet now, with only a handful of games remaining, Trae Young and the Hawks are limping toward the postseason with no prospects beyond a play-in spot and nothing to indicate they'll be hanging around very long in April.
Of the NBA's most disappointing teams, the Hawks are near the top of the list.
&ldquo;We still have an opportunity,&rdquo; insisted coach Nate McMillan, whose team is 36-37 and 10th in the Eastern Conference, the final play-in spot. &ldquo;The goal is to get ourselves in the playoffs. Once you get there, we showed last year that anything can happen.&rdquo;
Only last year, the Hawks rolled into the playoffs as one of the league's hottest teams, flipping a switch when McMillan took over for Lloyd Pierce.
They went 27-11 after the coaching change, grabbing a No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.
They kept up that momentum in the playoffs, romping past the New York Knicks in what became Young's (Madison Square) Garden party, stunning the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in seven games (effectively finishing off The Process), and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-hawks-phoenix-suns-milwaukee-bucks-nba-finals-nba-86a45418b2bf41ffcd7e53a00e0f7044">taking the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks</a> to six games in the East final.
If Young had not twisted an ankle in a freak collision with a referee, the Hawks very well could have knocked off the Bucks and advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since moving to Atlanta in 1968.
Suddenly, the A-T-L went from a sleepy backwater NBA city that generally ranked near the bottom of the league in attendance to abuzz with excitement &mdash; especially after the team locked up cornerstones <a href="nba.com/news/reports-hawks-trae-young-expected-to-finalize-extension">Young</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-nba-atlanta-hawks-john-collins-3641936ced947b00296dc2abb4dbfd84">John Collins</a> with massive contracts.
But this season hasn't come close to meeting expectations.
The Hawks have lingered around .500 all season &mdash; never building any sort of momentum, generally playing like a group of strangers, showing very little of the joy and camaraderie that carried them so far last summer.
Their mediocrity has been especially glaring in a year when the Braves gave Atlanta its first World Series title since 1995 and the Georgia Bulldogs won the college football championship.
&ldquo;Last year for a lot of guys, it was new,&rdquo; center Cint Capela said. "People don't really realize how hard it is to get there. You&rsquo;re never guaranteed to go back to the conference finals.&rdquo;
Young has put up another big season, ranking fourth in the league in scoring (28.1 points per game), but his supporting cast has been perplexingly inconsistent.
Capela has taken a big step backward, leaving the Hawks vulnerable defensively and on the boards. Bogdan Bogdanovic has never looked comfortable taking some of the scoring load off Young. Ditto for Kevin Huerter, who has too many nights when he fails to show up in the box score. Collins may be done for the season with hand and foot injuries.
Promising wins are generally followed by baffling losses, such as <a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-toronto-detroit-4f14d2b182f0e9744d20a3770493778c">Wednesday night's 122-101 debacle</a> against lowly Detroit, a 20-53 team that looked like a championship contender against Atlanta
The Pistons took control with a 23-0 run and led by as many as 29.
The Hawks haven't won back-to-back road games since late December, which doesn't bode well for a team that will likely have to win two straight away from home just to earn its way into the playoffs.
&ldquo;We know what we've got to do,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;We've got to stay locked in and try to finish out the season strong and see where it leads us in the end."
There have been some unexplainable losses to the league's weakest teams &mdash; three times to the Knicks, twice against the Pistons, not to mention Orlando, Washington, Portland, San Antonio and Houston.
General manager Travis Schlenk, who totally overhauled the roster to set up last year's playoff run, held off on any major changes at this season's trade deadline. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-atlanta-new-york-knicks-atlanta-hawks-7b92f82027b999ad26fd862414456510#:~:text=ATLANTA%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20The%20struggling,Knox%20is%20heading%20to%20Atlanta.">His only move</a> was dealing former first-round pick Cam Reddish, who was unhappy with his lack of playing time, to the Knicks.
Now, Schlenk will have to decide if 2021 was an aberration and more big changes are needed.
Capela hopes this season was just an unexpected blip.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a new process. Sometimes the next season, you put too much pressure on yourselves, so you don&rsquo;t do as good," he said. &ldquo;It's the season after that where you do good."
So, Hawks fans, maybe check back again in 2023.

Of the NBA's most disappointing teams, the Hawks are near the top of the list.

After thrilling playoffs, Hawks limping into NBA postseason

Admit it, you still want the series.
Hell, you probably want it even more now.
You still want a No. 2 vs. No. 7 matchup of the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets in Round 1, even though the potential prelude to it was as underwhelming as "Battlefield 2042."
We all come to basketball for different reasons.
Some of you just want straight hoops &mdash; buckets, athleticism, dunks, tough shot-making, etc. Some of you want in-depth, coach-like film breakdowns of the game. Then, there are those of you who want a balance with a little of both, but not too much of either. Others enjoy narratives, stories that transcend numbers and what may really fuel certain things leaving us in awe.
And then, there are the particulars who just want the drama &mdash; transactions, rumors, business, who hates who &mdash; and that&rsquo;s really what Thursday night was about for a ton of viewers who experienced primetime Sixers vs. Nets on TNT.
The first video some of us saw featured Ben Simmons getting heckled after leaving his hotel and boarding what presumably was the Nets&rsquo; team bus. It sounded like... he was back in Philadelphia.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ben Simmons sneaking out of hotel trying to avoid heckling fans. <a href="https://twitter.com/FOX29philly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FOX29philly</a> <a href="https://t.co/VjnQipa6n2">pic.twitter.com/VjnQipa6n2</a>
&mdash; Chris O'Connell (@CoconnellFox29) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoconnellFox29/status/1502043428728844290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Simmons remains out with a reported back issue and needs to ramp up his conditioning. He still might not be mentally ready to return ⁠&mdash; perhaps it&rsquo;s all the above ⁠&mdash; but the All-Star did join the Nets in warmups, and was serenaded by the Philadelphia boo-birds both before and after the game.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ben Simmons was welcomed with boos in his return to Philly. <a href="https://t.co/5ZSktchthL">pic.twitter.com/5ZSktchthL</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1502071069611479040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ben Simmons went over and hugged the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/76ers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#76ers</a> team security, then departed the court, showered with more boos. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nets</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nba?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nba</a> <a href="https://t.co/4YBLuHWFZn">pic.twitter.com/4YBLuHWFZn</a>
&mdash; Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPost_Lewis/status/1502074075673505794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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This is the city that booed and hurled snowballs at Santa Claus in the 1960s, back when it was cool to think a jumbo-sized, red-pajama wearing, high-flying, sleigh-riding, chimney-climbing, cookie-eating, milk-drinking, white-bearded Caucasian dude existed.
So Simmons, justified or not, wasn&rsquo;t going to be off-limits at all.
In the actual game, Kyrie Irving hit the first memorable jumper &mdash; a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NBAdoPovo/status/1502088416023957523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stepback in Harden&rsquo;s face</a>. Harden retaliated with&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/brasilcoast2/status/1502087391007363104" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of his own just minutes later</a>, his most memorable moment of the night, if we&rsquo;re keeping it a buck.&nbsp;
The keystone moment of the contest, while it was still competitive, featured Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid jawing at one another after Embiid shouldered into Durant and knocked him on his ass.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
KD and Embiid going at it 🍿 <a href="https://t.co/kicLbz1Ubw">pic.twitter.com/kicLbz1Ubw</a>
&mdash; NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1502092540756910081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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And then, from there, it didn&rsquo;t matter. The Nets outscored the Sixers 96-79 en route to a 129-100 victory, their biggest blowout win since Nov. 10 &mdash; a 123-90 Brooklyn road triumph over the Orlando Magic.&nbsp;
Quietly, Seth Curry&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1502107719154606087" target="_blank" rel="noopener">might&rsquo;ve talked more sh*t than anyone</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1502140164738633729" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lit up his former team</a> (his father-in-law's!) with 24 points and 5 steals while shooting 10 of 14 from the field and 4 of 8 from three. Embiid ended the night with an unimpressive 27 points and 12 rebounds on 5 of 17 shooting, though he made 15 of 19 free throw attempts. With 4 points in 29 minutes, Tyrese Maxey had his lowest scoring output of the season.&nbsp;
Now, let&rsquo;s get to the others...
Sixers fans may have chastised Simmons early on and ridiculed the Nets throughout, but the night ended with them booing their own team, who is now 40-25 and third in the Eastern Conference (which will be a brawl until the finish). The Nets are back above .500 at 34-33, but are still just in eighth place and sit five games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the No. 6 seed, so Brooklyn is running out of time to avoid a Play-In Tournament scenario.
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If you missed the quotes, there were some interesting ones.&nbsp;
Durant did initially downplay the significance of the win, indicating that the Nets&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/SNYNets/status/1502126038184349697" target="_blank" rel="noopener">didn&rsquo;t win a championship or clinch a playoff spot</a>, but admitted that the team did have some extra motivation given the hostile reaction to Simmons.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We look at Ben [Simmons] as our brother,&rdquo; <a href="https://twitter.com/SNYNets/status/1502127223658233860">said Durant</a>, who the team with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists. &ldquo;We knew that this was a hostile environment, and we knew that he didn&rsquo;t have an opportunity to play, so we wanted to come out there and have them (the fans) focus on the court more so than just always focusing on him. They focused on the court tonight, and it&rsquo;s hard for you to chant at Ben Simmons when you&rsquo;re losing by that much.&rdquo;
Harden, who finished with 11 points on 3 of 17 shooting &mdash; and missed all 8 of his two-pointers &mdash; admitted to getting his ass whooped while wearing an overly-puffy (and likely, absurdly expensive) jacket in his postgame presser.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Tonight was good for us,&rdquo; said a straight-faced Harden, who was <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2022/03/11/james-harden-hangs-with-travis-scott-lil-baby-after-blowout-loss-nets/?adid=social-twa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spotted out on the town with Lil Baby and Travis Scott following the blowout</a>. &ldquo;We got our ass kicked. Since I&rsquo;ve been here, everything&rsquo;s been sweet, we&rsquo;ve been winning games. And so, tonight was good for us, and we get an opportunity to come down to reality, watch film and just continue to get better.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
"Tonight was good for us. We got our ass kicked." <a href="https://t.co/WWnq7fEqgY">pic.twitter.com/WWnq7fEqgY</a>
&mdash; NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSPhilly/status/1502127744221655050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Irving, who added 22 points, 5 threes, and 5 assists, also spoke after the contest.
&ldquo;I think playing for Ben and this night meaning something to Ben &mdash; not only Ben, but Dre (Andre Drummond), Seth [Curry] &mdash; when you get traded in this league, it&rsquo;s not easy to deal with,&rdquo; Irving pointed out.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve tried to welcome them in with open arms. So, when we played tonight, we definitely felt like Ben was on our heart; you could see it, he was wearing it, and we just wanted to go out there and play for him and play well. Again, it&rsquo;s not an individual thing for us. We all felt it; we&rsquo;re all there. If you come at Ben, you come at us.&rdquo;
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"It's not an individual thing for us. We all felt it. We're all there. If you come at Ben, you come at us" - Kyrie Irving <a href="https://t.co/xWvpdIah3U">pic.twitter.com/xWvpdIah3U</a>
&mdash; Nets Videos (@SNYNets) <a href="https://twitter.com/SNYNets/status/1502131158166867969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Well, if we see these two clash in the postseason ⁠&mdash; and the first-round possibility is there &mdash; it&rsquo;d be nice if the Sixers came for somebody.&nbsp;
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Bryan Fonseca recaps Thursday's highly-anticipated superstar clash between the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.

Nets-76ers kinda sucked, but we still want more, don’t we?

The <a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/hawks-gm-shares-his-thought-process-before-the-luka-doncic-trae-young-trade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-stringify-link="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/giannis-antetokounmpo-shares-why-he-doesnt-associate-or-practice-with-other-nba-players-in-the-offseason/" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">following article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="http://basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://BasketballNetwork.net" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">BasketballNetwork.net</a>:
NBA fans have developed an unhealthy obsession with blaming the front office for everything wrong with the team. The worst thing that can happen is missing out on a generational player in the draft -- for example, the Blazers passing up on Michael Jordan in the 1984 NBA Draft. The same goes with Charlotte Hornets fans who saw Kobe Bryant go to the LA Lakers in exchange for Vlade Divac in 1996.&nbsp;
Atlanta Hawks executives almost suffered the same fate after trading Luka Doncic to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Trae Young. Doncic quickly blew up and was even involved in MVP conversations during his rookie year. Fortunately for the Hawks, Young caught up. Now, Doncic and Young are regarded as two of the best players of their draft class. In a recent <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/hawks-gm-travis-schlenk-discusses-trae-youngs-development-and-what-to-expect-after-last-seasons-playoff-run/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview with Bill Reiter of CBS Sports</a>, Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk gave an honest-to-goodness view of their headspace leading up to the NBA Draft. It turns out that executives are not fortune tellers or psychics who can predict who&rsquo;ll be the next big thing.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Both those guys are really good players and they&rsquo;ve been really good players since Day 1 when they stepped into the NBA. For us, it was having the ability to get a player that we thought was going to be a really good player and the other asset on top of it," Schlenk <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/hawks-gm-travis-schlenk-discusses-trae-youngs-development-and-what-to-expect-after-last-seasons-playoff-run/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told CBS Sports</a>. "One of the theories that we always had when you&rsquo;re drafting in the top of the lottery, you know, top-10, [is] it&rsquo;s not an exact science, so the more swings you have at that to get a superstar [the better]. You always hear the pundits say, 'We knew this guy was going to be great.' No one ever really knows.&rdquo;
The terms of the deal did not just involve a straight-up Doncic-Young swap. It also involved a 2019 first-round pick that went to the Hawks. They used it the following year to select Duke standout Cam Reddish as their 10th overall pick. For Schlenk, everything was worth it in the end.
With how the Hawks&rsquo; 2020-21 NBA campaign went &mdash; they ousted favorited New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs &mdash; those who poked fun at Schlenk and his crew must be hiding in their caves right now. As Schlenk implied, there&rsquo;s an element of luck in the NBA Draft since there&rsquo;s always that chance he&rsquo;ll be a bust even after scouting a prospect to death. As such, you don&rsquo;t enter the NBA Draft with the upcoming season in mind. A clear view of the future is imperative. It's safe to say the Hawks succeeded in both endeavors.&nbsp;
Check out more articles from BasketballNetwork.net <a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

In a recent interview with CBS Sports, Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk gave a view of the team's thinking in 2018.

Hawks GM Travis Schlenk comments on Trae-Luka draft-night connection

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

Several marquee players who were expected to hit the open market in 2022 have signed extensions, so next summer's free-agent crop isn't nearly as star-studded as other classes.
However, there are still plenty of quality players who may be up for grabs. In this three-part series, we&rsquo;ll examine the best players who will potentially enter free agency next July.&nbsp;
After previously <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-freeagent-rankings-harden-beal-among-top10-guards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranking the best guards set to hit free agency next summer</a>, let's examine the top free-agent forwards ready to enter the open market in 2021.&nbsp;
1. Michael Porter Jr. - Denver Nuggets - Restricted
Due to a back injury sustained in college, Porter Jr. was considered a boom-or-bust prospect when the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-michael-porter-jr-became-a-star-after-career-ending-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nuggets selected him with the 14th overall pick</a> in the 2018 draft. Well, three years later, MPJ has boomed. After Jamal Murray tore his ACL last season, Porter emerged as Denver's second option alongside Nikola Jokic and exceeded even lofty expectations. Over a 25-game stretch from late March through mid-May, MPJ averaged a whopping 24.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.4 made three-pointers, while shooting a scorching 56.9% from the floor, 47.2% from downtown and 82.5% at the free-throw line. After the season, Denver's president of basketball operations <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2021/06/18/nuggets-tim-connelly-michael-porter-jr-s-extension-jamal-murrays-return/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tim Connelly said</a>: "Our M.O. is when we can, we try to lock guys up and reward them for what they've done." According to a <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2021/06/18/nuggets-tim-connelly-michael-porter-jr-s-extension-jamal-murrays-return" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report by the Denver Post</a>, Connelly and his staff want to reach a contract extension with MPJ rather than have him hit the market as a restricted free agent next summer. However, per the report, "given Porter's history of back injuries, it's likely the Nuggets add some type of provision to help protect them." Porter is eligible for a five-year, $168 million extension.&nbsp;
2. Mikal Bridges - Phoenix Suns - Restricted
Another member of the 2018 draft class, Bridges isn't as offensively gifted as Porter Jr., but he has established himself as a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-mikal-bridges-phoenix-suns-breakout-season-three-point-shooting-pick-and-roll-defense-deandre-ayton-turnover-percentage-monty-williams-chris-paul-villanova-jay-wright-ashley-howard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">phenomenally well-rounded player and integral part of a Suns team</a> that advanced all the way to the NBA Finals last season. In the process, Bridges averaged a career-high 13.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 threes while posting a True Shooting percentage of 66.7%. <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/31361074/lowe-ten-nba-things-like-including-limitless-flair-nikola-jokic-beef-stew-bully-ball" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to ESPN's Zach Lowe</a>, rival executives expect Bridges to secure a deal in the neighborhood of $20 million per season on his next contract.
3. Joe Ingles - Utah Jazz - Unrestricted 
Ingles matched a career-high last season by averaging 12.1 points per game to go along with 4.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 0.7 steals and a career-best 2.7 made three-pointers per game. He finished the year ranked fifth among qualified players in three-point percentage (45.1%) and posted a phenomenal True Shooting percentage of 67.2% (with a 48.9/51.3/84.4 slash line), which was the third-best mark in the NBA and best among non-centers. In a league that places a high value on efficient scoring, Ingles' skill set is a highly sought-after commodity.&nbsp;
4. T.J. Warren - Indiana Pacers - Unrestricted 
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_15375124_lg.jpg" alt="" width="531" height="354" />
At the end of the 2019-20 season, Warren was playing the best basketball of his career. Over the six games the Pacers played in the Orlando bubble, Warren averaged 31.0 points, 6.3 boards and 3.7 made treys, while shooting over 57% from the floor and 52% from downtown. Unfortunately, that's the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-100-million-payday-awaits-tj-warren-if-he-continues-to-silence-the-critics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last time we've seen him healthy</a>. He appeared in just four games last season before undergoing surgery for a stress fracture in his foot in January. Worse yet, the Pacers announced earlier this month that Warren's recovery from the surgery has been slower than anticipated, and he will remain sidelined indefinitely. Warren will have to prove he is healthy over the second half of the 2021-22 season to boost his stock before hitting the open market.&nbsp;
5. Miles Bridges - Charlotte Hornets - Restricted 
After a relatively slow start to the 2020-21 campaign, Bridges exploded over the season's final six weeks. With LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward and Malik Monk all sidelined by injuries late in the year, Bridges was a focal point of the Hornets' offense. Over his final 15 games, Bridges averaged 21.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 blocks and 3.1 made three-pointers while shooting over 50% from the floor, 42% from downtown and 84% from the charity stripe. If the Hornets don't sign Bridges to an extension, he'll be a restricted free agent next summer.&nbsp;
6. Kevin Huerter - Atlanta Hawks - Restricted
This offseason, the Hawks locked up both Trae Young (five-year, $207 million extension) and John Collins (five-year $125 million contract). Will they be able to come to an extension agreement with Huerter as well? In early August, Atlanta general manager Travis Schlenk told reporters the team would speak with Huerter's representatives: "His agent wanted to wait a little bit and get all his free agents signed before he went into extensions &mdash; less time-sensitive matters like the extension &mdash; but certainly his agent and Kevin are hoping to have that dialogue, and certainly we are as well. Our intention is to try and get something done with Kevin, for sure." <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/hawks/news/what-to-expect-from-kevin-huerters-ongoing-contract-negotiations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Sports Illustrated</a>, "there is speculation that Huerter could garner between $15-$20 million a season."
7. Thaddeus Young - San Antonio Spurs - Unrestricted 
Young proved last season in Chicago that he is still capable of playing at a high level. In his age-32 season last year, Young averaged 12.1 points (on 55.9% shooting), 6.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.6 blocks in just 24.3 minutes a night off the bench. Most notably, he dished out a career-high 4.3 assists per game. Young had the highest plus/minus (+4.1) of any rotational regular on the Bulls roster, and Chicago was outscored by 5.9 points per 100 possessions with Young on the bench. Expect plenty of contenders to try and pry Young loose from San Antonio at the trade deadline next winter.&nbsp;
8. Blake Griffin - Brooklyn Nets - Unrestricted 
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_16053035_lg.jpg" alt="" width="531" height="335" />
After a disappointing two years in Detroit, Griffin reached a buyout agreement with the Pistons last March, enabling him to join the Nets. He signed with Brooklyn on March 8 and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/blake-griffin-on-exit-from-pistons-nodunksin464days-narrative" target="_blank" rel="noopener">looked like a new player</a>, as Griffin averaged 10.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 26 appearances. Over the final three games of Brooklyn's playoff series vs. the Bucks, Griffin averaged 15.3 points (on 58% shooting), 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 made treys. He signed a one-year deal with the Nets for the 2021-22 campaign and will hit the free-agent market again next offseason.&nbsp;
9. Marvin Bagley III - Sacramento Kings - Restricted
Unfortunately for Kings fans, after three years in the league, Bagley is probably best known as being the player selected ahead of Luka Doncic and Trae Young. While both Doncic and Young have led their teams to the postseason and secured $200+ million max extensions, Bagley has been unable to stay healthy (appearing in just 118 out of a possible 230 games since being drafted), and has seen his scoring average decrease in each of the past three seasons. However, Bagley won't turn 23 until March of next year and is blessed with the rare combination of size and athleticism that led to him being selected second overall in the 2018 draft. Assuming he doesn't ink an extension, Bagley will look to boost his stock by staying on the floor long enough to showcase his skill set in 2021-22.
10. Kyle Anderson - Memphis Grizzlies - Unrestricted 
It seems as though he's been around forever, but Anderson is just 27 years old and is coming off the best all-around campaign of his career. The man affectionately nicknamed "Slow-Mo" averaged a career-high 12.4 points last season to go along with 5.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.4 made three-pointers in 27.3 minutes per contest. Only three other players in the league matched or exceeded those per-game averages in each of those statistical categories: Kawhi Leonard, LaMelo Ball and James Harden.&nbsp;
Best of the Rest 
Robert Covington, Otto Porter Jr., P.J. Tucker, Jeremy Lamb, Derrick Jones Jr., Carmelo Anthony, Nicolas Batum (player option), Bobby Portis (player option), Al-Farouq Aminu, Andre Iguodala, Taurean Prince

Tommy Beer ranks the top players who could be available as part of the 2022 free-agent class. Today, he examines the top-10 forwards.

2022 NBA Free-Agent Rankings: Bridges, Bagley among top-10 forwards

As the final seconds ticked off on a season that lasted far longer than anyone expected, the crowd rose to its feet to salute the home team.
The Atlanta Hawks sure earned the cheers.
Making an improbable turnaround from what looked like another lost year, the Hawks <a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-hawks-washington-wizards-new-york-knicks-nba-sports-2396183616449b68485403a291785c61" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earned a spot in the playoffs</a> for the first time since 2017, knocked off the top-seeded team in the East, and made it all the way to the conference finals.
The Cinderella run finally ended Saturday night with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-hawks-phoenix-suns-milwaukee-bucks-nba-finals-nba-86a45418b2bf41ffcd7e53a00e0f7044" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a 118-107 loss</a> to the Milwaukee Bucks, who won the series 4-2 and advanced to the NBA Finals to take on the Phoenix Suns.
But the disappointing finish did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of a long-downtrodden franchise that seems poised for more long-term success than at any time since moving to Atlanta in 1968.
&ldquo;This is the beginning,&rdquo; Trae Young said. &ldquo;We have the city excited and we want to keep it like that.&rdquo;
The Hawks will likely bring back largely the same cast next season, though they do have two major issues to address: power forward John Collins&rsquo; contract status and the interim tag on Nate McMillan&rsquo;s coaching title. Each boosted his value with the team's improbable postseason run.
&ldquo;Obviously it's something I feel like I&rsquo;ve voiced my opinion about a lot, saying I want to be here,&rdquo; Collins said Sunday. "I&rsquo;ve tried to be the best professional I can and let the business side be the business side.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to have to come to a decision very soon, but hopefully the best one for me and the one that keeps me here.&rdquo;
Veteran backup Solomon Hill said Sunday he expects McMillan to return unless another team &ldquo;gave him a zillion dollars and some ownership stake.&rdquo;
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s doing the things he has to do to take care of himself and his family, just like anybody and everybody else would do,&rdquo; Hill said. &ldquo;But Nate is our coach. He&rsquo;s just waiting to get the final details and all that stuff. Like I said, unless the Orlando Magic came in and gave him a hundred million a year or something crazy, Nate McMillan is going to be our coach.&rdquo;
McMillan and Young led the young team on a memorable postseason run.
With Young turning in one dominant performance after another, Atlanta romped past the resurgent New York Knicks in the opening round, then stunned the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in the conference semifinals, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pa-state-wire-ga-state-wire-philadelphia-76ers-atlanta-hawks-los-angeles-clippers-ee1e636c2c3bfa3257fb1975c5b452ac" target="_blank" rel="noopener">winning Game 7</a> on the road.
The Hawks finally met their match against Milwaukee. They were left to wonder how things might've turned out if Young had not been injured in a freak accident in Game 3 when he stepped on an official's foot along the sideline and twisted his right ankle.
Young missed the next two games with a bone bruise and, even though he was cleared to play Game 6, he clearly wasn't at his best. The charismatic point guard finished with just 14 points on 4-of-17 shooting.
&ldquo;I just wanted to battle and try to fight through it as much as I could, try to be out there for my team,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;But it was definitely frustrating not being healthy and not being able to give my full 100%.&rdquo;
After <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wa-state-wire-new-york-knicks-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-72cdc51061aa60e1cd2e7d87340da28c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struggling in the playoffs</a> in his previous coaching stops, McMillan showed that he's capable of leading a team to postseason success.
There was nothing exciting about the Hawks the past three seasons. They endured lots of losing while rebuilding the roster around a string of bountiful drafts that brought in Young, Collins, Kevin Huerter, De&rsquo;Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish.
Flush with cash and finally ready to make a push in the standings, the Hawks spent big in the free-agent market last fall to bring in Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Galinari, giving the team a much-needed veteran presence.
But when the Hawks approached the All-Star break with a 14-20 record, it looked like more of the same. Lloyd Pierce was fired as coach after less than three seasons on the job, the team turning to McMillan as the interim boss in hopes he could spark a turnaround.
Boy, did he ever.
With McMillan instilling a newfound toughness that paid off in the fourth quarter of close games, the Hawks played as well as any team in the league the rest of the season &mdash; a 27-11 mark that gave them the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Atlanta general manager Travis Schlenk, who has seemingly made all the right moves in building the roster, is clearly not sure if he wants to tie up so much money on Collins &mdash; especially when it's clear that Young is the face of the franchise and will soon be getting a huge deal of his own.
Young is eligible for a max extension.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a big live in the moment type of person,&rdquo; Young said Sunday. &ldquo;Hopefully it comes. We&rsquo;ll have to wait and see when it happens.&rdquo;
Even if the Hawks decide to part ways with Collins, they will go into next season viewed with a whole new respect by the rest of the league.
Reddish is 21. Young and Huerter are 22. Hunter is 23. Clint Capela, who led the NBA in rebounding and became <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ny-state-wire-new-york-knicks-philadelphia-76ers-atlanta-hawks-nba-d70d45d938fd5b24e11e33dae66411c3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the bulwark</a> of the Hawks' defense, is 27. Bogdanovic is 28.
And don't forget the most recent first-round pick, center Onyeka Okongwu, who had a promising rookie campaign at age 20.
Collins, who is just 23, would love to be part of the mix, as well.
&ldquo;We're not done yet,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re still hungry.&rdquo;
They appear ready to reap the rewards for years to come.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll be back!&rdquo; Young yelled to the crowd on his way off the court.
&ldquo;I meant that with my whole heart,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a special season and I&rsquo;m excited about what&rsquo;s to come.&rdquo;

“This is the beginning,” Trae Young said of the Atlanta Hawks' run. “We have the city excited and we want to keep it like that.”