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Raptors

With just days left until the 2024-25 NBA season tips off, the Eastern Conference teams are settled, prepped, and ready for action. The offseason moves are done, rosters are set, and almost everyone&rsquo;s locked in for what&rsquo;s shaping up to be an intense race. From title contenders to dark horses, the East is packed with teams ready to make noise. So, let&rsquo;s dive into the top 15 teams in the East as we gear up for this brand-new season&mdash;no fluff, just what you need to know.
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">New York Knicks The Knicks made significant moves this offseason, adding Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges while retaining key pieces like Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby. With depth, defense, and firepower, they look primed for a deep playoff run. After a 50-win season in 2023-24, they now have realistic championship aspirations and could be the biggest threat to the Celtics in the East.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Boston Celtics The defending champions kept their core intact, extending Jayson Tatum and Derrick White. With Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Jrue Holiday leading a formidable lineup, the Celtics are aiming to repeat as NBA champions. Despite concerns about Al Horford&rsquo;s age and frontcourt health, Boston remains the favorite heading into the 2024-25 season.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Milwaukee Bucks The Bucks didn&rsquo;t make major changes but added depth with Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince, and Delon Wright. After an injury-plagued season from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, Milwaukee looks to bounce back under returning head coach Doc Rivers. With questions surrounding Lillard&rsquo;s form and Middleton&rsquo;s durability, the Bucks remain playoff contenders, but how far they go will depend on health and chemistry.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Philadelphia 76ers The 76ers had a big offseason, adding Paul George, Andre Drummond, and Caleb Martin to support Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Maxey&rsquo;s rise as a star solidifies Philly&rsquo;s title hopes, and Embiid&rsquo;s MVP-level play is crucial for their success. With an improved supporting cast, the Sixers could be serious challengers in the East, but Embiid&rsquo;s health remains the key.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Cleveland Cavaliers After a solid 48-win season, the Cavs focused on continuity by keeping their core of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. New coach Kenny Atkinson brings fresh leadership, and Cleveland hopes to build on last season&rsquo;s playoff run. With a healthier roster and improved coaching, the Cavs could reach 50 wins and challenge the top teams in the East.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Indiana Pacers The Pacers had a quiet offseason but retained Pascal Siakam and made a key addition in James Wiseman. Tyrese Haliburton&rsquo;s breakout season makes Indiana a team to watch, and they&rsquo;re looking to build on their deep playoff run. With improved chemistry and young talent, Indiana could surprise as a top-five team in the East.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Orlando Magic The Magic are banking on internal growth, led by Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. After winning 47 games and making the playoffs last season, they added veteran Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for shooting and leadership. With a young core developing, Orlando could win 50 games if they continue their upward trend and improve their perimeter shooting.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Miami Heat The Heat had a quiet offseason, adding Alec Burks while re-signing key players like Bam Adebayo. With Jimmy Butler&rsquo;s future uncertain and health concerns for both Butler and Tyler Herro, Miami could face challenges in a competitive Eastern Conference. However, Adebayo&rsquo;s All-NBA-level play will keep them in the playoff hunt.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Atlanta Hawks The Hawks overhauled their roster after a disappointing 36-46 season, headlined by trading Dejounte Murray and acquiring the No. 1 pick, Zaccharie Risacher. With Trae Young remaining the focal point, the Hawks are banking on Risacher&rsquo;s development and contributions from new additions like Larry Nance Jr. and Dyson Daniels. This team looks poised to contend for a Play-In spot but lacks the co-star power needed for a deep playoff run.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Charlotte Hornets The Hornets enter the season with fresh energy, thanks to the hiring of new coach Charles Lee and the re-signing of Miles Bridges. With LaMelo Ball back healthy and Brandon Miller continuing to impress after an All-Rookie season, Charlotte&rsquo;s young core could surprise many. If Ball stays on the floor and their youth develops quickly, the Hornets might find themselves contending for a Play-In spot and shaking off years of underachievement.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Detroit Pistons The Pistons are looking to turn the page on a tough 2023-24 season and have made moves to fast-track their rebuild. With Cade Cunningham healthy, new leadership under J.B. Bickerstaff, and rookie Ron Holland adding spark, Detroit could outperform expectations. If Cunningham returns to form and the team gels quickly, don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Pistons emerge as a dark horse in the East.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Toronto Raptors The Raptors are in transition, keeping their young core of Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley intact. After a poor finish to last season, Toronto is betting on Barnes&rsquo; continued growth and the addition of Davion Mitchell to improve their fortunes. While their ceiling might be a Play-In appearance, the Raptors are hoping their trio can take a big step forward.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Chicago Bulls The Bulls traded DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso, adding Josh Giddey and Jalen Smith to the mix. Zach LaVine&rsquo;s injury history remains a concern, but the Bulls are counting on Coby White&rsquo;s emergence and the potential of lottery pick Matas Buzelis. Chicago is likely to be a competitive team some nights, but they may struggle to rise above the Play-In threshold.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Brooklyn Nets The Nets are entering a rebuild after trading Mikal Bridges and Lonnie Walker. With a young roster led by Nic Claxton and Cam Thomas, Brooklyn&rsquo;s focus is on player development. Ben Simmons remains a question mark, but the team&rsquo;s recent moves set them up for future success with significant draft assets. A playoff berth seems unlikely as they look to position themselves for a high draft pick.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Washington Wizards The Wizards continue their rebuild with the addition of Alex Sarr, the No. 2 overall pick. With Malcolm Brogdon and Saddiq Bey joining the squad, Washington hopes to see growth from young talents like Bilal Coulibaly. However, they&rsquo;re still far from playoff contention and will likely be looking at another lottery-bound season.</li>
</ol>

Let's dive into the top 15 teams in the East as we gear up for this brand-new season.

2024-2025 NBA Eastern Conference Power Rankings: A new number one arises at the top

Nekias Duncan thoroughly breaks down all five teams in the Atlantic Division ahead of the 2022-23 season.

2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Atlantic Division

RJ Nembhard Jr. had 16 points and six assists, Isaiah Mobley added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and the Cleveland Cavaliers held off the Atlanta Hawks 94-90 on Saturday in the NBA Summer League.
Mobley, a second-round pick in this year's draft, grabbed six rebounds on the offensive end and added four assists for the Cavaliers (3-2). Fellow second-rounder Luke Travers pitched in with 14 points and five boards. Cam Young scored 15 points. First-round pick Ochai Agbaji did not play.
Tyrese Martin scored 21 to top the Hawks (2-3). Chaundee Brown Jr. added 17 points. Chris Clemons finished with 16 points, while Tyson Etienne scored 13.
Atlanta's top pick A.J. Griffin &mdash; 17th overall &mdash; did not play.
PISTONS 102, MAGIC 86
Jules Bernard had 22 points and nine rebounds, Charlie Moore had 21 points and eight assists, and Detroit cruised past Orlando.
Bernard sank all three of his 3-point attempts for the Pistons (3-2). Braxton Key added 15 points, while Stanley Umude scored 13. Detroit sat first-rounders Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren for the finale.
Justin James had 18 points to lead the Magic (2-3). Tommy Kuhse added 13 points, while Zavier Simpson and Daniel Oturu scored 10 apiece.
Orlando dropped its final three games without top pick Paolo Banchero. The Magic decided to pull Banchero from the event just hours before a showdown with No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren and Oklahoma City.
TIMBERWOLVES 89, HORNETS 86
Kevon Harris scored 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting to help Minnesota fend off Charlotte.
Harris hit all four of his 3-pointers for the Timberwolves (2-3). Wendell Moore Jr. had 15 points, while second-round pick Josh Minott scored 12. Marial Shayok had seven points, 10 rebounds and four steals.
JT Thor finished with 28 points and five steals for the Hornets (2-3). Justin Minaya scored 10 points and Mark Williams, the 15th overall pick, had eight points and seven rebounds.
Thor completed a three-point play, then buried a 3-pointer to get the Hornets within 88-86. Jacob Gilyard sank 1 of 2 free throws with 4.9 seconds left and Minott blocked Bryce McGowens' 3-pointer to end the game.
SPURS 90, GRIZZLIES 87
Malaki Branham made five 3-pointers and scored 23 points to help San Antonio turn back Memphis.
Branham, the 20th overall pick, was 5 of 8 from distance to help the Spurs (1-4) notch their first win in their final try. DJ Stewart added 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, while Robert Woodard II had six points to go with 10 rebounds.
Kenneth Lofton Jr. paced the Grizzlies (2-3) with 27 points and 12 rebounds. First-rounder David Roddy added 19 points. Ronaldo Segu and Kennedy Chandler scored 13 and 10, respectively.
Lofton sank a 3-pointer with 2:07 remaining to give Memphis an 87-86 lead. Branham answered with a 3 and Blake Wesley &mdash; the No. 25 pick &mdash; hit 1 of 2 free throws with 4.1 seconds left to cap the scoring. Dakota Mathias missed a 3-pointer on the game's final shot.
BULLS 119, 76ERS 104
Marko Simonovic scored 26 points, Malcolm Hill added 23 and Chicago breezed past Philadelphia.
Simonovic made 11 of 15 shots and grabbed eight rebounds to help the Bulls (4-1) close out with three straight wins. Carlik Jones scored 15 points but had seven of Chicago's 15 turnovers. Dalen Terry, the 18th overall pick, had three points, two assists and two rebounds in nine-plus minutes.
Charlie Brown Jr. led the 76ers (2-3) with 21 points. Grant Riller scored 19. Trevelin Queen had 16 points and seven of Philadelphia's 21 turnovers. Filip Petrusev scored 14.
NETS 102, CELTICS 95
Cam Thomas scored 25 points, David Duke Jr. added 24 and Brooklyn knocked off Boston.
Thomas added six assists for the Nets (3-2), while Duke handed out five. Kessler Edwards scored 15 points and Day'Ron Sharpe had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Juhann Begarin topped the Celtics (3-2) with 25 points. Mfiondu Kabengele scored 18. Second-rounder JD Davison &mdash; Boston's only pick in the draft &mdash; totaled 17 points and 10 rebounds.
KINGS 92, ROCKETS 81
Jeriah Horne scored 20 points to lead Sacramento over Houston
Jared Rhoden pitched in with 15 points and seven rebounds for the Kings (3-2). Sacramento chose to sit No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray for the finale.
Tari Eason, the No. 17 pick in the draft, had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets (2-3). TyTy Washington Jr. scored 15 points, while Daishen Nix had 14 points and seven boards. No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. had 12 points and 12 rebounds.
LAKERS 95, MAVERICKS 84
Cole Swider scored 16 points to spark Los Angeles past Dallas.
Swider sank 4 of 6 from 3-point range for the Lakers (3-2). Jay Huff had 13 points, Javante McCoy scored 12 and Scotty Pippen Jr. 11.
A.J. Lawson had 19 points to lead the Mavericks (0-5) &mdash; the only team without victory in the event. Moses Wright scored 17 with six boards. Jaden Hardy scored 15 but had seven of Dallas' 19 turnovers. Lawson turned it over six times. Jerrick Harding had 11 points and five assists.
HEAT 86, CLIPPERS 83
Kyle Allman Jr. scored 26 points, sinking a go-ahead 3-pointer with 31 seconds left, and Miami rallied past Los Angeles.
Allman added seven rebounds and six assists for the Heat (2-3). Dru Smith had 22 points and Jamal Cain pitched in with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Miami outscored Los Angeles 31-20 in the final quarter
Reggie Perry, Jay Scrubb and Xavier Moon all scored 16 for the Clippers (2-3).

Check out this recap of Saturday's NBA Summer League action.

Nembhard, Mobley lead Cavs past Hawks 94-90 in Summer League

We've reached the final frontier for over half of the squads in Las Vegas.
Eighteen NBA teams played their final contest of the summer on Saturday. The afternoon offered one more chance for prospects to assert themselves to their respective franchises.
In some cases, the results came almost instantly. Mfiondu Kabengele, for example, has reportedly agreed to a two-way contract with the Celtics after consistently standing out over the past 10 days.&nbsp;
The following players left their mark in yesterday's matchups and gave front offices something meaningful to ponder in the weeks before training camp:
STUDS
Kenny Lofton Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Kenny Lofton Jr. was a FORCE in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> action today!<a href="https://twitter.com/itzjunior34?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@itzjunior34</a>: 27 PTS, 12 REB, 2 BLK <a href="https://t.co/Qu48c8k9c4">pic.twitter.com/Qu48c8k9c4</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1548463043587162115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 27 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 10/16 FG, 2/3 3PT
The undrafted rookie finished his breakout Summer League with a bang. Lofton went to work in the post, overpowering opponents with his physicality and soft shooting touch. He also knocked down two threes and drilled a beautiful step-back move. Though he's undersized (6-foot-7) and lacking length or leaping ability, Lofton uses his 275-pound fame to his advantage, and his skills and vision make him an overall offensive positive. He's outshone a couple of Memphis' draft picks this summer and the franchise should try to lock him down long-term.
Malaki Branham, San Antonio Spurs
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
BUCK3TS! 💦 Back to back to back triples for <a href="https://twitter.com/MalakiBranham?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MalakiBranham</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoSpursGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoSpursGo</a> <a href="https://t.co/5Knkq9D3ZX">pic.twitter.com/5Knkq9D3ZX</a>
&mdash; San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) <a href="https://twitter.com/spurs/status/1548452224094707713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 23 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 8/15 FG, 5/8 3PT
The No. 20 overall pick logged his most efficient scoring performance of the summer. Branham did most of his work shooting off the catch, but has an easy, repeatable shooting stroke that was locked in against the Grizzlies. He knew how to relocate into position for defenders to kick the ball out. San Antonio mostly used Branham off the ball in Vegas and he's still a pure scorer at this stage. I'd like to see Branham extend his pull-up game to the arc and receive more reps as an initiator.&nbsp;
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Kevon Harris, Minnesota Timberwolves
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Kevon Harris tags the big, controlled closeout on the skip to the corner, then hits the step-back 3 on the other end. <a href="https://t.co/bDrg78CbuQ">pic.twitter.com/bDrg78CbuQ</a>
&mdash; Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/AC__Hoops/status/1548429205469143043?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 23 points, 3 rebounds, 9/11 FG, 4/4 3PT
Harris played an awesome Summer League as a third-year pro who went undrafted in 2020. He has impressive burst as a 6-foot-6 wing, and frequently used it to attack the basket and finish for layups and dunks. Harris was also locked in from long range, with the above sequence standing out as a noteworthy make. Harris played in the G League last season with Raptors 905, and has definitely earned another opportunity to make the NBA.
JT Thor, Charlotte Hornets
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LOOK AT WHERE JT THOR JUMPS FROM <a href="https://t.co/lYG9Ae2U0e">pic.twitter.com/lYG9Ae2U0e</a>
&mdash; Fastbreak Breakfast (@fastbreakbreak) <a href="https://twitter.com/fastbreakbreak/status/1548415783532802050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 28 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals, 9/14 FG, 3/6 3PT
I had been mildly underwhelmed by Thor's summer to date. Then, the second-year forward came out and dominated on Saturday. His long arms and aggressive digs and double-teams led to several steals. On offense, he displayed improved touch by knocking down some triples and an additional runner. Of course, Thor dropped the hammer on some massive dunks, including the one above. This was an exciting high note for the second-round pick to end on.
Charlie Moore, Detroit Pistons
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Special Delivery by Charlie Moore 📨 Live Now on ESPN U <a href="https://t.co/gmT4861app">pic.twitter.com/gmT4861app</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1548400538055634952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 9/14 FG, 3/5 3PT
Moore wowed as a passer in Detroit's win against the Magic. That acrobatic dish stands out, but he made more solid corner reads and sent in some excellent high-low entry passes. His ability to change directions and speeds also helped him as a scorer despite being just 6-feet tall as a point guard. Moore played for four different schools in college before going undrafted this summer. Hopefully he's able to find a permanent NBA home as a pro.
Juhann Begarin, Boston Celtics
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Juhann Begarin drive and mid-air kick to the corner where JD Davison hits the 3 <a href="https://t.co/FieJfJpFRI">pic.twitter.com/FieJfJpFRI</a>
&mdash; Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/AC__Hoops/status/1548459758960537600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 25 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 9/17 FG, 3/6 3PT
Begarin is a spring-loaded wing with tons of energy, and at times this summer, that energy led to him playing out of control. In this game, the French wing found the right balance. Begarin made solid plays as a passer, hitting a rolling Mfiondu Kabengele and corner shooter JD Davison for nice assists. He took off to the basket multiple times and flew all the way to the rim.
Begarin isn't afraid to play through contact, and though he has peaks and valleys from distance, he certainly holds confidence. We'll see if he showed enough for the Celtics to pull him over from Europe.
Cam Thomas, Brooklyn Nets 
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Watching <a href="https://twitter.com/24_camthomas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@24_camthomas</a> get buckets never gets old <a href="https://t.co/dPxBFemQzY">pic.twitter.com/dPxBFemQzY</a>
&mdash; Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrooklynNets/status/1548474554162356227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 25 points, 6 assists, 10/20 FG, 0/1 3PT
Thomas capped his dominant Summer League with one more scoring showcase. Despite attempting just one three-pointer, the second-year guard reeled in 25 points with his full pull-up package plus some layups and runners. Thomas' assists weren't highlight-reel plays, but he was level-headed and patient with his reads. Who knows what Brooklyn's roster looks like by opening night, but I'd imagine Thomas is in line for a minutes bump this season.
Other notable performers: David Roddy (Grizzlies), Matt Lewis (Timberwolves), RJ Nembhard Jr. (Cavaliers), Isaiah Mobley (Cavaliers), Tyrese Martin (Hawks), Jules Bernard (Pistons), Malcolm Hill (Bulls), Carlik Jones (Bulls), Charlie Brown Jr. (76ers), Grant Riller (76ers), David Duke Jr. (Nets), JD Davison (Celtics), Jeriah Horne (Kings), Tari Eason (Rockets), AJ Lawson (Mavericks), Cole Swider (Lakers)
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DUDS
Trevelin Queen, Philadelphia 76ers
Box Score Stats: 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 6/19 FG, 0/10 3PT
After I highlighted Queen on Friday, he unfortunately put up a long-range goose egg on Saturday. He was mostly using screens to get shots up and had some rough misses. The rest of Queen's afternoon was solid, and he did shoot 6-for-9 inside the arc. This 0-for-10 outing just sticks out as an eyesore after a strong effort in Las Vegas.
Max Christie, Los Angeles Lakers
Box Score Stats: 2 points, 6 rebounds, 1/6 FG, 0/3 3PT
Christie is simply a ways away from being a consistent scorer. The rookie guard airballed one three-pointer and settled for too many bad shots, particularly in the mid-range. He's not offering much off the dribble as a playmaker and has been confined to floor-spacing duties most of this summer. Christie has had his bright moments, but he's going to take some time to find a groove offensively.&nbsp;
Brandon Boston Jr., Los Angeles Clippers
Box Score Stats: 7 points, 2 blocks, 2/11 FG, 0/5 3PT
After a 22-point outburst on Friday, Boston came back down to Earth in LAC's loss to Miami. Both of his makes were tough, contested layups, which is promising for Boston's ability to use his length and growing frame. But he missed a bunch of spot-up threes he needs to make and didn't offer as much as a passer compared to his prior game. The upside flashes are definitely still there with Boston, but he didn't translate it to enough consistent production at Summer League.

Kenny Lofton Jr., JT Thor and Juhann Begarin highlighted Saturday's Summer League action.

10 studs and duds from Day 10 of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas

The Indiana Pacers are finally embracing a rebuild. After years of toiling around in mediocrity, the Pacers realized their slow start and league-low attendance weren't going to turn around anytime soon. According to The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania and Bob Kravitz, Indiana is open to trading the following players before February&rsquo;s deadline: Caris LeVert, Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner.
We already covered <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-caris-levert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">five potential destinations for LeVert</a>, who quickly became expendable with Chris Duarte emerging as a long-term building block. Nekias Duncan has some <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/exploring-trade-destinations-for-domantas-sabonis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trade ideas cooking on Sabonis</a> as well. So now, to round things out, it&rsquo;s time to reveal the best win-win deals involving Turner.&nbsp;
Unlike Sabonis, who some teams may need to reinvent their entire system around, Turner is the ideal complementary piece for any contender looking to take a leap forward &mdash; this season and beyond. As a modern center who can stretch the floor and block shots at an elite level, many teams will be calling Indiana to inquire about a potential deal.
So, which teams actually make sense for Turner? Let&rsquo;s reveal our six best destinations:
Charlotte Hornets
I already mentioned Turner to the Hornets as a perfect fit for both player and team last week when discussing <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/five-potential-trades-that-make-way-too-much-sense-leading-up-to-februarys-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">five potentially playoff-altering trades before the deadline</a>. Charlotte is so close to taking a massive step forward in the Eastern Conference. All the Hornets need is an adequate rim-protector to help them from leaking too many points to opponents on a nightly basis. Acquiring Turner not only solves that issue, it also raises the ceiling for young superstar point guard LaMelo Ball as well.
Imagining Turner catching lobs from LaMelo and spacing the floor is so much fun, in addition to what he would provide defensively. Charlotte&rsquo;s potential core of Ball, Miles Bridges, Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward and Turner would be a well-put-together starting lineup. The Hornets could still have James Bouknight and Kai Jones developing off their bench as long-term lottery tickets too.
With Turner expected to fetch a nice return for Indiana, what actually makes sense in terms of an offer? There are two different scenarios to parse through:
Option 1: Kelly Oubre Jr., PJ Washington and a protected future first-round pick
Option 2: Gordon Hayward and a protected future first-round pick
The only reason why Hayward is included here is because we already know Indiana was seriously pursuing the former Indianapolis native during the 2020 offseason. When the Pacers offered Turner for Hayward in the past, former Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge didn't budge. Hayward instead bolted to Charlotte, receiving a big bag of cash in the process.
Would Indiana be open to revisiting a similar package 18 months later?
Pacers owner Herb Simon has been reluctant to dip his toes into any luxury-tax payments, so we know that&rsquo;s not happening as sellers. So, how about this Hayward-centric return to try out a &ldquo;soft rebuild&rdquo; or retool?
Pacers receive: Gordon Hayward, PJ Washington, JT Thor, protected first-round pick
Hornets receive: Myles Turner, Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday
Hayward would slide in as the 4 next to TJ Warren on the wing, forming an interesting duo. Washington&rsquo;s role in Charlotte isn&rsquo;t growing anytime soon, so giving the former lottery pick a bigger opportunity in Indiana makes sense as well. And from a pure fan perspective of putting butts in the seats, Brownsburg, Indiana native and former Butler Bulldog Gordon Hayward absolutely does that.
From Charlotte&rsquo;s perspective, it&rsquo;s a massive win. Acquiring Turner raises the team's immediate and long-term ceiling, with Lamb and Holiday bolstering that bench.
I doubt Indiana would be interested in Oubre, so let&rsquo;s roll with the options revolving around Hayward. What do you think of this big move for both sides?
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New Orleans Pelicans
As I mentioned yesterday with LeVert, keep an eye on New Orleans as the most desperate team in the NBA. Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin knows the hourglass could soon be running out on his tenure, plus Zion Williamson&rsquo;s injury history continues to pile on.
How about acquiring Turner as an ideal buffer between Brandon Ingram and Zion? It makes a lot of sense to help out a team that's in desperate need of a consistent defensive identity.
Turner is an absolutely perfect third piece to the puzzle in New Orleans, and hopefully a healthy and dominant version of Williamson reappears as well.
However, for a valuable piece like Turner, what would the Pelicans need to send back the Pacers&rsquo; way? Hint: it&rsquo;s going to be a lot.
Here&rsquo;s what I cooked up for a potential Pacers-Pelicans blockbuster revolving around Turner:
Pacers receive: Josh Hart, Kira Lewis Jr., Jaxson Hayes, two future first-round picks (via Lakers and Bucks)
Pelicans receive: Myles Turner, Jeremy Lamb, Brad Wanamaker
Indiana acquires two young assets in Lewis and Hayes, plus another player yet to hit his prime with Hart. The two first-round picks from the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks are the icing on top of the cake from the Pelicans.
Yes, the Pelicans have Jonas Valanciunas and he&rsquo;s playing at an awesome level right now, but you have to begin thinking about accelerating the rebuild. New Orleans could play Turner and Valanciunas together at some points if necessary, but they could reroute the 29-year-old Valanciunas with his value at an all-time high.
With all three players age-25 or under, a trio of Williamson, Ingram and Turner is something to invest real assets into before it&rsquo;s too late.
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Golden State Warriors
Could you imagine Turner in the same role Kevon Looney is filling right now for Golden State? The Warriors&rsquo; defense would be incredible, and completely unfair. Turner and Draymond Green would make up a terrifying frontcourt duo, plus the former&rsquo;s floor-spacing is an ideal fit in Golden State&rsquo;s offense.
From Indiana&rsquo;s point of view, though, what makes sense in return for Turner? If I&rsquo;m in Pacers president Kevin Pritchard&rsquo;s shoes, I&rsquo;m holding out for Jonathan Kuminga in any Turner deal with Golden State. If push comes to shove with the Warriors refusing to include Kuminga, the following may make sense for both sides:
Pacers receive: James Wiseman, Moses Moody, Damion Lee, future protected first-round pick
Warriors receive: Myles Turner, Kelan Martin
Indiana would acquire two young prospects in Wiseman and Moody to add alongside Duarte and fellow first-round pick Isaiah Jackson. Golden State would probably become the true NBA Finals favorite bringing aboard Turner, plus a sharpshooting wing who can provide spot minutes in Martin.
The Warriors have the assets to make a title push even more likely. Don&rsquo;t be surprised if they have already called Indiana about Turner or Sabonis, because either one makes this team even more of a juggernaut in the Western Conference.
Chicago Bulls
This one is interesting, especially when you consider it would be Pacers 2.0 all over again with an offense-first big alongside Turner in Nikola Vucevic. However, Vucevic's contract expires after this season. If the Bulls retooled a little bit and moved Vucevic this summer, could you imagine the spacing and defensive versatility a frontcourt duo of Turner and Patrick Williams would provide? That sounds like a massive upgrade to me, allowing the ball to be in the hands of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan even more.
Indiana would of course ask for Williams if the team were to trade Turner within its own division, but that would be a swift, "No." Instead, what about this compelling offer with a young prospect, salary filler and multiple first-round picks going back to Indiana?
Pacers receive: Coby White, Derrick Jones Jr., 2022 first-round pick via Portland, 2026 heavily protected first-round pick
Bulls receive: Myles Turner
Assuming Turner coming aboard would put into motion a long-term vision of him and Williams sharing a frontcourt (the more I talk about it, the more I love this idea), Chicago could offload Vucevic this offseason to recoup some sort of draft capital lost here.
LaVine and DeRozan being insulated defensively by the likes of Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Turner and Williams is a dream scenario for Chicago. This would make the Bulls a terrifying team in the East for years to come.
Meanwhile, Indiana could be the ideal reset for a former lottery pick in White, who wasn&rsquo;t selected by the Bulls&rsquo; current front office regime.
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Milwaukee Bucks
Another Central Division team knocking down the door of Indiana? Again, this one seems far-fetched, but the possibilities are endless here. Imagining a modern big like Turner alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo brings forth mouth-watering possibilities for the Bucks.
However, with little draft capital, would Indiana even be interested in a package revolving around Brook Lopez&rsquo;s contract and Donte DiVincenzo? Maybe with a future pick or two thrown in, it could entice a conversation with Indiana.
Don&rsquo;t forget, there&rsquo;s already trade history between these two divisional teams. When the Pacers pulled off a sign-and-trade for Malcolm Brogdon, it was structured to be a win-win deal for both sides.
Could history repeat itself with Turner joining the Bucks this time around?
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Plopping Turner within the Bucks&rsquo; core is a game-changing move for them. Immediately, Milwaukee would stake its claim as the top team in the East in 2021-22 and beyond. Turner&rsquo;s shooting and rim-protection would essentially give Milwaukee a younger version of Lopez.&nbsp;
I would say this move is doubtful, but don&rsquo;t be surprised if Milwaukee calls about Turner to try to go all-in as they look to repeat.&nbsp;
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland needs to do something soon. Damian Lillard is obviously frustrated with the direction of the team, so what&rsquo;s going to happen with the Trail Blazers&rsquo; roster? As a team with little to no defensive integrity, currently and historically, inserting Turner would be a massive win for Portland.
Turner would become an immediate upgrade over Jusuf Nurkic, who would be sent back to Indiana as salary filler in this scenario. On top of Nurkic, the Blazers would attach promising combo guard Anfernee Simons.
Although Portland loves what it has seen from Simons and Nassir Little in terms of player development, these types of moves have to occur in order to raise the ceiling and floor of the team's current roster.
From Indiana&rsquo;s perspective, this deal is very interesting. The Pacers&rsquo; primary prize here would be Simons alongside a future first-round pick. (Nurkic may even be flipped again or bought out since a rebuilding team has no need for a veteran big on an expiring contract). Seeing Simons in a bigger role would be very intriguing, and that's exactly what would occur in Indy alongside Duarte.
***
So, there we have it. Six teams who stand out as possible landing spots and who should be banging down Indiana's door in pursuit of a perfect modern big man.
This isn&rsquo;t even the tip of the iceberg in terms of Turner&rsquo;s potential destinations though. Many other teams not listed will certainly call about the 25-year-old. As a floor-spacer and rim-protector who might not have hit his true ceiling yet, expect over the half of the league to inquire about Turner in some fashion.

The Pacers are about to blow up their roster. Which teams make the most sense to pursue Myles Turner? Evan Sidery lists six.

Examining potential trade destinations for Myles Turner

The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania officially tossed out a stick of dynamite on Tuesday, and the fuse was lit from Indiana. Trade season has officially begun, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-moving-to-substantial-rebuild-listening-to-trade-calls-on-stars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Pacers are open to a fire sale</a> to begin an &ldquo;extensive rebuild.&rdquo; A long overdue strategy in Indiana, it&rsquo;s the right move for a team that has shown a low ceiling and potential roster regression.
With a 10-16 record, Indiana is open to all of its key pieces being shipped out, per Charania, including Caris LeVert, Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis. Here on BasketballNews.com, we will be providing the best potential landing spots for all three. Nekias Duncan will be handling the two-time All-Star center in Sabonis, while I&rsquo;ll be scouring through the best situations for LeVert and Turner.
We&rsquo;re going to kick things off with LeVert. As I wrote last month, No. 13 overall pick Chris Duarte&rsquo;s quick emergence as a key long-term piece <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-facing-a-key-decision-point-later-on-with-chris-duarte-early-emergence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changed the calculus on the future of the team's backcourt</a>. With Malcolm Brogdon signing an extension and not being eligible for a trade until this offseason, that leaves LeVert as the odd man out. He also plays the same position as Duarte, making his exit even more likely before February&rsquo;s deadline.
When the Pacers acquired LeVert almost exactly one year ago in the blockbuster four-team James Harden trade (which also sent Victor Oladipo to Houston), Indiana believed it might have struck discount gold once again. However, LeVert&rsquo;s on-court value is nowhere close to what it once was. LeVert has shown to be a solid combo guard, but his overall ineffectiveness in reading the floor and his poor shot selection make paying him a hefty contract a very worrisome proposition.
So, which teams actually make sense for the 27-year-old scorer? Let&rsquo;s dive into the best win-win scenarios for the Pacers and LeVert.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Although the Cavs are in the same division as Indiana, they immediately popped up as my best-case scenario in a potential LeVert deal. Not only would LeVert be able to slide in at shooting guard in the short-term replacing Collin Sexton &mdash; who is sidelined with a torn meniscus &mdash; but he also fits Cleveland&rsquo;s long-term puzzle alongside Darius Garland, No. 3 overall pick Evan Mobley and potential All-Star center Jarrett Allen. LeVert is an ideal score-first complement to the gigantic frontcourt duo that is wreaking havoc to opposing offenses around the rim.
From the Pacers&rsquo; point of view, the Cavaliers have a former top-five pick in Isaac Okoro who seems like an ideal roll of the dice and trade sweetener. Okoro is a strong, defense-first wing, but his offense still isn&rsquo;t developing at the rate Cleveland had hoped. Okoro&rsquo;s fit with the Cavaliers core right now is clunky, so swapping him out for LeVert is a major win for 2021-22 and beyond.
Cleveland throwing out an offer to Indiana revolving around Okoro, Cedi Osman and a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick has to at least lead into serious discussions. Osman is salary-filler with a contract only guaranteed through the 2022-23 season, but he&rsquo;s a solid shooter who can provide wing minutes off the bench.
It&rsquo;s hard to peg LeVert&rsquo;s overall value, but a former top-five pick and a first-round pick make up a solid baseline and, honestly, this feels like the most realistic scenario as well. Cleveland is surprisingly in win-now mode, and LeVert adds a much-needed jolt offensively.
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Memphis Grizzlies
On the surface, you may be wondering why the Grizzlies are included here. They have Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks, plus some enticing young prospects developing in their system. However, Memphis continues to remain afloat in the Western Conference play-in race early on without Morant, who is sidelined with a knee injury. Adding LeVert into the Grizzlies&rsquo; rotation would soften the blow of not having Morant at the moment, but he also fits very well alongside their young superstar point guard.
LeVert would slide right in as Memphis&rsquo; sixth man who can score for himself or create for others in a pinch. I&rsquo;m very intrigued by the idea of LeVert playing heavy minutes in combination with the likes of Morant, Brooks and Desmond Bane. This would be a move to raise the immediate and long-term ceiling for the Grizzlies, who could also deal Brooks this offseason if LeVert thrives in their system (which is something I actually <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-its-wise-for-the-grizzlies-to-canvass-the-trade-market-on-dillon-brooks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested Memphis look into</a> before the season started).
The Grizzlies&rsquo; rotation once Morant returns would look like this:
Starters: Morant, Bane, Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr., Steven Adams
Second Unit: De&rsquo;Anthony Melton, LeVert, Brandon Clarke, Xavier Tillman
That&rsquo;s a strong nine-man rotation that could go up against a lot of teams in the reloaded West.
As you can tell above, two names in the Grizzlies&rsquo; current rotation are missing: Kyle Anderson and No. 10 overall pick Ziaire Williams. That would be the return for Indiana, potentially with a lottery-protected first-round pick as well.
Again, it's a solid baseline offer for LeVert and the move could help both teams. Memphis acquires a win-now piece who can also help them long-term, plus Indiana receives a young prospect alongside another future draft pick. Win-win.
Dallas Mavericks
This one was tough, but LeVert's fit in Dallas is very intriguing. Could you imagine Luka Doncic playing alongside LeVert in the Mavericks&rsquo; backcourt? That would be so much fun, because LeVert is an ideal complementary piece who can take pressure off Doncic in key situations.
With the Mavericks&rsquo; roster, though, there are not many assets that would intrigue Indiana. So, unless Dallas was open to this idea, a swap of LeVert for Jalen Brunson at least makes a little bit of sense.
Brunson&rsquo;s strong start to the 2021-22 season is bringing his value to an all-time high as we inch closer toward restricted free agency. Would Dallas want to ship Brunson for a potentially cheaper option who could play more minutes alongside Doncic? Brunson would be an excellent fit in Indiana as well, forming a strong one-two punch with Duarte long-term.
Would Dallas even be open to the idea of something like Dwight Powell and Brunson for LeVert? It&rsquo;s a tough sell, but one that could be a potential win-win down the road for both sides.
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Utah Jazz
Talk about a potential shift atop the West if Utah were to snag LeVert between now and February. LeVert, I feel, would be a strong fit within head coach Quin Snyder&rsquo;s system. He'd take pressure off of LeVert and have him focus on the finer details. LeVert&rsquo;s scoring package would be another win-now, all-in push from Utah, who is trying to capitalize on its Finals window being open.
From Indiana&rsquo;s perspective, there&rsquo;s not a lot that Utah could offer that would intrigue them. However, an expiring contract in Joe Ingles (who could be bought out after a trade) alongside second-round pick Jared Butler, Eric Paschall and a lightly-protected 2023 first-round pick could at least make for some interesting discussions.
Ingles has been an integral piece to the Jazz&rsquo;s success for years, but upgrading to LeVert would be a major win for their title hopes. Utah would have copious amounts of scoring off its bench &mdash; LeVert, Jordan Clarkson and Rudy Gay. The Jazz could also trot out LeVert as their starting small forward, inserting him between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. Either way, it would be a massive opportunity to bring LeVert aboard.
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New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans are teetering on desperation mode. The hot seat has been cranked up on executive vice presiident David Griffin, and Zion Williamson&rsquo;s injury issues continue to short-circuit their hopeful rise up the West standings. Whether it be Turner or LeVert, expect the Pelicans to be calling Indiana sometime soon if they haven&rsquo;t already.
Bringing LeVert to the Bayou would lead to an experimental fit alongside Williamson and Brandon Ingram. LeVert would slide right in at shooting guard for the Pelicans, or he could lead their second unit as a dynamic sixth man.
As a potential trade package, what about sending Indiana the following: Josh Hart, Trey Murphy III and a future first-round pick, if necessary? The Pacers would then have two young wings on their roster who could help build out a new vision under head coach Rick Carlisle.
It&rsquo;s another interesting trade destination for LeVert, and one that actually makes sense for both sides when examined under the microscope.
***
Overall, LeVert&rsquo;s market is so hard to project. As a score-first combo guard on an attainable contract for the next two seasons, his market could be robust. However, there&rsquo;s another scenario where his injury history and inefficiency could seriously limit the market for him.
Indiana is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-must-accept-new-reality-and-become-sellers-at-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">finally blowing it up</a>, and LeVert seems to be an obvious candidate to be moved very soon. Stay tuned to BasketballNews.com as we continue to track the situation, plus reveal more trade destinations for the team's other notable pieces in Sabonis and Turner.

Which teams around the NBA could soon be calling about Pacers shooting guard Caris LeVert? Evan Sidery lists five.

Examining potential trade destinations for Caris LeVert

The Indiana Pacers are running around the obvious problem with their team right now. After another embarrassing loss at home on Friday night, this time to the Miami Heat, who were without Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, serious questions need to be asked.
Sure, Nate Bjorkgren was a disaster last season as a first-time head coach, which led to splurging on bringing Rick Carlisle over from Dallas. However, even with Carlisle&rsquo;s principles being put into place in Indy, it&rsquo;s now becoming crystal-clear what the real issue is for the Pacers.
It&rsquo;s time to officially blow up this roster, or at least make a significant change to finally steer the ship in the direction of an extensive rebuild attempt.
For years now, Indiana has been content on the wheel of first round playoff exits. This will likely be the eighth consecutive season where the Pacers finish without a postseason series win. Indiana is known for basketball, but the 2021-22 Pacers are on the verge of becoming irrelevant.
Indiana is perfectly average, smack dab in the middle of overall efficiency on both ends of the court. They do not have a true No. 1 option that can take over games, simply multiple players who slide in as secondary pieces on good teams.
Sitting with a 9-16 record through the first quarter of the regular season, No. 13 overall in the Eastern Conference, Indiana is staring down the barrel of a long overdue organizational move. The question is: will owner Herb Simon, notorious for avoiding luxury tax payments and supplementing the organization with playoff revenue, give the go-ahead on a midseason fire sale before it&rsquo;s too late? The same needs to be said for team president Kevin Pritchard, who neeeds to come to the same realization that this team is nothing more than mediocre.
Is T.J. Warren&rsquo;s return from foot surgery next month really going to flip the Pacers&rsquo; immediate fortunes in the reloaded Eastern Conference hierarchy overnight? No, and it&rsquo;s time to reassess this roster for long-term hopes while sacrificing short-term success.
The problem for Indiana is: who exactly will help kickstart an overdue rebuild where stockpiling young talent and bottoming out is the way to go for a small-market franchise? Malcolm Brogdon would have been the obvious choice, but Indiana decided to lock him in on an extension before the regular season opener, eliminating him in trade discussions until at least next offseason. Caris LeVert isn&rsquo;t coming close to the same production Victor Oladipo provided pre-quad injury, but that was to be expected when canvassing through the former Michigan Wolverine&rsquo;s overall offensive profile. Not shedding his injury-prone label at all before becoming an unrestricted free agent, Warren has little chance of returning serious positive value in a trade.
Indiana is coming to the proverbial fork in the road on an experiment that we all knew would need to end sometime soon. Will it be Domantas Sabonis or Myles Turner who is shipped off at their peak value in February? If the Pacers aren&rsquo;t having serious discussions about this scenario, then they may honestly be content on being a roster with its highest ceiling being a 6-8 seed and perennial first-round exits.
Sabonis is a rare big man who a team can run its offense through as a primary or secondary hub. Already a two-time All-Star, Sabonis has flashed 20-point, 10-rebound upside and probably would thrive even further as another team&rsquo;s second or third option, compared to being a No. 1 in Indianapolis. Meanwhile, Turner is an elite rim protector who can also stretch the floor from beyond the arc. As far as modern big archetypes, Turner is a piece who can swing the pendulum of fortunes in a positive direction for a playoff or championship-hungry organization.
If we&rsquo;re speaking about which player would return the highest value in a mid-season trade to a hopeful playoff contender, Sabonis is the answer. A frame of reference from a negotiation standpoint is when the Orlando Magic traded Nikola Vucevic to the Chicago Bulls centered around an enticing package of Wendell Carter Jr. and two future first-round picks (Franz Wagner plus a 2023 1st). Vucevic was 30 years old when the Magic finally decided to pull the plug on their mediocre ceiling. At age-25 with three years remaining on his current contract, there&rsquo;s a real argument to be made that Sabonis could return an even heftier package for Indiana to sell high on.
Turner, on the other hand, would still bring back a strong return with his improved motor and intensity. Already known as one of the best shot blockers in the Association, Turner has also cranked it up on offense attacking the boards and being more aggressive overall. In the end, Turner&rsquo;s trade value likely falls within the realm of returning a promising young prospect plus salary filler.
Although the jumbo-sized frontcourt duo is actually doing better than anticipated this season, outscoring opponents by 8.4 points per 100 possessions in two-man lineup data (105.8 OffRtg, 97.5 DefRtg in 396 total minutes), it&rsquo;s simply not a sustainable formula.
For years, Pacers fans have wanted to see the Sabonis-Turner duo be split up and commit to one as their starting center long-term. Finally, that time seems to be right around the corner, if Indiana&rsquo;s front office truly reflects on where the team currently stands.
If Indiana does indeed the pull the plug on the current iteration of their roster, there will be a feeding frenzy at February&rsquo;s trade deadline. I can think of so many teams off the top of my head who would be blowing up Indiana for either one of their bigs. It&rsquo;s simply the right move to make for the long-term outlook.
Outside of No. 13 overall pick Chris Duarte, who&rsquo;s turned some heads early on with his stellar transition to the NBA, who exactly is a young piece Indiana can build around? Small markets need to focus on hitting in the draft, which has been a rarity for the Pacers over the years, alongside internal player development.
Indiana must come to that conclusion and use one or potentially both of Sabonis and Turner to help this longstanding issue fix itself over time. The problem is, after bringing aboard a win-now veteran coach in Carlisle, he may not give the go-ahead for this route.
Anyway you want to slice it, there&rsquo;s a serious predicament unfolding in Indy. If the losses continue to pile on, the Pacers need to accept their new reality and embrace the tank for the betterment of the organization.
With the league&rsquo;s worst attendance by a wide margin, Pacers fans are already tuning the team out. It&rsquo;s time to wave the white flag and find a better solution to bring the Pacers back to relevance.

As losses continue to pile on for the Pacers, it's time to finally embrace the reality with their current roster's ceiling.

Pacers must accept new reality and become sellers at trade deadline

Prior to the start of last season, Kyrie Irving <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2921968-nets-kyrie-irving-on-fine-for-media-policy-violation-i-do-not-talk-to-pawns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called the media &ldquo;pawns&rdquo;</a> and stated that it would be his preference if he didn&rsquo;t speak to them at all, and it appears as though many are dedicated to holding a grudge for the rest of their days.
But did Kyrie Irving have a valid point? Were the members of the media who fall into that category the only ones offended by those comments? I personally didn&rsquo;t take offense because I know he wasn&rsquo;t talking about me. But as the saying goes, if the shoe fits...
Irving's words should have resulted in a lot of the media taking a hard and long look in the mirror instead of getting their notepads in a bunch (see what I did there).
A pawn is defined as &ldquo;a person used by others for their own purposes.&rdquo;
So from that standpoint, was Kyrie onto something? For instance, recall last year&rsquo;s dramatic articles and commentary projecting disaster on the Brooklyn Nets in the preseason. A hypothetical (and eventual) combination of three of the game&rsquo;s most gifted scorers led to the media assuming they'd be unwilling to share the ball. There were accusations that Kyrie would be uncoachable. There were reports claiming he no longer cared about the game of basketball and more of the like.
But didn&rsquo;t all of that disappear as soon as the season started? Some members of the media were even calling for Kyrie to retire before the season even began.&nbsp;
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Creating baseless gossip and chit-chat for ratings, clicks and shares is very pawn-like.
Isn't that the script that the media is following?
Look at the evidence &mdash; articles with &ldquo;anonymous sources&rdquo; claiming that the Nets are looking to move Kyrie, commentators drumming up baseless trade chatter and spreading rumors that Kevin Durant secretly wants Kyrie gone, reports that if Kyrie is traded he&rsquo;ll retire, suggestions that a Ben Simmons swap is even in the realm of a possibility, etc.
Isn&rsquo;t it interesting that so much of the noise seems to magically disappear as soon as he starts playing? I&rsquo;m sure that will be the case again as soon as this season begins. That usually means the reports and commentary and &ldquo;anonymous sources&rdquo; never really had any substance in the first place, but were just more media noise that was manufactured to create chatter in the slow months tor ratings. Again, very pawn-like.
To weigh in on Kyrie Irving&rsquo;s never-ending battle with the media, I asked NBA Hall-of-Famer, Detroit Pistons legend and television analyst Isiah Thomas for his thoughts on the matter.
&ldquo;I respect the independence that Kyrie has shown throughout this entire process. Just like we [do] as professional athletes, we as human beings, we as fathers, husbands, brothers &mdash; sometimes we get it wrong. And at the same time, sometimes the media gets it wrong," Thomas told me. "And when the media gets called out on being wrong, their response is almost &lsquo;How dare you?&rsquo;
"Just like one side can be wrong, so can the other side. So, don&rsquo;t jump on me when I&rsquo;m wrong, but be quiet when you&rsquo;re wrong. You received information about me, and what I am thinking and what my intentions are, and whoever told you that didn&rsquo;t tell you correctly. Now, this is what I meant, this is my voice. This isn&rsquo;t whatever source, this is my voice. So respect my voice, and that&rsquo;s what Kyrie has been saying. And he has been very authentic in his voice."
It doesn&rsquo;t sound like he took Kyrie&rsquo;s &ldquo;pawn&rdquo; comment personally, does it?&nbsp;
Regarding the trade rumors surrounding the star point guard in Brooklyn, Thomas feels strongly that sending Kyrie elsewhere would be a mistake the Nets would regret.
&ldquo;The LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavs that came back and beat the Golden State Warriors after they had a 73-9 season &mdash; and LeBron James was off the charts in every statistical category &mdash; but the Cleveland Cavs do not win the championship without Kyrie Irving on that team," Thomas said. "Put me down on record. The Brooklyn Nets with the team constructed the way it currently is, cannot, and will not, win the championship if he is not there. Period.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s be clear: Kyrie is special. If he is not beating you from the perimeter off the dribble, he is knifing through the paint whenever he chooses with an array of dribble moves, crossovers, stepbacks and finishing in traffic. He is &ldquo;both-handed,&rdquo; which in basketball terms equates to being ambidextrous. He can finish with his left or right hand regardless of the size of the shot-blocker or the number of people occupying the lane. His layup package is on a different planet.
But don&rsquo;t take my word for it.
Allow legendary NBA point guard and New Jersey Nets fan favorite Kenny Anderson to tell you himself.
&ldquo;As far as [the great] point guards go: Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, [Allen] Iverson, Steph Curry, Oscar Robertson, and you gotta put Kyrie in the next mix," Anderson told me. "He&rsquo;s one of the best that ever played the game. He&rsquo;s so talented. His ball-handling skills are exceptional. He&rsquo;s hitting his shot from long range and short range. He can do it all. He&rsquo;s just a great player. I love watching him. He&rsquo;s one of my favorite players.
&ldquo;The Nets would be crazy to even think about trading him. They&rsquo;re favored to win everything. I don&rsquo;t even believe that they are seriously thinking about trading him. I think that&rsquo;s just something the media came up with to have something to talk about before the season starts. We got the best player in the league, Kevin Durant, with the best point guard in the league. Kyrie Irving. and an unstoppable scorer in James Harden. So no, trading Kyrie from the Nets perspective shouldn&rsquo;t even come into their minds and definitely shouldn&rsquo;t come out of their mouths as even a consideration.&rdquo;
There is statistical evidence to back up what both point guard legends are saying.
Last season, Kyrie had the best regular season of his 10-year career, averaging 26.9 points, 6.8 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game. He became just the ninth player in NBA history to join the exclusive 50/40/90 club and shot 50.6% from the field, 40.2% from the three, and 92.2% from the free-throw line. He joined the likes of Curry, Larry Bird, Mark Price, Reggie Miller, Dirk Nowitzki and Malcolm Brogdon, along with his teammate, Durant, and head coach, Steve Nash.&nbsp;
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To provide further insight, Syracuse University point guard icon Sherman Douglas &mdash; who played 11 seasons in the NBA and two with Nets &mdash; weighed in as the rumors as well.
&ldquo;Kyrie is vital to the Nets' success this season. To even think about trading him is absurd," Douglas said. "It&rsquo;s going to take the Lakers a while to get their chemistry [together], and we&rsquo;ll see how that works out. But if you trade him, you&rsquo;re not going to get equal value back, I don&rsquo;t care what package you come up with. He is a special talent, so what type of sense would it make to take a step back in a season where you should be favored to win it all? And if it weren&rsquo;t for injuries, you very well may have won it all last season. Of course, no disrespect to Milwaukee because they did an amazing job. But my point is, it would make no sense to break that team up.&rdquo;
Nicknamed &ldquo;The General&rdquo; for the way he ran the Orangemen and setting the NCAA record for assists in 1989, Douglas offered his evaluation of Kyrie Irving as a point guard and a leader.
&ldquo;Kyrie&rsquo;s skill level of not just ball-handling but of shooting, passing and scoring is one of the best I&rsquo;ve ever seen. He can do it all," Douglas said. "He is one of those point guards where you have to just say, 'I hope he&rsquo;s off tonight.' And [with] the way Brooklyn plays spreading the floor with shooters &mdash; which leaves the defender on an island by himself with Kyrie &mdash; you wanna send help, but you can&rsquo;t because of all of the shooters.
&ldquo;And as a leader, one of the many things that had impressed me with Kyrie is that he can take a step back and let other guys score. So when he sees Durant is scoring or Harden has it going or whoever, he has the humility to take a step back and allow those guys to get off when he knows he could be doing the same exact level of scoring. And I&rsquo;ve seen Harden do that as well. It&rsquo;s not a competition, and that&rsquo;s special. You don&rsquo;t just throw that away, because that chemistry isn&rsquo;t easy to come by and they jelled quickly.&rdquo;
So everyone agrees that, on the court, Kyrie is invaluable. But one of the things that makes him somewhat of an enigma to many is the fact that Kyrie cares about much more than basketball.&nbsp;
At one point last season, Irving divulged that he was participating in his first Ramadan, a sacred time for Muslims where they fast from dawn to sunset and can&rsquo;t eat or drink anything during the day. He also disclosed that the Israeli airstrikes that slaughtered dozens of Palestinians heavily weighed on him, and despite the fact that the playoffs were just days away and the Nets were significant favorites to win it all, his main focus wasn&rsquo;t at the time bouncing a ball.
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Kyrie explained why, with everything going on in the world, basketball isn't the most important thing for him to talk about right now. <a href="https://t.co/y6YbMPoZq6">pic.twitter.com/y6YbMPoZq6</a>
&mdash; SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1393764602840768513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of stuff going on in this world, and basketball is just not the most important thing to me right now," he said. "There&rsquo;s a lot of stuff going on overseas. All my people are still in bondage all across the world. There&rsquo;s a lot of dehumanization going on, so I apologize if I&rsquo;m not going to be focused on your questions. There&rsquo;s just too much going on in the world for me to just be talking about basketball... and it&rsquo;s not just in Palestine and not just in Israel, it&rsquo;s all over the world, and I feel it.
"I&rsquo;m very compassionate to all races, all cultures, and to see so many people being discriminated against based on their religion, the color of their skin, what they believe in it&rsquo;s just sad. We all say we&rsquo;re human beings and we&rsquo;re compassionate and we care, but what are you doing to help?&rdquo;&nbsp;
Anybody with eyes could see the genuine hurt that Kyrie Irving was feeling at that moment. This is who he is. He cares deeply.&nbsp;
Shortly after the Jan. 6 insurrection &mdash; in which the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. was violently attacked by a mob of supporters of Donald Trump as they sought to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election &mdash; Kyrie took a break from the team. Upon his return, he addressed the media. 
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"There are so many oppressed communities and so many things going on that are bigger than a ball going in the rim." Kyrie Irving discussed his absence, mental health and his goals off the court. (via <a href="https://twitter.com/SNYNets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SNYNets</a>) <a href="https://t.co/4LY7T8V327">pic.twitter.com/4LY7T8V327</a>
&mdash; Yahoo Sports NBA (@YahooSportsNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/YahooSportsNBA/status/1351601992280498178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
&ldquo;When things become overwhelming in life, you know, you just got to take a step back and realize what&rsquo;s important. I&rsquo;m not alone in this. And that&rsquo;s just a big thing about also mental health, you know, just coming in and being balanced with yourself and then being able to perform," Irving said. "So, with everything going on in the world politically, socially, it&rsquo;s hard to ignore. I want to make changes daily. You know, there are so many oppressed communities, so many things going on that are bigger than just a ball going into the rim. So it&rsquo;s just the balance of it.&rdquo;&nbsp;
No one is going to deny that Kyrie's absence from the team was unexpected, and the lack of details opened the door for speculation and chatter. And to be fair, the way he handled it wasn&rsquo;t the best either. Breaking the NBA&rsquo;s COVID-19 protocols and attending a party is obviously not the greatest thing to do, even if it&rsquo;s part of the taking a step away process.
However, at the same time, Irving&rsquo;s mental health is something that needs to be intact in order for him to perform at the optimal level fans desire. And taking a break doesn&rsquo;t always look the same for everyone. But in this society, athletes are still greatly ridiculed when they take time off for their mental health, just ask Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles. But that doesn&rsquo;t change the fact that mental health is something that should be valued, and Kyrie is not someone who is going to stop caring &mdash; because that&rsquo;s just who he is. 
On my show "<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-rematch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Rematch</a>," while I was interviewing Stephen Jackson, <a href="nba-kyrie-irving-george-floyd-stephen-jackson-house-bought-gianna-lil-baby-barbra-streisand-brooklyn-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he revealed that Kyrie bought a house for the family of George Floyd</a>, who was murdered last year at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.&nbsp;
Irving also <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamzagoria/2021/01/01/brooklyn-nets-guard-kyrie-irving-pays-off-tuition-of-nine-students-at-hbcu-lincoln-university/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paid off the college tuition of nine students from an HBCU</a> (Lincoln University) on Dec. 10 as part of his foundation&rsquo;s 11 Days of Giving.
At the height of an international covid pandemic, <a href="https://nothinbutnets.com/2020/07/27/nets-kyrie-irving-wnba-players/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he committed $1.5 million to help support the income of WNBA players</a> who chose to sit out the 2020 season due to health and other personal reasons.
This past August, <a href="https://www.michigandaily.com/news/kyrie-irving-donates-13000-to-umich-student-run-charity-for-solar-water-center-in-pakistan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he donated funds to help build a solar water center in Pakistan</a> that will provide clean water and electricity to over 1,000 people.
And I could go on and on and on, but in describing his character, many members of the media choose to focus on Kyrie not wanting to speak to them instead of constantly bringing up these facts.
It always goes back to him calling them pawns, or downplaying his need to take a mental break, or not being committed to the team or pulling up previous statements to add ridicule to him. A good example is his strong opposition to Thanksgiving.
(All the while ignoring the fact that he is very serious about his Native American heritage; his mother, Elizabeth, who passed away when he was 4, was a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Irving and his older sister, Asia, were actually welcomed into the tribe with a ceremony in 2018. He was even given the Lakota name "Little Mountain" by tribal elders. So, yes, it should be more than understandable why he would not be as enthusiastic about a holiday that marks the slaughter of his people, but I digress.)&nbsp;
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I asked Douglas why many in the media choose to focus on the negative instead of the positive so often with Kyrie. 
&ldquo;Unfortunately, the way of the media is to focus on the negative and not the positive. &nbsp;Negativity is what sells," Douglas said. "They are not looking to praise Kyrie for what he does off the court, and he is not looking for that. In fact, he wants to do things quietly and is looking to do the right thing, and you have to commend him for that. What he is doing off the court is just phenomenal. I think Kyrie has to just tune all of that out and keep doing what he has been doing. But he is an example to all on how to give of yourself and to be selfless and care for the well-being of others in thought, word and in deed."
Thomas reflected with the same sentiments.
&ldquo;I love the sensitivity that he shows to the community and in particular, people who are in poverty. I am one who grew up in poverty, so I benefitted from the charitable generosity and good will of others. And it is appreciated more than many people know because he doesn&rsquo;t have to do that," Thomas said. "And he doesn&rsquo;t do it to be seen doing it. Things leak out of course because that&rsquo;s the age we are living in, but he would rather keep everything quiet, and that shows how genuine of a person he is &mdash; because he is doing it out of the kindness of his heart, not for recognition or to embarrass the person who he is helping, which happens too often. So I have all the respect and admiration in the world for him.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Anderson had some closing comments, in addition.
"They just want him to just shut up and play basketball. He has things other than basketball that he feels passionately about, and there&rsquo;s nothing wrong with that," Anderson said. "He cares for people in a way that is foreign to a lot of folks, but he&rsquo;s supposed to care about people. He wants to make a difference in the world and that&rsquo;s what he is doing. He&rsquo;s looking at what&rsquo;s going on overseas, what&rsquo;s going on here in America, things affect him &mdash; but they are supposed to affect him. He&rsquo;s a human being with a huge heart and the financial ability to make a change.
"I think he is doing great, and he needs to keep doing everything he&rsquo;s doing &mdash; whether it&rsquo;s challenging whoever, or helping whoever, or speaking up for whoever. It obviously didn&rsquo;t take away from what he is doing on the court. He can&rsquo;t help injuries, but when he laced them up, he dominated. And if he wouldn&rsquo;t have gotten hurt, things would&rsquo;ve been different last year. So he just needs to ignore everyone and keep doing what he is doing. He definitely has my admiration and support.&rdquo;
All three are absolutely right about Kyrie Irving, and I couldn't agree more.

Etan Thomas defends Kyrie Irving along with three former NBA point guards that admire his game and, more importantly, his character.

Isiah Thomas, Kenny Anderson, Sherman Douglas have Kyrie Irving's back

Matt Babcock concludes his series by detailing the post-2001 years in Milwaukee and his father's role in finding talent deep in drafts.

Growing up a Buck: From Ray Allen to Giannis, my dad remains in Milwaukee

One month from now, we will all be enjoying the NBA play-in tournament, a precursor to the postseason.
But until then, we are enduring what is known in the Association as &ldquo;dog day&rdquo; games, in which there is no telling exactly what will be compelling.&nbsp;
So tonight, we aim to change that by making every team interesting. Every single NBA team has something interesting going on, from the very best to the very worst. So let&rsquo;s have a look at all 30 of them, starting with the East before tackling the West.
Consider this a reset/refresher column as we all prepare for the final 24 days of the regular season.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
PHILADELPHIA 76ers (39-19): A home loss to Phoenix last night kept them from picking up a game on the Brooklyn Nets, who remain a half-game behind the Sixers. Ben Simmons (illness) was not available to defend Stephen Curry on Monday or Chris Paul on Wednesday, and those missed games won't help his Defensive Player of the Year candidacy. The team has a measuring stick game against the Milwaukee Bucks tonight.
BROOKLYN NETS (39-20): It has now been more than two weeks since they put together back-to-back wins, which is understandable because their big three of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden have not been together on the court since the dead of winter. Mike James of CSKA Moscow was released from his contract and will be joining them next.&nbsp;
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MILWAUKEE BUCKS (35-22): They and the 76ers have lost back-to-back games, but one of those skids will end tonight after they play each other in Milwaukee. This is their second game of the season vs. Philly, and the teams end their season series on Saturday afternoon. If the Bucks win both home contests, they will be only one game back of Philly in the loss column. But that seems to be asking a lot of a Milwaukee team that has allowed 128 points in each of its last two games.
NEW YORK KNICKS (33-27): They are the hottest team in the NBA right now with an eight-game winning streak, which means it is time to resume the conversation of Tom Thibodeau as the leading candidate for Coach of the Year. The Knicks have the NBA&rsquo;s stingiest defense (allowing 104.7 points per game) and have the likely Most Improved Player, Julius Randle, who has scored 32 or more points in five of the last six games. The seven-year playoff drought is ending. They have not won a second-round series in 21 years.
ATLANTA HAWKS (32-27): Nate McMillan is 18-7 since taking over for Lloyd Pierce, Clint Capela has shot no worse than 65.8% in the past 12 games and is leading the league in rebounds per game (14.7), and Bogdan Bogdanovic is averaging 21.6 points per game this month while shooting 49.1% on threes. There's a big stretch upcoming: Miami, Milwaukee and two vs. Philadelphia among Atlanta's next five games.&nbsp;
BOSTON CELTICS (31-27): Eight wins in nine games seemed to straighten them out before they lost Wednesday night to Chicago, but entering the playoffs with a head of steam is a tried-and-true formula for success. Last night&rsquo;s loss was excusable given the absences of Marcus Smart, Evan Fournier, Kemba Walker and Robert Williams. The Celtics have two games left vs. Charlotte and two vs. Miami. Fourth place is within reach.
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MIAMI HEAT (31-28): Let&rsquo;s not forget that nobody saw them coming last season, so doubt them at your own risk. We go into Thursday night&rsquo;s games with one game separating the No. 4 to No. 7 teams in the loss column, and let&rsquo;s not forget that these guys were 11-17 a little more than two months ago. The Heat's schedule is easy until four of their final five are against Boston (twice), Philadelphia and Milwaukee.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS (28-29): The Hornets franchise has not won a playoff series since 2001-02, but is currently the eighth seed in the East. Terry Rozier is not being discussed in the Most Improved Player debate, but he is averaging a career-high 20.7 points and his field goal percentage is up four-and-a-half points to 46.8%. The best news for Charlotte? LaMelo Ball is expected to return very soon.
INDIANA PACERS (27-31): They are looking like a play-in game team, and they are 0-1 against their likely (as of now) No. 10 opponent, Washington, although they have two games remaining against the Wizards. Caris LeVert is getting up a lot of shots, but not making them at a particularly good clip. Except for his field goal percentage, Malcolm Brogdon is having a solid April production-wise, most notably with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.0.&nbsp;
WASHINGTON WIZARDS (25-33): At least we can always count on Russell Westbrook filling up the stat sheet, and Bradley Beal, when healthy, showing why everyone always wants to trade for him. They are going to have to hold off Chicago and Toronto for the No. 10 spot, and the Raptors have suddenly strung together four-straight wins. The Wizards have won six in a row and eight of nine, so keep that &ldquo;head-of-steam&rdquo; thing in mind.
TORONTO RAPTORS (25-34): They have an absolutely brutal schedule the rest of the way, playing the Clippers (twice), Nuggets, Jazz, Lakers, Knicks, Nets, Grizzlies and Mavericks. The Raptors have played every single one of their games on the road, having temporarily relocated to Tampa from the still-on-lockdown province of Ontario, so making the top 10 will be especially difficult. Their end-of-winter stretch of 15 losses in 17 games was a killer.
CHICAGO BULLS (24-34): Billy Donovan is tasked with assimilating several newly-acquired rotation players into the lineup on the fly, and the Bulls are 5-10 since the trade deadline. The No. 10 spot is the goal, and Washington is only one game ahead of them in the loss column. But 13 of their final 14 are against East teams with better records. They will not play any more West teams.&nbsp;
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (21-37): Out of the rotation with a fluctuating role, Cedi Osman has scored in single digits in nine of his last 10 games and has missed 27 of his last 30 three-point shots over that span. That, to use a nice word, is peculiar. In addition to the first season of his contract, will make roughly $31 more million by the time his contract expires, unless whoever he plays for in 2023-24 declines the $6.7 million option in the final season.
ORLANDO MAGIC (18-40): They are 3-11 since the fire-sale/trade deadline, and there is not a lot to be positive about when looking ahead to next year (aside from the hope that Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac recover successfully from their injuries). At least the players can ditch their winter clothes for a while. The Magic have only one cold-weather city road game ahead, and that's May 11 in Milwaukee.
DETROIT PISTONS (18-41): Troy Weaver got rid of all the dead money, which is Step 1 in a rebuild. Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey and Killian Hayes are the main building blocks, and the Pistons will have a very good lottery pick. Weaver has his work cut out for him.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
UTAH JAZZ (44-15): &nbsp;Nobody makes this argument, but a guy who studies this stuff believes Joe Ingles is a better Sixth Man of the Year candidate than Jordan Clarkson. He cites Ingles' superior three-point numbers (49.4% to 35.0%), double the assists (4.4 to 2.2) and better overall field goal percentage (52.5% to 42.4). On a broader note, the Jazz are ahead in the West by one-and-a-half games over Phoenix, with one game against the Suns remaining. Phoenix is 2-0 against Utah and owns the tiebreaker.
PHOENIX SUNS (42-16): They are 31-7 since Feb. 5, and nobody in the league can touch that type of stretch over that long of a period. (The Jazz have lost 10 games over that span). So why exactly are we not talking about Monty Williams for Coach of the Year? Nobody on this team is in the MVP conversation because none of them are doing the type of night-in, night-out spectacular things that Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Steph Curry do, but doubt the Suns at your own risk. They could have the No. 1 seed.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (42-19): They are 16-3 in their last 19 games, and are 25-10 against Western Conference teams &ndash; tops in the West in terms of winning percentage. They are 11-1 in the second half of back-to-back games, winning again last night with Amir Coffey in the starting five, as Ty Lue used his 22nd different starting lineup. The Clippers would lose the tiebreaker with the Jazz and win the tiebreaker with the Suns; still, they are almost locked into the No. 3 seed. They have litmus-test games left vs. the Suns, Lakers and Nuggets.
DENVER NUGGETS (38-20): With Steph Curry having a bad shooting game last night, perhaps the &ldquo;Steph-for-MVP&rdquo; bandwagon lost a wheel. Nikola Jokic is two-tenths of an assist away from averaging a triple-double this month, as the Nuggets have gone 9-2. Denver still must play road games against the Clippers, Jazz, Lakers and Blazers, but for now seem locked into a No. 4 seed with a likely first-round matchup against a Lakers team that is getting Anthony Davis back on Thursday and LeBron James soon after.&nbsp;
LOS ANGELES LAKERS (35-23): Their regular-season record means absolutely nothing, because there have been a total of zero games in which Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Andre Drummond have been on the court together. The Lakers have alternated wins and losses in their past 12 games, and they&rsquo;ll probably be at full strength for their final 10 or so games to figure each other out prior to the playoffs. One would imagine that Drummond, Davis and Montrezl Harrell can combine to contain Jokic in the first round.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (32-26): They'll want to hold off the Mavericks for sixth to avoid the play-in tournament &ndash; unless they would prefer a first-round matchup with Phoenix instead of the Clippers. The Blazers have the tiebreaker over the Mavs from winning the season series 2-1, and the schedule-makers have given them three of their next four games against the Memphis Grizzlies. The two components that they did not have a year ago -- when Jusuf Nurkic was hurt -- are a rebounding machine at backup center (Enes Kanter) and a stud perimeter defender (Robert Covington).
DALLAS MAVERICKS (31-26): They are only .500 (14-14) at home and .500 (17-17) against Western Conference teams. Kristaps Porzingis has only 15 double-doubles after having 21 in his rookie season under Derek Fisher, when Phil Jackson was running the New York Knicks franchise. Assuming they are a play-in team, Luka Doncic will still make it a must-watch No. 7 - No. 8 game, even for casual fans. The Mavs have already clinched the season series against Memphis.
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MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (29-28): If only they played in the East... The Grizzlies are 17-8 against teams from the opposite conference, 12-20 against the West. There are enough cupcakes left on their schedule to keep them safe, so it is probably a matter of whether they finish No. 8, 9 or 10. Oh, and welcome back, Jaren Jackson Jr. Eight of their players are averaging double figures in points, and Desmond Bane is 0.5 points per game away from making it nine. Jonas Valanciunas has missed a double-double in two straight games after doing it in 16-straight, and missing the last two contests with a concussion.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (29-30): Steph Curry&rsquo;s streak of 30-point games ended last night at 11, but one would imagine that he will have another good game sometime soon. His MVP odds were 100-1 last Sunday and are 17-1 today. Whether the Warriors end up in the No. 7 - No. 8 game or the No. 9 - No. 10 game in the play-in tournament, we will not want to miss it. The Warriors' final regular-season game is against Memphis, and it could be a tiebreaker game. The Grizzlies are 1-1 vs. GSW.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS (28-29): Gregg Popovich will eventually get a haircut... we think. But in all seriousness, Pop has done quite well with a team that will likely undergo a roster overhaul in the offseason, and presumably, he and San Antonio CEO R.C. Buford will address a position other than point guard. They have lost 8 of 12 and 13 of 19, but eight of their final 15 games are against East teams. They will not play a West team at home until a home back-to-back vs. Phoenix to end the regular season.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (25-33): If not for their current four-game losing streak, they would have caught the Spurs by now.&nbsp; The Pelicans have a must-win game Saturday against San Antonio because it would clinch the season series, but four games in the loss column is a lot of ground to cover over the remainder of the season. The schedule is packed with road games, and there are only two easy opponents: Orlando on Thursday and Minnesota on May 1.
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SACRAMENTO KINGS (24-35): They have lost 10 of 12, so it would take a miracle for them to climb to No. 10. Buddy Hield is only a shade above 40% from the field, which is not what you want from your shooting guard who just signed a huge extension. A massive offseason overhaul seems likely, as the playoff-free streak probably reaches 15 years in late May.&nbsp;
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (20-39): When you have nothing to do, Google &ldquo;McLovin&rdquo; and &ldquo;Aleksej Pokusevski&rdquo; and see if that looks like a match. Jeff Sherman of LV Sportsbook says the Thunder have a power rating worse than the tanking Sixers from back when Sam Hinkie was running the team, but they certainly will be entertaining on draft night when general manager Sam Presti (presumably) starts packaging multiple future first-round picks for better first-round picks and/or players.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (16-44): They have a new ownership group coming in that will keep the team in its current location, which means expansion is coming to Seattle and a second city (Las Vegas? Kansas City? Louisville?). Those expansion teams will help the current owners mitigate the financial losses they have sustained the past two seasons during the pandemic.&nbsp;
HOUSTON ROCKETS (15-44): They are a pleasure to watch when the only alternative is the Home Shopping Network. The Victor Oladipo thing really did not work out, and they are now stuck with John Wall for the next two seasons. It'll be a long rebuild for the Rockets.

Chris Sheridan checks in with every team in the league as we prepare for the final stretch of the regular season.

All 30 NBA teams have interesting situations as season hits home stretch

Each day, BasketballNews.com scours #NBATwitter to bring you the best tweets from the previous day. Some are insightful, some are just hilarious (so we had to include them).
Without further ado, here are the tweets of the day for April 6, 2021.
The Happiest Place On Earth
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Somebody road raging at me at a Chick-fil-A parking lot. How could you be so mad at Chick-fil-A
&mdash; Malcolm Miller (@MalcMili13) <a href="https://twitter.com/MalcMili13/status/1377637502681513996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2021</a></blockquote>

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To be fair, those drive-thru lines do get pretty long.
Smoke and Mirrors
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You guys love that fog machine huh? <a href="https://twitter.com/DetroitPistons?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DetroitPistons</a> <a href="https://t.co/mU4hO2sOb7">pic.twitter.com/mU4hO2sOb7</a>
&mdash; Carmelo Anthony (@carmeloanthony) <a href="https://twitter.com/carmeloanthony/status/1377649179124727811?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2021</a></blockquote>

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This is the perfect photo with so much meme potential. The general look of disgust. The hands on the hips. The fog so thick it looks like Melo is a phoenix rising from the ashes.
The Long Con
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blake griffin going from detroit to brooklyn <a href="https://t.co/HWLU9Z9ZQR">pic.twitter.com/HWLU9Z9ZQR</a>
&mdash; J. Kyle Mann (@jkylemann) <a href="https://twitter.com/jkylemann/status/1377621697810022420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2021</a></blockquote>

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With a new prank show allegedly in the works, it makes perfect sense that Blake Griffin would spend three seasons pretending he no longer knew how to play basketball.
And I Took That Personally
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Jamal Murray whenever he plays the Clippers. <a href="https://t.co/KyFv1UC3T2">pic.twitter.com/KyFv1UC3T2</a>
&mdash; Sam (@YAnunoby) <a href="https://twitter.com/YAnunoby/status/1377844762774888451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2021</a></blockquote>

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23 points and 8 rebounds. He may be a Denver Nugget, but Jamal Murray is always a Canada mans at heart.
As Wholesome As It Gets
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😱😂 When you meet your idol! <a href="https://t.co/OQ0B3UVhdl">pic.twitter.com/OQ0B3UVhdl</a>
&mdash; DANILO GALLINARI (@gallinari8888) <a href="https://twitter.com/gallinari8888/status/1379068120267100162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Whoops, I lied again. I had previously told you that basketball was about two things: friendship and hugging. I forgot to include meeting your idols and being adorable about it.
New Knicks Trauma
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RANDLES SON 😭 I feel so bad but this is so funny <a href="https://t.co/l5vCOG2gz7">pic.twitter.com/l5vCOG2gz7</a>
&mdash; Cam🖤 (@Trezzsupremacy) <a href="https://twitter.com/Trezzsupremacy/status/1379284725324374016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Kyden Randle is expressing the sentiments shared by every fan of an Eastern Conference team outside of the Brooklyn Nets.
Who Run The World? Girls
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Breastfeeding 🗣 AT HALF!
&mdash; Kristen Ledlow (@KristenLedlow) <a href="https://twitter.com/KristenLedlow/status/1378856766562242560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Get ya a coach who does it all 🥰 <a href="https://t.co/tpodjkmvcX">pic.twitter.com/tpodjkmvcX</a>
&mdash; Ande Wall (@AndeWall) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeWall/status/1378191688045371394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Adia Barnes took a single week off of work after welcoming her daughter, Capri, VIA C-SECTION. She spent half-time of the NCAA women&rsquo;s basketball CHAMPIONSHIP pumping in the locker room. Women just casually doing what they have to do is always next level bad-assery.
See a tweet that should be featured in our next Tweets of the Day piece? Send it to <a href="https://twitter.com/kelsea_lately" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@kelsea_lately</a>.

Every day, our Kelsea O'Brien scours #NBATwitter to find the best posts. Here are the tweets of the day for April 6, 2021.

NBA Tweets of the Day: Eastern Weekend Roundup

The NBA is ultimately a pass-fail league. The postseason finishes with a champion, and everyone else fails.
OK, that&rsquo;s a little harsh. Failure is relative, and there are some teams that entered this season with their expectations managed. The Oklahoma City Thunder, for example, are passing the rebuilding test as they figure out what players such as Darius Bazley can do when given a chance. The 20-year-old went for 21 points and 16 rebounds last night against the Lakers, playing against a guy, LeBron James, that Bazley used to watch when he was still in diapers.
But you get the point. The regular season is a journey to the postseason for 20 teams this year instead of 16, and a journey to the lottery for the other 10. Today, we will give out team-by-team trimester grades for the 15 Eastern Conference teams, and we&rsquo;ll circle back tomorrow with the West teams. After the next third of the season is complete, we shall do this again.
So, without further ado&hellip;
PHILADELPHIA 76ers (17-7) &ndash; Doc Rivers has them atop the Eastern Conference and has Joel Embiid at the center of the MVP discussion, and Embiid is taking to social media to scold those who cannot quite comprehend how Ben Simmons is contributing to victories on nights when his box-score line leaves something to be desired. When Embiid has played, the Sixers are 14-4, and he clearly spent a bunch of his pandemic isolation time working on his conditioning. Philly has the NBA&rsquo;s best fourth-quarter offense, outscoring opponents by 112.4 points per 100 possessions. Shake Milton is contributing along with imports Danny Green and Seth Curry, and the Sixers have the league&rsquo;s best home record (11-2).
GRADE A-
MILWAUKEE BUCKS (16-8) &ndash; Let&rsquo;s face it, they spoiled us last season. After 24 games a year ago, they were 21-3. What&rsquo;s important to note with this year&rsquo;s team is that there was going to be a learning curve with Jrue Holiday taking over from Eric Bledsoe at the point, because chemistry takes time to build. Khris Middleton continues to do what Khris Middleton always does. Bobby Portis has been a very good free-agent addition (11 points, 7.4 rebounds), as noted in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-bobby-portis-spark-plug-off-bench-milwaukee-bucks-mike-budenholzer-donte-divincenzo-khris-middleton-dj-augustin">this recent profile by colleague Spencer Davies</a>, and Donte DiVincenzo is doing a bit of everything as a full-time starter, shooting above 40 percent from three-point range.
GRADE: B+
BROOKLYN NETS (14-11) &ndash; Well, they have certainly been intriguing. The James Harden trade may have provided us with the most signature moment of the season, and Kyrie Irving has kept things interesting while being polarizing. The Kevin Durant situation last Friday gave everyone a better idea of how hard the NBA is working to contain the spread of the coronavirus, and although the league&rsquo;s methods can sometimes be maddening and isolating, we are not seeing the number of infections that we were seeing a month ago. A backup big man remains a need, and we shall see beginning tonight if Noah Vonleh is the answer. They are all-in on offense, but we all know that defense wins championships, so Sean Marks&rsquo; roster remains a work in progress.
GRADE: B
BOSTON CELTICS (12-10) &ndash; Danny Ainge has been quiet&hellip; too quiet. And the Celtics have been too mediocre. Part of that is caused by Kemba Walker being unavailable for 13 of the 22 games, and Marcus Smart&rsquo;s injury hurts more than some may realize. In a league where elite on-the-ball defenders are hard to come by, Smart is one of the best in the business. He will be back by the end of the month, and his absence is providing everyone with a longer look at rookie Payton Pritchard. Jayson Tatum remains a stud player, but one has to wonder whether big men Tristan Thompson and Daniel Theis are championship material. Let&rsquo;s not forget that Andre Drummond is on an expiring contract in Cleveland, and Boston might be a perfect fit. Stay tuned.
GRADE: B-
INDIANA PACERS (12-12) &ndash; The acquisition of Caris LeVert did not exactly go as expected, but the Pacers saved the kid&rsquo;s life. He is expected back on the court in March. Myles Turner&rsquo;s broken hand was a setback, but Domantas Sabonis is having his best season statistically and is a lock to be an All-Star, and the Malcolm Brogdon-T.J. McConnell point guard duo may be the East&rsquo;s best. (Both are among the league&rsquo;s Top 15 in assist-to-turnover ratio). There is no official timetable on T.J. Warren&rsquo;s return from surgery for a stress fracture in his left foot. New coach Nate Bjorkgren has had to mix and match lineups, but if all goes well health-wise, he could have his full roster playing together over the final third of the season.
GRADE: C
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CHARLOTTE HORNETS (12-13): LaMelo Ball is starting to run away with the Rookie of the Year award, and Michael Jordan&rsquo;s team has quietly won five of seven, a stretch that began with victories over the Pacers, Bucks and Heat. These guys have spent exactly two days over .500, but they seem like a sort of sneaky good team when at full strength (Devonte&rsquo; Graham is currently out, and Cody Zeller has missed half of their games.) Sixth place in the conference is not a bad place to be, and let&rsquo;s see what a full season of Gordon Hayward acclimating to his teammates leads to. Lest we forget, it&rsquo;s still somewhat early in the season.
GRADE: C+
ATLANTA HAWKS: (11-12): Trae Young is an All-Star and Clint Capela is leading the league in rebounding, and you can&rsquo;t help but wonder what that record might look like if Bogdan Bogdanovic had not fractured his knee. They have seven guys averaging double figures in points, and come playoff time, Danilo Gallinari and Rajon Rondo will provide them with what they&rsquo;ve been missing in seasons past. They are the East&rsquo;s biggest sleeper team.
GRADE: C+
TORONTO RAPTORS (11-13): Nick Nurse&rsquo;s ejection last night gave him the league-lead among coaches in technical fouls, and Kyle Lowry leads the league in flagrant fouls. So, that&rsquo;s really not a bunch of great stuff to write home about from Tampa. Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam have had their moments, as has Chris Boucher, and they are working their way back from a 2-8 start with wins in four of their past five games. They get a lot of sympathy points here for playing an entire season on the road, for all intents and purposes. But sympathy points mean nothing in the standings.
GRADE: C-
NEW YORK KNICKS (11-14): Tonight, we get to see whether Derrick Rose reuniting with Tom Thibodeau is the secret sauce, and the roster is a work in progress as we discussed yesterday in exploring <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-jj-redick-trade-rumors-david-griffin-new-orleans-pelicans-frank-ntilikina-ignas-brazdeikis-new-york-knicks-tom-thibodeau-derrick-rose-ny-playoffs">the possibility of a J.J. Redick acquisition</a>. After 25 games a season ago, they were 5-20 and beginning the Mike Miller era, back when Leon Rose was still an agent and Thibs was wondering where his next paycheck would come from. This particular rebuild should allow for a playoff spot that ends a seven-year drought, and progress at MSG will take years, not months. Their cap flexibility going forward is huge.
GRADE: B-
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (10-15): Getting Jarrett Allen from the Nets gives them a third young player to build around, joining Darius Garland and Collin Sexton (AKA the NBA&rsquo;s speediest backcourt). Can they get anything out of Kevin Love, either on the court or in the trade market? That is a major question. They have (what one would think is) a solid trade asset in Andre Drummond, although we were saying that about the Pistons a year ago when they had Drummond and they got very little back for him. It&rsquo;s too harsh to say they are two years away from being two years away, but you get the picture.
GRADE: C
CHICAGO BULLS (9-14): On the bright side, they have the same record as Miami. If you predicted that particular fact in the preseason, please provide MegaMillions advice. Not having Lauri Markkanen, Otto Porter and Wendell Carter has crippled them, but Thaddeus Young has stepped up (trade asset at deadline?). Coby White and Patrick Williams are getting trial by fire, and Billy Donovan is figuring out which of the young fellas are keepers moving forward. One would think Tomas Satoransky has some trade value.
GRADE: D+
MIAMI HEAT (9-14): The NBA&rsquo;s biggest mystery team. What the heck happened to the guys who went to the NBA Finals last season? Duncan Robinson and Precious Achiuwa are the only players who have appeared in all 23 games, so you cannot really say that this has been a collective failure. But the &ldquo;next man up&rdquo; thing has not produced anyone who is manning up in a major way, and no matter how miserable you may feel on any given day, Pat Riley has you beat. 
GRADE: D-
ORLANDO MAGIC (9-15): Losing Markelle Fultz two weeks into the season was a kick in the head after they started 6-2, but Fultz then joined Jonathan Isaac on the out-for-the-season list. Over the past two weeks, they have been getting routinely trounced, and their point differential of -7.2 is the East&rsquo;s worst and the second-worst in the entire NBA thanks to the Timberwolves. Nikola Vucevic may still get an All-Star spot, but that is not as much of a lock as it seemed back in mid-January. This was a playoff team last season.
GRADE: D
WASHINGTON WIZARDS (6-15): Russell Westbrook sat out last night&rsquo;s back-to-back, which is frustrating. Basketball players get paid to play basketball, and once upon a time there was a commissioner, David Stern, who insisted that basketball players play basketball. At least these guys have Bradley Beal to make them watchable.
GRADE: D-
DETROIT PISTONS (5-18). The crazy thing is that they beat the Lakers once and almost beat them twice, losing last weekend in a double-overtime game in which the Pistons climbed back from a 17-point deficit. They also defeated the Sixers for one of their five victories, so go figure. It should not go unnoted that rookie Deividas Sirvydis has a PER of -26.69, which Hollinger himself cannot explain.
GRADE: D-

A third of the way into the 2020-21 NBA season, Chris Sheridan breaks down the state of each East team and grades their start.

Grading each NBA team's first trimester: Eastern Conference

Each day, BasketballNews.com scours #NBATwitter to bring you the best tweets from the previous day. Some are insightful, some are just hilarious (so we had to include them).
Without further ado, here are the tweets of the day for January 8, 2021.
Honesty is the Best Policy
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Kyrie Irving&rsquo;s reasoning for not playing in tonight&rsquo;s game per a close source: &ldquo;I just didn&rsquo;t want to play.&rdquo;
&mdash; 👑📍Brandon &lsquo;Scoop B&rsquo; Robinson, M.A. (@ScoopB) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScoopB/status/1347364062640939009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Let me start off by saying that Kyrie owes us no explanation as to why he &ldquo;just didn&rsquo;t want to play&rdquo; last night. If you look at *gestures broadly* all of America right now, you could find a million and one reasons to not want to work, and any of them would stick. Kyrie, maybe and hopefully, started something here. Every employer should allow their employees a number of &ldquo;I just didn&rsquo;t want to&rdquo; days with no questions asked.
"What Do We Want? We Don&rsquo;t Know! When Do We Want It? Last Year!"
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trump supporters brought trump 2020 flags to the capitol and its 2021 lmao
&mdash; SLOWMO (@KyleAnderson5) <a href="https://twitter.com/KyleAnderson5/status/1347202122111180800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Kyle Anderson of the Memphis Grizzlies points out just one of the things that made Wednesday the dumbest day ever. This is the alley.
Despite the small typo, the first responding tweet is the oop.
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Considering they all are stuck in the 1800s with their ideas im not surpirsed
&mdash; Flawed (@Flawedgaming91) <a href="https://twitter.com/Flawedgaming91/status/1347348260524941315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Bigger Than Basketball
Malcolm Brogdon and Jaylen Brown have never shied away from their activism. Both drove hours to their home state of Georgia to attend the protests surrounding the death of George Floyd at the hands of police. Both have remained invested in their demand for social justice and reform throughout the Bubble, the offseason and the return of the NBA. In a statement released on his social media platforms, Brogdon called for each of the perpetrators of the attack on the U.S. Capitol to be arrested. Brown cited Martin Luther King Jr.&rsquo;s &ldquo;Two Americas&rdquo; when speaking to the media about the difference between the treatment of the Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol and the countless, senseless deaths of Black Americans simply for existing. Neither Brown nor Brogdon, no matter how exhausting and taxing it becomes, have taken their foot off the gas in their fight for racial justice.&nbsp;
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My reflections on January 6th. <a href="https://t.co/Vk3ivEvUg7">pic.twitter.com/Vk3ivEvUg7</a>
&mdash; Malcolm Brogdon (@MalcolmBrogdon7) <a href="https://twitter.com/MalcolmBrogdon7/status/1347346482794414081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Love that Jayson is by his side <a href="https://t.co/xFNoeOMsOL">https://t.co/xFNoeOMsOL</a>
&mdash; samuel miller (@smiller_1) <a href="https://twitter.com/smiller_1/status/1347063229458034688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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I&rsquo;m Afraid I Just Blue Myself
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Tobias Harris. <a href="https://t.co/YMpvrdDr1k">pic.twitter.com/YMpvrdDr1k</a>
&mdash; nba paint (@nba_paint) <a href="https://twitter.com/nba_paint/status/1347339061007175685?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Tobias Harris as Tobias Funke, complete with the denim cutoffs is the type of adorable pun that makes you forget the world is burning.
I Have Taught You Well, Young Grasshopper
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Scoring 122 points without KD and Kyrie is wild
&mdash; Jay 🎭 (@BeyJayV) <a href="https://twitter.com/BeyJayV/status/1347377361596067842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 122-109 last night without their two top superstars, who also happen to be two of the best scorers in the league. The coachless, positionless, running-entirely-on-vibes basketball is working.&nbsp;
He Wasn&rsquo;t Lying
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demar has already matched his 3-point total from last season lol
&mdash; Joe Wolfond (@joey_doubleyou) <a href="https://twitter.com/joey_doubleyou/status/1347385177564176384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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DeMar DeRozan once famously told the media that he can shoot threes, he just doesn&rsquo;t want to. Now, captaining the ship of the youngest team in Spurs history, DeMar appears to have accepted that the game has evolved, and that he must as well in order for San Antonio to return to the playoffs after missing them last season for the first time since the 90s. 
Spencer, This is for You!!!!
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WITH AN OKORO GAME SAVER?? <a href="https://t.co/tEMLL2EgSW">https://t.co/tEMLL2EgSW</a>
&mdash; FearTheSword (@FearTheSword) <a href="https://twitter.com/FearTheSword/status/1347381512895868939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Tired: BLOCKED BY JAMES!
Wired: BLOCKED BY OKORO!
&ldquo;He Shoulda Been Hoopin&rsquo;&rdquo;
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Pop has a higher vert than me wtf <a href="https://t.co/m8JoF0HOTp">pic.twitter.com/m8JoF0HOTp</a>
&mdash; /r/spurs (@redditspurs) <a href="https://twitter.com/redditspurs/status/1347411189022781442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Coach Pop has fully embraced the casual dress code allowed for coaches this season. The sneakers, the sweater, the flow. He looks so much more comfortable. Could he do this in a suit? Doubt it.&nbsp;
See a tweet that should be featured in tomorrow's Tweet of the Day piece? Send it to <a href="https://twitter.com/kelsea_lately" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@kelsea_lately</a>.

Every day, our Kelsea O'Brien scours #NBATwitter to find the best posts. Here are the tweets of the day for Jan. 8, 2021.

NBA Tweets of the Day: January 8, 2021

Nekias Duncan previews the Central Division's five teams (the Bulls, Cavs, Pistons, Pacers and Bucks) ahead of the 2020-21 NBA season.

2020-21 NBA Season Preview: Central Division

Etan Thomas, Dave Zirin, Drew Gooden and Tony Massenburg discuss what John Wall meant to D.C. and Russell Westbrook's fit on the Wizards.

Etan Thomas, Drew Gooden, Tony Massenburg, Dave Zirin on Wall-Westbrook deal

The 2019-20 campaign -- bubble escapades and all -- has finally concluded. As such, it&rsquo;s time to shift to the most hectic time of the year: transaction season.
We&rsquo;re not exactly sure what the financial climate will be like this offseason; the impacts of COVID and, to a lesser extent, one particularly <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/daryl-morey-tweet-controversy-nba-china-explained/togzszxh37fi1mpw177p9bqwi">controversial tweet</a>, are still being sorted out. We do have some reasonable projections <a href="https://www.slamonline.com/nba/nba-salary-cap-comparison-2020/">via Keith Smith</a> that show six teams with significant cap space in the coming months.
This offseason, in particular, is an interesting one. On top of a handful of teams having meaningful space to navigate (if they so choose), there&rsquo;s also the balancing act teams are executing: trying to improve while maintaining financial flexibility for the vaunted 2021 free agency class that could include Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Another player on that list is Victor Oladipo, whose presence could alter quite a bit over the next 12 months. He&rsquo;s set to test the market next offseason, but there are indications that he may want out of Indiana <a href="https://www.slamonline.com/nba/victor-oladipo-looking-to-move-on-from-pacers/">sooner than that</a>.&nbsp;
The jury is out on Oladipo. At his best, he&rsquo;s an All-NBA-caliber talent who can give you 25 and snatch cookies on the other end. His 2017-18 campaign saw him slap up a 23-5-4-2-1 line while nearly leading his Pacers to a first-round upset over the LeBron-led Cleveland Cavaliers. Unfortunately, we&rsquo;re two years -- and a few injuries -- away from that campaign.
Our last sighting of Oladipo came in this year&rsquo;s postseason. He looked fine tracking guys like Duncan Robinson around screens and shot north of 36 percent from three on a heavy diet of pull-ups. He also struggled to <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/oladivi01.html#playoffs_shooting::none">get to the rim</a>, and struggled to finish when he got there.&nbsp;
The shooting will likely be the swing skill for Oladipo. He has converted 33.4 percent of his threes over the past two seasons, though that comes on 1) a &ldquo;meh&rdquo; sample size (55 games, 320 total attempts) and 2) a steady diet of pull-ups as he worked his way back.
Very quietly, Oladipo shot 37 percent on catch-and-shoots over that span, and has converted at that same clip over 849 attempts since 2015-16, per NBA.com&rsquo;s <a href="https://stats.nba.com/player/203506/">tracking data</a>. There&rsquo;s enough evidence present to suggest Oladipo can space the floor and attack in a secondary role.
Maybe Oladipo isn&rsquo;t a number-one option on a good playoff team, but he&rsquo;s someone that can inject a contender with a boost of secondary offense (with potential for more) and perimeter defense. If he is going to be moved, here are some teams that should come calling.&nbsp;
(Keep in mind that Oladipo&rsquo;s injury concerns and one-year rental status would impact his trade value. All trades have been tested via <a href="https://tradenba.com/trade-machine">tradenba.com</a>.)&nbsp;
Miami Heat
The Heat are fresh off a miracle run to the Finals, though you can&rsquo;t tell them this was <a href="https://www.fivereasonssports.com/voices/how-erik-spoelstra-transformed-the-heats-offense/">anything but planned</a>. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo (when relatively healthy) led the way with two-way brilliance, while the Heat&rsquo;s feisty hodgepodge of role players filled the gaps. They&rsquo;ve gone from an annoying second-round-ish team to a legitimate contender overnight, and expectations have risen as such. They&rsquo;re still primed to strike in 2021, but there&rsquo;s more incentive to make a win-now move if it doesn&rsquo;t cost them too much in the future.
It&rsquo;s easy to see the fit with Oladipo defensively. While the Heat can and should be lauded for the way they shifted between defensive schemes all season, it&rsquo;s only fair to point out that a not-insignificant portion of that decision was forced by their personnel. They struggled to contain shifty guards all season long. Their point guard stable -- Kendrick Nunn and Goran Dragic -- struggled to fight over screens, which would put the rest of the defense in rotation to compensate.
Adding Oladipo is an easy way to alleviate that concern, and would allow the Heat to go back to their traditional drop defense. Oladipo&rsquo;s ability to read passes also makes him prime to operate at the top or edge of Miami&rsquo;s match-up zone, and can hang with some power wings in a pinch whenever the Heat go switch-heavy.&nbsp;
The offensive fit is more of a concern, though there&rsquo;s room for optimism thanks to his ability to spot up. His shooting could help open some driving lanes for Butler and Adebayo. The presence of those two could take the pressure off of Oladipo to create against set defenses.
Starter Offer: Kelly Olynyk, Kendrick Nunn, KZ Okpala, 20th pick of the 2020 NBA draft
Salary relief and cost-controlled assets are the name of the game for this package.&nbsp;
Olynyk is a serviceable big man who can operate as a first-unit spacer, or a second-unit high-post hub. His role will likely depend on how real the noise around Myles Turner is. If Turner isn&rsquo;t moved, you&rsquo;d be hard pressed to find a better third big option.&nbsp;
Before a nightmarish slump in the bubble, Nunn was one of the NBA&rsquo;s better rookies, ranking third among first-timers in scoring (15.3 points). There were hints of a three-level scorer shown, though he relies on his pull-up to set up the rest of his game. In theory, his spacing could provide a nice complement to the no-nonsense driving of Malcolm Brogdon.
Okpala is the real wildcard. His rookie campaign was halted with an Achilles injury, but he showed real flashes as an off-ball defender and slasher in the G-League and in limited minutes on the parent club.
This is an underwhelming package for someone of Oladipo&rsquo;s peak talent. Once you factor in injury concerns, Oladipo&rsquo;s expiring deal and the flexibility the Heat want to maintain for 2021, it wouldn&rsquo;t be a shock for them to start the negotiations pretty low.
Last Ditch Offer: Duncan Robinson, Kelly Olynyk, Kendrick Nunn
The Heat would obviously love to make a deal without including any of their top four assets: Adebayo, Butler, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson.&nbsp;
Of the four, though, Robinson seems to be the most expendable. He&rsquo;s one of the NBA&rsquo;s most dangerous movement shooters; his partnership with Adebayo in dribble handoffs is one of the deadliest dances in the sport right now. Potentially moving him for a rental can be seen as malpractice.
The counter: Much of the actions Robinson thrived in -- traditional handoffs, quick pitch-backs in semi transition, Chicago action -- can be run with Herro, with more on-ball creation upside. Including Robinson in a deal could allow the Heat to keep their draft picks, which could be used to replace Nunn (hello, Tyrese Maxey!), Robinson (hello, Desmond Bane!), or as a sweetener in a different deal.
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Los Angeles Lakers
The &ldquo;We Believe&rdquo; Lakers are fresh off of their first title since &hellip; [checks notes] &hellip; 2010? Seriously? Wow.&nbsp;
Anyway.&nbsp;
The Lakers were able to win behind their Big Two of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, conservatively regarded as two of the six or so best players in the NBA right now. The human carousel affectionately known as &ldquo;the Lakers&rsquo; third best player&rdquo; changed about as often as the weather. Solidifying that distinction could go a long way to strengthening their repeat chances.
Oladipo would certainly fit the bill.&nbsp;
Starter Offer: Danny Green, Kyle Kuzma
Green remains one of the better team defenders in the NBA, as well as someone who can defend either wing spot credibly. His three-point shooting fell from his career-high mark last season, but he&rsquo;s still a tremendous spot-up shooter and an even more dangerous relocation threat.
Kuzma was (almost predictably) inconsistent as he adjusted from a moderately high-usage guy to a role player getting in wherever he could fit in. There was growth as a perimeter defender, particularly in the postseason. There is a 2.5-level scorer in Kuzma if you look closely enough; he is a strong finisher and has comfort operating in the midpost. His three-point stroke just hasn&rsquo;t gotten back to his rookie-year levels, which complicates his long-term potential.
If the shot does come around or at least settles in at average, Kuzma is an intriguing scoring prospect with better-than-advertised defensive acumen. He can be slotted in as a 3 or 4, depending on whatever frontcourt moves the Pacers make this offseason, and flourish moving forward.
Last Ditch Offer: Danny Green, Kyle Kuzma, Talen Horton-Tucker, 28th pick of the 2020 draft
There&rsquo;s a little more in the treasure chest for the Lakers to offer. Their first-rounder could net the Pacers one of the many &ldquo;he&rsquo;ll-be-good-if-he-just&rdquo; wing prospects in this year&rsquo;s class. Horton-Tucker is one of the more unique youngsters in the league already; a chiseled 6&rsquo;4 guard with a massive 7&rsquo;1 wingspan who&rsquo;s equipped with enough ball skills to make you go, &ldquo;Hmmm&hellip;&rdquo;&nbsp;
Unfortunately for the Lakers, they&rsquo;re still behind the 8-ball in terms of assets and would likely be outbid by more serious suitors.
Dallas Mavericks
The Luka Doncic-led Mavericks made their return to the postseason behind, statistically, the greatest offense in NBA history. Doncic pick-and-rolled his way into rim forays and stepback jimmies; Kristaps Porzingis pick-and-popped his way into triple after triple. Gunners like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Seth Curry thrived off of the open looks created by the Doncic-Porzingis tango.&nbsp;
The next step for Dallas is finding someone to take some on-ball pressure off of Doncic, and to improve their perimeter defense as a whole. This is where Oladipo can come into play.
Starter Offer: Delon Wright, Dwight Powell, 18th pick of the 2020 draft
Wright had a smaller role than anticipated in his first year in Dallas, only starting five games and averaging a shade under 22 minutes a night. Still, he provided solid perimeter defense across multiple positions, and showcased some improved craft in pick-and-roll. Wright pick-and-rolls (including passes) generated a little over 1.08 points per possession, per Synergy. Wright can slot in nicely alongside Malcolm Brogdon, and there&rsquo;s enough size between the two of them to throw out three-guard lineups with those two plus Aaron Holiday.
Powell is one of the more underrated bench bigs in the league, an elite roll option in ball screens and solid positional defender. There may be some hesitancy in taking on the remainder of his contract, especially with him coming off an Achilles injury, but that concern can be somewhat alleviated by the acquisition of the 18th pick.
Last Ditch Offer: Jalen Brunson, Tim Hardaway Jr., 31st pick of the 2020 draft
Upping the ante would be going with a more cost-controlled option in Brunson, a former Naismith Player of the Year award winner, and Hardaway Jr. Brunson is a shifty pick-and-roll guard with legit scoring chops. Hardaway Jr. is coming off his most efficient season as a pro, posting career highs in three-point percentage (39.8) and True Shooting percentage (58.1).
It would hurt to lose the playmaking of Brunson, the shooting of Hardaway Jr, and what amounts to a late first, but there&rsquo;s enough shooting and playmaking on the roster as is. Being able to keep the 18th pick would allow the Mavericks to replace one of the guards being lost, while also adding Oladipo&rsquo;s two-way prowess to the fray.&nbsp;
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Milwaukee Bucks
Another year, another disappointing second-round exit for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Once again, the Bucks had the best record in the league behind an MVP campaign from Giannis Antetokounmpo. And once again, a versatile, well-coached group was able to capitalize on the Bucks&rsquo; inflexibility and lack of supporting on-ball juice.&nbsp;
This is a big offseason for rather obvious reasons. Giannis is up for a supermax extension. The Bucks will offer it, because of course they will. It&rsquo;s fair to assume that Giannis will turn it down, forcing the Bucks&rsquo; hands in a way. They need to show him they&rsquo;re serious about making a big splash to improve the roster, especially since they&rsquo;re a year removed from losing Brogdon.
Oladipo may not be Chris Paul, but he would be a nice consolation prize, one that could take much-needed pressure off of Giannis and Khris Middleton.
Starter Offer: Eric Bledsoe, DJ Wilson, 24th pick of the 2020 draft
Bledsoe is a polarizing figure. On one hand, he&rsquo;s legitimately one of the best defenders in the league. There aren&rsquo;t many, if any, players who can avoid screens the way he can. He&rsquo;s also one of the NBA&rsquo;s best drivers, able to slither into the lane almost at will, then use his strong base to dislodge off-balance defenders.
On the other, Bledsoe has wilted in each of the past three postseasons. His inconsistent jumper leaves him at the wrong times, and his decision making comes and goes like his jumper does. He&rsquo;s objectively a good player on a fine contract, and there&rsquo;s a fit (and familiarity) alongside Brogdon in a potential Pacers backcourt.
Wilson is an interesting big who&rsquo;s been buried on the bench for &hellip; well, your guess is as good as mine. It&rsquo;s worth exploring how real his three-point stroke is, and how switchable he can be defensively. If either of those skills stick, there&rsquo;s a useful role player there for the taking. If both hit, Wilson projects as an ideal frontcourt partner alongside Turner or Domantas Sabonis moving forward. Adding a first-rounder would allow the Pacers to go wing hunting for cheap.
Last Ditch Offer: George Hill, Donte DiVincezo, Ersan Ilyasova&nbsp;
If the Pacers aren&rsquo;t keen on potentially three years of Bledsoe, they could ask for Hill back. An elite spot-up shooter, solid defender across both guard spots and good decision-maker, Hill could flourish in an off-ball role alongside Brogdon.&nbsp;
DiVincezo has equity as a driver, and has already proven to be one of the better screen-avoiders in the league on the other end. The jumper is his swing skill, but he has the skill-set and size to float between three positions in a pinch. Ilyasova serves as cap filler here, but his shooting makes him a solid option as a back-up 4, flanking either Turner or Sabonis as a stretch option.

Nekias Duncan looks at four potential destinations for Victor Oladipo if the Indiana Pacers decide to trade their All-Star this offseason.