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The NBA has officially unveiled the full participant lists for the 2026 All-Star Weekend, giving fans a complete look at the stars headed to the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, from Feb. 13-15. This year&rsquo;s festivities &ndash; highlighted by a unique USA vs. World round-robin All-Star Game format &ndash; will feature perennial All-Stars, breakout performers and standout event competitors in a celebration of the league&rsquo;s top talent.&nbsp;
Leading the headlines, Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram has been named as a replacement for Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry on the USA Stripes roster after Curry was ruled out due to a lingering right knee injury. The absence of the two-time All-Star Game MVP &ndash; who had been selected for his 12th All-Star appearance &ndash; opens the door for Ingram&rsquo;s second career selection, his first since 2020.&nbsp;
On the international side, Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun will take the place of Oklahoma City Thunder guard and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Team World after Gilgeous-Alexander was sidelined with an abdominal injury. Sengun&rsquo;s addition marks his second consecutive All-Star nod and adds another high-octane playmaker to the World lineup.&nbsp;
Under this season&rsquo;s format, the All-Star Game breaks from the traditional East vs. West matchup and instead will feature three teams &ndash; two representing the United States and one made up of international talent &ndash; competing in a round-robin slate of four 12-minute games before the two best teams square off in a championship matchup.&nbsp;
The USA squads are anchored by the league&rsquo;s brightest names. Veterans such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Jaylen Brown headline the USA rosters alongside rising stars including Anthony Edwards, Cade Cunningham and Tyrese Maxey. Meanwhile, the World team showcases global stars like Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama &ndash; with Sengun now joining that group.&nbsp;
All-Star Saturday will also feature the State Farm Three-Point Contest, Slam Dunk Contest and additional skills competitions &ndash; giving a diverse cast of sharpshooters, high-flyers and playmakers multiple stages to shine before the main event kicks off.&nbsp;
This year&rsquo;s roster announcements arrive at a pivotal point in the NBA season. With teams locked in tight playoff races and narratives building around emerging stars, All-Star Weekend doubles as both a celebration and a barometer. For Ingram, logging All-Star minutes after stepping in for Curry could be a springboard into wider MVP conversations. And for Sengun, joining the World team again &ndash; especially in place of an MVP calibre guard &ndash; reinforces his rising status on the global stage.&nbsp;
Injuries to marquee players rarely dampen excitement in All-Star festivities, but they add an undercurrent of unpredictability &ndash; a reminder of how quickly fortunes can shift in a 2-plus-month sprint to the playoffs.
As rosters are finalized and events approach, All-Star Weekend promises to flare into one of the most compelling showcases of the season &ndash; both in terms of star power and emerging momentum headed into the home stretch.

This year’s festivities will feature perennial All-Stars, breakout performers and standout event competitors.

NBA sets complete 2026 All-Star Weekend roster; Ingram and Sengun named as replacements

The NBA has released its most anticipated schedule matchups in a post by ESPN&rsquo;s Shams Charania, featuring the Opening Night and Christmas Day games for the 2025&ndash;26 season, delivering marquee showdowns and setting the tone for a star-studded campaign.
Opening Night (October 21)
Opening Night on October 21 will be broadcast nationally on NBC and Peacock, spotlighting two blockbuster matchups:
&minus; Houston Rockets @ Oklahoma City Thunder: A thrilling homecoming for former Thunder star Kevin Durant as he returns with Houston to face the reigning champions. &minus; Golden State Warriors @ Los Angeles Lakers: A high-voltage matchup featuring Stephen Curry and LeBron James, with LeBron entering his record-breaking 23rd NBA season.
Christmas Day (December 25)
The holiday slate promises five consecutive nationally televised games, packed with compelling narratives and rivalries, to air on ABC, ESPN, and streaming platforms. The schedule includes:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Cleveland Cavaliers @ New York Knicks &mdash; A high-stakes Eastern Conference preview at Madison Square Garden.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">San Antonio Spurs @ Oklahoma City Thunder &mdash; Featuring the defending NBA champions, the Thunder, against rising superstar Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Houston Rockets @ Los Angeles Lakers &mdash; A renewed Durant-versus-LeBron showdown packed with star power.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Dallas Mavericks @ Golden State Warriors &mdash; A fresh chapter as rookie Cooper Flagg faces off against Stephen Curry&rsquo;s Warriors.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Minnesota Timberwolves @ Denver Nuggets &mdash; Closes out the day with a Western Conference clash featuring Anthony Edwards and Nikola Jokic.</li>
</ol>
Opening Night passages build excitement around new dynamics and rivalry renewals &ndash; especially Durant&rsquo;s return to OKC and the enduring Lakers-Warriors, James-Curry rivalry. Christmas Day continues the NBA&rsquo;s tradition of elite storytelling, blending dynasties and rising stars on a festive stage, as NBC&rsquo;s expanded footprint &ndash; including its Opening Day coverage &ndash; marks a significant shift in broadcast strategy, signaling the league&rsquo;s evolving media landscape.
These scheduling highlights promise an electrifying launch and a festive climax to the NBA's regular season, setting up what could be a memorable year of hoops.

The NBA has released its most anticipated schedule matchups in a post by ESPN’s Shams Charania.

NBA unveils 2025-26 Opening Night & Christmas Day matchups

The Atlanta Dream and Phoenix Mercury have been two of the WNBA's most dynamic risers this season, having used the offseason as a springboard to elevate themselves from fringe playoff teams to legitimate postseason threats. With aggressive and calculated roster moves, both franchises took advantage of a star-heavy free agency market and are now reaping the rewards with improved records, on-court cohesion, and a renewed sense of direction.
In a league where parity is rising and every roster spot carries weight, the Dream and Mercury have shown that smart offseason hauls can redefine a franchise&rsquo;s ceiling.
Atlanta Dream: Currently 2nd in the East and 5th in the league overall, 14-10 record
At 14-10, the Atlanta Dream currently sit 4th in the WNBA standings and second in the Eastern Conference as of this writing. This is a significant improvement over their 2024 campaign, when they finished with a sub-.500 record of just 15-25, enough for an 8th seed, and bowed out early in the postseason. But what sets this team apart now isn&rsquo;t just their growth; it&rsquo;s the way behind their acceleration.
Allisha Gray has continued to be a steady force, earning a well-deserved spot as an All-Star starter this season. The veteran guard has grown into her role as both a scorer and leader, thriving in head coach Karl Smesko&rsquo;s aggressive system. However, the biggest shift came with the high-impact signing of Brittney Griner in the offseason.
After a tumultuous past few seasons marked by injury setbacks, Griner&rsquo;s decision to join Atlanta surprised many. But the move has paid off handsomely for both sides. Griner has given the Dream an elite interior presence and a reliable starting center, anchoring a much-improved Atlanta defense after losing their starting frontcourt from last year in Tina Charles and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus. Her chemistry with Gray and point guard Jordin Canada has created a versatile inside-out attack that&rsquo;s difficult to contain.
Griner's arrival has also opened the floor for other contributors to shine. Rhyne Howard, the 2022 Rookie of the Year, has been able to play with more freedom as a perimeter scorer now with Griner providing her with screening capabilities to get more players open. The Dream currently rank among the top five in both defensive rating and second-chance points &ndash; a testament to Griner&rsquo;s influence on both ends of the court.
This season, Atlanta isn't just looking to make the playoffs, but they're aiming to make a mark once they get there.
Phoenix Mercury: Currently 2nd in the West and 3rd in the league overall, 15-8 record
While the Dream made one big splash, the Mercury made several &ndash; and they&rsquo;re paying off even quicker.
Phoenix sits second in the Western Conference with a 15-8 record, trailing only the league-leading Minnesota Lynx. It&rsquo;s a remarkable rise for a franchise that sub.500 last season and looked rudderless in the wake of roster instability after Diana Taurasi&rsquo;s retirement and the absence of Brittney Griner, who departed for Atlanta.
Rather than rebuild, the Mercury doubled down on star power. Their front office landed two of the offseason&rsquo;s biggest names: former Connecticut Sun All-Star Alyssa Thomas and 2023 All-WNBA forward Satou Sabally. Both have been transformational.
Thomas, known for her toughness, versatility, and near triple-double averages, has brought a level of all-around excellence that&rsquo;s elevated the Mercury&rsquo;s ceiling. Thomas has been serving as the team&rsquo;s offensive engine, acting at times as their point guard and main playmaker. Her physicality on defense and elite decision-making have stabilized Phoenix in close games, many of which they&rsquo;ve won due to her crunch-time brilliance.
Sabally, meanwhile, has returned healthy and dominant. She&rsquo;s providing much-needed wing scoring and rebounding while defending multiple positions. Her ability to stretch the floor has complemented Thomas perfectly, creating mismatches across the board.
Phoenix wasn&rsquo;t done after those marquee signings. In what might be one of the savviest moves of the season, the Mercury claimed and signed veteran forward DeWanna Bonner off waivers. The 36-year-old, a former WNBA champion and franchise icon in Phoenix, has provided instant leadership and shot-making, giving the team a battle-tested voice off the bench.
Their offseason signings and together with their homegrown star Kahleah Copper, this revamped Mercury roster has thrived in head coach Nate Tibbetts&rsquo; system. They play with pace, move the ball, and now have the defensive personnel to match up with anyone. Even without Griner, who left a huge void in the frontcourt, Phoenix has compensated with a multi-pronged attack and a deep, star-laden rotation.
Phoenix and Atlanta&rsquo;s smart and bold moves are leading to playoff impact and championship hopes
What the Dream and Mercury have done this season isn&rsquo;t just about bringing in talent, but it&rsquo;s about bringing in the right talent.
Atlanta targeted Griner, knowing she could immediately solve their rim protection issues and elevate their pick-and-roll game. Phoenix bet on two of the best two-way forwards in the league and then added a proven winner in Bonner to glue it all together.
These moves weren&rsquo;t just splashy, they were also strategic. Each franchise assessed its weaknesses, acted decisively in free agency, and built complementary lineups around existing core players. The results have been dramatic and immediate.
With over a month of regular-season basketball left, both the Dream and Mercury are not just aiming to secure playoff spots &ndash; both teams are looking to make deep runs.
Atlanta, with its improved defense and emerging stars, could become a dangerous matchup for any top seed. Phoenix, meanwhile, boasts the kind of star-studded, playoff-hardened roster that could upset the status quo and challenge the Lynx or Liberty for the title.
In a WNBA season defined by aggressive movement and team-wide recalibrations, the Dream and Mercury stand out for how quickly and effectively they&rsquo;ve turned the page. With smart roster building and the boldness to act, both teams have enjoyed good regular seasons thus far and are looking to build on them to bring them to the playoffs.

The Atlanta Dream and Phoenix Mercury have been two of the WNBA's most dynamic risers this season.

WNBA: Dream, Mercury capitalize on offseason hauls to make run for the playoffs

This article is from a press release from the East Asia Super League
East Asia Super League (EASL) unveiled its schedule for the upcoming 2024-25 Season, posting 34 matchups across the region to decide East Asia&rsquo;s club basketball champions. The EASL 2024-25 Season will tip off October 2, 2024 with an expanded Group Stage running until February 12, 2025; followed by the four-game EASL Final Four championship weekend of March 7-9, 2025.
The Group Stage will feature several marquee double-header events, including the EASL Tipoff&nbsp;opening games at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila on October 2 pitting San Miguel Beerman vs. KT Sonicboom, followed by Meralco vs. Macau Black Bears; and EASL&rsquo;s Mid-Season Classic in Macau on December 11 matching up Taoyuan Pilots vs. KT Sonicboom and Macau Black Bears vs. New Taipei Kings.
EASL just last week announced its expansion from 8 to 10 teams with the addition of new entrants Hong Kong Eastern and the Macau Black Bears. The EASL, leagues, and teams all aligned that the round-robin home-and-away Group Stage would increase from 24 to 30 games.
The five Group A teams are B.LEAGUE champion Hiroshima Dragonflies, Korean Basketball League (KBL), runner-up Suwon KT Sonicboom, P. LEAGUE+ runner-up Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, Philippine Basketball&nbsp;Association (PBA) Commissioner&rsquo;s Cup champion San Miguel Beermen, and the HKSAR champion Hong Kong Eastern. The five Group B teams are B.LEAGUE runner-up Ryukyu Golden Kings, KBL champion Busan KCC Egis, P.LEAGUE+ champion New Taipei Kings, PBA Philippines Cup champion Meralco Bolts, and Macau SAR champion Black Bears.

EASL unveiled its schedule for the upcoming 2024-25 Season, posting 34 games to decide East Asia’s club basketball champions.

EASL releases schedule for 2024-2025 season

The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is done and dusted, and the second round will start today at 4 PM Eastern at ESPN&rsquo;s Seaport District Studios in New York. This will be the first time in NBA history that the draft will be separated into two days, with the first round being at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.&nbsp;
Here are all the first-round selections courtesy of the NBA: (article to be updated with the second-round picks)
<ol>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/zaccharie-risacher">Zaccharie Risacher</a> (JL Bourg-en-Bresse) to the Atlanta Hawks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/alexandre-sarr">Alex Sarr</a> (Perth) to the Washington Wizards</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/reed-sheppard">Reed Sheppard</a> (Kentucky) to the Houston Rockets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/stephon-castle">Stephon Castle</a> (Connecticut) to the San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/ron-holland">Ron Holland II</a> (G League Ignite) to the Detroit Pistons</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tidjane-salaun">Tidjane Salaun</a> (Cholet Basket) to the Charlotte Hornets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/donovan-clingan">Donovan Clingan</a> (Connecticut) to the Portland Trail Blazers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/rob-dillingham">Rob Dillingham</a> (Kentucky) to the San Antonio Spurs &mdash; traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/zach-edey">Zach Edey</a> (Purdue) to the Memphis Grizzlies</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/cody-williams">Cody Williams</a> (Colorado) to the Utah Jazz</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/matas-buzelis">Matas Buzelis</a> (G League Ignite) to the Chicago Bulls</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/nikola-topic">Nikola Topic</a> (KK Crvena Zvezda) to the Oklahoma City Thunder</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/devin-carter">Devin Carter</a> (Providence) to the Sacramento Kings</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/carlton-carrington">Bub Carrington</a> (Pittsburgh) to the Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; traded to Washington Wizards</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kelel-ware">Kel&rsquo;el Ware</a> (Indiana) to the Miami Heat</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jared-mccain">Jared McCain</a> (Duke) to the Philadelphia 76ers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/dalton-knecht">Dalton Knecht</a> (Tennessee) to the Los Angeles Lakers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tristan-da-silva">Tristan da Silva</a> (Colorado) to the Orlando Magic</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jakobe-walter">Ja&rsquo;Kobe Walter</a> (Baylor) to the Toronto Raptors&nbsp;</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jaylon-tyson">Jaylon Tyson</a> (Cal) to the Cleveland Cavaliers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/yves-missi">Yves Missi</a> (Baylor) to the New Orleans Pelicans</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/daron-holmes-ii">DaRon Holmes II</a> (Dayton) to the Phoenix Suns &mdash; traded to the Denver Nuggets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/aj-johnson">AJ Johnson</a> (Illawarra) to the Milwaukee Bucks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kyshawn-george">Kyshawn George</a> (Miami) to the New York Knicks &mdash; traded to Washington Wizards</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/pacome-dadiet">Pacome Dadiet</a> (Ratiopharm Ulm) to the New York Knicks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/dillon-jones">Dillon Jones</a> (Weber State) to the Washington Wizards &mdash; traded to Oklahoma City Thunder (via Knicks)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/terrence-shannon-jr">Terrence Shannon Jr.</a> (Illinois) to the Minnesota Timberwolves</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/ryan-dunn">Ryan Dunn</a> (Virginia) to the Denver Nuggets &mdash; traded to the Phoenix Suns</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/isaiah-collier">Isaiah Collier</a> (USC) to the Utah Jazz</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/baylor-scheierman-2">Baylor Scheierman</a> (Creighton) to the Boston Celtics</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;
<ol start="31">
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jonathan-mogbo">Jonathan Mogbo</a> (San Francisco) to the Toronto Raptors</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kyle-filipowski">Kyle Filipowski</a> (Duke) to the Utah Jazz</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tyler-smith">Tyler Smith</a> (G League Ignite) to the Milwaukee Bucks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tyler-kolek">Tyler Kolek</a> (Marquette) to the Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; traded to the New York Knicks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/johnny-furphy">Johnny Furphy</a> (Kansas) to the San Antonio Spurs &mdash; traded to the Indiana Pacers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/juan-nunez">Juan Nunez</a> (Ratiopharm Ulm) to the Indiana Pacers &mdash; traded to San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/bobi-klintman">Bobi Klintman</a> (Cairns) to the Minnesota Timberwolves &mdash; traded to the Detroit Pistons</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/ajay-mitchell">Ajay Mitchell</a> (UC Santa Barbara) to the New York Knicks &mdash; traded to Oklahoma City Thunder</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jaylen-wells">Jaylen Wells</a> (Washington State) to the Memphis Grizzlies</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/oso-ighodaro">Oso Ighodaro</a> (Marquette) to the Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; traded to the Phoenix Suns (via Knicks)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/adem-bona">Adem Bona</a> (UCLA) to the Philadelphia 76ers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kj-simpson">KJ Simpson</a> (Colorado) to the Charlotte Hornets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/nikola-djurisic">Nikola Djurisic</a> (KK Mega Basket) to the Miami Heat &mdash; traded to the Atlanta Hawks (via Heat)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/pelle-larsson">Pelle Larsson</a> (Arizona) to the Houston Rockets &mdash; traded to the Miami Heat (via Rockets)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jamal-shead">Jamal Shead</a> (Houston) to the Sacramento Kings &mdash; traded to the Toronto Raptors</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/cam-christie">Cam Christie</a> (Minnesota) to the Los Angeles Clippers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/antonio-reeves">Antonio Reeves</a> (Kentucky) to the Orlando Magic &mdash; traded to the New Orleans Pelicans</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/harrison-ingram">Harrison Ingram</a> (North Carolina) to the San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tristen-newton">Tristen Newton</a> (Connecticut) to the Indiana Pacers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/enrique-freeman">Enrique Freeman</a> (Akron) to the Indiana Pacers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/melvin-ajinca">Melvin Ajinca</a> (Saint-Quentin Basketball) to the New York Knicks &mdash; traded to the Dallas Mavericks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/quinten-post">Quinten Post</a> (Boston College) to the Golden State Warriors &mdash; traded to Thunder, then to Blazers, then to Warriors</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/cam-spencer">Cam Spencer</a> (Connecticut) to the Detroit Pistons &mdash; traded to the Memphis Grizzlies (via Timberwolves)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/anton-watson">Anton Watson</a> (Gonzaga) to the Boston Celtics</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/bronny-james">Bronny James</a> (USC) to the Los Angeles Lakers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kevin-mccullar-jr">Kevin McCullar Jr.</a> (Kansas) to the Phoenix Suns &mdash; traded to the New York Knicks</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;

The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is done and dusted, and the second round will start today at 4 PM Eastern at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York.

2024 NBA Draft: Full results

Blake Stern previews the NBA's Central Division, breaking down each team's projected lineup and burning question entering the year.

NBA Central Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

The NBA today released its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nba.com/schedule?cal=all&amp;pd=false" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nba.com/schedule?cal%3Dall%26pd%3Dfalse&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692389495539000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3UKMdLdmCgRuwOVnoqJhZk">complete game schedule</a>&nbsp;and broadcast schedules for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nba.com/schedule?bc=TNT&amp;cal=all&amp;pd=false" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nba.com/schedule?bc%3DTNT%26cal%3Dall%26pd%3Dfalse&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692389495539000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0dl47ggg01xhI9Slh8akFg">TNT</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nba.com/schedule?bc=ESPN&amp;cal=all&amp;pd=false" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nba.com/schedule?bc%3DESPN%26cal%3Dall%26pd%3Dfalse&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692389495539000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3Zq8KLI6FwgBYxw8RssYGU">ESPN</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nba.com/schedule?bc=ABC&amp;cal=all&amp;pd=false" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nba.com/schedule?bc%3DABC%26cal%3Dall%26pd%3Dfalse&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692389495539000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0XDRAL9gESfsLL555jZVej">ABC</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nba.com/schedule?bc=NBA%20TV&amp;cal=all&amp;pd=false" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nba.com/schedule?bc%3DNBA%2520TV%26cal%3Dall%26pd%3Dfalse&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692389495539000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3u39ptiXTP6ec6QWyexVit">NBA TV</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://pr.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2023/08/2023-24-ESPN-Radio-Schedule.pdf" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pr.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2023/08/2023-24-ESPN-Radio-Schedule.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692389495539000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3uOxPbew4nRhWTgpaioXEZ">ESPN Radio</a> for the 2023-24 regular season. The day-by-day and team-by-team schedules are available at <a href="https://www.nba.com/schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nba.com/schedule&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692389495539000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1kVm4DNQD4gQCT4klGOgI7">NBA.com/schedule</a>.
The 78th NBA regular season will tip off on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, and conclude on Sunday, April 14, 2024. The 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament will take place from Tuesday, April 16 &ndash; Friday, April 19, followed by the start of the 2024 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel on Saturday, April 20.&nbsp; Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV is set for Thursday, June 6.&nbsp;
The regular-season schedule includes defined dates and opponents for 80 of each team&rsquo;s 82 games, along with two games designated as TBD dates and opponents.&nbsp; Those two games for each team, to be played the week of Dec. 4, will be determined based on the results of Group Play games in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament.&nbsp; The Group Play game schedule (Nov. 3-28)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-announces-group-play-schedule-for-inaugural-inseason-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nba.com/news/2023-nba-in-season-tournament-schedule&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692389495539000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2Wy3gv1TGdjjW8ITK3MXNW">was announced</a>&nbsp;on Aug. 15.&nbsp;
Kia NBA Tip-Off 2023
The first five days of the 2023-24 NBA regular season (Oct. 24-28) will feature 10 national television games as part of Kia NBA Tip-Off 2023, with two doubleheaders each on TNT and ESPN and one on NBA TV.&nbsp; Those games will showcase 14 different teams, three rematches from the 2023 NBA Playoffs and rosters that currently include 17 NBA All-Star selections from last season and seven recipients of the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award.&nbsp;
The regular season will begin on Tuesday, Oct. 24 with a doubleheader on TNT, marking Warner Bros. Discovery Sports&rsquo; 40th&nbsp;consecutive year of NBA coverage.&nbsp; In the first game, the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets will receive their championship rings before hosting the Los Angeles Lakers in a rematch of last season&rsquo;s Western Conference Finals (7:30 p.m. ET).&nbsp; In the second game, the Phoenix Suns will visit the Golden State Warriors (10 p.m. ET) as three-time NBA All-Star Bradley Beal of Phoenix and 12-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul of Golden State make regular-season debuts with new teams and Paul faces the team for whom he played the previous three seasons.&nbsp;&nbsp;
ESPN will tip off its 22nd&nbsp;straight season of NBA telecasts on Wednesday, Oct. 25 with a doubleheader, which begins with the Boston Celtics visiting the New York Knicks (7 p.m. ET) in a matchup of teams that reached the Eastern Conference Finals and Eastern Conference Semifinals, respectively, last season.&nbsp; The San Antonio Spurs will host the Dallas Mavericks in the second game (9:30 p.m. ET), marking the NBA regular-season debut of 2023 first overall draft pick Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio.&nbsp;
On Thursday, Oct. 26, intraconference rivalries will highlight TNT&rsquo;s doubleheader as the Milwaukee Bucks host the Philadelphia 76ers (7:30 p.m. ET) and the Suns take on the Lakers in Los Angeles (10 p.m. ET).&nbsp; ESPN&rsquo;s doubleheader on Friday, Oct. 27 will have the Miami Heat meeting the Celtics in Boston (7:30 p.m. ET) and the Warriors visiting the Sacramento Kings (10 p.m. ET) &ndash; rematches from seven-game playoff series in last season&rsquo;s Eastern Conference Finals and Western Conference First Round, respectively.
NBA TV will begin its live game coverage of the new season on Saturday, Oct. 28 as the Knicks visit the New Orleans Pelicans (7 p.m. ET) and the Suns host the Utah Jazz (10 p.m. ET).
Christmas Day
The NBA will feature five games on Christmas Day (Monday, Dec. 25) for the 16th year in a row, with ABC or ESPN televising each matchup.&nbsp; The 76th&nbsp;edition of the NBA on Christmas Day will tip off on ESPN as the Bucks face the Knicks in New York (noon ET).
The next two games will air on both ABC and ESPN.&nbsp; The two most recent recipients of the Larry O&rsquo;Brien Trophy will go head-to-head when the 2022 NBA champion Warriors visit the 2023 NBA champion Nuggets (2:30 p.m. ET).&nbsp; Next, the Lakers will host the Celtics (5 p.m. ET) as the longtime rivals meet on Christmas Day for the first time in 15 years.&nbsp;
The Christmas Day schedule will conclude with two more games on ESPN, with the 76ers taking on the Heat in Miami (8 p.m. ET) and the Mavericks playing the Suns in Phoenix (10:30 p.m. ET).
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
On Monday, Jan. 15, the NBA family will celebrate one of its most important traditions by honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.&nbsp;
The celebration will include four nationally televised games.&nbsp; In a TNT doubleheader, the Atlanta Hawks will face the Spurs (3:30 p.m. ET) and the Grizzlies will meet the Warriors (6 p.m. ET) as Atlanta and Memphis continue their traditions of hosting games on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.&nbsp; NBA TV will also air two games: Houston Rockets at 76ers (1 p.m. ET) and Oklahoma City Thunder at Lakers (10:30 p.m. ET).&nbsp;
NBA Rivals Week
Classic and budding rivalries between teams and players will take center stage for the second annual NBA Rivals Week in January.&nbsp; Rivalries will be the focus of all 11 nationally televised games across four networks (TNT, ESPN, ABC and NBA TV) over five days from Tuesday, Jan. 23 &ndash; Saturday, Jan. 27.&nbsp;
NBA Rivals Week will culminate with an ABC tripleheader on Jan. 27, including 2023 Conference Semifinals rematches between the Heat and Knicks in New York (3 p.m. ET) and the Lakers and Warriors in San Francisco (8:30 p.m. ET).&nbsp; In between those two games, reigning Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid and the 76ers will visit two-time Kia NBA MVP Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets (5:30 p.m. ET) in a matchup of centers who have been the top two finishers in MVP voting in each of the last three seasons.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The complete game and broadcast schedule for NBA Rivals Week is available&nbsp;<a href="https://pr.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2023/08/2023-24-NBA-Rivals-Week-Schedule.pdf" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pr.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2023/08/2023-24-NBA-Rivals-Week-Schedule.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692389495539000&amp;usg=AOvVaw34hW93kiZuMlb7GIJyI3uH">here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Election Day
For the second consecutive season, no NBA games have been scheduled for Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 7) as the league will continue to encourage fans and the broader NBA community to make a plan to vote and participate in the civic process.&nbsp; As part of this initiative, the NBA will share important resources from voting organizations and highlight the civic engagement work of teams in their markets.
Final Day of Regular Season
All 30 teams will play on the final day of the regular season (Sunday, April 14).&nbsp; In an effort to maximize competitive fairness, the seven games between Eastern Conference teams will begin at 1 p.m. ET, and the seven games between Western Conference teams and the one cross-conference game will start at 3:30 p.m. ET.&nbsp;&nbsp;ESPN will televise a doubleheader, with the matchups to be determined at a later date.
NBA Global Games
NBA TV will televise both Global Games on the 2023-24 regular-season schedule.&nbsp; As previously announced, the Hawks will meet the Orlando Magic in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nba.com/news/hawks-magic-mexico-city-game-on-nov-9" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nba.com/news/hawks-magic-mexico-city-game-on-nov-9&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692389495539000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3b23BLw0qM8P4gkW7YsOFM">The NBA Mexico City Game 2023</a>&nbsp;on Thursday, Nov. 9 at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City (9:30 p.m. ET), and the Brooklyn Nets will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nba.com/news/nets-cavaliers-regular-season-game-paris-2024" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nba.com/news/nets-cavaliers-regular-season-game-paris-2024&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692389495539000&amp;usg=AOvVaw03nCIevQ5K0lMxDJpqcSdX">The NBA Paris Game 2024</a>&nbsp;on Thursday, Jan. 11 at the Accor Arena in Paris (2 p.m. ET).
NBA In-Season Tournament
NBA-In-Season Tournament Group Play games for all 30 teams will take place on Tuesdays and Fridays in November, with TNT, ESPN and NBA TV&nbsp;<a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2023/08/NBA-In-Season-Tournament-National-TV-Schedule-as-of-8-15-23.pdf" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2023/08/NBA-In-Season-Tournament-National-TV-Schedule-as-of-8-15-23.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692389495540000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3hCducKp9wMT86T8Fxi6kF">combining to televise 16 games</a>.&nbsp; Eight teams will advance to the Knockout Rounds, which consist of single-elimination games in the Quarterfinals (Monday, Dec. 4 and Tuesday, Dec. 5), Semifinals (Thursday, Dec. 7) and Championship (Saturday, Dec. 9).&nbsp; The national broadcast schedule for the Knockout Rounds will be announced at a later date.&nbsp;&nbsp;
More National Television Matchups
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">2023 NBA Finals rematches between the Nuggets and Heat will take place on Thursday, Feb. 29 in Denver on TNT (10 p.m. ET) and on Wednesday, March 13 in Miami on ESPN (7:30 p.m. ET). </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">The top two picks in the 2023 NBA Draft &ndash; No. 1 pick Wembanyama of the Spurs and No. 2 pick Brandon Miller of the Charlotte Hornets &ndash; are scheduled to meet for the first time in the regular season when San Antonio hosts Charlotte on Friday, Jan. 12 on ESPN (10 p.m. ET). </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Also on Jan. 12, ESPN will present the first nationally televised matchup between twin brothers and NBA rookies Amen Thompson of the Rockets and Ausar Thompson of the Detroit Pistons &ndash; the fourth and fifth picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, respectively &ndash; when Houston visits Detroit (7:30 p.m. ET). </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Three-time NBA Hustle Award recipient and 2021-22 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart of the Grizzlies, who played the previous nine seasons with the Celtics, will play his first game in Boston as a visitor on Sunday, Feb. 4 on ESPN (6 p.m. ET).&nbsp;&nbsp; </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">The first national television matchup between the top two picks in the 2022 NBA Draft &ndash; No. 1 pick and 2022-23 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero of the Magic and No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren of the Thunder &ndash; is set for Tuesday, Feb. 13 in Orlando on TNT (7:30 p.m. ET).&nbsp; </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Leading into NBA All-Star 2024, TNT will feature a single game on Thursday, Feb. 15, with the Bucks visiting the Grizzlies (8:30 p.m. ET).&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Additional Schedule Highlights
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">All 30 teams are scheduled to make at least one appearance on TNT or ESPN in the 2023-24 regular season.&nbsp;The NBA on TNT, ESPN, ABC and NBA TV will present flexible scheduling throughout the regular season to provide the most compelling matchups to a national audience. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">The team average for back-to-backs involving travel between games has been reduced to a record-low 9.0.&nbsp; The previous low was 9.6 last season. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Primetime weeknight doubleheaders across TNT (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and ESPN (Wednesdays and Fridays) will again be played at 7:30 p.m. ET/10 p.m. ET except for one instance during the first week of the season. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">ABC will televise 16 games as part of its two weekend series,NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC(which tips off with the Jan. 27 tripleheader during NBA Rivals Week) and&nbsp;NBA Sunday Showcase&nbsp;(which begins with Celtics at Heat on Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. ET). </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">NBA TV will featureCenter Courtthroughout the season, the network&rsquo;s marquee night of programming, which incorporates enhanced viewing options into an originally produced telecast.&nbsp; In the season debut of the franchise, the Warriors will visit the Pelicans on Monday, Oct. 30 (8 p.m. ET).&nbsp;&nbsp; </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">ESPN Radio will broadcast 25 games in the regular season, including Nuggets-Lakers on opening night, Knicks-Bucks and Nuggets-Warriors on Christmas Day, and Hawks-Spurs on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">NBA League Pass will offer live, out-of-market games all season through the NBA App, NBA.com, connected televisions and TV providers.&nbsp; Fans can unlock direct access to stream matchups featuring their favorite teams and players with NBA League Pass (blackout restrictions apply).&nbsp; For more information, visit<a href="https://nba.com/leaguepass" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://nba.com/leaguepass&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692389495540000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3Q2AbUj62xoWwlMkvv_tP5">NBA.com/leaguepass</a>. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">The regular season will feature 39 games that will air in primetime in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) as part of &ldquo;NBA Saturdays and NBA Sundays presented by NBA 2K23.&rdquo;&nbsp; </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">The 2024 NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV and the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals will be exclusively televised by ABC and ESPN/ABC, respectively.&nbsp; TNT will exclusively televise the 2024 Western Conference Finals and the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday, Feb. 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">NBA games and programming are available in 214 countries and territories in more than 50 languages.</li>
</ul>

The NBA released the complete schedule for the 2023-24 regular season.

NBA releases schedule for 2023-24 regular season

With the NBA&rsquo;s 2023 free-agency period pretty much wrapped up, why not take a look at how projecting next year's free-agent market? Obviously, a lot can change between now and then, but let&rsquo;s examine each team&rsquo;s cap situation and how much cap room they project to have next summer.&nbsp;
Next year&rsquo;s free-agency class could feature some big names, including Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Maxey (restricted), Paul George, LeBron James, James Harden, Jrue Holiday, OG Anunoby and DeMar DeRozan.&nbsp;
For the purposes of this exercise, I&rsquo;m going to separate teams into four spending-power tiers: Cap Space Teams, Non-Tax MLE Teams, Luxury Tax Teams and Second Apron Teams. Also, let's assume that the salary cap will be set at $149,623,000 and the luxury tax will come in at $181,823,000, the maximum 10% jump from this upcoming season set under the new CBA.
CAP SPACE TEAMS
Teams in this tier are currently projected to have cap space next summer. They have spending access to their cap space, Bird Rights, the Room Exception (projected at $8,495,000) and the Veteran Minimum Exception.
San Antonio Spurs ($77,195,776 under the cap) If Victor Wembanyama is 70% as good as he&rsquo;s hyped up to be entering this season, one would figure that the Spurs will spend big or at least make a meaningful impact on the free-agent market next summer. They project to have an enormous amount of cap space, so it&rsquo;s very possible we&rsquo;ll see San Antonio take on some more bad contracts in trades to give them even more draft capital. Also, they&rsquo;ll want to retain Devin Vassell, who will be a restricted free agent next offseason once the Spurs extend his qualifying offer.
Philadelphia 76ers ($73,034,842 under the cap) The Sixers are perhaps the most interesting team in terms of their 2024 offseason outlook. By letting Tyrese Maxey hit restricted free agency next summer rather than extending him this year, Philadelphia gave themselves serious cap flexibility. Tobias Harris and James Harden both have expiring contracts, so the Sixers will have to use their cap space to replace their production. A Harden trade would obviously change their projected cap room, but it remains to be seen what they&rsquo;ll get back for the former MVP and how much it&rsquo;ll impact their books.
Toronto Raptors ($60,339,034 under the cap) After losing Fred VanVleet, the Raptors are walking a tightrope when it comes to whether they&rsquo;ll compete or rebuild. They face some tough decisions. Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby are both set to hit free agency next summer, so Toronto needs to decide whether they want to extend or trade their best players. Not to mention, Precious Achiuwa and Gary Trent Jr. also need new contracts.
Orlando Magic ($58,010,944 under the cap) Orlando has a lot of options for next summer, but the Magic may start with retaining many of their own players. Franz Wagner will likely receive a big contract extension, while Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony will be up for new contracts. Given that Orlando has a logjam in their backcourt &ndash; with Fultz, Anthony, Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black &ndash; it&rsquo;ll be interesting to see what they do with Fultz and Anthony. The Magic will still have plenty of room to add quality talent for yearly average values over the NTMLE.
Detroit Pistons ($57,781,166 under the cap) Detroit may approach the 2024 offseason similar to how Houston approached this summer, as a young team hoping to use its massive cap space on good veterans in order to take bigger steps toward playoff contention. With that said, the first priority for the team will be agreeing to a contract extension with Cade Cunningham.
Utah Jazz ($50,315,319 under the cap) The Jazz find themselves in a unique position where they could go in two directions. After committing a three-year deal to Jordan Clarkson, they can use their cap space to give 2023 Most Improved Player Lauri Markkanen a contract extension. If they want to have significant cap space for next summer instead, they can hold off on giving Markkanen an extension until free agency is settled.
Washington Wizards ($47,123,801 under the cap) Despite their cap space next year, don&rsquo;t expect Washington to be a big player in 2024 free agency. In the beginning stages of a rebuild, the Wizards will probably keep their sights on collecting more draft capital. They do have an interesting decision coming up with recent trade acquisition Tyus Jones, whom they&rsquo;ll likely want to keep long-term.&nbsp;
Charlotte Hornets ($41,300,515 under the cap)&nbsp; They may lose some 2024 cap space if they eventually re-sign PJ Washington this offseason, but watch out for Charlotte to be one of the many small-market teams with money to spend next summer. With LaMelo Ball in the first year of his max contract extension, Charlotte may cash in on a marquee player to keep their young star happy.
Brooklyn Nets ($33,048,185 under the cap) The Nets do have the potential to have significant cap space next summer if they choose not to re-sign most of their own free agents. However, the Nets will more than likely focus on exploring the trade market and retaining big man Nic Claxton before reaching next year&rsquo;s free agency. Spencer Dinwiddie and Royce O&rsquo;Neale will also hit free agency next offseason.
Indiana Pacers ($20,488,005 under the cap) Indiana could get to an even higher number in cap space if they decline Bruce Brown&rsquo;s $23 million team option next season. If Brown has a good year, the Pacers would likely keep him on a long-term deal that would consume a good chunk of their space. Other impending free agents they might like to keep include Obi Toppin, Aaron Nesmith and Jalen Smith.
Oklahoma City Thunder ($10,264,814 under the cap) The Thunder will likely continue to utilize the strategy of taking on short-term, bad-money contracts in exchange for draft capital. As they inch closer to contention, they will be looking at some big-money extensions for many of their young pieces, including one for Josh Giddey next year.&nbsp;
NON-TAX MLE TEAMS
Teams in this tier are currently projected to be over the salary cap but under the luxury tax. They have spending access to Bird Rights, the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (projected at $13,644,000), the Bi-Annual Exception (projected at $4,968,000) unless used in 2023-24, and the Veteran Minimum Exception.
Chicago Bulls ($19,465,689 under the cap) The Bulls could potentially operate as a cap-space team if they elect to let DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams walk in free agency, but that seems unlikely. In addition, the Bulls could potentially create more space if Lonzo Ball&rsquo;s knee injury is considered career-ending by an NBA/NBPA-appointed physician. (Ball would still be paid, it just wouldn&rsquo;t count against the cap).&nbsp;
Sacramento Kings ($210,669 under the cap) The Kings used up most of their cap space by signing Domantas Sabonis to a big four-year extension that ties him with the team through 2028. As long as they are competitive, they will likely pursue quality pieces with their Non-Tax MLE to support Sabonis and De&rsquo;Aaron Fox. They will also likely try to keep Malik Monk and look at extension options for Davion Mitchell.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/pels.jpg" alt="" width="728" height="485" />
New Orleans Pelicans ($487,911 over the cap) The Pelicans are fairly set with their core of CJ McCollum, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram under contract through 2025. Ingram and McCollum are both extension-eligible this offseason, but the Pelicans may wait on dishing out extensions to maintain flexibility under the tax. New Orleans must also monitor Jonas Valanciunas&rsquo; free agency and a possible extension for Trey Murphy III.&nbsp;
Atlanta Hawks ($1,658,172 over the cap) Similar to the Kings, the Hawks wiped away their cap space when they signed Dejounte Murray and De&rsquo;Andre Hunter to four-year, $120 million and four-year, $90 million extensions, respectively. Already pushing past the salary cap, the Hawks may face a money crunch as they broach the luxury tax line. Retaining restricted free agents Onyeka Okongwu and Saddiq Bey next offseason may be tricky.
Los Angeles Clippers ($5,018,261 over the cap) The Clippers are in an interesting spot with George and Leonard both needing new deals, which they will likely get despite their inability to stay on the floor. Many veterans with big salaries will come off the books next year, like Marcus Morris, Nic Batum and Robert Covington. The question is whether the Clippers will continue to commit significant capital to a roster that hasn&rsquo;t met its lofty expectations.
Miami Heat ($7,751,630 over the cap) The Miami Heat are in a holding pattern with their roster as they engage in a Mexican standoff with the Blazers on a Damian Lillard trade, which could see them skyrocket into the deep tax. Outside of the Dame situation, Jimmy Butler will likely look for another big extension this offseason, which will pay him max money deep into his late 30s. They will also have to contend with potentially losing Caleb Martin, who has a player option for 2024-25.
Houston Rockets ($8,734,919 over the cap) The biggest spenders of this past offseason, the Rockets made big moves for Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. Houston could get back into the cap-space tier again if they choose to part ways with Kevin Porter Jr. and his non-guaranteed $15.9 million salary. Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun will also be up for extensions.&nbsp;
Cleveland Cavaliers ($11,399,749 over the cap) The Cavs are pretty set going into the 2023-24 season and beyond with two max guys (Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell) and key guys on fairly big deals (Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert and Max Strus). They will likely give Evan Mobley a big extension next offseason, which could push them into the luxury tax in the near future. For next offseason, their only notable free agent is Isaac Okoro.
New York Knicks ($11,400,861 over the cap) This morning, the Knicks inked Josh Hart to a four-year contract extension that pushed them over the cap for 2024-25. Their main concerns for next summer are Immanuel Quickley and Isaiah Hartenstein, who are both up for new contracts. They will likely be able to avoid the tax by declining their team option on Evan Fournier or trading his expiring contract for another expiring deal.
Dallas Mavericks ($13,566,153 over the cap) The Mavericks are not likely to seek pathways to cap space next summer after doubling down on their trade for Kyrie Irving by re-signing him to a three-year, $120 million deal. They should look to retain Josh Green, who will be a restricted free agent. Luka Doncic&rsquo;s happiness looms over all of the Mavs&rsquo; moves, as ESPN&rsquo;s Tim McMahon <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mavs-fear-luka-doncic-may-request-trade-unless-they-build-contender">reported in April</a> that the Mavericks are worried about Doncic potentially seeking a trade elsewhere as soon as next year.
Los Angeles Lakers ($15,380,636 over the cap) The Lakers had a pathway to almost two max slots in the unlikely scenario that they decided to pivot from the LeBron-AD era. However, that option is out the window with them inking Davis to a three-year supermax extension that will keep him with the team through 2028. LeBron James&rsquo; decision to stay with the team or leave will ultimately dictate how the Lakers approach spending next offseason.
Portland Trail Blazers ($20,567,876 over the cap) Portland is in the midst of turning the page to a new era as they look to accommodate franchise cornerstone Damian Lillard&rsquo;s trade request. If they do end up trading Lillard, expect their cap numbers to come down slightly, but not enough to get any meaningful space. Whether Lillard is traded for the Miami package or something else, Portland shouldn&rsquo;t be a major player in free agency for a while.&nbsp;
LUXURY TAX TEAMS
Teams in this tier are currently projected to be over the salary cap and luxury tax. They have spending access to Bird Rights, the Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (projected at $5,500,000), and the Veteran Minimum Exception.
Minnesota Timberwolves ($14,474,085 under the tax) The Timberwolves have paid the luxury tax only once since 2007. They should be a tax team once again, with Karl-Anthony Towns' supermax extension and Anthony Edwards' max extension kicking in. In addition, Minnesota will need to use significant capital to keep players like Jaden McDaniels, Mike Conley and Kyle Anderson, all of whom will be free agents in 2024.
Golden State Warriors ($9,696,462 under the tax) While the Warriors are currently under the tax, they are likely going to re-sign 2024 free agent Klay Thompson to a long-term deal at a lower number or at least use his Bird Rights to acquire another piece at a similar number. Golden State can cut some costs by releasing Chris Paul after the season, as his $30 million salary for 2024-25 is non-guaranteed.
Milwaukee Bucks ($6,142,529 under the tax) The Bucks re-signed Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez to big-money deals, committing to the players who won them the 2021 title. Another one of those players, Jrue Holiday, is set to reach free agency and will likely demand max money. In addition, Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes eligible for a supermax extension of up to three years in October and can sign a four-year supermax extension next offseason.
Denver Nuggets ($6,732,627 over the tax) The defending champs have their core of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon locked in through the 2025 offseason. They&rsquo;ve already lost Bruce Brown and Jeff Green this summer and will be forced to work around the edges with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope potentially heading for free agency next summer.
Boston Celtics ($7,306,800 over the tax) The trade for Kristaps Porzingis pushed the Celtics into the luxury tax for the first time since 2018, and that was before they signed Jaylen Brown to a five-year supermax extension. With Jayson Tatum&rsquo;s own supermax extension on the horizon next year, the Celtics figure to be a tax team, and potentially a second apron team, for the foreseeable future.
SECOND APRON TEAMS
Teams in this tier are currently projected to be over the salary cap, luxury tax and second luxury tax apron ($17.5 million over the tax). They have spending access to just Bird Rights and the Veteran Minimum Exception. The second apron was introduced in the new CBA and prevents teams from using the Taxpayer MLE, trading first-round picks seven years away, signing buyout free agents and taking back more salary than they send out in trades among other restrictions.
Memphis Grizzlies ($13,829,477 over the tax) For the first time under owner Robert Pera, the Grizzlies will be paying the luxury tax. While Memphis probably won&rsquo;t reach the second apron, they are not likely to have enough spare capital to use their Tax MLE and be able to fill out their roster without going over it. Their core of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. are locked up to big money, long-term deals that will keep Memphis among the league's biggest spenders for likely the next decade-plus.
Phoenix Suns ($27,039,607 over the tax) Phoenix is by far the most limited team when it comes to spending, and they will be for the next few seasons after trading for Bradley Beal&rsquo;s behemoth contract. With four max contracts, including two supermax contracts, the Suns have blown through the second apron. Like this past offseason, the supporting cast around their core four will be mostly minimum-salary contracts.

How much cap room is your favorite NBA team projected to have next summer? Blake Stern breaks down where all 30 teams stand.

Which NBA teams project to have the most cap space in 2024?

Every offseason, NBA teams scramble to secure the services of top-tier talent to bolster their rosters. While some signings have fallen short of expectations, others have left an indelible mark on the league, elevating their teams to new heights and etching their names in basketball folklore.
In this article, we unveil the greatest free-agency additions in NBA history, highlighting the impact these players had on their respective franchises and the league as a whole.
HEAT SIGN LEBRON JAMES, 2010
In the summer of 2010, LeBron James set the basketball world ablaze by joining forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. While this was a sign-and-trade, this free-agency move instantly transformed the Heat into a powerhouse and created a new era of superstar-driven teams. Over four seasons, James led the Heat to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances, capturing two championships in the process. His decision to join Miami sent shockwaves throughout the league and forever changed the dynamics of free agency.
LAKERS SIGN SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, 1996
In 1996, the Los Angeles Lakers signed the league's most dominant center, Shaquille O'Neal, in one of the most impactful free-agency moves in NBA history. O'Neal's arrival rejuvenated the franchise, forming a dynamic duo with a young Kobe Bryant. Together, they would go on to win three consecutive NBA championships (2000-2002) and establish the Lakers as a perennial title contender. O'Neal's combination of size, skill and charisma made him an iconic figure, and his impact on the Lakers' success cannot be overstated.
WARRIORS SIGN KEVIN DURANT, 2016
Kevin Durant's decision to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder and join the already formidable Golden State Warriors in 2016 sent shockwaves through the NBA. The signing of Durant created one of the most dominant teams in league history, with the Warriors boasting an unprecedented lineup of stars. The Warriors were coming off of a 73-win season led by Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, so KD gave them an embarrassment of richs. Durant's arrival immediately elevated Golden State's championship chances, and the team went on to win back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018. Durant's seamless integration into the Warriors' system showcased his versatility and cemented his status as one of the game's premier players.
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CAVALIERS SIGN LEBRON JAMES, 2014
Yes, LeBron James is on this list twice. In 2014, James decided to return to his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. After departing for the Miami Heat in 2010, James had achieved tremendous success, capturing two championships and solidifying his legacy as one of the all-time greats. However, his return to Cleveland showcased a profound sense of loyalty and a desire to bring a long-awaited championship to his beloved city. The move electrified the Cavaliers' fan base, instantly transforming them into title contenders. In 2016, James delivered on his promise, leading the Cavaliers to their first NBA championship in franchise history, overcoming a 3-1 deficit in the Finals against the mighty Golden State Warriors. His return to Cleveland and subsequent championship victory marked a triumph of redemption.
LAKERS SIGN LEBRON JAMES, 2018
Look, whenever a team has been able to land LeBron in free agency, it has led to at least one championship and been a big deal. In 2018, it was the Los Angeles Lakers who won the LeBron sweepstakes. James' arrival instantly restored hope and expectations for the franchise, as he brought his unparalleled basketball prowess, leadership and championship pedigree to a team in need of rejuvenation. James transformed the Lakers into immediate contenders, leading them to their first playoff appearance in seven years during the 2019-2020 season. Beyond the on-court success, James' influence off the court revitalized the Lakers' culture, fostering a winning mentality and attracting other marquee players to join him in Los Angeles (particularly Anthony Davis). James and Davis would lead the Lakers to a championship in 2020, and they continue to go on deep playoff runs to this day.
SUNS SIGN STEVE NASH, 2004
When Steve Nash returned to the Phoenix Suns in 2004, few could have predicted the revolution he would ignite. Nash's signing marked a turning point for the Suns, as he spearheaded the "Seven Seconds or Less" offense under coach Mike D'Antoni. The fast-paced, high-octane style of play became synonymous with Nash's tenure in Phoenix, leading the team to four consecutive 50-win seasons and two MVP awards for the Canadian point guard. Nash's arrival reinvigorated the Suns' fan base and left an indelible mark on the franchise's history.
What is your favorite free-agency signing in NBA history? <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tweet us at @basketbllnews</a>!

Basketball News looks back on the most impactful free-agency signings in NBA history.

Examining the 5 biggest free-agent additions in NBA history

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Kyrie Irving wants to run it back with Luka Doncic.
The enigmatic guard and the Dallas Mavericks agreed Friday on a $126 million, three-year contract in the opening hour of NBA free agency, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because contracts can&rsquo;t be signed until Thursday.
The person said the Mavericks also had an agreement on a two-year deal with guard Seth Curry, who is set for his third stint with the club.
Irving, who wouldn&rsquo;t talk about his future during his partial season with Dallas and declined to meet with reporters after the season, appeared to reference&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://twitter.com/KyrieIrving/status/1674933191386202113?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his decision to return in a one-word tweet</a>&nbsp;with &ldquo;peace&rdquo; and &ldquo;love&rdquo; emojis.
The Mavericks paired All-Star starters for the first time in franchise history by adding Irving in a blockbuster deal with Brooklyn last February, but stumbled down the stretch to miss the playoffs for the first time since Doncic was a rookie in 2018-19.
Dallas was in the middle of the postseason chase when Irving joined the club, but the eight-time All-Star and Doncic, a four-time choice, were just 5-11 together with both missing multiple games because of injuries.
The Mavericks won their first two games with Irving but went 7-18 the rest of the way and couldn&rsquo;t even make the play-in tournament a year after reaching the Western Conference finals.
Irving originally had been offered an extension by the Nets last summer, before their relationship fell apart and Irving asked to be dealt.
General manager Nico Harrison&rsquo;s second blockbuster deal for Dallas didn&rsquo;t provide the spark of his first &mdash; a 2022 trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Washington and gave the Mavs a key playoff contributor in Spencer Dinwiddie.
Dinwiddie was one of two players Dallas sent the Nets, as was defensive stalwart Dorian Finney-Smith. Defense was high on the list of reasons the two-month trial of Doncic and Irving didn&rsquo;t work.
Doncic has three years remaining before the player option on the $215 million rookie max extension he signed two summers ago. He said after the season he wants to see where the superstar pairing can go.
&ldquo;I wish we could continue that chemistry, relationship,&rdquo; said Doncic, who finished second in the scoring race at a career-best 32.4 points per game. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not going to happen in a day, in a week. It&rsquo;s a building process.&rdquo;
Dallas&rsquo; tumultuous season ended under the&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/mavericks-playoffs-nba-investigation-tanking-7ac5f76590adafd9df1c7c590a78d346" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cloud of an NBA investigation</a>&nbsp;after Irving didn&rsquo;t play and Doncic was limited to the first quarter when the Mavs still had play-in hopes with two games remaining.
The 31-year-old Irving and Doncic both sat for a meaningless season finale after a&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/mavericks-bulls-luka-doncic-kyrie-irving-3389c5065a65f8e73d13ce67bcd38720" target="_blank" rel="noopener">loss to Chicago in the game in question</a>&nbsp;eliminated the Mavs a season after they went to the Western Conference finals.
The 0-2 finish helped Dallas retain the 10th pick in the draft, which the Mavs parlayed into a pair of first-round picks in Duke center Dereck Lively II at No. 12 overall and Marquette&rsquo;s Olivier-Maxence Prosper at 24. Had Dallas dropped to 11th or lower, the pick would have gone to the New York Knicks.
Before the trade, Irving spent three-plus seasons in Brooklyn dealing mostly with self-induced drama.
Irving missed almost all of the home games in 2021-22 because he wouldn&rsquo;t get vaccinated against COVID-19, and missed eight games early last season after the team suspended him after he tweeted a link to a film containing antisemitic material. Nike ended its relationship with Irving over the tweet.
Days after sending Irving to the Mavericks, the Nets traded Kevin Durant to Phoenix in another blockbuster as the celebrated Brooklyn pairing ended with a whimper &mdash; and just one playoff series victory.
Curry, the younger brother of Golden State superstar Stephen Curry, kick-started his career the first time he was with the Mavs in 2016-17, three years after entering the NBA as an undrafted free agent.
He averaged 12.8 points in 70 games after playing just 50 games in his career before that, then spent one season in Portland before having another solid year in Dallas.
Curry left again in free agency in 2020, signing with Philadelphia. He then joined Irving in Brooklyn when he was dealt as part of the trade that sent James Harden to the 76ers and Ben Simmons to the Nets in 2022.

Kyrie Irving is running it back with Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.

Kyrie Irving agrees to stay with Mavs, Doncic on a $126 million, 3-year deal

It&rsquo;s the easiest call of the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-draft-2023-wembanyama-b3449d1a5f7a7de5906bb1979ffb2a26">NBA draft</a>: The San Antonio Spurs won.
That&rsquo;s not to say other teams didn&rsquo;t do very well on Thursday, when 58 players were selected as the league&rsquo;s newest members. But the Spurs being able to take generational French talent Victor Wembanyama puts them at the head of the class.
Some of the teams that also did well: NBA champion Denver, Golden State, Toronto &mdash; even with just one pick &mdash; and Orlando, which might now be closer to returning to the postseason mix.
A breakdown of which teams had Excellent drafts, those that had Good drafts and others that will have to Wait and See:
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h2 Component-p-0-2-71">EXCELLENT</h2>
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">DALLAS MAVERICKS</h3>
Picks: Dereck Lively II (12, via trade); Olivier-Maxence Prosper (24, via trade).
Dallas got the big man it wanted and created opportunity by moving Davis Bertans. Hard to argue that it wasn&rsquo;t a good night. And now free agency awaits. Prosper is another player with big potential and was extremely hard to guard at Marquette.
Picks: Julian Strawther (29), Jalen Pickett (32, will be acquired via trade), Hunter Tyson (37),
Pickett should have gone in the first round. He&rsquo;s that good, and the NBA champions just got another do-it-all guy who will also serve as insurance should Bruce Brown leave in free agency.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">DETROIT PISTONS</h3>
Picks: Ausar Thompson (5), Marcus Sasser (25, via trade), James Nnaji (31)
No matter what, the Pistons were going to get better and deeper on Thursday night. Thompson is incredibly athletic (even by NBA standards) and plays defense with a ton of energy.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS</h3>
Picks: Brandin Podziemski (19), Trayce Jackson-Davis (57, via trade)
Play to your strength, and the Warriors got another shooter to add to the mix with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Podziemski could add something right away, and came to Golden State on the same day that the Warriors swung a deal for Chris Paul by sending Jordan Poole to Washington.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">HOUSTON ROCKETS</h3>
Picks: Amen Thompson (4), Cam Whitmore (20)
Thompson is a great move and gives Detroit another great option as it builds. If Whitmore is healthy, then Houston got an absolute steal by getting the Villanova forward at No. 20.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER</h3>
Picks: Cason Wallace (10, via trade), Keyontae Johnson (50)
Wallace was great for Kentucky in his lone college season and played perhaps his best game in the Wildcats&rsquo; finale in the NCAA tournament. He can score; he didn&rsquo;t look to score quite often enough at times in college.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">ORLANDO MAGIC</h3>
Picks: Anthony Black (6), Jett Howard (11)
Paolo Banchero got a couple more shooters to help him out, and the young and talented Magic got more young talent. An excellent night again and it&rsquo;s time to start thinking about Orlando as a team that should make a run at the play-in &mdash; at minimum.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">SAN ANTONIO SPURS</h3>
Picks: Victor Wembanyama (1), Sidy Cissoko (44).
Their grade was secured at the very moment that the last ping-pong ball appeared at the lottery last month. Wembanyama was a no-brainer, and now it&rsquo;s up to the Spurs to start the real work &mdash; get him into the gym, see how he fits, and figure out what the plan is going forward.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">TORONTO RAPTORS</h3>
Pick: Gradey Dick (13)
Dick showed up to the draft in a red-and-black jacket &mdash; a nod to Dorothy from &ldquo;The Wizard of Oz&rdquo; and his Kansas roots. The color scheme will work in Toronto as well. Dick is a pure shooter, and no team can have too many of those. The jury&rsquo;s still out on what the Raptors will be this coming season, but this kid will be a rotation piece.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">UTAH JAZZ</h3>
Picks: Taylor Hendricks (9), Keyonte George (16), Brice Sensabaugh (28)
Hendricks is what an NBA big pretty much is now; a power forward who can also defend centers. George was the Big 12 rookie of the year at Baylor and is a proven scorer. He&rsquo;s good from the line, has 3-point potential and can get to the rim. There&rsquo;s some work to do, but he&rsquo;s a serious prospect.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h2 Component-p-0-2-71">GOOD</h2>
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">BROOKLYN NETS</h3>
Picks: Noah Clowney (21), Dariq Whitehead (22), Jalen Wilson (51)
Clowney is an athletic big from Alabama whose game is still a bit unfinished. Whitehead has enormous potential and was highly recruited by Duke, but foot issues are a concern. Wilson was the Big 12 player of the year at Kansas. The Nets likely didn&rsquo;t choose three elite programs accidentally. Lot to like here.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">CHARLOTTE HORNETS</h3>
Picks: Brandon Miller (2), Nick Smith Jr. (27), Amari Bailey (41).
Miller made sense over Scoot Henderson because the Hornets have a point guard already. But Henderson might be the more NBA-ready player.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">INDIANA PACERS</h3>
Picks: Jarace Walker (8, via trade), Ben Sheppard (26), Julian Strawther (29), Mojave King (47, via trade), Isaiah Wong (55)
Walker plays hard on both ends, and this is rare to say, but he might play harder on defense than he does on offense. And getting Wong &mdash; the ACC player of the year &mdash; so late is a steal.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS</h3>
Picks: Kobe Brown (30), Jordan Miller (48)
Brown is a strong player, addicted to rebounding, and probably needs to improve considerably on the offensive end. Miller did a little of everything for the Miami Hurricanes in their run to the Final Four.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">LOS ANGELES LAKERS</h3>
Picks: Jalen Hood-Schifino (17), Maxwell Lewis (40, via trade).
Hood-Schifino got NBA coaching in college last season; Indiana is coached by Mike Woodson. He&rsquo;s a winner; his high school teams won, his Indiana team went to the NCAA Tournament and he&rsquo;ll obviously benefit from time with LeBron James.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">MIAMI HEAT</h3>
Pick: Jaime Jaquez Jr. (18)
A four-year college player whose game got more complete each year, Jaquez has a notorious work ethic that should fit in quite well with the Eastern Conference champions.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">NEW ORLEANS PELICANS</h3>
Pick: Jordan Hawkins (14)
Hawkins was a big part of UConn&rsquo;s team that won the national title last spring, earning his way onto the All-Tournament team. New Orleans got a winner.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS</h3>
Picks: Scoot Henderson (3), Kris Murray (23), Rayan Rupert (43).
Henderson has shown that he&rsquo;s NBA-ready. The Blazers drafted well. But really, the only question now is whether Damian Lillard is happy or not. Murray is the twin brother of Sacramento&rsquo;s Keegan Murray and had a big season for Iowa &mdash; averaging just over 20 points per game.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">WASHINGTON WIZARDS</h3>
Picks: Bilal Coulibaly (7, via trade), Tristan Vukcevic (42)
The Wizards are starting over, and on the day they also agreed to acquire Jordan Poole from Golden State they just happened to get a French player. (No, not that one.) But Coulibaly is highly touted by No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama, and that&rsquo;s enough of an endorsement for us.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h2 Component-p-0-2-71">WAIT AND SEE</h2>
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">ATLANTA HAWKS</h3>
Picks: Kobe Bufkin (15), Mouhamed Gueye (39, via trade), Seth Lundy (46)
Bufkin had a great second half of the season at Michigan, and left-handers always provide defenses with an extra challenge. The best way to describe his game is this: He doesn&rsquo;t do much wrong. Very solid, can help the Hawks in a lot of ways.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">BOSTON CELTICS</h3>
Picks: James Njaji (31, via trade), Jordan Walsh (38, via trade)
Still only 18, Njaji started playing the game about seven years ago and is not even close to reaching his potential yet. Big prospect.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">CHICAGO BULLS</h3>
Pick: Julian Phillips (35, via trade)
The Bulls had to forfeit what would have been their pick because of free-agency violations last summer, and swung a deal with Boston to land the Tennessee wing.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">CLEVELAND CAVALIERS</h3>
Pick: Emoni Bates (49)
He was touted as a star since basically middle school, had more than his share of promising moments in college, and now has to really prove himself.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES</h3>
Picks: Gregory Jackson II (45), Tarik Biberovic (56)
Prospects. They&rsquo;re not expected to provide any real help anytime soon.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">MILWAUKEE BUCKS</h3>
Picks: Andre Jackson (36, via trade), Chris Livingston (58)
Jackson was a big part of UConn&rsquo;s national championship. He&rsquo;s only going to benefit from being around Giannis Antetokounmpo every day.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES</h3>
Picks: Leonard Miller (33, via trade), Jaylen Clark (53)
Miller had a lot of big moments playing with Scoot Henderson and the G League Ignite this past season. Athleticism is tough to ignore.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">NEW YORK KNICKS</h3>
No picks.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">PHILADELPHIA 76ERS</h3>
No picks.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">PHOENIX SUNS</h3>
Pick: Toumani Camara (52)
Given the trades that they&rsquo;re making, this might be one of their last picks for quite some time. There&rsquo;s nothing wrong with not valuing the draft, but giving up on it entirely is a dangerous game to play too often.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">SACRAMENTO KINGS</h3>
Picks: Colby Jones (34, via trade), Jalen Slawson (54)
Jones has skills the Kings crave; great shooter, great passing and great vision. A young Kevin Huerter-type in those regards.

Which teams came away from the 2023 NBA Draft as big winners? Check out the AP's draft report cards.

NBA draft report cards: Spurs, Rockets among teams that hit it big

<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-draft-wembanyama-big-men-716d46b407e0e0b6be18370cc7e643b2">Victor Wembanyama&rsquo;s</a>&nbsp;NBA draft experience will be quite unlike last year&rsquo;s No. 1 pick.
Paolo Banchero could never be certain he would be taken first. There was too much speculation that Orlando was also considering Jabari Smith Jr. and Chet Holmgren, with some mock drafts listing Banchero below both. The eventual Rookie of the Year said he didn&rsquo;t find out&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-nba-draft-live-updates-1a7d5a8f93ddab31614e29c337e8d862">he was the Magic&rsquo;s choice</a>&nbsp;until less than a minute before Commissioner Adam Silver went on stage in Brooklyn.
Wembanyama has no need to wait.
The 19-year-old from France has owned permanent residence atop mock draft boards, including all four versions of the AP&rsquo;s, and could begin walking to the stage Thursday night before Silver finishes announcing the San Antonio Spurs&rsquo; selection.
Shortly after, two twin brothers could make the same walk.&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-draft-amen-ausar-thompson-a34e7912942e90a202005ea35fcd0944">Amen and Ausar Thompson</a>&nbsp;of Overtime Elite are both expected to land inside the top 10.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">1. SAN ANTONIO SPURS: VICTOR WEMBANYAMA, FORWARD, FRANCE</h2>
His combination of a center&rsquo;s size and a guard&rsquo;s shooting and dribbling make the 19-year-old a prospect perhaps unlike any other the NBA has seen, and should end the 13-year streak of the No. 1 pick being a college freshman. The Spurs won five NBA titles after taking Tim Duncan in 1997, the last time they had the No. 1 pick and dream of a similar impact from Wembanyama, who is listed at 7-foot-4.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">2. CHARLOTTE HORNETS: BRANDON MILLER, FORWARD, ALABAMA</h2>
At 6-9, the SEC player of the year and tournament MVP as a freshman has the size, versatility and 3-point stroke to make him an ideal player for the modern NBA game. But the Hornets, who played without Miles Bridges last season after an arrest for a domestic violence incident against the mother of his children, may have to weigh a negative reaction if they add Miller, who&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-sports-tuscaloosa-alabama-crimson-tide-top-25-college-basketball-today-39eab4a038324d58910da79372722ad1">delivered the gun used in a fatal shooting.</a>
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">3. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: SCOOT HENDERSON, GUARD, G LEAGUE IGNITE</h2>
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1665146603525795840?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Worked out for the Trail Blazers</a>&nbsp;and showed the athleticism and ability to do it all from the guard spot that may have made Henderson the No. 1 pick in many years. This time, he could be part of a trade if the Blazers decide they&rsquo;d prefer to acquire more veteran help around Damian Lillard &mdash; or perhaps Lillard&rsquo;s replacement if they instead decide to build around youth.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">4. HOUSTON ROCKETS: AMEN THOMPSON, GUARD, OVERTIME ELITE</h2>
At 6-7, Thompson has great size for a guard and the 20-year old showed the ability to step up when it matters most, averaging 17.2 points, 9.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds in the playoffs to lead the City Reapers to the championship last season. The Rockets, after adding Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. in the last two drafts, are positioned to get another good one.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">5. DETROIT PISTONS: CAM WHITMORE, FORWARD, VILLANOVA</h2>
The Pistons fell to the lowest spot possible in the lottery after finishing with the NBA&rsquo;s worst record and sharing the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick. But getting Whitmore, a versatile wing with a strong build, to add to young pieces such as Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey under new coach Monty Williams would help ease the sting.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">6. ORLANDO MAGIC: AUSAR THOMPSON, FORWARD, OVERTIME ELITE</h2>
Amen Thompson&rsquo;s twin brother has been the Overtime Elite regular season and finals MVP the last two seasons and the 6-7 swingman plays big on defense, twice blocking seven shots in a game. The Magic were a team on the rise in the second half of last season and Thompson could help ensure that continues.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">7. INDIANA PACERS: JARACE WALKER, FORWARD, HOUSTON</h2>
Coming from Houston&rsquo;s rugged program means Walker already plays NBA-ready defense, and the offensive end could come along quickly under Rick Carlisle. At 6-8, 240 pounds, he already has the size and strength to deal with anyone he could face in the frontcourt.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">8. WASHINGTON WIZARDS: ANTHONY BLACK, GUARD, ARKANSAS</h2>
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/wizards-suns-trade-bradley-beal-55adab5fa31d5dfbc35b83223743d9c6">With Bradley Beal going</a>&nbsp;and no certainty that Chris Paul will stay, there&rsquo;s an opportunity for an immediate impact in the Washington backcourt. The 6-7 guard seems to have endless energy, playing nearly 35 minutes a game to lead the Southeastern Conference and all 20 minutes in a half 19 times. That included 37 minutes on an injured left ankle in the Razorbacks&rsquo; NCAA Tournament upset of top-seeded Kansas, when he helped hold expected lottery pick Gradey Dick to seven points.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">9. UTAH JAZZ: TAYLOR HENDRICKS, CENTRAL FLORIDA</h2>
The 6-9 freshman makes an impact inside and outside on both ends of the floor. He led the American Athletic Conference in blocked shots and shot 39% from 3-point range, becoming the only Division I player last season with at least 60 3-pointers, 55 blocked shots and 35 dunks.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">10. DALLAS MAVERICKS: GRADEY DICK, GUARD, KANSAS</h2>
Dick made 83 3-pointers, most in Kansas history by a freshman, and the 6-8 forward could get plenty of open looks when Mavericks opponents focus their attention on Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving &mdash; if Irving remains in Dallas. The Mavs went to great lengths to protect their chances of keeping this pick, tanking their final couple games to boost their lottery odds while still in play-in contention.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">11. ORLANDO MAGIC (from Chicago Bulls): BILAL COULIBALY, FORWARD, FRANCE</h2>
Wembanyama&rsquo;s teammate with Metropolitans 92 is a 6-6 swingman whose stock rose as their team reached their French League finals. He hasn&rsquo;t reached his potential yet as a scorer, but his 7-3 wingspan allows him to impact the game on both ends even without doing so and could make him a good fit with 2022 No. 1 pick and Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">12. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: DERECK LIVELY II, CENTER, DUKE</h2>
Is still limited offensively, but the 7-1 Lively shows promise as a rebounder and shot blocker, highlighted by 14 boards and eight blocks in a game against rival North Carolina.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">13. TORONTO RAPTORS: JALEN HOOD-SCHIFINO, GUARD, INDIANA</h2>
The Big Ten freshman of the year has great size in the backcourt at 6-6 and could help the Raptors guard against a potential loss of Fred VanVleet in free agency, but needs to become a better shooter after hitting only 40% from the field in his lone season.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">14. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: CASON WALLACE, KENTUCKY</h2>
A point guard who takes care of the ball and takes it away from opponents, he was fourth in the SEC in both steals per game and assist-to-turnover ratio. At 6-4, has the size and strength to defend some of the marquee guards in the Western Conference.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">15. ATLANTA HAWKS: KOBE BUFKIN, GUARD, MICHIGAN</h2>
Massive leap from first to second year of college, averaging 14 points as a sophomore after not starting a game while averaging 3.0 points as a freshman. Next leap is to the NBA, where the 6-4 lefty could quickly be a change-of-pace guard off the bench.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">16. UTAH JAZZ (from Minnesota): KEYONTE GEORGE, GUARD, BAYLOR</h2>
The highest-ranked recruit in program history lived up to the billing in his lone college season, scoring 20 or more points 12 times and averaging 15.3 en route to Big 12 freshman of the year honors. The 6-4 guard could provide scoring punch on a team that stayed in the postseason hunt longer than expected.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">17. LOS ANGELES LAKERS: NICK SMITH JR., GUARD, ARKANSAS</h2>
After mixed results with Russell Westbrook and D&rsquo;Angelo Russell last season, the Lakers&rsquo; search for guard help could lead to Arkansas, where the 6-5 Smith played in just 17 games in his lone college season after recovering from a right knee injury but showed the ability to play either guard spot.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">18. MIAMI HEAT: JORDAN HAWKINS, GUARD, UCONN</h2>
Ballhandling still needs improvement, but Hawkins&rsquo; catch-and-shoot ability was one of the biggest reasons the Huskies stormed through the NCAA Tournament to their fifth national title, and something the Heat were missing in their NBA Finals loss.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">19. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: NOAH CLOWNEY, FORWARD, ALABAMA</h2>
Clowney put up nearly eight rebounds and a block per game in his lone college season. With just 210 pounds on his 6-10 frame, he will need to add strength for the battles inside against NBA big men.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">20. HOUSTON ROCKETS (from LA Clippers): KRIS MURRAY, FORWARD, IOWA</h2>
After averaging 20.2 points &mdash; with a 30-point, 20-rebound game in one outing &mdash; Murray will try to make a similar first-year NBA impact as twin brother Keegan, who after leaving the Hawkeyes became an immediate starter for Sacramento last season and was an All-Rookie first-team selection.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">21. BROOKLYN NETS (from Phoenix): JETT HOWARD, GUARD, MICHIGAN</h2>
His willingness to fire from behind the arc makes the freshman a perfect fit for the 3-point happy NBA. The 6-8 freshman made multiple 3-pointers in 24 of his 29 games for Juwan Howard, his father, and hit three or more in almost half of them. Howard made 36.8% of them while averaging 14.2 points
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">22. BROOKLYN NETS: LEONARD MILLER, FORWARD, G LEAGUE IGNITE</h2>
The Nets have needed more scoring punch since trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and Miller looks capable of providing it after averaging 18 points last season. The 6-10 Canadian also averaged nearly 11 rebounds, another area Nets leadership has identified as a priority.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">23. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (from New York): BRICE SENSABAUGH, FORWARD, OHIO STATE</h2>
Averaged 16.3 points and shot better than 40% from 3-point range in his strong one season for the Buckeyes, where he was the first freshman to lead the team in scoring since D&rsquo;Angelo Russell in 2015.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">24. SACRAMENTO KINGS: MAXWELL LEWIS, FORWARD, PEPPERDINE</h2>
The 6-7 Lewis made nearly 80% of his free throws and 36% of his 3-point attempts in his two seasons with the Waves, and improved his ability to score off the dribble while averaging 17.1 points last season.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">25. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: G.G. JACKSON, FORWARD, SOUTH CAROLINA</h2>
Would have been heading to college now &mdash; perhaps as the No. 1 prospect &mdash; before reclassifying last summer to enter a year earlier. Instead, the 6-9 Jackson is on his way to the NBA after scoring in double figures in 25 of his 32 games, averaging 15.4 points.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">26. INDIANA PACERS (from Cleveland): JAIME JAQUEZ JR., GUARD, UCLA</h2>
The do-everything swingman led the Bruins with 17.8 points and 8.2 rebounds, becoming their first Pac-12 player of the year since Kevin Love in 2008. At 6-7, Jaquez does everything well &mdash; he&rsquo;s No. 8 in UCLA history in both points and steals &mdash; but maybe not any of them at the top NBA level.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">27. CHARLOTTE HORNETS (from Denver via New York and Oklahoma City): AMARI BAILEY, GUARD, UCLA</h2>
Bailey had a strong finish to his lone college season, averaging 16.7 points on 56% shooting in the Bruins&rsquo; run to the Sweet 16. The Hornets struggle when LaMelo Ball is out, so the 6-5 guard could be appealing to a team that was fourth-worst in the NBA in scoring.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">28. UTAH JAZZ (from Philadelphia via Brooklyn): COLBY JONES, GUARD, XAVIER</h2>
With three picks in the first round, the Jazz are positioned to bolster a team that hung around the playoff race much longer than expected. The 6-6 Jones, who made 18 of 21 shots in one torrid stretch last season and shot 9 of 10 on 3-pointers in another, could be a nice late addition.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">29. INDIANA PACERS (from Boston): BRANDIN PODZIEMSKI, GUARD, SANTA CLARA</h2>
Made 43.8% of his 3-pointers in his lone season after transferring from Illinois, accuracy from behind the arc that NBA teams covet. The 6-5 guard shared WCC player of the year honors after averaging 19.9 points and 8.8 rebounds, finishing in the top three in the conference in both categories.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-224 h2 Component-p-0-2-209">30. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (from Milwaukee via Houston): DARIQ WHITEHEAD, FORWARD, DUKE</h2>
Arrived at Duke as the high school player of the year, but a foot injury led to a delayed start to his college career followed by shooting struggles after it finally began. But the 6-7 forward showed enough defensive and 3-point abilities in his limited time to make himself worthy of a first-round spot.

How will the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft shake out on Thursday night? Check out the AP's latest mock draft.

NBA mock draft: Wembanyama easy No. 1, Miller at 2, Henderson 3rd

Shaka Smart has packed an entire career&rsquo;s worth of experiences into 14 years as a college head coach.
He led VCU to an improbable Final Four as a 30-something wunderkind in 2011, guided mighty Texas to a Big 12 Tournament title during six otherwise tepid years in Austin, and now has turned Marquette into a Big East beast.
It&rsquo;s sometimes easy to forget he&rsquo;s still just 45 years old.
Yet his work with the Golden Eagles this season might have been his best: Picked ninth in the 11-team league by its coaches, they won the regular-season title going away, then beat Xavier to win&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/big-east-marquette-xavier-df67d940335f3a9d69f2f6e7b626beaf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">their first Big East Tournament championship</a>.
That earned Smart the AP coach of the year award Friday. He garnered 24 of 58 votes from a&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-college-basketball-player-of-year-b2820fee259952b664327b49a112f193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">national media panel</a>&nbsp;to edge&nbsp;Kansas State&rsquo;s Jerome Tang, who received 13 votes before guiding the Wildcats to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, and Houston&rsquo;s Kelvin Sampson, who earned 10 before taking the Cougars to the Sweet 16.
Voting opened after the regular season and closed at the start of the NCAA Tournament, where the No. 2 seed Golden Eagles were&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-michigan-state-marquette-izzo-690d24a67256a2bf187353c0bfed577a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">knocked out in the second round</a>&nbsp;by Michigan State and Smart&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-east-regionalmichigan-state-marquette-shaka-smart-405b0ccc948ec1480a2749496b3c5ef8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">longtime mentor, Tom Izzo</a>.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very grateful to win this award,&rdquo; said Smart, the second Marquette coach to take it home after Hall of Famer Al McGuire in 1971, &ldquo;but obviously it always comes back to the guys you have on your team.
&ldquo;Early on,&rdquo; Smart said, &ldquo;we had a real sense the guys had genuine care and concern for one another, and we had a very good foundation for relationships that we could continue to build on. And over the course of seasons, you go through so many different experiences as a team. And those experiences either bring you closer together or further apart. Our guys did a great job, even through adverse experiences, even through challenges, becoming closer together.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s hardly surprising such cohesion is what Smart would choose to remember most from a most memorable season.
The native of Madison, Wisconsin, who holds a master&rsquo;s degree in social science from California University of Pennsylvania, long ago earned a reputation for building close bonds with players and a tight-knit camaraderie within his teams.
No matter how high or low the Golden Eagles were this season, those traits carried them through.
&ldquo;Everything that we go through, whether it be the retreat that we went on before the season, all the workouts in the summer, he&rsquo;s preaching his culture,&rdquo; said Tyler Kolek,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-all-america-mens-basketball-team-2ab037abcde5157ad840f7dcd22cc8a4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a third-team All-American</a>. &ldquo;And he&rsquo;s showing his leadership every single day, and just trying to impart that on us, and kind of put it in our DNA. Because it&rsquo;s definitely in his DNA.&rdquo;
That&rsquo;s reflected in the way Smart, who&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-basketball-wisconsin-coronavirus-pandemic-texas-longhorns-mens-basketball-972b7ad63710f78f34b9a35797ed031c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accepted the Marquette job</a>&nbsp;two years ago after an often bumpy tenure at Texas, has rebuilt the Golden Eagles program after it had begun to languish under Steve Wojciechowski.
Sure, Smart landed his share of transfers &mdash; Kolek among them &mdash; in an era in which the portal has become so prevalent. But he largely built a team that finished 29-7 this season around high school recruits, eschewing a quick fix in the hopes of long-term stability. Among those prospects were Kam Jones, their leading scorer, and do-everything forward David Joplin.
&ldquo;He teaches us lots of things about the importance of each other,&rdquo; Joplin said. &ldquo;He lets us know, time and time again, that we can&rsquo;t do anything without each other, but together we can do anything.&rdquo;
That sounds like a decidedly old-school approach to building a college basketball program.
One embraced by a still-youthful head coach.
&ldquo;I think being a head coach has never been more complicated, never been more nuanced, and never more all-encompassing,&rdquo; Smart told the AP in a wide-ranging interview last week. &ldquo;Does that mean it&rsquo;s harder? You could say that.
&ldquo;What makes your job less hard,&rdquo; Smart said, &ldquo;is having a captive audience in your players, and guys that truly understand and own what goes into winning, and that&rsquo;s what we had this past year. But those things just don&rsquo;t happen. There are a lot of steps that have to occur on the part of a lot of people, not just the coach, to get to where you have a winning environment.&rdquo;

After helping Marquette dominate the Big East, Shaka Smart earned the AP men's college basketball coach of the year award.

Marquette’s Shaka Smart voted men’s AP coach of the year

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) &mdash; Tyson Walker scored 23 points and No. 7 seed Michigan State beat second-seeded Marquette 69-60 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, sending coach Tom Izzo&rsquo;s squad back to the Sweet 16 for the first time in four years.
Joey Hauser &mdash; a Marquette transfer &mdash; had 14 points and A.J. Hoggard had as 13 Michigan State (21-12) took over in the last three minutes. The Spartans advanced to play third-seeded Kansas State in the East Region semifinals on Thursday at New York&rsquo;s Madison Square Garden.
Izzo, the 68-year-old Hall of Fame coach, reached his 15th regional semifinal and won his record 16th March Madness game with a lower-seeded team &mdash; one more than Syracuse&rsquo;s Jim Boeheim, who retired after this season.
This one was particularly meaningful. Izzo became the face of a grieving school where three students were killed in a campus shooting on Feb. 13.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a long year,&rdquo; an emotional Izzo said in a courtside interview. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just happy for our guys.&rdquo;
Olivier-Maxence Prosper led Marquette (29-7) with 16 points and Kam Jones had 14 points, including three 3-pointers, for the Big East champions.
Michigan State led by as many as 12 in the first half, but Ben Gold and Prosper made back-to-back 3-pointers to help the Golden Eagles close within 33-28 at halftime.
Prosper hit two more 3s in the first minute of the second half to give Marquette its first lead of the day. Michigan State grabbed back the lead with an 8-0 run and didn&rsquo;t relinquish it.
Back-to-back baskets in the paint by Hoggard and then Walker, both times as the shot clock expired, gave the Spartans a 60-55 lead with 2:20 left. Mady Sissoko then blocked shots on consecutive Marquette possessions, and Walker had a steal followed by a game-sealing dunk with 39 seconds left.
Marquette&rsquo;s nine-game winning streak ended, concluding a season in which the Golden Eagles exceeded expectations under coach Shaka Smart, who has referred to Izzo as a mentor.
UP NEXT
The Spartans&rsquo; next opponent, Kansas State, is making its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2018 and first under coach Jerome Tang.

Tyson Walker scored 23 points and No. 7 seed Michigan State beat second-seeded Marquette 69-60 in the second round.

Michigan State outlasts Marquette; Izzo back to Sweet 16

The overall No. 1 seed for March Madness is No. 1 in the final AP Top 25, too.
Alabama, fresh off an SEC Tournament title to go with its regular-season crown, ascended to the top spot Monday, earning 48 of 61 first-place votes to jump Houston, which lost in the American Athletic Conference final without star guard Marcus Sasser. Alabama also spent a week at No. 1 last month.
&ldquo;We set goals over the summer: regular season, (league) tournament, obviously a national championship,&rdquo; Crimson Tide guard Jahvon Quinerly said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to make sure our guys are ready to go no matter who we match up with.&rdquo;
That will be Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi or Southeast Missouri State, who meet in a First Four game Tuesday night. The winner will play the Crimson Tide on Thursday in Birmingham, an hour down the road from their Tuscaloosa campus.
The top seed in the South Region, Alabama would face West Virginia or Maryland for a spot in the Sweet 16 with a win.
And how sweet that would be for a team that&rsquo;s gone through the ringer: former teammate Darius Miles and another man have been indicted on capital murder charges for a January shooting, an investigator has testified star freshman Brandon Miller was asked by Miles to bring the gun that night and police have also said Jaden Bradley was at the scene.
&ldquo;To beat the teams we had to beat to get here was not easy,&rdquo; Alabama coach Nate Oats said last week. &ldquo;So proud of the guys, proud of their effort, proud they were able to get really focused. Got a lot of mental toughness.&rdquo;
Houston still received nine first-place votes and was No. 2 after losing to Memphis in the final of the AAC tourney, where Sasser hurt his groin in the semifinal round. He did not play in the championship and his status will be watched closely leading up to the Cougars&rsquo; NCAA opener against Northern Kentucky.
Purdue, seeded first in the East Region, earned three first-place votes and was third in the AP poll after the regular-season Big Ten champion won its conference tournament, too. Kansas, which expects to have Bill Self back for the NCAA tourney after a medical scare, was fourth after receiving the No. 1 seed in the West.
Texas routed the Jayhawks in the finals of the Big 12 Tournament and rounded out the top five.
Marquette remained at No. 6 after its Big East tourney title. UCLA earned one first-place vote and was seventh after losing in the Pac-12 Tournament final to Arizona, which was No. 8. Gonzaga and UConn rounded out the top 10.
&ldquo;We have a special team. We&rsquo;re not going to do what our past teams have done, which was to maybe get caught up in the wallow of losing,&rdquo; said Huskies coach Dan Hurley, whose team fell to the Golden Eagles in the Big East tourney semifinals. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to get our minds right very quickly and get ready to make a run next week.&rdquo;
RISING AND FALLING
Duke made the biggest jump in the final poll after beating Virginia for the ACC Tournament title, climbing nine spots to No. 12 &mdash; the highest the Blue Devils have been since the third week of the season. First-year coach Jon Scheyer has them seeded fifth in the East in the NCAA Tournament.
UCLA, seeded second in the West, fell five spots to No. 7 in the final poll.
IN AND OUT
Memphis was hardly receiving votes last week, but rolling to the AAC tourney title put Penny Hardaway&rsquo;s crew into the poll for the first time this season at No. 24. Florida Atlantic, the Conference USA regular-season and tourney champ, returned at No. 25 after spending the first four weeks in the poll in school history in January and February.
The Tigers and Owls made the AP poll at the expense of Creighton, which was routed by Xavier in the Big East semifinals, and Kentucky, which fell to Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament quarterfinal round.
CONFERENCE WATCH
Widely considered the toughest league in the nation, the Big 12 had two teams in the top five and five in the Top 25. The league has seven schools heading to the NCAA Tournament after Oklahoma State was left on the bubble.
The SEC, which tied the Big Ten for the most NCAA bids with eight, had four teams in the final Top 25. The Big East and ACC had three apiece, though the Big East had two in the top 10 and the leading ACC team was Duke at No. 12.

The Crimson Tide, fresh off an SEC Tournament title to go with their regular-season crown, ascended to the top spot Monday.

Alabama, Houston top men's final AP Top 25 ahead of March Madness

Anyone trying to fill out their NCAA Tournament brackets ought to start by figuring out which teams have the best backcourts.
This has been a guard&rsquo;s event for years.
When Kansas&rsquo; Ochai Agbaji helped the Jayhawks win the national title last season, he became the ninth straight guard to be selected as a Final Four&rsquo;s most outstanding player. The list started with Duke&rsquo;s Tyus Jones in 2015 and continued with Villanova&rsquo;s Ryan Arcidiacono, North Carolina&rsquo;s Joel Berry II, Villanova&rsquo;s Donte DiVincenzo, Virginia&rsquo;s Kyle Guy and Baylor&rsquo;s Jared Butler.
Occasionally a big man can dominate the college basketball landscape the way Anthony Davis did while leading Kentucky to the 2012 title, but they&rsquo;re the exceptions. The NCAA Tournament generally is all about guard play.
Here&rsquo;s a look at six backcourts that merit watching.
BAYLOR: L.J. Cryer, Adam Flagler and Keyonte George.
Baylor won the NCAA Tournament two years ago behind its outstanding backcourt and will try to do it again with a different set of guards. All three of them score at least 14.5 points per game. Flagler was one of five finalists for the Jerry West Award given to the nation&rsquo;s top shooting guard. He also earned AP first-team all-Big 12 honors. George, the best pro prospect in the trio, was a second-team all-Big 12 pick. Baylor ranks second in Division I in adjusted offensive efficiency, a metric measured by college basketball stats guru Ken Pomeroy that essentially translates to points scored per 100 possessions when adjusted for the level of competition.&nbsp;
HOUSTON: Marcus Sasser and Jamal Shead.
Sasser is one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Award given to the national player of the year He&rsquo;s eager for this NCAA Tournament showcase after a foot injury ended his 2021-22 season after just 12 games. He injured his groin in the American Athletic Association Tournament and didn&rsquo;t play in Sunday&rsquo;s championship game, so it remains to be seen how close he is to full strength. Sasser has scored over 17 points per game each of the last two seasons. Shead has nearly three times as many assists as turnovers.
KANSAS: Gradey Dick, Dajuan Harris and Kevin McCullar Jr.
The defending national champions had to replace virtually their entire nucleus from last year but still put together an outstanding backcourt to complement forward Jalen Wilson, the AP Big 12 player of the year. Dick, a freshman, is a Jerry West Award finalist, scoring nearly 15 points per game; he arguably is more a small forward at 6-foot-8, but Kansas lists him as a guard. Dick and McCullar both were AP second-team all-Big 12 selections. McCullar, a Texas Tech transfer, has scored in double figures three straight seasons and is pulling down over 7 rebounds per game. Harris is dishing out over 6 assists per game and ranks third among all Division I players in assist-turnover ratio.
MARQUETTE: Kam Jones, Tyler Kolek and Stevie Mitchell.
Kolek, a Naismith Award semifinalist and the Big East player of the year, has 7.7 assists per game and has well over three times as many assists as turnovers. He was named the Big East Tournament MVP. Jones, a second-team AP all-Big East selection, leads Marquette in scoring and makes nearly three 3-pointers per game. Mitchell has over 7 points per game but is best known for his defense. This group helped Marquette win its first Big East outright regular-season title and first Big East Tournament championship.
MIAMI: Jordan Miller, Nijel Pack and Isaiah Wong.
This trio helped Miami win a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title and earn the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament for the first time since 2013. Wong is a Jerry West Award finalist and AP first-team all-ACC pick. He was named ACC player of the year by a 75-member panel including coaches and media representatives. Wong, Miller and Pack are each scoring over 13 points per game.
XAVIER: Souley Boum, Colby Jones and Adam Kunkel.
This trio helped Xavier lead all Division I teams in assists per game. Boum and Jones are each averaging over 4 assists per game, while Kunkel has 3 per game. They&rsquo;re also scoring about a combined 42 points per game. Boum, an AP first-team all-Big East selection, ranks second in the conference in scoring. Jones was an AP second-team all-Big East pick.

A look at six backcourts that merit watching in the upcoming men's NCAA Tournament.

March Madness: 6 backcourts worth watching in 2023 Men's NCAA Tourney

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Northern Kentucky coach Darrin Horn might be looking forward to his team&rsquo;s NCAA Tournament appearance even more than his players.
The Norse won their fourth Horizon League championship since 2016-17 but will play in March Madness for the first time since 2019. They also won the league title in 2020, but there was no NCAA Tournament that year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
That denied Horn a chance to lead his first NKU squad in the Big Dance, which makes this berth a bit more special. Especially after the Norse let an opportunity slip away in last year&rsquo;s Horizon Tournament.
&ldquo;We kind of feel like we had one taken from us literally, where you qualify for the tournament and then the tournament just doesn&rsquo;t happen,&rdquo; Horn said in a phone interview. &ldquo;So, to finally punch your ticket and know that there&rsquo;s going to be games and you&rsquo;re going to be a part of the process, that&rsquo;s really exciting.&rdquo;
The No. 16 seed Norse (22-12) will face Midwest top seed Houston on Thursday night in Birmingham, Alabama. NKU features the nation&rsquo;s No. 27 defense (63.6 points allowed per game) and the No. 42 scorer in junior guard Marques Warrick (19.1 points).
DEJA VU
Howard&rsquo;s last NCAA Tournament appearance in 1992 was a 100-67 loss to Midwest top seed Kansas. Back then, Kenneth Blakeney was a 20-year-old Duke sophomore on a Blue Devils squad that repeated as national champions.
Blakeney now coaches Howard and will lead the No. 16 seed Bison (22-12) against the defending national champion and top-seeded Jayhawks again, this time in a West Region first-round game. Howard topped Norfolk State 65-64 for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament championship, capping a remarkable turnaround from 4-29 in Blakeney&rsquo;s debut season in 2019-20 to their first regular-season and tournament titles since that last trip to the Big Dance.
&ldquo;To represent Howard University is a big honor for me,&rdquo; said Blakeney, a Washington, D.C., native, via email. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m humble to be a mentor at a great university. Kansas is a national, traditional and historic program. I&rsquo;m excited.&rdquo;
The D.C. school is one of two historically Black colleges and universities in the tournament. Texas Southern won the Southwestern Athletic Conference title and will face Fairleigh Dickinson in a matchup of No. 16 seeds in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.
CHARMED EXISTENCE
It&rsquo;s been quite a year for West Virginia coach Bob Huggins.
Huggins was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September. He became the winningest active Division I coach last week when Jim Boeheim retired at Syracuse.
The Mountaineers (19-14) overcame a horrible start to Big 12 play to reach the NCAA Tournament field as a No. 9 seed. They&rsquo;ll meet No. 8 seed and state line rival Maryland (21-12) on Thursday in Birmingham, Alabama.
&ldquo;I never had any doubt that we wouldn&rsquo;t play in the tournament,&rdquo; Huggins said Sunday night. &ldquo;I thought we were getting better and better.&rdquo;
West Virginia lost its first five Big 12 games but rebounded to finish 7-11 in arguably the nation&rsquo;s toughest league. The NCAA bid wouldn&rsquo;t have been secured without three wins in the Mountaineers&rsquo; final four regular-season games, including over Iowa State and No. 12 Kansas State.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m good with it,&rdquo; Huggins said. &ldquo;Obviously we wanted to win more games. We just had some things happen.&rdquo;
RECONNECTING
Marquette&rsquo;s first-round East Region matchup Friday against Vermont gave Golden Eagles guard and Big East player of the year Tyler Kolek a chance to catch up with an old friend.
Kolek began his college career at George Mason while playing for a coaching staff that included Bryson Johnson, who is now a Vermont assistant. As soon as the matchup of No. 2 and No. 15 seeds was announced, Kolek and Johnson began exchanging texts.
&ldquo;We had some competitive fire going back and forth,&rdquo; Kolek said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;d always shoot against each other (at George Mason). He actually played at Bucknell and he was a pretty good player. Just a little trash talk.&rdquo;
Marquette beat Xavier 65-51 on Saturday to earn its first Big East Conference title.
STAYING HOME
No. 1 overall seed Alabama and archrival Auburn, the Midwest No. 9 seed, won&rsquo;t have to go far for their tournament debuts.
Both schools will open in Birmingham, Alabama, a 58-mile hop from Tuscaloosa for the Crimson Tide, who on Thursday will face the winner of the No. 16 seed matchup between Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi and Southeast Missouri State.
The Tigers will travel about 110 miles for their first-round meeting with No. 8 seed Iowa, where Auburn coach Bruce Pearl was an assistant from 1986-92.
___
AP Sports Writers Mike Marot, Steve Megargee, John Raby and Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.

A look at the top storylines in the upcoming men's 2023 NCAA Tournament.

March Madness: Norse ride again, a KU deja vu for Howard

With five conference tournament finals capping a wild week of men's college hoops, Sunday afternoon officially marked the end of the 2022-23 men's college basketball regular season, which means only one thing: March Madness is upon us.
Princeton (Ivy), Virginia Commonwealth (A-10), Alabama (SEC), Purdue (Big Ten) and Memphis (AAC) punched their official ticket to the men's 2023 NCAA Tournament to round out the group of 32 receiving an automatic bid.
Those teams joined: Vermont (America East), Duke (ACC), Kennesaw State (ASUN), Texas (Big 12), Marquette (Big East), Montana State (Big Sky), UNC Asheville (Big South), UC Santa Barbara (Big West), College of Charleston (CAA), Florida Atlantic (C-USA), Northern Kentucky (Horizon), Iona (MAAC), Kent State (MAC), Howard (MEAC), Drake (Missouri Valley), San Diego State (Mountain West), Fairleigh Dickinson (Northeast), Southeast Missouri State (Ohio Valley), Arizona (Pac-12), Colgate (Patriot), Furman (Southern), Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi (Southland), Texas Southern (SWAC), Oral Roberts (Summit), Louisiana (Sun Belt), Gonzaga (WCC), Grand Canyon (WAC).
The selection committee revealed at 6 p.m. that the No. 1 overall seed is Alabama. The other three top seeds are Houston, Kansas and Purdue.
The First Four in Dayton will consist of a 16-seed matchup between Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi and Southeast Missouri State plus an 11-seed matchup between Mississippi State and Pittsburgh. In the other two games, there will be a 16-seed matchup between Texas Southern and Fairleigh Dickinson and an 11-seed matchup between Arizona State and Nevada.
Who else was invited to join The Big Dance on the road to the Final Four in Houston?
Following Selection Sunday, here is the official field of 68 in the men's 2023 NCAA Tournament:
South Region
(1) Alabama Crimson Tide vs. (16) Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi Islanders/Southeast Missouri State Redhawks
(8) Maryland Terrapins vs. (9) West Virginia Mountaineers
(5) San Diego State Aztecs vs. (12) College of Charleston Cougars
(4) Virginia Cavaliers vs. (13) Furman Palladins
(6) Creighton Blue Jays vs. (11) NC State Wolfpack
(3) Baylor Bears vs. (14) UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
(7) Missouri Tigers vs. (10) Utah State Aggies
(2) Arizona Wildcats vs. (15) Princeton Tigers
Midwest Region
(1) Houston Cougars vs. (16) Northern Kentucky Norse
(8) Iowa Hawkeyes vs. (9) Auburn Tigers
(5) Miami Hurricanes vs. (12) Drake Bulldogs
(4) Indiana Hoosiers vs. (13) Kent State Golden Flashes
(6) Iowa State Cyclones vs. (11) Mississippi State Bulldogs/Pittsburgh Panthers
(3) Xavier Musketeers vs. (14) Kennesaw State Owls
(7) Texas A&amp;M Aggies vs. (10) Penn State Nittany Lions
(2) Texas Longhorns vs. (15) Colgate Raiders
West Region
(1) Kansas Jayhawks vs. (16) Howard Bison
(8) Arkansas Razorbacks vs. (9) Illinois Fighting Illini
(5) Saint Mary's Gaels vs. (12) VCU Rams
(4) UConn Huskies vs. (13) Iona Gaels
(6) TCU Horned Frogs vs. (11) Arizona State Sun Devils/Nevada Wolfpack
(3) Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. (14) Grand Canyon Antelopes
(7) Northwestern Wildcats vs. (10) Boise State Broncos
(2) UCLA Bruins vs. (15) UNC Asheville Bulldogs
East Region
(1) Purdue Boilermakers vs. (16) Texas Southern Tigers/Fairleigh Dickinson Knights
(8) Memphis Tigers vs. (9) Florida Atlantic Owls
(5) Duke Blue Devils vs. (12) Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
(4) Tennessee Volunteers vs. (13) Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
(6) Kentucky Wildcats vs. (11) Providence Friars
(3) Kansas State Wildcats vs. (14) Montana State Bobcats
(7) Michigan State Spartans vs. (10) USC Trojans
(2) Marquette Golden Eagles vs. (15) Vermont Catamounts
THE BRACKET
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An overview of the official men's 2023 NCAA Tournament schedule and March Madness matchups on the road to Houston.

2023 NCAA Tournament: Men's field of 68 teams announced

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; The final night of the Big East Tournament never sounded like this before.
Tyler Kolek and No. 6 Marquette raced out to a hefty lead and didn&rsquo;t look back, beating No. 15 Xavier 65-51 on Saturday to win its first Big East championship after 18 seasons in the conference.
As the clock wound down on an historic victory by a storied program that had been longing for an elusive title, chants of &ldquo;We are, Mar-quette!&rdquo; echoed through Madison Square Garden.
&ldquo;Marquette is a special place that has had a special basketball program for a long, long time,&rdquo; coach Shaka Smart said as he accepted the trophy. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re so proud to bring a championship back to Milwaukee.&rdquo;
Kolek had 20 points and eight rebounds as the top-seeded Golden Eagles (28-6) dominated a Big East final that brought a Midwestern flavor to Midtown Manhattan.
The brash Big East player of the year, who vowed his team would prove doubters wrong before the season, shared hugs with his family and friends as confetti poured down on the Golden Eagles after the game.
&ldquo;All the moments they&rsquo;ve been through with me have led up to this moment right here,&rdquo; Kolek said. &ldquo;To share that with my high school coach, my brother, my dad, my two best friends, it&rsquo;s special. There is no better feeling.&rdquo;
Smart&rsquo;s surprising team will head into the NCAA Tournament with a nine-game winning streak. Marquette&rsquo;s first appearance in the Big East championship game resulted in one of its best performances of a scintillating season.
Kolek&rsquo;s steal and layup made it 51-27 with 14:12 left. Less than a minute later, after two offensive rebounds by the Golden Eagles, David Joplin made a corner 3 to double up second-seeded Xavier (25-9).
Joplin finished with 12 points. Kolek was selected the tournament&rsquo;s Most Outstanding Player.
Adam Kunkel scored 12 points to lead the Musketeers, who had a five-game winning streak snapped. Leading scorer Souley Boum was held to one point on 0-for-9 shooting.
&ldquo;I thought tonight there are times when their effort level and their quickness, their togetherness, their communication, it was like there were six players on defense against us,&rdquo; Xavier coach Sean Miller said. &ldquo;We couldn&rsquo;t get a good shot, and that is to their credit.&rdquo;
Smart described his team&rsquo;s defense as &ldquo;violent.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Coming up here to New York, we&rsquo;ve really played for the most part very, very sticky, tough defense,&rdquo; Smart said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to need that if we want to advance in the NCAA Tournament.&rdquo;
This was the first Big East title game since the conference dropped football in 2013 to not feature any of its longstanding Northeast members.
Still, the Milwaukee school, which joined in 2005, and the Cincinnati school, which joined in 2013, filled The Garden for the first 1 vs. 2 seed Big East Tournament final in 19 years.
It looked more like a 1-16 NCAA Tournament game for a while.
Marquette jumped out to a 21-4 lead, and never relented.
&ldquo;It was huge,&rdquo; Smart said. &ldquo;And our guys played with real force to start the game.&rdquo;
During a particularly splendid 2 1/2 minutes, Stevie Mitchell swished a corner 3, Kolek came off a screen to make another 3, Kam Jones got free for a reverse layup after a nifty hesitation move on the baseline and Kolek converted a layup off a give-and-go with Oso Ighodaro.
At that point, Marquette was up 33-10 with 7:02 left in the first half and the Golden Eagles had not yet committed a turnover.
Marquette&rsquo;s only previous league tournament title was as a member of Conference USA in 1997.
Twenty-six years later, the Golden Eagles were able to clear the bench in the final minute of the Big East championship and their fans were finally able to make The Garden feel like home.
BIG PICTURE
Xavier: The Musketeers played what Miller called one of their best two-way games of the season in the semifinals Friday night against Creighton. Less than 24 hours later, they did almost nothing well. Xavier shot 34% from the field, forced only four turnovers and was held 12 points under its previous season low. The Musketeers fell to 0-2 in Big East championship games.
Marquette: Smart, who took VCU to a Final Four but never could find that consistent winning formula at Texas, guided a team picked to finish ninth in the Big East in the preseason coaches&rsquo; poll to maybe its best season since Dwyane Wade led Marquette to a Final Four in 2003. The Golden Eagles tied a school record for victories set in 1970-71.
UP NEXT
Xavier: Miller will have the Musketeers back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018.
Marquette: The Golden Eagles will be making their second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and figure to earn perhaps a No. 2 seed.

No. 6 Marquette raced out to a hefty lead and didn’t look back, beating No. 15 Xavier 65-51 on Saturday to win its first Big East title.

No. 6 Marquette routs Xavier 65-51 to win first Big East title

Selection Sunday looms as AP Top 25 teams in major conferences get their final chances to impact where and why they play in the NCAA Tournament.
In the nation&rsquo;s top leagues, there could be significant swings based on early exits or title runs. Here&rsquo;s a look at what&rsquo;s ahead leading up to the biggest day on the sport&rsquo;s calendar on Sunday:
AAC
The American Athletic Conference Tournament begins Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas, and it gives top-ranked Houston the chance to make a final case potentially for the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAAs.
The Cougars (29-2) are the only team in the country to rank in the top 10 of KenPom&rsquo;s adjusted efficiency metrics in both offense and defense.
Houston opens against the East Carolina-South Florida winner on Friday, and the tournament is one of five to end on Sunday shortly before the NCAA field is revealed.
ACC
The Atlantic Coast Conference opens its five-day tournament Tuesday in Greensboro, North Carolina. It&rsquo;s an event lacking a true favorite or team poised to claim a top-tier postseason seed.
Virginia and No. 14 Miami shared the regular-season title, though the Hurricanes are the top seed for the first time since winning the tournament in 2013. But 21st-ranked Duke is the league&rsquo;s hottest team with six straight wins.
All three open play in Thursday&rsquo;s quarterfinals, with the Cavaliers on course for a 4-seed, Miami for a 5 and Duke for a 7, according to BracketMatrix.com&rsquo;s average of 100 mock fields on Monday evening.
BIG 12
Third-ranked Kansas won a national title, overhauled its roster and still finds itself in the chase for the No. 1 overall NCAA seed entering the Big 12 Tournament.
That tournament opens Wednesday in Kansas City, Missouri, with the Jayhawks and other top seeds starting play on Day 2.
Kansas (25-6) has a national-best 15 wins in Quadrant 1 games that top the postseason resume, which had them as the top overall seed in ESPN&rsquo;s Bracketology projection on Monday evening.
Winning a title this week won&rsquo;t come easy in a league regarded as the nation&rsquo;s deepest all year. The field includes No. 7 Texas, No. 10 Baylor, No. 12 Kansas State and No. 22 TCU.
BIG EAST
The Big East opens play Wednesday in New York&rsquo;s Madison Square Garden with four ranked teams: No. 6 Marquette, No. 11 Connecticut, No. 15 Xavier and No. 24 Creighton.
The top-seeded Golden Eagles, who open play Thursday, have the highest projected NCAA Tournament seed at No. 3 on both ESPN and BracketMatrix, while BracketMatrix has the Huskies and Musketeers as potential 4-seeds.
The Bluejays, who re-entered the poll for a third time this season on Monday, are projected as a No. 6 seed in the NCAAs.
The tournament wraps up Saturday night.
BIG TEN
The Big Ten opens it tournament Wednesday in Chicago with No. 5 Purdue and No. 19 Indiana as the only ranked teams, though the Boilermakers are in the mix for a No. 1 regional seed in the NCAAs.
The Boilermakers are the top seed for Chicago and BracketMatrix listed them as the fourth of the top seeds.
The Boilermakers and Hoosiers both begin play in Friday&rsquo;s quarterfinals with the title game coming Sunday.
PAC-12
The Pac-12 has two ranked teams in contention for lofty NCAA seeds as the league tournament opens Wednesday in Las Vegas.
Second-ranked UCLA is surging down the stretch and has its highest ranking of the season, putting it in position to contend for a No. 1 regional seed as the top No. 2 seed in BracketMatrix&rsquo;s projections. Eighth-ranked Arizona is also looking likely for a 2-seed.
The Bruins and Wildcats split their regular-season meetings, with UCLA winning Saturday&rsquo;s regular-season finale while holding the top seed for Las Vegas. Both teams open play Thursday.
SEC
Fourth-ranked Alabama is the top seed for the Southeastern Conference Tournament beginning Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee. And the Crimson Tide could be in contention for the top overall NCAA seed with a title run.
Alabama (26-5) owns the top seed in the SEC and opens play in Friday&rsquo;s quarterfinals, finishing a game ahead of No. 18 Texas A&amp;M in the regular-season race.
The tournament also features No. 17 Tennessee, No. 23 Kentucky and No. 25 Missouri, with the title game set for Sunday.

A look at what’s ahead of the top teams in the country leading up to the biggest day on the college basketball calendar on Sunday.