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Thunder

By appearing in the Western Conference Finals, the Dallas Mavericks showed that they have collected some of the ingredients of an NBA title contender.
Prior to that, the Mavs had not made it out of the first round of the playoffs since winning the Finals in 2010-11, and had exited the postseason in the first round each of the last two years. Even this season, Dallas had its doubters in the first round against the Utah Jazz, and most of the national audience was against them versus the dominant Phoenix Suns.&nbsp;
Then, the Mavericks won. Luka Doncic continues to ascend as one of the best basketball players on the planet. Several supporting cast members helped carry the load as well, whether it was Jalen Brunson in the first round, Maxi Kleber's Round 2 fireworks or Spencer Dinwiddie's production in the West Finals.
For so long, the narrative in Dallas had been: Does Luka have any help? After 2021-22, we at least know the Mavs have pieces to the puzzle. This summer presents the opportunity to shape the vision of a championship under Doncic and second-year head coach Jason Kidd.
The Mavericks boasted the sixth-best Defensive Rating (109.4) in the NBA during the regular season, per Basketball-Reference. That's impressive growth from a 20th-ranked unit in 2020-21 that didn't undergo massive roster overhaul. Our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-do-the-mavericks-have-an-elite-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nekias Duncan covered Dallas' defense back in January</a>, and it kept up the work even after trading Kristaps Porzingis away in the deal that returned Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.&nbsp;
No single, All-Defense-caliber player even stands out on the roster right now. Dorian Finney-Smith is very solid and so is Frank Ntilikina, though his minutes are too inconsistent currently. It's a true team-wide shift that significantly raises the team's floor come playoff time.&nbsp;
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With that being said &mdash; finding a true center to anchor the paint and provide stability on the glass remains a high priority. Dallas was 15th among the 16 playoff teams in offensive rebounding percentage (45.1%) and second chance points per game (9.0). They also gave up 14.2 second-chance points per game to their opponents, ranking fourth-highest in the postseason. The Mavs scored just 42.9 points in the paint per game during the regular season (ranked 29th of 30) and 35.4 in the playoffs (13th of 16) despite boasting two of the league's best driving threats in Doncic and Brunson.
Dwight Powell is a fine, rotation-caliber NBA player, but his minutes decreased in each subsequent series. Kleber is an awesome sharpshooting big and solid defender, but not an impactful interior presence.
Fortunately, there are several available free agents who Mavs president and general manager Nico Harrison could pursue in his second offseason with the team. Unfortunately, they have severely hamstrung themselves financially. According to Spotrac, they're a luxury taxpayer, which only leaves a mid-level exception worth just over $6.3 million to spend on a free agent. Dallas has virtually no path to cap space this season.
Jusuf Nurkic and Mitchell Robinson are the biggest names to hit unrestricted free agency as a center. They would almost instantly plug the rebounding hole, but are they the types of defenders and rim-runners who would thrive with Doncic? And is there a realistic way for the Mavericks to even sign them?
Other free agent centers who could fit in the mid-level exception include JaVale McGee, Andre Drummond and Bismack Biyombo, for some quick suggestions. Dallas does also hold a $10.2 million trade exception that it created when the team traded Josh Richardson to the Boston Celtics. It expires on June 27, before free agency begins, but it provides another avenue to acquire a rotation-level player.
It might make more sense for the Mavs to pursue a sign-and-trade with a restricted free agent. Obviously, Deandre Ayton is the marquee man. Evan Sidery toyed with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-destinations-for-deandre-ayton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">potential trade packages for the Suns</a>; could Dallas offer something in this ballpark?
I personally am intrigued by Mo Bamba's potential fit. The 2018 No. 5 overall pick had a solid developmental year in Orlando, but appears to be the odd man out in a crowded young locker room. Bamba feels like a worthwhile gamble as a rebounder and rim-protector with a bit more mobility and shooting than your traditional bruising center.
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Of course, all this free agency discussion will come after the Mavericks address their largest elephant in the room. Jalen Brunson broke out as a secondary scorer this season, culminating in his huge games that gave Dallas the edge against Utah. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-destinations-for-jalen-brunson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">He's an unrestricted free agent</a> who deserves a bag this summer.
"It&rsquo;s the top priority,&rdquo; Harrison said about re-signing Brunson in his <a href="https://www.mavs.com/brunson-is-top-priority/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exit interview Friday</a>. &ldquo;We got to figure that out. Obviously, we&rsquo;re not in control of it. But he&rsquo;s definitely a priority. We want to re-sign him. He knows it. And we want him back. He&rsquo;ll be a big part of our future.&rdquo;
The Mavs' last route to improve is with their No. 26 overall draft pick. Dallas has been a mixed bag with drafting in recent seasons, but this is the first year Harrison will be at the helm after the franchise passed on the process in 2021. Most recently, the franchise selected Josh Green at No. 20 and Tyrell Terry at No. 31 in 2020. Green's development has been slow but notable through two seasons, while Terry is no longer in the organization.&nbsp;
Matt Babcock's latest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Mock Draft</a> projects the Mavericks to select Max Christie, a freshman wing from Michigan State. Christie was a five-star high school talent who struggled to produce as a college freshman. But his tools as a shooter, scorer and on-ball defender have all flashed and can be sharpened in the right environment.&nbsp;
Aside from Brunson, reserves Trey Burke and Theo Pinson are the only other players entering free agency. However, Dallas notably has just four players under fully guaranteed contracts in 2023-24, per Spotrac: Doncic, Finney-Smith, Bertans and Tim Hardaway Jr. If the squad underwhelms next year, the 2023 offseason could open up a serious roster makeover.&nbsp;
Dallas is on the cusp of true title contention. This offseason is all about checking off some final boxes, keeping the successful core intact and adding depth to a team that persevered through several injuries during the season.
If the summer breaks right, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Mavericks emerging as everyone's favorite championship sleeper by October.
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The Mavericks exited the Western Conference Finals with a strong playoff run, but have several glaring needs.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Dallas Mavericks?

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Spencer Dinwiddie knows it's up to Luka Doncic whether he takes the last shot.
Doncic is the man in Dallas, so Dinwiddie said he's well within his right to decide if he's going to be the one to determine whether the Mavericks win or lose.
Doncic passed it &mdash; and the way Dinwiddie is going, why wouldn't he?
Dinwiddie <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1504278964470169604?s=20&amp;t=TTmene7IM6Y9s3WSjooAkQ">made a 3-pointer at the buzzer</a> against his former team, giving the Mavericks a 113-111 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.
Dinwiddie hit the winning basket with nine seconds left Sunday in Boston and came through in the clutch again after Kevin Durant had given the Nets a one-point lead with a 3-pointer with 10 seconds to play.
&ldquo;Same as Boston,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s it.&rdquo;
The Mavericks took time after Durant's shot and Doncic brought the ball up before Durant left Dinwiddie and ran toward the All-Star guard. Doncic passed to Dinwiddie, who nailed the jumper from the right side, right in front of Brooklyn's bench. He then ran across the court to the other sideline in celebration.
During his celebration, he thanked Nico Harrison, the Mavs general manager who acquired Dinwiddie from Washington last month after a rocky stint with the Wizards. Dinwiddie previously played in Brooklyn, resurrecting his career and playing his way into the big contract he earned from the Wizards.
He still has friends in Brooklyn, so he said this victory was more fun than revenge.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s like sticking it to your cousin versus, like, being vengeful for an enemy,&rdquo; Dinwiddie said.
It's the first time in his career he has hit game-winners in consecutive games. The Mavericks said Chicago All-Star DeMar DeRozan is the only other player to do that this season.
Doncic finished with 37 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in the Mavericks' eighth win in nine games. Dinwiddie scored 22 points, 15 in the fourth quarter.
Durant had 23 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, but Brooklyn had its four-game winning streak snapped. Goran Dragic scored a season-high 21 points and Bruce Brown had 17. Andre Drummond had 14 points and 17 rebounds.
A night after a 150-108 romp in Orlando, when Kyrie Irving scored a career-high 60 points, the Nets were searching for offense with the guard unable to play because of New York City's coronavirus vaccine mandate. The Mavs often sent second and even third defenders to force Durant to give up the ball.
He beat that by quickly rising for the 3-pointer that gave Brooklyn the lead, but Dinwiddie again came through late for the Mavs and left Durant wondering if he'd made the right decision to double Doncic.
&ldquo;When you watch that last play, just regret, wondering what the game would have been like if I didn&rsquo;t go jump Luka right there, you know what I&rsquo;m saying?&rdquo; Durant said. &ldquo;So in hindsight I wish I would have made a different decision, but it is what it is.&rdquo;
Durant's basket to open the fourth quarter gave Brooklyn a 93-79 lead. But the Nets had only one basket in the next four minutes and a 15-2 run by Dallas trimmed it to one on Dinwiddie's 3-pointer with 7:53 remaining.
The Nets went back ahead by six midway through the period before the Mavs scored eight straight to take the 104-102 lead on Maxi Kleber's free throws with 3:08 to play
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Coach Jason Kidd said he hoped F Marquese Chriss (sore right knee) could play Friday or Saturday. ... With Reggie Bullock (personal reasons) out again, the Mavs stuck with a three-guard lineup with Doncic, Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson. Brunson scored 18 points.
Nets: Seth Curry (left ankle) missed his third straight game but coach Steve Nash said he expected the guard to play Friday against Portland. ... Nash thought C LaMarcus Aldridge (right hip) probably wouldn't be evaluated again until sometime next week.
WEEKLY WINNERS
The game featured both reigning players of the week in the NBA. Durant won the Eastern Conference award Monday and Doncic took it home in the West for the second time in three weeks.
COACHES IN A CLASSIC
The 150 points Tuesday were the second-most the Nets had scored in an NBA game, behind only their 161-157 double-overtime loss to Phoenix on Dec. 7, 2006, when Nash and Kidd went head-to-head as the point guards. Nash scored 42 points, while Kidd carried the Nets with 38 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists,
Asked what he remembered about the game, Nash joked: &ldquo;Just back in the day how I used to lock people down. Just keep the top guys under wraps.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Visit Philadelphia on Friday.
Nets: Host Portland on Friday.

Spencer Dinwiddie made a 3-pointer at the buzzer, giving the Dallas Mavericks a 113-111 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Dinwiddie hits 3 at buzzer, Mavericks beat Nets 113-111

Luka Doncic scored 41 points and the Dallas Mavericks beat Golden State for the second time in five days, holding off the Warriors 122-113 on Thursday night after a huge fourth-quarter rally for the victory in California.
Stephen Curry and the Warriors never led but got even for the first time since early in the first quarter during a stretch when Moses Moody scored 13 consecutive Golden State points.
Spencer Dinwiddie put the Mavericks back in front for good with a short jumper for a 106-104 lead midway through the fourth quarter, and the Mavericks held on to hand the Warriors a season-worst third consecutive loss and drop them 7 1/2 games behind NBA-leading Phoenix.
Doncic had 10 rebounds and nine assists, Dorian Finney-Smith scored 18 points and Dinwiddie added 17 as the Mavericks took the season series 3-1 with the consecutive victories. Dallas got the first win by rallying from a 19-point fourth-quarter deficit with a 26-1 run in a 107-101 win Sunday in San Francisco.
Curry was held scoreless in the fourth quarter and finished with 21 points as the Mavericks hounded him at the 3-point line, while Moody hit consecutive 3s to get Golden State even at 104. Jordan Poole scored 23 points.
Golden State's Klay Thompson finished with 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting, including quite a few shots that were way off, in his return after missing two games with an illness.
Dinwiddie scored seven crucial points in the fourth quarter of his home debut after the trade that brought him and Davis Bertans from Washington for Kristaps Porzingis.
Thompson scored eight points in a frenetic third quarter, when the Warriors cut a 14-point halftime deficit in half several times only to see Dallas get it back to double figures. Golden State ended up down eight going to the fourth after Doncic missed a step-back 3 at the buzzer. Doncic had 11 in the quarter.
A rough first half for Thompson was punctuated when he hit the side of the backboard on a corner 3 before Doncic beat him with a cross-over, step-back 3-pointer at the other end. Doncic had 24 points at the break.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Draymond Green was on the bench, missing his 26th consecutive game because of a back injury. The last time he played was the first meeting in Dallas on Jan. 5. ... Andre Iguodala, also out with a back injury, missed his 17th consecutive game. Coach Steve Kerr said it was doubtful Iguodala would play in the remaining two games on the four-game road trip, but his return is getting close.
Mavericks: F/C Maxi Kleber (right ankle), F Marquise Chriss (right knee) and G Trey Burke (left shoulder) were out. ... The Mavericks have won nine of the past 11 meetings in the series, including three in a row in Dallas.
UP NEXT
Warriors: At Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.
Mavericks: Host Sacramento on Saturday.

Luka Doncic scored 41 points and the Mavericks beat Golden State for the second time in five days.

Doncic scores 41 points, Mavs beat Warriors again, 122-113

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Outside the victorious Dallas locker room, coach Jason Kidd had a little fun with Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic.
&ldquo;You almost had a triple-double,&rdquo; Kidd joked, referring to Donic's 34 points, 11 rebounds and nine turnovers.
The miscues didn't matter at the end, when Donic and Dallas did almost everything right.
Doncic converted two free throws with 7.9 seconds left, leading the Mavericks back from 21 down in the third quarter to stun the Golden State Warriors 107-101 on Sunday night.
New addition Spencer Dinwiddie scored 10 of his 24 points in the final period for Dallas.
&ldquo;We wanted to continue to have fight,&rdquo; Dinwiddie said.
Stephen Curry hit a 3-pointer with 10 seconds remaining and had 27 points and 10 assists in his first game at home since earning All-Star Game MVP honors, but the Warriors couldn't do enough on either end during crunch time as the Mavericks made all the big shots.
Doncic went 10 for 21 from the floor in the first of two matchups over five days between a pair of top-five NBA defenses: No. 1 Golden State and the fifth-ranked Mavericks. Dinwiddie scored five straight points midway through the fourth that got Dallas to 93-90.
Dorian Finney-Smith&rsquo;s 3 with 5:05 to go made it 94-93, then his putback at 3:21 gave Dallas the lead before Donic scored the next time down.
Andrew Wiggins added 18 points for Golden State and Kevon Looney grabbed 10 rebounds to go with eight points and five assists as Klay Thompson sat out with an illness after missing practice Saturday. The hope is he will be healthy to travel with the team.
"I think we let our offense dictate our energy and our spirit in the game," Looney said. "... We kind of folded when adversity hit."
Warriors rookie Jonathan Kuminga received a technical with 9:20 left for grabbing the rim after a goaltending call. Golden State couldn&rsquo;t deliver in what seemed set to be another commanding victory over Dallas after the Warriors snapped a four-game home losing streak to the Mavericks last month with a 130-92 rout.
Golden State has given away big leads in losing its last two home games after a 117-116 defeat to Denver on Feb. 16.
&ldquo;I think it's actually good to go through and feel it because this is what it feels like in the playoffs,&rdquo; coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;This is what it feels like when you're playing a really good team, the game's never over.&rdquo;
Curry was presented another time with his All-Star Game MVP trophy so the home fans could celebrate the reigning scoring champion's accomplishment: 16 3-pointers and 50 points. Vince Carter, who Curry admired while growing up in Toronto, handed him the hardware during a pregame ceremony.
The teams will meet again Thursday night in Dallas.
"Energy, effort, execution under pressure, that's the name of the game," Kerr said.
BERKELEY PROUD
Kidd visited his old campus at California in Berkeley on Saturday to see the Golden Bears beat rival Stanford 53-39, then also caught some of Cal's baseball game next-door against Illinois-Chicago and caught up with coach and friend Mike Neu.
&ldquo;It was good to be back on campus,&rdquo; Kidd said, joking how he has former Stanford star Dwight Powell on his roster.
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TIP-INS
Mavericks: Also sidelined for the Mavericks were G Trey Burke (sprained left shoulder), F Marquese Chriss (sore right knee) and G Frank Ntilikina (sprained right ankle). ... Dallas is 14-9 on the road against the Western Conference. ... Powell picked up his fourth foul at the 9:02 mark of the third.
Warriors: Jordan Poole was 0 for 7 and missed all four of his 3-point tries. ... C James Wiseman is scheduled to travel with the team on its upcoming four-game road trip and continue to be integrated into practices and scrimmages as he works back from right knee surgery last year. ... Andre Iguodala missed his fifth straight game with lower back tightness.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: At Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
Warriors: At Minnesota on Tuesday night.

Doncic converted two free throws with 7.9 seconds left, leading the Mavs back from 21 down in the 3Q to stun the Warriors 107-101.

Doncic leads big comeback, Mavericks stun Warriors 107-101

Through all the triple-doubles, buzzer-beaters and three All-Star Game trips in four seasons, Luka Doncic never averaged 40 points over a four-game stretch until the final quartet before the break.
Those games also happened to be the first ones since a trade ended Doncic's European pairing with Kristaps Porzingis that never developed the way the Dallas Mavericks had hoped.
Not that the focus wasn't already on the Slovenian superstar who turns 23 on Monday, but the timing of the 41.5-point-per-game outburst that included Doncic's first 50-point effort made it perfectly clear.
If the Mavericks are going to get past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since winning the franchise's only championship 11 years ago, their point guard will have to dominate.
Nobody knows it better than the point guard from 2011: Jason Kidd, who helped guide a club led by another European star in Dirk Nowitzki.
&ldquo;Luka&rsquo;s that type of player that can carry the load, for not just four games but for most of the season,&rdquo; said Kidd, the first-year Dallas coach. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s playing not just at an All-Star but at an MVP level right now, and that&rsquo;s what we need going into the second half.&rdquo;
The Mavericks return from the break Friday night at Utah, which is one spot ahead of Dallas as the fourth seed in the Western Conference. Denver is the third team in the current mix for the final spot with home-court advantage in the first round, something else the Mavericks haven't had since winning the title.
A few hours after Porzingis was dealt to Washington in a deal that brought Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans, Doncic scored 28 points in the first quarter of a 112-105 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. He finished with a career-high 51.
In a rematch two nights later, Doncic scored 23 of his 45 points in the fourth quarter of a 99-97 loss, the only defeat in the four-game stretch. He had 49 in a victory over New Orleans after missing two late free throws.
&ldquo;It was just games,&rdquo; said Doncic, who was busy from 3-point range during the four games, going 22 of 48. &ldquo;I know everybody talks it was after the trade, after something. It was just games. Sometimes you feel good, sometimes you don't. I just felt good.&rdquo;
The Clippers and coach Tyronn Lue prefer to focus on making Doncic a scorer because they think he's more dangerous when he's distributing as well.
Indeed, just before the scoring burst started, the franchise leader in triple-doubles had four in a six-game stretch. The 51-point night ended a career-best run of seven consecutive games with double-digit assists because the game was close and Doncic had to keep scoring.
Doncic is sixth in the NBA in scoring (27.5 points per game) and fifth in assists (9.0).
&ldquo;He showed his ability to go get a bucket when he needs to, day in and day out, while keeping everybody involved,&rdquo; said Marquese Chriss, a one-time Doncic antagonist in Golden State who became his teammate this season when the Dallas roster was decimated by a COVID-19 outbreak.
&ldquo;Some people can score but get away from the offense and get away from having their teammates be themselves as well,&rdquo; Chriss said. &ldquo;I feel like everybody was able to contribute in the games.&rdquo;
Since Doncic returned from a career-long 10-game absence because of knee and ankle injuries and a positive COVID-19 test, the Mavericks are 18-6. Defense is a big part of the surge, as is the star guard.
Before the time away, Doncic was criticized over his conditioning and weight, and acknowledged he relaxed too much after helping Slovenia qualify for its first Olympics and reach the semifinals before losing twice at the Tokyo Games last summer. While he made his third consecutive All-Star team, Doncic wasn't voted a starter for the first time.
&ldquo;I think he was humbled a little bit,&rdquo; owner Mark Cuban said in an appearance on a local radio station this week. &ldquo;I think he didn&rsquo;t like being called out for his weight and other things, and it finally clicked that there&rsquo;s a level of discipline that&rsquo;s required.&rdquo;
The latest scoring flurry from Doncic tops his run in the 2020 playoffs, when his buzzer-beater to even the series in Game 4 against the Los Angeles Clippers was the talk of the playoff bubble. Doncic had two 40-point games and just missed a third in a six-game loss in his postseason debut.
Doncic doesn't figure to keep the 40-point pace going as the Mavericks figure out the new pecking order among scorers without Porzingis. It's worth noting that shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. should return for the playoffs after missing at least two months with a broken left foot.
&ldquo;When you&rsquo;ve got a guy that&rsquo;s able to break down the defense so efficiently, you&rsquo;ve got to be ready to knock down shots, you&rsquo;ve got to be ready to cut, you&rsquo;ve got to be ready to balance the floor in different situations offensively,&rdquo; forward-center Dwight Powell said. &ldquo;At the end of the day, we&rsquo;re trying to find ways to support each other regardless of who has it going and the find ways to contribute to win.&rdquo;
The Mavericks know who's likely to have it going on most nights.

The Mavs return from the break Friday night at Utah, which is one spot ahead of Dallas as the fourth seed in the Western Conference.

Doncic's scoring flurry sets Mavs on course toward playoffs

The following is a press release from the NBA:
CLEVELAND&nbsp;&ndash; Fifteen international players from 12 countries, including six international All-Stars and a record-tying four international All-Star Game starters, will participate in NBA All-Star 2022 in Cleveland from Friday, Feb. 18 &ndash; Sunday, Feb. 20.&nbsp; NBA All-Star 2022 will reach fans in 215 countries and territories in a record 60 languages on their televisions, computers, mobile phones and tablets.
Below are international highlights of this year&rsquo;s global celebration of basketball:
INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS
<ul>
<li>The 71st NBA All-Star Game, which tips off on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, will feature six international All-Stars and a record-tying four international starters.&nbsp; Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria) and Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets; Serbia) will start for Team LeBron, while Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon) and Andrew Wiggins (Golden State Warriors; Canada) will start for Team Durant.&nbsp; They are joined by Team LeBron reserve Luka Dončić (Dallas Mavericks; Slovenia) and Team Durant reserve Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz; France).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Clorox Rising Stars, which will take place on Friday, Feb. 18 at 9 p.m. ET on TNT, will feature a new format of four seven-player teams competing in a three-game mini-tournament, with each game played to a Final Target Score.&nbsp; The pool of 28 players includes six international players: Precious Achiuwa (Toronto Raptors; Nigeria), Chris Duarte (Indiana Pacers; Dominican Republic), Josh Giddey (Oklahoma City Thunder; Australia), Alperen Şeng&uuml;n (Houston Rockets; Turkey), Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic; Germany) and Dyson Daniels (NBA G League Ignite; Australia).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>With their participation in Clorox Rising Stars, Giddey and Daniels, who were teammates at NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, from 2019-2020, become the first NBA Academy alumni to participate in NBA All-Star.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The Taco Bell&reg; Skills Challenge, which is part of State Farm All-Star Saturday night on Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, will also feature a new format in which three teams of three players will participate in a four-round competition that tests shooting, passing and dribbling ability.&nbsp; One of the teams is composed of three Antetokounmpo brothers: Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria) and Alex Antetokounmpo (NBA G League&rsquo;s Raptors 905; Greece; ties to Nigeria).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Eight players competing at NBA All-Star 2022 are from or have ties to Africa: Achiuwa, the three Antetokounmpo brothers, Desmond Bane (Memphis Grizzlies; ties to Nigeria), Ayo Dosunmu (Chicago Bulls; ties to Nigeria), Embiid and Isaac Okoro (Cleveland Cavaliers; ties to Nigeria).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>New this year, the NBA G League&rsquo;s top young players, including G League Ignite&rsquo;s Daniels and Fanbo Zeng (China), will be on display in the inaugural NBA G League Next Gem Game, which will feature G League Ignite taking on the Cleveland Charge on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. ET on NBA TV, NBA TV International, and in China on Tencent and MIGU.</li>
</ul>
GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION
<ul>
<li>A total of 72 international broadcast partners will televise NBA All-Star 2022.&nbsp; Six international television and radio networks &ndash; from France, Greece, Latin America, Mongolia, Poland and Spain &ndash; will conduct live onsite commentary from Cleveland, and three television networks &ndash; from India, Netherlands and Norway &ndash; will broadcast NBA All-Star remotely for the first time.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Fans outside North America will also be able to watch Clorox Rising Stars, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night and the NBA All-Star Game live and on-demand through NBA League Pass via <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=zoU9Gcb3YESIAP7onvjQYw&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">watch.NBA.com</a> and <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=BGLjtJbUSEKZ3TxszIgasA&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the NBA App</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Fans around the world will be able to vote for the MVPs of the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, Clorox Rising Stars and the NBA All-Star Game via NBA.com, the NBA App and Twitter.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>On Sunday, Feb. 20 from 11 a.m. &ndash; 2 p.m. ET, fans around the world can watch a livestream of All-Star Game players and coaches conducting media availabilities at <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=3HYWzdXImUWzU3gUE-9O-g&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mediaavail.nba.com</a>.</li>
</ul>
CELEBRITIES &amp; INFLUENCERS
<ul>
<li>The Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, which tips off on Friday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, will feature Puerto Rican rapper and singer Anuel AA; Indian American singer/songwriter Anjali Ranadiv&eacute;; Bollywood superstar Ranveer Singh; 2020 Olympic high jump gold medalist Gianmarco Tamberi from Italy; and Cleveland Cavaliers Legend and Brazil native Anderson Varej&atilde;o.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Singh, who in September was named the NBA Brand Ambassador for India, will be one of more than two dozen influencers attending NBA All-Star 2022, where he will post behind-the-scenes social media content and have the opportunity to meet NBA players and legends.&nbsp; Singh will also become the second Bollywood star to play in the Celebrity Game.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Singh headlines a group of international influencers from Argentina, France, India, Japan, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Senegal, South Africa, Spain and the UK who will experience NBA All-Star 2022 in person, receiving exclusive access to the weekend&rsquo;s events and creating All-Star-themed content for fans in their home markets.</li>
</ul>
ALL-STAR CELEBRATIONS ABROAD
In addition to the events in Cleveland, fans around the world will be able to share in the excitement of NBA All-Star 2022 through a variety of international activations and programming:
<ul>
<li>In Canada, the &ldquo;NBA 75th Shop,&rdquo; a digital retail experience that pays tribute to the players and moments that have shaped the growth of basketball across the country, features a <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=2icFrxLx0UmWFb58V9B7Vw&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">figurine depicting eight-time All-Star and Raptors Legend Vince Carter</a> at the 2000 Slam Dunk contest and an &ldquo;<a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=Ss8TfIZrIUqK4tlSdhYWOQ&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A">ice block</a>&rdquo; commemorating the 2016 Slam Dunk contest in Toronto, the first NBA All-Star held outside the U.S.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>On Feb. 18, Mexican artist Alee Baes is launching exclusive All-Star-themed merchandise and giving away 16 special-edition Wilson basketballs in collaboration with the NBA at the league&rsquo;s official retail location in Mexico, NBA Tienda in Polanco.&nbsp; The collection will also be available at <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=ibGQ_qNzG0KhKkx1nZQUsA&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nbatienda.com</a>, the league&rsquo;s official online destination in the country.&nbsp; In addition, Cavaliers Legend Anderson Varej&atilde;o is filming a number of content pieces while on site in Cleveland that will be shared on the NBA&rsquo;s social media platforms in his native Brazil.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>From Feb. 7-21, Cosmote Sport, the league&rsquo;s broadcast partner in Greece, is running a 24/7 NBA pop-up channel featuring live NBA All-Star events, original programming, classic games, highlights and more.&nbsp; Eleven Sport and beIN SPORTS, the league&rsquo;s broadcast partners in Belgium and France, respectively, are hosting competitions in which winners will attend All-Star 2022.&nbsp; In addition, the NBA Fan Clubs in Greece and Spain are organizing NBA All-Star sweepstakes and quizzes featuring merchandise giveaways and special prizes.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The league&rsquo;s social media platforms in Australia, Japan and the Philippines will produce All-Star-themed programming to promote the weekend&rsquo;s events.&nbsp; The Dime, a recap show on the NBA&rsquo;s Facebook page in Australia, will feature Australian Rising Stars participants Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels.&nbsp; NBA Zoom-In, a show on the NBA&rsquo;s TikTok channel in Japan hosted by Japanese influencer Rikuto, will preview and recap highlights from the weekend.&nbsp; Republika Huddle, the league&rsquo;s social media talk show in the Philippines, will revisit previous editions of NBA All-Star and provide predictions for this year&rsquo;s marquee events.</li>
</ul>

Fifteen international players, including six All-Stars and a record-tying four All-Star Game starters, will represent in Cleveland.

15 international players from 12 countries will be at All-Star Weekend

<div>
After the Wizards endured a 115-95 thumping at the hands of the Grizzlies, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dinwiddie-says-his-leadership-wasnt-necessarily-welcomed-by-wizards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spencer Dinwiddie was pretty candid with reporters</a> about his leadership approaches not really working out in the early going of the season. That comes after a previous report from <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dinwiddie-says-his-leadership-wasnt-necessarily-welcomed-by-wizards-a-john-wall-westbrook-trade-really-help-lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus</a> on the imperfect chemistry between Dinwiddie and Bradley Beal.
So that, plus a five-game losing streak with some epic moments of failure, gives Washington the edge in this week's Sour Rankings.&nbsp;
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst power rankings. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
</div>
<div>
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going:
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Atlanta Hawks have taken flight and won their last seven straight games to vault back into the Play-In race. The Los Angeles Clippers have not reeled off a winning streak, but continue to fight hard with an undermanned cast and have snuck up to seventh in the Western Conference standings. They're a fun team to watch and a fun team to root for with this ragtag bunch.
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10. New Orleans Pelicans (18-31)
The Pelicans are mired in a three-game skid, though all three of those losses came without Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas. They're still one of my personal favorite squads to watch in the NBA and still worth praising for how they've remained competitive. But we're hitting the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 10, and that brings some anxiety for a squad that is too far outside the Play-In race as things stand but too good of a team to fold.
New Orleans could certainly make a splash to push to the postseason, but is that the right move? What happens if they don't? Every loss makes the claw toward contention more challenging.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Boston Celtics (26-25)
The Celtics do not break out of the Sour Rankings because there's too much of a roller-coaster track record. But the past week is a massive confidence-builder for fans of the current starting lineup. The Marcus Smart-Jaylen Brown-Jayson Tatum-Al Horford-Robert Williams III group is outscoring opponents by 23.7 points per 100 possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass. They helped Boston eviscerate some lesser teams this past week. The real tests begin on Monday against Miami.
(Last week: 6)
8. Brooklyn Nets (29-20)
This is the first Sour Rankings appearance for Brooklyn since the early weeks of the season. The Nets have lost four games in a row to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors, all while Kevin Durant rehabs an MCL injury. James Harden also missed Sunday's defeat at Golden State with a hand sprain.
Harden <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/james-harden-interested-in-exploring-other-opportunities-in-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dominated headlines this week</a> after reports surfaced that he would consider "exploring other options" outside of the Nets this offseason with significant ties to Philly. That's simply not the news Brooklyn wants with the Big Three finally (partially) back together.
(Last week: Unranked)
7. Portland Trail Blazers (24-27)
The Blazers went 1-3 this week, but maintain a comfortable hold on 10th in the West because the teams behind them fared poorly as well. Portland got beat out narrowly by Minnesota and less closely by the Dallas Mavericks and Chicago Bulls, though it did take care of business against the lowly Houston Rockets. Sadly, much of the week gets overshadowed by the season-ending shoulder injury to Nassir Little, who was having a breakout third year with the team.
(Last week: 8)
6. Utah Jazz
Yes, the Jazz have missed Donovan Mitchell over the last six games, and also Rudy Gobert for the last four. Yes, they've played a brutal recent schedule that included the Warriors, Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies. However, this current five-game losing streak has only exposed how serious the depth question is for Utah ahead of the trade deadline.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
This has pretty easily been the most difficult month for the Utah Jazz in Quin Snyder&rsquo;s tenure as head coach
&mdash; Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba/status/1487971479790796800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The team is 1-7 with bottom-10 efficiency ratings on both ends over the past two weeks. Now, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Utah fears Joe Ingles has torn his ACL. When the Jazz inevitably deal with injuries in the postseason, is there enough confidence that the next man up can help them win?
(Last week: 10)
5. New York Knicks (23-27)
It was just a two-game week for the Knicks and they got smacked in both with two double-digit losses to the Heat and Bucks. <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10025155-knicks-trade-rumors-ny-open-to-dealing-kemba-walker-evan-fournier-alec-burks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst</a>, New York is open to trading Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier and Alec Burks. "Open to" feels like some generous phrasing at this stage. It can't feel great that the two marquee offseason additions are both on the block. Oh, and <a href="https://www.slamonline.com/nba/knicks-coach-tom-thibodeau-reveals-why-cam-reddish-isnt-in-rotation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cam Reddish isn't in the rotation, either.</a>
(Last week: 5)
4. Indiana Pacers (18-33)
The Pacers are 4-14 dating back to Christmas. A mediocre defense has fallen apart, and that probably isn't helped by Myles Turner's extended absence due to a foot fracture. But you know what? Isaiah Jackson's been interesting. The 2021 first-round rookie most recently had 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks and a made three-pointer against the Mavericks.
Did the Pacers lose that game by 27 and did Jackson also foul out? Who's to say? But there's a nice little silver lining for a team that has very little going for it right now.
(Last week: 4)
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3. Los Angeles Lakers (24-27)
I'm glad Russell Westbrook had a fun second half in what ended up being a three-point Laker loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The discourse around him will never be fair, so it feels good to see him be successful through all the criticism.&nbsp;
... And that'll do it for this week's positive Lakers talk! They lost all three games this week to the Hornets, Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers. Anthony Davis is shooting 18.0% from long range on the season, by the way.
(Last week: 1)
2. Sacramento Kings (18-33)
Kings-related conversations are rapidly turning from "How good is Tyrese Haliburton?" to "Free Tyrese Haliburton!" and that's not a great sign. The second-year combo guard put up 38 points on Saturday and Sacramento still lost that contest to the 76ers. He's built off a stellar December and is averaging 16.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 42.0% from beyond the arc in January. Yet, the Kings are 3-11 this month.
(Last week: 2)
1. Washington Wizards (23-26)
I listened to a couple of different social media conversations after the Wizards lost in meltdown fashion against the Clippers last Tuesday. In that game, Washington had a 30-point halftime lead before giving up 80 second-half points to the Clippers and ultimately losing on Luke Kennard heroics, 116-115. Those poor fans circled around the same phrase: "Why does this always happen?"&nbsp;
Washington had a three-day layoff and then promptly lost by 20 to the Grizzlies. The Wizards' upcoming schedule? In order: Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Miami, Brooklyn. This is going to get really ugly.&nbsp;
(Last week: 1)
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</div>

Washington blew a 30-point halftime lead to the Clippers in a spectacular collapse. Ethan Fuller updates his Sour Rankings.

NBA Sour Rankings: Wizards hitting new rock bottom

When&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kings-making-buddy-hield-richaun-holmes-harrison-barnes-available" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seeing the report late last week</a>&nbsp;of the Sacramento Kings making Richaun Holmes available for trade, there should&rsquo;ve been several NBA teams channeling a 1980 Muhammad Ali saying, &ldquo;I want Holmes! I want Holmes!&rdquo;&nbsp;
(Couldn&rsquo;t find the clip, but I remember watching it long ago.)
Of course, Ali was talking about former World Heavyweight Champion Larry Holmes, whom he lost to later that year &mdash; 42 years later, we&rsquo;re talking about an underrated Kings center, but the point stands. Nothing, not even 50-year-old <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFK9zh2yHO4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Johnny Knoxville being in this week&rsquo;s Royal Rumble</a>, is less surprising than the Kings looking to revamp their roster in some form. That basketball team in Sacramento rebuilds more often than Griselda releases music.&nbsp;
But, again,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/sacramento-kings/richaun-holmes-17865/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less than five months after signing a four-year, $46 million extension</a>, including a $12.9 million player option for 2024-25, Holmes is possibly available. At just $10.3 million this season, he&rsquo;s very affordable by NBA standards. Having turned 28 years old in October and playing in year seven, he&rsquo;s in the prime of his career. Given where he currently is, he might indeed be better off elsewhere.&nbsp;
Holmes has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/kings/richaun-holmes-commits-goggles-recounts-scary-eye-injury" target="_blank" rel="noopener">battled an eye injury</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/article256988807.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COVID</a> this season, but has been productive despite a drop in playing time, logging 25.8 minutes through his 32 games (all starts) compared to last year, where he was at 29.2 minutes. He&rsquo;s posting 12.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game this season while shooting a career-best 70% from the floor. Per 36-minutes, he&rsquo;s at 17.1 points, 1.5 blocks and a career-best 11.3 boards. Holmes is a distant first in win shares per 48 minutes at .179 (second is .111). He&rsquo;s also second in team box plus-minus (1.3) behind Tyrese Haliburton&rsquo;s 2.5 and ahead of Harrison Barnes&rsquo; 0.5; everyone else is in the negative. (Yes, that means De&rsquo;Aaron Fox, for whatever that&rsquo;s worth.)&nbsp;
Ideally, if you&rsquo;re the team making this move, you&rsquo;d look to solidify your center position while prepping for your playoff push. The good news is that all of the following teams are in the playoff hunt &mdash; so don't worry, my fellow rec spec-wearing friend, let's get you outta there.&nbsp;
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets are (quietly?) 27-22 as of this writing, and are seventh in the Eastern Conference. At least they're quiet for a team run by a rising star in LaMelo Ball, his underappreciated backcourt mate Terry Rozier, Most Improved Player candidate Miles Bridges and steady swingman Gordon Hayward&nbsp; That&rsquo;s four-fifths of their starting five, with the center spot being occupied by Mason Plumlee. Kelly Oubre Jr. and PJ Washington play significant minutes off the bench, meaning the Hornets &mdash; who are 21st in rebounding and allow the third-most rebounds per game &mdash; are often playing small.&nbsp;
PJ Washington, in particular, is a&nbsp;<a href="https://hoopshype.com/storyline/pj-washington-trade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trade piece that&rsquo;s been rumored to be available</a> and likely has to be included in the deal, since his minutes and production have declined since last season, where he was an everyday starter. It should be added that, entering the last of his rookie-scale contract next season, it&rsquo;s likely the Hornets won&rsquo;t extend him by 2023.&nbsp;
The trade logistically couldn&rsquo;t be PJ for Holmes straight up since Washington only makes $4.2 million this season. The Kings also are rumored to be shopping others on their team, so there&rsquo;s a potential for this to extend beyond Holmes arriving from Sacramento by himself in this hypothetical &mdash; your simplest route is to pair Washington with Plumlee&rsquo;s $8.1 million, which mathematically makes this work straight up. Plumlee has a partially guaranteed $8.5 million coming to him next season, and the Kings should also receive a couple of second-rounders or a first coming back to them, both of which the Hornets <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Hornets.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have enough to entice with</a>.&nbsp;
A Ball-Rozier-Hayward-Bridges-Holmes lineup sounds fun as hell.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Richaun Holmes is dunking all over the Lakers 😤 <a href="https://t.co/y9fO2OprSI">pic.twitter.com/y9fO2OprSI</a>
&mdash; NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1465891771489996805?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Dallas Mavericks
Between Dwight Powell, Moses Brown, Maxi Kleber, Willie Cauley-Stein, Marquese Chriss and Boban Marjanović, the Dallas Mavericks have had what&rsquo;s felt like a 💩 ton of bigs this season. Even so, as our Nekias Duncan wrote last week, without a true anchor, the Mavs have recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-do-the-mavericks-have-an-elite-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">become one of the league&rsquo;s best defenses</a>.&nbsp;
Still, on the roster, there isn&rsquo;t a clear long-term answer there as you continue to build this around the already extended Luka Dončić and, for now, the seemingly bought-in Kristaps Porziņģis. Enter Holmes, who is signed through at least the 2023-24 season. Powell and Kleber, who generally eat the lion&rsquo;s share of minutes next to KP, are both signed through 2022-23 before they&rsquo;d each become unrestricted free agents. Though Kleber makes $8.9 million this season and Powell is at $11 million, both work for Holmes mathematically straight up. Obviously, Dallas would attach at least one or two second-round draft picks, if not a protected first, to either guy (Powell more likely) and make it nearly a straight-up trade.&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s room to open this up further. Buddy Hield makes $22.5 million this season, and his contract descends to $20 and $18 million until it expires in the summer of 2024. Tim Hardaway Jr., who Dallas extended this past summer and <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33148625/dallas-mavericks-tim-hardaway-jr-ruled-game-left-foot-injury" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is now out with a fractured left foot</a>, makes $21 million this year but is also on a descending deal that drops to $19.6, $17.9, and $16.1 million through the 2024-25 season. Both struggling shooting guards probably aren&rsquo;t long for their organizations, even as they were both recently extended. Hardaway Jr. was also moved to the bench for Jalen Brunson, who&rsquo;s facing a contract situation of his own given his pending free agency (keep him, Dallas).&nbsp;
So there&rsquo;s a path to this becoming a Powell and Hardaway plus draft picks for Holmes and Hield exchange. Holmes is the type of hustling, dirty-work, efficient and quality center that the Mavericks could use. Unlike in 2K, you can trade injured players in real life &mdash; sorry Tim. Just imagine the push shots off Luka feeds.&nbsp;
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death, taxes, and richaun holmes hitting 62.5% of his push shots (20-of-32) <a href="https://t.co/iGH0xuA7Gn">pic.twitter.com/iGH0xuA7Gn</a>
&mdash; Dan Favale (@danfavale) <a href="https://twitter.com/danfavale/status/1465715242952900614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Toronto Raptors
I mean, could you think of a more Raptor-ass center than Holmes? Who better be run with Fred VanVleet, Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam and Gary Trent Jr.?&nbsp;
Now, how do you make this happen? First, with that being the Raptors&rsquo; starting five, where does Holmes fit? Well, it&rsquo;s really their starting five out of necessity because Precious Achiuwa hasn&rsquo;t had the second NBA season they&rsquo;d been hoping for. Ideally, you&rsquo;d still want an actual center in that mix as one of your top six minutes getters so that you have a bit more reliable size. The Raptors don&rsquo;t currently have a true center you could trust for extended periods, and Holmes fills that void.&nbsp;
Now, regarding trade pieces, Chris Boucher is on a $7 million expiring contract, and Khem Birch is on the first of a three-year, $19 million contract, which lands him at $6.3 million this season. Combining those two does work, and it would obviously have to come with considerable draft capital, but even the Kings would probably ask wtf are they going to do with that and have a point.&nbsp;
Remove Birch and insert Achiuwa? That works &ndash; would the Raptors already want to move off the centerpiece of their Kyle Lowry trade, who is just due $2.8 million next year with a $4.3 million team option the season after? I mean, maybe? It would certainly help preserve some draft capital in a hypothetical Holmes trade and, you figure, if you&rsquo;re acquiring a center Achiuwa would have a tougher time seeing minutes anyway. But that&rsquo;s generally what you&rsquo;d be looking at moving if you&rsquo;re Toronto: Boucher and Birch, Boucher and Achuiwa; Boucher, Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn, along with some combination of picks or a first-rounder, for Holmes.&nbsp;
And if I&rsquo;m Holmes, I&rsquo;m down for whatever, as long as I could leave Sacramento.&nbsp;
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Bonus: Golden State Warriors
Okay &hellip; here we go.
There&rsquo;s really only one way to do this, and it&rsquo;s using James Wiseman&rsquo;s $9.1 million salary this season straight up. Y&rsquo;all could determine what picks may or may not go where, but these are the two names because the Golden State Warriors don&rsquo;t have much middle-class salary to use, nor do they probably want to shake up their roster a ton, including even this. But if they determine that Wiseman, who hasn&rsquo;t played since Apr. 10 of last year due to a torn meniscus that <a href="https://theathletic.com/news/warriors-james-wiseman-needed-additional-knee-surgery-in-december-sources/DyEHJgzTblrO/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">required additional arthroscopic surgery in December</a>, isn&rsquo;t worth waiting for, then there you have it.&nbsp;
Wiseman showed flashes, but struggled defensively as a rookie while only logging 39 games (though he posted 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds on 52% percent shooting in 21.4 minutes per contest). He&rsquo;ll turn 21 in March, and because of NCAA nonsense, we were only able to see him three times in college. Wiseman&rsquo;s due $9.6 million next year and will likely bank another $12.1 million, assuming his option gets accepted.
I&rsquo;m still a Wiseman stockholder, but I&rsquo;m also pro going for a championship now in this seemingly wide-open NBA season &mdash; an immediate upgrade at center might be what Golden State sees as a necessary step. It makes something like a possible Holmes deal reasonable to think twice about. Just sayin&rsquo;.
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Bryan Fonseca ponders a handful of teams who could be a good fit for Kings big man Richaun Holmes.

Examining potential trade destinations for Richaun Holmes

When the Phoenix Suns began the 2021-22 season with a slow 1-3 start, some national pundits were quick to question whether their miraculous NBA Finals run was a mirage. But ever since that point, you can't find a more dominant team in the Association than the one residing in the Valley.
Phoenix has won 34 of their last 40 games. That&rsquo;s absurd. And to put it in more jaw-dropping terms, the second-best record over that span belongs to Golden State, with 13 losses. So, the Suns not only have been playing outstanding basketball over the last two-plus months, but they&rsquo;re beginning to lap the competition while doing so.
Since Oct. 28, the day after the Suns lost to the Sacramento Kings on a miraculous buzzer-beater from Harrison Barnes, here&rsquo;s how they rank in advanced metrics league-wide: 112.8 Offensive Rating (4th), 103.2 Defensive Rating (2nd), +9.6 Net Rating (1st). During this span &mdash; stretching nearly the entire regular season, sans the opening week of play &mdash; Phoenix is the only team carrying a top-five offensive and defensive efficiency.
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The Suns are also historically elite in clutch situations this season. Phoenix carries a 15-3 record in the clutch, including shooting almost 60% (59.2%) overall in these crutical moments. Incredibly enough, after we last checked in on this, the Suns are still miles ahead in terms of outscoring opponents per 100 possesions in the clutch at +42.7 NetRtg.
As long as the Suns have two of the most clutch scorers in the NBA right now in Chris Paul and Devin Booker, plus a rotisserie of depth around them, it's hard to not feel confident with the game on the line.
It&rsquo;s still incredible to think about how the Suns used to be viewed in league circles only just a few short years ago. Phoenix was trotting out lineups headlined by lottery busts Josh Jackson, Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss around Booker. Now, Booker is flanked by a concise unit of players that best suits his superstar abilities.
Kudos to Suns GM James Jones, because the job he has done since taking over full-time in 2018 has been nothing short of spectacular.
Phoenix not only has the star power with their dynamic backcourt duo of Booker and Paul, but their young core continues to blossom as well. Mikal Bridges is well on his way to a All-Defense nod, while also adding endless sharpshooting equity. Deandre Ayton has once again proved he&rsquo;s worthy of a rookie-scale max contract extension whenever he&rsquo;s been on the floor. Cameron Johnson is becoming a key cog in the Suns&rsquo; machine, who is likely earning his own lucrative payday.
On top of these five players, look at all of the win-now veterans littered throughout Phoenix&rsquo;s rotation: Jae Crowder, JaVale McGee, Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet, Bismack Biyombo. And look out for the Suns to be active leading up to February&rsquo;s trade deadline, as well as the buyout market for veterans wanting to chase a championship. There&rsquo;s not a more attractive destination right now to pursue an NBA Finals berth than Phoenix.
The Suns have built a perfectly balanced rotation that brings a multitude of strengths to the table, which is by design, from the minds of Jones and head coach Monty Williams.
As the Suns continue racking up impressive wins night after night, they are well past the laughingstock stage they experienced for almost a decade post-Seven Seconds or Less era, headlined by two-time MVP Steve Nash. Instead, these new Suns are potentially leapfrogging the most successful chapters of team history.
When surveying the landscape in the Western Conference, Phoenix has the best case of any team to make a repeat Finals trip.
Golden State is their most realistic threat, but we&rsquo;ve seen in multiple matchups between the two this season where Phoenix can attack them at will, with no issue. Memphis is an up-and-coming team who is actually right on the Warriors&rsquo; heels since Halloween for overall record, but it&rsquo;s wait-and-see mode to find out if this continues toward a deep postseason push.
Utah is another team who could throw the Suns some potential roadblocks, but they&rsquo;ve been maddeningly inconsistent as of late. Could Denver be an underrated team to monitor, especially with Nikola Jokic&rsquo;s dominance and Jamal Murray&rsquo;s looming return around postseason time?
Putting each team up against the Suns, it&rsquo;s hard to find a way an opponent can beat them in a seven-game series. They have the stars, the depth, the head coach. Everything is firing on all cylinders in Phoenix right now &mdash; which makes it even scarier if they were to find another win-now piece to add to their already strong bench in the lead-up to the postseason.
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Welcome to a new golden era of Suns basketball. It took a while to get here, and maybe the franchise had some embarrassing rock bottoms along the way, but this team may be headed to another peak for the title-starved city of Phoenix.
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After a 1-3 start this season, the Phoenix Suns have won 34 of their last 40 games. Again, Phoenix is showing they're going nowhere anytime soon.

Suns' dominance shows that a repeat Finals trip is possible

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic had 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in his 40th career triple-double, and the Dallas Mavericks used a second-half rally to rout Memphis 112-85 on Friday night and end the Grizzlies&rsquo; winning streak at 11 games.
Doncic had 18 points in the second half, connecting on 8 of 10 shots. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 16 points, and Jalen Brunson and Marquese Chriss had 15 points apiece, with Brunson adding nine assists.
&ldquo;Our defense was amazing,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;(The Grizzlies) have a great offense, and it&rsquo;s tough to stop them, but I think we did an amazing job in the second half.&rdquo;
Ja Morant led Memphis with 19 points and eight assists, Desmond Bane had 16 points and Kyle Anderson added 12. The Grizzlies lost for the first time since Dec. 23, getting little help beyond its top three scorers.
The Grizzlies were playing the second night of a back-to-back and their fifth game in a week. Morant said the schedule may have finally caught up with them.
&ldquo;Pretty much from our legs being heavy and our shots were short,&rdquo; Morant said, later adding the fatigue contributed to his eight turnovers and other mistakes in the game.
Memphis shot 38% from the field and made only seven of 31 shots from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Mavericks were at almost 52% from the floor.
The Mavericks have been playing well. Before losing 108-85 at New York on Wednesday night, Dallas had clicked off six straight victories.
Dallas gained a bit of a cushion in the second half, starting the third quarter shooting better than the first half. That catapulted the Mavs to an 84-73 lead entering the fourth. Doncic scored 10 points in the third to help the Mavericks build their lead, as they outscored Memphis 34-18 in the period.
When Dallas rattled off the first seven points of the fourth, the lead swelled to 18. Grizzlies interim coach Darko Rajakovic called off his starters with five minutes left and Memphis trailing by 24.
The lead would eventually reach 31 as Memphis managed only 12 points in the fourth quarter and 30 after halftime.
&ldquo;I thought the team rebounding and the team defense was excellent to go with the tempo and pace offensively,&rdquo; Dallas interim coach Sean Sweeney said. &ldquo;I thought it was great all around.&rdquo;
As for Memphis, the longest regular-season winning streak ended, but the stretch moved the Grizzlies into third place in the Western Conference.
&ldquo;First thing I told guys was congratulations for an amazing streak and making history for our franchise,&rdquo; Rajakovic said. &ldquo;Eleven straight wins. It&rsquo;s a huge thing. We were playing really good basketball.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Willie Cauley-Stein (personal reasons) and Kristaps Porzingis (health and safety protocols) were both out. &hellip; Dallas has won seven of the last 10 games in the series. &hellip;Maxi Kleber started his 10th game of the season.
Grizzlies: The Grizzlies had swept three back-to-backs in the streak. They beat Minnesota on Thursday night. &hellip; C Steven Adams returned after missing four games in health and safety protocols. &hellip; F Brandon Clarke started his first game of the season.
UP NEXT:
Mavericks: Host Orlando on Saturday night.
Grizzlies: Host Chicago on Monday night.

Luka had 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in his 40th career triple-double, and the Dallas Mavericks routed Memphis 112-85 end the Grizzlies’ winning streak at 11 games.

Doncic records 40th career triple-double, Mavs end Memphis' streak

The NBA was cautiously optimistic entering the 2021-22 season. After two consecutive seasons were hindered by COVID, the league had reason to believe that this season would see a return to normalcy. More players were vaccinated, and most came back rested after a relatively normal offseason.
But COVID is sneaky and resilient. Omicron, which is the most transmissible variant to date, mutated itself into existence and made its way to the United States in Dec. 2021. Since then, we&rsquo;ve seen cases surge to new all-time highs, with the United States registering 759,218 new cases on Friday, Jan. 6, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a> &ndash; the most since the pandemic began in March 2020.
And no, the NBA is certainly not immune. In total, over 300 players have entered health and safety protocols since December, and 11 games have been postponed and rescheduled.
There are positives, though &ndash; namely, the opportunities being presented to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/fringe-nba-players-have-golden-opportunity-with-30-of-the-league-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">G-Leaguers</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rotation-players-making-the-most-of-roster-incosistency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deep-rotation players</a>, plus <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-four-10day-veterans-who-can-revitalize-their-nba-careers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">former NBA players</a> like Joe Johnson, Greg Monroe and Lance Stephenson. But the broader impact of COVID sidelining the league&rsquo;s preeminent stars is simple &ndash; television viewership. So, how has COVID impacted ratings?
We can break down Christmas Day, which is the NBA&rsquo;s early-season showcase and a ratings cash cow. The results are a bit of a mixed bag.
The league averaged 4.1 million viewers for the five Christmas Day games &ndash; the lowest figure since the league expanded to a five-game format. The NBA&rsquo;s primetime Christmas Day game received 5.75 million viewers (Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets), down from 7 million last season. But this game had a lot to contend with, like an NFL game and a number of missing stars -- Kevin Durant (health and safety protocols), Kyrie Irving (ineligible) and Anthony Davis (ankle).
The Milwaukee Bucks-Boston Celtics game received 4.93 million viewers, up from 4.79 in the same time slot last season. And Golden State versus Phoenix received 5.19 million, up from 4.28 million in the same time slot last year. Considering tip-off times for these games (2:30 p.m. ET and 5 p.m. ET, respectively), that should be seen positively.
The Atlanta Hawks-New York Knicks matchup received just 2.92 million viewers, but it aired at noon Eastern &ndash; meaning that it had limited opportunity for viewers from other time zones. Additionally, Trae Young was unable to play due to being in health and safety protocols. Finally, Dallas versus Utah received only 1.52 million viewers, which tipped off at 10:45 p.m. ET and was missing Luka Doncic (also due to health and safety protocols).
Comparatively, NBA ratings were higher for last year's Christmas Day. Specifically: The New Orleans Pelicans versus Miami Heat received 3.5 million viewers at noon Eastern; Milwaukee versus Golden State received 4.79 million at 2:30 p.m. ET; Brooklyn versus Boston received 4.28 million viewers at 5 p.m. ET; the Mavs versus the Lakers received 7.01 million viewers at 8 p.m. ET; and the Clippers versus the Nuggets received 2.06 million at 10:30 p.m. ET.&nbsp;
It should be noted that NBA had just one NFL game to compete with on Christmas Day in 2020, whereas two football games were on the docket in 2021.
This season's Christmas Day viewership represents a small victory considering all the missing stars and the additional competition. But on the whole, 2021-22 viewership for nationally-televised games on TNT, ESPN and ABC is up 11% compared to the same period in 2019. So, it appears as if COVID hasn&rsquo;t hurt the broader appeal of the league.
That being said, it doesn't mean it can't.
Stars make the NBA&rsquo;s world go round, and that&rsquo;s a good thing. And as much as hardship-exception players and "the other guys" have been a great feel-good story, non-diehards won&rsquo;t tune in for the NBA Playoffs without Young, Doncic, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, etc.
Hopefully, the staggering number of positive cases results in herd immunity. But there is much to learn about Omicron, like how quickly breakthrough infections can take place after a bout with COVID.
Either way, assuming the arrival of another COVID variant is a safe bet, at least from a business perspective. And if that's the case, completing the season with all the NBA's marquee stars will become significantly more challenging. Ultimately, another bubble may be the only way to get through the 2022 playoffs. If the NBA is unwilling to consider drastic measures, it fails to prepare for the worst.
And as the saying goes: "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail."

COVID's impact has been felt far and wide by NBA teams. Drew Maresca analyzes how much it's affected the league's TV ratings.

To what degree has COVID affected NBA viewership this year?

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Luka Doncic had 14 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in his return from a 10-game absence and Marquese Criss came off the bench to score a season-high 15 points, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 95-86 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night.
Doncic played with a long brace on his left knee and saw just over 31 minutes in his first game in 23 days. He was content with setting up teammates for baskets after missing five games with ankle soreness and five more games due to virus health and safety protocols.
“It was hard. The last time I did five-on-five was like four weeks ago,” Doncic said. “Weird feeling, but I’m just really happy to be back. My chest was burning. I think slowly it’s going to come back. When I shot, the feeling was weird. I didn’t know if it was going to go in or out. There was one shot that feels amazing, I said ‘You shot it great and it’s going to go in,’ and it was an air ball.”
The 10-game absence was the longest of Doncic’s career. Coach Jason Kidd thought his performance was solid.
“He almost had a triple-double in 30 minutes, so I think he did a great job. He’s still trying to get the feel,” Kidd said. “He set the table for his teammates, he got his guys great shots, rebounded the ball for us. I just kept asking how was his wind and he said he felt great. It was good to see him out there.”
Criss, on his second 10-day contract after joining the Mavericks on Dec. 21, shot 6 of 9 from the field, including three 3-pointers, and had seven rebounds. He had played in just seven NBA games in the previous two seasons before signing with the Mavericks last month.
“I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t feel like there was any pressure,” Criss said. “But at the end of the day, I’m doing what I love and I get to be able to play basketball again. Truthfully, it’s been a really long year, just coming back from an injury. Being able to be back on the court, I’m just thankful for that. Just trying to make the most out of the opportunity that I can.”
Oklahoma City's Josh Giddey, back after three games in the health and safety protocols, had 17 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds for his first triple-double. He is the youngest NBA player to have a triple-double at 19 years, 2 months, 23 days, beating Charlotte's LaMelo Ball, who had a triple-double at 19 years 10 months, 17 days. 
“It’s cool, as I said earlier in the year. The individual stats are good, you enjoy it for the night,” Giddey said “But a win is always better than individual stats. If I have zero-zero-zero and we win, it’s always better than if I have a triple l-double and lose.”
Kidd, who had 107 triple-doubles during his playing career, was impressed by Giddey’s performance.
“He’s unselfish. As a 19-year old, he understands how to play the game,” Kidd said. “He’s comfortable with the ball, his teammates all know that if he has it, they’re gonna cut, because there’s a chance that they can get it. He’s comfortable shooting the 3. He has the total package. At 19, it’s just a matter of time of understanding how teams are going to play him. He’s as good as advertised.”
TIP-INS 
Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed his second game this week, this time being placed in the health and safety protocols Saturday following his 23-point performance in a New Year’s Eve win over the Knicks. ... Only two officials were available for the game after crew chief Brent Barnaky was placed in the health and safety protocols earlier in the day. Veteran NBA ref Leon Wood and G League callup Dannica Mosher handled officiating duties.
Mavericks: Dallas won its third straight over the Thunder, cutting the all-time series advantage for the Thunder to 84-81
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Host Denver on Monday 
Thunder: Visit Minnesota on Wednesday 
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Josh Giddey became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double.

Mavs win; Thunder's Giddey youngest to post triple-double

DALLAS (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 26 points, Dorian Finney-Smith came alive in the second half and the Dallas Mavericks, with a boost from two newly signed players, defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-102 in a battle of attrition Tuesday night.
A total of nine players, including three starters, missed the game because they are in the NBA's health and safety protocol. 
Brunson scored 16 points in the first half. Finney-Smith had just four at halftime, but added 15 in the second half, including two 3-pointers in a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter that wiped out Minnesota's last lead in the game. 
Dwight Powell scored 15 points, Boban Marjanovich had 10 and Sterling Brown combined 12 points with 11 rebounds in his first start this season. 
Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with and 26 points and 14 rebounds. Malik Beasley scored 22, D'Angelo Russell had 14 points and 12 assists and Jaden McDaniels scored 11.
The Mavericks got a boost from two players signed since they lost just two days before at Minnesota. Theo Pinson played 22 minutes, scored seven points, grabbed four rebounds and added three assists and four steals. In his 16 minutes, Marquese Chriss scored six points, including a thunderous dunk in the 10-0 run, and took down eight rebounds.
In the first quarter, Minnesota made 65% (13 for 20) of its field goal attempts and scored 35 points — and led Dallas by only one point. Towns didn't miss a shot and scored 12 points. In the second, the Timberwolves made just 28% of their field goal attempts and were outscored 27-15 as the Mavericks took a 61-50 halftime lead. 
In the third quarter, the Mavericks ran to a 17-point lead, 79-62, but Minnesota came back with a 13-0 run. The Wolves led 94-91 in the fourth before 3-pointers by Brown and Finney-Smith gave the Mavericks a 97-95 they didn't lose.
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: Minnesota signed F Chris Silva and G Rayjon Tucker, who had been playing in the G-League, to 10-day contracts under the COVID-related hardship allowance. Silva arrived with 59 NBA games on his resume, and Tucker with 34. ... The Wolves were without starters Patrick Beverly and Jarred Vanderbilt as well as Anthony Edwards, John Okogie and Taurean Prince because they were in the NBA's health and safety protocols.
Mavericks: Hardaway was added Tuesday afternoon to the list of players in the health and safety protocol, joining Maxi Kleber, Reggie Bullock and Josh Green. ... Doncic (left ankle injury) missed his fifth consecutive game, and Porzingis (toe) joined him on the injury list on Tuesday. Coach Jason Kidd said, “We're hopeful that (Doncic) is back for Thursday. Eugene (Omoruyi) and Willie (Cauley-Stein) remain out." ... he Mavericks added 6-5 swingman Pinson and 6-9 Chriss to 10-day contracts under the COVID-related hardship allowance. Chriss previously played in parts of five NBA seasons and Pinson in three.
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: Complete a two-game trip at Utah on Thursday.
Mavericks: Host the Bucks on Thursday in the second of two home games.

Jalen Brunson scored 26-points and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 114-102.

Brunson scores 26, replacements help Mavericks beat Wolves

As COVID-19 continues to rip into NBA rosters, more and more teams have been forced to look outside their organization to simply fill out minutes on the court.
You've probably been seeing your NBA notifications blowing up with transactions recently. Franchises can take advantage of the "hardship exception" in the NBA's by-laws, which state that if four or more players on the active and inactive rosters are dealing with injuries and illness, a team can sign and substitute a player. Since so many franchises are dealing with COVID-induced absences that typically last about 10 days to two weeks, dozens of free agents are inking 10-day deals to jump in for the short-term.
Meanwhile, for better or worse, the regular season chugs along. The pop-up signings can end up making an impact on rebuilding teams or playoff contenders. With some rotations pushed to the brink, hardship-exception signees might find meaningful minutes right away.
With that in mind, how are NBA teams approaching who they sign, and what types of players have been called into action?
Most of the additions have some level of NBA experience. Of the <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-covid-fallout-lance-stephenson-isaiah-thomas-tyler-johnson-among-list-of-players-on-10-day-contracts/">over 35 players (and counting)</a> who have signed recent 10-day contracts, only a small handful have never appeared in a regular-season game before this season. This includes: Ade Murkey (Kings), Tyler Hall (Knicks), Aleem Ford and Hassani Gravett (Magic), Mac McClung (Bulls) and Malcolm Hill (Hawks). All but McClung turned pro at some level before 2021.
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The other end of the spectrum is also limited. Though Isaiah Thomas and Lance Stephenson might be the biggest names among hardship deals, they're two of the older players signed to date. The oldest player currently added is 34-year-old CJ Miles, who joined the Celtics after having recently signed with the G League Ignite, and last played with the Wizards in 2019-20. Miles, Thomas, Stephenson, Ersan Ilyasova, Tim Frazier and James Ennis are the hardship players to date over age-31.
Interestingly, teams have thus far been averse to adding bigs, even if they've become thin at the position. The only true centers who have been reportedly signed are Wenyen Gabriel (to the Nets), Luke Kornet (Cavaliers), Marquese Chriss (Mavericks) and Freddie Gillespie (Magic).&nbsp;
Chriss and Raptors signee Nik Stauskas are the highest former draft picks to be signed; both were selected No. 8 overall. They're also the only two former lottery picks that teams have inked deals. So, no, front offices are not using the hardship exception as some kind of way to take a swing on a castoff top selection.
What does appear to matter, however, is recent production. Thomas obviously got his shot with the Lakers after a 42-point outburst in his first G League appearance with the Grand Rapids Gold.
Others have used a longer stint in the G League Showcase period to audition. Five of the top-10 G League Showcase per-game scoring leaders have signed contracts this month: BJ Johnson (Magic), Justin Jackson (Celtics), Trevelin Queen (two-way deal with Houston), Stauskas and Jared Harper (Pelicans). Four of the other five already have their rights held by NBA franchises. Let's see who signs Kyle Guy.
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The Nets and Raptors make good example cases. Brooklyn has added four players as of this writing. Langston Galloway and James Ennis are two steady veterans who contributed to NBA teams last season, and can both bring an instantly-translatable skill with their shooting. Gabriel is averaging 13.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game as a physical presence in the G League. Then there's Shaquille Harrison, one of the peskier defenders in pro hoops, period. All of them are low-usage, specialist contributors with multiple year of pro experience.
Toronto, meanwhile, has safety blankets for others on the roster should they enter league protocols. Tremont Waters and Brandon Goodwin are steady facilitating guards; Fred VanVleet and Malachi Flynn are reportedly now ineligible. Stauskas can replicate Svi Mykhailiuk's role to a degree. Juwan Morgan is a hybrid forward in the same vein (at least positionall) as Precious Achiuwa. The moves make sense.
My general conclusion seems to be that NBA teams are largely playing it safe with their hardship signings. Few franchises appear to be using this circumstance as a chance to swing for the fences on a young player or a comeback veteran. Most simply want to patch holes.
And though the NBA is obviously in a confusing, frustrating, possibly dangerous situation with the pandemic, it will be interesting to see who capitalizes on their small window of opportunity.

NBA teams have had to dig into 10-day signings with COVID-19's impact on rosters.

How are NBA teams using the hardship exception?

The Dallas Mavericks have signed Marquese Chriss to a hardship exception.
Source: Chris Haynes/Yahoo Sports
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;
Chriss last played in preseason for the Trail Blazers.
The 6'9" 24 year-old last played in the regular season with the Golden State Warriors in 2021, appearing in just two contests.&nbsp;
Chriss has averaged 8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, .7 steals, and .8 blocks across his four-year career.

The Dallas Mavericks have signed Marquese Chriss to a hardship exception.

Mavericks sign Marquese Chriss to hardship exception

The Houston Rockets are trending upward.
We're three weeks removed from <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2950751-sources-houston-rockets-weighing-future-of-head-coach-stephen-silas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on-the-hot-seat reporting</a> from Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer concerning head coach Stephen Silas. The offense was bland and ineffective; the defense was spotty, to be kind. It wasn't all on Silas, as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/whats-wrong-with-the-houston-rockets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained in this space</a>, but things certainly didn't look good.
Since that report, the Rockets have won eight of their last 11 games behind an elite offense (116.4 Offensive Rating, 3rd in the NBA). The defense still ain't great &mdash; it's actually gotten worse (115.7 Defensive Rating, 26th) during this stretch &mdash; but it hasn't bitten them yet.
Despite the recent success, the Rockets are aware of where they are: Stage 1 of the rebuild. As such, the phone lines are open for some of their veterans. Chief among them is Christian Wood, an All-Star caliber frontcourt talent.
On the surface, that's a surprise. When you think of Rocket vets that could swap teams, you'd likely land on 32-year-old Eric Gordon (absolutely balling as of late) or 29-year-old Daniel Theis. Not only is Wood better than both players, he's also much younger (26 years old).&nbsp;
But over the last week, <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/rockets-willing-listen-offers-christian-094911591.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Tim MacMahon</a> and Bleacher Report's Fischer have hinted at a willingness to at least hear offers for the big man. The price would likely be steep &mdash; Fischer ballparks it at "a first round pick plus further capital" <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2951461-latest-nba-trade-buzz-sourced-intel-on-simmons-kyrie-lakers-and-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in his latest report</a> &mdash; but that could be worth it for a team looking for help up front.
WHAT WOOD BRINGS&nbsp;
As our Jackson Frank wrote <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/christian-woods-offensive-versatility-will-benefit-houstons-core" target="_blank" rel="noopener">before the season</a>, there aren't many centers more gifted than Wood on the offensive end of the floor.
He's a dynamic partner in ball-screens, able to beat defenses as a roller or popper. He transitions smoothly from screener to roller or popper, allowing him to get a jump on the defense depending on what coverage they're in.
Wood has had to pop more this season due to the spacing around him, but he remains a paint threat due to his ability to pump-and-go. Leave him completely open and he'll fire above the break; close-out too hard, and he'll get downhill.
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Wood's ability to handle could be an added dimension for a team. He's not a Giannis-type threat to grab-and-go after misses, but he can push a break and allow offenses to attack earlier. His handle also allows him to initiate &mdash; or fake &mdash; handoffs against unbalanced defenses.
This is a down year for Wood as a finisher &mdash; spacing and playmaking issues have put a more difficult self-creation load on him &mdash; and he's still converting 73% of his shots inside of 3 feet, per Basketball-Reference. There's room to believe he could be even more effective with more room to operate, and/or more dynamic ball-handlers to work with.
LIMITATIONS
While Wood is able initiate some early offense in Delay sets, he doesn't have the passing chops to act as a true offensive hub. That's not inherently a bad thing; a team hoping to acquire him just has to understand he's a play-finisher that can sometimes get you into your offense, not Western Conference Domantas Sabonis.
Wood isn't the quickest processor when forced to make playmaking reads, and his actual pass accuracy leaves a bit to be desired. Combine those traits, and you get some rough turnovers when he's in creator mode.
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Defensively, Wood doesn't have the spatial feel to hold up as a primary rim-protector. His drop coverage film is littered with possessions of him conceding too much space to the ball-handler, or playing too high up (in a hunched over stance, no less) on the floor, allowing his assignment to get behind him for lobs.
Wood has shown some comfort switching out on the perimeter. He also possesses the mobility and hands necessary to play in more aggressive schemes. The swing skill for him would be his recovery; cutting off a ball-handler is one thing, but finding your assignment after the hedge is a separate task that he's had uneven results with.&nbsp;
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Even with some of his limitations, he's shown to be an active communicator. He's been a competent weak-side rim-protector. So long as you have good personnel around him, Wood can be a positive cog in a system.
LANDING SPOTS
If you're looking for a team with 1) a dynamic ball-handler, 2) plenty of spacers and 3) a strong defensive infrastructure, look no further than the Golden State Warriors.&nbsp;
Among the many weapons the Warriors have at their disposal, a vertical spacer is one they currently lack. It's safe to say Wood could slot right into that role. This may shock you, but Stephen Curry has had success with those type of partners.&nbsp;
Since the 2017-18 season, ball-screens spearheaded by Curry have generated roughly 1.08 points per possession &mdash; the best high volume mark in the NBA over that stretch, per Second Spectrum. When working with an athletic vertical threat &mdash; let's say JaVale McGee, Damian Jones, and Marquese Chriss &mdash; that number jumps to 1.12.
Last season's blockbuster trade cut the sample short, but it's worth noting just how successful the James Harden-Wood connection was last season (north of 1.13 PPP). It's fair to believe the Curry-Wood pairing would be a darn good one.
And if you need defensive covering for Wood, is there a better guy to pair him with than Draymond Green? Curry would be step up from what Wood has had to cover for at the point of attack this season; doubly so when Curry is replaced by Gary Payton II in the lineup.&nbsp;
The complicated matter would be the price. I would imagine the Rockets would want two of the Warriors' three young prospects &mdash; James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody &mdash; if possible.
The Athletic's Tim Kawakami recently laid out <a href="https://theathletic.com/3006586/2021/12/09/kawakami-why-the-warriors-absolutely-positively-are-not-trading-james-wiseman/?redirected=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a strong argument</a> regarding why the Warriors don't want to part with Wiseman right now. Beyond that, it would be shocking if the Rockets prioritized Wiseman considering they just drafted Alperen Sengun (please play him more!) and Usman Garuba over the summer.&nbsp;
Kuminga and Moody might be considered steep for the Warriors; only flipping one of those would make salary matching a bit of a chore. The Warriors do have all of their future firsts, sans a 2024 pick that will likely transfer to the Grizzlies.&nbsp;
For an off-the-radar team, how about the Minnesota Timberwolves?&nbsp;
Their defense has been surprisingly sturdy (6th in half-court defense, 12th in overall DRTG) thanks to an aggressive scheme. The offense has lagged behind (26th in half-court offense, 24th overall ORTG) behind spotty shooting and a quietly-subpar conversion rate at the rim.
The (admittedly reductive) question I have: What do the Wolves look like with Wood instead of Jarred Vanderbilt in the lineup?
Wood is not the overall defender that Vanderbilt is, but how much of the backline workload could he replicate?&nbsp;More importantly, is the gap between the two as defenders greater than the gap in scoring chops?
I would answer "maybe 75-80% of it" and "absolutely not" to those questions.
To the defense point, the Wolves often play at, or above, the level of the screen when defending pick-and-rolls. That puts strain on the backline to clean up messes behind it. Like this, basically:
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One blocked shot doesn't mean he can be peak Paul Millsap in this role, but again, Wood does possess legit weak-side rim-protection chops. If he can nail those rotations, the Wolves shouldn't see a major slide defensively. It also helps that Wood is one of the best defensive rebounders in the sport. The Wolves have, uh, struggled (30th in defensive-rebound rate) in that regard.
The offensive upgrade is an easier case to make. Wood has shot 36.9% from three dating back to his Detroit season (2019-20), and has converted 40% of his corner threes in that time frame. He's both a better shooter, and more of a threat to beat a (soft) closeout than Vanderbilt is.
With Karl-Anthony Towns often setting up shop above the break or from the mid-post, Wood seems more equipped to convert catch-and-shoot looks, or to take advantage of the space Towns provides with drives, and cuts, or to work as the screener in pick-and-rolls.
About those pick-and-rolls: I'm be interested in seeing what he could do when screening for D'Angelo Russell or Anthony Edwards.
Like the Warriors example, the price is worth the pause. The Wolves have all of their firsts moving forward. They also have Jaden McDaniels, an intriguing, rangy forward worth investing in.
The salary filler is where things could sputter. Taurean Prince probably isn't enough short-term help; Malik Beasley would further crowd the guard room, and I'm not sure how willing the Wolves would be to part with him. There's an intriguing package to be made, though.&nbsp;
I'd like to live in a world where Luka Doncic has a legitimate roll man (and thus, a complement to Kristaps Porzingis up front), but I'm not sure the Mavericks have the horses to get a deal done. What exactly is Tim Hardaway Jr. doing for this version of the Rockets?
The Hornets haven't just been linked to Wood in the past; they literally had him on their roster a few years ago, though this was obviously before he broke out. They could use some frontcourt juice, and have enough wing talent (hello, Kelly Oubre Jr.) to potentially intrigue the Rockets.
We'll keep an eye on the talented Houston big man moving forward, because there are bound to be plenty of suitors.

Nekias Duncan breaks down potential trade destinations for Rockets big man Christian Wood.

Examining potential trade destinations for Christian Wood

At the approximately one-quarter mark of the NBA season, I would have expected we'd get a clearer picture of the league hierarchy.
That is not so.
First place and 13th place in the Eastern Conference are separated by just six games. Fourth place to 10th place in the Western Conference are just a game-and-a-half apart. So many franchises have been hit with obstacles in such a short time that, aside from a handful of bottom-feeders, it's tough to discern the contenders from the pretenders leaguewide. However, that doesn't mean there isn't a tier of "most chaotic" teams that fill up our rankings.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst power rankings. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going:
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies continued to build on positive consecutive weeks. They're all back to .500 or better with some statement wins, and thus, sneak out in lieu of some falling squads.
10. Cleveland Cavaliers (10-10)
After finally ending a five-game losing streak with a nice win over the lowly Orlando Magic, Cleveland gets a chance to turn the tide back around with Evan Mobley healthy.&nbsp;
(Last week: 10)
9. Philadephia 76ers (10-10)
Philly went 2-7 in the stretch Joel Embiid missed while he was recovering from COVID-19. In his return, Embiid dropped 42 points, but the 76ers still lost in double-overtime against the (rival?) Timberwolves. It's certainly great to have Embiid back, and the 76ers will no doubt return to winning soon, but the skid was a sobering reminder that this team does not have the depth to sustain injuries or other absences to its stars.
(Last week: Unranked)
8. Detroit Pistons (4-16)
This is not meant as a dig toward Cade Cunningham; the No. 1 pick is still woefully inefficient as a shooter, but has shown plenty of other promising flashes so far. The problem is little else jumps out as exciting across the roster &mdash; aside from <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/killian-hayes-is-finding-his-way-playing-off-cade-cunningham-detroit-pistons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Killian Hayes' catch-and-shoot threes</a>. The Pistons have lost six in a row with a roster that really isn't super young. Zero players on the league's worst offense shoot over 37% from long range. Among the bottom-dwellers, this has been one of the uglier rebuilding seasons.
(Last week: Unranked)
7. Toronto Raptors (9-12)
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All that talk about Toronto's length-fueled defensive juggernaut has yet to translate, as the Raptors have the NBA's second-worst defense over the past two weeks. After taking down the Grizzlies, the Raptors lost twice by double digits to the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics &mdash; two squads in the same apparent tier of playoff contention. Should the playoffs even be the focus for a young team rebuilding on the fly? That's up for debate, but if you're expecting a postseason appearance, things currently look grim.
(Last week: Unranked)
6. Sacramento Kings (8-13)
Beating the Los Angeles Lakers in a triple-overtime thriller sure feels great for Kings fans, but that got nullified pretty quickly when Sacramento gave up 128 points to a Ja Morant-less Grizzlies team. The Kings forced just nine Memphis turnovers and got outrebounded 68-49 in the blowout loss. Opponents have scored 120 or more points in 4 of the last 5 contests. For interim head coach Alvin Gentry, that's the first task: get something out of a traditionally inept defense.
(Last week: 5)
5. New Orleans Pelicans (5-17)
How about the Pelicans? A 2-2 week with wins over the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz is nothing to sneeze at. Devonte' Graham's game-winner against Utah gave NOLA fans their highlight of the season, and we're starting to get promising flashes from young players like Kira Lewis Jr. and Herb Jones. Jones, in particular, has been a defensive revelation as a second-round rookie who now starts; he has three or more steals in each of his last three games.
(Last week: 1)
4. New York Knicks (11-9)
Tom Thibodeau said Monday that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kemba-walker-no-longer-in-knicks-rotation-alec-burks-will-start-vs-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kemba Walker will not be part of the Knicks' rotation</a> for the time being, and Alec Burks will start at point guard on Tuesday against the Nets. Regardless of how you feel about the recent 2-1 stretch, that's a pretty rough look for one of the marquee additions of the offseason. New York has had the 21st-ranked offense through the past two weeks as RJ Barrett continues to flounder.&nbsp;
(Last week: 4)
3. Los Angeles Lakers (11-11)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Silencer is Back <a href="https://t.co/qfJogU4rhx">pic.twitter.com/qfJogU4rhx</a>
&mdash; Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1463710318714966018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Despite winning the night before Thanksgiving, the Lakers should sure be glad they played Detroit on Sunday night. Things were looking ugly after the fully healthy squad lost to the Kings to fall back under .500. L.A. is one of the worst rebounding teams in basketball; they're 27th in offensive-rebound percentage, per Cleaning the Glass, and sixth-worst in opposing offensive rebound percentage. With a mediocre offense and a below-average defense, second-chance opportunities become even more devastating.
(Last week: 3)
2. Houston Rockets (3-16)
The Rockets have a nice little winning streak going after snapping their 15-game slide with narrow victories over the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets. Christian Wood dropped 33 points and 16 rebounds, and Kevin Porter Jr. put up 23 points and 12 assists, in the wild overtime win over Charlotte.
That's nice and all, but I need to see more from more young players to consider moving the Rockets &mdash; especially with the drama surfacing about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/whats-wrong-with-the-houston-rockets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Silas on the hot seat</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/john-wall-will-continue-to-sit-games-after-meeting-with-rockets-front-office" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Wall asking for (and not getting) playing time</a>.
(Last week: 2)
1. Denver Nuggets (9-10)
Denver is riding a six-game losing streak with the worst defense and worst point differential in the NBA over the past two weeks. The team lost PJ Dozier for the season due to a torn ACL, and are reportedly losing Michael Porter Jr. for the year as well when <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/michael-porter-jr-to-undergo-potential-season-ending-back-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">undergoes the third back surgery</a> in his short career. No need to dive much deeper; it's pretty obvious the Nuggets are in a tailspin.&nbsp;
(Last week: 6)

The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks also continue to underwhelm.

NBA Sour Rankings: Injury-plagued Nuggets tumble to No. 1

The Phoenix Suns surprised the NBA when they drafted former Maryland big man Jalen Smith with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Less than a year later (348 days to be exact), Phoenix is already pulling the plug on further developing potentially their last lottery pick for the extended future.&nbsp;
Coming to the conclusion that they swung-and-missed on Smith, Phoenix is already committed to wiping their hands of the mistake as soon as possible. The team declined to pick up Smith's third-year option, which means he'll be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
In 2019, the Suns uncovered a gem when they traded back from No. 6 overall (which became Jarrett Culver) to nab Dario Saric and North Carolina sharpshooter Cam Johnson&rsquo;s rights from the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, the following year, Suns GM James Jones over-calculated and tried to be the smartest one in the room in terms of his evaluation of Smith. The big man was projected as a mid-to-late first-round pick by most credible draft experts, which is why jaws dropped when the Suns reached for Smith with a top-10 selection.
Smith's season in the Valley was somewhat tumultuous. He was outside of Phoenix's rotation, so he saw some time in the G-League with the Agua Caliente Clippers and didn&rsquo;t stand out. That was the first real sign of concern. Then, in his first-ever Summer League action, Smith continued to be just a guy rather than showing some real promise against many players on the NBA bubble.
Smith was soon involved in trade rumors, with the Suns reportedly trying to package him for a win-now veteran piece to bolster their second unit. Nobody bit on a former lottery pick less than a year after he donned a Suns hat on draft night. Thaddeus Young was the Suns' top target, and now you have to wonder if those talks will intensify with Smith&rsquo;s option declined and Young barely logging minutes in San Antonio.
Once <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/suns-decline-thirdyear-option-on-2020-lottery-pick-jalen-smith" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news leaked</a> from The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania on Monday morning, Suns head coach Monty Williams spoke of Smith&rsquo;s situation after practice. In short, Williams summarized that Phoenix&rsquo;s plans for Smith changed after Chris Paul and Jae Crowder arrived that same offseason. If that&rsquo;s the case, yikes. What a waste of a potential long-term asset and investment.
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&ldquo;He hasn&rsquo;t been dealt the best hand, as far as just not being a rookie but being a rookie [and] all of a sudden everything changed when we got Chris and Jae. All of a sudden, our trajectory changed,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;So, instead of being a young guy who could just come out and play with Mikal (Bridges) and all the young guys we had, he got COVID. Got drafted, two weeks later he&rsquo;s in training camp. He&rsquo;s had a whirlwind, so it&rsquo;s hard to grade him because he hasn&rsquo;t had the chance to play. And I feel somewhat responsible for that, but it&rsquo;s just been the cards we&rsquo;ve been dealt."
Smith was short and to the point when asked about it on Monday.
&ldquo;You just control what you can control," Smith said. "Just come here and hoop. That&rsquo;s my job, just coming in here and hooping. All that outside stuff handles itself.&rdquo;
As you can tell, Smith didn&rsquo;t really dive into his thoughts on the situation. But from a historical perspective, Smith joins Earl Clark (2009) and Kendall Marshall (2013) as the Suns' only lottery picks in recent memory to have their third-year options declined. It&rsquo;s a damning indictment when you realize that Suns busts from 2016, Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss, didn&rsquo;t suffer the same fate.
Smith was supposed to develop for a few years behind Saric (and now JaVale McGee), then assume the long-term role of unique two-way connector for the Suns&rsquo; second unit (backing up Deandre Ayton). Less than a year later, the Suns are ready to completely move on. If this was just about limited opportunities for playing time on a win-now contender, it seems unlikely that Phoenix would decline his third-year option. It seems that the Suns' decision-makers haven't been impressed by Smith behind the scenes.
Imagine the possibilities for Phoenix&rsquo;s long-term future if they would&rsquo;ve hit on their last lottery pick for potentially the rest of the 2020s. They passed on all of the following prospects for Smith: Tyrese Haliburton, Devin Vassell, Saddiq Bey, Tyrese Maxey and Desmond Bane among others. After losing Torrey Craig in free agency, Vassell, Bey or Bane would&rsquo;ve been ideal replacements. Haliburton or Maxey being tutored by Paul before eventually taking the reins at point guard would've been incredible for all involved (although Haliburton seemd intent on landing in Sacramento).
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Now, the Suns will let Smith enter unrestricted free agency after his second NBA season. Look for Phoenix to soon try to package Smith with salary filler in an effort to make a move that improves their 2021-22 title chances. It&rsquo;s a sudden fall from grace for Smith, but one that&rsquo;s necessary with player and organization being on opposite ends of the spectrum with prioritized development.
&ldquo;If he just plays with energy, defends and rebounds, he could find himself a box. It&rsquo;s just hard to get him on the floor where we really can see what he can do, because when you&rsquo;re playing two, three, four minutes, it&rsquo;s hard to get a rhythm,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the part where you just feel bad for him, because he just works his tail off. He&rsquo;s in the gym every single day. He doesn&rsquo;t miss days. He just hasn&rsquo;t had the chance to carry it over to the floor... When he&rsquo;s out there, we saw it the other day, like the blocked shot he had. Not many guys can do that on the move."
Smith's days in Phoenix are numbered, and it'll be interesting to see whether the 21-year-old is able to realize his full potential elsewhere in the Association.

The Suns shocked everyone when they drafted Jalen Smith at No. 10 in the 2020 NBA Draft. Now, they're admitting it was a mistake.

Suns admit drafting Jalen Smith was mistake, decline third-year option

With just 16 days to go until the academy's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/overtime-elite-announces-opening-schedule-will-take-on-mikey-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grand opening at its brand new arena in Atlanta</a> on Oct. 29, Overtime Elite has revealed <a href="https://www.overtimeelite.com/schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">its full schedule</a>, as well as the three rosters it will send out in its inaugural 2021-22 campaign.
(Editor's Note: Read our Spencer Davies' exclusive interview with Aaron Ryan and Brandon Williams, and an extensive profile on Overtime Elite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.)
The three coaches and their rosters, under the direction of Kevin Ollie, are as follows:
Coach Ryan Gomes: Dominick Barlow, Malik Bowman, Lewis Duarte, Jazian Gortman, Nathan Missia-Dio, Jean Montero, Alexandre Sarr, Jai Smith, Tudor Somacescu
Coach Tim Fanning: Izan Almansa, Matt Bewley, TJ Clark, De'Vontes Cobbs, Francis "LeBron" Lopez, Tyler Smith, Amen Thompson, Johned Walker, Kok Yat
Coach Dave Leitao: Ryan Bewley, Bryce Griggs, Jazhare Jackson, Jalen Lewis, Davion Mace, Emmanuel Maldonado, Jaylen Martin, Ausar Thompson, Bryson Warren
In addition to this, OTE announced that it added three players to its talent pool over the weekend:
"We added three talented athletes to our rosters over the weekend. We&rsquo;ve scouted and tracked these young men over the Fall, and as we worked our way through training camp for the last few weeks, and further evaluated needs, we decided that adding Davion, Johned and Lewis to our inaugural rosters would provide complimentary skills and depth to our league," said OTE head of basketball operations Brandon Williams.
"Davion Mace is a 6-foot-7 power forward from Cincinnati who played for Woodward High School. Davion brings a physical presence as a tough-nosed hybrid forward. He plays with a high motor, and tenacity as a defender and finisher around the paint.
"Johned Walker is a 5-10 guard originally from Puerto Rico that most recently lived in Miami attending Central Point Christian Academy. At the U16 Americas Championship in 2019, he averaged 12.8 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game and 3.3 assists per game in guiding Puerto Rico to a sixth place finish.
"Lewis Duarte is a 6-5 guard from the Dominican Republic, who moved to the states before high school. He most recently played for Victory Christian Center School in Charlotte. Duarte, a versatile wing with size, length and a good shooting touch, was starting to see his recruitment pick up from some top schools across the country. His cousin, Chris Duarte, currently plays for the Indiana Pacers."
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For more information on the OTE schedule and the league's structure, Williams answered the following via a press release Q&amp;A:
How did you start thinking about the schedule and how it would be set up?&nbsp;
"Health and performance was at the center of our scheduling concept. We want to maximize exposure to high-level talent whether individual players or teams, create the highest level showcase opportunities for scouting purposes, and give our athletes unique exposure to challenges like back-to-back game prep and execution, while reducing the stress on their bodies over the course of a season. With that in mind, we built a schedule made up of what we call league series competition within our three teams, prep challenges against external competition, simulated professional formatted games, takeovers, and playoffs to cap off our season."
How is this different from other prep high schools and colleges?&nbsp;
"Our schedule is dynamic, providing multiple ways for learning and preparing for competition - including games within our league, &ldquo;out of conference&rdquo; games with prep schools, and one of the biggest differences is that we get to explore pro-simulation games. This allows our athletes the opportunity to prepare in a real way for concepts that are critical to the next level both mentally and physically."
How long will the season last? How many games will you play?&nbsp;
"During the October 29-March 25 period, our players will partake in 37 competitive events made up of Prep Challenges, OTE League Series, Pro Sim Games, Takeovers and OTE Playoffs."
What do Pro-Sim games mean?&nbsp;
"For these simulated professional-style games, (Pro Sim) OTE players will be divided into 2 rosters with the format and structure modeled after the NBA. These games won&rsquo;t count towards league standings, but will be a key part of player development as we prepare them for the next level."
How will the OTE League Series be played?&nbsp;
"The OTE League Series amongst our three teams will be executed at a much faster pace. Each team will play a 20 minute game against each of the others, so every team plays two 20-minute games, 40 minutes of basketball per game night."
Will the Prep Challenges format differ from a regular high school or college game?&nbsp;
"Prep Challenges will be played as 40-minute games where three external teams will compete against our three OTE teams over two days." 
With only three teams, how will standings work?&nbsp;
"In our OTE League Series, winning a 20-minute game counts as two points towards the league standings and teams can win up to four points each night. For Prep Challenges, winning these games count as one point towards the league standings. We will also have &ldquo;Takeovers&rdquo; - think marquee individual showcases, dunk contests, 3-point shootouts, etc. Winning a takeover will count as two points towards your team's league standings. All competition crescendos with our inaugural OTE Playoffs to determine the Season 1 champion."
How did you determine the rosters?&nbsp;
"Our Basketball Operations team, inclusive of scouting, coaching and strategy, collaborated through the recruiting, signing, then in-camp evaluations of each player. Over the weeks of training camp the group studied the effectiveness of combinations of players, along with the rhythm and chemistry they demonstrated to create three equally competitive teams."
How did you make sure all the teams were evenly distributed?&nbsp;
"As we constantly drilled on key attributes and skills, measurables, performance data and other factors, we created buckets (or pods) of comparable players - as closely as reasonably possible. Throughout camp, we created drills and competitions that allowed us to draw from each of these pods, assembling teams for our evaluation. Before final team selections, our coaches had the opportunity to test combinations and analyze matchups to provide more certainty that the teams were reasonably balanced."
How will each team be coached?&nbsp;
"Each of our three teams will have a head coach, and Coach Ollie will oversee the development of all three as the overall head coach. Dave Leitao, who spent 37 years in college coaching, was a head coach twice at DePaul, and is the former ACC coach of the year at Virginia will lead one team. Ryan Gomes who played 8 years in the NBA, coached in the G-League and is highly-respected in basketball circles will coach one team, and Tim Fanning, who spent the past 5 years as an assistant for the Euroleague powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv will lead the third team."
What were the challenges in setting this up?&nbsp;
"There are always challenges when you&rsquo;re doing something that&rsquo;s never been done before, especially on an accelerated timeline. We simultaneously had to recruit some of the best young players in the world to a program without history, to a culture that hadn&rsquo;t been established, to play with teammates they couldn&rsquo;t see. We continued to pursue talent first, but tried to build with an idea toward roster balance from the outset. All players want to play in games of consequence, so as we assembled what we anticipated would be extraordinary talent, and we wanted the highest level programs to face off with our talented groups. Because this came together into the fall, there were many schools that were fully committed and we couldn&rsquo;t find a date that worked. However, with broad options throughout the country, we found the right game opportunities that will be fun, energizing, and keep our players motivated to compete both at home and on the road."
Will this always be the style for the schedule or will it evolve into something else?&nbsp;
"Right now, we&rsquo;re focusing on our first season and developing our players for the next level. The great thing about what we are doing is the freedom we have to explore and try things. We will evolve as we establish what works well and what doesn&rsquo;t and will continue to provide the experience that the Gen Z elite athlete requires to prepare for his future. Our plan is to keep our athletes and their well-being at core of all considerations, that will lead our decision-making and any adjustments."
In this first year, what was the main goal for the schedule?&nbsp;
"The main goal was to create a schedule that allowed our players to compete at a high level, inside and outside of OTE. The best players want to play against the best players, and we sought them out. We wanted the best opportunities for our athletes to showcase their abilities with and against each other showing the growth and maturity that will be happening every day in practice, skill development, and performance training. We wanted to give them a robust schedule, inclusive of travel, back-to-backs, late nights, afternoons, all factors to professional play. We wanted to do this, while also being mindful and cautious as to rest and recovery. Creating a schedule where they are not underexposed, but also not overused, so finding the appropriate middle ground was our intent."
In the league, will teams change or remain the same?&nbsp;
"These three teams have been solidified for the season. However, we are prepared to make adjustments during the season. Ultimately competitive balance will be best for the development of our players and league."
Will all of the players travel to each game?&nbsp;
"Yes. All three teams will make the away game trips."

Overtime Elite has shared its three team rosters, revealed their schedule and answered questions regarding the league's structure.

Overtime Elite announces 2021-22 schedule, three rosters

Earlier this week, we identified roster spot battles to watch through training camp this October here. And already a portion of my <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/3-roster-spot-battles-to-watch-for-in-the-eastern-conference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eastern Conference list</a> has been upended by transactions, as the Brooklyn Nets promptly traded away Sekou Doumbouya almost immediately after I predicted that he would make the team. Long story short: Things happen quickly in training camp.&nbsp;
But still, we forge ahead, this time refocusing our analysis on the Western Conference. So as training camp approaches its close, let&rsquo;s identify the three most interesting roster-spot battles in the Western Conference.&nbsp;
Portland Trail Blazers
Entering training camp, the Trail Blazers signed three former lottery picks to training camp deals: Dennis Smith Jr., Marquese Chriss and Patrick Patterson. Portland only has 13 players signed, meaning that they technically have two spots to fill (and one of their two-way contracts are spoken for, too), but Portland general manager Neil Olshey usually enters seasons with fewer than 15 players. So, it&rsquo;s an understandable assumption that the Trail Blazers will probably only sign one of the three guys they inked to training camp deals.
Considering who was signed and who is already in place in Portland, none of the three are likely to get major minutes. Smith is best suited as a backup point guard, while Chriss and Patterson are power forwards. In my estimation, this decision comes down to needs. Considering that Robert Covington and Larry Nance Jr. are their only true 4s, the most pressing need is probably down low. So, if Portland is hell-bent on entering the season with no more than 14 guys on its roster, the team will probably choose between Chriss and Patterson. Patterson has more experience, and he shoots it better from deep (36.9% on three-point attempts in his career compared to just 28.9% for Chriss.) Neither makes or breaks Portland&rsquo;s season; but considering the Blazers are trying to build a contender and convince Damian Lillard that Portland is the place for him, Patterson is a better addition. If the Blazers decide to fill out their entire roster by signing a 15th player, Smith should get a long look. He is too skilled and athletic to not get another shot, and backing up a star like Lillard removes a lot of the pressure he&rsquo;s had on him throughout his career.
Prediction: Patterson makes the cut (and Smith signs a two-way contract).
Golden State Warriors
Golden State entered training camp with the maximum of 20 players on its roster, one of whom is on a two-way deal (Chris Chiozza) and three of whom are on training-camp deals (Jordan Bell, Avery Bradley and Langston Galloway.) Damion Lee, Mychal Mulder and Gary Payton Jr. are all signed to non-guaranteed deals, too. To summarize, the Warriors have lots of options &ndash; but Golden State will probably avoid making any zany moves. Instead, they will probably keep one of the three players signed to training-camp deals and cut the other two. As much as the veteran savvy of Bradley and Galloway could be alluring, Golden State doesn&rsquo;t need more veteran leadership &ndash; but they could use help backing up the power-forward position. Enter Bell, who returns to the Bay Area with a familiarity of head coach Steve Kerr and the Warriors&rsquo; systems. Bell exited Golden State after playing his first two professional seasons there, and he had some maturity issues in his first go-round with the Warriors. But Bell sounded significantly more mature in a <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/jordan-bell-warriors-contract-reunites-two-desperate-parties" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent interview with NBC Sports Bay Area</a>. Assuming he demonstrates that growth in practices and preseason games, Bell will probably be kept.
Prediction: Jordan Bell makes the cut.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers' roster battle is particularly interesting, as it features a former top-ranked high school prospect in Harry Giles. Giles is battling with Isaiah Hartenstein and Moses Wright for the Clippers&rsquo; final roster spot; both of the team's two-way contracts are used up (Jay Scrubb and Amir Coffey.) &nbsp;Two of the spots are also occupied by players who will miss a good chunk of the 2021-22 season to injuries (Kawhi Leonard and rookie Jason Preston), making the remaining roster spots all the more valuable.&nbsp;
In the Clippers&rsquo; first preseason game, Giles produced more than Hartenstein and Wright, posting 8 points and 12 rebounds in 16 minutes. In their second preseason game, Wright played slightly better than the other two, finishing with 7 points and 5 rebounds in 12 minutes. What the Clippers ultimately choose to do is anyone&rsquo;s guess, but I think that Giles&rsquo; potential is too much to pass on. He&rsquo;s still only 23 years old; and if he finds what made him special just a few short years ago, Giles could be significantly more valuable than what the salary of a 15th man will pay him.&nbsp;
Prediction: Giles makes the cut.&nbsp;
The NBA&rsquo;s 75th regular season kicks off in less than two weeks. Decisions will be made between now and then that will greatly impact the lives of several men. Ultimately, some will impact teams' seasons too, as a chunk of these end-of-the-bench guys will probably earn bigger roles as the season goes on.&nbsp;

Drew Maresca examines the three most interesting final roster spot situations in the West.