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Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers' season started with Damian Lillard declaring his faith the team would be competitive. It ended with him on the bench in street clothes, watching as Portland lost its 11th straight game.
With a spate of injuries, a new coach, a front-office shakeup and a roster overhaul, the Blazers' turbulent season was less about the present and more about rebuilding for the future.
Portland heads into the offseason with at least one lottery pick and cap space, armed with a plan to build around six-time All-Star Lillard. He made a promise to fans at the Moda Center for the team's final game.
&ldquo;This year a lot of things came up that we didn&rsquo;t expect. A lot of hard times. But you guys continue to show up. Continue to show us love. Continue to be the fans that I&rsquo;ve always known," he said. "And I just need y&rsquo;all to know one thing: This will not continue. Next year we&rsquo;re gonna come back better than we&rsquo;ve been.&rdquo;
It was a far cry from the start of the season, when <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-portland-trail-blazers-damian-lillard-nipsey-hussle-8e42df230931af414e83df09eeae26b9">Lillard flashed his Olympic gold medal and said:</a> &ldquo;I think over the years we&rsquo;ve always had a competitive team, I think we&rsquo;ll be competitive again.&rdquo;
The Blazers finished 27-55, their worst season since 2005-06 when they won just 21 games. Clearly eying draft position after the NBA trade deadline, 11 of Portland's losses following the All-Star break were by more than 30 points.
Over the course of the season the Blazers used 34 different starting lineups, winding up at 13th in the Western Conference.
&ldquo;It's not been a season that any of us expected, but the way that I kind of see it in all honesty, this year has kind of been like a real microcosm of life. You have these great ideas and plans and thoughts, and then things happen and you have to pivot," said first-year Portland coach Chauncey Billups. "And then it becomes about how you pivot, and what you do.&rdquo;
INJURIES ABOUND
Lillard was the most significant of the Blazers' injuries this season. He played in just 29 games, the result of a nagging abdominal injury that required surgery in January.
Backcourt partner CJ McCollum missed 17 games with a collapsed lung. Others who missed significant time included Nassir Little, who sustained a labral tear in his left shoulder in late January and missed the rest of the season; Jusuf Nurkic, shut down for the final 22 games of the season with plantar fasciitis; and Larry Nance Jr., who missed 17 games with right knee inflammation before he was traded.
And that's not to mention the games missed because of COVID-19 protocols.
SHAKEUPS AT THE TOP
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/basketball-los-angeles-clippers-portland-trail-blazers-nba-sports-d396c10b6f9fb6fd2294fdbf85e0e2ae">Billups was hired in the offseason as the team's new coach, </a> replacing Terry Stotts, who had led the team to playoff appearances in the past eight seasons. Billups had limited experience with just one season as an assistant NBA coach.
Blazers President and CEO Chris Magowan stepped down in November and was replaced by Dewayne Hankins, a team vice president and chief commercial officer.
General manager Neil Olshey was then dismissed by Portland in December following an outside investigation into concerns about workplace environment. Joe Cronin, an assistant GM, was promoted to fill the role on an interim basis.
SHAKEUPS ON THE COURT
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/portland-trail-blazers-nba-sports-anfernee-simons-damian-lillard-ac8ac08b3e767746a75214b0ad1962ea">The Blazers made a flurry of multiplayer deals before the February deadline.</a> Five Blazers who played in the team&rsquo;s opener against Sacramento were no longer with the team, including three starters.
The most significant of the deals involved McCollum, who had been drafted by the Blazers in 2013 and formed a close bond with Lillard. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-pelicans-portland-trail-blazers-nba-sports-new-orleans-ba8eb752b95b311947df90132b93eee4">He was sent to the New Orleans Pelicans along with Nance and Tony Snell. </a>
Portland also traded Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Los Angeles Clippers for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, rookie Keon Johnson and a second-round pick in 2025. The day before the deadline, the Blazers acquired injured forward Joe Ingles in a three-team trade with Utah and San Antonio.
ANFERNEE'S RISE
The one bright spot in an otherwise forgettable season was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-james-harden-kyrie-irving-portland-trail-blazers-adcd0df67820677f5bac7c07202ba2f9">the rise of guard Anfernee Simons</a>.
Simons took advantage of the opportunity when Lillard was injured. After taking over as starter, he averaged 23.4 points and 5.8 assists.
Just 22, he scored a career-high 43 points on Jan. 3 against Atlanta, making him the youngest Trail Blazer ever to have a 40-point game. On Feb. 14 in Milwaukee, he had seven 3-pointers, and he finished with 18 games with five-plus 3s.
The Blazers also shut him down for the final stretch of the season. He missed the final 17 games with left knee patellar tendinopathy.

Portland heads into the offseason with at least one lottery pick and cap space, armed with a plan to build around Damian Lillard.

Trail Blazers look to rebuild after turbulent season

For a third of the NBA, summer break comes early.&nbsp;
Though 10 teams didn't make the playoffs, it's not all doom and gloom. Several NBA bottom-feeders took tangible steps forward in their rebuilding efforts, while others &mdash; well, they're not supposed to be here.
Every franchise enters the offseason with summer plans. As teams get eliminated from the postseason, I'll be rounding up every team's offseason outlook and posing one question they must answer over the summer. You'll see each squad's 2022 NBA Draft chest, plus their potential free agents, along with the central question.&nbsp;
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Let's get started!
DETROIT PISTONS 
Draft assets: First-round pick (14.0% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick (via Brooklyn)
Potential free agents:&nbsp;Marvin Bagley III (restricted), Cory Joseph (player option), Hamidou Diallo (team option), Frank Jackson (team option), Luka Garza (team option), Carsen Edwards (team option), Rodney McGruder 
Central question: How do the Pistons build an offense around Cade Cunningham?
This was a pretty solid season for Detroit as far as rebuilding efforts go. Cade Cunningham emerged as a Rookie of the Year front-runner and two-way centerpiece who has fans ecstatic about his ceiling. The Pistons finished a solid 10-14 after the All-Star break, and have shown flashes of an improving defense. They did still finish with the 28th-ranked offense, per Cleaning the Glass, and one of the worst shooting rates in the NBA.
Cunningham had to carry a ridiculous offensive load in the latter stages of the season. Detroit has the power to change that in 2022-23, starting with its high draft pick. Maybe Jabari Smith's lights-out scoring means he's an ideal secondary option? Perhaps Paolo Banchero thrives as an additional creator, or maybe Chet Holmgren makes sense as a finisher and spot-up threat? The fun part about Cunningham is that his versatility creates so many pathways for the Pistons in the draft &mdash; whether or not the ping pong balls fall their way.
Detroit wields a cap hold of approximately $28 million on Bagley, and once that lifts (either via a new contract or letting him walk), the Pistons should have a solid chunk of cap space to add to the supporting cast.
HOUSTON ROCKETS
Draft assets: First-round pick (14.0% chance at No. 1), better of Brooklyn/Miami first-round picks
Potential free agents: John Wall (player option), Dennis Schroder, Bruno Fernando (restricted), Jae'Sean Tate (team option), Anthony Lamb (qualifying offer), Trevelin Queen (qualifying offer)
Central question: How patient is the front office willing to be?
Houston's 2021 draft strategy of "draft talent, figure out the fit later" appears to be working out. Jalen Green demonstrated an Anthony Edwards-esque leap post-All-Star break, Alperen Sengun is already one of the NBA's best passing bigs, and guys like Josh Christopher and KJ Martin routinely hinted at upside. Houston gets another prime shot at a franchise cornerstone this draft cycle. We're approaching Stage 2 of the strategy, though: figuring out how the pieces fit.&nbsp;
The Rockets were one of two NBA teams with bottom-five ratings on offense and defense. They led the league in rim frequency and were fourth in three-point frequency, but posted mediocre shooting clips. Houston evokes memories of the rebuilding Nets, who played a similarly extreme brand of ball for a few years as the team slowly reshaped into a fun playoff squad. Does the front office have the foresight to let head coach Stephen Silas work things out with his roster of young guns?&nbsp;
INDIANA PACERS
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How is there a &ldquo;rebuild&rdquo; to afraid of if it isn&rsquo;t a rebuild? <a href="https://t.co/0pDD7E6Mss">pic.twitter.com/0pDD7E6Mss</a>
&mdash; Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper) <a href="https://twitter.com/C2_Cooper/status/1512127632758001664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Draft assets: First-round pick (10.5% chance at No. 1), First-round pick (if 15-30, via Cleveland), Second-round pick (via Houston), Second-round pick (via Phoenix)
Potential free agents: Ricky Rubio, T.J. Warren, Jalen Smith, Lance Stephenson, Nate Hinton (restricted), Oshae Brissett (team option)
Central question: How extreme is the incoming rebuild, and what veterans mesh with the future vision?
Notably unlisted among the potential free agents are Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner, Buddy Hield and T.J. McConnell. All range from solid starters to rotational complements, and 3 of the 4 (not Turner) will be 30 next season. The Pacers are clearly retooling, as evidenced by their trade-deadline fireworks and Tyrese Haliburton's subsequent high usage. They also have publicly flip-flopped regarding the direction of the team; see the above Tweet.
Indiana doesn't have the pure depth of talent to straddle the line. The Pacers can trade many of these talented players and build up a chest of draft picks and young pieces, or they can charge ahead, turn their picks into win-now players and hope Haliburton is ready for the playoff push. But a middle ground doesn't exist in an Eastern Conference where just about every team has solidified its direction.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Draft assets: None
Potential free agents: Russell Westbrook (player option), Kendrick Nunn (player option), Austin Reaves (team option), Stanley Johnson (team option), Carmelo Anthony, Avery Bradley, Wayne Ellington, Dwight Howard, Kent Bazemore, Malik Monk, D.J. Augustin, Wenyen Gabriel, Mason Jones (restricted)
Central question: What does team-building around two injury-prone superstars look like?
LeBron James <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lebron-james-i-dont-have-a-cap-on-how-long-i-want-to-play" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turns 38 next season</a>, and has played 60-plus games just once in the past four seasons. Anthony Davis has now missed more than half the season in back-to-back years. Sure, the Lakers were a mess regardless of their stars' health, but going forward, is pursuing fits next to James and Davis even worthwhile if the two won't consistently be on the court?
With just three players under contract (the aforementioned stars, plus Talen Horton-Tucker), the Lakers enter another offseason of a roster overhaul. This time, I'd recommend almost entirely forgetting about James and Davis when building the squad and simply try to assemble units that make sense together.&nbsp;
NEW YORK KNICKS
Draft assets: First-round pick (2.5% chance at No. 1, could change based on Play-In results), Second-round pick via Boston and Charlotte (if 56-60)
Potential free agents: Mitchell Robinson, Ryan Arcidiacono 
Central question: What's going to happen with the veterans?
The top six moneymakers for the Knicks next season are all 27 or older, and I think many fans would say that out of the group, only Julius Randle should have started &mdash; and he seriously regressed this season. The young Knicks <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/explain-one-play-young-knicks-playing-chess" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clearly showed they're ready to take the mantle</a>.
So what happens with Randle, Evan Fournier, Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel and Kemba Walker? Is Tom Thibodeau prepared to reduce their (their meaning Burks specifically in this case) minutes and usage, will trades be coming, or will Madison Square Garden burn when Immanuel Quickley opens the season by playing 16 minutes off the bench? New York has drafted extremely well in recent seasons, but the ceiling of the young core is capped if these youngsters don't get a chance to prove themselves in meaningful situations.
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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER 
Draft assets: First-round pick (12.5% chance at No. 1), First-round pick via Clippers, First-round pick via Phoenix, Second-round pick
Potential free agents: Derrick Favors (player option), Mike Muscala (team option), Lu Dort (team option), Isaiah Roby (team option), Melvin Frazier (restricted)
Central question: What is the pathway in the frontcourt?
I've stanned Sam Presti's team-building strategy for years now, and I still think it's on track for a serious payoff. Josh Giddey slots in somewhere on your All-Rookie ballot, and draft classmates Tre Mann, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins flashed rotation-caliber play as well. It is simply a joy to watch a random young player have a breakout game on any given night, and OKC has already shown the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-oklahoma-city-thunders-emerging-defensive-identity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">early stages of a prominent defense</a>.
Next up: Capitalize on a draft loaded with intruiging frontcourt players. Banchero, Holmgren and Smith are obviously the best of the best. But even if the Thunder slide in the lottery, they could pounce on an athletic shot-blocker like Jalen Duren, or use one of their later picks on a center like Mark Williams. I'm just spit-balling, but the point is that OKC has plenty of chances to find its big-man anchor and further flesh out its core.
ORLANDO MAGIC
Draft assets: First-round pick (14.0% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick, Second-round pick via Indiana
Potential free agents: Gary Harris, Robin Lopez, Bol Bol (restricted), Ignas Brazdeikis (restricted), Admiral Schofield (restricted)
Central question: How do the offensive pieces fit together?
Orlando quietly logged a 17th-ranked defense this season, and an 11th-ranked unit since Feb. 1. A dismal offense ultimately doomed the Magic, who were riddled with inconsistent shotmaking and poor team efficiency marks throughout the half-court. We don't need to sound any player alarms; it takes time for young guards in particular to grasp the responsibilities of running NBA offenses.&nbsp;
But what if I told you Orlando has wielded bottom-10 offensive ratings every season for the last decade?&nbsp;
Change can start in the draft, again with some of the top offensive forward options like Banchero or Smith. Adding another ball-dominant guard in Jaden Ivey might be overkill, but AJ Griffin and Bennedict Mathurin feel like good wing fits at first glance. Spotrac estimates the Magic could have up to $30 million in practical cap space, leaving plenty of room for veteran players to accentuate the young talent.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
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THE D IN DREW STANDS FOR DUNK DO NOT GOOGLE THIS <a href="https://t.co/2AojdAskYV">pic.twitter.com/2AojdAskYV</a>
&mdash; Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1508636734900166659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Draft assets: First-round pick (9.0% chance at No. 1), First-round pick via New Orleans (if 5-14), Second-round pick, Second-round pick via Memphis
Potential free agents: Joe Ingles, Jusuf Nurkic, Ben McLemore, Anfernee Simons (restricted), CJ Elleby (restricted), Elijah Hughes (restricted), Keljin Blevins (restricted)
Central question: Is Portland actually trying to win "now" or win soon?
Some really great development happened for the Blazers during the "wash" portion of the season in the form of players like Trendon Watford, Keon Johnson and Drew Eubanks. Add them to Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little and the incomng draft picks, and Portland suddenly has... kind of a sneaky-deep prospect pool? There's real potential to mold this group into a rotation cast that gives Portland one of its deepest rosters in years.
That's why these <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jerami-grant-trade-rumors-portland-is-still-the-frontrunner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jerami Grant trade rumors concern me</a>. Giving up a possible lottery pick to try and piece together a short-term playoff team risks too much and keeps the Trail Blazers in the limbo they have lounged in for several years. Understandably, the franchise wants to build a contender while Damian Lillard is invested and in his prime. With some patience, Portland can without sacrificing sustainibility.
SACRAMENTO KINGS
Draft assets: First-round pick (7.5% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick, Second-round pick (via Chicago)
Potential free agents: Jeremy Lamb, Josh Jackson, Damian Jones, Donte DiVincenzo (restricted), Neemias Queta (restricted), Trey Lyles (team option)
Central question: How does Sacramento turn into a competitive NBA defense?
The Kings have trotted out lackluster defenses for as long as I can remember. In fact, they haven't ranked above 20th in Defensive Rating since 2005-06 &mdash; notably, the last time they made the playoffs.
And that didn't change under interim head coach Alvin Gentry. (Gentry will not return as head coach next season, but is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shams-alvin-gentry-no-longer-interim-coach-of-the-kings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in talks for a front-office role</a>, per ESPN.) However, the on-paper roster actually shines some hope. Davion Mitchell made highlight reels out of his "Off-Night" defense. Justin Holiday is a solid individual defender, as is Harrison Barnes, and even De'Aaron Fox has his sporadic moments.&nbsp;
Can Sacramento find a head coach who turns a group of intriguing players with defensive potential into even an average squad? What draft and free agency options exist? Of course, the Kings would like to end their NBA-leading playoff drought. That'll come with changing the culture on defense.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Draft assets: First-round pick (2.5% chance at No. 1, depends on Play-In results), Second-round pick (via Dallas)
Potential free agents: Bradley Beal (player option), Thomas Bryant, Raul Neto, Tomas Satoransky, Anthony Gill (restricted), Cassius Winston (restricted)
Central question: What style of guard play is a feasible best fit?
Okay, so obviously the biggest question mark surrounds Bradley Beal's free agency. But from a conceptual standpoint, Washington has tried and failed over the past few seasons to find Beal's best-fitting partner in crime. John Wall, Russell Westbrook and Spencer Dinwiddie were each supposed to provide the downhill juice Beal lacks. The Wizards either did this at serious expense of another skill area (Wall, Westbrook), or it just didn't translate their at-rim ability (Dinwiddie). All battled injuries as well.
"I think we need bigger guards," <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/bradley-beal-outlines-what-wizards-need-build-contender" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beal said in March</a>. "We need more guys that can get in the paint for us, more ball-handlers, more guys that can really create and get two feet in the paint, but also who can knock down threes."
I mean, Beal's needs make total sense. The problem is that every other basketball team on Earth also wants this type of guard.
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Ethan Fuller sets the offseason stage for each team that missed the NBA playoffs.

Summer plans for the NBA's 10 non-playoff teams

The 2021-22 NBA season has been the hardest of CJ McCollum&rsquo;s career.
Entering this campaign, he had spent the entirety of his NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers, making the playoffs every year. Since getting drafted in 2013, he had only ever played for one head coach (Terry Stotts) and one general manager (Neil Olshey).
However, this season would be full of challenging firsts for McCollum.
Over the summer, he experienced his first coaching change, as the Blazers fired Stotts and his staff. Just as McCollum and his teammates were adjusting to new head coach Chauncey Billups, Portland announced that Olshey was under investigation after complaints of bullying, hostility and creating a toxic work environment. Shortly after, Olshey was fired, with Joe Cronin being promoted to interim GM midseason. McCollum was shocked and admitted that the turnover affected him.
&ldquo;This is different than anything I&rsquo;ve ever experienced because of the circumstances,&rdquo; McCollum told <a href="https://theathletic.com/3002581/2021/12/07/inside-the-mind-of-cj-mccollum-a-conversation-and-a-text-message-show-the-blazers-guards-current-struggle/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic</a> in December. &ldquo;This is the first year of my career where we lost our whole coaching staff, brought in a new coach, a new staff, the GM gets fired in the middle of the season... all of that affects you on the court. But there is no excuses. I didn&rsquo;t come here to tell you, &lsquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of sh** going on...&rsquo; but yeah, there is. There&rsquo;s sh** going on every day. And I&rsquo;m a fu**ing human being. But look, at the end of the day, my job is to play basketball. So, I go play basketball.&rdquo;
The day after Olshey was relieved of his duties, McCollum suffered what he thought was a rib injury during the Blazers&rsquo; game against the Boston Celtics. However, a CT scan revealed that he had a collapsed lung, which would ultimately sideline him for six weeks.
Several weeks later, McCollum became a father when his wife, Elise, gave birth to their first child. Jacobi James McCollum was born at 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 10, 2022. Becoming a first-time parent is scary enough, but there are additional concerns and stressors when your baby is born during a pandemic.
&ldquo;Try having a kid in the middle of COVID. That sh** ain&rsquo;t normal,&rdquo; McCollum told <a href="https://theathletic.com/3002581/2021/12/07/inside-the-mind-of-cj-mccollum-a-conversation-and-a-text-message-show-the-blazers-guards-current-struggle/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic</a> in December. &ldquo;Now, try having a kid during COVID amid trade rumors in the middle of the season.&rdquo;
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Congratulations to <a href="https://twitter.com/CJMcCollum?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CJMcCollum</a> &amp; his wife Elise on the birth of their son, Jacobi James McCollum! 😍 (via 3jmccollum / IG) <a href="https://t.co/GSvzwkY1P6">pic.twitter.com/GSvzwkY1P6</a>
&mdash; Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1482855754243706887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As McCollum mentioned, his name had been surfacing in trade rumors for much of the season. He wasn&rsquo;t a stranger to the rumor mill, but the rumblings had never been quite this intense. And with Portland struggling, a number of Blazers were looking over their shoulders and wondering what moves might be coming as the trade deadline approached.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;d be lying if I told you that we don&rsquo;t hear it or that it doesn&rsquo;t affect us at all,&rdquo; Blazers forward Nassir Little <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/qa-nassir-little-on-blazers-struggles-his-development-gm-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told me</a> in December. &ldquo;At the end of the day, we&rsquo;re people. I get the excitement of trades and the eagerness to talk about them, but you&rsquo;re talking about people having to move their families and basically break off relationships that they&rsquo;ve built over the course of time and they have to start a whole moving process and adapt to a whole new situation. It&rsquo;s just a lot of things that go into getting traded as a player and those things don&rsquo;t really get taken into account [by fans]... There are a lot of different dynamics that are very taxing on somebody&rsquo;s mental when you get traded.&rdquo;
On Feb. 8, less than one month after his son was born, McCollum was traded for the first time in his NBA career. The Blazers dealt McCollum, Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell to the New Orleans Pelicans for Josh Hart, Tom&aacute;&scaron; Satoransk&yacute;, Nickeil Walker-Alexander, Didi Louzada, a protected first-round pick and two second-round picks.
In other words, McCollum and his family suddenly had to move across the country. After an athlete gets traded, it&rsquo;s emotional and stressful since you&rsquo;re relocating to a new city on very short notice. Sometimes, players will live in a nearby hotel until they find a place to rent or buy. Going through that adjustment with a newborn is less than ideal.
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After nearly nine years in Portland, McCollum was starting over with a new organization. Fortunately for McCollum, the Blazers&rsquo; front office gave him some say in where he ended up, so he was starting the next chapter of his NBA career in his preferred destination. Why was he drawn to New Orleans?
"It was a combination of things: the culture, the city, the people, the love &mdash; you can feel it, you know what I&rsquo;m saying? I felt it from afar,&rdquo; McCollum said on the <a href="https://youtu.be/AB-4HFR_jrE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Knuckleheads Podcast</a>. &ldquo;I love the atmosphere. And if you do what you are supposed to do in a city like this, you will be loved forever. If you embrace them the way they embrace you, you can become legendary. I wanted to be where I was wanted, where I was needed. There's a lot of culture here, a lot of diversity and the food is fire. And they've got a lot of young talent. They&rsquo;ve got a lot of really good basketball players.&rdquo;
McCollum mentioned Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Jonas Valanciunas, Devonte&rsquo; Graham and Herb Jones specifically, while also shouting out head coach Willie Green, general manager Trajan Langdon and executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin.
&ldquo;There's a lot of talent on this roster, and I think I can get the most not only out of my career, out of my situation, out of my development, but also out of the guys,&rdquo; McCollum added. &ldquo;I know what it takes to be successful consistently. And I can not only tell you about it, but I can show you because I've done it. I think that I'm just what they've needed and they're just what I've needed, especially at this stage in my life. And I think there's no better time for me to [make this move]. I&rsquo;m 30 years old, I've been in the playoffs for eight straight years and I'm trying to make it nine.&rdquo;
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New Orleans is now 32-43, which is the ninth-best record in the Western Conference. Since adding McCollum to their lineup, the Pelicans have the NBA's 10th-best offense (117.4 points per 100 possessions) and 14th-best defense (114.3 Defensive Rating). That is a plus-3.1 efficiency differential, which is eighth-best in the NBA over that span &mdash; ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks.
Through 19 games with the Pelicans, McCollum is averaging 25.9 points, 6.5 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals while shooting 50.1% from the field &mdash; all of which would be career-highs. He's also knocking down 2.8 threes per game on 38.4% shooting from beyond the arc.
Also, he&rsquo;s posting a career-best Box Plus/Minus (+5.9), Player Efficiency Rating (23.3), True Shooting percentage (59.0%), assist percentage (33.9%) and total rebound percentage (7.7%). His turnover percentage is just 8.9%, which is one of the lowest marks of his career despite the fact that he has a career-high usage rate of 29.5%.
McCollum&rsquo;s teammates are thrilled to have him in New Orleans and they rave about his impact.
&ldquo;I told CJ that I love him; he makes our job easy,&rdquo; Willy Hernangomez said. &ldquo;He makes everybody&rsquo;s job easy. Everybody pays so much attention to him. We just need to set the screens and play the right way... We&rsquo;re trying to build something different and something special here. Every day, we just try to be 1% better than the day before. It has been amazing having CJ, Tony and Larry. Their experience has been helping us a lot. I think we&rsquo;re going to keep going and getting better. We&rsquo;re having fun, and that&rsquo;s the most important thing.&rdquo;
&ldquo;[We&rsquo;re] definitely locked in. That starts with [CJ] and BI just coming out, being aggressive, being under control,&rdquo; Graham said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re making life easier for everybody.&rdquo;
"CJ is such an impressive human being," Nance <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/larry-nance-jr-qa-i-did-not-come-out-here-to-halfass-this-thing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told me</a> earlier this season. "He has his hands in a lot of different things, and he&rsquo;s just such an impressive human that, like, how could you not get along with a guy like that?!"
Ingram and McCollum have only played 11 games together (since Ingram was recently sidelined for three weeks due to a hamstring injury), but they have shown flashes of the dynamic one-two punch that they could become. Across those 11 games, McCollum and Ingram have averaged a combined 48.1 points, 11.9 assists and 11.0 rebounds while shooting 51.6% from the field and 35.6% from three-point range.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s very similar in his approach, in the way he watches film, in the way he communicates. He&rsquo;s receptive of information,&rdquo; Ingram said of McCollum. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s fun to play here right now.&rdquo;
The Pelicans are getting healthier just in time for the Play-In Tournament. Ingram is back in the lineup and McCollum is healthy after missing a few games due to COVID-19 (which had to be scary with a newborn at home). Also, Nance just made his Pelicans debut last week.&nbsp;
Unfortunately, the Pelicans won&rsquo;t be at full strength until next year, as Williamson has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to his foot injury. In addition, Kira Lewis Jr. is sidelined after tearing his ACL in December.
Still, it's fun to think about how good this squad could be next year if everything comes together.
"I'm excited, man. I'm thankful to be here,&rdquo; McCollum said. &ldquo;I've said it a thousand times, but I like what we're building here, I like the way we're playing, I like the way we're executing, and the sky&rsquo;s the limit for us.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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This has been the craziest season of CJ McCollum's NBA career, but now the 30-year-old is thriving with the New Orleans Pelicans.

CJ McCollum excited for next chapter with Pelicans after chaotic year

The Portland Trail Blazers announced Wednesday that center Jusuf Nurkic will be sidelined for at least four weeks because of left foot plantar fasciitis.
The team said the condition has been bothering Nurkic since September. He will be reevaluated after four weeks.
Nuckic has started 56 games this season, averaging 15 points and 11.1 rebounds. He has 30 double-doubles.
His injury is the latest to befall the Blazers, who have been without guard Damian Lillard since the start of the year because of an abdominal issue that required surgery. Forward Nassir Little underwent season-ending surgery earlier this month to repair a left shoulder tear.
The Blazers (25-34) have won four straight heading into Thursday night's game at home against the Golden State Warriors.

The Blazers said the condition has been bothering Nurkic since September. He will be reevaluated after four weeks.

Portland's Nurkic out at least 4 weeks because of foot issue

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Jusuf Nurkic had 32 points and eight rebounds, Anfernee Simons added 31 points and six assists and the Portland Trail Blazers overcame Ja Morant&rsquo;s 44-point performance, beating the Memphis Grizzlies 123-119 on Wednesday night.
Josh Hart added 22 points, six assists and seven rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who won their fourth straight after leading most of the game and weathering a frantic finish.
&ldquo;They made a heckuva run, as they should. They&rsquo;re at home,&rdquo; Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;We can&rsquo;t lose our composure. Keep playing the way that we play, and we did that.&rdquo;
Morant matched his career high in scoring as Memphis had its six-game winning streak halted. Desmond Bane scored 30 points and Brandon Clarke finished with 12.
The Grizzlies benefitted from a big scoring night from Morant and Bane, the team&rsquo;s starting guard tandem. Their 74 points came on 20 of 39 shooting, Bane hit 7 of 12 from outside the arc, the seven made 3-pointers a career high. At times, the Trail Blazers tried to clog the middle to cut down on Morant&rsquo;s paint points.
That opened the door for Bane.
&ldquo;If you shift (defensively), you&rsquo;re too late,&rdquo; Morant said. &ldquo;&hellip; Just reading (defenders). If they help, I already know I&rsquo;ve got (Bane) on the wings to knock down the 3-ball. If they try to stay home, I&rsquo;m in the paint.&rdquo;
Memphis had trouble generating offense through the first half and into the third quarter. The Grizzlies used an offensive burst and closed within a possession on a couple of occasions, but Portland maintained the lead it held since the opening minutes.
Memphis finally caught the Trail Blazers with just less than five minutes remaining in the fourth as Bane scored seven straight points.
The teams swapped the lead, with Nurkic keeping Portland in the game by scoring nine straight points. Simons followed with a 3-pointer from the right wing for a 122-117 lead with 44 seconds left, helping preserve the victory.
&ldquo;I had the ball in the hands of the dude that we needed it to be in,&rdquo; Billups said of Simons&rsquo; 3-pointer. &ldquo;We got what we wanted.&rdquo;
He later added: &ldquo;That was a big, big shot.&rdquo;
Portland, which is dealing with numerous injuries to Damian Lillard and forward Nassir Little, along with several trade-deadline acquisitions, are working with a pieced-together roster. In addition to the injuries, solid producers like Norman Powell, Robert Covington and CJ McCollum were sent elsewhere at the deadline.
The Trail Blazers have played well during their winning streak, including a double-digit win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday. They continued that trend in the first half.
Portland shot 60% until the late stages of the half, and Memphis seemed a step slower than it had during its recent winning streak. That translated into a 68-57 Portland lead at the break, despite Morant scoring 27 points.
&ldquo;Giving up 68 points in the first half is not up to our standards,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;&hellip; We threw a lot of different looks at them, and nothing really worked.&rdquo;
But the Trail Blazers still had to endure a Memphis rally at the end.
&ldquo;I feel like people still try to overlook us,&rdquo; Nurkic said. &ldquo;I think we&rsquo;re playing hard. That&rsquo;s no doubt. Making shots obviously helps. But we play the right way. It gives us a chance to win. &hellip; Tonight, was a playoff-type of basketball.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Simons has recorded at least 29 points in each of his last three games. &hellip;. The four-game winning streak matches the longest of the season for Portland. It won four straight from Nov. 15-23. &hellip; Portland captured the season series 3-1 over Memphis.
Grizzlies: Morant, who missed Tuesday&rsquo;s win at New Orleans with a sore ankle, returned to action and started. &hellip; Morant&rsquo;s 20 first-quarter points marked a season-high for a Memphis player in a period. &hellip; Had scored at least 120 points during the six-game winning streak. &hellip; Memphis is now 24-3 when Clarke scores in double figures.
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LIVING AT THE LINE
Morant finished the night 21 of 25 from the line, the 21 made free throws was a franchise record. Nurkic was amazed at the number. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know the last time I remember playing somebody that shoots 25 free throws,&rdquo; Nurkic said, adding &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t remember Dame (Damian Lillard) shooting 25 free throws. &hellip; I wasn&rsquo;t happy about it. It was amazing. At some point, he had more free throws than our whole team.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: Host Golden State on Feb. 24 after the All-Star break.
Grizzlies: On All-Star break until Feb. 24 at Minnesota.

Nurkic had 32 points, Anfernee Simons added 31 and Portland overcame Ja Morant’s 44 to beat Memphis 123-119.

Blazers overcome Morant's 44 points, beat Grizzlies 123-119

Long overdue for a makeover, the Portland Trail Blazers became sellers at this year&rsquo;s trade deadline. CJ McCollum, Norman Powell and Robert Covington are all gone in place of more youth and future cap flexibility.
With Damian Lillard presumably out for the rest of the season, this provided Portland the ideal opportunity to hit the reset button. The main question, though, always circles back around to Lillard&rsquo;s long-term future with the Blazers.
Is Lillard seriously going to sit through an extended rebuild through his mid-30s? With three years remaining on Lillard&rsquo;s contract in 2022-23, here&rsquo;s the current core group to move forward with: Anfernee Simons, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nassir-little-sheer-will-intensity-gives-portland-trail-blazers-a-boost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nassir Little</a>, Josh Hart, Keon Johnson, Justise Winslow, Didi Louzada, Greg Brown III.
Simons has proven to be a real building block during his full-fledged breakout campaign, but there are many questions outside of him. Little has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/qa-nassir-little-on-blazers-struggles-his-development-gm-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flashed some improvements</a>, but consistency for him was still needed before going down with an injury. Hart and Johnson were the primary pieces returned in the Blazers&rsquo; midseason roster remake.
In the end, will that crop of young players be enough to keep Lillard content while also competing within an actual championship window? That answer remains murky at best, particularly a Finals appearance being close to feasible.
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Portland created oodles of flexibility this summer via free agency or the trade market to improve rapidly around Lillard. If the next disgruntled star wants out this summer, the Blazers can at least have a seat at the table as potentially realistic destinations. They are set up well with future draft capital, plus multiple young players and a large, soon-to-be expiring contract with Eric Bledsoe.
The franchise can get into many discussions simply based off the variability of its asset collection. They could&rsquo;ve gotten more in both deals &mdash; which could loom large if they swing-and-miss this offseason &mdash; but the idea on paper makes sense.
The Blazers' last roster makeup was based around the dynamic high-usage backcourt of Lillard and McCollum. The backcourt's defensive abilities, or lack thereof, limited its potential ceiling. In the next chapter for Portland, what will be necessary to build an instant contender?
With it being unlikely that the Blazers land a star-level player, the NBA Draft is their best bet to reshaping on the fly while also achieving another chapter post-Lillard. In the McCollum trade, Portland received a 2022 first-round pick from the Pelicans where it&rsquo;s likely to convey this season (protected 1-4, 15-30).
With two top-10 picks at its disposal, Portland has the artillery to make some splashy moves on draft night, whether it be acquiring two young prospects or a seismic blockbuster trade.
Lillard seemingly is fine on the surface signing another record-breaking contract with the Blazers, but, deep down, when will this reach a level of discontent where lines are drawn? When will Lillard make the pressure too hot for the Blazers to handle? For a scorer of Lillard&rsquo;s caliber, he deserves to legitimately chase championships during the second half of his prime years. At the moment, that destination isn&rsquo;t realistically in Portland.
Building a team around young players and maybe a re-signed Jusuf Nurkic isn&rsquo;t going to make even a noticeable dent in the Western Conference. Sure, Simons is a fun backcourt partner with Lillard, but it keeps Portland in the same position it was with McCollum all these years already.
This is what makes the Jerami Grant rumors so interesting around the Blazers entering such an important offseason. As said on <a href="https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1mrxmaWXOqwxy?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's Trade Deadline Twitter Space</a>, HoopsHype&rsquo;s Michael Scotto relayed Grant to Portland was generating the most buzz before the deadline with less than 24 hours to go. Grant&rsquo;s fit with Lillard and the Blazers would be excellent, finally providing a real two-way wing next to his offensive profile.
Grant, Lillard and Simons is something to build around, but it&rsquo;s again another roadblock when seriously considering a real Finals push. If we&rsquo;re being honest, Grant is the likely move Portland makes to push more chips in with Lillard. How it plays out is a completely different story though.
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For both Lillard and the Blazers, the realization that it might be time for a split is closing in. As we just saw in the Super Bowl with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, staying loyal forever doesn&rsquo;t always lead to the ultimate prize. Stafford <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/matthew-stafford-trade-rams-send-two-first-round-picks-a-third-round-pick-and-jared-goff-to-lions-for-qb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requested a trade</a> from the lowly Detroit Lions and instantly won a championship with Los Angeles.
Lillard is the NBA&rsquo;s version of Stafford, so loyal to a fault and always putting the team on his back. Stafford eventually knew the time arrived to make a change for his legacy's sake. Lillard has to be envisioning this when canvassing Portland&rsquo;s future outlook.
It&rsquo;s again slowly bubbling under the surface, but the Blazers remain one of the most intriguing teams in the league for yet another offseason. How Portland maneuvered at the deadline gave a sneak peek into what should be a summer with gigantic stakes.
Now, we wait and see how it all unfolds for an organization with change occurring on all levels.
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After a roster overhaul, which direction will the Portland Trail Blazers pursue? Damian Lillard's long-term future depends on it.

As Blazers begin makeover, does Damian Lillard staying even make sense?

<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>

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

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

Nassir Little is likely to be sidelined for season with a left shoulder labral tear.
Source: <a href="https://www.nba.com/blazers/mri-reveals-nassir-little-left-shoulder-labral-tear">Portland Trail Blazers</a>
ANALYSIS: Little was having a career year for the Blazers, starting a career-high 23 games and averaging a career-high 9.8 points per game in them.
Little was coming off 19 and 20-point games before suffering the tear.
&nbsp;

Nassir Little is likely to be sidelined for season with a left shoulder labral tear.

Nassir Little likely out for year with shoulder labral tear

Luka Doncic had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists for his sixth triple-double this season, and the Dallas Mavericks led wire-to-wire in a 132-112 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.
It was Doncic's franchise-leading 42nd career triple double. He's one away from matching Fat Lever for 10th on the NBA all-time list.
&ldquo;Everything starts with Luka Doncic,&rdquo; said Kristaps Porzingis, who had 22 points for the Mavs. "Everything becomes much easier with him on the court.&rdquo;
Jalen Brunson added 20 points and 11 assists for Dallas, which led by as many as 23 points and had seven players finish in double figures.
Anfernee Simons led Portland with 23 points and CJ McCollum added 20.
Both teams were playing the second game of a back-to-back. The Mavericks fell 130-92 to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night &mdash; a loss that stung because Tim Hardaway Jr. fractured a bone in his left foot during the second quarter.
There is no timeline for Hardaway's return, the team said Wednesday. Coach Jason Kidd said that while the team will miss Hardaway, who was averaging 14.2 points off the bench, &ldquo;we've got some guys over there who want to play so this is a good time for them.&rdquo;
The Blazers were coming off a disheartening 109-107 loss to the Timberwolves on Tuesday night, in which Portland led for the better part of three quarters, but ultimately fell short.
&ldquo;Sometimes the schedule can help you or hurt you,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;This time it helped us by having a game where we didn&rsquo;t have to sit around and look at each other after last night's performance.&rdquo;
Doncic's deep 3-pointer put the Mavericks up 30-15 and Dallas held a 40-25 lead after the opening quarter.
The Mavericks stretched the lead to as many as 18 points but the Blazers closed the gap to 65-58 late in the half on Jusuf Nurkic's layup.
Porzingis had 14 points in the first period alone, matching his high for a quarter this season.
&ldquo;We just wanted to make sure we were the ones to come out and punch, and that&rsquo;s what we did early on and it kind of set the tone for the rest of the game,&rdquo; Porzingis said.
The Blazers pressured Dallas in the third quarter. Simon's dunk off a lob from McCollum got Portland within 78-74 &mdash; but that was as close as it got. Dallas led 98-81 going into the fourth quarter.
&ldquo;I think guys are fighting and competing hard, whether there&rsquo;s mistakes or not. We&rsquo;re trying to be aggressive. We&rsquo;re trying to figure it out, and we&rsquo;re going to continue do that and play the right way, and live with the results," said Norman Powell, who finished with 19 points for Portland.
The Blazers' defense was hurt by the absences of Nassir Little (shoulder) and Robert Covington (right knee).
&ldquo;We missed them a ton,&rdquo; Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;Got off to such a tough start. You give up 40 points in the first quarter, it's really tough to absorb that type of quarter. But I thought we came back in the second quarter and we got back in it. Just fighting uphill all night.&rdquo;
TIP INS
Mavericks: It was the second of three meetings between the two teams this season. Dallas won the first, 132-117 on Dec. 27.
Trail Blazers: Powell started against the Mavs after his minutes were limited the night before. Powell missed the previous eight games because of COVID-19 protocols and undisclosed personal matters.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Host Indiana on Saturday.
Trail Blazers: Open a four-game road trip on Friday at Houston.

Luka Doncic had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists for his sixth triple-double, and the Mavs led wire-to-wire in a win vs. the Blazers.

Luka Doncic's triple-double helps Mavs down Portland 132-112

With rumblings surrounding the availability of Atlanta Hawks big man John Collins, BasketballNews.com's Evan Sidery and Nekias Duncan teamed up to come up with possible destinations prior to the NBA's Feb. 10 trade deadline.
John Collins is growing increasingly frustrated with his role. Carrying his lowest usage rate since his rookie campaign in 2017-18, Collins feels <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/stats-notebook-has-john-collins-role-with-the-hawks-really-changed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he's more than deserving of being a more featured piece within the Hawks&rsquo; offense</a>. Even with Collins still only holding a 19.9 USG%, he&rsquo;s averaging an impressive stat line of 17.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 blocks at an above-average efficiency clip.
Collins is excellent at what he does for Atlanta, but would he look like in a different role elsewhere away from Trae Young?
He is only on the first year of his new deal, which drew lines in the sand during a tough restricted free agency period last offseason.
With extremely high expectations in Atlanta following its Eastern Conference Finals surprise, the team has been unable to clear the first bars. The Hawks already dealt promising young wing Cam Reddish to the New York Knicks in order to avoid paying him a big-figure contract. Meanwhile, if Collins is indeed available to the highest bidder around the Association, Atlanta could receive an extremely high amount of resources.
Below, Nekias and I dove into the film room, as well as five destinations that make the most sense for Collins in a trade scenario.
WHAT COLLINS BRINGS
Collins has become one of the NBA's most versatile pick-and-roll partners. Because of his speed, soft hands and impressive vertical pop, Collins is able to sky for just about anything you throw his way after he rolls to the basket. And because of his improved shooting ability &mdash; he's converted north of 40% of his above-the-break threes in each of the past three seasons &mdash; you can't afford to completely sell out against rim attempts.
It's that combination of skills that makes him deadly. Pairing that with Young &mdash; a guy that can pull from 30, make every pass in the book, and #FloaterGang you to death &mdash; is patently unfair. It's unsurprising that trips featuring a Young-Collins ball screen has generated over 1.05 points per possessions over the last three seasons, per Second Spectrum.
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Collins' quick-leaping ability also makes him a menace on the offensive glass when he's allowed to hover around the paint. The gradual decline in offensive rebounding has more to do with his positioning within the offense than some lack of instinct or physicality.
LIMITATIONS&nbsp;
There are some questions defensively.
There are fewer questions to answer than in years past, to be fair. Collins' activity level and awareness have improved throughout his career. You could especially sense a shift from him during last year's playoffs, and that has seemingly carried over into this year.&nbsp;
Collins looks a little more comfortable on the perimeter, holding his own in switches and in the rare times the Hawks have asked him to trap this year. He has the feel needed to clean up messes as a weak-side helper, especially if he's allowed to roam against a non-shooter.
It's still largely unclear if Collins has made enough strides to serve as a primary rim-protector for extended periods of time. Among 75 frontcourt players that have defended at least 150 picks in drop coverage this season, Collins ranks in the bottom five in points allowed per Second Spectrum.
The added activity is nice, but he's still suffering from the too-little-too-much problem. Sometimes he's giving up too much of a gap, which allows the ball-handler or roll man (if he receives a pass early enough) to build momentum and launch into Collins' chest. Other times, he's playing the gap a little too high, which allows the big to get behind him for easy lobs.
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It's fair to question how much of that is Collins trying to figure things out, and how much of it is him not trusting the point-of-attack defenders he's had to play with over the past couple of seasons. Let's be kind and say Young and Lou Williams leave quite a bit to be desired.
The boring answer: Collins has clear strengths and weaknesses, and a stronger defensive infrastructure could bring the best out of him.
Sacramento Kings
Rumors <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kings-making-buddy-hield-richaun-holmes-harrison-barnes-available" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continue to billow out of Sacramento</a> right now pointing towards a massive roster overhaul soon in store. Everyone on the Kings, except reportedly De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton, is available in trade talks. It shows the urgency is rising in Sacramento, and someone like Collins could be the perfect remedy.
Kings receive: John Collins
Hawks receive: Harrison Barnes, Davion Mitchell
This feels like a very fair trade for both sides, especially if Collins malcontents his way out of Atlanta. Barnes would provide beautiful floor-spacing acumen for the Hawks&rsquo; guards, plus Mitchell would be a bulldog defender who'd had heavy spot minutes alongside Young.
For Sacramento, it&rsquo;s easy to sell yourself on the idea of switching things up and inserting a potential 20-and-10 machine in Collins. Haliburton would be spoon-feeding easy looks for Collins, plus Fox provides a steady scoring partner as well.
Resetting around a trio of Fox, Collins and Haliburton in Sacramento could actually be a fun scenario to watch unfold. And from Atlanta&rsquo;s standpoint, this feels like a win-win deal in the short and long-term.
Charlotte Hornets
An intra-division trade, huh? With the way the Hornets have played lately, showcasing a complete turnaround on the defensive end, could they be positioning themselves to make a big push at February&rsquo;s trade deadline. Don&rsquo;t rule it out, because Charlotte&rsquo;s upside is already massive with a young superstar like LaMelo Ball running the show offensively.
Nabbing Collins from Atlanta would cost significant assets, but the payoff could be absolutely massive. Could you imagine Collins and Miles Bridges catching lobs from Ball with reckless abandon?
Hornets receive: John Collins
Hawks receive: Kelly Oubre Jr., P.J. Washington, James Bouknight
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For Atlanta, Oubre would fill a similar energizer role as Collins, but with much less consistency and pop. Oubre has flashed at times brilliance this season we saw from him during his years with the Phoenix Suns; could that jump be intensified playing with Young as his point guard?
Washington and Bouknight are two former lottery picks for the Hornets who simply haven&rsquo;t been able to carve out a consistent role. If Charlotte decides the time is now, relinquishing these two enticing prospects likely is the going rate to seriously upgrade. Bouknight would provide a promising young building block who could turn into a 20-plus point-per-game scorer. Washington has the makeup similar to Collins where he can feast around the rim and pick-and-pops in Atlanta&rsquo;s scheme.
I would grade this one as doubtful on the potential scale of realism, but the construct of this certainly makes plenty of sense on paper.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves are so much fun to watch when they&rsquo;re clicking on all cylinders. Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns have been the dynamite scoring duo Minnesota had hoped for. D&rsquo;Angelo Russell is also finding his footing with the Timberwolves, showcasing a strong ability to bounce-back and fit within what&rsquo;s required of him.
It&rsquo;s long been known the Timberwolves have really been one more piece away from taking another serious jump in the Western Conference hierarchy. That&rsquo;s why Ben Simmons has been floated around Minnesota for months now.
What about Collins landing in Minnesota to play alongside Towns, Edwards and Russell? It wouldn&rsquo;t provide the defensive security blanket Minnesota is in desperate need of, but he makes an already scary offense absolutely terrifying.
Timberwolves receive: John Collins
Hawks receive: Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, Malik Beasley, draft compensation
The Hawks check plenty of boxes in this scenario where they send Collins off to Minnesota, bringing back an immediate impact scorer in Beasley, a super versatile rebounder with flashes of elite defense in Vanderbilt; plus, they would get a potentially beautiful backcourt fit with Bolmaro as a jumbo-sized playmaker. Throwing in some picks to the equation makes this so enticing for Atlanta as well.
This would be one to watch out for as a real fit for Collins, if it reaches that point in Atlanta anytime soon.
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is in an odd spot right now. Damian Lillard is out indefinitely due to an abdomen injury that has plagued him for a while. With the Trail Blazers far out of competing for a serious playoff push, especially with no Lillard, now is the perfect time to reset a little bit and try something different.
The pressure is on for the Blazers to find another competent scoring punch to keep Lillard happy in Oregon long-term. Could Collins be the answer here? It&rsquo;s a very intriguing fit for both player and team.
Hawks receive: Larry Nance Jr., Robert Covington, Nassir Little
Trail Blazers receive: John Collins
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I have to admit, Collins teaming up with Lillard would be so much fun for everyone to watch. Instantly, Collins would provide an inside scoring jolt that&rsquo;s been missing for the Blazers. Also, Collins would be feasting consistently playing off the gravity of Lillard and CJ McCollum.
For the Hawks, they would receive three pieces to insert into their frontcourt to replace Collins&rsquo; production. Nance would be a strong bounce-back candidate playing with Young as his point guard in Atlanta. Covington isn&rsquo;t who he used to be, but can still provide winning attributes on a hopeful contender. Little is the wildcard who provides real intrigue here. Beginning to flash more consistently this season, could Little&rsquo;s rise become a full-on ascension with the Hawks?
Another scenario where this feels like a win-win for both sides. Maybe Portland throws on some draft compensation to make the return more eye-opening for Atlanta.
San Antonio Spurs
The dots have already been connected around Collins to San Antonio. As Collins entered restricted free agency, the Spurs were the one team we continuously heard as a team who was seriously interested in pursuing him for a lucrative offer sheet.
San Antonio&rsquo;s core has been overachieving a little bit this season, thanks in large part to Dejounte Murray becoming a key building block. It&rsquo;s really almost a blank slate for the Spurs, so maybe Collins could be the piece to really augment another era of strong basketball in San Antonio?
Hawks receive: Derrick White, Lonnie Walker IV
Spurs receive: John Collins
White has been thrown around in trade rumors throughout his career, but his fit next to Young is nothing short of excellent. White&rsquo;s all-around ability would cover up a lot of holes and help strengthen Atlanta&rsquo;s backcourt depth. Walker is a home-run swing, but an athlete like that to catch lobs every game from Young could lead to some magic happening.
San Antonio has been floating around as a potential shocking buyer at the trade deadline, including its name being thrown into the Simmons sweepstakes. Collins would boost up a Spurs core in desperate need of another strong piece.
Collins would cause a feeding frenzy in the NBA, if the Hawks are indeed shopping him around to the highest bidder anywhere. The Hawks&rsquo; big man has displayed he&rsquo;s deserving of a bigger role. Whether it&rsquo;s in Atlanta or elsewhere, Collins would change the dynamics of a lot of organizations.
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John Collins is growing increasingly frustrated with his role in Atlanta. If the Hawks decide to move on, where could he end up?

Examining potential trade destinations for John Collins

During the Tokyo Olympics, when Damian Lillard's abdominal injury flared up, Jrue Holiday suggested it was time for surgery.
Lillard finally took his fellow Olympian's advice and had the procedure Jan. 13. The Trail Blazers' star point guard spoke to reporters Saturday for the first time since the injury sidelined him on Jan. 3.
Holiday, who currently plays for the Milwaukee Bucks, had similar core surgery during the 2018-19 season when he was with New Orleans. He and Lillard were teammates in Japan last summer on the gold medal-winning U.S. team.
&ldquo;He was the first person that pretty much confirmed that I needed to have surgery because I sat out of practice one day and I was like, &lsquo;I can&rsquo;t move,' and I was kind of just holding it. And he just started describing every single symptom," Lillard said. &ldquo;And he was like &lsquo;I had it.&rsquo;&rdquo;
Lillard, a six-time All-Star, averaged 24 points and 7.3 assists in 29 games this season for the Blazers. It was clear from the start that the injury, lower abdominal tendinopathy, was bothersome.
&ldquo;It was just one of those things where I&rsquo;ve always had control over how I moved and everything, and it had reached a point where my body couldn&rsquo;t do what my mind wanted it to do, and go places that I wanted it to go,&rdquo; he said. "At some point you&rsquo;ve got to play chess, you&rsquo;ve got to make decisions that suit you for the long haul and not just right now."
While the injury flared up in Tokyo, Lillard said he first felt the abdominal pain in 2015 and it had been gradually getting worse ever since.
The Blazers have struggled without Lillard, the undisputed leader of the team. Playing under first-year coach Chauncey Billups, Portland is 20-26 and in 10th place in the Western Conference.
Anfernee Simons has taken over as Portland's point guard and has averaged 15.2 points per game. Portland was also playing for an extended period without Lillard's backcourt teammate CJ McCollum, who had a collapsed right lung before becoming a father for the first time.
McCollum recently returned and had 24 points in Portland's 109-105 victory at the Boston Celtics on Friday night. (Editor's Note: The Blazers won in Toronto on Sunday 114-105 with McCollum leading the way alongside Nassir Little and Anfernee Simons, who each had 19 points.)
There was no timeline for Lillard's return, but he's already been doing yoga. The team previously said he would be re-evaluated in six weeks.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just a week from surgery. We said we&rsquo;ll re-evaluate my situation weeks out, six to eight weeks, and we&rsquo;ll talk about it then. But I&rsquo;m not in a rush," he said. &ldquo;My number one goal is to win a championship. I&rsquo;ve got to be in the best form of myself to make that happen and to be a part of that. So I&rsquo;m not in a rush. We&rsquo;ll talk about whatever that timeline is when we get to that point.&rdquo;
Lillard was asked if he'd play if the Blazers decided to forgo a playoff push and play for a draft pick.
&ldquo;I mean, if we&rsquo;re gonna play for a draft pick it wouldn&rsquo;t make sense to me. Because I&rsquo;m not gonna play for no draft pick. I&rsquo;m just not capable of that," he said. "So it&rsquo;d be best if that was what we were doing, or what was decided, then it wouldn&rsquo;t make sense for me to play."

Blazers star Damian Lillard opened up on his abdominal injury and what he and the team's plans are post-surgery.

Portland's Lillard discusses his surgery, possible return

Last weekend I traveled to Springfield, Massachusetts, to attend the Hoophall Classic &mdash; a terrific event hosted by the Basketball Hall of Fame.
I recently outlined the top players I saw in the class of 2022. Today, I'd like to highlight the top players that caught my attention from the classes of 2023 and 2024:
You've probably heard already, but former NBA player Dajuan Wagner has a son, DJ Wagner. He's the No. 1 rated player in the entire class of 2023. Although, I do think the hype and expectations that have been set for the younger Wagner are a little much. He's a good player. Rumors have been swirling that he'll be heading to Kentucky to play for John Calipari, his dad's former coach when they were both at Memphis.
He plays a limited role because his Montverde team is stacked, but Kwame Evans has the size and tools to get scouts excited. It seems as if he can become a legitimate scoring forward, as he has excellent size and is a natural shot-maker. I'm certainly going to track him closely moving forward.
The Hoophall Classic was my first opportunity to see Gill St. Bernard's Mackenzie Mgbako in person. A big hybrid forward that can shoot and score the ball, I left Springfield thinking that Mgbako could make a legitimate run to become the No. 1 player in the class of 2023.
AZ Compass Prep's Mookie Cook is an easy player to like. At 6'7" or so, Cook has good size and athleticism, but his approach to the game is what draws me to him. He plays with such great energy and also has a terrific motor. If Cook continues to polish up his offensive skills, you'll be hearing his name more and more. He looked like a top NBA prospect in the making.
Although he looked out of rhythm on the event's first night, AZ Compass Prep's Kylan Boswell bounced back on the second night and had a great showing. As a combo guard, he's strong, has a sweet shooting stroke and high basketball IQ.
Oak Hill's Caleb Foster continued to impress me at the Hoophall Classic. He is a point guard with positional size that is uniquely mature and composed. Foster does a great job of changing speeds and using his smarts to dice up defenses. Supposedly he is considering reclassifying and going to college next season. He's committed to Duke, as if they didn't have enough new talent coming in already.
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Two players from the class of 2024 caught my eye.
The first player I'd like to mention is Ian Jackson, from Cardinal Hayes High School in New York. At 6'6", Jackson is an uber-athletic perimeter player that does a little bit of everything. He scored 30 points in their game versus De La Salle Institute.&nbsp;
I'm excited about Ian Jackson and his future, but I'm probably equally enthusiastic about Naasir Cunningham of Gill St. Bernard's. He's another player that's about 6'6" or so and does a little bit of everything. He's so athletic, can score on three levels, handles the ball well and he's a terrific rebounder. He executed a tip dunk on one play that had everyone in attendance in awe, myself included.&nbsp;
Generally, the younger the prospect, the more careful I try to be not to make too bold statements. However, I will say this about these two guys: my impression is that they are both elite prospects. They're not surefire NBA stars, as I don't think any player at that stage should be given that label. However, their potential is through the roof, and if they continue to develop and take care of business, they could become exceptional players. I'm very excited about these two prospects.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Derik Queen from Montverde too. We all need to keep close tabs on Queen. He is a big-bodied, interior scorer that is smooth. His physical development and conditioning are worth monitoring, and low post scorers aren't in as high demand as in years past. Still, he is a significant young talent.
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All in all my trip to Springfield, Massachusetts, was a great success. I look forward to attending the Hoophall Classic again, as it was a very well put-together event. To everyone that helped make it happen, thank you! I'll see you again next year.
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Matt Babcock gives a rundown of prospects he watched at this year's Hoophall Classic from the classes of 2023 and 2024.

Hoophall Classic recap: Classes of 2023 & 2024

The best defensive rating the NBA over the past two weeks belongs to the Charlotte Hornets.
... Excuse me?!
One month ago, our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/hornets-embarrassing-defense-sinking-their-enticing-potential" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evan Sidery wrote </a>about how the Hornets' defense was derailing one of the NBA's most exciting young teams. And he was right. But man, how things have changed.
Charlotte is a scorching 9-3 in the past month and has improved to 25-20 on the season, pushing itself almost out of the Play-In tier of the Eastern Conference playoff race. On primetime national television Wednesday night, the Hornets wadded up the Boston Celtics and their two wing stars in a sneaky-big 111-102 victory. Since Dec. 23, the Hornets are third in Cleaning the Glass' defensive rating metric, and as already mentioned, first in the past two weeks.
Is this sustainable, or a product of good fortune? The answers are complicated.
The Hornets have given up the most wide-open field goal attempts per game in the entire NBA since the stretch has begun. NBA Stats qualifies those as shots where a defender is no closer than 6 feet from the shooter. Charlotte's defense has allowed 24.2 of those attempts per game &mdash; but that's not the whole story.
Opponents have been hitting those shots at a 60.9% Effective Field Goal percentage, good for ninth-highest in the league. So this isn't a case of waiting for regression to the mean. Teams are making the Hornets pay, and yet, they're still putting together an elite defense.
It gets weirder. Transition plays are generally a red flag for defenses because they typically lead to easy shots with a ton of spacing before a defense can get set. Per Cleaning the Glass, Charlotte is allowing opponents to get out in transition on 16.8% of their possessions during the winning stretch &mdash; third-highest in the league. But they've also been the No. 1 transition defense in that time.
Over the entire season, the five-man lineup of LaMelo Ball, Kelly Oubre Jr., Gordon Hayward, Miles Bridges and Mason Plumlee has been the seventh-stingiest transition group among all NBA units with at least 100 possessions of court time. (I simply would not have expected that.)
The Hornets have used turnover generation as the bedrock of their lockdown effort. Per Cleaning the Glass, opponents have coughed up the ball on 16.5% of their possessions since Dec. 23, which is the second-highest rate among NBA defenses.
Charlotte ranks at the top in deflections per game (18.3) and in defensive loose balls recovered (3.8) during that same timeframe, according to NBA Stats. Five players are averaging at least 2.5 deflections: Oubre (3.3), Cody Martin (2.8), PJ Washington (2.6) and Plumlee (2.5). Oubre, Martin, Hayward, Ball and Terry Rozier are all swiping at least one steal per game.
This defense isn't all about swinging for steals. Per Cleaning the Glass (pun, ha), the Hornets are limiting opponents' offensive rebounds and free-throw opportunities at top-10 rates. But by the numbers, Charlotte has aimed to cause chaos and ignite its own fastbreak opportunities &mdash; at whatever the cost. And the squad is an elite offensive unit when it gets running.
Is the approach sustainable? To be honest... I'm doubtful. Teams are going to figure out how to beat the Hornets in transition, whether they're doing something schematically or are just on a roll with getting stops. Their reckless abandon often means easy chances for the other team, and they will continue to capitalize on wide-open looks.&nbsp;
For now, though, it's making one of basketball's most entertaining teams even more fun to watch.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I find in the void):
<ul>
<li>Sticking with Charlotte: Rozier has been one of the hottest shooters in basketball as of late. He's making pull-ups at a 60.3% eFG rate since Thanksgiving, which is second behind only Tyrese Haliburton (min. 75 attempts). Gordon Hayward (54.5%) ranks seventh.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Among all five-man lineups with at least 100 possessions of action this season, this odd Portland Trail Blazers unit has the best net rating, per CTG: Anfernee Simons, Ben McLemore, Nassir Little, Robert Covington and Jusuf Nurkic.&nbsp;</li>
<li>I highly recommend you go back and read <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-do-the-mavericks-have-an-elite-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this breakdown from Nekias Duncan</a> on the Mavericks' defense, another group that was never supposed to be good, but has flipped that script.</li>
<li>More cool stats and graphics from Mark Cheung! If you're reading this, I'm a big fan:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
<a href="https://t.co/MZNrQj2Se7">pic.twitter.com/MZNrQj2Se7</a>
&mdash; Mark (@MarkC_NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkC_NBA/status/1483882912739041286?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Ethan Fuller investigates why the Hornets have been weirdly and wildly successful on defense.

Stats Notebook: Hornets buzzing behind a weirdly-successful defense

CJ McCollum scored 16 points in his first game back from a collapsed lung, Jusuf Nurkic added 21 points and a season-best 22 rebounds, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Orlando Magic 98-88 Monday night.
McCollum missed 17 games over six weeks after being injured Dec. 4. The ninth-year pro started Monday but played on a minutes restriction. He made 7 of 13 shots and 2 of 4 3-pointers in 28 minutes.
&ldquo;I felt good because I had worked on my game,&rdquo; said McCollum, who was present for the birth of his first child while he was away from basketball. &ldquo;I worked extremely hard over the last two weeks to recondition, build my body back and getting up shots. And I think you can tell.&rdquo;
Portland beat the Magic for a 10th straight time dating to Jan. 13, 2017. The Blazers have won four of five games overall and are 4-14 on the road. The Blazers won their second straight road game after ending a nine-game road skid Saturday in Washington.
&ldquo;I thought we played well and a few of the things that we focused on trying to take away, we did a good job,&rdquo; Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;It was good to have CJ back. He didn&rsquo;t force anything. He was right back like he never left.&rdquo;
Ben McLemore added 14 points and four 3-pointers for the Blazers. Nurkic registered his team-best 18th double-double and finished one rebound shy of tying a career high.
Assistant Jesse Mermuys coached Orlando after head coach Jamahl Mosley and assistant Nate Tibbetts entered the NBA&rsquo;s health and safety protocols Monday afternoon. Mosley became the NBA&rsquo;s 17th head coach put into the protocols this season.
Orlando never led after scoring the game&rsquo;s first basket and fell to 0-20 when failing to score 100 points. Franz Wagner and Mortiz Wagner each had 14 points.
The Magic lost their second straight after ending a 10-game losing streak Friday in Charlotte. Orlando hasn&rsquo;t won at Amway Center since Dec. 1 and dropped to an NBA-worst 2-16 at home.
&ldquo;We missed shots that we normally make,&rdquo; said Magic center Mo Bamba, who had nine rebounds and four blocks. &ldquo;In those situations we need to be able to fall back on our defense.&rdquo;
Orlando native Anfernee Simons played in front of several dozen family members but struggled throughout with just 13 points. He was coming off a 31-point effort in Portland&rsquo;s win Saturday. Fellow Orlando native Nassir Little added 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Blazers.
&ldquo;I thought Nas was incredible, just with the way he was crashing the glass and getting us extra opportunities,&rdquo; Billups said.
Orlando got within nine midway through the third quarter, but it was turned back by a 16-2 Portland burst. McLemore hit three 3-pointers and two free throws during the run.
McCollum scored Portland&rsquo;s first and last baskets of the first half and the Blazers led 54-40 at the break.
MCCOLLUM MAKES HIS RETURN
Even though he missed more than a month of game action, McCollum stayed in close contact with the team and regularly called and texted with Billups. The first-year head coach said the guard has been extraordinarily eager to get back on the floor following his lengthy absence.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just good to have him back on the floor; it&rsquo;s good to have him back around the locker room and around the guys because he&rsquo;s one of our leaders and he gives us life,&rdquo; Billups said.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Norman Powell has cleared COVID-19 protocols but missed his fifth straight game. Billups said the guard should play Wednesday. ... Nurkic registered the third 20-point, 20-rebound game of his career.
Magic: Mermuys said he spent most of Monday preparing for his first shot to be a head coach at the NBA level. &ldquo;Today has been a good day with a lot of reflection and its&rsquo;s under some tough circumstances, obviously. But I&rsquo;ve dreamt of being a head coach in the NBA for a really long time. This isn&rsquo;t that, but it&rsquo;s an opportunity, for sure.&rdquo; ... Wendell Carter Jr. missed his sixth straight game with a sore left hamstring.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: Play at Miami on Wednesday night.
Magic: Play at Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

CJ McCollum scored 16 points in his first game back from a collapsed lung and the Blazers beat the Magic 98-88.

CJ McCollum returns, scores 16 points in Blazers' 98-88 win

Late in the third quarter, the Portland Trail Blazers look to set up shop against a surprisingly-good Brooklyn Nets defense.
Nassir Little brings the ball up the left side of the floor, patiently awaiting a screen from Cody Zeller. The latter is knocked off his rocker a bit; Blake Griffin and Kevin Durant are able to switch the action without Little threatening things.&nbsp;
The ball swings to the opposite side of the floor to Anfernee Simons, chilling around the right hash while Robert Covington acts as a matchup-dictating shield. It's Simons versus Kessler Edwards now.
Edwards begins his defense attempting to shade Simons towards the sideline, but Simons boogies a bit and shifts Edwards' weight. He eventually drives to his left, not quite blowing by Edwards, but doing enough to gain inside leverage on the attack. Griffin, now defending Little, provides relief around the free throw line to protect the middle of the floor. Simons counters with a left-hand dart to Little, who then cashes the open triple.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/l304o7" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
My initial thought when watching that possession: What the heck am I watching?
It's not that the possession is a bad one; it simply isn't supposed to be happening.
Late third-quarter offense is supposed to be spearheaded by either Damian Lillard or CJ McCollum while the other gets a breather. Instead, it's Simons being forced into a new role. He's gone from sixth man to starter; from hired gun to lead initiator.
It isn't supposed to be like this, this soon. But the circumstances are the circumstances. Luckily for Portland, Simons appears to be more scalable than advertised.
Simons has started eight games now, including all five games the Blazers have played in 2022. He's been pretty darn good.
<ul>
<li>Starter numbers: 20.9 points (58/41/96 split), 3.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists (2.1 turnovers) in 32.4 minutes</li>
<li>2022 stats: 27.8 points (61/45/95 split), 3.2 rebounds, 7.6 assists (2.8 turnovers) in 37.0 minutes</li>
</ul>
The silky smooth guard has seemingly taken the role shift in stride. Dock him for not facing an elite defensive assignment in the calendar year if you'd like &mdash; between games against the Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings and Brooklyn Nets, Kyle Lowry might be his stingiest foe &mdash; but it's hard not to be impressed with what Simons has done.
The three-ball remains his most powerful weapon, though he's forced to get those looks in a more difficult fashion. On the season, Simons is averaging more catch-and-shoot triples (3.4) than off-the-dribble bombs (2.7). Over the last five games, that story has flipped &mdash; of the 11.2 threes he's attempting, 6.2 of them have been off the bounce.
Only three players (Fred VanVleet, Trae Young, Donovan Mitchell) are <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/pullup/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DateFrom=01%2F01%2F2022&amp;sort=PULL_UP_FG3A&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taking more pull-up threes</a> per contest than Simons in 2022; none of them are doing it at better efficiency than Simons (41.2% on those shots). It's a 10-day sample, of course, but even this snapshot of high-volume pulling should be respected.
Give the Portland coaching staff a little bit of credit; it has done a good job of leveraging Simons' talents and simplifying his reads at the same time.
The Blazers have spammed pick-and-rolls with an empty corner during this stretch. No guard has received more picks with an empty side than Simons in 2022, per Second Spectrum; in terms of volume, the Simons-Jusuf Nurkic combo is lapping the field.&nbsp;
They've also been wildly efficient with those actions; the Blazers are generating well over 1.2 points per possession on trips featuring a Simons-Nurkic empty corner ball screen since the turn of the calendar.
It's easy to see why. Playing drop coverage allows Simons to flow into pull-ups if his defender can't stay attached. Against ICE coverage &mdash; the cue is the on-ball defender aggressively shading Simons towards the sideline &mdash; Simons is able to get into his shot if the screen hits, or string out the play to the baseline to unlock pocket passes, hit the pop or force a switch.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/8uc9my" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
While the shooting has been impressive, Simons' work on drives may be even more encouraging. He's averaging a <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DateFrom=01%2F01%2F2022&amp;TeamID=1610612757&amp;sort=DRIVES&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shade under 12</a> per game in the new year while converting 62.5% of his shots.
While he isn't Morant-level fast, there's a suddenness about him that work. His dribble combos shift his defender's weight on the regular, then he sinks juuuust&nbsp;low enough to create an angle for himself. Combine that with impressive touch, and you have the makings of an interesting finisher.
More than anything, he's pretty insistent on touching the paint. It doesn't always look smooth, but getting into a threatening area of the floor still forces the defense to react.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/yncdwi" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
That shooting and driving aggression has opened up passing windows for Simons. There have been some solid corner skips on his film as of late, but he's mostly a run-the-set or slip-it-inside initiator right now. That's perfectly okay. The fact that he's showcasing more comfort on pocket passes &mdash; and getting a little more daring with them &mdash; is a welcome improvement.
Some of these numbers will regress. That's how sample size works, and we'll likely see a shift in the quality of defenders thrown at Simons while the stars remain out. But it's hard not to be impressed with the work that Simons has done with more responsibility.
The Blazers have been firm believers in Simons' upside since they drafted him. They slow-played him in Year 1, and have slowly given him more responsibility in the years since. This was their vision: a combo guard that can play off their stars, or take over the show when called upon.
Vision's looking pretty good right now, huh?

Nekias Duncan breaks down the recent play of Anfernee Simons in the absence of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.

With more responsibility, Anfernee Simons is stepping up in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Anfernee Simons had a career-high 43 points and the Portland Trail Blazers overcame an NBA season-best 56 points by Atlanta's Trae Young, snapping a four-game losing streak in a 136-131 win over the Hawks on Monday night.
Young shot 17 for 26 from the field, 7 for 12 from 3-point distance and 15 for 15 from the line for his career-high scoring total, and added 14 assists. His 56-point game eclipsed Kevin Durant's 51-point performance for the Nets at Detroit on Dec. 12. Golden State's Stephen Curry and Boston's Jaylen Brown have had 50-point games this season.
Young became the first player with 50-plus points and 14-plus assists in a game since James Harden with the Houston Rockets on Dec. 31, 2016. 
Simons had a career-high nine 3-pointers, the most for a Portland player this season. After missing Portland's last game, Simons started in place of All-Star Damian Lillard, who was out because of injury management. 
Portland trailed at the start of the final quarter, but took a 112-107 lead after Ben McLemore's layup and Nassir Little's 3-pointer with 7:43 left. Simons' floater extended the lead to 118-111, but the persistent Hawks kept it close down the stretch. 
Young came down hard on the court after an attempted layup with less than a minute left, but recovered to make a pair of free throws that closed the gap to 127-125. 
Jusuf Nukic made a layup and added a free throw to make it 130-125 and Portland held on for the win. 
Atlanta coach Nate McMillan entered the league's health and safety protocol on Saturday. But six Hawks players were available to return from protocols for the game against the Blazers, including Sharife Cooper, Danilo Gallinari, Kevin Huerter, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Onyeka Okongwu and Delon Wright. 
Five Hawks, including Bogdan Bogdanovic, remain in the protocol. At one point, Atlanta was without a league-high 12 players. 
Joe Prunty took over in McMillan's absence. The Hawks were coming off a 121-118 win in Cleveland on Friday that snapped a three-game losing streak. 
The Blazers were without Lillard because of abdominal tendinopathy, which has bothered him since the Olympics. The team was also still missing backcourt teammate CJ McCollum because of a collapsed lung. 
But Nurkic, the starting center, returned from the protocols for the game against the Hawks, <a href="https://twitter.com/bosnianbeast27/status/1478141321630023683">announcing his availability personally via Twitter. </a> He finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds. 
Blazers coach Chauncey Billups also was back on the sideline after missing three games. 
Portland jumped out to a 18-7 lead midway through the opening quarter. Atlanta perked up after its sluggish start, taking a 37-36 lead on Delon Wright's 3-pointer. 
The Blazers reclaimed the lead and went up 58-46 on Nassir Little's 3-pointer. Portland led 70-65 at the break. 
Young had 29 points and nine assists in the first half. He has scored 29 or more points in 16 straight games to tie Dominique Wilkins’ team record, set between December 1985 and January 1986. 
The Hawks took a 91-90 lead on Huerter's layup and held on for a 105-100 lead going into the final quarter. 
TIP INS
Hawks: Atlanta is in the midst of a season-long six-game road trip. ... Young's streak of games with 25 or more points is the longest in the NBA this season. ... Young is the first NBA player to reach 29 points and nine assists in the first half of a game this season. 
Trail Blazers: Portland's Dec. 23 game against the Brooklyn Nets that was postponed has been rescheduled for Jan. 10 at the Moda Center. 
UP NEXT
Hawks: Visit the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night. 
Trail Blazers: Host the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. 
___

Trae Young scored 56 points, but the Atlanta Hawks fell to the Portland Trail Blazers, 131-136.

Trae Young scores NBA season-best 56 points, Hawks fall to Blazers

Nassir Little spoke to Alex Kennedy about his development, his breakout season, Neil Olshey's firing, Portland's struggles and more.

Q&A: Nassir Little on Blazers' struggles, his development, GM change

According to The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania, Detroit Pistons wing Jerami Grant is one of the NBA&rsquo;s most sought-after players in potential deals as February&rsquo;s trade deadline approaches. This shouldn&rsquo;t come as a surprise, even with Grant sidelined due to torn ligaments in his right thumb. Once Grant is fully healthy, which should be around February anyways, he can provide a huge boost to just about any team that's looking to compete this year.
Since taking on more of an expanded role with the Pistons, he has averaged 21.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 blocks per game on a respectable 55.2% True Shooting percentage. Presumably on a winning team in his next stop, Grant should slide back into the coveted-role-player spot he thrived in during his stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets.
Detroit is 4-21 this season, and No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham is beginning to blossom and showcase his superstar upside. With Grant&rsquo;s injury, now is the perfect time to let Cunningham spread his wings even further and recoup some assets for the Pistons&rsquo; best trade chip.
Charania mentioned many teams have been calling Detroit consistently about Grant, including the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers. So, which teams should be blowing up the Pistons&rsquo; phone lines trying to acquire a souped-up three-and-D wing who can fit like a glove on any roster? Let&rsquo;s examine some potential blockbusters revolving around Grant.&nbsp;
Utah Jazz
Excuse me, because the idea of a potential Rudy Gobert and Grant frontcourt pairing would be filthy for Utah. Immediately, this trade vaults the Jazz into the Western Conference&rsquo;s top tier of Finals contenders alongside the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns.
If the Jazz wanted to make an all-in Finals push, getting aggressive for Grant is the perfect scenario. Imagine them trotting out this starting lineup: Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic, Grant, Gobert. Wow, I can&rsquo;t stop thinking about how lethal that would be on top of their copious amounts of depth.
But how can the Jazz get into the Grant sweepstakes? Here&rsquo;s where it gets interesting.
Pistons receive: Royce O&rsquo;Neale, Joe Ingles, Jared Butler, draft compensation
Jazz receive: Jerami Grant
Detroit receives a culture-setter in O&rsquo;Neale, a young asset in Butler, plus some future draft capital. Ingles likely never suits up for the Pistons and either gets flipped or hits the buyout market to join another win-now contender.
In the end, Utah trades two fan favorites. However, the risk-reward ratio certainly leans heavily toward the latter. Grant in Utah is one of my favorite fits.
Washington Wizards
The Wizards are beginning to fall back down to Earth after their hot start to the season. With pressure building as Bradley Beal inches closer to unrestricted free agency this offseason, Washington could be a sleeper team to watch out for when it comes to making an aggressive move to appease their superstar.
Grant alongside Beal and Spencer Dinwiddie would be a lot of fun in D.C., but what&rsquo;s the cost? It won&rsquo;t be cheap for the Wizards, who would have to give up one of their top young assets in the process.
Pistons receive: Deni Avdija, Aaron Holiday, Thomas Bryant, draft compensation
Wizards receive: Jerami Grant
For a team in win-now mode, acquiring Grant makes a lot of sense for the Wizards. He would slide right into the starting lineup and provide two-way versatility they desperately need. Although giving up a prospect like Avdija is a tough pill to swallow, getting aggressive could be what seals the deal on Beal staying long-term in the nation&rsquo;s capital.
Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic is a superstar. Kristaps Porzingis is playing with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kristaps-porzingis-renewed-confidence-leading-to-resurgent-season-with-mavericks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confidence we haven&rsquo;t seen since his New York Knicks days</a>. However, the Mavericks are in desperate need of another reliable long-term piece. Grant would be such a fun fit alongside Doncic and Porzingis, providing exactly what they need as look to make noise in the Western Conference playoffs.
Detroit likely asks for a player like Jalen Brunson in return, but Dallas should be very wary of doing that. Brunson is earning himself a hefty pay raise as he moves toward restricted free agency, but he&rsquo;s more than worth that price after his recent stretch of excellent performances for Dallas. The Mavericks could still make an interesting offer, countering with the following package:
Pistons receive: Dwight Powell, Dorian Finney-Smith, Josh Green, draft compensation
Mavericks receive: Jerami Grant
Detroit nabs an intriguing prospect in Green on top of two ideal complementary pieces to go alongside Cunningham. Powell would be able to stretch the floor, plus Finney-Smith is a bulky wing who can add some defensive value.
Dallas would be such an interesting team if they were to get serious on chasing Grant as their third option behind Doncic and Porzingis.
Minnesota Timberwolves
For years, Minnesota has been missing a complementary frontcourt piece to pair with Karl-Anthony Towns&rsquo; elite offensive ceiling. Well, the answer could be poached on the open market with Grant.
Grant is the perfect piece to fit alongside Towns, Anthony Edwards and D&rsquo;Angelo Russell. On a solid contract that won&rsquo;t break the bank (although a long-term extension should soon be in the cards wherever he lands), Grant provides exactly what is missing in Minnesota.
However, the cost could be a gut punch to some Timberwolves fans who are enjoying the recent development of their young role players:
Pistons receive: Taurean Prince, Jaden McDaniels, Leandro Bolmaro
Timberwolves receive: Jerami Grant
As you can see, no draft compensation goes back to Detroit here because they receive arguably the two best young assets listed thus far in McDaniels and Bolmaro. Both would certainly fit Detroit's long-term plan of building around with Cunningham as their No. 1 option. Meanwhile, Minnesota gets a much-needed boost in terms of two-way versatility.
This feels like a true win-win scenario for both sides, another deal I absolutely love the more I look it over.
Sacramento Kings
The Kings are in desperation mode and seem like a strong candidate to shake things up sometime soon. Adding a piece like Grant would help alleviate some serious defensive concerns, plus add a true No. 2 scoring option alongside De&rsquo;Aaron Fox.
The question is, would the Kings&rsquo; likely offer be enough to entice Detroit?
Pistons receive: Marvin Bagley III, Tristan Thompson, draft compensation
Kings receive: Jerami Grant
There has been smoke billowing around a potential Bagley-to-Detroit deal for quite sometime. If the Pistons still wanted to explore that possibility, now could be the perfect time. The only way this package gets Sacramento into the final conversations is the draft picks. Would the Kings be willing to give up two future protected first-round picks to acquire Grant? If so, Detroit would certainly listen intently.
Detroit brings back the 2018 No. 2 overall on top of some eye-opening draft picks, which could become gold mines soon enough. Is this a trade that makes sense for both sides?
Portland Trail Blazers
Blazers superstar Damian Lillard is frustrated, and he&rsquo;s begging for more help. Portland is stuck in the bottom-end of playoff contenders with no real chance to climb the Western Conference rankings anytime soon. With one of the NBA&rsquo;s most inconsistent defenses, Grant would be a much-needed spark to place alongside Lillard and C.J. McCollum as a true third option.
The question is, what makes sense for Detroit in a potential return package for Grant? As mentioned, the interest around Grant is robust, so Detroit will demand a pretty compelling package in exchange for the 27-year-old. Perhaps this three-for-one swap could be compelling for both sides:
Pistons receive: Robert Covington, Nassir Little, C.J. Elleby, draft compensation
Blazers receive: Jerami Grant
Detroit lands an intriguing young asset in Little as well as some additional future draft capital. Who knows if Covington even plays for Detroit, but for including him is necessary for salary-matching purposes. I love this deal for the Blazers, and I bet Lillard would appreciate it as well.
Los Angeles Lakers
Somehow, the Lakers always make their way into discussions for any potential impact player. From the Pistons&rsquo; point of view, does Los Angeles even have enough to make an enticing offer for someone like Grant? I would say it&rsquo;s doubtful, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean the Lakers won&rsquo;t try.
The Lakers&rsquo; best trade asset at this point is Talen Horton-Tucker, who signed a three-year extension this past offseason. THT is their lone remaining young asset as well, so he would certainly need to be included in a deal for Grant. Horton-Tucker is an intriguing fit to think about alongside Cunningham in Detroit, but does it really move the needle for the Pistons' front office? Unless the Lakers toss in some serious draft assets, the Pistons likely hang up the phone and look elsewhere without hesitation.
For Los Angeles, this is probably the best offer they can come up with in this scenario:
Pistons receive: Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn, Rajon Rondo, draft compensation
Lakers receive: Jerami Grant
So, it&rsquo;s really a package built around THT and a little draft capital. Rondo would immediately get bought out, and Nunn wouldn&rsquo;t be in the Pistons&rsquo; rotation. This trade feels very one-sided, which makes a Lakers offer very low on the potential totem pole. Since Charania did mention the Lakers&rsquo; interest, though, it&rsquo;s intriguing to see what they could actually offer.
***
Every team in the NBA could use a player like Grant, who provides endless amounts of versatility and winning qualities. After proving he can handle an expanded role in Detroit, Grant&rsquo;s price has increased significantly.
Stay tuned for the latest on the Grant situation, plus what should be a very explosive trade deadline. Also, check out recent articles breaking down potential trade destinations for <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-ben-simmons-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Simmons</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/exploring-trade-destinations-for-domantas-sabonis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Domantas Sabonis</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-myles-turner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Myles Turner</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-caris-levert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caris LeVert</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/finding-the-perfect-team-and-deal-for-terrence-ross" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Terrence Ross</a>.

As trade winds begin to pick up around the NBA, Jerami Grant is a hot commodity. Which teams make sense as a landing spot?

Examining potential trade destinations for Jerami Grant

After months of speculation, we are finally (hopefully) approaching the finish line of the Ben Simmons saga.
According to ESPN&rsquo;s <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1469418952136835085" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe</a>, the Philadelphia 76ers are garnering much more interest in potential two- or three-team deals involving Simmons as more than 85% of the NBA&rsquo;s players will be eligible to trade next week.
Before the Association&rsquo;s biggest domino falls, which teams make sense as a landing spot for the 25-year-old three-time All-Star? Will Simmons flourish elsewhere in a bigger role?
The Simmons-Sixers situation could truly end up being a win-win scenario for both sides, so let&rsquo;s examine some potential trades that make sense for the disgruntled point-forward.
SACRAMENTO KINGS
The pressure is on for Sacramento to finally field a winning team and snap their 15-year playoff drought. Since the offseason, we've suggested that the Kings finally push their chips into the middle of the table and make an aggressive win-now move.
Simmons would be the perfect piece to fit into their puzzle alongside De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. The Kings&rsquo; backcourt duo had a positive net rating last season, and adding Simmons to the mix gives them a very fun playmaking trio that can play off one another.
Playing the four alongside Richaun Holmes provides little spacing, but Simmons could become the de-facto primary ball-handler with Fox and Haliburton providing spacing around the perimeter. A potential starting unit featuring Fox, Haliburton, Harrison Barnes, Simmons and Richaun Holmes could hold up on both ends of the court.
However, Philadelphia continues to hold out hope that they'll get a top-25 player in return for Simmons. Would Sacramento feel comfortable saying goodbye to Fox, who just signed a five-year rookie-scale max extension? Philadelphia has been reluctant to discuss deals with Sacramento unless it includes Fox. With Haliburton and Davion Mitchell as their last two lottery picks, maybe Kings GM Monte McNair will shake things up in a major manner? Let&rsquo;s start our first scenario with a league-altering blockbuster:
Philadelphia receives: De&rsquo;Aaron Fox
Sacramento receives: Ben Simmons
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
In a similar position as Sacramento, Minnesota could rise in the Western Conference standings if they make the right move. Karl-Anthony Towns is a bonafide superstar, while <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-high-can-anthony-edwards-fly-examining-the-20yearolds-ceiling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anthony Edwards has great potential</a>. Adding Simmons to the Timberwolves&rsquo; lineup would make them a more well-rounded team.
The question is, would Minnesota pull the trigger on trading Towns&rsquo; good friend D&rsquo;Angelo Russell? If so, Minnesota&rsquo;s new Big 3 would be outstanding.
Imagine the endless possibilities with Simmons flanking Towns and Edwards. The Wolves&rsquo; primary scoring duo could still have their way offensively, but Simmons would be the glue holding everything together from a playmaking and defensive standpoint.
Philadelphia receives: D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Jaden McDaniels, Leandro Bolmaro, future first-round pick
Minnesota receives: Ben Simmons
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
San Antonio has been surprisingly competitive this season. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich really has this intriguing young core humming, and they&rsquo;re one big move away from potentially making some noise in the Western Conference.
An interesting note to report from <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/secrets-out-pop-at-last-is-happy?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIjo0NTIzMzI4OSwiXyI6Im1ldEtUIiwiaWF0IjoxNjM5MDc1MzYxLCJleHAiOjE2MzkwNzg5NjEsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0zOTIyMDUiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.5ZGjmeTrbYxMRpsZwDxBziBlrMR23PwdZ73k5hs2118" target="_blank" rel="noopener">longtime NBA insider Marc Stein</a> is that Simmons would welcome a trade to San Antonio. Also, Popovich would love to coach a player like Simmons. This sounds like a perfect marriage on paper, so let&rsquo;s make it happen.
San Antonio can offer Philadelphia a very enticing package of young prospects and picks. It may not fit the &ldquo;top-25 player&rdquo; criteria that Sixers GM Daryl Morey is hoping for, but it could get pretty close. The Spurs have a number of really attractive assets, but it remains to be seen how many they'd be willing to move.
San Antonio has a strong ecosystem in which Simmons could rebuild his value. Surrounded by plus role players who thrive within San Antonio&rsquo;s system, Simmons can reach his ceiling in a role where everything is built around his strengths.
Philadelphia receives: Derrick White, Keldon Johnson, Thaddeus Young, draft compensation
San Antonio receives: Ben Simmons
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
One team that has finally built around their star the right way is Washington, as they've surrounded Bradley Beal with a competent roster. However, Beal is in the final year of his deal.
Would Simmons work well alongside Beal? That&rsquo;s a legitimate concern, but making this deal is a home-run swing that could be necessary for Beal to commit long-term in the nation&rsquo;s capital.
Simmons and Beal flanked by shooters and prospects would give Washington a nice foundation for Wizards GM Tommy Shepard to build around for the next five-plus years.
Philadelphia receives: Davis Bertans, Kyle Kuzma, Deni Avdija, two future first-round picks
Washington receives: Ben Simmons
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
TORONTO RAPTORS
Another team that's facing a fork in the road with their current roster, Toronto has to decide what to do with Pascal Siakam. Over the offseason, there were reports that Siakam could be available. Will Toronto keep Siakam around with their young core or flip him for more long-term value?
If the Raptors want to offload Siakam and make an aggressive win-now push, enter Simmons.
A potential lineup of Simmons alongside Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes and Precious Achiuwa sounds like something Toronto would love to try.
This could be a win-win deal for both sides as they begin new eras for their respective organizations. Siakam and Embiid is a terrifying frontcourt for Philadelphia, and the duo would allow Tobias Harris to slide back to the small forward position. Meanwhile, Toronto brings Simmons aboard as their new face of the franchise with a solid young nucleus surrounding him.
Philadelphia receives: Pascal Siakam
Toronto receives: Ben Simmons
INDIANA PACERS
No surprise, Indiana is another team that could be staring down the barrel of important, franchise-altering decisions within a year. The Pacers have a very good, balanced roster that&rsquo;s been plagued by injuries over the last few seasons. T.J. Warren, who broke out in a huge way during the Orlando Bubble, only played four games during the 2019-20 campaign. Caris LeVert missed time due to a cancerous tumor that was discovered after the James Harden trade. Myles Turner and Malcolm Brogdon continue to miss time here and there due to various injuries as well.
The Pacers are about to blow everything up, though (and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-must-accept-new-reality-and-become-sellers-at-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">it's long overdue</a>). Indiana is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-caris-levert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">likely to move Caris LeVert</a> with Chris Duarte&rsquo;s fast emergence, plus one of their two bigs: <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/exploring-trade-destinations-for-domantas-sabonis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Domantas Sabonis</a> or <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-myles-turner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Myles Turner</a>.&nbsp;
Indiana sniffed around Simmons' availability last offseason too. Since it's tough to pitch top free agents on coming to Indianapolis, making an aggressive trade might be the only way to land their star.
Although one of Turner or Sabonis would need to be moved to a third team in this hypothetical scenario, especially to meet Philadelphia's asking price for Simmons, Indiana going star hunting could be the necessary tweak to change their long-term fortunes.
Philadelphia receives: Caris LeVert, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, two future first-round picks (plus more from a third team)
Indiana receives: Ben Simmons
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
The Blazers are stuck in the middle, which is the worst place to be. With that being said, it&rsquo;s time to finally break up the Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum backcourt. Portland needs to finally make an aggressive push in order to put the right pieces around Lillard and turn this team into a contender.
A deal revolving around Simmons and McCollum makes sense for both parties. McCollum can function as a score-first combo guard who can play well off of Embiid, while Simmons provides a beautiful blend of playmaking and defense alongside Lillard.&nbsp;
McCollum recently suffered a collapsed lung, which could complicate things. Prior to the injury, he followed all of the Sixers on social media and <a href="https://theathletic.com/3002581/2021/12/07/inside-the-mind-of-cj-mccollum-a-conversation-and-a-text-message-show-the-blazers-guards-current-struggle/?source=emp_shared_article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all but said goodbye</a> to Portland and the fan base, so it remains to be seen what the future holds for McCollum.
Philadelphia receives: C.J. McCollum, Nassir Little, two future first-round picks
Portland receives: Ben Simmons
Simmons' future is the biggest storyline around the NBA. Odds are, he'll be moved to the highest bidder before February&rsquo;s trade deadline. Perhaps it'll end up being one of the aforementioned teams.

The Ben Simmons saga could soon be coming to an end. Which teams around the NBA would make sense for a Simmons trade?

Examining 7 potential trade destinations for Ben Simmons

With a spate of injuries, a series of disheartening losses, trade rumors galore and front office upheaval, the Portland Trail Blazers are having a stormy start to the season.
But rookie coach Chauncey Billups is nonetheless optimistic about the future and fostering a hard-working &mdash; and winning &mdash; culture.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s all I ever did as a player: I just came to work with my lunch pail and played my butt off. Sometimes you won, sometimes you didn&rsquo;t, but you could live with the results,&rdquo; Billups said. &ldquo;And I just think as an organization, that&rsquo;s what we want from all of our employees. So I&rsquo;m excited, I really am.&rdquo;
Billups, acting general manager Joe Cronin, and Dewayne Hankins, the team's president of business operations, spoke Thursday at a roundtable of sorts with members of the media.
It was the first time Cronin and Hankins met with reporters since recently being appointed to new positions. The tone was a marked contrast to recent news conferences, which at times seemed combative. The Blazers even emphasized that the event was a discussion.
Billups, whose playing career spanned 17 seasons, is in his first year as Portland's coach. His only prior NBA coaching experience was as an assistant last season with the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Blazers are 11-15 and riding a four-game losing streak. They've won just once on the road this season.
And recently they've been beset by injuries, notably to All-Star guard Damian Lillard, who has missed five games with lower abdominal tendinopathy,
The team is also missing Lillard's backcourt running mate, CJ McCollum, who was diagnosed with a collapsed lung after getting hurt last weekend in a game against the Boston Celtics.
Other players dealing with injuries include Nassir Little, who is day-to-day with a left ankle sprain, and Anfernee Simons, out with a right ankle sprain.
While Lillard has watched from the bench in street clothes, rumors have swirled about his future with the team. He addressed them before Wednesday night's road loss to the Golden State Warriors and said he has not asked for a trade.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s gotten to the point in this era that people can write stories and say things and, &lsquo;I heard this and I heard that,&rsquo; and because of who they are, people take it as like, this is credible, this is probably true,&rdquo; Lillard told reporters. &ldquo;Me, on the other hand, I don&rsquo;t feel like I have to defend myself against that and come out and challenge everything that people say until I&rsquo;m asked about it, because I know the truth.&rdquo;
Hankins took over for Blazers president and CEO Chris McGowan, who stepped down last month after nine years in the position.
Cronin replaced former Blazers president and general manager Neil Olshey, who was dismissed last week for violating the team's code of conduct. The Blazers had hired an outside firm last month to investigate workplace environment concerns.
Cronin, considered adept at navigating the salary cap, has a difficult role: The Blazers are some $3 million over the luxury tax threshold. A splashy trade for a big name would be a challenge. Instead, the Blazers are more likely to look at deals that shed salaries.
"It&rsquo;s been kind of a unique year so far for us, but we&rsquo;re committed to being aggressive, to being willing to take on risks, to being creative and forward thinking," Cronin said. &ldquo;Chauncey and I, we talk a lot about what it takes to win and what we believe winning basketball looks like and I think we&rsquo;re super aligned in what type of product and what type of team we need to have in order to reach the levels that we&rsquo;re trying to reach.&rdquo;
Cronin said he's met with the players, including Lillard and McCollum, to discuss the team and get feedback. Even though he's carrying the interim tag, Cronin has been given the green light to strike deals, but they have to be right for the team.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not afraid to do something if we need to, and we&rsquo;ll do whatever we need to in order to take us to this next step. But I do want to be patient, and I don&rsquo;t want to panic about losing a few in a row or hitting a little rough patch," Cronin said. "We want to have a bigger picture in mind.&rdquo;

Despite a tough start, Chauncey Billups is optimistic about the Blazers future and fostering a hard-working — winning — culture.