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Thunder

The 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament has solidified its Round of 32 teams, with traditional powerhouses Duke and the University of Connecticut (UConn) advancing after their first-round victories.​
Duke University, led by standout freshman Cooper Flagg, showcased their dominance with a commanding 93-49 win over Mount Saint Mary's. Flagg's impressive performance, contributing significantly on both ends of the court, underscores his pivotal role in Duke's championship aspirations. The projected no.1 overall pick in this year's NBA draft had 14 points on 6/12 shooting, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks in just 22 minutes of play.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, the defending national champions, UConn Huskies, continued their quest for a third consecutive title by defeating Oklahoma 67-59. Their experience and resilience were evident as they navigated a challenging matchup to secure their spot in the next round.
Notably, for the first time since 1975, only one ACC team, Duke, has advanced to the Round of 32. This development highlights the evolving landscape of college basketball and the increasing competitiveness across all conferences.
Here's a comprehensive rundown of the teams that advanced to the Round of 32:​
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Florida defeated Norfolk State 95-69​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Michigan State overcame Bryant 87-62​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Kentucky beat Troy 76-57</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Arizona triumphed over Akron 93-65​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Oregon won against Liberty 81-52​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ole Miss edged out North Carolina 71-64​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Illinois secured a victory over Xavier 86-73​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">New Mexico upset Marquette 75-66​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">UConn defeated Oklahoma 67-59​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Maryland dominated Grand Canyon 81-49​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Baylor narrowly beat Mississippi State 75-72​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Alabama overcame Robert Morris 90-81</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Iowa State routed Lipscomb 82-55</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Colorado State upset Memphis 78-70</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Duke dominated Mount Saint Mary's 93-49​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Saint Mary's edged Vanderbilt 59-55​</li>
</ul>
These results set the stage for an exciting Round of 32, with matchups that promise thrilling basketball action as teams vie for a coveted spot in the Sweet 16.​
As March Madness progresses, fans eagerly anticipate the upcoming matchups, with both Duke and UConn poised to make deep runs in the tournament.​

The 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament has solidified its Round of 32 teams with Duke and UConn leading the way.

March Madness 2025: Round of 32 set as Flagg’s Duke, defending champs UConn lead the way

In the single most stunning and shocking trade in NBA history, the Los Angeles Lakers have traded away Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic.
As first broken out by ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, the Lakers are sending away Davis, Max Christie, and their 2029 1st round pick to the Mavericks in exchange for Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris. The Utah Jazz swooped in as a third team in the blockbuster mega deal, securing the Lakers&rsquo; Jalen Hood-Schifino, a 2025 Clippers 2nd round pick, and a 2025 Mavericks 2nd round pick.
ANALYSIS: The move brought shockwaves to the entire NBA world, drawing several reactions from players and media alike.
There has never been a trade of this magnitude, with a generational offensive talent being traded out in his prime. Doncic, who is just 25 years old, has made 5 All-NBA first teams and has been arguably a top 5 player in the league for the past 2 seasons.&nbsp;
What&rsquo;s even more surprising is this came out of the blue without anyone knowing except the Lakers and the Mavericks&rsquo; front offices. There have been reports of the Mavericks&rsquo; concern of Luka&rsquo;s conditioning and his impending supermax extension worth $345 million. Dallas GM Nico Harrison has also stated &ldquo;defense wins championships&rdquo; and that they believe that the 31-year-old Davis who is a defensive caliber player and an all-star will lead them and establish their identity as a defensive team. The Mavericks clearly made this move in a win-now scenario as they believe Davis, star Kyrie Irving along with their role players can help the team win a title despite giving up a superstar of Doncic&rsquo;s caliber.
For the Lakers, this is a move to shore up their future for the impending retirement of LeBron James. The now 40-year-old superstar, despite still playing at a high level, is nearing his retirement, and snagging a superstar like Doncic in his prime was too good to pass up. LA will now have another superstar next in line to carry the torch for the legendary franchise, which saw Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, and James to bear the gold and purple threads.

In the single most stunning and shocking trade in NBA history, the Lakers have traded Anthony Davis to the Mavericks for Luka Doncic.

Lakers trade Anthony Davis to Mavericks for Luka Doncic in blockbuster mega deal

The 2024 NBA Free Agency underway. Here's everything you need to know about the makings and the moves around the NBA.

2024 NBA Free Agency Tracker: All the signings and deals in the offseason

The Cleveland Cavaliers are signing free agent forward Marcus Morris to a 10-day contract, <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1769170205916516781?s=20">according to The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania.</a>
The 6-foot-9 forward started this season with the Los Angeles Clippers but eventually got traded to the Philadelphia 76ers and San Antonio Spurs. However, Morris did not play a game for the Spurs and reportedly agreed to a contract buyout, paving the way for him to sign with the Cavs.
Cleveland, the current third seed in the Eastern Conference with a 42-25 record, adds Morris to shore up their frontcourt rotation. Starting forward Evan Mobley has been out since March 12 due to a foot injury, while forwards Max Strus and Dean Wade have also been dealing with injuries.
According to Charania, Morris is expected to be available for Monday's game against the Indiana Pacers and he will be playoff-eligible.
Over his 14-year NBA career, Morris has averaged 12 points a game while shooting over 37% from three. The 34-year-old will provide a veteran presence while adding scoring and shooting to a young and contending Cavaliers team.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are signing free agent forward Marcus Morris to a 10-day contract.

Cleveland Cavaliers to sign forward Marcus Morris

The Philadelphia 76ers are acquiring Buddy Hield from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Furkan Korkmaz, Marcus Morris and three second-round picks, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.
The Sixers, desperately in need of shooting, got their guy hours before the trade deadline. Hield is averaging 12 points per game on 38.4% shooting from three-point range. Philadelphia is currently ranked 29th in the NBA in three-point attempts this season, ahead of only the Detroit Pistons. Hield is a high-volume three-point shooter who will immediately play a key role on the depleted Sixers.&nbsp;
The Sixers sent away Korkmaz, who has been on the team for his entire career but has requested multiple trades throughout his stint in Philly. Averaging just over eight minutes per game, he hasn't had much of a role on the Sixers.&nbsp;
Philly also shipped off Morris, who was recently acquired by Philadelphia in the James Harden trade. He had some significant moments in his short stint with Philadelphia. Morris told Basketball News how incredible it was to play in Philly, and it&rsquo;s clear he&rsquo;ll never forget that experience.&nbsp;
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I asked Marcus Morris what being back in Philly meant to him, especially on a night like tonight. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been an eagles fan my whole life. Been a Sixers fan my whole life. Being able to put that jersey on, it&rsquo;s not for forever, I&rsquo;m happy to be able to say i did it.&rdquo; <a href="https://t.co/2xdWkuG1ge">pic.twitter.com/2xdWkuG1ge</a>
&mdash; Hunter Simpson (@SimpsonOnSixers) <a href="https://twitter.com/SimpsonOnSixers/status/1735872307359268961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2023</a></blockquote>

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All things considered, the Sixers didn&rsquo;t send out much to get Hield and they still have a lot of assets to use elsewhere. Multiple reports have indicated that the Sixers will be aggressive at the deadline, so they may not be done wheeling and dealing.
For the Pacers, they get three second-round picks back for Hield, who was in the final year of his contract and expected to walk in free agency if they didn't trade him.

The 76ers are acquiring Buddy Hield from the Pacers in exchange for Furkan Korkmaz, Marcus Morris and three second-round picks.

Sixers acquire Buddy Hield from Pacers for 3 second-round picks

Following a slow start to this season, the Los Angeles Clippers have had an incredible turnaround.
 Immediately after acquiring star guard James Harden, the Clippers lost seven of 10 games, leading to some questions about Harden's fit and whether the team could right the ship.
However, since Harden&rsquo;s infamous &ldquo;give us 10 games and we&rsquo;ll figure it out&rdquo; statement, the Clippers have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA. They have the best record in the NBA since Dec. 1, and they have won 15 of their last 18 games and 20 of their last 26.&nbsp;
Los Angeles has the fourth-best record in the Western Conference (23-13), while boasting the NBA's seventh-best offense (scoring 116 points per 100 possessions) and ninth-best defense (allowing 110.4 points per 100 possessions).
The Clippers have been rolling as of late, and here are several reasons for their recent success.
Kawhi Leonard is healthy again and having an MVP-caliber season
The Clippers&rsquo; undisputed best player is currently having his healthiest season in years, playing 31-of-35 possible games. Leonard is currently shooting a career-best 52% from the field and is the biggest reason for Los Angeles' surge. The Clippers have registered 12-straight wins with Leonard in the lineup, and he ranks 10th in the league in scoring over that stretch. Leonard's numbers &ndash; 28.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists &ndash; are impressive, and he recently became the first player in NBA history to shoot 60% from the field, 50% from three-point range and 90% from the free-throw line over a 13-game span &ndash; an astounding demonstration of his dominance and efficiency this season.
Paul George is playing as a second &lsquo;Batman&rsquo; rather than being a &lsquo;Robin&rsquo;
Rather than being Robin to Leonard&rsquo;s Batman, Paul George has proven he&rsquo;s more than just a second fiddle this season. The 6-foot-9 forward has a solid All-Star case so far, averaging 23.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.4 threes and 1.6 steals, while shooting 45.8% from the field, 40.8% from three-point range and 92.4% from the free-throw line. George has taken it upon himself to carry more of the offensive load thus far even when Leonard is playing, scoring at least 20 points in nine-straight outings. This aggressive approach has done wonders for the Clippers.
James Harden is playing efficiently and making sacrifices
With the Clippers, James Harden isn't in a primary-scorer role. Although his resume speaks for itself, the 10-time All-Star and three-time scoring champ has deferred the scoring duties to Leonard and George. Instead, Harden&rsquo;s main job is to distribute the ball and keep the offense running, which makes scoring a secondary goal at this stage of his career. Also, he's constantly finding center Ivica Zubac for lob opportunities and even Norman Powell off catch-and-shoot actions.
This has led to one of Harden's most efficient seasons, as he's shooting a career-best 42% from three and a True Shooting percentage of 65%. Harden has been at his best when he's playing alongside the Clippers&rsquo; All-Star forwards, as the three-man lineup of Harden, Leonard and George has a net efficiency rating of plus-17.8 and has outscored opponents by 143 points.
Furthermore, the trio ranks first among the NBA's three-man lineups in several different categories including net rating (25.6), offensive rating (131.7), defensive rating (106), three-point percentage (43%), True Shooting percentage (65%) and turnovers (10.6).
Tyronn Lue finally playing bigs and shying away from center-less lineups
But perhaps the biggest difference between this year&rsquo;s Clippers and previous versions of the team might be Tyronn Lue finally playing his centers and using them to their full extent. His usual obsession with small-ball lineups &mdash; with wings at the 4 and 5 spots &mdash; has been non-existent this season, particularly since the team moved Nicolas Batum and Marcus Morris as part of the trade that netted Harden.
In previous seasons, Lue would close out games with Batum at the 5, or even at times playing George or Leonard there (which was kind of outrageous). Now, he utilizes his centers much better. On offense, Harden uses Zubac as a roller and rim threat for lobs, with Zubac catching and finishing easy buckets. Also, Russell Westbrook has good chemistry with backup center Daniel Theis in the second unit. Defensively, the Clippers no longer have a size disadvantage that leads to offensive rebounds by opposing players, as Zubac and incoming Mason Plumlee command minutes and bring physicality.
Using bigs has certainly changed the way Los Angeles plays. Everything seems to be going right for the Clippers, who will try to continue their strong play and contend for a championship.

The Los Angeles Clippers have been rolling as of late and Anthony Valmoria breaks down several reasons for their recent success.

The Los Angeles Clippers are rolling, and here are 4 reasons why

This article was originally published on BasketballNews on July 20, 2022.
Impact Basketball's facility sits inside an unassuming section of an unassuming plaza on Dean Martin Drive in Las Vegas.
The gym contains two light-colored hardwood basketball courts with a small scoreboard, a weightlifting area, a makeshift stretching room, a kitchenette for meals and snacks and a small office. It's no place for vanities. The only flexes are the dozens of white banners hanging on the right wall, listing names upon names of distinguished players who have come through during the gym's 25 years of existence.
Among those players: Kevin Garnett, Kawhi Leonard, Chauncey Billups, Kyle Lowry, Kelsey Plum, Tayshaun Prince, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Haliburton, DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, Al Harrington, Kristaps Porzingis, Nassir Little, Saddiq Bey and Ziaire Williams.&nbsp;
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Kevin Garnett stopped by <a href="https://twitter.com/impactbball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@impactbball</a> and offered some advice to Blazers guard Keon Johnson, Mavericks wing Josh Green and 16-year-old prospect Dayan Nessah.<a href="https://twitter.com/Joe_Abunassar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Joe_Abunassar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinGarnett5KG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KevinGarnett5KG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/iamkeonjohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iamkeonjohnson</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshBGreen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoshBGreen</a> <a href="https://t.co/fwRjAM2WHJ">pic.twitter.com/fwRjAM2WHJ</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1548046089877524482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Impact Basketball, founded by trainer Joe Abunassar in 1997, has a reputation for its star-studded, closed-door pickup games that take place during the NBA offseason. In the spring, it's also where some of the top NBA Draft hopefuls join Abunassar's pre-draft "boot camp" and commit themselves to an intricate world of sports training and nutrition.
The timeline is simple: arrive by April, revamp your training lifestyle and find your professional pathway &mdash; either via the NBA Draft, an undrafted free-agent deal or another contract &mdash; afterwards. The work is not flashy, isn't always fun and, if you want to stick as a pro, never ends.
But the results can change lives.
"It's not about W's or L's, it's about M's &mdash; M's being millions of dollars," said Isaac Mourier, Impact's Director of Performance Nutrition and Sport Science. "Once you say that to a guy like that, that's all they need in terms of motivation."
Mourier is a key cog in Impact's program. He's from the United Kingdom and played professional basketball in England and Germany before starting his own sports nutrition consulting business. Mourier has worked for the University of Georgia and Sacramento Kings as a nutritionist and consultant, and joined Impact in 2020 during the spring.
During his two-and-a-half years and three draft cycles with the company, Mourier has filled his laptop with infographics and progress charts for Impact athletes. They include individualized goals for each player; an example involves raising one prospect's weight by 20 pounds, lowering his body fat by 2%, increasing his bench press weight by 50 pounds and adding two inches to his vertical.
Mourier feels privileged to work with athletes at this stage of their careers. To him, the noise of team ecosystems and outside expectations all fade away. He can clearly define goals, and players know exactly what success will look like.
"This is the first time, maybe ever in their life, where they have a team of people that are only worried about them," he said. "Now, I'm just trying to get you to the NBA and keep you there. I don't care whether you win or lose games right now. This is you. All the focus is on you."
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Boot camp begins as soon as players are done with their respective prior seasons. They arrive at Impact and take part in comprehensive body testing to establish a full physical profile. The technology includes a bioelectrical impedence analysis that uses electrical currents to scan body composition. Sweat patches can read how much sodium athletes need in their system.
Variables such as blood work, stress hormone levels, nutrient deficienies, pre-workout hydration levels and post-workout hydration levels, body composition and body fat percentages all help establish a baseline of strengths and needs.
From there, each prospect receives an individualized growth roadmap. Skill development makes up one component. Players often train together in small groups, but they receive specific plans that prepare them for team pre-draft workouts and the NBA level.
"We're looking and analyzing and making assessments on the court; if guys are getting bumped off their cuts, if guys don't have enough lower-body power in their jump shot and guys seem like they need to get stronger, if guys aren't fast enough, [we'll consider], 'Okay, what do we need to do in the weight room or from a nutrition standpoint to correct that?'" Abunassar told Basketball News. "So, that's why every guy has his own program, because every guy has different goals."
Hydration and dieting are also central pieces. Mourier oversees the implementation of dietary plans through Impact's local chef connections, and says he outlines each meal, snack and supplement. Along the way are regular check-ins on body metrics, sleep schedules, mood and motivation among other factors. Mourier estimated that about 20-to-25 Impact staffers are involved with a player's development.&nbsp;
But Mourier repeatedly emphasized that the technology, food and workouts aren't what takes players to the Association. One of his most important jobs is reframing their habits and instilling discipline toward health.
"When an athlete gets to the elite level with bad habits, it's, 'Well, I'm already one of the best in the world at what I do, so why would I change?' So it's changing that mindset, and then when we've done that, it's about understanding that doing small things consistently is what gets us the results, as opposed to trying to do extreme things," Mourier said.
"The way that the structure of basketball [is] from AAU to college to the pros, a lot of the power is in the athlete's hands, where it's almost like, 'Who are you to tell me what to do?' So I think one of the main things that we have to do is cut through that barrier. And again, when our goals are the same as theirs, it becomes a little bit easier. But again, it's, 'Well, you've gotten to this level despite your bad habits. How good could you be if we instill some good habits?'"
Good habits, however, can be inconvenient and awkward. For NBA players to maintain their places in the league, they have to stick with those routines well past a pre-draft boot camp.
Dallas Mavericks wing Josh Green joined Impact's program ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft cycle. He's still entrenched with Impact today, and has been working out in Las Vegas this offseason. Part of his nutrition plan includes avoiding butter, which can be a particular hurdle when eating out at restaurants.
"I have to be the guy who requests light virgin oil, whatever it is," Green told Basketball News. "I think that's the hardest part about it. I'm about to go to Australia for three weeks, and all I'm gonna want to do is eat all the food, but I'm gonna have to stay disciplined. I want to have a big year, so my goal is focusing right now, but just taking it one day at a time."
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👀 <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshBGreen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoshBGreen</a> <a href="https://t.co/pX0fkZzCBZ">pic.twitter.com/pX0fkZzCBZ</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1547655829431525383?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Green said he started prioritizing nutrition after his second shoulder surgery in April 2019. Since joining Impact, Green has been floored by how much nourishment the human body loses during workouts. He has an app that lays out meal calories and hydration plans, and his goal this offseason is to skip carbohydrates, even from snacks like a simple bag of chips.
"When you're young, whatever you see in front of you is what you want," Green said. "I [was] able to start here early and realize, if I want to play ball for a while, it's important to put the right things in my body and stay healthy. It's the same thing as seeing your physical therapist and getting treatment, if not more important for your body."
Abunassar has a plethora of stories about players who embraced the importance of nutrition at the pro level. Garnett has talked about taping his meal-plan menus on the cabinets of his Minnesota home.&nbsp; Lowry, Haliburton and Serge Ibaka are examples of guys who transformed their bodies under Impact's guidance too.
Gym time and workouts are obviously valuable, but to Abunassar, nutrition is what sparks physical development.
"The nutrition is really the basis of body change &mdash; for anybody, not even just for a basketball player," Abunassar said. "You can go to the gym every day, but if you're eating cheeseburgers and fries, you're just not going to lose weight."
Mourier has his own trail of success stories. He's worked with dozens of players, including Haliburton and Green. Zeke Nnaji, another 2020 draftee, was an especially interesting case as the only plant-based-dieting prospect Mourier has guided at Impact.
Mourier does not advise athletes to follow a plant-based diet solely for performance. However, Nnaji had chosen to be a vegan for ethical reasons, which Mourier respected, and the two worked together to create a nutrition plan despite the constraints. One of Nnaji's pre-draft goals was to add muscle, and he succeeded with rigorous attention to detail.
"He gained 20 pounds and everyone was like, 'Who the hell is this?'" Mourier said. "So that was really good, just being tactful with the timing and quantities of that stuff. And [Nnaji] was really diligent with it. He nailed every single aspect of it down to the gram... He was a really easy one. I really can't take credit for all that stuff. I just put the blueprint down and he just rolled with it."
This year, Impact has worked with several 2022 draft prospects, including MarJon Beauchamp, Blake Wesley and Michael Foster Jr. among others.&nbsp;
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San Antonio Spurs rookie Blake Wesley (<a href="https://twitter.com/blakewesley0?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@blakewesley0</a>) working out at <a href="https://twitter.com/impactbball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@impactbball</a>: <a href="https://t.co/9lfkFikWsP">pic.twitter.com/9lfkFikWsP</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1547643918904217604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Wesley has been an Impact athlete since he was 17, meeting Abunassar for the first time as a junior in high school. Wesley would come in occasionally for workouts, staying on the far court and watching as NBA players like Leonard and Paul George would get their reps in. He returned in offseasons and locked in for his own pre-draft boot camp.
Mourier praised the Spurs rookie for his attention to detail regarding nutrition. Wesley frequently FaceTimed Mourier while at restaurants and stores, and asked questions about what he should eat. He's also a staunch advocate of Herbalife's CR7 Drive sports drink mix, and even has an endorsement deal with Herbalife.
As part of his pre-draft plan to put on weight, Welsey would cook three eggs, plus have oatmeal, milk and orange juice for breakfast.
"[Changing my nutrition] helped my body a lot," Wesley told Basketball News over the phone. "I kept doing this, so I kept getting better on the court and did everything good on the court. So yeah, my nutrition helped me a lot."
The result: Wesley turned himself from a relatively unheralded four-star recruit into Notre Dame's first one-and-done player &mdash; then bulked up to 190 pounds in the spring and became a first-round NBA draft pick.
"I met [Wesley] a year ago, before he went to Notre Dame, and his transformation from then to the start of the pre-draft [process] to now &mdash; it's phenomenal," Mourier said.
The next challenge is to maintain discipline once that contract gets signed.&nbsp;
"You gotta stay focused; the NBA is totally different from college," Wesley said. "I mean, you're getting paid, you got a high profile [and] a lot of people are watching you &mdash; &nbsp;watching how you move, who you hang out with, stuff like that. So it's a whole different lifestyle."
Abunassar, Mourier and the Impact staff are hands-on with their players during the offseason and pre-draft process. But what happens when those players head back to their respective NBA franchises?
"For the most part, from a strength-and-conditioning standpoint [and] from a player development standpoint, the NBA teams have stuff really dialed in," Mourier said. "From a nutrition standpoint, for the most part, they do not."
Mourier estimated that there are only six full-time nutritionists and dietitians in the entire NBA. The Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA) lists <a href="https://sportsrd.org/career-development/full-time-sports-rds-working-with-usas-top-institutions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nine full-time registered dietitians.</a> Mourier said that teams often have physicians and trainers covering several responsibilites, including nutrition, due to budget restrictions and front-office priorities. This means some athletes, specifically reserve players, receive less health guidance.
"We're kind of the ones who are the last for the front office to see the value in it, so a lot of times we're really just a check-box," Mourier said. "So especially for those lower-order guys that are maybe No. 7, 8, 9, 10, all the way through to 15 on the roster, they're not really receiving any support at all. They're receiving provision. They're receiving meals and supplements. But in terms of education and behavior change, they're really not receiving it."
Over the last 25 years, Abunassar has seen sports nutrition dramatically change, with data and technology more interwoven into practice than ever. He thinks there are positives and pitfalls to the advancements.
"From a nutrition standpoint and strength-and-conditioning standpoint, it's clearly useful information to help prevent injury, to increase lean body mass, etc.," he said. "All of the technology that has come out has been very helpful for us, but you do have to watch that you don't get too reliant on it. Sometimes, you gotta watch the games and see how guys move and that kind of thing. But a combination of the two is very effective."
Impact Basketball is one progressive frontrunner in the field of sports science, but Mourier emphasized that, at this point, all basketball pros should be setting themselves up for success with some sort of offseason developmental map. Pre-draft prospects especially cannot afford to lose that critical period before team workouts to maximize their appeal.
"It's like doing the SAT without looking at the study guide," Mourier said "...I think it's definitely a standard. There's people doing this all over the country, really. Nobody does it like us, and nobody's been doing it for as long as us, but people are seeing the value."

A behind-the-scenes look at how Impact Basketball helps players realize their full potential by focusing on their training and nutrition.

How sports nutrition and biometrics are evolving NBA training

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

NBA Central Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

After months of scrolling through countless Damian Lillard trade rumors, the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bucks-shock-nba-world-by-acquiring-damian-lillard-in-blockbuster-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news finally broke</a> on Wednesday afternoon that the Portland Trail Blazers' long-time franchise cornerstone was headed to the Milwaukee Bucks. In one of the more surprising blockbuster trades in recent memory, the seven-time All-Star guard will pair with Giannis Antetokounmpo to form one of the best duos in the league.&nbsp;
Now, the new big fish in the trade market is none other than the player Lillard was dealt for: Jrue Holiday. The Blazers' return featured Holiday, former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns second-rounder Toumani Camara, an unprotected Bucks 2029 first-rounder, and 2028 and 2030 first-round pick swaps from Milwaukee. The circumstances of Lillard&rsquo;s trade request and his desire to be dealt specifically to the Miami Heat dampened his trade value, but the Blazers were able to come away with a &ldquo;palatable&rdquo; return.
 However, Holiday is unlikely to stay in Portland for long as he does not fit their rebuilding timeline around core players Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1707100851880259810" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN&rsquo;s Bobby Marks</a> graded Portland&rsquo;s trade return as &ldquo;incomplete&rdquo; pending the potential assets the team receives for Holiday when they flip him.
Many contending teams are reportedly rushing to the phones to make moves in reaction to the Lillard blockbuster, with several expressing serious interest in Holiday. These possible suitors include the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers and Heat. Teams must factor in Holiday's potential free agency next summer and the possibility of signing him to a long-term extension, which he becomes eligible for on Feb. 22. Perhaps the Blazers will have some urgency to deal Holiday prior to Media Day on Oct. 2 in order to avoid questions and logistics about bringing him in for training camp.&nbsp;
For any team over the luxury-tax apron ($171,294,000) to trade for Holiday, they need to trade away at least $33,175,536 (90% of Holiday&rsquo;s 2023-24 salary) in salaries in order to legally execute a trade. The rest of the league will only need to send out $27,646,280 (75% of Holiday&rsquo;s 2023-24 salary) in order to make a deal.&nbsp;
Another important CBA note with any Holiday trade is that his $36,861,707 salary cannot be aggregated with other contracts for two months. While Holiday is still eligible to be immediately rerouted elsewhere, he cannot be traded with other players. For example, just a few months back, Chris Paul was traded to the Washington Wizards and then quickly rerouted in a separate deal to Golden State. Because Paul was the only salary going back to the Warriors, he was legally allowed to be traded. This must be taken into consideration when proposing potential trade ideas.
With Holiday potentially on the move in the coming days, let&rsquo;s take a look at some potential deals for the 33-year-old.
Realistic Trade Destinations
BOSTON CELTICS
Celtics receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Al Horford, Dalano Banton (salary guarantee increased to $1,009,853 to satisfy trade rules), 2024 GSW top-4 protected first-round pick, 2025 BOS first-round pick, 2026 BOS first-round pick swap, 2024 CHI/DAL/NO (most favorable) second-round pick, 2026 MIN/NO/NYK/POR (most favorable) second-round pick
By trading away Marcus Smart this summer, the Celtics lost the key cog to their juggernaut defense. Despite not having a Defensive Player of the Year award, Holiday would probably serve as an upgrade to Smart on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor, helping the Celtics compete against the new-look Bucks in the East. If they wish to enter the Holiday sweepstakes, they would need to trade Malcolm Brogdon ($22,500,000), whom they were close to dealing to the Clippers in July. Along with Brogdon, they would have to sacrifice either Al Horford ($10,000,000) or Robert Williams III ($11,571,429) to make the salaries work. They have all of their own draft picks to trade as well as the Golden State Warriors' pick in 2024, which they got from the Smart trade.
MIAMI HEAT
Heat receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: Kyle Lowry, Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, 2027 MIA first-round pick, 2029 MIA top-14 protected first-round pick, 2028 MIA first-round pick swap, 2024 MIA top-50 protected second-round pick, 2026 LAL second-round pick, 2027 HOU/IND/MIA/OKC/SA (least favorable) second-round pick
Missing out once again in their pursuit of a star third option to pair with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, Miami could use an upgrade like Holiday to their seemingly incomplete roster. Holiday would provide a must-needed scoring punch and would fit seamlessly in Miami&rsquo;s hard-working culture. While their Lillard trade package was highlighted by Tyler Herro, they likely wouldn&rsquo;t use him in any trade for Holiday. Their salary going out in a deal would come from Kyle Lowry&rsquo;s expiring salary ($29,682,540) and some combination of younger players like Jaime Jaquez Jr. ($3,510,533), Nikola Jovic ($2,352,000) and Haywood Highsmith ($1,902,137). While they are somewhat restricted in terms of draft assets, they can offer up to three first-round picks if they amend their 2025 first-round pick they owe the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have three second-rounders to offer as well.&nbsp;
NEW YORK KNICKS
Knicks receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: RJ Barrett, Reggie Bullock, Khem Birch, 2024 DAL top-10 protected first-round pick, 2024 DET top-18 protected first-round pick, 2024 WAS top-12 protected first-round pick
Spurs receive: Evan Fournier, 2026 MEM top-42 protected second-round pick, 2027 NO/POR (less favorable) second-round pick
The Knicks may be holding out for when the next superstar &ndash; i.e. Joel Embiid, Donovan Mitchell or Giannis Antetokounmpo (although maybe not anymore?) &ndash; asks for a trade. While New York may be focused on further down the line, acquiring a player like Holiday could allow them to boost their roster right now without giving up enough capital to harm their future superstar pursuits. A Knicks trade that would not harm their trove of draft assets would have to send out RJ Barrett ($23,883,929), who potentially fits Portland&rsquo;s rebuilding timeline. Jrue could line up as the team&rsquo;s starting shooting guard alongside Jalen Brunson, while Josh Hart would play more minutes at small forward to mitigate the loss of Barrett. Evan Fournier&rsquo;s large salary ($18,857,143) would also have to be in any deal for the Knicks to take in Holiday. Portland wouldn&rsquo;t want to acquire both Fournier and Barrett as that would push them over the luxury tax, therefore they would likely route Fournier to another team (like San Antonio).
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Clippers receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: Marcus Morris Sr., Robert Covington, Amir Coffey, Jason Preston (salary fully guaranteed), 2028 LAC first-round pick, 2030 LAC first-round pick, 2029 LAC first-round pick swap
The Clippers may have been given an olive branch with a player like Jrue Holiday becoming available, as he's an impact player at a price they can afford. It also provides an alternative for the Clippers to land a third star while avoiding the potential drama/issues that could come with acquiring a player like James Harden. The Clippers have a lot of high-salary veterans they could use to get to Holiday&rsquo;s number like Norman Powell ($18,000,000), Marcus Morris Sr. ($17,116,279), Nicolas Batum ($11,710,818) and Robert Covington ($11,692,308). They would probably like to keep Terance Mann, who they seem to not want to include in a potential Harden trade, although his $10,576,923 could be useful. Portland could view their unprotected picks in 2028 and 2030 as some of the best draft assets they could receive due to their aging stars and lack of postseason success.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
76ers receive: Jrue Holiday
Clippers receive: James Harden, 2024 NYK second-round pick, 2029 PHI second-round pick, 2030 PHI second-round pick
Trail Blazers receive: Marcus Morris Sr., Robert Covington, Amir Coffey, Jason Preston (salary fully guaranteed to satisfy trade rules), 2028 LAC first-round pick, 2029 PHI first-round pick, 2029 LAC first-round pick swap
Amidst the James Harden debacle, Daryl Morey has remained steadfast in getting a formidable return if they choose to trade the disgruntled All-Star. A reunion with Jrue Holiday, who played in Philadelphia from 2009 to 2013, certainly should get Morey and the Sixers' attention. Holiday would certainly upgrade their defense while being a good support and influence on Tyrese Maxey. The Trail Blazers would have little interest in taking a direct package from Philadelphia, which would almost certainly be headlined by Harden ($35,640,000). Harden's desired destination, the Clippers, should still be interested in acquiring him, but may be more interested in trading for Holiday directly. Portland would likely get a similar package to what they would receive if they traded directly with the Clippers, potentially leaving Philadelphia out to dry. The Sixers would have to incentivize the Clippers by trading some draft capital to take Harden instead of Holiday.
Honorable Mentions
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
The Warriors are a logical Holiday destination in terms of fit and trade assets. A trade package would have to send the newly acquired Chris Paul back to Portland or a third team along with a young player like Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody or Brandin Podziemski, plus a draft pick. Given that coach Steve Kerr has talked all summer about bringing Paul into the fold, it would be pretty surprising if the team pivoted from the future Hall-of-Famer just before training camp. If the Warriors do choose to jump in the Holiday waters, they could quickly move to the front of the line.&nbsp;
TORONTO RAPTORS
Toronto was considered the favorite to acquire Lillard at one point, with a package that was likely headlined by OG Anunoby and draft assets. In order to acquire Holiday, they would need to use a similar package, albeit with less draft capital involved. It seems as though the Raptors were being coy about potentially dealing Anunoby for Lillard, according to <a href="https://torontosun.com/sports/basketball/nba/toronto-raptors/options-for-raptors-with-damian-lillard-trade-dream-done" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun</a>. If Masai Ujiri was unwilling to include Anunoby in trade discussions before, it&rsquo;s unlikely he will do so for a player like Holiday.&nbsp;
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
Holiday would be a near perfect fit alongside Anthony Edwards in the Wolves' backcourt and would greatly improve their defense. However, Minnesota simply doesn&rsquo;t have the right salaries or draft assets to realistically get to Holiday&rsquo;s number unless they are willing to part ways with Karl-Anthony Towns. Even if Tim Connelly was willing to deal Towns for Holiday, the trade may not be what Portland is looking for with the 2015 No. 1 overall pick&rsquo;s five-year supermax extension beginning next season. The idea of paying supermax money to Towns will likely be a turn off for Blazers GM Joe Cronin.
ORLANDO MAGIC
Orlando is probably the most fun dark-horse destination for Jrue. While Markelle Fultz has been a suitable lead guard when healthy, Holiday would bring a championship-level veteran presence that could be useful for Orlando&rsquo;s young squad. The question with the Magic is whether they would actually pursue a deal that would accelerate their timeline with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, as well as whether they would part with draft capital that they could potentially use down the line in future trades.

With the Blazers looking to flip Jrue Holiday, Blake Stern breaks down several teams that make sense as a trade suitor.

NBA trade rumors: Examining potential destinations for Jrue Holiday

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

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

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

DENVER (AP) &mdash; The Denver Nuggets had all the ingredients for an NBA Finals run this season &mdash; Nikola Jokic&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-nikola-jokic-denver-nuggets-mvp-lebron-lakers-8e668572f9f43942175ded63e7a61832">all-around greatness</a>, Jamal Murray&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nuggets-jamal-murray-nikola-jokic-playoffs-lakers-e98c7ca3678569b768dd97f1373c1282">sweet ball handling</a>, Michael Porter Jr.&rsquo;s board crashing and&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/JoelRushNBA/status/1647818068469645313?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">arc accuracy</a>, Aaron Gordon&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1607256906279559168?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">above-the-rim brilliance</a>.
The only thing missing was big-game experience.
Enter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who won a title with the Los Angeles Lakers inside the NBA bubble in 2020.
The Nuggets acquired the sharp-shooting swingman along with veteran guard Ish Smith from the Washington Wizards last July in exchange for Monte Morris and Will Barton.
KCP, the quiet-until-he-needs-to-be player with a lethal outside shot, has been the calming presence on this squad that has sent Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Anthony Davis and LeBron James on early vacations and has designs on adding either Jimmy Butler or Jayson Tatum to that mix when the NBA Finals finally get here June 1.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s just the ultimate leader, ultimate professional, comes in every day and works extremely hard, holds everyone accountable,&rdquo; said fellow 2022-23 addition Bruce Brown Jr. &ldquo;But he is the only one on this team who has won a championship. He knows what it takes and what we need to do. So, we gotta listen to that guy.&rdquo;
Teammates and coaches say KCP isn&rsquo;t so much in your face as he&rsquo;s in your ear, dispensing advice, tips, guidance, encouragement and caution along the way as the Nuggets navigate a championship road they&rsquo;ve never been down.
&ldquo;I do it vocally, just talking, bringing that championship mentality that I have to my team now,&rdquo; Caldwell-Pope said, &ldquo;and just tell them in moments like if they go on a run, it&rsquo;s not the end of the day. Let&rsquo;s just get back to doing what we do. Like I say, it&rsquo;s all about being patient, being ready and defending.&rdquo;
The Nuggets&rsquo;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-nuggets-2d7cb4bafca0a88ec802f0db48a58c8a">four-game sweep of the Lakers</a>&nbsp;secured the franchise&rsquo;s first Western Conference title and sent the Nuggets to their first NBA Finals appearance in their history and to their first championship series since they lost to Julius Erving and the New York Nets 4-2 in the ABA&rsquo;s last season in 1976.
Those two teams, along with the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs, joined the NBA in 1976-77 when the ABA disbanded. All the others reached the NBA Finals long before the Nuggets, who are appearing in their first league championship in their 47-year history.
They might not have made it without KCP, whose on-the-court contributions are what Nuggets superstar Jokic appreciates the most.
Caldwell-Pope was an integral part of the Lakers&rsquo; championship run in 2020, averaging 10.7 points and starting in all of LA&rsquo;s 21 playoff games. He helped the Lakers beat the Nuggets in five games for the Western Conference title in the bubble.
What he&rsquo;s brought the Nuggets isn&rsquo;t just that championship pedigree but performance, Jokic said Saturday.
&ldquo;Yes, he won a championship, but the best thing about KCP is he knows exactly what to do and where to be,&rdquo; Jokic said. &ldquo;And he&rsquo;s doing that in the first game, the 70th game, the playoff game, Finals game, whatever game, he always does what he&rsquo;s supposed to do and I think that&rsquo;s the best way to describe him.&rdquo;
Whether he&rsquo;s doling out tips or quietly going about his business, KCP has been a big part of the Nuggets&rsquo; longest playoff drive in their history.
He&rsquo;s averaged 11.7 points a game, up from 10.8 in the regular season, and 3.2 rebounds, up from 2.7, while reducing his turnovers from 1.1 to 0.7.
He&rsquo;s turned in some of his best work these playoffs on defense.
&ldquo;I feel like I&rsquo;m always on a tough matchup,&rdquo; Caldwell-Pope said. &ldquo;I pride myself on my defense. I look forward to being able to just get stops.&rdquo;
Which is why he said when the Nuggets opened the playoffs after a week&rsquo;s rest &mdash; two days shorter than their layoff before the NBA Finals begin Thursday night &mdash; that defense would be the primary driver to hoisting the Larry O&rsquo;Brien Trophy.
The Nuggets sent James and the Lakers packing when Murray tied up the Lakers star on a drive to the basket and Gordon blocked the shot, securing Denver&rsquo;s 113-111 win in Game 4 for the franchise&rsquo;s first playoff series sweep in its history.
After their 25-point blowout of the Suns in Phoenix in Round 2, Jokic said the Nuggets were so focused they looked like a championship team. Then he caught himself: &ldquo;Well, I guess I don&rsquo;t know how a championship team looks. But I think that was how it&rsquo;s supposed to look.&rdquo;
Caldwell-Pope is the only Nugget who knows what winning an NBA ring feels like.
&ldquo;Everybody wants one,&rdquo; Caldwell-Pope said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the goal, to become a champion in this league. It&rsquo;s one of the hardest things to do.&rdquo;
He&rsquo;s told his teammates that not only will it forever define them, it&rsquo;ll forever change them.
&ldquo;It changed me a lot, just as far as me being that leader that I am now,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And just being able to be focused in the moments as a professional and as a leader, you know, get my teammates focused and ready to play.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s a feeling he wants them all to experience in the coming days.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who won a title with the Los Angeles Lakers, is playing a key role in the Denver Nuggets' NBA Finals run.

Caldwell-Pope's championship experience helping Nuggets in Finals run

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Julius Randle joked about being out of shape and Josh Hart walked into the postgame news conference wearing&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/KnicksMSGN/status/1647411361801027584?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a T-shirt with a photo of teammate Jalen Brunson</a>&nbsp;on the front.
The Knicks could finally relax.
Finally at full strength, and following a worrisome few weeks, New York&rsquo;s season looks much brighter.
Brunson shook off foul trouble and scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half, Randle returned from an ankle injury to add 19 &mdash; and a critical final rebound &mdash; and the Knicks welcomed Cleveland back to the NBA playoffs by holding off the Cavaliers 101-97 on Saturday night in Game 1.
Brunson was limited to nine minutes in the first half, but hit several big shots down the stretch as the Knicks turned back Cleveland&rsquo;s late rally led by All-Star Donovan Mitchell, who finished with 38 points.
With the Knicks clinging to a 99-97 lead, Brunson missed a pullup with nine seconds left and Randle bailed out New York with his 10th rebound &mdash; and the team&rsquo;s 17th offensive board &mdash; that led to Quentin Grimes making two free throws to seal the win.
"You can&rsquo;t say enough about the monster rebound Julius made at the end,&rdquo; Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. &ldquo;That rebound was huge. Huge.&rdquo;
Randle hadn&rsquo;t played since March 29 because of a sprained left ankle, and said he was thankful he had enough energy for one last jump.
&ldquo;You see me breathing out there today?&rdquo; said Randle, who played 34 minutes. &ldquo;I was tired as hell. But it was just about winning at that point.&rdquo;
Randle was reminded that the Knicks had a similar play in Game 1 against Atlanta in 2021 but didn&rsquo;t come up with the ball.
&ldquo;Funny how things turn, right,&rdquo; he said.
Game 2 is Tuesday at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
Mitchell scored 14 points in the fourth, but it wasn&rsquo;t enough for the young Cavs, who disappointed a raucous, towel-waving Cleveland crowd that hadn&rsquo;t seen a playoff game since the 2018 NBA Finals.
It&rsquo;s been a long road back for Cleveland, which wasn&rsquo;t as hurt by its inexperience as lack of production from the bench.
&ldquo;First off, this isn&rsquo;t the end of the world. We got to go get one right back,&rdquo; Mitchell said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no room to sit here and feel sorry or feel upset and get down. It&rsquo;s one game. We will respond.&rdquo;
Hart added 17 points &mdash; and hit a big 3-pointer down the stretch &mdash; and 10 rebounds in his playoff debut for New York, whose reserves outscored the Cavs 37-14.
Darius Garland scored 17 points and Jarrett Allen had 14 points and 14 rebounds for Cleveland. Evan Mobley had eight points of 4-of-13 shooting.
Randle missed New York&rsquo;s final five games after rolling his ankle on March 29, and the injury threatened to thwart New York&rsquo;s playoff hopes. However, he improved this week despite not taking much contact in practice and looked like himself from the outset.
His presence lifted the Knicks.
&ldquo;Seeing No. 30 out there was just a great sight,&rdquo; said Obi Toppin, who scored nine points in the third quarter.
Brunson picked up his second foul with 7:52 left in the first quarter, and Thibodeau had no choice but to replace the guard, who scored a career-high 48 points against the Cavs on March 31 &mdash; the first game Randle missed.
Brunson&rsquo;s foul trouble had Hart concerned he made a poor fashion choice.
&ldquo;I told him I was going to wear it at some point,&rdquo; Hart said. &ldquo;Then he gets into foul trouble the day I wear it, so I&rsquo;m going to go burn it and never wear it again.&rdquo;
The Cavs didn&rsquo;t take advantage with Brunson out as New York reeled off 10 straight points and led 30-24 after one.
Brunson was back on the bench with his third foul midway through the second. Again, Cleveland failed to capitalize and the Knicks led 50-45 at half.
SCARY MOMENT
Mitchell landed hard on his lower back after vaulting off a courtside table and landing several rows into the stands while saving a loose ball in the second quarter.
He winced in pain while behind helped up and returning to the floor. Mitchell then thanked fans who cushioned his fall during a subsequent timeout.
&ldquo;I jumped at them intentionally, but they moved,&rdquo; said Mitchell, who sustained a small cut on his arm. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t blame them. I probably would have done the same thing. It&rsquo;s all love.&rdquo;
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND
The Knicks have dominated the Cavs in the postseason, winning all three previous playoff series.
New York swept a three-game series in 1978 at the Coliseum in Richfield, won 3-1 in 1995 at Gund Arena and swept a best-of-5 series in 1996.
TIP-INS
Knicks: Impossible to miss while wearing New York&rsquo;s bright orange, super fan Spike Lee sat courtside. ... Recorded seven offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter.
Cavaliers: Mitchell is the fourth Cleveland to score at least 38 in a playoff game, joining LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Brad Daugherty. ... Cleveland hosted its 81st playoff game in the building, which was previously known as Gund Arena and Quicken Loans Arena. ... Four teams have winning postseason records in the arena &mdash; the Knicks (5-0), the Spurs (2-0), the Warriors (6-4) and Cavs (57-24). ... Browns star Myles Garrett and coach Kevin Stefanski sat near Cleveland&rsquo;s bench along with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert.

The Knicks welcomed Cleveland back to the NBA playoffs by holding off the Cavaliers 101-97 on Saturday night in Game 1.

Brunson, Randle push Knicks past Cavaliers 101-97 in Game 1

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Texas reserve guard Arterio Morris, who was allowed to play this season while awaiting trial on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge, has entered the transfer portal, the school confirmed Tuesday.
Morris was one of the top recruits in the country, but struggled for playing time in an experienced lineup for Texas, which advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2008. He averaged 4.7 points and 11.7 minutes and was expected to be a key component for the Longhorns under recently promoted coach Rodney Terry.
Texas fired former coach Chris Beard after his December arrest on a felony domestic violence charge, which was dismissed in February. Beard is now at Mississippi.
Morris was charged with a Class A misdemeanor after a June 2022 altercation with an ex-girlfriend in the Dallas area. Morris&rsquo; attorney, Justin Moore, has said Morris is innocent.
&ldquo;Arterio is thankful for the opportunity he was provided to not only play basketball, but be a student at the University of Texas,&rdquo; Moore said. &ldquo;He is looking forward to continue his education and his progress as a student athlete in the hopes of continuing his playing career after college.&rdquo;
Beard said before the season started that Morris would be allowed to play. Morris kept playing after Terry took over as interim coach.&nbsp;
Morris is the second Longhorn to transfer since Terry was announced as the full-time head coach. Freshman guard Rowan Brumbaugh, who red-shirted last season, announced on social media he&rsquo;s headed to Georgetown.

Morris is the second Longhorn to transfer since Rodney Terry was announced as the full-time head coach.

Arterio Morris to transfer from Texas; still facing assault charge

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Selections from the 2023 WNBA Draft held Monday with team, player, and college.
First Round
1. Indiana, Aliyah Boston, F, South Carolina.
2. Minnesota, Diamond Miller, G, Maryland.
3. Dallas, Maddy Siegrist, F, Villanova.
4. Dallas, Stephanie Soares, F-C, Iowa St.
5. Dallas, Lou Lopez Senechal, G-F, UConn.
6. Atlanta, Haley Jones, G, Stanford.
7. Indiana, Grace Berger, G, Indiana.
8. Atlanta, Laeticia Amihere, F, South Carolina.
9. Seattle, Jordan Horston, G, Tennessee.
10. Los Angeles, Zia Cooke, G, South Carolina.
11. Dallas, Abby Meyers, G, Maryland.
12. Minnesota, Maia Hirsch, F, France.
Second Round
13. Indiana, Taylor Mikesell, G, Ohio St.
14. Los Angeles, Shaneice Swain, G, Australia.
15. Atlanta, Leigha Brown, G, Michigan.
16. Minnesota, Dorka Juhasz, F, UConn.
17. Indiana, LaDazhia Williams, F, LSU.
18. Seattle, Madi Williams, F, Oklahoma.
19. Dallas, Ashley Joens, G-F, Iowa St.
20. Washington, Elena Tsineke, G, South Florida.
21. Seattle, Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu, F, South Florida.
22. Connecticut, Alexis Morris, G, LSU.
23. Chicago, Kayana Traylor, G, Virginia Tech.
24. Minnesota, Brie Beal, G, South Carolina.
Third Round
25. Indiana, Victaria Saxton, F, South Carolina.
26. Los Angeles, Monika Czinano, F-C, Iowa.
27. Phoenix, Destiny Harden, F, Miami.
28. Minnesota, Taylor Soule, F, Virginia Tech.
29. Phoenix, Kadi Sissoko, F, Southern Cal.
30. New York, Okako Adika, G-F, Southern Cal.
31. Dallas, Paige Robinson, G, Illinois St.
32. Washington, Txell Alarcon, G, Spain.
33. Seattle, Jade Loville, G-F, Arizona.
34. Connecticut, Ashten Prechtel, F, Stanford.
35. Chicago, Kseniya Malashka, F, Middle Tennessee.
36. Las Vegas, Brittany Davis, G, Alabama.

A full list of all three rounds of the 2023 WNBA Draft on Monday.

2023 WNBA Draft: Listing each selection

Louisville&rsquo;s Hailey Van Lith has entered the transfer portal.
The star guard, who finished 12th all-time in scoring at the school with 1,553 points, will graduate in May, earning her degree in finance in three years. She has two years of eligibility left because of the COVID year.
&ldquo;We thank Hailey for her contributions to this program, this school and this community,&rdquo; Louisville coach Jeff Walz said Saturday. &ldquo;She has done everything we have asked of her over the past three years, and we wish her the very best in her final collegiate season and beyond.&rdquo;
Van Lith&rsquo;s final game was close to her home in Washington, where the Cardinals lost to Iowa in the Elite Eight. Van Lith scored 27 points in that 97-83 loss. She averaged 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game this season.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been an honor over the last three years to have had the opportunity to pour my passion and heart into Louisville,&rdquo; Van Lith wrote on Instagram. &ldquo;This city has impacted my life in so many ways and helped shape me into the person I am today. The Louisville community has given to me selflessly. I will never forget your unwavering support.&rdquo;
Louisville picked up transfer guard Jayda Curry from Cal earlier this week. Aneesah Morrow of DePaul, who was a second-team All-American, announced her plans to transfer on social media. She averaged 25.7 points and 12.2 rebounds this season.
Van Lith, Morrow and Curry are three of the big names that have entered the portal this year. There are just under 1,000 Division I women&rsquo;s basketball players in the portal as of Saturday morning, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because many of the players haven&rsquo;t publicly announced their decisions to transfer.
Stanford&rsquo;s Lauren Betts, who was the consensus No. 1 high school recruit last year, is one of those players in the portal who hasn&rsquo;t publicly announced her decision to transfer. The 6-foot-7 center played in 33 of the Cardinal&rsquo;s 35 games this season, averaging 5.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in just under 10 minutes a game.
Transfers had a big impact on the NCAA Tournament that was won by LSU last Sunday. Angel Reese, who was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, transferred to the Tigers from Maryland and Alexis Morris came to LSU in 2021 after spending time at Baylor, Rutgers and Texas A&amp;M.

Lith finished 12th all-time in scoring at Louisville with 1,553 points and has two years of eligibility left due to the COVID year.

Louisville guard Hailey Van Lith enters transfer portal

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Aliyah Boston has been the consensus No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft all season.
The Indiana Fever, who own the top choice, just had to wait for the South Carolina star to make it official she was going to enter this year&rsquo;s draft. Boston had the chance to return to South Carolina for her COVID season, but&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-aliyah-boston-wnba-3e65ebaab3be4e7d17ab06b5b54c2095" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opted to enter</a>&nbsp;Monday night&rsquo;s draft instead.
&ldquo;I think Aliyah Boston is a legitimate first pick option,&rdquo; Fever general manager Lin Dunn said on a conference call. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve watched her play very closely this year. Her size, her basketball IQ, her character, her leadership skills. She just brings an enormous amount to the table, and I really think she&rsquo;s going to have &mdash; whether she&rsquo;s picked first, second or third, she&rsquo;s going to have an immediate impact on this league.&rdquo;
Boston was a three-time All-America selection and&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-basketball-college-basketball-south-carolina-womens-d638c0ddef577c659910afc7b0bc4d2e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earned AP Player of the Year</a>&nbsp;honors in 2022 as a junior. She, like many other players, have had to choose whether to come back to college for a&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/wnba-griner-final-four-56237a73a6afce484ad57c014f2e9372" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fifth season or turn pro</a>. It created a buzz over the last few weeks whether a player would forgo their extra year or return to school.
Players had until March 26 to declare their intentions if their season was over. Those that were still playing in the NCAA Tournament had 48 hours after their final game to decide.
&ldquo;It does make our world a little more complex,&rdquo; WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a phone interview. &ldquo;If I could have a fifth year, I would have definitely played. There wasn&rsquo;t a WNBA back then. They have a loyalty to college, loyalty to fans. I see why you might want to do it. I know narratives about pay. They are competitors, they have loyalty to their schools. It has complicated our life a little bit, not knowing who&rsquo;s going to come in.&rdquo;
Engelbert did say that she loves to call the players who are invited to the draft, welcoming them to the WNBA.
&ldquo;I will tell you. I just got done with the favorite part of my job, calling those prospects,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Someone texted me back, I&rsquo;m crying tears of joys.&rdquo;
Engelbert called Boston and three of her South Carolina teammates this past week. All of whom are projected to be taken in the first two rounds. The Fever have a chance to draft a few of them as they also hold the No. 7 and 13 picks. Other Gamecocks that have been invited to New York for the draft include Zia Cooke, Brea Beal and Laeticia Amihere.
Minnesota has the No. 2 pick and potentially could take Maryland wing Diamond Miller.
&ldquo;Diamond has the physical gifts that I think we all look at and go, wow, she&rsquo;s legit 6-foot-3, has some length, athleticism, real abilities,&rdquo; Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. &ldquo;But there&rsquo;s a long road ahead for her, too, in terms of wherever she goes, however high she goes. There&rsquo;s not a guarantee of immediate success. There&rsquo;s I think quite a bit for each of these prospects that they&rsquo;re going to go through, as every year.&rdquo;
Out of the first round, only Indiana, Minnesota and Seattle&rsquo;s No. 9 pick belong to the original team that held those draft spots. Dallas has three picks &mdash; No. 3, No. 5 and No. 11. The Wings lost in the first round of the playoffs the last two seasons.
Other players invited to the draft include Grace Berger (Indiana), Jordan Horston (Tennessee), Ashley Joens (Iowa State), Haley Jones (Stanford), Dorka Juhasz and Lou Lopez Senechal (Connecticut), Taylor Mikesell (Ohio State), Alexis Morris (LSU), Maddy Siegrist (Villanova) and Stephanie Soares (Iowa State). In all, 112 players have declared for the draft that is only three rounds and has 36 picks.

Aliyah Boston has been the consensus No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft all season, and she's expected to join the Indiana Fever on Monday.

Aliyah Boston expected to be No. 1 pick in WNBA draft

Here's the list of NCAA players who have as of April 6 filed for consideration as a candidate for the 2023 WNBA Draft

2023 WNBA Draft: Full list of prospects who have entered

WASHINGTON (AP) &mdash; The Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated last season in a Game 7 on the road.
One more victory, and they won&rsquo;t have to worry about that.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, and Jrue Holiday nearly added a triple-double of his own as the Bucks took another step toward wrapping up the NBA&rsquo;s best record with a 140-128 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.
Holiday finished with 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, and Bobby Portis added 19 points and 20 rebounds for Milwaukee.
The Bucks (57-22) moved to three games ahead of Boston with three to play, although the Celtics &mdash; who beat Milwaukee in that seven-game series last year &mdash; have the head-to-head tiebreaker. Boston lost a 103-101 thriller at Philadelphia on Tuesday, with ex-Buck P.J. Tucker hitting big 3-pointers down the stretch as Milwaukee players watched in their locker room.
After that game ended, Antetokounmpo downplayed the importance of home court just a little, noting that the Bucks were the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference when they won it all two years ago.
&ldquo;At the end of the day, Boston is a beast, Philly is a beast, Cleveland is a beast, New York is a beast,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said.
Kendrick Nunn scored 24 points for the Wizards, who are out of playoff contention and played without Bradley Beal (left knee), Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Kyle Kuzma (right ankle). Washington kept it close until late in the second quarter, when Milwaukee closed the half on a 13-5 run to lead 75-62.
It wasn&rsquo;t close after that, with the Bucks leading by as many as 24 points. Milwaukee wasn&rsquo;t at full strength either. Khris Middleton (right knee) missed the game, which was the first half of a back-to-back for the Bucks. Grayson Allen was also out after leaving Sunday&rsquo;s game against Philadelphia with a sprained right ankle.
Pat Connaughton played only 5:40 because of what coach Mike Budenholzer said was a twisted right ankle. Budenholzer was hopeful it&rsquo;s not too serious.
HIGHLIGHT
On a night when defense was in short supply, Antetokounmpo made an incredible chase-down block on Nunn in the fourth quarter with his team up 15 &mdash; although Corey Kispert followed up with a layup for the Wizards.
&ldquo;His competitive fire, his competitive spirit, it&rsquo;s the best,&rdquo; Budenholzer said. &ldquo;A lot of guys I think don&rsquo;t go get that. Not his physical ability to go get it, but just the competitiveness and the willingness to try. He&rsquo;s very special that way.&rdquo;
Antetokounmpo nearly had his triple-double after three quarters but needed one more assist.
LOTTERY ODDS
Washington (34-45) is now in a three-way tie for 11th place in the Eastern Conference with Orlando and Indiana.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Jevon Carter (left foot) did not play. ... Portis has 23 double-doubles off the bench this season, the most in the league. ... Antetokounmpo had eight turnovers. ... Jae Crowder scored 19 points. ... Milwaukee shot 23 of 42 from 3-point range.
Wizards: In addition to the Beal-Porzingis-Kuzma trio, Washington was also missing Monte Morris (right ankle), Delon Wright (illness) and Deni Avdija (left elbow). Jordan Goodwin, Johnny Davis and Anthony Gill, who had combined for 10 starts all season, were all in the starting lineup. ... Davis, a first-round draft pick last year, scored a career-high 20 points. ... Gafford picked up four fouls in the first half.
UP NEXT
Bucks: Host Chicago on Wednesday night.
Wizards: At Atlanta on Wednesday night.

The Bucks (57-22) moved to three games ahead of Boston with three games to play.

Antetokounmpo’s triple-double lifts Bucks over Wizards

I'd like to workshop a take: The Cleveland Cavaliers are the NBA's preeminent "but" team.&nbsp;
Think about your ideal makeup of a contender. You want a team that can dominate &mdash; or wall off &mdash; the paint. Preferably both. You want a stingy defense, period. You want scheme-breaking shot creators &mdash; guys who can attack a drop, pass against more aggressive coverage, and boogie against defenders 1-on-1 when the situation calls for it. You want proper spacing around those guys to make their jobs easier.
The Cavs check a lot of those boxes.
There's a reason they've been near or at the top of the league in net rating all year long. Per Cleaning The Glass, they're one-tenth of a point behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the best defense in the NBA, headlined by their menacing frontcourt. In fact, the Cavs are one of four teams &mdash; joining the Grizzlies, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers &mdash; that rank in the top 10 in offensive and defensive rating.&nbsp;
Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland certainly pass the bust-your-defense smell test. Mitchell will, at worst, make the All-NBA Second Team; Garland doesn't have the same momentum, but he's played at an All-NBA level.&nbsp;
There are enough questions, enough "buts" (grow up), to generate some unease:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>How versatile&nbsp;is this defense &mdash; especially with only one of the twin towers on the floor?</li>
<li>They're skilled enough to beat most coverages,&nbsp;but, do we trust their process late in games?</li>
<li>Are there enough&nbsp;spacers to accentuate the skills of Mitchell and Garland?</li>
</ul>
Smack dab in the middle of these questions, figuratively and literally, is second-year forward Evan Mobley. Mobley doubles as a budding young star and, arguably, Cleveland's biggest X-factor <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-cleveland-cavaliers-open-up-on-tough-road-back-to-playoffs-jb-bickerstaff-jarrett-allen-evan-mobley-darius-garland-lebron-james-cavs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this postseason</a>.&nbsp;
After narrowly missing out on Rookie of the Year last season, Mobley showcased growth along the margins. His screening got better; he shaved tenths of a second off of his post-catch moves, unlocking more shot opportunities, short-roll playmaking windows and more half-court continuity as a handoff hub. While still wiry, Mobley's added strength helped foster growth as a rebounder.
In 2023, Mobley has exploded.
Over his past 41 games, he's averaging 17.9 points while converting roughly 60% of his twos, grabbing 9.2 rebounds, dishing out 3.0 assists (1.8 turnovers), swatting 1.8 shots and snagging nearly a steal (0.8) per game.&nbsp;
The scoring has popped in a real way. After having 12 games of 20 or more points last season, he's up to 20 this year. He's racked up 13 since the turn of the calendar, including big performances <a href="https://youtu.be/Hm-DPTmydgw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">against the Milwaukee Bucks</a> (38 and 9) and Denver Nuggets (31 and 9).
What Mobley can do as a lob threat or cleanup man on the offensive glass is well-documented. But the self-creation flashes? We're moving away from "flashes" and into this-is-what-he-does territory.
<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/5z5a06" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
We're seeing a little more oomph&nbsp;before some of these shots. Subtle bows and shoulder nudges into the chest of defenders create *just* enough space for him to get off clean looks.&nbsp;
Beyond that, it's hard not to marvel at Mobley's patience when operating below the free-throw line. He doesn't mind pump faking once, twice, sometimes three times to get a defender off-balance. It's been fun watching Mobley almost realize in real-time, "Hey, teams really can't&nbsp;do anything with me inside of 10 feet, huh," as he flips in a mix of jump hooks, push shots and turnaround jumpers.&nbsp;
While Mobley has been assisted on more of his shots overall, he's showcased growth when creating on his own. He's converted 48.4% on self-created shots &mdash; which PBP Stats defines as "shots on which the player held the ball for two or more seconds before the shot" &mdash; inside of 10 feet this season, a slight bump from last year's number (47.7%).
Mobley's trending in the right way, but, naturally, he isn't there&nbsp;yet. He's well-below league average (53.1% FG) on those self-created looks inside of 10 feet. Though he's looked more comfortable on the block, the efficiency hasn't followed.
The Cavs are generating 0.85 points per possession (PPP) when Mobley shoots out of a post-up, ranking last among 26 players with at least 75 reps. And that efficiency actually drops&nbsp;when he's been defended by a smaller player (0.76 PPP).
I wouldn't be concerned long-term; the film is littered with some uncharacteristic misses up close, and he's been much better in 2023 (0.94 PPP) than the 2022 portion of the season (0.59 PPP). Smaller players being able to get under him and bother his better-but-still-loose handle &mdash; while also&nbsp;reading where bigger help is coming from &mdash; is something worth keeping an eye on.&nbsp;
<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/kkilee" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The jumper remains a work in progress, though it's important that the shot is less of a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency thing and more of something he's comfortable taking. It's helped him become more fluid in short-roll situations, and there's a head-shaking effect on nights where he has the three-ball going on top of his interior exploits.
Mobley has gotten better defensively as well. He's already much better than any player his age has any business being in drop coverage. His timing feels preternatural when contesting shots &mdash; inside the arc or outside of it. I don't think enough is being made of the fact that Mobley <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/hustle?PerMode=Totals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leads the NBA</a> in three-pointers contested, ranks in the top 10 in blocks per game (1.5) and still fouls fewer than three times per contest.
<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/rrilhi" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
And of course, his unique blend of length and mobility makes him quite the space defender. Only Nic Claxton has defended more isolations than Mobley, and Evan's efficiency-allowed number (0.895 PPP when a player shoots against Mobley) isn't far off Claxton's (0.852 PPP) or Bam Adebayo's (0.856 PPP). It's Year 2 and he's firmly in elite company.
The quieter portion of Mobley's growth has been his work as a rebounder. His overall rebound rate has improved by nearly two percentage points from last season (13.5% to 15.4%). His defensive rebound rate has jumped nearly three percentage points (19.8% to 22.7%). He snagged 1.8 contested defensive boards per game last season; that's up to 2.4 this year, a mark just outside the top 10 this year.&nbsp;
This growth has allowed him to anchor more minutes at the 5 this year. The Mobley on/Allen off minutes were essentially neutral (-0.2 NET, per Cleaning The Glass) last season; the Cavs are flat-out winning those minutes (plus-4.4 NET) this year behind a stingy defense (110.9 DTRG, would rank No. 1 in the league).&nbsp;
I don't think Mobley was quite ready to anchor solo minutes last year; he looks firmly prepared to do so now. The bigger question may be if the&nbsp;Cavs&nbsp;are equipped for him to do so.
They've trended smaller as of late, finding more minutes for their stable of wings at the 4 alongside Mobley. I'd worry about what happens when opponents are intentional about engaging him.
Engaging him directly, or pulling him away from the action by spacing him, puts strain on the weaker defenders around him. More worrisome, it exposes the Cavs on the glass behind him. Even when he's down there, there's only so much Mobley can do by himself. He's improved, but he isn't quite Moses Malone.
<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/p4yj58" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Look no further than the four-game stretch in mid-March while Allen was out, where Cleveland logged a 70.3 defensive rebound rate (20th during that stretch), grabbing only 45.7% of available rebounds (28th).
It's fair to argue it won't always be&nbsp;that&nbsp;stark, and it's worth noting the Cavs did go 3-1 in those games. On the flip side, the three wins came against Charlotte (twice) and Washington, while the loss came against Philadelphia &mdash; a team they could see in the Eastern Conference Finals if they make it that far.
More pressing: In Round 1, they're slated to face the New York Knicks, who rank third in <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?dir=A&amp;sort=OREB_PCT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offensive rebound rate</a> (31.6) and <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/misc?dir=A&amp;sort=PTS_2ND_CHANCE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second-chance points</a> (16.1). The Cavs are 1-3 in the season series with a rebound rate of 45.7% in those games. There's context to be added, but still enough to be concerned about.
The good news, and something worth reminding folks of, is that it's okay for them not to have all the answers now. This is a&nbsp;young&nbsp;group with easy-to-see growth pathways for at least three-fourths of the team's core.
Mobley in particular is looking scarier by the week. If nothing else, this postseason should give us a clearer picture of where he is, where he's going and what the Cavs have to provide to facilitate that path.&nbsp;

Nekias Duncan analyzes the growth of Evan Mobley in the second half of the Cavaliers' season and how he's Cleveland's X-factor.

Evan Mobley's evolution is upon us — is it enough for the Cavaliers?

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Kim Mulkey returned home to Louisiana wanting to bring LSU its first basketball championship. The Hall of Fame coach did just that in only her second year at the school.
Her Tigers used a record offensive performance to beat Caitlin Clark and Iowa 102-85 on Sunday and win the first basketball title, men&rsquo;s or women&rsquo;s, in school history.
&ldquo;I turn around and look at the Final Four banners (in the home arena), nowhere did it say national champion,&rdquo; Mulkey said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what I came home to do.&rdquo;
The victory made Mulkey the first women&rsquo;s coach to win national titles at two different schools. She won three at Baylor before leaving for LSU two years ago.
&ldquo;Coaches coach a lifetime and this is the fourth time I&rsquo;ve been blessed,&rdquo; Mulkey said. &ldquo;Never in the history of LSU basketball, men or women, has (anybody) ever played for a championship.&rdquo;
The feisty and flamboyantly dressed Mulkey, who wore a sparkly, golden, tiger-striped outfit, now has the third-most national titles behind Geno Auriemma&rsquo;s 11 and Pat Summitt&rsquo;s eight. Mulkey has never lost in a championship game.
&ldquo;My tears are tears of joy,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m so happy for everybody back home in Louisiana.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
LSU dropped 102 POINTS to win its first national title EVER 🐯🔥 <a href="https://t.co/H2ZPuGMj4p">pic.twitter.com/H2ZPuGMj4p</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1642649936503209985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Clark,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-caitlin-clark-player-of-year-ed943aa5f1e86a1bb04505497bd4c9b3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Associated Press national player of the year</a>, couldn&rsquo;t lead the Hawkeyes to their first national title despite one of the greatest individual performances in NCAA Tournament history. The junior finished with 30 points. She scored 40 in the semifinals to&nbsp;knock out unbeaten South Carolina&nbsp;one game after she had the&nbsp;first 40-point triple-double&nbsp;in NCAA history in the Elite Eight.
The dazzling guard set the NCAA record for points in a tournament, passing the 177 that Sheryl Swoopes scored in 1993 en route to leading Texas Tech to the title. Clark ended her tournament with 191.
The 102 points broke the previous high for a championship game, surpassing the 97 that Texas scored against Southern California in 1986.
&ldquo;So much for preaching defense and rebounding,&rdquo; Mulkey said, laughing.
Taking in the game was first lady Jill Biden, who sat in a suite above the court with tennis great Billie Jean King. Mulkey said she hadn&rsquo;t met the first lady yet but told the AP that if the team was invited to the White House, she&rsquo;d go.
Jasmine Carson scored 22 points, Alexis Morris added 21 and Angel Reese had 15 points and 10 rebounds for LSU (34-2).
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s no one-man show around here. When I go down, the next man is up,&rdquo; said Reese, who was honored as the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. &ldquo;Every single time, every time I go out or Alexis goes out, everybody always comes to step up.&rdquo;
Trailing by 21 points early in the third quarter, Iowa started hitting from the outside to go on a 15-2 run, hitting four 3-pointers and converting a 3-point play to get within 65-57.
The Hawkeyes (31-7) trailed 73-64 with 1:03 left in the third quarter when Clark was called for a technical foul. She swatted the ball away on the floor after a foul call against a teammate. That counted as a personal foul for her, her fourth of the game.
&ldquo;I thought they called it very, very tight,&rdquo; Clark said. &ldquo;Hit with a technical foul for throwing the ball under the basket &mdash; sometimes that&rsquo;s how things go.&rdquo;
Clark played the entire fourth quarter with four fouls but couldn&rsquo;t get the Hawkeyes much closer.
&ldquo;They really played well, they were ready to go. They did a great job. I&rsquo;m just so proud of my team,&rdquo; Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. &ldquo;This is brutal, it&rsquo;s really tough to walk out of that locker room today and not be able to coach Monika (Czinano) and McKenna (Warnock) again. I&rsquo;m very thankful for the season we had and don&rsquo;t want to take anything away from that.&rdquo;
After Katari Poole hit a 3-pointer in front of the LSU bench, Mulkey started weeping.
&ldquo;With about 1:30 to go, I couldn&rsquo;t hold it. I got very emotional,&rdquo; Mulkey said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not like me, but I knew we would hold on and win this game. I don&rsquo;t what it was, but I lost it. Very emotional and tears of joy. Don&rsquo;t know if it&rsquo;s the mere fact that we&rsquo;re doing it in my second year back home or that I am back home.&rdquo;
A few seconds later after another LSU basket, Reese taunted Clark by putting her hand in front of her face with a &ldquo;you can&rsquo;t see me&rdquo; gesture and then pointed to her ring finger.
As the final seconds ticked off, Mulkey and Reese hugged, setting off a wild celebration by the Tigers.
The game was tight for the first 15 minutes before Carson got hot from the outside. She made all six of her shots in the second quarter, including four 3-pointers. After one of them, she threw her hands in the air, which Mulkey mimicked on the sidelines.
For good measure, the graduate student banked in a shot just before the halftime buzzer to give the Tigers a 59-42 lead at the break. It was the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-march-madness-lsu-champion-game-iowa-scoring-record-3553732a3f7c830a61337c2f22789496" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most points ever in the first half</a>&nbsp;of a championship game, breaking the record held by Tennessee since 1998.
Before Sunday, Carson had gone scoreless in five of her seven postseason games in her career. She had 11 points in this NCAA Tournament before the finale.
&ldquo;I would definitely say this is the game of my life because I won a national championship on the biggest stage possible in college,&rdquo; Carson said. &ldquo;When I woke up, I just wanted to win &mdash; do anything my team needed in this game, whether it was defense, rebounding, supporting them. I scored tonight and that&rsquo;s what pushed us and got us momentum.&rdquo;

Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers used a record offensive performance to beat Caitlin Clark and Iowa 102-85 in the title game on Sunday.

Norris