https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/nba-logos/atl.png

Hawks

Following the Phoenix Suns&rsquo; shocking postseason exit, all eyes are now on Deandre Ayton's free agency.
After the Suns declined to sign Ayton to a five-year, rookie-scale max extension before the 2021-22 season, restricted free agency is now on the horizon for the athletic big man. During the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Ayton&rsquo;s agent Bill Duffy discussed Ayton's future on SiriusXM&rsquo;s NBA show.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re disappointed. We wanted a max contract,&rdquo; Duffy <a href="https://twitter.com/esidery/status/1527772160923619328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &ldquo;He went out and was a solider the whole year, played well, improved his statistics. So, we&rsquo;re proud of him. A lot of guys handle things differently, but he was very mature about it. Things will work out for Deandre. He&rsquo;s a valuable player. There&rsquo;s other teams in the league as well. He&rsquo;s a restricted free agent, so we&rsquo;ll see how this process unfolds.&rdquo;
Ayton averaged 17.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.7 blocks on a career-high 65.6% True Shooting percentage during the 2021-22 campaign. Ayton was a key asset for the Suns on both ends of the court, especially around the basket as an easy lob threat and defensive anchor. Ayton has been a key piece for the Suns, but is he worth a max contract? Based on Duffy&rsquo;s comments earlier this week, it sounds like Ayton&rsquo;s camp won&rsquo;t settle for anything less than the max entering free agency.
From the Suns&rsquo; perspective, they saw improvement from the 2018 No. 1 overall pick this season before the team's disappointing postseason showing.
&ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s shown that he&rsquo;s improved each year, helps us on both the defense and the offense,&rdquo; Suns owner Robert Sarver told <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a> recently about Ayton. &ldquo;I think offensively, you see this year he&rsquo;s taken another good step in terms of his touch and his ability to score around the basket. So, he&rsquo;s been a key part of what we&rsquo;re doing.&rdquo;
Taking all of this into consideration, what if Ayton's days in Phoenix are numbered? Here's a look at the most realistic sign-and-trade destinations for Ayton this summer.
Note: It's important to remember that sign-and-trade deals rarely return the same value as a traditional trade. The Suns have let it be known that they won't simply let an asset like Ayton walk for nothing. If Ayton&rsquo;s time in Phoenix is indeed over, the Suns won&rsquo;t be leaving the relationship empty-handed.
San Antonio Spurs
Spurs receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Jakob Poeltl, Devin Vassell, Tre Jones
San Antonio is one of the few teams this offseason with secured max-level cap space. All that needs to be done in order to chase Ayton is renounce the restricted rights to Lonnie Walker.
Being at the bottom of the NBA standings is new for the Spurs. After being one of the league's model organizations for over two decades, they have officially hit a playoff drought. San Antonio was hoping for some lottery luck, but now they have to try another plan to bring in a star.
San Antonio&rsquo;s dynamic young duo of Dejounte Murray and Keldon Johnson is so fun to watch, but the they need a third game-changer to take this rebuild back into playoff mode. Ayton would be an ideal solution, mainly because of his excellent two-way fit in the Spurs&rsquo; system. Dropping Ayton into the Spurs&rsquo; player-development program could make some in Phoenix worry about the long-term consequences of this deal.
For Phoenix, cooperating with a long-time rival would hurt. However, if the relationship between team and player becomes fractured, the Suns won&rsquo;t have much of a choice if he finds a max offer on the open market.
The Suns won&rsquo;t let Ayton leave Phoenix unless they receive strong assets in return. The Spurs can actually provide a solid package that helps in the short and long-term.
In this deal, Phoenix could land one of the most underrated big men in the Association as well as two young players who have shown flashes. The Jalen Smith experiment was a disaster for the Suns after taking him No. 10 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, and Vassell went one pick later. Phoenix can right that wrong while also obtaining an intriguing point guard to develop in Jones.
This feels like a win-win for both sides. San Antonio would have a new Big 3 in Ayton, Murray and Johnson, while the Suns could acquire their new starting center and two pieces to bolster the bench unit.
Charlotte Hornets
Hornets receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Terry Rozier, PJ Washington and draft compensation
There might not be a team with a more dire offseason need than the Hornets and their hole at center. Charlotte was one of my NBA League Pass teams this season due to their fun offensive pace, but the defense often bordered on disastrous. Montrezl Harrell and Mason Plumlee aren&rsquo;t going to cut it, so it&rsquo;s time for Charlotte to get aggressive.
Given Charlotte&rsquo;s roster, they would have to move some salaries around to make an Ayton chase realistic. Offloading Gordon Hayward&rsquo;s contract is going to be a tough task and they may even have to relinquish one of their top-15 picks to do so, but it would have to happen in order for them to pursue Ayton. Hayward is due $61.6 million over the next two seasons, and Charlotte simply can&rsquo;t afford to keep biting that bullet with restricted free agent Miles Bridges due for a payday and LaMelo Ball&rsquo;s own rookie-scale extension on the horizon. Trading away Hayward and Mason Plumlee would give the Hornets max space.
Landing Ayton is Charlotte's dream scenario. Not only would Ayton continue to get spoon-fed easy looks from an elite point guard, he would help stabilize the Hornets' defense to respectable levels. Thanks to his freakish athleticism, Ayton would be able to cover up a lot of holes around him defensively.
Phoenix would love to pull off a double sign-and-trade to nab Bridges, but that seems unlikely. Instead, this deal allows them to find their long-term answer at point guard post-Chris Paul. While Terry Rozier is a shot-chucker, he has improved as a playmaker in Charlotte. In the short-term, Rozier could step in as the Suns&rsquo; sixth man and provide the exact boost that they need in offensive guard creation. PJ Washington is an interesting add because he could slide right into the small-ball 5 role played previously by Dario Saric.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/aytonturn.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="377" />
Indiana Pacers
Pacers receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Myles Turner, Chris Duarte, TJ McConnell
What&rsquo;s the next step for Indiana? Long gone are Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis and Caris LeVert. Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner and Buddy Hield could be the next Pacers veterans to be shipped out via trade as Indiana fully embraces a rebuild attempt. It&rsquo;s been long overdue for the Pacers to pull the plug on the core that continued to stagnate once the postseason arrived.
A year later, Indiana&rsquo;s future looks much brighter with a talented, new-look core of Tyrese Haliburton, Chris Duarte, Isaiah Jackson and whoever is selected at No. 6 overall.
Ayton couldn't ask for a better pick-and-roll partner than Haliburton. Already making magic happen with CP3, Ayton&rsquo;s rolling ability would help accentuate Haliburton&rsquo;s biggest strengths. Also, Ayton&rsquo;s defensive versatility would be a welcome arrival for a team that nosedived in that category last season.
For Indiana, the price would be hefty. Not only would this trade require a four-year max contract for Ayton, but the Pacers would likely need to ship out a key piece of their young core via sign-and-trade (such as Duarte).
This trade would be a huge win for Phoenix, but it also looks great for the Pacers. The Suns would have a starting center who adds floor-spacing equity and elite rim protection, a capable veteran backup point guard who can spell Paul at times, plus one of the most impactful rookie wings in the Association. Having to include Duarte could leave the Pacers apprehensive, but they are reportedly enamored with adding another explosive piece via the draft, as Jaden Ivey (Purdue), Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky) and Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona) have all been linked to Indiana early in the pre-draft process.&nbsp;
Detroit Pistons
Pistons receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Jerami Grant, Isaiah Stewart, Cory Joseph and draft compensation
Another team that has considered making a run at Ayton this offseason is the Pistons, and they can create max space very easily: trading away Kelly Olynyk&rsquo;s contract.
The Pistons struck gold with Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey and they are helping usher in a new era in Detroit. Ayton&rsquo;s arrival would be the final piece to the puzzle for a team seemingly pushing their chips in on postseason play as early as 2023.
It would be best for Ayton to land with a capable lead guard who can feed him regularly. Already capable of tallying 20 and 10 most nights, Ayton would be set up for long-term success alongside Cunningham and Bey.
The question is, what would the Pistons need to send Phoenix&rsquo;s way in order for this sign-and-trade to go through? It&rsquo;s going to be a lot, and it would be a blockbuster-type transaction.
Blockbuster indeed, because Grant is now heading back to the Valley in this scenario. If the Suns and Pistons want to cooperate on a Ayton deal, I have to imagine one of Grant or Bey would have to be involved. Stewart is another enticing trade chip because he&rsquo;s shown the versatility to space the floor from three-point range. While he doesn't have the same touch as Ayton, Stewart brings nastiness and a tenacity on both ends of the court that Phoenix would absolutely love.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/ayton1.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="373" />
Atlanta Hawks
Hawks receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic
No ifs, ands or buts about it, Trae Young would make Ayton an All-Star next season. What a fun inside-out duo this is to envision. While Atlanta is nowhere close to reaching the necessary cap space to absorb a massive Ayton deal on their own, a sign-and-trade becomes feasible with all of the talent that could fit into the Phoenix roster.
For the Hawks, Ayton represents another foundational building block to place alongside Young for the long-term. John Collins could be the guy, but he&rsquo;s been in trade rumors for the past year with no signs of those slowing down. Onyeka Okongwu could also grow into that role, but the Hawks signing Clint Capela to a long-term extension perhaps signals that they see him more as a piece to the puzzle rather than a true building block.
Ayton would arrive in Atlanta and instantly average around 23 points and 12 rebounds per game. On box-score fit alone, this would be the best landing spot for Ayton thanks to the greatness of Young.
If Phoenix had drafted Luka Doncic rather than Ayton at No. 1 overall in 2018, Phoenix may have considered adding Clint Capela to their frontcourt. Four years later, Capela being re-routed to Phoenix in an Ayton sign-and-trade is a plausible scenario to imagine. Capela would provide similar numbers to Ayton while requiring less of an offensive workload. Meanwhile, Bogdan Bogdanovic might vault to the top the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year leaderboards in the near future. Bogdanovic and Cameron Johnson leading the Suns&rsquo; second unit? That&rsquo;s a filthy thought.
***
None of these trades are perfect, but they do illustrate how challenging it will be for Phoenix to find a home for Ayton while also returning the value they'd love to get back for him. Ultimately, it may be in the Suns' best interest to re-sign Ayton this offseason and trade him at some point down the road when his value isn't so depressed.
Whatever happens, Ayton&rsquo;s name will continue to pop up in rumors throughout the spring and summer until the Suns and Ayton's camp find common ground at the negotiation table. This situation could become awkward and dragged out, which would surely kick the trade rumors into high gear. This isn't the last we'll hear about Ayton and the possibility of him changing teams.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

With Deandre Ayton's future in Phoenix becoming murky, it's time to examine potential destinations for the former No. 1 overall pick.

Examining potential sign-and-trade destinations for Deandre Ayton

The Atlanta Hawks had to face the burden of expectations in 2021-22.&nbsp;
Fresh off a surprise trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, Atlanta entered the season as a picturesque franchise with a mixture of realized star power and unrealized potential. Unfortunately, not every young team progresses linearly.&nbsp;
On Jan. 14, the Hawks were seven games under .500. As late as Jan. 27, they were 11th in the Eastern Conference standings. And despite a spectacular rally to 43-39 and a successful Play-In Tournament run, Atlanta still looked hopeless for most of its first-round series against the Miami Heat.
And yet, the Hawks still finished with the second-best Offensive Rating in basketball, per Cleaning the Glass. Trae Young took the next step as a bona fide superstar. Onyeka Okongwu arrived after an injury-plagued rookie year. Even though Atlanta did underachieve, they still have several talented young players with room to grow. So how can the franchise get back on the right track?
Hawks principal owner <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/hawks-owner-ressler-says-team-wont-stand-pat-this-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tony Ressler has hinted at a possible offseason overhaul</a>.
&ldquo;I think if you asked our front office they would say that we thought based on last season&rsquo;s visit to the Eastern Conference finals, that we could bring back predominantly the same team and get better and expect it to be better,&rdquo; Ressler said. "I don&rsquo;t think that worked out the way we thought.
"So yes, I think we should have tried to get better rather than bring back what we had. That won&rsquo;t happen again, by the way. It was a mistake, in my opinion."
Atlanta first has to answer The John Collins Question.&nbsp;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_0PAXreaa8Y" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The Hawks signed Collins to a massive five-year, $125 million contract extension last summer, essentially locking him in as Young's partner in crime. His first year under the new deal went woefully off-script.
The 24-year-old appeared in just 54 games this past season, and just four after the All-Star break, due to injuries. He posted the worst True Shooting percentage of his career (still a pretty nice 61.0%) and saw his lowest usage rate in four seasons. In January, Collins went on record voicing his displeasure about his role, and as of that moment, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/stats-notebook-has-john-collins-role-with-the-hawks-really-changed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he had statistical evidence to back him up.</a>
Collins possesses undeniable on-court synergy with Young, but is that enough for him to want him to stay, and for the front office to keep faith?
Ressler also made two other notable comments that could pertain to Collins. One is that he's not afraid of spending into the luxury tax to make the Hawks a championship contender. Perhaps this means Atlanta values Collins regardless of his salary and wants to fortify other areas. But Ressler also added:&nbsp;"I think every team in the NBA should add a superstar whenever they can, and I promise you we&rsquo;re no exception.&rdquo;
Collins would surely help Atlanta chase a superstar if he were included in a trade. We'll see if he's on the table for Atlanta.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The Hawks don't have many major in-house free agency questions to address. Their most notable upcoming free agent is probably Delon Wright, who assumed duties as a backup point guard as the season went on and provided solid play on low usage. Other free agents who did not lock down a rotation spot include: Lou Williams, Kevin Knox, Gorgui Dieng, Skylar Mays and Sharife Cooper.
Cooper should expectedly be re-signed. The rookie point guard was one of the surprise fallers of the 2021 NBA Draft and showed promise in the G League, averaging 16.3 points and 6.7 assists per game with the College Park Skyhawks.
The relative roster security does mean, however, that Atlanta is strapped for cap space. Spotrac estimates that the franchise won't even come close to achieving any sort of practical cap space for the summer with Young, Collins, Danilo Gallinari, Clint Capela and Bogdan Bogdanovic each making more than $18 million next season. The best they'll have to work with is the taxpayer mid-level exception, valued at about $6.3 million. Any significant addition will have to be via trade.
Atlanta will also have just its own draft picks at Nos. 16 and 44. These are quality chances for the Hawks to beef up their bench or add a defense-first piece, and as they know from last year with Cooper, there's always a chance to grab a steal in the second round.
Our Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock projects the Hawks to select Ohio State wing Malaki Branham with the 16th pick in his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest NBA Mock Draft</a>. Branham is a dynamic scorer already as a freshman and could pack a punch off the bench with his ability to pull up and get to the rim. At No. 44, Atlanta is projected to select Wake Forest's Jake LaRavia, who has been a recent draft riser (at least in the podcasts I listen to!).
Whatever moves the Hawks decide to make, they need to positively impact the defense. Atlanta ranked 26th in Defensive Rating this season and was abjectly awful for most of the year. De'Andre Hunter only appeared in 53 games due to injuries, but his presence can't be the sole supporting beam for the perimeter defense.&nbsp;
With an owner itching to make trades and a roster still full of optimism and question marks, the Hawks should be a must-watch team as the offseason approaches.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

The Hawks underachieved in 2021-22, setting the stage for some major potential offseason moves.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Atlanta Hawks?

The Utah Jazz&rsquo;s 2021-22 season is officially over. The Jazz believed they were a championship contender, but this marks another season ending in disappointment and heartbreak. Now, looking ahead at what&rsquo;s to come in Salt Lake City, massive changes seem to be on the horizon. Whether it be Donovan Mitchell or Rudy Gobert on the move, something&rsquo;s gotta give. Other veterans such as Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic could be on the move too.
While our Bryan Fonseca recently broke down <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-desinations-for-donovan-mitchell-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">possible trade destinations for Mitchell</a>, it's seems likely that the Jazz will try to appease their young star shooting guard. Gordon Hayward already broke Utah&rsquo;s heart a few years ago when he left in free agency. If Mitchell requested a trade, it would send shockwaves throughout Utah. Unlike Hayward, Mitchell has star power that transcends Utah and he could potentially lead the team to heights they haven&rsquo;t reached since the 1990s with John Stockton and Karl Malone.
If the Jazz have to move their homegrown three-time Defensive Player of the Year in order to keep Mitchell, I'm almost certain it would happen. It&rsquo;s an unfortunate twist of fate for Gobert, but leaving the Jazz&rsquo;s system might be the best thing for him so he can truly blossom into a true two-way presence.
As seen throughout Utah's first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks, Gobert was ignored or simply used as a decoy more often than not. If Gobert is used on a more consistent basis in a different environment, who knows what he could accomplish as one of the NBA&rsquo;s premier lob threats?
Gobert hitting the trade market would result in a feeding frenzy around the Association. Whether it be title contenders or rebuilding teams who feel close to a massive leap, Gobert could be viewed as the missing piece to the puzzle.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into five realistic destinations for a Gobert blockbuster deal this offseason.
Chicago Bulls
Chicago knows they&rsquo;re in desperate need of a defensive jolt. Adding Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso in the backcourt already brought a new identity to the Bulls, who were seemingly allergic to defense before their arrival. Myles Turner has been mentioned as a possible target for Chicago, but the Indiana Pacers are <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/despite-trade-talks-the-pacers-want-to-keep-myles-turner-longterm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> expected to keep him long-term. Why not swing for the fences with Gobert? Acquiring the 29-year-old would be a crown-jewel moment for the organization.&nbsp;
Imagine the possibilities for Chicago with Gobert patrolling the paint with Ball and Caruso hawking the perimeter. It&rsquo;s the perfect complement to offensive dynamos Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Chicago&rsquo;s new starting lineup of Ball, Caruso, LaVine, DeRozan and Gobert would seemingly have no holes in it from a two-way perspective.
I absolutely love this idea for Chicago, and they should be blowing up the Jazz&rsquo;s phone this summer if it seems plausible.
Jazz receive: Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams, Coby White, draft compensation
Bulls receive: Rudy Gobert
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
New York Knicks
The Knicks are bound to blow it up one way or another soon enough. Julius Randle feels like <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/five-nba-players-who-feel-destined-to-be-traded-this-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the most obvious trade candidates</a> to potentially hit the market this offseason. If the Knicks are done with Randle, could they parlay him and other young pieces to acquire Gobert? While <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-desinations-for-donovan-mitchell-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York would love to land Mitchell</a>, the Knicks should seriously explore a Gobert trade since the organization needs some sort of game-changing move.
The 2022-23 season feels like a make-or-break year for the current Knicks regime. Head coach Tom Thibodeau&rsquo;s seat is red-hot, plus the Knicks&rsquo; front office has to be itching to make some sort of move to change course from a stale build.
Gobert&rsquo;s arrival would signal New York is ready to finally ascend the Eastern Conference standings. Sure, Gobert isn&rsquo;t a true &ldquo;superstar,&rdquo; but he&rsquo;s far and away the most impactful player the Knicks could realistically reel in this offseason. Gobert being the adult in the room for an accelerated rebuild in the Big Apple is a fun scenario, especially as it provides a high-floor outcome immediately.
New York&rsquo;s current roster has ample flexibility to turn it all over again by 2023. If the Knicks clear out all of their contracts with team options and expiring deals, sans the young core, they will have a max slot open for the loaded 2023 free-agent class. Would Gobert and RJ Barrett be able to sell a star on New York? If Barrett takes the leap forward that many expect, that&rsquo;s a fun big/wing duo to build around long-term.
Utah will likely want at least another young asset or two in return as part of this projected blockbuster, but the framework is strong enough to build off it.
Jazz receive: Julius Randle, Alec Burks, Quentin Grimes, draft compensation
Knicks receive: Rudy Gobert
Atlanta Hawks
Want to find the perfect fit for Gobert outside of Utah? The Hawks are the ideal destination for Gobert, who would be able to shine outside of the Jazz&rsquo;s system. Trae Young pick-and-rolls with Gobert would simply be unfair to try to guard, and it would help insulate their star point guard in a better situation.
Atlanta also has the right amount of assets to make this compelling for Utah to pull the trigger. Whether it be John Collins or Bogdan Bogdanovic, either one could be the centerpiece to a Gobert deal. Also, Atlanta has an upcoming expiring salary in Danilo Gallinari with only $5 million guaranteed on his contract. If you throw together Collins, Gallinari and future draft compensation, it could be enough for the Jazz to take negotiations more seriously. Clint Capela could also be re-routed to another team to free up further cap flexibility as well.
For Atlanta, they are ready to win right now with Young leading the way. With Young, Kevin Huerter, De&rsquo;Andre Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson, they have a young core that's ready to take the next step. Gobert brings a star piece to an organization that has the urgency to compete right now in the East, and they'll want to bounce back after how they crashed and burned to end their 2021-22 season. Also, the Hawks had the NBA's 26th-ranked defense this season (allowing 112.1 points per 100 possessions), so adding a three-time Defensive Player of the Year could be just what they need.
It wouldn&rsquo;t be a surprise to see a player of Young&rsquo;s caliber push for Gobert to join him in Atlanta too. With all the trade rumors swirling around Collins since he signed a five-year extension, this deal makes a lot of sense for both sides to explore further.
Jazz receive: John Collins, Danilo Gallinari, future draft compensation
Hawks receive: Rudy Gobert
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Golden State Warriors
Smoke is already forming around this possibility, if the Jazz indeed decide to blow it up in a few months. For the Warriors, it&rsquo;s an all-in move to create another dynasty in the final prime years of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. With so much young talent climbing the ladder in the reloaded Western Conference, the time is now for the Warriors to make a splashy move to keep themselves atop the standings.
This will be the last time the Warriors can explore potential deals revolving around Andrew Wiggins&rsquo; bloated salary as well. Next season, Wiggins will be on an expiring contract making $33.6 million. With Wiggins, Golden State can immediately enter the conversation for Gobert while also having some intriguing young pieces that could appeal to Utah.
Jonathan Kuminga is likely off limits from the Warriors&rsquo; perspective, flashing real two-way potential throughout this season. However, what about a combination of Moses Moody and James Wiseman? Instantly, Utah can replenish their young core with two immediate contributors to place alongside Mitchell long-term. Throw in some future draft picks and the Jazz might be the ones who are ready to press &ldquo;accept&rdquo; on this hypothetical trade.
Golden State&rsquo;s new-age lineup of dominance would simply be unfair. Take a look at the Warriors&rsquo; projected lineup with Gobert: Curry, Jordan Poole, Thompson, Green and Gobert. With all of the versatility on display here, it could vault Golden State into a different stratosphere entirely.
Jazz receive: Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, Moses Moody, future draft compensation
Warriors receive: Rudy Gobert, Rudy Gay
Detroit Pistons
Here&rsquo;s a surprise team that could become very aggressive in the Gobert sweepstakes if the chips fall their way this offseason. No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham flashed superstar potential for the Pistons during his rookie campaign, especially after the All-Star break.
If the Pistons get lottery luck once more with a top pick in this year&rsquo;s draft, could they decide to push some chips into the middle of the table for Gobert? Imagine if the Pistons had a trio of Cunningham, Gobert and a top prospect (Jabari Smith or Paolo Banchero?) to build around for the next five-plus years.
For the Pistons, acquiring stars via the draft or trades is the only realistic route to obtaining a game-changing talent. We already saw it on display with their former regime when they traded for Blake Griffin, which led to little progress long-term. Unlike Griffin, Gobert actually fits into the organization's long-term calculus.
From the Jazz&rsquo;s perspective, they would be asking for a heavy return from a team like Detroit. We&rsquo;re talking two key pieces to their core as well as veteran wing Jerami Grant. Would the Pistons feel comfortable moving Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart for Gobert? That may be Utah's asking price.
Jazz receive: Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart, Kelly Olynyk, future draft compensation
Pistons receive: Rudy Gobert, Nickeil Alexander-Walker
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1habvwh r-eqz5dr r-11rk87y r-1dye5f7 r-m611by r-13qz1uu">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-eqz5dr r-glunga r-13qz1uu">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-13qz1uu">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-eqz5dr r-glunga r-13qz1uu">
<div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Entering a pivotal offseason, will the Utah Jazz blow it up? If so, which teams make sense as a landing spot for Rudy Gobert?

Examining potential trade destinations for Rudy Gobert

In spite of Luka Dončić only playing half of the series, the Utah Jazz have been eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs, which can only mean it&rsquo;s time to blow them up!
Okay, not really... but maybe? Virtually everyone is expecting organizational changes given the team's recent underachievement in the playoffs stemming from successful regular seasons. This incarnation of the Jazz was established in 2017-18, behind then-rookie Donovan Mitchell&rsquo;s quick rise to stardom and Rudy Gobert&rsquo;s emergence as an annual Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
That season, Mitchell &mdash; filling the void left by Gordon Hayward &mdash; finished his first season as a 20-point-per-game scorer despite being picked No. 13 overall and averaging just over 14 points per game in his first 19 appearances. Gobert, even having played only 56 games, was awarded his first of now three DPOY awards.
In these five years, there have been as many playoff trips &mdash; three as the No. 5 seed (including this season), one as the No. 6 in the Orlando Bubble, and another as the top overall seed in the Western Conference last year.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
In 2017-18, the Jazz overachieved, taking down the Russell Westbrook-Paul George-Carmelo Anthony-led Oklahoma City Thunder in six games before losing to the No. 1 seed Houston Rockets in five contests.
In 2018-19, Utah lost to the Rockets again in five, this time in the first round, and Houston even led 3-0 with a +55 scoring margin before dropping Game 4.
In 2019-20, the Jazz squandered a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets, losing Game 7 in the final seconds of the opening round.
Last season &mdash; despite the Los Angeles Clippers losing Kawhi Leonard to a torn ACL (that he&rsquo;s still not back from) &mdash; the Jazz <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD2yBy-EqnU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost in six games to the Clippers</a> in the West semifinals, and Gobert was dunked on by both Terance Mann and social media in the ending.
And finally, this postseason &mdash; in a series with Dončić missing the first three games with a calf injury, in which Utah still trailed 2-1 upon his return &mdash; Utah lost on yet another last-second heartbreaker.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
THE PLAYOFF DROUGHT IS OVER. THE DALLAS MAVERICKS ADVANCE TO THE SECOND ROUND SINCE 2011!<a href="https://twitter.com/dallasmavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dallasmavs</a> | 📺 BSSW | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dALLasIN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dALLasIN</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> <a href="https://t.co/VcWGAdSOL4">pic.twitter.com/VcWGAdSOL4</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsSW/status/1519896562079518727?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Given <a href="https://twitter.com/tribjazz/status/1482077811019902980">the sniping back-and-forth between Mitchell and Gobert</a>, the Jazz's inability to break through and how far behind they appear from the top teams in the West, this seems like the summer where sizeable moves will be coming.
Personally speaking, it feels like we&rsquo;re heading toward Mitchell requesting a trade and moving on, but either way, one of Mitchell or Gobert &mdash; perhaps both &mdash; may be on the move in the coming months. Our Evan Sidery <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-rudy-gobert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently looked at five trade ideas involving Gobert</a>.
Today, let's look at where Mitchell could end up, <a href="https://fanspo.com/nba/trade-machine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">using this trade machine</a>.
Mitchell is due $30.3 million next year, $32.6 million in 2023-24, $34.9 million in 2024-25, and has a player option for $37 million in 2025-26. Keep that in mind as we embark on this journey together. (Why did I sound like Professor Oak there?)
New York Knicks
Mitchell&rsquo;s father, Donovan Sr., works with the New York Mets organization. The 25-year-old Mitchell himself is a native of Elmsford, New York. Naturally, with the New York Knicks, there will be Mitchell smoke until a deal (or something else) actually happens. Because Tommy Beer already <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/expect-the-knicks-to-make-a-real-run-at-donovan-mitchell-this-summer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke down the possibility of a Mitchell-to-New-York trade</a>, we won&rsquo;t stay here too long.
Regarding the Knicks&rsquo; actual proposal, the first look would be to RJ Barrett, who is extension eligible this summer, entering year four and making $10.9 million next year. The idea, for New York, should be to team Barrett and Mitchell together. If that&rsquo;s not possible, and the Mitchell deal were to have to get done, Barrett is your chief trade chip, along with first-round draft picks. The Knicks have all their own first-rounders as of this writing.
Usable salaries for the Knicks next year include Evan Fournier, who&rsquo;ll be at $18 million, Derrick Rose at $14.5 million, Alec Burks at $10 million, Nerlens Noel at $9.2 million and Kemba Walker at over $9.1 million. Rose, Burks and Noel all have team options for 2023-24, so they have ostensibly expiring deals. Walker&rsquo;s next season is his last under contract, and Fournier is signed through 2025, but that also includes a team option. Cam Reddish and Taj Gibson also enter the last year of their respective deals, at about $6 million and $5.1 million each, respectively.
The contract elephant in the room is Julius Randle&rsquo;s, which is a four-year, $117 million extension that begins next season at $26.1 million. It&rsquo;ll gradually increase until his player option for $32.4 million kicks in for 2025-26. The Knicks might try to move Randle instead, but what sense does that make for Utah? And if Utah isn&rsquo;t getting Barrett, would they want a package of the aforementioned veterans (say, Fournier and Burks), along with one or two of Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, or Miles McBride (who make between $1.6 and $2.3 million next year) and picks?
It&rsquo;ll be hard to do without Barrett, and maybe Randle gets involved in a three-team deal, but the Knicks have the picks, salaries and prospects to make it work, if that&rsquo;s the route the Jazz want to go.
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons seem like a team that could be a version of this past season&rsquo;s Cleveland Cavaliers &mdash; not in terms of play style or once being a top-four team in the Eastern Conference standings necessarily, but from the standpoint of being competitive a year sooner than we think and playing meaningful games down the stretch (like one or two in the Play-In Tournament).
Given that 20 of 30 NBA teams will have games beyond the regular season, the Pistons may (should) attempt to get one of those spots.
Last year&rsquo;s No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham is <a href="https://youtu.be/I9OLPXxgYWk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">someone you can build with</a>. Saddiq Bey should be a more efficient scorer with more experience and better teammates. Most of the rest is to be determined, but Detroit can start by using Jerami Grant&rsquo;s near $21 million expiring deal next summer.
What comes next depends on what stage the Jazz want to be closer to. If this is a rebuild, you can ask for a combination of Killian Hayes and Hamidou Diallo (both of whom make over $5 million next year), for example, and Hayes has a $7.4 million team option for 2023-24. If not, Kelly Olynyk has $12.8 million coming to him next year that&rsquo;s usable. Utah can in throw in, hypothetically, Royce O&rsquo;Neale&rsquo;s $9.3 million deal next year and get Olynyk anyway.
So the player framework can look something like:
<ul>
<li>Donovan Mitchell for Jerami Grant and Kelly Olynyk</li>
<li>Donovan Mitchell for Jerami Grant, Killian Hayes and Hamidou Diallo</li>
<li>Donovan Mitchell and Royce O&rsquo;Neale for Jerami Grant, Killian Hayes, Hamidou Diallo and Kelly Olynyk plus a sh*t ton of draft picks. The Pistons would be moving something like three first-rounders in the deal, and potentially multiple first-round pick swaps.</li>
</ul>
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Miami Heat
I brought this up during <a href="https://youtu.be/XBQwn0pOAa4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's NBA Trade Deadline stream</a>.&nbsp;
The Heat didn&rsquo;t do it then, but it might still be on the table depending on how these playoffs go. The Heat might not offer the best return package because of their draft picks, but they did unlock additional firsts by moving KZ Okpala to Oklahoma City in February. And, for Miami, we&rsquo;re mainly talking about one package. But again, it depends on the results of this postseason.&nbsp;
Currently, the Heat are getting ready to face the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, a matchup they&rsquo;re favored to win (albeit narrowly). If they lose this particular series, or if they win and Tyler Herro continues to struggle in the playoffs, or even if Miami makes a deep run and Herro elevates from a slow start, he&rsquo;d be the primary chip in a Mitchell deal. Furthermore, the <a href="https://twitter.com/GregSylvander/status/1482101290964504580" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Heat are on Mitchell&rsquo;s shortlist</a>, according to Greg Sylvander of Five Reasons Sports.
The deal, as I mentioned on our stream, would include Herro &mdash; who is still on a rookie-scale contract ($5.7 million next year), but is extension-eligible this summer and wouldn&rsquo;t kick-in until 2023. Then comes Duncan Robinson, who&rsquo;ll enter the second year of a five-year, $90 million deal next season, which bookends with a near $20 million player option and rises to $16.9 million next season.
According to the trade machine, Omer Yurtseven&rsquo;s $1.7 million next season makes the math work, and would give Utah a Gobert backup who&rsquo;ll, if nothing else, get you 10 rebounds in 15 minutes on occasion. Would the Heat have to throw in at least one of Gabe Vincent, Max Strus or Haywood Highsmith (all of whom make between $1.7 and $1.8 million next year)? Perhaps. And from there, Miami has tradeable first-rounders in 2022, 2024 and 2026. So, in summation, it could look like this:
<ul>
<li>Donovan Mitchell for Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Omer Yurtseven, one of Gabe Vincent/Max Strus/Haywood Highsmith, draft capital</li>
</ul>
But if Herro has a big playoff run moving forward, the Heat may instead opt to move Robinson in a separate, smaller deal for a worthy big man in their rotation, and mostly run it back otherwise.
Atlanta Hawks
Alright, now you saw what the Heat did to Trae Young in the first round. The Hawks clearly are not only poised to get Young some help, but make a 3-for-1-ish deal to consolidate some depth into a higher-end starter &mdash; or in the case of Mitchell, a fellow offensive starter. His teammate, Gobert, is probably the better fit, but one, I&rsquo;m not writing about Gobert (our Evan Sidery will handle that) and two, if Gobert is frustrated with Mitchell&rsquo;s defense...
But anyway, you gotta start somewhere. And for Atlanta, part of why the Heat neutralized Young is their malleability defensively, but also, the Hawks don&rsquo;t have another true star to account for on the perimeter. Mitchell would give Young a viable tag team partner offensively to spread the defensive focus. To do so, the Hawks could play this a few different ways.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qjRmo0TbD20" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The obvious trade chip is John Collins, and there could be questions about his fit next to Gobert, but it&rsquo;s not a bad place to start if you&rsquo;re moving someone of Mitchell&rsquo;s caliber. Collins will make $23.5 million next year, and between $25.3 and $26.6 million through 2025-26. Collins has had rumored friction with Young, though they&rsquo;ve downplayed it over the years. From there, if you use Collins in a possible deal, it gets interesting.&nbsp;
De&rsquo;Andre Hunter &mdash; who makes $9.8 million next year in the last season of a rookie deal and is extension-eligible this summer &mdash; seems logical for both the Jazz to want and the Hawks to keep. Hunter was Atlanta's best player against the Heat, and has been a quality two-way wing when healthy. Is a framework of Collins and Hunter for Mitchell straight up enough of a deal for both sides? Sheeeeeiiiiit, ask them, but it sounds good to me!
<ul>
<li>Donovan Mitchell for John Collins and De'Andre Hunter</li>
</ul>
No Collins? Okay. You&rsquo;re not moving Clint Capela&rsquo;s long-term deal for Utah in a Mitchell move, so that&rsquo;s out of the picture. Kevin Huerter would absolutely have to be part of this, and no, that&rsquo;s not a white Utah joke. Hu-why would you think that?&nbsp;
Huerter begins his $65 million extension next year, the first of four, banking $14.5 million in 2022-23. Hunter probably stays in the deal because Utah has to get something really good, and the Hawks simply can&rsquo;t extend everyone. Again, Atlanta should want to keep Hunter, but this is the price of doing business. But if you&rsquo;re throwing in Huerter instead of Collins (which does work on the trade machine since different rules apply in the offseason than in-season), you&rsquo;ll need multiple first round picks &mdash; of which the Hawks have all their own &mdash; so that could get done.
Could Utah also want Onyeka Okongwu? Sure, but he seems like Atlanta's 5-man of the future, and a separate deal moving off Capela might be more likely. So the second proposal could look like this:
<ul>
<li>Donovan Mitchell for De'Andre Hunter, Kevin Huerter, draft capital</li>
</ul>
Now, the Hawks would still need to figure some things out defensively, seeing as how they&rsquo;d be led by two 6-foot-1 scorers in the backcourt. They could just became the new Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to some extent, but <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-salute-to-the-defiance-of-damian-lillard-and-cj-mccollum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Portland Trail Blazers are as much to blame for that &ldquo;not working,&rdquo;</a> and the Hawks can learn from those team-building mistakes.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Bryan Fonseca takes a look at four logical landing spots for Utah Jazz star guard Donovan Mitchell.

Examining potential trade desinations for Donovan Mitchell 

The 2022 NBA Draft is still two months away, but that&rsquo;s when the dominoes around the Association begin to fall for player activity. In a shallow class of free agents, the trade market will be the best way for teams to make win-now moves. So many teams are in flux, stuck between pushing for the postseason or rebuilding. When scouring the potential trade marketplace, five names stand out from the rest.
Malcolm Brogdon
The Tyrese Haliburton era is in full swing for the Indiana Pacers, which showed immediate long-term promise for a star-starved organization. With Haliburton in place as the primary building block for the Pacers, it&rsquo;s time to say adios to the failed Malcolm Brogdon partnership.
Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard is on record as saying Haliburton is their point guard of the future, and he even compared acquiring him to former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. If that doesn&rsquo;t say they&rsquo;re all-in on Haliburton, then I don&rsquo;t know what to tell you.
Although Brogdon put together career-best scoring numbers during his time in Indiana, availability continued to be a serious problem for the veteran combo guard. During the 2021-22 campaign, Brogdon missed 46 games due to nagging injury issues.
Another interesting angle to monitor from the Pacers&rsquo; point of view is losing a first-round pick they expected to receive via the Caris LeVert trade back in February. After the Cavaliers&rsquo; collapse post-All-Star break, Indiana lost out on a top-20 pick they were planning on using for further draft ammunition.
Moving Brogdon would help recoup that asset, now deferred to next season. Brogdon&rsquo;s trade market could be robust thanks to his two-way versatility, despite his injury woes.
If there&rsquo;s any player in the Association who feels like a lock to be dealt, it&rsquo;s Brogdon, thanks to the Haliburton era beginning in Indianapolis.
Christian Wood
Christian Wood is seemingly on the way out in Houston. The Rockets&rsquo; rookie big man Alperen Sengun shined in a limited role, which increased later on as Wood&rsquo;s minutes diminished. Wood was shopped by the Rockets before the trade deadline, but they weren't able to move him. That may change this offseason.
As an expiring contract making only $14 million, Wood offers any contender a ready-made stretch four who provides intriguing upside. For Houston, there&rsquo;s no reason to keep Wood around. He simply doesn&rsquo;t fit their timeline with a young core spearheaded by Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr. and Sengun.
Wood originally signed with the Rockets to be a pick-and-roll partner with James Harden, but Harden is no longer with the team. With a potentially fresh opportunity on the horizon, Wood has the chance to cash in if he lands in the right situation.
One team who continues to make sense for Wood as a long-term fit is the Miami Heat. Miami reportedly offered the Rockets Duncan Robinson for Wood, which Houston rebuked. With the Heat&rsquo;s 2023 first-round pick now available, could that change the Rockets&rsquo; mind on this swap? If Houston can offload Wood while obtaining a sharpshooter and a future first, it makes way too much sense.
Whether it be Miami or elsewhere, Wood&rsquo;s market has the chance to catch fire in a few months. He feels like another shoo-in to be on the move.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
CHRISTIAN WOOD ARE YOU SERIOUS! 39 POINTS AND THIS RIDICULOUS SHOT 😱 <a href="https://t.co/rqWDA2NS4z">pic.twitter.com/rqWDA2NS4z</a>
&mdash; SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1506094094698774528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Jerami Grant
Another player who has been stuck in trade rumors for the past calendar year is Jerami Grant, who bet on himself and signed a long-term deal with the rebuilding Detroit Pistons. Grant sought out a role where he would be more of a focal point offensively, and he&rsquo;s shown now over a large sample size he can get it done in that area.
However, Grant&rsquo;s best fit for any contending team is how he was used with the Denver Nuggets. As a third or fourth option who also handles the best scorer on the defensive end, Grant would fit onto any team looking to take a significant leap forward next season.
Grant is another player who doesn&rsquo;t fit the timeline of his current team. With the Pistons projected to have another top pick in this year&rsquo;s draft, plus an enticing young core led by 2021 No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham, the youth movement is in full effect in the Motor City. The Pistons would be wise to shop off Grant to the highest bidder around the draft or in early July.
Grant&rsquo;s elite versatility provides him a strong role anywhere he lands. And don&rsquo;t be shocked by the price tag for a Grant trade this offseason. Contenders will get into a bidding war to secure the services of a strong plug-and-play wing who will raise their ceiling immediately.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
John Collins
What&rsquo;s next for the Atlanta Hawks? After a disappointing first-round exit in the postseason thanks to the Heat, Atlanta&rsquo;s roster has a few interesting decisions looming ahead. One of those revolves around dynamic power forward John Collins, who has continued to hear his name floated in trade rumors since signing a five-year extension last offseason.
Collins let it be known this season he was frustrated with his role on the offensive end, and soon after we once again heard trade winds blowing around the former Wake Forest Demon Deacon. If the Hawks begin fielding offers on Collins this offseason, expect Atlanta to net a significant asset (or assets) in return.
Trae Young is obviously the straw that stirs the drink in Atlanta&rsquo;s system, but take a look at all of the young pieces in place within their organization: Onyeka Okongwu, Kevin Huerter, DeAndre Hunter, Jalen Johnson, and you can even throw in the more experienced veteran in Bogdan Bogdanovic to the mix thanks to his strong fit with Young. Huerter already signed his rookie-scale extension, but Hunter and Okungwu will soon be due. The same goes for Bogdanovic, if he wants to stay in Atlanta past the 2022-23 season.
From a financial standpoint, Collins feels like the easiest piece to move in order to keep everyone else intact. Don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Hawks use Collins&rsquo; contract alongside Danilo Gallinari&rsquo;s expiring salary ($21.4 million) to go star hunting.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Trae Young finds John Collins in the corner for 3 🎯<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> presented by Google Pixel on ESPN <a href="https://t.co/pGchqDhGyW">pic.twitter.com/pGchqDhGyW</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1517668614333210634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Julius Randle
What a disaster this season was for the New York Knicks. After a surprising surge in the 2020-21 campaign, the Knicks felt inclined to run it back with their veteran-heavy core. Looking back on it now, that decision has left egg on the face of New York&rsquo;s front office.
After winning Most Improved Player, Julius Randle may have been the winner of &ldquo;Most Disappointing Player,&rdquo; if such an award actually existed. Randle seemed out of it for most of the season, not utilizing his special motor to help the Knicks consistently. Whether Randle&rsquo;s incredible run was a flash in the pan or the fit has worn itself out, something has to give this offseason.
We should also note the emergence of former lottery pick Obi Toppin, who continued to flash when given more playing time for the Knicks. Toppin makes Randle more expendable, and that should be the primary plan for New York this offseason.
Randle&rsquo;s contract is very movable, too. Making $26.1 million next season, Randle would help present a strong trade market for New York to scour for the best offers. And who knows? Maybe Randle bounces back to his 2020-21 form in a different environment.
For Randle and the Knicks, it&rsquo;s in the best interest of both parties to split up.
While we're still a couple of months away from the trade market opening back up, there are plenty of big names who could be moved. These players should find themselves at the top of that list, as any of them would prove a huge boost for the organization acquiring them.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Looking ahead to the offseason, here are five names to monitor as potential trade targets.

Five NBA players who feel destined to be traded this offseason

The Atlanta Hawks fought hard just to make the playoffs.
They battled to the very last second against the top-seeded team in the East.
But in the end, there's only one word to describe this season.
Disappointing.
Coming off <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">a surprising run to the Eastern Conference final</a> in the summer of 2021, the Hawks entered this season thinking of themselves as a potential championship contender.
Instead, they took a big step backward, spending much of the year under .500 before a late surge got them into the play-in tournament with the ninth-best record in the conference.
The Hawks won two straight in the tournament &mdash; including <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cleveland-cavaliers-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-trae-young-c10ce79815156de0cb02475b8b93805f">a road victory</a> at Cleveland &mdash; to take the No. 8 playoff seed, but they were no match for the Miami Heat in the opening round of the playoffs.
Atlanta lasted only five games, finished off by <a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-1c8157e72efbe6347914f1dcb55626fc">a 97-94 defeat</a> Tuesday night.
It really wasn't a surprising result, given the Hawks lack of consistency during the regular season.
There were some obvious culprits &mdash; a rash of injuries, not to mention a COVID-19 outbreak that forced the team to essentially rely on a G-League roster just to take the court &mdash; but there were also mysterious lapses in effort that no one could put a finger on.
&ldquo;We have to play better during the regular season to put ourselves in a better ranking, a better position to approach the playoffs,&rdquo; Danilo Gallinari said. &ldquo;We let a lot of games go. We had too many ups and down during the season. When it's playoff time, you can't take games off, minutes off. You've got to play every game the same way.&rdquo;
From a summer filled with hope, the Hawks head into an offseason that looks much more tumultuous.
&ldquo;It was a tough season. This was not a good result,&rdquo; Gallinari said. &ldquo;Where do we go from here? I have no idea.&rdquo;
MAJOR MOVES?
When the Hawks were struggling at the trade deadline, general manager Travis Schlenk passed on the chance for a major overhaul. The only deal he made was sending Cam Reddish to the New York Knicks for little-used Kevin Knox and a protected first-round ick.
Now that he's seen his team's body of work over an entire season, Schlenk will likely go for much bigger changes this offseason. After all the optimism generated by the 2021 postseason run, it seems clear the current roster isn't capable of competing for a championship.
John Collins, just one year into a five-year, $125 million contract, has been mentioned frequently as potential trade fodder.
TYING UP TRAE
After becoming just the second player in NBA history to lead the league in total points and assists, Trae Young endured a miserable playoff series against the Heat.
Miami limited Young to just 15.4 points per game, twice holding him to single digits. He shot just 32% from the field (22 of 69) and had as many turnovers as assists (30 apiece).
Young and the Hawks must figure out a way to get him more involved away from the ball and come up with ways to produce offense when the other team is intent on shutting down Atlanta's best player.
&ldquo;This is part of my growth,&rdquo; the 23-year-old Young said. &ldquo;The next time I face this sort of challenge, I'm gonna be better.&rdquo;
ANOTHER STAR
With no one on the current roster who seems capable of taking the scoring load off Young on a consistent basis, the Hawks may look to bring in another top-level player to complement their young star.
The Hawks have an abundance of role players, but no really elite player beyond Young. There were far too many nights when they looked like a one-man team.
CONTRACT DECISIONS
This summer, the Hawks must decide what sort of commitment to make to De'Andre Hunter, who closed the season with a career-best 35 points in the Game 5 loss to the Heat.
The Hawks love Hunter's defense and believe he can become more of a force offensively, but he's battled injuries and inconsistency over his first three seasons in the league.
Now, he's eligible for a rookie extension worth up to $184 million over five years.
The Hawks already have big money tied up in players who struggled to meet expectations this season, including Collins, Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela and Kevin Huerter.
BIG O
The Hawks will be looking for ways to get Onyeka Okongwu a bigger role.
Only 21, the undersized center missed the first part of the season recovering from shoulder surgery but played well as his minutes increased down the stretch.
He'll spend this offseason looking for ways to expand his offensive repertoire.

The Hawks a big step backward, spending much of the year under .500 before a late surge got them into the Play-In Tournament.

After surprising playoff run, Hawks take a big step backward

Victor Oladipo scored 23 points, Bam Adebayo added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and the Miami Heat moved into the Eastern Conference semifinals by beating the Atlanta Hawks 97-94 on Tuesday night.
Tyler Herro scored 16, Max Strus scored 15 and Caleb Martin added 10 for the top-seeded Heat, who ousted the eighth-seeded Hawks in five games. And Miami got the series-clincher without Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry, both of whom sat out Tuesday with injuries.
Trae Young's rough series for Atlanta remained that way: He finished 2 for 12 from the floor, scoring just 11 points. For the series, the Hawks' guard shot 32% against Miami's swarming defense.
De'Andre Hunter scored 35 for Atlanta, which got 12 apiece from Kevin Huerter and Danilo Gallinari.
Hunter fouled out with 41.6 seconds left, Miami clinging to a three-point lead at the time. The Hawks got a stop, taking over with 29.2 seconds remaining, and retained possession after a missed shot from Gallinari went out of bounds off Miami.
The Hawks never got another shot off, time expired and Miami moved on.
Onyeka Okongwu's three-point play got Atlanta within 79-76 early in the fourth, the Hawks clawing back after being down by as many as 15.
But Herro hit a high-arcing jumper from the lane, Miami got a stop, and Oladipo hit a left-wing 3 on the next Heat possession to push the lead back to eight with 7:29 remaining.
That's how the final minutes went: Atlanta made a charge, Miami would hold it off, all the way to the end.
And now, the Heat get nearly a week off before facing either Philadelphia or Toronto in the East semis. Game 1 will be Monday in Miami.
The Heat already knew they&rsquo;d be without Lowry, who missed his second consecutive game with a strained left hamstring. The surprise was Butler, who reported knee soreness to the team on Monday and didn&rsquo;t see enough improvement to play on Tuesday.
It was the fourth time the Heat had to play without both Butler and Lowry this season, after going 1-2 in that scenario during the regular season &mdash; one of those losses being the finale in Orlando where Miami sat most of its rotation players.
And Butler and Lowry spent the final few minutes of the first half particularly enjoying what was happening.
A 17-0 Miami run &mdash; including 10 in a row from Strus in a span of 67 seconds &mdash; turned a three-point deficit into a 54-40 lead late in the second quarter. Miami pushed the lead out to 67-52 on a score by Adebayo with 2:55 left in the third, and the lead was 75-64 going into the fourth.
Atlanta had one last charge to make, getting within two in the final moments &mdash; but no closer.
TIP-INS
Hawks: Clint Capela, who missed the first three games of the series with a right knee injury, left in the third quarter of Game 5 because of continued knee issues. ... Atlanta was without Bogdan Bogdanovic (right knee soreness). ... Atlanta coach Nate McMillan is now 1-8 in postseason games against Miami&rsquo;s Erik Spoelstra. The Heat swept McMillan&rsquo;s Indiana Pacers in Round 1 at the bubble in 2020. ... The Hawks went 2-7 against the Heat this season.
Heat: Michigan coach Juwan Howard, the former Miami player and assistant, was in attendance. ... It marked the first time Butler had ever been declared inactive for a playoff game. ... Miami missed its first eight 3-point tries before Oladipo connected midway through the second quarter. ... Martin left just before halftime with an injury around his left hand or wrist, but returned for the second half.
STREAKING
Before this series, Miami had one run of more than 16 consecutive points in its playoff history. It now has three. The Heat had a 21-0 run in Game 3 at Atlanta, and the 17-0 run on Tuesday was the third-largest in team playoff history. Miami had a 19-0 run against New York in 2012, and has had 16-0 runs on four other occasions.
ODD TECH
Miami's Markieff Morris didn't play, and got a technical foul anyway. Morris was called for an unsportsmanlike play after he grabbed onto Hunter after the Hawks' forward stepped into the Miami bench area in the third quarter.
FIRST WIN
Miami beat Atlanta in a series for the first time in three tries. The Hawks had won two previous first-round series that both went to the limit, prevailing 3-2 in 1994 and 4-3 in 2009.
UP NEXT
Miami will play host to Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Philadelphia or Toronto on Monday.

Victor Oladipo scored 23 points, Bam Adebayo added 20 points and 11 rebounds and the Heat advanced to the second round.

Heat hold off Hawks 97-94, reach Eastern semifinals

Jimmy Butler scored 13 of his 36 points in a dominant second quarter and the Miami Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks 110-86 on Sunday night to take a 3-1 series lead.
Miami can wrap up the first-round series in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Miami.
Butler overcame a slow start. He made only 1 of 7 shots before hitting his final five shots of the first half to lead the turnaround.
Miami outscored Atlanta 30-15 in the second period, holding the Hawks to a season scoring low for the period.
Butler had 10 rebounds, four assists and blocked a shot.
Atlanta&rsquo;s Trae Young scored only nine points with five assists and five turnovers as he was shut down by Miami&rsquo;s defense for the second time in four games. Young was held to eight points in Miami&rsquo;s 115-91 Game 1 win.
De&rsquo;Andre Hunter led the Hawks with 24 points.
Miami ended Atlanta&rsquo;s six-game home winning streak despite playing without point guard Kyle Lowry, who was held out with a left hamstring strain.
Gabe Vincent had 11 points while sinking three 3-pointers in his fill-in start for Lowry, who strained his hamstring in the third quarter Friday night in a 111-110 loss to the Hawks. Lowry&rsquo;s status for Game 5 is not known.
The Hawks led 37-29 before Miami took control with a 15-0 run in the second period.
A key in the Heat&rsquo;s surge came on a Butler steal from Collins, who fouled as Butler scored and then made the free throw. It was Collins&rsquo; third foul. Coach Nate McMillan opted to keep Collins in the game.
The 15-0 run, capped by Vincent&rsquo;s 3-pointer, left Miami with a 44-37 lead. The Heat were not through, closing the half with an 11-0 run for a 55-41 lead at the break.
Butler drove through the Atlanta defense for two late baskets in the half after Collins left the game with four fouls with 1:54 remaining. Collins, who scored 11 points, finished with five fouls.
Miami led 98-74 when McMillan pulled out Young and his other starters.
TIP-INS
Heat: P.J. Tucker had 14 points and eight rebounds. Tucker was called for a technical foul when tensions rose after he was fouled by Onyeka Onkongwu late in the third quarter. ... Bam Adebayo also had 14 points and eight rebounds.
Hawks: C Clint Capela started after missing the first three games of the series with a right knee hyperextension. Capela had five rebounds and his only two points in his first 8 minutes. He finished with seven rebounds. ... The Hawks made only 5 of 11 free throws in the first half and 11 of 20 overall.
UP NEXT
Miami will try to extend its three-game home winning streak over Atlanta, including the first two games of the series, in Game 5. Overall, the Heat are 5-2 at home against the Hawks this season.

Jimmy Butler scored 13 of 36 points in the second quarter as the Heat beat the Hawks 110-86 on Sunday to take a 3-1 series lead.

Jimmy Butler has 36 as Heat overwhelm Trae Young, Hawks, 110-86

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Trae Young scored 30 points and the surging Atlanta Hawks never trailed while beating the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers 131-107 on Thursday night to clinch a spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.
Cedi Osman led Cleveland with 21 points. Darius Garland had 18 points and eight assists while sitting out the final quarter of the blowout loss.
Cavaliers standout rookie Evan Mobley missed his second consecutive game with a sprained ankle. Cleveland has lost two straight and five of six as it attempts to keep the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference.
Young had nine assists as the Hawks' fourth consecutive win clinched no worse than the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference and a berth in the play-in tournament. The Hawks began the night one-half game behind Charlotte and one game behind Brooklyn.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re in a tight race here at the end and we&rsquo;re starting to click at the right time,&rdquo; Young said, before offering the reminder the Hawks advanced to the Eastern Conference finals last year. &ldquo;We did the same thing last year and we were able to make a run.&rdquo;
Kevin Huerter continued his strong finish to the regular season with 23 points, his fourth consecutive game with at least 20 points. Clint Capela added 12 points with 14 rebounds.
Cavaliers coach B.J. Bickerstaff said before the game &ldquo;we&rsquo;re searching at this point&rdquo; for a playing rotation due to injuries. Guard Rajon Rando (ankle) missed his 10th consecutive game. Center Jarrett Allen missed his 12th straight with a finger injury.
Bickerstaff said he respected the Hawks' &ldquo;firepower&rdquo; and said &ldquo;they have the ability to blow you out because of that.&rdquo;
The Hawks delivered on Bickerstaff's assessment.
Atlanta took its first double-digit lead at 29-19 on Bogdan Bogdanovic's 3-pointer with 3 minutes remaining in the opening period. The Hawks stretched the lead to 20 points, 73-53, early in the second half on Young's 3 and extended the advantage to 30 points in the final period.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Mobley did not travel to Atlanta and is &ldquo;headed in the right direction,&rdquo; according to Bickerstaff. ... G RJ Nembhard was converted to a standard NBA contract. ... C Moses Brown had 15 points and 13 rebounds in his second consecutive start after he was signed to a two-way contract.
Hawks: C Onyeka Oknogwu had 17 points and 12 rebounds. ... There was no update on F John Collins almost two weeks after the team announced he would be out indefinitely with a plantar fascia tear in his right foot and a right finger sprain. Coach Nate McMillan said Collins &ldquo;is not doing anything as far as running and jumping&rdquo; but added &ldquo;we're not saying he's shut down.&rdquo; ... In a pregame ceremony, Young was presented the team's Jason Collier Memorial Trophy for community service. The award is given each year in honor of the late Atlanta center who died in 2005.
INJURY SCARE
Young played the third quarter after suffering what McMillan said he feared was a serious groin injury in the first half.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been kind of sore these past couple of weeks,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;... I just took a wrong step and it kind of shocked me for a second. ... I&rsquo;ll be all right.&rdquo;
HUERTER&rsquo;S SCORING SURGE
Huerter is taking advantage of increased scoring opportunities, especially in games when Danilo Gallinari (right elbow contusion) has joined John Collins on the inactive list. Huerter sank five of six 3-pointers, his fourth consecutive game making at least four 3s.
Some of Huerter&rsquo;s shots are the result of defenses placing extra attention on Young.
&ldquo;Kevin has been getting more minutes, and playing with Trae the ball has found him,&rdquo; McMillan said.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Continue a stretch of three games in four days when they visit the New York Knicks on Saturday.
Hawks: Remain home to play the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.

Trae Young scored 30 points and the surging Hawks never trailed while beating the short-handed Cavaliers 131-107 on Thursday.

Trae Young leads surging Hawks past struggling Cavaliers 131-107

Bogdan Bogdanovic's 3-pointer with 1:41 left gave Atlanta the lead and Trae Young scored 39 points in the Hawks' 130-124 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.
After Bogdanovic's 3 made it 119-118, Chicago's DeMar DeRozan's had a turnover, and Young padded the advantage with two 3s in the final 1:12.
Young had 13 assists and made 7 of 10 3s and all 10 of his free throws. Bogdanovic had 20 points.
The Hawks denied the Bulls' bid to complete a four-game sweep of the season series.
Chicago, fighting for the Eastern Conference lead, suffered its third consecutive loss.
DeRozan and Zach LaVine each had 22 points for the Bulls. Nikola Vucevic had 21 points and 11 rebounds.
LaVine blocked Young's last jumper of the first half, leaving the Bulls with a 63-56 halftime lead.
When LaVine opened the second half with a 3-pointer for a 66-56 lead, the Bulls were 10 of 19 and on pace to match their season high for 3s.
The Hawks then found their long-distance shot and began outworking the Bulls under the basket. DeAndre Hunter, who had 18 points, grabbed a rebound of his own miss and scored for a 72-70 Atlanta lead.
Clint Capela scored off an offensive rebound minutes later to spark a 10-2 run that gave the Hawks an 84-76 advantage. DeRozan's last-second jumper gave the Bulls a 92-90 advantage entering the final period.
TIP-INS
Bulls: Vucevic had been 0 for 10 on 3-pointers in his last three games before making his first long-range attempt of the game in the second period. ... Coach Billy Donovan said he expects LaVine to be available for the second of back-to-back games against Milwaukee on Friday night. LaVine has been slowed by periodic soreness in his surgically repaired left knee. Donovan said before the game LaVine &ldquo;feels really good&rdquo; before adding &ldquo;That's today. ... No question, after tonight, tomorrow check with him. I would say it's more likely he'll be playing.&rdquo;
Hawks: F John Collins (right foot strain) missed his sixth consecutive game and may be moving closer to a return. &ldquo;He is getting better,&rdquo; coach Nate McMillan said. ... C Onyeka Okongwu (concussion protocol) did not play. ... Gorgui Dieng moved into a more prominent role behind C Clint Capela and F Danilo Gallinari. ... Young (left ankle sprain) and G Lou Williams (left hip discomfort) were cleared after pregame warmups.
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host Milwaukee on Friday night
Hawks: At Washington on Friday night.

Bogdan Bogdanovic's 3-pointer with 1:41 left gave Atlanta the lead and Trae Young scored 39 points in the Hawks' 130-124 victory.

Hawks surge late, Young scores 39 points in win over Bulls

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Trae Young returned to his All-Star form by scoring 41 points and the Atlanta Hawks rode a dominant third quarter to a 127-100 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night.
Young was 17 of 24 from the field, 6 of 6 from the line and had 11 assists in his strong bounce-back game. He shot only 3 of 17 in Atlanta's 112-108 loss at Chicago on Thursday night, his first game after starting in the All-Star Game.
Young rebounded by making his first four shots against the Raptors in his fifth game of the season scoring more than 40 points. He set a career high with 56 points at Portland on Jan. 3.
Fred VanVleet led Toronto with 24 points and nine assists after being listed as questionable with right knee soreness. Precious Achiuwa added a season-high 21 points.
Onyeka Okongwu matched his season high with 17 points for Atlanta, which pulled away by outscoring Toronto 38-16 in the decisive third period.
The teams traded dramatic runs in the first half.
The Raptors enjoyed the first hot streak, scoring 13 unanswered points for a 27-22 lead. Achiuwa started the run with a 3-pointer and capped the streak with a jam.
Toronto stretched the advantage to 45-33 early in the second period before the Hawks took command with an 18-0 run to lead 51-45.
After leading 66-58 at halftime, the Hawks pulled away with another long run, scoring 16 straight points early in the third period for an 89-62 lead.
The Raptors faced an ugly deficit for the second consecutive night. After trailing by 41 points in Friday night's 125-94 loss at Charlotte, the Raptors trailed by 32 points, at 102-70, late in the third period against the Hawks.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
TIP-INS
Raptors: Pascal Siakam had 14 points and 10 rebounds. ... Coach Nick Nurse said VanVleet had renewed soreness in his knee on Saturday morning after scoring eight points in 29 minutes at Charlotte on Friday night. ... F OG Anunoby missed his second consecutive game with a fractured right ring finger. Nurse said Onunoby is scheduled to see a specialist on Monday.
Hawks: F John Collins (strained right foot) missed his fifth consecutive game. Coach Nate McMillan said Collins &ldquo;did some shooting and a little running&rdquo; on Saturday morning and will be checked on Sunday to see how the foot responds. ... G Lou Williams (left hip discomfort) was held out after playing 12 minutes in Thursday night's loss at Chicago. ... F De&rsquo;Andre Hunter had 14 points after missing the second half against Chicago because of an illness.
UP NEXT
Raptors: Visit Brooklyn on Monday night.
Hawks: Visit Boston on Tuesday night.

Trae Young returned to his All-Star form by scoring 41 points and Atlanta rode a dominant 3Q to a 127-100 victory over the Raptors.

Young regroups with 41 points as Hawks top Raptors, 127-100

ATLANTA (AP) — Gary Trent Jr. scored 31 points, Pascal Siakam added 23 and the Toronto Raptors snapped Atlanta’s seven-game winning streak with a 106-100 victory on Monday night.
Trent, who has scored at least 30 points in four straight games, hit three 3s in the closing minutes of the third quarter, including a buzzer-beater, and then connected again early in the fourth to put the Raptors up 85-77. 
Fred VanVleet, who scored 16, got hot in the fourth, hitting consecutive 3s to push the lead to nine.
The Hawks were playing without All-Star guard Trae Young, who was scratched with a right shoulder contusion. He ranks fifth in the NBA in scoring and third in assists. Kevin Huerter scored 26 points to lead Atlanta. 
The Hawks pulled within one on Onyeka Okongwu’s lay-in midway through the fourth and Bogdan Bogdanovich’s straightaway 3 with 1:52 remaining. Trent answered with a 3, and Bogdanovic made a corner 3 to make it 101-100.
OG Anunoby then shot a 3-pointer to put the Raptors up 104-100 with 20.1 seconds to go, and Toronto closed out the game.
The Raptors erased an 11-point deficit when Scottie Barnes converted a three-point play to make it 63-61 midway through the third. It was the Raptors’ first lead since it was 25-23.
Atlanta led 57-48 at halftime as Huerter scored 16 points, going 6 for 6 from the field and hitting three 3s.
TIP-INS
Raptors: Siakam is one of five NBA players averaging 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists, joining Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, James Harden and Nikola Jokic. ... Scottie Barnes, who had seven points and six rebounds, leads all rookies with nine games of 20 points and five rebounds this season. 
Hawks: F De’Andre Hunter was listed as probable with right ankle discomfort and finished with 17 points. ... The bench had outscored opponents 160-68 in the previous three games and outscored Toronto 41-12. ... Atlanta had seven turnovers in the first half, but the Raptors converted none of them into points.
CHOOSE MY GUY
Toronto coach Nick Nurse spent some time over the last couple of days lobbying his fellow NBA coaches to name VanVleet, the league’s minutes leader, as an All-Star reserve. VanVleet is averaging career highs of 21.7 points, seven assists and 4.7 rebounds.
“I think he’s had a great year, put in a different role with Kyle (Lowry) gone,” Nurse said. “It’s kind of his show to run with all the leadership and things. He’s historically had a huge impact for our team and organization as well. He’d be well-deserving.”
BIG POTENTIAL
Atlanta reserve center Okongwu had nine points and nine rebounds in 23 minutes. He was coming off Sunday’s win over the Lakers, in which he scored 12 of his 16 points in the fourth to go along with five rebounds and one steal in 22 minutes.
Okongwu, the sixth overall draft pick of 2020, has shown growth in his second year after returning from an ankle injury.
“He doesn’t say much,” coach Nate McMillan said. “He just goes out and gets it done. He’s been bringing energy since last season when he got the opportunity and we were talking about starting him out with at least 10 minutes. He’s just playing and reacting to situations both offensively and defensively.
“You feel like you have a good one with this young player with some of the things that he’s doing.”
GET SOME REST
In Saturday’s triple-overtime win at Miami, Trent, Siakam, VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Barnes made the Raptors this fifth NBA team to have five players log 50 or more minutes and the first since Utah at Atlanta in a four-overtime game in 2012.
As a result, Nurse made Monday’s shootaround optional. 
“Those guys did not go anywhere near the court today,” Nurse said. “I wouldn’t even let them get on the bus and come over. We’re trying to conserve as much as we can. I know a couple of them were appreciative of it for sure.”
UP NEXT
Raptors: Host Miami on Tuesday.
Hawks: Host Phoenix on Thursday.
___
More AP NBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nba">https://apnews.com/hub/nba</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Sports">https://twitter.com/AP_Sports</a>

Without Trae Young, the Hawks fell to Gary Trent Jr. and the Raptors, 100-106, snapping a 7-game winning streak.

Raptors end Hawks' 7-game win streak behind Trent, Siakam

<div>
Three of the four California NBA franchises have now resided in the Sour Rankings for multiple consecutive weeks.&nbsp;
This might be the worst check-in to date. The Los Angeles Lakers, with a coach on the brink of getting fired, an avalanche of roster criticism and a storm of rumors, have taken the No. 1 spot in these rankings. Not far behind are the Sacramento Kings, who continue to let an attainable Play-In bid slip away while trade gossip engulfs their own headlines. And the L.A. Clippers, while battling admirably, approach a criticial franchise inflection point with this week's trade deadline.
It is wild on the West Coast, and don't expect things to calm down anytime soon.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst power rankings. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
</div>
<div>
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going:
</div>
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Houston Rockets managed to sneak out this week after going 1-1 with a nice win over the Utah Jazz and a "good effort" loss to the Golden State Warriors. KJ Martin tallied 14 points, 3 assists and 2 steals in that Friday defeat off the bench. Also, a shoutout to Rio Grande Valley prospect Daishen Nix, who is putting up over 27 points per game for Houston's G League affiliate this month.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
10. Utah Jazz (30-17)
Expectations are high in Utah. This is a reigning No. 1 seed that needs to take the leap to legitimate title contender, and as of this recent stretch, the Jazz simply aren't there. Utah is 3-7 in its last 10 games with an 18th-ranked defense over the past two weeks. The Rudy Gobert slander is back, but as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rudy-gobert-has-a-point" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nekias Duncan wrote recently</a>, he's far from the main problem with this defense.
The Jazz are reportedly looking for <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jazz-looking-for-wing-defenders-on-trade-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wing defenders on the trade market</a>, which could sorely help while teams run rampant against Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic, and even Royce O'Neale.
(Last week: unranked)
9. Los Angeles Clippers (23-25)
The Clippers and their injury-plagued roster keep battling, and went a solid 2-2 with close losses to the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets this week. They've been a bottom-10 team on both ends recently, but are still solidly ninth in the West, so LAC remains in a limbo state ahead of the trade deadline.&nbsp;
If the Clippers are truly<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/clippers-reportedly-willing-to-discuss-majority-of-veterans-in-trades" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> willing to discuss most of their veterans in trade talks</a>, teams should be lining up to make offers for Nic Batum. The 33-year-old continues to be one of the league's most underrated complementary players. He's up to a career-high 64.9% True Shooting percentage and has been lights-out from beyond the arc while consistently taking tough defensive matchups.
(Last week: 9)
8. Portland Trail Blazers (20-26)
Anfernee Simons has almost singlehandedly given Portland joy. He's averaging 25.0 points and 7.2 assists per game in the month of January, while the Blazers have quietly gone a respectable 7-4 this month. Portland is now three games up on the Kings for the final Play-In bid in the West, and that should be comfortable breathing room given Sacramento's state right now.
The Blazers have 5 games in 7 days coming up, including matchups against Minnesota, Dallas and Chicago. If they can break .500 in that stretch, they might leave the Sour Rankings entirely.
(Last week: 2)
7. Atlanta Hawks (21-25)
Of course, the Hawks' best stretch of winning comes when trade rumors are swirling. Atlanta has taken its last four games, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets this week. Trae Young is averaging 31.3 points and 9.0 assists per game during the streak while canning 47.6% of his three-pointers, so he's on fire.
Onyeka Okongwu has also blended in seamlessly with the starters while Clint Capela has been out. De'Andre Hunter is on track to the tune of 18.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Is it too early to be back on the Hawks train?
(Last week: 1)
6. Boston Celtics (24-24)
Jayson Tatum's 51-point bombshell on Sunday essentially saved the Celtics from a potential No. 1 ranking this week. He now has the most 50-point games (5) in franchise history, and he is 22 years old (!!!). It's been a brutal year for Tatum, so Celtics fans certainly hope Sunday's performance was a spark.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jayson Tatum delivered for us tonight with a 51-point performance that fueled a 116-87 win over the Wizards. <a href="https://t.co/HcrvPH0UMP">pic.twitter.com/HcrvPH0UMP</a>
&mdash; Boston Celtics (@celtics) <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1485460341513498624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Meanwhile, the same team also went scoreless for seven crucial fourth-quarter minutes and blew a winnable game against Portland. In a 2-2 week, the Celtics move up by default against a struggling middle pack in the East. Perhaps a fully-healthy starting five is what the team has always needed.
(Last week: 3)
5. New York Knicks (23-24)
So the Knicks have a sneaky 10th-ranked offense and fifth-ranked defense over the past two weeks. I know it doesn't reflect much in the record (1-2 this week) or today's rankings, but I do think good things are slowly happening.
From what I've seen and read, the biggest gripe appears to be that Tom Thibodeau still won't fully unleash his young talent. Immanuel Quickley has started just 2 of his 43 games played. Quentin Grimes has maximized his bench role with quality two-way play. Miles "Deuce" McBride has graduated from the G League. There's a lot of excitement around these backcourt players in particular and the fans are hungry for more.
(Last week: 4)
4. Indiana Pacers (17-30)
The Pacers' state of affairs hasn't meaningfully changed for over a calendar month. So this time, I'm giving the floor to Justin Holiday, who has been a bright spot in dim places for Indiana. The eldest Holiday brother is shooting a scorching 42.0% from beyond the arc and averaging 13.4 points per game in January, while being one of the few plus perimeter defenders on the roster. He's another Batum-level role-player who, if I were GM of a contender, I'd heavily pursue before the trade deadline.
(Last week: 6)
3. Washington Wizards (23-24)
Fortunately, the Wizards don't seem all too concerned with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bradley-beal-likely-to-decline-player-option-team-has-not-talked-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bradley Beal's likely free agency</a> this offseason. Unfortunately, their on-court slide continues after an 0-3 week with losses to the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors and Celtics. Washington started 10-3 and has since gone 13-21 with the league's 22nd-ranked offensive rating and 26th-ranked defensive rating. The Wizards have two more games this month and some extended time off before the schedule ramps back up in February.&nbsp;
(Last week: 8)
2. Sacramento Kings (18-30)
So the Kings are <a href="https://theathletic.com/3078346/2022/01/19/insiders-think-a-ben-simmons-deal-gets-done-plus-a-pulse-on-teams-desperation-factor-nba-trade-deadline-roundtable/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> thinking about acquiring Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris from Philly and... I just don't know if that's how you get out of 15 years' worth of directionless mediocrity. They're both great players, but do they significantly raise the ceiling when the Sixers would get a haul in return?&nbsp;
Sacramento is 2-8 in its last 10, and this quote from the aformentioned report by Sam Amick sums things up nicely:
"The widely held belief is that this front office, with general manager Monte McNair in his second season after working for all those years with Morey in Houston, simply must do a deal of significance now. To no one&rsquo;s surprise, there has been a collective loss of faith in the prospect of this core evolving into a contender in the West."
(Last week: 5)
1. Los Angeles Lakers (23-24)
The Lakers' woes have been the talk of the NBA for the past week. I don't need to add anything because an article and a video clip will cover everything you need to know. Frank Vogel appears to be coaching for his job every game, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-lakers-have-put-frank-vogel-in-a-very-difficult-position" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as Alex Kennedy wrote, that's pretty brutal.</a> As for this roster, let JJ Redick explain:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
&ldquo;[The Lakers] are a bad team! &hellip; These are guys that are past their prime, that&rsquo;s the reality.&rdquo; &mdash;<a href="https://twitter.com/jj_redick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jj_redick</a> <a href="https://t.co/VMzY26su1B">pic.twitter.com/VMzY26su1B</a>
&mdash; First Take (@FirstTake) <a href="https://twitter.com/FirstTake/status/1483497600623910913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

I'll ask: What is the best return we can reasonably expect from a package of Kendrick Nunn, Talen Horton-Tucker and a 2027 first-round pick?
(Last week: 7)
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

The Lakers and Kings occupy the top two spots in this week's rankings.

NBA Sour Rankings: Collapses in California

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-memphis-grizzlies-jump-into-the-top-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
The Memphis Grizzlies are tied for second-most wins in the Western Conference, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are tied for the second-most wins in the East. Just like we all predicted back in October, right?&nbsp;
1. Phoenix Suns (34-9)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 2
Devin Booker put on a show Monday night, pouring in a season-high 48 points to go along with 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and bo turnovers in the Suns' victory over the San Antonio Spurs. It was Phoenix's fifth straight victory on the road and the team's 34th overall win this season &mdash; three more than any other team in the league.&nbsp;
2. Memphis Grizzlies (31-15) ⬆️ Last Week: 3
Memphis had its 11-game winning streak snapped Friday by the Dallas Mavericks, but got right back in the win column Sunday courtesy of a dominant victory over the Chicago Bulls. Ja Morant had 25 for the Grizz, as did Desmond Bane. While Morant has been lavished with praise nationwide, it seems Bane continues to fly under the radar. But, make no mistake, he's been crucial to Memphis' recent success. Over the team's last 15 games, Bane is averaging 20.9 points, 4.7 boards, 3.5 made treys (on 44.5% shooting) and 1.4 steals.&nbsp;
3. Golden State Warriors (31-12) ⬇️ Last Week: 1
Dealing with a myriad of injuries, the Warriors have hit a rough patch and have lost 3 of their last 4 games. Golden State announced Sunday that Draymond Green will miss at least the next two weeks due to left calf tightness and a lower back ailment. Stephen Curry was unable to play Sunday after injuring his right hand Friday night. However, Steph only experienced minor soreness and is expected to play Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons.
4. Miami Heat (28-16)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 6
The Heat, who have been winning even while missing some of their key starters, welcomed back Bam Adebayo in Monday's win over the Raptors. Bam, who had missed 22 games due to a thumb injury, registered 14 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists in 32 minutes. "You can see his energy out there," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said of Adebayo after the game. "He makes us different." Another player that makes the Heat different is Jimmy Butler, who finished with 19 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds on Monday. It was his ninth triple-double as a member of the Heat.
5. Chicago Bulls (27-14)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 4
The Bulls were forced to play without Zach LaVine (left knee), Lonzo Ball (left knee soreness) and Alex Caruso (foot, conditioning) in Sunday's loss at Memphis. Fortunately, head coach Billy Donovan said that Caruso would practice both Monday and Tuesday, and that Chicago coaches and doctors would then decide if he is ready to return. Donovan also noted that Ball flew back to Chicago to have the knee looked at by a specialist.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers (27-18) ⬆️ Last Week: 10
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Darius Garland continued his late All-Star push yesterday: 22 Points 6 Rebounds 12 Assists 2 Steals 10/19 FG 2/5 3PT +6 In 36 minutes of action Vs the Brooklyn Nets.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetEmKnow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetEmKnow</a> <a href="https://t.co/01kUQXgvDe">pic.twitter.com/01kUQXgvDe</a>
&mdash; Mack Perry (@DevaronPerry) <a href="https://twitter.com/DevaronPerry/status/1483420265065459715?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Darius Garland was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week after leading the Cavs to an NBA-best 4-0 record last week (with all four victories on the road against Western Conference opponents) while averaging 20.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 12.8 assists. As an encore, Garland racked up 22 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals in Monday's 114-107 win over the Nets.&nbsp;
7. Utah Jazz (29-15)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 5
Utah's loss to the Lakers on Monday night in Los Angeles was the Jazz's fifth defeat in their last six games. Fortunately for Utah, they return home Wednesday to take on the Houston Rockets and then have another winnable home game Friday, when they host the Pistons. &nbsp;&nbsp;
8. Milwaukee Bucks (27-19) ⬇️ Last Week: 7
The Bucks have surprisingly dropped 4 of their last 5 games, including a disappointing loss to the struggling Atlanta Hawks on Monday, in which Milwaukee blew an 11-point lead with less than nine minutes to play. Jrue Holiday has missed each of these five contests due to left ankle soreness.
9. Brooklyn Nets (27-16)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 8
Kevin Durant injured his knee in the second quarter of Saturday's victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. KD underwent an MRI on Sunday and was diagnosed with a sprained left medial collateral ligament (MCL). The team announced Durant is "expected to return to full strength after a period of rehabilitation." According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, there is "optimism within the organization" that KD will be able to return to action after a 4-to-6-week rehab period. Kyrie Irving stepped up and delivered 27 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds on Monday in Cleveland, but Brooklyn still lost to the Cavaliers.&nbsp;
10. Dallas Mavericks (25-19) ⬆️ Last Week: 12
In Monday's victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Luka Doncic had 20 points, 12 assists, 11 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks. It was the 41st triple-double of his short career, which is one more than the other 349 players who have ever played for the Mavericks combined.&nbsp;
11. Philadelphia 76ers (25-18) ⬇️ Last Week: 9
The Sixers had won 9 of 10 before getting buzzed by the Washington Wizards in D.C. on Monday afternoon. Philly was playing without defensive specialist Matisse Thybulle; the team announced Sunday that Thybulle underwent an MRI, which revealed a sprained right shoulder. He'll miss at least one week.&nbsp;
12. Charlotte Hornets (24-20)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 11
LaMelo Ball was unable to play on Monday vs. the New York Knicks, but with Miles Bridges lighting up the 'Bockers, Charlotte didn't need its young point guard. Bridges had just one point less (22) than the entire Knicks team in the first quarter. He finished with a career-high 38 points to go along with 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 triples, a steal, a block and just one turnover. Bridges is the sixth player this season to record a career-high against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
13. Denver Nuggets (22-20) ⬆️ Last Week: 14
Nikola Jokic once again did all he could Sunday night vs. the Jazz, registering a 25-point, 15-rebound, 14-assist triple-double, but it wasn't enough to push the Nuggets past Utah. It was his ninth trip-dub this season (tying him with Russell Westbrook for the league lead) and the 66th of his career.&nbsp;
14. Washington Wizards (23-21)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 17
Kyle Kuzma was at it again on Monday, tallying 15 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks in a win over the Sixers. Over the Wizards' past 10 games, Kuz is averaging a whopping 24.1 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.6 treys while shooting 53.4% from the floor.&nbsp;
15. Toronto Raptors (21-20) ⬇️ Last Week: 13
Despite Monday's loss to the Heat, the Raptors have reached the season's midpoint with a 21-20 record. It's the eighth time in the last nine years they have had a winning record halfway through the season. The only exception was last season, when they were forced to play all their "home" games in Tampa.&nbsp;
16. Boston Celtics (23-22)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 19
Despite falling behind by 18 points in the first half to New Orleans on Monday afternoon, the Celts came all the way back to beat the Pels by 12. Jayson Tatum led the way for Boston, scoring 21 of his 27 points in the second half. It was the Cs' fifth win in their last six games.&nbsp;
17. Minnesota Timberwolves (21-22)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 16
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Karl-Anthony Towns takes it STRONG to the rack 💪<a href="https://t.co/EsFMiFNZHl">pic.twitter.com/EsFMiFNZHl</a>
&mdash; Timberwolves Nation (@TWolvesNationCP) <a href="https://twitter.com/TWolvesNationCP/status/1482904126078218242?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

After beating up on the shorthanded Warriors Sunday night (thanks to a 26-point, 11-rebound double-double courtesy of Karl-Anthony Towns), the Wolves have won 5 of their last 7 games. However, they head to New York on Tuesday and are in the middle of a stretch where they play 12 of 15 games on the road.
18. Los Angeles Lakers (22-22)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 15
Frank Vogel was coaching for his job on Monday vs. Utah, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/frank-vogels-job-in-jeopardy-nearly-fired-after-lakers-loss-to-nuggets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> Bill Oram and Sam Amick of The Athletic, who reported that Vogel "narrowly avoided being fired" after the Lakers' embarrassing 37-point loss to Denver over the weekend. The Lakers beat the Jazz, but it sounds like the team's head coach is most certainly on the hot seat.&nbsp;
19. Los Angeles Clippers (22-23)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 18
The Clippers got a much-needed victory Monday over the Indiana Pacers thanks to a surprising, season-high 32-point explosion from Nicolas Batum (who scored all 32 of his points after halftime) and 26 points from Reggie Jackson. Remarkably, that was the Clippers' last home game until Feb. 3. L.A. will begin a brutal eight-game road trip Wednesday night in Denver. &nbsp; 20. New York Knicks (22-22) &harr;️ Last Week: 20
With the Knicks riding a three-game win streak, the N.Y. fanbase was excited coming into Monday's matinee matchup with the Hornets. However, the Knicks crashed back down to earth, as the Hornets blew them out of the building. Still, the Knicks getting beat by a better team shouldn't be shocking. Of the Knicks' last 11 wins, 10 have come against opponents with losing records.&nbsp;
21. Atlanta Hawks (18-25)&nbsp;&harr;️ Last Week: 21
Heading into Monday's game vs. Milwaukee, the Hawks hadn't won at home since Nov. 22. Atlanta was able to snap its 10-game home losing skid in impressive fashion, knocking off the defending champs, despite playing without starters Bogdan Bogdanovic (sore right knee) and Clint Capela (sprained left ankle). Onyeka Okongwu <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/is-onyeka-okongwu-ready-for-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stepped in and stepped up for the Hawks</a>, tallying 12 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks on Monday.
22. Portland Trail Blazers (18-25)&nbsp;&harr;️ Last Week: 22 
The Blazers finally welcomed back CJ McCollum to the lineup on Monday after their star shooting guard missed six weeks of action due to a collapsed lung (and the birth of his son). McCollum logged 26 minutes in Portland's victory over the Orlando Magic, racking up 16 points, 2 assists and a rebound. Despite being seven games under .500, the Blazers have a two-game lead over the Sacramento Kings for the 10th seed in the Western Conference.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
23. Sacramento Kings (18-28) ⬆️ Last Week: 24
Tyrese Haliburton, who had been playing at a remarkably high level of late, entered the league's health and safety protocols over the weekend and could not play Sunday vs. Houston. Marvin Bagley (right shoulder soreness) was also ruled out. Richaun Holmes (protocols/conditioning) did return to action after an eight-game absence, but logged just 15 minutes in the Kings' loss to the Rockets.&nbsp;
24. San Antonio Spurs (16-28)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 25
Jakob Poeltl played one of his best all-around games of the season in Monday's loss to the Suns, tallying 23 points (on 9 of 12 shooting), 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks in 30 minutes. Over the Spurs' last 12 games, 'Jak is averaging 13.0 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. The Spurs may also get big man Zach Collins (left foot) back by the end of this month. On Monday, Collins tallied 8 points and 3 blocks in 19 minutes in his 2021-22 G League debut with Austin.
25. New Orleans Pelicans (16-28) ⬆️ Last Week: 27
The Pels had won two in a row at home before getting beat in Brooklyn on Saturday and falling to Boston in Beantown on Monday. New Orleans will close out its three-game East Coast road trip Thursday vs. the Knicks at MSG.
26. Indiana Pacers (15-29)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 23
Myles Turner sat out Monday due to a sore left ankle and was joined on the sidelines by Malcolm Brogdon (sore right Achilles tendon) and Jeremy Lamb (sore left knee). Earlier Monday, it was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-mavs-blazers-wolves-knicks-lakers-hornets-targeting-myles-turner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the Pacers "are seeking two first-round picks or a promising young player and a first-round pick" in exchange for Turner. However, the team announced Tuesday that Turner is dealing with a stress reaction in his foot, which will sideline him for at least two weeks. With Indiana now 14 games below .500, it seems safe to assume the organization will make a significant move before the trade deadline next month.&nbsp;
27. Oklahoma City Thunder (14-29)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 26
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
what&rsquo;s understood doesn&rsquo;t need to be explained‼️<a href="https://twitter.com/shaiglalex?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@shaiglalex</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAAIIStar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAAIIStar</a> <a href="https://t.co/AK8iLzJ1It">pic.twitter.com/AK8iLzJ1It</a>
&mdash; OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) <a href="https://twitter.com/okcthunder/status/1483283153758396427?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

OKC has outscored its opponents by a total of 6 points over their past five games. However, the Thunder are just 1-4 in those five contests, as their one win was a 21-point blowout of the Nets, while their four losses were by 4, 4, 5 and 2 points, respectively.&nbsp;
28. Houston Rockets (13-32) ⬆️ Last Week: 29
Christian Wood had another solid performance in Houston's victory over the Kings on Sunday, tallying 23 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 triples and 2 steals. After a minor midseason slump, Wood has posted impressive numbers in 2022. Over the Rockets' last seven games, he is averaging 21.4 points, 8.7 boards, 2.1 treys and 1.6 steals, while shooting 54% from the floor and 41.7% from downtown.&nbsp;
29. Detroit Pistons (10-32) ⬇️ Last Week: 28
The Pistons registered their two most impressive wins of the season last week, beating the Jazz by double-digits and then romping the Raptors, 103-87. Over the four games Detroit played last week, rookie sensation Cade Cunningham averaged 19.0 points, 5.0 assists and 2.3 triples, while shooting 51.7% from the floor, 42.9% from behind the arc and 87.5% from the charity stripe.&nbsp;
30. Orlando Magic (8-37)&nbsp;&harr;️ Last Week: 30
Orlando has lost 12 of its last 13 games, including eight in a row at home. It's been more than six weeks since the Magic won a game at Amway Center. Encouragingly, Jalen Suggs has been more efficient offensively since returning from a thumb injury. Over the Magic's past three games, the rookie guard is averaging 12.7 points, 5.0 boards and 4.0 dimes while shooting 58.6% from the floor.&nbsp;

Tommy Beer checks in with an installment of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings.

NBA Power Rankings: Cavs, Grizz stay hot; Suns take over No. 1

It barely takes 40 seconds for Onyeka Okongwu to pop on Monday night's film.
The Atlanta Hawks kick off their opening set after forcing a Khris Middleton miss on the other end. De'Andre Hunter "ghosts" a screen for Trae Young before receiving a pass. Hunter then hands it off to Kevin Huerter as he lifts from the left wing.&nbsp;
The ball is pitched to Okongwu in the middle of the floor. From there, the action is supposed to flow into a quick-hitting two-man game between him and Young, with Okongwu rolling to the side with the Hawks' best shooters. In other words: the Bucks would have to choose between tagging Okongwu on the roll, or staying at home to prevent a mostly open triple.
But George Hill blows it up.
<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/a2lloz" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The Hawks are forced into improv mode thanks to Hill's ball denial. Okongwu looks towards John Collins, who rebuffs him quickly.&nbsp;Go to the other side!
And so he does, opting to toss to &mdash; and later screen for &mdash; Huerter. The Bucks send two to the ball, as they've <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-bucks-are-reinventing-themselves-on-defense-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">done all year</a>. Huerter hits Okongwu on the roll, and the USC protege fires that sucker to the corner in a&nbsp;snap.
<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/2o8ggu" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Collins misses the three, but you take that process &mdash; that quick&nbsp;process &mdash; 10 out of 10 times. That short-roll juice &mdash; he's the best (on-the-move) passer in Atlanta's big-man room &mdash; is a necessary complement to Atlanta's ball-handlers. A necessary counter to aggressive defenses like Milwaukee's.
Okongwu would go on to have one heck of a game. The statline of his fourth start of the season was cool: 12 points, 8 rebounds (4 offensive), 3 assists, 3 blocks and a steal. The "how" of those numbers were impressive.&nbsp;
Of his six made field goals, we saw him catch lobs, score off of rebounds and make his own breakfast from the dunker spot. (Editor's Note: <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Subscribe</a>!) Okongwu's spatial awareness, activity and plus-touch in the paint makes him a solid bail-out option.&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/hupr5d" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
This is the quintessential Okongwu possession. A good screen with a quick flip of the hips and constant-but-calculated movement as the action continues.
Again, it's hard not to be excited about his passing on the short roll. He maps out the floor well and makes quick decisions with the ball. There's some manipulation present, even if it isn't Jokic-level.
<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/ye4ceg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
It's simple, but I love the extra dribble here. As part of the Bucks' aggressive scheme, Giannis Antetokounmpo is tasked with splitting the difference (playing between two players) on the weak side of this pick-and-roll. Okongwu's dribble forces Giannis to make a choice &mdash; he takes away the corner pass &mdash; before immediately picking out the open man (Collins).
And speaking of Giannis: Boy, did he have a tough time dealing with Okongwu.
The flashy stats are there; three blocks and a steal are nothing to sneeze at, and all but one of those came against Giannis. But even in those instances, you got to see the defensive versatility he provides.
<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/nea2vw" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
If you're keeping track at home, you just saw:
<ul>
<li>Rim protection while operating at the back of the zone</li>
<li>A recovery block after defending an inverted ball-screen&nbsp;</li>
<li>A strip against Giannis while defending an iso</li>
<li>A block against Giannis while defending a post-up</li>
</ul>
And that's just the flashy stuff. You're not making much on <a href="https://nbatopshot.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Top Shot Moments</a> of Okongwu playing the gap in drop or ICE coverage, or contesting jumpers after late/peel switches. That doesn't make his ability to do so any less important than it is.
Consider this: the Bucks generated 0.75 points per possession on trips featuring a ball-screen defended by Okongwu, per Second Spectrum. That number dropped to 0.5 in the second half, where the Bucks kept involving Giannis as a screener and ultimately failing to create easy looks.
We're now four starts into the Okongwu Experience this season. His averages aren't too far off of what he put up against the Bucks on Monday: 10.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.8 blocks.
The Hawks selected him to be their center of the future last season; with play like this, combined with the step back that Clint Capela has taken this season, the future may turn into the present very soon.
It probably isn't time for the full shift yet though. As dynamic as Okongwu is defensively, there are some size-and-strength concerns that haven't been fully fleshed out yet. He still fouls quite a bit; he commited five last night (four against Giannis), and his 5.8 fouls per 36 minutes is not the kind of rate you want to see from a primary rim-protector.&nbsp;
But as he gets stronger and more disciplined, he'll be able to handle more of a workload. That'll give him more time to build chemistry with Young on the other end; the sample is small, but the Hawks are generating over 1.1 points per possession on trips featuring a Young-Okongwu pick-and-roll.
In a season filled with disappointment for the Hawks, Okongwu's play has been a much-needed bright spot.

Nekias Duncan breaks down the play and upside of Hawks big man Onyeka Okongwu.

Is Onyeka Okongwu ready for more with the Hawks?

The NBA Sour Rankings took a month-long hiatus due to the wild world of playing through the peak (on league rosters, at least) of a pandemic. With COVID-induced absences dwindling down, it's back to reassess the state of desperation as we approach the season's halfway mark.
Several presumptive playoff contenders are spiraling, and at this stage of the season, it's reasonable to begin panicking. The league's middle tier is as crowded as ever.
With that being said, we're also going to trot out the Tank-O-Meter this season and update it occasionally over the next few months. The Tank-O-Meter measures how much an NBA franchise should be considering throwing in the towel and embracing its younger players while pursuing a high draft pick. It was called the Cade-O-Meter last year, but with no surefire No. 1 pick yet, it takes on a generic nickname.
You'll get Tank-O-Meter readings for each team in the Sour Rankings, rated 1-10 (10 being a full commit to the tank), plus the usual explanations for why each team has earned its undesirably place on this list.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst power rankings. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going:
10. Los Angeles Lakers (21-20) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 1/10
LeBron James has been an absolute monster for the Lakers over the past month, but the team itself is still 6-7 since we last updated these rankings. Things are looking up, though; L.A. is 5-2 in the past two weeks with the third-ranked offense in the league. Malik Monk has emerged as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/malik-monks-offensive-versatility-is-helping-fuel-the-lakers-resurgence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the scoring weapon the franchise hoped for</a> when they added him this offseason. The Lakers could very easily break out of the Sour Rankings by next week.
And no, in no universe should a team with LeBron James active and dominant as ever consider tanking.
9. Houston Rockets (11-30) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 10/10
Houston is fully invested in a youth movement and has been since the season began, so a Tank-O-Meter rating isn't even necessary. But the sailing hasn't been as smooth as some of the other bottom-feeding NBA franchises.
The recent halftime incidents with Kevin Porter Jr. and Christian Wood both led to one-game suspensions for each. Both are concerning for different reasons; Porter has a history of locker-room altercations, and Wood is a veteran in a leadership role on the team. Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones Jr. had a great discussion about this on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-70-new-year,-same-vibes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last Tuesday's Dunker Spot podcast</a>. This season is as much about building a culture in Houston as it is getting prospects playing time, and that hasn't been easy.
8. Los Angeles Clippers (20-21) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 4/10
Injuries continue to attack the Clippers. Paul George is out at least several weeks with an elbow injury and Isaiah Hartenstein has no timetable on his hurt ankle. L.A. is thus 3-6 since Christmas and 4-9 since the last Sour Rankings, dropping to ninth in the West.&nbsp;
There's a sneaky case to be made for a tank here. Young players like Terance Mann, Amir Coffey and Brandon Boston Jr. continue to flash promise. With George and Kawhi Leonard out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kawhi-leonard-knee-ahead-of-schedule-strong-chance-he-returns-this-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">for now</a>, the Clippers' ceiling is capped. It's probably still too early for a veteran-heavy roster to be shuffled around, but the situation is worth revisiting around the trade deadline.
7. Indiana Pacers (15-25) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 7/10
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
CAREER-HIGH ON 18-22 SHOOTING FOR DOMANTAS SABONIS 🪣 42 PTS 6 REB 56.7 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/xjCYy7l9YC">pic.twitter.com/xjCYy7l9YC</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1480002848532410371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Domantas Sabonis dropped a career-high 42 points on the Utah Jazz in the Pacers' Saturday win, and he's been on fire as of late. Indiana, however, had lost six straight games prior to that victory, and continues to flounder with a mediocre offense and below-average defense.&nbsp;
It's been over a month since the initial reports about Indiana embracing a rebuild, but hopefully the front office is still on that track. The Pacers lack upside outside of whatever Sabonis can muster up, even when Caris LeVert and Malcolm Brogdon have their good days. Indiana is 13th in the Eastern Conference with several better teams ahead in the Play-In battle. There's no sense in pushing for a whimper of a postseason exit.
6. Washington Wizards (20-20) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 2/10
Despite sitting at .500, Washington is one of six franchises with bottom-10 offensive and defensive ratings, per Cleaning the Glass. Those other teams are all at least 10 games below .500. The Wizards have gone 5-9 in the past month and are fading fast.&nbsp;
However, unless some roster overhaul occurs at the trade deadline, Washington isn't in a position to tank. The biggest franchise domino is still Bradley Beal's upcoming free agency, and if the organization has any hope of keeping him, it should continue to focus on the playoffs. The Wizards currently sit ninth, but are still only two games out of sixth in the East. There's time to right the ship.
5. Sacramento Kings (16-26) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 4/10
The Kings are on a four-game losing streak, are 3-7 in their last 10, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-kings-open-to-trading-deaaron-fox-tyrese-haliburton-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the Philly Voice's Kyle Neubeck</a>, have been open to making De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton available in trade talks. Altogether, that signals desperation. Sacramento should shake things up because the defense is still horrendous (ranked 27th) and the offense is disappointing (24th).&nbsp;
Does the state of the Kings really call for another tank though? For a young franchise used to losing, postseason experience &mdash; even Play-In exits &mdash; might have extra value. But there still is not enough overall talent or cohesion to pull off the appearance of a playoff contender. The rating stays low, for now.
4. Boston Celtics (19-21) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 2/10
Friday's loss to the New York Knicks on an RJ Barrett buzzer-beater underlined a disastrous stretch for the Celtics that included second-half collapses, stalling offense and disappointing results against inferior opponents. Once again, the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown pairing has been called into question by fans, along with Ime Udoka's coaching and the point guard situation. And while I think much of the blame game is misguided, the fact that it exists is a concern in itself.
Boston holds the last Play-In spot, and a postseason appearance should wholeheartedly remain the sole goal. A tank in any form would symbolize a lack of confidence in the current direction, a.k.a. a team led by Tatum and Brown. There is no legitimate reason to be hesitant in rostering what is still one of the best wing duos in basketball, and fortunately, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/celtics-have-no-interest-in-trading-jayson-tatum-or-jaylen-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston seems to know this</a>.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
3. New York Knicks (19-21) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 3/10
The Knicks may have gotten that buzzer-beater win, but it was quickly erased by a resounding 99-75 loss to the same Celtics on Saturday. This team is dreadfully inconsistent, starting at the top with Julius Randle and Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley's growth hasn't dispelled the frustration. As of right now, New York loses the tiebreaker with Boston and is actually out of the postseason entirely.
Like the Celtics, though, a Knicks tank is an admittance that the current franchise direction is an error and that one glorious 2020-21 season was a fluke. New York should not miss out on the Play-In Tournament. They do have an interesting group of young talent, and a high-lottery prospect would surely help. But the lack of star power at the top compared to the previous draft class makes a risky move like that less enticing.
2. Portland Trail Blazers (15-24) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 4/10
The Trail Blazers have a terrible defense that continually costs them games, and have fallen to 12th in the West amidst a chaotic fight (is it a fight?) for postseason spots. Every loss makes fans worry more about the future of Damian Lillard, and Lillard himself remains out with an abdominal injury.&nbsp;
This franchise is in such a weird place. They aren't a destination, and they aren't near true playoff contention. Portland is two games out of top-four lottery odds... which could be the best way of acquiring someone with star upside to join Lillard. But is that the tone Lillard wants to set, and does his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/damian-lillard-wants-2year-extension-which-could-shape-blazers-gm-search" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will carry the same weight anymore</a>? It's all incredibly confusing for the Tank-O-Meter.
1. Atlanta Hawks (17-22) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter rating: 2/10
What a mess things have been in Atlanta. The Hawks are 2-5 in the last two weeks with the worst defense in the NBA. They lost a game in which Trae Young scored 56 points. Atlanta is currently 12th in the East standings. General manager <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/hawks/news/atlanta-hawks-general-manager-hints-at-trades" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Travis Schlenk even went on record</a> wondering if he should lower expectations for the team. John Collins is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-john-collins-frustrated-by-role-with-hawks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly frustrated by his role</a>. Yikes.
The Hawks should be done with their prospect stockpiling. They absolutely need to make a major move at the trade deadline, but going back to the draft for help won't solve the team's problems. Atlanta has loads of young talent from Young, to Kevin Huerter, to Collins, to Onyeka Okongwu, to De'Andre Hunter, to Cam Reddish and more. It's time to turn that back into winning either via trade or growth.

As the NBA season reaches the halfway point, some teams need to make a decision on their direction.

NBA Sour Rankings: Welcoming back the Tank-O-Meter

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

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

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

ATLANTA (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored 35 points, Zach LaVine added 30 and the Chicago Bulls won their fourth straight game, beating the short-handed Atlanta Hawks 130-118 on Monday night.
Cam Reddish finished with 33 points and Trae Young, cleared from health and safety protocols about 90 minutes before tipoff, returned to the starting lineup and scored 29 for Atlanta in the first game of a home-and-home set with the Bulls.
DeRozan was 14 for 20 from the field. LaVine, in his second game back after missing 15 days in protocols, went 11 for 21, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range. Nikola Vucevic got his 14th double-double with 24 points and 17 rebounds.
“We’re the veteran leaders of this team," DeRozan said. “That’s our job. We’ve got a couple of key guys out, and it was up to us to step up and play big, especially against an Atlanta Hawks team that was going to come out and play hard. The three main guys did what they were supposed to do and everybody else fell in line." 
Vucevic banked in a 3 with 3:15 remaining to make it a 10-point lead and essentially put the game out of reach after DeRozan’s 15-foot fadeaway jumper padded the lead at 126-116. Coby White’s 3 from the left corner ended it with 1:19 left.
Matt Thomas’ 3 gave the Bulls their biggest lead at 16 points in the closing minutes of the third, and the Hawks never really threatened the rest of the way, though two 3s by Reddish twice cut it to five early in the fourth. Reddish buried a 3 from the left wing to make it 108-105 before Vucevic hit consecutive 3s to push the lead to seven.
“Their big three, it seemed like everything they threw up went in," Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. “They do a good job of executing, spacing the floor out and making plays. It seemed like every time we would get close they would stop that momentum with a made bucket."
Young, who ranks fourth in the NBA with a 27.3 scoring average and third with 9.3 assists per game, returned two negative tests to be eligible to return. He missed the last three games after a positive COVID-19 test, and the Hawks went 1-2 without him.
The Bulls improved to 21-10, second-best in the Eastern Conference. They began the day 10 games over .500 for the first time since January 2016.
The Hawks began the day tied for 10th in the East and dropped to 15-18, losing their eighth in a row at home.
White’s straightaway 3 gave the Bulls their first double-digit lead with 9:10 to go in the third. Vucevic's lay-in against Clint Capela made it 80-70, and Atlanta called a full timeout.
Young and Reddish combined for 23 points as Atlanta led 36-31 at the end of the first. DeRozan scored 15 in the period on 5-for-6 shooting.
The Bulls came back from an eight-point deficit to tie it at 46-all on Ayo Dosunmu’s dunk midway through the second before LaVine hit a free throw to give Chicago a 55-54 lead. LaVine’s 3 made it 58-56 and caused the Hawks to call timeout. 
The lead swelled to 11 on LaVine’s 3 and DeRozan’s finger-roll in the closing minute before halftime. LaVine beat the second-quarter buzzer with a jumper that put the Bulls up 69-63 entering the third.
Chicago went 9 for 18 beyond the arc, and DeRozan and LaVine combined for 44 points in the first half. Vucevic got hot in the second half with 19 points. 
“I think Vuc has found a way to fit with those other two guys and it's been nice to watch," acting Bulls head coach Chris Fleming said. “It's been a big part of our success these last two games."
TIP-INS
Bulls: Chicago had 22 assists and 10 turnovers. ... DeRozan had 10 assists and Vucevic chipped in six assists and four blocked shots. ... Fleming was pleased to hear that Young had been cleared to return. “You want to play against the best,” Fleming said. “That’s how we get better.”. ... Coach Billy Donovan missed his second straight game in the protocols. “He had some mild symptoms at the beginning,” Fleming said. “He sounds like himself now.”... Minutes leader Lonzo Ball, Tony Bradley and Alfonzo McKinnie are in the protocols. ... G Alex Caruso (left hamstring strain) and F Derrick Jones Jr. (left hamstring strain) were sidelined, too.
Hawks: Reddish went 8 for 12 on 3s. ... Atlanta had 12 players absent, including John Collins, forward Danilo Gallinari, guard Kevin Huerter, guard Lou Williams, swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabbarot and reserve center Onyeka Okongwu in the protocols. ... The Hawks won the series with Chicago 3-0 last season. 
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host Atlanta on Wednesday.
Hawks: At Chicago on Wednesday.
___
More AP NBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nba">https://apnews.com/hub/nba</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Sports">https://twitter.com/AP_Sports</a>

The Chicago Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks, 130-118.

DeRozan, LaVine, Vucevic power Bulls past Hawks 130-118

A year-and-a-half ago, the thought of an NBA front office choosing to model themselves after the Phoenix Suns would&rsquo;ve seemed laughable. After all, you need to experience success in order for teams to try to duplicate it.&nbsp;
From July 2015 through July 2019, the Suns were by far the worst team in the NBA, accumulating a 113-280 record. It wasn&rsquo;t particularly close either; the New York Knicks had the league&rsquo;s second-worst record over that span, yet they won 17 more games than the Suns during that five-year stretch.
Entering last season, the Suns hadn&rsquo;t made the playoffs since 2009-10, which was Steve Nash and Amar&rsquo;e Stoudemire&rsquo;s final season together in Phoenix. This 10-year dry spell marked the league&rsquo;s second-longest active playoff drought (trailing only the Sacramento Kings&rsquo; 15 years) and the fifth-longest in NBA history.&nbsp;
Then, after a decade of mediocrity, the Suns began to change how they are perceived.&nbsp;
It started when they hired head coach Monty Williams, who&rsquo;s beloved and respected around the NBA. From day one, he made it his mission to shift the league-wide view of Phoenix.
"That was Monty&rsquo;s biggest thing coming into [his first] season... We had many conversations, and he said his first step is we need to change the perception of this team and how people view us,&rdquo; Devin Booker told <a href="https://uproxx.com/edge/devin-booker-interview-suns-last-dance-jordan-kobe-nba-best-gamer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dime Magazine</a> last year. &ldquo;And if that&rsquo;s having to get a little nasty, play tougher, more physical, [then we will], but people are going to know when they play against us [that we&rsquo;re] some talented, hard-working guys... I think that the first step in recreating a franchise or a culture is gaining respect from around the league."
While the Suns missed the playoffs by half a game in 2019-20, they turned heads with their strong play and 8-0 record in the NBA Bubble. From there, the team took off. 
The additions of Chris Paul and Jae Crowder took Phoenix to the next level, and suddenly, Phoenix emerged as a legitimate contender atop the Western Conference standings. During last year's playoffs, the Suns became the first team to advance to the NBA Finals immediately after snapping a 10-year postseason drought. 
The turnaround was nothing short of miraculous, with Phoenix going from worst to first seemingly overnight. However, in reality, the Suns had quietly been heating up for some time &mdash; with Booker honing his game as he approached superstardom, Ayton taking the next step in his development and the team's chemistry continuing to improve.&nbsp;
After becoming a juggernaut, the Suns began receiving a lot of national recognition and praise. James Jones was named the NBA&rsquo;s Executive of the Year, Williams was the runner-up in the NBA&rsquo;s Coach of the Year race and Paul finished fifth in Most Valuable Player voting. Phoenix's decision-makers now had credibility, and other teams want to know what buttons they pushed to undergo this transformation.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
What were the keys to the Suns&rsquo; success? They made smart hires (such as Jones and Williams), assembled/developed a terrific young core (led by Booker, Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges), acquired the right veteran pieces (including Paul, Crowder, Dario Saric, Frank Kaminsky and, last season, Torrey Craig) and stressed the importance of <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/phoenix-suns-credit-tough-conversations-and-constructive-criticism-nba-finals-run-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">communication and accountability</a>.
Rival organizations are taking notice and trying to follow Phoenix&rsquo;s blueprint.&nbsp;
For example, the Portland Trail Blazers are using a similar approach as they plan for the future. In recent months, Damian Lillard has had several meetings with the Blazers&rsquo; front office and owners to discuss the organization&rsquo;s long-term plans. Over the offseason, the six-time All-Star questioned whether the Blazers were doing enough to build a contender around him, but he has since committed to staying in Portland. He recently revealed that the Suns have come up during his chats with the Blazers brass.
&ldquo;The conversations I&rsquo;ve had with Neil [Olshey], he didn&rsquo;t promise me we&rsquo;re about to get LeBron; they didn&rsquo;t tell me we&rsquo;re about to go get a superstar player because I don&rsquo;t think you need all superstar players to win,&rdquo; Lillard recently told <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/amid-chaotic-offseason-damian-lillard-meeting-lebron-james-decision-loomed-sealed-recommitment-trail-blazers-200041277.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo Sports</a>. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got CJ [McCollum]; he&rsquo;s an All-Star-level player. We&rsquo;ve got [Jusuf] Nurkic; he&rsquo;s one of the best centers in the league. It&rsquo;s the way you piece the team together.
&ldquo;If you look at Phoenix, they don&rsquo;t have a bunch of stars. They got people who are really good at what they do and understand their roles. Chris Paul and Devin Booker are All-Stars, but Deandre Ayton is a quality center, Jae Crowder is an experienced, quality stretch 4-man that&rsquo;s tough, Cam Johnson is nice and Mikal Bridges is my favorite small forward in the league. You just look at how that team is put together and they&rsquo;re in the Finals coming out of the West. That&rsquo;s what my vision is. 
"I don&rsquo;t see us just landing star players. I&rsquo;m Dame Lillard, and CJ is CJ McCollum. We have the core pieces to do the same thing that Phoenix did. It&rsquo;s just how you fill that in. We just got on the same page &mdash; me, Chauncey [Billups] and Neil. We all spoke and we got on the same page as far as what my thoughts were and how I feel like we can win it. That was good enough for me. I had trust in that. But, we&rsquo;ll see; they can&rsquo;t guarantee me anything and I can&rsquo;t guarantee anything to them, but we got on the same page.&rdquo;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17143631_lg.jpg" alt="" width="649" height="468" />
Making the postseason hasn't been a problem for the Blazers, as they've clinched a playoff spot in eight-straight seasons. However, they've had a hard time advancing deep into the playoffs (aside from their Western Conference Finals trip in 2019, when they were ultimately swept by the Golden State Warriors).
The Blazers are currently 6-8, which slots them at No. 9 in the West. Portland has the NBA's seventh-best offense (scoring 107.8 points per 100 possessions) and 18th-ranked defense (allowing 106.1 points per 100 possessions). While it&rsquo;s not the start that the team had hoped for, there&rsquo;s still plenty of time to turn things around.
&ldquo;Look, I didn&rsquo;t come out here [to lose],&rdquo; Larry Nance Jr. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/larry-nance-jr-qa-i-did-not-come-out-here-to-halfass-this-thing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told BasketballNews.com</a> before the season. &ldquo;I had a comfortable, cushy situation in Cleveland; I lived close to my family, I was happy and it was all good. I did not come out here to half-ass this thing. I&rsquo;m all in, and that means going for it all. Last year, we saw a few teams come out of nowhere; the Hawks came out of nowhere, the Suns came out of nowhere. There were teams that surprised some people, and that&rsquo;s fully what I&rsquo;m planning on doing here.&rdquo;
The Hawks are an interesting comparison, especially since they struggled out of the gate last season. Like the Suns, the Hawks made a huge leap in 2020-21, going from a 20-win team to within two wins of the NBA Finals. And like Phoenix, Atlanta's turnaround was largely due to bringing in the right leaders (GM Travis Schlenk and head coach Nate McMillan), building a talented young core (Trae Young, John Collins, De'Andre Hunter, Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish and Onyeka Okongwu), acquiring key veterans (such as Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari and Lou Williams) and getting hot at the right time.
For the Blazers to follow in the Suns&rsquo; or Hawks&rsquo; footsteps, Nance stresses that they&rsquo;ll need to make significant strides on the defensive end.
&ldquo;Last year, the Blazers finished sixth in a loaded Western Conference and their defense was 28th. Their defense was 28th!&rdquo; Nance <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/larry-nance-jr-qa-i-did-not-come-out-here-to-halfass-this-thing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told BasketballNews.com</a>. &ldquo;If we move that up to, say, 12th, that&rsquo;s a potent combination. Anytime you can surround guards like we have here with guys that are willing to grind on the defensive end behind them? Whew, that&rsquo;s a winning combo."
It remains to be seen whether the Blazers (or any team) can replicate what the Suns or Hawks did last season. After all, that kind of turnaround is extremely difficult to pull off &mdash; even if the blueprint is right in front of you.&nbsp;

After the Suns' miraculous turnaround, rival teams (like the Blazers) are trying to follow Phoenix's blueprint and duplicate their success.

Rival teams copying Suns' blueprint in hopes of becoming a contender

Let's talk about passed-up layups.&nbsp;
The scene has been set, explored, revisited, psychoanalyzed. You name it, it's been done.&nbsp;
Ben done, if you will.
Ben Simmons, in a high-pressure situation against the Atlanta Hawks, had a layup opportunity. Instead of taking it, he dished the ball off to Matisse Thybulle, who would eventually earn a trip to the free-throw line. It was an inexplicable choice by a player as talented &mdash; and even more simply, as large and open &mdash; as Simmons, but it was just that. An inexplicable choice.
But it's a choice that began (or accelerated, depending on your priors with Simmons) the downward spiral of his status as a star-caliber player. It set the stage for the mess we've had the (dis)pleasure of reading about for months.
The Philadelphia 76ers lost the series to the upstart Hawks. Doc Rivers said things that he later said he didn't say. Simmons didn't take too kindly to it.
Simmons asked out. The Sixers made it clear they would only move him for a bounty. Teams weren't &mdash; and, as of this writing, still aren't &mdash; willing to give up said-bounty.
Simmons didn't report to training camp, and was fined. The fines stopped once Simmons did report, but before expressing his bout with mental health issues. The mental health element permeating throughout the entire ordeal is a sensitive one &mdash; one that has made me incredibly uncomfortable to see dissected and speculated about in real time.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Meanwhile, the Hawks are in their own sort of spiral.
Their playoff run ended with a loss to the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks, but things were looking upward.&nbsp;
Trae Young (further, officially) announced himself to the world as a bona fide star. His supporting cast, highlighted by John Collins, Clint Capela and Bogdan Bogdanovic, proved to be impactful in its own right. Skilled. Versatile.
It was hard not to be excited by this Hawks team. Star talent, strong coaching, a deep roster.
Whew, buddy, is this a deep roster!
Whew, buddy... this is... a deep roster.
So deep, in fact, that head coach Nate McMillan mentioned during Media Day we'd see some all-bench units in an effort to spread the wealth.
Those lineups haven't done very well.&nbsp;
The Hawks have dealt with lineup questions, a lack of "oomph" defensively (27th in defensive rating), an adjustment period to let-'em-play officiating, a who-gets-to-the-rim-besides-Trae problem, a tough opening schedule and a stronger conference overall.
They are currently the losers of five straight, tied with the Hornets for the longest skid in the conference. Words like "sacrifice" and "boredom" have been uttered; that ain't what you want to hear less than a month into a new season.
I have a theory. A question, really: What if the Hawks are passing up a layup of their own?
What if the Sixers and Hawks have the answer to each other's problems?
Why haven't we explored the possibility of Simmons as a Hawk?
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_16242993_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="433" />
On the Sixers' side, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/early-results-suggest-sixers-may-be-better-off-without-ben-simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">they haven't missed Simmons too much</a>. They're 8-4, sporting a top-five offense and defense in the half-court, per Cleaning The Glass. A COVID outbreak has Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris out of the lineup, so a slide wouldn't come as a surprise. But when upright, this team has been good.
You can thank The Others&trade; for that. Seth Curry is the best shooter in the league right now. Tyrese Maxey has taken a step as a shot-creator. The bench, headlined by Andre Drummond and Georges Niang, has been stellar.
This is where they stand while getting zero production from Simmons' roster spot; one would think that replacing that spot with someone who actually wants to play there would be a positive.
And for the Hawks, Simmons could solve a bit of their squad's on-court issues.&nbsp;
Young is averaging 20.8 drives per game, and is taking 9.2 shots via drives per <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612737&amp;sort=DRIVES&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA.com tracking data</a>. Bogdanovic is second on the team in drives... at 6.8. Simmons has averaged north of 10 in all but one season of his career; he averaged 9.9 during the 2018-19 campaign, operating in a phone booth while splitting ball-handling duties with Jimmy Butler.
Simmons, despite his own self-creation limits, is an elite creator of offense for others. From 2018 to 2021, only Russell Westbrook (747) has assisted on more three-pointers (694) than Simmons. Young ranks No. 6 in that time frame with 650 helpers. That drive-and-kick dynamic would be a nice complement to Young, who leads NBA in rim-assists (947) during that stretch.
It's fun to imagine a Young-Simmons pick-and-roll tandem. Simmons has the finishing and playmaking chops to be a devastating short-roll guy. On one hand, he's never had a ball-handler as dynamic as Young to set him up. On the other, he hasn't consistently screened hard enough to maximize his opportunities as a roll-man.
As the Hawks have seemingly leaned into more switching this season, is there a better fit for that kind of scheme than Simmons? Having Simmons in the frontcourt could open up a world of grab-and-go sequences that can't be replicated by anyone else in their frontcourt.
(Well, there's rookster Jalen Johnson, but he isn't on the main roster right now, much less in the big-boy rotation.)
And to that point: the Hawks are 19th in transition frequency this year after ranking 20th the season before.
The Sixers have ranked seventh, eighth, 15th (the Al Horford season) and fifth in transition frequency over the past four seasons, mostly off the strength of Simmons pushing the pace.&nbsp;
There are half-court questions to be had, dependent on lineups. What would a potential Simmons-Collins-Capela frontcourt look like, especially when Simmons isn't involved in ball-screens?
Luckily, Simmons has experience navigating tight quarters. He's had to operate around the dunker spot (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subscribe!</a>) when necessary. He's also adept at making slot cuts from the perimeter if defenders cheat off of him.&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/z9a486" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Of course, that's making the assumption that all three would play together.
If the Hawks are intent on switching as much as they have been this season, they could opt to start Simmons and Collins up front and really lean into that style. If Capela &mdash; off to a slow start on both ends this year &mdash; becomes the odd man out entirely, there are teams (DAL, CHA, BKN, TOR) that make sense as suitors when he's trade-eligible this offseason.
The real question is one I admittedly don't have a great answer to, that question is: What would the Sixers want from the Hawks?
Aside from the optics of trading with the team that just beat you in the postseason, it would take some creativity from Atlanta's side to appease Daryl Morey. The good news is the Hawks have the salary and pieces necessary to put together intriguing packages.
Even if we were to work under the assumption that Young and Collins are off the table, the Hawks have three young pieces (De'Andre Hunter, Cam Reddish, Onyeka Okongwu) who could potentially serve as a headliner, mid-to-high salary vets that could bolster Philadelphia's rotation and <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Hawks.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most of their future picks</a> moving forward.
An example &mdash; example, people! &mdash; of something that works salary-wise:
<ul>
<li>Hawks get: Ben Simmons, Shake Milton</li>
<li>Sixers get: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Cam Reddish, Delon Wright, Jalen Johnson</li>
</ul>
Just eye-balling it, I'd imagine the Sixers would want more in terms of draft capital. They might push for Okongwu over Johnson if they'd prefer a young big in the pipeline behind Embiid. Have your own fun with the trade machine if you must.
The important thing here is that there's a conversation to be had between the two sides.
Simmons and the Sixers are primed for a divorce. The Hawks are primed for a consolidation deal. It's at least worth exploring if these two can make magic.

Nekias Duncan explores what a Ben Simmons-to-Atlanta deal would look like, and why it would make sense for both sides.