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Cavaliers

The Tyrese Haliburton era is well on its way in Indianapolis, which means it&rsquo;s likely time to say adios to Malcolm Brogdon in an Indiana Pacers uniform. Brogdon is one of the more <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/five-nba-players-who-feel-destined-to-be-traded-this-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obvious trade candidates in the NBA this offseason</a> thanks to his consistent injury issues and Haliburton&rsquo;s quick emergence. Despite Brogdon's missed games, he will still attract interest from rival teams.
During Brogdon&rsquo;s three-year tenure with the Pacers, he averaged 18.9 points, 6.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 0.8 steals per game on a 55.3 True Shooting percentage. Brogdon always produced when he was on the court for Indiana, but his availability was an issue. Going forward, it&rsquo;s going to be hard for Brogdon to shed the &ldquo;injury prone&rdquo; label because it&rsquo;s been an issue dating back to his collegiate career at the University of Virginia.
Aside from injury concerns, Brogdon&rsquo;s market will be robust with playofff or championship-hopeful teams lining up for his services. As a versatile multi-positional defender, connective playmaker and secondary scorer, Brogdon can really help a team that's going in the opposite direction as the rebuilding Pacers.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s go ahead and dive into the most realistic trade packages Indiana could expect for Brogdon this offseason. As Indiana turns the page to Haliburton, it&rsquo;s time to extract some value from a potential Brogdon deal.
Phoenix Suns
Pacers receive: Landry Shamet, Dario Saric, 2024 1st-round draft pick (lottery protected)
Suns receive: Malcolm Brogdon, 2022 No. 31 pick
Phoenix&rsquo;s lack of guard depth was exposed throughout the playoffs. They simply can&rsquo;t rely on Cameron Payne anymore, who was a DNP-CD when it mattered most in the Western Conference Semifinals. Phoenix flirted with the idea of chasing Brogdon before signing Ricky Rubio back in 2019. Three years later, bringing Brogdon to the Valley as the Suns&rsquo; short-term backup and long-term fit alongside Devin Booker is a home run transaction.
Also, there has been some buzz that the Suns are trying to get into the 2022 NBA Draft. They have met with multiple players projected to be selected in the mid-to-late first round, including LSU&rsquo;s Tari Eason, Ohio State&rsquo;s E.J. Liddell and Duke&rsquo;s Wendell Moore. Adding any of those prospects will be impossible without adding a pick. The Suns could always buy an early second-round pick for $3 million, but that&rsquo;s never been their way of thinking.
Is this where Suns GM James Jones could get creative to snag a championship piece at discounted value? Brogdon and Chris Paul sharing minutes is a dream scenario for Phoenix since all 48 minutes at point guard would provide well above-average production. Also, we could see three-guard lineups galore thanks to Brogdon&rsquo;s versatility.
In this scenario, Indiana would add a shooter in Shamet who only has two guaranteed years left on his extension. Maybe Shamet could be their Buddy Hield replacement if they also decide to trade him soon. Adding a future first for Brogdon is the right risk for Indiana to take as well.
Utah Jazz
Pacers receive: Mike Conley, Jared Butler, 2025 2nd-round pick
Jazz receive: Malcolm Brogdon
The Jazz desperately need to shake things up. Stagnation is on the horizon in Salt Lake City, if it hasn&rsquo;t reached that point already. Utah may blow it up this offseason, but even if they don't, they need to do something in order to keep Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert happy long-term.
As we saw during the Jazz&rsquo;s quick postseason exit, Conley seems like a shell of himself. Looking back on that trade now, Utah has to be kicking themselves for surrendering so much for the veteran point guard.
Utah needs to get creative to avoid moving one of Mitchell or Gobert soon, so Conley going back home to Indianapolis makes a lot of sense here. Brogdon is a huge upgrade over Conley, and he helps address a dire need of perimeter defense.
Indiana would add a veteran mentor for Haliburton to lean on for a year since Conley&rsquo;s contract isn&rsquo;t fully guaranteed in 2023-24. Adding a young scoring guard in Butler alongside a future second-round pick might not be enough for the Pacers, but it's at least enough to start negotiations.
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Los Angeles Lakers
Pacers receive: Russell Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, 2023 2nd, 2025 2nd, 2027 1st (lottery protected)
Lakers receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield, Goga Bitadze
This only makes sense if the Pacers are willing to take on the final year of Westbrook&rsquo;s contract, which would have any team second-guessing themselves beforehand. Surprisingly enough, Indiana is actually the betting favorite to land Westbrook if the Lakers offload him this offseason.
The Pacers would need a hefty return in order take on Westbrook while also relinquishing Brogdon and Hield. Adding Horton-Tucker, two future second-round picks and the Lakers&rsquo; next available first-round selection gets the job done. Los Angeles would hate to part with THT and even more draft capital, but Brogdon and Hield are perfect pieces to place alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Who knows, maybe Bitadze slides into the Lakers&rsquo; rotation as the backup center?
Indiana is embracing a full-scale rebuild, and pulling off a move like this would be consistent with that approach.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Pacers receive: D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, No. 19 pick, No. 40 pick
Timberwolves receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Goga Bitadze, No. 31 pick, 2023 2nd (via San Antonio Spurs)
As <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-dangelo-russell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our Nekias Duncan recently wrote</a>, a D&rsquo;Angelo Russell departure from Minnesota feels imminent this summer. It&rsquo;s another unfortunate turn in the career for Russell, who continues to bounce around the Association, unable to find a long-term home. The fit in Minnesota alongside good friend Karl-Anthony Towns had its moments, but Russell&rsquo;s negatives popped up in the postseason when it mattered most. After being benched in crunch-time situations by head coach Chris Finch and not having his name mentioned in The Athletic&rsquo;s recent story on new executive Tim Connelly, it wouldn't be shocking to see Russell playing elsewhere in 2022-23.
Even with the Pacers already having Haliburton and Chris Duarte, this feels like a spot where they could take a year-long look at Russell as a potential long-term backcourt piece. As a former top-three pick, Russell would bring more fanfare to the Pacers&rsquo; rebuild. And if he meshes well alongside Haliburton, Russell could become a long-term piece in Indiana and finally find a home.
From the Timberwolves&rsquo; point of view, this makes a whole lot of sense. Brogdon is a much better fit alongside Towns and Anthony Edwards, as he's easily able to slide into the No. 3 scoring role while providing an ideal complementary low-usage skill set. Taking a flier on Bitadze, a former top-20 pick, is also interesting, and as he could back up Towns.
Miami Heat
Pacers receive: Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, 2023 1st (lottery protected)
Heat receive: Malcolm Brogdon
As we&rsquo;ve seen unfold late in the postseason, Miami needs to find another offensive creator. Simply put, the Heat need more weapons to compete with the NBA&rsquo;s current juggernauts. Luckily for Miami, some much-needed flexibility could be on the way.
The Duncan Robinson contract looks like a disaster, but what if they could use his bloated salary and some future draft capital to bring in an immediate impact piece? Brogdon feels like the perfect remedy for Miami since he can take playmaking pressure off of Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry. Brogdon and Lowry could split minutes, which is a huge benefit for both players and would help keep them fresh and out of the training room.
For Indiana, they could be comfortable taking on Robinson&rsquo;s contract with all of their salary-cap space currently available. Adding Strus and a draft pick could make this deal worth it for the Pacers.
All of a sudden, Miami is now in a strong position to make another deep postseason push with Brogdon onboard for 2022-23 and beyond.
***
Every team in the NBA needs shooting, defensive versatility and playmaking. Even with his injury history, Brogdon would be well worth the risk for any team looking to take the next step forward.
If Brogdon is able to stay healthy, adding him at this price could be a coup for whichever team is next after Milwaukee and Indiana.
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With the Tyrese Haliburton era blossoming for the Pacers, Malcolm Brogdon is one of the most logical NBA trade candidates.

Examining potential trade destinations for Malcolm Brogdon

The 2021-22 season wasn&rsquo;t supposed to end this way for the Phoenix Suns... not even close. After a shocking exit in the Western Conference semifinals, where do the Suns turn now? With how well-built Phoenix&rsquo;s roster is, there actually aren&rsquo;t many holes. However, the potential domino effects are franchise-altering and there are a number of different directions the team may go.
The future of Deandre Ayton is now <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/uncertain-future-of-deandre-ayton-becomes-top-topic-for-suns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">murkier than expected</a> following Phoenix's shocking Game 7 blowout defeat on its home court against the Dallas Mavericks. Ayton only played 17 minutes, which included a verbal skirmish with Suns head coach Monty Williams.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s internal,&rdquo; Williams said of why Ayton was benched in Game 7.
Ayton will be a restricted free agent after the Suns decided not to extend a five-year, rookie-scale max offer his way before the regular season began. He was the NBA's first No. 1 pick since Anthony Bennett to not sign a contract extension before entering the final year of his rookie deal.
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There&rsquo;s a potentially awkward dynamic on the horizon between Ayton and the Suns. Ayton wants the highest possible dollar amount, but Phoenix&rsquo;s stance at this point is unknown. ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski reported in October that the Suns didn&rsquo;t view Ayton as a max-level player who deserved a five-year contract. Is it possible that the Suns&rsquo; stance has changed after Ayton&rsquo;s 2021-22 campaign?
Suns general manager James Jones said Wednesday during his season-ending press conference that the team's main theme will be continuity, foreshadowing the likelihood of Phoenix running it all back with a core that set a new franchise record for wins.
&ldquo;We want to continue to keep our consistency, our continuity,&rdquo; Jones said.
Robert Sarver, the Suns' owner since 2004, also spoke on-record recently to BasketballNews.com about Ayton&rsquo;s future in Phoenix. It sure feels like Phoenix values the 2018 No. 1 overall pick, but at what cost?
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;s so divisive here,&rdquo; Sarver told BasketballNews.com last month. &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s shown that he&rsquo;s improved each year, helps us on both the defense and the offense. 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;
Whichever direction the Suns decide to go with Ayton will have a significant impact on this offseason. It could be relatively boring summer in the Valley, or Ayton&rsquo;s value could be parlayed into going all-out for a superstar.
Expect to see the Suns let Ayton test the open market in July. If he receives a max offer sheet, that&rsquo;s when the clock officially begins to tick on how explosive Phoenix&rsquo;s plans could become.
Another housekeeping note for Phoenix related to contracts is a massive one set to be signed this summer. Once Devin Booker officially is announced on an All-NBA team, he will become eligible for a four-year, $211 million supermax contract. It&rsquo;s an easy decision for Booker and the Suns, so a hefty new contract for Booker will keep him in Phoenix through at least 2027-28.
2022-23: $33.8 million
2023-24: $36.0 million
2024-25: $47.1 million
2025-26: $50.9 million
2026-27: $54.7 million
2027-28: $58.5 million
Add in the Ayton situation on top of a looming Booker supermax, and Phoenix is ready to fully commit to paying deep into the luxury tax. Don&rsquo;t forget that Cameron Johnson is another significant piece to the puzzle for Phoenix and he could be signing his own extension this summer that keeps him in Phoenix long-term through his prime years.
Running it back with this core feels like the route that will be traveled, and you can't blame the Suns for that line of thinking considering their immense success over the last two seasons after toiling in obscurity.
&ldquo;As your team improves, typically your payroll increases,&rdquo; Jones said Wednesday when asked about potential luxury-tax issues.
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As mentioned, this builds upon what Sarver already confirmed to BasketballNews.com last month. For the first time since 2009-10, Phoenix will be paying the luxury tax and continue to do so for the next few years, too.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not saying we&rsquo;re a market that can be in it for 10 years in a row, but when you get to a certain level where you have a chance to compete and you&rsquo;re a top-four, top-six, top-eight team, [you pay it],&rdquo; Sarver said. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re at that level where you have a legitimate chance to compete &mdash; get to your Conference Finals and maybe win a championship &mdash; then I think you go in the tax; you pay and you do what you gotta do.&rdquo;
Committing to being a full-time tax team is a huge change of pace from years past for the Suns, but the time is now to compete for their first NBA title.
Outside of the contractual angles that cloud the current in Phoenix, what moves need to be made in order to improve their roster?
After witnessing the failures behind Chris Paul and Booker in the backcourt &mdash; mainly from backup point guard Cameron Payne, who finished the postseason with a ghastly 35.2% True Shooting percentage &mdash; finding more creators is of the utmost importance.
The Suns had a golden opportunity at the trade deadline to acquire Eric Gordon, but haggling over a future first-round draft pick ended those discussions. It&rsquo;s hard to deny how much a player like Gordon would&rsquo;ve helped Phoenix&rsquo;s offense when it began to sink against Dallas. If the Suns had a competent starting-level third guard, there&rsquo;s a good chance they'd be playing the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals instead of the Mavericks.
Whether it be signing a free agent or utilizing the trade market, some potentially available backup guard options who could help Phoenix immediately include: Jordan Clarkson (trade), Eric Gordon (trade), Derrick Rose (trade), Terrence Ross (trade), Ricky Rubio, Dennis Schroder, Tyus Jones, Delon Wright and Goran Dragic.
The Suns&rsquo; roster is already filled with quality depth pieces, but how can this team take the next step? Will Ayton be part of their long-term vision alongside Booker and Mikal Bridges? Can the Suns take advantage of their flexibility with $30-plus million in expiring contracts? Is star-hunting actually in the cards?
Following one of the most disappointing playoff performances in recent memory, how the Suns respond moving forward will show how resilient this group truly is.
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After a shocking postseason exit for the Suns, what's next ahead? Evan Sidery previews an interesting offseason ahead.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Phoenix Suns?

This year has been a great reinforcer of the enjoyment of the process. The NBA season is 82 games, far more than many fans and observers alike would like there to be, and I can't blame them. (For the sake of player health and longevity, I'd love to see the season shortened.)
After a close loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night in the Play-In Tournament, the Cleveland Cavaliers were ousted from the playoffs entirely, meaning their season had come to an end.
"End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take." 
- <a href="https://youtu.be/Rag_9J1ZC2g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gandalf</a> 
- Me watching the Cavs
Pull up Basketball-Reference, and you'll find the Cavs with a 44-38 record and the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. A solid record at the end of the season. A good one even, if taking the past year into account. I was of the opinion that the Cavs might jockey with Play-In positioning at points this year, but ultimately would fall short of being a playoff team and take a meaningful few steps as a young squad.
That's what makes the regular season so precious to me. Watching the game-to-game, week-to-week evolution of this group was a special endeavor this year. I relish growth, persistence and consistency; the Cavs met all three needs with gumption. This is not a "watch the games bro" take, but rather an "I'm so thankful I got to watch the games bro" exclamation. Deducing what this team was this season down to its final record is a disservice.
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Just 11 games in, the Cavs lost Collin Sexton for the season. A month-and-a-half later, they lost sixth man and backup point guard Ricky Rubio as well. You might look at his efficiency or lack thereof and question his impact, but Rubio gave the Cavs' bench a verve that they were <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mulling-over-6-options-for-the-cavs-with-ricky-rubio-out-for-the-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">never able to replicate</a>.
All three frontcourt starters missed significant stretches of time, with Jarrett Allen's finger fracture throwing the team into a tailspin shortly after the All-Star Break
None of the primary starters this season played 70 games.
This was a team that was 35-21 a week before the break festivities in Cleveland, legitimately fighting for (and maintaining) home-court advantage in the playoffs for a significant stretch of the regular season.
The way the Cavs got there was even more enticing.
The first time I saw that J.B. Bickerstaff was starting Lauri Markkanen at the 3, I was vexed. I understood why, but thoroughly questioned its viability. Even prior to that, I was extremely critical of the Markkanen sign-and-trade in the offseason. Well, I was just flat-out wrong!
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Big to Big to Big <a href="https://t.co/5WlMaBYmoe">pic.twitter.com/5WlMaBYmoe</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) <a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler/status/1460317639629234180?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The three-7-footer lineup the Cavs started and leaned upon as their bread and butter all year was a delight. The big-to-big-to-big passing was joyous and impactful. It will be interesting to find out whether teams try to replicate a jumbo lineup without capturing the essence of why it worked. Having three players who all have size, mobility and skill is not an easy combination to find.&nbsp;
Markkanen's offense was up and down at times this year, but his defense should be lauded. He was a very rough defender his whole time in Chicago, and I was taken aback early this season by his effort and attentiveness &mdash; which never really waned by my eye. His game against Atlanta was phenomenal, even if marred by a late game turnover. Again, process, process, process.
Jarrett Allen earned an All-Star nod through his all-around improvements, becoming a legitimately switchable big man and the anchor of the Cavs' defense in the paint as their primary rim-protector. The offense really suffered without his gravity as a roller and his screening ability when he was out. He found new levels of aggression that he flashed late last year, and made it a consistent staple this year.
Allen's presence and Markkanen's strides allowed Evan Mobley to assert himself. His ground coverage is breathtaking, and it enabled a ridiculously aggressive, effective and quirky 3-2 zone to bend the court dimensions to the the Cavs' will.
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Evan Mobley <a href="https://t.co/hN41CbufIb">pic.twitter.com/hN41CbufIb</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) <a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler/status/1452408998926376968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2021</a></blockquote>

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It should not be possible to cover the rim to the arc the way he does, but Mobley just does.
The flashes he showcased throughout the year as a face-up scorer and passer were wild, and lend credence to his exciting future as one of the brightest young stars in basketball.
I won't quibble with anyone who voted for another first-year player as Rookie of the Year; there are so many different ways to view, appreciate and evaluate the game. This <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-stats-notebook-fighting-narratives-in-the-rookie-of-the-year-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rookie class is incredible</a>. I am still there with Mobley winning it.
Darius Garland quite literally was Cleveland's offense at points this year when the team was depleted. His off-the-dribble ease and marksmanship open up his game as one of the best passers in the sport. In spite of the finish to the year, he and Allen were rightful All-Stars at the time. Garland's growth over the past two years, along with Mobley's ascension, provides the foundation of one of the more intriguing young cores in the NBA. There's still a great deal for the pair to grow both individually and together!
Kevin Love had an awesome bounce-back season, warranting Sixth Man of the Year buzz before the Cavs (and he) tailed off down the stretch. Cedi Osman is still an absolute bundle of chaos, but Cleveland was better because of him, putting together his most efficient season since his rookie year.
The Cavs will keep their first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft (14th-best odds), as the pick will not convey to Indiana due to lottery protections (part of the Caris LeVert trade). Given how the season ended, this is a silver lining. Cleveland needs wing depth and more shot creation.&nbsp;
I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/enjoying-the-little-things-of-the-nba-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about Isaac Okoro</a> and his impact earlier this season, highlighting the little things he honed in on to imprint himself on both ends. He played 34 minutes combined in the two Play-In matchups and took 6 shots. I don't have an answer now &mdash; it's something I want to dive into further in the offseason &mdash; but the Cavs really need Okoro to make significant strides as an offensive player.
I do think some have been too quick to cast off the positive things he has done and what he can provide, but Okoro's current limitations were put on display in those contests. If he runs ball-screens, the defense goes under and forces a pass-out-and-reset or a shot off the dribble. If he's spaced off the ball, he's left open in the corner. The defense is really, really good, but the offense needs to come along.
Speaking of offense, the Caris LeVert trade was made with the purpose of bringing in another shot-creator and offensive engine. I am so interested to see what happens between LeVert and the Cavs this off-season.
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Caris LeVert on the importance of a contract extension with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a>: "Yeah, this is where I want to be. They know that. The front office knows that, my teammates know that. So I don't know what's gonna happen with that contract extension, but I know where my heart is."
&mdash; Kelsey Russo (@kelseyyrusso) <a href="https://twitter.com/kelseyyrusso/status/1515360464263385098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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I understood why the Cavs made the trade at the time, going in on this season to try and make a real playoff run without fully hindering their intermediate future and flexibility. I just really struggled to be into the move from a personnel perspective, and I'll have even more questions once/if Collin Sexton returns next year.
I have no idea what to think about Sexton's future in Cleveland. He is a really good player with some flaws that can be a bit exacerbated playing alongside another small guard. His numbers were down and his shot wasn't right to start the year, but he was playing some of the best team basketball of his career to start the year. I don't know what the answer is for Cavs president Koby Altman, general manager Mike Gansey and the front-office brain trust, but they have a lot of decisions to make over the next few months as they continue to shape this team.
Hard decisions are a good thing! To look at where the Cavs were two years ago at 19-46 with questions about their infrastructure to where they're at now... that's pretty good!
The way they handle those head-scratching conundrums over the summer will ultimately mold their future playoff aspirations and viability. The 2021-22 Cleveland campaign was one of the more unexpected and exciting runs that had some unfortunate road bumps.
But the point remains that the future of the Cavs is much brighter today than it was eight months ago, and where this team is at by this time next year will have been set up by the trials and tribulations of this year.
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The Cavaliers' season came to an end last night, but their year as a whole was one for the books.

Recognizing the Cavs for who they were, could've been and may soon be

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

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

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

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

With the NBA regular season drawing to a close, it is only fitting to give it a proper sendoff.
Every season somehow feels a little bit longer than the last in an endearing way. Each year, I find so many new things within the game and its minutiae that starts to stick with me more sporadically. It's arguably my favorite part of basketball: the sheer volume and variance that comes with it. I love finding the little things in a long and tough regular season.
Learning the game, tracking the tendencies of players and indulging in their progressions over the course of 82 games is why I cover the NBA. It's just awesome. As the MVP debate and other awards discussions have ramped up, it has made me contemplate what has transpired throughout the course of the regular season.
Watching Nuggets/Grizzlies on Thursday night, a game much less close than the final 122-109 score indicates, I was constantly reminded of how fun and joyous basketball is. Sometimes I need to zoom out and stop analyzing so I can just breath it all in. And man, Bones Hyland put on a S H O W during the 3rd quarter.
He finished with 16 points and 7 assists while canning four triples, but it was the sheer energy he played with that made me crack a smile and eventually wake my dog up with a look of bewilderment on his face.
If you somehow missed this game or this moment, please prepare yourself:
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This man <a href="https://youtu.be/vS1ZohQziGY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NARUTO GLIDED</a> after throwing a tight wrist pass!
This is the funniest moment of the NBA season, hands down.
Shoutout to Bones, who has been awesome and a huge part of the Nuggets' stellar play in 2022 (Denver is 31-17 in the calendar year).
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Bones Hyland since March (19 games) 13.8 ppg on 66.5% TS 4.5 apg 42.7% from deep on 5.8 per game
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1512743868084764675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2022</a></blockquote>

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He's played himself onto the All-Rookie 2nd Team without a doubt.
But again, it's not neccesarily the efficacy of play or how good a guy is. A blowout game shouldn't be that fun to watch, but I was glued to that 3rd quarter as Denver put together a sublime run speerheaded by Hyland. It really made me stop and appreciate just how enjoyable and fruitful this season has been on many fronts. There's joy in the game, and you often don't have to search for it. It's in the little moments.&nbsp;
Another thing that's really stood out as the season has wound down: injuries suck. This seems obvious, but it's felt ever apparent as some teams have struggled down the stretch. Sustainability is so difficult, and the teams that show bright flashes early in the season and struggle to replicate them perhaps put into even better perspective how impressive the great teams are.
Prior to injuries to Draymond Green and Stephen Curry, the Warriors were on a similar pace as the outstanding Phoenix Suns. Had those players been healthy all year, who knows how different things might have been in the Western Conference?
In the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers were a top four seed and looked ripe to lock in a playoff spot, but injuries had other plans. We don't know for sure what the team looks like with Collin Sexton fully healthy. Losing Ricky Rubio (who was playing so well) opened up another crack in guard depth which they eventually made numerous trades to pave over. Jarrett Allen's injury sent them reeling defensively, and they just haven't really been able to recover since.&nbsp;
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Another example is Chicago, who after losing Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball experienced massive ramifications to the defensive structure they built. I'm not in the locker room, and I don't have insider knowledge, but I don't neccesarily feel as though their defense is a chemsitry problem. Once something breaks, it becomes so hard to fix it on the fly in the regular season. Their defensive intensity died down as their stalwart guards were sidelined, and it became increasingly apparent how bereft of defensive stops the roster was without them. We've seen this in teams before. Injuries happen, teams try and keep fighting through, but the results aren't there. Then you're stuck with a mid-20's defense, and even when players do return, it is so hard to rectify.
None of this is to belittle the Bulls and Cavs (and so many more teams who got nipped by the injury bug), but rather to keep in mind that a season isn't singular. It feels like there are countless seasons within a season.
Consider everything that has changed in the last six months. Kemba Walker was an Eastern Conference Player of the Week! The Washington Wizards started the season 10-3, flirted with the one seed and looked like a defensive titan! The Boston Celtics were dead in the water, and a mainstay in discourse was, "When will the Jays be broken apart?"
The Indiana Pacers used the word '<a href="https://twitter.com/PacersJJ/status/1512167562045448210?s=20&amp;t=weBMT23qBZdCokwnhQFSHg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rebuild</a>' for the first time maybe ever in relation to their direction. The Thunder were one of the best defenses in basketball prior to the All-Star Break. After their atrocious first month-and-a-half, New Orleans still managed to make the play-in!
Milwaukee and Atlanta combined for double the losses I thought they'd accrue this year. The Raptors went from, "They could be interesting next season," to, "I do not want to face them in the playoffs," all over the course of a few months.
The growth that happens in season matters, and on a grand scale, it might not be remembered at large in 4-5 years when someone goes on Basketball Reference and looks back on the 2021-22 season. Yet, that's kind of what makes the regular season so enjoyable and enticing. It's all building toward something, though in the moment, we're not always sure what that something is. I love that. So yes, I'm ready for the playoffs, but this has been just a stellar year, and one I won't forget!
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It's easy to appreciate the joy and endurance of the 2021-22 regular season prior to the NBA Playoffs.

Appreciating the NBA regular season

The NBA playoffs are fast approaching and as the season winds down, there are a total of 21 teams fighting for 16 playoff spots across the two conferences.
Every game matters.
Injuries have had a major impact on this season. In the Western Conference, a number of potential playoff teams are missing key pieces, including the Golden State Warriors (Stephen Curry and James Wiseman), Denver Nuggets (Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.), Los Angeles Clippers (Kawhi Leonard and Paul George), Memphis Grizzlies (Ja Morant), Los Angeles Lakers (Anthony Davis), New Orleans Pelicans (Zion Williamson) and Portland Trail Blazers (Damian Lillard).
There are fewer injured stars in the Eastern Conference, but Jarrett Allen (CLE), Ben Simmons (BKN), Lonzo Ball (CHI), Gordon Hayward (CHA) and Colin Sexton (CLE) are currently sidelined.
Between now and the start of the playoffs on April 12, some important players are expected to return to their respective teams, which could alter the NBA landscape in a major way.
<h2>WESTERN CONFERENCE</h2>
DENVER NUGGETS
On March 15, the Nuggets assigned Jamal Murray to their G-League affiliate (the Grand Rapids Gold) to get some additional work at practice. This sent waves through social media, as fans anticipated Murray's long-awaited return to the Nuggets' lineup. However, just a few days later, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said that Murray is "not close" to suiting up.
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Denver Nuggets HC Michael Malone says Jamal Murray is "not close" to rejoining the lineup, per <a href="https://twitter.com/HarrisonWind?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HarrisonWind</a> <a href="https://t.co/7leLWbJe5W">pic.twitter.com/7leLWbJe5W</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1505676501303320576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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It seems unlikely that Murray will be able to play during the regular season, but perhaps he'll be able to return at some point during the postseason.
Michael Porter Jr. is also on the mend, but the reports about his availability have been all over the place. There were rumblings that his rehab didn't go great and that he was further away than Murray. Then, there was a rumor that he's <a href="https://theathletic.com/3198516/2022/03/21/nuggets-hopeful-jamal-murray-and-michael-porter-jr-could-be-back-by-playoffs-but-no-immediate-return-on-the-horizon/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">due back very soon</a>.

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A little over a week ago, Malone was asked about the possibility of Murray and Porter returning, and he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/malone-michael-porter-jr-and-jamal-murrays-wont-be-back-soon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, "There is no immediate return on the horizon for either one of those players."
Denver is currently the sixth seed in the Western Conference, trying to stave off the Minnesota Timberwolves and avoid the Play-In Tournament.&nbsp;
Nikola Jokic has played at an MVP level (again) and the absence of these two stars has allowed for Bones Hyland to emerge as a legitimate rotation player as a rookie. Adding even one of these two players back into the fold would make the Nuggets a significantly more threatening first-round opponent for the Grizzlies, Warriors or Mavericks.&nbsp;
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NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
Since the acquisition of CJ McCollum on February 8, the New Orleans Pelicans rank No. 10 in offensive rating and No. 6 in net rating. While the Pelicans won't be getting All-Star power forward Zion Williamson back at any point this season, they did just have another impact player return to their lineup.
Larry Nance Jr. was acquired as part of the McCollum trade and he made his Pelicans debut a few days ago. The 29-year-old is a seamless fit on the offensive end and he'll give New Orleans some defensive versatility.
Even though we all wanted to see how this team would look with a healthy Zion, they have a solid core with McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Jonas Valanciunas, Herb Jones, Devonte' Graham, Nance and Co. &mdash; making them a scary opponent in the Play-In Tournament.

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New Orleans likely won't catch the Clippers for the eighth seed, but they could steal homecourt advantage in the 9-10 game against the Lakers, as they are currently a half game behind L.A.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
With LeBron James on roster, there always seems to be this lingering feeling that the Lakers will catch their stride and figure this thing out. But without Anthony Davis, it seems unlikely that Los Angeles will be able to escape the Play-In Tournament.
There has been no official word on a potential return date for Davis, but the Lakers would need him available if they hope to play beyond April 12.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Anthony Davis continues to do on-court shooting, per Frank Vogel, and is progressing each day: &ldquo;Anthony has had a good week &hellip; He&rsquo;s had a productive week.&rdquo;
&mdash; Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersReporter/status/1504943043669106699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The presence of Davis would inject a tiny sliver of hope that he and James could will this team to victory and into a revenge series against the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Stephen Curry is expected to be out until mid-April at the earliest, which is a huge blow to the Warriors. Fortunately, Curry has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/warriors-curry-expects-to-return-by-start-of-playoffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he should be back in time for the first game of the playoffs.
The team has reintroduced Klay Thompson back into the fold, and Draymond Green is back in the lineup too. While Golden State's star-studded trio has only played three games together this season, at least the Warriors should have all three vets together for the postseason (barring any setbacks or new injuries).
Unfortunately, Golden State won't be at full strength, as James Wiseman was recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/warriors-james-wiseman-ruled-out-for-remainder-of-the-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled out</a> for the remainder of this season. The sophomore is still recovering from a torn meniscus that he suffered last April. Wiseman's size and versatility would have helped the Warriors, especially when facing the likes of Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Golden State has been struggling without Curry, dropping four of their last five games (including surprising losses to the Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks). Golden State surrendered the No. 2 seed to the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Warriors could slip to fourth in the Western Conference, leading to a potential second-round matchup against Phoenix (instead of Memphis or Utah).&nbsp;
Still, assuming the Warriors have their Big Three, they will be dangerous in the playoffs.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Recently, Clippers head coach Ty Lue was asked about Kawhi Leonard and Paul George potentially returning prior to the playoffs, and he didn't shoot down the possibility.
"If guys are able to [return], they are gonna do it," Lue said. "But the most important part is making the sure the players are taken care of and making sure they're ready to go and fully healthy."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ty Lue says he&rsquo;ll keep the door open on Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and/or Norman Powell returning if it&rsquo;s less than a week until the playoffs. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Clippers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Clippers</a> <a href="https://t.co/iebGp2sRcp">pic.twitter.com/iebGp2sRcp</a>
&mdash; Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1505958728125739011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Leonard has been sidelined since last postseason, and Clippers fans have been holding out hope for a late-season comeback. ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33579571/nba-playoffs-injury-updates-steph-curry-zion-williamson-anthony-davis-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that Leonard may be able to return if the Clippers make it out of the Play-In Tournament.
George has been sidelined due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, and there is no timetable for his return. Recently, he has <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33579571/nba-playoffs-injury-updates-steph-curry-zion-williamson-anthony-davis-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> made progress and been cleared for 4-on-4 and shooting drills, so a return still seems possible.&nbsp;
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<h2>EASTERN CONFERENCE</h2>
CHICAGO BULLS
The Bulls skyrocketed to the top of the East standings early in the season thanks to a supernova DeMar DeRozan and stellar defense. Two key cogs of that defense were Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, who have played just 35 and 36 games, respectively. Chicago also played most of the season without forward Patrick Williams, who's another important rotation player.&nbsp;
The absence of those two elite perimeter defenders caused the Bulls to slip to the East's five seed, and they are just one game ahead of the sixth-seeded Toronto Raptors.&nbsp;
Caruso returned on March 12 and Williams returned on March 21. But if Ball is able to return to the starting lineup, that could significantly affect the outcome of a series against the Celtics or 76ers.
However, here's the bad news:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Lonzo Ball will stop running on his knee for the next 10 days, per Billy Donovan. They&rsquo;ve been trying to ramp him up but he hasn&rsquo;t responded well
&mdash; Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) <a href="https://twitter.com/JamalCollier/status/1506033717608865798?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Ball may not be needed for Chicago to avoid the Play-In Tournament, but his return is crucial in order for the Bulls to make a deep run in the playoffs.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Colin Sexton is not coming back this season. In fact, it's possible that he has played his final game as a Cavalier since he's set to become a restricted free agent.
However, one of the main reason that the Cavaliers have exceeded expectations this season is the play of Jarrett Allen. Ricky Rubio was also a key cog in the Cleveland machine, but his injury back in December led to the acquisition of Rajon Rondo... who is also currently out with an ankle injury.&nbsp;
Allen's presence defensively next to Evan Mobley is crucial to the success of the Cavs. Cleveland's opponents take the ninth-most shots at the rim in the league, but they shoot the worst percentage. Their perimeter defense funnels opponents to the rim because of the three 7-footers they have on the floor.&nbsp;
For Cleveland to pull off a first-round upset, Allen must be present and continuing his career-year.&nbsp;
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Unfortunately, injuries are a part of the game and oftentimes play a major factor in the postseason. This year is proving to be no different, as the field seems wide open due to injuries and the players who are returning could have a major impact on who is eventually crowned champion.
BROOKLYN NETS
After arriving in Brooklyn, Ben Simmons began ramping up his conditioning and preparing to make his season debut, but then his back started giving him trouble. Initially, it was being described as back soreness, but he was recently diagnosed with a herniated disc and he needed an epidural for the pain.
Nets head coach Steve Nash has said that surgery isn't currently being considered. Simmons is working with a physical therapist and trying to get healthy enough to make his Nets debut. Nash told reporters that he's "fully expecting" Simmons to play at some point this season.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33520712/brooklyn-nets-hold-hope-ben-simmons-return-couple-regular-season-games" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Brooklyn hopes to have Simmons for a "couple" regular-season games so that he can start shaking off the rust and getting acclimated prior to the postseason.
Whenever he returns, the Defensive-Player-of-the-Year runner-up will provide a huge boost for the Nets. Last season, Simmons averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals with the Philadelphia 76ers.
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Several NBA playoff teams are hoping to get back key contributors in time for the postseason. Justin Lewis examines these situations.

Examining 11 impact players whose return could alter NBA playoffs

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Trae Young scored 33 of his 47 points in the first half, and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Indiana Pacers 131-128 on Sunday night.
Atlanta, 10th in the Eastern Conference, had seven players score in double figures and shot 54.8% from the field. Danilo Gallinari and De'Andre Hunter had 15 points apiece, and Kevin Huerter finished with 14.
The Hawks have won 13 of 15 at home and two straight overall. They had a season-high 77 points in the first half.
Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield each scored 25 points for Indiana, which has dropped four of five and 13 of 17. The Pacers, 13th in the East, fell to 8-27 on the road.
Young&rsquo;s 33 first-half points were a career high for either half. He was coming off his NBA-leading 23rd game of at least 25 points and 10 assists in Friday&rsquo;s win over the Los Angeles Clippers. That&rsquo;s 10 more than James Harden, the next closest player. He finished with five assists.
The Hawks&rsquo; biggest lead of the first half was 19 in the closing seconds on Young&rsquo;s two free throws. Atlanta shot 60% from the floor in the first half, 59.1% on 3s.
Young was 9 for 13 from the floor, including 7 for 9 on 3s, in the first two quarters. He did as he pleased most of the game, pulling up for long 3s, showing off his ballhandling ability and scoring with ease.
Indiana went on a 21-10 run to begin the third and pulled within seven at the 6:09 mark, but Young drove the lane for a runner and hit a layup on a fast break to make it 94-82 and cause the Pacers to call timeout.
Young went 14 for 14 on free throws.
The Pacers, down to eight players because of injuries, pulled within two on Duane Washington Jr.&rsquo;s free throws with 1:09 remaining in the game. Young knocked down a pair of free throws with 28.8 seconds to go and two more with nine seconds left to help close it out.
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TIP-INS
Pacers: C Goga Bitadze (right foot), G Chris Duarte (left big toe) and G Lance Stephenson (left ankle) were questionable before the game but were ruled out. ... G Malcolm Brogdon (concussion), G T.J. McConnell (right wrist), C Myles Turner (left foot), F T.J. Warren (left foot), and G Ricky Rubio (left knee) were out.
Hawks: F John Collins, the team&rsquo;s second-leading scorer and rebounder, was out with a right finger sprain and a right foot strain. Gallinari started in his spot and scored 11 points in the second quarter. ... Atlanta&rsquo;s previous first-half high was 76 points, coming against Indiana on Feb. 8. ... Young reached 40 points for the seventh time this season.
TOUGH TO STOP
Atlanta coach Nate McMillan has been impressed all season with Young&rsquo;s ability to run the pick-and-roll and create scoring opportunities for his teammates. The Hawks rank seventh in scoring and Young is fifth in scoring and third in assists.
&ldquo;I think we&rsquo;ve seen pretty much everything teams have tried to do,&rdquo; McMillan said. &ldquo;Trap, they deny, they try to play box-and-one. Normally he&rsquo;s going to get the best defender and normally they&rsquo;ve tried to (use) length. They switch one through five, so Trae has seen really all the defenses this year. Trae does a good job creating offense out of that set so we&rsquo;re going to continue.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Pacers: Host Memphis on Tuesday.
Hawks: Host Portland on Monday.

Trae Young scored 33 of his 47 points in the first half, and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Indiana Pacers 131-128 on Sunday night.

Trae Young scores 47, Hawks hold off Pacers 131-128

Although some top-tier players who were expected to hit free agency this coming summer have already signed extensions, the 2022 NBA free-agent class will feature quite a few stars.
In particular, the crop of guards up for grabs is quite impressive, which is where we will begin this three-part ranking series.
1. James Harden &mdash; Philadelphia 76ers &mdash; Player Option
James Harden holds a player option worth $47.4 million for the 2022-23 season, and it was reported that Harden would exercise it in conjunction with his trade from Brooklyn to Philadelphia. Although he hasn't done so yet, Harden has said he plans to. Over the summer, the maximum offer the Sixers can present to Harden is a pact that would pay him up north of $270 million over the next six years, which ESPN analyst Bobby Marks declared would be the "worst contract in NBA history." Here's a look at what Harden's annual salary would look like:
2022-23: $47.4 million 2023-24: $49.7 million 2024-25: $53.7 million&nbsp; 2025-26: $57.7 million 2026-27: $61.7 million&nbsp;
2. Zach LaVine &mdash; Chicago Bulls &mdash; Unrestricted
Zach LaVine bet on himself instead of signing a four-year, $105 million extension last offseason, and the gamble has most certainly paid off. He's averaging 24.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.9 made three-pointers while shooting 40.0% from downtown and a career-high 85.7% from the free-throw line. Steph Curry is the only player in the NBA to match or exceed LaVine in those statistical categories this season. With LaVine playing at such a high level and the Bulls near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, Chicago is fully expected to offer him a max deal of five years at approximately $200 million. The most any other team can offer LaVine is around $160 million over four years.
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3. Bradley Beal &mdash; Washington Wizards &mdash; Player Option
The Wizards announced last month that Bradley Beal underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist. Prior to the injury, Beal's scoring average had dipped dramatically (from 31.3 points per game in 2020-21 to 23.2 this season), and he was shooting just 30.0% from downtown, but the three-time All-Star was averaging a career-high 6.6 assists. Beal's player option for the 2022-23 season is worth $36.4 million.
4. Kyrie Irving &mdash; Brooklyn Nets &mdash; Player Option
It's been a tumultuous season for both Kyrie Irving and the Nets. Kyrie's refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19 &mdash; which resulted in him being banished from the team for the first half of the year before Brooklyn welcomed him back to play in road games &mdash; reportedly was an important factor in James Harden's decision to demand a trade. In the preseason, the Nets were heavy favorites to take home the title, but find themselves below .500 and in ninth place in the East. Brooklyn is just 1-9 in the last 10 games Irving has appeared in. Considering all the drama (and the reports that Irving would consider retirement if he was traded), it seems safe to assume Kyrie will remain in Brooklyn. But when it comes to Mr. Irving (who has a player option for the 2022&ndash;23 season worth $36,934,550), making assumptions often proves unwise. Stay tuned.&nbsp;
5. Anfernee Simons &mdash; Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; Restricted
It could be argued that Anfernee Simons has increased his value more than any player in the league over the last five months. After averaging a modest 7.8 points per game last season, Simons is pouring in 17.3 points per game in 2021-22, which represents the largest year-over-year increase in the NBA this season. And his numbers are even more impressive dating back to the start of the New Year, when he was permanently inserted into the starting lineup.
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38 points (9 threes), 3 rebounds, 3 assists in 40 minutes. If you're not taking notice of <a href="https://twitter.com/AnferneeSimons?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@anferneesimons</a> yet, you should be! <a href="https://t.co/5IPvZXFvyo">pic.twitter.com/5IPvZXFvyo</a>
&mdash; Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1500324039100755972?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Over the 27 games he's appeared in since the calendar flipped to January, the 22-year-old Simons is averaging 23.4 points, 5.8 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 4.4 made triples, while shooting 42.3% from downtown and 86.6% from the charity stripe. Simons leads the league in made three-pointers (119) in 2022. Yes, he's struggled on the defensive end, but one of the primary reasons the Blazers made multiple major moves before the deadline (trading away CJ McCollum, Norman Powell and Robert Covington) was to clear up cap space to sign Simons to a considerable extension this summer. They are not going to let him walk.
6. Jalen Brunson &mdash; Dallas Mavericks &mdash; Unrestricted
After two solid, if unspectacular, seasons to start his NBA career, Jalen Brunson took a significant step forward last season; he averaged 12.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 treys in 25.7 minutes per game, while shooting 52.3% from the floor and 40.5% from downtown. The Villanova product has continued to improve in 2021-22, posting career-highs in points (16.2), assists (5.3) and rebounds (3.7) per contest. Brunson also showed he could shoulder increased responsibility by stepping in and stepping up when Luka Doncic missed 14 of Dallas' first 35 games this season. Jalen played the best basketball of his NBA career over an eight-game stretch in mid-to-late December, when he averaged 22.4 points and 7.9 dimes a night. This offseason, Brunson reportedly will be seeking a four-year, $80 million deal. The New York Knicks are among the teams expected to express serious interest.
7. Collin Sexton &mdash; Cleveland Cavaliers &mdash; Restricted
Collin Sexton injured his left knee in a game in early November, and an MRI revealed a torn meniscus. He had surgery a week later, sidelining him for the entirety of the 2021-22 campaign. It will be fascinating to see what offers he receives on the open market. Last season, Sexton averaged 24.3 points and 4.4 assists while shooting 47.5% from the floor, 37.5% from downtown and 81.5% from the free-throw line. However, he struggled defensively, and the Cavs registered a league-worst 60-159 record over the first three years of his career. With Sexton out of action this season, Cleveland is 10 games above .500. Because he is restricted, the Cavs can match any offer he receives this summer.&nbsp;
8. Malik Monk &mdash; Los Angeles Lakers &mdash; Unrestricted
Mailk Monk, the 11th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, failed to live up to expectations over the first four years of his career in Charlotte. He made just one career start as a member of the Hornets, and had averaged 9.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 233 appearances while shooting below 34% from downtown. As a result, the Los Angeles Lakers were able to ink him to a one-year contract at the veteran minimum ($1.7 million) for this season. Surprisingly, Monk has established himself as one of the Lakers' most consistent and effective players. In the 23 games he's started for L.A., Monk has averaged 17.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists while posting a True Shooting percentage of 58.8%. He will look to cash in with a significant pay raise in July.&nbsp;
9. Russell Westbrook &mdash; Los Angeles Lakers &mdash; Player Option
Besides Monk's unexpected success and the MVP-caliber performance of the ageless wonder that is LeBron James, the 2021-22 Lakers season has been an absolute nightmare. L.A. is eight games below .500 and desperately fighting just to make the Play-In Tournament. And Russell Westbrook is the player <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/russell-westbrook-opens-up-about-shaming-from-lakers-fans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the public has pilloried and pinned the Lakers' failures on</a>. Russ has a player option for the 2022-23 season worth a whopping $47,063,478, so there is almost zero chance of him opting out. The Lakers will undoubtedly explore all possible trade scenarios this offseason.
10. John Wall &mdash; Houston Rockets &mdash; Player Option
John Wall showed flashes of his immense talent last season, when he averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists per game for the Rockets, but he hasn't set foot on an NBA court since April 2021. Wall will almost certainly exercise his player option for 2022-23 worth $47.4 million. At that point, he'll be on an expiring contract, which will make it far easier for Houston to move him.
Best of the Rest: Dennis Schroder, Patty Mills (player option), Kendrick Nunn (player option), Victor Oladipo, Gary Payton II, Gary Harris, Lonnie Walker IV (restricted), Tomas Satoransky, Ricky Rubio, Goran Dragic, Delon Wright, Lou Williams, Facundo Campazzo (restricted), Bruce Brown Jr., Donte DiVincenzo (restricted), Pat Connaughton (player option), Jeremy Lamb, Tyus Jones, Cory Joseph
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Tommy Beer ranks the top guards who could be available as part of the 2022 NBA free-agent class.

2022 NBA Free Agency Preview: Ranking the top-10 guards

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Darius Garland's nagging, delicate back injury is threatening to sabotage Cleveland's season.
So is some rotten luck.
The All-Star point guard missed his third straight game &mdash; and eighth overall &mdash; on Monday with a bone bruise that needs rest in order to heal, and time isn't an ally of the Cavs, who are trying to hold onto a playoff spot in the tight Eastern Conference while missing their top five guards.
&ldquo;This is unreal,&rdquo; general manager Mike Gansey said of the team's wave of backcourt injuries. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t envision doomsday, so to speak.&rdquo;
On Monday against Minnesota, the Cavs started a guard who began the season in the G League, and played another who signed a 10-day contract last week.
Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Garland, who has blossomed into one of the NBA's best guards in his third season, took part in the Cavs' light practice on Tuesday. He played some one-on-one and got in some extra shooting following the workout.
The team listed Garland as questionable for Wednesday's game against the Charlotte Hornets.
The Cavs, who are 36-25 and fifth in the East, have been tight-lipped about specifics on Garland's injury, which initially happened against Golden State on Jan. 9. The 22-year-old missed five games before the break, then returned for two. He has been kept out of three since the season resumed.
His participation in All-Star Weekend activities came with the team's blessing, but has raised questions about why the Cavs would risk letting their best player worsen an injury if they knew he needed rest.
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Gansey said the team didn't discuss keeping Garland out of the All-Star festivities &mdash; he teamed up with rookie Evan Mobley and center Jarrett Allen in the Skills Challenge before playing in his first All-Star Game &mdash; because he played twice without any issues and &ldquo;was feeling good.&rdquo;
&ldquo;The skills competition is more like playing H-O-R-S-E and the shooting was fun,&rdquo; said Gansey, who was recently promoted to GM. &ldquo;They (the All-Star team) had a practice which wasn&rsquo;t a practice, and I don&rsquo;t even know if he tried to defend or touch someone.
"You watch him run around and he&rsquo;s fine. It&rsquo;s a bone bruise where it&rsquo;s just like a day-to-day thing. It&rsquo;s nothing long-term. He needs rest, and obviously rest is not on our side right now.&rdquo;
Garland's injury would be tough under normal circumstances, and then there's what the Cavs are dealing with.
They lost leading scorer Collin Sexton and veteran guard Ricky Rubio to season-ending injuries. Rajon Rondo, acquired to offset Rubio's loss, is out with a sprained toe and Caris LeVert, added at the trade deadline for extra scoring punch, sprained his foot last week.
Rondo and LeVert may still be a week or more from returning. In the meantime, the Cavs, who only won 22 games last season, are fighting to stay among the East's top six teams &mdash; No. 7 and 8 will make the play-in.
&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s just hope that we can somehow stay relevant in the East,&rdquo; Gansey said.
The injuries seem to be re-shifting expectations and maybe priorities for the young Cavs, who a few weeks ago were No. 2 in the East.
Now, they're sliding, and with a daunting schedule ahead (the Cavs will face Philadelphia, Toronto, Miami and Chicago by March 12), there's no telling when they'll regain traction.
A few weeks ago, goals of reaching the postseason and advancing seemed attainable.
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At this point, simply making the playoffs might be enough.
"By this time last year, we were all ready to go home,&rdquo; Allen said. "It was just a rough end of the season. Now the expectation wasn&rsquo;t to go win the championship, we can all be honest on that.
"It was to go out there, play our basketball and see where it takes us, and it&rsquo;s taken us far so far, so I think we can count this as a success.&rdquo;
Gansey said the mentality for players and coaches during this season's ascent has been that &ldquo;we want more.&rdquo; He's also realistic about what the Cavs can accomplish going forward, especially with a short-handed roster.
&ldquo;We just want to be a part of that conversation and if we get there (to the playoffs), great, and if we can get involved in the play-in game and somehow advance, that would be great too,&rdquo; he said. "I don&rsquo;t think it's like top-six or bust or if we get in the play-in and lose.
&ldquo;For us now, we got 22 games left and it&rsquo;s one at a time, and hopefully we&rsquo;ll get our guards back and whatever happens, happens.&rdquo;

“This is unreal,” GM Mike Gansey said of the Cavaliers' wave of backcourt injuries. “We didn’t envision doomsday, so to speak.”

Injuries to Darius Garland, guards threaten to wreck Cavs' season

Darius Garland's nagging, delicate back injury is threatening to sabotage Cleveland's season.
So is some rotten luck.
The All-Star point guard missed his third straight game &mdash; and eighth overall &mdash; on Monday with a bone bruise that needs rest in order to heal, and time isn't an ally of the Cavs, who are trying to hold onto a playoff spot in the tight Eastern Conference while missing their top five guards.
&ldquo;This is unreal,&rdquo; general manager Mike Gansey said of the team's wave of backcourt injuries. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t envision doomsday, so to speak.&rdquo;
On Monday against Minnesota, the Cavs started a guard who began the season in the G League, and played another who signed a 10-day contract last week.
Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Garland, who has blossomed into one of the NBA's best guards in his third season, took part in the Cavs' light practice on Tuesday. It's still not known if he'll play Wednesday against Charlotte.
The Cavs, who are 36-25 and fifth in the East, have been tight-lipped about specifics on Garland's injury, which initially happened against Golden State on Jan. 9. The 22-year-old missed five games before the break, then returned for two. He has been kept out of three since the season resumed.
His participation in All-Star Weekend activities came with the team's blessing, but has raised questions about why the Cavs would risk letting their best player worsen an injury if they knew he needed rest.
Gansey said the team didn't discuss keeping Garland out of the All-Star festivities &mdash; he teamed with rookie Evan Mobley and center Jarrett Allen in the Skills Challenge before playing in his first All-Star Game &mdash; because he played twice without any issues and &ldquo;was feeling good.&rdquo;
&ldquo;The skills competition is more like playing H-O-R-S-E and the shooting was fun,&rdquo; said Gansey, recently promoted to GM. &ldquo;They (the All-Star team) had a practice which wasn&rsquo;t a practice, and I don&rsquo;t even know if he tried to defend or touch someone.
"You watch him run around and he&rsquo;s fine. It&rsquo;s a bone bruise where it&rsquo;s just like a day-to-day thing. It&rsquo;s nothing long-term. He needs rest, and obviously rest is not on our side right now.&rdquo;
Garland's injury would be tough under normal circumstances, and then there's what the Cavs are dealing with.
They lost leading scorer Collin Sexton and veteran guard Ricky Rubio to season-ending injuries. Rajon Rondo, acquired to offset Rubio's loss, is out with a sprained toe and Caris LeVert, added at the trade deadline for extra scoring punch, sprained his foot last week.
Rondo and LeVert may still be a week or more from returning. In the meantime, the Cavs, who only won 22 games last season, are fighting to stay among the East's top six teams &mdash; No. 7 and 8 will make the play-in.
&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s just hope that we can somehow stay relevant in the East,&rdquo; Gansey said.
The injuries seem to be re-shifting expectations and maybe priorities for the young Cavs, who a few weeks ago were No. 2 in the East.
Now, they're sliding, and with a daunting schedule ahead (the Cavs will face Philadelphia, Toronto, Miami and Chicago by March 12), there's no telling when they'll regain traction.
A few weeks ago, goals of reaching the postseason and advancing seemed attainable.
At this point, simply making the playoffs might be enough.
"By this time last year, we were all ready to go home,&rdquo; Allen said. "It was just a rough end of the season. Now the expectation wasn&rsquo;t to go win the championship, we can all be honest on that.
"It was to go out there, play our basketball and see where it takes us, and it&rsquo;s taken us far so far, so I think we can count this as a success.&rdquo;

Darius Garland's nagging, delicate back injury is threatening to sabotage Cleveland's season.

Injuries to Garland, guards threaten to wreck Cavs' season

Every day, we take certain things for granted. We fail to consider what life would be like without these items. A lot of humanity even does this with the loyal, dependable people in their lives.&nbsp;
In the lives of the Memphis Grizzlies, Tyus Jones is that constant. His teammates and coaching staff surely appreciate him, but outside of the organization, he is often overlooked and underappreciated.&nbsp;
There are 30 starting point guards in the NBA, and Tyus is a top-30 point guard playing behind a top-two player at his position.&nbsp;To understand just how good Jones has been this season, let's see how he stacks up to other guards who have played 30+ games while averaging at least 20 minutes.
According to Cleaning the Glass, Jones is in the 92nd percentile in assist percentage, which is the percentage of made shots by his teammates that come from an assist by Tyus (28.4%). He is in the 94th percentile in turnover percentage, turning it over just 7.7% of the time he has the ball. Finally, he is in the 95th percentile in assist:usage rate, which is how often he gets an assist when the ball is in his hand.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; His assist percentage is 17th amongst NBA point guards and second only behind Ricky Rubio off the bench. For anyone who has not been paying attention, Tyus is leading the NBA, again, in assist-to-turnover ratio at an absurd 6:1 rate. The second closest is Chris Paul at 4.5:1.&nbsp;
Even more absurd is the fact that Jones is 10th amongst qualifying point guards in the Player Impact Estimate on NBA.com. PIE is simply a measure, considering most box-score components, to determine a player's impact on a game. He's not 10th amongst bench guards, he is 10th amongst all point guards in the NBA.&nbsp;
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While Jones is known for his intense care of the basketball, the aspect of his game that is most important for Memphis and that goes largely unnoticed is his ability to hit the floater. Among guards in the NBA who attempt at least one shot per game in the five-to-nine-foot range (floater territory) Jones ranks fifth amongst qualifying players in shooting percentage (50.7%), only trailing Paul, Jalen Brunson, Darius Garland and Derrick Rose.
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Part of Jones' value is his ability to keep the ship steady when Ja Morant is off the floor for rest, or not playing at all due to injury. Jones stepped in for an injured Morant against the New Orleans Pelicans on Feb. 15 to the tune of 27 points and nine assists.&nbsp;
In this clip, Tyus and Steven Adams run a side pick-and-roll with Adams slipping the screen and Jones hitting him with a pocket pass for the assist.&nbsp;
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Later in the game, Jones and Adams are back in the side pick-and-roll, but this time Jones takes the screen for one of his patented floaters.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tk5k2fVT-Og" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Here the Grizzlies get in a Horns set, which often sees the point guard go off Jaren Jackson Jr.'s screen while Jaren flares out for a three. This time, Tyus comes off Adams' screen and, due to his ability to hit in the paint and the threat of Adams as a roller, Jones is able to find Ziaire Williams in the corner for a three.
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Later in the first half, the Grizzlies get into another Horns set, but this time Tyus catches Jonas Valanciunas too deep in his drop coverage. The help defense is hesitant to help off of Williams in the corner, giving Tyus enough of a window to hit a mid-range jumper.
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Jones is the type of player that every team would like to have. He shares the ball, plays within himself and rarely hurts the team. He is consistent and always reliable for Memphis.&nbsp;
He is also in the final year of his first free-agent contract, and both Memphis and Jones will have a decision to make this offseason. Is there a market for Jones to be a starter, if that's even something he desires? In Memphis, a lot of the talk is about the vibes, and Tyus is a massive part of that. Would he take a little less to stay with this growing Memphis team, or is he seeking a pay day and a starting job for a team likely worse than the Grizzlies?
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Justin Lewis writes on the consistent play that Tyus Jones brings to the Grizzlies, and why he should not be taken for granted.

The steadiness of Tyus Jones

The Cavaliers are coming back from the All-Star break at less than full strength.
All-Star guard Darius Garland will miss Cleveland's game Thursday night at Detroit with a back issue that has slowed him for weeks while newly acquired guard Caris LeVert is sidelined with a sprained right foot.
Garland sat out five games with lower back soreness prior to last week's All-Star stoppage. The 22-year-old took part in All-Star Weekend activities, scoring 13 points in Team LeBron's win Sunday.
Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff did not mention anything about Garland or LeVert's status following Wednesday's practice.
The Cavs have had to overcome injuries all season &mdash; leading scorer Collin Sexton and guard Ricky Rubio were lost for the year with knee injuries &mdash; and are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference at 35-23.
LeVert has played in four games since the Cavs acquired him a trade with Indiana before the deadline, averaging 13.3 points and 3.8 assists.
He's made one start with Cleveland and Bickerstaff has been toying with the idea of having LeVert in his opening lineup. He's also figuring out how the 6-foot-6 scorer fits in best to Cleveland's offensive schemes.
&ldquo;We sat down and had some conversations about where he&rsquo;s comfortable, where he likes the ball, places where he&rsquo;s had the most success in his past,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said of LeVert. &ldquo;I think we have a great understanding of how we can get it done. The next thing becomes actually going out and doing it."
It's not yet known when LeVert injured his foot.
While they'll be without Garland and LeVert, the Cavs could have forward Lauri Markkanen back against the Pistons after he missed 11 games with a severely sprained right ankle suffered on Jan. 22.
Markkanen, who is in his first season with Cleveland, practiced Wednesday and the Cavs will see how it responds before deciding if he'll play.
When Markkanen is available, Bickerstaff can play a &ldquo;tall ball&rdquo; lineup with rookie forward Evan Mobley (6-foot-11) and All-Star center Jarrett Allen (6-10). Markkanen's injury looked more serious when he went down and he's excited to get back on the floor.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve rolled my ankle before, I know how it feels,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But this felt different, so I was a little disappointed when it happened. I think it hurt more than my previous ankle sprains, so I thought it was going to be more significant. But when I did the imaging and found out what it was, it was a relief that I might not miss as much time as I thought.&rdquo;

The Cavaliers are coming back from the All-Star break at less than full strength.

Garland, LeVert out with injuries as Cavs return from break

There were skeptics, and they included pretty much anyone who watched the Cavaliers struggle the past three years, who wondered about the team's &ldquo;Let &rsquo;Em Know&rdquo; theme heading into the 2021-22 season.
It hardly made sense.
After all, the Cavs had plummeted from elite status and back to irrelevancy after LeBron James left for the second time as a free agent following the 2018 season. With just 60 total wins since then, expectations were low.
Now, Cleveland's back in contention.
Thanks to a young nucleus led by All-Star guard Darius Garland and rookie sensation Evan Mobley, the acquisition of All-Star center Jarrett Allen and Kevin Love's rebirth as a reserve, the Cavaliers are among the Eastern Conference's elite teams.
Even long-time nemesis Draymond Green is impressed.
&ldquo;The biggest surprise team to me is Cleveland, for sure,&rdquo; the talkative Golden State forward said during All-Star weekend, when the entire league got a glimpse at the Cavs' talented core. "I don&rsquo;t think anyone expected them to be this good, and they&rsquo;re really putting it together.
&ldquo;Obviously in finding a young star in Darius Garland, who is leading the charge. Evan Mobley. They have a great young group of guys. ... They&rsquo;re going to be good for years to come.&rdquo;
Yes, these Cavs appear to be built to last. They are young, hungry and determined to cut their own path. And they're certainly way ahead of schedule.
Cleveland hit the All-Star break at 35-23 and fourth in the East. However, the Cavs' record doesn't fully reflect what's been a challenging return to respectability.
Like every NBA team, they've dealt with their share of COVID-19 issues, injuries, scheduling quirks and the typical season grind.
However, the Cavs have persevered despite both leading scorer Collin Sexton and veteran guard Ricky Rubio suffering season-ending knee injuries &mdash; losses that threatened to derail this young team.
Instead, the adversity has only strengthened the Cavs. At the heart of their renaissance is a toughness and togetherness, values often preached and not always embraced.
They have played connected &mdash; on offense, defense, and in the locker room.
&ldquo;I haven't been around a group who doesn&rsquo;t want to disappoint each other the way this group doesn&rsquo;t want to disappoint each other,&rdquo; coach J.B. Bickerstaff said following a comeback win last week. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t been around a group that one through as many guys we&rsquo;ve had here this year, has celebrated one another the way that this group celebrates one another.
"So it's truly special. And we have to make sure that we keep fostering and helping it grow.&rdquo;
More than any player, Garland's growth has driven the Cavs' stunning rise.
The baby-faced 22-year-old has developed into one of the league's best point guards, a combination scorer/playmaker capable of dissecting a defense with his dribble or spreading the floor by knocking down a 3-pointer.
One of just four players averaging at least 20 points and eight assists, Garland's game took off this summer when he played for the USA Select Team and against the U.S. Olympic squad as it prepared for the delayed Tokyo Games.
&ldquo;When we scrimmaged against the main team, that&rsquo;s where you saw a different Darius,&rdquo; said Miami's Erik Spoelstra, who coached Garland. &ldquo;He was playing extremely well, and everybody in the gym noticed it, to the point when they had injuries they selected him to continue on.&rdquo;
With Garland leading the way, the Cavs have finally crawled from the rubble left by James' departure. Cleveland is again a basketball city, and not just because it has one of the best players on the planet.
The Cavs are poised to make their first playoff appearance without James since 1998.
&ldquo;Our guys want to make our own legacy,&rdquo; Garland said during All-Star Weekend. &ldquo;I mean, just putting Cleveland on the map without LeBron would mean a lot to all of us. A rebuild, rebirth in Cleveland. It&rsquo;s a new look, a new feel."
Growing pains are almost certainly ahead for a team lacking overall playoff experience.
The schedule appears favorable with 14 more regular-season games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, where the roar is back to LeBron-era levels. And with their interior size and relentless defense, the Cavs could be a tough draw for any team in the East.
The Cavs showed during the All-Star weekend why they intend to do more than just make the postseason.
Mobley, the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, calmly sank a half-court shot to win the Skills Challenge on Friday. Afterward, he, Garland and Allen posed for photos while holding trophies over their heads.
Garland then scored 13 points in his All-Star Game debut, when he and Allen were on the floor during the crucial closing minutes of Team LeBron's win.
They've already pulled off one big surprise, and the Cavs believe they just might have a few more in them before it's all over.
"We have all the pieces and team chemistry that we need to go as far as we want,&rdquo; Mobley said.

Cleveland hit the All-Star break at 35-23 and fourth in the East ern Conference.

Cavaliers escape LeBron's shadow as NBA's biggest surprise

In case you&rsquo;ve been overly consumed by the NBA, college basketball, or the WNBA off-season, now would be a great time to remind y&rsquo;all that the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers are going on.
And in case you didn&rsquo;t know, the host countries for the 2023 World Cup are Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines &mdash; more on that later.
The last World Cup was right before the 2019-20 season, but feels so long ago because this whole COVID thing hadn&rsquo;t yet clapped us up. If you remember, the 2020 Olympics took place in 2021 &mdash; as in, last year. Yeah, I know, the international stuff can get confusing, but I&rsquo;m here to help you. Trust me.
Now, perhaps quietly to some, international play quickly resumed this past November with the first window of 2023 World Cup qualifying, which we&rsquo;ll recap shortly.
You have four sets of qualifying regions: Africa, Americas, Asia/Oceania, and Europe. There are six windows played over a 15-month span (starting from this past November), where the competing squads normally would participate in two games per window. COVID had other ideas &mdash; more on that later.
Currently, each region has groups of four, and the top three in each group will advance to round two following the June/July window. This current round of qualifying is between Nov. 20-30, Feb. 21-March 1, and June 27-July 5, after which we&rsquo;ll enter round two. Round two also occurs over three windows: August 22-30, Nov. 7-15, and Feb. 20-28, then those who will have qualified will enter group drawing next March, and we&rsquo;ll see them compete between August 25-September 10 &mdash; the World Cup.
Now, let&rsquo;s lay out all the things you should probably know and, if you see a number in parenthesis next to a team that&rsquo;s listed, that&rsquo;s their current world ranking, <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/rankingmen">according to FIBA</a>. So if you feel like your people are being misrepresented, leave me alone and take that up with them. (Unless &hellip; unless you mean, you know, actual greater good/societal misrepresentation, then &hellip; let&rsquo;s talk, because me, too.)
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African Region
2019 WC qualifiers: Angola, Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia
As they did in 2019, Africa will get five of the final 32 World Cup spots. Though they&rsquo;re hoping for a better result, because none of them advanced past&nbsp;group play. The Groups are as follows:
<ul>
<li>Group A: Nigeria (22), Mali (72), Cape Verde (74), Uganda (78),</li>
<li>Group B: Tunisia (28), Cameroon (64), South Sudan (82), Rwanda (84)</li>
<li>Group C: Angola (31), Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire (40), Central African Rep. (75), Guinea (99)</li>
<li>Group D: Senegal (34), Egypt (59), Congo DR (81), Kenya (103)</li>
</ul>
First Window Summary: Africa has a slightly different format. Groups A and C each played three games from Nov. 26-28, the biggest perhaps being Cape Verde&rsquo;s 79-71 upset over Nigeria, which helped move their ranking from No. 100 to No. 74 in the world. Thus, Groups A and C will return in the summer window. Nigeria and Mali are 2-1 and lead Group A, and Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire went 3-0 in November, sitting atop Group C. Groups B and D begin qualifying on Feb. 25 at Dakar Arena in Senegal, which will be three straight days of games through the 27th.
Tunisia&rsquo;s To Lose?: Tunisia went 10-2 in their World Cup qualifying for the 2019 tournament, and is expected to have similar production in group play here. Tunisia won the 2021 AfroBasket this past September, led by tournament MVP Makrem Romdhane, and All-Tournament guard Omar Abada. There&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/african-qualifiers/news/the-african-champions-are-ready-to-soar-in-dakar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also a chance star center Salah Mejri suits up for Tunisia</a>. The 7-foot-2 former Dallas Maverick <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/teams/tunisia/2019.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">led Tunisia with 16.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game</a> in their second ever World Cup appearance three years ago.
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The Biggest What If: Tunisia plays Cameroon on Feb. 25. Cameroon is one of the many wild cards worth keeping tabs on. They still haven&rsquo;t been able to piece together the dream frontcourt of Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who hasn&rsquo;t played since the NBA bubble. <a href="https://www.libertyballers.com/2017/2/7/14539418/joel-embiid-named-cameroon-preliminary-roster-fiba-afrobasket-2017-luc-mbah-a-moute" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Embiid came close in 2017</a>, but ultimately didn&rsquo;t play. Obviously, NBA players rarely can compete in these qualifying windows because of, well, them being in the NBA. But if Cameroon could do well enough and qualify, who knows if that&rsquo;ll be enough to lure Embiid and Siakam into international play.
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American Region
2019 WC qualifiers: Argentina (silver medalist), Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, USA, and Venezuela.
The Americas will, again, send seven to the World Cup late next year. The Americas have the standard format across the board, so this window will mark two games for each club. The groups are:
<ul>
<li>Group A: Argentina (7), Venezuela (17), Panama (50), Paraguay (77)</li>
<li>Group B: Brazil (15), Uruguay (41), Colombia (67), Chile (68)</li>
<li>Group C: Canada (18), Dominican Republic (20), U.S. Virgin Islands (54), Bahamas (62)</li>
<li>Group D: U.S.A. (1), Puerto Rico (19), Mexico (24), Cuba (65)</li>
</ul>
First Window Summary: Argentina, Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay, Canada, Dominican Republic and Mexico are all 2-0. U.S.A. and Puerto Rico are the only 1-1 teams in the Americas, and will play each other on Tuesday in Washington D.C. Notably, for Team U.S.A., Jim Boylen coached the club in the November window, in which they held off Cuba 95-90, then lost to Mexico in Chihuahua City, 97-88. Although Cuba is 0-2, their star, Jaisel Rivero, is good enough to steal them a game. Rivero put 34 (13-18 shooting) with 9 rebounds and 3 threes on Team USA in their narrow loss. Rivero currently competes with Liga ACB and EuroCup&rsquo;s Valencia Basket in Spain, where he averages 11.1 points (second on team) and 4.9 rebounds (third on team) across all competitions.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
21 points for <a href="https://twitter.com/isaiahthomas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@isaiahthomas</a> last night, including 4 made threes, none bigger than this dagger. 👀 Team USA defeated Cuba 95-90 to start 2023 World Cup Qualifiers. They face Mexico tonight. 📹: <a href="https://t.co/nNQDfvcF82">https://t.co/nNQDfvcF82</a> (via FIBA) <a href="https://t.co/dhAUAUVHLy">pic.twitter.com/dhAUAUVHLy</a>
&mdash; Bryan Fonseca 🇵🇷 (@BryanFonsecaNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1465437069073858560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2021</a>
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</blockquote>
Uncle Iso Joe: Among <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/americas-qualifiers/game/0407/Mexico-USA#|tab=boxscore">the notables who suited up for Team USA in November</a> were Isaiah Thomas, Luke Kornet, Chasson Randle, Haywood Highsmith and Shaquille Harrison, among many other current and former NBA players. Seven-time All-Star and 40-year-old Joe Johnson, who famously was a Boston Celtic briefly earlier this season, is <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/americas-qualifiers/news/nba-experience-leads-revamped-united-states-roster-for-second-window-of-2023-fiba-world-cup-americas-qualifiers">confirmed to be suiting up with Team USA</a> in this February window. Brian Bowen II is the only player returning from the November window. Other Team U.S.A. members include current G Leaguers Jordan Bell, David Stockton, Langston Galloway and Justin Wright-Foreman, among others.
La Nueva Era de Baloncesto: Both Mexico and Puerto Rico announced new head coaches shortly before the November window. Mexico&rsquo;s led by long-time NBA assistant Kaleb Caneles, while Puerto Rico hired Nelson Colon, who is a three-time champion and Coach of the Year in Baloncesto Superior Nacional, Puerto Rico&rsquo;s top pro basketball league. Former long-time NBA guard Carlos Arroyo was also appointed the <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/news/puerto-rico-appoints-carlos-arroyo-as-its-male-national-team-general-manager#:~:text=Americas-,Puerto%20Rico%20appoints%20Carlos%20Arroyo%20as%20its%20male%20National%20Team,of%20the%20men's%20national%20team.">Puerto Rican National Team&rsquo;s General Manager last June</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Both Puerto Rico and Mexico starting this cycle with new coaches, too: <a href="https://t.co/PCDaPmNumy">https://t.co/PCDaPmNumy</a>
&mdash; Bryan Fonseca 🇵🇷 (@BryanFonsecaNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1465151054278967302?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Asia-Oceania Region
2019 WC qualifiers: Australia (finished fourth), China, Iran, Japan, Jordan, New Zealand, South Korea and the Philippines.
The hosts &ndash; Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia &ndash; typically automatically qualify for the World Cup. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171213161459/http:/www.philstar.com:8080/sports/2017/12/13/1767946/learning-2019-world-cup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indonesia&rsquo;s qualification is more provisional</a> due to their lack of international success. Japan and the Philippines are automatically in, but they&rsquo;re all scheduled to participate in World Cup qualifiers anyway.
In the 2019 World Cup, Asia/Oceania sent eight teams over, which they&rsquo;ll do again in 2023. Here are the groups:
<ul>
<li>Group A: New Zealand (27), South Korea (30), Philippines (33), India (80)</li>
<li>Group B: Australia (3), China (29), Japan (37), Chinese Taipei (66)</li>
<li>Group C: Jordan (39), Lebanon (55), Indonesia (91), Saudi Arabia (79)</li>
<li>Group D: Iran (23),&nbsp;Kazakhstan (70), Syria (85), Bahrain (104)</li>
</ul>
First Window Summary: Due to travel restrictions (COVID), <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/asian-qualifiers/news/update-to-the-fiba-basketball-world-cup-2023-asian-qualifiers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">several games had to be canceled</a>, so while the format was originally the same as the Americas, it came with some modifications. No one in Group A has played yet, so they&rsquo;ll each play four games to compensate, all of which will take place between Feb. 24 and Feb. 28. In Group B, only China and Japan were able to play, and China smacked them twice, 79-63, and 106-73. Australia and Chinese Taipei are each scheduled to play three times between Feb. 25 and Feb. 28. Japan will play twice in this window, once against each of them, and China will return for four games in the third window to end round one.
Medal Momentum: This will mark the first we see of Australia since finally winning their first medal at the 2020 Olympics (that were played in 2021). Australia had lost the bronze medal game in the 1988, 1996, 2000 and 2016 Olympics before finally medaling in their fifth attempt. In their history, they&rsquo;ve never had a better World Cup finish than in 2019, where they lost in &hellip; another bronze medal game. Perhaps Australia is really turning a corner now. &nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🥉 HISTORY MADE 🥉 The Boomers have done it- Australia have secured their first ever men&rsquo;s basketball Olympic medal! The bronze is coming home! 💚💛<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> <a href="https://t.co/ngxiYRwHdk">pic.twitter.com/ngxiYRwHdk</a>
&mdash; Basketball Australia (@BasketballAus) <a href="https://twitter.com/BasketballAus/status/1423988352987013120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a>
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</blockquote>
European Region&nbsp;
2019 WC qualifiers: Czech Republic, France (bronze medalist), Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Spain (gold medalist), Turkey.
Europe is the largest region of basketball playing powers here, so their rules are slightly different. Instead of four groups, there are eight. As a result, they&rsquo;ll get 12 World Cup bids.
Here are the groups:
<ul>
<li>Group A: Serbia (6), Latvia (26), Belgium (36), Slovakia (63)</li>
<li>Group B: Greece (10), Turkey (16), Great Britain (44), Belarus (48)</li>
<li>Group C: Slovenia (4), Croatia (21), Finland (35), Sweden (51)</li>
<li>Group D: Germany (11), Poland (13), Israel (42), Estonia (49)</li>
<li>Group E: France (5), Montenegro (25), Hungary (43), Portugal (58)</li>
<li>Group F: Lithuania (8), Czech Republic (12), Bosnia (45), Bulgaria (53)</li>
<li>Group G: Spain (2), Ukraine (32), Georgia (38), North Macedonia (52)</li>
<li>Group H: Italy (9), Russia (14), Netherlands (47), Iceland (46)</li>
</ul>
First Window Summary: Everyone here was able to play two games in November. Your 2-0 teams are as follows: Belgium, Slovenia, Israel, France, Lithuania, Bosnia, Spain and Russia. Your 0-2 teams are Netherlands, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Portugal, Poland, Croatia and Slovakia. Czech Republic was a story from the 2019 World Cup. They shockingly punched above their weight and reached the quarterfinals. Czech Republic, led by Tom&aacute;&scaron; Satoransky, finished sixth, one spot above Team U.S.A. But, so far, they haven&rsquo;t won a game in 2023 qualifying. Czech Republic lost to Bosnia 97-90 and Lithuania 74-66. They should have a breakthrough against Bulgaria on the 24th, but it&rsquo;ll be difficult to set themselves up for a repeat of 2019, which was their first World Cup bid.
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The State of Spain: After winning the 2019 World Cup with an incredibly stacked team, including tournament MVP Ricky Rubio, captain Rudy Fern&aacute;ndez, Marc Gasol and Willy Hernang&oacute;mez, Spain was knocked out of the Olympic quarterfinals by the United States. Their Olympic team featured many of their same heavy-hitters, including even Pau Gasol, who retired in October and is now a member of the International Olympic Committee. Like the United States, many of the players you&rsquo;d expect to see on their World Cup roster <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/european-qualifiers/team/Spain#|tab=roster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">likely won&rsquo;t participate much until then</a>. Even so, expect them to continue reigning as one of the top teams in the world. We could talk about the age factor around this time next year, perhaps.
The Sleeping Giant: Slovenia famously jumped 12 spots after their debut Olympic performance, largely led by Luka Dončić, accompanied by standout pro teammates Mike Tobey, Zoran (Goran&rsquo;s brother) Dragić,&nbsp;and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlatko_%C4%8Can%C4%8Dar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vlatko Čančar</a>. Slovenia finished fourth, losing to Australia in the bronze medal game. They didn&rsquo;t qualify for the 2019 World Cup, but did win the 2017 EuroBasket, in which Goran won MVP and Luka, at 18 years old, was named to the All-Tournament team. (Anthony Randolph played for the Slovenian team, then. Who knew?!?) Dragić and Tobey are <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/european-qualifiers/team/Slovenia#|tab=roster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listed on the roster for this window</a>. Look for them to continue raising hell in qualifiers, and if Dončić suits up, in the World Cup, too.
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For even more World Cup info and complete schedules, <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">go here</a>.
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Bryan Fonseca gives an overview of the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

Things to monitor as FIBA World Cup’s next qualifying window arrives

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-sixers-and-nuggets-on-come-up-nets-sliding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
The Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics (thanks to their dominant defense) are three of the big climbers this week, while the Nets continue to head in the wrong direction.
1. Phoenix Suns (44-10) &harr;️ Last Week: 1
Despite posting the NBA's best record, the Suns are reportedly looking to upgrade their roster. <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rumors-james-harden-ben-simmons-caris-levert-collin-sexton-malik-beasley-thaddeus-young/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype</a>, Phoenix is one of two teams (the Minnesota Timberwolves being the other) that have expressed interest in trading for San Antonio Spurs veteran Thaddeus Young.
2. Golden State Warriors (41-13) &harr;️ Last Week: 2
It appears Klay Thompson is finding his groove, which is bad news for the rest of the NBA. Klay has scored over 20 points in back-to-back games and is averaging 19.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.6 made treys (while shooting 42.9% from downtown) over his last five contests. &nbsp;
3. Memphis Grizzlies (38-18) &harr;️ Last Week: 3
The Grizz just keep on winning. They've won 6 of their last 7 games and 19 of their previous 23. Memphis has not lost consecutive contests since before Christmas. Over their last 20 games, Ja Morant is averaging 29.9 points (while shooting over 51% from the floor), 6.7 dimes, 6.3 assists, 1.6 made triples and 1.1 steals. Those are jaw-dropping numbers for any player, let alone a 22-year-old kid in just his third pro season.
4. Milwaukee Bucks (35-21) ⬆️ Last Week: 9
Interesting statistical factoid from the Bucks 137-113 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. In that game, Milwaukee became the first team in NBA history to have each member of its starting lineup score at least 15 points, grab at least 5 rebounds and knock down at least 2 three-pointers.
5. Miami Heat (35-20) &harr;️ Last Week: 5
When the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night, Miami clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference through the end of last week, which means Erik Spoelstra and his staff will head to Cleveland later this month to coach Team Durant in the All-Star Game.
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6. Chicago Bulls (33-21) &harr;️ Last Week: 6
The Bulls, playing without two of their best perimeter defenders in Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, have lost 3 of their last 4. However, after playing Wednesday in Charlotte, Chicago begins a six-game homestand that wraps around All-Star weekend. Following the matchup with the Hornets, the Bulls don't play on the road again until Feb. 28.&nbsp;
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (33-21) ⬆️ Last Week: 8
The Cavs acquired Caris LeVert from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for injured point guard Ricky Rubio and three draft picks over the weekend. "Very excited to add a dynamic young player of this caliber and experience," Cleveland president Koby Altman told reporters. "LeVert fits uniquely into our culture, and his Ohio roots bring an immediate connection to our community. We look forward to seeing what type of impact he can make on this roster." It's an excellent addition for the Cavs to supply them with the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/reaction-caris-levert-fills-blended-need-for-cavs-as-pacers-reset" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scoring wing they were looking for</a>, making Cleveland that much scarier come playoff time. LeVert is expected to be active for Wednesday's game against the Spurs.
8. Philadelphia 76ers (32-22) ⬇️ Last Week: 4
The Sixers are 10 games over .500 and Joel Embiid is doing much of the heavy lifting. Over his last 10 games, the big man is averaging 36.0 points, 12.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists. In the process, he may have established himself as the odds-on favorite to take home the MVP award entering the All-Star break. &nbsp;
9. Dallas Mavericks (32-23) ⬆️ Last Week: 10
Reggie Bullock tallied 22 points (on 8 of 14 shooting with 6 made three-pointers), 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. He's been a big part of the Mavs success of late. Over Dallas' past seven games, Bullock is averaging 17.9 points (while shooting 50.0% from the floor), 5.4 rebounds, 4.6 treys, 1.3 steals and just 0.6 turnovers.
10. Utah Jazz (33-21) ⬆️ Last Week: 11
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Donovan Mitchell sealed the win for the <a href="https://twitter.com/utahjazz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@utahjazz</a> with 3 fourth-quarter steals, after GOING OFF for 21 points in the first half! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TakeNote?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TakeNote</a> 🕷 <a href="https://twitter.com/spidadmitchell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@spidadmitchell</a>: 32 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST, 4 STL <a href="https://t.co/IiPsFfYDIu">pic.twitter.com/IiPsFfYDIu</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1490927965319970816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Donovan Mitchell racked up 32 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals in Utah's victory over the Knicks on Monday night. Rudy Gobert (left calf strain) did not play in the win, but the Jazz are hoping he is cleared to return to the action later this week. They also just acquired Nickeil Alexander-Walker <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nickel-alexanderwalker-on-the-move-again-as-blazers-jazz-spurs-complete-threeteam-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in a three-team deal</a> to add some youth (and depth) to their backcourt.
11. Denver Nuggets (30-24) ⬇️ Last Week: 7
Nikola Jokic was at it again Sunday, registering another triple-double in Denver's 124-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets. The Joker finished with 27 points (on 12 of 15 shooting), 12 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals and just 2 turnovers in only 30 minutes. This one (his NBA-leading 14th triple-double) was notable because it was the second time in Jokic's career he's recorded a 25-point triple-double while also shooting above 80% from the floor. Wilt Chamberlain is the only player in NBA history with more than one such game.
12. Toronto Raptors (29-23) ⬆️ Last Week: 14
The Raptors, who are currently riding a six-game winning streak, have discussed a trade that would send Goran Dragic (and his $18 million expiring contract) to the Hawks in exchange for Danilo Gallinari, <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2953236-nba-trade-intel-cj-mccollum-has-become-best-player-likely-dealt-at-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report</a>.
13. Boston Celtics (31-25)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 15
The Celtics have posted a 13-4 record dating back to New Year's Eve, and it's their defense that has turned Boston's season around. Over this 17-game stretch, the C's are allowing just 101.5 points per 100 possessions. To put that number in context: No team in the NBA other than Boston is allowing fewer than 106.5 points per 100 possessions over the past six weeks. Boston ranks first in Net Rating in 2022 as well. As usual, Marcus Smart has led the charge (pun intended) on the defensive front. He leads his team in pass deflections (64 more than any other Celtic) and charges drawn.
14. Minnesota Timberwolves (29-25) ⬆️ Last Week: 17
In the 18 games this season in which Minnesota has been able to roll out its preferred starting five of D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, Jarred Vanderbilt and Patrick Beverley, the Wolves are 13-5.
15. Brooklyn Nets (29-25) ⬇️ Last Week: 12
The Nets have lost nine straight games. They are 12 games under .500 dating back to late December. Kevin Durant is still weeks away from returning to action after spraining the medial collateral in his left knee last month. James Harden looks puffy and is nursing a hamstring injury. Joe Harris suffered a setback in his recovery from left ankle surgery in late January and reportedly could need a second surgery. Of the 27 games remaining on the Nets schedule, 14 of them are on the road. However, four of those contests are against either the New York Knicks or Raptors, which means Irving will only be able to suit up for (at most) 10 games. But, yeah, other than that, everything is all good in Brooklyn.&nbsp;
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16. Charlotte Hornets (28-27) ⬇️ Last Week: 13
Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2953236-nba-trade-intel-cj-mccollum-has-become-best-player-likely-dealt-at-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> this week that the Hornets are one of several teams that have expressed interest in Spurs big man Jakob Poeltl. The Bulls and Raps have also been rumored to be interested in Poeltl.
17. Atlanta Hawks (26-28) ⬇️ Last Week: 16
The Hawks were just 1-3 in their previous four games prior to Tuesday (although that one win was impressive &mdash; a victory at home over the Suns last Thursday, which snapped their 11-game winning streak). Atlanta took advantage of a reeling Indiana Pacers squad Tuesday night, beating them 133-112.
18. Los Angeles Lakers (26-29) &harr;️ Last Week: 18
Over the Lakers' last four games, Russell Westbrook is shooting a putrid 27.5% from the floor, 15.4% from downtown and 55.0% from the charity stripe. Late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's victory over the Knicks, when Westbrook was alone with the ball in the corner, the home crowd shouted at him not to shoot. When New York forced overtime, head coach Frank Vogel benched Russ for Talen Horton-Tucker. Westbrook was also benched for the final 14 minutes in Tuesday&rsquo;s loss to the Bucks. Will the Lakers admit they made a mistake before the deadline and reroute Russ out of Los Angeles?
19. New Orleans Pelicans (22-32) ⬆️ Last Week: 23
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🔥 Brandon Ingram WENT OFF for 17 points in the 3rd quarter on his way to 33 points and the <a href="https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PelicansNBA</a> win! <a href="https://twitter.com/B_Ingram13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@B_Ingram13</a>: 33 PTS, 12 AST, 3 STL <a href="https://t.co/3uT1ocPpgg">pic.twitter.com/3uT1ocPpgg</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1490683017949552641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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New Orleans, who won just one of their first 13 games this season, is now riding a four-game winning streak and has jumped up into 10th place in the Western Conference. And on Tuesday, the team <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-the-pelicans-pushing-chips-in-on-cj-mccollum-was-a-wise-investment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added a stud scorer to its roster</a>. The Pels acquired CJ McCollum along with Larry Nance and Tony Snell from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Jason Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Didi Louzada and draft compensation. I love this deal for New Orleans.&nbsp;
20. Los Angeles Clippers (27-29) ⬇️ Last Week: 19
Last week, the Clippers made a shrewd trade, sending Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson, and a second-round pick to the Blazers for Norman Powell and Robert Covington. It will help not only help them make a playoff push this year, but will also <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/breaking-down-why-the-blazersclippers-deal-works-for-both-sides" target="_blank" rel="noopener">round out their roster next season</a> when they can count on both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George returning to full strength. Powell looked great in his Clippers' debut on Sunday, tallying 28 points on 9 of 16 shooting in just 24 minutes. He followed that up with a 16-point night in a lopsided loss to the Grizz.
21. Washington Wizards (24-29) ⬇️ Last Week: 20
After the 2021-22 season started with plenty of promise, the Wiz have lost 8 of 9 heading into Thursday's matchup with the Nets. They will likely look to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-trade-destinations-for-spencer-dinwiddie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trade the struggling Spencer Dinwiddie</a> before the deadline arrives.&nbsp;
22. New York Knicks (24-31) ⬇️ Last Week: 21
New York has lost 10 of its last 12 games, but Mitchell Robinson had been playing some of the best basketball of his career before sitting out Tuesday's loss due to a back injury. Over the last month, Mitch Rob is averaging 11.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. During this stretch, the only other players in the NBA also averaging double-digit points and rebounds to go along with at least 1.4 blocks are Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
23. San Antonio Spurs (20-34) ⬆️ Last Week: 24
Spurs fans learned Monday that Dejounte Murray will make his NBA All-Star Game debut after being named an injury replacement by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Murray is averaging 19.6 points, 9.2 assists, 8.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals this season, and has a chance to become just the third player ever to average at least 8 assists, 8 rebounds and 2 steals per game over an entire season.&nbsp;
24. Sacramento Kings (20-36) ⬆️ Last Week: 26
The Kings shook up the league Tuesday afternoon, trading Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson to Indiana for Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday and a 2027 second-round pick. It is stunning that Sacaremto would part ways with Haliburton. The 21-year-old has exceeded all expectations since being drafted in 2020. He is on pace to become just the second player in NBA history to average at least 5 assists and 2 made three-pointers per game while shooting over 40% from downtown in each of his first two pro seasons. (The only player to have accomplished this feat is Stephen Curry.)
25. Portland Trail Blazers (21-34) ⬇️ Last Week: 22
The Blazers made waves on Tuesday, trading away former franchise cornerstone CJ McCollum. It continued on Wednesday afternoon, as Portland rerouted Nickeil Alexander-Walker to Utah for Joe Ingles' expiring $14 million deal in a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nickel-alexanderwalker-on-the-move-again-as-blazers-jazz-spurs-complete-threeteam-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three-team trade</a>. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday that "Portland plans to fully reshape the roster around Damian Lillard now... the plan is to pursue high-end talent now, not retreat." The team's also created a ton of cap space in the process and has a $21 million trade exception at its disposal.
26. Indiana Pacers (19-37) ⬇️ Last Week: 25
The Pacers, who are just 5-18 since Christmas, began breaking down their roster by trading Caris LeVert to the Cavs on Sunday, and then <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-exit-blockbuster-trade-with-kings-as-huge-winners-thanks-to-tyrese-haliburton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shipped off Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento</a>, as noted above. As our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bucks-interested-in-trading-for-myles-turner-pacers-may-keep-him" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Kennedy reported</a>, Myles Turner is "a big fan of Tyrese Haliburton's game and is excited about the possibility of playing with the young guard." It appears Turner may stay in Indiana.
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27. Oklahoma City Thunder (17-36) &harr;️ Last Week: 27
The Thunder lost to the Warriors on Monday night, but Luguentz Dort had another strong outing, tallying 26 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. In the three games OKC has played without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort is averaging 23.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.0 three-balls.
28. Houston Rockets (15-39) ⬆️ Last Week: 29
The Rockets would love to join this week's wheeling and dealing by exchanging veteran shooting guard Eric Gordon for draft capital. We'll see if they find a willing trade partner.&nbsp;
29. Orlando Magic (13-43) ⬆️ Last Week: 30
We know the Magic hope to flip Terrence Ross and Gary Harris in exchange for draft picks before Thursday's deadline. The question is whether they will also look to deal big man Mo Bamba. After struggling over his first three years in the NBA, Bamba is posting career-highs across the board this season. However, Orlando inked center Wendell Carter Jr. to a four-year, $50 million contract extension back in October. The Magic are reportedly willing to listen to offers for Bamba, who has a $10.1 million qualifying offer for 2022-23 and will be a restricted free agent this summer.
30. Detroit Pistons (12-42) ⬇️ Last Week: 28
Killian Hayes has played a bit better of late, but he has failed to live up to expectations since being selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. This season, Hayes is one of only two players in the NBA logging more than 20 minutes per game yet shooting below 38% from the floor and averaging fewer than 10 points per contest. For his career, he is just 50-of-179 from downtown (27.9%)... The Pistons have lost 9 of their last 10 contests.
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Tommy Beer checks in with an installment of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings.

NBA Power Rankings: Bucks back into top tier, Mavs vault into top-10

Leading up to the 2022 NBA trade deadline, all eyes have been on the Indiana Pacers since&nbsp;a roster overhaul seemed imminent.&nbsp;
Now, after a busy couple of days, the Pacers have traded Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert, Justin Holiday and Jeremy Lamb. Over the course of 48 hours, they acquired Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Tristan Thompson, Ricky Rubio, a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick and two second-round picks.
While the Pacers <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-expected-to-flip-ricky-rubios-expiring-contract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may still flip Rubio's $17.8 million expiring contract</a> before Thursday's deadline, it's possible that they've completed all of their major trades.
In other words, Myles Turner may be staying put in Indiana.
After dealing Sabonis, the Pacers may hold onto Turner and see how he fits with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-exit-blockbuster-trade-with-kings-as-huge-winners-thanks-to-tyrese-haliburton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">their new pieces</a>. And since Turner is just 25 years old, he's on a similar timeline as Tyrese Haliburton (21), Chris Duarte (24) and Co.
Turner is a big fan of Haliburton's game and is excited about the possibility of playing with the young guard, sources told BasketballNews.com.
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This wouldn't be the first time that Turner has popped up in trade rumors and seemed on the verge of being dealt only to remain with the Pacers, and both sides seem fine with continuing this marriage.
A number of teams have expressed interest in Turner, including the Milwaukee Bucks (who <a href="https://heavy.com/sports/boston-celtics/dennis-schroder-nba-trade-rumors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> want him to fill Brook Lopez's role) and Detroit Pistons (who <a href="https://heavy.com/sports/boston-celtics/dennis-schroder-nba-trade-rumors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> offered Jerami Grant for Turner, which the Pacers rejected).
However, it's unclear if any team has been willing to meet Indiana's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-mavs-blazers-wolves-knicks-lakers-hornets-targeting-myles-turner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asking price</a> of two first-round picks or a promising young player and a first-rounder.
Turner has been out since Jan. 14 as he recovers from a stress reaction in his left foot. This season, he's averaging 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 1.5 threes on .509/.333/.752 shooting splits. He's on pace to lead the NBA in blocks per game for the second-straight season (and the third time in four years).
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While teams like the Bucks and Pistons have expressed interest in Myles Turner, the Pacers may keep the 25-year-old shot-blocker.

Pacers may hold onto Myles Turner despite offers from Bucks, Pistons

The Indiana Pacers were expected be one of the team making massive moves before Thursday&rsquo;s NBA trade deadline. Already, we&rsquo;ve seen two big-time deals from Indiana, as the organization begins a full-scale rebuild for the first time in over a decade.
The Pacers set off the fireworks a few days ago when Caris LeVert was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ricky Rubio&rsquo;s expiring contract, a lottery-protected first-round pick, Houston&rsquo;s early 2022 second-round pick and an additional 2027 second-rounder via Utah.
Indiana <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ind-trading-domantas-sabonis-for-tyrese-haliburton-in-blockbuster-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">followed that up Tuesday with an even bigger transaction</a>, sending out Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings and receiving an excellent haul for its All-Star center. The Pacers netted Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson in the deal.
The main attraction here for Indiana eyes toward Haliburton, the enticing second-year guard from Iowa State. Indiana is very high on Haliburton to the point where the team didn&rsquo;t need to receive significant draft capital back in return for Sabonis &mdash; a complete pivot from earlier discussions leaguewide.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle mentioned last year when he was in Dallas that he believed Haliburton should've been the Rookie of the Year, so the love affair for Haliburton in Indianapolis is abundantly clear on all levels of the organization.
Haliburton checks all the boxes for what a rebuilding team looks for in a foundational building block. So far this season, Haliburton has averaged 14.3 points, 7.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 1.7 steals in 34.5 minutes per game. On top of that, Haliburton&rsquo;s advanced metrics jump off the page for a promising look into how he will function as a primary offensive weapon moving forward. Haliburton is carrying an above-average True Shooting percentage of 58.0%. That's certainly nothing to gloss over when looking into the next step of his career arc, which has flashed already on multiple occasions in Sacramento.
Not only can the wiry playmaker slither around defenses operating as a primary facilitator with an innate basketball IQ, but he&rsquo;s also more than comfortable playing off the ball to take on highly-efficient perimeter opportunities. With the Kings, Haliburton already displayed that he can function alongside another high-usage guard in De&rsquo;Aaron Fox; however, when his running mate went into NBA health and safety protocols earlier this season, the second-year guard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tyrese-haliburton-providing-hope-potentially-forcing-kings-hand-on-backcourt-decisions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blossomed</a>.
Haliburton now forms an intriguing, youthful backcourt with Pacers rookie shooting guard Chris Duarte. On paper, the Haliburton-Duarte pairing has excellent potential to complement one another&rsquo;s biggest strengths. Fellow rookies Isaiah Jackson and Duane Washington Jr. have also flashed real upside throughout this lost season for Indiana, continuing a hopeful upward trajectory for Indy looking well into the future.
The Pacers are now is an interesting spot over the next 48 hours. Are they done making moves? I would say it&rsquo;s doubtful, thanks in large part to how many movable pieces are still at their disposal. Rubio&rsquo;s hefty expiring could be flipped to another destination to bring aboard another young piece. Torrey Craig is another veteran who could be moved between now and Thursday as championship-level teams search for versatile wings.
Looking ahead into the offseason, Indiana has the potential of stockpiling even more long-term chips thanks to the contracts of Turner, Hield and Brogdon. Simply put, there&rsquo;s no way the Pacers are done yet overhauling this roster from top to bottom.
All roads lead back to the newly-acquired crown jewel for the Pacers. Haliburton steps into the new vision for Pacers basketball as the primary building block to assemble a roster around.
It&rsquo;s been a very long time coming for the Pacers to blow it all up. Now, after the moves have been made to shuffle the deck, Indiana has already become a massive deadline winner.
All of the following are now in the possession of Indiana after unloading LeVert and Sabonis: Haliburton, Hield, Thompson, 2022 1st (via Cleveland), 2022 2nd (via Houston), 2027 2nd (via Utah).
The Pacers never had a shot to make significant noise in the Eastern Conference, which now is littered with real contenders.
No longer is Indiana&rsquo;s core stagnant. Instead, with Tuesday&rsquo;s blockbuster, the Pacers now have one of the most intriguing long-term young cores to monitor.
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A major blockbuster trade occurred in the NBA between the Pacers and Kings. Despite trading an All-Star, Indiana is a big winner.

Pacers come out huge winners of massive trade with Tyrese Haliburton

On Sunday, the Indiana Pacers shipped Caris LeVert to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ricky Rubio, a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick, a 2022 second-rounder (via the Houston Rockets) and a 2027 second-rounder (via the Utah Jazz).
Rubio is out for the rest of this season due to a torn ACL, so the main draw for Indiana was the three draft picks &mdash; especially since they seem to be on the verge of a rebuild.
Well, the Pacers may be able to get another asset from that deal by flipping Rubio's $17.8 million expiring contract to another team prior to Thursday's trade deadline. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, a number of teams have expressed interest in Rubio's contract and a deal is looking pretty likely.
"The Ricky Rubio expiring contract that they got in the Caris LeVert trade is about $18 million, and that's showing itself to have value around the league, I'm told," Wojnarowski said on&nbsp;NBA Today. "There are plenty of teams who [would like] to get the expiring contract of Rubio or the expiring contract of Joe Ingles &mdash; both of whom are out for the rest of the season. 
"Those are teams that are trying to gather up cap space for this summer in free agency, so that&rsquo;s what the value of those contracts are. So, the Pacers are probably going to be able to flip that Rubio contract and get back some more assets."
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"[Indiana] Pacers are probably going to be able to flip that [Ricky] Rubio contract and get back some more assets." (via <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wojespn</a>) <a href="https://t.co/NUZ5cjX9Zg">pic.twitter.com/NUZ5cjX9Zg</a>
&mdash; The Trade Deadline (@_TradeDeadline) <a href="https://twitter.com/_TradeDeadline/status/1490806843903512586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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It remains to be seen what the Pacers can get back for Rubio, but his deal is one of the larger expiring contracts on the market so it makes sense that teams are interested. Even Joe Ingles' deal (which is also drawing interest from teams) is worth significantly less than Rubio's at $13,036,364.

The Pacers "are probably going to be able to flip that [Ricky] Rubio contract and get back some more assets," says Adrian Wojnarowski.

Pacers expected to flip Ricky Rubio's $17,800,000 expiring contract

It's that time of year when NBA trade machines and insider gossip hijack basketball discourse. Trade deadline season means absolute chaos for just about anyone involved in basketball from a management, player or media perspective. For better or for worse, I'm pulling the "we live in a society" card and conforming.
The Tank-O-Meter is back for the second time this season to assess how seriously teams should consider folding for the remainder of 2021-22. Teams are rated on a scale from 1 (playoffs or bust) to 10 (do not even think about winning a game again) based on how much a rebuild helps the long-term franchise outlook.
A key part of any good rebuild is maximizing selling out at the trade deadline. It makes sense to get a read on what teams should do before Thursday to build their chests of assets and get out of the limbo of a weak postseason push. You'll see a Tank-O-Meter reading for each of these 10 squads, plus the usual Sour Rankings.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The New Orleans Pelicans got Brandon Ingram back from injury and immediately started winning. They're currently on a three-game stampede and have even moved into the Play-In tier of the Western Conference standings. Boston is also rolling on a five-game win streak with perhaps the hottest defense in basketball, suddenly tied with Toronto and Brooklyn for sixth in the Eastern Conference.
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10. Charlotte Hornets (28-26) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 2/10
The Hornets sink into the Sour Rankings as they tough out a four-game losing streak with defeats against the Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. Their run to the All-Star break is daunting; it features 6 games in 11 days and includes matchups against the Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves and Heat (again). According to <a href="https://heavy.com/sports/boston-celtics/nba-trade-rumor-josh-richardson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Heavy's Steve Bulpett</a>, Charlotte is also looking to trade PJ Washington, which still doesn't make much sense to me.
Charlotte shouldn't consider bottoming out as long as the team has confidence in its young core. The Hornets have the pieces to either become buyers or sellers at the deadline, and are right in the thick of a competitive East playoff race. At the absolute minimum, this is great experience for guys like LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, and the Hornets are still a threatening offense on a nightly basis.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Detroit Pistons (12-41) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 9/10
Easy reading for Detroit &mdash; the franchise has already been near the bottom of the league all season. The Pistons can really supercharge the current rebuild with how they approach the trade deadline regarding veterans like Jerami Grant and Cory Joseph.
But Detroit still cracks the Sour Rankings, because even in the scheduled losses, it just feels like there's been too much uninspired basketball. Honestly, what young talents on the roster do you feel better about from the start of the season besides Cade Cunningham? I'd say there's an argument for Saddiq Bey and... that's about it. Detroit still has several questions to answer about the team's identity, and those questions can be answered even in losses.
(Last week: Unranked)
8. Utah Jazz (32-21) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 1/10
Utah battled to a win against the Denver Nuggets and dismantled the flailing Nets this week, bringing some stability after a five-game skid. However, reports are back (this one from <a href="https://www.deseret.com/2022/2/4/22916919/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchell-on-reports-relationship-with-rudy-gobert-has-deteriorated-thats-not-true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Brian Windhorst</a>) that Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert are "at each other's throats." Mitchell once again denied the rumors, and who knows at this point what's grounding the reports. But it's never good to hear.
No, the Jazz should not tank &mdash; they're still fourth in the West standings even in this rough patch.
(Last week: 6)
7. Indiana Pacers (19-36) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 9/10
The Pacers <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/reaction-caris-levert-fills-blended-need-for-cavs-as-pacers-reset" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dealt Caris LeVert to the Cavaliers yesterday in a trade</a> that brought back an expiring (and injured) Ricky Rubio, a lottery-protected first-round pick that will likely convey this season and two additional second-rounders. That's not a bad return for a team that simply needs young talent in waves, and draft picks always add some trade flexibility.&nbsp;
Moving LeVert for that package signals a rebuild is on the way. It's long overdue. Now, the Pacers have to get what they can for Myles Turner, Justin Holiday and their other vets. I do not think Domantas Sabonis is a "must-trade" due to his sheer skill. But Indiana also can't be afraid to accept a good offer. They're one of the primary teams to watch ahead of Thursday.
(Last week: 4)
6. Portland Trail Blazers (21-33) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 8/10
Here's another team giving off "rebuild" vibes. The Trail Blazers traded Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Clippers this week for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and a future second-round pick. That return feels underwhelming considering Portland gave up two very good rotation players. But if they like the uber-athletic Johnson, so be it.
With no Damian Lillard return in sight, Portland should really sell at this deadline. What does being in a Play-In race even mean for this franchise? Young trade pieces and the NBA Draft are the best way to find game-changing talent. CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic have been involved in trade rumors recently. I wouldn't be surprised if both had new homes by Thursday evening.
(Last week: 7)
5. New York Knicks (24-29) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 7/10
One day, Deuce McBride and Immanuel Quickley will join the starting lineup and everything will be alright in New York. For now, the Knicks remain a woefully inconsistent basketball team that can't be trusted &mdash; but can't be counted out &mdash; on any night. If I had my way, Tom Thibodeau would commit to playing the youth; Quentin Grimes, Quickley and McBride would see serious playing time increases, and New York would head into the offseason with a good draft pick and an enticing young core. Then again, it's Thibs.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Julius Randle got into it with a coach on the bench against the Lakers. 😬 (h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/AhnFireDigital?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AhnFireDigital</a>) <a href="https://t.co/NNhrE2XgVt">pic.twitter.com/NNhrE2XgVt</a>
&mdash; theScore (@theScore) <a href="https://twitter.com/theScore/status/1490765945396244482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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By the way, read this <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/julius-randle-and-the-george-costanza-problem" target="_blank" rel="noopener">excellent piece from Mat Issa</a> that further highlights how the Knicks are leaving Julius Randle out to dry.
(Last week: 5)
4. Sacramento Kings (20-35) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 9/10
<a href="https://theathletic.com/3113791/2022/02/07/detroit-pistons-nba-trade-deadline-guide-what-im-hearing-about-jerami-grant-trade-tiers/?article_source=search&amp;search_query=jerami%20grant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James L. Edwards III of&nbsp;The Athletic</a>&nbsp;says that the Kings have reported interest in Jerami Grant. This comes after all the will-they-won't-they drama surrounding a Ben Simmons trade and the availability of De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. Of course, smokescreens exist in trade gossip, but I still can't rationalize most of the reported targets for Sacramento.
This is a bad basketball team. The Kings have the second-worst offensive rating in the NBA over the past few weeks in addition to their perenially-porous defense. Sacramento may be two games out of 10th place, but the team would have to unseat several better squads in the San Antonio Spurs, Trail Blazers and Pelicans. As repetitive as selling is for this squad, it's the logical step.
(Last week: 2)
3. Los Angeles Lakers (26-28) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 1/10
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
&ldquo;more from an off-ball perspective&rdquo; from TALEN HORTON-TUCKER is just- <a href="https://t.co/LO3LSpvuxR">https://t.co/LO3LSpvuxR</a>
&mdash; Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1490191241878851589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
I audibly chuckled reading this reaction from Nekias Duncan on Frank Vogel's rationale benching Russell Westbrook late against the Knicks. L.A. won that game in overtime, but it sure wasn't thanks to either player. Even though the Lakers went 2-1 this week, the lasting image will be the game-winner from Clippers guard Reggie Jackson on Thursday. The purple and gold are now down to ninth in the Western Conference.
The Tank-O-Meter reading remains the same: You don't tank with a healthy LeBron James.
(Last week: 3)
2. Washington Wizards (24-28) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 5/10
Washington's downward spiral continued last week with two one-sided losses to the Bucks and Suns. The Wizards did manage a 106-103 win over Philadelphia, but they've now been usurped by the Atlanta Hawks for the final Play-In bid. Does being on the outside looking in change anything from a directional perspective?
I think the Wizards are at the most polarizing trade deadline crossroads of any NBA team. They could make a desparation play for a star to help Bradley Beal and <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeLFischer/status/1488860395683168259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1488860395683168259%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2F8points9seconds.com%2F2022%2F02%2F03%2Findiana-pacers-domantas-sabonis-trade-wizards%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">swing on someone like Domantas Sabonis.</a> Or, Washington could send out its solid veterans in return for young talent or draft assets &mdash; at the risk of losing Beal this offseason. Moves have to be made by Thursday, but I couldn't honestly say what the right direction is.
(Last week: 1)
1. Brooklyn Nets (29-24) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 1/10
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Harden effort thread because I watched the film back and, my god, it's pathetic. Clip 1: just blatantly not caring. <a href="https://t.co/NbCccj2Ntt">pic.twitter.com/NbCccj2Ntt</a>
&mdash; Erik Slater (@erikslaterNR) <a href="https://twitter.com/erikslaterNR/status/1489287381031297027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Whew... An eight-game losing streak, complete with some epic meltdowns, has the Nets in the Play-In tournament. And that's not even the worst part amidst the firestorm of rumors surrounding James Harden's potential availability. Whether or not he gets traded, Harden is showing visible disinterest at a critical point in Brooklyn's season. It's hard to consider the Nets a legitimate title contender with the way they've played over the past three weeks.
(Last week: 8)
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Ethan Fuller looks at which struggling teams should sell ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.

NBA Sour Rankings: Tank-O-Meter readings ahead of the trade deadline

Sporting a 32-21 record and competing at the top of the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired Indiana Pacers swingman Caris LeVert, a league source confirmed to BasketballNews.com on Sunday evening. The trade was made official on Monday morning.
The deal sends Ricky Rubio, a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick, a 2022 second-rounder (via the Houston Rockets) and a 2027 second-rounder (Utah Jazz) to Indiana in exchange. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports a Pacers second-round pick via the Miami Heat will go back to Cleveland.
&ldquo;We are very excited to add a dynamic young player of this caliber and experience,&rdquo; said Cavs president Koby Altman. &ldquo;Caris LeVert fits uniquely into our culture and his Ohio roots brings an immediate connection to our community. We look forward to seeing what type of impact he can make on this roster. We also want to send our best wishes to Ricky Rubio and his family. Ricky has been the consummate professional and his leadership both on and off the court was invaluable and we respect everything he brought to this franchise.&rdquo;
Spencer Davies and Evan Sidery reacted to this trade for both sides.
Cleveland Cavaliers
A Columbus, Ohio native, LeVert will play a couple of hours north in his home state. This move will also reunite him with Jarrett Allen (and Ed Davis), who was a fellow foundational piece with the Brooklyn Nets prior to the team moving on from both last January in the James Harden deal.&nbsp;
That&rsquo;s the non-basketball fit, which looks just about as natural as ever. How about the on-floor part of it?&nbsp;
For starters, LeVert is a wing who can definitely create his own shot. Averaging 18.7 points per game on 53% True Shooting, when he&rsquo;s aggressive, he can get by you. If he gets a sitting duck out on the perimeter in an iso situation, he&rsquo;s able to weave by and navigate his way through traffic. For a Cavs&rsquo; bench unit that&rsquo;s been thirsting for consistent production and taking the heavy load of Kevin Love&rsquo;s plate, LeVert could be a godsend in that regard. Simply put, a bucket-getter who attacks and loves the pull-up mid-rangers.&nbsp;
LeVert isn&rsquo;t burning it down with those shots, however, shooting a paltry 36.8% on his 7.5 attempts per contest. He&rsquo;s also not a knockdown three-baller by any means, and his shot selection can be questionable in certain moments. But where he does do a solid job is in pick-and-roll situations.
According to InStat, a whopping 34.7% of LeVert&rsquo;s possessions have come with him operating as the ball-handler in pNr. In his last 10 games, it&rsquo;s been 43.4%. So if you deduce anything from that, it&rsquo;s that LeVert operates in a playmaking fashion and has patience with the ball. The Pacers scored 0.99 points per possession in said scenarios, and over those last 10, that increased to 1.07.&nbsp;
Needless to say, with Allen and Love&rsquo;s ability to use pindowns and high/middle screens &mdash; and Evan Mobley could be a great partner for quick slips &mdash; LeVert will be asked to do the same things he did with Sabonis, just as a super sub. If you watch the tape on his work with Domas, LeVert really likes to use the middle of the floor and has a right-handed floater that he goes to a lot. Per InStat, LeVert is shooting 54% in pNr situations in that specific zone. LeVert also did a pretty solid job of fitting in pocket passes and looking over the top for Sabonis too.
It&rsquo;ll be interesting to see how LeVert meshes with Darius Garland. Catch-and-drives should be a plenty for the former Michigan Wolverine. He&rsquo;s not really a shoot-off-the-catch type of player. He&rsquo;s more or less crafty, and kind of makes his own offense. You haven&rsquo;t seen LeVert off the ball much, so maybe J.B. Bickerstaff and Co. will give that a try considering Garland&rsquo;s wizard-like table-setting could get LeVert opportunities to get to the basket with momentum. (Baseline cuts, anybody?)
Isaac Okoro&rsquo;s responsibilities shouldn&rsquo;t be impacted too differently. Lamar Stevens may lose some run; Bickerstaff will always find a way to get that guy on the floor regardless. Figuring out the closing lineups will be a task.
LeVert is going to basically be a blend of the Rubio and Collin Sexton roles, which brings about another interesting question in this: What does the future look like for Young Bull in Cleveland? He&rsquo;s been traveling with the team, back in the locker room and bringing energy to the wine-and-gold post-surgery. Sexton just switched representation on Saturday to Klutch too.
The Cavs clearly value what he brings to the franchise. Still, the acquisition of LeVert (and possible long-term option) has to arise questions. They are similar players and are going to command quite a bit of money. There&rsquo;s a Darius Garland rookie-max extension on the horizon to boot. Is there a way Cleveland can keep all of this together?
Who knows. What we do know is that the Cavs are focused on the now, and it&rsquo;s exciting to see Altman going for gold. Let&rsquo;s not forget that the team still has a disabled player exception ($3.3M) to play with ahead of Thursday&rsquo;s trade deadline to bolster the depth of this team. Cleveland&rsquo;s front office has been anything but bashful in the trade market, and for good reason.
This team when healthy is a load to handle. It&rsquo;s smart on their part to give up future draft compensation because there&rsquo;s a boatload of youth on the roster. The Cavs do owe Rubio a debt of gratitude for bestowing his knowledge upon them and, on the floor, helping mature those inexperienced players rapidly. The hope is that moving him after his injury doesn&rsquo;t rub the locker room the wrong way; while business is business, that group absolutely loved Ricky.
Now bringing Rubio back looks like a longshot. Instead, they addressed a desperate short-term need with long-term thinking, and it cost Cleveland very little to accomplish that. We&rsquo;ll see how long it takes LeVert to get acclimated.&nbsp;
- Spencer Davies
Indiana Pacers
Indiana has decided to finally push the reset button on their console after waiting far too long to do so.&nbsp;
LeVert will be an instant jolt to the Cavaliers&rsquo; bench, but from Indiana&rsquo;s perspective, this gets very interesting.
Before the Malcolm Brogdon sign-and-trade with the Milwaukee Bucks fell into their lap two offseasons ago, Rubio was reportedly their top free agent target to stabilize their point guard position.&nbsp;
ESPN&rsquo;s Wojnarowski relayed on Sunday how the Pacers <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33232735/sources-cleveland-cavs-acquire-caris-levert-trade-indiana-pacers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">could be in for a full-on rebuild with Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis being thrown around in trade talks</a>, so this could just be the first domino from Indy&rsquo;s side to drop down. Although Brogdon signed an extension before the regular season, which makes him ineligible to get moved right now, he&rsquo;s back on the table this summer.
If the Pacers want to save long-term cap space and flexibility, moving off Brogdon&rsquo;s deal and re-signing Rubio to a team-friendly deal actually makes a lot of sense. The cupboard is relatively bare right now in Indiana. Outside of 2021 first-round picks Chris Duarte and Isaiah Jackson, seemingly every player is on the table in potential trades.
As seen during his stints with the Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns, Rubio is a calming presence who helps elevate rebuilding teams to higher levels than expected. If the Pacers move off Brogdon this offseason, Rubio ideally steps into the primary facilitating role while uplifting an extremely young and different foundation in Indiana.
LeVert was a solid dice roll to gamble on from the Pacers&rsquo; perspective. After Victor Oladipo let it be known he wouldn&rsquo;t sign a long-term deal in Indiana, LeVert was a capable flier who could maybe fit into their long-term vision.
Now, with Sunday&rsquo;s breaking news, we know how the Pacers felt about that possibility. The trade rumors are not dying down anytime soon in Indiana. If anything, this only strengthens the idea of a full-blown rebuilding effort about to take place for an organization long overdue for this strategy.
- Evan Sidery
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Spencer Davies and Evan Sidery analyze the Caris LeVert trade between the Cavaliers and Pacers from both sides.