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Clippers

The Philadelphia 76ers are in a state of dilemma right now.&nbsp;
As Philadelphia enters Game 2 in their best-of-7 series against the New York Knicks on the road at the Madison Square Garden, it has them wondering for adjustments and key plays with hopes of tying the series.
Although Nick Nurse&rsquo;s defensive scheme on the Knicks&rsquo; Jalen Brunson, his buddy Josh Hart happened and knocked down three crucial three-pointers in the 4th quarter of Game 1 to bury the Sixers. Brunson was held to 22 points on 8-26 shooting, but Hart had 22 points himself as well.
That&rsquo;s bad news for the Sixers. The Knicks star point guard have been playing at an all-NBA level this season thus far and it is clear that the game plan is to send guys at Brunson for him to see bodies and make him work for his points. However, when someone else has a performance as big as Hart&rsquo;s in Game 1, that would be difficult for the Sixers to overcome.
On offense, Tyrese Maxey shouldered most of the offensive load in the 4th quarter after reigning MVP Joel Embiid injured his knee in the first half. Embiid came to play in the second half, but was visibly not his usual self physically, missing his patented midrange jumpers and some layups around the basket. He ended up finishing the game with 29 points but shot an abysmal 8-22 from the field. Maxey himself scored 33 points but played a game-high 43 minutes for the game. This is something the Sixers should monitor because as young and spry as he is, Maxey is essential for them down the stretch especially if this extends down the line.
How could the Sixers bounce back? Heading into tonight&rsquo;s Game 2 and moving forward into the series, here are some of the things the Sixers could do to steal one on the road and possibly win the series.
Play Buddy Hield more
The Sixers&rsquo; midseason acquisition only played for 10 minutes and did not score at all. That is uncharacteristic for someone you brought in for this exact reason: to have more weapons around Embiid in the playoffs. Although a defensive liability at times, Hield&rsquo;s gravity as a shooter and threat from the outside is more than enough to compensate for those.&nbsp;
Hield is a proven knockdown shooter who can only help space the floor for Embiid when he&rsquo;s in the middle of the floor. If given the opportunity and he hits his shots, the paint will open up even more which will give Embiid and Maxey more room to operate.
&ldquo;Buddy [Hield] didn&rsquo;t get much of a chance last game,&rdquo; Nurse said on Sunday. &ldquo;He did have a couple of plays there. He didn&rsquo;t play good. It&rsquo;s a game where you can&rsquo;t extend minutes when a guy has three or four mistakes, but I do say this he&rsquo;ll be a factor in the series. He could have just as easily made that wide-open 3, and then hit another one the next time down the floor like he does, but he didn&rsquo;t. We kind of gave him this chance to impact it and we had to get back to somebody else, but he&rsquo;ll be a factor.&rdquo;
Involve Tobias Harris on more offensive actions and build up his confidence
As it stands right now, Tobias Harris&rsquo; confidence has looked to be cooked and nowhere to be found. He has been playing out of sorts over the past few games, oftentimes getting lost in translation within the flow of the Sixers offense at times. With Embiid demanding the ball and the attention most of the time and Maxey setting the offense up, this leaves Harris with little to no opportunities to have any sort of offensive rhythm.
Harris is also not the role player specialist like Kelly Oubre who brings defensive toughness, hits the occasional threes, and provides the timely cuts, or Nic Batum&rsquo;s lockdown one-on-one defense coupled with his three-point marksmanship. Harris is someone you make plays for to set him up. He has shown that capability over his career, being the third option on offense. Harris&rsquo; skill set allows him to attack off the catch, hit some catch-and-shoot threes here and there, and run some pick-and-rolls with certain guys.
If the Sixers want to have a chance to bounce back in Game 2, Harris should be more involved on offense no matter how Nick Nurse and his staff would do it. A 30-million-dollar player like Harris can&rsquo;t just camp in the corner or wings ball-watching and watch the ball come to him, he should be utilized in a way his strengths as a player can help the Sixers.
Bench production is a must
In Game 1, the Sixers only had 5 bench points. That can&rsquo;t happen again. Even though they are down two key rotation players in DeAnthony Melton and Robert Covington, both the coaching staff and the players themselves need to do a better job involving players on offense and stepping up to the plate. This is the playoffs and everyone has to contribute something. 
After scoring 20 points against Miami, Batum only had 3 points in Game 1. Hield wasn&rsquo;t even able to score a point. Backup big Paul Reed has to be more aggressive especially now that Embiid is not 100%. Cam Payne has to hit one or two shots when he comes in, just to change the complexion of the game a little bit. Maybe Nick Nurse could reach a bit deeper into his bag of tricks and activate someone like Ricky Council for an energy boost after the rookie played a good stretch to end the season. 
The bench has to help the starters at some point in the series. But it has to start in Game 2 &ndash; because it takes everyone to win a playoff basketball game.
&nbsp;

How could the Sixers bounce back? Here are some of the things the Sixers could do to steal one on the road and win the series.

2024 NBA Playoffs: 3 adjustments for Sixers to bounce back vs Knicks

James Harden is finally joining the Los Angeles Clippers.
After requesting a trade in July and making it clear that his preference was to join the Clippers, Harden is finally getting his wish.
Early Tuesday morning, the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to send Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev to the Clippers for Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, K.J. Martin, a 2028 unprotected first-round pick, two second-round picks, a 2029 pick swap and a protected 2026 first-round pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/38784569/philadelphia-76ers-agree-trade-james-harden-la-clippers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported</a>. Also, the Clippers are sending a 2027 first-round pick swap to Oklahoma City. The Sixers will waive Danny Green as part of the deal.&nbsp;
This is a strong return for Daryl Morey and the 76ers, especially since the 34-year-old was disgruntled and no other team was showing significant interest in acquiring Harden.
Now, the Sixers project to have as much as $65 million in cap room next offseason. It's also possible that Philly will look to flip some of their assets to land a third star alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
The Clippers are pushing their chips to the middle of the table in hopes of competing for a championship with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Russell Westbrook and Harden. Harden and Westbrook were previously teammates on the Thunder and Houston Rockets.
It's worth noting that Leonard, George and Harden could all hit unrestricted free agency after this season; Leonard and George each have a $48,787,676 player option, while Harden is on an expiring contract.
Harden is a former Most Valuable Player and 10-time All-Star. Last season, he averaged 21 points, 10.7 assists, 6.1 rebounds, 2.8 threes and 1.2 steals, while shooting 44.1% from the field, 38.5% from three-point range and 86.7% from the free-throw line.

On Monday night, the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to send James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a blockbuster trade.

Clippers acquire James Harden from 76ers in blockbuster 3-team trade

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

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

NBA trade rumors: Examining potential destinations for Jrue Holiday

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

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

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

This year's NBA trade deadline challenged the glut of Western Conference contenders to test how far they would go to separate themselves from the pack.
Some teams, like the Phoenix Suns in their Kevin Durant blockbuster or the Dallas Mavericks in their Kyrie Irving acquisition, swung for the fences. Others &mdash; such as the Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans &mdash; only nabbed a rotation player or two, opting to bet on their current core.
The Los Angeles Clippers appear to fall in the latter group, but we should not overlook their trade-deadline moves. With three separate trades, all in the final hours of dealmaking on Thursday, the Clippers added Bones Hyland, Eric Gordon and Mason Plumlee. They took calculated risks and changed three important spots in their rotation, hoping the current stalwart defense insulates a boost of offensive juice.
Hyland was one of the hottest names in the rumor mill last week after his <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2023/02/09/nuggets-trade-deadline-bones-hyland-thomas-bryant-analysis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">falling out with the Nuggets</a>. Los Angeles pounced and dealt two second-round picks for the former No. 26 overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Hyland quickly becomes the most promising developmental talent on the roster at 22 years old. But more immediately, he brings a high-charged dose of long-range shotmaking to the Clippers' bottom-10 offense.
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Bones Hyland hit a career-high 7 three-pointers to lead the <a href="https://twitter.com/nuggets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nuggets</a> to the win! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MileHighBasketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MileHighBasketball</a><a href="https://twitter.com/BizzyBones11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BizzyBones11</a>: 26 PTS, 7 3PM <a href="https://t.co/IkJU5Ajf0U">pic.twitter.com/IkJU5Ajf0U</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1586207446678138883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The combo guard profiles as one of the most extreme perimeter creators in the entire league. Some evidence: Hyland has attempted 118 self-created threes this season, according to PBP Stats, which would rank second on his new team behind Paul George (164) and far above the third-place guard he's replacing (Reggie Jackson, 66), in only 820 minutes this season. His 39.8% clip on those attempts ranks 13th among 81 players who have attempted at least 50 such shots.
To this point of his career, however, Hyland's primary impact has come from distance. He can attack the basket, but he's no more than a mediocre rim-pressure threat, and he's a very limited playmaker. Microwave shooting is an important skill that can swing a playoff series if active; it's unclear if Hyland can consistently impact the game this way.
That's why the Eric Gordon trade adds another level of intrigue. Gordon, a 34-year-old shooting guard, finally leaves a rebuilding Houston Rockets situation after years in and out of reported trade talks. He rejoins the franchise that drafted him seventh overall way back in 2008.&nbsp;
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Ty Lue on the <a href="https://twitter.com/LAClippers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LAClippers</a> new editions of Bones Hyland, Eric Gordon &amp; Mason Plumlee. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LAClippers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LAClippers</a> <a href="https://t.co/yxsD8SyutK">pic.twitter.com/yxsD8SyutK</a>
&mdash; Hoops &amp; Brews (@HoopsNBrews) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoopsNBrews/status/1624289182775656448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Gordon has a 15-year history of solid, albeit streaky, pull-up shooting, and he can still slice his way to the rim with ease. Gordon has converted 67% or more of his shots within three feet of the hoop in each of the last three seasons, per Basketball Reference &mdash; and that's in a Houston offense that has looked pretty wonky at times.&nbsp;
The Clippers acquired Gordon in a three-team deal with the Rockets and Grizzlies that ultimately sent John Wall to Houston and Luke Kennard to Memphis. They now have a reshaped guard rotation that includes Hyland, Gordon, Terance Mann and Norman Powell &mdash; four complementary scoring threats next to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.&nbsp;
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Entering Saturday, L.A. took just 30.2% of its shots at the rim, a 23rd-ranked rate, per Cleaning the Glass. Gordon's talents should directly help, and Hyland's perimeter prowess ideally opens up lanes for others to attack.
The four-man crew allows for some interesting lineup flexibility. Does head coach Ty Lue opt to keep Mann in the starting lineup and let Hyland bombard off the bench, knowing Gordon can also keep teams honest? Or can Hyland eventually work his way up to start and provide a more powerful perimeter impact than Reggie Jackson ever could &mdash; also leaving Mann to keep the heat on with the second unit?
With just those two, we already see that the Clippers want to apply more pressure from more angles, versus the stagnation that can arise with just Kawhi plus PG plus floor-spacers. Mason Plumlee continues the theme in his own way as a passing hub.
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Pretty easy to see how Mason Plumlee's playmaking would fit seamlessly into Sacramento's offense. Lots of CHA's sets are similar to SAC's. Plumlee is averaging 4.6 assists per 36 mins and would probably be fairly cheap considering his expiring $9M deal. Davis + Len + two 2nds? <a href="https://t.co/U52qzH2vnd">pic.twitter.com/U52qzH2vnd</a>
&mdash; Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrendenNunesNBA/status/1617660314237145088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Los Angeles added the veteran center in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets that sent Jackson and a 2028 second-rounder to Charlotte. During our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/watch-basketball-news-2023-nba-trade-deadline-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 NBA Trade Deadline Show</a>, Nekias Duncan and I both commented on the parallels between Plumlee and the team's 2021-22 backup center, Isaiah Hartenstein.&nbsp;
Last year, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-stats-notebook-isaiah-hartenstein-is-the-clippers-secret-weapon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hartenstein showed off his facilitation chops</a> by hitting cutters from the arc and operating out of some roll actions. He's in the sub-Nikola-Jokic tier of best big man passers in the NBA, and so is Plumlee.
For several seasons, the 32-year-old has consistently posted some of the best passing numbers in the league; his 18.0% assist rate is in the 92nd percentile among bigs this season, per Cleaning the Glass. Plumlee is assisting on 12.6% of his total passes, per Second Spectrum, which is the third-highest rate among centers.
Add in his stellar presence around the rim (73% shooting in that zone) and solid track record on the glass, and Plumlee seems about as ideal a fit at backup center as feasible. The healthy Clippers are looking at a Hyland-Gordon-Powell-Robert Covington-Plumlee second unit, with Nic Batum and Amir Coffey as additonal options. That is deep.
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The overarching worry: L.A. is tweaking the components of its top-10 defense &mdash; the backbone of its current fifth-place standing in the Western Conference. Hyland has serious defensive question-marks, Gordon is strong but undersized and Plumlee, while fundamentally sound, is by no means a rim-protector. Can the system and the prowess of the remaining players provide a stable floor? And if not, do the new pieces just fall out of the rotation, or do they unearth a new problem?
We likely won't know the final answer until the postseason. But the Clippers pointedly targeted several needs on Thursday, and the moves have more reward and more risk than they appear to at first. Even without adding a star, the Clippers have become another must-track team in the reshuffled West playoff race.

Ethan Fuller breaks down the Los Angeles Clippers adding Bones Hyland, Eric Gordon and Mason Plumlee prior to the trade deadline.

Evaluating the Clippers' three NBA trade deadline moves

As the NBA's Feb. 9 trade deadline approaches, the Los Angeles Clippers have repeatedly popped up in in the rumor mill as an aggressive buyer.
Like the Phoenix Suns, the Clippers are reportedly looking to acquire a point guard &mdash; with Fred VanVleet, Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry and D'Angelo Russell among the players mentioned as targets.&nbsp;
Lately, the Clippers have been getting creative at point guard, with Paul George and Terance Mann starting in place of Reggie Jackson and John Wall (who has been out with an abdominal injury). (Mann's versatility has been on display this season, as he's played 46% of his minutes at shooting guard, 34% at small forward, 17% at point guard and 4% at power forward, according to <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mannte01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Basketball Reference</a>.)
Finding an upgrade at point guard would make life easier for George and Kawhi Leonard &mdash; the latter of whom has reportedly talked to the Clippers' front office about finding a floor general.
"Kawhi Leonard has made it clear to the Clippers front office that he would welcome a point guard addition, and it&rsquo;s no surprise that two of his former teammates on his championship Raptors team, Lowry and VanVleet, are on their short list of targets," reports&nbsp;<a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/nba-trade-intel-sorting-buyers-and-sellers-fred-vanvleets-future-more-rumors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Moore of the Action Network</a>.
The Clippers are 28-25, which is the fourth-best record in the Western Conference. They boast the NBA's 11th-ranked defense (allowing 110.3 points per 100 possessions) and 19th-ranked offense (scoring 110.8 points per 100 possessions).&nbsp;
The Clippers entered this season as the fourth-oldest team in the NBA, with an average age of 27.98 years old. Also, the average Clippers player has been in the NBA for 6.56 seasons, making them the second-most experienced team in the NBA (trailing only the Milwaukee Bucks).&nbsp;
Leonard (31) and George (32) aren't getting any younger, and neither are key role players like Marcus Morris Sr. (33), Robert Covington (32), Nicolas Batum (34), Jackson (32) and Wall (32). A win-now move or two would make a lot of sense for the Clippers given their window.
It remains to be seen if they're willing to part with the assets it would take to land a notable guard like VanVleet, Lowry, Conley or Russell.

The Clippers are reportedly one of the most aggressive buyers leading up to the trade deadline. Will they acquire a point guard?

Kawhi Leonard wants Clippers' front office to acquire a point guard

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Cedi Osman tied his career high with 29 points and matched the franchise record by making all seven of his 3-pointers as the Cleveland Cavaliers built a 40-point lead on their way to a 122-99 rout of the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.
All-Star starter Donovan Mitchell had 11 points in his return for Cleveland after missing three games with a strained groin. The Cavaliers never trailed and took their largest lead of the season at 82-42 on Jarrett Allen&rsquo;s first 3-pointer since Nov. 5, 2021.
&ldquo;It was a great feeling, everybody was sharing the moment with me,&rdquo; Osman said. &ldquo;We played great offensively, and it was a great game for everybody. We&rsquo;ve got such a good group of guys who support each other at all times.&rdquo;
The Clippers, who had won five in a row, opted not to dress Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Reggie Jackson, all of whom played Saturday in Atlanta. Officially, George and Leonard did not play because of right knee trouble and Jackson has a sore right Achilles.
Turkey national team member Osman made 11 of 13 shots on Turkish Heritage Night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. He joined Kyrie Irving and Mo Williams as the only Cavaliers to go 7 of 7 beyond the arc in a game.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what Turkish Heritage Night will do for you,&rdquo; Allen said, laughing. &ldquo;Every single thing, except for his layups, went in. He did everything he was supposed to all night.&rdquo;
Darius Garland collected 16 points and 10 assists, and Allen had 15 points and eight rebounds for Cleveland, which has the best home record in the East at 21-5.
The performance was in stark contrast to the Cavaliers&rsquo; 120-114 home loss to Golden State nine days earlier, when the Warriors sat Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins.
&ldquo;Tonight was a similar situation, but we took it serious,&rdquo; Osman said. &ldquo;We knew Golden State was missing a lot of pieces and learned a tough lesson from it.&rdquo;
Brandon Boston Jr. scored 24 points and Moses Brown had 13 points and 16 rebounds for Los Angeles. Rookie Jason Preston from Ohio University had season highs of 12 points and eight assists.
The Clippers are 1-1 on a six-game road trip that ends Feb. 6 in Brooklyn. They missed 16 of their first 17 3-pointers and finished 2 of 19.
&ldquo;I had a couple of friends and family here, so it was a good night, for sure,&rdquo; Preston said. &ldquo;The more I was out there, I kept getting a little more confident.&rdquo;
WELCOME BACK
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue took the Cavaliers to three straight NBA Finals appearances, winning their lone championship in 2016. F Kevin Love and Osman are the only remaining players who played for Lue.
&ldquo;When you lose LeBron (James) and Kyrie (Irving), usually it&rsquo;s going to take a long time to get back,&rdquo; said Lue, who went 128-83 in four seasons with the Cavaliers. &ldquo;To be where they are now, they&rsquo;ve done a great job putting together this team.
&ldquo;It started with the trade for Jarrett Allen, which was out of this world, and getting Donovan Mitchell this year took them to the next level.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Clippers: G Terance Mann had the sole assist by a Los Angeles starter in the first half. &hellip; F Marcus Morris (bruised rib) missed his third consecutive game and F Robert Covington (personal reasons) sat out his second. G John Wall (abdominal soreness) last played on Jan. 13 against Denver. &hellip; Two-way C Brown was recalled from Ontario in the G League.
Cavaliers: Love (low back spasms) was inactive for the third straight game. The 34-year-old has missed six contests with the injury since the start of December. &hellip; Cleveland must win its next game to finish a winning record for the fourth consecutive month. It hasn&rsquo;t started a season with four straight winning months since its 2015-2016 title campaign.
UP NEXT
Clippers: Visit Chicago on Tuesday night.
Cavaliers: Host Miami on Tuesday night.
&nbsp;

Osman tied his career high with 29 points as the Cavs built a 40-point lead on their way to a 122-99 rout of the Clippers on Sunday.

Cedi Osman ties career high with 29 points, Cavs rout Clippers

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Kawhi Leonard scored 32 points, including a season-high five 3-pointers, Paul George added 23 points and the Los Angeles Clippers won their fifth straight game, a 120-113 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.
&ldquo;We limited them to 25% from 3 tonight, under 50% from the field, I think that&rsquo;s big-time for us right now on defense,&rdquo; Leonard said. &ldquo;That was one of the things that got us in a slump. We shot the ball well tonight.&rdquo;
Trae Young had 12 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter for the Hawks, who whittled a 14-point deficit down to four on De&rsquo;Andre Hunter&rsquo;s left corner 3 with 2:09 remaining. But they couldn&rsquo;t get any closer after George buried a baseline jumper and Nicolas Batum hit a right corner 3 with 49.3 seconds to go.
George knocked down two free throws at the 17.6-second mark to put the game out of reach.
&ldquo;I think we&rsquo;re just taking the steps to grow as a team,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re sharing the ball. We&rsquo;re playing the right way. We&rsquo;re playing for one another, and I think our defense has been impactful. It&rsquo;s starting to affect games.
&ldquo;I think when we went through a stretch where we weren&rsquo;t playing well, we were giving up a lot of points. I think we&rsquo;re starting to cut that down.&rdquo;
The Hawks dropped to 8-6 in January, including 6-3 in their last nine outings.
The Clippers used an 8-1 run early in the fourth to build an 11-point lead on Reggie Jackson&rsquo;s layup. Atlanta called timeout, but it made no difference as Los Angeles went up by 12 on Norman Powell&rsquo;s left corner 3 with 9:13 remaining. A pair of free throws by Ivica Zubac and Zubac&rsquo;s putback dunk made it a game-high 14-point lead at the 5:22 mark.
&ldquo;You&rsquo;ve got two guys out there that are all-NBA type players,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s easier said on how to stop those guys than just doing it. They played really good tonight. Kawhi did a really good job of scoring when he needed to and P.G. got everybody involved when he was getting in traps and stuff, but he was scoring early.
&ldquo;Those guys played really well. You&rsquo;ve got to give them credit.&rdquo;
The Hawks pulled within one midway through the third, but the lead swelled to 71-66 on a pair of 3s by Luke Kennard. Leonard followed with two 3s that made it 76-68, and Los Angeles entered the fourth leading 84-81.
&ldquo;I was able to get some open looks and if it&rsquo;s open, I&rsquo;m going to shoot the ball,&rdquo; Leonard said. &ldquo;It felt good.&rdquo;
Atlanta took the game&rsquo;s first double-digit lead at 41-30 on Dejounte Murray&rsquo;s 10-footer, but the Clippers went on a 26-8 run to go up 56-49 on Zubac&rsquo;s dunk late in the second. They didn&rsquo;t trail again for the rest of the game and led 58-53 at halftime.
&ldquo;I think we limited them to one shot attempt and got the rebound, came back on the offensive end with pace and made shots,&rdquo; Leonard said. &ldquo;We were able to control the game from there.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Clippers: F Marcus Morris Sr. was held out with a rib contusion. ... F Robert Covington was not available due to personal reasons. ... Los Angeles has scored over 100 points in 12 straight games. ... The Clippers improved to 20-6 when leading after three. ... They shot 48.7% on 39 attempts on 3s.
Hawks: Outscored Los Angeles 62-32 on points in the paint. ... Young went without a 3 for the third time in the last four games, and Atlanta dropped to 1-5 when he fails to connect beyond the arc. He was 0 for 2. ... All five of the starters scored in double figures. ... Young had 10 assists. ... Clint Capela had 12 rebounds.
UP NEXT
Clippers: At Cleveland on Sunday.
Hawks: At Portland on Monday.

Kawhi Leonard scored 32 points, Paul George added 23 and the Clippers got a 120-113 victory over the Hawks on Saturday night.

Kawhi Leonard scores 32, Clippers beat Hawks for 5th straight win

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; If anyone needed any proof of how confident Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers are feeling, it came late in the second quarter of their game against the San Antonio Spurs.
George stole the ball from Zach Collins after a bad pass by Stanley Johnson, dribbled down the court and threw down a windmill dunk to give the Clippers a 20-point advantage.
The dunk was part of a 35-point night by George as the Clippers extended their winning streak to a season-high four games with a 138-100 rout on Thursday night.
&ldquo;My body has been feeling pretty good, and I have been working a ton to stay healthy and keep it that way,&rdquo; said George, who is averaging 22.4 points after he missed five games earlier this month due to right hamstring soreness. &ldquo;Everything is kind of falling into place at this point. We&rsquo;re healthy and starting to figure out our rotations.&rdquo;
It was the fifth time this season George has had at least 35 points. He was 14 of 19 from the field, including 5 of 8 from beyond the arc as the Clippers posted their largest winning margin since 2021. It was the 11th time since 2013 they have won a game by at least 38 points.
Kawhi Leonard added 27 points and was 10 of 16 from the field.
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&ldquo;We just have to continue to keep building. We&rsquo;re trending upwards, but we still got a long ways to go, but I like where we&rsquo;re at right now.,&rdquo; Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said.
Keldon Johnson scored 19 points for San Antonio, while Isaiah Roby had 14 and Keita Bates-Diop 13. The Spurs have dropped nine of their last 10 and 12 of their 14.
&ldquo;We played hard. Got our butts kicked. Hopefully learned some things. Go home and start up again,&rdquo; said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, whose postgame remarks went just 15 seconds.
It was the fifth time this season San Antonio has lost a game by 35 or more points.
The Clippers have won seven of their past nine against the Spurs and swept the four-game season series for the first time since 1996-97.
Los Angeles, which shot 58.4% from the field and made 18 3-pointers, led the entire game. It had a double-digit lead for the final 38 minutes and was up 41-25 at the end of the first quarter.
&ldquo;When they&rsquo;re hitting shots like they were tonight and active on defense, that&rsquo;s what makes them special,&rdquo; said Bates-Diop about George and Leonard.
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ROAD WOES
San Antonio lost for the 18th time in 23 road games and has dropped 10 straight away from home. It is the fifth time in franchise history the Spurs have dropped at least 10 straight road games in a season. Their in-season longest road losing streak is 12 set during the 1985-86 season.
The Spurs&rsquo; overall away losing mark is 22 games, which started in the 1988-89 season and extended to the following campaign.
TIP-INS
Spurs: Fell to 1-8 in the second game of a back-to-back. ... Rookie Jeremy Sochan did not play after sustaining a quad injury during the fourth quarter Wednesday.
Clippers: Luke Kennard returned to the lineup and had five points in 17 minutes. Kennard has missed 20 games this season due to a right calf injury. ... Marcus Morris Sr. did not play due to a rib contusion. ... Norman Powell had 15 points off the bench and Robert Covington added 13. ... Leonard made two 3-pointers to reach 900 for his career.
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Paul George scored 35 points as the Clippers extended their winning streak to a season-high four games with a 138-100 rout of the Spurs.

Clippers extend win streak to 4 with 138-100 rout of Spurs

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Terance Mann slipped the gold-chained championship belt proclaiming &ldquo;Big Moment Fella Performance&rdquo; over his head.
He clearly earned it, scoring a career-high 31 points in the Los Angeles Clippers' 121-100 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday.
After Houston tore through their defense early, the Clippers settled down and dominated the fourth quarter to extend the Rockets' season-worst skid to 10 straight games.
<a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/kawhi-with-the-steal-and-slam?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200649">Kawhi Leonard</a> added 30 for the Clippers, who had dropped eight of nine. He scored 13 points, including nine straight, in 11 minutes of the opening quarter.
Both teams were shorthanded. Houston starters Jalen Green and Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate served one-game suspensions for leaving the bench area during an on-court altercation in Friday&rsquo;s loss at Sacramento. The Clippers were missing starters Paul George (right hamstring soreness) and Marcus Morris (left knee contusion).
The Clippers broke open a close game and outscored the Rockets 30-10 in the fourth.
&ldquo;Nobody could get stops. Everybody was moving slow and that might have been because it was an early game,&rdquo; Mann said. &ldquo;Whichever team was going to play defense first was going to win.&rdquo;
With Leonard on the bench to start the fourth, the second unit gave the Clippers their first double-digit lead of the game. Robert Covington opened an <a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/la-clippers-with-a-11-0-run-vs-houston-rockets-5?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200649">11-0 run</a> with a 3-pointer and scored inside before Moses Brown&rsquo;s tip-in closed it for a 103-92 lead. Norman Powell led the bench with 18 points.
At the other end, the Rockets came up empty on consecutive possessions.
&ldquo;Keep the pressure on the defensive end, that's really what I like to bring to the table,&rdquo; Mann said.
Eric Gordon led the Rockets with 24 points. Kenyon Martin Jr. had 22 points and nine rebounds and Alperen Sengun had 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
The Rockets stretched their lead to eight early in the third. Leonard returned to score 12 points and Mann added five in a 25-16 run that gave the Clippers a 91-90 lead going into the fourth.
The Rockets didn't play like a team mired in last place in the West. They hammered the Clippers' defense for eight dunks in the first half, including four in the game's opening minutes. Martin accounted for six one-handed jams, one of the most vicious coming with a second left before halftime.
The crowd had barely finished reacting to it when <a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/top-plays-from-la-clippers-vs-houston-rockets?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200649">Mann tossed up a high-arcing 3-pointer</a> from midcourt that dropped in at the buzzer, drawing roars and leaving the Clippers trailing 63-62 at the break. Mann raised both arms as if to say, &ldquo;How 'bout that?&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Rockets: Green and Tate also were docked a game's pay. &ldquo;Our guys got to stay on the bench,&rdquo; coach Stephen Silas said. ... Garrison Mathews and Tari Eason were both fined for their roles in the incident. ... They got swept in the season series, 4-0. ... Daishen Nix got his first start of the season. ... Kevin Porter Jr. (left foot contusion) sat out.
Clippers: Luke Kennard (right calf soreness) and John Wall (abdominal soreness) were out. ... Wall will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Wall said he hurt himself dunking in Friday's loss to Denver but finished the game. &ldquo;Can't really run,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It's definitely frustrating.&rdquo; ... Amir Coffey started after being a DNP in two of his last three games and playing only a minute in the other. ... Reggie Jackson got a flagrant-1 foul midway through the second for not allowing Mathews to land on his shot attempt. ... Morris said he would be back to play Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Rockets: Stay in Los Angeles to play the Lakers on Monday.
Clippers: Host Philadelphia on Tuesday to wrap a five-game homestand.&nbsp;

Terance Mann scored a career-high 31 points in the Los Angeles Clippers' 121-100 win over the Houston Rockets.

Mann, Leonard lead Clippers over last-place Rockets 121-100

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; No Nikola Jokic, no problem for the Denver Nuggets. Especially when it comes to the Clippers.
Jamal Murray scored 24 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 22 in a 115-103 victory over Los Angeles on Friday night that Jokic missed because of right wrist management.
&ldquo;We got a lot of guys that can play,&rdquo; said Murray, who rolled his ankle.
The Nuggets gained sole possession of first in the Western Conference over the idle Memphis Grizzlies with their fifth straight win.
&ldquo;I didn't want to make a big deal of Nikola not being here,&rdquo; Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. &ldquo;That's disrespectful to those other players.&rdquo;
The Nuggets defeated the Clippers for the second time in a week, although this one was much closer than the 31-point beatdown they handed out at Ball Arena.
At least until the fourth quarter. That's when the Nuggets pulled away, stretching a three-point lead into double digits. They scored nine in a row to go up 104-92, their largest lead of the game. Aaron Gordon hit a 3-pointer and Bruce Brown added four points. Gordon finished with 17 points.
Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points for the Clippers. He didn't have running mate Paul George, who sat out with a hamstring injury. Norman Powell added 18 points off the bench and John Wall had 16. They've dropped seven of eight.
&ldquo;The effort is there,&rdquo; Leonard said. &ldquo;The execution part wasn't in that second half.&rdquo;
Murray crashed into a woman sitting courtside while chasing the ball in the fourth. She emerged laughing and he grabbed her hand to make sure she wasn't hurt. He finished with eight rebounds and four assists in 39 minutes.
&ldquo;Jamal Murray is more than a scorer. Jamal Murray is a complete basketball player," Malone said. &ldquo;He's a guy who should be given All-Star recognition because of the way he impacts the game.&rdquo;
Denver's Zeke Nnaji got posterized twice &mdash; first by Leonard on a one-handed jam in the third and then by Wall on a dunk in the fourth. Both drew raucous cheers.
Trailing by five, the Nuggets outscored the Clippers 20-8, including nine in a row, to lead 81-74 in the third. Former Clipper DeAndre Jordan and Porter dunked and Gordon hit a 3-pointer.
&ldquo;It was a great opportunity for a lot of people to play,&rdquo; Jordan said. &ldquo;It was really good for us.&rdquo;
Robert Covington hit a 3-pointer and Wall made a pair of free throws to leave the Clippers trailing 86-81 going into the fourth.
The Clippers controlled the first half, when they led by seven.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Malone said he's hoping Jokic's wrist calms down so he can play Sunday. ... Improved to 3-0 over LA this season.
Clippers: Their bench outscored Denver's reserves, 46-30. ... Luke Kennard (right calf soreness) sat out his third straight game. ... Fell to .500 at 22-22. ... Have dropped five straight to the Nuggets.
&nbsp;

Jamal Murray scored 24 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 22 in the Denver Nuggets' 115-103 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Nuggets beat Clippers 115-103 for 5th straight win

Basketball News highlights the reporting, analysis and podcasts that defined a year of basketball in 2022.

Best of Basketball News: Spotlighting our top content from 2022

It was mostly fine a month ago.
Through games played on Nov. 27, the Washington Wizards found themselves at .500 (10-10). Back up a week, and a shiny 10-7 record &mdash; including a six-wins-in-seven-games stretch &mdash; would be staring at you. Behind a surprisingly stout defense (sixth in defensive rating <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?DateTo=11/20/2022&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=DEF_RATING" target="_blank" rel="noopener">through Nov. 20</a>), the Wizards were racking up wins and hoping to put together their first winning season since the 2017-18 campaign (43-39).
It's probably safe to say that won't be happening now.
The defense has fallen off a cliff &mdash; they've posted a 117.8 DRTG (No. 27) since Nov. 21, and rank 24th overall this year &mdash; and the offense has never come together. Having Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis in and out of the lineup certainly hasn't helped matters on either end of the floor.
Because the slide has come so quickly and aggressively, it's fair to expect some moves to be made before February's trade deadline. Per Marc Stein of Substack, the Wizards have already attempted to acquire Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder in exchange for a package headlined by fourth-year forward Rui Hachimura, to which the Suns <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-search-for-nba-sellers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly declined</a>.&nbsp;
But if there's anyone to keep an eye on, it's Kyle Kuzma.
He's been the metronome for this Wizards group, averaging a career-high 21.8 points per game on 56.4% True Shooting (also a career-high) while playing in all but one game this season. It's been a remarkable sequel to last season's campaign (17.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists), where he firmly established himself as one of the best young two-way forwards in basketball.
It's also a timely bit of ascension for Kuzma.
He's in the last guaranteed year of the three-year, $40 million extension he signed back in 2020; he has a $13 million player option for next season, but short of an accounting error or attack on the power grid, there's no way he isn't declining it and hitting the market. To that point, <a href="https://theathletic.com/3994995/2022/12/12/kyle-kuzma-wizards-contract/?redirected=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kuzma himself</a> has stated his intention to opt out for a new deal.
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On Monday, <a href="On%20Monday,%20Marc%20Stein%20of%20Substack%20reported%20that%20league%20executives%20feel%20that%20Kuzma%20is%20&quot;getable&quot;%20ahead%20of%20the%20dea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stein reported</a> that league executives feel that Kuzma is "getable" ahead of the trade deadline.
Considering Kuzma's upcoming free agency and apparent (if not obvious) desire to land in a big(ger) market next season, it's hard to argue against moving Kuzma before the deadline approaches. There's always room for a sign-and-trade over the offseason, though I'm not sure the Wizards should be putting themselves against a hard cap. (They absolutely should not.)
With that said, let's take a look at Kuzma's season and who could benefit the most by bringing him in.
WHAT KUZMA BRINGS
The bucket-getting brings Kuzma to the dance, particularly inside the arc. His blend of strength, touch and footwork allows him to generate looks almost whenever he pleases. Watching him toggle between bullying smaller defenders and simply shooting over them inside the free-throw line has been a quiet joy of tapping into Wizards games.
Mid-post and in is where he does a majority of his work. Kuzma has converted 54.5% of his shots between 4-to-10 feet this season, per Second Spectrum. Of the 33 players that have taken at least 100 shots within that range, Kuzma ranks fifth in efficiency &mdash; and only trails Luka Doncic (58.3% FG, third) among non-bigs.
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Kuzma's ability to drive &mdash; the Wizards are generating 1.09 points per possession (PPP) on trips featuring a Kuzma drive this season, one of the best high-volume marks in the NBA &mdash; has continued to open up passing windows for him.
Quietly, he's become a slick interior passer. He's gotten comfortable making laydown or wrap-around passes when drawing a second defender. His willingness to throw lobs &mdash; and the combination of touch and placement he has on them &mdash; is impressive for a guy that doesn't have a true point-forward rep... at least, not yet.
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Off the ball, Kumza can't be completely ignored (more on that later). He's a heady cutter who's able to take advantage of airhead defenders. He's also more than willing to mix things up on the offensive glass, often tracking down his own missed shots in addition to cleaning up his teammates' messes.
Kuzma isn't just a one-trick pony though. He digs his heels in defensively as well. He's comfortable against both forward spots, though better against 4s. He moves well enough to switch onto pure wings in a pinch. And though I'd hesitate to play him as a small-ball 5 for extended stretches, his strength and rebounding prowess at least allows you to think about it &mdash; depending on what the rest of your personnel looks like.
LIMITATIONS
Kuzma has grown as a passer, but he's more reactive than proactive. There isn't a ton of manipulation present. Even with the rise of ball-screen usage as of late &mdash; he's running nearly 11 per 100 possessions since Thanksgiving &mdash; he's taking a shot on just under 60% of those plays, per Second Spectrum. Making a move for him to be your second option is probably too rich.
The real question mark for Kuzma is his outside shot. He's at career-high volume right now (7.5) while only converting 34.3% of his triples. Of those 7.5 attempts a night, 5.7 of them (76%) are of the catch-and-shoot variety; he's <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1628398/shots-dash?Season=2022-23&amp;PerMode=Totals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">only nailed 35.4% of those</a>, below the threshold needed for teams to think twice about helping off of him.
In Kuzma's six-year career, he's eclipsed the 37% mark on catch-and-shoot threes twice &mdash; during his rookie season (37.5% on 4.6 attempts) and during his last year with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020-21 (37.5% on 4.7 attempts). Those happen to be the only seasons he's shot over 36% from three overall.
In short: Kuzma's been a streaky shooter off the catch, and a flat-out poor one &mdash; 26.1% on 402 attempts &mdash; when taking them off the bounce. Considering his poor three-point track record in the postseason thus far (28.3% across 27 games), it's fair for contenders to worry about how defenses will treat him, and how he'll respond.
LANDING SPOTS
If you need a 4 to put his head down and soak up some usage, keep the chains moving within a possession and defend forwards on the other end, Kuzma should be near (or at) the top of your list. The acquiring team likely has to be prepared to pay Kuzma at least $20 million per year on his next deal, which could limit the pool a bit. Still, contenders should be knocking down the Wizards' door with offers.
It's fitting that the Wizards and Suns have already had discussions aroud Crowder; Phoenix should absolutely try their hands at a Kuzma pursuit. Considering Chris Paul's decline as a rim threat and interior scorer, adding Kuzma to the fray could be a necessary boost to their attack. It's worth noting that the Suns, who famously don't care all that much about the draft, control <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Suns.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all of their picks</a> for the next eight seasons.&nbsp;
The Los Angeles Clippers <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Clippers.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">don't have the pick capital</a> that the Suns do, but they have their <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers/cap/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">choice of mid-tier contracts</a> &mdash; Marcus Morris ($16.3M), Luke Kennard ($14.4M), Robert Covington ($12.3M) and Nicolas Batum ($10.8M) all fit &mdash; and intriguing young guys (Amir Coffey, BJ Boston, Jason Preston) to get into the discussion. I would imagine Covington would be the most expendable of the mid-contract veteran group; Covington, a young piece and a way-off future first could likely get a conversation started.
The Milwaukee Bucks have reportedly been lurking around the forward market, notably being linked to Crowder as a potential target. Like the Clippers, they don't have access to first-rounders in the immediate future. My sense is they'd be a little hesitant to move those considering that Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton are both over 30 years old &mdash; and they have some fun contract stuff to sort through with Middleton soon.
Beyond that, it's easy to see the on-court Kuzma fit in Milwaukee. He'd fit their size ethos up front, and his creation abilities could take some pressure off the Giannis-Jrue-Middleton triumvirate. They're also a team that feels a wing/forward defender short; Kuzma would help.
Meeting the vet + young piece + pick(s) threshold would be difficult though; I'm not sure a package of Grayson Allen, one (or both) of MarJon Beauchamp and Jordan Nwora and down-the-line capital would appeal to the Wizards. And considering how much market matters for Kuzma, the long-term fit may not be there.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers would be a fun landing spot, but they just blew their pick load in the Donovan Mitchell trade. They don't necessarily pass the market test either.
The Miami Heat might be the cleanest landing spot in the East considering on and off-court stuff, but they're:
1) Short on pick ammo to make a comfortable move.
2) Two tiers below the contending class at this point.
Kuzma would absolutely make the Heat better; would he improve them enough&nbsp;to justify cashing in their limited chips instead of going star-hunting again during the summer? I have my doubts.
While we're in the non-contender class: How about a make-me-feel-wanted swap between Kuzma and the Atlanta Hawks' John Collins? The Wizards would have to add more salary &mdash; Hachimura and Anthony Gill would get them there &mdash; but it's a framework I'd consider if I'm Washington. A Collins-Porzingis frontcourt would be an interesting mix; if all else fails, Collins has enough years on his deal to start the trade dance all over again if necessary.

Nekias Duncan breaks down possible landing spots for Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma and analyzes his solid season thus far.

Examining potential trade destinations for Kyle Kuzma

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Kawhi Leonard scored 19 points, Paul George had a triple-double and the Los Angeles Clippers rallied to beat the undermanned Minnesota Timberwolves 99-88 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory.
George had 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his first triple-double since joining the Clippers before the 2019 season.
&ldquo;I don't know how he did that,&rdquo; Leonard said. &ldquo;I was like, &lsquo;Who were you passing the ball to?&rsquo;&rdquo;
Luke Kennard added season highs of 16 points and four 3-pointers as six Clippers scored in double figures.
&ldquo;We finally started making shots and played defense,&rdquo; Leonard said. &ldquo;We kept going from there.&rdquo;
Coming off a 20-point victory over the NBA-leading Boston Celtics on Monday, the Clippers started out cold. They missed 13 of their first 15 shots and it wasn&rsquo;t until the third that they shot over 30% from the floor.
Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 19 points while in foul trouble. Rudy Gobert had 11 points and 13 rebounds.
&ldquo;We couldn't make a bucket basically,&rdquo; Wolves coach Chris Finch said. &ldquo;Things dried up for us a little bit in the fourth.&rdquo;
The teams were tied twice early in the fourth, the last time at 71 on Kyle Anderson's basket.
From there, the Clippers outscored the Wolves 25-9 before both teams brought in their benches for the final two minutes. Los Angeles ran off eight straight points and Kennard hit two 3-pointers while Nicolas Batum had another.
George scored four in a row, pushing the Clippers' lead to 91-78. He had a pair of free throws and Batum stole the ball and fed George for a layup.
&ldquo;Just took what the defense game him, didn't force it,&rdquo; Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said about George. &ldquo;We've been talking about playing the right way, the simple way and he did it.&rdquo;
Down five at halftime, the Clippers started Batum in the second half for Ivica Zubac, who left with left knee discomfort. Batum hit a 3-pointer and another basket for five quick points. He added another 3-pointer that pushed the Clippers' lead to 61-55.
&ldquo;I needed a good scoring game at home finally because I've been pretty bad,&rdquo; Batum said.
Minnesota took a 65-64 lead on Edwards' basket before Kennard's 3-pointer put the Clippers back in front by two going into the fourth.
The Timberwolves have been without Karl-Anthony Towns (right calf strain) the last couple weeks, and D'Angelo Russell (left knee contusion) is day-to-day.
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: Fell to 6-8 on the road and 2-6 against the West away from home. ... Jordan McLaughlin (left calf strain) missed his third straight game. ... Taurean Prince (right shoulder subluxation) remains out.
Clippers: It was George's fifth career triple-double and the 47th in franchise history. ... John Wall (left knee) sat out to avoid playing back-to-back on Thursday. ... Batum turned 34 and Robert Covington turned 32 on Wednesday. Batum said he was relieved to see France beat Morocco to reach the World Cup final.
UNDER 25
The Clippers held the Wolves under 25 points in all four quarters. &ldquo;That's elite defense,&rdquo; Lue said. Leonard called it &ldquo;amazing basketball.&rdquo;
OUCH!
A ball coming off the hands of Anderson hit Lue in the leg on the sideline. &ldquo;He messed me up, I was hurting,&rdquo; Lue said, &ldquo;but I'm all right.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

Kawhi Leonard scored 19 points, Paul George had a triple-double and the Clippers rallied to beat the Timberwolves 99-88.

George has triple-double, Clippers beat Timberwolves 99-88

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Norman Powell scored 22 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Clippers beat Anfernee Simons and the Portland Trail Blazers 118-112 on Tuesday night.
Reggie Jackson had 24 points and 12 assists, helping the Clippers to their second straight win. Ivica Zubac added 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Los Angeles trailed 95-82 after three quarters, but outscored Portland 36-17 in the final period. Powell, a reserve, was 7 for 9 from the field in the fourth.
&ldquo;When you get traded from somewhere you want to play well against them, I thought he was a little too excited in the first half,&rdquo; Clippers coach Ty Lue said of Powell. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re always going to stay with our guys and he had 24 points in the second half, really attacking the basket, getting to the paint, getting to the free-throw line. He&rsquo;s been playing great for about the last 3-4 weeks.&rdquo;
Portland wasted a terrific performance by Simons, who made nine 3-pointers and scored 37 points. Jerami Grant had 32 points. Justise Winslow collected 10 points and 13 rebounds, and Jusuf Nurkic finished with 13 points and 10 boards.
&ldquo;They started going on their run and we just couldn&rsquo;t get stops,&rdquo; Simons said of the loss. &ldquo;The momentum flipped and they played with a lot of energy.
Simons&rsquo; 3 lifted the Trail Blazers to a 91-73 lead with 3:13 left in the third. But they collapsed down the stretch.
A layup by Powell, who along with Robert Covington was traded by Portland to the Clippers, cut the Blazers&rsquo; lead to 98-93.
A technical free throw from Powell tied it at 98 with 7:30 to go.
Grant was called for his sixth foul on a drive with 3:52 left. On the next Clippers possession, Powell connected from the corner to tie it at 108.
Nicolas Batum&rsquo;s 3-pointer and Marcus Morris&rsquo; jumper helped Los Angeles to a 113-110 lead with 1:59 left. Powell also had another big basket with 1:23 remaining.
Batum only had 3 points but guarded Simons much of the fourth quarter.
&ldquo;He really changed the game for us,&rdquo; Lue said of Batum.
JACKSON TAKES FALL, RETURNS
Jackson took a scary fall late in the second quarter. Jackson&rsquo;s head hit the court and he was unable to get up until a timeout was called.
Jackson returned to the game to start the second half.
LILLARD IMPROVING, RETURN UNCLEAR
Blazers guard Damian Lillard has been out with a calf strain since Nov. 19. He has recently started working back on the court, but his return is unclear.
&ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s feeling better,&rdquo; Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s starting to get on the court a little bit.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

Norman Powell scored 22 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 118-112.

Powell scores 32 as Clippers rally past Blazers 118-112

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Denver coach Michael Malone knew when the schedule came out that his team was going to have to be successful again on the road if it was going to be contend in the Western Conference.
So far, the Nuggets are living up to Malone's goal of being road warriors.
Behind Aaron Gordon's 29 points and an additional 19 from Jamal Murray, the Nuggets beat the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers 114-104 on Friday night for their league-best eighth road win.
Denver has played 13 of its first 19 on the road and gone 8-5 after having a franchise-record 25 wins away from the friendly confines of Ball Arena last season.
&ldquo;If you&rsquo;re winning at that level on the road, you know you&rsquo;re a good team. Our challenge now is to go home and take care of business,&rdquo; Malone said after the Nuggets won their second straight and third in their last four games.
Nikola Jokic added 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for the Nuggets, who led by 21 at one point during the fourth quarter with a run of 10 straight points midway through the period.
John Wall had a season-high 23 points for the Clippers, who were down to 10 players with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Luke Kennard out due to injuries. Leonard missed his second straight game after he sprained his right ankle Monday night against Utah. George (right hamstring) missed his third straight game and Kennard (right calf) has been out the last four.
Terance Mann added 16 points and Marcus Morris Sr. had 15.
The Clippers had 11 turnovers in the first half, but only three in the final 24 minutes.
&ldquo;We were being too casual with the basketball in the first half, but addressed that at halftime,&rdquo; coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;In the second half we had our chances, and got it to seven. The margin of error is very slim so we got to take advantage of those opportunities. But I thought we did some good things and we've got some things we&rsquo;ve got to clean up.&rdquo;
Denver was down to 10 players in Wednesday&rsquo;s win over Oklahoma City but was bolstered by the returns of Murray and Ish Smith to the lineup.
&ldquo;It feels like we&rsquo;re starting to put something together. So this is something to build on,&rdquo; said Gordon, who scored 19 points in the second half.
The game was tied at 18 midway through the first quarter before the Nuggets scored nine straight points to lead the rest of the way.
Denver extended its advantage to 64-52 at halftime and led by 17 with 2 minutes remaining in the third after a pair of free throws by Vlatko Cancar made it 85-68. The Clippers made a late run to get it to 87-77
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr. (heel), Jeff Green (knee), Bones Hyland (illness) and Payton Watson (illness) did not play. ... Cancar had 13 points coming off the bench. ... Murray also had nine assists. ... Denver had a 21-4 advantage in second-chance points.
Clippers: Robert Covington had 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers and reached 1,200 for his career. ... Norman Powell had 11 points off the bench. ... Los Angeles was 19 of 34 on free throws, with the 55.9% rate being its second-lowest of the year.
&nbsp;

Behind Aaron Gordon's 29 points, the Nuggets beat the short-handed  Clippers 114-104 for their league-best eighth road win.

Gordon scores 29, Nuggets beat short-handed Clippers 114-104

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; With Kawhi Leonard's return nowhere in sight, Paul George is putting pressure on himself to carry the Los Angeles Clippers and their high expectations.
Despite turnovers down the stretch, George came up with two huge baskets to help the Clippers edge the Houston Rockets 95-93 on Monday night and snap a four-game losing streak.
&ldquo;We're not playing the heavyweights right now,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;The way we were losing these games, it was embarrassing. We've got to start to play better.&rdquo;
The Clippers (3-4) again were without Leonard and John Wall. Leonard missed his fifth game and Wall sat out his second, both because of knee injury management.
&ldquo;I take full responsibility for us and our record right now,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;Regardless of who's in the lineup or who's not, I'm more than capable of going out and performing.&rdquo;
George hit a go-ahead jumper with six seconds remaining, finishing with 35 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Ivica Zubac added 16 points and 12 rebounds. He teamed with George to score 14 of the Clippers' 22 points in the fourth quarter, when they played a two-man pick and roll.
&ldquo;That's one of our best plays with me and PG doing pick and rolls together,&rdquo; Zubac said. &ldquo;We couldn't make any shots but we attacked the paint.&rdquo;
K.J. Martin scored 23 points off the bench to lead the Rockets (1-8), who dropped their fourth in a row.
George's 3-pointer tied the game 93-all with 39 seconds remaining. That got fans on their feet for the final seconds.
George stole the ball from former Clipper Eric Gordon. After another timeout, Reggie Jackson inbounded to George, who hit a jumper that gave the Clippers their first lead of the fourth quarter.
Gordon's shot missed at the buzzer and he gestured to indicate he thought he'd been fouled.
&ldquo;We're a group that fights,&rdquo; Houston coach Stephen Silas said. &ldquo;We executed pretty good down the stretch.&rdquo;
George had three costly turnovers in the final minutes after hitting a 3-pointer that drew the Clippers within two earlier in the fourth. His first led to a dunk by Kevin Porter Jr. After George's second turnover, he got called for an offensive foul.
&ldquo;Bad turnovers, bad possessions,&rdquo; George said, ticking off some of the Clippers' issues. &ldquo;We're not shooting the ball well. That's going to come. Tonight, defensively, was a step in the right direction.&rdquo;
George fed Zubac for a dunk that again got the Clippers within two. But Jalen Green answered with a basket to keep Houston ahead.
Martin, who finished four points off his career high, got hot late in the third and early in the fourth. Tari Eason and <a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/kenyon-martin-jr-with-the-emphatic-jam?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022200102">Martin</a> combined to score 11 points in a row to put Houston back in front, 76-71, late in the third.
Martin had Houston's first five points of the fourth before missing two free throws with the Rockets clinging to a two-point lead.
The teams traded narrow leads in the third, when George scored 12 points.
TIP-INS
Rockets: Jae'Sean Tate reaggravated the ankle injury that forced him to miss the season's first four games. He's day-to-day and will be re-evaluated in Houston.
Clippers: Robert Covington remains in the NBA's health and safety protocols. ... Los Angeles has won seven of its last eight against the Rockets.
STAYING HOME
Leonard won't be joining the Clippers for their quick two-game trip to Texas this week.
&ldquo;He's frustrated. He wants to be out on the floor,&rdquo; coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;Then not being on the floor, now you can't travel. He wants to travel, but the doctor says it's not the right thing to do right now with the stiffness (in his knee) and what he's going through.&rdquo;

Paul George came up with two huge baskets to help the Clippers edge the Rockets 95-93 and snap a four-game losing streak.

Clippers edge Rockets 95-93 on George's clutch jumpers

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers 108-94 on Tuesday night for their first win of the season.
Gilgeous-Alexander played after sitting out Sunday&rsquo;s game against Minnesota with a bruised left hip. Against the Clippers, he made 11 of 22 field goals and 9 of 9 free throws and had eight assists.
The Clippers were without their two biggest stars. Kawhi Leonard sat out to rest his right knee and Paul George missed the game with an illness. Oklahoma City took advantage by holding the Clippers to 42% shooting.
Luke Kennard scored 15 points and Ivica Zubac had 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Clippers.
Tre Mann scored 16 of his 25 points in the first half and Gilgeous-Alexander added 14 to help Oklahoma City take a 49-43 lead at halftime.
The Thunder pulled away for good with a 21-0 run in the third quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander had eight points and two assists during the surge.
The Clippers didn't have a player reach double-figure points until Robert Covington made a 3-pointer with 3:20 left in the third quarter to get to 10.
Gilgeous-Alexander attempted 19 shots before taking a 3-pointer. He finally took one, and his bucket from straight away as the third quarter expired gave Oklahoma City an 84-68 lead.
TIP-INS
Clippers: Marcus Morris missed the game for personal reasons. ... Los Angeles shot 37.8% from the field in the first half. ... Former Thunder player Reggie Jackson scored nine points on 4-for-17 shooting. ... Kennard was called for a technical with 3:39 remaining.
Thunder: G Josh Giddey sat out with a sprained right ankle. ... Missed their first 10 3-pointers and made just 4 of 30 overall. ... G Lu Dort scored four points on 1-for-11 shooting. ... Took 110 shots to 83 for Los Angeles and outrebounded the Clippers 60-47.
UP NEXT
The Thunder will host the Clippers again on Thursday.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points and the Thunder defeated the short-handed Clippers.

Gilgeous-Alexander's 33 help OKC top short-handed Clippers

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Nothing put a bigger smile on Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer's face than seeing a healthy Kawhi Leonard walking around the team's practice facility.
Ballmer hopes to be feeling even better when the Clippers open training camp Tuesday in Las Vegas and Leonard is testing out his surgically repaired knee.
&ldquo;I'll be participating in training camp and from there just seeing how my progression is, how I feel, what I&rsquo;m not feeling, is it moving correctly, and just keep going from there and gradually building up,&rdquo; Leonard said Monday at the team's media day. &ldquo;I feel good and right now the plan is to start camp tomorrow and play.&rdquo;
Leonard has been idle for 15 months while recovering from surgery on his right knee for a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament. Although he has been fully cleared, the team is approaching the All-Star's return with a degree of caution.
&ldquo;The great news is that he feels great,&rdquo; coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll get a better gauge of how he feels when he goes through different scenarios, different situations on the floor, and then we&rsquo;ll just kind of gauge it day by day.&rdquo;
Leonard said he is no longer bothered when he jumps off his surgically repaired leg.
&ldquo;I definitely got a lot stronger,&rdquo; he said.
The Clippers open the preseason on Friday in Seattle.
PG THE LEADER
George took charge of keeping the team in touch during the summer. He organized an outing to San Diego and had anyone who was available playing in gyms around Los Angeles.
&ldquo;It was more just off-the-court stuff. I didn&rsquo;t really care about the on-the-court stuff. We&rsquo;ll get to that when camp starts,&rdquo; said George, who got married in July. &ldquo;But it was more just getting guys together, being able to laugh.&rdquo;
NEW ADDITION
Leonard isn't the only Clipper who'll be returning to NBA action after a long layoff.
John Wall joined the team during the offseason. In April 2021, he suffered a hamstring strain with Houston. Last season, he didn't play at all for the rebuilding Rockets.
&ldquo;I put in a lot of work,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Everything I&rsquo;ve been through the last two, three last years, I don&rsquo;t think a lot of people could have got through that.&rdquo;
PRECIOUS MINUTES
The nightly battles won't be only against opponents. The Clippers are so deep that minutes will be hard to come by.
Lue could go 11 to 12 players deep with a roster that has veterans who can play both ways.
Besides Leonard and George, there is Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, Terance Mann, Marcus Morris, Norman Powell, Wall and Ivica Zubac.
&ldquo;Guys sacrifice minutes, guys sacrifice games, touches, shots,&rdquo; Lue said, &ldquo;so if we want to be successful, we want to win, those are things we have to do.&rdquo;
WOULDA, COULDA, SHOULDA
Leonard said he possibly could have returned to play last season if the Clippers had gone deep into the postseason. However, the team failed to advance out of the play-in tournament.
"I mean, it&rsquo;s all woulda, coulda, shoulda right?&rdquo; Leonard said. &ldquo;But yeah, if they would have made it to the Finals last year, you would have seen me playing.&rdquo;
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With Kawhi Leonard healthy and a deep roster, the LA Clippers are ready to make a run deep into the NBA playoffs this season.

Clippers' Leonard feeling good, eager to test knee in camp

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