Maple Leafs

In terms of their title-contending window, the Memphis Grizzlies are perhaps in the best position of any team in the NBA.
The fact is that Memphis forced their window open a few years earlier than anyone would have anticipated. The oldest guys on the current roster are Steven Adams and Kyle Anderson, both 28 years of age. At the start of the 2022-23 season, the top three players for the Grizzlies will be 24 years old (Desmond Bane) and 23 years old (Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.). The team with the second-best record in the league has a core that has not even scratched its prime.
Memphis is here, and with Morant likely to be locked up through 2027, this franchise will be competitive for quite a while. And moving ahead, recently named 2022 NBA Executive of the Year Zach Kleiman is now tasked with some decisions for Memphis to continue on this fast-rising arc.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s definitely a lot to be said about core continuity,&rdquo; Kleiman <a href="https://dailymemphian.com/article/28749/zach-kleiman-named-nba-executive-of-the-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently told Drew Hill of the Daily Memphian</a>. &ldquo;We are not going to have any issue paying anyone who we want to pay. There is not going to be any issue with retention here. I&rsquo;m very grateful, and we wouldn&rsquo;t be in this spot without (Grizzlies owner) Robert [Pera]&rsquo;s vision and support and commitment on that end. We are not worried about small-market notions or this or that. We are not going to have any issue whatsoever keeping together who we want as we continue to prioritize continuity.&rdquo;
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There a few names that come to play in regards to "retention." Heading into this offseason, Tyus Jones, Jarrett Culver and Anderson will all be entering unrestricted <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free agency</a>. The Grizzlies were able to steal Jones and Anderson from their respective teams during their restricted-free-agency summers, but now the question is whether they will retain either of them this offseason.
There should be little to no argument that Jones is the best backup point guard in the NBA. His steady play and care of the ball played a major role in the Grizzlies winning the way they did this season, even when Morant went down with injury. In his exit interview, Jones told reporters that, while he does desire to be a starting point guard, he "loves the organization and playing with this team."
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Paying Tyus starter money to back up Morant is like paying for an expensive insurance policy. You may never get your money's worth, but when you need it in an emergency situation, you are sure glad you have it. With Ja's style of play, having Jones on the roster seems like the most valuable potential signing Memphis could have this summer. They could front load the contract to make the money work long-term, and then draft another point guard to be ready by the end of Jones' next deal.&nbsp;
Anderson, while more likely to return than Culver, has probably played his last game in a Memphis uniform. His veteran presence was important in the playoffs this season, but his inability to shoot leaves Memphis looking for an upgrade. Anderson is a holdover from the Chris Wallace regime, and though he has been a cultural fit in the locker room, it may be time to move on.
Adams, Dillon Brooks and Killian Tillie will all be on expiring deals worth over $30 million combined going into next season, and both Morant and Brandon Clarke are eligibile for their rookie-scale extensions. While Morant will get a max offer the second he is eligible, the decision on Clarke will loom large this summer. Memphis would do well to avoid restricted free agency in 2023 with the springy forward, and should look at a four-year, $50 million dollar extension as the ceiling for him.&nbsp;
With a pair of first-round picks and enough expiring money and cap space heading into the 2022 NBA Draft, will Memphis make a splash? The free-agent market is not enticing enough for them to sign anyone &mdash; especially considering they are going to have to pay Bane soon as well. A reunion with Delon Wright seems to be the best option if Memphis were to lose the Jones sweepstakes. Don't expect the Grizz to put their name in the hat for Zach Lavine this summer either.&nbsp;
Could Memphis pry Pascal Siakam away from Toronto for a package of Adams, Brooks and three first-round draft picks? Or perhaps Utah is open for business and there is a similar package, plus De'Anthony Melton, for Donovan Mitchell. A simpler upgrade for the Grizz could be Brooks and a pick for Bojan Bogdanovic, a veteran shooting presence Memphis needs.&nbsp;
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The Grizzlies' summer will be unpredictable. On one hand, they could be completely silent, doing nothing crazy and opt to run it back. On the other, they could swing for it, seeing their window open before Morant hits his first max contract.
Another big storyline for them will be the development of Ziaire Williams at NBA Summer League. The previous season, Bane went from a low-usage rookie to a summer-league standout to receiving a Third Team All-NBA vote. Williams is on the Bane plan, and if he were to breakout in a similar way, that is a massive development for the Grizzlies' title aspirations.
No matter what Memphis does this summer, the organization is ahead of schedule. Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane make up one of the most lethal trios in the league, and they are just getting started.
The Grizzlies do not care if you believe in them. They believe in themselves, and are going to be in the thick of it for years to come.&nbsp;
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Justin Lewis takes a look at the upcoming decisions the Grizzlies have to make in free agency and with their own roster this summer.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Memphis Grizzlies?

Anyone else love going back and looking at old box scores and falling down afternoon-long rabbit holes, or am I the weirdo?
You might&rsquo;ve read the headline and either recalled this event actually happening, or are befuddled at how such a thing could take place, even in that NBA.
This article, published on April 6, 2022, marks 25 years since the Del Harris-led Los Angeles Lakers held Jim Cleamons and his Dallas Mavericks to 2 points in the third quarter of a regular-season game.
The contest was held at the LA Forum, where a 50-24 Laker team met a 22-53 Mavs squad with two weeks remaining before the playoffs started. Staples wasn&rsquo;t that big yet, and Crypto didn&rsquo;t exist. (Some might say it still doesn&rsquo;t, but you can fight about that amongst yourselves.)
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A large-ass, Biggie verse-having, All-Star center named Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal had been <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/14/sports/injury-to-o-neal-is-a-blow-to-lakers.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">out with a knee injury</a> suffered that February, which he returned from five days later. Something tells me, if you made it here, you&rsquo;ve heard of him. Also on the Lakers, quite famously, was a talented rookie named Kobe Bryant, who had been playing regular rotation minutes at 18 years old, but wasn&rsquo;t yet Kobe.
The Mavericks had traded a controversial-but-talented point guard in Jason Kidd earlier in the season &mdash; along with Tony Dumas and Loren Meyer &mdash; to the Phoenix Suns for a package highlighted by Michael Finley, Sam Cassell and A.C. Green. They also dealt Jamal Mashburn to the Miami Heat several weeks later for Kurt Thomas, Sasa Danilović and Martin M&uuml;&uuml;rsepp.
And right before the deadline, Dallas rerouted Cassell as part of a five-man package including Jim Jackson, George McCloud (who wound up on the Lakers retroactively), Eric Montross and Chris Gatling for Shawn Bradley, Khalid Reeves, Robert Pack and Ed O&rsquo;Bannon &mdash; famously the Most Outstanding Player of the 1995 Final Four, and <a href="https://www.primerus.com/business-law-articles/ed-obannon-shines-a-light-upon-student-athletes-right-of-publicity-624201.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">killer of EA's NCAA Football and NCAA Basketball video game franchises</a>. This move not only cemented Dallas&rsquo; rebuild, but it officially made way for a <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/mavericks/2018/06/06/flashback-jamal-mashburn-on-what-really-happened-between-jason-kidd-jim-jackson-and-toni-braxton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Toni Braxton-less future in Texas</a>.
The Mavericks, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DAL/1997_games.html">who came in as losers of 10 straight heading into this game</a> &mdash; a lengthy skid that never saw the team score more than 92 points &mdash; went into Hollywood and started Pack, Finley, Green, Bradley and Derek Harper. Without Shaq, the Lakers began with Derek Fisher, Eddie Jones, Jerome Kersey, Corie Blount and Sean Rooks, who played a game-high 43 minutes (33 over his season average).
<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199704060LAL.html">The Mavericks led 30-17 after the first quarter and 51-37 at halftime</a>. The teams combined to attempt 12 threes in the first half, which most teams would typically combine to do in a quarter today. The Mavericks shot 21 of 44 from the field and outrebounded the Lakers 24-16 while holding L.A. to 12 of 32 shooting.
Bryant and Robert Horry went a combined 2 of 9 off the bench, and Rooks had logged 10 points and 7 boards to that point. Harper and Finley combined for 25 points on 9 of 15 shooting, while Bradley had 9 points and 9 rebounds.
Okay, now let's get to why you&rsquo;re here.
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Not only did the Mavericks score 2 points in the entire third quarter, but the points came from a pair of Harper free throws with 1:51 left in the quarter. So it took over 10 minutes to even get on the board in this period.
Anyway, the Mavericks shot 0 of 15 from the field for the quarter and missed all 4 of their three-balls. They also had 9 turnovers and only made one substitution over the entire 12 minutes, removing Pack for Sa&scaron;a Danilović about halfway through the third. That meant Green, Harper, Finley and Bradley were each a minus-25 for the quarter, and Pack was a minus-20.
For good measure, the Mavericks third quarter could be summed up like this:
<ul>
<li>Points: 2</li>
<li>Fouls: 3</li>
</ul>
The Lakers outscored the Mavericks 27-2 and still just led 64-53 after three. L.A. shot 10 of 17 in the quarter, made 5 of 7 triples, only needed to pull down 8 rebounds and turned the ball over just twice.
The Mavs outdid their horrific third quarter only 48 seconds into the fourth with two layups. They even cut their deficit to as close as 7 points in garbage time before the Lakers pulled away with a 87-80 win.
Fisher scored 21 points &mdash; not even close to a career-high for him &mdash; but to that point, his highest point tally had been just 14. In fact, the 21 points would remain a career-best mark for Fisher until he netted 26 points on March 13, 2001 in a win over the Boston Celtics four years later.
Sean &ldquo;2019 Bam Adebayo&rdquo; Rooks ended the night with 15 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks. Bryant logged about 22 minutes off the bench, netting 13 points on 3 of 9 shooting, also finishing with 3 steals and going a perfect 5 of 5 at the free-throw line.
Harper led the Mavs with 18 points on 6 of 15 shooting. Finley only put up 9 shots in over 34 minutes of play. The next time he put up just 9 shots in that many minutes? <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200203310WAS.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">March 31, 2002</a>.
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So, what ended up happening to these two teams? Glad you asked!
The Lakers finished 56-26 and fourth in the Western Conference, sweeping the Kenny Anderson, Isaiah Rider, and Rasheed Wallace-led Portland Trail Blazers in Round 1. Then, in the West semifinals, L.A. fell to the No. 1 seed Utah Jazz, who eventually lost to the Chicago Bulls in the 1997 NBA Finals. The Lakers still had a few more years of Harris before Phil Jackson eventually came to clean things up prior to the 1999-2002 three-peat era.
The Mavericks finished 24-58 and were actually still fourth in the Midwest Division among seven teams, completing 1996-97 with only the sixth-worst record in the league. Unfortunately, they didn&rsquo;t own their own draft pick, but fortunately, the Celtics &mdash; who had it at No. 6 &mdash; used it on Ron Mercer, so it wasn&rsquo;t an egregious miss.
Tracy McGrady did go No. 9 overall, and the Mavs did settle on Kelvin Cato at No. 15, but they landed with a kid named Dirk Nowitzki in the 1998 NBA Draft after another 20-win season.
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Bryan Fonseca revisits when the Mavericks only mustered a measly 2 points in the third quarter against the Lakers.

25 years ago, the Mavericks scored just 2 points in an entire quarter

Rudy Gobert had 22 points and 21 rebounds, and the Utah Jazz clinched a playoff berth with a 121-115 overtime victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night.
Jordan Clarkson also finished with 22 points for Utah. Donovan Mitchell added 20 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Hassan Whiteside tallied 14 points and 10 boards off the bench.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 28 points for the Grizzlies. Tyus Jones added 24 points and Desmond Bane had 23 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
Memphis played without its top two scorers. Ja Morant (right knee soreness) and Dillon Brooks (right hip soreness) were both inactive. The same injury has sidelined Morant since mid-March. Their absence didn&rsquo;t stop the Grizzlies from producing big baskets as the fourth quarter wound down.
Jackson made a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute of regulation and Kyle Anderson put back Bane&rsquo;s airball on a 3-pointer before the buzzer to force overtime. Mitchell went 1 for 2 from the free throw line with 5.6 seconds on the clock and the Jazz leading 109-108.
Utah went ahead for good when Mitchell and Gobert scored on back-to-back possessions to help the Jazz carve out a 119-113 lead. Memphis was held without a basket for four minutes in overtime.
Utah built a 30-19 lead a minute into the second quarter after Clarkson and Mike Conley capped a 10-1 run with back-to-back 3s.
Memphis erased the double-digit deficit right before halftime. The Grizzlies tied it on a corner 3 from Bane and took a 50-48 lead on a pair of free throws from Jackson with 7.2 seconds left in the half.
Bane scored four baskets in 3 &frac12; minutes after halftime to help propel Memphis to a 68-57 lead. The second-year guard had 12 points in the third quarter alone. With Bane leading the way, the Grizzlies made six of their first nine shots in the second half.
Utah surged back ahead 91-83 early in the fourth quarter behind a 21-7 run fueled by three baskets and three assists from Clarkson. Danuel House, Jr. capped the surge with a four-point play and an alley-oop dunk.
TIP INS
Grizzlies: Jackson finished with three blocks, passing Pau Gasol for the franchise single-season record. Jackson has totaled an NBA-best 172 blocks this season. &hellip; Steven Adams led Memphis in rebounds (13) and assists (8). Adams&rsquo; assist total matched his season high.
Jazz: Clarkson beat the first-quarter buzzer with a reverse backdoor layup and Gobert beat the halftime buzzer with an alley-oop dunk. &hellip; Rudy Gay returned to Utah&rsquo;s rotation after recording a DNP-CD in back-to-back games. Gay played 13 minutes and finished with two points on 1-of-4 shooting. &hellip; Conley had a team-high eight assists.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: Visit the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.
Jazz: Host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.

Rudy Gobert had 22 points and 21 rebounds, and the Jazz clinched a playoff berth with a 121-115 overtime victory over the Grizzlies.

Jazz clinch playoff spot with 121-115 OT win over Grizzlies

Although some top-tier players who were expected to hit free agency this coming summer have already signed extensions, the 2022 NBA free-agent class will feature quite a few stars.
After <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-free-agency-preview-ranking-the-top-10-guards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">examining the best guards up for grabs in free agency</a>, let's rank the top free-agent forwards set to hit the open market this summer:
1. Miles Bridges &mdash; Charlotte Hornets &mdash; Restricted
Charlotte reportedly offered Miles Bridges a contract extension worth $60 million over four years this past summer, which was rejected. With Bridges exploding this season (averaging a career-high 20.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists), the Hornets' front office likely regrets not upping that offer, as the stud power forward is now in line for a massive pay raise. He is one of only five players in the NBA this season to have knocked down at least 125 three-pointers while also averaging at least 20/7/3. The other five players are LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum and Karl-Anthony Towns.
2. Luguentz Dort &mdash; Oklahoma City Thunder &mdash; Team Option
Lu Dort established himself as one of the league's elite young defenders early on in his career. This season, he has proven he is also capable of putting up points on the offensive end. Before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery earlier this month, Dort was averaging 17.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.5 made three-pointers. Over his final eight games, he averaged more than 23 points a night. The Thunder front office has an interesting decision to make. If OKC exercises its team option, Dort can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023. However, he would be eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $58 million in that scenario. Dort would become a restricted free agent this July if the option is declined.&nbsp;
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3. Marvin Bagley III &mdash; Detroit Pistons &mdash; Restricted
A trade from Sacramento to Detroit has given Marvin Bagley a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-marvin-bagley-iii-shed-the-bust-label-with-the-pistons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">much-needed opportunity to revive his career</a>. He has scored in double-digits in each of his last seven games for the Pistons, and is averaging 16.0 points (on 56.7% shooting), 7.3 rebounds and a steal during this current stretch. According to Evan Sidery of BasketballNews.com, "the most plausible scenario &mdash; unless Bagley is completely sold on his long-term fit in Detroit &mdash; is to sign a one-year qualifying offer to make him an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023."
4. Robert Covington &mdash; Los Angeles Clippers &mdash; Unrestricted
Robert Covington, who is now on his fifth team in the past four years following the trade that sent him from Portland to Los Angeles, has seen his production decline in recent seasons. However, the 31-year-old RoCo is still capable of contributing on both ends of the floor due to his 3-and-D skill set.
5. Jae'Sean Tate &mdash; Houston Rockets &mdash; Team Option
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Undrafted in 2020, Jae'Sean Tate earned his way onto the NBA's All-Rookie team last season by averaging 11.3 points, 5.3 boards, 2.5 dimes and 1.2 steals. Despite logging fewer minutes this season, Tate has increased his scoring (12.3 PPG), rebounding (5.5 RPG) and assist (3.0 APG) averages. The Rockets can retain Tate for the 2022-23 campaign by picking up a team option worth just $1.8 million.
6. Nicolas Batum &mdash; Los Angeles Clippers &mdash; Player Option
It seems as though Nic Batum has been around forever, but he's only 33 and has proven this season that he has plenty of treads left on his tires. Although his stats don't jump off the page, nearly everyone in the Clippers organization has raved about how much Batum brings to the table &mdash; both on the court and inside the locker room &mdash; as a respected leader. Los Angeles, playing without its two superstars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, has greatly exceeded expectations this season, and Batum, one of LA's most valuable all-around players, is a significant reason why. He'll have plenty of interested suitors this summer. Expect him to opt out and cash in.&nbsp;
7. Chris Boucher &mdash; Toronto Raptors &mdash; Unrestricted
Chris Boucher is in the second season of a two-year, $13.5 million pact he signed in 2020. After averaging 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in 2020-21, his production and efficiency have dipped in 2021-22. He shot 38.3% from downtown last season, but that number has fallen below 29% this year, as his scoring average has dropped to 9.1 points per contest. However, it's worth noting that Raps are allowing just 105.3 points per 100 possessions with Boucher on the floor, and that his Net Rating of plus-4.9 is tops on the team, just ahead of Pascal Siakam (plus-4.5).
8. Thaddeus Young &mdash; Toronto Raptors &mdash; Unrestricted
Thad Young played well for Chicago in 2020-21 (averaging 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals in just 24 minutes a night), but had spent most of this current season in and out of the Spurs' rotation prior to being traded to Toronto in February. A consummate professional who's well respected around the league, Young should draw plenty of interest from contenders looking for a reliable vet to bring off the bench.&nbsp;
9. Joe Ingles &mdash; Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; Unrestricted
Unfortunately, in late January, Joe Ingles suffered a torn ACL in his left knee that ended his 2021-22 campaign. Over the past few seasons, he has been one of the league's more efficient long-range snipers (he averaged a career-high 12.1 points and 2.7 made three-pointers per game in 2020-21); however, the Aussie swingman will be 35 years old in October and working his way back from a major injury to boot. On the bright side, Ingles' game was never predicated on athleticism. He said last month he has "zero doubt" he'll be playing in the NBA again.
10. T.J. Warren &mdash; Indiana Pacers &mdash; Unrestricted
T.J. Warren was a beast in the Orlando Bubble at the end of the 2019-20 season, when he averaged 31.0 points, 6.3 boards and 3.7 made treys. That said, he played just four games last season, and hasn't set foot on an NBA court during the entire 2021-22 campaign. He'll have to provide medicals to any team interested, but he's still just 28 years old. Some team will likely roll the dice on a one-year, make-good contract in hopes of Warren resurrecting his career.&nbsp;
Best of the Rest:
Otto Porter, Kyle Anderson, P.J. Tucker, Derrick Jones Jr., Carmelo Anthony, Hamidou Diallo (team option), Al-Farouq Aminu, Andre Iguodala, Taurean Prince, Blake Griffin, Caleb Martin, Jeff Green, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Cody Martin
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Tommy Beer ranks the top forwards who could be available as a part of the 2022 NBA free-agent class.

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

Jayson Tatum scored 21 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Boston Celtics past the Memphis Grizzlies 120-107 on Thursday night.
Al Horford had 21 points and 15 rebounds, Robert Williams finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Celtics, who shot 51.7% and won for the ninth time in 11 games. Marcus Smart finished with 18 points and 12 assists, Derrick White scored 12 and Grant Williams 11.
Ja Morant, coming off a career-high 52 points Monday night in a win over San Antonio, scored 38 for Memphis after struggling through the first quarter. Desmond Bane finished with 17 points and seven assists.
Boston started pulling away in the second half, opening the third period on a 10-2 run and then turning to Tatum, who was celebrating his 24th birthday, throughout the fourth.
After Bane hit a 3-pointer that pulled Memphis within 91-84, Tatum scored six straight for Boston and followed that with an assist on a jumper by Payton Pritchard that put Boston up 99-84. Tatum scored the next eighth points for Boston, then added a 3-pointer that finished off the Grizzlies, giving Boston a 115-100 lead with 1:34 left to play.
Morant, who was 0 for 6 in the first quarter with a pair of free throws, ended up scoring 30 points in the second half as he tried to keep the Grizzlies within range. He did show his leaping ability late in the second quarter on an alley-oop, slamming down a one-handed dunk off a pass from Kyle Anderson to pull the Grizzlies within 45-42 with 1:39 to go before halftime.
SHORT-HANDED
Already missing starting forward Jaylen Brown with a sprained right ankle, the Celtics lost his replacement to the same injury early in the first quarter when Aaron Nesmith rolled his ankle after going up for a defensive rebound. He did not return.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Never recovered from a slow start, making 8 of 29 shots in the first quarter and hitting just 2 of 14 3-pointers. ... G/F John Konchar missed his second straight game with a sprained left ankle.
Celtics: First-year coach Ime Udoka was named the NBA Eastern Conference coach of the month Monday after Boston went 9-2 in February. &hellip; Boston led 26-20 at the end of the first quarter despite committing six turnovers.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: Host the Orlando Magic on Saturday night.
Celtics: Host the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday afternoon.

Jayson Tatum scored 21 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Celtics past the Grizzlies 120-107 on Thursday night.

Tatum nets 37, leads Celtics past Morant, Grizzlies 120-107

It was the slap heard around the world.
Juwan Howard was involved in a verbal altercation with Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard following the Badgers' 77-63 win over the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday.
From the video, it appeared as though Howard was grabbed and stopped by Coach Gard as he attempted to walk by him in the handshake line, which set off a series of events &mdash; including Howard slapping Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Some context with Juwan Howard and Joe Krabbenhoft <a href="https://t.co/lHNeJOklCQ">pic.twitter.com/lHNeJOklCQ</a>
&mdash; ᗩᑎT ᗯᖇIGᕼT (@itsAntWright) <a href="https://twitter.com/itsAntWright/status/1495552481836912640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

There have been a lot of questions and speculation as to what Krabbenhoft said to provoke Howard that has not been confirmed as of yet.&nbsp;
But looking at the slow motion video, you can clearly see that Krabbenholft did in fact push two Michigan players &mdash; sophomore Terrance Williams II and senior forward Jaron Faulds. Not excusing his slap, but it appears as though Juwan was coming to his players' defense.
However, Monday night, the verdict was handed out. Howard will be suspended for the remainder of Michigan&rsquo;s regular season (which equates to five games) and was fined $40,000. Conversely, none of the Wisconsin coaches have been suspended and Coach Gard was only fined $10,000.
Coach Howard issued this statement:
<blockquote>
After taking time to reflect on all that happened, I realize how unacceptable both my actions and words were and how they affected so many. I am truly sorry. I am offering my sincerest apologies to my players and their families, my staff, my family and the Michigan fans around the world. I would like to personally apologize to Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft and his family too. Lastly, I speak a lot about being a Michigan man and representing the University of Michigan with class and pride. I did not do that, nor did I set the right example in the right way for my student athletes. I will learn from my mistake, and this mistake will never happen again. No excuses!
</blockquote>
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Juwan Howard accepted the punishment, took full responsibility for his actions, made no excuses and apologized to everyone who was involved.&nbsp;
I caught up with his former Fab Five teammate Ray Jackson to discuss the incident, the callings for him to be fired, the punishment handed out and the public backlash by Dick Vitale and others, as well as who Juwan Howard is as a coach and a person.&nbsp;
Etan: What were your thoughts after seeing what took place after the Michigan/Wisconsin game? I saw your Facebook post saying you definitely supported your former Fab Five teammate, but what was your reaction to seeing so many people calling for Juwan to be fired immediately?
Ray Jackson: "People calling for him to be immediately fired definitely wasn&rsquo;t surprising. I always felt that they never loved us and we had no room for error. But, they never look at what&rsquo;s prompting us. There has always been something attached with the presence of the Fab Five and what Juwan Howard brings, what he stands for, what he represents, his knowledge, his experience, and they&rsquo;ve let that boil over way past common respect. To be honest, the entire way they approach the game is different when they coach against Juwan.
"I&rsquo;m not saying Juwan&rsquo;s reaction was right, let me be clear, but the other coach (Greg Gard) should have never put his hands on him in the first place; he should&rsquo;ve never grabbed him or stopped him. He should&rsquo;ve walked past him, gave him the brush by, said he&rsquo;s gonna remember that and kept it moving. They are going to suspend Juwan, but Coach Gard definitely needs to be held accountable for his role in this too."
Etan: So, let&rsquo;s talk about this for a minute, because I agree. there is no reason for a coach to grab another coach like he&rsquo;s a child. Like you said, he grabbed him and stopped him. Juwan was walking past him. He initiated everything.
Jackson: "But here is the issue, E &mdash; a big Black man putting his hands on a white man in America is one of the scariest things white America can see. And it&rsquo;s always been like that. So, no matter what they do to us, how wrong they are in whatever they do, we can not be aggressive back as a response. They want us to always remain passive. No matter what. When I saw how he grabbed Juwan, the first thing I thought was, 'I wonder how many of his players he grabs like that regularly? Is there a reason why Wisconsin only gets a certain kind of Black players? But Juwan is not a boy, he&rsquo;s a full grown man, and you can&rsquo;t approach a man like a boy period."
Etan: And then, the assistant coach (Joe Krabbenhoft) came over, and it didn&rsquo;t look like he was trying to de-escalate anything. I would&rsquo;ve thought the assistant coach would&rsquo;ve come over and been more concerned with pulling his players back, but it looked like &mdash; at least from the angles of the video &mdash; not only was he talking smack to Juwan, but he actually put his hands on some Michigan players.&nbsp;
Jackson: "You are absolutely correct in your assessment. You saw what I saw, E. And I&rsquo;m going to keep saying it: Juwan has these white coaches feeling a certain type of way about him. He was one of the only Black coaches for awhile; he came in getting recruits, all of the praise, all of this notoriety. They didn&rsquo;t feel he was qualified for the position in the first place. Remember, a few media people simply echoed publicly what many of the actual coaches were saying privately and amongst themselves. So that all was a problem for him.
"Yes, he&rsquo;s put five guys in the NBA. But more than that, he has developed a culture where he cares about the players beyond what they can do on the court, so they have a different level of respect for him. Not to mention all he has done for the program as a whole. So no, one situation or reaction, I'll say, from Juwan doesn&rsquo;t put a black eye on the totality of Juwan Howard, nor should it."
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17667013_lg.png" alt="" width="648" height="324" />
Etan: Glad you brought up the black eye, because it&rsquo;s interesting how this keeps coming back up. I interviewed all of you for my book, "<a href="http://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/we-matter-athletes-and-activism/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">We Matter: 'Athletes And Activism</a>.'&rdquo;
You all talked about how much the media was always coming down on y&rsquo;all. Saying that you all were putting a "black eye" on the University of Michigan as a whole, on the alumni, on the entire NCAA; that expressed sentiment kept coming up in all of your interviews. So I know how much that bothers y&rsquo;all. And now, I&rsquo;m hearing that kind of talk again after this situation, so i&rsquo;m thinking... there was this doctor at Michigan who was charged with sexually abusing students.
Jackson: "You&rsquo;re talking about Dr. [Robert E.] Anderson."
Etan: Yes, and Michigan had a $490 million settlement for thousands of student-athlete victims that were abused &mdash; not allegedly abused, but actually abused &mdash; by this cat who was the athletic team doctor for decades, between the years of 1966 and 2003. And they hardly talked about that. So that&rsquo;s not a "black eye" to the university, but y&rsquo;all wearing baggy shorts and black socks was a "black eye?" This situation with Juwan coming to the defense of his players, of being accosted by this coach &mdash; this is a "black eye?"
Jackson: "I see you&rsquo;re going there today. But you&rsquo;re absolutely right again. They hardly talked about that. They paid the lawsuit and swept it all under the rug and just didn&rsquo;t really talk about it. There was one little series that came on TV, but that was really it. And for it to be as egregious of a crime as it was? Yeah, I can&rsquo;t disagree with anything you said. No Michigan student, nobody&rsquo;s child should&rsquo;ve ever been exposed to a clown like that. He preyed on children. That whole situation was just disgusting.
"But yeah, that seed of resentment toward us, that seed was planted when we were 17, 18-year-old kids at Michigan. So they always couldn&rsquo;t wait for us to do something wrong so they could pounce on us. We weren&rsquo;t allowed [to make] mistakes, we had to be perfect. Juwan should&rsquo;ve never been put in that position to have to control his emotions. A coach grabbing you? Pushing your players? That just doesn&rsquo;t happen, and they can&rsquo;t pretend that that&rsquo;s normal activity."
Etan: You know it&rsquo;s interesting, a few people on Twitter &mdash; and I suspect they were Michigan State fans &mdash; but they tweeted me an <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/apr/06/tom-izzo-aaron-henry-abuse-michigan-state" target="_blank" rel="noopener">old article I wrote back in 2019 about Tom Izzo abusing and bullying a player on his team</a>, Aaron Henry. And they were saying mockingly, "If Tom Izzo is a bully and a coward, what does that make Juwan Howard?" And saying, "Are you going to publicly condemn Juwan&rsquo;s actions?" Etc.
Jackson: "I remember that article, and yeah they were pissed when you wrote that, but those are two completely different situations. One is with a coach in a power dynamic over a teenage college player, and the other is man-to-man. You can&rsquo;t even compare the two. Besides you writing that article, I don&rsquo;t think Izzo received an enormous amount of criticism after that happened. But this is what it boils down to: They&rsquo;re okay with old, white men doing exactly what Izzo did to Aaron Henry. They can verbally abuse, mishandle our babies [and] chastise our young men or young women."
Etan: They were definitely okay with Bobby Knight&rsquo;s abuse for years.&nbsp;
Jackson: "Right! But that image of a Black man doing anything aggressive toward a white man, that&rsquo;s why you see the reactions that we were seeing to immediately fire Juwan. I even saw some on social media say arrest him. Then use language like, 'He physically assaulted him,' or 'attacked' him. First of all, if Juwan wanted to, he could&rsquo;ve laid Coach Gard and Krabbenhoft completely out. He opened his hand, so let&rsquo;s not put too much on this. He slapped him. Not saying it was right, but that&rsquo;s what he did."
Etan: And, I didn&rsquo;t want to say anything about Dick Vitale &mdash; and everyone has been praying for him with his battle with cancer, and his emotional videos so we&rsquo;re all pulling for him &mdash; but his immediate tweets were so targeted and his language was so menacing. I was like, "Is he tweeting this from the hospital bed?" I just commented on one of his posts that I was keeping him in my prayers a week or so ago as he was showing himself going into surgery. I don&rsquo;t know, I was just shocked seeing his tweets.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
It&rsquo;s sad thinking about what I watched in that handshake line as the coach of a gr8 Univ. ala UM could not control his temper &amp; nearly set off a full blown riot. INEXCUSABLE behavior by Juwan Howard MUST LEAD TO SEVERE PUNISHMENT. UM President &amp; AD should take ACTION NOW!
&mdash; Dick Vitale (@DickieV) <a href="https://twitter.com/DickieV/status/1495503996051722245?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
Then, after Juwan did his initial address to the media explaining what happened and why he was upset, Vitale followed up with another tweet.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Pls Juwan defend yourself from a guy half your size who wanted to explain y he called an ABSURD T/O. with 15 sec. Say what u want but be a REAL MAN &amp; admit ur action representing one of the great State Universities was INEXCUSABLE .
&mdash; Dick Vitale (@DickieV) <a href="https://twitter.com/DickieV/status/1495542363485315072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
And I was just like "Whoa, be a real man?" Juwan Howard&rsquo;s actions must lead to severe punishment? Mocking him saying he was defending himself? Why all that, and from the hospital bed, Dickie V?&nbsp;
Jackson: "Well, going back to our college days, Dickie V and Bill Walton were two of the first ones to call us all thugs. All of us. Me, Jimmy [King], Juwan, Chris [Webber], Jalen [Rose]. They labeled all of us. Our mothers and fathers and grandparents and family had to hear that. We were thugs? Because we had a different style and swag with us? So that came as no surprise to hear him say that now. And I haven&rsquo;t heard anyone call him out on it and don&rsquo;t expect to. So thank you for saying something.
"But Juwan owned up to everything &mdash; apologized for his reaction, took all responsibility &mdash; but none of the other parties involved, who caused the chain of events to take place, were held accountable? Why was Juwan the only one who got suspended?&nbsp; Gard&rsquo;s little $10K fine isn&rsquo;t a punishment. Why didn&rsquo;t they suspend the other coaches like you suspended Juwan, especially when he was coming to the defense of his players? Gard and Krabbenhoft didn&rsquo;t even apologize like Juwan did. People wanna talk about being men and owning up to what you did, but that only pertains to one side?
Etan: That&rsquo;s ridiculous, and people are still saying Juwan got off light and should&rsquo;ve been fired.
Jackson: "I see it too. I was reading a few articles this morning, and yeah, that&rsquo;s just absurd. That's why I appreciate what you do. There are so many folks still calling for Juwan to be fired, and to be honest, I was worried. I spoke to C-Webb the night it happened and he was worried too, because we know they&rsquo;re waiting for any reason to throw the book at Juwan, and we know why. But hopefully, everyone can put this story and this issue behind them and we can move on, and Juwan can get back to continuing to do an amazing job as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines. But he shouldn&rsquo;t have been the only party held accountable for what took place."
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/violalogo1_lg.png" alt="" width="652" height="326" />
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Ray Jackson and Etan Thomas share passionate thoughts on Juwan Howard and the double standard regarding people's reactions.

Ray Jackson: Juwan Howard shouldn't be the only one held accountable

The following is a press release from the NBA:
CLEVELAND&nbsp;&ndash; Fifteen international players from 12 countries, including six international All-Stars and a record-tying four international All-Star Game starters, will participate in NBA All-Star 2022 in Cleveland from Friday, Feb. 18 &ndash; Sunday, Feb. 20.&nbsp; NBA All-Star 2022 will reach fans in 215 countries and territories in a record 60 languages on their televisions, computers, mobile phones and tablets.
Below are international highlights of this year&rsquo;s global celebration of basketball:
INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS
<ul>
<li>The 71st NBA All-Star Game, which tips off on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, will feature six international All-Stars and a record-tying four international starters.&nbsp; Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria) and Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets; Serbia) will start for Team LeBron, while Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon) and Andrew Wiggins (Golden State Warriors; Canada) will start for Team Durant.&nbsp; They are joined by Team LeBron reserve Luka Dončić (Dallas Mavericks; Slovenia) and Team Durant reserve Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz; France).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Clorox Rising Stars, which will take place on Friday, Feb. 18 at 9 p.m. ET on TNT, will feature a new format of four seven-player teams competing in a three-game mini-tournament, with each game played to a Final Target Score.&nbsp; The pool of 28 players includes six international players: Precious Achiuwa (Toronto Raptors; Nigeria), Chris Duarte (Indiana Pacers; Dominican Republic), Josh Giddey (Oklahoma City Thunder; Australia), Alperen Şeng&uuml;n (Houston Rockets; Turkey), Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic; Germany) and Dyson Daniels (NBA G League Ignite; Australia).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>With their participation in Clorox Rising Stars, Giddey and Daniels, who were teammates at NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, from 2019-2020, become the first NBA Academy alumni to participate in NBA All-Star.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The Taco Bell&reg; Skills Challenge, which is part of State Farm All-Star Saturday night on Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, will also feature a new format in which three teams of three players will participate in a four-round competition that tests shooting, passing and dribbling ability.&nbsp; One of the teams is composed of three Antetokounmpo brothers: Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria) and Alex Antetokounmpo (NBA G League&rsquo;s Raptors 905; Greece; ties to Nigeria).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Eight players competing at NBA All-Star 2022 are from or have ties to Africa: Achiuwa, the three Antetokounmpo brothers, Desmond Bane (Memphis Grizzlies; ties to Nigeria), Ayo Dosunmu (Chicago Bulls; ties to Nigeria), Embiid and Isaac Okoro (Cleveland Cavaliers; ties to Nigeria).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>New this year, the NBA G League&rsquo;s top young players, including G League Ignite&rsquo;s Daniels and Fanbo Zeng (China), will be on display in the inaugural NBA G League Next Gem Game, which will feature G League Ignite taking on the Cleveland Charge on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. ET on NBA TV, NBA TV International, and in China on Tencent and MIGU.</li>
</ul>
GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION
<ul>
<li>A total of 72 international broadcast partners will televise NBA All-Star 2022.&nbsp; Six international television and radio networks &ndash; from France, Greece, Latin America, Mongolia, Poland and Spain &ndash; will conduct live onsite commentary from Cleveland, and three television networks &ndash; from India, Netherlands and Norway &ndash; will broadcast NBA All-Star remotely for the first time.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Fans outside North America will also be able to watch Clorox Rising Stars, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night and the NBA All-Star Game live and on-demand through NBA League Pass via <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=zoU9Gcb3YESIAP7onvjQYw&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">watch.NBA.com</a> and <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=BGLjtJbUSEKZ3TxszIgasA&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the NBA App</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Fans around the world will be able to vote for the MVPs of the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, Clorox Rising Stars and the NBA All-Star Game via NBA.com, the NBA App and Twitter.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>On Sunday, Feb. 20 from 11 a.m. &ndash; 2 p.m. ET, fans around the world can watch a livestream of All-Star Game players and coaches conducting media availabilities at <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=3HYWzdXImUWzU3gUE-9O-g&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mediaavail.nba.com</a>.</li>
</ul>
CELEBRITIES &amp; INFLUENCERS
<ul>
<li>The Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, which tips off on Friday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, will feature Puerto Rican rapper and singer Anuel AA; Indian American singer/songwriter Anjali Ranadiv&eacute;; Bollywood superstar Ranveer Singh; 2020 Olympic high jump gold medalist Gianmarco Tamberi from Italy; and Cleveland Cavaliers Legend and Brazil native Anderson Varej&atilde;o.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Singh, who in September was named the NBA Brand Ambassador for India, will be one of more than two dozen influencers attending NBA All-Star 2022, where he will post behind-the-scenes social media content and have the opportunity to meet NBA players and legends.&nbsp; Singh will also become the second Bollywood star to play in the Celebrity Game.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Singh headlines a group of international influencers from Argentina, France, India, Japan, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Senegal, South Africa, Spain and the UK who will experience NBA All-Star 2022 in person, receiving exclusive access to the weekend&rsquo;s events and creating All-Star-themed content for fans in their home markets.</li>
</ul>
ALL-STAR CELEBRATIONS ABROAD
In addition to the events in Cleveland, fans around the world will be able to share in the excitement of NBA All-Star 2022 through a variety of international activations and programming:
<ul>
<li>In Canada, the &ldquo;NBA 75th Shop,&rdquo; a digital retail experience that pays tribute to the players and moments that have shaped the growth of basketball across the country, features a <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=2icFrxLx0UmWFb58V9B7Vw&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">figurine depicting eight-time All-Star and Raptors Legend Vince Carter</a> at the 2000 Slam Dunk contest and an &ldquo;<a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=Ss8TfIZrIUqK4tlSdhYWOQ&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A">ice block</a>&rdquo; commemorating the 2016 Slam Dunk contest in Toronto, the first NBA All-Star held outside the U.S.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>On Feb. 18, Mexican artist Alee Baes is launching exclusive All-Star-themed merchandise and giving away 16 special-edition Wilson basketballs in collaboration with the NBA at the league&rsquo;s official retail location in Mexico, NBA Tienda in Polanco.&nbsp; The collection will also be available at <a href="https://insights.nba.com/PoliteMail/default.aspx?page=ibGQ_qNzG0KhKkx1nZQUsA&amp;ref_id=r2DLozbAkESbJ37egIWA4A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nbatienda.com</a>, the league&rsquo;s official online destination in the country.&nbsp; In addition, Cavaliers Legend Anderson Varej&atilde;o is filming a number of content pieces while on site in Cleveland that will be shared on the NBA&rsquo;s social media platforms in his native Brazil.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>From Feb. 7-21, Cosmote Sport, the league&rsquo;s broadcast partner in Greece, is running a 24/7 NBA pop-up channel featuring live NBA All-Star events, original programming, classic games, highlights and more.&nbsp; Eleven Sport and beIN SPORTS, the league&rsquo;s broadcast partners in Belgium and France, respectively, are hosting competitions in which winners will attend All-Star 2022.&nbsp; In addition, the NBA Fan Clubs in Greece and Spain are organizing NBA All-Star sweepstakes and quizzes featuring merchandise giveaways and special prizes.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The league&rsquo;s social media platforms in Australia, Japan and the Philippines will produce All-Star-themed programming to promote the weekend&rsquo;s events.&nbsp; The Dime, a recap show on the NBA&rsquo;s Facebook page in Australia, will feature Australian Rising Stars participants Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels.&nbsp; NBA Zoom-In, a show on the NBA&rsquo;s TikTok channel in Japan hosted by Japanese influencer Rikuto, will preview and recap highlights from the weekend.&nbsp; Republika Huddle, the league&rsquo;s social media talk show in the Philippines, will revisit previous editions of NBA All-Star and provide predictions for this year&rsquo;s marquee events.</li>
</ul>

Fifteen international players, including six All-Stars and a record-tying four All-Star Game starters, will represent in Cleveland.

15 international players from 12 countries will be at All-Star Weekend

<div class="count-caption Component-countCaption-0-2-154">
<div class="Component-imageCaption-0-2-160">
<div class="embed-caption Component-root-0-2-163 Component-embedCaption-0-2-157" data-key="embed-caption">INDIANAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Domantas Sabonis scored a career-high 42 points on 18-of-22 shooting to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 125-113 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="Article" data-key="article">
Lance Stephenson contributed 16 points, a career-high 14 assists and four steals off the bench for the Pacers. Duane Washington Jr. added 16 points and Justin Holiday 15 for Indiana.
The Pacers snapped a six-game losing streak and completed a season sweep of the Jazz.
&ldquo;Lance gives us a different vibe,&rdquo; Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a spark he has with his personality. There is change in disposition, body language and enthusiasm. Lance with the ball can make a lot of things happen. He has the ability to be unpredictable yet under control. The intriguing thing about Lance is he&rsquo;s so unselfish. He&rsquo;s a giver and he&rsquo;s an energy giver.&rdquo;
Donovan Mitchell led Utah with 36 points and nine assists. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 21 points and Jordan Clarkson 18 for the Jazz.
Stephenson had seven assists in the fourth quarter and four were to Sabonis Carlisle said Sabonis and Stephenson fit well together.
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-125">&nbsp;</div>
Stephenson, who joined the team on a 10-day contract before the Jan. 2 game at Cleveland, said he has felt more comfortable the last two games.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re playing together, now that I know the plays,&rdquo; said Stephenson, who scored 30 against Brooklyn on Wednesday night. &ldquo;The first two games I didn&rsquo;t know the plays. I didn&rsquo;t know all my teammates. I was just making the reads.&rdquo;
Stephenson, in his third stint with the Pacers, did play with Sabonis previously. Sabonis said he loves playing pick-and-roll with Stephenson.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a very smart player, he knows how to play,&rdquo; Sabonis said. &ldquo;We love having him.&rdquo;
As a whole, Sabonis said the team has been sharing the ball well of late.
Indiana shot 56% in the first half to take a 61-52 advantage at halftime. Utah used a 12-0 run to cut the lead to 70-69 midway through the third quarter. Indiana held on for a 90-86 lead after three quarters.
Holding a 101-97 edge, Holiday began an 8-0 run with consecutive 3-pointers. Indiana was able to maintain its lead.
The Pacers shot 55% while the Jazz made just under 48% from the field.
Mitchell said the concentration and effort levels have to be higher.
&ldquo;If we want to be a championship team, we&rsquo;ve got to do it every night,&rdquo; Mitchell said. &ldquo;And tonight we didn&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
Mitchell said the team wasn&rsquo;t doing the little things defensively often enough.
&ldquo;For us to be where we need to be, we need to do it every possession, and I can&rsquo;t say that we did that,&rdquo; Mitchell said.
This was the second night of a back-to-back for Utah, which lost at Toronto Friday night.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Rudy Gobert, who was the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19 in March 2020, was sidelined by COVID-19 protocols after testing positive on Wednesday. Hassan Whiteside started in his Gobert&rsquo;s spot. &hellip; Elijah Hughes was sidelined by a non-COVID-19 illness.
Pacers: Indiana was without Caris LeVert, Goga Bitadze, Justin Anderson, Isaiah Jackson and Torrey Craig for health and safety protocols. Malcolm Brogdon has cleared protocols but it still recovering from an Achilles tendon injury.
UP NEXT
Jazz: At Detroit on Monday, ending a string of five consecutive road games.
Pacers: At Boston on Monday, the first of back-to-back games with Celtics. Indiana hosts Boston on Wednesday.
</div>

Lance Stephenson added 16 points and a career-high 14 assists off the bench.

Sabonis scores career-high 42 to lead Pacers past Jazz, 125-113

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Domantas Sabonis scored a career-high 42 points on 18-of-22 shooting to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 125-113 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.
Lance Stephenson contributed 16 points, 14 assists and four steals off the bench for the Pacers. Duane Washington Jr. added 16 points and Justin Holiday 15 for Indiana.
Donovan Mitchell led Utah with 36 points and nine assists. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 21 points and Jordan Clarkson 18 for the Jazz.
The Pacers snapped a six-game losing streak and completed a season sweep of the Jazz. Indiana shot 56% in the first half to take a 61-52 advantage at halftime. Utah used a 12-0 run to cut the lead to 70-69 midway through the third quarter. Indiana held on for a 90-86 lead after three quarters.
Holding a 101-97 edge, Holiday began an 8-0 run with consecutive 3-pointers. Indiana was able to maintain its lead.
The Pacers shot 55% while the Jazz made just under 48% from the field.
This was the second night of a back-to-back for Utah, which lost at Toronto Friday night.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
TIP-INS
Jazz: Rudy Gobert, who was the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19 in March 2020, was sidelined by COVID-19 protocols after testing positive on Wednesday. Hassan Whiteside started in Gobert&rsquo;s spot. &hellip; Elijah Hughes was sidelined by a non-COVID-19 illness.
Pacers: Indiana was without Caris LeVert, Goga Bitadze, Justin Anderson, Isaiah Jackson and Torrey Craig for health and safety protocols. Malcolm Brogdon has cleared protocols but it still recovering from an Achilles tendon injury.
UP NEXT
Jazz: At Detroit on Monday, ending a string of five consecutive road games.
Pacers: At Boston on Monday, the first of back-to-back games with Celtics. Indiana hosts Boston on Wednesday.

Domantas Sabonis scored a career-high 42 points to lead the Pacers to a win over the Jazz, outdueling Donovan Mitchell who had 36.

Sabonis scores career-high 42 to put Pacers past Jazz, 125-113

BOSTON (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 17 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter, hitting three jumpers in the final minutes and three free throws in the last four seconds to ice it as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Boston Celtics 108-103 on Monday night.
With both teams fighting COVID-19 outbreaks, Embiid also had 10 rebounds and a steal on the Celtics’ last-chance inbound pass while playing 40 minutes, 14 seconds — a season high for a game that didn’t go to overtime.
Seth Curry scored 26 points and Tobias Harris had 25 for Philadelphia.
Jaylen Brown scored 30 points, Jayson Tatum had 17 and Enes Kanter Freedom had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, who had seven players in COVID-19 protocol, with Robert Williams III a late scratch for personal reasons.
After trailing the entire first half, the Celtics took an 80-75 lead into the fourth quarter and went ahead 97-90 on Brown's 3-pointer with 4:14 left. Matisse Thybulle hit a 3-pointer and then Embiid made a pair of foul shots. 
Boston led 98-96 when Danny Green made a 3-pointer, and then Embiid made three straight mid-range jumpers to hold the Celtics at bay. 
WHERE THERE’S SMOKE
The game was delayed for seven minutes after the national anthem and before the introduction of the Celtics players when a fire alarm went off in the building, accompanied by an announcement telling the crowd it may need to evacuate. After a few minutes of people nervously looking around, the Celtics mascot began waving his arms to pump up the fans; the pregame festivities resumed soon after.
A TD Garden spokesman said the problem was a malfunctioning sprinkler head in a concession area in the balcony level and set off a fire alarm. Building operations coordinated with the Boston Fire Department before giving the all-clear.
IN AND OUT
The Celtics’ pregame injury list required a three-tweet thread to list everyone, with Al Horford, Jabari Parker, Josh Richardson, Brodric Thomas, Grant Williams, Juancho Hernangomez and Sam Hauser all in the COVID-19 protocol. Robert Williams III was also listed as out for personal reasons. 
Tatum (ankle), Romeo Langford (neck) and Dennis Schroder (non-COVID illness) were questionable but cleared to play. To fill out the roster, the Celtics signed 15-year NBA veteran C.J. Miles, who hadn’t appeared in a game in more than two years, to a 10-day contract.
The Sixers were without Andre Drummond, Shake Milton and Georges Niang because of COVID protocols, along with Tyrese Maxey (thigh bruise), Furkan Korkmaz (non-COVID illness), Jaden Springer (concussion protocol) and Ben Simmons, who hasn’t played all year while awaiting a possible trade. 
THROWBACK
The Celtics celebrated ’60’s night, looking back on the decade when they won 9 NBA titles — going through the Philadelphia Warriors twice and the 76ers four times. (The Sixers were the only team to beat them, in the 1967 Eastern Division finals. 
Satch Sanders, Mal Graham and Rick Weitzman were honored on the court, and ’60’s music was played throughout the night. 
UP NEXT 
Sixers: Host Atlanta on Thursday. 
Celtics: Host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Joel Embiid scored 41 points, and the 76ers beat the Boston Celtics 108-103.

Embiid scores 41, 76ers beat Celtics 108-103

The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania officially tossed out a stick of dynamite on Tuesday, and the fuse was lit from Indiana. Trade season has officially begun, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-moving-to-substantial-rebuild-listening-to-trade-calls-on-stars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Pacers are open to a fire sale</a> to begin an &ldquo;extensive rebuild.&rdquo; A long overdue strategy in Indiana, it&rsquo;s the right move for a team that has shown a low ceiling and potential roster regression.
With a 10-16 record, Indiana is open to all of its key pieces being shipped out, per Charania, including Caris LeVert, Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis. Here on BasketballNews.com, we will be providing the best potential landing spots for all three. Nekias Duncan will be handling the two-time All-Star center in Sabonis, while I&rsquo;ll be scouring through the best situations for LeVert and Turner.
We&rsquo;re going to kick things off with LeVert. As I wrote last month, No. 13 overall pick Chris Duarte&rsquo;s quick emergence as a key long-term piece <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-facing-a-key-decision-point-later-on-with-chris-duarte-early-emergence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changed the calculus on the future of the team's backcourt</a>. With Malcolm Brogdon signing an extension and not being eligible for a trade until this offseason, that leaves LeVert as the odd man out. He also plays the same position as Duarte, making his exit even more likely before February&rsquo;s deadline.
When the Pacers acquired LeVert almost exactly one year ago in the blockbuster four-team James Harden trade (which also sent Victor Oladipo to Houston), Indiana believed it might have struck discount gold once again. However, LeVert&rsquo;s on-court value is nowhere close to what it once was. LeVert has shown to be a solid combo guard, but his overall ineffectiveness in reading the floor and his poor shot selection make paying him a hefty contract a very worrisome proposition.
So, which teams actually make sense for the 27-year-old scorer? Let&rsquo;s dive into the best win-win scenarios for the Pacers and LeVert.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Although the Cavs are in the same division as Indiana, they immediately popped up as my best-case scenario in a potential LeVert deal. Not only would LeVert be able to slide in at shooting guard in the short-term replacing Collin Sexton &mdash; who is sidelined with a torn meniscus &mdash; but he also fits Cleveland&rsquo;s long-term puzzle alongside Darius Garland, No. 3 overall pick Evan Mobley and potential All-Star center Jarrett Allen. LeVert is an ideal score-first complement to the gigantic frontcourt duo that is wreaking havoc to opposing offenses around the rim.
From the Pacers&rsquo; point of view, the Cavaliers have a former top-five pick in Isaac Okoro who seems like an ideal roll of the dice and trade sweetener. Okoro is a strong, defense-first wing, but his offense still isn&rsquo;t developing at the rate Cleveland had hoped. Okoro&rsquo;s fit with the Cavaliers core right now is clunky, so swapping him out for LeVert is a major win for 2021-22 and beyond.
Cleveland throwing out an offer to Indiana revolving around Okoro, Cedi Osman and a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick has to at least lead into serious discussions. Osman is salary-filler with a contract only guaranteed through the 2022-23 season, but he&rsquo;s a solid shooter who can provide wing minutes off the bench.
It&rsquo;s hard to peg LeVert&rsquo;s overall value, but a former top-five pick and a first-round pick make up a solid baseline and, honestly, this feels like the most realistic scenario as well. Cleveland is surprisingly in win-now mode, and LeVert adds a much-needed jolt offensively.
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Memphis Grizzlies
On the surface, you may be wondering why the Grizzlies are included here. They have Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks, plus some enticing young prospects developing in their system. However, Memphis continues to remain afloat in the Western Conference play-in race early on without Morant, who is sidelined with a knee injury. Adding LeVert into the Grizzlies&rsquo; rotation would soften the blow of not having Morant at the moment, but he also fits very well alongside their young superstar point guard.
LeVert would slide right in as Memphis&rsquo; sixth man who can score for himself or create for others in a pinch. I&rsquo;m very intrigued by the idea of LeVert playing heavy minutes in combination with the likes of Morant, Brooks and Desmond Bane. This would be a move to raise the immediate and long-term ceiling for the Grizzlies, who could also deal Brooks this offseason if LeVert thrives in their system (which is something I actually <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-its-wise-for-the-grizzlies-to-canvass-the-trade-market-on-dillon-brooks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested Memphis look into</a> before the season started).
The Grizzlies&rsquo; rotation once Morant returns would look like this:
Starters: Morant, Bane, Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr., Steven Adams
Second Unit: De&rsquo;Anthony Melton, LeVert, Brandon Clarke, Xavier Tillman
That&rsquo;s a strong nine-man rotation that could go up against a lot of teams in the reloaded West.
As you can tell above, two names in the Grizzlies&rsquo; current rotation are missing: Kyle Anderson and No. 10 overall pick Ziaire Williams. That would be the return for Indiana, potentially with a lottery-protected first-round pick as well.
Again, it's a solid baseline offer for LeVert and the move could help both teams. Memphis acquires a win-now piece who can also help them long-term, plus Indiana receives a young prospect alongside another future draft pick. Win-win.
Dallas Mavericks
This one was tough, but LeVert's fit in Dallas is very intriguing. Could you imagine Luka Doncic playing alongside LeVert in the Mavericks&rsquo; backcourt? That would be so much fun, because LeVert is an ideal complementary piece who can take pressure off Doncic in key situations.
With the Mavericks&rsquo; roster, though, there are not many assets that would intrigue Indiana. So, unless Dallas was open to this idea, a swap of LeVert for Jalen Brunson at least makes a little bit of sense.
Brunson&rsquo;s strong start to the 2021-22 season is bringing his value to an all-time high as we inch closer toward restricted free agency. Would Dallas want to ship Brunson for a potentially cheaper option who could play more minutes alongside Doncic? Brunson would be an excellent fit in Indiana as well, forming a strong one-two punch with Duarte long-term.
Would Dallas even be open to the idea of something like Dwight Powell and Brunson for LeVert? It&rsquo;s a tough sell, but one that could be a potential win-win down the road for both sides.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_15800206_lg.jpg" alt="" width="649" height="431" />
Utah Jazz
Talk about a potential shift atop the West if Utah were to snag LeVert between now and February. LeVert, I feel, would be a strong fit within head coach Quin Snyder&rsquo;s system. He'd take pressure off of LeVert and have him focus on the finer details. LeVert&rsquo;s scoring package would be another win-now, all-in push from Utah, who is trying to capitalize on its Finals window being open.
From Indiana&rsquo;s perspective, there&rsquo;s not a lot that Utah could offer that would intrigue them. However, an expiring contract in Joe Ingles (who could be bought out after a trade) alongside second-round pick Jared Butler, Eric Paschall and a lightly-protected 2023 first-round pick could at least make for some interesting discussions.
Ingles has been an integral piece to the Jazz&rsquo;s success for years, but upgrading to LeVert would be a major win for their title hopes. Utah would have copious amounts of scoring off its bench &mdash; LeVert, Jordan Clarkson and Rudy Gay. The Jazz could also trot out LeVert as their starting small forward, inserting him between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. Either way, it would be a massive opportunity to bring LeVert aboard.
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New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans are teetering on desperation mode. The hot seat has been cranked up on executive vice presiident David Griffin, and Zion Williamson&rsquo;s injury issues continue to short-circuit their hopeful rise up the West standings. Whether it be Turner or LeVert, expect the Pelicans to be calling Indiana sometime soon if they haven&rsquo;t already.
Bringing LeVert to the Bayou would lead to an experimental fit alongside Williamson and Brandon Ingram. LeVert would slide right in at shooting guard for the Pelicans, or he could lead their second unit as a dynamic sixth man.
As a potential trade package, what about sending Indiana the following: Josh Hart, Trey Murphy III and a future first-round pick, if necessary? The Pacers would then have two young wings on their roster who could help build out a new vision under head coach Rick Carlisle.
It&rsquo;s another interesting trade destination for LeVert, and one that actually makes sense for both sides when examined under the microscope.
***
Overall, LeVert&rsquo;s market is so hard to project. As a score-first combo guard on an attainable contract for the next two seasons, his market could be robust. However, there&rsquo;s another scenario where his injury history and inefficiency could seriously limit the market for him.
Indiana is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-must-accept-new-reality-and-become-sellers-at-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">finally blowing it up</a>, and LeVert seems to be an obvious candidate to be moved very soon. Stay tuned to BasketballNews.com as we continue to track the situation, plus reveal more trade destinations for the team's other notable pieces in Sabonis and Turner.

Which teams around the NBA could soon be calling about Pacers shooting guard Caris LeVert? Evan Sidery lists five.

Examining potential trade destinations for Caris LeVert

After rolling out my<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-the-top-150-nba-players-for-fantasy-basketball-in-2021-22" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Top-150 NBA Fantasy overall rankings</a> last week, I have broken down each position into tiers.
It is important to state that these rankings are based on a nine-category roto format (points, assists, rebounds, steals, blocks, three-pointers, field goal percentage, free-throw percentage and turnovers). Also, please note position eligibility is based on Yahoo&rsquo;s fantasy settings and, as a result, many players qualify at multiple positions.
Guards
The two biggest question marks among all guards reside in Philadelphia and Brooklyn. Ben Simmons has (awkwardly) returned to Sixers, but it is still unclear whether Big Ben plans to "merely report to the team or truly rejoin the team," <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ben-simmons-arrives-in-philly-takes-covid19-test" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN</a>. Thus, Simmons is arguably the biggest boom-or-bust fantasy pick in the NBA this season.
Irving, on the other hand, is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/itll-be-difficult-for-kyrie-and-the-nets-to-come-back-from-this" target="_blank" rel="noopener">persona non grata in the borough of Brooklyn</a>. Although Kyrie is eligible to participate in the Nets' away games, Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks said Tuesday that Irving will not be allowed to play or practice with the team at all until he gets vaccinated. &ldquo;He has a choice to make, and he made his choice,&rdquo; Marks <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nets-say-kyrie-irving-cant-play-or-practice-with-team-while-unvaccinated" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told reporters Tuesday</a>. &ldquo;And my job here is to make what we deem is the best choices for the organization moving ahead and as a whole.&rdquo; There is certainly still a chance Irving gets his jab and is cleared to play, but it&rsquo;s too much of a risk to roll the dice until late in the draft, in my opinion.
Tier 1: James Harden PG, SG (BKN)&nbsp; Luka Doncic PG, SG (DAL) Stephen Curry PG, SG (GSW) Damian Lillard PG (POR)
Tier 2: Bradley Beal SG, SF (WAS) Trae Young PG (ATL) Jimmy Butler SF, PF, SG (MIA) LeBron James PG, SG, SF, PF (LAL)
Tier 3: Fred VanVleet PG, SG (TOR) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander PG, SG (OKC)
Tier 4: Jrue Holiday PG, SG (MIL) Chris Paul PG (PHO) &nbsp; Zach LaVine SG, SF (CHI) Donovan Mitchell PG, SG (UTAH)
Tier 5: Khris Middleton SF, PF, SG (MIL) Jaylen Brown SG, SF (BOS) De'Aaron Fox PG (SAC)&nbsp; Devin Booker SG, SF, PG (PHO)
Tier 6: LaMelo Ball PG, SG (CHA) CJ McCollum PG, SG (POR) Russell Westbrook PG (LAL) Kevin Porter Jr. SG, SF, PG (HOU)&nbsp; Dejounte Murray PG, SG (SAS) Malcolm Brogdon PG, SG (IND)&nbsp; Terry Rozier PG, SG (CHA)
Tier 7: Mikal Bridges SG, SF (PHO) Lonzo Ball PG, SG (CHI) Gordon Hayward SG, SF (CHA) Ja Morant PG (MEM) Bogdan Bogdanovic SF, PF, SG (ATL) Darius Garland PG, SG (CLE) Anthony Edwards SG, SF (MIN) DeMar DeRozan SF, PF, SG (CHI) Kyle Lowry PG (MIA) Tyrese Haliburton PG, SG (SAC) Derrick White PG, SG (SAS)
Tier 8: Mike Conley PG (UTAH) Jalen Suggs PG, SG (ORL) Spencer Dinwiddie PG, SG (WAS) Cade Cunningham PG, SG (DET) Ben Simmons PG (PHI) Caris LeVert SG, SF (IND) D&rsquo;Angelo Russell PG, SG (MIN) Collin Sexton PG, SG (CLE) Marcus Smart PG, SG (BOS) Jordan Poole PG, SG (GSW)&nbsp;
Tier 9: Andrew Wiggins SG, SF (GSW)&nbsp; Nickeil Alexander-Walker SG, SF, PG (NOP) Devonte&rsquo; Graham PG, SG (NOP) Evan Fournier SG, SF (NYK) Buddy Hield SG, SF (SAC) Norman Powell SG, SF (POR) Kemba Walker PG (NYK) RJ Barrett SG, SF (NYK) Reggie Jackson PG, SG (LAC) Dennis Schroder PG (BOS) Jordan Clarkson PG, SG (UTAH) Joe Ingles SG, SF, PF (UTAH) Joe Harris SG, SF (BKN)&nbsp; Malik Beasley PG, SG, SF (MIN) Kyrie Irving PG, SG (BKN)&nbsp;
Tier 10:&nbsp; De&rsquo;Anthony Melton PG, SG (MEM) Jalen Green SG (HOU) Klay Thompson SG, SF (GSW) Dillon Brooks SG, SF (MEM) Matisse Thybulle SG, SF (PHI) T.J. McConnell PG, SG (IND) Derrick Rose PG, SG (NYK) Tim Hardaway Jr. SG, SF (DAL) Kelly Oubre Jr. SG, SF, PF (CHA) Eric Bledsoe PG, SG (LAC) Kevin Huerter SG, SF (ATL) Josh Giddey PG, SG, SF (OKC) Tyrese Maxey PG, SG (PHI)
Forwards
Looking for a potential sleeper at forward? I&rsquo;d suggest highlighting Pascal Siakam or Evan Mobley on your cheat sheet.&nbsp;
After a phenomenal 2019-20 campaign, in which he was named to the All-NBA Second Team, Siakam failed to live up to expectations last season; his scoring average, three-point makes and effective field goal percentage all decreased. In addition, Pascal is still working his way back from surgery on a torn labrum, which has forced his ADP (Average Draft Position) to plummet. However, earlier this week, Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said his star forward has been &ldquo;going 100%&rdquo; without contact for about 4-6 weeks, and could return later this month.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Evan Mobley is going to be a special defender in the NBA. GMs believe that Mobley will be the best player from his draft class in five years 👀 (🎥 <a href="https://twitter.com/Mike_Schmitz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Mike_Schmitz</a>) <a href="https://t.co/iPiaabn2Gu">pic.twitter.com/iPiaabn2Gu</a>
&mdash; NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1446161049753882629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Mobley&rsquo;s stock is soaring after impressive performances and extended usage for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the preseason (he&rsquo;s leading his team in playing time, logging 28.4 minutes per game). Mr. Mobley is probably worth the gamble, as his upside is emarkably enticing.&nbsp;
Tier 1: Nikola Jokic PF, C (DEN)
Tier 2: Jayson Tatum SF, PF (BOS) Giannis Antetokounmpo PF, C (MIL) Kevin Durant SF, PF (BKN) Joel Embiid PF, C (PHI) Anthony Davis PF, C (LAL)&nbsp; Bradley Beal SG, SF (WAS) Paul George SF, PF, SG (LAC)
Tier 3: Jimmy Butler SF, PF, SG (MIA) LeBron James PG, SG, SF, PF (LAL) Domantas Sabonis PF, C (IND) Bam Adebayo PF, C (MIA) Michael Porter Jr. SF, PF (DEN Zach LaVine SG, SF (CHI)
Tier 4: Khris Middleton SF, PF, SG (MIL) Jaylen Brown SG, SF (BOS) Julius Randle PF, C (NYK) Devin Booker SG, SF, PG (PHO) Myles Turner PF, C (IND) OG Anunoby SF, PF (TOR)&nbsp; Tobias Harris SF, PF (PHI)
Tier 5: Richaun Holmes PF, C (SAC) Brandon Ingram SF, PF (NOP) Christian Wood PF, C (HOU) Kristaps Porzingis PF, C (DAL) John Collins PF, C (ATL) Kevin Porter Jr. SG, SF, PG (HOU)&nbsp; Zion Williamson PF (NOP)
Tier 6: Pascal Siakam PF, C (TOR) Mikal Bridges SG, SF (PHO) Jaren Jackson Jr. PF, C (MEM) Chris Boucher PF, C (TOR) Gordon Hayward SG, SF (CHA) Bogdan Bogdanovic SF, PF, SG (ATL) Anthony Edwards SG, SF (MIN) DeMar DeRozan SF, PF, SG (CHI) Robert Williams III C, PF (BOS)
Tier 7: Draymond Green PF, C (GSW) Jerami Grant SF, PF (DET) Caris LeVert SG, SF (IND) Robert Covington PF, C, SF (POR) Miles Bridges SF, PF (CHA) Kelly Olynyk PF, C (DET) Buddy Hield SG, SF (SAC)&nbsp; Isaiah Stewart PF, C (DET) Andrew Wiggins SG, SF (GSW)&nbsp;
Tier 8: Nickeil Alexander-Walker SG, SF, PG (NOP) Evan Fournier SG, SF (NYK) P.J. Washington PF, C (CHA) Norman Powell SG, SF (POR) Kyle Anderson SF, PF (MEM) Jonathan Isaac SF, PF (ORL) Evan Mobley C, PF (CLE) Larry Nance Jr. PF, C (POR) Harrison Barnes SF, PF (SAC) Mason Plumlee PF, C (CHA) Bobby Portis Jr. PF, C (MIL) De&rsquo;Andre Hunter SF, PF (ATL) Daniel Gafford C, PF (WAS)
Tier 9: Thaddeus Young PF, C, SF (SAS) Joe Ingles SG, SF, PF (UTAH) Lauri Markkanen PF, C (CLE) Joe Harris SG, SF (BKN)&nbsp; Keldon Johnson SF, PF (SAS) Malik Beasley PG, SG, SF (MIN) T.J. Warren SF, PF (IND) Jae'Sean Tate SF, PF (HOU) Daniel Theis PF, C (HOU) Brandon Clarke PF, C (MEM) Saddiq Bey SF (DET)\ Klay Thompson SG, SF (GSW) Derrick Favors C, PF (OKC) Al Horford PF, C (BOS)
Tier 10: Kyle Kuzma SF, PF (WAS) Matisse Thybulle SG, SF (PHI) Nicolas Batum SF, PF, SG (LAC) Derrick Rose PG, SG (NYK) Marcus Morris Sr. PF, C, SF (LAC) Dillon Brooks SG, SF (MEM) Alperen Sengun PF, C (HOU) Tim Hardaway Jr. SG, SF (DAL) Montrezl Harrell PF, C (WAS) Kelly Oubre Jr. SG, SF, PF (CHA) Nerlens Noel PF, C (NYK)&nbsp; Isaiah Roby C, PF (OKC) Kevin Huerter SG, SF (ATL) Khem Birch PF, C (TOR) Aaron Gordon SF, PF (DEN)
Centers
Centers take on added importance in fantasy hoops due to the scarcity. That&rsquo;s part of the reason why Jokic is viewed as the near-unanimous top overall selection in drafts this year.&nbsp;
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Last season, Jokic authored a season for the ages. Not only did he score a career-high 26.4 points and rip down 10.8 rebounds per game, but he also dished out an average of 8.3 dimes each night, joining Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to average at least 25 points, 10 boards and 8 assists over a season. Incredibly, Jokic tallied a total of 599 assists in 2020-21, which was the third-most in the entire league. Wilt Chamberlain, who led the NBA with 8.6 APG in 1967-68, is the only center to post a higher assist-average over a full season. As a fantasy cherry on top, the Joker proved incredibly durable, appearing in every game last season.
Tier 1: Nikola Jokic PF, C (DEN)
Tier 2: Karl-Anthony Towns C (MIN)
Tier 3: Giannis Antetokounmpo PF, C&nbsp; Joel Embiid PF, C (PHI) Anthony Davis PF, C (LAL)
Tier 4: Nikola Vucevic C (CHI) Domantas Sabonis PF, C (IND) Bam Adebayo PF, C (MIA) Rudy Gobert C (UTAH)
Tier 5: Myles Turner PF, C (IND) Clint Capela C (ATL) Julius Randle PF, C (NYK) Richaun Holmes PF, C (SAC) Deandre Ayton C (PHO) Christian Wood PF, C (HOU)&nbsp; Kristaps Porzingis PF, C (DAL) John Collins PF, C (ATL)
Tier 6: Jaren Jackson Jr. PF, C (MEM) Jusuf Nurkic C (POR) Pascal Siakam PF, C (TOR) Chris Boucher PF, C (TOR)&nbsp; Robert Williams III C, PF (BOS) Jonas Valanciunas C (NOP) Draymond Green PF, C (GSW) Robert Covington PF, C, SF (POR) Jarrett Allen C (CLE) Kelly Olynyk PF, C (DET) Isaiah Stewart PF, C (DET)
Tier 7: P.J. Washington PF, C (CHA) Evan Mobley C, PF (CLE) Mitchell Robinson C (NYK) Larry Nance Jr. PF, C (POR) Jakob Poeltl C (SAS) Wendell Carter Jr. C (ORL) Brook Lopez C (MIL) Mason Plumlee PF, C (CHA) Bobby Portis Jr. PF, C (MIL)
Tier 8: Daniel Gafford C, PF (WAS) Thaddeus Young PF, C, SF (SAS) Lauri Markkanen PF, C (CLE) Daniel Theis PF, C (HOU) Brandon Clarke PF, C (MEM) Ivica Zubac C (LAC) Derrick Favors C, PF (OKC) Al Horford PF, C (BOS)
Tier 9: Marcus Morris Sr. PF, C, SF (LAC) Mo Bamba C (ORL) Montrezl Harrell PF, C (WAS) Thomas Bryant C (WAS) Nerlens Noel PF, C (NYK)&nbsp; Alperen Sengun PF, C (HOU)&nbsp;
Tier 10: Khem Birch PF, C (TOR) Isaiah Roby C, PF (OKC) Andre Drummond C (PHI)&nbsp; Steven Adams C (MEM) Serge Ibaka PF, C (LAC)&nbsp; James Wiseman C (GSW) Naz Reid C (MIN) Marvin Bagley III PF, C (SAC) LaMarcus Aldridge PF, C (BKN) Nicolas Claxton PF, C (BKN) Kevin Love PF, C (CLE) Hassan Whiteside PF, C (UTAH)

Tommy Beer divides the top NBA fantasy guards, forwards and centers into 10 tiers each based on their value.

2021-22 NBA Fantasy Basketball Rankings: 10 tiers for each position

With the start of the season just three weeks away, here is my ranking of the top 150 players for the 2021-22 campaign.
It is imperative to note that this list is based on nine-category roto scoring formats (points, assists, rebounds, steals, blocks, three-pointers, field goal percentage, free-throw percentage and turnovers) .&nbsp;
I've added comments to a handful of players to help explain the rationale behind some of their rankings.&nbsp;
So without further ado, let's get to it.
1. Nikola Jokic PF, C (DEN) 2. James Harden PG, SG (BKN): The Beard was the top-ranked fantasy player in back-to-back seasons in 2018-19 and 2019-20. He's healthy and ready to rock in Brooklyn. 3. Luka Doncic PG, SG (DAL) 4. Stephen Curry PG, SG (GSW) 5. Karl-Anthony Towns C (MIN) 6. Damian Lillard PG (POR): Dame is one of only two players in NBA history to record at least 1,500 points and 400 assists in each of their first nine seasons; Oscar Robertson is the other. 7. Jayson Tatum SF, PF (BOS) 8. Giannis Antetokounmpo PF, C (MIL): There have been some mildly concerning signs regarding Giannis' left knee since the start of training camp. (The reigning NBA Finals MVP <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1445846786657112074?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assures us he's alright</a>.) He should be ready for opening night, but I fully expect the Bucks to rest their franchise cornerstone early and often to reduce wear-and-tear on the knee.&nbsp; 9. Kevin Durant SF, PF (BKN) 10. Joel Embiid PF, C (PHI) 11. Bradley Beal SG, SF (WAS) 12. Paul George SF, PF, SG (LAC) 13. Anthony Davis PF, C (LAL): AD finished both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 season ranked second overall in nine-category fantasy formats. Yes, the injury issues are certainly a concern, but he's a steal in the second round due to his unmatched ceiling.&nbsp; 14. Nikola Vucevic C (CHI) 15. Trae Young PG (ATL) 16. Jimmy Butler SF, PF, SG (MIA) 17. LeBron James PG, SG, SF, PF (LAL) 18. Fred VanVleet PG, SG (TOR): Last season, VanVleet joined Harden and Curry as just the third player in NBA history to average more than 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 made triples and 1.5 steals per game. 19. Domantas Sabonis PF, C (IND) 20. Bam Adebayo PF, C (MIA) 21. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander PG, SG (OKC): The Oklahoma City Thunder's max-man is primed for a breakout campaign. 22. Rudy Gobert C (UTAH) 23. Michael Porter Jr. SF, PF (DEN): MPJ shot over 40% from downtown in each of his first two seasons (42.2% and 44.5%). The only other active players to do that in each of their first two NBA campaigns (min. 100 three-point attempts) are the Splash Brothers: Curry and Klay Thompson. 24. Jrue Holiday PG, SG (MIL) 25. Chris Paul PG (PHO) &nbsp; 26. Zach LaVine SG, SF (CHI) 27. Donovan Mitchell PG, SG (UTAH): In the 19 games he appeared in after the All-Star Break, Mitchell averaged 29.6 points per contest. The only player with a higher post-ASB scoring average was Curry. 28. Tobias Harris SF, PF (PHI) 29. Khris Middleton SF, PF, SG (MIL) 30. Jaylen Brown SG, SF (BOS) 31. Myles Turner PF, C (IND) 32. De'Aaron Fox PG (SAC): Over a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-can-deaaron-fox-save-the-sacramento-kings-postseason-play-in-tournament-playoff-hopes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">12-game stretch late last season</a>, Fox averaged 30.6 points (on 53.4% shooting), 6.7 dimes and 4.2 boards. If he can improve his offensive efficiency and cut down on his turnovers, Fox has a chance to establish himself as a fantasy stud. 33. Clint Capela C (ATL) 34. Julius Randle PF, C (NYK) 35. Devin Booker SG, SF, PG (PHO) 36. OG Anunoby SF, PF (TOR): In 2020-21, OG finished the year ranked 35th overall in nine-category leagues (one spot behind LeBron James). 37. Richaun Holmes PF, C (SAC) 38. Brandon Ingram SF, PF (NOP) 39. Deandre Ayton C (PHO) 40. Christian Wood PF, C (HOU)&nbsp; 41. LaMelo Ball PG, SG (CHA): I'm not nearly as high on LaMelo as the rest of the industry seems to be. He exceeded expectations as a rookie, but I'm worried about his effective field goal percentage (eFG%) dropping and his turnover rate increasing. 42. CJ McCollum PG, SG (POR) 43. Zion Williamson PF (NOP): Zion underwent surgery to repair a fracture in his right foot early in the offseason. The team "hopes" he'll return by the start of the regular season, but this is a problematic injury for the high-flying big man. ​​44. Russell Westbrook PG (LAL) 45. Kristaps Porzingis PF, C (DAL): If KP plays even 65+ games, he's a steal in the fifth round. 46. Dejounte Murray PG, SG (SAS) 47. Malcolm Brogdon PG, SG (IND)&nbsp; 48. Terry Rozier PG, SG (CHA) 49. John Collins PF, C (ATL) 50. Kevin Porter Jr. SG, SF, PG (HOU): KPJ is gonna get buckets and dimes (he averaged 17.2 PPG and 6.3 APG over the final two months of the 2020-21 season); my only concerns are his high turnover rate and poor percentages.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
25 PTS for <a href="https://twitter.com/Kevinporterjr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Kevinporterjr</a> power the <a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HoustonRockets</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPreseason?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPreseason</a> <a href="https://t.co/iDXezFBiBi">pic.twitter.com/iDXezFBiBi</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1445590596987482121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2021</a></blockquote>

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51. Mikal Bridges SG, SF (PHO) 52. Jaren Jackson Jr. PF, C (MEM): Jackson is one of two active players averaging at least 1.5 blocks and 1.5 three-pointers per game for his career. The issue has been <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-gms-believe-jaren-jackson-jr-is-poised-for-a-breakout-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">staying on the floor</a>, as injuries have limited JJJ to a total of just 126 games in three seasons. 53. Lonzo Ball PG, SG (CHI) 54. Gordon Hayward SG, SF (CHA) 55. Ja Morant PG (MEM): The upside is tantalizing, but Morant was the only player in the NBA last season to attempt more than 15 shots per game and shoot below 45% from the floor, below 75% from the FT and below 31% from downtown. 56. Jusuf Nurkic C (POR) 57. Bogdan Bogdanovic SF, PF, SG (ATL) 58. Darius Garland PG, SG (CLE) 59. Chris Boucher PF, C (TOR): Boucher finished last season ranked 40th overall in nine-category formats despite logging just 24.2 minutes a night. However, he just had surgery on his dislocated left middle finger and is expected to miss a "minimum" of 3-to-4 weeks.&nbsp; 60. Anthony Edwards SG, SF (MIN) 61. DeMar DeRozan SF, PF, SG (CHI) 62. Kyle Lowry PG (MIA) 63. Pascal Siakam PF, C (TOR): Once fully healthy, I think Siakam will bounce back in a big way and inherit plenty of scoring opportunities with Kyle Lowry no longer in the picture. Still, Siakam had shoulder surgery in June and will likely miss at least the start of the season. 64. Robert Williams III C, PF (BOS) 65. Tyrese Haliburton PG, SG (SAC): He finished last season ranked 65th overall in nine-category fantasy formats, and I think he has a chance to crack the top-50 this year.&nbsp; 66. Derrick White PG, SG (SAS) 67. Jonas Valanciunas C (NOP) 68. Kyrie Irving PG, SG (BKN): Kyrie could end up missing every Nets home game <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kevin-durant-im-envisioning-kyrie-being-a-part-of-our-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener">if he refuses to get vaccinated</a>. So many unknowns are swirling around him right now. I'll pass.&nbsp; 69. Draymond Green PF, C (GSW) 70. Mike Conley PG (UTAH) 71. Jalen Suggs PG, SG (ORL): My pick for Rookie of the Year. Suggs can do it all and should see all the minutes he can handle for a rebuilding Orlando Magic squad.&nbsp; 72. Spencer Dinwiddie PG, SG (WAS) 73. Cade Cunningham PG, SG (DET) 74. Caris LeVert SG, SF (IND) 75. Jerami Grant SF, PF (DET) 76. D&rsquo;Angelo Russell PG, SG (MIN) 77. Collin Sexton PG, SG (CLE): Last season, Sexton became the second-youngest player in NBA history (behind only KD) to average more than 24 points per game while shooting above 47% from the floor and 37% from downtown. 78. Robert Covington PF, C, SF (POR) 79. Jarrett Allen C (CLE) 80. Miles Bridges SF, PF (CHA): Over his final 15 games last season, Bridges averaged 21.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 blocks and 3.1 made three-pointers. He did so while shooting over 50% from the floor, 42% from downtown and 84% from the charity stripe. 81. Marcus Smart PG, SG (BOS) 82. Kelly Olynyk PF, C (DET): Kelly-O averaged a whopping 19.0, 8.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.8 treys and 1.4 steals in the 27 games he played in Houston last season. The Pistons signed him to a big contract in August, hoping he can come close to replicating those numbers. 83. Isaiah Stewart PF, C (DET) 84. Kemba Walker PG (NYK) 85. Andrew Wiggins SG, SF (GSW): Now that he's vaccinated, we know he'll be <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/andrew-wiggins-has-been-vaccinated-will-be-eligible-for-all-games" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cleared to play</a> in all Golden State Warriors home games this season.&nbsp; 86. Devonte&rsquo; Graham PG, SG (NOP) 87. Evan Fournier SG, SF (NYK) 88. P.J. Washington PF, C (CHA) 89. Buddy Hield SG, SF (SAC): Dating back to the start of the 2018-19 campaign, Buddy has knocked down more triples (831) than any other player in the NBA (Harden, Lillard and Curry rank second, third and fourth, respectively). 90. Nickeil Alexander-Walker SG, SF, PG (NOP) 91. NOPman Powell SG, SF (POR) 92. Kyle Anderson SF, PF (MEM) 93. Mitchell Robinson C (NYK): In 2018-19, Mitch Rob led all rookies in blocks (2.4) and field goal percentage (69.4%). As a sophomore in 2019-20, he made 74.2% of all field goals he attempted, setting the all-time NBA record for the highest single-season field goal percentage ever, passing Wilt Chamberlain. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/its-been-three-years-and-mitchell-robinson-still-has-a-lot-to-prove" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Can he stay healthy</a> in 2020-21? 94. Larry Nance Jr. PF, C (POR) 95. RJ Barrett SG, SF (NYK) 96. Jakob Poeltl C (SAS) 97. Ben Simmons PG (PHI): Impossible to try and figure out this Simmons situation going forward. I'm not willing to roll the dice until the value starts getting ridiculous. 98. Jonathan Isaac SF, PF (ORL) 99. Wendell Carter Jr. C (ORL) 100. Reggie Jackson PG, SG (LAC) 101. Brook Lopez C (MIL) 102. Harrison Barnes SF, PF (SAC) 103. Mason Plumlee PF, C (CHA) 104. Bobby Portis Jr. PF, C (MIL) 105. De&rsquo;Andre Hunter SF, PF (ATL) 106. Dennis Schroder PG (BOS) 107. Malik Beasley PG, SG, SF (MIN): Beasley has appeared in just 51 games for the Wolves since being acquired at the trade deadline in 2020, but has averaged 19.9 points, 4.6 boards, 2.4 dimes and a whopping 3.5 made treys. A great late-round value pick if he can stay on the court.
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Malik Beasley 29 points in 32 minutes last night... averaging 20/5 on the season... time to starting giving him his flowers as a top young talent in the NBA <a href="https://t.co/wz7XnezAzf">pic.twitter.com/wz7XnezAzf</a>
&mdash; Ben Stinar (@BenStinar) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenStinar/status/1357329089997209602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2021</a></blockquote>

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108. Thaddeus Young PF, C, SF (SAS) 109. Jordan Clarkson PG, SG (UTAH) 110. Joe Ingles SG, SF, PF (UTAH): He's not the sexiest pick, but Ingles will help in nearly every fantasy category and doesn't hurt you in any way. 111. Lauri Markkanen PF, C (CLE): The Cleveland Cavaliers have excess depth up front, but coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been raving about Markkanen during camp. He was a forgotten man in Chicago last season, but the dude is a 7-footer who can stretch the floor, is still just 24 years of age and averaged 18.7 points and 9.0 rebounds during his age-21 season. 112. Daniel Gafford C, PF (WAS) 113. Joe Harris SG, SF (BKN)&nbsp; 114. Keldon Johnson SF, PF (SAS) 115. T.J. Warren SF, PF (IND): Yes, Warren's injury history is undoubtedly concerning &mdash;&nbsp; and he is currently still recovering from a stress fracture in his foot &mdash; but this is a guy who <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-100-million-payday-awaits-tj-warren-if-he-continues-to-silence-the-critics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">finished inside the top-50</a> overall back in 2019-20.&nbsp; 116. Jae'Sean Tate SF, PF (HOU) 117. De&rsquo;Anthony Melton PG, SG (MEM) 118. Daniel Theis PF, C (HOU): Theis ranked inside the top-100 overall when he logged starter minutes for the Boston Celtics in 2019-20. He could see 25 or more minutes a night for a Houston team that has little depth up front. Don't sleep. 119. Jalen Green SG (HOU) 120. Brandon Clarke PF, C (MEM) 121. Jordan Poole PG, SG (GSW): In the seven games Poole started last season, he averaged 21.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.8 made treys. With Klay still sidelined, Poole is expected to start early on this season. (And he's already off to a fast start, having <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/raptors-finally-return-to-toronto-as-lowry-begins-in-miami" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped 30 points</a> in Golden State's preseason opener.) 122. Saddiq Bey SF (DET) 123. Klay Thompson SG, SF (GSW): I'm concerned that the Warriors will limit Klay's minutes and rest him often, even after he is cleared to return to game action (whenever that is). The Dubs have to think long-term, as Thompson still has three years and $120-plus million left in his contract. 124. Ivica Zubac C (LAC) 125. Derrick Favors C, PF (OKC) 126. Al Horford PF, C (BOS) 127. Kyle Kuzma SF, PF (WAS) 128. Dillon Brooks SG, SF (MEM) 129. Matisse Thybulle SG, SF (PHI) 130. T.J. McConnell PG, SG (IND): McConnell led the NBA in steal percentage last season at 3.4% and shot 55.9% from the floor. He was one of just eight players to record an assist rate above 34% and a True Shooting percentage above 58% (the other seven members of this elite club were Lillard, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Jokic.) 131. Evan Mobley C, PF (CLE) 132. Nicolas Batum SF, PF, SG (LAC) 133. &nbsp;Derrick Rose PG, SG (NYK) 134. Marcus Morris Sr. PF, C, SF (LAC): Mook will see an increased share of the offensive pie with Kawhi Leonard sidelined for the first half of the season (and possibly more). 135. Mo Bamba C (ORL): This is a make-or-break season for Bamba. The Magic will give their former lottery pick every opportunity to earn playing time. If he plays significant minutes, he'll supply blocks and treys. (Bamba has looked sharp early on in the preseason.) 136. Tim Hardaway Jr. SG, SF (DAL) 137. Montrezl Harrell PF, C (WAS) 138. Kelly Oubre Jr. SG, SF, PF (CHA) 139. Thomas Bryant C (WAS) 140. Nerlens Noel PF, C (NYK)&nbsp; 141. Alperen Sengun PF, C (HOU): Sengun looked fantastic in Vegas, averaging 14.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.8 dimes, 1.3 steals and 3.0 blocks in 25 minutes a night during summer league action. He'll have a chance to stuff the stat sheet for a Rockets team looking to play its youngsters.&nbsp; 142. Eric Bledsoe PG, SG (LAC) 143. Khem Birch PF, C (TOR) 144. Isaiah Roby C, PF (OKC) 145. Kevin Huerter SG, SF (ATL) 146. Tyrese Maxey PG, SG (PHI): Maxey will be one of the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tyrese-maxey-centered-on-getting-1-better-every-day-for-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">primary beneficiaries</a> of Simmons' eventual departure from Philly. 147. Aaron Gordon SF, PF (DEN) 148. Andre Drummond C (PHI): If you draft Embiid early, you probably want to handcuff him with Drummond later on. 149. Steven Adams C (MEM) 150. Josh Giddey PG, SG, SF (OKC): Giddey started the Thunder's preseason opener and looked good, tallying 18 points (8-of-12 FGs), 7 rebounds, 3 assists and two triples. Considering his talent, the No. 6 overall pick is worth a late-round dart throw.&nbsp;
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⭐ 18 points (8-12 in the field inc. 2-4 from range) ⭐ 7 rebounds ⭐ 3 assists Josh Giddey looked at 🏠 at NBA level! FULL HIGHLIGHTS ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/Sw7U4nEjdT">pic.twitter.com/Sw7U4nEjdT</a>
&mdash; ESPN Australia &amp; NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAusNZ/status/1445211953421557767?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Tommy Beer lists his best 150 fantasy basketball players available for the 2021-22 NBA season.

Ranking the top-150 NBA players for fantasy basketball in 2021-22

Nekias Duncan previews the Northwest Division for the 2021-22 NBA season.

2021-22 NBA Season Preview: Northwest Division

Prior to the start of last season, Kyrie Irving <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2921968-nets-kyrie-irving-on-fine-for-media-policy-violation-i-do-not-talk-to-pawns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called the media &ldquo;pawns&rdquo;</a> and stated that it would be his preference if he didn&rsquo;t speak to them at all, and it appears as though many are dedicated to holding a grudge for the rest of their days.
But did Kyrie Irving have a valid point? Were the members of the media who fall into that category the only ones offended by those comments? I personally didn&rsquo;t take offense because I know he wasn&rsquo;t talking about me. But as the saying goes, if the shoe fits...
Irving's words should have resulted in a lot of the media taking a hard and long look in the mirror instead of getting their notepads in a bunch (see what I did there).
A pawn is defined as &ldquo;a person used by others for their own purposes.&rdquo;
So from that standpoint, was Kyrie onto something? For instance, recall last year&rsquo;s dramatic articles and commentary projecting disaster on the Brooklyn Nets in the preseason. A hypothetical (and eventual) combination of three of the game&rsquo;s most gifted scorers led to the media assuming they'd be unwilling to share the ball. There were accusations that Kyrie would be uncoachable. There were reports claiming he no longer cared about the game of basketball and more of the like.
But didn&rsquo;t all of that disappear as soon as the season started? Some members of the media were even calling for Kyrie to retire before the season even began.&nbsp;
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Creating baseless gossip and chit-chat for ratings, clicks and shares is very pawn-like.
Isn't that the script that the media is following?
Look at the evidence &mdash; articles with &ldquo;anonymous sources&rdquo; claiming that the Nets are looking to move Kyrie, commentators drumming up baseless trade chatter and spreading rumors that Kevin Durant secretly wants Kyrie gone, reports that if Kyrie is traded he&rsquo;ll retire, suggestions that a Ben Simmons swap is even in the realm of a possibility, etc.
Isn&rsquo;t it interesting that so much of the noise seems to magically disappear as soon as he starts playing? I&rsquo;m sure that will be the case again as soon as this season begins. That usually means the reports and commentary and &ldquo;anonymous sources&rdquo; never really had any substance in the first place, but were just more media noise that was manufactured to create chatter in the slow months tor ratings. Again, very pawn-like.
To weigh in on Kyrie Irving&rsquo;s never-ending battle with the media, I asked NBA Hall-of-Famer, Detroit Pistons legend and television analyst Isiah Thomas for his thoughts on the matter.
&ldquo;I respect the independence that Kyrie has shown throughout this entire process. Just like we [do] as professional athletes, we as human beings, we as fathers, husbands, brothers &mdash; sometimes we get it wrong. And at the same time, sometimes the media gets it wrong," Thomas told me. "And when the media gets called out on being wrong, their response is almost &lsquo;How dare you?&rsquo;
"Just like one side can be wrong, so can the other side. So, don&rsquo;t jump on me when I&rsquo;m wrong, but be quiet when you&rsquo;re wrong. You received information about me, and what I am thinking and what my intentions are, and whoever told you that didn&rsquo;t tell you correctly. Now, this is what I meant, this is my voice. This isn&rsquo;t whatever source, this is my voice. So respect my voice, and that&rsquo;s what Kyrie has been saying. And he has been very authentic in his voice."
It doesn&rsquo;t sound like he took Kyrie&rsquo;s &ldquo;pawn&rdquo; comment personally, does it?&nbsp;
Regarding the trade rumors surrounding the star point guard in Brooklyn, Thomas feels strongly that sending Kyrie elsewhere would be a mistake the Nets would regret.
&ldquo;The LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavs that came back and beat the Golden State Warriors after they had a 73-9 season &mdash; and LeBron James was off the charts in every statistical category &mdash; but the Cleveland Cavs do not win the championship without Kyrie Irving on that team," Thomas said. "Put me down on record. The Brooklyn Nets with the team constructed the way it currently is, cannot, and will not, win the championship if he is not there. Period.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s be clear: Kyrie is special. If he is not beating you from the perimeter off the dribble, he is knifing through the paint whenever he chooses with an array of dribble moves, crossovers, stepbacks and finishing in traffic. He is &ldquo;both-handed,&rdquo; which in basketball terms equates to being ambidextrous. He can finish with his left or right hand regardless of the size of the shot-blocker or the number of people occupying the lane. His layup package is on a different planet.
But don&rsquo;t take my word for it.
Allow legendary NBA point guard and New Jersey Nets fan favorite Kenny Anderson to tell you himself.
&ldquo;As far as [the great] point guards go: Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, [Allen] Iverson, Steph Curry, Oscar Robertson, and you gotta put Kyrie in the next mix," Anderson told me. "He&rsquo;s one of the best that ever played the game. He&rsquo;s so talented. His ball-handling skills are exceptional. He&rsquo;s hitting his shot from long range and short range. He can do it all. He&rsquo;s just a great player. I love watching him. He&rsquo;s one of my favorite players.
&ldquo;The Nets would be crazy to even think about trading him. They&rsquo;re favored to win everything. I don&rsquo;t even believe that they are seriously thinking about trading him. I think that&rsquo;s just something the media came up with to have something to talk about before the season starts. We got the best player in the league, Kevin Durant, with the best point guard in the league. Kyrie Irving. and an unstoppable scorer in James Harden. So no, trading Kyrie from the Nets perspective shouldn&rsquo;t even come into their minds and definitely shouldn&rsquo;t come out of their mouths as even a consideration.&rdquo;
There is statistical evidence to back up what both point guard legends are saying.
Last season, Kyrie had the best regular season of his 10-year career, averaging 26.9 points, 6.8 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game. He became just the ninth player in NBA history to join the exclusive 50/40/90 club and shot 50.6% from the field, 40.2% from the three, and 92.2% from the free-throw line. He joined the likes of Curry, Larry Bird, Mark Price, Reggie Miller, Dirk Nowitzki and Malcolm Brogdon, along with his teammate, Durant, and head coach, Steve Nash.&nbsp;
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To provide further insight, Syracuse University point guard icon Sherman Douglas &mdash; who played 11 seasons in the NBA and two with Nets &mdash; weighed in as the rumors as well.
&ldquo;Kyrie is vital to the Nets' success this season. To even think about trading him is absurd," Douglas said. "It&rsquo;s going to take the Lakers a while to get their chemistry [together], and we&rsquo;ll see how that works out. But if you trade him, you&rsquo;re not going to get equal value back, I don&rsquo;t care what package you come up with. He is a special talent, so what type of sense would it make to take a step back in a season where you should be favored to win it all? And if it weren&rsquo;t for injuries, you very well may have won it all last season. Of course, no disrespect to Milwaukee because they did an amazing job. But my point is, it would make no sense to break that team up.&rdquo;
Nicknamed &ldquo;The General&rdquo; for the way he ran the Orangemen and setting the NCAA record for assists in 1989, Douglas offered his evaluation of Kyrie Irving as a point guard and a leader.
&ldquo;Kyrie&rsquo;s skill level of not just ball-handling but of shooting, passing and scoring is one of the best I&rsquo;ve ever seen. He can do it all," Douglas said. "He is one of those point guards where you have to just say, 'I hope he&rsquo;s off tonight.' And [with] the way Brooklyn plays spreading the floor with shooters &mdash; which leaves the defender on an island by himself with Kyrie &mdash; you wanna send help, but you can&rsquo;t because of all of the shooters.
&ldquo;And as a leader, one of the many things that had impressed me with Kyrie is that he can take a step back and let other guys score. So when he sees Durant is scoring or Harden has it going or whoever, he has the humility to take a step back and allow those guys to get off when he knows he could be doing the same exact level of scoring. And I&rsquo;ve seen Harden do that as well. It&rsquo;s not a competition, and that&rsquo;s special. You don&rsquo;t just throw that away, because that chemistry isn&rsquo;t easy to come by and they jelled quickly.&rdquo;
So everyone agrees that, on the court, Kyrie is invaluable. But one of the things that makes him somewhat of an enigma to many is the fact that Kyrie cares about much more than basketball.&nbsp;
At one point last season, Irving divulged that he was participating in his first Ramadan, a sacred time for Muslims where they fast from dawn to sunset and can&rsquo;t eat or drink anything during the day. He also disclosed that the Israeli airstrikes that slaughtered dozens of Palestinians heavily weighed on him, and despite the fact that the playoffs were just days away and the Nets were significant favorites to win it all, his main focus wasn&rsquo;t at the time bouncing a ball.
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Kyrie explained why, with everything going on in the world, basketball isn't the most important thing for him to talk about right now. <a href="https://t.co/y6YbMPoZq6">pic.twitter.com/y6YbMPoZq6</a>
&mdash; SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1393764602840768513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of stuff going on in this world, and basketball is just not the most important thing to me right now," he said. "There&rsquo;s a lot of stuff going on overseas. All my people are still in bondage all across the world. There&rsquo;s a lot of dehumanization going on, so I apologize if I&rsquo;m not going to be focused on your questions. There&rsquo;s just too much going on in the world for me to just be talking about basketball... and it&rsquo;s not just in Palestine and not just in Israel, it&rsquo;s all over the world, and I feel it.
"I&rsquo;m very compassionate to all races, all cultures, and to see so many people being discriminated against based on their religion, the color of their skin, what they believe in it&rsquo;s just sad. We all say we&rsquo;re human beings and we&rsquo;re compassionate and we care, but what are you doing to help?&rdquo;&nbsp;
Anybody with eyes could see the genuine hurt that Kyrie Irving was feeling at that moment. This is who he is. He cares deeply.&nbsp;
Shortly after the Jan. 6 insurrection &mdash; in which the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. was violently attacked by a mob of supporters of Donald Trump as they sought to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election &mdash; Kyrie took a break from the team. Upon his return, he addressed the media. 
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"There are so many oppressed communities and so many things going on that are bigger than a ball going in the rim." Kyrie Irving discussed his absence, mental health and his goals off the court. (via <a href="https://twitter.com/SNYNets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SNYNets</a>) <a href="https://t.co/4LY7T8V327">pic.twitter.com/4LY7T8V327</a>
&mdash; Yahoo Sports NBA (@YahooSportsNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/YahooSportsNBA/status/1351601992280498178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
&ldquo;When things become overwhelming in life, you know, you just got to take a step back and realize what&rsquo;s important. I&rsquo;m not alone in this. And that&rsquo;s just a big thing about also mental health, you know, just coming in and being balanced with yourself and then being able to perform," Irving said. "So, with everything going on in the world politically, socially, it&rsquo;s hard to ignore. I want to make changes daily. You know, there are so many oppressed communities, so many things going on that are bigger than just a ball going into the rim. So it&rsquo;s just the balance of it.&rdquo;&nbsp;
No one is going to deny that Kyrie's absence from the team was unexpected, and the lack of details opened the door for speculation and chatter. And to be fair, the way he handled it wasn&rsquo;t the best either. Breaking the NBA&rsquo;s COVID-19 protocols and attending a party is obviously not the greatest thing to do, even if it&rsquo;s part of the taking a step away process.
However, at the same time, Irving&rsquo;s mental health is something that needs to be intact in order for him to perform at the optimal level fans desire. And taking a break doesn&rsquo;t always look the same for everyone. But in this society, athletes are still greatly ridiculed when they take time off for their mental health, just ask Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles. But that doesn&rsquo;t change the fact that mental health is something that should be valued, and Kyrie is not someone who is going to stop caring &mdash; because that&rsquo;s just who he is. 
On my show "<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-rematch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Rematch</a>," while I was interviewing Stephen Jackson, <a href="nba-kyrie-irving-george-floyd-stephen-jackson-house-bought-gianna-lil-baby-barbra-streisand-brooklyn-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he revealed that Kyrie bought a house for the family of George Floyd</a>, who was murdered last year at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.&nbsp;
Irving also <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamzagoria/2021/01/01/brooklyn-nets-guard-kyrie-irving-pays-off-tuition-of-nine-students-at-hbcu-lincoln-university/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paid off the college tuition of nine students from an HBCU</a> (Lincoln University) on Dec. 10 as part of his foundation&rsquo;s 11 Days of Giving.
At the height of an international covid pandemic, <a href="https://nothinbutnets.com/2020/07/27/nets-kyrie-irving-wnba-players/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he committed $1.5 million to help support the income of WNBA players</a> who chose to sit out the 2020 season due to health and other personal reasons.
This past August, <a href="https://www.michigandaily.com/news/kyrie-irving-donates-13000-to-umich-student-run-charity-for-solar-water-center-in-pakistan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he donated funds to help build a solar water center in Pakistan</a> that will provide clean water and electricity to over 1,000 people.
And I could go on and on and on, but in describing his character, many members of the media choose to focus on Kyrie not wanting to speak to them instead of constantly bringing up these facts.
It always goes back to him calling them pawns, or downplaying his need to take a mental break, or not being committed to the team or pulling up previous statements to add ridicule to him. A good example is his strong opposition to Thanksgiving.
(All the while ignoring the fact that he is very serious about his Native American heritage; his mother, Elizabeth, who passed away when he was 4, was a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Irving and his older sister, Asia, were actually welcomed into the tribe with a ceremony in 2018. He was even given the Lakota name "Little Mountain" by tribal elders. So, yes, it should be more than understandable why he would not be as enthusiastic about a holiday that marks the slaughter of his people, but I digress.)&nbsp;
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I asked Douglas why many in the media choose to focus on the negative instead of the positive so often with Kyrie. 
&ldquo;Unfortunately, the way of the media is to focus on the negative and not the positive. &nbsp;Negativity is what sells," Douglas said. "They are not looking to praise Kyrie for what he does off the court, and he is not looking for that. In fact, he wants to do things quietly and is looking to do the right thing, and you have to commend him for that. What he is doing off the court is just phenomenal. I think Kyrie has to just tune all of that out and keep doing what he has been doing. But he is an example to all on how to give of yourself and to be selfless and care for the well-being of others in thought, word and in deed."
Thomas reflected with the same sentiments.
&ldquo;I love the sensitivity that he shows to the community and in particular, people who are in poverty. I am one who grew up in poverty, so I benefitted from the charitable generosity and good will of others. And it is appreciated more than many people know because he doesn&rsquo;t have to do that," Thomas said. "And he doesn&rsquo;t do it to be seen doing it. Things leak out of course because that&rsquo;s the age we are living in, but he would rather keep everything quiet, and that shows how genuine of a person he is &mdash; because he is doing it out of the kindness of his heart, not for recognition or to embarrass the person who he is helping, which happens too often. So I have all the respect and admiration in the world for him.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Anderson had some closing comments, in addition.
"They just want him to just shut up and play basketball. He has things other than basketball that he feels passionately about, and there&rsquo;s nothing wrong with that," Anderson said. "He cares for people in a way that is foreign to a lot of folks, but he&rsquo;s supposed to care about people. He wants to make a difference in the world and that&rsquo;s what he is doing. He&rsquo;s looking at what&rsquo;s going on overseas, what&rsquo;s going on here in America, things affect him &mdash; but they are supposed to affect him. He&rsquo;s a human being with a huge heart and the financial ability to make a change.
"I think he is doing great, and he needs to keep doing everything he&rsquo;s doing &mdash; whether it&rsquo;s challenging whoever, or helping whoever, or speaking up for whoever. It obviously didn&rsquo;t take away from what he is doing on the court. He can&rsquo;t help injuries, but when he laced them up, he dominated. And if he wouldn&rsquo;t have gotten hurt, things would&rsquo;ve been different last year. So he just needs to ignore everyone and keep doing what he is doing. He definitely has my admiration and support.&rdquo;
All three are absolutely right about Kyrie Irving, and I couldn't agree more.

Etan Thomas defends Kyrie Irving along with three former NBA point guards that admire his game and, more importantly, his character.

Isiah Thomas, Kenny Anderson, Sherman Douglas have Kyrie Irving's back

The GOAT argument has heated up in recent years, with a growing contingent claiming LeBron James over the incumbent greatest of all-time, Michael Jordan. But no matter if it&rsquo;s Jordan, James, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, championships are a prerequisite.
Of course, team success is predicated on talent, and in basketball, one player impacts outcomes more so than in football or baseball. Still, the idea that the best player ever should inevitably be a decorated champion is oversimplified.&nbsp;
Ultimately, I posit that great players can achieve only so much on their own. A great supporting cast is also necessary. And if you examine the GOAT list, it becomes clear that great supporting casts are also a prerequisite. And with that being said, let&rsquo;s identify the best supporting casts of all time.
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5. Boston Celtics, 1980-1988
Key role players: Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Cedric Maxwell, M.L. Carr, Danny Ainge, Nate &ldquo;Tiny&rdquo; Archibald, Dennis Johnson
Championships: 3 (1980-81, 1983-84, 1985-86)
These teams saw some turnover, but the core remained mostly intact throughout the '80s &ndash; Bird, McHale, Parish and Archibald or Johnson. The 1983-84 and 1985-86 iterations had five players average 30 or more minutes per game, and all three championship teams featured five players averaging double figures in points per game. They were incredibly role-oriented and players were intimately familiar with those roles. But ultimately, the main case for the Celtics is that they boasted three of the 50 greatest players ever for their entire run in the '80s.
Side note: Despite having a reputation for being banged up, Bird missed very few games in his prime, making it incredibly difficult to examine how the Celtics fared in his absence. In fact, between the 1980-81 and 1985-86 seasons, Bird missed only five regular-season games. While that&rsquo;s clearly a ridiculously small sample size, the Celtics were 5-0 in those games without Bird. It&rsquo;s not enough to make the case that the Celtics&rsquo; supporting cast achieved anything significant in his absence, but it&rsquo;s something.
4. Miami Heat, 2012-2016
Key role players: Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller
Championships: 2 (2011-12, 2012-13)
The Heat were a surprisingly deep team. All we really remember is the Big Three and Ray Allen&rsquo;s clutch three-pointer in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals. But there was far more depth in Miami than we care to remember. Udonis Haslem, Shane Battier, Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers, Chris Anderson and Norris Cole all played big roles for the Heat. While there was a high degree of turnover in Miami in the 2010s, the key contributors were mostly the same. And they utilized lots of players; the 2011-12 team played 12 guys for 13 or more minutes per game, and the 2012-13 squad did so with 11 players.&nbsp;
But clearly nothing was more important for Miami than the Big Three. James was obviously the team&rsquo;s engine, but Wade and Bosh were crucial to Miami&rsquo;s success. Wade averaged more than 21 points per game in both championship seasons, whereas Bosh averaged slightly less than 20 points per game while taking on significantly more defensive responsibilities than in Toronto. Wade and Bosh combined to make the best one-two punch of any of the supporting casts on this list, making their inclusion here obvious.&nbsp;
3. Golden State Warriors, 2014-2018
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Key-role players: Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Ande Iguodala, Shaun Livingston
Championships: 3 (2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18)
This team is the hardest to write about, mainly because calling Durant a role player feels like it's backwards. Durant has half as many MVP awards as Curry and more scoring championships. But the premise of the article is that the great teams have supporting casts and that great supporting casts support starts &ndash; and Curry is that star. He was in Golden State for their first championship without Durant, and he remains there following Durant&rsquo;s departure. In total, Golden State won three championships in a relatively short amount of time, and in the one year which they did not win the championship, they set a new single-season NBA win record (73).&nbsp;
But however you view this team, it accomplished a great deal &ndash; and it was not predicated on one star. On the contrary, the Warriors spread the wealth. The 2017-18 Warriors, for example, averaged 113.5 points per game, 73 of which came from Curry, Durant and Thompson. And everyone on this team felt like part of the supporting cast at times. Further, 14 players averaged 13 or more minutes per game &ndash; which is more than any other team on this list.&nbsp;
2. Chicago Bulls, 1995-1998
Key role players: Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Ron Harper, Toni Kukoc, Steve Kerr, Luc Longley
Championships: 3 (1995-1996, 1996-1997, 1997-1998 &mdash; six in total, but the teams and supporting casts are distinctly different, separated by Jordan&rsquo;s retirement)
Eras make a difference. And the 1990s Bulls, featuring Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, were just flat-out better than every other team in the NBA in the 1990s. Want proof? The Bulls were one of only five teams with two starters in the All-Star games in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Oh, and their second All-Star, Pippen, was second runner-up for MVP in 1993-94, leading the Bulls to the third-best record in the Eastern Conference in 1993-94 without Jordan. Ironically, Pippen was probably the most equipped to go head-to-head with Jordan.
Jordan, Pippen and Rodman brought unmatched defensive versatility, and Jordan and Pippen were unstoppable, thanks to an unprecedented combination of size and skill. Add in a 6-foot-6 point guard (Harper), a big, ultra-skilled wing (Kukoc) and a dead-eye shooter (Kerr), and it was just too much for teams in the 90s to handle. Bottom line: Jordan was obviously unstoppable. But one player can&rsquo;t do everything on his own, and the fact that this team is still arguably the best team ever more than 30 years since they were dismantled speaks to just how great their supporting cast really was.
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1) Los Angeles Lakers 1979-1988
Key role players: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Byron Scott, James Worthy, Mychal Cooper, A.C. Green and Mychal Thompson.
Championships: 5 (1979-80, 1981-82, 1984-85, 1986-87, 1987-88)
The Showtime Lakers are about as unique a team as you&rsquo;ll come across in basketball history. Their most important player was unquestionably their point guard, Magic Johnson, evidenced by his leading the Lakers to a championship as a rookie while filling in as center in a decisive game. Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA&rsquo;s all-time leading scorer and arguably, at his peak, the best player ever. James Worthy is also an all-time great, having been named a member of the NBA at 50&rsquo;s top 50 players of all time.&nbsp;
But nothing speaks to the team&rsquo;s versatility more than this &ndash; Byron Scott led the Lakers in scoring in 1987-88 (21.7 points per game) despite the presence and health of Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar and Worthy.&nbsp;
Great players are clearly the building blocks on which great teams are built. But great supporting casts are a necessary part of all dynasties, too. Without them, teams run out of gas and get out-maneuvered by complicated defensive schemes. At the end of the day, you need both &ndash; and sometimes more &ndash; to win championships in the NBA.

Drew Maresca takes a look at some of the best supporting casts around NBA GOAT candidates.

Which NBA teams had the best supporting casts of all time?

Several marquee players who were expected to hit the open market in 2022 have signed extensions, so next summer's free-agent crop isn't nearly as star-studded as other classes.
However, there are still plenty of quality players who may be up for grabs. In this three-part series, we&rsquo;ll examine the best players who will potentially enter free agency next July.&nbsp;
After previously <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-freeagent-rankings-harden-beal-among-top10-guards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranking the best guards set to hit free agency next summer</a>, let's examine the top free-agent forwards ready to enter the open market in 2021.&nbsp;
1. Michael Porter Jr. - Denver Nuggets - Restricted
Due to a back injury sustained in college, Porter Jr. was considered a boom-or-bust prospect when the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-michael-porter-jr-became-a-star-after-career-ending-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nuggets selected him with the 14th overall pick</a> in the 2018 draft. Well, three years later, MPJ has boomed. After Jamal Murray tore his ACL last season, Porter emerged as Denver's second option alongside Nikola Jokic and exceeded even lofty expectations. Over a 25-game stretch from late March through mid-May, MPJ averaged a whopping 24.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.4 made three-pointers, while shooting a scorching 56.9% from the floor, 47.2% from downtown and 82.5% at the free-throw line. After the season, Denver's president of basketball operations <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2021/06/18/nuggets-tim-connelly-michael-porter-jr-s-extension-jamal-murrays-return/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tim Connelly said</a>: "Our M.O. is when we can, we try to lock guys up and reward them for what they've done." According to a <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2021/06/18/nuggets-tim-connelly-michael-porter-jr-s-extension-jamal-murrays-return" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report by the Denver Post</a>, Connelly and his staff want to reach a contract extension with MPJ rather than have him hit the market as a restricted free agent next summer. However, per the report, "given Porter's history of back injuries, it's likely the Nuggets add some type of provision to help protect them." Porter is eligible for a five-year, $168 million extension.&nbsp;
2. Mikal Bridges - Phoenix Suns - Restricted
Another member of the 2018 draft class, Bridges isn't as offensively gifted as Porter Jr., but he has established himself as a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-mikal-bridges-phoenix-suns-breakout-season-three-point-shooting-pick-and-roll-defense-deandre-ayton-turnover-percentage-monty-williams-chris-paul-villanova-jay-wright-ashley-howard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">phenomenally well-rounded player and integral part of a Suns team</a> that advanced all the way to the NBA Finals last season. In the process, Bridges averaged a career-high 13.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 threes while posting a True Shooting percentage of 66.7%. <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/31361074/lowe-ten-nba-things-like-including-limitless-flair-nikola-jokic-beef-stew-bully-ball" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to ESPN's Zach Lowe</a>, rival executives expect Bridges to secure a deal in the neighborhood of $20 million per season on his next contract.
3. Joe Ingles - Utah Jazz - Unrestricted 
Ingles matched a career-high last season by averaging 12.1 points per game to go along with 4.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 0.7 steals and a career-best 2.7 made three-pointers per game. He finished the year ranked fifth among qualified players in three-point percentage (45.1%) and posted a phenomenal True Shooting percentage of 67.2% (with a 48.9/51.3/84.4 slash line), which was the third-best mark in the NBA and best among non-centers. In a league that places a high value on efficient scoring, Ingles' skill set is a highly sought-after commodity.&nbsp;
4. T.J. Warren - Indiana Pacers - Unrestricted 
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At the end of the 2019-20 season, Warren was playing the best basketball of his career. Over the six games the Pacers played in the Orlando bubble, Warren averaged 31.0 points, 6.3 boards and 3.7 made treys, while shooting over 57% from the floor and 52% from downtown. Unfortunately, that's the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-100-million-payday-awaits-tj-warren-if-he-continues-to-silence-the-critics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last time we've seen him healthy</a>. He appeared in just four games last season before undergoing surgery for a stress fracture in his foot in January. Worse yet, the Pacers announced earlier this month that Warren's recovery from the surgery has been slower than anticipated, and he will remain sidelined indefinitely. Warren will have to prove he is healthy over the second half of the 2021-22 season to boost his stock before hitting the open market.&nbsp;
5. Miles Bridges - Charlotte Hornets - Restricted 
After a relatively slow start to the 2020-21 campaign, Bridges exploded over the season's final six weeks. With LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward and Malik Monk all sidelined by injuries late in the year, Bridges was a focal point of the Hornets' offense. Over his final 15 games, Bridges averaged 21.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 blocks and 3.1 made three-pointers while shooting over 50% from the floor, 42% from downtown and 84% from the charity stripe. If the Hornets don't sign Bridges to an extension, he'll be a restricted free agent next summer.&nbsp;
6. Kevin Huerter - Atlanta Hawks - Restricted
This offseason, the Hawks locked up both Trae Young (five-year, $207 million extension) and John Collins (five-year $125 million contract). Will they be able to come to an extension agreement with Huerter as well? In early August, Atlanta general manager Travis Schlenk told reporters the team would speak with Huerter's representatives: "His agent wanted to wait a little bit and get all his free agents signed before he went into extensions &mdash; less time-sensitive matters like the extension &mdash; but certainly his agent and Kevin are hoping to have that dialogue, and certainly we are as well. Our intention is to try and get something done with Kevin, for sure." <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/hawks/news/what-to-expect-from-kevin-huerters-ongoing-contract-negotiations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Sports Illustrated</a>, "there is speculation that Huerter could garner between $15-$20 million a season."
7. Thaddeus Young - San Antonio Spurs - Unrestricted 
Young proved last season in Chicago that he is still capable of playing at a high level. In his age-32 season last year, Young averaged 12.1 points (on 55.9% shooting), 6.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.6 blocks in just 24.3 minutes a night off the bench. Most notably, he dished out a career-high 4.3 assists per game. Young had the highest plus/minus (+4.1) of any rotational regular on the Bulls roster, and Chicago was outscored by 5.9 points per 100 possessions with Young on the bench. Expect plenty of contenders to try and pry Young loose from San Antonio at the trade deadline next winter.&nbsp;
8. Blake Griffin - Brooklyn Nets - Unrestricted 
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After a disappointing two years in Detroit, Griffin reached a buyout agreement with the Pistons last March, enabling him to join the Nets. He signed with Brooklyn on March 8 and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/blake-griffin-on-exit-from-pistons-nodunksin464days-narrative" target="_blank" rel="noopener">looked like a new player</a>, as Griffin averaged 10.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 26 appearances. Over the final three games of Brooklyn's playoff series vs. the Bucks, Griffin averaged 15.3 points (on 58% shooting), 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 made treys. He signed a one-year deal with the Nets for the 2021-22 campaign and will hit the free-agent market again next offseason.&nbsp;
9. Marvin Bagley III - Sacramento Kings - Restricted
Unfortunately for Kings fans, after three years in the league, Bagley is probably best known as being the player selected ahead of Luka Doncic and Trae Young. While both Doncic and Young have led their teams to the postseason and secured $200+ million max extensions, Bagley has been unable to stay healthy (appearing in just 118 out of a possible 230 games since being drafted), and has seen his scoring average decrease in each of the past three seasons. However, Bagley won't turn 23 until March of next year and is blessed with the rare combination of size and athleticism that led to him being selected second overall in the 2018 draft. Assuming he doesn't ink an extension, Bagley will look to boost his stock by staying on the floor long enough to showcase his skill set in 2021-22.
10. Kyle Anderson - Memphis Grizzlies - Unrestricted 
It seems as though he's been around forever, but Anderson is just 27 years old and is coming off the best all-around campaign of his career. The man affectionately nicknamed "Slow-Mo" averaged a career-high 12.4 points last season to go along with 5.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.4 made three-pointers in 27.3 minutes per contest. Only three other players in the league matched or exceeded those per-game averages in each of those statistical categories: Kawhi Leonard, LaMelo Ball and James Harden.&nbsp;
Best of the Rest 
Robert Covington, Otto Porter Jr., P.J. Tucker, Jeremy Lamb, Derrick Jones Jr., Carmelo Anthony, Nicolas Batum (player option), Bobby Portis (player option), Al-Farouq Aminu, Andre Iguodala, Taurean Prince

Tommy Beer ranks the top players who could be available as part of the 2022 free-agent class. Today, he examines the top-10 forwards.

2022 NBA Free-Agent Rankings: Bridges, Bagley among top-10 forwards

Before the beginning of this offseason, 2022&rsquo;s free-agency period was supposed to be the next super-class of stars potentially moving elsewhere. However, three weeks later, those dreams have died rather quickly with teams either securing long-term extensions or future cap space dissipating.
Now, we&rsquo;re staring down the barrel of Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine as the headliners. And even then, all signs point to both players eventually signing lucrative extensions with their respective organizations. Projected 2022 restricted free agents &mdash; headlined by Deandre Ayton, Michael Porter Jr., Mikal Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr. &mdash; figure to also sign long-term deals before next season even begins, further dampening an already weaker-than-expected crop of talent movement.
So, who&rsquo;s ready for a potential free agency period where T.J. Warren and Aaron Gordon are the biggest names that might hit the open market via unrestricted free agency? Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier recently signed multi-year extensions, so two of the other top names are already off the board a year in advance.
If you thought 2021's top-tier of free agents was a downtrodden year compared to years past, next summer looks to be an even more disappointing collection of franchise-changing talent.
Many players are taking the guaranteed long-term security in order to avoid a situation we just saw unfold with Dennis Schroder. After declining a four-year, $84 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, Schroder ended up signing a 1-year deal with the Boston Celtics late in free agency. It goes to show that sometimes betting on yourself to improve your annual value can be a dangerous game to play when there are no guarantees. And in the days of player empowerment, where a simple trade request can get you out the door of an organization at a moment's notice, you can still do that a few years into your new deal if it&rsquo;s not going well for either side.
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Another reason why there isn&rsquo;t expected to be much player movement via free agency next offseason is due to projected cap space available elsewhere. Currently, only three teams look to have enough to go star-hunting if they so desire: the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons and New Orleans Pelicans. Those are not exactly the markets that big-fish free agents are desiring to chase nowadays.
With limited flexibility amongst NBA teams, the best bet for extensive player movement next offseason is via trade. Beal is the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-bradley-beal-washington-wizards-offseason-rumors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obvious name to watch under this scenario</a> if he decides to pass on a Supermax extension from the Washington Wizards. If Beal wants to decline a future in Washington, but also not leave them empty-handed, a sign-and-trade is a strong possibility.
Zooming back out and looking ahead to the 2022 class of unrestricted free agents, here are the top names still projected to hit the open market as of today:
Ball-Handlers: Bradley Beal (player option), Zach LaVine, Victor Oladipo, Dennis Schroder, Ricky Rubio, Goran Dragic, Patrick Beverley
Wings: T.J. Warren, Aaron Gordon, Otto Porter Jr., Robert Covington, Kyle Anderson, Gary Harris, Joe Ingles
Bigs: Jusuf Nurkic, Jonas Valanciunas, Blake Griffin, Serge Ibaka, Thaddeus Young, Tristan Thompson, Thomas Bryant, Montrezl Harrell
Outside of Beal and LaVine &mdash; as mentioned, unlikely both even hit the open market a year from now &mdash; there&rsquo;s no true &ldquo;star&rdquo; free agent. Unless an organization makes an aggressive push for a B-level player like Warren or Gordon, and maybe even Oladipo if he proves to be 100% healthy following a lingering quad issue that has altered his career trajectory, the talent crop is not exactly awe-inspiring.
Be ready for another quiet free agency period next offseason. In 2021, we at least had a few players who had the potential of altering potential ceiling outcomes for their new organizations. Looking ahead, that appears not to be the case for 2022 unless something drastic occurs.
All eyes now will be focused upon the future of Beal and LaVine. They hold all the cards for what could either be an explosive 2022 offseason, or one of the quietest in terms of summer movement we&rsquo;ve seen in a very long time.
It&rsquo;s safe to say we&rsquo;re not used to seeing this limited amount of talent entering into an open market, especially where organizations seem to prioritize continuity over splashes with very few projected max-contract slots open around the NBA.

Free agency is always a time where star-caliber players can change teams, but next offseason could see the opposite outcome.

After years of star movement, 2022 offseason shapes up to be an outlier

Milwaukee Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo underwent successful surgery today to repair the torn ligament in his left ankle. 
The surgery was performed in Green Bay, Wis., by Dr. Robert Anderson with oversight by Bucks team physician Dr. Carole Vetter of the Froedtert &amp; the Medical College of Wisconsin health network.
Additional updates on DiVincenzo&rsquo;s status will be provided as appropriate.
Source: <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/bucks-donte-divincenzo-undergoes-successful-ankle-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Official NBA press release </a>
ANALYSIS: Donte DiVincenzo suffered the injury in Game 3 of Milwaukee's first round matchup vs. the Heat and shortly after was ruled out for the remainder of the postseason.
DiVincenzo was averaging 10.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for the Bucks in the playoffs.
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Bucks' Donte DiVincenzo underwent successful surgery on a torn ligament in his left ankle.

Bucks' Donte DiVincenzo (ankle) undergoes successful surgery

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Donovan Mitchell scored 10 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter and the top-seeded Utah Jazz beat the Memphis Grizzlies 121-111 on Saturday night to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round series.
Mike Conley, in Memphis where he started his career, matched his regular-season and playoff career highs with seven 3-pointers and finished with 27 points.
Rudy Gobert had 15 points and 14 rebounds, Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson added 15 apiece, and Royce O'Neale had 12.
Game 4 is Monday night in Memphis.
Ja Morant led Memphis with 28 points, and Dillon Brooks had 27 before fouling out. Grayson Allen added 17 off the bench, hitting five 3s. Kyle Anderson had 11 points and 13 rebounds, and Jonas Valanciunas had 10 points and 13 rebounds.
Brooks scored the first six points of the fourth, starting Memphis on a 13-2 run. Morant gave the eighth-seeded Grizzlies their first lead at 107-105 with two free throws with 5:00 left, and his jumper with 4:28 made it 109-107.
That's when Mitchell scored on a three-point play to put the Jazz ahead to stay at 110-109. He added a 3-pointer and Utah finished on a 14-2 run.
Memphis increased capacity to 55% inside FedExForum, and the approximately 10,000 fans were very loud for the franchise&rsquo;s first home playoff game since April 27, 2017, when Conley was the Grizzlies&rsquo; point guard for a seventh straight postseason berth.
After three people were banned by the Jazz for <a href="https://apnews.com/ce253d5b005159eb26df8c7d14750347">racist and sexist comments to Morant&rsquo;s family</a> during Game 2, the Memphis fans booed every member of the Utah starting lineup except for Conley &mdash; playing his first postseason game against the team that drafted him at No. 4 overall in 2007.
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Utah scored the first four points and led 34-22 after the first quarter. Every time Memphis tried to eat away at the lead, the Jazz answered with another 3. The Jazz made 11 3s in leading 62-51 at halftime.
Valanciunas, who averaged 17.1 points and 12.5 rebounds during the regular season, didn&rsquo;t score his first backet until early in the third quarter. He scored the first 10 of the quarter pulling Memphis to 68-61, and the Grizzlies got within four on a pair of free throws by Morant with 4:05 left.
The Jazz answered with eight straight and led 96-85 after the third quarter.
TIP-INS
Jazz: The NBA's best 3-point shooters in the regular season, making 16.7 a game, had 17 through three quarters and finished with 19. ... O&rsquo;Neal hit 4 of 6 3s by halftime to match his playoff career best set in Game 2 when he went 4 of 7 for the game. He&rsquo;s 9 of 16 beyond the arc in the series.
Grizzlies: Memphis came in having won eight of its last 10. The Grizzlies are 6-2 over their last eight Game 3s, with this loss joining 2016 when they were swept by San Antonio.
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The top-seeded Utah Jazz beat the Memphis Grizzlies 121-111 on Saturday night to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round series.