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Lakers

The Lakers are progressing to a two-way deal with Sekou&nbsp;Doumbouya, the 15th pick of the 2019 NBA draft.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1447998833322078210?s=20">Shams Charania/ESPN</a>
Doubmouya was recently included in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets, before being moved to the Houston Rockets, where he was waived.
Doumboya has averaged just 5.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game on 38% shooting from the field and 25% shooting from three, and this could be his last chance to solidify a spot in the NBA.

The Lakers are progressing to a two-way deal with Sekou Doumbouya, the 15th pick of the 2019 NBA draft.

Sekou Doumbouya to sign two-way deal with Los Angeles Lakers

Earlier this week, we identified roster spot battles to watch through training camp this October here. And already a portion of my <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/3-roster-spot-battles-to-watch-for-in-the-eastern-conference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eastern Conference list</a> has been upended by transactions, as the Brooklyn Nets promptly traded away Sekou Doumbouya almost immediately after I predicted that he would make the team. Long story short: Things happen quickly in training camp.&nbsp;
But still, we forge ahead, this time refocusing our analysis on the Western Conference. So as training camp approaches its close, let&rsquo;s identify the three most interesting roster-spot battles in the Western Conference.&nbsp;
Portland Trail Blazers
Entering training camp, the Trail Blazers signed three former lottery picks to training camp deals: Dennis Smith Jr., Marquese Chriss and Patrick Patterson. Portland only has 13 players signed, meaning that they technically have two spots to fill (and one of their two-way contracts are spoken for, too), but Portland general manager Neil Olshey usually enters seasons with fewer than 15 players. So, it&rsquo;s an understandable assumption that the Trail Blazers will probably only sign one of the three guys they inked to training camp deals.
Considering who was signed and who is already in place in Portland, none of the three are likely to get major minutes. Smith is best suited as a backup point guard, while Chriss and Patterson are power forwards. In my estimation, this decision comes down to needs. Considering that Robert Covington and Larry Nance Jr. are their only true 4s, the most pressing need is probably down low. So, if Portland is hell-bent on entering the season with no more than 14 guys on its roster, the team will probably choose between Chriss and Patterson. Patterson has more experience, and he shoots it better from deep (36.9% on three-point attempts in his career compared to just 28.9% for Chriss.) Neither makes or breaks Portland&rsquo;s season; but considering the Blazers are trying to build a contender and convince Damian Lillard that Portland is the place for him, Patterson is a better addition. If the Blazers decide to fill out their entire roster by signing a 15th player, Smith should get a long look. He is too skilled and athletic to not get another shot, and backing up a star like Lillard removes a lot of the pressure he&rsquo;s had on him throughout his career.
Prediction: Patterson makes the cut (and Smith signs a two-way contract).
Golden State Warriors
Golden State entered training camp with the maximum of 20 players on its roster, one of whom is on a two-way deal (Chris Chiozza) and three of whom are on training-camp deals (Jordan Bell, Avery Bradley and Langston Galloway.) Damion Lee, Mychal Mulder and Gary Payton Jr. are all signed to non-guaranteed deals, too. To summarize, the Warriors have lots of options &ndash; but Golden State will probably avoid making any zany moves. Instead, they will probably keep one of the three players signed to training-camp deals and cut the other two. As much as the veteran savvy of Bradley and Galloway could be alluring, Golden State doesn&rsquo;t need more veteran leadership &ndash; but they could use help backing up the power-forward position. Enter Bell, who returns to the Bay Area with a familiarity of head coach Steve Kerr and the Warriors&rsquo; systems. Bell exited Golden State after playing his first two professional seasons there, and he had some maturity issues in his first go-round with the Warriors. But Bell sounded significantly more mature in a <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/jordan-bell-warriors-contract-reunites-two-desperate-parties" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent interview with NBC Sports Bay Area</a>. Assuming he demonstrates that growth in practices and preseason games, Bell will probably be kept.
Prediction: Jordan Bell makes the cut.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers' roster battle is particularly interesting, as it features a former top-ranked high school prospect in Harry Giles. Giles is battling with Isaiah Hartenstein and Moses Wright for the Clippers&rsquo; final roster spot; both of the team's two-way contracts are used up (Jay Scrubb and Amir Coffey.) &nbsp;Two of the spots are also occupied by players who will miss a good chunk of the 2021-22 season to injuries (Kawhi Leonard and rookie Jason Preston), making the remaining roster spots all the more valuable.&nbsp;
In the Clippers&rsquo; first preseason game, Giles produced more than Hartenstein and Wright, posting 8 points and 12 rebounds in 16 minutes. In their second preseason game, Wright played slightly better than the other two, finishing with 7 points and 5 rebounds in 12 minutes. What the Clippers ultimately choose to do is anyone&rsquo;s guess, but I think that Giles&rsquo; potential is too much to pass on. He&rsquo;s still only 23 years old; and if he finds what made him special just a few short years ago, Giles could be significantly more valuable than what the salary of a 15th man will pay him.&nbsp;
Prediction: Giles makes the cut.&nbsp;
The NBA&rsquo;s 75th regular season kicks off in less than two weeks. Decisions will be made between now and then that will greatly impact the lives of several men. Ultimately, some will impact teams' seasons too, as a chunk of these end-of-the-bench guys will probably earn bigger roles as the season goes on.&nbsp;

Drew Maresca examines the three most interesting final roster spot situations in the West.

3 roster-spot battles to watch for in the Western Conference

The Brooklyn Nets are trading forward Sekou Doumbouya and a second-round pick to the Houston Rockets, sources tell&nbsp;The Athletic.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1445545367894835200" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Brooklyn had recently acquired Doumbouya this offseason in a trade that sent DeAndre Jordan to the Pistons. It is unclear what Brooklyn received in this specific trade, but Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the team has <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1445545763363188740" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquired Edmond Sumner and a second-round</a> pick from Indiana.
ESPN's Tim MacMahon also reports that the Rockets <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1445547296100212736" target="_blank" rel="noopener">intend to waive Doumbouya</a>. He was the No. 15 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Brooklyn had recently acquired Doumbouya this offseason in a trade that sent DeAndre Jordan to the Pistons.

Nets trading Sekou Doumbouya, second-round pick to Rockets

Basketball has evolved into a truly global sport, and the NBA pulls talent from all over the world. That&rsquo;s great for the overall quality of play, but it means that there is more competition for NBA roster spots, which are harder than ever to earn.
With Media Day in the rearview mirror and training camp underway, competition to make the final cut is heating up. Teams enter camp with as many as 20 players, but must trim the roster down to 15 by opening day (excluding the pair of two-way contracts allowed in addition for players who can move between the G League and NBA rosters).
While every team has important decisions to make, it&rsquo;s not as if every roster spot is up for grabs. On the contrary, most spots are taken by players who are signed to guaranteed contracts. It&rsquo;s the players on training-camp deals who have the most to prove this time of year; sometimes, it can be the occasional (and unlucky) guaranteed player who has underachieved so badly that his team is considering paying him to play elsewhere.&nbsp;
The last guy on the bench rarely has a great impact on his team&rsquo;s success, but it can happen &ndash; and it surely impacts the individual players. Considering the ramifications of these decisions, let&rsquo;s examine the three most interesting roster situations in the Eastern Conference.&nbsp;
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets are intriguing because &ndash; while it might look as if they don&rsquo;t need much from the end of their bench on paper &ndash; their situation is more complicated than it appears. Depending on where Kyrie Irving ultimately lands with his decision to get the COVID vaccine or not, he could miss all of his home games (and games against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden). In total, Irving could miss as many as 43 regular-season games if he stands firm on being unvaccinated. And while there is more than enough star power in Brooklyn to get by, removing a key player from the rotation for half of the season puts more pressure on a team&rsquo;s depth.
So what exactly will Brooklyn look to address with its final roster spot? The team's backcourt is in relatively good shape thanks to a combination of James Harden, Patty Mills, Jevon Carter and rookie Cam Thomas, but there are other needs to address. The Nets' frontcourt could use a youth infusion, and there&rsquo;s a limit on swingmen beyond Joe Harris and Bruce Brown. After cutting Jahlil Okafor last month, Brooklyn's decision should come down to DeAndre&rsquo; Bembry or Sekou Doumbouya. No disrespect to Bembry, but Doumbouya is a 6-foot-8 <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/detroit-pistons-moving-on-from-sekou-doumbouya-is-a-headscratcher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">former first-round pick who is 20 years old</a>. He fills multiple needs, and his youth gives the added benefit that if he works out, he could be part of the team&rsquo;s future.&nbsp;
Prediction: Sekou Doumbouya makes the cut.
New York Knicks&nbsp;
The Knicks are in an interesting spot. They just cut Luca Vildoza, who signed a four-year, non-guaranteed contract with the team at the end of the 2020-21 season. He was seen as someone who would make the team as recently as June, but things happen fast in the NBA. Considering New York will start the season without its presumptive starting center, Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks might want to add another big man. Nerlens Noel is more than qualified to hold down the fort, and Taj Gibson is a valuable, albeit slightly undersized backup, but does New York want to kick off the season without any other options? What if one of those two suffers another injury?
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The Knicks have two rookies on their training camp roster who could fill that need in Jericho Sims and Aamir Simms. The former is a freakish athlete, similar in nature to Robinson, who is an above-average defender and rim-runner. Conversely, Simms possesses <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/aamir-simms-eager-to-exhibit-a-side-of-his-game-we-havent-seen-at-the-next-level" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a more polished offensive game</a>, but he lacks the burst and leaping ability of Sims. There&rsquo;s also Dwayne Bacon and Wayne Selden, who are actively competing for the team&rsquo;s final roster spot. Bacon looked good with Orlando last season, and I expect him to make the cut. The Knicks do have a two-way contract remaining, so maybe they'll use that on one of the Sim(m)s, while keeping Bacon on the main roster.&nbsp;
Prediction: Dwayne Bacon makes the cut.
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are also in an interesting position, but more so because they have multiple spots to fill. Toronto has 12 guaranteed contracts, and both two-way deals are spoken for. That means Toronto can keep three of the following six players: Isaac Bonga, Sam Dekker, Freddie Gillespie, Reggie Perry, Ishmail Wainright and Yuta Watanabe. Gillespie and Watanabe are known commodities north of the border, having played with the Raptors last season, and Dekker is a former first-round pick with plenty of NBA experience. All but Perry have partial guarantees for 2021-22, but a partial guarantee will not secure you a spot in the NBA.
Bonga and Perry are both 6-foot-8 and 21 years old. Perry has just one year of NBA experience, whereas Bonga has three &ndash; but neither has made their mark yet. Beyond Goran Dragic, Fred VanVleet has the most experience of all Raptors with five professional seasons. With that in mind, expect Dekker &ndash; who has four years of NBA experience &ndash; to make the cut. Additionally, the Raptors will probably stick with the guys they know, meaning that Gillespie and Watanabe are likely to be in Toronto for the 2021-22 season, too.
Prediction: Sam Dekker, Freddie Gillespie and Yuta Watanabe all make the cut.
NBA roster decisions aren&rsquo;t entirely fair. Sometimes, players are cut because of an injury or other circumstance-related issues. But it really is just a business (rarely personal), and front offices do what they feel is in their best interest.
And at the end of the day, that&rsquo;s about as objective as it gets.&nbsp;

Drew Maresca examines the three most interesting final roster spot situations in the East.

3 roster-spot battles to watch for in the Eastern Conference

The first practices of the season in the NBA are here, with teams set to hit the floor on Tuesday to formally begin getting ready for the 2021-22 campaign.
A six-pack of things to watch as things get started:
THE CHAMPS
Milwaukee is running it back.
The Bucks used eight players in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, the title-clincher against Phoenix, and seven of them are still on the roster; the exception is P.J. Tucker, now part of the Miami Heat. The Bucks also have seven of their top eight scorers, in terms of total points, back from a year ago; the exception in that case is Bryn Forbes, who returned to San Antonio.
Plus, Giannis Antetokounmpo played the game of his life to finish off that title run, a 50-point, 14-rebound masterpiece &mdash; and he isn&rsquo;t even 27 yet. His best easily may be yet to come.
CAMP CENTRAL
San Diego hasn&rsquo;t technically had an NBA team since 1984.
This week, the city has three.
The Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets and Brooklyn Nets are all calling San Diego home this week for training camp. They&rsquo;re all practicing separately, using three different facilities. The Nets will play in Los Angeles against the Lakers on Sunday before returning home, while the Nuggets and Clippers will play in Los Angeles on Monday.
YOUTH IS SERVED
If so inclined, the Houston Rockets might be able to do something very rare in the preseason.
Start with a three-guard lineup: Josh Christopher, Jalen Green and Daishen Nix. Put Usman Garuba at forward, put Alperen Sengun at center.
It adds up to five teens on the floor.
There are no fewer than 21 teens on NBA rosters as training camps begin Tuesday, including five Rockets and a trio of 18-year-olds &mdash; Golden State&rsquo;s Jonathan Kuminga, Oklahoma City&rsquo;s Josh Giddey and San Antonio&rsquo;s Joshua Primo.
Of those, Kuminga and Giddey will turn 19 before the regular season begins. Primo doesn&rsquo;t turn 19 until Dec. 24. He&rsquo;ll be 18 years, 300 days old when the Spurs open their season Oct. 20 against Orlando.
That means he&rsquo;s in line to become the youngest player in an NBA game in more than 15 years &mdash; Andrew Bynum was 18 years, 191 days old when he appeared in a playoff contest for the Los Angeles Lakers against Phoenix on May 6, 2006.
There have been four 18-year-olds to debut in the NBA since Bynum: Dragan Bender, Sekou Doumbouya, Devin Booker and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But technically, if Primo debuts before Nov. 17, he&rsquo;ll be younger than any of them were for their NBA regular-season games by a matter of days.
HOW THINGS CHANGE
It hasn&rsquo;t even been a year since the 2020 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat &mdash; they were played in October.
&ldquo;Feels like three years ago,&rdquo; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
The Lakers used 12 players in that series; of those, only LeBron James and Anthony Davis have remained with the team on an uninterrupted basis. Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard are back now, after playing elsewhere last season.
The Heat also used 12 players in that series; of those, only Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson remain in Miami.
It should be noted that in both cases, the Lakers (Talen Horton-Tucker) and the Heat (Udonis Haslem, Gabe Vincent) have had other players remain on the roster since those finals. They just didn&rsquo;t play in that title series inside the restart bubble at Walt Disney World.
PRESEASON PERSPECTIVE
The games that start Sunday when Brooklyn visits the Los Angeles Lakers mean, and this can&rsquo;t be stressed enough, absolutely nothing in terms of wins and losses.
Milwaukee went 0-3 in the preseason last year and won the NBA title. Phoenix went 0-4 in the preseason last year and went to the NBA Finals.
The only team in the last 25 years that had the best record in the preseason and went on to win the NBA crown was Golden State in 2016-17.
FINALLY, HOME
For Raptors fans in Toronto, the wait is nearly over.
The team plays at home next week. Really at home, that is.
For the first time since Feb. 28, 2020, the Raptors will play a game in Toronto when they open their preseason schedule against Philadelphia. Only a handful of players and staff remain from that team, so the Raptors are having camp in Toronto instead of going elsewhere in Canada &mdash; as they&rsquo;ve done often in recent years.
Toronto called Tampa, Florida, home last season because of the pandemic.
&ldquo;We thought it was really important to re-establish our base here and get everyone familiar with the city,&rdquo; Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said. &ldquo;A lot of our players, a lot of our staff, haven&rsquo;t been here, so we thought that was really important for us to do that.&rdquo;

The first practices in the NBA are here, with teams hitting the floor on Tuesday to formally begin getting ready for the 2021-22 campaign.

6 things to watch for as NBA training camps are set to open

The 2021 NBA offseason featured plenty of surprises and quite a bit of player movement. While there has been plenty of discussion about the stars who changed teams, there were also many talented players who ended up signing for the veteran&rsquo;s minimum.
These are the kind of low-risk, high-reward moves that could end up being some of the biggest steals of the offseason. Some of these players will inevitably outperform their contract and become a huge bargain for their respective teams.&nbsp;
For example, when the Los Angeles Lakers won the championship in 2019-20, their roster featured quite a few minimum-contract contributors including Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, Markieff Morris, Talen Horton-Tucker and Jared Dudley.&nbsp;
In the NBA, the veteran's minimum varies from player to player depending on their years of experience. For example, a rookie who signs a minimum deal will earn $925,258 this season. A second-year player on the minimum will earn $1,489,065. By the time a player has played 10 or more years in the NBA, their minimum contract is worth $2,641,691.
So while all of the players listed in this piece signed for the veteran minimum, they won&rsquo;t receive the same paychecks. However, their cap hit will be the same. <a href="https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/nba-minimum-salaries-for-2021-22.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Luke Adams from Hoops Rumors explains</a>:
&ldquo;Because the NBA doesn&rsquo;t want teams to avoid signing veteran players in favor of cheaper, younger players, the league reimburses clubs who sign veterans with three or more years of experience to one-year, minimum salary contracts. Those deals will only count against the cap &ndash; and against a team&rsquo;s bank balance &ndash; for $1,669,178, the minimum salary for a player with two years of experience.&rdquo;
So while Andre Iguodala will earn $2,641,691 this season, he&rsquo;ll only cost the Golden State Warriors $1,669,178, and the NBA will make up the difference.
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Across the board, minimum salaries increased by 3% over last year&rsquo;s numbers. Here&rsquo;s a look at some notable players who signed for the minimum:
Victor Oladipo, Miami Heat: After earning $21,000,000 last season with the Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets, Oladipo will make $2,389,641 this season with the Miami Heat. A significant quad injury impacted his stock entering free agency, which is why this two-time All-Star is on a minimum deal just three years after making an All-NBA team. Last year, Oladipo averaged 20.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.6 threes and 1.3 steals in 29 total games with the Rockets and Pacers. If healthy, Oladipo could end up being a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/victor-oladipo-minimum-deal-may-become-nba-offseason-biggest-steal-miami-heat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">key contributor for Miami</a>.
Andre Drummond, Philadelphia 76ers: Last season, Drummond averaged 14.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks in 46 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers. The 28-year-old was earning $27,957,238 with the Cavs, but then he agreed to a buyout and joined the Lakers. He hoped to win a title alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Co., but Los Angeles was eliminated in the first round by the Phoenix Suns. Now, he&rsquo;ll serve as Joel Embiid&rsquo;s backup on the 76ers while earning $2,401,537.
Blake Griffin, Brooklyn Nets: Like Drummond, Griffin was bought out halfway through the 2020-21 season. With $75 million remaining on his contract, Griffin reportedly agreed to leave $13.3 million on the table in order to exit his deal with the Detroit Pistons and hit unrestricted free agency. Shortly after, he joined the Brooklyn Nets in pursuit of a ring. Still, he went from earning $32,670,565 last year to $2,641,691 during the upcoming campaign.
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Otto Porter Jr., Golden State Warriors: Porter received larger offers during free agency, but he decided to join the Warriors on a $2,389,641 salary (after earning $28,489,239 last season with the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic). He should fit perfectly alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, and then he&rsquo;ll hit free agency again next offseason. Last year, the 28-year-old averaged 9.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 threes in 28 games.
Andre Iguodala, Golden State Warriors: After spending five years with the Warriors (from 2013-14 to 2018-19), Iguodala joined the Miami Heat for a two-year stint. Now, he&rsquo;s returning to Golden State on a one-year deal. Last season, he averaged 4.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks in 21.3 minutes per game, while also serving as a strong veteran leader in the locker room. After earning $15,000,000 last season, he&rsquo;ll make $2,641,691 in 2021-22.
DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Lakers: Last season, Jordan earned $10,375,678 from the Brooklyn Nets, averaging 7.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 21.9 minutes per game. Recently, the Nets traded Jordan and four second-round picks to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Sekou Doumbouya and Jahlil Okafor. Shortly after, the Pistons bought out Jordan, and he signed a one-year, $2,641,691 deal.
Other Notable Minimum-Contract Players:&nbsp;
Carmelo Anthony, Los Angeles Lakers ($2,641,691)
Enes Kanter, Boston Celtics ($2,641,691)
Paul Millsap, Brooklyn Nets ($2,641,691)
Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers ($2,641,691)
Cody Zeller, Portland Trail Blazers ($2,389,641)
Malik Monk, Los Angeles Lakers ($1,789,256)
Nemanja Bjelica, Golden State Warriors ($2,089,448)
Rajon Rondo, Los Angeles Lakers ($2,641,691)
Wayne Ellington, Los Angeles Lakers ($2,641,691)

Alex Kennedy highlights key players who signed for the veteran's minimum this offseason after being on lucrative deals previously.

Examining minimum-contract bargains from 2021 NBA offseason

Nekias Duncan breaks down all five teams in the Atlantic Division for his 2021-22 NBA season preview.

2021-22 NBA Season Preview: Atlantic Division

The Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons struck a peculiar deal on Friday.
No, it&rsquo;s not because it was a &ldquo;salary dump,&rdquo; one of the most common maneuvers made by regretful front offices in the NBA. Rather, it was peculiar because the team that moves on from a player on a bloated salary rarely wins these kind of deals.
In this trade, the Nets were able to save $47 million in salary and luxury-tax penalties by sending out DeAndre Jordan and four future second-round picks to Detroit. That&rsquo;s a heck of a move by Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks considering Jordan, who was making approximately $10 million annually, didn&rsquo;t appear in a single playoff game for the team. Sure, Marks had to attach draft capital to entice another team to take on his contract, but it ended up being more than worth it.
That&rsquo;s because the Pistons traded Sekou Doumbouya and Jahlil Okafor in the process. Apparently, Detroit&rsquo;s front office feels that a quartet of late selections will be more valuable than its No. 15 overall pick from two years ago.&nbsp;
Okafor&rsquo;s expendability is understandable with a crowded frontcourt and his journeyman nature over the last few years. Doumbouya, however, was not a player to include in this type of deal, particularly when the talent they got in exchange was immediately bought out.
Sure, his role with the Pistons would have been non-existent or scaled back further with the addition of Cade Cunningham in this past summer&rsquo;s draft. That said, as a team in asset-accumulation mode, wouldn&rsquo;t it serve them best to try to continue developing Doumbouya behind-the-scenes and get him back into the rotation? He&rsquo;s shown signs of upside before and, guys, he&rsquo;s not even of legal drinking age yet in the United States! You can never have enough wings in today&rsquo;s NBA.
It&rsquo;s not like Detroit was paying him a ton of money, either, nor would he hold the organization back. He seemed to have a great attitude despite seeing sporadic minutes from game-to-game. Why rashly move on from Doumbouya in this kind of manner when you&rsquo;re not getting anything of substance in return, now or later? (Unless one of those second-rounders hits or leads to a bigger deal &mdash; then we can revisit this and have a laugh).
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Understanding that the writing was on the wall, it feels like there was a better way to handle this. Truthfully, with all due respect to Pistons general manager Troy Weaver, it appears to be a situation where a player left over from a previous regime drew the short end of the stick and didn&rsquo;t fit into the current team&rsquo;s vision. It&rsquo;s tenable to say that Doumbouya hasn&rsquo;t lived up to expectations to this point, and maybe that was to blame for his jettisoning out of Detroit, but the team didn&rsquo;t give him a whole lot of room for error in the first place, either.&nbsp;
If Brooklyn decides to keep Doumbouya around the team or mature his game with its G League affiliate &mdash; the Long Island Nets &mdash; who knows how much that could pay off? And let&rsquo;s be real &mdash; &nbsp;the Nets probably didn&rsquo;t expect to get back a young player with untapped potential in a transaction like this.&nbsp;
Should the Pistons have mailed it in on their first-rounder from two seasons ago? As a team embarking on a rebuild, you should want as many young, talented players as you can possibly get your hands on, and depth is never a bad thing. It's surprising that they gave up on a raw, 20-year-old prospect at this stage.
At his age, Doumbouya could take a number of years before he gets a consistent opportunity. He almost certainly won&rsquo;t be a part of the Nets' rotation from the jump. However, it's tough to think of a better way to pass that time than learning from the greats of the game and veterans that are currently on this Brooklyn roster.
Doumbouya has shown promise in spurts. He&rsquo;s fast and furious, and has the athleticism. It&rsquo;s all about putting everything together with his physical frame. There's no guarantee that he'll pan out, but why move on now before finding out?
Marks and the Nets made a low-risk, high-reward decision to bring him in, while the Pistons may have lost out on a prospect who hasn&rsquo;t even scratched the surface of what he can be.

Spencer Davies argues that the Pistons shouldn't have moved on from Sekou Doumbouya so quickly.

Pistons moving on from Sekou Doumbouya is a head-scratcher

The Brooklyn Nets are a powerhouse, and they haven&rsquo;t even reached their full potential.
Arguably the most potent scoring trio in NBA history &mdash; Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving &mdash; has only played 14 full games together. In those outings, Brooklyn was 11-3, with seven of those wins coming by double-digits.
In their first-round playoff matchup against the Boston Celtics, the Nets showed how unstoppable they can truly be at full force, winning the series in five games; all of those wins were by at least 11 points. With Durant, Harden and Irving on the court together, it creates endless pick-your-poison scenarios that make it seemingly impossible to decide what to do.
Want to stop Durant, a demigod-like, three-level scorer who looks totally fine after blowing out his Achilles tendon two years ago? Tough luck, the backcourt of Harden and Irving will pick your defense apart.
Want to focus on stopping the Harden-Irving duo? Durant will go off and have his way against any plans thrown up against him.
The Nets have a historically special offensive ceiling, one that can truly rival any throughout NBA history if all jells together perfectly. That's such a scary thought, especially when placed into win-or-go-home playoff situations. Having Durant, Harden and Irving take pressure off one another each possession helps preserve one another's energy, and it allows for each to get their own sequences and showcase their generational talents whenever it's their turn.
Having a strategy to defeat the Nets is almost nonexistent. As we saw in their postseason defeat against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the injuries that caught up to them ended up being costly. Even without Harden and Irving, a one-man band revolving around Durant <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kevin-durant-goes-the-distance-delivers-all-time-performance-in-game-5-win-nba-playoffs-brooklyn-nets-milwaukee-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">almost beat the future NBA champions by himself</a>.
Looking ahead to the 2021-22 season, it&rsquo;s no wonder why the Nets are heavy favorites to take home the Larry O&rsquo;Brien trophy.&nbsp; Not only do they have endless amounts of star power, they have also improved their depth, which was relatively thin at points last season.
During this offseason alone, Brooklyn has revamped its roster, adding all of the following pieces: Patty Mills, Paul Millsap, Cam Thomas, Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe, Jevon Carter, LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin (re-signed) and Bruce Brown (re-signed). When dissecting the Nets&rsquo; rotation by splitting it into the starting lineup and second unit, it&rsquo;s a loaded bunch that can relieve the inevitable nights when one or multiple stars on the team rest.
Starters: Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Joe Harris, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin
Second Unit: Patty Mills, Cam Thomas, Bruce Brown, Paul Millsap, Nic Claxton
Not even including Aldridge, Carter and Sharpe into the equation &mdash; three more players who can play spot minutes when needed &mdash; Brooklyn is well-rounded enough to really take the next step to juggernaut status in 2021-22. Also, we should note the impressive job Nets general manager Sean Marks has done, assembling an intriguing young core that can develop long-term behind the veterans &mdash; Thomas, Sharpe, Brown, Carter, Nic Claxton and Sekou Doumbouya. The Nets have the perfect environment set up for young players to thrive within while not rushing along their development and forcing immediate playing time. Brooklyn has somehow achieved the perfect roster construction for the present and future, which is a beautiful outcome for the front office as they look ahead throughout the 2020s.
In the win totals for next season presented by Las Vegas oddsmakers, the Nets&rsquo; over/under checks in at 55.5. Personally, I think Brooklyn blows that lower-than-expected projection out of the water. Durant has another year post-Achilles injury upcoming, plus the Irving/Harden backcourt has had more time to mesh. With three stars who could go off for 40-plus points any given night, who knows which one takes the reins as a leading MVP candidate? I would bet on Durant, but it wouldn&rsquo;t be shocking to see Harden and Irving also receive some early-season buzz with a lightning-fast start forecasted for the Nets.
Brooklyn and Milwaukee are in a tier of their own atop the Eastern Conference. And right now, I would definitely lean heavily toward the Nets dethroning the defending champions in a playoff series. How would the Bucks be able to stop a fully healthy Nets roster? What about the rest of the Association?
If the Nets are clicking on all cylinders, they can challenge for a mid-to-high 60-win season. The 2021-22 version of this Brooklyn team has the potential to be on a similar playing field as the LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh-led Miami Heat, as well as the Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Durant-led Golden State Warriors that caused seismic changes throughout the NBA. Assembling a terrifyingly talented scoring trio with the right amount of win-now veterans and long-term prospects, the Nets are ready to flex their muscles throughout a full 82-game regular-season schedule.
The only thing that can stop the Nets is themselves. Get ready for Brooklyn to take over the league with a forceful vengeance.

Thanks to a well-rounded roster, the Nets are ready to take over the league with a forceful vengeance.

The Nets are ready to flex their muscles as NBA's alpha dog

After retiring with heart concerns five months ago, seven-time All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge is returning to the Brooklyn Nets on a one-year, $2.6 million deal, his agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports, told ESPN on Friday.
Source: <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32141145/lamarcus-aldridge-cleared-heart-concerns-re-signing-brooklyn-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN </a>
ANALYSIS: According to ESPN, Aldridge, 36, has been medically cleared by a number of doctors -- including those both independent and Nets-affiliated -- to make a return for his 16th season.
Here is Aldridge on making his return to the NBA and the Brooklyn Nets (via ESPN):
"I retired in April based on what I believed was the wisest precautionary decision for my personal health at the time, but further testing and evaluation by several top physicians has convinced the doctors, myself and the Nets that I'm fully cleared and able to return to the rigors of the NBA," Aldridge told ESPN in a statement. "I loved my brief time with Brooklyn and am excited to rejoin the team in pursuit of a championship."
In order to make room for the signing of LaMarcus Aldridge, the Nets announced their plans to waive forward Alize Johnson. Wojnarowski added that the Nets are fond of Johnson, but are loaded at his position and will allow him to play elsewhere.
It has been a busy day for the Brooklyn Nets as they also <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nets-trading-deandre-jordan-to-pistons-for-sekou-doumbouya-jahlil-okafor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">traded away center DeAndre Jordan to the Pistons </a>to clear cap space.

According to ESPN, the Nets have signed LaMarcus Aldridge and waived forward Alize Johnson.

Nets sign LaMarcus Aldridge, waive forward Alize Johnson

ESPN Sources: Brooklyn is trading C DeAndre Jordan, four future-second round picks and $5.78M to Detroit for Jahlil Okafor and Sekou Doumbouya. Pistons plan to work through a buyout on two-years, $20M owed Jordan; Nets will save $47M in salary and tax on deal.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1433889032291954691" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Wojnarowski adds that Brooklyn will send Detroit its own second-round picks for 2022 and 2027 and also give up a 2024 pick (via Washington) and a 2025 pick (via Golden State). Doumbouya was the No. 15 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, while Okafor has bounced around the league since being selected third overall in 2015. Jordan averaged 7.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game during his time in Brooklyn.
In response to the move, the Nets <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1433894523059507221" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plan to waive forward Alize Johnson</a>, per Wojnarowski.

Jordan averaged 7.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game during his time in Brooklyn.

Nets trading DeAndre Jordan to Pistons for Sekou Doumbouya, Jahlil Okafor

The NBA announced in early August that the 2021-22 season&rsquo;s salary cap would be $112.414 million, and the luxury tax threshold will be $136.606 million. That means that if rosters remain unchanged for the duration of the season &ndash; which we know will never happen &ndash; 13 teams will pay the luxury tax.
Those teams will be the Brooklyn Nets ($176.573 million in payroll), Golden State Warriors ($174.854 million), Los Angeles Clippers ($166.384 million), Los Angeles Lakers ($163.121 million), Milwaukee Bucks ($158.206 million), Utah Jazz ($153.954 million), Philadelphia 76ers ($143.668 million), Boston Celtics ($143.524 million), Portland Trail Blazers ($140.566 million), Miami Heat ($139.645 million), Washington Wizards ($138.710 million), Toronto Raptors ($137.624 million) and the Indiana Pacers ($137.567 million), <a href="https://hoopshype.com/salaries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to HoopsHype.com</a> &nbsp;&ndash; meaning that nearly half of the league will pay into the luxury tax.&nbsp;
The NBA utilizes a progressive tax system that dictates that teams less than $10 million over the threshold pay a dollar-for-dollar tax, teams over by between $10-to-$15 million pay $2.50 for every dollar over the threshold, teams over by between $15-to-$20 million pay $3.25 for every dollar over the threshold and so on. But ignoring the business implications of paying the luxury tax, how many of these teams are getting the bang for their buck in relation to the total cost of those payrolls and how easy might it be for them to get back under it? Let&rsquo;s explore each team's situation:
Brooklyn Nets: $39.967 million over 
The Nets enter the 2021-22 season as the presumptive favorites to win the NBA championship. They re-signed Kevin Durant to a 4-year/$198 million extension. They also added Patty Mills and James Johnson, but lost Jeff Green. Ultimately, it&rsquo;s worth the price for Brooklyn so long as Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden can remain healthy for playoffs &ndash; so if you&rsquo;re the Nets, you pay anything you can to keep this group together. (Editor's Note: This payroll will change once <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nets-trading-deandre-jordan-to-pistons-for-sekou-doumbouya-jahlil-okafor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Friday's trade for Sekou Doumbouya and Jahlil Okafor</a> is made official on Sept. 15)
Takeaway: Worth it!
Golden State Warriors: $38.239 million over
The Warriors are in a very different situation than the Nets. They are not presumptive favorites. In fact, they may be in a fight for a playoff spot in the Western Conference for another year. Still, the Warriors have to shell out the dough. Their new arena, the Chase Center, opened in downtown San Francisco just in time for the 2019-20 season. COVID-19 has obviously hindered the Warriors ability to extract income from their new home, but it&rsquo;s finally time to cash in. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will fill the arena&rsquo;s seats. They probably won&rsquo;t be pure buyers at the deadline &ndash; although we could see a move in which Golden State swaps some of its young talent in exchange for a more age-appropriate fit &ndash; but the Warriors will not ship out pieces just to cut costs.
Takeaway: Not objectively worth it; but not *not* worth it.
Los Angeles Clippers: $29.778 million over
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is probably a little stressed right now &ndash; or he would be if paying his team&rsquo;s payroll had any real impact on his net worth. Either way, the Clippers appear poised to write a big check to the NBA for... another championship-less season. With Kawhi Leonard out for the foreseeable future with a partially torn ACL, the team's hopes for a title are likely out too &ndash; and they&rsquo;re on the hook for his $36 million this season, which is essentially dead money. Fortunately, the Clippers' roster is still formidable. They&rsquo;ll still be a playoff team, even in the brutally competitive West, meaning they&rsquo;ll continue to be must-see TV. They can get back to contending for a championship next season.
Takeaway: Not worth it this year; but tough it out, next season will be better.&nbsp;
Los Angeles Lakers: $26.515 million over
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The Lakers are in a good spot... for now. Sure, they are on the hook for a big, honking tax check; but they also look like the best team in the West. Acquiring Russell Westbrook (in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell) adds another major salary to the Lakers&rsquo; books. But Westbrook, along with Carmelo Anthony, Kendrick Nunn, Malik Monk, Kent Bazemore, Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo, are big-time additions. LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Westbrook might not coexist perfectly, which could result in as disappointing an outcome as the 2003-04 Lakers, but what options did they have? The Nets are stacked, and the Lakers want to win.
Takeaway: Worth it, but it could also end really badly.&nbsp;
Milwaukee Bucks: $21.6 million over
The Bucks are obviously happy with the outcome of last season. And despite what Jerry Krause would&rsquo;ve had you believe, you always bring back a defending-champion roster; Milwaukee did mostly that. The team brought George Hill back on board and added Grayson Allen. They interestingly let P.J. Tucker walk, but they&rsquo;re still well-stocked. The Bucks could be buyers at the deadline; but they&rsquo;ll be operating under a hard cap, so it&rsquo;ll be tricky.
Takeaway: The champs should always be kept together. Worth it!
Utah Jazz: $17.348 million over
The Jazz are unassuming, but their roster is rock solid, and they finished last season with the best record in the NBA. Had it not been for injuries to Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell heading into the playoffs, who knows what might have been in a year where the presumptive favorites were both eliminated before the conference finals. But the Jazz enter the 2021-22 season looking even better, having added Rudy Gay and Hassan Whiteside, and re-signing Mike Conley. Utah let Derrick Favors and Georges Niang walk, but still enter the season with approximately $154 million in salary. Utah will likely stand pat for the season in hopes of making a run at a championship.
Takeaway: Worth it!&nbsp;
Philadelphia 76ers: $7.062 million over
The 76ers are in an unenviable situation with Ben Simmons, who has decided that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ben-simmons-tells-sixers-he-wants-out-intends-to-skip-training-camp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he wants out of Philadelphia</a>. Simmons will make $33 million in 2021-22, and his deal is guaranteed through the 2024-25 season. So, it&rsquo;s safe to assume there will be some changes regarding the Sixers' team salary. The two teams most <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-ben-simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commonly associated with Simmons</a> &ndash; the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings &ndash; have payrolls below the luxury tax threshold, meaning they both have more wiggle room to maneuver in trades. Philadelphia could end up with a slightly lower payroll than it has now after a Simmons deal inevitably takes place, but the team's outlook is very much undecided less than a month from the start of the season. That&rsquo;s not where you want to be as a team with championship aspirations.
Takeaway: Depends on what happens with Simmons, but it&rsquo;s probably not going to be worth it. &nbsp;
Boston Celtics: $6.918 million over 
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From a salary standpoint, Boston and new team president Brad Stevens have maneuvered smartly. They shed Kemba Walker&rsquo;s painful contract, receiving Al Horford in the exchange. They backfilled Walker&rsquo;s spot with Dennis Schroder, who only cost $5.9 million for a year. They also added Josh Richardson ($11.615 million) via free agency and a $17 million trade exception from a sign-and-trade with the Knicks for Evan Fournier. If the right player becomes available, they could use that TPE, or they could punt on 2021-22 in hopes of a brighter future. Still, the Celtics will only go as far as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown take them. (Editor's Note: This payroll will change once <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mem-agrees-to-trade-hernangomez-to-bos-for-dunn-edwards-pick-swap" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Friday's trade for Juancho Hernangomez</a> is made official on Sept. 15)
Takeaway: Not worth it, but Boston made some headway in cleaning up a previously cluttered salary cap.
Portland Trail Blazers: $3.96 million over
Portland finally did something this offseason, swapping out Derrick Jones Jr. for Larry Nance Jr in a three-team trade with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. Nance will be a good fit for the Trail Blazers, but they didn&rsquo;t add nearly enough to improve to the extent that they&rsquo;ll compete in the Western Conference.&nbsp;
Takeaway: Not worth it. Portland should get very creative, and fast &ndash; or risk losing Lillard.
Miami Heat: $3.039 million over
It seems like Miami is perpetually either in contention or one piece away from it. After a surprise trip to the NBA Finals in 2019-20, the Heat very well may have added that piece in Kyle Lowry. They also stole PJ Tucker away from Milwaukee, and kept their core intact. The Heat&rsquo;s cap situation gets very tricky in a few years, and it&rsquo;ll get even tricker if they sign Tyler Herro to a long-term extension; but for now, you can&rsquo;t blame Miami for going for it.
Takeaway: Worth it, for now.&nbsp;
Washington Wizards: $2.104 million over 
The Wizards had themselves a good offseason. They turned Russell Westbrook into Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell Pope and Montrezl Harrell, and they added Spencer Dinwiddie and Aaron Holiday. Still, the Wizards are going to have to play incredibly well just to qualify for the playoffs, and that&rsquo;s not what teams paying the luxury tax hope to accomplish.
Takeaway: Not worth it, but at least they&rsquo;ll be competitive.
Toronto Raptors: $1.018 million over
The Raptors are entering a mini-rebuild. With Kyle Lowry moving on, the Raptors will look to build around Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes. They&rsquo;ll probably look to move Goran Dragic, who publicly voiced displeasure with landing in Toronto, so they&rsquo;ll likely end the year with a slightly different look.
Takeaway: Not worth it, but they could be interesting.&nbsp;
Indiana Pacers: $961,000 over
Indiana didn&rsquo;t make any major changes, and is stuck in quasi-purgatory as the Pacers gauge what their team can do. Ultimately, they will probably let results dictate their course of action. If they&rsquo;re in the playoff picture as we approach the trade deadline, they could be buyers. Conversely, if Indiana struggles, it could just as easily sell some assets.
Takeaway: Well-positioned to move under the tax threshold.&nbsp;
The luxury tax can be incredibly punitive; and, unfortunately, it impacts how teams make roster decisions. Looking beyond profitability, owners are right to demand a good return-on-investment when paying the luxury tax. No one wants to cut a big check for nothing. Be on the lookout for teams that aren&rsquo;t competitive to look to shed salary before the deadline. Conversely, teams in contention will look to add talent regardless of where they are pertaining to the luxury tax.&nbsp;

Drew Maresca examines the 13 teams in the NBA paying the luxury tax and whether their respective rosters justify the spending.

How projected NBA luxury tax-payer teams look in 2021-22

After a pandemic-induced hiatus, the NBA&rsquo;s Las Vegas Summer League returns. And with that comes the most electric small sample of inconsequential games on the league calendar.&nbsp;
The 2021 draft class will don NBA jerseys for the first time, and most of the 2020 class will finally receive a real training ground after missing out last season. With so much young talent descending on Las Vegas, every single team has multiple storylines to follow.
But fans also have the final few weeks of their summer to savor. So while I'll surely be watching as many games as possible, what teams should be considered appointment television? What rosters are chock full of prospects and intrigue?
Below are the eight "must-watch" teams of 2021 MGM Resorts Summer League, with a complete schedule included&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nba.com/summer-league/2021/vegas/schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Detroit Pistons
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Here&rsquo;s the Pistons&rsquo; Summer League roster <a href="https://t.co/oDl06KKiEF">pic.twitter.com/oDl06KKiEF</a>
&mdash; James Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLEdwardsIII/status/1423370122199248902?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

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As with every year of summer league, the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft immediately grabs headlines as a player to watch. And&nbsp;everyone&nbsp;expects big things from Cade Cunningham, who is largely considered to be one of the more polished prospects in recent memory.&nbsp;
However, it's not just Cunningham who makes this an exciting roster. Second-year forward Saddiq Bey joins the squad after landing on the All-Rookie First Team last season. Saben Lee turned heads as a second-round rookie. Killian Hayes is out to prove himself after injuries hampered the seventh overall pick of the 2020 draft. Sekou Doumbouya has some asserting to do as well, having yet to make a major leap since being drafted 15th overall in 2019.
You won't see Isaiah Stewart, Isaiah Livers or Chris Smith in action; they're&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/detnewsRodBeard/status/1423371634967257090" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly not playing due to injuries.</a>&nbsp;But there's simply so much talent and intrigue, even without those three. This could be a rare summer league team that could both win games and introduce the masses to some notable young players.
Houston Rockets
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🚀 Summer League roster is here! More info: <a href="https://t.co/nDED5Tfu0M">https://t.co/nDED5Tfu0M</a> <a href="https://t.co/q2wnObZApV">pic.twitter.com/q2wnObZApV</a>
&mdash; Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/1423752361252728835?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Until July 29, the Rockets had not made a first-round pick in the NBA Draft since selecting Sam Dekker all the way back in 2015. This year they picked not once, not twice, but four times in the first 24 selections.&nbsp;
All four choices &mdash; Jalen Green (the No. 2 overall pick), Alperen Sengun (No. 16), Usman Garuba (No. 23) and Josh Christopher (No. 24) will suit up in Vegas. They represent the future of the franchise and the first first-round picks by general manager Rafael Stone.&nbsp;
Don't forget about uber-athletic K.J. Martin, son of NBA veteran Kenyon Martin, and his quietly-successful rookie season, either. He could make some of the highlight-reel plays of the tournament.&nbsp;
Memphis Grizzlies
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The <a href="https://twitter.com/memgrizz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@memgrizz</a> today announced their 17-player roster for MGM Resorts <a href="https://twitter.com/NBASummerLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBASummerLeague</a> 2021 in Las Vegas. <a href="https://t.co/rJ0HBn26Lf">pic.twitter.com/rJ0HBn26Lf</a>
&mdash; Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrizzliesPR/status/1424099014979555328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Grizzlies might be my early pick as Las Vegas Summer League champs. Desmond Bane is frankly too good to be here. After making the All-Rookie Second Team last season and emerging as one of the better shooters in the entire league, Bane could eviscerate the younger opponents he'll face.
He'll be joined by three other 2020 draft picks in Xavier Tillman, Killian Tillie and Sam Merrill, who was recently acquired in the trade that sent Grayson Allen to Milwaukee. As far as summer league goes, this should be one of the more experienced squads in Las Vegas.
Toss in two first round picks in Ziaire Williams (No. 10) and Santi Aldama (No. 30) as well. Both were picked at least six spots higher than BasketballNews.com draft analyst Matt Babcock&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">predicted</a>&nbsp;before draft night. Time will tell if they were the right choices, but both can make a strong first impression at summer league. If undrafted rookie Yves Pons is doing&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/memgrizz/status/1423792346123145218?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stuff like this</a>, he's another one to watch.
Orlando Magic
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As expected, the Magic&rsquo;s NBA Summer League roster will include second-year guards Cole Anthony and R.J. Hampton in addition to rookies Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner. <a href="https://t.co/lyACl7whtD">https://t.co/lyACl7whtD</a> <a href="https://t.co/q6aPtdx7vG">pic.twitter.com/q6aPtdx7vG</a>
&mdash; Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshuaBRobbins/status/1422196207372361740?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Orlando was one of two teams with multiple lottery picks in this summer's NBA Draft. Both Jalen Suggs (the No. 5 pick) and Franz Wagner (No. 8) will make appearances as two potential cornerstones for the franchise.
Suggs in particular should garner interest because he joins a crowded lineup of young, exciting guards in Orlando. Viewers will see two of the others in Cole Anthony and R.J. Hampton. How will the Magic balance minutes in the early going? Will any of the three separate themselves from the pack? How often will Orlando try a three-guard lineup?
Those are just some of the questions that first-year head coach Jamahl Mosley will eventually have to answer.
Golden State Warriors
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Warriors announce updated Summer League Roster ahead of the team's five-game slate at the MGM Resorts Summer League 2021 in Las Vegas: <a href="https://t.co/E1CKLAyd1I">pic.twitter.com/E1CKLAyd1I</a>
&mdash; Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/WarriorsPR/status/1424098129180123138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Are Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga ready to join a rotation with win-now expectations? That's the central question for Golden State ahead of summer league. Both prospects had rocky-yet-promising debuts in the California Classic. Moody dropped 19 points (7-for-18 shooting) to go with seven rebounds, while Kuminga logged 18 points (7-for-14 shooting) and three rebounds against six turnovers.
As the No. 7 pick, Kuminga is theoretically a long-term upside play. Moody (No. 14 pick) is typically viewed as a safer, more NBA-ready prospect, but he too is a one-and-done wing. Even as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green push for a championship, these two shouldn't be forced into action. They'll grow at their own paces; summer league serves as a starting point.
Gary Payton II is the third player to focus on. According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/what-andre-iguodalas-warriors-return-could-mean-rest-roster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drew Shiller of NBC Sports</a>, the Warriors have until Aug. 11 to waive the guard before guaranteeing $659,000 on his contract. We'll see how that plays out as Payton goes through the next 10 days.&nbsp;
Charlotte Hornets
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The Charlotte Hornets&rsquo; summer league roster featuring James Bouknight, Kai Jones and LiAngelo Ball, brother of Hornets star LaMelo Ball. More NBA from me: <a href="https://t.co/LGN9cVpeGP">https://t.co/LGN9cVpeGP</a> <a href="https://t.co/keKAzpdc9O">pic.twitter.com/keKAzpdc9O</a>
&mdash; Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1422248415778455557?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Hornets garnered widespread praise for their 2021 NBA Draft. Charlotte came away with a dynamic scoring guard in James Bouknight at No. 11, and then grabbed two high-upside talents in Kai Jones (at No. 19) and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jt-thor-could-be-2021-nba-draft-diamond-in-the-rough-auburn-tigers-prospect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JT Thor</a>&nbsp;(who is not in the above graphic but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/charlotte-hornets/article253197298.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will play</a>) at No. 37.
I'll be especially intrigued in seeing just how NBA ready Jones and Thor appear to be. The Hornets don't have to rush either prospect and could opt to send them down to their G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm. If they do flash skill at summer league, though, they could eventually become exciting targets for LaMelo Ball.
And speaking of Ball, his brother LiAngelo will probably have his best shot at making the NBA this week. His name alone creates another storyline to follow, as LiAngelo hopes to follow his two brothers into stardom in the Association.
Cleveland Cavaliers
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a> have announced their Summer League roster. <a href="https://t.co/4rAzBB6KmZ">pic.twitter.com/4rAzBB6KmZ</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1422347397154344965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Cleveland is the only team in the NBA carrying two top-5 draft picks into summer league. Evan Mobley &mdash; a unique blend of size, speed and skill and this year's No. 3 pick &mdash; is certainly the headliner. Mobley has a ceiling as high as any in this draft class, and this week will give the first glimpses at how Cleveland looks to optimize him.
The other is Isaac Okoro, who started all 67 of the games he played last season. His usage rate was low, though, and the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft struggled with shooting efficiency as a rookie. He made just 29% of his three-pointers and had a true shooting percentage of just 51.4, which is relatively poor. He can demonstrate improvement in this setting while getting more touches and the chance to showcase his defensive prowess.
One other player I'd keep an eye on is Mfiondu Kabengele. The Cavs signed him outright in May after playing through two 10-day contracts. Kabengele is a 2019 first-round pick who never clicked with the Clippers, so this could be a good place to start fresh.
Toronto Raptors
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Raptors Summer League roster below! Moses Wright will no longer be with the Raptors in Vegas. Became uncertainty as other moves were made and he'll opt for a different situation. (Not uncommon.) <a href="https://t.co/lRcbGUWYrL">pic.twitter.com/lRcbGUWYrL</a>
&mdash; Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlakeMurphyODC/status/1423298986606223365?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Kyle Lowry's departure signals a new era in Toronto -- one currently centered around Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby. Though they've graduated from summer league reps, fans will get to see three more key pieces that could define the franchise's future.
Toronto caught most draft analysts off guard by selecting Scottie Barnes with the fourth overall pick, but make no mistake, Barnes is a versatile forward whose combination of athleticism and processing speed will be on full display in Las Vegas.
Though Precious Achiuwa is not listed above, the second-year center will <a href="https://www.nba.com/summer-league/2021/vegas/team/1610612761/raptors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also be with Toronto</a>&nbsp;after coming over from Miami in the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade. Although the league has reportedly opened a tampering probe against the Miami Heat, at this time, there&rsquo;s no reason to believe that Achiuwa won&rsquo;t be in uniform for Toronto.
Fellow 2020 first-rounder Malachi Flynn will likely run the summer league offense in hopes of staking his claim as the Raptors' third guard in the rotation.&nbsp;
Newly-extended Masai Ujiri will surely keep a close eye on the three prospects as he ponders the identity of Toronto's next iteration.
---
After a one-year hiatus, it&rsquo;ll be nice to have summer basketball back. And without question, these are the teams that I&rsquo;ll be keeping a close eye on.

The 2021 MGM Resorts NBA Summer League in Las Vegas begins on August 8, and some teams qualify as 'Must See' TV.

Who are the must-watch Summer League teams in Las Vegas?

NBA Draft expert Matt Babcock breaks down what each of the teams picking at the top of the draft should do with their selection.

Projecting the top-5 picks in the 2021 NBA Draft

Troy Weaver's first season as Detroit's general manager ended with the Pistons holding the second-worst record in the league.
Finally, though, it felt like the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-detroit-pistons-handing-of-the-keys-to-nba-rookies-will-pay-off-saddiq-bey-isaiah-stewart-killian-hayes-dwane-casey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">future looks a little brighter for this franchise</a>.
&ldquo;Obviously, the optimism is not in the record, because the record stinks," Weaver said Monday. "We'll continue to fight &mdash; claw, scratch, fight, whatever we've got to do to get out of this hole.&rdquo;
For over a decade now, the Pistons have been mired in mediocrity, rarely making the playoffs and exiting quickly whenever they did. Detroit began rebuilding in earnest in early 2020, moving on from Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson. Then Weaver arrived and made an even clearer break from the past, implementing a thorough overhaul in a matter of months.
The result was a 20-52 record, but the roster now includes a few promising rookies. Detroit showed some competitive spirit this year, but the Pistons were still bad enough to lock in one of the top six picks in the draft no matter what happens in the lottery.
Detroit beat teams like the Suns, 76ers, Lakers and Nets this season. The Pistons were scrappy enough to provide hope, but played poorly enough in close games to secure that high draft pick.
The challenge now will be building on this foundation.
&ldquo;I think my first year in Toronto we won 23 games," said coach Dwane Casey, who will go into his fourth season with a contract extension through the 2023-24 season. "I see the big picture, I understand the big picture, I have a grasp of the big picture, and it takes time.&rdquo;
YOUTH
Detroit had three first-round draft picks last season, and two of those players were among the NBA's top rookies this year. Isaiah Stewart averaged 7.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 55% from the field. Saddiq Bey made 175 3-pointers, tops among all rookies.
&ldquo;The best thing is the growth of our young players,&rdquo; Casey said. &ldquo;All those little things from the rookies and making the advance and the steps that they made in their rookie year, would be the highlight I think for me as a coach.&rdquo;
Killian Hayes, the No. 7 pick in last year's draft, went through some injury problems but averaged 6.8 points and 5.3 assists in 26 games.
CENTERPIECE
The Pistons parted ways with Blake Griffin this season. By the time that happened, new acquisition Jerami Grant had emerged as the team's big scorer. The 27-year-old Grant averaged 22.3 points.
Grant still has room for growth.
&ldquo;Just met with Jerami, and told him the exact thing," Casey said. "You're a really good player right now, your next step is to get out of the conversation of most improved, get in the conversation of being an All-Star. What helps you to be an All-Star is for us to win, for us to be in the playoff conversation.&rdquo;
THE DRAFT
Part of the reason the Pistons have been in a funk for so many years is because they haven't picked higher than seventh in the draft since 2003. That will change this year, barring a trade.
&ldquo;I don't see any Shaqs or LeBrons in the draft, but some pretty talented players,&rdquo; Weaver said. &ldquo;There will be hopefully someone we can add to the group and continue to push us forward.&rdquo;
UPHEAVAL
By the end of March, the Pistons only had one player left who had appeared in a game for them the previous season &mdash; Sekou Doumbouya, their 2019 first-round pick.
Detroit probably won't be doing as much wheeling and dealing this offseason, but Weaver said the overall approach is staying the same.
&ldquo;We're going to double down,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We're not going to change anything. We're going to continue to bring in like-minded people that fit what we're trying to do.&rdquo;
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

The result was a 20-52 record, but the Pistons' roster now includes a few promising rookies.

Pistons finish near the bottom but have reasons for optimism

The Detroit Pistons are in the NBA's basement, but they&rsquo;re not as deep as one might think.
Yes, Dwane Casey and Co. sit at a paltry 18-42, and they own it -- but with each individual flash of brilliance the team&rsquo;s youth puts forth, they&rsquo;re inching back up the stairs, step-by-step.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been concentrated on development,&rdquo; Casey said prior to a recent road victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. &ldquo;As much as we want to win, getting guys experience, minutes and developing [is important]. We&rsquo;re in full-blown mode with that now because again, in rebuilding we don&rsquo;t have a G-League season, we didn&rsquo;t have summer league, so these minutes -- not to demean our season this year -- but we have to get guys like Killian [Hayes], Isaiah [Stewart] Saddiq [Bey] and Saben [Lee] as many NBA minutes as possible as we go forward.&rdquo;
Knowing what they have in Jerami Grant and the current veterans in place, the focus has turned toward finding out what the &ldquo;kids&rdquo; have in their respective tool bags.&nbsp;
The first that stands out is Bey, who at any moment is ready to fire from deep, put the ball on the floor or use his size in mismatches on the block. Who can forget the stretch in mid-February when he won Eastern Conference Player of the Week? (By the way: the only other Pistons rookie to do so was Kelly Tripucka in 1982). In one of those games, Bey ended up recording two career-highs by scoring 30 points and pulling down 12 rebounds in a win at Boston. In that same contest, he set a new Detroit rookie record for threes made with seven triples.
We&rsquo;ve learned that such a strong week was not just a blip on the radar, though admittedly, the highs and the lows have been pretty glaring. One day, he can go 10-for-12, and the next, he&rsquo;ll have an 0-for-8 showing. While streaky is probably the best word to describe his offensive game, you don&rsquo;t want to see him get hot, as Cleveland quickly found out with his 18-point first quarter in which he went 6-6 from three within the first 10 minutes of the game.
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Saddiq Bey is 6-6 from deep. It's the 1st quarter. 🤯 📱💻: <a href="https://t.co/Laecx0phzX">https://t.co/Laecx0phzX</a> <a href="https://t.co/T7AK9mOgUX">pic.twitter.com/T7AK9mOgUX</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1384289566056534023?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2021</a></blockquote>

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👏 Former Villanova star Saddiq Bey is the 1st rookie in NBA history to make 7+ threes with 0 misses last night! The former <a href="https://twitter.com/NovaMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NovaMBB</a> star had a career high 30 points on a perfect 7 for 7 from 3 + career high 12 rebounds<a href="https://twitter.com/6abc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@6abc</a><a href="https://twitter.com/VUCoachJWright?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VUCoachJWright</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Villanova?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Villanova</a> <a href="https://t.co/8DSjvSD491">pic.twitter.com/8DSjvSD491</a>
&mdash; Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffSkversky/status/1360591038155546633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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"He's one of the best shooters in our league right now, which to me, is a surprise -- the three-point shooting; he was a prolific scorer [in the] mid-range and what he wanted to do at Villanova, but I didn't foresee the efficiency of his three-point shooting and and his ability to get his three off with the low release as he's doing now,&rdquo; Casey said.
&ldquo;It's great to see. I'm happy for him. He's worked with the coaches. The coaches have done a good job working with him. Wayne Ellington, his shooting buddy, [has helped too]. It's contagious. He's getting it off quicker now like Wayne, and that was one of the issues early: was he gonna be able to get that shot off quick enough? But working with Wayne and D.J. Bakker, the developmental coach, has worked on that and it's working well for him. It's only gonna get better once he is able to read the screen and close-out, the length of the close-outs during the games."
Bey has already blown away Brandon Knight&rsquo;s franchise rookie record for threes made with 136, and he&rsquo;s currently second among all rookies in triples (behind only Anthony Edwards).
When asked by Detroit Free Press beat writer Omari Sankofa for Bey&rsquo;s closest player comparison, Casey had to think a bit.
&ldquo;He's got a body type that's big and strong. There's not a lot of guys like him in the league. You have a guy like Jimmy Butler, size-wise -- I'm not saying he's gonna be Jimmy Butler or he is Jimmy Butler -- but that type of shooter at the same stage of Butler's career,&rdquo; Casey said. &ldquo;Now, Butler can put the ball on the floor much, much better now at this stage of his career, but that body type, that size and shooting ability. Not saying he's Jimmy Butler or better than Jimmy Butler, but that's kinda the body-type that he has."
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When asked to assess his offensive game, Bey talked about finding comfort in the role he&rsquo;s currently in.
"I think it's just trying to find ways that integrate my entire game," Bey said. "In college, that's what I did -- I used every aspect, and that's what you wanted to do at school anyway, have everybody use their complete games. So, I'm just trying to figure out my role and try to figure out which ways I can attack and use different parts of my game to help the team win. It's something to get used to and just find and look at situations where I can help my team in every way."
Then, there&rsquo;s the bruising, burly definition of physicality personified in Bey&rsquo;s fellow rookie teammate, Isaiah Stewart. The one Pistons Twitter refers to as &ldquo;Beef Stew&rdquo; is actually all about cooking the kitchen, and he certainly brings his own flavor on the floor. Following his third straight double-double, he revealed after Tuesday&rsquo;s practice that he studies film of Miami Heat All-Star big man Bam Adebayo and Los Angeles Lakers human motor Montrezl Harrell. Stewart and Harrell are cut from the same cloth, and their fight and hunger is on display every night.
Stewart is not letting this opportunity go by the wayside. He is soaking all of it in, deterring his opponents and essentially bullying them with gritty box-outs and downright wanting the ball more on every possession. A perfect example of this was when he out-hustled multiple Cavs for a backtap in a one-possession game that led to Detroit sealing the win in Cleveland.
&ldquo;A lot of teams passed over him in the draft, but I love his [competitiveness].&rdquo; Casey said. &ldquo;He has his PHD: poor, hungry and driven. I love it. That kid, he gives you everything, every ounce he has... Isaiah is a hit-first guy. He fights for space, he fights for position on both sides of the ball. And if you&rsquo;re not ready for that, it&rsquo;s not just gonna be one out of five times, it&rsquo;s gonna be every time you&rsquo;re down the floor.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s gonna fight for every inch of the court and use his body legally to get it. A lot of times, the official may see the second of him trying to release because [the opponents] are grabbing him. I think his reputation will grow once he&rsquo;s through the league another year after this year and going into next year. I just love him. He&rsquo;s scratching the surface of what he&rsquo;s gonna be in this league.&rdquo;
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Isaiah Stewart didn't give up on this play love the effort and hustle <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DetroitUp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DetroitUp</a> <a href="https://t.co/i3mPdJftg1">pic.twitter.com/i3mPdJftg1</a>
&mdash; Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/woodwardsports/status/1383580590851592195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Stewart is the first Piston to register three consecutive double-doubles since Greg Monroe had four in a row in 2011. The rookie brute has seven total on the season. And even though he&rsquo;s a little shorter, Stewart&rsquo;s battling in the trenches and doing the dirty work has reminded the city and team of former defensive stalwart Ben Wallace.
&ldquo;It's definitely great because the history of those teams, the history of those players, just speaks for itself. The fact that they see that in my game and the way I play is definitely a great thing to hear,&rdquo; Stewart said of the comparison.
&ldquo;I put in the work. I do all the extra things, take the time out to watch film, watch every game and make notes on every game and see where I can always grow from [it]. I put in the work after practice, or on the off day, I'm working on my game."
Bey and Stewart were both first-round picks, but they weren&rsquo;t Detrot's highest selection. Killian Hayes was drafted No. 7 overall to be the franchise&rsquo;s point guard of the future. Unfortunately, he&rsquo;s spent the majority of his debut campaign on the sidelines due to a hip injury. However, the 19-year-old French-American has shown plenty of promise since returning to action on April 3. He is putting his craftiness (and shiftiness) on display, getting to his spots and being aggressive when he needs to be. It&rsquo;s the passing acumen, lob location and ability to pester his matchups that have really stood out, though, especially because his 6-foot-5, 195-pound frame can give opposing guards headaches on both ends.
"He is [reaching the level we thought]. He's growing. He sees things that other people don't see,&rdquo; Casey said. &ldquo;Now, sometimes, it may go in the 14th row right now, but we've gotta live with some of that and not take away his creativity. But the young man's big and strong. I think the more he gets in NBA condition where he can play huge minutes, I think that's gonna help him even more as far as he grows.
&ldquo;His shooting will come the better condition he gets in. I'm not saying he's out of shape, but there's a different level of NBA conditioning, especially for a usage guy like himself who's gonna have the ball a lot and who's gonna be guarding a lot of pick-and-rolls every game. So that takes a lot of energy, lot of conditioning and strength to do that, and he's learning that right there and he's growing. He's not where he would've been if he had that time that he missed with the hip injury, but he's coming. And I'm gonna say this: he'll be a different young man this time next year -- probably won't recognize [him with] how much he's grown."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
This dime from Killian Hayes! 🤯<a href="https://twitter.com/DetroitPistons?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DetroitPistons</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBARooks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBARooks</a> <a href="https://t.co/o8CG9PF2gy">pic.twitter.com/o8CG9PF2gy</a>
&mdash; NBA Draft (@NBADraft) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBADraft/status/1383229299319214084?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Killian Hayes stays aggressive <a href="https://t.co/iYjWhVhgxR">pic.twitter.com/iYjWhVhgxR</a>
&mdash; Pistons Talk (@Pistons__Talk) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pistons__Talk/status/1385407273573523459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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There will be more chances for Hayes to sharpen his play through the rest of the season, as there will be for the other young players.&nbsp;
Saben Lee seemingly came out of nowhere and started a stretch of games from late March to early April. He's unafraid to step in and shoot the ball, mostly at the cup and in the short mid-range area. Josh Jackson has proven to be a solid pickup with upside, and is just 24 years old despite being in his fourth NBA season. Frank Jackson joined the team on a two-way contract in late December and he's become one of the best defenders on the team who can also drain shots from deep. Sekou Doumbouya is still one of the youngest players in the league who can benefit from more minutes.
Pistons general manager Troy Weaver scooped up Dennis Smith Jr. and Hamidou Diallo in separate trades, with the latter specifically providing hard-nosed defense with attention to detail, as well as aggressiveness while leading the bench unit.&nbsp;
All of that young talent, plus the breakout star season Grant is having? The Pistons have something cooking, and it starts with the three first-rounders they drafted last fall.
"We've gotta build,&rdquo; Hayes said. &ldquo;Win, lose, draw, we've gotta still build, get better. We've got a long career ahead of us. Just building step-by-step.&rdquo;
&ldquo;When we first came into camp, we didn't really know much about each other at all. We were all strangers to each other,&rdquo; Stewart said. &ldquo;As time went on and all the way up 'til now, I'd say we've definitely grown together. We've definitely built chemistry since then, and we're continuing to learn about each other every day."
&ldquo;I pray and hope that all of us keep getting better and better each year, and try to be the best we can be by the end of each and every year,&rdquo; Bey said. &ldquo;I think, obviously, we'll have more experience and it'll just be exciting to see what the future holds."
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Monday night marked just the fourth time in franchise history that Detroit has started three rookies in the same lineup. It was the trio of Hayes, Bey and Stewart, and the team punched the Cavs in the mouth with a 32-9 onslaught to start the game. You can tell how much they all value this opportunity.
Casey credits Weaver for the job he&rsquo;s done with assembling this group that's full of players with a similar mindset and proverbial chip on their shoulder. It&rsquo;s reminiscent of that old-school Pistons feel, and the organization can sense the progress toward bigger, better results.
&ldquo;To me, they're meeting the benchmarks for their development, moreso than the record. Our record is who we are; whatever it is, [it] is who you are right now... but their benchmarks are great,&rdquo; Casey said. &ldquo;...And so, our rookie class has been that and then some... I think our coaches do a great job. I try to set the tone with it, but our coaches do a great job at selling players on how important it is to get on the court, watch video and watch themselves grow. I think that&rsquo;s very, very important. Once you sell a young man on that&rsquo;s his future, you want to be in this league for a long time. It&rsquo;s pretty simple, but some guys don&rsquo;t buy into it. Fortunately, Troy&rsquo;s done a great job of bringing guys in here that are gym rats, they love the gym, and they love working. It&rsquo;s been pretty easy this year and I think you can see it in their growth.
&ldquo;...We're not where we're gonna be, but we're definitely headed in the right direction. I'm excited about the direction we're going. I know Troy is and [Pistons owner] Tom [Gores] is and [vice chairman] Arn [Tellem] is. So it's a good start with our foundation and our restoring program."

Spencer Davies checks into the new foundation that Detroit has built with the franchise's promising trio of rookies.

Young and starving: Pistons smartly handing the keys to rookies

Every NBA Draft is unique. Each one is filled with its own group of potential superstars, future high-end role players and NBA ready upperclassmen with years of college experience. While these are cornerstones of conversation each year, another prevalent discussion is the value of youth versus experience.&nbsp;
Upside, or the perception thereof, is highly coveted, and often a hot commodity when building a team for the future. While every prospect has his own development path and personal situations that will affect the growth track over time, the appeal of additional time to reach full potential remains desirable.&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s take a look at some Draft Day ages of young prospects from the last three years:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 132px;" border="0">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">2018</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">2019</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">2020</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Isaac Bonga - 18.6</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Sekou Doumbouya - 18.6</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Aleksej Pokusevski - 18.9</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Jaren Jackson Jr. - 18.8</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Zion Williamson - 19.1</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">LaMelo Ball - 19.2</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Kevin Knox - 18.9</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Darius Bazley - 19.1</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Patrick Williams - 19.2</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Troy Brown Jr. - 18.9</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">RJ Barrett - 19.1</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Anthony Edwards - 19.3</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Anfernee Simons - 19.0</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Tyler Herro - 19.5</td>
<td style="width: 31.5187%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">Isaiah Stewart - 19.5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
In each of these scenarios, it&rsquo;s easy to see why the players were scouted the ways they were, and where the perceived upside came from.
Looking to this particular 2021 NBA Draft class and the future, I want to discuss some of the youngest players in the field and what they could bring to NBA franchises.
Roko Prkačin - KK Cibona | Forward | 6-foot-9, 210 pounds
Draft Day Age: 18.7
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Prkačin may be the youngest player in the 2021 Draft class, but he has been developing steadily and coming into his own as of late. In the last four games, he logged two performances of 38 points and 29 points respectively, while posting 25 rebounds and 11 assists between the two. The 6-9 forward is versatile on offense, which only continues to grow as he improves his shooting from deep. He&rsquo;s now shooting 39.7% from three in his 22 ABA Adriatic League games. Pairing this youth and development along with his ability to attack the rim, physicality and 7-foot wingspan, Prkačin could make a tremendous option in this fall&rsquo;s draft.
Jaden Springer - Tennessee | Guard | 6-foot-4, 204 pounds
Draft Day Age: 18.8
Springer was one of the most efficient shooters in the country as a freshman, hitting 43.5% of his shots from deep, as well as going 81% from the line. He&rsquo;s active in transition, explosive getting downhill and has shown flashes of being a capable facilitator. He has been referred to as &ldquo;unique,&rdquo; &ldquo;hybrid,&rdquo; &ldquo;positionless,&rdquo; and a handful of other adjectives as a player; no matter how you view him, Springer is a competitor and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ncaa-basketball-university-of-tennessee-volunteers-teammates-keon-johnson-jaden-springer-declare-2021-nba-draft-prospects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">possesses many of the physical tools and skills seen in high-level prospects</a>.
Josh Giddey - Adelaide 36ers | Guard | 6-foot-7, 192 pounds
Draft Day Age: 19.0
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Giddey is steadily making the case to be considered the best international prospect of the 2021 Draft. At 6-foot-8, he possesses great creativity and vision, and has been improving as a scorer. Over Adelaide&rsquo;s last 9 games, Giddey is averaging 12.8 points, 9.3 assists and 7.6 rebounds while hitting 35.8% (14-of-39) of his threes. While he doesn&rsquo;t have elite athleticism or quickness, Giddey <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nbl-adelaide-36ers-josh-giddey-good-chance-ill-be-declaring-for-2021-nba-draft-prospects-australia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plays with a great intelligence and feel</a>, giving real promise to his prospects of being a winning player at the NBA level.&nbsp;
Alperen Şeng&uuml;n - Beskitas | Center | 6-foot-10, 240 pounds
Draft Day Age: 19.0
Alperen Şeng&uuml;n is a fascinating prospect. At 18 years old, he&rsquo;s a phenomenal interior scorer, plays with advanced footwork and is highly intelligent as a play finisher. He is also an anticipatory passer, as he is able to throw teammates open, fitting an array of passes through tight windows. Using his combination of physicality and finesse, Şeng&uuml;n is remarkably productive, averaging 19 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists through his 27 Turkish Super League games. There is a noticeable lack of athleticism and pop, which hurts his potential defensive value, but his room to grow makes him a viable option in the 2021 Draft.&nbsp;
Moses Moody - Arkansas | Guard | 6-foot-6, 205 pounds
Draft Day Age: 19.2
At 6-6 with a reported 7-foot wingspan, Moses Moody made a case for himself as one of the premier wing shooters in the class. He scored nearly 17 points per game, while shooting 35.8% from three and 81.2% from the free-throw line. His playmaking leaves a bit to be desired, but he has the shot-making, smooth mechanics and reliable defense that many teams search for in high-level role players. Moody is an intelligent, true 3-and-D prospect who has a chance to be selected in the lottery this fall.&nbsp;
Jalen Green - G-League Ignite | Guard | 6-foot-5, 180 pounds
Draft Day Age: 19.5
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It&rsquo;s not often that one of the most explosive, athletic players in a draft class is also one of the youngest. Jalen Green was ranked the nation&rsquo;s No. 1 high school player in 2020, and appeared every bit of the part while playing for the G League Ignite team. He averaged 17.9 points while shooting 36.5% from deep, and flashed tremendous potential as a shot creator and facilitator, as well. With his quick twitch burst and ability to finish through contact, Green has the tools to be a high level primary scorer in the NBA for years to come.&nbsp;

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Whoever ends up representing Team USA at the 2021 Olympics will have to contend with Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier in the opener. Of course, that assumes that the Olympics will actually be held.
France and Iran were drawn into Group A along with the United States on Tuesday as the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s Olympic draws were held in Switzerland by FIBA, the governing body for international basketball.
A third opening-round opponent will be determined following the pre-Olympic qualifying tournament, and the Americans will face the winner of a pre-Olympic tournament in Canada featuring six teams: Greece, Canada, China, Uruguay, Turkey and the Czech Republic.
"It's exciting to learn more about the Olympic schedule and who our preliminary round opponents will be in Tokyo," Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich said. "The three Olympic preliminary groups appear well balanced, and there are a good number of teams who have legitimate shots at the gold medal in Tokyo."
Also, the Olympic tournament has been cut from eight games to six, FIBA announced, in an effort to reduce the workload on the athletes over the 16 days of the Olympics.
Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-team-usa-roster-director-jerry-colangelo-gregg-popovich-2021-tokyo-japan-olympics-ioc-fiba-international-basketball">recently opened up to BasketballNews.com</a> about the uncertainty surrounding the Games and how it&rsquo;s forced the program to adjust their plans.
&ldquo;The reality is, it&rsquo;s a changing scene every day,&rdquo; Colangelo said. &ldquo;It really is. We have no choice but to proceed on the basis that the Olympics will be played, and so basically that&rsquo;s what we are doing. We are preparing in every way possible until we hear otherwise, officially.&rdquo;
Colangelo is focused on assembling a 12-man roster that will compete in Tokyo from July 23 to August 8.
The French National team, which won the bronze medal at the 2019 Basketball World Cup, also includes Nicolas Batum of the Los Angeles Clippers, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot of the Brooklyn Nets, rookie Killian Hayes of the Detroit Pistons, Frank Ntilikina of the New York Knicks, Vincent Poirier of the Philadelphia 76ers and Sekou Doumbouya of the Detroit Pistons.
Former NBA players on the French roster include Guerschon Yabusele (formerly of the Celtics, now with ASVEL in the French League), Nando de Colo (formerly with the Spurs and Raptors, now with Fenerbahce of the Euroleague), Elie Okobo (formerly with the Suns and now on the Nets&rsquo; G-League roster), and Rodrigue Beaubois (formerly of the Mavericks and now with Anadolu Efes of the Turkish League).
The United States also opened against France at the 2012 London Olympics.
The Iranian National team includes former NBA center Hamed Haddadi, who&rsquo;s currently with Sichuan of the Chinese Basketball Association. Iran last played Team USA at the Olympics in the 2008 Beijing Games.
This summer, the 12 teams have been split into three groups of four teams apiece for preliminary play, held July 27 through Aug. 3. Following competition of the preliminary round, the top-two finishing teams from each group and the two best third-place teams will qualify for the medal round and will be seeded, according to FIBA's placement rules. In the medal round, teams will compete in a knockout bracket, with winners advancing from the Aug. 3 quarterfinals to the Aug. 5 semifinals. The bronze medal and the gold medal games will be played on Aug. 7.
Group C at the Olympics includes Spain, Argentina, Japan and a team to be determined, and Group B includes Australia, Nigeria and two teams to be determined.
The final four teams will be determined through FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments that will be held June 29 through July 4 in Canada, Croatia, Lithuania and Serbia. The winners of each tournament will qualify.
Playing in the qualifying event in Serbia are the Dominican Republic, Italy, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Senegal and Serbia. The Lithuania qualifying tournament will include Angola, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, South Korea and Venezuela. Competing in Croatia are Brazil, Croatia, Germany, Mexico, Russia and Tunisia.
The U.S. men have won the gold medal in the last three Olympics.
Team USA will enter the Tokyo Games with an all-time Olympics record of 138-5. Since NBA players began representing the United States in 1992, the U.S. is 53-3 in seven Olympics, capturing six gold medals and one bronze medal.
The women&rsquo;s version of Team USA, which will be comprised of WNBA players and coached by Dawn Staley, is in a preliminary round group with Nigeria, Japan and France. The women&rsquo;s roster includes reigning WNBA Most Valuable Player A&rsquo;ja Wilson along with 38-year-old Diana Taurasi, who signed a two-year max deal with the Phoenix Mercury on Monday.

Team USA has been drawn into Group A alongside France, Iran and a National team to be determined.