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This article was originally published on BasketballNews on July 20, 2022.
Impact Basketball's facility sits inside an unassuming section of an unassuming plaza on Dean Martin Drive in Las Vegas.
The gym contains two light-colored hardwood basketball courts with a small scoreboard, a weightlifting area, a makeshift stretching room, a kitchenette for meals and snacks and a small office. It's no place for vanities. The only flexes are the dozens of white banners hanging on the right wall, listing names upon names of distinguished players who have come through during the gym's 25 years of existence.
Among those players: Kevin Garnett, Kawhi Leonard, Chauncey Billups, Kyle Lowry, Kelsey Plum, Tayshaun Prince, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Haliburton, DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, Al Harrington, Kristaps Porzingis, Nassir Little, Saddiq Bey and Ziaire Williams.&nbsp;
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Kevin Garnett stopped by <a href="https://twitter.com/impactbball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@impactbball</a> and offered some advice to Blazers guard Keon Johnson, Mavericks wing Josh Green and 16-year-old prospect Dayan Nessah.<a href="https://twitter.com/Joe_Abunassar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Joe_Abunassar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinGarnett5KG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KevinGarnett5KG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/iamkeonjohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iamkeonjohnson</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshBGreen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoshBGreen</a> <a href="https://t.co/fwRjAM2WHJ">pic.twitter.com/fwRjAM2WHJ</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1548046089877524482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Impact Basketball, founded by trainer Joe Abunassar in 1997, has a reputation for its star-studded, closed-door pickup games that take place during the NBA offseason. In the spring, it's also where some of the top NBA Draft hopefuls join Abunassar's pre-draft "boot camp" and commit themselves to an intricate world of sports training and nutrition.
The timeline is simple: arrive by April, revamp your training lifestyle and find your professional pathway &mdash; either via the NBA Draft, an undrafted free-agent deal or another contract &mdash; afterwards. The work is not flashy, isn't always fun and, if you want to stick as a pro, never ends.
But the results can change lives.
"It's not about W's or L's, it's about M's &mdash; M's being millions of dollars," said Isaac Mourier, Impact's Director of Performance Nutrition and Sport Science. "Once you say that to a guy like that, that's all they need in terms of motivation."
Mourier is a key cog in Impact's program. He's from the United Kingdom and played professional basketball in England and Germany before starting his own sports nutrition consulting business. Mourier has worked for the University of Georgia and Sacramento Kings as a nutritionist and consultant, and joined Impact in 2020 during the spring.
During his two-and-a-half years and three draft cycles with the company, Mourier has filled his laptop with infographics and progress charts for Impact athletes. They include individualized goals for each player; an example involves raising one prospect's weight by 20 pounds, lowering his body fat by 2%, increasing his bench press weight by 50 pounds and adding two inches to his vertical.
Mourier feels privileged to work with athletes at this stage of their careers. To him, the noise of team ecosystems and outside expectations all fade away. He can clearly define goals, and players know exactly what success will look like.
"This is the first time, maybe ever in their life, where they have a team of people that are only worried about them," he said. "Now, I'm just trying to get you to the NBA and keep you there. I don't care whether you win or lose games right now. This is you. All the focus is on you."
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Boot camp begins as soon as players are done with their respective prior seasons. They arrive at Impact and take part in comprehensive body testing to establish a full physical profile. The technology includes a bioelectrical impedence analysis that uses electrical currents to scan body composition. Sweat patches can read how much sodium athletes need in their system.
Variables such as blood work, stress hormone levels, nutrient deficienies, pre-workout hydration levels and post-workout hydration levels, body composition and body fat percentages all help establish a baseline of strengths and needs.
From there, each prospect receives an individualized growth roadmap. Skill development makes up one component. Players often train together in small groups, but they receive specific plans that prepare them for team pre-draft workouts and the NBA level.
"We're looking and analyzing and making assessments on the court; if guys are getting bumped off their cuts, if guys don't have enough lower-body power in their jump shot and guys seem like they need to get stronger, if guys aren't fast enough, [we'll consider], 'Okay, what do we need to do in the weight room or from a nutrition standpoint to correct that?'" Abunassar told Basketball News. "So, that's why every guy has his own program, because every guy has different goals."
Hydration and dieting are also central pieces. Mourier oversees the implementation of dietary plans through Impact's local chef connections, and says he outlines each meal, snack and supplement. Along the way are regular check-ins on body metrics, sleep schedules, mood and motivation among other factors. Mourier estimated that about 20-to-25 Impact staffers are involved with a player's development.&nbsp;
But Mourier repeatedly emphasized that the technology, food and workouts aren't what takes players to the Association. One of his most important jobs is reframing their habits and instilling discipline toward health.
"When an athlete gets to the elite level with bad habits, it's, 'Well, I'm already one of the best in the world at what I do, so why would I change?' So it's changing that mindset, and then when we've done that, it's about understanding that doing small things consistently is what gets us the results, as opposed to trying to do extreme things," Mourier said.
"The way that the structure of basketball [is] from AAU to college to the pros, a lot of the power is in the athlete's hands, where it's almost like, 'Who are you to tell me what to do?' So I think one of the main things that we have to do is cut through that barrier. And again, when our goals are the same as theirs, it becomes a little bit easier. But again, it's, 'Well, you've gotten to this level despite your bad habits. How good could you be if we instill some good habits?'"
Good habits, however, can be inconvenient and awkward. For NBA players to maintain their places in the league, they have to stick with those routines well past a pre-draft boot camp.
Dallas Mavericks wing Josh Green joined Impact's program ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft cycle. He's still entrenched with Impact today, and has been working out in Las Vegas this offseason. Part of his nutrition plan includes avoiding butter, which can be a particular hurdle when eating out at restaurants.
"I have to be the guy who requests light virgin oil, whatever it is," Green told Basketball News. "I think that's the hardest part about it. I'm about to go to Australia for three weeks, and all I'm gonna want to do is eat all the food, but I'm gonna have to stay disciplined. I want to have a big year, so my goal is focusing right now, but just taking it one day at a time."
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👀 <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshBGreen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoshBGreen</a> <a href="https://t.co/pX0fkZzCBZ">pic.twitter.com/pX0fkZzCBZ</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1547655829431525383?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Green said he started prioritizing nutrition after his second shoulder surgery in April 2019. Since joining Impact, Green has been floored by how much nourishment the human body loses during workouts. He has an app that lays out meal calories and hydration plans, and his goal this offseason is to skip carbohydrates, even from snacks like a simple bag of chips.
"When you're young, whatever you see in front of you is what you want," Green said. "I [was] able to start here early and realize, if I want to play ball for a while, it's important to put the right things in my body and stay healthy. It's the same thing as seeing your physical therapist and getting treatment, if not more important for your body."
Abunassar has a plethora of stories about players who embraced the importance of nutrition at the pro level. Garnett has talked about taping his meal-plan menus on the cabinets of his Minnesota home.&nbsp; Lowry, Haliburton and Serge Ibaka are examples of guys who transformed their bodies under Impact's guidance too.
Gym time and workouts are obviously valuable, but to Abunassar, nutrition is what sparks physical development.
"The nutrition is really the basis of body change &mdash; for anybody, not even just for a basketball player," Abunassar said. "You can go to the gym every day, but if you're eating cheeseburgers and fries, you're just not going to lose weight."
Mourier has his own trail of success stories. He's worked with dozens of players, including Haliburton and Green. Zeke Nnaji, another 2020 draftee, was an especially interesting case as the only plant-based-dieting prospect Mourier has guided at Impact.
Mourier does not advise athletes to follow a plant-based diet solely for performance. However, Nnaji had chosen to be a vegan for ethical reasons, which Mourier respected, and the two worked together to create a nutrition plan despite the constraints. One of Nnaji's pre-draft goals was to add muscle, and he succeeded with rigorous attention to detail.
"He gained 20 pounds and everyone was like, 'Who the hell is this?'" Mourier said. "So that was really good, just being tactful with the timing and quantities of that stuff. And [Nnaji] was really diligent with it. He nailed every single aspect of it down to the gram... He was a really easy one. I really can't take credit for all that stuff. I just put the blueprint down and he just rolled with it."
This year, Impact has worked with several 2022 draft prospects, including MarJon Beauchamp, Blake Wesley and Michael Foster Jr. among others.&nbsp;
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San Antonio Spurs rookie Blake Wesley (<a href="https://twitter.com/blakewesley0?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@blakewesley0</a>) working out at <a href="https://twitter.com/impactbball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@impactbball</a>: <a href="https://t.co/9lfkFikWsP">pic.twitter.com/9lfkFikWsP</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1547643918904217604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Wesley has been an Impact athlete since he was 17, meeting Abunassar for the first time as a junior in high school. Wesley would come in occasionally for workouts, staying on the far court and watching as NBA players like Leonard and Paul George would get their reps in. He returned in offseasons and locked in for his own pre-draft boot camp.
Mourier praised the Spurs rookie for his attention to detail regarding nutrition. Wesley frequently FaceTimed Mourier while at restaurants and stores, and asked questions about what he should eat. He's also a staunch advocate of Herbalife's CR7 Drive sports drink mix, and even has an endorsement deal with Herbalife.
As part of his pre-draft plan to put on weight, Welsey would cook three eggs, plus have oatmeal, milk and orange juice for breakfast.
"[Changing my nutrition] helped my body a lot," Wesley told Basketball News over the phone. "I kept doing this, so I kept getting better on the court and did everything good on the court. So yeah, my nutrition helped me a lot."
The result: Wesley turned himself from a relatively unheralded four-star recruit into Notre Dame's first one-and-done player &mdash; then bulked up to 190 pounds in the spring and became a first-round NBA draft pick.
"I met [Wesley] a year ago, before he went to Notre Dame, and his transformation from then to the start of the pre-draft [process] to now &mdash; it's phenomenal," Mourier said.
The next challenge is to maintain discipline once that contract gets signed.&nbsp;
"You gotta stay focused; the NBA is totally different from college," Wesley said. "I mean, you're getting paid, you got a high profile [and] a lot of people are watching you &mdash; &nbsp;watching how you move, who you hang out with, stuff like that. So it's a whole different lifestyle."
Abunassar, Mourier and the Impact staff are hands-on with their players during the offseason and pre-draft process. But what happens when those players head back to their respective NBA franchises?
"For the most part, from a strength-and-conditioning standpoint [and] from a player development standpoint, the NBA teams have stuff really dialed in," Mourier said. "From a nutrition standpoint, for the most part, they do not."
Mourier estimated that there are only six full-time nutritionists and dietitians in the entire NBA. The Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA) lists <a href="https://sportsrd.org/career-development/full-time-sports-rds-working-with-usas-top-institutions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nine full-time registered dietitians.</a> Mourier said that teams often have physicians and trainers covering several responsibilites, including nutrition, due to budget restrictions and front-office priorities. This means some athletes, specifically reserve players, receive less health guidance.
"We're kind of the ones who are the last for the front office to see the value in it, so a lot of times we're really just a check-box," Mourier said. "So especially for those lower-order guys that are maybe No. 7, 8, 9, 10, all the way through to 15 on the roster, they're not really receiving any support at all. They're receiving provision. They're receiving meals and supplements. But in terms of education and behavior change, they're really not receiving it."
Over the last 25 years, Abunassar has seen sports nutrition dramatically change, with data and technology more interwoven into practice than ever. He thinks there are positives and pitfalls to the advancements.
"From a nutrition standpoint and strength-and-conditioning standpoint, it's clearly useful information to help prevent injury, to increase lean body mass, etc.," he said. "All of the technology that has come out has been very helpful for us, but you do have to watch that you don't get too reliant on it. Sometimes, you gotta watch the games and see how guys move and that kind of thing. But a combination of the two is very effective."
Impact Basketball is one progressive frontrunner in the field of sports science, but Mourier emphasized that, at this point, all basketball pros should be setting themselves up for success with some sort of offseason developmental map. Pre-draft prospects especially cannot afford to lose that critical period before team workouts to maximize their appeal.
"It's like doing the SAT without looking at the study guide," Mourier said "...I think it's definitely a standard. There's people doing this all over the country, really. Nobody does it like us, and nobody's been doing it for as long as us, but people are seeing the value."

A behind-the-scenes look at how Impact Basketball helps players realize their full potential by focusing on their training and nutrition.

How sports nutrition and biometrics are evolving NBA training

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Deandre Ayton had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Devin Booker scored 21 points and Chris Paul chipped in 19 as the Phoenix Suns cruised past the Indiana Pacers 117-104 on Friday night.
Playing one day after their blockbuster trade for four-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant, the Suns led by as many as 26 and never trailed in a game they outrebounded the Pacers 64-45.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s exciting times for the Phoenix Suns,&rdquo; Booker said. &ldquo;You have one of the best players to ever touch a basketball coming. He&rsquo;s going to fit right in.&rdquo;
Durant, acquired from Brooklyn on Thursday, hasn&rsquo;t played since Jan. 8 when he sustained a knee injury in a game against Miami. Durant, who was not with the Suns in Indiana, is expected to be healthy enough to play at some point after the All-Star break.
Bennedict Mathurin posted 22 points for the Pacers, while All-Star Tyrese Haliburton finished with 18 points and five assists. Indiana, which has lost 14 of its past 16 games, shot 42% from the field and committed 15 turnovers.
&ldquo;Rebounding has been a challenge for us all year long,&rdquo; Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. &ldquo;They had 19 offensive rebounds. Rebounding is an attention-to-detail and effort area.&rdquo;
Phoenix shot 46% and capitalized on ball movement with 25 assists on its 43 baskets. Paul had nine assists and Booker five. Josh Okogie finished with 17 points and six boards, while former Pacer Torrey Craig started at power forward and racked up 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Phoenix, which has won six of its past eight, led 30-24 after the first quarter, 60-47 at halftime and 95-77 entering the final period. The Suns bounced back from Thursday night&rsquo;s loss in Atlanta.
&ldquo;We had a trade, emotions, travel,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said. &ldquo;(Thursday night) on the bus, plane, gave us a chance to get back to normal. Sometimes it takes you a minute to process whatever is going on.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Suns: Film study will play a &ldquo;huge&rdquo; role in determining how to work Durant into Phoenix&rsquo;s offense, according to Williams. &ldquo;Huge as far as us figuring out what&rsquo;s the most important thing to run,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Right now, it&rsquo;s the old (Gregg Popovich) saying: less is more.&rdquo; ... Cameron Payne (right foot sprain) and Landry Shamet (right foot soreness) sat out Friday&rsquo;s game. T.J. Warren, reacquired before the trade deadline, was not yet with the team.
Pacers: Indy native George Hill, acquired Thursday from Milwaukee in a four-team trade, chose to begin a second stint with the Pacers rather than be waived to pursue opportunities to join a contender, president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said in a pregame news conference. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s totally up to you,&rdquo; Pritchard recalled telling the 36-year-old guard. &ldquo;He immediately said, &lsquo;I want to come back and teach.&rsquo; I don&rsquo;t know if he&rsquo;s going to coach, but he&rsquo;s got valuable insights.&rdquo; &hellip; Big man Serge Ibaka, sent to Indiana in the same deal, will be waived, Pritchard said. The 33-year-old has played in only 16 games this season, averaging 11.6 minutes. &hellip; Hill and forward Jordan Nwora, the third player obtained from the Bucks whom coach Rick Carlisle said will receive a &ldquo;great opportunity&rdquo; to play in Indiana, should be ready to suit up for the Pacers next week, Carlisle said.
UP NEXT
Suns: Return home to face the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.
Pacers: Play at the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.

Deandre Ayton had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Devin Booker scored 21 points and the Suns cruised past the Pacers 117-104 on Friday.

Ayton, Booker lead Suns past Pacers a day after Durant trade

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Giannis Antetokounmpo had 38 points and 10 rebounds, and the Milwaukee Bucks rallied in the second half for their ninth consecutive victory, 115-106 over the Los Angeles Lakers without LeBron James on Thursday night.
James sat out to rest his sore left ankle and foot&nbsp;two nights after he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA&rsquo;s career scoring leader. The Bucks still fell behind by 11 in a tepid first half and never pulled away from an opponent with only nine players in uniform, but Antetokounmpo racked up 23 points in the second half.
Khris Middleton scored 22 points and Jrue Holiday added 18 for the Bucks, who matched their longest winning streak since their 9-0 start to this season. Milwaukee is primed for the stretch run to the postseason after adding veteran Jae Crowder to its talented core at the trade deadline.
&ldquo;Our offense has been better for this stretch,&rdquo; coach Mike Budenholzer said. &ldquo;Tonight we did not shoot it well, but I think generally speaking, we&rsquo;ve been shooting the ball better. I think it&rsquo;s been our unselfishness, the way the ball has moved, the pop that we&rsquo;re playing with. Getting Khris healthy makes a big difference, so it&rsquo;s a little bit of everything. It&rsquo;s hard to keep a stretch like this going, but we want to keep pushing.&rdquo;
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Dennis Schr&ouml;der had 25 points and 12 assists in a standout performance at point guard for the Lakers, who had only four reserves after their flurry of trades in the past two days.
Los Angeles shipped out Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley, Thomas Bryant, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Damian Jones while adding D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Mo Bamba and Davon Reed.
Russell, Vanderbilt and Beasley sat on the Lakers&rsquo; bench to watch this game with their new teammates.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve just got to put everything together,&rdquo; said Anthony Davis, who had 23 points and 16 rebounds while battling foul trouble. &ldquo;Obviously we know what we have on paper. We&rsquo;ve got to put it to the floor. We&rsquo;re behind the 8-ball, so we&rsquo;ve got to do it with some urgency. These guys coming in are ready to get going.&rdquo;
The Lakers are 25-31 after their third straight loss, and they&rsquo;re in desperate need of a winning surge if they hope to avoid missing the playoffs for the second straight season.
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James missed his 12th game of the season with an injury that has required constant maintenance.&nbsp;The Lakers honored his achievement with a pregame ceremony&nbsp;in which he thanked his fans and his family while describing the week as &ldquo;surreal.&rdquo;
Despite using their 28th starting lineup in 56 games this season, the short-handed Lakers improbably took a 58-50 halftime lead while Milwaukee missed 23 of its 28 3-point attempts.
THE REAL STORY
Davis ended a surge of internet speculation about why he was curiously sitting on the Lakers&rsquo; bench instead of watching the moment James broke the scoring record Tuesday: He didn&rsquo;t realize LeBron was about to make history.
&ldquo;We were losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a game that we needed, and I was (ticked) off that we were losing,&rdquo; Davis said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s very simple. It&rsquo;s nothing had to do with Bron. He knows that.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Bucks: Crowder is unlikely to join the team before it returns home to Milwaukee, Budenholzer said. The Bucks gave up George Hill, Serge Ibaka, Jordan Nwora and three future second-round picks to get the defense-minded, playoff-tested Crowder, who played at Marquette. &ldquo;I just feel like Jae is a winner,&rdquo; Budenholzer said. &ldquo;His toughness, his defense, what he brings on that end of the court is special.&rdquo;
Lakers: Coach Darvin Ham said James had &ldquo;imaging&rdquo; done on his foot, but it didn&rsquo;t show &ldquo;anything extensive, just normal wear and tear.&rdquo; ... Ham is hoping all five newcomers are available for their next game Saturday. &ldquo;All those guys bring unique skill sets that we need,&rdquo; Ham said.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo had 38 points and 10 rebounds, and the Milwaukee Bucks topped the Los Angeles Lakers 115-106.

Bucks win 9th straight, hold off LeBron-less Lakers 115-106

So much for a quiet NBA trade deadline, right?
The action kicked off with chaos in the early hours of Tuesday morning and concluded with a plethora of moves by the time the 3 p.m. buzzer sounded.
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Let's recap how it went down in order, sort out what happened and find out who's going where.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/raptors-acquire-jakob-poeltl-in-trade-with-spurs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Toronto Raptors acquire Jakob Poeltl</a>
<ul>
<li>San Antonio Spurs acquire Khem Birch, a 2024 first-round pick (protected) and 2 future second-round picks</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-breaking-trade-news-kevin-durant-traded-phoenix-suns-brooklyn-nets-blockbuster-move-tj-warren-jae-crowder-mikal-bridges-cam-johnson-mat-ishbia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Phoenix Suns acquire Kevin Durant and TJ Warren</a>
<ul>
<li>Brooklyn Nets acquire Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder*, 4 unprotected first-round picks (2023, 2025, 2027, 2029) and a 2028 pick swap</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
*Crowder was moved in a separate deal.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shams-celtics-acquire-mike-muscala" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston Celtics acquire Mike Muscala</a>
<ul>
<li>Oklahoma City Thunder acquire Justin Jackson, a 2023 second-round pick (worse of Boston's 2 this season) and a 2029 second-round pick</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shams-bucks-acquire-jae-crowder" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Milwaukee Bucks acquire Jae Crowder</a>
<ul>
<li>Brooklyn Nets acquire 5 second-round picks</li>
<li>Indiana Pacers acquire Jordan Nwora, George Hill, Serge Ibaka* and 2 second-round picks (MIL)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
*Ibaka is expected to be waived and hit the open market.
<ul>
<li>Los Angeles Lakers acquire Mo Bamba, Davon Reed and 2 second-round picks (LAC 2024, 2025)
<ul>
<li>Denver Nuggets acquire Thomas Bryant</li>
<li>Los Angeles Clippers acquire Bones Hyland</li>
<li>Orlando Magic acquire Patrick Beverley*, a 2024 second-round pick (DEN) and cash</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
* Beverley is expected to be bought out and hit the open market.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/blazers-hornets-76ers-3way-trade-thybulle-to-portland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Philadelphia 76ers acquire Jalen McDaniels</a>, a 2024 second-round pick (NYK) and 2029 second-round pick (POR)
<ul>
<li>Portland Trail Blazers acquire Matisse Thybulle</li>
<li>Charlotte Hornets acquire Svi Mykhailiuk, a 2023 second-round pick (more favorable between ATL, CHA, BKN) and a 2027 second-round pick (more favorable between POR/NOP)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/woj-hawks-pistons-warriors-agree-to-threeway-blockbuster-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detroit Pistons acquire James Wiseman</a>
<ul>
<li>Atlanta Hawks acquire Saddiq Bey</li>
<li>Golden State Warriors acquire Kevin Knox* and 5 second-round picks (ATL)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
*Knox was moved in a separate deal.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/clippers-acquire-eric-gordon-in-threeway-deal-with-rockets-grizzlies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles Clippers acquire Eric Gordon</a> and 3 second-round picks
<ul>
<li>Memphis Grizzlies acquire Luke Kennard</li>
<li>Houston Rockets acquire Danny Green, John Wall* and right to swap MIL 2023 first-round pick with LAC</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
*Wall is expected to be waived and hit the open market.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shams-pelicans-acquire-josh-richardson-for-devonte-graham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Orleans Pelicans acquire Josh Richardson</a>
<ul>
<li>San Antonio Spurs acquire Devonte Graham and 4 second-round picks</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/woj-clippers-acquire-mason-plumlee-from-hornets-for-reggie-jackson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles Clippers acquire Mason Plumlee</a>
<ul>
<li>Charlotte Hornets acquire Reggie Jackson* and a 2028 second-round pick</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
*Jackson is expected to bought out and hit the open market.
<ul>
<li>Atlanta Hawks acquire Garrison Mathews and Bruno Fernando
<ul>
<li>Houston Rockets acquire Justin Holiday, Frank Kaminski and two second-round picks (OKC 2024 and 2025)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/woj-warriors-acquire-gary-payton-ii-from-trail-blazers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Golden State Warriors acquire Gary Payton II</a>
<ul>
<li>Portland Trail Blazers acquire Kevin Knox and 5 second-round picks</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

Basketball News puts together a detailed recap of a busy 2023 NBA trade deadline on February 9.

2023 NBA trade deadline: Recapping all of the day's moves

As Thursday's NBA trade deadline approaches, there's one player who's virtually guaranteed to be traded: Jae Crowder.
The 32-year-old has sat out this season while the Phoenix Suns look for the right trade, and it would be a huge surprise if he wasn't dealt over the next 48 hours.
Numerous playoff teams have shown interest in Crowder, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers. However, the Bucks are "considered the favorites" to acquire Crowder, according to <a href="https://action.onelink.me/eqFB/qy6dqcj4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Moore of The Action Network</a>.
Milwaukee was given permission to meet with Crowder recently, and they have discussed a number of potential packages with the Suns. The Bucks have floated various trade proposals including Jordan Nwora, George Hill, Serge Ibaka and second-round picks, per <a href="https://theathletic.com/4136200/2023/01/30/nba-trade-deadline-rumors-raptors-bucks-suns-crowder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
Crowder hasn't played this season, but he averaged 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 threes and 1.4 steals last year while shooting 34.8% from three-point range. He's a quality role player who also provides leadership and toughness.&nbsp;
Crowder is earning $10,183,800 this season and he'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer. He wants a contract extension, which is where his frustration with the Suns stemmed from.
It remains to be seen whether the Suns can find a better offer than what the Bucks have put together for Crowder, but it sounds like Milwaukee is the current leader in the Crowder sweepstakes.

The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly the favorites to acquire Jae Crowder from the Phoenix Suns.

Bucks 'considered the favorites' to acquire Jae Crowder from Suns

The Milwaukee Bucks have reportedly been in pursuit of Jae Crowder since before this season but have yet to work out a deal with the Phoenix Suns.
With the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline approaching, <a href="https://theathletic.com/4136200/2023/01/30/nba-trade-deadline-rumors-raptors-bucks-suns-crowder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic reports</a> that the Suns have given the Bucks permission to meet with the veteran forward and Milwaukee is "believed to be the only team that has received permission to visit one-on-one with Crowder".
He adds that the teams have been in serious talks for months with current proposals involving Jordan Nwora, George Hill, Serge Ibaka and second-round picks. Both teams are trying to find a third team that could give the Suns a forward but so far, they've come up empty.
Several other teams, including the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks, are also interested in Crowder <a href="https://theathletic.com/4136200/2023/01/30/nba-trade-deadline-rumors-raptors-bucks-suns-crowder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Charania</a>.
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The Suns have reportedly given the Bucks permission to meet with Jae Crowder as trade talk for the veteran forward continues.

Suns give Bucks permission to meet with Jae Crowder

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Giannis Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s ability to keep getting to the free-throw line assured the Milwaukee Bucks would outlast the short-handed Denver Nuggets.
Antetokounmpo had 33 points and 14 rebounds Wednesday night as the Bucks won 107-99 over the Nuggets, who were playing without two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and three other usual starters.
Antetokounmpo went 15 of 22 from the line and was two off his career high in free-throw attempts. All but one of those free-throw tries came in the second half.
&ldquo;Just tried to get to the rim, tried to be aggressive as much as I can, get downhill, play within my strength,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said. &ldquo;I tried to enjoy the game. I feel I sometimes get too locked in. I think I&rsquo;ve got to enjoy the game more. Usually when I enjoy the game more, I get to the free-throw line more, I get downhill more, I&rsquo;m able to find my teammates more and just make better plays.&rdquo;
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Jokic had returned after missing two games and recorded his fourth straight triple-double Tuesday in a&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-pelicans-denver-nuggets-sports-basketball-automotive-accidents-0df908c45fd083bbdfaa1042db53cbcf">99-98 victory at New Orleans.</a>&nbsp;He rested the hamstring Wednesday rather than playing on back-to-back nights.
His absence spoiled a potential matchup between the winners of the four last MVPs. Antetokoumpo won the award in 2019 and 2020.
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The Western Conference-leading Nuggets also were missing Jamal Murray (left knee/injury management), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (sprained right wrist) and Michael Porter Jr. (personal reasons). Porter missed a third straight game.
&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t get the outcome that we wanted, but I saw a lot of great things from our group tonight that will help us moving forward,&rdquo; Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.
Jrue Holiday had 20 points for the Bucks, who won despite committing 22 turnovers. Pat Connaughton scored a season-high 19 points, matched a career high with 12 rebounds and shot 7 of 8 overall and 5 of 6 on 3-point attempts.
Aaron Gordon had 26 points and 13 rebounds for the Nuggets. Bones Hyland added 15 points.
While the Nuggets were missing most of their top players, the Bucks also weren&rsquo;t at full strength.
Milwaukee&rsquo;s Bobby Portis missed a game for the first time this season after&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-denver-nuggets-nba-sports-detroit-pistons-375e484b5bd6b2dbe68685b9a47cbcd1">spraining his right medial collateral ligament and right wrist</a>&nbsp;Monday in a&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-detroit-pistons-jalen-duren-8313522e4425d0002caffd8d92256f62">150-130 triumph at Detroit.</a>&nbsp;The Bucks said Portis will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Bucks rookie MarJon Beauchamp was out due to patella tendinitis in his right knee.
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After trailing by 14 early in the fourth quarter, the Nuggets cut the Bucks&rsquo; lead to 94-89 on Christian Braun&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 5:01 left. The Bucks answered with five straight points and stayed ahead by at least seven the rest of the way, with Antetokounmpo going 9 of 15 from the line in the fourth quarter.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a challenge,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;The guy is great in transition. He&rsquo;s great in the paint. And he&rsquo;s by far the best in the NBA in terms of drawing fouls and living at the free-throw line.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Nuggets: With injuries leaving the Nuggets at far below full strength, Vlatko Cancar made his first start of the season and third of his career, Braun made his second career start and Zeke Nnaji made his fifth start of the season and seventh of his career.
Bucks: Coach Mike Budenholzer said Portis&rsquo; injury hasn&rsquo;t impacted the status of reserve center Serge Ibaka, who isn&rsquo;t with the team and hasn&rsquo;t played since Jan. 1. The Bucks and Ibaka mutually agreed that the team would try to explore a trade involving the 6-11 veteran. ... Khris Middleton came off the bench for the second straight time as he works his way back gradually from a sore right knee. Middleton, who has played just nine games this season, scored 10 points in 15 minutes.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo had 33 points and 14 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks won 107-99 over the Denver Nuggets.

Antetokounmpo helps Bucks beat short-handed Nuggets 107-99

The Milwaukee Bucks and center Serge Ibaka have mutually agreed to find the 14-year NBA veteran a new home via trade as he remains away from the team <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1616469203954929664" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
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The Milwaukee Bucks and center Serge Ibaka have mutually agreed to find the 14-year NBA veteran a new home via trade as he remains away from the team, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1616469203954929664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Ibaka has been away from the team for the last six games for personal reasons and it looks like he will stay away until a trade can be found.&nbsp;
The Bucks traded for the 33-year-old before last season's trade deadline and he averaged 7.0 points and 5.3 rebounds for Milwaukee during the regular season but he was not a part of their rotation in the post-season. This season, he has only appeared in 16 games and only putting up 4.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in less than 12 minutes per game.
The veteran big mane has dealt with back issues over the past few seasons which have greatly slowed him down from being the defensive presence around the rim that he once was.&nbsp;
<a href="https://twitter.com/IanBegley/status/1616272308200476672" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ian Begley of SNY.tv</a> had previous mentioned that the New York Knicks could be interested in adding Ibaka if they're looking to add frontcourt depth, especially with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/knicks-mitchell-robinson-out-at-least-3-weeks-following-thumb-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitchell Robinson missing at least the next three weeks</a> following thumb surgery.
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With him no longer a part of Milwaukee's rotation, Serge Ibaka and the Bucks have agreed to find a trade for the veteran.

Bucks, Serge Ibaka agree to find trade

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Gabe Vincent scored a career-best 28 points, Bam Adebayo had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and the Miami Heat beat the Milwaukee Bucks 108-102 in a matchup of short-handed teams Thursday night.
Jimmy Butler had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, who got 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists from Victor Oladipo.
Max Strus had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Miami (23-20), which moved a season-best three games over .500, even with starters Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro and Caleb Martin sidelined.
Jrue Holiday had 24 points and 11 assists for the Bucks, who were without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Grayson Allen, Khris Middleton, Serge Ibaka and Joe Ingles.
Jevon Carter scored 18, Jordan Nwora had 16, AJ Green scored 15 and Bobby Portis had 12 for the Bucks.
The teams play again in Miami on Saturday afternoon.
The Heat's streak of consecutive free throws made ended at 55, when Butler missed one with 27.7 seconds left. They finished 15 of 16 from the line and nearly became the first team in Heat history to be perfect from the line in consecutive games.
Miami set an NBA record with a 40-for-40 showing in a win Tuesday over Oklahoma City.
Milwaukee led 32-17, a 15-point lead after the game's first 15 minutes, even with two regular starters out in Antetokounmpo and Allen.
It didn't last. The game was tied 45-all at the half, and ended up becoming Miami's biggest comeback win of the season. The Heat rallied from a pair of 13-point deficits for wins, and were 0-8 in games in which they trailed by 14 or more.
Miami came into the night 28th in the 30-team NBA in rebounding, Milwaukee came into the game leading the league in that department. But the Heat outrebounded the Bucks 61-39 &ndash; by far the biggest rebound margin Miami has enjoyed this season. They outrebounded the Los Angeles Clippers by 14 on Jan. 2.
Miami outscored Milwaukee 58-18 in the paint. The Bucks made 35 field goals, 22 of them being 3-pointers.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Milwaukee is now 4-3 without Antetokounmpo this season. ... The Bucks were 19-1 in games in which they led by at least 15 points this season. The other loss was at Chicago on Dec. 28. ... Carter&rsquo;s five 3-pointers tied a season high, done on four previous occasions. His career best on 3&rsquo;s is eight, done in the final game of his rookie season for Memphis against Golden State on April 10, 2019.
Heat: Inter Miami coach Phil Neville was at the game. ... Miami used another different starting lineup, its eighth in 10 games and its 19th so far this season. ... <a href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-miami-heat-oklahoma-city-thunder-sports-dewayne-dedmon-6526b430632f40c19f538c7867b2c35f">Dewayne Dedmon served his one-game suspension</a> imposed for conduct detrimental to the team, surrounding his actions in Tuesday&rsquo;s matchup against Oklahoma City.
TOUGH STRETCH
The Bucks are in a tough schedule stretch. They played in Atlanta on Wednesday, got to Miami around 2:30 a.m., played Thursday, play Saturday afternoon in Miami, then play Indiana on Monday afternoon in Milwaukee &mdash; as part of the league&rsquo;s Martin Luther King Day lineup &mdash; to start another back-to-back that ends Tuesday against Toronto.
NAME GAME
The &ldquo;FTX Arena&rdquo; signage was still in place at Miami&rsquo;s arena on Thursday, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-nba-sports-business-basketball-d9c78982b811b183cbce3afbe4114cbd">one day after a bankruptcy court terminated the naming rights deal</a> between the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange and Miami-Dade County. The county and the Heat said Thursday they will &ldquo;work aggressively to identify a new naming rights partner for the arena.&rdquo; The FTX signage is likely to begin coming down in the next few days.
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Gabe Vincent scored a career-best 28 points, Bam Adebayo had 24 points, and the Miami Heat beat the Milwaukee Bucks 108-102.

Short-handed Heat rally, top short-handed Bucks, 108-102

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Giannis Antetokounmpo could feel the Bucks playing with more energy and could sense a shift in their confidence on their 3-point shots.
&ldquo;Once we made one, then we made the second one,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Then we made the third one.&rdquo;
And pretty soon, their 17-point deficit was gone.
Antetokounmpo had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Milwaukee rallied in the second half and beat the New York Knicks 111-107 on Monday night.
Joe Ingles added a season-high 17 points and Brook Lopez also scored 17 for the Bucks, who made 12 3-pointers after falling behind 70-53 with five minutes remaining in the third quarter.
&ldquo;I think in the long run we&rsquo;re going to make a lot of those shots,&rdquo; Ingles said.
Lopez made one that snapped a 97-all tie before Jrue Holiday &mdash; forced to the bench after committing three fouls in the first 4 1/2 minutes &mdash; scored five straight Milwaukee points. The Bucks closed it out at the free throw line to snap the Knicks' four-game winning streak and bounce back nicely after allowing a season-worst 51 points in the first quarter of their loss to Charlotte on Friday.
Jalen Brunson scored a career-high 44 points for the Knicks, adding seven assists. Julius Randle had 25 points, 16 rebounds and five assists, but was just 1 for 12 from 3-point range.
The Knicks were hoping to continue streaking to the midpoint of their schedule, having followed an eight-game winning streak and a five-game skid with four straight victories. They fell to 22-19.
Ingles, who didn't play for the Bucks until last month after missing the first 29 games recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee, helped fuel the comeback with five 3-pointers.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice to finish a game, it&rsquo;s nice to be in those situations obviously,&rdquo; Ingles said.
Randle finally made a 3-pointer after an 0-for-9 first half on the first possession of the third quarter, and his free throws capped a 13-2 spurt midway through the period that extended a six-point lead to 70-53.
The Knicks still led by 16 after Randle's three-point play with 2:25 remaining, but didn't make another basket in the quarter as Milwaukee closed with a 13-2 run of its own to trim it to 78-73.
Obi Toppin opened the fourth with a 3-pointer, but Lopez, Grayson Allen and Ingles followed with three in a row for Milwaukee to give the Bucks an 82-81 lead.
&ldquo;I think we didn&rsquo;t close the third out well and then the start of the fourth same thing, so that&rsquo;s probably the biggest thing,&rdquo; Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said.
Neither team led by more than three again until Holiday's 3-pointer made it 103-99 with 47 seconds to play.
Brunson&rsquo;s aggressive start quickly put Holiday in foul trouble, forcing him to the bench within 4 1/2 minutes. But the Bucks' big men were much more effective defending Randle, who was 1 for 12, missing all eight 3-point attempts.
Brunson was just 1 for 6 in the second, but Immanuel Quickley stepped up with 13 points as the Knicks took a 51-46 lead to the break.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Khris Middleton missed his 12th straight game. ... Coach Mike Budenholzer said F/C Serge Ibaka, not with the team for personal reasons, would not rejoin the Bucks during the road trip.
Knicks: Thibodeau said F RJ Barrett, who has missed six games with a lacerated finger on his right hand, is &ldquo;real close&rdquo; to returning and the Knicks would see how he progresses Tuesday. Toppin played for the first time since Dec. 7 and scored three points. He had been inactive for 13 games with nondisplaced fracture of his right fibula, then didn't play in either of the first two games after he was cleared to return.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo had 22 points, and Milwaukee rallied in the second half and beat the New York Knicks 111-107.

Bucks come from 17 down, stop Knicks' four-game win streak

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Bobby Portis had 22 points and 14 rebounds starting in place of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks also played without Khris Middleton in a 123-97 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.
Antetokounmpo sat out because of soreness in his left knee, the fifth game he has missed this season. Middleton has soreness in his right knee.
Portis scored 15 points in the first quarter and finished with his 17th double-double this season, tying him for third in the NBA in that category.
&ldquo;I put a lot of work in and the game is starting to slow down for me,&rdquo; Portis said. &ldquo;It's fun to see my development and cool to have teammates and coaches that trust me, for sure.&rdquo;
Jrue Holiday added 21 points and eight assists and center Brook Lopez had 18 points and eight rebounds to help the Bucks bounce back from a 41-point loss in Memphis on Thursday night.
&ldquo;We were all disappointed in our effort, virtually everything with the way we played the other night,&rdquo; Lopez said. &ldquo;I think we all felt we were going to come in and show a much better effort.&rdquo;
Rookie MarJon Beauchamp added 18 points in 19 minutes off the bench and Sandro Mamukelashvili had seven assists and eight rebounds in 23 minutes.
&ldquo;Without Giannis playing tonight, I thought he had a huge impact on the game,&rdquo; Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said about Mamukelashvili, who is on a two-way contract and played in the G-League on Friday night. &ldquo;Just his effort on the offensive glass, the ground he was covering, he was just going and getting it.&rdquo;
Milwaukee improved to 14-3 at home and 21-8 overall.
The Jazz was able to tie the game at 42-42 when Beasley hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the second quarter, but Holiday responded with 10 consecutive points, capped by a pull-up triple and a 3-pointer from the corner.
&ldquo;He caught a great rhythm and we needed it,&rdquo; Budenholzer said. &ldquo;It felt like Jrue did it a lot of different ways and looked like himself.&rdquo;
The Bucks outscored the Jazz, 31-14, in the final quarter and took command with a 13-0 run to open the quarter to take a 105-83 lead.
Beasley and Lauri Markkanen each had 18 points for Utah. The Jazz (17-15) were coming off back-to-back home victories over New Orleans.
&ldquo;That wasn't great,&rdquo; Utah coach Will Hardy said. &ldquo;It's never as bad as it feels sometimes. Their physicality bothered us tonight, moreso when we had the ball than when they had the ball.&rdquo;
INGLES TO RETURN
Veteran forward Joe Ingles is scheduled to make his Milwaukee debut Monday night when the Bucks play at New Orleans. The 6-foot-9 Ingles, signed as a free agent in the offseason, played eight seasons for Utah but suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament on Jan. 30 last season. &ldquo;The expectation is that he will play on Monday,&rdquo; Budenholzer said. &ldquo;His passing is probably the thing that stands out the most. His 3-point shooting is going to be really helpful for us.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Jazz: All five Utah starters are averaging career highs in assists. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re bought into playing as a group,&rdquo; Hardy said. &ldquo;We talked from the beginning of training camp about play hard and pass. Those are the two things we care about.&rdquo;
Bucks: Holiday and Serge Ibaka returned after being sidelined with illness. Holiday had missed the last two games, a win over Golden State and a lopsided loss in Memphis.
UP NEXT
Jazz: At Cleveland on Monday night.
Bucks: At New Orleans on Monday night.

The Bucks were without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton on Saturday night, but they managed to beat the Jazz 123-97.

Bucks beat Jazz without stars Antetokounmpo, Middleton

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Ja Morant had 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Memphis Grizzlies pounded the Milwaukee Bucks 142-101 on Thursday night.
Dillon Brooks added 18 points and Tyus Jones had 16 as eight Grizzlies scored in double figures. Memphis led from start to finish in its seventh straight win.
Memphis' win, coupled with New Orleans' overtime loss to Utah on Thursday night, moved the Grizzlies into first place in the Western Conference.
&ldquo;When teams face us, they&rsquo;ve got to be ready to come out and play,&rdquo; Morant said, adding: &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got multiple guys who can go out and score the ball. If you scout us, you&rsquo;ve got to name everybody on the list.&rdquo;
The Grizzlies opened a 50-point lead in the fourth quarter for the NBA&rsquo;s largest advantage this season. Milwaukee was held to 38 points in the paint, while Memphis had 86.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think it is anything earth-shattering,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said of the defensive effort. He added that the Grizzlies were disciplined and showed multiple players against Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
&ldquo;I thought we did a really good job just taking them out of the paint.&rdquo;
Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis led the Bucks with 19 points apiece before Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer emptied the bench late in the third quarter.
&ldquo;We were just beaten soundly in every way, shape and form, and we have to own that,&rdquo; Budenholzer said.
The game featured two of the top teams in their respective conferences. Milwaukee began the night a game behind East-leading Boston, while Memphis was tied for first with the Pelicans in the Western Conference.
But the Bucks struggled from the start of the game. Memphis led 70-41 at halftime. It was the most points given up in a half by Milwaukee this season.
&ldquo;They were just playing well. Knocking down shots,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said. &ldquo;They were running. Their pace was really fast. They were just playing good basketball."
TIP-INS
Bucks: G Jrue Holiday missed his second game with a non-COVID-19 illness. Serge Ibaka also was a late scratch for the same reason. ... F Khris Middleton was 1 of 12 in the game, including 1 of 8 from 3-point range. ... Milwaukee&rsquo;s biggest loss in franchise history was by 48 two times, the last time in the 1994-95 season against Orlando.
Grizzlies: Jenkins is tied with Dave Joerger for second place on the franchise career wins list with 147. Lionel Hollins has the most wins as Memphis coach with 214. ... F/C Brandon Clarke made all six of his shots in the game and has connected on 55 of 77 shots over his past 11 games. ... Rookie David Roddy scored a season-best 15 points.
BLOCK PARTY
The game featured two of the league&rsquo;s best shot blockers. Milwaukee&rsquo;s Brook Lopez leads the league with an average of 2.9 blocks a game and 75 overall. Meanwhile, Jaren Jackson Jr. of Memphis entered with a 3.64 average despite playing only 11 games. Neither had a block in the game, and Milwaukee only had one block &mdash; by Thanasis Antetokounmpo.
Instead, it was Memphis center Steven Adams who had a season-high five blocks.
LAST WORD
&ldquo;We feel like we&rsquo;re about to get on that stride like we had last year and won 10 straight. As you can see, we&rsquo;re flowing and playing pretty good right now,&rdquo; Morant said.
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Ja Morant had 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Memphis Grizzlies pounded the Milwaukee Bucks 142-101.

Morant has triple-double as Grizzlies trounce Bucks 142-101

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 38 points and the Milwaukee Bucks capitalized on a 23-2 run in the first eight-plus minutes of the third quarter to rally past the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-102 on Friday night.
The Bucks came back from a 16-point deficit and snapped Cleveland&rsquo;s four-game winning streak by outscoring the Cavaliers 35-10 in the third period. The Cavaliers hadn&rsquo;t scored below 15 points in any quarter this season before Friday.
Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points and Darius Garland added 20 for Cleveland. After combining to shoot 14 of 26 and score 38 points in the first half, they went 4 of 16 for 11 points over the final two periods.
Cleveland&rsquo;s Jarrett Allen played only 12 minutes and scored one point before leaving with a hip injury. The 6-foot-11 center picked up a pair of fouls in the first two minutes of the game and took a hard fall on the second fould.
The Cavaliers hadn&rsquo;t lost since their last visit to Milwaukee, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cleveland-cavaliers-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-brook-lopez-bc0950b33355c88bb4ca4fe5c107c4b6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a 113-98 Bucks victory</a> on Nov. 16.
Jevon Carter scored 18 points and Bobby Portis had 14 for the Bucks. Antetokounmpo added nine rebounds and six assists to go along with his game-high scoring.
After trailing 63-52 at halftime, the Bucks turned the game around in the third quarter.
Jrue Holiday, who committed three fouls in the first 1&frac12; quarters, scored his first points of the game in the opening minute of the third. He followed that up with a 3-pointer.
Carter then found Antetokounmpo for a dunk on an alley-oop, though Antetokounmpo missed a free throw that would have given him a three-point play. Mitchell scored to extend Cleveland&rsquo;s lead to 65-59, but a Brook Lopez 3-pointer and an Antetokounmpo dunk cut the lead to one.
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THE TRAIN IS COMING GET OFF THE TRACKS CLEVELAND!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FearTheDeer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FearTheDeer</a> 😤😤😤 <a href="https://t.co/o2PaoyjNXW">pic.twitter.com/o2PaoyjNXW</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportWI/status/1596332770149642241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Lopez then blocked a shot that led to an Antetokounmpo 3-pointer, giving the Bucks their first lead of the night with 7:19 left in the third. Antetokounmpo added another dunk 30 seconds later and Jevon Carter made a 3-pointer to keep the run going.
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HE WON'T STOP DUNKING IT ON THE CAVS! <a href="https://t.co/SVQMQ4iUYH">pic.twitter.com/SVQMQ4iUYH</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportWI/status/1596333429381013505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The Cavaliers trailed 75-65 by the time the spurt finally ended on a pair of Isaac Okoro free throws with 3:51 left in the third.
Milwaukee eventually led by as many as 22 points.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Dean Wade had seven points and 12 rebounds in his return after missing six games with right knee soreness. Kevin Love was out for the third time in four games due to a fractured right thumb. Caris LeVert missed a third straight game with a sprained left ankle.
Bucks: Pat Connaughton and Serge Ibaka weren't available due to non-COVID illnesses. Connaughton had just played his first two games of the season earlier this week after recovering from a strained right calf. Holiday played after being listed on the injury report as probable with a non-COVID illness.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: At Detroit on Sunday. In their only previous matchup this season, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/boston-celtics-cleveland-cavaliers-nba-sports-detroit-pistons-97df59f13f6479fb7b80b0a9dd10f892" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cavaliers beat the Pistons 112-88</a> at Detroit on Nov. 4.
Bucks: Host Dallas on Sunday to close a four-game homestand.

The Bucks capitalized on a 23-2 run in the first eight-plus minutes of the third quarter to rally past the Cavaliers 117-102 on Friday night.

Bucks storm back in second half to beat Cavaliers 117-102

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; Jevon Carter had career highs of 36 points and 12 assists, and the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 136-132 in two overtimes on Wednesday night.
The Bucks were missing their top two scorers. Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out with a sore left knee and Jrue Holiday was out with a sprained right ankle. Carter filled the scoring void by making 15 of 27 field goals, including 5 of 10 3-pointers.
Brook Lopez added 24 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks for the Bucks, who were coming off their first loss of the season after winning their first nine games.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 points, Tre Mann had 21 and Josh Giddey added 18 points, 15 rebounds and six assists for the Thunder, who lost their fourth straight.
The Thunder led by six late in the third quarter before George Hill hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to trim Oklahoma City's edge to 87-84.
Milwaukee led 112-100 with just under five minutes remaining before the Thunder rallied. Lu Dort made an open layup off an inbounds pass under the hoop to tie the game at 119. Carter missed a fadeaway at the buzzer to force overtime.
Gilgeous-Alexander&rsquo;s step-back 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds left in the first overtime gave the Oklahoma City Thunder a 126-125 lead in overtime. Dort fouled Lopez on an inbounds lob with 0.2 seconds remaining. Lopez missed the first free throw and made the second to force a second OT.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Carter entered the game averaging 5.3 points and hadn't scored more than 18 in a game this season. ... Former Thunder player Serge Ibaka scored four points. ... Lopez had four blocks in the first half.
Thunder: Milwaukee's Grayson Allen landed hard on Gilgeous-Alexander&rsquo;s knee in the first quarter, but neither player was hurt. ... F Aleksej Pokusevski had 17 points and nine rebounds.
UP NEXT
Bucks: Visit the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.
Thunder: Host the Toronto Raptors on Friday.
___
Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: <a href="twitter.com/CliffBruntAP">twitter.com/CliffBruntAP</a>

Jevon Carter had career highs of 36 points and 12 assists, and the short-handed Bucks beat the Thunder in two overtimes.

Carter scores career-high 36, Bucks beat Thunder in 2 OTs

This marks the first time that NBA opening-night rosters have at least 120 international players in consecutive seasons

NBA features 120 international players from 40 countries, 6 continents

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Paolo Banchero scored 17 points in the No. 1 pick's first home appearance, and the Orlando Magic beat the Memphis Grizzlies 109-105 on Tuesday night.
Wendell Carter Jr. led the Magic with 18 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, Terrence Ross scored 17 points and Franz Wagner finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Wagner also had two steals, including a key one with 30 seconds left as the Grizzlies made a final run.
Desmond Bane, who struggled shooting early in the preseason, scored 33 points, converting 11 of 18 shots, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range. Ja Morant scored 23, but had a rough night from the field, shooting 8 for 24 and missing all six from behind the arc.
Banchero helped the Magic to a quick lead with 13 points in the first half. Orlando led by as much as 18, but Memphis got within single digits in the fourth quarter. Unlike other preseason games, both teams came back with the bulk of their starters for the final six minutes. That made for an entertaining close to the game as the teams traded baskets until the Magic pulled away at the end.
Caleb Houston, a second-round pick out of Michigan, had 13 points for the Magic. Bol Bol finished with nine points and nine rebounds.
THUNDER 117, PISTONS 99
In Detroit, Jalen Williams, the 12th overall pick last summer from Santa Clara, had 16 points and seven rebounds as Oklahoma City beat a Pistons team that lost Marvin Bagley III to a right knee injury.
Lu Dort and Josh Giddey also had 16 points apiece, with Giddey adding nine assists.
Killian Hayes led the Pistons with 20 points and seven assists, while Saddiq Bey finished with 19 points. Cory Joseph and No. 5 pick Jaden Ivey had 11 points apiece.
Bagley left the game in the first minute with the right knee injury. Bagley seemed to slip in the lane defending a fast break and went down, immediately grabbing his knee. He was helped off the court, and Detroit soon announced Bagley, who signed a three-year contract with the Pistons this summer, would not return to the game.
WARRIORS 131, TRAIL BLAZERS 98
JaMychal Green and Moses Moody scored 20 points apiece as a team of Golden State reserves dominated visiting Portland.
James Wiseman, coming back after missing last season with a right knee injury, had 18 points and seven rebounds. Green was 8 of 10 from the field, including missing only one of his five shots from outside the arc. Wiseman, who played 18 minutes, made 6 of 8 from the field.
Shaedon Sharpe, the seventh overall pick from Kentucky, led Portland with 17 points, while Jusuf Nurkic finished with 16 points. Anfernee Simons had 12.
Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins were among the key Warriors sitting out before Friday&rsquo;s preseason finale against Denver. Draymond Green remained away from the team after he punched Poole during practice last week.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game that Green would return to practice on Thursday and not be suspended. He expects the defensive mainstay to play in Friday&rsquo;s preseason finale, and on opening night.
Kerr said Green was fined an unspecified amount.
&ldquo;We feel like this is the best way, after assessing everything, for us to move forward,&rdquo; Kerr said, adding: &ldquo;This is the biggest crisis that we&rsquo;ve ever had since I&rsquo;ve been coach here. It&rsquo;s really serious stuff.&rdquo;
Donte DiVincenzo, who started with the stars sitting, had 10 assists.
BULLS 127, BUCKS 104
Patrick Williams scored 22 points, along with five rebounds and five assists as Chicago beat visiting Milwaukee, which sat a significant part of its main rotation.
Nikola Vucevic had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls, while Andre Drummond added 16 points, connecting on 7 of 9 from the field.
Jordan Nwora led the Bucks with 25 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Marques Bolden finished with 21 points.
The game featured two teams expected to play into the postseason in the Eastern Conference, but the active rosters only had shells of the full squads. The Bucks sat many of their players, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, Serge Ibaka and Grayson Allen, most of them on rest management.
Chicago played without key offensive players Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan.
SPURS 111, JAZZ 104
Devin Vassell had 24 points, Keldon Johnson added 22 points to lead visiting San Antonio over Utah.
Vassell shot 10 for 15, including 3 of 5 from outside the arc. Johnson was 9 for 13 as San Antonio&rsquo;s starters combined to make 28 of 43 shots in the game.
Lauri Markkanen had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Utah. Jared Butler had 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while Jordan Clarkson and Walker Kessler added 12 points apiece.

Paolo Banchero scores 17 in his home pre-season debut as the Orlando Magic beat the Memphis Grizzlies.

Banchero scores 16 in home debut, Magic hold off Grizzlies

Nekias Duncan thoroughly breaks down all five teams in the Central Division ahead of the 2022-23 season.

2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Central Division

Serge Ibaka is staying with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks announced Tuesday that they have re-signed the 32-year-old center, who came to Milwaukee <a href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-los-angeles-clippers-sacramento-kings-nba-sports-5afdea183f8000fd6c8c972baf968f7c">as part of a four-team deal at the Feb. 10 trade deadline.</a> Terms of the deal weren't released.
&ldquo;Serge is an elite defender and shot blocker who will continue to add depth for us at center,&rdquo; Bucks general manager Jon Horst said in a statement. &ldquo;He was a valuable acquisition for us last season, and we look forward to having him back in Milwaukee.&rdquo;
Ibaka averaged 7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 17.8 minutes in 19 games with the Bucks last season.
The Bucks acquired Ibaka while starting center Brook Lopez was still recovering from a back injury that required surgery and caused him to play just 13 regular-season games this past season. Ibaka&rsquo;s playing time diminished after Lopez returned to action.
Milwaukee sent guard Donte DiVincenzo to the Sacramento Kings and forwards Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye to the Los Angeles Clippers in the deal that brought them Ibaka as well as a pair of second-round draft picks and cash.
Ibaka averaged 6.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 35 games with the Clippers before getting traded.
The three-time All-Defensive first-team selection <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/i/ibakase01.html">led the NBA in total blocks four straight seasons</a> while playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He led the league in blocks per game in 2011-12 and 2012-13. His 1,752 career blocks <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/blk_active.html">rank him second among all active players, behind only Dwight Howard.</a>

“Serge is an elite defender and shot blocker who will continue to add depth for us at center,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst said.

Serge Ibaka staying with Bucks; agrees to terms on deal

At 14 years old, Moussa Diabat&eacute; moved to the United States to take the next step in his basketball journey. This meant leaving his family and friends in France as he chased his NBA dream.
&ldquo;Man, there were a whole lot of sacrifices," Diabat&eacute; told Basketball News. "I had to leave my country and my family pretty much when I was 14. That was a huge sacrifice that I believe not many people would make. And the friends that I had back home, all of those relationships that I made when I was younger, they pretty much disappeared because you aren&rsquo;t on the same time as them no more. You&rsquo;re playing basketball and trying to [chase your dream] and they&rsquo;re living a regular life, so you don&rsquo;t match anymore in what they like to do. That&rsquo;s how you lose contact with people and stuff like that.
"Also, you can&rsquo;t have distractions. When you&rsquo;re a regular kid, you have more opportunities to do that, but as an athlete who&rsquo;s trying to make something good out of it, you have to cut out all distractions. There have definitely been a whole lot of sacrifices, and all of the sacrifices come at home."
Diabat&eacute;&rsquo;s sacrifices would ultimately pay off, as he became a five-star recruit and received offers from nearly every major program in the nation. He committed to Michigan over Kentucky, Memphis and Arizona among others.
As a freshman with the Wolverines, Diabat&eacute; averaged 9.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 0.9 blocks, while shooting 54.2% from the field. After earning a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, Diabat&eacute; decided to enter the 2022 NBA Draft. The Los Angeles Clippers selected him with the No. 43 overall pick.
Basketball News caught up with Diabat&eacute; to discuss his draft-night experience, his skill set, his fit with the Clippers, which players he&rsquo;s modeled his game after and much more.
How was your draft-night experience? Were there any surprises or did things go as you expected?
Moussa Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;Obviously, like every player, you probably kind of thought that you&rsquo;d get picked a little bit higher. But at the end of the day, I kinda knew which teams were pretty much interested in me. Even though I didn&rsquo;t know who was going to pick me, I still kinda knew who was pretty interested, so when you don&rsquo;t get picked by one team, you&rsquo;re like, &lsquo;Okay, now this next team might pick me.&rsquo; But no, it was a great experience overall and I&rsquo;m really excited and really happy about the Clippers picking me.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s been a few days since the draft. At what point did it sink in that you&rsquo;re an NBA player? Has it sunk in yet?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;I ain&rsquo;t going to lie, I don&rsquo;t even think it has sunk in yet. I don&rsquo;t know what it is or when in my head I&rsquo;m gonna go, &lsquo;Okay, you&rsquo;re an NBA player now.&rsquo; I don&rsquo;t know! (laughs) I&rsquo;m just gonna keep going through whatever, but nah [it hasn&rsquo;t sunk in yet]. I was actually just thinking about that. But I just gotta keep working and keep getting better.&rdquo;
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How do you feel you fit with this Clippers team, and how excited are you to learn from guys like Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and John Wall among others?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;Man, I&rsquo;m really excited. Super excited. I was able to work out there and see how they are; I didn&rsquo;t see all of them, but some of my teammates have been coming in. It&rsquo;s a blessing and I&rsquo;m excited. At the end of the day, I&rsquo;m a player that they don&rsquo;t have on that team. I&rsquo;m just excited to be here, really. And I just gotta keep going, keep working, and obviously learn from the greats.&rdquo;&nbsp;
I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/thunder-rookie-jaylin-williams-qa-im-willing-to-do-the-dirty-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently interviewed</a> Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Jaylin Williams, who&rsquo;s joining a team where almost all of his teammates are age-23 or younger. On the Clippers, you have a lot of veteran teammates and the franchise is focused on winning now. What&rsquo;s it like joining an older team, and what are you hoping to learn from those veterans?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;I think overall, it&rsquo;s just learning how to win really. It sounds simple and everybody says it, but when you have players who have actually won and experienced that, I think you get to really find out what it takes. Especially the L.A.Clippers, they are really trying to build something and really make something happen, so it&rsquo;s definitely a different type of environment &ndash; whereas a team like OKC, as you just said, maybe is not the same environment. Even though they obviously want to win too, it&rsquo;s a different type of mood and environment all around. On the Clippers, with the players that I have around me, I just want to learn everything from them and take in little details.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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What is your message to Clippers fans, who may not be super familiar with your game yet?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to say too much, but just know: God willing, you&rsquo;re going to reap the fruits of this [pick]. I&rsquo;m going to give everything I have and put my all into that. So, hopefully, they&rsquo;re gonna get something good out of this (laughs).&rdquo;
A lot of players seem to want to play in Los Angeles &mdash; we see it all the time in free agency or when guys get bought out. That must be exciting, getting to play in L.A.
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;It is, for sure. I actually didn&rsquo;t have a [preferred city]; for me, it&rsquo;s not like a really big deal because I&rsquo;ve never really been into that. I don&rsquo;t really care; it could&rsquo;ve been Minnesota, Cleveland or Sacramento &ndash; it don&rsquo;t really matter. For me, it was just about being able to get on a team and really try to get better from that point on. But obviously L.A. is amazing and the weather is great. And compared to Michigan, it&rsquo;s definitely better (laughs).&rdquo;
Who are some players that you&rsquo;ve studied or modeled your game after over the years?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;Over the years, I&rsquo;ll say a lot of Bam Adebayo, Pascal Siakam, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Kevin Garnett. Those are four players that I&rsquo;ve really looked up to. I watch a little bit of everyone. Tim Thomas, I don&rsquo;t know if you know him, but I watch a little bit of him. Serge Ibaka, I watch him from back when he was in OKC; that&rsquo;s another big one. Just players like that &ndash; all-around big 4s and centers who are able to move their feet, guard on the perimeter, be versatile and make a two-way impact.&rdquo;
I love the Tim Thomas shout-out. I feel like most 20-year-olds don&rsquo;t know Tim Thomas, so props for that. I&rsquo;m curious: How much has your game developed over the last few years?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;Oh man, I think my game has grown so much. If you talk to the people around me who have seen me play over the years, I think they&rsquo;d tell you, &lsquo;Moussa has changed a lot.&rsquo; From my freshman year of high school to my senior year in high school, and then from my senior year of high school to my first year at Michigan, it&rsquo;s just been me getting better each and every day. And as time goes on, it&rsquo;s like, &lsquo;Oh ok, Moussa is different from how he was last year!&rsquo; But yeah man, hopefully I will be able to keep up at that pace!&rdquo;
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Making the NBA is obviously your dream come true, but it&rsquo;s also your family&rsquo;s dream. They&rsquo;ve seen your journey and they&rsquo;ve made sacrifices of their own too. How are they reacting to you joining the Clippers?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;My friends and family are super happy for me, man. It&rsquo;s special for my family because they&rsquo;ve never had any athletes in the family, I&rsquo;m pretty much the first one, so it&rsquo;s definitely been a big-time celebration. Also, my friends are so happy. Let&rsquo;s just say: the path I took is one that nobody has taken before, so the fact that I&rsquo;ve been able to make it to this point is just huge. It sets an example and not just for basketball. I think people are going to be able to look at me and go, &lsquo;Okay, you don&rsquo;t have to take the regular path to make it.&rsquo; When most players go through the system and take the regular route, you kinda know what&rsquo;s going on. For me, there was this sense of [uncertainty], not knowing what was going to happen. Let&rsquo;s just say that it was really, really&hellip; interesting. At the end of the day, I&rsquo;ve learned a lot and hopefully that will keep helping me out.&rdquo;
You mentioned the sacrifices you had to make. Do you think you had to grow up quicker than most kids your age?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;I definitely think so. Just being mature and knowing that there are certain things you can&rsquo;t do, that&rsquo;s a huge thing. I think that a lot of players have to grow up [fast] and, especially when you&rsquo;re a five-star, it comes with responsibility. You just gotta make sure that you always &lsquo;look good,&rsquo; kinda, in a way.&rdquo;

Moussa Diabaté discusses sacrifices he's made, his draft-night experience, his fit with the Clippers, players he’s studied and more.

Clippers' Moussa Diabaté Q&A: 'There were a whole lot of sacrifices'

At first glance, the Boston Celtics seem gridlocked in their ability to bring an NBA Finals contender over the top for next season. The Celtics will likely reside as a luxury tax-paying team, meaning they're already out of room to sign players aside from a modest $6.3 million mid-level exception, and their entire main rotation is under contract for next season.
So what can Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens do in his role as lead team-builder? Stevens has a few more cards to play in the form of Traded Player Exceptions, commonly abbreviated as TPEs.
Boston has been a TPE merchant in recent seasons, and the franchise's salary-cap dexterity has allowed it to make impactful moves on the fly without raw cap space. The Celtics are Exhibit A of how these exceptions can keep contenders flexible. With well over two-thirds of the league filled to the salary-cap brim this summer, TPEs are like a secret staircase for teams as they try to ascend to NBA glory.
So how exactly do they work, and which squads can take advantage this summer?
Trades in the NBA don't go down with perfectly balanced salary scales. So if one team sends out more salary, under the collective bargaining agreement, the difference becomes a Traded Player Exception. Teams can then absorb future player salaries from future trades into the exception, bypassing any constraints from the salary cap boundaries.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.nba.com/news/trade-exceptions-what-they-are-and-why-they-matter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA.com's Steve Aschburner</a> compares the TPE to a gift card. The simile tracks in that TPEs can sort of "buy" player salaries, but they also expire one year after the trade initally creates them.
Here's a current example: Boston completed a sign-and-trade with the New York Knicks on July 18 of last summer, sending Evan Fournier to New York with a second-round pick in exchange for cash considerations. Because Boston traded Fournier's salary and received only the bag of cash back, it created a TPE that Spotrac values at around $17.1 million. The Celtics can now absorb a player (or multiple players) into that TPE via trade until July 18.
Seems like a smart move, right? Well, it is, but a TPE isn't just hacking the CBA. Rules and consequences exist. Here are some important ones (and check out a larger breakdown from <a href="https://www.sportsbusinessclassroom.com/listing-the-current-nba-trade-exceptions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Pincus</a>:
<ul>
<li>Teams cannot stack TPEs. For example, if the Celtics want to trade for LeBron James, they cannot combine all of their various exceptions into one super-TPE to absorb his salary. There is one trade exception per player salary.</li>
<li>TPEs do not supersede the hard cap (tax apron). This will particularly affect the Celtics because they are already approaching the hard cap, and might make the Fournier TPE, for example, less valuable than it's worth.</li>
</ul>
Though not a rule or a certainty, teams seeking to create a trade exception likely have to trade additional pieces to create it. The Knicks weren't going to simply let Boston make a TPE, so they managed to pick up an additional draft pick. Similarly, when Boston dealt Gordon Hayward to the Charlotte Hornets and created a massive, $28.5 million TPE, Charlotte also swiped two second-rounders from the Celtics.
Sometimes, trade exceptions are a natural byproduct of a deal. In other cases, they're the prize. Dozens of trade exceptions are littered around the league, but most are too small to be a realistic sponge for any player contract.
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Here are the teams with exceptions valued at over $5 million (figures provided by Spotrac), which could theoretically net a rotation-caliber player.
BOSTON CELTICS
So we've discussed the Celtics a bit already, but returning to the Fournier TPE, it's unlikely they use up the full $17.1 million (<a href="https://heavy.com/sports/boston-celtics/evan-fournier-trade-exception/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt John elaborated on this at Heavy.com</a>). It could still add a rotation player who fulfills needs such as movement shooting, center depth and bench scoring. The Celtics also hold TPEs valued at $6.9 million (from trading Juancho Hernangomez to San Antonio) and $5.9 million (from trading Dennis Schroder to Houston).
Boston pulled this stunt last summer where it traded Tristan Thompson for Kris Dunn in a three-way trade with the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks. The Celtics used a $5 million TPE to absorb Dunn's salary, thus creating a larger TPE from Thompson, which they then&nbsp;used to absorb Daniel Theis' salary. That's one example of them finessing the system. But again, when you're up against the tax apron, your options become limited.
BROOKLYN NETS
The Nets have two plausible TPEs to use. One is an $11.3 million TPE in the fallout of the James Harden blockbuster. Brooklyn also holds a $6.3 million TPE created when they dealt DeAndre Jordan to the Pistons.
Brooklyn has some time to use the Harden TPE; it expires in February 2023. But the Jordan TPE perishes on Aug. 19.&nbsp;
Obviously, Brooklyn's roster situation is in flux with the rumors flying around <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-destinations-for-brooklyn-nets-kyrie-irving-nba-trade-rumors-offseason-los-angeles-lakers-la-clippers-new-york-knicks-wizards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyrie Irving</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-trade-kevin-durant-brooklyn-nets-possible-destinations-rumors-phoenix-suns-miami-heat-boston-celtics-new-york-knicks-memphis-grizzlies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin Durant</a>. Should the Nets extend Irving, they'll likely be hard-capped out, and won't be able to maximize these exceptions. Sean Marks and the front office cap-crunching team have their work cut out for them.&nbsp;
CHICAGO BULLS
Chicago has one trade exception, valued at $5 million, from when it sent Daniel Theis to the Rockets. It's unlikely this TPE becomes an asset of significance, but if the Bulls want to use it, they must do so by July 7.
DALLAS MAVERICKS
By trading Josh Richardson to Boston last summer, Dallas created a trade exception worth just under $10.9 million. That could be a helpful tool for the Mavericks, but it's literally expiring today! The Mavericks are flirting with being a hard-capped team, so unless something changes within minutes of writing this, the TPE will not yield a player.&nbsp;
DETROIT PISTONS
Detroit is going to, very briefly, hold a $9.2 million TPE by trading Jerami Grant to the Trail Blazers, according to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/detroit-pistons-acquire-veteran-kemba-walker-york-knicks/story?id=85620180" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Bobby Marks.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;However, Marks reports that Kemba Walker, acquired in the draft-night move that also landed Jalen Duren, will have his salary absorbed into that TPE before being bought out. That's some quick maneuvering by the Pistons to acquire an exciting lottery talent in Duren.
INDIANA PACERS
Here's an interesting case. The Pacers have two notable TPEs in their holster: a $10.5 million exception from trading Jeremy Lamb to Sacramento, and a $7.3 million exception from trading Doug McDermott to San Antonio. Indiana is projected to be a rare team with significant cap space this offseason, and as a will-they-won't-they rebuilding squad, they could take several pathways with these exceptions.
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Perhaps Indiana sees an opportunity to add two rotation players to the roster and make a push for the postseason. The playoffs feel unlikely with the current 2022-23 roster, but you never know, and Indiana does have a reputation for being stubbornly competitive.
Or &mdash; maybe the Pacers have a long-term vision and use these exceptions to take players on undesirable contracts, attached with draft picks or young players. It's a way for Indiana to build its draft chest without sacrificing flexibility. The McDermott exception expires on July 7, while the Lamb TPE poofs away in February 2023. I expect at least one, if not both, to be used.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
The Clippers are another franchise that is essentially hard-capped out. But they do have two TPEs worth monitoring. One is a $9.7 million exception created in the Serge Ibaka deal this past February. The other comes from sending Rajon Rondo to the Memphis Grizzlies and is worth $8.3 million. Again, I'm skeptical of these being used, but they are worth mentioning for a playoff contender that won't be players in free agency for a while.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
The Pelicans created a $17 million trade exception last offseason when they sent Steven Adams to the Grizzlies. They've already reaped the rewards with their acquisition of Larry Nance Jr. New Orleans absorbed his $10.7 million salary into the TPE when it traded for him this past season. There's still about $6.4 million remaining, though, so the team could use it to add another player.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
In acquiring Jerami Grant on his $20 million salary, Portland maximized its large TPE from the CJ McCollum trade. The Blazers still have one more $6.9 million exception that could be of use. They're projected to have some cap space to work with, so it might be an opportunity to take extra advantage.
TORONTO RAPTORS
The Raptors have a few smaller exceptions, with the most notable being a $5.2 million TPE stemming from the Goran Dragic trade. Toronto is over the salary cap, but might be able to squeeze in a player with these constraints while staying under the luxury tax apron.&nbsp;
UTAH JAZZ
Trading Joe Ingles to Portland gave Utah a $9.7 million trade exception. Given that they need to find a spark after yet another disappointing playoff exit, the Jazz should find a way to use this exception, ideally on a perimeter defender or frontcourt player behind Rudy Gobert.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Washington owns three trade exceptions ranging between $3-6 million. While they can't stack them, the Wizards could use the $5.2 million TPE (created in dealing Montrezl Harrell to Charlotte) to add some guard or wing depth. As long as Bradley Beal is around, this franchise is hunting the playoffs, and the TPEs can help them get there.
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Ethan Fuller breaks down which NBA teams hold significant trade exceptions entering the 2022 offseason.