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Spurs

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Brittney Griner stood for the national anthem before her first regular-season WNBA game since being jailed in Russia.
Griner was outspoken for social justice in 2020 and didn&rsquo;t take the court during the pregame anthem. But nearly a year behind bars in Russia changed her.
&ldquo;I was literally in a cage and could not stand the way I wanted to,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Just being able to hear my national anthem and see my flag, I definitely want to stand.&rdquo;
Griner had 18 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots Friday night for the Phoenix Mercury in a 94-71 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks.
&ldquo;Not good enough, didn&rsquo;t get the dub,&rdquo; said Griner, who nevertheless couldn&rsquo;t be down in defeat.
&ldquo;I appreciate everything a little bit more, all of the small moments, like, &lsquo;Oh, I&rsquo;m so tired I don&rsquo;t want to go to practice today,&rsquo; that has changed, honestly,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Tomorrow is not guaranteed, you don&rsquo;t know what it&rsquo;s going to look like. I feel a lot older somehow, too.&rdquo;
The 32-year-old center&rsquo;s immediate goal is to play an entire game by the All-Star break in mid-July. She played 25 minutes Friday.
&ldquo;I hope to be exactly where I want to be,&rdquo; Griner said. &ldquo;Just getting back to how I was before all this happened.&rdquo;
Griner made an immediate impact against the Sparks. She fired a pass to Moriah Jefferson, who hit a 3-pointer for Phoenix&rsquo;s first basket. Griner grabbed a couple of rebounds and scored twice in helping the Mercury to an early lead.
&ldquo;How good did she just look? Unbelievable,&rdquo; WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told reporters at halftime.
For the first time since last season, Phoenix coach Vanessa Nygaard opened her pregame comments without announcing how many days Griner had been jailed. Griner has been free since December when she was part of&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-brittney-griner-sports-government-and-politics-54de0cc371615a7165053a76eff17380">a high-profile prisoner swap</a>.
&ldquo;Until the day we got the news in the morning that she was on her way home, no one thought that it was going to happen,&rdquo; Nygaard said. &ldquo;We did our jobs probably with less joy than professional athletes do. It was heavy every day.&rdquo;
Not anymore.
&ldquo;Today is a day of joy,&rdquo; Nygaard said. &ldquo;An amazing, amazing thing has happened.&rdquo;
Griner and the Mercury were greeted with a standing ovation when they came on court for pregame warmups, although the biggest cheers were reserved for the Sparks.
&ldquo;Just taking it in but staying focused because at the end of the day I&rsquo;m at work,&rdquo; Griner said. &ldquo;Can&rsquo;t get caught up in the moment. Kind of feel it, but put it to the side and feel it a little bit later.&rdquo;
Griner hugged Vice President Kamala Harris and first gentleman Doug Emhoff as they left the court after Harris was presented with a No. 49 Sparks jersey. Earlier, Harris posed for photos in the Mercury&rsquo;s locker room.
&ldquo;It was nice to be able to see her face-to-face and thank her for everything,&rdquo; Griner said.
She patted her heart and applauded in return during a brief video welcoming her back to the WNBA.
&ldquo;It was nice to be back on the court for a real game,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;The love from the fans when we came out was amazing. I definitely feel it.&rdquo;
Griner scored 10 points in 17 minutes in an exhibition loss to the Sparks last week. It was her first game action since she was arrested at a Moscow airport in&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/hub/brittney-griner">February 2022</a>&nbsp;after Russian authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges containing cannabis oil.
&ldquo;We brought back this Black, gay woman from a Russian jail and America did that because they valued her and she&rsquo;s a female athlete and they valued her,&rdquo; Nygaard said.
&ldquo;Just to be part of a group that values people at that level, it makes me very proud to be an American. Maybe there&rsquo;s other people that that doesn&rsquo;t make them proud, but for me, I see BG and I see hope and I see the future and I have young children and it makes me really hopeful about our country,&rdquo; the coach said.
Fans arriving early to Crypto.com Arena wore T-shirts with Griner&rsquo;s name and jersey number on them. The 6-foot-9 Griner stopped to photo-bomb a group of young girls posing courtside before the game.
Billie Jean King and wife Ilana Kloss, who are part-owners of the Sparks, were on hand for the opener, as was Magic Johnson, Pau Gasol, Byron Scott, Robert Horry, Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham and South Carolina women&rsquo;s coach Dawn Staley.
Since her release,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-wnba-mercury-4fd64332a21dfe5eb31cad63ec6c61fe">Griner has used her platform to advocate</a>&nbsp;for other Americans being detained abroad. She was already an LGBTQ+ activist since publicly coming out in 2013.
&ldquo;She stands for so many people, so many different kind of people who can be undervalued in our society,&rdquo; Nygaard said. &ldquo;She stands with pride and confidence and has never once has shied away from who she is.&rdquo;
Griner announced in April that she is working with Bring Our Families Home, a campaign formed last year by the family members of American hostages and wrongful detainees held overseas. She said her team has been in contact with the family of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is being detained in Russia on espionage charges.
&ldquo;She&rsquo;s an amazing person on and off the court,&rdquo; Phoenix teammate Jefferson said. &ldquo;I think her energy just inspires everybody every single day to show up and be the best version of themselves.&rdquo;

Griner had 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocked shots Friday night for the Phoenix Mercury in a 94-71 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks.

Brittney Griner makes WNBA season debut after being jailed in Russia

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Caitlin Clark overwhelmed the reigning champions with another sensational game, scoring 41 points to help Iowa spoil South Carolina&rsquo;s perfect season with a 77-73 victory on Friday night in the Final Four.
The spectacular junior guard set a record for the highest-scoring semifinal game and became the first women&rsquo;s player to post back-to-back 40-point games in the NCAA Tournament. She now has the Hawkeyes in a spot they&rsquo;ve never been in before &mdash; one victory away from a national championship.
They&rsquo;ll have to beat another SEC team to do that as Iowa (31-6) will face LSU in the title game on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/womens-final-four-lsu-virginia-tech-march-madness-292680727b52d2e99d887b40667dbc59">beat Virginia Tech</a>&nbsp;in the other national semifinal.
It&rsquo;s the Tigers&rsquo; first appearance in the title game as well, as Kim Mulkey became the second coach to take two different teams to the championship game.
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Caitlin Clark's NCAA Tournament so far: Rd. of 64: 26 PTS | 12 AST | 7 REB Rd. of 32: 22 PTS | 12 AST | 3 STL Sweet 16: 31 PTS | 8 AST | 3 REB Elite Eight: 41 PTS | 12 AST | 10 REB Final Four: 41 PTS | 8 AST | 6 REB ARE YOU SERIOUS 🤯 <a href="https://t.co/drWn36Z9nt">pic.twitter.com/drWn36Z9nt</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1642014148169981957?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Thanks to the spectacular play of Clark and the historic year by South Carolina, this was one of the most talked about and highly anticipated matchups in women&rsquo;s Final Four history.
The game lived up to the hype surrounding it &mdash; the best player vs. the best team &mdash; much to the delight of the sellout crowd of over 19,000 fans.
Coach Dawn Staley and South Carolina (36-1) had won 42 in a row, including last year&rsquo;s championship game.
This was Iowa&rsquo;s first appearance in the Final Four in 30 years. The last time the Hawkeyes advanced this far was 1993 and C. Vivian Stringer was the coach of that team that lost to Ohio State in overtime.
Clark wowed the crowd that included Harper Stribe, a young fan of the team who has been battling cancer. She was featured in a surprise video that informed the Hawkeyes&rsquo; star that she was the AP Player of the Year.
Trailing 59-55 entering the fourth quarter, South Carolina scored the first five points to take the lead. Clark answered right back with two deep 3-pointers and an assist to Monika Czinano to give the Hawkeyes a 67-62 lead.
South Carolina got within 69-68 on Raven Johnson&rsquo;s 3-pointer before Clark got a steal for a layup with 3:32 left. Neither team scored again until star Aliyah Boston was fouled with 1:37 left. She made the second of two free throws.
Clark then scored another layup on the other end out of a timeout to make it a four-point game. After a layup by Zia Cooke made it a two-point game with 58 seconds left, the Hawkeyes ran the clock down with McKenna Warnock grabbing a huge offensive rebound off a Clark miss with 18 seconds remaining.
Clark hit two free throws after South Carolina fouled her with 13.5 seconds left. They were her 38th and 39th point, moving her past Nneka Ogwumike for the most points scored in a Final Four semifinal game.
After a putback by Johnson with 9.9 seconds left got the Gamecocks within 75-73, Clark sealed the game with two more free throws.
As the final seconds went off the clock, Clark threw the ball high in the air and galloped around the court.
The loss ended a spectacular season for the defending champion Gamecocks, who were trying to become the 10th team to go through a season unbeaten.
Cooke led the Gamecocks with 24 points. Slowed by foul trouble, Boston had just eight points and 10 rebounds as the Hawkeyes packed the paint, daring South Carolina to shoot from the outside.
The Gamecocks finished 4-for-20 from behind the 3-point line and couldn&rsquo;t take advantage of their 49-25 advantage on the boards that included 26 offensive rebounds.

Caitlin Clark had another sensational game with 41 points to lift Iowa over South Carolina 77-73 and into the national championship game.

Caitlin Clark, Iowa end South Carolina's perfect season in Final Four

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

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

SAN ANTONIO (AP) &mdash; Julius Randle bullied San Antonio, but the Spurs never backed down.
Keldon Johnson scored 30 points and the Spurs overcame a season-high 41 from Randle to beat New York 122-115 on Thursday night, handing the Knicks their fifth straight loss.
&ldquo;One of the key points to winning was just being physical because they are a really physical team,&rdquo; San Antonio guard Romeo Langford said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve to praise Keldon, Stanley (Johnson) and Jeremy (Sochan) for carrying the load against Randle tonight. I felt like they were very physical, they were fouling, but at least they weren&rsquo;t making it easy for him. That just carried over for everybody else to be physical.&rdquo;
Langford added a career-high 23 points for the Spurs, who were without injured starter Devin Vassell. Tre Jones added 13 points and Sochan had 12.
Immanuel Quickley had a career-high 36 points for the Knicks while starting in place of injured point guard Jalen Brunson.
&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t play well,&rdquo; New York coach Tom Thibodeau said. &ldquo;The numbers, when you don&rsquo;t win, don&rsquo;t mean anything to me.&rdquo;
New York only led briefly after blowing a nine-point lead with 33 seconds left in regulation in an overtime loss to Luka Doncic and Dallas on Tuesday.
San Antonio maintained its lead by outscoring New York 62-42 in the paint and shooting 51% from the field.
Johnson shot 11 for 21 and had two blocked shots while playing 32 minutes despite getting into early foul trouble. He sat the rest of the first quarter after picking up two fouls in the opening two minutes.
&ldquo;A lot of guys, if they get two quick ones, they are out for the game no matter what,&rdquo; San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. &ldquo;They come in and they&rsquo;re not aggressive and it just kind of plays with their head. He showed some good maturity by staying in it and playing at both ends of the court even though he had those quick fouls.&rdquo;
Randle&rsquo;s 3-pointer midway through the first quarter gave the Knicks their largest lead of the game at 23-18. The Spurs would reclaim the lead 2 1/2 minutes later and would never trail again.
&ldquo;We scored 115 points, that&rsquo;s enough,&rdquo; Thibodeau said. &ldquo;We talk about what goes into winning: defense, rebounding and low turnovers. That puts you in position to win. Everyone is capable of playing defense, everyone is capable of rebounding, everyone is capable of taking care of the ball. So, when you&rsquo;re down players, your margin of error is smaller, but the intensity, if you do those other things, if we do those things as a team, we can beat anybody.&rdquo;
After Doug McDermott made a 3-pointer, Johnson hit consecutive 3s to give the Spurs their largest lead at 90-73 with 3 1/2 minutes remaining.
San Antonio finished 11 for 28 on 3-pointers.
TIP-INS
Knicks: Randle was kneed in the stomach by Mitchell Robinson in the fourth quarter as the New York teammates battled for a rebound. Randle remained on the court for about a minute before rising and remaining in the game. &hellip; New York concludes a three-game trip to Texas on Saturday in Houston. &hellip; Brunson missed his second straight game with a sore right hip.
Spurs: Langford&rsquo;s previous career high was 19 points against Miami on Dec. 10. Langford entered Thursday averaging a career-best 5.9 points, the highest of his four-year career.
NOT AGAIN
Popovich promised there would not be a repeat of Doncic&rsquo;s historic outing against the Knicks when San Antonio hosts Dallas on New Year&rsquo;s Eve.
Well, he jokingly assured it wouldn&rsquo;t happen again.
Doncic had 60 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists as Dallas rallied to beat New York 126-121 in overtime Tuesday.
&ldquo;We are holding Luka under 50,&rdquo; Popovich said, playfully slapping his palm on the table. &ldquo;Quote.&rdquo;
Popovich normally dismisses any questions about the performance of another team or individual, but he praised the Mavericks guard.
&ldquo;In our lives, there&rsquo;s always something that (makes) you say, &lsquo;I can&rsquo;t believe that happened,&rsquo;&rdquo; Popovich said. &ldquo;That was one of them for sure. It was incredible. I was thinking about it, Doncic had 60 (points), 20 (21 rebounds) and 10 (assists), so 90. Has anyone ever had 90 in a stat like that?&rdquo;
&nbsp;

Keldon Johnson scored 30 points and the Spurs overcame a season-high 41 from Julius Randle to beat Knicks 122-115.

Spurs overcome Randle's 41, hand Knicks fifth straight loss

NEW ORLEANS (AP) &mdash; CJ McCollum scored a season-high 40 points and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the San Antonio Spurs 126-117 on Thursday night to end their four-game losing streak.
Jonas Valanciunas had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Pelicans, who won despite Zion Williamson being scratched from the lineup because of the NBA's health and safety protocols.
The Pelicans &mdash; who also were missing forwards Brandon Ingram and Larry Nance Jr. &mdash; made 13 3-pointers. McCollum hit seven from deep, and his first gave New Orleans the lead for good at 3-2 in the opening minutes.
&ldquo;We needed that type of production from him with the guys being out,&rdquo; Pelicans coach Willie Green said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s beautiful to watch when he&rsquo;s on the floor and he&rsquo;s scoring like he does."
The Pelicans led by as many as 23 points and opened the fourth quarter with a 19-point lead.
The Spurs got back in the game with a 10-0 run fueled by Stanley Johnson, who scored nine of his 12 points in the final period.
McCollum, however, almost single-handedly kept the Spurs at bay. His floater off the glass was the first of 19 points he scored in a pivotal seven-minute stretch. The individual outburst included four 3s &mdash; one while McCollum was fouled for a 4-point play.
&ldquo;McCollum dominated the game from the very beginning,&rdquo; reserve center Willy Hernangomez said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy for CJ. He&rsquo;s been really getting his rhythm back. Today was a big game for him. I'm happy to see him making shots and making the right decision over and over.&rdquo;
The last of McCollum's 3s made it 119-106 with 3:31 to go. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich subbed out his entire lineup moments later, and the Pelicans remained comfortably ahead after that.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll get down, figure it out, and then start playing,&rdquo; Popovich said. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t have somebody like a McCollum that&rsquo;s going to come in and do what he did to us. We made it a decent game at that point and then he took over. He was great."
Jeremy Sochan scored a career-high 23 points for San Antonio.
&ldquo;I am becoming more comfortable and confident," Sochan said. "I had career highs tonight but we still lost, so it doesn&rsquo;t really matter.&rdquo;
Tre Jones added 19 points and Josh Richardson had 14 for the Spurs.
The Pelicans missed their first nine shots from close range but hit four of their six 3-point attempts &mdash; with McCollum making three &mdash; to take a 12-2 lead.
The Spurs missed eight of their first nine shots and committed three turnovers during that stretch.
&ldquo;Sometimes, like tonight, we come out slow on offense but we can&rsquo;t let that affect our game,&rdquo; Tre Jones said. "We have to keep our defensive mentality especially when shots are not falling at the start of the game.
By the end of the first quarter, the Pelicans had made six 3s, the last of those by Devonte' Graham putting New Orleans up 37-17.
&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t give away a quarter the way we did,&rdquo; Popovich said. "We played them pretty even after that first quarter, but we do that too often. ... We can&rsquo;t have those first quarters. That&rsquo;s the whole game.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Spurs: Leading scorer Keldon Johnson missed his second straight game with right hamstring tightness. ... Jakob Poeltl scored 13 points and Devin Vassell scored 10. ... Missed 19 of 28 3-point shots.
Pelicans: Trey Murphy III scored 15 points, while Hernangomez scored 13 and Herb Jones scored 12 to go with his block and two steals. ... Jose Alvarado had nine points and three steals. ... Hit 25 of 27 free throws (92.6%). ... Ingram missed his 12th straight game with his left large toe injury and Nance missed his second straight game with a sore right Achilles tendon. Williamson also is expected to miss at least one more game.
&nbsp;

CJ McCollum scored a season-high 40 points and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the San Antonio Spurs 126-117.

McCollum scores 40, Pelicans top Spurs 126-117 to end skid

The San Antonio Spurs are signing veteran forward Stanley Johnson to a one-year deal, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1602705369402413060" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
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The San Antonio Spurs are signing veteran forward Stanley Johnson to a one-year deal, 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/1602705369402413060?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The 26-year-old played 48 games with the Los Angeles Lakers last season. During the offseason, the Lakers traded Johnson to the Utah Jazz along with Talen Horton-Tucker for Patrick Beverley. He was then waived by the Jazz.&nbsp;
Johnson recently signed a G League contract to play for the Miami affiliate Sioux Falls Skyforce.
To make room on their roster, the Spurs waived big <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsal02.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Alize Johnson</a>, who was on a non-guaranteed contract.
&nbsp;

The San Antonio Spurs have signed veteran forward Stanley Johnson to a one-year deal.

Spurs sign veteran Stanley Johnson to one-year deal

Aliyah Boston of South Carolina and Caitlin Clark of Iowa were unanimous picks for The Associated Press preseason women&rsquo;s basketball All-America team released Tuesday.
Boston led South Carolina to its second national championship and swept nearly ever major award last season. Expectations are high once again for the top-ranked Gamecocks and Boston, who was on all 30 ballots from the national media panel that selects the AP Top 25 each week.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think all the awards define who she is but also puts her in a position of she&rsquo;s in a more relaxed mode because she accomplished those things. She&rsquo;s still in a place of hunger,&rdquo; South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. &ldquo;She still wants to be the best. When you&rsquo;ve proven that at such an early stage of your career, you want more and more. She&rsquo;s entered a phase of wanting more yet is confident in who she is, since she was able to accomplish it.&rdquo;
Seniors Haley Jones of Stanford, Ashley Joens of Iowa State and Elizabeth Kitley of Virginia Tech were also selected for the team as was sophomore Aneesah Morrow of DePaul.
Boston, who averaged 16.8 points and 12.4 rebounds, and Clark were both on the preseason team last year. Clark followed up a fantastic first season with an even better one as a sophomore, averaging 27 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Hawkeyes, who are ranked fourth in the preseason poll for their best mark since 1994.
&ldquo;She worked on a little bit more emotional control in her leadership. I think that&rsquo;s really important,&rdquo; Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. &ldquo;You want those officials to be your best friends let&rsquo;s treat them like that.&rdquo;
Bluder also said Clark has added some post moves to her game: &ldquo;That may sound silly with Monika (Czinano) on the block. She&rsquo;s almost 5-foot-10 and no reason she can&rsquo;t post up. She&rsquo;s looking for that a lot more.&rdquo;
Joens opted to stay at Iowa State for another year, passing up a chance to enter the WNBA draft. She averaged 20.3 points and 9.5 rebounds last season and is the first preseason All-American in school history.
&ldquo;This is a great honor for Ashley and the entire Iowa State program,&rdquo; coach Bill Fennelly said. &ldquo;To be recognized with such a great group of players is an outstanding accomplishment. I know she will continue to work hard to play at an All-American level this season.&rdquo;
Jones helped Stanford go 32-4 before falling to UConn in the Final Four. She averaged 13.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists for the Cardinal. Last season, coach Tara VanDerveer called her star the &ldquo;Magic Johnson of women&rsquo;s basketball.&rdquo;
Kitley had a stellar year, averaging 18.1 points and 9.8 rebounds for the Hokies. Her return is a big reason why the team is ranked No. 13 in the preseason, its best mark since the final poll of 1999 when the school was also 13th.
She is the first player from the school to be honored as a preseason All-American.
&ldquo;She&rsquo;s the hardest working kid I&rsquo;ve been around,&rdquo; Virginia Tech coach Kenny Brooks said. &rsquo;If she doesn&rsquo;t do something, she has FOMO (fear of missing out). She&rsquo;s added so much to her game to make us the best we can be. My responsibility is to prepare her for the next level.&rdquo;
Morrow had an incredible first season, averaging 21.9 points and 13.5 rebounds for the Blue Demons. She is the first DePaul player to earn preseason honors since Latasha Byears did it in 1995.
&ldquo;She earns it through her daily work ethic and competitiveness,&rdquo; DePaul coach Doug Bruno said of Morrow.
All six players were honored last spring on the AP All-America teams. Boston, Clark and Jones were on the first team while Joens and Morrow were on the second. Kitley made the third team.
The AP started choosing a preseason All-America team before the 1994-95 season.
___
The Associated Press&rsquo; 2022-23 preseason All-America women&rsquo;s basketball team, with school, height, year and votes from a 30-member national media panel (key 2021-22 statistics in parentheses):
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina, 6-5, senior, 30 of 30 votes (16.8 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 2.4 bpg.)
Caitlin Clark, Iowa, 6-0, junior, 30 of 30 votes (27.0 ppg, 8.0 apg, 8.0 rpg)
Haley Jones, Stanford, 6-1, senior 28 of 30 votes (13.2 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 3.7 apg)
Ashley Joens, Iowa State, 6-1, senior, 24 of 30 votes (20.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 2.0 apg)
Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech, 6-6, senior, 9 of 30 votes (18.1 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 2.4 bpg)
Aneesah Morrow, DePaul, 6-1, sophomore, 9 of 30 votes (21.9 ppg, 13.5 rpg, 3.0 spg)
Others receiving votes: Cameron Brink, Stanford; Rori Harmon, Texas; Hailey Van Lith, Louisville; Olivia Miles, Notre Dame; Angel Reese, LSU; Maddy Siegrist, Villanova; Azzi Fudd, UConn; Jade Loville, Arizona State; Jordan Horston, Tennessee; Deja Kelly, North Carolina; Tamari Key, Tennessee.

Aliyah Boston of South Carolina and Caitlin Clark of Iowa were unanimous picks for the AP preseason women’s basketball All-America team.

Boston, Clark headline AP women’s hoops All-America team

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) &mdash; First-year coach Lamont Paris didn&rsquo;t have to go far to find a welcome and willing resource on how to go about building a championship program at South Carolina: Gamecocks&rsquo; women&rsquo;s coach Dawn Staley.
Paris, who spent the past five seasons coaching Chattanooga, has had several chats with Staley since taking the men&rsquo;s basketball job this past March, not long before Staley and her team won the national title.
Paris wanted to know Staley&rsquo;s process of taking the women&rsquo;s team from the &ldquo;outhouse to the penthouse&rdquo; after her arrival before the 2008-09 season. Staley&rsquo;s early teams struggled to make a dent in the Southeastern Conference. She didn&rsquo;t make an NCAA Tournament until her fourth season, the first of 10 consecutive trips including winning it all in 2017 and last season.
Paris said he asked &ldquo;how important the community was in supporting her and getting some local players even.&rdquo;
Staley&rsquo;s a great example there, too. South Carolina has led in women&rsquo;s basketball home attendance the past seven season, including attracting 12,431 fans per game in 2021-22. She&rsquo;s signed hometown standouts like WNBA champion A&rsquo;ja Wilson, who has a statue outside the Gamecocks arena, and has another in five-star freshman Ashlyn Watkins of Columbia.&nbsp;
Paris has tried to follow Staley&rsquo;s example. He signed highly regarded freshman forward G.G. Jackson II from Columbia, who was rated the country&rsquo;s sixth-best college prospect by ESPN.com.
Jackson should lure plenty of area fans to Colonial Life Arena, where the men have often been an afterthought in an 18,000-seat arena where their crowds often don&rsquo;t approach what the women draw.
Paris knows he&rsquo;s got a tough enough job melding a roster where eight players, including four starters, departed after Frank Martin was fired.
Paris lured five transfers, including Meechie Johnson from Ohio State and Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk of Illinois this season. The Big Ten newcomers are no surprise since Paris was a longtime assistant at Wisconsin under Bo Ryan before moving to Chattanooga.
Jackson said the team is coming together in practices and is confident they&rsquo;ll be competitive this season.
Anyone who watched practice, Jackson said, would think, &ldquo;&lsquo;Oh, yeah, this team (has) got something nice.&rsquo;&rdquo;
LURING G.G.
G.G. Jackson, considered by some recruiting service as the No. 1 prospect for the 2023 cycle, was leaning toward South Carolina when Martin was coach. After the change to Lamont Paris, Jackson committed to North Carolina. But he and his family met and liked Paris so much that the 17-year-old Jackson reclassified and enrolled to play this winter.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m still trying to adjust to the college life a little bit, but it&rsquo;s not something I can&rsquo;t deal with,&rdquo; Jackson said.
REASON FOR CHANGE
South Carolina bounced back from a 6-15 season in 2020-21 to go 18-13 last year. But the school and some fans had grown dissatisfied that Martin&rsquo;s teams, aside from a remarkable run to the Final Four in 2017, had missed the NCAAs in nine of his 10 seasons. Paris took over after five seasons with Chattanooga, where he led the Mocs to the NCAA Tournament last March.
ROSTER SHAKEUP
There are just six returners from last season and only Jacobi Wright and Chico Carter Jr. started. In all, eight players who made 143 starts last season had exhausted their eligibility or did not return. Paris will lean heavily on his transfers. Hayden Brown averaged 18.8 points a game for The Citadel a year ago and will be looked at to add scoring punch this season.
SCHEDULE
South Carolina faces state rival Clemson on Nov. 11, then plays in the Charleston Classic, an in-state, eight-team tournament that also features ACC Tournament champion Virginia Tech and Penn State of the Big Ten. SEC play starts at Vanderbilt on Jan. 3.&nbsp;

First-year coach Lamont Paris didn’t have to go far to find a welcome and willing resource on how to build a championship program.

New South Carolina coach Paris taps into Staley’s knowledge

George Karl lost 19 of his first 21 games as an NBA coach. Tim Hardaway spent hours dribbling alone in an unfinished basement when it was too cold to go outside in his native Chicago. Theresa Grentz&rsquo;s family lost all its belongings in a 1970 house fire, leaving her with only the yellow pajamas she was wearing at the time.
There were no signs that basketball immortality awaited any of them.
Now, they&rsquo;re members of the most sought-after club in the game. Karl, Hardaway and Grentz are among 13 people who will be officially enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts on Saturday night -- a group that largely was tied together by what they overcame on their way to a long list of accomplishments that include NCAA titles, NBA titles and Olympic gold medals.
&ldquo;You learn from the adversity,&rdquo; Grentz said Friday. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t have to have everything perfect. You take what you have, make that work, make the most of what you have, not what you think you need. There we were, I had absolutely nothing, but yet tomorrow night &mdash; and I&rsquo;m a nervous wreck about this &mdash; I&rsquo;m going in the Hall of Fame.&rdquo;
Karl was one of five people selected by the North American Committee, alongside West Virginia coach Bob Huggins, the late referee Hugh Evans and&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/san-antonio-spurs-winter-olympics-nba-sports-massachusetts-b0c090443bd6a3a40518bd7340ecfbdb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">longtime NBA stars Manu Ginobili</a> and Tim Hardaway.
Swin Cash, Marianne Stanley and Lindsay Whalen were selected by the women&rsquo;s committee. Longtime coaches Del Harris and Larry Costello were picked by the contributor committee, while six-time All-Star Lou Hudson was chosen by the veterans committee. Grentz &mdash; who played for the legendary Immaculata program and guided Rutgers to the final AIAW title in 1982 &mdash; was chosen by the women&rsquo;s veteran committee and FIBA Hall of Famer Radivoj Korac by the international committee.
Karl&rsquo;s career as an NBA coach started in 1984 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, starting 0-9 and 2-19, but rallying that season to face Boston in the opening round of the playoffs. The Celtics won the series 3-1, and Karl remains of the belief that the Celtics got favorable whistles.
&ldquo;They got all the calls,&rdquo; Karl lamented.
Maybe so. But half a lifetime later, Karl got the Hall&rsquo;s call.
Harris&rsquo; coaching career included him working with numerous Hall of Fame players &mdash; Rick Barry, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Yao Ming and Magic Johnson among them &mdash; along with some sure-fire future ones like Dirk Nowitzki.
&ldquo;To think that still, somehow or another, I contributed to the game and not just played it or coached it, it&rsquo;s more humbling to me than anything I would have ever thought about,&rdquo; Harris said.
Hardaway was a finalist four other times for the Hall, never getting in. This year&rsquo;s call from Hall of Fame President and CEO John Doleva was one he didn&rsquo;t want to take, for fear that he was about to go 0-for-5.
&ldquo;Shaking, sweating, lot of emotions going on,&rdquo; Hardaway said of that moment. &ldquo;Saw the Hall of Fame number come through my phone. Did not want to answer the phone because I didn&rsquo;t want to take another rejection.&rdquo;
He&rsquo;ll never have to worry about that again.
Whalen, a four-time WNBA champion and now the coach at her alma mater Minnesota, said one of the first great teams she saw in person was the 2002 UConn Huskies &mdash; a team that featured Cash. And it wasn&rsquo;t lost on Whalen that she is entering the Hall alongside Cash, Grentz and Stanley, who also played at Immaculata before embarking on a long coaching career.
&ldquo;Myself and Theresa, Marianne, Swin, going in together, I think we represent a lot of what&rsquo;s been great with women&rsquo;s basketball over the years,&rdquo; Whalen said. &ldquo;And I think there&rsquo;s young girls and women right now that are sitting there that are seeing us and that can become a realistic goal and dream for them if they work hard.&rdquo;
Among the five presenters that Cash selected to be alongside her for Saturday&rsquo;s ceremony is her UConn coach, Geno Auriemma.
Cash lauded Auriemma for his constant pursuit of nothing but excellence.
&ldquo;You were trying to be the best and practices were always harder than a game,&rdquo; said Cash, a two-time NCAA champion, three-time WNBA champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist and now part of the front office with the NBA&rsquo;s New Orleans Pelicans. &ldquo;But that prepared you mentally to understand what you wanted to achieve. And every year, the bar was a national championship. With some people, the bar is a conference championship or &lsquo;Hey, we made the tournament.&rsquo; Whereas, at Connecticut, we hang banners.&rdquo;
Also now members of the Hall are three selections made by the Early African-American Pioneer Committee: Wyatt &ldquo;Sonny&rdquo; Boswell, Inman Jackson and Albert &ldquo;Runt&rdquo; Pullins &mdash; all of them, among other things, having been members of the Harlem Globetrotters.
Huggins &mdash; who, like Whalen, is also coaching at his alma mater &mdash; deflected credit for his 916 career wins as a college coach, 844 of those coming at the Division I level.
&ldquo;Good players,&rdquo; Huggins said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been fortunate.&rdquo;

George Karl, Tim Hardaway and Manu Ginobili headline this year's class of Basketball-Hall-of-Fame inductees.

Basketball Hall of Fame set to welcome 13 new inductees

The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz for Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen and Ochai Agbaji in a sign-and-trade, multiple sources confirmed to Basketball News. Sexton and the Jazz agreed to terms on a four-year, $72 million contract agreement, per Yahoo's Chris Haynes.
The Cavs will also send three unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2027, 2029) and two future pick swaps (2026, 2028) in the deal. The news was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. 
Sources told Basketball News that the deal "all came together in the last 24 hours." This is a swing-for-the-fences type of move by the Cavs, who clearly believe that they had to add another superstar to complement their up-and-coming star in Darius Garland, along with the team's promising two young bigs in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. With a majority of the Eastern Conference improving with huge offseason moves &mdash; such as Dejounte Murray heading to the Atlanta Hawks and Malcolm Brogdon going to the Boston Celtics &mdash; Cleveland joined the party by bringing in a bona fide superstar in Mitchell.
Fit shouldn't be too much of an issue for "Spida," as he'll slide into the 2-guard role that Sexton occupied for the last two seasons (before getting hurt early last year). For a number of months now, the Cavs have discussed taking some of the playmaking burden off of Garland so he can get loose and work away from the ball. Mitchell's ability to create for others has improved year-by-year, and there's no worrying about him creating space to get his own shot off. We definitely know how well Garland and his new backcourt partner can score the ball, but watching them work in sync could be poetry in motion. And while delegating between the two might be shaky at first, once some cohesiveness is established, it'll be on.
If you're into simple counting numbers, Mitchell adds about 26 points per game to this roster that was missing. (Sexton's absence was very much felt last season.) Donovan's True Shooting percentage was the highest of his career to boot (57.2%), and he also contributed a career-high 27.7% assist rate.
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Defensively, we know Mitchell had his flaws last season; however, the personnel Cleveland has in place with Mobley and Allen should take some of that pressure off of him. They are both rim-protecting (and switching, in Evan's case) monsters in their own unique way, which should cover for both smaller guards if they get beat, as we've seen in the past.
It will be interesting to see what Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff does with his rotation, as Cleveland lost its starting small forward in this deal as well. Will he elect to try Mobley at the 3 and possibly go back to Kevin Love at the 4 to keep "big ball" going? Will there be a three-guard lineup between Garland, Mitchell and Caris LeVert? Does the team trust Isaac Okoro enough offensively to give him his starting spot back?
Those are likely the most prominent questions on everybody's minds with Cleveland.
As for the Jazz, they have slammed the reset button. It started with the Rudy Gobert trade to Minnesota, and ended by sending Mitchell packing to Cleveland. Now, they've got some intriguing young pieces to work with.
Kudos to Utah general manager Justin Zanik and executive Danny Ainge for bringing in two solid starters and a lottery-pick rookie in this move. Sexton is a straight-up dog as a scorer, an intense competitor and one of the best culture pieces the Jazz could bring in. He's improved as a three-point shooter, has become a better passer over the years and will never shy away from crunch time. While he must improve defensively, the desire and ball pressure are there.
Markkanen is a stretch 4 who can spread the floor, attack off the dribble in an unorthodox manner and is long enough to be disruptive on defense. His biggest issue to overcome is his inconsistency. Agbaji hasn't even stepped foot on the floor yet, but at Summer League in Las Vegas, he had a pair of games where he was lights out from distance and was well balanced with his shooting form.
We'll see how the new-look Jazz operate under head coach Will Hardy. Utah also recently brought in Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson, while also trading for Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley. One thing is for sure, Zanik and Ainge retooled this roster in a big way, and with all of those guards and veterans, they're probably not done. It'll be intriguing to see how this team comes together at the end.
Even with Cleveland growing organically, step-by-step, the team obviously felt this was an opportunity it couldn't pass up. This front office is quite meticulous when it comes to the importance of chemistry and not messing with a good thing, and that showed last season by how fun this locker room truly was.
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Cavs president Koby Altman and general manager Mike Gansey have shaken things up with a colossal blockbuster, and were successful in keeping their core three pieces together. For that, they should be commended. Mitchell and Sexton are similar in some aspects of their game and their stature; with that said, the former is further along into his career with plenty of memorable playoff moments and experiences, as well as three All-Star appearances.
On paper, Cleveland is boasting a deep, talented roster with some solid balance. Barring any health setbacks, the 26-year-old Mitchell should fit like a glove offensively. Yes, Garland's usage will take a bit of a hit; maybe that's a good thing. He was out of gas when the Play-In Tournament came around. Honestly, the whole team was.
But adding a talent like Mitchell to the fold means you can trust two incredible ball-handlers and stagger them, if need be, and let the chips fall where they may.
Mitchell is locked in for the next three years of his contract, with a player option in 2025-26. Garland just inked a rookie max extension. Allen is in it for the long haul. You'll have to imagine Evan Mobley will be in line to sign the dotted line. The Cavs are not messing around and have a loaded core going forward.
Maybe that'll finally quiet the LeBron James rumors, huh?

Spencer Davies offers his instant reaction to the shocking trade of Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Instant reaction: Cavs swing for fences with Donovan Mitchell trade

The Jazz are trading Patrick Beverley to the Lakers for Talen Horton-Tucker, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1562641398263738368" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
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The Jazz are trading Patrick Beverley to the Lakers for Talen Horton-Tucker, 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/1562641398263738368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1562641189274152965" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN</a> added that the Stanley Johnson will be included in the deal.
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The Los Angeles Lakers are in advanced talks on a trade to acquire Utah Jazz guard Patrick Beverley for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson, sources tell ESPN. Deal could be finalized as soon as Thursday.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1562641189274152965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: Funny how Patrick Beverly was a player Lakers fans routinely hated during his days with the Clippers, and Beverly has had a longstanding beef with Russell Westbrook. That's all led up tp Beverly coming to the Lakers where he'll be Westbrook's teammate for the time being. It makes sense why the Lakers made this move. Beverly spaces the floor better and plays better defense than Westbrook does at this point. It's not a franchise-saving move, but it's a step in the right direction. Especially if there's another move up the Laker sleeve.

Patrick Beverly has been traded to the Lakers for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson.

Patrick Beverley traded to Lakers for Talen Horton-Tucker, Stanley Johnson

Is the NBA ready to add an expansion team? Evan Sidery explores what kind of team you could build in a present-day expansion draft.

NBA Expansion Mock Draft: What would a new expansion team look like?

NBA players don't choose the pressure that comes with being a top draft pick.&nbsp;
For many, the increased spotlight and expectation to turn a franchise around can be overwhelming. In a league where fit carries so much weight and the "bust" label gets thrown around recklessly, some young athletes simply need more time and a better supporting environment to work their way to professional success.
Cam Payne was all-but finished as an NBA player, then roared back with the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 playoffs and now has a firm place on a contending team's roster. Stanley Johnson had bounced around the league before showing his merit with the Los Angeles Lakers last season.&nbsp;
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For the following three players, their NBA future is murky. But they've shown enough at their recent stops to make them worthy of another look from the league. If they can channel some promise into production, they could make for the next great comeback story.
NOAH VONLEH
Noah Vonleh, the No. 9 overall pick from the 2014 NBA Draft, is getting his next shot with the Boston Celtics. The Massachusetts native has earned a training camp tryout for a team with open roster spots and a need for big man depth. If Vonleh is going to beat out Luke Kornet, Mfiondu Kabengele and Bruno Caboclo for a spot in the rotation, he'll have to prove he can take his success in the Chinese Basketball Association back to the NBA.
The 26-year-old averaged 15.0 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks per game with the Shanghai Sharks last season &mdash; his first year overseas. He hit 38.0% of his threes on 4 attempts per game, which is a combination of volume and efficiency Vonleh rarely showed in the United States. The CBA three-point line is a bit shorter, but Vonleh knocking down shots in this context is nonetheless a positive.
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Vonleh had to create more for himself with Shanghai than he likely will need to in Boston. He hit 40% of his catch-and-shoot threes, shot 46.7% on pick-and-pop plays and made 71.4% of his attempts on cuts, per InStat Scouting. He's a capable passer out of post-ups with some solid touch around the basket and a nose for rebounds.&nbsp;
The desired version in Boston is a Vonleh who can come off the bench and be a threat from behind the arc while attacking closeouts and threatening defenses with his passing and short-range scoring. At the same time, Vonleh has to clear a defensive bar to work in the Celtics' switch-heavy scheme. We'll see if he can accomplish it all, but the requisite flashes are worth giving him a shot.
KRIS DUNN
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I will always, always, always go to bat for Kris Dunn earning a spot in the league. He's become kind of a journeyman and I think that's wild. He brings so much as a passer (like below) but also as a finisher and defender <a href="https://t.co/pMER13WRjf">pic.twitter.com/pMER13WRjf</a>
&mdash; Ethan Fuller (@ethman43) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1510267135691563011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2022</a></blockquote>

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There's got to be a situation where Kris Dunn fits as a specialist piece. The 2016 No. 5 pick played for his fourth NBA team, last season, appearing in just 14 contests with the Portland Trail Blazers. Dunn hasn't picked up a contract or training camp invite for next season, and I just don't understand how he can fall through the entire league with some of his high-level skills.
Dunn is one of the better guard defenders in basketball. He creates steals and transition chances with his length and strong frame. He contains drives and rebounds surprisingly well for his position. Dunn has moments of inconsistency and fouls a lot, but I believe he'd be a tier below an All-Defense-caliber player if he received rotation minutes.
And then, the offense... Yeah, he's a non-threat as a shooter right now and a bit of a wild card as a creator. But Dunn's court vision is extraordinary and he can create space for himself and others with his handle and passing. This is not a Matisse Thybulle-esque situation where Dunn is an offensive impediment. He has enough positive moments worth buying into.
I foresee Dunn as a defensive playmaker who can at least set the table and keep pace high during his rotation playing time. Maybe there are too many valleys to warrant steady minutes. But he absolutely warrants a look off of his defense alone, with offensive upside still untapped.
GEORGIOS PAPAGIANNIS
Papagiannis played a mere 39 games in less than two seasons with the Sacramento Kings and Trail Blazers before leaving the NBA entirely in 2018. He was a stunning selection at No. 13 overall in 2016, and simply wasn't ready for the highest level of basketball at the time.
Now 25 years old, Papagiannis is changing the trajectory of his career. He made the All-EuroLeague Second Team this past season with Panathinaikos in Greece, and averaged 10.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game in EuroLeague play. He shot 64.6% from the field and showed all the tools of a low-usage, high-impact center in the EuroLeague and Greek Basketball League.
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Papagiannis has impressive mobility for his 7-foot-1 frame. He often played in drop coverage or at the level of the screen, and was able to stick with most quicker guards on their drives. Even when he was caught out of position, like in the first highlight, he recovered well and used his length to swat shots. Papagiannis' sense of timing with his contests is pretty remarkable.
The elite shooting clip came from a heavy diet of roll-man and cutting shot attempts in the paint. Papagiannis was one of the more physically dominant bigs in his competitions last season. I think he would be hard-pressed to find that same dominance against bigger, faster and stronger NBA defenders. However, he definitely has the rhythm of rolling down pat, and he's developing a floater that could help him against rim-protecting bigs.
We don't know what Papagiannis' prospects are of making it back to the U.S., or if the Greek center even wants to leave his home country and longtime team. But he's certainly more polished than he was as a young prospect and fits as a plus defensive player who can maximize limited offensive responsibilites. Above all, it's just good to see Papagiannis thriving as a pro when the NBA gauntlet can often be demoralizing.

Ethan Fuller spotlights Kris Dunn, Noah Vonleh and Georgios Papagiannis as ex-lottery picks who could fight back into the NBA.

3 former NBA lottery picks who deserve another shot in the league

As currently constructed, the Los Angeles Lakers are nowhere closer to escaping the hole they dug for themselves last offseason. While injuries played a part in their struggles, it&rsquo;s fair to say that the Russell Westbrook experiment couldn't have gone much worse. Westbrook struggled to blend off-ball alongside LeBron James, and his fit was immediately clunky.
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham has been saying all of the right things, discussing how he could get the most out of Westbrook and stressing that there's plenty of blame to go around for last year. Meanwhile, the front office continues to explore possible Westbrook trades.
According to <a href="https://theathletic.com/news/lakers-pacers-russell-westbrook-trade-dead/BmoKawpwiFm8/?source=twitterhq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic&rsquo;s Bob Kravitz</a>, the Indiana Pacers recently rejected an offer from the Lakers that would have sent Myles Turner and Buddy Hield to Los Angeles in exchange for Westbrook, a 2027 first-round pick and multiple second-rounders. Indiana is reportedly ready to accept if the Lakers include their 2029 first-round selection as well. Los Angeles hasn't been willing to do so, which is why talks are currently at a standstill.
For both sides, these negotiation tactics make sense. There&rsquo;s absolutely no reason for the Pacers to help the Lakers, especially if they're only receiving one pick to take on Westbrook&rsquo;s $47.2 million salary for 2022-23. Holding out for both the 2027 and 2029 picks with little to no protections would be a fair haul for both Hield and Turner while absorbing an albatross expiring.
Los Angeles is stuck in a Westbrook bind, and it seems they have three remaining options: run it back, hold out for Kyrie Irving, or pull off this win-now deal with the Pacers. At least the Indiana deal would bring back two starters to place alongside LeBron and Anthony Davis.&nbsp;
Some might argue that the trio of James, Davis and Westbrook only played 21 games together, so we haven't seen enough to properly evaluate this group. However, it&rsquo;s fairly apparent that this core isn&rsquo;t good enough to challenge most of the Western Conference&rsquo;s elite teams. Westbrook was unable to function as a secondary option more often than not, and now he'll turn 34 years old in November. Not to mention, the West will likely be tougher than ever &mdash; with teams like the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets finally getting healthy and several up-and-coming squads expected to take a leap forward as well.&nbsp;
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Earlier this month, Westbrook parted ways with his longtime agent, Thad Foucher, which set off alarm bells. Foucher had represented Westbrook throughout the entirety of his NBA career, helping him earn $291,756,333 from his NBA contracts alone. Why would they split up now? Well, Foucher didn&rsquo;t mince words in <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34250337/russell-westbrook-long-agent-thad-foucher-parting-ways-irreconcilable-differences" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a written statement</a> to ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski, citing "irreconcilable differences" regarding the direction of Westbrook's career.
&ldquo;Now, with a possibility of a fourth trade in four years, the marketplace is telling the Lakers they must add additional value with Russell in any trade scenario. And even then, such a trade may require Russell to immediately move on from the new team via buyout," Foucher <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34250337/russell-westbrook-long-agent-thad-foucher-parting-ways-irreconcilable-differences" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a>. "My belief is that this type of transaction only serves to diminish Russell&rsquo;s value and his best option is to stay with the Lakers, embrace the starting role and support that Darvin Ham publicly offered.&rdquo;
Less than a week after Foucher&rsquo;s eye-opening remarks, trade winds began to pick up again around the future Hall-of-Fame point guard. There was also the Summer League awkwardness, where James and Westbrook sat on opposite sides of the arena and didn't interract with one another. Reading the tea leaves, it sure feels like Westbrook's days with the Lakers are numbered.
Based on Kravitz&rsquo;s intel from Indiana, the deal between the Lakers and Pacers would be &ldquo;done tomorrow&rdquo; if an additional pick is offered alongside Westbrook. The Brooklyn Nets don't seem to be in any rush to move Kevin Durant or Irving &mdash; with some NBA executives predicting that both players will be in Brooklyn when the 2022-23 season begins &mdash; so this Indiana trade may be the Lakers' only other option to significantly improve their title odds for next season.
As Foucher laid out, the marketplace is telling the Lakers all they need to know right now about extracting peak value in a potential Westbrook trade. It may seem like the Lakers are &ldquo;losing&rdquo; this deal based off of asset accommodation alone, but what are the alternatives? In order to move off of Westbrook's contract&nbsp;and&nbsp;bring back key contributors, the Lakers must include both first-round picks. Think of it like this: One first-rounder is to get Indiana to take on the Westbrook contract, and the other is to acquire Turner and Hield.
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Honestly, based off that viewpoint, Indiana&rsquo;s angle seems more than fair. It&rsquo;s been impossible for Los Angeles to find a willing taker for Westbrook, and the Pacers are ready to take on his salary while also relinquishing two key contributors who are certainly worth a future first-round pick.&nbsp;
Acquiring Hield and Turner would be an instant game-changer for the Lakers&rsquo; postseason aspirations and a win on several levels. Hield is a talented sharpshooter who would thrive in the Lakers' system, hitting open looks in the corner or while running off perimeter actions. Thanks to the gravity provided by James and Davis, Hield would consistently feast from the perimeter. The 29-year-old would be the team's best outside shooter, and the Lakers&rsquo; roster is in dire need of perimeter weapons. Hield fills a need, and his salary would only be on their books through the 2023-24 campaign.
Turner has had trouble staying healthy, but he's been extremely productive when he's available. Turner has proven that he&rsquo;s one of the best rim protectors in basketball, averaging 2.5 blocks over the last four seasons. Paired next to Davis, who is more comfortable playing the 4, Turner&rsquo;s defense and floor-spacing acumen would provide a balanced frontcourt attack. Only 26 years old, Turner could become a long-term fixture alongside Davis in the frontcourt, as the Lakers would own his Bird rights going forward.
The Lakers&rsquo; biggest needs are three-point shooting and defensive versatility. Hield and Turner would emphatically check both boxes, and their projected rotation certainly looks more appealing.
Starters: LeBron James, Buddy Hield, Talen Horton-Tucker, Anthony Davis, Myles Turner
Bench: Kendrick Nunn, Austin Reaves, Lonnie Walker IV, Troy Brown Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson, Stanley Johnson, Thomas Bryant, Damian Jones
As evidence by the larger bench mob, this deal would provide Los Angeles with instant relief &mdash; consolidating a deeper rotation. Losing Westbrook is a net-positive in this situation, because Hield and Turner help address needs while allowing LeBron to run the show as pseudo-point guard.
How exactly should the Lakers and Pacers meet in the middle in these trade talks? If the Lakers are balking on including an unprotected first-round pick in 2029, would the Pacers relent on protections possibly up to top-8? Would Indiana be willing to toss in veteran playmaker TJ McConnell to push this pick into unprotected territory? Packaging McConnell with Hield and Tuner would make this three-for-one deal a nearly identical salary match.
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Indiana is the rare team that would feel comfortable taking on the Westbrook contract, simply because he would never suit up for them. Armed with $31 million in cap space after their failed pursuit of Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton, the Pacers can easily absorb Westbrook&rsquo;s salary. And as they tear the roster down to its foundation and rebuild around Tyrese Haliburton and No. 6 overall pick Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana is nowhere close to competing for a playoff spot. Allowing Hield and Turner the opportunity to play on a title contender also opens up more playing time for prioritized members of their young core like Chris Duarte and Isaiah Jackson.
Looking ahead to next offseason, the Pacers project to have over $70 million in cap space if they move Hield&rsquo;s contract. Also, like the Utah Jazz, Indiana is currently slated to have at least three first-round picks in the 2023 NBA Draft. Moving Turner and Hield for picks could also help Indiana in the tank race for Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson. With some lottery luck, they could land one of these potential superstars and usher in the next great era of Pacers basketball.
If the Pacers traded Turner and Hield for Westbrook (and then bought him out), they would have the perfect lineup for developing their young guys &mdash; and tanking.&nbsp;
Starters: Tyrese Haliburton, Chris Duarte, Bennedict Mathurin, Jalen Smith, Isaiah Jackson
Bench: Andrew Nembhard, TJ McConnell, Aaron Nesmith, Terry Taylor, Oshae Brissett, Goga Bitadze, Daniel Theis
Indiana is in the perfect spot to be aggressive when it comes to salary dumps. With cap flexibility over the next two summers until Haliburton is due for a massive pay raise, the Pacers can continue to stockpile future assets and kick the can down the road as their young core continues to develop together. This trade for Westbrook is a prime example where Indiana can take advantage, because those first-round picks from Los Angeles could be very valuable down the road.
Talks between the Lakers and Pacers have stalled, so it remains to be seen whether negotiations will pick back up. The next steps will be critical in order to re-ignite this potential pathway for offloading Westbrook.
It&rsquo;s a tough pill to swallow for Westbrook and the Lakers, but he&rsquo;s a negative asset at this stage of his illustrious career. The best course of action seems to be finally ending this marriage, and the rebuilding Pacers provide the ideal launchpad to change direction for good.

Should the Lakers re-engage the Pacers' recent trade talks? Evan Sidery believe L.A. should take the Russell Westbrook lifeline.

Lakers would be foolish to reject Pacers' offer for Russell Westbrook

JD Davison had 28 points and 10 assists, Juhann Begarin added 19 points and the Boston Celtics beat the Memphis Grizzlies 108-91 on Thursday for their third straight victory in the NBA Summer League.
Davison, the 53rd pick in the draft, made 5 of 6 field goals in the first half and scored 19 points to help Boston (3-1) take a 51-39 lead. Davison finished 9 of 14 overall, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range.
Justin Jackson added 16 points, Brodric Thomas had 13, and Trevion Williams finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Ziaire Williams scored 21 points for Memphis (2-2). David Roddy and Kenny Lofton Jr. each had 16 points. The Grizzlies were just 3 of 20 from distance.
HAWKS 87, SPURS 86
Tyson Etienne scored 18 of his 21 points in the second half, including a <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1547700565617938437">go-ahead layup with 14.3 seconds left</a>, and Atlanta handed San Antonio its fourth straight loss.
Atlanta (2-2) scored 14 straight points to make it 85-81 with two minutes remaining.
Sharife Cooper added 15 points and Tyrese Martin scored 13 for Atlanta.
Blake Wesley scored 20 points for San Antonio (0-4).
CAVALIERS 82, PISTONS 79
Cameron Young scored 15 points, RJ Nembhard Jr. added 14 and Cleveland beat Detroit.
Stanley Umude made a layup with 58 seconds left to give Detroit its first lead, 77-76, since 7-5. Ochai Agbaji made two free throws at the other end as Cleveland retook the lead with 45.3 left. The Cavaliers made 6 of 6 free throws in the final minute and Young blocked a 3-point attempt in the final seconds.
Agbaji had 12 points and seven rebounds for Cleveland (2-2).
Jules Bernard scored 14 points for Detroit (2-2).
The Pistons missed their first 12 3-pointers until Braxton Key beat the halftime buzzer to cut Cleveland's lead to 45-26. The Pistons had 13 turnovers and just 10 field goals in the first half.
BULLS 89, HORNETS 73
Dalen Terry scored 20 points, Marko Simonovic had 17 points, 13 rebounds and four assists and Chicago eased past Charlotte.
Malcolm Hill and Makur Maker each scored 11 points for Chicago (3-1).
Bryce McGowens led Charlotte (2-2) with 15 points. Jalen Crutcher and JT Thor had 10 points apiece.
KNICKS 102, MAGIC 89
Miles McBride had 23 points and five assists, Quentin Grimes scored 22 with six rebounds and New York breezed past Orlando.
Jericho Sims, the only pick the Knicks (3-1) haven't traded away in the last two drafts, added 12 points and 10 rebounds. New York, which will have three protected first-round picks in next year's draft, chose Sims with the 58th selection (out of 60) in the 2021 draft.
Tommy Kuhse had 25 points and five steals to pace the Magic (2-2). Justin James scored 16 and Zavier Simpson added 10 points and nine assists.
Paolo Banchero, the top pick in this year's draft, was among eight Orlando players who did not play.
BUCKS 100, MAVERICKS 89
Lindell Wigginton scored 25 points, Sandro Mamukelashvili added 19 and Milwaukee eased past Dallas.
Milwaukee (3-1) first-rounder MarJon Beauchamp &mdash; 24th overall and the Bucks' only pick &mdash; finished with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Moses Wright led Dallas (0-4) with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Jerrick Harding added 16 points and five assists.
TRAIL BLAZERS 85, ROCKETS 77
Keon Johnson hit four 3-pointers and scored 25 to lead Portland over Houston.
Second-round pick Jabari Walker had nine points and nine rebounds for Blazers (3-1).
No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. had 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Rockets. Tari Eason &mdash; the 17th pick &mdash; added 17 points and seven boards. Daishen Nix scored 15.
NETS 102, TIMBERWOLVES 83
Cam Thomas scored 26 points, Day'Ron Sharpe added 20 points and 10 rebounds and Brooklyn rolled to a win over Minnesota.
Thomas made four 3-pointers for the Nets (2-2). Sharpe sank 8 of 10 shots and grabbed four offensive boards. David Duke Jr. totaled 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Kessler Edwards scored 15 with nine rebounds.
Wendell Moore Jr. led the Timberwolves (1-3) with 16 points. Josh Minott had 14 points and 12 rebounds. Kevon Harris and Terrell Brown Jr. each scored 10.

JD Davison had 28 points and 10 assists in Boston's third straight win in Summer League.

JD Davison leads Celtics past Grizzlies in Summer League play

Darvin Ham recognizes the enormity of the task he is undertaking with the Los Angeles Lakers, and this first-time head coach is not intimidated.
Ham is expected to immediately return a veteran-laden, oddly constructed roster to championship contention. He must create a new philosophy and instill a team identity around 37-year-old LeBron James, oft-injured Anthony Davis and polarizing guard Russell Westbrook, who doesn't appear to be going anywhere this summer.
That's a daunting order for any coach, let alone a newcomer to the worldwide spotlight that illuminates every move by the 17-time NBA champion Lakers.
But the 48-year-old Ham is no ordinary rookie, as he demonstrated repeatedly Monday while being introduced as the 28th head coach in franchise history.
&ldquo;I grew up in Saginaw, Michigan,&rdquo; Ham said. &ldquo;I was shot in the face by accident, April 5, 1988. You go through something like that, it's going to do one of two things: It's going to make you fearful or fearless. It made me fearless. I don't feel no pressure. It's basketball.&rdquo;
Ham's communication skills and leadership were among the assets that won him one of the highest-profile coaching jobs in North American sports. The former NBA role player also radiates a confident toughness that was immediately recognized by Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and the committee that selected him to take over for Frank Vogel, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kobe-bryant-los-angeles-lakers-nba-sports-business-9607b103973941f78e2a2425f3fdf028">who was fired in April</a> after Los Angeles missed the postseason.
Ham could have largely the same roster as Vogel did last season, particularly on top &mdash; but the Lakers believe he can get more out of this strange mix. Los Angeles went 33-49 last season while James and Davis both battled significant injury problems and their supporting cast was largely ineffective, particularly on defense.
Ham focused on the honor of coaching a roster that could have nearly a half-dozen of the best players of this era, including Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard &mdash; even if none of that group is likely in its prime.
&ldquo;I think (the) sky&rsquo;s the limit,&rdquo; Ham said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not putting a ceiling on our situation. We&rsquo;ll go as far as our daily preparation takes us ... and the things we&rsquo;re going to do in that daily process will lead us to the type of success that this franchise and city has been accustomed to.&rdquo;
The Lakers went 33-49 last season, wildly underachieving after beginning the year with championship aspirations. They're 75-79 in the two seasons since winning a title in the Florida bubble during Vogel's first season in charge.
James is still a force, while Davis' poor health makes him only a part-time player &mdash; but Westbrook's frequently dismal play was the focal point of most Lakers fans' discontent last year. The former league MVP scored a paltry 18.5 points per game while struggling with turnovers, missing far too many midrange jumpers and playing intermittently focused defense in his first season with his hometown team.
Westbrook, who never meshed with Vogel, has one year and just over $47 million left on his contract. While many fans would love to see him leave in a trade, the guard definitely appears to be returning this fall.
He was one of four current Lakers who attended Ham's news conference, listening intently alongside Stanley Johnson, Austin Reaves and Wenyen Gabriel.
Ham appears to be determined to make it work with Westbrook.
&ldquo;Absolutely,&rdquo; Ham said when asked if Westbrook was in his plans. &ldquo;Don't get it messed up: Russell is one of the best players our league has ever seen, and there's still a ton left in that tank. I don't know why people tend to try to write him off. I'm going to approach him like every player I've ever encountered.&rdquo;
Ham said he has already had several conversations with Westbrook about the upcoming season, and he clearly believes he can persuade Westbrook to be even more of a team player.
&ldquo;The biggest word that came out of those discussions was &lsquo;sacrifice,&rsquo;&rdquo; Ham said. &ldquo;We're going to sacrifice whatever we've got to do, and it's not just Russ. It's going to be sacrifices that LeBron has to make, that AD has to make, on down the line through the rest of our roster.
"We have to start on the defensive end. I'm expecting him to be the same tenacious, high-energy player that he's been his entire career. A lot of it now may happen without the ball in his hand. Most of it may happen on the defensive end, but we have to sacrifice. There's no achieving anything without all parties sharing the load, sacrificing and depending on one another.&rdquo;
Ham carved out an eight-year playing career and even won a ring in Detroit by dedicating himself to a cerebral, complementary role. He was a natural for a coaching career, and he was on the Lakers&rsquo; staff as a development coach from 2011-13 before being hired by Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta.
They went together five years later to Milwaukee, where Ham won another championship as Budenholzer&rsquo;s lead assistant in 2021. Ham only choked up once during his Lakers news conference, and it happened when he expressed gratitude for Budenholzer&rsquo;s mentoring and friendship.
&ldquo;At least you dropped me off where you picked me up at,&rdquo; Ham said with a laugh.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Darvin Ham recognizes the enormity of the task he is undertaking with the Lakers, and this first-time head coach is not intimidated.

Darvin Ham embraces challenge as Lakers' rookie head coach

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

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

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

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

There wasn&rsquo;t exactly a consensus about how the 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; season would end, but it&rsquo;s probably safe to say that nobody foresaw this.
On Tuesday night, the Lakers saw their bleak playoff hopes reduced to zero when the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Denver Nuggets, and immediately thereafter &mdash; and rightfully so &mdash; Frank Vogel, Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook were all in the news.
In the end, there&rsquo;s no single reason the Lakers turned in one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history &mdash; there&rsquo;s enough blame to go around.
What Rob Pelinka needs to figure out is how to fix it.
The answer, ironically, would probably be to start thinking small.
This past season, the team managed to find some serviceable pieces to augment the star-studded core, but only Davis, James, Talen Horton-Tucker and Austin Reaves are under contract next season. The Lakers hold a team option on Stanley Johnson and Westbrook and Kendrick Nunn both have player options they are likely to pick up.
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The official 2021-22 Kendrick Nunn highlight reel 🎥 <a href="https://t.co/wDPehJyqpN">pic.twitter.com/wDPehJyqpN</a>
&mdash; Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersLead/status/1508967570560458762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Combined &mdash; thanks in large part to the commitments to Westbrook, James and Davis &mdash; the Lakers are in line to have about $148 million on their 2022-23 ledger, which is already about $26 million over the projected salary cap.
Said differently, outside of offloading one of Westbrook, James or Davis without taking much salary back in return, the team wouldn&rsquo;t be able to manufacture enough cap space to have a competent opportunity of improving via free agency. Obviously, the club could go the route it went this past season and hand out one-year, minimum salary contracts to aging veterans, but the players who could actually make a difference for the Lakers won&rsquo;t exactly be lining up to sign on the dotted line given the performance of this year&rsquo;s team.
To make matters even worse, the Lakers don&rsquo;t own a pick in this year&rsquo;s draft. Their first rounder was sent to New Orleans in the Anthony Davis trade, while their second-round pick is owned by the Spurs.
So how does a team with no cap space and no draft picks improve?
Simple: by thinking small.
Ask the Brooklyn Nets, and look toward the Miami Heat.
A historically frugal franchise, Miami has never necessarily found itself in the kind of salary cap hell the Lakers are in at the moment. Part of the reason why is because one of the constants during Pat Riley&rsquo;s tenure has been investing heavily in scouting and player development. The same rings true of most successful small market franchises.
Players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis may win you the championship, but throughout history, it&rsquo;s always been players like Alex Caruso, Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who get you there in the first place.
Contenders invariably unearth valuable and sometimes unknown role players and maximize those role players' talent. For example, this year's Miami team has enjoyed the combination of Tyler Herro, Max Strus and Omer Yurtseven combining to earn only about $7 million. That's about $3 million less than Talen Horton-Tucker alone. Strus and Yurtseven are far from household names, but Miami wouldn&rsquo;t be entering play on April 6 as the first seed out East without them, especially considering the injuries the team has dealt with this season.
Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn also go on a list that features the likes of Bam Adebayo, Mario Chalmers, Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem as players drafted and developed by the staff in Miami.
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Some time ago, the Lakers had what looked like a competent core of young players. It&rsquo;s hard to imagine that just four years ago, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart and Jordan Clarkson were all teammates in Los Angeles. They&rsquo;ve all come and gone, most to facilitate the arrivals of LeBron, Davis and then Westbrook.
The Lakers do have a championship to show for that roster churn, but from this point forth, the way out might actually be to go back to the drawing board. Sean Marks and his Brooklyn Nets, another franchise that Lakers VP of Operations Rob Pelinka would be wise to mimic this summer, provide a blueprint for how to go about doing that.
When Marks took over the Nets in 2016, Brooklyn was not in a good place. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry had all come and gone, and the draft picks that became Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Collin Sexton were living their best lives elsewhere. The Nets had a bloated payroll, a team of scrubs and no future.
The NBA's Chicago Draft Combine was only two months after Marks was hired in Brooklyn, and despite not owning a first-round pick, he sent quite a contingent to the Windy City. Their directive was to do as much recon work as possible to find Marks some players who could help. Marks used Thaddeus Young to trade his way into the first round and came away from the draft with Caris LeVert and Isaiah Whitehead. Within the next six months, he signed two diamonds in the rough, Joe Harris and Spencer Dinwiddie.
One season later, Marks drafted Jarrett Allen and landed D&rsquo;Angelo Russell in a trade with the Lakers, and that was essentially the core that both got Brooklyn back on track and ultimately landed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
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Highlights Kyrie Irving &amp; Kevin Durant 🆚 Sixers<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NetsWorld?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NetsWorld</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBATwitter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBATwitter</a> <a href="https://t.co/viw7ZzQQIZ">pic.twitter.com/viw7ZzQQIZ</a>
&mdash; Back2Back (@B2BFR) <a href="https://twitter.com/B2BFR/status/1502186067541307394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Obviously, that all took time to come to fruition, and time isn't something that LeBron James has. But the point is that no matter how daunting the situation, a competent NBA front office can build a team without having the most obvious assets readily available. That the Lakers have two superstars should actually make the task a bit less difficult.
In this league, there are generally two types of teams: those who rely on free agency and trades to build their contender, and those who build their programs organically, most often through the draft. Big-market teams tend to be the former, while small market teams usually go the other route.
If either Marks or Riley were put in charge of the Lakers&rsquo; front office, they would probably trade Horton-Tucker for draft capital after realizing he&rsquo;s not the right fit there. They&rsquo;d engage the Pelicans, Blazers, Thunder, Rockets, Pacers and Grizzlies &mdash; teams who may have multiple first-round picks &mdash; and find a way to come away from the draft with a young piece and at least one more promising player from the summer circuit. Only then would they go knocking on the doors of guys like Tristan Thompson, Semi Ojeleye and Victor Oladipo, all of whom could help and potentially be had for cheap.
By the time the 2022-23 season tips off, the team could be remade. Some names we&rsquo;d know, and many we wouldn&rsquo;t. But as we&rsquo;ve seen before, often, it&rsquo;s the names we don&rsquo;t know who end up making the biggest difference. Alex Caruso, anyone?&nbsp;
Neither DeMar DeRozan, Buddy Hield nor Kyle Lowry will be coming to save the day; Pelinka and James got themselves into their current mess, and they&rsquo;ll have to get themselves out.
With their season ending much sooner than anyone could have imagined, the Lakers will have plenty to address over their long summer.
But, at least in the NBA, small steps can lead to major strides.
With few options, the Lakers should be so wise.
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With the Los Angeles Lakers out of playoff contention, they must now focus on rebuilding like a small-market team.

Only fix for LeBron’s Lakers is to operate like a small-market team

LeBron James and Anthony Davis were together on the bench for a Los Angeles debacle in Dallas that further endangered the postseason hopes of the Lakers.
Now the club waits to see when the All-Star pair will be together on the floor again, and whether it will be in time to secure a play-in spot for the second consecutive year for the 2020 champs.
James missed the 128-110 loss to the Mavericks, which included deficits of 30 points in the first half and 37 in the second, with soreness and swelling in his sprained right ankle.
Davis is on the brink of returning after being out since Feb. 16 with a right mid-foot sprain. He also missed a month with a knee injury, so the title-winning pair from two years ago in the playoff bubble has been limited to 21 games together this season.
If No. 22 doesn't come soon, it might be too late. Technically, the Lakers (31-44) are out of the Western Conference play-in tournament at the moment. LA is tied for 10th, the final spot, with San Antonio, which holds the tiebreaker.
Vogel said a decision on the possible return of Davis, along with James&rsquo; status, would be updated before the Lakers play at Utah on Thursday to end a three-game trip.
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The Lakers play again Friday at home against New Orleans. The Pelicans are ninth in the West, a game ahead of the Lakers and Spurs.
&ldquo;The standings are the results,&rdquo; coach Frank Vogel said. &ldquo;We have to keep our focus on the process and the work. Those things are going to lead to the next win. That&rsquo;s the only place our focus will be.&rdquo;
James, the NBA scoring leader, and Davis were listed as doubtful for the Dallas game, which was actually an upgrade for Davis. The eight-time All-Star went through a full practice for the first time since his injury Monday in Dallas.
&ldquo;Obviously, this whole thing is built around them,&rdquo; said Stanley Johnson, who tied his season high with 16 points against the Mavericks. &ldquo;It's a lot easier to play basketball for me, for everybody else when they're playing. But if they're hurt and they can't play, we have to be professionals as well and do our job. We have to play better than that.&rdquo;

Without LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers lost to the Mavs 128-110 on Tuesday and slipped out of the play-in tournament.

Lakers' play-in hopes depend on LeBron James, Anthony Davis returning

Luka Doncic scored 34 points in a triple-double and the Dallas Mavericks routed the Lakers 128-110 on Tuesday night with Los Angeles missing LeBron James because of an ankle issue while anticipating the return of long-injured Anthony Davis.
James and Davis didn't play after being listed as doubtful, which was actually an upgrade for Davis. The eight-time All-Star hasn't played since Feb. 16 because of a right mid-foot sprain. His first full practice since the injury was Monday in Dallas.
The question is when the superstars return. The Lakers (31-44) are tied with San Antonio for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference with seven games remaining for both teams. Coach Frank Vogel was non-committal before the game.
Los Angeles finishes a three-game road trip in Utah on Thursday before returning home Friday to complete a back-to-back against New Orleans. The Pelicans are ninth in the West, a game ahead of the Lakers and Spurs.
&ldquo;With those guys out, we&rsquo;re at a talent deficit, so the focus and execution has to make up for it,&rdquo; Vogel said. &ldquo;This is just the latest dose of adversity that this year&rsquo;s team has faced. When you lose &rsquo;Bron, OK, you have to adjust yet again throughout a season of setbacks.&rdquo;
Malik Monk scored 28 points and Russell Westbrook had 25 for the Lakers, who dropped their third straight for their fifth losing streak at least that long in the past two months as part of a steady slide away from .500 for the 2020 champs.
Doncic had 25 points in the first half as Dallas scored a season-high 82 for a 26-point lead. He finished with 12 rebounds and 12 assists.
The 23-year-old star secured his first triple-double in almost two months and 10th of the season with an <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1508973213480497153?s=20&amp;t=1oiVTgbr4YMZ7HtyrqQYJg">offensive rebound for a layup</a> that gave him 32 points and put Dallas up 101-65 with 6:58 left in the third quarter. Doncic sat the fourth.
Maxi Kleber capped an 11-0 run in the final 84 seconds of the first quarter with a coast-to-coast layup just before the buzzer. Dallas shot 64% for a 43-25 lead.
One of the few times LA tried to defend the 3-pointer, Spencer Dinwiddie was fouled on a 3 that put Dallas up 63-33 in the second quarter. He missed the free throw. Dallas was 11 of 19 from 3 after Dinwiddie's make and finished with a season-high 20 in 46 attempts.
&ldquo;We respect who they are,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re dangerous. (Monk) played well. Russ played well. We took care of business from the start. I think those guys set the tone. Three great quarters of basketball.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Lakers: The other meeting in Dallas this season was one of the 21 games James and Davis have played together. The Lakers won it 107-104 in overtime on Austin Reaves' 3 with a second remaining on Dec. 15. Reaves missed all four of his attempts from deep in his return and scored three points. ... Stanley Johnson matched his season high with 16 points.
Mavericks: G Brandon Knight signed his second 10-day contract of the season under the COVID-19 allowances after G Trey Burke joined G Sterling Brown in the health and safety protocols. ... Reggie Bullock scored 17 points and was 5 of 8 from 3, putting him at 12 of 19 over two games after going 1 of 12 in the previous two.
DALLAS IN THE WEST
The Mavericks (47-29) moved within a game of Stephen Curry and Golden State for the third seed in the West. Dallas owns the tiebreaker.
The victory also assured the Mavericks of staying at least a game ahead of Utah for No. 4, the final spot with home-court advantage in the first round. The Jazz will have that tiebreaker if they maintain their Northwest Division lead over Denver.
HOWARD BENCHED
Dwight Howard didn't play again for the Lakers after coming out five minutes into the game. &ldquo;We got down 25 points very early in the game so I was looking for somebody else to get something done,&rdquo; Vogel said.
UP NEXT
Lakers: LA can sweep the season series against Utah for the second time in three seasons after going the previous 34 years without doing it.
Mavericks: The second night of the final back-to-back of the regular season is Wednesday in Cleveland. It opens the last road trip (four games) as Dallas completes a stretch of 15 of 23 games away from home,

Luka Doncic scored 34 points in a triple-double and the Mavericks routed the Lakers 128-110 on Tuesday night.