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Hornets

Following the Phoenix Suns&rsquo; shocking postseason exit, all eyes are now on Deandre Ayton's free agency.
After the Suns declined to sign Ayton to a five-year, rookie-scale max extension before the 2021-22 season, restricted free agency is now on the horizon for the athletic big man. During the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Ayton&rsquo;s agent Bill Duffy discussed Ayton's future on SiriusXM&rsquo;s NBA show.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re disappointed. We wanted a max contract,&rdquo; Duffy <a href="https://twitter.com/esidery/status/1527772160923619328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &ldquo;He went out and was a solider the whole year, played well, improved his statistics. So, we&rsquo;re proud of him. A lot of guys handle things differently, but he was very mature about it. Things will work out for Deandre. He&rsquo;s a valuable player. There&rsquo;s other teams in the league as well. He&rsquo;s a restricted free agent, so we&rsquo;ll see how this process unfolds.&rdquo;
Ayton averaged 17.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.7 blocks on a career-high 65.6% True Shooting percentage during the 2021-22 campaign. Ayton was a key asset for the Suns on both ends of the court, especially around the basket as an easy lob threat and defensive anchor. Ayton has been a key piece for the Suns, but is he worth a max contract? Based on Duffy&rsquo;s comments earlier this week, it sounds like Ayton&rsquo;s camp won&rsquo;t settle for anything less than the max entering free agency.
From the Suns&rsquo; perspective, they saw improvement from the 2018 No. 1 overall pick this season before the team's disappointing postseason showing.
&ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s shown that he&rsquo;s improved each year, helps us on both the defense and the offense,&rdquo; Suns owner Robert Sarver told <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a> recently about Ayton. &ldquo;I think offensively, you see this year he&rsquo;s taken another good step in terms of his touch and his ability to score around the basket. So, he&rsquo;s been a key part of what we&rsquo;re doing.&rdquo;
Taking all of this into consideration, what if Ayton's days in Phoenix are numbered? Here's a look at the most realistic sign-and-trade destinations for Ayton this summer.
Note: It's important to remember that sign-and-trade deals rarely return the same value as a traditional trade. The Suns have let it be known that they won't simply let an asset like Ayton walk for nothing. If Ayton&rsquo;s time in Phoenix is indeed over, the Suns won&rsquo;t be leaving the relationship empty-handed.
San Antonio Spurs
Spurs receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Jakob Poeltl, Devin Vassell, Tre Jones
San Antonio is one of the few teams this offseason with secured max-level cap space. All that needs to be done in order to chase Ayton is renounce the restricted rights to Lonnie Walker.
Being at the bottom of the NBA standings is new for the Spurs. After being one of the league's model organizations for over two decades, they have officially hit a playoff drought. San Antonio was hoping for some lottery luck, but now they have to try another plan to bring in a star.
San Antonio&rsquo;s dynamic young duo of Dejounte Murray and Keldon Johnson is so fun to watch, but the they need a third game-changer to take this rebuild back into playoff mode. Ayton would be an ideal solution, mainly because of his excellent two-way fit in the Spurs&rsquo; system. Dropping Ayton into the Spurs&rsquo; player-development program could make some in Phoenix worry about the long-term consequences of this deal.
For Phoenix, cooperating with a long-time rival would hurt. However, if the relationship between team and player becomes fractured, the Suns won&rsquo;t have much of a choice if he finds a max offer on the open market.
The Suns won&rsquo;t let Ayton leave Phoenix unless they receive strong assets in return. The Spurs can actually provide a solid package that helps in the short and long-term.
In this deal, Phoenix could land one of the most underrated big men in the Association as well as two young players who have shown flashes. The Jalen Smith experiment was a disaster for the Suns after taking him No. 10 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, and Vassell went one pick later. Phoenix can right that wrong while also obtaining an intriguing point guard to develop in Jones.
This feels like a win-win for both sides. San Antonio would have a new Big 3 in Ayton, Murray and Johnson, while the Suns could acquire their new starting center and two pieces to bolster the bench unit.
Charlotte Hornets
Hornets receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Terry Rozier, PJ Washington and draft compensation
There might not be a team with a more dire offseason need than the Hornets and their hole at center. Charlotte was one of my NBA League Pass teams this season due to their fun offensive pace, but the defense often bordered on disastrous. Montrezl Harrell and Mason Plumlee aren&rsquo;t going to cut it, so it&rsquo;s time for Charlotte to get aggressive.
Given Charlotte&rsquo;s roster, they would have to move some salaries around to make an Ayton chase realistic. Offloading Gordon Hayward&rsquo;s contract is going to be a tough task and they may even have to relinquish one of their top-15 picks to do so, but it would have to happen in order for them to pursue Ayton. Hayward is due $61.6 million over the next two seasons, and Charlotte simply can&rsquo;t afford to keep biting that bullet with restricted free agent Miles Bridges due for a payday and LaMelo Ball&rsquo;s own rookie-scale extension on the horizon. Trading away Hayward and Mason Plumlee would give the Hornets max space.
Landing Ayton is Charlotte's dream scenario. Not only would Ayton continue to get spoon-fed easy looks from an elite point guard, he would help stabilize the Hornets' defense to respectable levels. Thanks to his freakish athleticism, Ayton would be able to cover up a lot of holes around him defensively.
Phoenix would love to pull off a double sign-and-trade to nab Bridges, but that seems unlikely. Instead, this deal allows them to find their long-term answer at point guard post-Chris Paul. While Terry Rozier is a shot-chucker, he has improved as a playmaker in Charlotte. In the short-term, Rozier could step in as the Suns&rsquo; sixth man and provide the exact boost that they need in offensive guard creation. PJ Washington is an interesting add because he could slide right into the small-ball 5 role played previously by Dario Saric.
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Indiana Pacers
Pacers receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Myles Turner, Chris Duarte, TJ McConnell
What&rsquo;s the next step for Indiana? Long gone are Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis and Caris LeVert. Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner and Buddy Hield could be the next Pacers veterans to be shipped out via trade as Indiana fully embraces a rebuild attempt. It&rsquo;s been long overdue for the Pacers to pull the plug on the core that continued to stagnate once the postseason arrived.
A year later, Indiana&rsquo;s future looks much brighter with a talented, new-look core of Tyrese Haliburton, Chris Duarte, Isaiah Jackson and whoever is selected at No. 6 overall.
Ayton couldn't ask for a better pick-and-roll partner than Haliburton. Already making magic happen with CP3, Ayton&rsquo;s rolling ability would help accentuate Haliburton&rsquo;s biggest strengths. Also, Ayton&rsquo;s defensive versatility would be a welcome arrival for a team that nosedived in that category last season.
For Indiana, the price would be hefty. Not only would this trade require a four-year max contract for Ayton, but the Pacers would likely need to ship out a key piece of their young core via sign-and-trade (such as Duarte).
This trade would be a huge win for Phoenix, but it also looks great for the Pacers. The Suns would have a starting center who adds floor-spacing equity and elite rim protection, a capable veteran backup point guard who can spell Paul at times, plus one of the most impactful rookie wings in the Association. Having to include Duarte could leave the Pacers apprehensive, but they are reportedly enamored with adding another explosive piece via the draft, as Jaden Ivey (Purdue), Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky) and Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona) have all been linked to Indiana early in the pre-draft process.&nbsp;
Detroit Pistons
Pistons receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Jerami Grant, Isaiah Stewart, Cory Joseph and draft compensation
Another team that has considered making a run at Ayton this offseason is the Pistons, and they can create max space very easily: trading away Kelly Olynyk&rsquo;s contract.
The Pistons struck gold with Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey and they are helping usher in a new era in Detroit. Ayton&rsquo;s arrival would be the final piece to the puzzle for a team seemingly pushing their chips in on postseason play as early as 2023.
It would be best for Ayton to land with a capable lead guard who can feed him regularly. Already capable of tallying 20 and 10 most nights, Ayton would be set up for long-term success alongside Cunningham and Bey.
The question is, what would the Pistons need to send Phoenix&rsquo;s way in order for this sign-and-trade to go through? It&rsquo;s going to be a lot, and it would be a blockbuster-type transaction.
Blockbuster indeed, because Grant is now heading back to the Valley in this scenario. If the Suns and Pistons want to cooperate on a Ayton deal, I have to imagine one of Grant or Bey would have to be involved. Stewart is another enticing trade chip because he&rsquo;s shown the versatility to space the floor from three-point range. While he doesn't have the same touch as Ayton, Stewart brings nastiness and a tenacity on both ends of the court that Phoenix would absolutely love.
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Atlanta Hawks
Hawks receive: Deandre Ayton
Suns receive: Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic
No ifs, ands or buts about it, Trae Young would make Ayton an All-Star next season. What a fun inside-out duo this is to envision. While Atlanta is nowhere close to reaching the necessary cap space to absorb a massive Ayton deal on their own, a sign-and-trade becomes feasible with all of the talent that could fit into the Phoenix roster.
For the Hawks, Ayton represents another foundational building block to place alongside Young for the long-term. John Collins could be the guy, but he&rsquo;s been in trade rumors for the past year with no signs of those slowing down. Onyeka Okongwu could also grow into that role, but the Hawks signing Clint Capela to a long-term extension perhaps signals that they see him more as a piece to the puzzle rather than a true building block.
Ayton would arrive in Atlanta and instantly average around 23 points and 12 rebounds per game. On box-score fit alone, this would be the best landing spot for Ayton thanks to the greatness of Young.
If Phoenix had drafted Luka Doncic rather than Ayton at No. 1 overall in 2018, Phoenix may have considered adding Clint Capela to their frontcourt. Four years later, Capela being re-routed to Phoenix in an Ayton sign-and-trade is a plausible scenario to imagine. Capela would provide similar numbers to Ayton while requiring less of an offensive workload. Meanwhile, Bogdan Bogdanovic might vault to the top the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year leaderboards in the near future. Bogdanovic and Cameron Johnson leading the Suns&rsquo; second unit? That&rsquo;s a filthy thought.
***
None of these trades are perfect, but they do illustrate how challenging it will be for Phoenix to find a home for Ayton while also returning the value they'd love to get back for him. Ultimately, it may be in the Suns' best interest to re-sign Ayton this offseason and trade him at some point down the road when his value isn't so depressed.
Whatever happens, Ayton&rsquo;s name will continue to pop up in rumors throughout the spring and summer until the Suns and Ayton's camp find common ground at the negotiation table. This situation could become awkward and dragged out, which would surely kick the trade rumors into high gear. This isn't the last we'll hear about Ayton and the possibility of him changing teams.
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With Deandre Ayton's future in Phoenix becoming murky, it's time to examine potential destinations for the former No. 1 overall pick.

Examining potential sign-and-trade destinations for Deandre Ayton

The NBA sent four teams home from its Play-In Tournament after Friday night, but all four are poised to contend next season.
Though the Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs exited early, their trio of All-Star guards and exciting young cores mean all three should be back in the hunt &mdash; provided they beef up their rosters in the offseason. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers weren't supposed to make it this far without their franchise cornerstones; that only creates more buzz surrounding a 2022-23 championship contender.
What can these franchises do this offseason to set themselves up for success? I've written up some summer plans for all four squads, including draft assets (via Tankathon), potential free agents (via Spotrac) and a central team-building question (via my deranged mind). If you missed last week, I did the same for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/summer-plans-for-the-nbas-nonplayoff-teams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10 teams who did not crack the NBA postseason</a>.
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Let's dive in.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS
Draft assets:&nbsp;First-round pick, First-round pick via Pelicans, Second-round pick, Second-round pick via Toronto (if 55-60)
Potential free agents:&nbsp;Montrezl Harrell, Isaiah Thomas, Miles Bridges (restricted), Cody Martin (restricted), Arnoldas Kulboka (restricted), Scottie Lewis (restricted)
Central question:&nbsp;How can the Hornets construct an interior defense?
Charlotte's bottom-10 defense doomed the franchise several times in the regular season and, ultimately, in the Play-In loss to Atlanta. The Hornets gave up boatloads of at-rim attempts and three-pointers, and simply looked like turnstiles at times. Improvement is necessary across the board, but an on-paper view highlights a clear need for upgrades inside.
Mason Plumlee is a fine basketball player, but he's not anchoring a high-level NBA defense. Neither is Montrezl Harrell, and 2021 first-round pick Kai Jones barely touched the floor in Charlotte. The Hornets don't have a whole lot of salary flexibility with big-money deals in place for Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier. Miles Bridges' restricted free agency is also a key offseason focal point.&nbsp;
Though the Hornets likely can't throw outright money at a Deandre Ayton-level restricted free agent, perhaps they could work a sign-and-trade for a lesser-known young talent. Maybe Mo Bamba fits the bill from Orlando? Charlotte was tied to trade rumors surrounding Myles Turner before the trade deadline, and the front office could also elect to sign a veteran at a mid-level exception.
Regardless of the pathway, the Hornets have needed to address the center position for years now. With a playoff leap now the expectation in 2022-23, they can't afford to let another summer slip away.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Draft assets:&nbsp;First-round pick, Second-round pick via Spurs, Second-round pick via Heat
Potential free agents:&nbsp;Ed Davis, Rajon Rondo, Brandon Goodwin, Collin Sexton (restricted), Moses Brown (restricted), RJ Nembhard (restricted), Dean Wade (team option)
Central question:&nbsp;What is Collin Sexton's future in Cleveland?
The Cavaliers may have slid out of the playoffs, but this was a banner year for the franchise's long-term trajectory. Darius Garland emerged as a cornerstone point guard, Evan Mobley might win Rookie of the Year, and the frontcourt pairing with Jarrett Allen looks to be a mainstay in the Eastern Conference. Injuries ultimately derailed what was a top-four seed. Most of the rotation is under contract and under 30, hinting at continued growth.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Darius Garland -&gt; Jarrett Allen -&gt; Evan Mobley (Lob) <a href="https://t.co/nDQz7tkxbs">pic.twitter.com/nDQz7tkxbs</a>
&mdash; Jackson Lloyd (@JacksonLloydNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/JacksonLloydNBA/status/1515354588353728522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

This seaon's leap makes the situation with Sexton... difficult. Let's not forget that the combo guard is a season removed from a 24-point-per-game season as an efficient primary scorer, and that the Cavs were 19th in Offensive Rating this year. Sexton can meaningfully boost Cleveland simply as a bucket-getter, nevermind if he keeps improving as a playmaker.
What kind of contract do the Cavs offer to a 23-year-old who missed nearly a full season with a knee injury though? If a desperate team decides to throw money at Sexton to force the franchise to match, is there a limit to the front office's willingness? What would an extension mean for Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert?&nbsp;
Sexton is one of the biggest dominoes in the upcoming offseason, and arguably the most unpredictable.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Draft assets:&nbsp;Second-round pick
Potential free agents: Robert Covington, Rodney Hood, Isaiah Hartenstein, Amir Coffey (restricted), Xavier Moon (restricted), Ivica Zubac (team option), Nic Batum (player option)
Central question:&nbsp;What does a fully-healthy 10-man rotation look like?
Nobody expected the Clippers to be a playoff contender without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and they still almost cracked the postseason with the supporting cast chipping in. L.A. made a splash at the trade deadline by adding Norman Powell and Robert Covington, two players who conceivably make sense next to the franchise's two stars.
This roster is deep. It's a great problem to have, but it's still a problem with several rotation options potentially hitting free agency. Covington will likely command a solid new deal as one of the league's more reliable two-way complements, and Batum could easily decline his $3.3 million team option in search of a raise. Ivica Zubac and Isaiah Hartenstein may both hit free agency; what would happen to the center rotation in that case?
The Clippers have Leonard, George, Powell, Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, Terance Mann and Marcus Morris locked down for next season. That's already seven rotation-caliber players, and it doesn't account for leaps from young talents like Brandon Boston Jr., Jason Preston or Amir Coffey. A roster crunch is inbound, and the organization can't let a quality addition slip away as it positions itself for title contention next season.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Draft assets:&nbsp;First-round pick, first-round pick via Raptors, first-round pick via Celtics, second-round pick via Lakers
Potential free agents:&nbsp;Lonnie Walker IV (restricted), Devontae Cacok (restricted), Joe Wieskamp (restricted), DJ Stewart Jr. (restricted), Robert Woodard II (restricted)
Central question:&nbsp;How do the Spurs toe the line between developmental patience and consolidation?
San Antonio valiantly fought to get to the Play-In Tournament before losing to New Orleans, but also had one of the more underrated developmental seasons across the roster. Dejounte Murray made his All-Star leap and Jakob Poeltl established himself as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jakob-poeltl-san-antonios-newest-watchful-protector" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the league's better rim-protectors</a>; the Spurs collectively were just a tick under league-average on both ends of the floor, per Cleaning the Glass.
One of the NBA's youngest rosters is well on track and about to receive another influx of potential. San Antonio could use its three first-rounders (including its own lottery pick) to add to the frontcourt or find another lead guard. However, the Spurs already have 12 players locked down for next season under at least partial guarantees, and 11 of them are under 30. They have a pathway to over $24 million in salary cap space this summer should they move on from restricted free agents like Walker.&nbsp;
There's an avenue, with draft picks, young players and cap space, for San Antonio to make a serious splash. Is that in the programming for this franchise, though? San Antonio hasn't acquired a star via trade in several years, unless you want to count adding DeMar DeRozan in the Kawhi Leonard blockbuster. At the same time, there are only so many minutes to go around for the young guns, especially if the Spurs think they can compete for the playoffs.
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Ethan Fuller sets the stage for the NBA's four Play-In exits approaching the offseason.

Summer plans for the Spurs, Hornets, Cavaliers and Clippers

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1514407986122219522">Trae Young</a> bounced back from a sluggish start to score 24 points and De'Andre Hunter led a third-quarter surge that carried the Atlanta Hawks to a 132-103 rout of the Charlotte Hornets in an Eastern Conference play-in game Wednesday night.
The Hawks, who finished ninth in the East after a surprising run to the conference final a year ago, will travel to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers on Friday night.
The winner claims the No. 8 seed in the East and will face the top-seeded Miami Heat in the opening round of the playoffs.
The season is over for the Hornets, who were overwhelmed in the 9-10 play-in game for the second year in a row and haven't made the playoffs since 2016.
All five Atlanta starters scored in double figures, as did Bogdan Bogdanovic off the bench. <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1514406292911116290">It was Hunter</a> who came up big in the decisive third period, bursting out with 16 points after being held to 3 in the first half.
Hunter finished with 22 points, while <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1514411937366380546">Danilo Gallinari</a> added 18 and Clint Capela 15. Kevin Huerter and <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1514410586058072065">Bogdanovic</a> chipped in with 13 apiece.
The Hornets closed the regular season strong and felt like they had a good chance to win a couple of play-in games on the road. But those hopes came crashing down against their I-85 rival.
LaMelo Ball led with 26 points but made only 7 of 25 shots.
The Hawks led by as many as 13 in the first half before settling for a 60-52 advantage at the break. Charlotte had a bit of momentum in the closing minutes of the half, but it sure didn&rsquo;t carry over to the third.
The Hawks outscored the Hornets 42-24 during that 12-minute barrage, hitting 16 of 24 shots, and led 102-76 heading to the final period.
With the Hornets doubling at every opportunity, Young made only 1 of 9 shots in the opening quarter and 3 of 13 in the first half.
But his teammates found plenty of open looks and made the Hornets pay dearly.
Charlotte should've known what kind of night it would be on their way to State Farm Arena.
The Hornets' chartered bus was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-hawks-charlotte-hornets-nba-sports-james-borrego-57d6cb54deb7e6d31051a94eb3a86669">blocked by a freight train</a> that stopped on a crossing near the downtown sports complex. The bus had to turn around and take a different route to the arena, delaying Charlotte's arrival for pregame warmups.
It didn't get much better once the game tipped off.
The Hornets' frustration boiled over with about 6 1/2 minutes to go when <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1514414068278255616">Miles Bridges</a> complained so vehemently about a goaltending call that he picked up two quick technicals and was ejected.
TIP INS
Hornets: Terry Rozier had 21 points. .... As a team, Charlotte shot 37.8% (37 of 90) from the field.
Hawks: F John Collins (sprained foot, sprained finger) has stepped up workouts but still wasn't able to play. His hasn't been in a game since March 11. ... G Lou Williams also was inactive with lower back discomfort.
UP NEXT
The Hawks went 3-1 against the Cavaliers during the regular season, splitting the two games in Cleveland.

Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks routed the Charlotte Hornets to advance past the play-in game in the NBA Playoffs.

Young, Hunter lead Hawks to 132-103 Play-In rout of Hornets

The Atlanta Hawks never expected to be in this position.
Not after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">last summer's surprising run</a> to the Eastern Conference final.
But here they are, needing to win two play-in games just to make the playoffs.
First up: the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night in a matchup between the ninth and 10th seeds in the East.
&ldquo;Our destiny is in our hands," Hawks center Clint Capela said.
Atlanta was one of the biggest surprises of the 2021 postseason, knocking off both the Knicks and the top-seeded 76ers before losing to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in a highly competitive conference final.
With a young core led by Trae Young, the Hawks set a goal of finishing in the top four in the East this season. Instead, after a year plagued by COVID issues, injuries and a strange lack of chemistry, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-knicks-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-d384100801dae1e50a25ac311eacbefa">they had to settle</a> for the next-to-last play-in spot.
&ldquo;We have to live in the moment,&rdquo; coach Nate McMillan said. &ldquo;We can't think about all of that. We have a game we have to win."
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlotte-hornets-washington-wizards-atlanta-hawks-miami-heat-nba-f8aabc07c1007bb2717017faab063239">The Hornets</a> are in the play-in tournament for the second year in a row. While they haven't made the playoffs since 2016, they appear to be a franchise on the rise.
&ldquo;We feel like we can definitely win and sneak into the playoffs,&rdquo; guard Terry Rozier said.
The winner of the 9-10 game advances to a road contest Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
&ldquo;We've still got a chance to make the playoffs,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;We've got to take advantage of it.&rdquo;
COLLINS UPDATE
The Hawks have been without one of their top players, John Collins, since March 11 because of a sprained foot and an injured finger.
Collins has stepped up his rehab in recent days, including some 4-on-4 workouts.
Coach Nate McMillan said he's not sure if Collins will be able to play limited minutes against the Hornets, but the Hawks are preparing to go without him.
&ldquo;He's been out for so long," McMillan said. "The focus is on the guys that we do have in uniform. If we're lucky enough to get him back, we'll talk about that and adjust to that.&rdquo;
PLAY-IN REDUX
The Hornets had 10 more victories than a year ago in the abbreviated 72-game schedule, but they still finished 10th in the East for the second straight season.
In the 2021 play-in game, Charlotte was routed 144-117 by ninth-seeded Indiana. Several Hornets players have talked about the sting of that loss providing momentum coming into this season.
Charlotte is healthier and playing much better than it was a year ago. The Hornets won 11 of their last 15 games.
&ldquo;Most years we would be the seven or the eight seed &mdash; most years &mdash; but this year the East was more competitive," Hornets coach James Borrego said. &ldquo;I am really proud of this group.&rdquo;
SMALL BALL
Led by guards LaMelo Ball and Rozier, the Hornets ranked fourth in the league in scoring (115.3 points per game) and have been especially effective when going with a small lineup.
Charlotte can really get out and run when 6-foot-7 P.J. Washington and 6-6 Miles Bridges are playing the center and power forward positions.
&ldquo;They play small and they play fast,&rdquo; said McMillan, whose own team ranked sixth in the league in scoring (113.9). &ldquo;They are a team that wants to get out in transition."
DOUBLING TRAE
Young had a historic season, becoming only the second player in NBA history after Tiny Archibald to lead the league in both total points (2,155) and assists (737).
The Hornets had good success against Young in their final regular-season matchup, using a wave of double teams to hold him to a season-low 9 points on 3-of-12 shooting.
Young did manage to dish out 15 assists in that game.
&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t let him breath,&rdquo; Rozier said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a pretty confident player, but we just have to make it tough for him.&rdquo;
HOME EDGE
The Hawks claimed the No. 9 seed on a tiebreaker with the Hornets, which is why this game is being played in Atlanta.
That's a big break for the Hawks, who were much better at home (27-14) than they were on the road (16-25).
The Hornets, by comparison, had virtually the same record in Charlotte (22-19) as they did away from home (21-20).
&ldquo;Whenever we play at home, we are much more confident, the energy is better, the focus is better,&rdquo; Capela said. &ldquo;To get that first game at home, it's a huge advantage for us.&rdquo;

The Hawks are set to square off against the Hornets, and need two wins to make back-to-back postseason appearances.

After run to East finals, Hawks face Play-In game vs. Hornets

Although it's likely that the Los Angeles Lakers will re-engage with the Houston Rockets in a potential Russell Westbrook-for-John Wall swap this summer, the Charlotte Hornets have appeared as a potential suitor for Russ, according to <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/trading-russell-westbrook?s=r" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Stein</a>.
In Stein's own words, "All-Star guard LaMelo Ball is firmly ensconced as the Hornets' face of the franchise and on-the-ball star, but one scenario making the rounds is a belief that the Hornets could emerge with Westbrook interest in the name of creating some financial flexibility.
"Gordon Hayward has two seasons left on a four-year, $120 million contract and has appeared in only 49 of Charlotte's 79 games this season. Terry Rozier has performed well this season, with an above-average PER of 17.36, but next season is Year 1 of a four-year, $97 million extension... The Lakers, league sources say, have not ruled out simply parting ways with Westbrook via the waive-and-stretch provision."
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;For all that's gone wrong with the Russell Westbrook experiment in LA, the one saving grace is that his contract will expire after next season ends. That could help the Lakers acquire players who would fit better on paper like Gordon Hayward or Terry Rozier, with the one caveat being that their contracts would be on the books longer. In Charlotte's case, doing this could pay huge dividends for them if they're able to get some draft assets from acquiring Russ and clear some cap space after next season (especially with Miles Bridges up for an extension soon).

Marc Stein reports that Charlotte may pursue Russell Westbrook this summer via trade.

Stein: Charlotte may pursue Russell Westbrook this summer

One of Bam Adebayo&rsquo;s favorite plays of the season was during a game Miami played at Charlotte in early February, when most of the things that happened didn&rsquo;t show up on a stat sheet.
It was late in the first half. Adebayo started the possession guarding Mason Plumlee, then switched onto LaMelo Ball after a screen. Ball couldn&rsquo;t get past him, so he flipped the ball to Terry Rozier. Adebayo was waiting for him, too, so Rozier gave the ball up to Miles Bridges. With the shot clock running down, Bridges tried to drive on Adebayo.
Didn&rsquo;t work. Adebayo blocked the ensuing layup try with ease.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Bam Adebayo switched three times onto perimeter players this possession: He handled all of them. It ends with an emphatic rejection of Bridges followed by a slam on the other end. What. A. Player. Two-way monster<a href="https://twitter.com/hothothoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hothothoops</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HEATCulture?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HEATCulture</a> <a href="https://t.co/c6XrHnRoRz">pic.twitter.com/c6XrHnRoRz</a>
&mdash; Matt Hanifan (@mph_824_) <a href="https://twitter.com/mph_824_/status/1490128662720512000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

&ldquo;I guarded three dudes in one possession,&rdquo; Adebayo said, forgetting that it was technically four. &ldquo;And a fan watching it would be like, &lsquo;OK, Bam got the block.&rsquo; They probably didn&rsquo;t see the rest of it. That&rsquo;s the thing with defense. It&rsquo;s more than who&rsquo;s got the most steals or the most blocks.&rdquo;
A panel of media voters will decide later this month on the NBA&rsquo;s awards for this season, and Adebayo isn&rsquo;t shy about saying that he thinks he merits consideration as the league&rsquo;s Defensive Player of the Year. It&rsquo;s a tough club to break into with perennial candidates like Utah&rsquo;s Rudy Gobert, Golden State&rsquo;s Draymond Green and the Milwaukee duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday all obviously worthy, plus with Boston&rsquo;s Marcus Smart and Phoenix&rsquo;s Mikal Bridges deservedly getting plenty of attention this season as well.
The Eastern Conference-leading Heat, who still try to prioritize defense even in this era of higher scores than a decade ago, say Adebayo is equally &mdash; if not more &mdash; deserving, with Miami coach Erik Spoelstra insisting that his center makes an imprint on the game &ldquo;like few can in this Association.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We want him to put his fingerprints on the game defensively in all different kinds of ways, in a lot of different schemes and guarding really every position, one through five,&rdquo; Spoelstra said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s legit. That&rsquo;s not just a saying. Every single night at some point he will guard every single player ... and he&rsquo;s one of the few guys in the league that can do that.&rdquo;
Adebayo was one of three players with a first-place DPOY vote last year, with Gobert &mdash; the runaway winner &mdash; getting 84 and runner-up Ben Simmons, now with Brooklyn, getting 15. Adebayo got the other.
He finished fourth in the overall voting a year ago, after finishing fifth in 2019-20.
&ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s in that mix now,&rdquo; Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;I think just the versatility that he brings, that&rsquo;s what separates, to me, the best defenders in the league &mdash; the versatility to guard multiple positions, multiple actions, to roam and protect teammates. He does all of that. He can guard one through five on switches. He is absolutely elite.&rdquo;
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Adebayo is having his best season for the Heat, averaging 19.0 points and 10.3 rebounds, along with a career-best 1.5 steals per game and nearly one block per contest. The steals and blocks numbers aren&rsquo;t overwhelming, but that&rsquo;s also the point to Adebayo&rsquo;s argument.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s one of those things where, in our game, everybody looks at the final column &mdash; how many points did you score or just what&rsquo;s on that sheet,&rdquo; Adebayo said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s like that dictates your total impact on the game. And that&rsquo;s not the way the game works. It&rsquo;s like defense doesn&rsquo;t matter, until it does.&rdquo;
Adebayo has a long list of players that he thinks are at the top of the top right now defensively. He says Holiday, Mikal Bridges, Green and his Miami teammate P.J. Tucker should all be among those in the conversation.
But he&rsquo;s also not afraid to state his case.
&ldquo;In my mind, I think I&rsquo;m the Defensive Player of the Year,&rdquo; Adebayo said. &ldquo;To me, defense is all about pride. My teammates let me be who I am because they know that if I put my fingerprints on a game, good things can happen.&rdquo;

Bam Adebayo believes he deserves this season's Defensive Player of the Year award, and he explains his reasoning.

Heat's Bam Adebayo: 'I think I’m the Defensive Player of the Year'

Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 19 rebounds and 11 assists for his 19th triple-double of the season, and the Denver Nuggets held on to beat the Charlotte Hornets 113-109 on Monday night.
Aaron Gordon added 21 points and Will Barton scored 18 for the Nuggets, who earned a split of the season series.
Miles Bridges had 27 points and 11 rebounds and LaMelo Ball added 22 points, 11 assists and six rebounds for Charlotte, which fell to 1-13 in the second night of back-to-backs. The loss dropped the Hornets to ninth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind the idle Brooklyn Nets.
Denver took a 83-74 lead into the fourth quarter and quickly extended it to 13 points. The Hornets battled back to cut the lead to one with 4:07 left behind 3-pointers from Isaiah Thomas, Bridges and Ball and an alley-oop dunk by Bridges.
The Hornets had several chances to tie the game, but shots wouldn't fall.
Monte Morris put the Nuggets up by five with two free throws with 38.8 seconds left before Rozier answered with a 3.
Jokic missed a jumper on Denver's next possession, but got his own rebound and was fouled hard with 8.6 seconds left. He made both shots to make it a two-possession game.
The Hornets couldn't score on their final possession, losing for only the second time in the last eight games.
Denver dominated the offensive boards and finished with 32 second-chance points.
HARRELL EJECTED
Montrezl Harrell and Gordon exchanged words and some light shoves near the end of the third quarter, resulting in Harrell getting two technical fouls and being ejected from the game.
Gordon was assessed one technical foul, but remained in the game.
It started when Harrell appeared to step over Austin Rivers &mdash; who was on the ground after taking a shot to the head &mdash; and then shoved Gordon with one arm, prompting a retaliatory shove from Gordon. The two then had to be separated by teammates and, after a long delay, Harrell was ejected.
TIP INS
Nuggets: Outrebound Charlotte 51-40. ... Morris had 14 points and nine assists.
Hornets: Had 33 assists. ... Bridges and Terry Rozier were a combined 4 of 17 from 3-point range.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: At Pelicans on Wednesday night.
Hornets: At Knicks on Wednesday night.

Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 19 rebounds and 11 assists for his 19th triple-double of the season.

Jokic's triple-double lifts Nuggets past Hornets 113-109

Every day,&nbsp;BasketballNews.com&nbsp;gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts. This season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is up thousands of dollars on PrizePicks.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA betting plays for Sunday's slate.
Phoenix Suns (-4.5) vs. Philadelphia 76ers
In what easily could be an NBA Finals preview on Sunday, the Suns and Sixers clash in Phoenix. Which way will this one go, though? Joel Embiid should dominate inside, but the true trump card lies within the backcourt. If Chris Paul and Devin Booker are both cooking early, it&rsquo;s going to be very hard for the Sixers to keep pace. Another underrated angle is James Harden being harassed consistently by potential Defensive Player of the Year Mikal Bridges. In the end, confidently hammer the Suns to keep up their winning ways at home.
Pick: Suns -4.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Joel Embiid over 30.5 points, Devin Booker over 27.5 points, Chris Paul over 9.5 assists, James Harden over 8 assists
Dallas Mavericks vs. Utah Jazz (-1.5)
Another intriguing matchup to digest, and one that could easily go either way. The Jazz have found a rhythm as of late, following their disappointing January stretch. Now, they travel to Dallas facing off against Luka Doncic&rsquo;s Mavericks. Speaking of Doncic, he truly is the X-factor today. If the Jazz are unable to contain Doncic, this is going to be a very long game for them. Overall, it&rsquo;s hard to bet against Luka magic when he's at full capabilities. Forecasting one of those games for Doncic and the Mavericks, take the slight underdog here.
Pick: Mavericks +1.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Luka Doncic over 28.5 points, Donovan Mitchell over 26.5 points, Jalen Brunson over 14.5 points, Rudy Gobert over 13.5 rebounds
Brooklyn Nets (-6.5) vs. Charlotte Hornets
Kyrie Irving is officially a full-time NBA player again. Making his home debut for the Nets this season, Irving and Kevin Durant are going to put on a show today in Brooklyn. On the other side, the Hornets present an interesting matchup. In what should be a fast-paced, high-scoring game, don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Hornets keep this game feisty for a little bit. In the end, the Nets&rsquo; superstar duo of Durant and Irving is too much for Charlotte to handle. As a best bet of the day for Sunday&rsquo;s slate, hammer Nets -6.5.
Pick: Nets -6.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Kevin Durant over 28.5 points, Kyrie Irving over 26.5 points, LaMelo Ball over 20.5 points, Terry Rozier over 20.5 points
Make sure to&nbsp;<a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out PrizePicks</a>&nbsp;and use the promo code NEWS when you sign up, and they'll instantly match your deposit up to $100! Also, make sure to listen to "Nothing But Bets" for daily betting analysis on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3rnooUvIsHtvykhPY9Ddt8?si=36d61d2c59a44523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.

For an awesome NBA Sunday slate, "Nothing But Bets" drops off their favorite picks and player props.

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 3/27/22

Isaiah Thomas is back.
Well, not&nbsp;back &mdash;&nbsp;this isn't the 2016-17 campaign in which Thomas carried a Boston Celtics offense to the tune of 28.9 points (on 62.5% True Shooting) and 5.9 assists per game. But Thomas has found a home for the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/charlotte-to-sign-isaiah-thomas-for-the-rest-of-the-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rest of the season</a>, providing the currently-streaking Charlotte Hornets with a nice boost of offense.
Since joining the team three weeks ago, Thomas is averaging a shade under 10 points while draining 48.0% of his threes (3.6 attempts). During the Hornets' five-game winning streak, Thomas is averaging 10.8 points in 14 minutes per contest thanks to some insane shooting from deep (58.8% on 3.4 attempts).
Much like his peak days, Thomas is getting busy in the pick-and-roll.
He remains a pull-up threat, making any sort of "under" coverage nearly untenable. While not as bursty as he used to be, he's able to attack gaps and flow into floaters and push shots. His shot diet has altered since his last full-ish season with the Washington Wizards in 2019-20, with more of his shots coming at the rim or floater range (43% vs 34%) per Cleaning The Glass.
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The Hornets have scored 1.16 points per possession (PPP) on trips featuring a Thomas-led pick-and-roll, per Second Spectrum. That number rises to 1.3 on trips where Thomas and Montrezl Harrell &mdash; a violent rim-runner with an intermediate touch he can use when the rim is cut off &mdash; team up.
That two-man game is the bedrock of Charlotte's second unit, with built-in secondary options if an advantage isn't created.
A favorite as of late: a high ball-screen with Thomas and Harrell that flows into an empty corner handoff.
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</div>
Think about the options here. A switch would have Willy Hernangomez on an island against Thomas, and Jose Alvarado (fiesty!) on Harrell. Neither would be great options. Playing drop coverage would likely give Thomas a gap to pull-up into, though Alvarado is a stout on-ball defender that could make Thomas uncomfortable.&nbsp;
They instead opt to blitz, taking the ball out of Thomas' hands. But taking the ball out of his hands simply means putting it into the hands of LaMelo Ball, the Hornets' best player.&nbsp;
Giving LaMelo a roller like Harrell is a tough proposition; doing so with an empty side puts the defense in a bind like this:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_03_22_18_03_03_lg.png" alt="" width="577" height="325" />
Alvarado peels over to the nail to cut off Ball's drive, but that leaves Thomas open for a catch-and-shoot opportunity. Harrell, of course, is rolling into the empty side with no help present. On the weak side, PJ Washington is in prime position to screen off his man (Naji Marshall, No. 8) or Kelly Oubre's man (Trey Murphy III, No. 25) to create a shot.&nbsp;
The Hornets don't just flow into handoffs after Thomas-led ball-screens; they can pivot to off-ball screens for shooters as well.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/dif48j" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
This is nice movement set to get Terry Rozier a look. Jalen Brunson does a great job of staying attached, so it simply flows into a downhill attack with Mason Plumlee filling the lane.
Dwight Powell dropped back pretty far on the initial ball-screen, which ends up giving Rozier a runway to drive into. With Miles Bridges chilling in the left corner, Maxi Kleber is stuck between tagging Plumlee on the roll, or staying home on the shooter.&nbsp;
Having a threat like Thomas is incredibly annoying for defenses.
It's especially annoying when he's the first layer of a multi-pronged attack.
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Nekias Duncan breaks down the ways Isaiah Thomas is impacting the Hornets' offense.

Explain one play: Isaiah Thomas as the Hornets' tip of the spear

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Miles Bridges scored 23 points, P.J. Washington added a season-high 21 and the Charlotte Hornets routed the road-weary Dallas Mavericks 129-108 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.
Terry Rozier scored 18 points, and LaMelo Ball and Kelly Oubre each had 17 points for the Hornets. They shot 20 of 42 from 3-point range.
&ldquo;We knew it was going to turn around for us eventually,&rdquo; Bridges said, referring to the Hornets losing 11 of their final 13 games in February.
Luka Doncic had 37 points and eight 3s for the Mavericks, who were playing their fifth road game in eight nights and on the second night of a back-to-back. Doncic did not play in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand.
The Hornets (36-35) moved into sole possession of ninth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game ahead of Atlanta. They are one game behind eighth-place Brooklyn.
&ldquo;We are playing well, we are playing hard and we are playing together and that&rsquo;s all I can ask for,&rdquo; Hornets coach James Borrego said. &ldquo;... Right now we have to sustain it and keep our foot on the gas.&rdquo;
Said Bridges: &ldquo;As long as we keep playing like this I think we&rsquo;re going to be good in the standings.&rdquo;
The Hornets are playing unselfish basketball, averaging 34 assists during their win streak.
&ldquo;We all are good 1-on-1 players and it is tough sometimes to get to the second side" of the court, Bridges said. &ldquo;But everybody is buying into the offense.&rdquo;
The Mavericks (43-28) beat Houston, Boston and Brooklyn to open the five-game trip, but lost at Philadelphia and Charlotte on consecutive nights to fall 1 1/2 games behind the fourth-place Utah Jazz in the West.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said his team&rsquo;s play on defense over the last two games needs to improve.
&ldquo;Sometimes when you rely on scoring when things are good there can be some slippage on the defensive end,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;We are trending down and we have to pay attention to that and get back to playing the way that we have in the past.&rdquo;
The Hornets came out of the gates hot, bolting to a 19-4 lead after making their first seven shots from the field, including five 3s. The Mavericks looked slow closing out on shots as Charlotte made eight 3s in the first quarter.
Dallas showed signs of life by battling back to take the lead late in the second quarter, but the Hornets closed the first half on an 11-0 run to take a 61-52 edge at the break.
Charlotte pulled away in the third quarter despite 21 points from Doncic, and extended the lead to 32 in the fourth quarter. Charlotte was 15 of 22 from the field in the third quarter and outscored the Mavericks 41-28 as Bridges and Washington combined for 23 points.
WORKING ON THE ZONE
Nobody plays more zone than the Hornets, and that was on full display against the Mavericks.
Kidd said that he expects more teams to play zone against them in the playoffs, so Saturday night's game was a good learning experience for his team.
&ldquo;Teams are trying to take the ball out of Luka's hands, so other guys are going to have to make plays and step up and make shots," Kidd said. "So this is a great dress rehearsal for them.&rdquo;
TIP INS
Mavericks: Spencer Dinwiddie (injury recovery, right knee), Tim Hardaway Jr. (left foot surgery) and Theo Pinson (right fifth finger fracture) all sat out. ... Davis Bertans fouled out early in the fourth quarter with two points. ... With the Mavs trailing by 31 in the fourth quarter, Dallas fans in the crowd began chanting &ldquo;We want Boban&rdquo; Marjanovic. He did not play.
Hornets: Gordon Hayward missed his 16th straight game with a sprained left ankle.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Host Minnesota on Monday night.
Hornets: Host New Orleans on Monday night.
&nbsp;

Miles Bridges scored 23 points, P.J. Washington had 21 and the Charlotte Hornets routed the Dallas Mavericks 129-108.

Hornets rout road-weary Mavs 129-108 for 4th straight win

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Jayson Tatum scored 16 of his 44 points in the fourth quarter, and the Boston Celtics defeated the Charlotte Hornets 115-101 on Wednesday night for their fourth straight win.
Tatum, coming off a 54-point performance against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, made 16 of 24 shots from the field and 6 of 9 from beyond the 3-point arc. He also made all six free throws.
He was also effective on defense, helping limit the red hot Terry Rozier to just 14 points on 5-of-17 shooting.
The Celtics are looking like a championship contender, having won 15 of their past 17 games as they continue their rise up the Eastern Conference standings.
&ldquo;Defense, defense, defense &mdash; that's been the key,&rdquo; Tatum said.
Jaylen Brown had 15 points, while Robert Williams chipped in with 11 points and 11 rebounds and Al Horford added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics (40-27), who were in control most of the game.
Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington each had 17 points to lead the Hornets, who fell to 1-12 on the second night of back-to-back games.
It was the second straight night the Hornets have been victimized by a star player on their home court. They allowed Brooklyn's Kyrie Irving to score 50 points in a 132-121 loss on Tuesday night.
&ldquo;He made six highly contested 3s,&rdquo; Hornets coach James Borrego said of Tatum. &ldquo;We double-teamed him, we trapped him. He is a hell of a player and is playing as well as anyone right now.&rdquo;
Tatum began to got hot at the end of the third quarter, helping Boston build an 87-78 lead.
Tatum opened the fourth quarter with a fall-away 3 from the right corner and a long 3 from right wing as the lead increased to 18 points. A few minutes later he canned another 3 from the other wing, even as his body was shifting to the left.
The Hornets mostly played zone against the Celtics in an effort to contain Tatum, but it didn't work.
&ldquo;Not be stagnant and shoot a lot of threes, because that&rsquo;s kind of what they want you to do," Tatum said of the key to beating the zone. &ldquo;You have to move the ball and get to the middle.&rdquo;
Charlotte has not participated in a playoff series since the 2015-16 season and this year's hopes are beginning to look bleak as they're ninth in the Eastern Conference standings, a half-game ahead of the Atlanta Hawks and one game up on the Washington Wizards.
There is the possibility that Gordon Hayward could return in the next few weeks, which would certainly help take the scoring load off of Rozier, Ball and Bridges.
MOVING THE BALL
The Celtics finished with 30 assists, with Marcus Smart and Derrick White combining for 17 assists and only one turnover.
&ldquo;They are doing a great job of finding guys and passing up good shots to get great ones for others,&rdquo; Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. &ldquo;That is what it is going to take moving forward. You can't rely on one guy or two guys to score all of the points. We want to have an unselfish team that plays a good appealing brand of basketball, and I think we're doing that."
White, who was acquired in a trade from the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 10, said his goal has been just to fit in with his new Boston teammates and &ldquo;try not to mess it up."
BALL&rsquo;S STRUGGLES
Hornets All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball struggled with his father LaVar Ball looking on from courtside seats, committing six turnovers in the game&rsquo;s first 14 minutes before being benched for the remainder of the second quarter for Isaiah Thomas.
Ball later returned and finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.
Tatum received a hug from LaVar Ball as he left the floor.
UP NEXT
Celtics: Host Pistons on Friday night.
Hornets: Visit Pelicans on Friday night.

Jayson Tatum scored 16 of 44 points in the fourth, and the Celtics beat the Hornets 115-101 on Wednesday for their fourth-straight win.

Jayson Tatum stays hot, scores 44 as Celtics beat Hornets 115-101

Kyrie Irving hit nine 3-pointers and scored a season-high 50 points, and the Brooklyn Nets snapped a four-game skid with a 132-121 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night.
Irving became one of 22 players in NBA history with five 50-point games, according to Basketball Reference. His career high is 57 points on March, 12, 2015, while with the Cleveland Cavaliers in an overtime win against San Antonio.
Andre Drummond dominated inside, finishing with 20 points and 14 rebounds for Brooklyn, which got back to .500 on the season and moved into sole possession of eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings, breaking a tie with the Hornets.
Miles Bridges and Terry Rozier each finished with 30 points for Charlotte, which had its two-game win streak snapped. LaMelo Ball added 24 points and seven assists.
Kevin Durant had a quiet night by his lofty standards, finishing with 14 points.
But he didn't have to do much lifting with Irving taking control most of the game. Irving finished 15 of 19 from the field and 9 of 12 from beyond the arc. He also was 11 of 13 from the line.
The Nets bolted to a 69-43 lead behind Irving's 20 points in the first half and a dominating inside performance from Drummond, who had 13 points and six boards at the break. The Hornets didn't help themselves, repeatedly committing turnovers with lazy passes, including two by Ball on back-to-back possessions.
Brooklyn led by 34 points in the second half before the Hornets cut the lead to 13 with less than four minutes left in the game. But Irving, as he'd done throughout the second half, knocked down a jumper to thwart the rally.
TIP INS
Nets: Kevin Durant was assessed a technical foul in the third quarter for pushing Terry Rozier while trying to free himself up for an inbounds pass. ... Seth Curry picked up a technical for arguing a call.
Hornets: Jalen McDaniels, who had been out since Jan. 21 with an ankle injury, returned to action. He played nine minutes and had two points. ... Montrezl Harrell was assessed a technical foul when he shoved Nic Claxton.
UP NEXT
Nets: At Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.
Hornets: Host Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.

Kyrie Irving hit nine threes and scored a season-high 50 points, and the Nets snapped a four-game skid with the win.

Kyrie Irving scores 50, Nets beat Hornets to snap 4-game skid

Terry Rozier scored 31 points and the Charlotte Hornets beat San Antonio 123-117 on Saturday night, leaving Spurs coach Gregg Popovich a victory short of the tying the NBA record.
San Antonio has lost four straight since beating Washington on Feb. 25 to move Popovich within one of Don Nelson's record of 1,335 regular-season victories.
LaMelo Ball added 24 points for Charlotte, P.J. Washington and Montrezl Harrell each had 15 and Mason Plumlee had 13 rebounds. The Hornets made 19 of their last 20 free throws.
Keldon Johnson led San Antonio with 33 points, but was limited to five in the second half. Dejounte Murray had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and Devin Vassell added 14 points.
Ball gave Charlotte a 117-113 lead with two free throws with 55.5 seconds left. Murray&rsquo;s layup drew San Antonio to 119-117 before Martin hit four foul shots on two trips to the line in the final 33.6.
With Charlotte ahead 115-111, Plumlee contended with Jakob Poeltl for a rebound. The two locked up on the ball, and Plumlee slung Poeltl to the floor in an effort to control the ball. Officials ruled it a jump ball and no foul on Plumlee.
TIP-INS
San Antonio: Johnson was perfect in the first period, making all seven of his shots &mdash; two of them 3-pointers &mdash; and his lone free throws. He had 17 of the Spurs' 30 points.
Charlotte: Gordon Hayward missed his fourth consecutive game with a left ankle sprain.
UP NEXT
Spurs: Host Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.
Hornets: Host Brooklyn on Tuesday night.

Terry Rozier scored 31 points and the Hornets won, leaving Spurs coach Gregg Popovich a victory short of the tying the NBA record.

Hornets top Spurs, leaving Popovich win short of NBA record

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast "Nothing But Bets" on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3rnooUvIsHtvykhPY9Ddt8?si=36d61d2c59a44523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a> or wherever you listen to podcasts. This season, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; is up hundreds of dollars on PrizePicks.
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Without further ado, let&rsquo;s go ahead and dive into Thursday&rsquo;s slate of games.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Miami Heat (-5.5)
This feels like the perfect opportunity for Miami to make a lasting statement around the Association before the All-Star break. Flying way under the radar right now, the Heat sit atop the Eastern Conference standings as a legitimate Finals threat. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo should be able to produce big-time against the Hornets&rsquo; inconsistent defense. Hammer the Heat here, especially with the spread at only -5.5.
Pick: Heat -5.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Jimmy Butler over 22.5 points, Terry Rozier over 20.5 rebounds, Bam Adebayo over 12 rebounds, LaMelo Ball over 6 rebounds
Brooklyn Nets (-4.5) vs. Washington Wizards
We&rsquo;re forecasting fatigue to play a factor in this matchup, especially after the Nets&rsquo; jaw-dropping 28-point comeback win over the New York Knicks yesterday. Washington has been in a complete spiral, but the more well-rested Wizards could keep this one closer than many expect. We&rsquo;re going to lock in the Wizards to cover the 4.5-point spread, mainly because of that aforementioned comeback from Brooklyn on Wednesday.
Pick: Wizards +4.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Kyle Kuzma over 22.5 points, Patty Mills over 13 points, Corey Kispert over 12.5 points, Andre Drummond over 11.5 rebounds
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Dallas Mavericks (-2.5)
Are you really going to bet against Luka Doncic putting on a show in the Mavericks&rsquo; last game before All-Star weekend? I didn&rsquo;t think so. Expect Doncic to pour in the points with ease as Dallas gets a much-needed victory. New Orleans is a very scrappy team, especially after the CJ McCollum trade, but we&rsquo;re favoring Luka magic to reign supreme on Thursday night in the Bayou.
Pick: Mavericks -2.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Luka Doncic over 30.5 points, Brandon Ingram over 21.5 points, Jonas Valanciunas over 10.5 rebounds, Jalen Brunson over 4.5 assists
Milwaukee Bucks (-6.5) vs. Philadelphia 76ers
This is going to be the game of the day. Who&rsquo;s ready for a clash of the titans between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid? Arguably the two leading candidates for Most Valuable Player right now, both superstars will put on a show for the national audience. However, in this one, we&rsquo;re leaning towards hammering Milwaukee as the favorite. Although Embiid will still put up his monster numbers, who&rsquo;s going to step up alongside him without James Harden?
Pick: Bucks -6.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Joel Embiid over 31.5 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo over 29.5 points, Khris Middleton over 18.5 points, Mattise Thybulle over 2.5 blocks/steals
Los Angeles Clippers (-11) vs. Houston Rockets
Houston almost pulled off a massive upset on Wednesday when it played the league-leading Phoenix Suns. Now, on the second night of a back-to-back, it&rsquo;s hard to envision the young, inexperienced Rockets keeping this one close against a tough Clippers team. Los Angeles, of course, is without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, but the team continues to fight and stay afloat. We&rsquo;re betting on L.A. to not only win, but to do so in emphatic fashion.
Pick: Clippers -11
PrizePicks Power Play: Marcus Morris over 17.5 points, Jalen Green over 14.5 points, Ivica Zubac over 9.5 rebounds, Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate over 6 rebounds
&nbsp;
Make sure to <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out PrizePicks</a> and use the promo code NEWS when you sign up, and they'll instantly match your deposit up to $100! Also, make sure to listen to "Nothing But Bets" for daily betting analysis on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3rnooUvIsHtvykhPY9Ddt8?si=36d61d2c59a44523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a> or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Who are the best bets for tonight's NBA games? Which players should you target in daily fantasy? We've got you covered!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' NBA Picks and Fantasy Advice for 2/17/22

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast "Nothing But Bets" on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3rnooUvIsHtvykhPY9Ddt8?si=36d61d2c59a44523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a> or wherever you listen to podcasts. This season, "Nothing But Bets" is 55% against the spread, plus we're up hundreds of dollars on PrizePicks.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s go ahead and dive into Tuesday&rsquo;s enticing slate of action from a betting perspective.
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Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics (-2)
It&rsquo;s tough to bet against Joel Embiid, but that&rsquo;s exactly what we&rsquo;re doing here. Boston has been red-hot as of late, and it&rsquo;s tough to deny how perfect of a fit Derrick White is as well. The Celtics are pushing all the right buttons lately, so let&rsquo;s hammer Celtics -2 before James Harden officially joins the lineup with Embiid in Philadelphia.
Pick: Celtics -2
PrizePicks Power Play: Joel Embiid over 31.5 points, Jayson Tatum over 25.5 points, Jaylen Brown over 23.5 points, Tyrese Maxey over 16.5 points
Atlanta Hawks (-1) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
This feels like the perfect opportunity to hammer the underdog on the road. Cleveland&rsquo;s frontcourt has simply been dominant on defense throughout this season. Trae Young will have a hard time consistently finding driving lanes with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen around the rim. Led by the Cavaliers&rsquo; twin towers, we&rsquo;re locking in Cleveland.
Pick: Cavaliers +1
PrizePicks Power Play: Trae Young over 27.5 points, Evan Mobley over 13.5 points, Clint Capela over 12.5 rebounds, Jarrett Allen over 11 rebounds
Miami Heat (-4) vs. Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic has been on fire throughout the month of February, but will his magic run out in Miami? We&rsquo;re not betting against Luka magic, especially as the enticing 4-point underdog. Doncic is single-handedly carrying the Mavericks&rsquo; offense, but he seems more than okay handling a monster workload. The Mavericks are a smart wager here at +4.
Pick: Mavericks +4
PrizePicks Power Play: Luka Doncic over 29.5 points, Bam Adebayo over 19.5 points, Kyle Lowry over 7.5 assists, Jalen Brunson over 4.5 assists
Minnesota Timberwolves (-6) vs. Charlotte Hornets
This qualifies as one of &ldquo;Nothing But Bets'&rdquo; best wagers for Tuesday&rsquo;s slate. The Timberwolves have been a pesky team all season long who is tenacious on both ends of the court. Meanwhile, the Hornets are sliding at the most time before the All-Star break. Hammering Minnesota here is a best bet, mainly because the Hornets&rsquo; impossible task of stopping Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards from each scoring 25-plus points.
Pick: Timberwolves -6
PrizePicks Power Play: Karl-Anthony Towns over 25.5 points, Anthony Edwards over 23.5 points, LaMelo Ball over 8.5 assists, Terry Rozier over 3.5 threes
Milwaukee Bucks (-14) vs. Indiana Pacers
This is a guaranteed hit, folks. The Indiana Pacers are in full-on tank mode, plus Giannis Antetokounmpo is available for Milwaukee tonight. Expect Giannis and the Bucks to make quick work of the shorthanded Pacers, who are garnering some long-term hope with point guard Tyrese Haliburton. Hammer the Bucks with no hesitation, even at the 14-point spread.
Pick: Bucks -14
PrizePicks Power Play: Giannis Antetokounmpo over 28.5 points, Khris Middleton over 19.5 points, Tyrese Haliburton over 16.5 points, Buddy Hield over 3.5 threes
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New Orleans Pelicans vs. Memphis Grizzlies (-4.5)
I absolutely love the Grizzlies in this spot, especially with the Pelicans on the second night of a back-to-back. Ja Morant should easily slice through the Pelicans&rsquo; defense, but expect a very fast-paced game on both sides. In the end, it&rsquo;s not a wise idea to bet against Morant and the Grizzlies right now.
(No Grizzlies props available on PrizePicks currently, but we love Morant&rsquo;s points and Steven Adams&rsquo; rebounds to go over.)
Pick: Grizzlies -4.5
PrizePicks Power Play: Brandon Ingram over 21.5 points, CJ McCollum over 20.5 points
Phoenix Suns (-13) vs. Los Angeles Clippers
This is another guaranteed blowout you should take full advantage of. The Suns close their pre-All-Star-break schedule taking on the Clippers and Houston Rockets on back-to-back nights. This is the perfect opportunity for Phoenix to make one big, final statement before a break in action. Devin Booker and Chris Paul are going to easily do work against the Clippers; plus, Mikal Bridges&rsquo; growth on offense continues to catch more attention nationally. Hammer Suns -13 as another &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; best bet for tonight&rsquo;s slate.
Pick: Suns -13
PrizePicks Power Play: Devin Booker over 25.5 points, Reggie Jackson over 18.5 points, Marcus Morris over 15.5 points, Chris Paul over 11.5 assists
Make sure to <a href="https://app.prizepicks.com/sign-up?invite_code=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out PrizePicks</a> and use the promo code NEWS when you sign up, and they'll instantly match your deposit up to $100! Also, make sure to listen to "Nothing But Bets" for daily betting analysis on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3rnooUvIsHtvykhPY9Ddt8?si=36d61d2c59a44523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a> or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Best Bets: BasketballNews' NBA Picks and Fantasy Advice for 2/15/22

Brad Stevens woke up on Thursday morning and took care of business.&nbsp;
How often does that happen with the Celtics? Up until the past three weeks, Boston had been trademarked as the team who played wildly up and down to its competition, blowing leads left and right all while failing to establish an identity. And in recent years, the franchise was spearheaded by a Danny Ainge-led front office known for either adrenaline-inducing blockbusters or crickets from the transaction log.
Something is different. The Celtics have shredded an easy February schedule like they're supposed to. And new president of basketball operations Brad Stevens made exactly the moves he needed to make at this trade deadline &mdash; no more, no less. From an outsider's perspective, Boston had to check off three boxes on Thursday:
<ul>
<li>Find value for Dennis Schr&ouml;der before his contract expires (and replace him if he is traded)</li>
<li>Get under the luxury tax</li>
<li>Acquire a viable third center</li>
</ul>
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Stevens accomplished all three and even created more flexibility. When our staff went through gut-reaction winners and losers of the deadline on our live show, all of us counted the Celtics as winners. They still have five available roster spots, so the moves aren't finished. On Friday morning at his media availability, Stevens clearly outlined his personal goals with the deals:
"I thought all year that what we really needed to continue to focus on were adding guys that really know how to play, that make the right basketball decisions, and really have a great self-awareness to do what they do best and accentuate our best players."
It starts with Derrick White. The 27-year-old combo guard replaces Schr&ouml;der on the depth chart but could not be a more different player. Brad Stevens gave a glowing review of White, who has apparently been on his radar going back to his time with the USA Select Team:
"We've thought for years that Derrick was a really good fit with our best players," Stevens said. He is an excellent defender. He just makes the right play on offense, over and over and over. He's a guy that only cares about winning [and] that will do all of the little things, as you can see in some of his stats defensively with regard to willingness to put his body on the line, activity, shot challenges, all of those things. And on offense, just by making simple plays&nbsp;and doesn't need to do anything [or] be on the highlights to really impact winning... We felt really fortunate to be able to get a guy like that on a long contract that we think is, again, a perfect fit for our best players."
That covers the bases. White is averaging 5.6 assists per game this season with a 25.2% assist rate; the latter ranks in the 82nd percentile at his position, per Cleaning the Glass. His assist-to-usage rate of 1.12 is in the 76th percentile. For comparison, Schr&ouml;der had an&nbsp;assist-to-usage rate of 0.93 (12th percentile). And these numbers come as White frequently shared the floor with lead guard Dejounte Murray.
White's assist-to-pass ratio of 14.5% ranks eighth in the entire NBA.
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If Derrick White is doing this for the Celtics... 😮&zwj;💨 <a href="https://t.co/fZsrffM9ig">pic.twitter.com/fZsrffM9ig</a>
&mdash; Ethan Fuller (@ethman43) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1492162183039533059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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In theory, the ball should stick less with White and Marcus Smart in the backcourt, and White is more than capable of running an offense when Smart and/or Jayson Tatum isn't on the floor. In the below clips, he's making reads in split seconds. It's easy to picture Robert Williams or Al Horford as Jakob Poeltl, or Grant Williams/Jaylen Brown shooting these corner attempts.
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White isn't going to wow you with a highlight reel pass. But whether it's turning a good shot to a great shot, applying pressure with his cuts or pushing the transition pace, he brings several skills that Boston hasn't nailed down consistently.
Many Celtics fans were immediately concerned by White's 31.4% three-point clip. It's reasonable, and he likely won't ever be an elite marksman or pull-up dagger machine. But there's a bit more to unpack on the efficiency front.&nbsp;
White is making 22% of his corner threes this season. That is... extremely bad, and also 26 percentage points lower from 2020-21. He's making 34% of his threes above the break, which is slightly above league-average. White is making 32.3% of his catch-and-shoot three-pointers, per NBA Stats, when he's typically been in the 38-39% range in recent seasons. Brad Stevens said on Friday he thinks White is a better shooter than the base numbers suggest. I'm inclined to agree.&nbsp;
These aren't even White's key selling points. Flip to the defensive side of the ball and he'll show you why many now think the Celtics could boast the stingiest unit in the NBA. Nekias Duncan lauded White as one of the best point-of-attack players in the league on our show yesterday, and I'd take him at his word. White has a fantastic blend of speed and strength at 6-foot-4 and can mirror drives from the NBA's toughest guards. Here's one clip of him smothering Shai Gilgeous-Alexander:
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White's block rate is in the 97th percentile at his position. It has been there, or higher, in each of the last four seasons. I truly fear for opposing backcourts if he and Marcus Smart share the floor.
The Celtics gave up Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, a 2022 lightly-protected first-round pick and the right to swap first-rounders in 2028 in exchange for White. That's quite a package for a player who is either a solid complementary starter or a really great bench piece. Stevens himself acknowledged that giving up first-round picks is an inherent risk. But it's the type of move that signals to Tatum and Brown that they're worth building around.&nbsp;
With minutes left on the clock, Boston snuck in another deal with the Rockets. Stevens sent Enes Freedom, Bruno Fernando and Schr&ouml;der to Houston for Daniel Theis. With White in the fold, there was no need to keep Schr&ouml;der even in the short term, and the Celtics also moved two centers who should not play in the rotation to bring back a very capable depth big.
Theis returns after less than a calendar year away from Boston. The 29-year-old started 21 of 26 games with the Rockets and averaged 8.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He's a stalwart interior finisher; per Basketball Reference, Theis has made at least 71% of his shots within three feet of the basket in every year of his NBA career. He's not the stretch big man his three-point volume suggests, but Theis can at least make around one per game in theory.
Theis also isn't an event-creator on defense. He's a bruiser who can come off the bench and be a more viable switcher than Freedom or Fernando ever were. Ime Udoka should at least feel more comfortable deploying Theis in the rotation so Robert Williams III and Al Horford are not overextended.
"Rob and Al are our guys and they're playing great, but if you miss any time with those two guys, you can plug Theis in and it'll be a seamless transition," Stevens said.
So in two trades, the Celtics have upgraded their secondary guard spot and their bench center spot at the risk of missing out in the draft. With the help of a third trade from earlier in the morning, they also gave themselves extra time for moves via the buyout market.
Boston dealt PJ Dozier, Bol Bol, a second-round pick and cash considerations to Orlando for a conditional second-round pick. The goal was clearly to get under the luxury tax, and per <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/boston-celtics/cap/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotrac</a>, Boston did that.
Between the three moves, the Celtics have a whopping five open roster spots to fill. The needs are glaring: shooting and wing depth. That's especially compounded after trading Richardson.
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<a href="https://theathletic.com/3124166/2022/02/10/celtics-trade-deadline-roundtable-brad-stevens-bets-big-on-derrick-white/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic's&nbsp;Jared Weiss</a> wrote that he's "gotten the impression" the Celtics will at least take a look at Gary Harris on the buyout market. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-gary-harris-likely-on-the-move" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nekias Duncan</a> listed Boston as a potential landing spot for Harris. If the three-point clip stays up, Harris would make a lot of sense as a plug-and-play shooting guard.
With so many lopsided deals around the league in terms of roster size, Boston should have options. Maybe Orlando also buys out Terrence Ross. Perhaps the Lakers waive Kent Bazemore or the Clippers let go of recently-acquired Rodney Hood?
The G League is also loaded with potential fits. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Boston is already signing Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet to rest-of-season contracts from the Maine Celtics. Hauser's signature skill is shooting and Kornet can stretch the floor as well.
Stevens was vague at his press conference, saying he wanted players with "skill." The Celtics have five opportunities (including Hauser and Kornet) to find such players. Udoka has another tough choice to make, too &mdash; should he break up the current buzzsaw starting lineup and insert White, or bring a starting-caliber guard beginning a four-year, $73 million contract extension off the bench?
For all the angst about Schr&ouml;der's tendency to stop the ball, he was also a much-needed driving threat. White gets to the rim at a level around league-average, but he's not the blazing downhill driver Schr&ouml;der is. Will that affect how the ball is able to move, especially if the Celtics don't have enough shooters on the perimeter?
Clearly these deals don't end the questions. For now, though, fans should feel confident that Brad Stevens was clear and deliberate with his trade deadline moves. Derrick White and Daniel Theis appear to be the complementary talents Boston should be seeking to bolster a lineup hunting postseason contention.
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Ethan Fuller shows how the additions of Derrick White and Daniel Theis fit into the current rotation for the Boston Celtics.

Evaluating the Celtics' trade deadline additions and next steps

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Pascal Siakam had 24 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, and the Toronto Raptors defeated the Charlotte Hornets 116-101 on Monday night for their sixth straight win.
Gary Trent Jr. scored 24 points, and Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby each had 20 points for the Raptors, who began a stretch of eight of nine games on the road with a convincing win. Scottie Barnes added 15 points as the Raptors' starters accounted for all but 13 points.
Miles Bridges scored 25 points to lead the Hornets, who lost their fifth consecutive game. Charlotte struggled through another poor offensive performance, shooting 41.1% from the field and 22.5% from 3-point range. 
LaMelo Ball, who was named as an All-Star game replacement a few hours before the game, finished with 15 points and nine assists for the Hornets.
Siakam, the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week, set the tone in the first half, shooting 6 of 9 from the floor for 14 points with six rebounds and five assists as the Raptors opened a 23-point lead.
Charlotte cut the lead to three in the third quarter after getting a big boost from Terry Rozier and P.J. Washington, but appeared to run out of gas. Rozier finished with 20 points.
The Raptors put the game away with two minutes left behind a breakaway dunk by Anunoby.
The struggling Hornets, who were without Cody Martin and James Bouknight due to injuries, lost Gordon Hayward for the game after he sprained his left ankle in the first quarter. Hayward had struggled since missed six games while in COVID-19 protocols, making just 3 of 23 shots from the field. But, coach James Borrego was counting on him to help a young team break out of a slump.
Charlotte struggled with the Raptors' length, turning the ball over nine times in the first half, leading to 14 Toronto points.
Toronto entered the game averaging 118 points during their five-game winning streak, and didn’t miss a beat against the Hornets. It marked the 10th straight game the Raptors have scored at least 100 points.
TIP-INS
Raptors: Shot 42.9% (15 of 35) from 3-point range. ... Made just 19 of 29 free throws.
Hornets: Outscored the Raptors 58-48 in the paint. ... Kelly Oubre was 0 for 8 from long distance, but had 17 points. ... Fell to 0-3 on their four-game homestand.
UP NEXT
Raptors: At Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.
Hornets: Host Bulls on Wednesday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Pascal Siakam led the Toronto Raptors to a 6th straight win with a win over the Charlotte Hornets Monday night.

Siakam, Raptors beat Hornets 116-101 for 6th straight win

Adversity is about to hit the young, surging Charlotte Hornets at an inopportune time. Now, the question is how will the Hornets&rsquo; locker room hold on throughout this potentially tumultuous period?
Losers of four straight games for the first time since the beginning of November, Charlotte has fallen from the No. 6 seed down to No. 9, squarely within the Play-In shuffle. The Eastern Conference is stacked to the gills this season, and any false steps down the standings could be costly later on.
Charlotte&rsquo;s schedule sets up for a prove-it type of period heading into the All-Star break: Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, at Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, at Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat. Five of those six teams are slotted in the playoffs right now, so Charlotte needs to put the pieces back together to prevent further slippage.
On Saturday, an interesting situation occurred on the Hornets&rsquo; bench during a blowout loss at home against the Heat. Head coach James Borrego appeared to have said something to rookie shooting guard James Bouknight that he took offense to, standing up and getting in his face. LaMelo Ball quickly helped break up the conflict on the bench, but Bouknight walked back to the locker room with a Hornets assistant coach. Bouknight&rsquo;s only minutes during this game were fewer than a 60-second span, which is just so head-scratching.
The No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Bouknight has been a forgotten about prospect within the strong rookie class producing on the court this season. Only appearing in 25 games and averaging 10 minutes, Bouknight has been on the outside looking in with Borrego&rsquo;s rotation. It seems like this has festered and finally boiled over this past weekend for a frustrated lottery pick not being utilized.
&ldquo;Obviously we were all a little frustrated, all of us,&rdquo; Borrego said about what happened with Bouknight. &ldquo;In the third quarter, early fourth and it got a little emotional there. Beyond that I&rsquo;ll leave it there.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Dunno what was said but here&rsquo;s video of the incident between James Bouknight and Hornets HC James Borrego. <a href="https://t.co/QiECLLLjPq">https://t.co/QiECLLLjPq</a> <a href="https://t.co/uyGiYz2JK9">pic.twitter.com/uyGiYz2JK9</a>
&mdash; Doug Branson (@DougBransonLOH) <a href="https://twitter.com/DougBransonLOH/status/1490145313100910592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Meanwhile, Bouknight was not made available to the media postgame. Unfortunately, we weren&rsquo;t able to hear Bouknight&rsquo;s side of the story, but we soon should, and it&rsquo;s fair to read between the lines here on why exactly it occurred.
&ldquo;As I&rsquo;ve said before he&rsquo;s in a tough spot,&rdquo; Borrego said. &ldquo;He obviously wants to play. I get that. I understand that. Look, he&rsquo;s a kid that we believe in, we trust in and we are going to find more minutes for him, more time. So I won&rsquo;t get into the specifics. Just two competitors trying to help this team.&rdquo;
Bouknight&rsquo;s raw numbers on the stat sheet paint a completely different picture than what actually happens when logging real minutes. The former UConn Husky is averaging 4.8 points in 10.0 minutes per game. However, in the five contests Bouknight has logged over 20 minutes, the splits are very promising: 15.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 59.3% True Shooting percentage.
Charlotte couldn&rsquo;t pass up on the talent of Bouknight when he slipped to No. 11 overall. There was smoke pre-draft that Bouknight could have been drafted within the first five selections thanks to his NBA-ready scoring package and explosiveness.
<a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a>'s Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock mentioned how Bouknight had real promising offensive potential upon entering the Association:
&ldquo;An explosive vertical athlete, crafty finisher around the rim, and assertive scorer. James Bouknight is capable of filling up a box score with points in the blink of an eye. Although he needs to improve as an outside shooter, he has the potential to become a primary offensive option in the NBA and should have a solid career.&rdquo;
On the Hornets&rsquo; roster, there are plenty of guards who need to be fed shots. Ball is an obvious one with his all-around brilliance and being their true foundational building block. Terry Rozier recently signed a long-term extension, and he&rsquo;s someone known as a bucket-getter. Kelly Oubre Jr. is the exact same way, someone who is a rhythm scorer capable of chucking at will.
Cody Martin has been a surprise for the Hornets this season within their guard/wing rotation as well, shooting over 40% from three-point range while providing two-way versatility. The one player who could be questionable with more playing time over Bouknight is longtime veteran point guard Ish Smith, who has appeared in 10 more games than the rookie shooting guard.
As you can see, the Hornets have a real glutenous amount of high-usage scorers who are ahead of Bouknight, and he should soon fill into that same role as well.
This is another intriguing factor as to why the Hornets are going to be a team to closely monitor heading into Thursday&rsquo;s NBA trade deadline. If the Hornets make a win-now move for a center &mdash; someone like Myles Turner would take this team to another level &mdash; potentially multiple players in front of Bouknight could be shipped out.
For example, a hypothetical deal revolving around =Turner to Charlotte for Oubre, P.J. Washington and a future first-round draft pick could have some legs behind it. Oubre&rsquo;s departure would be a plus for Bouknight, who would see a bump in his potential to play real minutes when it matters for the Hornets.
For the time being, Bouknight&rsquo;s frustrations seem very much warranted. When Bouknight receives minutes, he produces well more often than not for an inexperienced rookie. Bouknight is not afraid to shoot, which is what makes him so enticing long-term alongside Ball in Charlotte&rsquo;s backcourt.
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James Bouknight has become a forgotten rookie in this loaded class, and his frustrations in Charlotte are boiling over.

The curious, frustrating case of James Bouknight's lack of minutes

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; The Cleveland Cavaliers nearly lost a game because of a 3-pointer that never went through the hoop &mdash; and officials said never should have counted.
Kevin Love made two free throws with 1.2 seconds left and finished with 25 points as the Cavaliers escaped with a 102-101 win over Charlotte Hornets on Friday night following a wild fourth quarter.
Jarrett Allen had a career-high 29 points and 22 rebounds one day after being snubbed for the All-Star game, and Love scored 22 of his points in the second half as the Cavaliers overcame a bizarre technical foul on bench player Ed Davis for interference. The technical resulted in Hornets guard Terry Rozier being awarded a 3-pointer that he never actually made &mdash; and officials later said never should not have counted.
Rozier finished with 24 points and Kelly Oubre Jr, added 21 for Hornets, who overcame a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter, only to lose their third straight game.
Things got strange when Davis, who was on the Cavaliers&rsquo; bench in his warmups and never played a minute, was whistled for interference when he swatted at Rozier&rsquo;s arm from the sideline with 4:44 left in the game. Davis, and others, thought the play had ended and whistles had blown after Dean Wade stepped out of bounds.
But officials got together and awarded Rozier three points and charged Davis with a technical foul. Rozier made the free throw, completing a four-point swing for Charlotte and cutting Cleveland's lead to six.
Crew chief Brian Forte said via a pool report after the game that officials made a mistake, and Rozier's shot should not have counted.
&ldquo;It was miscommunication amongst the crew about the sequence of the play,&rdquo; Forte said. &ldquo;Upon review after the game, the out of bounds was called prior to the start of the field goal attempt and the shot should not have counted.&rdquo;
Love agreed.
&ldquo;We thought the whistle was blown and (the officials) were tapping their head because they thought Dean Wade had stepped out of bounds,&rdquo; Love said. &ldquo;That's when E.D. stuck his hand in there.&rdquo;
The Hornets capitalized on the momentum and took a 101-98 lead when P.J. Washington hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Oubre added a corner 3 with 47 seconds left.
Allen cut the lead to one before Rozier missed a 3-pointer, setting up a frantic and controversial final few seconds.
Cleveland's Brandon Goodwin missed a short jumper with 2.1 seconds left, but Love grabbed the offensive rebound and appeared to miss the follow-up. But officials reviewed the play and called Rozier for a foul.
Love converted the tying and the go-ahead free throws as the home crowd roared its disapproval.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s Kevin Love. There was no doubt in our mind that when he was going to the free-throw line, he was going to make them both," Cavaliers coach B.J. Bickerstaff said. "There&rsquo;s no situation that he hasn&rsquo;t seen. There&rsquo;s no pressure-filled moment that he hasn&rsquo;t been in.&rdquo;
The Hornets tried an inbound alley-oop with 1.2 seconds left, but Gordon Hayward's lob to Miles Bridges hit the front of the rim and bounced away.
&ldquo;Our guys kept battling and gave ourselves a chance to win the game,&rdquo; Hornets coach James Borrego said. "We kept battling. A lot of emotions out there in a tight game and I thought our guys battled until the last whistle there.
SUPPORT FOR ALLEN
Love said he was &ldquo;gutted&rdquo; when he learned Allen did not make the All-Star team despite averaging 16.7 points and 10.7 rebounds coming into the game.
&ldquo;That is a guy I want to compete with every single night,&rdquo; Love said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s an All-Star. There is no doubt in my mind.&rdquo;
There is still a chance Allen could make the team due to an injury to Kevin Durant.
&ldquo;At first, I was disappointed, but then you have to look at the league and see that is a well-oiled machine that keeps going," Allen said. "So, do I sulk that I didn&rsquo;t make the game or do I keep working harder and playing my kind of basketball?&rdquo;
BIG SECOND HALF
Love had only three points at halftime before going on a tear. He made 6 of 12 shots from the field after the break, including 5 of 9 from beyond the arc.
&ldquo;At halftime J.B. got on me and said, &rsquo;Why do you keep pump-faking?' He said, &rsquo;no more pump-faking,'&rdquo; Love said. &ldquo;... JB wants me to shoot the ball &mdash; and shoot it with confidence.&rdquo;
TIP INS
Cavaliers: Made 14 of 40 3-pointers. ... All-Star Darius Garland missed his third straight game with lower back soreness. ... Lauri Markkanen missed his sixth game with a sprained ankle.
Hornets: Hayward returned to the starting lineup for the Hornets after missing the last six games in the league&rsquo;s health and safety protocols and struggled, finishing 3 of 13 from the field for seven points.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Host Indiana Sunday night.
Hornets: Host Miami Saturday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Kevin Love made two free throws with 1.2 seconds left and finished with 25 as Cleveland escaped with a 102-101 win over Charlotte.

Love hits late FTs, Cavs edge Hornets 102-101 in wild finish

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Josh Richardson made six 3-pointers and scored 23 points, Jayson Tatum hit two key free throws and finished with 19 points and the Boston Celtics held off the Charlotte Hornets 113-107 on Wednesday night, overcoming a career-best 38 points by LaMelo Ball.
Marcus Smart scored 22 points and Jaylen Brown 15 as Boston won its third straight.
Terry Rozier scored 23 points, P.J. Washington 16, Kelly Oubre Jr. 15, and Mason Plumlee had 17 rebounds for the Hornets, who have lost four of six.
Boston shot 14 for 36 from 3-point range and Charlotte made 12 of 40 from long distance.
Rozier&rsquo;s 3-pointer from the top of the key tied it at 107 with 62 seconds left.
Tatum then hit two free throws and, after Robert Williams III blocked Washington&rsquo;s 3-point attempt, Smart hit two free throws with 15.6 seconds to play.
Boston had opened a 93-83 lead on Richardson&rsquo;s sixth 3-pointer of the game with just over 10 minutes left in the fourth.
But the Hornets made a late charge. Rozier&rsquo;s left-wing 3 sliced it to 103-98 with 2:56 to play. Ball was then fouled by Tatum, who was also whistled for a technical on the play.
Ball nailed all three from the line, giving him a career high, and cutting it to 103-101 with just over two minutes left.
The Celtics had scored 18 of the final 26 points of the third quarter, with Brown hitting a jumper from the foul line just before the buzzer to give Boston an 88-78 edge entering the fourth.
TIP-INS
Hornets: F Gordon Hayward cleared the NBA&rsquo;s health and safety protocols but didn&rsquo;t travel with the team. &hellip; In their last trip to Boston, Ball had a triple-double, grabbing a rebound to complete it with 0.2 left in a game during a 111-102 victory.
Celtics: Shot 53.7% in the first half (22 of 41) with Tatum, Smart and Richardson all shooting 50% or better. &hellip; Al Horford briefly went to the locker room midway into the second quarter.
&nbsp;
THAT WAS QUICK
Boston opened a 12-point lead early in the second quarter, but the Hornets wiped it out quickly with a 14-1 spurt in just 2&frac12; minutes.
UP NEXT
Hornets: Host the Cavaliers on Friday.
Celtics: At the Pistons on Friday.

Josh Richardson made six 3-pointers and Boston held off Charlotte 113-107, overcoming a career-best 38 points by LaMelo Ball.