Raiders

The NBA App will stream the SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 5 on Saturday, Aug. 19, adding to the growing list of elite basketball programming available year-round on the new platform.&nbsp; 
The fifth annual basketball showcase at Rucker Park in New York City will feature 28 of the top high-school-age players in the U.S. Headlined by Jaloni Cambridge, Aaliyah Chavez and Kennedy Smith, the girls game tips off at 5 p.m. ET followed by the boys &ndash; featuring top high-school prospects Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and Tre Johnson &ndash; streaming at 7 p.m. ET.&nbsp; Additionally, several members of the <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/jr-nba-court-of-leaders-mentorship-program-provides-youth-with-voice" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nba.com/news/jr-nba-court-of-leaders-mentorship-program-provides-youth-with-voice&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692371005985000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1FeYuKToXVUf2-KpS_2bVH">Jr. NBA Court of Leaders</a>&nbsp;will participate in the event.
The addition of the SLAM Summer Classic is part of the NBA&rsquo;s larger commitment to make the NBA App an all-in-one destination for global basketball programming. Over the past year, premier basketball content available on the app has included select WNBA, Basketball Africa League and NBA G League Ignite games, as well as Nike Elite Youth Basketball League&rsquo;s (EYBL) Peach Jam, Jr. NBA Showcase, LNB Betclic ELITE, top pro-am leagues such as the Drew League, Miami Pro League and AEBL, and more.
The NBA will produce and distribute the SLAM Summer Classic games on the free-to-download&nbsp;<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/global.nba.com/nba-apps/index.html?_branch_match_id=811567537499273278&amp;_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXTywo0MvJzMvWy0tK1EvOz9UH0kAxAF91y5sfAAAA__;!!KLCbKzk!n3wSjvNMSkYR4lKoKVgXircttWOLy-0rXgpTSo-D1MmKcmHzay-SwIoaQ0lokaPc1PDUxBHGW6sN$" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/global.nba.com/nba-apps/index.html?_branch_match_id%3D811567537499273278%26_branch_referrer%3DH4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXTywo0MvJzMvWy0tK1EvOz9UH0kAxAF91y5sfAAAA__;!!KLCbKzk!n3wSjvNMSkYR4lKoKVgXircttWOLy-0rXgpTSo-D1MmKcmHzay-SwIoaQ0lokaPc1PDUxBHGW6sN$&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692371005985000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2emDiwi7_0lf1Yxd60aUby">NBA App</a>&nbsp;and on NBA.com. Below are the full team rosters.&nbsp;
BOYS ROSTER
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Name
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Ace Bailey (Powder Springs, Ga.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Jalil Bethea (Philadelphia, Pa.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
*AJ Dybantsa (Brockton, Mass.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
VJ Edgecombe (Brookville, N.Y.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
*Isaiah Evans (Huntersville, N.C.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Cooper Flagg (Newport, Maine)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Dylan Harper (Ramsey, N.J.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Jahki Howard (Atlanta, Ga.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Ian Jackson (Bronx, N.Y.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Tre Johnson (Dallas, Texas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Tahaad Pettiford (Jersey City, N.J.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
*Jase Richardson (Las Vegas, Nev.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Meleek Thomas (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Robert Wright III&nbsp;(Philadelphia, Pa.)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
* Member of the Jr. NBA Court of Leaders
&nbsp;
&nbsp;GIRLS ROSTER
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Name
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Izela Arenas (Chatsworth, Calif.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Mikayla Blakes (Somerset, N.J.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
*Jaloni Cambridge (Nashville, Tenn.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Aaliyah Chavez (Lubbock, Texas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
*Kendall Dudley (Centreville, Va.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
*Leah Harmon (Washington D.C.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Ariel Little (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Maddy McDaniel (Upper Marlboro, Md.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Me'arah O'Neal (Houston, Texas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Mackenly Randolph (Chatsworth, Calif.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Kennedy Smith (Etiwanda, Calif.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Chloe Spreen (Bedford, Ind.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Kennedy Umeh (Owings Mills, Md.)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="354">
Allie Ziebell (Neenah, Wis.)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
* Member of the Jr. NBA Court of Leaders

The NBA App will stream the SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 5 on Saturday, Aug. 19.

NBA App to stream the SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 5

Today, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) announced their continued partnership in hosting the fifth&nbsp;annual Top 50 Basketball Camp. The camp will take place July 27&ndash;29 at Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA. &nbsp; The best players from each conference will be featured at the camp in a model like the NBPA's Top 100 Camp. Players at the Top 50 Camp will participate in basketball skill training exercises and attend leadership and life development sessions off the court. &nbsp; "NBPA members have a true appreciation for HBCUs, and the Top 50 Camp is a great way for the NBPA to continue strengthening its connection with the HBCU community," said Purvis Short, the NBPA's Chief of Player Programs. "Our partnership with the SIAC and SWAC has given us a unique opportunity to host a productive learning experience for HBCU athletes to better themselves as men on and off the court." The camp also aims to cultivate and create coaching and talent pipelines for current and retired NBA players exploring the transition into careers in intercollegiate athletics. &nbsp; "The Southwestern Athletic Conference is elated to continue our partnership with the NBPA Top 50 Camp," said SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland. "This partnership is an amazing opportunity for our student-athletes to participate in athletic and professional development initiatives that will positively impact them both on and off the court. This event has steadily grown and has quickly become a signature event that our student-athletes look forward to participating in on an annual basis." &nbsp; In addition to skill development and on-court drills, the camp will include a series of highly-competitive scrimmages and games, allowing the players to showcase their talent against the best of their neighboring conference. &nbsp; "I commend the NBPA for its commitment to HBCUs as The Top 50 Camp serves as a basketball combine for our student-athletes to showcase their talents while receiving instruction from current and former NBA players," said SIAC Commissioner Anthony Holloman. &nbsp; Camp participants from the SIAC include:
<table border="0" width="432" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">First Name</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Last Name</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">College or University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Aziel</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Blackwell</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kentucky State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Devin</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Booker</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Tuskegee University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Eleik</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Bowles</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Savannah State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Gregg</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Boyd II</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Tuskegee University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Steven</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Dulley</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Tuskegee University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Ashton</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Hawkins</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Spring Hill College</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Martez</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jones</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Tuskegee University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Robert</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kendrick</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Fort Valley State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kong</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kong</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kentucky State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Myson</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Lowe</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Fort Valley State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Steven</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Lyles</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Spring Hill College</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Chris</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Martin</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Clark Atlanta University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Joemel</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">McNair</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Morehouse College</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jamir</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Moore</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Albany State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Sean</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Paige</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Central State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Ayjay</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Plain</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Savannah State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Antwoin</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Reed Jr</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Central State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kerry</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Richardson</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Morehouse College</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jordan</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Simpson</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Albany State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Raevon</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Thomas</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Central State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Terin</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Wofford</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Albany State University</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div>&nbsp; &nbsp; Camp participants from the SWAC include: &nbsp;</div>
<table border="0" width="432" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">First Name</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Last Name</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">College or University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Chase</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Adams</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jackson State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jaylen</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Bates</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Florida A&amp;M University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Eric</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Coleman</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alabama State</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Zeke</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Cook</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jackson State university</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Dhashon</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Dyson</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Bethune Cookman University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Ken</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Evans Jr.</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jackson State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jeremiah</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Gambrell</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alcorn State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kolby</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Granger</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Texas Southern University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Zion</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Harmon</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Bethune Cookman University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">P. J.</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Henry</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Texas Southern University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Elijah</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Hulsewe</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Bethune Cookman University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Byron</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Joshua</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alcorn State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jeremiah</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kendall</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alcorn State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">T. J.</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Madlock</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alabama State</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Romelle</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Mansel</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jackson State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kylen</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Milton</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">University of Arkansas Pine Bluff</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Zytarious</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Mortle</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Texas Southern University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Festus</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Ndumanya</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Southern University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Omari</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Peek</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alabama A&amp;M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Dailin</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Smith</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alabama A&amp;M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">D. K.</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Thorn</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alcorn State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Cameron</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Tucker</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alabama A&amp;M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Ernest (EJ)</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Williams</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alabama A&amp;M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Rashad</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Williams</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">University of Arkansas Pine Bluff</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Coltie</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Young</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jackson State University</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

The NBPA, SIAC and SWAC will host the fifth annual Top 50 Basketball Camp from July 27-29 in Atlanta.

NBPA, SIAC and SWAC to host 5th annual Top 50 Basketball Camp

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) &mdash; Sir&rsquo;Jabari Rice, reflecting on the career-high seven 3-pointers he made for Texas, was asked by a reporter when he last felt that confident.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t necessarily feel hot, because I missed three,&rdquo; Rice said with a straight face as teammate Marcus Carr doubled over in laughter next to him at the podium. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;m just trying to keep it going.&rdquo;
The No. 2 seed Longhorns are off to a strong start.
Rice scored 23 points and Texas shut down sharpshooting Colgate for an 81-61 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament&nbsp;on Thursday night.
Carr finished with 17 points and Dylan Disu had 17 points and nine rebounds for the Longhorns (17-8), who shot 13 for 23 from 3-point range to beat the Raiders at their own game. Texas will play 10th-seeded Penn State in the second round on Saturday in the Midwest Region.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re fortunate to get a real game the first game of the tournament. Colgate is an elite, legit team. We won by 20, but it felt like we really won by five or seven,&rdquo; said Timmy Allen, who returned from a leg injury that kept him out of the Big 12 Tournament.
In another inspired performance under&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-terry-texas-b5a4abdc1dee50bb96dfd70920d0b798" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interim coach Rodney Terry</a>, his first NCAA Tournament win as a head coach, Rice and the Longhorns picked the perfect time to get hot on the perimeter against the nation&rsquo;s leading outside shooting team. They matched their season best for 3-pointers made.
&ldquo;I just feel every single guy that walked on the court today had a game plan,&rdquo; Carr said. &ldquo;The coaches had us prepared, and we executed.&rdquo;
The Raiders (26-9) went just 3 for 15 from deep against a relentless and long-armed Longhorns defense. Colgate shot better than 40% before the tournament. The leading individual 3-point shooter in the country, Oliver Lynch-Daniels, went 1 for 4. He was a 50% shooter from long range this season.
&ldquo;They could beat us with 3s, but they were going to have a hard time beating us with 2s,&rdquo; Terry said.
Keegan Records and Ryan Moffatt each scored 13 points for the 15th-seeded Raiders, who have not won an NCAA Tournament game in six appearances. Tucker Richardson, the Patriot League Player of the Year, had nine points on 4-for-11 shooting.
&ldquo;Especially those guards when they&rsquo;ve got Rice in there as a third guard, they&rsquo;re just really quick,&rdquo; Richardson said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of hard for us to get open.&rdquo;
With most of the fans in Wells Fargo Arena rooting for the upset, the Longhorns adjusted to Colgate&rsquo;s second-half zone defense and never let the lead get smaller than seven points.
About an hour before Texas took the court, No. 2 seed Arizona was&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-ncaa-arizona-princeton-4b28e0acabe2b75ccdbac81d40a6fd66" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ousted by Princeton</a>&nbsp;in the West Region. The Tigers became the 11th team seeded 15th to win a first-round game&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2022-03-17/history-2-seeds-vs-15-seeds-march-madness" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in 149 tries</a>&nbsp;and the third in three years.
The Longhorns played hard enough &mdash; and shot well enough &mdash; to make sure they didn&rsquo;t land on that list.
After driving hard toward the block, Carr kicked the ball back out to the top of the key to set up&nbsp;Rice&rsquo;s fourth 3-pointer&nbsp;for a 29-17 lead. As the calm and deliberate Rice flashed a sheepish smile, Carr gave him an exaggerated hand slap as he jumped up and down on the retreat for defense.
Rice, the lanky super sub and graduate transfer from New Mexico State who is aiming to play in the Final Four in his native Houston, went 8 for 14 from the field.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s as good of an overall basketball player as I&rsquo;ve seen all year &mdash; his intelligence, his IQ, his poise, his defense, his recognition of his teammates, but his ability to step up,&rdquo; Colgate coach Matt Langel said.
The Longhorns have&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-midwest-texas-d2cf4f137d9cd1f2228b8bc9aa899942" target="_blank" rel="noopener">come a long way</a>&nbsp;since coach Chris Beard was arrested on a later-dropped domestic violence charge and fired soon after that.
They hit the NCAA Tournament in stride under Terry&rsquo;s even-keeled guidance with two decisive wins over Kansas, the regular-season Big 12 champion and No. 1 seed in the West Region, that included the conference championship.
These Longhorns have a strong bond that has carried them to the verge of a trip to the tournament&rsquo;s second weekend for the first time since 2008. The last Final Four for Texas was in 2003, when Terry was an assistant under coach Rick Barnes.
&ldquo;I think we prepare really well, better than a lot of teams in the country,&rdquo; Rice said. &ldquo;I think we&rsquo;re really locked into the details and locked into the things that we have to do to win.&rdquo;

Sir’Jabari Rice scored 23 points and Texas shut down sharpshooting Colgate for an 81-61 victory in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.

No. 2 seed Texas tops Colgate 81-61 behind Rice’s 7 made 3s

Drake&rsquo;s Tucker DeVries was an interested spectator when the father-son team of Greg McDermott and Doug McDermott helped Creighton make consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in 2013 and 2014.
DeVries&rsquo; father, Darian, was an assistant on Greg McDermott&rsquo;s Creighton staff back then as Doug McDermott led the nation in scoring and earned national player of the year honors. Now it&rsquo;s Darian DeVries who will be coaching his son on the March Madness stage.
Tucker DeVries is the Missouri Valley Conference player of the year after turning down some high-major offers to enroll at Drake. DeVries said watching the McDermotts helped give him an idea of what it might be like to play for his dad.
&ldquo;I think there was a lot to be learned from, being able to experience and see how that relationship worked,&rdquo; the sophomore guard/forward said. &ldquo;Part of what went into me wanting to come and play for my dad here is being able to have a little taste of that myself.&rdquo;
So far, it&rsquo;s been just about everything DeVries could have imagined.
DeVries averages 19 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, and he has shot 38.7% (87 of 225) from 3-point range. He was named the most outstanding player in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
&ldquo;I grew up at Creighton my whole life,&rdquo; DeVries said. &ldquo;When they decided to recruit me, it was tough to turn that down &ndash; playing in the Big East where I grew up. Iowa State, 45 minutes away. Oregon. Just some of those schools are obviously schools you grow up watching on TV, dreaming about playing for. But I don&rsquo;t think any of them had what was home for me here.&rdquo;
Now he has the chance to find out what it&rsquo;s like to play for his father in the NCAA Tournament. Drake (27-7) is the No. 12 seed in the Midwest Region and will face Miami (25-7) on Friday.
&ldquo;To be able to experience it with my dad as a coach is definitely pretty cool and special &ndash; to be able to experience it together,&rdquo; DeVries said.
DeVries is one of several players from one-bid conferences who bear watching this week. Here&rsquo;s a look at some others.
MAX ABMAS, ORAL ROBERTS
Abmas already has shown he can make an impact in March. Abmas averaged 26.8 points in the 2021 NCAA Tournament while leading Oral Roberts to the Sweet 16. This season, the 6-foot senior ranks seventh among all Division I players in points per game (22.2) and sixth in 3-pointers per game (3.5). The two-time Summit League player of the year has scored over 22 points per game each of the last three seasons. First-round game: Thursday vs. Duke.
JORDAN BROWN, LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE
Brown isn&rsquo;t the typical under-the-radar recruit who ends up at a mid-major program. The 6-foot-11 forward was a 2018 McDonald&rsquo;s All-American. He began his college career at Nevada and was a Pac-12 sixth man of the year at Arizona last season before transferring to his third school. Brown earned first-team all-Sun Belt honors while averaging 19.4 points and 8.7 rebounds, including 20 points in a loss to Texas. First-round game: Thursday vs. Tennessee.
SINCERE CARRY, KENT STATE
Carry has earned first-team all-Mid American Conference honors and has made the league&rsquo;s all-defensive team each of the last two seasons. He was named MAC player of the year last season. He has averaged over 17 &frac12; points each of the last two seasons at Kent State after transferring from Duquesne. The 6-1 guard has scored at least 21 points in four of his last five games. First-round game: Friday vs. Indiana.
RAY HARRISON, GRAND CANYON
Harrison helped Grand Canyon get here by collecting 31 points, eight rebounds and eight assists against Southern Utah in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament championship game. The 6-4 guard has scored at least 25 points in four of his last six games. Harrison, a Presbyterian transfer, has averaged at least 17 points each of the last three seasons. He has 17.7 points, 4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game this season. First-round game: Friday vs. Gonzaga.
DREW PEMBER, UNC ASHEVILLE
This Tennessee transfer has emerged as a star in two seasons at UNC Asheville. This year, he became the first player to lead the Big South in scoring (20.4), rebounding (9.2) and blocks (2.3) in one season. Pember leads all Division I players in free throws made (262) and attempted (314). The 6-11 forward averaged 29.7 points and 11.3 rebounds in three Big South Tournament games. First-round game: Thursday vs. UCLA.
TUCKER RICHARDSON, COLGATE
Richardson had a triple-double in the Patriot League Tournament championship game with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists as Colgate defeated Lafayette, 79-61. The 6-5 guard was named the Patriot League&rsquo;s overall player of the year and defensive player of the year. He&rsquo;s the first player in league history to combine 1,600 career points, 700 rebounds and 600 assists. Richardson had 15 points and seven rebounds last year in an NCAA Tournament loss to Wisconsin. First-round game: Thursday vs. Texas.

Here’s a look a seven of the best players from mid-major schools participating in the 2023 Men's NCAA Tournament.

Drake’s DeVries among 7 under-the-radar March Madness stars

"We're a championship team."
That's what Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said, as <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2023/02/03/nuggets-jamal-murray-championship-team/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">part of a larger answer</a> about the team's prospects after Thursday night's 134-117 win over the Golden State Warriors. Murray was a big part of the win, scoring 33 points (9-of-12 from two, 3-of-11 from three), dishing out 8 assists and grabbing 5 rebounds in a little over 30 minutes.
"All that stuff, not being happy, has gotta go out the window or else we&rsquo;re not going to win," Murray said. "It&rsquo;s nice to have a coach that knows that and knows what we&rsquo;re trying to accomplish.&rdquo;
There are a couple of ways to decipher the rest of Murray's words. You can take the "duh" approach and leave it there. Any team with title aspirations &mdash; and the Nuggets, headlined by MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic while boasting the West's best record, certainly fit the bill &mdash; needs buy-in. Beyond the Xs and Os and rotation decisions, a head coach's primary responsibility is to get buy-in from its players.&nbsp;
Michael Malone has appeared to get that for the most part. You can see that most blatantly with the Nuggets' defensive performance. Per Cleaning The Glass, they're up to 16th in defensive rating on the year, excluding garbage time. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-examining-the-denver-nuggets-poor-defense-nikola-jokic-michael-malone-bruce-brown-michael-porter-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In early December</a>, I wrote about how pourous their then-ranked 27th defense was; Coach Malone seemingly lamented it every other game.
If you read a little deeper into Murray's reminder for connectivity, you could interpret it as a message to second-year guard Bones Hyland.
Hyland didn't appear in Thursday night's game. He only played four minutes in Tuesday's win over (what's left of) the New Orleans Pelicans. In fact, here is Hyland's minute count over the Nuggets' past 10 games: 8, 15, 18, 8, 11, 0 (inactive), 24, 21, 4, 0 (DNP).
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There have been reports of Hyland and Malone not seeing eye-to-eye. It would make sense; young players &mdash; especially young guards &mdash; have to do a lot to earn Malone's trust on both ends of the floor.
Hyland is a microwave scorer, unafraid to pull from 30 feet if he's feeling it. He's drained nearly 38% of his threes on high volume (5.7 attempts in 19.5 minutes) this season. He's also, at this stage of his career, a harmful defender due to his off-ball awareness and shaky screen navigation. Those are hard sells for Malone fundamentally, even while acknowledging how talented Hyland is.
But with the relationship appearing to deteriorate, trade rumors have <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-bones-hyland-is-one-of-the-most-likely-players-to-be-dealt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continued to swirl</a>. Most recently, ESPN's Tim MacMahon essentially called a Hyland trade an inevitability. Brian Windhorst didn't go that far, but it seems the writing is on the wall in Denver.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&ldquo;Bones Hyland is getting traded. It&rsquo;s a matter of where and for what.&rdquo; (via <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@espn_macmahon</a>) <a href="https://t.co/JlUJQI7YnW">pic.twitter.com/JlUJQI7YnW</a>
&mdash; The Trade Deadline (@_TradeDeadline) <a href="https://twitter.com/_TradeDeadline/status/1621550941500473348?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Beyond the intrigue of the Nuggets potentially moving Hyland this early, figuring out who they'd actually pursue is also challenging.
It's easy to look at the roster and pinpoint&nbsp;what&nbsp;they should pursue. Finding a bigger, more reliable two-way presence on the perimeter would be at the top of the list. As it stands, rookies Christian Braun and Peyton Watson are the only "3s" between 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-8 on the roster. Braun has been in and out of the rotation this season despite his positive flashes, and we've seen virtually nothing from Watson.
If they land on another guard to directly replace Hyland, that player would need to hold their own defensively &mdash; and likely be capable of punching above their weight &mdash; while being able to toggle between on and off-ball duties. Murray has been commanding the second unit when staggered away from Jokic; ideally, you'd want to take some of that creation burden off of him.
The "who" of it is what makes this tough. Hyland isn't just a young trade chip &mdash; he might be the&nbsp;trade chip for the Nuggets considering their first-round pick situation. <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Nuggets.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Due to prior trades</a>, the earliest available first-rounder they can move <a href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/2023/1/10/23547887/the-denver-nuggets-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is their 2029 first</a>. Cashing in Hyland for a veteran could still be the move, but it'd be beneficial to add a vet who could move the needle this year and&nbsp;next year, at the very least.
No team wants to "lose" a deal obviously, but there's heightened importance in nailing a trade involving Hyland because of it.
For that reason, I'd imagine the first call would be to the Chicago Bulls. Alex Caruso doesn't fit the wing-with-size archetype, but he doubles as one of the NBA's stingiest and most versatile perimeter defenders. He is one of the best screen navigators in the sport, possesses quick hands that allow him to pester ball-handlers and restrict passing lanes and has the strength and guile to defend bigger wings or forwards when called upon.
A fun stat, per Second Spectrum: Over the past two seasons, possessions featuring a post-up defended by Caruso have garnered just 0.82 points per possession (PPP). Among the 114 players who have defended at least 75 post-ups in that time frame, that mark ranks 11th. Players ahead of him include Pascal Siakam (0.74 PPP), Draymond Green (0.75 PPP), PJ Tucker (0.76 PPP), Onyeka Okongwu (0.78 PPP) and Jayson Tatum (0.8 PPP).
Any questions concerning Caruso come on the offensive end of the floor. He's currently shooting 40.2% from deep, but is only attempting 4.3 threes per 100 possessions, the second-lowest clip of his career. Because of his infrequent trigger &mdash; with more infuriating catch-and-holds sprinkled in this season &mdash; defenses are okay defending him conservatively on the perimeter.&nbsp;
Caruso remains a smart cutter and a tough-as-nails screener, making him an ideal partner for Nikola Jokic whenever they play together. His cross screens consistently help Nikola Vucevic establish deep post position; it's easy to see him doing the same for Jokic. There's also room for him to act as a brush screener whenever the Nuggets want to utilize Jokic as the pick-and-roll ball handler.
Per <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-latest-nba-trade-winds?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=99187151&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;utm_medium=email" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Stein of Substack ($)</a>, the Bulls reportedly want two first-round picks in a deal for Caruso. Would the Bulls consider Hyland as a first-rounder, and would the 2029 first the Nuggets could actually offer be enough to entice them? If so, Hyland, Jeff Green, Ish Smith and the 2029 first is a package that could get the ball rolling.
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(There would be haggling, of course. The Nuggets would rather add second-rounders &mdash; they have six, including two this year. If they do include the first-rounder, I'm sure they'd ask for protections &mdash; or explore what it would take to get the Bulls to include Andre Drummond in the deal as well. In short, there are conversations to be had here.)
If not the Bulls, the Nuggets should check in with the Washington Wizards again. They just did business over the summer with the wing room; why not see if they could pry Delon Wright out of there? It would take one of Green or Smith along with Hyland for salary-matching purposes. Because of the age gap and team control aspect, the Nuggets may be able to ask for minor draft compensation.
Among available forwards, I wonder if they'd call the Phoenix Suns and check in on Jae Crowder. Because of Crowder's contract status &mdash; he's set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer &mdash; the Nuggets likely wouldn't have to think about including a future first. The Hyland-Green-Smith triumvirate would work salary-wise for Crowder and a minimum piece (maybe Jock Landale or Josh Okogie).
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>If the San Antonio Spurs didn't already have multiple guards they're somewhat invested in, a Hyland-led package for Josh Richardson would be something worth exploring.</li>
<li>Same guard-heavy issue with the Utah Jazz, otherwise a Jarrod Vanderbilt deal would be at the top of the list for me.</li>
<li>The Sacramento Kings and Warriors have reportedly been linked to Matisse Thybulle. The Nuggets have the offensive infrastructure to slot Thybulle in as a cutter and occasional screener. How would we feel about a Hyland/Green for Thybulle/Shake Milton swap? Feels like a third team would be needed to balance things further for the Sixers, but I'd be intrigued.</li>
<li>Hyland for Cam Reddish is the "Man, everybody would hate this" trade that I can't push in good faith.</li>
</ul>

The Denver Nuggets may be on the verge of trading Bones Hyland. Nekias Duncan explores which landing spots make sense for Hyland.

Exploring possible trade destinations for Nuggets' Bones Hyland

The 2023 NBA trade deadline is on Feb. 9, meaning trade season is rapidly approaching. Will it be an active deadline with a ton of wheeling-and-dealing or a relatively quiet one? That remains to be seen.
With so much parity around the league, there should be plenty of buyers. But which teams will emerge as sellers? That's what NBA executives are waiting to find out between now and the deadline.
Basketball News recently asked our staff the following question: Which trade do you want to see before the deadline? Here's what our writers had to say:&nbsp;
Ethan Fuller: "I don&rsquo;t know if the Toronto Raptors even should sell, but if they do, teams should be jostling to land Gary Trent Jr. Dallas could certainly use Trent&rsquo;s microwave scoring and active defensive hands, even if they stick with Tim Hardaway Jr. and their current guards. Luka Doncic is an offensive juggernaut, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean he should sustain his workload. Trent can help ease the burden."
Alex Kennedy: "I'm a sucker for a blockbuster. The most interesting trade deadlines typically feature a star player changing teams. As this year's deadline approaches, there aren't too many rumblings about a star asking out. The closest is rival executives wondering whether <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/whats-going-wrong-with-the-atlanta-hawks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trae Young may ask the Atlanta Hawks for a trade</a> since the team is struggling and dealing with some drama behind the scenes, but that just seems like speculation at this point.
"Assuming a star doesn't become available over the next month, I'll settle for Bojan Bogdanovic getting traded to a contender. He has been terrific this season, averaging a career-high 21.2 points along with 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.4 threes (while shooting 48.7% from the field, 41.5% from three and 88.5% from the free-throw line). Bogdanovic is 33 years old, so it'd be great to see him join a playoff team (such as the Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat or Phoenix Suns) rather than simply putting up great numbers on a bottom-feeder. The Detroit Pistons are rebuilding and would likely move Bogdanovic for the right offer, so I'm hoping we get to see him join a win-now squad."
Nekias Duncan: "I want the Denver Nuggets to trade Jeff Green, Davon Reed and a 2026 second-rounder to the New York Knicks for Isaiah Hartenstein. Frankly, it has pained me to watch Hartenstein &mdash; an underrated but effective passing hub &mdash; rarely get that usage. (To be fair, I&rsquo;m sure Thibs has been equally dismayed by Hartenstein&rsquo;s defense and rebounding presence. Fair play, Mr. Head Coach.) If he isn&rsquo;t going to be maximized on offense (and cause wincing on defense), a move may be best for both parties.
"The Nuggets are familiar with using their bigs as high post or Delay hubs; they have the best one in the league in Nikola Jokic. They&rsquo;ve attempted to use DeAndre Jordan as an elbow connector at times with the second unit; I&rsquo;ll go out on a limb and say Hartenstein would give them more juice in that regard. Green would give the Knicks some veteran depth in the frontcourt whenever he recovers from his hand injury. Reed is a nice flier on multi-positional defense. A light bit of draft capital wouldn&rsquo;t hurt either."
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Spencer Davies: "For the love of all that is sacred, get Luka Doncic another ball-handler and/or a better shooter. It is clear and obvious that Jalen Brunson's departure has made things twice as difficult on the Slovenian sensation, yet he's still delivering &mdash; with no examples better than Thursday's game-tying stepback threes and a ridiculous comeback effort against the New York Knicks around the holidays.
"The Mavericks have contracts to float around, none more obvious than Tim Hardaway Jr.'s &nbsp;deal. They could also fetch a valuable player with Dorian Finney-Smith's four-year, $55 million extension that is in Year 1 this season. In addition, Reggie Bullock is mired in a shooting slump that's lasted for the first half of the campaign. And if you need a filler for a bigger contract coming back, Davis Bertans is making a boatload on money ($16 million, then $17 million and an ETO in 2024-25).
"With the Chicago Bulls going in the wrong direction, DeMar DeRozan makes a ton of sense. The Charlotte Hornets have Terry Rozier, who's quietly averaging 21 points a night (albeit on over 19 shots per game); he's been very hot in January. D'Angelo Russell seems like he could be an odd-man out in Minnesota, no? Fred VanVleet feels like a popular name around the trade mill too.
"As for shooters, your first thought is obviously Bojan Bogdanovic in Detroit. If you want to take it a step further, Kyle Kuzma is a little streakier, but he can also put it on the floor and be a secondary creator, as he's showing with the Washington Wizards. Dallas could also call its rival in the Southwest Division and ask the San Antonio Spurs for one of (if not both of) Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson? (The problem there is the Spurs will want draft picks, and because of the Kristaps Porzingis trade, Dallas will convey its first-round selection to New York if it falls between 11-30; it's like that for the next three years too). However, the Mavs do have first-round picks from 2026-2029 to offer.) As you can see, there are options out there to explore for Dallas. At least try, or else Luka will be gassed by early March!"
Brian Fritz: "I would love to see the Minnesota Timberwolves send Naz Reid to the Memphis Grizzlies for a lottery-protected 2024 first-round pick. While the Grizzlies could use some shooting from the wing (as could every team in the NBA), they also need a backup big. Reid is averaging 13.5 points and 6.8 rebounds since early December and would be a regular part of the rotation as well as insurance for Jaren Jackson Jr. and his foul issues.
"The Timberwolves may not even make it into the Play-In Tournament and could be best served moving Reid while his value is high and start recouping draft picks after giving up so many in the Rudy Gobert trade."
Is there a certain trade that you would like to see? If so, <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweet it to us! We'll share our favorites!</a>

Basketball News recently asked our staff: Which deal do you want to see before the NBA trade deadline?

NBA Roundtable: Which trade do you want to see before the deadline?

The Los Angeles Clippers are trying to give their fans a new way to view games. A lot of new views, actually.
And one of them will even feature in-game commentary at times from Clippers chairman Steve Ballmer.
The Clippers announced Monday that they are launching a direct-to-consumer product featuring six different stream options, with more in the planning stages, and without any pay-television subscription required. The NBA&rsquo;s new digital platform, which powers the league&rsquo;s updated app, is the vehicle the Clippers have leveraged to make their idea happen.
The product &mdash; ClipperVision, it&rsquo;s called &mdash; is a first for the NBA, and the team says it is planning on streaming more than 70 games live in-market this coming season.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s inevitable. This is where things are going. It&rsquo;s obvious,&rdquo; Clippers President Gillian Zucker said. &ldquo;The speed at which the pickup takes place, that&rsquo;s the only question mark.&rdquo;
In addition to live streams of traditional Clippers broadcasts, the product also has options where fans can choose an alternate stream; another that offers augmented graphics showing real-time shot probability and other stats during live play; options in both Spanish and Korean; and one called BallerVision &mdash; which will have a rotating lineup of analysts including Jamal Crawford, Baron Davis, Paul Pierce, Quentin Richardson, and Matt Barnes.
And, sometimes, the highly enthusiastic Ballmer will be on there as well.
&ldquo;I have wanted to create a product like ClipperVision since the day I came to the Clippers,&rdquo; Ballmer said. &ldquo;Years of effort, hard work and development have led up to its launch.&rdquo;
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-basketball-32369e1c88d94746528c89eedafd321c">The NBA last month unveiled its reimagined app,</a> one that is powered by artificial intelligence to give fans the sort of content they would want in the latest part of the league&rsquo;s own direct-to-consumer plan.
The Clippers are expecting to contend for an NBA title this season with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and it&rsquo;s a simple formula &mdash; knowing they have a team that fans will want to watch, it just made good sense for the team to find a way to get more eyeballs onto games.
&ldquo;It is a strategic imperative,&rdquo; Zucker said. &ldquo;Steve has said repeatedly, &lsquo;I want to compete for championships every year,&rsquo; and he&rsquo;s willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.&rdquo;

The product — ClipperVision, it’s called — is a first for the NBA and the team says it is planning on streaming more than 70 games live.

Clippers unveiling new direct-to-consumer viewing option

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

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

At the beginning of the 2021-22 season, it was a foregone conclusion Zach LaVine would eventually re-sign with the Chicago Bulls on a max contract. However, over the last month or so, there&rsquo;s been buzz about LaVine potentially taking his talents elsewhere.
Does it actually make sense for LaVine to leave the Bulls, an infrastructure well built to accentuate his strengths? If LaVine bolts the Windy City for greener pastures, the fit, not market size, should be of the upmost importance.
The market will be robust for LaVine as an upcoming unrestricted free agent, slotted at No. 1 overall on BasketballNews.com's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Free Agent Rankings</a> page. LaVine joining a contender would instantly vault its status amongst the Association&rsquo;s elite.
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Without further ado, let&rsquo;s go ahead and try to figure out the best logical fits for LaVine away from Chicago via sign-and-trade.
Miami Heat
Bulls receive: Tyler Herro, PJ Tucker
Heat receive: Zach LaVine
Pacers receive: Duncan Robinson, 2023 first-round pick via Heat (lottery protected)
Miami&rsquo;s dire need for another aggressive scorer to pair alongside Jimmy Butler was showcased on the biggest possible stage. The usage on Butler&rsquo;s plate is simply too much, and Kyle Lowry has proven to taken a step back on the offensive end as well.
LaVine alongside Butler, Lowry and Bam Adebayo would be a dream scenario to unfold for the Heat. This offseason feels like the perfect time to make that all-in move with this core, especially with future draft picks available in deals.
Herro is the crown jewel of this deal for the Bulls, so it all depends how they view him. Tucker going back to Chicago also adds even more toughness on the defensive end with Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso.
For contenders, pulling off a sign-and-trade to acquire LaVine is a little tricky. A third team would need to be involved to make salaries work; in this instance, that franchise takes on the bloated salary of Robinson and is rewarded with draft compensation for its participation. Look for teams with cap space that are rebuilding (Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, etc.) as potential dance partners under any sign-and-trade involving LaVine to a Finals contender.
Projected Starting Lineup: Kyle Lowry, Zach LaVine, Max Strus, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo
Atlanta Hawks
Bulls receive: Kevin Huerter, Onyeka Okongwu
Hawks receive: Zach LaVine
Pacers receive: Danilo Gallinari, 2023 first-round pick via Hawks (lottery protected)
Could you imagine the fireworks on the scoreboard with Trae Young and LaVine sharing a backcourt? That&rsquo;s more than worth the price of admission for Hawks games, and it helps elevate their core to being a legitimate contender immediately. LaVine and Young being flanked by endless amounts of defensive versatility and length is a recipe for success.
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What makes the Hawks&rsquo; sign-and-trade more realistic is Gallinari&rsquo;s contract, which only has $5 million guaranteed. Atlanta would surely cooperate for draft compensation in order to bring LaVine aboard.
Chicago receives a promising three-level scorer in Huerter, plus a much-needed rim protector with Okongwu. This feels like a strong return for the Bulls under this scenario.
For Atlanta to make this work, a third team has to get involved that can absorb Gallinari's $21 million salary. Luckily, again, only $5 million is guaranteed, so the third team can easily get off his contract. The Pacers are mentioned here once more because I expect them to operate in a Thunder-like manner this offseason, as they really kick off their full-scale rebuild. Expect to see Indiana take on contracts for future draft capital, which would help project the rebuild timeline more clearly.
Projected Starting Lineup: Trae Young, Zach LaVine, De&rsquo;Andre Hunter, John Collins, Clint Capela
Dallas Mavericks
Bulls receive: Jalen Brunson, Josh Green
Mavericks receive: Zach LaVine
Trail Blazers receive: Tim Hardaway Jr., 2025 first-round pick via Dallas (top-8 protected)
Luka Doncic needs help in Dallas for championships to be a realistic aspiration. Doncic is already one of the best players in the league at 23 years old, but how will the Mavericks further construct the roster around him? If Dallas is indeed going to make a splash, going for LaVine compared to a big man like Rudy Gobert is the smarter play. Doncic and LaVine would be a deadly backcourt duo that could go toe-to-toe with any team in a more perimeter-oriented NBA.
The Bulls receiving Brunson back in a double sign-and-trade would be a huge win, allowing his game to further blossom alongside an elite wing scorer like DeMar DeRozan. Brunson helps keep Chicago afloat in the Eastern Conference, while also presenting an enticing long-term piece to its core.
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While Brunson would need to sign off on this, as would LaVine, I think he would gladly pursue this idea. Operating as the No. 2 scoring option alongside DeRozan, Brunson will be able to further blossom his all-around game for a win-now contender in the East. Adding Brunson alongside Ball and Caruso also takes playmaking pressure off Brunson, which allows him to continue mismatch hunting in 1-on-1 situations.
If the Bulls are on track to lose LaVine, finding an even more motivated Brunson as the return compensation is a massive win for them.
The third team getting involved to take on Hardaway's remaining salary is Portland, who needs to find any sort of scoring help it can alongside Lillard. Hardaway certainly wouldn't be a splashy transaction for the Blazers, but his added offensive punch in the starting unit or off the bench would be a welcome sight. Trying to find a taker for THJ will be tough, so offering a future lightly protected first-round pick probably is the going cost.
Projected Starting Lineup: Luka Doncic, Zach LaVine, Reggie Bullock, Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber?
San Antonio Spurs
We&rsquo;ve now reached the portion where a team can outright sign LaVine without having to maneuver a sign-and-trade. How ironic would it be for LaVine to go join DeRozan&rsquo;s former team alongside fellow Pacific Northwest resident Dejounte Murray? That&rsquo;s a very strong complementary backcourt, but is it enough in the Western Conference to make a serious jump forward? We all know Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich would be all aboard a win-now idea at this stage of his career as well.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17580752_690w.png" alt="" width="730" height="365" />
For the Spurs, they need to find that final piece to an already intriguing core. Murray and LaVine leading the Spurs' youth movement forward towards realistic playoff contention each year would be a much-needed step forward. LaVine's arrival would take ample pressure off Murray, plus the latter's defensive presence helps further optimize the former.
Projected Starting Lineup: Dejounte Murray, Zach LaVine, Josh Richardson, Keldon Johnson, Jakob Poeltl
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland could be under new ownership, and the frontrunners as of Thursday indicate it could be a huge win for the organization. Nike founder Phil Knight and Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Alan Smolinisky are leading the charge, so we&rsquo;ll see if that occurs soon.
On the court, Damian Lillard would love having a player like LaVine. A modern three-guard starting unit consisting of Lillard, LaVine and Anfernee Simons would simply be unfair trying to contain for all 48 minutes.
The Blazers would still need to make more roster moves &mdash; maybe <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/breaking-down-4-hypothetical-trades-for-the-blazers-firstround-draft-pick" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shipping off their No. 7 overall pick for Detroit Pistons wing Jerami Grant</a> &mdash; but adding LaVine would signal they&rsquo;re finally ready to go for it. In order to keep Lillard around past next season, making an all-in move for LaVine wouldn&rsquo;t be surprising one bit.
Let's say Portland pulls the trigger for an aggressive draft-night move involving Grant or Raptors wing OG Anunoby. If that occurs, it's the Blazers signaling to the NBA that they're ready to have a very aggressive offseason. Retooling on the fly and forming a deadly backcourt combination would quickly put Portland back on the map in the West.
Portland would need to gut their entire roster outside of Lillard and Simons to make an Anunoby/LaVine scenario possible under the salary cap. It's a lot of transactional work, but the end result for the Blazers would be an instant threat to make a deep postseason push with Lillard, LaVine, Simons and Anunoby.
Projected Starting Lineup: Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Zach LaVine, Jerami Grant/OG Anunoby?, Jusuf Nurkic?
Less than a month away from the NBA&rsquo;s legal tampering period opening, LaVine will become one of the hottest commodities available. Unless LaVine believes the Bulls are not real contenders, it would make the most sense for him to return on a new long-term deal. If it gets to the point we&rsquo;ve discussed, the Bulls will be okay extracting heavy amounts of value for a player on the way out.
NBA free agency was expected to be quiet, but, as we all know, the game never sleeps. Anything can happen, and this offseason is shaping up to be another wild one with star movement soon on the horizon once more.
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Zach LaVine enters this offseason as the top NBA free agent. What could LaVine's market look like if he leaves the Bulls?

Examining potential destinations for Zach LaVine

A new intriguing suitor for [Josh] Richardson though is the Lakers, given their collection of assets. The team has been shopping a package of Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn and a future first-round pick now for several weeks in hopes of landing an impact veteran and sources tell MassLive that Horton-Tucker and a future pick has been offered for Richardson.
Source: <a href="https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2022/02/sources-josh-richardson-trade-interest-from-lakers-jazz-and-other-playoff-teams-emerging-as-celtics-weigh-options.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brian Robb/MassLive</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Robb also reports that the Jazz and Timberwolves have shown interest in Richardson. The 28-year-old is averaging 9.9 points per game for the Celtics and shooting 40.0% from long range. The Lakers don't have many viable trade assets, and multiple reports have said the aforementioned package is their best shot at landing an upgrade.&nbsp;

Brian Robb also reports that the Jazz and Timberwolves have shown interest in Richardson.

Lakers offered Talen Horton-Tucker, draft pick for Josh Richardson

It's that time of year when NBA trade machines and insider gossip hijack basketball discourse. Trade deadline season means absolute chaos for just about anyone involved in basketball from a management, player or media perspective. For better or for worse, I'm pulling the "we live in a society" card and conforming.
The Tank-O-Meter is back for the second time this season to assess how seriously teams should consider folding for the remainder of 2021-22. Teams are rated on a scale from 1 (playoffs or bust) to 10 (do not even think about winning a game again) based on how much a rebuild helps the long-term franchise outlook.
A key part of any good rebuild is maximizing selling out at the trade deadline. It makes sense to get a read on what teams should do before Thursday to build their chests of assets and get out of the limbo of a weak postseason push. You'll see a Tank-O-Meter reading for each of these 10 squads, plus the usual Sour Rankings.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The New Orleans Pelicans got Brandon Ingram back from injury and immediately started winning. They're currently on a three-game stampede and have even moved into the Play-In tier of the Western Conference standings. Boston is also rolling on a five-game win streak with perhaps the hottest defense in basketball, suddenly tied with Toronto and Brooklyn for sixth in the Eastern Conference.
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10. Charlotte Hornets (28-26) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 2/10
The Hornets sink into the Sour Rankings as they tough out a four-game losing streak with defeats against the Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. Their run to the All-Star break is daunting; it features 6 games in 11 days and includes matchups against the Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves and Heat (again). According to <a href="https://heavy.com/sports/boston-celtics/nba-trade-rumor-josh-richardson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Heavy's Steve Bulpett</a>, Charlotte is also looking to trade PJ Washington, which still doesn't make much sense to me.
Charlotte shouldn't consider bottoming out as long as the team has confidence in its young core. The Hornets have the pieces to either become buyers or sellers at the deadline, and are right in the thick of a competitive East playoff race. At the absolute minimum, this is great experience for guys like LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, and the Hornets are still a threatening offense on a nightly basis.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Detroit Pistons (12-41) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 9/10
Easy reading for Detroit &mdash; the franchise has already been near the bottom of the league all season. The Pistons can really supercharge the current rebuild with how they approach the trade deadline regarding veterans like Jerami Grant and Cory Joseph.
But Detroit still cracks the Sour Rankings, because even in the scheduled losses, it just feels like there's been too much uninspired basketball. Honestly, what young talents on the roster do you feel better about from the start of the season besides Cade Cunningham? I'd say there's an argument for Saddiq Bey and... that's about it. Detroit still has several questions to answer about the team's identity, and those questions can be answered even in losses.
(Last week: Unranked)
8. Utah Jazz (32-21) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 1/10
Utah battled to a win against the Denver Nuggets and dismantled the flailing Nets this week, bringing some stability after a five-game skid. However, reports are back (this one from <a href="https://www.deseret.com/2022/2/4/22916919/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchell-on-reports-relationship-with-rudy-gobert-has-deteriorated-thats-not-true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Brian Windhorst</a>) that Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert are "at each other's throats." Mitchell once again denied the rumors, and who knows at this point what's grounding the reports. But it's never good to hear.
No, the Jazz should not tank &mdash; they're still fourth in the West standings even in this rough patch.
(Last week: 6)
7. Indiana Pacers (19-36) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 9/10
The Pacers <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/reaction-caris-levert-fills-blended-need-for-cavs-as-pacers-reset" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dealt Caris LeVert to the Cavaliers yesterday in a trade</a> that brought back an expiring (and injured) Ricky Rubio, a lottery-protected first-round pick that will likely convey this season and two additional second-rounders. That's not a bad return for a team that simply needs young talent in waves, and draft picks always add some trade flexibility.&nbsp;
Moving LeVert for that package signals a rebuild is on the way. It's long overdue. Now, the Pacers have to get what they can for Myles Turner, Justin Holiday and their other vets. I do not think Domantas Sabonis is a "must-trade" due to his sheer skill. But Indiana also can't be afraid to accept a good offer. They're one of the primary teams to watch ahead of Thursday.
(Last week: 4)
6. Portland Trail Blazers (21-33) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 8/10
Here's another team giving off "rebuild" vibes. The Trail Blazers traded Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Clippers this week for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and a future second-round pick. That return feels underwhelming considering Portland gave up two very good rotation players. But if they like the uber-athletic Johnson, so be it.
With no Damian Lillard return in sight, Portland should really sell at this deadline. What does being in a Play-In race even mean for this franchise? Young trade pieces and the NBA Draft are the best way to find game-changing talent. CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic have been involved in trade rumors recently. I wouldn't be surprised if both had new homes by Thursday evening.
(Last week: 7)
5. New York Knicks (24-29) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 7/10
One day, Deuce McBride and Immanuel Quickley will join the starting lineup and everything will be alright in New York. For now, the Knicks remain a woefully inconsistent basketball team that can't be trusted &mdash; but can't be counted out &mdash; on any night. If I had my way, Tom Thibodeau would commit to playing the youth; Quentin Grimes, Quickley and McBride would see serious playing time increases, and New York would head into the offseason with a good draft pick and an enticing young core. Then again, it's Thibs.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Julius Randle got into it with a coach on the bench against the Lakers. 😬 (h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/AhnFireDigital?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AhnFireDigital</a>) <a href="https://t.co/NNhrE2XgVt">pic.twitter.com/NNhrE2XgVt</a>
&mdash; theScore (@theScore) <a href="https://twitter.com/theScore/status/1490765945396244482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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By the way, read this <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/julius-randle-and-the-george-costanza-problem" target="_blank" rel="noopener">excellent piece from Mat Issa</a> that further highlights how the Knicks are leaving Julius Randle out to dry.
(Last week: 5)
4. Sacramento Kings (20-35) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 9/10
<a href="https://theathletic.com/3113791/2022/02/07/detroit-pistons-nba-trade-deadline-guide-what-im-hearing-about-jerami-grant-trade-tiers/?article_source=search&amp;search_query=jerami%20grant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James L. Edwards III of&nbsp;The Athletic</a>&nbsp;says that the Kings have reported interest in Jerami Grant. This comes after all the will-they-won't-they drama surrounding a Ben Simmons trade and the availability of De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. Of course, smokescreens exist in trade gossip, but I still can't rationalize most of the reported targets for Sacramento.
This is a bad basketball team. The Kings have the second-worst offensive rating in the NBA over the past few weeks in addition to their perenially-porous defense. Sacramento may be two games out of 10th place, but the team would have to unseat several better squads in the San Antonio Spurs, Trail Blazers and Pelicans. As repetitive as selling is for this squad, it's the logical step.
(Last week: 2)
3. Los Angeles Lakers (26-28) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 1/10
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
&ldquo;more from an off-ball perspective&rdquo; from TALEN HORTON-TUCKER is just- <a href="https://t.co/LO3LSpvuxR">https://t.co/LO3LSpvuxR</a>
&mdash; Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1490191241878851589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
I audibly chuckled reading this reaction from Nekias Duncan on Frank Vogel's rationale benching Russell Westbrook late against the Knicks. L.A. won that game in overtime, but it sure wasn't thanks to either player. Even though the Lakers went 2-1 this week, the lasting image will be the game-winner from Clippers guard Reggie Jackson on Thursday. The purple and gold are now down to ninth in the Western Conference.
The Tank-O-Meter reading remains the same: You don't tank with a healthy LeBron James.
(Last week: 3)
2. Washington Wizards (24-28) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 5/10
Washington's downward spiral continued last week with two one-sided losses to the Bucks and Suns. The Wizards did manage a 106-103 win over Philadelphia, but they've now been usurped by the Atlanta Hawks for the final Play-In bid. Does being on the outside looking in change anything from a directional perspective?
I think the Wizards are at the most polarizing trade deadline crossroads of any NBA team. They could make a desparation play for a star to help Bradley Beal and <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeLFischer/status/1488860395683168259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1488860395683168259%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2F8points9seconds.com%2F2022%2F02%2F03%2Findiana-pacers-domantas-sabonis-trade-wizards%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">swing on someone like Domantas Sabonis.</a> Or, Washington could send out its solid veterans in return for young talent or draft assets &mdash; at the risk of losing Beal this offseason. Moves have to be made by Thursday, but I couldn't honestly say what the right direction is.
(Last week: 1)
1. Brooklyn Nets (29-24) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 1/10
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Harden effort thread because I watched the film back and, my god, it's pathetic. Clip 1: just blatantly not caring. <a href="https://t.co/NbCccj2Ntt">pic.twitter.com/NbCccj2Ntt</a>
&mdash; Erik Slater (@erikslaterNR) <a href="https://twitter.com/erikslaterNR/status/1489287381031297027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Whew... An eight-game losing streak, complete with some epic meltdowns, has the Nets in the Play-In tournament. And that's not even the worst part amidst the firestorm of rumors surrounding James Harden's potential availability. Whether or not he gets traded, Harden is showing visible disinterest at a critical point in Brooklyn's season. It's hard to consider the Nets a legitimate title contender with the way they've played over the past three weeks.
(Last week: 8)
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Ethan Fuller looks at which struggling teams should sell ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.

NBA Sour Rankings: Tank-O-Meter readings ahead of the trade deadline

Here are the five best fits with T&mdash;nah, just kidding. This isn&rsquo;t going to be that simplistic.
But a handful of teams should value Orlando Magic swingman Terrence Ross, who is being made available for trade, <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthleticNBA/status/1470457239097987084" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to a report from The Athletic</a>. To the surprise of absolutely no one, the desired compensation is highlighted by a first-round pick.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Terrence Ross had the bench going wild 😳 <a href="https://t.co/qXkFA7bWVy">pic.twitter.com/qXkFA7bWVy</a>
&mdash; NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1468805359896719363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Maybe the Magic could get one, but who knows? The 6-foot-6 wing and 10-year pro will turn 31 years old in February and will make $11.5 million next season &mdash; the last of a <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2811230-report-terrence-ross-re-signs-with-magic-on-4-year-54m-contract#:~:text=Orlando%20Magic-,Report%3A%20Terrence%20Ross%20Agrees%20to%20Re%2DSign%20with%20Magic%20on,4%2DYear%2C%20%2454M%20Contract&amp;text=The%20Orlando%20Magic%20maintained%20a,according%20to%20ESPN's%20Adrian%20Wojnarowski." target="_blank" rel="noopener">$54 million four-year extension signed in July 2019</a>. Ross&rsquo; salary for this current campaign is listed at $12.5 million.
Additionally, the University of Washington alum is statistically having his worst season since 2017-18, averaging <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/players/terrence-ross-31">10.8 points on 39/30/86 shooting splits</a>, save for his free-throw percentage; it&rsquo;s well below his 13.9 points on 41/35/86 splits in now six seasons with the Magic. But, in fairness, the Magic are 5-23 as of this writing, and you may remember how motivated PJ Tucker looked while toiling away on last season&rsquo;s nomadic Houston Rockets.
Riiight, so let&rsquo;s give Ross a break here.
Ross provides shooting that is consistently streakier than it is sharp. Anyone who never averaged more than 16 points per game in a season but <a href="https://youtu.be/mX03ZWmiwzI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">managed to go for 51</a> before might be one of the reasons there is a microwave badge in every NBA 2K game.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
That said, there are several playoff (and maybe even championship) teams with high aspirations who may want to add an affordable, athletic veteran swingman to bolster their offense.
Boston Celtics
Orlando receives: Juancho Hernang&oacute;mez ($6.9 million), Romeo Langford ($3.8 million) and draft capital
Boston receives: Terrence Ross
Josh Richardson makes $11.6 million this season and $12.2 million next, making for a perfect match... but what for? Juancho Hernang&oacute;mez, like Richardson, is signed through next season, but at only $7.4 million. If you package him with 2019 No. 14 overall pick Romeo Langford, who makes $5.6 million next season, the financial end is taken care of. From there, the Celtics have their <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Celtics.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">own firsts and a ton of second-rounders</a> to play with. The Magic would also get a buy-low option in Langford, which reflects much of what they&rsquo;ve been accumulating in their rebuild anyway.
Denver Nuggets
Orlando receives: JaMychal Green ($8.2 million), Bol Bol ($2.2 million) and draft capital
Denver receives: Terrence Ross
Will Barton ($15.6 million) and Monte Morris ($8.5 million) are the closest to Ross&rsquo; $12.5 million, but neither should be included in this deal. With injuries to Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. &mdash; both of whom could be out for the season &mdash; the Nuggets do need massive help offensively. They signed Davon Reed last week, <a href="https://www.numberfire.com/nba/player-news/186824/davon-reed-starting-for-nuggets-saturday-in-place-of-inactive-will-barton">who has already started a game</a>, and the team is currently 24th in scoring, 27th in pace, and dead last in free-throw attempts.
Even with injuries, a healthy JaMychal Green only sees 14.4 minutes per contest, and Bol Bol is in Year 3 of waiting, only having logged 47 minutes in 10 appearances so far. Green has a player option for $8.2 million next season, and Bol is in the final year of his rookie deal. If any team is inclined to finally free Bol, it&rsquo;s Orlando. <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Nuggets.htm">Regarding draft picks</a>, the Nuggets shouldn&rsquo;t give a first, but they have control of most of their own, save for two. Their 2023 pick is lottery protected and in Oklahoma City, and their 2025 first is top-five protected in, of all places, Orlando. Denver controls its second-rounders from 2024 through 2026 and every year from 2028 onward.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Phoenix Suns
Orlando receives: Dario Sarić ($8.5 million), Jalen Smith ($4.5 million) and draft capital
Phoenix receives: Terrence Ross
Again, Orlando is 5-23: Why would the Magic care if Sarić &mdash; who tore his ACL during the NBA Finals &mdash; can&rsquo;t play, so long as they could get some sort of draft relief for Ross? Saric is even due $9.2 million next season. Smith, who was drafted No. 10 overall in 2020, is the ultra-rare lottery pick whose <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/suns-admit-mistake-drafting-jalen-smith-no-10-overall-in-2020-declining-thirdyear-option-rare-is-phoenix-suns-declining-jalen-smiths-third-year-option#:~:text=The%20Suns%20declined%20Jalen%20Smith's,this%20season%20at%20%244.4%20million." target="_blank" rel="noopener">third-year option was declined;</a> he will be a free agent in 2022. That said, the Magic could talk themselves into throwing him out there and seeing if he&rsquo;s worth keeping on a team-friendly deal.
To this point, the 21-year-old Smith has logged 213 career minutes over just 35 appearances. This trade package will likely be offered for a Ross-type of player (in salary, not necessarily style), and it works here if you think he&rsquo;s an upgrade in the spot currently occupied by Landry Shamet. The Suns control <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Suns.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all of their upcoming picks</a> except for their 2022 first-rounder, which is top-12 protected and in OKC, and will likely convey.
THREE-TEAM DEAL CANDIDATES 
When you go through NBA rosters, you realize that the league has a problem related to financial classes. There are a bunch of max or near-max players, and numerous others making sub-$5 million, with a thinning middle-class. Therefore, trades are harder to construct than they seem, even though Ross&rsquo;s salary isn&rsquo;t exorbitant by league standards. That said, other teams could make a play for Ross, but it&rsquo;ll need to be aided by at least one other team&rsquo;s participation.
The Los Angeles Lakers have 10 players on minimum contracts, none higher than the $2.6 million slots occupied by Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza, Rajon Rondo, DeAndre Jordan, Wayne Ellington, Avery Bradley, and Dwight Howard. Kendrick Nunn, who still hasn&rsquo;t played yet, is getting $5 million this season, with a player option for $5.3 million next year. Talen Horton-Tucker is at $9.5 million this season, followed by $10.2 million and an additional $11 million player option afterward, but he most likely isn&rsquo;t getting moved for Ross.&nbsp;
The Philadelphia 76ers can&rsquo;t trade Furkan Korkmaz until March (which is really after the season because the deadline is in February), but it would be ideal to give Ross his minutes. Korkmaz is getting, on average, $5 million a year between now and the 2023-24 season. Danny Green is getting $10 million, but don&rsquo;t count on it. The Sixers will need some help, which will be hard to find mid-season. (Bad enough that they can&rsquo;t <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-ben-simmons-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">figure out that whole Ben Simmons thing</a>, huh?)

Bryan Fonseca ponders which teams should target Magic microwave scorer Terrence Ross, who is reportedly available.

Examining potential trade destinations for Terrence Ross

It's easy to gravitate towards a tough shot-maker. How cool is it to see a player defended well, pushed to an uncomfortable spot and knock down a jumper or convert a contested finish anyway?
And for the defender(s) of said shot, how must that feel? To do everything right, only for points to go up on the scoreboard despite your solid efforts?
In other words: It's gotta be tough drawing DeMar DeRozan as a matchup right now.
DeRozan's off to a hot start, averaging 27.0 points with a 59.5% True Shooting percentage to boot. Honestly, he's got it going from everywhere. His shot distribution (along with field-goal percentages by distance) is as follows:
<ul>
<li>67.7% from 0-to-3 feet</li>
<li>50% from 3-to-10 feet</li>
<li>51.2% from 10-to-16 feet</li>
<li>40% from 16-22ish feet</li>
<li>38.9% from three</li>
</ul>
He's shooting 52.2% on twos while attempting 17.3 of those suckers. Roughtly 70% of those two-pointers have been self-created. The three-point dabbling is back, with DeRozan's 2.3 attempts being the highest we've seen from him since his final year in Toronto (3.6 attempts in 2017-18).
DeRozan has been hotter as of late. He's scored 30 or more points in three straight games, while shooting 65.5% (!!!) from two and 50% from three during that stretch. And when all else fails, DeRozan has been able to bump-and-pump his way to the free-throw line. His 7.3 free throw attempts rank fifth in the NBA, and second among perimeter players (Jimmy Butler leads the NBA in both categories at 9.0).
It's hard to emphasize how important DeRozan's rim pressure has been. The Bulls have moved from No. 10 to No. 5 in terms of their share of shots at the rim, per PBP Stats. The real shift, however, comes from the charity stripe.
The Bulls ranked dead last in the percentage of points that came via free throws (12.5) last season, <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/scoring/?sort=PCT_PTS_FT&amp;dir=1&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per NBA.com's tracking data.</a>&nbsp;They've completely flipped the script this season, ranking third (17.0) in the league behind DeRozan's aggression.
The partnership between DeRozan and Chicago's other two stars &mdash; Zach LaVine (balling) and Nikola Vucevic (bawling, at his currently-shaky jumper) &mdash; has been mutually beneficial. DeRozan has been able to attack bent defenses due to the attention the other two demand, especially when they work together.
Take the possession below, where the Celtics attempt to "ICE" a LaVine-Vucevic pick-and-roll.&nbsp;
<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/4ihw2i" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
In ICE, the on-ball defender (Josh Richardson) positions himself in a way to force the ball-handler (LaVine) towards the baseline. Robert Williams has to step up because of LaVine's pull-up shooting ability, which opens up the pocket pass to a rolling Vucevic.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2021_11_04_18_49_50_lg.png" alt="" width="577" height="325" />
Because of the on-time, on-target pass, Marcus Smart rotates down to cut off the roll. Vucevic quickly finds DeRozan on the wing, which turns into a one-on-one battle with Williams as he rotates out. DeRozan beats Williams off the bounce, forces a rotation, then finds Vucevic for the open jumper.
Even when LaVine and Vucevic aren't directly involved in actions, their presence has made life easier for DeRozan. DeRozan-run isolations or post-ups with either star spacing one pass away have made it incredibly tough to send extra attention. Including passes, DeRozan is generating 1.11 points per isolation possession, and 1.27 points per post-up, per Synergy.
<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/qxv593" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
But because of DeRozan's individual prowess as a scorer, LaVine and Vucevic aren't needed to save the day. It's why head coach Billy Donovan has seemed comfortable working DeRozan in with the second unit.
The split has been nearly perfect in terms of minute distribution. Per PBP Stats, the Bulls have logged 80 minutes with DeRozan on the floor without LaVine and Vucevic, and 79 minutes with the inverse (LaVine/Vucevic on, DeRozan off).
The Bulls have (inexplicably) crushed it in the solo DeRozan (DeSolo?) minutes, posting a 119.4 offensive rating and a plus-23.7 net rating overall despite his cast mostly being non-shooters.&nbsp;
It's also telling that DeRozan, in less than a month, has already taken over lead-dog duties in the clutch. He's taken as many clutch shots (9) as LaVine (6) and Vucevic (3) combined. DeRozan's 33.3 usage rate trumps his co-stars.
But when you can make shots like this, who needs spacing? And why&nbsp;wouldn't&nbsp;you defer to DeRozan?
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Not only has DeRozan been a near-seamless fit on his new squad offensively, he's not-so-arguably been the Bulls' best player this season. Before the season, he bristled at people who questioned how <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/why-bulls-demar-derozan-isnt-worried-about-fit-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he would fit in Chicago</a>. If this stretch is any indication of the campaign he'll have, his annoyance by the skepticism will be justified.
He's wylin' in Windy City right now.

Nekias Duncan breaks down the offensive fit of DeMar DeRozan with the Bulls.

DeMoralizing: How DeMar DeRozan has transformed Chicago's offense

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

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

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

The NBA&rsquo;s free agency is set to kick off this weekend, with the potential to be a wild period with a flurry of game-changing transactions. While three of the top names are expected to stay put &mdash; Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers), Chris Paul (Phoenix Suns), Mike Conley (Utah Jazz), there is one big name that could emerge as the top-dog on the market: Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry.
It&rsquo;s not often a 35-year-old floor general is the most coveted name on the open market, but Lowry&rsquo;s two-way prowess and leadership skills will be coveted by any and every organization looking to make a championship push next season. And, after the league watched Paul propel the Suns to an NBA Finals appearance after missing the playoffs for 11 consecutive seasons, many rebuilding teams wanting to jump a tier or two up the proverbial ladder may give Lowry a call in the hopes he can do the same.
Although the Raptors will try to keep Lowry around, it&rsquo;s likely in the best interest of both parties to split off and begin anew after a down year that saw the Raptors earn the No. 4 overall pick. If Lowry were to say no thanks to re-signing with Toronto, it could begin an extensive rebuilding period north of the border. Pascal Siakam&rsquo;s name has continued to billow in trade talks in the lead up to draft night, which could signal Toronto is ready to build their future core around OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, and the No. 4 pick.
Lowry&rsquo;s decision in free agency will cause ripple effects wherever he signs, potentially shifting the balance of power in the Association. So, with him more than likely to leave his longstanding post in Toronto, let&rsquo;s dive into which destinations make the most sense for the 15-year veteran.
MIAMI HEAT
Miami flirted with the idea of acquiring Lowry at the NBA trade deadline, but ultimately passed. This time around, the Heat are well-positioned should they decide to go all-in on adding Lowry alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
Lowry is an excellent fit within the world-renowned &ldquo;Heat Culture,&rdquo; while playing alongside Butler and Adebayo would take pressure off of him as a playmaker. Being able to settle into an organization that not only identifies with his effortless drive to win, but one that already has a supremely talented duo in place to flank him, a Lowry-Miami match is one of the strongest potential pairings.
In a sign-and-trade scenario, which could be the preferred option wherever Lowry goes so as not to leave Toronto empty-handed, shipping KZ Okpala and multiple future second-round picks could get the job done.
Next season, Miami would trot out a rotation featuring Butler, Adebayo and Lowry while also having the flexibility to retain Victor Oladipo and Duncan Robinson as a restricted free agent. Toss in promising young prospects Tyler Herro and Precious Achiuwa and the Heat have a rotation stocked with immediate, talented contributors.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Mutual interest between Lowry and the Lakers has picked up steam recently, according to Los Angeles Times&rsquo; Broderick Turner. Lowry and his former Raptors teammate DeMar DeRozan recently expressed interest in joining the purple and gold, per Turner&rsquo;s intel. That could open up a new potential fit for Lowry alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Los Angeles has been scouring the market for an elite point guard to alleviate the playmaking pressure off James, while also spacing the floor for the dynamic duo to do damage inside. In free agency, there&rsquo;s no better fit for this role than Lowry, who averaged 7.3 assists on 39.6% shooting from three-point range.
The Lakers won a championship in the Orlando Bubble with Rajon Rondo as their primary point guard outside of James. Not only would Lowry prove a massive upgrade over Rondo, but he would elevate Los Angeles to a completely different level as contenders. The Lakers&rsquo; new trio could go toe-to-toe in a Finals series with Brooklyn&rsquo;s super-team featuring Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving.
For the numbers to work, Los Angeles would need to pull off a sign-and-trade for Lowry, a familiar theme throughout this exercise. A structure that would make sense for both sides without forcing Los Angeles to overpay would include Kentavious Caldwell-Pope&rsquo;s $13 million salary, Montrezl Harrell&rsquo;s $9.7 million player option, Alfonzo McKinnie&rsquo;s non-guaranteed $1.9 million, and multiple future second-round picks. Such a scenario would also keep the team&rsquo;s options open should another potential sign-and-trade, for DeMar DeRozan or Buddy Hield, perhaps, present itself, utilizing Kyle Kuzma and Talen Horton-Tucker.&nbsp;
Adding Lowry would vault Los Angeles from a top title contender to arguably the favorite heading into 2021-22.
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LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
The Clippers can potentially throw their name in the hat to court Lowry, but it&rsquo;s a tricky process. With limited future draft picks and overall player assets, could they realistically entertain a Lowry sign-and-trade? Unless Kahwi Leonard and Paul George successfully pulled off a recruitment effort for Lowry, forcing the Raptors&rsquo; hand, then it&rsquo;s a very tough task.
The other Los Angeles squad can offer up all of the following to Toronto for Lowry, assuming he wants to join his former Raptors teammate with whom he won a title: Patrick Beverley, Luke Kennard, the No. 25 overall pick and future second-round picks.
A first-round pick for Lowry is an enticing piece, but Beverley&rsquo;s $14.3 million expiring contract and Kennard&rsquo;s 4-year deal might not get the job done. Unless the Clippers can re-route Kennard elsewhere in a complicated three-team sign-and-trade, the ingredients just aren&rsquo;t in place for this to happen.
Luckily for the Clippers, the Oklahoma City Thunder could be the perfect place to send Kennard in this scenario. In full-on asset collection mode, Los Angeles could package Kennard with multiple second-round selections to Oklahoma City to get them to facilitate a deal.
A potential framework for a Lowry sign-and-trade involving the Clippers, Raptors, and Thunder could look something like this:
Los Angeles receives: Kyle Lowry (3-year, $72 million deal)
Toronto receives: Patrick Beverley, No. 25 pick, 2023 second-round pick
OKC receives: Luke Kennard, 2022 second-round pick (via Kings), 2022 second-round pick
Although Leonard is expected to miss most of next season with a partially torn ACL, George and Lowry would help keep the Clippers afloat before his presumed postseason return. All three together would give Los Angeles such a great mix of shooting and defense. Lowry adds a completely different element to the Clippers&rsquo; system, having them rival or potentially exceed what the Lakers can do on the court.
A big-time dark horse given what they can offer, the Clippers are certainly a team to keep an eye on. Even if they can&rsquo;t land Lowry, look out for them to try and package Beverley and Kennard together to make some splashy move this offseason.
DALLAS MAVERICKS
Unlike the other teams listed above, the Dallas Mavericks can outright sign Lowry to a lucrative multi-year contract without any issue. If Dallas was able to find a trade partner for Josh Richardson&rsquo;s $11.6 million player option, which he will almost certainly accept, while also renouncing all of their free agents (Tim Hardaway Jr., JJ Redick, Boban Marjanovic, Willie Cauley-Stein), they would have $34.4 million in salary cap space, per Cleaning The Glass. That&rsquo;s more than enough to sign Lowry, who might need a more expensive annual value to be persuaded by Mark Cuban&rsquo;s Mavericks.
The Mavericks are in a massive predicament this offseason. After back-to-back years not living up to his max contract extension, Kristaps Porzingis has put Dallas&rsquo; future flexibility in a bind. Playing more like a third option behind Luka Doncic and Hardaway Jr. throughout last season, the Mavericks have to be savvy to find a more suitable star running mate than Porzingis alongside their young superstar.
This is where Lowry enters the mix, and his fit next to Doncic could produce some beautiful basketball on a nightly basis. Lowry and Doncic sharing ball-handling duties, while also creating endless pick-and-pop scenarios with Porzingis, would make the Mavericks&rsquo; offense even more explosive than the record-setting unit it was just two seasons ago.
Finishing as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference in 2020-21, Dallas could enter the discussion of being a top-three seed with Lowry onboard. With Doncic expected to take another leap in his game, an MVP campaign shouldn&rsquo;t be out of the question for him, while Lowry&rsquo;s arrival would take Dallas from being a fun playoff team to a real Finals contender.
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NEW YORK KNICKS
The New York Knicks are projected to have over $50 million in salary cap space this offseason. More than enough to make a big splash, if they so desire. But could Lowry be the splash that makes New York an even stronger contender in the Eastern Conference?
Under head coach Tom Thibodeau, Julius Randle and former No. 3 overall pick R.J. Barrett produced career-best seasons. Bolstered by their young talent &mdash; Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin and Mitchell Robinson &mdash; New York is a team ripe to take a leap next season should they add the right veteran voice to the mix.
Lowry would bring so much credibility to an already improving organization like the Knicks. An ideal mentor for Barrett, Lowry would also serve to further elevate the game of the All-Star Randle.
It would take an overpay, potentially $30+ million annually, but Lowry playing in Madison Square Garden on a more regular basis would be a fun sight to behold.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
If you&rsquo;re looking for one team that could be ultra-aggressive this offseason to mirror the shocking success of the Phoenix Suns, look no further than the New Orleans Pelicans. Led by Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, New Orleans is that last big piece to vault them out of the lottery and into the playoffs next season.
Lowry could certainly be the Pelicans&rsquo; version of Chris Paul, who brought strong leadership to a young core starved of a playoff maturity. The result was an NBA Finals berth for Phoenix after missing the playoffs for 11 straight seasons.
And the clock has also started already on Zion Williamson, all the more reason to be proactive in their search this offseason. Discontent from Williamson&rsquo;s camp has been growing louder, and something drastic might need to happen for the former No. 1 overall pick not to make history as the first player to play his fifth year on the restricted tag.
To avoid the worst-case scenario down the line, New Orleans would be wise to make a full-court press on Lowry. Making room for him under the salary cap would be an intricate juggle, though. To sign Lowry to a deal worth $25+ million per year, New Orleans would have to renounce their restricted rights to Lonzo Ball while also moving Eric Bledsoe in a salary dump. Should Lowry want closer to $30 million annually, the Pelicans might need to let go of their rights on restricted free agent Josh Hart as well.
That said, the Pelicans should do whatever is necessary to land Lowry. They are one of the few teams around the Association that feels like something splashy needs to happen to appease their young stars and truly take the next step.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
Philadelphia is a huge long shot in the Lowry sweepstakes, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean they won&rsquo;t try their hardest to make it happen.
A construct for a Lowry-to-Philadelphia sign-and-trade would need to revolve around Ben Simmons. According to Marc Stein, Toronto has sniffed around on Simmons&rsquo; availability, so there could be something to work with here. But what type of package would make sense for both sides in a Lowry-Simmons swap?
In what would be one of the biggest blockbusters in recent memory, it would have to revolve around the Raptors&rsquo; No. 4 overall pick. Like, say, Lowry, the No. 4 pick, and potentially another future first-round pick for Simmons.
Toronto would kickstart a new era led by Simmons, OG Anunoby, and Fred VanVleet. Pascal Siakam could then be flipped to a team like Golden State for their own lottery picks to recoup lost draft capital in this proposed sign-and-trade. Meanwhile, the Sixers&rsquo; new big three would consist of Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, and Lowry. Add into the mix Philadelphia acquiring a win-now prospect atop the draft such as Gonzaga&rsquo;s Jalen Suggs or Florida State&rsquo;s Scottie Barnes.
Lowry holds the key to a lot of potential dominos in the NBA this offseason. Wherever Lowry wants to go, it will have huge ramifications. Stay tuned to <a href="http://basketballnews.com">BasketballNews.com</a> for all the latest on the NBA&rsquo;s top free agents.

With free agency set to kick off soon, Evan Sidery explores potential landing spots for Kyle Lowry.

Examining possible free-agency destinations for Kyle Lowry

The NBA's 2021 free-agency period begins in less than a month, as teams will be able to start negotiating with free agents on August 2 at 6 p.m. EST. (There will be a moratorium period until August 6, at which point teams can officially sign free agents.)
Here are the 10 players expected to top most team's wishlists:
1. Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers -- Player Option
STATS: 24.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.6 SPG, 51.2% FG
Leonard can exercise his $36 million player option for the 2021-22 season or become an unrestricted free agent this summer. If his preference is remaining in Los Angeles, Kawhi could opt-in and immediately sign a four-year extension worth approximately $181.5 million. Leonard might also consider inking a two-year, $80.6 million contract with a player option for the second year. This would allow Kawhi to decline the option next summer and, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/31566044/offseason-moves-la-clippers-kawhi-leonard-big-decision" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to ESPN's Bobby Marks</a>, sign the largest contract in NBA history: $235 million over five years.
Leonard's future is clouded a bit by the torn ACL he suffered in the playoffs; however, Kawhi is one of the very few players in the league who could demand (and receive) max money even as he is recovering from a serious knee issue. As a reminder, Leonard is one of only three players in NBA history with a Defensive Player of the Year award, Finals MVP award and All-Star Game MVP award on his resume. The others are Michael Jordan and Giannis Antetokounmpo (who just joined the exclusive club this month).
2. Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns -- Player Option
STATS: 16.4 PPG, 8.9 APG, 4.5 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 39.5% 3P 
Six months ago, it was considered a foregone conclusion that CP3, at age 36, would opt-in to the final year of his contract, which is worth a whopping $44.4 million. Last year, Houson Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/regardless-of-2021-nba-finals-outcome-chris-paul-already-a-winner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly characterized</a> Paul's contract as "the worst that he'd ever seen in business or sports."
Fast-forward to today, and Paul &mdash; <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/regardless-of-2021-nba-finals-outcome-chris-paul-already-a-winner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">after a phenomenal regular season and an even more impressive playoff run</a> &mdash; had the Phoenix Suns within two wins of a championship. As a result, it has been rumored that CP3 intends to sign a new multi-year deal worth north of $100 million.
3. Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors -- Unrestricted
STATS: 17.2 PPG, 7.3 APG, 5.4 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 39.6% 3P
Despite having celebrated his 35th birthday in March, Lowry is still playing at a very high level, having averaged 17.2 points, 7.3 assists and 5.4 rebounds on 43.6/39.6/85.7 shooting splits in 2020-21. When asked about his future plans after the season ended, Lowry <a href="https://t.co/e2XQYuDzpu?amp=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seemed to hint</a> his days in Toronto may have come to an end.
"Money talks, and years talk, and all that stuff," <a href="https://theathletic.com/2597373/2021/05/18/koreen-is-kyle-lowry-more-likely-to-leave-the-raptors-than-stay/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lowry said</a>. "Let's be real. I play this game for the love of the game, but at the end of the day, I want to make sure my family is still taken care of for generations and the time to come. Even though they are now, I wanna continue to be able to do that for my family, and when I pass away, [their families]."
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4. John Collins, Atlanta Hawks -- Restricted
STATS: 17.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.0 BPG, 55.6% FG, 39.9% 3P 
After averaging over 21 points and 10 rebounds in 2019-20, Collins' numbers dipped a bit this past season, as he averaged 17.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.3 made threes in 29.3 minutes per contest during the regular season. In the playoffs, Collins averaged 13.9 points and 8.7 boards in 32.0 minutes a night.
He'll have plenty of suitors in free agency, but the Hawks can match any offer he receives. Expect them to do just that, as Collins (at just 23 years of age) was a vital part of a team that advanced all the way to Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Collins has said he hopes to re-sign with Atlanta this summer.
5. Mike Conley Jr., Utah Jazz -- Unrestricted
STATS: 16.2 PPG, 6.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, 44.4% FG, 41.2% 3P 
Conley is coming off a fantastic season in Utah in which he earned his first All-Star berth while averaging 16.2 points, 6.0 assists (versus just 1.9 turnovers), 3.5 rebounds and career-high 2.7 three-pointers, while shooting over 44% from the floor, 41% from downtown and 85% from the free-throw stripe. On the flip side of the coin, Conley will turn 34 before the start of next season and has a problematic injury history. Conley missed 25 games due to injury this past season, and hasn't played in more than 70 games in a single season since 2013-14. Nonetheless, <a href="https://theathletic.com/2689414/2021/07/05/utah-jazz-want-mike-conley-to-return-finding-more-guard-and-wing-depth-on-a-budget-offseason-questions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Tony Jones of The Athletic</a>, the Jazz "will make every attempt" to bring Conley back to Utah.
6. DeMar DeRozan, San Antonio Spurs -- Unrestricted
STATS: 21.6 PPG, 6.9 APG, 4.2 RPG, 49.5% FG, 88.0% FT 
DeRozan, a mid-range assassin who will turn 32 next month, continues to get buckets efficiently. Over the last two seasons, he's averaged 21.9 points per game while converting 51.4% of his field goal attempts and 86.2% of his free throws. In addition, DeRozan has been durable throughout his career and has increased his worth by improving as a passer. In 2020-21, DeRozan averaged a career-high 6.9 assists per game.
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7. Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers -- Restricted
STATS: 12.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.1 OREB, 1.4 BPG, 61.8% FG 
After landing in Cleveland as part of the Brooklyn Nets' trade for James Harden, Allen was a force inside for the Cavs. He averaged 13.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 51 games (40 starts) for Cleveland. Having just turned 23 years old in April, there will be widespread interest in Allen's services. <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2021/03/will-cleveland-cavaliers-be-able-to-trade-andre-drummond-or-have-to-settle-for-a-buyout-hey-chris.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com</a> predicted that Allen might receive offers north of $100 million. The Cavs traded a 2022 first-round pick to the Rockets to acquire Allen, and he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-cleveland-cavaliers-banking-on-organic-growth-supplementing-talent-to-take-next-step" target="_blank" rel="noopener">played very well alongside the team's young core</a>, so it's safe to assume they'll match any reasonable offer he receives.
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8. Lonzo Ball, New Orleans Pelicans -- Restricted
STATS: 14.6 PPG, 5.7 APG, 4.8 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 37.8% 3P 
Ball is one of the more polarizing free agents on the open market. After shooting just 45% from the free-throw line and 30.5% from downtown as a rookie, Lonzo re-worked the form on his jumper and has made impressive improvements as a shooter. In 2020-21, he posted career-highs in field-goal percentage (41.4%), three-point percentage (37.8%) and free-throw percentage (78.1%), to go along with 14.6 points, 5.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game. Ball, who averaged 1.5 steals and 2.5 deflections in under 32 minutes per contest, is also a solid defender. Will he continue to improve?
It's also worth noting that Lonzo has a close relationship with the face of the franchise in New Orleans. "I really would want Zo to come back. He knows that," <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/lonzo-ball-would-love-to-return-to-pelicans-in-free-agency-and-zion-williamson-agrees-i-hope-he-stays/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zion Williamson said in May</a>. "Zo is a grown man, so he'll make the decision that's best for him. The only thing I can say is, I hope he stays." It will be very interesting to see if another team is willing to approach $100 million, and if such a lucrative contract would scare off the Pels.
9. Dennis Schroder, Los Angeles Lakers -- Unrestricted
STATS: 15.4 PPG, 5.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 43.7% FG, 83.8% FT 
After turning down a contract extension during the 2020-21 season worth $84 million over four years from the Lakers, Schroder is <a href="https://www.talkbasket.net/129988-dennis-schroder-expects-to-get-100-120m-contract-per-german-basketball-official" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly "expecting" to sign a deal in the range of $100-$120 million</a> this summer. The Lakers are in a tight spot considering they are a win-now team with limited options in free agency. They will likely be willing to overpay to keep Schroder on the squad; however, Los Angeles will be hard-pressed to ink Schroder to that massive number following his relatively disappointing and inconsistent play during the regular season and playoffs.
10. Duncan Robinson - Miami Heat - Restricted
STATS: 13.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 43.9% FG, 40.8% 3P
As we know, capable long-range shooters are highly valued in today's NBA &mdash; and Robinson has established himself as a lethal long-distance gunner. This past season, Robinson knocked down his 500th career three-pointer in just his 152nd career game, becoming <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-duncan-robinson-becomes-fastest-player-in-nba-history-to-make-500-threes-miami-heat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the fastest player in NBA history to connect on his 500th triple</a> (ahead of Luka Doncic and Damian Lillard, who rank second and third, respectively). Robinson, who has played in 147-straight games dating back to 2019, is also one of only three players in NBA history to average more than eight treys per game and shoot above 40% from downtown in multiple seasons. The other two players in this elite club are the Splash Brothers, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Granted, Robinson doesn't bring much to the table besides three-point marksmanship, but remember that the Wizards agreed to sign Davis Bertans to a 5-year, $80 million deal last summer.&nbsp;
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Best of the Rest:&nbsp; Norman Powell, Portland Trail Blazers -- Player Option&nbsp; Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls -- Restricted&nbsp; Richaun Holmes, Sacramento Kings -- Unrestricted&nbsp; Andre Drummond, Los Angeles Lakers -- Unrestricted&nbsp; Tim Hardaway Jr., Dallas Mavericks -- Unrestricted&nbsp; Spencer Dinwiddie, Brooklyn Nets -- Player Option&nbsp; Kelly Oubre, Golden State Warriors -- Unrestricted&nbsp; Gary Trent Jr., Toronto Raptors -- Restricted&nbsp; Devonte' Graham, Charlotte Hornets -- Restricted&nbsp; Evan Fournier, Boston Celtics -- Unrestricted&nbsp; Goran Dragic, Miami Heat -- Team Option&nbsp; Montrezl Harrell, Los Angeles Lakers -- Player Option&nbsp; Josh Richardson, Dallas Mavericks -- Player Option&nbsp; Talen Horton-Tucker, Los Angeles Lakers -- Restricted&nbsp; Serge Ibaka, Los Angeles Clippers -- Player Option&nbsp; Will Barton, Denver Nuggets -- Player Option Kendrick Nunn, Miami Heat -- Restricted

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Stephen Curry shot his way to another 3-point title and Domantas Sabonis made sure the Skills Challenge still belongs to the bigs.
Then Portland&rsquo;s Anfernee Simons sealed his final, winning dunk with a kiss. Well, almost.
Curry, the Golden State Warriors superstar, provided a dramatic preview for his seventh All-Star Game appearance when he sank his final 3-pointer to edge Utah's Mike Conley for the title on Sunday night. Curry also won the 3-point content in 2015.
Conley had the lead with 27 points before Curry was the final shooter of the contest. Curry had 26 points before sinking his final shot from the corner for 28 points and the win.
&ldquo;I could hear the temperature rise a little bit,&rdquo; Curry said of the reaction from the small crowd allowed in State Farm Arena.
&ldquo;It was some awesome competition,&rdquo; Curry said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad I got it done.&rdquo;
After a runner-up finish to 2020 Skills Challenge winner and fellow big man Bam Adebayo of Miami, Indiana&rsquo;s Sabonis returned to win the title.
The 6-foot-11 Sabonis did not miss a pass or 3-point shot in elimination wins over Julius Randle of the New York Knicks and Luka Doncic of Dallas in the test of passing, ball-handling and shooting ability. Doncic fell behind by missing in his first two tests of his passing accuracy.
Sabonis beat Orlando&rsquo;s 7-foot Nikola Vucevic in the matchup of big men for the skills title. Each missed two 3-point shots before Sabonis sank his third attempt and then clinched his fist in victory.
&ldquo;It was fun,&rdquo; Sabonis said. &ldquo;I wanted to come out and make sure I got it done this time.&rdquo;
Curry had 31 points in the first round to lead the contest. Also advancing were Jayson Tatum, with 25 points, and Conley, with 28.
Tatum led off the final round with 17 points while making only one shot from the &ldquo;money ball&rdquo; rack. Conley nearly duplicated his first-round total and it appeared it might be enough until Curry solidified his reputation as one of the top shooters in NBA history.
Simons showed off his leaping ability and creativity to beat New York&rsquo;s Obi Toppin and Indiana&rsquo;s Cassius Stanley in the two-round dunk contest that started off with Stanley&rsquo;s spectacular slam that received a surprisingly low score.
The 6-foot-3 Simons soared, almost kissing the rim, on a powerful right-handed jam to beat Toppin in the final. Simons puckered his lips as if kissing the rim, even though he was a few inches away.
&ldquo;I tried to get close enough so obviously I wouldn&rsquo;t hit my head on the rim too hard,&rdquo; Simons said, before acknowledging he has never &ldquo;actually kissed the rim&rdquo; in practice.
&ldquo;I had to commit to it,&rdquo; Simons said.
Simons also paid tribute to a former star by wearing Tracy McGrady's jersey on a jam that earned a score of 49 to earn his spot in the final.
&ldquo;He was my hero growing up, so I wanted to honor him as well,&rdquo; Simons said.
The contest was judged by five former dunk champions: Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins (1985, 1990), Spud Webb (1986), Dee Brown (1991), Jason Richardson (2002, 2003) and Josh Smith (2005).
There was some early controversy when Stanley's first dunk, a left-hander after he moved the ball between his legs in the air, scored only 44 points. Toppin then scored a 48 on a two-handed reverse.
On Simons' first dunk, he positioned the ball even with the top of the square above the rim. He then showed off his leaping ability by grabbing the ball for the jam which earned 46 points.
&ldquo;I just wanted to show I could jump up pretty high and be creative, so it was fun,&rdquo; he said.
Toppin also showed creativity, jumping over his father, Obadiah Toppin, and teammate Julius Randle on a dunk which earned 46 points.
In the final, Toppin took off from near the free-throw line, inspiring comparisons to Wilkins' winning form while with the Atlanta Hawks.
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More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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