Bluejays

The NBA has officially announced the reserves for the 2025 All-Star Game, set to take place on February 16 at the Chase Center in San Francisco. These selections, chosen by the league's head coaches, will join the previously announced starters in the newly formatted All-Star mini-tournament.&nbsp;
Eastern Conference Reserves:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Guards:</li>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers</li>
</ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Frontcourt:</li>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers</li>
</ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Wildcards:</li>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Tyler Herro, Miami Heat</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
THE 2025 EAST ALL-STAR RESERVES: ⭐️ Cade Cunningham ⭐️ Damian Lillard ⭐️ Tyler Herro ⭐️ Darius Garland ⭐️ Evan Mobley ⭐️ Jaylen Brown ⭐️ Pascal Siakam <a href="https://t.co/KH8E1XAoh0">pic.twitter.com/KH8E1XAoh0</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1885117401114820767?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2025</a></blockquote>

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Western Conference Reserves:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Guards:</li>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers</li>
</ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Frontcourt:</li>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies</li>
</ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Wildcards:</li>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
THE 2025 WEST ALL-STAR RESERVES: ⭐️ Anthony Edwards ⭐️ Anthony Davis ⭐️ James Harden ⭐️ Jaren Jackson Jr. ⭐️ Alperen Şeng&uuml;n ⭐️ Jalen Williams ⭐️ Victor Wembanyama <a href="https://t.co/g1Sa3l4rcE">pic.twitter.com/g1Sa3l4rcE</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1885122220240101829?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2025</a></blockquote>

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These reserves will complement the All-Star starters announced last week, which include prominent players such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic.&nbsp;
This year's All-Star Game introduces a new format featuring a mini-tournament with four teams competing in three games. The 24 All-Star selections will be divided into three teams, each drafted by TNT's Inside the NBA analysts&mdash;Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kenny Smith. The fourth team will comprise the winners of the Rising Stars Challenge, led by honorary general manager Candace Parker. Each game will be played to a target score of 40 points, adding a fresh competitive element to the event.&nbsp;
The 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend promises to deliver an exciting showcase of basketball talent, blending seasoned superstars with emerging players in an innovative and engaging format.

The NBA has officially announced the reserves for the 2025 All-Star Game.

NBA announces 2025 All-Star Game reserves

The NBA announced that 242 players have filed as early-entry candidates for the 2023 NBA Draft. Here is the complete list.

NBA announces 242 early-entry candidates for 2023 NBA Draft

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 17 of his 23 points in the second half and Tyger Campbell added 18 to lift No. 4 UCLA to a 78-71 win over Utah on Thursday night.
&ldquo;Jaime is a big-time player. He&rsquo;s an All-American and a guy that&rsquo;s going to play in the NBA for 10-12 years, so it&rsquo;s not a surprise,&rdquo; UCLA coach Mick Cronin said.
Jaquez, who was UCLA&rsquo;s only effective offensive player in the second half, made a 3-pointer with 1:03 remaining to seal the win just moments after Campbell made a 3 from the corner.
&ldquo;I prepare myself to be in these situations,&rdquo; Jaquez said. &ldquo;My guys have faith in me that I&rsquo;m going to make the right play every time down the stretch.&rdquo;
UCLA (24-4, 15-2 Pac-12) has won seven in a row despite giving up more than 70 points for just the fourth time this season.
&ldquo;The key is number one, taking care of the ball, and two, relying on your defense to get things done, not your offense,&rdquo; Campbell said.
Mike Saunders Jr. came off the bench to score a career-high 25 points for Utah (17-12, 10-8 Pac-12), which has lost three in a row.
&ldquo;Honestly, it felt amazing and it was crazy because I envisioned it,&rdquo; Saunders said. &ldquo;I was just waiting for an opportunity. I feel like my teammates believe in me.&rdquo;
The Utes played without their starting backcourt of Rollie Worster and Gabe Madsen, who are both injured. Utah finally started making 3-pointers in the second half and cut the Bruins lead to 62-59 after Wilguens Exacte and Saunders hit from beyond the arc.
But Jaquez came up with baskets when the Bruins needed them most.
&ldquo;The game was never in jeopardy,&rdquo; Cronin said, despite Utah&rsquo;s late runs. &ldquo;When you have Jaime and Tyger, it&rsquo;s easy to be confident.&rdquo;
Utah held the Bruins without a field goal for more than six minutes in the middle of the second half, highlighted by a couple of thunderous blocks from Branden Carlson and Keba Keita.
&ldquo;It was a heck of an effort. We&rsquo;re not into moral victories but really, really proud of the way they played today,&rdquo; Utah coach Craig Smith said.
Saunders, who only had three points in all of conference play coming into the game, brought a new element of speed to the Utes but made some mistakes characteristic of seldom-used players.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s going to learn. They were some things tonight he&rsquo;s got to do better, but he really sparked us on the offensive end,&rdquo; Smith said.
UCLA&rsquo;s 15-2 mark through 17 Pac-12 games marks the program&rsquo;s best conference start since the 2007-08 Final Four team with Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook.
Jaquez thinks this team can go even further.
&ldquo;National championship. That&rsquo;s what we got in mind,&rdquo; Jacquez said.
Tyger Campbell scored 10 of his points in the first half and helped manufacture open shots for his teammates while the Bruins held the Utes to 33 percent and 0-for-10 from 3-point range to take a 43-31 lead at halftime.
BIG PICTURE
UCLA: The Bruins took what the Utes gave them, so they consistently scored from the mid-range. Even with their scoring drought, the Bruins took care of the ball with only six turnovers, marking the 27th of 28 games this season they have less giveaways than their opponent.
Utah: The Utes made it difficult at times for the Bruins with a determined effort on the boards and a lot of hustle, but the Utes couldn&rsquo;t shoot. Without their guards, Saunders was a pleasant surprise, but it didn&rsquo;t matter because UCLA shot so well early and held Carlson in check.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
UCLA has been in the Top 10 for the last month and further upward mobility will probably depend on one of the top three losing this weekend.
UP NEXT
UCLA: At Colorado on Sunday.
Utah: Hosts Southern Cal on Saturday.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 17 of his 23 points in the second half and Tyger Campbell added 18 to lift the No. 4 Bruins to a 78-71 win.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. leads No. 4 UCLA to 78-71 win over Utah

On January 15, after a 112-102 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving was asked about Kevin Durant's absence. More specifically, he was asked how the circumstances (and the locker room) differ from last year. This is what he had to say.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Kyrie on why KD's absence is different this year: "Well I'm consistently in the lineup, that helps. We also don't have anyone who is halfway in in the locker room."
&mdash; Alec Sturm (@Alec_Sturm) <a href="https://twitter.com/Alec_Sturm/status/1614805186589110277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2023</a></blockquote>

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There was a hint of irony to the response in light of his&nbsp;absence for large portions of last season due to New York's vaccine mandate, as well as the suspension he served this season due to sharing antisemitic content. Secondarily, it felt like a clear shot at former Nets guard James Harden, who ultimately requested a trade before last year's deadline.&nbsp;
On January 15, Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10063026-ball-is-in-the-nets-court-as-kyrie-irving-seeks-long-term-extension" target="_blank" rel="noopener">relayed word from Irving's agent</a>, expressing their desire to reach an agreement on a long-term extension in Brooklyn. From the piece:
<blockquote>
"Around Kyrie and staying with the Nets? I have reached out to the Nets regarding this," his agent Shetellia Irving told Bleacher Report. "We have had no significant conversations to date. The desire is to make Brooklyn home, with the right type of extension, which means the ball is in the Nets' court to communicate now if their desire is the same."
</blockquote>
It would appear the desire isn't mutual. With no extension agreed to, Irving has reportedly requested a trade from the Nets ahead of the February 9 trade deadline.
Zooming out, that's three separate trade requests the Nets have received from stars over the past calendar year. And before digging into potential destinations from Irving, it's worth taking the step back to acknowledge how wild things have been in Brooklyn during the 7/11 Era.&nbsp;
(Also, the clock is going to start back ticking on Durant, no? Irving requesting the trade now is unfortunate timing. Depending on what they could get back, this deal could take the Nets out of the contention conversation through absolutely no fault of Durant's. Considering Irving's role in Durant's trade request in the summer &mdash; he wants, or wanted, his guy there with him long-term &mdash; it would be understandable if he got antsy again.)
Irving has been tremendous on the court this season, averaging 27.1 points (career-high 56.9% on 2s, 37.4% on 3s), 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds. His blend of ball-handling, pull-up shooting and finishing is almost unrivaled in the league &mdash; and in league history. And to Irving's credit, his buy-in on the defensive end is as consistently high as it's ever been in his career.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Irving's availability and contract status &mdash; he'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer &mdash; will complicate his trade value. The receiving team, if he's moved, will have to be confident in retaining Irving long term. And from there, they'd have to be confident that Irving, who hasn't appeared in 70 games since the 2016-17 season, will be consistently available. His injury history and off-the-court controversies in back-to-back seasons make that a tough bet on the surface.
Of course, the bet being tough &mdash; and likely untenable for some franchises &mdash; doesn't mean it won't be made at all. There will be teams that check in on Irving and push their chips to the middle of the table.
We have to start the conversation with the Los Angeles Lakers. They were linked to Irving in the summer, when it felt like both Durant and Irving could be moved. There's an obvious link between Irving and LeBron James. The two played in Cleveland together for three years, winning a title in 2016. LeBron also stood up for Irving during his suspension earlier this season.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
💭 I told you guys that I don&rsquo;t believe in sharing hurtful information. And I&rsquo;ll continue to be that way but Kyrie apologized and he should be able to play. That&rsquo;s what I think. It&rsquo;s that simple. Help him learn- but he should be playing. What he&rsquo;s asked to do to get back on
&mdash; LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1590781218790211584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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We don't have to spend much time here. The Lakers would build a package headlined by Russell Westbrook and one or both of their future first-round picks (2027, 2029) for Irving. That doesn't mean the Nets would get Westbrook; three-team frameworks would likely be discussed, and it's worth noting that Haynes reported earlier on Friday that the Lakers and Utah Jazz <a href="https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/10064005-nba-insider-buzz-lakers-know-they-need-another-trade-jazz-enter-westbrook-chat.amp.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">re-engaged in talks surrounding Westbrook</a>.
Beyond the Lakers, there are a few teams that come to mind that make on-court &mdash; and I stress on-court &mdash; sense for the star guard.
Priority number one for the Dallas Mavericks, for example, is finding a legitimate co-star to pair with Luka Doncic. He's clearly good enough to handle a gargantuan offensive load; he leads the NBA in points (second in scoring average, 33.4) and ranks fifth in assists (8.2). Only the Cavs play at a slower pace than the Mavericks this season, mostly due to Doncic's surgical cadence in the half-court.&nbsp;
Spencer Dinwiddie and Christian Wood (when healthy) have filled in well as secondary scorers. Dinwiddie is averaging nearly 18 points a game while bombing away from three (40.3% on a career-high 6.4 attempts). Wood's inside-out dynamic has helped him become the second half of the NBA's most prolific pick-and-roll duo, per Second Spectrum tracking.
Neither of them garner the same defensive attention that Irving does, nor can they take over games in the way that Irving can. A framework built around former-Net Dinwiddie and currently-in-the-rumor-mill Dorian Finney-Smith could intrigue the Nets.
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The Miami Heat were reportedly on Irving's summer list of teams he'd be okay getting signed-and-traded to, per ESPN's Adrain Wojnarowski. A certified third star alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo could lift their ceiling, especially one as dynamic offensively as Irving. As of writing, the Heat rank 25th in overall offensive rating, excluding garbage time, and 22nd in half-court offense.
While Tyler Herro has taken steps as a creator and first-time starter &mdash; 20.3 points (49.9% on 2s, 37.3% on 3s) and a career-high 4.4 assists is nothing to sneeze at &mdash; his ability to generate traction downhill and deal with in-your-jersey defenders on an island pale in comparison to Irving. Among teams that may show interest in Irving, Herro may be the best young piece that could be offered in a deal &mdash; though his inclusion would be complicated due to the <a href="https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2018/10/hoops-rumors-glossary-poison-pill-provision.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"poison pill" element</a> of his current contract status.
Because Herro's rookie extension (4/120) hasn't kicked in yet, the Heat and Nets would be dealing with different cap numbers in a potential trade. For the Heat, they'd be sending out Herro's current-year salary ($5.7 million). The Nets (or a third team receiving Herro) would be accounting for $25.1 million &mdash; the average of Herro's total salary owed.
Without Herro, Miami would likely try to use Kyle Lowry as the headliner to a package. With <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Heat.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">somewhat limited pick ammo</a> and young prospects -- how much would Nikola Jovic appeal to this version of Brooklyn? -- the Heat feel more like a long shot compared to Los Angeles and Dallas.
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>The Suns and Nets were linked during the Durant Sweepstakes, but I wonder if they'd check in on Irving. This would be a deal centered around Chris Paul, which begs the question: how much more would Brooklyn want? Would a Paul + Cam Johnson package appeal to both parties, in light of Phoenix's need for half-court scoring?</li>
<li>The Clippers will always &mdash; or at least should &mdash; be mentioned in these kind of conversations. Their roster is littered with quality players on mid-level salaries, making them an appealing keep-us-competitive option for the Nets.</li>
<li>I'm sure the Knicks are content with Jalen Brunson, but hey. Just ... hey, I'm sure they'll think about it. Even if the answer is ultimately, "Nah, we're good", I find it hard to believe they wouldn't think about it.</li>
<li>Normally there's a "won't happen, but these pieces make sense" team to choose from in trade discussions like this, but I'm struggling with this one. Would the closest be something surrounding an Irving-Zach LaVine swap? Like, sure?</li>
</ul>

Kyrie Irving has requested a trade from the Nets. Nekias Duncan looks at which teams make sense as a possible landing spot.

Exploring possible trade destinations for Nets' Kyrie Irving

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) &mdash; KJ Adams scored a career-high 22 points and No. 2 Kansas closed the game on an 18-4 run to beat Oklahoma 79-75 on Tuesday night.
Kansas (14-1, 3-0 Big 12) got 17 points from Jalen Wilson, 11 from Dajuan Harris and 10 from Zach Clemence. The Jayhawks have won 22 straight games against Oklahoma in Allen Fieldhouse, including 16 straight under coach Bill Self.
Oklahoma (10-5, 1-2 Big 12) was led by Grant Sherfield&rsquo;s season-high 25 points. Sam Godwin added 12 points, Milos Uzan had 11 and Tanner Groves had 10.
Kansas went more than 12 minutes without a field goal in the second half, but Adams ended that streak with a thunderous dunk at the 5:06 mark.
NO. 5 TENNESSEE 77, VANDERBILT 68
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Santiago Vescovi and Julian Phillips each scored 15 points as Tennessee recovered from a halftime deficit to pull out a win over Vanderbilt.
Vescovi scored 12 of his points in the second half to lead the recovery for the Volunteers (14-2, 4-0 Southeastern Conference), who won their 25th straight game at Thompson-Boling Arena. Uros Plavsic contributed 11 points.
Vandy&rsquo;s 7-foot Liam Robbins won the battle of the big men with 18 points off the bench. Noah Shelby had 12 points and Jordan Wright added 13 for Vanderbilt (8-8, 1-2).
NO. 11 KANSAS STATE 65, OKLAHOMA STATE 57
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Markquis Nowell scored 20 points and found Keyontae Johnson for an alley-oop dunk with 38 seconds left as Kansas State held off Oklahoma State.
Johnson added 12 points and Desi Sills had 11 for the Wildcats (15-1, 4-0 Big 12), who won their ninth straight and matched their victory total from last season. Predicted to finish last in the Big 12, Kansas State went from unranked last week to just outside the top 10 in the AP poll.
Kalib Boone scored 23 points and Caleb Asberry had 15 for the Cowboys (9-7, 1-3), who have lost three of four, all by 10 points or fewer.
NO. 13 VIRGINIA 65, NORTH CAROLINA 58
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) &mdash; Ben Vander Plas had 17 points and eight rebounds and Virginia used a 17-2 second-half run to beat North Carolina, which lost leading scorer and rebounder Armando Bacot to a left ankle injury.
Reece Beekman scored 13 points and Armaan Franklin had 12 points and nine rebounds as the Cavaliers (12-3, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) won their eighth straight meeting with the Tar Heels at John Paul Jones Arena.
Bacot rolled his ankle 1:18 into the game and did not return. RJ Davis led the Tar Heels (11-6, 3-3) with 16 points and Caleb Love and Jalen Washington added 13 each. Washington, a freshman, played 27 minutes in Bacot&rsquo;s absence.
NO. 14 IOWA STATE 84, TEXAS TECH 50
AMES, Iowa (AP) &mdash; Gabe Kalscheur scored a season-high 25 points to help Iowa State roll past Texas Tech.
Kalscheur made five of six shots from 3-point range and was 10 of 14 overall as the Cyclones (13-2, 4-0 Big 12) coasted to their sixth straight win.
Jaren Holmes added 15 points. Caleb Grill finished with 14 after hitting four of his first six 3-pointers. Iowa State finished 12 of 22 from behind the arc.
De&rsquo;Vion Harmon led Tech (10-6, 0-4) with 14 points.
MICHIGAN STATE 69, NO. 18 WISCONSIN 65
MADISON, Wis. (AP) &mdash; A.J. Hoggard made a tiebreaking layup with 41 seconds left and Michigan State rallied past Wisconsin for its seventh consecutive victory in a game that had 14 lead changes.
Wisconsin (11-4, 3-2 Big Ten) was playing its second straight game without leading scorer and three-year starter Tyler Wahl, who averages 13.2 points per game.
Joey Hauser had 20 points for Michigan State (12-4, 4-1), which won its first road game since Dec. 7. Tyson Walker added 13 points, Jaden Akins 12 and Hoggard 10.
Steven Crowl scored 19 points, Chucky Hepburn 14 and Connor Essegian 13 for Wisconsin.
NO. 21 AUBURN 82, OLE MISS 73
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) &mdash; Wendell Green Jr. scored 23 points, including 18 in the second half, and Auburn dominated after halftime to beat Mississippi.
Auburn (13-3, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) trailed 35-34 at the break but put together runs of 6-0, 10-2 and 9-4 in the opening 10 minutes of the second half.
Johni Broome had 19 points and 11 rebounds, Allen Flanigan added 15 points and Jaylin Williams scored 11 for the Tigers, who shot 17 of 28 (60.7%) in the second half.
Matthew Murrell led Ole Miss (8-8, 0-4) with 24 points, adding six rebounds and four assists. Tye Fagan scored 13 points and Jaemyn Brakefield added 12 for the Rebels, who lost their fifth straight.
NO. 23 SAN DIEGO STATE 74, NEVADA 65
SAN DIEGO (AP) &mdash; Matt Bradley scored 17 points and Lamont Butler added 15 and San Diego State took sole possession of first place in the Mountain West Conference.
The Aztecs (13-3, 4-0 MWC) dominated on both ends of Steve Fisher Court in a showdown between the last two undefeated teams in the conference to extend their winning streak to six games. Keshad Johnson added 11 points for SDSU, which has beaten Nevada nine straight times.
Nick Davidson scored 17, Kenan Blackshear 12 and Jarod Lucas 11 for Nevada (14-4, 4-1), whose six-game winning streak was snapped.

A recap of Tuesday's men's top-25 action includes a career night from Jayhawks forward KJ Adams.

No. 2 Kansas extends home win streak against Oklahoma to 22

Luka Doncic carries the largest individual scoring burden in the NBA. It's barely even up for debate at this point. He leads the league in per-game scoring, ranks second in Basketball Reference's usage rate, and has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jason-kidd-concerned-about-luka-doncics-ridiculously-high-usage-rate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already sparked concern</a> about the effects of his workload from head coach Jason Kidd.
The most telling evidence, however, comes from Darryl Blackport and PBP Stats, which tracks "self-created" shots around the NBA &mdash; shots that took two or more seconds for an individual to generate. Of Doncic's 370 field goal attempts this season, 342 &mdash; a whopping 92.4% &mdash; have been self-created. That percentage leads the NBA by a wide margin and is on pace to be the highest in the last 10 years since NBA tracking data was implemented.
Only four other times has a player self-created over 90% of his shots in a season: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (twice, in 2020-21 and 2021-22), Trae Young (2021-22) and James Harden (2018-19). We can draw all sorts of takeaways from Doncic's pace regarding his own greatness, his usage and the support system of the Mavericks' offense. The central point is that Doncic has to conjure a level of bucket-getting creativity unlike almost anyone we've seen in recent years.
I examined some of this self-creation data over the summer, looking at <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-have-nba-superstars-changed-as-creators-over-time-lebron-james-kevin-durant-chris-paul-giannis-joel-embiid-nikola-jokic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leaguewide trends</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-have-nba-superstars-changed-as-creators-over-time-lebron-james-kevin-durant-chris-paul-giannis-joel-embiid-nikola-jokic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">player evolutions</a>. We're approaching the 20-game mark of the season for most NBA teams, and while that's still a small sample size, it's worth starting to unpack the landscape of the league.
Let's get back to Doncic and the burden of self-creation. Here are the top-10 leaders in self-creation frequency (min. 100 total shot attempts) so far this season, along with their effective field goal percentages on those shots:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 242px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">Player</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">% of FGA that are self-created</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">eFG% on self-created shots</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd" style="height: 22px;" role="row">
<td class="" style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">Luka Doncic</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">92.4%</td>
<td class="sorting_1" style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">54.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">Shai Gilgeous-Alexander</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">87.6%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">54.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">Trae Young</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">86.1%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">45.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">Ja Morant</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">85.0%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">49.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">James Harden</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">83.9%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">48.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">Jalen Brunson</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">81.2%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">54.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">Kevin Porter Jr.</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">81.0%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">44.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">DeMar DeRozan</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">80.8%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">56.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">Cade Cunningham</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">78.1%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">47.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">De'Aaron Fox</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">77.7%</td>
<td style="width: 31.490698433420366%; height: 22px;">56.4%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, considering their extraordinary creation burdens, have been quite effective. Jalen Brunson and De'Aaron Fox have also shined as individual creators this season, and we already knew DeMar DeRozan could get buckets himself.
Meanwhile, it's been tough sledding for Trae Young and Kevin Porter Jr. Young should bounce back given his track record, but Porter Jr. is regressing from his already-dismal 44.4 eFG% last season. Houston needs to find a way to make life easier for KPJ.
Fox and DeRozan rank fifth and sixth, respectively, in self-created eFG% among 85 players who have taken at least 100 such attempts. The four in front: Stephen Curry (62.7%), Donovan Mitchell (62.0%), Tyrese Haliburton (58.1%), and Tyler Herro (56.6%).&nbsp;
Add that stat to the index of support for one of Chef Curry's best seasons ever. He's only surpassed that mark once in tracking data history: his 2015-16 MVP season. And how about Mitchell and Haliburton thriving &nbsp;as lead creators despite a new role (Haliburton) and a new team (Mitchell)? Their electric starts are backed up by the numbers.
Though creative individual scorers help lead the entertainment aspect of the NBA, there's still the stigma that less ball movement means less success. Does that match up with how the season has played out to date?
Not really. The Los Clippers have self-created a league-high 54.1% of their shots this season and are 28th in Cleaning the Glass's offensive rating. Teams like the Rockets and Pistons are in a similar boat. But the Spurs only create 39.7% of their shots with individual efforts (2nd-lowest in the NBA), yet have the 26th-ranked offense. Charlotte, the worst offense in the league, is exactly in the middle at 15th-fewest in self-creation frequency. The below graph shows there isn't much of a trend:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-11-25-at-1-45-57-pm_690w.png" alt="" />
Self-creation efficiency, regardless of team volume, is a tad bit more telling, but still not super helpful. Many of the best offenses have also knocked down self-created attempts at a high clip, but there are also several notable exceptions, namely teams like the Raptors and Jazz:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-11-25-at-1-45-04-pm_690w.png" alt="" />
The moral of the story is: Basketball is complex! Maybe letting individual shot creators run free is good for the offense and overall team. Maybe it isn't. "Know your personnel" is not just about scouting opponents &mdash; it also can mean understanding one's own roster and the best ways to harmonize with each player.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>Which player is self-creating the fewest percentage of his shots? That's Boston Celtics wing Sam Hauser:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Fun stats that shows how extreme Sam Hauser is leaning into the off-ball shooter archetype: He&rsquo;s taken 89 shots this season. ONE has been a self-created shot and it was near the basket. His 1.1% self-creation frequency is hilariously low and the lowest in the NBA
&mdash; Ethan Fuller (@ethman43) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1596196146309107712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

<ul>
<li>More fuel to the "Steph Curry is playing his best basketball ever" from Synergy's Todd Whitehead:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Steph Curry is off to the hottest start of his career. <a href="https://t.co/S9QLlSJCwM">pic.twitter.com/S9QLlSJCwM</a>
&mdash; Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrumpledJumper/status/1593696065907134465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

<ul>
<li>Here's a neat visualization from SISHoops that highlights how this year's best perimeter shooters are finding their chances:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Shot versatility is an underappreciated element of shooting ability, so we're taking a look at how the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA</a> top 3-point marksmen are getting their looks: <a href="https://t.co/OQUAp6ZaAx">pic.twitter.com/OQUAp6ZaAx</a>
&mdash; SIS Hoops (@SIS_Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/SIS_Hoops/status/1595108265670889473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Ethan Fuller looks at the early landscape of shot creation around the NBA.

NBA Stats Notebook: Analyzing early self-creation trends around the league

NEW YORK &ndash; The NBA debuted its new 2022-23 season tip-off spots, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1bcZhEytR8&amp;ab_channel=NBA">The Nonstop NBA</a>&rdquo; for its brand campaign and &ldquo;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6Z0gm8K1uI">This is HAPPENING</a>&rdquo; for the new NBA App. Both are now streaming across all <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA">@NBA</a> social platforms and on the <a href="https://pr.nba.com/nba-launches-reimagined-app-the-all-in-one-destination-for-nba-fans-of-every-team/">new reimagined NBA App</a>.
2022-23 Brand Campaign &ndash; &ldquo;The Nonstop NBA&rdquo;:
Told through the lens of the ultimate NBA superfan, nicknamed &ldquo;Non-Stop&rdquo;, and featuring an All-Star lineup of NBA players, coaches and legends, the spot celebrates the return of the NBA, showcasing how the game and its culture is constantly evolving.
&ldquo;We got sneaks-on-the-ground on four coasts&hellip;
From a Serbian Serpent moving like Mamba&hellip;
To A Greek-Nigerian-Milwaukeean changing the face of the game&hellip;
to an ice-cold Trae in the heart of Hotlanta&hellip;
To a couple brothers in the Bay with wet jays splashing their way back to try to go back-to-back&hellip;&rdquo;
Reigning NBA Champion Stephen Curry headlines an illustrious cast of NBA talent starring Jayson Tatum, Tyler Herro, Paul George and Joel Embiid, who remind fans about all the exciting on-court elements that they can look forward to this season. From a potential Warriors repeat for Curry to another shot at the Celtics claiming a league record 18th title orchestrated by Tatum, the drama known as the NBA is about to begin its next act.
&ldquo;The Nonstop NBA&rdquo; also features a fan debate at an outdoor basketball court on whose team will be this year&rsquo;s champ, with Embiid proclaiming that it&rsquo;s the 76ers&rsquo; year.&nbsp; From exciting matchups and captivating crossovers to breathtaking buzzer beaters, the nonstop energy of the league extends far beyond the baseline to culture, fashion, music, the metaverse and more &ndash; whether it&rsquo;s Damian Lillard recording in the studio, DeMar DeRozan showing off his impressive sneaker collection or Luka Dončić coming to life in NBA 2K23.
Finally, &ldquo;Non-Stop&rdquo; makes one thing clear &ndash; the NBA has something for everyone, and fans better keep up because &ldquo;in the NBA, what&rsquo;s happening next is happening now.&rdquo;
Click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1bcZhEytR8&amp;ab_channel=NBA">HERE</a> to view the full campaign video, &ldquo;The Nonstop NBA&rdquo; 
Full cast includes:
<ul>
<li>NBA Players: Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), DeMar DeRozan (Chicago Bulls), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Paul George (LA Clippers), Tyler Herro (Miami Heat), Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers), Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)</li>
<li>NBA Legends: Tim Hardaway Sr., Bill Walton</li>
<li>Coaches: Tyronn Lue (LA Clippers)</li>
<li>Influencers: Crissa Jackson</li>
<li>Non-Stop: Actor Keyon Bowman</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;Created in conjunction with independent creative agency <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.translationllc.com/__;!!PMETyfE!OjCxd7kYYWMkE8rEg5x37IScA9s0eCuMCphhqiO_2s6vv2xXlqzc9MuGTeKdwcXvc35DQRP8iUZZ33Ew1KYRjrg$">Translation</a>, the spot was directed by Calmatic (&ldquo;House Party&rdquo;, &ldquo;Entrepreneur&rdquo; by Pharrell Williams ft. Jay-Z and &ldquo;Old Town Road&rdquo; by Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus).&nbsp; &ldquo;The Nonstop NBA&rdquo; is currently airing on television networks, with additional :30, :15 and :10-second versions running on social and digital channels.&nbsp; The spot will also be translated in 14 additional languages to reach fans globally.
Check out action from behind-the-scenes <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwBjdHqXRcs&amp;ab_channel=NBA">HERE</a>, detailing the making of &ldquo;The Nonstop NBA&rdquo;, featuring soundbites from DeMar DeRozan, Paul George, Tyler Herro, Damian Lillard, Tyronn Lue, Jayson Tatum, Bill Walton and &ldquo;The Nonstop NBA&rdquo; director Calmatic.
&nbsp;2022-23 NBA App Campaign: &ldquo;This is HAPPENING&rdquo;:
Ahead of the 2022-23 season, the league launched the new reimagined <a href="https://global.nba.com/nba-apps/index.html?showNav=false&amp;showFooter=false&amp;adobe_mc=TS%3D1602716228447%7CMCMID%3D02995697633469209167976945683217902546%7CMCORGID%3D248F210755B762187F000101%40AdobeOrg">NBA App</a> to be an all-in-one destination for fans of every team. To celebrate the new app, the league released its campaign, &ldquo;This is HAPPENING,&rdquo; to get fans excited about all the NBA App has to offer.
In the spot, LaMelo Ball and Jordan Poole take fans on a journey through the NBA App, showcasing its capabilities and all it has to offer, from every play on the court with real-time highlights, behind-the-scenes access, press conferences, and all-access shows, because &ldquo;If it&rsquo;s HAPPENING, it&rsquo;s HAPPENING in the NBA App.&rdquo;
Click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6Z0gm8K1uI">HERE</a> to view the full spot, &ldquo;This is HAPPENING&rdquo; 
Full cast includes:
<ul>
<li>NBA Players: LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets), Jordan Poole (Golden State Warriors)</li>
</ul>
Created in conjunction with full-service creative agency, Mekanism, the spot will air across TV networks and stream on NBA social and digital platforms throughout the season. Download the <a href="https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/nba-live-games-scores/id484672289">NBA App</a> and Sign Up for NBA ID today.
The 2022-23 NBA season tips off on Tuesday, Oct. 18 with a doubleheader on TNT.&nbsp; The Philadelphia 76ers will visit the reigning Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics (7:30 p.m. ET) before the NBA champion Golden State Warriors receive their championship rings and host the Los Angeles Lakers (10 p.m. ET).&nbsp; A full schedule of the season&rsquo;s game is available on <a href="https://www.nba.com/schedule">NBA.com</a> and the NBA App.

Both are now streaming across all @NBA social platforms and on the new reimagined NBA App.

NBA debuts tip-off spots: 'The Nonstop NBA' & 'This is HAPPENING'

In his "Blazing the Trail" series, Mat Issa analyzes Penny Hardaway as a dual threat and how he stood out from other point guards.

Blazing the Trail: Anfernee 'Penny' Hardaway, the floor giant

As we continue on through &ldquo;Bet Week&rdquo; on BasketballNews.com, we&rsquo;re combining two awards into one breakdown, as NBA Sixth Man of the Year and Coach of the Year go under the microscope next.
Which names stand out as the best bets? And what are some potential underdog fliers that could pay huge dividends at the end of the season? Let&rsquo;s dive into it with odds provided by DraftKings.
Sixth Man of the Year Best Bet: Tyler Herro, Miami Heat (+500)
Tied atop the odds leaderboard alongside Golden State Warriors breakout star Jordan Poole, Tyler Herro put together a very strong case to repeat in this category. Not only is Herro a key cog to the Heat&rsquo;s well-oiled machine, but he fits within his role off the bench so well.
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On his way to winning 6MOY last season, Herro averaged 20.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists on a 56.1% True Shooting percentage. Herro not only took the needed steps forward in his own career trajectory, but he once again is a swing element to Miami&rsquo;s formula for success in 2022-23. With the Heat looking likely to run it back with the majority of their rotation, plenty of offensive burden remains on Herro&rsquo;s shoulders.
If the Heat finish near the top of the Eastern Conference standings as expected, Herro&rsquo;s opportunity to repeat is right there for the taking with maintained statistics.
Sixth Man of the Year Dark-Horse Bet: Cameron Johnson, Phoenix Suns (+2500)
Cameron Johnson was a finalist last season for this award, but it still seems like his impressive third-year campaign fell a little too far under the radar. Off the bench spelling Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder as Phoenix&rsquo;s third wing, Johnson averaged 12.5 points while shooting 42.5% from three-point range. A valuable marksman within the Suns&rsquo; formidable rotation, Johnson enters a contract year where a lot of potential scoring possessions will be available to the most aggressive player.
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Devin Booker and Chris Paul still control the offense in Phoenix, but who will step as the consistent third option? Deandre Ayton should be that focal point following a max contract, but Johnson has continuously shown he can pour in points when given the ultimate green light. Suns head coach Monty Williams values Johnson&rsquo;s underrated two-way game, so expect him to hover around starter-like minutes anyways.
Kevin Durant&rsquo;s looming trade saga plays a massive role here too. If Durant comes to the Valley, this is all for naught with Johnson likely off to the Brooklyn Nets. However, the longer this drags out, it feels inevitable that Phoenix runs it all back and sees what happens. If so, keep an eye on Johnson taking another step forward.
Coach of the Year Best Bet: Ime Udoka, Boston Celtics (+700)
Following a rough start, there&rsquo;s no denying Ime Udoka rallied this group together for a magical NBA Finals run. Now, with an even stronger roster, Boston is poised to stay atop the East standings. For Udoka, he already has support to be an easy, shoo-in COY favorite. If the Celtics can repeat their success while avoiding any costly injuries, Udoka&rsquo;s chances should be high.
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And a special kudos to former Celtics head-coach-turned-executive Brad Stevens, because he made Udoka&rsquo;s job so much easier with this projected rotation:
Starting Lineup: Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Robert Williams
Second Unit: Malcolm Brogdon, Derrick White, Danilo Gallinari, Grant Williams
Health-permitting, Udoka and the Celtics own a realistic pathway to nabbing multiple season-ending awards.
Coach of the Year Dark-Horse Bet = Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat (+1400)
Similar to the argument presented for the favorite in Udoka, don&rsquo;t sleep on the Heat staying in the East&rsquo;s elite tier. Even without a potential Durant acquisition, Miami&rsquo;s roster is still fortified enough where 50-plus wins should be attainable.
Already known as one of the league&rsquo;s best tacticians, Erik Spoelstra leading Miami to the peak of the East standings would put him in a great spot to secure yet another COY honor. Miami is always a team that can sneak up on people, especially from a betting perspective. Don&rsquo;t let that happen with an underrated offseason wrapping up for the Heat, which, as shown, can propel them to multiple pole positions on awards.
<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">For all the latest NBA betting trends, spreads, props and more, check out Basketball News' betting podcast "Nothing But Bets."</a>
Also, check out: "<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/best-bets-on-202223-nba-rookie-of-the-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Best bets to win the 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year award</a>" and "<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/best-bets-to-win-the-202223-nba-most-improved-player-award-anthony-edwards-tyrese-haliburton-evan-mobley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Best bets to win the 2022-23 NBA Most Improved Player award.</a>"

Which names stand out most for award races involving NBA Sixth Man of the Year and Coach of the Year? Evan Sidery breaks it down.

Best bets: 2022-23 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Coach of the Year awards

Let the talking begin. The trading, too, and eventually the signing.
Free agency officially opens Thursday in the NBA, with teams able to begin negotiating at 6 p.m. Eastern with players who are not under contract &mdash; although, in reality, free agency and the slew of offseason movement is already off and running.
James Harden declined his $47 million option for next season with Philadelphia on Wednesday and became a free agent &mdash; but told the team he intends to stay on a new deal that will allow the 76ers the flexibility they need to sign other players this summer, according to a person with direct knowledge of that situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither Harden nor the 76ers confirmed those plans publicly.
And Harden's decision came almost simultaneously Wednesday with another massive move &mdash; the San Antonio Spurs are trading All-Star guard Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks for Danilo Gallinari and three first-round picks, according to another person with direct knowledge of the terms of that deal who spoke to AP with anonymity because the trade had not been announced by either side. ESPN first reported the completion of that deal, which pairs Murray with another All-Star in Trae Young in the Hawks' backcourt.
Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook have already made their decisions; both could have been free agents this summer and found a combined 84 million reasons not to hit the open market &mdash; <a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-lakers-nba-sports-basketball-russell-westbrook-f04900c25b080a4d97a37a8fbf355f0b">$47 million for Westbrook</a> to opt-in for the last year of his deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-nets-nba-sports-kyrie-irving-f07bead702771069df05809872a7ae85">nearly $37 million for Irving</a> to do the same with the Brooklyn Nets.
Jalen Brunson will be in demand early, with the expectation that he&rsquo;ll quickly agree to leave Dallas and become the new point guard in New York. And there will be players who might decide to look elsewhere, or accept huge $200-million-plus deals with their current teams &mdash; opportunities that are presenting themselves to Zach LaVine with Chicago and Bradley Beal with Washington.
The largest deal, in terms of actual dollars, coming in the next few days almost certainly won&rsquo;t have anything to do with a free agent: All signs point to two-time reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic being offered a supermax extension in the $260 million range by the Denver Nuggets. The only question there will be how quickly he finds a pen to put to that paper.
Minnesota can give Karl-Anthony Towns a supermax of about $210 million this summer, as can Phoenix with Devin Booker.
Other players are restricted free agents, meaning their current teams will have the right to match offers from other clubs. The most notable name on that list is Deandre Ayton, the Phoenix center who was the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft but watched others in his draft class get their first extensions last summer.
Some players will be free agents in name only. John Wall, for example, will get $41 million in a buyout from the Houston Rockets, and has already decided that he wants to play for the Los Angeles Clippers next season. The Clippers are expected to use a $6.4 million exception to sign Wall, and that figure matches the money that Wall gave back to make the buyout of what would have been the final year of his contract happen.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll see what happens as free agency opens up and everything else,&rdquo; Clippers owner Steve Ballmer said. &ldquo;I think the sky&rsquo;s the limit for our team. The sky is the limit. ... And of course, you&rsquo;ve got to have a little bit of luck to win the Larry O&rsquo;Brien Trophy, which is what we&rsquo;d really like.&rdquo;
That will be everyone&rsquo;s goal come 6 p.m. Thursday, to find ways to get closer to the Larry O&rsquo;Brien, whether that&rsquo;s in 2023 or beyond.
Such thinking even applies to the champion Golden State Warriors, who have a slew of rotation players &mdash; Kevon Looney, Otto Porter, Gary Payton II among them &mdash; who just last week were enjoying a parade through San Francisco and are now free to go elsewhere if the opportunities and dollars are right.
&ldquo;We still do need to surround the team with vets and that&rsquo;s the plan in free agency,&rdquo; Warriors general manager Bob Myers said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s easier to get some of the older players, we think, in free agency than young players. Young players are probably the most in-demand in free agency.&rdquo;
True, and that&rsquo;s another element of this time of year: Young players, and not grabbing them in free agency this year, but keeping them out of free agency in future years.
Ja Morant will surely be offered a max rookie extension by Memphis, one that will kick in with the 2023-24 season. The Zion Williamson situation in New Orleans will be interesting, as the Pelicans decide how much to offer to &mdash; or safely structure a deal for &mdash; a No. 1 pick who has missed the majority of his first three NBA seasons because of injury issues. Miami is planning to offer sixth man of the year Tyler Herro an extension, though the Heat will have to determine what number makes the most sense for them going forward.
And, of course, there is a LeBron James angle: The Los Angeles Lakers were a disaster last season and will aim to revamp their roster, plus can give James a two-year extension in August worth nearly $100 million. But before he signs, they have far more pressing concerns.
Officially, it all starts Thursday. A new season is already here.

NBA free agency officially opens Thursday, with teams able to begin negotiating at 6 p.m. ET with players who are not under contract.

NBA free agency opens Thursday, starting deal-making season

To even get in this position, the NBA&rsquo;s most unyielding organizational machine almost somehow, some-f***ing-how, did it again.
Down 98-85 with 3:30 left in the fourth quarter of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, where his team hadn&rsquo;t led once, this sh** should&rsquo;ve been over.
But, then again, it was about 48 hours removed from Jimmy Butler&rsquo;s remix of LeBron James&rsquo; famous Game 6 in Boston performance as the Heat trailed 3-2 a decade ago in the 2012 East Finals.
Again, LeBron? After you couldn&rsquo;t get it done with the Cleveland Cavaliers, after you didn&rsquo;t want to post-up JJ Barea in the 2011 Finals, you&rsquo;re crumbling again?
That's what people may have thought prior to James exploding for 45 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists on 19-of-26 shooting on the road with Miami's backs against the wall.
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With the Celtics as 10-plus-point favorites in sportsbooks and the media ready to coronate Boston (as some of them would shamelessly do every year if they could), Butler outdid James, willing his way to 47 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, shooting 55.2% from the field, going 4-of-8 from three and making all of his 11 free throw attempts.
Most thought even getting to this point would be impossible. And yet, here they were &mdash; this organization &mdash; defying the public again.
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Trailing by 13 points with 3:30 left to go in Game 7, this sh** should&rsquo;ve been over. But Kyle Lowry makes a prayer of a mid-range jumper with 3:22 left and Max Strus dunks a putback after a Victor Oladipo miss with 2:40 to go. Then, off a Lowry steal on Grant Williams below the opposing basket, Oladipo finishes in transition and cuts the deficit to 98-91 as 1:23 remained on the game clock.
There&rsquo;s no way. There&rsquo;s just no f***ing way. But a mere 20 seconds later, Lowry lays it up against Williams. It&rsquo;s an 8-0 run. With about 50 seconds left, Jaylen Brown elbows Bam Adebayo in the mouth on a drive; it's an offensive foul. Five seconds later, Strus buries a three &mdash; fading away, heavily contested &mdash; and now, it&rsquo;s 98-96.
And then, it comes down to Butler&rsquo;s decision. To this point, he has 35 points and 9 rebounds on almost 60% shooting. He&rsquo;s averaged about 26-7-3 despite playing like sh**, by his standards, from Games 3-5 while battling the knee injury he was still enduring. With 18.3 seconds left, after pushing up the floor, he faces Al Horford and, with enough space, goes for the kill shot to put the Heat up one finally. He brought you here. He can do what he wants.
Butler missed. It fell short, and the Celtics mercifully hung on for the victory in the face of an all-time collapse, but the Heat were one shot from a second NBA Finals appearance in the Butler era, which is now entering its fourth season.
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The Heat don&rsquo;t just have a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jimmy-butler-is-a-16game-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">16-Game Player</a>, they have one of the best playoff performers in the league. If you disagree, how many times does he have to f****ng show you? Right knee inflammation be damned &mdash; he was arguably the best two-way playoff player standing up until Sunday night. But to drag, claw and will his team to that moment was something few saw capable prior to it, even as he showed us in the 2020 playoffs what was possible.
This Heat team overcame injuries and/or COVID and/or personal issues regarding every single player on the roster. Famously, it was noted all year how little the team&rsquo;s <a href="https://twitter.com/jeremytache/status/1494520255829401628" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four best players even shared the floor</a>. After <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-miami-heats-blow-up-was-necessary-but-now-the-rest-is-up-to-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nearly spiraling out of control and f****ng each other up on the sidelines in late March</a>, the Heat gave up the No. 1 seed, rallied as only they could and secured it again before playoff time.
But still, questions linger. Turning 33 years old in September, how much of this Butler can you count on? Soon to be 25 years old, is Adebayo ready to take his much-needed next step offensively with consistency? How much does Lowry have left in the tank at 36?
And even at just 22 years old, which <a href="https://twitter.com/5ReasonsSports/status/1531703266870009856?s=20&amp;t=B2ebiuI498-FFI96iW6s6A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he reminded us of yesterday</a>, is Tyler Herro the one who gets squeezed? Because he&rsquo;s extension eligible now after underperforming in the playoffs, having far and away the team&rsquo;s worst postseason On/Off Court rating (-22.7) even before his groin injury in the conference finals.
As Ethan Skolnick usually says on <a href="https://twitter.com/5OTF_" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5 On The Floor</a>, quoting Pat Riley, &ldquo;The playoffs tell,&rdquo; and what the playoffs told the Heat are a few things.
This Miami team has two glaring needs: Length and shot creation.
Regarding length: Adebayo is still your center, and although the Heat reached an NBA Finals with Jae Crowder as the 4 beside him and were one shot from PJ Tucker doing the same, they should be in the market for a big who can do two key things: Stretch the floor and protect the paint.
If the Heat are going to switch everything (and <a href="https://www.nba.com/heat/everything-everywhere-bam-adebayo-defensive-player-year#:~:text=When%20Adebayo%20is%20on%20the%20court%2C%20that%20number%20drops%20to,per%20100%2C%20tied%20for%20No.">Adebayo will switch more than anyone in the league</a>), you need a back line of defense when teams like the Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers try to size up and attack the interior. Additionally, Tucker turned 37 during the playoffs and has a player option worth $7.35 million, which he could decline for one, last multiyear deal if he wishes. Either way, the Heat would prefer to retain him, but he shouldn&rsquo;t carry the load he did all 2021-22 season next campaign.
Here&rsquo;s the Heat&rsquo;s salary cap table going forward via Basketball-Reference.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-06-01-at-10-08-07-am_690w.png" alt="" width="644" height="418" />
The Heat will not have cap space this summer, <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/miami-heat/cap/">but Spotrac indicates</a> that they will have a full, non-taxpayer mid-level exception worth $10.2 million next season because the team is, as of now, not in the luxury tax. The mid-level <a href="https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/09/mid-level-bi-annual-projections-for-2022-23.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">could be a four-year deal up to around $43 million</a>, though most mid-level deals are shorter and may include an option. The Heat also have the bi-annual exception, in which they could use up to $4 million for the 2022-23 season. And in addition to that, Miami has a $1.8 million trade exception from the KZ Okpala deadline deal with Oklahoma City that <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/thunder/news/oklahoma-city-thunder-net-kz-okpala-future-first-round-pick-in-trade-with-miami-heat">essentially gave the Heat three first-rounders to play with this summer,</a> or whenever, as opposed to the one the franchise possessed.
Speaking of that, we did say the Heat need shot creation.
Having already noted that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-heat-havent-needed-a-herro-yet-but-they-better-get-one-soon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Herro may have been playing for his future</a> during the playoffs, one thing was made clear: Butler needs help offensively.
As frustrating as Adebayo&rsquo;s lack of aggression can be for some, it&rsquo;s important to note that without his defense, they don&rsquo;t even beat the Sixers, let alone push the Celtics to seven games. We&rsquo;re getting to the point where people are saying, &ldquo;Oh, I understand his defense, whatever, but...&rdquo; Like, no, fam. No. This is arguably, pound-for-pound, the best and most versatile defender on the planet. God forgive him for giving you world-class defense, including more switches than anyone else on earth, and not dropping 27 points a night. If he did, he&rsquo;d probably be worn down and injury-prone by his late 20s. As a contender, Bam should be your third option offensively, as he was this year, nearing 20-10 per night in the regular season and occasionally exploding in the playoffs. (That, he should do more, no doubt.)
The true question: Is Herro good enough to round out that top three with Butler and Adebayo? Unlike Adebayo, Herro isn't providing much if he isn't scoring. Do you work around them to improve the committee? Or do changes need to be made at the top?
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If it&rsquo;s the former, the Heat will need to get creative and trust that Herro&rsquo;s development will meet Butler&rsquo;s timeline in a playoff setting &mdash; not just for 82 games &mdash; as Herro finishes the last of his rookie-scale deal. If it&rsquo;s the latter, Tyler's the one that goes. You&rsquo;d be moving the good player for the great player. Even if you think Herro tops out at Devin Booker-level in three years, that doesn&rsquo;t make him a can&rsquo;t miss developmental story if the Heat are trying to win now. They can&rsquo;t afford not to have Herro get there as soon as possible; it isn&rsquo;t fair, but it&rsquo;s part of the business and the crossroad the Heat find themselves at.
Butler is 33. Lowry is 36. Tucker is 37. Erik Spoelstra, who might have more than just "head coach" in his future, is 51. And most importantly, Pat Riley is 77.
(Besides, name all the players that were traded from the Heat and improved considerably? I&rsquo;ll wait...)
The players you should most expect to see back, as of now, are Butler, Adebayo, Lowry, Strus and Gabe Vincent &mdash; the latter two will make $1.8 million each next season and made significant strides in 2021-22 as rotational pieces. Tucker should be more likely back than not, but there&rsquo;s no certainty there. Spoelstra <a href="https://twitter.com/tropicalblanket/status/1531698466921013251" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made it sound as if Oladipo will be back</a>. However, Oladipo will be a free agent this summer, so that&rsquo;s to be determined, as is the status of <a href="https://twitter.com/Anthony_Chiang/status/1531773926359048193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pending free agent Caleb Martin, who wants to stay</a>.
Duncan Robinson and Dewayne Dedmon &mdash; both of whom lost rotation spots in the playoffs &mdash; most certainly will have new homes next year.
Robinson&rsquo;s will have to be via trade, and although his value has tanked compared to where it stood 12 months ago, no NBA deal is unmovable. The question is whether or not he&rsquo;ll be packaged with Herro as part of a blockbuster deal that further cements the Heat&rsquo;s contendership, or if Robinson's mainly a standalone in a deal, perhaps packaged with someone like Omer Yurtseven (who&rsquo;ll get over $1.7 million next season and showed flashes throughout the season of a rotational piece).
We&rsquo;ll get deeper into the weeds as the draft and free agency actually approaches. What I&rsquo;ll end on is this: If it&rsquo;s Robinson alone and/or Robinson and Yurtseven, people have thrown names out there like Christian Wood and Marcus Morris. For me, if I built someone in a lab who I&rsquo;d want to play next to Bam on the interior, he&rsquo;d be able to shoot threes and protect the paint, as outlined earlier. He&rsquo;d be around 7-foot tall since Adebayo is about 6-foot-10, maybe, with a distinct wingspan. He&rsquo;d... basically be Mo Bamba, so if I had a Heat wish list, that&rsquo;d be the first place I look if it were possible.
The Orlando Magic have the first overall pick in the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft</a>, and given that they&rsquo;ll likely end up with Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren or Paolo Banchero next to Wendell Carter Jr., a sign-and-trade to move Bamba makes the most sense &mdash; especially if it&rsquo;s for shooting and a backup big man with upside to play behind the oft-injured Carter.
That is, unless, you could convince Danny Ainge, Dwyane Wade and the Utah Jazz to send you Donovan Mitchell for a package in the neighborhood of Herro, Robinson, Yurtseven, and multiple first-round picks.
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Bryan Fonseca details what the Heat must do to take their franchise over the top after coming up just short in the East Finals.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Miami Heat?

The Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat are top seeds in the NBA playoffs and at the moment they look like it, coming off impressive performances.
Both have a chance to take 2-0 leads in their respective series on Wednesday <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba">and are strong favorites to get it done, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.</a>
In the Western Conference, the Suns have a 10-game winning streak against the Dallas Mavericks, counting regular season games, going into Game 2. Deandre Ayton scored 25 points, Devin Booker added 23 and Chris Paul had 19 in Game 1 in a balanced and mostly dominant performance.
The Suns were up 21 points in the fourth quarter before a Mavs rally made it a two-possession game in the final minutes. Phoenix <a href="https://apnews.com/article/dallas-mavericks-phoenix-suns-nba-sports-maxi-kleber-4da1f56c9b8ddb62fb07a60697831597">held on for a 121-114 win</a> and said the game taught them a valuable lesson.
&ldquo;Just break the dang gas pedal, that&rsquo;s it, just break it,&rdquo; Ayton said, referring to whether Phoenix lost its focus with the big lead.
As for the Mavericks, they need someone to help Luka Doncic, who scored 45 points, had 12 rebounds and eight assists in Game 1. Coach Jason Kidd said others need "to join the party&rdquo; if Dallas is going to make this a competitive series.
&ldquo;We have been here before,&rdquo; Dallas forward Dorian Finney-Smith said. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t overreact. We have to go back to the drawing board. We know how they are playing us now so we have to make our adjustment.&rdquo;
In the Eastern Conference, the 76ers used plenty of lineups against the Heat in Game 1, and will continue to seek the right mix without league scoring champion and NBA MVP finalist Joel Embiid -- who will miss Game 2 with an orbital fracture and concussion.
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/philadelphia-76ers-miami-heat-nba-sports-tyler-herro-91af7f05d5d2475750a2bfe3d4654ac8">Miami won Game 1 106-92</a>.
Going small worked at times for Philadelphia. When Miami figured out the counter, the game got away from the 76ers. But there were some elements that worked.
&ldquo;The biggest adjustment for us is taking care of the darn ball,&rdquo; Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s being organized, being in the right spots, running your offense correctly. ... To get in the game and let that pressure take us out of that, it&rsquo;s not disheartening but really troubling.&rdquo;
And a Game 1 loss certainly didn&rsquo;t hurt Philadelphia&rsquo;s confidence. Backup center Paul Reed made that clear after the game.
&ldquo;Honestly, I think we can definitely beat this team,&rdquo; Reed said. &ldquo;I think we go out there, be more physical than them and play more aggressive and keep them on their heels, they&rsquo;re going to fold.&rdquo;
76ERS AT HEAT
Miami leads 1-0. Game 2, 7:30 p.m. EDT, TNT.
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: Miami&rsquo;s Bam Adebayo was 8 for 10 from the floor in Game 1, Tyler Herro got his shooting stroke back and the Heat won without a big night from Jimmy Butler (15 points). But the 76ers found things that they liked; zone defense worked to a certain extent, though exposed Philadelphia a bit on the offensive glass. Tobias Harris -- who was great against the Heat in the regular season -- had a game-high 27 points. &ldquo;He killed us. We didn&rsquo;t handle him well,&rdquo; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Philadelphia G James Harden. Only four shots and four points in the second half (granted, he didn&rsquo;t play much of the fourth quarter) isn&rsquo;t enough right now for a 76ers team without Joel Embiid. Harden doesn&rsquo;t have to take 35 shots, but he and the 76ers need to find ways for him to try and score more.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Embiid (orbital fracture, concussion) remains out, though has taken the first steps toward escaping the concussion protocols. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s feeling a lot better. I don&rsquo;t want to give false hope, either, so I&rsquo;ll just stop there,&rdquo; Rivers said. Miami PG Kyle Lowry (hamstring) has not played since Game 3 of the first-round series against Atlanta and will not play Wednesday. Butler had an excused absence on Tuesday, but is no longer on the Heat injury report.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: Miami. All the Heat have done is win a home game. If Philadelphia steals Game 2, it gets the home-court advantage for the series. That, combined with the possibility of Embiid returning at some point, would be a huge boost to the 76ers.
MAVERICKS AT SUNS
Phoenix leads 1-0. Game 2, 10 p.m. EDT, TNT.
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: The Suns were dominant for most of Game 1, looking much more like the team that led the NBA with 64 regular season wins. Deandre Ayton scored 25 points, Devin Booker had 23 and Chris Paul added 19. The Mavs hope they can take some confidence from a late-game run that made the score fairly close in the final few possessions. Mavs guard Luka Doncic was phenomenal with 45 points but needs help for the Dallas to get a road win.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Dallas G Jalen Brunson. Arguably the biggest reason the Mavs are still playing in this postseason is Brunson, who was had some big games when Doncic missed the first three contests of the Jazz series with a strained calf. Brunson struggled in Game 1, scoring just 13 points on 6 of 16 shooting. He'll need to be play better.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Dallas forward Maxi Kleber took a hard fall in the fourth quarter, landing on his upper back and neck after finishing a dunk. He stayed in the game to take his free throw but looked shaken. Kleber was a signficant contributor in Game 1, scoring 19 points and making five 3-pointers. Suns guard Devin Booker appeared to be at full strength in his second game back from a strained right hamstring, but he'll still be closely monitored.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: Dallas. The Mavericks have lost 10 straight games against the Suns, counting regular season games. Doncic &mdash; as usual &mdash; has been fabulous but if the Mavs can't find him some help this could be a short series.
___
AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report.

Both the Heat and the Suns have a chance to take 2-0 leads in their respective series on Wednesday.

Top-seeded Suns, Heat playing like the favorites in playoffs

After looking at how to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/betting-the-west-why-the-suns-being-heavy-favorites-makes-sense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bet the Western Conference</a> in the forthcoming NBA Playoffs, we now turn our attention to the Eastern Conference. Parity is of the essence atop the East, which includes five teams with a legitimate argument to win the conference and make a run to the NBA Finals. From a betting perspective, sportsbooks are all over the place when it comes to forecasting what&rsquo;s next in the East. How should the conference be divvied up before the postseason? Let&rsquo;s dive into the odds.
Tier 1: Milwaukee Bucks +270, Brooklyn Nets +330
I have this weird feeling building we&rsquo;re going to get Suns vs. Bucks Part II in a few months with another championship on the line. As of late, Milwaukee is finding a groove and rounding into form for their title defense. Giannis Antetokounmpo can break any defense apart, so another dominant run could cement his overall legacy. Considering the Bucks have such a strong rotation, the safest bet right now is to repeat last year&rsquo;s Finals matchup.
The one X-factor in the East has to be Brooklyn. Although James Harden is no longer there, Brooklyn still has two stars in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving who can push an elite team like Milwaukee to the brink. As we&rsquo;ve seen this season, the Nets are nearly impossible to stop when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are both going off offensively.
Last season saw Durant nearly beat the Bucks by himself in the Eastern Conference Finals. If Irving stays healthy, the main theme of top teams repeating could circle back around for an epic early-round clash.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Highlights from last night's OT WIN vs. Nets. ⚡️ <a href="https://twitter.com/we_energies?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@we_energies</a> ⚡️ <a href="https://t.co/A8gHaMibWs">pic.twitter.com/A8gHaMibWs</a>
&mdash; Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1509923795028615197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Tier 2: Miami Heat +425, Boston Celtics +430, Philadelphia 76ers +500
Kudos to BasketballNews&rsquo; own Spencer Davies, because he called it on the first &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; podcast episode previewing the 2021-22 season. He said that Miami was going to surprise some people and was right on the money. Miami has the two-way versatility to compete with the East&rsquo;s elite. The leaps from Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo have taken pressure off of Jimmy Butler, and it always helps to have a soothing veteran point guard presence in Kyle Lowry.
Miami has shown lockdown potential on both ends of the court, so if they have a hot shooting series, they can go toe-to-toe with anybody.
Losing Robert Williams due to injury is going to hurt Boston in the short-term, but this team has been scary good since the All-Star break. Jayson Tatum is one of the best scorers in the NBA, and Jaylen Brown is finding his spots within the flow of the offense. Any concerns related to Tatum and Brown&rsquo;s on-court fit have fizzled out. Boston has the star power to win big, but they also have some veterans who can be key in postseason pushes.
If I wanted to throw a dart at any of the odds presented on the board, Philadelphia gets my attention. The odds at +500 are simply too good to pass up. Betting on a historic postseason from Joel Embiid and James Harden, who continue to build chemistry together, has an extremely high ceiling. Tyrese Maxey has also begun to blossom, helping form a fun long-term trio in Philadelphia. I wouldn&rsquo;t be stunned if we saw the Sixers make the Finals, and I still feel there&rsquo;s a real shot there.
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Tier 3: Chicago Bulls +2700, Toronto Raptors +3000, Cleveland Cavaliers +5500
Unlike the Western Conference&rsquo;s top Tier 3 team, the Utah Jazz (+950), Chicago kicks it off at +2700 odds. It&rsquo;s been disappointing to watch the Bulls lose steam over the last few months because the early potential was off the charts. DeMar DeRozan is a perfect fit within the Bulls&rsquo; system alongside Zach LaVine, but losing Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso for the majority of the regular season were massive blows. Maybe the Bulls can surprise in the first round, but betters shouldn't expect much beyond that, especially now that Ball is officially out for the season.
Second to Philadelphia on my favorite odds out East, Toronto at +3000 is very tempting to hammer. The Raptors have caught lightning in a bottle for a while now, and their blend of win-now veterans and exciting young players is fun to watch. Pascal Siakam deserves an All-NBA spot, and the trio of Fred VanVleet, Scottie Barnes and OG Anunoby provide ideal two-way balance. Versatility is off the charts in Toronto, and there&rsquo;s a reality where they could be playing in the Eastern Conference Finals. Don&rsquo;t sleep on the Raptors because they&rsquo;ve been quietly impressive since February.
In the opposite direction of Toronto, Cleveland checks in with long +5500 odds. The Cavaliers were rolling behind their dynamic young trio of Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley. When Allen, their two-way All-Star anchor, went down it knocked the wind out of Cleveland&rsquo;s surging sails. Garland taking the leap could help Cleveland become a frisky opponent out early in the postseason. I&rsquo;m excited to see what happens this offseason for a team ready to take another huge leap forward in 2022-23.
Tier 4: Atlanta Hawks +10000, Charlotte Hornets +18000
In Tier 4, the odds are bordering on impossible for an NBA Finals run. Atlanta has been one of the NBA&rsquo;s most disappointing teams this season after their surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago. Trae Young is doing his best to carry a consistently short-handed Hawks squad, which is leading to some absurd individual numbers along the way. Maybe Young can help Atlanta push a team in the first round, but betting against another surprise run shouldn&rsquo;t be off the table.
Charlotte is one of my favorite teams to watch this season when they get humming offensively. LaMelo Ball running the show is so entertaining, plus they have a plethora of high-volume three-point shooters. Miles Bridges&rsquo; leap in a contract year makes him a pillar piece to Ball in Charlotte. It would be fun to have the Hornets in the postseason, but it may be a very quick exit for them. If Charlotte can add one more game-changing piece in the offseason (Myles Turner, perhaps?), they could take a huge leap in 2023.
Analyzing the betting odds in the Eastern Conference, the possibilities are endless. Five teams sit within the first two tiers of Finals probabilities, and it wouldn&rsquo;t be surprising to see a team with longer odds (Raptors, Hawks, etc.) make a surprise push further.
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With the NBA postseason drawing near, which teams have the best odds to come out of the Eastern Conference?

Betting the East: Possibilities are endless for NBA Finals contenders

Two days after the 2020 NBA Draft on Nov. 20, I received a text message from former NBA player and coach Avery Johnson, who I had worked with at CBS Sports HQ:
Matt, I'm working with a group called Overtime. Can I connect you with the co-founder to share our vision for a major concept coming to market next year?
Of course, I said, &ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
Shortly after, Overtime co-founder Zack Weiner connected with me. He didn't share any details about the "major concept," but he did say that he or a senior-level executive would call me in the following days.
I was appreciative that Avery had thought of me for their project, and I had every intention of hearing them out. However, I wasn't familiar with the company Overtime, and I'm regularly approached with new consulting opportunities, so nothing seemed to be all that atypical for me.
A few days later, I received a call from Shea Dawson, Overtime&rsquo;s head of athlete relations. She shared some details about Overtime as a company and explained that they had a new project in the works that would "change the game." She continued to tell me that their group felt that my background, experience and skill set would be helpful to them. Unfortunately, she couldn't fill me in on the project's specifics, as I needed to sign a non-disclosure agreement first.
After speaking with Shea, although I still wasn't clear about it, I became more intrigued about the potential opportunity.
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As I waited for the NDA to be emailed, I began doing my research on Overtime. I learned that the company was founded in 2016 by Zack Weiner and Dan Porter, who had worked together at WME, a leader in the talent agency industry. They started by raising seed money. Some early investors included former NBA commissioner David Stern and NBA star Kevin Durant. I then found out Overtime was a media company that creates unique content and targets a younger audience. (By 2019, Overtime was generating over a billion video views per month.)
So naturally, I became increasingly intrigued to learn about this mysterious project.
I finally received the email from Shea that included the NDA. I signed it and sent it back almost immediately.
Then, at last, the phone rang. It was Shea:
Matt, I'm so excited to share the details with you. We are creating a new professional league for high school-aged players. We want you to help us pull it together.
I had a lot of questions:
<ul>
<li>Where would they play?</li>
<li>Would they get paid, and how much?</li>
<li>Would the players go to school and earn a degree?</li>
<li>Would draft-eligible players be a part of the league?</li>
<li>Most importantly, what would happen to the players once they finished the league, and would they be eligible to play in college?</li>
</ul>
Despite my questions, I agreed to explore ideas to get involved. So for a couple of months, I had a handful of video conference calls with Shea and Aaron Ryan, a former executive in the NBA&rsquo;s office who was working as a consultant for the newly proposed and unnamed league.
Everything finally began to take shape by mid-January 2021. They named the league Overtime Elite (OTE). Aaron was hired as commissioner, while former NBA player and executive Brandon Williams was named head of basketball operations. In addition, I agreed to a short-term consulting deal to become a scouting advisor for the group.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/ote-leadership-group_lg.jpg" alt="" width="653" height="367" />
On March 4, 2021, OTE was publicly announced, releasing some project details. For starters, Overtime successfully raised $80 million. The newly raised money was allocated to build an arena in Atlanta, Georgia, and provide the league's players with salaries of a minimum of $100,000 per year among other things. The news spread like wildfire, and the feedback was mixed.
On one hand, NBA commissioner Adam Silver seemed to be optimistic, stating that he didn't have a problem with young players being paid and thought optionality was good. But, on the other hand, many of my friends in the industry were tearing the idea apart &mdash; some publicly and many behind closed doors.&nbsp;
What was the big issue with OTE, you ask? Well, I'll get to that in a minute.
As a scouting advisor, I assisted in setting up the scouting department and evaluated prospective players. Our group worked hard, and we did a good job. However, once OTE began recruiting, negotiating and looking to sign players, our scouting department shifted from evaluating players to recruiting them.&nbsp;
It was a necessary shift for the group, undoubtedly; however, I felt it put me in a compromising situation considering my involvement in so many different areas of basketball, including running <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA Draft and scouting coverages for BasketballNews.com</a>. I enjoyed working for OTE, but I decided to leave the group to avoid further conflicts of interest.
My last day working for OTE was May 14, which was a little over two months from OTE's launch date, four months from my start date with the company and six months since I first heard from Avery.
I may have left, but of course the show went on.
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Our scouting department identified the right players. Williams and Tim Fuller, the director of scouting and recruiting, did a great job of recruiting them. Then, on May 21, one week after I left the group, OTE announced that the league signed its first players: Matt and Ryan Bewley, five-star prospects from the Class of 2023. Then, Ausar and Amen Thompson after them. Then, Jean Montero, a top-rated point guard from the Dominican Republic. After that, there became a steady flow of new signings, one after another. OTE was rolling!
On Oct. 24, they hosted their first Pro Day. Following the event, NBA personnel and media members raved about the facilities and the talent level. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it due to scheduling conflicts. I planned to attend a couple of days of their games in December, but out of an abundance of caution and rising numbers of COVID and flu cases around sports, the games were cancelled.
A few weeks ago, I finally made my way out to Atlanta to see OTE's finished product. In addition to seeing all of the players that our scouting group evaluated and discussed for months, I was able to see the OTE Arena with my own eyes.&nbsp;
While working for OTE, I was on semi-regular video conference calls hosted by Tim Katt, who spearheaded the arena's development. I expected it to be impressive, but my expectations were far exceeded. I was blown away by the building as soon as I walked in.
The bright lights, advanced technology, music and cameras were the first things that jumped out. There was no denying that it was a unique place. Keep in mind, I've spent my entire life in and around basketball, and I have seen the game from just about every angle possible, all over the world. So I wouldn't consider myself someone easily impressed with basketball facilities &mdash; and I was impressed!&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/ote6837_20220113_ote_1545_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="436" />
My former co-workers, Louis Lehman and Matt Verden, gave me a tour throughout the facility. The more I saw, the more impressed I became. It wasn't the glitz and glam of it that impressed me as much as the resources I saw for young players to develop. For example, the players are given access to a personal chef for three meals per day, an incredible practice facility and high-level strength-and-conditioning spaces. Additionally, OTE has a well-built (and deep) coaching and support staff led by former NBA player and college head coach Kevin Ollie. Nowhere else in the world provides comparable levels of resources to players ranging between 16-18 years old.
Once the games started, the talent popped. Montero is the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/jean-montero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">main prospect for this year's upcoming draft</a>. He is likely to be the first draft pick to come out of the Overtime Elite program. The Thompson Twins look like lottery picks in the making for 2023. And then, guys like Alexandre Sarr and Tyler Smith look like they have promising NBA careers in their future too. And that's just naming a few; there&rsquo;s a ton of talent currently under contract.
I spent three days in Atlanta spending time with the OTE staff and becoming more familiar with the setup and evaluating their young prospects. On my flight home, I gathered my thoughts. I couldn&rsquo;t help but feel that OTE is generally misunderstood. I think many people only see "fluff." However, I see it differently.
The cameras, the bright lights, loud music and the content the league creates are the vehicles to generate the money (via sponsorship and advertising) to be able to provide such an incredible infrastructure to develop players&rsquo; marketability &mdash; but more importantly, to help them grow as basketball players and young men.
Considering my role and background, I tend to become hyperfocused on young prospects' development as basketball players but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the education element of OTE as well. On the league's website, it states, "OTE offers a direct-instruction model led by individual instructors who teach both 1:1 and in small group sessions featuring a 4:1 student-teacher ratio. OTE supplements a traditional course offering with a focus on life skills including financial literacy, media training, and advocacy and sports, and business of basketball."
That all sounds great, but what it doesn't mention is that the owner and co-founder of Overtime, Porter, served as the first president of Teach for America. Since education is a vital part of Porter's background, education has been a focal point since the idea's inception. So although they provide a non-traditional education, I can assure you that OTE&rsquo;s education program is well buttoned up.
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Overtime Elite is a special place and a terrific option for top teenage basketball players. I am proud to have played a small part in helping it go from being an ambitious idea into a successful reality.
But I'm going to address the elephant in the room now...
What's the catch with OTE? (Yes, there is one.)
For prospects to join the league, they have to sacrifice their college eligibility and instead, commit to a professional path. This alone has made the league controversial and subsequently labeled a disruptor in the basketball industry.
However, recently, it was announced that the NCAA had approved OTE players to participate in NCAA-certified AAU events this spring and summer.
Is this the first step towards players being able to sign with OTE while retaining their college eligibility? I'm not certain, but I sure hope so.
With all of that said, I'm going to leave you by posing a few questions:
<ul>
<li>What is the difference between a high school or college player receiving NIL deals and signing with OTE?</li>
<li>Who would be getting hurt by letting OTE players retain complete optionality and allowing them to play in college if they choose?</li>
<li>Is there any good reason that OTE players are not eligible to play in college other than arbitrary NCAA bylaws?</li>
</ul>
The questions are intended to be rhetorical, of course. However, I believe that they are essential.&nbsp;
So let's keep asking those questions!
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Matt Babcock describes his ties to Overtime Elite and why it is a special place and a terrific option for top teenage basketball players.

Matt Babcock: Overtime Elite is misunderstood

For the first time in their lives, twin brothers and NBA pros Caleb and Cody Martin are going to play against each other in a regular-season game. And while they're ecstatic for one another, they're both coming for bragging rights and the win this Saturday night in Charlotte.
"My brother [Caleb] is gonna be amped, but at the same time it's like, he approaches the game like he's playing me every game," Cody told BasketballNews.com over the phone.
Caleb is excited to return to Charlotte, back where his NBA career began and where he grew up.
"Getting to be back home and play where it all started will be fun," Caleb told BasketballNews.com. "To get play against all the others that were on my past team. There's always bragging rights... and getting to leave with the dub."
The Martins have been playing and practicing against one another their whole lives, even when they played on the same team. They've constantly driven each other and motivated each other.
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In fact, Caleb and Cody have always been together.
Whether it be basketball, fishing, grabbing a bite to eat or working at their local Walmart in Mocksville, North Carolina as cart pushers growing up, you'd find the pair together.
From Davie County High School, to a senior year at prep powerhouse Oak Hill Academy, two seasons at North Carolina State and transferring to the University of Nevada &mdash; together.&nbsp;
They played a significant part in back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, including a 2017-18 run to the Sweet 16, the Wolf Pack's deepest run since 2004. Both made All-Mountain West Conference squads each season and were heavily decorated, with Cody winning MWC Defensive Player of the Year and Caleb winning MWC Player of the Year.
Graduation and the NBA Draft brought the reality of separation to the forefront.&nbsp;
Cody would hear his named called on draft night, with the Charlotte Hornets taking him with the 36th pick on June 20, 2019, while his brother didn't hear his name called. However, Caleb would later sign an Exhibit 10 with the Hornets a month after, eventually earning a converted two-way contract and ultimately upgrading to a standard multi-year deal. Both factored in heavily in the Hornets' rotation by the end of their rookie season after spending time in the G-League with the Greensboro Swarm, further cementing themselves the following year.
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Cody Martin throws the lob to his twin brother Caleb Martin! <a href="https://t.co/ifR0UlbEcJ">pic.twitter.com/ifR0UlbEcJ</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1234203987349557250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2020</a></blockquote>

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But, in the 2021 offseason, Charlotte waived Caleb.
Caleb had prepared himself heading into the summer knowing it was a possibility, but mentioned it still caught him by surprise.
"It was just very eye-opening, in terms of just putting yourself in perspective to say, 'Alright well I haven't done enough, guys don't believe that you're an NBA player.' I think a lot of that was emphasized whenever I didn't get picked up off waivers," Caleb said.
He signed a two-way deal with the Miami Heat a month-and-a-half later, focused on proving himself and showing he belonged in the league.
"The Heat gave [Caleb] an opportunity and I don't think he's looked back since... his mindset, what he brings to them and the dynamic he brings to them, and just how hard he works. That's the culture there. So, I think he's fitting right in." Cody said.
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Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/Calebmartin14?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CalebMartin14</a> work on the defensive end 🤩<a href="https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MiamiHEAT</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HEATCulture?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HEATCulture</a> <a href="https://t.co/FEoD7EgpSJ">pic.twitter.com/FEoD7EgpSJ</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) <a href="https://twitter.com/BallyHEAT/status/1488698974257221632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2022</a></blockquote>

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And fit right in Caleb has, securing a high-leverage spot in the rotation for a team that's tangoed with the top seed in the Eastern Conference. He's put together career-highs across the board with respect to production and efficiency; that includes a renewed focus on the defensive end, as he's boasting his highest ratings in Defensive-Estimated Plus-Minus &mdash; emphasized by crisp rotations and honed-in tenacity.
He's played a significant part in the surprising emergence of Miami's bench unit, comprised mainly of undrafted and two-way players. The fourth most-played lineup by the Heat this season per Cleaning the Glass is an all-bench group of Gabe Vincent, Tyler Herro, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/qa-max-strus-on-heats-nextman-up-mentality-building-confidence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Max Strus</a>, Caleb Martin and Dewayne Dedmon. The group has been remarkably effective (plus-6.2 point differential), and played a key part in the Heat rallying back in the fourth quarter to take the Toronto Raptors to overtime in a recent game. (Editor's Note: It took three extra OTs to decide that contest, with the Raptors outlasting Miami 124-120.)
It's not often that a full, five-man bench lineup will play, let alone have a positive impact. Mostly coming from similar backgrounds (being undrafted) has factored into their ability to play together.
"I think a lot of that has to do with mentality man, the fact that we want each other to win so bad," Caleb said of the unit's success."
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Many will and have looked at Caleb and Cody side by side and struggled to tell the difference. Often on opposing broadcasts in prior years, there'd be <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1370186234136567809?s=20&amp;t=7BHfiwX4QfMC8J-mVhrTXg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confusion over which brother was which</a> when they were in game. But make no mistake: They're fraternal twins and will be the first to tell you.
"We've been trying to tell people, you know, we look the same, we do a lot of the same stuff, and we're together all the time, but our games are totally different. It's night and day." said Cody.
That's perhaps been the beauty of this season. Finally apart, each brother's game has blossomed, and as Cody mentioned, they're quite different. They bring a similar energy and hustle to the court that "might rub you the wrong way," as Cody made light of a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTPGoEDSW7s&amp;ab_channel=TeamNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent event with Russell Westbrook</a> when Charlotte played the Los Angeles Lakers. (He'd <a href="https://youtu.be/iCRnz44TW2k" target="_blank" rel="noopener">block Westbrook's lay-up attempt</a> into the abyss about a minute later.)
Caleb has fashioned himself into a top-notch slasher, taking advantage of hard closeouts and attacking the rim with authority, where he converts at a high rate (70% per Cleaning the Glass) and has put opposing shot-blockers on notice.
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(Caleb's favorite dunk is the first one.)
Give him the baseline, and you may as well give him the "and-one."
Meanwhile, Cody has flashed his ball-handling and playmaking chops more than ever at the NBA level due to defenses respecting his shooting, providing him driving lanes he didn't routinely garner his first two seasons.
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Cody Martin?!?!?!? <a href="https://t.co/6nbpXXQR8y">pic.twitter.com/6nbpXXQR8y</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1468001762762231808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2021</a></blockquote>

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If you've watched closely their whole careers, that dynamic has been there between them throughout &mdash; Caleb often leading their teams in scoring and shooting at a high clip, with Cody facilitating and filling in the gaps.
"It's kind of like refreshing too, that (playing apart) allows him to be him and that allowed me to be me," Cody said.
Both brothers spoke on the oddity of being apart on the court, but off the court has been an entirely different transition.
"The house is way more quiet," said Cody, who had lived with Caleb during his two years in Charlotte. "The transition has been not as bad as I thought it was gonna be just in terms of like, how different it would be. Because you're so busy, and you're on the road all the time."
Caleb emphatically remarked how much he loved living with his brother, and that it was an awkward adjustment at first, but "it's been cool to get to just be yourself." It really hit him one of the first times he went to get food by himself.
Despite being the furthest apart in their lives, the brothers' relationship is as strong as ever. They FaceTime every night and play video games with each other constantly in their off time, especially Call of Duty.&nbsp;
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Do the Martins keep up with one another's play? Follow each other's stats and production?
"Oh yeah, man. Yeah every game, every game," promptly said Caleb, who was preparing to watch Cody and the Hornets take on the L.A. Clippers in a matinee before his flight out of Miami last Sunday.
Cody gloated over his Caleb's play and fit with the Heat.
"We're each other's biggest fan, we want to see each other do well," Cody said. "We talk to each other every night, we critique each other every night. And tell each other what we see, and basically just trying to help each other. Regardless [of] whether he was here or not here."
To no one's surprise, you can just tell that this is genuine. The pride they brim with when talking about one another's career breakouts was an emotion filled with warmth.
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Though Saturday will be the first non-exhibition game Caleb and Cody will play against one another (Caleb was inactive when Charlotte and Miami first played this season), things aren't as different as they might appear on the surface. The jerseys may not be the same, but their mentalities and energy remain resolute.
Maintaining significant roles on opposing teams with playoff aspirations, the fraternal nature of their twindom can finally be seen abroad by a demarcation in their playing styles. Being apart has allowed them to flourish as individuals, but all their time together helped them get here.
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Mark Schindler speaks with Caleb and Cody Martin about their first game against each other, their support for one another and more.

Growing apart together: Caleb and Cody Martin flourishing on their own

Somehow, someway, the Miami Heat seem to always manage to mine unknown players, dust them off, and turn them into gems. In the 2021-22 season, that new gem was truly unveiled in the absence of Bam Adebayo, who returns from his six-week absence on Monday.
Omer Yurtseven began his professional basketball career in Turkey at the age of 15, in 2013, with the country's prestigious club Fenerbahce. Yurtseven developed extraordinary pro experience when many at his age were still playing other high schoolers. In 2016, Yurtseven left Fenerbahce in search of more playing time, which landed him at North Carolina State. He started immediately for the Wolfpack, but he wasn&rsquo;t putting any scouts on notice. After his sophomore season, Yurtseven decided to transfer to Georgetown for his final collegiate season. There, he put up career-best numbers under former NBA legend Patrick Ewing, averaging 15.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
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Yurtseven made a great final impression, but it still wasn&rsquo;t enough to get drafted. The 7-footer decided to go the G League route where he signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder&rsquo;s affiliate.
A few months later, Yurtseven signed with the Miami Heat. From there, his NBA journey went an entirely different route than anyone could have expected.
Fast-forward six months and Yurtseven has been an integral piece in the Miami Heat&rsquo;s success this season. Once Adebayo went out with a thumb injury, Yurtseven was thrown into the fire as a backup big alongside Dewayne Dedmon. Over a fast-growing sample size of minutes and games, Yurtseven has passed his first NBA test with flying colors.
He will likely slide into a scaled-back reserve role after this weekend as Adebayo soaks up heavy minutes at center, but he&rsquo;s now become an intriguing long-term development piece for Miami.
Heading into Friday&rsquo;s matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, the Heat have carried an above .500 record at 13-7 without their All-Star big man. Miami&rsquo;s ability to stay afloat is closely linked with how many underrated pieces stepped up for the team along the way. It should be noted that even during this stretch, Jimmy Butler was in-and-out of the starting lineup multiple times as well.
Tyler Herro looked the part, once again, of an instrumental building block for their young core. Duncan Robinson snapped out of his season-long shooting slump. Kyle Lowry&rsquo;s offseason addition loomed large as his veteran presence was massive for the undermanned Heat.
However the most impressive player in my eyes was the unheralded Turkish big who has now carved out a golden opportunity for himself in Miami.
Since Yurtseven became a fixture in the Heat&rsquo;s rotation, he has averaged 10.3 points, 13.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 28.7 minutes per game. That&rsquo;s a big enough sample size over 12 games to parse through the unique elements Yurtseven brings to the Heat&rsquo;s frontcourt.
Yurtseven has displayed elite rebounding traits, placing him in the upper-echelon alongside well-known board gobblers (Rudy Gobert, Nikola Jokic, Clint Capela), as well as showing promising floor-spacing potential. More recently, though, Yurtseven has brought intrigue via an ability to find open shooters, often operating as a high-post facilitator. Over his last three games, Yurtseven has dished out 18 assists. That&rsquo;s more dimes than Yurtseven put together since the stretch when he originally entered Miami&rsquo;s rotation (17).
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Yurtseven&rsquo;s blossoming all-around development has of course caught the eye of Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra.
&ldquo;He has good vision," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after Yurtseven&rsquo;s career-high 8 assists against the Phoenix Suns. "He has size. and he's had some games for us where he's been able to find open cutters, dribbles out to shooters. He's really improved in that aspect of helping somebody else get an open look. He&rsquo;s earned more touches in those situations to be able to do a little bit of playmaking for us.&rdquo;
Add it all together and it's obvious the 23-year-old big man is just now beginning to scratch the surface of what his potential could truly become in South Beach.
Miami hit the lottery again with their renowned player development program. Omer Yurtseven is a keeper, and he&rsquo;s well on his way to being a vital piece in their puzzle.

The Miami Heat's player development program has hit another home run with 7-foot undrafted center Omer Yurtseven.

The Miami Heat haved mined another gem with Omer Yurtseven

Kicking off the written predictions regarding our daily NBA betting podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; we went 4-2 during <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nothing-but-bets-projecting-10-24-21-nba-slate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunday&rsquo;s slate</a>. Over a 65% hit rate is a great start, so let&rsquo;s see if we can keep the upward trajectory rolling here for an even bigger batch of games on Monday.
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As a reminder, you can always find &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on any streaming platform each morning on the <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a> Podcast Network. Without further ado, it&rsquo;s time to forecast what happens on Monday night with daily odds via DraftKings:
Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks (-2)
This is going to be a very entertaining game. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks travel to Indiana to face a Pacers team who has been competitive in every game thus far. I&rsquo;m rolling with the Bucks here to win and cover the small 2-point spread thanks in large part to Giannis. However, don&rsquo;t be surprised if this one is close throughout. For those who listen to &ldquo;Nothing But Bets,&rdquo; you already know about the Sidery-Same-Game Parlays. It&rsquo;s something that really helps boost your winnings compared to just straight-up bets. In this one, we&rsquo;re riding with Milwaukee to cover at -110 odds, but here&rsquo;s a fun SGP to throw in as well boosting it up to +200: Bucks spread, Domantas Sabonis 15+ points, Giannis 25+ points. That feels like a winner right there.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Boston Celtics (-1)
Another game I&rsquo;m going to be glued to my seat watching throughout. What a matchup here between Charlotte and Boston, one in which I was waffling back-and-forth on all morning. The Hornets are 3-0 with such a fun brand of basketball, while the Celtics are still finding their footing. On the second night of a back-to-back for both teams, I&rsquo;m going to go out on a limb and ride the wave with Charlotte. LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges and the Hornets have me staring at the TV whenever they&rsquo;re on. Tonight will be no different, as I&rsquo;m taking the Hornets outright on the moneyline at -105. Here&rsquo;s an enticing same-game parlay to throw in as well for even more excitement: Hornets ML, LaMelo Ball 20+ points, Jayson Tatum 20+ points at +400 odds.
Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls (-1.5)
The Bulls are clicking on all cylinders right now. Not only is the offense fun to watch, but the defense has been even more impressive. Adding Lonzo Ball to the mix in the Windy City has really helped stabilize a better team effort on that end. Heading into Toronto, though, I really could see this game go either way. However, I&rsquo;m staying on the hot start with Chicago covering the 1.5-point spread. If this keeps up for the Bulls, they are quickly going to climb into the ranks of legit playoff team within the reshuffled Eastern Conference. As always, another SGP to keep things interesting: Bulls spread, Lonzo Ball 13+ points, OG Anunoby 14+ points, Zach LaVine 20+ points at +425 odds.
Atlanta Hawks (-11.5) vs. Detroit Pistons
This one is going to be a blowout, folks. I&rsquo;d be stunned if the Cade Cunningham-less Pistons keep this close. However, the 11.5-point spread is just too much for my liking here. I&rsquo;m taking the Hawks moneyline at -675 on DraftKings. And for those who want to double their money at +110, Trae Young can do that for you if he accomplishes all of the following on top of a Hawks win: 20+ points, 7+ assists, 2+ three-pointers. That seems very feasible for Young, and one that could quickly boost your winnings up for an expected blowout tonight in Atlanta.
Brooklyn Nets (-6.5) vs. Washington Wizards
Brooklyn has continuously burned me so far in best bets. However, I just can&rsquo;t stay away from this team due to a slow start. Looking to avenge an embarrassing home loss to Charlotte on Sunday, the Nets should be able to notch a win against Washington. If not, it might be time to stay away from Nets-related bets for awhile. With how the Nets have played recently, even 6.5 points is too much for me. I will simply roll with Brooklyn outright with the moneyline currently at -260. If you feel comfortable enough rolling with an SGP, betting on Kevin Durant and James Harden to score 20+ points is always a good option for boosting those odds.
Miami Heat (-13) vs. Orlando Magic
The Magic shocked the world on Sunday when they went into Madison Square Garden and defeated the New York Knicks. Will that momentum continue? No chance, in my opinion. The Heat look legit through the first week of the 2021-22 season. Their defense has been fantastic, plus Tyler Herro is emerging as a real Sixth Man of the Year candidate. Add on top of that the talent gap in this matchup, and Miami should roll easily here. A 13-point spread is a little too much for me here, so I&rsquo;m going to side with the Heat moneyline at -1000, but toss in an SGP to boost that little value up to +210: Cole Anthony 12+ points, Jimmy Butler 15+ points, Bam Adebayo 14+ points, Duncan Robinson 11+ points, 3+ threes from Robinson. That&rsquo;s a lot that needs to happen, but the boost from -1000 to +210 was too hard to pass on.
Minnesota Timberwolves (-5.5) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
I expect this one to be the highest-scoring matchup of the Monday slate, so I&rsquo;m hammering the over already at 226 total points. And with how the Pelicans have started off painfully slow without Zion Williamson, Minnesota&rsquo;s moneyline -225 is an easy bet here. Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and D&rsquo;Angelo Russell have meshed very well so far, and I expect the positive momentum to keep flowing at home against New Orleans. A same-game parlay I&rsquo;m rolling with at +235 odds on DraftKings is as follows: Timberwolves ML, Over 226 points, Towns 20+ points, Edwards 15+ points.&nbsp; In the over/under roundtables last week, our own Nekias Duncan <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-team-will-hit-its-over-win-total" target="_blank" rel="noopener">picked Minnesota to eclipse their mark</a> and fight for a play-in spot. I&rsquo;m siding with Nekias on that notion, plus the Wolves as winners tonight as well.
Denver Nuggets (-9.5) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Welcome to the Nikola Jokic experience, Evan Mobley. Although Mobley has looked fantastic so far, likely the very early Rookie of the Year favorite, going up against Jokic for the first time is always a rough one for young bigs. I expect Mobley to follow the same trend tonight in the Denver altitude. The Nuggets&rsquo; moneyline at -525 odds is what I think is the best bet of the night here, plus expecting a huge outing from Jokic. Here&rsquo;s a same-game parlay that can boost your potential winnings to +185: Nuggets ML, Jokic 20+ points, Jokic 7+ assists, Jokic 1+ threes. The MVP is going to send a message tonight against the Cavaliers. If Mobley holds his own when matched up against Jokic, go ahead and hand over the ROY award to him now. This will be a very fun one to follow along with tonight.
Los Angeles Clippers (-3) vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Portland has gotten off to a great start seeing improvements from its young core, on top of CJ McCollum adequately carrying the scoring burden alongside Damian Lillard. However, in the Staples Center, I&rsquo;m taking the Clippers to pull off the victory. Paul George is back in his element as the No. 1 option in Kawhi Leonard&rsquo;s absence, and I think he's going to have a great game on Monday night. If you simply take the Clippers&rsquo; moneyline (-145) and George to score 25+ points, it rises up to double your money at +110. That&rsquo;s a really solid bet to wager on in what should be a very close back-and-forth contest throughout.
So, to recap, here&rsquo;s our picks for Monday&rsquo;s nine-game slate courtesy of &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on the <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a> Podcast Network: Bucks -2, Hornets ML, Bulls -1.5, Nets ML, Hawks ML, Heat ML, Timberwolves ML, Nuggets ML, Clippers ML.

Alongside our newest podcast on BasketballNews.com, Nothing But Bets, our daily NBA picks will be posted each day.

Nothing But Bets: NBA Projections for 10/25/21

The NBA's free-agency period is in full swing, with agreements being reported left and right. Who were in the instant winners? After Day 1 of free agency, which teams made the biggest improvements to their roster? Let&rsquo;s go ahead and examine who stood out on the opening night of free agency.
MIAMI HEAT
Pat Riley once again proved that you can never, ever count out Miami. Not only did the Heat secure Kyle Lowry via sign-and-trade on a three-year, $90 million deal, but they also re-signed sharpshooter Duncan Robinson on a five-year, $90 million extension. Also, a very underrated move was Miami stealing gritty veteran PJ Tucker from the Milwaukee Bucks (on a two-year, $15 million contract) since he'll instantly become a key cog in their rotation as a small-ball big who can guard 3-5.
Lowry and Tucker are tremendous fits within the Heat&rsquo;s hard-working culture, as two veterans who are known for their relentlessness and drive to win. Miami went all-in on adding win-now veterans to an already intriguing core spearheaded by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
Looking ahead to the 2021-22 season, Miami feels entrenched atop the Eastern Conference&rsquo;s second tier behind only Brooklyn and Milwaukee. The Heat&rsquo;s rotation now features a Butler-Adebayo-Lowry big three with valuable role players such as Robinson, Tucker, Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn (assuming the restricted free agent is re-signed).
There are more moves to come that will further address their depth, but Miami is off to a hot start.
PHOENIX SUNS
For a team who just made the NBA Finals, the Suns have kicked off their 2021 offseason with a bang. On draft night, the Suns acquired shooting guard Landry Shamet from the Nets, who fits perfectly off the bench within head coach Monty Williams&rsquo; &ldquo;0.5 offense&rdquo; scheme. Shamet&rsquo;s three-point marksmanship helps form a deadly bench duo alongside Cameron Johnson, as snipers who can hunt for easy deep shots relentlessly.
That wasn&rsquo;t all for Phoenix, as they landed the best bargain deal on Day 1 of free agency. Backup point guard Cameron Payne returned to the Suns on a three-year, $19 million deal. Compared to other depth-guard signings, Payne seems to have given Phoenix a loyalty discount since they were the team that saved his NBA career. Payne&rsquo;s shot-creation ability off the bench is a huge asset for the Suns, and his further developing offensive profile is a massive spark plug that Phoenix couldn&rsquo;t let walk away.
Chris Paul also returned to Phoenix (as expected) soon after free agency opened, agreeing to a four-year, $120 million contract. However, Paul and the Suns created some flexibility down the line; the third year is partially guaranteed, while the final year is non-guaranteed. This is a win-win scenario for Paul and the Suns, who are ready to run it back with the future Hall-of-Fame point guard.
Following Dario Saric&rsquo;s torn ACL in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, adding a backup center became Phoenix&rsquo;s top priority outside of retaining their own free agents. The Suns needed to add size, length and athleticism behind Deandre Ayton. Enter JaVale McGee, who joins the Suns on a one-year, $5 million contract. McGee&rsquo;s veteran presence will help Ayton, but also add a new twist to the Suns&rsquo; second unit.
The Suns just made the NBA Finals and subsequently&nbsp;improved their roster. Watch out for Phoenix to stay atop the Western Conference next season.
CHICAGO BULLS
Lonzo Ball is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lonzo-ball-chicago-bulls-form-a-perfect-marriage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the perfect fit for the Bulls</a> as their starting point guard of the future. Providing a perfect complement of playmaking, shot creation and steady defense alongside Zach LaVine, Ball is set up to thrive in the Windy City. What Lonzo cost Chicago was a steal, in my opinion. Sending out only Tomas Satoransky, Garrett Temple and a second-round pick to the Pelicans in a sign-and-trade, Ball&rsquo;s four-year, $85 million contract is fair value for a player who continues to improve every season.
The rumor was that Chicago wanted to add multiple guards in free agency, and they accomplished that in stellar fashion, signing key Lakers reserve Alex Caruso to a four-year, $37 million deal. Like Ball, Caruso provides a nice blend of all-around game that will be an instant jolt to the Bulls&rsquo; second unit. Caruso shot plus-40% on three-pointers this past season in Los Angeles, and his pesky on-ball defense is an obvious trend Chicago prioritized early on.
The Bulls might not be done making splashes, though. There are heavy rumblings surrounding a potential double sign-and-trade sending DeMar DeRozan to Chicago and Lauri Markkanen to San Antonio. If Chicago is able to land DeRozan on top of their big-guard moves, Chicago&rsquo;s early free-agency grade vaults to an even higher level.
NEW YORK KNICKS
The Knicks had $50 million in cap space coming into free-agency, and they used it all up on the first day. Running it back by re-signing Derrick Rose (three-years, $43 million), Nerlens Noel (three-years, $32 million) and Alec Burks (three-years, $30 million), New York is prioritizing continuity for a team that finished as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference last season.
Utilizing the rest of their remaining cap space, New York signed three-level scoring guard Evan Fournier to a four-year, $78 million deal. Fournier might seem like a confusing signing for that amount of money, but he fits very well within the Knicks&rsquo; system. Fournier&rsquo;s shot creation will be a welcome asset alongside Julius Randle and R.J. Barrett. Since becoming a full-time starter in the league six years ago, Fournier has averaged 16.9 points while draining 38.1% of his three-point opportunities. Fournier brings a floor-spacing element that has been missing consistently within the Knicks&rsquo; offense.
New York now has an interesting rotation littered with depth across the board:
Starters: Rose, Fournier, Barrett, Randle, Noel
Second Unit: Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, Burks, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson
After these early free-agency moves, there&rsquo;s no reason to believe the Knicks can&rsquo;t duplicate last season's success.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Once the Wizards traded Russell Westbrook to the Lakers on draft night, many assumed a full reset was incoming. Bradley Beal would soon ask out of D.C. with no hope of fielding a competent roster around him.
Turns out, those preconceived thoughts were way off. It&rsquo;s very impressive what the Wizards have accomplished over the last week, surrounding Beal with a young nucleus who can contribute immediately. Spencer Dinwiddie is on the verge of agreeing to a three-year, $60 million deal as Beal&rsquo;s backcourt partner. The last time Dinwiddie played a full season in Brooklyn, he averaged 20.6 points and 6.8 assists. Dinwiddie&rsquo;s efficiency should go up playing alongside Beal, and both take immense pressure off one another.
Not only is the backcourt fit now snug between Dinwiddie and Beal, but the role players are a strong collection who are tailor-made for their superstar shooting guard: Davis Bertans, Rui Hachimura, Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Deni Avdija, Daniel Gafford, Corey Kispert, Isaiah Todd, Thomas Bryant and Montrezl Harrell. Washington&rsquo;s rotation now legitimately goes 11-12 players deep, a stark contrast from where they were a few weeks ago, even with Westbrook on their roster.
Inking Dinwiddie on a three-year deal vaulted Washington into the winners list, and they certainly deserve the praise for retooling on the fly around Beal.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
The Lakers are Day 1 winners in free-agency? Indeed they are, because they are attacking their biggest need: three-point shooting. In order for Hollywood&rsquo;s new big three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook to work, endless amounts of sharpshooters need to surround them. Through the first day of free-agency, Los Angeles is off to a great start.
Signing Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington and Kent Bazemore, the Lakers have added three above-average shooters from deep. Ellington could potentially step into a starting role alongside Westbrook in Los Angeles&rsquo; backcourt thanks to his 42.2% clip on threes last season with the Pistons. Meanwhile, Ariza and Bazemore provide two-way versatility as perimeter shooters and on-ball defenders who can cover multiple positions.
Los Angeles also signed Dwight Howard, who will become a key cog in their big-man rotation alongside Davis. Howard averaged 7.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 18.9 minutes per game during the Lakers&rsquo; championship run.
If the Lakers <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/los-angeles-lakers-free-agent-targets-10-names-that-could-fit-in-la-nba-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continue to address their spacing</a> in a positive manner, they are on the right track to making the LeBron/AD/Russ partnership work magnificently.

Who were the biggest winners from Day 1 of the NBA's free-agency period? Six teams stood out.

The biggest winners from Day 1 of NBA free agency

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

Hi, hello, and welcome to yet another edition of Roaming The Baseline! This will be a weekly endeavor where I point out some things that caught my eye: a hot or cold streak from a player, a developmental flash, a well-run play, a funny tweet, who knows? There will be film -- it&rsquo;s me, so of course there will be film -- but this will also be a bit looser. It&rsquo;s an extension of my Twitter feed, if you will.&nbsp;
With that said, let&rsquo;s roam the baseline.
DONOVAN MITCHELL IS BECOMING SCHEME-PROOF
We're reaching the point where there is no good answer for Donovan Mitchell in a playoff setting.
The numbers speak for themselves: 32.9 points with a 60.9 True Shooting percentage through his first eight games of the postseason. A 43% clip on nearly 11 threes per game is patently absurd.
Beyond the numbers, the way that Mitchell is going about this has been eye-opening. Base schemes just haven't worked.
Drop coverage has invited Mitchell to pull-up at will. Straight drives into shots, screen rejects into open pockets. You name it, he's done it.
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Switching has also been futile. Mitchell has been diligent about hunting mismatches. Players at a speed disadvantage have been dusted by Mitchell. Not switching quickly enough has left wide enough windows for Mitchell to pull-up against.&nbsp;
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The Clippers have had to break character. Not only have they limited the amount of time they've had a traditional center on the floor with Mitchell, they've dialed up their aggression with their smaller units. They're sprinkling in doubles to throw off the rhythm of Mitchell's attacks.
It's a gambit that has succeeded -- at least compared to the other base schemes. It's also a gambit that Mitchell is starting to get comfortable with.
We're starting to see more possessions like this, where Mitchell sees where a double is coming from and attacks the opposite side. It's not just the method of attack, it's how quickly he's attacking.&nbsp;
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The Leap may be upon us, folks.
JEWELL LOYD SETTING THE TABLE
[Insert fancy intro about how Breanna Stewart isn't the only good player on the Seattle Storm here.]
We'll start with a couple of stats.
Jewell Loyd is one of two players -- the other being Liberty wing Betnijah Laney -- that ranks in the top-10 in scoring (19.2, eighth) and assists (4.2, 10th).
Among 32 players that have logged at least 50 pick-and-roll possessions this season (passes included), Loyd ranks eighth in efficiency (.904 PPP). Among the seven players above her in that ranking, only Skylar Diggins-Smith (15.6) is averaging more possessions than Loyd (12.4).
Put another way: Loyd is one of the best high-volume pick-and-roll threats in the sport.
Loyd's handle is tight. She combines that skill with superb footwork, allowing her to create space and fire on a whim. Watch how quickly she reads the coverage (ICE/"weak"), and how easily she flows into the jumper.
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Loyd is also a strong passer. I enjoy how quickly she recognizes passing windows, as well as her overall ball placement. She might just be the best entry passer in the sport because of it. She's also wildly good at hitting slips, an element that makes quick-hitting pick-and-rolls with Stewart impossible to defend.
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Loyd doesn't just get busy with the ball in her hands. She's a strong off-ball mover, able to cut into open space when attention is paid elsewhere. Her ability to balance herself carries over to her off-ball screen usage. Not only is she experiencing a career-year as a three-point shooter (39.5% on 5.8 attempts), that production is coming off a heavy dosage of looks like this.
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</div>
Combining that kind of off-ball utility with her on-ball chops is why Loyd is one of the most dangerous offensive players in the W.
JEFF GREEN, FILLING THE GAPS
Lost in the fun of Kevin Durant's historic night and the Milwaukee Bucks' insistence on playing stu-, er, less-than-optimal basketball, was Jeff Green lighting it up beyond the arc.
Green dropped 27 points on Tuesday night, joining Durant (49) and Blake Griffin (17) as the only Nets to score in double-figures. Green went 7-of-8 from deep; let's just say this is not a thing that Green, a career 34% three-point shooter, does with any regularity.
Beyond the hot shooting night, I was impressed with his defense. He found himself matched up with all three of the Bucks' star players at different points, either switching ball screens or defending (stagnant) isos. He more than held his own, particularly against Giannis Antetokounmpo in the second half.
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It's unreasonable to expect that kind of shooting performance from Green again, but it's important that he does offer some spacing. He has the ball skills to attack closeouts. Defensively, he has the mobility to hang when switching, and he has enough strength to make post-ups difficult.
The Nets have missed Green's versatility; Tuesday night's game was a great example of what he can bring to the table.
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO "HMMMM"
<ul>
<li>The Bucks</li>
<li>completely forgot</li>
<li>how to play</li>
<li>NBA basketball</li>
<li>and lost Game 5</li>
</ul>
Okay, in all seriousness:
<ul>
<li>Did you know that Tina Charles is leading the W in scoring (24.0) this season? Did you also know she's sandwiched between Kayla McBride (5.5) and Natisha Hiedeman (5.3) in three-point attempts per game (5.4)? It's not only a career-high, it's triple the volume she put up last season. I'm here for the game expansion.</li>
<li>A quick Aces update: the A'ja Wilson-Liz Cambage pairing has a plus-10.1 net rating in 230 minutes together. It still pales in comparison to Wilson and Dearica Hamby (plus-15.7 in 205 minutes), but it's nice to see the Twin-Towers look working well.</li>
<li>I can't get over Jordan Clarkson averaging 16.0 points off the bench, shooting 45% from three on 10 attempts per game, and having easily the worst plus-minus (minus-12.5) on the team during this Clippers series. The Jazz bench has been down bad, figuratively and literally.</li>
<li>Among 21 players that have logged at least 75 pick-and-roll possessions this postseason, only three have generated more points per possession than Kevin Durant (1.156 PPP). One of those players is Monte Morris (1.159). What a postseason run that guy had.&nbsp;</li>
<li>So, uh, there were some #things that went down on WNBA Twitter between Skylar Diggins-Smith and Jazmine Jones. Sydney Colson's <a href="https://twitter.com/SydJColson/status/1404572135906066434" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recollection of the timeline</a> was easily my favorite.</li>
</ul>
PLAYS I LIKED
Going Ghost
Some simple, yet effective stuff from the Hawks here.
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John Collins and Clint Capela set up like they're about to flow into Double Drag, but Trae Young calls for something different.
The something different: some screen-the-screener action involving Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Capela sets a screen for Bogdanovic to come off, then Bogdanovic "ghosts" the screen for Young. Since the Sixers don't want to switch Seth Curry onto Young, Curry simply shows. Ben Simmons stays home, which puts two to the ball. Bogdanovic ends up getting an open three out of it.
Cutting it Close
This is freaking beautiful execution.&nbsp;
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Kelsey Plum (glad to see her back!) flies off the baseline exchange, lifting to the left wing. Destiny Slocum pitches the ball inside to Hamby as Plum finishes the first part of her route, but peep the weak side. You'll notice that the same thing is happening. This is essentially an option play.
Slocum chooses the side with Hamby and Plum. As Hamby receives the ball, Plum flips the funk and goes backdoor. This feels like a variation of "Blind Pig" action. Not 100% sure, but I dig it either way.
Improvisin' in the Valley
I will never get tired of watching Chris Paul pull strings in the half-court.
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Much like the Hawks example up top, the Suns give a Double Drag look. The Nuggets are playing drop coverage with JaVale McGee (loosely defending Dario Saric), but are hedging hard on the first screen.&nbsp;
Oh, wait, are they playing ICE coverage? Look at the way JaMychal Green positions himself.&nbsp;
Wait,&nbsp;is Michael Porter Jr. hedging?
It may not be clear, but it ultimately doesn't matter either way. Paul sees an opening, so he cuts his route short and flips the ball ahead to Saric. Cameron Johnson reverses course immediately, and Saric acts in concert with Johnson by flowing into a handoff. With McGee below the free throw line, there's no hope for a contest.
THE READING LIST
There is plenty of high-level basketball content out here if you know where to look. I wouldn&rsquo;t be where I am as a writer without reading a ton of Zach Lowe or Chris Herring or Caitlin Cooper or Mirin Fader or... well, you get the point.&nbsp;
Anyway, here are some -- not all, but some! -- of the stories I&rsquo;ve read lately that I think you should check out. Their Twitter handles will be linked under their names, so click and follow if you don&rsquo;t already.
Gibson Pyper, also known as <a href="https://twitter.com/HalfCourtHoops" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Half Court Hoops</a> on Twitter and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/HalfCourtHoops" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/HalfCourtHoops/status/1404774427636781060?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote a breakdown</a> on Spain pick-and-rolls. If you thought I wasn't sharing this, you don't know me at all.
<a href="https://twitter.com/abovethebreak3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PD Web</a> goes deeeeeep with a <a href="https://twitter.com/abovethebreak3/status/1399850462157934597?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">breakdown of Jalen Green</a>.
Feels like <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jackson Frank</a> has been in here every week, but his <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1398345792050454528?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">feature on Mikal Bridges</a> is well worth your time.
<a href="https://twitter.com/wtevs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katie Heindl</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/wtevs/status/1399084697691512845?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miami's abrupt end</a>, and the perceptions around it.
<a href="https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA">Zach Lowe</a>'s breakdown on the layers of the <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA/status/1402631438399275010?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Suns' pick-and-roll attack</a> is tremendous stuff.
<a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Schindler</a> wrote the most thorough <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1402370651172790277?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Bouknight breakdown</a> you'll read this year.
<a href="https://twitter.com/TylerRickyTynes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tyler Tynes</a> is one of the best feature writers on the planet. This one, <a href="https://twitter.com/TylerRickyTynes/status/1405181167234654209?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on Dawn Staley</a>, won't disappoint.
<a href="https://twitter.com/C2_Cooper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caitlin Cooper</a> writes her farewell to the short-lived <a href="https://twitter.com/C2_Cooper/status/1402709890964017154?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nate Bjorkgren era</a> in Indiana.

In Nekias Duncan's weekly notebook, he shares things that have caught his eye. He breaks down players, teams, plays and stats.