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Rockets

Right before officially clinching their seventh Final Four berth this past weekend, the Villanova Wildcats lost junior guard Justin Moore, who had to be helped off the floor after a freak injury while dribbling to kill the clock with less than 45 seconds to go.
'Nova beat Houston 50-44 in the Elite Eight to become one of the last four standing teams in the Big Dance for the first time since 2018. However, it was announced days later that Moore &mdash; Villanova&rsquo;s second-leading scorer at 14.8 points per game on .397/.356/.750 shooting splits &mdash; ruptured his right Achilles tendon, prematurely ending his season.
Much of the basketball world united in comforting Moore during an excruciatingly awful time to receive such news, including Kevin Durant, who ruptured his own Achilles during the 2019 NBA Finals.
&ldquo;I texted Kevin; he called me,&rdquo; Wright recalled <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/college-sports/villanova/justin-moore-achilles-kevin-durant-villanova-20220331.html">to the Philadelphia Inquirer</a>. &ldquo;And Kevin said, &lsquo;I was watching that, and it looked just like &mdash; I knew it when he went down; it looked just like mine.&rsquo; So we talked for a while about it.
&ldquo;What was so impressive to me was, Durant said, &lsquo;I&rsquo;d like to talk to [Justin], talk to the parents about the process. I want to tell him that.&rsquo; He listed himself, Klay Thompson, a couple other guys I can&rsquo;t remember &mdash; he goes, 'Look, these guys had it in the NBA.' And people in the NBA know now that you can come back from that.&rdquo;
Moore wasn&rsquo;t just 'Nova&rsquo;s second-best scorer throughout the 2021-22 season, but the 6-foot-4 guard earned Second Team All-Big East honors and All-Big East Tournament honors earlier this month. Moore&rsquo;s been a starter in all three of his seasons at Villanova, and has seen his scoring averages jump from 11.3 to 12.9 to 14.8 points per game. This season, he netted a career-best 17.1 points per 40 minutes while also being the Wildcats&rsquo; best rebounding guard, pulling down 4.8 boards per contest.
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According to FiveThirtyEight, there have been six major injuries to Final Four bound teams in the Men&rsquo;s NCAA Tournament since 2010. Using the qualifier of players logging at least 20 minutes in an NCAA Tournament, these players include Kalin Lucas of Michigan State in 2010, Darryl Bryant of West Virginia that same year, Louisville&rsquo;s Kevin Ware (do not Google it if you&rsquo;re reading this during lunch) in 2013, Willie Cauley-Stein of Kentucky in 2014, Auburn&rsquo;s Chuma Okeke in 2019, and now Moore.
Lucas <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2010/news/story?id=5017721" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruptured his Achilles against Maryland</a> in Round 2, and the Spartans subsequently lost in the Final Four. Oddly enough, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2010/news/story?id=5022928" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bryant broke his foot in the same round</a>, and his Mountaineers were also eliminated in the Final Four. Ware had a gruesome injury against Duke in the Elite Eight, and his Cardinals are the only team of this specific group that became national champions so far. Cauley-Stein <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2014/3/28/5559920/willie-cauley-stein-injury-kentucky-vs-louisville" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suffered a left ankle injury in Round 1</a>, and his Wildcats lost in the title game. And Okeke <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2019/3/29/18287843/chuma-okeke-injury-bruce-pearl-crying-auburn-sweet-16-ncaa-tournament-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tore his ACL in the Sweet 16</a>; Auburn reached the Final Four round before having its season end.
So, how does 'Nova piece together the production and minutes to replace Moore? He&rsquo;s logged 35.9 minutes per game since the beginning of the Big East Tournament, and has led the Wildcats with 34.6 minutes per contest this season.
Collin Gillespie &mdash; the 2022 Big East Player of the Year, Big East Tournament MVP and Third-Team All-American &mdash; will likely be keyed in on that much harder against Kansas this weekend. (I mean, that&rsquo;s what you&rsquo;d all do if you were in charge of the Jayhawks' defense, right?)
Gillespie&rsquo;s dropping a team-best 15.6 points and 3.3 assists per game on .431/.409/.905 shooting splits. Team sixth-man Caleb Daniels, a 6-foot-4 guard like Moore, has averaged 10.2 points on .427/.377/.851 in 27.3 minutes per contest this season.
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Though the Villanova-Houston offense resembled the (lack of) effectiveness of the Brock Lesnar-Goldberg match at WrestleMania 20, Daniels came up big with 12 points in 35 minutes, even as it came on 4 of 16 shooting. Every point matters against Houston, who had become a tournament favorite with sportsbooks due to its defensive run to the Elite Eight.
Jermaine Samuels, who led the game with 16 points, is 'Nova&rsquo;s leading non-guard scorer at 11.1 points per contest. The 6-foot-7 big also pulls down a team-high 6.5 boards per contest while shooting 47.4% from the field and 77.3% on free throws. Eric Dixon and Brandon Slater are the other two starting forwards, and there, you have 'Nova&rsquo;s main minute-eaters.
Moore, Gillespie, Slater, Samuels, Daniels and Dixon are the only Wildcats averaging at least 10 minutes per game this season, ranging from 34.6 to 25.1 in the order they&rsquo;re listed.
At least one of the following two guys will have to step up going forward to really alleviate the non-Moore minutes. The first would be Bryan Antoine, a junior who has come off the bench for three seasons with the Wildcats and wasn&rsquo;t one of the seven players to log minutes against Houston. Antoine hasn&rsquo;t played more than 11 minutes in a game since Jan. 25 and has scored 2 points since Feb. 12 (seven games, 35 minutes), but has battled injuries of his own, which is why he didn&rsquo;t appear until December.
He <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/03/29/march-madness-justin-moore-injury-gives-bryan-antoine-big-chance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently told the New York Post</a> that &ldquo;I&rsquo;d say I&rsquo;m pretty confident. I&rsquo;ve had the same mindset from Day 1. It hasn&rsquo;t really changed for me. Obviously with the injuries, I have been set back, but I&rsquo;m still the same player from high school.&rdquo;
Three years ago, Antoine was a five-star, top-20 recruit and McDonald&rsquo;s All-American who <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/24575439/bryan-antoine-commits-villanova-wildcats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chose Villanova over Duke, Florida, Kentucky, and Kansas</a>. The 6-foot-5 guard should have a chance to prove he can still resemble that as the Wildcat rotation now has to expand beyond six.
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The other guard in waiting is fellow 6-foot-5 junior Chris Arcidiacono, the brother of the Ryan. The younger Arcidiacono did log two minutes against Houston but hasn&rsquo;t cracked 10 since March 5, which is the only other time he&rsquo;s scored in a game since Feb. 22. <a href="https://villanovan.com/20381/sports/with-moore-out-its-time-for-arch-madness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Per the Villanovan</a>, Arcidiacono downplayed his potentially increased role with a boring quote.
&ldquo;Really, nothing changes,&rdquo; Arcidiacono said. &ldquo;My role is I come off the bench, bring energy, and just make sure we&rsquo;re playing Villanova basketball for 40 minutes. So whenever I&rsquo;m in, I&rsquo;m going to help our team play Villanova basketball.&rdquo;
He&rsquo;s downplaying it here, but no doubt that it&rsquo;s possible both Antoine and Arcidiacono receive increased roles against Kansas this Saturday.
Villanova will need to squeeze everything they can out of their non-regulars in hopes of finding something unexpected to help their championship quest.
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Villanova played one game this season without Justin Moore --- an 85-74 win over UConn on February 5th in South Philadelphia. Chris Arcidiacono had nine points in 26 minutes off the bench. The Wildcats don't have what they had, but they still have enough. <a href="https://t.co/DckgK3BJyi">https://t.co/DckgK3BJyi</a>
&mdash; Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/1508236981083553793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Bryan Fonseca looks at who 'Nova can turn to with Justin Moore sidelined for the rest of the NCAA Tournament.

Villanova will have to survive without Justin Moore in the Final Four

Barring an unlikely waiver claim before the 5 PM ET deadline today, center DeAndre Jordan is expected to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN.
The Lakers waived Jordan on Tuesday and the Sixers have an open roster spot and desire to add another backup center.
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Barring an unlikely waiver claim before the 5 PM ET deadline today, center DeAndre Jordan is expected to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN. Lakers waived Jordan on Tuesday and Sixers have an open roster spot and desire to add another backup center.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1499471273449390080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1499471273449390080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS: Wojnarowski also reported that once Jordan clears waivers, the Sixers plan to release Willie Cauley-Stein, who is nearing the end of a 10-day contract.
Jordan averaged 4.1 points, 5.4 rebounds,and 0.8 blocks in 32 games for the Lakers this season.

Once DeAndre Jordan clears waivers, he's expected to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.

DeAndre Jordan to sign with 76ers once he clears waivers

The Phildelphia Sixers announced they have signed Willie Cauley-Stein to a 10-day contract.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1496911694869762055?s=20&amp;t=NVIydHSbkqKIiuKWz4Er_g">Philadelphia 76ers</a>
ANALYSIS:
Cauley-Stein will have the chance to prove himself as a viable backup center option for the Sixers after they traded away solid backup Andre Drummond to acquire James Harden.
The six-year pro averaged 1.9 points and 2.1 rebounds for the Dallas Mavericks this year before being waived after appearing in 18 games.

The Phildelphia Sixers announced they have signed Willie Cauley-Stein to a 10-day contract.

Sixers announce signing of Willie Cauley-Stein to 10-day contract

When&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kings-making-buddy-hield-richaun-holmes-harrison-barnes-available" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seeing the report late last week</a>&nbsp;of the Sacramento Kings making Richaun Holmes available for trade, there should&rsquo;ve been several NBA teams channeling a 1980 Muhammad Ali saying, &ldquo;I want Holmes! I want Holmes!&rdquo;&nbsp;
(Couldn&rsquo;t find the clip, but I remember watching it long ago.)
Of course, Ali was talking about former World Heavyweight Champion Larry Holmes, whom he lost to later that year &mdash; 42 years later, we&rsquo;re talking about an underrated Kings center, but the point stands. Nothing, not even 50-year-old <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFK9zh2yHO4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Johnny Knoxville being in this week&rsquo;s Royal Rumble</a>, is less surprising than the Kings looking to revamp their roster in some form. That basketball team in Sacramento rebuilds more often than Griselda releases music.&nbsp;
But, again,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/sacramento-kings/richaun-holmes-17865/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less than five months after signing a four-year, $46 million extension</a>, including a $12.9 million player option for 2024-25, Holmes is possibly available. At just $10.3 million this season, he&rsquo;s very affordable by NBA standards. Having turned 28 years old in October and playing in year seven, he&rsquo;s in the prime of his career. Given where he currently is, he might indeed be better off elsewhere.&nbsp;
Holmes has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/kings/richaun-holmes-commits-goggles-recounts-scary-eye-injury" target="_blank" rel="noopener">battled an eye injury</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/article256988807.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COVID</a> this season, but has been productive despite a drop in playing time, logging 25.8 minutes through his 32 games (all starts) compared to last year, where he was at 29.2 minutes. He&rsquo;s posting 12.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game this season while shooting a career-best 70% from the floor. Per 36-minutes, he&rsquo;s at 17.1 points, 1.5 blocks and a career-best 11.3 boards. Holmes is a distant first in win shares per 48 minutes at .179 (second is .111). He&rsquo;s also second in team box plus-minus (1.3) behind Tyrese Haliburton&rsquo;s 2.5 and ahead of Harrison Barnes&rsquo; 0.5; everyone else is in the negative. (Yes, that means De&rsquo;Aaron Fox, for whatever that&rsquo;s worth.)&nbsp;
Ideally, if you&rsquo;re the team making this move, you&rsquo;d look to solidify your center position while prepping for your playoff push. The good news is that all of the following teams are in the playoff hunt &mdash; so don't worry, my fellow rec spec-wearing friend, let's get you outta there.&nbsp;
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets are (quietly?) 27-22 as of this writing, and are seventh in the Eastern Conference. At least they're quiet for a team run by a rising star in LaMelo Ball, his underappreciated backcourt mate Terry Rozier, Most Improved Player candidate Miles Bridges and steady swingman Gordon Hayward&nbsp; That&rsquo;s four-fifths of their starting five, with the center spot being occupied by Mason Plumlee. Kelly Oubre Jr. and PJ Washington play significant minutes off the bench, meaning the Hornets &mdash; who are 21st in rebounding and allow the third-most rebounds per game &mdash; are often playing small.&nbsp;
PJ Washington, in particular, is a&nbsp;<a href="https://hoopshype.com/storyline/pj-washington-trade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trade piece that&rsquo;s been rumored to be available</a> and likely has to be included in the deal, since his minutes and production have declined since last season, where he was an everyday starter. It should be added that, entering the last of his rookie-scale contract next season, it&rsquo;s likely the Hornets won&rsquo;t extend him by 2023.&nbsp;
The trade logistically couldn&rsquo;t be PJ for Holmes straight up since Washington only makes $4.2 million this season. The Kings also are rumored to be shopping others on their team, so there&rsquo;s a potential for this to extend beyond Holmes arriving from Sacramento by himself in this hypothetical &mdash; your simplest route is to pair Washington with Plumlee&rsquo;s $8.1 million, which mathematically makes this work straight up. Plumlee has a partially guaranteed $8.5 million coming to him next season, and the Kings should also receive a couple of second-rounders or a first coming back to them, both of which the Hornets <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Hornets.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have enough to entice with</a>.&nbsp;
A Ball-Rozier-Hayward-Bridges-Holmes lineup sounds fun as hell.
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Richaun Holmes is dunking all over the Lakers 😤 <a href="https://t.co/y9fO2OprSI">pic.twitter.com/y9fO2OprSI</a>
&mdash; NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1465891771489996805?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Dallas Mavericks
Between Dwight Powell, Moses Brown, Maxi Kleber, Willie Cauley-Stein, Marquese Chriss and Boban Marjanović, the Dallas Mavericks have had what&rsquo;s felt like a 💩 ton of bigs this season. Even so, as our Nekias Duncan wrote last week, without a true anchor, the Mavs have recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-do-the-mavericks-have-an-elite-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">become one of the league&rsquo;s best defenses</a>.&nbsp;
Still, on the roster, there isn&rsquo;t a clear long-term answer there as you continue to build this around the already extended Luka Dončić and, for now, the seemingly bought-in Kristaps Porziņģis. Enter Holmes, who is signed through at least the 2023-24 season. Powell and Kleber, who generally eat the lion&rsquo;s share of minutes next to KP, are both signed through 2022-23 before they&rsquo;d each become unrestricted free agents. Though Kleber makes $8.9 million this season and Powell is at $11 million, both work for Holmes mathematically straight up. Obviously, Dallas would attach at least one or two second-round draft picks, if not a protected first, to either guy (Powell more likely) and make it nearly a straight-up trade.&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s room to open this up further. Buddy Hield makes $22.5 million this season, and his contract descends to $20 and $18 million until it expires in the summer of 2024. Tim Hardaway Jr., who Dallas extended this past summer and <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33148625/dallas-mavericks-tim-hardaway-jr-ruled-game-left-foot-injury" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is now out with a fractured left foot</a>, makes $21 million this year but is also on a descending deal that drops to $19.6, $17.9, and $16.1 million through the 2024-25 season. Both struggling shooting guards probably aren&rsquo;t long for their organizations, even as they were both recently extended. Hardaway Jr. was also moved to the bench for Jalen Brunson, who&rsquo;s facing a contract situation of his own given his pending free agency (keep him, Dallas).&nbsp;
So there&rsquo;s a path to this becoming a Powell and Hardaway plus draft picks for Holmes and Hield exchange. Holmes is the type of hustling, dirty-work, efficient and quality center that the Mavericks could use. Unlike in 2K, you can trade injured players in real life &mdash; sorry Tim. Just imagine the push shots off Luka feeds.&nbsp;
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death, taxes, and richaun holmes hitting 62.5% of his push shots (20-of-32) <a href="https://t.co/iGH0xuA7Gn">pic.twitter.com/iGH0xuA7Gn</a>
&mdash; Dan Favale (@danfavale) <a href="https://twitter.com/danfavale/status/1465715242952900614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Toronto Raptors
I mean, could you think of a more Raptor-ass center than Holmes? Who better be run with Fred VanVleet, Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam and Gary Trent Jr.?&nbsp;
Now, how do you make this happen? First, with that being the Raptors&rsquo; starting five, where does Holmes fit? Well, it&rsquo;s really their starting five out of necessity because Precious Achiuwa hasn&rsquo;t had the second NBA season they&rsquo;d been hoping for. Ideally, you&rsquo;d still want an actual center in that mix as one of your top six minutes getters so that you have a bit more reliable size. The Raptors don&rsquo;t currently have a true center you could trust for extended periods, and Holmes fills that void.&nbsp;
Now, regarding trade pieces, Chris Boucher is on a $7 million expiring contract, and Khem Birch is on the first of a three-year, $19 million contract, which lands him at $6.3 million this season. Combining those two does work, and it would obviously have to come with considerable draft capital, but even the Kings would probably ask wtf are they going to do with that and have a point.&nbsp;
Remove Birch and insert Achiuwa? That works &ndash; would the Raptors already want to move off the centerpiece of their Kyle Lowry trade, who is just due $2.8 million next year with a $4.3 million team option the season after? I mean, maybe? It would certainly help preserve some draft capital in a hypothetical Holmes trade and, you figure, if you&rsquo;re acquiring a center Achiuwa would have a tougher time seeing minutes anyway. But that&rsquo;s generally what you&rsquo;d be looking at moving if you&rsquo;re Toronto: Boucher and Birch, Boucher and Achuiwa; Boucher, Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn, along with some combination of picks or a first-rounder, for Holmes.&nbsp;
And if I&rsquo;m Holmes, I&rsquo;m down for whatever, as long as I could leave Sacramento.&nbsp;
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Bonus: Golden State Warriors
Okay &hellip; here we go.
There&rsquo;s really only one way to do this, and it&rsquo;s using James Wiseman&rsquo;s $9.1 million salary this season straight up. Y&rsquo;all could determine what picks may or may not go where, but these are the two names because the Golden State Warriors don&rsquo;t have much middle-class salary to use, nor do they probably want to shake up their roster a ton, including even this. But if they determine that Wiseman, who hasn&rsquo;t played since Apr. 10 of last year due to a torn meniscus that <a href="https://theathletic.com/news/warriors-james-wiseman-needed-additional-knee-surgery-in-december-sources/DyEHJgzTblrO/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">required additional arthroscopic surgery in December</a>, isn&rsquo;t worth waiting for, then there you have it.&nbsp;
Wiseman showed flashes, but struggled defensively as a rookie while only logging 39 games (though he posted 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds on 52% percent shooting in 21.4 minutes per contest). He&rsquo;ll turn 21 in March, and because of NCAA nonsense, we were only able to see him three times in college. Wiseman&rsquo;s due $9.6 million next year and will likely bank another $12.1 million, assuming his option gets accepted.
I&rsquo;m still a Wiseman stockholder, but I&rsquo;m also pro going for a championship now in this seemingly wide-open NBA season &mdash; an immediate upgrade at center might be what Golden State sees as a necessary step. It makes something like a possible Holmes deal reasonable to think twice about. Just sayin&rsquo;.
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Bryan Fonseca ponders a handful of teams who could be a good fit for Kings big man Richaun Holmes.

Examining potential trade destinations for Richaun Holmes

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic had 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in his 40th career triple-double, and the Dallas Mavericks used a second-half rally to rout Memphis 112-85 on Friday night and end the Grizzlies&rsquo; winning streak at 11 games.
Doncic had 18 points in the second half, connecting on 8 of 10 shots. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 16 points, and Jalen Brunson and Marquese Chriss had 15 points apiece, with Brunson adding nine assists.
&ldquo;Our defense was amazing,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;(The Grizzlies) have a great offense, and it&rsquo;s tough to stop them, but I think we did an amazing job in the second half.&rdquo;
Ja Morant led Memphis with 19 points and eight assists, Desmond Bane had 16 points and Kyle Anderson added 12. The Grizzlies lost for the first time since Dec. 23, getting little help beyond its top three scorers.
The Grizzlies were playing the second night of a back-to-back and their fifth game in a week. Morant said the schedule may have finally caught up with them.
&ldquo;Pretty much from our legs being heavy and our shots were short,&rdquo; Morant said, later adding the fatigue contributed to his eight turnovers and other mistakes in the game.
Memphis shot 38% from the field and made only seven of 31 shots from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Mavericks were at almost 52% from the floor.
The Mavericks have been playing well. Before losing 108-85 at New York on Wednesday night, Dallas had clicked off six straight victories.
Dallas gained a bit of a cushion in the second half, starting the third quarter shooting better than the first half. That catapulted the Mavs to an 84-73 lead entering the fourth. Doncic scored 10 points in the third to help the Mavericks build their lead, as they outscored Memphis 34-18 in the period.
When Dallas rattled off the first seven points of the fourth, the lead swelled to 18. Grizzlies interim coach Darko Rajakovic called off his starters with five minutes left and Memphis trailing by 24.
The lead would eventually reach 31 as Memphis managed only 12 points in the fourth quarter and 30 after halftime.
&ldquo;I thought the team rebounding and the team defense was excellent to go with the tempo and pace offensively,&rdquo; Dallas interim coach Sean Sweeney said. &ldquo;I thought it was great all around.&rdquo;
As for Memphis, the longest regular-season winning streak ended, but the stretch moved the Grizzlies into third place in the Western Conference.
&ldquo;First thing I told guys was congratulations for an amazing streak and making history for our franchise,&rdquo; Rajakovic said. &ldquo;Eleven straight wins. It&rsquo;s a huge thing. We were playing really good basketball.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Willie Cauley-Stein (personal reasons) and Kristaps Porzingis (health and safety protocols) were both out. &hellip; Dallas has won seven of the last 10 games in the series. &hellip;Maxi Kleber started his 10th game of the season.
Grizzlies: The Grizzlies had swept three back-to-backs in the streak. They beat Minnesota on Thursday night. &hellip; C Steven Adams returned after missing four games in health and safety protocols. &hellip; F Brandon Clarke started his first game of the season.
UP NEXT:
Mavericks: Host Orlando on Saturday night.
Grizzlies: Host Chicago on Monday night.

Luka had 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in his 40th career triple-double, and the Dallas Mavericks routed Memphis 112-85 end the Grizzlies’ winning streak at 11 games.

Doncic records 40th career triple-double, Mavs end Memphis' streak

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Donovan Mitchell dribbled out the clock in the backcourt, dodging Dallas&rsquo; last-ditch efforts to foul before letting out a triumphant yell and throwing the ball high in the air.
Mitchell celebrated Chrismas Day with 33 points and the Utah Jazz beat the COVID-19-depleted Mavericks 120-116 on Saturday night.
&ldquo;I grew up watching these games and wanting to be in this position. To play on Christmas is special &hellip; it&rsquo;s an honor and a blessing,&rdquo; said Mitchell, who overcame a back strain sustained in the first quarter.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 25 points and Mike Conley had 22 to lift the Jazz (23-9) to their 13th win in their last 15 games.
It wasn&rsquo;t the Christmas night matchup the NBA hoped for with Luka Doncic among the Mavs stuck in the league&rsquo;s health and safety protocols. Still, it was competitive to the end despite several new signees getting significant minutes for Dallas.
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&ldquo;Even with guys out, it&rsquo;s what you ask for. It&rsquo;s extra emotion, extra drive, just one step below the playoffs. Everybody&rsquo;s excited and locked in,&rdquo; Mitchell said.
Tim Hardaway Jr., Maxi Kleber, Reggie Bullock, Trey Burke, JaQuori McLaughlin and Josh Green were also sidelined in the health and safety protocols for the Mavericks. In addition, Willie Cauley-Stein was out for personal reasons and Dorian Finney-Smith missed the game with a non-COVID illness.
The Jazz still have not lost a player to the coronavirus, and the depth and experience showed as Utah took over in the fourth quarter.
&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t play our best and got behind by 16 points, but this time we didn&rsquo;t let it slip away. We&rsquo;re getting better and maybe learning some lessons,&rdquo; said Rudy Gobert, who had eight of his 10 points in the final period.
Jalen Brunson scored 27 points and Porzingis returned after two games out with a sore toe to tally 27 points for Dallas. Frank Ntilikina had a season-best 17 points, marking the first time he&rsquo;s scored in double figures in back-to-back games this season.
&ldquo;No matter who&rsquo;s on our side or who&rsquo;s on that side ... you got to be aggressive. You got to be locked in. You got to have that mindset of playing, whatever the defense,&rdquo; Brunson said.
Guarded by Royce O&rsquo;Neale &mdash; who is nine inches shorter &mdash; Porzingis scored six straight points to give Dallas an 84-75 lead with 4:45 left in the third quarter.
Dallas led 94-92 in the fourth quarter before the Jazz went on a 10-0 run punctuated by Jordan Clarkson&rsquo;s one-handed alley-oop to Gobert that made it 102-94 for Utah. The Jazz never trailed the rest of the way.
Mavericks (15-17) have lost four of five but started strong. Porzingis powered Dallas to a 26-11 lead with a jumper, a dunk and five throws while the Jazz went 5 for 17 and had five turnovers.
&ldquo;The frantic part of it was us fouling. That really hurt us, particularly in the first quarter, because it slows the game down and allows them to change their defense,&rdquo; Utah coach Quin Snyder said.
The Mavericks&rsquo; zone defense flustered the Jazz early, but the Jazz started hitting perimeter shots and getting to the basket. Mitchell scored 16 points in the second quarter to spur the Jazz to a 65-63 lead at the half.
The Mavericks&rsquo; aggressiveness kept the team neck-and-neck with Utah, and Dallas was 30 of 35 at the foul line, their highest number of free throws made and attempted this season. The teams combined to shoot 72 free throws.
&ldquo;That was one of the best teams in the league &mdash; not just the Western Conference,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;I thought those guys in our locker room fought all the way to the end. The ball just didn&rsquo;t bounce our way tonight in that fourth quarter. We had some good looks.&rdquo;
BOGEY FOR 3 IS A KEY
Bogdanovic made a 3-pointer with 2:01 remaining to lift the Jazz to an eight-point lead, a cushion Utah needed as the Mavericks made a final charge at the end of the game.
It&rsquo;s a familiar occurrence as the Jazz have hit their stride the last few weeks. Bogdanovic has gone 37 for 73 over the last 11 games from 3-point range and scored more than 14 points in every contest.
Bogdanovic&rsquo;s consistency from the outside, along with his post-up and transition scoring, has prevented defenses from helping on Mitchell&rsquo;s drives and Gobert&rsquo;s rolls to the rim.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Dallas shot 21 first-half free throws (and the Jazz shot 20). ... Porzingis missed both technical free throws he attempted, one in each half. ... Porzingis and O&rsquo;Neale wrestled to the ground on a boxout late in the game.
Jazz: Mitchell notched his ninth 30-point game of the season. ... Mitchell went to the locker room in the first quarter but returned in the second period for a flurry of offense, though a bit hobbled. ... The Jazz have outscored their opponents in 12 straight games while Conley has been on the court. ... Joe Ingles got a technical for the second straight game.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Visit Portland on Monday night.
Jazz: Visit San Antonio on Monday night for first road game in 16 days.
___
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Mitchell scored 33 points, Bojan Bogdanovic scored 25 points and Mike Conley had 22 in the win.

Donovan Mitchell, Jazz rally past short-handed Mavs 120-116

DALLAS (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 26 points, Dorian Finney-Smith came alive in the second half and the Dallas Mavericks, with a boost from two newly signed players, defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-102 in a battle of attrition Tuesday night.
A total of nine players, including three starters, missed the game because they are in the NBA's health and safety protocol. 
Brunson scored 16 points in the first half. Finney-Smith had just four at halftime, but added 15 in the second half, including two 3-pointers in a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter that wiped out Minnesota's last lead in the game. 
Dwight Powell scored 15 points, Boban Marjanovich had 10 and Sterling Brown combined 12 points with 11 rebounds in his first start this season. 
Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with and 26 points and 14 rebounds. Malik Beasley scored 22, D'Angelo Russell had 14 points and 12 assists and Jaden McDaniels scored 11.
The Mavericks got a boost from two players signed since they lost just two days before at Minnesota. Theo Pinson played 22 minutes, scored seven points, grabbed four rebounds and added three assists and four steals. In his 16 minutes, Marquese Chriss scored six points, including a thunderous dunk in the 10-0 run, and took down eight rebounds.
In the first quarter, Minnesota made 65% (13 for 20) of its field goal attempts and scored 35 points — and led Dallas by only one point. Towns didn't miss a shot and scored 12 points. In the second, the Timberwolves made just 28% of their field goal attempts and were outscored 27-15 as the Mavericks took a 61-50 halftime lead. 
In the third quarter, the Mavericks ran to a 17-point lead, 79-62, but Minnesota came back with a 13-0 run. The Wolves led 94-91 in the fourth before 3-pointers by Brown and Finney-Smith gave the Mavericks a 97-95 they didn't lose.
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: Minnesota signed F Chris Silva and G Rayjon Tucker, who had been playing in the G-League, to 10-day contracts under the COVID-related hardship allowance. Silva arrived with 59 NBA games on his resume, and Tucker with 34. ... The Wolves were without starters Patrick Beverly and Jarred Vanderbilt as well as Anthony Edwards, John Okogie and Taurean Prince because they were in the NBA's health and safety protocols.
Mavericks: Hardaway was added Tuesday afternoon to the list of players in the health and safety protocol, joining Maxi Kleber, Reggie Bullock and Josh Green. ... Doncic (left ankle injury) missed his fifth consecutive game, and Porzingis (toe) joined him on the injury list on Tuesday. Coach Jason Kidd said, “We're hopeful that (Doncic) is back for Thursday. Eugene (Omoruyi) and Willie (Cauley-Stein) remain out." ... he Mavericks added 6-5 swingman Pinson and 6-9 Chriss to 10-day contracts under the COVID-related hardship allowance. Chriss previously played in parts of five NBA seasons and Pinson in three.
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: Complete a two-game trip at Utah on Thursday.
Mavericks: Host the Bucks on Thursday in the second of two home games.

Jalen Brunson scored 26-points and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 114-102.

Brunson scores 26, replacements help Mavericks beat Wolves

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 points, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell added 22 and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Dallas Mavericks 111-105 on Sunday in another matchup between short-handed teams dealing with recent COVID-19 issues.
Dallas, already without star guard Luka Doncic, placed two players in the health and safety protocols the past two days. Minnesota added Josh Okogie to the protocols and Anthony Edwards and Taurean Prince each missed their second game while in the protocols.
The Mavericks then lost forward Kristaps Porzingis in the third quarter with right foot soreness. Porzingis finished with 13 points and three rebounds.
Jaylen Nowell provided a much-needed injection of shooting with a season-high 16 points off the bench for Minnesota, which has won four in a row.
Tim Hardaway Jr. had 28 points for Dallas. Dorian Finney-Smith added 23 and Jalen Brunson finished with 18 points and 11 assists.
The Timberwolves led for much of the game, but Dallas closed the third quarter on an 18-7 run to take an 88-86 lead. The Mavericks outscored Minnesota 38-30 in the quarter, but Porzingis left the game with 4:59 left in the third and didn&rsquo;t return.
Minnesota turned to Nowell, who hit a 3-pointer early in the fourth as the Timberwolves recovered with a 13-5 run.
Without Edwards and with Michael Beasley&rsquo;s continued struggles shooting, the little-used Nowell was a perfect relief. He scored in double figures for the second straight game and the third time in five games.
COVID-19 STRIKES AGAIN
A day after placing Reggie Bullock in the health and safety protocols, Dallas added Josh Green to the protocols before the game. Coach Jason Kidd also said assistants Darrell Armstrong and Jared Dudley are in the protocols.
The Los Angeles Lakers, who have also lost several players to the protocols, played the Mavericks on Dec. 15 in Dallas&rsquo; last game.
Previous to playing Los Angeles, the Mavericks didn&rsquo;t have many cases of COVID-19 to enter into the protocols. Trey Burke, in late October, is the only player to previously be in the protocols.
Before the game, Kidd said he wasn&rsquo;t making any medical determinations, but &ldquo;some who are into betting or guessing, some would say that&rsquo;s where it came from,&rdquo; he said, regarding the Lakers&rsquo; game.
Coincidentally, Edwards and Prince missed Friday&rsquo;s game against Los Angeles and Okogie was added after playing 13:29 in the game.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Hardaway moved into the starting lineup for the first time in 10 games. Bullock had started nine straight games. G Sterling Brown (left foot soreness) returned after missing six games. &hellip; Willie Cauley-Stein (personal reasons), Frank Ntilikina (illness) and Eugene Omoruyi (right foot injury) were also unavailable for Dallas. &hellip; Finney-Smith was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul in the third quarter on a hard takedown of Towns.
Timberwolves: Beasley started his second straight game for Edwards and scored 13 on 4-of-13 shooting. &hellip; Towns made his first 11 free throws. He finished 11 of 13 from the line. ... With Nowell leading the way, Minnesota&rsquo;s bench outscored Dallas&rsquo; reserves 36-17
UP NEXT
The team&rsquo;s finish back-to-back meetings on Tuesday in Dallas.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 points, D’Angelo Russell added 22 and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Mavericks.

Wolves beat Dallas 111-105; Mavs lose Porzingis to injury

The career arc of John Wall has made yet another turn. After being traded to the Houston Rockets last offseason for Russell Westbrook, Wall is now set to join his third team in as many seasons. According to The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania, Wall and the Rockets&rsquo; front office have <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/john-wall-houston-rockets-mutually-agree-to-work-out-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agreed upon him being active in training camp, but sitting out games as they try to move him</a>. It's the logical next step in a massive tear-down rebuild, which was put into motion with the James Harden blockbuster eight months ago to this day.
Wall was the salary-filler needed to move Westbrook &mdash; who was a part of another star backcourt combination that didn&rsquo;t work out alongside Harden &mdash; but the former has also has served a pivotal role to the current version of Houston&rsquo;s roster. As the veteran on a tanking team, Wall embraced his leadership role to its full extent, being a guiding voice for young prospects. Wall averaged 20.6 points, 6.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals last season in Houston.
However, following unfortunate injury luck related to a torn Achilles tendon, Wall simply doesn&rsquo;t look the same as he did in his prime years being the face of the Washington Wizards franchise. For years, Wall was the most electric point guard in the Association thanks to his quickness and explosiveness towards the basket. At 31 years old, Wall's performances have taken a dip from an average efficiency mark to an abysmal one. Wall shot a career-low 40.4%, including a 50.3% True Shooting percentage clip &mdash; the worst since his rookie campaign in 2010-11.
Wall just doesn&rsquo;t fit the timeline for the Rockets, who are ready to embrace their youth movement head-on. No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green headlines an enticing core of prospects in Houston. Alongside Green, Kevin Porter Jr. will help <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/something-to-prove-kevin-porter-jr-at-point-guard-houston-rockets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">form an entertaining backcourt</a> filled to the brim with hot creation ability. Rookies Alperen Sengun and Usman Garuba will join Jae'Sean Tate to make up a promising trio of bigs. First-year swingman Josh Christopher and Kenyon Martin Jr. also add their fun mix to the wing rotation.&nbsp;
Wall will still be around the team until a deal happens (if that ever comes to pass with the negative value associated with his remaining $91.7 million through 2022-23). Being a valuable mentor for Green and Porter will only be a positive for Houston&rsquo;s long-term outcome, and learning from a dynamic point guard like Wall certainly helps the future outlook for not only Green, but also Porter.
This could become a new trend for players on good terms with their organizations, only when it&rsquo;s apparently obvious a deal is best for both sides. Kevin Love&rsquo;s situation in Cleveland could be the next Wall-like story to surface in the NBA rumor mill soon enough.
But who would be interested in taking on Wall&rsquo;s contract? Houston would have to surrender some draft capital, being the immediate &ldquo;losers&rdquo; of the trade. When canvassing the landscape, very few fits bubble to the surface. However, there&rsquo;s a small possibility for the following three organizations.
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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Any time a player with a bad contract becomes available, Oklahoma City is No. 1 on any potential destination. The Thunder are not being shy about their intentions over the next few years &mdash; stockpile as many draft picks as possible to take swings on high upside prospects to build around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Acquiring Wall would be an interesting move for a Thunder team who just invested heavy draft capital in the backcourt (Josh Giddey, Tre Mann), but we can never rule them out in a scenario like this. If Houston offers any future draft compensation to general manager Sam Presti, he would bite.
Wall would form a fun backcourt alongside SGA while also serving in the mentor role he just exited in Houston. If Wall were to rebuild his value for a year with the Thunder, Presti would be able to potentially receive some positive value in return next offseason.
Oklahoma City Thunder receive: John Wall, future draft compensation
Houston Rockets receive: Derrick Favors, Isaiah Roby or Gabriel Deck
DALLAS MAVERICKS
Dallas has been in the market for a point guard. Whether it be Kemba Walker, Kyle Lowry or Spencer Dinwiddie, the Mavs have sniffed around adding another ball-handler who could take pressure off Luka Doncic. Wall isn&rsquo;t the perfect fit next to Dallas&rsquo; young phenom &mdash; who&rsquo;s an <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-mvp-odds-analyzing-the-top-5-candidates-in-2021-22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MVP favorite entering his fourth season</a> &mdash; but they could make it work. Wall allows Doncic to play more off-ball, and the veteran can cut to the basket and attack off signature Luka dimes.
In order to make the salaries work, Kristaps Porzingis would be heading to Houston or another team who gets involved. Porzingis hasn&rsquo;t been the No. 2 option Dallas had hoped for when they went all-in on him a few years ago. This would certainly be one way to shake things up entirely for the Mavs. A potential starting lineup of Doncic, Wall, Tim Hardaway Jr., Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell with Reggie Bullock as the sixth man is a fun thought.
Dallas Mavericks receive: John Wall, Usman Garuba or Alperen Sengun, future draft compensation
Houston Rockets receive: Kristaps Porzingis, Moses Brown, Willie Cauley-Stein
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
This is where it gets super wacky in terms of hypothetical Wall trades. Currently, Wall&rsquo;s fit with the Spurs makes no sense. However, what about a convoluted four-team trade featuring the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns as well?
Here&rsquo;s the entire framework of a crazy four-teamer I spitballed in my head:
Houston Rockets receive: Ben Simmons, Isaiah Joe, Daquan Jeffries
Philadelphia 76ers receive: Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker IV, Jakob Poetl, Al-Farouq Aminu, multiple future first-round picks
Phoenix Suns receive: Thaddeus Young, Drew Eubanks
San Antonio Spurs receive: John Wall, Dario Saric, Jalen Smith, Paul Reed
That&rsquo;s the only way I could ever fathom Wall entering San Antonio&rsquo;s odd attempt of trying to thread the needle with competing and tanking simultaneously. With a young combination of guards spearheading their core, the Spurs are on pace to be a top-five team in lottery odds at the end of next season. Also, Simmons landing in Houston to lead its young core is a somewhat unrealistic, insane thought to have as well.
As you can see, there will likely not be many takers on Wall. It will be very interesting to see how this all unfolds for Wall and the Rockets.
Are we looking at an imminent deal for Wall, or one that lasts all the way until the NBA trade deadline in February?

When canvassing the NBA landscape, does any team make sense for John Wall? Evan Sidery looks at possible landing spots.

Examining potential trade destinations for John Wall

Every offseason presents an opportunity. Teams can stay the course or shift directions, completely shaking up their team or just making moves around the edges. It starts with the NBA Draft and trickles into free agency, as rosters receive a facelift (for the most active organizations).
But as teams tinker by adding fresh faces to the mix, what happens to the players who previously had a significant role on the team? Unfortunately, when new talent comes in, that means somebody is going to lose out. Whether that means scaled-back playing time or a change of scenery, there will be altered roles for some going into the 2021-22 campaign.&nbsp;
Here are some of those players who could fit the bill.
Lonnie Walker IV, San Antonio Spurs
It&rsquo;s no secret that the San Antonio Spurs are currently in an odd position. With DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge no longer present, in addition to the departure of longtime veterans Patty Mills and Rudy Gay, their longest-tenured players will be Dejounte Murray and Derrick White. Given the moves, you'd think that Lonnie Walker, entering his fourth season, would be a focal point for this ball club. And yet, it seems like the Spurs don&rsquo;t have the trust in him yet, and that&rsquo;s backed by the moves they&rsquo;ve made so far this summer.
For starters, San Antonio drafted the youngest player in the 2021 class in Josh Primo. The Alabama freshman not only slots in as a shooting guard, but has plenty of size at the position at 6-foot-6. Then, on Wednesday morning, the team decided to bring back Bryn Forbes on a deal. Couple those moves with the signing of Doug McDermott (who will probably play a lot of small forward based on current roster construction), and where is there room for Walker? Surely he&rsquo;s not going to supersede Dejounte Murray and Derrick White in the rotation. Keldon Johnson is playing for the Team USA men&rsquo;s squad. And don't forget, they selected Devin Vassell at No. 11 overall last year. It&rsquo;s tough to find a pathway to significant, consistent minutes for Walker, who scored 11.2 points per game and increased his three-point shooting volume tremendously last season. Any team looking for a guard/wing with athleticism who takes care of the ball and has plenty of time to mature on the floor should give R.C. Buford a call.
Josh Jackson, Detroit Pistons
We had to see this one coming, and unfortunately, Josh Jackson may very well be the odd man out again. With the Pistons drafting Cade Cunningham, Jerami Grant coming off a career-season and Saddiq Bey lighting up the eyes of everybody in Motown, Jackson is going to have to fight with Hamidou Diallo (granted he comes back on a matched offer sheet or qualifying offer) as a backup 2 or 3.&nbsp;
Jackson came in with promise after rediscovering his game with the Memphis Hustle in the G League and the Grizzlies, and looked to have found his footing with Detroit in the first few months as a slashing, rim-pressuring presence who oftentimes had the ball in his hands. While his three-point shooting leaves much to be desired and he&rsquo;s prone to turning the ball over at times, his defensive abilities are incredibly intriguing. Jackson hasn&rsquo;t had much organizational stability since coming into the NBA, and is just 24 years old with four seasons of experience. Given his 6-foot-8 frame, team-friendly contract and potential that&rsquo;s still there, it&rsquo;d be wise for teams to contact Troy Weaver and inquire about his availability.
Markelle Fultz, Orlando Magic
Regarding the Magic&rsquo;s guard room, there were already too many cooks in the kitchen before the NBA Draft came around and now they add Jalen Suggs as well. Sure, it's "a good problem to have," but&hellip; maybe not so much for the players in the room. New head coach Jamahl Mosley will have the following at his disposal in the Orlando backcourt: Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony, R.J. Hampton, Terrence Ross, Michael Carter-Williams and potentially Gary Harris and Dwayne Bacon pending on rotations... plus Markelle Fultz. The former No. 1 overall pick got off to a great start in the 2020-21 season before going down with another devastating injury that cut his campaign short before it could even get started.
Knowing that Suggs is likely the face of the franchise moving forward, and that he plays point guard along with many others on the Magic roster, where exactly does that leave Fultz? It&rsquo;s not as if he&rsquo;s a great player yet off the ball or can consistently shoot. Fultz can explode to the rim and is somebody who can turn the corner well, but you&rsquo;d have to imagine his usage will decrease if he stays there. Remember, he was brought in to play alongside the likes of Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier under Steve Clifford, so who knows what John Hammond and his front office have in mind for Fultz. Luckily for him, he still fits the &ldquo;rebuilding&rdquo; timeline at just 23 years old; finding the right niche for him, though, will be easier said than done.
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Coby White, Chicago Bulls
After an exciting finish to his rookie season, Coby White found himself in the starting lineup in Year 2. He had a brand new coach in Billy Donovan, plus a determined and motivated Zach LaVine as his backcourt partner. White took a small step forward in the scoring department (15.1 points) and came close to doubling his assist output (4.8). However, the defensive side of the ball is still a work in progress for the 21-year-old guard, and now with Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan coming to the Windy City, one would be inclined to think that his role will be reduced if he stays on the team.
White averaged over 31 minutes per night this past year and started in 54 games. It&rsquo;s probably not out of bounds to say that those figures will take a hit, in addition to his production in general. It&rsquo;s unfortunate for White, whose development will take a back seat to a Bulls squad that's clearly aiming to win now.
Dorian Finney-Smith, Dallas Mavericks
This may be a stretch considering the previous names mentioned, but hear this out. The Mavericks just re-signed Tim Hardaway Jr. to a long-term contract, brought in Reggie Bullock on a three-year deal that pays upwards of $10-11 million annually and the team has a brand-new head coach in Jason Kidd. Although we know how important Finney-Smith is on the defensive end of the floor, is it possible that his already-low usage dips even more?&nbsp;
Bullock typically will assume some of that role and be more aggressive as a scorer and shooter, likely similar to what Seth Curry brought to the table two seasons ago for Dallas. We know that Kristaps Porzingis is still on the roster, so that means that power forward is likely a spot that&rsquo;s commandeered by a mixture of the 7-foot-3 Latvian and Maxi Kleber. In addition to acquiring Moses Brown, the Mavs re-signed Boban Marjanovic and Willie Cauley-Stein, so that could shift the bigs rotation a bit. Unlike the aforementioned names, Finney-Smith still makes sense on this team &mdash; just maybe not in quite as large of a role.

Spencer Davies lists several players who may see their role negatively affected following the NBA draft and free agency.

Breaking down 5 NBA players whose roles may be diminished

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

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Kawhi Leonard scored 36 points, Paul George added 29 and the Los Angeles Clippers spoiled Luka Doncic's home playoff debut, beating the Dallas Mavericks 118-108 on Friday night to get back in the first-round playoff series.
The Clippers bounced back from two losses at home by withstanding a huge early surge by the Mavericks in front of their biggest &mdash; and loudest &mdash; crowd by far this season. Dallas takes a 2-1 series lead into Game 4 on Sunday night.
Doncic fed the frenzy of 17,705 fans, more than three times the size of any crowd in a season that started with an empty arena, by making his first four shots, three of them 3-pointers, on his way to a playoff career-high 44 points as Dallas took a 30-11 lead.
LA's 14-0 run erased most of the deficit before the end of the first quarter, and George gave the Clippers their first lead on a 3-pointer in the second quarter.
The Clippers ended a five-game postseason losing streak going back to last year's Florida playoff bubble, when LA beat Dallas in six games in the first round before blowing a 3-1 lead in the second round against Denver.
Leonard made his first eight shots &mdash; three of them on the 14-0 run that quieted the crowd &mdash; and George scored 22 points before halftime on 10-of-13 shooting.
Marcus Morris hit three corner 3s in front of the Dallas bench in the fourth quarter to help the Clippers stay comfortably in front.
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Morris turned to talk to the Dallas players a little more with each make, finally getting a technical on the third one after giving LA a 112-110 lead with less than four minutes remaining. He fouled out moments later but had already done his damage with nine of his 15 points in the fourth.
That wasn't the only chippy moment.
Doncic and Patrick Beverley got double technicals after a brief skirmish in the first half, and Dallas center Willie Cauley-Stein was called for a flagrant foul and a technical in separate run-ins with Terance Mann.
The first home playoff game for the Mavericks in five years was also the first at American Airlines Center for everyone on their roster except Dwight Powell, who played just three minutes late. The nerves might have shown.
While Doncic already had his third 30-point game of the series before the fourth quarter, the supporting cast wasn't nearly as effective as it was in LA.
Kristaps Porzingis scored six points in the first five minutes but just three the rest of the way. He and Dorian Finney-Smith were 3 of 10 from the field, and Tim Hardaway Jr. was 4 of 14 and scored 12 points after averaging 25 in the first two games.
TIP-INS
Clippers: F Serge Ibaka didn't play because of a back injury that sidelined him for 30 consecutive regular-season games before he played the final two. Ibaka played the first two games of the series but was limited to six minutes in Game 2. ... Reggie Jackson was the other LA player in double figures with 16.
Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki attended again after showing up for Game 2 in Los Angeles. He and J.J. Barea, another member of the 2011 championship team, got huge ovations when shown on the video board. ... The Mavericks held a COVID-19 vaccination drive outside the arena until about halftime and plan to do the same for Game 4. ... Maxi Kleber and Jalen Brunson scored 14 points apiece. ... Doncic had nine rebounds and nine assists.
___
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Kawhi Leonard scored 36 points, Paul George added 29 and the Clippers spoiled Luka Doncic's home playoff debut on Friday night.

Clippers defeat Mavericks, 118-108, to get back in series

Nekias Duncan breaks down the battles that could swing each first-round series of the NBA Playoffs.

Pressure points: Battles that will decide the first round of the NBA Playoffs

DeMar DeRozan hit the tiebreaking jumper with 0.5 seconds left, giving him 27 of his 33 points in the second half and lifting the San Antonio Spurs to a 119-117 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night.
Dejounte Murray scored 25 points as the Spurs stopped a season-long five-game losing streak while avoiding the first season sweep by their Texas rival in the 41-year history of the Dallas franchise. The Mavericks won the first two meetings.
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DEROZAN CALLED GAME 👀 <a href="https://t.co/JYiN82WPQ8">pic.twitter.com/JYiN82WPQ8</a>
&mdash; NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1381434439389962241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Luka Doncic scored 29 points, including a basket for the 10th tie with 19 seconds left in a game that also had 12 lead changes.
On the winning play, DeRozan came around a screen but still had just one defender on him in Dorian Finney-Smith as Doncic peeled off the play. <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1381433849406705666">DeRozan hit a step-back 20-footer</a>.
&ldquo;DeMar is our scorer,&rdquo; coach Gregg Popovich said. &ldquo;He has taken a lot of responsibility all year long. He&rsquo;s got courage. He misses some of them. He makes some of them, just like everybody through the ages. He just comes back and does it again.&rdquo;
Kristaps Porzingis had 31 points and 15 rebounds before fouling out for Dallas, which has followed up two straight victories over strong playoff contenders with losses to struggling Texas rivals.
Dallas was coming off a win over Milwaukee, which was without Giannis Antetokounmpo. The previous loss to Houston came after a victory over NBA-leading Utah.
&ldquo;We're a team that's still learning some lessons about keeping our guard up, navigating through a very busy schedule,&rdquo; Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. &ldquo;It's not an excuse. It's just a fact. We've come a long way.&rdquo;
DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl converted three-point plays around two more free throws from DeRozan on an 8-0 run for a 113-104 lead before the Mavericks later scored six straights points to get within one.
Dallas was down four after another three-point play from DeRozan, which drew the sixth foul on Porzingis, before Doncic hit a pair of free throws and got a chance at the tying shot after DeRozan missed a corner 3-pointer.
After DeRozan's shot, Doncic wasn't close on a desperation 3 from near midcourt to beat the buzzer.
&ldquo;Very disappointing,&rdquo; said Doncic, who was 2 of 8 from long range as Dallas shot 31% (13 of 42) from beyond the arc. &ldquo;That's all I've got to say.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Spurs: DeRozan had eight assists and five rebounds. ... Poeltl had 12 points and eight rebounds.
Mavericks: C Willie Cauley-Stein was active after missing 12 games because of COVID-19 protocols. ... F Maxi Kleber was out for the third time in five games because of right lower leg soreness. ... Josh Richardson scored 16 points.
WALKER SPARK
Lonnie Walker IV was quiet for most of three quarters in his second game back after missing nine with a sore right wrist. Then he was busy, scoring all 13 of his points in the final 13-plus minutes.
Walker hit a tying 3-pointer for his first points before an <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1381424472301834241">emphatic dunk over Nicolo Melli</a> the next time down and converting the three-point play. He scored the first five points of the fourth quarter as part of the final lead change.
&ldquo;You know he's going to spark us, do something that gives us the energy that we need,&rdquo; DeRozan said. &ldquo;Him getting a dunk like that is just a prime example of what Lonnie can do for this team.&rdquo;
CARLISLE CLARIFICATION
Carlisle returned to the post-game virtual meeting with reporters to clarify the Dallas defense on the final play. He said it was his decision to have Finney-Smith guard DeRozan without any help. &ldquo;That's on me,&rdquo; he said.
BACK AND FORTH
The biggest lead for both teams was nine, with the Spurs having that edge after starting the fourth quarter on an 11-2 run. The Mavericks got within one before the Spurs pushed it back to nine again. Dallas' nine-point lead came late in the first half, but it was gone within the first three minutes of the third quarter.
UP NEXT
Spurs: The fourth game of a five-game trip is Monday in Orlando. San Antonio held the Magic to their season scoring low in a 104-77 victory a month ago.
Mavericks: JJ Redick could make his Dallas debut against one of his former teams with Philadelphia making its only visit Monday. Dallas acquired the shooting guard at the trading deadline two weeks ago.
___
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DeRozan hit the tiebreaking jumper with 0.5 seconds left, giving him 27 of his 33 points in the second half and lifting the Spurs to a win.

DeRozan ends Spurs' skid with late shot to beat Mavs 119-117

They have the NBA&rsquo;s leading scorer, Bradley Beal, a guy who has dropped 30 or more points in 20 of 29 games. They Russell Westbrook, who has posted a league-leading 10 triple-doubles in just 24 games.
Not only that, but being a quarantined league laughingstock not so long ago, the Washington Wizards have won six of their last seven games, including two victories over the Nuggets, one against the Lakers and another over the Celtics prior to a 16-point victory vs. the Timberwolves last night. They play Boston again on Sunday, followed by the Grizzlies and Clippers on the final night of a five-game, nine-night road trip. Sweep those three, and they go into the break 16-18.
In that case, we would be talking about a team that is just two games under .500 with only three teams sporting winning records in the East.
That&rsquo;s right, three: The Nets, Sixers and Bucks. Everyone else, more or less, is not at that level.
The Raptors and Knicks are tied for fourth at .500, the Heat and Celtics are a game under .500 and the Bulls, Heat and Pacers are two games under .500 as play begins Sunday. This is not imbalance; this is the conference normal right now -- three good teams.
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So &nbsp;there is room for a fourth, which means we have to start looking at unlikely candidates. We shall today, toward one team with two very good players.
The Wizards got hit hard by COVID and had six consecutive games postponed, which means their schedule is going to be extra tough from a wear-and-tear standard the rest of the way. They have eight remaining back-to-backs, but they will play six games in nine nights coming out off the All-Star break, including two with the Sixers, one with the Bucks and one with the Jazz. After that, they get a matchup with the Nets, then play three games in four nights four times over the remainder of the season.&nbsp;
This makes the strength and conditioning team 10-times more important than anyone in D.C. not named Biden. The franchise will not have Thomas Bryant this season, nor is the organization getting what it expected from five-year, $80 million man Davis Bertans. Still, Sheppard has gone blue in the face telling anyone who will listen that Bradley Beal is not being traded anywhere. &nbsp;
What Sheppard and Brooks need to try to do is find a third key player on the trade market before the March 25 deadline. They have a few decent role players in Rui Hachimura, Robin Lopez, Raul Neto and Deni Avdija, but this roster would be hard-pressed to win a single playoff series, much less two, as presently constructed. But if you assume that recently-starting center Moritz Wagner, Jerome Robinson and Isaac Bonga are expendable and their expiring salaries can be packaged, their salaries add up to roughly $7.5 million. If Troy Brown Jr. were to get added to the mix, that is roughly $11 million, which can get you something. And they have Detroit&rsquo;s second-rounder (likely No. 31 or 32) as a trade sweetener.
A big man would have to be prioritized, because you will need one to defend Joel Embiid if you face the Sixers, and to be used offensively in the low post if you play the Nets or Celtics. If you face the Bucks, you wish &ldquo;good luck&rdquo; to Hachimura and have Alex Len use all six of his fouls if Giannis gets anywhere near the rim.
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So what can $7.5 or $11 million get you? (And remember, the salaries will have to match because Washington has a $132 million salary, the league&rsquo;s ninth-highest, and is only $813,000 below the luxury tax.) Only a bad team would give up on a big, and among those who could be presumably acquired and fit into these two salary spaces include JaVale McGee of Cleveland, Mason Plumlee of Detroit, Jabari Parker, Hassan Whiteside or Richaun Holmes of Sacramento and Dwight Powell or Willie Cauley-Stein of Dallas (not on a bad team, but superfluous). DeMarcus Cousins is also a free agent.&nbsp;
Washington ranks 29th in defense in terms of points allowed per game (119.3), so a rim defender such as Whiteside could help, in the abstract. He was having a career season with Portland last year before Jusuf Nurkic returned in Florida and was All-Bubble material.
It has been three years since the Wizards won a playoff series, and Beal is the only holdover from then. Andrew Nicholson was on the team at that time, and he is putting up numbers in China (24.4 ppg on 66.9 percent shooting for Fujian, whose season ends April 13. Maybe a reunion could be in order afterward?
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Scott Brooks did not acquire Russell Westbrook in order for the Wizards to be a middle-of-the-road team, and the season-ending torn ACL injury to Bryant was devastating.&nbsp;
But the East is three deep right now, and therefore somebody has the opportunity to rise up and be a conference semifinal team. There are more likely candidates, but it has to be somebody. &nbsp;
Of the Wizards&rsquo; 41 remaining games, 11 are against the Pistons, Cavs, Hornets and Kings. They've got three more until the All-Star break; if they come out on top in those, the noise will start to get louder.
Why not Washington? They could be one deal away from being that team.

Chris Sheridan believes that the Wizards could end up being the surprise team of the East, especially if they make one more move.

Sheridan: Why not the Wizards? Someone must be East’s dark horse

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Andre Drummond have come to a mutual decision to keep the All-Star center inactive until the team finds a trade for him, league sources confirmed to BasketballNews.com. The news was first reported this morning by <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1361341496461586434" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic</a> and <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30905655/sources-cleveland-cavaliers-play-andre-drummond-try-trade-star-center-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN</a>.
"Nothing is imminent on the trade front, though," the source told BasketballNews.com.
According to the source, a buyout is off the table between the Cavs and Drummond, as Cleveland searches for a landing spot for the 27-year-old big man prior to the NBA trade deadline on March 25.
Per <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2021/02/cleveland-cavaliers-to-sit-andre-drummond-while-looking-for-trade.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor</a>, the situation hasn't been easy on the veteran, who's in the prime of his career. Drummond reportedly didn't want to move on, but the team envisioned a different future after bringing Jarrett Allen into the fold.
The Cavs view Allen as one of their cornerstones moving forward and they are prioritizing his growth and chemistry with his new teammates. Cleveland is set on Allen as the long-term answer at the five, so splitting minutes between he and Drummond wasn't going to benefit either party.
Drummond will still be with the team, and the decision to move forward in this manner was a mutual agreement. Constructing a trade will not be easy, as Drummond makes roughly $28.7 million. The Cavaliers will need to take back at least $23 million in salary in order to execute a deal.
We also have to remember that the Cavaliers acquired Drummond at last season's trade deadline for little-used Brandon Knight and John Henson, plus a future second-round pick. A potential trade involving Drummond likely won't be focused on the haul back, but more about opening more minutes for Allen and getting something in return for the impending free agent.
So as he watches from the sidelines until Cleveland finds him a new home, let's take a look at potential fits and possible deals that could work.
Toronto Raptors
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Cavaliers have engaged in trade talks with the Toronto Raptors about Drummond. It makes sense considering the defensive woes that have plagued the Raptors, who have begun climbing out of the Eastern Conference basement and back into the postseason hunt. Drummond's rim protection and activity on defense this season have been arguably the best of his career to this point, something that's been missing for Nick Nurse and his crew.
To match salaries, Toronto would have to include Norman Powell, Aron Baynes and Patrick McCaw, plus one more player (Matt Thomas, Terence Davis or Paul Watson could work). With the resurgence of Stanley Johnson and the role DeAndre' Bembry has carved out, it's unlikely the Raptors would give them up. Knowing Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster, it's possible that the Raptors will try to get a third team involved, which could help from a salary-matching standpoint.
We also have to keep in mind that Cleveland would have to get creative with its roster. By waiving Dean Wade prior to his Feb. 24 guarantee date, it would allow the Cavs to take back three players for one (Drummond). Fitting a fourth would take some roster tinkering.
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Dallas Mavericks
The Mavs were recently mentioned as a possible suitor on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keepin-it-94/id1545629382" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our Keepin' It 94 podcast</a>. Beyond missing shots (although they're finding a rhythm now), Dallas' problem is that there's absolutely zero resistance in the paint for their opponents. Watch how Damian Lillard waltzed right to the cup in this possession. (It's not pretty).
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DAME DUNK <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dame_lillard</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAAllStar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAAllStar</a> <a href="https://t.co/3V8glwkmz7">pic.twitter.com/3V8glwkmz7</a>
&mdash; Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1361117856998567936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Mavs have the contracts to get a trade done, but are they really willing to give up a starter? James Johnson has an expiring $15.7 million salary. Include Willie Cauley-Stein and Trey Burke and it almost gets you there, which would probably be very suitable. Substitute Dorian Finney-Smith, one of the hearts of that team, for Burke and <a href="https://tradenba.com/trades/PBVwpjcGz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">it does work</a>. Tim Hardaway Jr. has a sizable salary, but would the Mavs be open to either of those things? Another option: Cleveland deals Drummond and JaVale McGee for Johnson and Dwight Powell in a bigs-for-bigs swap? Otherwise, again, there'd probably have to be a four-player deal. Just thinking out loud here.&nbsp;
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Brooklyn Nets
While there's a feasible way for the Nets to trade for Andre Drummond, it would come at a price. Spencer Dinwiddie, the face of the one of the most beloved franchise turnarounds we've seen in the NBA in recent years and an amazing talent, would have to be included in the deal along with DeAndre Jordan. Let's not forget that DJ came to town with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant at the latter's request. If you toss in Tyler Johnson with those two, the framework checks out.
Joe Harris cannot be traded until March 3 because he re-signed with Brooklyn and got a raise using his Bird Rights, but a Dinwiddie-and-Harris-for-Drummond trade would work as well when the time comes -- although, who in the world would give up a 50-percent three-baller on a team that thrives off drive-and-kicks? They're better off waiting to see if the Cavs can't find a trade partner and buy him out post-deadline. If Drummond hits the buyout market, Brooklyn has to be considered the frontrunner to land him.
Sacramento Kings
Here's an idea that hasn't been mentioned yet. The Kings are in the hunt for the playoffs in the Western Conference. Yes, Richaun Holmes has been busting his tail off at the 5 and it shouldn't be necessary to fix something that's not broken. However, who knows what Kings general manager Monte McNair is thinking. Is it possible he wants to strike while the iron's hot?
A potential framework that could get Drummond in a Kings uniform is simple. There are two guys out of the rotation in Nemanja Bjelica (who wants out) and Jabari Parker (who hasn't played a game yet). Throw in Cory Joseph and have Cleveland send back Damyean Dotson, who's had spotty minutes since the team's primary guards returned from injury. I don't think this idea is that far-fetched, but again, Holmes is playing out of his mind this year.
New York Knicks
With $15 million in cap room, the Knicks don't have to match salaries exactly to acquire Drummond. With Mitchell Robinson out for the next month or so due to a broken hand, they could try to strike a deal while still in contention for the postseason.
A package of Nerlens Noel and out-of-rotation reclamation projects Frank Ntilikina and Kevin Knox would make a ton of sense for Cleveland and it would keep New York in the hunt. Before we talk about Robinson's effectiveness, we know how much Tom Thibodeau loves his veterans. The Knicks just traded for Derrick Rose and seem interested in win-now moves. Also, by acquiring him now, the Knicks would have Drummond's Bird rights, which would make it easier to re-sign him this offseason if they are interested in him as more than a rental.
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Boston Celtics
We'll see if Celtics president Danny Ainge has any interest in Drummond. Boston holds a massive $28.5 million trade exception from this past offseason's Gordon Hayward sign-and-trade, but here's the caveat: Drummond's $28,751,774 salary is still too much for the Celtics to flat-out absorb.
The only chance they'd have at a deal is one that includes Marcus Smart, which is not going to happen. A Drummond-for-Kemba-Walker deal would work too, but that also isn't happening. It has been reported that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-boston-celtics-searching-for-upgrades-to-wing-big-positions-danny-ainge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston is looking for upgrades,</a> but unless a third team gets involved, it'll be very difficult for the Celtics and Cavs to figure out a trade for Drummond. Perhaps Boston is an option if he is bought out.
Charlotte Hornets
There's a way for Cleveland to get a four-player return for Drummond and Wade from Charlotte, but it involves the Hornets dealing Cody Zeller, Malik Monk and Bismack Biyombo. Aside from that, any other deal would require Charlotte to move All-Star candidate Terry Rozier or PJ Washington and that isn't going to happen. Unless the Cavs want even more centers in the locker room, this isn't a great fit (unless they can find a third team).
Oklahoma City Thunder
Sam Presti is a patient man who is trusting his rebuilding process, so this is nothing more than an idea. But if the Thunder sent Trevor Ariza, Darius Miller and Mike Muscala to Cleveland, they could theoretically bring in Drummond.
As you can plainly see, there a number of possibilities when it comes to trade partners for Cleveland. However, it's going to take some creativity to get a deal done with Drummond's massive contract.

Spencer Davies looks into a number of destinations that could work for Andre Drummond as Cleveland searches for his new home.

Where could Andre Drummond land? Here are possible destinations

Derrick Rose is now with the New York Knicks, where he will presumably provide a scoring punch off the bench as he is reunited with head coach Tom Thibodeau. The next thing the Knicks need to do is acquire JJ Redick, who wants out of New Orleans and will be accommodated at some point this season.
Redick, a 16-year veteran with 110 career playoff games under his belt, would give the Knicks a veteran presence in the locker room who would provide shooting off the bench and leadership in the locker room &ndash; two things New York will need if they want to make any noise in the playoffs.
And yes, the Knicks appear headed to the playoffs despite yesterday&rsquo;s 109-103 loss to the Miami Heat. With the postseason now expanded to 10 teams when including play-in teams, two-thirds of the NBA&rsquo;s 30 teams will be playing meaningful games in the spring once the regular season concludes and the postseason begins.
Thibodeau&rsquo;s rotation now includes possible All-Star Julius Randle (22.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists) as the offensive anchor, Mitchell Robinson as the shot-blocking center, Elfrid Payton as the savvy starting point guard, RJ Barrett as the up-and-coming shooting guard, Reggie Bullock as the sharpshooting small forward and an array of players getting varying amounts of playing time off the bench depending on the matchup. Immanuel Quickley has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/Immanuel-quickley-provides-new-york-knicks-hope-leon-rose-scott-perry-obi-toppin-draft-rookie-pick-point-guard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had his moments</a>, but it is unlikely Thibs would heavily rely on him in the postseason.
Under Thibodeau, the Knicks are No. 1 in the NBA in three key defensive categories: Opponent points per game (104.1), opponent field goal percentage (43.5 percent) and opponent three-point percentage (31.6 percent). They are in the lower third of the league in three-point shooting, though, at 35.5 percent, and that is where Redick could help &ndash; especially in the postseason on a roster with practically zero postseason experience.&nbsp;
Payton has earned Thibodeau&rsquo;s trust, and he is expected to remain the starter with Rose as the backup. So Payton, on a one-year expiring $8 million deal, is not going anywhere. Thibs also values Bullock&rsquo;s toughness, so his expiring $4.2 million contract is not going anywhere.
A straight up Pelicans-Knicks trade could actually be two trades, as the Knicks have $15 million in cap space and could absorb Redick&rsquo;s entire $13 million expiring contract. But a league source said the Pelicans are determined to package Redick with other players.
New Orleans would presumably want a draft pick back in a deal with the Knicks, and New York is still sitting on Detroit&rsquo;s second-round pick in the upcoming draft, along with two future No. 1s from the Dallas Mavericks that team president Leon Rose does not want to trade &ndash; especially for a player such as Redick, who would basically be a rental.
But the Pelicans are also determined to trade Redick to a destination closer to his Brooklyn home, and the Nets do not look like a viable option because they emptied their draft pick cupboard in the James Harden trade. Boston and Philadelphia also do not look like viable options unless either would be willing to give up a frontline player for a package centered around Redick and Lonzo Ball, and neither the Celtics nor the Sixers are in the market for a point guard.
So the Knicks are the only &ldquo;destination&rdquo; team that would bring Redick closer to his family. Which begs the question: What would work in a Pels-Knicks deal?
Thibs also has an affinity for Taj Gibson, another player on an expiring contract. So the guys on the roster who are immediately expendable are Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox and Austin Rivers. Let&rsquo;s assume that Rivers and Knox are players the Pels would not want; the salaries of Ntilikina and Ignas Brazdeikis add up to $7.6 million (neither Bradzeikis nor Ntilikina are under contract for next season, as the former has a team option and the latter has a potential qualifying offer).
So if the deal is actually two deals (Redick into empty cap space being the first), what would New York get back for Ntilikina, Bradzeikis and some sort of sweetener?&nbsp;
That sweetener could be a future second-rounder, as the Knicks have extras coming from the Pistons (two of them, in 2021 and 2023), Jazz and Timberwolves over the next five years. It also could be cash, as teams can trade up to $5.617 million per season... and Gayle Benson likes cash. The French guard and Lithuanian forward <a href="https://tradenba.com/trades/5XEkj_URB">could get them Nicolo Melli and Josh Hart</a>, but that may be too much for Pels VP of Basketball Operations David Griffin to surrender without a first-rounder or the Pistons&rsquo; 2021 second-rounder coming back. 
There are other options, of course, including the Pels throwing in Willy Hernangomez (who becomes trade eligible on Feb. 20), Sindarius Thornwell (eligible on Feb. 28), or Wenyen Gabriel (cannot be dealt until Feb. 21).
The Knicks&rsquo; status as an under-the-cap team gives the two teams greater flexibility than what might normally be possible, and it is well-documented that Redick wants out and wants to be close to his family. The Pels respect Redick (whose endorsement of Stan Van Gundy was one of the reasons why they hired him as their coach) and want to get him to where he wants to go. The question is what price the Knicks would have to pay. With Redick and Alec Burks as their two best players off the bench, they might even be a threat to win a first-round series.&nbsp;
So stay tuned. The Rose deal (in which Charlotte&rsquo;s second-round pick is going to the Pistons) was not the last one the Knicks will make this season.
If they can turn Knox into a backup center (Willie Cauley-Stein becomes trade eligible March 1; Hassan Whiteside on Feb. 25), Thibs would have a nine-man playoff rotation of Randle, Bullock, Mitchell Robinson, Payton, Barrett, Redick, Burks, Gibson and the new center.&nbsp;
Remember, what the Knicks look like now and what they&rsquo;ll look like going into the playoffs are not necessarily the same thing. But it sure looks like New York&rsquo;s seven-year playoff drought will come to an end.

With the Knicks acquiring Derrick Rose on Sunday, Chris Sheridan believes New York should go after another veteran.

Sheridan: JJ Redick to Knicks? Leon Rose needs to do it

Each day, BasketballNews.com scours #NBATwitter to bring you the best tweets from the previous day. Some are insightful, some are just hilarious (so we had to include them).
Without further ado, here are the tweets of the day for January 14, 2021.
Ball Don&rsquo;t Lie
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for those curious, KD, Kyrie, and Harden all rank inside the Top-20 ALL-TIME in career Usage Rate - among every player who has ever played in the league Per <a href="https://twitter.com/bball_ref?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bball_ref</a>: <a href="https://t.co/2FUDnob9zg">pic.twitter.com/2FUDnob9zg</a>
&mdash; Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) <a href="https://twitter.com/TommyBeer/status/1349476481429344256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a><a href="https://twitter.com/TommyBeer/status/1349466748240670727?s=19">
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Career Usage Rate calculates the percentage of team plays a specific player was involved in. With Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden all nearing 30% -- nearly 10% higher than the average player -- it will be interesting to see how they work out together.
Too Many Cooks Spoil The Broth
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Brooklyn adding Harden to the Nets locker room <a href="https://t.co/NSCuUYWZvO">pic.twitter.com/NSCuUYWZvO</a>
&mdash; Mina Kimes (@minakimes) <a href="https://twitter.com/minakimes/status/1349468100601782281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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This is a very accurate description of what the Nets' front office could be feeling right now, especially with a team that is being coached by *vibes*.
Old Tweets, Same Sentiment
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Congrats to my new teammate James Harden
&mdash; Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) <a href="https://twitter.com/KDTrey5/status/2336086647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2009</a></blockquote>

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It seems like every situation has an old KD tweet to go with it. I&rsquo;m always curious about who finds them first, and how.&nbsp;
Earthworm Jim
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We don&rsquo;t deserve Steven Adams <a href="https://t.co/x9UNMhJ6U7">pic.twitter.com/x9UNMhJ6U7</a>
&mdash; Simon Hampton (@SimonHampton9) <a href="https://twitter.com/SimonHampton9/status/1349176000282816512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
Steven Adams is the most interesting and least problematic basketball player -- no, person-- on earth. Everything he does off the court is as perfect as every time he catches an opposing player who is about to fall.&nbsp;
Economic Collapse
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Houston strip clubs about to fly James Harden's jersey at half-mast this week
&mdash; sreekar (@sreekyshooter) <a href="https://twitter.com/sreekyshooter/status/1349447312594989056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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We joke a lot about James Harden and dancers, but I&rsquo;m sure he got a fair number of them through a really difficult year in their industry. Some people start worm farms, some keep strip clubs afloat.&nbsp;
My Finger Slipped
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The NBA is incredible lol <a href="https://t.co/ESTmTOLNAF">pic.twitter.com/ESTmTOLNAF</a>
&mdash; Amit Mann (@Amit_Mann) <a href="https://twitter.com/Amit_Mann/status/1349542982068924417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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James Harden did say he loved the city of Houston, so there is reason to believe he will be back...for the scenery.
My My, How the Turntables
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Kyrie didn&rsquo;t want to be Robin for Lebron but now he is Alfred for KD and Harden Crazy how life works...
&mdash; Kendrick&rsquo;s Burner ➐ (@KendrickPBurner) <a href="https://twitter.com/KendrickPBurner/status/1349531197563662337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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In his defense, Alfred is the only truly likable character from Batman. The difference though, is that Alfred just keeps his head down and does his job.
I&rsquo;m 36!!!!
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
How Lebron was when he found out James Harden went to the Nets 🏀🤣💀 <a href="https://t.co/BK9bb48nze">pic.twitter.com/BK9bb48nze</a>
&mdash; Mark Phillips (@SupremeDreams_1) <a href="https://twitter.com/SupremeDreams_1/status/1349573999429345280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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LeBron either had absolutely no reaction, or it was exactly like this one. There is no in between.
100% From the Field
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NBA sea shanty twitter twitter 🤝 discussing nets haul
&mdash; Stephen Pianovich (@SPianovich) <a href="https://twitter.com/SPianovich/status/1349468857413611520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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A good pun will always make the list (I&rsquo;ve been laughing for 12 hours).
The Red Wedding
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Pelicans sophomore Nickeil Alexander-Walker was outstanding against the Clippers. NAW finished with 37 points, 8 rebounds, 5 threes, 1 steal and 1 turnover while shooting 15-23 from the field, 5-8 from three and 2-2 from the free-throw line). <a href="https://t.co/wADaG622Lh">pic.twitter.com/wADaG622Lh</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1349587837604286465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Once upon a time, the Los Angeles Clippers traded away their entire future, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (from Hamilton, Ontario) for Paul George. Last night, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the cousin of the young star, avenged him. The Lannisters send their regards.
Willie Cooley-Stat
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Mavs are 4-0 since starting Willie Cauley-Stein. <a href="https://t.co/ICfAhS6cml">pic.twitter.com/ICfAhS6cml</a>
&mdash; StatMuse (@statmuse) <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1349540783876055040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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In my professional opinion, Willie Cauley-Stein is one of the coolest players in the NBA, and it&rsquo;s great to finally see his impact on display.&nbsp;
See a tweet that should be featured in tomorrow's Tweet of the Day piece? Send it to <a href="https://twitter.com/kelsea_lately" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@kelsea_lately</a>.

Every day, our Kelsea O'Brien scours #NBATwitter to find the best posts. Here are the tweets of the day for Jan. 14, 2021.

NBA Tweets of the Day: January 14, 2021

Free agent center Willie Cauley-Stein has agreed to a two-year, $8.2M deal to return to the Dallas Mavericks, sources tell The Athletic NBA and Stadium.
Source: <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1330602276495511561" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Marc Gasol was reportedly interested in signing with Dallas but with the veteran big man narrowing his choices down to the Raptors and Lakers, the Mavs will now re-sign Willie Cauley-Stein. After being dealt to Dallas from Golden State, Cauley-Stein only put up 5.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 12 minutes on the court for the Mavs last season.

Willie Cauley-Stein will return to the Dallas Mavericks on a 2-year deal, worth $8.2M.