Otters

The Los Angeles Lakers have pulled the plug and are dismissing head coach Darvin Ham, the team announced Saturday morning.
Amid all the rumors and speculations surrounding the development, the Lakers have parted ways with the coach who has been with them for over two years.
There were early reports over the past week after the Lakers&rsquo; loss to the Denver Nuggets in Round 1 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. The Athletic&rsquo;s Jovan Buha was quoted saying, "The latest I've heard is the plan is still to move on from Darvin [Ham] at some point, likely by the end of the week, potentially as early as tomorrow, then the head coaching search will start. I've already started to hear some names from different people."
And today, the team finally made it official in a team statement.
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Lakers Part Ways With Head Coach Darvin Ham <a href="https://t.co/or3Bx2mZ5w">pic.twitter.com/or3Bx2mZ5w</a>
&mdash; Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1786459157002121295?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2024</a>
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Ham and the Lakers have had a good run, going 90-74 over the past two seasons. Ham led LA to the Western Conference Finals in 2023 but got swept by the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers got back stronger this year, finishing with a 47-35 record, but got ousted again by the Nuggets in 5 games.
Along with Ham, the Lakers&rsquo; entire coaching staff including Phil Handy and the others was also dismissed by LA&rsquo;s front office.
An extensive coaching search is set to commence as the Lakers continue their pursuit of that elusive 18th championship banner. This development will add to an already busy offseason of roster moves and the impending decision of superstar LeBron James about his future with the team.

Amid all the rumors and speculations surrounding the development, the Lakers have parted ways with head coach Darvin Ham.

Lakers dismiss head coach Darvin Ham

Former NBA GM Pete Babcock opens up to Etan Thomas about how the media's false narratives can greatly influence NBA front offices.

Former NBA GM on how media coverage, false narratives impact players

This article was initially published by Basketball News on Nov. 4, 2020.
Every NBA team approaches their search for a head coach differently, and no two searches are the same. Here are a few things to consider or put into perspective when it comes to NBA teams&rsquo; coaching searches.
Some teams ask you to draw up plays you&rsquo;d run for their team on a chalkboard in the room before you even sit down. In some interviews, they just want to talk about your philosophies (as far as basketball and life in general). They might ask you what changes can be made to the roster. It all just depends on that team&rsquo;s way of doing things.
My interview with the Chicago Bulls was much different than my interview with the Los Angeles Clippers. They were totally different situations, and other interviews I&rsquo;ve been in were completely different than those. You&rsquo;re never sure what&rsquo;s going to happen until you walk into the interview. Sometimes, you don&rsquo;t even know who&rsquo;s going to be interviewing you.
Sometimes, it&rsquo;s just the front-office staff. Other times, the owner will be very involved. Some teams bring in their team psychologist, and they have a whole list of questions to ask you. They&rsquo;re going to want to know what kind of leader you are, and they&rsquo;re going to want examples -- not just of your successes, but of your failures as well. How did you adapt to change in these particular situations? How do you drown out the media noise? How will you work with the players and management? What is your overall level of commitment?
But it&rsquo;s not just the decision-makers that you have to sell yourself to, it&rsquo;s the players too. And you have to do that 24/7. You have to sell them on what you believe in if you want that give and take and if you want them to buy in. Also, you have to make them understand the standards that you&rsquo;ve set for the team.&nbsp;
Not every job is for every coach. Every coach has different standards, beliefs and teaching styles, and the team you&rsquo;re interviewing with might not share the same philosophy. You really have to know what you&rsquo;re getting into.&nbsp;
When you&rsquo;re interviewing for a head-coaching job, you talk about the roster and you have your own questions that you want answered too. Are they trying to build around a certain player? Are they willing to go into the luxury tax? How much will they involve their head coach in draft and free-agency decisions? For example, some teams want their coach to be very involved and present for every draft workout; others don&rsquo;t want them to focus on that at all.&nbsp;&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s way more research that goes into preparing for an interview than most people can even begin to imagine. You have to know as much as possible about the team. The more details you have, the better. Not only are you doing your homework about the roster, you&rsquo;re looking at how the team is situated going forward too. How many draft picks do they have in the years ahead? What does the team&rsquo;s cap situation look like? You have to research all pertinent information about the roster and the team&rsquo;s flexibility moving forward.
Also, it&rsquo;s important to understand the team&rsquo;s expectations (in the short-term and long-term). Continued team improvement is paramount. Does the team believe they can realistically contend for a playoff position that season? Is there a certain future championship window (depending on all of the talent assembled)?
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Once a coach does get the job, that&rsquo;s when the real work starts. It&rsquo;s very difficult to win at a high level, and it&rsquo;s extremely difficult to win at a high level consistently.&nbsp; You have to lead, and not all personalities are the same or mesh well with certain leadership styles.&nbsp;
Everyone throws around the word &lsquo;culture&rsquo; like it&rsquo;s easy to create. The teams that have been able to create a consistent culture do so from the ownership to the front office, all the way down to the end of the bench.&nbsp;
The biggest keys to success in winning are talent and consistency. When you look at all of these winning organizations, what do they all have in common? They were all consistent with their decision-making. They may have been fortunate with draft picks that turned out much better than they expected or free agents that just needed a fresh start, but that&rsquo;s only part of the equation. 
You need to have a vision for how all of these players are going to fit together. Each player is a piece to the puzzle, and you&rsquo;re trying to emphasize the player&rsquo;s strengths and work with them on their weaknesses. The staff is always working on player development and focusing on the fundamentals, while also learning each player&rsquo;s personality and skill sets to put them in the best position for success. Building relationships with players is always the goal, which allows you to improve players&rsquo; skill sets and ensure that the work they&rsquo;re putting in is not only helping the team but also their individual career.
You can&rsquo;t let rumors about your team, your job security or yourself cloud your vision. You walked into that interview room with a plan and a goal, and you can&rsquo;t let anything or anyone distract you from it. However, it&rsquo;s also vitally important to be flexible and open to making adjustments as you move forward and receive new information.
You have your standards. You have your vision. And you have to be yourself.&nbsp;
Finally, here&rsquo;s something that I&rsquo;ve learned after being around the NBA for many years (as a player, executive and head coach): The most important thing for a coach is time. The more time a coach has, the more they can learn about their team - from knowing everyone&rsquo;s strengths and weaknesses to figuring out people&rsquo;s tendencies to seeing how certain guys play well together. Over time, a coach will build strong relationships with the players as well as others throughout the organization. Trust and loyalty is earned and, if earned, must be reciprocated. And everyone has to be pulling in the same direction in order to exceed expectations and align with the standards set forth.&nbsp;
Time is a coach&rsquo;s best friend.&nbsp;

Former NBA head coach Vinny Del Negro provides a behind-the-scenes look at the interview process for NBA head-coaching jobs.

An inside look at the interview process for NBA head coaches

The following is a press release from the NBA:
NEW YORK &ndash; The NBA announced today that Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has been suspended eight games without pay for conduct detrimental to the league. The discipline is in response to Morant&rsquo;s live streaming of a video on March 4 in which he is holding a firearm in an intoxicated state while visiting a Denver area nightclub. Morant will be eligible to return for the team&rsquo;s game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, March 20.
A meeting took place today in the NBA&rsquo;s New York offices between NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Morant to discuss Morant&rsquo;s conduct. NBA Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars and NBPA Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio, among others, attended the meeting.
The league office conducted an investigation of the March 4 incident. Based on the information obtained during the investigation, the league did not conclude that the gun at issue belonged to Morant, was brought by him into the nightclub or was displayed by him beyond a brief period. The investigation also did not find that Morant possessed the gun while traveling with the team or in any NBA facility, and the Colorado authorities did not find sufficient cause to charge Morant with a crime.
&ldquo;Ja&rsquo;s conduct was irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous,&rdquo; said Silver. &ldquo;It also has serious consequences given his enormous following and influence, particularly among young fans who look up to him. He has expressed sincere contrition and remorse for his behavior. Ja has also made it clear to me that he has learned from this incident and that he understands his obligations and responsibility to the Memphis Grizzlies and the broader NBA community extend well beyond his play on the court.&rdquo;

“Ja’s conduct was irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

NBA suspends Ja Morant eight games for conduct detrimental to league

This year's NBA trade deadline challenged the glut of Western Conference contenders to test how far they would go to separate themselves from the pack.
Some teams, like the Phoenix Suns in their Kevin Durant blockbuster or the Dallas Mavericks in their Kyrie Irving acquisition, swung for the fences. Others &mdash; such as the Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans &mdash; only nabbed a rotation player or two, opting to bet on their current core.
The Los Angeles Clippers appear to fall in the latter group, but we should not overlook their trade-deadline moves. With three separate trades, all in the final hours of dealmaking on Thursday, the Clippers added Bones Hyland, Eric Gordon and Mason Plumlee. They took calculated risks and changed three important spots in their rotation, hoping the current stalwart defense insulates a boost of offensive juice.
Hyland was one of the hottest names in the rumor mill last week after his <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2023/02/09/nuggets-trade-deadline-bones-hyland-thomas-bryant-analysis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">falling out with the Nuggets</a>. Los Angeles pounced and dealt two second-round picks for the former No. 26 overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Hyland quickly becomes the most promising developmental talent on the roster at 22 years old. But more immediately, he brings a high-charged dose of long-range shotmaking to the Clippers' bottom-10 offense.
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Bones Hyland hit a career-high 7 three-pointers to lead the <a href="https://twitter.com/nuggets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nuggets</a> to the win! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MileHighBasketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MileHighBasketball</a><a href="https://twitter.com/BizzyBones11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BizzyBones11</a>: 26 PTS, 7 3PM <a href="https://t.co/IkJU5Ajf0U">pic.twitter.com/IkJU5Ajf0U</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1586207446678138883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The combo guard profiles as one of the most extreme perimeter creators in the entire league. Some evidence: Hyland has attempted 118 self-created threes this season, according to PBP Stats, which would rank second on his new team behind Paul George (164) and far above the third-place guard he's replacing (Reggie Jackson, 66), in only 820 minutes this season. His 39.8% clip on those attempts ranks 13th among 81 players who have attempted at least 50 such shots.
To this point of his career, however, Hyland's primary impact has come from distance. He can attack the basket, but he's no more than a mediocre rim-pressure threat, and he's a very limited playmaker. Microwave shooting is an important skill that can swing a playoff series if active; it's unclear if Hyland can consistently impact the game this way.
That's why the Eric Gordon trade adds another level of intrigue. Gordon, a 34-year-old shooting guard, finally leaves a rebuilding Houston Rockets situation after years in and out of reported trade talks. He rejoins the franchise that drafted him seventh overall way back in 2008.&nbsp;
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Ty Lue on the <a href="https://twitter.com/LAClippers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LAClippers</a> new editions of Bones Hyland, Eric Gordon &amp; Mason Plumlee. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LAClippers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LAClippers</a> <a href="https://t.co/yxsD8SyutK">pic.twitter.com/yxsD8SyutK</a>
&mdash; Hoops &amp; Brews (@HoopsNBrews) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoopsNBrews/status/1624289182775656448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Gordon has a 15-year history of solid, albeit streaky, pull-up shooting, and he can still slice his way to the rim with ease. Gordon has converted 67% or more of his shots within three feet of the hoop in each of the last three seasons, per Basketball Reference &mdash; and that's in a Houston offense that has looked pretty wonky at times.&nbsp;
The Clippers acquired Gordon in a three-team deal with the Rockets and Grizzlies that ultimately sent John Wall to Houston and Luke Kennard to Memphis. They now have a reshaped guard rotation that includes Hyland, Gordon, Terance Mann and Norman Powell &mdash; four complementary scoring threats next to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.&nbsp;
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Entering Saturday, L.A. took just 30.2% of its shots at the rim, a 23rd-ranked rate, per Cleaning the Glass. Gordon's talents should directly help, and Hyland's perimeter prowess ideally opens up lanes for others to attack.
The four-man crew allows for some interesting lineup flexibility. Does head coach Ty Lue opt to keep Mann in the starting lineup and let Hyland bombard off the bench, knowing Gordon can also keep teams honest? Or can Hyland eventually work his way up to start and provide a more powerful perimeter impact than Reggie Jackson ever could &mdash; also leaving Mann to keep the heat on with the second unit?
With just those two, we already see that the Clippers want to apply more pressure from more angles, versus the stagnation that can arise with just Kawhi plus PG plus floor-spacers. Mason Plumlee continues the theme in his own way as a passing hub.
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Pretty easy to see how Mason Plumlee's playmaking would fit seamlessly into Sacramento's offense. Lots of CHA's sets are similar to SAC's. Plumlee is averaging 4.6 assists per 36 mins and would probably be fairly cheap considering his expiring $9M deal. Davis + Len + two 2nds? <a href="https://t.co/U52qzH2vnd">pic.twitter.com/U52qzH2vnd</a>
&mdash; Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrendenNunesNBA/status/1617660314237145088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Los Angeles added the veteran center in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets that sent Jackson and a 2028 second-rounder to Charlotte. During our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/watch-basketball-news-2023-nba-trade-deadline-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 NBA Trade Deadline Show</a>, Nekias Duncan and I both commented on the parallels between Plumlee and the team's 2021-22 backup center, Isaiah Hartenstein.&nbsp;
Last year, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-stats-notebook-isaiah-hartenstein-is-the-clippers-secret-weapon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hartenstein showed off his facilitation chops</a> by hitting cutters from the arc and operating out of some roll actions. He's in the sub-Nikola-Jokic tier of best big man passers in the NBA, and so is Plumlee.
For several seasons, the 32-year-old has consistently posted some of the best passing numbers in the league; his 18.0% assist rate is in the 92nd percentile among bigs this season, per Cleaning the Glass. Plumlee is assisting on 12.6% of his total passes, per Second Spectrum, which is the third-highest rate among centers.
Add in his stellar presence around the rim (73% shooting in that zone) and solid track record on the glass, and Plumlee seems about as ideal a fit at backup center as feasible. The healthy Clippers are looking at a Hyland-Gordon-Powell-Robert Covington-Plumlee second unit, with Nic Batum and Amir Coffey as additonal options. That is deep.
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The overarching worry: L.A. is tweaking the components of its top-10 defense &mdash; the backbone of its current fifth-place standing in the Western Conference. Hyland has serious defensive question-marks, Gordon is strong but undersized and Plumlee, while fundamentally sound, is by no means a rim-protector. Can the system and the prowess of the remaining players provide a stable floor? And if not, do the new pieces just fall out of the rotation, or do they unearth a new problem?
We likely won't know the final answer until the postseason. But the Clippers pointedly targeted several needs on Thursday, and the moves have more reward and more risk than they appear to at first. Even without adding a star, the Clippers have become another must-track team in the reshuffled West playoff race.

Ethan Fuller breaks down the Los Angeles Clippers adding Bones Hyland, Eric Gordon and Mason Plumlee prior to the trade deadline.

Evaluating the Clippers' three NBA trade deadline moves

We have an MVP on the move, folks!
There's been a ton of smoke surrounding the New York Liberty landing a superstar this offseason. To the surprise of many, Breanna Stewart isn't&nbsp;the player heading to the northeast.
That honor goes to Jonquel Jones.
<a href="https://twitter.com/RachGall/status/1614741260493000704?s=20&amp;t=OsIqYHBdRYlwRpzsvN8M3g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">First reported</a> by Rachel Galligan of Winsidr, the Sun are trading the 2021 MVP to the Liberty as part of a three-team deal. Howard Megdal of The Next came through shortly after with the <a href="https://twitter.com/howardmegdal/status/1614753296064942082?s=20&amp;t=OsIqYHBdRYlwRpzsvN8M3g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outline for the deal</a>.
Liberty receive: Jonquel Jones (CON), Kayla Thornton (DAL)
Wings receive: Natasha Howard (NYL), rights to Crystal Dangerfield (NYL)
Sun receive: No. 6 overall pick, Rebecca Allen (NYL), Ty Harris (DAL)
And before you could quizzically ask, "Wait, that's it?" about the Jones return for Connecticut, we got the she-asked-for-this nugget from ESPN's Alexa Philippou:
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BREAKING: Jonquel Jones is being traded to the New York Liberty, sources confirm to ESPN. The 2021 WNBA MVP with the Connecticut Sun requested the trade specifically to NY.<a href="https://twitter.com/RachGall?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RachGall</a> had it first
&mdash; Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) <a href="https://twitter.com/alexaphilippou/status/1614753043949535235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2023</a></blockquote>

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So, wow. Superstar trades are fun. Superstar trades before free agency begins are even more fun, and help set up a good deal of (potential) fireworks.
On the Sun's side, Jones' departure actually helps them retain their top free agent. Brionna Jones, two-time All-Star and reigning Sixth Woman of the Year, was set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. With Jones heading to the Liberty, the Sun plan to use the core designation on Bri Jones, giving them exclusive negotiation rights &mdash; and locking in a one-year max offer for Jones, unless her and the Sun agree to a long-term deal.
Beyond that, I like the pieces the Sun added, even if the return still falls short of Jones' status in the league.
Harris should give the Sun another steady hand at point guard, something they lacked with Jasmine Thomas missing most of last season due to injury. That placed a heavier creation burden on All-World forward Alyssa Thomas, who practically served as the de facto point guard. With Harris providing depth, the Sun should have an easier time building cohesion in the half-court.&nbsp;
For a team that didn't take many threes &mdash; the Sun ranked 11th in three-point rate (26.1% of shot attempts) but third in percentage (35.4%) &mdash; Rebecca Allen could be a godsend. She's drained 37.2% of his threes over the past three seasons, an impressive mark considering a dip in efficiency last season (31.3% on 3.3 attempts per game). She cares very little about shot contests, and has a knack for finding space off the ball. It's easy to envision her presence taking pressure off of others, particularly in the half-court.
(Are you sensing a theme here?)
The Wings being included as the third team was interesting. There have been rumblings <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wnba-trade-rumors-news-dallas-wings-forward-allisha-gray-expected-to-be-traded-connecticut-sun-chicago-sky-washington-mystics-atlanta-dream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">about their own star talent</a> (Allisha Gray) potentially being moved over the offseason. For the Wings to land an actual All-Star in Natasha Howard was a pleasant surprise.&nbsp;
Howard's a versatile talent, able to pop or roll as the ball screener, put the ball on the deck against larger opponents, and bully her way to the basket against smaller ones. Her activity on the defensive end, notably her quick hands, allows her to play in &mdash; or quarterback the back end of &mdash; more aggressive coverages. That could become important depending on who her frontcourt partner will be this season.
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Former Rookie of the Year Crystal Dangerfield is a walking (running?) paint touch that could serve as a nice replacement to Ty Harris. She was able to find life as a complementary piece to Sabrina Ionescu last season, with her ability to pressure the rim helping to unlock Ionescu as an off-ball threat. She could provide similar value playing alongside Arike Ogunbowale or Marina Mabrey whenever the other is on the bench.
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Of course, the true winners of the deal are the Liberty.&nbsp;
Jones is, at worst, one of the six best players in The W. Even in a down year statistically &mdash; one that says more about the re-emergence of Alyssa Thomas, and a little bit about the inconsistent usage of Jones &mdash; Jones still earned All-WNBA and All-Defensive Second Team honors.
Players the size of Jones aren't supposed to be able to move the way she does, shoot the way she does or handle the way she does. That she can blend all of that together makes her one of the most difficult covers in the league.
On one possession, you can find Jones bullying some poor defender on the block. On another, you can find her spaced on the perimeter, one pass away from another post-up or a ball screen. A kick to her can lead to a three (that defenders have no chancd of contesting, thanks to her release point), or a catch-and-drive that most bigs in the league aren't equipped to deal with.&nbsp;
If you want to get fancy, you can run Jones off of screens. I don't mean simple cross screens to clear a side for a post-up or isolation &mdash; though you can obviously do that. You can run Jones off pindowns, off staggers, use her as the third&nbsp;screener in Spain pick-and-roll actions or anything else you can think of because of her footwork and ability to shoot off movement.
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And on other possessions, you don't even have to draw up anything. Because of her defensive prowess, she can kickstart her own offense by grabbing a board and pushing the ball in the open floor.
In short, Jones is an absolute monster.
Pairing her with Ionescu &mdash; one of the best pick-and-roll ball-handlers in the league to put it lightly &mdash; is patently unfair. Jones hasn't played with a ball-handler this dynamic; Ionescu hasn't a screening partner like this, and certainly hasn't played with a big who can clean up messes on the other end like (an engaged) Jones can.
But not only did the Liberty land Jones, but they were also able to snag Kayla Thornton from Dallas as well. The Liberty were a middling defense last season (No. 7 in defensive rating), but struggled on the perimeter. Adding Thornton, a multi-positional defender who can disrupt things on and off the ball, should help shore things up. Having Jones, Thornton and a healthy Betnijah Laney should give the Liberty a solid foundation.
There will be questions up and down the board. The Sun will need to nail the sixth overall pick if they keep it &mdash; much like they did with Jones in 2016 &mdash; to make the fan base feel better. You don't really replace an MVP, but it's hard to overstate just how much scoring gravity (and versatility) is walking out the door. Bri Jones can capture a good bit of the interior force, but shooting will still be a question mark overall.
Howard is certainly a talent upgrade, but it's worth wondering just how fluidly the offense will operate. Thornton is a lesser offensive talent, but her ability to fill gaps complemented the Ogunbowale-Mabrey backcourt. Howard will require more touches &mdash; obviously fine, but it's worth noting she isn't, say, Candace Parker as a high post passing hub. There will likely be some growing pains.
There's less to question on the Liberty front, but implementing Jones may not be an early slam dunk. Even with Ionescu shifting more off the ball in the second half of the year, she still finished in the top 10 in usage rate &mdash; and, if the tracking were available, I'd bet she ranked just as highly in touches per game. Jones wasn't always utilized as frequently as an MVP should be &mdash; something I imagine factored at least somewhat into her desire to be traded.
Still, it's hard not to be excited about &mdash; or terrified of &mdash; what the Liberty can become. Per Myles Ehrlich of Winsidr, the Liberty actually&nbsp;<a href="https://winsidr.com/2023/01/trade-report-jonquel-jones-to-liberty-in-a-three-team-deal-between-ny-connecticut-and-dallas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">created&nbsp;more cap space</a> with this trade. The rumors of Stewart in New York aren't dead.
And if the Liberty are able to land Jones and Stewart in the same offseason... whew, buddy, I don't know what you do with that kind of star power.&nbsp;

Nekias Duncan looks Sunday's three-team mega trade involving Jonquel Jones from all angles.

WNBA trade: Connecticut Sun star Jonquel Jones heads to New York Liberty

This isn't how things were supposed to go in Detroit.&nbsp;
It was hard not to be excited for the Pistons heading into the year. Strong draft class, headlined by Jaden Ivey and the traded-for Jalen Duren. A Jerami Grant trade not only netted them a future first-rounder and other draft capital, it was a move made in part to clear some of the runway for Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey, the latter of which was expected to fill more of Grant's time at forward.
The shooting woes that hampered Detroit last season were somewhat accounted for; adding Alec Burks into the mix was supposed to help, and an offseason trade for sniper Bojan Bogdanovic was expected to be a big add to their offense.
Fast forward to now, and the Pistons are without Cunningham for the year, dealing with an uneven campaign from Bey, and ultimately find themselves percentage points away from the worst record in the NBA.
So much for the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-23-nba-season-preview-central-division-chicago-bulls-cleveland-cavaliers-detroit-pistons-indiana-pacers-milwaukee-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">play-in ceiling</a>.&nbsp;
There have been bright spots though. Ivey and Duren have been as advertised; Ivey's going to make the All-Rookie first team, and Duren could make a push for it by the end of the season. Loyal listeners of <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunker-spot/id1547857052" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dunker Spot</a> know how pleased I've been with Killian Hayes' growth this season.
On the veteran side, Bogdanovic has somehow been better than expected.&nbsp;
The initial plan was to spread the floor at a high level, and act as a security blanket so Cunningham (and Bey) wouldn't have to work as hard as creators. Instead, Bogdanovic has become the defacto top option.
Since November 11, kicking off the stretch without Cunningham for good, Bogdanovic is averaging a team-high in front-court touches (33.8), points (22.3), shot attempts (14.8), three-point attempts (5.6) and free throw attempts (5.8).&nbsp;
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The efficiency has been off the charts, with Bogdanovic converting a ridiculous 56.6% of his twos and nearly 41% of his threes.&nbsp;
League-wide, Bogdanovic is <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/shots-general?CF=FG3A*GE*5:FG3_PCT*GE*40:FG2_PCT*GE*55&amp;TeamID=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of five* players</a> converting at least 55% of their twos and 40% of their threes with high volume during this month-plus stretch, joining Stephen Curry, Donovan Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins and Lauri Markkanen. (*Wendell Carter Jr. is also on this list, but only has three games under his belt during this stretch. Please come back soon, Wendell. We miss you, and the Magic surely do.)
What makes Bogdanovic fun is the myriad ways he can be used. He's running nearly 15 ball screens per 100 possessions since November 11, and the Pistons are scoring roughly 1.04 points per possession (PPP) on those trips &mdash; a mark that ranks in the 72nd percentile, per Second Spectrum.
He's shooting most of the time (50.8%), with his scoring prowess popping against drop coverage or switches (1.08 PPP). Bogdanovic slow-probes his way to his spots, whether that's keeping his defender at bay when faced with drop, or picking out a matchup agains a (late) switch and posting up.
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There are still limitations. Mainly, Bogdanovic's handle isn't tight enough to access&nbsp;every&nbsp;area of the court on a whim. When faced with more aggressive coverages &mdash; hedges or flat-out traps &mdash; he's prone to retreating without taking full advantage of the numbers game ahead of him. Even when he isn't, navigating close quarters can be an adventure. He's up to 27 "lost ball" turnovers in 30 games this season (0.9), after racking up 48 of them in 69 games last season (0.7).
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Even with that uptick, it's hard to ignore the overall efficiency here. And it's especially impressive considering he's carrying a much larger offensive load than originally expected.
This isn't the first time Bogdanovic has had to scale up. He saw his shot volume increase by nearly three attempts between his first and second year in Indiana. In year two (2018-19), Bogdanovic averaged 18 points with shooting splits similar to what he's doing now &mdash; 53.8% on twos, 42.5% from three. That was a year where Victor Oladipo appeared in just 36 games.
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But this is different. Bogdanovic's 64.9% True Shooting clip is easily the higheest of his career, and a whopping 7.4 points above league average. It would behoove other teams to take notice.
The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly have, according to <a href="https://theathletic.com/3992371/2022/12/12/bojan-bogdanovic-jae-crowder-shams-charania-inside-pass/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic's Shams Charania</a>. The Phoenix Suns were linked to Bogdanovic before he was dealt to the Pistons, and could probably use another shot creator in light of Chris Paul's decline in that area.
There are others, like the Atlanta Hawks, that could use the forward's blend of creation and outside shooting. Is there a conversation to be had around a package headlined by John Collins? It's certainly worth asking. <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rumors-lakers-knicks-john-collins-bojan-bogdanovic-free-agency-stock-watch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Scotto of HoopsHype</a> reported that the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks have also expressed interest.
That would track. The Mavs desperately need more creation to take pressure off of Luka Doncic. The Heat need more shooting &mdash; they rank 21st in three-point percentage despite ranking seventh in three-point rate &mdash; and could stand to upgrade at the 4, though Caleb Martin has played pretty well this season.
Of course, the Pistons don't have to cooperate. They recently extended Bogdanovic, and per James Edwards of The Athletic, the Pistons <a href="https://theathletic.com/3995150/2022/12/13/pistons-trade-scenariors-noel-bogdanovic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aren't eager to move him</a>. It would (rightfully) take a big offer to pry him out of there. But with the way he's playing, it's probably worth the swing.

Nekias Duncan breaks down the recent offensive explosion of Bojan Bogdanovic.

Good teams should be looking to trade for Bojan Bogdanovic

NBA Media Day is typically a wellspring of optimism and excitement for teams across the Association. But in Boston, Celtics players have simply been trying to collect their bearings.
Ime Udoka's sudden one-year suspension as the team's head coach has rocked the organization and sent unprecedented questions toward a roster trying to rebound from falling two wins short of an NBA title. While Monday's press conference still included on-court questions, most of the dialogue revolved around Udoka, interim head coach Joe Mazzulla and the players' ability to even process this past week.&nbsp;
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Here's what we did learn about the Celtics' muddled circumstances, plus some unanswered questions that will hopefully be answered before the season:
WHAT DO THE PLAYERS KNOW ABOUT IME UDOKA'S MISCONDUCT?
Based on their answers, very little.
Jayson Tatum said he found out about Udoka's suspension on Twitter. Grant Williams said he learned "same as everyone else." <a href="https://theathletic.com/3617945/2022/09/22/celtics-ime-udoka-discipline/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of&nbsp;The Athletic</a>&nbsp;reported that members of the Celtics franchise first learned of Ime Udoka's relationship with another woman in the organization in July.
Marcus Smart said that Udoka visited him and other players in Los Angeles over the summer, and he noticed nothing unusual about the suspended head coach.
"I think that's why (the news is) so off-guard for us, because everything just seemed so normal," Smart said.
Since the announcement, the players have obviously met and had conversations. But several indicated that, as of Monday, the players don't know much more information than the public. Tatum has not spoken with Udoka since the suspension.
"It's been hell for us, caught by surprise. Nobody really knows anything. So we're just in the wind just like everybody else. So the last couple of days, as far as this, have been confusing," Smart said.
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"It's been hell for us... these last couple days for us have been confusing." Marcus Smart reacts to Ime Udoka's suspension, and Joe Mazzulla stepping in as interim head coach <a href="https://t.co/IwD4YJCDco">pic.twitter.com/IwD4YJCDco</a>
&mdash; Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSCeltics/status/1574455058460282880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

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"I wish we had more details," Jaylen Brown said. "From what we know, it's hard to make a decision based upon whether it's consensual or not in the workplace or whatever is going on &mdash; which we've known has happened before in the workplace &mdash; but I guess there's more to it possibly, which we don't know. I don't know. I don't have all the details; [they're] not being shared with me. So it's hard to really comment on something that you're not filled in with all the details. So I don't really have a feeling or comment on my emotions about it because I don't have the details."
Celtics players generally seemed to understand that legal and privacy reasons have slowed the information process. That doesn't mean it's easy being left in the dark on the full story.
"If you read the statement, and if you watched the press conference [Friday], obviously, apparently there's a lot of things that they can't, can't speak about," Tatum said. "So I think I'm kind of in the same boat, as &mdash; I don't know. So it's hard for me to answer if things were handled the right way [or] if they weren't because I guess for a lot of reasons, I don't know all the details."
Added Smart: "We don't know what the organization knows. So it's kind of hard to say that &mdash; we don't know what they know, so we don't know what they are supposed to tell us or what we're supposed to know. And I think this is where this is at and why it is what it is, because literally, no one knows anything. We're still waiting just like everybody else. As a player, you would like it to be known, but at the same time, that's none of our business. It's their lives. It's the people involved, it's between them, you know, and we should respect their privacy and we understand, just like we want our privacy respected. So, although, as a player, you would like to know, like I said, it's it's not an obligation."
DOES JOE MAZZULLA HAVE THE BACKING OF THE PLAYERS?
Like <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/celtics-udoka-suspended-for-multiple-policy-violations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brad Stevens and Wyc Grousbeck did on Friday,</a> the players gave positive reviews of Mazzulla. The 34-year-old was hired as an assistant on the C's staff in 2019, and is a holdover from the Stevens coaching era.
"He knows and understands us as players. He's built relationships with us. So we love Joe; we're excited to be able to work with him in this opportunity that he has," Smart said.
Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser have both played under Mazzulla when he was at the helm of the Summer League Celtics.
"I think he's gonna be an unbelievable coach," Pritchard said. "He's intelligent, he knows the game and I think he is the right amount of, like, pushing players, but also understanding [them]."
"I think he is a hard-nosed type of coach," Hauser added. "He kind of says it how it is, but he also really cares about you as a person &mdash; not only a basketball player, but he really cares about the off-the-floor stuff. I'm excited for Joe, and I can't wait to see how he takes advantage of this opportunity."
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Malcolm Brogdon certainly didn't expect this past week to happen when he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-malcolm-brogdon-qa-fit-boston-celtics-basketball-without-borders-africa-camp-egypt-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown-danilo-gallinari-ime-udoka" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined Boston as a high-profile trade acquisition</a>. Brogdon said the Indiana Pacers gave him a few options for trade destinations, and he picked Boston because, "I want to win."
In his short time knowing Mazzulla, Brogdon has admired his discipline. Mazzulla often lifts weights with Brogdon early in the morning. One time he approached Brogdon, who was doing a breathing exercise, and started explaining the theories behind different techniques. Brogdon has also heard of Mazzulla's reputation for putting together quality opponent scouts.
"He's a guy that is so detail-oriented; I am like-minded with people that are detail-oriented, that care about the small things, the little things that get you through the day," Brogdon said.
WHAT WILL MAZZULLA CHANGE FROM UDOKA'S SYSTEM?
Of course, the Celtics have all the on-court pieces to replicate and even improve upon last season. Mazzulla does not want to drastically change course from Boston's success under Udoka.&nbsp;
"It's about carrying on the identity of our players," Mazzulla said. "We had our struggles early last season, but at our best, we knew what our identity was. It was our defense, it was our buy-in from a defensive standpoint, and then it was sharing the ball and moving quickly on the offensive end. So as much as we can stick to the things that we were great at last year, and then find small areas to improve in, is the right way to go."
The Celtics' coaching staff now has two openings with Udoka's suspension and Will Hardy's departure for the Utah Jazz head coaching gig. Mazzulla has not thought about replacements yet and would work with Stevens on filling out the bench. He believes the foundation of existing relationships should help the Celtics build solid chemistry early in the season.
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Joe Mazzulla talks about the strong endorsement he received from Brad Stevens for interim head coach <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Celtics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Celtics</a> <a href="https://t.co/hCuynuUdoR">pic.twitter.com/hCuynuUdoR</a>
&mdash; Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSCeltics/status/1574435350465990657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

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WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CENTER ROTATION WITH ROBERT WILLIAMS III OUT?
Amidst the off-court bombshell, the Celtics also announced that Robert Williams III will miss 8-to-12 weeks as he recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery. This puts additional strain on an already-thin big rotation for a Boston team that sent Daniel Theis out in the trade for Brogdon this summer.
Luke Kornet could step into major minutes. The 7-foot-2 center spent most of last season with the Maine Celtics in the NBA G League, but has four seasons of experience at the top level. Kornet said that with the door for minutes certainly open, his mindset naturally changes, but not his approach to the game.
"There definitely is a bit of a switch in that, but in terms of still being a basketball player and conditioning and [wondering] how am I going to help this team do the best they can &mdash; a lot of those things stay the same. But there's some change," Kornet said.
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A larger burden falls on Al Horford, now age-36 and older than his head coach, to shoulder some of the two-way responsibilities Rob Williams wields.
"For me, I have to step up a little more, Grant's gonna have to step up a little more, Luke, whichever one of our bigs, we just have to step up and do a little more," Horford said. "Even some of our guys, whether it's you know, [Tatum] playing more at the 4 or whatever it may be, I'm not sure about all that. But we all just have to do more until he gets back."
Williams, meanwhile, will start a road to recovery that began as he battled knee injuries throughout last spring's playoffs. Despite eventually needing surgery, he doesn't regret playing through the injury to compete in the NBA Finals.
"I'm playing the Finals, you know what I'm saying?" Williams said. "You win some you lose some, but I don't regret my decision at all. I was 24 years old, my dream was to play in the Finals, dawg. I can't regret that sh**."
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
What is the extent of Udoka's misconduct? &mdash; Ultimately, the players and public need more details as to the forces behind a year-long suspension and potential firing. Grousbeck said Friday that Udoka committed multiple violations of multiple team policies, suggesting the punishment came down for much more than the singular act of being in a workplace relationship. While the woman's privacy must be respected, there must be some level of clarity on the wrongdoing.
What has Mazzulla done to atone for his past arrests?&nbsp;&mdash; Mazzulla answered two questions relating to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/celtics/2022/09/22/joe-mazzulla-boston-celtics-new-coach-ime-udoka-suspension/8087114001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">multiple arrests between 2008 and 2009</a>, including a domestic violence charge in '09. Here were his quotes:&nbsp;&nbsp;
"Listen, I've made mistakes. I'm not perfect. I've hurt people, and I've had to use the situations I put myself in as a younger man, I've had to use to learn from and to become a better person," Mazzulla said. "And that's what I've tried to focus on is: 'How can I recreate my identity as a person? How can I rely on my faith? And how can I just have a positive impact on the people around me?' And I've always had good people around me...
"...I can't talk about specifics of [the incidents]. But what I can talk about is: I'm not the same person that I was, and I think as you grow as a person, you're constantly having to build an identity, and you know, I didn't have an identity at a certain point in my life for whatever reason. And I think it's [about]: 'How can I develop an identity? How can I find a foundation which for me, is my faith, and then, how can I impact people positively around me? And that's something that I really learned throughout my life.'"
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&ldquo;That made him who he is today&hellip; I&rsquo;ll be the first to tell you, I believe in him.&rdquo; Brad Stevens on Joe Mazzulla after being asked about Mazzulla&rsquo;s domestic battery charges from his college days. <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC6?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@abc6</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bleedgreen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bleedgreen</a> <a href="https://t.co/s5ia1rYvnY">pic.twitter.com/s5ia1rYvnY</a>
&mdash; Ian Steele (@IanSteeleABC6) <a href="https://twitter.com/IanSteeleABC6/status/1573338669007704064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Mazzulla did not dodge any questions and he did acknowledge his past wrongdoing. But he also did not explain what led to his behavior, what in his faith prompted the change and how he has shown other people he has progressed.
Player and front-office endorsements are not enough in an NBA that has hired at least two other coaches with domestic-violence and sexual-assault histories in the last year-and-change &mdash; not to mention the recent reminders of troubling workplace environments in Boston and Phoenix. We need more assurance that this behavior does not have a tolerable place in the league.
How will Mazzulla manage his starters in the early goings of the regular season? &mdash; Among the many, many questions Mazzulla will face as he acclimates to the head-coaching gig is the impending usage for Tatum, Brown and others. Tatum played through a fractured wrist down the stretch of the postseason (he said he feels good on Monday).
Can Mazzulla give the high-usage players more rest to hopefully prepare them for another deep playoff run? Or will the Celtics have to go all-out just to stay on top of a stacked Eastern Conference?
ADDITIONAL NOTES
<ul>
<li>Brown's name popped up in trade rumors surrounding Kevin Durant this offseason, and the 25-year-old said he discussed those rumors with members of the Celtics, but did not elaborate.</li>
</ul>
"I've talked to my teammates, I talked to ownership, the organization, etc. I'll keep those conversations between us," Brown said. "All I can say is now that I'm here, I'm ready to play basketball. I'm in great shape, probably the best shape of my life. So I'm excited to start the journey."
<ul>
<li>With Brogdon bolstering a stellar guard rotation, his addition leaves room to wonder about Pritchard's playing time. Pritchard is embracing the competition for minutes in training camp.</li>
</ul>
"Obviously, we have a lot of tremendous players. But I don't go through all summer and all year working on my game to just ride the bench," Pritchard said. "So for me, I'm just looking forward to the opportunity to go out there and compete, and earn minutes and see where that lies. Ultimately, we just want the team success though."
<ul>
<li>Grant Williams will soon be eligible for a contract extension, but said he hasn't let that distract him. &nbsp;</li>
</ul>
"When it comes to that, I just let my agents and everybody handle it, because if you become too overwhelmed or concerned with it, that's when you start focusing on your play or you start doing things that aren't necessarily characteristic of yourself," Williams said. "For me, my number one focus and goal is allowing and helping this team to win a championship. Everything else takes care of itself."

Celtics players addressed the upcoming season and head coaching change on Monday at Media Day.

2022 Boston Celtics Media Day Notebook: What did we learn?

The Indiana Pacers have entered new, uncharted waters recently. Embracing a full-scale rebuild attempt for the first time in 30-plus years, the fresh energy surrounding the organization is palpable. An infusion of young talent headlined by Tyrese Haliburton and No. 6 overall pick Bennedict Mathurin suggests that a brand new vision is beginning to take shape in Indianapolis.
Stuck in neutral for a long period, the Pacers realized what had to be done and pressed the rebuild button. This decision is already showing immense promise, as they have a long-term outline that was simply nonexistent beforehand. Tearing down a veteran-heavy core that once featured Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon was a step-by-step process, and now, Indiana has ultimate amounts of optionality after moving on from all three veterans.
The Memphis Grizzlies' blueprint has stood out to the Pacers&rsquo; brain trust. It's a model that the organization hopes to follow, according to Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard.
&ldquo;We looked at some of the teams that have really drafted well, and now that they&rsquo;re a pretty good team... You look at the Memphis&rsquo;s and the teams like that that have built and now they&rsquo;re going to be powerhouses for the next couple of years. So, I think what we came away from our studies [with] is there&rsquo;s no quick fix," Pritchard told Basketball News in a small scrum setting on Thursday. "We can&rsquo;t make a trade or two trades or three trades or use our draft picks and become what we want to become, which is great. So, how do you do it? You&rsquo;ve got to pay your dues, and you&rsquo;ve got to get everybody on board. And that takes multiple meetings and conviction from your head coach (Rick Carlisle), your president, your GM (Chad Buchanan) and your owner. Mr. [Herb] Simon is 100% on this. It can&rsquo;t be easy.
"Nobody wants to walk in and think rebuild, and I hate that word because we have some players that we really like that we can build around. It&rsquo;s going to take some time. We&rsquo;re going to enjoy the heck out of it. And we&rsquo;re going to build this team back up to make it a really special team, guys that have true character that want to have deep roots in this community. I think that is something we&rsquo;ve talked about. How do you do that? At the end of the day, you draft well, develop relationships. [It] is your best recipe for high-level talent, high-level characters and the ability to keep players for a long time. I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s a secret to this.&rdquo;
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It&rsquo;s hard to avoid the "rebuild" phrase for the Pacers, but the upside is flowing into the facility with former lottery picks integrating. With one of the league&rsquo;s youngest rosters heading into the season, Haliburton quickly acclimated himself and is being labeled as the new face of the franchise. (Our Alex Kennedy <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-interview-tyrese-haliburton-indiana-pacers-chad-buchanan-bennedict-mathurin-myles-turner-sacramento-kings-domantas-sabonis-trade-drew-hanlen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke with Haliburton about this and his hopes for the upcoming season last month</a>.)
With Haliburton acclimating himself with a full offseason in Indianapolis, the Pacers are having fun building a roster around their point guard&rsquo;s unique traits.
&ldquo;It starts with Tyrese, don&rsquo;t get me wrong, his ability to make plays for others,&rdquo; Pritchard told Basketball News in the scrum. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll say this: By having Tyrese and having players say, &lsquo;You know, I really like playing with that,&rsquo; I think that was a big decision in Jalen [Smith] (re-signing). I think Myles [Turner] is really looking forward to playing with Tyrese. The league has changed in that the point guard position has turned into like score first, then maybe I pass. Well, Tyrese is unique; he&rsquo;d rather pass. It&rsquo;s like a quarterback. If you&rsquo;ve got a great quarterback that&rsquo;s hitting you in the chest every time, he is that.
"We&rsquo;ve got to build around that and he&rsquo;s gotta build us. There&rsquo;s going to be games where he looks amazing and he&rsquo;s going to get 15 assists. And we&rsquo;re going to need him to do a lot of things, we&rsquo;re going to ask a lot, but we&rsquo;re not going to put too much [on him]. I&rsquo;ve seen where teams put too much on players. It&rsquo;s going to be collective with our young players and our vets. The good thing is a lot of of players are going to play this year. You&rsquo;re going to see more athletic plays, and we&rsquo;re going to play harder than we&rsquo;ve ever played. From what I&rsquo;ve seen so far, it&rsquo;s easy to stand up here and say it. I want to be about actions. I think we&rsquo;re going to be a super-hard-playing team. I think you&rsquo;ll see a lot of growth.&rdquo;
There's plenty of internal optimism for Haliburton to take a massive jump within the Pacers&rsquo; organization. (A stat line flirting near 20 points and 10 assists wouldn&rsquo;t come as any sort of a surprise in Indiana.) Outside of Haliburton and the aforementioned rookie in Mathurin, their highest draft pick selected since 1988, many new-core players are taking notable steps forward in their development.
Chris Duarte, who was sidelined to end his rookie campaign with a nagging toe injury, is mentally processing the game at a different speed. Isaiah Jackson, who Pritchard said has gained 15 to 18 pounds, is poised for a massive breakout as well. Smith, who re-signed with Indiana, continues to flash his former top-10 pick upside following his exit from the Phoenix Suns.
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A gym full of athletes and prospects looking to improve provides a breath of fresh air compared to the all-too-familiar unknown of whether or not the team would make it past the first round of the playoffs.
&ldquo;We are giddy,&rdquo; Pritchard told Basketball News of their young core they&rsquo;re building together. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s interesting, when watching (scrimmages) and you throw them out there and let them play, what you find out is Tyrese, TJ McConnell, [Andrew] Nembhard are really fast players, and everyone kinda fills in. There have been times where I have been in awe about how fast our team is, which, that&rsquo;s young legs right? That&rsquo;s young, exciting legs. We&rsquo;ve seen more plays at the rim where it&rsquo;s a blocked dunk, sprint down, dunk on someone. We&rsquo;ve had more alley-oops &mdash; I think Chad Buchanan was joking with me the other day about three or four years ago we had two lob dunks in the whole year. We had 10 [on Thursday].
"The league is getting more athletic. A couple years ago we decided, 'We&rsquo;re going to look at this draft and trades, and let&rsquo;s get some of these athletes because they&rsquo;re fun to watch.' Balancing that... Coach Carlisle loves shooting. So, if you can find a great athlete that is a great shooter, I&rsquo;m all-in.&rdquo;
Not only are the Pacers all-in on their new long-term vision, one where patience is the most important part, but they&rsquo;re also in a new position as an organization &mdash; optimizing future flexibility via multiple avenues. Indiana still has oodles of cap space ($29.6 million per Cleaning The Glass), which allows for new opportunities to fall into their lap. The Pacers are open about their desire to continue bringing in more assets, either young players or future draft picks, to accelerate their plan.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;ve gotta do right now. We&rsquo;ve gotta capitalize on cap space, on picks,&rdquo; Pritchard said. &ldquo;In any way we can, we got to be gritty as a staff, if can we acquire more of those to have a chance to be part of our big core. And we&rsquo;re developing the core. People ask me all the time, do you have that core? Maybe, maybe not, but we&rsquo;re getting closer and next year we&rsquo;ll be closer.
"That&rsquo;s the fun part of our business is being creative and generating ideas. Look, we have three first-round picks it looks like next year. We have close to $30 million in cap space. And we&rsquo;ll be active to use that cap space to acquire more assets. That&rsquo;s just natural, but I think it gives us the ability to pivot in a lot of different ways. We have optionality out the butt. At the end of the day, I want to be able to sit in the room with Herb and management and coach and say, 'Alright, here&rsquo;s our possibilities. Where do we want to go?&rsquo; In the past it&rsquo;s been, 'We&rsquo;ve got to go down this path. This is the path we&rsquo;ve got to go down. It&rsquo;s only going to get us so far, we know there&rsquo;s only so far, we&rsquo;ve got a freaking ceiling.' What I want to do is remove a ceiling and that takes time. It&rsquo;s going to take time.&rdquo;
Outside of that excitement for the new-look youth taking over the roster, an uncertain future remains for veteran mainstay Myles Turner. A subject of trade rumors for the last few years, which picked up immense steam once the Pacers hit the reset button, Turner saw the organization openly flirt with replacing him by chasing Deandre Ayton in restricted free agency.
Entering a contract year, Turner&rsquo;s future feels murkier than ever in Indianapolis. And with the way the subject was broached on Thursday, it wouldn&rsquo;t be a stunner to see Turner play in another uniform before February&rsquo;s trade deadline passes. Pritchard admitted his recent conversation with Turner was one filled with emotions, and the ever-changing nature of the business leaves the door open for anything to happen there.
&ldquo;I sat down and talked with Myles for an hour, hour-and-a-half the other day. It was a heart-to-heart,&rdquo; Pritchard said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to tell you exactly what was said, but I&rsquo;ll give you the crux, and that is I think he&rsquo;s super excited about playing with Tyrese. I think he wants to play the 5 exclusively. I think he wants to be a defensive monster. And I think that he&rsquo;s okay planting deep roots here. But, you know, he&rsquo;s going to be a free agent next year. There&rsquo;s a lot of things that can happen. What we think today isn&rsquo;t something that we know is going to happen tomorrow. This is the most dynamic business in the world.&rdquo;
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Turner is eligible for a contract extension, but Pritchard didn&rsquo;t want to publicly say whether or not that route remains on the table with their starting center.
&ldquo;Respectfully, I&rsquo;d like to keep that between me and him,&rdquo; Pritchard said.
Based on the Pacers&rsquo; turn into a fresh era, one where internal development takes priority over the win-loss column in the meantime, veterans like Turner and Buddy Hield will be names to watch from a leaguewide lens throughout the season from a potential trade market perspective. Nowadays, optionality, flexibility and patience will be the key buzzwords heard out of Indiana. And it&rsquo;s for the best with how its roster was running into a brick wall over and over again before the light finally turned on to rebuild from the ground up.
With the Pacers armed with draft capital and cap space, on top of a roster filled to the brim with potential &mdash; including their tantalizing backcourt combination of Haliburton and Mathurin &mdash; the vision is as clear as day. It&rsquo;s a new era in Indiana, and a route that everyone internally acknowledges should have been explored even earlier. If all goes to plan for the Pacers, these tough times could soon turn into a sustained success that hasn&rsquo;t been witnessed for the organization since nearly a decade ago.
&ldquo;We were an aircraft carrier and it was really hard to turn. And right now, we&rsquo;re a little speedboat and we&rsquo;ve got all of these ways to maneuver,&rdquo; Pritchard said. "That&rsquo;s exciting. That&rsquo;s really exciting for us, because it&rsquo;s hard to turn the big boats. For better, we&rsquo;re all-in.&rdquo;

Pacers president Kevin Pritchard discussed the franchise's new era and focus on the long-term vision, Evan Sidery writes.

Pacers enter uncharted waters searching for long-term sustainability

Howard Beck is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated who was front and center during NBA Commissioner Adam Silver&rsquo;s press conference on Wednesday. His direct question to Silver about the difference in behavioral standards and accountability for Robert Sarver vs. any other employee in the NBA went viral, as many were shocked by the Commissioner&rsquo;s answer.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
"There are particular rights here to someone who owns an NBA team as opposed to somebody who is an employee." Adam Silver answered <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardBeck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HowardBeck</a>'s question as to why there is a different standard held for Robert Sarver as an owner in the NBA (via <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBATV</a>) <a href="https://t.co/ndmwDr7rkN">pic.twitter.com/ndmwDr7rkN</a>
&mdash; Sports Illustrated (@SInow) <a href="https://twitter.com/SInow/status/1570142214042288136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
On Thursday morning, Beck <a href="http://archive.wpfwfm.org/mp3/wpfw_220915_100000collision.mp3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined my show with Dave Zirin</a> ("The Collision, Where Sports And Politics Collide&rdquo;) to discuss how the Sarver situation differs from the Donald Sterling investigation.
Dave Zirin: What was the mood at that presser? Did you feel like you were alone in having this concern, this question of the hypocrisy at play?&nbsp;
Howard Beck: "Yeah, I mean, just to set the scene a little bit... This is at a Midtown hotel that the NBA uses often, and so this is a very ornate ballroom that is always set up for Adam Silver's press conferences following a Board of Governors' meeting. It feels pretty formal in those rooms. It's interesting to think about Donald Sterling, which we'll get to, I'm sure, but eight years ago that had to be moved to a massive hotel ballroom at a different hotel because of obviously the international interest. I mean, CNN was there and I think Inside Edition or one of those [shows] and all the TV entertainment shows, like TMZ, everybody. There were hundreds of people in the room for the Sterling thing because of the nature of that and because of how public it was in the wake of the tape. This was a much more scaled down, kind of sedate, very formal news conference.
"It was a smaller group, maybe a dozen of us, and we're there to ask Adam, I think, just questions about the process, how they reached it. Clearly by my question and some others', we're also bringing to the table, 'These are the concerns, if not our own necessarily, but the things we know are out there. This is how the public is reacting.' People would like to know why this is different to Donald Sterling. To the point of my question to him, why a team owner can do things and still hold his position that the average employee would be fired for within seconds. It's not an emotional back and forth. It's a fairly standard press conference where you're just looking to see where Adam Silver's rationale is... trying to get the best explanation for the public and to inform whatever pieces we may be writing about it. There's not a tone in there. It's just a back-and-forth standard press conference in the way I felt it."
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Etan Thomas: I want to ask you specifically about his explanation of how it's so different than the situation with Donald Sterling.
Howard Beck: "If you want to drill down, and listen, we should remember this throughout our discussion today and anybody's discussion of any of this: Adam Silver's a lawyer by trade. He's been the Commissioner for eight or so years now. He's worked in the NBA for a couple decades, 20 maybe closer to 30 years. He's a lawyer by training, and the people who wrote this report on Robert Sarver are lawyers. It was a law firm that was hired to do it.
"Keep that in mind when we talk about the differences between Sarver and Sterling, because I think the facts that are on the table and viewing it through the prism of, if you're a lawyer processing this and you're thinking about what you can prove versus what is clear, what you can accomplish versus what you would like to accomplish, which may be different things... Look at it through the lens of a lawyer. I think sometimes that's helpful to understand how the league got to where it did.
"Donald Sterling, when it happened, there was a tape. There's that. Smoking gun right out the gate. No smoking gun when Baxter Holmes' story for ESPN first comes out last November. There was this wait and see. We got to have an investigation. We got to hire this law firm. They're going to interview hundreds of people. The law firm has finished its work. We now have that in hand. There's still no smoking gun that is comparable to Donald Sterling being taped by his mistress surreptitiously saying a bunch of horrendously offensive things, racist things that the whole world then got to listen to together repeatedly. That's the first piece. The second piece is that when the Sterling..."
Etan Thomas: Wait, wait, wait. Before we go to the second piece, let me just follow that up. Was it more about the court of public opinion or is it more of the legal court? Because if they interviewed all the people, they never said &mdash; and you correct me if I'm wrong &mdash; that the interviewees didn't coincide with the allegations.
Howard Beck: "Right."
Etan Thomas: They didn't have any of that, so there was no dispute on if he actually said what he was accused of saying, correct?
Howard Beck: "Yeah, for the most part. When Sarver responded to the report and to the suspension the other day, his quotes for his statement that he put out basically were like, 'I accept this and I'm sorry, but I don't agree with all of the chapter in verse.' There was a little bit of quibbling still even as he was accepting the results. We don't know which of those things there were. But yes, you're right, largely everything that had been alleged has now been corroborated through hundreds and hundreds of interviews by the law firm. Yes, but I'm saying... You asked the right question, of course, which is, 'Are we talking about court or court of public opinion?' I think it's both.
"To go back to Sterling for a minute... Here's the full scope of what happens with Sterling. There's a tape, so everybody can be appalled by hearing it themselves. It's not just reports of what somebody said or witnesses heard. We are all hearing it, so there's that shock value. Then on top of that, it happens during the playoffs. It happens involving Donald Sterling's team during the playoffs, and now they're going out to the court with their jerseys on inside-out as a form of quiet protest, but talking amongst themselves [about not playing] and surely the league, of course, was aware that. You've got a threat of a player strike. You've got sponsors fleeing. You've got the whole world saying, 'NBA, what are you going to do? How can you have this guy in your midst?'
"The pressure on the league at that moment was intense. Thus the hundreds and hundreds of media members in a ballroom for Adam Silver's press conference versus the dozen yesterday. The circumstances were so different that, I think, when you ask about the court of public opinion versus what you can prove in court or what the NBA can prove if they need to, to justify ousting an owner, it all kind of merges a little bit, because you need the groundswell of support. You need the public support. You need the players to be pushing in a certain direction. You need to get enough of the other NBA owners to support you as Commissioner, because Adam Silver cannot unilaterally oust anybody. He doesn't have that power.
"Because of the groundswell of outrage that happened with the Sterling case and how immediate it was and how intense it was, Adam Silver had all of the backing in the world, all the political capital, if you want to put it in those terms, to make the tough decision and say, 'He's done, he's out.' Plus, Donald Sterling had an estranged wife, Shelly Sterling, who was a part owner of the team and could wrest control from him, which helped the NBA immensely in that whole process. When you ask why it's different... Listen, racism is racism, sexism is sexism, misogyny is misogyny, and hostile workplace environment and everything else that's happened under Sarver is what it is. But the political reality of trying to remove an owner, that's why it's different than Sterling. It's the things I just laid out. Those things make, I think, the path to trying to resolve this in the same fashion much more difficult."
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Dave Zirin: I think the key element there, Howard, is the idea of a player revolt during the playoffs as opposed to an offseason where it's difficult to get comment. Chris Paul weighed in, LeBron James weighed in. But it's not the sort of thing where there are cameras in the faces of players after every game asking their opinion. Did you see that as a vital difference in terms of the court of public opinion?
Howard Beck: "This is one of the things that's interesting to me. If the NBA... Now listen, I'm not going to say the NBA had complete control over the timing of the investigation. That's always kind of a murky thing to try to assess, but all along we've been going, 'What's taking so long? What's taking so long?' I asked Adam that question multiple times at multiple press conferences over the last year. The NBA's best option in this case would've been to have this investigation, this report, come out like a month or a month-and-a-half ago in the dead of the offseason so that by the time Media Day comes along and training camps open, we've all kind of forgotten about it.
"This is now fresh in everybody's minds. It's mid-September. Everyone's reporting to training camp within the next two weeks, and Chris Paul and LeBron James, who came out very strongly on Twitter last night, are going to be asked about this on Media Day as will players on probably every team... Certainly all the veteran players who we usually go to for the big-picture type stuff or anybody who's been a very strong social-justice activist in the last few years... the Jaylen Browns of the world. We're going to be asking them all two weeks from now, 'What'd you think of the Sarver conclusion and the fact that he was not banned for life or do you think it was strong enough?' This is going to be front and center, I believe, when training camps open in a couple of weeks.
"There will be at least the possibility of more pressure on the league, more publicity around this story that maybe pushes this thing along. I can't predict that it's going to ever escalate to the level of the Sterling case. I want to caution on this note too: it's not fair for the players to have to bear the burden of adjudicating this or making the league do the right thing, but the players also have the most powerful collective voice on this by far. If Adam Silver can't act without the owners, if the owners don't want to act because they're the other owners and they just don't want to have to do this, because they're worried a bit somebody may be coming for them one day... who has more influence than anybody? It's the 450 players. It's LeBron and Chris Paul as the leaders of that Association.
"They cannot be ignored, and we cannot underestimate how big a deal it was. Dave, you said it, and I was alluding to it earlier... The threat of a player strike or any player action during the playoffs during the Donald Sterling saga was a huge leverage point or a pressure point for the league. I don't think we're going to get to that point in this case, but if the union keeps pushing on this and the players keep pushing on this, I don't think that the NBA can just say, 'Well, we've already resolved it. It's over. We've made our decision.' No. You can always tell a guy, 'You know what? We think it's time to sell.' If he doesn't want to sell, then you can use whatever leverage you've got. You can try to coerce, convince, whatever, and if he doesn't get there, then maybe you take the next step.
"Any given day, Robert Saver can just decide to step out. He doesn't have to own the team. He could also just reduce to minority-owner status, sell the majority share and not be the face of it anymore. Maybe that would be enough for a lot of us who think that this has fallen short to resolve it, but the idea of him still being in that seat courtside in about a year from now when the suspension's over seems like a bad look for the NBA."
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Etan Thomas: Let me ask you this, because you gave a path that could possibly happen with training camps opening and players being more vocal about the situation and the possibility that could apply more pressure, but I want to talk to you about the difference in the Adam Silver that we saw yesterday compared to the one we saw eight years ago with Donald Sterling and the language that he used. Now, correct me if I'm wrong at any time in this. When Donald Sterling happened, he pretty much said, "I'm going to urge all of the governors to get on board with this." Something to that effect. Whereas here, it was kind of like, "Well, I work for them, and this is kind of what they want. I feel remorse and I'm sorry to all the victims and people, employees and everything like that, but this is kind of what we have to go with." Totally different, right?
So if Adam Silver had a different tone and approach, could that have changed things a little bit? Because after he did that with Donald Sterling, then immediately you saw Mark Cuban come out in support. The same Mark Cuban who before that was saying that we should be cautious because of the possibility of opening up Pandora's box, but when he set the tone, then the tone changed. You saw Ted Leonsis right after that come out in support. So my question is, in theory, could Adam Silver have set the tone a lot more than he did yesterday?"
Howard Beck: "Yeah, I think that's a really fair point. It's a weird relationship. Adam Silver's the Commissioner, he is the face of the league in a lot of ways politically... the figurehead. He is the lead executive for policy matters and all kinds of just general public relations and business deals and all kinds of stuff, but he doesn't actually lead the NBA. He works for the 30 teams, for the Board of Governors, and so they employ him, not the other way around. That said, yes, in that position, you have the ability, because you've got the bully pulpit and you've got the public's attention... you can lead on the messaging. You can say that, 'I, Adam Silver, the Commissioner of the NBA, believe that this is the kind of conduct that should not exist in our league, and I am urging our Board of Governors to go down this road.'
"The problem is, if you don't think that support is there, you just put yourself out on an island, and the Board of Governors may not be real appreciative of it. They might say, 'We're not there. Sorry.' Now you've suffered a massive public loss where some majority of the 30 owners has voted not to go down this path that you wanted to go, that you have now staked a public claim on. You have to be... Again, I hate putting these things in political terms, but there's an aspect of it. Just like you don't go make some major policy proclamation before you think you've got the votes, you got to count the votes first.
"My guess would be, and then I'm only speculating, but that if Adam Silver doesn't believe he's got the votes and won't have the support to banish somebody for life, which is again a very drastic step that's only been done once... then he is not going to go there. We can criticize it as, 'Well, that's a failure of leadership. If you believe this, you should push it this direction and tell the board to follow you.' But if the board doesn't follow you, now you're out on an island, and you've just lost a lot of capital publicly and with the board. I don't know what that does for your effectiveness in the role. Maybe it's the end of your role."
Etan Thomas: But he did do that with Donald Sterling, and we saw it be effective.
Howard Beck: "Again, I've said this, and Etan, you and I may have even discussed this at some point along the way here. I think that on the one hand, Adam rightly got all the praise that he got for making the bold decision that he did on Sterling swiftly and decisively &mdash; within days after that tape became public, I think it was. That said, it was really the only decision he could make because of all the things we talked about earlier &mdash; because the possibility of a player revolt, because of sponsors fleeing, because of the intense public attention and backlash that just did not exist in this case.
"We can sit here and say, 'Well, if we put everything down on paper, here's all of Donald Sterling's offenses against society. Here's Robert Sarver's offenses against society.' We put them both on paper, and we go, 'Yeah, I think those things equal about the same punishment in our view.' We could do that, but that's not the reality. The reality is, how is the world responding to this and what does that provide the league in terms of the momentum or the support or the cover to try to do something that's really difficult?
"Again, never underestimate the fact that Donald Sterling's wife, Shelly Sterling, as a part owner of the team, played a really influential role in being able to wrest control of the Clippers away from him. There's just not that same element in this case. You can stand on conviction and say that we are going to hold the line. This is the principle. We're applying the same principle broadly, even if these cases are somewhat different. But if you can't follow through, because it's really hard to remove an owner and because you're now introducing a lawsuit that is not going to be a suit against Adam Silver. It's going to be against the whole league. Now all the other owners are having to deal with the legal battle, the financial strain, all the stuff that goes with that. That's a lot that you have to consider before you go down that path."

Howard Beck opens up about the NBA's one-year suspension of Robert Sarver and why he isn't banned for life like Donald Sterling.

Howard Beck explains differences in Donald Sterling, Robert Sarver cases

Recently, the John Wall Foundation hosted an event at The Salvation Army, where John Wall opened up about how difficult the last few years have been for him. The five-time All-Star described the last few years as &ldquo;the darkest place I&rsquo;ve ever been in.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;At one point in time, I thought about committing suicide,&rdquo; Wall admitted. &ldquo;I mean, just tearing my Achilles, my mom being sick, my mom passing, my grandma passing a year later &mdash; all of this in the midst of COVID at the same time&hellip; me going to the chemotherapy and sitting there, seeing my mom take her last breath, wearing the same clothes for three days straight and laying on the couch beside her. My team, the mother of my kids has been great, my two boys, it's my motivation for me. Looking at all that, I'm like, 'If I can get through this, I can get through anything in life.'
"Everybody goes through something, we all went through tough times, nobody's got it easy. But I don't think a lot of people could get through what I went through. To me, to be back on top where I want to be and see that the fans still want me to play, having support from my hometown, their support means a lot in a time where I had to go find a therapist.
"A lot of people think, 'I don't need help, I can get through it,' but you gotta be true to yourself, find out what's best for you, and I did that. I'm just happy to have this opportunity to play basketball again. I think everything I have been through has all been a part of God's plan&hellip; Even though I was in a dark place the last couple of years, I'm super excited... to play the game that I love."
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This admission sent shock waves throughout the entire sports world.&nbsp;
I reached out to former Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat, who played with Wall for five seasons, to have a discussion about his former teammate.
Etan Thomas: What were your thoughts when you heard John Wall&rsquo;s interview detailing everything he has been through?&nbsp;
Marcin Gortat: &ldquo;First of all, I was shocked. I didn&rsquo;t know that he was going through so many different issues. I was a witness a couple years ago while we were teammates and there was this little 6-year-old girl, Miyah Telemaque-Nelson, who <a href="https://twitter.com/johnwall/status/537085825767735296?s=21&amp;t=isslghfV3tQMWGH-SXWKbg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he had really connected with</a> who passed away from cancer. He had been raising money for her and doing charity work for her, and I remember the big impact her death had on him. He literally broke down during a postgame interview where he dedicated the game to her.&rdquo;
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Thomas: Yeah, I remember seeing that video. He really took that hard.
Gortat: &ldquo;Even harder than most people know. He was really down for a couple of weeks after that. So when I heard that he lost his mom and then his grandmother, I thought back to how hard he took [it] when little Miyah passed away. After hearing this past interview, I felt bad. Like as a former teammate, I should&rsquo;ve been supporting [him] more. Yeah, I texted with him a couple of times while he was in Houston. I knew he was struggling with the situation as far as the team and them pushing him to the side, so I knew that alone was catastrophic for him because I know how much he loves basketball. But couple that with losing people as close to you as your mother and grandmother [and that] had to have been just devastating.&rdquo;
Thomas: He mentioned that he has a positive outlook now and feels optimistic with his new situation with the Los Angeles Clippers, so that was good to hear.&nbsp;
Gortat: &ldquo;Yeah, I&rsquo;m hoping that basketball will be something that can help him since he seems to be in a much better situation with the Clippers so that will occupy his mind and his emotions somewhat, but I really hope he heals and gets all of the support toward his healing.&rdquo;
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Thomas: I definitely agree. One of the things that bothers me is when I hear different fans or people on social media or in the sports media reporting on rumors that are just inaccurate. They cast a negative light on an athlete based on these rumors. Stephen A. Smith <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/clippers/news/stephen-a-smith-apologizes-to-john-wall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publicly apologized</a> to John for his role in demonizing him last season in Houston. I was glad to see him do that because the media really went after John Wall and swayed public opinion on him in a very cruel and uninformed way.&nbsp;
Gortat: &ldquo;Yeah and that&rsquo;s very unfortunate that that happens a lot in the media nowadays, but this is how it is in this league. A lot of people owe John Wall an apology. I understand the media has to write something or say something on their shows that&rsquo;s controversial and that gets all of the people&rsquo;s attention because that&rsquo;s what they are paid to do. But people who know John know that they were unfairly demonizing him. Not that he&rsquo;s perfect, nobody is perfect. Did he make mistakes? Yes, but everybody makes mistakes. But he is not the person they were making him out to be, and it&rsquo;s terrible how much that happens.&rdquo;
Thomas: I had a debate with David Aldridge and Marc Spears about the power of the media. Marc came out publicly and said that he regretted doing the interview, but I was trying to explain to them the power that the media has to sway public opinion, and how the media should be held accountable when they talk recklessly. And they just weren&rsquo;t willing to accept that the media has that kind of power. But this is a prime example. It&rsquo;s good that Stephen A. publicly apologized, but hopefully that changes the way he and many others in the media target players and demonize them because it happens too often. Just here with the Wizards, I saw it happen with Kwame Brown and with Chris Webber after he got traded (back when they were the Bullets). It really happens way too much.&nbsp;
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Gortat: &ldquo;I definitely agree. So let me say, as someone who played with John Wall for many years: When he is healthy, he is one of the best point guards in the league &mdash; hands down. The guy is a beast. I don&rsquo;t know what Houston was doing with him. That was completely absurd. Here you have a guy of his caliber and you have him sitting at home? Not even on the bench, but at home? I can&rsquo;t imagine how he felt going through that for [an entire] season? And to have these prominent people in the media vilifying him while he is going through all of this, as he&rsquo;s dealing with injury after injury and losing his loved ones?&rdquo;&nbsp;
Thomas: Yeah, I don&rsquo;t care if anyone says there wasn&rsquo;t any cruel or malicious intent behind their reporting &mdash; that doesn&rsquo;t mean that it wasn&rsquo;t still cruel and malicious.&nbsp;
Gortat: &ldquo;Exactly! Many people think athletes are like robots &mdash; like video game characters who just perform, and that&rsquo;s not true. We are human beings with emotions and we go through tragedies and hardships in life, but are still expected to push all that to the side and perform at the highest level every night. I remember seven or eight years ago when DeMar DeRozan was in Toronto and he was going through depression and he said that he was going to the games, but he wasn&rsquo;t really thinking about the games because he was dealing with so much personally.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The NBA is getting better at helping players now when they are going through tragedies, but we still have a long way to go. I remember my fourth year and definitely my fifth year playing in Washington &mdash; specifically when things with me and John were not the best &mdash; there was a lot that I was dealing with and I didn&rsquo;t have too much help. But honestly, it wasn&rsquo;t a concern. Many people just wanted me to perform and push my personal life to the side, and sometimes that&rsquo;s hard to do.&rdquo;
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Thomas: &ldquo;I can definitely attest to that. I lost my grandmother, who I was really close with, while I was playing with the Wizards. And I remember our trainer, Eric Waters, trying to rush me back and I was like, &ldquo;Can you give me a minute please?&rdquo; When I came back, that&rsquo;s when I had the first issue with Brendan Haywood. Normally, I would&rsquo;ve ignored him throwing tantrums over not getting enough playing time, but that day just wasn&rsquo;t the day, so I flipped on him. The team actually formed a human barricade and escorted him out of the locker room. Then, everyone &mdash; Ernie Grunfeld, Eric Waters, Coach Eddie Jordan &mdash; was like, &ldquo;What&rsquo;s wrong? Why did you get so upset?&rdquo;&nbsp; And I was like, &ldquo;I told y&rsquo;all I needed a minute!&rdquo;
Gortat: &ldquo;Yeah, and my issues with John kind of formed in a similar way, to be honest &mdash; because I was holding so much in and suppressing what I was going through and reacting to different things on the court like not getting the ball as much as I wanted to or us losing games I felt we should&rsquo;ve won. Interesting, I didn&rsquo;t know that&rsquo;s what started y&rsquo;all&rsquo;s issues.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Let me tell you this quick story. I went to Cleveland and I was on this stupid streak of 250 or 280 or something games [in a row] without missing a game, so I was playing like three seasons straight. And all of a sudden in December, my mom had a stroke. I got the message while I was in Cleveland and I was shocked. I broke down crying. They had found my mom after like a day-and-a-half, laying at home unconscious; my friend found her. So when I came back to the locker room that morning, I was there physically but I wasn&rsquo;t really there. But John and Brad [Beal] were the first people who said, &lsquo;Give him some space, let him go deal with what&rsquo;s going on with his family because that&rsquo;s bigger than basketball and he has our support.&rsquo; So, Coach [Randy] Wittman came down and told me, &lsquo;Go to Poland, don&rsquo;t worry about the team for now.&rsquo;
&ldquo;That meant a lot to me. They knew what I was going through. And when you&rsquo;re so close to a teammate, you feel their pain. And in turn, I know how close John was with his mom. He talked about her all the time. When we finally sat down and squashed our issues, we had a real &lsquo;kumbaya moment.&rsquo; We talked about all of our personal struggles, all that we were dealing with and had been dealing with. We cleared the air and connected on a whole &lsquo;nother level as teammates, and it was exactly what we needed. So, hearing last week that my teammate contemplated suicide was devastating. Yeah, we had our issues in the past, but none of that matters now. I am cheering for John and want him to be successful both on and off the court.&rdquo;
Thomas: I&rsquo;m glad we did this interview, to have us &mdash; two former Wizards &mdash; encourage our brotha. You know, once a Wizard, always a Wizard. I really want to see him do well too. I was already rooting for him to really have a new beginning with the Clippers and shine like the old John Wall, but now I&rsquo;m rooting for him times 1,000.&nbsp;
Gortat: &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t agree with you more! I wanna see John demolish every other point guard in the league. Just go on a tear. I remember seeing him battle every game &mdash; Kyrie Irving, Derrick Rose, Chris Paul &mdash; and people forget how good he was, how fast he was end to end, how explosive he was. John was special, and I want to see him get back to that. But more importantly, I want him to heal because he has literally gone through hell over these last years.&rdquo;

John Wall recently opened up about his struggles. Former Wizards centers Etan Thomas and Marcin Gortat discuss his comments.

Marcin Gortat: 'A lot of people owe John Wall an apology'

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

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

Instant reaction: Cavs swing for fences with Donovan Mitchell trade

Alex Kennedy goes 1-on-1 with Tyrese Haliburton, who opens up about getting traded, the Pacers' future, his offseason training, etc.

Tyrese Haliburton won’t let trade 'resentment' define new Pacers era

For years, the trade rumors have been nonstop between Myles Turner and the Indiana Pacers.
But in this latest chapter, things appear to be different.
After weeks of flirting with Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton, Indiana stunningly extended a four-year, $133 million max offer sheet to the Bahamian big man. And although the Suns matched and retained Ayton right away, Turner&rsquo;s long-term stance with the Pacers now feels crystal clear.
The 26-year-old center doesn&rsquo;t look to be in the Pacers&rsquo; plans, and it feels like it&rsquo;s in the best interest of both parties at this point to finally break off from one another.
Even if it didn&rsquo;t lead to an actual transaction, the Pacers&rsquo; aggressive pursuit of Ayton speaks volumes to the tune changing within Indianapolis recently. Extending max offer sheets, let alone to restricted free agents? That's unheard of throughout the ownership tenure of Herb Simon, but the tides seem to be turning towards a new era when the opportunity presents itself the Pacers are going to go for it no matter the price.
So, where do the Pacers and Turner go from here? It&rsquo;s going to be a rocky road to reconciliation, one that might actually pick up trade conversations around the league instead. How else should Turner view the latest chapter besides seeing the writing on the wall? Indiana did right by Malcolm Brogdon, cooperating with his agent to ship him off to the best win-now destination. We could soon see deja vu with Turner instead being moved by the rebuilding Pacers in short order.
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Since the midpoint of last season, Indiana has decided to finally embrace a long-overdue rebuild attempt. Trading away two-time All-Star center Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings for Tyrese Haliburton, the shift to becoming sellers and prioritizing a full-on youth movement was instant. Post-Haliburton, the Pacers brought aboard Jalen Smith and Aaron Nesmith via trade, and selected Arizona wing Bennedict Mathurin at No. 6 overall to pair alongside their star young point guard.
All of a sudden, Turner now feels like a clunky long-term fit within the Pacers&rsquo; new nucleus of talent all under age-25, sans Chris Duarte (25): Haliburton, Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, Smith, Nesmith, Oshae Brissett, Andrew Nembhard, Kendall Brown, Goga Bitadze.
When Indiana instead chose to chase Ayton at max dollar figures, the franchise kind of already answered the question of whether or not to pay Turner. Smith was re-signed to a team-friendly contract &mdash; which included a promised starting spot at power forward &mdash; and the internal development of Isaiah Jackson begins to become a pivotal storyline to monitor with his immense two-way upside. With Smith and Jackson ready to absorb heavy minutes on a roster nowhere close to competing next season, it&rsquo;s a plausible reality to predict that a Turner trade will be the next notable NBA domino to drop.
The curious case of Turner&rsquo;s value now goes under the microscope because it&rsquo;s a complicated situation. There&rsquo;s no denying the game-changing impact Turner brings as one of the best shot-blockers in the league, but his availability has become a recent concern. It&rsquo;s especially dicey because Turner&rsquo;s last two seasons were cut short due to foot injuries, which is never something you want to see for a big man.
Also, with Turner now on an $18 million expiring contract, Indiana missed its window awhile ago to flip him at his potential peak value. Now, a potential return for Turner in a trade likely falls into the same category as Brogdon, which features a late first-round pick and maybe a prospect unable to crack a team&rsquo;s rotation yet.
Here's a hypothetical example of a framework regarding the Charlotte Hornets, an often-rumored Turner destination that could bring back realistic value to the Pacers.
Pacers receive: Mason Plumlee, Kai Jones, JT Thor, 2023 first-round pick (via Nuggets)
Hornets receive: Myles Turner
It's certainly not a package that would make Pacers fans giddy with enthusiasm, but it&rsquo;s the hand dealt for the team's current situation. If the Pacers were to add a fourth first-round pick for next year&rsquo;s draft, it could further shape their vision as a team fully plunging into the tank race for Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson and other top prospects in the Class of 2023.
Although Turner may not fit the Pacers&rsquo; window anymore, his role would make him an easy fit for any win-now organization.
Over the last four years, Turner&rsquo;s statistics help display his impact while also playing alongside another big in Sabonis: 12.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game on 35.0% from three-point range. Being able to protect the rim as well as anyone, while also adequately spacing the floor for others, Turner&rsquo;s presence has the potential of elevating a team looking to be a Finals contender. (Teams like the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors immediately come to mind as potential Turner suitors.)
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Indiana&rsquo;s rebuild has started off strong, much in part to the presence of Haliburton making it easier for everyone else. If Mathurin becomes a hit, the Pacers' backcourt will be set for years to come, and other young pieces to the puzzle should continue to find their footing. And if they were to somehow get some lottery luck next year, this Indiana rebuild projected to take a long time might be much quicker than everyone expects.
Moving away from a stagnated core, Turner is the lone piece remaining for the time being still in Indiana. Caris LeVert is in Cleveland. Sabonis is alongside De&rsquo;Aaron Fox on the Kings. Brogdon recently joined a top title threat in Boston.
Where exactly will Turner end up soon enough? That&rsquo;s the biggest question looming out there, as the Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant sagas continue to lead nowhere.

After a failed aggressive pursuit for Deandre Ayton, the Pacers may have finally provided their answer to the Myles Turner question.

Have the Pacers already determined Myles Turner's future in Indiana?

Among this offseason's crop of free agents, some players are flying under the radar. Coming off a torn meniscus, Cleveland Cavaliers combo guard Collin Sexton enters restricted free agency with an uncertain long-term future with the organization.
With Darius Garland&rsquo;s massive jump last season, alongside the midseason addition of Caris LeVert (who is extension-eligible), does Sexton still fit into Cleveland&rsquo;s vision? At the moment, Sexton feels slotted into a sixth man role for the Cavaliers or as a secondary piece behind Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Throughout his career in Cleveland, Sexton has shown a true knack for scoring the basketball at an efficient clip, averaging 20.0 points, 3.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game on 55.0% True Shooting.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Cavaliers extended a qualifying offer to Sexton, which means they can match any offer sheet he receives the open market. However, how many teams will seriously pursue Sexton? After the draft, the landscape looks much clearer for potential destinations outside of Cleveland.
A return to the Cavaliers is certainly possible. But let&rsquo;s dive into the three best landing spots for Sexton around the league if he doesn't stick around in Northeast Ohio.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS 
It&rsquo;s no secret at this point that the Wizards covet a point-guard upgrade to pair alongside Bradley Beal. Whether it be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dejounte Murray, Malcolm Brogdon or Tyus Jones, Washington seems to be making calls everywhere at the moment.
Could we be underrating the Wizards as a potential fit for Sexton in the process? Next to Beal, Sexton would consistently see open looks, but his playmaking chops would have to improve to a more consistent level, as Washington needs a smooth operator to run head coach Wes Unseld Jr.&rsquo;s system.
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The offensive fit for Sexton with Beal is super fun, but the defense is also super questionable. However, there&rsquo;s no denying Sexton would be the best point guard Beal has played with in D.C. since John Wall. And that&rsquo;s not hyperbole either. The Wizards need to have something click for them in their backcourt, and the clock is now restarting once Beal inks his new lucrative deal.
It's highly unlikely that Sexton would come to D.C. with a mid-level exception offer &mdash; regardless of whether it's the $10.3 million non-taxpayer annually or the $6.3 million taxpayer annually &mdash; so the team would have to get creative to get him there, likely via a sign-and-trade. We know that Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could be available, but would that entice Cleveland? How about Deni Avdija or Rui Hachimura, both of whom have flashed upside albeit inconsistently?
Sexton would solve a lot of scoring woes for Washington, but is the price of admission worth it for a team seemingly trying to simultaneously retool and make win-now moves?
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
A week ago, this option would&rsquo;ve never seriously been considered. Now, it seems San Antonio is seriously considering a pivot to a full-scale rebuild, which would mean trading away their All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray. The Atlanta Hawks have been consistently rumored as a potential landing spot for Murray, and it makes a lot of sense <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dejounte-murray-trade-rumors-nba-atlanta-hawks-san-antonio-spurs-john-collins-deal-atl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as I covered earlier this week</a>.
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From the perspective of Sexton and the Spurs, it could become a realistic marriage that makes sense for both sides. The Spurs' hole at point guard would be serious, but trading Murray could easily signal their intentions to tank the season for generational prospect Victor Wembanyama. Would Sexton fit the Spurs&rsquo; new timeline around their young core? Absolutely. Remember, Sexton is only 23 years old, so he actually makes sense as a long-term piece to their puzzle alongside Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan and others.
While the market for Sexton away from Cleveland is thinner than expected, San Antonio truly makes sense as a logical landing spot.
DALLAS MAVERICKS
With Dallas now expected to lose Jalen Brunson to the New York Knicks in free agency, could Sexton all of a sudden become a realistic fallback option? If the Mavericks are able to secure a large trade exception in a deal with New York for Brunson, they could become an interesting trade candidate for guards such as Malcolm Brogdon or Sexton. (However, it's looking like the Knicks will be able to sign Brunson outright.)
Alongside Luka Doncic, Sexton would excel in a score-first role. For the Mavericks, Sexton represents a player with upside on the same timeline as Doncic.
The big question becomes: What exactly would the Mavericks be willing to pay for his services if they create that aforementioned traded-player exception? If it&rsquo;s on a similar tier as Brunson, around $20 million, it actually could be a very plausible reality for Sexton to be a strong backcourt partner with Doncic in Dallas. (If Dallas doesn't get a traded-player exception, they would only have the mid-level exception, so sign-and-trade would be the only realistic route to land Sexton.)
However, thinking out loud, it should be noted that Tim Hardaway Jr. will be returning in basically the same role, and his contract is designed to descend year-by-year &mdash; an advantageous structure given that Doncic is starting his rookie max extension next season. (Dorian Finney-Smith also begins his new deal.) Spencer Dinwiddie joined the Mavs' fray at the trade deadline to boot, and proved to be a key contributor in multiple moments after he was acquired as well.
It will be very interesting to see where exactly Sexton lands within the next few weeks. If he ends up staying in Cleveland, will it be beyond the 2022-23 campaign?
These looming questions will soon be answered for Sexton, the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">No. 9 ranked free agent on BasketballNews</a>, but he&rsquo;s one of the more interesting names to follow as we close in on the official start of the new league year.
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If Collin Sexton moves on from the Cavs, which teams make sense as a landing spot? Evan Sidery breaks down potential destinations.

Examining potential free-agency destinations for Collin Sexton

Less than three weeks until the NBA&rsquo;s free-agency period gets underway, how many teams project to have significant cap space this offseason?
As of now, there are just six NBA teams that are poised to have considerable spending power this summer: the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies, Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs.
It's worth noting that these are just projections because front offices still need to make decisions on team options, non-guaranteed contracts, whether to renounce their own free agents, etc. These projections are courtesy of <a href="https://www.duckingthetax.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ducking The Tax</a>.
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Let&rsquo;s examine each team's cap situation:
Detroit Pistons: $27,673,195
The Pistons have some decisions to make this offseason. Jerami Grant has been mentioned in trade rumors over the last two seasons, and he might finally get moved. Marvin Bagley III is a restricted free agent and since he failed to start 41 games or play 2,000 minutes this season, his qualifying offer decreased from $14.8 million to $7.3 million. Cory Joseph has a player option worth $5,155,000. Also, the following players have a team option: Frank Jackson ($3,100,000), Hamidou Diallo ($5,200,000), Luka Garza ($1,563,518) and Carsen Edwards ($1,815,677).
Detroit has the No. 5 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and could have the most cap space in the NBA, so this is a huge offseason for Troy Weaver and Co. Given the Pistons&rsquo; flexibility and desire to add talent around Cade Cunningham, Detroit has been mentioned as a possible suitor for Deandre Ayton, Jalen Brunson, Collin Sexton and Mitchell Robinson among others. It remains to be seen if the Pistons will use the bulk of their cap space this summer.
Orlando Magic: $25,516,309&nbsp;
All eyes are on the Magic entering this offseason, as they own the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and they will have a ton of cap space. Some projections have Orlando with more cap space than Detroit, but it depends what the Magic do over the next few weeks.
Mo Bamba is a restricted free agent with a $10,096,703 qualifying offer, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-destinations-for-mo-bamba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his days in Orlando may be numbered</a> since the Magic are expected to draft Jabari Smith or Chet Holmgren. Bol Bol ($2.7 million qualifying offer), Ignas Brazdeikis ($1.5 million qualifying offer) and Admiral Schofield ($1.5 million qualifying offer) are also restricted free agents. Orlando has a team option for Moe Wagner (($1,878,720) and Devin Cannady ($1,752,638). Also, Gary Harris and Robin Lopez are unrestricted free agents, and Orlando can free up additional space by renouncing their rights.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s also worth noting that this projection includes the $10,907,160 salary that they'll have to pay their No. 1 pick next year. Orlando won just 22 games this season, and it doesn&rsquo;t seem like the team is in any rush to take the next step forward; the Magic may be comfortable dragging out this rebuild for a few more years and focusing on their young core&rsquo;s development in the meantime.
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Portland Trail Blazers: $24,063,805
Anfernee Simons is a restricted free agent with a $5,758,551 qualifying offer, and re-signing him is Portland&rsquo;s top priority this offseason. In his 30 games as a starter this season, he averaged 22.0 points, 5.5 assists, 4.1 threes and 2.8 rebounds on .452/.415/.871 shooting splits.
CJ Elleby, Elijah Hughes and Keljin Blevins are also poised to be restricted free agents. Only $3.9 million of Eric Bledsoe's $19.4 million salary is guaranteed, so waiving him would give Portland significantly more cap space. Also, Josh Hart's $12.9 million deal is non-guaranteed, giving the Blazers even more flexibility (although the team will likely want to keep Hart). Portland has several unrestricted free agents, including Jusuf Nurkic, Joe Ingles, Ben McLemore, Cody Zeller and Drew Eubanks.
The Blazers can create enough cap space to offer a max deal this offseason, but they'd have to waive the Bird rights of Nurkic, Ingles, McLemore, Zeller and Eubanks, as well as Bledsoe and Hart. A <a href="https://www.duckingthetax.com/blog/the-pivotal-offseason-in-portland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more likely outcome</a> is Portland operating as an over-the-cap team, re-signing Nurkic, using its $21 million traded-player exception and then using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception worth $10,349,000. (In this scenario, they'd still be waiving Bledsoe.) The Blazers are a team to watch this offseason, as they have been linked to numerous players in trade rumors. Portland is being aggressive as they look to surround Damian Lillard and Simons with talent.
Memphis Grizzlies: $19,273,650
Seeing the Grizzlies on this list may surprise some people, but they can actually clear quite a bit of cap space this summer. The question is: Will they make the necessary moves to do so?
Memphis could remain over the cap and prioritize re-signing Kyle Anderson and Tyus Jones, who are both unrestricted free agents. Or, the Grizzlies could decide to renounce Anderson, Jones and Jarrett Culver, which would carve out $19.3 million in cap space that they could play with. Another option is they could try to pull off a sign-and-trade using some of their young players and draft picks (since they have eight first-rounders in the next five drafts). Memphis is already a contender, and the franchise enters this offseason as a bit of a wild card given all of its options.
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Indiana Pacers: $17,477,594
This projection factors in the $6,498,600 salary that Indiana will have to pay the No. 6 overall pick, assuming the team makes the selection. The Pacers could free up more cap space, but that would entail getting rid of certain players (or trading their pick). Oshae Brissett ($1,846,738) and Keifer Sykes ($1,563,518) have a team option. Only $625,000 of Terry Taylor's $1,563,518 salary is guaranteed, and Duane Washington Jr.&rsquo;s $1,563,518 salary is non-guaranteed too. Indiana can free up additional cap space by renouncing the rights to unrestricted free agents TJ Warren, Ricky Rubio, Jalen Smith and Lance Stephenson.&nbsp;
The Pacers were a 25-win team this season after blowing up their roster, trading away Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert, Torrey Craig, Justin Holiday and Jeremy Lamb. It&rsquo;s possible that they aren&rsquo;t done making trades, as Malcolm Brogdon has been <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-malcolm-brogdon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rumored to be available</a> and Myles Turner could be shopped once again. The Pacers are focused on building around their young core that includes Tyrese Haliburton, Isaiah Jackson and Chris Duarte among others.
San Antonio Spurs: $14,204,803&nbsp;
Some projections have the Spurs with significantly more cap space, and it&rsquo;s true that San Antonio's decision-makers could free up more cap room if they so choose. However, that would require them to renounce the rights to Lonnie Walker IV (who&rsquo;s a restricted free agent with a $6,319,683 qualifying offer and $13,343,688 cap hold) and release Zach Collins (who has a $7,350,000 salary, but only $3,675,000 is guaranteed). Tre Jones' $1,782,621 is also non-guaranteed, but it seems unlikely that San Antonio would move on from the 22-year-old. Also, this projection includes the salaries that San Antonio will have to pay its three first-round picks (No. 9, No. 20 and No. 25), assuming the organization keeps those selections.
While these six teams project to have the most cap space, other teams could still get under the cap via trades. And even if a team doesn&rsquo;t have cap room, it could still make a significant free-agent addition using the mid-level exception.
Who are the top players available in this summer&rsquo;s free-agent class? <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out our NBA free-agent rankings and scouting reports here</a>. And for more information about the salary cap and relevant terms to know between now and the start of free agency, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-freeagency-glossary-relevant-terms-to-know-before-july-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out our free-agency glossary</a>.
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With less than three weeks until NBA free agency gets underway, there are only six teams that project to have significant cap space.

Which NBA teams have the most cap space entering free agency?

LeBron James, one of the most celebrated and accomplished basketball players in the history of the sport, has never been shy about revealing his off-court ambitions.&nbsp;&nbsp;
In 2016, during an episode of UNINTERRUPTED's "Open Run" podcast, <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/lebron-james-says-his-dream-is-to-own-an-nba-team/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James declared</a>: "My dream is to actually own a team." While it may have seemed somewhat fantastical at the time, that dream is far closer to reality nowadays.&nbsp;
In the six years since making that statement, James has continued to grow his financial empire. Last week, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/chasewithorn/2022/06/02/lebron-james-is-officially-a-billionaire/?sh=45be91f0453e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Forbes reported</a> that James' net worth has reached $1 billion, making him the first active NBA player to hit this milestone.&nbsp;
James has pocketed nearly $350 million in on-court earnings throughout his career, making him the second-highest-paid athlete in the world behind only soccer superstar Lionel Messi. However, LeBron has also made massive sums of money via his investments in companies such as Lyft, Tonal, Blaze Pizza and SpringHill Entertainment as well as his endorsement deals with Nike, AT&amp;T, PepsiCo and Walmart among others. Forbes estimates that James has netted $500 million from his investments.
Speaking with reporters after a game last season, <a href="https://www.nba.com/lakers/video/teams/lakers/2021/03/16/178126/1615963311578-webpostlbj-178126">James reaffirmed his desire to own an NBA franchise someday</a>. 
"I've always said that my goal was to own a team, own an NBA team," James said. "I've got so much to give to the game. I know what it takes to win at this level. I know talent. I also know how to run a business as well, and so that is my goal. My goal is to own an NBA franchise, and it'll be sooner than later."
At around the same time that James made those comments, it was announced that he had become a partner in Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club of the English Premier League among other properties. Earlier this week, James shared interesting specifics related to his future ownership objectives.&nbsp;
"Yeah, I wanna buy a team, for sure. I want a team in Vegas," James said in a clip from the latest episode of his show, "The Shop," which will debut Friday.
On Thursday, James <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1534940135967510533?s=20&amp;t=i-pFnJOA7Au_G32vhfkPHQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted the clip</a> alongside the caption, "Speaking it into existence!"
The first major obstacle in the way is the fact that the NBA does not currently have a team in Las Vegas. However, many league insiders firmly believe that the NBA will announce plans to expand in the near future and that Vegas is all but a lock to land one of the coveted slots.&nbsp;
In a press conference before Game 1 of the NBA Finals last week, commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that "at some point, this league invariably will expand," before adding, "it's not at this moment that we are discussing it."
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When the NBA officially expands, it is assumed that they will add two franchises simultaneously to keep the league balanced with an even number of teams. Along with Vegas, Seattle is the other city considered a heavy favorite to secure the rights to a new franchise. Seattle served as the home of the SuperSonics from 1968 through 2008 before the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City, leaving basketball fans in the Pacific Northwest heartbroken. In the years since, there has been a concerted effort from fans, players and coaches to bring a team back.&nbsp;
When asked about Las Vegas specifically, Silver noted that the city is the home to the NBA Summer League and that Vegas "has shown itself to be a great sports market." Last October, in an interview with Sports Business Journal, <a href="https://www.si.com/fannation/nba/fastbreak/rumors/nba-rumor-could-a-team-be-coming-to-las-vegas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Silver acknowledged</a> that when the league starts seriously exploring expansion, there is "no doubt Vegas will be on the list."
With sports betting becoming legal in more and more states, propelled by the windfall of profits mobile wagering has generated, pro sports teams are no longer afraid to lay down roots in Sin City. Las Vegas is currently home to the NFL's Raiders and NHL's Golden Knights. In 2017, the NBA and WNBA approved the sale of the San Antonio Silver Stars to MGM Resorts in Las Vegas.
Earlier this year, the Oak View Group <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2022/03/30/las-vegas-nba-arena-rumors-sports-entertainment-district-oak-view-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that it had purchased 25 acres of land in Vegas to build a $3 billion sports and entertainment district that will include a 20,000-seat arena.
"The arena will be world-class," <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2022/03/30/las-vegas-nba-arena-rumors-sports-entertainment-district-oak-view-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said CEO Tim Leiweke</a>. "It will be for music, it'll be for sports, it'll be for cultural activities, and should the NBA decide to come &mdash; and by the way, there's no certainty or no guarantees that the NBA is ever coming to Vegas but should they come &mdash; we certainly will be NBA-ready and make sure that we hit all of their standards."
The arena will be located 10 minutes from the strip and it's expected to break ground sometime in 2023.
When attempting to speculate how much a new franchise might be worth, it should be noted that the most recent NBA team to go on the market was the Minnesota Timberwolves. In April, former MLB star Alex Rodriguez and former Walmart e-commerce CEO Marc Lore agreed to purchase the Timberwolves for $1.5 billion. Like Rodriguez, James would need to recruit a partner or form an ownership group to make a competitive bid. Last week, Nike founder Phil Knight<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34026351/sources-nike-phil-knight-dodgers-alan-smolinisky-make-offer-buy-portland-trail-blazers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a>offered to pay more than $2 billion to purchase the Portland Trail Blazers.
It's also important to note that, per the league's collective bargaining agreement, James would be unable to purchase any stake in an NBA franchise while he is an active NBA player. And although he turns 38 years old later this year, James is still playing at an incredibly high level. This past season, James averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists and a career-high 2.9 made three-pointers per game.
In an <a href="https://theathletic.com/3138844/2022/02/19/could-lebron-james-return-to-cleveland-again-the-doors-not-closed-on-that-he-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview with The Athletic</a> published in February, James stated definitively that he plans to play long enough to share the floor with his oldest son, Bronny.
"My last year will be played with my son," James said. "Wherever Bronny is at, that's where I'll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It's not about the money at that point."
Bronny won't be draft-eligible for another two years under the NBA's current CBA.&nbsp;
Regarding the league's potential timeline, it has been rumored that Silver and Co. plan to hold off on formally announcing serious steps toward expansion until after the NBA's current media rights deal expires in 2024. It's possible that the NBA's timeline and James' long-term plan could perfectly align.
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LeBron James says he wants to own an NBA team in Las Vegas. Tommy Beer breaks down James' goal and whether it's feasible.

Examining LeBron James' goal of owning an NBA team in Las Vegas

Nekias Duncan breaks down the 2022 NBA Finals between the Celtics and Warriors from a multitude of angles.

2022 NBA Finals Scouting Report: How the Celtics and Warriors match up

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

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

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

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

Admit it, you still want the series.
Hell, you probably want it even more now.
You still want a No. 2 vs. No. 7 matchup of the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets in Round 1, even though the potential prelude to it was as underwhelming as "Battlefield 2042."
We all come to basketball for different reasons.
Some of you just want straight hoops &mdash; buckets, athleticism, dunks, tough shot-making, etc. Some of you want in-depth, coach-like film breakdowns of the game. Then, there are those of you who want a balance with a little of both, but not too much of either. Others enjoy narratives, stories that transcend numbers and what may really fuel certain things leaving us in awe.
And then, there are the particulars who just want the drama &mdash; transactions, rumors, business, who hates who &mdash; and that&rsquo;s really what Thursday night was about for a ton of viewers who experienced primetime Sixers vs. Nets on TNT.
The first video some of us saw featured Ben Simmons getting heckled after leaving his hotel and boarding what presumably was the Nets&rsquo; team bus. It sounded like... he was back in Philadelphia.
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Ben Simmons sneaking out of hotel trying to avoid heckling fans. <a href="https://twitter.com/FOX29philly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FOX29philly</a> <a href="https://t.co/VjnQipa6n2">pic.twitter.com/VjnQipa6n2</a>
&mdash; Chris O'Connell (@CoconnellFox29) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoconnellFox29/status/1502043428728844290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Simmons remains out with a reported back issue and needs to ramp up his conditioning. He still might not be mentally ready to return ⁠&mdash; perhaps it&rsquo;s all the above ⁠&mdash; but the All-Star did join the Nets in warmups, and was serenaded by the Philadelphia boo-birds both before and after the game.
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Ben Simmons was welcomed with boos in his return to Philly. <a href="https://t.co/5ZSktchthL">pic.twitter.com/5ZSktchthL</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1502071069611479040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Ben Simmons went over and hugged the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/76ers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#76ers</a> team security, then departed the court, showered with more boos. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nets</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nba?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nba</a> <a href="https://t.co/4YBLuHWFZn">pic.twitter.com/4YBLuHWFZn</a>
&mdash; Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPost_Lewis/status/1502074075673505794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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This is the city that booed and hurled snowballs at Santa Claus in the 1960s, back when it was cool to think a jumbo-sized, red-pajama wearing, high-flying, sleigh-riding, chimney-climbing, cookie-eating, milk-drinking, white-bearded Caucasian dude existed.
So Simmons, justified or not, wasn&rsquo;t going to be off-limits at all.
In the actual game, Kyrie Irving hit the first memorable jumper &mdash; a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NBAdoPovo/status/1502088416023957523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stepback in Harden&rsquo;s face</a>. Harden retaliated with&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/brasilcoast2/status/1502087391007363104" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of his own just minutes later</a>, his most memorable moment of the night, if we&rsquo;re keeping it a buck.&nbsp;
The keystone moment of the contest, while it was still competitive, featured Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid jawing at one another after Embiid shouldered into Durant and knocked him on his ass.
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KD and Embiid going at it 🍿 <a href="https://t.co/kicLbz1Ubw">pic.twitter.com/kicLbz1Ubw</a>
&mdash; NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1502092540756910081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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And then, from there, it didn&rsquo;t matter. The Nets outscored the Sixers 96-79 en route to a 129-100 victory, their biggest blowout win since Nov. 10 &mdash; a 123-90 Brooklyn road triumph over the Orlando Magic.&nbsp;
Quietly, Seth Curry&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1502107719154606087" target="_blank" rel="noopener">might&rsquo;ve talked more sh*t than anyone</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1502140164738633729" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lit up his former team</a> (his father-in-law's!) with 24 points and 5 steals while shooting 10 of 14 from the field and 4 of 8 from three. Embiid ended the night with an unimpressive 27 points and 12 rebounds on 5 of 17 shooting, though he made 15 of 19 free throw attempts. With 4 points in 29 minutes, Tyrese Maxey had his lowest scoring output of the season.&nbsp;
Now, let&rsquo;s get to the others...
Sixers fans may have chastised Simmons early on and ridiculed the Nets throughout, but the night ended with them booing their own team, who is now 40-25 and third in the Eastern Conference (which will be a brawl until the finish). The Nets are back above .500 at 34-33, but are still just in eighth place and sit five games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the No. 6 seed, so Brooklyn is running out of time to avoid a Play-In Tournament scenario.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
If you missed the quotes, there were some interesting ones.&nbsp;
Durant did initially downplay the significance of the win, indicating that the Nets&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/SNYNets/status/1502126038184349697" target="_blank" rel="noopener">didn&rsquo;t win a championship or clinch a playoff spot</a>, but admitted that the team did have some extra motivation given the hostile reaction to Simmons.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We look at Ben [Simmons] as our brother,&rdquo; <a href="https://twitter.com/SNYNets/status/1502127223658233860">said Durant</a>, who the team with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists. &ldquo;We knew that this was a hostile environment, and we knew that he didn&rsquo;t have an opportunity to play, so we wanted to come out there and have them (the fans) focus on the court more so than just always focusing on him. They focused on the court tonight, and it&rsquo;s hard for you to chant at Ben Simmons when you&rsquo;re losing by that much.&rdquo;
Harden, who finished with 11 points on 3 of 17 shooting &mdash; and missed all 8 of his two-pointers &mdash; admitted to getting his ass whooped while wearing an overly-puffy (and likely, absurdly expensive) jacket in his postgame presser.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Tonight was good for us,&rdquo; said a straight-faced Harden, who was <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2022/03/11/james-harden-hangs-with-travis-scott-lil-baby-after-blowout-loss-nets/?adid=social-twa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spotted out on the town with Lil Baby and Travis Scott following the blowout</a>. &ldquo;We got our ass kicked. Since I&rsquo;ve been here, everything&rsquo;s been sweet, we&rsquo;ve been winning games. And so, tonight was good for us, and we get an opportunity to come down to reality, watch film and just continue to get better.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
"Tonight was good for us. We got our ass kicked." <a href="https://t.co/WWnq7fEqgY">pic.twitter.com/WWnq7fEqgY</a>
&mdash; NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSPhilly/status/1502127744221655050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Irving, who added 22 points, 5 threes, and 5 assists, also spoke after the contest.
&ldquo;I think playing for Ben and this night meaning something to Ben &mdash; not only Ben, but Dre (Andre Drummond), Seth [Curry] &mdash; when you get traded in this league, it&rsquo;s not easy to deal with,&rdquo; Irving pointed out.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve tried to welcome them in with open arms. So, when we played tonight, we definitely felt like Ben was on our heart; you could see it, he was wearing it, and we just wanted to go out there and play for him and play well. Again, it&rsquo;s not an individual thing for us. We all felt it; we&rsquo;re all there. If you come at Ben, you come at us.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
"It's not an individual thing for us. We all felt it. We're all there. If you come at Ben, you come at us" - Kyrie Irving <a href="https://t.co/xWvpdIah3U">pic.twitter.com/xWvpdIah3U</a>
&mdash; Nets Videos (@SNYNets) <a href="https://twitter.com/SNYNets/status/1502131158166867969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Well, if we see these two clash in the postseason ⁠&mdash; and the first-round possibility is there &mdash; it&rsquo;d be nice if the Sixers came for somebody.&nbsp;
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Bryan Fonseca recaps Thursday's highly-anticipated superstar clash between the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.

Nets-76ers kinda sucked, but we still want more, don’t we?

The Boston Celtics raised their championship banner #18 with jubilation as they took down the New York Knicks on Tuesday night at the Boston Garden.
Members of the 2023-2024 title squad were each handed out their respective championship rings pregame. It is Boston&rsquo;s 18th NBA championship, making them the winningest franchise in league history.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The 18th championship banner rises for the Boston Celtics ☘️👏🏽 (🎥 <a href="https://twitter.com/danield1214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@danield1214</a>) <a href="https://t.co/QQh7BguwJe">pic.twitter.com/QQh7BguwJe</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1848868309644808670?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
CHAMPS. ☘️💍 <a href="https://t.co/KNSqvK2gyR">pic.twitter.com/KNSqvK2gyR</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1848869435718914206?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2024</a></blockquote>

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To celebrate their first title, Jayson Tatum and the rest of the Celtics ran the visiting Knicks down the court all game, earning a resounding 132-109 win. Tatum had a monster game in just 30 minutes, finishing with 37 points on 14-18 FG and 8-11 from three with 10 assists and 4 rebounds.
The Celtics as a team tied an NBA record for three pointers made in a game with 29, along with the Milwaukee Bucks who did it in 2020. Boston fully embraced coach Joe Mazzulla&rsquo;s philosophies with 61 three-point attempts, and this same formula won them a title a year ago.
Boston got everybody to contribute with Derrick White&rsquo;s 24, Jaylen Brown&rsquo;s 23, and Jrue Holiday&rsquo;s 18 proved to be too much for the new-look New York team with Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges playing their first official regular season games with the team.
The night was such a cool moment for Boston&rsquo;s sports fans as former Celtic legends Bob Cousy (who came out in a wheelchair), Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen all graced the game to see the 2024 championship banner go up next to the 17 others already in the rafters.
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FINAL SCORE: Knicks 109 - 132 Celtics Player of the Game: JAYSON TATUM 📊 37 PTS | 14-18 FG | 8-11 3PT | 10 AST | 4 REB The defending champs opened the season with a dominant home win, tying the franchise record for most threes in a game with 29 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/YVoypHD6HH">pic.twitter.com/YVoypHD6HH</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1848903456893112367?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2024</a></blockquote>

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The Boston Celtics raised their championship banner #18 with jubilation as they took down the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

Jayson Tatum, Celtics celebrate Ring Night 2024 with resounding win over Knicks

In the NBA, every season tells a new story. While some players soar, others face setbacks&mdash;whether it's injuries, poor performance, or unfortunate circumstances that leave them struggling to make an impact. But basketball is also a game of redemption, and with every new season comes a chance for a comeback. This year, several NBA players who faced adversity last season or from the past few years are determined to remind the league of their talent and value. As the stage is set for the 2024 season, these players are primed for a revenge season as they are eager to bounce back and prove they still belong among the NBA's elite. Let&rsquo;s break down who these players are and why they&rsquo;re poised for a resurgence.
Lonzo Ball, Guard, Chicago Bulls
Out for the entirety of two and a half seasons or about three years worth of basketball with a knee injury, Ball&rsquo;s absence was sorely felt by the Bulls. The two-way playmaker had been evolving into an elite perimeter defender and three-point shooter before the setback. If healthy, he has the skills to transform the Bulls' fortunes as they try to contend again. They recently acquired young guard Josh Giddey and now the Bulls will have Ball&rsquo;s services back again. His ability to initiate the fast break and command the offense could be vital for a Bulls team hungry for playoff success.
Ben Simmons, Guard/Forward, Brooklyn Nets
Ben Simmons&rsquo; struggles have been highly publicized. Once regarded as an All-Star, his decline, marred by back injuries and confidence issues, has been drastic. But with a new season comes a chance for redemption. In Brooklyn, without the weight of high expectations and with a roster that&rsquo;s more role-player-centric, Simmons could thrive by doing what he does best: defense, playmaking, and transition offense. A rejuvenated Simmons can be a critical asset to the Nets&rsquo; success. It remains to be seen if Simmons can come back from the level he used to play at Philadelphia &ndash; using his uncanny combination of size and speed to terrorize opponents in transition &ndash; but being healthy is the first step of Simmons to show the world again what he is capable of.
Jordan Poole, Guard, Washington Wizards
After a breakout season in Golden State that culminated in a championship, Poole's form dipped over the last two years due to locker room tensions and inconsistency. Now with entering his second full season with the Wizards, Poole will have more freedom to dominate the ball and score now that Tyus Jones signed with the Suns. Poole will now be the Wizards&rsquo; lead guard and main playmaker and he&rsquo;s in a prime position to elevate his game as Washington&rsquo;s primary scoring option. This could lead to career-best numbers and renewed confidence for Poole as he aims to remind everyone of his career resurgence.
Gabe Vincent, Guard, Los Angeles Lakers
After coming off basically an off year last year with the Lakers following a lingering injury on his leg/knee, Gabe Vincent&rsquo;s journey is one of perseverance. Now in his second season with Los Angeles after signing that free agent contract last year, Vincent has an opportunity to shine on a larger stage and be a role player that could help LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Vincent is known for his shooting and tough defense and he can provide valuable backcourt depth alongside established stars. If he continues to grow and adapt to his new role, he could be a pivotal piece for the Lakers in their title aspirations.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Which player do you think will bounce back and have a revenge season? 🤔 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA</a> <a href="https://t.co/HHA92LNyJ0">pic.twitter.com/HHA92LNyJ0</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1845849068238745680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2024</a></blockquote>

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These players are primed for a revenge season as they are eager to bounce back and prove they still belong among the NBA's elite.

NBA Players Poised for a Comeback: Who Will Shine in 2024?

The NBA is back.&nbsp;
With the league&rsquo;s annual &lsquo;Day&rsquo; 1 getting underway, all 30 teams have resumed their daily basketball activities. Starting from the Media Day to each of their training camps, players are slowly ramping up as they work to get back in game shape.
For some of these familiar faces, however, a new season awaits them as they&rsquo;re looking for a fresh start in new environments and places. Let&rsquo;s take a look at these players and their potential fits next to their new teams and teammates.&nbsp;
Russell Westbrook rocks new threads with Denver&nbsp;
Russell Westbrook starts a new season with the 2023 champions after his stint with the Clippers. Westbrook aims to bring the energy to a Nuggets squad losing another championship piece in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He slots in immediately as Denver&rsquo;s backup PG with the loss of Reggie Jackson, and the team could also use him to play with the starters and let Jamal Murray slide into the 2 spot. Westbrook will also be teaming up with fellow triple-double savant Nikola Jokic and it will be interesting to see two high-IQ players together on the court.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
New beginnings for <a href="https://twitter.com/russwest44?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@russwest44</a> 😈<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/nuggets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nuggets</a> <a href="https://t.co/Wew6JRNNXm">pic.twitter.com/Wew6JRNNXm</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1839352986826387752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2024</a></blockquote>

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PG13 creates a big three with Embiid and Maxey
Perhaps the biggest signing in the offseason, George immediately slides in with the Sixers to form a big three with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. At 34 years old, PG probably has a good 3 years left in his prime, but he could be in a perfect situation with Embiid and Maxey at their absolute peaks. George is in a position where he&rsquo;s not asked to shoulder much of the offensive load like he did most of the time in his career, and he can play to his strengths &mdash; a two-play wing player with some playmaking chops and be a secondary creator and scorer to Maxey and Embiid. George is also a very good three-point shooter on spot-up and catch-and-shoot attempts and should bode well for both Sixers superstars by spacing the floor for them. Overall an A+ signing by Sixers GM Daryl Morey, and now it all hinges on health as Philly tries to pull it up all together to finally make a Conference Finals in the Embiid era.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
PG in Philly! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/jmSInGKf5L">pic.twitter.com/jmSInGKf5L</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840916610644582775?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A new Philadelphia trio... 🔥 Maxey. Embiid. George.<a href="https://twitter.com/sixers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sixers</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/wjlclZdnhx">pic.twitter.com/wjlclZdnhx</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840803293473230955?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>

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CP3 in San Antonio as Wemby&rsquo;s PG; Harrison Barnes being a veteran piece in a young Spurs team
Victor Wembanyama finally gets his premier PG in Chris Paul. After playing most of last year not having a legitimate table setter, Wemby, and the Spurs add one of the greatest to ever do it at the position. Even approaching 40 years old, Paul should have a lot left in his tank to try and develop as much as possible the young yet hungry Spurs. On the other hand, Barnes adds another veteran piece as San Antonio looks to improve and at least make the play-in this season.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WEMBY x CP3 🔥 BIG smiles in San Antonio at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> 😇 <a href="https://t.co/PbV71PCH0c">pic.twitter.com/PbV71PCH0c</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840815076485259469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Wemby &amp; CP3 enjoying <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> 🤩 <a href="https://t.co/rSdwmMIx1m">pic.twitter.com/rSdwmMIx1m</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840801831577895224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Caruso, Hartenstein add more defensive toughness to an already elite OKC squad
Imagine having to add two role players that star in their role to a team that just finished atop the conference a season ago, all without losing someone significant from that core. That&rsquo;s exactly what the Oklahoma City Thunder did by adding Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein into their fold. The move stamped their status even further atop the West with rising stars Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren getting better over the year and still having MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just starting his prime. Caruso adds yet another defensive bull on the perimeter that already features fellow All-Defensive player Lu Dort, while Hartenstein brings versatility in the frontcourt to possibly play together with Holmgren. The Thunder are poised yet again to make a deep playoff run and it all starts with their offseason acquisitions and their fit into the team.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Alex Caruso very complimentary of his new backcourt mate, SGA! 🤞<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/Rdxt7r5dQu">pic.twitter.com/Rdxt7r5dQu</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840867849797022103?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Klay splashing and spacing the floor for Luka, Mavs
The other Splash brother brings his act to Dallas after spending his first 13 years with the franchise. Thompson immediately fills a need in Dallas to help space the floor and be a decoy for Luka Doncic as he makes plays on the court. At his age, Thompson won&rsquo;t be asked too much like he did in Golden State and this could be a rejuvenation for his career as he finds a new environment with the Mavericks.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
No. 31 from the Dallas Mavericks... Klay Thompson 🔥🔥🔥 <a href="https://t.co/e4M8lNtvQL">pic.twitter.com/e4M8lNtvQL</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840858008794120481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Klay Thompson... NEW BEGINNINGS 🫵<a href="https://twitter.com/dallasmavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dallasmavs</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/YX9CX1preR">pic.twitter.com/YX9CX1preR</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840806814956265762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>

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DeMar DeRozan as the final piece to Sacramento&rsquo;s playoff success
DeRozan comes into the Kings&rsquo; lair as one of the most clutch players in the league, and he will play alongside a player of the same caliber in DeAaron Fox. It will be interesting to see how DeRozan&rsquo;s playstyle fits into the Kings&rsquo; offense with their motion offense built on three-point shooting with Domantas Sabonis as the hub, and it will be a good problem how coach Mike Brown integrates him to play a certain kind of way. The Kings are one of the up-and-coming teams in the West and adding a player like DeRozan gives them a different dimension to their offense.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
DeMar DeRozan looking good in his new threads 😎<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/uPYTeKvUBE">pic.twitter.com/uPYTeKvUBE</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1841107569399480506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
New trio in Sacramento 👑<a href="https://twitter.com/SacramentoKings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SacramentoKings</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/HfnZMmz317">pic.twitter.com/HfnZMmz317</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1841108008769630523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Dejounte Murray, Tyus Jones to solve PG issues in NOLA, PHX
Two teams that have had PG issues last season have finally addressed it by signing two of the quality PGs in the league today: Murray to the Pelicans and Jones to the Suns. Murray slots in as the Pelicans&rsquo; main shot creator, playmaker, and closer. This has been a significant hole for the Pelicans last season, especially in the playoffs when no one other than CJ McCollum (who&rsquo;s getting old) and Brandon Ingram create shots and make plays. Murray immediately comes in and fills this gap and with a returning Zion Williamson, the Pelicans are coming into the season very optimistic about their playoff chances.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Fresh start heading into Year 8 🤲<a href="https://twitter.com/DejounteMurray?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DejounteMurray</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/j3W5D0GFoM">pic.twitter.com/j3W5D0GFoM</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840852492168675766?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
New threads for <a href="https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PelicansNBA</a> new PG 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/DejounteMurray?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DejounteMurray</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/kgIxpGqxkG">pic.twitter.com/kgIxpGqxkG</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840807569150837091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Jones on the other hand also fills the immediate need of a PG, someone who can make plays for others without turning the ball over. Jones has been one of the best if not the best assist-to-turnover ratio guys in the league, and with how Phoenix&rsquo;s roster is constructed, this allows their super scoring big three Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant to do their thing and focus on what they do best. Jones comes in to settle these guys down and put them in the best positions to succeed.&nbsp;
Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson bring veteran savvy and immediate positional needs to Golden State
Some key veteran additions to the Warriors are Hield and Anderson as they continue to beef up their roster around superstar Stephen Curry. Hield will try to replace the production of Klay Thompson after his departure with his deadeye shooting and spacing the floor for Curry. Hield has also been a good off-ball mover and that should bode well for Golden State&rsquo;s offense. Anderson meanwhile, brings his big forward, almost a center playing style to the Warriors and should fit instantly like a Draymond Green clone. Anderson has the playmaking chops and the basketball IQ to seamlessly play in Kerr&rsquo;s system and is a player who seems to understand how to play with and off of the skillset of a player like Curry.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Welcome to The Bay, Buddy! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAMediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAMediaDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/ruEDkg7ayU">pic.twitter.com/ruEDkg7ayU</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840924339090100682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Prince-Trent-Wright trio come to Milwaukee to win
Taurean Prince, Gary Trent Jr., and Delon Wright have all signed up for a little under than what they were supposed to make and signed with the Bucks for a chance to contribute to a championship contender. All three are exactly what the Bucks need in their scheme of things as they&rsquo;re expected to bring shooting, spacing, and tough perimeter defenders. It&rsquo;s expected that Milwaukee&rsquo;s offense will revolve around superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard so there will be little expectations on these guys to do more and they can just focus on what they do best as role players in the league.

A new season awaits familiar faces in new places. Let’s take a look at them and their potential fits next to their new teams and teammates.

Familiar faces in new places: NBA players’ new home to start the season

The Atlanta Hawks will have a big decision to make in the offseason after winning the jackpot in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery on Sunday afternoon.
The Hawks were big winners by landing the No.1 pick despite having only the 10th best odds coming into the lottery. The Detroit Pistons, who had the league&rsquo;s worst record and a share of the best odds, got unlucky and just landed the 5th overall pick.
The Washington Wizards struck gold as well by landing the 2nd overall pick while the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs rounded out the top 4 with the 3rd and 4th overall picks respectively.
Despite a relatively weak draft this year as regarded by most scouts, teams will have options to choose from and make their team better in Alex Sarr, Zaccharie Rissacher, Ron Holland, Matas Buzelis, and others.
Here&rsquo;s a look at the full results below:
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The 2024 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraftLottery?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraftLottery</a> presented by State Farm Results. Watch the 2024 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> presented by State Farm on June 26-27 at 8:00 PM ET on ABC/ESPN! <a href="https://t.co/tYARdeUDqA">pic.twitter.com/tYARdeUDqA</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1789745047035883919?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2024</a></blockquote>

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The Atlanta Hawks will have a big decision to make in the offseason after winning the jackpot in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery on Sunday.

2024 NBA Draft Lottery: Hawks get no.1; Wizards, Rockets, Spurs round out top 4

Denver Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic has won the 2023-2024 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, the league announced Wednesday night.
Jokic, 29, won the award over co-finalists Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks. He had 79 1st place votes (equivalent to 10 points), 18 2nd place points (equivalent to 7 points), and 2 3rd place points (equivalent to 5 points) to finish with a total of 926 points. Gilgeous-Alexander secured 2nd place with a total of 640 points while Doncic finished third with 566 points.&nbsp;
Jokic wins the award for the third time, having previously earned the honor in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. He averaged 26.4 PPG, 12.4 RPG, and 9.0 APG on 58.3% FG, 35.9% 3P, and 81.7% FT.&nbsp;
Jokic is the ninth player to win three or more MVP awards, joining the exclusive list of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James among others.
This adds to Jokic&rsquo;s already legendary legacy to his career, which also includes an NBA championship and a Finals MVP from last season.
Jokic led Denver to a West-best tying 57-25 record this season, finishing second seed in the Western Conference just behind the Thunder. The Nuggets aim to repeat as champions this year, and they are in a tight series against the Minnesota Timberwolves to reclaim that feat. They have already ousted the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round in just five games.
Jokic and the Nuggets hope to continue this partnership for years to come as he is in the peak of his prime now with a capable team surrounding him to contend and win as many championships as they can.

Denver Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic has won the 2023-2024 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, the league announced Wednesday night.

Nikola Jokic wins 2023-2024 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award

On Sunday night, Charlotte Hornets rookie Brandon Miller had the best performance of his young NBA career, scoring a career-high 35 points on 10-of-25 shooting from the field and 5-of-12 from three while grabbing 6 rebounds and blocking 2 shots.
Miller did it in a variety of ways, including stepbacks, floaters and drives to the rim. He hit 5 threes and showcased the three-level-scoring potential that helped him go No. 2 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft.
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No. 2 Pick Brandon Miller dropped a career-high 35 PTS in Charlotte against the Pacers! <a href="https://t.co/WWhBGqHFf1">pic.twitter.com/WWhBGqHFf1</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1754346021788713293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2024</a></blockquote>

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This outing served as a statement game for Miller, who has mostly been an afterthought in the Rookie-of-the-Year race since his fellow freshmen Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are having all-time rookie seasons. Miller has faced a lot of doubters, as people have been skeptical since the pick was made, with many citing No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson as the better overall prospect.
Over his last 10 games, the 6-foot-9 forward has been averaging 22.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists, on 48% shooting from the field, 40% from three and 85% from the free-throw line. Miller is starting to figure it out and proving he belongs in the league.
The 21-year-old&rsquo;s career-night made him the first Hornets rookie since 1993 to have a 35+ point game, joining Alonzo Mourning and Rex Chapman as the only rookies to do so in Charlotte&rsquo;s franchise history.
With Miller averaging 28 points over his last four games, the No. 2 overall pick did something that turned heads. With nine minutes in the second quarter, Miller tallied his first field goal of the game with a driving layup over Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner. After scoring, Miller sprinted down the floor on the other end as TJ McConnell found Obi Toppin leaking out on a fastbreak. However, Toppin was not able to catch the ball, leading to the turnover. Despite that, Miller was clearly distraught at his teammates' lack of effort and was heard saying &ldquo;get the f*** back!&rdquo;
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Brandon Miller: "Get the fuck back!" 🗣️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsFly35?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsFly35</a> <a href="https://t.co/2QVlojAkpX">pic.twitter.com/2QVlojAkpX</a>
&mdash; /r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) <a href="https://twitter.com/HornetsReddit/status/1754292522816290932?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Even after scoring and making the layup, Miller was the first one back on defense ahead of the other Hornets players, who were jogging nonchalantly with just three minutes elapsed in the second quarter.
It sent a message to his teammates, coaching staff, organization and the whole city of Charlotte raring to see a competitive basketball team in their lifetimes: they now have a someone who cares and is willing to give everything night in and night out to win. And it came from their prized 21-year-old rookie.
This type of winning mentality separates the good players from the great players &mdash; the willingness to work hard, the ability to motivate himself and others to win, and being a leader who holds teammates accountable on their mistakes.
As Charlotte looks to build a winning team after being stuck in mediocrity, perhaps Miller is the cornerstone they've been looking for in recent years.

Charlotte Hornets No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller is turning heads with his recent play and attitude.

Brandon Miller looks like a franchise cornerstone for the Hornets

With the Western Conference All-Star starters set, let&rsquo;s look at the players who deserve a reserve slot for the West All-Star team this season. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/picking-the-nbas-eastern-conference-allstar-reserves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out our Eastern Conference All-Star reserve picks here</a>.
Guard: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Curry is a lock to make the team and the only question is: why isn&rsquo;t he starting? It took historic individual seasons from Dallas&rsquo; Luka Doncic and OKC&rsquo;s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to dislodge Curry from his usual starter spot at the All-Star game (the first time that's happened since 2014). As one of the legends of this generation and a face of the league for years running, Curry is still playing at a high level this season, averaging 27.5 points, 5 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 41 games played.&nbsp;
Guard: Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Like Jayson Tatum out East, Edwards is the best player on the best team in the West, which absolutely strengthens his All-Star case. Blossoming into a full-blown superstar this season, Edwards is averaging 26 points, 5.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds. Even at only 22 years of age, Edwards has been leading his team to wins and the top seed in the Western Conference, earning a ton of respect from fans and the media. Those efforts won't go unnoticed as he earns his second All-Star nod.
Forward: Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers have had the league&rsquo;s best record over the last 10 weeks and the reason is pretty simple: Kawhi Leonard is performing like his usual self. Leonard has played 41 of the Clippers' 45 games, which is huge considering the 6-foot-7 forward&rsquo;s injury history and past load management. In the past, Leonard has missed a lot of games in the regular season and playoffs, but that hasn't been the case this season. Leonard has been the Clippers' best player, averaging 23.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals a night. Whenever Leonard is playing well, the Clippers look like an elite squad.&nbsp;
Forward: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
Arguably the Lakers&rsquo; best player this year, Anthony Davis has taken it upon himself to lead Los Angeles both on offense and defense. Despite playing out of his normal position, Davis is averaging 25 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.2 steals as a center. There is a direct correlation between Davis&rsquo; play and the Lakers' success this year. The Lakers would probably be even deeper down the standings if not for Davis and he's likely done enough to join Lakers teammate and All-Star captain LeBron James on the team.
Center: Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
Perhaps a controversial pick, Rudy Gobert is a worthy All-Star due to his production and the fact that he's helped lead the Wolves to the No. 1 seed in the West. Gobert is the anchor of the best defense in the entire league and is the main reason why Minnesota can effectively deploy a two-center lineup. Even though his 13.3 points per game don't jump off the page, Gobert is also averaging 12.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. The 7-foot-1 center is once again a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and leading his team to a ton of wins, which he has been doing since his Utah Jazz days. That is a testament to his value.
Wildcard: De&rsquo;Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings
Last year, Fox made his first All-Star appearance. This year, he&rsquo;s been even better, upping his averages to 27.5 points, 5.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds for the fifth-place Sacramento Kings. This is Fox&rsquo;s best scoring campaign of his career, just a season removed from winning the NBA&rsquo;s inaugural Clutch Player of the Year award. A lot of the 6-foot-3 guard&rsquo;s success this season can be attributed to him shooting better from three (increasing his three-point percentage from 32.4% to 38.6%), which has allowed him to become a true three-level scoring threat. Using a lethal arsenal of mid-range jumpers and floaters, he has raised his game to the next level.
Wildcard: Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Devin Booker takes the West's last slot after some recent explosive performances. Booker has been on a stunning scoring tear as of late, which might help him secure a place on the team. Over the past week, the 6-foot-6 guard is averaging mind-boggling numbers of 42 points on 64% shooting from the field, including a 62-point outing and 52-point performance. This season, Booker has taken on more on-ball duties than ever before since Chris Paul is out of the picture and he's trying to fit alongside All-Star starter Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. This recent explosion reminded everyone that he can light up teams when he gets hot and look the part of an All-Star.
Snubs: Domantas Sabonis (Center, Sacramento Kings); Paul George (Forward, Los Angeles Clippers); Brandon Ingram (Forward, New Orleans Pelicans); Zion Williamson (Forward, New Orleans Pelicans); Alperen Sengun (Center, Houston Rockets); Lauri Markkanen&nbsp;(Forward, Utah Jazz)
The West is too deep. Even with Sabonis and George having stellar seasons and their teams in the upper half of the standings (the Clippers are fourth and the Kings are fifth), both still fail to crack the West&rsquo;s top 12. One can argue Sabonis and/or George over Gobert, but it's hard to give just one All-Star spot to the best team in the conference and two slots to teams below them. Both Sabonis and George could also get in through the wildcards, but Booker has been on another level recently and Fox and Sabonis are likely competing over the same spot.
The Pelicans&rsquo; Ingram and Williamson didn't get in as they don't have the stats compared to others on this list, with the Pelicans being one of the deepest teams in the league.&nbsp;
Sengun and Markkanen each have a case as a leading mnn on the next tier of West playoff teams, but the conference is filled with so much talent that even a career-best season may not warrant a spot.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/picking-the-nbas-eastern-conference-allstar-reserves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out our Eastern Conference All-Star reserve picks here</a>.

With the Western Conference All-Star starters set, let’s look at the players who deserve a reserve slot for the West All-Star team.

Picking the NBA's Western Conference All-Star reserves

In a game featuring two of the best No.1 overall picks in recent memory, the Minnesota Timberwolves blasted the Orlando Magic, 113-92, at the Kia Center in Orlando on Tuesday night.
Anthony Edwards, the No.1 pick in 2020, and Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 pick in 2022, failed to get any kind of momentum going throughout the game. Edwards only mustered 6 points due to foul trouble, while Banchero struggled shooting against a big Wolves frontline, finishing 8-of-22 from the floor for 18 points.&nbsp;
Lucky for Edwards, his teammates picked up the slack as the Wolves ran the Magic off the floor right from the get-go. They led from start to finish and never let Orlando develop a rhythm or make a run.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Wolves with 28 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting from three-point range, while frontcourt mate Rudy Gobert was dominant in the paint, finishing with 21 points and 12 boards. Towns also made history as one of three active players to have 25+ points, 5+ rebounds, 5+ assists, 5+ threes and 3+ steals, joining Stephen Curry and Jalen Brunson.
Orlando, who's still without Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr., Joe Ingles and Jonathan Isaac among others, only shot 36% from the floor against a stifling Minnesota defense that is ranked No. 1 in the NBA.
After this blowout victory, the Wolves will travel to Boston to face the Celtics tomorrow in a battle of the top-seeded teams in each conference.
As for the Magic, they will face their division-rival Miami Heat in their next game; they are currently tied for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Minnesota Timberwolves blasted the Orlando Magic, 113-92, at the Kia Center in Orlando on Tuesday night.

Timberwolves blow out Magic as Anthony Edwards, Paolo Banchero struggle

The NBA announced Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma as the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner for November for giving back to his hometown of Flint, Michigan and hosting a special event through his foundation (Kyle Kuzma Family Foundation).&nbsp;
Each month, the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award recognizes a player monthly for their outstanding work in the community.
On November 26, Kuzma surprised mothers at the Genesee County Jail in Flint with clothing and gifts for them and their children for the holidays.&nbsp; Kuzma also unveiled Kuz&rsquo;s corner &ndash; two newly renovated jail cells as a part of a larger effort to upgrade the facility&rsquo;s conditions.
In conjunction with the event, Kuzma announced the launch of a special partnership through his foundation with I.G.N.I.T.E. and R.I.S.E. to support residents of the facility for a successful future when they re-enter society.&nbsp; I.G.N.I.T.E&rsquo;s mission is to reverse the cycle of generational incarceration through education by providing residents with valuable job training and skills that they can use upon release to gain employment and reduce the likelihood of reoffending.&nbsp; Since inception in 2020, I.G.N.I.T.E. has provided more than 250,000 hours of educational training to over 2,500 residents leading to a reduction of assaults and violent offenses in the jail by 97%.&nbsp; R.I.S.E.&rsquo;s mission is to ensure that residents in the Genesee County Jail have access to behavioral and social health support services and complements the work of I.G.N.I.T.E.
Also in November, Kuzma and others from Monumental Basketball (Washington Wizards, Washington Mystics, Capital City Go-Go and Wizards District Gaming) partnered to host Thankful Meals presented by CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, a community outreach event to serve Washington D.C.&rsquo;s Ward 7 and Ward 8 residents.&nbsp; Kuzma distributed over 1,500 hot meals from Black-owned restaurant Henry&rsquo;s Soul Caf&eacute;.&nbsp; Those in attendance also went home with a GIANT food store gift card.
&ldquo;Helping to uplift the communities that are special to me is a privilege, so being recognized for that work is a humbling experience, particularly when it takes place during the season of giving,&rdquo; said Kuzma.&nbsp; &ldquo;I&rsquo;m proud to share this honor with my family and support system as well as my teammates and the entire Wizards organization, as all of us are committed to continuing to make a difference in the lives of others.&rdquo;
Kuzma will be recognized in-arena as the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner during pre-game of the Dec. 29 Nets-Wizards game.&nbsp; Washington Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins will present him with the award.

The NBA announced Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma as the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner for November.

Wizards' Kyle Kuzma wins NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award

After finishing second in the NBA's Most-Valuable-Player voting in back-to-back years, Joel Embiid finally earned his MVP award last season. 
Embiid had one of the best scoring seasons in NBA history, particularly by a big man, as he averaged the most points by a center since the 1980s. He made a significant leap forward, which wasn't necessarily expected given that he was already one of the most dominant players in the NBA.
Embiid led the Philadelphia 76ers to 54 wins and the third seed in the Eastern Conference, averaging 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 blocks, 1.0 steal and 1.0 three, while shooting 54.8% from the field, 33.0% from three-point range and 85.7% from the free-throw line.&nbsp;
Now, more than a month into the 2023-24 NBA season, he is taking the next step in his development: becoming a terrific playmaker.
Embiid&rsquo;s scoring is obviously his strong suit and what garners the most attention. He has won back-to-back scoring titles over the last two seasons, and he's on pace for a third this year. However, this season, perhaps the most impressive aspect of Embiid's game has been his playmaking abilities. 
The big man recorded his first triple-double of the season in just three quarters against the Los Angeles Lakers. A 30-point triple-double is impressive in itself, but accomplishing this feat in three quarters is just ridiculous. Embiid is currently averaging a whopping 6.6 assists to go along with his 33.4 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks. Prior to this year, he had never averaged more than 4.2 assists per game.
While there has been a lot of talk about how James Harden's departure has impacted Tyrese Maxey, it has also done wonders for Embiid&rsquo;s playmaking ability. Both Embiid and Maxey are currently top-13 in the NBA in assists per game, and both are averaging more assists than Harden. Embiid is once again leading the league in scoring (32.0), while Maxey is averaging the 12th-most points per game in the NBA (27.0). This duo has just clicked this season, complementing each other perfectly while creating for themselves and others.
Even during Harden's stint in Philadelphia, Embiid would regularly record six or more assists and flex his playmaking abilities whenever Harden was out of the lineup. While many believed that these performances were just flukes, he&rsquo;s proved himself once more this season. 
Embiid's dominant all-around offensive game paired with his elite defense could make him a favorite for the MVP award once again. Embiid <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba?tab=awards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">currently has</a> the third-best MVP odds (+750) behind Nikola Jokic (+150) and Luka Doncic (+500).
The biggest knock on Embiid was his playmaking; now, he&rsquo;s got that in his bag too.

Joel Embiid is taking the next step in his development by becoming a terrific playmaker, writes Hunter Simpson.

How reigning MVP Joel Embiid managed to make another leap

This article was originally published on BasketballNews on May 9, 2021.
The player-empowerment era in the NBA has allowed athletes to do so much more than just change teams when they feel it&rsquo;s time to move on from a situation. It has also led to athletes having more opportunities and control off the court as well.&nbsp;
One of the best examples (in both areas) is Kevin Durant.&nbsp;&nbsp;
While LeBron James may be credited with starting the player-empowerment era with his move to Miami back in the summer of 2010, Durant put an exclamation point on it when he left Oklahoma City for the Bay Area and joined the Golden State Warriors in the summer of 2016. Durant has also followed suit on the business side of things. While James&rsquo; business ventures may be more well-known to date, Durant isn&rsquo;t far behind in that regard.&nbsp;
Durant&rsquo;s most notable endorsement deal is with Nike, with whom he reportedly signed a 10-year contract <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/thunder/2014/08/31/kevin-durant-nike-under-armour-shoe-deal/14898743/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worth up to $300 million back in 2014</a>. He also has endorsement deals with Google and Alaska Airlines, but things certainly don&rsquo;t stop there for Durant. In fact, you could argue that his endorsements aren&rsquo;t moving the needle much in comparison to his other business endeavors.&nbsp;
Durant and his business partner, Rich Kleiman, own a venture capital firm named Thirty Five Ventures, and that&rsquo;s where Durant has done incredibly well from the business standpoint.&nbsp;
Thirty Five Ventures has its hands in many different businesses, some of which you may use on a regular basis. Durant and Kleiman have invested in Lime Scooters, The Players&rsquo; Tribune, Robinhood, Postmates, and most recently, Coinbase. According to its website, Thirty Five Ventures has an investment portfolio spanning over 60 different companies.&nbsp;
Coinbase recently made waves as the company went public, and made Durant and Kleiman&rsquo;s investment worth over 53-times what they originally put into the company back in 2017. Another one of their victories on the same front came via a $1 million investment in Postmates prior to its sale to Uber back in 2020.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I know I&rsquo;m just a basketball player, so I was smart enough to hire people who are really good in that field,&rdquo; Durant <a href="https://hoopshype.com/2018/03/04/kevin-durants-successful-business-ventures-are-inspiring-nba-peers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told our Alex Kennedy (via HoopsHype) in 2018</a>. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t take all of the credit for that. I have such a great team of people around me who have pushed me to explore that field and learn more about it because, like I said, I&rsquo;m just a basketball player. That&rsquo;s what I do and I usually don&rsquo;t want to do anything else. I&rsquo;m happy when I&rsquo;m playing basketball. But I have to give a ton of credit to the people who forced me to think outside of the box a bit because it&rsquo;s changed my life and made my life more interesting. It&rsquo;s not for every basketball player and it doesn&rsquo;t always turn out this way, but for me, it was a natural progression and things really worked out.&rdquo;
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KD14 on film. ⏭🎥 More pairs dropping tomorrow, 5/8. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TakeYourGameFurther?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TakeYourGameFurther</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KD14?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KD14</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BTS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BTS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/nikebasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nikebasketball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KDTrey5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KDTrey5</a> <a href="https://t.co/TejR3ArZ58">pic.twitter.com/TejR3ArZ58</a>
&mdash; Thirty Five Ventures (@35Ventures) <a href="https://twitter.com/35Ventures/status/1390675654484627460?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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But Thirty Five Ventures isn&rsquo;t just about investing in things like the aforementioned Coinbase and Postmates; it&rsquo;s also a company that creates and produces content -- and award-winning content, at that. Durant isn&rsquo;t the first star athlete to enter this space, but it&rsquo;s something he and Kleiman have done incredibly well and it&rsquo;s paid off.&nbsp;
&ldquo;All of the amazing athletes who succeeded in business &ndash; from&nbsp;Magic Johnson&nbsp;to&nbsp;Michael Jordan&nbsp;to LeBron James &ndash; brought something different to the table and they continued to evolve and learn from those before them,&rdquo; Kleiman told <a href="https://hoopshype.com/2018/03/04/kevin-durants-successful-business-ventures-are-inspiring-nba-peers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype back in 2018</a>. &ldquo;LeBron laid out such a great blueprint: He looked at brand deals differently, he valued quality over quantity and he realized that athletes of this caliber are global brands so they should have equity in these businesses. Kevin learned so much from LeBron. Now, Kevin is building his own business in his way, and he will evolve, bring something new to the table and inspire the people after him.&rdquo;
Durant and Kleiman have been able to learn from James in some aspects, as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-lebron-james-the-businessman-fenway-sports-group-springhill-entertainment-uninterrupted-blaze-pizza-ladder-athletes-companies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James has a production company of his own</a> and regularly helps out with content, not to mention starring in the upcoming &ldquo;Space Jam 2.&rdquo; As for Durant and Kleiman, the pair recently won an Academy Award for their work on the short film &ldquo;Two Distant Strangers&rdquo; in the &lsquo;Best Live Action Short&rsquo; category. Thirty Five Ventures also sold a show to Apple TV plus called "Swagger,&rdquo; which is a drama series that&rsquo;s based on Durant's youth basketball experience.
Beyond that, Durant and Kleiman have created &ldquo;Boardroom,&rdquo; which is somewhat similar to LeBron&rsquo;s &ldquo;The Shop&rdquo; on HBO, but it focuses more on the business side of things. The show has featured the likes of Malcolm Jenkins, David Shaw, Justin Tuck, Brandon Marshall, Nick DePaula and many others. They talk about everything from how coaches game plan, to how sneaker deals work, to how athletes are able to build their own brands and more. This might be where Durant&rsquo;s future in business looks the brightest, at least in terms of creativity. Recently, Durant and Kleiman have also expanded the Boardroom brand by creating new shows, launching their website and collaborating with Sports Business Journal on a print product.
Another thing Durant and Kleiman have been involved with is Overtime, a media outlet with a huge social media presence. The two have been backing the company for several years, and reportedly invested over $10 million. They&rsquo;ve also created content for Overtime and have been helping behind the scenes as well. Now, the company is launching <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Overtime Elite, which will serve as an alternative to high school for elite basketball prospects with NBA futures</a>.&nbsp;
When it comes to Durant&rsquo;s business endeavors, he&rsquo;s taken a behind-the-scenes approach to certain companies and a hands-on approach with others. While his basketball career continues to be one of the best out there, his post-NBA career is shaping up to be just as fascinating.&nbsp;

Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman have invested in Lime Scooters, The Players’ Tribune, Robinhood, Postmates, Coinbase and 55+ others.

Easy Money: How Kevin Durant is dominating the business world

This article was originally published on BasketballNews on July 20, 2022.
Impact Basketball's facility sits inside an unassuming section of an unassuming plaza on Dean Martin Drive in Las Vegas.
The gym contains two light-colored hardwood basketball courts with a small scoreboard, a weightlifting area, a makeshift stretching room, a kitchenette for meals and snacks and a small office. It's no place for vanities. The only flexes are the dozens of white banners hanging on the right wall, listing names upon names of distinguished players who have come through during the gym's 25 years of existence.
Among those players: Kevin Garnett, Kawhi Leonard, Chauncey Billups, Kyle Lowry, Kelsey Plum, Tayshaun Prince, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Haliburton, DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, Al Harrington, Kristaps Porzingis, Nassir Little, Saddiq Bey and Ziaire Williams.&nbsp;
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Kevin Garnett stopped by <a href="https://twitter.com/impactbball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@impactbball</a> and offered some advice to Blazers guard Keon Johnson, Mavericks wing Josh Green and 16-year-old prospect Dayan Nessah.<a href="https://twitter.com/Joe_Abunassar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Joe_Abunassar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinGarnett5KG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KevinGarnett5KG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/iamkeonjohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iamkeonjohnson</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshBGreen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoshBGreen</a> <a href="https://t.co/fwRjAM2WHJ">pic.twitter.com/fwRjAM2WHJ</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1548046089877524482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Impact Basketball, founded by trainer Joe Abunassar in 1997, has a reputation for its star-studded, closed-door pickup games that take place during the NBA offseason. In the spring, it's also where some of the top NBA Draft hopefuls join Abunassar's pre-draft "boot camp" and commit themselves to an intricate world of sports training and nutrition.
The timeline is simple: arrive by April, revamp your training lifestyle and find your professional pathway &mdash; either via the NBA Draft, an undrafted free-agent deal or another contract &mdash; afterwards. The work is not flashy, isn't always fun and, if you want to stick as a pro, never ends.
But the results can change lives.
"It's not about W's or L's, it's about M's &mdash; M's being millions of dollars," said Isaac Mourier, Impact's Director of Performance Nutrition and Sport Science. "Once you say that to a guy like that, that's all they need in terms of motivation."
Mourier is a key cog in Impact's program. He's from the United Kingdom and played professional basketball in England and Germany before starting his own sports nutrition consulting business. Mourier has worked for the University of Georgia and Sacramento Kings as a nutritionist and consultant, and joined Impact in 2020 during the spring.
During his two-and-a-half years and three draft cycles with the company, Mourier has filled his laptop with infographics and progress charts for Impact athletes. They include individualized goals for each player; an example involves raising one prospect's weight by 20 pounds, lowering his body fat by 2%, increasing his bench press weight by 50 pounds and adding two inches to his vertical.
Mourier feels privileged to work with athletes at this stage of their careers. To him, the noise of team ecosystems and outside expectations all fade away. He can clearly define goals, and players know exactly what success will look like.
"This is the first time, maybe ever in their life, where they have a team of people that are only worried about them," he said. "Now, I'm just trying to get you to the NBA and keep you there. I don't care whether you win or lose games right now. This is you. All the focus is on you."
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Boot camp begins as soon as players are done with their respective prior seasons. They arrive at Impact and take part in comprehensive body testing to establish a full physical profile. The technology includes a bioelectrical impedence analysis that uses electrical currents to scan body composition. Sweat patches can read how much sodium athletes need in their system.
Variables such as blood work, stress hormone levels, nutrient deficienies, pre-workout hydration levels and post-workout hydration levels, body composition and body fat percentages all help establish a baseline of strengths and needs.
From there, each prospect receives an individualized growth roadmap. Skill development makes up one component. Players often train together in small groups, but they receive specific plans that prepare them for team pre-draft workouts and the NBA level.
"We're looking and analyzing and making assessments on the court; if guys are getting bumped off their cuts, if guys don't have enough lower-body power in their jump shot and guys seem like they need to get stronger, if guys aren't fast enough, [we'll consider], 'Okay, what do we need to do in the weight room or from a nutrition standpoint to correct that?'" Abunassar told Basketball News. "So, that's why every guy has his own program, because every guy has different goals."
Hydration and dieting are also central pieces. Mourier oversees the implementation of dietary plans through Impact's local chef connections, and says he outlines each meal, snack and supplement. Along the way are regular check-ins on body metrics, sleep schedules, mood and motivation among other factors. Mourier estimated that about 20-to-25 Impact staffers are involved with a player's development.&nbsp;
But Mourier repeatedly emphasized that the technology, food and workouts aren't what takes players to the Association. One of his most important jobs is reframing their habits and instilling discipline toward health.
"When an athlete gets to the elite level with bad habits, it's, 'Well, I'm already one of the best in the world at what I do, so why would I change?' So it's changing that mindset, and then when we've done that, it's about understanding that doing small things consistently is what gets us the results, as opposed to trying to do extreme things," Mourier said.
"The way that the structure of basketball [is] from AAU to college to the pros, a lot of the power is in the athlete's hands, where it's almost like, 'Who are you to tell me what to do?' So I think one of the main things that we have to do is cut through that barrier. And again, when our goals are the same as theirs, it becomes a little bit easier. But again, it's, 'Well, you've gotten to this level despite your bad habits. How good could you be if we instill some good habits?'"
Good habits, however, can be inconvenient and awkward. For NBA players to maintain their places in the league, they have to stick with those routines well past a pre-draft boot camp.
Dallas Mavericks wing Josh Green joined Impact's program ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft cycle. He's still entrenched with Impact today, and has been working out in Las Vegas this offseason. Part of his nutrition plan includes avoiding butter, which can be a particular hurdle when eating out at restaurants.
"I have to be the guy who requests light virgin oil, whatever it is," Green told Basketball News. "I think that's the hardest part about it. I'm about to go to Australia for three weeks, and all I'm gonna want to do is eat all the food, but I'm gonna have to stay disciplined. I want to have a big year, so my goal is focusing right now, but just taking it one day at a time."
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👀 <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshBGreen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoshBGreen</a> <a href="https://t.co/pX0fkZzCBZ">pic.twitter.com/pX0fkZzCBZ</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1547655829431525383?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Green said he started prioritizing nutrition after his second shoulder surgery in April 2019. Since joining Impact, Green has been floored by how much nourishment the human body loses during workouts. He has an app that lays out meal calories and hydration plans, and his goal this offseason is to skip carbohydrates, even from snacks like a simple bag of chips.
"When you're young, whatever you see in front of you is what you want," Green said. "I [was] able to start here early and realize, if I want to play ball for a while, it's important to put the right things in my body and stay healthy. It's the same thing as seeing your physical therapist and getting treatment, if not more important for your body."
Abunassar has a plethora of stories about players who embraced the importance of nutrition at the pro level. Garnett has talked about taping his meal-plan menus on the cabinets of his Minnesota home.&nbsp; Lowry, Haliburton and Serge Ibaka are examples of guys who transformed their bodies under Impact's guidance too.
Gym time and workouts are obviously valuable, but to Abunassar, nutrition is what sparks physical development.
"The nutrition is really the basis of body change &mdash; for anybody, not even just for a basketball player," Abunassar said. "You can go to the gym every day, but if you're eating cheeseburgers and fries, you're just not going to lose weight."
Mourier has his own trail of success stories. He's worked with dozens of players, including Haliburton and Green. Zeke Nnaji, another 2020 draftee, was an especially interesting case as the only plant-based-dieting prospect Mourier has guided at Impact.
Mourier does not advise athletes to follow a plant-based diet solely for performance. However, Nnaji had chosen to be a vegan for ethical reasons, which Mourier respected, and the two worked together to create a nutrition plan despite the constraints. One of Nnaji's pre-draft goals was to add muscle, and he succeeded with rigorous attention to detail.
"He gained 20 pounds and everyone was like, 'Who the hell is this?'" Mourier said. "So that was really good, just being tactful with the timing and quantities of that stuff. And [Nnaji] was really diligent with it. He nailed every single aspect of it down to the gram... He was a really easy one. I really can't take credit for all that stuff. I just put the blueprint down and he just rolled with it."
This year, Impact has worked with several 2022 draft prospects, including MarJon Beauchamp, Blake Wesley and Michael Foster Jr. among others.&nbsp;
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San Antonio Spurs rookie Blake Wesley (<a href="https://twitter.com/blakewesley0?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@blakewesley0</a>) working out at <a href="https://twitter.com/impactbball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@impactbball</a>: <a href="https://t.co/9lfkFikWsP">pic.twitter.com/9lfkFikWsP</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1547643918904217604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Wesley has been an Impact athlete since he was 17, meeting Abunassar for the first time as a junior in high school. Wesley would come in occasionally for workouts, staying on the far court and watching as NBA players like Leonard and Paul George would get their reps in. He returned in offseasons and locked in for his own pre-draft boot camp.
Mourier praised the Spurs rookie for his attention to detail regarding nutrition. Wesley frequently FaceTimed Mourier while at restaurants and stores, and asked questions about what he should eat. He's also a staunch advocate of Herbalife's CR7 Drive sports drink mix, and even has an endorsement deal with Herbalife.
As part of his pre-draft plan to put on weight, Welsey would cook three eggs, plus have oatmeal, milk and orange juice for breakfast.
"[Changing my nutrition] helped my body a lot," Wesley told Basketball News over the phone. "I kept doing this, so I kept getting better on the court and did everything good on the court. So yeah, my nutrition helped me a lot."
The result: Wesley turned himself from a relatively unheralded four-star recruit into Notre Dame's first one-and-done player &mdash; then bulked up to 190 pounds in the spring and became a first-round NBA draft pick.
"I met [Wesley] a year ago, before he went to Notre Dame, and his transformation from then to the start of the pre-draft [process] to now &mdash; it's phenomenal," Mourier said.
The next challenge is to maintain discipline once that contract gets signed.&nbsp;
"You gotta stay focused; the NBA is totally different from college," Wesley said. "I mean, you're getting paid, you got a high profile [and] a lot of people are watching you &mdash; &nbsp;watching how you move, who you hang out with, stuff like that. So it's a whole different lifestyle."
Abunassar, Mourier and the Impact staff are hands-on with their players during the offseason and pre-draft process. But what happens when those players head back to their respective NBA franchises?
"For the most part, from a strength-and-conditioning standpoint [and] from a player development standpoint, the NBA teams have stuff really dialed in," Mourier said. "From a nutrition standpoint, for the most part, they do not."
Mourier estimated that there are only six full-time nutritionists and dietitians in the entire NBA. The Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA) lists <a href="https://sportsrd.org/career-development/full-time-sports-rds-working-with-usas-top-institutions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nine full-time registered dietitians.</a> Mourier said that teams often have physicians and trainers covering several responsibilites, including nutrition, due to budget restrictions and front-office priorities. This means some athletes, specifically reserve players, receive less health guidance.
"We're kind of the ones who are the last for the front office to see the value in it, so a lot of times we're really just a check-box," Mourier said. "So especially for those lower-order guys that are maybe No. 7, 8, 9, 10, all the way through to 15 on the roster, they're not really receiving any support at all. They're receiving provision. They're receiving meals and supplements. But in terms of education and behavior change, they're really not receiving it."
Over the last 25 years, Abunassar has seen sports nutrition dramatically change, with data and technology more interwoven into practice than ever. He thinks there are positives and pitfalls to the advancements.
"From a nutrition standpoint and strength-and-conditioning standpoint, it's clearly useful information to help prevent injury, to increase lean body mass, etc.," he said. "All of the technology that has come out has been very helpful for us, but you do have to watch that you don't get too reliant on it. Sometimes, you gotta watch the games and see how guys move and that kind of thing. But a combination of the two is very effective."
Impact Basketball is one progressive frontrunner in the field of sports science, but Mourier emphasized that, at this point, all basketball pros should be setting themselves up for success with some sort of offseason developmental map. Pre-draft prospects especially cannot afford to lose that critical period before team workouts to maximize their appeal.
"It's like doing the SAT without looking at the study guide," Mourier said "...I think it's definitely a standard. There's people doing this all over the country, really. Nobody does it like us, and nobody's been doing it for as long as us, but people are seeing the value."

A behind-the-scenes look at how Impact Basketball helps players realize their full potential by focusing on their training and nutrition.

How sports nutrition and biometrics are evolving NBA training

For some NBA players, things don&rsquo;t click right away. But a rookie struggling is no reason to fret; most rookies in the NBA are, to put it bluntly, kind of bad. Adjusting to the size, speed and strength of NBA veterans is a tall task, but franchises understand that and will usually show patience regarding rookies.&nbsp;
Sometimes things don&rsquo;t click in year two either. Of course, teams want to see improvement in a player&rsquo;s counting statistics and feel for the game, but growing pains are expected for sophomores too. If things haven&rsquo;t clicked by year three though, alarms start to go off. When a player still looks lost on the floor &ndash; or is already on his second or third team &ndash; his future prospects start to look a little bleak.&nbsp;
That&rsquo;s why the stories of Dennis Smith Jr. and Kris Dunn are massively impressive. Both are former top-10 picks who lasted less than two years with the teams that drafted them (the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves, respectively). They have each been waived, overlooked and altogether neglected. But now, Smith and Dunn have found homes with teams that expect legitimate production from them this season &ndash; and maybe beyond.&nbsp;
Smith signed a one-year, $2.5-million deal with the Brooklyn Nets this summer and he will serve as the team&rsquo;s backup point guard, leading a second unit that will also include Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O&rsquo;Neale &ndash; and has some serious potential for excitement on the defensive end. Dunn, meanwhile, just had his 2023-24 contract guaranteed by the Jazz and will almost certainly get regular minutes in Utah&rsquo;s backcourt.&nbsp;
For DSJ, this is all happening about 18 months after he was cut from an actively tanking Portland Trail Blazers team when an elbow injury sidelined him for a few weeks. A midseason waiving by one of the league&rsquo;s worst teams certainly feels like the metaphorical closing of a curtain that could signal the end of a player&rsquo;s career.
Less than a month before the 2022-23 season, though, the Charlotte Hornets signed Smith to a one-year deal. The signing was mostly out of necessity, as the Hornets didn&rsquo;t have a point guard to back up LaMelo Ball &ndash; but it was a deal nonetheless. If there was ever an example of &ldquo;last, last chance,&rdquo; this was it.&nbsp;
Back in his home state, Smith showed from day one that he wasn&rsquo;t going to let this be the end of the line, becoming one of the best guard defenders in the entire league last season. He was in the 95th percentile for deflections per 36 minutes (via CraftedNBA), fifth in the entire league in steal rate (2.6%) and opposing teams averaged 10.7 fewer points per 100 possessions when&nbsp;
Smith was on the floor. That can&rsquo;t all be attributed to him, of course, but that number in conjunction with other defensive stats show just how important Smith was to Charlotte&rsquo;s (surprisingly) stout defense.&nbsp;
Smith showed flashes of defensive brilliance long before last season; here he is in 2018 locking up Paul George on a crucial crunch time possession.&nbsp;
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HOLY DEFENSE DENNIS SMITH JR. <a href="https://t.co/KEwMsLiQmT">pic.twitter.com/KEwMsLiQmT</a>
&mdash; Nick Angstadt (@NickVanExit) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickVanExit/status/1079563179171201024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
But his complete buy-in on that side of the ball in 2022-23 is what solidified Smith as someone who will more than likely stick around for years to come. Stops like this one against Stephen Curry became the norm for DSJ.&nbsp;
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HORNETS beat the WARRIORS! Dennis Smith Jr had 13/9/8 &amp; forced OT with this bucket &amp; defense on Steph Curry <a href="https://t.co/2pCMn4eltC">pic.twitter.com/2pCMn4eltC</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1586532732380753920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
Stifling defense wasn&rsquo;t the only reason Smith earned another contract though; he posted the lowest turnover rate of his career and the best assist-to-turnover ratio of his career too. His own shooting splits weren&rsquo;t pretty (47.5% true shooting), but Smith protected the ball and made enough things happen for his teammates that calling him a defensive specialist feels like a disservice.
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The man with a vision🤞 <a href="https://twitter.com/Dennis1SmithJr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dennis1SmithJr</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/PJWashington?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PJWashington</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/HornetsOnBally?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HornetsOnBally</a> <a href="https://t.co/XPbrrP6J8Y">pic.twitter.com/XPbrrP6J8Y</a>
&mdash; Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) <a href="https://twitter.com/hornets/status/1594493295799173120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
Dunn&rsquo;s career has been just as big of a roller coaster as Smith&rsquo;s. After just one season in Minnesota, he was essentially a throw-in piece of the Zach LaVine-to-Chicago-Bulls trade on draft night in 2017.&nbsp;
He spent three years with Chicago, showing some promise in his first season there. But his production declined over the next two seasons, and the Bulls let him walk after the 2020 season. Short stints in Memphis, Atlanta and Portland were discouraging too, and Dunn was teamless throughout most of the 2022-23 season. It looked like the end.&nbsp;
Shortly after an opportunity presented itself for Smith, Dunn was also given a chance to redeem himself. Dunn was playing in the G League when he got the call from the Jazz, who were basically just looking for a healthy body to provide backcourt depth after Collin Sexton went down with an injury. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Former No. 5 overall pick Kris Dunn is signing a 10-day contract with the Utah Jazz, sources tell me and <a href="https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tjonesonthenba</a>. Dunn, a six-year NBA veteran, has played for Capital City Go-Go in G League this season.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1628105973561974784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
However, Dunn was much more than just a healthy body. He scored in double figures in his first seven games with Utah, while also averaging almost two steals per game. Overall, he posted counting stats of 13.2 points, 5.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 53.7% from the floor. His turnover rate &ndash; a big problem in all of his stops &ndash; was at a career low 11.0% too.
These weren&rsquo;t just empty stats or &ldquo;gimme&rdquo; buckets either. Dunn was creating for both himself and others at a pretty high level in his 22 games with Utah. (A small sample size, but still impressive). Only 25% of his buckets were assisted, putting him in the 87th percentile among point guards &ndash; AKA Ja Morant, De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and James Harden territory.&nbsp;
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kris dunn is shooting 97.13% on really difficult-looking layups since joining the jazz. don't bother fact-checking this. it's incredibly accurate. you can tell because i went out two decimal places and everything. <a href="https://t.co/TtUptfzc01">pic.twitter.com/TtUptfzc01</a>
&mdash; Dan Favale (@danfavale) <a href="https://twitter.com/danfavale/status/1644803650236153863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
That flare for creation carried over to the preseason as well:&nbsp;
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Well this is tough stuff from Kris Dunn <a href="https://t.co/ZsflOF2Jq6">pic.twitter.com/ZsflOF2Jq6</a>
&mdash; Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1713579298282475566?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
Smith and Dunn&rsquo;s late-blooming nature brings a few things to mind.&nbsp;
Firstly, it exemplifies just how talented the NBA is right now. Smith was solid enough in his short tenure with Portland, and it was an injury that got him cut &ndash; a move that was pretty darn close to ending his NBA career.&nbsp;
The margins are so thin around the edges of the league that a ton of NBA-caliber players are left without teams &ndash; forced to battle for an incredibly small number of roster spots. Is this a good thing? Well, an excess of talent is a better problem to have than a dearth of talent, and the NBA does deserve some credit for investing in the G League and giving it the resources necessary to become a legitimate minor league system. So&hellip; kind of.&nbsp;
Secondly, it raises a question about how patient teams should be when trying to develop players. How patient should teams be? Because at first glance, paying players who haven&rsquo;t proven much of anything on the court seems a little reductive. But the NBA may have reached a point where there are enough examples of guys developing into good, productive players three-plus years into their career that extending guys based on upside might become as common as drafting them for upside.&nbsp;
If teams fully embrace the development of players rather than giving up when the development is actually an intensive process, it could pay dividends. But it&rsquo;s certainly a risk &ndash; doubling down on a player because of their perceived ceiling could look pretty bad if he never turns into that guy.
Regardless, we could be watching that shift happen already. In recent days, players like Zeke Nnaji (Denver Nuggets) and Deni Avdija (Washington Wizards) signed contract extensions with the teams that drafted them. Both are highly talented to be sure, but neither has blossomed into the player they were drafted to be &ndash; hence, they mostly got extended based on their untapped potential, not what they&rsquo;ve shown on the court thus far.&nbsp;
But no matter what Dennis Smith Jr. and Kris Dunn&rsquo;s success stories say about the NBA &ndash; if anything at all &ndash; these guards are two of the best stories in the NBA this season. Brooklyn and Utah are reaping the rewards of two journeymen who have finally started to become the players that teams wanted them to be from the start.

After being waived and nearly seeing their NBA careers come to an end, Dennis Smith Jr. and Kris Dunn bounced back in a major way.

Dennis Smith Jr. and Kris Dunn are NBA's paragons of persistence

James Harden is finally joining the Los Angeles Clippers.
After requesting a trade in July and making it clear that his preference was to join the Clippers, Harden is finally getting his wish.
Early Tuesday morning, the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to send Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev to the Clippers for Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, K.J. Martin, a 2028 unprotected first-round pick, two second-round picks, a 2029 pick swap and a protected 2026 first-round pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/38784569/philadelphia-76ers-agree-trade-james-harden-la-clippers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported</a>. Also, the Clippers are sending a 2027 first-round pick swap to Oklahoma City. The Sixers will waive Danny Green as part of the deal.&nbsp;
This is a strong return for Daryl Morey and the 76ers, especially since the 34-year-old was disgruntled and no other team was showing significant interest in acquiring Harden.
Now, the Sixers project to have as much as $65 million in cap room next offseason. It's also possible that Philly will look to flip some of their assets to land a third star alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
The Clippers are pushing their chips to the middle of the table in hopes of competing for a championship with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Russell Westbrook and Harden. Harden and Westbrook were previously teammates on the Thunder and Houston Rockets.
It's worth noting that Leonard, George and Harden could all hit unrestricted free agency after this season; Leonard and George each have a $48,787,676 player option, while Harden is on an expiring contract.
Harden is a former Most Valuable Player and 10-time All-Star. Last season, he averaged 21 points, 10.7 assists, 6.1 rebounds, 2.8 threes and 1.2 steals, while shooting 44.1% from the field, 38.5% from three-point range and 86.7% from the free-throw line.

On Monday night, the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to send James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a blockbuster trade.

Clippers acquire James Harden from 76ers in blockbuster 3-team trade

Alex Kennedy chats with NBA trainer Tim Martin, who has been training Victor Wembanyama for three years. They discuss Wemby's game.

Tim Martin on training Victor Wembanyama, Wemby's NBA start, hype

ESPN had its most-watched NBA opening night in 11 years and its second-most watched opening night ever, according to Nielsen.
Viewership for the season-opening doubleheader was up 80% from last year. The first two games of the season on ESPN generated an average audience of 2,756,000 viewers, up from 1,532,000 viewers in 2022.
The Boston Celtics' victory over the New York Knicks averaged 2,552,000 viewers, peaking with 4,351,000 viewers at 9:45 p.m. ET. It was the most-watched ESPN season-opening early game since 2012 and up 76% from last year&rsquo;s early game (New York Knicks vs. Memphis Grizzlies).
The nightcap, which featured the debut of Victor Wembanyama, averaged nearly 3 million viewers (2,989,000) as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the San Antonio Spurs. It peaked with 3,903,000 viewers at 10 p.m. ET. It was up 83% vs last year&rsquo;s comparable game (Dallas Mavericks vs. Phoenix Suns) and is the most-watched season-opening ESPN late game since 2012. Excluding Christmas Day, it is the most-watched Spurs or Mavericks regular-season game ever on ESPN.
The NBA also announced that NBA League Pass viewership was up 220% vs. last year's regular-season average. Wembanyama is also driving a ton of views across social media. Since the start of the 2023-24 NBA preseason, Wemby has generated 214 million video views, the most of any player over that span.
The NBA on ESPN was the most-watched primetime programming across all of television &ndash; broadcast and cable &ndash; for October 25 amongst people under 50, adults 18-34, adults 25-54, males 18-34, males 18-49 and males 25-54.

ESPN had its most-watched NBA opening night in 11 years and its second-most watched opening night ever, according to Nielsen.

Wemby Mania: ESPN had most-watched NBA opening night in 11 years

Alex Kennedy is joined by Big Ticket Sports' CEO George Daniel, who discusses Kevin Garnett's new 3-on-3 basketball league Str33t.

Cal State Monterey Bay Otters