Pelicans

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According to <a href="https://www.bovada.lv/sports/basketball/nba-specials/nba-specials/zion-williamson-next-team-202411201900" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bovada</a>, the Los Angeles Lakers are the favorites to acquire Zion Williamson if the New Orleans Pelicans decide to move him, with odds currently at +600. While still speculative, this shift has fueled discussions around what a potential trade could look like and what it might mean for both teams.
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The Los Angeles <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lakers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lakers</a> are favorites to land Zion Williamson if the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pelicans?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pelicans</a> decide to trade him, per <a href="https://twitter.com/BovadaOfficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BovadaOfficial</a>: ◾ Lakers: +600 ◾ Rockets: +750 ◾ Los Clippers: +850 ◾ Knicks: +900 ◾ Hawks: +1200 ◾ Nets: +1800 ◾ Grizzlies: +2500 ◾ Bulls: +2800 (🔗&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/QhvdJTBd7q">pic.twitter.com/QhvdJTBd7q</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1857238791670690271?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<h3>Trade Breakdown</h3>
In this hypothetical scenario generated via <a href="https://fanspo.com/nba/trade-machine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fanspo Trade Machine</a>, the Lakers would send D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and two future first-round picks to the Pelicans in exchange for Williamson. On paper, the trade balances both rosters with distinct benefits, making a strong case for a win-win outcome.
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<h3>Why This Trade Could Benefit the Lakers</h3>
Adding Zion Williamson would give the Lakers a young star with an unmatched combination of size and athleticism. Paired with Anthony Davis and LeBron James, Williamson would make the Lakers one of the league&rsquo;s most physically dominant frontcourts. This move could also extend LeBron&rsquo;s window by adding a younger, high-impact scorer capable of shouldering offensive responsibilities.
While Williamson&rsquo;s injury history brings an element of risk, the Lakers are in win-now mode and could see Zion&rsquo;s potential as worth the gamble. The addition of such a high-upside player could elevate the team&rsquo;s ceiling and inject a new dynamic into their offense.
<h3>Why This Trade Makes Sense for the Pelicans</h3>
For New Orleans, trading Zion might seem drastic, but there&rsquo;s logic behind the move. The Pelicans would gain reliable pieces in Russell and Hachimura, bolstering their roster depth. Russell&rsquo;s scoring and playmaking add immediate value to the backcourt, while Hachimura brings size and versatility to the forward rotation.
Hood-Schifino, who has struggled in LA and is currently playing below expectations, could also benefit from a fresh start. In New Orleans, away from the bright lights and pressure of Los Angeles, he might find his groove and prove his potential. Additionally, two first-round picks provide valuable assets for the Pelicans' future, adding flexibility for roster moves or further rebuilding.
<h3>Final Thoughts</h3>
While it remains a long shot, this potential trade highlights the appeal and intrigue surrounding Zion Williamson&rsquo;s future. The Lakers, favored by Bovada, could be an ideal landing spot if both teams find value in this bold swap. For the Lakers, it's a bet on star power; for the Pelicans, it&rsquo;s a shift toward stability and growth.

Odds Favor Lakers as Top Destination for Potential Zion Williamson Trade

The success of men&rsquo;s basketball in the 2024 Olympics has opened the eyes of many fans to the fact that there are great teams and players across the planet. While Team USA swept to the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/team-usa-defeat-hosts-france-to-claim-olympic-gold-medal">gold medal</a> with a win over France in the final, maybe you were impressed by some of the tournament&rsquo;s best non-NBA players and wondered whether they might end up in the American league.
<h2>Willy Hernangomez - Spain</h2>
&nbsp;
At 7-foot tall, this center is an imposing physical presence in the Spanish team. He broke through at Real Madrid and joined the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2015 NBA draft before being traded to the New York Knicks. His time playing at Madison Square Garden appeared to start well and was Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month early in his career as he led rebounding for newcomers to the league. He ended his first season in the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Willy then bounced around a few American teams without realizing his obvious potential. In 2023, he signed a three-year deal with Spanish team FC Barcelona. He was recently reported to be dissatisfied with his role at Barcelona and will have been disappointed that the highly-rated Spanish team dropped out of the Olympics in the qualifying round. Will Willy return to the NBA at some point? After seven years in the American league, he stated that he was happy with the <a href="https://basketnews.com/news-197125-willy-hernangomez-havent-felt-this-much-support-in-all-my-years-in-nba.html">support he received</a> on his return to Spain, so it seems unlikely at the moment.&nbsp;
<h2>Bruno Caboclo - Brazil</h2>
This 28-year-old power forward from Brazil started his career with Pinheiros before joining the Toronto Raptors in the 2014 NBA draft. This selection is still best remembered for Fran Fraschilla saying that he was "two years away from being two years away" when reporting it. Bruno never quite made the breakthrough expected of him in the NBA and returned to Brazil, where he was more successful.
After moving around a few teams in different countries, he joined Partizan Belgrade of the Serbian League in 2023. He averaged 9.4 points over the 2023-24 season, which was ultimately unsuccessful for the team. Given his globe-trotting career to date, it would be easy to imagine Bruno being interested in a move back to the US, but the latest news reports suggest that he is <a href="https://www.nbamaniacs.com/en/nba-rumors/bruno-caboclo-receives-an-offer-from-israel/">considering an offer</a> from Israeli team Hapoel Tel Aviv. At the Olympics in Paris, his 33 points vs Japan was one of the top individual performances.
<h2>Wenyen Gabriel - South Sudan</h2>
Wenyen was born in Sudan but moved to the US as a youngster. His college basketball was played for the Kentucky Wildcats, and he was one of the country&rsquo;s most highly-ranked young players at one point. Despite this, he went undrafted in 2018 but then joined the Sacramento Kings to play in the Summer League. After briefly joining the Portland Trail Blazers, Wenyen moved to the New Orleans Pelicans followed by the Brooklyn Nets and other US teams.
He then went to Puerto Rico with the Vaqueros de Bayam&oacute;n and it was recently announced that he&rsquo;s signed for Maccabi Tel Aviv to play in the Euroleague and the Israeli Basketball Premier League. If you want to follow his career, you can now easily find online content for foreign basketball leagues and stream games. You might also want to check the current <a href="https://www.bodog.eu/sports/basketball">basketball odds</a> for leagues around the world. You&rsquo;ll see live betting odds as well as the numbers for upcoming games. Choose from options like moneyline, spread, and total bet when looking for games to bet on in the Euroleague and elsewhere.
<h2>Carlik Jones - South Sudan</h2>
Carlik was born in the US and grew up in Ohio, becoming one of the highest-rated college players while performing for the Radford Highlanders and then the Louisville Cardinals. He went undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft but then joined the Dallas Mavericks to play in the NBA Summer League. After moving around a few teams, he was named as the NBA G League&rsquo;s Most Valuable Player in 2022 while playing for the Chicago Bulls.&nbsp;
The point guard played in China and was rumored to be moving to Maccabi Tel Aviv this season but surprised everyone by signing for Partizan Mozzart Bet of the Serbian league instead. Carlik revealed after the World Cup that he had some offers from the NBA but that the move to Serbia felt right and that Partizan appears to be the ideal team for him. At 26 years old, he might still have time to move back to the American league in the future.
<h2>Summary</h2>
At the moment none of the non-NBA players who performed well in the 2024 Olympics seems set to join the American basketball league. Yet, some of them have already played here before heading abroad to try their luck elsewhere, so it wouldn&rsquo;t be a major surprise to see one or more players from this list reaching the NBA at some point. &nbsp;

The success of men’s basketball in the 2024 Olympics has opened the eyes of many fans that there are a lot of great teams and players.

Which Olympic Basketball Stars Could Join the NBA?

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; Jakob Poeltl scored 30 points, Pascal Siakam had 26 and the Toronto Raptors beat the Orlando Magic 123-113 on Tuesday night for their fifth win in six games.
Scottie Barnes scored 17 points, Fred VanVleet had 10 points and a season-high 15 assists, and Precious Achiuwa had 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors, who shot a season-best 60.2%.
Wendell Carter Jr. scored 26 points, Jalen Suggs had 24 off the bench and Markelle Fultz scored 19 points for the Magic.
Orlando came in having won three straight road games but couldn&rsquo;t follow Monday&rsquo;s win at Chicago with another victory. The Magic are 1-10 in the second game of back-to-backs.
A former Raptor who was reacquired from San Antonio last week, Poeltl shot 15 for 17 and added nine rebounds and six blocks.
&ldquo;You see what he did tonight,&rdquo; Magic coach Jamahl Mosely said. &ldquo;He was a game changer.&rdquo;
The 30 points were the most Poeltl has scored as a Raptors player. His career high is 31, set with San Antonio last Nov. 15 at Portland.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just about reacting to the defense,&rdquo; Poeltl said. &ldquo;They decided to trap Freddie a bunch of times. I&rsquo;m comfortable catching the ball there at the top of the key and trying to make plays.&rdquo;
Suggs said Poeltl hurt Orlando with his bruising, physical style.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a force in the paint,&rdquo; Suggs said. &ldquo;Trying to box him out, you can&rsquo;t out-jump him. He&rsquo;s really strong and physical in there. He fits what they want to do. He&rsquo;s a physical big who&rsquo;s going to hit you in your mouth and have no remorse about it.&rdquo;
One game after setting a season best by allowing just five points off turnovers, the Raptors made a season-worst 20 miscues against the Magic, leading to 26 points. The Magic weren&rsquo;t much better, making 19 turnovers that led to 29 points for Toronto.
&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t turn the basketball over and give up offensive rebounds and give yourself a chance,&rdquo; Mosley said.
The Raptors outrebounded the Magic 40-29 and had a 13-9 edge on the offensive glass.
As the All Star break arrives, Orlando has gone 19-15 since a 5-20 start.
&ldquo;I feel like we did a solid job from the beginning of the year to now of kind of changing the script of who the Orlando Magic are,&rdquo; Carter said.
Orlando led 70-65 at halftime but Poeltl scored eight points in the third as Toronto took a 94-89 edge to the fourth.
TIP-INS
Magic: Paolo Banchero scored 13 points. &hellip; F Jonathan Isaac (left knee) sat as Orlando played the second game of a back-to-back. &hellip; G Cole Anthony (sore right wrist) missed his second straight game.
Raptors: Toronto is 13-0 all-time when shooting 60 percent or better. &hellip; Coach Nick Nurse returned after missing Sunday&rsquo;s win over Detroit for personal reasons. &hellip; F Thad Young injured his left knee early in the second quarter and did not return. .. G Gary Trent Jr. (sore left calf) missed his second game while F O.G. Anunoby (sprained left wrist) missed his ninth straight. &hellip; Toronto had 13 assists on 16 made baskets in the first quarter, including seven assists from VanVleet.
MILESTONE MAN
Barnes reached 2,000 career points. At 21 years and 197 days, he&rsquo;s the third-youngest player in Raptors history to reach the milestone, behind Tracy McGrady and Chris Bosh.
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ROAD WORK AHEAD
After hosting the Pelicans in their first game following the All-Star break, Toronto plays seven of eight on the road, a testing stretch that includes games at Cleveland, Denver, and both Los Angeles teams.
OUT ON VALENTINE&rsquo;S DAY
Toronto Mayor John Tory attended the game. Tory said last Friday that he would step down as mayor of Canada&rsquo;s largest city after acknowledging an affair with a former staffer.
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Jakob Poeltl scored 30 points, Pascal Siakam had 26 and the Toronto Raptors beat the Orlando Magic 123-113.

Poeltl scores 30, Siakam has 26, Raptors beat Magic 123-113

METAIRIE, La. (AP) &mdash; New Orleans Pelicans All-Star Zion Williamson has aggravated his previously injured right hamstring, extending the timeline for his return to &ldquo;multiple weeks past All-Star break,&rdquo; basketball operations chief David Griffin said Sunday.
Griffin said Williamson, who has been averaging 26 points per game this season, had progressed to the point where he was able to participate in 3-on-3 drills in practice and was on the court when he experienced his setback.
When asked how Williamson handled the setback emotionally, Griffin said, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s fair to say not terribly well because he was really diligent in his rehab.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Unfortunately this is an injury that has a very high incidence of recurrence,&rdquo; Griffin said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s nothing he did wrong to bring this about. ... It&rsquo;s an injury that&rsquo;s tricky and hard to navigate. I think you&rsquo;ve seen other players around the league have those same re-incidences. It&rsquo;s not unique.&rdquo;
Williamson has missed 20 straight games since his initial hamstring injury on Jan. 2. If he misses the first two weeks after the All-Star break, he will have been out at least 27 games.
Without Williamson, the Pelicans have gone 12-16, but a number of those games were played while high-scoring wing Brandon Ingram also was out.
Ingram is now back in the lineup and has scored 25 or more points in each of his past four games.
The Pelicans enter Monday night&rsquo;s game at Oklahoma City having won three of four, with the lone loss in that stretch coming against surging Cleveland, which is on a six-game winning streak.
The silver lining for the Pelicans is that they have virtually the same core players available now that they had during their playoff run last spring, when Williamson was recovering from a foot injury that sidelined him for all of last season.
The Pelicans also made a&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-trade-deadline-2023-news-recapping-all-moves-of-day-basketball-rumors-sorting-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">move at last week&rsquo;s NBA trade deadline</a>&nbsp;that sent 6-foot-1 reserve guard Devonte&rsquo; Graham to San Antonio for veteran 6-5 guard Josh Richardson, who is in his eighth season and is expected to help New Orleans defensively.
New Orleans is 29-28, placing it seventh in the Western Conference entering Sunday.
&ldquo;We all feel for Z, having to navigate these injuries,&rdquo; Pelicans coach Willie Green said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an opportunity for guys to kind of band together and go out and play our best basketball."
Green, who played in the NBA for 12 seasons, said it will be important for Williamson to &ldquo;get into a good mental space&rdquo; now.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be important for him to continue to attack the rehab to give himself an opportunity to get back on the floor,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;For the rest of the guys... we&rsquo;ve created a standard. We know how we want to play. Guys have to do it and we all have to kind of come together while Z is out.&rdquo;
The run the Pelicans made last spring without Williamson &ldquo;helps our confidence,&rdquo; Green said.
&ldquo;It gives us not only the belief but the results to know that we can do it,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;We just got continue to go do the things we know we&rsquo;re capable of.&rdquo;

Zion Williamson has aggravated his previously injured right hamstring and he'll miss several more weeks after the All-Star break.

Pelicans’ Zion Williamson has setback with hamstring injury

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

All eyes are on the Toronto Raptors as Thursday's NBA trade deadline approaches. The rest of the league is waiting to see whether they'll be a buyer or seller (or simply stand pat).
If they decide to sell off certain assets, they'll have no trouble finding a taker for O.G. Anunoby.
There are quite a few teams expressing interest in the 25-year-old, including the New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets, according to <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/toronto-raptors-appear-to-remain-at-center-of-trade-market-170154598.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports</a>.
The Raptors' asking price for Anunoby is "quite steep," which is understandable. Toronto reportedly wants multiple first-round picks for the elite defender, and it remains to be seen if a team will meet that demand.
Fischer notes that some teams may be hesitant to give up that many assets for Anunoby when Kevin Durant could potentially be available this offseason (if he once again requests a trade from the Brooklyn Nets).&nbsp;
This season, Anunoby is averaging 16.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.9 threes, 2.1 steals and 0.8 blocks, while shooting 45.7% from the field, 36.6% from three and 82.1% from the free-throw line.&nbsp;
The Raptors are currently 25-30, which is the 11th-best record in the East. Toronto has the NBA's 14th-ranked offense (scoring 112.0 points per 100 possessions) and 20th-ranked defense (allowing 112.3 points per 100 possessions).

There are quite a few teams expressing interest in Raptors wing O.G. Anunoby.

Raptors' O.G. Anunoby drawing trade interest from 8 teams

NEW ORLEANS (AP) &mdash; When LeBron James was pulling up his dribble to float an alley-oop pass to Anthony Davis, or diving into the stands in an attempt to regain the ball for the Lakers, he appeared far more concerned with immediate team goals than making NBA history.
Yet, after nearly 40 minutes on the court, James couldn&rsquo;t stop Los Angeles from losing ground in the standings, even as he gained on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar&rsquo;s scoring mark.
James moved 36 points away from breaking the NBA career scoring record in the Lakers&rsquo; 131-126 loss to New Orleans on Saturday night that ended the Pelicans&rsquo; losing streak at 10 games.
&ldquo;I just want to win,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;You know, you play the game the right way and see what happens.&rdquo;
James had 27 points to go with nine rebounds and six assists as he continued to close in on Abdul-Jabbar&rsquo;s record total of 38,387 points.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m tired as hell,&rdquo; James said, but added, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be ready to go on Tuesday,&rdquo; when the Lakers play next.
Brandon Ingram had his best game since returning 10 days earlier from a nearly two-month injury absence, scoring 35 points for the Pelicans on an array of drives and jumpers, sometimes in heavy traffic as he was fouled.
CJ McCollum had 23 points, highlighted by a late 3 to help New Orleans close out the final 3:14 on a 9-5 run that kept the Lakers at bay.
&ldquo;We just continued to attack across the board,&rdquo; said Pelicans coach Willie Green, whose team won for just the fourth time in 19 games. &ldquo;Every guy on our team that touched the floor came in and played with force and played with confidence. That is what is going to take for us to get over the hump.&rdquo;
Anthony Davis had 34 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers. They led by 12 when James&rsquo; finger role made it 84-72 in the third quarter.
The Pelicans chipped away and closed the period with five quick points on McCollum&rsquo;s transition floater and Jose Alvarado&rsquo;s 3 after he caught a deflected inbound pass.
That sequence cut the Lakers&rsquo; advantage to 106-103, and New Orleans surged in front when Trey Murphy hit back-to-back 3s, the second from 27 feet, to make it 114-108.
The game remained tight thereafter, but the Pelicans didn&rsquo;t allow Los Angeles to regain the lead.
Murphy finished with 21 points and Alvarado 18.
Jonas Valanciunas had 18 points and 14 rebounds for New Orleans but left late in the third quarter with a right knee injury and did not return.
Russell Westbrook scored 15 points but did not play during the final 11 minutes.
&ldquo;Whatever decision they make, that&rsquo;s up to them,&rdquo; Westbrook said, brushing off questions about the possibility of being shipped out of Los Angeles before the Feb. 9 trade deadline. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been all in since Day 1. I&rsquo;m very supportive of my teammates. I compete every night.
&ldquo;Whatever decision that they make, I&rsquo;ll make sure I&rsquo;m very professional like I always have been and always will be,&rdquo; Westbrook added.
James said trade deadline rumors should not distract the Lakers from what they need to do to win games.
&ldquo;It shouldn&rsquo;t be an issue. The trade deadline happens every single year,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;You go out and focus, no matter what happens. You&rsquo;re still a professional.&rdquo;
And while James said he didn&rsquo;t want to speak for the Lakers&rsquo; front office about possible trades, he didn&rsquo;t quibble with the notion that Kyrie Irving, who has requested a trade and won a title with James in Cleveland, could help the Lakers.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a &lsquo;duh&rsquo; question when talking about a player like that,&rdquo; James said.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Went 2-3 during their five-game road trip that concluded in New Orleans and came in 12-16 on the road overall. ... Davis was playing in his third straight game and for the fifth time in six games since missing 20 games with a right foot injury. He reached 20 points for the 26th time in 30 games played this season and 30 points for the 11th time. ... Got 43 bench points including 13 from Troy Brown Jr. and 11 from Lonnie Walker.
Pelicans: Larry Nance Jr. had 10 points and nine rebounds. ... Have given up at least 70 first-half points in two straight. ... Shot 52% (52 of 100) for the game despite going 9 of 30 from deep, missing 11 straight 3s during the first half.
WARM WELCOME
Fans cheered James during introductions and when he scored, particularly after his end-to-end transition dunk in the third quarter. In the fourth, when James dove into the stands chasing the ball, fans patted him on the back supportively as he lay across them and helped him up.
UP NEXT
Lakers: Host Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.
Pelicans: Host Sacramento on Sunday night.

LeBron James moved 36 points away from breaking the NBA scoring record in the Lakers’ 131-126 loss to New Orleans on Saturday night.

LeBron James closes in on NBA record, Lakers falls to Pelicans

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

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

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

Exploring possible trade destinations for Nuggets' Bones Hyland

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2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division

FIBA EuroBasket is making a triumphant comeback this week after five years away from competition. Per ESPN, that's the <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34457762/eurobasket-2022-scores-schedules-teams-news-updates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">longest gap in the tournament since World War II</a>, so EuroBasket 2022 should turn out to be a remarkable celebration of basketball's growth across Europe.
A&nbsp;lot has changed in five years. Luka Doncic was the "chosen one" of European hoops in 2017 as an 18-year-old suiting up for Slovenia, Giannis Antetokounmpo had just won Most Improved Player with the Milwaukee Bucks and earned his first NBA All-Star appearance, and Nikola Jokic had yet to clear 30 minutes per game in an NBA season.
Today, the three international stars are among the faces of basketball in the NBA and around the world, and the trio will compete in EuroBasket 2022. That's just the tip of the iceberg as far as the immese talent slated to participate. We've already gotten a peek of what the action could look like via the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers that have taken place over the past week.
EuroBasket features 24 teams in four groups, with action beginning on Thursday and culminating in a gold-medal showdown on Sept. 18. Here's a rundown of the must-see NBA players (as of last season), international stars and top prospects (under age 23) in each group.
(Note: If a player is listed as "questionable," it is because their playing status is uncertain. Not all EuroBasket rosters have been finalized, so several countries' teams may look slightly different. <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/eurobasket/2022/news/roster-tracker-fiba-eurobasket-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Here is a full roster tracker</a>.)
GROUP A: SPAIN, TURKEY, MONTENEGRO, GEORGIA, BELGIUM, BULGARIA
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Alperen Sengun against Serbia: 17 PTS | 13 REB | 2 AST | 2 BLK | 61 TS% Spearheaded the Turkey comeback in the third quarter 🔥<a href="https://t.co/faBFt2SQLe">pic.twitter.com/faBFt2SQLe</a>
&mdash; Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) <a href="https://twitter.com/JTGatlin/status/1563966082322468869?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Top NBA Players: Juan Hernangomez (Spain), Willy Hernangomez (Spain), Furkan Korkmaz (Turkey), Cedi Osman (Turkey), Goga Bitadze (Georgia), Sandro Mamukelashvili (Georgia)
Top International Players: Rudy Fernandez (Spain), Lorenzo Brown (Spain), Shane Larkin (Turkey), Bojan Dubljevic (Montenegro), Retin Obasohan (Belgium), Sasha Vezenkov (Bulgaria)
Notable Prospects: Usman Garuba (Spain), Vrenz Bleijenbergh (Belgium), Alperen Sengun (Turkey), Marko Simonovic (Montenegro)
Spain and Turkey might not have quite the Tier 1 star power of some other countries, but both squads are fun and deep. Fernandez and Brown are stalwarts who have starred on their respective European teams for years. Then for Turkey, Osman and Korkmaz are NBA rotation players boosted by an electric point guard in Larkin.
We'll hopefully get to see the pair of Houston Rockets sophomore talents as well. Sengun impressed with his flashes last season and has already created highlights with Turkey over the summer. Garuba was quieter as a rookie, but has experience on a large Spanish stage with his time playing for Real Madrid.&nbsp;
GROUP B: BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, FRANCE, GERMANY, HUNGARY, LITHUANIA, SLOVENIA
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Luka Doncic drops 25 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST in win over Estonian National team 🔥😭<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MFFL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MFFL</a> <a href="https://t.co/4khnb7BEr3">pic.twitter.com/4khnb7BEr3</a>
&mdash; MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) <a href="https://twitter.com/NationMffl/status/1562897679155204098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Top NBA Players: Jusuf Nurkic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Evan Fournier (France), Rudy Gobert (France), Timoth&eacute; Luwawu-Cabarrot (France), Daniel Theis (Germany), Dennis Schr&ouml;der (Germany), Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania), Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania), Ignas Brazdeikis (Lithuania), Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Goran Dragic (Slovenia), Vlatko Cancar (Slovenia)
Top International Players:&nbsp;Dzanan Musa (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Elie Okobo (France), Guerschon Yabusele (France), Thomas Huertel (France), Vincent Poirier (France)
Notable Prospects:&nbsp;Th&eacute;o Maledon (France), Franz Wagner (Germany), Rokas Jokubaitis (Lithuania), Ziga Samar (Slovenia)
Yeah, this group is absolutely loaded. Five of the six rosters could potentially boast multiple players with 2021-22 NBA experience. Slovenia, led by Doncic and Dragic, is considered a favorite to win EuroBasket. But France has a loaded roster (though no Victor Wembanyama), too. They'll be worth checking out additonally because Okobo has been balling in Europe since leaving the NBA.
New York Knicks fans might want to circle Lithuania as the team to watch. They'll receive a nostalgia injection in the forms of Brazdeikis and Mindaugas Kuzminskas, and they'll get a glimpse of the future with Jokubaitis, the team's 2021 draft-and-stash guard. Franz Wagner is one of the best young talents in EuroBasket too, making Germany a team to monitor.
GROUP C: CROATIA, ESTONIA, GREAT BRITAIN, GREECE, ITALY, UKRAINE
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Giannis Antetokounmpo <a href="https://twitter.com/Giannis_An34?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Giannis_An34</a> dropped 26pts 7rebs in the <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBAWC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fibawc</a> Qualifiers win for Greece. Watch all the games of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIBAWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIBAWC</a> Qualifiers on Courtside 1891 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinForAll?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinForAll</a> <a href="https://t.co/t7JNIYvGgG">pic.twitter.com/t7JNIYvGgG</a>
&mdash; Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) <a href="https://twitter.com/swishcultures_/status/1564222344067010561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Top NBA Players:&nbsp;Bojan Bogdanovic (Croatia), Dario Saric (Croatia), Ivica Zubac (Croatia),&nbsp;Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Tyler Dorsey (Greece), Simone Fontecchio (Italy), Alex Len (Ukraine), Svi Mykhailiuk (Ukraine)
Top International Players: Mario Hezonja (Croatia), Sacha Killeya-Jones (Great Britain, questionable),&nbsp;Nick Calathes (Greece), Georgios Papagiannis (Greece, questionable), Kostas Papanikalou (Greece), Kostas Sloukas (Greece, questionable), Nicolo Melli (Italy)
Notable Prospects:&nbsp;Karlo Matkovic (Croatia), Roko Prkacin (Croatia),&nbsp;Issuf Sanon (Ukraine), Nico Mannion (Italy)
Three of the Antetokounbros (the above two, plus Kostas, who is questionable at this time) could assemble for their home country. Greece also has a handful of international stars who might play; their roster has yet to be finalized. Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 40 points in a World Cup Qualifiers loss against Nikola Jokic and Serbia, so it's safe to say he's firing on all cylinders.
Croatia, however, might be my pick for most intriguing team in the tournament. They have a trio of NBA players, plus a former top-five pick in Mario Hezonja. Prkacin has been on NBA Draft radars for several years now, and Matkovic just went No. 52 overall in the 2022 Draft to the New Orleans Pelicans. This is a fun mix of talent at different stages and platforms.
GROUP D: CZECH REPUBLIC, FINLAND, ISRAEL, NETHERLANDS, POLAND, SERBIA
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
They call him the MVP for a reason 🃏 Deadly in so many ways, Nikola Jokic was in top form for Serbia during World Cup Qualifying 😤<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIBAWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIBAWC</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinForSrbija?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinForSrbija</a> 🇷🇸 <a href="https://t.co/1ZqvDPLQsi">pic.twitter.com/1ZqvDPLQsi</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1564286832510226436?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Top NBA Players:&nbsp;Vit Krejci (Czech Republic), Tomas Satoransky (Czech Republic, questionable), Lauri Markkanen (Finland), Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Nemanja Bjelica (Serbia, questionable),&nbsp;
Top International Players: Jan Vesely (Czech Republic), Vasilije Micic (Serbia, questionable), Nikola Milutinov (Serbia)
Notable Prospects: Deni Avdija (Israel), Yam Madar (Israel), Balsa Koprivica (Serbia, questionable)
Nikola Jokic instantly makes Serbia a frontrunner for the gold, but the nation could have several veterans backing him up in a potential deep run. Micic in particular should be on NBA fans' radars as a player who could immediately come over and produce in the league. The 28-year-old guard won two EuroLeague titles and was named MVP in 2021. Oklahoma City currently owns his draft rights, though he was mentioned frequently in offseason trade rumors.&nbsp;
Israel has a pair of notable young talents leading the way. Deni Avdija took a legitimate step forward in his second year with the Washington Wizards. Madar, meanwhile, has been playing overseas as a draft-and-stash prospect selected by the Boston Celtics in 2020.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic lead a stellar group of competitors in EuroBasket 2022.

FIBA EuroBasket 2022: Top teams, players and prospects to watch

The NBA released its full regular-season schedule Wednesday afternoon, and the collective public had absolutely no idea what games were coming!
*Aggressive winking*
The schedule release announcement had more leaks than a pre-Flex Seal screen boat. Now that the full picture is out in the open, we can break down the marquee matchups of the season and piece together a timeline of games to watch should injuries be avoided and fortune fall our way.
Opening night of the 2022-23 regular season is Oct. 18. It features an Eastern Conference showdown between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors at 10 p.m. ET, and kicks off a week where several different squads dot the national TV landscape.
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The first week of the season will feature 11 national television games across three networks, including two doubleheaders each on TNT and ESPN and three games on NBA TV. <a href="https://t.co/O9So5il0Cs">pic.twitter.com/O9So5il0Cs</a>
&mdash; NBA Communications (@NBAPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAPR/status/1559979736125906944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2022</a></blockquote>
We already knew about many of these games, though, and we were already aware of <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2022-nba-christmas-day-schedule-lakers-vs-mavericks-warriors-vs-grizzlies-headline-five-game-holiday-slate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the loaded Christmas Day slate from prior reports</a>. I'm going to gloss over those and highlight some of the more recent takeaways from Wednesday's unveiling.
One of the primary areas of interest with schedule releases is the breakdown of nationally-televised games. Brett Siegel of SI Fastbreak tallied up the <a href="https://www.si.com/fannation/nba/fastbreak/news/2022-23-nba-schedule-team-by-team-nationally-televised-games-lakers-warriors-nets-knicks-celtics-nba-schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">national schedules for each team</a>, and I went back to <a href="https://uproxx.com/dimemag/lakers-most-national-tv-games-2021-2022-nba-season-schedule-release/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last year's count from UPROXX's Bill DiFillippo</a> to check out the shifts.
The Memphis Grizzlies have skyrocketed up the league market landscape. They're appearing in 28 national TV games, far more than double the 11 they had in 2021-22. Ja Morant's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ja-morant-has-been-playoffs-most-popular-player-across-nbas-socials" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social-media impact is well-documented</a>, and it seems the NBA wants to put him and the exciting young Grizzlies in the spotlight.&nbsp;
Memphis saw the largest bump, but the Minnesota Timberwolves were close behind, quadrupling their national broadcast schedule with 16 games compared to four last season. It's understandable; Minnesota has a walking highlight player in Anthony Edwards, and the franchise made the largest addition to date this summer by trading for Rudy Gobert.
Also on the rise are the Cleveland Cavaliers. Their nine national TV games are small in the grand scheme of the league, but Cleveland only had four such appearances on last season's initial schedule drop and zero outside of NBA TV. This season, the Cavs add three showings on ESPN and two on TNT, and Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-jarrett-allen-qa-cleveland-cavaliers-offseason-basketball-without-borders-asia-camp-evan-mobley-darius-garland-robin-lopez-ricky-rubio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jarrett Allen</a> should make for some electric primetime showcases.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a> have 9 national TV games: - 11/7 at Clippers (NBA TV) - 12/6 vs. Lakers (TNT) - 12/26 vs. Nets (NBA TV) - 2/2/23 vs. Grizzlies (TNT) - 2/10/23 at Pelicans (ESPN) - 3/1/23 at Celtics (ESPN) - 3/10/23 at Heat (NBA TV) - 3/15/23 vs. 76ers (ESPN) - 3/21/23 at Nets (NBA TV) <a href="https://t.co/5bSrq0AqSs">https://t.co/5bSrq0AqSs</a>
&mdash; Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1559982279912558594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Meanwhile, the New Yorks Knicks' national schedule took a nosedive after they failed to back up a 2021 playoff appearance. New York has just 16 such games on the calendar right now vs. 29 of those contests a year ago. But one broadcast matchup has already captured attention &mdash; a Nov. 15 contest against the Utah Jazz on TNT. What's the implication of this scheduling given the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-jazz-knicks-reengage-in-donovan-mitchell-trade-talks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">swirling trade rumors around Donovan Mitchell</a>?
Speaking of the Jazz &mdash; Utah won't be on nearly as many screens around the country. The Jazz went from 28 national TV games in 2021-22 to four this upcoming season. Yeesh.
The Golden State Warriors earned a league-high 42 nationally-televised games, beating out the Lakers (39), Celtics (37), 76ers (34) and Phoenix Suns (34). Every team has at least one game on a national cable station this season after four squads were confined to NBA TV last year.
After another frenetic offseason, seeing stars face their former teams always makes for entertainment. Rudy Gobert and the Timberwolves host the Jazz on Oct. 21, and they'll travel to Utah for the first time Dec. 9. New Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray will host the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 11 and visits the Lone Star State on March 19.&nbsp;
Folks are still waiting to see Ben Simmons return to Philadelphia (and an NBA court in general). The 76ers and Brooklyn Nets face off several times as divisional opponents: Nov. 22 (at Philly), Jan. 25 (at Philly), Feb. 11 (at Brooklyn) and April 9 (at Brooklyn). Feb. 11 will also mark James Harden's first game on the road against his former team in the Nets.
In a battle of this year's top-two draft picks facing off, Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic will hit the road to take on Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Nov. 1, and that game will be televised on TNT.&nbsp;
Lastly, travel is always a key component of understanding the league schedule. Every squad has between 12 and 15 total back-to-back situations this season, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/nba-schedule-has-less-miles-and-lebron-chasing-more-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teams will travel about 5% fewer miles than in 2021-22</a>. Here's a team-by-team breakdown from Ed K&uuml;pfer:
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NBA 2022-23: Miles to be traveled by each team <a href="https://t.co/WZ7UuNVlz5">pic.twitter.com/WZ7UuNVlz5</a>
&mdash; Ed K&uuml;pfer (@EdKupfer) <a href="https://twitter.com/EdKupfer/status/1560000305135321090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2022</a></blockquote>

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We still have two months to nitpick these schedules to infinity, but it's a good reminder that the NBA regular season is circling back around at a brisk pace.

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With the NBA releasing its schedule for the upcoming season, Ethan Fuller highlights the most notable matchups and moments.

Takeaways from the NBA's 2022-23 regular-season schedule release

As the Kevin Durant saga reaches its latest chapter, both sides are digging in for what could be an even more drawn-out process. He's already told Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai to either trade him or fire head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks, so his desires to leave Brooklyn are clear.
There's a lack of trust in the organization&rsquo;s direction moving forward, but the Nets already have shown they won&rsquo;t bend to every demand the future Hall-of-Famer makes.
But unless Brooklyn eventually lowers its asking price &mdash; which is presumably what many interested teams are betting on &mdash; there&rsquo;s no reason to believe this process won&rsquo;t drag into the regular season. If so, the next step will be Durant sitting out games away from the team until his next destination is found.
From the beginning, Durant&rsquo;s desired destination was the Phoenix Suns to team up alongside Devin Booker and Chris Paul. Six weeks later, we don&rsquo;t know whether Durant has backed off that stance. If not, that could be the reason why this is dragging out even longer. Phoenix is seemingly falling off many radars, but we shouldn't rule them out of the sweepstakes just yet. Brooklyn holds power, but so does Durant to keep this tug of war going as long as possible.
As the Suns' noise quieted down, new suitors emerged &mdash; the Miami Heat and, most recently, the Celtics. SNY&rsquo;s Ian Begley mentioned the Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers as new choices atop Durant&rsquo;s updated wishlist.
&ldquo;Our front office and coaching staff have my support,&rdquo; Tsai wrote on Twitter in response to his meeting with Durant. &ldquo;We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.&rdquo;
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Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.
&mdash; Joe Tsai (@joetsai1999) <a href="https://twitter.com/joetsai1999/status/1556791235427405824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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With Tsai picking his side, we'll all wait to see what offers are truly in the best interest of the Nets&rsquo; murky long-term outlook. In the meantime, it&rsquo;s hard not to let the mind wander on what that could entail.
What if the Nets look back upon the Pacers&rsquo; situation with Paul George in 2017, taking the best offer on the table for their disgruntled superstar in a non-preferable destination? While it seems far-fetched, anything at this point seems possible within this ongoing battle at the bargaining table for who gets what in the end.
When it was over, Indiana acquired two blossoming All-Stars in Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, even when it felt like leverage wasn&rsquo;t on its side. George wanted to go to the Los Angeles Lakers, but the Pacers stood firm on getting a proper return for their star forward.
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Who could come out of nowhere and surprise us all as the Nets' possible trade partner a la the Thunder to the Pacers five years ago? Excluding the known top contenders for now &mdash; Phoenix, Miami, Boston and the Toronto Raptors &mdash; let's try to find a potential team lurking in the shadows who would also check off both parties' boxes.
Philadelphia 76ers
This all comes down to the possibility of including Tyrese Maxey. If you&rsquo;re in the position of Sixers president Daryl Morey, with your chips already all-in on winning a championship with Joel Embiid and James Harden, Durant certainly makes you think for a moment. Knowing Morey&rsquo;s aggressive nature, a blockbuster centered around Maxey for Durant works well within their win-now time frame. The allure of Maxey is there (only 21 years old and blossomed upon Harden&rsquo;s arrival midseason), but this is arguably the greatest three-level scorer ever we&rsquo;re talking about.
Forming a trio consisting of Durant, Embiid and Harden is simply unfathomable to envision. The possibilities are endless, and hopefully the third time would be the charm when it comes to the former Thunder teammates reuniting less than a year removed from their split.
Philadelphia can quickly make salaries work for Durant by adding in Tobias Harris, who reportedly has been on the trading block since Morey&rsquo;s arrival. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Brooklyn&rsquo;s asking price for Boston was a young player on a star trajectory (Jaylen Brown), a solid starter (Marcus Smart), another role player and multiple draft picks. The Sixers check every box in that scenario, which should automatically make them a viable dark-horse candidate.
Would a package centered around Maxey, Harris, Matisse Thybulle and Philadelphia&rsquo;s 2029 first-round pick with little to no protections be enough for the Nets to accept? For the Sixers, there&rsquo;s a real pathway to getting a top spot at the table once the dust settles sometime on Durant.
New Orleans Pelicans
In any superstar-type trade rumor, the Pelicans tend to pop up one way or another because of their newly assembled war chest of assets. Following the Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday trades, New Orleans sits on a treasure trove of draft capital spanning the next five years.
At any point, Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin could decide to cash in on the last piece of the Pelicans&rsquo; puzzle to become the next version of the Suns &mdash; acquiring an established veteran star to take a talented young core over the top. CJ McCollum could qualify as such following the Pelicans&rsquo; deadline move for him, but what if Durant was intrigued enough to play alongside Zion Williamson in the Bayou?
Boston putting a player of Brown&rsquo;s caliber on the table makes this debate even more interesting. In my opinion, Brandon Ingram would be a better return in comparison to Brown for Durant. Both are on the same tier, but Ingram gets the slight edge for me. Witnessing his ascent on the postseason stage, Ingram is poised to take another step forward in his rapidly climbing career.
If the Nets desire a player who meets or exceeds Brown in trade talks, Ingram is the one who'll get the job done. The question in the end, of course, would be Durant&rsquo;s blessing. If Durant doesn&rsquo;t want to play the next four years in New Orleans, these thoughts would quickly dissipate into fantasy.
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However, you can&rsquo;t deny the Pelicans as a legitimate jaw-dropping destination because they have the list all checked off for Brooklyn&rsquo;s needs as well. Ingram is the young star, and Larry Nance Jr. qualifies as the ideal veteran role player. Maybe New Orleans would have to throw in either Herb Jones or Trey Murphy III on top of draft picks too. It's a massive asking price, but one that would be necessary to make something like this go down.
Until the Pelicans eventually cash in on what they've worked so hard to build, they will always be a sneaky contender for any eventual disgruntled superstar. And if the Pelicans rise as expected in 2022-23, they will become a destination anyway for win-now veterans.
Chicago Bulls
Outside of Philadelphia and New Orleans, we now reach the organization that would truly shock everyone. What about the Bulls? Would they be willing to throw an All-NBA player into another superstar deal?
DeMar DeRozan is only 11 months younger than Durant, but he is the best chip they could bring forward to Brooklyn. On top of DeRozan &mdash; whose salary wouldn&rsquo;t be enough in a straight-up swap &mdash; Chicago would presumably include a key piece of its young core. The obvious candidate is Patrick Williams; the former No. 4 overall pick flashed promising two-way potential before sustaining a wrist injury early last season, reentered the fold in late March and became a crucial component in the postseason. Then, Chicago would probably need to throw a solid role player into the mix. Either Lonzo Ball or Alex Caruso fit the Smart type of role we discussed previously.
Although Chicago gutted its draft capital in separate deals for DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, the organization still owns a future pick from the Portland Trail Blazers that could convey as early as next season. The Bulls&rsquo; next eligible draft pick that can be included in a trade is their own 2027 first-round selection.
As I wrote earlier this offseason, the Bulls feel one big splash away from truly taking the next jump in the Eastern Conference. Rudy Gobert made so much sense to complete their defensive overhaul, but Durant represents a roster upgrade of seismic proportions &mdash; a bump that might be necessary to become a Finals contender the next few years. Why not push the chips in and see what happens with Durant and Zach LaVine as a 1-2 punch?
For a team that has to remain in win-now mode because of its draft picks being sent elsewhere, Brooklyn might be intrigued enough to listen to something centered around DeRozan, Williams and other assets.
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Atlanta Hawks
Fresh off making their own blockbuster trade to improve before the new league year, could the Hawks make sense as a Durant out-of-nowhere landing spot? There are very slim odds on that possibility, but it's a scenario worth exploring because Atlanta's roster still feels a move or two away.
Trae Young and Dejounte Murray will bring fireworks to the Hawks' backcourt on a nightly basis, but is the core right now strong enough to take the necessary steps forward in the reloaded East? We know at this point what John Collins and Clint Capela bring to the table. Bogdan Bogdanovic is a solid third guard for Atlanta, but injuries have become a problem as of late.
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Atlanta's young collection of players is what makes this thought interesting, at least for a moment. Would the Nets be intrigued by De'Andre Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu, A.J. Griffin and one of Collins, Capela or Bogdanovic to make salaries match? Compared to the other known suitors and ones already listed, it really isn't in the same stratosphere unless Brooklyn bets big on Hunter taking a huge leap. Based on Hunter's postseason performance, don't rule out the 24-year-old becoming more of a two-way focal point in Atlanta.
It might not be enough to be a real threat to swoop in for Durant, but it'd be wise to keep an eye on the Hawks as we get closer to February's trade deadline. If the Young/Murray backcourt gets off to a hot start, maybe Atlanta will go for broke and decide the time is now for a Finals push.
Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee is not a destination market for superstars, but Giannis Antetokounmpo brings enough pull to make it such. Giannis is nowhere close to escaping the prime of his career, but could you imagine him playing next to Durant? My goodness, that's basketball heaven right there.
Before we go too deep down that rabbit hole, though, it feels almost impossible regarding the actual odds of this happening. Not only are the Bucks starved of draft capital because of the Holiday trade, but Brooklyn would need to believe Middleton could replace Durant long-term. Only a few years younger than KD and deserving of a max contract next offseason, it might not make much sense for either side to even explore this potential thought.
For the Bucks to even bring a respectable offer to the table compared to everyone else, they would likely have to include Middleton and Holiday in a massive blockbuster that sends back both Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Yeah, that's for sure fantasy land right there, but I do appreciate the few minutes we had talking about Durant and Giannis playing on the same basketball team.
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With no end in clear sight right, who knows how long this standoff between Durant and the Nets lasts? As time continues to drag on, maybe some front office executives from teams we're not even thinking of decide to call Brooklyn to inquire about an all-time great.
George wanted the Lakers, but he ended up in Oklahoma City. Kawhi Leonard's desired destination was Los Angeles upon asking out of the San Antonio Spurs franchise, but he was sent packing to Toronto instead. There is a precedent where a superstar doesn't get what he wants in the end, but a player of Durant's caliber takes it up a whole new level.
The best interest of the Nets might not be what Durant wants, and vice versa. The next steps are falling into place regarding how this could all end, and a new pseudo deadline of training camp looms around the corner.
Whether Kevin Durant remains in Brooklyn by then remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain: The NBA has shown us time and again that anything is possible when it comes to superstar movement.

As the Kevin Durant trade saga reaches six-plus weeks, could teams come out of nowhere in potential negotiations? Evan Sidery dives in.

Identifying 5 sleeper NBA teams to trade for Kevin Durant

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

As we officially put the finishing touches on &ldquo;Bet Week&rdquo; here on BasketballNews.com, NBA over/under win total projections have been released for every team.
Which numbers stand out most to hammer one way or another from a betting perspective? In this piece, I unveil my over/under predictions for every team in the Western Conference. All odds are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Phoenix Suns: Over 52.5 (-110)
Even if the Suns don&rsquo;t acquire Kevin Durant, they remain in an advantageous position to finish near the top of the Western Conference standings. Phoenix still has a stacked rotation, with the biggest difference being Dario Saric&rsquo;s return to the backup big role in place of JaVale McGee. If Devin Booker and the Suns&rsquo; formidable young core continue taking steps forward, it&rsquo;s hard to envision much of a drop-off occurring in the win-loss column.
Phoenix&rsquo;s postseason exit was one of the ugliest we&rsquo;ve seen in recent memory, but a loss like that could rattle this group enough to come back similarly to the team's Finals experience in 2021. I&rsquo;m hammering the over here, as the Suns remain one of the most dangerous squads in the Association. If Durant comes, that&rsquo;ll be the ultimate cherry on top.
Los Angeles Clippers: Over 52.5 (-110)
A fully healthy Clippers squad with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will always stay in the conversation among the league's elite tier. Last season, we were all robbed of seeing this dynamic duo in action together, but all the time off leads me to believe we should see them play more than usual. If so, the over/under of 52.5 wins is one I&rsquo;m comfortable placing the over wager upon.
Los Angeles not only has a loaded rotation similar to Phoenix, but it has a historically potent wing tandem ready to go on a revenge tour. As one of my favorite bets in the West, lock in the Clippers&rsquo; over with the utmost confidence.
Golden State Warriors: Over 51.5 (-115)
The defending champions check in third in the West, which feels like an undersell of what they just accomplished. Stephen Curry is still playing at an all-time level, and Klay Thompson began to find his footing throughout the Warriors&rsquo; run to a championship.
Feeling confident in the over also has to do with the development of the team's younger, up-and-coming players. Though dependent upon how much more Golden State will go into the luxury tax long-term, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins look to be entrenched long-term pieces. Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman are the ultimate wildcards for Golden State. Even if only one takes off from a development perspective in 2022-23, 51.5 wins is a number to hit the over on.
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Denver Nuggets: Over 49.5 (-140)
Nikola Jokic enters this season as a trendy dark-horse selection for MVP as the back-to-back award winner, which is incredible to even think about. The Nuggets have stayed competitive amidst their countless injury issues because of Jokic&rsquo;s greatness.
Now, with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. eventually expected back at 100%, Denver is a team many bettors are hammering the over on with -140 moneyline odds on 49.5 wins. Frankly, I&rsquo;m in lockstep with the sportsbooks because Denver was a team that sneakily improved on the margins this offseason. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was an underrated acquisition from the Washington Wizards, and he&rsquo;s earned a new multi-year extension upon his arrival.
If Murray and Porter&rsquo;s health cooperate alongside the all-world talent that is Jokic, 50 wins for the Nuggets just feels right to say. Even above that mark is an appropriate projection, because Jokic elevates the floor that much on his own.
Memphis Grizzlies: Under 48.5 (+105)
Ja Morant qualified as our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/best-bets-for-202223-nba-most-valuable-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">under-the-radar MVP selection</a> during &ldquo;Bet Week,&rdquo; but the loss of Jaren Jackson Jr. early on looms large for the Grizzlies. Although he flies under the radar a little bit too often, JJJ is an anchor to a defense that&rsquo;s done a complete 180 over the last year.
A lot will be on the plate of Morant, which he won&rsquo;t have a problem with, but what about the rest of the West? The Clippers and Nuggets are healthy now, plus the Suns and Warriors will remain in the title race as well. If Morant can carry the Grizzlies in similar territory without JJJ, his MVP argument could become very valid.
I&rsquo;m going to tread lightly on Memphis and select the under here with plus-money value. Morant will put up spectacular numbers once more, and Desmond Bane should continue to emerge in the backcourt. For my current projection, the Grizzlies will slot in as a No. 5 or No. 6 seed.
Dallas Mavericks: Under 48.5 (-105)
The argument against the Mavericks is almost identical to the one I just presented for Memphis. Luka Doncic enters as the heavy betting favorite for MVP, but will he alone be enough to lift Dallas into truly elite territory? That&rsquo;s one of my biggest questions entering 2022-23, because players like Doncic and Morant fit the billing of talents who can lift teams all on their own.
Months away from it now, it&rsquo;s still stunning to think back to the Mavs&rsquo; Game 7 shellacking of the Suns in the West semifinals. Once Doncic figured out Phoenix&rsquo;s defense, it was game over. Could Doncic do this to the rest of the league? There&rsquo;s no doubt he will put up monster numbers, but the Mavericks fit into the same tier as the Grizzlies right now around 47-48 wins.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Over 47.5 (-140)
I&rsquo;ll continue to bang the Minnesota drum until proven otherwise because I&rsquo;m all-in on the Timberwolves taking a huge step forward. Anthony Edwards checks every box for a young superstar, and their new addition in Rudy Gobert will augment a talented rotation. Karl-Anthony Towns being flanked by Gobert makes up one of the most unique frontcourt combinations we&rsquo;ve ever seen in the modern NBA, but this type of move is a risk an organization like Minnesota must take. Towns and Edwards are ready to win big soon, so adding an elite rim-protector like Gobert allows those gifted scorers to focus on that end.
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Bookmark this if you want, but here&rsquo;s perhaps my biggest hot take: Minnesota will win the Northwest Division and become a top-four seed. With how everything stacks together for Minnesota, this is a team well-positioned to take a leap similar to the one we&rsquo;ve seen from Phoenix and Memphis in recent years.
Los Angeles Lakers: Under 45.5 (-105)
Unless Kyrie Irving is walking through the door anytime soon, I&rsquo;m taking the money and running as quickly as possible on the Lakers' under here. LeBron James and Anthony Davis will do their usual damage, but this roster is nowhere close to being finished. Also, there&rsquo;s no way anyone can truly believe the Lakers are a Finals contender with their ongoing saga surrounding Russell Westbrook. From the very beginning, Westbrook&rsquo;s fit was super clunky alongside LeBron and AD. Now, the triple-double king continues to be the main target of trade rumors, many of which are linking him to the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs as a pure salary-dump option.
Indiana is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lakers-would-be-foolish-not-to-accept-pacers-lifeline-to-extend-their-title-window" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offering the Lakers a lifeline to fix the Westbrook situation</a>. The Pacers are willing to take on the $47 million owed to Westbrook while also sending Los Angeles back two starters in Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. The current hold-up in trade negotiations reportedly is draft pick compensation. Los Angeles refuses to offer its 2029 first-round pick on top of the 2027 selection, which the Pacers believe is more than a fair price to pay.
In the meantime, I&rsquo;m going to take the Lakers under 45.5 wins while it remains at plus value. Until any resolution is reached on the roster, I&rsquo;m betting against L.A.
New Orleans Pelicans: Over 44.5 (-140)
Compared to almost any other team in the NBA, New Orleans projects supremely well long-term if Zion Williamson&rsquo;s health cooperates. Williamson and Brandon Ingram have each shown on separate occasions they can be the No. 1 option for New Orleans. CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas are ideal veteran pieces in the starting unit as well. Well-balanced on both ends of the court, the Pelicans have completely bought into what head coach Willie Green brought over from Monty Williams in Phoenix.
With Williamson, Ingram and McCollum, the Pelicans should be a team projected closer to 50 wins. I absolutely love the over here on 44.5 wins, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if New Orleans finishes as a playoff lock instead of a Play-In Tournament competitor.
Portland Trail Blazers: Under 40.5 (-110)
Kudos to Damian Lillard because he will not leave the Blazers hanging anytime soon. He&rsquo;s all-in on winning in Portland, which reminds me so much of Reggie Miller with the Pacers a few decades back. Portland re-signed Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons, but two notable splashes occurred this offseason. Jerami Grant is the Blazers&rsquo; first true wing threat in years, and the ultimate wildcard from the 2022 NBA Draft fell into their laps at No. 7 overall. What if Shaedon Sharpe hits his ceiling? That&rsquo;s something Portland has in their back pocket, because Sharpe&rsquo;s scoring prowess forecasts very well alongside Lillard. They'll just have to hope he can get healthy and stay healthy.
The West remains a tough customer though. So, with that being said, the Blazers fall into the category of a feisty team that&rsquo;s competitive most nights on their way to a sub-40-win campaign. It's certainly not the outcome Blazers fans hope for, but there&rsquo;s a large number of teams ahead of them at the moment.
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Sacramento Kings: Over 32.5 (-120)
The Kings actually had a good offseason. Yes, you&rsquo;re reading that right. Keegan Murray at No. 4 overall looks to be a lights-out scorer with an extremely high floor. Ideally, Murray can become the third piece to a long-term trio in Sacramento alongside De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Also, don&rsquo;t forget about the Kings adding much-needed help on the perimeter with Kevin Huerter via trade and Malik Monk via free agency.
I had to double-take upon finding this fact, but the Kings have only exceeded 33 wins once over the last 14 years (2018-19 was that season).
Luckily for Sacramento, I&rsquo;m projecting them to finish with at least 33 wins for 2022-23. If the Kings underachieve once more, I wonder what the future looks like for an organization that stays in topsy-turvy mode.
Utah Jazz: Under 31.5 (-110)
Assuming Donovan Mitchell is eventually traded, this number will crumble down into the 20s. Utah is in the midst of a full-scale rebuild attempt for the first time in over a decade, and all signs point to Mitchell&rsquo;s exit soon enough from Salt Lake City. Gobert being dealt within the division to Minnesota for a historic amount of draft capital shook up the trade market for good, as it&rsquo;s holding up potential blockbusters revolving around Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Mitchell.
Moving forward, there&rsquo;s no reason why you should feel confident about betting the Utah over unless Mitchell keeps them above water staying around until February. If not, you&rsquo;re putting an awful lot of faith into the hands of Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson to carry the roster. (If they're there.)
The smart route is to go with the under for the Jazz. Lock in with extreme confidence that Jazz executive Danny Ainge eventually tears it all down within a few months.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Under 26.5 (+100)
Until the Thunder stop their tanking ways, I can&rsquo;t willfully bet an over on them. Following their aggressive draft night &mdash; obtaining three lottery picks headlined by No. 2 overall selection Chet Holmgren, who many viewed as the best overall player &mdash; maybe that "tanking" buzzword is in their rearview mirror.
OKC&rsquo;s roster is young, but the talent screams out as a team that could propel itself forward in a huge manner. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey profile as a super fun long-term backcourt pairing. Luguentz Dort is a pitbull defender who continues to improve his outside shot, which earned him a lucrative five-year extension.
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The Thunder could easily make me look foolish selecting the under, but something along the lines of 25 or 26 wins feels spot on. Can Sam Presti resist the temptation of not tanking for Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson in 2023?
Houston Rockets: Over 23.5 (-125)
The Rockets have one of the most interesting young cores to monitor heading into next season. Jalen Green began to turn the corner over the last month of the season, averaging 22.3 points on a 59.9% True Shooting percentage. Jabari Smith Jr., Houston&rsquo;s No. 3 overall selection from the 2022 draft, projects as a score-first wing/big hybrid who should excel alongside Green and Kevin Porter Jr. Alperen Sengun, a throwback Turkish big man, is an underrated prospect with an unlimited ceiling once the small aspects of his game are figured out.
Houston is nowhere close to being competitive, but that&rsquo;s totally okay. The team controls the Brooklyn Nets&rsquo; draft for the next season years, so the Rockets are set up arguably as well as anyone right now with the chaos surrounding that whole situation. If the youth jells together and the organization obtains another top pick in next year&rsquo;s draft, be on the lookout for this core to ascend.
For the over/under, 23.5 wins feels a little low, in my opinion. I&rsquo;m projecting the Rockets with 25 victories, so give me the over at -125 odds on DraftKings.
San Antonio Spurs: Under 22.5 (-110)
Once Dejounte Murray was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, it sounded the alarm that the Spurs are finally waiving the white flag on competing for wins effective immediately. San Antonio obtained three future first-round picks for Murray, a haul for a team pressing the reset button at the perfect time.
Las Vegas projects the Spurs with the worst over/under for next season, and there&rsquo;s no real reason to go against them there. Keldon Johnson will put up numbers following his long-term extension, but inexperience is the main theme for San Antonio. The Spurs should be on their way to 20 wins or less, so hammer the under.

Evan Sidery goes over win totals for the Western Conference. Who stands out?

Best Bets: NBA Western Conference over/under projections

Who is poised to become a free agent next offseason? Here’s a look at the top 40 NBA players who could be available next summer.

2023 NBA Free Agency: Looking ahead to next summer's free-agent class

<a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1542853044752228354" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>, New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson is nearing a five-year rookie max contract extension worth up to $231 million.
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New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson is nearing a five-year rookie max contract extension worth up to $231 million, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>. The commitment will take Williamson&rsquo;s new deal through the 2027-28 season.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1542853044752228354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The deal is expected to include protections for both sides regarding injuries and games played.

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson is nearing a five-year rookie max contract extension worth up to $231 million.

Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans nearing max agreement

Bookmark this page and we'll keep you up-to-date on every NBA rumor. We'll continue updating this tracker over the next 24 hours.

NBA Rumor Tracker: Compiling the latest news and intel

At first glance, the Boston Celtics seem gridlocked in their ability to bring an NBA Finals contender over the top for next season. The Celtics will likely reside as a luxury tax-paying team, meaning they're already out of room to sign players aside from a modest $6.3 million mid-level exception, and their entire main rotation is under contract for next season.
So what can Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens do in his role as lead team-builder? Stevens has a few more cards to play in the form of Traded Player Exceptions, commonly abbreviated as TPEs.
Boston has been a TPE merchant in recent seasons, and the franchise's salary-cap dexterity has allowed it to make impactful moves on the fly without raw cap space. The Celtics are Exhibit A of how these exceptions can keep contenders flexible. With well over two-thirds of the league filled to the salary-cap brim this summer, TPEs are like a secret staircase for teams as they try to ascend to NBA glory.
So how exactly do they work, and which squads can take advantage this summer?
Trades in the NBA don't go down with perfectly balanced salary scales. So if one team sends out more salary, under the collective bargaining agreement, the difference becomes a Traded Player Exception. Teams can then absorb future player salaries from future trades into the exception, bypassing any constraints from the salary cap boundaries.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.nba.com/news/trade-exceptions-what-they-are-and-why-they-matter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA.com's Steve Aschburner</a> compares the TPE to a gift card. The simile tracks in that TPEs can sort of "buy" player salaries, but they also expire one year after the trade initally creates them.
Here's a current example: Boston completed a sign-and-trade with the New York Knicks on July 18 of last summer, sending Evan Fournier to New York with a second-round pick in exchange for cash considerations. Because Boston traded Fournier's salary and received only the bag of cash back, it created a TPE that Spotrac values at around $17.1 million. The Celtics can now absorb a player (or multiple players) into that TPE via trade until July 18.
Seems like a smart move, right? Well, it is, but a TPE isn't just hacking the CBA. Rules and consequences exist. Here are some important ones (and check out a larger breakdown from <a href="https://www.sportsbusinessclassroom.com/listing-the-current-nba-trade-exceptions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Pincus</a>:
<ul>
<li>Teams cannot stack TPEs. For example, if the Celtics want to trade for LeBron James, they cannot combine all of their various exceptions into one super-TPE to absorb his salary. There is one trade exception per player salary.</li>
<li>TPEs do not supersede the hard cap (tax apron). This will particularly affect the Celtics because they are already approaching the hard cap, and might make the Fournier TPE, for example, less valuable than it's worth.</li>
</ul>
Though not a rule or a certainty, teams seeking to create a trade exception likely have to trade additional pieces to create it. The Knicks weren't going to simply let Boston make a TPE, so they managed to pick up an additional draft pick. Similarly, when Boston dealt Gordon Hayward to the Charlotte Hornets and created a massive, $28.5 million TPE, Charlotte also swiped two second-rounders from the Celtics.
Sometimes, trade exceptions are a natural byproduct of a deal. In other cases, they're the prize. Dozens of trade exceptions are littered around the league, but most are too small to be a realistic sponge for any player contract.
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Here are the teams with exceptions valued at over $5 million (figures provided by Spotrac), which could theoretically net a rotation-caliber player.
BOSTON CELTICS
So we've discussed the Celtics a bit already, but returning to the Fournier TPE, it's unlikely they use up the full $17.1 million (<a href="https://heavy.com/sports/boston-celtics/evan-fournier-trade-exception/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt John elaborated on this at Heavy.com</a>). It could still add a rotation player who fulfills needs such as movement shooting, center depth and bench scoring. The Celtics also hold TPEs valued at $6.9 million (from trading Juancho Hernangomez to San Antonio) and $5.9 million (from trading Dennis Schroder to Houston).
Boston pulled this stunt last summer where it traded Tristan Thompson for Kris Dunn in a three-way trade with the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks. The Celtics used a $5 million TPE to absorb Dunn's salary, thus creating a larger TPE from Thompson, which they then&nbsp;used to absorb Daniel Theis' salary. That's one example of them finessing the system. But again, when you're up against the tax apron, your options become limited.
BROOKLYN NETS
The Nets have two plausible TPEs to use. One is an $11.3 million TPE in the fallout of the James Harden blockbuster. Brooklyn also holds a $6.3 million TPE created when they dealt DeAndre Jordan to the Pistons.
Brooklyn has some time to use the Harden TPE; it expires in February 2023. But the Jordan TPE perishes on Aug. 19.&nbsp;
Obviously, Brooklyn's roster situation is in flux with the rumors flying around <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-destinations-for-brooklyn-nets-kyrie-irving-nba-trade-rumors-offseason-los-angeles-lakers-la-clippers-new-york-knicks-wizards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyrie Irving</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-trade-kevin-durant-brooklyn-nets-possible-destinations-rumors-phoenix-suns-miami-heat-boston-celtics-new-york-knicks-memphis-grizzlies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin Durant</a>. Should the Nets extend Irving, they'll likely be hard-capped out, and won't be able to maximize these exceptions. Sean Marks and the front office cap-crunching team have their work cut out for them.&nbsp;
CHICAGO BULLS
Chicago has one trade exception, valued at $5 million, from when it sent Daniel Theis to the Rockets. It's unlikely this TPE becomes an asset of significance, but if the Bulls want to use it, they must do so by July 7.
DALLAS MAVERICKS
By trading Josh Richardson to Boston last summer, Dallas created a trade exception worth just under $10.9 million. That could be a helpful tool for the Mavericks, but it's literally expiring today! The Mavericks are flirting with being a hard-capped team, so unless something changes within minutes of writing this, the TPE will not yield a player.&nbsp;
DETROIT PISTONS
Detroit is going to, very briefly, hold a $9.2 million TPE by trading Jerami Grant to the Trail Blazers, according to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/detroit-pistons-acquire-veteran-kemba-walker-york-knicks/story?id=85620180" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Bobby Marks.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;However, Marks reports that Kemba Walker, acquired in the draft-night move that also landed Jalen Duren, will have his salary absorbed into that TPE before being bought out. That's some quick maneuvering by the Pistons to acquire an exciting lottery talent in Duren.
INDIANA PACERS
Here's an interesting case. The Pacers have two notable TPEs in their holster: a $10.5 million exception from trading Jeremy Lamb to Sacramento, and a $7.3 million exception from trading Doug McDermott to San Antonio. Indiana is projected to be a rare team with significant cap space this offseason, and as a will-they-won't-they rebuilding squad, they could take several pathways with these exceptions.
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Perhaps Indiana sees an opportunity to add two rotation players to the roster and make a push for the postseason. The playoffs feel unlikely with the current 2022-23 roster, but you never know, and Indiana does have a reputation for being stubbornly competitive.
Or &mdash; maybe the Pacers have a long-term vision and use these exceptions to take players on undesirable contracts, attached with draft picks or young players. It's a way for Indiana to build its draft chest without sacrificing flexibility. The McDermott exception expires on July 7, while the Lamb TPE poofs away in February 2023. I expect at least one, if not both, to be used.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
The Clippers are another franchise that is essentially hard-capped out. But they do have two TPEs worth monitoring. One is a $9.7 million exception created in the Serge Ibaka deal this past February. The other comes from sending Rajon Rondo to the Memphis Grizzlies and is worth $8.3 million. Again, I'm skeptical of these being used, but they are worth mentioning for a playoff contender that won't be players in free agency for a while.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
The Pelicans created a $17 million trade exception last offseason when they sent Steven Adams to the Grizzlies. They've already reaped the rewards with their acquisition of Larry Nance Jr. New Orleans absorbed his $10.7 million salary into the TPE when it traded for him this past season. There's still about $6.4 million remaining, though, so the team could use it to add another player.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
In acquiring Jerami Grant on his $20 million salary, Portland maximized its large TPE from the CJ McCollum trade. The Blazers still have one more $6.9 million exception that could be of use. They're projected to have some cap space to work with, so it might be an opportunity to take extra advantage.
TORONTO RAPTORS
The Raptors have a few smaller exceptions, with the most notable being a $5.2 million TPE stemming from the Goran Dragic trade. Toronto is over the salary cap, but might be able to squeeze in a player with these constraints while staying under the luxury tax apron.&nbsp;
UTAH JAZZ
Trading Joe Ingles to Portland gave Utah a $9.7 million trade exception. Given that they need to find a spark after yet another disappointing playoff exit, the Jazz should find a way to use this exception, ideally on a perimeter defender or frontcourt player behind Rudy Gobert.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Washington owns three trade exceptions ranging between $3-6 million. While they can't stack them, the Wizards could use the $5.2 million TPE (created in dealing Montrezl Harrell to Charlotte) to add some guard or wing depth. As long as Bradley Beal is around, this franchise is hunting the playoffs, and the TPEs can help them get there.
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Ethan Fuller breaks down which NBA teams hold significant trade exceptions entering the 2022 offseason.

How does a trade exception work, and which NBA teams can use them?

<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nba-draft-postmortem-and-fa-preview-with-seth-partnow/id1618992995?i=1000567653282" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer on Please Don't Aggregate This</a>, San Antonio Spurs star Dejounte Murray has a strong interest in joining Trae Young on the Atlanta Hawks:
"I know that Dejounte and Trae want to play together, or at least have interest in doing it," Fischer said.
Well, this makes these proposed talks between San Antonio and Atlanta even more interestings. Fischer also mentioned that the Spurs would only be willing to deal Murray for at least three future first-round picks, a package similar to what the New Orleans Pelicans received from the Milwaukee Bucks for Jrue Holiday.
Stay tuned to the Murray rumors, because this seems to be picking up steam behind the scenes.
&nbsp;

San Antonio Spurs star Dejounte Murray reportedly has a strong interest in joining Trae Young on the Atlanta Hawks

Dejounte Murray and Trae Young want to play together

The New Orleans Pelicans have announced Dejounte Murray has injured his left hand and will be sidelined indefinitely, according to ESPN&rsquo;s Shams Charania.
The point guard, who was acquired by New Orleans this offseason, suffered the injury during the Pelicans&rsquo; opening night win against the Chicago Bulls.&nbsp;
According to Charania, tests have confirmed the injury to the former 1-time all-star. It was initially reported that the Pelicans &lsquo;feared&rsquo; that Murray might have injured his hand after experiencing discomfort in it in the second half. Now, those fears were deemed to be true and could be a setback for the Pelicans, who also missed star forward Zion Williamson due to illness.
ANALYSIS: This is a huge blow to the Pelicans in the tough and deep Western Conference. New Orleans brought Murray in to be the main playmaker for the team that features scorers like Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum and also be a closer for the team in clutch situations.
Murray had a very good game against the Bulls, tallying 14 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds with only 1 turnover. He commanded the game well against the Bulls, finding teammates on easy baskets. Murray also played tough defense as he aims to get back to his usual defensive self with the Pelicans.
Murray did not speak to reporters after the game, and McCollum hopes he&rsquo;s not out for too long.
According to ESPN stats, Murray became the third player in Pelicans history with 10 assists in his team debut, joining Elfrid Payton (2018) and Baron Davis (2002). Last season with the Hawks, he had just two games total with 10 assists and one or fewer turnovers.
The Pelicans go on a 4-game road trip in the West coast, beginning at Portland on Friday night.&nbsp;

The New Orleans Pelicans have announced Dejounte Murray has injured his left hand and will be sidelined indefinitely.

Pelicans lose Dejounte Murray in 1st game of season after fractured left hand

With the 2024-25 NBA season just days away, the Western Conference is locked, loaded, and ready for battle. The offseason drama has settled, rosters are finalized, and every team is gearing up for what promises to be a fierce and competitive race. From reigning contenders to rising underdogs, the West is stacked with talent and ambition. Let&rsquo;s break down the top 15 teams in the West as we head into this thrilling new season&mdash;no frills, just what you need to know.
<ol>
<li> Minnesota Timberwolves The Timberwolves are turning a new page after trading away longtime cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo and are now fully embracing Anthony Edwards as the franchise cornerstone. The T-Wolves&rsquo; mix of young talent and veteran leadership gives them a balanced roster around Edwards. Rudy Gobert remains a defensive anchor as a 4-time DPOY, Edwards is primed for a superstar leap, and if the supporting cast, including Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid, steps up, the Wolves could be ready to take the top spot in the West.</li>
<li> Oklahoma City Thunder The Thunder&rsquo;s rebuild is no longer a long-term project; they&rsquo;re ready to compete now. However, due to Isaiah Hartenstein&rsquo;s injury to start the season, we&rsquo;re placing the Thunder at no.2 for now. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is already an All-NBA guard and arguably a top 5 player in the league. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams figure out to be the dynamic inside-out duo around SGA. Add in Hartenstein and Alex Caruso, the two new acquisitions this offseason with their capable role players Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe, this young core is as versatile as it is exciting. OKC&rsquo;s depth and versatility on both ends of the floor could propel them into serious title contention.</li>
<li> Phoenix Suns The Suns have loaded up for a title run, and with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal leading the charge, Phoenix has one of the most dangerous offensive trios in the league. They have added their most significant hole which is the PG spot with a solid pick up in Tyus Jones, and they have one of the best offensive coaches in the league in Mike Budenholzer. The Suns&rsquo; questions lie in their depth and health, but if they can manage those concerns, they&rsquo;re built for a championship push. Their offensive firepower is unmatched, and if they click, the Suns will be a team no one wants to face.</li>
<li> Memphis Grizzlies Memphis has weathered their offseason storms and enters the season with a gritty identity intact. Ja Morant is back after his injury and suspension last year and he will now play with last season&rsquo;s addition Marcus Smart. Together with the continued growth of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies are primed to be competitive and come back from their prime two seasons ago where they won 50+ games. Memphis&rsquo; defensive dominance paired with offensive firepower ensures they can be one of the top teams in the West with a deep bench with solid role players.</li>
<li> Denver Nuggets After falling short to Minnesota in 7 games last playoffs, the Nuggets will enter the season with their core mostly intact. Nikola Jokić remains the most dominant center and the best player in the game. With Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. healthy, the Nuggets are poised for another deep run. But perhaps their biggest loss this season was losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to free agency and that might be a hit so they&rsquo;re currently ranked at no.5 to start the year. It could be a lot to ask for young players like Christian Braun or Julian Strawther to fill the void left by KCP, so it will be interesting to see how Denver handles his loss this season.</li>
<li> Dallas Mavericks Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving experiment is back after a successful season last year, where Dallas entered the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011 &ndash; when they won the title. The two stars can mesh to create one of the league&rsquo;s most potent offenses and with the continued internal development of young players like Dereck Lively, the Mavs can build on that Finals appearance. With newcomer Klay Thompson set to provide historic spacing for their dynamic duo, Dallas has the talent to climb the standings and challenge the top teams in the West.</li>
<li> New Orleans Pelicans The Pelicans&rsquo; fate will always hinge on Zion Williamson&rsquo;s health. When Zion plays, New Orleans is a force to be reckoned with. Now paired with newly-acquired point guard Dejounte Murray, they have a balanced attack capable of competing with any team in the conference with Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum still on the fold. If Zion stays on the floor, the Pelicans could find themselves rising up the ranks, but his availability remains the biggest X-factor.</li>
<li> Golden State Warriors The Warriors are clinging to their championship window with Stephen Curry still playing at an elite level. The addition of capable veterans in Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield, and DeAnthony Melton gives them depth and personnel that can play in their offense to surround the core of Curry and Draymond Green for their foundation. Health and age are concerns, but if their veterans stay intact, Golden State can&rsquo;t be counted out.</li>
<li> Sacramento Kings The Kings struggled a bit last season after making their long-awaited playoff return two seasons ago, and they&rsquo;re looking to build on that momentum. They have signed DeMar DeRozan and he should bring a new wrinkle to their motion and three-hunting offense. DeRozan&rsquo;s mid range ability should be a welcome addition to Sacramento&rsquo;s offense. De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis still lead an explosive offense, but defense remains a question mark. Sacramento&rsquo;s high-flying, fast-paced style makes them a regular-season juggernaut, but they&rsquo;ll need to tighten up defensively if they want to make a deep playoff run.</li>
<li> Los Angeles Lakers The Lakers are counting on LeBron James and Anthony Davis staying healthy for a full season. With the front office standing pat on making moves this offseason, the Lakers&rsquo; success will hinge on their superstar duo. If LeBron and AD can avoid injury, Los Angeles will be a formidable playoff team, but health is always a looming concern with this group.</li>
<li> Houston Rockets The Rockets added veterans Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks to guide their young core last season and this season could be the time for them to step up. They finished strong last year behind defensive minded coach Ime Udoka and the result could be a team that surprises many. Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun have star potential, and younger players Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson add even more excitement. The Rockets also drafted Reed Sheppard with the 3rd pick and Houston is hoping to lay the foundation for success and could push for a Play-In spot this season.</li>
<li> San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyama enters his second season, and the Spurs are fully embracing their rebuild around the budding star. While Wembanyama showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie, San Antonio is still in the development phase. But with the addition of Chris Paul, the Spurs now have a capable PG to feed Wemby and the other guys, possibly unlocking a new level to their games. With their young core, the Spurs may not be a playoff team yet, but their future looks incredibly bright with Wembanyama leading the way.</li>
<li> Los Angeles Clippers The Clippers&rsquo; fortunes rest on the health of Kawhi Leonard&mdash;again. After losing Paul George for nothing, Leonard is left to fend LA off by himself in their new arena at Intuit Dome. Gone are the days when LA has the talent to compete with anyone as they&rsquo;re just but a shell of themselves. Leading the way for the injured Leonard will be a 34-year-old James Harden and that might be too much to ask of the aging superstar. However, if Kawhi can return healthy and he can avoid the injury bug, the Clippers will be in the playoff mix, but that&rsquo;s a big &ldquo;if&rdquo; for this squad.</li>
<li> Portland Trail Blazers With Damian Lillard long gone, the Blazers will fully commit another season to their rebuild. Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, and Shaedon Sharpe form a promising young core, but Portland will likely spend this season focusing on player development. While they won&rsquo;t be in playoff contention, the Blazers are positioning themselves well for the future, with an eye on growth and improvement.</li>
<li> Utah Jazz The Jazz are continuing their rebuild, with Lauri Markkanen emerging as a cornerstone player. While they have some intriguing young pieces like Taylor Hendricks and Keyonte George, Utah isn&rsquo;t ready to compete just yet. This season will be about development and finding which young players can be part of their long-term plans. The Jazz may not win many games this year, but they&rsquo;re building toward a brighter future.</li>
</ol>

Let’s break down the top 15 teams in the West as we head into this thrilling new season.

2024-2025 NBA Western Conference Power Rankings: A race at the top to start the year

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.
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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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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 2024 NBA Free Agency underway. Here's everything you need to know about the makings and the moves around the NBA.

2024 NBA Free Agency Tracker: All the signings and deals in the offseason

The New Orleans Pelicans have netted Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, EJ Liddell, and 2 first-round picks according to ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski.&nbsp;
The Pelicans have long coveted the point guard and they have now brought him to the fold along with the core group guys Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones.
New Orleans won 49 games last season and won in the play-in tournament game against Sacramento to qualify for the playoffs as the 8th seed before bowing out to the Oklahoma City Thunder in just four games.
The Pelicans have been scouring the market to address their point guard issue as CJ McCollum was given too much load of handling the offense and at the same time score. New Orleans was linked to a lot of PG names including Murray&rsquo;s teammate in Atlanta Trae Young and Cleveland&rsquo;s Darius Garland before ultimately landing Murray.
They will give up fan favorite Larry Nance Jr., last year&rsquo;s rookie EJ Liddell, and a promising young point guard from Australia with tenacious defensive instincts in Dyson Daniels to Atlanta. Furthermore, the Hawks would receive two first-round picks, one in 2025 via the Lakers and one in 2027, which could be the least of either the Bucks or the Pelicans.&nbsp;

The New Orleans Pelicans have netted Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Larry Nance Jr. and Dyson Daniels.

Pelicans get Dejounte Murray from Hawks

The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is done and dusted, and the second round will start today at 4 PM Eastern at ESPN&rsquo;s Seaport District Studios in New York. This will be the first time in NBA history that the draft will be separated into two days, with the first round being at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.&nbsp;
Here are all the first-round selections courtesy of the NBA: (article to be updated with the second-round picks)
<ol>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/zaccharie-risacher">Zaccharie Risacher</a> (JL Bourg-en-Bresse) to the Atlanta Hawks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/alexandre-sarr">Alex Sarr</a> (Perth) to the Washington Wizards</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/reed-sheppard">Reed Sheppard</a> (Kentucky) to the Houston Rockets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/stephon-castle">Stephon Castle</a> (Connecticut) to the San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/ron-holland">Ron Holland II</a> (G League Ignite) to the Detroit Pistons</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tidjane-salaun">Tidjane Salaun</a> (Cholet Basket) to the Charlotte Hornets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/donovan-clingan">Donovan Clingan</a> (Connecticut) to the Portland Trail Blazers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/rob-dillingham">Rob Dillingham</a> (Kentucky) to the San Antonio Spurs &mdash; traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/zach-edey">Zach Edey</a> (Purdue) to the Memphis Grizzlies</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/cody-williams">Cody Williams</a> (Colorado) to the Utah Jazz</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/matas-buzelis">Matas Buzelis</a> (G League Ignite) to the Chicago Bulls</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/nikola-topic">Nikola Topic</a> (KK Crvena Zvezda) to the Oklahoma City Thunder</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/devin-carter">Devin Carter</a> (Providence) to the Sacramento Kings</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/carlton-carrington">Bub Carrington</a> (Pittsburgh) to the Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; traded to Washington Wizards</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kelel-ware">Kel&rsquo;el Ware</a> (Indiana) to the Miami Heat</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jared-mccain">Jared McCain</a> (Duke) to the Philadelphia 76ers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/dalton-knecht">Dalton Knecht</a> (Tennessee) to the Los Angeles Lakers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tristan-da-silva">Tristan da Silva</a> (Colorado) to the Orlando Magic</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jakobe-walter">Ja&rsquo;Kobe Walter</a> (Baylor) to the Toronto Raptors&nbsp;</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jaylon-tyson">Jaylon Tyson</a> (Cal) to the Cleveland Cavaliers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/yves-missi">Yves Missi</a> (Baylor) to the New Orleans Pelicans</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/daron-holmes-ii">DaRon Holmes II</a> (Dayton) to the Phoenix Suns &mdash; traded to the Denver Nuggets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/aj-johnson">AJ Johnson</a> (Illawarra) to the Milwaukee Bucks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kyshawn-george">Kyshawn George</a> (Miami) to the New York Knicks &mdash; traded to Washington Wizards</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/pacome-dadiet">Pacome Dadiet</a> (Ratiopharm Ulm) to the New York Knicks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/dillon-jones">Dillon Jones</a> (Weber State) to the Washington Wizards &mdash; traded to Oklahoma City Thunder (via Knicks)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/terrence-shannon-jr">Terrence Shannon Jr.</a> (Illinois) to the Minnesota Timberwolves</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/ryan-dunn">Ryan Dunn</a> (Virginia) to the Denver Nuggets &mdash; traded to the Phoenix Suns</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/isaiah-collier">Isaiah Collier</a> (USC) to the Utah Jazz</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/baylor-scheierman-2">Baylor Scheierman</a> (Creighton) to the Boston Celtics</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;
<ol start="31">
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jonathan-mogbo">Jonathan Mogbo</a> (San Francisco) to the Toronto Raptors</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kyle-filipowski">Kyle Filipowski</a> (Duke) to the Utah Jazz</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tyler-smith">Tyler Smith</a> (G League Ignite) to the Milwaukee Bucks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tyler-kolek">Tyler Kolek</a> (Marquette) to the Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; traded to the New York Knicks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/johnny-furphy">Johnny Furphy</a> (Kansas) to the San Antonio Spurs &mdash; traded to the Indiana Pacers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/juan-nunez">Juan Nunez</a> (Ratiopharm Ulm) to the Indiana Pacers &mdash; traded to San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/bobi-klintman">Bobi Klintman</a> (Cairns) to the Minnesota Timberwolves &mdash; traded to the Detroit Pistons</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/ajay-mitchell">Ajay Mitchell</a> (UC Santa Barbara) to the New York Knicks &mdash; traded to Oklahoma City Thunder</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jaylen-wells">Jaylen Wells</a> (Washington State) to the Memphis Grizzlies</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/oso-ighodaro">Oso Ighodaro</a> (Marquette) to the Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; traded to the Phoenix Suns (via Knicks)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/adem-bona">Adem Bona</a> (UCLA) to the Philadelphia 76ers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kj-simpson">KJ Simpson</a> (Colorado) to the Charlotte Hornets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/nikola-djurisic">Nikola Djurisic</a> (KK Mega Basket) to the Miami Heat &mdash; traded to the Atlanta Hawks (via Heat)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/pelle-larsson">Pelle Larsson</a> (Arizona) to the Houston Rockets &mdash; traded to the Miami Heat (via Rockets)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jamal-shead">Jamal Shead</a> (Houston) to the Sacramento Kings &mdash; traded to the Toronto Raptors</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/cam-christie">Cam Christie</a> (Minnesota) to the Los Angeles Clippers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/antonio-reeves">Antonio Reeves</a> (Kentucky) to the Orlando Magic &mdash; traded to the New Orleans Pelicans</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/harrison-ingram">Harrison Ingram</a> (North Carolina) to the San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tristen-newton">Tristen Newton</a> (Connecticut) to the Indiana Pacers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/enrique-freeman">Enrique Freeman</a> (Akron) to the Indiana Pacers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/melvin-ajinca">Melvin Ajinca</a> (Saint-Quentin Basketball) to the New York Knicks &mdash; traded to the Dallas Mavericks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/quinten-post">Quinten Post</a> (Boston College) to the Golden State Warriors &mdash; traded to Thunder, then to Blazers, then to Warriors</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/cam-spencer">Cam Spencer</a> (Connecticut) to the Detroit Pistons &mdash; traded to the Memphis Grizzlies (via Timberwolves)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/anton-watson">Anton Watson</a> (Gonzaga) to the Boston Celtics</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/bronny-james">Bronny James</a> (USC) to the Los Angeles Lakers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kevin-mccullar-jr">Kevin McCullar Jr.</a> (Kansas) to the Phoenix Suns &mdash; traded to the New York Knicks</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;

The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is done and dusted, and the second round will start today at 4 PM Eastern at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York.

2024 NBA Draft: Full results

With just over a month left before the destinies of franchises are altered when the 2024 NBA Draft happens on June 26-27 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, teams are hard-pressed on whether or not to keep their picks or trade them for win-now pieces.
Here&rsquo;s all the buzz around the league so far in anticipation of the big day:
Rockets open to trading no.3 pick for Mikal Bridges
According to reports, the Houston Rockets would be open to trading their 2024 NBA no.3 selection for Brooklyn&rsquo;s Mikal Bridges. The Rockets have been in a resurgence after being bad for 4 years since James Harden left the team and are now looking for a win-now piece to add to their team.
Led by young stars Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green and fiery coach Ime Udoka, the Rockets finished just outside of the play-in tournament this season. Adding Bridges instead of the third pick in the draft would allow the Rockets to be aggressive in winning next season and then develop the pick for future use.
Pelicans defer this year&rsquo;s pick to Lakers, choose to swap 2025 1st
The New Orleans Pelicans will defer their pick this year to the Los Angeles Lakers to choose to swap the 2025 pick instead, according to ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski. The move is seen to be made in anticipation of what&rsquo;s about to be a weaker draft compared to recent years. The 2025 one, on the other hand, figures to be one of the best and deepest in years.
The Pelicans will keep their 21st pick this year and let the Lakers keep the 17th pick. According to reports, LA is also shopping the pick around to find a player suited around stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Kings willing to part ways with 13th pick, Huerter, Barnes
As they prepare to retool this offseason around stars De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, the Sacramento Kings are reportedly willing to trade their 13th pick of this year; &lsquo;s draft along with Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter. Sacramento &ldquo;wants to seriously compete&rdquo; in Fox&rsquo;s and Sabonis&rsquo; prime years as they aggressively hunt for a win-now piece to pair with their two all-stars.

T teams are hard-pressed on whether or not to keep their picks or trade them for win-now pieces. Here’s all the buzz in the league.

2024 NBA Draft Buzz: The latest movements around the league leading up to the draft

For the first time since awards have been handed out to NBA players, all-rookie, all-defensive, and all-NBA teams are now positionless, paving the way for the best five players to make up a team regardless of position.
And for the league&rsquo;s All-Defensive teams list for this year, 4 bigs have been dominant throughout the regular season and have made the all-defensive first team &ndash; making up 4 of the 5 spots &ndash; an unprecedented turn of events in the NBA&rsquo;s awarding space.
Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, his runner-up and Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, Defensive Player of the Year finalist Bam Adebayo, and Anthony Davis have been named to the NBA&rsquo;s All-Defensive First Team, the league announced Tuesday night.&nbsp;
All four, who play the center position, have been the most dominant defensive players during the regular season and have rightfully deserved a spot in the team. The 5th and only player that was not a big man was forward Herb Jones of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Gobert got all 99 1st place votes, Wembanyama had 86 1st place and 12 2nd place votes, Adebayo had 73 and 22, Davis had 60 and 31, and Jones had 66 and 27.&nbsp; Wembanyama became the first rookie in NBA history to make the first team, as several other rookies made the second team.
Making up the All-Defensive Second team were four guards Boston Celtics&rsquo; Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, Orlando Magic&rsquo;s Jalen Suggs, Chicago Bulls&rsquo; Alex Caruso, and a forward in Minnesota Timberwolves&rsquo; Jaden McDaniels.
Among the noticeable snubs from the 10-man rookie list that could have been awarded were the Portland Trailblazers&rsquo; Scoot Henderson (3rd overall), Detroit Pistons&rsquo; Ausar Thompson (5th overall pick), and Golden State Warriors&rsquo; Trayce Jackson-Davis (57th overall pick).
Check out the full results here:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The 2023-24 NBA All-Defensive First Team: ▪️ Bam Adebayo ▪️ Anthony Davis ▪️ Rudy Gobert ▪️ Herb Jones ▪️ Victor Wembanyama The 2023-24 NBA All-Defensive Second Team: ▪️ Alex Caruso ▪️ Jrue Holiday ▪️ Jaden McDaniels ▪️ Jalen Suggs of ▪️ Derrick White Who got snubbed? <a href="https://t.co/Uft0NYQS0F">pic.twitter.com/Uft0NYQS0F</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1793049284755030413?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2024</a></blockquote>

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

For the first time ever, winners of all-rookie, all-defensive, and all-NBA teams are now positionless: first-team all-defense has 4 bigs.

2024 NBA All-Defensive Teams: Bigs dominate the field

As the Los Angeles Lakers gear up for a pivotal transition, the franchise sets its sights on a trio of distinguished coaching candidates&mdash;JJ Redick, Sam Cassell, and James Borrego. Tasked with steering not only the twilight of the LeBron James-Anthony Davis era but also shaping the future trajectory of one of the NBA&rsquo;s most storied franchises, the Lakers&rsquo; search is defined by a focus on strategic innovation, leadership, and a deep commitment to player development.
JJ Redick
JJ Redick, renowned for his articulate analysis and deep understanding of basketball dynamics, brings a fresh, data-driven approach to coaching. Though he lacks formal coaching experience, his extensive work as a broadcaster and podcaster, especially on "Mind The Game" co-hosted with LeBron James, showcases his ability to dissect and communicate complex basketball strategies effectively. Redick's proficiency in analytics could revolutionize the Lakers' approach, emphasizing efficiency metrics like true shooting percentage and player efficiency rating to enhance player and team performance.
Redick's pre-existing relationship with LeBron James could prove pivotal in establishing immediate rapport and buy-in from the team. His ability to connect on a peer level with players would foster a collaborative and respectful environment, facilitating the smooth implementation of new strategies and fostering a culture of mutual respect and accountability.
Sam Cassell
Sam Cassell's illustrious NBA career as both a player and coach is marked by his strategic thinking and ability to perform under pressure. His track record includes significant contributions to player development, particularly with young guards, evidenced by improved performance metrics&nbsp;such as shooting percentages and assist-to-turnover ratios. Cassell's experience would bring a seasoned perspective to managing crucial game moments, enhancing the Lakers' performance in clutch scenarios through detailed situational analysis and tactical adjustments.
Cassell has demonstrated a strong capability in developing players' skills and understanding of the game, aligning with the Lakers' needs for nurturing talent and optimizing game strategies. His mentoring approach would be instrumental in maximizing the potential of players, particularly in high-pressure game situations, through focused training and strategic gameplay enhancements.
James Borrego
James Borrego's coaching tenure, highlighted by his role in significantly improving the offensive output of his teams, demonstrates his strategic acumen. His recent success with the New Orleans Pelicans, elevating them from 20th to 11th in offensive efficiency, showcases his ability to&nbsp;effectively implement offensive systems that maximize player strengths and team capabilities.
During his time with the Charlotte Hornets, Borrego displayed a knack for year-over-year team improvement, culminating in multiple play-in tournament appearances. His focus on developing a fast-paced, efficient offensive system could be particularly beneficial for the Lakers, aiming to revitalize their offensive playbook to align with contemporary NBA strategies.
Getting advice from the legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski
The advisory role of Mike Krzyzewski in the Lakers' coaching search suggests an emphasis on leadership, basketball IQ, and player development. The candidates' alignment with Coach K's philosophies indicates the Lakers' commitment to a coaching style that combines strategic game management with strong leadership and developmental skills.
Each candidate brings distinct strengths and a strategic approach that could guide the Lakers through a pivotal transition period in the franchise&rsquo;s history. The final decision will likely hinge on which candidate&rsquo;s vision and methodology best align with the Lakers' long-term objectives, including fostering player development and implementing a robust strategic framework suited to modern NBA challenges.

As the Lakers gear up for a pivotal transition, the franchise sets its sights on a trio of distinguished coaching candidates.

Analyzing the Lakers' Top Head Coaching Candidates

Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley Jr. has been named the 2023-2024 NBA Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year, the league announced Wednesday night.
Conley, 36, tightly won the race. The Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award featured 10 players nominated across the league. This includes the Brooklyn Nets&rsquo; Mikal Bridges; New York Knicks&rsquo; Jalen Brunson; Indiana Pacers&rsquo; TJ McConnell; Cleveland Cavaliers&rsquo; Georges Niang; Boston Celtics&rsquo; Al Horford; New Orleans Pelicans; Larry Nance Jr.; Oklahoma City Thunder&rsquo;s Jalen Williams; Denver Nuggets&rsquo; Kentavious Caldwell-Pope; Dallas Mavericks&rsquo; Dwight Powell; Sacramento Kings&rsquo; Harrison Barnes; and Orlando Magic&rsquo;s Markelle Fultz. Conley Jr. finished with a total of 1172 points with 51 1st place votes (equivalent to 10 points), 45 2nd place votes (seven points), 49 3rd place votes (five points), 23 4th place points (equivalent to three points), and 33 5th place votes (equivalent to one point).&nbsp;
Conley Jr. has now won the award for the second time, having previously earned the honor in the 2018-19 season.
The 36-year-old point guard was recognized as the player who was deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to the team.
Behind Conley&rsquo;s good play, the Timberwolves finished 3rd in the Western Conference with a 56-26 record this season.

Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley Jr. has been named the 2023-2024 NBA Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year.

Mike Conley Jr. secures 2023-2024 NBA Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year

The Denver Nuggets and the Oklahoma City Thunder have finished their respective series after securing wins on the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night on Day 10 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. The top two seeds in the West dispatched their opponents in dominating fashion, winning their series on 4-0 and 4-1 cards. The Celtics move a win away from avenging last year&rsquo;s Eastern Conference Finals loss against the Miami Heat with two huge wins on the road as they head back home to Boston.
Check out the recap here:

The top two seeds in the West dispatched their opponents in dominating fashion, winning their series on 4-0 and 4-1 cards.

2024 NBA Playoffs Day 10 Recap: Nuggets, Thunder end respective series

Day 5 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs featured the Miami Heat taking a game off the mighty Boston Celtics, stealing their home-court advantage. It was a tough win for the Heat, who were without superstar Jimmy Butler and midseason acquisition Terry Rozier. The Oklahoma City Thunder, on the other hand, handled their business against the New Orleans Pelicans by blowing them out of the house after a tight game 1 win.
Check out the recap here:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
FINAL SCORE THREAD 🧵<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> - Game 2 🏀 MIA 111 - 101 BOS - Series lead 1-1 Heat 🔥 Tyler Herro 📊 24 PTS | 14 AST | 5 REB | 6-11 3P<a href="https://twitter.com/Bam1of1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bam1of1</a> 📊 21 PTS | 10 REB | 9-13 FG<a href="https://twitter.com/Calebmartin14?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Calebmartin14</a> 📊 21 PTS | 5-6 3P Celtics ☘️ Jaylen Brown 📊 33 PTS | 8 REB | 13-23 FG Jayson&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/bb1IYtEyEv">pic.twitter.com/bb1IYtEyEv</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1783314142667129053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> - Game 2 🏀 NOP 92 - 104 OKC | Thunder lead series 2-0 Thunder ⚡ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 📊 33 PTS | 13-19 FG | 3-5 3P | 5 AST | 2 STL Chet Holmgren 📊 26 PTS | 9-13 FG | 3-6 3P | 7 REB Jalen Williams 📊 21 PTS | 10-17 FG | 7 AST | 5 REB Pelicans 🦤 Jonas&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/bru0y32XOH">pic.twitter.com/bru0y32XOH</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1783349982009127289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Day 5 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs featured the Heat taking a game off the mighty Celtics to steal their home-court advantage.

2024 NBA Playoffs Day 5 Recap: Miami surprises Boston, OKC routs NOLA

This article is part of a two-part series preview for the upcoming 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs.
With the 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs starting, all eyes will be on all teams competing for the championship as fans and players look on for a taste of postseason action. As eight playoff teams in each conference gear up for what promises to be an intense battle for the title, each team faces its own set of unique challenges. In this article, we take a closer look at the biggest question facing each Western Conference team heading into the playoffs, from injuries and roster changes to key matchups and strategic decisions.
<h3>Oklahoma City Thunder - How far can their youth and inexperience take them in the playoffs?</h3>
The Thunder got away through the regular season with historic from MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous Alexander, an impressive rookie season by Chet Holmgren, a star sophomore leap by Jalen Williams, and a coaching masterclass in a genius coach Mark Daigneault.
However, the playoffs as we know it is a different beast &ndash; will Mark Daigneault be able to sustain the good coaching he has done with his team throughout this regular season?
How much of this youth and inexperience be a factor for them to advance deeper in the playoffs; will they be able to use it to their advantage? Or will it be a hindrance against other experienced teams when they face each other in these tight situations? Most of the time, these situations require patience and discipline &ndash; teams with playoff experience have shown over time and have done it time and time again on their way to a deep playoff run.
<h3>Denver Nuggets - Can they go back to back?</h3>
There&rsquo;s really no other question for a team like the Nuggets at the peak of their powers: Can they win back-to-back titles? There has not been a back-to-back champion in the NBA for the past 5 years, with the last one coming in 2017 and 2018 when the Warriors won it all.
Like Boston, it is a title or bust status with Denver as of now. They have been fairly healthy throughout the regular season, have a mostly intact roster that won it all last year, and have the best player in the world in Nikola Jokic in his absolute prime. Denver this year has again all the necessary pieces to win &ndash; the right amount of shooters, defensive guys, scoring in the paint &ndash; which are all the makings of a championship team.
A couple of questionable factors though would be how much of an impact the loss of Bruce Brown would have in these playoffs. Brown was arguably the 5th, or 4th best player in their championship run last year &ndash; maybe even the 3rd in some games. He was essential on offense and defense, guarding the opponent&rsquo;s best perimeter threats while providing off-ball scoring and cuts that fit perfectly with Jokic.
Second, they&rsquo;ll be facing championship-caliber teams with hunger and drive to defeat them, and all have been competitive with the Nuggets this season. The Lakers, although the Nuggets swept them last year in the Western Conference Finals, still have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and they won&rsquo;t take that lightly &ndash; likely coming back with a vengeance.
The Suns have won the season series with the Nuggets 2-1 and they pose a threat to the Nuggets with their formula of having three elite shotmakers that can explode anytime &ndash; which the Nuggets may not cover all at the same time.&nbsp; The Wolves, who perhaps have the best lineup suited to defeat them, are lurking in the same bracket waiting to pounce on them at sight.&nbsp;
These are all challenges a defending champion must go through to achieve a rare feat because the playoffs are supposed to be hard.
<h3>Minnesota Timberwolves -&nbsp; Will they finally break through after years of heartbreak?</h3>
This has already been a win of a season for the Timberwolves, achieving their second most wins in franchise history (56) since 2004 when they won 58 wins and reached the conference finals.
However, this has not stopped them from wanting more, and the wolfpack is not satisfied nor contented with just this achievement &ndash; they want more.
Minnesota wanting to go win that first playoff series like a hungry pack of wolves has been evident since trading for 3-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. Although they fell short last season due to untimely injuries to key players, the Wolves ran it back and have proven their little experiment with two bigs in star Karl Anthony Towns and Gobert would work.&nbsp;
Led by their resurgent young superstar Anthony Edwards equipped with the best defense in the league, Minnesota certainly hopes this team would be the one &ndash; the one to end the longest playoff series win droughts in the league for quite some time now.
<h3>Los Angeles Clippers - Will they be able to meet the expectations this time around?</h3>
The Clippers trading for James Harden signaled one thing for the franchise: They are going all in with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and surrounding them with all the help they can get. They are far from a perfect team, but the Clippers want to have the best possible results this season before transferring to their new arena next year.
The Clippers have only appeared in the conference finals once in the Leonard-George era after being plagued by several injuries during their different playoff runs. Due to that, people haven&rsquo;t been able to see what the team is capable of when their two stars are fully healthy in a playoff run.
However, this year might just be their year. Their core of Harden, George, and Leonard have been mostly healthy all season long. The front office has also surrounded them with complementary pieces to help them win. LA now has usable bigs in Zubac, Plumlee, and Theis; they have Terrance Mann as their designated stopper; Norman Powell being the sixth man off the bench microwave scorer; a 3-and-D wing in Amir Coffe; and Russell Westbrook as the spark plug that gives them the boost and the energy off the bench.
After being just the &lsquo;second team in LA&rsquo; and &lsquo;that other team in LA&rsquo; for years, the Clippers aim to prove the doubters wrong and change the perception that surrounds the team as they pivot into a new era of Clippers basketball.&nbsp;
<h3>Dallas Mavericks - Will Luka finally fulfill the promise he has been showing so far in his career?</h3>
Throughout his young NBA career, Luka Doncic has had one of the best starts since LeBron James statistically. He has been in constant range of breaking or matching LeBron&rsquo;s records in points scored, triple-doubles, assists, and rebounds. However, this has not always translated into wins with Doncic just appearing in just one conference finals in the first six years of his career. But that might change this season.&nbsp;&nbsp;
This year, the Mavericks have put up arguably the best roster on paper that Luka has had in his career &ndash; arguably even better than the 2022 team that made the conference finals.
Alongside Doncic&rsquo;s MVP act is a true partner in crime in Kyrie Irving; shot-blocking and rim-rolling vertical threats in Daniel Gafford and Lively; rugged forwards that can shoot in PJ Washington, Dante Exum, Josh Green, and Derrick Jones; a microwave off-the-bench scorer in Tim Hardaway Jr; and veteran bigs that have been in Dallas for quite some time now and you can count on in always with Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell.
Can Luka finally overcome the Clippers? This season was one for the books with an MVP caliber and worthy year by averaging close to 34 points a game with 9 rebounds and 9 assists per game. Doncic has taken his game to another level in the regular season &ndash; this time, can he take his playoff game to another level as well?
All great young players have to go through someone as the stepping stone to reach newer heights &ndash; and Luka has lost to this Kawhi Leonard and Paul George-led Clippers team twice already in his career in the playoffs.
LeBron had to go through the Celtics, Jordan had to go through the Pistons. Could it be Luka&rsquo;s turn to get through this Clippers team that has tormented him for two playoff series?
<h3>Phoenix Suns - Will this new formula take them over the top?</h3>
The Suns have experienced substantial playoff success over the past three years by having a Finals appearance and reaching the conference semifinals twice. However, those groups fell short, with the feeling of something lacking or something missing that could take them over the top.
So lo and behold, Phoenix scrapped it and took a different approach this season &ndash; ditching the point guard spot and getting a rugged and physical big that could set screens and not demand the ball much on offense.
In its place came through as the Suns traded for Bradley Beal &ndash; going with a new formula by having three shot creators and shotmakers on the floor at the same time &ndash; pairing him with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. They also traded away former no.1 overall pick DeAndre Ayton for Jusuf Nurkic, a wide-bodied center whose job is to set screens, rebound, and get their three creators open in the lane or for jump shots.
They added an elite shooter in Grayson Allen to space the floor alongside those three, or sometimes Royce O&rsquo;Neale comes in for more defense against the opposing perimeter threats.
The Suns&rsquo; new approach and formula to the game make it incredibly hard to defend because you have to have three elite defenders to contain those three shot-creators, who can explode and get buckets at any point in the game. Although their defense is still suspect at times, the main point of this lineup is not to outscore &ndash; but to out-create teams and have a variety of options to dissect and defeat defenses.
If this new strategy works and could take the Suns to the promised land in these playoffs remains to be seen.
<h3>Los Angeles Lakers - Will they have enough this time around?</h3>
Despite a strong run to the Western Conference Finals as a 7th seed, the Lakers fell short last year vs the Nuggets after being swept 4-0. Throughout the season, the Nuggets&rsquo; dominance of the purple and gold continued, and now they have lost eight straight games against this Denver team.&nbsp;
However, there is optimism that the Lakers will turn it around and have a different result vs the Nuggets. Superstar LeBron James, even at 39 years old, looks to prove that he still has something left in the tank. Although they got outplayed and outcoached last in that series by the Nuggets, James can make those adjustments being the cerebral and high IQ player that he is.
James is perhaps one of the best if not the best tactically sound players of all time, so it would make sense &ndash; if they were to defeat Denver, he needs to be able to outsmart Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets this time around. Superstar tandem Anthony Davis will also be vital to the series having to defend the &lsquo;Joker&rsquo; and producing buckets himself.
The Lakers will also feature some new bench pieces this year that could be difference makers in the series Taurean Prince, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Gabe Vincent, all of whom could defend and hit those spot-up threes if needed.
Then there&rsquo;s a hungry D&rsquo;Angelo Russell who had a bad series vs Denver last year raring to bounce back along with an always-solid Austin Reaves to be the stabilizer.
<h3>Pelicans - How will they fare without Zion Williamson?</h3>
The New Orleans Pelicans start and end with their young star Zion Williamson. After going out with what is to be believed a left hamstring strain, everything now hinges on his health.&nbsp;
The Pelicans obviously need him no matter what and whether or not he&rsquo;s healthy for their first-round series vs the Thunder will likely be the answer if they win it or not.
We&rsquo;ve seen what Williamson is capable of doing, scoring 40 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in his first taste of postseason action in their play-in game vs the Lakers. The burly forward bullied the Lakers&rsquo; defense and he showed his once generational type of body and scoring prowess come together after finally being healthy for a full season in his five years in the NBA.
New Orleans has fallen short a lot of times in the playoffs, either failing to make it or to win a series, and it is clear that Zion is the difference that separates them from winning or losing a playoff series.

s eight playoff teams in each conference gear up for what promises to be an intense battle for the title, each team faces its own set of unique challenges.

2024 Western Conference Playoffs: Each team’s biggest question heading into the playoffs

Views are the author&rsquo;s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the website.
The 2023-2024 NBA season has wrapped up and the race for the league&rsquo;s annual awards has officially ended. Here&rsquo;s a look at my picks of the NBA's award winners.
Most Improved Player: Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
(Runner-ups: Coby White, Jalen Johnson)
Notes: In the end, Tyrese Maxey takes the award with the amount of burden and responsibility in a Philadelphia team reeling from the loss of James Harden to become a true No. 2 option behind reigning MVP Joel Embiid. White improved a lot this year, increasing his averages both numbers and his shooting percentages. Johnson, like White, has also increased his usage and averages by a lot, featuring as the third option behind DeJounte Murray and Trae Young, or even as the second option without one of those two. A jumbo playmaking forward, Johnson showed improvements in his playmaking as well as his ability to score and had increased numbers in shooting as well. Ultimately, Maxey wins this award out because he was a guy who increased his usage and his role while playing most of the season without Embiid.
Sixth Man of the Year: Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves
(Runner-ups: Malik Monk, Bobby Portis)
Notes: Naz Reid has been the best player off the bench this season with the way he has been an offensive spark plug for the Timberwolves this season. He&rsquo;s had a phenomenal season, and he had to start and fill in for Karl-Anthony Towns when he went down while still being an efficient scorer as he is. If you factor in all the stuff for these awards, you could actually make a case for Monk, for Portis, maybe even guys like Norman Powell for the Clippers and Bogdan Bogdanovic for the Hawks. But with Minnesota going 56-26 and having the second most wins in franchise history &ndash; ultimately ending up atop the three best teams in the West, this gives a little bit of boost to Naz Reid due to his importance to the team.
Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
(Runner-ups: Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis; Honorable mention: Bam Adebayo)
Notes: One of the hardest awards to figure out. Minnesota had the best defense in the league for a reason, and based on that Rudy Gobert would be a deserving winner of the award. When he&rsquo;s off the floor, the team does not perform defensively the way it does when Gobert is on the floor. This was hard because Wembanyama had a legitimate case, being the generational defender that he was. Davis also had a strong case with how he carried single-handedly the Lakers&rsquo; defense, while Adebayo had the immense burden of playing all the defensive schemes in Miami. Ultimately, it ended up with Gobert with the way he lifted a good defensive team to the best in the league, manning that paint and being that anchor that holds all of the pieces together.
All-Defensive Team:
1st Team - Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, Herb Jones
2nd Team - Derrick White, Jalen Suggs, Jaden McDaniels, Alex Caruso, Jonathan Isaac
Notes: Starting this year, the NBA&rsquo;s All-NBA teams and defensive teams were positionless so I had to cheat a little bit here, putting 4 bigs in the 1st team. Gobert, Wembanyama, Davis, and Adebayo are no-brainers considering their defensive impact for each of their teams, while Jones takes the last spot in the 1st team for his ability to disrupt offenses as well as guarding each team&rsquo;s best player night in and night out for the Pelicans.&nbsp;
The second team features White (most blocks for a guard), Suggs and Isaac (best defensive players for the 4th best defense in the league, helping to lead the Magic back to the playoffs), McDaniels (best wing defender for the best defense in the league), and the perennial all-defense player Caruso who brings it in defensively every game.
Rookie of the Year: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
(Runner-up: Chet Holmgren)
Notes: Despite Holmgren having far and away the better team success, there&rsquo;s no denying Wembanyama&rsquo;s greatness in his rookie year. The French phenom has transcended the game both figuratively and on the eye test &ndash; he is simply a generational talent who is going to take over the league soon. Holmgren got off to a hot start in the first two months of the season but since January, Wembanyama has locked up the award for himself with out-of-the-world numbers for a rookie. He was dubbed as the best prospect since LeBron James and now he is well on his way to being one of the greatest of all time if he remains healthy after a historic rookie season.
All-Rookie Team:
1st Team - Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Brandon Miller, Jaime Jaquez Jr., GG Jackson
2nd Team - Ausar Thompson, Amen Thompson, Keyonte George, Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis
Notes: There were several names to choose from here, and it felt hard to cut some of them here. Jordan Hawkins of the Pelicans has had a good start to the year when the team had all those injuries paving the way for him to play early into the season but has seen the bench since as NOLA got healthier and players came back; Cason Wallace had such a good shooting year off the bench for the No.1 seeded Thunder despite shooting being labeled by scouts as his biggest weakness coming into the NBA; Dereck Lively II being center that Luka Doncic needed and fit well with by catching all those lobs and helping the Mavs&rsquo; defense this season big time; No.2 overall pick Scoot Henderson had a good close to his rookie year.
All in all, these 10 rookies have felt like the best rookies in terms of production, opportunity, and narratives surrounding them. Of course, Wembanyama and Holmgren are automatic locks; Miller has been the best player in Charlotte without LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams; Jaquez is a vital piece off the bench for Erik Spoelstra&rsquo;s playoff-bound Heat team; and GG Jackson becoming a legit NBA scorer despite being the youngest player in the league to round out the first team.
The Thompson twins have just been defensive monsters ever since stepping foot in the league; George playing point guard at Utah has turned some heads and he has stepped up with the opportunity given to him; while Podziemski and Jackson-Davis have arguably been rotational pieces to the Warriors despite being rookies and has contributed a lot to them finding a way to fit in a complex team.
Coach of the Year: Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder
(Runner-ups: Chris Finch, Jamahl Mosley)
Notes: There have been so many good coaches this season that have elevated their teams to good records, say Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets and Tom Thibodeau from the New York Knicks. But my Coach of the Year pick goes to Mark Daigneault of the OKC Thunder because this award tends to favor the expectations set for a team before the start of the season. The Thunder weren&rsquo;t supposed to be this good this season, but Daigneault catapulted them into one of the best teams not just in the West but the entire NBA. The evidence is written on the wall: No.1 in the West despite being the second youngest team in the league; having a top 5 ranking on both offense and defense and no.2 overall net rating. Finch and Mosley take the runner-up spots with the work they had to lift both the Timberwolves and the Magic to being top 4 seeds in their conferences as well as having top-rated defenses in the league.
Clutch Player of the Year: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
(Runner-ups: DeMar DeRozan, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)
Notes: Another tough and close race, but ultimately it goes to Curry. Despite the Warriors&rsquo; so-so record, Curry had the most clutch time points, shot 50% from the field, and 46% from three in clutch time. Curry had the most threes than anyone in crunch time &ndash; being just the incredible clutch-time performer that he is &ndash; and always been.
All-NBA Team:
1st Team - Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum
2nd Team - Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James
3rd Team - Stephen Curry, Domantas Sabonis, Kawhi Leonard, Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton
Notes: With Jalen Brunson carrying the Knicks to a second seed in the East playing without Julius Randle since January, it was incredibly hard to leave him off the 1st team. However, by the slightest of margins, I gave the nod to Tatum for being the best player on the best team in the league by a wide margin.
All the other picks were pretty explanatory, with the top 4 in the MVP race in Jokic, Doncic, SGA, and Giannis all expected to be first-teamers. The second team kind of got tougher besides Brunson, with legends Durant and James making the list because of the seasons they had leading their team as well as playing their most regular season game in years. Rounding out the second team were Edwards and Davis, two stars with the biggest impacts on their teams in the tough Western Conference.
The third team is actually a toss-up with a lot of good cases from the league all around, but ultimately I went with Curry, Sabonis, Leonard, Booker, and Haliburton.
Most Valuable Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander&nbsp;
(Runners-up: Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic; Honorable mention: Giannis Antetokounmpo)
Perhaps the closest race out of all the awards, all three players here are each deserving with their narratives and the numbers that support each of their cases. You can never go wrong picking one over the other, so it came down to personal opinion on who I thought had the strongest case this season. His case?
-Leading the second youngest team in the league to No.1 in the West
-3-1 series vs Denver
-3-1 series vs Dallas
-First player since Steph and MJ to average 30/5/5 in a season with 2+ steals
-Second in defensive net rating for guards
One could make the argument for Nikola Jokic being the best player in the world having better numbers than his two MVP seasons while Luka Doncic had one of the best seasons statistically in all facets of the game, but there&rsquo;s no denying SGA&rsquo;s strong case as well given the expectations for this young Thunder team.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is my MVP.

The 2023-2024 NBA season has wrapped up and the race for the league’s annual awards has officially ended.

OPINION: Picking the 2023-2024 NBA Awards winners

Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Josh Giddey is headlining Australia&rsquo;s 22-player pool for the 2024 Paris Olympics, as announced by Basketball Australia.
The 21-year-old young star, who also led the Boomers last year in the FIBA World Cup 2023, is joined by fellow NBA players Patty Mills (Miami Heat), Joe Ingles (Orlando Magic), Matisse Thybulle and Duop Reath (Portland Trailblazers), Josh Green and Dante Exum (Dallas Mavericks), Jock Landale (Phoenix Suns), and Dyson Daniels (New Orleans Pelicans).
Players with NBA experience are also in the squad, including Xavier Cooks, Jack White, Nick Kay, and Matthew Dellavedova as well as Kansas Jayhawks freshman and soon-to-be NBA draftee Johnny Furphy.
Rounding out the squad are eight current NBL players Chris Goulding, DJ Vasiljevic, Jack McVeigh, Keanu Pinder, Matthew Dellavedova, Sam Froling, Will Magnay, and Will McDowell-White.&nbsp;
The 22-man roster was announced and picked by Basketball Australia with their head coach Brian Goorjian at the helm. The Boomers aim to send a strong roster to Paris in hopes of a podium finish
One notable absence from the pool is former no.1 overall pick Ben Simmons, who withdrew from the squad yet again due to a nagging back injury that needed surgery.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been actively monitoring the Aussie players across international leagues in USA, Europe, and Asia as well as domestically in the NBL and we&rsquo;re confident in the potential chemistry of this list,&rdquo; Goorjian said.
Australia will be in Group A with Canada, Greece OQT winner, and Spain OQT winner for the 2024 Paris Olympics slated later this year.

Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Josh Giddey is headlining Australia’s 22-player pool for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Josh Giddey leads Australia Boomers’ player pool for Paris Olympics

Josh Childress is a retired American basketball player who played three years at Stanford University, where he became an AP first-team All-American, consensus second-team All-American, the Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year and Pac-10 Conference Tournament MVP as a junior in 2004.&nbsp;
He was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, becoming the highest Stanford player to be drafted in the NBA. While Childress played in the NBA for the Hawks (2004-2008), Phoenix Suns (2010-2012), Brooklyn Nets (2012) and New Orleans Pelicans (2013), he made a name for himself overseas when he moved to Greece to play for Olympiacos from 2008 to 2010.&nbsp;
Childress had a fruitful career overseas, playing in leagues like the NBL (with the Sydney Kings and Adelaide 36ers) in Australia and the B-League (with the San-en Neo Phoenix) in Japan. Over the course of his 15-year basketball career, Childress averaged 9.1 points and earned a number of honors including All-NBL first team, NBL top scorer, All-Euroleague second team, Greek League top scorer, Greek League best defender and NBA All-Rookie second team.
Now, the 40-year-old Childress is an investor in the East Asian Super League, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/east-asia-super-league-set-to-have-its-biggest-event-yet-in-cebu">a rapidly growing league across East Asia.</a> During the EASL's Final Four in the Philippines, Childress spoke with BasketballNews&rsquo; Mon Anthony L. Valmoria to share what he is up to nowadays, his venture with the EASL, his fond NBA memories, his journey playing overseas and more.
You are an investor in the EASL. When did this happen?&nbsp;
Josh Childress: &ldquo;I started as an investor last year, last summer. I talked about seeing the opportunity [to] kind of &lsquo;bridge&rsquo; the gap between the countries in Asian basketball and it's a fantastic opportunity to do that. So EASL did a great job here in its first year and we hope to build on this moving forward.&rdquo;
Why invest in the EASL? Why do you think it will be a successful league?
Childress: &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s bringing together a bunch of different countries and leagues that have all increasingly gotten better and I think if you can find a way to connect Asian basketball across the board, it will be a fantastic league. A fantastic opportunity for fans, media and the players. So, I&rsquo;m hopeful that when this tournament &ndash; this Final Four &ndash; has more traction, you get more countries involved in the league and have some great basketball.&rdquo;
After your 15-year playing career, what are you up to these days?
Childress: &ldquo;I have an investment company. I run investments; we do real estate, we do sports properties, we do stuff like this (the EASL). We invest in a bunch of different things and I run it full-time &ndash; that&rsquo;s what keeps me busy these days.&rdquo;
Watching the EASL games and seeing how basketball is played over here, how would you describe the brand of basketball that's played on this side of the world?
Childress: &ldquo;It is very physical and very fast-paced. We&rsquo;ve seen really exciting games here and I think players here are playing for pride. There&rsquo;s obviously a nice prize &ndash; a cash prize &ndash; at the end of it. But at this point, it&rsquo;s just pride and making sure that you win and you&rsquo;re the champion of Asia. So I think [basketball here] is really exciting.&rdquo;
Let's talk about your experiences as an NBA player. What are your fondest memories from your playing days?
Childress: &ldquo;Most of your memories are around your teammates, you know? Around the locker room like how fun that was, those plane rides, just the camaraderie you have with your team &ndash; that&rsquo;s the thing that I missed the most about playing. The friendships and the teammates that you have over the years.&rdquo;
Speaking of your teammates, you played with a lot of teams in the NBA &ndash; who was your favorite teammate?&nbsp;
Childress: &ldquo;They were all my favorites (smiles). But I&rsquo;d say between Marvin Williams, Zaza Pachulia, Josh Smith, Joe [Johnson], Tyronn Lue, Mike Bibby &ndash; all those guys were great teammates. I&rsquo;m very thankful that I had the opportunity to play with them.&rdquo;
What is your best NBA memory?
Childress: &ldquo;Getting drafted. I mean, that&rsquo;s a dream come true. It&rsquo;s something that, as a kid, you always see on TV. So, that was an amazing experience.&rdquo;
When it comes to American NBA players deciding to play overseas, you were one of the pioneers. What were the pros and cons?
Childress: &ldquo;It was something that has been done before, but it was a great experience. I loved playing in Greece &ndash; the fans were amazing. I got the chance to experience European basketball, which was different. The pros and the cons are that it sets you up in a situation where you&rsquo;re playing a different style of basketball and having to figure out how to play there. But that was so much fun, you&rsquo;re in very hostile environments playing against teams that you never knew existed and having the chance to compete at a high level. So, I loved my time in Europe. In the EuroLeague, basketball was fantastic; in the Greek league, it was fantastic. So hopefully we can mirror that EuroLeague style format here with the EASL.&rdquo;
Other than monetary considerations, what would you advise fellow Americans about the decision to play overseas? What other factors do you think are crucial in choosing where to play?
Childress: &ldquo;I think the biggest thing is playing style &ndash; you know, going somewhere your style of play fits [in with] where you&rsquo;re going &ndash; or having the opportunity of playing a lot of minutes. I know some guys that are going to certain countries that may pay a little bit less, but they know they&rsquo;re going to play a lot, they&rsquo;re going to play their game. And that will lead them to those opportunities for success with bigger contracts and moving the following year. So, always make sure you go somewhere where you can be the best version of yourself and play at a high level.&rdquo;

Josh Childress shares what he's up to nowadays, his EASL investment, his NBA memories and his journey playing overseas.

Q&A: Josh Childress on NBA journey, EASL investment, overseas hoops

The 2023 NBA Draft produced one of the greatest rookie seasons of all-time. Victor Wembanyama, the most highly anticipated phenom since LeBron James, was selected No. 1 pick overall by the San Antonio Spurs and he hasn&rsquo;t disappointed. Through 52 games this season, Wemby is averaging 20.7 points, 10.3 r,ebounds and an astounding 3.4 blocks. 
While he&rsquo;s impressed and lived up to the hype thus far, it's not a huge surprise that he's playing at such a high level. Several players who slipped on draft night have also exceeded expectations. Let's examine the top five steals of the 2023 NBA Draft thus far.
5. Jordan Hawkins | New Orleans Pelicans
Jordan Hawkins was the No. 14 overall pick in the draft and he&rsquo;s been one of the most impressive players drafted in the lottery thus far. Shooting an efficient 37% from beyond the arc on 5.1 attempts per game, Hawkins has already established himself as a volume shooter in year one. He&rsquo;s played 55 games this season and made 10 starts for the Pelicans. In those 10 starts, Hawkins averaged 17.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists. 
His best performance of the season came against the Denver Nuggets when he had 30 points on 7-of-14 from three. He&rsquo;s shown flashes of being an elite shooter and overall offensive player, but consistency is the only thing holding him back. With that said, he&rsquo;s only averaging 19.2 minutes this season and has still averaged nearly 10 points per game. New Orleans did a fantastic job snagging him at No. 14.
4. Marcus Sasser | Detroit Pistons
Marcus Sasser hasn&rsquo;t been as flashy as other players on this list, but he&rsquo;s been incredibly efficient. Selected with the No. 25 overall pick, Sasser has gone above and beyond for Detroit. Playing 54 games, Sasser has yet to start but still has eight games scoring 17 or more points. He&rsquo;s hitting roughly 40% of his three-pointers while attempting over six per game. That efficiency is ridiculous for any rookie, much less a 25th overall pick. 
Sasser is on a team with a lot of young players who are still developing, including Ausar Thompson, the No. 5 overall pick of the draft. Thompson is averaging just one more point than Sasser despite playing nine more minutes per game. Perhaps most impressive is that Sasser is playing just 16.2 minutes per game, yet his production has been off the charts.
3. Jaime Jaquez Jr. | Miami Heat
To much surprise, No. 18 overall pick Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been one of the standout rookies this season. While his overall stats may not jump off the page, he has taken over games in ways that few rookies manage to do. Over a 26-game stretch from November 20 to January 15, Jaquez averaged 16.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists. Unfortunately, he suffered a groin injury and missed five games. 
It took him a while to get back into rhythm, but he has since recorded two 25+ point performances. Jaquez could be a game-changer in the playoffs, which can&rsquo;t be said about most rookies. Many view him as the steal of the draft, but there are a couple guys drafted later who have also impressed.
2. Cam Whitmore | Houston Rockets
Though Whitmore missed the majority of the first 30 games, he has been on a tear in 2024. Over his last 18 games, he&rsquo;s averaged over 15 points in just 20 minutes a contest. His production has been unbelievable when he's played, as he&rsquo;s averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per 36 minutes. Whitmore was projected to be an early-to-mid lottery pick, and the Rockets drafted him at No. 20 overall. That&rsquo;s the definition of a steal, especially since he's exceeding expectations. Houston added to an already stacked young coure, and their future is very bright.
1. GG Jackson II | Memphis Grizzlies
GG Jackson II has quickly taken the NBA by storm, averaging 16.1 points over his last 14 games. Over that stretch, he has made two starts and averaged 24 points, 6.5 rebounds, a steal and a block. He has been a hidden gem on an abysmal Memphis Grizzlies team, giving them something to be excited about each night. He recently had a 30-point performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder in 37 minutes of action. He also had 26 points and 4 rebounds against the Charlotte Hornets.
He&rsquo;s shown some unbelievable flashes, especially considering he's only 19 years old and was drafted at No. 45 overall -- making him the only second-round pick on this list. As of late he&rsquo;s been putting up elite numbers for a rookie and he has a ton of long-term potential given his age.
HONORABLE MENTION
Craig Porter Jr. | Cleveland Cavaliers&nbsp;
Craig Porter Jr. has produced a lot in little time. After going undrafted, he stepped up when Cleveland's backcourt was decimated by injuries. In five games as a starter, he averaged 11.4 points, 7.4 assists, 6.2 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals. Porter&rsquo;s season-high came in a victory against the defending champion Denver Nuggets as he scored 21 points in just 25 minutes. Both honorable mentions have obliterated expectations, playing a key role despite being undrafted free agents.&nbsp;
Ricky Council IV | Philadelphia 76ers
Ricky Council IV has played just 21 games this season, but he&rsquo;s made his mark in Philadelphia. When he plays over 10 minutes, Council has averaged nearly 13 points per game. His most impressive performances of the season were a 17-point outing in just 10 minutes against the Golden State Warriors and a 19-point, 10-rebound showing against the Washington Wizards. Considering he was undrafted, he's been a solid find for Philly.

Hunter Simpson examines the top five steals of the 2023 NBA Draft thus far.

Breaking down the top-5 steals in the 2023 NBA Draft

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.