The Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves are reportedly interested in trading for Lowry too. The Timberwolves could move D’Angelo Russell to Miami for Lowry, and the Lakers have reportedly decided to stand pat at the trade deadline.

The Heat are still finding itself at the moment. Miami (23-20) is eighth in the Eastern Conference standings due to a dearth of injuries to key players like Lowry, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Victor Oladipo. Lowry is averaging 13.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game while shooting 39.8 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Miami trading Lowry could help them create a younger backcourt that could help reverse their fortunes for the season. Making a move with either the Lakers or T-Wolves could help them make a move in the offseason in the draft or the free agent.

Miami will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday afternoon.

The post REPORT: Lakers, Timberwolves Interested in Trading for Kyle Lowry appeared first on SLAM.

Here’s what happened across the L over the weekend. Let’s get it.

Darvin Ham Announces the Pain in Anthony Davis’ Foot ‘Has Just About Dissipated’:

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham told reporters that Anthony Davis’ foot has improved to the point that “his pain has just about dissipated” since he first suffered the injury two weeks ago against the Nuggets.

Darvin Ham, two weeks after Anthony Davis suffered the stress injury in his right foot, says “the biggest thing is, his pain has just about dissipated” and says Davis is trending in the right direction when it comes to approaching a ramp up to return to the court.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 30, 2022

LeBron James Drops 47-10-9 on his Birthday to Deliver a Lakers Win:

LeBron James showed us once again that age ain’t nothing but a number on his birthday. The four-time MVP turned 38 on Friday and celebrated this lap around the sun by dropping 47 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists to lead the Lakers to a 130-121 win over the Atlanta Hawks.

“At 18 years old, I knew how to play the game,” James said, per ESPN. “I knew I belonged in the NBA, but I didn’t know what I could become at 18. But I knew if I continued to put in the work and I continued to reach into the game, then I could be one of the greatest players to ever play this game.”

47 PTS
10 REB
9 AST@Lakers W@KingJames showed out on his 38th birthday!pic.twitter.com/33lO5BnVpo

— NBA (@NBA) December 31, 2022

CJ McCollum Knocks Down A Pelicans Record 11 Three-Pointers:

CJ McCollum was unstoppable Saturday night as he scored 42 points, four rebounds, five assists on a franchise record, and a career-high 11 made three-pointers against the 76ers.

“You don’t just fall into these types of nights,” McCollum said, per The Athletic. “It comes with preparation. It comes with a lot of different sacrifices you make in your household and things like that. Some nights I go to the gym. Some nights I’m getting treatment. Some nights I’m lifting. It’s time away from home. But I joke with my wife all the time and say, ‘I could be gone a lot and suck at basketball. Luckily, I’m gone a lot, and I don’t suck.’”

42 PTS
4 REB
5 AST
11 3PM (franchise-record, career-high)@CJMcCollum went OFF in the @PelicansNBA win. pic.twitter.com/s09E7DdoQr

— NBA (@NBA) December 31, 2022

Tyler Herro Brings in the New Year With a Buzzer-Beater:

Tyler Herro put an exclamation point on Miami’s strong offensive showing with a game-winning buzzer-beater to beat the Utah Jazz on New Year’s Eve, 126-123. Herro posted 29 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, followed by Bam Adebayo’s game-high 32 points and eight rebounds, and Victor Oladipo rounded out the final win in 2022 with 23 points off the bench.

Miami outscored Utah 54-32 in the win and shot 51 percent from the field. As a team, the Heat dished 32 assists on 45 buckets.

“The ball was flying around,” Herro said, per ESPN. “We were making plays for each other, getting stops defensively, and turning it into easy buckets on the other end.”

TYLER HERRO WINS IT FOR THE HEAT #TissotBuzzerBeater | #TimingEmotions pic.twitter.com/MqLHRlsVXL

— NBA (@NBA) January 1, 2023

Luka Doncic Makes More History After Dropping 50+ For the Third Time in 5 Games:

Luka Doncic has been on a historic tear while helping Dallas win six straight games after Doncic dropped 51 points, six boards, nine dimes, four steals, and six made triples to beat San Antonio 126-125. Luka Legend has dropped three 50+ points in his last five outings, put up the most 40+ point games in Mavs history, and became the first player ever to post 225+ points and 50+ rebounds, and 50+ assists over a five-game span.

The three-time All-Star is also the eighth player in NBA history to contribute three or more 50-point outings in a season before he turned 25-years-old. He joins James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rick Barry, Nate Archibald, and Wilt Chamberlain in the exclusive Hall-of-Fame club.

51 PTS
6 REB
9 AST
4 STL
6 3PM
W

Luka has dropped 50+ in 3 of his last 5 games. Unstoppable. pic.twitter.com/AFYYqmWaUb

— NBA (@NBA) January 1, 2023

The post NBA Weekend Recap: LeBron James Drops Buckets on His Birthday, and Luka Doncic Makes More History appeared first on SLAM.

The 10-year veteran had a breakthrough in Indiana when he joined in 2017, where he earned All-NBA and All-Defensive Team honors and the Most Improved Player Award.

Victor Oladipo back in Indy pic.twitter.com/F4v9CX5A0M

— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) December 12, 2022

Injuries stopped that momentum and put a pause on Oladipo achieving a higher level of stardom, but Oladipo remains hopeful of returning to his All-Star form.

“The way you build your character and who you are as a person is how you handle those moments. And I’ve always been an optimist,” Oladipo said. “Even though what happened to me was catastrophic, it doesn’t mean that I can’t still be happy, and I can’t still come back from it and be my best self.”

Oladipo hasn’t returned to the production he would have hoped for. When he was traded from Indiana to the Houston Rockets, he played a total of 20 games before being shipped again in March of 2021 to the Heat, where thus far, in three seasons, he’s only played 16 games.

Oladipo averaged 20.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.9 steals in his four years as the Pacers superstar. He became a fan favorite in Indiana during his first year with the team as he led them to the fifth seed of the East while going toe-to-toe in a seven-game playoff series with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Sound up! Welcome back, @VicOladipo pic.twitter.com/95yPHz2A3G

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 7, 2022

Oladipo’s run with the Pacers was a glimpse of true blossom and an emphasis on why he was selected second overall in his draft. Nothing can take away his moment Monday night, and Oladipo hopes the air in the building refreshes his game as the elite two-way player he once was.

“It definitely brings some nostalgia, you know, just walking into the building,” Oladipo said. “But I’m focused on the good energy. And I let the bad energy go a long time ago, in terms of my injury and everything.”

The post Victor Oladipo Set to Play in Indiana For the Time Since He Left in 2021 appeared first on SLAM.

A left knee tendinosis diagnosis has kept Oladipo sidelined for all 21 games Miami has played. Head coach Erik Spoelstra says, “I do not have a timeline” for when he can return.

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Oladipo could be the difference-maker for a struggling Heat team this season. In the Heat’s playoff run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, Oladipo averaged 10.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals off the bench.

Although the stats won’t show it, his best performance was against Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics, holding Brown to four crucial turnovers in the second half to force a Game 7 that ultimately highlighted his perimeter defensive skillset.

The guard play of the Heat has taken its strides from last season as Gabe Vincent, Kyle Lowry, and Tyler Herro are all playing to their capabilities, but Oladipo would be a bonus to a bench unit that has struggled to generate turnovers defensively, being third worst in the League.

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The situation for Oladipo can’t be as troubled as it was to start the season, however, as he has now been putting in reps with the squad in their current road trip. With Spoelstra wishing to coach a healthy lineup, adding Oladipo to team practices could help ease him into a minimal playing status.

“He’s on this trip for a reason, to continue to get good work, but also to get the connection piece, the fellowship piece with our guys,” Spoelstra said. “It’s really important. That’s as important for him, being out, just being around the group.”

The post Erik Spoelstra: ‘I Do Not Have a Timeline’ For Victor Oladipo’s Return appeared first on SLAM.

Jerami Grant is quick to admit that he has chameleon-like characteristics on and off the court. Long before the NBA, Grant knew how to fit in and gel with other players, especially the highly-touted prep stars he called teammates. At perennial powerhouse DeMatha Catholic (MD) HS, Grant, a four-star forward in the Class of 2012, played alongside Quinn Cook, Victor Oladipo, Josh Selby and his brother Jerian. “It’s helped me a lot,” Grant tells SLAM. “Pretty much my whole basketball career, I’ve been playing with guys of great caliber. We had five NBA players on a high school team.”

Playing alongside guys of said caliber helped Jerami learn how to be effective on the basketball court by doing more than scoring. It also helps when you come from a bloodline of hoopers. Jerami and brothers Jerian, Jerai and Jaelin—known as the J-Boys—are sons of former NBA player Harvey Grant, who spent 11 years in the Association and is the twin brother of four-time NBA champion Horace. 

“It was competitive,” Jerami reminisces on his childhood. “Always playing 1-on-1 with my brothers, working out and everybody wanted to be the best. The competitive edge is something I’ve been able to carry over from [the] younger days to now.”

Despite catching the tail end of his father’s career, Jerami remembers spending lots of time in NBA arenas and locker rooms, meeting some of his father’s and uncle’s teammates—Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Michael Jordan.

In high school, Grant held offers from Georgetown, Syracuse, Maryland, Marquette and Clemson before committing to play for the Orange. As a sophomore, Jerami averaged 12 ppg and 7 rpg while shooting close to 50 percent from the field before entering the draft, where he was selected 39th overall by Philadelphia in 2014. 

In Philly, he averaged 8.2 ppg and 3.9 rpg in 142 games before being traded to Oklahoma City. His numbers nearly stayed the same for the Thunder, but his percentages across the board—FG (50.3), 3FG (36.8), FT (67.5)—improved. Despite three seasons in OKC, Grant was traded to Denver in exchange for a 2020 first-round pick. 

In Denver, he put up 12.0 points a night and his numbers continued to rise. After the global pandemic put the game and world on pause during the second half of the 2019-20 season, competition resumed in the bubble in Orlando, FL, where Grant continued to showcase his ability to affect both sides of the floor. Tasked with guarding Kawhi Leonard, Grant used every inch of his 6-8, 210-pound frame to hold the reigning Finals MVP to 13 points on 4-17 shooting—Leonard’s lowest-scoring playoff game since 2016—and halt his postseason streak of scoring 15 or more points per game at 47. 

The Nuggets’ first two playoff matchups against the Jazz and Clippers would go to seven games before the team would lose to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. When free agency hit, the Pistons offered one of the League’s most sought-after forwards a three-year, $60-million deal. The Nuggets ended up matching the offer sheet, but Jerami was looking for a more enhanced offensive role and there was no better place to do that than the Motor City. 

In his first season in Detroit, Grant put up a career-high 22.3 points per game to go along with 4.6 boards, shooting 43 percent from the field, 35 percent from the three-point line and 84 percent from the charity stripe. He suffered a UCL sprain in his thumb as well as a calf strain, which limited him to only 101 games in his last two seasons. 

“When the offseason came around this summer, he got the type of call he’s become familiar with throughout his career. While in Paris for Fashion Week, Grant’s agent would notify his client that he was being traded once again.”

The details: Grant was going to Portland for a 2025 first round pick (1-4 are protected) via Milwaukee, sending him into a $21M trade exception that gave Detroit $43 million in cap space.

“It was a bit abrupt,” he says of the trade. “A bunch of trade rumors and stuff like that. That one, obviously, had a ton of traction throughout the season. It wasn’t a huge surprise, but definitely all of a sudden.”

Now, entering his ninth season on his fifth team, Grant’s looking forward to starting a new chapter in Rip City. He joins a team with a reshaped roster and a franchise player who’s fully committed to building something special in Portland. 

“I was excited, man,” Damian Lillard tells SLAM of when he found out about the trade. “It was a big moment for me because I had been wanting to play with Jerami for a couple years now. Just seeing him being on a winning team in OKC, then on a winning team in Denver and then kind of taking that leap out there in Detroit to be that No. 1 option and see where he can stretch himself out to really show his game. I love what he did in Detroit, and it brought him to a new comfort level with having to handle the ball, make plays and stuff. 

“Everybody already knew he was the long, rangey athlete who can make threes, play above the rim, block shots [and be] versatile. Him having to go to Detroit and spread his wings and having that pressure on him every night is only going to make him even more valuable for us. Having a 4-man that plays 1 through 5, make threes, athletic; he’s big, he has good skills and he’s been in the right types of things to be coming into our team as our starting 4, and I think he’s going to help us.”

During the 2020 Olympics, Lillard and Grant played alongside each other to propel Team USA to a Gold medal. Lillard admits despite not being able to get the full Olympic experience due to the pandemic, it only made his relationship with his teammates, especially Jerami, that much stronger. 

“That made us spend a lot of time together in the lounge, throughout the hotel at dinners and stuff like that,” Lillard continues. “JG sat either in front of me or behind me on the bus every day to practice and to games. Every day on the bus, we’d be talking about our situations with our team, and we were on teams together during practice. After practice, we’d be sitting next to each other, and we’d just spend a lot of time in the Olympics talking about how we would both want to play with each other…I’m just glad it came to life. He’s going to be—talent-wise and just the experience in what he’s done—our best 4-man in a long time since [LaMarcus Aldridge].”

It’s a mid-summer day in August and Grant’s speaking to us from his home in Maryland. The offseason’s been an eventful one for the 28-year-old. Aside from basketball-related obligations, Jerami spent time in Paris, one of his favorite places to visit. 

“The history of it and everybody knows that’s the fashion capital of the world,” he says. “If you’re in to fashion and things like that, that’s where you want to experience it.”

The same way Jerami’s laser-focused on the intricacies of the game—learning opponents’ habits, making the right reads, being in the perfect spot on rotations to improve his shooting—he’s just as meticulous with the way he studies the runway. 

“Eventually I do want to design and be able to be in that space in a different way,” he says. “I want to learn the ropes and how things work. I’m observant and paying attention to the way they move and the pieces that they put out. I’m not just going to shows for pictures, but to study what they’re putting out and different lines and stuff like that.”

Grant’s passion for fashion became more evident this year. His versatility has shown, too, with different statement pieces from brands like Balenciaga to Rick Owens, getting him out of his comfort zone to try new looks. He’s also emerged as a top candidate to win LeagueFits’ Most Improved Award. 

“I think I’m a bit of a chameleon,” Grant says when asked to describe his style. “I don’t have a uniform yet; I feel I’m all over the place with whatever I like, whatever kind of fits me. To describe my fashion style, I think it’s definitely fashion forward and more of a Japanese style, especially right now. If I like it, I’m going to put it on.”

Jerami shares his two current favorite brands—Issey Miyake and Comme des Garcons—and adds Maison Margiela and Balenciaga to the list. In a world where fashion connoisseurs stay up to date with the latest campaigns and archive hunters scour the internet for specific pieces, Grant has a few products that sit atop his list: Cartier Crash watches and vintage Goyard and Hermes bags.

As we continue to chop it up, Jerami shares another favorite interest: philanthropy. His organization, Hour Generation Foundation, hosts about eight or nine events a year and gives back to inner city youth and single parents. Grant has also helped fund a homeless shelter in Detroit that’ll provide resources and a safe space to those in need. 

“The way my mom raised me was you gotta give back,” he says. “I grew up going to church and with a strong foundation of giving back through philanthropy. I’ve been blessed with so much [and] it’s like a no-brainer that if you receive, you have to give.”

As Grant gets ready to report to training camp, he says he looks to expand his philanthropic efforts throughout the Pacific Northwest and is excited for the new start. The journey to get here prepared him for this moment. 

“Playing with a ton of great players has helped me grow into the player that can mesh into any situation,” Grant says. “I don’t need the ball in my hands in order to be a good player. I don’t have to do what I did in Detroit. I did that because it was needed. Whatever my team needs…whatever Chauncey [Billups] needs, whatever Dame needs, I’m going to be able to do it.” 

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post Jerami Grant is Ready to Take His Game, and His Style, to the Next Level appeared first on SLAM.

The teams competing in the showcase include: 

1.     K-Low Elite (Kyle Lowry)

2.     Team Curry (Steph Curry)

3.     Team Durant (Kevin Durant)

4.     Team Melo (Carmelo Anthony)

5.     Team Takeover (Victor Oladipo)

6.     Team Trae Young (Trae Young)

7.     Team Trezz (Montrezl Harrell)

8.     Team Truth (Quinn Cook)

Games will begin on Friday, August 12 and run through Sunday, August 14. See here for the full schedule of games.

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“We are thrilled to host this first-of-its-kind showcase featuring some of the outstanding travel teams of several of our members,” said Tamika Tremaglio, NBPA Executive Director. “Our players are so passionate about teaching the game to the next generation, and this showcase is about supporting their work in that space. By creating this platform with our players, we are building a unique experience for their teams to compete against one another while also providing critical educational resources — all in one of the best basketball cities in the country and my hometown, Washington D.C.!”

“This showcase is a great opportunity for these young players to prove themselves against other top talent from around the country and learn more about important topics off the court,” said Trae Young, NBPA member whose team will compete in the inaugural showcase. “To have all the teams competing affiliated with different players around the league is really special and I know I can speak for all of us when I say we will be closely following to see whose team really is the best.”

“We know it is highly critical to educate these young athletes now so that they can make informed financial decisions throughout their careers,” said Mark Jerome, Managing Partner, the Athletic Development Group (ADG). “We created and designed ADG MONEYBALL with that in mind, bringing in former players and experts to speak about financial literacy and NIL to set them up with the tools to succeed down the road.”

ADG MONEYBALL is presented in partnership with Chase and with the generous support of Events DC. Additional partners include ShowBall, BodyArmor, SLAM, Legends, and BallerTV.

“We are so excited to continue our partnership with the NBPA and provide important financial literacy content to these incredible student-athletes,” said Frank Nakano, Managing Director of Sports & Entertainment Marketing at JPMorgan Chase. “Understanding the significance that financial health plays in long-term well-being, we hope our educational sessions are able to help these athletes further develop their off-the-court confidence, especially in the arena of financial literacy”

“Events DC is honored to host and support the inaugural ADG MONEYBALL event at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center,” said Ralph Morton, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Sports & Entertainment Division at Events DC. “Bringing together the nation’s top student-athletes in partnership with the NBPA and ADG combined with dynamic educational workshops is an exciting opportunity to create a valuable and enduring experience in the District. We are looking forward to presenting this elite amateur basketball tournament to the fans and our greater community from the heart of downtown Washington, DC.”

ADG MONEYBALL is open to the public and tickets can be purchased at www.adgmoneyball.com. For media interested in covering the event, please email communications@nbpa.com with your request.

The post NBPA and ADG Present the Inaugural ADG MONEYBALL appeared first on SLAM.

Victor Oladipo is expected to leave Miami in free agency, per @JakeLFischer pic.twitter.com/FU1DPs1HyI

— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 29, 2022

Oladipo has played 27 games as a member of the Heat, including the playoffs. During his time in Miami, Oladipo has averaged 124. points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game during the regular season. During Miami’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals, Oladipo put up 10.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game on 36.8 percent shooting from the field.

Oladipo scored a personal postseason-high 23 points twice, first to close out Atlanta in Game 5. The second time came in Game 4 against the NBA Finals runner-up Boston Celtics.

According to Fischer, Washington, Denver, and Detroit have expressed interest in signing Oladipo to the mid-level exception once free agency begins on Thursday.

The post REPORT: Victor Oladipo Expected to Leave Miami Heat appeared first on SLAM.

So far we have seen the Knicks land, Jalen Brunson, on a massive four-year deal, and Nikola Jokic and Karl-Anthony Towns have re-signed to their teams on supermax deals. Zach LaVine and Bradley Beal will remain with the Bulls and Wizards respectively after signing max deals. Young All-Stars like Ja Morant, Darius Garland, and Zion Williamson have also signed max extensions with their teams.

The Warriors will also look to be putting a different bench mob on the court this coming season after they let Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr., and Juan Toscano-Anderson walk away in free agency. The decision seems to imply that the Warriors will invest 100 percent into their win-and-develop model as they keep their championship core intact while empowering Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman, and Moses Moody.

Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber is finalizing a three-year, $33 million contract extension, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Kleber was entering the final year of his deal, now under contract through 2025-26.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 8, 2022

Montrezl Harrell is headed to Philly after a tumultuous offseason where he dealt with some legal troubles surrounding marijuana trafficking that was later reduced to misdemeanor possession in a Madison County (KY) courthouse. The charge will be expunged from his record in 12 months if Harrell doesn’t get in any more legal trouble.

James Harden recruited Harrell due to their relationship as teammates on the Rockets. Harrell is expected to bring some toughness and grit to a Philly team that needed a backup big man behind two-time MVP runner-up Joel Embiid.

ESPN Sources: Free agent C Montrezl Harrell is signing two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, including a player option. Harrell brings more toughness to a team searching for it this offseason. He was Sixth Man of the Year with Doc Rivers/Sam Cassell in 2019-2020 w/ Clippers.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 6, 2022

Sources: The Toronto Raptors signed Thaddeus Young to a two-year, $17 million extension, which includes player incentive bonuses and a $1 million partial guarantee for the 2023-24 season, @hoopshype has learned.

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 5, 2022

Gary Harris’ two-year extension with the Orlando Magic is flat $13M each season. The second season is fully non-guaranteed, a league source told @spotrac.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 5, 2022

Sumner is fully recovered from a torn left Achilles that cost him the entire 2021-2022 season. He had been coming off his best NBA season with the Pacers prior to the injury, and now he’ll join the Nets’ backcourt rotation. https://t.co/5HfzZmkDZN

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 5, 2022

Free agent TJ Warren has agreed to a deal with the Brooklyn Nets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 5, 2022

Free agent center Gorgui Dieng has agreed to a one-year deal with the San Antonio Spurs, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 5, 2022

Cole Swider signed a two-year Two-Way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, a league source tells @spotrac.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 4, 2022

Free agent center Serge Ibaka has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Milwaukee Bucks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 4, 2022

The Brooklyn Nets signed Wake Forest Alondes Williams to a 2-way deal.

— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) July 4, 2022

Dragic is signing a one-year, $2.9M deal with the Bulls, sources said. https://t.co/f6VK9np1cf

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2022

Free agent Josh Okogie has agreed to a one-year deal with the Phoenix Suns, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2022

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has agreed on a five-year, $193 million designated maximum rookie extension that could earn him as much as $231 million, CAA Sports’ Co-Head of Basketball Austin Brown tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/z4lnVLD1GM

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

Restricted free agent Cody Martin has agreed to a four-year, $32 million deal to return to the Charlotte Hornets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2022

Free agent G Eugene Omoruyi has agreed to a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, his agent Mike George of @OneLegacySports tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Darius Garland has agreed on a five-year, $193M maximum designated rookie contract extension that could be worth as much as $231M, @KlutchSports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. It is the largest deal in franchise history.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

Free agent guard Damion Lee has agreed to a one-year deal with the Phoenix Suns, source tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

Free agent Donte DiVincenzo has agreed to a two-year, $9.3M deal with the Golden State Warriors, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Free agent guard Raul Neto is signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

Free agent center Kevon Looney has agreed to a three-year, $25.5M deal to return to Golden State, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Free agent forward Derrick Jones Jr. has agreed to a two-year, $6.6 million deal to return to the Chicago Bulls, with player option in second season, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

Free agent center Robin Lopez has agreed to a one-year deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Free agent F/C Drew Eubanks is returning to the Portland Trail Blazers on a one-year deal, his agent James Dunleavy of @excelbasketball tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

John Wall officially agrees with the Clippers on a two-year deal for the taxpayer midlevel. https://t.co/5yCuV4cePg

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) July 1, 2022

Free agent C Jusuf Nurkic has agreed on a new four-year, $70 million deal to stay with the Portland Trail Blazers, @KlutchSports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/6vmHrdOZI3

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

NBA All-Star Zach LaVine has agreed to a five-year, $215.2 million maximum contract to return to the Chicago Bulls, with a player option in Year 5, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

The defending champs lose another valuable two-way star after Otto Porter Jr. signed with the Raptors on a two-year deal that has a player option.

Free agent Otto Porter Jr. — vital member of Golden State Warriors championship team — reached an agreement with the Toronto Raptors on a two-year deal with a player option, league sources tell @YahooSports. https://t.co/ck81fptKZh

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 1, 2022

Free agent G Theo Pinson is returning to the Dallas Mavericks on a one-year deal, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Free agent Aaron Holiday has agreed to a one-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

Free agent center Mitchell Robinson has agreed on a new four-year, $60 million contract to stay with the New York Knicks, his agents Thad Foucher and Joe Smith of @Wassbasketball tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/dnKtVQmln9

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Bruce Brown has agreed to a 2-year, $13M+ deal with the Denver Nuggets, sources tell ESPN.

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) July 1, 2022

#Pistons to re-sign Marvin Bagley III, add Kevin Knox as free-agent frenzy begins: https://t.co/WVHahAmeKR

— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) July 1, 2022

Ricky Rubio played an integral part in the Cavs’ resurgence to the playoff scene last season before suffering a season-ending torn ACL in December. Rubio was traded to the Pacers near the trade deadline but the Cavs and Rubio were mutually interested in bringing back the former lottery pick point guard.

Free agent guard Ricky Rubio is nearing a deal on a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Zion Williamson, the 2021 All-Star phenom, has locked in on signing a max extension deal with the Pelicans. Williamson missed all of the 2021-2022 season while he recovered from foot surgery. The deal keeps Williamson in New Orleans through 2027-28.

Williamson said after the season ended, “I couldn’t sign it fast enough.” Indeed, the All-Star locks in commitment to New Orleans.

The deal is expected to include protections that both sides were sorting through overnight and will finalize, sources said. https://t.co/n0hyRwRk9e

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

The Golden State Warriors lose one of their best and most versatile defenders after Gary Payton II decided to head towards playing for the Portland Trail Blazers on a three-year deal. Payton led the League in steals per 36 minutes.

Warriors were unwilling to meet that high of a price tag (and resulting tax spike) for Gary Payton II and have now lost their defensive ace off the bench to the Blazers. He led the NBA in steals per 36 minutes last season. https://t.co/iaY6xmUrG7

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 1, 2022

Free agent center Andre Drummond is finalizing a deal with the Chicago Bulls, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

Free agent Kevin Knox has agreed to a two-year, $6 million deal with the Detroit Pistons, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

Free agent Kevin Knox has agreed to a two-year, $6 million deal with the Detroit Pistons, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

Free agent JaVale McGee has agreed to a three-year, $20.1 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks, with player option for third season, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Ja Morant is locked in with the Grizzlies after his agent told Woj that he signed a five-year max extension to lead Memphis as its lead guard for the foreseeable future.

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has agreed on a five-year, $193M designated rookie maximum extension that could become worth $231M, his agent Jim Tanner of @_TandemSE tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Karl Anthony-Towns has reportedly agreed to a four-year super max extension per his agent. KAT’s contract will begin during the 2024-2025 season.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns has agreed on a four-year, $224M super max extension, his agent Jessica Holtz of @CAA_Basketball tells ESPN. Deal begins with the 2024-25 season and delivers Towns’ total contract value to six years and $295M.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Jalen Brunson has reportedly agreed to the four-year deal that the Knicks offered him. Woj reported that the near-max deal includes a player option on its final season.

Free agent guard Jalen Brunson has agreed to a four-year, $104 million deal with the New York Knicks, his agents Aaron Mintz and Sam Rose of @CAA_Basketball tell ESPN. The deal includes a player option on the final season.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

The Wizards have added three veteran guards to join Bradley Beal in recent days — Will Barton, Monte Morris and now Delon Wright leaves the Hawks for Washington. https://t.co/4YFMxR2o7Z

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Kyle Anderson has agreed to a two-year, $18M deal to join the Timberwolves, his agents Thad Foucher and Joe Smith of @wassbasketball tell ESPN. https://t.co/fWzhFhVfkx

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris has agreed on a two-year, $26 million contract extension, his agents Austin Brown and Aaron Mintz of @CAA_Basketball tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Anthony Gill is signing a two year-deal with the Washington Wizards, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Restricted free agent C Nic Claxton has agreed on a two-year, $20 million deal to return to the Brooklyn Nets, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Free agent Troy Brown Jr. has agreed to a minimum deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Lonnie Walker IV is signing a one-year, $6.5M deal with the Lakers, sources said. https://t.co/7xBnStLWfo

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Rockets restricted free agent Jae’Sean Tate has agreed to a three-year, $22.1 million deal to return to Houston, his agents E.J. Kusnyer and Jordan Cornish of @beyond_am tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent center Dewayne Dedmon has agreed to a two-year, $9 million deal to return to the Miami Heat, agents Mike Silverman and Brandon Grier of @steinbergsports tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent Davon Reed has agreed to a two-year deal to return to the Denver Nuggets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent guard Jevon Carter has agreed to a two-year deal to return to Milwaukee, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent Wesley Matthews has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Milwaukee Bucks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent G Trevelin Queen has agreed a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Free agent F Nic Batum has agreed to a two-year deal to return to the Los Angeles Clippers, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Free agent G Lu Dort has agreed to a five-year, $87.5M deal to stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder, his agent Thad Foucher of Wasserman tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Chris Boucher is returning to the Toronto Raptors on a three-year, $35.25M deal, his agent Sam Permut of @RocNationSports tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Jones’ agent, Austin Brown of @CAA_Basketball, tells ESPN the second year is a player option.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Amir Coffey has agreed to a three-year, $11M deal with the Clippers, his agents Bill Duffy and Marlon Harrison of @BDA_Sports and WME Sports tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Free agent G Tyus Jones is returning to the Memphis Grizzlies on a two-year, $30M deal, his agent Kevin Bradbury of @REP1Basketball tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Free agent Danuel House has agreed to a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent Bobby Portis has agreed to a four-year, $49 million deal to return to the Milwaukee Bucks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Deal includes a player option in Year 4.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent PJ Tucker is finalizing a three-year, $33.2 million fully guaranteed deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, his agent Andre Buck (@andrebuck14) told @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent Victor Oladipo has agreed to a one-year, $11 million deal to return to the Miami Heat, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein has agreed to a two-year, $16 million-plus deal with the New York Knicks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Fully guaranteed deal for Hartenstein.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Free agent center DeAndre Jordan has agreed to a deal with the Denver Nuggets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Sources: Malik Monk is signing a two-year, $19M deal to join the Kings. https://t.co/spgbvRZspx

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns have reportedly finalized a four-year supermax extension that he will likely sign sometime next week. Shams Charania reports that he will be the cover athlete for NBA 2K23.

The Phoenix Suns and All-NBA guard Devin Booker are finalizing a four-year, $214 million supermax contract extension that he’s set to sign as soon as next week, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

Booker will also be the cover athlete for NBA 2K23, per sources.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Nikola Jokic has reportedly signed the richest deal in NBA history after signing a supermax contract extension with the Nuggets on Thursday.

Two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic has agreed to a five-year, $264 million supermax contract extension with the Denver Nuggets, the richest deal in NBA history, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Fifth season (2027-28) will be a player option at $60M.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Bradley Beal will stay in the Nation’s Capital after he reportedly signed a five-year max deal.

All-Star guard Bradley Beal has agreed to a five-year, $251 million maximum contract to stay with the Washington Wizards, his agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons has agreed on a four-year, $100 million contract extension, his agent Bill Duffy of @BDA_Sports + WME Sports tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

The Spurs are pulling the qualifying offer on Lonnie Walker IV, making him an unrestricted free agent, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Expect a strong market for Walker immediately.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

Jalen Brunson is headed to New York after Shams Charania reported that he intends on signing a four-year deal with the franchise.

Free agent Jalen Brunson intends to sign a four-year, near $110M deal with the New York Knicks in free agency, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The Mavericks never received chance to make offer, sources said.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

According to Alex Schiffer of The Athletic, P.J. Tucker will be pursued by Atlanta, Minnesota, Brooklyn, Chicago. and Philadelphia during the free agency period of the NBA offseason. Furthermore, Schiffer reports that Tucker is unlikely to return to South Beach.

Multiple teams — including Atlanta, Minnesota, Brooklyn, Chicago and Philadelphia — are expected to compete for PJ Tucker in free agency. All are expected to offer the full mid-level/TPMLE exception. He is unlikely to return to Miami, per sources.

— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) June 30, 2022

Trent Forrest will be an unrestricted free agent after the Jazz decided not to extend a qualifying offer to the point guard out of Florida State.

The Utah Jazz will not extend a qualifying offer to point guard Trent Forrest, making him an unrestricted free agent, League Sources tell The Athletic. There is interest in working something out during free agency. Forrest was a member of the rotation this past season

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) June 30, 2022

Per Marcus Thompson of The Athletic, Juan Toscano-Anderson will be an unrestricted free agent once the free agency period of the NBA offseason begins on Thursday. The 29-year-old became the first Mexican-American to win an NBA title after the Warriors won the 2022 NBA Finals.

“I got a championship with my hometown team,” JTA told Thompson during a phone interview Wednesday night.

“I’m stamped in the Town. I’m stamped in my country. That shit can’t nobody take from me. You’ve got to give a little to get a little. And I gave up playing time to, you know, become a legend. I’m a legend in the Town. I’m a legend in Mexico. And I’m not saying that myself. It’s showing, know what I mean?”

Juan Toscano-Anderson is at peace with leaving the Warriors.

“I’m stamped in the Town. I’m stamped in my country. That shit can’t nobody take from me.”

It’s time for the next chapter of his storybook journey.https://t.co/m94B7ILm2u pic.twitter.com/5OxoGWXG6P

— Marcus Thompson II (@ThompsonScribe) June 30, 2022

According to Tim Reynolds, the Heat does not have a meeting scheduled with restricted free agent Jalen Brunson on Thursday.

The Heat are not planning to meet with Jalen Brunson today, and they did not have such a meeting scheduled, per league source.

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) June 30, 2022

The Cavs are reportedly expected to match offers given to restricted free agent Collin Sexton. Multiple reports say Sexton wants a “starting guard” extension. The Alabama product is coming off a season-ending torn meniscus.

Cavs Expected To Match Outside Offers For Collin Sexton – Hoops Wire https://t.co/9k5zuRmUAd

— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) June 30, 2022

The Jazz won’t extend a qualifying offer to forward Eric Paschall, sources tell @Tjonesonthenba.

He will become an unrestricted free agent.https://t.co/fcOCtqEmMN pic.twitter.com/ok07Xpx9Dr

— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) June 30, 2022

Kemba Walker and the Pistons have reportedly agreed to a contract buyout. Walker will be a free agent after he clears waivers. Walker last played for the Knicks last season before he was traded to the Pistons as New York clears space to sign fellow free agent Jalen Brunson.

Four-time All-Star guard Kemba Walker and the Detroit Pistons are finalizing a contract buyout, sources tell ESPN. Once Walker clears waivers, he’ll join free agency.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, the Heat have guaranteed the contracts of Max Strus, Gabe Stevenson, and Omer Yurtseven as of Thursday morning.

Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Omer Yurtseven are still on the Heat’s roster this morning, which means their full $1.8 million salaries for next season are now guaranteed. This was seen as a formality. Carry on.

— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) June 30, 2022

The Sacramento Kings are exercising the option on PF/C Chimezie Metu for the 2022-2023 season, sources tell ESPN. Metu averaged 8.9 points and 5.6 rebounds in 21 minutes a game for the Kings last season.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

Patty Mills will be exploring his options on the free-agent market after declining to sign his player option with the Nets on Wednesday afternoon.

Brooklyn Nets guard Patty Mills declined his $6.2M option and will become a free agent, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

The Kings won’t be offering a qualifying offer to Donte DiVencenzo, making him an unrestricted free agent.

The Sacramento Kings are declining to offer Donte DiVencenzo a qualifying offer, which will make him an unrestricted free agent, sources tell ESPN. There will be significant interest in DiVencenzo on the open market.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

Lu Dort will be a restricted free agent after the OKC Thunder decided to not sign Durt’s team option for the 2022-23 season, per Shams Charania.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are declining the $1.9 million team option on froward Lu Dort for 2022-23 season, which makes him a restricted free agent and allows sides to negotiate a new deal in free agency, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2022

James Harden will hit the free-agent market for the first time in his career but he is likely to re-sign with the 76ers.

ESPN Sources: 76ers star James Harden has declined his $47.3M option and become a free agent. He keeps real the possibility of negotiating a new deal that would deliver the Sixers roster-building flexibility in free agency – including use of the full $10.5M exception.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

Bobby Portis told the Bucks that he’ll decline his player option and will instead become a free agent.

Portis has early bird rights in Milwaukee.

The maximum that he can sign for is 4 years/$49M.

The contract has to be for a minimum of 2 seasons and cannot include an option in year 2. https://t.co/Nu5KC9G8D9

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) June 29, 2022

Bradley Beal has made his long-awaited decision and will become a free agent for the first time in his career after declining his player option.

Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal has declined his $36.4M option and become a free agent, his agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN. Beal is eligible to sign a 5-year max to return to Wizards – or sign elsewhere on a 4-year deal.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

Jae-Sean Tate will be a restricted free agent after the ROckets declined his team option for the 2022-23 season. Shams Charania reports that Houston and Tate are mutually interested in signing a new deal once free agency begins on Thursday.

The Houston Rockets have declined forward Jae’Sean Tate’s $1.8 million team option for next season, making him a restricted free agent, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Rockets and Tate have mutual interest in discussing new deal in free agency beginning Thursday night.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2022

The Cavaliers have reportedly elected to not offer Moses Brown a qualifying offer to Moses Brown, per Michael Scott of the Hoopshype. The decision allows Brown to enter the free-agent market as an unrestricted free agent.

Sources: The Cleveland Cavaliers won’t tender a qualifying offer to center Moses Brown, @hoopshype has learned. The 7-foot-1, 22-year-old center will become an unrestricted free agent. Brown could be an intriguing development option for NBA teams around the league.

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 28, 2022

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Taurean Prince and the Timberwolves have reportedly agreed to a two-year contract extension.

Minnesota Timberwolves F Taurean Prince has agreed on a two-year, $16 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

Ivica Zubac and his reps have reportedly agreed to a three-year extension with the Clippers, per Woj. The Clippers declining to sign his team option led to the agreement with Zubac.

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac has agreed on a three-year, $33 million extension, his agents Jeff Schwartz and Mike Lindeman of @excelbasketball tell ESPN. The Clippers declined his $7.5M team option for 2022-2023, clearing the way for Zubac’s new deal.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2022

Tony Bradley is reportedly opting into his player option and will remain with the Bulls next season, per Woj.

Chicago Bulls center Tony Bradley is exercising his $2M player option for next season, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2022

The post 2022 NBA Free Agency Tracker appeared first on SLAM.

Leading up to tonight’s festivities, we’re taking a look at the cant-miss prospects you should have on your radar. Let’s get it.

Bennedict Mathurin

A native of Montreal, Quebec, Bennedict Mathurin leads the next generation of Canadian hoopers.

A true shot-maker with the ability to score in the catch-and-shoot or off the dribble, Mathurin should be able to provide instant offense for a team at the next level. He scored 17.7 points per game on 45.0 percent shooting from the field, and 36.9 percent shooting from three and displayed the capability to take a game over at Arizona (look no further than his career-high 30 points against TCU in the second round of the NCCA Tournament).

In addition to his shooting prowess, Mathurin has a powerful first step when attacking the rim and has shown the physicality to destroy rims.

His efficiency as a long-range shooter is something teams across the League love. During his freshman season, Mathurin hit 41.8 percent of his three-point attempts as a spot-up shooter. When asked to do more during his sophomore campaign, Mathurin improved his accuracy despite jumping up to 6.1 shots per game (while also managing ball-handling and playmaking duties).

Mathurin also has an excellent in-between game and is reliable at the free-throw line, 78.9 percent as a sophomore. His maturation from a spot-up shooter to a dynamic three-level scorer makes him one of the most dangerous prospects in the draft. He’s also a willing rebounder with good size and strength, pulling down 5.6 boards per game last season.

The 2021-22 PAC-12 Player of the Year and consensus second-team All-American has earned comparisons to the likes of Jamal Crawford and Victor Oladipo with his length and ability to score off the dribble and in catch and shoot sets.

A product of the NBA Academy Latin America, Mathurin’s refined offensive game makes him a flat-out baller and a player who should be a productive scorer for years to come.

Keegan Murray

Improvement was the key to Keegan Murray’s college career at Iowa. Nearly every major statistical category of Murray’s game improved from year one to year two. His rebounding improved by over 3.5 boards per game; he transformed into a knockdown outside shooter, dished one more assist per game, and saw improved steal and block numbers. The result of this? A projected top-five pick with the tools to be a two-way star.

At 6’8, Murray’s a versatile defender with the length and mobility to guard nearly every position on the court. He averaged two blocks and a steal per game last season and used his leaping ability to contest shots at the rim. The Iowa native isn’t afraid to mix it up with big men on the boards, averaging 8.7 rebounds per game.

On offense, Murray is a scorer who can be productive without the ball in his hands. Between timely cuts to the basket and a robust pick-and-pop game, Murray knows how to contribute without demanding isolation or ball-dominant sets effectively. He’s comfortable in the post and is productive in the paint because of his superb shot selection (a career 54.3 percent from the field).

Murray didn’t shy away from the pressure of being a number one option for the Hawkeyes, recording 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while shooting 55.4 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from three last season.

After averaging just 7.2 points per game as a freshman, Murray was a consensus first-team All-American, first-team All-Big Ten, and Big Ten Tournament MVP as a sophomore. He was also the winner of the Karl Malone Award, given annually to the nation’s top power forward.

Murray could be considered a strong wing player or even a small-ball center in the League. His versatility presents mismatch nightmares for opposing teams. The ability to serve as a solid defensive presence while scoring from all three levels on offense is a rare trait. A late bloomer who was unranked in high school, Murray’s enormous improvements and potential as a do-it-all contributor on both sides of the floor make him one of the most intriguing prospects of the 2022 draft class.

Dyson Daniels

An Australian guard with elite defense and passing? We know what you’re thinking. No, Dyson Daniels is not a Ben Simmons replica, but he certainly shares a similar skill set as the 2016 No. 1 overall pick.

Daniels is a crafty playmaker and high-IQ defender who played in the NBL1 and NBA Global Academy in Australia before joining the G League Ignite in 2021. In the G League, he displayed his skill as a reliable ball-handler and master in the pick-and-roll with the ability to hit the open man or make defenders pay with his patented floater, a move that’s become a go-to option for the 19-year-old.

Daniels averaged 11.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game when matching up against NBA-caliber talent last season. The 2018 FIBA Oceania U15 Gold Medalist emerged as a two-way threat with his 6-10 wingspan and solid frame. Excellent court vision and ability to be a disruptor on defense allowed Daniels to set himself apart from the rest as this year’s top G-League prospect.

Speaking of defense, Daniels recorded 1.9 steals in 2021-22 while showcasing the ability to lock up both traditional guards and larger wing players. His high basketball IQ serves him well on this end, as he knows when to switch and send help, but his one-on-one defense is what could make him a bag in the League. He sticks to his matchup, and because of his active hands and ability to slide his feet, he can be trusted on an island to put the clamps on.

The Australian only averaged 2.1 fouls per game last season, so he knows how to play defense without fouling. Daniels is also the first to dive on a loose ball and set the tone of the game, an invaluable asset not always shown on the stat sheet. Because of that mindset, Daniels contributed in ways you don’t see in the box score with his instincts, feel for the game, and hustle.

On offense, Daniels will have to boost his three-point shot (he shot 25.5 from three last season) to become an all-around threat, but he has the potential to turn into a spot-up shooter with his already much-improved jumper. He could potentially contribute immediately as a perimeter defender and facilitator as the two-way prospect teams desire in a top pick.

Ochai Agbaji

No prospect has improved over his four years in college more than Ochai Agbaji. He went from bench piece to regular starter to star player and has progressed at every point to find himself as a potentially coveted piece for an NBA team. 

It starts with his physical tools: Agbaji possesses a 6’10 wingspan and a 6’6 frame, making him an ideal wing defender for today’s NBA. Agbaji’s advanced defensive metrics suggest he is a wildly optimistic defender, something many NBA teams will find valuable. In his four years at Kansas, Agbaji hasn’t had a defensive plus/minus of less than 2.2. His vertical was measured at 39 inches at the combine, which will also serve him well in cutting situations and rebounding. 

Agbaji’s three-point shot has also steadily improved over his time in college, as he shot over 40% this past year, delivering several clutch moments throughout the college year. His most important moment was shooting 6/7 from three in the Final Four matchups against Villanova. He also went 7/12 from the field against Texas Tech at home and was a key performer in the Big 12 tournament championship going 3/6 from downtown, finishing with 16 points and seven boards.

When asked about staying for a fourth year in college, Agbaji opened up about his thought process.

“Sometimes you’ve gotta stay patient; sometimes it’s not going to be there right away, the first two years or first three years. But if you stay the course, things will come to fruition,” Agbaji said.

It seems as if staying one more year at Kansas helped his draft stock after testing the waters last year, which resulted in a consensus All-American year with a Big 12 & National championship at a blue blood program under an all-time great coach in Bill Self. The stars have aligned for him as the ideal “Three and D” prototype that teams demand after four years of steady improvement and being a late bloomer, which has been for the better.

Shaedon Sharpe:

Shaedon Sharpe technically hasn’t played since his senior year of high school, where he was the number one ranked player in the 2022 class until he reclassified to the 2021 class. Sharpe sat out the entire 2021-2022 college season, choosing to develop on-campus without playing a game; however, that hasn’t seemed to hurt his draft stock in any capacity. 

“My thought process as an athlete, as a basketball player, was really just getting better,” Sharpe said per Sporting News. “So I was just in the gym every day, working out. Really for me, whatever happened, I’d be ready for it.

“Like I said before, everything happens for a reason. So I really don’t regret [not] playing,” Sharpe said. “I mean, I’m working with NBA teams now. So I guess I did something right.”

According to Eric Bossi, the National Basketball Director of 247sports, “Sharpe is an explosive athlete with a nose for the rim.” Bossi also said Sharpe had developed his handle “tremendously,” which has allowed him to become a creative scorer and playmaker.

According to Bossi, Sharpe also has an “electric first step and his ability to get downhill, into the lane, and then finish around the rim.” Bossi also likes Sharpe’s length and ability to move well laterally and believes he “has all of the tools to develop into a player who is just as disruptive on the defensive end of the floor as he is on offense.”

Like Agbaji, his physical tools allow him to be a coveted prototype NBA wing that plays defense and can score at all three levels. His explosive athleticism will keep him a step ahead of everyone else in the League, much of that credit going to his above-average first step. If he can just control the ball-handling a little bit more and prove to be healthy, he could be THE steal of the draft.

The post 2022 NBA Draft Preview: Can’t-Miss Prospects appeared first on SLAM.

Oladipo is on the verge of free agency and could draw legitimate outside suitors after playing well in 15 playoff appearances. The former Indiana Hoosier is also headed towards the first offseason where he could have an offseason where he can work on his game and conditioning for the first time in years after he’s worked his way back from rehabbing a few quadriceps procedures, most recently going under the knife in May 2021.

“He’s going into the summer physically able to work at his craft,” Spoelstra said. “He’ll get back to the player that people were accustomed to seeing.”

That player is the one who is the 2018 Most Improved Player. The one who averaged over 20 points per game for the Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets. After Oladipo showed, he’s still got some motion in him during Miami’s playoff run, and he’s likely to garner a better deal than the League-minimum deal he signed last year.

According to Ira Winderham of the South Floria Sun-Sentinel, the New York Knicks could be looking to sign the 2018 Most Improved Player of the year. The 2022 free agency market beings July 1, and Miami owns Oladipos Bird Right, which means the Heat can match a contract worth $20 million-plus this summer.

“So we’ll see where that goes,” Heat President Pat Riley said this week, “because Vic’s obviously a free agent, and we have his Bird Rights, and we’ll definitely be talking to his agent.”

Miami must ask themselves whether Oladipo would be worth that kind of money after showing enough playoff flashes of brilliance. With Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, and Tyler Herro already in tow, it could be challenging for Heat president Pat Riley to rationalize that decision. Herro is entrenched after bouncing back from a tough sophomore season and winning the 2022 Sixth Man of the Year. Lowry is 36-years-old but is still as cerebral as ever at point guard.

If Miami is to keep Oladipo, they could use him as a combo guard off the bench. He’s impressed Riley and Spoelstra with his hard work since coming back from being cleared for court work in January. He’s already got fans rooting for him within the organization, like assistant coach Chis Quinn, who has reminded Spoelstra just how unique Oladipo’s play has been after playing just 60 games over the last three years.

“Coach Quinn showed me — look, I’m aware of this, I’m fully aware because I’ve been with him for a full year — but that stat, in the last three years, how many games that he had missed, and then how many regular-season games he’s played in the last three years,” Spoelstra said, with that total at 60 over the three years, compared to a standard 82-game regular season. “For him to do what he did in this playoff run is really unheard of.”

The two-time All-Star has played 12 games in Miami since Houston traded him to South Beach in 2021. He averaged 12.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game during that time.

During the Heat’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals, Oladipo averaged 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.1 dimes per game, scoring 23 points twice against Atlanta (Game 2) and Boston (Game 4).

“There’s a great story in watching him work, watching him come back, and then watching him get into games,” Riley said of Oladipo’s progression this past season. “It wasn’t easy at the beginning. When he had 21 in Toronto, then 40 in Orlando, and you started to see some of the things he could do again, like you saw in the past.”

“And then in the playoffs, I thought he had some great moments for us. He was the kind of player that I felt as the series began to grow, and all of them began to grow and became more competitive defensively, that you do need players that can break down a defense on their own or with their quickness and slashing can create their own shots.”

The post Miami Mulling Re-Signing Victor Oladipo This Summer appeared first on SLAM.

Buckets in Boston.

31 PTS
8 REB
5 AST
2 STL
8-16 FGM pic.twitter.com/WD9VOT2ipM

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 24, 2022

Boston never looked back after racing out to a quick 8-0 run to begin Game 3. They eventually grabbed a 20-point lead in the first quarter, preventing Miami from scoring a field goal until the 3:22 mark, the longest drought in playoff history. The Celtics’ defense also held the Heat to 33.3 percent shooting from the field, including 38.9 percent from deep. Miami ultimately missed 15 of its first 16 shots.

“I think just starting off better,” Tatum said when asked about Boston’s stifling defensive effort. “Obviously, last game, we were down 20 in the first quarter; they were just a little too comfortable. They’re a really good team; they got great players. With great players, you can’t just make it easy. You gotta make it tough, stay connected and communicate.”

Jayson Tatum fading away is art.
(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/HEDU60m8yY

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 24, 2022

Boston also held Miami’s starters to just 18 points on 7-36 combined shooting from the field., Bam Adebayo led Miami’s starting five with nine points and six rebounds. Victor Oladipo led all Heat scorers with 23 points, four rebounds, and six assists.

Meanwhile, Tatum had a redeem game after being held to 10 points in Saturday’s Game 3 loss. Tattum scored 12 points in the opening frame, including this crafty reverse layup nearly four minutes into the game.

“We just came back and redeemed ourselves,” Tatum said. “We knew this was a game that we really needed to protect home court. Just following the last game, we were just ready to play; everybody was just ready to get back out here and play better.

Ain't no lay too tuff for Tatum.
(via @ESPNNBA) pic.twitter.com/7Wl2eQlFPf

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 24, 2022

As Tatum rose to the occasion, so did the rest of his teammates, who kept up the defensive pressure and smothered Miami, and prevented the Heat from getting comfortable at any point. Robert Williams (12 points, nine rebounds, two blocks) and Al Horford (five points, 13 rebounds, three assists, four blocks) recorded six combined blocks, with Tatum contributing two of his own.

“Al is our leader,” Tatum said about the veteran out of Florida. “I’ve been fortunate to have AL as a teammate for three years. He’s been great for me and my development, just the ultimate professional. It’s no surprise how he takes care of himself and the way he performs in big games.”

“Nah.” – Al Horford probably. pic.twitter.com/OwtfIKpu3U

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 24, 2022

Game 4 was never close on Monday, and now Boston and Miami will be wrestling for control when the ECF series shifts back to Miami for Game 4. From this point on, the seven-game series is now a best-of-three series.

The post Jayson Tatum Leads Boston to 102-82 Win Over Miami, Tie ECF Series At 2-2 appeared first on SLAM.

Gabe Vincent and Victor Oladipo scored 14 each, and Tyler Herro followed up with 11 points of his own. The loss drops Miami to 7-1 at FTX Arena during the 2022 playoffs.

“This only counts as one,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That’s what the experienced players in the locker room and staff understand. We don’t like it. They played extremely well. You have two really good teams, and we just have to figure some things out.”

The Miami Heat will have to have a short memory before Game 3 after this blowout loss. Everything that could’ve gone wrong did after Miami raced out to a 10-point in the opening minutes of the first quarter. That was about the only bright spot of the night before Boston went on a 17-0 fueled by five made triples in six possessions. The superstar duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined to score 51 points, including 33 in the first half.

Boston eventually outscored Miami by 39 points in the next 18 minutes and headed into the locker room with a 70-45 lead at halftime. After the break, Butler did everything he could to bring Miami back into the game, cutting the lead to 17 after scoring 16 points in the third quarter.

However, Boston responded with a 12-2 run to shut the door on any comeback bid, restoring a 27-deficit while heading into the final frame with a 96-71 lead that was never threatened. Had Miami not gone on a late run, Game 2 of the 2022 Miami-Boston ECF series would’ve set a Miami record for the biggest loss in their franchise history. Miami avoided that historic achievement, but Boston broke their franchise record for the biggest road playoff game lead at halftime (25).

“It has to hurt,” Butler said. “They tried to embarrass us. They did embarrass us. — Overall, we just have to be better.”

The next time Miami and Boston meet will be Saturday’s Game 3 in TD Garden. Whoever wins Game 3 will leave with a 2-1 series and home-court advantage.

The post Erik Spoelstra On Miami’s Game 2 Loss: ‘This Only Counts As One’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Heat had seven scorers in double-figures, led by Jimmy Butler (23 points), Max Strus (19 points, and Gabe Vincent (15 points). Victor Oladipo scored 13, followed by a 12-point effort from Bam Adebayo and 10 points apiece from Tyler Herro and P.J. Tucker.

Jimmy Buckets.

23 PTS
9 REB
6 AST

(via @MiamiHEAT) pic.twitter.com/Q07uFchjN7

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 11, 2022

Defensively, the Heat held the Sixers to 36.5 percent shooting from the field and 28.1 percent from beyond the arc. As for the superstars of the Heat, Joel Embiid was held to 17 points (7-12 shooting) and five rebounds, while James Harden contributed 14 points, six rebounds, and four assists on 5-13 shooting 2-6 from the three-point line.

BAM JAM!

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/hzLqkmDuvb

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 10, 2022

The 76ers had a rough night; overall, Miami came out firing on all cylinders, outscoring Philly in all four quarters. Miami shut the door on any comeback hopes immediately in the fourth quarter when they went on a 12-0 run powered by a 7-0 spurt from Herro and Struss, who scored five straight points to open the fourth frame. Adebayo stretched the lead to 25 with a three-point play, forcing Coach Rivers to sub out Embiid since Game 5 was no longer in question.

“We did what we were supposed to do once again,” Butler said during his postgame interview with Chris Haynes of YahooSports. “We won at home, we’re a different team when we make shots, and I don’t like that. I want us to be able to get spots no matter what, and then we worry about making shots. Right now, we’re cool.”

This interview is gold

(via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/RlR8OdXRsd

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 11, 2022

The post Jimmy Butler on Miami’s 120-85 Win in Game 5: ‘We Did What We Were Supposed to Do Once Again’ appeared first on SLAM.

That’s been Victor Oladipo’s mantra since undergoing two major surgeries to repair a right torn quadricep. 11 months ago, Oladipo couldn’t walk, let alone bend his leg. But in Miami’s Game 5 win over the Atlanta Hawks last Tuesday, Oladipo was more than ready; he was itching to remind the world of the type of player that he is.

After pouring in a team-high 23 points, three dimes, and three steals, Oladipo reveled in his performance with the Miami crowd as his resurgence as a critical piece in Miami’s lineup can’t be denied.

I’m just trying to ball and live. How can I lose when we the who’s who’s? pic.twitter.com/XlaJD69cBp

— Victor Oladipo (@VicOladipo) April 27, 2022

On Monday, Oladipo sat down with Stadium’s Shams Charania to chop it up about his road to recovery, his return to the court, and how he views his game today compared to his All-Star years.

“I would be a fool not to feel like I’m still there,” Oladipo said about being an All-Star talent. “That’s my goal is to show everyone that I’m still elite.

Heat’s Victor Oladipo sits down with @Stadium: “From why me, to giving up, what do I do next, to should I just stop. Go through every single emotion…then look yourself in the mirror and say: Man, keep going.” On revival, goal to regain All-Star status, new album, more. pic.twitter.com/TeMYcqLRVb

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 2, 2022

While the unknown still lingers as to how often Oladipo will be inserted into lineups and the length of time he sees on the hardwood, in just two playoff appearances so far, Oladipo is focused on “controlling the controllable” while averaging 17.2 points, 4.5 boards and 1.5 steals per game.

“I know it’s going to be a process. I know it’s not always going to be easy, but I’m willing to put in the work. I don’t shy away from it, so I’m looking forward to seeing what the future brings,” Oladipo said.

The post Miami’s Victor Oladipo is Ready to Show He’s ‘Elite’ in Return appeared first on SLAM.

In the post-game conference, Coach Erik Spoelstra talked about how his team fought through the adversity of losing Lowry and Butler to close out this series. The Game 5 win was Spoelstra’s 89th career playoff win since becoming the head coach of Miami in 2008.

“This was just a really inspiring team win,” Spoelstra said. “We clearly had some adversity in this game not having Kyle or Jimmy, and our group doesn’t even blink. That wasn’t something we even had to address; we just pivot and out in the game plan. Defensively there were some incredibly inspiring plays all game long.”

Victor Oladipo led the team in scoring with 23 points shooting 8-of-16 from the floor. Bam Adebayo followed up with 20 points and 11 rebounds, snagging the game-winning steal to send the Hawks packing back to ATL.

Spoelstra boasted about Adebayo and Oladipo’s great performances to close the series out, especially in the fourth quarter.

“I thought Bam was just tremendous; that’s just winning basketball all the way around. Vic was really good for us, he was able to generate some looks for us in the paint, and I thought it was fitting for us to win this game off that last stop at the end.”

The Heat will face the winner of the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors series, where the Sixers currently have a 3-2 lead. Game 6 of that series will continue Thursday in Jurassic Park.

The post Erik Spoelstra On Heat Advancing to Eastern Semifinals: ‘We Clearly Had Some Adversity in this Game’ appeared first on SLAM.

Through it all, Oladipo has worked hard to regain his All-Star form and provide some production to the No. 1 seeded Miami Heat. In their 97-94 Game 5 win, the resilience of Oladipo paid dividends after the two-time All-Star finished the elimination game with a team-high 23 points, three assists, and three steals.

Victor is hooooping rn.

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/IoeooP25ks

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 26, 2022

His big-time performance helped lift a Heat team that was missing Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler due to hamstring and knee injuries, respectively.

“There’s nothing I can’t handle,” Oladipo told NBATV. “At the end of the day, I feel like I can come back and get through anything. So when they told me I needed to start tonight, I just stepped up to the plate and did everything I could to help my team win.

“I credit my coaching staff and my teammates for believing in me, my family, my God in heaven for getting me through. It’s only the beginning.”

“There’s nothing I can’t handle.”@VicOladipo talked to @RebeccaHaarlow after the Heat close out the Hawks in Game 5. pic.twitter.com/l6fuHbQlCy

— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 27, 2022

The Heat also relied on their fourth-ranked defense to bottle up Trae Young (11 points, eight rebounds, six assists on 2-12 shooting from the field, 0-5 from the three-point line) and secure the series-concluding win on Tuesday. Miami was down for most of the first half before the Heat went on a 17-0 run late in the second quarter, never surrounding their lead.

However, the Hawks still put their head down and kept making pushes to make a comeback, going on 8-0 and 10-0 runs. Atlanta closed a deficit as large as 15 to within 95-93 before Oladipo closed the door on the comeback after diming Bam Adebayo for a clutch dunk with 59 seconds remaining on the clock.

Vic Oladipo dimes it to Bam to push the lead back to 4!#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel on NBA TV
https://t.co/rTTQ9EtLON pic.twitter.com/afYL5sVV39

— NBA (@NBA) April 27, 2022

The Heat advanced to the second round and will play the winner of the 76ers-Raptors series.

I’m just trying to ball and live. How can I lose when we the who’s who’s? pic.twitter.com/XlaJD69cBp

— Victor Oladipo (@VicOladipo) April 27, 2022

The post Victor Oladipo Leads Miami to Series Closing Win Over Atlanta appeared first on SLAM.

#HOUvsMIA UPDATE: Victor Oladipo, Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin will all warm up with the intent to play in tonight’s game vs the Rockets.

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 7, 2022

After three years of dealing with surgeries and rehabs due to some troubling leg injuries, Victor Oladipo’s play status has been upgraded to questionable, heading into the Heats game against the Rockets on Monday.

With the Heat saying he’s questionable to play, that means there’s a coin flips chance of the two-time All-Star will make his season debut on Monday. Oladipo last played competitive basketball last year on April 8. Since then, he’s undergone a second surgery on his quadriceps tendon. He first suffered the injury in January 2019 while he played for the Pacers.

“He has great fortitude,” Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra said per ESPN. “That’s the toughest thing for a professional athlete is to get injured, and most of your time is away from the team. Probably, when you talk about mental health, that is the most challenging thing for an athlete.

“You don’t necessarily always feel like you’re a part of it. You have doubts; you don’t know what it’s going to look like on the other side when you do get healthy; you’re not sure if all the work is really mattering. That’s a tough place for an athlete.”

With the Indiana product back in the lineup, the Heat have another layer of depth to rely on with 17 games left on the schedule. For his career, Oladipo has averaged 17.5 points per game, 19.5 with the Heat, Rockets, and Pacers before going down with his knee injury.

Oladipo has missed 89 games since last season, including the Heat’s playoff run. Since his initial surgery three years ago, he’s made 56 appearances, missing 201 games within that same timeframe.

“He looks great,” Heat forward Jimmy Butler said. “He’s been working for, whew, a long time, countless amounts of hours, rehab, in the gym, in the weight room. And I’m excited for him to get back.”

Oladipo has ramped up his rehab with the Heat’s G League affiliate in Sioux Falls in anticipation of his return.

“Through this entire process, I’ve really respected and admired how Vic is able to keep his positive spirit,” Spoelstra said. “It really is a unique quality. I love that quality about him.”

The post Heat Announce Victor Oladipo Will Warm Up Against Rockets With ‘Intent’ to Play appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that two-time All-Star Victor Oladipo is set to return to the court for the first time this season.

Oladipo has been out for 11 months, playing most recently in April of 2021 when he suffered a right quad injury against the Los Angeles Clippers.

It was a weird 2020-21 season for Oladipo, as he ended the year being traded twice, playing for three different teams and only getting four games with the Heat before his quad injury. Despite the wackiness of his season, Oladipo still had a solid statistical year, averaging 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game.

Over his career, Oladipo has averaged 17.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game in nine seasons in the NBA.

The Heat have created a bit of distance for themselves atop the Eastern Conference standings, currently holding a 2.5 game lead over the second-place Philadelphia 76ers (38-23)with a record of 42-22.

For Oladipo’s first game back, he’ll be suiting up against his former Rockets at home at 6:30 p.m.

The post REPORT: Victor Oladipo to Make Season Debut for the Heat on Monday appeared first on SLAM.

Sources: Miami Heat's Victor Oladipo could make season debut by second week of March – via @ESPN App https://t.co/XkNPhCIolC

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 25, 2022

Oladipo has yet to play with the Heat this season after undergoing surgery on his quad tendon in January 2019. He arrived in South Beach after the Rockets traded him last season at the trade deadline. He played four games before re-injuring his knee in April. Oladipo has been rehabbing from going under the knife since May. The 29-year-old guard will be a free agent this summer after his one-year deal with Miami ends.

The two-time All-Star has averaged 17.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game across a nine-year career.

The Heat are on the road and will play the Knicks on Friday.

The post REPORT: Victor Oladipo Could Make Season Debut in March appeared first on SLAM.

Avery Bradley’s and Austin Reaves’ Lakers contracts for this season will become fully guaranteed at 2 p.m. PT and they will remain with the team, league sources told ESPN

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 7, 2022

Bradley previously played for the Lakers during the chaotic 2019-2020 season. He opted out of playing with LA in the NBA Bubble to help take care of his oldest son, who struggles with respiratory illness. Bradley subsequently declined to sign his player option with the Lakers, and he signed with Miami Heat, who then traded him, Kelly Olynk, and a 2022 draft to the Rockets for Victor Oladipo.

Bradley signed with the Warriors last offseason but was waived after playing four preseason games. The Lakers promptly brought him back off waivers in October, where he has played since. Bradley averages 6.4 points and 2.0 rebounds per game with the Lakers this season.

Reaves has carved out a role as a rotational player contributing 5.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game as a rookie. The 23-year-old guard out of Oklahoma has been a Laker since signing a two-way contract after shining in the Summer League that was transformed to a multi-year deal. The second year of Reaves’ contract is under team control.

The Lakers return to action on Friday against the Hawks in the confines of Crypto.com Arena.

The post REPORT: Lakers Fully Guaranteeing Contracts of Avery Bradley and Austin Reaves appeared first on SLAM.

“You don’t really realize what you’re doing in that moment,” Wagner later said. “I just tried to jump as high as possible and finish the play.” The clip is posted to his Instagram account—the only thing he’s posted since entering the NBA a few months ago. And the caption, in German, reads: “Immer weiter, immer weiter.” Translation: “On and on and on.”

Wagner had 28 points that night, in what was just the eighth outing of his professional career. 

“That locker room is so happy for him, because they know how hard he works,” Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said following the game. “He has such a high basketball IQ—making the right reads, finding the open teammates, knowing when to turn the corner, knowing when to get downhill and when to pass the ball. His basketball IQ and knowledge of the game—the things he sees—it makes him special.”

There wasn’t much buzz around Wagner heading into the season, partly because the Magic also drafted Jalen Suggs—the well-known, highly-touted prospect who helped lead Gonzaga to the national championship game—with the No. 5 pick. Wagner, a 6-10 forward out of Michigan, was taken three spots later. Much of the excitement in Orlando, thus, centered on Suggs. But Wagner quickly asserted himself. He started from day one, impressing the coaching staff with his versatility and high basketball IQ, as Mosley referenced. “He’s a very smart player,” teammate Robin Lopez reaffirmed in an interview with NBA.com. “He’s extremely versatile. I like the mentality he’s got to top that all off. He’s relentless out there. He doesn’t get easily discouraged.”

If you watched the video above, you don’t need me to tell you that Wagner has elite athleticism and great size for a wing. He helps out on the boards (averaging 4.4 rpg so far) and defends multiple positions effectively. As of this writing, he’s matched up with guards such as Trae Young and James Harden, bigs such as Julius Randle and Aaron Gordon and unicorns such as Kevin Durant.

On the other side, Wagner uses his physical tools and a solid handle to navigate to the paint. He’s under control attacking the rim—sometimes elevating for huge dunks (see another below); sometimes stopping short for little floaters or soft layups off the glass; sometimes euro-stepping around defenders. There were concerns about his ability to spread the floor after he shot just 34 percent from deep last year, but Wagner has upped his efficiency in the NBA (38 percent) and currently ranks third among rookies in three-pointers made. Overall, he’s scoring 13.8 points per game, the second highest mark on the Magic.

With Suggs sidelined by injury, Wagner has been handling the ball more and initiating actions. His playmaking in pick-and-roll situations has really stood out for a 20-year-old still adjusting to the League. Over his last eight, Wagner is averaging 4.6 assists while continuing to limit his turnovers. As both Mosley and Lopez alluded to, the former Wolverine just has an outstanding feel for the game.

Do yourself a favor and watch the highlight mix below. Wagner scores in pretty much every way possible and shows incredible poise orchestrating the offense—making the right decisions out of pick-and-rolls, from the mid-post and in transition. He finished with 27 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, joining Cole Anthony, Victor Oladipo, Jameer Nelson, Penny Hardaway and Shaquille O’Neal as the only Magic rookies ever with a 25/5/5 line.

Afterwards, a reporter asked Wagner whether the game was beginning to slow down for him at this point in the season.

“At times,” he responded. “I think there are still a couple moments in the game where I wish I would take it a little slower for myself and give [myself] more time to read what’s out there, but there’s definitely a couple situations where I’m making reads that I definitely didn’t see earlier in the season.”

Only 26 games in and Wagner is already seeing reads he wasn’t before. As he continues to progress, expect more playmaking, more all-around performances, and, of course, a lot more IG-worthy posters.

The post SLAM x Panini Rookie Spotlight: Franz Wagner appeared first on SLAM.

The Heat superstar returned to action against the Memphis Grizzlies after missing four games with a tailbone injury only to reaggravate it in a 105-90 loss Monday night.

Butler reinjured himself in the first quarter driving to the basket and landing on his back at the tailbone area.

Heat Coach Eric Spoelstra spoke on the matter after the game via ESPN.

“He drew contact and got shoved and landed on his tailbone again,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game. “There could not have been a worst scenario for us to start the game. It is a contact sport. It’s an unpredictable thing. Insult to injury, we didn’t get the call on that either.

“But he definitely re-aggravated it. You can tell from that point on he was not his usual self. So we’ll reevaluate him [Tuesday] and see where we are.”

Butler returned to the game after the fall but eventually left for good in the third quarter with 10 points.

The team will hold Butler out for Wednesday’s home game against the NBA champion, Milwaukee Bucks.

Butler’s injury is just the latest of a long list of players who are banged up or unavailable for the game.

Heat injury update for Wednesday vs. Bucks:
Jimmy Butler (tailbone) out
Markieff Morris (neck) out
Bam Adebayo (thumb) out
Victor Oladipo (knee) out
Marcus Garrett (G League) out
Caleb Martin (knee) questionable

— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) December 7, 2021

Markieff Morris will miss his 16th consecutive game because of a neck injury. At the same time, All-Star Bam Adebayo is reportedly expected to miss four to six weeks after undergoing right thumb surgery last week.

The post Jimmy Butler Held Out Of Miami Lineup Due to Lingering Tailbone Injury appeared first on SLAM.

According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the Indiana Pacers and 76ers have reportedly discussed a trade involving Caris LeVert—a player many in and around the league believe to have All-Star potential—and Simmons.

However, the Pacers aren’t the only team who have reported interest in Simmons, with the Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angles Clippers, and more rumored to be engaged with Philadelphia as well.

LeVert is a recent addition for Indiana, getting sent that way from the Brooklyn Nets following the multi-team trade that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets and Victor Oladipo to the Houston Rockets.

Last season, LeVert missed time after a medical with the team discovered that he had a cancerous mass on his kidney that needed surgery. Following the surgery, LeVert managed to play in 35 games for Indiana with averages of 20.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.

Simmons himself had a strong regular season in Philadelphia, being named to his third All-Star game while averaging 14.3 points, 6.9 assists and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Until he is traded, Simmons is refusing to play for the 76ers and was not present for the team’s opening preseason game on Monday night.

The post REPORT: Sixers Discussing Potential Simmons-LeVert Trade with Pacers appeared first on SLAM.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pacers found that LeVert has a stress fracture in his back and will likely be out for the preseason.

However, Wojnarowski reports that there is optimism from the Pacers camp that this injury won’t cause LeVert to miss significant time, and he should return “sometime around the start of the season.

LeVert missed time last season after being traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Pacers when a medical revealed a cancerous lump in the guard’s kidney. Thankfully, he had successful surgery and returned to action for Indiana in March.

LeVert was traded to the Pacers in January as part of the multi-team trade that saw James Harden make his way to the Nets, Victor Oladipo make his way to the Houston Rockets and Jarrett Allen make his way to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeVert managed to get 35 games in for the Pacers before the end of the season, averaging 20.7 points, 4.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game. In LeVert’s five-year career, he has played in 260 games, averaging 14.1 points, 3.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game.

The post REPORT: Pacers Guard Caris LeVert Sustains Stress Fracture, Likely Out for Preseason appeared first on SLAM.

Oladipo will eye 2022 free agency to return to the market and sign a big contract once he’s fully healthy. Miami will retain Oladipo’s Bird Rights, allowing them to find the means to sign him again next offseason. https://t.co/IRPUndKXgj

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 4, 2021

The signing could be considered a surprise due to Oladipo’s health after undergoing a second surgery in 28 months on his right quad in May.

The Heat will look for him to get back to the best two-way player that won the NBA’s Most Improved Player while making the All-NBA third-team and All-Defensive first-team in 2017-18.

Miami has been very busy since the free agency started. The Oladipo deal follows the Kyle Lowry sign and trade acquisition with the Toronto Raptors. Then they signed Jimmy Butler to a multi-year extension.

Victor was part of the huge four-team James Harden trade early last season. The Indiana Pacers dealt him to Houston, and at the trade deadline, Houston sent him to South Beach.

He averaged 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 40.8 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from deep across 33 games in 2020-21.

The post REPORT: Victor Oladipo Will Return to Miami appeared first on SLAM.

However, Oladipo can look forward to a silver lining now, as this recovery timeline now appears to have been significantly shortened.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Dr. Jonathan Glashow—the doctor responsible for Oladipo’s surgery—is “optimistic” that he can clear Oladipo’s return to the court “by November.”

“The quad wasn’t really hooked up. It was torn, and I reattached it,” Glashow told Wojnarowski. “I was amazed he was playing with what he had. I’m very optimistic that I could clear him in six months, by November. I think he’s going to play really well again.

[The surgery] went extremely well, and it’s healing beautifully. I’m confident he’ll play next year.”

This is big news for Oladipo, as the guard is set to hit free agency this summer, and potentially being healthy could keep teams interested despite the injury.

Oladipo, who injured his quad after just four games with the Heat, was traded to Miami in March after a brief tenure with the Houston Rockets. 29-years-old, this will be Oladipo’s second surgery on right quad within the past 28 months.

An eight-year veteran, Oladipo has suited up for five different teams in his career, tallying career averages of 17.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. In 2020-21, Oladipo averaged 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.

The post Victor Oladipo May Not Miss Entirety of 2021-22 Season appeared first on SLAM.

Now that the playoffs are finally here, and the bracket completely set, it’s time to preview the Eastern Conference side of the playoffs.

1 Philadelphia 76ers (49-23)

8 Washington Wizards (34-38)

#WizPacers W in a tweet

– CLINCHED 8 in the East
– BB3 25p
– Russ 18p-8r-15a
– DG 15p-13r-5b pic.twitter.com/GhfjflXlrY

— x – Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) May 21, 2021

On the surface, this is just another one-seed that should dominate this eight-seed Wizards team that went 34-38 in the regular season, but the Wizards have more fight than that. The Wizards have two All-Star level guards in Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal and are coming into the playoffs hot, having won 14 of their last 20 games. The Wizards will look to win games by pushing the pace, as their 104.1 pace rating is far and away the highest mark in the NBA.  

With that being said, the 76ers should expect nothing less than an easy four or five-game series. Philadelphia has the best record in the Eastern Conference, going 49-23, paired with an elite defense, ending the season with a defensive rating of 107.0, second-best in the NBA. If the 76ers championship ambitions are to be taken seriously, they need to dispose of the Wizards with minimal problems to open their playoff push.

2 Brooklyn Nets (48-24)

7 Boston Celtics (36-36)

Get ready for Game 1 with a look back at some of our top moments vs Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/DFt2vLztHl

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 22, 2021

The Nets have the most dynamic offense in the League, featuring a lethal trio of future Hall of Famers Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. But all eyes will be not on the Nets’ offense, but rather their defense, which ranked eighth-worst in the NBA in defensive rating. The Celtics will serve as an excellent test to see if the Nets’ potent offense has enough firepower to overcome their defensive lapses.

The Celtics torched the Wizards to earn the seven-seed thanks to Jayson Tatum’s 50 point outing, but the Nets will prove to be a different foe. The Celtics have struggled this season and enter the playoffs having lost six of their last eight games to end the regular season, and All-Star forward Jaylen Brown due to a wrist injury. Boston will need even more Tatum heroics to get them out of this series. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the Celtics to keep pace with the high-powered Nets’ offense.

3 Milwaukee Bucks (46-26)

6 Miami Heat (40-32)

Khris is locked in. pic.twitter.com/SseanrLZ7K

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) May 22, 2021

This Bucks vs. Heat matchup serves as a repeat of last year’s Eastern Conference Sem-Finals, where the Heat dispatched the Bucks in just five games. However, this is a different Bucks team. The addition of point guard Jrue Holiday to pair with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo makes the Bucks defense more formidable than last year with Eric Bledsoe. But head coach Mike Budenholzer will have to show a willingness to adapt on the fly, as that has been his Achilles heel in the past two playoffs.

The Heat have had a rollercoaster season, with many key players missing serious time, eventually landing them the six-seed in the Eastern Conference. Jimmy Butler had another fantastic season in Miami, and him paired with defensive menace Bam Adebayo will undoubtedly give them a strong shot at taking down Milwaukee. They’ll have to do it without Victor Oladipo though; he will miss the entire playoffs due to a quad injury.

4 New York Knicks (41-31)

5 Atlanta Hawks (41-31)

Playoff basketball is back where it belongs.

WE HERE. pic.twitter.com/4W7HVAuo2b

— x – NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 19, 2021

The Knicks vs. Hawks series is a battle between two teams that had very different paths to get here. The Knicks earned their way into the playoffs with their elite defense, finishing the season with the fourth-best defensive rating in the League of 107.8. The Hawks, on the other hand, got to the playoffs with their offense, finishing with the ninth-highest offensive rating with 114.3. One commonality between the two teams can be seen with their coaches. Both Tom Thibodeau and Nate McMillan have come to these franchises after disappointing at their previous stops to help turn their new franchise around

The Hawks will have to find a way to hide Trae Young’s defensive woes, as they need him on the floor to run their offense. Clint Capela had a monster defensive season and will prove a worthy matchup to All-Star Julius Randle. The Knicks will need R.J. Barrett, Derrick Rose and Alec Burks to continue their strong regular seasons into the playoffs to score enough points to beat the Hawks.

The post 2021 NBA Playoff Matchups: Eastern Conference appeared first on SLAM.

Oladipo, who will have the surgery on Thursday in New York, has no timetable for his return.

Having originally suffered a torn right quadriceps tendon in the 2018-19 season, he’s played in just 88 regular season games since what has been the only major injury of his career.

That being said, Oladipo’s impending free agency will likely play as big a factor in his approach to recovery as any, with the star having been one of the league’s most well-paid players since 2017. In addition, as Oladipo has been traded twice this season and already suited up for five franchises, a long-term home could be a priority for the two-time All-Star.

Oladipo has averaged 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game this season, while shooting .408 percent from the field and .326 percent from 3-point range.

The post Heat Announce Victor Oladipo to Have Season-Ending Surgery appeared first on SLAM.

To Jimmy Butler, that means there’s unfinished business. In fact, he recently talked about how things will be different this time around.  

““I want to let Miami know that we, this organization, want to bring another championship here,” Butler said in an interview with Ocean Drive. “When we get there, which we will, we’re gonna get it done this time.”

Butler is confident that the Heat will make their way back to the NBA Finals, but also finish with a series win and a championship trophy this time around. After acquiring Victor Oladipo at the trade deadline, Miami certainly has the depth to make some noise down the stretch. 

Currently 26-25, the Heat have had quite a bit of success recently, climbing their way up the standings in the East. With teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers having extremely talented rosters, the path back won’t be easy. Yet, with their roster featuring the trio of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Victor Oladipo, don’t count the Miami Heat out. 

The post Jimmy Butler On NBA Finals: ‘We’re Gonna Get It Done This Time’ appeared first on SLAM.

Dedmon, 31-years-old, will be set to begin his eighth season after entering the NBA as an undrafted rookie in 2013. His most recent stop was in Atlanta with Trae Young’s Hawks, where he averaged 8.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steal per game after being traded by the Sacramento Kings.

An athletic big man who has become known as a shot-blocker, rim-runner and floor spacer (he’s made .333 percent of his 3-point attempts since 2017-18), Dedmon’s skillset could prove valuable in the postseason. While he may only be used sparingly unless there’s an injury, his abilities on both ends will help Miami mitigate the loss of center Kelly Olynyk.

The Heat, 26-25, traded Olynyk to the Houston Rockets as part of their package for star guard Victor Oladipo.

The post Heat, Dewayne Dedmon to Agree to Deal appeared first on SLAM.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Houston Rockets are reportedly trading the 28-year old guard to the Miami Heat. Oladipo was traded to the Rockets last season in exchange for James Harden, who was sent to the Nets.

According to the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen, the Rockets will acquire Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk, and a 2022 pick swap.

Houston is trading Victor Oladipo to Miami, source tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 25, 2021

Rockets acquire Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk and a 2022 pick swap from Miami for Victor Oladipo, per source.

— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) March 25, 2021

This is the fourth time he has been traded in his career, yet the Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reported back in January that Oladipo had hopes to play in Miami. He also reportedly turned down a two-year, $45.2 million contract extension with the Rockets according to Wojnarowski.

Despite suffering a quad injury in 2019 that limited him to 55 games combined in two seasons, Oladipo has been making a comeback this year and is currently averaging 20.8 points, 4.7 assists, and 5.0 rebounds a game while shooting 41.1 percent from the field.

Now on the Heat, the two-time All-Star will add an athletic skillset and offensive game to a team that had a solid run in the playoffs last season and reached the NBA Finals. Oladipo, who is also a solid defender and led the League in steals (2.4) during the 2018-19 season, could pair well with Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro.

The post Houston Rockets to Trade Victor Oladipo to Miami appeared first on SLAM.

Due to the Knicks’ newfound success, they’re regaining their status as an attractive destination for players and at a perfect time too.

With the trade deadline (Mar. 25), less than a week away, New York is trying to resolve their point guard conundrum and find a lead playmaker.

While many have reported that Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier and Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladipo are high on the Knicks’ wish list, the nature of trade season often presents multiple options for teams looking to revamp their roster and that continues to be the case this season.

According to the New York Post’s Marc Berman, New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball is one such option, as the eldest Ball brother would not only end their search for a playmaking guard but has a mutual interest in joining the Knicks:

The Post has learned the Knicks, with plenty of cap room, would be heavily on Ball’s radar as a restricted free agent.

It’s no surprise Ball would consider the Knicks an attractive destination. His father, LaVar Ball, wanted the Knicks to find a way to draft his point-guard son, LaMelo, the favorite for Rookie of the Year who also wound up in a smallish market with Charlotte.

Ball is having a career season with the Pelicans in 2020-21, averaging 14.2 points, 5.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. He’s improved his shooting to career-bests, hitting .385 percent of his three-pointers and holding a .562 true shooting percentage.

Currently on the final season of his rookie contract, Ball and the Pelicans failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension prior to the start of teh 2020-21 season.

As a result, he’ll be a restricted free agent this offseason.

The post Lonzo Ball, Knicks Have Mutual Interest in Trade appeared first on SLAM.

With that in mind, the Knicks’ current roster construction could need fortification if New York wants to make serious noise in the postseason.

Per the New York Post’s Marc Berman, “a source who has been in contact with Knicks brass [says] the franchise still is unsure if the team has a surefire starting point guard.”

That may come as a surprise to some fans given the rising popularity of rookie guard Immanuel Quickley. Be that as it may, New York believes Quickley “could be a sixth-man stud or start as an off-the-ball guard in the right alignment. He’s not viewed as a elite playmaker.”

Enter Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladipo (20.3 point and 4.7 assists per game); Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier (20.3 points and 3.2 assits per game); and New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball (14.3 points and 5.2 assists per game).

Each of these playmakers are on the Knicks’ radar as they attempt to upgrade their point guard position.

But, be that as it may, Berman notes that R.J. Barrett’s continued growth could make Oladipo (who they’ve long held interest in) a less attractive of an option. Berman also adds that it may be more likely for New York to complete a trade for Ball during the offseason.

As they Knicks continue to make a playoff push, they have some tough decisions to make sooner rather than later.

Even as good as they’ve been behind All-Star forward Julius Randle, a playmaking guard would take them to the next plateau of playoff contention.

The post Lonzo Ball, Terry Rozier, Victor Oladipo are Among Knicks Potential Trade Targets appeared first on SLAM.

According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, the 10-year NBA veteran has singled out the Philadelphia 76ers as the team he would “relish” the chance to play with. The 76ers are currently run by former Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who left Houston for Philadelphia shortly before the 2020-21 season began.

Tucker, whose physical profile is an anomaly in the NBA with his combination of strength and girth at 6’5,” has made a name for himself as one of the league’s best defensive players during his time with the Rockets.

With former franchise cornerstone James Harden requesting a trade to Brooklyn earlier this year, Tucker isn’t the only player rumored to be on the way out of Houston, as an assistant general manager tells Fischer that “Houston’s gonna burn the house down.”

The Rockets have already traded both Harden and Russell Westbrook in the past six months, while veterans like Tucker, John Wall and Victor Oladipo hearing their names in the rumor mill as well.

The trade deadline is on Mar. 25, giving the Rockets just over two weeks to negotiate potential trades.

The post P.J. Tucker Would ‘Relish’ Chance to Play for Sixers, Rockets Expected to Have Fire Sale Ahead of Trade Deadline appeared first on SLAM.

Oladipo’s future status with the team has become more in question as, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Oladipo has declined a two-year max extension from the Rockets. The two-year $45 million was reportedly the most the Rockets could offer until the summer.

It could be that Oladipo is looking for a longer-term deal, which the Rockets are reportedly able to offer in the offseason:

After the season concludes, but before the start of free agency, Houston would be able to offer him as much as a four-year, $113 million extension; once free agency begins, Houston can offer up to four years for $151 million or five years for $195 million (per ESPN).

The Rockets could potentially be in a rebuilding mode after the Westbrook and Harden era. If the team fears that they won’t be able to resign Oladipo, then it’s likely we could see the two-time All-Star on the move at the end of this month’s trading deadline.

There are also reports that the Rockets have yet to engage in trade talks surrounding Oladipo, but contending teams including the Heat and the Knicks are among the teams that are reportedly interested.

The 28 year-old is currently averaging 19.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game in his 13 game tenure with the Rockets.

The post Report: Victor Oladipo Declines Two-Year Max Extension From Rockets appeared first on SLAM.

After reports surfaced about the Knicks’ sustained intrigue with adding Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine to their stable of talent just a week ago, New York has been linked to another high-profile two-guard: Houston Rockets star Victor Oladipo.

Per Bleacher Report’s A. Sherrod Blakely, “league sources say the Knicks are among the teams interested in Oladipo and will be closely monitoring the impending free agent’s play leading up to the deadline and beyond if he’s not moved by then.” 

Oladipo—traded by the Indiana Pacers to the Rockets in the aftermath of James Harden’s fallout with Houston—has averaged 20.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game this season.

There have also been rumors regarding Oladipo’s interest in playing for the Miami Heat for months, leading to legitimate questions about whether or not he’ll re-sign with the Knicks when he reaches free agency next offseason. What’s more, Oladipo has suffered multiple major injuries at just 28-years-old, leading to him playing just 72 regular-season games over the last three seasons.

Nonetheless, the two-time All-Star has shown he’s still an above-average two-way player. Therefore, a struggling franchise like the Knicks—who need to improve both their star talent and their talent on the perimeter—would have an understandable interest in trading for him.

With what’s shaping up to be another intriguing trade season, Oladipo’s situation in Houston is certainly worth monitoring.

The post Knicks Among Teams Interested in Trade for Victor Oladipo appeared first on SLAM.

Through his first five games of the season, Lamb has averaged 14.0 points per game while shooting .364 from deep. The timing of his return couldn’t be more perfect, as Victor Oladipo was traded to the Houston Rockets around the time Lamb made his debut. While the Pacers wait for LeVert to recover from a recent surgery to treat renal cell carcinoma of his left kidney, Lamb will be an excellent stopgap when it comes to scoring the ball.

Lamb recently made his first start of the season, showing just how impactful he has been on this Pacers roster. He’s already notched two games of 20+ points this season and has been instrumental in Indiana winning three of their last four games.

The post Jeremy Lamb Making Big Early Impact For Pacers appeared first on SLAM.

@VicOladipo's HOU debut:

32 PTS | 9 AST | 2 STL | 4 3PM pic.twitter.com/SBDQPDdrwC

— NBA (@NBA) January 19, 2021

While it’s been reported that Oladipo would still like to play for the Miami Heat at some point, his comments after the game made it sound like he is excited about what the Rockets are building long-term. Oladipo spoke to Tim MacMahon of ESPN and other members of the media postgame and said that he is looking forward to the days ahead in Houston.

“I know that better days are ahead for the Houston Rockets, and I’m looking forward to being a part of those special days.”

The Rockets have entered a re-tooling period following their recent trades of Russell Westbrook and James Harden. They’ve been able to not only acquire a haul of draft picks, but also put together a talented core of Christian Wood, John Wall, and Victor Oladipo in the process to stay competitive.

As he plays out the final year of his contract in Houston, it will be interesting to see what Oladipo does in free agency this offseason and whether he becomes a member of the Rockets outside of just this season.

The post Victor Oladipo: ‘I Know That Better Days Are Ahead For The Houston Rockets’ appeared first on SLAM.

Shortly after the trade, general manager Rafael Stone spoke to Tim MacMahon of ESPN and other members of the media about Oladipo and his fit on the team.

“Your hope is it’s a perfect marriage. He’s an extremely talented player… For him and for us, this is a really exciting time where we get to see how it works out. Hopefully, it works out gangbusters and we go from there.”

Oladipo is in the final year of his current contract and is set to become a free agent in the upcoming offseason. If things work out the remainder of the season with the Rockets, a new long-term deal would be something both sides could look at. In nine games for the Pacers this season, Oladipo has averaged 20.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest.

The post Rafael Stone on Victor Oladipo: ‘Your Hope Is It’s A Perfect Marriage’ appeared first on SLAM.

According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, Victor Oladipo had wanted to be traded out of Indiana for quite some time. Additionally, although his wish was granted, he still hopes to find himself in Miami and playing for the Heat.

“Houston could also still flip Oladipo, who wanted out of Indiana but landed in another place he doesn’t want to be,” O’Connor writes.“League sources say Oladipo still hopes to find himself in Miami.“

There is no guarantee that Oladipo will be a member of the Rockets for more than the next several months. He is currently in the final year of his deal, meaning he will become a free agent this offseason. Although the fit in Houston seems like it will work great, they will need to convince him to stick around as well as grant him the payday he deserves at the end of the season.

If the Heat have a mutual interest in Oladipo, could they put together a package to acquire him from the Rockets in a trade, or wait until he becomes a free agent?

The post Victor Oladipo Would Still Like To Play For Miami Heat appeared first on SLAM.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nets will the Rockets four first-round picks and four pick swaps as part of the package. Shortly after, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Pacers and Cavaliers would get involved in the transaction as well, making it a four-team trade. (Read our full coverage of the deal here.)

When it was all said and done, this blockbuster deal has four different teams around the league looking very different. We broke down the deal below.

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets got a haul of draft picks in exchange for their superstar guard. While they were short on future draft capital entering today, they replenished their stash of picks while also acquiring an All-Star caliber player in Victor Oladipo. With that in mind, Oladipo is expiring and will require quite the payday this offseason if Houston wants to keep him long-term.

Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets went all in today as they acquired James Harden to complete their superstar trio with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. While they essentially gave up all of the future draft picks they possibly could, they instantly became the favorite in the Eastern Conference.

Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers becoming the fourth team in today’s transaction was something that nobody saw coming. With Victor Oladipo on the verge of free agency this summer as he plays out the final year of his contract, the Pacers were able to flip him to Houston to acquire Caris LeVert who is under a longer-term and very manageable contract.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers were sneaky winners in the blockbuster deal that sent Harden to the East. While they gave up an interesting piece in Dante Exum, the first-round pick they surrendered will likely be a late pick via Milwaukee. The Cavs now have a young center in Jarrett Allen who can be their guy going forward as Andre Drummond plays out the final year of his deal in Cleveland.

The post A Closer Look at the Four-Team James Harden Trade appeared first on SLAM.

The trade will also include the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports. The Cavs will acquire Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince in the deal while LeVert and four future first-round picks are among the package heading to Houston.

Those picks will be unprotected in 2022, 2024 and 2026.

The Pacers, a late addition to the deal, will take LeVert and a second-round pick from the Rockets and send Victor Oladipo to Houston.

Overall, the Rockets will onboard Oladipo, three unprotected first-round picks from Brooklyn, four additional pick swaps with Brooklyn, Dante Exum and Rodions Kurucs.

Related: DeMarcus Cousins: ‘My interest is to play with John Wall, to be brutally honest’

The post Brooklyn Nets to Acquire James Harden in Trade appeared first on SLAM.

We’ve broken down the early returns from all players through the end of Wednesday night’s action, highlighting players who have exceeded their 2019-20 production, and broken them off into 30 team-specific tables. You can access any of the league’s squads in the grid below.

Beyond this team-by-team grid is a break down of the process we used to highlight the season’s early surprises and a quick look at some of the players, league-wide, who’ve taken the biggest strides so far in 2020-21.

Team-by-Team Breakdown

2020-21’s Early Risers

Darius Garland (CLE) – The hits keep coming for the second-year guard out of Vanderbilt. After a relatively quiet rookie campaign – his first full season back after a significant injury that prematurely ended his college career – Garland has thrived in Year 2. Garland averaged 12 and 4 in 2019-20 and has pushed those numbers up to 19 and 7 so far this season.

Christian Wood (HOU) – If you’re surprised that Wood has put on a clinic in his first three games with the Houston Rockets, you weren’t paying much attention at the end of the 2019-20 campaign. Wood, with averages of 27 and 8 and an equally dominant preseason showing, has long been the king of producing when given an opportunity. He got that opportunity for a few months in Detroit but has never been as permanent of a situation as he’s in now on a three-year, $40 million contract.

Michael Porter Jr. (DEN) – Porter Jr. showed flashes of what he was capable of during his first year with the Nuggets and then took his game to a new level in the bubble. For that reason, it’s not exactly groundbreaking that the 22-year-old has already shown he’s capable of 20 and 7 production in Year 2. The key thing to watch as MPJ develops in front of our eyes on a legitimate title contender, is how meshes with and without ball dominant guard Jamal Murray.

Nikola Jokic (DEN) – If Jokic’s Wilt Chamberlain-esque turn at the start of 2020-21 isn’t one of the key stories of the new season, I don’t know what is. Through the first four games of the season, Jokic has put up assist numbers of 12, 18, 10 and 14. He’s just toying with teams now. Still, while his 25, 12 and 14 stat line is mind altering, you know the big man would rather have his team at least above .500.

Jerami Grant (DET) – The Denver Nuggets were ready to spend big in order to retain versatile wing Jerami Grant this offseason but opted not to when it became clear that they couldn’t offer him a similar role in 2020-21. That role, apparently, is as a elite-level scorer. Grant, whose high water mark for points per game was 13.6 before this season, has averaged nearly 23 points per game through four early contests – and that includes a nine point showing dragging down the overall.

Victor Oladipo (IND) – Surely you didn’t write Oladipo off after two injury plagued seasons beyond his control, right? That must have been somebody else. Oladipo has looked strong in 2020-21 with a familiar 21, 5 and 5 stat line, and is ready to silence the naysayers that forgot just how much of an impact player he can be at full health.

CJ McCollum (POR) – We may never fully see what McCollum is capable of at full throttle given the impressive chemistry he’s formed with backcourt mate Damian Lillard over the course of the past half decade but he’s done a fine job of pushing the ceiling so far in 2020-21. The 29-year-old may not hit 28 and 6 over the course of a full season but don’t think for a second that he isn’t capable of doing it if he needed to.

Julius Randle (NYK) – No stranger to oddly dominant stat lines, Randle has taken his game to new heights in New York. The big man has thrived as a distributor with the Knicks this season and is sporting a 25, 11 and 8 stat line heading into the new year.

Josh Jackson (DET) – After a humbling year in Memphis, Jackson has returned to his home state of Michigan. The 23-year-old fell into a great opportunity with the Pistons and has made the most of it with a 17 and 6 stat line out of the gates.

Darius Bazley (OKC) – The not-so-secret sleeper has lived up to the hype through the first few games of the regular season and the Thunder clearly have a valuable young building block in 20-year-old Bazley. The former New Balance intern has put up 10 and 9 so far this season and we can’t wait to see what else he’s got in store.

Jaylen Brown (BOS) – Brown’s slow burning development has been key to the consistent threat that the the Celtics have posed on the Eastern Conference and early returns suggest that he isn’t finished yet. If Brown can keep putting up 28 points per game over the course of the season, what does that mean for Boston’s title hopes?

Dejounte Murray (SAS) – Murray is another player that you ought to have known was in store for a bigger year. Still, it’s always nice to see those glimpses of potential translate into more consistent success. The rebounding guard has averaged 19, 8 and 7 in his fourth season and will be a major part of the Spurs heading forward.

Luguentz Dort (OKC) – Um, if Dort can fill the stat sheet on offense, what on earth does that mean for this young, asset-loaded Thunder squad? The 21-year-old bruiser known largely for his presence on the defensive end has averaged 19 and 4 so far this season. If he keeps it up, OKC looks considerably scarier in the short and long term.

How It Works

Understanding that there’s no consensus way of quantifying the contributions that hoopers bring to the table on a nightly basis, let alone the intangible impacts they have on winning, we’ve measured each NBA player’s 2020-21 production against their 2019-20 numbers.

The results reveal early trends that could end up being significant parts of each team’s narrative throughout the season. Some players have thrived because of work they put in over the summer, some are filling up the box score simply because they’ve landed in a better situation.

In other scenarios, we may just be seeing statistical aberrations that won’t hold up over the course of a larger sample size, hit us on Twitter if you see anything that stands out.

Regardless, seeing which players have shown signs of taking a leap forward in 2020-21, is something that die hard fans, fantasy basketball players and casual viewers alike can get value out of.

In the team tables you’ll see players listed in order of how much more productive they’ve been, with corresponding emojis indicating whether they’ve exceeded or fallen short of their 2019-20 numbers.

You’ll also see each player’s points per game, rebounds per game and assists per game for good measure. Keep in mind that the overall calculation used for player impacts includes more than just those basic stats and does incorporate things like shooting percentages and basic defensive stats.

You can further click each player URL for a more conventional break down of the player’s early 2020-21 stat line and their game log.

The post Heat Check 2020-21: Players Who Have Thrived Out of the Gates appeared first on SLAM.

After being one of the most explosive scorers in the Orlando bubble, T.J. Warren seems to have cooled off. Indiana has an extremely solid core who will almost certainly lead them to a playoff appearance yet again.

For more information about the numbers behind our Heat Check series, hop over to our main Heat Check 2020-21 post.

Victor Oladipo	22.7p, 5.7r, 3.7a
Myles Turner	11.3p, 6.5r, 0.5a
Malcolm Brogdon	20.8p, 4.3r, 6.5a
Domantas Sabonis	21.8p, 11.0r, 7.3a
Doug McDermott	10.8p, 4.0r, 1.5a
Jalen Lecque	0.0p, 2.0r, 0.0a	–
T.J. McConnell	3.3p, 3.8r, 5.8a	–
Justin Holiday	9.0p, 2.8r, 0.8a	–
Aaron Holiday	6.0p, 2.0r, 1.8a
Kelan Martin	2.0p, 0.0r, 0.0a
T.J. Warren	15.5p, 3.5r, 1.3a
JaKarr Sampson	0.0p, 1.0r, 0.0a

Team-by-Team Breakdown

The post Heat Check 2020-21: Indiana Pacers appeared first on SLAM.

We broke down the Pacers’ depth chart for the 2020-21 season below. We’ve also previously published a summary of the Pacers’ offseason.

Biggest Questions

• What version of Victor Oladipo will Indiana get? Prior to his leg injury, he was playing at nearly an MVP level. Entering a contract year, Oladipo will be highly motivated to have a great year.
• Is Myles Turner the center Indiana wants to utilize long-term? He’s a solid stretch big but has failed to take that next step. Is this the season he’s able to prove himself?

All NBA Team Offseason Summaries

The post Indiana Pacers: Projected 2020-21 Depth Chart appeared first on SLAM.

Frankly, the Pacers’ biggest offseason addition isn’t even a player. It’s new head coach Nate Bjorkgren, who replaces Nate McMillan.

Pacers Roster Additions

Biggest Acquisitions

• Cassius Stanley: A lanky wing out of Duke University, Cassius Stanley has the tools to be a standout defender and a capable 3-point shooter at the next level. Those type of players have always been valuable and will remain so, giving Stanley the opportunity to carve out a long career.

• Kelan Martin: Kelan Martin is another player that stands out defensively, allowing the Indiana Pacers to sustain their dominant defense even without the defensive-minded Nate McMillan around.

Pacers Roster Subtractions

Biggest Losses

• T.J. Leaf: T.J. Leaf has yet to pan out at the NBA level after a standout one-and-done season with UCLA. Projected to be (at the least) a stretch-four that could possibly play multiple positions, Leaf only averaged 8.7 minutes per game for the Pacers in his three seasons there, shooting a mediocre .341 percent from three.

• Alize Johnson: Alize Johnson, a second-round pick in 2018, has shown himself to be a superb rebounder at 6’7.” With his potential as a catch-and-shoot option (he shot .375 percent on such attempts last season) and defense, he could be a solid rotation player for the Toronto Raptors.

All NBA Team Offseason Summaries

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It’s been 15 years since the party and details are now murky.

Time, after all, dulls memory. Especially when those memories are mixed with a looooooong night of dark liquor, bubbling champagne and melodic violin. Still, even if the minutia is somewhat blurry, in many ways the night of June 11, 2005 was unforgettable.

For Que Gaskins, the evening actually began roughly three months prior when Tawanna Iverson reached out for help. Tawanna, Allen Iverson’s wife, wanted to throw him a 30th birthday party and she knew Gaskins, then a director at Reebok and friend of Allen’s, could help execute her vision.

The concept was simple: A surprise party, packed with all of Allen’s favorites, right at the family’s mansion in Villanova. A party that would emit love and evoke laughs. A party that would celebrate 30—an age that too many people who grew up around Allen in Newport News, VA, never reached—the way some do 80.

With a rough sketch of the event in hand, Gaskins turned around and called up Ayiko Broyard, someone Reebok worked with frequently, to help him produce the party. Broyard, led by Tawanna and with the help of her co-workers, spent the ensuing months laboring over every decoration, every morsel of food.

On the night of Saturday the 11th, four days after his actual birthday, AI crept up his circular gravel driveway. As he unfolded his pedestrian frame out of the passenger side of his luxury vehicle and brushed off his XXXL white t-shirt, Iverson looked confused. Why was Gaskins standing there?

“He was shocked,” remembers Gaskins, “[that] we were able to pull off this party without him knowing.”

Iverson was pointed toward his side yard, a swathe of grass that had been covered by a Ringling-sized white tent and a smaller sister tent. The walkway between where he stood and the tents was lined with photos. He stopped and picked one up. A toddler version of him with his mom, Ann. He took a few more steps. Him at age 9 with a football and his coach-turned-manager Gary Moore. Shuffled some more. Him in his green-and-gold Bethel High basketball uniform.

The photos traced the arc of his life—from Stuart Gardens Project to stardom at Bethel to lock up to Georgetown; from meeting Tawanna to the birth of his eldest, Deuce, to Draft night, the Finals and All-Star MVPs—in chemicals and cotton paper. Iverson, soft in the eyes and shaky in the chest, worked his way through the sticky humidity to the front flap of the tent. When he stepped inside, Iverson broke down. The scene laid out in front of him was a shrine.

The walls were decorated with action shots and portraits pulled from ad campaigns and newspapers. The ceiling was lit up in red and blue. One tent, the larger one, was populated with an open layout, a DJ booth and live music from unorthodox violinist Miri Ben-Ari. The smaller rental was highlighted by round poker tables and a TV. Both of the rooms were lined with bars with ample amounts of Iverson’s favorite champagne and food trays prepared with favorites, like crab, driven in from Newport News.

The décor was on point. The food was just what The Answer would’ve ordered. But the people present sticks with guests to this day. Three or four or maybe even five busloads of friends and family were transported up from Virginia. Ann Iverson, Gary Moore and the inner circle. Of course, Reebok reps Brian Lee, Gaskins, Todd Krinsky and photographer Gary Land. Andre Iguodala, Billy King and other former Sixer execs and teammates. Bow Wow, Charlie Mack, Jill Scott, Patti LaBelle. LeBron James and his mother, Gloria. If you were somebody, you were in that room. If you were somebody, despite it being the middle of the NBA Finals and the day of the Belmont Stakes, you wanted to be in that room.

“[Iverson] was like, ‘Why are they all here for me?’” Broyard recalls. “It was almost like a surprise, like he didn’t really know who he was or the level of influence he was having on people.” 

The evening was filled with death-grip hugs. Iverson held on to Julius Erving for what felt like forever and was, soon after, tackled to the ground by James. Later, there would be an intense game of Guts and a viewing of the Mike Tyson-Kevin McBride fight.

“Despite the prevailing opinion that Mike Tyson is shot, unfocused and undisciplined,” the PPV telecast started, “this has the elements of a short and painful night for Kevin McBride.”

Six sloppy rounds later, Tyson failed to emerge from his corner. McBride was declared the winner by TKO. Iverson fell to his knees and enveloped the TV in tears. It was the end of Tyson’s career, but just the start of the party.

At around 5:00 a.m., the event staff wanted to leave. There was still more life to be soaked up. Iverson was in his element, immersed in love but unaware of the worship.

“He represented what Black kids were all about, and he resonated with every inner-city kid in the world who had a struggle,” LeBron James once told Sports Illustrated. “Michael Jordan inspired me, and I looked up to him, but he was out of this world. AI was really the god.”

Allen Iverson entered the NBA as the No. 1 pick in 1996. In his very first regular season game, Iverson was the only player to register 30 points—and the only one to sport visible tattoos. Over the next 14 seasons, scores of players would start openly showing ink, but very few would match Iverson’s career averages of 26.7 ppg, 6.2 apg and 2.2 spg.

Between ’96 and 2010, when he reluctantly retired, Iverson left dozens of defenders grasping for air—as he crossed them over or just used his speed to run by them—and even more fans gasping for air. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016. Along the way, Iverson popularized arm sleeves, braids, headbands, tattoos and more. He didn’t invent any of it—it was authentic to the Black community he came from—but he was the first superstar to bring it with him to a national audience.  In doing so, Iverson changed the NBA and, in ways, America.

“Iverson was the first [NBA player] to genuinely be himself that I noticed,” says Master Tesfatsion.

Tesfatsion, a Senior Writer and Host of Untold Stories at Bleacher Report, grew up in Section 8 housing in Dallas during Iverson’s prime and remembers window-shopping for the icon’s apparel. He also vividly remembers looking for, and rarely finding, Black people on TV that resembled him. “Athletes now say they’re ‘more than an athlete,’ but Allen Iverson helped break the mold so they could say that, so LeBron James could say, ‘I’m more than an athlete.’

“I truly believe his impact is just as relevant, if not more, than Michael [Jordan’s] to the millennial generation,” he adds.

Don’t ask Iverson about his impact. It’s not so much that Iverson’s unwilling to be an icon as it is that he is a humble one. He has a couple stock answers, and he often falls back on them in interviews.

“I took an ass-whooping for being me,” Iverson has repeated like a hook, “but if I die today, I’d rather come back as me than anybody else. I took a beating for guys to be themselves, and I love the fact that now guys don’t have to conform.”

Another bar: “A little kid saying, ‘AI, you’re my favorite’ goes a long way with a dude like me. If I ain’t nobody else’s favorite, I’m his or hers. That never gets old.”

Better to ask those around him, those influenced by him.

Gaskins spent the early part of Iverson’s career hanging with him on behalf of Reebok. A friendship blossomed. He came to understand what made Iverson transcend hoops.

“He didn’t change his taste palate because he was the No. 1 pick and on his way to becoming a global star,” says Gaskins. “He wanted to be around people that looked like him, that talked like him, that ate like him, that dressed like him.”

In that way, from night clubs with dress codes to the NBA’s social norms, explains Gaskins, Iverson was able to bend society towards his will and world view. 

Many bucked, of course. They labeled Iverson a “thug.” Talked about his “posse,” hair style and clothes. Gaskins remembers that during Iverson’s rookie year, he had his own hair twisted into braids. The idea would’ve been ludicrous for a young Black man at a sneaker company a year prior, but now it felt OK. Not long after getting braids, Gaskins wore them naively to a meeting at Reebok’s HQ. 

“I remember someone saying, ‘You’re supposed to be having an impact on him—it looks like he’s having the impact on you.’” 

Gaskins didn’t flinch. It wasn’t a problem. It was becoming Iverson’s America.   

GRAB YOUR COPY OF SLAM PRESENTS ’96 DRAFT FOR EVEN MORE GOODIES FROM THE ISSUE

Datwon Thomas has a unique perspective on Iverson. He’s been the Editor-in-Chief at XXL and VIBE. He was the Founding Editor of KING Magazine and helped unearth many now-popular artists along the way. Thomas has spent an adulthood around talent, and he once spent a week with Iverson in Asia. 

“Allen is a little different,” Thomas says. He remembers seeing Iverson at clubs around New York. Remembers seeing rappers sending Iverson bottles, making sure he—their favorite hooper—was taken care of. “That’s aura. You can feel it. You can tell he’s somebody, even if you don’t know who he is. Automatic.”  

Madison Blank grew up in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. As a kid, she went to as many of Iverson’s games as her father would take her to, and she had all of his signature shoes. One summer, she rocked a pair of early model Answers during the days. At night, she would take them off and tuck them into bed, dirt and all, right next to her. Nowadays, Blank helps move fashion trends. She still considers Iverson her inspiration.

“Swag and confidence are everything, and that’s him,” says Blank, Manager of Brand Relations at GOAT. She wears a gold No. 3 necklace as a form of homage. “He could be in a white tee and grey sweatpants and he carried himself like he was in a Christian Dior suit. It’s just a bravado that he has.”

Across the country, in Tacoma, WA, Isaiah Thomas also had the sneakers, had the magazine covers hung up, had the mimicked wardrobe. The undersized guard with pro aspirations loved Kobe Bryant, but he saw himself in Iverson. Saw the way he would have to play. Saw the way he could act like himself, dress like himself and still be successful.

“I’ve looked up to him, on and off the court, since I first knew who he was,” says Thomas. “He’s one of the most authentic athletes ever. Ever. Ever.

“Ever.”

Eleven years later, another party. This time Stance is hosting their annual Spades tournament to start off All-Star Weekend. Like Iverson’s 30th birthday, a VIP crowd pulls up. Dwyane Wade, the tournament’s co-host, is there with his wife and star in her own right, Gabrielle Union. Aaron Gordon, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Isaiah Thomas, James Harden, Klay Thompson, Victor Oladipo, and other influencers and hoopers fill the rest of the room.

The One Eighty, a restaurant situated on the 51st floor of a downtown tower in Toronto, was not built to host this event. It is packed to an uncomfortable degree. A few hours into the tournament, it becomes impossible to even nudge your way around the room. It’s a rush-hour subway car.  

Gary Moore texts, though, that Iverson and his SUV are on the way. They show up—Iverson is in a white-and-gold t-shirt, black-and-gold fitted, gold watch and chains—and magically slip in. It is unclear who notices them, but within seconds, energy in the room shifts from cards.

Everything slows to a stop. Anthony parts the crowd. Too much time has passed since they last saw each other. They share a close embrace.

Iverson doesn’t work the room, but the room works him. Oladipo daps up and gets a photo. Paul and Wade, who both wear No. 3 in part because of Iverson, take a picture with three digits in the air.  More people pay homage. The room starts spinning on its axis again.

“There are two people who have stopped Spades cold: Beyonce and Allen,” says Clarke Miyasaki, an executive at Stance. “When Beyonce showed, everyone wanted to look at her and say she was there. With Allen, though, everyone wanted to get time with him to show love.” 

Thomas, preparing to appear in his first All-Star Game, was one of those people. The two diminutive guards had shared phone calls, but they had never met in person. Thomas used to razz Lee, his old rep at Reebok, about it so Lee was not going to miss the chance to link the two.

“He told me I reminded him of himself, that I was a killer,” says Thomas. “Once that happened, nobody could tell me anything about hoop. Those words, coming from his mouth, made me feel like the best player in the world. That changed my life—and he doesn’t know it.”

The conversation ended. Thomas walked back to Lee, eyes wide. Lee offered him a drink to calm down. Thomas would go on to have the best season-and-a-half of his career. Meanwhile Iverson, oblivious to the magnitude, sits down at a table and asks to get dealt into a game of Spades. 

His career is long over, but Allen Iverson’s influence endures forever.

—

SLAM PRESENTS ’96 DRAFT IS AVAILABLE NOW. 

The post The Everlasting Influence of Allen Iverson appeared first on SLAM.

During his media availability with the kick off of training camp, Oladipo put these rumors to rest. According to Eric Woodyard of ESPN, Oladipo says he isn’t sure why he is being pinned as a guy who would request a trade. 

“I’ve been in the league for eight years now, this is my eighth year, and this is the first time anyone has accused me of anything like this.”

As he enters the final year of his contract, it will be interesting to see how things unfold. The Pacers have the ability to sign Oladipo to an extension or allow him to play out his deal and enter free agency next offseason.

The post Victor Oladipo Denies Asking Out of Indiana appeared first on SLAM.

Between Malcom Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis and T.J. Warren, the Pacers have found three players who can be key pieces of deep playoff runs. Now, Indiana must decide what to do about Oladipo’s contract extension and determine the best way to improve their offense in an abbreviated offseason.

Related: Full Indiana Pacers 2020 Salary Cap Preview

2020 NBA Draft Picks

Pacers Draft Needs

Offense is the name of the game for the Pacers as they do their homework for the 2020 NBA Draft. Yet, with only a late second round pick, there’s not a high chance that they’ll find immediate help in that area.

Perhaps Indiana tries to make a draft night trade involving Myles Turner due to the rise of Sabonis; it’s possible that the Pacers can get a late first-round pick from such a move because of Turner’s age and abilities as a shot-blocker. In such a scenario, Indiana would be able to address their offensive needs as there are plenty of prospects who could add firepower in that draft range.

Indiana is one of those lucky teams that doesn’t have to worry about their depth, as only one rotation player — Justin Holiday — will become a free agent. However, they could look to replace Holiday in the draft, locating a respectable ‘3-and-D’ player in the second round.

2020 NBA Draft Prospect Watchlist

What The Mocks Are Saying

Projected Roster

Team-by-Team NBA Draft Guides

More: SLAM’s 2020 NBA Draft Preview

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One player who the Bucks have reportedly looked into is Victor Oladipo, reports The Ringer‘s Kevin O’Connor. Although, O’Connor notes that “at this point [a trade] seems unlikely.” Oladipo, 28, has one year left on his contract and is reportedly looking to sign a max deal.

Interested teams could view Oladipo in two ways. He could be acquired as a one-year rental for a deep playoff push, while also preserving 2021 cap space. Other teams might view him as a long-term piece and want to sign him to contract extension.

Whether it’s Victor Oladipo or someone else, the Bucks busy looking into ways to build upon their disappointing 2019-20 season.

The post Report: Bucks, Pacers Discussed Victor Oladipo Trade appeared first on SLAM.

Averaging 19.1 points per game as a freshman at the University of Georgia, Edwards showed off a skillset that has had plenty of scouts salivating.

His shot-creation, downhill attack, three-level scoring, playmaking potential and athleticism are the stuff that prototypical NBA wings are made out of. Although he lacks experience and there are questions about both his shot-selection and ability to maintain his defensive intensity, it’s clear why he’s considered one of the best draft prospects.

Edwards’ coach at Georgia, Tom Crean, even went as far as to compare Edwards to Dwyane Wade and Victor Oladipo (who he also coached in college). Crean didn’t compare Edwards to those two — a future Hall of Famer and a two-time All-Star — solely because of his talent and upside though.

He makes that comparison because of his camaraderie with his teammates and ability to empathize with others; his intangibles.

Per Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo:

The thing that’s a separator for me, if I’ve got to sum it up, outside of all the talent and upside, is that Anthony is one of the greatest teammates I’ve had the privilege of coaching. The way he cares about others, how engaging and involved he is with them. For a young man, he’s got an incredible level of empathy. I don’t try to make comparisons so much when I’ve coached Dwyane Wade and Victor Oladipo. But when you look at their talent level mixed with what kind of teammates they are, what kind of empathy they have as human beings, that’s where I see tremendous similarities [to Anthony].

If Edwards manages to fall somewhere between Wade and Oladipo in terms of career accomplishments and franchise value, the team that drafts him will walk away feeling like a winner.

The post Anthony Edwards’ College Coach Compares Him To Dwyane Wade appeared first on SLAM.

According to Ian Begley of SNY, the idea of a four-year extension for around $80 million was discussed but talks didn’t progress much from there. While Oladipo looked like a potential max contract player during his first season with the team, it’s possible that Indiana doesn’t view him in quite that way any longer due to injury concern and a relative down year in 2019-20.

During the 2019 extension conversations, Oladipo was still recovering from injury and nowhere near ready to get back onto the court for game action. He didn’t make his debut last year until late January. When he did, he put up 14.5 points per game on .394 shooting.

Now entering the offseason before the final season of his current deal, the Pacers will have to decide whether they want to pick up extension talks to make him a cornerstone of the team for the future or trade him before he could walk in free agency next summer.

The post Victor Oladipo, Pacers Could Re-Visit Extension Talks appeared first on SLAM.

Bjorkgren has spent the past two seasons on Raptors head coach Nick Nurse’s staff. Prior to joining Nurse for the team’s 2019 title run, he was an assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns.

The 45-year-old Iowan came up with Nurse and is the first assistant coach to win a title in both the NBA and the G League. The pair won together with the Iowa Energy in 2010-11.

Bjorkgren will stand alone in Indiana, however, getting his first opportunity as a head coach at the NBA level. He’ll inherit a roster that performed admirably in 2019-20 despite key injuries to players like Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.

The Pacers’ vacancy was one of four head coaching vacancies in the NBA. With Bjorkgren soon to be locked in to the position, just three gigs remain (OKC, NO, Houston).

The post Pacers to Hire Nate Bjorkgren as Head Coach appeared first on SLAM.

In addition to a summary for each of the 30 teams (accessible in the link grid below), we’ve also tiered the top NBA free agents league-wide and published a general comparison of all teams’ cap space. Follow @SLAMnewswire on Twitter for constant offseason updates as we head into free agency.

Projected Roster Players

Projected Free Agents

Dead Money

2020 NBA Draft Picks

Exceptions Available

• Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception – $9,258,000
• Bi-Annual Exception – $3,623,000

Key Offseason Decisions

• The only roster decision is to keep T.J. McConnell for $3.5M or waive him for a savings of $2.5M. Everyone else is fully guaranteed without any options.
• The next decision is about how much of a barrier the luxury tax will be. The Pacers are closer than they usually are. If they re-sign Justin Holiday, Indiana will be pressed up against the tax.

Projected Team Salary

$138,721,641

Indiana’s immediate roster decisions are simple. They’ll probably guarantee T.J. McConnell because his role is worth a minimum of $3.5M. After that, it’s all about the luxury tax. The Pacers are only $10.3M under the tax. And that’s before re-signing Justin Holiday. Of course, if the team decides it’s time to swing a big trade, that could free up room under the tax. (@KeithSmithNBA)

Cap Space Forecast

-$29,581,641 (9^th out of 30). $10,310,717 under the Luxury Tax.

Team Salary Cap Outlooks

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Regardless of what happens, the Heat seem to be in one of the best positions in the entire league. According to Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer, front office executives around the league believe the Heat have become the league’s top destination for the next star with a wandering eye.

After the 2020-21 season, Miami is set up to potentially only have $50 million in guaranteed salary on its books, giving them enough cap space to sign a max player while also retaining their current core.

It’s worth mentioning that the free agent class that offseason could be one of the best we’ve seen in a while, headlined by guys like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Rudy Gobert, Paul George, Jrue Holiday and Victor Oladipo.

Additionally, even outside of free agents, it’s believed that with Miami’s financial flexibility and assets that could be traded, they could be a top destination for a disgruntled star who demands a trade. With the excellent core they currently have comprised of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn and others, the Heat are already one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

If you add another star to their roster, they could be the best team in the NBA down the road. It also helps that they have an excellent head coach in Erik Spoelstra who has a successful history of coaching some of the NBA’s top players.

The post Report: Executives Think Miami Heat Are Primed To Add A Superstar appeared first on SLAM.

Per Jared Weiss of The Athletic, Victor Oladipo is looking to ‘move on’ from the Pacers this offseason. This is somewhat surprising, as Oladipo went to college at Indiana University and has had some great moments in Indiana with the Pacers as well.

In his first year with the team back in the 2017-18 season, he broke out and made his first NBA All-Star Team, averaging 23.1 points per game. Since then, he’s played 55 games through two seasons due to injury.

After parting ways with their former head coach Nate McMillan, Indiana will have the chance to bring in a coach that Oladipo likes to convince him to stick around. He will make $21 million in the final year of his deal in the 2020-21 season, although he is eligible for extension this offseason.

How those extension negotiations go will be very telling for the Pacers. If it is clear that he has no interest in re-signing, perhaps you do trade him way for assets before he walks away for nothing after the upcoming season.

However, Oladipo’s trade value is the lowest it has been in a while. How much could the Pacers really get for a guy coming off of injury with an expiring contract? If they are forced to move Oladipo, the Pacers would find the most success sending him to a team that Oladipo would commit to re-signing with.

Weiss mentions that a potential trade for Victor Oladipo could be to the Boston Celtics for Gordon Hayward, who also will have one more season under contract if he opts into the final year of his deal, which seems likely.

He also said that Myles Turner may be in the same boat as Oladipo and could be wanting out this offseason. It will be a fascinating next few months for the Indiana Pacers to see how this all unfolds.

The post Victor Oladipo Looking to Move On From Pacers appeared first on SLAM.

We’ve listed the entire roster with comparisons to last year’s launch rating below. We’ve also identified some general NBA 2K21 ratings trends for the league as a whole.

Pacers NBA 2K21 Ratings

View the NBA 2K21 player ratings for other teams below.

The post Indiana Pacers: NBA 2K21 Ratings appeared first on SLAM.

This year’s version of the game faced unusual circumstances as the 2020-21 version of the game is technically dropping before the conclusion of the previous campaign. Such is life in the year 2020.

Without so much as a 2020 offseason, let alone a rookie draft, the rosters themselves in the launch version of NBA 2K21 are in line with where they were in the most recently updated patch of NBA 2K20 but discrepancies among the ratings still exist. The game is geared toward next season, after all.

We’ve rounded up and sifted through the team-by-team overall rating data below. It’s on you to hit us here or on Twitter with the decisions you think the 2K developers nailed – and where they struck out.

Below the team-by-team grid, we’ve broken down additional trends, so scroll liberally.

The average player ratings were down across the board compared to last year which could indicate a slight game-wide recalibration but the numbers are indicative of how the teams stack up from top to bottom. Any generic average that weighs every single player on a team equally will be flawed, so don’t read more into this than you should, but it’s interesting to note the relative differences between the teams. It’s also a good reminder of just how scary the Warriors and Nets can be when fully healthy.

Average Overall Rating By Team

Biggest NBA 2K21 Ratings Increases

Biggest NBA 2K21 Ratings Decreases

The post NBA 2K21 Ratings: Team-by-Team Lists appeared first on SLAM.

McMillan had been the coach of the Pacers for four seasons and led the squad to four consecutive playoff appearances. Three of those playoff showings ended in four-game sweeps.

McMillan’s tenure with the team spanned the Paul George Era in Indiana to the team’s current one and the organization deserves credit for rebuilding a playoff contender on the fly despite significant adversity.

The team now features several building blocks for the future, particularly All-Stars Domantas Sabonis and Victor Oladipo, as well as Malcolm Brogdon and Myles Turner.

Indiana will now seek out a replacement despite stiff competition on the open market. The Pacers are one of five teams in need of a new head coach.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pacers would be interested in Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, should he be made available.

The post Pacers Fire Head Coach Nate McMillan appeared first on SLAM.

We broke down each of the day’s games below.

No. 1 Bucks 121 at No. 8 Magic 106

MIL leads series 3-1

The Magic hung around with the Bucks for the first half of their Game 5 battle but in the fourth and final quarter of the contest it was all Milwaukee. Giannis Antetokounmpo continued to fill the stat sheet in a modest work load (31 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists on .667 shooting) and Khris Middleton chipped in with a series-best 22 points and 10 rebounds. It’s little consolation but Orlando is the only underdog opponent still alive in the first round of the Eastern Conference bracket.

No. 4 Rockets 114 at No. 5 Thunder 117

Series tied 2-2

The Thunder survived a three-point rampage from the Rockets and a particularly impressive offensive showing from James Harden to tie their first-round battle at two games apiece. Houston shot a playoff record 58 threes in the game, netting 23 of them and even began to pull away in the beginning of the second half. Despite the monster 32-point, 15-assist night from Harden, Oklahoma City began to chip away over the course of the second half as veterans Chris Paul and Dennis Schroder used and abused any defenders sent their way – including the aforementioned bearded one. Paul and Schroder combined for 56 points, including a number of critical buckets late in the close game and actively sought out and attacked Harden off the dribble. The knotted series is one of the most intriguing of the first round and should only get better.

No. 4 Pacers 87 at No. 5 Heat 99

MIA wins series 4-0

The Heat snuck out in front of the Pacers and never looked back on Monday, completing their four-game sweep of the technically favored No. 4 seed. Miami took and held the lead thanks to contributions from across the spectrum as the hoops world at large is left scratching their heads wondering just how deep and how good the Vice City squad really is. Veteran Goran Dragic led the Heat with 23 points while Bam Adebayo added 14 points, 19 rebounds and six assists of his own. Jimmy Butler, who entered the game with a sore shoulder was able to log just 23 minutes in the series finale. Myles Turner, Victor Oladipo, T.J. Warren and Malcolm Brogdon combined for 81 of Indy’s 87 points in the loss.

No. 1 Lakers 135 at No. 8 Trail Blazers 115

LAL leads series 3-1

The Lakers sprang out to a 15-0 start against the Blazers and didn’t look back. Los Angeles had 80 points at half time and cracked 100 with minutes to spare in the third quarter. LeBron James’ 30 points, six rebounds and 10 assists came in just 28 minutes of action while Anthony Davis add 18, 5 and 5 in just 18 total minutes. Portland got a solid 20 points and 13 rebounds from the violent dunking Jusuf Nurkic but they trailed by nearly 40 before L.A. started to let their foot off the gas. The Blazers will face elimination in Game 5 and may have to do so without star guard Damian Lillard. To add injury to insult, Dame left the blowout in the third quarter with a knee injury.

• Aug. 23: Post Up: Where Luka Happens
• Aug. 22: Post Up: Lakers Hit Next Level
• Aug. 21: Post Up: Kawhi Leonard Carries Clippers
• Aug. 20: Post Up: The Empires Strike Back
• Aug. 19: Post Up: The Cavalry Has Arrived
• Aug. 18: Post Up: Crazy Eights
• Aug. 17: Post Up: Donovan Mitchell Makes History

The post Post Up: Thunder Rally Back appeared first on SLAM.

We’ve broken down each of the night’s matchups below. Catch up on Tuesday’s action, including Donovan Mitchell’s historic 57-point explosion, right here.

No. 1 Bucks 110, No. 8 Magic 122

ORL leads series 1-0

The Magic have been here before. The last time they stole Game 1 of a first round tilt with a title contender, the 2019 Raptors went on to win the championship. Led by criminally underrated Nikola Vucevic’s 35 and 14, the Magic took an early lead on the Bucks and didn’t bother to look back. There’s never been any doubt that Orlando’s veterans can hoop – Terrence Ross chipped in with 18 points of his own and D.J. Augustin added 11 and 11 in this one – the question is whether they’ll be able to withstand whatever Milwaukee comes back with after the wake up call.

No. 4 Pacers 101, No. 5 Heat 113

MIA leads series 1-0

Jimmy Butler looked every bit the apex predator basketball fans hoped he’d be in his first taste of playoff action with the Heat and his 28 points led a well-balanced attack that ultimately drowned out the best efforts of a short-handed Pacers opponent. A poke to the eye sidelined Victor Oladipo after just eight minutes of action and he’s now considered day-to-day. Despite the uphill battle (the Pacers are also without Domantas Sabonis), Indiana rallied to flirt with the lead in the fourth quarter but couldn’t keep up with Butler, Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic.

No. 4 Rockets 123, No. 5 Thunder 108

HOU leads series 1-0

There was no consensus on how the Rockets would fare with Russell Westbrook on the sidelines but James Harden wasted no time proving that the Houston club is well-equipped to at least balance the scoring load without him. Harden’s 37 points led the game but his six made three-pointers were just the tip of the iceberg. The Rockets hit 20 threes, effectively flooding the Oklahoma City from beyond the arc any time they tried to narrow the gap. Danilo Gallinari scored 29 but the Thunder failed to exercise their will against what could have plausibly been a vulnerable opponent.

No. 1 Lakers 93, No. 8 Trail Blazers 100

POR leads series 1-0

The Blazers are a particularly scary No. 8 seed and they demonstrated exactly why by taking command of their opening game against a rusty Lakers squad. The Los Angeles offense failed to top 100 points for the fourth time in the bubble, shooting just .351 from the field. Still, the Lakers managed to keep the game close into the final quarter, in no small part thanks to LeBron James’ 23-point, 17-rebound, 16-assist triple double. Alas, the discombobulated top seed fell prey to Damian Lillard down the stretch as the Bubble MVP continued to hit gamebreakers from incomprehensible distances. Neither team looked consistently impressive in this one but the series as a whole just became that much more exciting.

The post Post Up: Crazy Eights appeared first on SLAM.

While some of the series in this conference were locked in during the early days of the seeding round, the middle portion of the playoff bracket was in flux up until the final day of the season. Now teams will get the chance to renew rivalries under the spotlight of postseason basketball.

With the playoff matchups finally set, let’s take a look at each Eastern Conference series in the first round. Our Western Conference series preview is available here.

1 Milwaukee Bucks (56-17)
8 Orlando Magic (33-40)

The Milwaukee Bucks were the best team in the NBA during the regular season and their record shows it. Although they struggled in the bubble, going 3-5, there is absolutely no need to worry about this team. Looking at a larger sample size, prior to the NBA hiatus, they were 53-12 and on track to have one of the best regular season records in team history. The Orlando Magic on the other hand had a solid season, earning a second consecutive playoff appearance after a six-season drought.

The Bucks swept the Magic in the regular season, beating them four times by a combined 68 points. There is a good chance this upcoming playoff series will be no different. Behind reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee will look to cruise past Orlando in the opening round while keeping their core fresh for the next few rounds of the playoffs.

2 Toronto Raptors (53-19)
7 Brooklyn Nets (35-37)

One of the biggest surprises all season has been the Toronto Raptors, who ,after losing Kawhi Leonard in free agency, actually finished with a better win percentage this season than last. They will face off against the Brooklyn Nets in the first round – or what is left of them. After a decent season for the Nets, they entered the bubble without most of their key regular season pieces in Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan and Taurean Prince. Regardless, Toronto won the regular season series against Brooklyn, taking three of the four games they played.

Assuming the Raptors play the way they have all season, this series won’t be particularly long. Behind Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, and others, Toronto will be a heavy favorite. With that said, Brooklyn played excellent in the bubble, even without many of their key pieces. They finished 5-3, which gave them the third best record among Eastern Conference Teams in the bubble. For the Nets, this series will still be beneficial for getting some of their guys playoff experience prior to Kevin Durant and Irving looking to take them the distance next season.

3 Boston Celtics (48-24)
6 Philadelphia 76ers (43-30)

The Philadelphia 76ers got the best of the Boston Celtics in the regular season, winning three of the four games they played. However, looking at the bigger picture, they had a variety of problems all season and finished in just the No. 6 seed in the East. The Boston Celtics have been excellent this season with the emergence of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, along with the addition of veteran point guard Kemba Walker.

Although Ben Simmons of the 76ers will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury, Philadelphia still has enough talent to potentially upset the Celtics in the first round, even as an underdog. Boston’s weakest link is their depth and production at the center position. Philadelphia has two guys in Joel Embiid and former Celtic Al Horford who will be a matchup nightmare for Boston, just like they were in the four regular season matchups. Unfortunately for the 76ers, who went 31-4 at home this season, there will be no games played at the Wells Fargo Center in the playoffs.

4 Indiana Pacers (45-28)
5 Miami Heat (44-29)

Miami and Indiana have a long-standing rivalry. Their fourth and final matchup of the 2019-20 regular season took place on Friday, with the winner, Indiana, taking the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and the loser falling to the No. 5 seed. Up until that game, the Heat had won all three matchups against the Pacers this season. Although home court advantage likely won’t matter much in the bubble, Indiana will hope that they can keep the momentum going.

Indiana will more than likely be without a key piece in Domantas Sabonis in this series who would have been a great matchup against Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat. To combat this, the Pacers will need T.J. Warren to continue his hot streak of scoring, after producing 31.0 points per contest in the bubble. Before he ruptured his quad last season, Victor Oladipo was playing at an MVP-caliber level. Now, fully recovered from that injury, the sky is the limit with how far he can take this Indiana team. On the flip side, NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler will look to take Miami on a deep playoff push in his first season with the team.

The post 2020 NBA Playoff Matchups: Eastern Conference appeared first on SLAM.

Despite an onslaught of injuries, including the loss of Victor Oladipo for the first half of the season and the more recent loss of All-Star Domantas Sabonis right in the thick of the final stretch of the season, the Pacers have clinched a fifth straight playoff berth.

McMillan has been in the head coach’s seat for four of those seasons and was an assistant with the team prior. His overall .571 regular season win percentage as the lead coach comes despite turnover on the roster, most notably the trade that sent Paul George from Indiana to Oklahoma in exchange for Oladipo and Sabonis after his first year on the job.

The Pacers are currently fifth in the East but could finish anywhere between the No. 4 and No. 6 seeds. The team’s success in the bubble wouldn’t have impacted the organization’s decision to extend his contract according to the Indy Star.

Prior to the extension, McMillan’s contract was set to expire at the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

The post Pacers Announce Nate McMillan Extension appeared first on SLAM.

It’s unclear if Oladipo’s initial uncertainty about playing in the restart means that some of that momentum has waned but we’ll soon find out. Oladipo was averaging 12.0 points per game prior to March and ramped that up to 19.7 before the shut down.

Another player that was starting to dial up production before the break was Myles Turner. Turner averaged 14.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in March, up from 11.6 and 6.4. We could see similar production in Orlando, if not more, given the fact that Domantas Sabonis won’t be playing any time soon.

SLAM’s Heat Check series compares each individual player’s personal production in the month of March with their production prior. The goal is to get a sense of the direction in which players were trending when the league stood still. For a more in-depth description, check out our Heat Check (Hiatus Edition) introduction.

Heat Check Indiana Pacers

Victor Oladipo
Doug McDermott
Myles Turner
JaKarr Sampson
Edmond Sumner
Domantas Sabonis	–
T.J. McConnell	–
Goga Bitadze	–
T.J. Warren	–
Brian Bowen II	–
Justin Holiday
Aaron Holiday
Alize Johnson
Malcolm Brogdon
TJ Leaf

Team-by-Team Breakdown

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Each of the 22 teams chosen to participate in the unprecedented Walt Disney World bubble will play eight games to determine their final playoff seeding.

The opportunity gives those on the cusp of making a postseason appearance one last shot at getting in. Once finalized, the 2020 NBA Playoffs will be played as they traditionally are and a champion will be crowned in October.

These final eight games will be crucial for teams and stakes will be as high as ever. Not only will they be fighting for the final playoff spots, but with how tight the conference standings are, certain teams can still move up or down more than three spots in the standings. For this reason, the strength of schedule for each of the 22 teams is extremely important.

There are certainly many factors that come into play when looking at how difficult a team’s schedule is, but purely based on cumulative opponent win percentage to this point in the season, let’s see who has the easiest schedules.

1. New Orleans Pelicans (.495)

The team with the easiest remaining schedule is New Orleans, who play six of their eight remaining games against sub-.500 opponents. They are also the only team that has a cumulative opponent win percentage under .500. Still 3.5 games out of the playoff picture, not only will New Orleans have to take advantage of this relatively easy schedule, they will have to rely on other teams fighting for the final playoff spot to perform poorly. Although there are many moving parts, the Pelicans may have the best chance of anyone to steal the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference from the Grizzlies due to their schedule.

2. Philadelphia 76ers (.506)

Over half of Philadelphia’s remaining opponents have a losing record. For a team that is only two games out of the No. 4 seed in the East, having one of the NBA’s easiest schedules going forward is a huge advantage. Their potential playoff opponents and how they match up would vary quite a bit based on where they land in the final standings.

3. Sacramento Kings (.529)

The Sacramento King haven’t fared quite as well as some hoped this season. Nonetheless, they still have one last chance to change that narrative and make the playoffs, even if it is unlikely. The Kings are currently 3.5 games out of a playoff spot but will have the luxury of playing five of their eight games against teams that are under .500 on the season.

4. Brooklyn Nets (.544)

Not only will the Nets be without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in Orlando due to injury, but they’ll also be missing DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie and a number of others due to health concerns related to the current pandemic. While they will likely be heavy underdogs in any first round series they participate in, they do have a manageable remaining regular season schedule. Their first two games will be against the Magic and Wizards, who are both below them in the Eastern Conference standings.

T-5. Boston Celtics (.550)

Although Boston has a pretty difficult start to their schedule, four of their final five games are against teams with a losing record. With the amount of talent the Celtics have, this means they should finish out the regular season on a very positive note. Of the teams with a top-five easiest schedule, Boston is one of the best based on their current record. Jayson Tatum, who was looking like a superstar before the season was paused, will be exciting to watch the rest of the season.

T-5. L.A. Clippers (.550)

On opening night in Orlando, the Clippers have a highly anticipated matchup against the Lakers. After that, they have five straight games against teams they should have no trouble with, followed by Denver and Oklahoma City to round out their schedule. The Clippers do have a chance to move up to the top spot in the West and could even slide down to the No. 3 seed, but it seems likely they will finish out where they are now at the No. 2 spot. A fully healthy and rested Kawhi Leonard and Paul George is scary for opposing teams going forward.

7. Orlando Magic (.551)

The Magic will be playing in Orlando like they have many times this season, only now it will be in a different stadium roughly 20 miles southwest of their home court. Orlando will have a touch stretch of Indiana, Toronto, Philadelphia, and Boston in the middle of their schedule, but have a manageable start and finish. Although they have a losing record, they still sit comfortably in the playoffs and would have to have an extremely poor outing to lose that spot.

8. Dallas Mavericks (.555)

Dallas is a team that started off hot but has fallen off more recently. With a fully healthy Luka Doncic and more time for Kristaps Porzingis to get his knee strengthened, the Mavericks will be a dangerous team heading to Orlando. One advantage on the schedule for Dallas is that they will get to play the Suns twice in eight games, who will be without Kelly Oubre.

9. Utah Jazz (.556)

The Jazz are one of the most intriguing teams heading into the bubble. Considering Rudy Gobert was the main domino that fell prior to the league shutdown and the locker room drama that came with it, all eyes will be on them as they play in the first NBA game in over four months. The Jazz will matchup against the short-handed Spurs twice in the restart, which should play out in their favor. Utah will be without their second leading scorer on the season in Bojan Bogdanovic due to a season ending surgery.

10. Indiana Pacers (.562)

Indiana is currently two games behind Miami for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. Luckily for them, they play the Heat twice in eight games and will have every opportunity to make a run at that spot prior to the playoffs. With questions surrounding Victor Oladipo given his uncertainty about playing in the restart, it is hard to predict how good this Pacers roster will be.

11. San Antonio Spurs (.567)

It’s tough to see the Spurs make much noise at Disney World with their star big man LaMarcus Aldridge sidelined after season-ending shoulder surgery. On top of this, their schedule only gets gradually tougher as they go. After matching up against Sacramento and Memphis in their first two games, five of their final six games are against teams who have already locked up a playoff spot.

12. Milwaukee Bucks (.573)

As the best team in the NBA this season, the Bucks have quite a few decisions to make in the final eight games of the regular season. Being 6.5 games ahead of Toronto for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, they don’t necessarily have to play their best players all that much. With that being said, would they prefer to utilize their regular rotations to rebuild chemistry and knock off some rust? Seven of their eight games are against teams who currently hold a playoff spot.

13. Washington Wizards (.578)

While five teams in the Western Conference are getting a chance to earn a postseason spot that aren’t currently in the playoff picture, the Wizards are the only team from the Eastern Conference that are getting this opportunity. With that being said, they currently sit 5.5 games back of the Magic for the final playoff spot. It would take everything going their way to earn that No. 8 seed in the East but it is not impossible. It does not help that Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans will not be competing with the team at Disney World.

14. Oklahoma City Thunder (.583)

Every team has one back-to-back during these final eight games, but Oklahoma City might have the easiest of any. They will play Washington on the first night and Phoenix on the second night of their scheduled back-to-back. The Thunder have struggled against the eight teams they will match up with, going just 6-10 against them to this point in the season. Behind Chris Paul, the Thunder have shocked the world with their play thus far in the 2019-20 season.

15. Houston Rockets (.587)

Houston will look to continue their small-ball style of play in Orlando and with the way they like to play, this long rest and reset might actually benefit them. Although they are the No. 6 seed as of now, they’re only 2.5 games back of the No. 3 seed in a tight Western Conference race. Their schedule will do them no favors as they only play three teams with a losing record and will also play both the Lakers and the Bucks over the final eight games.

16. Phoenix Suns (.589)

Of all of the Western Conference teams heading to Orlando, the Suns have the worst record of all and are a full six games back of the Grizzlies for the No. 8 seed. Combine that with an injury to one of their best players in Kelly Oubre, Phoenix could be eliminated from the playoff race early on. After starting their schedule against the Wizards, their next seven games are against current playoff teams.

17. Memphis Grizzlies (.597)

The team that five others in the West are chasing for the final playoff spot is Memphis. Currently 3.5 games ahead of the Trail Blazers, Pelicans, and Kings, the Grizzlies have a solid cushion heading into the bubble but nothing is guaranteed. If they can win over half of their games, they will lock up their spot in the playoffs. This won’t be easy though, with one of the toughest remaining schedules in the league. Two of their first three games are against the Trail Blazers and Pelicans who are chasing them, so they hold their own fate early on.

18. Portland Trail Blazers (.600)

After making a trip to the Western Conference Finals last season, the Trail Blazers are on the outside looking in. Getting one last chance to make a playoff push, it will take an exceptional showing for Portland after a disappointing, injury-ridden season. Not only do the Trail Blazers have a top-five most difficult schedule in the NBA, but their one back-to-back features the Clippers and 76ers, which will be a tough task.

19. Denver Nuggets (.618)

The Nuggets have been one of the best teams in the West this season and hold the No. 3 seed. It will take a productive eight games out of Denver to hold onto this position as they have the fourth toughest schedule remaining. They will even have to play the Lakers and the Clippers in consecutive games towards the end of the eight-game schedule, who are the only teams ahead of them in the Western Conference standings. One positive for the Nuggets is that Nikola Jokic seems to have slimmed down quite a bit and looks to be in excellent shape.

20. Los Angeles Lakers (.625)

The Lakers have a comfortable 5.5 game lead over the Clippers for the top spot in the West. Due to this, we may see them rest guys like LeBron James and Anthony Davis down the stretch once they have secured that No. 1 seed. Regardless, they will have to work for it as their first seven games are against current playoff teams. With how good they have played all season, it is likely that they will have no trouble, even with such a difficult schedule. They may be more interested in starting to build chemistry with their newer additions in Dion Waiters and J.R. Smith.

21. Miami Heat (.636)

After a hot start to the season, the Heat cooled off a bit down the stretch before the NBA hiatus. After starting the season 22-8, they’ve gone 19-16 since Christmas. Perhaps this time off will be beneficial for a team like Miami as they will get to reset and get back on the right foot like they had earlier in the season. It will be fascinating to see how much production they get out of new acquisition Andre Iguodala as well. Miami will only have one game against a team with a losing record while in Orlando before the playoffs.

22. Toronto Raptors (.638)

The team with the toughest schedule over the final eight games of the regular season is the defending champion Raptors. Not only are every single one of their opponents current playoff teams, but they will also have to match up against the top team in each conference – the Lakers and Bucks. A full three games above the Celtics for the No. 2 seed in the East, Toronto will need to take care of business throughout this difficult stretch to hold their spot.

The post Disney Restart: Strength of Schedule Comparison appeared first on SLAM.

Not only is Oladipo hoping to return to their court depending on how his body feels, now J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star reports that he’s expected to suit up for the squad in their pre-restart scrimmages.

Oladipo missed a year of action with the quad injury that he suffered in the 2018-19 campaign and he only returned to the court in January.

While the playoff-bound Pacers would certainly benefit from one of their chief offensive option, it’s no surprise that the guard is approaching the unprecedented return to play with caution.

Oladipo is currently set to be a free agent in the 2021 offseason.

The post Victor Oladipo Changes Course, Trying to Play in Restart appeared first on SLAM.

Part and parcel with the league’s restart plan is the fact that players can opt out of the Disney World games without breaching their contract, but whether or not players will forfeit a prorated share of their contract when they opt out or not depends on whether they’re formally excused or not due to a medical issue.

Many of the players who will forego suiting up for the squads when the league resumes are facing the same injuries that they faced prior to the shutdown, most notably the likes of Kevin Durant and John Wall, who were expected to be out for the season regardless and will not alter those plans to take part in the unprecedented campaign extension.

Other players that have already revealed that they won’t participate at Disney did not appear on injury reports prior to the shutdown.

In addition to players who will sit out due to recent positive COVID-19 diagnoses – like DeAndre Jordan and Spencer Dinwiddie – there are players like Bradley Beal and Victor Oladipo who will take the opportunity to sit despite being active in mid-March.

To get a sense of where player’s stood when the league shut down in March, I’ve combed through the league’s final injury reports from prior to the shutdown, noting any instances where players were formally listed as “out”.

A total of 19 of the 22 Disney-bound teams had at least one such player in their most recent injury report prior to the shutdown. All told, 49 NBA players from those teams were listed as “out” on their team’s last injury report before the league ground to a halt on the night of March 11.

At least 11 of those players that were listed as “out” in March are not expected to play at Disney World. Many of the rest have long returned to health and will be active in Orlando later this month.

Out Then; Out Now

Of the 11 players that are expected to be out of action when the Disney World games tip off, three had missed the entire 2019-20 campaign. Not all players that spent the first seven months of the season on the sidelines will forego the return, however.

Jusuf Nurkic of the Portland Trail Blazers has been sidelined since breaking his leg in March of 2019 but has been cleared to suit up for his squad after the extended layoff.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Andre Roberson is another example of a player that could make his season debut at Disney. Roberson has been on the sidelines since January, 2018.

A grand total of 30 players that were “out” the day the league stood still are now at least reasonably expected to be back at full health on July 30.

Out Then; Available Now

Naturally, there are a number of cases where availability isn’t known or at least hasn’t been verified. This list could grow with confirmations that players like Nigel Williams-Goss or Justin James are deemed eligible.

In addition to those less documented cases, there’s no consensus yet that a player like Malcolm Brogdon, who has recovered from his right quad injury but now faces recovery from COVID-19, will actually suit up at Disney World, or if a late signee like Jontay Porter, who inked a deal mid-rehabilitation on March 10, will make his debut for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Other players like Memphis’ Grayson Allen and NOLA’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker, much like Roberson, could potentially be capable of returning but don’t yet have a formally revealed clean bill of health.

Additionally, not all players that were available in March are expected to suit up for their teams during the restart. I’ve published a dynamic list of NBA players who’ve voluntarily opted out of the Disney World games but these aren’t the players that I’m concerned about here.

Below is a list of the additional players that won’t play for medical reasons. For several of these players, the hiatus represented an opportunity to undergo surgery to treat nagging injuries. LaMarcus Aldridge of the San Antonio Spurs and Bojan Bogdanovic of the Utah Jazz elected to go this route.

Other players will sit out of the restart after testing positive for the coronavirus during the shut down. A trio of Brooklyn Nets players, DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince, have done exactly that and this list may grow if more players see positive diagnoses closer to the July 30 tip off.

Available Then; Out Now

The post List of Injury Updates Ahead of NBA Restart appeared first on SLAM.

Oladipo had only seen action for the Pacers in 13 games this season after making his season debut in late January. That didn’t stop Indiana from establishing itself as a force in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers currently hold the No. 5 seed in their conference.

The loss of Oladipo is a significant one for the team nonetheless. Oladipo is just two seasons removed from averaging 23.1 points per game for the Pacers.

Oladipo will forfeit a projected sum of $3M, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, but the decision could be a wise one for the former Hoosier given that he’ll be eligible to sign a contract extension come October.

Related: The complete list of NBA players opting out of Disney World games

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Each member of the SLAM Fam was assigned a team to pick for. Below are the results + explanations.

Special Offer: Click Here To Get 15% Off NBA Store With Code NBASLAM15

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1. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: Anthony Edwards (6-5 Guard, Georgia)

CLASS: Freshman (18 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 40% shooting from the field

First things first: The Golden State Warriors are not about to draft a third Splash Brother. Anthony Edwards may not be a great three-point shooter, but that’s arguably the only thing he doesn’t already do at an elite level. As he showed pretty much every night during an SEC Freshman of the Year campaign at Georgia—and as comparisons to Donovan Mitchell, Victor Oladipo, and even Dwyane Wade make clear—the 6-5, 225-pound combo guard has all the tools necessary to be a difference maker in the NBA. With Steph and Klay both in their 30s and coming off major injuries, the Dubs need to be thinking about the backcourt of the future. Edwards could be their next All-Star SG. — Ryan Jones

2. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: LaMelo Ball (6-8 Guard, Illawarra Hawks of the NBL)

AGE: 19 years old

2019-20 STATS: 17.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.6 steals, shooting 38% from the field

I’m gonna ignore that this pick adds a third point guard to a young team and just roll with the kid that I think is an incredible talent that any team would be lucky to have. Last we saw of LaMelo, he was a 6-7 point guard who can shoot from deep, put the ball on the floor and make the smart pass. Now I hear he’s sprouted to 6-8, grown into his lanky frame and become a more confident playmaker. That’s tough to pass on, regardless when the pick is being made. I realize this would create a logjam at the PG spot—LaMelo, Collin Sexton and Darius Garland seem unlikely to successfully share the ball—but it gives Cleveland a hell of a group of young players to develop and/or trade for other guys as the next season nears (or in the distant future). — Adam Figman

3. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: James Wiseman (7-1 Center, Memphis)

CLASS: Freshman (18 years old)

2019-20 STATS (three games): 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, shooting 77% from the field

Karl-Anthony Towns’ capacity to match imposing physical size with guard-like quickness has proven to be the quality that separates him from many of the League’s bigs. James Wiseman has a skill-set, frame and athletic ability that almost mirrors that of Towns. Wiseman, who left Memphis after just three games, has consistent 20-point, 10-rebound potential written all over him. Pairing a forceful yet talented big man duo with D’Angelo Russell could be the right way to finally bring the Wolves back to the hunt. — Max Resetar

4. ATLANTA HAWKS: Obi Toppin (6-9 Forward, Dayton)

CLASS: Sophomore (22 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 20.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, shooting 63% from the field and 39% from three

The 6-9 redshirt sophomore became a SportsCenter regular thanks to his high-flying finishes, but overall was a super-efficient scorer despite a high usage. Prior to the NCAA suspending all remaining games, the Brooklyn native had positioned Dayton as a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Flyers held a 29-2 record—easily the best season in school history.  He was already named National POY by USA Today, CBS Sports, NBC Sports and The Athletic, and is widely considered the front-runner for the prestigious Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year award. Additionally, Toppin was the only unanimous selection for the AP All-America teams. While the Hawks already have John Collins and Clint Capella in the paint, Toppin’s resume is worthy of serious consideration. — Franklyn Calle

5. DETROIT PISTONS: Deni Avdija (6-9 Forward, Maccabi Tel Aviv)

AGE: 19 years old

2019-20 STATS: 7.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, shooting 51% from the field (19.8 mpg)

Four of the highest ceiling prospects have already come off the board, but the Detroit Pistons can still pocket a valuable building block with this No. 5 pick as they turn to the future. Despite the fact that they already have ambiguously tantalizing combo forward Sekou Doumbouya and breakout stretch Christian Wood, the Pistons should take a long look at 19-year-old utility forward Deni Avdija. Avdija has impressed as a transition quarterback in the Israeli Premier League and looks comfortable enough handling the ball and pulling up from beyond the arc to project as an intriguing offensive option at the next level. Defensively, his length and discipline should help him at least make an impact, but if he’s going to see time at the three, or even at the four, in today’s small ball era, he’ll need to show that he can match NBA speed and athleticism.  — Austin Kent

6. NEW YORK KNICKS: Cole Anthony (6-3 Guard, North Carolina)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, shooting 38% from the field and 35% from three

This just makes sense for so many reasons. 1) The Knicks continue to search for a consistent playmaker at the point guard position. Cole uses his explosive athleticism to get to the paint and put constant pressure on the defense. Which brings us to 2) The Knicks offense currently ranks 29th in the NBA and they desperately covet scoring. Cole averaged just under 20 points per game for the Tar Heels and, while a solid facilitator, is more aggressive than passive. Right now, the Garden needs that. And, of course, there’s 3) Cole grew up in New York City and his father, Greg Anthony, was a PG for the Knicks from 1991-95, when the team was making deep playoff runs. As long as Cole takes care of the ball and RJ Barrett improves his perimeter shooting, the two could form the backcourt that turns things around for a franchise that hasn’t finished over .500 since 2012-13. — Alex Squadron

7. CHICAGO BULLS: Tyrese Haliburton (6-5 Guard, Iowa State)

CLASS: Sophomore (20 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 15.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2.5 steals, shooting 50% from the field and 42% from three

The underachieving Bulls showed that they need help in several areas—shooting and defense in particular. Iowa State sophomore point guard Tyrese Haliburton excels in those domains, and then some. Haliburton, who just turned 20, averaged 15.2 points (on 50/42/82 shooting splits), 6.5 dimes, 5.9 boards and 2.5 steals this season. A pass-first playmaker, he would fit perfectly alongside scorers Coby White and Zach LaVine. Standing 6-5 with a crazy wingspan, Haliburton could easily guard positions 1-3, giving Chicago more switch-ability on the perimeter. And not to be overlooked, Haliburton brings great character to a team—lauded by Iowa State coach Steve Prohm for his “winning demeanor.” — Ryne Nelson

8. CHARLOTTE HORNETS: RJ Hampton (6-5 Guard, New Zealand Breakers of the NBL)

AGE: 19 years old

2019-20 STATS: 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, shooting 40% from the field

RJ Hampton, a 6-5, 185-pound point guard would be a nice, perhaps long-term fit for the Charlotte Hornets. The 19-year-old, who skipped college and took his talents to Australia, would have an uphill battle for minutes in a backcourt featuring Devonte’ Graham and Terry Rozier. Hampton is an elite ball-handler—able to break down defenses with dribble penetration—and has plenty of athletic ability. Unlike most of his peers in the 2020 NBA Draft, RJ had a taste of the fierce competition that awaits him in the League. His New Zealand Breakers faced both the OKC Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies in a pair of exhibition games last October, and though his jumper struggled, Hampton knows he’s well on his way: “I’m having a lot of fun.” — Marcel Mutoni

9. WASHINGTON WIZARDS: Onyeka Okongwu (6-9 Forward, USC)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 16.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, 1.2 steals, shooting 62% from the field

If you’d heard of Onyeka Okongwu before 2018, it was probably as a footnote in a story about his world-famous high school teammates. Okongwu played at Chino Hills with the Ball brothers, where he spent his early years in anonymity before LaMelo left California for Lithuania. Thrust into a leading role, Big O led Chino to a state title, and added a 35-point, 14-rebound, five-block performance against Zion Williamson at the 2018 Hoophall Classic along the way. In one season at USC, the crazy athletic 6-9 big showed enough potential to warrant top-5 pick consideration. Okongwu’s NBA comparisons range everywhere from Montrezl Harrell to Bam Adebayo—at minimum, he’s a versatile defender who can step in right away and protect the rim for a Washington team sorely lacking in that area. Projecting him alongside a healthy Wall, Beal, Hachimura and (maybe) Bertans in 2020-21 would certainly have Wizards fans eyeing a return to the postseason. — Abe Schwadron

10. PHOENIX SUNS: Nico Mannion (6-3 Guard, Arizona)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 14.0 points, 5.3 assists, 1.2 steals, shooting 39% from the field

Nico Mannion is one of the smoothest and most skilled point guards in this year’s draft. His father, Pace Mannion, played in the NBA and finished his career in Italy, where Nico was born. Once they moved back to the states, Nico played in Phoenix at Pinnacle High School and then for the Arizona Wildcats. At 6-3, he has great pace and court vision. He’s smooth off the bounce and can create for himself and his teammates. He’s a shot maker and has all the tools to be an elite guard at the pro level. Phoenix is a good fit for Mannion, as he can learn alongside Rubio in the city where he’s been playing for years. — Bryan LaRussa

11. SAN ANTONIO SPURS: Jaden McDaniels (6-9 Forward, Washington)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 13.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, shooting 41% from the field and 34% from three

I’m well aware of what happened in his lone season at Washington and what scouts and analysts have said regarding a player that they feel teams should take caution with. I know about the benchings at UW, critiques of his decision-making on the court and the other asterisks that might have been attached to his name. But the Spurs’ culture—and everything they stand for—couldn’t be a better place for McDaniels to start his NBA career. There are valuable OGs on that roster—Patty Mills, DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay and LaMarcus Aldridge—and another Washington guy in Dejounte Murray that could take the incoming rook under their wings. And did I mention being in the same vicinity and learning from a HOFer in Tim Duncan? The Spurs have a “we-over-me” ethos and a track record that speaks for itself. San Antonio is a perfect destination for someone with Jaden’s stature and skill set. — Drew Ruiz

12. SACRAMENTO KINGS: Isaac Okoro (6-6 Forward, Auburn)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 12.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, shooting 51% from the field

A year ago, you might not have known the name Isaac Okoro. Coming out of McEachern High School in Atlanta, GA, Okoro was a four-star recruit who didn’t have the hype he likely warranted. That changed quickly, though. The 6-6 freshman was surrounded by seniors in the starting lineup at Auburn and still separated himself. With his versatility and explosiveness, Okoro climbed the ranks and shouldn’t fall past this spot in the 2020 Draft. Isaac is a lockdown defender who can score in a variety of ways but doesn’t demand the ball offensively. He’ll have no problem letting guards De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovich (should they all return) run the show, sliding in seamlessly right away and hopefully helping the Kings level up after a disappointing 2019-20 season. — Alex Squadron

13. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: Precious Achiuwa (6-9 Forward, Memphis)

CLASS: Freshman (20 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 15.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, shooting 49% from the field

First off, this pick is for Queens, NY, being that I can’t remember the last time the borough had an NBA lottery pick. Coming off an eventful freshman season, Precious Achiuwa averaged 15.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game before the sports world was put on freeze. Achiuwa should be a major addition to the young highlight reel Pelicans. The 6-9, 225-pound forward has all the tools to make an impact right away. With Lonzo Ball coming off his best NBA season and Zion’s short, but dominant, run, the Pelicans should look to add another forward with their star Brandon Ingram possibly testing the FA market this summer. Regardless, Precious will bring more athleticism and explosiveness to a budding roster. — Nick Torres

14. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: Devin Vassell (6-6 Guard, Florida State)

CLASS: Sophomore (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 12.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals, shooting 49% from the field and 41% from three

With the Blazers set to enter the 2020-21 season at nearly full strength after an injury-filled 2019-20 campaign, the team needs reinforcements to shore up its roster and make a run at the Western Conference’s best. A rookie that could step in and provide shooting and defense on the wing would help strengthen the team’s supporting cast around the Lillard-McCollum-Nurkic core. Enter Devin Vassell. The 6-6 guard from Florida State evolved into the team’s leading scorer (12.7 PPG) after averaging under five points in his freshman season. He showed off his range with the Seminoles, shooting at or above 41.5% from deep in each of his two seasons. Vassell also brings value on the defensive end, with averages of 1 block and 1.4 steals per game. The forward is the essential 3-and-D complement that Portland has lacked in recent years. He projects as an instant contributor with the potential to take over the wing from the Blazers’ older forwards. — Isaiah De Los Santos

15. ORLANDO MAGIC: Theo Maledon (6-4 Guard, ASVEL of the EuroLeague)

AGE: 18 years old

2019-20 STATS: 7.4 points, 3.1 assists, shooting 46% from the field and 37% from three

There are a lot of good guards on the the board that are excellent talents, but from the standpoint of trying to find a solid backcourt mate for Markelle Fultz, the Magic should consider Theo Maledon. Highlights are obviously skewed, but his decision making as a playmaker seems to be there, both in transition and half-court play. He plays with a patience that is rare to see in an 18-year-old in the EuroLeague. This past season for ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne, he shot 37% from beyond the arc. If he wants to maintain a spot in the NBA, he’ll need to maintain that shooting percentage as his three point attempts go up. — Arvind Pitchai

16. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (VIA BROOKLYN): Tyrese Maxey (6-3 Guard, Kentucky)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, shooting 43% from the field

Earlier in this mock, the Wolves snagged James Wiseman with the No. 3 pick, pairing him with star Karl-Anthony Towns to give them a massively talented frontcourt for the foreseeable future. With the recently acquired D’Angelo Russell reliably running point, the Wolves still need a wing who can get buckets. Maxey is super shifty and already sports an impressive floater package. He has a strong handle and can effectively slash into the teeth of the defense. He’s also a fantastic on-ball defender. And while his three-point percentages are subpar, his feathery floater touch and excellent free throw percentage (83% on the season) suggest he will be just fine. His 6-3 frame may be on the small side for a SG, but his tremendous strength compensates for the slight height disadvantage. Maxey is young and has tons of room to grow. The Wolves should take a shot on a kid with huge upside who could transform into a perennial 20-point per game scorer. — Isaiah Freedman

17. BOSTON CELTICS (VIA MEMPHIS): Josh Green (6-6 Guard, Arizona)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 12.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.5 steals, shooting 42% from the field and 36% from three

The Celtics are locked in for the future. They have an All-NBA point guard in Kemba Walker, budding superstars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, a lockdown perimeter defender in Marcus Smart, and the perfect complementary pieces to round out the roster. This gives them the flexibility to take the best, most talented player available—Arizona freshman Josh Green. One of the top defenders in the draft, the shooting guard can cover 1-4 with his 6-6, 210-pound frame and 6-10 wingspan. Offensively, he is an elite athlete who can handle the ball and hit open shots, as he knocked down 39.5% of his three-point attempts in the second half of the season. He fits with what the Celtics continue to stockpile—competitive, versatile wings who can cover and play multiple positions. Green is just 19 years old, but can contribute right away as a role player for a Celtics team that has current championship aspirations. — Ben Simon

18. DALLAS MAVERICKS: Isaiah Stewart (6-9 Forward, Washington)

CLASS: Freshman (18 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 17.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, shooting 57% from the field

Sitting right on the verge of serious contention, the Mavericks will be looking for a player who provides reliable depth and immediate contribution. Washington big man Isaiah Stewart fits that mold. As a freshman, Stewart was a model of consistency for the Huskies. A 250-pound forward with a 7-4 wingspan, Stewart combines impressive athleticism and mobility with a polished finishing ability, making him a perfect fit in a pick-and-roll with Luka Doncic. He shot 77% from the FT line and showed a solid midrange touch. Stewart’s biggest strength, however, is that few, if any players in the draft play with a higher motor. While his back-to-the-basket offensive game may not translate to the next level, his energy and physicality will certainly make him effective as a rim protector and a rebounder on both ends. With Dwight Powell recovering from a ruptured achilles, Stewart can provide immediate depth at the 4 or 5 for a Mavericks team looking to win now. — Sam Squadron

19. MILWAUKEE BUCKS (VIA INDIANA): Vernon Carey Jr. (6-10 Center, Duke)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 17.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, shooting 58% from the field

There’s a reason why Vernon Carey Jr. was voted ACC Freshman of the Year in his lone season at Duke. The 6-10 lefty has an efficient offensive game and can score in a multitude of ways. Vernon has a quick first step and is extremely tough to guard within five feet of the basket. He’ll be joining a team already poised to make a deep playoff run, so there will be little to no pressure for the rook to carry a large load. However, if there’s anything we learned from Vernon Carey Jr in college, it’s that he shows up when it matters most. — Theus McBee

20. BROOKLYN NETS (VIA PHILADELPHIA): Saddiq Bey (6-8 Forward, Villanova)

CLASS: Sophomore (21 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, shooting 48% from the field and 45% from three

Bey is an athletic forward standing at 6-8, 216 pounds that has levels to his game, but the biggest draw is that he’s a knockdown shooter. He shot 45% from beyond the arc in his sophomore year at Villanova, up from 37% in his first year. The Julius Erving award winner could be a perfect fit for the Nets, who are currently the fifth worst three-point shooting squad in the League based on percentage. Brooklyn will be getting back major offensive pieces next year in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but with the contract of Joe Harris in question, Bey could be a strong addition should the Nets need to fill that role. — Camille Buxeda

21. DENVER NUGGETS (VIA HOUSTON): Jalen Smith (6-10 Forward, Maryland)

CLASS: Sophomore (20 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, shooting 54% from the field and 37% from three

Jalen Smith is a rim-running, athletic big with great hands. He’s also a willing and gifted post player who can step out and shoot the three. The 6-10 power forward has a high motor—Smith can bring chasedown blocks, offensive rebounds, and defensive toughness to the Pepsi Center. For good measure, he’s got the lateral speed and shiftiness necessary to defend at the next level. The Baltimore native is fresh off a stellar sophomore season, in which he led Maryland to a 24-7 record and a Big Ten title. Stix was the best player on a Terps team on pace for a 3-seed and poised for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, and Smith would pair well with Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic in Mike Malone’s system. Paul Millsap, Mason Plumlee and Jerami Grant are all free agents this summer. Smith fits Denver’s position need, and he projects to be the kind of player most GMs are looking for in 2020: a stretch-four who defends. — Eli Schwadron

22. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (VIA OKLAHOMA CITY): Aaron Nesmith (6-6 Forward, Vanderbilt)

CLASS: Sophomore (20 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 23.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals, shooting 51% from the field and 52% from three

When JJ Redick fled from the City of Brotherly Love on the first day of free agency last summer, the Sixers’ long-range marksmanship took an immediate hit. Through 65 games, Philadelphia ranked 14th in three-point field goal accuracy (32.6%), down from eighth the season before. The solution? Enter Aaron Nesmith, the best pure shooter in this year’s draft. Vandy’s 6-6 sophomore slinger averaged 23 points and 4.9 rebounds over 14 games while shooting 52% from deep, before a season-ending stress fracture in his right foot. Nesmith was the fifth-leading scorer in the nation and was on pace to have one of the best three-point shooting seasons in college basketball history. Possessing a combination of size, strength, and deadeye shot-making ability, Nesmith’s game is tailor-made for the modern NBA and fills a much-needed void in Philly. — Peter Robert Casey

23. MIAMI HEAT: Killian Hayes (6-5 Guard, ratiopharm Ulm of Basketball Bundesliga)

AGE: 18 years old

2019-20 STATS: 12.8 points, 6.2 assists, 1.5 steals, shooting 46% from the field and 39% from three

Already an Eastern Conference playoff contender, Pat Riley will search for the final pieces of the puzzle starting in the 2020 Draft. As Goran Dragic enters unrestricted free agency, the Heat will likely target youth to take over the reigns. Although he’s only 18, Killian Hayes boasts the experience and toughness it takes to make an impact in the NBA immediately. Originally born in Lakeland, FL, before moving to France due to his father’s pro career, Hayes has used basketball to bridge the gap between both countries. After playing against older opponents his entire childhood in Europe, Hayes turned professional in France at the age of only 16. During his career with Cholet, Killian also represented the French National team. Now a 6-5 PG with a tight handle, sharp vision and the ability to finish at the rim, he holds all the intangibles NBA scouts seek. The Lakeland native took the opposite journey to the League, and the risk may be worth the reward. Once idolizing Dwyane Wade, Hayes now has the chance to honor Flash as he returns to his home state and aims to ignite South Beach once again. — Daren Scarberry

24. UTAH JAZZ: Aleksej Pokusevski (7-0 Forward, Olympiacos B of the Greek A2 Basket League)

AGE: 18 years old

2019-20 STATS: 10.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.8 blocks, shooting 49% from the field and 32% from three

It’s time to meet your future favorite player, and he goes by the name of Poku. Joining the storied lineage of Serbians (Vlade, Peja, Nikola) in the NBA, Aleksej Pokusevski is the youngest prospect in this year’s draft, not turning 19 until the day after Christmas. And while his 7-0 frame has caused folks that have never heard of him or seen him play to make assumptions, don’t get it twisted—Poku is a point guard trapped in a center’s body. Just like KD (6-10), Giannis (6-11), Jokić (7-0), and Porzingis (7-3), he’s a vertically inclined man with playmaking ability and perimeter skills. Unfortunately, he’s barely seen any EuroLeague action for Olympiacos since joining the club at the age of 13, but he’s had the privilege of learning from legendary Greek teammates Vassilis Spanoulis and Georgios Printezis, along with former head coach David Blatt. While this season he was assigned to play with the development team, Olympiacos B, his time spent with the Serbian national squad has been fruitful and excited NBA scouts. Last July, he opened the FIBA U18 European Championship with 16 points, 13 rebounds, 7 blocks, 5 assists, and 3 steals in a win against Germany. If Poku somehow slips this far to Utah, a team who flew to Athens to see him play in November, they’re in for a treat. — Aron Phillips

25. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (VIA DENVER): Jahmi’us Ramsey (6-4 Guard, Texas Tech)

CLASS: Freshman (18 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals, shooting 44% from the field and 43% from three

Jahmi’us Ramsey, the highest ranked recruit to ever attend Texas Tech, finished off the 2019-20 regular season as Big 12 Freshman of the Year. He’s an explosive combo guard with a great jump shot who can create space, elevate and finish with authority at the rim. Put simply, Ramsey gets buckets. Ramsey would slot right into an Oklahoma City Thunder backcourt that has thrived under the guidance of head coach Billy Donovan and veteran point god Chris Paul. Integrated into a system with a strong track record of player development, Ramsey could carve out a role as a long-term rotation piece in OKC. — Dave Schnur

26. BOSTON CELTICS: Zeke Nnaji (6-11 Forward, Arizona)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 16.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, shooting 57% from the field

Two Celtics picks and two Arizona Wildcats. After choosing Josh Green at 17, the Celtics can afford to take a shot on a sleeper. That comes in the form of Zeke Nnaji. I say sleeper, but he was actually much more productive than Green in their one season of college. The Minnesota native averaged 16.1 points and 8.6 rebounds (including 3.1 offensive boards, giving him the highest total in the Pac 12), while shooting 57% from the field, second best in the conference. The Celtics’ roster is filled out, but they do have one glaring need: a big man who can run the floor and play above the rim. Nnaji can do just that… and then some. He’s an elite finisher who even showed an ability to knock down jump shots. The building blocks are there for him to be an efficient three-point shooter. Nnaji still has glaring struggles on the defensive end, but with Daniel Theis, Vincent Poirier, and Robert Williams under contract next season (Enes Kanter is under a player option), there’s time for him to develop. It’s a low risk, high reward pick that could hopefully fill one of the Celtics’ few holes. Oh, and if you’re short on a pregame National Anthem performer, Zeke Nnaji can do that too.  — Ben Simon

27. NEW YORK KNICKS (VIA CLIPPERS): Jordan Nwora (6-7 Forward, Louisville)

CLASS: Junior (21 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, shooting 44% from the field and 40% from three

During the past two seasons, Jordan Nwora established himself as the go-to guy for the Louisville Cardinals and deserves to be taken in the first round of the upcoming NBA draft. At 6-7, he’s extremely versatile and has a well-rounded offensive game. Nwora led the Cards in scoring for the second straight year, averaging 18 points on 44% shooting from the field and 40% from deep. He can spread the floor and create spacing for a Knicks team that ranked dead last in total threes in 2019-20. If the Knicks take Cole Anthony at the No. 6 spot to pair with RJ Barrett, they’re going to be searching for reliable prospects like Nwora—athletic forwards who can run in transition, knock down jumpers consistently and don’t clog the paint. — Alex Squadron

28. TORONTO RAPTORS: Yves Pons (6-6 Guard, Tennessee)

CLASS: Junior (21 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 10.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, shooting 49% from the field and 35% from three

While the SEC’s DPOY doesn’t boast the numbers of other first round picks, he has elite athleticism that allows him to guard positions 1-4. Pons is another skilled defensive player, similar to OG Anunoby, who will help the Raptors in an Eastern Conference that is deep at the G/F position. At 6-6, Pons averaged 2.4 blocks per game last season. He will fit right in to Toronto’s talented bench squad. Although his defensive prowess is what will get him drafted, Pons shot 35% from the three-point line in his last season as a Volunteer. This makes him an intriguing possible deep threat, and given the Raptors’ track record of developing talent (Siakam, VanVleet, Powell), he will have a great opportunity to develop his offensive game further. — Greg Cohen

29. LOS ANGELES LAKERS: Tyrell Terry (6-1 Guard, Stanford)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.4 steals, shooting 44% from the field and 41% from three

LeBron loves a point guard that can shoot, and Terry does just that. He’s a score-first PG who also possesses impressive passing ability. Terry is a three-level scorer and a particularly elite three-point shooter. This past season, he shot 48% on catch and shoot threes and is also capable of knocking down jumpers off the dribble. He has a very good feel for the game, knowing when to pass and when to look for his own offense. Tyrell can operate out of the pick-and-roll and moves very well off the ball, similar to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Overall, he’s a playmaker that will develop into a premier guard in the League. — Christian Quezada

30. BOSTON CELTICS (VIA MILWAUKEE): Tre Jones (6-3 Guard, Duke)

CLASS: Sophomore (20 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 16.2 points, 6.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals, shooting 42% from the field and 36% from three

The oldest position on the Celtics? Point guard. Although Kemba Walker is still earning All-Star appearances, he is less than a month away from being 30. Brad Wanamaker, despite just two years in the NBA, is already 30. Carsen Edwards provides some youth, but might be better served as an off-ball gunner. The Celtics are young and talented at pretty much every other position (center was solved with our last pick). Increased PG depth could provide a nice cushion. Tre Jones brings just that. But the 6-3, 185-pound guard is more than the prototypical backup point guard. Sure, he has a high floor. That happens when you receive ACC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors. Not only can he contribute right away, but he has the chance to grow into a legitimate NBA starter. After shooting just 26% from three during his freshman season, he bumped his average up to 36% this year. He’s a mature, smart guard who can complement the Celtics’ stars by playing defense, facilitating, hitting open threes, and scoring when needed. With Jones and Marcus Smart, they could have one of the best defensive backcourts in the NBA. He’s already a great backup option right now, but as Walker climbs into his 30s, Jones has a chance to be the Celtics’ point guard of the future. — Ben Simon

The post SLAM’s 2020 NBA Mock Draft appeared first on SLAM.

Returning to play and starting right back up with the NBA Playoffs has not been ruled out. The playoffs are the league’s most lucrative and highest-viewed games of the season. All parties will do what they can to avoid sacrificing playoff games.

One thing the paused season is doing is allowing those playoff teams to get healthy. Almost all of the current 16 playoff teams was dealing with injuries on some front. Here’s where each team stood when play was suspended and where they could be when play resumes.

Eastern Conference

Milwaukee Bucks

• Giannis Antetokounmpo had suffered a sprained left knee shortly before the season was suspended. Antetokounmpo was looking like he would return from it in relatively short order though. That means the reigning MVP should be ready to go when the season resumes.

Toronto Raptors

• Marc Gasol had recently returned from a strained left hamstring. He was going to be spotted rest days to keep him healthy, and now has plenty of recovery time.
• Norman Powell went down with a sprained left ankle two days before play was suspended. The team said it wasn’t serious, so Powell should be healthy upon resumption of play.
• Fred VanVleet had been out for a couple of weeks with a sore left shoulder. He was expected to return soon, so the downtime will only make that more likely.

Boston Celtics

• Jaylen Brown had missed five straight games with a strained right hamstring before the season was suspended. The time off gives Brown, who is also suffering from an ankle injury, time to get right. He should be fine when play resumes.
• Gordon Hayward and Kemba Walker have both dealt with recurring soreness throughout the season. Hayward still has issues with left foot/ankle from when he broke his leg a couple of years ago. Walker has battled left soreness. The time off should allow both veterans to get the rest they need.

Miami Heat

• Jimmy Butler injured his left toe a week before the pause. He downplayed the injury, so he should be fine when the season starts back up.
• Meyers Leonard had been out over a month with a badly sprained left ankle. The time off should give him the time he needs to be ready for the re-start.

Indiana Pacers

• Victor Oladipo has dealt with residual soreness in his back and legs since his return from knee surgery. The time off will only help him manage that.
• Malcolm Brogdon has had seven different injury this season. The latest was a tear in his left quad. As this happened shortly before the season was suspended, there is no official timeline for Brogdon’s return. This is one to keep an eye on.
• Doug McDermott had been battling a sore right big toe, but should be ready to go when play resumes.

Philadelphia 76ers

• Ben Simmons was essentially ruled out for the remainder of the regular season schedule shortly before play was suspended due to a nerve impingement in his back. There might not be a player who could benefit more from the downtime than Simmons. He may have missed time in the postseason had things stayed on schedule. Now Simmons could be ready to go when things start back up again.

Brooklyn Nets

• Could Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving return if the season starts back up in a month or two and it’s right into the playoffs? It’s probably a no for both players, but the door was left open a bit for Durant. The plan is to keep him out, but as his business manager Rich Kleiman said “Could that change? I guess it could change.” Durant was one of four Nets to test positive for coronavirus, but that shouldn’t have any bearing on him being able to play one way or the other.
• The Nets ruled Irving out for the season following shoulder surgery, but that’s when the season was set to end on time. Irving is probably still out, but expect the question to at least be asked.
• Three unnamed Nets, beyond Durant, also tested positive for COVID-19. It’s expected that they’ll have made a full recovery before play resumes.

Orlando Magic

• In mid-February the Orlando Magic said Jonathan Isaac would not return this season. The NBA had previously denied Orlando’s petition for a Disabled Player Exception for Isaac, which lent some credence to the belief he could come back this year. How the season being stretched out impacts that is an unknown at this point.
• Al-Farouq Aminu was originally though to be out for the year, but shed his knee brace recently. His quicker than expected recovery, combined with the pause in the season, means he could return this year.

Western Conference

Los Angeles Lakers

• Outside of some minor bumps and bruises, the Lakers went into the break in play healthy and ready to go.

Los Angeles Clippers

• Lou Williams had a sore right calf right before play was suspended, but should be fine when things pick back up. He’s the only LA rotation player dealing with even a minor injury.

Denver Nuggets

• After a season filled with injuries, the Nuggets were finally healthy. They’ll hope to stay that way when play resumes.

Utah Jazz

• Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell both tested positive for coronavirus, but are expected to be healthy and ready to go when the season restarts.

Oklahoma City Thunder

• Rookie forward Darius Bazley suffered a right knee bruise that was expected to keep him out for the remainder of the regular season. He’s now likely to be ready to return when play starts back up again.

Houston Rockets

• The Rockets were fully healthy when the season paused. Houston had been going small and playing only about eight players a night. The extra rest will certainly benefit them.

Dallas Mavericks

• Jalen Brunson was the only Mavs regular dealing with anything beyond bumps and bruises. He chose to have shoulder surgery, after previously electing to play through a right labrum tear. Brunson could be back, but it’s expected he’ll be out whenever the season restarts.

Memphis Grizzlies

• Memphis was really banged up. Starting forward Jaren Jackson Jr. was out with a sprained left knee, but was closing in on a return. He should be good to go when play picks back up.
• Brandon Clarke was down for the Grizzlies frontcourt. He had a right quad injury, but the team had announced he was progressing well before the shutdown. He should be ready when the season resumes.
• Justise Winslow had yet to make his Memphis debut when play was suspended. He was upgraded to questionable just before the stoppage of play, so he could be ready when games resume.

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The Pacers made a truly inspired comeback, at one point outscoring Boston 21-2, in order to make things interesting. But down the stretch, Marcus Smart converted a contorting layup, Victor Oladipo missed a 3-pointer, and the game slipped away.

Jayson Tatum (30 points) and Gordon Hayward (27 points) led the way for the Celtics, while Domantas Sabonis (28 points) and Oladipo (27 points) led the Pacers.

Wizards 122 (24-40), Knicks 115 (20-45)

Bradley Beal is on fire. amid a tough losing season in Washington, he’s done nothing but excel, and tonight was no different. Beal put up 40 points, 7 assists and 3 steals in the win.

The Knicks have very few bright spots nowadays (or ever), but Frank Ntilikina had 20 points, 10 assists and 2 steals on very efficient shooting. If he can figure out his offensive game, he’s going to be a problem.

Spurs 119 (27-36), Mavericks 109 (39-27)

This was a quality win for the Spurs, with their playoff chances on life support. LaMarcus Aldridge led the way with 24 points, 3 steals and 4 blocks, while six other Spurs reached double figures.

Luka Doncic’s 38 points weren’t enough for the Mavs.

Bulls 108 (22-43), Cavaliers 103 (19-46)

What Coby White has been doing deserves some more recognition. The rook is scoring like a vet, and while he had too many turnovers tonight, he dropped 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists to take home the win.

Rockets 117 (40-24), Timberwolves 111 (19-45)

Good for the Rockets snapping their mildly concerning losing streak. Russ and the Beard were at the forefront as usual, combining for 64 points, 6 steals, 14 assists and 10 boards to seal the win.

Magic 120 (30-35), Grizzlies 115 (32-33)

In a battle of the current 8 seeds, The Magic’s bench pulled through, with Terrence Ross (24 points), Michael Carter-Williams (20 points) and DJ Augustin (16 points) all stepping up to beat the Grizzlies.

Trail Blazers 121 (29-37), Suns 105 (26-39)

The Blazers can still pop off with their healthy lineup. Unfortunately, they’ve not had that luxury all season due to injuries and trades.

Dame Lillard had 25, CJ McCollum had 22, Trevor Ariza had 22, and Melo had 21 points. Hassan Whiteside also chipped in with 16 points and 14 boards. That’s what you call a group effort.

Clippers 131 (44-20), Warriors 107 (15-50)

This was a demolition.

After losing to the Lakers last game, the Clippers took out their anger on the poor Warriors, ultimately winning by 24 points.

No Clipper overexerted themselves, and we glimpsed this gorgeous step-back jumper from Montrezl Harrell, who is adding more and more tricks to his offensive bag by the day.

Lakers, Nets

It was a close one down the stretch, with Anthony Davis draining a 3-pointer to tie the game. Then, Spencer Dinwiddie came back and brought the Nets up 2 with a smooth jumper.

Ultimately, Davis had a wide-open 3-pointer to win the game, and it rimmed out. After beating two of the league’s heavyweights in Milwaukee and the Clippers, it’s not surprising the Lakers dropped their next game.

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Last Week’s Notebooks: East || West

• Atlanta Hawks – With Dewayne Dedmon out and Clint Capela yet to make his Hawks’ debut, Atlanta has gone to some minutes with their “core five” as a lineup. In 181 minutes over 20 games, the Hawks are +25 with Trae Young, John Collins, Kevin Huerter, De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish on the floor together. That might not sound like a lot, but considering Atlanta is -8.1 points per game on the season it’s meaningful. Those five are the Hawks building blocks, so it’s good to see them able to share the floor together.
• Boston Celtics – Boston was expected to struggle with interior defense after losing Al Horford in the offseason. Instead, the Celtics rank fifth in the NBA in blocks per 100 possessions. Some of that is long wings like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown blocking jumpers, but most of it comes at the rim. Boston actually ranks ahead of much bigger Philadelphia in blocks/100, which is one of the surprises of the season.

• Brooklyn Nets – Kyrie Irving underwent successful surgery on his right shoulder impingement. As expected, Irving will join Kevin Durant on the sidelines for the rest of this season. The Nets are hanging in there without Irving though, as Caris LeVert exploded for 51 points in an upset win over the Celtics in Boston. LeVert scored 37 of his 51 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. He went for 26 in the fourth and then scored all 11 of the Nets points in overtime.

• Charlotte Hornets – With the focus on youth, the Hornets are giving almost all their minutes to players who are 26 years old and under. That’s given increased opportunities to rookies Cody and Caleb Martin and Jalen McDaniels. Those three combined with PJ. Washington and Mile Bridges give Charlotte a really interesting group of forwards. None of the five can really play up and defend the five, and only Cody Martin has shown the ability to play down and defend the two. That makes it a challenge for James Borrego and Mitch Kupchak to figure out how they call fit, but that’s what rebuilding seasons are for.
• Chicago Bulls – Last week we wrote about how banged up the Bulls were. Well, they’re finally getting healthy! Zach LaVine went down with a quad injury, but it’s not expected to be a long-term thing. Otto Porter Jr. returned to the lineup for the first time since early-November. Lauri Markkanen got back after missing over a month. And Wendell Carter Jr. is back as well. That’s important as Chicago can use the last month of the season to see exactly who fits together and how. Look for Coby White to possibly take over as the starting point guard, as it’s getting harder for Jim Boylen to keep White on the bench. White has averaged 28 points per game on 51/49/95 shooting splits over his last six games.
• Cleveland Cavaliers – Cleveland is a mess with injuries. Andre Drummond (calf), Darius Garland (groin), Tristan Thompson (knee) and Dante Exum (ankle) are all out. Drummond, Garland and Thompson aren’t expected to be down long-term, but the Cavs also lost Kevin Porter Jr. to a head injury against Boston on Wednesday night. This point in the year should be about evaluation and development and injuries are robbing Cleveland of that.
• Detroit Pistons – How much are the Pistons hurting for guard depth? Jordan McRae was claimed off waivers on Wednesday afternoon and then played 25 minutes on Wednesday night. McRae did what he does and scored 15 points, but that says a lot about where things are at for the Pistons. Also, keep an eye on Christian Wood. He scored 29 points on Wednesday, bringing his average to 20.1 points per game since the start of February.

• Indiana Pacers – The Pacers lost Jeremy Lamb last week and now Victor Oladipo is back on the shelf with right knee soreness. Indiana knew that they’d have to deal with that as Oladipo works his way back from last season’s knee injury. What the Pacers weren’t expecting is for Malcolm Brogdon to continue to get nicked up. Brogdon left Wednesday’s loss against his former team in Milwaukee with a sore left hip. Injuries to their top three guards have Indiana relying heavily on Aaron and Justin Holiday and T.J. McConnell in the backcourt.
• Miami Heat – The Heat got back home after a tough road trip and ripped off a four-game win streak. That improved their record to 27-4 in Miami. More importantly, the Heat now have a three-game lead over both the Pacers and 76ers in the race for homecourt advantage. And Miami is quietly only 2.5 games behind Boston for the third seed.
• Milwaukee Bucks – The Bucks actually lost a game in the last week! They were handled fairly easily by the Heat in Miami. But it doesn’t really matter. Milwaukee is 12-2 in their last 14 games. And if you’re looking for a weakness on the road, it doesn’t really exist. The Bucks and Lakers are tied at an NBA-best 25-6 away from home. By any measure, Milwaukee is dominant.
• New York Knicks – RJ Barrett played one of the best games of his career this week as the Knicks upset the Rockets in New York. Barrett scored 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting to go along with five rebounds and five assists. Overall, Barrett has scored 14 or more points in seven of his last eight games and is averaging 16.8 points per game during that stretch. It’s incremental, but signs of improvement are there for the Knicks young wing.

• Orlando Magic – Just when things were looking up for Orlando, they dropped three straight games to fall back behind Brooklyn in the standings. The Magic still have a healthy 4.5 game lead over the Wizards for the eighth spot in the East, but could be on a collision course with the Bucks in the first round. That’d be bad news for Orlando, as they are 0-3 against Milwaukee and have lost by an average of 19.6 points per game in those three losses.
• Philadelphia 76ers – Shake Milton stepped up on Sunday with a career game. He scored 39 points, which topped his previous career-high of 27. And Milton sent an NBA record with 14 consecutive made three-pointers over a two-game stretch. Philadelphia’s roster is expensive and will only get more expensive down the line. Milton on a minimum contract through 2022-23 is huge for helping to keep a mounting tax bill down.
• Toronto Raptors – One man in, one man out for the Raptors. Toronto got Norman Powell back, but lost Serge Ibaka. Without Ibaka and Marc Gasol, the Raps have gone small with Pascal Siakam and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson starting at the five. They’ve also given increased minutes to Chris Boucher. He responded with 19 points and 15 rebounds in Tuesday’s win at Phoenix. That play has helped keep Toronto just ahead of Boston in the race for the second seed in the East. And despite it all, Toronto can clinch a playoff spot with a win on Thursday at the Golden State Warriors.
• Washington Wizards – The Wizards are clinging to life in the Eastern Conference playoff race. They’ve dropped 4.5 games behind Orlando and a full five games behind Brooklyn. Injuries continue to be a challenge for Washington, as Thomas Bryant can’t play back-to-backs due to foot soreness and Ish Smith went down with hamstring soreness. Once Washington falls out of the race fully, look for the team to actively sit some of their veterans and focus on the younger players the rest of the way.

The post Newswire Notebook: Caris LeVert Goes Off and More appeared first on SLAM.

Russell Westbrook is many things on the surface: an MVP, a nine-time All-star, an eight-time All-NBA selection, a two-time leading scorer, and the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double in three straight seasons.

He’s brash, supremely confident, determined, ferocious and one of the most competitive athletes the league has ever seen. He brings 100% energy and effort no matter if it’s a prime-time national TV game, or a random Monday night against a bottom five team. 

He does not care what anyone thinks of him, his playing style, his leadership, his personality. None of it. If you’re his teammate, he’s going to support you until the very end. But if you’re his opponent? He won’t speak to you, and he’ll stop at nothing to destroy you.

Taking it all into consideration, it’s unsurprising that Westbook is one of the league’s most polarizing figures. Critics harp on his lack of efficiency, paucity of championships and low three-point percentages. Misinformed fans breathe life into the narrative that he is somehow a poor teammate, a statement rebuked by virtually all of his current and former comrades.

Take Victor Oladipo, for example, a player who thrived once he was traded away from OKC to Indiana. For some reason, his surge in virtually all the major statistical categories led people to believe he was unhappy playing with Russ, even though that couldn’t be further from the truth.

In an interview with Bleacher Report’s Yaron Weitzman during his breakout season, Oladipo was adamant that Westbrook was a close friend, and a key mentor in helping him become a better player.

“I learned so much from Russ,” Oladipo said. “Just his mindset, how relentless he is, those are things I’ve definitely taken with me.“

If that’s not enough, ask former Thunder sharpshooter Anthony Morrow about Russ.

“I never played with a dude that dynamic before,” Morrow told Bleacher Report’s Jon Hamm. “So I think my game changed once we got on the same page and I realized like ‘yo, it’s different.’ He kinda motivated me to become even a better pro myself just by playing with him.”

Even though he was traded this past off-season, Russ will forever be loved in Oklahoma. He forged a genuine bond with the city. From the heartbreaking playoff defeats, exhilarating outbursts of superhuman athleticism and so many acts of kindness (such as Russell’s Reading Room), he endeared himself in the community. He was the one who stayed while other stars left or were shipped off. He missed only 14 combined games his last four seasons there, a microscopic number in today’s load management era.

And while he’s already had a fantastic career, this upcoming season still carried tons of importance. Could he mesh with another ball-dominant guard? At 31-years-old, would he still be athletic enough to sustain his playing style? So far, he’s answered those questions by simply dominating.

Westbrook has been consistently excellent this season. He’s one of only two players to average at least 27 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, the other being Slovenian sensation Luka Doncic. He’s scoring 1.17 points per possession coming off screens, which ranks in the 87th percentile league-wide.

“You can’t match the passion that [Russ] plays with,” James Harden recently told GQ’s Mark Anthony Green. “You can’t name another person who can match it. You know what I’m saying? That’s what makes him who he is.”

The Brodie has taken his game to another level ever since the Rockets traded away center Clint Capela, a move which has spread opposing defenses paper thin as they try to account for the arsenal of three-point marksmen the Rockets employ. During his time in OKC, Russ usually played alongside a non-shooting big (either Kendrick Perkins or Steven Adams) and a non-shooting wing (Thabo Sefolosha or Andre Roberson). Each of those players were phenomenal on defense, but their inability to consistently make (or even shoot) three-pointers led to a constantly cramped floor.

With his ability to turn on the jets in an instant and strength finishing around the rim, it’s not a shocker Russ has thrived in his new Rockets environment. As ESPN’s Tim MacMahon pointed out, he’s averaging 34 points on 56% shooting since Capela left town. In that timespan, the Rockets are obliterating opponents with Russ on the court by 18 points per 100 possessions.

There’s no doubt Russ has been phenomenal on the court this season, but part of his greatness has always been his off-court endeavors. He’s a private man, which explains his frosty relationship with the media. But consider some of his deeds that have reached the public’s ear: his Why Not? Foundation, which strives to inspire children and empower them to never give up, or the time his childhood friend Khelcey Barrs tragically passed away in high school and he took over doing Barrs’ chores at his grandmother’s house for the rest of the year.

Russ is not perfect, but nobody is. We all have flaws, but Westbrook’s are simply magnified under the unforgiving microscope of an audience that reaches millions. But he’s a superb basketball player, and an exemplary guy off the court. Let former teammate Enes Kanter sum it up for us.

“Ten or 20 years from now I’m gonna look back and say, ‘man, I played with that dude,’” Kanter said a few years ago. “I’m gonna tell my kids and tell my grandkids one day that I played with Russell Westbrook.”

Isaiah Freedman is a social editor at SLAM. He also works with the NBA Summer League, Syracuse Men’s Basketball team, and as an assistant player trainer for Chris Johnson Hoops.

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• Atlanta Hawks – The Hawks are going to be shorthanded at the center spot once again. Dewayne Dedmon had a non-surgical procedure to help alleviate some right elbow pain. Dedmon is expected to miss at least three games and will be re-evaluated after that. With Clint Capela still out for at least another week due to an injured heel, Atlanta will lean on rookie Bruno Fernando and Damian Jones for minutes at the five.
• Boston Celtics – The Celtics return home to Boston off a 3-1 trip to west coast. All four of those games were played without Kemba Walker. You probably know all about how Jayson Tatum went off, and you might be aware that Jaylen Brown had a big trip as well. But did you know that Daniel Theis averaged 16.8 PPG on 64.1% shooting and 10.3 RPG out west?

• Charlotte Hornets – Charlotte has begun to focus on their future, as the 2020 playoffs have slipped out of reach. Terry Rozier, Devonte’ Graham, Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington will all be in the starting five, while rookies Cody Martin, Caleb Martin and Jalen McDaniels are now rotation fixtures. That means veterans like Cody Zeller, Bismack Biyombo and Nic Batum will likely see sporadic minutes the rest of the way.
• Chicago Bulls – There might not be an NBA team more banged-up than Chicago. The Bulls are already without starting big men Wendell Carter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen and now their backup Luke Kornet is joining them on the shelf. Kornet has a severely sprained ankle and a fracture in his foot and will likely miss the rest of the season. The wing group is also struggling, as Kris Dunn is likely out for the year and Chandler Hutchison and Denzel Valentine haven’t been able to stay healthy. On the plus side, Otto Porter Jr. recently returned to practice, so he could come back soon on a limited basis.
• Cleveland Cavaliers – The Cavs are finishing the season in a bit of a weird spot. They’ve got older players in the frontcourt and mostly young players in the backcourt and on the wing. Collin Sexton and rookies Darius Garland and Kevin Porter Jr. have all had flashes. Porter dropped 30 points this week in a win over the Miami Heat. Look for new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff to emphasize the team’s youth the rest of this season.

• Detroit Pistons – Reports surfaced this week that Detroit will not attempt to work a buyout agreement with Derrick Rose. The Pistons like Rose’s fit with their team and he’s signed for a reasonable salary for next season. With Reggie Jackson out of the mix, Rose has taken over as the starting point guard for Detroit. He’s expected to hold that role for the rest of the season.
• Indiana Pacers – Indiana lost Jeremy Lamb this week to a torn ACL, torn meniscus and a fracture in his left knee. Lamb had started for the Pacers while Victor Oladipo rehabbed during the first half of the season, and went to the bench when Oladipo re-assumed his starting two-guard role. Now, instead of having a double-digit scorer off the bench, Indiana will ask more of Justin and Aaron Holiday and T.J. McConnell on their second unit.
• Miami Heat – The Heat’s road woes continued this week, as they dropped their sixth-straight game away from South Beach. Miami was also upset at home by the Minnesota Timberwolves. With key rotation players Tyler Herro and Meyers Leonard out, the Heat’s depth has been tested. Erik Spoelstra is also dealing with the task of trying to work Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder into his rotation. All of that has added up to Miami slipping five games behind Boston in the race to stay out of Milwaukee’s half of the Eastern Conference bracket.
• Milwaukee Bucks – Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: The Bucks are on a win streak. This time around it’s “only” four games (and counting!). The most recent of those games was a victory on the road against the Toronto Raptors. Giannis Antetokounmpo said that last year’s playoff loss to Toronto was on his mind entering that game and a motivating factor to come away with a win. The Bucks also became the earliest playoff-clinching team, when they locked up a postseason spot this week.
• New York Knicks – The Knicks continue to have flux at the point guard position. This week Frank Ntilikina went down with a groin injury. This time around Ntilikina will likely be out for a couple of weeks according to head coach Mike Miller. As Ntilikina went out, Elfrid Payton returned from a sore right ankle. Payton immediately reassumed his starting spot, which sent Dennis Smith Jr. back to the bench. The point guard revolving door continues in the Big Apple.
• Orlando Magic – The Magic have inserted trade deadline addition James Ennis III into the starting lineup. Ennis’ presence as a starter gives Orlando another shooter on the floor. While Ennis’ stats aren’t great, it seems to have opened things up for Aaron Gordon. In the month of February, Gordon is averaging 19.9 PPG, 9.0 RPG and 5.0 APG. That’s helped Orlando climb to within half a game of Brooklyn for the seventh seed in the East.

• Philadelphia 76ers – Philadelphia is going to be down both of their All-Stars for at least a little while, as Joel Embiid hurt his left shoulder on Wednesday. Embiid will join Ben Simmons on the sidelines, as Simmons’ return from an impingement in his back is still unclear. Philadelphia went back to Al Horford in the starting lineup with Simmons out, and Horford will remain a starter for however long Embiid is shelved.
• Toronto Raptors – The Raptors dropped a game to the Bucks, but have won 17-of-19 games, including a 15-game win streak. Toronto is getting a little bit healthier too, as they’re now down just Marc Gasol and Norman Powell from their regular rotation. Powell’s return is imminent, as he returned to full practice this week. Gasol will be a little bit longer, as he just started light practice, but the Raps are almost back to full strength in time for the stretch run.
• Washington Wizards – Bradley Beal is playing out of his mind right now. Beal has scored at least 26 points in 14 straight games. This week, he went supernova, as he scored 53, 55 and 30 points. That scoring binge has helped the Wizards cling to playoff life, as they’re 4.5 games behind Orlando for the final postseason spot in the Eastern Conference.

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In addition to the torn ACL in his left leg, Lamb also suffered a torn meniscus and a lateral femoral condylar fracture.

Lamb had rounded out a competitive Pacers rotation ever since signing on with the team last summer. He averaged 12.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in the 46 contests that he suited up for.

Lamb’s exit comes less than a month after the return of Victor Oladipo, Indiana’s starting two-guard that missed over a year with his own knee injury.

Lamb will undergo surgery to repair the knee injury and will have a better idea of a recovery timeline when the procedure is finished.

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It’s truly incredible that Luka Doncic is not even legally allowed to drink yet and he already has 29 30-point performances under his belt. He’s been the engine behind one of the league’s best and most efficient offenses all season.

Luka scored 33 points, grabbed 10 boards and dished out 8 assists in the convincing win over the Magic. Maxi Kleber also had himself a career-high 26 points.

Cavaliers 113 (15-40), Wizards 108 (20-34)

In their first game since John Beilein stepped down as head coach, the Cavs grabbed a solid victory against the Wizards. Colin Sexton led the way with 25 points, and Andre Drummond had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Despite the loss, Bradley Beal was putting on a show around the rim. He finished with 26 points.

Pacers 106 (33-23), Knicks 98 (17-39)

Behind the steady pair of TJ Warren (27 points, 8 rebounds) and Domantas Sabonis (24 points, 13 rebounds), the Pacers put away the Knicks. While Victor Oladipo continues to find his groove after missing almost a year of basketball, the Pacers can support their star just fine.

Raptors 118 (41-15), Suns 101 (22-34)

All the Raptors do is win, and the most impressive part is most of the time, one of their core players is usually injured. This time it was Marc Gasol and Norman Powell, still nursing injuries after the All-Star break.

But no matter. Pascal Siakam dropped 37 points, 12 boards and 3 blocks, while every other starter scored in double digits to stifle the poor Suns.

Celtics 127 (39-16), Timberwolves 117 (16-38)

Four Celtics went off to defeat the Timberwolves. Jayson Tatum had 28 points and 11 rebounds, Gordon Hayward had 29, Daniel Theis had 25 and 16 boards, and Jaylen Brown had 25 of his own. A true committee approach.

The last time four starters scored at least 25 points each was when Jamal Crawford, Eddy Curry, Channing Frye and Stephon Marbury did it with the Knicks in 2006, Per NBA stats.

Thunder 113 (34-22), Nuggets 101 (38-18)

This was a huge win for OKC. Leading the Nuggets by only a single point heading into the 4th quarter, CP3 took over as they broke it open and won by a solid 12 points.

CP3 had 29, Steven Adams had 19 points and 17 boards, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was one assist and one rebound away from a triple double.

Spurs 113 (24-31), Jazz 104 (36-19)

Time is running out for San Antonio to keep their 22-year playoff streak alive, and beating a West heavyweight in Utah is as good a win as they can get.

DeJounte Murray led the way with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals, while Donovan Mitchell treated us to another classic slam.

Lakers 117 (42-12), Grizzlies 105 (28-28)

The Lakers came out of the break strong, defeating a pesky and youthful grizzlies team by 12 points. As usual, LeBron (32 points, 7 assists) and trusty sidekick Anthony Davis (28 points, 13 rebounds, 7 blocks) led the way.

Pelicans 128 (24-32), Trailblazers 115 (25-32)

The Pelicans soundly defeated the Blazers, who were without franchise star Damian Lillard, who is still nursing a groin injury.

Zion Williamson continued his insane start to his career with 25 points, while the rest of the team played a solid floor game to take down the Blazers.

The post Post Up: Spurs Defeat Jazz To Keep Playoff Hopes Alive appeared first on SLAM.

Only 12 players will be selected to participate in the actual games, so we’ll see a number of these players withdraw from consideration and then a select 12 hand-picked from those that remain.

A total of nine players represented the country at the Olympics four years ago in Rio de Janeiro and the only three from that squad not on this list are Carmelo Anthony, DeMarcus Cousins and DeAndre Jordan.

All of the 12 players who represented America during last summer’s FIBA World Cup have been selected to participate in the preliminary stages of the Olympic roster selection process.

A total of five players have been selected from both the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers.

The post Team USA Men’s Basketball Roster For Tokyo Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

One person who’s been front-row to all the growth—in Toronto specifically—is Mr. Morgan, a Toronto native and president of Drake’s label, OVO Sound.

“I remember sitting in the 300 level,” says Morgan of the Raptors’ first season in 1995, when they played at the 50,000-seat SkyDome. “But just the fact that we were there watching was just like, Wow, I’m watching an NBA game! I’d say the very large majority of the people there had never seen an NBA game before. 

“Canadian networks were not covering basketball at all. So you’d have to get it through US networks—you had to dig for it. But, also, it would drive the passion for it because you had to look for it. To see it reach those heights [in 2019], it’s unreal.”     

A DJ (under the “Mr. Morgan” moniker, which is how he’s widely referred to in the industry these days) in Toronto in the ‘90s that specialized in hip-hop as well as “old soul, brakes and sample tapes,” Morgan eventually moved to New York, where he became a consultant for Atlantic Records and then VP and SVP of A&R at RCA Records before taking the helm at OVO Sound.

“When I came to New York I was always an advocate for the fact that there were rappers in Toronto. At the time, for the most part, people were pretty dismissive about it,” he recalls. “I wanted to get music in people’s hands. I got to a place where I was offered a job at a label. But once I was inside an actual building, I realized there were so many pieces to it. A big part of it was being an advocate for trying to get artists exposure, as well as producers.” 

Aside from overseeing all operations at OVO Sound, Morgan also manages some of the biggest producers in music—including Noah ‘40’ Shebib, Vinylz, Supa Dups and Nineteen85—under his M3 Entertainment firm.

“Around 2008 was a crucial moment for me. It was the first true breakthrough success I had. I was consulting for Atlantic Records at the time, so I was working for Sean Paul at the height of Sean Paul. I was managing Kardinal Offishall from Toronto. He collaborated with Akon on ‘Dangerous’—which became a big hit at the time,” says Morgan. “I was part of signing Estelle, who was signed through John Legend. We did the record ‘American Boy,’ which became a worldwide hit. People were pretty dismissive of it having a real shot. We were reaching globally and it gave me a whole new perspective on how quickly things could go in that direction and build from there.” 

Despite moving to the Big Apple, he remained a die-hard Raptors fan for a decade-plus. But in 2013, he made a life-changing decision (for a sports fan, at least).

“I lived pretty much across from Barclays [Center] and watched Barclays be built—with my son, we literally watched out of our window Barclays being built. We said, When the Nets get to Brooklyn, we gotta rock with Brooklyn. We’re going all in. That’s the only time I made my shift over. Toronto is still in my heart but they’re going to be second to Brooklyn.”

They’ve been season ticket holders ever since and now hold courtside seats, where they often get a chance to chop it up with some of the League’s biggest stars—including Kevin Durant, who has become a family friend over the past few years.

The very first ever regular season game at Barclays Center was originally supposed to be against the crosstown rival New York Knicks, but it ended up being postponed in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. As a result, the first ever game at the arena turned out to be against the Toronto Raptors. And then the following season, Brooklyn faced off against Toronto in the first round of the playoffs—a series that went to a Game 7 and saw Brooklyn advance.

“That was the first time I had everyone in Toronto saying, ‘How could you be a Brooklyn fan? How could you be cheering for Brooklyn?’ Drake came to Brooklyn for Game 6. I went to Toronto for Game 7,” recalls Morgan, who still cheers for the Raptors as his secondary team and even attended two games in Toronto and one in Oakland during last year’s NBA Finals. “Brooklyn and Toronto haven’t really faced each other to that extent ever since then.” 

While the Raptors took care of business on the court, OVO had its presence in the game felt as well. In 2019, OVO became the first music entity to have its name/logo on a major pro team’s jersey and practice facility when it entered into a new partnership with the Raptors. The famous owl emblem has been printed on the practice uniforms, and the Raptors’ training facility was renamed the OVO Athletic Centre. Throughout the years, there have also been multiple OVO-themed alternate game jerseys and merch.

“First and foremost, it really isn’t intentional,” says Morgan. “It’s just natural progression. It’s natural relationships. It’s really being fans of both—of music and of the sport. I think that’s the most powerful part. It doesn’t matter what realm you’re talking about—business, music, sports, whatever—if something doesn’t feel entirely natural, your average person and fan realizes that. Generally, when someone puts a logo on a jersey, [you say,] Oh, that’s paid advertisement. You realize that. But the branding on the court, the practice facility—those are things that go hand-in-hand. I think the main thing, and why it’s most impactful, is it’s truly natural.”

On the flipside, hoopers are creating music more than ever before. Damian Lillard, Lou Williams, Lonzo Ball, Lance Stephenson, Victor Oladipo, Marvin Bagley and Andre Drummond are just a few. LeBron served as the A&R of 2 Chainz’s Rap or Go To The League album in 2019. Agent Rich Paul reportedly served as a co-producer on Fat Joe’s Family Ties album.

The bond between hoops and music clearly seems tighter than ever. 

“The impact of both music and basketball—the energy, the excitement, the reaction to it—I think there is a little similarity in just the way people deliver on the court or on records. If you look back at even the AND1 Mixtape Tour—the freestyle and creative aspect of it,” says Morgan. “Just artists being fans of it all. You talk about @LeagueFits, that goes hand-in-hand with the music culture. Part of the connection is everyone on the music side is just as passionate about basketball as a lot of these players are about music.” 

—

Franklyn Calle is a Senior Content Producer at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @FrankieC7.

Photos via Gemini Keez, Norman Wong and Getty.

The post OVO Sound President Mr. Morgan On the Intersection of Rap and Hoops appeared first on SLAM.

The Clippers were fully healthy for the first time in a while, and they made quick work of the struggling Wolves. Kawhi Leonard was his usual brutally efficient self, scoring 31 points in only 24 minutes of action. Paul George also enjoyed a complete game, pouring in 21 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals on 9-18 shooting.

Leading the bench, once again, were Lou Will (17 points) and Montrezl Harrell (16 points).

Karl Towns had 32 points and 12 rebounds, but nobody else on the team could muster a quality performance.

Heat 102 (33-15), Magic 89 (21-28)

Miami keeps plugging alone, and this time it was rookie Tyler Herro draining six 3-pointers off the bench, while Myers Leonard notched 18 points and 14 rebounds. Jimmy Butler led the way with 24 points.

Knicks 92 (14-36), Pacers 85 (31-18)

Good for the Knicks.

beating a respectable Pacers team while on the road deserves praise, even if Indiana is adjusting to their star player Victor Oladipo coming back. Marcus Morris Sr. led the way with 28 points and 6 rebounds, while Julius Randle contributed a beefy double-double of 16 points and 19 boards.

Warriors 131 (11-39), Cavaliers 112 (13-37)

Remember when this was a finals matchup for four straight years?

In the present day, we were treated to a strong D’Angelo Russell game, as he scored 19 points, grabbed 7 boards and dished 8 assists. Draymond Green also had a whopping 16 assists.

For the Cavs, Colin Sexton had a respectable 23 points and 3 steals.

Wizards 113 (17-31), Nets 107 (21-27)

Bradley Beal is aware he was not voted to the All-Star team.

So what does he do tonight? Well, go off for 34 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks, of course.

The Nets lost again, and while Spencer Dinwiddie was a bright spot once again off the bench, Kyrie Irving exited the game late with a sprained knee and will undergo an MRI on Sunday, according to Woj. Let’s hope everything is ok.

Mavericks 123 (30-19), Hawks 100 (13-37)

No Luka Doncic and no Kristaps Porzingis?

Didn’t matter, as the Mavericks, behind 27 points and 8 assists from Jalen Brunson, took care of the Hawks.

John Collins (26 points, 11 boards), got his numbers, but Trae Young struggled before exiting with an ankle injury. At least we were treated to this high-arching beauty:

Celtics 116 (33-15), 76ers 95 (31-19)

Even without star guard Kemba Walker, the Celtics got a statement win over their rival 76ers. Jaylen Brown stepped up to the plate, with 32 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals, as well as a beautiful handles display.

The 76ers had one of their puzzling night where they simply do not play to their full potential. Joel Embiid shot a surprising 1-11, Al Horford shot 4-11 and Tobias Harris shot 4-12.

Spurs 114 (22-26), Hornets 90 (16-33)

DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points and added 6 assists as the Spurs inch another game closer to the 8th seed in the West.

For Charlotte, Miles Bridges had 25 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks, but 90 points as a team isn’t going to cut it.

Lakers 129 (37-11), Kings 111 (18-31)

At this point, it would have been understandable if the Lakers followed up last night’s close and emotional loss with another one, as they are still grieving as a collective unit. But they came out strong, scoring 81 points in the first half alone.

LeBron had a triple-double, with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, as well as this gorgeous pass to Avery Bradley:

Portland 124 (23-27), Utah 107 (32-17)

Damian Lillard is simply not of this world right now.

Even before tonight, Lillard’s last five scoring outputs were as followed: 61, 47, 50, 36 and 48 points.

Tonight, he added to his growing legend by dropping 51 points and 12 assists to lay waste to the Jazz.

The post Post Up: Lakers Defeat Kings Following Emotional Friday Night appeared first on SLAM.

In this post, just one of a series of 30, we’ll break down the reports that have started to trickle out about Pacers players that may or may not be on the move. While there’s no guarantee when it comes to a league as wild as the modern NBA, it doesn’t hurt to brush up on each squad’s roster as the deadline draws near.

Players Unlikely To Be Traded

• Victor Oladipo
• Malcolm Brogdon
• Domantas Sabonis
• Goga Bitadze

Victor Oladipo just made his return to the court and he’s the safest bet to remain with the team through the deadline. That said, many of the Pacers are relatively safe bets to stay in Indiana as Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reports that the team isn’t likely to make any major deals.

Biggest Name Available On Market

• Myles Turner

We’ve heard rumblings in the past about the Pacers being open to trading a member of their frontcourt given the questionable Domantas Sabonis-Myles Turner fit. Speculation picked up even more after the team drafted Goga Bitadze in the first round in this year’s draft. O’Connor reported Turner is a potential trade candidate, though an offseason deal is more likely than an in-season one.

Logical Trade Pieces

• Doug McDermott

Former first-round pick Doug McDermott has a had a quiet stay in Indiana, though he has excelled lately. He’s scoring 15.3 points per game on 54.5% shooting from three-point land over his last eight contests. The 28-year-old is making $7.3M this season and will take home the same next year before his contract expires.

Trades Are Possible

• T.J. Warren
• Jeremy Lamb
• Justin Holiday
• T.J. McConnell
• T.J. Leaf
• Aaron Holiday
• Edmond Sumner
• JaKarr Sampson
• Alize Johnson

The Pacers stole T.J. Warren from the Suns in a draft night deal this summer. Warren is having an efficient campaign, as he sits inside the top-20 league-wide in field-goal percentage. Jeremy Lamb signed with the team this offseason on a three-year deal. He’s helped the team remain a force while they were waiting for Oladipo to return. Justin Holiday is shooting 41.7% from three-point land. He’ll be a free agent after the season. T.J. McConnell inked a deal with Indiana this summer. His $3.5M salary for next season is non-guaranteed. T.J. Leaf hasn’t sprouted since being drafted with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2017 draft. He’s seen action in 22 games this season, though he received 20 minutes or more in just one of those games. Aaron Holiday started 18 games this season as he filled in when the team needed because of injuries. He’s making 42.5% of his triples, which is a massive improvement from his rookie campaign where he hit just 33.9%. Edmond Sumner received a new deal during the offseason. He’s seen action in 19 games this year. Former Processer JaKarr Sampson has appeared in 17 games for the club. He’s on an expiring deal. Alize Johnson has spent considerable time with the team’s G League club, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. The Williamsburg, Pennsylvania-native has seen just 46 minutes of NBA action across 11 games.

The post 2020 NBA Trade Deadline Primer: Indiana Pacers appeared first on SLAM.

Ja Morant (18 points, 10 assists) provided a spark for the Grizzlies, recording an astounding plus-minus of plus-42 in 28 minutes of work. Dillon Brooks scored a game-high 27 to lead the way offensively.

The two sides got into a scuffle after Jae Crowder was shoved by Elfrid Payton while taking a 3-pointer in the game’s final minute.

Pistons 115 (17-32), Nets 125 (20-26)

Spencer Dinwiddie scored 28 points on just 13 points off the bench to lead the Nets in an emotional home win over the Pistons. It was Dinwiddie’s first game wearing No. 26.

Kyrie Irving added 20 points for Brooklyn.

Bulls 106 (19-31), Pacers 115 (31-17)

Victor Oladipo scored nine points in his first game in over a year, hitting a game-tying 3-pointer to send the game to overtime.

TJ Warren scored a team-high 25 on 10-for-15 shooting for the Pacers.

Jazz 120 (32-15), Spurs 127 (21-26)

DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 38 on 11-for-19 shooting to lead the Spurs’ upset bid over Utah.

Rockets 112 (29-18), Trail Blazers 125 (21-27)

Damian Lillard recorded his first-ever triple-double with 36 points, 10 rebounds and 11 dimes. His point guard counterpart shined, too, as Russell Westbrook had 39 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and two steals for Houston.

Thunder 120 (29-20), Kings 100 (17-30)

The Thunder’s starting five clamped the Kings up early, allowing just 16 first quarter points, and Dennis Schroder’s offense off the pine (team-high 24 points on 8-for-13 shooting) kept the momentum rolling the rest of the way.

The post Post Up: Victor Oladipo Hits Clutch Buzzer-Beater in Season Debut appeared first on SLAM.

Oladipo will face a minute restriction upon his return but what exactly that entails isn’t yet known, Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star reports.

Oladipo’s ruptured quad forced the swingman to the sidelines in 2018-19 but the Pacers have battled their way to remain competitive in the Eastern Conference in his absence. The club is 30-17 heading into Oladipo’s return.

Oladipo will join an Indiana rotation that’s seen contributions from a number of fresh faces and two of those – Malcolm Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb – account for a significant portion of the team’s backcourt minutes.

Scott Agness of The Athletic writes that Oladipo’s return could impact the roles of Aaron Holiday and T.J. McConnell.

The post Victor Oladipo To Return After Year-Long Absence appeared first on SLAM.

Another day, another easy Bucks win.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had a yawn-inducing 30 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists on 13-19 shooting. Not bad. As the Hornets slowly slip out of the playoff race, it’s time to search for silver linings, and third year guard Malik Monk had a fantastic game, scoring 31 points, grabbing 5 rebounds and dishing out 5 assists.

Celtics 109 (30-14), Magic 98 (21-25)

A very solid win for the Celtics, who were without star forwards Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Kemba Walker popped off for 37 points, 6 assists and 4 steals, while Gordon Hayward followed up with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists.

For the Magic, at least Evan Fournier had 30 points, but scoring has been difficult to come by for the past few years for this defensive minded team.

Grizzlies 125 (21-24), Pistons 112 (17-29)

Jaren Jackson Jr powered the Grizz in the first half with 24 points, and they never looked back. Ja Morant stayed steady, and while we were not treated to any spectacular highlights, he played a very solid all-around game with 16 points and 12 assists.

Derrick Rose had his 11th straight game with 20 or more points, but it wasn’t enough with virtually the entire Pistons starting lineup sidelined.

Raptors 118 (31-14), Knicks 112 (12-34)

Toronto won their sixth straight game thanks to sticking what they usually do: play team ball, go 100% on every play and commit on the defensive end. Pascal Siakam finished the Knicks off with this dagger, ending the night with 23 points and 7 rebounds.

Kings 98 (16-29), Bulls 81 (17-30)

Buddy Hield received a splash of cold water coming off the bench for the first time in a while, and he responded well, scoring 21 points and grabbing 7 boards.

Clippers 122 (32-14), Heat 117 (31-14)

Kawhi Leonard recorded his first career triple double, going to 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Landry Shamet was also cooking from deep, nailing 6 of his 12 attempts.

We were treated to the return of Dion Waiters, after many injuries, suspensions and weight issues. The eight-year veteran was excellent in his debut, scoring 14 points, blocking 2 shots, splashing 4 3-pointers and was a +8 in only 18 minutes of action.

Nuggets 113 (31-14), Pelicans 106 (17-29)

The Nuggets just keep on winning, despite missing star guard Jamal Murray and stalwart power forward Paul Millsap due to injuries. Nikola Jokic was fantastic, scoring 27 points, grabbing 12 boards, dishing 7 assists and swiping 4 steals. Michael Porter Jr continued to impress off the bench, nabbing 15 points and 10 rebounds in only half a game.

Even in defeat, Zion Williamson was good. He’s still on a minutes restriction, and he scored 15 points and grabbed 6 rebounds and was a +16 in only 21 minutes.

Thunder 140 (27-19), Hawks 111 (11-35)

Oklahoma City just completely outplayed the Hawks, who sport a less-than-ideal 5-19 road record. Everyone was balling for OKC. Danillo Gallinari had 25 points. Shai Gilgeous Alexander had 24. Chris Paul had 18, and Dennis Schroder came off the bench with 21. It was another win for a team that gets better by the day.

Rockets 131 (28-16), Timberwolves 124 (15-30)

While James Harden had his lowest scoring output in ages, Russell Westbrook went inferno, scoring a whopping 45 points and dishing 10 assists.

Karl Towns’ 30 points and 12 boards led the Wolves, who look poised for another move at the trade deadline.

Suns 103 (19-26), Spurs 99 (20-24)

This was a very solid win for a Suns team that has always had trouble against the Spurs. Devin Booker brought his A game, going off for 35 points and 10 assists. For the Spurs, DeMar DeRozan continued his consistent play as of late, notching 30 points and a monster jam in the loss.

Pacers 129 (30-16), Warriors 118 (10-37)

The Pacers may be the most slept on good team in basketball. They play team ball and have a staunch defense, plus Victor Oladipo is still waiting in the wings. TJ Warren popped off tonight with 33 points and 4 steals in the victory, while Doug McDermott scored 24 off the pine of a sizzling 6-7 from deep.

DLO’s 37 points on 9-13 from 3-point range was a sight to behold, but not enough for the win.

The post Post Up: Kawhi Leonard Gets First career Triple-Double in Win over Heat appeared first on SLAM.

The Wiz have played admirably without star guard Bradley Beal. Jordan McRae scored 29 points, Troy Brown Jr chipped in 18 and 10 boards off the bench and Davis Bertans treated us to a surprising flush.

Pelicans 123 (14-25), Knicks 111 (10-29)

Watch out for the Birds. After a pitiful start to the season, they’re finding their stride, with an easy schedule and Zion Williamson on the horizon. In the present, Brandon Ingram went off for 28 points, Lonzo Ball had 11 assists and rookie Jaxson Hayes had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks.

No matter how many starting lineups they try, the Knicks still find a way to lose. At least all five starters scored, and we glimpsed signs of life from the mysterious Frank Ntlikina.

Nets 117 (17-20), Heat 113 (27-11)

Spencer Dinwiddie is so under-appreciated. He’s kept the entire Nets boat afloat while Kyrie nurses a shoulder injury, and tonight was no different. Dinwiddie dropped 26 points and 14 assists to take down the Heat.

Pacers 116 (24-15), Bulls 105 (13-26)

Without arguably their best player Malcolm Brogdon (plus Victor Oladipo having missed the whole season thus far), the Pacers still took care of business against an inferior Bulls team. Center Myles Turner produced one of his best games yet, with 27 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks.

The Bulls wasted a fantastic Zach LaVine 43-point scoring outburst (he scored 20 in a row at one point), and look poised for another year in the lottery.

Grizzlies 134 (17-22), Spurs 121 (16-21)

The new guard beating the old guard. There’s something symbolic about that, and Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson are the future, but the present is pretty damn good too. Jaren had 24 points on an efficient 8-11 shooting. Ja also had a complete game with 22 points, 14 assists and 7 rebounds.

The Spurs had beaten the Bucks and Celtics in recent games, yet they succumbed to the pesky Grizzlies. DeMar DeRozan had a 36-9-9 stat line, but it was not enough.

Suns 98 (15-23), Magic 94 (18-21)

The Magic were leading the Suns 94-90 with less than a minute to go.

Then, Devin Booker happened. The star shooting guard drained a 3-pointer, then caught a steal on defense and came back down to splash another 3. Game, set, match.

Jazz 109 (26-12), Hornets 92 (15-26)

The Jazz are rolling. Trading for Jordan Clarkson has been a godsend, as the seemingly minor trade simultaneously excised poor, yet consistently injured Dante Exum and brought in a much needed bucket-getter. Clarkson scored 20 points on 8-15 shooting, while Rudy Gobert provided his usual dose of stingy defense with 5 blocks and a modest double-double. The Jazz have won 13 of their last 14 games.

Lakers 129 (31-7), Mavericks 114 (23-15)

LeBron James did LeBron James things with his superstar sidekick Anthony Davis sidelined. Bron dropped 35 points, 16 rebounds and 7 assists to dismantle the Mavs, making him the first Laker to put up such stats since Shaq in 2003. Kyle Kuzma stepped into the starting lineup admirably with 26 points of his own.

Bucks 127 (34-6), Kings 106 (15-24)

Another day, another Bucks win while Giannis doesn’t even play 30 minutes. Khris Middleton (27 points, 11 rebounds) and Eric Bledsoe (24 points, 5 assists) led the way to crush the Kings, who actually stayed competitive through halftime.

De’Aaron Fox was phenomenal stuffing the stat sheet, with 19 points, 9 boards, 10 assists, 4 steals and even 2 blocks in the loss.

Clippers 109 (27-12), Warriors 100 (9-31)

The Dubs played them close, but the Clippers still took care of business even without star Paul George. Kawhi had a monster slam dunk, and 36 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Pat Beverley was one assist shy of a triple-double.

The post Post Up: Lakers Defeat Mavericks in Final Regular Season Meeting appeared first on SLAM.

Oladipo’s return to the court would come more than a year after he initially injured his quad, 371 days to be exact, Scott Agness of The Athletic adds.

The Indiana Pacers could have Victor Oladipo back in the lineup by late January, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports. The injured All-Star guard is aiming to be back in action by early February but is hopeful to make it before the end of next month.

Oladipo has been out of action for 11 months as he works his way back into game shape after suffering a torn quad tendon and the Pacers haven’t been able to make any definitive plans around him while they waited for a return date.

Last September we wrote about the lack of a timeline for Oladipo’s substantial injury, so the fact that the club now has their sights set on a time frame bodes well. Oladipo figures to slot into the backcourt with offseason Pacers addition Malcolm Brogdon.

Oladipo averaged 18.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game prior to his season-ending injury in 2018-19 and recorded a career best 23.1 points per game with the Pacers the year prior to that.

The post Victor Oladipo Targeting Late January Return appeared first on SLAM.

Sometimes, the Cavaliers can be very competent. John Henson (remember him?) swatted 7 shots, Jordan Clarkson exploded for 33 points on 12-17 shooting, and Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love both recorded double doubles in a solid victory.

Meanwhile, even though they lost, Ja Morant was this close to smashing home the dunk of the century.

Pacers 119 (20-9), Kings 105 (12-16)

What the Pacers are doing is so admirable. They play team ball, no one is selfish and you don’t hear a peep from them about how much they miss star Victor Oladipo, who is still recovering from a quad injury. By dismantling the Kings, Indiana just won their fifth game in a row, with all starters and two bench players hitting double digit points. Just imagine this team when Oladipo is back out there wrecking poor fools.

The Kings are slowly getting back their injured young guns De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley, and they’ll have to sort out a crowded front court when everyone is back to full strength.

Celtics 114 (19-7), Pistons 93 (11-18)

The Celtics keep on rolling, this time with a dub over the middling Pistons sans Blake Griffin and Reggie Jackson. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each had 26 points, while Enes Kanter gobbled up 18 rebounds and rookie Grant Williams had a career-high 18 points off the pine.

Thon Maker was the Pistons’ highest scorer with only 15 points. Yup, it was that kind of night for Detroit.

We were also treated to some Tacko Time, and the fans in TD Garden gave his a standing ovation as he entered the game.

Raptors 122 (20-8), Wizards 118 (8-19)

You simply have to tip your cap to the Raptors. In the past few days, they’ve lost Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam and Norman Powell to injuries, and they’ve already withstood injuries to Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet and Serge Ibaka. But nonetheless, the wins keep coming. Lowry had 26 points and 9 assists, VanVleet had 18 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, and Ibaka added 23 points, 10 caroms and 3 blocks.

Meanwhile, Bradley Beal continued his phenomenal season with 27 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Also, shoutout Ish Smith for dropping 26 on 9-9 shooting. That type of efficiency deserves to be appreciated.

Heat 129 (21-8), Knicks 114 (7-22)

The Heat are now 12-1 at home after easily dispatching the Knicks. It goes to show how deep they are when seven players hit double digits and Jimmy Butler wasn’t even one of them. We were treated to a fantastic Derrick Jones Jr dunk and a smooth Goran Dragic between the legs dime.

Mavericks 117 (19-9), 76ers 98 (20-10)

Kristaps Porzingis is starting to shake off his post-ACL rust and the result is terrifying. The Unicorn recorded 22 points, 18 rebounds and 3 blocks to crush the 76ers at home. Tim Hardaway Jr also lit it up from deep, with 27 points and seven 3-pointers.

Other than a touching Boban reunion with their former beloved role player, the 76ers did not bring it. Joel Embiid was the only player to show up, with 33 points and 17 rebounds, but when the rest of the starting lineup manages only a combined 38 points, that is…not good, chief.

Thunder 126 (14-14), Suns 108 (11-17)

The Thunder have won 9 of their past 13 games, and it’s pretty great to see a team so at peace with themselves. For a franchise that has been worrying about superstar departures for the past few years, it must be refreshing to be thriving amid small expectations while potentially cultivating their next star…Shai Gilgeous-Alexander:

Nuggets 109 (19-8), Timberwolves 100 (10-17)

Someone help the Wolves. Losers of nine in a row, they have to pick up the intensity to prevent a lost season.

At least Nikola Jokic has broken out of his slightly underwhelming start to the season. He dropped a 22-10-10 triple double with 2 blocks and has looked much more engaged recently. The league is better off when the Serbian Star is pleased and balling out.

Blazers 118 (13-16), Magic 103 (12-17)

It was a vintage Blazers backcourt game. Dame Lillard did his thing, with 36 points and 6 assists with 7 treys, while CJ McCollum dropped 31 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists to handle the Magic. Hassan Whiteside also chipped in 17 boards and 5 blocks.

The Magic were outmatched, but Nikola Vucevic had a vintage game with 23 points, 12 rebounds and an impressive 6 steals.

Markelle Fultz also unleashed this vicious dunk:

Warriors 106 (6-24), Pelicans 102 (7-23)

Behind 25 points and 7 assists from D’Angelo Russell and 20 points from Damion Lee, the Dubs squeezed out the win against the pesky Pelicans.

Brandon Ingram and Jrue Holiday each had 25 points, while Lonzo Ball swiped 6 steals off the bench.

The post Post Up: Kristaps Porzingis Dominates 76ers in Convincing Victory appeared first on SLAM.

Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but James Harden is ridiculous.

The Beard dropped 54 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 10 3-pointers, 2 steals and 3 blocks. Pure dominance. Russell Westbrook added 23 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists and some exhilarating fast-break dunks for good measure.