Wall is playing his first year with the Clippers after joining the team as a free agent. He’s currently out after suffering an abdominal injury, but when he’s healthy, the five-time All-Star is averaging 11.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game on 40.8 percent shooting from the field and 30.3 percent from beyond the arc.

The Clippers (23-22) have legitimate title aspirations, with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George leading the way. Wall was expected to come in and compete for the starting point guard role and has settled in as a strong sixth man who can start in spots. The Clippers have dealt with Leonard’s load management and are still building their chemistry as a team.

Adding frontcourt depth behind Ivica Zubac and Moses Brown could help the Clippers gain some ground in the Western Conference playoff standings. The trade deadline is Feb. 9, and it’ll be interesting to see what moves the Clippers will make their team better.

The Clippers are set to host the Philadelphia 76ers tonight.

The post REPORT: Clippers are Discussing a John Wall Trade for Frontcourt Depth appeared first on SLAM.

The only thing is, Atlanta has a STEEP asking price for Atlanta. An Eastern Conference executive reportedly told Heavy Sports that the Hawks want a “big-time return for Collins” and “something in that neighborhood” of what the Utah Jazz received when they traded their All-Star cornerstones, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, over the summer.

Gobert was traded to Minnesota for four first-round picks and one pick swap, while Mitchell was traded to Cleveland for three first-round picks and two pick swaps, Collin Sexton and All-Star candidate Lauri Markkanen.

Collins is averaging 13.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game during the 2022-23 campaign. His lower numbers can be attributed to a new role and adjusting to De’Andre Hunter and Dejounte Murray taking up more shots and opportunities to score. However, Collins was a major contributor to Atlanta making an Eastern Conference Finals run in 2021 and certainly has All-Star talent.

It’ll be interesting to see if any team will take a significant step forward and essentially give the farm away for Collins by the time the trade deadline ticks down. The Brooklyn Nets are reportedly the main team showing interest. The Nets reportedly expressed interest in acquiring Collins during the 2022 NBA Draft and are looking to add a star or “power-forward-like player” heading into the season’s stretch run.

Atlanta will look to build a consecutive win streak when they take on the Bucks on Wednesday.

The post REPORT: Atlanta Wants John Collins Trade Package Similar to What Utah Got for Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell appeared first on SLAM.

B/R Sources: Rival executives are of belief Hawks guard Trae Young could be next star player to request trade if team doesn’t make inroads come playoff time. More news and nuggets for @BleacherReport: https://t.co/7u9PY3fpjJ

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) December 22, 2022

Young is under contract until 2026-27 and can opt out after the 2025-26 season if the Hawks don’t meet playoff expectations. The two-time All-Star and the Hawks have been trying to find the rhythm and consistency that helped them make a run to the Eastern Conference Finals two years ago. The ninth-place Hawks (16-16) are a playoff contender despite the offseason trade acquisition of SLAM 241 cover co-star Dejounte Murray.

What you really know about the Dirty South?

Dejounte Murray and Trae Young cover SLAM 241. https://t.co/JA8oG1KC8Z pic.twitter.com/2X95SX5UNj

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 13, 2022

Atlanta is under new leadership in the front office after they hired Landry Fields as their general manager. Young and Fields reportedly meet often and have developed a close bond. Fields has the green light to improve the team however he sees best but executing those ambitions has been difficult so far. Atlanta has made it clear they’re willing to part ways with John Collins, but a partner hasn’t been found yet.

Young is averaging 27.6 points and 9.8 assists per game on 41.1 percent shooting from the field and 30.7 percent from beyond the arc. Atlanta will play the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.

The post REPORT: Trae Young Could Request a Trade Out of Atlanta appeared first on SLAM.

The Hawks have been actively looking to shop Collins since the midway point of last season but were unsuccessful in finding any partners. Rumors indicate that the Hawks were looking for another superstar in return, but this time around, they’re reportedly willing to settle for a two-way role player like Phoenix Suns‘ Jae Crowder.

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The 19th pick of the 2017 NBA Draft has had a solid run with the Hawks, especially in his second year, where he blossomed into averaging 19.5 points per game. Not to mention the 9.8 rebounds he averaged that same 2018-2019 season, and with the pairing of him and Trae Young, it was inevitable for this team to make a deep run one day.

Sure enough, the Hawks made an improbable run as the 5th-seed in the 2021 playoffs, with the team pulling a gentleman’s sweep on the tough-minded New York Knicks. The fans of the latter were letting Young have it all series long. The vibes were similar once they went on the road to play the one-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, where they ultimately stole a Game 7 victory.

The team’s resilience showed because of the maturity Collins and Young displayed. However, it wasn’t enough that year to stop the eventual champion, Milwaukee Bucks.

Fast forward to the first 15 games of this season, and Collins hasn’t been able to prove his value as one of the elite power forwards in today’s game. This season, Collins is averaging 12.6 points per game and has struggled mightily to shoot while averaging 22.7 percent from downtown.

The team brought in Dejounte Murray this offseason in hopes of becoming serious title contenders, and so far, they’ve proven it.

The Hawks currently ride in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference, and one of their notable victories was breaking the undefeated Bucks season. Though the team has taken its strides, they oddly enough feel Collins won’t be the piece to the puzzle to the franchise’s first championship.

The post REPORT: Atlanta Exploring Trade Options For John Collins appeared first on SLAM.

Together, they’re expected to be a fearsome backcourt and a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference. They didn’t disappoint in their Wednesday night regular season debut against the Houston Rockets. 

The Atlanta Hawks backcourt combined for 43 points and 24(!!) assists. Murray added five steals, while Young went 8/8 from the free-throw line. The Hawks won 117-107, and despite their excellent play, they have plenty of room to improve. Murray and Young shot a combined 2-14 from three and committed eight turnovers.

Still, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about where this team could go. 

Postgame, Murray said that although he and Young are the main attractions, their main goal as the starting backcourt is to “set the tone,” while reiterating that they’re focused on making the Hawks a better team moving forward.

“The Atlanta Hawks are not me and Trae, but we set the tone,” Murray said, per ESPN. “We’re gonna get better.”

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The effects of their playmaking could be seen as four Hawks players put up 20 or more points. John Collins finished with a game-high 24 points, and De’Andre Hunter kicked in another 22. But Murray also felt the rebuilding Rockets should not have been able to stick around as long as they did. 

“I feel like the game was too close,” Murray said before he rated his performance, “6 out of 10.” 

If what they were able to do Wednesday is any indication of where they’re going to take their games this season, a return to the Eastern Conference Finals and maybe beyond could be in the cards. Not many teams can boast two guards who can make plays and score at the level of Young and Murray. 

The post Dejounte Murray and Trae Young ‘Set the Tone’ During Atlanta’s Season-Opening Win Over Houston appeared first on SLAM.

The energy has truly shifted around the Association since the Golden State Warriors put the haters to sleep and won another NBA championship. This offseason, there was a sudden coaching change in Boston, a reported trade request in Brooklyn by Kevin Durant (that didn’t actually happen), and some major moves during free agency, from Donovan Mitchell teaming up with Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley on the Cavaliers to Jalen Brunson becoming a New York Knick. Then there’s the highly-anticipated return of Zion Williamson, Ben Simmons and SLAM 240 co-cover star Kawhi Leonard, who is sure to be a scary sight alongside Paul George now that they’re both healthy.

While we’ve dished out some bold takes in the past, this year’s preview might feature our boldest takes yet. Here’s the official 2022-23 SLAM Staff NBA Preview:

Anthony Holt, Slam Goods Apparel Designer

The Cavaliers will emerge as a top three seed in the East. 

With the blockbuster trade for Donovan Mitchell, the Cavaliers will claim the No. 3 seed. The championship experience of Kevin Love and Luke Walton will evolve Mitchell into the leader the franchise needs to make a playoff run. The Cavs will reach the second round of the playoffs before being eliminated by the Celtics, who will face the Bucks in the ECF.

NBA Finals Matchup: Bucks vs Grizzlies

Deyscha “Sway” Smith, Associate Editor

Ben Simmons will make a case for winning Most Improved Player of the Year.

Before any of you mention me on Twitter or pop off in the comment section, hear this one out. We all know what happened last year, and by no means is Ben Simmons, a three-time NBA All-Star, any sort of “up and coming player.” But if this preseason showed us anything, it’s that Ben is actually back and playing basketball again. After averaging 15.9 points per game during his time in Philly, if he brings that same energy and presence (both literally and in terms of his defensive game) to the Nets this year, by technicality, it’s really only up from here in terms of his overall improvement.

Will he win MIP? Unlikely, but then again, just imagine if he actually did put himself in the running for the award.

PS: When I predicted the Celtics would make the ECF in our season preview last year, y’all called me real bold for that take back then. If Ben gets active and starts playing at that All-Star level again, just make sure your apology is as loud as the disrespect has been.

ECF Matchup: Celtics vs Nets

Joshua Tapia, Editorial Intern

Damian Lillard takes the Portland Trailblazers to a top 5 seed in the West while securing his first MVP. 

Damian Lillard will finish the season above 32 points a night with eight assists. If he disciplines himself defensively, Dame could become a reliable defender against the League’s best scorers.

Here’s my playoff prediction: Lillard will lead the Blazers past the No. 4 seed Mavericks in the first round, the Warriors in round 2, but get defeated in Game 6 against the Clippers.  

Adam Figman, Chief Content Officer

The Sixers are winning the championship.

Everything is coming together at the perfect time in Philly: James Harden is healthy and more motivated than ever, Joel Embiid has a better understanding of how to treat his body to make it last a full season plus playoffs, Tobias Harris is the perfect starter to play next to two stars, Tyrese Maxey is making a leap, and Daryl Morey is going to be aggressive adding role players throughout the season to put around this group in order to ensure the team has everything it needs come postseason time. The 76ers: 2023 Champs. 

Michael Harris, Editorial Intern

The Lakers will make the Western Conference Finals.

The Los Angeles Lakers will figure it out this season. Russell Westbrook will embrace his role off the bench, Anthony Davis will be healthy and be a top three candidate for MVP, while Patrick Beverley will bring the defense at the guard spot necessary to help the Lakers lock down shooters. The Lakers will also finish as the top three seed in the West and make it all the way to the WCF to face the Grizzlies.

NBA Finals Matchup: Heat vs Lakers

Ajayi Browne, Editorial Intern

The Dallas Mavericks will win the NBA Finals.

The Dallas Mavericks will reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011 and Luka Doncic will average career-highs across the board while having his most efficient season on his way to winning MVP. The team’s new additions, Christian Wood and Javale McGee, will give this team what they were missing last year, while Tim Hardaway Jr’s return will be vital, too.

Theus McBee, Co-Host of No Pump Fakes

Anthony Edwards will make his first All-Star Game and the Minnesota Timberwolves will make it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in nearly 20 years. 

The conversation of Ant Man “possibly” being a part of the top five under 25 group will come to an end and we will finally give him his rightful title of “Best Shooting Guard in the NBA.”

Check out the latest episode of No Pump Fakes below:

Najee AR Fareed, Editorial Intern 

Trae Young will make First Team All-NBA, lead the League in assists and take the Hawks all the way to winning a championship. 

The Hawks had a down year last season but their defense should be bolstered by a resurgent Clint Capela, Dejounte Murray’s arrival, and the rise of Onyeka Okongwu. The offense? Ice Trae might hold it down on the offensive end, but the Hawks have much more than just him. Deandre Hunter is taking big steps and John Collins’ lesser offensive load, with the addition of Murray, should free up his game for lobs and catch-and-shoot threes.

The Hawks will win one this season. For 3 Stacks and Lemon Pepper Wings and Zone 6 and Old Nat and everything else we love.

Colby Cusano, Brand Partnerships and Analytics Intern

Zion Williamson will bring the New Orleans Pelicans from an No. 8 seed to a No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and take home the Most Improved Player Award. 

After a decent season that saw them squeeze into the playoffs, the Pelicans are ready to make another run and with a healthy Zion Williamson. They now contain one of the most talented trios in the League.

NBA Finals Matchup: Mavs vs Celtics

Delon George, Marketing Manager SLAMgoods

The Brooklyn Nets will win the title.  

Though a lot of politics surround the Nets’ Big 3, I believe they have a lot to prove individually and together as a team this season. With Kyrie Irving will playing full-time from the start of the season and Kevin Durant avoiding injuries, the Nets are bound to have momentum this year. 

Brooke Brennan, WSLAM Intern

Lonzo Ball will return mid-season and take control of the Bulls’ offense, pushing them to be a top four seed team in the East.

While injury plagued his 2021-2022 season, Lonzo’s return mid-way through this year could give the Bulls the point guard anchor they need to take control on offense. After losing in the first round to the Bucks last year, the Bulls proved that they can be a playoff team, but have to make those adjustments. Returning key players, rising young talent, and added veteran depth will help to develop this team unit.

As for Zo, I project he’ll make an All-Star team in the near future. 

Andrew “Pitt” Pitagorsky, VP of Brand Partnerships

RJ Barrett will win Defensive Player of the Year. 

RJ Barrett will become an NBA All-Star and win Defensive Player of the Year. Going into Year 4 of his young career, RJ will take the next step in his growth and make the leap to the All-Star player we all know he could become. With the help of the coaching staff, and a pure point guard in the lineup, RJ can focus more on the defensive side of his game, and be an elite defender of the League.

Andres Puerta, Social Media SLAMFTW 

The Miami Heat will win the Eastern Conference Finals. 

The Miami Heat have a solid starting lineup. They are coming off a great season, with a solid performance in the playoffs from Jimmy Butler who showed what he can do in the playoffs. Tyler Herro showed out as the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year. They have a competitive group of guys and it doesn’t matter who is on the court. With the Heat being one of the top teams in the East last year, this will be the year they win the Eastern Conference Finals.

Arvind Pitchai, VP of Social Media

Luka Doncic will average a triple double and win MVP. 

Here’s another Luka Doncic prediction: when he averages a triple-double this season, he’ll definitely win MVP. We all know about Luka’s scoring prowess and ability to see the floor, but he also can clean the glass at a high clip. Will this lead the Mavs to the Finals? Who knows but it’s going to be a fun season watching Luka regardless.

Marcus Allen, Social Graphic Designer

The Knicks will make the Eastern Conference Finals.

A big season from the New York Knicks is upon us as they will make the ECF in 2023. Future star, RJ Barrett will have the best season of his career with his new backcourt partner Jalen Brunson and ultimately earn Most Improved Player and or Defensive Player of the Year. Let’s get it.

Dave Schnur, President

The T-Wolves and the Cavs will go on a playoff run and make the Conference Finals.

Karl-Anthony Towns moving to the 4 full time will be a matchup nightmare for opposing teams. He’ll hit a career high number of threes this season, Ant Edwards will make his first All-Star Team, Rudy Gobert is gonna Gobert and D-Lo will get his, too. The Cavs already have a great young core with Garland, Mobley and Allen. Adding a perennial All-Star SG like Spida that can stretch the floor and facilitate will bolster an already potent offense. Garland and Donovan may be the best backcourt in the East. 

Max Resetar, Editor 

Stephen Curry will break his own record of 402 threes in a season. 

The Dubs finally have everyone healthy. Every player on the roster has a clearly defined role and they each understand that their number one target on offense is No. 30, whether that means passing to him, screening for him, or getting the f— outta his way when the reign starts to rain. With a complete season of all the major hitters, their offense is gonna hum all the way to an easy 450 threes for the most recent Finals MVP. 

Celebrate the return of the NBA season, the 2022 WNBA champs and the future of the game with SLAM 240.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post SLAM’s 2022-23 NBA Preview: Crazy Bold Takes for this Season appeared first on SLAM.

Eastern Conference contender emerges as interested suitor for Suns’ Jae Crowder: pic.twitter.com/oxw12tvnUt

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 10, 2022

The former second-round draft pick has solidified himself as a premier defender that could stretch the floor offensively. Crowder is the type of modern-day 3-and-D player any team finds value in. It’s no wonder the Hawks aren’t the only team interested in the 32-year-old.

Trade rumors surrounding Crowder came after multiple reports revealed Phoenix was shopping the veteran during the offseason; Crowder went to Twitter to express how he felt.

ONE MUST SEEK WORK WHERE HE IS WANTED.. WHERE HE IS NEEDED.! I AM THANKFUL FOR WHAT THESE PAST 2 YRS HAVE TAUGHT ME.! NOW I MUST TAKE ON ANOTHER CHALLENGE WITH CONTINUED HARDWORK & DEDICATION.! FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CLOSED THE DOOR ON ME…. THANK YOU! 99 BACK SOON.!

— JAE CROWDER (@CJC9BOSS) September 25, 2022

He made it known that not only would he not be at training camp, but Crowder would also like to play for a team where he is wanted. Since tweeting this out, Crowder has not been seen at training camp or preseason. The organization is on the same page as the veteran as they try and find a resolution for his future.

Cam Johnson is set to replace Crowder in the Suns’ starting lineup going into the new campaign. If the trade goes through, it will be interesting to see how the veteran will fare, teaming up with the latest Big Three of Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, and John Collins.

The post REPORT: Hawks Emerge as Potential Suitor for Jae Crowder appeared first on SLAM.

Although the Nets have yet to gain traction on a trade, new suitors have emerged in the KD sweepstakes. The Celtics, Raptors, and Heat are the biggest threat to land the 12-time All-Star, but Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Nets, and those three front-runners, haven’t been having any conversations lately.

Charania reported that the 76ers expressed their interest in acquiring Durant while the Bucks and Nuggets reached out in June and inquired again in July to determine Brooklyn’s asking price. That asking price is still an All-Star, other high-level players, and draft picks to this day. When the Pelicans inquired with the Nets in June, they reportedly told Brooklyn that Brandon Ingram was untouchable, per Charania. Atlanta reportedly offered John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, and a draft pick.

Because of that high price tag, suitors like Toronto possibly pulled out after refusing to make Scottie Barnes available. Boston made Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and a first-round pick available, but Brooklyn didn’t bite. According to Charania, Miami hasn’t offered a package built around Bam Adebayo.

The Memphis Grizzlies have reportedly become the newest trade suitor. Memphis could put together an attractive package surrounding their five first-round draft picks, four unprotected and one protected 2024 pick via Golden State, and young players like Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, Zaire Williams, Brandon Clarke, Kennedy Chandler, and David Roddy.

Despite all the new traction in trade partners, Boston is still the premier front runner to acquire Durant. When Boston offered Brown, White, and a draft pick, Brooklyn countered by requesting Smart, more draft picks, and one more rotation player per Charania. While Boston has the assets to make something happen, there appears to be a reported gap in what the Celtics are willing to let go.

Brooklyn believes they have improved their roster after trading for Royce O’Neal, signing T.J. Warren, and re-signing Patty Mills and Nic Claxton while expecting the healthy returns of Ben Simmons and Joe Harris. Kyrie Irving is set to return as well after signing his player option. According to Charania, Irving has been working out with teammates and held a constructive dialogue with the Nets this offseason.

With four years remaining on Durant’s current deal, Brooklyn has no incentive to move the four-time scoring champ. Entering his age 34 season, Durant is less likely to sit out a season and has already dismissed rumors that he would rather retire than play for Brooklyn again.

The post REPORT: New Suitors Emerge in the Kevin Durant Sweepstakes appeared first on SLAM.

Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels had 52 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists against Bachero and Holmgren at The Crawsover in Seattle. The Seattle native and University of Washington alum returned home to put it down for his city in an impressive performance.

In a recent appearance on ESPN’s NBA Today, Crawford was asked which player at the most recent Crawsover events (which also featured Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, and John Collins on Sunday) stood out to him the most. His response? Jaden McDaniels.

“The one I think is least talked about is Jaden McDaniels,” Crawford said. “His offense is so good, but right now, he’s in a role where he’s playing defense to stay on the court. But once his offense is unlocked, you’re looking at somebody who’s so fluid, 6’9, can handle the ball, make plays, very smooth when he plays, doesn’t disrupt the offense with how he plays.”

He’s someone who, I think, is the one that doesn’t get talked about enough,” Crawford said. “But he’s gonna be a great, great player for years to come.”

We’ve always known he’s had the hops, but McDaniels showed off an improved jump shot and handle at The Crawsover, making him a must-watch player heading into his third NBA season.

The 21-year-old averaged 9.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game on 46.0 percent shooting from the field last season. McDaniels only shot 31.7 percent from three-point range in the regular season but saw that number jump to 50.0 percent in Minnesota’s hard-fought playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies.

If McDaniels could find some consistency with his jump shot, he could be set for a breakout season with the Timberwolves. With a young core of Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards, along with the blockbuster acquisition of Rudy Gobert, McDaniels and the T-Wolves will have to prove last season’s playoff appearance was the first of many to come in Minnesota.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Jamal Crawford Believes Jaden McDaniels Will Be a ‘Great Player For Years to Come’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Clippers All-Star hopped on a Twitch stream and announced he’ll play in the high-profile pro-am “one of these weekends.” George’s proclamation was later confirmed by Law Murray of The Athletic.

It would be PG13’s first Drew League appearance since 2014 and a great way to play competitive ball after only appearing in 31 games due to a UCL injury last season. The four-time All-Defensive Teamer is eager to get on the court after he was forced to miss the Clippers’ final Play-In game against the New Orleans Pelicans because of health and safety protocols.

When he did play, George averaged 24.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game on 42.1 percent shooting from the floor and 35.4 percent from three last season.

James and DeRozan kicked off the NBA x Drew League action when LBJ dropped 42 points to help the MMV Cheaters secure a 104-102 victory over Black Pearl Elite on July 16.

On July 23, Young (22 points, seven assists, and seven steals) and Collins (16 points and 12 rebounds) didn’t disappoint for Black Pearl Elite in a 103-100 loss to Citi Team Blazers.

Thanks to the NBA coming to a deal with the Drew League, fans can now stream select Drew League games until the championship on Aug. 21. While he didn’t confirm an exact date, expect YG Trece to play in the Drew sometime soon.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Paul George to Play in Drew League For First Time Since 2014 appeared first on SLAM.

Klein notes that the package to obtain Murray would be Danilo Gallinari and multiple first-round picks, but John Collins will not be a part of the transaction despite being in trade rumors for a few seasons.

After sitting out all of the 2018-19 season, Murray has blossomed into one of the better point guards in the League. This past year he earned his first All-Star bid after averaging 21.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 9.2 assists, and a League-leading 2.0 steals per game.

Murray is halfway through a four-year rookie extension he signed in 2019 with the Spurs. The final two years of his contract have him making just north of $16 million and $17 million, respectively.

The Hawks are looking to pair Murray up with Trae Young, becoming a formidable backcourt within the Eastern Conference.

Klein also reports San Antonio is preparing for the future and the 2023 NBA Draft.

The post REPORT: Hawks ‘On the Verge’ of Obtaining Dejounte Murray appeared first on SLAM.

The Hawks are the most aggressive team in trade talks around the league right now with the goal of finding a co-star to pair alongside Trae Young, per @wojespn.

John Collins is expected to be involved in any deal Atlanta makes this week. pic.twitter.com/PPiGerZGSD

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 21, 2022

In order to pair another star with All-Star point guard Trae Young, the Hawks are reportedly willing to move John Collins. The forward out of Wake Forest is expected to be involved in any deal Atlanta pursues despite coming off inking a five-year deal last summer.

This past season, the Hawks could not recapture the magic that helped them make a run to the Eastern Conference Championship before falling to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in six games. Young earned another All-Star bid, but the Hawks finished the regular season with a 43-39 record and beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the play-in tournament for the eighth seed.

The No. 1 seeded Miami Heat ended Atlanta’s season with a first-round sweep.

The post REPORT: Hawks Will Be Aggressive in Finding Trae Young a Co-Star appeared first on SLAM.

Though Brooklyn Tea sits in downtown Atlanta, the quaint shop would easily be at home in Brooklyn’s Park Slope or Dumbo neighborhoods. It’s clean, quiet and keeps the cups of tropical green coming. You can see why Long Island native Jah Rawlings would want to meet there to talk basketball. 

“I was born in New York, but Atlanta raised me,” says Rawlings, who hooped for Georgia Perimeter College before founding the Atlanta Entertainment Basketball League (AEBL) in 2010. “[Atlanta] gave me the opportunity to get my dreams out and flourish and do the things that I wanted to do. That’s why I rep so hard for the city.” 

On this day, Rawlings doesn’t order anything at the tea shop, but he does explain how he’s poured his heart and his wallet into the AEBL, a pro-am summer league he envisioned having the swagger of ATL with the soul of Harlem’s Rucker Park. 

“If anyone can do it, I can,” Rawlings, 39, says. “My mentor was Greg Marius, rest in peace. He started EBC [the Entertainer’s Basketball Classic tournament at Rucker Park—Ed.]. My uncle, Bob McCullough, created the Rucker [Pro Tournament]. It’s already in my DNA.” 

Rawlings admits that the first few seasons of his outdoor hoop dream were a challenge—light crowds, heavy rains—but he kept at it. A former member of the Atlanta Hawks organization, Rawlings knew the city had a thirst for streetball, he just needed more time for things to simmer. 

First step, take the game indoors. Second, ask another “uncle” for an assist. In 2017, Kyrie Irving was filming Uncle Drewin Atlanta. A friend of a friend invited Irving to come through and the point guard said he would. Rawlings didn’t get his hopes up until he saw the future Hall of Famer walk into the gym. And once he did, a buzz shot through the rafters that still hasn’t cooled.

Over the past few years, a who’s who of Hawks (John Collins, Trae Young), NBA ballers (Jaylen Brown, Montrezl Harrell) and future stars (Auburn’s Jabari Smith) have suited up. And they aren’t out there half-assin’ it. Once vets like Lou Williams and Isaiah Thomas get a taste of the competitiveness and massive crowds, they’re hooked. 

Much like Rucker’s legendary summers, AEBL games are about more than just the action on the court. It’s the energy and the engagement everywhere else. At any given game, 2 Chainz or Tee Grizzley could be in the stands. Halftimes almost certainly turn into mini concerts. In-arena host Bria Janelle is magnetic on the mic. The “E” in AEBL really means something. 

Still, Rawlings is as proud of his league’s ability to prepare young staffers for careers at Nike and in the front office with the Atlanta Dream as he is about seeing ’21 MVP Kevon “Cheat Code” Harris ball out in the G League. Additionally, AEBL participates in community initiatives, donates to local athletic programs and volunteers at shelters over the holidays. 

“I want young kids to know that I made it pro as a CEO,” says Rawlings. “I’m still in the game. I’m actually a major player in basketball. I’ve never stepped foot on an NBA court, but look at what I’ve done. My mentors are like, Man, we see you being a GM. I’m like, I got my own NBA.”

AEBL’s 2022 season kicks off with a bang on July 4th weekend. In addition to the men’s action (former Hawk Joe Johnson is debuting a squad), the calendar will include a dope women’s league and other events. With adidas as a sponsor, AEBL is also dropping a Trae Young 1 sneaker, draped in the league’s logo and stylings.

“AEBL is bigger than basketball,” says Rawlings, who spearheads an HBCU-focused camp and a program aimed at elite high schoolers throughout the year, too. “We’re culture. We’re community. We’re entertainment. We’re mentorship. When people look at us now, they’re like, Oh, this is bigger than just some NBA guys playing on the court.” 

Photos courtesy of AEBL.

The post Jah Rawlings’ AEBL Pro-Am is Making Waves Across the Summer League Circuit, But it’s Bigger Than Basketball appeared first on SLAM.

While it helps, you don’t have to win a championship to be on this list. There were some pretty incredible NBA teams that fell short of championships but were still so far ahead of the rest of the League (besides the champion) that they deserve to leapfrog some actual champions. 

This week, we’re unveiling who we think deserves to be included on this list, which is featured in our SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time special issue. Here’s our top 65-55:

65. 1983-84 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 54-28

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Cooper, Calvin Garrett, Magic Johnson, Eddie Jordan, Mitch Kupchak, Bob McAdoo, Mike McGee, Swen Nater, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, Larry Spriggs, Jamaal Wilkes, James Worthy

The Lakers would have to wait one more year to finally beat the Celtics when it mattered most. Led by Kareem’s 26.6 ppg and 8.1 rpg in the series, the Lakers forced a Game 7 on the road. But whether it was the mystique of Boston Garden, that famously tricky parquet floor or simply a deep and talented Celtics team that had the benefit of homecourt advantage and League MVP Larry Bird, L.A. couldn’t quite vanquish its franchise kryptonite.

64. 1976-77 Philadephia 76ers

Coach: Gene Shue

Record: 50-32

Roster: Jim Barnett, Henry Bibby, Joe Bryant, Fred Carter, Harvey Catchings, Doug Collins, Darryl Dawkins, Mike Dunleavy, Julius Erving, World B. Free, Terry Furlow, Caldwell Jones, George McGinnis, Steve Mix

This Sixers squad might be best remembered for a roster that included future coaches (Doug Collins, Mike Dunleavy) and the fathers of future All-Stars (Joe Bryant, Harvey Catchings, Henry Bibby). Of course, Philly also had Dr. J in his first NBA season after a legendary five-year ABA run, and second-year big man Darryl Dawkins, a few years shy of his Chocolate Thunder prime. A fascinating roster, but no match for Bill Walton and the Blazers in the Finals.

63. 1967-68 Philadelphia 76ers

Coach: Alex Hannum

Record: 62-20

Roster: Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Costello, Billy Cunningham, Ron Filipek, Johnny Green, Hal Greer, Matt Guokas, Luke Jackson, Wali Jones, Bill Melchionni, Jim Reid, Chet Walker

Philly finished with the League’s best record, eight games clear of the Celtics in the East, thanks to balanced production from future Hall of Famers Hal Greer (24.1 ppg), Billy Cunningham (18.9 ppg), Chet Walker (17.9 ppg) and of course, Wilt Chamberlain, who put up 24.3 points and pulled down 23.8 boards per. The Sixers didn’t lose more than two straight all season…until the East Finals, when they blew a 3-1 lead against Russell, Havlicek and the eventual champs from Boston.

62. 2001-02 Sacramento Kings

Coach: Rick Adelman

Record: 61-21

Roster: Mike Bibby, Chucky Brown, Doug Christie, Mateen Cleaves, Vlade Divac, Lawrence Funderburke, Bobby Jackson, Scot Pollard, Brent Price, Jabari Smith, Peja Stojakovic, Hedo Turkoglu, Gerald Wallace, Chris Webber

For Kings fans, it is still a crime, the grandest larceny ever. Game 6 of the Western Finals against the Lakers was flat stolen from Sacramento. Missed calls. Allegations of referees fixing the proceedings. It was ugly, nasty business. And it robbed the team with the NBA’s best record, the one with Chris Webber in charge down low, Peja Stojakovic shooting from everywhere and a deep supporting cast of a title. It’s that simple. And that outrageous.

61. 1995-96 Seattle Supersonics

Coach: George Karl

Record: 64-18

Roster: Vincent Askew, Frank Brickowski, Sherell Ford, Hersey Hawkins, Ervin Johnson, Shawn Kemp, Nate McMillan, Gary Payton, Sam Perkins, Steve Scheffler, Detlef Schrempf, Eric Snow, David Wingate

What happens when one of the greatest teams in franchise history meets the greatest team in NBA history? Well, you can figure it out. The Sonics won the Pacific by 11 games and had a star-studded lineup with ferocious Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton on the perimeter, talking junk and stealing everything, smooth Detlef Schrempf all over the place and Hersey Hawkins shooting the lights out. Seattle was great. Really great. Unfortunately, the Bulls were greater.

60. 1956-57 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 44-28

Roster: Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, Dick Hemric, Jim Loscutoff, Jack Nichols, Togo Palazzi, Andy Phillip, Frank Ramsey, Arnie Risen, Bill Russell, Bill Sharman, Lou Tsioropoulos

The birth of a dynasty. Led by the in-their-prime backcourt of Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman, and the frontcourt pairing of rookies Tom Heinsohn and Bill Russell, the Celtics made the franchise’s first Finals appearance in the spring of ’57. St. Louis took Boston to double OT in Game 7, but Heinsohn (37 points, 23 boards) matched Bob Pettit (39 and 19), and Russell went for 19 and 32 to help the Celtics claim the first of their 17 banners.

59. 2017-18 Houston Rockets

Coach: Mike D’Antoni

Record: 65-17

Roster: Ryan Anderson, Trevor Ariza, Tarik Black, Bobby Brown, Markel Brown, Isaiah Canaan, Clint Capela, Eric Gordon, Gerald Green, James Harden, Nene, RJ Hunter, Aaron Jackson, Demetrius Jackson,  Joe Johnson, Luc Mbah a Moute, Chinanu Onuaku, Chris Paul, Zhou Qi, Tim Quarterman, PJ Tucker, Briante Weber, Troy Williams, Brandan Wright

Unfortunately, these Rockets, which featured the dynamic backcourt of James Harden, Chris Paul and Eric Gordon, won’t be remembered for their NBA-best record or high-scoring ways. They will be remembered for that 25-point second half in Game 6 of the Western Finals against Golden State and then a homecourt loss two days later that ended the series. Houston played fast, used Clint Capela to handle the rough stuff inside and still wonders what might have been.

58. 2004-05 Phoenix Suns

Coach: Mike D’Antoni

Record: 62-20

Roster: Leandro Barbosa, Zarko Cabarkapa, Steven Hunter, Jim Jackson, Casey Jacobsen, Joe Johnson, Maciej Lampe, Shawn Marion, Walter McCarty, Steve Nash, Bo Outlaw, Smush Parker, Quentin Richardson, Paul Shirley, Amar’e Stoudemire, Yuta Tabuse, Jake Voskuhl, Jackson Vroman

These Suns didn’t care much about defense, and they flamed out in the Western Finals against San Antonio, despite having the NBA’s best record. But what a fun team to watch. Led by League MVP Steve Nash, Phoenix pushed the tempo feverishly and featured a talented collection of scorers. Nobody could dunk like Shawn Marion, unless it was Amar’e Stoudemire. Joe Johnson was deadly from three, and Quentin Richardson shot from everywhere. Good times.

57. 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Frank Vogel

Record: 52-19

Roster: Kostas Antetokounmpo, Avery Bradley, Devontae Cacok, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Alex Caruso, Quinn Cook, Troy Daniels, Anthony Davis, Jared Dudley, Danny Green, Talen Horton-Tucker, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Kyle Kuzma, JaVale McGee, Markieff Morris, Zach Norvell, Rajon Rondo, JR Smith, Dion Waiters

One year after failing to make the playoffs, the Lakers won it all in the COVID-19 bubble. Anthony Davis joined LeBron James in a formidable pairing, and the duo combined for 51.4 ppg. The Lakers lost only five games in their four playoff series. James led the NBA in assists, the supporting cast handled its roles without complaint and the Lakers won it all in a season they dedicated to the late Kobe Bryant.

56. 2009-10 Boston Celtics

Coach: Doc Rivers

Record: 50-32

Roster: Ray Allen, Tony Allen, Marquis Daniels, Glen Davis, Michael Finley, Kevin Garnett, JR Giddens, Eddie House, Lester Hudson, Oliver Lafayette, Marcus Landry, Kendrick Perkins, Paul Pierce, Nate Robinson, Rajon Rondo, Brian Scalabrine, Henry Walker, Rasheed Wallace, Shelden Williams

The Celtics’ Big Three led the squad on another trek to the Finals that included an Atlantic Division title. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen were again the engine on an Eastern Conference title team, with help from point man Rajon Rondo and center Kendrick Perkins, while Rasheed Wallace provided support up front. Boston led the Lakers, 3-2, in the Finals, but ultimately lost a seven-game decision.

55. 1996-97 Utah Jazz

Coach: Jerry Sloan

Record: 64-18

Roster: Shandon Anderson, Antoine Carr, Howard Eisley, Greg Foster, Jeff Hornacek, Stephen Howard, Adam Keefe, Karl Malone, Chris Morris, Ruben Nembhard, Greg Ostertag, Bryon Russell, John Stockton, Brooks Thompson, Jamie Watson

The Jazz had plenty of great seasons during the Karl Malone-John Stockton years, but this might have been the best. Malone was League MVP, and Utah set a franchise record for wins that still stands. Stockton once again ran the show and set up everyone, while Jeff Hornacek and Bryon Russell were valuable on the perimeter. The Jazz looked good, but as usual, the Bulls looked better, taking the Finals in six.

Read here to find out who made the No. 75-66 spot on the list.

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We know there will probably be some disgruntled fans out there, but we’ve come up with a list that we’re standing by. Here’s our top 66-75 best teams of all time:

75. 1997-98 Indiana Pacers

Coach: Larry Bird

Record: 58-24

Roster: Travis Best, Etdrick Bohannon, Austin Croshere, Antonio Davis, Dale Davis, Fred Hoiberg, Mark Jackson, Derrick McKey, Reggie Miller, Chris Mullin, Mark Pope, Jalen Rose, Rik Smits, Mark West

Yes, the ’97-98 Pacers lost a seven-game Eastern Conference Finals series to the Bulls, but this was an extremely strong team. Indy was the next-to-last partner in Chicago’s “Last Dance,” but the Pacers won 58 games—second best in the East—and boasted a deep lineup led by the trio of sharpshooter Reggie Miller, 7-4 tower Rik Smits and do-everything forward Chris Mullin. The loss was disappointing, but the Pacers had plenty to be proud of.

74. 1994-95 Orlando Magic

Coach: Brian Hill

Record: 57-25

Roster: Nick Anderson, Darrell Armstrong, Anthony Avent, Anthony Bowie, Horace Grant, Geert Hammink, Penny Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal, Tree Rollins, Donald Royal, Dennis Scott, Brian Shaw, Brooks Thompson, Keith Tower, Jeff Turner

In just their sixth year of existence, the Magic reached the Finals, thanks to the dynamic pairing of Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway. Orlando posted the East’s best record and then outlasted the Pacers to win the conference. Shaq was unstoppable inside, and Hardaway dazzled all over. Add in Nick Anderson and Dennis Scott’s long-range shooting and Horace Grant’s steady interior game, and the Magic were quite strong, even if Houston did sweep them in the Finals.

73. 1986-87 Boston Celtics

Coach: KC Jones

Record: 59-23

Roster: Danny Ainge, Larry Bird, Rick Carlisle, Darren Daye, Conner Henry, Dennis Johnson, Greg Kite, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Fred Roberts, Jerry Sichting, David Thirdkill, Andre Turner, Sam Vincent, Bill Walton, Scott Wedman

A year after domination, the Celtics returned to the Finals once again, but lost to the Showtime Lakers in six. The usual cast was back for the conference title winners. Larry Bird was practically infallible, and Kevin McHale and Robert Parish plundered inside. Dennis Johnson ran the show, while Danny Ainge irritated everybody but Celtics fans. But Boston lacked a strong bench, and that’s why the ’86-87 edition was very good, but not a champion.

72. 2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder

Coach: Scott Brooks

Record: 47-19

Roster: Cole Aldrich, Nick Collison, Daequan Cook, Kevin Durant, Derek Fisher, James Harden, Lazar Hayward, Serge Ibaka, Royal Ivey, Reggie Jackson, Eric Maynor, Nazr Mohammed, Kendrick Perkins, Ryan Reid, Thabo Sefolosha, Russell Westbrook

This was it. This was the last time the Thunder’s Big Three would be together, and Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden almost got it all done. The Thunder won the West and made it to the Finals. They even won the first game against Miami before dropping four straight. Durant, Westbrook and Harden combined for 70 ppg in the series but couldn’t finish the journey and hoist a trophy.

71. 1992-93 Phoenix Suns

Coach: Paul Westphal

Record: 62-20

Roster: Danny Ainge, Charles Barkley, Cedric Ceballos, Tom Chambers, Richard Dumas, Frank Johnson, Kevin Johnson, Tim Kempton, Negele Knight, Dan Majerle, Oliver Miller, Jerrod Mustaf, Kurt Rambis, Alex Stivrins, Mark West

The Suns had reached the Finals before, in 1976, but fell to Boston. This time would be different, even if they were facing the Bulls. Phoenix had the NBA’s best record, the League’s best offense and Charles Barkley, acquired from Philly in a blockbuster. The Suns were deep and fast and fun. But when they lost Game 4 of the Finals to Chicago to fall behind 3-1, you knew it was over. And it was.

70. 1988-89 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Pat Riley

Record: 57-25

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tony Campbell, Michael Cooper, AC Green, Magic Johnson, Jeff Lamp, Mark McNamara, David Rivers, Byron Scott, Mychal Thompson, Orlando Woolridge, James Worthy

There would be one more last gasp for Showtime, but this really felt like the end of an era. Sure, the Lakers won the Pacific, put up the most wins in the conference and reached the Finals after posting a perfect 11-0 playoff record. But the usual suspects—Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Byron Scott, Michael Cooper, etc.—were beat up by the same Detroit Bad Boys they had defeated a year earlier.

69. 2018-19 Toronto Raptors

Coach Nick Nurse

Record: 58-24

Roster: OG Anunoby, Chris Boucher, Lorenzo Brown, Marc Gasol, Danny Green, Serge Ibaka, Kawhi Leonard, Jeremy Lin, Kyle Lowry, Jordan Loyd, Patrick McCaw, Jodie Meeks, CJ Miles, Malcolm Miller, Greg Monroe, Eric Moreland, Norman Powell, Malachi Richardson, Pascal Siakam, Jonas Valanciunas, Fred VanVleet, Delon Wright

In Canada for just one year, Kawhi Leonard proved his absolute greatness. The Raptors had been good, but they weren’t championship good. No way. Then Leonard averaged 26.6. He hit a quadruple-doink jumper to beat the Sixers in the Eastern Semis. And Kyle Lowry brought the toughness, while Serge Ibaka and Pascal Siakam bumped and banged inside. The Trophy had never been north of the border, but Leonard made sure it got there.

68. 1961-62 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 60-20

Roster: Carl Braun, Al Butler, Bob Cousy, Gene Guarilia, Tom Heinsohn, KC Jones, Sam Jones, Jim Loscutoff, Gary Phillips, Frank Ramsey, Bill Russell, Tom Sanders

Bill Russell didn’t lead the NBA in points, rebounds or assists, but he earned his third MVP award for leading the Celtics to a League-best 60 regular-season wins and his (and Boston’s) fifth title. It was arguably his best statistical season—a career-best 18.9 ppg, along with 23.6 rpg—and he upped those averages to 22.9 points and 27 boards in the Finals to lift Boston from a 3-2 deficit to a 4-3 victory over the Lakers.

67. 1980-81 Philadelphia 76ers

Coach: Billy Cunningham

Record: 62-20

Roster: Maurice Cheeks, Doug Collins, Earl Cureton, Monti Davis, Darryl Dawkins, Julius Erving, Lionel Hollins, Ollie Johnson, Bobby Jones, Caldwell Jones, Steve Mix, Clint Richardson, Andrew Toney

It’s easy to forget how close the early ’80s Sixers came to dynasty status. There were Finals losses to L.A. in ’80 and ’82, and of course, before their eventual revenge in ’83. But the ’80-81 squad, led by Dr. J in his only NBA MVP season, was right there: They matched Boston’s 62 regular-season wins and took a 3-1 lead on the Celtics in the ECF before an epic Larry Bird-led comeback carried the Cs to the Finals.

66. 1984-85 Boston Celtics

Coach: KC Jones

Record: 63-19

Roster: Danny Ainge, Larry Bird, Quinn Buckner, Rick Carlisle, ML Carr, Carlos Clark, Dennis Johnson, Greg Kite, Cedric Maxwell, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Scott Wedman, Ray Williams

The ninth Celtics-Lakers Finals matchup would be the first from which Boston did not emerge victorious. You could almost call it an upset. Larry Bird claimed his second straight MVP award, and the Cs won a League-best 63 games, then cruised through the Eastern Conference playoff bracket before stomping the Lakers by 34 in Game 1. Kevin McHale averaged 26 points and 10.7 rebounds for the series, but Boston couldn’t slow the Kareem-Magic-Worthy trio and fell 4-2 to L.A.

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Young took on the legendary Madison Square Garden and the iconic Knicks fans inside during his playoff debut and became the most hated opposing point guard in modern Knicks history. Young became the first player since Derrick Rose to post 25 points and 10 assists in his first playoff game. The youngest MVP in League history accomplished the feat at 20-years-old. Young was 22 at the time.

Young capped off the historic night with a game-winning floater to give Atlanta a Game 1 win, with the Hawks winning the series in five games. Atlanta ultimately upset the Philadelphia 76ers in seven games before falling to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in six games.

“That was so fun,” a beaming Young said as he rewatched the iconic moment. “The whole game was so fun; the play actually broke down after John (Collins) shoe fell off, and I just kinda had to make a move, and it was just a fun game.”

Trae Young looks back at his memorable Game 1 game-winner vs. NYK from on this date last year! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/ShTXkSrp5H

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) May 23, 2022

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Hawks forward John Collins has a plantar fascia tear in his right foot as well as damage to his right ring finger, sources tell me and @ChrisKirschner. Collins has been playing through pain for past several weeks, but will now be sidelined indefinitely.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 18, 2022

The Hawks (34-35) have 13 games remaining left to attempt to catch the Hornets (35-35) and the Nets (36-34) before the regular season concludes. The 2021-2022 season hasn’t gone the way Atlanta expected, coming off their Eastern Conference Finals appearance against the Bucks last year. The struggles the Hawks have experienced could be attributed to inconsistent play and injuries to Collins, De’Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Kevin Huerter.

The Hawks will look to add to the win column when they face the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.

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‘He’s rookie of the year’: Cade Cunningham leads #Pistons to first three-game winning streak of season: https://t.co/kwDqmGbAqi

— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) March 8, 2022

Led by Cunningham (28 points, six rebounds, and 10 assists) and Jerami Grant (23 points and four rebounds), the Pistons made a comeback late in regulation after a back-and-forth fourth quarter that saw the Hawks and Pistons exchange leads.

“He’s rookie of the year. It’s not even close as far as talent evaluation. I’ve been in it a long time and seen (a lot of) players,” coach Dwane Casey said of Cunningham per Rod Beard of Detroit News.

“The only thing that (voters) can hold against us is we are a young team rebuilding, but talent-wise, he’s the guy that can finish games for you, and that’s what you need in those situations. He’s playing like a 10-year vet, so to get 10 assists and 28 points is big time.”

Cunningham nearly put the game away with 1.6 seconds left after sinking a pair of free throws, but John Collins was fouled on the subsequent inbounds play, but he split the ensuing free throws.

Cunningham took over in the extra period, scoring seven points, including a huge three-pointer to give the Pistons a 107-102 lead. After the Hawks responded with an alley-oop slam from Clint Capela, Cunningham came back with two straight buckets of his own to extend their back to five with just over two minutes to go. Grant then sank his tough fadeaway jumper to extend the lead to 113-107.

“I really like how the Pistons are playing right now. We’re playing really hard and playing for each other, and that’s what’s letting us win some games,” Cunningham said. “I really appreciate my team and my teammates trusting me with the ball, allowing me to get things going.”

The Pistons will look to extend their win streak to four when they host the Bulls on Wednesday.

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With less than 24 hours left before the trade deadline and Nets Coach Steve Nash claiming James Harden is not being traded, rumors of a possible Harden to Philadelphia still exist.

One player that is tired of the scenarios is Sixers forward Tobias Harris. Even if the team can’t get Harden at the trade deadline if the pursuit continues in the offseason, Harris’ contract would need to be moved to open up cap space.

But for now, with Harris’ having experienced in-season trades four times during his NBA career, he openly admitted via ESPN that the rumors that have surrounded his team this season have been difficult for the team to ignore.

“That will be good for us because you’re just hearing everybody’s name. I’ll just be honest, it’s one of those things — trade rumors always come around, even for guys around the NBA, but in this situation, yeah, I was reading an article, and there were five guys on the top 10 list to be moved, whatever,” he said. “So, obviously don’t get twisted: that has an impact on guys’ mental, psyche, focus, all the way down the line. So we’ll see what happens.”

“I think everybody else is in the same position as well, checking their phones to see what happens,” Harris said. “It’s our livelihoods and our jobs.”

It has been rumored by the Philly Voice that there are two potential teams with cap space, notably the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Sixers could move Harris to clear space for a possible James Harden deal.

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Okongwu finished with 16 points, five rebounds, and one steal.

ARE YOU SERIOUS pic.twitter.com/Of17M37SMh

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 30, 2022

Okongwu recently stated in an interview with Hoopshype that he believes he should be invited to the Rising Stars Challenge on All-Star Weekend in Cleveland.

“Everybody can see what I do out there on the court. I think my play really speaks for itself, especially defensively with what I’ve been able to do, guarding on the ball and helping. Offensively, I’ve got my confidence back. I’ve doubled my points scoring to almost 10. At the end of the day, we’re on a six-game winning streak playing good basketball, and I’m part of the mix, which is always a blessing. I’m thankful to be able to be on the Hawks, and we’re playing good basketball. I think, all things considered, I should get a Rising Stars nod”.

The Hawks’ backup center has been a major contributor to the team’s success this season, as his skill and athleticism work well alongside Trae Young and John Collins in their small-ball lineups.

Okongwu is one of only three players (Rudy Gobert and Robert Williams the others) to average nine or more points (9.7) six or more rebounds (6.0) while shooting over 70 percent from the field (74.4 percent).

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The list of players the Sixers currently are monitoring is just as long as the rumors in the news cycle of potential players that included Damian Lillard, De’Aaron Fox, and Draymond Green going back to last summer.

Morey and the team recently discussed a potential Simmons package with the Atlanta Hawks for John Collins. But as soon as Tobias Harris was added to the deal, the Hawks quickly said no, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.

“The 76ers and Hawks briefly kicked around a trade of Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris for John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Danilo Gallinari, League sources told HoopsHype. However, those talks stalled quickly, with Atlanta uninterested in Harris and unlikely to be able to flip him to a third team.”

This year, the Sixers have been looking for specific pieces to put around Embiid for a championship run. Collins’ athleticism and his ability to defend inspired Philadelphia to put an offer together. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Sam Amick, the asking price for the Sixers hasn’t changed.

“In return for Simmons, the 76ers have wanted a top-level All-Star or a package featuring a bevy of first-round draft picks for Simmons.”

It is understood that this Simmons deal may be pushed back to the offseason, especially with rumors of James Harden being unhappy in Brooklyn.

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Atlanta sits 12th in the Eastern Conference at the moment with a record of 17-23 and three games back of the 10th and final play-in seed.

The Hawks’ lack of success on the court has led to rumors of a shake-up coming. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report reported that the Hawks could trade anyone on the roster, with the only exceptions being Clint Capela and all-star Trae Young.

“Everyone but Trae Young and Clint Capela are available,” one assistant general manager told B/R earlier this week before the Reddish trade,” Fischer reports. “

Fischer explicitly named third-year forward De’Andre Hunter as a player that opposing teams believe could be on the move, with the Hawks’ reportedly looking to acquire a “significant veteran contributor.”

What Atlanta needs is help on the defensive end. The Hawks currently have the fifth-best offense in the League, with an offensive rating of 112.1 offset by the third-worst defensive rating in the NBA, clocking in at 113.1, ahead of only the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets. If Atlanta can correct course defensively, the pieces are already in place to get this team back to its winning ways.

According to Fischer, one player who could potentially turn the tide for the Hawks on defense is the 76ers’ disgruntled star, Ben Simmons. Fischer reports that the Hawks have “entered the field of teams interested in Simmons,” but a deal with John Collins as the center-piece in a two-team deal was considered a “wonky fit.” However, the Spurs and Mavericks have reportedly expressed interest in Collins before.

The NBA trade deadline is just under a month away on Thursday, Feb. 10.

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ESPN Sources: The Atlanta Hawks are trading forward Cam Reddish to the New York Knicks for a deal that includes a protected 2022 first-round pick via Charlotte. Knicks also acquire Solomon Hill and a 2025 second-round pick via Brooklyn in trade.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 13, 2022

According to further reporting from Woj, the trade to the Knicks fulfills Reddish’s desire to play for a team that can give him an increased role and an extension this coming offseason. It seems as though Reddish saw the writing on the wall after Atlanta signed John Collins, Kevin Huerter, and De’Andre Hunter to multi-year extensions after the Hawks shocked the NBA during their run to the Conference Finals.

The 10th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft has one more guaranteed season left on his four-year rookie contract. If he doesn’t sign an extension, he can become a restricted free agent during the 2023 offseason. The 22-year-old forward is averaging 11.9 points and 2.5 rebounds on 40.9 percent shooting from the field and 37.9 percent shooting from downtown this season.

The trade reunited Reddish with former Duke teammate RJ Barrett, who scored 32 points in the Knicks’ Wednesday night win over the Mavericks. The Knicks (21-21) return to action on Saturday against the Hawks (17-23).

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The NBA lockout was in full effect and there was no end in sight. Inside the legendary Palestra, players were gathering for the love of the game in front of their adoring fans. The players included a two-time NBA MVP, two top-10 all-time leading NBA scorers, 
one top-five all-time NBA assists leader, one NBA Rookie of the Year, three NBA and NCAA champions and four Olympic Gold medalists. The Nike mantra of “Basketball Never Stops” was alive and on full display. 

The summer/fall of 2011 was like getting multiple releases on the Snkrs app for a basketball fan—a remarkable, rare occurrence. While the owners and players union were debating over finances, the stars of the League made sure they filled their fans’ thirst for affordable, high-level action across the country in DC, L.A., Baltimore, Oklahoma, New York and Philadelphia.

“That is what made the lockout games so great,” says Jamar Smiley, Director of Player Relations for BDA Sports Management. “The everyday fan was able to see [the stars] play without sacrificing a day’s pay.” 

The idea for the game in West Philadelphia started with some territorial trash talk between Carmelo Anthony and Hakim Warrick about which city, Baltimore or Philly, had better players. The two were teammates on Syracuse in 2003, when the program won a national championship. 

The vision started to become a reality on the night of Saturday, August 20, on the drive home from watching The Capital Punishment game in DC, where the Goodman League, led by Kevin Durant and John Wall, faced off against the Drew League, featuring James Harden and DeMar DeRozan. 

I contacted Skinny [Hakim Warrick] via Facebook messenger, who then put me in touch with Smiley. Smiley and I spoke, and roles began to be defined. I would handle the logistics of the game, Skinny and Melo would be team captains and oversee coordination with the players, and Smiley would be my day-to-day contact.

Once the team captains committed and the $25,000 contribution to their designated charities was confirmed, it was time to get to work. We had to secure the venue and an insurance policy, get product for the players and advertise for the game.

The first task was locking down the historical Palestra arena, which sits on the Ivy League campus of the University of Pennsylvania. The Palestra is considered the Cathedral of College Basketball, and legendary players such as Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have all stepped foot on its court.

“From our first conversation, the game had to be at The Palestra; there was no second option,” Warrick says. “Plus, it is right around the corner from where I grew up in the Bottom West Philly.”

I called Philadelphia basketball icon, two-time Ivy League Player of the Year and UPenn head coach Jerome Allen, who has known Skinny and I since we were both young.

Allen arranged for a series of meetings between the Palestra’s facility director, UPenn’s athletic director and myself. Penn administration met the idea of the game with skepticism, due to the uncertainty of when the lockout would end. I assured them the game would happen because there was no end in sight for the lockout. I was confident, since I had daily communication with Smiley, who worked for one of the most prominent NBA agents in Bill Duffy, who represented numerous NBA stars including Steve Nash and Yao Ming.

Other parts were moving outside of the UPenn meetings. Nike had confirmed that they would be the official product sponsor for the game, outfitting all the players. Urban retail store DTLR Sneaker Villa would pay for all the radio advertisements, along with acquiring the insurance policy. Ten days after the initial meeting with Penn’s administrators, a deal was put in place for the Palestra to host the game.

Once these parts were solidified, the announcement to the public was made, and interest for the game exceeded all of our expectations.

Streaming is a standard tool of viewership nowadays, but back in 2011, it was something new. The Basketball Channel, a new company, approached me about the idea of streaming the event via the internet using their partnership with Sports Illustrated. The event was now going global.

“The game became bigger than what we expected,” says Warrick, a 13-year NBA vet and the Team Philly captain. “This was before the explosion of social media. Between the venue and streaming, this wasn’t no pickup game at the rec.”

The date and time were picked based on the fact that the hometown Philadelphia Eagles were playing their NFC East rival New York Giants that afternoon at 1 pm. Our game was scheduled to start at 6. I knew this would be a dream sports day for Philly fans. The Eagles versus the Giants at 1. The lockout game at 6 at the Palestra. It doesn’t get any better.

It was a warm, fall day, with temperatures in the 60s, but inside, the Palestra was humid and hot like a summer barbeque in the middle of the afternoon. “You had a three-piece suit on,” Smiley says, laughing, remembering the day. “I don’t know how you did it; I had to take my rugby shirt off.”

Members of the Philly team started to arrive around 4:30. As Hakim Warrick, Lou Williams, Kyle Lowry, Flip Murray, Wayne Ellington, Tyreke Evans, Jason Thompson, Mark Tyndale, Mardy Collins, Dionte Christmas and Aaron Owens began to take the court to warm up, a buzz started growing. Only three members of Team Melo were on the court: Donte Greene, Josh Selby and Gary Forbes.

The remaining players were still nowhere to be seen or found as it approached 30 minutes before tip-off. Fans were beginning to worry if the game was even going to happen.

I wasn’t worried at all. I was in contact with Worldwide Wes [William Wesley, current Executive Vice President for the New York Knicks] the entire time. Melo, Bron and CP3 were at the Eagles-Giants game, and Wes had arranged for them to have a police escort to the arena.

At 5:45 pm, my BlackBerry rang. It was Worldwide Wes asking, “Where do we pull up at?” I instructed them to go through the back entrance. A fleet of black SUVs pulled up. First Chris Paul jumped out, then Carmelo, then LeBron. All three of them entered the Palestra and walked under the stands to the locker room. When the fans caught a glimpse of the trio, the arena erupted.

Finally, as the clock hit 6:15, legendary Philadelphia referee Keith “Showtime” Saunders tossed the ball up for the opening tip. Players on both teams competed as if it were Game 7 of the NBA Finals, with Team Philly winning, 131-122. But to basketball fans, there were no losers.

For those lucky few who got inside the hallowed halls of the Palestra, watching all of those future Hall of Famers—watching history—it was a once in a lifetime event. 

Rahim Thompson is the founder of The Chosen League, the Philadelphia-based high school summer basketball league whose alumni include Kyle Lowry, Gerald Henderson and Kyle Kuzma. His book, Choose Wisely, is available at nomattertheodds.com.

Photos courtesy of Michelle Hunter/The Chosen League.

The post How LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul Linked Up to Play in the Legendary Battle of I-95 Game appeared first on SLAM.

In the fourth quarter, Collins caught an alley-oop from teammate Kevin Huerter and dunked right over Pistons’ Kelly Olynyk.

“I don’t even see the (defender) if I was to be genuinely honest with you,” Collins told The Athletic. “I don’t see most anybody because I’m so focused on the rim. My eyes are locked in on the rim. I’m more feel than see.”

When asked about how he manages to make these nasty dunks look easy, his answer was pretty simple:

“Dunking on folks, I’ve been doing this my whole life,” Collins told The Athletic. “It’s almost like a normality for me.”

Collins, who closed the night with 22 points, seven boards, and two assists, revealed that a key part to his dunking mayhem includes working on his hands in the weight room. And, after delivering a monster dunk like he did against Detroit, or the one he did three weeks ago against the Cavaliers, Collins says he feeds off of the energy:

“I’m feeling like the Hulk,” Collins said. “I hear the crowd. I see my teammates jumping up and giving me the strong man (look). I’m just energized because I know I just turned the building on. I turned the energy on. That gives everybody energy, including myself. I just try to feed off of that.”

The post ‘I’m Feeling Like the Hulk’: Hawks John Collins On the Feeling Behind His Monster Dunks appeared first on SLAM.

No more deafening screams. No more thunderous ovations. No more “F you” chants.

Just silence. 

The type of silence that’s palpable. The type that’s uncomfortable. The type only preceded by deafening screams, and thunderous ovations, and “F you” chants.

Swaggering back down the court, Trae Young peers up at the crowd and scrunches his face into a scowl. Thousands of shocked fans return his gaze, suddenly tight-lipped. Young slowly lifts a finger to his own mouth. Shhhh. 

Yeah, it’s quiet now. Real quiet. 

About three hours earlier, Young sat in the visitor’s locker room at Madison Square Garden, eagerly awaiting his playoff debut. He was finally here, finally on the big stage, despite every bit of criticism and doubt directed his way. He began the mundane routine of lacing his sneakers; only this time, things were slightly different. He wasn’t wearing the hi-top, futuristic adidas N3XT L3V3Ls, as he had been previously. This time, he was lacing his sneakers for real. A bright orange, size 13 pair of Trae Young 1s, his first signature sneaker with the Three Stripes—a low-cut model that features a combination of BOOST and LIGHTSTRIKE cushioning.

“To be honest with you, I wasn’t supposed to wear them until next year,” Young tells KICKS. “Probably game 1 of next year. But I really wanted to play in my first playoff series in my shoe.”

Get your copy of KICKS 24 featuring Trae Young NOW!

So adidas got to work. They expedited the product’s original timeline, one that can take up to two full years from conception to release. The new plan had been set in stone a couple of weeks prior to the series, but Young had kept it mostly hushed. Only a handful of reps from the brand and people in his inner circle knew what was coming.

“He had mentioned it, but I didn’t know for sure he was going to wear them,” says NBA trainer and close friend Irv Roland, who’s from the same area in Oklahoma as Trae and has become like family through the years. “We FaceTime every couple of days and I had seen him. We had talked about it but I wasn’t sure he was going to do it.”

Now, as Young tightened the knots on the “Peachtree” colorway (a nod to the Atlanta street of the same name), teammates started to take notice. “Obviously when you put them on for the first time, everybody knows it’s your first time,” recalls Trae. “Your teammates are talking you up and hyping you up. It was a cool moment because I had really cool teammates who were doing that to me and wanted me to play well in my debut in them.”

Signature sneaker debuts are rarely calm—they are methodical, well-thought-out and tactically organized around a marquee game. There’s an elaborate marketing strategy in place with detailed photos and promotional videos to drum up excitement. The debut of the Trae Young 1 didn’t have any of that—considering the sneaker wasn’t scheduled to hit shelves for months—but it was perhaps the loudest sneaker unveiling in NBA history. 

“Adidas did a great job of helping me, making it possible for me to wear my shoe in the playoffs. When they gave me the opportunity to do that, I knew I needed to take advantage of the moment,” Young explains. “Playing in the Garden, playing the Knicks in the first round, I knew it was a great opportunity for people to see not only our team and me, but they get to see my shoes, too.”

In the predictably hostile MSG environment, Young dominated from the jump. He controlled the flow of the game and, despite the deafening screams and thunderous ovations and “F you” chants, was completely composed. He torched the Knicks’ defense out of the pick-and-roll, hitting floater after floater and throwing perfect lobs to Clint Capela and John Collins. And then, with less than 10 seconds left and the score tied at 105 apiece, he danced his way to the paint and nailed yet another floater. 

The game-winner.

The silencer.

He finished with 32 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds in the 107-105 victory, becoming just the fourth player ever to record at least 30 and 10 in their postseason debut. “It’s still kind of surreal to me,” Young says, thinking back on that night. “When you’re in those games, you’re in those moments, you’re so locked in that you don’t really appreciate them until later on. So after the playoffs and everything, it’s been kind of crazy just knowing that our team did what we did and I was able to go in there and hit a game-winner in my first playoff game ever. It’s definitely an experience I won’t forget.”

A few days prior, Young had actually teased the sneaker debut on his Instagram. He posted a short video of the sample box, revealing the message printed in his handwriting across the top: “Always remember when they doubted you…” 

The line has become a mantra for Trae, a code that he’s lived by ever since high school, when the doubters began to emerge. He has the words “Always Remember” tatted on his right forearm and constantly shares the message on social media. He remembers when critics said he was too small, not athletic enough, couldn’t thrive at the highest level. He remembers when they said he was an empty-stats guy, all flash and no substance, not a winner. He remembers all of it.

From day one, that negativity has been fuel for his rise. 

“A lot of people say they don’t look at social media and stuff like that. But I’m not going to lie to you: I’m a 19-year-old kid, I look at Twitter, I look at Instagram, I look at the mock drafts,” Young told SLAM in January of 2018, when he was still at the University of Oklahoma. “I noticed in the summertime that I wasn’t on anything.”

“Keep that same energy is something that I live by today,” he said almost two years later, gracing his second SLAM cover. “People that had that energy of just always talking bad or just not believing in me, it’s just something that has motivated me. Every high-level player has something that motivates them. And criticism is one thing that motivates me.”

It’s not the only thing—Young draws inspiration from a number of sources. But he also hears the outside noise. Often, it’s impossible not to. 

“You ain’t got no choice but to hear it when a whole arena is chanting ‘F you,’” he says with a smile. “That’s just fun. Me, I’m a competitive person in whatever I’m doing. Anytime somebody’s talking trash, whether it’s my little brother, my dad, or a random person playing pick-up ball with me, I’m going to be the same way. That’s just my mindset. I’ve had this approach with everything I’ve done up until now. And I ain’t gonna change anytime soon, for sure.”

To represent him properly, Young’s signature sneaker had to incorporate that message. Always remember. It’s a mindset that has helped him achieve remarkable success at a rapid pace. He was the first player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in scoring and assists. He was named an All-Star starter in merely his second season in the NBA. He averaged 28.8 points and 9.5 assists in his first playoff run, leading the Hawks on an unexpected journey to the Eastern Conference Finals. And, after signing a long-term extension with adidas, he’s set to drop his own sneaker and apparel line at the age of just 22. He joins James Harden, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell and Derrick Rose as the fifth active adidas basketball signature athlete. 

Trae’s younger brother, Tim, played a significant role during the design process, sharing his creative, outside-the-box ideas. So far, we’ve seen Trae wear colorways that pay homage to his new hometown (a green pair inspired by the imagery for the 1996 Summer Olympics in 
Atlanta; a black edition to match the team’s MLK jerseys, including hues that mimic the stained-glass design on their court) and reflect his own persona (a light blue version with red accents and a polar bear printed on the heel, alluding to his “Ice Trae” nickname). There are plenty more flavors with innovative themes on the way next season, too.

Young doesn’t need further validation, but the arrival of his signature sneaker is yet another sign that he’s proved his doubters wrong. The shoe is a symbol of what’s possible when you don’t let the doubters deter you—when you use them as extra motivation instead.

KICKS 24 featuring Trae Young is available NOW!

Though less orchestrated than usual, the Trae Young 1’s debut seemed flawlessly scripted in hindsight. The 6-1 guard has relished silencing his critics forever—and in his first playoff game, wearing his signature sneaker for the first time, he literally got to silence an arena full of them.

“I was at the game and excited to see him because coming from a small place, a kid like this that has received so much doubt and so many people saying what he wasn’t gonna be, and for him to now be a max-deal player with his own shoe, playing in his first playoff series in his third year, it was pretty incredible,” describes Roland. “It was almost like a movie scene. For him to come to New York, one of the toughest places in the League to play, with those fans—I mean, on the first play of the game, he gets the ball and they’re yelling ‘F you, Trae Young!’ His whole family was there. It was his very first playoff game. And for him to get the game-winner in Madison Square Garden. You can’t really draw up a better script. I’ve seen him hit big shots and stuff like that before, but that was literally like something out of a movie.”

The lasting image of Young standing in the middle of the Garden floor, a finger to his lips, the orange of his “Peachtree” 1s glistening under the bright lights is a perfect embodiment of who he is. Self-assured. Confident. Defiant. Fearless.

“He’s always been a guy who was putting in hours where other people were just doing the minimum,” Roland continues. “He was doing extra to separate himself. And I think that’s where the confidence comes from, from the hours and the reps that he’s put in. And so with all the doubt, with all the noise that comes from the outside, he’s able to just stay cool because he’s so confident in his skill set.”

“He’s small, but he’s a tough kid and he’s not afraid. He’s not afraid of taking that shot,” Hawks head coach Nate McMillan told reporters afterward. “He’s a guy who believes in himself.”

The hope is that everyone who laces up the Trae Young 1 will believe in themselves the same way; that they are inspired to be like Trae, undaunted by obstacles and doubt, bolstered by that inner-confidence.

“I’m always going to stay true to myself no matter what,” Young says. “I think this shoe is going to bring out a lot of the creative ideas in my mind and hopefully influence [people] and give a lot of people inspiration when they put them on.”

“When I put these shoes on, I want to have fun with whatever I’m doing,” he adds. “So if I’m on the court and I got them on, I’m gonna put on a show.” 

KICKS 24 feat. Trae Young is available now in gold and black metal editions.

Shop here.

Portraits by Atiba Jefferson. Follow Atiba in Instagram, @atibaphoto.

Action photos via Getty Images.

The post Trae Young on the Debut of the adidas Trae Young 1 appeared first on SLAM.

A restricted free agent, Collins has long since expressed a desire to remain with the Hawks when his rookie contract expired but reportedly believed his play was deserving of a maximum salary contract, which he was holding out for (h/t The Athletic and Stadium’s Shams Charania).

Collins’ athleticism, shooting range and hustle had made him all but a franchise cornerstone in Atlanta but now he has the contract to confirm his status.

A player who produced consistently every season, Collins’ 2020-21 campaign was an extension of his near All-Star-worthy 2019-20 season, as he finished the year with averages of 17.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game (with a true shooting percentage of 64.5) despite sharing the frontcourt with Clint Capela (14.3 rebounds per game) and Danilo Gallinari (13.3 points per game).

After the first playoff run of his career, John The Baptist only increased the likelihood he would be resigned, not only crashing the glass and doing the dirty work but taking it to his opponent’s without fear.

With Collins locked in for the foreseeable future, the Hawks will look continue to developing internally, banking on the combination of their young core—led by superstar Trae Young—and veteran additions to lift them to the top of the Eastern Conference.

The post REPORT: John Collins Agrees to Five-Year, $125 Million Contract with Hawks appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, the Hawks made their first key move of the offseason, extending a qualifying offer to Collins and making the four-year pro a restricted free agent, according to The Atheltic’s Shams Charania.

Collins’ qualifying offer is reported to be around $7.7 million for one year, which is unlikely to be enough to keep the big man on board with rumors continue that he could get a contact offer at near-max value. Adding fuel to that speculation is the report that Collins turned down a $90 million extension from the Hawks earlier this season, making his opinion of his market value clear.

As a restricted free agent, Atlanta will have the opportunity to match any deal offered to Collins by another NBA franchise, which creates a safety net for the Hawks should they have trouble negotiating a new contract with him prior to next season. It also opens up sign-and-trade opportunities, with Atlanta able to receive some level of compensation for the loss of a dependable starter.

Continuing to build upon a strong 2019-20 campaign, Collins is coming off a monster season for the Hawks, helping to lead them to the Eastern Conference Finals. Collins ended the year with averages of 17.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game on 55.6 shooting from the field and 39.9 percent from three.

The Hawks finished the season fifth in the Eastern Conference standings and came just two wins shy of a trip to the NBA Finals, thanks in large part to the hustle and inside-out ability of John the Baptist.

The post Hawks Extend Qualifying Offer to John Collins appeared first on SLAM.

(#3) Milwaukee Bucks 113, (#5) Atlanta Hawks 116

ATL leads 1-0

Trae Young has had an outstanding playoffs but Wednesday night, the up-and-coming suprstar may have been his best game to date.

Young, facing a long and lean Bucks squad led by two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, went for 48 points, 11 assists and six rebounds in the Hawks’ nail-biter victory. He was so dominant, in fact, that he scored or assisted on 80 of the 108 points scored by Atlanta when he was on the floor.

Hawks forward John Collins continued to play strongly, hustling his way to 23 points and 15 rebounds, while the steady Clint Capela finished with 12 points and 19 rebounds.

Despite the loss, Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday both played stellar games.

The Greek Freak had a team-high 34 points with Holiday not far behind, chipping in 33 points of his own. It was another night to forget for Khris Middelton, however.

Middleton ended the night on 15 points, shooting a woeful 6-for-23 from the field and 0-for-9 from three.

However, despite a substandard game from Middleton, Milwaukee held a 111-110 lead with less than two minutes to go and were in the game all the way until the final horn sounded.

The Bucks will have the chance to even the series on Friday night in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, looking to avoid another slow start in a series against a formidable team.

The post Post Up: Hawks Make a Statment in Game One appeared first on SLAM.

No. 1 Philadelphia 76ers 106, No. 5 Atlanta Hawks 109

Atl leads 3-2

It looked like the 76ers had this game wrapped up early, taking a 26 point lead in the first half. But in the fourth quarter, the Hawks came roaring back to take a three-point win. Trae Young again led the Hawks in scoring, dropping 39 points, seven assists and three steals. The Hawks got good minutes from their bench, with Danilo Gallinari scoring 16 points and Lou Williams going for 15. John Collins had a 19 point, 11 rebound double-double, his second game in a row with a double-double.

The 76ers got monster games from Joel Embiid and Seth Curry. Embiid finished with 37 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists, and Curry had 36 points, seven rebounds, and two steals. Unfortunately, Embiid and Curry were the only ones who made their presence known on offense. The duo were the only two 76ers players to score a field goal in the second half. No other player broke double-digit scoring; Ben Simmons and Furkan Korkmaz both got to eight points.

Now headed back to Atlanta, the 76ers will need to win this crucial Game 6 on Friday night to force a Game 7.

No. 1 Utah Jazz 111, No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers 119

LAC leads series 3-2

After news broke, concerns were plenty among Clippers fans that Kawhi Leonard would not be playing Wednesday night due to a knee injury. But Paul George would steal the highlights, sending the Clippers to a road game victory. George had a crazy night, going for a game-high 37 points and 16 rebounds while chipping in five assists and two blocks. Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris Sr. had strong evenings, with Morris going for 25 points and Jackson 22. As a team, the Clippers couldn’t miss, shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 40 percent from three.

The Jazz had a tough night defensively, struggling to contain George, but Donovan Mitchell had a night to forget. While his 21 points don’t jump out at you, his 6-for19 shooting splits are an eyesore. Bojan Bogdanovic had a lights-out shooting night to keep the Jazz in the game, scoring a team-high 32 points on 9-for-17 shooting from three-point range. The Jazz really missed Mike Conley, Mitchell, and Jordan Clarkson split point guard duties with limited success to replicate Conley’s impact.

Utah will have the chance to even the series on the road in LA in Game 6 on Friday night.

The post Post Up: Underdogs Take the Lead appeared first on SLAM.

(#1) Philadelphia 76ers 100, (#5) Atlanta Hawks 103

Series tied 2-2

Things looked bleak for the Hawks early in Game 4, with star guard Trae Young struggling to score in the first half and their bench going 0-8 from the field, being outscored 20-10.

As a result, Atlanta found themselves in an 13-point hole.

Entering the second half 3-12 from the floor, Young eventually was able to flip the switch and erase the deficit, squeaking out a narrow three-point win in the end. Young finished his night with 25 points (on 8-26 shooting) and 18 assists, tied for the second-most in playoff history.

Continuing a strong semifinals series, Bogdan Bogdanovic tallied 22 points for the Hawks, who had double-double performances from both Clint Capela (12 points, 13 rebounds) and John Collins (14 points, 12 rebounds). It was a rough night of shooting for the entire Hawks team, with Atlanta shooting just 36.6 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from three but they willed themselves to a win nonetheless.

While losing a winnable playoff game is already bad enough for the Sixers, there are reasons to be even more upset for Philadelphia fans, as All-Star center Joel Embiid exited the game in the second quarter with a knee injury.

Embiid returned for the second half but struggled, going 0-for-12 from the field and ending the game with 17 points and 20 rebounds. However, the scoring of starters Seth Curry (17 points) and Tobias Harris (20 points) kept Philadelphia’s offense afloat.

The 76ers shot the ball much better than their opponents (43.5 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from 3-point range) but their 12 turnovers (compared to just four for the Hawks) may have been the difference.

Game 5 is set for Wednesday night, at 7:30 PM (EST) on TNT.

(#1) Utah Jazz 104, (#4) Los Angeles Clippers 118

Series tied 2-2

In the first two games of the series, the Clippers looked overwhelmed by the Jazz. Four games into their matchup against their series against Utah, the Big Two of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George seem to have found their groove during back-to-back blowout wins.

Los Angeles bolted to a 17-point lead in the first quarter and maintained that gap for nearly the rest of the game. By the end of the contest, both The Klaw and Young Trece dropped 31 points, while veteran forward Marcus tacked on an additional 24 points.

Unfortunately, injuries were a talking point following the contests, with Leonard suffering a knee injury late in the Clippers’ victory.

With Donovan Mitchell going 9-26 from the field while facing LA’s stifling perimeter defenders, the Jazz struggled to be competitive in Game 4 despite Spida getting to the line a game-high 15 times to score 37 points. Fellow guard Jordan Clarkson had a tough shooting night, scoring eight points in 30 minutes on 3-for-12 from the field and 2-8 from deep.

Sharpshooter Joe Ingles was massively efficient for the Jazz though, scoring 19 points on 7-for-9 from the field, while Bojan Bogdanovic chipped in 18 points.

The Jazz will have a chance to retake the series lead in Game 5, back home in Utah, on Wednesday night.

The post Post Up: We’re All Tied Up appeared first on SLAM.

We broke down both of Sunday’s games here.

No. 1 Sixers 124, No. 5 Hawks 128

ATL leads series 1-0

Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks came out hot in Game 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers, making a huge statement on Sunday afternoon. The Hawks were up by as many as 26 early in the game after going on a 17-0 run and held a 19-point lead with just over eight minutes remaining. From there, the Sixers would climb back in and nearly pull off a late comeback win, pulling within three points with a minute remaining. 

Young scored 25 of his 35 points in the first half, with Bogdan Boganovic carrying the team late, finishing with 21 points. John Collins produced 21 points of his own while Kevin Huerter led the reserve unit with 15 bench points. Joel Embiid returned to action from his knee injury, notching 39 points and nine rebounds. Ben Simmons finished with 17 points and ten assists while Tobias Harris and Seth Curry both scored 20+ points each. 

No. 4 Clippers 126, No. 5 Mavericks 111

LAC wins series 4-3

Luka Doncic came out with intention in Game 7, notching 19 first quarter points and 29 through the first half. After being down by five points early in the second half, the Clippers went on a 24-4 run to finish the third quarter to go up 15 points entering the final frame. After being down 15 or more nearly the entire fourth quarter, Dallas went on a 13-3 run late in the game to pull within seven points with two minutes left, but couldn’t get within striking distance.

Terance Mann played a huge role in the Clippers’ win, scoring 13 points off the bench in a game where all of his buckets felt like they came at the perfect time. Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Marcus Morris combined for 73 points, 21 assists and 21 rebounds in Game 7. Doncic finished with 46 points, 14 assists and seven boards. 

The post Post Up: Mavericks Fall While Hawks Soar appeared first on SLAM.

In what have been two of the most discussed first-round matchups, Dallas Mavericks floor general Luka Doncic stole the spotlight in the final game of the evening thanks to his 42-point, 14-assist outing.

But was it enough to get past a Los Angeles Clippers team that had won two straight to even the series?

No. 1 Philadelphia 76ers 129, No. 8 Washington Wizards 112

PHI wins series 4-1

The first of three teams to be bounced from the playoffs tonight, the Washington Wizards couldn’t hang with the Philadelphia 76ers even without Joel Embiid playing.

Sharpshooter Seth Curry exploded for a team-high 30 points and Defensive Player of the Year finalist Ben Simmons silenced his critics with 19 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, one steal and two blocks. Meanwhile, veteran forward Tobias Harris rounded off a nice first-round series with 28 points and six assists of his own.

Washington showed some promise at points over the five-game series but, ultimately, Philly had too much talent for the D.C.-based squad.

The Wizards got another good game from youngster Rui Hachimura, who had 21 points on 8-for-13 from the field. All-Star Bradley Beal capped off another spectacular season with a game-high 32 points, while Russell Westbrook chipped in 24 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds.

Nonetheless, Washington’s lack of depth proved to be costly down the stretch. The Wizards trailed by just two at halftime, but as the game got deeper, Washington’s starters began to lose steam, and Philadelphia pulled away.

No. 4 New York Knicks 89, No. 5 Atlanta Hawks 103

ATL wins series 4-1

The New York Knicks disappointed a packed Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night when they were the second team pf the day to be eliminated from the playoffs.

In what was a tough series for the big man, Knicks star forward Julius Randle had another disappointing outing for New York, putting up 21 points on 8-for-21 shooting, while also turning the ball over eight times.

Randle finished the playoffs averaging 18 points, 4.0 assists and 4.6 turnovers per game while shooting 29.8 percent from the field—a stark contrast from the 45.6 percent he shot from the floor in the regular season.

Reggie Bullock, who averaged 8.0 points on 37.9 percent shooting from the field and 28.6 percent from 3-point range, started the game off well. Bullock went for 12 points in the first quarter after nailing four shots from beyond the arc; but he was held scoreless for the rest of the game.

The star of the show, 22-year-old point guard Trae Young, put together another masterpiece with a game-high 36 points. Wednesday was the third time in the series where Young scored at least 30 points in the series, as the Knicks defense continued to be confounded by his craftiness.

Atlanta also received double-digit contributions from De’Andre Hunter (15), Clint Capela (14) and John Collins (13) in the points column, while holding the Knicks to 37.8 percent shooting from the field.

The Hawks will be moving to the second round of the NBA Playoffs, where they’ll take on the 76ers.

No. 1 Utah Jazz 126, No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies 110

UTA wins series 4-1

The third and final team to get booted from the playoffs was the Memphis Grizzlies.

Still, just as young guns Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks shined for the Grizzlies throughout the series, the duo was excellent yet again on Wednesday, with both scoring 27 points.

Brooks’ scoring output through the series was impressive, putting up 25.8 points per game on 51.5 percent shooting, and Morant paired that with his 30.5 points per game on 48.7 percent shooting. While Memphis’ season may be over, their young core is only just getting started.

Despite feeling ill coming into the game, Utah Jazz centerpiece Donovan Mitchell handled the Grizzlies with ease, dropping 30 points and dishing out 10 assists.

Defensive weapon Rudy Gobert may have had even more impact than Mitchell though, as the Steiffel Tower notched a 23-point, 15-rebound double-double while blocking three shots.

Despite moving on to the second round, the Jazz didn’t leave the court entirely happy, as starting guard Mike Conley left the game early due to injury. The All-Star’s status moving forward is unclear, but Utah will need him when they take on one of the Dallas Mavericks or Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference semifinals.

No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers 100, No. 5 Dallas Mavericks 105

DAL leads series 3-1

Playmaking extraordinaire Luka Doncic rewrote history books at the end of Wednesday night’s slate of games.

Doncic put up a blistering 42 points and 14 assists, scoring or assisting on 31 of the Mavericks 37 made field goals. The only other player to finish with double-digit scoring for Dallas was Tim Hardaway Jr., who had 20 points.

Fifth-year pro Dorian Finney-Smith was hugely impactful for Dallas on the defensive end, helping keep Kawhi Leonard (who shot 7-19 from the field) contained, while snatching the opponent five times and recording a block.

The Los Angeles Clippers, who had even the series at 2-2 following Game 4, kept the game within reach all night. They even cut the Mavs’ lead to one point with under one minute left.

But, in the end, they couldn’t stop Doncic enough to come out on top. Clippers forward Paul George finished with a team-high 23 points, while Leonard and Reggie Jackson (6-12 from 3-point range) each had 20 points.

LA just couldn’t get the buckets to fall on Wednesday night, shooting just 41.3 percent from the field as a team.

Game 6, which will be in Dallas, takes place on Friday, June 4.

The post Post Up: Three Teams Sent Packing appeared first on SLAM.

Smith’s reputation of “dedicated journalism, building relationships and mentoring young journalists,” motivated the Hawks to honor his legacy in three ways.

According to NBA.com, starting with the 2021-22 NBA season, the press room at the Hawks’ State Farm Arena will be renamed the Sekou Smith Press Room. The space will also be redesigned to honor Smith’s memory.

The Sekou Smith Award will be given out at the end of every season, which will honor the Hawks player who “best represents themselves and the franchise with professionalism and integrity in their interactions with the media.” The name of each winner will be added to a plaque, which will be displayed in the soon-to-be renamed press room, and the award will be presented on the court with members of Smith’s family present. The first Sekou Smith Award will be given out at the end of the 2020-21 season.

Last week, John Collins was announced as the winner of the Inaugural Sekou Smith Award.

Tonight, John Collins was awarded the inaugural Sekou Smith Award. This award honors JC’s professionalism and integrity during interactions with media.

Congrats, @jcollins20_ pic.twitter.com/d8CNFFElN3

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) May 28, 2021

The Hawks are also establishing an annual summer league internship in Smith’s name. A journalism or multimedia student from a Southwestern Athletic Conference school will be chosen to become the Hawks’ beat writer for the NBA Summer League, and their work will appear on the team’s website. The Hawks will cover all associated travel costs and provide a stipend to the chosen student. Smith’s alma mater, Jackson State University, is part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, as are numerous other historically Black colleges and universities.

Sekou was the Hawks beat writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution from 2005-09 prior to joining NBATV as a multimedia reporter and analyst. He also covered the Indiana Pacers as a beat writer for the Indianapolis Star.

Sekou Smith passed away on January 26 at the age of 48 due to complications from COVID-19.

The post Atlanta Hawks Honor Sekou Smith’s Memory With Three Tributes appeared first on SLAM.

“I still feel like I can play at a high level. I feel like I can help this team do some things. I don’t want to look back and say I retired prematurely, be asking myself what could have been or what I could’ve done. This is an opportunity to finish out the season with this team and go from there.”

But after reconsideration, Lou Williams decided to play a second stint with his hometown team for the first time in about a decade. The Atlanta native achieved superstardom at South Gwinnett High School that catapulted him into being a second-round pick of the Philadelphia 76ers back in 2005.

Atlanta will be looking for Williams to provide a scoring surge off the bench, something that the three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year winner has done throughout his career. Lou averaged 12.1 points a game in 42 appearances with the Clippers this season.

Lou Williams is joining a Hawks team much different from his first tenure. Lloyd Pierce was recently fired and replaced by Nate McMillan as interim coach. Leadership changes along with a new group featuring Trae Young and John Collins, Williams will be observing his new teammates on the bench on the current road trip before his first scheduled chance to play in front of the home crowd Sunday against the Golden State Warriors.

The post Lou Williams Considered Retirement After Getting Traded to Hawks appeared first on SLAM.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the first step towards this could be acquiring a solid power forward. He recently reported that Minnesota has shown interest in power forwards around the league, including Atlanta’s John Collins and Orlando’s Aaron Gordon. With that in mind, both Gordon and Collins have significant asking prices in the marketplace.

On paper, Minnesota already has an extremely talented young core with D’Angelo Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns, Malik Beasley and Anthony Edwards. While it’s unclear if one of these core pieces would have to be moved to acquire Gordon or Collins, they would both be excellent fits with the Timberwolves. 

An efficient, productive power forward would do Minnesota a lot of good, especially on the defensive end of the floor where Karl-Anthony Towns has proven to struggle a bit. As the upcoming trade deadline approaches, it appears that the Minnesota Timberwolves could be active on the market. 

The post Timberwolves Targeting John Collins, Aaron Gordon Ahead of Trade Deadline appeared first on SLAM.

Their offseason was so praiseworthy, in fact, that the decision of fourth-year power forward John Collins to decline a reported $90 million contract extension was all but swept under the rug. However, as the 2020-21 season has trudged along, Collins’ situation in Atlanta is in the spotlight once again.

According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Hawks are willing to listen to offers for Collins, who is seeking a max deal and will become a restricted free agent next offseason.

Collins, the 19th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft out of Wake Forest, has defied pre-draft evaluations that questioned both his ability to stretch the floor and to be an impact defender in the L.

Playing a relatively simple role in Atlanta that allows him to thrive alongside star point guard Trae Young, the 23-year-old has averaged 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 block per game over the past four seasons. He’s shot .567 from the field and .378 from 3-point range over that time, showing himself to be efficient and effective as either a lob threat or a catch-and-shoot option.

Should the Hawks trade Collins, they’ll be sure to get high value and exchange. Had Collins not been suspended for 25 games last November for a failed PED test, he may have been an All-Star at just 23-years-old.

The post Hawks Reportedly Willing to Listen to Trade Offers for John Collins appeared first on SLAM.

With a good mix of young guys like Cameron Reddish playing well and veterans like Rajon Rondo giving them a lift, Atlanta looks to be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. As expected, Trae Young has gotten anything he wants offensively.

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

Cam Reddish	12.8p, 4.8r, 1.5a
De’Andre Hunter	12.0p, 7.0r, 2.5a
Rajon Rondo	6.0p, 1.0r, 7.0a
Trae Young	33.0p, 4.5r, 8.3a
Bogdan Bogdanovic	15.3p, 6.3r, 2.5a
Bruno Fernando	2.5p, 6.5r, 1.0a
Kevin Huerter	12.0p, 2.3r, 3.5a
Brandon Goodwin	4.0p, 1.0r, 2.0a
Solomon Hill	6.8p, 2.3r, 0.0a
John Collins	18.0p, 7.3r, 1.3a
Danilo Gallinari	9.0p, 2.5r, 1.5a
Clint Capela	7.0p, 10.5r, 0.5a

Team-by-Team Breakdown

The post Heat Check 2020-21: Atlanta Hawks appeared first on SLAM.

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

Biggest Questions

• Was it too early to make the switch into win-now mode? The Hawks were starting to build one of the best young cores in basketball. With the addition of the new veterans, will that temper their development?
• Can Danilo Gallinari and Rajon Rondo stay healthy? Both of these guys have had their history of injuries. If the Hawks can stay healthy overall, they should have a good shot at a playoff berth.

All NBA Team Offseason Summaries

The post Atlanta Hawks: Projected 2020-21 Depth Chart appeared first on SLAM.

The move gives the Hawks a three-and-D wing on an expiring contract in exchange for a big man owed north of $25 million through the 2021-22 season. The final year of his deal is non-guaranteed, however, so Detroit could part ways with him and avoid the cap hit.

The Hawks have made no secret of their intentions to compete with their young core this season and the addition of Snell gives them a more productive use of the eight-digit contract previously allocated to Dedmon.

Atlanta added Onyeka Okongwu with the No. 6 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, adding yet another body to their already crowded frontcourt featuring Clint Capela and John Collins, hence even less of a need for Dedmon.

The move will free up room in Detroit for some of the rookies the Pistons drafted and the young players on their roster. As they’ve completely leaned into a rebuild, a veteran like Snell would find himself on an entirely different timeline.

The post Hawks to Acquire Tony Snell from Pistons appeared first on SLAM.

They may even want to use their cap space to sign one or two high quality free agents to supplement their rotation while using the bulk of it to facilitate the trade for a star.

Nonetheless, with the trade market scarce on All-Star talent, Atlanta may be forced to keep their first-round pick no matter what they desire.

Related: Full Atlanta Hawks 2020 Salary Cap Preview

2020 NBA Draft Picks

Hawks Draft Needs

The Hawks have one of the best young cores in the league and with the sixth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, they can add a solid young player that will them keep their potential championship window open for a considerable amount of time.

Looking at the roster, Atlanta could use another shooting guard but a combo guard would be ideal. Not just because they need to find ways to address what happens if Trae Young isn’t available but because they need to find ways to generate offense without Young being on the court.

Last season, with Young on the court, the Hawks’ offensive rating was 112.6. With him off of the court, their offensive rating plummeted to 98.5.

Atlanta also needs to address the depth behind starter John Collins. Collins has developed into a big man who’s equally proficient around the rim and the perimeter, so it may be difficult to find a player who can replicate that. However, the 2020 NBA Draft is littered with power forward (and combo forward) prospects.

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

The post Atlanta Hawks: 2020 NBA Draft Preview 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

Projected Dead Money

Projected Renouncements/Waivers

2020 NBA Draft Picks

Exceptions Available

• Room Exception – $4,767,000

Key Offseason Decisions

• Should Atlanta waive Brandon Goodwin? Goodwin showed some promise as a backup for Trae Young and his deal is only for $1.7M for 2021. On the flip side, Atlanta would only need to eat $100K to waive him. The Hawks can always re-sign Goodwin to a minimum deal after they complete other offseason moves.
• Is it time to push in for free agents? Atlanta has good, young player in place at every key position. It is time to supplement them with veteran free agents? If so, how much do you spend and how long do you let those deals run for?
• How much do you offer John Collins in an extension? Collins has proven to be a very good offensive player for Atlanta. He’s capable of spacing the floor at the four or the five. Collins is also a plus rebounder. The question is his defense. How much do you pay for an offensive-minded big on a team full of offensive-minded players?

Projected Team Salary

$62,115,976

The Hawks have been building towards this point for a while now. Most of the roster is still on the first NBA contract. The lone exceptions are Clint Capela and DeWayne Dedmon, who were both acquired at the 2020 trade deadline to stabilize the center position. For Atlanta’s free agents, none of them are part of the long-term vision. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Brandon Goodwin, Skal Labissiere or Jeff Teague return, but all would be coming back for far less than their cap hold. Therefore, the projection is the Hawks renounce all of them to maximize cap space initially. (@KeithSmithNBA)

Cap Space Forecast

$44,329,094 (1^st out of 30)

Team Salary Cap Outlooks

The post Atlanta Hawks: Salary Cap Space 2020 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.

Hawks NBA 2K21 Ratings

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

The post Atlanta Hawks: NBA 2K21 Ratings 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.

He was done. The lasting image of “The Last Shot” was the perfect exclamation point to Michael Jordan’s legacy. The greatest player to ever pick up a basketball had ended his NBA career on the highest possible note any player could.

Thing about Mike, though. He had this itch.

A year after his second retirement from the League, Jordan popped up as a minority owner and president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards. As a front office exec, Michael was tasked with putting together a roster, managing the cap, making draft picks and whatever other paper-pushing the guys in suits do up there in the owner’s box. But every morning, he’d make his way down to the locker room or the trainer’s tables with his coffee. He’d chat with vets like Popeye Jones and Hubert Davis, shoot the shit. He was itching.

In September 2001, two weeks after the 9/11 attacks shook the nation’s capital, Jordan announced his intention to return to the hardwood after three seasons away. He divested his ownership stake in the team and showed up at Wizards media day as a 38-year-old player.

“It’s an itch that still needs to be scratched here and I want to make sure this scratch doesn’t bother me for the rest of my life,” he told the assembled reporters at the MCI Center. “What if I’m tired of playing in the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Club and I want to step up to the elite competition?

“I’m just going to play the game of basketball that I love. I’m not about the money. I don’t care if I get paid a dime,” Mike continued. “I’m going to play the game because I love it.” (And yes, Jordan’s track record as a Wizards executive is well-documented. Just a few months prior, he’d famously selected Kwame Brown straight out of high school with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 Draft, a decision that can only really be described as a huge misfire. But let’s separate Jordan the player from Jordan the GM, at least for a few hundred words, shall we?)

Doug Collins, who’d previously coached Michael in Chicago, was installed as the Wizards’ head coach and Washington held training camp in Jordan’s hometown that October, at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. Outside of Mike and budding star Richard Hamilton, the Wizards came into the ’01-02 season with a funky mélange of promising young talent and steady, if plodding, veterans. For everyone on the roster, those first few practices with Jordan were surreal. “He would get the ball and we would all just stand around and watch,” recalls Jones. “Whether I was on his team or not.”

Off the court, traveling with Michael Jordan also took some getting used to, as his god-like status precipitated a rockstar lifestyle on the road for an otherwise humdrum Wizards team. Then-rookie center Etan Thomas remembers fans who would fight through crowds just for a high-five from Jordan, then look at their hand like it was made of solid gold. “It was like traveling with Michael Jackson or something,” says Thomas. “I saw people look at him and just start crying, craziest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Jordan’s personal trainer, Tim Grover, traveled with the Wizards on the road, too. Every morning at 7 a.m., they’d find a health club near the team hotel to go work out, like clockwork. Every morning. Every city. Every practice. He was no longer doing it with the iconic black-and-red Bulls gear on his back, but as Davis puts it: “He was Michael.”

Davis and Jordan both played at UNC (where Davis is now an assistant coach) and had competed in heated Bulls-Knicks playoff battles during the ’90s. But seeing the daily work ethic, preparation and competitiveness up close was something different. Davis remembers his jumper catching fire one day in practice when the two were paired up on the same team.

“I was practicing really well, I was hitting everything. So Michael switched jerseys and went to the other team and he guarded me. For the rest of the practice, not only did I not score, I didn’t even get a shot off,” Davis says. “I just was like, What is wrong with you? We’re on the same team! You’re that competitive that you want to compete against me? I’m a role player. You’re the best that’s ever played. He said, This is no different than playing in Game 7 of the NBA Finals—competing is competing. Some people turn it off and turn it on. For him, he never turned it off.”

Jones, now an assistant with the Indiana Pacers, recalls a practice later on during the 2001-02 season when MJ was scoring so easily—looking like Prime Chicago Bulls MJ—that Collins stopped the scrimmage and instructed him not to shoot anymore.

“We started scrimmaging again,” Jones explains, “and Michael had the same aggression he usually had scoring the ball, but he looked like John Stockton or Magic Johnson. I was astonished that he had that kind of vision. He was still attacking, but he wouldn’t shoot—he was kicking it out for threes or dropping it off to the bigs in the paint for dunks and layups. I remember after practice saying to him, I had no idea you could pass that way. He just looked at me and said, Oh, I can pass. I see everything. I just want to score.”

And score he did. If you thought it would take Mike a few games to shake the rust off, you must be forgetting who we’re talking about here.

“I think it was one of our first preseason games, we were playing down in Miami,” Jones says. “We’re in the tunnel getting ready to come out, and he says, ‘I’m gonna show you boys how to get 20 points in a quarter and then I’m gonna go sit down.’ At the end of the first quarter, he had 18 points.”

When the regular season started, Jordan delivered six 30-plus point performances before the calendar flipped to December. Then he hung 51 on Charlotte and 45 on New Jersey in back-to-back games in December. Then 40 and 41 against Cleveland and Phoenix in back-to-back outings in January.

Pause for a second. Remember, this man is almost 40 years old. Out here dropping 40-and-50-burgers in back-to-back games in the National Basketball Association. Absolutely unstoppable. Dudes don’t do this. Ever. It cannot be done.

Bobby Simmons, a rookie second-rounder on the Wizards that season, says Jordan was like “a magician.”

Jordan was legitimately in the MVP conversation for a fleeting few weeks as the All-Star break approached. Hell, he had the Wizards hovering above .500 after winning just 19 games the year before. But a knee injury that required surgery effectively ended his season early. Playing in 60 games, Jordan averaged 22.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game, playing 35 minutes a night. MJ led the Wizards in scoring and made the Eastern Conference All-Star team. At that point in the season, Kobe Bryant was the only other player in the League averaging 25, 5 and 5.

“The year that I played with him with the Wizards, he dominated every practice and he dominated in every game,” says Davis. “It didn’t matter if we were playing Philadelphia with Allen Iverson, or the Los Angeles Lakers with Kobe and Shaq. Every game that I played with the Wizards with Michael—there wasn’t a game when he wasn’t the best player on the floor. We just didn’t have a very good team.”

The Wizards flipped Davis, Simmons and Hamilton for Pistons All-Star Jerry Stackhouse during the summer of 2002, and added swingman Larry Hughes in free agency. Jordan scored 40 or more points three times in that second Wizards season, becoming the first 40-year-old in League history to score 40+ in a game. He played in all 82 games, averaging 20 ppg and 6 rpg, but the Wizards failed to make the playoffs again, and it became clear that Mike’s knees wouldn’t hold up much longer.

Vince Carter gifted Jordan his starting spot in the 2003 All-Star Game, which morphed into a full-on celebration of MJ’s legendary career (shouts to Mariah Carey’s classic halftime show performance). Fittingly, he even hit an iconic clutch fadeaway jumper late in the game, too.

At his first press conference as a player in Washington, Mike had said he wanted to lock horns with the next generation of elite NBA players: “You say the young dogs are going to chase me around? Well, I’m not going to bark too far away from them either. I’m not running from nobody. If anything, it’ll be a great challenge for me. I’m not saying I can take Kobe Bryant, or I can take Tracy McGrady. You guys are the ones saying they can take me. All good and fine. I’m pretty sure they’re sitting back and welcome the challenge. Guess what, I’m sitting back and welcome the challenge, too.”

Set aside all the other bullshit, the revisionist history, the unraveling of whatever half-hearted Wizards rebuild was in progress, and that’s what Mike’s Wizards comeback was all about, at its core. Did he prove he was up to the challenge? Shaq said, “He still has it.” Paul Pierce said, “Jordan at this age is better than about 90 percent of the players today.”

The unfolding of Jordan’s second un-retirement doesn’t hold iconic status like his “I’m back” fax in 1995, or come with the hardware of his first dramatic return to the court. Without question, those two seasons in Washington will forever serve as curious punctuation to the most legendary career in NBA history. Mike’s longtime agent David Falk says that at the time, he didn’t want MJ to come back: “I just didn’t think it was a good dessert to a great meal.” It was a sentiment shared by many friends and fans. But the more years that pass, the easier it is to forget just how much of a killer Michael Jordan still was on the court, even at 40 years old.

—

GRAB YOUR COPY OF SLAM PRESENTS JORDAN HERE

Abe Schwadron is a social editor at FanDuel and former Senior Editor at SLAM.

Photos via Getty.

The post THE FINAL CHAPTER: Michael Jordan’s Stint with the Wizards appeared first on SLAM.

Collins, the 19th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, will be eligible to sign a rookie scale contract extension this offseason and feels that he’s worth a max deal starting at 25% of the salary cap in 2021-22.

“When we’re talking max numbers and money, I feel like I definitely [am in] the conversation to have earned that money,” Collins told Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The 22-year-old says that he’d like to stay with the Hawks specifically but adds that he understands that in the business of basketball, players don’t necessarily get what they want.

“I want to know I’m locked in as soon as I can rather than having to wait, which I know happens,” Collins said. “[…] when you do wait, a lot of other stuff mentally creeps in during the season.“

In a vacuum, Collins would have a legitimate case to at least request max money, he’s averaged 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game thus far in 2019-20, all while shooting .401 from beyond the arc.

In a post-hiatus NBA, however, all bets are off.

Collins’ 2020-21 contract, the fourth year of his rookie deal, is already locked in at $4.1M. It’s in the 2021-22 season that a Collins extension would take effect.

Beyond the five rookie contracts of their Trae Young-led core, only Clint Capela is on the books for the team that season.

Should Collins and the Hawks not reach an agreement on an extension, Collins would play through the 2020-21 campaign as a pending restricted free agent.

Before the Hawks can decide whether they’d like to invest heavily in Collins long-term, a process that would involve gauging how he fits alongside Young long-term and how much of an overlap there is between he and Capela, the club will await the financial implications of the COVID-19 suspension.

The Hawks are in as safe a position as any to avoid a salary cap crunch but the uncertainty is troubling for any franchise attempting to plan for the future.

It’s unclear how much revenue the league has lost due to the shutdown and how the following season will be impacted. The league’s salary cap is typically tied to basketball related income but as Adam Silver implied in a press conference last week, the current collective bargaining agreement wasn’t built for such an extended pandemic.

For that reason, Collins and others in his position could be left in limbo, giving the organization plenty of time to debate just how much they value him now and how much they’d be willing to risk him hitting restricted free agency in the summer of 2021 whenever the offseason after this one is.

The post John Collins Seeks Max Deal Amid Hiatus Uncertainty appeared first on SLAM.

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

—

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.

Collins has one year left on his rookie scale deal in 2020-21. The Hawks can lock him up on an extension anytime between July 1 and the start of the next NBA season. If no deal is reached, Collins will be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2021. Atlanta could still retain him then by matching any offers, but would face competition for the young big man.

This season Collins has averaged 21.6 points, 10 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. In addition, Collins is poised to become the first player ever to achieve 55/40/80 shooting splits. He’s currently at 58.8/41.1/80.1 splits.

Three-point shooting is where Collins has grown the most since joining the NBA. In his rookie year, Collins took just 47 three-pointers and hit 34%. Last year those numbers climbed to 158 attempts and 34.8%. In 40 games this year, Collins has already attempted 141 triples and has knocked down over 41%.

Collins did miss 25 games earlier this season due to a suspension for violating the NBA/NBPA’s Anti-Drug Program. Collins tested positive for a growth hormone.

The suspension did little to impact Collins’ production upon his return, as he’s put together a solid third season. Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk told The Athletic that teams inquired about Collins’ availability at the trade deadline but that Atlanta wasn’t interested in parting with the big man. Schlenk went on to call Collins one of the Hawks best players.

This summer Collins is eligible to sign a max extension of five-years, $181.3M with the Hawks that would start with the 2021-22 season. Atlanta could add in escalators to take that contract up to five-years, $217.5M, but that would require the Hawks tabbing Collins as a Designated Player. The likely max scenario for Collins is four years, $140M.

However, despite Collins’ numbers, he’s not seen as a max player around the NBA. The Athletic posits that Collins’ value lies somewhere in the range of the four-year, $77M extension Domantas Sabonis inked with the Indiana Pacers this past summer.

That could leave Collins wanting nearly double what many see his value as and where Collins values himself at. Lots can change between now and then, but without a significant closing of that gap, Collins may find himself in a contract year next season before restricted free agency in 2021.

The post John Collins: ‘I Feel I’m a Max Player’ appeared first on SLAM.

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.

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The Magic played incredible, with Terrence Ross recording a season-high 33 points, Nikola Vucevic having 27 points and 10 boards and Aaron Gordon enjoying his first triple-double of his career with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.

D’Angelo Russell was solid for the Wolves, scoring 28 points and dishing 7 assists with a respectable +8 plus/minus on the night.

Hawks 141 (18-43), Nets 118 (32-36)

This wasn’t just a promising game for the Hawks because they won, but also due to the fact that their young core of players were the biggest contributors to their success. Trae Young dropped 22 and 14 assists. John Collins popped off for 33 and 12 boards. Kevin Huerter scored 15 on an efficient 60% from the field. The rook DeAndre Hunter had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Cam Reddish had perhaps his best game of the season with 26 points on 6-9 from deep.

As for the disappointing Nets, Spencer Dinwiddie did his best with 24 points and 13 assists, but it simply wasn’t enough.

Hornets 99 (21-38), Raptors 96 (42-17)

Well, this was a surprise.

The Raptors usually steamroll objectively inferior opponents, but not tonight, apparently. No Hornets starter even scored 20 points, but they all reached double figures. Solid performances from Pascal Siakam, Norman Powell and Kyle Lowry weren’t enough to offset a bench that only mustered nine points.

Despite all that, there was still a chance to win, with the game tied at 96 with about two seconds left, Hornets ball. But Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was called for an off-ball foul. Tough way to lose.

Heat 126 (37-22), Mavericks 118 (36-24)

This was a very quality win for the Heat, beating a bona-fide playoff team in the West and one of the best offenses in league history. Jimmy Butler predictable led the way in scoring with 26, but Duncan Robinson (24 points, 6-9 from deep, +24 plus/minus) and Kelly Olynyk (13 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists in only 19 minutes) were the unsung heroes.

For Dallas, despite a Seth Curry explosion of 37 points and stars Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis both scoring in the 20’s, Miami was too tough.

Kings 104 (25-34), Grizzlies 101 (28-31)

The Kings are closer to the 8th seed than you think. After beating the Grizzlies, a team currently above them in the chase, Sacramento is only three games out of a playoff berth. De’Aaron Fox led the way with 25 points in what was a very solid all-around team win.

The Grizzlies are crumbling right now, through no fault of their own. Young bigs Jaren Jackson Jr and Brandon Clarke are out with injuries, and they traded two reliable wings in Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill for a Justise Winslow, who is still recuperating from injury. Dillon Brooks led all scorers with 32.

Bucks 133 (51-8), Thunder 86 (37-23)

This was simply an annihilation. The scary part is OKC is a tough, gritty and respectable team with the second best record in the entire damn league since Thanksgiving. But they were no match for Milwaukee and their unskilled star, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who dropped an easy 32 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists in 27 measly minutes.

Pelicans 116 (26-33), Cavaliers 104 (17-42)

The Pelicans have now won six of their last 8 games thanks to a mixture of superhuman Zion Williamson efforts and excellent supporting cast members in Brandon Ingram (an All-Star!), Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball, plus a deep cadre of role players.

Ingram led the Pels with 29 points, Zion followed with 24 and Holiday had 22.

Pistons 113 (20-41), Suns 111 (24-36)

We were just treated to a throwback Derrick Rose game.

Rose dropped 31 points and the game-sealing bucket, a beautiful driving, off-balance floater. Also, shoutout to Brandon Knight, who has endured many tough injuries, for scoring 19 points in the win.

Jazz 129 (37-22), Wizards 119 (21-37)

Between a losing streak, uncharacteristic drop in efficiency and some epic role confusion over who is starting and sitting between Mike Conley, Joe Ingles and Royce O’Neale, Utah needed this. Donovan Mitchell once again put the team on his back, going for 30 points and this monster dunk on poor Rui Hachimura.

Bradley Beal can’t be happy after dropping 42 points, 5 boards, 10 assists and 2 steals and still coming away with a loss.

Clippers 132 (40-19), Nuggets 103 (40-19)

Big win for the Clips, who inch closer to the Nuggets for 2nd place in the Western Conference standings.

It was quite the balanced victory, with all ten rotation players notching between 19 and 25 minutes.

Paul George had 24 on an efficient 9-15 shooting, and Kawhi had 19 points on 50% shooting.

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Sacramento led the entire game until the Clippers took the lead with 8:29 left in the fourth. But the Kings battled back in crunch time to secure the dub.

Kent Bazemore dropped a team-high 23 points with 6 boards and 4 steals.

Nets 115 (26-29), Hornets 86 (19-37)

After taking a 10-point lead into halftime, Brooklyn ripped open a huge lead in the third quarter, outscoring the Hornets by 15 points in the period.

Caris LeVert dropped 17 points with 6 steals. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot added a game-high 21 points off the bench.

Mavs 107 (34-23), Hawks 11 (-1.5)

Atlanta erased a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat the Mavs who were without Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.

John Collins dropped a game-high 35 points with 17 boards. Trae Young added 25 points and 10 dimes.

Unhappy with the calls during the game, Mark Cuban took to twitter to roast the refs. Prepare for a fine from the League.

Cavs 105 (15-41), Heat 124 (36-20)

The Heat blew out the Cavs on the night that Dwyane Wade’s No. 3 jersey went up into the rafters.

Kendrick Nunn dropped a game-high 24 points with 8 dimes.

Suns 112 (23-34), Bulls 104 (19-38)

After falling behind by 17 points late in the second quarter, Phoenix outscored the Bulls by 18 points in the second half to get the win.

Deandre Ayton dropped 28 points with 19 boards and 3 blocks. Devin Booker added a team-high 29 points.

Chicago has now lost a dismal 8 straight games.

Sixers 98 (35-22), Bucks 119 (48-8)

Milwaukee dismantled the Sixers, building a 25-point lead by the third quarter.

Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped a game-high 31 points with 17 boards and 8 dimes.

Rockets 120 (36-20), Jazz 110 (36-20)

Down by 4 at halftime, Houston outscored the Jazz by 19 points in the third quarter to take control of the game.

James Harden dropped a game-high 38 points with 7 dimes. Russell Westbrook added 34 points.

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Dedmon had been clamouring to exit Sacramento of late, unhappy with his role after signing a three-year, $40M contract.

The move gives the Kings a replacement big man on an expiring contract in Len and a productive former No. 2 pick that’s been playing well on a discount contract. The move gives the struggling team both financial flexibility and a lottery ticket on a post-hype sleeper.

Parker looked productive during a brief run earlier this season when he was filling the shoes of suspended big man John Collins. On the year, the 24-year-old has averaged 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

Of course the biggest knock on Parker isn’t his ability to fill the stat sheet but his durability. Parker thrived over the course of his rookie contract when he was on the court and in game-shape but dealt with a series of knee injuries that derailed his performance.

This year Parker has already missed 20 games and is expected to be out at least another week with a shoulder ailment.

Also involved in the trade are a pair of second-round picks on their way to Atlanta, Houston’s 2020 second and Miami’s 2021 second.

While the Hawks may be happy to see a familiar face, the Dedmon that they’re acquiring isn’t necessarily the same one that they employed from 2017 to 2019. The 30-year-old stretch big has shot just .197 from beyond the arc, with a sub-.500 true shooting percentage.

The move frees up a roster spot for the Hawks (that they just recently filled after participating in a four-team trade earlier today) and it makes the Kings out at 15.

The post Kings To Acquire Jabari Parker, Alex Len In Trade 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.

Terry Rozier led a second half comeback for the Hornets, finishing with a game-high 30 points to go along with 10 rebounds. For the Knicks, Julius Randle dropped 24 points and Marcus Morris Sr. added 23 points in the loss. In honor of Kobe, the Hornets wore special arm sleeves that had 8 and 24 written in purple and gold.

Bucks 151 (41-6), Wizards 131 (15-31)

Without Giannis, the Bucks still took care of business easily at home. Khris Middleton went crazy for 51 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists on 16-26 shooting. Eric Bledsoe added 34 points and 10 assists in the blowout win. Despite the loss, Bradley Beal showed out, leading Washington with 47 points and 6 assists in the loss.

76ers 115 (31-17), Warriors 104 (10-38)

It was an emotional night in Kobe’s hometown of Philadelphia, where the Sixers took the floor in number 8 and number 24 jerseys for pregame warmups. Still wearing number 24 in honor of Mamba, Joel Embiid finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead the 76ers to the win at home. Embiid even scored his 24th point on a textbook, Kobe-like fadeaway from the corner. For the Warriors, DeAngelo Russell dropped 28 points and 7 assists in the loss.

Pelicans 125 (19-29), Cavaliers 111 (13-35)

The Pelicans built off a 40-point first quarter to pick up the win on the road in Cleveland. New Orleans was led by Jrue Holiday, who finished with 28 points and 8 assists, and Brandon Ingram, who scored 24 in the win. Zion Williamson added 14 points and 9 rebounds on 7-13 shooting. Collin Sexton finished with a team-high 24 points for the Cavs, and Kevin Porter Jr. added 21 off the bench.

Raptors 130 (33-14), Hawks 114 (12-36)

Pascal Siakam and Serge Ibaka led the way for Toronto, both finishing with 24 points. This win marked the Raptors 8th in a row, and they are now in sole possession of second place in the East. For Atlanta, John Collins had a big night, finishing with 28 points and 12 rebounds on 11-14 shooting.

Grizzlies 104 (23-24), Nuggets 96 (32-15)

The Grizzlies continued their impressive play, picking up a win over one of the top teams in the West. Dillon Brooks dropped 24 points to lead the way for Memphis, and Jonas Valanciunas added 23 points and 12 rebounds. The Grizzlies improved to 8-2 in their last 10. The Nuggets were led by Nikola Jokic, who finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists in the loss.

Celtics 109 (31-15), Heat 101 (32-15)

The Celtics picked up an impressive win on the road against the Heat, who had won 14 straight home games against Eastern Conference opponents. Gordan Hayward dropped a team-high 29 points to go along with 9 rebounds, and Jaylen Brown added 25 points on 10-16 shooting. The Heat were led by Goran Dragic, who dropped 23 off the bench in the loss.

Suns 133 (20-27), Mavericks 104 (29-18)

Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton proved to be a dominant duo, leading the Suns to an impressive road victory over Dallas. Booker finished with 32 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists, and Ayton dropped 31 points on 13-15 shooting. Luka Doncic led the Mavs with 21 points .

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Zion Williamson had the world buzzing as he scored 17 straight points in the fourth quarter, nearly taking down San Antonio by himself. The No. 1 pick finished with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in just 18 minutes of work in his NBA debut.

Pacers 112 (29-16), Suns 87 (18-26)

TJ Warren scored a team-high 25 in his return to Phoenix to lead the way to victory. Domantas Sabonis did his part, too, adding 24 points (8-for-11 shooting) and 13 boards for the Pacers.

Jazz 129 (31-13), Warriors 96 (10-36)

D’Angelo Russell put up 26 points in 28 minutes, but the Jazz’ depth — 13 different players got on the scoreboard — was far too much to overcome for the depleted Warriors. Rudy Gobert had 22 points and a team-high 15 boards and Donovan Mitchell scored 23 in just 22 minutes.

Nuggets 105 (30-14), Rockets 121 (27-16)

The Rockets’ backcourt was completely in sync as Russell Westbrook and James Harden combined for 55 points, 21 rebounds and 13 dimes to edge the gap between them and the second place Nuggets.

Timberwolves 110 (15-29), Bulls 117 (17-29)

Zach LaVine (team-high 25 points) was able to get the W over his former team despite a 40-point outing from Karl-Anthony Towns. Lauri Markkanen added 21 to aid the Bulls.

Wizards 129 (14-29), Heat 134 (31-13)

The Heat’s bench backcourt duo of Tyler Herro (25 points, 7 threes) and Goran Dragic (22 points, 10 assists) took care of business as Miami scored 16 points in overtime to down the Wizards.

Bradley Beal scored a team-high 38 for Washington.

Grizzlies 95 (20-24), Celtics 119 (29-14)

The Grizzlies had the lead at the end of the first quarter, but the Celtics bounced back to dominate the rest of the night as Jayson Tatum scored 23 in 26 minutes of work.

Lakers 100 (35-9), Knicks 92 (12-33)

LeBron James picked up a win in his favorite arena to travel to, leading the way with 21 points, 6 boards and 5 dimes for Los Angeles.

Thunder 120 (26-19), Magic 114 (21-24)

Dennis Schroder scored 31 points (13-for-18 shooting) and had 9 dimes off the bench to lead the Thunder.

Clippers 95 (31-14), Hawks 104 (11-34)

The Clippers were only able to score 35 points in the second half as John Collins’ 33-point night pushed the Hawks ahead. Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Patrick Beverley didn’t suit up for Los Angeles and Trae Young missed the night for Atlanta.

Kings 106 (15-29), Pistons 127 (17-28)

Derrick Rose, Christian Wood and Reggie Jackson combined for 67 to lead the Pistons’ charge against the Kings.

De’Aaron Fox had 22 in the effort.

76ers 95 (26-17), Raptors 107 (30-14)

Fred VanVleet’s 22 points and Pascal Siakam’s 18 points and 15 boards led the Raptors past the Sixers in a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals.

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The Jazz continued their impressive play, defeating the Nets on the road to win their 10th in a row. Joe Ingles led the way with 27 points on 10-14 shooting and 6-8 from three. Donovan Mitchell added 25 points, and Rudy Gobert finished with 22 points and 18 rebounds. For Brooklyn, Kyrie Irving dropped 32 points to go along with 11 assists in his second game back from injury.

Hawks 123 (9-32), Suns 110 (16-24)

Trae Young was cooking in Atlanta, finishing with 36 points and 10 assists in the Hawks win. Kevin Huerter stuffed the stat sheet with 23 points, 15 rebounds and 8 assists, and John Collins added 22 points on 10-16 shooting and 10 rebounds. For Phoenix, Devin Booker continued his red-hot scoring, finishing with a game-high 39 points in the loss. DeAndre Ayton added 20 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

Grizzlies 121 (19-22), Rockets 110 (26-13)

Ja Morant put on an absolute show in Memphis, leading the Grizzlies to their 6th win in a row. Morant finished with 26 points and 8 assists on 10-11 shooting, including a handful of show-stopping highlight plays. The rookie is turning into a star right before our eyes.

For Houston, James Harden dropped 41 points to go along with 6 rebounds and 6 assists in the loss.

Bucks 128 (36-6), Knicks 102 (11-30)

The Greek Freak completely dominated the Knicks, scoring 37 points in just 21 minutes. Khris Middleton added 17 points in the Bucks blowout win. The Knicks were lead by Julius Randle, who had 25 points and 15 rebounds, and RJ Barrett, who dropped 22 points in the loss.

Clippers 128 (28-13), Cavaliers 103 (12-29)

Kawhi went off for 43 points on 14-22 shooting and 6-10 from three to lead the Clippers to the blowout win. Lou Will added 24 points off the bench. Cleveland was lead by Collin Sexton, who dropped 25 in the loss.

Mavericks 124 (25-15), Warriors 97 (9-32)

The Mavericks dominated the Warriors throughout to secure their 25th win of the season. Dallas was lead by Dwight Powell, who dropped 21 points on 9-9 shooting, and Luka Doncic, who added 20 points.

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Undrafted rookie Terrence Davis admitted he was “surprised” when he was told he was going to start, but he rose to the occasion with 23 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and a team-best plus-minus of +20 in an OT win.

Miles Bridges scored 26 on just 15 field goal attempts for Charlotte.

Rockets 122 (25-11), Hawks 115 (8-30)

The present is still amazing, but the future isn’t looking too bad either. James Harden finished with 41 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks and Trae Young struck back with 42 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists and a block of his own.

Despite solid outings from Alex Len, John Collins and Young, the Hawks weren’t able to dig themselves out of an early hole as Houston scored 45 in the opening quarter.

Spurs 129 (16-20), Celtics 114 (25-10)

The Spurs ran out to a 22-3 lead and never looked back as DeMar DeRozan’s 30 points led the way.

Nuggets 107 (26-11), Mavericks 106 (23-14)

Nikola Jokic scored 21 points in the third quarter and capped off a stellar second half with a game-winning shot to sink the Mavericks.

Luka Doncic fell just short of his 12th triple-double of the season, but still put up an impressive 27 points, 9 rebounds and 10 assists.

Bulls 108 (13-25), Pelicans 123 (13-25)

Zach LaVine continued his All-Star caliber season with 32 points on 13-for-24 season, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a second half Pelicans charge led by 21 points from Brandon Ingram (29 points, 8 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 blocks).

Knicks 104 (10-28), Jazz 128 (25-12)

Emmanuel Mudiay put up 20 points off the pine against his former club as the Jazz scored an astounding 72 points in the first half. Bojan Bogdanovic added another 20, knocking down four 3’s in the effort.

Frank Ntilikina was a lone bright spot for New York, putting up 16 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals in 19 minutes of work. He was a +10, a team-high plus-minus for the night.

Heat 122 (27-10), Pacers 108 (23-15)

Seven Heat players scored at least 14 points as Miami rolled to the win.

Jimmy Butler and TJ Warren exchanged words on back-to-back possessions, resulting in Warren being thrown out of the game.

Wizards 89 (12-25), Magic 123 (18-20)

12 different Magic players got in the scoring column as Orlando dominated every quarter of the match-up. Nikola Vucevic’s 29 points led all players as an injury-riddled Wizards squad struggled to hold it down on the defensive end and turned the ball over 23 times on offense.

over 23 times.

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Parker had struggled with what was described as a shoulder impingement over the course of the past few weeks and had only seen time in one contest since Dec. 23.

Parker has enjoyed a solid 2019-20 campaign with the Hawks and filled in capably for the franchise when starting big man John Collins was suspended for 25 games early in the season.

In 32 contests this year, the 24-year-old Parker has averaged 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, the former of which is the second-highest of his career.

The post Jabari Parker Out Two Weeks With Shoulder Injury 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 Hawks 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

• De’Andre Hunter
• Trae Young
• Cam Reddish
• John Collins
• Kevin Huerter

Barring an unforeseen trade for a star player, the Hawks are unlikely to make significant changes to their up-and-coming core. Injuries and suspension have prevented the front office from assessing the group. Trae Young is sidelined with an ankle injury. John Collins served a 25-game suspension earlier this season and Kevin Huerter was on a minutes restriction until recently. The trio has only been at full strength for one whole game together, which isn’t anywhere near the desired sample size to evaluate their fit.

This, however, doesn’t mean we won’t see trades in Atlanta. Young was visibly frustrated earlier in the season and according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the point guard was told by a high-ranking team official that help was on the way in the form of upgraded talent on the roster. The team appears to be sniffing around for a veteran big man and, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, have discussed trading for Steven Adams and Dewayne Dedmon.

Biggest Name Available On Market

• Jabari Parker

Jabari Parker filled in admirably for Collins earlier this season, particularly on the offensive end, and it’s fair to wonder whether he’ll opt-out of his contract this offseason in order to try and secure a contract with a more lucrative salary than his current $6.5M figure. While there has been no word on whether the Hawks will shop the former No. 2 overall pick, it might make sense for the team to parse the market for him, considering their other offseason financial priorities like signing Collins to an extension. 

Parker won’t turn 25 until later this season, so he certainly still fits within this team’s young timeline. However, if another team covets the scorer, it would be surprising if Atlanta doesn’t at least listen to offers. Parker is averaging 15.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game this season.

Logical Trade Pieces

• Chandler Parsons
• Evan Turner
• Allen Crabbe

Each of Chandler Parsons, Evan Turner and Allen Crabbe is on a massive expiring deal and if the team is going to bring in a veteran center like Adams or make other big moves, sending out one of the three (along with an asset) appears to be the most feasible scenario. Parsons ($25.1M) has seen action in just five contests. Turner ($18.6M), who was acquired to be the back-up point guard to Young, sports a career-low 7.5 player efficiency rating and Crabbe hasn’t been much better at 8.3. All three could be buy-out candidates if no trades occur.

Trades Are Possible

• Alex Len
• DeAndre’ Bembry
• Damian Jones
• Vince Carter
• Bruno Fernando

The noise about Atlanta looking for a veteran big despite 26-year-old Alex Len on the roster is telling. Len, who is on an expiring $4.2M contract, doesn’t appear to be in the team’s long-term plans. DeAndre Bembry is the only remaining player from Mike Budenholzer’s stint in the Hawks’ front office. He didn’t come to terms with the team on a rookie-scale extension this fall and he’ll be a restricted free agent this offseason assuming Atlanta or a team trading for him presents him with a qualifying offer. Damian Jones arrived in Atlanta this offseason via a trade with the Golden State Warriors and has seen action in 31 contests and sports a 16.7 player efficiency rating. Bruno Fernando, who was selected in the second round of the 2019 Draft, has seen steady minutes lately, though his time on the court fluctuated earlier this season. Don’t expect the team to move Vince Carter unless the 22-year veteran asks for it.

The post 2020 NBA Trade Deadline Primer: Atlanta Hawks appeared first on SLAM.

The news of Young’s return couldn’t come at a better time for the Hawks given that they’ll now watch John Collins take to the sidelines thanks to a 25-game suspension after testing positive for growth hormone.

Young’s injury came in the fifth game of what was quickly developing into a monster sophomore season for Young. Young averaged 26.8 points and 7.3 points per game this season, numbers made even more impressive by the fact that the contest he left early due to the sprain makes up 20% of that sample size.

An x-ray conducted on Young’s ankle after the injury last week came back negative and he didn’t end up requiring an MRI.

Due to a scheduling quirk, the Hawks haven’t played since Thursday night. That natural four-day break has allowed Young to rehabilitate from his ankle injury while only actually missing one contest.

The post Trae Young To Return From Ankle Injury appeared first on SLAM.

Collins was met with the suspension after testing positive for Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide-2, the league’s official announcement reveals.

The 22-year-old has averaged 17.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per game so far this season and will now be limited to the sidelines through December 21.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Collins says in a statement that he took a supplement that had been contaminated with an illegal component, unbeknownst to him.

Collins also says that he plans to appeal the suspension.

Collins becomes the latest in a growing line of players who’ve faced tough penalties from the NBA. Prior to the season it was revealed that Wilson Chandler would miss the first 25 games of the season for the Brooklyn Nets.

Two weeks ago we wrote about Deandre Ayton getting hit with a 25-game ban of his own after testing positive for a diuretic.

The Hawks currently have 15 players on their big league roster and won’t immediately be able to add another body to replace Collins. However, five games into Collins’ suspension, the team may move Collins to their Suspended List and open up a spot that way.

The suspension could thrust offseason addition Jabari Parker into a larger role at the four.

The post John Collins Suspended 25 Games For Violating Anti-Drug Program appeared first on SLAM.

This is Sabrina Ionescu’s home court. 

Ionescu is now the NCAA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles, entering her senior season with 18 of them. She’s all but a lock to be the No. 1 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft. But before all of that happened, she was playing here, at Larkey Park. 

“I played at a few parks in Walnut Creek but Larkey Park was the one that we went to a lot of the time. I would say one of my earliest memories is just playing at the park,” Ionescu tells SLAM. “Pickup games, random games with my brother. Once I got older, obviously started playing on a team, but always the small memories of playing in the front yard or at the park.”

Her story is playing out like a Hollywood movie. Ionescu was good enough, tough enough, strong enough to play with the boys. But they didn’t always let her. She would have to watch sometimes. Then she would get to play other times.

“I always had a Tweety Bird shirt and they told me that I wasn’t allowed to play until I got rid of the shirt,” she remembers. “And so I went home and changed my shirt, came back and then they let me play. So I never wore it after that moment.”

When she did get to play, they wouldn’t pass her the ball so she started to grab it off the glass, push it up the court and dish it to an open teammate while the defense swarmed to get what they thought would be an easy steal. She’s been developing a skill set to stack up triple-doubles ever since she was a kid. 

“She is a pass-first player,” Kelly Graves, her head coach at Oregon, says. “People know how much she scores. 

She gets a lot of attention for her rebounding. But, I think, fundamentally, she is about the team. Her ability to see the floor, to be one step ahead of the defense is incredible. She knows her teammates are open before they know they’re open and that you just can’t teach. That’s innate to the elite players.”

And Ionescu is the most elite college basketball player in the country. The game she built at Larkey Park has her close to becoming the one and only NCAA women’s basketball player to reach 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists in a career. Her three years as a Duck have seen her register 18 points, 7 rebounds and 7 dimes a game. And her junior season, in which she led Oregon to the Final Four, wrapped up with her best numbers yet—averages of 19.9 points, 8.2 assists and 7.4 boards were complemented by 42 percent shooting from distance and 88 percent shooting from the foul line. Her squad had a 33-5 record. 

“She’s made us relevant in the national championship discussion,” Graves says. “Now we’re a national program. Obviously she has great teammates and everybody has helped, there’s no question about that. But she’s really been the face of that resurgence.”

It’s normal for Ionescu to get stopped whenever she’s on campus. The days where she can walk around and not get noticed are mostly gone, replaced by moments when people want photos with her or when they want her to know that she’s appreciated. Everybody wants to be a part of history. And Ionescu is living, walking, talking, breathing history. 

Her 18 triple-doubles are the most—by a woman or a man—in the history of the NCAA. More than Diana Taurasi. More than Candace Parker or even Wilt Chamberlain. She busted up the record that Kyle Collinsworth set while he played at BYU when she got her 13th triple-double in December of 2018.

“I remember getting my first triple-double my freshman year and we were in Hawaii,” she says. “I had no idea that I had gotten it because the stats weren’t up anywhere. But I remember after the game Kelly came up to me and just handed me the box score and that’s all he said. He said, ‘Congrats, not a lot of people do it.’ Just handed me the box score and I had no idea what he meant. I was trying to look at the box score and see was it how many points we scored in a half? I was really confused at what he was talking about. I was like, Oh, I got a triple-double. I was like, OK. That was it.”

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Ionescu, for as long as she’s been recording those triple-doubles, has always insisted it’s not about numbers. She’s just doing what it takes to help her team win. 

“I just don’t like to lose,” she says. “In anything that I do, whether it’s basketball or anything, I’m just super competitive. Going into every game, into every practice, I’m trying to be the best version of myself. I’m not really playing against anyone, it’s really just me trying to be the best version that I can on the court, off the court.”

Ionescu says that her twin brother, Eddy, and their older brother, Andrei, never took it easy on her. Blood and tears were common for her when she was growing up at Larkey Park. But those moments helped her become the no-mercy-machine she is now. Clutch moments mean nothing to her. She’ll just walk up the floor, drill a dagger three-pointer and walk back to the bench while the other team scrambles to call a timeout. Because she’s not going to lose. And if she does take a loss, she’s going to make sure it won’t happen again. 

After getting beat by Baylor in the 2019 Final Four, Ionescu all but promised a natty to the Ducks in 2020. She’s gonna deliver. Her game is a terrifying mixture of basketball’s most deadly competitors. 

Her desire has been shaped by following Kobe Bryant. Her floor general skills have been refined by studying John Stockton. Her jumpshot has been honed by watching Stephen Curry. 

“I’d pull up John Stockton’s videos from when he played and watched that on the computer,” Ionescu says. “I’d watch Kobe’s. It was cool because I was able to watch them growing up and if they did something, I would go back in the yard and try to do it myself.”

But it was more than just watching Curry and the Warriors or old grainy footage on YouTube. The way that those players hooped can be seen in Ionescu. Like her coach says, she sees the game before things happen. She can read defenses, bend them to her liking. She knows when to step up for the shot and when to drop a laser feed off the bounce. 

“The more basketball you watch and the more you pay attention, that only helps your IQ,” the point guard says. “Playing with guys, they were a lot bigger and stronger and so I had to see things early and I had to be able to make passes in order to be able to play with them. Just starting at a young age, being thrown into a game like that has just helped me now. Now the game kind of slowed down for me just because of how sped up it was when I was younger. 

“I was just back there and it’s cool to see that they watch our games and they keep up with me,” she says about all the guys in Walnut Creek. “Now they all want me on their team. It’s just different from when they weren’t allowing me to play with them.”

They can recognize the expert-level that Ionescu plays the game at. And so can Kobe. Sabrina gets excited when talking about the time that the Black Mamba and his daughter, Gigi, showed up at one of her games last season. 

“We were just warming up and all of a sudden he goes and sits courtside,” she says, like she still can’t believe it. “I was like, Oh my gosh, that’s Kobe Bryant at our game. That was just awesome. He came back into the locker room and spoke to us and signed our shoes. It was really cool to be able to meet him and talk to him like an actual person and not someone that I just watch game film on.”

It wasn’t that long ago that she was recreating his moves at Larkey Park, under the big, tall, green trees. And it won’t be that long until she’s in the W, playing pro ball at Staples Center, the same court that he used to play at, under the big, bright lights. More triple-doubles and a national championship, it won’t be that long until those become reality too. 

But for Coach Graves, Sabrina Ionescu is already a superstar. 

“She’s gotten better skill-wise but I think where she’s made the most improvement is in leadership and being a great teammate, handling lots of pressure, expectations,” he says. “She has just become, I think, the entire package when it comes to what you would expect and want out of an elite athlete. She inspires me. She inspires her teammates. When you talk about what you want in a human being, she fits it all.” 

—

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Max Resetar is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

Photos by Ashley Walters and via Getty.

Additional reporting by Camille Buxeda.

The post MIGHTY DUCK: Sabrina Ionescu Is Coming for the National Title 🏆 appeared first on SLAM.

Jimmy Buckets made his debut and dropped 21 as the Heat cruised to their third win of the season. The rookie Tyler Herro shined, finishing with 29 points on 7-9 shooting and 3-4 from downtown.

The Hawks were led by John Collins, who finished with a game-high 30 points (10-17 FG) in the loss. Trae Young went down in the second quarter with an ankle injury and did not return. Thankfully, X-rays were negative and it’s being called a right ankle sprain. Hoping for a speedy recovery, Trae was hooping to start the season.

Mavericks 109 (3-1), Nuggets 106 (3-1)

The Mavericks outscored the Nuggets 26-18 in the fourth quarter to pick up a statement win on the road. It was a full team effort for Dallas, with nine players scoring in double figures. They were led by Tim Hardaway Jr. and Maxi Kleber, who both dropped 14 apiece off the bench.

Paul Millsap led the nuggets with a game-high 23 points to go along with 8 rebounds. The Joker added a clean triple double, finishing with 10 points, 10 boards, and 10 assists in the loss.

Lakers 120 (3-1), Grizzlies 91 (1-3)

Lakers fans, meet AD.

Anthony Davis had the best game of his young Laker career tonight, going OFF for 40 points and 20 rebounds in just three quarters (31 minutes). Davis set the franchise record with 26 free throws made and became the first Laker since Shaq in 2003 to post a 40-point, 20-rebound game. It’s safe to say the AD era has officially begun in LA.

Lebron added 23 points and 8 assists in the blowout Lakers win. Ja Morant led the Grizzlies, dropping 16 points in the loss.

The post Post Up: Anthony Davis’ Monster Night Leads Lakers to Win appeared first on SLAM.

Just over a year ago, Huerter didn’t even think he had a realistic shot at being drafted. So this—all of this—was completely inconceivable.

John Sterling, the famed Yankees announcer he listened to growing up, really said his name during a Hawks-Nets broadcast back in December. He got to exchange No. 3 jerseys with his childhood idol, Dwyane Wade, at AmericanAirlines Arena in March. He shared a locker room with another legend in Vince Carter. At the age of just 21, he established himself as a major piece of ATL’s bright future.

Not bad for a year.

Huerter’s journey began in Clifton Park, NY, a suburb roughly 12 miles north of Albany that doesn’t get the attention of many media outlets. There was little hype surrounding his game until he joined the EYBL circuit as a 17-year-old. He had great size for a guard, could handle the ball well, was a skilled playmaker and showed incredible range on his jump shot. Offers from big programs started to fly in, and Huerter eventually committed to the University of Maryland.

After two impressive seasons in College Park, he decided to enter the NBA Draft, but didn’t truly believe he was bound for the League.

“I honestly just came out to play pickup at the combine,” he tells SLAM. “It was like a measuring stick for me to go there and see how good I thought I was compared to guys who were about to get drafted.” 

Yet Huerter stacked up much better than he anticipated. The feedback was so positive that he had no choice but to stay in the pool. “I fully expected going into it that I would be coming back for my junior year,” he admits.  

Instead, Huerter was taken with the No. 19 overall pick and off to Atlanta to begin his pro career. And by the end of November, he found himself permanently in the Hawks’ starting lineup. He thrived in their fast-paced, run-and-gun system alongside Young, averaging 9.7 points on 39 percent shooting from deep. Despite his laid-back personality, Huerter is assertive on the floor, especially when he’s in rhythm offensively.

“I think my looks are deceiving for a lot of guys,” Huerter says. “You don’t step on the court and guys immediately respect your game and how you play. So for me, it’s amusing to keep proving that and keep waking people up. Proving to them that you deserve to be in the League and deserve to play. So every game, that’s just my mindset—go out there and realize that nobody respects your game and nobody expects you to do much.”

During a win over the Sixers in January, he dropped 29 on 11-17 from the field. He had 27 at home against the Pelicans, including 17 in the second quarter. He knocked down four or more threes 12 different times throughout the season.

Atlanta is building a new identity centered on a young group that includes Huerter, Trae, big man John Collins and 2019 lottery picks DeAndre Hunter and Cam Reddish—two versatile pieces who fit their brand of basketball perfectly. 

“It’s fun—being a part of it from the ground level and being able to grow up and build with everybody,” Huerter says. “Right now we have no egos, we have no bad locker room guys. Everyone is just on the stage of trying to prove themselves.”

Expect the Hawks to maintain a similar style in 2019-20, and expect Huerter’s role to expand within it.

“Hopefully playing a little bit more point guard this year, we’ve been talking about that,” he explains. “Or at least having the mindset to do that—trying to get other guys involved, put the ball on the floor and make plays.”

“I think Kevin’s game speaks for itself,” head coach Lloyd Pierce said following a recent practice. “He’s probably one of the more skilled players we have… We just want to see more. We want to see him with the basketball in his hands a little bit more. We’ve got to find ways to get him more three-point opportunities. He’s got to find ways to get to the foul line… I think his game is already multi-dimensional. We just got to get him more threes and get the ball in his hands a little bit more.”

At some point, Huerter plans to get in the gym with Wade to develop his post game. He spent the summer building strength, working on his finishing ability at the rim, and, of course, making some media appearances. That part is something he’s going to have to get more used to.

He didn’t foresee being here this soon, so it’s hard to envision what’s in store for the future. As a kid, reaching the NBA was never something that was put in front of him. He dreamed of it, sure, but everyone does.

“For me, it was always just playing and getting to whatever the next level was,” Huerter explains. “When you’re in middle school, it’s playing in high school. When it’s high school, it’s playing AAU against the best. And from AAU it’s college and it keeps moving up from that.”

It’s unclear exactly what the next level is now, but based on Kevin Huerter’s past, one thing is certain:

He will get there. Probably faster than expected.

—

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Portraits by Johnnie Izquierdo.

The post SPEED IT UP: Kevin Huerter Is Already Taking Off with the Hawks appeared first on SLAM.

Below is a list of the contract types the Atlanta Hawks have heading into training camp. This resource will be updated as players are signed and waived. Check back often to see if your team’s roster configuration has changed.

Atlanta Hawks

For a complete list of all the NBA teams and links to each team’s roster breakdown, check out our 2019 NBA Training Camp Index. Follow the curators of this database, Chris Crouse and Austin Kent, on Twitter.

More NBA Training Camp Rosters

The post Atlanta Hawks Roster Count: 2019 Training Camp appeared first on SLAM.

We’ve broken down the overall ratings for each player and sorted them by team so that you can see how your squad stacks up against the rest of the league.

Atlanta Hawks NBA 2K20 Ratings

This table is updated as of Nov. 22, 2019

Can’t get enough 2K? SLAM’s dedicated gaming channel, @SLAMftw, is blowing up. Hit us with your best uploads and watch our streams!

More NBA 2K20 Ratings

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After practicing two days, Trae withdrew because of an eye issue but looked sharp in his sessions. Collins captured his moment in the Blue vs White game, scoring 12 points and grabbing 8 rebounds in 20 minutes of action.

Peep the Hawks duo in action with USA Basketball in the video above!

RELATED: Trae Young Pulls Up to USA FIBA Practice!? Day 2 Highlights

The post Trae Young & John Collins Team Up at USA Basketball! 👀 appeared first on SLAM.

After you spend a little time in the big man’s world, though, you begin to notice something—this mutual admiration goes much further than the Atlanta bench. It extends to the stands, too. Beyond Young’s No. 11 jersey, our informal survey around the Hawks’ State Farm Arena during a 2018-19 game showed that Collins’ No. 20 is the second most prevalent one on fans’ backs.

The good vibes carry over to the Hawks’ PR department as well. Tell them that you’re trying to talk to Collins for a story and you not only get to come to the locker room for a pregame chat, but you get a precious extra few minutes alone with him because, well, it’s John.

After a while, things get interesting, and you start to wonder exactly how deep this well of well-wishing for the 6-10 gentle giant really goes. So, you keep digging. You contact Wake Forest University, where he first got on the national radar. The Demon Deacons’ 2018-19 season was a rough one so basketball-related interview requests in spring probably aren’t a priority. But remember, we’re talking about John Collins here. The Winston-Salem, NC, school happily makes the connection.

“I think the sky’s the limit [for Collins],” says Randolph Childress, Wake Forest’s associate head coach and one of the most beloved players in the school’s history. “My advice to him is always to stay humble. And he is. I know the kid and I know how hard he’s going to work. He’s not distracted. He’s incredibly focused on what he wants to do.”

You keep chatting with Childress and, though he has nothing but kind words to say about the young man’s spirit and skill set, he does open up about the things that initially caught his eye about Collins when he was being recruited. “When I first saw John,” Childress says, “he was a chubby kid, and he ran up and down the court on his tippy toes.”

When you go back to the tape of Cardinal Newman High School (West Palm Beach, FL) games in 2014, sure enough, there’s JC bodying in the paint with a few extra pounds around the midsection. But even with the girth, Collins had enough game to earn Florida Class 4A Player of the Year honors and Wake’s full attention.

“Before he stepped foot on campus [his freshman year],” Childress adds, “he had already sped up his learning curve with the physical part because he changed his diet. He had dropped all of this baby fat. All he had to do was start adding strength.” Once he started picking up the weights, he also started grabbing the accolades. Two-time ACC Player of the Week. ACC’s Most Improved Player. All-ACC First-Team.

“Coach Randolph was one of the first people who got to see me in my younger stage,” laughs Collins today. “Like he said, I was chubby, running around on my toes. I wasn’t a national prospect or anything. I’m thankful that guys like him saw potential that I didn’t even see or envision.”

Initially, the Demon Deacons’ fifth-year head coach Danny Manning was going to be on the same call with Coach Childress, but his schedule kept getting in the way. All of the reshuffling could have led Manning to throw his hands up with it all. But again, anything for John. Coach found five minutes for a call just before hopping on a flight.

“He had a good feel for the game,” says Manning, of Collins, who wasn’t even a top-100 recruit back in 2015. “He had good feet. He had a really good second bounce and he was really athletic. But his body was not where it is now. He still had some…” Manning pauses. You can almost feel him going through his mental files trying to find a word to politely call Collins rotund. What about “chubby,” coach? “Yeah, that’s accurate.”

Relieved, Manning continues. “He made a commitment to his diet and his body really changed. When he got here to us, he put in the work in the weight room. He started gaining weight. He got stronger. His body put him in a position to do even more things on the court than what he was doing in the past. And he just took off.”

And he didn’t land until the Hawks grabbed him with the 19th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. During his first year in the League, Collins showed glimpses of greatness—gifted hands, good footwork and a generous amount of time above the rim. Collins, who averaged more than 10 points and 7 boards a night, finished his first year in the top 10 in field-goal percentage. The well-rounded numbers were good enough for a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team.

Coming into his sophomore season, Collins’ individual expectations were understandably high. Unfortunately, a preseason knee issue immediately put a halt to the excitement. He would miss the first 15 games of the ’18-19 tilt.

“I’ve never really dealt with an injury before, ever in my career,” says Collins, who had 12 games with at least 20 points between his November 17 return and New Year’s Day. “For me to have [an injury] at this level is a little nerve-wrecking. Getting hurt the way I did, before the season started, and having to come back during the middle of the season when guys are starting to catch their rhythm made me question myself a little bit. But just the way I came back and played let me know I’m right on track.”

The good times rolled into January (20 and 9 averages for the month). February’s numbers (19.9 and 8.4) were only a pinch less impressive. He was an easy call for the USA squad in All-Star Weekend’s Rising Stars game, where he was paired with the two other sophomores, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Utah’s Donovan Mitchell, with whom he started to be bunched with in the “Best Second-Year Player” debate.

“I listen to [the chatter],” Collins says of the comparisons to Tatum and Mitchell, who were drafted No. 3 and 13, respectively, in 2017. “It’s sort of inevitable. But I feel like this is where I’m supposed to be. My name is being put up there with guys who went way higher than I did [in the draft]. I’m going late in the first round. Now guys are talking about I’m top five, top three. I worked for it. I’m going to keep playing the way I’m playing.”

Of course, the most glaring difference between Collins and the other two budding stars is that they advanced to the postseason while the Hawks went fishin’.

“In that league,” says Childress, coming to Collins’ defense, “to truly maximize your greatness, you need other great players with you. Let’s just call it what it is. As good as John is playing, no one will really give him the kind of credit that we’re talking about right now until we’re talking about the Atlanta Hawks being one of those [great] teams.”

The Hawks added De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish in the 2019 draft and no matter what else they do in pending free-agency to improve as a franchise, Collins knows he’s got some personal things to handle. Sure, he averaged 19.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and at least one thunderous jam for the year, but Collins also had one of the worst defensive ratings in the NBA. He only shot 34 percent from deep. He turned the ball over nearly twice a contest.

“Me getting over possessions [has been huge for my progress],” says Collins. “I feel like my rookie year I was so focused on every mistake I made. Now, it’s sort of a different mindset and knowing that I’m going to mess up. You gotta move on. That next-play mentality is something that was big for me. It helped me slow down the game.”

With things slowing for him, and Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, Hunter and Reddish in Atlanta’s tight young core, brighter days might be ahead. “He’s definitely someone that city can wrap themselves around,” says Childress. “He has that kind of personality. I expect big things in the future.”

Before the coach hangs up, he informs that he’ll happily get on another call if anything else needed. In this line of business, that’s not typically how things work. Usually when an interview is over, so too is your interaction with that person. But not this time. Not for this story.

OK, we get it. Anything for John Collins.

—

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DeMarco Williams is a SLAM contributor. Follow him on Twitter @demarcowill.

Photos via Getty.

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While the Hawks have no shortage of cap space and have made it clear they’re willing to take on salary if it helps them yield further assets, the Blazers are a team already struggling to stay out of the luxury tax in 2019-20.

We may see more pieces involved in this transaction, though nothing has yet been reported.

In 73 games for the Blazers last season, Turner averaged 6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just .212. Bazemore, in contrast shot .320 from three while scoring 11.6 points per game.

If both parties retain the players they receive in this deal, the Hawks could run Turner out as a versatile utility veteran to supplement the young core they’ve built around Trae Young and John Collins.

The Blazers, in contrast, would benefit from another three-point shooter, especially if the price for pending restricted free agent Rodney Hood creeps higher than their mid-level exception. Since Hood signed a one-year contract in 2018, the Blazers do not have the ability to exceed the cap and sign him with Bird rights.

The post Blazers Trading Evan Turner To Hawks For Kent Bazemore appeared first on SLAM.

The 29-year-old will once again return to Atlanta as an elder statesman for the franchise. Bazemore is one of the remaining pillars from the perennial Eastern Conference contender Hawks and has started 242 games for the franchise.

Bazemore averaged 11.6 points per game in a complementary role for the Hawks last season while young stars Trae Young and John Collins established themselves as the next generation.

Bazemore’s contract will have little impact on a Hawks team that would otherwise have just north of $40 million tied up for 2019-20. His expiring deal could, however, emerge as a valuable trade chip for the rebuilding franchise next season.

The post Kent Bazemore Picks Up 2019-20 Player Option appeared first on SLAM.

Young’s late-season surge has added some drama to the race with Luka Doncic for the award.

The 20-year-old is averaging 25.3 points, 8.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds on 40 percent shooting from three-point land since the All-Star break.

Per The Deseret News:

“I talk about that all the time. I said, ‘Bro, you’re not going to get it.’ He’s playing on a tear, but I tell him, he deserves it if you look at what he’s done but sometimes that’s just the way it is,” Mitchell said of Young. “He’s playing outstanding, him and John Collins. I went to the game where he had 20 and 20 at Oklahoma so I’ve seen it.

“It takes a few to kind of get adjusted to it but he’s had a helluva season,” he added. “My vote would be for him for sure but it’s gonna be tough because Luka is still doing his thing, but Trae is having a helluva second half.”

Like Mitchell, Young got off to a slow start before finding his groove after All-Star break where he’s since averaged 25.3 points, 8.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds on 40 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Doncic has played more of a Simmons role with all-around statistics of 21.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game.

“I feel like Trae is definitely catching fire at the right time which is perfect timing,” Collins said. “It’s really exciting for me to be a part of something like that and to be grouped together with some of the next best young guys in the NBA, the best league in the world.”

Related Trae Young Was ‘Thinking’ Too Much During Early-Season Struggles

The post ‘My Vote Would Be for Him’: Donovan Mitchell Says Trae Young is the Rookie of the Year appeared first on SLAM.

Oklahoma City closed with an exclamation point against Brooklyn, outscoring the Nets 66-44 in the second half to secure the win. Russell Westbrook registered his 26th triple-double of the season with 31 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.

Warriors 106 (46-21), Rockets 104 (42-26)

Golden State held off Houston in the closing moments to secure the road win. DeMarcus Cousins stepped up with Kevin Durant out, putting in 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Klay Thompson led the team in scoring with 30 points.

Magic 90 (31-38), Wizards 100 (29-39)

Washington enjoyed a triple threat of scoring from Bradley Beal (23 points), Thomas Bryant (21 points) and Jabari Parker (19 points) in their home win. Nikola Vucevic put in 20 points for the Magic.

Pistons 74 (34-33), Heat 108 (32-35)

Miami controlled this game from start to finish, never letting up the lead at any point. Detroit scored 18 points or fewer in three of the four quarters. Justise Winslow led the Heat in scoring with 16 points.

Grizzlies 111 (28-41), Hawks 132 (24-45)

Six Hawks hit double-digit scoring as Atlanta overwhelmed Memphis’ defense in the win. The young duo of John Collins (27 points, 12 rebounds) and Trae Young (22 points, eight assists) led the way for their team.

Jazz 114 (38-29), Suns 97 (16-53)

Donovan Mitchell led his team with 26 points as the Jazz coasted to a road win over the Suns. Devin Booker scored 27 points for Phoenix.

RELATED: Russell Westbrook: ‘I Would Boo Me Too if I Was the Other Team’

The post Post Up: Russell Westbrook Posts 26th Triple-Double of Season vs. Nets appeared first on SLAM.

Toronto tied its franchise-record 3s made with 21, as Kyle Lowry hit six triples to finish with 24 points. Pascal Siakam, a MIP candidate, had 20 points. Danny Green finished with 15 points.

Pistons 131 (34-31), Bulls 108 (19-49)

Detroit scored 42 points in the third quarter in the rout to win five straight. Four Pistons starters finished in double digits – Blake Griffin (28 points), Reggie Jackson (21 points), Andre Drummond (18 points) and Wayne Ellington (13 points). Langston Galloway added 21 points off the bench.

Sixers 106 (42-25), Pacers 86 (42-25)

Joel Embiid, who returned after missing the last eight games with a sore knee, finished with a team-high 33 points and 12 rebounds. Tobias Harris had 16 points and Ben Simmons had 15. Philly moved into the third place in the Eastern Conference with the win.

Hawks 128 (23-45), Pelicans 116 (30-39)

Kevin Huerter led all scorers with 27 points and John Collins posted a double-double (23 points, 10 rebounds). Alex Len added 19 points and was a rebound short of a double-double, and Trae Young had 10 points and 10 dimes.

Grizzlies 105 (28-40), Magic 97 (31-37)

Mike Conley scored 14 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, as Memphis closed the game on a 17-2 run. Avery Bradley had 21 points. CJ Miles, Joakim Noah and Delon Wright had a combined 33 bench points.

Rockets 94 (41-25), Mavericks 93 (27-39)

Chris Paul came up huge on the final possession of the game, blocking Jalen Brunson’s shot as time expired. Paul, who finished with nine points and nine assists, ranks No. 7 on the All-Time Assist Leaders list after passing Isaiah Thomas. Eric Gordon posted a team-high 26 points and James Harden had 20 points.

Timberwolves 103 (32-35), Knicks 92 (13-54)

With no Karl-Anthony Towns, Taj Gibson (25 points) filled in the void on the offensive side. Jeff Teague finished with 20 points and Keita Bates-Diop put up 18 points.

Spurs 121 (38-29), Bucks 114 (50-17)

LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan combined for 57 points on Sunday night. Marco Bellineli scored 16 points off the bench. The Spurs have now won five straight.

Suns 115 (16-52), Warriors 111 (45-21)

Devin Booker posted a game-high 37 points and 11 assists on the road in Oakland. Kelly Oubre had 22 points, Deandre Ayton had 18 points and nine boards. Golden State struggled to get it going from the 3-point line, shooting 10-43 from behind the arc. Kevin Durant (25 points) went to the locker room after rolling his ankle and didn’t return to the game.

The post Post Up: Devin Booker Scores 37 Points as Suns Stun Warriors 🔥 appeared first on SLAM.

Dwyane Wade, a.k.a. Father Prime, had to flex his magic Wednesday night. Wade hit an improbable buzzer-beater against the Warriors that was nothing short of otherworldly. He sent the Miami crowd and his teammates into hysteria following the shot.

Wade finished with 25 points.

Rockets 118 (36-25), Hornets 113 (28-33)

Houston scored 28 points in the fourth quarter to get a win on the road. James Harden contributed 30 points and dished out seven assists while Clint Capela scored 23 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. Kemba Walker had 35 points for the Hornets.

Timberwolves 123 (29-32), Hawks 131 (21-41)

Atlanta was able to come out on top in overtime thanks to the duo of Trae Young (36 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds) and John Collins (34 points, eight rebounds). Karl-Anthony Towns scored 37 points in the loss.

Wizards 125 (25-36), Nets 116 (32-21)

Bradley Beal (31 points) and Trevor Ariza (23 points, 10 rebounds) led Washington to a road win in Brooklyn. D’Angelo Russell put in 28 points and seven rebounds for the Nets.

Blazers 97 (38-23), Celtics 92 (37-25)

Damian Lillard’s 33 points propelled the Blazers to a win in Boston despite a comeback attempt by the Celtics. Kyrie Irving scored 31 points in the loss.

Bulls 109 (17-45), Grizzlies 107 (24-39)

The Bulls’ trio of Zach LaVine (30 points), Lauri Markkanen (22 points) and Otto Porter Jr. (20 points) helped Chicago hold off Memphis. Avery Bradley put in 23 points for the Grizzlies.

Pistons 93 (29-31), Spurs 105 (34-29)

San Antonio used a 27-point third quarter to expand their lead and cruise to the home win. LaMarcus Aldridge led the team with 24 points while DeMar DeRozan added 17 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.

Pacers 101 (40-22), Mavericks 110 (27-34)

Dallas turned the tide in the fourth quarter, putting in 31 points that pushed them ahead for the win. Rookie Luka Doncic flirted with a triple-double yet again, registering 26 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Clippers 105 (34-29), Jazz 111 (34-26)

Utah enjoyed double-digit scoring from six players, including each of their starting five. Donovan Mitchell led the team in scoring with 32 points, while Rudy Gobert added 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Bucks 141 (47-14), Kings 140 (31-30)

Milwaukee and Sacramento played an electrifying game that went down to the final seconds in overtime. Eric Bledsoe led the Bucks with 26 points and 13 assists. Buddy Hield scored 32 points for the Kings.

Pelicans 119 (27-36), Lakers 125 (30-31)

With his team up three and time winding down, LeBron James nailed a one-legged 3-pointer from the corner to seal the game. James finished with 33 points and 10 assists as the Lakers exacted revenge after a loss to the Pelicans last week.

RELATED: Dwyane Wade Channeling His ‘Inner Allen Iverson’ With Braids

The post Post Up: Dwyane Wade Hits Ridiculous Buzzer-Beater Against Warriors ⚡️ appeared first on SLAM.

Portland outscored the Sixers by 15 in the third quarter and kept a 20-point lead for much of the fourth.

Dame Lillard (17, 8 dimes, 6 boards) and Jusuf Nurkic (24 and 10) were both a +24 plus/minus on the night.

Ben Simmons and Nurkic went at it with some, er… friendly banter on the court, and Nurk even posted about Simmons on Instagram after the game. Too bad this was their final meeting this season.

Suns 112 (11-50), Hawks 120 (20-40)

The score was tied with 3 minutes to play, but Atlanta would go on a 13-5 run to close out the game.

John Collins had 19 points, 14 boards and a +19 plus/minus.

Phoenix has now lost an abysmal 17 straight.

Nets 117 (31-30), Hornets 115 (28-31)

Brooklyn held the lead for most of the game and were up by as much as 19 points in the third quarter. But Charlotte battled back and took an 8-point lead late in the fourth.

D’Angelo Russell, on his 23rd birthday, scored five straight buckets to regain the lead for the Nets. He would finish with 40 points, tying a career-high.

Grizzlies 107 (23-38), Cavs 112 (14-46)

Both teams played neck-and-neck throughout the fourth quarter, but Cleveland was able to pull away in the end.

Kevin Love, in his eighth game of the season, dropped a game-high 32 points (on 15 shots) with 12 boards.

Pacers 119 (40-20), Wizards 112 (24-36)

Despite a ton of turnovers, Indiana was able to maintain a lead for the majority of the game. (It also helped that the Wizards were also turning the ball over like crazy.)

Thad Young dropped a team-high 22 points on just 11 shots.

Lakers 115 (29-30), Pelicans 128 (27-34)

With Anthony Davis sitting out, New Orleans dropped 42 points in the first quarter and never looked back. They led by as much as 20 points during the fourth.

Jrue Holiday scored a team-high 27 points with 7 assists and 3 steals.

The Lakers have now lost 9 of their last 13 games.

Pistons 119 (28-30), Heat 96 (26-32)

Detroit outscored the Heat by 15 points in the fourth quarter, leading by as much as 26.

Blake Griffin had 20 points, 6 dimes and a +21 plus/minus.

Celtics 116 (37-23), Bulls 126 (16-44)

The last time the Celtics were in Chicago, they beat the Bulls by 56 points. This time, Boston was trailing by as much as 25 points.

Zach LaVine dropped a career-high 42 points and Lauri Markkanen had 35 points and 15 boards. The last pair of Bulls teammates to score 35+ points in a game were… you guessed it, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen during the 1996-97 season.

Kings 119 (31-28), Thunder 116 (38-21)

The Kings blew a 16-point third quarter lead but were able to hang on. Paul George had a chance to send the game to overtime, but his three at the buzzer fell short.

Buddy Hield dropped a team-high 34 points with 5 boards and 4 assists.

Wolves 128 (28-31), Bucks 140 (45-14)

Even without Karl-Anthony Towns (concussion), Minnesota was able to keep the game close until the Bucks pulled away in the fourth quarter.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points, 10 boards, 7 dimes and a +15 plus/minus.

Rockets 118 (34-25), Warriors 112 (42-17)

Even without James Harden (neck strain), Houston was able to come away with a victory at Oracle Arena.

Eric Gordon scored a team-high 25 points and Chris Paul (23 points, 17 dimes) put the team on his back with a vintage performance.

Mavs 109 (26-33), Jazz 125 (33-26)

After a heartbreaking 2OT loss the night before in OKC, Utah bounced back at home against the Mavs. The Jazz went off for 39 points in the final quarter to close out the victory.

Donovan Mitchell dropped a game-high 25 points with 8 boards and 6 dimes.

The post Post Up: CP3 Carries Rockets To Victory at Oracle 🚀 appeared first on SLAM.

L.A. rallied all the way back from a 23-point third-quarter deficit to take the lead with 6:18 in the fourth.

Lou Williams scored 26 of his game-high 39 points in second half and finished with a +19 plus/minus.

Bulls 118 (12-41), Hornets 125 (26-26)

After winning their second game in a row, Charlotte is now back where they’ve been most of the season: at .500.

SLAM 220 cover subject Kemba Walker dropped a game-high 37 points with 10 assists and 6 boards.

Nets 89 (28-26), Magic 102 (22-31)

Orlando outscored the Nets by 17 points in the second half to pull away with the dub.

Nikola Vucevic scored a game-high 24 points with 12 boards, 4 assists, 3 blocks and had a +20 plus/minus.

Bucks 131 (38-13), Wizards 115 (22-30)

Milwaukee ripped open a 21-point halftime lead and never looked back.

Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with a game-high 37 points with 10 boards and a +22 plus/minus.

Mavs 111 (24-28), Cavs 98 (11-42)

Dallas outscored the Cavs by eight in the fourth quarter to close out the game.

Luka Doncic finished with a game-high 35 points with 11 boards and 6 dimes.

Pacers 95 (33-19), Heat 88 (24-27)

Indiana rallied in the second half to snap a four-game losing streak without Victor Oladipo.

Bojan Bogdanovic finished with a game-high 31 points.

Pelicans 108 (23-30), Spurs 113 (32-22)

San Antonio had a 22-point lead with 5:55 remaining and nearly blew all of it by the final minute.

Luckily for the Spurs, Tim Frazier missed a three that would have tied the game with just seconds remaining.

LaMarcus Aldridge finished with a game-high 25 points with 14 boards and a +18 plus/minus.

San Antonio has now won five straight.

It's gotta be Manu under that mask… (via @spurs) pic.twitter.com/oRbOOLfG9Q

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 3, 2019

Lakers 101 (27-26), Warriors 115 (37-15)

Los Angeles took a one-point lead with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter, and then the Golden State onslaught began.

Over the next eight minutes of game clock, the Warriors opened up an 18-point lead to close out the game.

Earlier in the third quarter, Boogie Cousins (18 points, 10 boards, 4 assists) swung the momentum in the Warriors’ favor after throwing down a Dunk of the Year candidate (his achilles is looking just fine).

Kevin Durant added 21 points, 11 dimes, 5 boards and had a +21 plus/minus.

That was FILTHY, Boogie (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/fTpPSNnTH9

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 3, 2019

Nuggets 107 (37-15), Wolves 106 (25-27)

After nine lead changes and 11 ties, Denver was able to gut out the win in Minnesota.

The All-Star big man matchup between Nikola Jokic and Karl-Anthony Towns stole the show. While KAT scored a game-high 31 points, Jokic triple-doubled (13 points, 16 boards, 10 dimes) and threw a full-court dime to Malik Beasley for the game-winning layup.

Denver has won six in a row.

Hawks 118 (17-35), Suns 112 (11-43)

Trae Young dropped 17 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter as Atlanta rallied late in the game.

John Collins tied a career-high with 35 points while adding 16 boards and had a +15 plus/minus.

Phoenix lost their 10th in a row.

Rockets 125 (30-22), Jazz 98 (30-24)

Houston built a 13-point lead heading into halftime and never looked back. By the end of the fourth, the Rockets’ lead had ballooned to 29.

James Harden had one of his most complete games of the season, finishing with game-high 43 points (on 22 shots), 12 boards, 5 assists, 6 steals, 4 blocks and had a +31 plus/minus. Sheesh!

Sixers 108 (34-19), Kings 115 (27-25)

Sacramento had a 13-point lead in the third, only to see the game tied by 7:54 in the fourth.

Luckily for the Kings, Buddy Hield was red hot. He scored a game-high 34 points with 7 treys and hit a number of super-clutch buckets.

The post Post Up: DeMarcus Cousins Sparks Warriors to Win Over Lakers appeared first on SLAM.

Team World’s Luka Doncic and Ben Simmons will face Team USA’s Donovan Mitchell and De’Aaron Fox. Dirk Nowitzki (World) and Kyrie Irving (USA) will serve as the honorary coaches for the game.

Be sure to check out the full rosters below.

The 2019 Rising Stars teams have been announced.

Thoughts on Team USA and Team World? pic.twitter.com/tc7Tir0614

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 30, 2019

TEAM USA

Donovan Mitchell, Jazz
Jayson Tatum, Celtics
De’Aaron Fox, Kings
Trae Young, Hawks
Jaren Jackson Jr, Grizzlies
Lonzo Ball, Lakers
Kyle Kuzma, Lakers
Jarrett Allen, Nets
Marvin Bagley III, Kings
John Collins, Hawks

TEAM WORLD

Luka Doncic, Mavs
Ben Simmons, Sixers
DeAndre Ayton, Suns
Lauri Markkanen, Bulls
OG Anunoby, Raptors
Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kings
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Clippers
Rodions Kurucs, Nets
Josh Okogie, Wolves
Cedi Osman, Cavs

The post Luka Doncic, Ben Simmons Headline 2019 Rising Stars Rosters 🌟 appeared first on SLAM.

Everybody’s got an MSG Game, and Wednesday night was James Harden’s. The Rockets star put in 61 points — tying Kobe Bryant’s record for an opponent at MSG — and even sealed the game with a dunk in the final seconds. The game marked a career high for Harden in scoring.

Harden tied Kobe's MSG record of 61 points with this DUNK (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/NzPX8AawEt

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 24, 2019

Raptors 106 (36-14), Pacers 110 (32-15)

Indiana prevailed in this one but focus was primarily on star Victor Oladipo, who went down in obvious pain before the first half ended. Reports suggest that Oladipo will miss the rest of the season and will need surgery after suffering a “serious” injury. Updates to follow.

Victor Oladipo was stretchered off in Indiana with an apparent leg injury. PRAYERS UP (via @FSIndiana) pic.twitter.com/vWIEhOmMvR

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 24, 2019

Cavaliers 103 (9-40), Celtics 123 (30-18)

Boston secured the home win despite the absence of Kyrie Irving (flu-like symptoms) and Al Horford (rest). Terry Rozier stepped up with 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists in 29 minutes.

Magic 110 (20-28), Nets 114 (26-23)

Brooklyn used a 7-0 run down the stretch to help them hold off the Magic. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 29 points while D’Angelo Russell registered a double-double of 25 points and 10 assists.

Clippers 111 (26-22), Heat 99 (22-24)

Los Angeles took over in the second half after the game was tied at halftime. They were led by Tobias Harris, who paced his team with 31 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Flash x White Chocolate. Legendary (via @MiamiHEAT) https://t.co/anzTbJ5QUZ

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 24, 2019

Spurs 120 (27-22), 76ers 122 (32-17)

DeMar DeRozan’s last-second layup to tie the game was blocked and the 76ers held onto the win. Big man Joel Embiid put up a huge game of 33 points and 19 rebounds while Ben Simmons added a triple-double of 21 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds.

Hawks 121 (15-32), Bulls 101 (11-37)

Atlanta’s 42 first-quarter points opened up their lead and help them en route to a road win in Chicago. Second-year player John Collins impressed with a career-high 35 points.

Hornets 118 (23-24), Grizzlies 107 (19-29)

Charlotte enjoyed double-digit scoring from four of their five starters in the win. Kemba Walker (22 points, seven assists) and Nicolas Batum (18 points) led their efforts in Memphis. Marc Gasol posted a triple-double of 22 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists for the Grizzlies.

Pistons 98 (21-26), Pelicans 94 (22-26)

Blake Griffin’s big night (37 points, nine rebounds, seven assists) pushed Detroit to the win in New Orleans. The Anthony Davis-less Pelicans were led by Jrue Holiday’s 29 points and seven assists.

Nuggets 108 (31-15), Jazz 114 (27-22)

Derrick Favors and Mason Plumlee set the tempo for this close game as both were ejected in the first quarter after a scuffle. Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell provided his own fireworks with a game-high 35 points in the win.

Derrick Favors AND Mason Plumlee ejected as things get SPICY in Utah (via @ESPN) pic.twitter.com/YQ7iqCi8V5

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 24, 2019

RELATED:
James Harden: ‘I Want My Name Up There’ With the Greatest Players Ever

The post Post Up: James Harden Drops a Career-High 61 Points at MSG 🔥 appeared first on SLAM.

Turns out eBay doesn’t let you buy anything “affiliated with murders or serial killers.”

Before we go any further: no, Mark Jackson didn’t murder anybody. This also isn’t a joke about Jackson’s first truly boring and pedestrian season. (In 1990, the Knicks legend averaged 7.4 assists, mostly in entry passes to Patrick Ewing.)

But there are, in fact, two murderers prominently featured on Mark Jackson’s 1989-90 trading card. It’s the Menendez Brothers, two of the four people seated courtside in the picture. And the photo was taken after they murdered their parents for their insurance money in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989.

Miraculously, nobody found out two famous murderers photobombed Mark Jackson’s trading card until 30 full years later. Not until last August.

This discovery did not happen the way you think it did. A guy wasn’t rooting around his card collection and spotted two guilty-looking 20-somethings at Madison Square Garden.

In fact, Stephen Zerance doesn’t even watch the NBA. He was just trying to find photographic proof that Lyle and Erik Menendez did all the outlandish stuff that court documents claim they did in the months between murdering their parents and getting caught.

“My friend and I, who is also a true-crime head, knew that the brothers went on a lavish spending spree after they got an insurance payout from their parents’ death,” Zerance said. “They bought a lot of things: tennis lessons, Rolexes, clothes, businesses, restaurants, cars.”

In all, the brothers quickly spent about $700,000 between the murders in August of 1989 and their apprehension in 1990—almost the exact length of the NBA season.

“Then we noticed they bought courtside tickets to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.”

Zerance, who writes crime novels, began looking at old photo archives for proof. Nothing. Maybe someone had uploaded a picture or video somewhere else? No luck.

“When Getty Images didn’t have anything, it was like a light bulb,” he said. “There are so many junk cards on eBay.”

Zerance looked up cards on eBay from 1989 and 1990 and zeroed in until he found a match. He bought a bunch for about 10 cents apiece.

On August 12 of 2018, 29 years after the Menendez brothers committed the murders to the week, Zerance posted his findings on Twitter.

“Mood: my Mark Jackson basketball card with cameos from the Menendez brothers in the background,” he wrote.

Mood: my Mark Jackson basketball card with cameos from the Menendez brothers in the background pic.twitter.com/kqmLag0uze

— STEPHEN ZERANCE (@stephnz) August 12, 2018

Almost nobody noticed at the time. As of this writing, the post has two retweets. But months later, in December, a different, anonymous person posted his findings on Reddit.

Reddit is mostly bad but the other day I learned on that website that the Menendez Brothers are in the background of this basketball card and that logistically this would be between when they killed their parents and when they were arrested and I cannot stop thinking about it. pic.twitter.com/fMb5ugLX2m

— John Rosenberger (@JohnJohnPhenom) December 8, 2018

This checks out. Menendez murder happened Aug. 20, 1989. Brothers were apprehended March 1990. Photo was taken at MSG in 1989-90 season and set came out before 1990-91 season. https://t.co/n2vzRBA6Sg

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) December 8, 2018

NBA internet was enthralled. The Reddit post then made it back to Twitter on someone else’s account, which received thousands of retweets. CNN and The Washington Post wrote stories about it. Nobody knew it was Zerance who found it until we found him, which he said doesn’t bother him at all.

“I’m just glad it went viral, really. It’s a cool little tidbit,” he said.

After all, those 10 cent cards could net him some cash now. Although eBay claimed it prohibited selling the cards, it’s not really enforcing the ban anymore.

They’re going for about $20 apiece on average. One particularly ambitious guy on Etsy is trying to sell his mint condition card for $1,500.

So Zerance has some advice: If you have a favorite player, buy his trading card now, before it gets haunted.

“I’m sure this will continue happening,” said Zerance. “There have to be so many things hiding in plain sight.”

—

Ben Collins is a writer and reporter for NBC News. He’s also a SLAM columnist and writes The Outlet, a monthly column in which BC muses on…well, whatever he wants. Follow him on Twitter @oneunderscore_.

The post How Two Murderers Were Spotted on an Old Mark Jackson Trading Card appeared first on SLAM.

Indiana took care of business on their home court, jumping out to a 19-point lead after the first quarter and expanding it to 37 by the fourth.

After missing four games with a shoulder injury, Myles Turner returned to score 18 points with 6 boards, 2 blocks and 2 steals.

Wolves 107 (21-23), Sixers 149 (29-16)

Minnesota had no answer for the Sixers in their first meeting since the Jimmy Butler trade.

The Sixers opened up a 25-point lead by halftime, and it only ballooned to 42 points by the fourth.

Ben Simmons led the way with 20 points, 11 boards, 9 assists and was a +24 in 26 minutes.

After the game, it was all love along the former teammates who were involved in the trade.

Brotherhood (via @NBCSPhilly) pic.twitter.com/tF35s2Stx7

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 16, 2019

Thunder 126 (26-17), Hawks 142 (14-30)

Even the League’s best defense can have an off night. OKC gave up a season-high 142 points to Atlanta, allowing the Hawks to score 45 points in both the second and fourth quarters.

John Collins had 26 points on 14 shots, and Trae Young had 24 points and 11 assists.

Heat 86 (21-21), Bucks 124 (31-12)

In the third blowout of the night, Milwaukee took a 24-point lead in to halftime and finished the game with a 38-point victory.

Miami tried to force Giannis Antetokounmpo to be a passer, and the strategy didn’t work at all. Giannis finished with 12 points, 10 boards, 10 assists and a +24 in 25 minutes.

Warriors 142 (30-14), Nuggets 111 (29-14)

The Warriors broke a couple records in this game, most notably, dropping 51 points in the first quarter.

Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson combined for 89 points and 18 threes as Golden State snapped the Nuggets’ 12-game home winning streak.

Adding to the historical night, Golden State became the only team in history to score 140+ points on 10 or fewer free-throw attempts.

Draymond Green had 4 points, 13 assists, 6 boards and was a ridiculous +41 in 31 minutes. Golden State has now won 5 games in a row.

The Warriors just dropped 10 TREYS and 51 POINTS in the first quarter (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/OPl2sU631D

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 16, 2019

Bulls 100 (10-34), Lakers 107 (24-21)

The Bulls scored 24 points in the final 4:36 to deny Lakers fans free tacos (the Lakers have to win AND hold their opponent under 100 points).

Lonzo Ball led the way for L.A., finishing with 19 points, 8 boards and 6 assists.

Chicago has now lost eight straight.

The post Post Up: Warriors Have Red-Hot Shooting Night vs Nuggets 🔥 appeared first on SLAM.

Luka Doncic did what he does best: get buckets in the clutch. The rookie scored seven of the Mavs’ last nine points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer that put Dallas up for good. He finished with 29 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds.

Luka in the clutch. If you know, you know (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/gachCgmoyh

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 12, 2019

Hawks 123 (13-29), 76ers 121 (27-16)

Atlanta pulled out the sneaky road win over the Embiid-less Sixers thanks to a last-second fadeaway jumper by John Collins (25 points, nine rebounds). Kevin Huerter also dropped a career-high 29 points for the Hawks.

John Collins fadeaway game-winner (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/5ygPb68nqR

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 12, 2019

Bucks 106 (29-12), Wizards 113 (18-25)

Washington’s Tom Satoransky registered a triple-double of 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the home win over the Giannis-less Bucks. Bradley Beal added the scoring punch with 32 points.

TRIP-DUB ALERT

.@Satoransky finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, and became the first Czech player in NBA history to record a triple-double!#WizBucks | #DCFamily pic.twitter.com/P02pNbuF5s

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) January 12, 2019

Pacers 121 (28-14), Knicks 106 (10-32)

Indiana shot an impressive 52 percent from the field in a comfortable road win. Domantas Sabonis put in 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for the Pacers.

DOMAS!

( https://t.co/T6jmxBf6kX ) pic.twitter.com/Bf4WLDAEgN

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) January 12, 2019

Nets 105 (21-23), Raptors 122 (32-12)

Eight Toronto players hit double digits in scoring, led by Kawhi Leonard’s 20 points in 26 minutes. D’Angelo Russell had 24 points and nine assists for the Nets.

Savage playing bully ball. pic.twitter.com/JCc1rVSE9y

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 12, 2019

Cavaliers 113 (8-35), Rockets 141 (24-17)

James Harden put up a ridiculous triple-double of 43 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds as he continues his MVP campaign. Harden shot 12-of-24 from the field including 8-of-16 from 3-point land.

With this 3-pointer, James Harden has now passed Kobe on the all-time 3PM list (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/PGDfzD5YNR

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 12, 2019

Lakers 95 (23-20), Jazz 113 (22-21)

Donovan Mitchell popped off on national television for 33 points and nine assists, including a nasty poster dunk in the second quarter. The LeBron-less Lakers never had a chance to lead, instead falling behind early as Utah grew its lead throughout the game.

THIS SPIDA AIN'T FRIENDLY (via @utahjazz) pic.twitter.com/Nb4PeKqRCw

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 12, 2019

Hornets 96 (19-22), Blazers 127 (26-17)

Portland scored 37 first-quarter points and never looked back. They were led by their backcourt of CJ McCollum (30 points) and Damian Lillard (20 points).

HALF COURT ALLEY-OOP FROM @DAME_LILLARD TO @JLAYMAN10 YES WE ARE YELLING pic.twitter.com/GABoCd06EC

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) January 12, 2019

Bulls 109 (10-32), Warriors 146 (28-14)

Steph Curry made history in the Warriors’ easy win as he moved into No. 3 all-time on the career made 3-pointers list, passing Jason Terry. He now only trails Reggie Miller and Ray Allen for the No. 1 spot.

Steph is now No. 3 all-time in made 3-pointers. Respect (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/mY3dw4N0Wb

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 12, 2019

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The Pacers nearly gave up a 26-point lead, but Thad Young’s efficient 26-point outing kept the Cavaliers at bay. Jordan Clarkson scored a team-high 26 for Cleveland.

Wizards 115 (16-25), 76ers 132 (27-14)

Bradley Beal dropped 28 for Washington, but it wasn’t enough to overcome three 76ers (Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, Landry Shamet) scoring at least 20 points.

Landry Shamet’s eight made 3’s tied Allen Iverson’s rookie record for treys made by a Philadelphia rookie.

Nuggets 103 (27-12), Heat 99 (19-20)

Nikola Jokic racked up a triple-double with 29 points, 11 boards and 10 assists, but his two most important points came on his game-winning bucket with two seconds to go in regulation. Jamal Murray, who scored 18, assisted the bucket.

Cold-blooded Jokic (via @nba) pic.twitter.com/SMxsTD3KHq

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 9, 2019

Hawks 101 (12-28), Raptors 104 (31-12)

Kawhi Leonard’s hot streak continued as he recorded 31 points, four boards, six dimes, six steals and a game-securing block.

Second-year big man John Collins shined for Atlanta, scoring 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting (3-for-3 from behind the arc) and grabbing 14 boards.

Vince Carter received a standing ovation in his return to the Six.

Standing ovation in the 6⃣.

Vince Carter may have just checked in for his final game in Toronto. (via @DefPenHoops) pic.twitter.com/7wBWKQzt64

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 9, 2019

Timberwolves 119 (20-21), Thunder 117 (25-15)

Ryan Saunders, the son of the late Flip Saunders, received a warm welcome in the Timberwolves after his first-ever win as an NBA head coach.

Andrew Wiggins scored 40 points and grabbed 10 boards to lead Minnesota.

Thunder big man Nerlens Noel was stretchered off the floor after taking an elbow to the head from Wiggins. The situation led to altercation between Dennis Schroder and Jeff Teague — reportedly having to do with Minnesota players laughing after the injury — that resulted in Teague being ejected.

Did it for Flip.

Ryan Saunders just won his first game as an NBA head coach. (via @Timberwolves) pic.twitter.com/qFOZv8wEwd

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 9, 2019

Kings 111 (20-21), Suns 115 (10-32)

Kelly Oubre made a big impression on his new home, scoring a team-high 26 points and throwing down a putback dunk with 11 seconds to go that secured the Suns’ 21-point comeback win.

De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 24 points.

Knicks 95 (10-31), Warriors 122 (27-14)

The Knicks hung around until the fourth quarter when these two sides met at the Garden a few weeks ago, but a 13-0 run from the Warriors to end the first half gave Golden State a double-digit lead New York threaten the rest of the way.

Klay Thompson led all players with an electric 43 points on 18-for-29 shooting while Steph Curry notched 14 points, 14 dimes and six boards.

We sleep on Steph’s dimes tho (via @nba) pic.twitter.com/1kKyt8kkq7

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 9, 2019

Hornets 109 (19-20), Clippers 128 (23-16)

The Clippers took a two-point lead just under nine minutes into the first quarter and never looked back as Lou Williams had 27 points and 10 dimes in just 25 minutes of playing time off the bench. His plus-minus of plus-30 led all players.

The post Post Up: Nikola Jokic Hits Game-Winner after Triple-Double, Klay Thompson Goes Off for 43 🔥 appeared first on SLAM.

Tobias Harris scored 28 points in the Sunday afternoon victory. Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also had 13 apiece. The Clippers have 11 consecutive games against the Magic.

Nets 117 (20-21), Bulls 100 (10-30)

The Nets won in the Windy City with D’Angelo Russell leading the way with 28 points. Russell caught fire from behind the perimeter, making six three-pointers. Jarrett Allen was the team’s second-leading scorer with 19 points. Brooklyn’s currently on a three-game winning streak.

Timberwolves 108 (18-21), Lakers 86 (21-18)

The Lakers got off to a rough start, scoring three points halfway through the first quarter. L.A. is still without LeBron James, who’s missed the last six games with a groin injury, and are 1-5 without James. Four of five of the Wolves’ starters scored in double digits. Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins had 28 apiece on a day where head coach Tom Thibodeau was fired after the double-digit win.

Hi haters, Andrew Wiggins just scored 25 points in the first half. (via @nba) pic.twitter.com/RxR2VPrXIf

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 6, 2019

Hawks 106 (12-27), Heat 82 (19-19)

Trae Young’s 19 points and John Collins’ double-double (13 points, 13 rebounds) played a big role in Atlanta’s win. Dwyane Wade scored 11 points and hit one three-pointer to make 500 three-pointers in his career. After the game, Young and Wade swapped jerseys.

The rookie and OG. Respect. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/EX9yhdv48W

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 7, 2019

Wizards 116 (16-24), Thunder 98 (25-14)

Bradley Beal scored 25 points on the road against the Thunder. Otto Porter had 20 points and five dimes, and Jeff Green also had 16. Despite the loss, Russell Westbrook posted his 116th career triple-double after dropping 22 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists.

Raptors 121 (29-12), Pacers 105 (26-12)

Norman Powell had a season-high 25 points in the home win. He made 10-of-12 shots and scored 11 points in the fourth quarter. Kyle Lowry, who missed the last six games, scored 12 points dished out eight assists.

Hornets 119 (18-20), Suns 113 (9-31)

Both teams battled down the stretch as Hornets came out with the win in the desert. Kemba Walker scored Charlotte’s last 11 points to complete his 29-point performance, including a mean side-step coming downhill. Devin Booker left the game with sore back and only had seven points in the contest.

Cardiac Kemba ICED the game with this. #BuzzBoyz (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/6SJPHAOctW

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 7, 2019

The post Post Up: Bradley Beal Drops 25 Points Against Thunder 🙌 appeared first on SLAM.

Milwaukee led by as much as 26 in the third quarter, but the Nets were able to cut the lead to single digits with 8 minutes left in the game.

When it came to winning time, however, Giannis Antetokounmpo put the game out of reach. He finished with 31 points (on 17 shots), 10 boards and 10 dimes.

Milwaukee has now won seven of their last eight games.

Rockets 108 (20-15), Pelicans 104 (16-21)

James Harden surpassed the 40-point mark for the third straight game as Houston continues to win despite having a banged up roster.

Harden finished with 41 points (on 25 shots) with 9 boards and 6 dimes in what has been one of his most impressive months of his Hall of Fame career.

Houston has now won four straight and nine of their last 10.

James Harden makes this pass look so easy (via @HoustonRockets) https://t.co/PplBjKjfT3

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 30, 2018

Hornets 126 (17-18), Wizards 130 (14-23)

Despite losing John Wall (heel) for the season and not having Otto Porter for the 10th straight game, Washington was able to gut out another win on their home floor.

Kemba Walker almost won the game for the Hornets by himself—including 24 of his game-high 47 points in the fourth—but the Wizards held on.

Trevor Ariza had 24 points, 7 boards and 9 assists.

Cavaliers 108 (8-29), Hawks 111 (11-24)

Atlanta completely blew an 11-point lead in the fourth, but managed to hold on and hand Cleveland their sixth straight L.

Both Trae Young and Vince Carter had 21 points to lead the Hawks. John Collins had 14 and 12 and a monster putback dunk at the end of the first quarter.

John Collins, folks (via @ATLHawks) pic.twitter.com/YpQ1mtbPI2

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 30, 2018

Celtics 112 (21-14), Grizzlies 103 (18-17)

Memphis built a 19-point lead in the third quarter, and completely blew it all as Boston would go on to dominate the second half.

Kyrie Irving was masterful, finishing with 26 points (on 16 shots) and 13 assists, and Jayson Tatum filled the stat sheet with 7 points, 8 boards, 5 assists and 4 steals.

Jayson Tatum FLYING for the putback dunk (via @celtics) https://t.co/SKECqZkEM6

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 30, 2018

Knicks 97 (9-28), Jazz 129 (18-19)

Utah came out aggressive, and New York played lifeless in the first half as the Jazz took a 37-point lead in to halftime.

Even with garbage time in full effect, the Jazz’ lead would balloon to 46 points in the fourth quarter.

Rudy Gobert had 25 points and 16 boards in just 25 minutes. The loss was the seventh straight for the Knicks.

Nuggets 122 (23-11), Suns 118 (9-28)

Denver outscored the Suns by 20 points in the first quarter and never looked back.

Jamal Murray was on fire from outside, hitting a career-high 9 treys on just 11 three-point attempts. The 21-year-old would finish with 46 points and 8 assists.

Suns rookie DeAndre Ayton scored 24 of his 33 points in the second quarter.

Jamal Murray SMOOTH to the basket (via @nuggets) https://t.co/LfYBQ6p5KH

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 30, 2018

Warriors 115 (24-13), Blazers 105 (20-16)

Golden State cracked open an 18-point lead in the second quarter and didn’t look back.

Strangely enough, Andre Iguodala was ejected when he threw a ball into the stands in frustration after the halftime buzzer.

Klay Thompson broke out of a shooting slump, scoring a team-high 32 points on 4-5 shooting from three. And yes, he was very pleased with his shooting hand tonight.

Wow. The refs EJECTED Andre Iguodala for throwing the ball into the stands (via @NBCSNorthwest) pic.twitter.com/tGpEvs6uhG

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 30, 2018

Spurs 122 (19-17), Clippers 111 (21-14)

The Spurs did something they don’t normally do: They won on the road, and they won on the second half of a back-to-back.

DeMar DeRozan led the way with 25 points, 13 boards, 6 assists and 4 steals.

DeMar went STRONG at the rim (via @spurs) https://t.co/vfq4GbXSIR

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 30, 2018

The post Post Up: James Harden Surpasses 40 for Third Straight Game 🔥 appeared first on SLAM.

And now we can add 3-time NBA champ Draymond Green, as well as Zach Collins to the list after they stopped by to check out Sierra Canyon at the Les Schwab Invitational.

Sierra Canyon is one of the most exciting teams in SoCal, seeing as they sport Cassius Stanley, Scottie Pippen Jr. and Kenyon Martin Jr. They face University High School in the Final.

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Toronto became the first team to hit 25 wins with the victory at home even despite Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka missing the game due to injury. Kawhi Leonard dropped 37 points while OG Anunoby added 21 points for the Raptors. Jordan Clarkson led Cleveland with 20 points.

Dang, OG (via @Raptors) https://t.co/xJbFkAC9mt

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 22, 2018

Pistons 86 (15-15), Hornets 98 (16-15)

Marvin Williams poured in a career-high seven 3-pointers to lead all scorers and help Charlotte secure the win. Teammate Kemba Walker added 22 points and five assists in the win. Blake Griffin put in 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists for Detroit.

"KEMBA!!! HUUUGGEEE SHOT!" -Eric Collins

Get those out again! @KembaWalker doing what he does best in the clutch! #BuzzCity | #DETatCHA | #Hornets30 pic.twitter.com/HnfIrWoOku

— Bally Sports: Hornets (@HornetsOnBally) December 22, 2018

Pacers 114 (21-12), Nets 106 (15-19)

Indiana finished the game on a 14-3 run to capture the road win. Four of the Pacers’ five starters scored in double digits, led by Victor Oladipo’s 26 points. Rodions Kurucs paced Brooklyn with 24 points.

That's nasty, Vic (via @Pacers) https://t.co/MxdGarqOif

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 22, 2018

Hawks 114 (8-23), Knicks 107 (9-25)

Atlanta was propelled by an all-round effort, with seven players hitting double digits. Kent Bazemore (22 points, six rebounds) and John Collins (17 points, 16 rebounds) were the Hawks’ standout performers. Emmanuel Mudiay continued a hot stretch of play with 32 points.

Kevin with the bunnies pic.twitter.com/IP5v6kXOUY

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) December 22, 2018

Bucks 120 (22-9), Celtics 107 (18-13)

This matchup of Eastern Conference heavyweights was mostly one-sided. The Bucks held a sizable lead in the first half and didn’t back down when the Celtics cut down their lead in the fourth quarter. Giannis Antetokounmpo put in 30 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the road win.

This is your nightly "GIANNIS" tweet (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/zU23asCxDo

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 22, 2018

Magic 80 (14-17), Bulls 90 (8-25)

Lauri Markkanen led Chicago to the win behind his game-high 32 points, which included a monster dunk on Nikola Vucevic. Evan Fournier led Orlando with 24 points.

MARKKANEN POSTER (via @chicagobulls) pic.twitter.com/Cf80NpWdu7

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 22, 2018

Timberwolves 98 (14-18), Spurs 124 (18-15)

San Antonio displayed incredible ball movement, registering 36 assists on 46 made field goals. Bryn Forbes (22 points) and Marco Belinelli (17 points) provided the scoring punch. Andrew Wiggins led the Wolves in scoring with 15 points.

Ball movement
Bryn three
The reaction

Everything about this play. https://t.co/QK6GWLVvtf

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) December 22, 2018

Jazz 120 (16-17), Blazers 90 (18-14)

A hot shooting night by Utah doomed Portland. The Jazz shot an astounding 51.6 percent from 3-point range and 55.3 percent from the field. They were led by Ricky Rubio, who dropped 24 points on 4-4 shooting from three. Damian Lillard scored 19 in the loss.

This whole sequence is on the Nice List https://t.co/Ox74TBwe3q

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 22, 2018

Grizzlies 99 (16-15), Kings 102 (16-15)

This one went down to the buzzer as each team was tied close to each other throughout. Each team had six double-digit scorers as well. Buddy Hield led Sacramento with 28 points; Mike Conley led Memphis with 23 points.

Fox showed off his bunnies on the block (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/gNQRJzL8Xm

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 22, 2018

Pelicans 104 (15-18), Lakers 112 (19-13)

Los Angeles and New Orleans flipped the lead several times in the first half, but the Lakers took control in the third and fourth quarters. LeBron James posted a triple-double of 22 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds. Anthony Davis paced the Pelicans with 30 points and 20 rebounds.

Bron. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/cRZWxWswFZ

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 22, 2018

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Indiana had their seven-game winning streak snapped in heartbreaking fashion, as Larry Nance Jr tipped-in the winning bucket at the buzzer.

Victor Oladipo had several chances to put the game away, but he missed a total of three free-throws and a layup in the final 45 seconds.

Nance finished with 15 points, 16 boards, 6 assists and 3 steals.

Larry Nance Jr with the GAME-WINNING putback (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/cErsQJHE4e

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 19, 2018

Wizards 110 (12-19), Hawks 118 (7-23)

The game was tied heading in to the fourth quarter when Jeremy Lin spearheaded a Hawks run that culminated in a 15-point lead with 2 minutes remaining.

Lin scored 12 of his 16 points in the fourth to help ATL pull away with the win.

John Collins had 20 points and 13 boards to lead the Hawks.

Lakers 110 (18-13), Nets 115 (14-18)

Playing calm and under control, D’Angelo Russell sank a dagger three-pointer with 22 seconds remaining as Brooklyn won its sixth straight game.

Russell finished with 22 points, 13 assists and 4 boards and finally got a W against his former team.

Don’t look now, but Brooklyn has the League’s longest active winning streak and a 37 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to FiveThirtyEight.

Things are definitely looking up in Brooklyn.

 @Dloading

(via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/0IxDe3SAjj

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 19, 2018

Mavs 118 (15-14), Nuggets 126 (21-9)

Despite a multitude of injuries, Denver’s offense was humming tonight.

The Nuggets shot 55.6 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from three as Dallas could do little to slow the onslaught.

Nikola Jokic put up an impressive 32 points against DeAndre Jordan and finished with a game-high plus-minus of +15. Jamal Murray added 22 points and a career-high 15 assists.

The post Post Up: D’Angelo Russell, Nets Beat Lakers for 6th Straight Win ❄️ appeared first on SLAM.

Luka Doncic was having an off night until the final three minutes of the game.

The ROY favorite went on an 11-0 run all by himself to put the Mavs up by 3 with 57 seconds remaining. It seems like the 19-year-old is at his best when the pressure is the highest.

Doncic finished the game with 21 points, 7 boards and 3 steals.

LUKA STEP-BACK 3⃣. CLUTCH. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/YoAPzLufnq

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 9, 2018

Kings 97 (13-12), Pacers 107 (16-10)

After the Kings defeated the Pacers in Sacramento a week ago, Indiana returned the favor on their home court.

Domas Sabonis dropped 14 points off the bench after missing Indy’s previous game with food poisoning.

Nuggets 98 (17-9), Hawks 106 (6-20)

Denver only had 8 healthy bodies going in to this game, and with Jamal Murray injuring his shin, the Nuggets may be down to just seven players.

Credit to Atlanta for ending a four-game skid. ATL broke open the game in the third quarter, outscoring Denver by 14 points.

John Collins was a beast, dropping a career-high 30 points with 12 boards and 5 dimes.

Wizards 101 (11-15), Cavs 116 (6-20)

Cleveland opened up a 20-point lead mid-way through the second quarter and did not look back.

John Wall, who was dealing with bone spur in his heel, only scored 1 point in what he called the worst offensive performance of his life.

Tristan Thompson continued on his tear, scoring 23 points with 19 boards and 5 dimes. Collin Sexton tied his career-high with 29 points and set a career-high with 6 assists.

RAISE THE ROOF

Collin Sexton lobs it to Larry Nance Jr (via @cavs) https://t.co/apI5hdqX7s

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 9, 2018

Nets 112 (10-18), Knicks 104 (8-19)

Brooklyn had a 19-point lead in the fourth, only to watch it dwindle down to just 5 with about 5 minutes remaining.

The Nets managed to hold on a take a 2-1 lead in the subway series so far this season.

Spencer Dinwiddie dropped a game-high 25 points with 6 assists.

Celtics 133 (15-10), Bulls 77 (6-21)

Even without Al Horford and Aron Baynes, Boston continued to play excellent basketball.

So good, in fact, the Celtics were able to hand the Bulls perhaps their worst loss in franchise history. On a night full of blowouts, this game was king among them.

Daniel Theis was an incredible +50 in just his fourth start of his NBA career. He finished with a monster line of 22 points, 10 boards, 5 assists and 4 blocks.

Lakers 111 (16-10), Grizzlies 88 (15-10)

The Lakers opened up a 20-point lead in the second quarter and never looked back.

Kyle Kuzma had 20 points, 9 boards and 6 assists, and LeBron James had 20 points, 9 assists and 8 boards.

In a heartwarming moment, LeBron gave his game-used sneakers to a longtime Grizzlies ball girl and supporter. After the game, LeBron revealed that he had noticed her wearing rare pairs of his sneakers every year when his team would visit Memphis.

#MoreThanAGame

(via @__Almxghty) pic.twitter.com/LrWyBHuJ2B

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 9, 2018

Wolves 105 (13-13), Blazers 113 (15-11)

The game was tied with just over a minute left. Dame Lillard came around a high screen and drained a deep three to give the Blazers a three-point lead.

On the next Blazer possession, Dame kicked it out to CJ McCollum who drained another three to put the nail in the coffin.

Lillard finished the game with 28 points, 6 assists and 8 boards.

YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS (via @NBCSNorthwest) pic.twitter.com/jK8kCOyqiv

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 9, 2018

Heat 121 (11-14), Clippers 98 (16-9)

In his 1,000th career game, Dwyane Wade led all scorers with 25 points in a big road win.

The Heat had only 8 healthy players, but Wade and Justise Winslow (21 points, 9 assists) stepped up.

Miami outscored the Clippers 30-8 in the fourth, with L.A. managing to make just one field goal in the quarter.

He isn't called BAM for nothing (via @MiamiHEAT) https://t.co/HV76hxxI3C

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 9, 2018

The post Post Up: Luka Doncic Scores 11-Straight To Beat Rockets 🔥 appeared first on SLAM.

Paul George is a bad man. With just seconds remaining, and after mounting a furious comeback, George nailed a 3-pointer from the wing that put OKC up for good. The Nets at one point held a 23-point lead before George and co. got back in it. PG13 ended the game with 47 points (25 alone came in the fourth quarter).

PAUL. GEORGE. 47 points and the GAME-WINNER (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/npDVQlEI36

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 6, 2018

76ers 102 (17-9), Raptors 113 (21-5)

The potential Eastern Conference Finals preview lived up to the hype. Kawhi Leonard (36 points, nine rebounds) and Jonas Valanciunas (26 points, eight rebounds) stepped up as Toronto claimed the win. Jimmy Butler hung 38 on the Raptors in the loss.

Watching Kawhi go to work is so fun, man (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/e9EYGyCG6s

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 6, 2018

Spurs 113 (11-14), Lakers 121 (15-9)

LeBron James and the Lakers came storming back in the fourth quarter after the Spurs’ lead slowly slipped through their hands. At one point in the fourth quarter James scored 14 straight points; he finished with 42. The Lakers lost Brandon Ingram to a left ankle sprain, who did not appear in the second half.

What a performance by LeBron tonight (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/D0mCbg7xjW

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 6, 2018

Warriors 129 (17-9), Cavaliers 105 (5-19)

Things were different this time for two teams very familiar with each other. The game marked the first since 2014 that didn’t feature LeBron James. Steph Curry did his normal lights-out shooting, notching 42 points on 9-for-14 shooting from 3-point land in the win.

4-5 on threes in the first quarter?

Steph's feelin' it

@NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/yqE0wa4mOK

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 6, 2018

Nuggets 124 (17-7), Magic 118 (12-13)

Terrence Ross came up clutch and pushed the game to overtime thanks to his late 3-point shot, but Denver closed it out in the extra period. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets in scoring with 31 points. Evan Fournier paced the Magic with 26 points in the loss.

Classic Nikola. https://t.co/WR5krU9cFr

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 6, 2018

Wizards 131 (11-14), Hawks 117 (5-20)

John Wall missed the game due to personal reasons, but that let Bradley Beal become the clear No. 1 option for the night. Beal delivered with 36 points and nine assists in the win. The Hawks’ John Collins scored 26 points on 70 percent shooting from the field.

BRADLEY BEAL HIGHLIGHTS @RealDealBeal23 went for a season-high 36 points to go along with 9 assists in tonight's win!#WizHawks | #DCFamily https://t.co/WUsYKbtDOT

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) December 6, 2018

Clippers 86 (16-8), Grizzlies 96 (14-9)

The Clippers entered the night in a tie for the No. 1 seed in the West, but with their loss and Denver’s win they have been unseated from the top spot. Mike Conley paced Memphis with 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists. The game also marked Joakim Noah’s debut for the Grizzlies.

TWO

HAND

@Jmyke1

HAMMER pic.twitter.com/TAhNoJu66r

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) December 6, 2018

Pistons 92 (13-9), Bucks 115 (16-7)

Milwaukee took down Detroit with a balanced attack, as six players hit double-digit scoring. Star Giannis Antetokounmpo only had 15 points, but that included a vicious dunk on Blake Griffin. Eric Bledsoe led the team with 27 points.

Giannis … YEESH (via @Bucks) pic.twitter.com/pFAhC6n9uu

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 6, 2018

Hornets 104 (11-13), Timberwolves 121 (13-12)

The pairing of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins proved too much to overcome, with the pair scoring 35 points and 26 points, respectively. Robert Covington (17 points) and Derrick Rose (16 points) provided support as well. Jeremy Lamb and Nic Batum each scored 18 for Charlotte.

https://twitter.com/Timberwolves/status/1070513345101488128

Mavericks 106 (12-11), Pelicans 132 (13-13)

Dallas came into the game riding high after a clutch win over the Trail Blazers, but New Orleans’ high-powered attack overwhelmed them. Anthony Davis had 27 points, nine assists and four rebounds, but Julius Randle also impressed with 27 points and 18 rebounds.

Randle went off tonight! 27 POINTS & 18 REBOUNDS! #PelicansGameday | #doitBIG https://t.co/CLBnvENMQK

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 6, 2018

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The post Post Up: Paul George Drops 47 Points and Hits the GAME-WINNER 🎯 appeared first on SLAM.