Trail Blazers

https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/nba-logos/por.png

Moda Center

Celtics

Knicks

Pelicans

76ers

Pistons

Magic

Hawks

Warriors

Rockets

Kings

Deandre Ayton has emerged as one of the best young centers in the NBA, but after an up-and-down postseason, his future with the Phoenix Suns is up in the air. In July, Ayton will be a restricted free agent, so the Suns can match any offer sheet he receives. But if they feel he isn't worth a max deal, Phoenix may ultimately weigh their sign-and-trade options.
If the 23-year-old becomes available, which teams make sense as a possible landing spot? Oddsmakers from <a href="https://www.sportsbetting.ag/sportsbook/futures-and-props/nba-specials" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SportsBetting.ag</a> have the Detroit Pistons (+150), Indiana Pacers (+300) and San Antonio Spurs (+450) as the front-runners to land Ayton.
Here are the complete odds for Ayton's next team if ends up leaving the Suns:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 44.1913%; height: 176px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 34.7041%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Detroit Pistons</td>
<td style="width: 25.6006%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">+150</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 34.7041%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Indiana Pacers</td>
<td style="width: 25.6006%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">+300</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 34.7041%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">San Antonio Spurs</td>
<td style="width: 25.6006%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">+450</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 34.7041%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Orlando Magic</td>
<td style="width: 25.6006%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">+500</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 34.7041%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Portland Trail Blazers</td>
<td style="width: 25.6006%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">+550</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 34.7041%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Houston Rockets</td>
<td style="width: 25.6006%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">+1000</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 34.7041%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Chicago Bulls</td>
<td style="width: 25.6006%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">+1100</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 34.7041%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Oklahoma City Thunder</td>
<td style="width: 25.6006%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">+1200</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Our Evan Sidery recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-destinations-for-deandre-ayton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">examined some possible sign-and-trade ideas for Ayton</a>, including potential deals for the Pistons, Pacers and Spurs.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Also, check out BasketballNews.com's 2022 NBA Free Agency page, which includes free-agency rankings and a scouting report of each player who could be available this summer.&nbsp;</a>

Oddsmakers have the Pistons (+150), Pacers (+300) and Spurs (+450) as the front-runners to land Deandre Ayton this summer.

Pistons, Pacers, Spurs have best odds to land Deandre Ayton

Zach LaVine is an unrestricted free agent and he has made it clear that he'll weigh all of his options this offseason. If LaVine decides to move on from the Chicago Bulls, which teams make the most sense as a landing spot for the 27-year-old All-Star?
Oddsmakers from <a href="http://www.BetOnline.ag" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BetOnline</a> have given the San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers the best odds of landing LaVine if he decides to leave the Bulls.
Here are the complete odds (without factoring in a potential return to Chicago):
<table style="font-weight: 400;" width="283">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 203.2px;" width="215">
San Antonio Spurs
</td>
<td style="width: 51.2px;" width="53">
2/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 203.2px;" width="215">
Portland Trail Blazers
</td>
<td style="width: 51.2px;" width="53">
3/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 203.2px;" width="215">
Los Angeles Lakers
</td>
<td style="width: 51.2px;" width="53">
4/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 203.2px;" width="215">
Atlanta Hawks
</td>
<td style="width: 51.2px;" width="53">
5/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 203.2px;" width="215">
New York Knicks
</td>
<td style="width: 51.2px;" width="53">
6/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 203.2px;" width="215">
Miami Heat
</td>
<td style="width: 51.2px;" width="53">
7/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 203.2px;" width="215">
Indiana Pacers
</td>
<td style="width: 51.2px;" width="53">
8/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 203.2px;" width="215">
Detroit Pistons
</td>
<td style="width: 51.2px;" width="53">
9/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 203.2px;" width="215">
Dallas Mavericks
</td>
<td style="width: 51.2px;" width="53">
10/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 203.2px;" width="215">
Orlando Magic
</td>
<td style="width: 51.2px;" width="53">
11/1
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Last offseason, LaVine bet on himself rather than signing a four-year, $105 million extension and the gamble certainly paid off. This season, he averaged 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.8 made threes while shooting 38.9% from downtown and a career-high 85.3% from the free-throw line.
LaVine will certainly expect a maximum contract from the Bulls, which would <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/bulls-offseason-preview-zach-lavines-free-agency-nikola-vucevic-extension-more/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pay him</a> $212.3 million over five years. The most he could receive from another team is $157.4 million over four years. This is a relatively weak free-agent class, so it seems very likely that LaVine will get a max deal from some team.
"I plan to enjoy free agency," LaVine said recently. &ldquo;We're going to have to experience A through Z without making any fast decisions. I think that's something me and [Rich Paul] are going to go through and experience."
LaVine was asked if the Bulls are the front-runners to sign him, but he wouldn&rsquo;t say.
"You guys have been a really, really soft spot in my heart," LaVine said to the Chicago media. "I have to do this as a business decision, as a man, to not just be viewed one way and be like, 'I'm automatically coming back,' or, 'I'm automatically leaving.'"
Check out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's 2022 NBA Free Agency page</a>, which features a ranking of the top 85 free agents and scouting reports for all of the notable players hitting the market.

If Zach LaVine decides to move from the Chicago Bulls, which teams make the most sense as a landing spot for the 27-year-old All-Star?

Spurs, Blazers, Lakers have best odds to steal Zach LaVine from Bulls

The 2022 NBA Draft Lottery was last night, so we now have our top-14 picks!
Unfortunately, many of these teams &mdash; like the Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets &mdash; have grown accustomed to picking in the lottery year after year.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/draft22_lg.jpg" alt="" width="365" height="457" />
Of those top-14 teams, some should try to win now. And no, that doesn&rsquo;t necessarily mean they have to trade their first-round pick, especially after observing how Rookie-of-the-Year winner Scottie Barnes and runner-up Evan Mobley impacted winning this season. But, for some teams, you could say that if they were better at development, they wouldn&rsquo;t be in the lottery this often.
But we digress. Here are some teams who should strongly consider using their lottery pick in a win-now trade so that they&rsquo;re not back in the same position next season in an increasingly wide-open NBA.
(Did we include specific trade ideas? No, we aren't firing up the trade machine here. It's May, and what do you want? 2,500 words? On the Lottery? During the Conference Finals?)
Sacramento Kings
The Kings, who were the only team to jump in the lottery last night, have picks No. 4 and No. 37 in the upcoming draft, <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Kings.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">along with all of their pending first-rounders</a> and many of their seconds.
Absolutely no team in the NBA needs to make the playoffs more than the Kings. The team was a perennial playoff participant from 1999 through 2006, which is hard to fathom since they haven&rsquo;t reached the postseason ever since. Their eight-straight playoff trips included four consecutive runs to at least the Western Conference Semifinals, with a Western Conference Finals trip in 2002. They have not made the playoffs since 2006; they&rsquo;ve only finished above 10th place in the West once, in 2019, when they went 39-43 &mdash; their best record in 16 years, and one of only two seasons in which they&rsquo;ve had more than 33 wins.
Last season, they made the now keystone Kings-Pacers trade, dealing Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristian Thompson for Domantas Sabonis (who represented them at the lottery), Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a 2023 second-round pick. With the pairing of Sabonis (26 years old) and De&rsquo;Aaron Fox (24 years old), it may make more sense to add a similarly aged starter who can help their 2022-23 presumed playoff push.
Also, expected on the roster next season is Davion Mitchell, who will enter his sophomore season but is already 23 years old and may earn an All-Rookie selection soon. Richaun Holmes saw his role take a hit once Sabonis arrived and missed much of the latter portion of the season <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/being-accused-ex-wife-domestic-010013091.html">dealing with a personal issue</a>. Otherwise, for now, Holmes, Harrison Barnes and Mitchell are among the players under contract for next season.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-05-18-at-10-51-04-am.png" alt="" width="650" height="402" />
Dealing the No. 4 overall pick could land them a damn good player. John Collins, Gordon Hayward, Julius Randle, Jerami Grant and Christian Wood are among those who <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/five-nba-players-who-feel-destined-to-be-traded-this-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may find a new home this summer</a>. Could the Utah Jazz look to move on from <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-desinations-for-donovan-mitchell-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donovan Mitchell</a> or <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-rudy-gobert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rudy Gobert</a>&nbsp;in the coming months?
The Kings will have to attach players to the No. 4 pick, but imagine if Sacramento could put another win-now piece alongside Fox and Sabonis? They should make some calls to see what a package built around the No. 4 pick could return.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Despite all of the draft picks the Thunder own, they simply can&rsquo;t draft everyone. In this year's draft, OKC owns No. 2, No. 12, No. 30 and No. 34. Over the next five years, they will have 17 first-round picks and 30 selections in total. This is something you do in NBA 2K when you plan on building a dynasty, but at some point, most virtual GMs realize that you need to start having actual players on your roster to win rather than just continually flipping players for picks while toiling at the bottom of the standings.&nbsp;
At some point, Oklahoma City needs to make its run. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is about to enter the first season of his five-year, $172 million extension, which will see him earn just under $30 million next year. SGA turns 24 years old this summer and is a cornerstone for the franchise as their best player at the moment. Last year's No. 6 overall selection Josh Giddey looks like a keeper who almost certainly will be on an All-Rookie team this season. Lu Dort, Tre Mann, Kenrich Williams, Darius Bazley, Ty Jerome and Aleksej Pokusevski are all under contractual control for next season.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-05-18-at-11-44-38-am.png" alt="" width="650" height="435" />
OKC could quickly assemble a package for a high-level starter or borderline star to join SGA and Giddey, particularly with whoever else is retained. They have more than enough draft capital and could probably get close to anyone they want as a result. In terms of their roster, they just need good two-way players who fit what they&rsquo;re trying to build culturally and schematically. Literally, anything goes here.
At some point, the Thunder will have to package some of these draft picks or prospects. We'll see when Sam Presti decides to flip that switch.&nbsp;
Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers are in a tough spot with Damian Lillard, and what Lillard wants will factor in to their decision-making. He clearly wants to win but, by all accounts, he prefers to stay in Portland. It may be difficult to check both of those boxes with the Blazers as presently constructed. In the Lillard-CJ McCollum era, Portland made the playoffs every season and reached one Western Conference Finals in 2019. They were <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-salute-to-the-defiance-of-damian-lillard-and-cj-mccollum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">often failed by suboptimal roster construction around Lillard and McCollum</a>, and then the elite backcourt would be unfairly blamed for the team's struggles.
With the No. 7 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and the assumption that Lillard remains, what&rsquo;s their next move as they once again attempt to win with their elite 6-foot-3 shot creator? Lillard is due over $42 million next season, the second season of a four-year supermax that will include a player option worth close to $49 million in 2024-25.
Eric Bledsoe&rsquo;s $19 million and Josh Hart&rsquo;s $12 million are the only other big salaries on the books for next season. A decision awaits on dynamic guard Anfernee Simons, who is reminiscent of the aforementioned McCollum, as he is up for an extension this summer as he enters restricted free agency. <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/02/25/restricted-free-agent-to-be-anfernee-simons-i-100-want-to-stay-in-portland/#:~:text=signed%20a%20three%2Dyear%2C%20%2451.8,board%20career%20highs%20this%20season." target="_blank" rel="noopener">He reportedly wants to stay in Portland</a>.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-05-18-at-11-45-07-am.png" alt="" width="650" height="494" />
Ultimately, if the Blazers decide to package the No. 7 overall with some combination of players, could they look to include Simons via a sign-and-trade? It depends how aspirational a supposed deal could get and who they are getting in return. Only $3.9 million of Bledsoe&rsquo;s deal <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/eric-bledsoe-6900/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is fully guaranteed until June 29</a>, making him a prime trade-and-waive candidate between now and the draft.
Here's the reality: Portland&rsquo;s roster requires a full rebuild, but if Lillard is going to remain, selecting a rookie at No. 7 might not be ideal. And given their history and Simons' fit alongside Lillard, you might want to look at a big.

Bryan Fonseca argues that there are three NBA teams who should look to trade their lottery pick for a win-now piece.

Which NBA Draft Lottery teams should make a win-now trade?

Following one of the most shocking postseason exits in recent memory, the No. 1 seed Phoenix Suns have to somehow regroup after another 2-0 series collapse. Instead of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks being the Suns&rsquo; kryptonite, Luka Doncic <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/luka-doncic-enters-into-next-tier-of-nba-superstars-following-western-conference-semifinals-comeback" target="_blank" rel="noopener">played spoiler</a> well ahead of schedule for a team many believed was finally going to win its first-ever NBA championship.
The way it all ended for Phoenix in Game 7 brings up a lot of questions, one of which revolves around the future of Deandre Ayton, who was a no-show in the Suns&rsquo; final contest with 5 points in 17 minutes. Against the small-ball Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix and Ayton failed to capitalize on countless opportunities to get the Bahamian big man going around the paint with his elite touch. It was a disappointing downward slope for Ayton as the Western Conference semifinals progressed, and now there are rightfully questions as to where the two sides go from here.
Once thought to be a shoo-in for a rookie-scale max extension following Phoenix&rsquo;s miraculous Finals run last season, Ayton now enters a potentially awkward summer with the team who drafted him No. 1 overall in 2018.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
According to ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski, Ayton did not feel valued by the Suns, as he didn't receive what he believed was a well-deserved max-deal offer. Wojnarowski also reported in October that Ayton&rsquo;s representation was told by ownership that the 7-footer doesn&rsquo;t deserve to be in that max-level conversation.
In an exclusive sit-down with BasketballNews.com last month taking <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/suns-series-monty-williams-james-jones-robert-sarver-turnaround-phoenix-arena-facility" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a deeper dive into the Suns&rsquo; organization as a whole</a>, team owner Robert Sarver showed belief in the former University of Arizona product long-term.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;s so divisive here,&rdquo; Sarver told BasketballNews.com last month when asked about Ayton&rsquo;s uncertain future. &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s shown that he&rsquo;s improved each year, helps us on both on the defense and the offense. I think offensively you see this year he&rsquo;s taken another good step in terms of his touch and his ability to score around the basket. So, he&rsquo;s been a key part of what we&rsquo;re doing.&rdquo;
Ayton finished his fourth season in Phoenix averaging 17.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.7 blocks on a career-high 65.6% True Shooting percentage. Certainly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/there-are-no-good-answers-for-the-chris-pauldeandre-ayton-duo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">benefiting from Chris Paul's brilliance</a> over the last two years, there's always been an interesting discussion regarding how Ayton would function outside of the Suns&rsquo; system in a higher-usage role.
However, as Sarver pointed out, Ayton has continued to make improvements on both ends of the court under Suns head coach Monty Williams&rsquo; guidance. Completely buying into a complementary role alongside Paul and Devin Booker, Ayton&rsquo;s importance can&rsquo;t go unnoticed considering Phoenix's franchise-record-setting, 64-win campaign.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yhnnV-cQRQc" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Having added a patented hook shot to his game while also showing versatility on the defensive end &mdash; which has become more refined in a winning environment &mdash; what could the next steps look like for Ayton with his second contract? Whether it be in Phoenix or elsewhere, Ayton&rsquo;s market will reportedly be robust. Wojnarowski said on Monday that teams are preparing to try to get into the mix for the Suns&rsquo; versatile big man.
Since the Suns have not dipped into the luxury tax since the 2009-10 season &mdash; and the Joe Johnson situation in 2005 still hovers over the organization (<a href="http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2014/09/27/phoenix-suns-owner-robert-sarver-applies-lessons-learned-years/16344759/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and Sarver</a>) &mdash; many have wondered whether Phoenix will feel comfortable paying into the tax for a significant amount.
But when it comes to Sarver's stance on the tax now, it's completely different this time around. Not only are the Suns comfortable paying the bill, but they realize their window to win is right now.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not saying we&rsquo;re in a market that can be in it 10 years in a row. But when you get to a certain level where you have a chance to compete and you&rsquo;re a top-four, top-six, top-eight team, if you&rsquo;re at the level where you have a legitimate chance to compete &mdash; get to your Conference Finals and maybe win a championship &mdash; then I think you go in the tax, you pay and you do what you gotta do,&rdquo; Sarver told BasketballNews.com.
While the goal of a repeat Finals trip wasn&rsquo;t in the cards for Phoenix in these playoffs, an interesting offseason is now set to ensue. After such an ugly loss in Game 7 at the Footprint Center, can Phoenix actually feel comfortable running it back? The looming decision on Ayton&rsquo;s future now becomes the hot topic in the Valley for the foreseeable future.
&ldquo;You look at Cam [Johnson], Mikal [Bridges], Deandre [Ayton] &mdash; we&rsquo;ve got some really good players that have made tremendous steps,&rdquo; Sarver stated in April to BasketballNews.com. &ldquo;I thought they showed that last year in the playoffs that they&rsquo;re ready to compete at the highest level.&rdquo;
Will an abrupt ending change the Suns&rsquo; internal tune on how they view Ayton? We&rsquo;ll see, but the early indications are that they are ready to commit to winning at the highest level for the long-term. Whether Ayton is part of that puzzle or used to acquire another star player via sign-and-trade this offseason will now be a discussion that has to be had internally.
Phoenix already is up to $128.8 million committed in salary for next season. If the Suns re-sign Ayton to a lucrative contract, plus keep some key depth pieces around, they will be absorbing the highest luxury-tax bill in the NBA.
Another angle to consider here is Devin Booker&rsquo;s forthcoming third contract, which will be his biggest cash-in yet on a supermax scale. Once Booker is named to an All-NBA team, he&rsquo;s eligible to sign a four-year, $211 million extension. No question about it, that will be done in short order with the way Phoenix views Booker as their face of the franchise.
Circling back around to Ayton, the market for him could actually present a max offer from one of the few teams with the necessary cap space. Big-needy teams such as the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers and Indiana Pacers can easily make an Ayton offer sheet happen, immediately putting pressure on the Suns. If the Suns and Ayton are instead heading their separate ways, a sign-and-trade is the most realistic route to recouping some assets for the former No. 1 pick.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s internal,&rdquo; Williams sternly said after Ayton only played 17 minutes in Game 7.
How the Suns view Ayton internally will determine whether he&rsquo;s viewed as a player deserving of a lucrative max-scale payday in a few months.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

After an ugly ending, the Suns' offseason could bring about massive changes. How do the Suns view former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton?

Deandre Ayton's uncertain future becomes hot topic for Suns

Joe Cronin has been named the Portland Trail Blazers' general manager after serving in the interim role since December.
Cronin became interim GM after Neil Olshey was fired following an investigation into allegations of a toxic workplace environment.
Cronin has since been reshaping the Blazers' roster, making several trades before the February deadline that put the team under the luxury tax threshold and freed up cap space. In the most significant move, guard CJ McCollum was traded to New Orleans, ending his lengthy run as Damian Lillard's partner in Portland's backcourt.
The Blazers finished 27-55 this season, their worst record since 2005-06 when they won just 21 games. Portland also finished 13th in the Western Conference in Chauncey Billups&rsquo; first year as the Blazers&rsquo; head coach, snapping a streak of eight straight playoff appearances.
The Blazers await their fate in next week's NBA draft lottery ahead of the June 23 draft. Free agency opens in July.
"We&rsquo;ve established a great working relationship in the last six months and have the same vision for what it takes to win a championship in this league," Billups said in a statement Tuesday. "I look forward to bringing Joe&rsquo;s vision to life with our entire front office.&rdquo;
Cronin signed a four-year deal with the Blazers.
He has been with the Blazers since 2006 and became a pro scout and salary cap analyst in 2010. He was named the team&rsquo;s director of player personnel in 2014 and was promoted to assistant GM last year.

Joe Cronin became interim GM after Neil Olshey was fired following an investigation into allegations of a toxic workplace environment.

Joe Cronin becomes Blazers GM after serving in interim role

In spite of Luka Dončić only playing half of the series, the Utah Jazz have been eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs, which can only mean it&rsquo;s time to blow them up!
Okay, not really... but maybe? Virtually everyone is expecting organizational changes given the team's recent underachievement in the playoffs stemming from successful regular seasons. This incarnation of the Jazz was established in 2017-18, behind then-rookie Donovan Mitchell&rsquo;s quick rise to stardom and Rudy Gobert&rsquo;s emergence as an annual Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
That season, Mitchell &mdash; filling the void left by Gordon Hayward &mdash; finished his first season as a 20-point-per-game scorer despite being picked No. 13 overall and averaging just over 14 points per game in his first 19 appearances. Gobert, even having played only 56 games, was awarded his first of now three DPOY awards.
In these five years, there have been as many playoff trips &mdash; three as the No. 5 seed (including this season), one as the No. 6 in the Orlando Bubble, and another as the top overall seed in the Western Conference last year.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
In 2017-18, the Jazz overachieved, taking down the Russell Westbrook-Paul George-Carmelo Anthony-led Oklahoma City Thunder in six games before losing to the No. 1 seed Houston Rockets in five contests.
In 2018-19, Utah lost to the Rockets again in five, this time in the first round, and Houston even led 3-0 with a +55 scoring margin before dropping Game 4.
In 2019-20, the Jazz squandered a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets, losing Game 7 in the final seconds of the opening round.
Last season &mdash; despite the Los Angeles Clippers losing Kawhi Leonard to a torn ACL (that he&rsquo;s still not back from) &mdash; the Jazz <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD2yBy-EqnU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost in six games to the Clippers</a> in the West semifinals, and Gobert was dunked on by both Terance Mann and social media in the ending.
And finally, this postseason &mdash; in a series with Dončić missing the first three games with a calf injury, in which Utah still trailed 2-1 upon his return &mdash; Utah lost on yet another last-second heartbreaker.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
THE PLAYOFF DROUGHT IS OVER. THE DALLAS MAVERICKS ADVANCE TO THE SECOND ROUND SINCE 2011!<a href="https://twitter.com/dallasmavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dallasmavs</a> | 📺 BSSW | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dALLasIN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dALLasIN</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> <a href="https://t.co/VcWGAdSOL4">pic.twitter.com/VcWGAdSOL4</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsSW/status/1519896562079518727?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Given <a href="https://twitter.com/tribjazz/status/1482077811019902980">the sniping back-and-forth between Mitchell and Gobert</a>, the Jazz's inability to break through and how far behind they appear from the top teams in the West, this seems like the summer where sizeable moves will be coming.
Personally speaking, it feels like we&rsquo;re heading toward Mitchell requesting a trade and moving on, but either way, one of Mitchell or Gobert &mdash; perhaps both &mdash; may be on the move in the coming months. Our Evan Sidery <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-rudy-gobert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently looked at five trade ideas involving Gobert</a>.
Today, let's look at where Mitchell could end up, <a href="https://fanspo.com/nba/trade-machine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">using this trade machine</a>.
Mitchell is due $30.3 million next year, $32.6 million in 2023-24, $34.9 million in 2024-25, and has a player option for $37 million in 2025-26. Keep that in mind as we embark on this journey together. (Why did I sound like Professor Oak there?)
New York Knicks
Mitchell&rsquo;s father, Donovan Sr., works with the New York Mets organization. The 25-year-old Mitchell himself is a native of Elmsford, New York. Naturally, with the New York Knicks, there will be Mitchell smoke until a deal (or something else) actually happens. Because Tommy Beer already <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/expect-the-knicks-to-make-a-real-run-at-donovan-mitchell-this-summer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke down the possibility of a Mitchell-to-New-York trade</a>, we won&rsquo;t stay here too long.
Regarding the Knicks&rsquo; actual proposal, the first look would be to RJ Barrett, who is extension eligible this summer, entering year four and making $10.9 million next year. The idea, for New York, should be to team Barrett and Mitchell together. If that&rsquo;s not possible, and the Mitchell deal were to have to get done, Barrett is your chief trade chip, along with first-round draft picks. The Knicks have all their own first-rounders as of this writing.
Usable salaries for the Knicks next year include Evan Fournier, who&rsquo;ll be at $18 million, Derrick Rose at $14.5 million, Alec Burks at $10 million, Nerlens Noel at $9.2 million and Kemba Walker at over $9.1 million. Rose, Burks and Noel all have team options for 2023-24, so they have ostensibly expiring deals. Walker&rsquo;s next season is his last under contract, and Fournier is signed through 2025, but that also includes a team option. Cam Reddish and Taj Gibson also enter the last year of their respective deals, at about $6 million and $5.1 million each, respectively.
The contract elephant in the room is Julius Randle&rsquo;s, which is a four-year, $117 million extension that begins next season at $26.1 million. It&rsquo;ll gradually increase until his player option for $32.4 million kicks in for 2025-26. The Knicks might try to move Randle instead, but what sense does that make for Utah? And if Utah isn&rsquo;t getting Barrett, would they want a package of the aforementioned veterans (say, Fournier and Burks), along with one or two of Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, or Miles McBride (who make between $1.6 and $2.3 million next year) and picks?
It&rsquo;ll be hard to do without Barrett, and maybe Randle gets involved in a three-team deal, but the Knicks have the picks, salaries and prospects to make it work, if that&rsquo;s the route the Jazz want to go.
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons seem like a team that could be a version of this past season&rsquo;s Cleveland Cavaliers &mdash; not in terms of play style or once being a top-four team in the Eastern Conference standings necessarily, but from the standpoint of being competitive a year sooner than we think and playing meaningful games down the stretch (like one or two in the Play-In Tournament).
Given that 20 of 30 NBA teams will have games beyond the regular season, the Pistons may (should) attempt to get one of those spots.
Last year&rsquo;s No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham is <a href="https://youtu.be/I9OLPXxgYWk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">someone you can build with</a>. Saddiq Bey should be a more efficient scorer with more experience and better teammates. Most of the rest is to be determined, but Detroit can start by using Jerami Grant&rsquo;s near $21 million expiring deal next summer.
What comes next depends on what stage the Jazz want to be closer to. If this is a rebuild, you can ask for a combination of Killian Hayes and Hamidou Diallo (both of whom make over $5 million next year), for example, and Hayes has a $7.4 million team option for 2023-24. If not, Kelly Olynyk has $12.8 million coming to him next year that&rsquo;s usable. Utah can in throw in, hypothetically, Royce O&rsquo;Neale&rsquo;s $9.3 million deal next year and get Olynyk anyway.
So the player framework can look something like:
<ul>
<li>Donovan Mitchell for Jerami Grant and Kelly Olynyk</li>
<li>Donovan Mitchell for Jerami Grant, Killian Hayes and Hamidou Diallo</li>
<li>Donovan Mitchell and Royce O&rsquo;Neale for Jerami Grant, Killian Hayes, Hamidou Diallo and Kelly Olynyk plus a sh*t ton of draft picks. The Pistons would be moving something like three first-rounders in the deal, and potentially multiple first-round pick swaps.</li>
</ul>
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Miami Heat
I brought this up during <a href="https://youtu.be/XBQwn0pOAa4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's NBA Trade Deadline stream</a>.&nbsp;
The Heat didn&rsquo;t do it then, but it might still be on the table depending on how these playoffs go. The Heat might not offer the best return package because of their draft picks, but they did unlock additional firsts by moving KZ Okpala to Oklahoma City in February. And, for Miami, we&rsquo;re mainly talking about one package. But again, it depends on the results of this postseason.&nbsp;
Currently, the Heat are getting ready to face the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, a matchup they&rsquo;re favored to win (albeit narrowly). If they lose this particular series, or if they win and Tyler Herro continues to struggle in the playoffs, or even if Miami makes a deep run and Herro elevates from a slow start, he&rsquo;d be the primary chip in a Mitchell deal. Furthermore, the <a href="https://twitter.com/GregSylvander/status/1482101290964504580" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Heat are on Mitchell&rsquo;s shortlist</a>, according to Greg Sylvander of Five Reasons Sports.
The deal, as I mentioned on our stream, would include Herro &mdash; who is still on a rookie-scale contract ($5.7 million next year), but is extension-eligible this summer and wouldn&rsquo;t kick-in until 2023. Then comes Duncan Robinson, who&rsquo;ll enter the second year of a five-year, $90 million deal next season, which bookends with a near $20 million player option and rises to $16.9 million next season.
According to the trade machine, Omer Yurtseven&rsquo;s $1.7 million next season makes the math work, and would give Utah a Gobert backup who&rsquo;ll, if nothing else, get you 10 rebounds in 15 minutes on occasion. Would the Heat have to throw in at least one of Gabe Vincent, Max Strus or Haywood Highsmith (all of whom make between $1.7 and $1.8 million next year)? Perhaps. And from there, Miami has tradeable first-rounders in 2022, 2024 and 2026. So, in summation, it could look like this:
<ul>
<li>Donovan Mitchell for Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Omer Yurtseven, one of Gabe Vincent/Max Strus/Haywood Highsmith, draft capital</li>
</ul>
But if Herro has a big playoff run moving forward, the Heat may instead opt to move Robinson in a separate, smaller deal for a worthy big man in their rotation, and mostly run it back otherwise.
Atlanta Hawks
Alright, now you saw what the Heat did to Trae Young in the first round. The Hawks clearly are not only poised to get Young some help, but make a 3-for-1-ish deal to consolidate some depth into a higher-end starter &mdash; or in the case of Mitchell, a fellow offensive starter. His teammate, Gobert, is probably the better fit, but one, I&rsquo;m not writing about Gobert (our Evan Sidery will handle that) and two, if Gobert is frustrated with Mitchell&rsquo;s defense...
But anyway, you gotta start somewhere. And for Atlanta, part of why the Heat neutralized Young is their malleability defensively, but also, the Hawks don&rsquo;t have another true star to account for on the perimeter. Mitchell would give Young a viable tag team partner offensively to spread the defensive focus. To do so, the Hawks could play this a few different ways.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qjRmo0TbD20" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The obvious trade chip is John Collins, and there could be questions about his fit next to Gobert, but it&rsquo;s not a bad place to start if you&rsquo;re moving someone of Mitchell&rsquo;s caliber. Collins will make $23.5 million next year, and between $25.3 and $26.6 million through 2025-26. Collins has had rumored friction with Young, though they&rsquo;ve downplayed it over the years. From there, if you use Collins in a possible deal, it gets interesting.&nbsp;
De&rsquo;Andre Hunter &mdash; who makes $9.8 million next year in the last season of a rookie deal and is extension-eligible this summer &mdash; seems logical for both the Jazz to want and the Hawks to keep. Hunter was Atlanta's best player against the Heat, and has been a quality two-way wing when healthy. Is a framework of Collins and Hunter for Mitchell straight up enough of a deal for both sides? Sheeeeeiiiiit, ask them, but it sounds good to me!
<ul>
<li>Donovan Mitchell for John Collins and De'Andre Hunter</li>
</ul>
No Collins? Okay. You&rsquo;re not moving Clint Capela&rsquo;s long-term deal for Utah in a Mitchell move, so that&rsquo;s out of the picture. Kevin Huerter would absolutely have to be part of this, and no, that&rsquo;s not a white Utah joke. Hu-why would you think that?&nbsp;
Huerter begins his $65 million extension next year, the first of four, banking $14.5 million in 2022-23. Hunter probably stays in the deal because Utah has to get something really good, and the Hawks simply can&rsquo;t extend everyone. Again, Atlanta should want to keep Hunter, but this is the price of doing business. But if you&rsquo;re throwing in Huerter instead of Collins (which does work on the trade machine since different rules apply in the offseason than in-season), you&rsquo;ll need multiple first round picks &mdash; of which the Hawks have all their own &mdash; so that could get done.
Could Utah also want Onyeka Okongwu? Sure, but he seems like Atlanta's 5-man of the future, and a separate deal moving off Capela might be more likely. So the second proposal could look like this:
<ul>
<li>Donovan Mitchell for De'Andre Hunter, Kevin Huerter, draft capital</li>
</ul>
Now, the Hawks would still need to figure some things out defensively, seeing as how they&rsquo;d be led by two 6-foot-1 scorers in the backcourt. They could just became the new Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to some extent, but <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-salute-to-the-defiance-of-damian-lillard-and-cj-mccollum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Portland Trail Blazers are as much to blame for that &ldquo;not working,&rdquo;</a> and the Hawks can learn from those team-building mistakes.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Bryan Fonseca takes a look at four logical landing spots for Utah Jazz star guard Donovan Mitchell.

Examining potential trade desinations for Donovan Mitchell 

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

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

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

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

Draft assets: First-round pick (9.0% chance at No. 1), First-round pick via New Orleans (if 5-14), Second-round pick, Second-round pick via Memphis
Potential free agents: Joe Ingles, Jusuf Nurkic, Ben McLemore, Anfernee Simons (restricted), CJ Elleby (restricted), Elijah Hughes (restricted), Keljin Blevins (restricted)
Central question: Is Portland actually trying to win "now" or win soon?
Some really great development happened for the Blazers during the "wash" portion of the season in the form of players like Trendon Watford, Keon Johnson and Drew Eubanks. Add them to Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little and the incomng draft picks, and Portland suddenly has... kind of a sneaky-deep prospect pool? There's real potential to mold this group into a rotation cast that gives Portland one of its deepest rosters in years.
That's why these <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jerami-grant-trade-rumors-portland-is-still-the-frontrunner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jerami Grant trade rumors concern me</a>. Giving up a possible lottery pick to try and piece together a short-term playoff team risks too much and keeps the Trail Blazers in the limbo they have lounged in for several years. Understandably, the franchise wants to build a contender while Damian Lillard is invested and in his prime. With some patience, Portland can without sacrificing sustainibility.
SACRAMENTO KINGS
Draft assets: First-round pick (7.5% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick, Second-round pick (via Chicago)
Potential free agents: Jeremy Lamb, Josh Jackson, Damian Jones, Donte DiVincenzo (restricted), Neemias Queta (restricted), Trey Lyles (team option)
Central question: How does Sacramento turn into a competitive NBA defense?
The Kings have trotted out lackluster defenses for as long as I can remember. In fact, they haven't ranked above 20th in Defensive Rating since 2005-06 &mdash; notably, the last time they made the playoffs.
And that didn't change under interim head coach Alvin Gentry. (Gentry will not return as head coach next season, but is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shams-alvin-gentry-no-longer-interim-coach-of-the-kings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in talks for a front-office role</a>, per ESPN.) However, the on-paper roster actually shines some hope. Davion Mitchell made highlight reels out of his "Off-Night" defense. Justin Holiday is a solid individual defender, as is Harrison Barnes, and even De'Aaron Fox has his sporadic moments.&nbsp;
Can Sacramento find a head coach who turns a group of intriguing players with defensive potential into even an average squad? What draft and free agency options exist? Of course, the Kings would like to end their NBA-leading playoff drought. That'll come with changing the culture on defense.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Draft assets: First-round pick (2.5% chance at No. 1, depends on Play-In results), Second-round pick (via Dallas)
Potential free agents: Bradley Beal (player option), Thomas Bryant, Raul Neto, Tomas Satoransky, Anthony Gill (restricted), Cassius Winston (restricted)
Central question: What style of guard play is a feasible best fit?
Okay, so obviously the biggest question mark surrounds Bradley Beal's free agency. But from a conceptual standpoint, Washington has tried and failed over the past few seasons to find Beal's best-fitting partner in crime. John Wall, Russell Westbrook and Spencer Dinwiddie were each supposed to provide the downhill juice Beal lacks. The Wizards either did this at serious expense of another skill area (Wall, Westbrook), or it just didn't translate their at-rim ability (Dinwiddie). All battled injuries as well.
"I think we need bigger guards," <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/bradley-beal-outlines-what-wizards-need-build-contender" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beal said in March</a>. "We need more guys that can get in the paint for us, more ball-handlers, more guys that can really create and get two feet in the paint, but also who can knock down threes."
I mean, Beal's needs make total sense. The problem is that every other basketball team on Earth also wants this type of guard.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Ethan Fuller sets the offseason stage for each team that missed the NBA playoffs.

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

The 2021-22 NBA season has been the hardest of CJ McCollum&rsquo;s career.
Entering this campaign, he had spent the entirety of his NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers, making the playoffs every year. Since getting drafted in 2013, he had only ever played for one head coach (Terry Stotts) and one general manager (Neil Olshey).
However, this season would be full of challenging firsts for McCollum.
Over the summer, he experienced his first coaching change, as the Blazers fired Stotts and his staff. Just as McCollum and his teammates were adjusting to new head coach Chauncey Billups, Portland announced that Olshey was under investigation after complaints of bullying, hostility and creating a toxic work environment. Shortly after, Olshey was fired, with Joe Cronin being promoted to interim GM midseason. McCollum was shocked and admitted that the turnover affected him.
&ldquo;This is different than anything I&rsquo;ve ever experienced because of the circumstances,&rdquo; McCollum told <a href="https://theathletic.com/3002581/2021/12/07/inside-the-mind-of-cj-mccollum-a-conversation-and-a-text-message-show-the-blazers-guards-current-struggle/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic</a> in December. &ldquo;This is the first year of my career where we lost our whole coaching staff, brought in a new coach, a new staff, the GM gets fired in the middle of the season... all of that affects you on the court. But there is no excuses. I didn&rsquo;t come here to tell you, &lsquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of sh** going on...&rsquo; but yeah, there is. There&rsquo;s sh** going on every day. And I&rsquo;m a fu**ing human being. But look, at the end of the day, my job is to play basketball. So, I go play basketball.&rdquo;
The day after Olshey was relieved of his duties, McCollum suffered what he thought was a rib injury during the Blazers&rsquo; game against the Boston Celtics. However, a CT scan revealed that he had a collapsed lung, which would ultimately sideline him for six weeks.
Several weeks later, McCollum became a father when his wife, Elise, gave birth to their first child. Jacobi James McCollum was born at 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 10, 2022. Becoming a first-time parent is scary enough, but there are additional concerns and stressors when your baby is born during a pandemic.
&ldquo;Try having a kid in the middle of COVID. That sh** ain&rsquo;t normal,&rdquo; McCollum told <a href="https://theathletic.com/3002581/2021/12/07/inside-the-mind-of-cj-mccollum-a-conversation-and-a-text-message-show-the-blazers-guards-current-struggle/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic</a> in December. &ldquo;Now, try having a kid during COVID amid trade rumors in the middle of the season.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Congratulations to <a href="https://twitter.com/CJMcCollum?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CJMcCollum</a> &amp; his wife Elise on the birth of their son, Jacobi James McCollum! 😍 (via 3jmccollum / IG) <a href="https://t.co/GSvzwkY1P6">pic.twitter.com/GSvzwkY1P6</a>
&mdash; Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1482855754243706887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

As McCollum mentioned, his name had been surfacing in trade rumors for much of the season. He wasn&rsquo;t a stranger to the rumor mill, but the rumblings had never been quite this intense. And with Portland struggling, a number of Blazers were looking over their shoulders and wondering what moves might be coming as the trade deadline approached.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;d be lying if I told you that we don&rsquo;t hear it or that it doesn&rsquo;t affect us at all,&rdquo; Blazers forward Nassir Little <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/qa-nassir-little-on-blazers-struggles-his-development-gm-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told me</a> in December. &ldquo;At the end of the day, we&rsquo;re people. I get the excitement of trades and the eagerness to talk about them, but you&rsquo;re talking about people having to move their families and basically break off relationships that they&rsquo;ve built over the course of time and they have to start a whole moving process and adapt to a whole new situation. It&rsquo;s just a lot of things that go into getting traded as a player and those things don&rsquo;t really get taken into account [by fans]... There are a lot of different dynamics that are very taxing on somebody&rsquo;s mental when you get traded.&rdquo;
On Feb. 8, less than one month after his son was born, McCollum was traded for the first time in his NBA career. The Blazers dealt McCollum, Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell to the New Orleans Pelicans for Josh Hart, Tom&aacute;&scaron; Satoransk&yacute;, Nickeil Walker-Alexander, Didi Louzada, a protected first-round pick and two second-round picks.
In other words, McCollum and his family suddenly had to move across the country. After an athlete gets traded, it&rsquo;s emotional and stressful since you&rsquo;re relocating to a new city on very short notice. Sometimes, players will live in a nearby hotel until they find a place to rent or buy. Going through that adjustment with a newborn is less than ideal.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/cjj_lg.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="346" />
After nearly nine years in Portland, McCollum was starting over with a new organization. Fortunately for McCollum, the Blazers&rsquo; front office gave him some say in where he ended up, so he was starting the next chapter of his NBA career in his preferred destination. Why was he drawn to New Orleans?
"It was a combination of things: the culture, the city, the people, the love &mdash; you can feel it, you know what I&rsquo;m saying? I felt it from afar,&rdquo; McCollum said on the <a href="https://youtu.be/AB-4HFR_jrE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Knuckleheads Podcast</a>. &ldquo;I love the atmosphere. And if you do what you are supposed to do in a city like this, you will be loved forever. If you embrace them the way they embrace you, you can become legendary. I wanted to be where I was wanted, where I was needed. There's a lot of culture here, a lot of diversity and the food is fire. And they've got a lot of young talent. They&rsquo;ve got a lot of really good basketball players.&rdquo;
McCollum mentioned Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Jonas Valanciunas, Devonte&rsquo; Graham and Herb Jones specifically, while also shouting out head coach Willie Green, general manager Trajan Langdon and executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin.
&ldquo;There's a lot of talent on this roster, and I think I can get the most not only out of my career, out of my situation, out of my development, but also out of the guys,&rdquo; McCollum added. &ldquo;I know what it takes to be successful consistently. And I can not only tell you about it, but I can show you because I've done it. I think that I'm just what they've needed and they're just what I've needed, especially at this stage in my life. And I think there's no better time for me to [make this move]. I&rsquo;m 30 years old, I've been in the playoffs for eight straight years and I'm trying to make it nine.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
New Orleans is now 32-43, which is the ninth-best record in the Western Conference. Since adding McCollum to their lineup, the Pelicans have the NBA's 10th-best offense (117.4 points per 100 possessions) and 14th-best defense (114.3 Defensive Rating). That is a plus-3.1 efficiency differential, which is eighth-best in the NBA over that span &mdash; ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks.
Through 19 games with the Pelicans, McCollum is averaging 25.9 points, 6.5 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals while shooting 50.1% from the field &mdash; all of which would be career-highs. He's also knocking down 2.8 threes per game on 38.4% shooting from beyond the arc.
Also, he&rsquo;s posting a career-best Box Plus/Minus (+5.9), Player Efficiency Rating (23.3), True Shooting percentage (59.0%), assist percentage (33.9%) and total rebound percentage (7.7%). His turnover percentage is just 8.9%, which is one of the lowest marks of his career despite the fact that he has a career-high usage rate of 29.5%.
McCollum&rsquo;s teammates are thrilled to have him in New Orleans and they rave about his impact.
&ldquo;I told CJ that I love him; he makes our job easy,&rdquo; Willy Hernangomez said. &ldquo;He makes everybody&rsquo;s job easy. Everybody pays so much attention to him. We just need to set the screens and play the right way... We&rsquo;re trying to build something different and something special here. Every day, we just try to be 1% better than the day before. It has been amazing having CJ, Tony and Larry. Their experience has been helping us a lot. I think we&rsquo;re going to keep going and getting better. We&rsquo;re having fun, and that&rsquo;s the most important thing.&rdquo;
&ldquo;[We&rsquo;re] definitely locked in. That starts with [CJ] and BI just coming out, being aggressive, being under control,&rdquo; Graham said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re making life easier for everybody.&rdquo;
"CJ is such an impressive human being," Nance <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/larry-nance-jr-qa-i-did-not-come-out-here-to-halfass-this-thing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told me</a> earlier this season. "He has his hands in a lot of different things, and he&rsquo;s just such an impressive human that, like, how could you not get along with a guy like that?!"
Ingram and McCollum have only played 11 games together (since Ingram was recently sidelined for three weeks due to a hamstring injury), but they have shown flashes of the dynamic one-two punch that they could become. Across those 11 games, McCollum and Ingram have averaged a combined 48.1 points, 11.9 assists and 11.0 rebounds while shooting 51.6% from the field and 35.6% from three-point range.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s very similar in his approach, in the way he watches film, in the way he communicates. He&rsquo;s receptive of information,&rdquo; Ingram said of McCollum. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s fun to play here right now.&rdquo;
The Pelicans are getting healthier just in time for the Play-In Tournament. Ingram is back in the lineup and McCollum is healthy after missing a few games due to COVID-19 (which had to be scary with a newborn at home). Also, Nance just made his Pelicans debut last week.&nbsp;
Unfortunately, the Pelicans won&rsquo;t be at full strength until next year, as Williamson has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to his foot injury. In addition, Kira Lewis Jr. is sidelined after tearing his ACL in December.
Still, it's fun to think about how good this squad could be next year if everything comes together.
"I'm excited, man. I'm thankful to be here,&rdquo; McCollum said. &ldquo;I've said it a thousand times, but I like what we're building here, I like the way we're playing, I like the way we're executing, and the sky&rsquo;s the limit for us.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

This has been the craziest season of CJ McCollum's NBA career, but now the 30-year-old is thriving with the New Orleans Pelicans.

CJ McCollum excited for next chapter with Pelicans after chaotic year

We have reached the final installment of this season's NBA Sour Rankings and it's been a wild ride.
Of the 30 NBA teams, 28 appeared on the list at some points in the season. I inversed each ranking and turned it into a point value to tally up the most prominent members. The Los Angeles Lakers (134 points), Sacramento Kings (117), New York Knicks (113) and Portland Trail Blazers (99) were the highest point-getters, and continuously peppered the rankings since they each disappointed at consistent levels throughout the year.
Who never touched the Sour Rankings? The San Antonio Spurs and Orlando Magic. I bet you didn't expect them. Those squads had the combination of extremely low expectations and frequent flashes from young talent. Despite those franchises never being on top of the NBA sphere, I never felt frustrated by by either team because there was always a silver lining after every game.
So we arrive at the final ranking with several playoff contenders sputtering to the finish.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that are so common throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they are updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Dallas Mavericks have climbed up to fourth in the Western Conference standings and flipped to home-court advantage against the Utah Jazz, who they'll likely play in the postseason. The Chicago Bulls have somewhat righted the ship and maintain a hold on fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks may be out of the playoff picture, but they've suddenly been hit with a wave of developmental flashes from the young core. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-stats-notebook-immanuel-quickleys-unusual-shot-diet-can-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Immanuel Quickley leads the way</a>.&nbsp;
10. Boston Celtics (47-28)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
ESPN Sources: Celtics C Robert Williams has suffered a meniscus tear in his left knee and will minimally miss several weeks. Further evaluation today will help provide a timetable. Boston moved into first-place Sunday, and Williams has been immense part of NBA&rsquo;s best defense.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1508469824195899398?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Man... <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-celtics-center-robert-williams-feared-to-have-torn-meniscus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">that is pain</a>. What else is there to say?
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Brooklyn Nets (39-36)
Brooklyn boasts the league's fourth-ranked offense over the past two weeks, and that was before the New York City vaccination policies changed, allowing Kyrie Irving to play in home games. The Nets can end their season with some positive momentum, as they face just three more teams at .500 or better.
One of those teams is the Atlanta Hawks, who Brooklyn is currently slotted to play in the Play-In bracket. The race for the eighth seed is dead even between the Nets and Charlotte Hornets, and that's a battle within a battle to get at least two extra shots at a playoff spot. Should the Nets lose, do they want to face a dominant Trae Young with their not-so-dominant defense?
(Last week: 8)
8. Golden State Warriors (48-27)
The Warriors have lost 5 of their last 6 games and just took a 123-115 defeat against the Wizards. They are 6-10 since the All-Star break, and while those losses have come with a mix of injured absences involving Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, it's concerning that the rest of the cast can't keep things together &mdash; even against bad teams. Golden State is currently two games up on the Mavericks for the third seed, but only four games separate the team from the sixth-place Denver Nuggets. This is a sneaky-close middle tier with the Warriors holding little momentum.
(Last week: 10)
7. Atlanta Hawks (37-37)
As mentioned, the Hawks face a potential playoff preview with the Nets. But they'll likely have to meet both Brooklyn and Charlotte in some order in the postseason. Atlanta went 2-2 against the Hornets in the regular season, and is 0-2 vs. the Nets prior to this coming Saturday's matchup. That doesn't inspire much confidence that the Hawks, as the No. 10 seed, can storm through both to the playoffs.
(Last week: 7)
6. Utah Jazz (45-30)
Utah received a quality playoff test this past week with games against the Nets, Celtics, Hornets and Mavericks. The Jazz lost all four games, though they missed Gobert. Their perennially stalwart defense is down to 20th over the past two weeks, and against the Celtics in particular, they couldn't seem to contain anyone. Donovan Mitchell is averaging 26.4 points per game since the All-Star break, but even that isn't mattering when the defense doesn't show up beyond Gobert.
(Last week: Unranked)
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
5. Miami Heat (47-28)
Bryan Fonseca wrote a great piece this past week about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-miami-heats-blow-up-was-necessary-but-now-the-rest-is-up-to-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener">that Heat meltdown on Wednesday</a> against the Warriors. His message was that these types of altercations don't have to define the rest of the season. But the dust-up certainly is right now, as the Heat have lost their grip on the East's top spot. They followed up the defeat with two more bad losses to the Knicks and Nets.
Miami still has conference powers in Boston, Chicago and Toronto left on the schedule. With the top four seeds separate by half a game, the Heat could easily plummet to the bottom of the tier.
(Last week: Unranked)
4. Washington Wizards (32-42)
Let's talk about Corey Kispert! The No. 15 pick flailed, as most rookies do, to open his NBA career. But Kispert has meaningfully caught fire in recent weeks. The 23-year-old sharpshooter is drilling 42.4% of his three-pointers in March. He just hit six triples on his way to a career-high 25 points in the team's aforementioned win over the Warriors. Washington hasn't had too much to get excited about in these last two weeks, so at least Kispert is helping send the young core into the summer on a high note.
(Last week: 2)
3. Portland Trail Blazers (27-47)
According to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jerami-grant-trade-rumors-portland-is-still-the-frontrunner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James L. Edwards III of&nbsp;The Athletic</a>, the Trail Blazers are still the front-runner to trade for Jerami Grant this offseason. "I think a lottery pick would be the kind of sweetener that would [get a deal done]," Edwards told HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.
I just don't understand how a team so badly in need of a reset can cash in what will likely be its highest draft pick in a decade to go make a last-ditch attempt at keeping the current group relevant. Portland does not have a playoff-caliber roster regardless of Damian Lillard's health. Trading away several key future pieces for Jerami Grant will not change this. I'm simply against this move for the franchise's future.
(Last week: 4)
2. Los Angeles Lakers (31-43)
Here we go!
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
WHAT A COMEBACK 😱 The Pelicans rally from a 23-point deficit to take down the Lakers in NoLa! <a href="https://t.co/MmFRQr8n2l">pic.twitter.com/MmFRQr8n2l</a>
&mdash; NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1508254421804716033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

The Lakers are on a two-game skid and the Spurs are on a three-game win streak. Los Angeles has eight games to try and hold off San Antonio and at least survive to reach the postseason. Over the past two weeks, in which the Lakers have gone 2-5, they have the league's ninth-ranked offense and 27th-ranked defense. Their last eight games include the Mavericks, Jazz, Pelicans, Suns, Warriors, Thunder and Nuggets (twice).
Whew, this is not going to be easy!
(Last week: 1)
1. Sacramento Kings (27-48)
The Kings shut down Richaun Holmes for the season due to "personal reasons" and did not specify why. Robin Epley of the <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article259668860.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sacramento Bee found out</a>: Holmes is facing serious domestic violence allegations amid an ongoing custody battle.
Obviously this is an ongoing process with no conclusion yet. But Epley makes the point painfully clear in her article.
"I&rsquo;m not convicting Richaun Holmes ahead of his court date. It does, however, appear that the Kings were focused on covering up a serious situation involving allegations of domestic violence by one of their players. When I contacted the team this week, they refused to comment on the serious charges facing their player, or say anything beyond the cryptic announcement of Holmes&rsquo; departure," she writes.
Epley goes more into some important statistics surrounding domestic violence cases in the U.S. and in the NBA. I seriously implore you to read them if you haven't yet. But the point is: This is yet again another case being swept under the rug by the league and its franchises.
(Last week: 3)
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Ethan Fuller ranks the most frustrating NBA teams in the last Sour Rankings of the season.

NBA Sour Rankings: The final countdown

The NBA playoffs are fast approaching and as the season winds down, there are a total of 21 teams fighting for 16 playoff spots across the two conferences.
Every game matters.
Injuries have had a major impact on this season. In the Western Conference, a number of potential playoff teams are missing key pieces, including the Golden State Warriors (Stephen Curry and James Wiseman), Denver Nuggets (Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.), Los Angeles Clippers (Kawhi Leonard and Paul George), Memphis Grizzlies (Ja Morant), Los Angeles Lakers (Anthony Davis), New Orleans Pelicans (Zion Williamson) and Portland Trail Blazers (Damian Lillard).
There are fewer injured stars in the Eastern Conference, but Jarrett Allen (CLE), Ben Simmons (BKN), Lonzo Ball (CHI), Gordon Hayward (CHA) and Colin Sexton (CLE) are currently sidelined.
Between now and the start of the playoffs on April 12, some important players are expected to return to their respective teams, which could alter the NBA landscape in a major way.
<h2>WESTERN CONFERENCE</h2>
DENVER NUGGETS
On March 15, the Nuggets assigned Jamal Murray to their G-League affiliate (the Grand Rapids Gold) to get some additional work at practice. This sent waves through social media, as fans anticipated Murray's long-awaited return to the Nuggets' lineup. However, just a few days later, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said that Murray is "not close" to suiting up.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Denver Nuggets HC Michael Malone says Jamal Murray is "not close" to rejoining the lineup, per <a href="https://twitter.com/HarrisonWind?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HarrisonWind</a> <a href="https://t.co/7leLWbJe5W">pic.twitter.com/7leLWbJe5W</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1505676501303320576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
It seems unlikely that Murray will be able to play during the regular season, but perhaps he'll be able to return at some point during the postseason.
Michael Porter Jr. is also on the mend, but the reports about his availability have been all over the place. There were rumblings that his rehab didn't go great and that he was further away than Murray. Then, there was a rumor that he's <a href="https://theathletic.com/3198516/2022/03/21/nuggets-hopeful-jamal-murray-and-michael-porter-jr-could-be-back-by-playoffs-but-no-immediate-return-on-the-horizon/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">due back very soon</a>.

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

A little over a week ago, Malone was asked about the possibility of Murray and Porter returning, and he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/malone-michael-porter-jr-and-jamal-murrays-wont-be-back-soon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, "There is no immediate return on the horizon for either one of those players."
Denver is currently the sixth seed in the Western Conference, trying to stave off the Minnesota Timberwolves and avoid the Play-In Tournament.&nbsp;
Nikola Jokic has played at an MVP level (again) and the absence of these two stars has allowed for Bones Hyland to emerge as a legitimate rotation player as a rookie. Adding even one of these two players back into the fold would make the Nuggets a significantly more threatening first-round opponent for the Grizzlies, Warriors or Mavericks.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
Since the acquisition of CJ McCollum on February 8, the New Orleans Pelicans rank No. 10 in offensive rating and No. 6 in net rating. While the Pelicans won't be getting All-Star power forward Zion Williamson back at any point this season, they did just have another impact player return to their lineup.
Larry Nance Jr. was acquired as part of the McCollum trade and he made his Pelicans debut a few days ago. The 29-year-old is a seamless fit on the offensive end and he'll give New Orleans some defensive versatility.
Even though we all wanted to see how this team would look with a healthy Zion, they have a solid core with McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Jonas Valanciunas, Herb Jones, Devonte' Graham, Nance and Co. &mdash; making them a scary opponent in the Play-In Tournament.

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

New Orleans likely won't catch the Clippers for the eighth seed, but they could steal homecourt advantage in the 9-10 game against the Lakers, as they are currently a half game behind L.A.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
With LeBron James on roster, there always seems to be this lingering feeling that the Lakers will catch their stride and figure this thing out. But without Anthony Davis, it seems unlikely that Los Angeles will be able to escape the Play-In Tournament.
There has been no official word on a potential return date for Davis, but the Lakers would need him available if they hope to play beyond April 12.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Anthony Davis continues to do on-court shooting, per Frank Vogel, and is progressing each day: &ldquo;Anthony has had a good week &hellip; He&rsquo;s had a productive week.&rdquo;
&mdash; Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersReporter/status/1504943043669106699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

The presence of Davis would inject a tiny sliver of hope that he and James could will this team to victory and into a revenge series against the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Stephen Curry is expected to be out until mid-April at the earliest, which is a huge blow to the Warriors. Fortunately, Curry has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/warriors-curry-expects-to-return-by-start-of-playoffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he should be back in time for the first game of the playoffs.
The team has reintroduced Klay Thompson back into the fold, and Draymond Green is back in the lineup too. While Golden State's star-studded trio has only played three games together this season, at least the Warriors should have all three vets together for the postseason (barring any setbacks or new injuries).
Unfortunately, Golden State won't be at full strength, as James Wiseman was recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/warriors-james-wiseman-ruled-out-for-remainder-of-the-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled out</a> for the remainder of this season. The sophomore is still recovering from a torn meniscus that he suffered last April. Wiseman's size and versatility would have helped the Warriors, especially when facing the likes of Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Golden State has been struggling without Curry, dropping four of their last five games (including surprising losses to the Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks). Golden State surrendered the No. 2 seed to the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Warriors could slip to fourth in the Western Conference, leading to a potential second-round matchup against Phoenix (instead of Memphis or Utah).&nbsp;
Still, assuming the Warriors have their Big Three, they will be dangerous in the playoffs.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Recently, Clippers head coach Ty Lue was asked about Kawhi Leonard and Paul George potentially returning prior to the playoffs, and he didn't shoot down the possibility.
"If guys are able to [return], they are gonna do it," Lue said. "But the most important part is making the sure the players are taken care of and making sure they're ready to go and fully healthy."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ty Lue says he&rsquo;ll keep the door open on Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and/or Norman Powell returning if it&rsquo;s less than a week until the playoffs. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Clippers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Clippers</a> <a href="https://t.co/iebGp2sRcp">pic.twitter.com/iebGp2sRcp</a>
&mdash; Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1505958728125739011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Leonard has been sidelined since last postseason, and Clippers fans have been holding out hope for a late-season comeback. ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33579571/nba-playoffs-injury-updates-steph-curry-zion-williamson-anthony-davis-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that Leonard may be able to return if the Clippers make it out of the Play-In Tournament.
George has been sidelined due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, and there is no timetable for his return. Recently, he has <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33579571/nba-playoffs-injury-updates-steph-curry-zion-williamson-anthony-davis-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> made progress and been cleared for 4-on-4 and shooting drills, so a return still seems possible.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
<h2>EASTERN CONFERENCE</h2>
CHICAGO BULLS
The Bulls skyrocketed to the top of the East standings early in the season thanks to a supernova DeMar DeRozan and stellar defense. Two key cogs of that defense were Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, who have played just 35 and 36 games, respectively. Chicago also played most of the season without forward Patrick Williams, who's another important rotation player.&nbsp;
The absence of those two elite perimeter defenders caused the Bulls to slip to the East's five seed, and they are just one game ahead of the sixth-seeded Toronto Raptors.&nbsp;
Caruso returned on March 12 and Williams returned on March 21. But if Ball is able to return to the starting lineup, that could significantly affect the outcome of a series against the Celtics or 76ers.
However, here's the bad news:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Lonzo Ball will stop running on his knee for the next 10 days, per Billy Donovan. They&rsquo;ve been trying to ramp him up but he hasn&rsquo;t responded well
&mdash; Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) <a href="https://twitter.com/JamalCollier/status/1506033717608865798?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Ball may not be needed for Chicago to avoid the Play-In Tournament, but his return is crucial in order for the Bulls to make a deep run in the playoffs.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Colin Sexton is not coming back this season. In fact, it's possible that he has played his final game as a Cavalier since he's set to become a restricted free agent.
However, one of the main reason that the Cavaliers have exceeded expectations this season is the play of Jarrett Allen. Ricky Rubio was also a key cog in the Cleveland machine, but his injury back in December led to the acquisition of Rajon Rondo... who is also currently out with an ankle injury.&nbsp;
Allen's presence defensively next to Evan Mobley is crucial to the success of the Cavs. Cleveland's opponents take the ninth-most shots at the rim in the league, but they shoot the worst percentage. Their perimeter defense funnels opponents to the rim because of the three 7-footers they have on the floor.&nbsp;
For Cleveland to pull off a first-round upset, Allen must be present and continuing his career-year.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Unfortunately, injuries are a part of the game and oftentimes play a major factor in the postseason. This year is proving to be no different, as the field seems wide open due to injuries and the players who are returning could have a major impact on who is eventually crowned champion.
BROOKLYN NETS
After arriving in Brooklyn, Ben Simmons began ramping up his conditioning and preparing to make his season debut, but then his back started giving him trouble. Initially, it was being described as back soreness, but he was recently diagnosed with a herniated disc and he needed an epidural for the pain.
Nets head coach Steve Nash has said that surgery isn't currently being considered. Simmons is working with a physical therapist and trying to get healthy enough to make his Nets debut. Nash told reporters that he's "fully expecting" Simmons to play at some point this season.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33520712/brooklyn-nets-hold-hope-ben-simmons-return-couple-regular-season-games" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Brooklyn hopes to have Simmons for a "couple" regular-season games so that he can start shaking off the rust and getting acclimated prior to the postseason.
Whenever he returns, the Defensive-Player-of-the-Year runner-up will provide a huge boost for the Nets. Last season, Simmons averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Several NBA playoff teams are hoping to get back key contributors in time for the postseason. Justin Lewis examines these situations.

Examining 11 impact players whose return could alter NBA playoffs

Leading up to last month's NBA trade deadline, Jerami Grant's name was consistently popping up in trade rumors. Teams such as the Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks were all linked to the 28-year-old.
However, for the second year in a row, the Detroit Pistons ultimately decided to hold onto him.
With that said, it's very possible that the Pistons will revisit a potential Grant trade this offseason. If that happens, Portland is the team to watch, says Pistons beat writer James Edwards III of The Athletic.
"I reported, and you did as well, that the Blazers were one of the teams persistent in trying to get Grant," Edwards <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/pistons-rumors-jerami-grant-marvin-bagley-jalen-brunson-mitchell-robinson-chet-holmgren/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype</a>. "I don&rsquo;t think at the time they had the assets [Pistons general manager] Troy Weaver was looking for to trade Grant. He&rsquo;s somebody they like and a good player. Troy had all the leverage. He doesn&rsquo;t have to trade Grant.
"Portland&rsquo;s going to find itself in an interesting situation where they could have a high draft pick coming up&hellip; Maybe if it&rsquo;s high enough, it&rsquo;s an offer the Pistons can&rsquo;t refuse. If Jerami gets traded anywhere this offseason, it&rsquo;s going to be Portland. It feels like Portland is still the front-runner."
The Blazers are currently 27-45, which is the seventh-worst record in the NBA. If Portland stays in this spot, they would have a 31.9% chance of landing a top-four pick in the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft</a>. Edwards wonders whether the Blazers may be willing to include their lottery pick in a trade for Grant.
"I think a lottery pick would be the kind of sweetener that would [get a deal done]," Edwards explained. "Portland is obviously heading towards that trajectory. It wasn&rsquo;t all the way clear at that point at the deadline. Troy was in no rush to get something done at the deadline.
"My gut tells me that Portland really makes a legitimate push and goes and gets Jerami."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
It remains to be seen how much the Blazers are willing to give up for Grant, but it seems that Portland's veterans would love to see a trade go down (judging by <a href="https://twitter.com/joshhart/status/1506109637006970885" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Hart</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/bosnianbeast27/status/1506109718930067458" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jusuf Nurkic</a>'s recent tweets).
Edwards believes that the Pistons would be more likely to trade Grant if they are able to draft a top forward like Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero or Keegan Murray in the 2022 NBA Draft. This would seemingly make Grant more expendable since they would have his replacement on the roster.&nbsp;
This season, Grant is averaging 19.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.0 threes, 1.1 blocks and 1.0 steal while shooting 42.6% from the field, 35.7% from three and 83.8% from the free-throw line. At 20-53, the Pistons have the third-worst record in the NBA and are clearly rebuilding around Cade Cunningham and Co.

Keep an eye on the Portland Trail Blazers as a likely trade destination for Jerami Grant this summer, says James Edwards III.

Jerami Grant trade rumors: 'Portland is still the front-runner'

Long overdue for a makeover, the Portland Trail Blazers became sellers at this year&rsquo;s trade deadline. CJ McCollum, Norman Powell and Robert Covington are all gone in place of more youth and future cap flexibility.
With Damian Lillard presumably out for the rest of the season, this provided Portland the ideal opportunity to hit the reset button. The main question, though, always circles back around to Lillard&rsquo;s long-term future with the Blazers.
Is Lillard seriously going to sit through an extended rebuild through his mid-30s? With three years remaining on Lillard&rsquo;s contract in 2022-23, here&rsquo;s the current core group to move forward with: Anfernee Simons, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nassir-little-sheer-will-intensity-gives-portland-trail-blazers-a-boost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nassir Little</a>, Josh Hart, Keon Johnson, Justise Winslow, Didi Louzada, Greg Brown III.
Simons has proven to be a real building block during his full-fledged breakout campaign, but there are many questions outside of him. Little has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/qa-nassir-little-on-blazers-struggles-his-development-gm-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flashed some improvements</a>, but consistency for him was still needed before going down with an injury. Hart and Johnson were the primary pieces returned in the Blazers&rsquo; midseason roster remake.
In the end, will that crop of young players be enough to keep Lillard content while also competing within an actual championship window? That answer remains murky at best, particularly a Finals appearance being close to feasible.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Portland created oodles of flexibility this summer via free agency or the trade market to improve rapidly around Lillard. If the next disgruntled star wants out this summer, the Blazers can at least have a seat at the table as potentially realistic destinations. They are set up well with future draft capital, plus multiple young players and a large, soon-to-be expiring contract with Eric Bledsoe.
The franchise can get into many discussions simply based off the variability of its asset collection. They could&rsquo;ve gotten more in both deals &mdash; which could loom large if they swing-and-miss this offseason &mdash; but the idea on paper makes sense.
The Blazers' last roster makeup was based around the dynamic high-usage backcourt of Lillard and McCollum. The backcourt's defensive abilities, or lack thereof, limited its potential ceiling. In the next chapter for Portland, what will be necessary to build an instant contender?
With it being unlikely that the Blazers land a star-level player, the NBA Draft is their best bet to reshaping on the fly while also achieving another chapter post-Lillard. In the McCollum trade, Portland received a 2022 first-round pick from the Pelicans where it&rsquo;s likely to convey this season (protected 1-4, 15-30).
With two top-10 picks at its disposal, Portland has the artillery to make some splashy moves on draft night, whether it be acquiring two young prospects or a seismic blockbuster trade.
Lillard seemingly is fine on the surface signing another record-breaking contract with the Blazers, but, deep down, when will this reach a level of discontent where lines are drawn? When will Lillard make the pressure too hot for the Blazers to handle? For a scorer of Lillard&rsquo;s caliber, he deserves to legitimately chase championships during the second half of his prime years. At the moment, that destination isn&rsquo;t realistically in Portland.
Building a team around young players and maybe a re-signed Jusuf Nurkic isn&rsquo;t going to make even a noticeable dent in the Western Conference. Sure, Simons is a fun backcourt partner with Lillard, but it keeps Portland in the same position it was with McCollum all these years already.
This is what makes the Jerami Grant rumors so interesting around the Blazers entering such an important offseason. As said on <a href="https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1mrxmaWXOqwxy?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's Trade Deadline Twitter Space</a>, HoopsHype&rsquo;s Michael Scotto relayed Grant to Portland was generating the most buzz before the deadline with less than 24 hours to go. Grant&rsquo;s fit with Lillard and the Blazers would be excellent, finally providing a real two-way wing next to his offensive profile.
Grant, Lillard and Simons is something to build around, but it&rsquo;s again another roadblock when seriously considering a real Finals push. If we&rsquo;re being honest, Grant is the likely move Portland makes to push more chips in with Lillard. How it plays out is a completely different story though.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
For both Lillard and the Blazers, the realization that it might be time for a split is closing in. As we just saw in the Super Bowl with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, staying loyal forever doesn&rsquo;t always lead to the ultimate prize. Stafford <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/matthew-stafford-trade-rams-send-two-first-round-picks-a-third-round-pick-and-jared-goff-to-lions-for-qb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requested a trade</a> from the lowly Detroit Lions and instantly won a championship with Los Angeles.
Lillard is the NBA&rsquo;s version of Stafford, so loyal to a fault and always putting the team on his back. Stafford eventually knew the time arrived to make a change for his legacy's sake. Lillard has to be envisioning this when canvassing Portland&rsquo;s future outlook.
It&rsquo;s again slowly bubbling under the surface, but the Blazers remain one of the most intriguing teams in the league for yet another offseason. How Portland maneuvered at the deadline gave a sneak peek into what should be a summer with gigantic stakes.
Now, we wait and see how it all unfolds for an organization with change occurring on all levels.
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

After a roster overhaul, which direction will the Portland Trail Blazers pursue? Damian Lillard's long-term future depends on it.

As Blazers begin makeover, does Damian Lillard staying even make sense?

We had a whopping <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grading-every-move-from-the-2022-nba-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">15 NBA trades</a> go down in an eight-day span.
The league buckled down for one of the biggest fireworks shows in recent deadline memory. Front offices dealt All-NBA superstars and hammered out four-team mazes. By the time the clock struck 3 p.m. on Thursday, we saw some teams go all-in on a playoff push, others cash out and move towards rebuilding, and many surprisingly pass on the spectacle entirely. It's a perfect time to set the table ahead of the stretch run with a fresh Sour Rankings.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;By most accounts, the Indiana Pacers crushed it with their trade deadline moves. Tyrese Haliburton instantly becomes the bedrock of the franchise's next era, and he's looked pretty good in limited time so far. Indiana also snuck in a solid flier by acquiring Jalen Smith and didn't trade away any of its veteran players just for the sake of making a move. The Detroit Pistons were also briefly in the Sour Rankings, but escape after acquiring former No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III without giving up long-term pieces.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
10. Oklahoma City Thunder (17-39)
Of all the teams to hold their chips at this year's deadline, OKC might be the most surprising. The Thunder had several players worth trading for &mdash; including Kenrich Williams and Mike Muscala &mdash; and had oodles of salary cap room to take on guys with undesirable contracts. Instead, they only clocked-in one deal, trading a second-round pick to the Miami Heat for KZ Okpala, who was subsequently waived. Though it's not a colossal general-managing blunder, the Thunder may have missed some good opportunities to add to the stockpile.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Charlotte Hornets (29-29)
The Hornets added Montrezl Harrell to fill the backup center spot on paper, and he should help as a play-finisher. However, Harrell does little to address the returning defensive woes for a Charlotte team that is 3-7 in its last 10 games. The squad has also hit an offensive shooting slump while also ranking 22nd in turnover rate since the start of February. A seven-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday overshadowed a horrendous two-way performance in the first half that had me concerned.
(Last week: 10)
8. Utah Jazz (35-21)
The Jazz got involved in one minor three-team deal at the trade deadline, and it didn't do much to squelch the raised voices about their title pretender status. Mark Schindler <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-who-are-your-biggest-2022-nba-trade-deadline-losers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">labeled them a loser of the week</a> despite acquiring a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-nickeil-alexanderwalker-fill-the-gaps-for-the-utah-jazz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prospect he liked in Nickeil Alexander-Walker</a>:
"There's an intriguing foundation with him that Utah could unearth more of and help him build upon, but the issue is where the Jazz are right now. They needed immediate help defensively at the point of attack and the wing, yet NAW is not really that guy right now."
Utah is on a five-game winning streak, however, which deserves some credit. The team stays where it is in these rankings for now.
(Last week: 8)
7. Houston Rockets (15-40)
Here's another rebuilding franchise that balked at the chance to capitalize on the rush of apparent buyers. Houston didn't need to trade Eric Gordon in my opinion, but he certainly could have returned value. I was more surprised that Christian Wood not only remains on the team, but also was barely brought up in public trade rumors. He has not been nearly the player he can or should be with the Rockets, and I don't know if anything he does in the next two months changes that outlook. Of course, John Wall is still on the roster too.
(Last week: Unranked)
6. Portland Trail Blazers (23-34)
The Blazers are a confusing team to nail down for me. They traded CJ McCollum to New Orleans in a move many expected, but didn't get a whole lot back (aside from a very solid rotation player in Josh Hart and a protected first-rounder). A couple days go by, and then, the aforementioned Alexander-Walker &mdash; the best young player in the first trade &mdash; heads to Utah for a second-round pick, an expiring and injured Joe Ingles and a more obscure flier in Elijah Hughes.
Nekias Duncan gave those two moves a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grading-every-move-from-the-2022-nba-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">C-minus and D in his trade deadline grades</a>. I think I'd agree, because at the end of it all, I still don't know what Portland is doing other than clearing some cap room.
(Last week: 6)
5. Sacramento Kings (22-36)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Sabonis and Fox will be a natural fit 👉🏽 That P&amp;R with a guard who can slash, pass and play in between with pace paired with a highly skilled big man who is great around the rim and can shoot comfortably from 15 feet. This is the co-star both guys needed. 🎥 <a href="https://twitter.com/kings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kings</a> <a href="https://t.co/ngj5TdjPp0">pic.twitter.com/ngj5TdjPp0</a>
&mdash; Ball Don't Stop (@balldontstop) <a href="https://twitter.com/balldontstop/status/1491657233897119746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

I'll give the Kings a little credit for the auspicious stretch they've had with Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox together since that big blockbuster move. A lot of people, myself included, probably overreacted to the deal and didn't give enough thought to what Sabonis can unlock for the players around him in Sacramento. They also did a sneaky-great job turning Marvin Bagley III into three players who can help the team win now at various levels.
I still have a hard time getting over the Kings trading Tyrese Haliburton, their most promising young player and a public advocate for turning a losing culture around.&nbsp;
(Last week: 4)
4. Washington Wizards (25-30)
Kristaps Porzingis was perhaps the most shocking name to be dealt this season; his name hadn't really popped up at all until Thursday morning. While it's fair that the Wizards needed to end the Spencer Dinwiddie-Bradley Beal experiment and Porzingis makes them better purely on paper, I don't love the fit. Will he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/so-how-does-this-kristaps-porzingis-spencer-dinwiddie-davis-bertans-thing-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">make a meaningful difference for a Washington team</a> that is one of two NBA squads with bottom-five Offensive and Defensive Ratings over the past two weeks? I'm doubtful.
The Montrezl Harrell trade was also super weird because it brought back two players who probably should not be in the rotation. Washington's big mix is still backed up now with Porzingis, Daniel Gafford, Thomas Bryant and Vernon Carey Jr., plus larger forwards in Kyle Kuzma and Rui Hachimura.&nbsp;
(Last week: 2)
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
3. New York Knicks (26-31)
Whew, Saturday's blown lead to the Trail Blazers was a stinger. The Knicks led by 23 at one point before coughing up the game to a Portland team that just went through a widespread, trade-deadline fire sale. New York, meanwhile, didn't make any moves despite the glaring underperformance in recent weeks. The Knicks have two extremely winnable games against the Thunder and Brooklyn Nets before the All-Star break. If they can't find something, I'll have serious doubts about them even being close to a Play-In team.
(Last week: 5)
2. Brooklyn Nets (29-27)
In a vacuum, the Nets moved on from a disgruntled star in James Harden and returned three players who can instantly (once healthy) slot into a thin rotation. Ben Simmons makes a ton of sense as a defensive boost, Seth Curry can replace the shooting lost by Joe Harris' injury, and Andre Drummond at least gives Brooklyn a presence on the glass and center depth.
But they still gave up James Harden. Brooklyn's Big Three played 16 games together in total, and the Nets are still neck-deep in an 11-game losing streak. Things are most definitely bad.
(Last week: 1)
1. Los Angeles Lakers (26-31)
If a franchise arrives at a point in the season where <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33250361/los-angeles-lakers-feel-urgency-make-changes-trade-deadline-nears" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the locker room itself wants trades to happen</a>, then the front office should listen. But Rob Pelinka had to go all Bumi from "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and embrace neutral jing &mdash; a.k.a. doing nothing. The Lakers made zero trades this season. They are the most underwhelming team in the NBA and they made zero trades.&nbsp;
(Last week: 3)
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Ethan Fuller lines up the league's biggest underperformers, including teams who failed to maximize the NBA trade deadline.

NBA Sour Rankings: Reshuffling the deck post-trade deadline

After the Los Angeles Lakers were embarrassed by the Milwaukee Bucks at home on Tuesday night (before Los Angeles lost to a bad Portland Trail Blazers team missing half their roster), a reporter asked LeBron James how his squad stacks up against Milwaukee and the league's other elite teams.
LeBron gave a surprisingly candid response: "<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lakers-players-believe-changes-must-be-made-before-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">We ain't on their level</a>."
When asked if he believed the Lakers could eventually reach the Bucks' level this season, <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nba/lebron-james-admits-lakers-are-not-on-championship-level#:~:text=After%20the%20game%2C%20LeBron%20James,a%20flat%2C%20%22No.%22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James replied</a>, "Where they are right now? I don't know. Do I think we can reach the level where Milwaukee is right now? No. Is that what you want to hear from me? No. We can't get to where they are right now. They're the defending champions for a reason and I guarantee you if you would've asked teams coming out of the bubble if they could get to the level that we were playing at when we won a championship, they would've said the same thing."
Let's flashback to the championship group for a second, shall we?
It may seem like it's been 16 years or so since LeBron led LA to a title in the bubble, but, incredibly, it's been less than 16 months. The Lakers beat the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the Finals on Oct. 11, 2020. The team's two cornerstones, Anthony Davis and LeBron, remain, but the rest of the rotation has been turned over completely.&nbsp;
So, how did this team go from raising the Larry O'Brien trophy, to being four games under .500 and fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament just a year-and-a-half later?&nbsp;
Let's break it down.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
In the offseason following their championship, LA's major move was trading Danny Green (a significant two-way contributor on their title team) and LA's 2021 first-round pick (Jaden McDaniels) to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Dennis Schroder. That summer, LA re-signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (three years, $39 million) and used its cap space to ink free agent Montrezl Harrell to a two-year, $18.9 million contract. They also brought in Wesley Matthews and Markieff Morris for the veteran minimum and inked Marc Gasol to a two-year, $5.3 million deal.&nbsp;
In mid-March, in the days leading up to last season's trade deadline, the Lakers were cruising. More than halfway through the 2020-21 campaign, the Lakers' were 15 games above .500 and owned the league's second-best record at 28-13.&nbsp;
At that point, the Lakers made a decision that would come back to haunt them. Hindsight is 20/20, of course, but the Lakers arrived at a fork in the road and chose the wrong path. They've been headed downhill ever since. (Over the past 11 months, the Lakers are 43-51 in the 94 games they've played).&nbsp;
On the eve of the 2021 trade deadline, the Lakers and Toronto Raptors were engaged in serious discussions on a potential deal that would have sent Kyle Lowry to LaLa Land, giving LeBron and Co. the established veteran point guard (and proven winner) the team desperately needed. The Lakers and Raps <a href="https://theathletic.com/2477311/2021/03/25/what-the-lakers-were-willing-to-trade-for-kyle-lowry-and-what-it-says-about-the-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> were close to finalizing a swap sending Schroder, Caldwell-Pope and some draft capital to Toronto in exchange for Lowry. Yet, in the hours right before the deadline arrived, "the sticking point was the inclusion of Talen Horton-Tucker," <a href="https://theathletic.com/2477311/2021/03/25/what-the-lakers-were-willing-to-trade-for-kyle-lowry-and-what-it-says-about-the-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Jovan Buha and Bill Oram of The Athletic</a>.&nbsp;
"Rob Pelinka, the Lakers' vice president of basketball operations, insisted that price was too high for the 35-year-old Lowry, and that he was not willing to trade Horton-Tucker, the 20-year-old combo guard who has emerged as a valuable rotation player for the Lakers in his second season," Buha and Oram <a href="https://theathletic.com/2477311/2021/03/25/what-the-lakers-were-willing-to-trade-for-kyle-lowry-and-what-it-says-about-the-future/">reported</a>.
Looking back, it's impossible not to wonder how the future of several franchises might have changed if the Lakers had been willing to pony up for Lowry, who is now averaging 13.0 points and 8.1 assists per game for the Heat. This is the same Heat team that is poised to enter the All-Star break with the best record in the Eastern Conference.&nbsp;
As we know, the Lakers stood pat at last year's deadline and would struggle mightily in the six subsequent weeks. Over a 25-game stretch from mid-March through the first week in May, LA posted an 8-17 record.
The Lakers would eventually be eliminated in six games by the Suns in the first round of the 2021 playoffs. Anthony Davis returned to the Lakers' starting lineup in Game 6 after missing the second half of Game 4 and all of Game 5 due to a groin injury, but logged just five minutes before limping off the court. It was the first and only time in LeBron's career that he lost a first-round series (he had been 14-0).
"What matters to me is getting this team back healthy," James told reporters after the loss to Phoenix.
Well, as it turns out, Pelinka and James were unwilling to run it back with the same squad and hope the group would avoid injuries.&nbsp;
Instead, the Lakers rolled the dice, agreeing to one of the most dramatic and controversial trades in recent NBA history.&nbsp;
On the evening of July 29, both Woj and Shams <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1420855153410854925" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the Lakers had consented to take on Russell Westbrook (and his onerous contract).&nbsp;
A week later, the trade was officially announced. LA had traded away Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma and the draft rights to Isaiah Jackson (whom the Lakers had selected with the 22nd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft) in exchange for Russ and several future second-rounders.&nbsp;
The justification from the Lakers was that they viewed Westbrook as an offensive powerhouse that could lighten the load LeBron had been forced to carry.&nbsp;
The Lakers rounded out their roster this past offseason by adding Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard, Wayne Ellington, Kent Bazemore, Carmelo Anthony, Malik Monk and Rajon Rondo. They gave Kendrick Nunn the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.9 million for two years). They also re-signed Horton-Tucker to a three-year deal worth $32 million.
Shockingly, despite advanced analytics that confirmed he was a near-perfect fit playing alongside LeBron, the Lakers decided not to bring back Alex Caruso, who had excelled as a role player in LA. Caruso's aggressiveness and versatility on the defensive end, as well as unselfishness on offense, made him an ideal wingman to AD and King James.&nbsp;
However, having Westbrook on the books for $44.2 million in 2021-22 and another $47.1 million in 2022-23 undoubtedly played a part in Pelinka's decision to let Carouso leave.&nbsp;
Still, as he explained on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-the-lakers-botched-alex-carusos-free-agency-and-lost-a-key-piece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JJ Redick's "Old Man and the Three" podcast</a> back in November, Carouso had hoped to re-sign with the Lakers and was even willing to give them a hometown discount. Before ultimately accepting the offer he received from Chicago (a four-year, $37 million contract, though the final season only carries a $3 million guarantee), <a href="https://twitter.com/oldmanandthree/status/1458257821405954052?s=21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caruso said</a> he and his agent "went back to L.A., asked if they could do the same, they said no. We asked for something else that was a little bit less; they said no."
As it turns out, the concerns many critics envisioned over the summer related to potential issues arising from the addition of Westbrook have reared their ugly head. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, Westbrook's declining athleticism has hamstrung the former All-Star.
At various points this season, Westbrook's alarming regression has been uncomfortable to watch. In the closing minutes of LA's victory over the New York Knicks last weekend, Russ found himself alone in the corner and as he was about to launch a three-pointer, the home crowd <a href="https://twitter.com/FanMahome/status/1490172360892329985">screamed at him not to shoot</a>. Coach Frank Vogel yanked him out of the lineup in overtime vs. New York. In the Lakers' embarrassing loss to the Bucks on Tuesday, Westbrook was benched for the final 14 minutes of the game, including the entire fourth quarter. Russ sat out Wednesday's loss to Portland with a "lower back" injury.&nbsp;
His counting stats on the season are solid (18/7/7), but the peripheral numbers are putrid, and his plus/minus is the worst on the team. This season, the Lakers have been outscored by 123 points with Westbrook on the floor, whereas they have outscored their opponents by 35 points with Russ on the bench.
The situation has careened toward rock-bottom this month. Over the Lakers' last four games, Westbrook is shooting just 27% from the floor, 15% from downtown and 55.0% from the free-throw line. He's also leading the league in turnovers.
Yet, now that the 2022 trade deadline has passed, we know that Lakers fans have no choice but to hope Russ can somehow locate his confidence and contribute to winning.&nbsp;
It has been rumored this week that the Houston Rockets were willing to trade John Wall to the Lakers for Westbrook, but Pelinka was reportedly unwilling to include LA's 2027 first-round pick, which Houston was demanding. Will the decision come back to bite LA, as refusing to include THT at last year's deadline did? Even if Wall failed to live up to expectations, would it have amounted to addition by subtraction?&nbsp;
Although Monk has been fantastic, and Melo has given LA as much as they could have hoped for, Howard, Ellington and Bazemore have failed to deliver. Ariza is averaging 4.2 points while shooting 36% from the floor. Rondo is no longer on the roster. Nunn, hampered by a bone bruise in his right knee, has yet to log a single second in an NBA game this season. Horton-Tucker is converting career-lows from the floor (41%) and behind the arc (27%). Despite playing nearly six more minutes per game, THT is averaging fewer assists this season (2.7) than he did in 2020-21, while still committing 1.5 turnovers a night.
Sum it all up, and you see why the Lakers have lost more than half of their games and find themselves in ninth place in the West, despite LeBron authoring the greatest season in NBA history by a 37-year-old.&nbsp;
This is a particularly bitter pill for Lakers fans to swallow considering the team purportedly had several different options to choose from this summer when shopping around their Kuz/&rsquo;Trez/draft picks package, including a deal for Sacramento sharpshooter Buddy Hield. In that scenario, the Lakers could have held onto KCP and added Hield, and the combined salary of both players still would have been $8 million less than Westbrook's cap hit of $44.2 million.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
To be fair, it's worth noting that in 2020-21, Westbrook played his best basketball of the season after the All-Star break. Over the Wizards' final 35 games of the season, he averaged 23.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 13.4 assists and 1.5 steals, while shooting a respectable 44% from the floor, 32% from behind the arc and 72% from the FT line. Washington closed the regular season by going 17-6 over their final 23 contests and advanced to the playoffs.&nbsp;
Will Russ and his teammates feel less pressure now that the deadline has passed? LeBron and the Lakers don't need Westbrook to dominate the ball and chase triple-doubles, but they do need him to focus on playing the best defense of his career and help facilitate the offense, especially when James needs a breather.&nbsp;
If Russ cannot shake out of his slump, LA will have a very tough time getting back on track and achieving the goals they set for themselves back in October.&nbsp;
And if Los Angeles fails to right the ship (wasting a year of "Prime LeBron" in the process), the team's fans will look back with rage on the terrible trades and free-agency failures over the past 12 months that led to the Lakers' demise.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Tommy Beer delves into the errors of the Lakers' ways following their championship success one-and-a-half years ago.

How the Lakers managed to turn a contending team into a sub-.500 mess

Nekias Duncan thoroughly grades every NBA trade from 2022 Deadline Week.

Grading every move from 2022 NBA trade deadline week

While there have already been several splashy moves in recent days, there are still quite a few notable players who could be dealt prior to today's NBA trade deadline at 3 p.m. ET.
Which NBA team desperately needs to make a trade before the deadline? Vote below:
<iframe src="https://app.sli.do/event/ayUbr5ZxALn4vU4ob4L5WR/embed/polls/e8f1a63e-6ff9-4b98-b733-c0ec425da756" width="300" height="400"></iframe>

Which NBA team desperately needs to make a trade prior to today's deadline? Vote here!

Which NBA team desperately needs to make a trade before deadline?

As yet another trade deadline approaches, the New York Knicks have found themselves in the familiar position of looking for a shot in the arm.
And yet again, it doesn&rsquo;t seem likely they&rsquo;ll get one.
At 24-31, New York enters play on Feb. 9 in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, good enough to be 2.5 games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the 10th seed. At this point, they can only aspire to get an opportunity to play themselves into the 2022 postseason.
There&rsquo;s still a lot of season left, but Leon Rose and his front office hasn&rsquo;t found an opportunity to dramatically reshape the roster, and those chances may have dried up with Tuesday trades that saw CJ McCollum and Tyrese Haliburton change addresses.
On Tuesday, McCollum saw his nine-year tenure as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers end when Portland dealt him to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for a package that ultimately yielded Josh Hart and draft compensation. And shortly thereafter, the Sacramento Kings surprisingly shipped Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for a package headlined by Domantas Sabonis.
Obviously at different points in their careers, what McCollum and Haliburton each have in common is that they would&rsquo;ve upgraded Tom Thibodeau&rsquo;s backcourt and at least been a step in the direction toward helping the Knicks replicate last season&rsquo;s success. The Knicks were linked to both players, but now, New York must look elsewhere.
For the most part, the deals that happen are the ones that nobody hears about.&nbsp;
Sure, James Harden could end up in Philadelphia and all indications are that the Los Angeles Lakers would love to find a taker for Russell Westbrook, but other teams don&rsquo;t exactly seem to being ringing the phones off the hook at Penn Plaza. If they were, either McCollum or Sabonis &mdash; or perhaps both &mdash; could have landed in Manhattan.
Where the Knicks go from here remains to be seen.
Could Julius Randle be headed elsewhere?
Things changed quickly.
Last season, Julius Randle capably led the Knicks to the fourth seed, was named an All-Star for the first time in his career and won the NBA&rsquo;s Most Improved Player Award. Less than a year later, his story has been completely rewritten.
Perhaps mostly due to his poor play, Randle is the player on the team whose name has been called the most as it relates to trade rumors, and that&rsquo;s because &mdash; despite his struggles &mdash; his talent is undeniable. He would provide the Knicks the best opportunity to dramatically reshape their roster while dealing him would also offer RJ Barrett more opportunity to play with the ball in his hands.
According to SNY&rsquo;s Ian Begley, Randle <a href="https://www.sny.tv/articles/knicks-evan-fournier-trade-discussions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has drawn interest</a> from several teams around the league, and the Sacramento Kings were believed to be among them. It stands to reason that the front office there coveted Sabonis more than Randle. Based on their play this season, it&rsquo;d be hard to argue.
Just one season removed from the first All-Star berth of his career, Randle&rsquo;s poor play and attitude have hurt his value, but he&rsquo;s still one of the team&rsquo;s two most talented players, at best. Trading him for a young point guard could make sense for the Knicks, but that ship may have sailed with Haliburton having been sent to Indiana.
The biggest impediment to a Randle deal for the Knicks would be the return. If a trade wasn&rsquo;t yielding a top flight prospect or an established player that would help New York remain in the playoff hunt, it would be difficult for the front office to divest Randle while his value is as low as it seems to be at the moment.
Making room for Cam Reddish
Thus far, the Cam Reddish era in New York has been more of a snooze fest than must see TV, and it&rsquo;s because Reddish has been used sparingly, to say the least.
One of the things that players who have played for Thibodeau has respected about him are the standards that he holds his players to and his equitable administration of his values.&nbsp;
In other words, it&rsquo;s very on brand of the coach to demand that Reddish play his way into the Knicks&rsquo; rotation rather than simply handing minutes to the youngster because other people have identified him as someone with promise.&nbsp;
Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley have earned their minutes, while Alec Burks and Evan Fournier have been the best player on the floor in more than one appearance this season.
There are only so many minutes to go around, which is why there have been pretty persistent reports concerning the Knicks and their willingness to part with one or two of their veteran pieces; Fournier and Burks have both joined Kemba Walker as players who are <a href="https://sny.tv/articles/knicks-evan-fournier-trade-discussions">reportedly available</a>.
Trading away one of the veteran pieces for draft compensation could make sense for a New York team that wants to get Reddish more opportunity, but that might not make the team more competitive in the short-term.
Mitchell Robinson is opening some eyes
There&rsquo;s no denying what Mitchell Robinson has produced on the court as of late.&nbsp;
Over the past month, Robinson has recorded six double-doubles and is averaging 13.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. He&rsquo;s heading for free agency this summer, and retaining his services is likely to be expensive.
Although the league has mostly gone away from &ldquo;traditional&rdquo; big men, Robinson is a capable defensive presence on the perimeter, and he has proven that, when healthy, he&rsquo;s able to impact games. That he can do so on the offensive end without having plays called for him is a plus. Any team in the league could use that skill set.
According to Marc Berman of <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/02/08/nba-trade-deadline-knicks-eyeing-kings-harrison-barnes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the New York Post,</a> the Detroit Pistons may have interest in Robinson, though Berman doesn&rsquo;t specify what the Pistons have that the Knicks would covet.
As it stands, the Knicks don&rsquo;t have the same kind of cap flexibility they had a year ago &mdash; they pretty much blew that last summer. Adding an expensive multi-year pact for Robinson would only make things worse, and if the team isn&rsquo;t sure that it&rsquo;s current core is who it wants to be married to for the next three or four years, Robinson could wind up with another address.
So&hellip; Where exactly are the Knicks going?
To say that the 2021-22 season has been a disappointment would be an understatement. The Eastern Conference has certainly gotten stronger around the Knicks, but after acquiring Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier last season, expectations were rather high for the team that captured the conference&rsquo;s fourth seed last year.
Acquiring Reddish and deploying Grimes and Quickley are things that a rebuilding team would do, but re-signing most of its core free agents isn&rsquo;t. The Knicks re-signed Randle to four-year, $104 million extension before they needed to, gave Fournier a four-year deal worth nearly $80 million and committed years and dollars to Alec Burks, Derrick Rose and Nerlens Noel. A team wouldn&rsquo;t do that unless they legitimately thought they had a chance to contend.
Teams that know they don&rsquo;t, from a management standpoint, look more like the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets. They divest every possible asset for draft compensation and use their salary cap space as currency to help teams rid themselves of onerous contracts.
That the Knicks have seemingly done an about face, and so quickly, is a blemish on the record of the front office. As the team reportedly dangles its veteran players in an attempt to find playing time for younger ones, on some level, represents failure.
At this point, it&rsquo;s difficult to know exactly what the Knicks are doing. And that&rsquo;s not a good thing.
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Moke Hamilton visits the Knicks' situation heading into the NBA trade deadline and whether or not it's fixable.

This may end up being another inconsequential trade deadline for Knicks

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-sixers-and-nuggets-on-come-up-nets-sliding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
The Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics (thanks to their dominant defense) are three of the big climbers this week, while the Nets continue to head in the wrong direction.
1. Phoenix Suns (44-10) &harr;️ Last Week: 1
Despite posting the NBA's best record, the Suns are reportedly looking to upgrade their roster. <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rumors-james-harden-ben-simmons-caris-levert-collin-sexton-malik-beasley-thaddeus-young/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype</a>, Phoenix is one of two teams (the Minnesota Timberwolves being the other) that have expressed interest in trading for San Antonio Spurs veteran Thaddeus Young.
2. Golden State Warriors (41-13) &harr;️ Last Week: 2
It appears Klay Thompson is finding his groove, which is bad news for the rest of the NBA. Klay has scored over 20 points in back-to-back games and is averaging 19.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.6 made treys (while shooting 42.9% from downtown) over his last five contests. &nbsp;
3. Memphis Grizzlies (38-18) &harr;️ Last Week: 3
The Grizz just keep on winning. They've won 6 of their last 7 games and 19 of their previous 23. Memphis has not lost consecutive contests since before Christmas. Over their last 20 games, Ja Morant is averaging 29.9 points (while shooting over 51% from the floor), 6.7 dimes, 6.3 assists, 1.6 made triples and 1.1 steals. Those are jaw-dropping numbers for any player, let alone a 22-year-old kid in just his third pro season.
4. Milwaukee Bucks (35-21) ⬆️ Last Week: 9
Interesting statistical factoid from the Bucks 137-113 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. In that game, Milwaukee became the first team in NBA history to have each member of its starting lineup score at least 15 points, grab at least 5 rebounds and knock down at least 2 three-pointers.
5. Miami Heat (35-20) &harr;️ Last Week: 5
When the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night, Miami clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference through the end of last week, which means Erik Spoelstra and his staff will head to Cleveland later this month to coach Team Durant in the All-Star Game.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
6. Chicago Bulls (33-21) &harr;️ Last Week: 6
The Bulls, playing without two of their best perimeter defenders in Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, have lost 3 of their last 4. However, after playing Wednesday in Charlotte, Chicago begins a six-game homestand that wraps around All-Star weekend. Following the matchup with the Hornets, the Bulls don't play on the road again until Feb. 28.&nbsp;
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (33-21) ⬆️ Last Week: 8
The Cavs acquired Caris LeVert from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for injured point guard Ricky Rubio and three draft picks over the weekend. "Very excited to add a dynamic young player of this caliber and experience," Cleveland president Koby Altman told reporters. "LeVert fits uniquely into our culture, and his Ohio roots bring an immediate connection to our community. We look forward to seeing what type of impact he can make on this roster." It's an excellent addition for the Cavs to supply them with the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/reaction-caris-levert-fills-blended-need-for-cavs-as-pacers-reset" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scoring wing they were looking for</a>, making Cleveland that much scarier come playoff time. LeVert is expected to be active for Wednesday's game against the Spurs.
8. Philadelphia 76ers (32-22) ⬇️ Last Week: 4
The Sixers are 10 games over .500 and Joel Embiid is doing much of the heavy lifting. Over his last 10 games, the big man is averaging 36.0 points, 12.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists. In the process, he may have established himself as the odds-on favorite to take home the MVP award entering the All-Star break. &nbsp;
9. Dallas Mavericks (32-23) ⬆️ Last Week: 10
Reggie Bullock tallied 22 points (on 8 of 14 shooting with 6 made three-pointers), 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. He's been a big part of the Mavs success of late. Over Dallas' past seven games, Bullock is averaging 17.9 points (while shooting 50.0% from the floor), 5.4 rebounds, 4.6 treys, 1.3 steals and just 0.6 turnovers.
10. Utah Jazz (33-21) ⬆️ Last Week: 11
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Donovan Mitchell sealed the win for the <a href="https://twitter.com/utahjazz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@utahjazz</a> with 3 fourth-quarter steals, after GOING OFF for 21 points in the first half! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TakeNote?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TakeNote</a> 🕷 <a href="https://twitter.com/spidadmitchell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@spidadmitchell</a>: 32 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST, 4 STL <a href="https://t.co/IiPsFfYDIu">pic.twitter.com/IiPsFfYDIu</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1490927965319970816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Donovan Mitchell racked up 32 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals in Utah's victory over the Knicks on Monday night. Rudy Gobert (left calf strain) did not play in the win, but the Jazz are hoping he is cleared to return to the action later this week. They also just acquired Nickeil Alexander-Walker <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nickel-alexanderwalker-on-the-move-again-as-blazers-jazz-spurs-complete-threeteam-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in a three-team deal</a> to add some youth (and depth) to their backcourt.
11. Denver Nuggets (30-24) ⬇️ Last Week: 7
Nikola Jokic was at it again Sunday, registering another triple-double in Denver's 124-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets. The Joker finished with 27 points (on 12 of 15 shooting), 12 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals and just 2 turnovers in only 30 minutes. This one (his NBA-leading 14th triple-double) was notable because it was the second time in Jokic's career he's recorded a 25-point triple-double while also shooting above 80% from the floor. Wilt Chamberlain is the only player in NBA history with more than one such game.
12. Toronto Raptors (29-23) ⬆️ Last Week: 14
The Raptors, who are currently riding a six-game winning streak, have discussed a trade that would send Goran Dragic (and his $18 million expiring contract) to the Hawks in exchange for Danilo Gallinari, <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2953236-nba-trade-intel-cj-mccollum-has-become-best-player-likely-dealt-at-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report</a>.
13. Boston Celtics (31-25)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 15
The Celtics have posted a 13-4 record dating back to New Year's Eve, and it's their defense that has turned Boston's season around. Over this 17-game stretch, the C's are allowing just 101.5 points per 100 possessions. To put that number in context: No team in the NBA other than Boston is allowing fewer than 106.5 points per 100 possessions over the past six weeks. Boston ranks first in Net Rating in 2022 as well. As usual, Marcus Smart has led the charge (pun intended) on the defensive front. He leads his team in pass deflections (64 more than any other Celtic) and charges drawn.
14. Minnesota Timberwolves (29-25) ⬆️ Last Week: 17
In the 18 games this season in which Minnesota has been able to roll out its preferred starting five of D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, Jarred Vanderbilt and Patrick Beverley, the Wolves are 13-5.
15. Brooklyn Nets (29-25) ⬇️ Last Week: 12
The Nets have lost nine straight games. They are 12 games under .500 dating back to late December. Kevin Durant is still weeks away from returning to action after spraining the medial collateral in his left knee last month. James Harden looks puffy and is nursing a hamstring injury. Joe Harris suffered a setback in his recovery from left ankle surgery in late January and reportedly could need a second surgery. Of the 27 games remaining on the Nets schedule, 14 of them are on the road. However, four of those contests are against either the New York Knicks or Raptors, which means Irving will only be able to suit up for (at most) 10 games. But, yeah, other than that, everything is all good in Brooklyn.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
16. Charlotte Hornets (28-27) ⬇️ Last Week: 13
Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2953236-nba-trade-intel-cj-mccollum-has-become-best-player-likely-dealt-at-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> this week that the Hornets are one of several teams that have expressed interest in Spurs big man Jakob Poeltl. The Bulls and Raps have also been rumored to be interested in Poeltl.
17. Atlanta Hawks (26-28) ⬇️ Last Week: 16
The Hawks were just 1-3 in their previous four games prior to Tuesday (although that one win was impressive &mdash; a victory at home over the Suns last Thursday, which snapped their 11-game winning streak). Atlanta took advantage of a reeling Indiana Pacers squad Tuesday night, beating them 133-112.
18. Los Angeles Lakers (26-29) &harr;️ Last Week: 18
Over the Lakers' last four games, Russell Westbrook is shooting a putrid 27.5% from the floor, 15.4% from downtown and 55.0% from the charity stripe. Late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's victory over the Knicks, when Westbrook was alone with the ball in the corner, the home crowd shouted at him not to shoot. When New York forced overtime, head coach Frank Vogel benched Russ for Talen Horton-Tucker. Westbrook was also benched for the final 14 minutes in Tuesday&rsquo;s loss to the Bucks. Will the Lakers admit they made a mistake before the deadline and reroute Russ out of Los Angeles?
19. New Orleans Pelicans (22-32) ⬆️ Last Week: 23
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🔥 Brandon Ingram WENT OFF for 17 points in the 3rd quarter on his way to 33 points and the <a href="https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PelicansNBA</a> win! <a href="https://twitter.com/B_Ingram13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@B_Ingram13</a>: 33 PTS, 12 AST, 3 STL <a href="https://t.co/3uT1ocPpgg">pic.twitter.com/3uT1ocPpgg</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1490683017949552641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

New Orleans, who won just one of their first 13 games this season, is now riding a four-game winning streak and has jumped up into 10th place in the Western Conference. And on Tuesday, the team <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-the-pelicans-pushing-chips-in-on-cj-mccollum-was-a-wise-investment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added a stud scorer to its roster</a>. The Pels acquired CJ McCollum along with Larry Nance and Tony Snell from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Jason Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Didi Louzada and draft compensation. I love this deal for New Orleans.&nbsp;
20. Los Angeles Clippers (27-29) ⬇️ Last Week: 19
Last week, the Clippers made a shrewd trade, sending Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson, and a second-round pick to the Blazers for Norman Powell and Robert Covington. It will help not only help them make a playoff push this year, but will also <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/breaking-down-why-the-blazersclippers-deal-works-for-both-sides" target="_blank" rel="noopener">round out their roster next season</a> when they can count on both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George returning to full strength. Powell looked great in his Clippers' debut on Sunday, tallying 28 points on 9 of 16 shooting in just 24 minutes. He followed that up with a 16-point night in a lopsided loss to the Grizz.
21. Washington Wizards (24-29) ⬇️ Last Week: 20
After the 2021-22 season started with plenty of promise, the Wiz have lost 8 of 9 heading into Thursday's matchup with the Nets. They will likely look to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-trade-destinations-for-spencer-dinwiddie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trade the struggling Spencer Dinwiddie</a> before the deadline arrives.&nbsp;
22. New York Knicks (24-31) ⬇️ Last Week: 21
New York has lost 10 of its last 12 games, but Mitchell Robinson had been playing some of the best basketball of his career before sitting out Tuesday's loss due to a back injury. Over the last month, Mitch Rob is averaging 11.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. During this stretch, the only other players in the NBA also averaging double-digit points and rebounds to go along with at least 1.4 blocks are Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
23. San Antonio Spurs (20-34) ⬆️ Last Week: 24
Spurs fans learned Monday that Dejounte Murray will make his NBA All-Star Game debut after being named an injury replacement by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Murray is averaging 19.6 points, 9.2 assists, 8.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals this season, and has a chance to become just the third player ever to average at least 8 assists, 8 rebounds and 2 steals per game over an entire season.&nbsp;
24. Sacramento Kings (20-36) ⬆️ Last Week: 26
The Kings shook up the league Tuesday afternoon, trading Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson to Indiana for Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday and a 2027 second-round pick. It is stunning that Sacaremto would part ways with Haliburton. The 21-year-old has exceeded all expectations since being drafted in 2020. He is on pace to become just the second player in NBA history to average at least 5 assists and 2 made three-pointers per game while shooting over 40% from downtown in each of his first two pro seasons. (The only player to have accomplished this feat is Stephen Curry.)
25. Portland Trail Blazers (21-34) ⬇️ Last Week: 22
The Blazers made waves on Tuesday, trading away former franchise cornerstone CJ McCollum. It continued on Wednesday afternoon, as Portland rerouted Nickeil Alexander-Walker to Utah for Joe Ingles' expiring $14 million deal in a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nickel-alexanderwalker-on-the-move-again-as-blazers-jazz-spurs-complete-threeteam-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three-team trade</a>. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday that "Portland plans to fully reshape the roster around Damian Lillard now... the plan is to pursue high-end talent now, not retreat." The team's also created a ton of cap space in the process and has a $21 million trade exception at its disposal.
26. Indiana Pacers (19-37) ⬇️ Last Week: 25
The Pacers, who are just 5-18 since Christmas, began breaking down their roster by trading Caris LeVert to the Cavs on Sunday, and then <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pacers-exit-blockbuster-trade-with-kings-as-huge-winners-thanks-to-tyrese-haliburton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shipped off Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento</a>, as noted above. As our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bucks-interested-in-trading-for-myles-turner-pacers-may-keep-him" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Kennedy reported</a>, Myles Turner is "a big fan of Tyrese Haliburton's game and is excited about the possibility of playing with the young guard." It appears Turner may stay in Indiana.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
27. Oklahoma City Thunder (17-36) &harr;️ Last Week: 27
The Thunder lost to the Warriors on Monday night, but Luguentz Dort had another strong outing, tallying 26 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. In the three games OKC has played without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort is averaging 23.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.0 three-balls.
28. Houston Rockets (15-39) ⬆️ Last Week: 29
The Rockets would love to join this week's wheeling and dealing by exchanging veteran shooting guard Eric Gordon for draft capital. We'll see if they find a willing trade partner.&nbsp;
29. Orlando Magic (13-43) ⬆️ Last Week: 30
We know the Magic hope to flip Terrence Ross and Gary Harris in exchange for draft picks before Thursday's deadline. The question is whether they will also look to deal big man Mo Bamba. After struggling over his first three years in the NBA, Bamba is posting career-highs across the board this season. However, Orlando inked center Wendell Carter Jr. to a four-year, $50 million contract extension back in October. The Magic are reportedly willing to listen to offers for Bamba, who has a $10.1 million qualifying offer for 2022-23 and will be a restricted free agent this summer.
30. Detroit Pistons (12-42) ⬇️ Last Week: 28
Killian Hayes has played a bit better of late, but he has failed to live up to expectations since being selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. This season, Hayes is one of only two players in the NBA logging more than 20 minutes per game yet shooting below 38% from the floor and averaging fewer than 10 points per contest. For his career, he is just 50-of-179 from downtown (27.9%)... The Pistons have lost 9 of their last 10 contests.
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Tommy Beer checks in with an installment of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings.

NBA Power Rankings: Bucks back into top tier, Mavs vault into top-10

Damian Lillard&rsquo;s defiance has made him a social-media punching bag, as his Portland Trail Blazers are dissolving around him and looking like a completely different team.
Lillard hasn&rsquo;t played since New Year&rsquo;s Eve, and as he recovers from abdominal surgery, he watched his team <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/breaking-down-why-the-blazersclippers-deal-works-for-both-sides" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deal Norman Powell and Robert Covington</a> to the Los Angeles Clippers while the best player coming back is Eric Bledsoe. Keon Johnsn was also included in the trade and while Portland hopes he pops off, he's only 19 years old, so who knows how soon he can make an impact? The Blazers also received a 2025 second-round pick &ndash; the year Lillard turns 35.
Then, on Tuesday, Lillard watched his Blazers acquire Josh Hart, Didi Louzada, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Tom&aacute;&scaron; Satoransky and draft picks in exchange for Larry Nance Jr., Tony Snell, and the reason we&rsquo;re gathered here today: CJ McCollum.
#Narratives are already in motion. The jokes have been flying on social media about how people are, in hindsight, underwhelmed by the run that Lillard and McCollum had. But before we stomp on their Basketball-Reference pages and laugh in their comments about &ldquo;not having won anything,&rdquo; we should offer a massive amount of respect for what they accomplished in Portland.
You&rsquo;ve probably seen the photo of a 5-foot-2 McCollum as a freshman in high school, but even that symbolizes so much here.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
CJ McCollum was really 5&rsquo;2&rdquo; playing Varsity basketball as a freshman lol <a href="https://t.co/ukPiVyOUYC">pic.twitter.com/ukPiVyOUYC</a>
&mdash; Nothing Matter3D (@HiDefDee) <a href="https://twitter.com/HiDefDee/status/1376562700440965131?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

The parallels Lillard and McCollum maintained were astounding; they were the reason the backcourt became divisive among NBA consumers &mdash; with some loving them and thinking that the Blazers could build a contender around them, while others refused to believe that a pair of 6-foot-3 scoring machines could lead a team to a title, even in this guard-friendly era.
These things need to be delivered out loud and thoroughly processed.
Lillard went to Weber State, and McCollum went to Lehigh. Both played in mid-major conferences, and they are two of the better mid-major players we&rsquo;ve seen this century. But really, the Big Sky and Patriot League are closer to the bottom of the NCAA&rsquo;s Division I conference rankings; take it from a Northeast Conference alum.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Lillard was drafted No. 6 overall in 2012; the only Weber State player drafted in the first round, period. McCollum was taken No. 10 overall the following year and is <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/draft.fcgi?college=lehigh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">still the only Lehigh player to be selected in an NBA Draft</a>. One of the first things that people noted when Lillard got drafted was that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXXXDlzv0-U" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he never played against a top-25 team while in college</a>. And Bill Simmons <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJBwqmwfQbg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">couldn&rsquo;t believe a Patriot Leaguer was selected</a> in the top-10 in 2013.
Suddenly, we looked up and Lillard was the NBA's Rookie of the Year, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_2013.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">receiving every single first-place vote</a> over perennial favorite Anthony Davis, who won a gold medal with Team USA during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.&nbsp;And then, in 2013-14, Portland was in the playoffs, where they&rsquo;ve been every year since Lillard and McCollum became teammates &ndash; the longest active streak in the NBA. Even then, McCollum didn&rsquo;t have his coming out party until 2015-16, when he immediately filled an All-Star sized scoring role vacated by LaMarcus Aldridge (who left for San Antonio) and won the NBA's Most Improved Player award.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZyA4fSkShoc" width="100%" height="320" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
They played similarly and complemented each other exceptionally. Lillard and McCollum would each produce 20 points a night, occasionally going off for 30 each, and in a brutal Western Conference, return to playoffs no matter what was around them. And then they&rsquo;d lose, which led some to dismiss them.
In 2015, it was a five-game gentlemen&rsquo;s sweep as a No. 4 seed against the Grit N&rsquo; Grind Memphis Grizzlies, who went up 2-1 on the Golden State Warriors in the semifinals before losing to the eventual champions. In 2018, as a No. 3 seed, it was that memorable sweep against the same Pelicans that McCollum now joins, who were the sixth seed.
Then, in 2019, we finally saw a breakthrough: a run to the Western Conference Finals. Thanks to a legendary 37-point performance from McCollum in Game 7 of the semifinals, the Blazers beat the Denver Nuggets on the road &ndash; still CJ's paramount performance to date. Portland met up with the Warriors in the Conference Finals, and Golden State ultimately swept them (even though they were missing Kevin Durant, who was out due to a calf strain).
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Av2LBKhAPHs" width="100%" height="320" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The Blazers followed up that Conference-Finals appearance with consecutive first-round exits. With that said, Portland's failures can't be blamed on Lillard and McCollum alone.
Their fellow starters and key teammates include Al-Farouq Aminu, Mason Plumlee, Meyers Leonard, Noah Vonleh, Jusuf Nurkić, Evan Turner, Mo Harkless, Jake Layman, Zach Collins, Trevor Ariza, Carmelo Anthony, Hassan Whiteside and Norman Powell. Despite having one of the best backcourts we&rsquo;ve seen in generations, the Blazers could never figure out how to properly surround them with talent. (And honestly, doing is probably harder in the real world than we realize).
But in spite of their nitpickable shortcomings, their rigorous conference, their identical 6-foot-3 statures, their style of play and the lack of an ideal supporting cast, Lillard and McCollum co-engineered (along with Aldridge the first two years) the NBA&rsquo;s longest playoff streak. And they did so defiantly, as underrecruited long-time college players who stunned scouts by becoming top-10 picks and high-end NBA talents.
They led five 50-plus-win teams and two No. 3 seeds out West. Lillard is a <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/nba-75th-anniversary-team-announced" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top-76 NBA player ever</a>, and McCollum is one of the best active NBA players to never make an All-Star team (and he probably would've made multiple appearances had he been in the Eastern Conference instead).
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
People have been trying to separate this duo for years via trade machines, NBA 2K, forums, social-media posts, comments under those posts, text threads, direct messages, barbershop debates, radio call-ins, post-sex conversations, you name it. Finally, that day is here, and the circumstances suck.
Lillard <a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/damian-lillard-loyalty-over-everything" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continually preached loyalty and wanting to win the hard way</a>. McCollum <a href="https://www.theringer.com/the-bill-simmons-podcast/2021/2/3/22263991/brooklyn-bliss-draymonds-dip-and-cj-mccollum-stops-by" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked us to stop putting him in trade rumors</a>.
The parallels between the two are why many loved them, and the parallels proved to be their demise. But dammit, they accomplished a lot. We could say that they were ultimately underwhelmed by their surroundings, but let&rsquo;s also acknowledge how hard this damn thing is. You can&rsquo;t take playoff streaks for granted &ndash; look at what the Pelicans, Cleveland Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings are doing this week in hopes of ending their postseason droughts.
This could&rsquo;ve had a happy ending, and it still might, but it doesn&rsquo;t appear that it&rsquo;ll be with Lillard and McCollum together. They didn&rsquo;t fail, and they probably didn&rsquo;t live up to your (or their own) expectations, but that&rsquo;s usually how our experiences on Earth go. Regularly, even if we don&rsquo;t want to admit it, that&rsquo;s OK, because more often than we acknowledge, that&rsquo;s life.

Bryan Fonseca looks back on what Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum accomplished together with the Portland Trail Blazers.

End of an era: Saluting the defiance of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum

The Portland Trail Blazers are still pursing a deal for the Pistons' Jerami Grant, according to Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Having already moved Norm Powell and CJ McCollum, Portland is still engaged in conversations with Detroit on acquiring forward Jerami Grant, sources said.
&mdash; Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeLFischer/status/1491154207533117443?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
Portland's future is in question after trading CJ McCollum to the New Orleans Pelcians earlier in the day. Grant would help solidy a Trail Blazers team in need of additional fire power. Grant is averaging 19.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game this season after establishing himself as a borderline All-Star last year.
With the trade deadline only two days away, numerous teams are rumored to have interest in Grant; however, the Pistons may wait until the offseason to decide if a move is necessary. Grant is in the second year of a three-year/$60 million deal.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

The Portland Trail Blazers are still pursing a deal for the Pistons' Jerami Grant.

Portland Trail Blazers still hope to add Detroit's Jerami Grant

Indiana Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis could end up being the biggest name that's dealt prior to Thursday's trade deadline.
While the Washington Wizards and Sacramento Kings are the two teams that have consistently been linked to the two-time All-Star, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto wouldn't be shocked if a random team comes out of nowhere to win the Sabonis sweepstakes.&nbsp;
"For Sabonis, he's the kind of guy where I could see a dark-horse team kind of coming out of nowhere and going all-in [to acquire him]," Scotto said on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2022-nba-trade-deadline-preview-breaking-down-the/id1528900732?i=1000550304493" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Alex Kennedy Podcast</a>. "I don't want to throw any teams out there. But I just think it comes down to Indiana trying to squeeze teams [and get more], just like Orlando did with Nikola Vucevic a year ago. I think it's really the same scenario... I've reported that the Pacers want a Nikola-Vucevic type of package for Sabonis."
Last year, the Orlando Magic shocked everyone when they traded Vucevic to the Chicago Bulls for Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr. and two first-round picks. Like Vucevic last year, Sabonis is a two-time All-Star who's under contract for two more seasons beyond this one (earning $18.5 million).
<iframe src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=BNI3304288003" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
One team that could make sense as a dark-horse suitor is the New Orleans Pelicans, who have expressed interest in Sabonis. The Pelicans have been one of the most active teams in trade talks over the last few weeks and while they have <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pelicans-really-aggressive-in-pursuit-of-guards-on-trade-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mostly been linked to guards</a> (including C.J. McCollum and Eric Gordon), they certainly seem to be buyers as the deadline approaches.
If a surprise teams fails to emerge, Scotto believes the Kings have the trade chips to land Sabonis.
"Sacramento has all of the assets to get that done," Scotto said. "To me, they also have the desperation factor because they're trying not to miss the playoffs again and set the record [for the longest playoff drought]. And they need a high-caliber big. If they acquire Domantas Sabonis, they haven't had a guy like that since Chris Webber &mdash; an All-Star big at that position who can really make a difference for them."
It remains to be seen if Sacramento is willing to meet Indiana's asking price.&nbsp;
The Wizards "would love" to acquire Sabonis and pair him with Bradley Beal, but they "may not have the assets" to get a deal done, according to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGRj31TZBhI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;
This season, Sabonis is averaging 18.9 points, 12.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.0 steal on .580/.324/.740 shooting splits. The Pacers are 19-36, which is the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference. Given the team's struggles, a <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1490441389188030471" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"dramatic trade deadline makeover"</a> seems imminent.

The Wizards and Kings have consistently been linked to Domantas Sabonis, but it's possible he lands on a dark-horse team instead.

A surprise team may come out of nowhere to land Domantas Sabonis

It's that time of year when NBA trade machines and insider gossip hijack basketball discourse. Trade deadline season means absolute chaos for just about anyone involved in basketball from a management, player or media perspective. For better or for worse, I'm pulling the "we live in a society" card and conforming.
The Tank-O-Meter is back for the second time this season to assess how seriously teams should consider folding for the remainder of 2021-22. Teams are rated on a scale from 1 (playoffs or bust) to 10 (do not even think about winning a game again) based on how much a rebuild helps the long-term franchise outlook.
A key part of any good rebuild is maximizing selling out at the trade deadline. It makes sense to get a read on what teams should do before Thursday to build their chests of assets and get out of the limbo of a weak postseason push. You'll see a Tank-O-Meter reading for each of these 10 squads, plus the usual Sour Rankings.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The New Orleans Pelicans got Brandon Ingram back from injury and immediately started winning. They're currently on a three-game stampede and have even moved into the Play-In tier of the Western Conference standings. Boston is also rolling on a five-game win streak with perhaps the hottest defense in basketball, suddenly tied with Toronto and Brooklyn for sixth in the Eastern Conference.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
10. Charlotte Hornets (28-26) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 2/10
The Hornets sink into the Sour Rankings as they tough out a four-game losing streak with defeats against the Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. Their run to the All-Star break is daunting; it features 6 games in 11 days and includes matchups against the Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves and Heat (again). According to <a href="https://heavy.com/sports/boston-celtics/nba-trade-rumor-josh-richardson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Heavy's Steve Bulpett</a>, Charlotte is also looking to trade PJ Washington, which still doesn't make much sense to me.
Charlotte shouldn't consider bottoming out as long as the team has confidence in its young core. The Hornets have the pieces to either become buyers or sellers at the deadline, and are right in the thick of a competitive East playoff race. At the absolute minimum, this is great experience for guys like LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, and the Hornets are still a threatening offense on a nightly basis.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Detroit Pistons (12-41) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 9/10
Easy reading for Detroit &mdash; the franchise has already been near the bottom of the league all season. The Pistons can really supercharge the current rebuild with how they approach the trade deadline regarding veterans like Jerami Grant and Cory Joseph.
But Detroit still cracks the Sour Rankings, because even in the scheduled losses, it just feels like there's been too much uninspired basketball. Honestly, what young talents on the roster do you feel better about from the start of the season besides Cade Cunningham? I'd say there's an argument for Saddiq Bey and... that's about it. Detroit still has several questions to answer about the team's identity, and those questions can be answered even in losses.
(Last week: Unranked)
8. Utah Jazz (32-21) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 1/10
Utah battled to a win against the Denver Nuggets and dismantled the flailing Nets this week, bringing some stability after a five-game skid. However, reports are back (this one from <a href="https://www.deseret.com/2022/2/4/22916919/utah-jazz-donovan-mitchell-on-reports-relationship-with-rudy-gobert-has-deteriorated-thats-not-true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Brian Windhorst</a>) that Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert are "at each other's throats." Mitchell once again denied the rumors, and who knows at this point what's grounding the reports. But it's never good to hear.
No, the Jazz should not tank &mdash; they're still fourth in the West standings even in this rough patch.
(Last week: 6)
7. Indiana Pacers (19-36) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 9/10
The Pacers <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/reaction-caris-levert-fills-blended-need-for-cavs-as-pacers-reset" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dealt Caris LeVert to the Cavaliers yesterday in a trade</a> that brought back an expiring (and injured) Ricky Rubio, a lottery-protected first-round pick that will likely convey this season and two additional second-rounders. That's not a bad return for a team that simply needs young talent in waves, and draft picks always add some trade flexibility.&nbsp;
Moving LeVert for that package signals a rebuild is on the way. It's long overdue. Now, the Pacers have to get what they can for Myles Turner, Justin Holiday and their other vets. I do not think Domantas Sabonis is a "must-trade" due to his sheer skill. But Indiana also can't be afraid to accept a good offer. They're one of the primary teams to watch ahead of Thursday.
(Last week: 4)
6. Portland Trail Blazers (21-33) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 8/10
Here's another team giving off "rebuild" vibes. The Trail Blazers traded Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Clippers this week for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and a future second-round pick. That return feels underwhelming considering Portland gave up two very good rotation players. But if they like the uber-athletic Johnson, so be it.
With no Damian Lillard return in sight, Portland should really sell at this deadline. What does being in a Play-In race even mean for this franchise? Young trade pieces and the NBA Draft are the best way to find game-changing talent. CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic have been involved in trade rumors recently. I wouldn't be surprised if both had new homes by Thursday evening.
(Last week: 7)
5. New York Knicks (24-29) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 7/10
One day, Deuce McBride and Immanuel Quickley will join the starting lineup and everything will be alright in New York. For now, the Knicks remain a woefully inconsistent basketball team that can't be trusted &mdash; but can't be counted out &mdash; on any night. If I had my way, Tom Thibodeau would commit to playing the youth; Quentin Grimes, Quickley and McBride would see serious playing time increases, and New York would head into the offseason with a good draft pick and an enticing young core. Then again, it's Thibs.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Julius Randle got into it with a coach on the bench against the Lakers. 😬 (h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/AhnFireDigital?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AhnFireDigital</a>) <a href="https://t.co/NNhrE2XgVt">pic.twitter.com/NNhrE2XgVt</a>
&mdash; theScore (@theScore) <a href="https://twitter.com/theScore/status/1490765945396244482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

By the way, read this <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/julius-randle-and-the-george-costanza-problem" target="_blank" rel="noopener">excellent piece from Mat Issa</a> that further highlights how the Knicks are leaving Julius Randle out to dry.
(Last week: 5)
4. Sacramento Kings (20-35) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 9/10
<a href="https://theathletic.com/3113791/2022/02/07/detroit-pistons-nba-trade-deadline-guide-what-im-hearing-about-jerami-grant-trade-tiers/?article_source=search&amp;search_query=jerami%20grant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James L. Edwards III of&nbsp;The Athletic</a>&nbsp;says that the Kings have reported interest in Jerami Grant. This comes after all the will-they-won't-they drama surrounding a Ben Simmons trade and the availability of De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. Of course, smokescreens exist in trade gossip, but I still can't rationalize most of the reported targets for Sacramento.
This is a bad basketball team. The Kings have the second-worst offensive rating in the NBA over the past few weeks in addition to their perenially-porous defense. Sacramento may be two games out of 10th place, but the team would have to unseat several better squads in the San Antonio Spurs, Trail Blazers and Pelicans. As repetitive as selling is for this squad, it's the logical step.
(Last week: 2)
3. Los Angeles Lakers (26-28) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 1/10
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
&ldquo;more from an off-ball perspective&rdquo; from TALEN HORTON-TUCKER is just- <a href="https://t.co/LO3LSpvuxR">https://t.co/LO3LSpvuxR</a>
&mdash; Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1490191241878851589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
I audibly chuckled reading this reaction from Nekias Duncan on Frank Vogel's rationale benching Russell Westbrook late against the Knicks. L.A. won that game in overtime, but it sure wasn't thanks to either player. Even though the Lakers went 2-1 this week, the lasting image will be the game-winner from Clippers guard Reggie Jackson on Thursday. The purple and gold are now down to ninth in the Western Conference.
The Tank-O-Meter reading remains the same: You don't tank with a healthy LeBron James.
(Last week: 3)
2. Washington Wizards (24-28) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 5/10
Washington's downward spiral continued last week with two one-sided losses to the Bucks and Suns. The Wizards did manage a 106-103 win over Philadelphia, but they've now been usurped by the Atlanta Hawks for the final Play-In bid. Does being on the outside looking in change anything from a directional perspective?
I think the Wizards are at the most polarizing trade deadline crossroads of any NBA team. They could make a desparation play for a star to help Bradley Beal and <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeLFischer/status/1488860395683168259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1488860395683168259%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2F8points9seconds.com%2F2022%2F02%2F03%2Findiana-pacers-domantas-sabonis-trade-wizards%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">swing on someone like Domantas Sabonis.</a> Or, Washington could send out its solid veterans in return for young talent or draft assets &mdash; at the risk of losing Beal this offseason. Moves have to be made by Thursday, but I couldn't honestly say what the right direction is.
(Last week: 1)
1. Brooklyn Nets (29-24) &mdash; Tank-O-Meter reading: 1/10
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Harden effort thread because I watched the film back and, my god, it's pathetic. Clip 1: just blatantly not caring. <a href="https://t.co/NbCccj2Ntt">pic.twitter.com/NbCccj2Ntt</a>
&mdash; Erik Slater (@erikslaterNR) <a href="https://twitter.com/erikslaterNR/status/1489287381031297027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Whew... An eight-game losing streak, complete with some epic meltdowns, has the Nets in the Play-In tournament. And that's not even the worst part amidst the firestorm of rumors surrounding James Harden's potential availability. Whether or not he gets traded, Harden is showing visible disinterest at a critical point in Brooklyn's season. It's hard to consider the Nets a legitimate title contender with the way they've played over the past three weeks.
(Last week: 8)
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Ethan Fuller looks at which struggling teams should sell ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.

NBA Sour Rankings: Tank-O-Meter readings ahead of the trade deadline

The Knicks have reportedly emerged as a trade suitor for CJ McCollum.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1490724549629026304?s=20&amp;t=ixAqwpeN10vKNqSvgCJSdA">Marc Stein</a>
ANALYSIS: With the Knicks and Blazers both in dismal seasons, the Knicks could look for a midseason spark and the Blazers to rebuilt with a McCollum move.
If not the Knicks, the 30 year-old McCollum could be pursued by the Pelicans as well.
McCollum is averaging 20.5 points and 4.5 assists per game for the Blazers.

The Knicks have reportedly emerged as a trade suitor for CJ McCollum.

Knicks emerging as potential CJ McCollum trade suitor

The Trail Blazers and Kings held talks bout disgruntled young forward Marvin Bagley. Given the multi-season tension with Bagley, he&rsquo;s another player whom it&rsquo;s surprising hasn&rsquo;t been dealt.
Source: <a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/nba-trade-deadline-rumors-intel-james-harden-ben-simmons-harrison-barnes-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Moore/The Action Network</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Bagley has had an underwhelming start to his career since being selected No. 2 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. He has appeared in 30 games to date and is averaging a career-low 21.9 minutes with corresponding lows in points, rebounds and assists per game.
The Trail Blazers have already made moves in the past week, headlined by a trade that sent Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Clippers. In return, Portland received Justise Winslow, Eric Bledsoe, Keon Johnson and a future second-round pick.

The Trail Blazers have already made moves in the past week, headlined by a trade with the Clippers.

Kings, Trail Blazers have discussed Marvin Bagley trade

With the emergence of Anfernee Simons and the selling off of veterans like Powell and Covington, rival executives around the league believe the Trail Blazers will move CJ McCollum by the trade deadline or this offseason as Portland continues to reshape its roster around franchise star Damian Lillard. Several teams, including the New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, and others, are expected to have interest in trading for McCollum, who is owed $69.13 million over the next two seasons.
Source: <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rumors-cj-mccollum-anfernee-simons-robert-covington-dorian-finney-smith-danilo-gallinari-jakob-poeltl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Scotto of HoopsHype</a>
ANALYSIS: Trail Blazers interim general manager Joe Cronin has called Anfernee Simons a &ldquo;core piece,&rdquo; and said that they dealt Norman Powell and Robert Covington in part "to create a runway here for him."&nbsp;
It would not be surprising to see this same reasoning used for dealing C.J. McCollum before the deadline, as Portland looks to be focused on the future rather than winning now.

According to reports, league execs believe CJ McCollum will be dealt before the trade deadline.

Pelicans, Mavericks among teams showing interest in C.J. McCollum

And here&rsquo;s the first pair of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=panEWmN28jM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mentos thrown in the Coke bottle</a> that&rsquo;ll set off the rest of the league.
The trade deadline isn&rsquo;t until February 10 but, as usual, teams are already completing deals. In this case, per ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Los Angeles Clippers are sending over a package led by Eric Bledsoe and Justise Winslow to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Norman Powell and Robert Covington.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Clippers are trading Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and future second-round pick to the Trail Blazers for Norman Powell and Robert Covington, sources tell ESPN.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1489681792881860620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2022</a>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Clippers are sending Blazers a 2025 second-round pick via the Detroit Pistons, sources tell ESPN.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1489683115077423106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2022</a>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</blockquote>
As of this trade, the Blazers are 21-31, 10th in the Western Conference, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/whats-next-for-the-portland-trail-blazers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">still without Damian Lillard for at least a few more weeks</a>. The Clippers, even without Paul George and Kawhi Leonard &mdash; <a href="https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2022/02/latest-on-kawhi-leonard-paul-george.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">neither of whom are guaranteed to return this season</a> &mdash; are 27-27 and eighth in the West behind the leadership of head coach Tyronn Lue.
If you recall &mdash; and, well, how could you not &mdash; the Clippers completed a 36-point comeback against Portland East, a.k.a., the Washington Wizards, one of <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/clippers/story/2022-01-25/clippers-biggest-comeback-team-history-win-wizards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three comebacks of at least 24 points or more in a two-week span</a>. That in itself is a feat reached by the Clippers and no one else in the last 25 years.
ESPN&rsquo;s Bobby Marks lays out the contractual mechanics. This is important &mdash; otherwise, you&rsquo;d think the Clippers just jacked the Blazers, but that&rsquo;s not fully true. (We&rsquo;ll get to that later.)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Here are the contracts: For LAC: 🏀N. Powell: $15.5M, $16.8M, $18M, $19.2M, $20.5M 🏀R. Covington: $13M (UFA w/bird rights) For POR: 🏀E. Bledsoe: $18.1M, $19.4M ($3.9M guaranteed) 🏀J. Winslow: $3.9M, $4.1M 🏀K. Johnson: $2.6M, $2.7M, $2.8M, $4.5M
&mdash; Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1489683749335973889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2022</a>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</blockquote>
The Clippers conceptually &ldquo;win&rdquo; the trade from the standpoint of fielding a better roster. Powell&rsquo;s been the Blazers third-leading scorer this season wiith Lillard and CJ McCollum out for extended periods, and the No. 1 option on numerous nights as a result. Powell extended with Portland over the summer for five years and $90 million, but it&rsquo;s an ascending contract that won&rsquo;t land him a salary north of $20 million until the last year of the deal. Powell gives the Clippers a No. 3 or even No. 4, ideally next to Leonard and George at some point, who can score efficiently and at-will in different facets of the game.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
In Portland, Powell averaged 18.7 points on 46/41/80 shooting splits and just 13.6 field goals per game. His field goal attempts are slightly over Anfernee Simons&rsquo; 12.9 attempts per contest, though he only averages 14.6 points by comparison &mdash; despite also shooting an efficient line, 44/40/90. Why the difference? Powell not only gets to the line five times per game, second only to Lillard on the team, but his .365 free-throw rate leads all non-centers on the roster. Additionally, Powell&rsquo;s been a quality pull-up shooter, ranking 16th in scoring efficiency, shooting with an Effective Field Goal percentage of 64% in spot-up situations and 56% in transition, <a href="https://twitter.com/SynergySST/status/1489684009454125062" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Synergy</a>.
All of which are great signs if you&rsquo;re 6-foot-3, which you can&rsquo;t say that often in this league.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_jgllazWu4o" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Moreover, adding Powell removes the offensive strain on other Clippers, like Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris and the emerging Luke Kennard especially &mdash; making them more potent on that end and, ideally, not putting them in positions where 24-point comebacks are all that necessary.
In theory, Covington will play a role on the Clippers, assuming he remains on the team, but it feels more like short-term insurance. And there&rsquo;s nothing wrong with that, but let&rsquo;s spell it out. Covington is on an expiring $13 million contract and will dive into unrestricted free agency in a few months. Positionally, as a theoretical stretch-four/three-and-D-wing, he has some duplication for this Clippers roster, mainly George, Leonard, Morris and Nicolas Batum.
Covington&rsquo;s statistically having his worst season since entering the league full-time, throwing out the seven games he played as a rookie in 2012-13. In 30 minutes per contest, and 40 starts in 48 appearances, Covington&rsquo;s averaging 7.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, shooting 38/34/83, and while the free-throw percentage is high, he&rsquo;s only taken 36 this season, and hasn&rsquo;t cracked 150 since 2016-17. Covington will split time with and see the floor beside other Clipper forwards, and just being on a better team with a better coach should help settle his role.
Let&rsquo;s also acknowledge that Covington could also be a part of this deal because the Clippers may move Morris and or Batum within the next few days. (Take it from me, Miami Heat fans are already trying to figure out how to get one of them. If the Clippers like Duncan Robinson &ndash; for Morris in particular &ndash; maybe they&rsquo;re in luck.) That&rsquo;d open things up for Covington, and Powell would replenish the scoring, albeit differently.
From a basketball perspective, the Blazers portion doesn&rsquo;t need an extensive breakdown, at least not on this piece &mdash; trust me, fam. Hell, the move itself isn&rsquo;t about their play as much as it is cap mechanics. But in summation, it isn&rsquo;t as bad as some tweeters are pondering, depending on what follows.
As Marks outlined earlier, around 20% of Bledsoe&rsquo;s $19.4 million salary next season is guaranteed, so the Blazers could easily move on from him. Winslow is only due $4 million next season, and Keon Johnson was just picked in the first-round, so he&rsquo;ll be cheap (by NBA standards) through 2025, assuming all his options are picked up. He&rsquo;s played 135 total minutes this season and won&rsquo;t turn 20 for another month, so we&rsquo;ll call him a project.
The move also places Portland under the luxury tax, per Marks, and it also creates a $6.5 million trade exception.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The trade will put Portland under the luxury tax. The Clippers tax bill increases from $93.9M to $112.9M (+$19M). <a href="https://t.co/ZpEJfML8XM">https://t.co/ZpEJfML8XM</a>
&mdash; Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1489684937838059526?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
The big question around Portland is, obviously, what happens to Lillard. Question No. 1A is McCollum, but freeing Powell&rsquo;s salary and adding a trade exception aids the mechanics of making future moves. The Blazers have short-term contracts to use &mdash; hell, they could even re-route Bledsoe&rsquo;s $18.1 million this season if they wanted, or keep him on the books to use after the season since his deal won&rsquo;t be fully guaranteed <a href="https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/09/clippers-notes-bledsoe-winslow-vaccinations-drame.html#:~:text=Bledsoe%20currently%20has%20a%20partial,offseason%20flexibility%20for%20the%20franchise." target="_blank" rel="noopener">until four days after the July moratorium</a>.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Jusuf Nurkić at $12 million and Larry Nance Jr. at $10.6 million are also usable deals in trades to monitor, along with several draft picks. So, for Portland, this trade is about what&rsquo;s next more than anything else. Maybe we&rsquo;ll look back and say they got the shaft at some point, but it&rsquo;s too early to make that judgment. To some degree, it may be for the Clippers as well, but they&rsquo;re clearly trying to be competitive now, and this should help them get there.
These are two franchises going in different directions. The Clippers, if they get healthy before the playoffs, should be taken seriously as a contender, especially because there&rsquo;s a world where they get to the NBA Finals last season if Leonard doesn&rsquo;t tear his ACL in the postseason. For the Blazers, I mean &hellip; we&rsquo;ll see.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Bryan Fonseca breaks down the deal between the Clippers and Trail Blazers, which sent Norman Powell to LAC.

Breaking down why the Blazers-Clippers deal works for both sides

As&nbsp;<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2952819-nba-head-rumor-intel-latest-on-collins-turner-mccollum-grant-more?share=other" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jake Fischer</a>&nbsp;recently wrote, the emergence of Anfernee Simons could lead the Portland Trail Blazers to trade veteran CJ McCollum. He also noted the New Orleans Pelicans are "the destination most often linked to McCollum."
According to sources close to the Pelicans, the team is heading into the deadline as a buyer focusing on the 2022-23 campaign. Zion Williamson, who has yet to play this year with a foot injury, is eligible for an extension this offseason. The team apparently views McCollum as the potentially ideal veteran scorer and leader to play alongside Brandon Ingram and Williamson.
Source: <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2952930-latest-nba-trade-intel-vaccine-status-key-at-deadline-cj-to-nola-smoke-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Pincus/Bleacher Report</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;McCollum has spent his entire career with the Trail Blazers since being selected 10th overall out of Lehigh in the 2013 NBA Draft. The 30-year-old is averaging over 20 points per game for the seventh straight season and shooting 40.2% from beyond the arc. The Pelicans have remained competitive in the West after starting the season 1-13 and could look to push towards the Play-In tournament.

McCollum has spent his entire career with the Trail Blazers since being selected 10th overall out of Lehigh in the 2013 NBA Draft.

Report: Pelicans frequently linked to CJ McCollum in trade talks

<div>
After the Wizards endured a 115-95 thumping at the hands of the Grizzlies, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dinwiddie-says-his-leadership-wasnt-necessarily-welcomed-by-wizards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spencer Dinwiddie was pretty candid with reporters</a> about his leadership approaches not really working out in the early going of the season. That comes after a previous report from <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dinwiddie-says-his-leadership-wasnt-necessarily-welcomed-by-wizards-a-john-wall-westbrook-trade-really-help-lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus</a> on the imperfect chemistry between Dinwiddie and Bradley Beal.
So that, plus a five-game losing streak with some epic moments of failure, gives Washington the edge in this week's Sour Rankings.&nbsp;
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst power rankings. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
</div>
<div>
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going:
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Atlanta Hawks have taken flight and won their last seven straight games to vault back into the Play-In race. The Los Angeles Clippers have not reeled off a winning streak, but continue to fight hard with an undermanned cast and have snuck up to seventh in the Western Conference standings. They're a fun team to watch and a fun team to root for with this ragtag bunch.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
10. New Orleans Pelicans (18-31)
The Pelicans are mired in a three-game skid, though all three of those losses came without Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas. They're still one of my personal favorite squads to watch in the NBA and still worth praising for how they've remained competitive. But we're hitting the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 10, and that brings some anxiety for a squad that is too far outside the Play-In race as things stand but too good of a team to fold.
New Orleans could certainly make a splash to push to the postseason, but is that the right move? What happens if they don't? Every loss makes the claw toward contention more challenging.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Boston Celtics (26-25)
The Celtics do not break out of the Sour Rankings because there's too much of a roller-coaster track record. But the past week is a massive confidence-builder for fans of the current starting lineup. The Marcus Smart-Jaylen Brown-Jayson Tatum-Al Horford-Robert Williams III group is outscoring opponents by 23.7 points per 100 possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass. They helped Boston eviscerate some lesser teams this past week. The real tests begin on Monday against Miami.
(Last week: 6)
8. Brooklyn Nets (29-20)
This is the first Sour Rankings appearance for Brooklyn since the early weeks of the season. The Nets have lost four games in a row to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors, all while Kevin Durant rehabs an MCL injury. James Harden also missed Sunday's defeat at Golden State with a hand sprain.
Harden <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/james-harden-interested-in-exploring-other-opportunities-in-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dominated headlines this week</a> after reports surfaced that he would consider "exploring other options" outside of the Nets this offseason with significant ties to Philly. That's simply not the news Brooklyn wants with the Big Three finally (partially) back together.
(Last week: Unranked)
7. Portland Trail Blazers (24-27)
The Blazers went 1-3 this week, but maintain a comfortable hold on 10th in the West because the teams behind them fared poorly as well. Portland got beat out narrowly by Minnesota and less closely by the Dallas Mavericks and Chicago Bulls, though it did take care of business against the lowly Houston Rockets. Sadly, much of the week gets overshadowed by the season-ending shoulder injury to Nassir Little, who was having a breakout third year with the team.
(Last week: 8)
6. Utah Jazz
Yes, the Jazz have missed Donovan Mitchell over the last six games, and also Rudy Gobert for the last four. Yes, they've played a brutal recent schedule that included the Warriors, Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies. However, this current five-game losing streak has only exposed how serious the depth question is for Utah ahead of the trade deadline.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
This has pretty easily been the most difficult month for the Utah Jazz in Quin Snyder&rsquo;s tenure as head coach
&mdash; Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba/status/1487971479790796800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

The team is 1-7 with bottom-10 efficiency ratings on both ends over the past two weeks. Now, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Utah fears Joe Ingles has torn his ACL. When the Jazz inevitably deal with injuries in the postseason, is there enough confidence that the next man up can help them win?
(Last week: 10)
5. New York Knicks (23-27)
It was just a two-game week for the Knicks and they got smacked in both with two double-digit losses to the Heat and Bucks. <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10025155-knicks-trade-rumors-ny-open-to-dealing-kemba-walker-evan-fournier-alec-burks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst</a>, New York is open to trading Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier and Alec Burks. "Open to" feels like some generous phrasing at this stage. It can't feel great that the two marquee offseason additions are both on the block. Oh, and <a href="https://www.slamonline.com/nba/knicks-coach-tom-thibodeau-reveals-why-cam-reddish-isnt-in-rotation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cam Reddish isn't in the rotation, either.</a>
(Last week: 5)
4. Indiana Pacers (18-33)
The Pacers are 4-14 dating back to Christmas. A mediocre defense has fallen apart, and that probably isn't helped by Myles Turner's extended absence due to a foot fracture. But you know what? Isaiah Jackson's been interesting. The 2021 first-round rookie most recently had 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks and a made three-pointer against the Mavericks.
Did the Pacers lose that game by 27 and did Jackson also foul out? Who's to say? But there's a nice little silver lining for a team that has very little going for it right now.
(Last week: 4)
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
3. Los Angeles Lakers (24-27)
I'm glad Russell Westbrook had a fun second half in what ended up being a three-point Laker loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The discourse around him will never be fair, so it feels good to see him be successful through all the criticism.&nbsp;
... And that'll do it for this week's positive Lakers talk! They lost all three games this week to the Hornets, Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers. Anthony Davis is shooting 18.0% from long range on the season, by the way.
(Last week: 1)
2. Sacramento Kings (18-33)
Kings-related conversations are rapidly turning from "How good is Tyrese Haliburton?" to "Free Tyrese Haliburton!" and that's not a great sign. The second-year combo guard put up 38 points on Saturday and Sacramento still lost that contest to the 76ers. He's built off a stellar December and is averaging 16.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 42.0% from beyond the arc in January. Yet, the Kings are 3-11 this month.
(Last week: 2)
1. Washington Wizards (23-26)
I listened to a couple of different social media conversations after the Wizards lost in meltdown fashion against the Clippers last Tuesday. In that game, Washington had a 30-point halftime lead before giving up 80 second-half points to the Clippers and ultimately losing on Luke Kennard heroics, 116-115. Those poor fans circled around the same phrase: "Why does this always happen?"&nbsp;
Washington had a three-day layoff and then promptly lost by 20 to the Grizzlies. The Wizards' upcoming schedule? In order: Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Miami, Brooklyn. This is going to get really ugly.&nbsp;
(Last week: 1)
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!
</div>

Washington blew a 30-point halftime lead to the Clippers in a spectacular collapse. Ethan Fuller updates his Sour Rankings.

NBA Sour Rankings: Wizards hitting new rock bottom

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-grizz-and-cavs-continue-to-climb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
The Phoenix Suns, who have at least three more wins than every other team in the league, retains the top spot in this week's BasketballNews.com Power Rankings.
1. Phoenix Suns (37-9) &harr;️ Last Week: 1
Phoenix has won 37 of its first 46 games this season, matching the 2006-07 squad for the best start in franchise history. And while LeBron James has been lavished with praise for what he's been able to accomplish this season (and rightfully so), Chris Paul's play has been equally incredible. CP3 poured in a season-high 27 points to go along with 14 assists and 9 rebounds in Monday's win over the Utah Jazz. The 36-year-old Paul is on pace to become the first player in NBA history over the age of 30 to average more than 10 assists and fewer than 3 turnovers per game.
2. Golden State Warriors (34-13) ⬆️ Last Week: 3
Even the greatest shooter of all-time can fall into a slump. After missing 12 of the 13 three-pointers he attempted in Sunday's victory over the Jazz, Steph Curry's shooting percentage from behind the arc fell below 30% for the month of January. Over his last 10 games, Curry is just 29 of 105 from downtown (27.6%).
3. Memphis Grizzlies (32-17)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 2
The Grizz have lost 3 of their last 5 games, but all five contests have come against teams well above .500. Their two wins during this stretch were impressive (a blowout victory over the Chicago Bulls and a win vs. the Denver Nuggets at altitude). Ja Morant was on fire last week, averaging 35.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 8.7 assists per contest.
4. Miami Heat (30-17) &harr;️ Last Week: 4
Despite again being forced to play without Kyle Lowry (personal matter) and Tyler Herro (health and safety protocols), the Heat beat the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, catapulting Miami to the top of the Eastern Conference. The fact that Heat have the East's best record even though Lowry, Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler have played just 14 games together is a testament to the phenomenal coaching job Erik Spoelstra has turned in.
5. Milwaukee Bucks (30-19) ⬆️ Last Week: 8
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
34 PTS from <a href="https://twitter.com/Khris22m?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Khris22m</a> 26 PTS from <a href="https://twitter.com/Jrue_Holiday11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jrue_Holiday11</a> The <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bucks</a> make it three-straight wins as Khris &amp; Jrue combine for 60 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/CL6OhZH6ZM">pic.twitter.com/CL6OhZH6ZM</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1485254751772188674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Jrue Holiday returned from injury last week, and the Bucks (who had lost 4 out of 5 with Holiday on the shelf) promptly went on a three-game winning streak. We shouldn't have been surprised, as the Bucks have been deadly when they've had their Big Three healthy and active. Milwaukee is now 18-3 in the 21 games Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Holiday have all played.&nbsp;
6. Cleveland Cavaliers (29-19)&nbsp;&harr;️ Last Week: 6
Kevin Love scored a team-high 20 points in the Cavs' victory over the New York Knicks on Monday night. It was Cleveland's seventh victory in its last eight games. Love embracing his role off the bench has been a significant factor in the Cavs' success this season. Over Cleveland's last 20 games, Love is averaging 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 treys, while shooting 41.4% from downtown and 82.6% from the free-throw line.&nbsp;
7. Utah Jazz (30-18) &harr;️ Last Week: 7
The Jazz have lost 8 of their last 11 games. However, Utah was missing Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley on Monday night in Phoenix; Quin Snyder's bunch still fought tough and actually led the Suns by four points in the fourth quarter before running out of gas.&nbsp;
8. Chicago Bulls (29-17) ⬇️ Last Week: 5
Nikola Vucevic had been mired in a nasty slump heading into Monday night, but he powered the Bulls past the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. It was a much-needed win for Chicago, who had lost 6 of 7 and was coming off an embarrassing blowout loss to the Orlando Magic. Vooch racked up 26 points (on 10 of 18 shooting), 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 treys, 3 blocks and a steal in 39 minutes. With Lonzo Ball (left knee) and Alex Caruso (fractured wrist) sidelined for the foreseeable future, the Bulls are going to need Vucevic to continue playing well.
9. Philadelphia 76ers (27-19) ⬆️ Last Week: 11
Unfortunately for Joel Embiid &mdash; who has scored at least 25 points in 14 straight games &mdash; Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey may be content to hold onto Ben Simmons until the offseason. According to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic, Morey <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/sixers-could-wait-until-offseason-for-possible-james-harden-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hopes to use Simmons as a trade chip to land James Harden or another superstar</a>. It really would be a shame if the Sixers waste a year of Embiid's prime, especially when the big man is playing arguably the best basketball of his career.&nbsp;
10. Dallas Mavericks (27-20) &harr;️ Last Week: 10
The Mavs have won 5 of their last 6, with two of those wins coming against the Grizzlies. And according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, Dallas is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-wizards-are-frontrunner-for-jerami-grant-may-deal-dinwiddie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a potential "dark-horse" candidate to land Pistons forward Jerami Grant</a> at the deadline. The Mavs' offer would reportedly start with a combo of Dorian Finney-Smith and Dwight Powell.
11. Brooklyn Nets (29-17) ⬇️ Last Week: 9
Kyrie Irving has played well for the Nets, but Brooklyn continues to be sieve-like on the defensive end. It's been more than two months since the Nets held an opponent below 99 points. And they've been especially porous in January. In fact, Brooklyn has been the worst defensive team in the NBA this month, allowing 117.3 points per 100 possessions. The only other team in the league with a defensive rating higher than 117 is the Houston Rockets.
12. Denver Nuggets (24-21)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 13
On Monday, Nikola Jokic was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nikola-jokic-trae-young-take-home-player-of-the-week-for-jan-1723" target="_blank" rel="noopener">named the Western Conference Player of the Week</a> after averaging a mind-boggling 36.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 10.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Oh, and he shot 65.0% from the floor, 40.0% from downtown and 86.2% from the charity stripe. Remarkably, it's the first time he's won a Player of the Week award this season.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
13. Charlotte Hornets (26-21)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 12
The Hornets had won 7 of 8 before going ice cold in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, as Charlotte shot just 4 of 36 (11%) from downtown. The Hornets have a tough road back-to-back (at Toronto and Indiana) on Tuesday and Wednesday.&nbsp;
14. Minnesota Timberwolves (23-23)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 17
On Sunday, Anthony Edwards racked up 25 points, 4 assists, and 4 triples in the Wolves' victory over the Nets. In the process, he knocked down his 300th career three-pointer, making him the youngest player in league history to achieve that feat and breaking the record previously held by Luka Doncic. However, Ant-Man limped off the floor and into the locker room late in the game after colliding with a defender. Fortunately, Wolves coach Chris Finch said the injury was not serious after the game.
15. Los Angeles Lakers (23-24) ⬆️ Last Week: 18
Let's take a step back for a second and appreciate what LeBron has been doing this season. In 2011-12, when LeBron was 27 years old, he averaged 27.1 points (on 55.6% Effective Field Goal percentage), 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 0.9 made threes and 0.8 blocks per game. He would be named NBA MVP and lead the Heat to a championship, where he was named Finals MVP. Well, in 2021-22, at age 37, James is averaging 29.0 points (61.6% eFG), 7.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.8 made threes and 1.1 blocks a night. Somehow, he's posting better numbers 10 years after playing at his "peak" in the heart of his prime.
16. Boston Celtics (24-24) &harr;️ Last Week: 16
Jayson Tatum had been brutal from downtown (having missed all 17 of his three-point attempts over his three previous games) heading into Sunday's matchup with the Washington Wizards, but the Celtics superstar knocked down career-high 9 triples in Boston's latest win en route to a season-high 51 points. On top of that, he chipped in 10 rebounds and 7 assists for good measure. We'll see if Tatum and the Cs can find some semblance of consistency going forward.&nbsp;
17. Toronto Raptors (22-22) ⬇️ Last Week: 15
This Raptors team remains frustratingly inconsistent. Thus far this month, they have beaten the Bucks twice (including once in Milwaukee) and the Jazz. Yet, they've also been blown out by the Detroit Pistons and were down 34 points to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. The loss to Portland was Toronto's fifth loss in its last seven games. &nbsp;
18. Washington Wizards (23-24) ⬇️ Last Week: 14
The Wiz began an eight-game homestand on Jan. 11 (tied for the longest homestand by any team this season) and won their first two contests. However, Washington has dropped three in a row and 4 of their last 5. Their biggest issue has been on the defensive end, where the team is allowing 113.6 points per 100 possessions in January.
19. New York Knicks (23-25)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 20
The Knicks are struggling, but New Yorkers have to be encouraged by the strong play of RJ Barrett in 2022. Over the 13 games the Knicks have played dating back to New Year's Eve, Barrett is averaging 23.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.2 treys, while shooting 45.6% from the floor and over 39% from downtown.&nbsp;
20. Atlanta Hawks (21-25)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 21
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Trae Young hit 8 three pointers tonight. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 <a href="https://t.co/JDWJqomWh9">pic.twitter.com/JDWJqomWh9</a>
&mdash; Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) <a href="https://twitter.com/GAFollowers/status/1485464198914220037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Heading into MLK Day, the Hawks were riding a five-game losing streak. However, Atlanta registered four impressive wins last week, beating the Bucks, Timberwolves and Heat at home before smashing the Hornets in Charlotte on Sunday. "We are definitely headed in the right direction," Trae Young said after Sunday's victory. "Right now it's more about consistency and keeping it going. We're not satisfied. We know what to do and what we are capable of doing."
21. Los Angeles Clippers (23-25)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 19
The Clips have lost 7 of their last 10 games and just don't have enough firepower to compete on a nightly basis with both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard sidelined. Those two superstars are making more than $78 million in salary this season (which is more than the combined salaries of the entire OKC Thunder team). Late last week, it was reported that PG-13 would miss at least another few weeks as he continues to rehab the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
22. Portland Trail Blazers (20-26)&nbsp;&harr;️ Last Week: 22 
Two weeks ago, when the Blazers embarked on a six-game road trip, Portland had been just 2-13 on the road over its first 15 road contests this season. However, by beating the Raptors on Sunday in Toronto, the Blazers wrapped up their six-game swing with an impressive 4-2 record.
23. New Orleans Pelicans (18-28)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 25
Playing without leading scorer Brandon Ingram (right ankle sprain), Devonte' Graham carried the Pels to a victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night. Graham erupted for 25 points (on 8 of 14 shooting) and added 6 assists, 5 triples, 3 rebounds and a steal. Josh Hart also posted a strong double-double, finishing with 22 points and 10 boards.
24. Indiana Pacers (17-31) ⬆️ Last Week: 26
Domantas Sabonis has missed each of the Pacers' last three games after suffering a left ankle sprain during the fourth quarter of last Wednesday's win over the Lakers. Goga Bitadze has stepped in the starting lineup for Indy and averaged 13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 29.5 minutes since Sabonis went down.
25. Sacramento Kings (18-30)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 23
De'Aaron Fox sat out Saturday's loss to the Bucks due to left ankle soreness and is listed as questionable for Tuesday's game vs. the Celtics. Last week, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Kings are not planning to trade Fox before the February deadline, instead "informing teams in the marketplace that they want to build around Fox and second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton." This may well be posturing by the Kings; we shall see.&nbsp;
26. San Antonio Spurs (17-30)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 24
Dejounte Murray has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/making-the-allstar-case-for-dejounte-murray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quietly been establishing himself as one of the league's elite young point guards</a> this season. Over the Spurs' past three games, Murray &mdash; who is among the league's steal leaders &mdash; is averaging 22.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 12.0 assists (vs. just 2.0 turnovers). &nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
27. Houston Rockets (14-33)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 28
Houston, who recorded an impressive victory over the Jazz last week, has turned down multiple trade offers for veteran shooting guard Eric Gordon, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic. With the Rockets in rebuild mode, it's somewhat surprising, considering the 33-year-old Gordon is owed $19.6 million in guaranteed salary next season and is signed for $20.9 million in 2023-24 (although that season's salary is non-guaranteed).
28. Detroit Pistons (11-35)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 29
Jerami Grant has been one of the most popular names bandied about in trade rumors over the last few weeks, but James L. Edwards III of The Athletic writes that there is a "real possibility" that Pistons sit tight over the next few weeks. General manager Troy Weaver is reportedly comfortable holding onto Grant and dangling him in trade talks over the summer if they don't get an offer that knocks their socks off before the February 10 deadline.&nbsp;
29. Oklahoma City Thunder (14-33)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 27
The Thunder are currently riding a six-game losing streak and have posted a 1-11 record in the 12 games they've played since the calendar flipped to 2022.&nbsp;
30. Orlando Magic (9-39)&nbsp;&harr;️ Last Week: 30
Jalen Suggs is struggling with his efficiency (shooting just 36.5% from the floor and 22.4% from downtown this season), but he's coming the most productive week of his rookie campaign. Over Orlando's last three games, Suggs is averaging 17.0 points. 7.0 assists, 6.0 boards and 2.0 steals. Marc Stein wrote Monday that the Magic are looking to trade Terrence Ross and/or Gary Harris before next month's trade deadline.
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!&nbsp;

NBA Power Rankings: Suns remain red-hot, Bucks continue to climb

With rumblings surrounding the availability of Atlanta Hawks big man John Collins, BasketballNews.com's Evan Sidery and Nekias Duncan teamed up to come up with possible destinations prior to the NBA's Feb. 10 trade deadline.
John Collins is growing increasingly frustrated with his role. Carrying his lowest usage rate since his rookie campaign in 2017-18, Collins feels <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/stats-notebook-has-john-collins-role-with-the-hawks-really-changed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he's more than deserving of being a more featured piece within the Hawks&rsquo; offense</a>. Even with Collins still only holding a 19.9 USG%, he&rsquo;s averaging an impressive stat line of 17.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 blocks at an above-average efficiency clip.
Collins is excellent at what he does for Atlanta, but would he look like in a different role elsewhere away from Trae Young?
He is only on the first year of his new deal, which drew lines in the sand during a tough restricted free agency period last offseason.
With extremely high expectations in Atlanta following its Eastern Conference Finals surprise, the team has been unable to clear the first bars. The Hawks already dealt promising young wing Cam Reddish to the New York Knicks in order to avoid paying him a big-figure contract. Meanwhile, if Collins is indeed available to the highest bidder around the Association, Atlanta could receive an extremely high amount of resources.
Below, Nekias and I dove into the film room, as well as five destinations that make the most sense for Collins in a trade scenario.
WHAT COLLINS BRINGS
Collins has become one of the NBA's most versatile pick-and-roll partners. Because of his speed, soft hands and impressive vertical pop, Collins is able to sky for just about anything you throw his way after he rolls to the basket. And because of his improved shooting ability &mdash; he's converted north of 40% of his above-the-break threes in each of the past three seasons &mdash; you can't afford to completely sell out against rim attempts.
It's that combination of skills that makes him deadly. Pairing that with Young &mdash; a guy that can pull from 30, make every pass in the book, and #FloaterGang you to death &mdash; is patently unfair. It's unsurprising that trips featuring a Young-Collins ball screen has generated over 1.05 points per possessions over the last three seasons, per Second Spectrum.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/juzq1a" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Collins' quick-leaping ability also makes him a menace on the offensive glass when he's allowed to hover around the paint. The gradual decline in offensive rebounding has more to do with his positioning within the offense than some lack of instinct or physicality.
LIMITATIONS&nbsp;
There are some questions defensively.
There are fewer questions to answer than in years past, to be fair. Collins' activity level and awareness have improved throughout his career. You could especially sense a shift from him during last year's playoffs, and that has seemingly carried over into this year.&nbsp;
Collins looks a little more comfortable on the perimeter, holding his own in switches and in the rare times the Hawks have asked him to trap this year. He has the feel needed to clean up messes as a weak-side helper, especially if he's allowed to roam against a non-shooter.
It's still largely unclear if Collins has made enough strides to serve as a primary rim-protector for extended periods of time. Among 75 frontcourt players that have defended at least 150 picks in drop coverage this season, Collins ranks in the bottom five in points allowed per Second Spectrum.
The added activity is nice, but he's still suffering from the too-little-too-much problem. Sometimes he's giving up too much of a gap, which allows the ball-handler or roll man (if he receives a pass early enough) to build momentum and launch into Collins' chest. Other times, he's playing the gap a little too high, which allows the big to get behind him for easy lobs.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/sqfn68" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
It's fair to question how much of that is Collins trying to figure things out, and how much of it is him not trusting the point-of-attack defenders he's had to play with over the past couple of seasons. Let's be kind and say Young and Lou Williams leave quite a bit to be desired.
The boring answer: Collins has clear strengths and weaknesses, and a stronger defensive infrastructure could bring the best out of him.
Sacramento Kings
Rumors <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kings-making-buddy-hield-richaun-holmes-harrison-barnes-available" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continue to billow out of Sacramento</a> right now pointing towards a massive roster overhaul soon in store. Everyone on the Kings, except reportedly De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton, is available in trade talks. It shows the urgency is rising in Sacramento, and someone like Collins could be the perfect remedy.
Kings receive: John Collins
Hawks receive: Harrison Barnes, Davion Mitchell
This feels like a very fair trade for both sides, especially if Collins malcontents his way out of Atlanta. Barnes would provide beautiful floor-spacing acumen for the Hawks&rsquo; guards, plus Mitchell would be a bulldog defender who'd had heavy spot minutes alongside Young.
For Sacramento, it&rsquo;s easy to sell yourself on the idea of switching things up and inserting a potential 20-and-10 machine in Collins. Haliburton would be spoon-feeding easy looks for Collins, plus Fox provides a steady scoring partner as well.
Resetting around a trio of Fox, Collins and Haliburton in Sacramento could actually be a fun scenario to watch unfold. And from Atlanta&rsquo;s standpoint, this feels like a win-win deal in the short and long-term.
Charlotte Hornets
An intra-division trade, huh? With the way the Hornets have played lately, showcasing a complete turnaround on the defensive end, could they be positioning themselves to make a big push at February&rsquo;s trade deadline. Don&rsquo;t rule it out, because Charlotte&rsquo;s upside is already massive with a young superstar like LaMelo Ball running the show offensively.
Nabbing Collins from Atlanta would cost significant assets, but the payoff could be absolutely massive. Could you imagine Collins and Miles Bridges catching lobs from Ball with reckless abandon?
Hornets receive: John Collins
Hawks receive: Kelly Oubre Jr., P.J. Washington, James Bouknight
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
For Atlanta, Oubre would fill a similar energizer role as Collins, but with much less consistency and pop. Oubre has flashed at times brilliance this season we saw from him during his years with the Phoenix Suns; could that jump be intensified playing with Young as his point guard?
Washington and Bouknight are two former lottery picks for the Hornets who simply haven&rsquo;t been able to carve out a consistent role. If Charlotte decides the time is now, relinquishing these two enticing prospects likely is the going rate to seriously upgrade. Bouknight would provide a promising young building block who could turn into a 20-plus point-per-game scorer. Washington has the makeup similar to Collins where he can feast around the rim and pick-and-pops in Atlanta&rsquo;s scheme.
I would grade this one as doubtful on the potential scale of realism, but the construct of this certainly makes plenty of sense on paper.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves are so much fun to watch when they&rsquo;re clicking on all cylinders. Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns have been the dynamite scoring duo Minnesota had hoped for. D&rsquo;Angelo Russell is also finding his footing with the Timberwolves, showcasing a strong ability to bounce-back and fit within what&rsquo;s required of him.
It&rsquo;s long been known the Timberwolves have really been one more piece away from taking another serious jump in the Western Conference hierarchy. That&rsquo;s why Ben Simmons has been floated around Minnesota for months now.
What about Collins landing in Minnesota to play alongside Towns, Edwards and Russell? It wouldn&rsquo;t provide the defensive security blanket Minnesota is in desperate need of, but he makes an already scary offense absolutely terrifying.
Timberwolves receive: John Collins
Hawks receive: Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, Malik Beasley, draft compensation
The Hawks check plenty of boxes in this scenario where they send Collins off to Minnesota, bringing back an immediate impact scorer in Beasley, a super versatile rebounder with flashes of elite defense in Vanderbilt; plus, they would get a potentially beautiful backcourt fit with Bolmaro as a jumbo-sized playmaker. Throwing in some picks to the equation makes this so enticing for Atlanta as well.
This would be one to watch out for as a real fit for Collins, if it reaches that point in Atlanta anytime soon.
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is in an odd spot right now. Damian Lillard is out indefinitely due to an abdomen injury that has plagued him for a while. With the Trail Blazers far out of competing for a serious playoff push, especially with no Lillard, now is the perfect time to reset a little bit and try something different.
The pressure is on for the Blazers to find another competent scoring punch to keep Lillard happy in Oregon long-term. Could Collins be the answer here? It&rsquo;s a very intriguing fit for both player and team.
Hawks receive: Larry Nance Jr., Robert Covington, Nassir Little
Trail Blazers receive: John Collins
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17407776_lg.jpg" alt="" width="566" height="383" />
I have to admit, Collins teaming up with Lillard would be so much fun for everyone to watch. Instantly, Collins would provide an inside scoring jolt that&rsquo;s been missing for the Blazers. Also, Collins would be feasting consistently playing off the gravity of Lillard and CJ McCollum.
For the Hawks, they would receive three pieces to insert into their frontcourt to replace Collins&rsquo; production. Nance would be a strong bounce-back candidate playing with Young as his point guard in Atlanta. Covington isn&rsquo;t who he used to be, but can still provide winning attributes on a hopeful contender. Little is the wildcard who provides real intrigue here. Beginning to flash more consistently this season, could Little&rsquo;s rise become a full-on ascension with the Hawks?
Another scenario where this feels like a win-win for both sides. Maybe Portland throws on some draft compensation to make the return more eye-opening for Atlanta.
San Antonio Spurs
The dots have already been connected around Collins to San Antonio. As Collins entered restricted free agency, the Spurs were the one team we continuously heard as a team who was seriously interested in pursuing him for a lucrative offer sheet.
San Antonio&rsquo;s core has been overachieving a little bit this season, thanks in large part to Dejounte Murray becoming a key building block. It&rsquo;s really almost a blank slate for the Spurs, so maybe Collins could be the piece to really augment another era of strong basketball in San Antonio?
Hawks receive: Derrick White, Lonnie Walker IV
Spurs receive: John Collins
White has been thrown around in trade rumors throughout his career, but his fit next to Young is nothing short of excellent. White&rsquo;s all-around ability would cover up a lot of holes and help strengthen Atlanta&rsquo;s backcourt depth. Walker is a home-run swing, but an athlete like that to catch lobs every game from Young could lead to some magic happening.
San Antonio has been floating around as a potential shocking buyer at the trade deadline, including its name being thrown into the Simmons sweepstakes. Collins would boost up a Spurs core in desperate need of another strong piece.
Collins would cause a feeding frenzy in the NBA, if the Hawks are indeed shopping him around to the highest bidder anywhere. The Hawks&rsquo; big man has displayed he&rsquo;s deserving of a bigger role. Whether it&rsquo;s in Atlanta or elsewhere, Collins would change the dynamics of a lot of organizations.
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

John Collins is growing increasingly frustrated with his role in Atlanta. If the Hawks decide to move on, where could he end up?

Examining potential trade destinations for John Collins

The NBA trade deadline is just 17 days away. Around the league, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/after-a-slow-december-trade-talks-are-heating-up-around-the-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trade talks are heating up</a> and some of the same names continue to surface.
One such name is Jerami Grant of the Detroit Pistons.
As Feb. 10 rapidly approaches, plenty of teams have <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lakers-knicks-wizards-blazers-interested-in-jerami-grant-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> been linked to the 27-year-old, including the Washington Wizards, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks among others.
Washington definitely seems like a team to watch in the Grant sweepstakes. Bleacher Report&rsquo;s Eric Pincus <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2952711-latest-nba-trade-intel-would-a-john-wall-westbrook-trade-really-help-lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that rival executives &ldquo;believe the Wizards are leading the chase&rdquo; for Grant.
&ldquo;Some also say the Wizards are open to dealing veteran point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who hasn't quite meshed with [Bradley] Beal,&rdquo; Pincus <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2952711-latest-nba-trade-intel-would-a-john-wall-westbrook-trade-really-help-lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writes</a>.
Deni Avdija, Montrezl Harrell and Rui Hachimura were mentioned by Pincus as pieces that might interest Detroit. Also, he notes that the Pistons may be looking to move Kelly Olynyk (either as part of a Grant trade or in a separate deal).
Pincus also <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2952711-latest-nba-trade-intel-would-a-john-wall-westbrook-trade-really-help-lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">names</a> the Mavericks as a &ldquo;dark-horse team&rdquo; for Grant. Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith and Dwight Powell have been mentioned as Dallas&rsquo; best trade chips (although it would likely take quite a bit for them to move Brunson, who&rsquo;s in the midst of a career-year).
The Mavs have been very active in recent weeks, as they have now been linked to Grant, Atlanta&rsquo;s John Collins, Indiana&rsquo;s Myles Turner and Boston&rsquo;s Marcus Smart among others.
Interestingly, "the offers aren't pouring in right now" for Grant, according to <a href="https://theathletic.com/3087762/2022/01/24/pistons-mailbag-what-im-hearing-about-detroit-as-nba-trade-deadline-nears/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic's James Edwards III</a>. There have been plenty of conversations and talks will likely pick up steam over the next two weeks, but "not many formal offers have been placed in front of Detroit" as of yet, per Edwards.
Edwards listed Chicago's Patrick Williams and Atlanta's John Collins as potential returns that would intrigue the Pistons, but he also stressed that Detroit could very well keep Grant past the deadline.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Remember, Grant was also popping up in trade rumors around this time last year, but the Pistons ultimately decided to hold onto him. If Detroit isn't thrilled with the offers it ultimately receives, the team could do the same thing this time around.
"Furthermore, don&rsquo;t be surprised if Grant doesn&rsquo;t get traded by the Feb. 10 deadline," Edwards <a href="https://theathletic.com/3087762/2022/01/24/pistons-mailbag-what-im-hearing-about-detroit-as-nba-trade-deadline-nears/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writes</a>. "The Pistons don&rsquo;t have to trade Grant right now, especially if a deal that doesn&rsquo;t clearly benefit their future doesn&rsquo;t come along. Detroit could just elect to wait until the offseason to make a move, which I think is a real possibility."
It remains to be seen what the Pistons will do with Grant, who has been sidelined due to a thumb injury that required surgery in late December. He just spent a week practicing with Detroit's G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, which suggests he may be able to return prior to the trade deadline.
What makes Grant such an interesting trade candidate is the fact that he can fit with a variety of teams &mdash; from contenders to up-and-coming squads. After emerging as a key contributor on the third-seeded Denver Nuggets in 2019-20, he proved that he can take on increased responsibilities in Detroit. Over the last year-and-a-half with the Pistons, Grant has averaged 21.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.0 threes and 1.1 blocks on .425/.344/847 shooting splits.
Grant is earning $20,002,500 this season, and then he&rsquo;ll make $20,955,000 next season in the final year of his contract. The Pistons are currently 11-35, which is the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference.&nbsp;

Rival executives believe that the Washington Wizards are "leading the chase" for Jerami Grant ahead of the Feb. 10 trade deadline.

Report: Wizards are front-runner for Jerami Grant, may deal Dinwiddie

<div>
Three of the four California NBA franchises have now resided in the Sour Rankings for multiple consecutive weeks.&nbsp;
This might be the worst check-in to date. The Los Angeles Lakers, with a coach on the brink of getting fired, an avalanche of roster criticism and a storm of rumors, have taken the No. 1 spot in these rankings. Not far behind are the Sacramento Kings, who continue to let an attainable Play-In bid slip away while trade gossip engulfs their own headlines. And the L.A. Clippers, while battling admirably, approach a criticial franchise inflection point with this week's trade deadline.
It is wild on the West Coast, and don't expect things to calm down anytime soon.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst power rankings. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
</div>
<div>
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going:
</div>
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Houston Rockets managed to sneak out this week after going 1-1 with a nice win over the Utah Jazz and a "good effort" loss to the Golden State Warriors. KJ Martin tallied 14 points, 3 assists and 2 steals in that Friday defeat off the bench. Also, a shoutout to Rio Grande Valley prospect Daishen Nix, who is putting up over 27 points per game for Houston's G League affiliate this month.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
10. Utah Jazz (30-17)
Expectations are high in Utah. This is a reigning No. 1 seed that needs to take the leap to legitimate title contender, and as of this recent stretch, the Jazz simply aren't there. Utah is 3-7 in its last 10 games with an 18th-ranked defense over the past two weeks. The Rudy Gobert slander is back, but as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rudy-gobert-has-a-point" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nekias Duncan wrote recently</a>, he's far from the main problem with this defense.
The Jazz are reportedly looking for <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jazz-looking-for-wing-defenders-on-trade-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wing defenders on the trade market</a>, which could sorely help while teams run rampant against Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic, and even Royce O'Neale.
(Last week: unranked)
9. Los Angeles Clippers (23-25)
The Clippers and their injury-plagued roster keep battling, and went a solid 2-2 with close losses to the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets this week. They've been a bottom-10 team on both ends recently, but are still solidly ninth in the West, so LAC remains in a limbo state ahead of the trade deadline.&nbsp;
If the Clippers are truly<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/clippers-reportedly-willing-to-discuss-majority-of-veterans-in-trades" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> willing to discuss most of their veterans in trade talks</a>, teams should be lining up to make offers for Nic Batum. The 33-year-old continues to be one of the league's most underrated complementary players. He's up to a career-high 64.9% True Shooting percentage and has been lights-out from beyond the arc while consistently taking tough defensive matchups.
(Last week: 9)
8. Portland Trail Blazers (20-26)
Anfernee Simons has almost singlehandedly given Portland joy. He's averaging 25.0 points and 7.2 assists per game in the month of January, while the Blazers have quietly gone a respectable 7-4 this month. Portland is now three games up on the Kings for the final Play-In bid in the West, and that should be comfortable breathing room given Sacramento's state right now.
The Blazers have 5 games in 7 days coming up, including matchups against Minnesota, Dallas and Chicago. If they can break .500 in that stretch, they might leave the Sour Rankings entirely.
(Last week: 2)
7. Atlanta Hawks (21-25)
Of course, the Hawks' best stretch of winning comes when trade rumors are swirling. Atlanta has taken its last four games, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets this week. Trae Young is averaging 31.3 points and 9.0 assists per game during the streak while canning 47.6% of his three-pointers, so he's on fire.
Onyeka Okongwu has also blended in seamlessly with the starters while Clint Capela has been out. De'Andre Hunter is on track to the tune of 18.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Is it too early to be back on the Hawks train?
(Last week: 1)
6. Boston Celtics (24-24)
Jayson Tatum's 51-point bombshell on Sunday essentially saved the Celtics from a potential No. 1 ranking this week. He now has the most 50-point games (5) in franchise history, and he is 22 years old (!!!). It's been a brutal year for Tatum, so Celtics fans certainly hope Sunday's performance was a spark.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jayson Tatum delivered for us tonight with a 51-point performance that fueled a 116-87 win over the Wizards. <a href="https://t.co/HcrvPH0UMP">pic.twitter.com/HcrvPH0UMP</a>
&mdash; Boston Celtics (@celtics) <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1485460341513498624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Meanwhile, the same team also went scoreless for seven crucial fourth-quarter minutes and blew a winnable game against Portland. In a 2-2 week, the Celtics move up by default against a struggling middle pack in the East. Perhaps a fully-healthy starting five is what the team has always needed.
(Last week: 3)
5. New York Knicks (23-24)
So the Knicks have a sneaky 10th-ranked offense and fifth-ranked defense over the past two weeks. I know it doesn't reflect much in the record (1-2 this week) or today's rankings, but I do think good things are slowly happening.
From what I've seen and read, the biggest gripe appears to be that Tom Thibodeau still won't fully unleash his young talent. Immanuel Quickley has started just 2 of his 43 games played. Quentin Grimes has maximized his bench role with quality two-way play. Miles "Deuce" McBride has graduated from the G League. There's a lot of excitement around these backcourt players in particular and the fans are hungry for more.
(Last week: 4)
4. Indiana Pacers (17-30)
The Pacers' state of affairs hasn't meaningfully changed for over a calendar month. So this time, I'm giving the floor to Justin Holiday, who has been a bright spot in dim places for Indiana. The eldest Holiday brother is shooting a scorching 42.0% from beyond the arc and averaging 13.4 points per game in January, while being one of the few plus perimeter defenders on the roster. He's another Batum-level role-player who, if I were GM of a contender, I'd heavily pursue before the trade deadline.
(Last week: 6)
3. Washington Wizards (23-24)
Fortunately, the Wizards don't seem all too concerned with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bradley-beal-likely-to-decline-player-option-team-has-not-talked-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bradley Beal's likely free agency</a> this offseason. Unfortunately, their on-court slide continues after an 0-3 week with losses to the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors and Celtics. Washington started 10-3 and has since gone 13-21 with the league's 22nd-ranked offensive rating and 26th-ranked defensive rating. The Wizards have two more games this month and some extended time off before the schedule ramps back up in February.&nbsp;
(Last week: 8)
2. Sacramento Kings (18-30)
So the Kings are <a href="https://theathletic.com/3078346/2022/01/19/insiders-think-a-ben-simmons-deal-gets-done-plus-a-pulse-on-teams-desperation-factor-nba-trade-deadline-roundtable/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> thinking about acquiring Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris from Philly and... I just don't know if that's how you get out of 15 years' worth of directionless mediocrity. They're both great players, but do they significantly raise the ceiling when the Sixers would get a haul in return?&nbsp;
Sacramento is 2-8 in its last 10, and this quote from the aformentioned report by Sam Amick sums things up nicely:
"The widely held belief is that this front office, with general manager Monte McNair in his second season after working for all those years with Morey in Houston, simply must do a deal of significance now. To no one&rsquo;s surprise, there has been a collective loss of faith in the prospect of this core evolving into a contender in the West."
(Last week: 5)
1. Los Angeles Lakers (23-24)
The Lakers' woes have been the talk of the NBA for the past week. I don't need to add anything because an article and a video clip will cover everything you need to know. Frank Vogel appears to be coaching for his job every game, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-lakers-have-put-frank-vogel-in-a-very-difficult-position" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as Alex Kennedy wrote, that's pretty brutal.</a> As for this roster, let JJ Redick explain:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
&ldquo;[The Lakers] are a bad team! &hellip; These are guys that are past their prime, that&rsquo;s the reality.&rdquo; &mdash;<a href="https://twitter.com/jj_redick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jj_redick</a> <a href="https://t.co/VMzY26su1B">pic.twitter.com/VMzY26su1B</a>
&mdash; First Take (@FirstTake) <a href="https://twitter.com/FirstTake/status/1483497600623910913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

I'll ask: What is the best return we can reasonably expect from a package of Kendrick Nunn, Talen Horton-Tucker and a 2027 first-round pick?
(Last week: 7)
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

The Lakers and Kings occupy the top two spots in this week's rankings.

NBA Sour Rankings: Collapses in California

You never want to see &ldquo;Damn Lonzo&rdquo; trending.
But, as is consistent with the rest of the season, a seemingly major injury has afflicted one of the NBA&rsquo;s aspiring contenders, and now that we&rsquo;re officially beyond the halfway point of the season, everything matters that much more.
The Athletic's Shams Charania reported early Thursday that Lonzo Ball has a small meniscus tear in his left knee. Hours later, the Chicago Bulls <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lonzo-ball-dealing-with-meniscus-tear-in-knee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed the injury</a>, relaying that Lonzo will undergo arthroscopic surgery with a recovery period of 6-to-8 weeks.
The Bulls are already missing Zach LaVine due to a left knee bone contusion, <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/sports/nbcsports/bulls-zach-lavine-lonzo-ball-to-miss-road-trip-with-knee-injuries/2731931/?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_CHBrand">which will keep him out a least a few more games</a>. And while that&rsquo;s a short-term injury, Chicago suddenly has a thinning roster.
Patrick Williams is expected to be out for the season with a dislocated wrist. Derrick Jones Jr. <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10023745-bulls-rumors-derrick-jones-jr-out-4-6-weeks-knee-injury-diagnosed-as-bone-bruise">may be out another month</a> with a bone-bruised knee suffered last week. Javonte Green is still <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32988184/chicago-bulls-guard-javonte-green-2-4-weeks-strained-groin">working his way back from a strained groin</a>.
Alex Caruso just returned after a month absence due to a mixture of leg, hamstring, and COVID issues, and even so, they&rsquo;re still very shorthanded at 28-15.
People are already throwing the Bulls around in trade rumors. Should they ask the Toronto Raptors about Goran Dragić? Would Caris LeVert coming from the Indiana Pacers be a helpful fit? Does acquiring Josh Hart from the New Orleans Pelicans make sense? Could they get any of the 6-foot-3 scoring guards from the Portland Trail Blazers not named Damian Lillard?
The Bulls do have <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/chicago-bulls/cap/">usable salaries to pair</a>, like Jones' $9.7 million, Williams&rsquo; $7.4 million and Coby White&rsquo;s $5.8 million. They <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Bulls.htm">also have draft picks</a>, including all of their own first-rounders after 2023 and a collection of second-rounders.
But we&rsquo;ve seen other contenders elsewhere not behave erratically and trust their own guys, at least in the interim. In the own-conference contender bubble, the Brooklyn Nets have turned to guys like Kessler Edwards, Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe, Cam Thomas and David Duke Jr. at different points, all of whom were a part of the 2021 draft class (though, Duke went undrafted and is on a two-way contract).
And, tied with Chicago, the Miami Heat have risen to the top of the East despite Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry having only played 14 games together this season. How&rsquo;s that possible? Just guys stepping up when called upon: Tyler Herro, PJ Tucker, Max Strus, Caleb Martin (a two-way), Gabe Vincent, Dewayne Dedmon and &Ouml;mer Yurtseven.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Ball's obviously going to be a difficult replacement because of what he means to Chicago. His perimeter defense is elite, which is an especially deadly pairing when logging minutes next to Caruso. He's also developed into a sniper from deep, hitting 42.3% of his triples this season, the best of his career. And as the starting point guard, logging 34.6 minutes per contest, Ball is posting 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals per contest.
He's also accounting for a career-best .101 win shares per 48 minutes and is second in box plus-minus on the team behind Zach LaVine, and his 108 defensive rating ties Caruso for the best among Bulls guards. In no world is this level of two-way production easy to replace, moreso when it comes from your starting point guard.&nbsp;
For the Bulls though, as opposed to making any drastic changes, why not just use what you have? The aforementioned White is turning 22 years old next month, and lately, has been productive in his expanded role since returning from COVID protocols in December. In 16 games &mdash; and eight starts since Dec. 19 &mdash; White&rsquo;s averaged 16.4 points, and 3.1 assists on 50/45/86 shooting splits. In his last 11 games, he&rsquo;s up to 17.7 points and 3.0 assists per contest while slashing 54/51/91.
In other respects, the Bulls have turned to second-round rookie Ayo Dosunmu. Dosunmu, who just turned 22 on Jan. 17, was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ayo-dosunmu-ready-to-seize-the-moment-as-he-becomes-complete-player-nba-draft-prospects-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an All-American at Illinois</a>, a national championship favorite last season before losing to Loyola-Chicago in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 32.
A 6-foot-5 shooting guard, Dosunmu is averaging 7.2 points while shooting 55.4% from the field and 45.7% from three in 21.3 minutes per game. He's also providing adequate defense, as expected when he was drafted at No. 38 overall.
Dosunmu is only at 1.7 assists per game, but has shown more playmaking ability across his last three outings, his best spurt as a rookie. Dosunmu&rsquo;s averaged 18.0 points, 8.0 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game over that stretch, shooting 76.7% from the floor and 70.0% from deep on 10.0 overall attempts per game. Continuing to unlock Dosunmu might be the best option for Chicago in the immediate.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b3IdB4hcNOk" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Dosumu, at least for now, could give you the spacing, playmaking and point-of-attack defense needed until Ball comes back. He won&rsquo;t be what Ball is consistently, but it&rsquo;ll be close enough for now without having to create mass roster upheaval.
The Heat are excellent at player development, but if you&rsquo;re the Bulls, you have to view what they&rsquo;re doing with undrafted talent and think you could sustainably get more-than-adequate production from your talented second-round draft pick in a similar fashion.

Bryan Fonseca weighs the Bulls' options with the news of Lonzo Ball having to miss time due to knee surgery.

Where the Bulls should turn with Lonzo Ball getting knee surgery

During the Indiana Pacers' 111-104 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night, Domantas Sabonis suffered a left ankle sprain that could sideline him for a bit. The injury occurred late in the fourth quarter, when Sabonis stepped on Russell Westbrook's foot.
The two-time All-Star was able to remain in the game, finishing with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists while shooting 75% from the field. However, after the contest, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said that the sprain is "probably going to be significant," according to <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottAgness/status/1484047123045916672" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files</a>.
"He was not gonna come out of this game," Carlisle added, per <a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2022/01/20/pacers-domantas-sabonis-sustains-significant-ankle-sprain-against-lakers/6589675001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star</a>. "He was determined to help will us to the win along with Caris [LeVert] and the guys who were out there... The three-point shot that Sabonis hit on the bad ankle was one of the big shots of the year, just a guy that was completely determined to pull us through this thing."
<aside class="gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al" aria-label="advertisement">
<div id="ad-slot-7103-in-indianapolis-C1532-native-article_link-sports-basketball-nba-2" class="gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al gnt_x__prmt" data-g-r="lazy" data-gl-method="lazyLoadX" data-google-query-id="CPrJ6cKswPUCFRe-7Aod5H4DzA"></div>
</aside>
The Pacers were already without Myles Turner (due to a stress reaction in his left foot) and T.J. Warren (due to a stress fracture in his left foot), plus Malcolm Brogdon is on a minutes restriction after returning from an Achilles injury.
Sabonis told reporters that he will ice his ankle and try to play in tomorrow's game against the Golden State Warriors, but he may end up missing some time (judging by Carlisle's comment).&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
"We'll deal with that as it comes," Brogdon <a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2022/01/20/pacers-domantas-sabonis-sustains-significant-ankle-sprain-against-lakers/6589675001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> of that possibility.&nbsp;"If [Sabonis] has to miss some time, we'll have Goga [Bitadze] and Isaiah [Jackson] step up and we'll try to keep it rolling."
Turner's foot injury will <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33092597/indiana-pacers-myles-turner-stress-fracture-foot-expected-beyond-trade-deadline-sources-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> keep him out through the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 10. This is significant because the Pacers are reportedly considering a rebuild and listening to offers for their top players. Turner has been <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-mavs-blazers-wolves-knicks-lakers-hornets-targeting-myles-turner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">linked to</a> the Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets among other teams.
Sabonis has consistently popped up in trade rumors throughout this season too, including <a href="https://t.co/19BzSwu3Ng" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a recent report </a>that the Sacramento Kings have "accelerated" their trade talks involving Sabonis. <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/article257471838.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee</a> also reported that De'Aaron Fox has come up in those discussions with the Pacers.
This season, Sabonis is averaging 19.0 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.0 steal while shooting 57.7% from the field, 32.7% from three-point range and 74.4% from the free-throw line.
The Pacers are currently 16-29, which is the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference. Indiana has the NBA's 18th-ranked offense (scoring 107.2 points per 100 possessions) and 23rd-ranked defense (allowing 109.3 points per 100 possessions).

During the Pacers' 111-104 win over the Lakers, Domantas Sabonis suffered a left ankle sprain that could sideline him for some time.

Domantas Sabonis suffers 'significant' ankle sprain vs. Lakers

Myles Turner is no stranger to seeing his name in trade rumors.&nbsp;
Throughout his seven-year NBA career, Turner has repeatedly surfaced as a trade candidate. In fact, he&rsquo;s so used to seeing this that he&rsquo;s no longer fazed by the rumor mill.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Now that I see myself in these rumors all the time, it&rsquo;s just like another day for me. It&rsquo;s like, &lsquo;Oh, what else is new?&rsquo;&rdquo; Turner <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/myles-turner-i-want-to-be-an-all-star-defensive-player-of-the-year/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype</a> in November. &ldquo;Three years ago was the first time it really kind of got to me because I&rsquo;d see it all the time, and people were saying it was a sure thing. It was like every time I opened up my phone, I saw my name there. At one point, I loved the attention. The second time, it can be overwhelming for a younger player because you think you have some comfortability in a city and you could get moved at any time, and you see situations like that across the league all the time.&rdquo;
In the past, there would be a ton of talk about a potential Turner trade, and then he'd ultimately stay put with the Indiana Pacers. However, this time around feels a bit different since the Pacers are reportedly &ldquo;moving toward a substantial rebuild&rdquo; and listening to offers for Turner, Domantas Sabonis and Caris LeVert among others. Also, Turner recently spoke out about how Indiana isn't valuing him properly.
"It's clear that I'm not valued as anything more than a glorified role player here, and I want something more, more opportunity," Turner told <a href="https://theathletic.com/3005965/2021/12/09/as-pacers-consider-shake-up-myles-turner-seeks-bigger-role-with-more-opportunity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic&rsquo;s Jared Weiss</a> last month. "I'm trying really hard to make the role that I'm given here work and find a way to maximize it. I've been trying to the past two, three seasons. But it's clear to me that, just numbers-wise, I'm not valued as more than a rotational role player, and I hold myself in a higher regard than that."
Basically, the 25-year-old wants to be utilized like a featured player and valued like a star. If that isn&rsquo;t in the Pacers&rsquo; plans, he wants a change of scenery.
A few weeks from the Feb. 10 trade deadline, the Pacers&rsquo; asking price for Turner is two first-round picks or a promising young player and a first-rounder, according to <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rumors-myles-turner-caris-levert-eric-gordon-bryn-forbes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype&rsquo;s Michael Scotto</a>.&nbsp;
The Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets are among the teams that have targeted Turner, <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rumors-myles-turner-caris-levert-eric-gordon-bryn-forbes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Scotto</a>. NBA insider Marc Stein <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-latest-trade-winds-?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjkxNTY4LCJwb3N0X2lkIjo0NzA4NTUwNCwiXyI6Im1ldEtUIiwiaWF0IjoxNjQyMTk2OTA5LCJleHAiOjE2NDIyMDA1MDksImlzcyI6InB1Yi0zOTIyMDUiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.gjj6nyd488sFyvWVv7Hc5_b0FAVkctbQSRo8ApHBpJc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> that the Mavs are interested in Turner (as well as Atlanta Hawks big man John Collins).
Turner is a young, talented big man who is a perfect fit for today&rsquo;s NBA, so it&rsquo;s no surprise that he has a long list of suitors. He is currently averaging 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 1.5 threes while shooting 50.9% from the field, 33.3% from three-point range and 75.2% from the free-throw line. He's on pace to lead the NBA in blocks per game for the second-straight season (and the third time in four years).
Whether he remains in Indiana or gets dealt to a new situation, Turner is prepared for whatever the future holds.
&ldquo;You&rsquo;ve got to go out there and take control of your own destiny. If you get traded, so be it. Go out there and kill it. If you stay with your organization, come out and show them why they paid you,&rdquo; Turner <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/myles-turner-i-want-to-be-an-all-star-defensive-player-of-the-year/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told HoopsHype</a> in November. &ldquo;You can make it an ego thing, but this is a business at the end of the day. The organization is going to do what&rsquo;s best for the organization. They&rsquo;re not inclined to care about your feelings in a sense.&rdquo;

The Pacers' asking price for Myles Turner is reportedly two first-round picks or a promising young player and a first-rounder.

Mavs, Blazers, Wolves, Knicks, Lakers, Hornets targeting Myles Turner

NBA Power Rankings: New Year's Resolutions for each team

Nassir Little spoke to Alex Kennedy about his development, his breakout season, Neil Olshey's firing, Portland's struggles and more.

Q&A: Nassir Little on Blazers' struggles, his development, GM change

Following further evaluation, including a CT scan on Wednesday, Portland guard CJ McCollum&rsquo;s right lung is fully healed after suffering a pneumothorax earlier this month, the team announced today.
McCollum has been cleared for non-contact drills, increased conditioning, and shooting. &nbsp;He will continue his recovery protocol and will be reevaluated next week. Further updates will be provided as appropriate.
In 24 games this season (all starts), McCollum has averaged 20.6 points (42.4% FG, 39.3% 3-PT, 70.0% FT), 4.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.08 steals and 35.3 minutes.
Source: <a href="https://www.nba.com/blazers/news/2021/12/23/cj-mccollum-right-lung-fully-healed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA.com/Blazers</a>
ANALYSIS: With McCollum's right lung now fully healed, his name could be brought back up in trade rumors as the struggling Portland Trail Blazers look destined to make some sort of move before the NBA's February trade deadline.

CJ McCollum's right lung has fully healed and he will be reevaluated next week, according to the team.

Report: CJ McCollum's lung has fully healed, will be reevaluated next week

Falling under the category of "too little too late," the NBA announced today its first COVID-19-induced postponements of the season.&nbsp;
The Chicago Bulls will see their next two games &mdash; against the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors &mdash; postponed, and as of this writing, they have 10 players in the league's health-and-safety protocols. But this had been building up for a few days now, and Chicago even played a game as recently as Saturday.&nbsp;
The Charlotte Hornets have seen five players enter the health-and-safety protocols, and the number of teams affected is ballooning once again. The news should read as a very glaring reminder for anyone who is living in their own reality: We still live in a pandemic and are well into the worst season for sickness. The NBA teams and the league itself should remember that safety is far more important than scheduling integrity and revenue.
Though the Bulls will make this week's Sour Rankings, it's less due to on-court struggles and more due to a general frustration about these postponments and how the league and team have handled the past week.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst power rankings. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going:
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Dallas Mavericks went 2-2 this week, but with Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis both back and healthy, they provide optimism that the franchise can ascend the Western Conference ladder. The Miami Heat made a quick stop in the rankings, but they leaped back out after beating the Bucks and shorthanded Bulls.
10. Chicago Bulls (17-10)
The Bulls have lost two games in a row in large part due to their decimated roster. In their most recent 26-point defeat at the hands of the Heat, Troy Brown Jr. made his first start of the season; he's averaging 12.8 minutes per game. The bench consisted of Alfonzo McKinnie, Devon Dotson and Tony Bradley, with Marko Simonovic, Tyler Cook and Alize Johnson playing garbage-time minutes. There really isn't much more to uncover; this situation simply sucks for the Bulls, and it's going to affect a close playoff race.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Oklahoma City Thunder (8-18)
After a 2-2 week, the Thunder lift up a tad in the rankings. The bar is low for the franchise after all; we just need to see meaningful performances from prospects. This week, it was Tre Mann who capitalized on a few solid games. The No. 18 pick averaged 8.3 points per game off the bench and knocked down 46.2% of his threes in the tiny sample. Mann projects as a pure scoring guard, so his on-court value will really come from weeks like this.
(Last week: 7)
8. Minnesota Timberwolves (12-15)
Minnesota finally stopped a five-game losing streak with a sorely-needed win against the Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; not exactly a statement victory.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
A very frustrated Karl-Anthony Towns: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve lost for a long time here and I&rsquo;m not trying to fucking lose anymore. It&rsquo;s pretty simple as that. Food don&rsquo;t taste good, life don&rsquo;t feel the same.&rdquo; <a href="https://t.co/mMFl36Y2Nt">pic.twitter.com/mMFl36Y2Nt</a>
&mdash; John Meyer (@meyerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/meyerNBA/status/1469518068447645697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

The slide culminated with the above fiery press conference from Karl-Anthony Towns, which is the last thing you want to see from the franchise centerpiece. Minnesota has the 26th-ranked offense in the NBA over the past two weeks, which is a major concern given KAT's dominance and the team's on-paper talent.
(Last week: Unranked)
7. Sacramento Kings (11-16)
In 10 games under interim head coach Alvin Gentry, the Kings are 5-5. They have the 13th-ranked offense and 26th-ranked defense, per Cleaning the Glass. This week the team went 1-2, dropping 142 points on the Orlando Magic before losing a close contest to Charlotte and a not-so-close one to Cleveland.
So far, it doesn't really feel like much has changed from a team success standpoint, though perhaps that's unfair to expect in just 10 games. Still, it means Sacramento is losing ground in the playoff race.
(Last week: 8)
6. Detroit Pistons (4-22)
Fall-O for Paolo? All Set for Chet? Party for Jabari? I don't really know if there's a good catchphrase for this year's tank war, but the Pistons are most certainly winning it. The problem is that along the way, the supporting prospects around Cade Cunningham have not shown any consistent growth. Would Pistons fans consider anyone else a true building block? Maybe you can convince me on Isaiah Stewart or Saddiq Bey, but I'm not sure right now.
With J<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lakers-blazers-among-dozens-of-teams-interested-in-jerami-grant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">erami Grant engrossed in trade rumors</a>, his market suddenly becomes the second-largest storyline behind Cunningham's development.
(Last week: 9)
5. Denver Nuggets (13-13)
The Nuggets went 2-2 this week via a loss to the Bulls, a win over New Orleans and a split with the Spurs. With Jokic back, they've stabilized a bit (not exactly a surprise) and can begin their climb out of the Sour Rankings. The MVP and best-player-on-Earth contender averaged a whopping 28.3 points, 13.3 rebounds and 11.0 assists per game this past week.
(Last week: 4)
4. Los Angeles Lakers (15-13)
The Lakers only inch up one spot because despite a 3-1 week, their stretch may have been highlighted by Charles Barkley going off on Anthony Davis' recent performance. L.A. has not been consistent as a team and didn't beat any opponent with a winning record. But I do want to give the floor to LeBron James.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
LeBron James over the last 8 Games: 39 PTS, 6 AST, 5 REB 30 PTS, 11 AST, 7 REB 33 PTS, 9 AST, 5 REB 23 PTS, 6 AST, 11 REB 30 PTS, 5 AST, 4 REB 20 PTS, 11 AST, 10 REB 33 PTS, 6 AST, 5 REB 30 PTS, 10 AST, 11 REB <a href="https://t.co/9CF6YEQbyh">pic.twitter.com/9CF6YEQbyh</a>
&mdash; Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1470255961583472642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Even though you've probably already seen these stats, it's worth noting that he averaged 28.3 points, 8.0 assists and 7.5 rebounds in four games while canning 41.7% of his three-pointers. He's winning games in Cavs-esque fashion and defying the laws of aging once again.
(Last week: 3)
3. Indiana Pacers (12-16)
Our No. 1 squad from last week promptly won its next three games to confuse the heck out of everybody. That doesn't mean things have improved a ton, as <a href="https://theathletic.com/3005965/2021/12/09/as-pacers-consider-shake-up-myles-turner-seeks-bigger-role-with-more-opportunity/?article_source=search&amp;search_query=myles%20turner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Myles Turner told&nbsp;The Athletic&nbsp;that he doesn't want to stay with the Pacers in his current role</a>. That's bound to force trade conversations, and maybe it's for the best, but things could get pretty awkward over the next two months.
(Last week: 1)
2. New York Knicks (12-15)
New York has the second-worst defense of any NBA team over the past two weeks. The franchise is 1-6 in its last seven games and just lost RJ Barrett and Obi Toppin to COVID-19 protocols. Quentin Grimes' 27-point outburst on Sunday is propping up all positive morale around a squad that does not look remotely close to playoff contention.
Meanwhile, the Knicks have been six points per 100 possessions worse when marquee free-agent signing Evan Fournier takes the court.
(Last week: 2)
1. Portland Trail Blazers (11-16)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
"alright we ran a pindown and it didn't work let me just pull from deep we're good" what is this what is this thinking how. <a href="https://t.co/TULKe1CIlQ">pic.twitter.com/TULKe1CIlQ</a>
&mdash; Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) <a href="https://twitter.com/stevejones20/status/1470225790310789120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Last week was an absolute mess for the Trail Blazers, from the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/damian-lillard-wants-2year-extension-which-could-shape-blazers-gm-search" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complicated reports about Damian Lillard</a> to the current five-game losing streak. Portland is 1-8 in its last nine games and completely rudderless. Lillard made his return on Sunday, but it wasn't pretty despite the box-score totals.
The Blazers boast the 27th-ranked offense and 22nd-ranked defense over the past few weeks with some daunting games coming up on the schedule.
(Last week: 5)

The Bulls have been hit hard by player absences due to COVID-19, and now the NBA has postponed two games.

NBA Sour Rankings: The pandemic strikes back

The Portland Trail Blazers have made clear to the 76ers that All-NBA guard Damian Lillard is not available to be discussed in trade talks and franchise has no interest in moving him, sources tell ESPN.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1469420816182001670" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Wojnarowski added that interim GM Joe Cronin has expressed a strong commitment to continue building the franchise around the All-NBA guard. Lillard has been the subject of several rumors regarding his future with the team since the offseason started. But the All-NBA guard has continued to voice his longterm commitment to the franchise and has no intentions of moving on from Portland. If the Blazers are serious about acquiring Ben Simmons, it will likely have to at least include 30 year-old shooting guard CJ McCollum with Lillard off the table. 
Philadelphia has been known to carry a hefty price for Ben Simmons, but with the 76ers hovering around .500, Daryl Morey may be more inclined to make a move sooner rather than later.

The Blazers have made it clear to the 76ers that Damian Lillard is not available in trade talks.

Blazers make it clear Damian Lillard is not available in trade talks

With a spate of injuries, a series of disheartening losses, trade rumors galore and front office upheaval, the Portland Trail Blazers are having a stormy start to the season.
But rookie coach Chauncey Billups is nonetheless optimistic about the future and fostering a hard-working &mdash; and winning &mdash; culture.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s all I ever did as a player: I just came to work with my lunch pail and played my butt off. Sometimes you won, sometimes you didn&rsquo;t, but you could live with the results,&rdquo; Billups said. &ldquo;And I just think as an organization, that&rsquo;s what we want from all of our employees. So I&rsquo;m excited, I really am.&rdquo;
Billups, acting general manager Joe Cronin, and Dewayne Hankins, the team's president of business operations, spoke Thursday at a roundtable of sorts with members of the media.
It was the first time Cronin and Hankins met with reporters since recently being appointed to new positions. The tone was a marked contrast to recent news conferences, which at times seemed combative. The Blazers even emphasized that the event was a discussion.
Billups, whose playing career spanned 17 seasons, is in his first year as Portland's coach. His only prior NBA coaching experience was as an assistant last season with the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Blazers are 11-15 and riding a four-game losing streak. They've won just once on the road this season.
And recently they've been beset by injuries, notably to All-Star guard Damian Lillard, who has missed five games with lower abdominal tendinopathy,
The team is also missing Lillard's backcourt running mate, CJ McCollum, who was diagnosed with a collapsed lung after getting hurt last weekend in a game against the Boston Celtics.
Other players dealing with injuries include Nassir Little, who is day-to-day with a left ankle sprain, and Anfernee Simons, out with a right ankle sprain.
While Lillard has watched from the bench in street clothes, rumors have swirled about his future with the team. He addressed them before Wednesday night's road loss to the Golden State Warriors and said he has not asked for a trade.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s gotten to the point in this era that people can write stories and say things and, &lsquo;I heard this and I heard that,&rsquo; and because of who they are, people take it as like, this is credible, this is probably true,&rdquo; Lillard told reporters. &ldquo;Me, on the other hand, I don&rsquo;t feel like I have to defend myself against that and come out and challenge everything that people say until I&rsquo;m asked about it, because I know the truth.&rdquo;
Hankins took over for Blazers president and CEO Chris McGowan, who stepped down last month after nine years in the position.
Cronin replaced former Blazers president and general manager Neil Olshey, who was dismissed last week for violating the team's code of conduct. The Blazers had hired an outside firm last month to investigate workplace environment concerns.
Cronin, considered adept at navigating the salary cap, has a difficult role: The Blazers are some $3 million over the luxury tax threshold. A splashy trade for a big name would be a challenge. Instead, the Blazers are more likely to look at deals that shed salaries.
"It&rsquo;s been kind of a unique year so far for us, but we&rsquo;re committed to being aggressive, to being willing to take on risks, to being creative and forward thinking," Cronin said. &ldquo;Chauncey and I, we talk a lot about what it takes to win and what we believe winning basketball looks like and I think we&rsquo;re super aligned in what type of product and what type of team we need to have in order to reach the levels that we&rsquo;re trying to reach.&rdquo;
Cronin said he's met with the players, including Lillard and McCollum, to discuss the team and get feedback. Even though he's carrying the interim tag, Cronin has been given the green light to strike deals, but they have to be right for the team.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not afraid to do something if we need to, and we&rsquo;ll do whatever we need to in order to take us to this next step. But I do want to be patient, and I don&rsquo;t want to panic about losing a few in a row or hitting a little rough patch," Cronin said. "We want to have a bigger picture in mind.&rdquo;

Despite a tough start, Chauncey Billups is optimistic about the Blazers future and fostering a hard-working — winning — culture.

Blazers look to a more steady future after stormy start

We&rsquo;re still two months away from the NBA trade deadline in February, but expect rumors to pick up once the moratorium on recently signed players lifts on Dec. 15. Once that occur, it&rsquo;s open season on anything and everything, wherever the trade winds blow in the league.
In the meantime, which teams seem poised to buy or sell? Are there any players who could be better off elsewhere? Here are five trade ideas that have already piqued my interest. Think of it as a hypothetical early Christmas gift for these teams mentioned. Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into the scenarios below.
Christian Wood &mdash; Golden State Warriors
According to The Ringer&rsquo;s Kevin O&rsquo;Connor, the Houston Rockets will be <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2021/11/29/22807223/seven-observations-stephen-curry-kristap-porzingis-julius-randle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">willing to listen to trade offers on Christian Wood</a> leading up to February&rsquo;s deadline. O&rsquo;Connor also notes that the market is expected to be robust for the versatile 26-year-old big man.
So far this season in Houston, Wood is averaging 16.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 blocks per game. With Houston in a full-fledged rebuild centered around No. 2 overall pick, Wood simply doesn&rsquo;t fit the team's timeline. Whatever the Rockets would be able to gather for Wood would be a win at this point, and he could swing the fortunes of a championship contender.
Although the Warriors likely won&rsquo;t mess with their team chemistry, why not kick the tires on Wood? Not only would he fit the short-term goal of chasing another Larry O&rsquo;Brien trophy, but he&rsquo;s young enough where you can continue building around him. Wood in Kevon Looney&rsquo;s starting spot alongside Stephen Curry would be completely unfair. Wood would feast with the gobs of spacing available to him, plus he could take pressure off others in the Warriors&rsquo; system.
The question is: What&rsquo;s a win-win hypothetical trade that makes sense for both Houston and Golden State revolving around Wood? Although Houston just selected two bigs in the 2021 NBA Draft &mdash; Alperen Sengun and Usman Garuba &mdash; why not have as many bites of the apple for elite talent as possible? 2020 No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman plus Looney&rsquo;s salary to match contract value actually makes a lot of sense here. Wiseman would be able to play an extensive role alongside Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr., plus the rotation at center would sort itself out eventually.
Maybe Golden State tosses in a protected future first-round pick to sweeten the offer further, but I love this for both sides. Wood raises the already immense ceiling for Golden State, while Wiseman could be another lottery ticket to develop for Houston&rsquo;s new era.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Myles Turner &mdash; Charlotte Hornets
Indiana needs to come to the realization of where its roster stands. It&rsquo;s time to sell to the highest bidder with some of their core players. One of those who could attract a serious slew of offers is Turner, who has proven himself to be a valuable defensive anchor and floor-spacer.
Charlotte is exceeding expectations this season thanks to LaMelo Ball&rsquo;s superstar rise, plus Miles Bridges becoming the No. 2 option. Imagine how much better the Hornets would be if they acquired Turner to stabilize their inconsistent defense. Mason Plumlee isn&rsquo;t going to cut it. Throwing Turner into the mix in Charlotte would be a perfect scenario for both the team and the player. Turner would thrive alongside LaMelo in an up-tempo offense and take away a lot of easy looks that have caused serious problems this season for Charlotte.
Would Indiana be enticed by Kelly Oubre Jr. and PJ Washington as a trade package? Maybe swap out Washington for James Bouknight, who hasn&rsquo;t been able to crack the rotation due to Terry Rozier?
Either way, this type of return feels reasonable for Turner. If Indiana decides to finally pull the trigger and embrace a roster overhaul, Charlotte should be blowing them up to acquire an elite rim protector.
Domantas Sabonis &mdash; Portland Trail Blazers
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17100909_lg.jpg" alt="" width="649" height="385" />
If the Pacers decide to go in the aforementioned direction with their team and ship off Sabonis to the highest bidder in February, we already have a realistic baseline in place for a package thanks to Nikola Vucevic last season. Orlando traded Vucevic, a similar player archetype as Sabonis, to Chicago for Wendell Carter Jr. and two future first-round picks. With Sabonis being five years younger and a better overall player, that&rsquo;s the floor for what should come back in any deal for Indiana's two-time All-Star center.
Portland is already dealing with roster imbalance on top of organizational issues, which now has led to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/trail-blazers-fire-neil-olshey-following-independent-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">general manager Neil Olshey&rsquo;s firing</a>. As a last-ditch effort to appease Damian Lillard, how about pushing the chips in for Sabonis? It would be awesome to see another Sabonis suit up for the Blazers, and him being a secondary hub to the offense alongside Lillard and CJ McCollum would create an explosive offense. Lillard finally seeing the Blazers making an aggressive move could delay/off his eventual trade request at some point as well.
With Sabonis only being 25 years old and having three years remaining on his bargain of a contract, the price would be steep. Would Portland be willing to trade Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little for Sabonis?
Pascal Siakam &mdash; Sacramento Kings
The quick emergence of No. 4 overall pick Scottie Barnes is leading to the inevitable conversations revolving around Siakam&rsquo;s long-term future in Toronto. With OG Anunoby and Barnes, is Siakam (and his hefty contract) a necessity to stay around? Personally, I don&rsquo;t think so. If the Raptors are able to find a big-time offer to offload Siakam, it makes a ton of sense to explore that possibility.
Who around the league would be interested in Siakam, though? There would be a bidding war ensuing for a near-star who can lift the ceiling of a team on both ends of the court. One team that actually makes a lot of sense for Siakam, potentially out of sheer desperation, would be Sacramento.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
After firing head coach Luke Walton, there are really no more excuses for the Kings to not figure it out sometime soon. It might simply just be time to reshuffle the roster a little bit to see what happens. Adding Siakam would be a brilliant move to help out De&rsquo;Aaron Fox. Imagine how much fun this would be in Sacramento: Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, Harrison Barnes, Siakam, Richaun Holmes. That right there is starting lineup that can push the pace and score efficiently while also holding up on the defensive end.
With Toronto on the outside looking in for the playoff picture, acquiring Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley III and two future first-round picks may not be enough to say goodbye to Siakam. Maybe I&rsquo;m underselling Siakam&rsquo;s value here, but I absolutely love the on-court fit for him with the Kings, so let&rsquo;s roll with it.
Ben Simmons for CJ McCollum blockbuster
Nothing has changed when it comes to Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers&rsquo; standoff. If anything, Simmons&rsquo; trade value is plummeting. At some point, will Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey lower his asking price and circle back around to discussions with Portland around a Simmons for McCollum swap? Ever since Simmons passed up a wide-open dunk in a pivotal moment in the Eastern Conference Finals, this trade has felt inevitable.
Simmons would be Lillard&rsquo;s own version of Draymond Green, helping stabilize the Blazers&rsquo; defense while also being a potent forward driving to the rim. Meanwhile, McCollum would help the Sixers&rsquo; short-term hopes of forming a title contender. Philadelphia certainly loses juice on defense swapping out Simmons for McCollum, but he&rsquo;s an experienced All-Star-level player who can score 20 points per game with ease. Imagining McCollum and Tyrese Maxey is a fun exercise for a potential Sixers backcourt combination post-Simmons.
What even is the value for Simmons right now around the Association? It&rsquo;s tough to gauge, but this trade construction still feels like the easiest to navigate. As I wrote once news broke a few months ago about Simmons wanting out of Philadelphia, it could lead to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ben-simmons-sixers-destined-for-a-rare-winwin-breakup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a true win-win for both parties in the end</a>.

With certain free-agent trade restrictions lifting on Dec. 15, it's time to start hypothesizing which teams could be buyers or sellers.

5 potential moves that make sense leading up to NBA trade deadline

We&rsquo;re now one month into the 2021-22 NBA season and there hasn&rsquo;t been any movement in regards to the Ben Simmons saga. It&rsquo;s the NBA&rsquo;s biggest storyline and there&rsquo;s seemingly no end in sight, as neither side seems willing to budge.
Philadelphia 76ers general manager Daryl Morey has said that he won&rsquo;t consider trading Simmons unless the team gets back a &ldquo;difference-maker.&rdquo; What exactly does that mean? According to <a href="https://theathletic.com/2962244/2021/11/18/the-ben-simmons-saga-one-month-into-the-season-where-things-stand-and-whats-next/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sam Amick of The Athletic</a>, Morey and his staff &ldquo;have an actual list&rdquo; of players that they&rsquo;d be willing to accept in return for Simmons and it&rsquo;s &ldquo;approximately 30 players&rdquo; long.
That list includes players like James Harden, Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal and Jerami Grant, according to <a href="https://theathletic.com/2962244/2021/11/18/the-ben-simmons-saga-one-month-into-the-season-where-things-stand-and-whats-next/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amick</a> and <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/sixers-ben-simmons-trade-rumors-james-harden-jerami-grant-20211118.html?utm_source=t.co&amp;utm_campaign=edit_social_share_twitter_traffic&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=&amp;int_promo=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Philadelphia Inquirer&rsquo;s Keith Pompey</a>. Of these names, &ldquo;there&rsquo;s an internal belief that a fair amount of them &mdash; let&rsquo;s say five to 10 &mdash; could become available in the next year or two,&rdquo; per <a href="https://theathletic.com/2962244/2021/11/18/the-ben-simmons-saga-one-month-into-the-season-where-things-stand-and-whats-next/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amick</a>.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
In other words: the 76ers are in no hurry to move Simmons and they&rsquo;re willing to wait for a star to become available. This lines up with what Morey said on 97.5 The Fanatic last month.
&ldquo;You are going to think I&rsquo;m kidding, I&rsquo;m not: This could take four years,&rdquo; Morey <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/sixers-ben-simmons-daryl-morey-trade-rumors-20211021.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Mike Missanelli Show</a>. &ldquo;The conditions I pointed out to you don&rsquo;t change unless Ben Simmons is traded for a difference-maker. We are in the prime of Joel&rsquo;s career... So this could be four years. This is not a day-to-day thing. This is like every day we are going to expect Ben Simmons to be back here or we are trading him for a difference maker. There&rsquo;s no other outcome that doesn&rsquo;t materially hurt our chance to win the championship in Joel Embiid&rsquo;s prime.&rdquo;
A Sixers source <a href="https://theathletic.com/2962244/2021/11/18/the-ben-simmons-saga-one-month-into-the-season-where-things-stand-and-whats-next/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reiterated</a> this to Amick, describing this saga as &ldquo;a multi-year thing.&rdquo;
In the case of Harden, the thinking is that the Sixers may be able to swoop in this offseason and complete a sign-and-trade for the nine-time All-Star since he didn&rsquo;t sign an extension with the Brooklyn Nets prior to the start of this season. It makes sense that Morey wants to reunite with Harden, but this seems like a long shot.
Beal could also be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, as he has a $36,422,136 player option for the 2022-23 season. However, Beal didn&rsquo;t show any interest in leaving the Washington Wizards when the team was struggling, and it&rsquo;d be shocking if he suddenly decided to move on now that they have one of the best records in the Eastern Conference.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_16196664_lg.jpg" alt="" width="681" height="454" />
Lillard recently committed to remain with the Portland Trail Blazers long-term, stressing that winning a title in Oregon would mean way more to him than getting a ring elsewhere.
Grant is likely lower on the 76ers&rsquo; list, as a team source told <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/sixers-ben-simmons-trade-rumors-james-harden-jerami-grant-20211118.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Philadelphia Inquirer</a> that they "would want a more high-profile player than Grant in exchange for Simmons." However, Philly has reportedly had ongoing discussions with the Detroit Pistons about Grant, with Saddiq Bey and Kelly Olynyk also being mentioned. Grant has never been an All-Star, but he's coming off of a big year with the Pistons in which he averaged 22.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.1 threes and 1.1 blocks. The 27-year-old started his career with the 76ers, who drafted him No. 39 overall in 2014.
While a trade doesn't seem close, don't expect Simmons to suit up for the Sixers in the near future either. Amick reports that he doesn't "see a return happening anytime soon &mdash; if ever." Again, neither side is willing to budge.
Will the league get involved in the Simmons saga? That seems unlikely too. A league source <a href="https://theathletic.com/2962244/2021/11/18/the-ben-simmons-saga-one-month-into-the-season-where-things-stand-and-whats-next/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Amick</a> that getting involved would be a "last step" and stressed that "Simmons' contract is not with the league but with the Sixers." According to <a href="https://theathletic.com/2962244/2021/11/18/the-ben-simmons-saga-one-month-into-the-season-where-things-stand-and-whats-next/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amick,</a> the NBA would &ldquo;strongly prefer to let the situation play out.&rdquo; 
It remains to be seen how long that takes.

The 76ers have a wish list of roughly 30 players and it includes James Harden, Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard and Jerami Grant.

76ers have list of 30 elite players they'd accept in Ben Simmons trade

Stop writing it. Stop saying it. Stop believing it. Damian Lillard isn&rsquo;t going anywhere.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not leaving Portland,&rdquo; @Dame_Lillard said. &ldquo;&hellip;it&rsquo;s not going to happen.&rdquo;
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/jwquick/status/1450642193585041414?s=21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Quick of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: It seems that Lillard has finally had enough of the rumors regarding his potential departure from the Portland Trail Blazers, a team that he has spent the entirety of his NBA career with. Lillard opened up to Jason Quick of The Athletic and said that one of the big reasons why he has come to that decision is due to numerous conversations he had with new head coach Chauncey Billups over the summer.
With the NBA 75th season underway, Lillard has now effectively closed the door on any rumors regarding his exit from Portland, and Blazers fans can now rejoice.

According to Jason Quick of The Athletic, Damian Lillard said he is not going to leave Portland.

Damian Lillard: 'I'm not leaving Portland'

It's a new NBA season, which means the Sour Rankings are back!&nbsp;
Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst power rankings. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well-under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and general underwhelming play will all be considered.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Some teams value wins this season and paths to a title, while others are looking down the road at long-term pieces.&nbsp;
This week is not a "preview" installment; it is rather a barometer of the general vibe around a franchise as things get underway. The NBA preseason is generally filled with optimism; 10 teams make the Sour Rankings, but that doesn't mean they're all in dire straits, as I'll note.
So without further ado, let's get to it!
10. Washington Wizards
Given the circumstances, the Wizards had a satisfactory 2021 offseason. They returned three rotation-caliber players from the Russell Westbrook trade with the Los Angeles Lakers, and then went out and found a strong backcourt partner for Bradley Beal in Spencer Dinwiddie.&nbsp;
Washington could be a very solid team on paper with improved depth &mdash; but is that enough to make considerable playoff noise in the Eastern Conference? Beal's looming 2022 free-agent status shines a harsh spotlight on the current Wizards. Their star has stuck it out through multiple years of mediocrity. Maybe he'll re-up with the team that drafted him, but Beal would undoubtedly appreciate some serious postseason contention before having to decide.
9. Indiana Pacers
The injury bug simply will not let go of the Pacers. T.J. Warren still appears to be a ways off from recovering from a foot injury that held him to just four games last season. Caris LeVert will <a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2021/10/16/pacers-caris-levert-getting-closer-but-miss-first-four-games/8489876002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly miss at least the first four games</a> of the regular season as he works to return from a stress fracture in his back. These are two top-scoring options out of the short-term picture.
Indiana largely opted to stay the course in a suddenly crowded East. The Pacers can't afford to fall behind early, and these absences certainly won't help.
8. New Orleans Pelicans
Another team hampered by health, this ranking is entirely due to Zion Williamson's injury status. The superstar forward has suffered a sprained knee, torn meniscus and foot fracture in the past years, and is now without a return timetable as he recovers from that foot surgery. Without Williamson, the Pelicans are nowhere near the playoff sleeper they could be &mdash; even with a new head coach and some positive roster moves. They need their centerpiece, and his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/we-should-be-worried-about-zion-williamson-ability-to-stay-healthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">developing pattern of injuries is concerning</a>.
7. Phoenix Suns
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Mikal Bridges on being there for Deandre Ayton after not signing a new contract: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s way more mature with everything. He has great people around him. I try to do the best I can to clear his mind, but it&rsquo;s tough. .. Being around him every single day, I don&rsquo;t want to lose that.&rdquo;
&mdash; Evan Sidery (@esidery) <a href="https://twitter.com/esidery/status/1450186692871135232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Three hours before writing this, I would not have remotely considered the Suns to be in the Sour Rankings. But the rookie extension deadline has passed without Deandre Ayton securing a long-term deal, the first No. 1 pick since Anthony Bennett not to do so.
Suns general manager James Jones did not negotiate a maximum contract extension with the Bahamian big man, perhaps at the direction of team owner Robert Sarver &mdash; but the team did agree to a 4-year, $43 million extension with draft classmate Landry Shamet. As Evan Sidery <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/news/authors/evan-sidery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote in regards to Ayton</a>, that's blasphemous, and it could fragment an extremely fun, likable Phoenix squad.
6. Sacramento Kings
Your 2021 Las Vegas Summer League champs are back to fight the longest postseason drought in the league. The Kings are making strides with their young talent, highlighted by the preseason success of No. 9 overall pick Davion Mitchell, and retained a core piece in Richaun Holmes.&nbsp;
But does it feel like Sacramento is any closer to the playoffs? Buddy Hield was all-but-traded to the Lakers, and his future is now uncertain as the Kings see if a De'Aaron Fox-Tyrese-Haliburton-Mitchell lineup has potential. What about 2018 No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III, who was not extended at Monday's deadline? He's as big of a question mark as one can exist among young prospects league-wide.&nbsp;
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
There's definitely reason for optimism with the Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards had a phenomenal second half to the 2020-21 season and an overall stellar rookie year. Karl-Anthony Towns can be rid of the awful, awful year-plus he has endured personally. D'Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley can get buckets, Jaden McDaniels and Jarred Vanderbilt are intriguing defensive pieces and Chris Finch had a summer to prep for all of this as head coach.&nbsp;
But the Gersson Rosas firing and fallout feels all too Timberwolves-y. It's yet another reset for Towns, who was vocally frustrated at training camp. Is the front office in position to guide the team with the season about to start?&nbsp;
4. Portland Trail Blazers
Larry Nance Jr.'s acquisition partially salvaged what was a wildly terrible offseason in Portland between the Chauncey Billups hiring and the Damian Lillard trade rumors. It appears Lillard is content to stick with the Blazers this season and see how the team operates under its first-year head coach. That's admirable, but it also means the entire season will be laced with tension.
Portland should run back a fun, high-scoring offense. Will the defense improve with Nance in the frontcourt? That's the big question. If not, the Blazers will return to playoff mediocrity and potentially push Lillard closer to the exit door.&nbsp;
3. Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks were one of my picks for the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-nba-team-had-the-worst-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worst NBA offseason</a> (Jackson Frank also picked them), and nothing in recent weeks has made me feel any better. Mark me down as adamantly opposed to the Jason Kidd hiring. Reggie Bullock is a fine individual player; he is not going to dramatically alter things on the offensive end. Plus, Dallas recently released 2020 draft pick Tyrell Terry, and we haven't seen much of 2020 first-rounder Josh Green. Where does the optimism come from outside of Luka Doncic?
2. Brooklyn Nets
I'm not going to get deep into the Kyrie Irving situation from a public health perspective, celebrity responsibility perspective or general common sense perspective. I don't have anything major to add to those discussions, other than to reinforce that Irving is carelessly and dangerously misusing his power as a public figure.&nbsp;
This section is about the Nets, who are paying the price for Irving's choices. The NBA title should have traveled through Brooklyn and its Big Three, and the Nets are still an elite basketball team with improved depth. But, remove an All-NBA-caliber player and the ceiling significantly lowers. Instead of being the overwhelming favorite, the Nets have become just another contender.
1. Philadelphia 76ers
Ben Simmons has given us the Hollywood trade drama we had missed since, well, last winter. Simmons was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ben-simmons-thrown-out-of-practice-suspended-philadelphia-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tossed out of practice and suspended Tuesday</a>, so the months-long firestorm appears to still be getting hotter. But while that's a win for NBA/TMZ crossover fans, it's a serious loss for the 76ers, who now have to take this show into the regular season.
Joel Embiid has never played more than 64 games in a season, and is coming off of two shortened offseasons sandwiching an East Finals run. That should cause concern. The backcourt is fun, but nowhere near close to replicating Simmons' impact. Maybe Simmons actually does suit up in games &mdash; will he bring a positive on-court presence to a team that has publicly denounced his game?
Until Philly finally makes a trade &mdash; and who knows when it could happen &mdash; the Sixers' season could range from awkward to disastrous.

Ethan Fuller ranks the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises ahead of the season.

NBA Sour Rankings: Chaos among the contenders?

If this summer taught Damian Lillard anything, it&rsquo;s that he's dedicated.
The Trail Blazers guard married his longtime girlfriend and the mother of this three kids, played in the Olympics despite withdrawing his name from consideration from the national team a few years ago, and worked on his second career in music.
He said the busy offseason centered him, because he acted on his convictions.
"All of those things that I stuck with is what has me here," Lillard said Monday at the team's media day. &ldquo;What keeps me so invested here is I want to see it through. I want to see it happen. I mean what I say.&rdquo;
There was speculation at the end of last season that Lillard might be looking to move on from the Blazers.
Lillard fueled rumors about his future in Portland following the team's first-round elimination from the playoffs. He posted a photo of himself in street clothes at the Moda Center, and quoted the late rapper and activist Nipsey Hussle.
&ldquo;How long should I stay dedicated?&rdquo; he wrote. &ldquo;How long til opportunity meet preparation?&rdquo;
But in the offseason the Blazers dismissed longtime coach Terry Stotts and hired Chauncey Billups to take over. The team also added players including forward Larry Nance Jr., center Cody Zeller and Ben McLemore.
While Portland didn't end up making making a blockbuster deal that some fans wanted, the Blazers have solid depth.
&ldquo;We've established so much as a team and as an organization, we don't want to just go do something to just to say, 'I made a change.' You want it to be in line with something that could actually make us better, something that could send us to the level that we're trying to get to," Lillard said. &ldquo;We've done some things that I like. I didn't expect us to go out there and get Kevin Durant all of the sudden.&rdquo;
Portland finished the regular season 42-30 and earned the sixth seed in the Western Conference. The team was riding momentum, having won 10 of its final 12 regular-season games. But the playoffs were brief as Portland was eliminated in the opening round by Denver.
Lillard averaged 28.8 points and 7.5 assists during the regular season.
&ldquo;Everybody knows the affinity he has for the city, for the fan base. He's really excited,&rdquo; Billups said. &ldquo;At the end of the day, Dame wants exactly what we all want, and that's to be successful and win. I think he's happy with what's happened this summer, with our roster being a lot deeper. A little less pressure for him to be absolutely amazing every single night.&rdquo;
The Blazers announced Monday that the team is 100% vaccinated.
Lillard said the decision to get the vaccination was an easy one.
&ldquo;I have a lot of people in my family who I'm tight with and spend a lot of time around, and I'm just not going to put their health or their lives in danger because I have to go do research,&rdquo; Lillard said. &ldquo;As a kid, I had to get shots my whole life, before I went to college, I had to get shots. And I couldn't tell you one thing about any of them.&rdquo;
Lillard is entering his 10th NBA season. The closest he&rsquo;s come to a title was a trip to the Western Conference finals in 2019.
Perhaps this is the season the Blazers take the next step.
&ldquo;I think over the years we&rsquo;ve always had a competitive team, I think we&rsquo;ll be competitive again,&rdquo; Lillard said. &ldquo;Obviously, at the end of last season I wanted to see our roster improve. I wanted us to have a better chance to win. And we had our conversations throughout the summer about what that looked like, and how we could take steps in that direction. I come into this season with faith that that&rsquo;s going to happen.&rdquo;

Lillard: “What keeps me so invested here is I want to see it through. I want to see it happen. I mean what I say.”

Damian Lillard has faith Blazers will be better this season

Several marquee players who were expected to hit the open market in 2022 have signed extensions, so next summer's free-agent crop isn't nearly as star-studded as other classes.
However, there are still plenty of quality players who may be up for grabs. In this three-part series, we&rsquo;ll examine the best players who will potentially enter free agency next July.&nbsp;
After previously ranking the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-freeagent-rankings-harden-beal-among-top10-guards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best guards</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-free-agent-rankings-porter-jr-bridges-bagley-among-top10-forwards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forwards</a> set to hit free agency next July, let's examine the top free-agent centers ready to enter the open market in 2022.&nbsp;
1. Deandre Ayton - Phoenix Suns - Restricted
Ayton is coming off a phenomenal 2020-21 campaign, in which he was one of just six players in the NBA to rank in the top-20 in rebounds per game, blocks per game and field goal percentage. He was a significant force on both ends of the floor for a Suns team that exceeded all expectations en route to posting the league's second-best record (51-21) during the regular season. Ayton was even more impressive in the playoffs, as Phoenix advanced all the way to Game 6 of the NBA Finals. He averaged 15.8 points and 11.8 boards while shooting a scorching 65.8% from the floor, which is the highest field goal percentage in a single postseason (min. 100 FGM) in NBA-playoff history. Ayton, still just 23, is eligible to sign a max extension this offseason worth nearly $173 million over five years, and it's a bit surprising the Suns haven't yet offered him that deal.&nbsp;
2. Jaren Jackson Jr. - Memphis Grizzlies - Restricted
When JJJ has been on the floor, he's shown flashes of his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/something-to-prove-jaren-jackson-jr-at-center" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unique, all-around skill set</a> and immense potential. (Jackson is one of two players in the league averaging at least 1.5 blocks and 1.5 three-pointers per game for his career). The issue has been staying on the floor, as knee injuries have limited him to 126 games since being drafted in 2018, including only 11 last season. Still, the Grizzlies view Jackson as a franchise cornerstone. Back in August, Memphis general manager <a href="https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/nba/grizzlies/2021/08/02/memphis-grizzlies-jaren-jackson-jr-extension-top-priority-nba-free-agency/8077171002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zach Kleiman said</a>, "I think we're going to be our best selves over time with Jaren. Spacing the floor, attacking, creating, defensively taking advantage of the versatility he brings to the table." JJJ and the Grizz have until the start of the 2021-22 season to agree to a contract extension, or he'll become a restricted free agent next summer.&nbsp;
3. Jonas Valanciunas - New Orleans Pelicans - Unrestricted
Not only is Valanciunas an elite rebounder (he ranked fourth in offensive rebounding percentage and third in defensive rebounding percentage in 2020-21), he has also expanded his game. Last season, Valanciunas became just the third player in NBA history to average more than 12 rebounds per game and shoot above 36% from three-point territory (min. 50 triples attempted). The other two players in this unique club are Karl-Anthony Towns and Kevin Love. Now in New Orleans, JV will play alongside Zion Williamson until he hits the open market next offseason.
4. Jusuf Nurkic - Portland Trail Blazers - Unrestricted
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_15993996_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="433" />
Nurkic is entering the final season of a four-year, $48 million contract he signed back in 2018. He's had trouble avoiding injuries, having appeared in just 45 out of a possible 144 games over the past two years combined, but looked good over the final month of last season. He averaged over 14 points and 10 rebounds per game. Nurkic just turned 27 last month, so he's entering the heart of his prime. If he can prove he's capable of staying healthy in 2021-22, he'll have plenty of interested suitors next summer. &nbsp;
5. Mitchell Robinson - New York Knicks - Unrestricted
After his first two seasons in the league, it appeared Robinson was establishing himself as one of the best young bigs in the league. In 2018-19, he led all rookies in blocks (2.4) and field goal percentage (69.4%). His 2.4 swats per game ranked second in the NBA &mdash; the highest average by a rookie since Shaquille O'Neal in the 1992-93 season. As a sophomore in 2019-20, Robinson made 74.2% of all field goals he attempted, setting the all-time NBA record for the highest single-season field goal percentage ever, passing Wilt Chamberlain. However, Mitch Rob took a significant step backward in 2020-21. Not only did he suffer two significant injuries (breaking both his right hand and right foot), but his on-court production dipped as a result and he shot below 50% from the free-throw line. Assuming he and the Knicks don't agree to an extension over the next month, Robinson's earning power will be dramatically impacted by his play in 2021-22.&nbsp;
6. Thomas Bryant - Washington Wizards - Unrestricted
Bryant tore his ACL in early January but has reportedly made solid progress in his rehab over the summer. His agent Todd Ramasar <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/thomas-bryant-probably-returns-toward-beginning-2021-season-agent-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said last month</a> that the big man is "probably going to make a return towards the end of this [calendar 2021] year, or let's say, the beginning of the regular season." Bryant was averaging an impressive 14.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game last season before the injury. &nbsp;
7. Wendell Carter Jr. - Orlando Magic - Restricted
Carter was a centerpiece in the deal the Magic made with Chicago, which sent Nikola Vucevic to the Windy City. WCJ played well for Magic after arriving in Orlando, averaging 12.3 points and 8.7 rebounds in 26.8 minutes per contest over his first 20 appearances. Despite three years of experience, he won't celebrate his 23rd birthday until next April. Last month, Matt Moore of The Action Network <a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/nba-free-agency-kyle-lowry-ben-simmons-kawhi-leonard-news-rumors-trades" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that "Orlando is set to lock up Wendell Carter Jr. on a large long-term deal. Rival executives believe it will top $70 million."
8. Chris Boucher - Toronto Raptors - Unrestricted
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_15925279_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="433" />
After years of flashing glimpses of his tantalizing upside, Boucher broke out in 2020-21. He posted career-highs across the board, averaging 13.6 points (on 51.4% shooting), 6.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.5 three-pointers, 0.6 steals and 1.9 blocks despite logging just 24.2 minutes a night. He finished the year sixth in Most Improved Player voting and eighth in Sixth Man of the Year voting. And now, with ​​Aron Baynes (who started 31 games at center last season) no longer in Toronto, Boucher will very likely be installed as the team's permanent starting center. We'll see if he can maintain his production with increased playing time.&nbsp;
9. Montrezl Harrell - Washington Wizards - Unrestricted
Harrell averaged 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots in 27.8 minutes per game for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019-20, which earned him the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award. However, after inking a two-year, $19 million contract with the Lakers in 2020, he took a bit of a step back last season, as his production and playing time decreased. After being traded to the Wizards last month, Harrell will look to re-establish his value in D.C.&nbsp;
10. Serge Ibaka - Los Angeles Clippers - Unrestricted
Last offseason, Ibaka was coming off one of the best all-around seasons of his career. With Marc Gasol sidelined for much of 2019-20, Ibaka stepped in and stepped up for Toronto, averaging a career-high 15.4 points to go along with 8.2 rebounds and 1.3 made three-pointers. Yet, injuries limited him to just 41 games last season and impacted his production when he did suit up. Now 32 years of age, Ibaka will look to show he still has tread left on the tires.&nbsp;
Best Of The Rest
Mo Bamba (restricted), Andre Drummond, Ivica Zubac (team option), Dwight Howard, Hassan Whiteside, Bobby Portis (player option), Derrick Favors (player option), Tristan Thompson, Kevon Looney, JaMychal Green, Marc Gasol&nbsp;

Tommy Beer ranks the top players who could be available as part of the 2022 free-agent class. Today, he examines the top-10 centers.

2022 NBA Free-Agent Rankings: Ayton, Valanciunas among top-10 centers

The 2021-22 NBA season is right around the corner, with training camps tipping off on September 28.&nbsp;
While the majority of free agents have already signed, there are a number of players who are still weighing their options. Some are working out for NBA teams to show that they still have something left in the tank, while others are taking their time to make a decision so they can find the perfect situation.
Of the remaining free agents, which players could step in and become a significant contributor for a team this season? Here are several names to keep an eye on in the coming weeks:
JAMES ENNIS
Ennis began his professional career overseas, becoming an NBL champion and All-NBL-First-Team selection with the Perth Wildcats during the 2013-14 season. Since entering the NBA, he has suited up for seven teams in as many seasons: the Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic. With that said, the 31-year-old has produced when given an opportunity.&nbsp;
Last season with the Magic, he averaged 8.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.1 threes and 0.8 steals in 24.0 minutes while shooting 47.3% from the field, 43.3% from three and 80.5% from the free-throw line. Ennis started 37 of 41 games with the Magic last year, and he has 22 games of playoff experience on his resume as well. Over his career, he's averaged 6.7 points and shot 36.0% from three-point range.&nbsp;
Ennis has received interest from the Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers, according to <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-2021-roster-battles-michael-scotto-yossi-gozlan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype&rsquo;s Michael Scotto</a>. Considering he&rsquo;s coming off of a season in which he shot 43.3% from three while providing hustle plays and solid defense (often when guarding the opponent&rsquo;s best wing), it&rsquo;s somewhat surprising that Ennis is still available.
ISAIAH THOMAS
Thomas had a brief, three-game stint with the Pelicans last season, averaging 7.7 points and 1.7 assists in 16.0 minutes. However, he&rsquo;s just one year removed from averaging 12.2 points, 3.7 assists and 2.0 threes (while shooting 41.3% from deep) in 23.1 minutes with the Washington Wizards.
After being limited by hip pain during his recent stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Wizards, Thomas underwent a resurfacing procedure on his right hip last May. He&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/isaiah-thomas-ready-to-help-pelicans-i-still-have-a-lot-of-basketball-left-in-me" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the difference is &ldquo;night and day,&rdquo; and that &ldquo;there&rsquo;s no more pain.&rdquo; Given the right opportunity, the 32-year-old could bolster a second unit's offense. He would also provide leadership and mentor his younger teammates, as he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/isaiah-thomas-ready-to-help-pelicans-i-still-have-a-lot-of-basketball-left-in-me" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told me</a> last year.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a leader, first and foremost,&rdquo; Thomas said. &ldquo;I won the NBA&rsquo;s Community Assist award so, off the court, I help in the community. On the court, I think it&rsquo;s self-explanatory what I bring to a team when given an opportunity. I also bring my wisdom; I don&rsquo;t think anybody has been through the things that I&rsquo;ve gone through in this league.&rdquo;
Thomas recently worked out for the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors in an effort to show that he&rsquo;s healthy and still capable of producing at a high level.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
DARREN COLLISON&nbsp;
In 2019, Collison stunned the basketball world (including his Indiana Pacers teammates and executives) when he decided to retire in order to focus on his faith. At the time, he was expected to be a highly coveted free agent who was <a href="https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nba/2019/06/29/darren-collison-sudden-retirement-stuns-pacers-teammates/39638581/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> on the verge of receiving offers worth $10-12 million annually.&nbsp;
Now, two years later, the 34-year-old is attempting to make an NBA comeback. The last time we saw Collison on an NBA court, he averaged 11.2 points, 6.0 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.0 three while shooting 46.7% from the field, 40.7% from three-point range and 83.2% from the free-throw line. He was terrific during his final two seasons, posting career-highs in win shares (7.6), box plus/minus (+2.7), value over replacement player (2.4), steal percentage (2.5%) and player efficiency rating (18.8) with the Pacers.
Before signing Collison, teams want to see whether he's in shape. (Oftentimes, the top priority in a free-agent workout is <a href="https://hoopshype.com/2019/07/18/nba-free-agent-workout-rumors-agency-training-behind-scenes-players-coaches-toppert-nurse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testing the player's conditioning</a>). So far, the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors are among the teams that have worked out Collison. Even if he&rsquo;s 70% or 80% of the player who shined during the 2018-19 season, he should be able to provide some backcourt depth.
AVERY BRADLEY&nbsp;
Bradley began last season with the Miami Heat, but he was ultimately traded to the Houston Rockets as part of the Victor Oladipo trade prior to the deadline. In 27 games with the Heat and Rockets last year, Bradley averaged 6.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.2 threes and 0.8 steals in 22.3 minutes.&nbsp;
During the 2019-20 regular season, he was a key contributor for the Los Angeles Lakers. Bradley started in 44 games and averaged 8.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 threes while shooting 44.4% from the field, 36.4% from three and 83.3% from the free-throw line. However, Bradley ultimately decided to opt-out of the Orlando Bubble due to his son's health concerns, and the Lakers went on to win the championship without him.&nbsp;
Now, like Thomas and Collison, the 30-year-old has recently worked out for the Golden State Warriors. Golden State <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcJSpears/status/1439996348909064195" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> plans to add two guards and a big man to its training-camp roster, so it&rsquo;ll be interesting to see who the team decides to sign.&nbsp;
[UPDATE: The Warriors signed Avery Bradley, Langston Galloway and Jordan Bell to training-camp deals, so they'll be competing for Golden State's final roster spot.]
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/cousins2_lg.jpg" alt="" width="653" height="397" />
DEMARCUS COUSINS
Cousins hasn't been the same player since suffering three serious injuries in the same leg (a ruptured Achilles, torn quad and torn ACL) over the course of 18 months. While he&rsquo;ll never return to his All-Star form, he can still help a team&rsquo;s frontcourt.
Last season with the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers, Cousins averaged 8.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 threes, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks while shooting 42.6% from the field, 34.8% from three and 72.8% from the free-throw line. 
Once he joined the Clippers, he was much more efficient, shooting 53.7% from the field and 42.1% from three. During Los Angeles' playoff run, Cousins contributed 7.6 points on 45.2% from the field and 40.0% from three. Another year removed from his injuries, perhaps Cousins could be even more effective during the upcoming campaign.
Recently, Cousins has had fans speculating that a return to the Sacramento Kings is a possibility based on his new <a href="https://twitter.com/boogiecousins/status/1440437057931808769" target="_blank" rel="noopener">profile picture</a>.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
LANGSTON GALLOWAY
Teams can never have enough shooters, so someone like Galloway shouldn't have trouble finding a new home at some point during the season. Last year with the Phoenix Suns, the 29-year-old played in 40 games, averaging 4.8 points while shooting 42.4% from deep.&nbsp;
For his career, he has averaged 8.2 points while shooting 37.0% from three-point range (on 3.9 attempts per game). He's just one year removed from averaging 10.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 threes (while shooting 39.9% from three) in 66 games with the Detroit Pistons.&nbsp;
Galloway also has a reputation as a great teammate and strong veteran presence in the locker room, with Suns head coach Monty Williams and teammates <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2021/08/02/langston-galloway-seeking-opportunity-after-one-season-phoenix-suns/5458842001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praising</a> &ldquo;his positive attitude and professionalism&rdquo; throughout last season.
[UPDATE: Galloway signed a training-camp deal with the Golden State Warriors and he'll be competing for their final roster spot.]

Of the remaining free agents, which players could step in and become a significant contributor for an NBA team this season?

6 remaining free agents who can still help an NBA team

The 2021 NBA offseason featured plenty of surprises and quite a bit of player movement. While there has been plenty of discussion about the stars who changed teams, there were also many talented players who ended up signing for the veteran&rsquo;s minimum.
These are the kind of low-risk, high-reward moves that could end up being some of the biggest steals of the offseason. Some of these players will inevitably outperform their contract and become a huge bargain for their respective teams.&nbsp;
For example, when the Los Angeles Lakers won the championship in 2019-20, their roster featured quite a few minimum-contract contributors including Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, Markieff Morris, Talen Horton-Tucker and Jared Dudley.&nbsp;
In the NBA, the veteran's minimum varies from player to player depending on their years of experience. For example, a rookie who signs a minimum deal will earn $925,258 this season. A second-year player on the minimum will earn $1,489,065. By the time a player has played 10 or more years in the NBA, their minimum contract is worth $2,641,691.
So while all of the players listed in this piece signed for the veteran minimum, they won&rsquo;t receive the same paychecks. However, their cap hit will be the same. <a href="https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/nba-minimum-salaries-for-2021-22.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Luke Adams from Hoops Rumors explains</a>:
&ldquo;Because the NBA doesn&rsquo;t want teams to avoid signing veteran players in favor of cheaper, younger players, the league reimburses clubs who sign veterans with three or more years of experience to one-year, minimum salary contracts. Those deals will only count against the cap &ndash; and against a team&rsquo;s bank balance &ndash; for $1,669,178, the minimum salary for a player with two years of experience.&rdquo;
So while Andre Iguodala will earn $2,641,691 this season, he&rsquo;ll only cost the Golden State Warriors $1,669,178, and the NBA will make up the difference.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Across the board, minimum salaries increased by 3% over last year&rsquo;s numbers. Here&rsquo;s a look at some notable players who signed for the minimum:
Victor Oladipo, Miami Heat: After earning $21,000,000 last season with the Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets, Oladipo will make $2,389,641 this season with the Miami Heat. A significant quad injury impacted his stock entering free agency, which is why this two-time All-Star is on a minimum deal just three years after making an All-NBA team. Last year, Oladipo averaged 20.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.6 threes and 1.3 steals in 29 total games with the Rockets and Pacers. If healthy, Oladipo could end up being a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/victor-oladipo-minimum-deal-may-become-nba-offseason-biggest-steal-miami-heat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">key contributor for Miami</a>.
Andre Drummond, Philadelphia 76ers: Last season, Drummond averaged 14.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks in 46 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers. The 28-year-old was earning $27,957,238 with the Cavs, but then he agreed to a buyout and joined the Lakers. He hoped to win a title alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Co., but Los Angeles was eliminated in the first round by the Phoenix Suns. Now, he&rsquo;ll serve as Joel Embiid&rsquo;s backup on the 76ers while earning $2,401,537.
Blake Griffin, Brooklyn Nets: Like Drummond, Griffin was bought out halfway through the 2020-21 season. With $75 million remaining on his contract, Griffin reportedly agreed to leave $13.3 million on the table in order to exit his deal with the Detroit Pistons and hit unrestricted free agency. Shortly after, he joined the Brooklyn Nets in pursuit of a ring. Still, he went from earning $32,670,565 last year to $2,641,691 during the upcoming campaign.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_15822822_lg.jpg" alt="" width="524" height="403" />
Otto Porter Jr., Golden State Warriors: Porter received larger offers during free agency, but he decided to join the Warriors on a $2,389,641 salary (after earning $28,489,239 last season with the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic). He should fit perfectly alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, and then he&rsquo;ll hit free agency again next offseason. Last year, the 28-year-old averaged 9.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 threes in 28 games.
Andre Iguodala, Golden State Warriors: After spending five years with the Warriors (from 2013-14 to 2018-19), Iguodala joined the Miami Heat for a two-year stint. Now, he&rsquo;s returning to Golden State on a one-year deal. Last season, he averaged 4.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks in 21.3 minutes per game, while also serving as a strong veteran leader in the locker room. After earning $15,000,000 last season, he&rsquo;ll make $2,641,691 in 2021-22.
DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Lakers: Last season, Jordan earned $10,375,678 from the Brooklyn Nets, averaging 7.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 21.9 minutes per game. Recently, the Nets traded Jordan and four second-round picks to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Sekou Doumbouya and Jahlil Okafor. Shortly after, the Pistons bought out Jordan, and he signed a one-year, $2,641,691 deal.
Other Notable Minimum-Contract Players:&nbsp;
Carmelo Anthony, Los Angeles Lakers ($2,641,691)
Enes Kanter, Boston Celtics ($2,641,691)
Paul Millsap, Brooklyn Nets ($2,641,691)
Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers ($2,641,691)
Cody Zeller, Portland Trail Blazers ($2,389,641)
Malik Monk, Los Angeles Lakers ($1,789,256)
Nemanja Bjelica, Golden State Warriors ($2,089,448)
Rajon Rondo, Los Angeles Lakers ($2,641,691)
Wayne Ellington, Los Angeles Lakers ($2,641,691)

Alex Kennedy highlights key players who signed for the veteran's minimum this offseason after being on lucrative deals previously.

Examining minimum-contract bargains from 2021 NBA offseason

Now that the NBA offseason is winding down and the start of the 2021-22 regular season is right around the corner, it's time to make some predictions. But rather than playing it safe, we asked our writers:
What is your bold prediction for the 2021-22 NBA season?&nbsp;
Alex Kennedy: In October of 2019, Bradley Beal signed a two-year, $72 million extension with the Washington Wizards &mdash; much to the chagrin of many executives and fans around the NBA. While people seem to be anxiously awaiting the day that Beal requests a trade from the Wizards, I believe Beal is going to extend in Washington once again. He is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wizards-retooling-led-to-a-competent-roster-surrounding-bradley-beal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eligible to sign an extension</a> this offseason (worth roughly $181.5 million over four years), or he can opt to wait until next summer to re-sign for roughly $235 million over five years. During a recent appearance on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nba-offseason-preview-jake-fischer-alex-kennedy-on/id1528900732?i=1000530625591" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my podcast</a>, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report predicted that Beal will stay in Washington long-term. Beal is close with Spencer Dinwiddie, whom he recruited to Washington, and the Wizards have a solid roster that could exceed expectations this year. This will be Beal&rsquo;s 10th season in Washington, and don&rsquo;t be surprised if he sticks around for more.
Ethan Fuller: I think there's a very real possibility Michael Porter Jr. eclipses 25 points per game and leads the Denver Nuggets in scoring. He seriously ratcheted up the volume last season while maintaining elite shooting efficiency. Per Basketball Reference, Porter Jr. made 83.1% of his at-rim attempts last season and 44.5% of his threes. Those are unreal rates, especially for a second-year forward. With Nikola Jokic warping defenses with his passing and a healthy Jamal Murray returning, the Nuggets will have plenty to throw at defenses, potentially creating even easier looks for Porter Jr.
Spencer Davies: It might not be considered &ldquo;bold,&rdquo; but with so much love being shown to the Chicago Bulls&rsquo; offseason, I&rsquo;ll be that guy to throw a wet blanket on things by saying the team won&rsquo;t get out of the first round of the playoffs. Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley certainly did a number both at last year&rsquo;s trade deadline and in this summer&rsquo;s free-agency period to prove to Zach LaVine how serious they are about winning... but will the pieces fit together? Chicago shelled out a lot of dough for DeMar DeRozan, an aggressive scorer and one of the most underrated improved playmakers in the league; however, how will he play when LaVine is commanding the basketball more often than not? Lonzo Ball is essentially going to be the point-man in transition and a spot-up marksman in the corners. More importantly, though, he&rsquo;s likely to be the team&rsquo;s best perimeter defender (next to Patrick Williams, who will have all eyes on him). But who else is going to step up guarding the opposition? Will Alex Caruso get more minutes than Coby White? On paper, the Bulls&rsquo; rim protection isn&rsquo;t great, nor is the defense on the outside. It&rsquo;ll be interesting to see how that all balances out.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Drew Maresca: One or both of these will happen: Dame Lillard gets moved or Zion Williamson trade chatter heats up. Why? Because both the Trail Blazers and Pelicans will not make the playoffs, and both franchises can&rsquo;t wait much longer to show their stars significant improvement. The Western Conference is deep and, if we&rsquo;re being honest with ourselves, there is only one available playoff spot between the Trail Blazers, Grizzlies and Pelicans. The team(s) that misses the postseason will see rumors fly, and maybe more.
Jesse Blancarte: My bold prediction is that Russell Westbrook will adapt his game significantly in an effort to help the Los Angeles Lakers win the 2022 NBA championship. Westbrook always gives his best effort and, of course, has always worked hard. But now that he&rsquo;s at this stage of his career and surrounded by generational talent, I believe he will lower his usage rate, shoot less frequently and focus on playmaking and creating easy scoring opportunities for his teammates. There will be nights when teammates are injured or struggling where we will see vintage Westbrook, but I think that he will make a true effort to plug himself into this roster.
Evan Sidery: We&rsquo;ll have league-wide parody for every single playoff spot. Sure, that may not seem bold, but when was the last time potentially 25-30 teams in the NBA felt like they had a realistic shot at the playoffs? It&rsquo;s a great time to follow the NBA with so many teams making a run for it.
Moke Hamilton: I think Lonzo Ball makes the All-Star team. It&rsquo;s hard to imagine him not thriving in Chicago. He is surrounded by plenty of talented players, his specific skill set is needed, he has something to prove and Chicago is probably going to be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. To this point in his career, Lonzo has not really lived up to the expectations that followed him from UCLA to the NBA. He&rsquo;s still a really good player though, and I wouldn&rsquo;t be surprised to see him make the leap to All-Star-caliber player. He will be facing some stiff competition &mdash; Kyle Lowry will probably find himself back in the conversation for one of the reserve spots, as could Kemba Walker &mdash; but I guess that&rsquo;s why we call it a bold prediction.&nbsp;
Chris Sheridan: The Miami Heat are going to do what they did two seasons ago and be sneaky good, primarily because they have added a hungry Kyle Lowry but also because they shouldn&rsquo;t have to deal with the same types of interruptions that robbed them of the chance to build chemistry over the course of the 2020-21 regular season. The <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-breaking-down-this-offseasons-most-underrated-moves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signing of P.J. Tucker</a> gives them another lockdown defender alongside Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, so they should be a strong defensive unit. Erik Spoelstra's team will not make waves early, but they will be a steady contender.&nbsp;

Since the 2021-22 NBA season is right around the corner, we asked our writers to share a bold prediction about the upcoming campaign.

Roundtable: 8 bold predictions for the 2021-22 NBA season

The Trail Blazers are expected to pursue trade scenarios involving the No. 7 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, according to <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10037274-latest-nba-offseason-intel-does-og-anunoby-want-out-of-toronto" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report</a>. The targets they have in mind are Jerami Grant of the Detroit Pistons and OG Anunoby of the Toronto Raptors.
"The Trail Blazers remain widely expected to pursue trade scenarios with the No. 7 pick in order to add a complementary veteran alongside All-NBA guard Damian Lillard, and Anunoby is believed to be one of their primary targets along with Jerami Grant.
Both contracts would fit into Portland's $20.9 million trade exception from the deal that sent CJ McCollum to New Orleans."
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The clock is ticking in the Damian Lillard era, so if they're going to trade that pick, they'll need to make it count. The Western Conference is going to get much tougher this coming season. Grant or Anunoby could help them, but it's tough to see how they vault Portland that much higher.

Portland reportedly plans to pursue trades revolving around the No. 7 pick in the 2022 Draft for Jerami Grant or OG Anunoby.

Portland plans to trade No. 7 pick, targets Jerami Grant, OG Anunoby

&nbsp;<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10037274-latest-nba-offseason-intel-does-og-anunoby-want-out-of-toronto" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jake Fischer of B/R</a> has the scoop that Toronto Raptors wing OG Anunoby has been a name to watch for in trade talk.
<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10037274-latest-nba-offseason-intel-does-og-anunoby-want-out-of-toronto" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fischer states that</a> "word has circulated among rival front offices that Anunoby grew dissatisfied at times with his role in Toronto" but that he has not directly complained to the team about his role or asked for a traded.
If Toronto was open to moving him, the two teams that have come up are Portland and Utah. The Trail Blazers have a $20.9 million trade exception from the CJ McCollum-to-New Orleans deal last season that Anunoby would fit into. According to the report, the Raptors see Anunoby's trade value potential being at least two first-round picks and a promising young player. Anunoby is in the second of a four-year, $72M deal.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, the Jazz could make Rudy Gobert available this offseason and the Raptors have been looking to add a center. However, it would take more than just Anunoby to make the salaries work with Gobert making $38.2 million this upcoming season.
&nbsp;

Toronto Raptors wingman OG Anunoby has been linked to trade rumors with Utah's Rudy Gobert and Portland.

Report: OG Anunoby may want out of Toronto, Gobert possible target

The NBA is undergoing an epiphany on positional value, much like the NFL has begun to re-evaluate modern-day running backs. Since positions are becoming less and less important and versatility is the name of the game, what&rsquo;s next for NBA centers?
Centers are slowly but surely being phased out, aside from some rare exceptions. Long gone are the Roy Hibbert-archetype bigs who patrolled the paint with slow-footed speed. The upgraded version looks more like Rudy Gobert in Utah, producing at an even higher level. But even with Gobert, long-term questions have arisen due to his bloated super-max salary.
If Gobert&rsquo;s on-court value is diminishing as well, which bigs will be deemed worthy of a lucrative second contract? It&rsquo;s an elite club where the positional value more than outweighs the price tag: Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo top the list. For all other centers, will they be worth their price in the long run?
For the Phoenix Suns, a $100-plus million decision awaits on Deandre Ayton, their only No. 1 overall pick in franchise history. Does Ayton deserve to be mentioned among those names, or does he fall a tier or two below? Ayton is an anchor of the Suns&rsquo; historic defensive turnaround under head coach Monty Williams, plus his soft touch on the offensive end already brings super efficient scoring value too.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The Suns and Ayton&rsquo;s representation are about to enter an awkward period, and it seems like the odds of Ayton playing elsewhere next season are increasing. Do the Suns believe Ayton is worth a max-level contract? Does Suns general manager James Jones believe Ayton can be on the same tier as an Adebayo or Gobert?
Based on Ayton's usage within Williams&rsquo; system (19.8% usage rate since 2020-21), Phoenix&rsquo;s need to reconstruct the roster for more wing-based scoring as well as the big man's own desire to be a more featured piece on offense (plus his desire for a max deal), I wouldn't be surprised if Ayton&rsquo;s days with the Suns are numbered.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yhnnV-cQRQc" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
One could argue that Ayton would be even more valuable if he were to leave Phoenix and sign elsewhere. In another situation &mdash; in Detroit with Cade Cunningham, for example &mdash; giving Ayton the max would be an acceptable allocation of resources that benefits both parties. However, in the Suns&rsquo; system, I don&rsquo;t believe Ayton is worthy of max-level money.
A fatal flaw that prevents Ayton from being mentioned in the top tier of big men is his lack of self-creation ability, which he's failed to develop throughout his first four seasons with the Suns. According to Cleaning The Glass, 74.8% of Ayton's shots have been assisted on in his career. Compared to his max-salary counterparts, Ayton is nowhere close on self-creation capabilities. And at this point, I have serious doubts that this will ever become a consistent part of his game during his upcoming prime years.
Percentage of FGs Assisted in 2021-22
Deandre Ayton: 81%
Rudy Gobert: 72%
Nikola Jokic: 62%
Karl-Anthony Towns: 62%
Bam Adebayo: 61%
Joel Embiid: 54%
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 43%
The NBA&rsquo;s elite big men buck the trend of super small-ball and three-point-shooting barrages because they bring unique traits to the table.&nbsp;Antetokounmpo and Embiid can simply punish any defenses that are thrown at them. Jokic&rsquo;s demigod-like ability to run an offense and be its primary scoring engine speaks for itself. Towns is one of the greatest perimeter-shooting bigs of all-time. Adebayo&rsquo;s defense and playmaking versatility, coupled with his recent development as an on-ball creator, raise his value. Gobert&rsquo;s price tag is a tough pill to swallow, especially later on, but he&rsquo;s one of the most impactful rim-protectors we&rsquo;ve ever seen (while also providing efficient scoring around the rim).
Ayton is a very good basketball player, but he fails to emphatically check any of the boxes that the other max bigs do. He brings immediate value as a scoring threat and rim-protector, with a rare ability to easily rack up 20-and-10 outings like it&rsquo;s nothing. His stat line shows that there&rsquo;s real promise if he is fed like a primary offensive hub, but that&rsquo;s not going to happen in Phoenix.
The Suns are moving away from the inside-out approach in favor of outside-in, a modern flip of the script that likely provides some insight into how they view centers. JaVale McGee was an excellent free-agent addition for Phoenix last summer, and he ended up putting up nearly identical numbers to Ayton on a per-36-minute basis:
Ayton: 21.0 points, 12.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 blocks, 65.6 TS%
McGee: 20.9 points, 15.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 2.5 blocks, 65.1 TS%
McGee is another example where working within the Suns&rsquo; system, especially playing alongside Chris Paul and Devin Booker, brings immense improvement on the margins. From the Suns&rsquo; perspective, would they rather just pay McGee $5 million again and add a difference maker elsewhere for the same price as Ayton? For example, would it make more sense to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-destinations-for-deandre-ayton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bring aboard a unique modern fit in Jerami Grant via a sign-and-trade deal</a>? There&rsquo;s no doubt that these discussions are ongoing for the Suns, because this decision will decide what direction the team is heading in the post-CP3 era.
As a restricted free agent, Ayton is heading toward a negotiation standoff with Phoenix. If the organization doesn&rsquo;t view him as a max-level player, expect to see the Suns&rsquo; offer come in around a similar annual value as Al Horford ($27.8 million) or Nikola Vucevic ($25.0 million). John Collins provides a recent example of restricted free agency leading to a cheaper payday, as he signed a five-year, $125 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 offseason.
For Ayton, it seems like a lock that he'll get a max contract from some front office. The Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets and Indiana Pacers are all expected to show interest once free agency's moratorium period opens on July 1. Will Phoenix try to pull off a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-destinations-for-deandre-ayton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sign-and-trade to bring back some win-now pieces</a>? If another team extends a max-level offer sheet, would the Suns match it or let him walk? These are the big questions entering this offseason.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nDxAv1lcJcs" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Another angle that is falling under the radar is how the Suns view Ayton&rsquo;s motor. Will Ayton continue to improve his game or eventually become an albatross contract a few years from now?&nbsp;
&ldquo;Definitely getting to my second contract; that&rsquo;s my success,&rdquo; Ayton said before being drafted by the Suns.
Throughout Ayton&rsquo;s career in Phoenix, teammates like Paul, Booker and Mikal Bridges have had to keep him locked in throughout games to ensure he's playing at a certain intensity level. They have even mentioned it during press conferences. When Ayton is locked in, he&rsquo;s one of the most dominant two-way bigs in the NBA. The issue is his inconsistency and those moments where he loses focus. It's unclear why this occurs, but there are some games where it's apparent in the first few minutes whether it will be a positive or negative outing for the big man. If there are concerns about Ayton&rsquo;s motor, that will also enter this discussion.
Jones and Williams know more about Ayton's work ethic and motor than just about anyone given all the time they've spent with him behind the scenes, so we'll see if this factors in to their decision.&nbsp;
The drive to be great and the sheer will to refuse failure are what separate great players from good ones. Does Ayton possess this trait to become one of those exceptions to the rule for non-floor spacing bigs within the modern NBA?
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
This year&rsquo;s Finals matchup between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics further paints a picture of spacing and wings/on-ball creators buttering the bread of success nowadays. For their bigs, the postseason usage rate is a tell-tale sign of letting the perimeter-oriented stars cook (Al Horford: 13.0 USG%, Robert Williams: 13.0%, Kevon Looney: 11.2%). Can the Suns rely upon Ayton to be a player who takes over 20% of their offensive possessions? If it&rsquo;s a hit-or-miss proposition in their eyes, Ayton will be looking for greener pastures within the next six weeks.
As an elite finisher around the rim who also excels in pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop situations, Ayton already brings a rock solid baseline for a floor. When you add in his supreme athleticism for his position, it brings even more intrigue as a two-way force. Entering into his age-24 season in 2022-23, what&rsquo;s the next step for Ayton? If there&rsquo;s not much room left for Ayton on the developmental curve, a max contract shouldn&rsquo;t be coming his way from Phoenix.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;s so divisive here,&rdquo; Suns owner Robert Sarver told BasketballNews.com in April about Ayton&rsquo;s future in Phoenix. &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s shown that he&rsquo;s improved each year, helps us both on the defense and the offense. I think offensively, you see this year he&rsquo;s taken another good step in terms of his touch and his ability to score around the basket. So, he&rsquo;s been a key part of what we&rsquo;re doing.&rdquo;
Ayton averaged 17.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.7 blocks for the Suns this past season. In an environment where he's more heavily featured, those numbers likely rise closer to 22-23 points and 12-13 rebounds per game. Is that the way to go though?
Welcome to the new evaluation process of great, non-transcendent bigs. Ayton is the first case study, and this expensive decision that's on the horizon is going to change the Suns&rsquo; future one way or another.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

With centers becoming the NBA's version of running backs, is Deandre Ayton worthy of a max deal? Evan Sidery explores.

Should Suns give Deandre Ayton a max deal? Positional value says no

In the modern NBA, multi-positional versatility is something all teams covet. Evidenced by the current playoff finalists, pace-and-space offenses finding mismatches on every possession is the name of the game. For 19-year-old Australian combo guard Dyson Daniels, his strengths mesh well within what will be valued most at the next level.
Forgoing the college route as an International import, Daniels instead went the more challenging route by immersing himself into preparing for the 2022 NBA Draft. Daniels spent this past season with the G League Ignite, which is now forming a consistent pipeline of top prospects like Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga. Daniels averaged 11.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.9 steals on a 54.0 True Shooting percentage in the G League last season.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JHhB2JURxXU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The ability to adapt and play the role of a playmaking wing or secondary ball handler makes the upside with Daniels even more intriguing, especially if he lands in the right player development system that focuses on his long-term outlook.
&ldquo;I always want to be in the gym. I always want to be the best I can,&rdquo; Daniels told <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a>'s Spencer Davies last September. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want anyone to outwork me. I want to be the hardest worker there is.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Daniels bet on himself playing with the Ignite over national NCAA exposure, which is paying huge dividends leading up to the draft. ESPN&rsquo;s Jonathan Givony recently reported that Daniels had one of the most impressive pre-draft workouts he&rsquo;d ever witnessed, and thanks to those workouts, Dyson is seeing his stock soar in the month before the draft.
The jumbo-sized do-it-all playmaker and defender is slotted in at No. 8 overall to the New Orleans Pelicans in <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a>'s latest mock draft according to our Senior NBA Draft Analyst, Matt Babcock:
&ldquo;At nearly 6-foot-7, Dyson Daniels is incredibly versatile, as he can play several positions effectively on both ends of the floor. After a stellar season with the G League Ignite, Daniels is seemingly on the rise, as there have been rumblings recently that his draft value is increasing. It&rsquo;s looking like he&rsquo;ll have a good chance of being selected in the mid-lottery on draft night.&rdquo;
Daniels is generating buzz to the point where it would be a surprise if he fell past the top 10 picks without being selected. As a likely lottery pick, Daniels&rsquo; versatility could help a needy team immediately. With such a high basketball IQ, the ceiling for Daniels all depends on if he can develop a reliable jump shot (25.5 3PT%). If Daniels rounds into form and becomes a reliable engine to an elite offense, the possibilities truly are endless for the Aussie.
&ldquo;I have a good floater game, but I&rsquo;m also a defender,&rdquo; Daniels described at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago earlier this month. &ldquo;I like to break it down on the offensive end. I&rsquo;m a little bit like a Tyrese Haliburton kind of guy that&rsquo;s in control. On the defensive end, I like to look at guys like Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso and people like that. I feel like I have the frame, and once the game slows down for me a bit, I hope I could develop into a Luka Doncic-type role.&rdquo;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mM9lXPGHoXQ" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
While those comparisons are lofty for Daniels, we can&rsquo;t rule it out. Who&rsquo;s to say Daniels doesn&rsquo;t become a valuable rotation piece with the potential to become even more a few years down the line? It&rsquo;s why Daniels is generating immense buzz from teams leading up to the draft. At the combine, he met with the following teams: Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.
&ldquo;I try not to take it as pressure, but I&rsquo;m trying to do everything to get Bendigo and Australia on the map. Just be the best version of me I can and do my best,&rdquo; Daniels said.
When trying to find the best attributes to fit with where the NBA is heading, a player in the mold of Daniels becomes extremely valuable the more layers you discover in his game. That&rsquo;s exactly why Daniels is regarded as one of this year&rsquo;s biggest pre-draft risers across the board.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

One of the biggest pre-draft risers is versatile Australian guard Dyson Daniels. How he fits the modern NBA explains his huge rise.

2022 NBA Draft: Dyson Daniels fits the modern trends

Bennedict Mathurin bet on himself entering his sophomore season at the University of Arizona.
As an end result, he&rsquo;s reaped huge benefits, with his stock now exploding going into the 2022 NBA Draft.
Mathurin helped lead the Wildcats to a resurgent season, as he averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game on a 57.6% True Shooting percentage. Mathurin&rsquo;s rise helped him earn Pac-12 Player of the Year honors, and along the way he displayed why he&rsquo;s such a perfect fit within today&rsquo;s modern pace-and-space game.
Offering endless versatility on both ends of the court with explosive athleticism, Mathurin&rsquo;s name is one of the hotter ones in the draft class right now. Mathurin met with the Indiana Pacers, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors at the NBA Draft Combine.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IIPiPqctbLI" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Also, during Mathurin&rsquo;s Pro Day in Santa Barbara, California on Wednesday, all 32 teams were well represented. Amongst the flock of scouts, a number of names stood out with notable attendance: Washington Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. and president Tommy Sheppard, New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau and Chicago Bulls general manager Marc Eversley and vice president of player personnel Pat Connelly.
Mathurin&rsquo;s immense upside as a three-level scorer and lockdown defender has him slotted at <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/bennedict-mathurin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">No. 7 overall to the Blazers</a> in BasketballNews.com's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest mock draft</a> via our Sr. NBA Draft Analyst, Matt Babcock:
<blockquote>
There is a lot to like about Bennedict Mathurin. At 6-foot-5 or so, he has a valuable combination of attributes. He has a sweet outside stroke, is a high flyer and is an alpha dog. He would have had a chance to be a first-round pick if he had declared to enter last year&rsquo;s draft. Instead, however, he chose to bet on himself and return to Arizona for his sophomore season. I expect Mathurin to be selected in the lottery on draft night, so it&rsquo;s looking like his decision to return to school is about to pay off big time.
</blockquote>
That alpha-dog mentality from Mathurin is what makes him stand out most, because those are the traits you want to bet on most in prospects. Taking developmental leaps in his game every season, Mathurin believes his shooting and defense are his true calling-card attributes.
&ldquo;I think my shooting is the biggest part of my game,&rdquo; Mathurin said. &ldquo;I think I&rsquo;m a two-way player. I think I&rsquo;m able to showcase to get a stop defensively. I give them 30 seconds and we get the (win) because I get a stop or offensively, because I&rsquo;m able to shoot the ball and just have an impact in both ways.&rdquo;
Another promising part of Mathurin&rsquo;s offensive development is being able to take pressure off the offense as a secondary playmaker. It wasn&rsquo;t displayed much throughout Mathurin&rsquo;s collegiate career, but he&rsquo;s eager to prove that it can quickly become a fortified tool in his arsenal.
&ldquo;Often, teams have been asking me what are things I wanted to showcase, and (playmaking) was definitely one thing," Mathurin said. "I feel the USC game (6 assists with only a single turnover) I think a lot of people started noticing I was able to pass the ball. We played in a different kind of system where we have guards &mdash; already one of my biggest strengths is to score the ball, so I just did what the team needed me to do in order for us to win.&rdquo;
There aren't many holes to poke in the game of Mathurin, which is why this late buzz around him is well-deserved.
Offering a tantalizing two-way package with much more room to grow physically, don&rsquo;t be surprised if Mathurin is a pick we look back on a few years from now as a home-run hit wherever he lands next month.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

One of the late risers in the 2022 NBA Draft process, Bennedict Mathurin's upside is immense thanks to his two-way profile.

2022 NBA Draft: Bennedict Mathurin offers unique two-way ceiling

There is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/uncertain-future-of-deandre-ayton-becomes-top-topic-for-suns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plenty of speculation surrounding the future of Suns restricted free agent Deandre Ayton</a> heading into the offseason.&nbsp;
Last year, Phoenix decided not to offer Ayton the five-year, $170 million maximum contract that his representatives asked for. While there is a belief he will command that on the open market, the question is whether the Suns would match a max offer sheet. And if not, which team could land the center?
<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10036706-early-nba-free-agency-buzz-intel-on-deandre-ayton-zach-lavine-and-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">B/R's Jake Fischer is reporting</a> that the Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers are teams who have been linked to Ayton the most. He adds that league executive believe the Charlotte Hornets and San Antonio Spurs could also be in the running for him.
<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10036706-early-nba-free-agency-buzz-intel-on-deandre-ayton-zach-lavine-and-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fischer adds</a> that if a team offers Ayton a maximum contract as expected that "there is skepticism among league executives the Suns would match such a lucrative offer." Plus, there is a belief around the league that "Phoenix brass simply does not view Ayton, or any center, as a player worth greater than $30 million annually."
The Suns already have a hefty payroll with Chris Paul making roughly $30 million in each of the next two years, Devin Booker on a max deal and Mikal Bridges starting a four-year, $91 million contract that he signed last October.&nbsp;
The Suns could work out a sign-and-trade deal with the aforementioned teams, with the Spurs' Jakob Poeltl and the Blazers' free-agent center Jusuf Nurkic as possible replacements.

A new report lists Atlanta, Detroit and Portland among the suitors for Suns restricted free agent Deandre Ayton.

Fischer: Atlanta, Detroit, Portland among suitors for Deandre Ayton

The Orlando Magic came out of Tuesday&rsquo;s NBA Draft Lottery as the big winners, winning the No. 1 overall pick for the fourth time in franchise history.
Winning the lottery is a big deal for any team, as it gives them a tremendous opportunity to add an elite young talent. The <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 draft class</a> features a few &ldquo;can&rsquo;t-miss&rdquo; prospects who have already adequately separated themselves from the other top youngsters. Auburn&rsquo;s Jabari Smith, Gonzaga&rsquo;s Chet Holmgren and Duke&rsquo;s Paolo Banchero are easily the most electrifying players in the 2022 class.
All three of these prospects are versatile big men, which is a role that the Magic would be well-served in addressing. Orlando had two lottery picks in 2021, which they used on Gonzaga point guard Jalen Suggs and Michigan small forward Franz Wagner. If the Magic add a big man who grows into a superstar, their roster will be mostly set for the foreseeable future.
Of course, the allure of prospects wears off almost immediately after the draft. Ignoring the scouting process and all the work that goes into prosect evaluation, a look back at the last 10 NBA drafts reveals that first-overall picks are far from the sure things we make them out to be:
2012 NBA Draft: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
Ten years ago, the New Orleans Pelicans selected Anthony Davis with the No. 1 pick. Davis grew into a superstar quickly, and his impact on the Pelicans was clear almost immediately. He led the Pelicans to the playoffs twice, in 2014-15 and 2017-18. The 2017-18 team was particularly good, winning 48 games in the regular season with a core of Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and Jrue Holiday. Cousins&rsquo; injury played a major role in Davis departing the Pelicans, as New Orleans failed to replace Davis&rsquo; friend and running mate. Had Cousins stayed healthy, who knows how good New Orleans could have been?
Still, Davis is clearly a great player who was absolutely worthy of the No. 1 pick. He has become an eight-time All-Star and earned a spot on the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. Davis helped the Los Angeles Lakers win a championship in 2020, and he has career averages 23.8 points, 10.2 rebounds 2.3 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.4 steals.
Verdict: Success, although not necessarily for New Orleans.
2013 NBA Draft: Anthony Bennett, Cleveland Cavaliers 2014 NBA Draft: Andrew Wiggins, Cleveland Cavaliers 
The Cleveland Cavaliers picked first overall in 2013 and 2014. The strange thing about both picks is that neither Anthony Bennett nor Andrew Wiggins made an impact in Cleveland. Both were sent to Minnesota in a package for Kevin Love. Bennett played one uneventful season with the Cavaliers, and Wiggins was sent out prior to the start of his rookie season. So, which team do we assess? Cleveland or Minnesota? Let&rsquo;s review both.
Technically, getting two consecutive first overall picks and trading them to the Timberwolves helped Cleveland win their first championship in franchise history. That&rsquo;s a big win for the Cavaliers, even if it cost them both players. Cleveland&rsquo;s championship was more so a product of LeBron James (and Kyrie Irving to a lesser extent), but Love was impactful and the trade worked out.
Conversely, Minnesota did not fare well with Wiggins and Bennett. They qualified for the playoffs only once in Wiggins&rsquo; five-and-a-half seasons in Minnesota, and Bennett was off the team after only one season. Wiggins seems to have found a home in Golden State, but he's the team&rsquo;s fourth-best player, which is not what most people expect from No. 1 picks (especially one with Wiggins' hype).
Verdict: Both are failures relative to expectations, but Wiggins has become a significant contributor.
2015 NBA Draft: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
Speaking of Minnesota, they fared so poorly following the aforementioned Love-for-Wiggins-and-Bennett trade that they received the No. 1 overall pick in 2015. Yes, that means they technically had the first overall picks from three consecutive drafts on their roster, at least for a short period of time.
The pick in 2015 turned out to be Karl-Anthony Towns, who has now played seven seasons in Minnesota. Until recently, the Timberwolves' front office failed to surround him with the talent needed to compete. Towns has led Minnesota to the playoffs only twice, but regardless how one views the lack of team success, Towns was a good pick. He's a career 20-and-10 guy who shoots an unbelievable 40% from three-point range. The 26-year-old is a perfect big man for today's NBA.
Verdict: The Towns pick is a relative success.
2016 NBA Draft: Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers 2017 NBA Draft: Markelle Fultz, Philadelphia 76ers
We can&rsquo;t really discuss the first overall picks of the past 10 seasons without diving into Sam Hinke&rsquo;s Philadelphia 76ers. Hinke led the &ldquo;Trust the Process&rdquo; 76ers from 2013-2016, during which time he received significant scorn from the NBA, media and basketball purists who felt he was cheapening the game by blatantly losing to increase the odds of being awarded the first overall pick.
Thoughts on Hinke&rsquo;s philosophy aside, he picked first overall in two consecutive seasons. Philadelphia won the draft lottery in 2016, selecting Ben Simmons. Then, they traded up to No. 1 overall in 2017 to nab the rights to Markelle Fultz.
Neither Simmons nor Fultz fulfilled their potential in Philadelphia. Fultz had a misdiagnosed shoulder injury, which resulted in an awkward shooting motion. After two sub-par seasons in Philadelphia, he was traded to Orlando, where he&rsquo;s played better but still nowhere near what's expected from a No. 1 pick.
Simmons was better for the 76ers, co-leading them to the playoffs in four consecutive seasons. But Simmons&rsquo; time in Philadelphia ended infamously last season, culminating with him forcing his way to Brooklyn after a lengthy holdout.
Verdict: Degrees of failure, though Fultz was considerably more disappointing than Simmons. At least Simmons became a three-time All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year runner-up.
2018 NBA Draft: Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns picked first in the 2018 NBA Draft, which is another strange case. Objectively, Deandre Ayton is a major piece on Phoenix&rsquo;s roster. In his fourth NBA season, he averaged an impressive 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
Can we really analyze players in a vacuum though? Ayton was picked a few selections before Luka Doncic, who received serious first-overall-pick buzz that June. Imagine if the Suns had paired Doncic with Devin Booker? Like the Rockets and Trail Blazers both did in 1984, the Suns simply overthought this one.
2018 is too recent to accurately judge the long-term impact of this pick. Ayton could very possibly end up being a major contributor on a championship team. Still, this is a push at best, and if he ends up signing elsewhere this offseason, that makes the Ayton selection look even worse.
Verdict: Who the hell knows?
2019 NBA Draft: Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans also picked first overall in 2019, selecting the electric athlete, Zion Williamson, who is the toughest first pick to grade in the last 10 years. In his lone injury-free season, he averaged 27 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting 62% on two-point attempts.
But injuries make it far more difficult to grade him. Williamson has played in only 85 of a possible 202 career games, missing the entire 2021-22 season.
Verdict: Time will tell.
2020 NBA Draft: Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota is experiencing a major resurgence, and the credit belongs to Towns and the 2020 first overall pick Anthony Edwards. Edwards had a good rookie season, but he exploded in his sophomore campaign.
This season, he helped lead Minnesota to the playoffs, averaging 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.0 threes and 1.5 steals on 44.1/35.7/78.6 shooting splits. In the postseason, he took his game to another level, contributing 25.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.8 threes, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks on 45.5/40.4/82.4 shooting splits.
Verdict: After only two seasons, Edwards looks like a huge win for Minnesota.
2021 NBA Draft: Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
Last but not least, the Detroit Pistons selected Cade Cunningham first overall in 2021. Despite playing alongside less talent than most of his peers, Cunningham's rookie campaign was successful. He averaged 17.4 points, 5.6 assists and 5.5 rebounds, was named a unanimous All-Rookie First Team selection and placed third in Rookie of the Year voting.
One season is too small of a sample size to grade a young player, but Cunningham looks like the absolute right pick.
Verdict: Success (so far).&nbsp; &nbsp;
In the last 10 drafts, the first overall pick has clearly been one of the best players in the draft class just four times (2012, 2015, 2020 and 2021). He has been a complete dud twice (2013 and 2017), a good player twice (2014 and 2018), a malcontent once (2016) and an injury-prone player once (2019). Five of the last 10 first picks were traded too. If Ayton is allowed to leave this offseason, then six of the last 10 are no longer with the team that drafted them, erasing the benefit of player development.
For every franchise-changing No. 1 overall pick &mdash; such as LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar &mdash; there are a handful of players who didn't work out in the long run. Sometimes, there isn't a generational player on the board; other times, the team picking No. 1 overall just overthinks it or goes in the wrong direction.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

The Orlando Magic came out of Tuesday’s NBA Draft lottery with the first overall pick. How successful does history suggest they will be?

Examining the success of teams selecting No. 1 in the NBA Draft

BasketballNews.com's Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock presents a series that will peel back the curtain from his time as a sports agent, giving a glimpse at some of his personal experiences working in the sports agency business for over a decade.
In the second entry of the series, Babcock outlines his summer internship at high-powered sports agency Wasserman Media Group before the 2006 NBA Draft. 
When I was 22 years old, I was an intern at Wasserman Media Group's sports agency in Los Angeles, California. The internship not only had me doing typical intern-type tasks, but most importantly to me (because I had ambitions of being a coach), it had me working on the court daily with the company's newest clients &mdash; Shelden Williams, Brandon Roy, JJ Redick (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-105-young-man-the-three" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who guested on The Dunker Spot this week</a>), Jordan Farmar and Joel Freeland &mdash; as they prepared for the 2006 NBA Draft. It was an exciting summer!
At that time, I was admittedly horrible with basic tasks in the office that were typical responsibilities asked of interns. Besides being a ball boy, working basketball camps and helping out at the NBA Draft Combine a few times, I had never had a real job before, as I'd always been busy being a basketball player. Anyway, my low-point while at Wasserman as an intern was being made responsible to send basketballs via FedEx for the agency's players and designated coaches to use at a pro-day workout in Florida that NBA scouts would attend.
I sent the basketballs out just fine. However, I sent them "ground," and they didn't arrive until days after the workout had happened. Greg Lawrence, who was in charge of managing the interns at Wasserman, had every reason to let me have it on that one, but fortunately for me, he didn't &mdash; thanks, Greg! In all honesty, I had some growing up to do. Luckily I did, eventually.
Despite my challenges in the office, I was right at home on the court, which was the main reason I was there from my perspective. I assisted Dave Joerger in working out and preparing all of Wasserman's new clients for the NBA pre-draft process. (Joerger was a D-League head coach at the time and eventually became the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings. He's currently an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers).
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Former NBA player and current Wasserman agent BJ Armstrong (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-rex-chapman-show/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-41-episode-40-bj-armstrong" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who was recently a guest on The Rex Chapman Show</a>) also worked with the players occasionally. Darren Erman volunteered to help us with the workouts as well. (Erman, a corporate lawyer at the time, went on to have a successful career as an NBA assistant coach, and he is currently an assistant coach for the New York Knicks). An impressive group of coaches &mdash; I was lucky to have had the opportunity to work with them.
I worked on the court with the coaches and players a lot, but I spent a lot of quality time with the players off the court too. We routinely had lunches and dinners, and watched NBA playoff games together. I became close with Shelden, "B-Roy," and JJ; I got along with Jordan Farmar too, but because he had already lived in L.A. &mdash; being from there and attending UCLA &mdash; he wasn't around as much as the other guys, so I didn't get to know him quite as well. But, all in all, we had a great group of guys, and we had a good time together.
After 15 seasons in the NBA, JJ concluded a successful career and is now a rising star in the media. But in 2006, his fame was at its peak. A star at Duke, JJ generated a ton of media attention and was even on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He was treated like a rock star anywhere he would goShelden (JJ's teammate at Duke) once told me that fans would regularly avoid getting autographs from him and his teammates if JJ had already signed the item. Supposedly, if anyone else would sign the memorabilia, it would decrease the value. Think about that for a minute. Shelden was a consensus first-team All-American and one of the top NBA prospects in the country while at Duke!
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2019-12-12-at-10-01-03-am_lg.png" alt="" width="405" height="536" />
While in Los Angeles, JJ and I had a couple of nights out on the town (with the approval of his agents and my bosses, of course). One night, we went to an exclusive nightclub in Hollywood. We stood in a long line just like ordinary people; me, who was not famous, and JJ, who looked like the typical college frat boy. After standing in a hopeless line, I decided to talk to the bouncer to see if I could somehow get us in; I told him I was with JJ Redick. Within moments, we were taken into the club and seated at a table next to reality TV star Kristin Cavallari and former boxer and heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.
Hanging with JJ was a lot of fun.
After a month or so of us establishing a steady daily routine with the players, agent Thad Foucher let Coach Joerger and I know that he had a client named Joel Freeland from England who would be joining our workouts. Thad decided to have Joel enter his name in that year's draft. We needed to get him polished up for a showcase workout that we would be hosting the following week &mdash; every team in the NBA would be in attendance.
Every player we worked with up to that point was well-known. Joel was from England and played for a small team in Spain, so he was virtually unknown by NBA folks. However, at 6-foot-10, Joel was athletic and skilled for a player his size. After working with him, Coach Joerger and I agreed that he was a worthy prospect. Thad knew this already, of course; he wouldn't have signed him otherwise. We thought Joel might make a big splash at the showcase workout, and he did.
Following the workout in front of the entire NBA, Thad called me into his office and explained that Joel's draft stock had suddenly erupted, and he had more teams wanting to bring him into workout than days left until the draft. Therefore, he needed to be aggressive in organizing his schedule. It was the first time Joel had visited the United States, so Thad asked me to accompany him as he traveled around the country visiting different NBA teams. I essentially served as Joel's manager from that point until draft night. I remember vividly walking out of Thad's office to call my dad to tell him the good news. I was so excited to get that opportunity.
Before I knew it, Joel and I were off to Portland for his first team workout with the Trail Blazers. Joel and I shared a hotel room, and the team gave him per diem to cover his dinner. We ate at the hotel that night and had breakfast there the following day. While Joel was at the Blazers' practice facility for his workout, I stayed at the hotel killing time because the team didn't allow me to attend. Following his workout, we flew back to L.A. for one day so Joel could work out for the Lakers. Altogether, the trip to Portland was pretty uneventful for me. However, our journey was just getting started. Our next stop was Phoenix.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
When we landed in Phoenix, we were greeted by a car service: a gentleman in a black suit and tie with a fancy black car. He took us to the hotel, where Joel and I were given our own rooms at The Ritz Carlton. I felt like I was big time. Upon settling into our hotel rooms, the Suns' director of player personnel at the time (and current executive vice president of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans), David Griffin, called to invite Joel and I to dinner at a steakhouse within walking distance from the hotel. He also asked me to attend the workout the next day. I must say that I am very appreciative of the first-class treatment David and the Suns gave me considering I was just a young guy trying to find my place in the business. "Griff" is undoubtedly a class act.
After a terrific trip to Phoenix, Joel and I continued our hectic travel, making stops in Houston, Dallas and Memphis. Aside from the Suns, no other teams allowed me to attend the workouts. Although it was perhaps a bit overzealous, it didn't stop me from trying.
While we were in Memphis, I casually walked into the practice gym with Joel and quietly took a seat, hoping no one would take too much notice of me where I could watch the workout. Shortly after I sat down, Ryan West, a scout with the Grizzlies and the son of the general manager and Hall-of-Fame player Jerry West, told me he wasn't sure if I'd be able to stay for the workout, but that he'd check.
Ryan and I were friends, and his dad and my uncle Pete had a close relationship, so I thought maybe I'd get the Griff/Suns treatment. The next thing I knew, Jerry was making his way toward me. My heart began to race; it wasn't that big of a deal to me whether I watched the workout or not, but the fact that "The Logo" was about to speak to me &mdash; that was a big deal!
As he approached me, he stuck out his hand and introduced himself; a really classy man with such an incredible presence. I'm not even entirely sure what I did or said. I'm not even sure if I responded at all initially. Ironically, I choked when meeting "Mr. Clutch." Anyway, the rest of our brief conversation went something like this:
Jerry West: Matt, would you like to watch the workout?
Me: Yes, I would like to, but it's not that big of a deal if it's an issue.
Jerry West: Do you speak to your father? (My dad worked for another NBA team).
Me: Well, of course, I do but...
(And before I could finish&hellip;)
Jerry West: It's nice to meet you, but we will have to ask you to wait for Joel in the locker room.
And that was my experience meeting Jerry West.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/aldridge_roy_freeland_lg.jpg" alt="" width="390" height="585" />
Following the Memphis trip, we made our way to New York so Joel could work out for the Knicks the morning of the NBA Draft. Because I planned to pursue coaching jobs for the following season, the NBA Draft was when my internship would wrap up, as I prepared to attend Summer League in Las Vegas to hunt for coaching opportunities in July.&nbsp;
So just like that, my time with Wasserman was suddenly coming to an end &mdash; but first, we needed to see how the draft unfolded.
Although I was just an intern who had only known these players for a few months, we collectively put some real work together and created a bond. I cared about those players &mdash; I was invested. I especially cared for Joel, who quickly became like a little brother to me during our travels together as he chased his dream to play in the NBA.
So, our moment of truth was upon us. NBA Commissioner David Stern approached the podium, and the NBA Draft began. I anxiously watched, waiting to hear our guys' names called. Here's how it played out:
<ul>
<li>Shelden Williams &mdash; drafted No. 5 overall by the Atlanta Hawks</li>
<li>Brandon Roy &mdash; drafted No. 6 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves and traded to the Portland Trail Blazers</li>
<li>JJ Redick drafted No. 11 overall by the Orlando Magic</li>
<li>Jordan Farmer drafted No. 26 overall by the Los Angeles Lakers</li>
<li>Joel Freeland drafted No. 30 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers</li>
</ul>
All of our players were selected in the first round (yes, even my "little brother," Joel Freeland)! I couldn't have been happier for all of the guys, especially for Joel, who played in the NBA for several years and had an incredibly successful career overseas.
The night of the 2006 NBA Draft, Shelden Williams, Brandon Roy, JJ Redick, Jordan Farmar, Joel Freeland, their families, the Wasserman agents and I celebrated the fruits of our labor. It was undoubtedly a great night and a terrific summer, which I will never forget.&nbsp;
Little did I know at that time that it was just the beginning of my involvement in the sports-agency business.
Stay tuned for the next entry of this series: "My past life as a sports agent: The 2006 NBA Draft." 
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/my-past-life-as-a-sports-agent-going-to-california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read the last entry of this series</a>: "My past life as a sports agent: "Going to California."
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.babcockhoops.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BabcockHoops.com</a>.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. Order online now!

Matt Babcock recounts his summer internship at high-powered sports agency Wasserman Media Group before the 2006 NBA Draft.

My past life as a sports agent: The 2006 NBA Draft

In the third episode of "The Goods," our Bryan Fonseca breaks down the best squads to never make it to the NBA Finals stage. 
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KLRp0W6T1K4" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-goods-with-bryan-fonseca-talent-alone-doesnt-win-nba-titles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Episode 2: Talent Alone Doesn't Win NBA Titles</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-goods-with-bryan-fonseca-the-case-for-allnba-playoff-awards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Episode 1: The Case for All-NBA Playoff Awards</a>
Be sure to subscribe to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/BasketballNews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's YouTube channel</a>.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Bryan Fonseca breaks down the best squads to never make it to the NBA Finals stage.

The Goods with Bryan Fonseca: 5 best teams to never reach NBA Finals

Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham and former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts are among candidates who've advanced to the final round of interviews for the Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; coaching job, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham and former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts are among candidates who've advanced to the final round of interviews for the Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; coaching job, sources tell ESPN.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1527705189133737985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

<a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1527712639341690882" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a> is reporting that Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson is also a finalist for the job and the next stage of interviews are expected to take place in-person in Los Angeles.

Bucks assistant Darvin Ham and Terry Stotts have advanced to the final round of interviews for the Los Angeles Lakers’ coaching job.

Report: Ham, Stotts among finalists for Lakers' head coaching vacancy

Mitch Kupchak has signed a multiyear contract extension to remain the Charlotte Hornets' general manager.
Kupchak&rsquo;s contract was set to expire this summer.
&ldquo;For better or for worse, I will be here for the next couple of years,&rdquo; Kupchak said Thursday on a videoconference call. He would not say when the contract expires.
The 67-year-old Kupchak will continue to lead the team&rsquo;s search for a coach.
He said the team already has interviewed <a href="https://apnews.com/article/portland-trail-blazers-charlotte-hornets-golden-state-warriors-milwaukee-bucks-nba-74054012ecbcf7f5e6534780b1bc9c1f">eight to 10 candidates</a> and could speak with a few more over the next week or so. He prefers to make a hire in the next two weeks and at the very latest before the June 23 NBA draft.
The Hornets <a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlotte-hornets-nba-sports-business-7598f5e1c6a5948076d25e876d860a25">fired coach James Borrego last month</a> after a meeting with owner Michael Jordan in Florida. He said it was &ldquo;ultimately my decision&rdquo; to fire Borrego but that he had Jordan's support.
Charlotte went 43-39 this season and finished in 10th place in the Eastern Conference before losing 132-103 to the Atlanta Hawks in the play-in tournament. It was the second straight year the Hornets were embarrassed in the play-in game.
Kupchak said the back-to-back lopsided play-in losses were a factor in the decision to part ways with Borrego after four years, but he refused to go into details regarding the other reasons for his dismissal.
He said the Hornets want to find a coach who can help the team &ldquo;take the next step.&rdquo;
He said the goal this past season was to make the playoffs, something the Hornets failed to do for the sixth straight season. Charlotte has not won a playoff series in more than two decades.
&ldquo;It was just time to go to another voice and look for another coach to bring us the same kind of improvement that coach Borrego did the first three years,&rdquo; Kupchak said.
Kupchak emphasized trying to stay the course and build around the team&rsquo;s nucleus that includes All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball and forward Miles Bridges.
He said one of the immediate goals this offseason is to re-sign Bridges, a restricted free agent, after a breakout season in which he averaged 20.2 points and seven rebounds per game.
&ldquo;Miles made a big jump,&rdquo; Kupchak said.
The Hornets have the 13th and 15th picks in the draft, and their most pressing need remains finding a big man, primarily for rim protection. Kupchak is hoping one of the team&rsquo;s younger players &mdash; they recently drafted Kai Jones and Nick Richards &mdash; might be able to step up and fill that role.
Regardless, it doesn't sound like the team will go overboard in trying to sign high-priced veteran free agents to compete for a title. Kupchak doesn't want this to be a one-year plan; rather, he said the focus should be on building a consistent winner.
&ldquo;The thing we have to be careful about is thinking that we&rsquo;re better than we really are,&rdquo; Kupchak said. &ldquo;We are not a team that is going into the NBA Finals. Although Atlanta got into the conference finals a year ago, I don&rsquo;t know how realistic that is. I&rsquo;d like to get us into the playoffs, and wouldn&rsquo;t it be great to win a round? And then anything after that would probably be gravy.&rdquo;
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Mitch Kupchak has signed a multiyear contract extension to remain the Hornets' GM, and will continue to lead the team’s search for a coach.

Hornets GM Kupchak signs multiyear contract extension

The NBA has released the lottery order for the upcoming NBA Draft.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers 13. Charlotte Hornets 12. Oklahoma City Thunder 11. New York Knicks 10. Washington Wizards 9. San Antonio Spurs 8. New Orleans Pelicans 7. Portland Trail Blazers 6. Indiana Pacers 5. Detroit Pistons 4. Sacramento Kings 3. Houston Rockets 2. Oklahoma CIty Thunder 1. Orlando Magic

The NBA released the order for the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft order revealed

The Charlotte Hornets will interview former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts for their head coaching job this week, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1526609978701893635" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Charlotte Hornets will interview former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts for their head coaching job this week, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1526609978701893635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Shams Charania reports that the Hornets will interview Terry Stotts for their head coaching position.

Shams: Charlotte will interview former Blazers coach Terry Stotts

Objectively, Damian Lillard is as accomplished as nearly anyone in the NBA, but the legacies of all-time greats are judged against other all-time greats. Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal teases Charles Barkley on "Inside the NBA" about having won zero championships because he can. Win one, and you&rsquo;re forever a member of the club. Fail to do so, and you&rsquo;ll remain on the outside looking in.
Granted, being an all-time great is a good club to be a part of, but failing to win a championship can be utterly haunting. Just watch players like Barkley and Patrick Ewing talk about failing to win on the biggest stage. You hear regret in their voices. And pain. And there&rsquo;s nothing they can do about it.
It&rsquo;s premature to lump Lillard in with the aforementioned greats. After all, he&rsquo;s still only 31, meaning he has years remaining before we can have an honest discussion about his place amongst league legends (with or without a championship). I&rsquo;ll happily wait until he&rsquo;s retired to assess his legacy.
What I will address now is the fact that Lillard&rsquo;s inability to deliver a championship to Portland in his 10 seasons is actually not his fault. In fact, I posit that that no superstar in recent memory can be blamed less than Lillard for his team&rsquo;s shortcomings. Lillard has faced a grueling uphill battle since joining the Trail Blazers as a rookie, and his presence has resulted in Portland consistently outperforming their talent.
First, let&rsquo;s inventory how Lillard&rsquo;s Trail Blazers have fared in the postseason. In total, Portland has missed the playoffs twice since Lillard was drafted: once during his rookie year and again in 2021-22, a season in which Lillard was shut down in late December due to abdominal surgery. Had Lillard been healthy all season, his Blazers may have made their ninth consecutive postseason appearance.
Once there, Lillard is an impactful postseason player, posting 25.7 points and 6.2 assists per game in 12 career postseason series. Across his playoff career, he&rsquo;s shot 41.2% from the field, 36.9% on threes and 88.7% on free throws. He&rsquo;s also had several epic shots that were either game-winners or series-enders, which probably inspired Robert Horry, an all-time great shooter himself, to recently refer to Lillard the best clutch shooter ever.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Robert Horry calls Damian Lillard the best clutch shooter ever over Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant &ldquo;He has hit a clutch shot versus every team in the NBA.&rdquo;<a href="https://t.co/lg34EjTZNB">https://t.co/lg34EjTZNB</a>
&mdash; NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1525203234650050562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Despite his heroics, Lillard&rsquo;s Trail Blazers have never reached the NBA Finals. They did succeed in reaching the Western Conference Finals once in 2019. They ultimately lost to the Golden State Warriors. They also lost to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals in 2014, the 73-9 Warriors in the Western Conference Semifinals in 2016 and the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the first-round in 2020. So, four of Lillard&rsquo;s eight postseason appearances ended against either the eventual champions or the dynastic Warriors.
Like Barkley and Ewing before him, Lillard has been a victim of time and circumstance, as his prime fell right in the middle of the Golden State Warriors&rsquo; historic run. But in Lillard&rsquo;s case, his struggles have been about more than his opponents. After all, Lillard is not dominated by any one player like how Jordan dominated his era. His circumstances are more a result of his supporting cast, or lack thereof.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Lillard&rsquo;s stance on recruiting is that he wants to remain in Portland. He&rsquo;ll assist in recruiting free agents to Rip City, but he will not entertain recruiting pitches from other teams&rsquo; stars, a fair and respectable stance. For whatever reason, Lillard has been unsuccessful in recruiting others thus far. For example, he failed to land Kelly Oubre in Portland just last summer. However, there are limited examples of a dedicated push by Lillard in recruiting. Whether he foregoes recruiting or fails at it , the result is the same, and it hurts.
But as much as Lillard could participate in team building, there is a management team that is paid a handsome salary to build the team into a legitimate contender, regardless of Lillard's recruitment style. Frankly, that front office has failed to surround Lillard with top-tier co-stars.
A quick inventory of recent NBA champions reveals that Portland&rsquo;s talent is simply insufficient. Seven of the last 10 champions had multiple All-Stars. The other three were San Antonio in 2014, Cleveland in 2016 and Milwaukee in 2021, and we know all three teams had far more talent than any Portland team. Comparatively, battling all-time great competition, Lillard&rsquo;s only active All-Star teammate has been LaMarcus Aldridge, and they only overlapped as All-Stars twice.
There is also CJ McCollum, who was the 2015-16 Most Improved Player. Despite not being named to an All-Star team, he&rsquo;s certainly been an All-Star caliber player for much of his career. He&rsquo;s even (slightly) better in the playoffs, where he&rsquo;s scored 20.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in 13 series.
McCollum's and Aldridge&rsquo;s better seasons sadly didn&rsquo;t overlap. Aldridge&rsquo;s final season in Portland (2014-15) was McCollum&rsquo;s sophomore season, and McCollum wasn&rsquo;t yet the McCollum we've come to know.
Portland could be on to something now. Anfernee Simons could prove to be a valid backcourt mate for Lillard. The former IMG star had a breakout season last year, averaging 17.3 points per game on 40.9% on three-pointers. If Joe Ingles can regain his pre-injury form and Jusuf Nurkic can remain healthy, there are some promising pieces in the mix.
However, the Trail Blazers still need at least one more creator. Fortunately, Portland has a 37.2% chance of sneaking into the top-four in this year&rsquo;s NBA Draft. Doing so would equip them with a valuable trade chip that could deliver exactly the type of player they need and maybe get them closer to becoming NBA Champions.
Regardless as to what happens with Portland in the immediate future, a closer look at Lillard's body of work reveals just how great he really is. Soon, he may join that elusive and exclusive championship club, but even if he doesn&rsquo;t, we should be careful how we refer to his failures. Because more so than practically anyone in NBA history, not winning a championship shouldn't paint our perception of Lillard.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Damian Lillard is already an all-time great. We can't ignore his postseason failures, but he can't be defined by them, either.

Damian Lillard's inability to win isn't his fault

It was the summer of 2001, and I had just finished my junior year of high school.
I received a phone call on my family's home phone in Milwaukee, Wisconsin &mdash; it was a representative from Adidas calling to invite me to be a participant at the famed ABCD Camp.
A prestigious camp held at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey, the ABCD Camp was established in 1984 and would continue until 2006. The camp was sponsored by Adidas and run by legendary shoe company executive Sonny Vaccaro. His main claim to fame was his role in developing and executing Michael Jordan's Air Jordan brand with Nike. After leaving Nike, Sonny joined Adidas, where he was able to get the ABCD Camp rolling.
Each year, the camp was comprised of the top high school players in the country. In 2001, the NBA had not yet set the age limit restricting high school players from declaring for the NBA draft following their senior year. Because of this, not only was every prominent college coach at this event, but so were all of the NBA scouts and front-office personnel. At that point, the ABCD Camp was the mecca of high school basketball.
I was beyond excited to get invited, but I must admit, it was somewhat intimidating. Luckily I wouldn't be going alone, as several of my good friends received invitations to the camp too.
My roommate at the camp was Dan Grunfeld, who was, and still is, one of my best friends. Dan is the son of Ernie Grunfeld, who, at the time, was my dad's boss and the general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks. Dan became a star player at Stanford and led the (then) Pac-10 conference in scoring his junior year, and had a successful career playing in Europe. In addition, our good friend and my high school teammate, Coby Karl, was also with us. Coby is the son of George Karl, who was the head coach of the Bucks at the time. Coby played a few years in the NBA after starring at Boise State.
The three of us were teammates as a part of the AAU program, Friends of Hoop.
Also with us from Milwaukee was Steve Novak, who has been a friend of mine since we were AAU teammates on the Wisconsin All-Stars all the way back when we were in middle school. Once Steve and I got to high school, we had some great battles during our freshman and sophomore years. (I was at Shorewood High School and he was at Brown Deer High School, one of our conference rivals. Steve went on to team up with Dwyane Wade at Marquette, and had a long successful career in the NBA.)
So there's no denying that Milwaukee was represented well at the ABCD Camp that year.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
For whatever reason, I didn't fly with my friends from Milwaukee. Instead, I flew by myself to La Guardia Airport in New York. When I landed, an Adidas representative was waiting and drove another player, DeAngelo Collins, and I to the hotel in New Jersey. It's probably not a name that will ring a bell for many people, but at the time, he was a well-known player. As soon as I saw him, I knew who he was &mdash; although we had never met before. DeAngelo was one of the top-ranked players in the country, became a McDonald's All-American and entered his name in the NBA Draft after his senior year of high school. (Unfortunately, he went undrafted and only had a short professional career overseas).
Anyway, as I was sitting next to DeAngelo in a van heading to the camp hotel, my nerves kicked up another notch. I knew that, at the end of that ride, the rest of the top high school players in the country awaited.
When I arrived at the hotel, my friends from Milwaukee were there. We had to sign in, collect a bag full of Adidas gear and take some photos. When Dan and I finally got to our room, we had a moment where we talked about how excited we were to be there. The whole experience was exciting and fun, but intense at the same time. Whether it was the top-ranked player in the country or the last guy invited, we all wanted the same thing &mdash; to improve our stock. The ABCD Camp was the biggest stage any of us had played on at that point in our careers. It was an opportunity to move up in the player rankings, which would subsequently lead to more scholarship offers or even interest from NBA teams, for some.
Coby, Dan and I had somewhat similar backgrounds, as we all grew up around the game, as our dads and families all had careers working in the NBA. As I was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/growing-up-a-buck-from-ray-allen-to-giannis-antetokounmpo-dave-babcock-remains-milwaukee-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">growing up</a>, my dad would often suggest that I "get some shots up" or do my "Pistol Pete" ball-handling routine instead of playing video games, but generally, my family never put a lot of pressure on me to be a great player. I never got the impression that Coby or Dan felt much direct pressure from their families either. However, I think I can speak for the three of us in saying that we all put a significant amount of pressure on ourselves due to our backgrounds. And at the ABCD Camp, I certainly felt the pressure. But I was motivated and determined to move the needle!
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IvasalgkQR8" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The first night, all of the players went to the gym for Sonny's welcome speech. He spoke to our group to set expectations for the camp, and gave some general advice. We then split up to join our assigned teams and had a light practice. That allowed us to meet our teammates for the camp and our teams' coaches. The coaches tried to implement some basic offensive and defensive principles during that practice. However, the reality was the camp was "pick-up ball" with some freelance referees.
My team's head coach was Chris Grant, who worked for my uncle, Pete Babcock, the general manager of the Atlanta Hawks at the time. (I don't think that was a coincidence). Chris started his career as an intern for my uncle after playing in college at the University of San Diego. Years later, he worked his way up and became the Cleveland Cavaliers' general manager. The top player on our team was Josh Smith from Atlanta, Georgia. He was a year younger than me, but he was a high-profile prospect. A couple of years later, Josh was selected in the first round by the Hawks directly out of high school. He had a successful NBA career, and was one of the top players for the Hawks for years.
Following practice, we returned to our rooms for the night. Dan and I talked about our teams. He told me he had a player on his team that was good. I had never heard of him before &mdash; his name was Carmelo Anthony.
We had a few things to do the following day before live games began. First, there was a guest speaker, but not just any guest speaker; it was Kobe Bryant. He talked to us about some of his personal experiences going through a lot of the same things we were all going through as high school players. It was incredible to listen to a player who had been living the life that every one of us dreamed about for ourselves. To say Kobe's talk was inspiring would be an extreme understatement. Although just a young guy at the time, Kobe had such distinct confidence and determination. It was a privilege to meet Kobe and listen to him speak.
Following the session with Kobe, the players had to take prep ACT and SAT classes. We were seated at tables with about a handful of players per table. I remember sitting with Travis Outlaw, who was a hilarious, nice guy. Travis declared for the 2002 NBA Draft after high school, and was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. He went on to play in the NBA and had a good career.
At the table directly next to me was a younger player that I did not know. Like most of us, he didn't seem interested in that class. Halfway through picking out his braids and leaving half of his hair in an afro, he decided he would lay his head down and take a nap. The teacher wasn't happy about that and kept lecturing him, saying things like, "This is important, your future depends on this" &mdash; something along those lines. Finally, the player sat up and said, "I'm going pro!" and put his head back down.
Soon after, I found out the player's name was LeBron James.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6Dif5dxjxEY" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Finally, when classes finished up, the real reason we came to town was about to begin. It was time to hoop.
The games started, and they were great! There was so much talent in each game. I had the opportunity to share the court with future NBA All-Stars like Carmelo, LeBron, Chris Bosh, Deron Williams and many other soon-to-be standout pros. The gym was buzzing, and it was quite the scene. "Oohs and ahhs" could be heard left and right. The stands were filled with famous coaches, including Coach K, Lute Olson and Rick Pitino. NBA scouts and media members were busy taking notes and trying to find the next NBA star.
The actual gameplay was pretty sloppy, as expected. In most showcase types of events, players will play "to get their's." Also, there is not much of a game plan without much practice time, which usually results in poor ball movement and limited opportunities for lower-ranked players (like myself) to have the ball in their hands.
Despite the challenges, I played pretty well. I shot a high percentage, and even had one game where I scored 15 points and hit a handful of three-pointers. Because I had limited opportunities to have the ball in my hands, I made an extra effort to be as effective as possible without the ball. I noticed that the referees were quick to call offensive fouls during this camp, so I decided to get in the lane when players would drive to the hoop to draw charges. My strategy worked well, and I drew several charges.
However, I tried this tactic in one particular game and my plan backfired, as the player on the other end was LeBron. He laid one of his now-signature tomahawk dunks right on me. I flew back probably 10 feet, and the gym went crazy. That was my formal introduction to "King James."
It's been said that the 2001 ABCD Camp is when LeBron broke onto the scene and the whole media frenzy began for him. His legendary battle with the No. 1 player in my class, Lenny Cooke, happened at this camp. Dan and I were sitting together in the bleachers watching that game. I am happy to say that I was a "witness" to the making of one of the greatest stars our game has ever seen.
All in all, I did well at the camp, and I was able to generate more interest from schools, which was my goal. However, more than 20 years have passed since that ABCD camp, and the most valuable experience turned out to be the memories that I will cherish forever.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/matt_babcock_lg.jpg" alt="" width="365" height="365" />
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.babcockhoops.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BabcockHoops.com</a>.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Matt Babcock relives his experience at the 2001 ABCD Camp, where a number of high schoolers stood out before becoming NBA stars.

Portland Trail Blazers