One of those stars is Tennessee’s Kennedy Chandler, who declared for the NBA Draft on Tuesday via Twitter.

“After much prayer and deliberation, I am extremely excited to announce that I will be declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft and hiring agent Ryan Davis,” Chandler wrote on Twitter, announcing his departure from the Volunteers.

With Chandler deciding to hire an agent, Ryan Davis of Rep 1 Sports, representing Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jaylen Nowell`, he is forfeiting his remaining eligibility. Which means he can no longer return to college to play basketball.

Chandler will join the NBA Draft waters by some other members of the SEC, including LSU’s Tari Eason and Auburn’s Jabari Smith.

Chandler just wrapped up an immensely successful freshman season for the Vols. Chandler averaged a team-high 13.9 points, 4.7 assists, and 2.2 steals per game and was a member of the All-SEC Freshman Team and the All-SEC Team.

Backed by the solid play of Chandler and his teammates, the Volunteers finished the season 27-8 and won the SEC tournament, where Chandler was named tournament MVP. Tennessee ended its season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, losing to the 11th-seeded Michigan Wolverines.

Most draft experts consider the speedy point guard Chandler a first-round pick and is a borderline lottery pick to some.

The NBA Draft is on Thursday, June 23, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The post Tennessee’s Kennedy Chandler Declares for the 2022 NBA Draft appeared first on SLAM.

With the Los Angles Lakers officially eliminated from the playoffs on Tuesday night, head coach Frank Vogel may be one of those coaches.

According to recent reports from Jake Fischer from Bleacher Report, the Lakers are not expected to retain Vogel at the end of the season. They are already looking for new candidates to fill the position.

“Now, as the finish line for this tumultuous 2021-22 campaign mercifully arrives, the Lakers are still expected to part ways with embattled play-caller Frank Vogel, sources told B/R, and the anticipated vacancy on Los Angeles’ bench has produced no shortage of potential candidates linked to fill the position.”

Because of a San Antonio Spurs victory over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, the Lakers will not participate in the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2019.

According to Fischer, replacement options are already being named by some reporters. NBA reporter Marc Stein wrote that Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder is a name being thrown around by many within the League.

A few other candidates linked to the job by Fischer include Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers and Lakers senior basketball advisor Kurt Rambis, who coached the Lakers in 1999.

“There will certainly be other candidates to replace Vogel. Multiple league figures contacted by B/R referenced the possibility that Laker’s senior basketball adviser Kurt Rambis returns to the sidelines after several previous coaching stops in the League,” Fischer wrote.

The Lakers are currently in 11th in the Western Conference with a record of 31-47 and only have three games remaining before their season – and possibly Vogel’s tenure with the team – come to an end.

The post REPORT: Lakers are Expected to Let Go of Frank Vogel at End of Season appeared first on SLAM.

As Love has gotten older, he has become more of a role player for Cleveland, but it’s a role he is learning to embrace.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, Love spoke about the positives that his role as a bench contributor has had on his career.

“Coming off the bench, I think it can add a lot of time to my career,” says Love. “I feel great. My body feels great. Mentally I feel great. In this league, if you can rebound and you can shoot, you can basically play for as long as you want. I have no [plans on] slowing down or stepping away anytime soon.”

This season, Love has played in 71 games for the Cavs but has started only four of them, the fewest total of any season in his NBA career by a large margin. The second-lowest total came from Love’s 2012-13 season, where he only played 18 games, starting all 18 of them.

Coming off the bench hasn’t hindered Love’s production thought, as he is currently averaging a respectable 13.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.

Now 33-years-old, Love is in the latter stages of an NBA career that produced five All-Star appearances, two All-NBA mentions, and was the 2010-11 NBA Most Improved Player.

While Love may not be an All-Star anymore, he has still played a prominent role in the Cavs’ most successful season in years. Cleveland is currently seventh in the Eastern Conference with a record of 43-37 and is on pace to clinch a postseason appearance for the first time since 2018.

Cleveland has just two games remaining this season, closing out the regular season on Sunday, April 10, against the Brooklyn nets.

The post Kevin Love on Bench Role With Cavs: ‘I Think it Can Add a lot of Time to My Career’ appeared first on SLAM.

His sophomore year was a much different story, resulting in Davis on Thursday announcing on NBA Today that he would forgo his remaining eligibility to enter the 2022 NBA Draft.

“My time here at Wisconsin was great. It was an unforgettable experience. I thank all the coaches and teammates I had in my corner,” Davis said. “With that being said, I would like to announce that I will be declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft.”

Davis’ sophomore season was one of the best individual seasons ever for a member of the University of Wisconsin, averaging 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game on his way to being named a first-team All-American and the Big-Ten Player of the Year.

Davis joined fellow All-Americans and Big 10 members Jaden Ivey and Keegan Murray in declaring for the NBA Draft.

The Badgers, on the back of Davis, had a strong season, winning a share of the Big 10 regular-season title alongside the University of Illinois, going 25-8 (15-5 Big 10). Unfortunately, success in the regular season didn’t translate to success in March Madness for the Badgers, who were knocked out in the second round by Iowa State University.

The NBA Draft is on Thursday, June 23, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The post Big 10 Player of the Year Johnny Davis Declares for NBA Draft appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, the University of Purdue’s Jaden Ivey announced via Twitter that he would be forgoing his remaining college eligibility to declare for the NBA Draft.

“To Boiler Nation, you made every game special. Thank you for all of your support,” Ivey wrote. “With that being said, I will be entering my name in the 2022 NBA Draft. This has been a lifelong dream of mine, and I am beyond excited for this journey.”

Ivey is currently in his sophomore year at Purdue, where he had a tremendous season for the Boilermakers averaging 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. For his performance this season, Ivey was named a second-team All-American and a first-team All-Big Ten member.

Ivey will join fellow Big-Ten stars Keegan Murray, Johnny Davis, and E.J. Liddell in pursuing a career in the NBA.

Backed by their star guard, the Boilermakers finished the year 29-8 and made a run to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament before being eliminated by the St. Peter’s Peacocks.

Thanks to his elite athleticism, touch at the rim, and distance shooting, Ivey is a consensus top-10 pick with several experts, including ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone, projecting him to go as high as fourth overall.

The NBA Draft is set to take place on Thursday, June 23, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The post Purdue’s Jaden Ivey Declares for the NBA Draft appeared first on SLAM.

However, with just a few weeks left in the season, Williamson is taking a step closer to a full return to the team.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Williamson is set to join the Pelicans for their entire multi-game road trip to the west coast, the first time he’s joined the team for such an occasion all season.

As Charania noted, there is still no timetable for Williamson’s return, but he calls the road trip with the team “steps in the right direction.”

The road trip Williamson is a part of will feature games against the Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Sacramento Kings. Williamson was also cleared to progress in basketball activities by the Pelicans earlier this month.

However, it’s appearing increasingly unlikely that Williamson will play at all for the Pelicans this season. New Orleans only has seven games remaining this season, with the team’s last regular-season match scheduled to take place on Sunday, April 10, against the Golden State Warriors.

A potential playoff run could give Williamson more time to return to action, but that would require the Pelicans to win a play-in game, as they currently sit ninth in the Western Conference with a record 32-43, but just one game ahead of the 11-seed Lakers.

The first game of the Pelicans’ road trip against the Blazers (27-48) will take place on Wednesday at 10:00 p.m. EST.

The post REPORT: Zion Williamson to Join Pelicans on Four Day Road Trip appeared first on SLAM.

According to Suns reporter Kellan Olson, head coach Monty Williams is hoping that Johnson will make his return to action within the next week.

Johnson has been out nearly a month after suffering a quad injury, last suiting up for the Suns on March 4, in a game where he had a season-high 38 points in a one-point win over the New York Knicks.

With the NBA Playoffs starting in just a few weeks, the news of Johnson’s imminent return is huge for the Suns. Before his injury, Johnson was averaging 12.8 points per game while shooting an astonishing 44.8 percent from three.

Even without Johnson, and point guard Chris Paul who recently returned from a thumb injury, the Suns are dominating the NBA, having already clinched the best record in the league, 61-14, and the one seed in the Western Conference.

Phoenix has just seven games remaining this year, with the regular-season closing on Sunday, April 10, against the Sacramento Kings.

The post Phoenix Suns Announce Cameron Johnson to Return ‘Later This Week’ appeared first on SLAM.

On Tuesday, the University of Iowa’s Keegan Murray announced via Twitter that he would leave college early and declare for the NBA Draft.

“I’m excited to announce I will be entering my name into the 2022 NBA Draft,” Murray wrote in his Twitter post. “Iowa will always be my home, and I’m forever grateful to be a part of Hawkeye Nation!”

Murray is currently in his sophomore year at the University of Iowa, where he just got done having one of the best individual seasons in the country. Murray was named a consensus first-team All-American after averaging 23.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game.

The Hawkeyes, thanks in large part to Murray, would go on to finish 26-10 and win the Big 10 conference tournament at the end of the season. Unfortunately, their NCAA Tournament run would end before it began after getting upset by the 12th seeded Richmond Spiders in the first round.

After a sensational season, Murray is projected by many, including ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, and The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, to be a top-six player in the NBA Draft, and is a near consensus top-10 choice.

The NBA Draft will take place on Thursday, June 23, and will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The post University of Iowa’s Keegan Murray Declares for the NBA Draft appeared first on SLAM.

Leonard still appears to be a ways away from a return, but Clippers fans got some positive news about George on Thursday.

According to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, George practiced with the Clippers for the first time since December, before he was ruled out with injury.

Youngmisuk spoke with Clippers’ head coach Tyronn Lue about George’s progress, and he had positive things to say about his rehab thus far.

“He is doing good,” Lue said. “He hasn’t felt any pain, so that is a positive thing. Just working on his conditioning and just making sure he can continue to go through the minimal contact without having any issue. So as of right now, it hasn’t been a problem.”

Since December, George has been injured with a torn ligament in his right elbow, playing most recently in the Clippers’ Dec. 22 matchup against the Sacramento Kings. Before the injury, George had played in 26 games for the Clippers this season and averaged 24.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.

While no specific timetable was given for George’s return, Lue told Youngmisuk that he hopes to get his injured players, including guard Norman Powell, who is out with a broken foot, back for at least one game before the playoffs.

George’s impact on the Clippers can’t be understated. Over his 12 seasons in the NBA, George has accumulated seven All-Star appearances, six All-NBA Team appearances, and four All-Defensive Team appearances.

The Clippers (36-38) have just eight games remaining this season and sit eighth in the Western Conference. The next game for Los Angeles will be a visit to Philadelphia on Friday to take on the 76ers (45-27).

The post REPORT: Paul George Practiced With Clippers for First Time Since December appeared first on SLAM.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Portland Trail Blazers have signed center Drew Eubanks to his fourth 10-day contract in a row, a reward for the solid performances he has put on since getting signed last month.

Eubanks is in his fourth season in the NBA and spent most of that time with the San Antonio Spurs after signing him as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon State University in 2018.

Eubanks mainly acted as a role player over those three and a half years with the Spurs and struggled to make a consistent, playing in 148 games and averaging 4.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. This eventually led to Eubanks getting cut from the Spurs earlier this season and signing on with the Trail Blazers on a 10-day contract.

Since joining Portland, Eubanks has played above expectations. Eubanks has started all 13 games he has played, two fewer starts than the 15 he had during his entire stint in San Antonio, and has averaged 12.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game as a Blazer.

Portland and Eubanks will spend the last few weeks of the NBA season fighting to get the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Trail Blazers (27-45) are currently 12th in the conference, just 3.0 games back of the 10-seed New Orleans Pelicans.

The Blazers will have a chance to improve their record on Friday night when they host the Houston Rockets (18-55).

The post REPORT: Drew Eubanks Signs Fourth 10-Day Deal with Trail Blazers appeared first on SLAM.

According to The Athletics’ Shams Charania, Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant will be out for at least two weeks with a knee injury.

The injury news comes at the worst time for the Grizzlies, who only have eight games left to play this season after their 133-103 win against the Indiana Pacers tonight. Currently, Memphis is in second place in the conference with a record of 50-23, just two games ahead of the Golden State Warriors.

If Morant is out for the expected timeline, he will return three games before the start of the NBA Playoffs.

Morant is a vital piece of the Grizzlies and is having his best season in the NBA thus far. Morant was averaging an eye-popping 27.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game this year and earned his first NBA All-Star Game nod as a result.

Despite Morant’s outstanding season and his importance to the Grizzlies, they have gotten along just fine without him this season, going 16-2 in games without Morant this season.

On Saturday, Memphis will have a chance to improve that record without Morant when they host the Milwaukee Bucks (45-27).

The post Ja Morant Out For Next Two Weeks With Knee Injury appeared first on SLAM.

Isaac tore his ACL in August of 2020 in a game against the Sacramento Kings, and has not appeared in a game since. The Magic released a report on Tuesday detailing that Isaac’s rehab had been set back as he suffered a minor injury to his right hamstring, resulting in him having to have a “small surgical procedure.”

Within the report the Magic reiterate that Isaac will not play this season for the Magic.

With the bad news comes some good news though for Magic fans. Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel reported that Isaac is expected to be with the Magic to start next season.

When Isaac was healthy, it was easy to see why the Magic opened the checkbook for him. In three seasons Isaac averaged 9.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. On the defensive end, he’s averaged 1.1 steals and 1.5 blocks per game over his career.

Before the injury, Isaac had elevated his game, putting up 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 2.3 blocks per game, all career-highs for Isaac.

Orlando is currently sitting at the bottom of the conference, with a 20-53 record.

The post Magic Report Jonathan Isaac Has Minor Surgery on Hamstring appeared first on SLAM.

The Hawks took down the Knicks 117-111, led by a 45 point-performance by Young to go along with eight assists. He knocked down 13 of his 25 shots and went 7-for-15 from deep, all with a chorus of boos coming from the crowd throughout the night.

Young’s performance was memorable not only in the box score, but with absurd plays such as this fourth-quarter crossover against Taj Gibson.

Young has become something of a New York City “villain” since his playoff series against the Knicks last season, but, as he told SLAMKicks last September in his KICKS 24 cover story, he’s always embraced the negativity.

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

After the Hawks win on Tuesday night, Young took to Twitter to celebrate.

Following the game, he talked to reporters, including the AP’s Brian Mahoney, about how his and the rest of the team’s mindset gave them an edge to win.

“I think the swag and what we were able to do on the court tonight and the energy we had in the huddle, I knew it was just us versus everybody tonight,” Young said. “And I think if we have that type of mindset each and every game, we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win.”

Last night’s win pushed the Hawks’ record to an even 36-36, 10th best in the Eastern Conference. The loss for the Knicks leaves them at 30-42, 12th in the conference.

The post ‘Hold That L’: Trae Young Drops 45 Points in Electric Return to MSG appeared first on SLAM.

Back in January, the Clippers had the second-largest comeback in NBA History when, after trailing by as much as 35 points, they managed to beat the Wizards by one. The win marked their third game this season that they’ve come back from being down 24 or more points.

After the game, according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, Lue says that Kawhi Leonard called him to ask: “So you just going to keep getting down 25, come back and win, huh?”

Youngmisuk used his story to describe the Clippers’ resilience this season, led by Lue as a head coach, and their ability to come back from massive deficits.

“I just want to prove to people that I can coach,” Lue told Youngmisuk.

And he has. With Leonard out due to an ACL tear, and Paul George having battled with an elbow injury, the Clippers are currently sitting eighth in the Western Conference with a record of 36-38.

With only a handful of games remaining this season, the Clippers have some work to do to remain in the playoffs, especially with five of their last eight games of the season coming against the Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks.

The post Kawhi Leonard Called Tyronn Lue After Clippers’ Historic Comeback appeared first on SLAM.

Simmons’ absence has left some wondering if he would play for the Nets at all this season.

On Tuesday, Coach Steve Nash spoke to media to dispel those rumors, stating that he believes the chances of Simmons playing this season are “extremely high.”

The good news comes some bad, as Nash also told reporters that Simmons wouldn’t be traveling with the team while he continues to rehab.

Simmons was sent to the Nets along with Seth Curry and Andre Drummond as part of the trade deadline deal that sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers.

While Simmons has yet to play for Brooklyn, fellow new arrivals Curry and Drummond have picked up the slack. Curry and Drummond have played in 11 games so far, with Curry averaging 15.8 points and 3.2 assists and Drummond averaging 10.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

The Nets could really use the presence of Simmons, and quickly. Brooklyn is currently sitting at the back of the Eastern Conference playoff race in eighth place with a record of 36-33, 3.5 games behind the sixth, and final non-play-in seeded Cleveland Cavaliers (39-29).

The post Steve Nash Says Ben Simmons Likely to Play in Regular Season appeared first on SLAM.

On Tuesday night, Irving had a bonkers evening of scoring, building his high career-high on an insanely efficient 20-for-31 from the field, 8-for-12 from deep, and 12-for-13 from the free-throw line. And just for good measure, Irving added six rebounds, four assists, and four steals to his boxscore.

60.

(via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/VKdGBfmhj4

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 16, 2022

Perhaps most impressively of all, Irving scored 41 of his points in the first half.

It's always special to see one of the league's best get in the zone like this.

(via @BrooklynNets) pic.twitter.com/v3GBWBirvA

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 16, 2022

The performance from Irving was so dominant that the opposing Magic fans gave him a standing ovation following the game.

On top of being an NBA season-best, Irving’s 60-piece is the most scored by a player in a single game in Nets’ franchise history.

After the game, Irving talked about some of the shots he chose to take throughout the night, and in response, he said that while that’ not usually how he plays on Tuesday, he had to “get in my Kobe bag.”

Irving’s teammates and coaches didn’t mind the mentality either.

“He’s just incredible. It felt like he had my career highlight reel in the first 12 minutes,” Nets çoach Steve Nash told the New York Posts’ Brian Lewis following the game. “It’s special to watch him on nights like this where he’s in total control, total command — It’s a pleasure to see it up close.”

“We seen he was well on his way to a high-scoring night so 60 — the night after Karl Towns had an incredible performance, and then to have Kyrie do it the next night, the league is in an incredible place right now,” Kevin Durant told ESPN’s Nick Friedell.

The win over the Magic was a big one for the Nets, as they work to try and play themselves out of the play-in game and into the top six seeds in the East. Currently, Brooklyn is eighth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 36-33 and are 3.5 games back of the six-seed Cleveland Cavaliers.

The post Kyrie Irving Drops 60 Points, Sets Franchise Record for Points in a Game appeared first on SLAM.

On Tuesday, another player officially signed to a 10-day contract impressed his team enough to be awarded a full-time gig in the NBA.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Boston Celtics signed Malik Fitts to a partially guaranteed contract through the 2022-23 season.

Fitts has been with the Celtics for two 10-day contracts, and despite only playing in two games, he’s impressed enough to earn his way onto the Celtics roster full-time. So far this year, Fitts has played in nine games, seven with the Utah Jazz and two with the Celtics, and has scored six points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

This is Fitts’ second year in the NBA after signing with the Los Angeles Clippers as an undrafted free agent out of Saint Mary’s, where he averaged 16.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game in his final season with the Gaels.

Fitts joins an ever-growing list of players who have converted 10-day contracts into full-time roster spots. Some of the names who have capitalized on these opportunities include DeMarcus Cousins, Haywood Highsmith, and Lance Stephenson.

The Celtics are in the midst of a fight at the top of the Eastern Conference, currently in fifth with a record of 41-28, but just 4.5 games back of the first-place Miami Heat (46-24).

Fitts and the Celtics will have a chance to go again on Wednesday night when they hit the road to take on the Golden State Warriors (47-22).

The post Celtics Sign Malik Fitts to Partially Guaranteed Contract appeared first on SLAM.

According to The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn, the Celtics are looking to reunite the 2008 championship-winning team at Kevin Garnett’s jersey retirement ceremony on Sunday night.

Notably, Ray Allen, part of the Celtics’ infamous “Big Three,” is also on the invite list for the Sunday night game. Allen and Garnett have publicly spoken about their rift over the past few years, stemming from Allen’s decision to leave the Celtics in 2012.

However, when Garnett appeared on the Showtime Basketball show, the Big Ticket said that he and Allen settled their issues at the NBA-75 ceremony during the All-Star Game in February.

Garnett, Allen, and Paul Pierce made up the dominant Celtics’ “Big Three.” in the Eastern Conference, appearing in three Eastern Conference finals, two NBA Finals, and winning one NBA Championship between 2008 and 2012.

The trio would eventually be broken up when Allen elected to join the Heat in free agency in 2012, and Pierce and Garnett were traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2013.

The Garnett jersey retirement will be before the Celtics game against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday afternoon.

The post REPORT: Celtics to Invite Ray Allen to Kevin Garnett Jersey Retirement appeared first on SLAM.

Those absences have opened the door for one of the G League’s top scorers to get an opportunity in the NBA.

On Thursday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Pelicans had signed Tyrone Wallace to a 10-day contract with the team.

Wallace has been applying his trade in the G League with the Long Island Nets, where over 16 games, he’s averaged 21.1 points, 5.2 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game. As Wojnarowski notes, over his last 11 games, he’s averaged 27 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game.

This won’t be Wallace’s first shot in the League, as he has played three seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers since being drafted out of Cal in 2016. Wallace has played in 106 career games over three seasons, two with the Clippers and one with the Atlanta Hawks, and has averaged 5.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game.

Wallace hasn’t played in the NBA since 2019, though, last suiting up for the Hawks on Dec. 4, 2019. Since then, Wallace has been applying his trade exclusively in the G League for the Nets, Agua Caliente Clippers, and the College Park Skyhawks.

The Pelicans (27-39) are a team on the fringes of the playoffs at the moment, holding on to the 10th seed and the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, just 1.5 games ahead of the 11th place Portland Trail Blazers.

Wallace will get his first chance to help his new team on Friday night when the Pelicans take on the Charlotte Hornets (32-35) at home.

The post REPORT: Pelicans Sign Tyrone Wallace to 10-Day Contract appeared first on SLAM.

The Westbrook criticism has gotten so immense that he has spoken out against his critics over the last week and talked about the ill effect it has had on him and his family.

Through all the noise, one player in Westbrook’s corner is Stephen Curry, who spoke to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes on Thursday about Westbrook, noting how “proud” he of Westbrooks’ ability to handle a tough season in the spotlight.

“I told him when we played them in L.A. a couple of days ago that I respect how he’s handled the whole year, just in terms of everything he’s been saying and how he’s been handling himself and protecting his family,” Curry told Yahoo Sports. “It is the nature of the beast. And in a certain perspective, they build you up to break you down. The real ones who have done amazing things in this league know what that means. He’s a professional, and I’m proud of the way he’s conducting himself, and I’m there for him.”

Curry and Westbrook just recently played each other, with the pair squaring off on Sunday evening in a Lakers 124-116 win over the Warriors. Curry ended the evening with 30 points, while Westbrook ended the night with 20 points on the opposing end.

The criticism of Westbrook has gotten to a point where his wife, Nina Westbrook, took to Twitter to call out Fox Sports’ Skip Bayless for being “extremely childish.”

Part of the reason for the seemingly never-ending Westbrook slander is due to the lackluster season the Lakers have had. The Lakers are fighting to stay in the playoffs right now, sitting at ninth in the Western Conference with a record of 28-37, just three games ahead of the 11-seed Portland Trail Blazers, but 5.5 games adrift of the eight-seed Los Angeles Clippers.

It’s also not been the best season for Westbrook personally, either. So far this season, Westbrook is averaging 18.3 points and 7.2 assists per game, well below his career averages of 22.9 points and 8.5 assists per game.

It hasn’t been all bad recently for Russ, though, as he joined the exclusive 23,000 point club on Wednesday night, just one of 33 players to achieve such heights in NBA history.

The Lakers will get the chance to improve upon that record on Friday night when they host the Washington Wizards (29-35) at 10:30 p.m.

The post Stephen Curry on Russell Westbrook: ‘I Respect How He’s Handled the Whole Year’ appeared first on SLAM.

Irving dropped 50 points on an absurd 15-for-19 from the field, and 11-for-13 from the free-throw line, nine of his field goals came from beyond the three-point line. Not satisfied with just his 50 points, Irving chipped six assists and three rebounds to seal off a double-digit dub.

Kyrie Irving has the most 50 point-games in Nets’ franchise history. No other Net, including Dr. J, had more than one. Historic.

— SLAM Newswire (@SLAMnewswire) March 9, 2022

Following the game, Irving’s teammates told the Associated Press’ Steve Reed and other media just how enamored they were with Irving’s 50-point game.

“That was master class,” Kevin Durant said.

“It was special,” Seth Curry said. “He made great plays all over the floor. He didn’t force it. Catch and shoot, off the dribble, and got to the rim, too. We needed that, Kyrie.”

“We obviously have a special player on our hands, and tonight, he was unbelievably efficient and difficult to defend,” Steve Nash said.

Irving just appeared as if he couldn’t miss all night on Tuesday, hitting tough jumper after jumper to bury any hopes the Hornets had at winning the game.

46 & COUNTING. KAI going off. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/ABy26ugP7J

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 9, 2022

This was a big win for the Nets, as the Hornets are one of their nearest rivals in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Nets are currently eighth in the east with a 33-33 record, just one game ahead of the Hornets, who are in ninth place, and 2.5 games ahead of the Washington Wizards, who are 11th.

The Nets’ next matchup will be a big one, as they reunite with former teammate James Harden against the Philadelphia 76ers.

That game will be in Philadelphia, and Irving had one word to describe the atmosphere for the matchup following the game against the Hornets.

That matchup will be at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m.

The post Kyrie Irving Drops 50 Points in Nets Win Over Hornets appeared first on SLAM.

Thomas was asked by the media on Thursday about his relationship with the Celtics and if he ever tried to return to the franchise over the past few seasons.

Thomas responded by saying that it was difficult to talk about but that he “opened my arms to try and come back.”

Thomas played for the Celtics from 2014 to 2017 and found a lot of success with the franchise. Thomas played in 179 games for Boston over three seasons, where he averaged 24.7 points and 6.0 assists per game. During his time with the Celtics, Thomas was also named to two All-Star teams, one All-NBA Team, and finished fifth in MVP voting for the 2017-2018 season.

In 2017, Thomas was traded away to the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of the package that brought Kyrie Irving to the Celtics. Thomas would only play in 15 games for the Cavs before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers later.

That 2017 trade seemed to spark the beginning of some tumultuous times in Thomas’ career. He has yet to catch on anywhere in the League ever since, playing for seven different teams since his time with the Celtics, including two separate stints with the Lakers.

This year, Thomas has played in six total games for three different teams: the Mavericks, Lakers, and is currently playing for the Charlotte Hornets.

Thomas is set to get a reunion with his former squad on Wednesday when the Hornets play host to the Celtics at 7:00 p.m.

The post Isaiah Thomas on Celtics Reunion: ‘I Opened My Arms to Try and Come Back’ appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday night, the Philadelphia 76ers will square off against the Nets, and Simmons will be present on the Nets bench, according to head coach Steve Nash.

Despite Simmons’ presence on the bench, he will not be active to play in the game as he is still working towards full fitness since his trade to Brooklyn in February.

Part of the reason for Simmons’ presence at the game this week, according to Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice, is that Simmond will reportedly be filing a grievance with the 76ers in an attempt to recoup some of the money lost from not playing this season. Neubeck reported that Simmons’ appearance on Thursday night would be included in the grievance.

The game will take place in Philadelphia on Thursday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m.

Simmons was traded to the Nets at the start of February for James Harden after not appearing for the team all season. Simmons was joined in Brooklyn by Seth Curry and Andre Drummond.

Since the trade, Simmons has not suited up for Brooklyn, but recent reports indicate he will begin being “worked into game shape” this week, meaning he could make a return to the court in the near future.

A return from Simmons is becoming near essential for the Nets as they slide down the Eastern Conference standings. The Nets are now in a play-in spot in the east, sitting eighth in the conference with a 33-33 record, just 2.5 games ahead of the 11-seed Washington Wizards.

The post Ben Simmons to Sit on Bench For Nets Game In Philadelphia on Thursday appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that OG Anunoby would miss the next two weeks of the season due to a fractured finger.

Raptors Coach Nick Nurse told Wojnarowski that after the two weeks, Anunoby would be re-evaluated to determine when he would return to play. If Anunoby remains out just two weeks, he will still miss seven games, including matchups with some of the NBA’s best like the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Denver Nuggets.

He will join another important Raptor, Fred VanVleet, on Toronto’s injury list, as VanVleet is recovering from a knee injury and has missed the past three games.

Anunoby is a big part of the Raptors’ success so far this season, as he is averaging 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, all career-highs for the fifth-year NBA player.

The timing of the injury isn’t great for the Raptors, as they currently are in the thick of a playoff race, sitting at seventh-place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 34-28, just 2.0 games back of the sixth-seeded Boston Celtics.

The Raptors will go again on Friday night when they play host to the Orlando Magic (15-48) at 7:30 p.m.

The post REPORT: OG Anunoby to Miss Two Weeks With Fractured Finger appeared first on SLAM.

That’s why Nets fans had a reason for optimism on Thursday when general manager Sean Marks told the YES Network that newly-acquired forward Ben Simmons would begin being worked “into game shape” after next week.

Simmons has yet to play a game this season, as he has sat out the entirety of the year waiting for a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. Simmons got that trade at the trade deadline a few weeks ago, when he, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond were shipped to Brooklyn for James Harden and Paul Millsap.

Simmons is also not the only one missing time for the Nets at the moment, with Kyrie Irving still only able to play away games and Joe Harris recently ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury.

Curry and Drummond have already picked up some slack since the trade, with Curry averaging 16.6 points per game for the Nets and Drummond averaging 9.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.

Before this season, Simmons had more than proved his worth as one of the NBA’s best, accumulating three All-Star appearances and being named to two All-Defensive teams and one All-NBA team.

The Nets are currently fighting to stay in the playoffs altogether, as they are now eighth in the East with a record of 32-32 but are just 2.5 games ahead of the 11th-placed Washington Wizards (28-33) and 5.0 games back of the sixth-place Cleveland Cavaliers (36-26).

Brooklyn looks to end their three-game losing streak on Sunday when they head to TD Garden to take on the Boston Celtics (38-27).

The post REPORT: Ben Simmons to be Worked ‘Into Game Shape’ Next Week appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday night, the YES Network spoke with Nets GM Sean Marks, who confirmed that guard Joe Harris would miss the rest of the season due to ankle surgery.

Harris has been out since November after first suffering the injury in a November 14 showdown against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Harris subsequently had surgery to repair the ankle in late November and was ruled out for one to two months but has remained out ever since.

Marks confirmed in his Thursday interview that Harris needed additional surgery on the ankle that would require the remainder of the season to rehab. Before the injury, Harris had played 14 games for the Nets this season and averaged 11.3 points per game on 45.2 percent shooting from the field and 46.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc, a tick under his career average with the Nets of 12.4 points per game.

This comes as a significant blow to the Nets, who are fighting just to be in the playoffs at the moment and doing so with limited players. Kevin Durant just returned to the lineup on Thursday. However, Ben Simmons remains with a back injury, and Kyrie Irving is still limited to playing away games due to New York City’s private business vaccine mandate.

The injury bug has led to the Nets holding on to the fringes of the playoffs, currently sitting eighth in the conference with a 32-32 record, just 2.5 games ahead of the 11th place Washington Wizards.

The post Nets Announce Joe Harris Is Out for Rest of Season with Ankle Injury appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the first quarter of the Celtics game, Jaylen Brown suffered a right ankle sprain on a driving lay-up attempt. Following the injury, he did not return to the game.

Despite Brown not playing the majority of the game, the Celtics went on to beat the Hawks 107-98 behind 33 points from Jayson Tatum and 18 points apiece from Derrick White and Grant Williams.

Following the game, Celtics head coach Ime Udoka said Brown tried to get back in the game but ultimately decided against it, and that he is optimistic the injury won’t be serious.

The Celtics are going to hope that ends up being true, as he is a focal point to the success of the team. So far this season, Brown is averaging 23.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, all of which eclipses his career averages of 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.

Brown’s presence is all the more critical for Boston as it heads deeper into the season in a tight playoff battle in the Eastern Conference. Currently, the Celtics hold the final non-play-in spot in the East with a record of 37-27 sitting sixth in the conference.

But the Celtics have a lot of room to move up or down the conference standings with just a few wins or losses. The Celtics are currently only 5.0 games back of the first-place Miami Heat, but only 6.5 games ahead of the 10th seeded Atlanta Hawks.

The post Jaylen Brown Leaves Celtics Game With Ankle Injury appeared first on SLAM.

According to Mike Singer of the Denver Post, Michael Porter Jr. will head to the Nuggets G-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, to practice and scrimmage sometime this week.

Singer also reported that Porter recently underwent his first 1-on-1 contact drills since his initial injury.

Porter has been out for the Nuggets for most of the season since undergoing what was initially thought to be season-ending back surgery in November of 2021.

However, more recent reports from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski indicated that Porter and fellow superstar teammate Jamal Murray could both return to play for the Nuggets before the start of the playoffs, with Porter potentially coming back as early as mid-March.

Murray has been out since April of 2021 after suffering a torn ACL in a game against the Golden State Warriors.

Porter struggled to start the season before being removed from the team due to injury, averaging 9.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game on 35.9% shooting and 20.8% shooting from three in the nine games he played in Denver this year. Those numbers are well below those he put up last season when he averaged 19.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game on 54.2% shooting and 44.5% shooting from distance.

Despite the absence of two of the Nuggets’ best players, Denver has had a strong season sitting sixth in the Western Conference with a record of 36-25.

The post REPORT: Micheal Porter Jr. to Scrimmage With Nuggets G-League Team appeared first on SLAM.

One of those players is forward Tobias Harris, who has seen his production take a slight dip since the addition of Harden. In Harden’s first two games as a 76ers, Harris scored a total of 18 points, six in the first game and 12 in the second, both well below his current season average of 18.3 points per game.

Harris recently spoke to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Noah Levick about this change in his role and how he was more concerned with winning games than the total number of points he has at the end of the game.

“It’s been two games,” Harris said. “I’m not worried about my offensive points and production. I think everybody has this notion of, ‘Oh, you’ve got to score this many points.’ Yeah, I get it, but at the end of the day I’m a winner and I incorporate into winning basketball. If that’s me taking 15 shots or if that’s me taking eight shots, it is what it is.

“As long as we’re winning basketball games, that’s what the name of the game is about. A lot of people may not like to hear that, but that’s the predicament we’re in right now. We have a lot of firepower, especially with James and Joel on this team. So my goal is to be out here, be ready, and when shots are available and the opportunity is there, take advantage of it and do whatever I can for our group.”

While Harris has had to take a backseat to Harden, the first signs for the team have been encouraging, albeit in just two appearances thus far, the 76ers are 2-0 with Harden so far, winning both games over the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves by double-digits.

In his first outing as a 76er, Harden put up 27 points and 12 assists and followed that up with a 29 point, 16 dimes, and 10 rebound triple-double.

The 76ers acquired Harden as part of the blockbuster trade deadline deal that sent Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Harden and Paul Millsap. Simmons has yet to suit up for the Nets, but Curry and Drummond have played six times thus far, with Curry averaging 17.8 points per game over those appearances and Drummond averaging 9.8 points per game.

The 76ers and Nets are scheduled to face off next Thursday, March 10, in Philadelphia.

The post Tobias Harris on New Role: ‘At the End of the Day I’m a Winner’ appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes reported that Cavs guard Caris LeVert would be out up to two weeks with a right foot sprain.

LeVert is a very recent acquisition for the Cavaliers, making his way to Cleveland at the NBA trade deadline two weeks ago from the Indiana Pacers. To acquire LeVert, the Cavs had to send the injured Ricky Rubio, a 2022 first-round pick and two second-round draft picks.

Since coming to Cleveland, LeVert has played just four games but has an average of 13.3 points and 3.8 assists per game. LeVert is capable of much more, and with more time, Cavs fans may soon watch the LeVert, who was averaging 18.7 points and 4.4 assists per game with the Pacers, emerge.

The Cavaliers (35-24) are fifth in the East and are 3.5 games back of the first-place Chicago Bulls.

If LeVert is out for two weeks, he could miss up to seven games for the Cavaliers, including matchups against teams at the top of the East in the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat, and a rematch with his former team, the Pacers.

The post REPORT: Caris LeVert Out Up to Two Weeks With Foot Injury appeared first on SLAM.

But his teammate on both the 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets, Seth Curry, told ESPN’s Nick Friedell that Simmons shouldn’t have to apologize to Philly fans.

“Business is business,” Curry told ESPN after Thursday’s shootaround. “I said from day [one], even when he was out early in the season, people were asking me if I feel like, if Ben comes back, should he apologize to us or whatever? I understand the business; he doesn’t need to apologize to anybody. When he’s on the court, I know he’s going to do his job and he’s going to do what he does. So I understand the business. He was doing what he felt was best for himself business-wise and personal-wise.”

Simmons has yet to play a game this season, last suiting up for the 76ers in the 2021 playoffs, after refusing to play for Philadelphia this year and demanding a trade. Simmons got his wish at the trade deadline and was shipped off the Nets along with Curry and Andre Drummond and draft picks in exchange for James Harden and Paul Millsap.

Simmons has yet to play for Brooklyn either, with Nets Coach Steve Nash stating it’s unlikely he will return before the Nets and 76ers’ matchup in Philadelphia on March 10 due to conditioning issues via the New York Post.

Before this season, Simmons had already established himself as a star in the NBA. He is a three-time All-Star, two-time All-Defensive team selection, and earned a 2019-20 All-NBA team nomination. This has resulted in Simmons having career averages of 15.9 points, 7.7 assists, and 8.1 rebounds per game over his career.

The Nets and 76ers are still in a tight Eastern Conference playoff race, with Philadelphia (35-23) in third place and Brooklyn (31-29) in eighth place.

The post Seth Curry on Ben Simmons’ 76ers Exit: ‘He Doesn’t Need to Apologize’ appeared first on SLAM.

McCollum spoke again on Thursday after practice to defend his new teammate, saying Williamson is just taking time to rehab and that people need to “Leave the young fella alone.”

McCollum is a new arrival in New Orleans, getting sent south by the Portland Trail Blazers at the NBA’s trade deadline. The trade was a big one, as Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell joined McCollum in New Orleans. The Pelicans sent back Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Didi Louzada, a 2022 first-round pick, and two future second-round picks.

Since joining the Pelicans, McCollum has put up tough numbers, averaging 28.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game in his first five outings for New Orleans. McCollum spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Blazers, putting up 19.0 points and 3.4 assists per game over his career.

Williamson has yet to join McCollum on the court, as he has spent the season out injured, recovering from a foot injury suffered during the preseason. In his brief appearances for New Orleans thus far, Williamson has been dynamic, averaging 25.7 points, 7.0 boards, and 3.2 dimes per game to go along with an All-Star appearance last season.

The Pelicans will need him back soon, too, as they make a final push for a play-in spot. New Orleans sits at 12th in the Western Conference with a 23-36 record.

The post CJ McCollum Backs Zion Williamson: ‘Leave the Young Fella Alone’ appeared first on SLAM.

On Tuesday, Bird spoke with media, including the Associated Press’ Tim Booth, about 2022 likely being her last year in the WNBA.

“I think it’s assumed to be my last and I do believe all arrows are pointing in that direction,” Bird said . “For some reason, I don’t necessarily want to operate in that space because I think for my personality … it doesn’t necessarily fit for every game I go into to be, ‘This is Sue’s last game in this city. This is her last time putting her shoe on.’ I don’t really operate in that space well, but I understand that comes with it.”

Bird is entering her 19th season in the WNBA, 21st if you include her two seasons missed due to injury, all of which have been played with the Seattle Storm. She has racked up an incredible number of accolades during her career, earning 12 All-Star teams selections and was named to five All-WNBA first teams. She’s also won five Olympic gold medals and four WNBA Championships.

Through 549 career games, Bird has averaged 12.0 points, 5.6 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game and led the WNBA in assists in three separate seasons. Last year at the age of 41, Bird still put up incredible numbers, averaging 10.0 points and 5.3 assists per game en route to her 12th All-Star appearance.

Regardless of what happens in Bird’s potentially final season, she will retire as the WNBA’s all-time assists leader, an accolade she currently holds with 3,048 career assists, over 400 more than the second-place Ticha Penicheiro. Bird is also sixth in the WNBA’s all-time scoring list with 6,490 career points.

There are still a few months before the WNBA season begins, where Bird will begin her quest for a fifth WNBA championship. The season for the Storm kicks off on May 6, 2022, with a matchup against the Minnesota Lynx.

The post Sue Bird Hints at 2022 Being Her Final Season in the WNBA appeared first on SLAM.

According to The Athletics Shams Charania, the Celtics have signed both Kelan Martin and Malik Fitts to 10-day contracts.

Charania notes that both Martin and Fitts have spent time with other organizations earlier this season. Fitts played seven games for the Utah Jazz, and Martin played 27 for the Indiana Pacers before both found their way to free agency.

Martin is the more experienced of the two new additions, with Martin currently in his third NBA season since going undrafted out of Butler University in 2018. Martin spent a season following the draft playing for MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg in the Basketball Bundesliga in Germany before coming back stateside in 2019.

Since returning to the United States, Martin has played in 93 career games with the Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves, averaging 5.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 13.6 minutes per game over three seasons.

Fitts has had comparatively minimal experience since joining the NBA out of St. Mary’s College in 2020. Fitts has played a total of 10 games in the League over the past two years with the Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers, putting up a total of nine points and 13 rebounds over 46 minutes.

In seven games with the Agua Caliente Clippers in the G League, Fitts has been productive this season, averaging 15.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game.

The duo will join a Celtics team fighting to move into the top half of the Eastern Conference, currently sitting sixth overall in the conference with a record of 34-26, but just 4.5 games back of the first-place Miami Heat and 2.0 games back of the third-place Philadelphia 76ers.

The post REPORT: Celtics Sign Kelan Martin and Malik Fitts to 10-Day Contracts appeared first on SLAM.

According to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark, the 76ers intend to sign center Willie Cauley-Stein to a 10-day contract in the coming days.

Cauley-Stein is in his seventh NBA season after getting drafted sixth overall by the Sacramento Kings in 2015. The 28-year-old center played in Sacramento for four seasons before being traded to the Golden State Warriors for half a season and signing with the Dallas Mavericks the following offseason.

Dallas is where Cauley-Stein remained before getting cut by the team on Jan. 15, as he was struggling to find playing time for the Mavericks.

This season Cauley-Stein has only played 18 games and averaged 1.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game over a total of 177 minutes thus far. This is a departure from Cauley-Stein’s usual production, as, over his career, he has maintained a respectable average of 8.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

Following the blockbuster trade that sent James Harden to Philly and Ben Simmons to Brooklyn, the 76ers are in need of a backup center for Joel Embiid. Andre Drummond, who previously served as the team’s backup, was shipped to the Nets and Seth Curry as part of the Harden trade.

The 76ers are currently in the midst of a fight for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, currently third in the conference with a record of 35-23, just 2.5 games back of the first-place Miami Heat.

The post REPORT: 76ers to Sign Willie Cauley-Stein to 10-Day Contract appeared first on SLAM.

Haliburton joined ESPN’s “The Jump” on Thursday to discuss the trade, and he admitted he was left shocked by the move, enough to the point where he said at first he thought it “was a joke.”

Haliburton was part of a trade deadline deal between the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers that sent Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson to the Pacers in exchange for Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday, and a 2023 second-round pick.

Thompson has since been released by the Pacers and will sign with the Chicago Bulls.

While Haliburton was shocked by the trade, initial returns have been positive. Through his first four games, Haliburton is averaging 20.8 points, 11.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game compared to his averages of 14.3 points, 7.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while with the Kings.

Haliburton also managed to snag his first win in a Pacers jersey on Wednesday night, dropping 21 points, 14 assists, and five rebounds in a 113-108 win over the Washington Wizards.

The Pacers are currently 13th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 20-40.

The post Tyrese Haliburton Says He Thought Trade to Pacers Was ‘A Joke’ appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday night, Jackson announced via Instagram that he had released his first album titled “Suddenly.”

The album is a rap album released under Jackson’s pseudonym “Triple J” and features a seven-song tracklist with a total run time of 16 minutes and 46 seconds.

Players across the NBA flooded Jackson’s Instagram to show love for the release, including Denzel Valentine, Brandon Clarke, Wayne Selden Jr., and Miles Bridges, who’s another hooper turned rapper during his free time.

Jackson joins a growing club of NBA players with side hustles in music, including Bridges, Damian Lillard, Marvin Bagley III, Andre Drummond, Lonzo Ball, and Aaron Gordon, among many, many others.

Jackson’s having a strong season on the court for the Memphis Grizzlies as well. Through 59 games this season, Jackson is averaging 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game for a Grizzlies team currently sat third in the Western Conference with a record of 41-19.

As for Jackson’s debut album, you can stream it now on Spotify or Apple Music.

The post Jaren Jackson Jr. Releases Debut Rap Album Titled ‘Suddenly’ appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, Andrew Wiggins spoke with NBC Sports’ Taylor Wirth about Wiseman and how he believes he will “dominate” after getting back on the floor.

“Obviously he’s had his ups and downs already in his career with the injury and stuff, but he’s still so young and if you look at him now, he’s a tank, man,” Wiggins said. “He’s a tank, he’s been working hard, so I feel like when he comes back he’s going to dominate. He has his head on straight, he comes into the facility, to the games with a good attitude, ready to work, ready to get better. The main thing about him is he listens, he wants to get better, he wants to learn. I think the sky is the limit for him also.”

Wiseman has been out the entire season thus far as he is still recovering from a torn meniscus suffered during the tail end of last season. According to Wirth, Wiseman is now back to participating in 5-on-5 drills in Warriors’ practices and could be nearing a return in the coming weeks.

Wiseman had a mixed bag of performances in his rookie season, playing in 39 games and averaging 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. However, Wiseman’s presence didn’t result in positive play from the Warriors as they ended the season with a -10.2 offensive rating with Wiseman on the court and +4.5 when he was off the court. That gave Wiseman an on-off offensive rating of -14.7, the worst on the team among players who played more than 100 minutes last season, per basketball reference.

However, Wiseman was only a rookie last season, a rookie with little experience playing against high-end basketball talent at that. He only played three games with the University of Memphis the season before getting drafted.

The Warriors certainly don’t need to rush Wiseman back, as, without him, they currently sit second in the Western Conference with a record of 42-17.

The post Andrew Wiggins Says James Wiseman Will ‘Dominate’ Upon Return appeared first on SLAM.

On Tuesday night, the Miami Heat announced that they had signed Martin to a full NBA contract after initially being with the team on a two-way deal throughout the season.

This is Martin’s third year in the League after going undrafted out of the University of Nevada, playing his first two years with the Charlotte Hornets. Martin struggled to see the court over his first two seasons, playing in just 71 total games and averaging 5.3 points per game.

Martin has taken an enormous leap in his third year, starting 10 of the 44 games he has appeared in so far for the Heat, averaging 9.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 22.9 minutes per game.

And Martin’s contributions aren’t for a team outside the playoff; they’re for a team currently sitting atop of the Eastern Conference with a record of 37-21.

Specifics about Martin’s contract have yet to be released by the Heat.

Caleb Martin’s twin brother, Cody Martin, is also in the NBA, playing in his third season with the Hornets, where he averages 8.0 points, 4.2 boards, and 2.6 dimes in 27.2 minutes per game.

The post Caleb Martin to Sign Full NBA Deal With Miami Heat appeared first on SLAM.

Bembry was clearly a hot target in free agency, as reports indicate he may already be prepared to sign with a new team.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Bembry is “closing in” on signing a deal to join the Milwaukee Bucks in the coming days.

Following the Nets blockbuster trade deadline deal that sent James Harden to Philadelphia in exchange for Ben Simmons, Andre Drummond, and Seth Curry, Brooklyn had to waive someone to create roster space for the incoming players; that player turned out to be Bembry.

Before being cut, Bembry was a pivotal contributor to the Nets, starting in 20 of the 48 games he played in, averaging 19.8 minutes, 5.8 points, and 3.2 rebounds per game.

Bembry’s addition will be a big help to a Bucks team dealing with a shortage of back-court players at the moment. Pat Connaughton, George Hill, and Wesley Matthews are currently out with injuries, and Donte DiVincenzo was traded to the Sacramento Kings.

The Bucks will need Bembry at his best, as Milwaukee is heading to the second half of the season in a tight playoff race in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks (36-23) are currently third in the East, just 1.5 games back of the first-place Miami Heat, and only 2.0 games up on the sixth place Boston Celtics.

The post REPORT: DeAndre’ Bembry Close to Signing With Bucks appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, a couple of hours past the trade deadline, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith signed a four-year extension worth $52 million.

Finney-Smith has been with Dallas since going undrafted out of the University of Florida in 2016. The 28-year-old forward has more than proven his worth over the past six seasons.

In 368 games played for the Mavericks, Finney-Smith has averaged 7.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while accumulating 256 career starts. His production has seen a real uptick this season, averaging a career-high 10.1 points and 1.9 assists per game while starting in all 54 games he has played in this season.

Following news of his extension hitting being announced, Finney-Smith was asked by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon about the extension. Finney-Smith said that he wanted to use the money to allow his mom to “kick up her feet and chill.”

The Mavericks were quite busy on Thursday. Before the Finney-Smith extension, Dallas also made one of the biggest trades of the trade deadline, sending Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.

Finney-Smith’s contract will kick in at the end of the season when his initial three-year $12 million contract was going to expire and make him a free agent.

The post REPORT: Mavericks Give Four-Year Extension to Dorian Finney-Smith appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday night, LeBron James and Kevin Durant – the two captains for the All-Star game – selected their teams for the All-Star Game taking place in just under two weeks.

Each captain had to select their starting lineups first and then select their reserves. Because Durant is injured and will not be playing in the game, nine players were available to be drafted instead of eight, with Jayson Tatum replacing Durant as a starter.

James opened the draft up by selecting Giannis Antetokounmpo first overall, with Durant using his first pick to draft Joel Embiid.

James rounded off his starting lineup by selecting Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Jokic. Durant’s starting lineup will consist of Embiid, Tatum, Ja Morant, Andrew Wiggins, and Trae Young. Wiggins and Young were the final two starters selected in the draft.

Between the two, Durant has the least experienced starting lineup with Wiggins and Morant, both first-time All-Stars and Young just in his second All-Star Game.

Durant got the first pick to open up the reserves section of the draft and used the pick to select Devin Booker, and James used his first pick to draft Luka Doncic.

Durant filled out his reserves by selecting Karl Anthony-Towns, Zach LaVine, Dejounte Murray, Khris Middleton, LaMelo Ball, and Rudy Gobert.

James reserves will be Darius Garland, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell, Fred VanVleet, and James Harden.

Harden was the last pick of the All-Star Draft, with Durant creating a funny moment where he opted against drafting his former teammate, who was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, to take Gobert instead.

The All-Star Game is scheduled to occur in Cleveland on Sunday, Feb. 20.

The post NBA All-Star Teams Set, Giannis Antetokounmpo Selected First Overall appeared first on SLAM.

The Nets’ choice of who to cut came as a bit of a surprise.

On Thursday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Nets waived forward DeAndre’ Bembry to make room for the three players set to join Brooklyn.

Bembry had to be waived due to the trade between the Nets and Philadelphia 76ers that sent James Harden and Paul Millsap to Philadelphia in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round draft picks.

With the Nets acquiring one more player than they sent to the 76ers, a roster cut had to be made, with Bembry being the odd man out.

Bembry was a bit of an odd choice, as he has been a regular contributor to Brooklyn throughout the season, and the reactions to the news reflected that.

Bembry has played in 48 games for the Nets this season, starting 20 of them, and in 19.8 minutes per game, he’s averaged 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.

The ’21-22 campaign is Bembry’s sixth season in the League, spending his first four years with the Atlanta Hawks before joining the Toronto Raptors last season and the Nets last summer.

NBA teams will now have the opportunity to claim Bembry off waivers before hitting free agency if he is not claimed. It’s doubtful that Bembry will be without a team for long, as several contenders will likely be looking to add Bembry in the coming days.

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The Denver Nuggets are one team still involved in trade talks, and according to reports from Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, guard Facundo Campazzo, and forward JaMychal Green is considered “available.”

“JaMychal Green and Facundo Campazzo are considered available for trade-in Denver,” Fischer said.

Graan and Campazzo are a pair of bench contributors for Denver, with only 11 starts combined between the two players.

Campazzo is in his second season in the NBA after spending several years in Europe with Real Madrid, playing for the Spanish club from 2014 to 2020. In his second season since joining Denver, Campazzo has averaged 5.8 points and 3.7 assists in 20.1 minutes per game.

Green is in his eighth season in the NBA but his second with the Nuggets, and he is averaging 6.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per game. In his eight years in the League, Green has played for four teams, the Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies, and Los Angeles Clippers.

This season, the Nuggets have already gotten involved in the trade market, taking part in a three-team trade with the Spurs and Boston Celtics. The trade sent center Bol Bol and the injured P.J. Dozier to the Celtics, and the Spurs received forward Juancho Hernangomez and a Nuggets’ 2028 second-round pick. The Nuggets received guard Bryn Forbes.

The NBA trade deadline is in just a couple of days, with no trades permitted after Thursday, Feb. 10 at 3:00 p.m. EST.

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According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, Grant is now considered “unlikely” to be traded in the coming days due to the high asking price from the Pistons front office.

“Despite widespread interest in Jerami Grant… it seems unlikely any rival team will be willing or able to meet Detroit’s lofty asking price of multiple first-round picks,” Fischer wrote.

Fischer reports that Grant has interest from several teams in the league including, “Washington, Los Angeles, Utah, Chicago, Minnesota, and others.”

While it may be unlikely for Grant to be traded before the trade deadline, Fischer adds that Detroit will likely revisit the possibility of moving the forward at the 2022 NBA Draft despite general manager Troy Weaver wishing to keep Grant on the roster during the rebuild.

“Grant has a strong relationship with Piston’s general manager Troy Weaver, and there have been clear indications of Weaver’s interest in keeping Grant entrenched within Detroit’s rebuild, sources said. If Grant is not dealt before the deadline, there remains a strong possibility the Pistons will revisit Grant trade scenarios around the NBA draft,” Fischer wrote.

Grant is on his second season with the Pistons, where he has had arguably the two best seasons of his career despite the Pistons’ poor form. In his two seasons in Detroit, Grant has averaged 21.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game in 82 total games.

Over Grant’s eight-year NBA career thus far, he has played for four teams; the Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, and Oklahoma City Thunder. In those eight seasons, Grant has averaged 11.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game.

The Pistons have struggled tremendously this season despite Grant’s high scoring average, holding the second-worst record in the NBA of 12-41, only better than the Orlando Magic’s 12-43 record.

The NBA trade deadline is Thursday, Feb. 10, at 3:00 p.m. EST.

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On Tuesday night, the NBA announced the eight players participating in the All-Star weekend three-point contest.

It’s a list of participants all seeking a first three-point contest championship, with most of the players participating in the event for the first time in their careers.

CJ McCollum and Zach LaVine are the veterans of the contest, with each having participated in two prior three-point contests. Trae Young is the only other player of the eight to have participated in a previous three-point contest, and this will be his second.

Karl Anthony-Towns, Fred VanVleet, LaVine, and Young, will also be playing in the All-Star Game the following night.

Patty Mills is the oldest player in the group at 33 years old, and there’s no question he can shoot the rock as a career 39.2 percent three-point shooter and is shooting 42.4 percent from distance so far this season. On the flip side, Desmond Bane – who is in his second NBA season – is the contest’s least experienced player but is shooting 42.1 percent from deep over his career.

Luke Kennard, though, maintains the highest three-point percentage of the eight players this season, knocking down 40.8 percent of his shots beyond the arc this season. Every player on the field is shooting better than 38 percent from three this season.

In addition to the three-point contest, the NBA also announced the dunk contest participants and skill challenge participants.

The NBA All-Star weekend begins on Friday, Feb. 18, with the three-point contest taking place on Saturday, Feb. 19, and the All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 20.

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That has led to some members of the Nets venting their frustration in the media.

Following Brooklyn’s 112-101 loss to the Sacramento Kings Wednesday night, point guard Kyrie Irving lamented on the level of basketball opposing teams are playing against the Nets every night.

“From our side, it just looks as though we can overpower teams with just our talent alone, but that’s not going to get it done.” Irving said per The Sports Rush. “We gotta continue to do the little things and when teams are out there playing against us they know us very well and they’re making playoff adjustments.”

The Nets’ slightly disappointing performance on the court – which has them sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 29-22 record – can be traced in large part to the inability of their stars to stay on the court together. They remain just three games back of the no.1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Kevin Durant and James Harden have missed a substantial amount of time this season due to injury, with Durant and Joe Harris currently out with leg injures for Brooklyn. Irving has only played 10 times this season for Brooklyn due to sitting out nearly the entire first half of the year due to his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Since his return in December, Irving is still only allowed to play road games because of New York City’s vaccine mandate.

The frustrations have also led to rumors of dissatisfaction in the locker room. Multiple reports indicate that Harden may want out of Brooklyn this offseason because of many issues, including Irving’s refusal to get vaccinated.

The Beard has since dismissed those claims. However, he does have a $47 million player option on his contract at the end of the season, and there is still a possibility he decides to test free agency for the time in his career.

The Nets will have the chance to bounce back from a tough stint of play on Friday night when they take on the Utah Jazz (31-21) on the road.

The post Kyrie Irving Says Nets’ Opposition is Playing ‘Playoff-Adjustment Basketball’ appeared first on SLAM.

Rumors have swirled about a potential move to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons in some capacity, but reports indicate Lillard could want to stay closer to home.

According to Chad Ford on his Locked on Podcast show, Lillard is interested in remaining on the west coast, even if he leaves the Portland Trail Blazers.

“I don’t actually think that at least nothing that I’ve heard of, has Damian Lillard insisting that it has to be Philadelphia (76ers) that he goes to,” Ford said. “In fact, everything that I’ve heard is that he would prefer a move to the west coast or to stay on the west coast.”

That bodes well for teams such as the Los Angles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers, who are both trying to make a push for an NBA Championship with the stars currently on their rosters. Both teams may have difficulty trading for him this season due to salary cap concerns but could potentially get involved this offseason.

The Blazers are likely in no rush to move Lillard before this season’s trade deadline. Lillard is in the first year of his four-year $176 million contract extension that sees him tied up with the Trail Blazers until at least 2024. This gives Portland the flexibility to wait for the right trade offer to come in for the superstar point guard.

Another wrinkle in a trade before the deadline is that Lillard is currently not playing for the Blazers following abdominal surgery and will be out indefinitely.

At 31-years-old, the clock is ticking for Lillard on his chances of winning an NBA Championship, and with the Trail Blazers 10 games below .500 this season with a record of 21-31, it may be time for it a move. Even if Lillard opts to move, he will always be a Portland legend, playing 10 years with the Trail Blazers and averaging 24.6 points and 6.6 assists per game over 711 career games.

The NBA trade deadline is in less than a week, coming to a close on Feb. 10.

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On Thursday, during a broadcast on TNT, the NBA announced the reserves for the upcoming 2022 All-Star game, a week after the starters had been announced.

In the West, the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz had two players named: Chris Paul and Devin Booker for the Suns and Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell for the Jazz. The roster comprises Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl Anthony-Towns, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic.

The West will have to add one additional player before the All-Star game, as Green won’t be active for the festivities. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will name Green’s replacement before the All-Star Game draft.

The remaining West All-Stars are made up by the five starters, Nikola Jokic, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and Ja Morant.

In the East, Zach LaVine, Jimmy Butler, Darius Garland, James Harden, Fred VanVleet, Jayson Tatum, and Khris Middleton all got the nod, representing different teams from each other. They’ll be joining the East’s five starters of Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMar DeRozan, Joel Embiid, and Trae Young.

While there is a boatload of talent in this year’s All-Star game, some names that arguably deserved consideration were left off. Dejounte Murray and Deandre Ayton are putting together excellent seasons in the West but were not named to the All-Star team. Paul George was having another All-Star-caliber season but hasn’t played in over a month due to an elbow injury.

In the East, Jarrett Allen, Jrue Holiday, and Jaylen Brown have seasons potentially worthy of the All-Star distinction.

All-Star captains James and Durant will draft their teams live on TNT on Feb. 10 at 7:00 p.m. EST. The NBA All-Star Game is on Sunday, Feb. 20.

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On Tuesday, Shams Charania reported the four players participating in this year’s dunk contest. Jalen Green, Obi Toppin, Cole Anthony and Juan Toscano-Anderson.

It appears dunk contests are a young man’s game now, as two of the dunk contest participants, Toppin and Anthony, are second-year players, Toscano-Anderson is in his third season, and Green is a rookie.

Toppin is the lone member of the quartet to have participated in the dunk contest before, competing in last year’s dunk contest and finishing in second place behind Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons. Some may remember this opening dunk from Toppin in 2021.

The other three participants will be first-timers at the event but should provide an excellent spectacle for fans.

Green, a rookie for the Houston Rockets drafted second overall in 2021, has averaged 14.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game but has shown flashes of being something special. For the dunk contest, though, he has certainly shown the ability to throw it down.

Anthony has had a breakout year for the Orlando Magic in his second season out of the University of North Carolina so far this year. Anthony averages 17.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game for a Magic team that desperately needs his production. Anthony even has some dunk contest experience to fall back on, winning the City of Palms high school dunk contest.

Toscano-Anderson is the unlikeliest to win of the four candidates, as just three years ago, he wasn’t even in the NBA. Toscano-Anderson was an undrafted free agent out of Marquette in 2015 and spent time playing professionally in Mexico, Venezuela, and the NBA’s G-League before playing his way onto the Golden State Warriors roster.

Just like the other three, Toscano-Anderson can get up.

The NBA’s All-Star weekend is in just a few weeks, starting on Friday, Feb. 18. The dunk contest and skill challenge will take place on Saturday, Feb. 19, with the All-Star Game wrapping up the weekend on Sunday, Feb. 20.

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According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Simmons has been fined over $19 million for sitting out this season.

“SIMMONS HAS LOST over $19 million in fines since the season began (each missed game costs him $360,000). He hasn’t cleared a paycheck since the $8.25 million (25% of his $33 million salary) that was due to him Oct. 1. Every two weeks the team sends a notice with an explanation of all the fines he has accumulated for failing to render services, instead of a $1.375 million paycheck. By the end of the season, if he does not play for the Sixers or any other team, Simmons could lose another $12 million.”

‘”We don’t give a f— about the money,” one source close to Simmons says. “That’s not what this is. It’s hard for people to understand. But if you believe in what you’re doing and that this is not the right situation for you, and you’re trying to get to a better place, the money doesn’t matter. Obviously it’s a financial hit. But you adjust.”‘

Simmons has yet to suit up for the 76ers this season, as he has sat out the entire season thus far, waiting for Philadelphia to trade him. Thus far, that trade hasn’t come to fruition, and if he’s not moved, Simmons may well sit out the entire season.

According to Shelburne, the situation between Simmons and the 76ers had reportedly gotten bad enough to the point where he ignored calls and texts from 76ers head coach Doc Rivers.

In his absence, the 76ers have produced a solid season so far, currently second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 31-19, just one game back of the Chicago Bulls.

If Philadelphia wishes to trade Simmons, it doesn’t have long to do it, with the NBA’s trade deadline less than two weeks away on Thursday, Feb. 10.

The post REPORT: Ben Simmons Has Accumulated $19 Million in Fines This Season appeared first on SLAM.

Giddey talked about his relationship with LeVert when he initially met him in 2018 at a Basketball Without Borders camp in India.

LeVert was Giddey’s coach for the camp, and he said he recalls that LeVert “was really big on believing in me.”

Giddey has since made a name for himself in the basketball world, getting drafted sixth overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2021 NBA Draft after a stellar rookie season with the Adelaide 36ers in the NBL. Giddey has had a solid start to his NBA career, too, putting up 11.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game.

In 2018 LeVert was entering his third season in the NBA with the Brooklyn Nets and is now in his sixth season since being drafted out of the University of Michigan. Over his career, LeVert has averaged 14.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game.

The duo played each other for the first time in the NBA on Friday night. The Pacers won the game 113-110 in overtime, with LeVert scoring 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds, while Giddey had a double-double scoring 15 points and snatching 10 rebounds to go along with five assists.

The post Josh Giddey Discusses Relationship With Caris LeVert: ‘He Believed A Lot in Me’ appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, the NBA announced the five starters from both the Western and Eastern Conferences, with a few first-time All-Stars making the list.

The two captains are a pair of familiar faces to the All-Star Game in LeBron James, making his 18th All-Star appearance, and Kevin Durant, making his 12th All-Star appearance.

Joining James in the west as starters are Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic, Andrew Wiggins and Ja Morant. Joining Durant in the east are DeMar DeRozan, Joel Embiid, Trae Young and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

There are two first-time All-Stars among the 10 starters, both in the west, in Wiggins and Morant. Young will be making his second All-Star appearance.

The All-Star reserves, which are voted on by the head coaches across the NBA, will be announced on Feb. 3.

The All-Star Game will take place in Cleveland on Sunday, Feb. 19.

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According to Camryn Justice from News 5 Cleveland, Antetokounmpo praised the young Cavs team on their surge up the NBA standings following the game.

“This is not the Cleveland that we knew in the past years…they’re a playoff team, they’re out there fighting for the title themselves,” Antetokounmpo said.

That change in mentality from the Cavs is clear to see on the court and is reflected in their current position in the standings. The Cavaliers are currently third in the Eastern Conference with a record of 30-19, and only 1.5 games back of the first-place Miami Heat.

Cleveland had already surpassed its win total from last season when the Cavs finished 13th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 22-50. The Cavaliers haven’t even made the playoffs since the departure of LeBron James following the 2017-18 season.

The last time the Cavaliers made the playoffs without James on the roster was in 1998.

The Bucks dropped to sixth in the Eastern Conference after the loss with a 30-20 record.

The revamped Cavs are led by their homegrown Big 3 of Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley. This season, that trio of players has combined to average 50.8 points, 12.7 assists, and 22.4 rebounds per game, with Garland and Allen getting All-Star considerations and Mobley being a front-runner for Rookie of the Year.

The Cavs will go again this Sunday when they head to Detroit to take on the Pistons (11-36) at 6:00 p.m. EST.

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo on Cavaliers: ‘They’re a Playoff Team’ appeared first on SLAM.

However, it seems as though the Lakers have changed their tune on moving Westbrook. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Lakers are not looking to trade Westbrook and are now focusing on winning with him on the roster.

“It’s not like [Westbrook’s] a tradable player where if it’s not working out, you just move on; everybody in the NBA knows that,” one team source said. “So it’s got to work. This is the only option. There is no Plan B for this season.”

The Lakers, and Westbrook, are not having the season they would have liked coming into the year.

Westbrook averages 18.6 points – the lowest mark of his career since his second season – and 7.7 assists per game while shooting a pedestrian 43.8 percent from the field and 29.3 percent from three. Westbrook’s poor play even resulted in him being benched by Frank Vogel for the final minutes of the Lakers 111-104 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

The Lakers are currently on the fringes of a playoff spot, sitting eighth in the Western Conference with a record of 24-24, and while Westbrook’s play has left something to be desired, Los Angeles is dealing with several issues that have resulted in the suboptimal record.

Star forward Anthony Davis has missed nearly half the season for the Lakers recovering from a knee injury, but he returned to action for the first time in over a month on Tuesday night in a 106-96 win against the Brooklyn nets.

LeBron James has also missed a noticeable portion of the season due to both health and safety protocols and a brief injury stint.

Vogel, like Westbrook, has also come under scrutiny this season for the Lakers’ performance, and like Westbrook, Shelburne reports that Vogel will remain with the team for the rest of the season. Shelburne reports that the decision is due to a lack of confidence that changing coaches would lead to a “dramatically different result.”

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According to The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III, the Pistons have had difficulty attracting trade offers for forward Jerami Grant.

“In regard to Grant and the trade market, I’ve gathered that the offers aren’t pouring in right now. The majority of the chatter and interest you’ve heard in regard to Grant are more conversations than anything concrete. I do expect that to change as the deadline gets closer, but as of now, from my understanding, not many formal offers have been placed in front of Detroit.”

Grant is coming off a career season for the Pistons in 2020-21, where he averaged career-highs in points per game (22.3) and assists per game (2.8) and started more games than at any point in his career. Grant is still averaging quite a few points so far this season, 20.1 points per game, but is shooting uncharacteristically poor from the field at 41.4 percent shooting from the field and 33.1 percent from the three-point line.

The Pistons are in full-on rebuild mode, with the team currently second to last in the Eastern Conference with a record of 11-36. Trading Grant will likely be a priority for the Pistons as they continue to acquire assets to build around rookie guard Cade Cunningham.

The Pistons had already tried to get involved in the trade market this season when they accepted a trade with the Denver Nuggets to bring in center Bol Bol, but the transaction was revoked because Bol failed a physical.

Grant is in his eighth season in the NBA, having played previously with the Pistons, Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Philadelphia 76ers.

The NBA trade deadline is just a few weeks away, with teams having until Feb. 10 to make a deal.

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One of the reasons the Grizzlies find themselves so far up the standings is the play of third-year point guard Ja Morant.

Morant has put up All-Star level numbers this year, and when speaking with Drew Hill from the Daily Memphian, he said he believes his season deserves some recognition.

“I deserve this. I earned this. I worked for this,” Morant said, “This is the way I wanted it. I didn’t want to be no alternate. I don’t want to be a spot-filler.”

Morant’s confidence in himself is well deserved when you look at his numbers. Through 36 games, Morant is putting up 25.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game while shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 35.0 percent from three.

Those numbers, along with the excellent play of teammates Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, and Jaren Jackson Jr., have catapulted the Grizzlies to the top half of the western conference. Currently, the Grizzlies sit third in the west with a record of 32-17, trailing only the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors.

Morant was second in votes for Western Conference guard with just over 2.6 million votes, trailing only Stephen Curry in the most recent return of All-Star fan voting.

The All-Star Game, which is taking place in Cleveland this year, is just under a month away, taking place on Sunday, Feb. 20. The starters for the All-Star Game will be announced later this week on Thursday, Jan. 27, with the rest of the roster being announced on Feb. 3.

The post Ja Morant on Potentially Being an All-Star: ‘I Deserve This. I Earned This’ appeared first on SLAM.

According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Beal will reportedly not be signing an extension with the Wizards and could become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

“Beal has made it clear he doesn’t plan to sign an extension and likely will skip his player option,” Windhorst reported.

However, hope is not lost for Washington, as Beal’s reasons for declining the extension could be primarily financial and not because he wants to leave the Wizards. According to Windhorst, if Beal opts out of his contract, he can make more money than he would have if he signed the max extension the Wizards could offer.

Windhorst reports that while the Wizards might be nervous, they believe they will ultimately re-sign the star guard in free agency and that Washington is not currently seeking a trade.

“The Wizards are preparing to roll the dice with the belief that Beal will re-sign,” Windhorst said.

Beal has one year, a player option, left on his two-year, $70,146,336 contract. According to Windhorst, Beal intends to opt out of the final year of his contract this summer.

Beal is in his 10th season in the NBA and has proven to be one of the League’s best guards. The 28-year-old guard had made three All-Star teams and one All-NBA team over his career. So far this season, Beal has had an uncharacteristically poor shooting start, averaging 23.7 points per game but doing so on 45.3 percent shooting and 30.3 percent three-point shooting.

The Wizards are currently in the thick of the playoff hunt, sitting eighth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 23-22.

The post REPORT: Bradley Beal Will Not Sign a Contract Extension With Wizards appeared first on SLAM.

Because of this, and the strong play of superstar center Joel Embiid, 76ers’ General Manager Daryl Morey said while on 97.5 The Fanatic that he would consider expanded options for Simmons as the trade deadline approaches in the next few weeks.

The pressure for Morey to move Simmons could be heating up; despite his absence, Philadelphia is fifth in the east with a 26-18 record. Some recent reports from The Athletic indicate that Simmons has no intention of playing for the 76ers even if he doesn’t get moved before the deadline.

“Make no mistake, sources close to Simmons continue to insist that he’ll sit out the entire season if a deal isn’t done by the deadline.”

Simmons, who has not played a game for Philadelphia this season, is a three-time All-Star and a two-time All-Defensive team member in just four seasons of play in the NBA.

The NBA’s trade deadline is Feb. 10, now only a few weeks away with questions still aplenty about the future of Simmons.

The post REPORT: Daryl Morey Open to Further Trade Possibilities for Ben Simmons appeared first on SLAM.

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that George would be out longer than initially thought as he continues to recover from a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

Wojnarowski reports that the Los Angeles Clippers will continue to evaluate George over the coming weeks, with no firm timetable available for his return.

George has been out since Dec. 22, nearly an entire month now, but suffered the injury a few weeks prior in a game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 6, according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. The Clippers have missed his presence, going 5-8 since George’s injury, giving them a record of 22-23, ninth-best in the west.

Before the injury, George had played in 26 games this season and was averaging 24.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.

The Clippers are now without both of their All-Stars, with Kawhi Leonard still recovering from a torn ACL suffered during the playoffs last year.

The post REPORT: Paul George to be Out Longer than Expected Due to Elbow Injury appeared first on SLAM.

On Tuesday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that Bol would be out 8-to-12 weeks to undergo surgery on his foot.

Bol was the subject of significant news last week when the Nuggets agreed to send Bol to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for a second-round pick and Rodney McGruder. That trade was voided after Bol failed a physical with the Pistons upon arriving.

Charania indicated in his report that the foot injury could be the root cause of the failed physical, though he doesn’t confirm this either.

Bol was the 44th overall pick by the Nuggets in the 2019 NBA Draft out of the University of Oregon after an eye-popping start to his freshman season with the Ducks, before getting hurt after nine games. Through two and a half years in the NBA, Bol has struggled to find playing time.

Bol has played in 53 career games over the past three seasons, putting up career averages of 2.7 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. So far this season, Bol has played in 14 games for the Nuggets averaging 5.8 minutes and 2.4 points per game. As a member of the Windy City Bulls, Bol averaged 12.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game.

The post REPORT: Bol Bol Out for 8-12 Weeks to Undergo Foot Surgery appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post REPORT: ‘Everyone’ but Clint Capela, Trae Young Available in Atlanta appeared first on SLAM.

According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, the Pacers’ Caris LeVert has drawn the eye of two NBA teams, but the asking price may be too high.

“Caris LeVert has known suitors in Cleveland and New York, but so far Indiana has requested multiple first-round picks for the 27-year-old guard as well, sources said.”

LeVert is in his seventh season in the NBA and his second with the Pacers, joining via trade from the Brooklyn Nets last season.

Over his career, LeVert has averaged 14.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game, but those numbers have taken a jump since joining Indiana. LeVert has posted 19.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game through 64 games since becoming a Pacers.

While LeVert could be on the move, Fischer reports that center Myles Turner still looks to be the most likely candidate to find himself traded before the deadline, with a laundry list of teams interested including “Dallas, Minnesota, New York, Sacramento, Charlotte, and Portland.”

Fischer reports in the same article that Indiana has put in calls for several players themselves. The Pacers seem to be looking for help on the wing, with Fischer reporting interest in acquiring Torrey Craig, Justin Holiday, or Jeremy Lamb.

The NBA trade deadline is now less than a month away, taking place on Thursday, Feb. 10.

The post REPORT: Pacers Caris LeVert ‘Has Known Suitors’ Ahead of Trade Deadline appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes reported that Lillard had successful surgery on his abdomen and was in good spirits. Haynes also said that Lillard is expected to be out another 5-6 weeks before the team re-evaluates.

Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers have not had the season that they likely expected heading into the 2021-22 season. Not only has Lillard been in and out of the lineup, but so has CJ McCollum. Numerous teammates have been in and out of COVID-19 protocols as well. Coach Chauncey Billups and the Blazers are still adjusting to each other. The Blazers also fired longtime general manager Neil Olshey after being investigated for office harassment.

Lillard, who reportedly had been dealing with the abdomen injury since the start of the season, has also not had the season he’s become accustomed to. Before the injury, Lillard was averaging 24.0 points and 7.3 assists per game but doing so on a career-worst 40.2 field goal percentage and 32.4 three-point percentage.

Portland is currently 10th in the west with an unimpressive record of 16-25, only six games ahead of the Western Conference’s worst Houston Rockets. On Saturday, the Blazers are on the road and will play the Wizards (22-20).

The post REPORT: Damian Lillard ‘Feeling Good’ Following Surgery appeared first on SLAM.

On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that Charlie Brown Jr. had signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers following the end of his 10-day hardship contract.

The 76ers had to release former Michigan State forward Aaron Henry to make room for Brown’s contract.

Brown is in his third season in the NBA after going undrafted out of Saint Joesph’s, where he averaged 16 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game in two seasons in college.

He has only played 24 career games to date for four different teams, the Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, and 76ers, accumulating a career average of 2.8 points and 1.2 rebounds per game.

Since being signed, Brown has only suited up two times for Philadelphia, scoring four points and grabbing four steals combined in his two appearances.

Henry is a rookie out of Michigan State who had suited up six times for the 76ers before being cut.

The post REPORT: Charlie Brown Jr. Signs Two-Way Contract With 76ers appeared first on SLAM.

On Tuesday night, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Cavs GM Koby Altman received an extension through the 2027-28 season and promotion to President of Basketball Operations for the franchise.

Altman was first hired by the Cavs’ front office in 2012 but didn’t get the General Manager role until 2017, before the 2017-18 NBA season.

Altman oversaw the Cavaliers’ massive rebuild following the departure of LeBron James in 2018, but this season the Cavs have been a huge surprise. Halfway through the season, Cleveland is tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference with the Philadelphia 76ers with a 23-16 record.

A lot of the success this season is due to Altman’s management, as he was responsible for bringing in the entirety of the Cavs starting lineup, drafting Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and the injured Collin Sexton, and trading for Jarrett Allen and Lauri Markkanen. As of Wednesday, the Cavaliers rank 14th in offensive rating (109.9) and have transformed their bottom-five defense into the third-best in the League with a 105.0 defensive rating.

Garland leads the team in scoring and assists with 19.5 points and 7.3 dimes per game too. The 21-year-old guard out Vanderbilt holds a 111.7 offensive rating and 102.4 defensive rating. Even as a rookie, Mobley has been a revelation at the center position, averaging 14.8 points and 8.1 boards, and 1.8 blocks per game, good for seventh place amongst block leaders.

The Cavaliers play against the Jazz (28-13) on Wednesday.

The post REPORT: Cavaliers Extend General Manager Koby Altman appeared first on SLAM.

Those rumors continued this week when ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on “The Scoop W/ Doogie” podcast that the Minnesota Timberwolves have offered an extensive number of trades to the 76ers for Simmons.

“From what I understand, the Wolves have pretty much offered every asset package they could possibly offer for Ben Simmons except for Anthony Edwards and Karl (Anthony)Towns,” Windhorst said.

In the same episode, Darren Wolfson, the host of the podcast, said that Simmons remains “on the Wolves radar” despite the lack of a deal thus far.

Simmons has yet to appear in a game for the 76ers this season, sitting out citing mental health issues and a back injury since the preseason. Prior to this season, Simmons has more than proved his worth on the court, being named to three All-Star teams, two All-Defensive teams, and one All-NBA team in just four full seasons in the league.

However, the Timberwolves may not even need Simmons as they have shown to be a much-improved team so far this year. Minnesota is currently in the thick of a playoff fight sitting at eighth in the Western Conference with a record of 20-20.

The 76ers, despite the absence of Simmons, are still putting together a strong season, and sit at fifth in the Eastern Conference currently with a record of 23-16.

The post REPORT: Minnesota Timberwolves Remain Interested in Ben Simmons appeared first on SLAM.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Spurs are signing Tyler Johnson and Anthony Lamb to 10-day hardship contracts.

The pair of signings come on the back of several Spurs pers entering health and safety protocols on Thursday. Wojnarowski reported that Keldon Johnson, Derrick White, Devin Vassell, Thaddeus Young, Lonnie Walker IV, and Doug McDermott have all been placed in COVID-19 protocols.

As a short-term replacement, Johnson has seven years of NBA experience with four different teams. Johnson most recently suited up for the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this season, playing in three games and scoring 11 total points.

Johnson’s best years came with the Miami Heat, where he played in 257 games over five seasons and averaged 11 points per game. Over his career, Johnson has averaged 9.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game while suiting up for the Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, 76ers, and Heat.

Lamb will be involved in his second NBA season after going undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft. Lamb played four seasons at the University of Vermont. He averaged 16.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game his senior season and won the American East Conference Player of the Year twice.

In his lone season in the League, Lamb played 24 games with the Houston Rockets, starting three of them, and averaging 5.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. Lamb was waived by the Rockets before the 2021-22 season began.

These absences come at a difficult time for San Antonio, as they currently sit 10th overall in the Western Conference, the final play-in spot, with a record of 15-22, just a half-game up on the Sacramento Kings (16-24).

The post REPORT: Spurs Sign Tyler Johnson, Anthony Lamb to 10-Day Contracts appeared first on SLAM.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on NBA Today that the Lakers could be aiming to move players to free up space on the roster ahead of the trade deadline. Windhorst mentions that DeAndre Jordan and Kent Bazemore could be the ones packing their backs soon.

“With LeBron [James] starting at center and eventually getting Anthony Davis back, they [Lakers] are looking to move DeAndre Jordan. Not necessarily for another player, but to move him so they can open up a roster spot. Kent Bazemore is another player that they’ve been willing to talk about, in talking with some other teams,” Windhorst said. “Their goal is: open up a roster spot.”

Windhorst notes that the Lakers had already made moves this season when they traded Rajon Rondo to the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this week for the draft rights to Frenchman Louis Labeyrie. The latter plays for Valencia Basket of the Liga ACB, the top basketball league in Spain. He was taken in the 57th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft but is unlikely to ever play in the NBA.

It’s not difficult to see why the Lakers are exploring the possibility of moving Bazemore and Jordan, as the duo has struggled to see the floor so far this season.

This year, Jordan has played in 27 games with 18 starts but has averaged a career-low 13.2 minutes per game. In the limited minutes he’s getting, Jordan contributes 4.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Bazemore has seen slightly less action than Jordan this year, playing in 22 games while averaging 18.1 minutes per game, and is only putting up 4.3 points per game on below-average shooting numbers of 33.7 percent from the field and 34 percent from three-point range.

The Lakers desperately need additional help, as the season so far has not gone the way they would have liked. Los Angeles is currently sixth in the Western Conference with a record of 20-19, 10.5 games back of the first-place Phoenix Suns (30-8).

The NBA trade deadline is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 10.

The post REPORT: Lakers Looking to Trade DeAndre Jordan to Free Roster Space appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, the NBA released its first returns on All-Star fan voting, and there are a few surprises sprinkled throughout.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry leads the way in voting, who has accumulated nearly 2.6 million votes, almost around 200,000 more than the second-place vote-getter, Kevin Durant. A familiar face rounds out the position leaders in LeBron James, the top vote-getter among forwards in the Western Conference and an unusual but deserved face in DeMar DeRozan, the top vote-getter among guards in the Eastern Conference.

DeRozan’s lead and now expected All-Star appearance is much deserved, as he is having a career year for the Chicago Bulls, averaging 26.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.

Other players to accumulate over one million votes thus far include Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, and Paul George. Andrew Wiggins just missed out at 933,355 votes.

Every year, a few unexpected names pop up and receive hundreds of thousands of votes, and this year is no different. Klay Thompson has yet to play a game this season for the Warriors, but he is still the fourth-highest vote-getter among Western Conference guards. Kyrie Irving is sixth amongst guards in the East, despite just making his season debut on Wednesday.

Derrick Rose is averaging just 12.0 points per game for the New York Knicks coming off the bench and has received nearly double the votes of Darius Garland and Fred VanVleet. Two other vets coming off the bench received a hefty number of votes: LaMarcus Aldridge and Carmelo Anthony, who have started a combined 13 games between them.

If you want your favorite player to be further up the list, you still have some time! NBA All-Star fan voting doesn’t close until Saturday, January 22, and the full rosters will be announced in full on February 3.

The NBA All-Star game will take place in Cleveland at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Saturday, February 20.

The post Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant Lead NBA All-Star Fan Vote Returns appeared first on SLAM.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Thunder and Utah Jazz agreed to a trade on Tuesday afternoon. The Jazz sent Miye Oni and a 2028 second-round pick to the Thunder for cash considerations.

In his third year in the NBA out of Yale, Oni has played in just 80 career games so far, with career averages of 1.8 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.

Despite having just been traded, Wojnarowski reports that Oni will likely not be playing his 81st career game in Oklahoma City, as the Thunder intend on releasing him before his partially guaranteed salary becomes fully guaranteed on Friday.

The Jazz’s reason for making the trade had little to do with what they received in return for Oni and the second-round pick, but rather the flexibility it gives them ahead of the trade deadline.

Utah now has two open roster spots with Oni no longer on the roster, and according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, by trading Oni and not waving him, the Jazz saved $2.4 million in tax money.

The Thunder had to release second-year Argentinian forward Gabriel Deck to make room for the trade.

This trade essentially marks the first deal of the NBA trade deadline season, with the deadline just over a month away on Feb. 10.

The post REPORT: Utah Jazz Trade Miye Oni and Second-Round Pick to Oklahoma City appeared first on SLAM.

Following the game, Edwards was asked how he felt about the decision from Finch, to which Edwards responded that while he was upset, his head coach was right, according to Chris Hine of the Minnesota Star Tribune.

“I get mad for sure. I be wanting to say something to him. But it’s pointless. He right. Can’t do nothing but be better when I get back in,” Edwards said to Hine. “That’s why I said he right. I get mad, but he right. At the end of the day, I can’t do nothing but take the constructive criticism and come back and show him that I can do it.”

The decision to bench Edwards paid off for Finch, as the Timberwolves went on to win the game 122-104 and Edwards himself ended up as the game’s leading scorer, dropping 28 points and four assists. And this was without the help of Timberwolves All-Stars Karl Anthony-Towns and D’Angelo Russell, both of whom were inactive for the game.

Edwards is posting an excellent sophomore season for Minnesota, averaging 22.3 points, 3.5 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game.

Thanks in part to Edwards, the Timberwolves are in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race, sitting ninth in the West with a record of 17-20, just three games back of the fifth seed Denver Nuggets. Edwards has a chance to make up for his defensive effort on Wednesday when Minnesota resumes play against the OKC Thunder.

The post Anthony Edwards on Benching: Just Needs to ‘Be Better When I Get Back In’ appeared first on SLAM.

One factor that has helped Morant succeed as much as he has in the League is his confidence and swag. Morant is known for his aggressive playstyle, preferring to fearlessly attack the basket similarly to former MVPs and legends like Allen Iverson, Derrick Rose, and Russell Westbrook.

“I don’t fear nobody, dawg. I don’t care if you 7’7″ or whatever. I’m coming straight at you.”

For example, In the Grizzles’ 110-106 victory over the Cavaliers, Morant scored six points in the final 30 seconds of the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead field goal that extended the Grizzlies’ win streak to six. Morant’s final tally for the night was a team-high 26 points, five rebounds, and dished out six assists.

On Tuesday, Morant admitted that he loves being the guy to take clutch shots, and as a point guard, knows his job is to make the right play, whether that’s him shooting or passing. Morant has posted 30.7 points and 6.2 assists during the Grizzlies’ six-game win streak. 

why should i be scared? we put on our shoes the same way . https://t.co/4f1W0sPIdt

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) January 5, 2022

“It was definitely tough to get to the rim against their big guys, but I made some big shots to close it out,” he also said, per ESPN. “It’s a good feeling, knowing everyone has the confidence that I can do it.”

Morant averages 25.1 points, 6.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game for the year while shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from the three-point range. His points and steals per game are career-highs, as well as his shooting marks from the field and long-range. The fact Memphis is 25-14 thanks to Morant’s stellar play has led to Desmond Bane, his teammate, giving him high praise.

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“He’s special,” Bane said per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “People debate whether or not he should be an All-Star, but I think we should be debating whether he’s the best point guard in the League.”

“I don’t think it’s any question he’s an All-Star. The real conversation is, ‘Is he the best point guard in the league?'”

Bane is having a season worthy of praise himself, averaging 17.6 points per game on 46.7 percent shooting, 41.3 percent shooting from three, and 90.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

Morant’s stellar season has helped lift the Grizzlies into the top of a competitive Western Conference, currently fourth in the west with a record of 25-14.

The post ‘I Don’t Fear Nobody, Dawg’: Ja Morant Helps to Seal Grizzlies’ Win Over Cavs appeared first on SLAM.

On Tuesday, Marc Stein reported that Lance Stephenson had signed a 10-day hardship contract with the Atlanta Hawks.

Stephenson is getting the chance with the Hawks as part of the NBA’s new hardship contract program, allowing teams struggling with COVID-19 outbreaks to sign short-term replacement players to continue playing games.

It’s been over two years since Stephenson last suited up for an NBA team, playing 68 games with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2018-19 season and averaging 7.2 points per game in the process.

However, Stephenson is an NBA vet, having played 508 career games with seven different NBA teams. Most will remember Stephenson for his six seasons spent with the Indiana Pacers, where he averaged 9.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game.

If Stephenson suites up for the Hawks during his 10-day contract, that will make Atlanta the eighth different franchise he’s played for in his career.

The Hawks have been hurt hard by the league’s health and safety protocols, with Trae Young, Clint Capela, and Danilo Gallinari all currently unavailable.

The post REPORT: Lance Stephenson Signs 10-Day Contract With Hawks appeared first on SLAM.

Despite the wave of players entering the league’s health and safety protocols, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has no plans to stop the show.

While speaking with ESPN’s Malika Andrews on Tuesday, Silver said the NBA has no plans to pause the season at the moment.

“No plans right now to pause the season,” Silver said. “We have, of course, looked at all the options, but frankly, we are having trouble coming up with what the logic would be behind pausing right now.

“As we look through these cases literally ripping through the country, let alone the rest of the world, I think we’re finding ourselves where we sort of knew we were going to get to over the past several months, and that is this virus will not be eradicated, and we’re going to have to learn to live with it. I think that’s what we’re experiencing in the league right now.”

In the same interview with Andrews, Silver reports that the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 is the predominant variant of the virus among players, accounting for “around probably 90%” of the cases among players.

The recent outbreak in the NBA has been catastrophic, leaving over 80 players currently in the league’s health and safety protocols and requiring several teams to sign players to 10-day hardship contracts to have enough players on the roster for games.

The post NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Says He Has ‘No Plans’ to Pause Season appeared first on SLAM.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA has had 63 players enter the league’s health and safety protocols this season, 47 of whom have been in December before the League insider reported that Kings center Alex Len entered protocols adding a 48th player to the extensive list.

Wojnarowski also notes that two head coaches, Indiana’s Rick Carlisle and Sacramento’s Alvin Gentry, and one executive, Toronto’s Masai Ujiri, have also been placed in protocols.

On Thursday alone, De’Aaron Fox, Russell Westbrook, Bobby Portis, Jabari Walker, Avery Bradley, Isaac Okoro, and Len were all placed in the league’s health and safety protocols.

Several teams have been hit hard by COVID-19; the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings, and Brooklyn Nets all have had multiple players missing due to outbreaks.

The post REPORT: 48 Players Entered Into NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols in December appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, The Atheltic’s Shams Charania reported that the Sacramento Kings are experiencing an outbreak among a “handful of total players entering protocols along with several more staff members.”

According to Charania, a few Kings members have already entered into the league’s health and safety protocols, including staffer; De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III, Alex Len, and interim head coach Alvin Gentry. 

Although he plays for the Kings’ G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings, Louis King also entered protocols per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

This season, the Kings are far from the only team to have an outbreak problem. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Los Angeles Lakers have four players in the League’s protocol after Malik Monk cleared protocols Thursday night. The Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets reached experienced outbreaks of their own in recent weeks.

The Kings’ next game is Friday night at home against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The post REPORT: Sacramento Kings Experiencing COVID Outbreak Among Team appeared first on SLAM.

On Wednesday, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported via his podcast that the New Orleans Pelicans are interested in trading draft picks for Simmons.

“I heard the Pelicans discussed trading future first-round picks and pick swaps with the 76ers for Ben Simmons, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto said.

Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who joined Scotto on the podcast, chimed in that the 76ers aren’t currently looking to trade Simmons for anything less than a star player. That could make a Pelicans trade involving draft picks unlikely.

“They don’t have to move Ben just to move him and not waste a year of Embiid’s prime. They really believe that if they move Simmons for anything less than they value him, they’ll be sacrificing multiple years of Embiid’s prime for not maximizing Simmons as a trade asset,” Fischer said.

Simmons has yet to step on the court for Philadelphia this season, with reports indicating he no longer wants to play for the 76ers. However, when Simmons was playing, he was dominant.

Over four seasons in the NBA, Simmons has been named to three All-Star teams, one All-NBA team, two All-Defensive teams while averaging 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game for his career.

With Simmons’ absence, the 76ers have struggled to open the year, sitting seventh in the Eastern Conference with a record of 15-14. The Pelicans had started slow and toiled even more than their potential trade partner, sitting second bottom of the Western Conference with a 9-21 record.

The post REPORT: Pelicans Looking to Trade Draft Picks for Ben Simmons appeared first on SLAM.

According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, the Pelicans are expected to be buyers at this season’s trade deadline, not sellers.

“The New Orleans Pelicans, while awaiting Zion Williamson’s season debut, are still expected to be buyers ahead of the trade deadline, with an eye toward competing for the play-in tournament.”

Fischer goes on to report that one player potentially on the trade market is center Jaxson Hayes. Sources tell Fischer that Hayes is “considered available” by league sources.

Since being drafted eighth overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, Hayes has struggled to see the court for New Orleans over his three seasons, averaging 15.8 minutes, 7.2 points, and 4.0 rebounds per game over his career.

Hayes has even seen a dip in his minutes this season, dropping from 16.1 minutes per game last season to 11.7 minutes per game this season.

Regardless of what the Pelicans decide to do in the trade market, the future of their season is mainly in the hands of Zion Williamson, who has yet to see the court for New Orleans this season. Williamson has been recovering from a foot injury suffered during the offseason, and the All-Star has seen his rehab process be delayed throughout the start of the season.

The post REPORT: Pelicans Expected to be Buyers in NBA Trade Market appeared first on SLAM.

According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, the Los Angeles Lakers have had internal discussions about trading Westbrook before the trade deadline.

“The trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook simply hasn’t blended as well as Lakers figures hoped, and Los Angeles has held internal discussions on trade scenarios for Russell Westbrook, league sources told B/R. But moving Westbrook and the two years, $91 million remaining on his contract does seem unlikely,” Fischer wrote.

Fischer notes that the problem the Lakers would encounter if they’re serious about trading Westbrook is that few players across the league can both match his salary of more than $41 million per year and be available to be traded.

Fischer mentions Kevin Love and John Wall as high-salary options, but tabs both as unlikely. The disgruntled Ben Simmons was also named as a possibility, but Fischer reports that Westbrook is not on the Philadelphia 76ers list of players they’d be willing to trade for Simmons.

The Lakers have had a disappointing start to their season, currently sixth-best in the Western Conference with a record of 15-13.

The post REPORT: Russell Westbrook Trade ‘Discussed Internally’ By Lakers appeared first on SLAM.

Kevin Love has been the subject of trade rumors for years on the Cavs, but the recent winning culture has seen him happy with his situation.

When speaking with Evan Dammarell of Meta, Love said he was “having a lot of fun” with the young and improving Cavs team.

“I’m having a lot of fun. Really, it’s been a lot of fun watching this team grow. It’s so fun I’m losing track of games, I don’t even know what game we’re at now. I think sacrifice gives back more than the cost. … It’s joyous.”

The Cavs young squad has been rolling to start the year, sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 17-12, just 3.5 games back of the 19-8, first-place Brooklyn Nets.

The surging Cavs are led by third-year guard Darius Garland, fourth-year big Jarrett Allen, and rookie center Evan Mobley, but Love’s contributions have also been significant. Love is coming off the bench this year, and in 21 games, he is averaging 11.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Love is in his 14th season in the NBA and his eighth with the Cavs, playing in 759 career games, and has is a five-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection.

The post Kevin Love Says He’s ‘Having A Lot of Fun’ With Young Cavaliers Team appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, The Atheltic’s Shams Charania reported that Pelicans point guard Kira Lewis Jr. will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL and a grade 2 MCL sprain.

Lewis suffered the injury on Wednesday night during the second quarter of the Pelicans 120-114 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

The injury to Lewis is a tough blow for a Pelicans team that needs all the help they can get, sitting last in the Western Conference with a record of 7-20.

The Pelicans have been struggling with injuries all season. All-Star Zion Williamson still has yet to play a game this season, and starters Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart have missed significant time.

Lewis is in his second season in the NBA after New Orleans drafted him 14th overall out of the University of Alabama. Lewis has had minimal playing time over his 78 career games, averaging 16 minutes and 6.2 points per game.

However, Lewis is still one of the youngest players in the NBA at just 20-years-old, so there will still be plenty of time for the youngster to get his career trajectory on track.

The post Kira Lewis Jr. Out For the Season With Torn ACL appeared first on SLAM.

In an interview with The Atheltic’s Jared Weiss, Turner indicated he was unhappy with his current situation with the Indiana Pacers.

“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 The Athletic Tuesday. “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.”

During much of his seven-year tenure with the Pacers, Turner has been in and out of trade rumors. However, despite being unhappy with his role, Turner has put up big numbers, averaging 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game over his career. He has also led the League in blocks per game in two seasons.

The Pacers haven’t had the success they would like to start the season. They’re currently 13th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 11-16. Despite this, Turner has played well, averaging 12.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and an NBA-best 2.8 blocks per game.

Turner isn’t the only Pacer recently involved in trade rumors, with Domantas Sabonis and Caris LeVert being named as others potentially in the mix.

The post Myles Turner on Current Role With Pacers: ‘I Want Something More’ appeared first on SLAM.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell will be out for “several months” after having surgery on his right hand to repair torn ligaments.

McConnell suffered the injury in the Pacers 114-110 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Dec. 1 and has not played in either of the Pacers’ games since.

According to further reporting from ESPN, McConnell will be in a cast for 10-12 weeks, and he will be re-evaluated after that period.

McConnell’s injury is a tough blow to a Pacers team already struggling this season, currently 10-16 good for 13th in the Eastern Conference standings and fourth in the Central Division.

McConnell is averaging 8.4 points, and 4.8 assists on 24.2 minutes per game this season, primarily doing so off the bench for Indiana. Throughout his career, McConnell has played in 478 games averaging 6.8 points and 5.0 assists per game. He is in the first year of a four-year $35.2 million deal signed in the offseason.

The post REPORT: T.J. McConnell Out ‘Multiple Months’ After Surgery on Hand appeared first on SLAM.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Lillard wants a two-year $107 million extension this summer. Still, potential candidates for the Blazers open general manager position are reluctant to give it to him.

“Among several top-level GM candidates who fit the profile of Portland’s applicant pool, there’s no enthusiasm to grant Lillard his massive extension contract through the 2026-27 season,” Wojnarowski reports.

Wojnarowski reports that several candidates for the Blazers general manager position would be more interested in the job if they were able to trade Lillard instead of extending him.

“In fact, several executives told ESPN they would be far more interested in the Blazers job with ownership’s blessing to move Lillard sooner than later,” Woj said.

The Blazers’ front office is in turmoil after firing long-time general manager and president of basketball operations Neil Olshey after an internal investigation into him creating a hostile work environment on Friday. Portland promoted Joe Cronin to interim general manager after ousting Olshey last week.

Were Lillard to depart the Blazers, it would be the end of an era. Lillard has played in 702 career games, all for Portland has been named to six All-Star teams, six All-NBA teams, and was a member of the NBA’s 75th-anniversary team.

Over his 10-year career, Lillard has averaged 24.6 points and 6.7 assists per game.

The post REPORT: ‘No Enthusiasm’ Among Portland GM Candidates to Give Damian Lillard Extension appeared first on SLAM.

According to Shams Charania of The Atheltic, starting Jan. 15 of next year, Canada will begin requiring all individuals entering the country to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

This will impact any team playing the Toronto Raptors with unvaccinated players, as those players will be unable to go on the trip up north.

The impact of this could be even more drastic come the spring. The Raptors are on the fringes of a play-in spot with a record of 11-13 and are just 1.5 games back of the 10 seed and 2.5 back of the six seed, the lowest seed that skips the play-in.

If the Raptors make the playoffs, any unvaccinated players will not play all games in Toronto over a seven-game series.

Thankfully, the NBA has an incredibly high vaccination rate across the League. According to League insider Adrian Wojnarowski, 97 percent of NBA players are reportedly vaccinated. More than 60 percent of players have received a booster shot per Woj. 

According to Charania, any player who cannot play in Canada due to their vaccination status may be penalized with a “fine, suspension, or other action” from the NBA.

The Raptors play Thursday at home against the Thunder (7-16).

The post Starting in January, Unvaccinated Players Will be Unable to Play in Toronto appeared first on SLAM.

Celtics star Jayson Tatum was the subject of a lot of criticism last month when ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reported a quote from an anonymous assistant coach in the Eastern Conference criticizing Tatum’s desire to win.

“Jayson Tatum is about Jayson Tatum,” an Eastern Conference assistant coach said. “I don’t think he cares about winning now, and if he does, it is on his terms.

“He doesn’t want to score 15 and win. He wants to score 39 and win.”

Stevens, now the president of basketball operations for the Celtics, slammed the quote calling it “idiotic” when speaking on the Toucher and Rich show on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

“That quote was absolutely ridiculous, to be honest,” Stevens said. “I don’t ever react to that stuff, and I actually sent a note to one of the people I work with like ‘this is idiotic.'”

Tatum himself has even spoken publically about the reports on Wednesday.

Tatum has more than shown his worth as an NBA player, already being named to two All-Star teams in his first four full seasons in the league, and is averaging 19.7 points per game over his career.

However, it’s easy to see why he’s being criticized heavily this season. Tatum is holding career lows in both field goal percentage (39.7%) and three-point percentage (31.9%). Tatum has also taken a small step back as a play-maker, dropping from a career-high 4.3 assists per game last season to 3.6 this season.

It’s also much easier to criticize a player for not wanting to win when his team isn’t playing up to their previous standard. Boston is currently 8th in the Eastern Conference, holding a 12-10 record.

The post Brad Stevens Slams Anonymous Quotes Criticizing Tatum appeared first on SLAM.

According to The Atheltic’s Shams Charania, Irving, who is sitting out because he has not gotten vaccinated against COVID-19, won’t step on the court this year unless he is traded from the Nets.

The Nets are reportedly not shying away from any potential trades either. According to Ian Begley of SNY, the Nets are open to a potential trade of Irving, but nobody has come calling with an offer yet.

“To that end, it’s worth noting that, as of late last month, Brooklyn remained open to talking trades involving Irving, per SNY sources. ESPN reported that the Nets were taking calls on potential Irving moves in late October but are not making them. In the weeks following that report, several teams said Brooklyn has continued to take that approach with the All-Star guard,” Begley wrote.

Between reporting from Begley and Charania, it’s safe to assume that Irving won’t be playing an NBA game any time soon.

The Nets have been on a roll despite Irving’s absence this season. Led by Kevin Durant, the Nets are first in the Eastern Conference with a 15-6 record, one game ahead of the Chicago Bulls.

The post REPORT: Kyrie Irving Won’t Play This Year Unless Traded appeared first on SLAM.

Davis told reporters, including Kurt Helin from NBC Sports, that he wouldn’t be stopping any time soon despite a sluggish start to the year shooting the ball from deep.

“I’m going to continue to shoot the ball from 3, whether it goes in or not,” Davis said. “I think that opens up the floor for my teammates — LeBron [James], Russ [Westbrook], Talo [Talen Horton-Tucker] — to get downhill. And it opens it up for me to get to the paint when guys run out and are closing out to the three.”

Davis’ shooting numbers are admittedly a brutal sight. Through 21 games, Davis is shooting a woeful 19.6 percent from three on 2.1 attempts per game this season.

The Brows’ shooting struggles are a continuation of a slightly concerning trend for Davis. For the past three consecutive seasons, not including the current season, Davis has finished the year with a worse three-point percentage than he did the year before. In the 2017-18 season, Davis finished shooting 34.0 percent from distance; he lowered that number every season since before dropping to 26 percent by the end of last season.

If he finishes the current season below 20 percent from beyond the arc, it’ll be the fourth season in a row he ends with a lower mark than the year prior.

Despite a poor season from the three-point line, Davis is still putting up All-Star level scoring numbers averaging 24.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game on 51.8 percent shooting from the field this year.

The Lakers have not had the hot start they would have wanted either, currently sitting eighth in the Western Conference with a record of 12-11.

The post Anthony Davis Speaks on Slow Shooting Start to Season appeared first on SLAM.

But there’s one name that currently sits atop the list that may come as a surprise, Jonas Valanciunas.

Valanciunas is currently the NBA’s leader in three-point percentage, shooting at an astounding 51.7 three-point clip, nearly four percentage points higher than Mills’ mark of 47.8.

Last season, Valanciunas was a 36.8 percent three-point shooter, and his previous career-best mark from beyond the line came from the 2017-18 campaign, where he shot 40.5 percent on 1.0 attempts per game.

Valanciunas’ numbers are helped out from his unbelievable effort on Monday night, where Valanciunas went 7-for-7 from deep in the first half of the Pelicans 123-104 win over the Los Angeles Clipper.

In total, Valanciunas ended the night with 39 points and 15 rebounds.

To be fair to others on the list, Valanciunas notably has fewer three-point attempts than others on the leaderboard, having shot 58 so far this season compared to Mills’ 138 attempts or Harris’ 88 attempts.

Valanciunas’ hot shooting start has not led to wins thus far for the Pelicans. So far this season, the Pelicans are 14th in the Western Conference with a record of 6-17, beating out only the 4-16 Houston Rockets. The Pelicans look to build on their latest win Tuesday against the Dallas Mavericks (10-9).

The post Jonas Valanciunas Has Emerged As the League’s Three-Point Percentage Leader appeared first on SLAM.

According to Kerith Burke of NBC Sports, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that Klay Thompson is back to playing 5-on-5 basketball and is going “full bore.”

On Tuesday, Thompson also spoke to media, including Nick Friedell of ESPN, and talked about his return to play and how excited he is to be back on the court.

“It’s so exciting … the boring stuff’s behind me — I’m just incredibly grateful to be out there,” Thomspon said per Friedell.

Thompson has been out since the 2019 NBA Finals, missing the entirety of the 2019-20 season with a torn ACL and all of the 2020-2021 campaign with a torn Achilles injury.

When Thompson was last suited up for Golden State, he was one of the league’s best two-way players. Thompson has accumulated five All-Star appearances, was named to two All-NBA teams and was a member of the 2018-19 All-Defensive team.

Over his career, Thompson is averaging 19.5 points per game and is shooting 41.9 percent from distance.

So far this season, the Warriors have the best record in the NBA, sitting at 15-2 one game above the reigning Western Conference champion Phoneix Suns.

The post Klay Thompson on Return to Playing Basketball: ‘It’s so Exciting’ appeared first on SLAM.

The only player left in the NBA from that team is Los Angeles Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo.

When speaking with Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register, Rondo opened up about his experience on that Celtics championship team and talked about being the only player left from the roster.

“It’s life. I’m on my last leg here in the League. I think I got another six years, but other than that,” Rondo joked.

Rondo also talked with Goon about how his stint with the Celtics was a great period of his NBA career and mentioned how great it has been playing for their rival.

“It’s been an amazing journey in my career,” Rondo said. “To start in Boston, nine years, this is kind of place that raised me and possibly ending my career with the rival, but for me, like there’s been a great journey, a great story and fans have been amazing in both places.”

Led by Rondo, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, the 2008 Celtics took down a Lakers team led by Kobe Bryant in six games.

Rondo has put together a solid career for himself, being named to four All-Star teams, four All-Defensive teams, one All-NBA team, and won a second NBA Championship in 2020 with the Lakers.

Still contributing in his 16th season in the NBA, Rondo provides valuable minutes to a Lakers team looking for its second championship in three years. Rondo is averaging 15.3 minutes, 3.3 points, and 3.8 assists per game this season.

The post Rajon Rondo Reflects On His Career: ‘I’m On My Last Leg Here in the League’ appeared first on SLAM.

When speaking with Brian Lewis of the New York Post, Aldridge discussed how he’s adjusting thus far to an unfamiliar role late in his career.

“It’s’ very difficult. You’ve’ been one type of player or a certain type of player your whole career. It’s’ definitely different coming off the bench and not playing much,” Aldridge said. “So it’s’ been difficult… I’m’ still trying to figure it out and navigate it and find my spots. And I’m’ just trying to find my ways to try and help out.”

When checking out his numbers, you’d be surprised that Aldridge is struggling to adjust. Coming off the bench in all 17 of the games he’s played this season, Aldridge is averaging 13.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.

It wasn’t even a certainty that Aldridge would be playing this season; he retired early last year after feeling the effects of an irregular heartbeat. The issue is a symptom of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a disease that can cause a rapid heartbeat that Aldridge was diagnosed with during his rookie season. 

Per Sham Charania of The Athletic, the seven-time All-Star received medical clearance to return to play in September, and the Nets would eventually bring him back to the fold.

Partly due to Aldridge’s efforts, the Nets are sitting atop the Eastern Conference with a record of 13-5, one game ahead of both the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat.

Aldridge has had a career to remember, playing in 15 seasons and being named to seven All-Star teams, five All-NBA teams, and playing in over 1,000 career games.

The post LaMarcus Aldridge on Coming Off the Bench: ‘It’s Very Difficult’ appeared first on SLAM.

According to Sam Amick of The Atheltic, the 76ers have a list of around 30 players they would be willing to trade for Simmons.

“Here’s the part that may come as a surprise: A source with knowledge of the list said there are approximately 30 players who would satisfy the Sixers in a Simmons swap, and there’s an internal belief that a fair amount of them — let’s say five to 10 — could become available in the next year or two,” Amick wrote.

Amick also goes on to report that his sources within the 76ers believe “this is like a multi-year thing.”

Simmons has yet to play for the 76ers this year, citing mental health struggles as the reason for his absence. Simmons has also made it clear to Philadelphia that he wants to be traded out of the organization. However, Ammick wrote that when Simmons met with Sixers personnel in LA with his agent, Rich Paul, mental health was reportedly not the motive behind his dissatisfaction.

“This is no longer about a trade,” Paul said. “This is about finding a place where we can help Ben get back to his mental strength and get back on the floor. I want him on the floor playing the game that he loves. I want Ben on the floor, whether that’s in a 76ers uniform or any other uniform. That’s not up to me, but I want him in a state where he can resume play. We want to cooperate and want to work him back on the floor.

Without Simmons, the 76ers have gotten off to a mediocre start to the year, holding a record of 8-7 and sitting seventh in the Eastern Conference. The 76ers return to action Saturday opposite the Trail Blazers (8-8).

The post REPORT: 76ers Have List of ‘Approximately 30 Players’ for Ben Simmons Trade appeared first on SLAM.

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Miami Heat have expressed interest in Wall, but some complications exist.

“Though the Heat would have interest in adding point guard John Wall if he’s bought out by Houston, ESPN said that’s not happening because Wall doesn’t want to give up his $47.4 million player option next season, let alone his $44.3 million salary this season,” Jackson wrote.

Wall’s salary keeping him tied to the Houston Rockets is an issue because, at the moment, Wall is not playing for Houston, and reports indicate that the Rockets have no interest in playing Wall at any point this season.

With this year plus Wall’s player option left on his contract, he could be inactive on Houston’s roster until 2023 unless a team agrees to trade or Wall agrees to a buyout, and he gives up his salary.

Wall has struggled to stay on the court for the past few seasons, not playing more than 41 games since the 2016-17 season. But when Wall is healthy and playing, he’s one of the most dynamic point guards in the league, holding career averages of 19.1 points, 9.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.

The Rockets have had an abysmal start to the season, sitting dead last in the NBA with a record of 1-14. The Heat have had the exact opposite start to their season, currently tied for first in the Eastern Conference at 11-5.

The post REPORT: Heat Have Interest in John Wall if he is Bought Out appeared first on SLAM.

Another key player to the team, Draymond Green, chimed in when speaking with Michael Lee of the Washington Post about the lack of respect he feels those teams, and Durant, got for their success.

“Everybody criticized it. Everybody criticized Kevin. Everybody criticized us. They didn’t appreciate it,” said Green. “But people usually don’t appreciate greatness until they no longer have it. We appreciated it. And that’s all that matters.”

Those Warriors teams were truly great, too, racking up five consecutive NBA Championship appearances from 2015 to 2019, winning three NBA Championships, and having the best regular season in NBA history in 2015-16, going 73-9.

And don’t look now, but the Warriors – minus Durant – are off to another hot start this season, thanks to Green and Steph Curry. So far this year, the Warriors are an NBA best 13-2 and still are awaiting the return of All-Star Klay Thompson and James Wiseman.

Durant is currently plying his trade on the east coast with the Brooklyn Nets, who are also starting the season strong tied for first in the Eastern Conference at 11-5. The Warriors complete a back-to-back Friday against the Pistons (4-10) while the Nets play the Magic (4-11) the same night.

The post Draymond Green On Warriors Dynasty: ‘Everybody Criticized Us’ appeared first on SLAM.

There is good news, though, Mavs fans! According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the Mavericks believe the ankle injury is “not too serious.”

MacMahon also reported that Doncic will miss some time, but the Mavs hope it’s “not an extended stretch.”

Doncic will miss at least one game, as he’s already been ruled out by the Mavericks for their Wednesday night game against the Phoenix Suns (10-3).

Dallas will undoubtedly miss Doncic’s contributions, as he’s been one of the best players in the NBA since his rookie season in 2018-19. Through four seasons, Doncic has averaged 25.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game.

Doncic has also already been named to two All-Star teams and two All-NBA teams, and with his numbers early on this season, he could easily up those numbers to three. Doncic is averaging 24.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game so far this season.

The Mavs have had a strong start to the season under new head coach Jason Kidd, and are currently third in the Western Conference with a record of 9-4.

The post REPORT: Mavericks Not Concerned About Luka Doncic’s Ankle Injury appeared first on SLAM.

Antetokounmpo said during an interview with GQ’s Zach Baron that his future could lie elsewhere than Wisconson.

“One challenge was to bring a championship here and we did,” he told GQ. “It was very hard, but we did. Very, very hard. I just love challenges. What’s the next challenge? The next challenge might not be here.

“Me and my family chose to stay in this city that we all love and has taken care of us—for now,” Giannis continued. “In two years, that might change. I’m being totally honest with you. I’m always honest. I love this city. I love this community. I want to help as much as possible.”

Regardless of Antetokounmpo’s future plans, he is one of the best players in the franchise’s history, getting named to five All-Star teams, winning two MVP awards, and helping Milwaukee win the 2021 NBA Championship. Through nine seasons, Antetokounmpo has career averages of 21.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.

The Bucks are experiencing a bit of a championship hangover to start this season, currently sitting 11th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 6-8. Antetokounmpo, however, has been excellent, averaging 26.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.

On another positive note for Bucks fans, Antetokounmpo still has three guaranteed years left on his contract, as this is the first year of his five-year $228,200,420 contract extension. The fifth and final year of the deal contains a player option for Antetokounmpo.

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo on Future in Milwaukee: ‘Next Challenge Might Not Be Here’ appeared first on SLAM.

According to ESPN’s Andrew Lopez, Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson has been cleared for contact drills and will start with 1-on-1 workouts.

Lopez also reports that Williamson will be evaluated to see if he can return to full-team workouts on Nov. 24. No decisions will be made about a timetable to return to games until Nov. 24 as well.

However, on Monday, it was reported by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst that Williamson is not expected to return any time soon.

Williamson has missed every game so far this year for the Pelicans as he is rehabbing from a fractured right foot.

The Pelicans need Williamson back fast, as the start of the season has been a disaster for New Orleans. The Pelicans currently hold the second-worst record in the League at 2-13, beating out only the 1-13 Houston Rockets.

Williamson has had a high-level impact for New Orleans in his two seasons thus far, averaging 25.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Williamson was also named an All-Star last season and was a member of the 2019-20 All-Rookie team.

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