Down since DAY 1? You’ve probably noticed that we’re celebrating our 30th anniversary this year. Yep, we’ve been handling business since 1994 (quick math) and holding it down ever since.

A dope year for many reasons, 1994 was not only our birth year but hip-hop and fashion were at all-time pinnacles. Nas dropped Illmatic. The Fugees dropped Blunted on Reality. Biggie dropped Ready to Die. In the world of fashion, things were popping off, too—NBA fan gear was a staple for any kid who valued style and popularity, with any article of clothing involving the Orlando Magic or Charlotte Hornets a safe bet for fitting in with the coolest kids in school. Think about it…this was the year that Scottie rocked bright red Air Maestros for his ASG MVP performance. Like I said, it was a dope year! And to top it all off, Larry Johnson was the baddest mofo on the basketball planet (apart from JR Rider…maybe…)

In many ways, LJ would epitomize what this magazine is all about and set the stage for what we would become. His cover was busy and eye-catching, with the OG SLAM logo smacking us in the face alongside a plethora of cover lines, each one pulling us in. Johnson was front and center, “Grandmama” in all his glory—gold tooth, teal pinstripes and throwing down a jam from his underrated Dunk Contest performance. The cover wasn’t watered down but instead added an exclamation mark to a side of NBA basketball that other publications disregarded: the personality of the game.

In a recent interview, Johnson discussed the fact that he’s asked about this cover all the time. Like SLAM, his impact on the League goes far beyond the game itself. The Larry Johnson of 1994 embodied the legacy that would follow for both his career and the future of this publication.

SLAM has been the theme song of many a storied NBA career, celebrating the talent, style and personality of your favorite icons. Shout out to everyone who’s been down since LJ.

The post The SLAM Archives: SLAM 1 Featuring Larry Johnson From Spring of 1994 appeared first on SLAM.

“In tennis you can tell who has control of the point by the depth of the players,” Kerr told the media back in 2022. “If you’re pressuring (in basketball) and get them starting their offense well above the three-point line you’re controlling the possession.”

As someone who started playing tennis about 10 years ago, and still continues to love the game today, I’m pretty familiar with the ins and outs of it. But when I had the opportunity to intern for SLAM in New York City, that’s when I was fully introduced to the world of basketball. After researching different players, watching highlights and helping organize older issues of SLAM, I started to think more about what the two sports could possibly learn from each other. 

Let’s keep it real, professional hoopers are just as into other sports as they are basketball, whether it’s golf or even tennis. Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward used to play tennis as a kid and once said that if basketball didn’t work out, he would’ve tried going pro in tennis. He still credits tennis for most of his mental game and says he still enjoys playing at home in his free time.

Meanwhile, tennis players like Frances Tiafoe also have a love for the game. Tiafoe even played in the 2023 NBA All-Star Celebrity game this year. 

There’s a lot that both games have in common—from popularity to the fact that both basketball and tennis are global sports. But there’s also a lot they can learn from each other.

SLAM let me have some fun with it during my internship and think creatively about what they might look like. 

Give tennis fans more freedom at matches to make the experience more enjoyable

When you’re at a tennis game the rules are pretty strict. If a stadium worker sees you standing, they’ll immediately run over to tell you to take your seat. If the umpire hears too much talking before a point, they’ll make an announcement for it to be quieter. When these types of things happen while you’re trying to enjoy a match, it can make you feel annoyed and not want to be there instead of enhancing the live sports experience. In this case, tennis can look to the NBA and see how players feed off the crowd’s energy. Why do you think teams have an at home advantage? If the tennis world eases up a bit and lets the audience go as crazy as they please, the experience for the viewer will be on a different level. It might even encourage more people to attend. 

What if tennis had two-way contracts and a G League?

The two-way contact has been monumental for the NBA and its players. By giving the athletes the opportunity to bounce between two clubs, it allows them the chance to adapt to pro ball rather than just being dropped in and expecting to produce from Day 1. Tennis should try a concept like this, especially since it can be hard for an up-and-coming player to break through while playing against the best. Without high rankings, they end up playing the top seeds and losing right away. 

If there were some sort of starter league where they could play before, or even a two-way type of contract, that could be way more beneficial for a player’s career.

Tennis needs a set season and a championship

Without a set season like the NBA, a tennis “season” starts to feel endless. There’s a new tournament every two weeks or so, and at the end of November, they get about five weeks off before it just restarts. While the NBA has now become a year-round game in terms of coverage, there’s an ebb and flow to the season with the playoffs being the most exciting time to conclude the season. 

Perhaps tennis should look to the PGA in terms of a playoff and championship model outside of the majors to add to the storytelling and drama of competing for a title each year.

The NBA could benefit from installing the Hawk-Eye computer vision system to make calls

In the past few years tennis has installed a camera system that makes all the calls exact. It’s changed the game. If basketball were to install this type of technology it could save not only time, but any confusion/skepticism on certain calls. Whether it’s for fouls or who hit it out of bounds, this could also be highly beneficial for the refs. 

Tennis should have an All-Star Weekend

NBA All-Star Weekend is when the League’s best players come together and compete in games and skills competitions. Tennis desperately needs something like this, and it would certainly draw some much-needed attention for the sport’s up-and-coming stars. From the skills competition to legends playing doubles (or pickleball as we just saw in Florida), having fun with the game and putting individual rivalries aside for a weekend would help propel the sport forward.

Basketball should have more men’s and women’s overlap at events

In all tennis tournaments there’s a men’s and a women’s draw going on at the same time. That means the game’s biggest stars, regardless of gender, are all in one place. Tennis is able to incorporate men’s, women’s, doubles, juniors, and even wheelchairs all in the same tournament. So why can’t we see that in basketball? Could the NBA season overlap with the WNBA season and have more crossover type of events? We’ve seen it a little during NBA All-Star Weekend through the years, but in more of an exhibition vs. competitive format. 

Tennis stars need to engage the crowd more

NBA players like Jayson Tatum will hit a crazy shot or make a great play and then engage with the crowd. The audience lives for that, and that feeling between players and fans makes the game even more exciting. Tennis doesn’t have that as much because the players tend to stay locked in (sure, they may yell for a second after winning a big point, but it’s just not the same). It’s no surprise that tickets to Nick Kyrgios’ matches sell more than any top player, and it’s time for the rest of the tour to tap into that same energy.

Allow tennis fans to cheer and yell during points

Imagine a silent NBA game. Not the same, right? In tennis, you can hear a pin drop throughout the arena while a point is being played, and fans are immediately shushed if they start to yell during points. While the silence may sometimes make the point more intense, it’s about time we start letting the fans get more into the game.

Let tennis fans walk to their seats at any moment during the match

Tennis only allows people to walk to their seats on a change over, which is every odd-numbered game. If you run to the bathroom or go to grab a drink and get back as they restart, you could be waiting to get in for over 10 minutes (and no one wants to do that). While you may have to wait a second if you’re sitting courtside at an NBA game, you can walk to your seats at any given moment, which encourages fans to feel like every game is truly an experience. 

Find ways to get the next generation of fans more into tennis

How do we make tennis more exciting and get the next generation to love the sport just as much as the rest of us do? Let’s look to the NBA. By marketing marquee matchups and following the game’s biggest stars from high school to college to the League, players are building a fanbase before they ever step on an NBA court. By unifying youth tennis and with more consistent storytelling, the hype will match the talent by the time they take center court at their first major.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post 10 Things the NBA and Tennis Can Learn From Each Other appeared first on SLAM.

The AEC has built an extensive alumni base of top-tier players, including McDonald’s All-Americans, major D1 college stars, and current NBA and WNBA players.

This year’s AEC game features the following top Boys & Girls from across the country: 

ACES® is a storytelling platform for athletes to authentically share their stories through products, brand collaborations and events. It was founded by former pro hooper turned CEO, Brian Kortovich, who joined the ranks of Kevin Durant and Dr. J, Joe “The Destroyer” Hammond, when he won a scoring title at Rucker Park in the summer of 2012. Since its inception, ACES has always been rooted into the heart of hoops culture, which continues this year as they spotlight some of the nation’s best high school basketball players. 

“ACES was born from the grassroots of basketball, earning its way into hoops cultural relevance by allowing athletes to tell their stories, augment their brands, while bringing local communities together through our annual events, such as the upcoming ACES Elite Classic (AEC), our annual High School All-American Games,” says Founder and CEO Brian Kortovich. AEC consistently attracts the top ranked high school players in the country to New York City and empowers them with a platform to showcase their talents  on a national level, organically share their stories and expand their opportunities. We look forward to building upon that tradition this year.”

Over the past few year’s, the ACES talent showcase has featured standout participants including UConn and SLAM 235 co-cover star Azzi Fudd and NCAA national champions in both Kansas’ Kyle Cuffe Jr and LSU’s Katie Poole. In the past, Jahvon “JQ” Quinerly from Alabama, Minnesota Timberwolves’ center Naz Reid, Orlando Magic’s PG Cole Anthony, Los Angeles Lakers’ forward Mo Bamba, Pelicans’ PG Jose Alvarado, Warriors’ SF Johnathan Kuminga, Charlotte Hornets’ SG James Bouknight, and the No. 3 pick by the Dallas Wings in this this year’s WNBA Draft, Villanova standout Maddie Siegrist—to name a few. 

The post Nation’s Best to Compete in the ACES Elite Classic in NYC on May 10 appeared first on SLAM.

The 6-7 forward was the obvious choice for this month’s “G League Player to Watch”—not just because of his absurd individual production, but because he led the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on an impressive run to sneak into the playoffs.

First, a brief history lesson. Rio Grande Valley (RGV) has been the most successful franchise in the history of the NBA’s official minor league, reaching six finals and claiming four championships since 2010. Last season, an RGV squad led by MVP Trevelin Queen cruised to the title, going undefeated in the playoffs. The Vipers also won it all in 2019 with a roster that included Gary Payton II and Isaiah Hartenstein.

This year…it wasn’t looking good. Heading into March—the last month of the regular season—RGV had a 10-12 record. The team had dropped four of its previous five, including an embarrassing 26-point loss to the South Bay Lakers at home. If the Vipers wanted to keep their streak of six straight playoff appearances (excluding the season canceled due to COVID) alive, then they had to turn things around right away.

OK, back to Days. An undrafted rookie out of LSU, he signed a Two-Way contract with the Houston Rockets back in October. The 23-year-old is an extremely versatile forward, capable of filling multiple positions with his size, strength and mobility. He has spent most of this season with the Vipers and proven to be a reliable 3-and-D player. At the beginning of March, he stepped up big time…

27 points, 7 rebounds vs. Oklahoma City

33 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals vs. Birmingham

26 points, 10 rebounds vs. Greensboro

28 points, 11 rebounds vs. Iowa

32 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals vs. Iowa

22 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals vs. Memphis

The Vipers won all six of those games to climb back into the playoff picture, and after splitting their next four, they locked up the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference. Days posted 25.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game across that stretch, shooting 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from three. He barely turned the ball over—just seven times in 10 games—despite averaging 38.6 minutes (the fifth highest mark in the league). Less than 72 hours after the Vipers clinched their playoff spot, he was named G League Player of the Month for March.

The Vipers upset the 2-seed Lakers in the Conference quarterfinals with guard Jalen Lecque sealing the deal with this tough game-winning lay-up. And Days? He delivered, of course: 21 points (on 7/13 shooting), 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. 

You can catch Days and the Vipers in the G League Finals as they face off against the Delaware Blue Coats. Tune in now through April 9 on ESPNU and ESPNews.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Luka Garza, Forward, Iowa Wolves: 30.5 points, 10 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, 68 FG%, 46 3P% (4 GP)

Carlik Jones, Guard, Windy City Bulls: 26.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6 assists, 2.3 steals, 46 FG%, 35 3P%

Jahmi’us Ramsey, Guard, Oklahoma City Blue: 26 points, 4.4 rebounds, 58 FG%, 38 3P%

Lester Quinones, Guard, Santa Cruz Warriors: 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 46 FG%

Jack White, Forward, Grand Rapids Gold: 23.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 55 FG%, 38 3P%

Trevelin Queen, Guard, Fort Wayne Mad Ants: 23.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.1 steals, 50 FG%

Mfiondu Kabengele, Forward, Maine Celtics: 21.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, 61 FG%, 41 3P%

Zavier Simpson, Guard, Lakeland Magic: 17.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 1.7 steals, 50 FG%, 43 3P%

REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS

Eastern Conference: Long Island Nets (23-9)

Western Conference: Stockton Kings (25-7)

Scoring Champ: Carlik Jones (26.1)

Assists Champ: Jacob Gilyard (9.7)

Rebounds Champ: Jayce Johnson (13.5)

Blocks Champ: Jay Huff (3.1)

Steals Champ: Jaden Springer (2.3)

3PT Champ: Mychal Mulder (129)

MARCH CALL-UPS

Luka Samanic, Forward, Maine Celtics to Utah Jazz

Xavier Sneed, Forward, Greensboro Swarm to Charlotte Hornets

Jay Scrubb, Guard, Lakeland Magic to Orlando Magic

Lester Quinones, Guard, Santa Cruz Warriors to Golden State Warriors (twice this month)

Trevor Keels, Guard, Westchester Knicks to New York Knicks

Lindell Wiggington, Guard, Wisconsin Herd to Milwaukee Bucks

Jamaree Bouyea, Guard, Sioux Falls Skyforce to Washington Wizards

Jared Butler, Guard, Grand Rapids Gold to Oklahoma City Thunder

Sam Merrill, Guard, Cleveland Charge to Cleveland Cavaliers

Jay Huff, Center, South Bay Lakers to Washington Wizards

Xavier Moon, Guard, Ontario Clippers to Los Angeles Clippers

More below:

Willie Cauley-Stein, Center, Rio Grande Valley Vipers to Houston Rockets

Kobi Simmons, Guard, Greensboro Swarm to Charlotte Hornets

Gabe York, Guard, Fort Wayne Mad Ants to Indiana Pacers

Skylar Mays, Guard, Mexico City Capitanes to Portland Trail Blazers

Shaquille Harrison, Guard, South Bay Lakers to Portland Trail Blazers

Jeenathan Williams, Guard, Salt Lake City Stars to Portland Trail Blazers

Justin Minaya, Forward, Mexico City Capitanes to Portland Trail Blazers

Photos via Getty Images.

The post G League Player to Watch (March): Darius Days appeared first on SLAM.

Frank Jackson was 12 years old when he first arrived in the small city of Lehi, UT. After growing up in the Washington DC area and spending two years in Hood River, OR, the Jackson family made the move to the Beehive State, where Frank’s mom, Juleen, is from. 

“As a kid, I always felt like an outsider,” Jackson tells SLAM. “I was always moving. I was never the coach’s son. I was always the kid from out of town.”

Still, it didn’t take long for Jackson to be introduced to Lehi’s basketball community. A gym nearby (just north of Thanksgiving Point) called “Open Court” was one of the go-to spots for top players in Utah. The building would later be renamed “Flash Factory” after Brandt Anderson, owner of the NBA D-League’s Utah Flash, purchased it in 2008 and made it the team’s practice facility.

Jackson, who has been playing for the Salt Lake City Stars (Utah’s new G League affiliate) this season and just signed a 10-day contract with the Jazz, has fond memories of watching the Flash back then. “I would go to those games,” he recalls. “I thought they were the coolest things ever.”

It was in Lehi where Jackson’s game really took off. “Kids like to compete out here,” Jackson says, “and they’ll do anything to win. You see kids busting their tails every day trying to be the best that they can be.” That passion resonated with the fiercely competitive Jackson, who always had a chip on his shoulder. “Everywhere I moved, you [had to] prove yourself,” he adds. “And that, to me, was awesome.”

Following a stellar freshman year at Lehi High School, Jackson transferred to Lone Peak High School in Highland to join a highly regarded hoops program. There, head coach Quincy Lewis helped push Jackson to another level, and soon the 6-3 guard was one of the top recruits in the nation. He committed to Duke in September of 2015 and proceeded to have a historic senior season, winning Utah Mr. Basketball and being named a McDonald’s All-American. He finished his high school career with 2,079 total points, which ranked sixth in state history. A few months later, Jackson was off to Durham. And about a year after that, he was headed to the NBA, drafted 31st overall by the Charlotte Hornets and quickly traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Since 2017, Jackson has bounced around the NBA, signing deals with the Pelicans, Thunder, Pistons and Suns. Of course, he was already accustomed to a life on the move—adjusting to new cities, meshing with new teammates, proving himself in new environments—because of his childhood. Utah has always been home, though, and when the opportunity to return presented itself, Jackson jumped at it.

After he was waived by the Suns in October, the first person Jackson talked to was Jazz CEO Danny Ainge. “The first thought that pops into your head is playing in places that you’ve grown up in,” Jackson says, “and [where] you have people that love you and have supported you—just to be able to be a part of that and a part of the community that I was raised in.” He and Ainge agreed it was an ideal fit.

As a member of the Salt Lake City Stars, the 24-year-old has dominated the G League, averaging a team-high 21.1 points on 47 percent shooting from the field and 43 percent from three. For the kid who always felt like an outsider, there is comfort in being so close to Lehi, to the Flash Factory, to Lone Peak, to the beautiful mountains. 

“I can breathe that mountain air and just chill,” Jackson says. “It’s been a blessing to be back in a place that I call home.” 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Frank Jackson on His NBA Journey, Proving Himself and Getting to Play for the City He Calls Home appeared first on SLAM.

The three-time All-Star officially passed the three-time MVP for most 50-point games in Boston Celtics history after he scored a season-high 51 points on 15-23 shooting from the field, 7-12 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 14-14 from the charity stripe to lead Boston to a 130-118 win over Charlotte. Tatum has posted more 50-point games than Bird and Paul Pierce COMBINED.

“He makes me look like a better coach,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said per ESPN. “He didn’t settle for shots; he got catch-and-shoots, he got off the dribbles, he got layups. The other piece of that is the humility of our team to really work with him to get those 51 points.”

JAYSON TATUM 51 PIECE

HE DROPPED 18 PTS IN Q4 pic.twitter.com/dinmve9N8T

— NBA (@NBA) January 16, 2023

Tatum’s 51-point effort was his first 50-point outing since he scored 54 and 51 last season and notched a career-high 60 points during the 2020-21 campaign. Tatum has tied Gilbert Arenas for the third-best scoring performance on MLK Day after Agent Zero dropped 51 points in 2007.

“It’s been a while since I scored 50,” Tatum said per Yahoo Sports. “So I needed that one.”

Tatum scored his 51st point with 38 seconds left after knocking down his seventh triple of the evening, which drew “MVP ” chants from the Charlotte crowd. After Charlotte cut Boston’s lead to 98-95 following a pair of free throws from Jaden McDaniels, Tatum came in and responded with 18 fourth-quarter points to put the game out of reach.

Boston (33-12) holds the top spot in the League after Tuesday and is 4.5 games ahead of Brooklyn (27-15) for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

The post Jayson Tatum Breaks Boston Record For Most 50-Point Games appeared first on SLAM.

To our friends up north, this one’s for you.

Scottie Barnes covers SLAM 239. https://t.co/5QiShW5rSW pic.twitter.com/jA1rpGeA5z

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) July 29, 2022

The reigning Rookie of the Year is still adjusting to becoming a player on top of opponents scouting reports, but his first year in the League highlighted just how bright his future could be in Toronto while the Raptors attempt builds around him and pursue their second title in franchise history.

However, the possibility of a Raptors rebuild is still developing. On Tuesday afternoon, Toronto (11-23) sits 11th in the Eastern Conference standings. They’re 1.5 games back of the Bulls for the final play-in spot, and if the season were to end now, it would be the second time in five seasons that the Raptors missed the playoffs.

Toronto has a three-game homestand, starting with back-to-back contests against the Charlotte Hornets.

The post REPORT: Toronto Marks Scottie Barnes As their Only Untouchable Player appeared first on SLAM.

Antetokounmpo dropped 30 points on 7-18 shooting from the field, 1-3 from beyond the arc, and he went 15-21 from the free-throw line, 10 assists including the game-winning dime to Grayson Allen (16 points and the game-winning triple from the corner), and a season-high 21 rebounds to secure a 104-101 win over the Toronto Raptors (16-22) on Wednesday.

His second triple-double performance comes off a career-high 55 point performance against Washington the night point. Before that, he posted at least 40/10/5 in each of his past three appearances. The back-to-back MVP being able to summon that kind of outing on the back end of a back-to-back is indicative of his desire to make his dominance “boring.”

“On a back-to-back, he used a lot of energy both last night and tonight,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said per ESPN. “They (Toronto) are very physical. For him to find a way to get us over the top was huge.”

Embrace every moment. pic.twitter.com/LCd9XGGpPV

— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) January 5, 2023

Antetokounmpo’s triple-double wasn’t just noteworthy for the fact it made Milwaukee 4-0 on the second game of a back-to-back. It also placed the Greek Freak beside Kareem Abudl-Jabbar for another outstanding accomplishment. This time Antetokounmpo became the first player to drop 200+ points, 80+ rebounds, and 30+ assists over a five-game stretch since the Hall-of-Famer center did it in 1972.

“Obviously your body is tired,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s more mental than physical, just being about to go out there and get the job done on a back-to-back always feels good.”

Giannis’s last 5 games:

30 PTS, 21 REB, 10 AST
55 PTS, 10 REB, 7 AST
43 PTS, 20 REB, 5 AST
45 PTS, 22 REB, 7 AST
27 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST

He's the first player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972 to drop 200+ PTS, 80+ REB, and 30+ AST over a 5-game span. pic.twitter.com/gktMMk1a9Y

— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2023

Antetokounmp is averaging 32.7 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game and has led the Bucks (25-13) to a tie with the Boston Celtics (26-12) for the top record in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks have Wednesday off and then they’ll play the Charlotte Hornets (10-29) on Friday.

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo Reaches Another Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Milestone appeared first on SLAM.

The Hornets said that “updates on the procedure and his rehabilitation status will be provided when appropriate.” Oubre missed three of Charlotte’s last four games with the injury.

Sources: Hornets forward Kelly Oubre Jr. will undergo surgery on a torn ligament in his left hand and miss 4-to-6 weeks. Oubre – averaging a career high 20.2 points – suffered the injury in the first week of the season and has been playing through the pain on his shooting hand.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 3, 2023

The 27-year-old wing is averaging a career-high 20.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game on 42.1 percent shooting from the field and 30.8 percent from beyond the arc. The Hornets will also miss Gordon Hayward for their upcoming Wednesday night game against Memphis due to a hamstring injury he suffered on Monday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The post Kelly Oubre to Undergo Surgery to Repair a Torn Hand Ligament appeared first on SLAM.

The SLAM 240 cover star is the projected no. 1 overall pick due to his dangerous combination of length, shooting, and guard skill that makes him as unique of a unicorn as a draft prospect can be at 18-years-old with a massive 7’2″ frame to work with.

Have you seen a basketball player like this? No, you haven’t.

Victor Wembanyama covers SLAM 240. https://t.co/7XlmKr6Qrr pic.twitter.com/4pgLywxohB

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 3, 2022

When Le Parisen asked the LNB All-Star MVP about his thought process behind NBA teams tanking with the hopes of possibly drafting him with the first pick of the upcoming NBA Draft, Wembanyama seemed wholly unimpressed. He was so unflattered by the idea that he called it “a weird strategy,” and he found it “unreasonable.”

“Tanking? It’s a weird strategy,” Wembanyama said. “I find it unreasonable, and I try not to think about it. I also heard that the NBA considered changing a few rules for me, but that doesn’t concern me.”

The LNB All-Star Game MVP… @vicw_32!

27 PTS | 12 REB | 4 AST | 3 STL | 2 BLK pic.twitter.com/dI6OzsBfDR

— NBA (@NBA) December 29, 2022

As of Thursday, the four teams with the best odds of winning the lottery are the Detroit Pistons (9-28), Charlotte Hornets (9-26), Houston Rockets (11-23), and San Antonio Spurs (10-24).

Wembanyama’s game has attracted heightened attention after the NBA bought the streaming rights to stream his games with Metro 92 and the French national team this year.

The post Project No. 1 Overall Pick Victor Wembanyama Calls Tanking ‘a Weird Strategy’ appeared first on SLAM.

On Tuesday, the former lottery pick continued to make his case for more minutes once with his fourth-quarter defense against Hornets swingman P.J. Washington, his opportune buckets, and his athleticism to finish plays on both ends of the floor. Being able to play the entire fourth quarter was proof of head coach Steve Kerr’s trust in his defensive play. He also found a way to contribute some timely buckets too.

“We went with him for his defense,” Kerr said, per The Athletic. “He’s playing really well defensively, and he was guarding LaMelo (Ball).”

“At the moment — fourth quarter,” Kuminga admitted, “I don’t usually get to be in the game.”

Here were the five big Jonathan Kuminga plays in crunch time tonight vs Hornets

*Rips away a steal from PJ Washington
*Traffic rebound over Plumlee
*Gets available for dunk
*Floater in iso vs Hayward
*Cuts open for another dunk pic.twitter.com/kEvGuzLhqg

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 28, 2022

During crunch time, Kuminga sat down, put a seat belt on Washington, and subsequently forced a turnover; he grabbed a traffic rebound out of Miles Plumlee’s hands and hit a floater over Gordan Hayward to give Golden State a five-point lead. Kuminga ripping the ball and collecting a steal garnered a lot of praise from Kerr and four-time champion Draymond Green.

“That was will,” Draymond Green said. “That was ‘I want the ball more than you.’ That was, ‘Our backs are against the wall. We’ve lost the lead. Let me go make a play myself.’ So he took the ball. He goes and gets a dunk. He goes and snatches a rebound in traffic. He made every play down the stretch. I think it all started with that play with PJ Washington taking the ball. He manhandled him.”

Here’s some of that Draymond Green sound on Jonathan Kuminga and individual vs team defense

“I don’t play defense within the team concept. I know most people think I do. But I don’t. When you’re good enough, the team concepts adapt around you.” pic.twitter.com/AnfplvJ63k

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 28, 2022

Kuminga put the finishing touches on the win with a cutting dunk in the lane and clamped up LaMelo Ball for 90 feet. Ball wanted a quick bucket with 10 seconds left, but Kuminga’s pitbull mentality forced Ball into a miss that sealed Charlotte’s loss. Kuminga’s effort is a welcome development for a Warriors team looking to reclaim the stingy defensive identity that former coach Mark Jackson built that led to four championships.

“It’s been a beautiful thing to watch,” Green said. “It’s his (improved) understanding on that side of the ball. He’s in the right spot more often than not now. I think his growth in that area has been absolutely amazing. Quite frankly, it’s been much needed for us. Because we haven’t guarded dribble penetration well. We haven’t been really good at the point of attack all year. He’s changing that for us.”

Although Kuminga isn’t a seasoned veteran yet, his physical acumen and embrace of being Golden State’s defensive hound dog will help the Warriors turn around a season that hasn’t gone quite as they expected. Getting stops and forcing timely turnovers like Kuminga caused will do the job. Draymond Green took the time to the point that, saying, “it’s a beautiful thing to watch,” Kuminga became a dogged defender in real-time.

“He f—ing locks up now,” Green said. “I think it’s very impressive to see. Not that you never thought he was capable, but to see the maturity and buying into a role. Like, ‘Oh, that’s my role; that’s what I need to do. I’m going to go do that better than anyone.’ We’ve seen his impact over the last few weeks. He’s hawking every point guard he gets on. … As a competitor, you lose your spot in the rotation; what are you going to do to get it back? Some sulk. Most sulk. Then some go and take it back. That’s what he’s done.”

Green also believes that if Kuminga can continue developing his defensive acumen and basketball IQ, he can play within and outside Kerr’s defensive concepts. Being disruptive on the ball and locking up his individual assignments will also help.

“I don’t play defense in the team concept,” Green said. “I know most people think I do, but I don’t. When you’re good enough, the team concepts adapt around you. That’s what he’s starting to show. We may not want him to pick up as high as he picks up all the time. But if you’re wreaking havoc, and it’s bettering us, and it’s worsening the opponent’s offense, who is going to say stop? When you’re good enough, and you’re capable, the team concepts adapt around you.”

The post How Jonathan Kuminga Impressed Draymond Green With His Defense appeared first on SLAM.

Once Bridges and Charlotte finalize a deal, it will likely help the NBA finish their investigation and give Bridges a suspension for his role in an offseason arrest that’s dried up his market as a free agent and left him off a roster a quarter of the way through the season. The length of the suspension is unclear.

.@MilesBridges AT THE BUZZER#AllFly pic.twitter.com/B4isBaxEEH

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) March 20, 2022

Bridges averaged 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game and have been a cornerstone member of the Hornets franchise since he was drafted 12th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. As a restricted free agent, many around the League expected Bridges to draw a $100 million plus offer sheet that Charlotte likely would’ve matched. His offseason actions changed that market, as stated above.

Charlotte (8-24) has dealt with some injury woes with LaMelo Ball, specifically missing double-digit games due to ankle injuries. Signing Bridges will help Charlotte upgrade their roster at the wing and will bring some entertainment and physicality to a lineup looking to make a run for a play-in seed and a spot in the playoffs.

The post REPORT: Negotiations Heating Up Between Hornets and Miles Bridges appeared first on SLAM.

Let’s get it!

Anthony Davis (right foot) is Out At Least One Month After Suffering A Foot Injury On Friday:

According to NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic, Antony Davis will reportedly miss at least one month after suffering an undisclosed right foot injury.

AD has been dominant this season while helping the Lakers surge to a 6-4 stretch over their last 10 contests. The Brow is averaging 27.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game on 59.3 percent shooting from the field and has dropped 19 30+ games with one 44-point game against the Bucks and a dominant 55-point effort against the Wizards.

Before he got hurt, AD had a three-game streak of scoring at least 30 points that were broken when he suffered his foot injury against the Nuggets.

Lakers are bracing for an indefinite absence for the Lakers star, sources say, after he sustained the right foot injury in Friday’s win over Denver. Davis has played arguably the most dominant ball of his career this season. https://t.co/WCTr2y7eNp

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 18, 2022

Devin Booker Puts Up a Historic 58-Point Effort to Beat New Orleans:

Devin Booker lifted the Suns over the Pelicans 118-114 after dropping a season-best 58 points. It was the second time this season that Book scored 50 points after he posted 51 against Chicago on Nov. 30.

He’s now the sixth-youngest player to score 12k points in his career, trailing only LeBron, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, and Tracy McGrady.

“Once I get it going a little bit, shooting over a hand is the right play,” Booker said per ESPN.

.@DevinBook‘s second 50-point game of the season. pic.twitter.com/CMwBniJ5Mv

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 18, 2022

Nikola Jokic Posts His 81st Career Triple-Double After Dropping 40-27-10 Against the Hornets:

Nikola Jokic (40 points, 27 rebounds, and 10 dimes) f***ed around and got his fifth triple-double of the season to lead Denver to a 119-115 win over Charlotte on Sunday night.

The two-time MVP sealed the W with two game-winning free throws with 13 seconds left on the clock. Nuggets head coach Mike Malone said he didn’t know Jokic was putting up massive numbers but knew that Jokic was having “another Nikola Jokic stellar performance, efficient,” and praised Jokic for his “ability to make every one of his teammates better,” and called Joker a “generational talent.”

“To be honest, I think it’s because of our defense, and I was just in the right spot to rebound the ball,” Jokic said per ESPN. “It’s not that I was grabbing for them or whatever, chasing for them. It just happened, you know? I wish it could be every night, to be honest.”

Triple double # 8️⃣1️⃣

40-27-10

m.v.p pic.twitter.com/ljQpTIVCHl

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 19, 2022

Jordan Poole has a Career-High Night For the Ages:

Jordan Poole hung a career-high 43 points on 14-23 shooting from the field and 5-11 from beyond the arc. He also handed out six assists and scored career-best 25 points in the first half to lead the Warriors past the Raptors. The 126-110 win was the Dubs’ first win in five attempts without Stephen Curry in the lineup. ˝Golden State also snapped their three-game losing streak and are now 3-14 on the road.

“He was incredible on both sides of the ball,” Draymond Green (17 points and nine rebounds) said per Yahoo Sports. “And when you connect the game like that, things will go your way. We all know what a special talent he is. He’s been going through some growing pains. To see him come out tonight and have the game that he had – especially with Steph being down and us needing to get a win – was really huge.

“His effort on the defensive end carried over to the offensive end.”

What a night for 3️⃣.@googlecloud || Player of the Game pic.twitter.com/lKxkgmnlJz

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 19, 2022

WNBA Won’t Expand in 2024:

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told The Athletic that the League’s plan for franchise expansion will be delayed until at least 2025. The commission is in touch with 10 investor groups discussing potential arenas, practice facilities, season ticket markets, and potential corporate partners.

Engelbert said that a new team would need around 18-24 months to hire coaches and executives and bring on players through an expansion draft, among the many preparations it takes to build a professional basketball franchise. Although expansion is delayed, Englerbet said it’s still a part of the W’s long-term plans and reiterated that the WNBA is on a growth trajectory.

Toronto, Nashville, and the Bay Area (Oakland and San Francisco) are on the short list of expansion cities.

“I’m a big, big believer in: let’s transform the economics, and then we’ll expand, not expand and then hope that economics transform,” she said per Front Office Sports. “We want to bring new owners in that are going to be successful in standing up a franchise that can compete for a championship.”

The post NBA Weekend Recap: AD is Out, Devin Booker and Jordan Poole Put Up Season and Career Best Performances appeared first on SLAM.

During that three-game stretch, Ball averaged 19.3 points per game on 41.5 percent shooting from the field and 7.0 assists. Before rolling his ankle that game, Ball was also having his best game of the season thus far. He scored 26 points shooting 10-17 from the field, dished out six assists, and recorded two steals.

However, after missing the team’s last 11 games, the Hornets have upgraded Ball’s status from Out to Questionable for their matchup Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons in a report via NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski. The Hornets are also hopeful that Ball could return to the lineup in this matchup, too, as he will warm up with the team come game time and see how he feels.

This is excellent news for a Charlotte Hornets (7-20) team sitting in 14th place in the Eastern Conference standings. Hopefully, if Ball can return tonight, his energetic play style can help spark a Hornets victory.

The post REPORT: Hornets Upgrade LaMelo Ball to Questionable For Wednesday Return appeared first on SLAM.

After undergoing an MRI on Thursday, the team revealed that the Knicks forward suffered a non-displaced fracture on his right calf bone. The 2020 lottery pick is set to miss two to three weeks before getting re-evaluated.

Toppin has played in all of New York’s 25 games this season, averaging 7.7 points and 3.8 rebounds while logging 17 minutes per game. The 24-year-old has also shown early improvements in his shooting from behind the arc, shooting it at a career-high 35.1 percent from downtown.

The Knicks (12-13) are currently the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference and will take on the Charlotte Hornets in their next matchup on Friday.

The post Obi Toppin Set to Miss 2-3 Weeks With Right Leg Injury appeared first on SLAM.

Durant had 29 points, eight assists, and nine rebounds, shooting 12-19 from the field. The majority of his buckets came from knocking down “middies,” his bread and butter, and jams (no pun intended). 

The SLAM 178 cover star spoke on the success of his two-man game with Irving. 

“Just gives us some versatility.”, Durant said per Yahoo. “He (Irving) can score at all three levels with legendary efficiency. They (Hornets) even put two guys on the ball; I can throw that (the ball) over the top; he can act as a big man, shoot that little middie and play in the pocket”.

Irving found and generated shots in the pick-and-roll en route to a 33-point, nine-dime, five-rebound, and four-block night. The seven-time All-Star was a walking highlight reel, finishing with several of his patented finishes.

The Durant x Irving show continues on Friday as the Nets take on the Hawks at Barclay’s.

The post Brooklyn Leaning on Two-Man Game and ‘Versatility’ of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving appeared first on SLAM.

Simmons, who already missed several games this season because of a back injury, has missed the past three games due to a left upper lateral calf strain on top of experiencing some knee soreness. He first felt irritation in his calf on Nov.27 when Brooklyn took on the Portland Trail Blazers and later felt it again on Nov.28 against the Orlando Magic.

The only difference between these two games was Simmons asking to come out after playing 11 minutes in the matchup with Orlando and didn’t return. The Nets forward logged 34 minutes versus Portland despite experiencing discomfort in his calf. Since being sidelined, the 26-year-old has progressed his calf and knee. He has reached a point where he is now excited to be where he is in the recovery.

“I’m excited where I’m at right now,” Simmons said after practice on Tuesday with the Nets. “So I’m looking for Friday to get back on the court – It’s a lot of load for coming back from a back injury and then also the knee, so I’m glad I had this time to build some muscle around it, and we’ll work on it.”

The three-time All-Star continued to touch on how the back surgery he had over the summer may be related to his recent injuries on his knee and calf. 

“I think it’s all related,” Simmons said. “When you start talking about back injuries, you start using different muscles; you want to load and lean or whatever it is. I think they all relate in some aspect.”

Moving forward, Simmons plans on being more careful with his minutes. Whether or not he can play both games during back-to-backs is now in question.

“I think we’re definitely going to look at it a lot different,” Simmons said. “I don’t know if it’s measuring minutes, maybe not back-to-backs, whatever it is. I think that’s going to be a joint thing with the training staff and myself and letting them know how I’m feeling.”

So far this year, Simmons is averaging a career-low 8.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. Brooklyn (13-12) currently sits sixth in the Eastern Conference. If this team looks to reach its full potential down the line, they are definitely going to need Simmons.

The Nets will take on the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday in their next game.

The post Ben Simmons Hopeful to Return On Friday Against the Atlanta Hawks appeared first on SLAM.

The Hornets star was putting the finishing touches to his best game of the season after scoring a season-high 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field and six assists. Ball was forced to go to the locker room before the Hornets ruled him out for the rest of the game and now, more than likely, the next couple of games. It was only his third game back since returning to the court.

Losing the 21-year-old again will only add to Charlotte’s early-season injury woes. Gordan Hayward has missed the last eight games due to a shoulder injury, Dennis Smith Jr. has missed the previous three games because of an ankle sprain, and Cody Martin, who only played for one minute the entire season, is out for four weeks after getting knee surgery.

After losing to the Pacers, Kelly Oubre sounded off on how the team copes with these injuries. The 26-year-old is averaging 18.2 points for the season.

“It’s very tough, but we have to be professionals about it,” said Oubre, per ESPN. “It’s the game of basketball, and those things happen. But people who are suited up and who are healthy enough to go out there, we have to go pick up that slack.”

PJ Washington also chimed in on things, reiterating that the Hornets have to find ways to win games. Charlotte is only 4-12 on the season, which is good for 14th in the Eastern Conference.

“We all know at some point everybody’s going to get back out there, and we can’t wait for it,” Washington said. “But right now, the problem is we’re losing games, so we’ve got to figure it out and start getting some wins.”

The Hornets will aim to turn things around on Friday when they play the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7:30 P.M.

The post Kelly Oubre and PJ Washington Reflect on Hornet’s Early Season Injury Woes appeared first on SLAM.

The team comes off a 117-112 overtime victory over the Charlotte Hornets Thursday night. In a game that featured the Heat forcing 20 turnovers, nine of them steals, the team just could not put away the Hornets in the regular period, even when their lead was as big as 15.

“Not where we need it to be,” Butler said on the state of the Heat’s defense, per Sports Illustrated. “It’s not all bad, but there are a lot of mistakes, miscommunication, not getting back easily correctable stuff. Hopefully, we start doing that pretty soon and stacking some Ws because we’re in dire need of some wins.”

35 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists last night… and his teammates appreciated every bit of it. #HEATCulture

Popular Moment of the Week // @popularbank pic.twitter.com/Dptz8fiddc

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 11, 2022

Their 110.8 defensive rating puts the Heat near the middle of the pack across the League. It’s not a dramatic drop, but the team did have a 108.4 defensive rating last season, fourth-best behind the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and Boston Celtics.

The Heat was defeated at the buzzer against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, a game where the Heat also had a chance to run away with a sizable victory.

Butler had 16 points to go along with six steals, but leaving Blazers guard Josh Hart open at the corner three-point line left the FTX Arena stunned as he knocked in the winning trey.

HART FOR THE WIN #RipCity | @joshhart pic.twitter.com/kTTLL5dcam

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) November 8, 2022

Though they’ve managed to give up close ones, the Heat seems to be finding their defensive approach to avoid living in those late-game circumstances, according to head coach Erik Spoelstra.

“It’s part of our identity that we really need to be disruptive and get teams out their comfort zone in a lot of different ways, which requires a big energy and focus commitment,” Spoelstra said. “To be able to be active, get our hands on balls, deny passes, play multiple schemes, that’s our lifeblood defensively.” 

The Heat have a chance to prove they’re back to their pesky defensive habits again against the Hornets tomorrow night.

The post Jimmy Butler Says the Miami Heat Defense is ‘Not Where it Needs to Be’ appeared first on SLAM.

The one thing that got the legendary shooter out of character were some recent comments Charles Barkley made suggesting Thompson’s game was “slipping” despite it being less than a year since he returned from a torn achilles. Unprompted, Thompson addressed those critics after the Warriors beat the Miami Heat, 123-110, on Thursday night.

“I’ve got one thing to say,” Thompson said. “So, it hurts when someone like Charles Barkley, with the platform that he has, says you’re not the same player prior to the injuries you had. It’s like ‘No, duh, man.’ Consecutive years, like. I tore my ACL and Achilles in consecutive years and still helped the team win a championship. It hurt hearing that because I put so much freaking effort to get back to this point. It’s hard to even put into words what I had to do to be the player I am today.

“I played 55, 57 games in three years. Give me some freaking time to get that back. To hear someone say ‘Oh, he’s not the same player as he was prior to the injuries.’ Like, duh. Who goes through that and comes back…I don’t know, it just hurt my heart hearing that. But you know, I’m going to internalize it and it’s going to be fuel for me to be even better. I’m very proud of what we accomplished last year and I feel like I was a huge part of it. I’m not going to let these injuries be a crutch for me. I’m just going to keep going and I’m going to have a great year. You can bet on that.”

Thompson cont.: "I played 57 games in three years. Give me some freaking time to get that back. Who goes through something like that and comes back — it just hurt my heart. But I’m going to internalize it and it’s going to be fuel for me." https://t.co/VnhRTy7atz

— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) October 28, 2022

Barkley’s comments came after Thompson was ejected for the first time in his career during the third quarter of a blowout loss to the up-and-coming Phoenix Suns. Thompson and Devin Booker were jaw-jacking during a tension-filled third quarter that featured the Suns and Warriors drawing a record-tying seven technical fouls in one quarter.

During halftime of the nationally televised Warriors-Suns game, Barkley suggested that Thompson and Draymond Green are “slipping” and suggeseted that “Father Time is knocking on the door of a couple of those guys.” The comments come during a time when Coach Steve Kerr and the Warriors medical staff placed the four-time champs on a minute restriction to start the season.

On Tuesday, Thompson responded with season-high numbers nearly across the stat sheet. The five-time All-Star posted 19 points on 6-19 shooting from the field and 5-14 shooting from beyond the arc in 29 minutes, all season-high marks for Thompson.

“It’s so great and it’s a huge building block for me” Thompson said about his workload. “It’s the best I’ve feld conditioning-wise.”

Thompson on playing a season-high 29 minutes: "It's so great and it's a huge building block for me. It's the best I've felt conditioning-wise."

— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) October 28, 2022

When Stephen Curry was asked about Thompson’s postgame reponse, he noted that his Splash Brother was in a good mood all day long, but believes that Barkley’s remarks fueled Thompson to put on his 19-point performance.

“The comments are part of our success, like you’re always going to be in a spotlight and people care about how you’re playing and care to comment positively or negatively because they know that will move the needle,” Curry told reporters after the win Thursday. “And when you say certain names, people are going to pay attention. But it’s interesting because certain guys forget what their careers looked like on the back end. So you can kind of cast and throw those stones but Klay’s still in here, like you said, helping us win a championship after the two hellish years that he had.

“And now, it’s just balancing, for him, the expectations of what he was before the injuries and what he can get back to, all the while maintaining his impact on winning. I’m sure he’s comparing to the stat lines and percentages and all that, but I think I heard coach [Steve Kerr] talk about it earlier. He’s gone through this, even before the injuries, where slow starts don’t really hold him down, don’t kill his confidence. But when you come off a championship, you have such a hunger and a desire to get back to what he wants to be personally. And he’s going to get there. It’s just a matter of sticking with the program, the time that he puts in. His competitive fire that comes out every single night. And he’s going to make shots. We’re not worried about that. It’s a long season.”

Thompson, Green, and the Warriors will have another chance to dispute Barkley’s observations when they take on the Charlotte Hornets to start a five-game Eastern Conference road trip.

The post Klay Thompson ‘Hurt Hearing’ Comments That His Game Is ‘Slipping’ appeared first on SLAM.

The team has relied on Max Strus and Duncan Robinson to handle the load at the power forward slot, but the team looks to be losing hope in their defensive powers as reports suggest the Heat are looking at trade suitors.

“Kyle Kuzma and Taj Gibson aren’t the only potential moves that the Heat have been linked to recently,” according to Heavy.com’s Thomas Darro. “Link them to PJ Washington from the Charlotte Hornets, as well as finalizing a reunion between Crowder and the Heat. But another has been Bojan Bogdanovic from the Detroit Pistons and Lauri Markkanen from the Utah Jazz.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Miami HEAT (@miamiheat)

Kuzma of the Washington Wizards is off to a fantastic start to the young season as he’s averaging 19.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and a staggering shooting at 46.5 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc. His size and length could turn him into a problem under the talented Heat coaching staff, but Heat President Pat Riley always keeps the door open to other options.

Washington is a restricted free agent this upcoming off-season due to the inability to negotiate a contract extension. The Hornets may be focused on providing their star point guard LaMelo Ball an enormous deal for the 2024 season, leaving little cap space to work for Washington.

The Heat wouldn’t mind one-year rentals, especially when there’s a lot of talent that needs to be proven out of the group. The 24-year-old would add the floor spacing, agility, and defensive intangibles that much up well against star rivals like Jaylen Brown, Khris Middleton and Demar Derozan.

Finally, the reunion Heat fans would welcome with open arms. Not too long ago, Phoenix Suns’ Jae Crowder was part of the resilient 2020 Heat squad that, as a 5th seed, went six games against the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. The chemistry on display, both offensive and defensively, is in no way bound to be lost in just the two seasons apart.

With this possibly being his 10th straight playoff appearance, a reunion with the Heat opens the door to a final run at a championship.

The post REPORT: Heat Linked to Kyle Kuzma, P.J Washington, and Jae Crowder appeared first on SLAM.

One solution the Lakers are reportedly looking at is trading for Hornets guard Terry Rozier, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, the Lakers’ interest in Rozier “remains high. The Lakers and Hornets reportedly “held discussions about a possible three-of-four team” over the summer, but Rozier’s “availability will be entirely predicted on the franchise’s direction for the future and its play as the season goes on.”

Terry Rozier with 2⃣3⃣ points so far this game. @T_Rozzay3 | @drpepper pic.twitter.com/QbBFfVzze3

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 22, 2022

Acquiring Roizer could help the Lakers alleviate their deep shooting woes. The Lousiville product is a career 37.6 percent shooer from beyond the arc, this season he’s hitting triples at a 40 percent rate on 5.5 attempts per game. He’s also averaging 23.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game on 39.5 percent shooting from the field. Rozier’s tough play had helped Charlotte get off to a 2-1 start.

Scary Terry with the and-one @T_Rozzay3 pic.twitter.com/VdohMvtaY8

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 22, 2022

The Hornets are set to play the Knicks (1-1) on Wednesday.

The post REPORT: Lakers Have a ‘High’ Level of Interesting in Acquiring Terry Rozier appeared first on SLAM.

In his first preseason game with the team versus the Charlotte Hornets, the veteran notched seven points and nine rebounds in sixteen minutes. With Robert Williams still out due to a knee injury, Griffin should see the court a lot despite just recently arriving.

According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, the veteran praised the maturity of this Celtics squad and pointed out similarities of this team to his old Clippers team. Or shall we say, “Lob City.”

“The intensity in those (preseason) games and in practice and shootaround has been something I haven’t seen in a while,” said Griffin. “Probably since my Clipper days when we were really making a run for it. The maturity of this team, and some of us sat down in the meal room for probably 2½ hours and just talked, and more and more people came, and it was a group of like 10 of us.”

It should be no surprise how hungry the Celtics must be after making it all the way to the NBA Finals last season, but falling short to the Golden State Warriors in six games. To Griffin, this team is very ready.

“That’s something you don’t really see a lot, as well, on teams that I’ve been on,” said the veteran, throwing a little shade on the other teams he’s played for. “From those aspects, this team is very ready. We still have work to do like everybody else, but I’ve been impressed by where they’re at as a team.”

This team knows they have what it takes to get there again. Perhaps Griffin’s experience can propel Boston to the same feats this season and maybe beyond.

The post Blake Griffin Compares ‘Intensity’ of Boston to ‘Lob City’ Clippers appeared first on SLAM.

The 21-year-old still found it in him to shoot the two free throws that followed this play after clearly being fouled. Ball would then immediately check out the game and head to the locker room. 

After getting an MRI today on that ankle, the results came in as a Grade 2 ankle sprain per Shams Charania of the Athletic. Ball will miss the start of the regular season as he heals. 

Charlotte Coach Steve Clifford announced Terry Rozier would start at point guard for the team while Ball recovers.

“Terry was the starting point guard on a team that went to the Eastern Conference Finals. It’s a role he is comfortable with, and if that ends up being the situation, that is how we will do it.”

Clifford also hinted at Dennis Smith Jr. getting more playing time. When the Hornets coach spoke to Ball about rehab, he could see his frustration and disappointment.

“We talked about whatever the plan is; you have to be on the rehab,” Clifford said. “The better you are with it, the quicker you will get back. He was disappointed but very upbeat. It’s just part of the NBA.”

Charlotte will play their season opener on Oct. 18 against the San Antonio Spurs.

The post REPORT: LaMelo Ball Set to Miss Start of the Season Due to Ankle Injury appeared first on SLAM.

Ball also signed a training camp deal with the Pistons in 2020. Detroit ultimately waived Ball before he could play in the preseason due to an ankle injury. This left older brothers Lonzo Ball and Lamelo Ball in the League.

The trio is widely known for their impressive play at Chino Hills High School, where each of the brothers put up unguardable numbers. Liangelo Ball had out-of-this-world performances, which has kept their father, LaVar Ball thinking he’s the best out of the three. As everyone knows, LaVar is one of the more popular voices in basketball, and he proves so in an interview back in 2020, stating:

“Everybody’s trying to create the Big Three. They’ve been the Big Three since they’ve been babies. And people are telling me, ‘Man, you know the odds of all three of your boys being on the same team?’ and I say, ‘Yeah, probably the same odds of me coming into the NBA with my own brand.”

The middle child once scored 72 points in a single game, just a day after getting 56. Later that month, he dropped 65 points as well, leaving his mark as one of the best high school performances in a single month of all time.

LiAngelo Ball has had a tough slate of reaching the pros, but his career is still young, and he has an opportunity to prove to basketball fans he is that scoring phenom out of his three brothers.

The post LiAngelo Ball Signs One-Year Deal With Charlotte, Joining Brother LaMelo Ball appeared first on SLAM.

The Fayetteville-bred guard returns home after previous stops in Dallas, New York, Detroit, and Portland.

After Smith’s lone season at NC State, he had a brilliant rookie season for the Mavericks, posting averages of 15.2 points per game, 5.2 assists per game, and 3.8 rebounds per game on 39.5 percent shooting from the field. After being traded in his second season for Kristaps Porzingis and dealing with a chorus of injuries, Smith has bounced around the League quite a bit but has found a new home, back home. 

Dennis Smith Jr has averaged 10.7 points per game, 4.2 assists per game, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game for his career. Smith is well known around the basketball world for his nuclear athleticism. His high school mixtapes and hoop stories have achieved near cult status.

He started four of the 37 games he played for the Portland Trailblazers last season, and he joins the Charlotte Hornets backcourt alongside All-Star Lamelo Ball, Terry Rozier, James Bouknight, and Cody Martin. 

The post Dennis Smith Jr. Signs One-Year Deal With the Charlotte Hornets appeared first on SLAM.

Sources: NBA’s 2022-23 Opening Night, Oct. 18 on TNT:

– 76ers at Celtics
– And as previously reported: Lakers at Warriors

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 16, 2022

Shams Charania of The Athletic leaked the opening day and Christmas Day contests over the weekend. Some other key dates include the All-Star weekend that’ll be contested from February 17-19. The regular season will end on April 9, the Play-In tournament will take place from April 11-14, and the playoffs will start a day later on April 15.

The most noteworthy game will most likely be between the Grizzlies and the Warriors. The Warriors beat the Grizzlies on their way to winning their fourth championship since 2015. The two Western Conference foes have formed a fierce rivalry over the last two years after a pair of intense and physical playoff games and their recent second-round playoff series.

Sources: NBA’s 2022 Christmas Day schedule:

Bucks at Celtics
76ers at Knicks
Suns at Nuggets
Lakers at Mavericks
Grizzlies at Warriors

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2022

The 2022-23 season will see the Warriors attempt to defend an NBA title for the first time in eight years. With their foundational core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green returning and their future stars like Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole all returning, the Dubs will be loaded.

The Boston Celtics will look to run it back and return to the NBA Finals after losing to the Warriors in six games. There will be some exciting storylines coming out of Beantown as Boston looks to integrate Malcolm Brogdon into the lineup. It’ll also be interesting if the front office continues to pursue a Kevin Durant trade. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will also return as perhaps the top wing-duo in the League.

Don’t count out the Bucks, Heat, and 76ers either. The Heat are always a threat, the Bucks lost after suffering injuries at the most inopportune time, and the 76ers will have an entire season of James Harden x Joel Embiid to work with.

Another question that needs answers will be can the Phoenix Suns continue their dominant stretch and improve upon their 64-18 record from last year. Getting better after being the top seed in the playoffs is difficult, but Phoenix brings back their entire team and is still headlined by Devin Booker and Chris Paul.

It’ll be fun to see how Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz will fare after Jalen Brunson and Rudy Gobert left for New York and Utah, respectively. The Minnesota Timberwolves are throwing it back to yesteryear with a twin tower lineup featuring Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. Not to mention how much better the Grizzlies will be after earning the second-best record in the NBA last season.

Last but not least, how will the LA teams play? The Lakers are coming off a tumultuous season but added a new head coach in Darvin Ham, who’s been trusted to improve a roster that still boasts LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis. The Clippers are perhaps a more significant title threat with the return of Kawhi Leonard and the addition of former All-Star point guard John Wall to the lineup.

Below are the team schedules for each team by division and conference. The Eastern Conference is first followed by the West.

Team Schedules

Eastern Conference

Atlantic

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

New York Knicks

Philadelphia 76ers

Toronto Raptors

Central

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

Detroit Pistons

Indiana Pacers

Milwaukee Bucks

Southeast

Atlanta Hawks

Charlotte Hornets

Miami Heat

Orlando Magic

Washington Wizards

Western Conference

Southwest

Dallas Mavericks

Houston Rockets

Memphis Grizzlies

New Orleans Pelicans

San Antonio Spurs

Northwest

Denver Nuggets

Minnesota Timberwolves

Portland Trail Blazers

Oklahoma City Thunder

Utah Jazz

Pacific

Golden State Warriors

Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers

Phoenix Suns

Sacramento Kings

The post NBA Releases 2022-23 Regular-Season Schedule appeared first on SLAM.

Many hurdles remain, but talks resurfaced with training camp about six weeks away. The teams tried to get a deal done during July but no dice from either side.

The Knicks will have to send at least $24.2 million in salary to make the trade go through, according to Ian Begley of SNY, on top of the high asking price that Utah wants for Mitchell.

The Jazz has also clarified that they will be content with holding onto Mitchell if no deal is reached.

If they land Mitchell, the Knicks could have a potential starting lineup of Jalen Brunson, who they signed during free agency, Mitchell, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson for the upcoming season.

The blockbuster trade could help the Knicks could turn around their disappointing 2021-2022 season into one where they find themselves back in the NBA playoffs.

The post REPORT: Donovan Mitchell Trade Talks Re-engaged Between the Jazz and Knicks appeared first on SLAM.

So, last October, when the now recently turned 18-year-old inked a deal with PUMA, he became the first American high schooler to sign with a global footwear company. The sentiment wasn’t just solidified—it was written in stone.

“When my family and I made the decision to join PUMA, we knew that PUMA had been in the game a long time,” Williams tells SLAM. “I just wanted to be with a brand that was going to let me be myself, take my input, help me perform on the court, and I wanted a chance to be different and do things differently.”

Signing on to a roster loaded with bucket-getters and larger than life figures—like two-time WNBA champion Breanna Stewart and Charlotte Hornets Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball—not only felt like the right move for Mikey’s journey en route to the League (he becomes eligible for the NBA Draft in 2024), but it also allowed him to remain unapologetically himself.

“Hard work pays off, and staying in the lab and working on my game is the most important thing,” Williams says. “Staying true to who I am created this opportunity, and I want to encourage other young kids to do the same. At times the road is hard, but the rewards can be worth it.”

Nine months removed from that historic announcement, those rewards are being realized, as Mikey took an official visit to the University of Kansas in June. This summer, however, his premium is coming by way of spearheading PUMA’s latest innovation for the hardwood, the TRC Blaze Court, which just hit Hibbett Sports this summer.

From dropping defenders into a blender to suiting up in a matching teal puffer and Versace Trainers, Mikey isn’t the only member of his family keen to the outspoken articulation of fashion on the court. When the then-17-year-old had made his decision to sign on the dotted line, Mikey’s father Mahlon Williams—who was an All-CIF-SDS selection in his own day—began reminiscing back to the days of Walt “Clyde” Frazier’s fedoras, slick velvet suits and the many variations of his suede signature, The Clyde.

In his fullest form of expression, Mikey is dicing cats up along the perimeter in a pair of TRC Blaze Courts before slicing through help defenders for throwdowns that send spectators in slides and bulging backpacks into hysteria on the baselines.

Years of inspiration and history seep through the seams of the upper’s stitching as PUMA’s latest premier hoops silhouette draws upon both its fashion and concrete jungle origins by way of its legendary streetwear predecessor, the 2006 Blaze of Glory. Fans of one of the finest running silhouettes will appreciate the similarly constructed lacing system of the mid 2000s model that displayed a distinctive and significant lockdown fitting. And for the first time since its inception back in 1990, the brand’s staple cushioning system TRINOMIC, replicated from the honey bee’s honeycomb home, makes its debut on the hardwood.

PUMA set out to harness three fundamental concepts in the technological realization of the silhouette, directly aiming for cushioning, stability and flexibility. They then added a lightweight ProFoam + midsole for enhanced comfort alongside additional Pebax foam inserted in the heel for instant responsiveness. While the geeky tech aspects of the kicks aren’t his bread and butter, “The first thing that caught my eye was the color blocking,” Williams says.

Most recently appearing on social media pages rocking a dominant Neon Citrus colorway that’s reminiscent of the flesh of a ripe cantaloupe, the latest innovation for the court includes both black and white silhouettes contrasted with cherry tomato, sky blue and neon green accents.

Entering the final chapter of a more than dominant high school career, Williams announced back in April that he was returning to his hometown high school, San Ysidro, in San Diego. After spending the prior season expanding his skills against the country’s best at Vertical Academy in North Carolina, the Border Boys are back for one last run.

With time comes change, and as Williams prepares for his senior year, his squad has graduated eight seniors. But as the go-to option and head honcho on the court for what seems like his entire basketball life, leadership will be the furthest thing from a problem.

“I feel like I have been a leader my entire career,” Williams explains. “But as a senior, it will be my responsibility to really be that coach on the floor and help the young guys learn our system and how Coach Tuck [San Ysidro head coach Terry Tucker] likes to do things ASAP.”

Admittingly, Mikey knows everyone in the conference and state will be “gunning for us,” but that ain’t nothing new to a teenage hoops sensation with 3.7 millions IG followers who’s signing brand partnership deals left and right.

The pressure. The standards. The expectations. The responsibilities. Mikey’s been handling them for years, and like a vet, at that. Alongside guys like G-League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson, who joined Williams by signing with PUMA this June, the youth movement isn’t just budding in PUMA’s North American HQ in Somerville, MA. It’s blooming to its fullest and ready to take the basketball sneaker ecosystem by storm.

As Mikey continues his voyage both on and off the court, he’ll do so with the TRC Blaze Court on his feet.

The post Mikey Williams on Signing With PUMA and Standing Out in the PUMA TRC Blaze Court appeared first on SLAM.

Russell was a five-time MVP, 12-time All-Star and four-time rebounding champ with the Celtics. On top of anchoring one of the NBA’s greatest dynasties and retiring as one of the greatest defensive players of all time, Russell was the first Black head coach in NBA history and an outspoken political activist. The NBA Hall of Famer, who received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2011, was at the march on Washington as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech and publicly supported the late-Muhammad Ali when the iconic boxer refused induction into the military draft in 1967.

Russell died “peacefully” with his wife, Jeannine, at his side, according to statement posted via Twitter.

“Bill’s wife, Jeannine, and his many friends and family thank you for keeping Bill in your prayers. Perhaps you’ll relive one or two of the golden moments he gave us, or recall his trademark laugh as he delighted in explaining the real story behind how those moments unfolded,” the family statement said. “And we hope each of us can find a new way to act or speak up with Bill’s uncompromising, dignified and always constructive commitment to principle. That would be one last, and lasting, win for our beloved #6.”

Two years ago, the NBA legend contributed a powerful essay in SLAM’s special issue devoted to social justice, where he detailed his fight against racism throughout his life. Read here.

The entire basketball community from legends such as Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to current players including Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum and more took to social media to pay their respects to the late and great Bill Russell.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:

Stephen Curry:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wardell Curry (@stephencurry30)

Boston Celtics:

Charlotte Hornets:

Shaquille O’Neal:

Charles Barkley:

Magic Johnson:

Paul Pierce:

Jayson Tatum:

Marcus Smart:

Dwyane Wade:

James Harden:

WNBA:

Photos via Getty Images.

The post NBA, WNBA Community Remembers Bill Russell on Social Media appeared first on SLAM.

Charania also reported that Charlotte is interested in potentially re-signing Isaiah Thomas after the two-time All-Star averaged 8.3 points per game and emerged as a “positive locker room leader” with the Hornets last season.

Walker last played with Charlotte in 2019 before joining the Boston Celtics through a sign and trade that year. He played two seasons with the Celtics and eventually signed with the New York Knicks last offseason. Walker was most recently traded to the Detroit Pistons on draft night and later agreed to a buyout with the team, thus making him a free agent.

Former UConn standout averaged 19.8 points and 5.5 assists per game in eight seasons with the Hornets and is coming off a career-low 11.6 points per game after playing just 37 games with the Knicks last season. A four-time All-Star, Walker showed flashes of brilliance in New York but was halted by knee injuries which resulted in the Knicks shutting him down in February.

Thomas has been in and out of the League in recent years and has signed 10-day contracts with the Pelicans, Lakers, Mavericks and Hornets since 2021. Thomas earned a contract for the remainder of the season after signing two 10-day contracts with Charlotte last year. 

Charania reported Charlotte will likely add another reserve guard to its roster, with Walker and Thomas in mind, before the start of the season. He went on to report that the team is “expected to be patient” regarding roster moves this offseason.

The post REPORT: Hornets Showing Interest in Kemba Walker and Isaiah Thomas appeared first on SLAM.

#Hornets are wrapping up their second summer league mini camp practice. No LiAngelo Ball again today because he’s still in health and safety protocols. pic.twitter.com/IYxmk8F9jD

— Rod Boone (@rodboone) July 4, 2022

The Hornets haven’t made an announcement regarding Ball’s status or if they expect him to clear the League’s protocols before Summer League starts on Friday with a game against the Pacers on ESPN2.

Ball last played for Charlotte’s G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, where he averaged 4.6 points and 1.1 rebounds per game in 28 games last season.

The post REPORT: LiAngelo Ball Could Miss Summer League Due to COVID-19 Protocols appeared first on SLAM.

Washington is finalizing a trade to acquire Denver’s Will Barton and Monte Morris for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

Smith just returned to the Wizards after playing half of the season with the Hornets. If he plays one game for the Nuggets, it’ll be the record-setting 13th team he’s played for. He was a part of a trade deadline to move Montrezl Harrell to Charlotte. KCP arrived during a blockbuster trade last summer to send Russell Westbrook to the Lakers.

Barton spent the last eight seasons with the Nuggets, becoming the all-time franchise leader in made three-pointers last March. Morris spent the entirety of his career in Denver after the Nuggets drafted him 51st overall in the 2017 NBA Draft.

The post REPORT: Wizards Trading Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for Will Barton and Monte Morris appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 8, 2022

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

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 6, 2022

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

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 5, 2022

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

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 5, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 5, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 5, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 5, 2022

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

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 4, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 4, 2022

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

— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) July 4, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

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

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) July 1, 2022

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

— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) July 1, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

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

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) June 30, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) June 30, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

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

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

— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) June 30, 2022

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

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

Portis has early bird rights in Milwaukee.

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

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

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 28, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2022

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

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2022

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

ESPN Sources: Steve Clifford has agreed to a deal to return as the Charlotte Hornets’ coach. Clifford, one of league’s most respected coaches among his peers, led Hornets to two playoff trips in a five-year run that ended in 2018.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 24, 2022

Clifford led Charlotte to a 196-214 record during his five-season tenure and two playoff trips from 2013-2018. Clifford previously served as an assistant with the Hornets, Magic, Lakers, Knicks, and Rockets. He will replace James Borrego, who was let go by the franchise after four seasons and a 138-163 record that failed to lead to a postseason appearance.

The Hornets are looking to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The franchise is yet to make it past the semifinals since 2002.

The post REPORT: Steve Clifford Returning to Charlotte as Head Coach appeared first on SLAM.

Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak relieved former coach James Borrego after he compiled a 138-163 record in four seasons. Despite a dip in wins from his first to the second year, the team improved in his final two seasons and were in a position to make a playoff runs the following season had he stayed. Instead, Charlotte brass elected to look elsewhere.

Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson is one of the two finalists.

He spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Knicks and another three with Atlanta before taking the Brooklyn job in 2016. In three and a half seasons as head coach for the Nets, Atkinson took over what could be considered the most challenging rebuild job in the NBA, but each year improved the overall record before the Nets returned to the playoffs in 2019.

He compiled a 118-190 overall record as Nets head coach before resigning midway through the 2019-2020 season. Atkinson has spent the following two years as an assistant under Coach Ty Lue with the Clippers and Coach Steve Kerr with the Warriors.

D’Antoni is the second finalist for the spot as the more experienced coach. From 2003-2008, D’Antoni ran the “Seven Seconds or Less” Phoenix Suns. In that run, D’Antoni compiled a 253-136 record, won 2004-05 NBA Coach of the Year, helped Steve Nash win back-to-back Most Valuable Player awards, and took the Suns to two consecutive Western Conference Finals in 2005 and 2006.

He would then spend four seasons with the Knicks, two with the Lakers, and the Houston Rockets from 2016-2020. In that run, he turned James Harden into the 2018 Most Valuable Player, took the Rockets to the Western Conference Finals in 2018, narrowly defeating the Warriors, and won NBA coach of the year in 2016-17. He compiled a total record of 217-101 in his Houston tenure.

Hornets owner Michael Jordan is expected to meet with Atkinson on Tuesday, with D’Antoni set for later this week.

The post REPORT: Kenny Atkinson and Mike D’Antoni Set to Meet With Michael Jordan For Charlotte Job appeared first on SLAM.

Among the players present at Ham’s intro to LA as a head coach was Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook struggled more than many expected this season, averaging 18.5 points per game and shooting 44 percent from the field and 29.8 from the 3-point range. Westbrook drew the ire and blame for the Lakers missing the playoffs, and he was even pulled from the Lakers’ closing-time lineup by former coach Frank Vogel. Some fans and media even called for Westbrook to be traded.

When asked about the Brodie, Ham said he expects to see Westbrook on the roster and expects the former MVP to play like the tenacious, high-energy player that he’s been, though he might have to do it more off of the ball.

“Don’t get it messed up. Russell is one of the best players our league has ever seen,” Ham said. “He still has a ton left in that tank. I don’t know why people tend to write him off. I’m going to approach him like every player I’ve ever encountered. We’re going to talk about our running habits with the ball without the ball.

“Again, share the load defensively and offensively. Defensively is where you’re going to see us make our biggest leaps and bounds. We have to commit to the defensive side of the ball, or we don’t have a chance to do anything. The offense won’t even matter if we don’t get stops.”

“Russ is one of the best players our league has ever seen. There’s still a ton left in that tank.”

Lakers new Head Coach Darvin Ham on Westbrook. pic.twitter.com/gYCmWMaeZF

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 6, 2022

General manager Rob Pelinka endorsed Ham during the press conference, saying how impressed he was with how Ham spoke about “sacrifice” and “toughness.” Ham’s main priority will be to turn their defense around, but as far as the Lakers’ offensive style, Ham said he wanted to use the “four out, one in” alignment that’s helped the Bucks and Hawks thrive under Ham’s former boss, Bucks Coach Mike Budenholzer.

The post Darvin Ham On Russell Westbrook: ‘He Still Has a Ton Left in That Tank’ appeared first on SLAM.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon, owner Ryan Smith and CEO of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge have contacted Snyder about his future with Utah. Discussions have been in “good faith” with Snyder despite the uncertainty of the outlook for Utah. 

Snyder, who’s been with the team since the 2014-2015 season, has made the playoffs in six of his eight seasons but never made it past the second round. His teams never fell outside of the top 15 in defensive rating since he first took over, and he has never won less than 35 games in his eight seasons as head coach.

Snyder is under contract until the 2023-2024 season, with that final year being a coach option. 

Reports also say that the team is fine with Snyder coming back on his current contract, but nothing concrete on his long-term or immediate future. The team has also shown that they are preparing for potential earth-shattering roster changes that could change the team’s outlook, depending on the moves made by Utah’s front office that could determine if Snyder is to remain in Salt Lake City or seek a job elsewhere.

If Snyder were to leave, there would be only one head coaching vacancy left in the League to fill, with Charlotte Hornets. Snyder was linked previously to the Lakers’ job, but they opted to hire Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham instead. 

The Jazz is in flux; the Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert situation remain unclear. Ownership has changed hands, and the front office leadership has changed in the last two years. This year, the team is set to be very deep in the luxury tax. Moving forward, the Utah Jazz will have a lot of choices to make, and they might be served to focus on improving the confidence Mitchell has in the team.

The post REPORT: Utah Jazz Coach Quin Snyder’s Future in Doubt appeared first on SLAM.

ESPN Sources: The Charlotte Hornets are beginning to interview candidates for their head coaching job, including Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson, Milwaukee assistant Darvin Ham, Dallas assistant Sean Sweeney and Mike D'Antoni.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 3, 2022

Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, Bucks assistant Darvin Ham, Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney, and Mike D’Antoni are the candidates that the Hornets front office executives will be interviewing.

Atkinson previously coached the Brooklyn Nets, leading the franchise to a 118-190 record in nearly four seasons before abruptly resigning during the 2019-2020 campaign. He then served as an assistant for the Clippers and the Warriors, where he is currently filling the same job. D’Antoni has the most head coaching experience amongst the four interviewees, leading the Nuggets, Suns, Knicks, Lakers, and the Rockets to a 672-527 record in 16 seasons.

Ham has also received a request to interview for the open Lakers job. Ham is a former player, having played overseas and in the G League. Since retiring in 2008, he’s served as a head coach for the former-New Mexico Thunderbird, now-Canton Charge of the G League. Since then, he’s worked as an assistant coach for the Lakers, Hawks, and Bucks.

After starting as a video coordinator in Brooklyn, Sweeny has worked as an assistant coach in Milwaukee, Brooklyn, and Detroit. He filled the same position at Northern Iowa and was director of basketball operations at the University of Evansville; he also coached at Anoka Ramsey Community College and the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Sweeney is another former college hooper, earning all-conference honors as a senior in 2005-06 while playing at the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul).

The post REPORT: Kenny Atkinson Amongst Candidates for Charlotte Head Coaching Spot appeared first on SLAM.

Charlotte is dismissing coach James Borrego, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 22, 2022

Charlotte has reached the play-In tournament for consecutive seasons and has improved by 10 wins in each of the past three seasons. However, Charlotte hasn’t won a game in the tournament in either of its appearances, despite their regular-season improvement and the development of SLAM 237 cover star LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. Borrego went 138-163 during his Hornets tenure.

The Hornets finished the season ranked 10th in the East with a 43-39 record.

The post REPORT: Charlotte Hornets Let Go of Head Coach James Borrego appeared first on SLAM.

After a slow start, much like his previous game against the Charlotte Hornets, he put together another epic performance in the second half, scoring 32 of his 38 points in a 107-101 Atlanta win. Young spearheaded the Hawks in the scoring column erasing a Cleveland halftime double-digit lead by the end of the third quarter.

Trae Young and the Hawks come storming back in the third quarter.

This season, the Cavaliers lost 17 games after leading by 10+ points, most in the NBA pic.twitter.com/0viGPDRyFr

— ESPN (@espn) April 16, 2022

Ice Trae highlighted this by knocking down a pair of three-pointers on his way to scoring Atlanta’s final 12 points. Young sparked a 17-8 Hawks run over the final 3:48 to go into the 4th quarter with an 84-all tie.

Young scored or assisted on 43 points in the second half, personally outpacing the Cavs for the final 24 minutes (40 points). The Oklahoma products performance not only punched Atlanta’s ticket to the playoffs, but he also made a little history along the way.

After dropping 32 in the second half, Trae Young became the 1st Hawks player in the last 25 seasons with 30+ points in a half of a playoff/play-in game, per @ESPNStatsInfo. https://t.co/94YIJNBhsD

— SLAM Newswire (@SLAMnewswire) April 16, 2022

“Trae has a great deal of confidence in his game, his ability, and he continued to believe,” Hawks Coach Nate McMillan said about his superstar guard, per ESPN. “I didn’t see any panic in his play. He came out in the second half, remained aggressive. Those shots started to fall, the same shots that he was taking the first half; they started to fall in the second half.”

Young talked about his mindset going into the second half after the game.

“I felt like I was letting my team down in the first half.”

Trae Young scored 32 points in the second half to send the Hawks to the playoffs pic.twitter.com/ybFpsjJRfs

— ESPN (@espn) April 16, 2022

Trae Young and the Hawks get to test their luck starting on Sunday when they take on the Heat in the first round of the playoffs.

The post Trae Young Bails out Atlanta Hawks With Huge Second Half Scoring Binge appeared first on SLAM.

The Hawks were in control for the entire game, but a 42-point third-quarter explosion basically put the game away to the point that questions were raised on why the starters were in the game so late in the final quarter.

The Hawks DOMINATE the Hornets, 132-103, to move on to a 2nd play-in game pic.twitter.com/Z6vn0T1q8W

— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 14, 2022

Hawks Coach Nate McMillan answered that question jokingly after the game via ESPN.

“The coaches were yelling and screaming at me, ‘Get the guys out so that we could get them a rest in!'” McMillan said via ESPN. “But it’s time to play. It’s game time. We should be ready when we go to Cleveland.”

Trae Young is definitely ready for the Cleveland matchup. Even with a 3-13 shooting performance in the first half, the attention of the Hornets’ defense opened up opportunities for his teammates, particularly Clint Capela. Capela exposed Charlotte’s need for a center, putting a stat line of 15 points, 17 rebounds, three blocks, and two steals.

The no-look alley pic.twitter.com/XTudyKwcio

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 13, 2022

After knocking down a second-quarter buzzer-beater just before the half, Ice Trae took advantage of Charlotte’s adjustments to his playmaking by knocking down open shots in the second half and finished with 24 points and 11 assists.

After stating that the Hawks needed to find motivation in the regular season to play like it was the playoffs, Young has again raised his level of play in big games. As the Knicks, Bucks, and Sixers saw last year, when he connects with his patented floaters and logo threes, it opens up lanes for his teammates that deflates defenses.

Trae draws four (4) defenders then drops a no-look dime pic.twitter.com/lt9P8MePsz

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 14, 2022

The winner of the Hawks and Cavaliers collision course on Friday night will face the Eastern Conference’s top seed in the Miami Heat.

The post Atlanta Hawks Stamp Their Ticket To Play Cavs By Blowing Out Charlotte appeared first on SLAM.

After Atlanta outscored the Hornets 42-24 in the third quarter, the game was never in doubt. But unlike Charlotte’s play-in tournament blowout last year to the Indiana Pacers, some actions from Hornets forward Miles Bridges have the attention of the League office.

The Michigan State product was ejected in the fourth quarter after receiving double technical fouls for arguing a non-call at one end of the floor and then charging toward an official after a personal foul and goaltending call on the other.

Miles Bridges was ejected after arguing this goaltend call. pic.twitter.com/ijvc7SxlNF

— ESPN (@espn) April 14, 2022

After the ejection and being restrained by teammates, Bridges was seen throwing his mouthpiece into the stands at a heckling Hawks fan waving goodbye. Instead of hitting that fan, it hit a 16-year-old girl in the face.

Miles Bridges appears to throw his mouthpiece at a fan after getting ejected pic.twitter.com/IBznSPtxWR

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 14, 2022

To Bridges’ credit, he took immediate responsibility for his outburst after the game, even tweeting a video of the incident with the caption, “Somebody get me in contact with the young lady. That’s unacceptable.”

Somebody get me in contact with the young lady. That’s unacceptable. https://t.co/MlLZjMgcBF

— Miles Bridges (@MilesBridges) April 14, 2022

Bridges tried to explain his actions after the game via CBSSports.com.

“I let my temper get the best of me. That was definitely the wrong thing to do by throwing my mouthpiece,” Bridges said after the game. “I was aiming for the guy that was screaming at me, and it hit the little girl, so that’s definitely unacceptable on my part, and I take full responsibility, and I’m ready for any consequences that the NBA may give me.

“That’s on me. That’s out of character for me. … I was definitely wrong, a lot of emotions. Hopefully, I can get in contact with the little girl and sincerely apologize to her and do something nice for her.”

Bridges will likely face disciplinary action from the NBA, which puts a damper on a breakout season that made him a top candidate for Most Improved Player this season. He finished the game with 12 points, four rebounds, and four assists.

The post Miles Bridges Apologizes To Fan For Throwing Mouthpiece After Ejection appeared first on SLAM.

Charlotte has been increasingly mentioned by league insiders as a team to watch on the Russell Westbrook trade front, per @TheSteinLine

(Via https://t.co/VLnvss1q1X) pic.twitter.com/NwN6opDBiq

— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) April 7, 2022

The former League MVP will receive more than $47 million for the 2022-23 season if he decides to pick up his player option with the Lakers. After the Lakers’ 121-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns, Westbrook expressed his interest in returning to the squad for the 22-23 season.

Westbrook’s insertion alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis didn’t pan out as most expected, with the Lakers failing to advance to the postseason. The all-time triple-doubles leader averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 boards, and 7.1 dimes on 44.4 percent shooting from the field.

The post REPORT: Charlotte Hornets Team to Watch in Potential Russell Westbrook Trade appeared first on SLAM.

The 22-year-old shot 61 percent from the field and 6-10 from three-point range to give the Heat their fifth straight win in the final week of the NBA season.

In a press conference after the game, Herro told reporters, “I’m playing the best I’ve ever played in my life.”

Herro is averaging 20.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game off the bench, making him a clear favorite for the sixth man of the year award. Lou Williams is the only other player to average at least 20 off the bench in the last 30 years.

As the season winds down to its final two regular-season games, the Heat are 2.5 games ahead of the Boston Celtics for first place in the Eastern Conference. With a playoff ticket already punched the Heat will end the season hosting the Atlanta Hawks on Friday and traveling to Orlando to face the Magic Sunday.

The post Tyler Herro After Tying Dwyane Wade’s Scoring Record: ‘I’m Playing the Best I’ve Ever Played’ appeared first on SLAM.

Following Monday morning practice, Durant reflected on the Nets’ regular season as they prepare to fight for a spot in the postseason play-in tournament:

“To be honest, I feel like our season was derailed by my injury. I’m not looking at it as like a ‘we’re just not a good basketball team.’ There wasn’t a lot of continuity with me and Kyrie out of the lineup. That’s just what it is. When we’re all on the floor together, I like what we got.”

Durant has been stellar since he returned, averaging 32.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 53.5 percent from the field and 43.2 percent from three. KD put up a career-high 55 points in a close loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.

The Nets have the same record as the ninth-seeded Charlotte Hornets but don’t have the tiebreaker and are one game behind the Hawks for eighth place. Brooklyn faces Houston tomorrow, the Knicks on Wednesday, Cleveland on Friday, and the Pacers on Sunday.

The post Kevin Durant on Nets’ Season: ‘Our Season Was Derailed by My Injury’ appeared first on SLAM.

While he participated in light shooting at practice today, Steve Nash said the three-time All-Star would remain sidelined for the rest of the regular season and the play-in tournament. While Nash remains hopeful for a Simmons return down the line in the playoffs, he would be “shocked” if he returned for the play-in.

“He’s doing some increased strengthening, some increased mobility stuff, a little bit of shooting, and that’s it,” Nash told reporters.

With only four more games left in the regular season, Simmons hasn’t arrived at the point in his rehab process where he’s participating in 1-on-1 or 3-on-3 workouts, indicating a return during the final stretch of the regular season seemed improbable. The 2017-18 Rookie of the Year has been f in street clothes since the organization announced in March that he had suffered a herniated disk in his back.

On Simmons, Steve Nash also said he doesn’t see the Nets skipping some high-intensity workouts to get him in a game given the long layoff he’s had. If he had played for most of the season it’s a different story.

— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) April 4, 2022

“I think in this situation, we got to put his health and safety first and make sure that we’re certain he’s ready to play and contribute,” Nash added. “And the other part is he hasn’t played basketball, so you don’t know what kind of Ben you get. And he hasn’t been in an NBA game for, you know, nine to 10 months.”

Currently sitting at 10th in the East, the Nets (40-38) would likely matchup against the Charlotte Hornets (40-38) in the play-in unless they secure two wins to capture the eighth seed, currently occupied by Atlanta (41-37). The Nets, at this point, can finish no higher than eighth in the East.

The post Ben Simmons Sidelined For Remainder of Regular Season and Play-In Tournament, Steve Nash Says appeared first on SLAM.

But on this night, many die-hard hoops fans are glued to their television screens and phones while the NBA celebrates the culmination of the 2018-19 season. The third annual NBA Awards, live from the Barker Hangar in Los Angeles and airing on TNT, will reveal the winners of some of the League’s most prestigious accolades. Giannis Antetokounmpo is about to earn his first of back-to-back MVPs. Luka Doncic is picking up his ROY hardware. Superstar hoopers aside, though, the night also features celebrity presenters. Samuel L. Jackson. Tiffany Haddish. Issa Rae. Shaquille O’Neal. And then there is actor and comedian Hasan Minhaj, who takes the stage to let off a few jokes. One joke in particular is about to become a trending topic on Twitter. 

“In the past two months, AD got traded, Zion went first and LaMelo Ball got shipped to boarding school in Australia. I can say that joke—neither of us will ever make the NBA,” says Minhaj, as some laughs break through the crowd.

Comedians crack jokes. That’s the point. But whether Minhaj actually believed what he said, only he knows. 

The irony of it all (aside from the fact that Melo went on to become the third overall pick in the draft the following year and won ROY a few months later) is that here was a 17-year-old kid who had become such a staple of hoops culture that he was the subject of a joke on a night meant to celebrate the game’s current greatest.  

About 50 miles east from where the awards were taking place, it didn’t take long before LaMelo, at home in Chino Hills, reacted online. He posted a comment, which was later deleted, that essentially questioned if Minhaj would say that to his face. Normal teenager reaction. All harmless. 

Almost three years later, LaMelo is now sitting on a table in a Charlotte hotel conference room on a late February afternoon. He’s wearing a custom 1-of-1 LaFrancé-branded basketball uniform (his personal lifestyle brand, named as a nod to his middle name) while rocking a No. 1 jersey, which he says he expects to be his new number starting next season. And then there’s the humongous iced out double chain around his neck with a 3D UFO spaceship. Casual. 

We just wrapped up his cover shoot and he is comfortably lounging as he reminisces on his journey so far.

SLAM 237 featuring LaMelo Ball is available now!

He’s no longer that bubble gum teenager who many predicted was all internet hype and would eventually fade into obscurity. To be fair to Minhaj, he was probably just repeating what he had heard others say—some who even consider themselves basketball experts repeated those same sentiments back then, too. On the night of the 2019 awards ceremony, ESPN had Melo projected as a second rounder in the draft. The 32nd pick, to be exact. 

As Melo is reminded of the days when many doubted him, and specifically the night of the awards, he begins cheesing hard. It’s the smile of someone who knows he’s had the last laugh. He always knew he would. And he enjoys every bit of it these days. But as I remind him of his deleted comment from that night, he can no longer control his laughter.    

“Oh, I said that?! That was probably me on some young shit. I’ll smack that n—a, for real!” he says before breaking out into more laughs. 

“Nah, I don’t really give a fuck when people said stuff like that. It’s all jokes to me, for real. When you say something, I’m gonna say something back. You mean it? Eh, I don’t mean it. Could mean it. Probably don’t. Probably do. It’s whatever.” 

Melo ain’t really sweating it. He never has. His nonchalant demeanor has lowkey played a big role in getting him here. If anything, it’s probably what kept him sane when his notoriety was exploding in high school, and yet media outlets and online trolls alike refused to acknowledge him as a legitimate high-level NBA prospect. Talent is obviously needed to get here. But ask all of the cautionary tales and highly touted high school players who never panned out about their voyage, and the importance of mental strength will be a common theme. Goes without saying that being under a microscope and the type of spotlight that Melo grew up in is not for the faint of heart. 

Melo, though, shrugs and scoffs at the thought (technically, the question) that there was ever even the smallest of chances that all that noise was ever hard on him. That lowlight mixtape that accumulated millions of views online when he was only 15 years old? He’s practically offended at the thought that he would ever be offended by it. 

“I ain’t gonna lie, everything was just normal to me. I give a lot of credit to my pops, just the way he had us. Pretty much saying, If they not talking about y’all and they not hating on you, you’re pretty much not doing nothing. You feel me? If they not hating on you, you obviously not doing something. If they talking about you good, if they talking about you bad, they’re still talking about you,” says Melo. “I never really looked at it like, Oh, why are they talking about me like that? If you not really in my household, I don’t really care what you got to say. No disrespect, but it’s like that.” 

Continuing to look back on his father’s words: “He said, Y’all destined for the League, type-shit. Made us really believe it. I came out the womb believing it. When you got that factor and really believe it, that’s really it. All you could do is make it, for real. That’s what our mindset was…I felt like I could play in the League when I was 14, 15. I probably couldn’t have, but that’s just how I thought. I was like, It’s just basketball. He could shoot, I could shoot. He dribbles, I dribble. From the beginning, I thought I was always—no one could really f**k with me. I just always had that attitude.”  

In late 2017, when Melo left Chino Hills High School at the beginning of his junior year and turned pro in Lithuania, he says that’s when he received his big affirmation—or rather, revelation—that there was nothing that could stop him. At the time, people criticized the move, saying it would hinder his growth and development, and ultimately obliterate any probabilities of him making the NBA.     

“Honestly, after Lithuania, I didn’t give a fuck where I got drafted to. The beds? You roll off to the left, you fall off. You roll off to the right, you fall off. Motherfucking calves hanging off the bed—not feet, calves hanging off the bed! It was bad, bro. Once you get through that, it was like, I don’t care where y’all put me in. As long as I’m in the States and I got water, I’m good,” Melo says confidently. “That whole shit, bruh—it felt like one big ass night! That shit was crazy. Food was hard to eat out there. Hella cold. Nobody around. That’s pretty much when I just locked in. I’m like, Yeah, I don’t really need too much. Just get it done and grind. That right there was big, I feel like. Sacrifice—you feel me? That’s what I looked at it as.  

“The mental shit goes back to Lithuania. Ever since all that, I aint gon’ lie, my mental has been straight. It ain’t nothing you can do. I even sat the bench there. I literally did everything out there.” 

LaVar still remembers Melo getting in trouble in preschool as if it was yesterday. One day, the teacher had asked the class what their favorite song was. Every kid took turns as the teacher went around the room. When it was finally Melo’s turn to speak, he excitedly shared with the class his favorite lyrics. 

“This dude starts reciting a DMX song with all the cuss words in it! His teachers said, Hold up, wait a minute! He had never been [in a situation] where someone would say, Hey, don’t say those cuss words! ’Cause I let him listen to rap when getting ready for the games. So he was always listening to DMX and what his older brothers were listening to,” recalls LaVar. In 2016, Zo did say that his five favorite rappers of all time were Lil Wayne, Future, DMX, 50 Cent and Tupac, so it’s easy to see where that came from.   

LaVar shares the childhood story to get to a bigger point. Being the youngest, Melo would always hang around his older brothers. Wherever Zo and Gelo went, Melo was there. That included the basketball court. Melo felt he could hang with them on the court, but then also invited himself to hang off the court, too. It got to the point where Melo was practically hanging with Zo’s and Gelo’s friends more than kids in his own grade. It was really just an extension of what was happening on the hardwood. LaVar had his boys playing up in age in AAU. Do some Googles and you’ll find videos of an 11-year-old Melo playing against high school kids next to his brothers at AAU events. Not just playing against high school kids at 11, giving them buckets.    

“We used to have movie night every weekend. I used to say, Each of you guys invite a couple of your friends. And Melo never invited his. He always invited Lonzo’s and Gelo’s. The older guys. Melo never wanted to hang out with no little guys,” LaVar says. “By the time we were playing in the high school leagues, and the boys were super young, I always had a couple of guys on the team that were 17 to balance that stuff out—needed some big boys to rebound. These dudes had tattoos and goatees and my dudes were barely in elementary. But they looked at [Melo, Gelo and Zo] as little brothers and protected them. [Melo] always talked crazy. He talked like them. You’d hear a little kid’s voice talking, and then you hear him talking about stuff that grown folks talking about. He was always like that.”  

But on-court development was only part of the plan. There was a whole other social aspect to it. LaVar decided to raise the family in the relatively affluent Chino Hills enclave, far away from the South Central L.A. streets he grew up in. He and his wife Tina would end up taking the boys back to W. Slauson and S. Van Ness all the time, though. After all, their grandparents still lived in the neighborhood. And aside from visiting family, he also wanted the boys to build up that same inner-city grit and toughness he had mastered. He wanted the boys to appreciate the unique situation they were in back in Chino Hills, and to also be cognizant and understanding of the different social conditions others less fortunate were born into. The routine trips to South Central ultimately became a major part of the boys’ development. 

Still, part of that preparation was also about making sure that Melo and his brothers wouldn’t get caught up in the glitz and glamour when they finally made it to the League. That the transition would be as seamless as possible because their lifestyle would be no different when that day came. Growing up around gated communities in Chino Hills was one thing. But Zo pulling up to high school in a new white BMW 7 Series and Gelo pulling up in a separate one—yes, to the same school parking lot—was just as much about preparing for the League as any drill was. When Melo finally turned 16, he famously got a Lamborghini gifted to him. Not many outside of the family understood the purpose of it all at the time. 

“If I wanted my sons to live the NBA lifestyle, you can’t dangle no fucking shoe in front of them, like you can do with the other superstars. You offered them some shoes, they were gonna be like, What am I supposed to do with these shoes when I got a BMW outside? You get to the League and now you can finally buy that BMW or Escalade you always wanted. [Melo, Gelo, and Zo] already had that in high school,” says LaVar. “Just like with Melo, when the media asked him if he was happy to have his own signature shoe [with Puma], he told them he’s had that since he was 16. He’s not gonna feel any different if we made sure that he felt those experiences at 16. Guys are out there breaking their neck trying to get a signature shoe. He’s been through all of that. You can’t re-do it. You can only have that feeling one time.” 

Adds Melo: “Right when I hit that age, everything started making sense. I had been through everything. Even with the whole playing on teams—I really started to see what my pops was doing. Even when we were younger, we always used to play on our own team under him, with just local kids. We wouldn’t go find the best teams. Then you look back at it and it’s like, Damn, that’s ’cause he wanted me to pass, shoot, rebound, steal. Damn near do everything. So, when you do get on those types of teams and you got that [NBA] talent around you [now], it’s way easier.”

So here we are today. Melo is now the face of an NBA franchise at only 20 years old. A franchise and a city that didn’t have much to cheer about prior to his arrival in 2020. The impact is evident in the significant increase of new season ticket holders that the team has reported since he touched down in the Queen City. In the fact that they’ve been in contention for a playoff spot the last two seasons after finishing almost 20 games under .500 right before he got to town. 

Some of his early accolades make his trajectory scary—in the best way. He’s already joined some elite company in his short time in the League. Fourth-youngest ever to be an NBA All-Star, behind only Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Magic Johnson. He finished with 18 points off the bench that night. There was a period earlier this season when he was the team’s leader in points, rebounds, assists and steals per game (Mason Plumlee has since taken over the rebounds category). The only other player in the League who was leading his team across all four categories at the same time this season was reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. Melo became the second youngest player in NBA history to reach 700 career assists in February, behind only LeBron. There’s a bunch of other similar milestones, where his name sits next to some of the best.

But it hasn’t all been peaches and cream. As we headed to press, the team had dropped 13 of its last 17 games. The Hornets are fighting tooth and nail to hold on to one of the last remaining play-in game spots. And while Melo is focused on securing a postseason opportunity, he’s also aware that it’s all just a process. Just like his road to the NBA. From Lithuania to LaVar’s JBA world tour (which took him across Europe) to Australia, he’s become confident in knowing that not much in his life has been a matter of if, only when.    

“When they really put them keys in my hand, I feel like it’s gonna be a whole new situation. But until then, I’m gonna keep doing what I need to do, just try to get these wins,” says Melo. “I ain’t gonna lie, every game I feel like I can do more than what I’m doing. It’s just [about] reading the whole game and reading the whole situation. And everybody being on the same page. The consistency part. Once all that clears, I feel like we’ll be straight. 

“The season isn’t successful until you win a championship. But it’s [also] pretty much always about being better than the last year. So, last year we were in the play-in. This year hopefully we get in the playoffs, win a first round, something like that. Just keep going up from there. I just feel we’re like a big away. One that can clog up the whole paint, rebound. Put that bitch in my hands [and] let me rock! That’s how I be feeling. And then we’re gonna be straight.”

SLAM 237 is available now in these gold and black metal editions, plus an exclusive SLAM 237 Cover Tee.

Portraits Diwang Valdez.

The post The King of Queen City: LaMelo Ball’s Ascension to the Top is Only a Matter of Time appeared first on SLAM.

With the win, Minnesota is now tied in the win column, with the Denver Nuggets moving just a half-game out of the sixth spot to avoid the play-in tournament. The Timberwolves play the Nuggets next week in a game with significant playoff implications.

With the loss, the Mavericks missed a chance to pass the Utah Jazz for the fourth seed after the Jazz lost to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. Dallas and Utah have a showdown on Sunday for potential home-court advantage in the first round.

“You’ve got to be able to respond to adversity quick,” Karl-Anthony Towns said via ESPN about the importance of staying the course especially through Minnesota’s two-game losing streak, “Especially if we’re going to be in the playoffs and we’re talking about winning a championship.”

KAT posted 20 points nine rebounds on the night, leading a balanced offensive effort that featured seven Wolves players that scored in double figures.

full squad effort.

KAT – 20 pts. / 9 reb. / 1 ast. / 1 stl.
JMac – 16 pts. / 5 reb. / 3 ast.
DLo – 15 pts. / 5 reb. / 8 ast.
TP – 14 pts. / 5 reb.
Ant – 12 pts. / 6 reb. / 4 ast. / 1 stl.
Vando – 12 pts. / 6 reb. / 1 stl.
PatBev – 10 pts. / 1 reb. / 2 ast. / 1 stl. / 1 blk. pic.twitter.com/rZnvU67TAT

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) March 26, 2022

Despite Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic almost collecting another triple-double after finishing the night with 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Mavericks, and the highlight of the night after nutmegging a defender with a dime to Maxi Kleber for a dunk.

Luka sneaks in a bounce pass!

Watch Now on NBA League Pass: https://t.co/oz9UCQxdQa pic.twitter.com/PrL4MmbWJc

— NBA (@NBA) March 26, 2022

Minnesota made him work for everything he got, loading up defenders such as Patrick Beverley, Anthony Edwards, and Taurean Prince.

The Timberwolves start a critical four-game road trip Sunday in Boston.

The post Minnesota Timberwolves Get Closer to Playoff Position With Win Over Mavs appeared first on SLAM.

But if New York City goes through with plans to lift the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate on athletes on Thursday, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Irving will be able to suit up and play in the Barclays Center as soon as Sunday.

Kyrie Irving is eligible to make his home debut at Barclays Center on Sunday vs. the Charlotte Hornets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. New NYC exemption for in-town athletes and performers will be effective immediately beginning Thursday.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 23, 2022

The timing couldn’t be better for the Nets, who currently own the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and a potential date in the play-in tournament starting on April 12. Irving, who has missed 35 home games this season, is averaging 27.7 points in Brooklyn’s 19 road games.

Irving couldn’t hide his excitement in the press conference after the Nets’ loss to Memphis but did contain his feelings until everything was official.

“I can’t wait to talk to you guys once something’s official.”

Kyrie Irving kept his comments to Brooklyn’s game against Memphis as he and the Nets wait for confirmation on changes to NYC’s vaccine mandate.#NETSonYES pic.twitter.com/kqRau1jr0C

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) March 24, 2022

While the mandate changes by Mayor Eric Adams are big news, he hinted that any future amendments to the policy would be based on careful consideration.

“We’re going to do it in the right way,” Adams said Tuesday via ESPN. “We’re going to follow the science… we’re going to make the right decision. And in New York, no matter what you do, this is 8.8 million people and 30 million opinions, so you’re never going to satisfy New Yorkers, so you must go with the logic, your heart, and the science.”

The Brooklyn Nets have one more road game to play against the Miami Heat on Saturday before Irving can have his potential home debut this season.

The post Kyrie Irving Eligible to Play Home Games After New York Lifts Mandates appeared first on SLAM.

Sources: The Charlotte Hornets are signing guard Isaiah Thomas to a new contract for the remainder of the season. After 10-days with Lakers, Mavs, Hornets, Thomas finds home in Charlotte where he’s averaged 10 points and assumed leadership role. Hornets: 7-2 since signing Thomas.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 22, 2022

Thoms signed numerous 10-day contracts with the Lakers, Mavs, and the Hornets, as mentioned above, before finding a home with Charlotte. Since signing in March, Thomas has averaged 9.9 points and 2.0 rebounds per game and has emerged as a veteran leader alongside Gordon Hayward. Additionally, the Hornets have gone 7-2 since signing IT4.

The post REPORT: Isaiah Thomas Signed With Hornets Through Season appeared first on SLAM.

Their next two opponents are their most important. The Knicks will be playing back-to-back series against the Hawks and Hornets, two games that have significant implications in their pursuit of a play-in tournament spot. If the Knicks lose, they will end the season with their eighth losing season in the last nine.

As of Tuesday, the Knicks are five games behind the 10th place Hawks (35-36) and six behind the ninth-place Hornets (36-35). If the Knicks beat the Hornets, it ensures that the protected first-round pick it sent to Atlanta when they traded for Cam Reddish will not convey in June.

“We’re going to go and try to win every single game,” RJ Barrett said of Atlanta per the New York Post. “They’re a team that’s ahead of us, so this will be a big opportunity for us.” 

Outside of Atlanta and two games against Charlotte, the Knicks will also be playing against the Heat, Pistons, Cavs, Nets, Wizards, and the Raptors.

This means they will be playing seven of their last 11 games against teams with above .500 records. The Knicks have won five of their previous eight games, despite shooting 34.5 percent and 37 percent from the field in their last two games.

The post RJ Barrett on the ‘Big Opportunity’ for Knicks Ahead of Hawks Matchup appeared first on SLAM.

Ball’s stat line of 22 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds, coupled with 13 points from P.J. Washington in the fourth quarter, powered the Hornets’ small-ball lineup that started in an 85-85 tie.

But what was underrated in Ball’s performance is his contributions with team defense holding Trae Young to only nine points on 3-12 shooting.

“We used our length, size, and physicality, and we made it tough on Trae.” Hornets Coach James Borrego said about the gameplan to defend Young per ESPN. “He is a heck of a player, and getting him out of the pick and roll, we went through probably three or four iterations tonight to make him think on the fly.”

But in the end, it was Ball’s execution of the offense when the Hornets went small playing “pick and pop” with Washington that was the difference in the game. Something that Hawks coach Nate McMillan discussed after the game.

“We didn’t get out quick enough, and we didn’t get out to the shooters, and they basically just ran a pick-and-pop game, and he was able to knock down some shots.”

Then finally, at the end of the game, Melo finished things off in style.

That feeling after your third win in a row…@MELOD1P | #AllFly pic.twitter.com/QncluWzBfR

— Bally Sports: Hornets (@HornetsOnBally) March 17, 2022

Melo and the Hornets have a few days off before taking on the Dallas Mavericks at home on Saturday night.

The post Charlotte Hornets Overtake the Hawks in Playoffs Seeding Behind LaMelo Ball 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.

Fresh off of scoring a season-high 54 points at home against the Brooklyn Nets on national television Sunday, Tatum took his high-scoring tour on the road to Charlotte, where he lit the Hornets up for 44 points to lead the Celtics to a 115-101 win Wednesday night.

With 98 points combined in back-to-back games, Tatum tied Kevin McHale’s franchise scoring record over a two-game span.

Certified. Bucket. Getter.

Jayson Tatum dropped 44 tonight

(: @celtics) pic.twitter.com/SyTzLAXfC8

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 10, 2022

Setting Boston scoring records is starting to become a trend for the three-time All-Star as he just recently tied Larry Bird for 50 point games in franchise history over the weekend.

After Jaylen Brown called Tatum “unstoppable” after the Nets game, Celtics teammate Derrick White talked about the influence the superstar forward’s hot streak has on how the team gels.

“They’re doubling, so everybody’s in rotation kind of chasing,” said Derrick White via NBA.com. “So it’s an opportunity for me and everybody else just to take advantage of what the defense gives us and be aggressive.”

Tatum simply cannot miss rn (via @celtics) pic.twitter.com/a6rVDqDDXE

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 10, 2022

On the other hand, the former Duke Blue Devil is appreciative and thankful after working his way through a slow start at the beginning of the year.

“I’m in a lot better zone than I was to start the season,” Tatum said with a smile. “But it was just part of it. I believe in the work I put in, and I never doubted myself. I’m just thankful my teammates didn’t doubt me either.”

Not only is he matching scoring marks from legends like Bird and McHale, but Tatum also has a few of his own. The 24-year-old forward owns three of the top four scoring totals over three games in team history.

Most points in a 3-game span in Celtics history

1. Jayson Tatum – 135 PTS (3/3/22 – 3/9/22)
2. Jayson Tatum – 128 PTS (4/28/21 – 5/2/21)
3. Larry Bird – 126 PTS (3/12/85 – 3/15/85)
4. Jayson Tatum – 124 PTS (3/1/22 – 3/6/22) pic.twitter.com/MctBp5jaqJ

— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) March 10, 2022

He gets to try to continue his hot streak Thursday night against the Detroit Pistons.

The post Jayson Tatum Ties Kevin McHale’s Two-Game Celtics Scoring Record 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.

KD, a walking bucket by his onw right, found himself very impressed with the overall performance of Tatum, calling him a “shot maker.”

Kevin Durant on Jayson Tatum: “He made some tough shots and three point shots over us… he’s an elite shot maker.” pic.twitter.com/KEkhTXQS7F

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) March 6, 2022

The term “shot-maker” was nowhere near attached to former Duke Blue Devil when he was mired in a considerable shooting slump featured by a stretch where he missed 20 straight 3-point shot attempts. Now the pendulum has completely swung the other way for Tatum. In his last three games, he has shot 52.5 percent (42-80) from the floor while averaging 41 points per game, which has led to three Celtics wins.

The 24-year-old forward has taken the next step as a superstar by putting up big games against other top stars. Before this one-on-one matchup with Durant, Tatum scored 33 points on a 12-25 shooting clip in a win over Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. After that, he dropped 37 points against Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies.

“Those matchups — when you’re playing one of the better teams in the league, two of the best guys — as a competitor, those are the kinds of moments that as a kid you looked forward to,” Tatum told ESPN about playing his peers. “When those opportunities come, you try to make the most of it.”

It’s about drive. It’s about power. Tatum wants this dub and it shows here on his 49th point. Coming down to the wire on this Celtics vs. Nets game.

(Via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/741luVB9kC

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 6, 2022

Tatum’s play coincides with the overall improvement of play from the Boston Celtics, who have won 21 of their last 27 games. Something that was not lost on his teammate, Jaylen Brown, who spoke on just that after the game.

Jaylen Brown on the Celtics offense: “This man to the left was unstoppable, that helps your offense… all season we’re just trying to make the right plays, learn and grow” pic.twitter.com/H3q65QMddO

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) March 6, 2022

The Celtics take on the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.

The post Jaylen Brown Calls Jayson Tatum ‘Unstoppable’ After 54-Point Performance appeared first on SLAM.

With his recent 54-point outburst, Jayson Tatum is now tied with Larry Bird for the most 50-point games in Celtics history.

“This is what I dreamed about as a kid, and I waited my whole life to get to,” Tatum said per CBS Sports. “Obviously I have a long way to go, a long way to what I’m trying to accomplish, but [I’m] staying in the moment and just enjoying it. Having fun doing what I love everyday.” 

Only two Celtics with four 50+ point games pic.twitter.com/c0GFb0yG2u

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 6, 2022

Tatum kept things efficient shooting 16-30 from the field overall, knocking down eight three-pointers while shooting 14-17 from the free throw line. He also added five rebounds and three assists.

It’s about drive. It’s about power. Tatum wants this dub and it shows here on his 49th point. Coming down to the wire on this Celtics vs. Nets game.

(Via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/741luVB9kC

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 6, 2022

The Boston Celtics hot streak coincides with their franchise player as they have won five of their last six games. They’re currently ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference.

The Boston Celtics go on the road to take on the Charlotte Hornets Wednesday night.

The post Jayson Tatum Ties Larry Bird For Most 50 Point Games in Celtics History appeared first on SLAM.

Back in Decemeber, Isaiah Thomas talked to SLAM about his love for the game. Now, three months later, there’s something special about seeing IT not only step up, but show out after signing a series of 10-day contracts and hoopin’ in the G League.

The Hornets recently signed Thomas to a deal after three explosive outings with the Denver Nuggets’ NBA G-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, where he scored 42, 45, and 46 points, respectively. The last showcase was against the Hornets’ G League team, the Greensboro Swarm. In his debut as a Charlotte Hornet on Wednesday, Thomas contributed 10 points, five rebounds, and three assists in only 14 minutes of action off the bench to help lead Charlotte to a much-needed 119-98 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

He scored his first points as a Hornet off a simple pin-down action that sprung him open for a sweet pull-up from beyond the arc.

Isaiah Thomas scores his first points as a Hornet pic.twitter.com/xNtbdB0ZlS

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 3, 2022

After the game, Terry Rozier shared what makes him so excited about reuniting with the former All-Star in a Hornets uniform.

“He never ceases to amaze me, the way he can put the ball in the basket,” Rozier said of Thomas, his former teammate in Boston via ESPN. “With his leadership and his voice, he’s already making a difference in the locker room.”

This is not the first time the Washington product started out the gate fast on a 10-day contract. In December, Thomas led the Los Angeles Lakers in scoring with 19 points in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

@isaiahthomas puts up 19 points in his return to the @Lakers and his 2021-22 NBA debut! pic.twitter.com/tgblSNIWGX

— NBA (@NBA) December 18, 2021

The Hornets will be Thomas’ 10th NBA stop over his 12-year career, including a memorable three-year tenure with the Boston Celtics. During his time in Beantown, Thomas was made the All-Star Game twice and earned a Second-Team All-NBA selection in 2017.

The post Isaiah Thomas Makes His Charlotte Hornets Debut appeared first on SLAM.

Isaiah Thomas is signing a 10-day deal with Charlotte, source tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 1, 2022

In the last week, the two-time All-Star guard averaged 41.3 points per game in three appearances with the G League franchise Grand Rapid Gold. Thomas scored a season-high record 46 points on Feb. 26, the most scored in the G League this year.

IT4’s signing couldn’t have come at a better for the Hornets (30-32), who have lost 11 of their last 13 games. The skid has dropped the franchise to ninth in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Thomas played four games for the Lakers, memorably scoring 19 points against the Dallas Mavericks. The December game was his first time playing back an NBA court since he played for the Pelicans in 2020-2021. Thomas played one game for the Mavericks as well before his 10-day expired.

@isaiahthomas puts up 19 points in his return to the @Lakers and his 2021-22 NBA debut! pic.twitter.com/tgblSNIWGX

— NBA (@NBA) December 18, 2021

The post REPORT: Isaiah Thomas Signs 10-Day Deal With the Hornets 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.

The Trail Blazers are waiving center Cody Zeller, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA. Blazers needed to clear one roster spot to make room for players acquired in New Orleans trade. Zeller had surgery on his right knee on Jan. 25 and was scheduled to be evaluated 8-10 weeks after.

— Jason Quick (@jwquick) February 9, 2022

Zeller had been out since January 25th after undergoing surgery to repair a right patellar avulsion fracture, which has cost more than 20 games this season. After signing a free-agent contract with Portland last offseason, he’s played 27 games with averages of 5.2 points and 4.6 rebounds off the bench.

Before coming to the Blazers, Zeller was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft of the Charlotte Hornets and averaged 8.7 points and 6.0 rebounds in 22.7 minutes. He averaged double figures three times, with his best season coming in 2019-20, when he averaged a career-high in points (11.1) and rebounds (7.1).

However, Zeller’s injury issues have stunted his career, costing him substantial playing time in several seasons. Since playing every game as a rookie, he has never played more than 62 games in a season while averaging just 50 games in his last five seasons.

The post REPORT: Portland Trail Blazers Waive Veteran Center Cody Zeller appeared first on SLAM.

Since Durant and Green will miss the annual All-Star festivities, they will be replaced in the starter pool for the Draft by the All-Star reserve from the same conference and of the same position group who received the highest ranking in the voting for All-Star starters. As a result, Durant will be replaced in the starter pool by Tatum. Green will be assigned to the same team that drafts Murray. The All-Star Draft will air on Thursday.

Ball and Murray will selected with the reserves in the second round.

Hornets guard LaMelo Ball and San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray have been named replacements for Kevin Durant and Draymond Green in the NBA All-Star Game.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 7, 2022

Ball, the 2021 Rookie of the Year averaged 19.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game. The Hornets are in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff seeding race, sitting at the ninth seed with a 28-26 record. The Hornets are just a game behind the Celtics for eighth place in the conference despite dropping four straight games.

Just call him ALL-STAR Melo!

BUZZ CITY! @MELOD1P is a 2022 #NBAAllStar!

: https://t.co/LgbvcfpSNU pic.twitter.com/1z1Zp8zVds

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) February 7, 2022

Murray made the All-Star game thanks to his stat-sheet stuffing first half, averaging 19.6 points, 8.4 boards, and 9.2 dimes per game, career-high marks across the board. The 25-year-old point guard also recieved a key endorsement from Spurs legend George ‘the Iceman’ Gervin. His 10 triple-doubles are the second most in the NBA, Murray set the single-season record for most triple-doubles in Spurs history.

As of Monday, the Spurs (20-34) are in 12th place in the Western Conference.

OFFICIAL: @DejounteMurray has been selected to the 2022 #NBAAllStar game!

Congratulations DJ!!

More info https://t.co/qZBRsC2y3C pic.twitter.com/mb1mr96TRx

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 7, 2022

The post LaMelo Ball and Dejounte Murray Make All-Star Game as Replacements appeared first on SLAM.

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

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 13, 2022

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

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

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

The post REPORT: Hawks Trading Cam Reddish to Knicks appeared first on SLAM.

Monk and James put on a show in the fourth quarter combining for 25 points to help the Lakers defeat the Sacramento Kings in the Crypto.com Arena Tuesday night, 122-114.

Malik and LeBron combined to drop 25 points in the fourth quarter alone pic.twitter.com/iGz5GqlTAi

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 5, 2022

After the game, the King stated in the press conference that he wanted to play with Monk as far back as last year.

“It’s funny, just a little quick backstory, me and J-Kidd, we talk a lot last year,” James said per CBS Sports. “We wanted him last year. When Charlotte stopped playing him last year, or they would play him, and then sit him for five or six games, and then they would play him, and then you would see him have a game at Miami where he had like eight or nine 3s in Miami, and then they would sit him and not play him. Me and J-Kidd, we would talk all the time, like ‘Is there a way we can snatch this guy from their roster?'”

Monk is starting to come into his own in a Lakers uniform averaging 11.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting a career-high 47.7 percent from the field as well as 38.4 percent from beyond the arc in his 33 games.

After gaining a reputation as only a rotational player in Hornets after putting up 9.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in only one start, he’s started six games this season with gaining a reputation as one of the few players on the roster that doesn’t need James to get his shot off in the Lakers offense.

The two players will continue to build their chemistry when the Lakers play against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

The post LeBron James Shares How Long He’s Wanted to Play With Malik Monk appeared first on SLAM.

On Sunday night, he returned to the lineup following a hamstring injury that kept Booker out for nearly three weeks. Over the seven games he missed, Phoenix was able to go 5-2. 

In his return to action, the Suns beat the Charlotte Hornets by 31 points, as Booker finished with 16 points, six rebounds and five assists in 26 minutes

On the season, Booker is averaging 23.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. He’s also shooting a career-best 40.3% from deep, showing that his game only continues to expand each season. 

Although the Suns were deep enough to have success in Booker’s absence, they’re happy to have him back from injury as they move forward. Following a trip to the NBA Finals last season, Phoenix looks better than ever.

The post Devin Booker Returns To Action for Phoenix Suns appeared first on SLAM.

Update: On Tuesday, League commissioner Adam Silver announced in an interview with Malika Andrews that the NBA would not be pausing the season for the second season since the 2019-2020 season. Silver also said that the Omricon is ‘beyond dominate’ while constituting 90 percent of positive tests.

REPORT: Per League insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA, and the players union have reached an agreement to lessen the quarantine period for COVID-positive players. Players that tested positive for COVID-19 can clear protocols after five days if their “CT values” are above 30.

If a team has three positive results, two replacement signings are required. For four or more positive tests, three replacement players will be required. Two-way players will reportedly also have no limit to the number of games they can appear in as well. If a team has 13 players available for a game they do not have to sign any players to a hardship exemption.

A game will only be postponed if a team doesn’t have at least eight players available to play. A tactic the NBA frequently utilized last year when officials postponed 31 games. The League has decided to postpone nine games in total.

Below is the list of players and coaches currently in the League’s health and safety protocols.

Atlanta Hawks (three players, head coach)

• Chris Clemons
• Gorgui Dieng
• Cameron Oliver
• Nate McMillan

Boston Celtics (one player) 

• Payton Pritchard

Charlotte Hornets (one player)

• Vernon Carey Jr.

Chicago Bulls (one player)

• Alex Caruso

Dallas Mavericks (two players, head coach)

• Jason Kidd
• Boban Marjanovic
• Kristaps Porzingis

Denver Nuggets (one player)

• Petr Cornelie

Detroit Pistons (one player)

• Frank Jackson

Houston Rockets (one players)

• Usman Garuba

Indiana Pacers (six players)

• Justin Anderson
• Goga Bitadze
• Torrey Craig
• Isaiah Jackson
• Caris LeVert
• TJ Warren

LA Clippers (three players)

• Luke Kennard
• Xavier Moon
• Ivica Zubac

Memphis Grizzlies (three players, head coach)

• Taylor Jenkins
• John Konchar
• De’Anthony Melton
• Xavier Tillman

Miami Heat (three players)

• Marcus Garrett
• Udonis Haslem
• Gabe Vincent

Milwaukee Bucks (four players, head coach)

• Grayson Allen
• Mike Budenholzer
• Pat Connaughton
• George Hill
• Jrue Holiday

New Orleans Pelicans (one player)

• Tomas Satorasnky

Oklahoma City Thunder (one player, head coach)

• Isaiah Roby
• Mark Daigneault

Orlando Magic (one player)

• Robin Lopez

Philadelphia 76ers (three players)

• Tyrese Maxey
• Paul Reed
• Jaden Springer

Phoenix Suns (two players)

• Abdel Nader
• Landry Shamet

Portland Trail Blazers

• Norman Powell

Sacramento Kings (one player)

• Richaun Holmes
• Chimezie Metu

San Antonio Spurs (five players)

• Keldon Johnson
• Doug McDermott
• Devin Vassell
• Derrick White
• Thaddeus Young

Toronto Raptors (one player)

• Yuta Watanabe

Utah Jazz (two players)

• Rudy Gobert
• Joe Ingless

Washington Wizards (four players)

• Anthony Gill
• Tremont Waters
• Brad Wanamaker

The post NBA Health and Safety Protocol Tracker appeared first on SLAM.

Hill suffered the injury when slipped and did a split during Sunday’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets. Hill underwent an MRI on Monday that revealed a torn right hamstring. The Hawks subsequently announced Wednesday that the veteran forward would need season-ending surgery.

An @emoryhealthcare injury update:

Solomon Hill, who left Sunday’s game with a right hamstring injury, underwent an MRI on Monday. The MRI revealed a right hamstring tendon tear.

He will undergo surgery and is expected to miss the remainder of the 2021-22 season. pic.twitter.com/9kXcZ0lDfy

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) December 8, 2021

The Hawks, who are currently 13 -12, are shorthanded on the wing with key rotational such as Cam Reddish, De’Andre Hunter, and Bogdan Bogdonavic out with various injuries; Hill has been able to provide quality minutes in their absence.

Hawks head coach Nate McMillian opened up about losing Hill.

“It’s tough,” coach Nate McMillan said. “Any time you lose a player for the season, it’s tough because he was not only a player that has filled roles for us, starting back last season, he’s that emotional leader for us. He’s been a big-time voice for us in the locker room, both on and off the floor. It’s a real big loss for us.

The post Atlanta Hawks Forward Solomon Hill to Miss The Rest of The Season appeared first on SLAM.

According to League insider Shams Charania, Ball and Terry Rozier are expected to be out 10 days unless they test negatively for COVID-19 within 24 hours. News on Mason Plumlee and Jalen McDaniels has yet to be released.

UPDATE: @hornets have placed the following players in the NBA's Health and Safety Protocols: LaMelo Ball, Jalen McDaniels, Mason Plumlee and Terry Rozier

— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) December 4, 2021

ESPN League insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the team sent players and staff home due to internal concerns of more positive COVID-19 tests coming. In further response to the potential outbreak and to add more emergency depth, the Hornets recalled James Bouknight, Vernon Carey Jr., and Kai Jones from the Greensboro Swarm, their G-League affiliate. 

OFFICIAL: We have recalled James Bouknight, Vernon Carey Jr. and Kai Jones from the @greensboroswarm. #AllFly pic.twitter.com/7nPeLCz41i

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) December 4, 2021

The transactions will help the Hornets have the necessary eight players when they return to the court Sunday against the Hawks. Charlotte also has games this upcoming week against the Philadelphia 76ers (Monday and Wednesday) and the Sacramento Kings (Friday).

The NBA mandates that any player who has a confirmed positive test for COVID-19 must isolate away from his team for at least 10 days. Following that 10-day window, a player must undergo a cardiac screening and reconditioning in order to return to the team and court. A player can also clear protocols by recording two negative tests within 24 hours.

According to ESPN, since the season started, more than 20 players have been placed in the League’s health and safety protocols, including LeBron James. Last season nearly 30 games were postponed, but none were canceled due to COVID-19 reasons. The NBA hasn’t had to postpone a game thus far this season.

The Hornets (13-11) are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference standings.

The post LaMelo Ball Amongst Four Hornets Placed Into Health and Safety Protocols appeared first on SLAM.

Bamba, already one of the top shot blockers in the NBA, has expanded his game across the board with career-high averages of 10.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game.

“I want to contribute it to our coaches.” Bamba told Michael Scott of Hoopshype about his growth this year, “They gave me an opportunity to get out there and play in what I can offer to the game and how I can make winning plays. It’s been listening to them, and their vision for me, and the freedom they give me offensively and defensively to go challenge shots is the biggest thing.

First-year Magic Coach Jamahl Moseley also discussed Bamba’s continuing progress with Hoops Hype.

“I think his ceiling is beyond high,” Coach Jamahl Moseley told HoopsHype. “If he continues to dominate the simple things and control what he can control, which he has been doing lately, I think the ceiling is really extremely high for him.”

Bamba had to overcome a lot of obstacles in the first three years of his career. Being buried in the rotation behind an All-Star in Nikola Vucevic and Khem Birch with former Coach Steve Clifford trying to make the playoffs left Bamba little opportunity to show what he could do. Injuries and a bout with COVID-19 did not help matters either.

With a change of philosophy in Orlando which led to the departures of Vucevic, Birch, and Clifford, Bamba has plenty of opportunities to succeed with a rebuilding team. A philosophy that he is excited to be a part of.

“I think the sky’s the limit for this young group,” Bamba said per HoopsHype. “We have a lot of talent, and we have a lot of depth in every position. I’m excited to be a part of this. I’m excited to wear Orlando across my chest. I’m just focusing on the now and the moment.”

The Orlando Magic (4-14) return to the court Wednesday to take on the Charlotte Hornets (11-8).

The post Mo Bamba Has Uncertain Future But He Is ‘Focusing On the Now and the Moment’ appeared first on SLAM.

One young player who’s continued to put together triple-doubles at age 20 is LaMelo Ball, who’s now put together three early in his career. Following this third triple-double, he’s now tied for fourth-most in NBA history at age 20 or younger. 

This puts him in rare company, with the only players in history ahead of Ball being Luka Doncic (21), Magic Johnson (7) and LeBron James (5).

Ball just turned 20 years old 92 days ago, meaning he’s still got the rest of the 2021-22 season to climb this list even further. On the season, he’s averaged 19.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists per contest.

The rising star has been one of the best players for the Charlotte Hornets, who are currently in the playoff picture with a record of 10-8.

The post LaMelo Ball Continues to Break Triple-Double Records appeared first on SLAM.

Despite dominating the rookie class for most of the year statistically, scoring 19.3 points and grabbing 4.7 rebounds per game in just over 32 minutes per game with the Minnesota Timberwolves (4-8) , Edwards finished second in the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award voting behind Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball, who led the league’s rookies last season in assists per game.

Recently Edwards mentioned that he had a bigger award in mind with the same confidence he had when he told Stephen Curry he may score 50 points against his Golden State Warriors.

Ant: “Hey Steph, I might get 50.” @theantedwards_ was locked in last night pic.twitter.com/zm2dVy4NPt

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 11, 2021

“I don’t care about that,” Edwards told NBA.com. “I’m happy ‘Melo got it. They were saying our Draft class wasn’t going to be good, anyway. So, it didn’t bother me that I didn’t get it.”

“I’m trying to be MVP,” Edwards said. “I’m not really worried about Rookie of the Year.”

It already looks as if Edwards is working toward his goal.

Through 12 games, he’s averaging 24.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists which is an improvement to his rookie numbers of 19.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. His career-high scoring game of 48 points put him in a club with Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Luka Dončić and former Hawks star John Drew as the only NBA players to have three 40-point plus games before the age of 21.

For the Minnesota Timberwolves to become a playoff contender, they need their star second-year player to continue to try to attain his high aspirations. The Timberwolves play the Suns (9-3) Monday.

The post Anthony Edwards: ‘I’m Trying To Be MVP’ appeared first on SLAM.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau was so unhappy with the starters’ performance that he benched them for the entire fourth quarter of the game.

After the game, Thibodeau ripped into his starters and condemned the excuse that the team just needs more time to jell.

The Knicks starting five were benched in the fourth when the team trailed 82-66 to the Bucks.

Thibodeau has a reputation for playing his starters more than any other coach in the league. That holds up this season as the starting five of Julius Randle, Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, Mitchell Robinson, and RJ Barrett have played the most minutes in the league of any five-player lineup.

The Knicks have had an up and down start to the season, currently sitting seventh in the Eastern Conference with a record of 7-5. They’ll have a chance to correct course on Friday when the Knicks take on the Charlotte Hornets.

The post Knicks Coach Tom Thibodeau Goes Off on Starters Needing More Time to ‘Jell’ appeared first on SLAM.

James posted a photo from SLAM Kicks on his Instagram story of Banchero tying his blue and white LeBron 11s with the caption “PAOLO VIBEZ!!!! 11’s GO CRAZY. AND BY THE WAY HE SO TOUGH!!! SEATTLE GOT ANOTHER 1.”

After James’ posted on his IG story, Banchero shared his reaction on Twitter:

The Seattle-native, who is currently projected to be a top-lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, recently told SLAM that “part of my mission is to try to put Seattle on the map and get us as much recognition as I can.”

He’s also caught the attention of Tacoma, Washington’s own Isaiah Thomas, who recently tweeted about him as well, writing, “So when @Pp_doesit is the #1 pick in next years draft what will they say about our state then?? Lol we just keep producing!!!”

On Tuesday, Charlotte Hornets’ Miles Bridges saluted Banchero’s skills by quote-tweeting him with the words, “Paolo Banchero got game” and fire emojis after Duke’s 79-71 win over Kentucky at the Champions Classic. Banchero finished with 22 points and seven rebounds.

As Banchero continues to impress, he’s got a message for Duke fans:

“As far as Duke fans, you’re going to see me playing extremely hard, playing with energy,” he says in his SLAM 235 cover story. “Seeing us [all] play extremely hard and play with energy. We got a lot of talent all over the floor, all over the squad. I think it’s going to be a great year, a fun year. So just be on the lookout for that. Don’t miss it.

Oh yeah, and he’s got a few words for hoop fans as well: “And then basketball fans in general…Some might not know me, but they will soon.”

Learn more about Duke’s star freshman in SLAM 235, the New World Issue.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SLAM (@slam)

The post ‘HE SO TOUGH’: LeBron James and Players Around the League Show Love to Duke’s Paolo Banchero appeared first on SLAM.

However, a slow start to the season has brought questions about fit and inconsistencies in Westbrook’s play.

Westbrook hit a low point following 105-90 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers over the weekend. Without LeBron James in the lineup because of injury and a limited Anthony Davis due to a stomach illness, Russ could only manage eight points on 1-13 shooting with six turnovers.

After the game, he declared that his style of play “doesn’t work for our team.” then talked about his need to “play harder.” via the Los Angeles Times:

“Do a better job of being me consistently and not confining my game or how I play because it just doesn’t work for our team and it doesn’t work just in general, just doesn’t put me in the position or a pace I need to play at to be able to better my teammates,” Westbrook said.

For his entire 14-year career, Westbrook has built his repuation on his harrd-nosed attacking style, but now that he’s playing for his fourth team in four years spanning stops from Oklahoma City to Houston and Washington, he claimed he would figure it out.

Something that Carmelo Anthony, who played with Westbrook on the Thunder team a few years back, agrees with:

“He’s always figured out how to adapt, how to make adjustments, what he has to do personally, physically, mentally to lead,” Anthony said via Yahoo Sports. “We can’t control that. That’s something that he controls, and only he knows what he has to do. We got to be there just to support him, and that’s what we will do.”

The Los Angeles Lakers play the Charlotte Hornets (5-6) on Monday. For the season, Westbrook is averaging 19.0 points, 8.5 rebunds, and 7.9 assists on 41.8 percent shooting from the field.

The post Russell Westbrook Says He Has to ‘Play Harder’ After Tough Lakers Loss appeared first on SLAM.

Cleveland’s Lauri Markkanen has entered Health and Safety Protocols, team says.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 3, 2021

This marks the second player on Cleveland’s roster to enter health and safety protocols in the past week after Kevin Love entered the same protocols on Monday. Both forwards will be out indefinitely and not be allowed to be around the team per Chris Fedor. Markkanen’s quarantine will be the fourth the League has seen this week after Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday and Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris underwent protocols earlier this week as well.

Per Wojnarowski, players who test positive have two avenues toward being reinstated; waiting 10 days post the first positive test or passing consecutive negative PCR tests 24 hours apart. Players who exhibit symptoms must also pass cardiac testing upon their return to the court and respective organizations.

Markkanen is currently averaging 12.9 points and 5.9 rebounds in just eight games so far this season.

The Cavs (4-4) will take on the Portland Trail Blazers (3-4) on Wednesday.

The post Lauri Markkanen Enters Health and Safety Protocols appeared first on SLAM.

Mobley tallied an impressive stat line of a career-high 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting along with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.

Another nice night for @evanmobley in LA

23 PTS (10-16 FG)
6 REB
3 AST
2 STL pic.twitter.com/56fXJZrHj4

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 30, 2021

Mobley’s competitiveness from both ends of the floor has impressed former Cavaliers superstar LeBron James, who had some strong words on how good Mobley can be via NBA.com.

“He’s going to be a damn good basketball player in this League, Cleveland has a good one,” James said. “They’ve done a good job over the years in the draft, I’ll say.”

Mobley entered Friday’s matchup against the Lakers with averages of 13.8 points and 8.6 rebounds with a solid shooting percentage of 50 percent. His play continues to win over the Cavaliers with strong work habits with two double-doubles and strong rim protection. He’s currently ranked 14th in the NBA in blocks.

Mobley stressed that even though he is progressing well, he still has work to do.

“I feel like I’m getting adjusted to the NBA pretty fast,” Mobley said. “I’m catching on to a lot of things. I feel like as I play more and more games, I’m going to get better and more acclimated. I feel like I’m ahead of schedule so far.”

Mobley and the Cavaliers play the Charlotte Hornets on the road on Monday November 1st.

The post LeBron James Says Evan Mobley is Going to Be ‘Damn Good’ in the NBA appeared first on SLAM.

The Celtics were defeated by Washington, 116-107, earlier this week at home.

#NEBHInjuryReport Marcus Smart is not feeling well and will not travel with the team to D.C. Aaron Nesmith missed today’s practice due to an illness as well, but he will likely travel, according to Coach Udoka. Both illnesses are non-COVID related.

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 29, 2021

This illness is the most recent of a string of health issues Smart has dealt with as of late. After an overtime game against the Charlotte Hornets, it was reported that he was suffering with body aches and a migraine headache.

Smart has started the season slowly with averages of 7.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. With him out, the team will likely have to rely on Dennis Schroder to play more minutes with second-year point guard Payton Pritchard moving up in the rotation to play the backup minutes. 

The post Marcus Smart Will Miss the Celtics’ Matchup Against Wizards With Illness appeared first on SLAM.

“I just knew (Boston) was the right place to be. I knew that,” Parker said per MassLive. “This is a winning team and iron sharpens iron, so if anything, I’m going to get better here playing against the guys every day, being around true competitors, and obviously get a chance for me to learn. So this is just a great situation just because I’m just grateful for it and I’m counting my blessings.”

After collecting three DNP-CDs as the C’s started the season, Parker played a huge part in the Celtics’ overtime win over the Charlotte Hornets. He finished with 13 points and 5 rebounds in only 17 minutes of action. His contributions in the game was a reflection of what head coach Ime Udoka told him prior to the game: be ready.

“Coach told me before the game just to be prepared,” Parker said. “But like every other game, every game, especially—I’m always keeping the same mentality, just staying ready, because I enjoy the game of basketball. So I just do what I do.”

3 triples & this for Jabari Parker in Q1!

He’s 4-4…tie game entering Q2

: https://t.co/V0kkYEEIkG pic.twitter.com/T0WBUCBh0v

— NBA (@NBA) October 25, 2021

The post Jabari Parker on Re-signing With Celtics: ‘I Knew It Was The Right Place To Be’ appeared first on SLAM.

Horford has been solid in his second stint with Boston Celtics. In just two games, he’s averaging 14.0 points per game and 10.5 rebounds. The 35-year old had a strong performance in their win against the Houston Rockets, dropping 17 points along with 10 rebounds. Head coach Ime Udoka said after the team’s first win against Houston that they were intentional about Horford’s minutes:

“We kept him to the under 30-minute limit we talked about. Got him out for that last 30 seconds and joked with him, ‘We’re trying to get you to play tomorrow, so let me hold you under 30,” said Udoka, per the Boston Herald. “But yeah, he’s doing great defensively. We can switch with him, have him back in more of a drop coverage, but he covers a lot of holes in every way—assist-wise, leadership, shooting the ball, passing and all that. So like I said, he’s a huge complement for our guys, kind of a stabilizer out there and kind of a glue guy for our group. We love what he does for us and look forward to seeing more going forward with him.”

The post Al Horford Listed As Probable Against the Wizards appeared first on SLAM.

“I had to make up for the missed dunk in New York,” Brown says, per MassLive. “So my teammates was teasing me a little bit. It was just a good play. Miles, obviously, is one of the better athletes in the league, so I knew that if I tried to lay it up, he was going to send it back to Boston…So, I was going up with bad intentions.”

Bridges then took to social media after the game, tweeting: “Also imma jump everytime down 3 in an overtime game or anytime the game on the line!! Helluva play!!”

Although Brown sat out of the matchup against the Rockets due to knee soreness, he still managed to pop off against the Hornets with 30 points, nine rebounds and 3 dimes.

“I think last year was more chronic,” Brown added, per MassLive. “I think this year is just a spike just because of the amount of minutes coming out the gate from the double-overtime game, being in quarantine, et cetera, only having one day to come back. I think this one was just more of an isolated incident.

“It kind of dragged out all season. I’m hoping that’s not going to be the case here. So I think they’re just being cautious of that because they don’t want it to bother me all season long. I don’t think it will.”

Brown’s performance, alongside a 41-point game from teammate Jayson Tatum, helped will the Celtics to their second win of the season. They’ll take on the Wizards on Wednesday night.

The post ‘I Was Going Up With Bad Intentions’: Jaylen Brown on Monster Dunk Against Miles Bridges appeared first on SLAM.

Sports Illustrated took over a decade to figure out a blueprint for what their magazine should look like.

SLAM took one issue.

The magazine would change over time. Their voice would evolve. The magazine cover looks drastically different today. But flip through a present-day issue of SLAM, and it still reads pretty much the same from front to back as the very first issue, which came out almost 30 years ago. 

The first issue of SLAM featured short-bit culture stories on Pearl Jam’s near-decision to name themselves after Atlanta Hawks guard Mookie Blaylock and basketball’s growing popularity in Japan. There’s a dunk of the month. There’s a one-page feature on high schooler Steve Wojciechowski, along with profiles of college point guard Jason Kidd, perennial NBA All-Star Charles Barkley, and New York–playground legend Joe Hammond. There are full-page photospreads of the latest sneaker releases, and a six-page photo essay on playground hoopers around the country, including a cameo from a 16-year-old Paul Pierce. 

This is what SLAM still is today: a magazine celebrating the sport of basketball. A casual voice. An all-encompassing approach of covering high school, college, and the pro game. A magazine highlighting sneakers and athletic apparel. A personality-driven publication. A magazine that didn’t tie themselves to the current news cycle.

Founder and publisher Dennis Page established a blueprint for what a modern-day basketball publication could look like from the very beginning.

“We were passionate,” he said. “The feel of the magazine was like if you were playing in the playground. That’s how people spoke.”

Page was inside the Paramount Theater at Madison Square Garden where the 1994 Source Awards was taking place when record label executive and friend Alan Grunblatt tossed out the idea of a magazine merging basketball and hip-hop. He went home that evening and drafted up a table of contents.

A Trenton, New Jersey, native, Page studied broadcasting and film at Boston University and got his first full-time job selling ads for the alt- weekly Boston Phoenix. Page loved magazines. He dreamed of running his own one day. The goal was always Rolling Stone. Page was working for another rock ’n’ roll magazine, Circus, in 1980 when Stanley Harris called. Harris was the founder of Harris Publications, a New York–based publisher started in 1977 with a portfolio of special-interest magazines. They had puzzle books and monthly magazines on topics ranging from gardening to guns. Page was offered a job to manage a new guitar magazine. It was a chance to run a magazine even if it wasn’t Rolling Stone. 

“I didn’t know shit about playing guitars,” Page said. “But I was good at the advertising and publishing business. So I said yes.”

He became the publisher of Guitar World, which arrived on newsstands in 1980 and became the number one guitar magazine. The success of the publication earned him a lot of goodwill with Harris. Page kept searching for the next idea. He convinced Harris to start another magazine in 1987. It was called New York Talk.

“We launched it during a huge snowstorm and couldn’t get the issue out to the newsstands,” Page recalled. “It was an omen of failure.” 

The magazine borrowed from the concepts of Village Voice and the East Village Eye and covered the local news along with the New York film, television, and music scene. The newsstand was about taking a successful idea you liked and trying to improve upon it yourself. A lot of these publications failed, including New York Talk, which folded after three years.

Page’s new magazine idea, inspired by his conversation with Grunblatt, was more aligned with his interests. He fell in love with basketball in sixth grade watching a high schooler named Lew Alcindor, became a high school and college hoops junkie, watched streetball legends at New York playgrounds, and joined the NBA craze during the era of Julius Erving, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson.

But he couldn’t figure out the table of contents.

“I started by building a hip-hop magazine about basketball,” Page explained.

He had the two components in the wrong order.

Another lightbulb moment hit.

It would be a basketball magazine with a hip-hop voice and not the other way around.

It would look like Vibe.

It would read like The Source.

He pitched the idea to Harris, who asked him to get it on newsstands immediately.

Page needed an editor-in-chief. He called Village Voice editor Tom Curtis, who said no, but recommended Time Inc. writer Cory Johnson, a St. Joseph, Michigan, native who studied journalism at NYU and wrote for a bunch of magazines, including Sports Illustrated, People, and TIME.

“Tom told me this guy who makes Guitar World wants to start a new basketball magazine and asked me if I had any ideas for it,” Johnson recalled. “I said, ‘Abso-fuckng-lute-ly I have ideas.’ I was in the thick of learning how magazines were made. It was what I did all day.” 

A meeting was set at a French bistro restaurant located in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, named Raoul’s. Johnson sat down and pitched his vision to Page. He read a lot of Marvel comics growing up and loved how comic book writer Stan Lee would engage readers at the back of every one of them. Lee responded to fan letters and sent no-prizes—an envelope with no contents inside, which became a running joke with the readers—to anyone who wrote to him about continuity errors or typos. Johnson wanted the magazine to start by engaging their readers in the letters section.

“I presented a pretty laid-out plan,” he recalled. “There would be short features in the front like New York Magazine’s Intelligencer section. There would be one-page profiles like Interview magazine. The features section would be in the style of Vanity Fair. The sections in the back would be devoted to angles around the business of hoops. I wanted the last page of the magazine to be a dunk of the month.

“I wanted it to feel like Surfer magazine. I loved that magazine so much I taught myself to surf. Their ideal was: surfing was not about the celebrities at the top of the pyramid who did it, but instead it was about the everyday experience of the sport. I always thought Sports Illustrated had this pyramid when it came to basketball where they didn’t love the game, but instead they loved the heroes of the game. Their editors thought it was all about the stars and not about the game itself. I wanted to flip that approach upside-down. I wanted the magazine to be about the experience we all had playing the game of basketball. Sports Illustrated was only about Michael Jordan. I wanted us to be about the game of basketball.” 

There was one last thing they needed to figure out together.

A name for the magazine.

The two tossed out every basketball-related term they could think of. 

Crossover.

Dribble.

Jam.

None of them felt right.

They finally landed on SLAM.

Johnson was hired and moonlighted as the magazine’s editor-in-chief. “I would be fact-checking a murder story for People and I’d get a phone call from Dennis,” Johnson said. “I would hop in a taxi, race downtown to approve a layout, then race back. It was like I had moved on to my new girlfriend without telling my existing girlfriend.”

Page scrambled to place ads in the magazine. Today, he credits The Source and Vibe for making his job easier back then. Page didn’t have to explain what hip-hop was to advertisers. Guitar World art director Susan Conley designed the magazine layout. Johnson assigned stories to people he knew in the industry, including basketball writer and New York–streetball historian Vincent Mallozzi, People reporter Nancy Jo Sales, and Vibe senior editor Bonz Malone. He also wrote a couple of stories himself and attributed them to made-up names in the masthead. “I wanted to make it look like a real magazine since it was just a couple of other guys and myself working on it,” Johnson explained. “Russell Shoemaker, the senior editor in the masthead, that’s me. Russell was my best friend from church. Shoemaker was my godfather’s last name. I just put their names together.” 

Page cringes at some of the stories today, especially a SLAM NBA All-White Team feature where the magazine interviewed white players around the league and nominated Chris Mullin, Dan Majerle, Detlef Schrempf, Tom Gugliotta, John Stockton, and Rony Seikaly. Scott Hastings, a white power forward from Independence, Kansas, who played 11 seasons in the NBA, nominated Karl Malone, who didn’t make the team. “The guy drives a diesel and raises cattle,” he explained. “You don’t get any whiter than that.” 

Fortune business writer Andy Serwer flew to Charlotte, North Carolina, and wrote the cover story on Larry Johnson. The Hornets forward was one of the most exciting young stars in the league. Selected first overall by Charlotte in 1991, Johnson won Rookie of the Year after averaging 19.2 points and 11.0 rebounds in his first season. He played an above-the-rim game and was a product of a UNLV team that embraced a hip-hop aesthetic. Johnson was a signature sneaker athlete with Converse, starring in a series of popular commercials wearing a grey wig and flower-print dress as Grandmama, an elderly woman alter-ego. He fit the profile of what SLAM envisioned as their ideal cover subject.

The first issue was finally ready for the newsstand. 

The cover featured a photo of Johnson soaring in mid-air wearing Charlotte’s famous white-and-teal jersey. The basketball in his right hand sat just above the magazine’s logo. Above the logo was the magazine’s slogan THE IN YOUR FACE BASKETBALL MAGAZINE. The caption said LARRY JOHNSON, LIVIN’ LARGE! Cover lines filled the rest of the cover, including BARKLEY: KING WITHOUT  A CROWN; KILLER BLOCKS! SHAQ, ROBINSON, MOURNING, OLAJUWON & MORE; JASON KIDD’S KRAZY MAD MOVES; KENTUCKY’S BLUE MADNESS; SLAMBOYANT SNEAKS; and SLAMADAMONTH! Every caption was a way to draw a potential reader into picking up the magazine.

Page waited to see if anyone was interested in his new project. 

“That was the business at the time,” he explained. “There was no internet, Instagram, or Facebook. The newsstand was the true test of whether there was a community out there who cared about your idea. We would have three issues to test whether there was an audience. If it sold, we would keep it rolling. If it didn’t, then we wouldn’t.”

There was some concern about starting a basketball magazine immediately after Jordan retired, but they were alleviated when Harris delivered some excellent news. The newsstand sales were strong enough for SLAM to continue. A second issue arrived on newsstands in October of 1994, with Seattle Supersonics forward Shawn Kemp on the cover. Johnson was replaced by Tony Gervino on the masthead three months later when Shaquille O’Neal appeared on the cover of the magazine’s third issue. He had accepted a job offer to become a Vibe senior editor.

“We sold more copies of our first issue than they did,” Johnson explained. “They spent like $15 million to launch it. We spent $100,000 tops. I was called into their office, and they asked me, ‘How did you do it?’ I explained how the magazine worked and what our editorial focus was. They asked me if I would be interested in being a senior editor. I figured I would eventually have a shot at the editor-in-chief role, so I made the jump.”

Today, he is still proud of leaving an editorial blueprint behind for his successors.

“The magazine unquestionably looked better in the years after I left,” Johnson said. “But the fact it is still largely all the same ideas I brought to the table is enormously gratifying to me and tells me I got a lot of stuff right. I didn’t get it right because I was a genius. I got it right because there was something wrong with the way magazines were covering sports.” 

***

IF YOU SCAN THE FIRST THREE ISSUES OF SLAM today, you’ll notice the cover photos didn’t come from original photoshoots. The photos of the early covers were licensed from the NBA. “None of the players would pose for us,” Page said. “We had to buy existing photography in the very beginning.” SLAM had a vision to one day follow the lead of Rolling Stone. Founder and publisher Jann Wenner was a 21-year-old UC Berkeley dropout who couldn’t get anyone to take his music writing seriously in 1967 when he scraped together $7,500 from family and friends and convinced San Francisco Chronicle writer Ralph J. Gleason to help him put together a new magazine. The first issue of Rolling Stone arrived on newsstands in the same year, with John Lennon of The Beatles on the cover. The magazine debuted at the height of the hippie movement and became the definitive counterculture magazine of their era, introducing a new generation of artists, including the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin, to the world. Wenner described Rolling Stone as “a publication not just about music but also about the things and attitudes that music embraces” in his first column. The magazine plucked writers from obscure places and turned them into culture-defining voices. Their photographers captured defining images of an entire generation of rock stars. The magazine’s portrait photography of cover subjects set the standard for every other publi- cation. Being selected for the Rolling Stone cover became the highest honor for any music artist. 

“Jann broke the mold on alternative magazine publishing,” Page said. “As far as I’m concerned, they changed print publishing. The way Rolling Stone shot their covers provided the vision for every magazine that came after them. Nobody had shot athletes that way before and we wanted to be the first. We would consider ourselves lucky if we could shoot a cover that was one-tenth as good as Rolling Stone.”

By the time SLAM published their first issue, Rolling Stone was no longer a cultural force on the newsstand. The magazine, which was once bursting with creative energy, grew into a $250 million conglomerate in the 1980s and lost the qualities that defined them. The Rolling Stone cover increasingly became a landing spot for established celebrities and was no longer a birthplace for new stars. A writer who joined the mag- azine in 1993 compared his new job to showing up to the party just in time to see a cigarette floating in the last cocktail of the night.

SLAM’s goal was to become the modern-day basketball version of Rolling Stone, embracing the same rebellious streak which gave birth to the rock ’n’ roll magazine three decades earlier.

But they needed to find their voice first. 

Cover Story: The NBA and Modern Basketball as Told Through its Most Iconic Magazine Covers is reprinted with permission from Triumph Books. All rights reserved.

The post The Story of How SLAM Was Founded, as Told By Those Who Were There appeared first on SLAM.

Win number 1 for Coach U pic.twitter.com/qJBMmuHBbd

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 25, 2021

After losing back-to-back games to start off the season, Boston made its way to the win column thanks to Jayson Tatum’s 31 points and 9 boards, along with an 17 point double-double from Al Horford.

The first regular-season week was more than tough for the C’s squad, who suffered a double-overtime loss to the New York Knicks on opening night and a 32-point blowout by the Raptors. However, last night’s victory got the ball rolling in the right direction.

“It’s special,” Udoka said, per AP News. “I told them it was overdue and ‘You guys took too long to get it’. … It’s good to get it, not just for the first, but to kind of get us rolling on the right foot. I think we played the right way tonight, defended how we could after that first quarter.”

With Jaylen Brown sidelined due to knee soreness, Udoka put in Dennis Schröder, who responded with 18 points 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

With an early season showdown against the undefeated Charlotte Hornets looming tonight, Udoka will have to pocket his historic win and set his sights on slowing down the Hornets’ run-and-gun style of offense.

The post Ime Udoka on Celtics’ First Win of the Season: ‘I Think We Played the Right Way’ appeared first on SLAM.

Roderick Boone reports: “Because Ball inked a G League contract prior to the Hornets’ signing, he’s been placed in the overall draft pool. He could still wind up with the Swarm, but it would be via the draft instead.”

Turns out the #Hornets do not have LiAngelo Ball’s G League rights after all due to a procedural issue, source confirms. So he’s eligible to be selected by any G League team in tomorrow’s draft. He can still be drafted by Greensboro and could wind up with the Swarm.

— Rod Boone (@rodboone) October 22, 2021

The Hornets originally signed Ball to a non-guaranteed contract the previous week only to waive him to retain his rights and send him to suit up for the Greensboro Swarm. Ball can be still be drafted by the Swarm, who have three first-round picks at 14, 23 and 26.

Ball played for the Hornets in summer league, averaging 9.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game in five appearances. 

That was Ball’s first real chance to play a game with an NBA team. His tenures with the Oklahoma City Thunder G League affiliate and Detroit Pistons training camp were short with no game time. 

The 2021 G League draft is scheduled Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. The Philadelphia 76ers G-League affiliate, Delaware Blue Coats have the No. 1 overall pick.    

The post REPORT: LiAngelo Ball to Enter G League Draft appeared first on SLAM.

Both players were selected in the 2020 NBA Draft, with the highly-touted Edwards winding up as the first overall pick and McDaniels landing with Minnesota in the first round as well (28th overall).

After a slow start, the explosive Edwards turned in a spectacular rookie season, averaging 19.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He finished as a runner-up in the Rookie of the Year voting to Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball.

McDaniels, a lanky, athletic and versatile player, demonstrated tremendous promise as a rookie and projects to be at least a nice role player for the Wolves going forward. He averaged 6.8 points per game off the bench last season, and got better as his role and minutes on the team grew.

The post REPORT: T’Wolves Exercise Third-Year Options for Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels appeared first on SLAM.

Below is a breakdown of each team’s secondary market average list price for the 2021-22 season, as well as the change in price since 2019-20.

Most Expensive Teams

As you can see below, based on the average list price on the secondary market, the Golden State Warriors are the most expensive team for the 2021 season. At $598 the Warriors are one of just two teams with an average list price of over $500 heading into the 2021-22 season. The Los Angeles Lakers ($562) are the other team and rank second on the list. The New York Knicks ($394), Brooklyn Nets ($339), and Boston Celtics ($309) round out the top five. No other team in the NBA has an average price over $300. 

Biggest Year Over Year Price Changes

As you might expect, in terms of teams that have seen the biggest price jump since 2019-20, last year’s NBA Finalists the Phoenix Suns (+151%) and Milwaukee Bucks (+101%) take up two spots in the top ten. The Suns are ranked first and the Bucks come in fourth tied with the Boston Celtics.  The Up and coming Charlotte Hornets (+122%) and Atlanta Hawks (+105%) round out the top 5. 

Only three teams have seen their 2021-22 average prices fall since the 2019-20 season, the San Antonio Spurs (-8%), the Los Angeles Clippers (-9%), and the Houston Rockets (-11%).

Secondary Market Price Trends

Overall, with an average price of NBA tickets for the 2021 season is $211, which is 37% higher than the 2019-20. Despite some dips along the way, that number has been going up pretty steadily since 2011-12 when the average price across the league was $125, but after a 2020-21 season with limited fans, on no fans at all, demand is at a record high. Since 2011-12, NBA ticket prices on the secondary market are up 69%. 

The post NBA Ticket Market Report: Warriors, Lakers, Knicks Most Expensive in 2021-22 appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, the Charlotte Hornets announced that they had officially signed Ball.

Ball made quite the impression during NBA Summer League with the Hornets, playing in five games and averaging 9.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.

The contract has now shifted Ball’s plans somewhat. The Athletic’s Shams Charania previously reported that Ball would partaking in the G League Draft, but the signing now “allows the Hornets the acquire his rights.” Ball could play for the Hornets G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm.

All Ball needed was an opportunity, and now he’ll have that chance.

The post Hornets Sign, then Waive, LiAngelo Ball to a Non-Guaranteed Deal—Could Play for Greensboro Swarm appeared first on SLAM.

Bridges had a breakout season last year averaging 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.

Bridges would provide a strong skill set to the Hornets that could warrant a long-term, expensive contract. As a 6-foot-6 combo forward that brings elite spot-up shooting, improved defense and athleticism to play multiple positions, if Miles is not locked up to a deal, he will be in high demand as a restricted free agent next offseason.

What Charlotte is looking at is the minimal amount of cap space after giving a max deal to Terry Rozier earlier this offseason—they now have two players with max level deals on the roster in Rozier and Gordon Hayward.

With Miles Bridges putting together a really strong preseason, head coach James Borrego could place him into the starting lineup on opening night.

The post REPORT: Hornets Talking Contract Extension With Miles Bridges appeared first on SLAM.

After playing for the Hornets in Summer League, LiAngelo Ball is signing a contract in the NBA G League, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Ball will enter the Oct. 23 Draft, where he could be candidate for Charlotte’s Greensboro affiliate.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 11, 2021

Ball last played for the Charlotte Hornets in the Las Vegas Summer League where he averaged​​ 9.6 points per game and 2.0 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game while shooting 34.5 percent from the three-point line.

Prior to his time in Vegas, Ball went undrafted in 2018, playing overseas in Lithuania in the Junior Basketball Association. He then signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder G League but the season ended due to COVID-19. He then signed a training camp deal with the Detroit Pistons, however he didn’t make the final roster.

Now, Gelo will have another opportunity in the G League.

The post REPORT: LiAngelo Ball Signs NBA G League Contract appeared first on SLAM.

Borrego discussed how he wants Melo to gain a deeper understanding of the Hornets philosophy by knowing what to look for in certain in-game situations, while also becoming more of a leader and communicator.

“A lot of his success last year was based on instinct and feel,” Borrego said via NBA.com.. “Now his next step is managing who we are, his personnel around him and understanding the League in general. So our conversation as been around our team, our strengths, our values and understanding his teammates.”

“I want him to take the reins of this program. He’s the quarterback, the floor general and for us to take that next step he must run this team, not only on the offensive end but the defensive end as well.”

Hornets head coach James Borrego

Charlotte is banking on what LaMelo showed last season on a more consistent level when he was inserted into the starting lineup in February before the wrist injury when he averaged close to 20 points per game with 6.2 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals. 

The post Hornets Coach James Borrego Details How He Wants LaMelo Ball to Take the “Next Step” appeared first on SLAM.

As first reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Martin will now be signing a two-way contract with the Miami Heat for the upcoming season. 

This will give him the opportunity to play in both the G League as well as the NBA with the Heat. Still 25 years old, Martin has the talent to truly help Miami and will have the opportunity to do so throughout the year. 

Last season with the Hornets, Martin averaged 5.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, but shot just 24.8 percent from deep. With that in mind, he was a solid free agent signing for the Heat, as they look for players who can contribute in smaller roles. 

The post Miami Heat Sign Caleb Martin On Two-Way Deal appeared first on SLAM.

The Knicks have agreed to a deal with free agent guard Dwayne Bacon, sources tell ESPN. Bacon averaged 10.9 points per game while playing all 72 games last season with the Orlando Magic.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) August 9, 2021

Bacon had a breakout season for the Orlando Magic last season, producing career-highs of 10.9 points, 3.1 rebounds with 1.3 assists in all 72 games (50 starts). Despite showing durability and improvement in production, the Magic waived him.

Dwayne spent his first three NBA seasons with the Charlotte Hornets and their G-League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm after originally being selected by New Orleans in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft.

In four NBA seasons, he holds career averages of 7.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 207 games (80 starts) with Charlotte and Orlando.

With the Knicks’ roster currently projected to include 14 guaranteed deals, one non-guaranteed contract and one player on a two-way contract, it’s unknown if Bacon’s contract is fully or partially guaranteed.

The post New York Knicks To Sign Recently Waived Dwayne Bacon appeared first on SLAM.

Still just 27 years old, Rozier is entering his prime and is a piece Charlotte wants to keep around. 

With that in mind, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on Thursday that Rozier has agreed to a four-year, $97 million max contract extension with the Hornets. 

After ranking fifth in 3-pointers made in the NBA last season, Rozier has earned a huge payday, making him one of the highest paid guards in the League.

As the Hornets continue to build a solid team in their pursuit of making a splash in the playoffs this upcoming season, they’re also ensuring they keep their core pieces intact long-term. 

The post Hornets Ink Terry Rozier To Four-Year Max Contract Extension appeared first on SLAM.

But on Tuesday, the New York Knicks announced that they had agreed to a sign-and-trade deal with the Celtics where they would acquire two future second-round picks in addition to Fournier while sending back cash to the Celtics.

As part of the deal, the Celtics have now created a traded player exception worth $17.1 million, according to The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach.

A traded player exception is a certain allocation of money that can be used to go over the salary cap to acquire a player via trade without having to send players back in return to match the salaries.

The Celtics have a history of creating these trade exceptions, creating the largest in NBA history when the Celtics sent Gordon Hayward to the Charlotte Hornets in a sign-and-trade last offseason. The Celtics used part of that trade exception to acquire Fournier at the trade deadline from the Orlando Magic.

Fournier had a strong scoring season last year, despite his numbers taking a drop off when he joined the Celtics. Fournier averaged 19.7 points per game on 46.1 percent shooting before being traded to the Celtics. After joining the Celtics, Fournier dropped his scoring average to 13 points per game and his field goal percentage to 44.8.

The Knicks also acquired another recently departed Celtics player this offseason in point guard Kemba Walker who was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier. The Thunder bought out Walker’s contract making him a free agent and allowing him to sign a two-year deal with New York that is reportedly worth $18 million.

The post Boston Celtics Create $17 Million Trade Exception via Evan Fournier Trade appeared first on SLAM.

His older brother Lonzo Ball just signed a four-year $80 million contract with the Chicago Bulls, and his younger brother LaMelo Ball just won Rookie of the Year last year playing with the Charlotte Hornets.

But LiAngelo can play too, and through three games in NBA Summer League with the Charlotte Hornets, he’s proven that.

In four games, Ball has scored 42 total points (10.5 points per game) and provided the Hornets with lethal outside shooting from deep with 41.7 percent shooting from 3-point range (6.0 attempts per game).

Ball’s first game of Summer League—which came against the Portland Trail Blazers veteran-laden squad—may have been his best though, as he finished the contest with 16 points on 5-for-8 shooting from three.

Gelo has even provided some highlight plays, hitting a halfcourt shot to beat the buzzer on Thursday against the Spurs.

Further, while his offensive skillset has received the most attention, he’s attempting to make an impact on both ends, recording 1.5 steals per game in Las Vegas.

While Gelo has come out and shown to be competitive in an NBA setting, it’s unclear what the future holds for the 22-year-old guard. That being said, many are under the impression that Ball’s performance this summer could be enough to land him a two-way deal.

The only thing that is clear now is that LiAngelo—like Lonzo and LaMelo—is not to be ignored.

The post LiAngelo Ball Having Surprise Impact for the Hornets in Summer League appeared first on SLAM.

Part of the rationale behind Clifford’s hiring centers around his close relationship with Nets head coach Steve Nash. Nash and Clifford worked together in 2012-13, when Nash was a point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, and Clifford was an assistant coach for the franchise.

In addition, one of the Brooklyn’s premier assistant coaches—Mike D’Antoni, renowned as a head coach in his own right—stepped away from the organization after this past season, citing a desire to be hired as a head coach for the first time since the 2019-20 season. Meanwhile, former assistant coach Ime Udoka had been hired as the next head coach of the Boston Celtics.

The Nets add Steve Clifford as a coaching consultant. pic.twitter.com/gGlBO0qJ9f

— theScore (@theScore) August 11, 2021

Clifford is not the only coach the Nets have added to their organization this offseason, as former Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach Brian Keefe and former Minnesota Timberwolves associate head coach David Vanterpool joining Nash’s coaching staff this offseason as well.

With the Nets amassing as much talent and experience on their coaching staff as any team has, and hosting a collection of some of the league’s preeminent stars, Brooklyn has a phenomenal opportunity to deliver their first championship in franchise history.

The post Steve Clifford Hired by Brooklyn Nets as Coaching Consultant appeared first on SLAM.

But as the Hornets compete in NBA Summer League, he’s not in a rush to make a big-time move. Instead, Kupchak’s plan going forward is to develop the team’s three young centers looking for one to emerge into a long-term starter in the next couple of years.

On draft night, the Hornets acquired center Mason Plumlee from the Detroit Pistons via trade with a very reasonable contract at two years, $16 million left on his deal. While Plumlee is expected to be the starter on opening night, ESPN writes that it could be a “temporary fix“:

“Our thought process was to get somebody that’s a veteran under a reasonable contract and also give these young guys a chance to grow a little bit, and maybe a year from now they’re going to be the guys that maybe we should’ve pursued this year in free agency,” Kupchak said.

Plumlee was solid for the Pistons last year with averages of 10.4 points and a career-high 9.3 rebounds.

Kupchak stated that it was not in the Hornet’s plans to spend a lot of money in free agency on a center when the answer could be currently on the roster. Those answers were from the three centers Charlotte selected in the last two drafts. Those selections were last year’s second-rounders Vernon Casey Jr. out of Duke and Nick Richards from Kentucky. Kai Jones was the prized selection at 19th in this draft out of Texas who made his presence in his first Summer League game.

Kai Jones taking fight for the nasty dunk #AllFly pic.twitter.com/rrhOfVjnrj

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) August 8, 2021

Even though Carey and Richards did not break the rotation with the Hornets, they played well in the G League with the Greensboro Swarm. Richards averaged 17.0 points and 10.3 rebounds, while Carey had 16.0 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.

The post Charlotte Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak Wants To Develop Centers On Roster appeared first on SLAM.

Early Friday morning, The Athletic and Stadium’s Shams Charania would report that the free agent forward Kelly Oubre Jr. has agreed to sign a two-year, $26 million-plus contract with the Hornets.

Oubre, 25-years-old, averaged 15.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game while playing for the Golden State Warriors last season.

The athletic Oubre has developed a reputation as a strong defender and offensive threat over the course of his career, even posting career-highs of 18.7 points, 1.3 steals and a true shooting percentage of 56.0 while playing for the Phoenix Suns in 2019-20.

With Charlotte adding rookies James Bouknight, Kai Jones and J.T. Thor in the 2021 NBA Draft (though replacing backup guard Devonte’ Graham with Ish Smith), adding a player with Oubre’s scoring potential gives the Hornets a strong and balanced second unit that can mix-and-match perfectly with the starters.

As of today, the projected depth chart features Ball, Oubre, Bouknight, Jones, Smith, Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington in the team’s regular rotation.

While Smith takes over for Graham, Bouknight replaces Malik Monk (who signed with Los Angeles Lakers), Jones likely supplants Bismack Biyombo and Mason Plumlee is a more dynamic version of Cody Zeller (who signed with the Portland Trail Blazers).

Oubre, meanwhile, is simply an addition; an added dynamics.

After going 33-39 last season, the Hornets have a legitimate opportunity to improve upon their 2020-21 campaign, particularly if they remain healthy.

The post REPORT: Kelly Oubre Jr. Agrees to Two-Year, $26 Million Contract with Hornets appeared first on SLAM.

Walker will subsequently sign a contract with the New York Knicks as a free agent.

These past three seasons have been a roller coaster for star guard Walker, who went from the face of the Charlotte Hornets to a vital piece of the Boston Celtics future to a Celtics castaway in a relatively short period of time.

Upon being acquired by the Thunder, it was always presumed his time with the rebuilding franchise would be short-lived due to his age (31-years-old) and his desire to play for a contender.

The Knicks, having reached the postseason for the first time in seven seasons thanks to a 41-31 record in 2020-21, are seen as one of the league’s up-and-coming teams. Despite a disappointing showing against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, that remains the case.

Adding a point guard of Walker’s caliber has long been seen as one of the Knicks’ main priorities and, though injuries and shifting roles have led to uncharacteristically substandard performances by Kemba, he’ll play a vital role for New York going forward.

The four-time All-Star averaged 19.3 points and 4.9 assists per game last season, while shooting 42.0 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from 3-point range.

He was due $73.6 million over the next two seasons.

The post Kemba Walker Finalizing Contract Buyout with Thunder, Will Sign with Knicks appeared first on SLAM.