Brickley initially named the runs “BlackOps” because he wanted the workouts and open runs to be discreet. Here, he gives us his breakdown of another year of BlackOps Basketball and his award picks.

The 2024 SLAM x BlackOps Awards

Breakout Season: Paolo Banchero

Photo by @kees2life

This was the fourth summer I worked with Paolo. His energy was laser-focused! We would go 60-75 minutes, and he did every drill at game speed. Coming off his first All-Star season and playoff run, he wanted more. I believe we will see Paolo in many more All-Star Games and many more playoff runs. The Magic will be very good this year.

Best Summer Shooter Award: Klay Thompson

Klay came in this offseason looking like a completely different player. He seemed a step quicker, and he shot incredibly well all summer. He literally broke every shooting record this summer. But, in CJ McCollum’s defense, Klay locked in with me in August/September, while CJ held many records and worked with me in May/June.

Best Middle Schooler I Have Ever Worked With: JJ Crawford

During the workout, JJ’s father (Jamal Crawford), Jordan Clarkson and Boardroom’s Nick DePaula were watching. Ju was hitting NBA three-pointers at a high percentage, picking up the ballhandling drills I was giving him and getting buckets on my interns! The internet always gives the interns a hard time, but they can really defend. After the workout, Jamal and I talked hoops for about an hour, and it was one of my favorite conversations of the summer. Jamal is a true student of the game. I’m calling it now: JJ Crawford will be a top-five pick one day!

Draft Day Award: Matas Buzelis and Tyler Kolek

I believe both of these guys will have long NBA careers. Matas will be a name we see on ESPN’s Top 10 plays many times this season. Tyler Kolek is my sleeper from this past draft. The Knicks got a great playmaker and scorer at No. 34. I think he’ll bring great energy with the second unit.

NCAA Award: lan Jackson

The best thing that happened to Ian Jackson was that to start his senior season, he dropped in the rankings. His entire workout approach changed at that moment, and Ian became a man on the basketball court. He worked out with me five days a week—sometimes twice a day—and went hard! I put him in situations where he played 1-on-1 with NBA players, and he more than held his own—he was wowing everyone in the gym. I can’t wait to see what he does at UNC this season.

High School Award: Kiyan Anthony & Chris Cenac Jr.

I’ve seen Kiyan Anthony develop from a little kid running around MSG to getting buckets in the NBA BlackOps runs. He is constantly texting me, showing his urgency to get in more workouts and keep improving. Chris Cenac played in the Brickley Invitational and shocked me during the workout portion. At 6-10, he can shoot the three, finish around the rim, play in the mid-post and try to dunk on you by the rim. It’s no surprise he’s skyrocketing up the rankings!

Chris Brickley Invitational Award: Tyran Stokes and Jasper Johnson

Tyran Stokes is ranked No. 1 in the Class of 2026 for a reason—he’s a matchup nightmare. He can shoot and find his teammates, and his motor is always on 100. Jasper Johnson went crazy in the game, hitting tough shot after tough shot. He really reminds me of D’Angelo Russell. Kentucky is producing high-level prospects right now.

Mentor Award: Russell Westbrook

People can say what they want about Russ, but the reality is he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer and one of the Top 75 NBA players of all time. This was the second offseason in a row where he took the time to mentor a younger player. Last summer, it was Azzi Fudd from UConn, and this summer it was New Jersey legend Isaiah Briscoe. Russ invited Briscoe to a few of his 6 a.m. workouts and shared some gems. Russ and I have developed a genuine relationship over the years, and I’m thankful to have him as a friend.

GOAT Award: LeBron James

I was blessed to help prepare LeBron for his Gold medal run. His work definitely paid off, as he ended up getting MVP of the Olympics at 39 years old! Aside from his great workouts, toward the end of the summer, I was offered a lot of NBA coaching positions, and I needed someone to talk to who knows the game and the business. I reached out to LeBron with no expectations—if he didn’t respond, I wouldn’t have been upset at all, knowing he has a million things going on. But he sent me some great advice, and it was exactly what I needed to hear. So, thanks to the GOAT for taking the time to do that.

Best Group Workout of the Summer: Kevin Durant and CJ McCollum

There was something special about the energy at The Summit, with music blaring through the Bose speakers. Normally, players gradually work up to game-speed actions, but this workout was different. KD caught the ball in the corner, ripped through hard with two dribbles and hit a beautiful pull-up–just like he was in a playoff game. Then I passed the ball to CJ, and he did the same thing. For the next 65 minutes, both players gave it their all. That was awesome.

Best Rapper Basketball Player: Russ

Russ decided to take basketball seriously and came to me after training with his Atlanta trainer. He became a knockdown shooter. The transformation in his game was insane. He had dribble moves, was hitting NBA threes with consistency and just played with confidence. I think Russ became the best rapper-shooter l’ve ever worked with.

Best BlackOps Matchup: Jalen Brunson vs. Immanuel Quickley

Immanuel Quickley, fresh off signing his $175 million deal with the Raptors, was playing with supreme confidence against All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson. There was definitely a sense of major competition. Quickley backed up Brunson for the Knicks before being traded to the Raptors, so it felt like Quick was playing with a chip on his shoulder. Watching these two go at it for almost two hours was super entertaining. It was like watching a great boxing match. They were giving it their all and not letting up. Man, that was a great run!

Photos by @nextsubject.

The post The 2024 SLAM x BlackOps Awards: LeBron James, Jalen Brunson and More appeared first on SLAM.

Believe it or not, every single player in the NBA does. 

Over the past few years, NBA Twitter has become filled with fan accounts dedicated to literally every player and organization within the League. We’re talking hundreds upon hundreds of accounts fueled by one sole purpose: amplifying the success of their chosen player or franchise. 

Go ahead, go to the search bar and look up anyone from Stephen Curry to Xavier Tillman, put “Muse” at the end of their name, and you’re bound to find an account that’s posting about them on a daily basis—in some instances, several duke it out in reply threads for the “official” title. Aaron Wiggins, Josh Green, even G-League legend Andre Ingram all have accounts repping them with a passion. This shit is random, it’s weird, and it damn near doesn’t make any sense. All the while, they make memes, troll each other during matchups, are followed by All-Stars and rake in millions of impressions a week. 

The collection of Muse accounts has seen legal action, led to social media careers by account holders and shaped an entire era of sports social media, for better or worse. Some folks think they’re the “downfall of NBA Twitter”, some love the added entertainment to scroll through on a nightly basis and some are completely oblivious to the supposed reason for the existence of the accounts: the statistical performance of the individual players.

“In a modern masculinity sense, it’s very cute to know that these kids, these teenagers, these adults, what have you, they’re real people and they’re talking about who they miss and who they enjoy. And that type of beauty is lovely and that’s why I enjoy it and am still involved in it,” the account holder behind SpursMuse said. 

As accounts for the obscure 10th man on NBA rosters continued to arise this past season, we wanted to truly understand what a Muse account was. How do they get these vague yet specific advanced stats? Why are they beefing and cussing each other out? Is this a job? Do they get paid? Why does Mason Plumlee have a dedicated account posting about his nightly numbers? Where did this all come from? 

For the past few months, we’ve been searching for answers. We reached out to and spoke with various Muse accounts to figure out how they started an account and to dish on the inner workings of the Network. We got on the phone with the founders of StatMuse to see if they’re even behind this phenomenon that uses their visual likeness (more on that later). And we might have gotten some answers. 

Fan accounts on NBA Twitter are nothing new, but these Muse accounts are a different breed. Using StatMuse’s AI-powered sports statistic search engine, accounts fuel online discourse, banter and engagement plastered with cartoonish illustrations of players across the L. Any statistical feat that you could ever dream of gets posted on a nightly basis. 

For the past two and a half years, the Muse Network has turned X—formerly known as Twitter—into a hotbed for some of the most obscure online sports beefs in recent memory. All the accounts may be tied to the sports stats company StatMuse, but that doesn’t mean everyone sees eye to eye. At the end of the day, this is hoops. Shit’s competitive.

Each account holds an unyielding loyalty to their team or player. Airing out grievances is a weekly occurrence as new pages enter the fold almost daily. 

WiseMuse—short for James Wiseman—was going back and forth with an anime page in February when Marcus Morris Sr.’s account came flying in from the top rope to diss them for having an account dedicated to the Pistons center. The frequency of run-ins has coined its own definition, “Muse Beef.” 

Back in 2014, Eli Dawson and Adam Elmore saw a new angle in the shared landscape between sports, statistics and software. The two founded StatMuse, a media company that focused on creating digestible stats content with the help of AI.

“If you go back to 2014 when Adam wrote the first line of code, Siri was out but you didn’t have the explosion of AI that you have today,” Dawson says. “So our fundamental bet was that this is gonna be the decade that humans start talking to computers. And once humans start talking to computers, it should transform the media experience where you can have this interactive, dynamic storytelling where whatever’s on your mind, whatever you want to learn more about, you can really drive that experience and all you have to do is ask.”

A decade ago you couldn’t type “Highest career playoff FG% by a player with 20+ MPG (minimum 15 games)” into a search bar and immediately get the figures back for DeAndre Jordan, Dereck Lively II and Rudy Gobert. You’d have to count through the games or pray someone else had already asked the question. Now StatMuse does it for you. 

With boundless opportunities to explore statistical feats and anomalies, social media took it from there. 

The phenomenon started in late 2021 and early 2022 with accounts like WarriorsMuse—now at 98.1K followers—and MavsMuse—now at 46.4K—arriving on the scene. Others followed that fall. Then the Network’s spontaneous nature came to fruition. Making an account for a perennial All-Star is one thing; you’ve got an unending stream of data and playing time to your advantage. Building an entire account for a role player like Zeke Nnaji or JT Thor—which actually exists—is a little absurd. But it kept happening. 

“Once Stat Muse started getting a little bit more involved and started engaging with us a little bit more, I think it became something different,” says the SpursMuse account holder. (The SpursMuse account holder—and most of the other account holders quoted in this story—asked us not to print their actual names.) “But in the early stages, it was definitely just a rag-tag page. No structure, no organization. Just a social media account like any other guy would have.”

As followings grew and accounts piled up, StatMuse decided to finally embrace the army of individuals who were preaching their gospel. Retweets, quote tweets and follows served as an official stamp of support from the company. When nearly every team had a representative, they encouraged their followers to create even more accounts for the remaining players and teams.

“I remember one of the first weeks I started, the whole big thing with all the new Muse accounts was getting StatMuse to follow you. And once StatMuse followed you, you knew that you were legit,” the HeatMuse account holder says.

Currently, individuals in the Network can monetize their accounts through X’s ad revenue system. Smaller accounts typically walk away with anywhere from $15-$30 a month while larger pages are making around $80, the SpursMuse account holder estimates. Other accounts pull in a bit more by agreeing to sponsored content deals with small companies who are looking to reach their X audiences. 

At the end of June, StatMuse launched a complete redesign of its website. Currently the company is still exploring programs that will share economic ventures with the community, like splitting up the advertisement revenue made off the new site. For the account holders, that’ll be a lot better than the $500 vouchers they used to receive to spend at the company’s online merch store. 

With roughly 500 accounts spread across multiple professional sports leagues, the Muse Network varies in its approach to content. Some accounts post hard statistics, while others lean into the nuances of social media. 

“SpursMuse kind of took off because I had always had a tonal bit to my account that everything was useless. Everything was out of context, everything lacked a bigger picture. And that’s just part of the conversation with any online sports stat,” the SpursMuse account holder says. “I became kind of enamored with the bit of, how can I find the funniest stats that would leave out such an important piece of context?”

He points to his April 16 post as proof. 

“The reality is that LeBron James has a billion triple-doubles past 38. But Timmy D is the only one with two blocks,” he says. “So I love doing that, trying to find the little bit of context, erase it, then you have the bare bones stat because then it’s way more abstract. It’s a little bit more fun in that sense.”

Leaving out context on social media is a venture that MavsMuse recently realized may not be worth it. After reaching the NBA Finals, MavsMuse tweeted that Jason Kidd was the first person ever to reach the Finals as a player and coach for the same team. He forgot to mention that his findings were based after the ABA and NBA merger. 

His post was met with a Community Note from fellow users pointing out that the likes of Bill Russell, Al Attles, Pat Riley, KC Jones and several others had already been there, done that. 

This playful approach to NBA Twitter has faced a range of reactions throughout the Network’s tenure. Social media has always been an unforgiving place. One misstep or incorrect stat leads to the whole community being roped into the same bucket. At the same time, the freedom associated with joining the Network is enticing. For accounts like BrunsonMuse, operating within the space wasn’t even about the stats. 

In September of 2021, ObiMuse—an account about Obi Toppin—was created as a joke. The New Yorker behind the account had seen the recent uptick in accounts and decided to make a bet with his cousin. They’d both make a player account and whoever reached 1,000 followers first won. After a week and about 20 tweets, ObiMuse had cleared 1K. 

By the start of the 2022-23 season, the account had around 3,000 followers. By March, he’d lost interest in growing the following. A rebrand was needed and whispers of a potential Obi Toppin trade had begun to grow louder and louder. At the same time, Jalen Brunson had finally hit his stride after being traded to The Mecca. Within minutes ObiMuse was flipped to BrunsonMuse.

The account holder of BrunsonMuse says the growth of his account was tied to two factors; posting quality over quantity and the emergence of Jalen Brunson as a bonafide superstar. Brunson’s stellar 2023-24 season brought new heights of attention to his page, which now sits at over 14K followers. WolvesMuse has seen the same scenario, gaining nearly 7,000 followers this season after Anthony Edwards planted his stake in the League as its next superstar.

“Honestly, the accounts for each player and each team is really like a stock,” the account holder of BrunsonMuse says. “If Jalen has a hot week I’ll gain more followers than I did the week prior. If he has a slow week, likes all go down, all engagement goes down, following goes down, everything goes down. It’s really just a reflection of how talented the team or the player is that we represent.”

It takes a certain level of dedication to run an account like this; to track, defend and follow a singular player throughout an entire year. Only beat reporters see this much confrontation and obsessive analysis. So when we learned that it was high schoolers, college students and everyday dudes in their 20s running these accounts, everything clicked. Leave it to the next generation to spawn one of the most divisive social trends in sports. 

“They all bully me in the main chat,” the SpursMuse account holder says between laughs. “I get the most shit out of anybody. Everyone says I’m a geezer. Everyone says I watched Wilt’s 100-point game—like I get crap from everybody. And it’s funny, I’m not that old, I’m just so much older than half the chat.” (He’s in his mid-20s.) 

That’s right, there’s a group chat. Over a year and a half ago, a number of the OG accounts started the chat that now houses nearly all of the Network’s heavy hitters, currently sitting at around 70 members. The chat has become an extension of the Network’s potential, connecting fans from across the globe, with some account holders living in Germany, Australia and throughout Asia. 

Every account we spoke with enjoys the hell out of the experience, but the Network isn’t immune to the pitfalls of social media. “If one Muse account is bad or lacking, that’s a reflection on the entire community,” the HeatMuse account holder says. “That’s something that we really emphasize in our own chat.” 

StatMuse allows those they refer to as “good participants” to use their IP, like their hand-drawn images and incorporating the company’s handle into an account name. In turn, the accounts are expected to uphold StatMuse’s brand image. But that’s kind of hard when literally anyone can make an account with Muse at the end.

“I’ve always worried, selfishly, that we are all committing copyright infringement. At its core, aren’t we all doing that? All it would take is one account doing something that puts StatMuse’s likeness at risk and then StatMuse shuts everyone down,” the SpursMuse account holder says. “I wish more people understood that and the impact that it would have.” 

Not only are the accounts aware of the potential consequences—they’ve seen them firsthand in the form of a now-nonexistent account known as BrickMuse. 

The aforementioned account focused on meme-driven content and would pay to boost their posts with likes and reshares from bot accounts. For a period of time, they remained in the group chat, although several accounts we spoke with noted their disdain for the individual and how they promoted their page. During the 2023-24 regular season, the community had enough when the account began pedaling false narratives about certain players having disabilities. 

Account holders immediately reached out to the StatMuse admins in hopes of getting BrickMuse removed. Reportedly, the company did more than that. They went with the legal route and forced the individual to renounce his account in full alongside any connection to StatMuse. 

“At the end of the day, it’s our IP. So if someone starts becoming a brand negative, we can get them to quit using the illustrations,” Dawson says. “It’s pretty rare and at this point, the community has people that want to join because it is positive, they love talking about stats. I think it’s kind of a self-fulfilling community at this point.”

Yes, the Muse Network has seen the ugly face of social media on more than one occasion and there are plenty out there who look down on this young group of creators, but there’s still an eccentric beauty in the movement. 

It’s puzzling yet endearing. Its randomness is fascinating as new accounts continue to spawn. And the randomness and weirdness never seems to stop. We’ve got X accounts for Markieff Morris arguing with a Cam Reddish stan over who was a better Lakers role player—Morris or Talen Horton Tucker. And they’re using stats to back it up. You can’t make this shit up. 

Photos via StatMuse.

The post Extreme Fandom: Uncovering the Mystery Behind StatMuse and the Legion of Muse Accounts That Just Keep Appearing appeared first on SLAM.

So the brands adapted. With an impeccable roster headlined by Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi and Jewell Loyd, Nike began releasing their player’s exclusive colorways to the public. 

Bird and Loyd, each known for their affinity with Kyrie Irving’s former Nike signature shoes, received a number of colorways in the marketplace, with Bird headlining the “Keep Sue Fresh” collection that spanned from the Kyrie 4 Low to the Kyrie Infinity. 

Out in Phoenix, DT began repping ‘Bron’s signature series, from the LeBron 9 and LeBron X to the LeBron 19—she even had compiled an extensive Mercury-colored collection of LeBron PEs, including the LeBron 18 “La Cabra”—which translates to the GOAT in Spanish.

In Washington, six-time All-Star Elena Delle Donne was paying homage with her PE rotation, dawning a Swoopes I-inspired colorway of the Nike Hyperdunk 2017 alongside a steady influx of KD 12s. But at the tail end of the 2019 season, Delle Donne flipped the script, electing to wear a lace-less model, the Nike Air Zoom UNVRS. Constructed around the brand’s newest technology, Flyease provided wearers with a hands-free, easy-access design geared toward those with disabilities. The latter would serve as a three year-long smoke signal of what was to come. 

In October of 2022, Nike and Elena Delle Donne officially released the Nike Air Deldon. While the high-top model wasn’t specifically marketed as a signature offering, the silhouette was as close to one as you could get. Built with Flyease technology at its foundation, the Air Deldon was inspired by the two-time MVP’s younger sister Lizzie, who is disabled. The model represented several aspects of Delle Donne’s personal journey, detailing her battle with Lyme disease on one colorway while joining Nike’s BE TRUE initiative that heralds the LGBTQIA+ community with a rainbow-treated installment.  

Then there’s Sabrina Ionescu. Before the legend of Caitlin Clark arose, Ionescu captivated the nation in college—breaking national and school records at the University of Oregon with a flashy play style and an unstoppable pull-up three. 

While standing on the shoulders of the legends that came before her, Nike announced Ionescu would be the eighth women’s signature athlete in Nike Basketball history. After 17 years, The Swoosh had returned in full to the women’s game and they flooded Sabrina’s business with support. An expansive marketing campaign, a full release schedule featuring more than a dozen colorways, a full unisex apparel collection and intricate storytelling that ran throughout the model. 

Touted as the first-ever unisex signature basketball shoe, the Nike Sabrina 1 sold out the first handful of colorways during the late summer. Then it took things to another level when the model was added to Nike’s customizable Nike By You platform. With layers of detailed fabrics, stitching and panels, the Sabrina 1 brought out the platforms’ full potential, allowing fans of the already praised silhouette to create their own 1-of-1 versions.

Custom Nike Sabrina 1s engulfed social media in the following months, with creators drawing inspiration from their favorite colorways of past signature models like the “Bruce Lee” Kobe 5. Some designs even stuck and were replicated at mass, like the titular rendition dubbed the “What The” colorway—inspired by Nike Basketball’s mid-2010s run of taking every colorway from one signature shoe and compiling it into one loud, expressive and surprisingly cohesive ensemble.

From the W and the NBA to men’s and women’s college basketball and the G-League, the Nike Sabrina 1 exploded in popularity. As soon as the 2023-24 season tipped, the low-top model quickly became a go-to for many Nike-endorsed NBA players with Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Tyler Herro and others customizing their own PEs at a frantic pace.

This time around, Sabrina’s sneaker won’t be a one-and-done: she confirmed during this year’s New York Liberty training camp that her second signature is currently in the works. 

And then there’s the long awaited announcement of the Nike A’One. As the first Black woman to receive a signature shoe with the brand since Sheryl Swoopes, A’ja Wilson continues to cement her legacy as not only a great, but a player deserving of the utmost recognition and respect. After headlining the Nike Cosmic Unity last season and dawning a regal black and gold LeBron 21 PE during the 2023 Finals, two-time WNBA Champion and New York Times Best-Selling Author A’ja Wilson has been positioned for an insanely bright future, and arrival of the A’One in the Spring of 2025 was met with top-tier marketing: Wilson posted a flick of herself wearing an iconic hoodie that read, Of Course I Have a Shoe Dot Com with the caption: “The answer to the question.” It was just as iconic as Wilson and her illustrious career. 

Wilson and Nike aren’t just only releasing a signature sneaker though—the two-time WNBA champion and MVP has been working for over a year now on a full apparel collection and signature slides, too. She’s been heavily involved in each step of the process, consistently checking in with the brand and going as far as to suggest satin-lined hoods so women wouldn’t have to wear a bonnet during travel days. 

As for other stars, in the summer of 2021, Jordan Brand announced the largest women’s roster in the brand’s history, signing Dearica Hamby, Satou Sabally, Jordin Canada, Aerial Powers, Te’a Cooper, Crystal Dangerfield, Arella Guirantes and Chelsea Dungee. Joining an established core of Kia Nurse and Asia Durr, the Jumpman went out and put pen to paper with Rhyne Howard, Dana Evans, Isabelle Harrison and Gabby Williams over the next year and a half. 

Picking up the legacy of the since-retired Moore, Jordan’s revamped athlete roster has brought a fresh perspective to the brand’s once-reserved approach to the ladies’ side of the game. Player Exclusive colorways have flooded WNBA hardwoods as a result. Kia Nurse’s Toronto Raptors-treated Tatum 1, Satou Sabally’s international-inspired Air Jordan 37 and Isabelle Harrison’s butterfly-coated Jordan Luka 2—in homage to her late sister—have each extrapolated a piece of the respective athletes’ journeys. In turn, sneaker blogs and team social media accounts have begun to add another element of storytelling to the WNBA’s atmosphere. 

Even though signature silhouettes and exclusive colorways continue to draw headlines, both Nike and Jordan have been cultivating their next generation of partners in the backdrop through the new possibilities presented by NIL. Mirroring the selectivity of their signature lineup, Nike has signed reigning National Freshman of the Year Juju Watkins, former AP Player of the Year Paige Bueckers and top high school sophomore Jerzy Williams to NIL deals. 

In the same realm, Jordan Brand has signed Rutgers-bound guard Kiyomi McMiller, LSU’s SEC Freshman of the Year Mikaylah Williams and UCLA point guard Kiki Rice. 

While it’s yet to be officially announced, Caitlin Clark has reportedly signed an endorsement deal with The Swoosh as well. Clark was one of the brand’s first NIL signings before her senior year at Iowa. 

This is just the beginning, and with investment, attention to detail, and unwavering support for women’s basketball, the renaissance continues.

Feeling nostalgic? Here’s a history lesson on how past WNBA legends paved the way in the sneaker game.

The post Today’s WNBA Legends Are Shifting Sneaker Culture  appeared first on SLAM.

These guys are friends. 

Sounds obvious, right? For sure. Easy to acknowledge it sounds obvious. But SLAM is celebrating its 30th anniversary. We’ve been around NBA players for a while now. We’ve seen that a ton of them are colleagues, not friends. Ain’t nothing wrong with that. These guys spend months on the road together. Their team responsibilities pull them away from their families. So most players keep it cordial with each other, but in the same way that you leave your work environment, they do, too. 

We’re not here to burst any bubbles. You should still believe in Santa Claus. Hell, hopefully one day the Loch Ness monster and Bigfoot finally emerge. But we regret to inform you that most NBA players don’t kick it with each other outside of practice, even if they make it seem so when they’re in public. 

That’s why the genuine laughter of this trio, all three of them former Villanova Wildcats, was a much welcomed surprise. They seem to be friends off the court. There’s a ton of history between them, which we will get into. But you just never know what’s for the internet and what’s for real. 

SLAM 249 featuring the Knicks is available now. Get your copy here.

Josh pulled up first. He was early. He and one of his agency reps sat in the corner of the gym, with windows displaying the amazing manicured lawns outside the gym. It was the first day of March and the sun was reminding us it existed after a long winter. Finely-kept evergreen trees couldn’t block the natural light, so Josh, with his perfect braids and fresh white Ralphie tee, was illuminated. 

He deserves some of the spotlight. He’s the one who does the dirty work for Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. Deflections, switches, backside call-outs all fall under his list of responsibilities. He also plays a lot of minutes. Like, a lot. As we go to press, he’s averaging 41 minutes a game over his last 22 contests. He even played the entire 48 against the Golden State Warriors on March 18. Hart’s role increased when the Knicks suffered injuries to two of their best players; he was called on to essentially be a 6-4 power forward. He has to get bruised up down low, fly around on rotations, jet back down to the paint and then grab rebounds. Over that same 22-game stretch, he pulled down an average of 11.3 boards a contest, way up from his career average of 6.5. Recently, his rebounding numbers have been major. In a stretch from late February to mid-March, he’s had one game of 18 rebounds and two with 19. And to make those two 19-board moments even more impressive, they were both part of triple-double performances. Triple-doubles are portraits of desire and technique—they require reading the game on a serious level. Hart has had five triple-doubles in his seven-year career. They’ve all happened in this current season. 

Hart’s a serious competitor on the court, which, according to Brunson, is the only time he’s ever serious at all. The two were roommates at Villanova and know each other very, very well. For example, Hart knows that Brunson’s favorite childhood player was Steve Nash. Brunson can counter that knowledge by adding that Mike and Ike is Hart’s favorite candy. Brunson, who was named an All-Star this season, says plainly that besides being about his business in basketball, Hart loves to joke around. There’s no arguing from Hart. In fact, Brunson and Hart only communicate in one way throughout the entire shoot.  

Brunson and DiVincenzo arrived together at the gym in Connecticut. It was starting to get dark when they walked in. No more individual spotlight on Hart. Instead, the three of them were the center of attention. Right from the jump, Brunson and Hart speak to each other through veiled inside jokes and outright insults. Sly smiles followed everything they said. Whenever Hart did or said something ridiculous, Brunson would look around helplessly, praying somebody else noticed the insanity. DiVincenzo, the youngest of the trio, consistently cracked up with laughter no matter what. 

DiVincenzo has had a winding road since making it to the League in 2018. The Bucks picked him 17th overall, but he didn’t get a ton of burn in that first season. To go from the height of winning the 2018 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player to only appearing in 27 games (a nagging heel injury can be blamed, too) is a fall off that would take the heart of most. That speed bump, however, gave us the first look at DiVincenzo’s resiliency. He came back the next season, played 66 games and averaged 9.2 ppg. The following season, he started every game he appeared in and upped his points average yet again. He would have been a huge part of the Bucks’ NBA Finals-winning group if not for an ankle injury that needed to be surgically repaired. 

Still, he has a ring. 

The Bucks traded him to the Kings in February ’22, where he suited up in only 25 games for then-coach Alvin Gentry. His next stop, the Warriors, reminded the NBA of how he plays when healthy. More resiliency. After fighting back from injury, he showed that he can run the 1 or play the 2. The Dubs had him dishing the ball to their Hall of Fame shooting duo. They had him filling the slots on cuts. He was one of the very few guards in the NBA allowed to crash the offensive glass (in this age of otherworldly athleticism and aerial acrobats, most teams prefer to send guys back for transition defense). When given the opportunity, he showed the ability to create his own shot off the bounce. 

He’s doing all of that now for the Knicks. This season, his three ball goes down nearly 40 percent of the time, above the League average. He has four games of more than 30 points this year, too. He had never had a 30-point game in his NBA career before this season. In his last 21 games, he’s going for 20.8 per. Big jump. Big, big jump. 

As most basketball players know, being on the same team as your friends usually increases production. There’s a foundational layer of trust that underlies everything when hooping with the bros. A portion of the stresses that come from playing with strangers get replaced by the fun of running around with your boys. Taking crazy shots or throwing stupid passes are usually followed by choice words from teammates. But sometimes those bad shots or wild passes result in strokes of genius. Genius is more likely to happen with brothers than it is with strangers, when people trust in those choices, when you really know the guy who has something to say after those shots and passes. And defensively, that trust shows up in the form of big rotational swings—a gamble in the passing lane getting covered by that dude who really enjoys Mike and Ike. 

Playing alongside friends is a treat. Winning alongside friends is a special privilege from the basketball heavens. 

These guys won together on the biggest collegiate stage. 

Hart was a junior by the time DiVincenzo and Brunson got to Nova. Though DiVincenzo didn’t play much in that 2015-16 season, Hart and Brunson were two of the Wildcats’ leaders. Along with Kris Jenkins and Ryan Arcidiacono, they guided the Wildcats to the 2016 national championship. They conquered close games, raced back from big deficits and survived the gauntlet together. Together is the key here. 

It’s a fact that the bonds we as humans form get deepened by stressful environments and heightened situations. When you’re 18-21 years old and the entire nation is watching your every step, giving you all their opinions, placing their hopes on your shoulders, that’s a stressful environment and a heightened situation. 

Then when Hart was playing for the Lakers in 2018, Brunson and DiVincenzo won the natty again. More stressful environments and heightened situations. 

So, of course these guys are actually friends. Their bond began in college, where young minds are shaped and formed without nationally-televised basketball games. Add in the games on TV, the thousands of screaming fans, the legacy of a Hall of Fame coach and that would’ve made for a deeper bond together. Now fast forward a few years and add the layer of Madison Square Garden, the generations-deep Knicks fandom and the pressure of possibly playing in May or June…that’s a lifelong bond. 

The three of them hit the bathroom together to change into their uniforms at our shoot. When they come back to the gym, Brunson’s no longer wearing DiVincenzo’s jersey. But they’re all still laughing. And they continue laughing. Hart is the ringleader. Brunson is the seemingly-innocent-but-actually- devilish instigator. And DiVincenzo uncontrollably laughs at it all. 

None of this happens without Brunson, by the way. He’s the All-Star, he’s the Knicks’ best player. He’s their floor general. He’s their clutch scorer. He’s the heartbeat of the Garden. All the numbers point to this being his best season yet. Those numbers actually become redundant because they all make it clear that he’s an elite player. One number, however, sums it up. Five. 

He’s fifth in the NBA in scoring, as of this writing. 

Nobody thought that the 33rd overall pick in the 2018 Draft would one day lead the Knicks’ franchise revival, be an All-Star or be near the top of the League in scoring. But the game is easy when playing with friends. 

Especially with friends who love to compete. All three of these guys are physical. They hustle hard. Hart hits the glass, DiVincenzo recovers from injury after injury and Brunson goes down into the land of trees despite his height. They relish the big moments. They love the challenge. It’s obvious they love playing together because they play together. 

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau spoke about them after a big road win over the Golden State Warriors in March.

“Josh’s role expanded,” Thibs said at his postgame press conference. “Donte’s role expanded. And Jalen just keeps rolling. It’s a team, and that’s what we prioritize. We want guys to sacrifice and put the team first, but there has to be that belief. I think when your best players have that belief, then your entire team ends up having that belief.”

Even when they’re making fun of each other and laughing at each other, they do it together. After about an hour in front of our cameras in that Connecticut gym, they leave, together. 

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post The Reunion of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo appeared first on SLAM.

For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.

The Villanova Wildcats entered the 2017-18 season as that team. They’d just won the National Championship the season prior in historic fashion when then-senior forward Kris Jenkins hit a buzzer-beater shot against UNC that left the entire college basketball world shook. It was, and still is, one of the greatest moments in the history of college hoops. It set the precedence for what would come next. 

So, how exactly did Jay Wright’s squad run it back? One of the brilliant minds in the game knew exactly how to coach a hungry, fundamentally-sound squad that included Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo, Eric Paschall and Phil Booth. Brunson is the type of player that, since childhood, has credited his success to his work ethic, and while at ‘Nova, he’d put together a list of goals, individual and team-oriented, that he wanted to accomplish and tape it in his dorm room. That included:

Graduating in the summer of 2018. 

Making the All-American, Big East and Big Five Academic teams. 

2018 First-Team All American, All-Big East, All-Big Five.

Conference regular season and tournament champions. 

Winning an NCAA National Championship.

While there’s many, many factors to a team’s success, Brunson’s mental approach to the game, instilled in him by his father, Rick, and then backed by Wright, set the precedent for what he and his squad would achieve. Manifestation is real, and so were the Wildcats: with Brunson’s court vision, Bridges’ defensive prowess, and DiVincenzo’s scoring outbursts, ‘Nova waltzed through the regular season, finishing 14–4 in Big East play.

“I was a version of myself, I guess I technically didn’t know I had,” Brunson told SLAM in 2022 while reflecting on the 2018 season. “I always knew I was good, playing the post, but we really used it as a weapon.” 

All the while, the No. 1 seed in the East region dominated their way to the NCAA tourney, including wins against Radford, Alabama, West Virginia, and Texas Tech. After defeating Kansas in the Final Four, the Wildcats were composed against Michigan in the Championship: they knocked down clutch shots from deep, connected on dimes from Brunson, and took control of the tempo. The final score: 79-62. 

National Champions, check. 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post The 30 Most Influential NCAA MBB Teams of SLAM’s 30 Years: 2018 Villanova appeared first on SLAM.

“Coming from Tuscaloosa, where it’s like a small college town, it’s an adjustment,” Quinerly says of his new home. “But I grew up in New Jersey, so I grew up around cities. I’m used to it.”

There are a few reasons why the 2018 McDonald’s All-American will complete his college career with Coach Penny Hardaway and the Tigers after stints at Villanova and Alabama, but perhaps the simplest explanation can be found in the seismic changes that have altered college sports over the past few years. From the advent of the NIL era to loosened NCAA transfer rules to the granting of an additional year of eligibility for athletes whose careers were interrupted by Covid, the ability to relocate, and the incentives to do so, simply didn’t exist the way they do now. Just know that Quinerly didn’t begin his college hoops career planning to bounce around.

“I played for one high school for four years and one AAU team for four years—I was never a person who jumped from program to program,” he says. “But college basketball has changed, and it’s so common now, I feel like you shouldn’t hold it against a player. I just feel like everybody has a different path.”

Quinerly’s path began in North Jersey, where he was a two-time Gatorade state POY at Hudson Catholic HS. (He also helped establish the legendary “Jelly Fam” with fellow NYC-area hoopers Isaiah Washington and Ja’Quaye James, a connection he says many younger fans still remember.) He finished his prep career as a consensus top-30 recruit and initially committed to Arizona but then swapped one Wildcat commitment for another, staying closer to home by signing with Villanova.

His time on the Main Line didn’t work out as planned. Tasked with replacing national POY Jalen Brunson in leading Nova’s NCAA title defense, the 6-1 Quinerly never really settled with the program; after struggling to produce during a freshman season in which he averaged less than 10 minutes per game, he announced his plans to transfer. Today’s Quinerly can look back on that difficult first year of college ball with hard-earned perspective.

“I can say now, I didn’t do enough homework coming out of high school,” he says. “I learned so much from Coach [Jay] Wright, and he helped me grow as a man, but, obviously, I made the wrong decision going to Villanova. What I preach now to the younger generation of high school kids is, make sure you’re going to the right school, that you’ll be able to showcase what got you to that point instead of trying to change who you are.”

Quinerly’s search for the right school took him south to Tuscaloosa, where he signed with the Crimson Tide in the summer of 2019. After sitting out a year due to NCAA transfer rules, he suited up for the 2020 season opener and immediately reminded us why he’d earned all that attention in high school. He scored 18 points in his Bama debut, then went on to average 12.9 points, 3.2 assists and a team-high 43 percent from three over the course of that sophomore season, a run he capped with an SEC Tournament MOP performance to lift the Tide to their first conference tournament title since 1991.

He was even better as a junior, starting 27 of 30 games, going for 13.8 points and 4.2 assists per and helping Bama earn a No. 6 seed. Then, just minutes into that Tourney opener against Notre Dame, Quinerly went down holding his left knee. The diagnosis was a torn ACL. In the emotional aftermath, Quinerly made news with an Instagram post: “Never in a million years would I have thought this how my last college game was gonna play out.”

The implication was clear: He would rehab, and then he would make his case for the NBA draft.

A month later, he got on Twitter and reversed course: “I’ll keep it short and simple. I’m coming back. #RTR”

In retrospect, if you know where Quinerly’s head and heart were in those moments, both announcements make perfect sense. “I tear my ACL six minutes into our tournament game, on the brightest stage—it’s an athlete’s worst nightmare,” he says. “That year, I was dead set on entering the Draft, I already had an agent lined up, and then that happened.” Knowing he would’ve had to pay for his own rehab if he’d left college then, Quinerly chose to come back to school and “work with one of the best trainers in the world and rehab at a grade-A facility.”

Here he insists on shouting out Clarke Holter and Henry Barrera, Bama’s trainer and strength coach, who “played a huge role in my recovery. They’re the reason I was able to be back eight months later—it’s just a testament to the work we put in. And then obviously last year went the way it went.”

Last year went crazy. After missing the season’s first two games as he eased back into game action after rehab, Quinerly went on to play in 35 contests for a dominant Tide team that won SEC regular-season and tournament titles and secured the No. 1 overall seed in the Big Dance. Quinerly’s numbers weren’t mind-blowing—he averaged 8.7 ppg and 3.6 apg—but his role coming off the bench was invaluable to Bama’s run. His effort was recognized at season’s end with the SEC Sixth Man of the Year award.

Then it was time for another decision, and this one was more of a surprise. Unlike his short stint at Nova, Quinerly didn’t appear in need of a fresh start at Alabama, where he had excelled—“I left a great legacy there,” he says—but he felt he needed one more season of college ball to feel fully comfortable on his repaired knee; he also says he was looking to “put myself in a situation where I’m a little bit uncomfortable, where I’m kinda on edge, because that’s usually where I thrive.”

And that’s how he ended up at Memphis, where he hopes one last season with a new program and a new coach—this particular coach (Quinerly insists he’s got nothing against Bama’s Nate Oats)—can help him maximize his NBA readiness. And yes, it has a lot to do with the fact that this coach is one of the most dynamic and game-changing point guards in NBA history.

“Coach Penny was a monster, man,” Quinerly says. “People just think I’ve seen highlights, but I grew up watching NBA Hardwood Classics, all those old games. From a skill standpoint, I feel like him and Mike were kind of neck and neck. Seeing how hands-on he is with his players, him being able to work me out…it feels like this is the right thing to do.”

Hardaway believes Quinerly made the right decision—for himself, and for the Memphis program.

“When I look at him, I see leadership, I see hunger, I see determination,” Penny says during a break in a late-summer round at a Memphis area golf course. “I think he understands that this being his fifth year, the things that have happened to him, this marriage can be really good.”

Hardaway loves the versatility and experience Quinerly brings; he also knows his soon-to-be point guard can still get better. He wants Quinerly to talk more—“He’s vocal,” Penny says, “but he’s not vocal enough for me”—and to improve his movement without the ball. But overall, Penny says, it’s more about fine-tuning Quinerly’s already impressive game: “He’s a veteran. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel.”

If it all works out—if he makes the most of his chance to lead an elite team at the college level—it wouldn’t be shocking for a guy with Quinerly’s résumé to be getting ready for his rookie NBA season this time next year. He’s not taking it for granted; he knows his trajectory has given people reason to doubt.

He also knows it’s within reach.

“I always tell people, everybody’s journey is different,” Quinerly says. “I probably should be playing professionally right now if I hadn’t gotten hurt, but I wouldn’t change it at all, because it’s made me the man that I am. I’ve been able to come back numerous times from things average players probably wouldn’t have come back from. I’ve taken a lot of criticism, and I’ve been able to kind of reinvent myself and keep my name relevant. That alone is a success story.”

Photos by Zach Wall.

The post Jahvon Quinerly Discusses His Unique Journey and How He Plans on Reinventing Himself at Memphis appeared first on SLAM.

Quickley is actually so dialed in that he forgets to do his own warm-up entirely. “I was just watching him shoot the whole time, and he was making every single shot,” the Knicks guard tells us.

It’s been three years since, but this season, it’s Quickley who has had plenty of eyes on him. The Havre de Grace, MD, native emerged as a finalist for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award (finishing second in voting) while averaging career highs in field-goal percentage and points per game as the Knicks headed into the playoffs. As a starter, Quickley stepped up big in the final weeks of the regular season while Jalen Brunson was out with an injury: he had a career-high 38 points against the Celtics on March 5 and a 40-ball against the Rockets at the end of the month.

All that momentum continued when Quickley dropped 39 points and hit 7 threes against the Pacers on April 5. Two days later, his phone suddenly started blowing up with notifications of people tagging him on Instagram—Damian Lillard had just endorsed him for 6MOY. 

“Just knowing that [an] NBA superstar is vouching for you is something that’s pretty cool,” Quickly says. He first got connected to Dame during his rookie year through Knicks assistant coach Johnnie Bryant and says the NBA All-Star has given him advice on “working hard and believing in the work.” 

While the award ultimately went to the Celtics’ Malcolm Brogdon, the moment is a testament to Quickley’s commitment. 

Then there are the words of wisdom he received from Stephen Curry. During what Quickley calls a “tough time where I couldn’t make any shots,” he decided to reach out to Curry and pick his brain. He asked the four-time NBA champ for his opinion on shooting when a player thinks they’re in a slump or not playing well. 

He got a reply, and the recording is almost three minutes long. In it, Quickley can hear the sound of a car’s windshield wipers and blinker lights in the background as Curry recorded his message: 

“Honestly, shooting is all confidence. Even if you miss some shots, your confidence shouldn’t change because you could miss 50 shots in a row, but if you know you’re still a shooter, you’re still a shooter. That doesn’t change.” 

Quickley still has the recording saved on his phone. He says he listens to it all the time.

“He’s the greatest shooter ever, why would I not listen to it as many times as I can?”

In times when shots haven’t been falling like he’d want them to, Quickley has still managed to channel Curry’s advice. After going scoreless in Game 4 in the first round of the playoffs this spring, he dropped 19 points in a series-clinching Game 5 win against the Cavs. 

“It’s part of the game, as far as, you know, shots not falling,” Quickley says. “But that’s never a reason to not play hard or not play defense or keep encouraging your teammates and things like that. So that’s something I’ve learned at a young age, and it’s something I’ve kept with me through the NBA.”

Another part of his approach is positive affirmations. Quickley says he’ll say things to himself while on the court, like, The next shot is going in. “I talk to myself like I’m my best friend,” he says.

But more than anything, it’s his faith that plays the most important role in his life. He still does 15 minute Bible studies with his mom whenever he needs and has pastors that he’s known throughout his life who give him words of encouragement throughout the season. He also has a scripture from Romans 8:28 as the screensaver on his phone: We know that all things work together for the good of those that love him and are called according to His purpose. 

In discussing the things he’s learned about himself over the last year, Quickly sounds wiser than his years: “I think the biggest thing for me is I’m just much more aware, spiritually, of when I’m not doing enough. Sometimes, we can get caught up throughout our day or throughout working out. We can get busy.”

Before games, Quickley will sometimes listen to a church service. “I think, for me, definitely just seeing the bigger picture [has] helped me to lock in and [to] always remember the reason that I’m playing basketball and who’s giving me the gift that I’m able to share with others.” 

He’s hip to legendary gospel singer Kirk Franklin and is an avid listener, comparing his game to Franklin’s music because of it’s upbeat style (“Just good vibes,” he says). He’s had moments this year—like his 38-point performance against the Celtics in double overtime—where he’s found his rhythm on offense and was simply just having fun with it all. That’s really when he’s playing at his best, and he is not the type to hesitate showing it. 

“Honestly, when I’m having those big games, it kind of feels like I’m at the park playing with my friends. There was a game against Boston, I made that layup and I was skipping down the floor. Some people think that I’m just, you know, being funny, but I was honestly just having so much fun that game that I just started skipping down the court.

“Before the game even started, I knew I was gonna have fun whether I played good or not,” he adds. “And that kind of just propelled me to have that game because I had that mindset of, you know, just having fun on a nationally televised game. I knew I was gonna have a fun night.” 

Since Day 1 of training camp, and even going back to the summer, Quickley says his mindset has always been to “just have a great year.” Despite what happens next or how far the Knicks go in this year’s playoffs, it’s a fact that the Knicks have become one of the most fun teams to watch this season—and Quickley is a major reason why. 

“Really, I feel like it’s the joy that I play with [is] where it shows the most—unselfishness, togetherness, unity,” he says” “All of those things kind of embody what it means to me to be playing and the gift that God has given me.”

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post Immanuel Quickley Opens Up On How Faith Has Helped Him Level Up This Season appeared first on SLAM.

We’re walking around the streets of Queens with Sunrise Christian Academy senior Matas Buzelis looking for someone to chat with. As we film an episode of “Man on the Street,” one of the questions is: If you had to give an 18-year-old in the NBA financial advice, what would it be?

Buzelis is just moments away from going pro himself. Last June, he announced that he would be going the G League route rather than attending college and plans on signing with the Ignite once he graduates high school. People around the city already recognize the 6-10 standout with an all-around game. They ask to take photos with him and offer advice, like putting his first big check into a savings account and making smart decisions. Buzelis smiles and nods while listening carefully to their words.

“I picked the G League because I’m trying to become a pro. That’s the end goal,” Buzelis tells SLAM. 

The SLAM Summer Classic alum was actually a swimmer before he really started playing basketball, competing in the 50-meter and 100-meter breaststroke. He told Pro Insight that swimming taught him how to “remain calm in the chaos,” and that will certainly come in handy over the next few months as he balances school and his senior season with all of the other obligations that come with going pro. Buzelis was just out in Salt Lake City to attend the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, and as he watched players in the League show out, he envisioned himself being out there and competing in the Skills Challenge.

“I think I’d win,” he says with a smile.

Buzelis started playing competitively in sixth grade, but it wasn’t until eighth grade that he really started taking it seriously. Sports run in the Buzelis family—both his mother, Kristina, and his father, Aidas, were professional basketball players in Lithuania before they immigrated to the States. His older sister, Sophia, is a midfield lacrosse player at Furman University, and his younger brother, Vincas, is a sophomore at Sunrise. The opportunity to finish his high school career playing alongside Vincas, as well as to suit up for one of the best high school programs in the country, were the main deciding factors in why Matas decided to transfer from Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, NH, to Sunrise last year.

“When it comes to bonds, I mean, no one is closer than me and my little brother,” he says. “We’re really close. And playing with him—he brings the energy that every team needs.”

One of the biggest things Matas’ parents have taught him is how to stay humble, which says a lot when you meet him—the McDonald’s All-American is just as down to earth as he is dominant on the court. At the SLAM HQ, he was shooting around with the staff on the mini hoop in our lounge, knocking down nine shots in a row like it was nothing. In the photo studio, he was laughing and having fun while playing with a Beyblade that was left behind from our cover shoot with Jalen Brunson. 

When asked who he admired growing up, Buzelis lists LeBron James and Tracy McGrady. “I’d watch highlights of them, and then I’d try to go outside and recreate the same thing,” he says. “I’d say I took a little bit from [their games].”

Matas would describe himself as someone who can “play all five positions and do everything overall,” and that’s exactly why he’s one of the most highly anticipated young players headed to the G. He’s already connected with a few future Ignite teammates, including top prospect Scoot Henderson (who might not be there for much longer) and Leonard Miller. 

“I’m gonna go to the G League and impact the team and try to win as much as possible,” Buzelis says. “Also try to get drafted to the NBA at the same time.”

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post Meet Matas Buzelis: the Sunrise Christian Academy Senior Who’s Primed to be the Next G League Ignite Star appeared first on SLAM.

The fire track features lyrics that reflect just how intertwined hip hop and basketball truly is, plus a music video that includes game highlights from Joel Embiid, Jalen Brunson and more.

This is definitely going to be the anthem for this year’s NBA Playoffs. Check it out below.

The post LISTEN: Rick Ross, Fat Joe and The LOX Drop New Single ‘The Game’ Right Before the NBA Playoffs appeared first on SLAM.

When the Knicks point guard pulls up to our office in Long Island City for his SLAM cover shoot, it’s clear that the man himself hasn’t changed since the last time we saw him. Brunson is still as focused as he was in Dallas—even sharper now. He’s figured out a way to not only elevate his own game, but help lead an entire franchise to new heights. Is this what he meant last year when he said that he didn’t think about how well he was doing…because he knew he could be doing even better? 

“You had to bring out the receipts, huh?” Brunson says when we bring it up on set. “I definitely have improved. I think it’s a mixture of work ethic, opportunity, fit and a little bit of luck, too. I mean, it’s a mixture of everything, but I’m honored to have the opportunity to go out there and play every other night and do what I can to help the team win. I just feel like whenever I step on the court, I have to be the best player I can be. And then we go back and watch [film] and [it’s like], how can I improve? And that’s just been my mindset since I can remember.” 

SLAM 243 featuring Jalen Brunson is available now. Shop now.

We’ve told this story before: how his mother, Sandra, taught him early on how to set goals and envision what he wanted out of life, while his father, Rick, who had a nine-year yourneyman career in the League and played on the Knicks inin the ’90s, pushed him and showed what staying true to the grind really means.

The too-small-kid out of Stevenson High School became the best point guard in the country and then a champion at Villanova. When his opponents were bigger, faster and stronger in college, he’d think to himself, How can I be creative? How can I get my opponents off balance? 

Now, at 26 years old and in his fifth year in the L, Brunson is writing a new chapter. He’s become that much more dangerous, especially when he’s beating dudes off the dribble and hitting them with the dream shake. “How can I use my smarts versus their athleticism?” Brunson says. “I’ve always been that way and it’s worked. It’s gotten me here.”

“Here” is the mecca of basketball. New York City has produced point guards so undeniably smooth with the rock they’ve become cultural icons, from God Shammgod to the Jelly Fam. Brunson, who grew up in Cherry Hill (NJ) back when Rick was suiting up in blue and orange, isn’t super flashy or hitting three-to-the-dome celebrations in Madison Square Garden like Melo, but he’s been exactly what the Knicks have needed to bring them back to the playoffs this season. 

“Being the point guard of the Knicks is special. It’s like a dream come true. You’re playing for a legendary organization, a legendary city,” he says. “And you just have to go out there and perform and just be yourself. And I think all year that’s what I’ve done. I’ve gone out there. I’ve been myself. Obviously you don’t play great for 82 games, but I give effort every time on the court. If I play with effort, just be genuine, be myself, not really care about anything going on but keep winning as my most important thought. The city of New York can praise you, but just gotta go out there and just be you.” 

Everyone is going to have an opinion, and when Brunson signed with the team during free agency, there were plenty of things said about him, including that he was overpaid and overhyped. “A lot of people [that] are saying the things that they’re saying, whether you’re playing basketball or doing whatever, they probably can’t do it to a level that you could do it. You don’t really worry about it—you just focus on yourself, focus on what you can control. And that’s my mindset. This is how I’ve always been and this is how I’m going to be for the rest of my career.”

People also thought that the Knicks weren’t going to amount to much. But as we go to printers, they’re fifth in the East and legitimate playoff contenders. 

Wait, run that back. The Knicks are…what?

This is the same franchise that’s been building and working to get to this point. Every win was a step forward. And sure, missing the playoffs last year and losing in the first round the year prior seemed like two giant leaps backward, but you can’t deny that they’ve been making major strides this season. They’ve shown that they can hold their own against teams like Philly, Denver and Boston. They’ve had not one, but two serious winning streaks—eight games in December and a nine-game streak in February. Who’s laughing now?

Brunson is having an even better season than he did last year, and averaging new career-highs across the stat sheet: 23.8 points and 6.1 assists per game, shooting 41.4 percent from behind the arc. The duo of JB and Julius Randle, who was named an All-Star this past February, is just pure magic. 

“He’s been special since I got here,” Brunson says of Randle. “Just to see how hard he works, how careful he is with his craft and how bad he wants to win, and we share that. Obviously, we’re both lefties—including RJ [Barrett] we’re all lefties. But we all want to win.” 

When the Knicks are winning, the entire city is buzzing with an energy that can be felt across all five boroughs and beyond. In Midtown, there’s a sign outside of Marathon Coffee that lists things the establishment is grateful for. The first is Jalen Brunson. All the way past the Bronx in Yonkers, a man is pulling up to a laundromat proudly wearing a pair of Patrick Ewing 33s, a pair of Knicks basketball shorts and a snapback. The Knicks are New York’s team, and right now, everyone is hyped about this year’s squad. Barrett just scored more than 25 points for three straight games and has been solid while Brunson has been out with an ankle injury. When Immanuel Quickley dropped 38 against the Celtics in a double-overtime win, Brunson was on Twitter faster than an NBA insider, calling him everything from HIMBO FISHER to HIMMY FALLON. Then there’s Josh Hart, who just arrived in the city after being traded from Portland in February and is already being embraced. 

Brunson and Hart go way back—they were college roommates at Villanova when Brunson was a sophomore and Hart was a senior. “Josh is my brother,” Brunson says. “That’s just a bond that can never be broken when you do something as big as win a national championship. That’s special. And the fact that we kind of get to keep that flame burning in the NBA and play together. It’s been an honor, it’s been special. He brings a different element to our team and I think you’ve seen it. Since he’s played it’s been amazing. What he does on the court is so evident, so special. It may not show up in a stat sheet—some of the things that he does—but he’s a killer.”

The Knicks already had leaders in Randle and veterans like Derrick Rose, but what they now have with the addition of Brunson is someone just as dedicated to the grind and in a constant pursuit of consistency. Brunson has told us before that his confidence comes from his work ethic, but there’s a reason why he always brings it up—he just can’t stop thinking about it. “The one thing I obsess over is just my work ethic,” he says. “If I’m always working, I’m always getting prepared, I will never have to just get ready. Don’t need to get ready when you stay ready.” 

What’s been key to the Knicks’ resurgence this season, as well as their growing confidence, is how they’ve been able to stay connected. They’re balanced on both ends of the court, and harmonious off of it: cracking jokes with (and about) each other on Twitter, telling the media who would and wouldn’t survive a zombie apocalypse. When they beat the Heat, it was Brunson who hugged Randle in the middle of his postgame interview, while the big man explained how much love they have for one another. This year’s squad has nicknames for each other, too: JB calls Randle “Sergeant” (but says that Randle has to be the one to tell us why) and Rose is “OG.” 

“The best advice that Derrick has given me is probably, he just tells me to lead every day,” says Brunson “Every single day. There are days where obviously you just kind of want to get your work and you want to get out of there and clear your head, but a leader leads every single day. And he reminds me to do it every single day, and it’s just special to have him. I think his presence alone kind of makes me just have to lead because I look at him, he looks at me and it’s kind of an unspoken thing that we know what we got to do.” 

As for Brunson’s own leadership style: “At first, I like to lead by example, to kind of show everybody what I’m about, what my agenda is, and [let them] know what’s most important to me,” he explains. “And then once everyone starts to see that, you can start to be more vocal and kind of say how you feel, say what you want. But I love to get to know my audience—know my teammates, how they react to certain things, how they can take criticism or whatever. I wouldn’t say anything to my teammates that I wouldn’t do myself. And so it’s special. It’s unique. But I think for me, it works just because I’m genuine. I am who I am. And I’m unapologetic. But at the same time, I want to win. And that’s just first and foremost on my mind.”

When asked if he’s taken a moment to look at how far he’s come, Brunson brings things into perspective and admits that it doesn’t feel like he’s accomplished much of anything yet. “No, I haven’t had a moment yet,” he says, “because I haven’t done anything.” 

Really? Nothing? 

“I want to win as much as I can,” he adds. “I want to be a person that’s special. I want to win a championship in this League. That’s just my goal. And I just think that if you have a championship, you can talk about whatever you want. But I mean, individual stuff is great and all that stuff, but everyone strives to win. And that’s what drives me.”

That mentality is why Brunson fits right in. He knows the formula that it takes to achieve those goals, to become everything he’s always wanted and more. Brunson isn’t quick to call this a new era for the Knicks just yet; but as always, he’s ready to put in the work to get there. “I would just say that we’re growing. We’re getting better every single day,” he says. “I wouldn’t say this is an era because there’s a lot of history with this organization. And we have to do a lot more for it to be an era and can’t be just complacent with where we are now. [We’ve] got a lot more to prove.”

SLAM 243 is also available in this exclusive gold metal edition. Shop now.

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks are Proving Everyone Wrong appeared first on SLAM.

To this point, Brunson has averaged career-highs in points (20.8 points) and assists (6.5) per game on 46.7 shooting from the field and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc. On Wednesday, Brunson set the tone of New York’s 117-114 win over the Spurs after scoring a career-high 38 points, seven board, and six dimes.

The 38-point outing left Popovich in a complimentary mood with the five-time champion saying Brunson’s “got it all.”

“He’s got it all,” Popovich said of Brunson, per Sports Illustrated. “He’s got the skill, but he’s also got the toughness. He’s got the basketball IQ to go with it. Just a hell of a competitor.”

Jalen Brunson dropped a regular season career-high to lead the Knicks to the W in MSG.

38 PTS
7 REB
6 AST pic.twitter.com/HcFmHRRSXC

— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2023

Brunson knocked down three field goals over the final 3:02 minutes of the game to secure New York’s three-point win.

“Whatever it takes to win,” Brunson said. “I could have 38, or I could have three points. If we win, that’s all I really care about.”

The post Gregg Popovich Says Jalen Brunson’s ‘Got it All’ After Career-High Outing appeared first on SLAM.

Brunson agreed to a four-year, $104 million contract shortly after free agency began. Brunson has multiple long-standing ties with the franchise, mainly his father, Rick, being hired as an assistant coach during the offseason. Rick Brunson was an assistant on the Bulls and Timberwolves, while Tom Thibodeau served as head coach at both franchises. Thibs coached Rick Brunson as an assistant with the Knicks during Brunson’s playing days.

Rick Brunson was Knicks executive Leon Rose’s first client as an agent. He was also Jalen Brunson’s agent before the Knicks hired him as their president of basketball operations. Rose’s son, Sam, is currently Jalen’s agent.

“This outcome reflected a finding, following an investigation, that the Knicks engaged in free agency discussions involving Jalen Brunson prior to the date when such discussions were permitted,” the NBA said in a statement.

AYO. BRUNSHIM knocking it DOWN

VOTE https://t.co/8hMm0OqLE3 pic.twitter.com/k958actEeL

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) December 21, 2022

The Knicks still have 11 first-round and nine second-round picks over the next seven years at their disposal to use or trade for a superstar to pair with Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.

Brunson averaged 20.8 points and 6.2 assists per game and led the Knicks to a League-leading eight straight wins before they lost to the Raptors on Wednesday. The sixth-place Knicks (18-14) play the 76ers on Christmas Day.

The post New York Knicks Lose 2025 First-Round Pick Over Jalen Brunson Tampering appeared first on SLAM.

The downplay continued at home Wednesday night against the Knicks when Jalen Brunson made Alex Caruso hit the floor and knock down the dagger that sealed the Knicks their fifth straight win.

The efforts defensively down the stretch may seem like the glaring weakness of the Bulls, but it isn’t just that part. Instead, the problems are at the start of their matchups, where Caruso believes the team isn’t putting a significant emphasis on making the right play.

“We have to do a better job paying attention to details earlier in the game,” said Caruso after their loss to the Knicks, per Sports Illustrated. “Some nights, we’re not there for 48 minutes, and then it’s a coin flip at the end.”

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Caruso’s reasoning is based on the Bulls’ struggles to score points in the first two quarters. Chicago averages 56.1 points in the first half of games, which is tied for the seventh worst in the League. It doesn’t end there as they give up the second most three-pointers made to their opponents in the first half (7.4) and the third highest field goal percentage to their opponent (49.2).

“We just don’t have the margin for error,” Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said after the loss Wednesday night. “We’ve got to be really disciplined in a lot of specific areas.”

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Even their star players were slumped through the 24 minutes against the Knicks. Had it not been for his six free throws made, DeMar DeRozan would have ended up with two points off 16.7 percent shooting from the field (1-6). Although Zach LaVine opened the bout against the Hawks with nine points (4-6 from the field), he struggled to take care of the ball ending up with five first-half turnovers.

Though the tandem of DeRozan and LaVine pick up the slack in the second half of games, winning recipes don’t come off playing from behind. Caruso demands the group starts focusing on the little but large keys to victories, like communicating or finding the better shot.

Hence they don’t find that formula; the ship will continue to sink for a team that was once thought of as ‘championship-caliber’ last season.

“Sometimes it’s been ball-screen coverage or weakside coverage,” Caruso said. “I think it goes to show how hard it is to win in pro sports. Obviously, it’s something we’ve got to get better at.”

The post Alex Caruso Believes Bulls Need to Focus On the Details Early in Games appeared first on SLAM.

While Brunson is averaging 21.3 points and 6.5 assists at a career-best rate for NY, the Mavericks have fallen short of expectations in the first quarter of the season. Other than Luka Magic – the Slovenian is averaging 33.6 points (1st in the League), 8.7 assists (4th in the League), and 8.7 rebounds a contest – the Mavs offense has struggled, resulting in an unsettling record under .500.

A Western Conference Finals team last season, Dallas fans and critics alike have searched for critical shortcomings in the team’s current makeup and performance. General manager Nico Harrison spoke with Dallas News and broke down his perspective on the Mavs’ slow start. 

Mav’s shooters aren’t shooting well:

Harrison believes a core component of their losses is their failure to knock down shots. The shooting struggles have led to Dallas dropping games to Detroit (6-18 record), Orlando (5-17), Houston (5-16), and OKC (9-13). They’ve failed to execute on the road; their drive-and-kick offense is struggling to produce. Doncic is the offense’s engine as both the primary drive-and-kicker and scorer, and Harrison wants to see shooters ease Doncic’s workload by doing a better job of finishing plays. 

Although “not resigning Jalen (Brunson) wasn’t [their] choice,” the GM has no regrets:

The front office received heavy criticism for a) not resigning Brunson and b) not pursuing other point guards in free agency after losing Brunson. The Mavs undoubtedly feel his loss. However, Harrison has no regrets. 

“I have faith in the guys that we have here. Again, guys haven’t made shots, but we’ve seen them do it, and I have faith in them. I think if guys make shots just at the rate or slightly below what they normally do, we’re not even having this conversation. I think that erases a lot of the doubt or the feeling that we’re not quite achieving what the expectations would’ve been. The law of averages, they eventually equal out, and guys will make shots.”

Josh Green and Kemba Walker are two bright spots:

In his third season in the League, Josh Green is stepping up as a solid role player for Dallas. VP of Basketball Operations Michael Finley called Green the “MVP of the summer.” Harrison added, “he was in the gym working hard, and you can see. You see the production that he’s had. Not surprised. Happy for him. Happy for us, too, but more for him.”

Additionally, the Mavs signed Kemba Walker earlier this week. Harrison has no expectations for Kemba and simply hopes his body holds up and he brings a veteran presence to the team. The GM called Kemba an “amazing person.”

“I think that’s the point. He’s an amazing person. He’s been through everything in the League. He obviously can handle the ball, and everybody knows he’s an ex-All-Star. I won’t even say ex-All-Star. He’s an All-Star. He’s a scorer. Adding that veteran presence for if and when we need it ready will be helpful.”

The turn-around point is coming:

Harrison urged Dallas fans to be patient and reminded them that last year the Mavs opened the season 9-14 and finished as Western Conference runners-up. A spark can come at any point, and the GM believes “it’s just a matter of us turning the corner, and it’s going to happen sooner than later.”

“I don’t think it’s an external thing. Our team — they’re connected, they’re together. Like, they’re still even though it’s a different team than last year, there’s still a lot of remnants from last year. They’re still very connected.”

The post GM Nico Harrison Hopeful Despite Mavs’ 10-11 Start to Season appeared first on SLAM.

However, after the addition of Jalen Brunson this past summer and the expected progression of key young pieces, the Knicks hoped to drastically improve from their non-playoff finish. The Knicks begin a five-game round trip out West on Tuesday, starting with a contest against the Utah Jazz.

According to Newsday’s Steve Popper, Julius Randle called a pivotal players-only meeting before the trip to “stress accountability” and make sure they can maximize their performance. 

The meeting was called by Julius Randle — players who spoke this morning stressed it was positive, bonding as a group.

— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) November 15, 2022

The meeting was held in Utah following their embarrassing 145-135 loss in Madison Square Garden to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday afternoon. Sunday’s game was amongst the leakiest, least inspired defensive performances by the Knicks all season; the Thunder had 122 points through three quarters.

This is especially disheartening because the Knicks had one of their best offensive games of the season, scoring a franchise-record 48 points in the first quarter. The Knicks are giving up 116.8 points per game this season, good for 25th in the NBA, with a 113.5 defensive rating, good for 24th. 

MASTERPIECE pic.twitter.com/8DAXD1FUpg

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 13, 2022

Players-only meetings have historically had mixed results, but the Knicks are desperate to find consistency sooner rather than later. Their first chance to see if their dinner will yield positive results will be Tuesday in Utah at 9:00 PM EST. 

The post Julius Randle Calls Players-Only Meeting to ‘Stress Accountability’ appeared first on SLAM.

This special issue includes a cover story on Jalen Brunson and Derrick Rose, a bunch of classic SLAM features from the ’90s and ’00s, an interview with Ronnie Fieg about his new Creative Director role with the Knicks, a look back at every Knicks home/away jersey ever, imagery of Kith’s 2022 Knicks collection and more. 

“The sport of basketball and the city of New York are tied together so tightly, and the Knicks, SLAM and Kith are all products of that synthesis, so this product made perfect sense for us,” says Adam Figman, Chief Content Officer and Editor-in-Chief of SLAM. “This issue is a love letter to a franchise that has meant so much to New Yorkers for a very long time.” 

The magazine also includes imagery of Kith’s new Knicks 2022 collection and will be gifted to everyone who attends Kith Night at Madison Square Garden on November 11, when the Knicks host the Detroit Pistons.

“There are few things in basketball more iconic than the SLAM cover,” says Ronnie Fieg, Founder and CEO of Kith. “When I first connected with Adam, I knew that was the first item on my list to discuss. I wouldn’t have imagined that the conversation would evolve from creating a cover to a full magazine. Working with the SLAM team to create this commemorative issue has been an unforgettable experience and a true notch in Kith’s timeline.”

 This special issue will release in limited numbers publicly this Saturday at Kith shops, 11AM EST on Kith.com, 11AM CET on EU.Kith.com, the Kith App and SLAMGoods.com. the NY Knicks team store.

The post Kith & SLAM Present KNICKS is OUT NOW! appeared first on SLAM.

The Knicks are 11 games in the 2022-23 campaign, and Rose is essentially at the fringe of head coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation. This season, the former MVP is averaging 6.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while playing just 12.7 minutes per contest as the fourth or fifth guard.

“This is new, foreign for me,” he said, per The New York Post.

After the 34-year-old’s extended injury absence last season was labeled a major reason for the Knicks’ downward spiral, the point guard was expected to feature prominently with the second unit.

We partnered with @Kith to create a special issue dedicated to the @nyknicks.

All fans will receive a copy this Friday during Kith Night at MSG. Available on @SLAMGoods Saturday. pic.twitter.com/Jm4jjIYHna

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 9, 2022

Rose says he hasn’t received an explanation for the demotion, but the three-time All-Star is doing the best he can to navigate uncharted territory. The former Rookie of the Year doesn’t want to bother Thibodeau with the issue either.

“I’m letting everybody be, man,” Rose said. “I don’t want to have that conversation with him just off the strength that he has a lot on his plate – the team does. So the last guy he wants to hear from is the guy who has been in the league for 15 years going in and complaining and b–tching. Just trying to give everybody the space, remain myself, and help the young guys. I think I’ve been doing a good job helping — talking to people when they’re on the floor. That’s what I can do right now. And try not to f–k up the game whenever I get in.”

Been him. Still HIM pic.twitter.com/wjDyF9kI2L

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 6, 2022

Thibs, who’s coached D-Rose to great heights over their 10 seasons together, made it clear that his door is open and that he’s willing to talk to his long time point guard about his role on the team.

The rapport that the two built over their decade together will surely help them navigate this situation. It also helps that Rose is a low-maintenance veteran who’s gone through a lot as a player.

“I talk to Derrick as much as anyone,” Thibodeau said. “You sit down, you talk to your players every day. You’re asking everyone to sacrifice. Some guys, it might be going from starting to coming off the bench. Some guys might be going out of the rotation. You have a finite amount of minutes. You have to have a rotation. A lot of it’s based on performance — all of it is. We’re going to keep searching for guys that can help us win. That’s really where we are. You want more minutes, you’ve got to play well.”

Part of it is self-explanatory with Jalen Brunson averaging 33.5 minutes. Another aspect is Rose not taking advantage of his limited chances while shooting 38%.

DROSE FOR 3
13-2 KNICKS RUN pic.twitter.com/wihUSxbX8H

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 3, 2022

In the meantime, Rose will have to make the most out of the opportunities he gets. Specifically making sure that he uses his crafty veteran skillset as a score and playmaker to create more chances off the bench. One weapon he must take advantage more often is his three-point shot, this season Rose is shooting beyond the arc at a 35.5 percent rate.

With guards like Brunson, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, and Cam Reddish ahead of him in the rotation, it’ll be tough road for Rose but the Windy City Assasin is built tough and ready to get though anything.

“It’s not tough. Just got to stay ready, find a way to stay ready,” Rose said. “It’s like everything, forcing me to evolve into who knows what now?  But I always take it as a challenge.”

The post Derrick Rose ‘in the Unknown’ With Diminished Role appeared first on SLAM.

Coach Tom Thibodeau’s backcourt consists of play from Jalen Brunson, Immanuel Quickley, Derrick Rose, and their 2021 first-round pick Quentin Grimes, who made his season debut against the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night.

Playing the last five minutes of a blowout loss, Grimes came away with just one assist on his stat line. Nonetheless, he was relieved to get some playing time under his belt and is pleased with how the coaching staff has handled his return to the court.

“They don’t want to throw me in too fast and go in and play 30 minutes,” Grimes said. “They don’t want my foot to flare up again like it did. So right now, I’m just focused on what Thibs [Thibodeau] needs me to do whenever I get into the games.”

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The slow start to Grimes’ second season is no coincidence as Thibodeau hopes to see his development in the ‘situational’ moments of a game going forward. That may be tough to evaluate as Grimes, in the 21 minutes played (pre-season and regular season), has only shot three attempts with zero points.

“He’s situational right now,” said coach Thibodeau. “But we’ll take a look at it.”

Extending his minutes may detriment the bench scoring of the team, but with his 6’4 210 pound frame, Grimes is confident he can find an area in his game that can implement a winning foundation for the Knicks.

“With me, I feel like I can come in, bring a lot of energy, intensity to the game,” said Grimes. “And hopefully [we can] lockdown defensively as a unit.”

The Knicks are averaging the fourth-lowest steals among NBA teams at the moment and if Grimes looks to add any baskets and keep true to his word, turning defense into offense is a way to start.

The Knicks may not have the pieces falling apart just yet, but if they continue to give up 30+ point performances as they have the last three games, it wouldn’t be to anyone’s surprise if Thibodeau looks to make a defensive adjustment by adding a man like Grimes to the bench unit.

The post Tom Thibodeau: Quentin Grimes is Playing a ‘Situational’ Role appeared first on SLAM.

That leaves Philadelphia with 2 tradable 2nd round picks in the next 7 years:

2023: The more favorable of ATL, CHA and BKN
2029: Own

The lone first they can trade is in 2029. https://t.co/fjBhB91dHc

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) October 31, 2022

The Sixers were found to be tampering, defined as engaging with a player before free agency begins that allows teams to negotiate deals. The Athletic and Stadium’s Shams Charania reported that the $15 million pay cut that former MVP James Harden took this off-season was not part of the offense to League rules.

The team made a statement acknowledging the result of the investigation, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski states the League will look into tampering rules to avoid a conflict like this again.

In such a case, the NBA would have to investigate several teams, considering how quickly reports of signings are released. The Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls were found to be tampering last season as well, and this could very much influence the League’s decision to make harsher punishments.

After concluding their investigation with the Sixers, the NBA focuses on the New York Knicks’ signing of Jalen Brunson.

The post NBA Docks Two Second-Round Picks From 76ers For Tampering appeared first on SLAM.

Toppin is going into his third season with the Knicks and has become a consistent producer for the team off the bench. So far this season, Toppin’s averages across all statistical categories have gone up compared to last year. Toppin is averaging 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 57.1 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from deep.

The Knicks likely re-signed Toppin due to his durability; the former Dayton Flyer has missed 30 games over his three-year career. He missed 20 games as a rookie due to a calf strain and 10 games last season due to various injuries.

New York made a few key moves this summer, highlighting a great deal of urgency within the organization to make the playoffs again.

It’s also clear that they have faith in their young talent to develop and are looking to build a team centered around free agent acquisition Jalen Brunson and young, athletic, two-way studs. Another move they made this summer was re-signing RJ Barrett to a four-year rookie extension that’ll pay Barrett approximately $120 million. Then finally, this past January, the Knicks went out and got a sharpshooter and one of Barrett’s best friends Cam Reddish from the Atlanta Hawks before the All-Star break.

Just looking at what the Knicks’ did, making sure their young talent sticks together and combining it with the veteran leadership of Derrick Rose, Julius Randle, Evan Fournier, and Coach Thibodeau, this team most definitely has a shot at being a playoff contender at the end of the season.

With all these positive developments, definitely make sure you keep a keen eye on how the Knicks perform as the season progresses.

The post REPORT: New York Knicks Pick Up Obi Toppin’s Fourth-Year Option appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

Anthony Holt, Slam Goods Apparel Designer

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

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

NBA Finals Matchup: Bucks vs Grizzlies

Deyscha “Sway” Smith, Associate Editor

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

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

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

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

ECF Matchup: Celtics vs Nets

Joshua Tapia, Editorial Intern

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

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

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

Adam Figman, Chief Content Officer

The Sixers are winning the championship.

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

Michael Harris, Editorial Intern

The Lakers will make the Western Conference Finals.

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

NBA Finals Matchup: Heat vs Lakers

Ajayi Browne, Editorial Intern

The Dallas Mavericks will win the NBA Finals.

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

Theus McBee, Co-Host of No Pump Fakes

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

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

Check out the latest episode of No Pump Fakes below:

Najee AR Fareed, Editorial Intern 

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

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

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

Colby Cusano, Brand Partnerships and Analytics Intern

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

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

NBA Finals Matchup: Mavs vs Celtics

Delon George, Marketing Manager SLAMgoods

The Brooklyn Nets will win the title.  

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

Brooke Brennan, WSLAM Intern

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

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

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

Andrew “Pitt” Pitagorsky, VP of Brand Partnerships

RJ Barrett will win Defensive Player of the Year. 

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

Andres Puerta, Social Media SLAMFTW 

The Miami Heat will win the Eastern Conference Finals. 

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

Arvind Pitchai, VP of Social Media

Luka Doncic will average a triple double and win MVP. 

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

Marcus Allen, Social Graphic Designer

The Knicks will make the Eastern Conference Finals.

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

Dave Schnur, President

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

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

Max Resetar, Editor 

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

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

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

Photos via Getty Images.

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

In a recent press conference, RJ Barrett shared why he feels the Knicks are ‘disrespected’ across the League.

“Besides the fans, which we do have a lot of fans, everybody else really doesn’t like us,” Barrett said, per the New York Post. “…But that’s fine. All the guys that they want to put in front of me or whatever, I’m in their heads, so it doesn’t really matter.”

Barrett responds to today’s GM Survey release that features predictions on who will be the next superstar and where teams will rank.

“I’ve gotten respect, but at the same time, there’s also a lot of disrespect. But that’s fine. All the guys that they want to put in front of me or whatever, I’m in their heads, so it doesn’t really matter.”

His recent extension signing with the Knicks keeps him in the squad for another four years, and it looked to be an easy decision for him, as he claims he just wanted to ‘lock in’ the deal and remain in New York.

A promising season is ahead for the team as newly acquired Jalen Brunson looks to make a productive run at point with Evan Fournier as his companion in the backcourt. Meanwhile, Barrett and Julius Randle will hold down the forward slots with a lot riding on how the team will perform this season.

The post RJ Barrett Shares Why He Thinks There’s ‘Disrespect’ Towards the Knicks appeared first on SLAM.

He starts by announcing Evan Fournier as a ‘front-runner’ to be a starter for a second straight season.

The team announced their training camp roster on Tuesday, appearing to be a substantial variety of guard play. Many speculated that the team would look to aim for a younger backcourt to pair up with Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett. Names like Quentin Grimes, their first-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, showed a glimpse of becoming a shooting phenom last season as he dropped seven three-pointers on the Milwaukee Bucks last December.

However, his play was not as impressive to coach Thibodeau as he did finish with a season average of just 6.1 points. Though he may love his young guns, Fournier’s veteran experience and leadership ability may take this team into contention in the East.

“With Jalen, with RJ, with Julius (Randle), we need shooting (at shooting guard),” Thibodeau said.

Fournier averaged 14.1 points per game while shooting 38.9 percent from downtown. He made a career-high 241 made threes (fourth best in the League). Fournier plays alongside a quality young talent for the Knick faithful, and Thibodeau seems to believe Fournier can expand his game beyond shooting.

The post Tom Thibodeau Calls Evan Fournier a ‘Front-Runner’ to Start For the Knicks appeared first on SLAM.

During the 2022 free agency period, after former Miami Heat forward P.J. Tucker opted-out of his player-option with Miami, he then, within just a few short minutes of being on the free agent market, had inked a three-way trade deal with the Sixers.

Tampering is something that the NBA does not tolerate, and teams found guilty of this action are either fined heavily or even end up losing future draft picks. The Sixers are not the only team this offseason to be investigated for tampering; the New York Knicks are also in the hot seat after the NBA announced they’d be looking at New York due to the circumstances surrounding their acquisition of Jalen Brunson before he officially signed with the Knicks.

At the recent NBA Board of Governor’s press conference, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver gave his thoughts and an update on both investigations.

“I think what prompted [the investigations] was sort of just the tick-tock chronology around sort of when the signings are permissible and the announcements of those signings and the information that came out about them,” Silver continued. “[That] was cause for the league office to investigate.”

Silver then wrapped up the topic by stating, “The statuses of those investigations are still ongoing,” and “Hopefully, they’ll be wrapped up in the next few weeks.”

The post NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Offers An Update On Free Agent Tampering Investigations appeared first on SLAM.

As the starting point guard on Coach Jason Kidds WCF-finalist team, Brunson averaged 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds. and 3.7 assists per game on 46.6 percent shooting from the field and 34.7 percent from beyond the arc. When Brunson and his representatives negotiated his $104 million deal, Kidd said he was happy the Villanova product got the deal.

“The biggest thing is I’m happy he got paid,’’ Kidd said on the “All the Smoke’’ podcast. “He helped us. I know [Mavericks owner Mark] Cuban doesn’t like this, but I love when I can get a player get paid.’’

This last season, Brunson emerged as Dallas’ second-best player behind Luka Doncic, forming a dynamic tandem that will leave Dallas fans asking “what-if?”The memories of Dallas’ first WCF-run since winning the 2011 title will last a lifetime for some fans.

“I tell a player on the first day of camp, ‘Tell me what you want,’ ” Kidd said. “Everyone wants shots. Everyone wants minutes. But that’s not the truth. They want to get paid and want to play.”

“Cool. I can help you do that. The other part of that is I’m going to ask for a couple of things. Trust, communicate and play hard. If you ask Brunson, he will tell you he listened [to me], and good things happened. I just want to put people in position to be successful.’’

With the departure of Brunson to New York, Dallas will look to replace Brunson with Spencer Dinwiddie at the floor general position.

The Knicks are being investigated for allegedly tampering with Brunson before free agency began. The Knicks are reportedly likely to be punished by forfeiting a draft pick. Brunson reportedly had no interest in hearing Dalass’ counteroffer while he was on vacation in Jamaica with his family, fully intent on signing in Dallas.

“There’s 30 companies in the NBA,’’ Kidd said. “We all can’t stay in the same company. For him to go to New York to get paid and an opportunity to run his own team. I’m happy for him.’’

The post Jason Kidd on Jalen Brunson Leaving for New York: ‘I Love When I Can Get a Player Get Paid’ 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.

However, Coach Doc Rivers insists the team committed no sort of infraction. Rivers spoke with Vince Carter on ESPN’s “The VC Show” and addressed how he’s handling the allegations.

“You handle it because it’s not true,” Rivers said. “Honestly, when James [Harden] did this and said this — first of all, we didn’t know what we were going to do with the money we were getting. And listen, James won, too, because James could’ve opted into a one-year deal. Instead, we gave him three years. And so both parties won in a lot of ways. Listen, it worked out for us; it worked out for James.”

The League began investigating the Sixers after Harden took a pay cut to seemingly create salary cap space for Tucker and House Jr. Harden opted out of his $47.4 million player option and re-signed with Philadelphia on a two-year $68.6 million deal.

By re-structuring Harden’s deal, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey was able to bring in Tucker and House Jr., both of whom played with Harden when Morey held the same position with the small-ball Houston Rockets.

Rivers claims Morey did not know what Harden’s status was regarding a new contract and never engaged in illegal talks with the 10-time All-Star.

“I guarantee you Daryl Morey had no idea what James was going to do,” Rivers said. “I remember talking to him on the eve of when James could opt in or out, and he was like, ‘We’ve got five hours left.’ I mean, that was Daryl Morey, so that tells you he had no idea — I really believed that James was not going to opt-in, that he was going to try to do a longer-term deal. But I didn’t know; I can tell you that. That’s for sure.”  

The League seems to be cracking down on tampering, as it is also investigating the New York Knicks for the same violation in the signing of former Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson.

The NBA’s investigation of the 76ers will likely conclude in the coming weeks, so only time will tell if Philadelphia will be penalized or not.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Doc Rivers Dismisses Tampering Allegation Against 76ers: ‘It’s Not True’ appeared first on SLAM.

Chris Haynes of YahooSports has reported that the NBA will open up an investigation on the Knicks for potential tampering. The belief is that the Knicks had contacted Brunson before the official start of the free agency period.

Brunson, who signed a four-year $104 million deal, was linked to the Knicks even before the playoffs had ended. Brunson had a breakout year, averaging a career-high 16.3 points and 4.8 assists on 50.2 percent shooting from the field. Brunson also averaged 21.6 points in the 18 playoff games he appeared in for Dallas.

Tim MacMahon had reported it was “widely anticipated” that the Knicks would offer Brunson a $100 million contract on June 28, two days before the NBA free agency had opened up.

The Knicks hired Jalen’s father, Rick Brunson, as an assistant coach under Tom Thibodeau’s staff this coming season. The League is also looking into the Sixers’ signing of P.J. Tucker and the re-signing of James Harden after he took a pay cut to remain with the team.

The post REPORT: NBA Investigating Knicks For Tampering of Jalen Brunson Signing appeared first on SLAM.

Brunson received the “blessing” from his former Dallas teammate, Frank Ntilikina, who spent his first four seasons in the NBA with the Knicks. The two were teammates this past season in Dallas. Brunson signed a four-year deal with the Knicks shortly after free agency began.

Ntilikina and Brunson were teammates this past season in Dallas. Brunson averaged 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on 46.6 percent shooting from the field in the playoffs helping Luka Doncic carry the Mavs to the Western Conference Finals.

Ntilikina signed with the Mavs on a two-year deal in September of 2021 and will look to fill out the role following Brunson’s departure.

The post Frank Ntilikina Gave Jalen Brunson ‘His Blessing’ to Take Old Jersey Number appeared first on SLAM.

In a recent interview with Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News, Green discussed his offseason regimen, focusing on his body and the improvements he wants to see in his game.

Green told Caplan that he and his trainer met with Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison to put an offseason plan in place for the 21-year-old Australian. The two sides agreed that Green would have to work on his body and change his diet to play a more significant role next season.

“I changed my body a little bit,” Green said. “Really looking at what I’m eating. Just a lot of specific things going into one thing, but making sure that I’m able to have a great year next year. It’s been a lot of stuff. It’s been a long two months, but it’s fun.”

The former University of Arizona standout says he feels a difference in his athleticism and basketball-based skills. After training for two months in Las Vegas, Green will return home to Australia to keep working on his game.

“I feel more explosive and jumping a lot better, moving a lot better,” Green said. “Obviously, my ball handling is going to be a big focus for me this offseason. Literally just attacking everything. Each day means a lot. I’ve been playing a lot, making sure I’m getting up and down [the court] against a lot of overseas and NBA players. It’s been good. We’ve come up with a great plan, and it’s been everything.”

Green struggled with his shot, particularly his three-pointer and free throw when he came into the League. He shot 16 percent from long range and 56.5 percent from the charity stripe in 39 games as a rookie. But last year, Green’s numbers from three and the free throw line both improved. He shot the three-ball at a 35.9 percent clip last season, and his free throw percentage jumped to 68.9 percent in 67 games.

Green played 7.6 minutes per game during Dallas’ run to the Western Conference Finals. The third-year forward is confident that making strides with his jump shot will result in more playing time next season.

“Shooting has been a big focus for me this offseason, trying not to do the ‘stanky leg’ no more on my right side. That’s just been building up my core strength, and just yeah. Building up core strength and changing my shot a little bit, and I’ve seen it be a little more consistent, but really I’m just going in ready to go. I wish training camp started tomorrow. I’m ready to play.”

He averaged 4.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while playing 15.5 minutes per game last season.

The post Josh Green Plans on ‘Attacking Everything’ and Focusing on Ball Handling During Offseason appeared first on SLAM.

.@jalenbrunson1 opens up about leaving Dallas, an organization he thought he’d be with for a long time.

Watch the full episode with @jj_redick and @talter: https://t.co/9QtY3JCPjL pic.twitter.com/dj6pAx3NkH

— TheOldMan&TheThree (@OldManAndThree) July 22, 2022

However, Brunson decided he didn’t want to run it back with the Mavs for the 2022-23 season and ended up signing with New York Knicks in June. Many within the Knicks organization and around the NBA expect Brunson to play a significant role in helping the Knicks return to the playoffs after finishing last season with a 37-45 finish.

When Brunson was asked about his free agency process, he told JJ Redick that he didn’t expect to be leaving Dallas “for a long time.” Although the former Villanova Wildcat didn’t imagine departing for New York “at all,” he recalled that being able to “basically double.” the money Dallas offered was “crazy.”

“I loved my time in Dallas,” Bruson said on the Old Man and The Three podcast when asked about his free agency process, “Wanted to be in Dallas; I thought I was going to be In Dallas for a long time. Like you said, I started having a monster season, and I went to them before they officially offered it to me, and by the end, it was already too late.”

“It was like the business came knocking at the door. So it was time to kind of just at least look. I had to do my due diligence and, at least, look and see what was out there. But yeah, honestly, people may not believe, but I talk about my dad, since like Year 1 or 2, so yeah, ‘we’re gonna be here for the rest of my career,’ and that’s what I thought.” Brunson added about leaving Dallas.

The story validates reports of Brunson betting on himself after having a career-best year across the board as he averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.8 rebounds as the Mavericks (52-30) finished the regular season with the fourth-best record in the Western Conference, advancing to the WCF where they ultamatle lost to the eventual champion Warriors in five games.

The post Jalen Brunson on Leaving Dallas: ‘Business Came Knocking At the Door’ appeared first on SLAM.

Jazz general manager Justin Zanik told reporters in a recent interview, “Change is inevitable in the NBA…Things evolve in the NBA, so I couldn’t sit here and say anybody is [untouchable]…There’s no intent there [to trade Mitchell] at all.”

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 12, 2022

The trade development isn’t surprising in the aftermath of Rudy Gobert and Royce O’Neale being traded to the Timberwolves and Nets, respectively. After Quin Snyder abruptly resigned as head coach of the Jazz, the writing seemed to be on the wall that Utah would be going through an overhaul of the team. Through eight seasons under Snyder, the Jazz could never advance past the conference semifinals, and change was needed.

The first moves came with Gobert getting traded for four first-round picks, Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverly, Walker Kessler, and Jarred Vanderbilt. O’Neale was flipped for a 2023 draft pick around the same time. There was smoke but no fire about him being traded when it came to Mitchell.

That changed after Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reported that teams around the League asked about Mitchell’s availability. Utah reportedly declined to entertain any inquiries because they thought Utah thought franchises were trying to “pounce on a perceived opportunity” to acquire Mitchell.

The asking price appears to be steep, but in the wake of Utah’s recent Rudy Gobert blockbuster deal to Minnesota, the Jazz are no longer simply dismissing calls on Mitchell, sources said.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 12, 2022

The trade market for Mitchell could be hefty for any team looking to acquire Mitchell. The Knicks have reportedly emerged as a prime target to trade for Spida. The Knicks already signed Jalen Brunson to a near-max deal; making a move to get Mitchell on the roster could be a coup for the Knicks and give them one of the best backcourt combinations in the NBA.

According to insider Marc Stein, the Knicks could make a trade centered around RJ Barrett. Playing for the Knicks is attractive for the Knicks as a hometown guy and his former coach, Johnnie Bryant, joined the Knicks coaching staff ahead of the 202-21 season.

It remains to be seen how quickly a trade can be made for Mitchell. The Knicks will likely receive some competition for Mitchell, so the speed of the transaction may happen as soon as it did for Gobert.

The post REPORT: Trading Price For Donovan Mitchell ‘Appears to Be Steep’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Knicks have signed Jalen Brunson. Leon Rose said he’s beyond thrilled pic.twitter.com/L4AbsfOEQ8

— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) July 12, 2022

Brunson signed the deal as an unrestricted free agent during the first days of the free agency period nearly three weeks ago. Brunson averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game on 50.2 percent shooting from the field and 37.3 percent from long distance. During the Mavericks’ run to the Western Conference Finals, Brunson put up 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on 46.4 percent shooting from the field.

“We are beyond thrilled to add Jalen Brunson to our organization,” Knicks president Leon Rose said. “He’s a competitor, a leader, a playmaker, and most importantly, a winner. His addition is a perfect complement to the team that we are building and the culture we are establishing.”

JALEN BRUNSON IS UNCONSCIOUS.

Career-high 38 PTS
6-10 3PM

(via @dallasmavs) pic.twitter.com/doaH5aLlsv

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 19, 2022

Brunson will have a great deal of pressure to live up to after signing a near-max contract as a free agent. He’s also going from being arguably the second-best player on the Dallas to maybe the best on the Knicks. He will have to form a potent duo with Julius Randle, who is coming off a tough follow-up season to his Most Improved Player winning season in 2020-21.

The post Leon Rose ‘Thrilled to Add’ Jalen Brunson in Free Agency appeared first on SLAM.

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

Jalen Brunson reportedly intends on signing a four-year deal with the Knicks once free agency starts on Thursday, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

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

The Knicks have long been infatuated with bringing Brunson as the lead guard of the franchise. GM Leon Rose made multiple trades to free up $30 million in cap space to sign the Villanova product to a “near-max deal.” Those aspirations are likely to come true after Brunson canceled a meeting with Dallas and reportedly decided to sign with New York. NBA reporter Marc Stein was the first to break that the meeting was canceled.

Brunson averaged 16.3 points and 4.8 assists per game during a breakout season that saw Brunson establish himself as the clear-cut No. 2 option behind Luka Doncic. He helped lead the Mavericks to their first Western Conference Finals appearance since their 2011 title run against the Miami Heat. During that run, Brunson averaged 21.6 points per game, exploding for 41 points and 31 points during the first round against the Utah Jazz.

“It’s a great fit [in Dallas], but at the end of the day, my son is no different than the next man,” Rick Brunson told ESPN during that first-round series. “You try to raise them the right way in terms of understanding the game, but everyone wants what Luka has. I don’t care who you are. Everyone wants that feeling of, ‘Hey, I can do this too.’ I don’t always think the grass is greener on the other side, but we’ll sit down this summer and go through all the pros and cons of staying here or going somewhere else.”

Brunson became an unrestricted free agent after declining to sign a four-year extension after the trade deadline. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and GM Nico Harrison were willing to offer Brunson a five-year contract this summer. Brunson informed the Mavs that he was ready to sign an extension in January if they offered but the Mavs decided to hold on to those negotiations instead and offered Brunson the aforemnetion deal at the trade deadline.

The post REPORT: Jalen Brunson Signing Four-Year Deal With Knicks appeared first on SLAM.

According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Knicks are also returning Detroits 2023 second-round pick, 20224 second-round via Miami, and $6 million.

The Knicks are trading center Nerlens Noel and guard Alec Burks to the Pistons, sources tell ESPN. The Knicks will unload $19M more in salary, clearing the way for cap space to try and sign free agent guard Jalen Brunson.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

The move has freed up 30M in salary cap space to offer a max contract to restricted free agent Jalen Brunson. According to Woj, the Knicks’ moves show that New York is confident that they can sign Brunson once free agency begins on Thursday.

The Knicks have cleared $30M in salary cap space to offer Dallas’ Jalen Brunson in the neighborhood of a max contract. The unloading of assets and contracts clearly shows the Knicks’ confidence that they can secure Brunson once free agency opens on Thursday.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

Brunson averaged a career-high 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game on 50.2 percent shooting from the field and 37.3 hooting from distance. Brunson emerged as a significant threat in the playoffs, playing a major role in the Mavericks beating the Jazz in six games, scoring a career-high 41 points in Game 2.

Brunson averaged 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game during Dallas’ run to the Western Conference Finals. They ultimately lost to the eventual-champion Golden State Warriors in five games.

The post Knicks Free $30M After Trading Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks 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.

After a practice ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Croatia on Thursday, reporters at a media call asked Doncic and Dragic if they were interested in playing together. Doncic and Dragic both declined to go into specific and gave reporters a politically correct answer to avoid a tampering fine.

“I would like to answer that,” Doncic said. “But I think it’s a $100,000 penalty if I did. You should ask the GM about that.”

“We can’t talk about it till July 1.” Dragic followed up.

Luka and Goran were asked about the possibility of them playing together in Dallas next season.

Luka: “I would like to answer that, but I think it’s a 100.000 penalty if I did. You should ask the GM about that.”

Goran: “We can’t talk about it till july 1st.” pic.twitter.com/8phIKfHvsy

— Matej Sportinfo (@MatejSportinfo) June 28, 2022

The last time a Doncic-Dragic union made the rumor mill was the previous offseason. Dragic was heavily tied to the Mavericks last summer before the Raptors bought his contract out following his trade from the Heat. The plan to add Dragic fell through after the Mavs traded for Spencer Dinwiddie shortly before the trade deadline. According to Marc Stein, Dallas is once again expected to make a run at Dragic once free agency begins on Thursday.

As the leaguewide focus rapidly shifts to next week’s draft and the June 30 start of free agency, sources say Dallas — while prioritizing its need for more wing help — does intend to explore the possibility of signing Goran Dragic this summer.

More NBA: https://t.co/LGN9cVpeGP

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 17, 2022

Free Agency begins on Thursday, and the Mavericks’ front office will have a big decision to make in re-signing Jalen Brunson to an extension. The New York Knicks are hot on their trails for Brunson’s services.

The post Goran Dragic On Teaming Up With Luka Doncic: ‘We Can’t Talk About it Until July 1’ appeared first on SLAM.

Without further ado, here is the running NBA Trade Rumor Thread:

7/25:

Shams Charania from The Athletic reports that the Wizards, Raptors, Hornets, Kings, Heat, Hawks and the Knicks have expressed interest in Donovan Mitchell.

Per Charania, the Jazz, Knicks and Paces are also reportedly interested in Russell Westbrook and draft capital from the Lakers.

The Boston Celtics have emerged as a potential suitor for Kevin Durant, reportedly offering up Jaylen Brown as the main piece in the initial trade proposal. However, according to The Athletic, that offer was reportedly rejected. Read more here:

The Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly offered Collin Sexton a three year contract in the range of $13.3 million per year for three seasons. Sexton is reportedly “dismayed” with the team’s current offer.

Sexton played 11 games this year before tearing his meniscus.

“Utah had asked about a package involving Mitchell Robinson, and at least 3 first-round picks and the Knicks declined to meet that asking price”@IanBegley with the latest on the Donovan Mitchell trade front, including the Jazz asking for Quentin Grimes in a deal pic.twitter.com/4m1x30mgY5

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) July 15, 2022

REPORT: The Jazz-Knicks deal was “close” on Tuesday night, but the Knicks ended up declining.

The Jazz reportedly wanted Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes, Miles McBride, and 6 1st-round picks.

(via @tjonesonthenba) pic.twitter.com/KxUOdLfsZx

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 15, 2022

The Nets asked the TImberwolves for the farm after asking for Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and four draft picks in order to acquire Kevin Durant.

REPORT: The Brooklyn Nets asked the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and 4 draft-picks in exchange for Kevin Durant.

The Timberwolves declined.

(via @chrisbhaynes, @VinceGoodwill) pic.twitter.com/EUdjmDXArD

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 7, 2022

According to Marc J. Spears of Andscape, the Warriors are interested in acquiring Kevin Durant. KD won back-to-back titles in three years with the Dubs. Per multiple reports, the Nets have made it clear that their trading partner will have to give up the farm in order to complete the blockbuster trade. Those acquirements consist of an All-Star level player and multiple draft picks.

Marc J. Spears: Warriors ‘have interest’ in trading for Kevin Durant [report]https://t.co/5lar5wEukf pic.twitter.com/bXGN5CDgPk

— KNBR (@KNBR) July 3, 2022

League sources: For now, there are no plans by the Utah Jazz to trade star guard Donovan Mitchell. The Jazz are committed to building around him. The Jazz are not done in trade talks. Expect more activity

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) July 1, 2022

The Jazz and Timberwolves have reportedly agreed on a trade to flip Gobert for Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverly, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt, and multiple first-round picks, per Woj.

Utah is trading Rudy Gobert to Minnesota, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

The Atlanta Hawks have reportedly shipped Kevin Huerter to Sacramento for Justin Holiday, Mo Harkless, and a 2024 lottery-protected first-round pick per Adrian Wojnarowski.

Atlanta is trading Kevin Huerter to Sacramento for Justin Holiday, Mo Harkless and a future first round pick, sources tell EPSN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

Atlanta is trading Kevin Huerter to Sacramento for Justin Holiday, Mo Harkless and a future first round pick, sources tell EPSN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

After KD’s blockbuster trade request was reportedly made official, it seems as though Kyrie Irving is most likely headed out of Brooklyn too. Irving is on the last year of his current deal and listed the Lakers, Clippers, Mavs, Knicks, Heat, and 76ers as his preferred trade destinations.

The latest on Kevin Durant requesting a trade from the Nets from @wojespn.

Join us now on ESPN2 for our NBA Today Free Agency special as we break it all down. pic.twitter.com/dsRBjecW8S

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) June 30, 2022

BREAKING: Kevin Durant has reportedly requested a trade away from the Brooklyn Nets, per his agent Rich Kleiman to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski. Durant has targeted Phoenix and Miami as his preferred destinations, per Woj.

Durant requested a trade with the team today, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/BkNEHwkrc0

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

The Jazz are reportedly trading Royce O’Neal to the Nets for a first-rounder .

Utah is trading Royce O’Neale to Brooklyn for a first-round pick, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

The Bulls are reportedly shopping Coby White, per Sam Amico of Hoopshype.

Bulls Remain Active In Trying To Trade Coby White https://t.co/QblzrfaVuW

— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) June 30, 2022

Amico also reports that Julius Randle could be a name to watch on the trade market as the New York Knicks look to make it back to the playoffs next season.

Julius Randle is a name to watch on the trade market, per @AmicoHoops pic.twitter.com/Zd49mnz72R

— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 30, 2022

The Wizards are reportedly exchanging Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith for Will Barton and Monte Morris. Should Smith play one game for Denver, it’ll be the record-setting 13th team he’s played for in his career.

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

The Knicks are sending Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks to the Pistons as well as some draft capital in order to free up $30 million in cap space to acquire Jalen Brunson on Thursday.

The Knicks are trading center Nerlens Noel and guard Alec Burks to the Pistons, sources tell ESPN. The Knicks will unload $19M more in salary, clearing the way for cap space to try and sign free agent guard Jalen Brunson.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

The Houston Rockets have reportedly bought John Wall’s contract as of Monday night. The five-time All-Star and the Clippers are reportedly set to reach an agreement once free agency starts, per Adrian Wojnarowski.

ESPN story with @espn_macmahon on John Wall exiting the Houston Rockets with intentions to sign a free agent deal with the LA Clippers: https://t.co/IuLK7oFwP9

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2022

After a successful postseason run, a key piece for Miami may not come back. PJ Tucker is rumored to take a better offer from the Philadelphia 76ers.

The possibility of Kyrie Irving departing from the Brooklyn Nets gains more momentum by the day, as he has been given permission to seek a sign and trade.

John Wall hasn’t played an NBA game for the Houston Rockets since April of 2021, he is willing to agree to a buyout if it comes down to it.

The San Antonio Spurs have been receiving calls about all-star point guard DeJounte Murray, teams that are included are the Knicks, Timberwolves, Wizards, and Hawks. Murray publicly reacted to the rumor on Twitter.

The Cleveland Cavaliers sacrifice pick 49 in exchange for Sasha Vezenkov, who has been a euro-league stash after being picked in the 2017 draft.

The Pistons traded away Jerami Grant for a 2025 first round pick that belongs to the Bucks, read more here:

The Hawks are looking to level up for Trae Young byfinding him a better co-star, read more here:

After not being offered an extension, DeAndre Ayton’s future with the Phoenix Suns looks to be in doubt. Read more here:

The Dallas Mavericks are going all in for Luka Doncic’s win now window by trading for Christian Wood, first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski.

JaMychal Green was sent from the Nuggets in exchange for the Thunder’s No. 30 pick in this upcoming draft, read more here:

The post The NBA Trade Rumor Tracker appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday night, the Knicks decided to travel down the road and play for the future and traded the 11th overall pick to OKC for three heavily first-round picks and moved Kemba Walker to Detroit via a three-time trade that included the Hornets. The Pistons also received the draft rights to former Memphis big man Jalen Duren.

What the Knicks did tonight:

NYK trades 11th pick to OKC

OKC trades 3 firsts (23 DEN, DET, WASH) to NYK

NYK then trades 23 DEN, 4 seconds to CHA for 13th pick

NYK then trade 13th pick & Kemba Walker to DET for MKE’s 25 first

NYK trades 11, Kemba, 4 2nds & gets 3 future 1sts

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 24, 2022

The Knicks’ draft night moves left their front office with about $16 million in cap space depending on if they move Ryan Arcidiacono and Taj Gibson off their books. The question now becomes, do President Leon Rose and GM Scott Perry have enough to make a run at restricted free agent Brunson.

Brunson is coming off a season where he averaged 16.3 points and 4.8 assists per game on 37.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc. He dismantled the Utah Jazz in the playoffs while running mate Luka Doncic was out with a calf injury. He continued to play a pivotal role in the Mavs’ run to the Western Conference Finals.

If the Knicks cannot acquire Brunson this summer, they’re reportedly expected to target Malcolm Brogdon during free agency.

Thursday’s night decision has disappointed many New York fans, most notably their two most high-profile fans in Stephen A Smith and legendary filmmaker Spike Lee.

IT HAPPENED AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/TVqqb6bg8o

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) June 24, 2022

There was enough fan confusion that Rose felt it was necessary to give a statement and say that the front office remains focused on “strategic and thoughtful” as they attempt to build the Knicks back into a relevant threat for an NBA title.

Knicks President Leon Rose on last night’s draft activity. pic.twitter.com/E2JEIbRzbG

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) June 24, 2022

Moving forward, it’ll be interesting to see what the Knicks do this summer, and moving forward. Knicks fans and the franchise remain in the hunt for their first Finals appearance since 1999 and their first title since 1973.

The post New York Knicks Respond to Draft Decision Backlash appeared first on SLAM.

Luka Doncic and the Mavs will get to play at least one more game after beating the Golden State Warriors, 119-109. Doncic finished the elimination game with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists. Dorian Finney-Smith followed up with 23 points and six rebounds, Reggie Bullock contributed 18 points, and Jalen Brunson put up 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists.

“Our defense,” Doncic said when asked what made Game 4 different than the previous three. “I think our defense was amazing today outside of the fourth quarter. That’s how we gotta play; we play good defense; we share the ball; we’re a dangerous team.”

Luka and the Mavs force Game 5.

30 PTS
14 REB
9 AST

(via @NBATV)
pic.twitter.com/F48nOPm0d1

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 25, 2022

Tuesday’s Game 4 ended up being precisely what Dallas needed as it looks to become the first team to come back from a 3-0 deficit. Facing elimination for the third time this postseason, the Mavs put together their most complete performance, hitting 41-82 fields on 30 total assists. Dallas also knocked down 20-43 three-pointers and outrebounded Golden State Warriors 45-42.

The last time Golden State led was after Moses Moody (10 points) scored on a jumper, giving the Warriors a 31-29. The Mavs subsequently took control of Game 4 from there, with a Davis Bertans (five points, five rebounds) three-pointer giving Dallas a lead it wouldn’t surrender.

The Mavs then went on a 25-6 run over a seven-minute span to firmly take control of Game 4. During that game-altering sequence, the Warriors missed nine of their 10 shot attempts and committed two turnovers.

“We weren’t alert tonight defensively,” Coach Steve Kerr said. “We weren’t sharp, and I thought we let them kinda get into a groove. Once a team like that gets into a three-point groove, it’s tough to get them out of it.”

Beautiful basketball.

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/q2fjICRE5o

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 25, 2022

By the time halftime rolled along, the Mavs had held a 62-47 lead. The Mavs ultimately held a 29-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, but the Warriors showed that you could never count them out. The Warriors outscored the Mavs 39-20, cutting the Mavs lead to eight of a Jonathon Kuminga three-pointer. However, that was as close as the Warriors would get even with Stephen Curry (20 points, five rebounds, eight assists) back on the floor.

After Coach Jason Kidd called a timeout, he inserted his starters back on the court to close the game out. Doncic responded immediately, throwing down a dunk in the halfcourt, followed by Bullock hitting his sixth three-pointer of the night.

According to Brunson, the Mavs are looking to take the WCF one game at a time; the next time they will adopt that mentality will be for Thursday’s Game 5 at Chase Center.

“The biggest thing that we took from this was we gotta take it one game at a time,” Brunson said. “Think of it like four Game 7s, win or go home. We gotta give our all every game; we were able to do that for the first three quarters and nine minutes.”

The post Luka Doncic Forces Game 5 With 30-Point Performance appeared first on SLAM.

Mavericks came out to freaking play tonight to advance to the WCF.

Luka: 35 PTS 10 RBS 4 AST
Spencer Dinwiddie: 30 PTS
Jalen Brunson: 24 PTS

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 16, 2022

Luka Legend hit his first three shots, including two three-pointers, to give the Mavericks an early lead they would never surrender. Over the next two hours, the Mavericks blitzed the Suns, leading by as many as 46 before the final buzzer sounded.

Doncic (35 points and 10 rebounds) and Spencer Dinwiddie (30 points and three rebounds) became the first teammates to at least score 20 points in a half in a Game 7 setting since Patrick Ewing and Allan Houston did it for the Knicks in 1997 according to ESPN Stats and Info.

“I don’t know what to say,” Doncic said. “But this was amazing to win. Everybody was locked in to win. Everybody played as hard as they can, no rest; we didn’t take one play off. So this is an incredible feeling.”

Mavericks came out to freaking play tonight to advance to the WCF.

Luka: 35 PTS 10 RBS 4 AST
Spencer Dinwiddie: 30 PTS
Jalen Brunson: 24 PTS

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 16, 2022

Up to this point, the host team won the first six games of the series, but the Mavs dominated in Phoenix from start to finish, ending the season for a Suns team that won a franchise-record 64 games, looking like a serious contender to make back-to-back NBA Finals appearances throughout the regular-season.

Any drama fans were expecting was quickly erased by the Mavs, who built a 27-17 cushion in the first quarter. That Dallas lead eventually turned into a 57-27 Suns deficit at halftime. Doncic and Dinwiddie outscored the Suns by themselves, combining to score 48 points. Luka Legend himself matched the Suns’ team total after scoring 27 points by himself. Doncic shot 12-19 from the field, including 6-11 from distance.

The Dallas-Golden State Western Conference Finals series will begin on Wednesday, with Game 1 taking place in San Francisco.

“They’re a championship team. It’s going to be really tough again. I’m going to enjoy this win tonight, and then tomorrow we’re going to think about Golden State.”

The post Luka Doncic On Advancing to the Western Conference Finals: ‘Everybody Was Locked In’ appeared first on SLAM.

The blowout win was Luka Legends’ first career elimination game win in three tries, the first two chances coming in losses to the Clippers the last two seasons. The Mavericks have now answered a loss of at least 20 points with a victory of their own 10 straight times this year, 13 if you count last season, including a playoff win against the Clippers.

“I don’t know if he was playing as if he was trying to do something different,” Kidd said per ESPN. “I think he enjoys the moment. You guys have seen a little bit longer than I have up close. He’s not afraid of the stage. I think you guys call it the first time winning an elimination game. He’ll be in this situation a long, long time.”

Luka talking trash gets me hyped (via @espn) pic.twitter.com/99gqXehkpu

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 13, 2022

The Mavs’ blowout win can be attributed to their stifling defense. Dallas held Phoenix to a season-low in scoring, regular or postseason, for the second time in the Western Conference semifinal series. The Suns were also held to a playoff low 39.7 percent shooting from the field and turned the ball over a season-high 22 times.

Luka hyped up the crowd and had words for Devin Booker after this offensive foul. pic.twitter.com/9IDmWJeXd8

— ESPN (@espn) May 13, 2022

Dallas was also aided by the contributions of Reggie Bullock (19 points), Jalen Brunson (18 points), and Spencer Dinwiddie (15 points on 5-7 shooting from beyond the arc).

“I think we won this game on the defensive end,” Doncic said. “We’ve got another game. That’s fun. It’s playoffs, and we’re going to give our energy.”

The Mavericks blew the gates open with a 19-6 run to finish the first half, turning a two-point lead into a 60-45 lead going into halftime. The Suns attempted to make some second-half pushes, but the Mavs were clicked on all cylinders and grew their lead to as many as 27 points, ensuring long before the final whistle that there would be a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday.

The post Jason Kidd on Luka Doncic’s Playoff Heroics: ‘I Think He Enjoys the Moment’ appeared first on SLAM.

Booker scored 28 points and secured seven rebounds, including 12 points in the third quarter, and Ayton added 20 and nine rebounds for the Suns. Booker has now scored 840 points in 30 career playoff games. The three-time All-Star is one of 18 players in NBA history with at least 800 points in his first 30 playoff games. Booker joins LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Donovan Mitchell among active players to accomplish the feat.

In his Book bag tonight.

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/Pl0XXw4r8B

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 11, 2022

The Suns Game 5 victory was powered by a solid third-quarter performance, outscoring the Mavs, 33-14. Phoenix opened up the second half with an 11-4, punctuated by a pair of Booker three-pointers to help the Suns take a 61-50 lead. A Dallas timeout did little to stop the bleeding, with the Suns rolling to an 82-60 lead going into the final quarter.

On the other side, the Mavericks were unable to do much well after turning the ball over in the third quarter. When they cough the ball up, the Dallas offense regressed to a heliocentric offense revolved around Luka Doncic working his magic. But Luka Legend couldn’t do much to save the Mava despite finishing Game 5 with 28 points and 11 rebounds. The Mavs overall shot just 38 percent from the field. Jalen Brunson posted 21 points and seven boards.

Cooking up early

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/4pYb88tqMm

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 11, 2022

“I think we relaxed. That wasn’t us.” Doncic said about the Mavs’ dismal third-quarter performance. “That wasn’t ourselves. We’ve got to be way better than that.”

Luka Doncic on the Mavs' 3rd quarter spiral: "I think we relaxed. That wasn't us. That wasn’t ourselves. We’ve got to be way better than that.”

— Callie Caplan (@CallieCaplan) May 11, 2022

Phoenix will look to close out their second series with Dallas on Thursday.

The post Luka Doncic on the Mavericks’ Third Quarter Meltdown: ‘That Wasn’t Us’ appeared first on SLAM.

Well, it seems as though this Mavs team took those challenges to heart, beating the Suns 103-94, holding Phoenix to their worse offensive efficiency of the playoffs, notably making sure that the targeting roles were reversed after forcing Chris Paul into 12 points, seven rebounds, and four assists on seven turnovers. Phoenix coughed the ball up 17 times overall on Friday.

As far as Kidds challenge for someone other than Doncic to score the ball, five players scored in double-figures in response to Kidd’s gauntlet, led by Jalen Brunson. The two-time NCAA champion finished Game 3 with a game-high 28 points, four rebounds, and five dimes on 47.6 (10-21) percent shooting from the field. Luka Legend posted 26 points, 13 rebounds, and nine dimes.

”I found a way to bounce back tonight,” Brunson said per NBA.com. ”I just can’t be satisfied with this. Sunday’s going to be another brutal game. I have to bring the same energy, the same intensity, the same everything.”

“It was a great team win. JB, Spencer, Maxi, Doe, Reggie, everybody joined the party,” Kidd added per YahooSports.

Game 4 of the Suns-Mavericks series will resume on Sunday afternoon.

The post Jalen Brunson Gets His ‘Bounce Back’ in Game 3 Win: ‘I Just Can’t Be Satisfied With This’ appeared first on SLAM.

However, it’s not Luka Legends’ record-breaking sixth 40-point game at 23-years-old that’s receiving attention at the moment. Instead, the Suns and Chris Paul are relentlessly hunting for a CP3-Dončić matchup out of the pick-and-roll, creating an offensive attack that’s overshadowing the offensive exploits of Dončić.

During Game 2 of the Suns-Mavs series, Paul ran Dončić through 19 ball screens in the second half, scoring 1.81 points per chance on those possessions, per ESPN and Second Spectrum. The back-and-forth between the two All-Stars all but erased the 35-point effort Dončić put up in the Mavs’ 129-109 loss as CP3 torched the suns to the tune of 28 points, six rebounds, and eight assists.

“It’s no secret, they’re going to put him in every pick-and-roll,” Kidd said about the Suns seeking out Luka Doncic, “[Opponents] did the same thing with Dirk [Nowitzki] until he participated and stuck up for himself.”

Jason Kidd on the Suns’ hunting Luka Doncic: “It’s no secret, they’re going to put him in every pick-and-roll. [Opponents] did the same thing with Dirk [Nowitzki] until he participated and stuck up for himself”

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 6, 2022

Heading into Game 3 down 2-0, Kidd and Doncic will have to find a way to get vital scorers like Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie going and a way to get stops when it matters the most so that Dončić can bring them home during crunch time.

Some of that may depend on Kidd developing a game plan that will lessen the load Dončić carries; as of Game 2, he holds a League-high 38.8 percent usage rate in the playoffs. It was 45 percent in the first half of Game 2.

Defensively, the Mavs could look to do the same to CP3, effectively wearing him as the game goes on so that he loses some offensive potency late in the fourth quarter. Another solution would be to pre-switch, allowing a teammate to switch with Dončić’s matchup before a pick-and-roll action can be run.

Time is of the essence for Dallas to reclaim some momentum as the Suns-Mavs series shifts to Dallas for Game 3 on Friday.

The post Jason Kidd on the Suns Seeking Luka Doncic Matchup: ‘They’re Going to Put Him in Every Pick-and-Roll’ appeared first on SLAM.

Luka Doncic now has the most 40-point playoff games by a player 23 or younger after dropping his 6th postseason 40-piece tonight.

— SLAM Newswire (@SLAMnewswire) May 3, 2022

Doncic has eclipsed Larry Bird, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, Tracy McGrady, Chris Paul, and Devin Booker for most 40-point games in just 17 career playoff games. Luka Magic is tied with Stephen Curry and George Gervin. To top off this accomplishment, Doncic’s playoff career average of 33.5 points per game matches that of the GOAT himself, Michael Jordan.

The only thing that Doncic and the Mavs could’ve asked for was a win to go along with his primetime performance. Phoenix went into Game 1 of their second-round series with Dallas focused on preventing the Mavs’ other playmakers from getting into a rhythm. The rest of Dallas’ starters combined for just 39 points; the second time in Doncic’s playoff career, he scored more points than his teammates in the starting lineup.

“He got whatever he wanted, when you look at the shots in the paint, behind the arc, midrange, and then also I thought he got his teammates some great looks that we normally had made,” Coach Jason Kidd said per ESPN. “I thought he played great.

“We’ve just got to get someone to join the party.”

The Suns also made to sure blanket Dwight Powell during pick-and-roll situations and prioritized switching on screens set by Maxi Kleber, who scored 19 points on 6-9 shooting. The breakout star of the first round, Jalen Brunson, had a tough night shooting, scoring 16 points on 6-16 shooting, and Spencer Dinwiddie finished with eight points on 3-8 shooting.

Game 2 of the Phoenix-Dallas series will take place on Wednesday.

The post Luka Doncic Posts Sixth 40 Point Game; Most Ever By a 23-Year-Old appeared first on SLAM.

The Mavs pulled out to an early lead, but the Jazz chipped away in the third quarter. However, the Dallas defense showed out in the fourth quarter to secure the 126-118 victory. 

“We made timely shots and we made timely stops,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd following the win.

In the absence of Doncic, Jalen Brunson continued to play like a star. After his 31-point performance in Game 3, he’s now averaging 32.0 points per contest in the series. 

Utah is in a tough situation after losing its first matchup of the series at home. Even without Doncic taking the floor yet again, the Mavericks have taken control of the series with a 2-1 lead. 

The Mavs were once again on fire from beyond the arc on Thursday night, converting on 18 of their 42 triples as a team. This was again sparked by forward Maxi Kleber, who is now 12-16 through his past two games. 

“When you’re a hot player, you’re a hot player,” said Kleber following Game 3. 

For the Jazz, the offense still hasn’t clicked in this series. The slump towards the end of the regular season has continued into the postseason to this point. While they scored 118 points tonight, it wasn’t enough as the scoring was stagnant in the first and fourth quarter. 

Overall, Utah looked solid offensively shooting 56.5% from the floor. It just wasn’t consistent enough to get the job done. 

After scoring zero points in Game 3, Mike Conley produced 21 points on 14 shots Thursday night. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 24 points while Donovan Mitchell produced 32 of his own. 

With that in mind, Mitchell still believes everything starts with defense for this Jazz team. 

“It starts defensively, and everything else falls into place,” he said postgame. 

For the first time this series, the rebounding battle was balanced. Both teams pulled down 32 boards on the night.  

This series is far from over, even if Doncic does return at some point. The Jazz have the talent to make things interesting down the stretch, and the Mavericks know that. 

“I’m proud of this team,” Brunson said postgame. “I’m proud of the fight that we have. They’re a team that’s not going to quit. They’re a good team.”

Game 4 will take place on Saturday in Utah. 

The post Mavericks Continue To Roll, Sealing Game 3 Road Victory Against Jazz appeared first on SLAM.

Luka Doncic is listed as questionable for the first time this series. He was listed as doubtful when he sat out the first two games. https://t.co/SGqEtMItxZ

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 20, 2022

Dončić missed the first two games of the series due to a calf injury he suffered during the Mavericks’ regular-season finale against the San Antonio Spurs. Although the Mavericks lost Game 1, 99-93, Jalen Brunson exploded for a career-high 41 points, and the Mavs knocked down a franchise-record 22 triples to take Game 2, 130-120, and in the process tied the series up 1-1.

With the series shifting to Utah for the next two games, the series’ momentum will go to whoever takes home-court advantage during Game 3. The news of Dončić possibly playing Game 3 on Wednesday bodes well for the Mavericks.

Dončić averaged 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game this season. Dončić finished his last playoff run putting up 35.7 points, 7.9 boards, and 10.3 dimes.

The post Mavericks List Luka Dončić As Questionable Ahead of Game 3 Against Utah appeared first on SLAM.

The differentiator in Game 2 was on the perimeter. Dallas was hot from beyond the arc all night, finishing 22-of-47 (46.8%) from that distance. Those 22 made 3-pointers set a new franchise-best for the postseason.

This was fueled by Maxi Kleber, who knocked down eight of his 11 attempts from deep. This was one make away from tying Jason Terry for the all-time postseason record for triples made in a game. 

Dallas made 17 uncontested 3-pointers in this contest, which is the most by any team in last ten postseasons. However, that’s not something the Mavericks are going to depend upon moving forward in this series. 

“It’s not live or die by the three. We’re not Golden State,” Spencer Dinwiddie said postgame. 

Furthermore, Jalen Brunson continued to shine in the absence of Doncic, finishing the night with a career-high 41 points. He also posted eight rebounds and five assists. From the moment the game tipped off, Brunson was in control of the offense. He became became the fifth member in the history of the Mavericks to score at least 40 points in a playoff game.

“He’s gonna make a lot of money,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd of Brunson who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. “I don’t know if he needs an agent. It’s not just what he did tonight. He’s shown he deserves to be paid.”

What was perhaps most impressive about Brunson’s night was that he kept the offense in rhythm, which helped Dallas take care of the ball. Brunson became the first player in Mavericks history with 40 points and zero turnovers in a playoff game. 

As a team, Dallas committed just three turnovers, which is a franchise record since that statistic began being tracked in 1982. 

Again, it took a historic night for the Mavs to pull off the much needed win. Now, they’ll head to Utah for the next two games of the series. Although the Jazz would have preferred to win both games without Doncic in the lineup this far, they’re still confident moving forward. 

“Two wins is great, but one win is good. We have to make adjustments,” said Rudy Gobert postgame. “It’s a marathon.” 

Jazz coach Quin Snyder has a similar mindset entering Game 3, realizing there’s still a ton of basketball left to be played. 

“This is the playoffs,” said Snyder after the loss. “It’s 1-1, we’re going back home. It’s a seven-game series.”

Utah struggled to defend the perimeter, which ultimately led to Dallas getting whatever it wanted offensively all over the court. 

“This is something we can fix,” said Donovan Mitchell postgame. 

A true x-factor in this series, veteran Mike Conley was held to zero points in Game 2, missing all seven of his shot attempts. Especially if Doncic comes back into the fold later in the series, Conley will need to contribute more offensively.  

Nonetheless, it’s a tied series with the Jazz hosting the next two games. Regardless of the personnel they’re up against, it’s a clean slate with five games remaining. 

“We are not going to overreact,” said Mitchell after Game 2. “We just have to go home and try and take care of business. They are going to try and get a split like we got a split here.”

Utah continues to dominate the boards with its size, but that proved to not be enough with the Dallas bigs knocking down triples at a high rate in Game 2. 

Moving forward, the status of Doncic will be a huge swing in how this series ends.  

The post Mavericks Ride Historic Night To Game 2 Victory Over Jazz appeared first on SLAM.

Entering the game, the Mavs knew they’d be without their best player in Luka Doncic. However, even without their star they nearly beat the Jazz. 

 “Hopefully he gets healthy,” said Jazz coach Quin Snyder. “You always want a great player to get the opportunity to play, whether he’s on your team or the other.”

Utah ultimately won Game 1 by a final score of 99-93. It was a contest in which scoring wasn’t plentiful, but also didn’t lack excitement. In a game of runs, it truly came down to the final minutes to determine a winner. 

When it came down to it, the size difference between the two rosters was the primary factor. The Mavericks lack a dominant 7-footer, as Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber (both 6-foot-10) filled out the center rotation on Saturday afternoon. 

That’s simply not enough size to match up against the Utah centers in Rudy Gobert and Hassan Whiteside, who are both 7-foot-1. Additionally they’re both traditional bigs that are great on the glass. This proved to be a key differentiator, as Dallas was outrebounded 53 to 34. 

“We’ve just gotta rebound the ball, especially playing small. It’s just something we’ve gotta get better at,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd postgame. 

Regardless of when Doncic comes back, the battle on the boards is going to continue to be important. This series could ultimately come down to the style of play. If the Jazz continue to outmatch the Mavs with their size, they’ll have a huge advantage. On the flip side, if Dallas can have success with its small ball lineups and play Gobert and Whiteside off the floor, things could swing in the favor of the Mavericks. 

Both teams failed to score 100 points in Game 1, so every bucket really mattered throughout the contest. It was a tale of two halves for the Jazz, as Bojan Bogdanovic carried the offense in the first half while Donovan Mitchell shouldered the load in the second. 

Of the 45 points Utah scored in the first half, Bogdanovic account for nearly half with 20. In the second half, Mitchell produced 30 of his 32 points on the afternoon. 

While the Jazz didn’t have a consistent primary scorer across the entire game, they got the points they needed in bunches from two of their best offensive players. Gobert finished with just five points on one field goal attempt, but made his impact on the glass and on defense. 

“We had a chance, held them under 100 points. That was tough,” said Spencer Dinwiddie after the loss. 

Although Utah came out on top in Game 1, Dallas should feel extremely optimistic. Without their best player, the Mavericks legitimately had a shot to win. You could argue that when Doncic comes back, the Mavs should be favorites the rest of the way.  

The guard duo of Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson combined for 46 points, but will need to be more efficient moving forward. Those two took a total of 39 shots to produce those points. 

The Mavs started hot from beyond the arc, but cooled off as the game went on. They finished 9-of-32 (28.1%) from deep on the afternoon. If just a couple more of those shots would have gone down, the outcome of this game could have easily been different. 

The Jazz got the win, but it wasn’t necessarily convincing against a shorthanded Mavericks team. This series could still go either way. 

“We’ve got to do a better job of making the easy shots,” said Brunson looking ahead to the next matchup. “We missed a lot of easy shots. Gotta follow our game plan and stick together.”

Game 2 will take place in Dallas once again on Monday evening. 

The post Jazz Win Game 1 With Size, Mavericks Feel Optimistic Moving Forward appeared first on SLAM.

In the Western Conference, one of the most anticipated matchups is between the Dallas Mavericks (No. 4) and Utah Jazz (No. 5) which is a series that will begin on Saturday night. The Mavericks finished the regular season with a record of 52-30, which gave them the slight edge on the Jazz (49-33) for home court advantage. As such, Dallas will host the first two games of the series and also Game 7 if it’s needed. This could become a huge advantage to get the series off on the right foot and potentially close it out at home.

Any advantage will be key for the Mavs, as their superstar in Luka Doncic is expected to miss Game 1 and potentially Game 2 with a calf strain.

The Mavericks had a fairly slow start to the season, but ultimately got better as it went on. Gradual growth and improvement is a good sign for Dallas, as the team could be peaking at the right time. Early in the season, Jalen Brunson began to emerge as a legitimate piece of the roster. He’ll be a primary scorer for the Mavs during the postseason. Alongside him in the backcourt will be Spencer Dinwiddie, who was the cornerstone piece of the Kristaps Porzingis trade with the Washington Wizards at the deadline.

While defense was something that’s held the Mavericks back during the past few seasons, it’s been a strength in the 2021-22 campaign. They finished the regular season as the seventh-best team on that end of the floor with a defensive rating of 101.9. Additionally, Dallas was well-disciplined and took great care of the ball. The Mavs’ 1025 turnovers on the season were the third-fewest of any team.

Lacking a dominant center could detrimental for the Mavs in this series, as they’ll go up against a a deep frontcourt team. Utah was a top-three rebounding team this season, while the Mavericks finished 24th in the league. On the flip side, if Dallas is able to have success using their unique floor-spacing bigs and small ball lineups, Utah could have to play out of character to match up.

Dallas hasn’t won a playoff series since its championship run back in 2011. As such, the Mavs are on one of the longest active droughts in the NBA when it comes to winning a postseason series. Could this be the first time in over a decade that they advance past the first round?

If the Mavericks are going to have success without Doncic, it will likely come down to Dinwiddie and Brunson. Both have been extremely effective this season whether their superstar teammate is on the floor or not. If they struggle while Doncic is out, the Jazz could jump out to an early series lead before heading back to Utah.

Utah had a strong start to the season, but has really struggled of late. In fact, the Jazz went just 7-8 over their final 15 games of the season. While Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell have been great once again, the production from the role players around them has been fairly inconsistent. There’s no question Utah has the pieces to make a championship push, but will they all come together and play at the top of their games when it matters most? Scoring shouldn’t be a problem, as Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Mike Conley are able to score 20 points each on any given night.

During the regular season, the Jazz took second-most shots from deep (40.3 per game) and knocked down 36.0% of them. They also did a great job at getting to the rim and drawing fouls, finishing fourth in the league in free throw attempts this season with 23.4 per game. These are just some of the things that led Utah to the top offensive rating (11.2) in the NBA this season. What’s most interesting about the Jazz offense is that it’s heavily in isolation, as they were bottom five in both assists per game and assist percentage.

However, the playoffs are all about superstars and who can get a bucket when it’s needed, so perhaps that style of play will work in Utah’s favor. The Jazz also don’t take a ton of shots, playing with a slower pace and attempting the sixth-fewest shots in the league this season. This isn’t dissimilar from the Mavericks, who were in the bottom five in terms of field goal attempts in the regular season.

One of the best defenders in the entire NBA, Gobert will be a major factor on that end of the floor against the Mavs. Since the All-Star break, he’s limited opponents to 39.1% when he’s the closest defender.

The duo of Mitchell and Gobert has certainly had its flaws in the past. If the Jazz aren’t able to get out of the first round this season, could it be time for a major roster shakeup? It seems this series could directly impact what the Utah roster looks like moving forward.

In four games during the 2021-22 campaign, the Jazz and Mavericks have split the regular season series. Utah won the first two matchups of the season, while Dallas won the two more recently. That’s indicative of the seasons these two teams have had, as the Jazz looked better to start but the Mavs have been better down the stretch.

Outside of the primary stars in this series, there are several players for both teams that could really impact the outcomes. For Utah, Conley and Rudy Gay are veterans that have the experience to shine in the big moments. However, if they struggle the Jazz could have a rough series. For Dallas, Davis Bertans and Reggie Bullock will be important offensively, as they have the firepower to fill it up from beyond the arc. If they aren’t converting from deep and producing points, the Mavericks’ offense could stall.

The post NBA Playoff Preview: Dallas Mavericks Take On Utah Jazz appeared first on SLAM.

“I don’t think about [how] I’m averaging career-highs. I know people always say it, like, How’s it feel? I’m just trying to be me, I’m not trying to blow anything out of proportion. Obviously, what I’m doing is good stuff, but the best thing about it is I know I could be doing better. That’s the part that keeps me hungry.” 

What exactly does better look like for the Mavericks’ second-leading scorer?

“I’ll know when I get there,” he says confidently. 

Until then, it’s all about staying prepared. There’s nothing flashy about the grind, nor is there about Jalen. At his SLAM photo shoot, he prefers to keep it simple and rock a few Nike sweatsuits. In between takes, he chops it up about how he’s a big movie guy and dishes a few takes on The Batman and Euphoria. When another question comes up about where his confidence comes from, there’s no ego or anything extra to his answer. “My work ethic,” he says. Simple as that.

His father Rick pushed and demanded it out of him. Jalen watched his father constantly work during his own 12-year long pro career, night in and night out. He trained relentlessly, too—in the summer, Jalen says Rick would run in the blazing heat wearing a sweat jacket, and at 7 years old, he’d be there, riding his bike alongside him. “I didn’t really understand it, I thought it was just what he did,” he says. “Seeing what people do now in their free time, versus what my dad did, I’m like, Damn. He did all that and he was in the League for nine years, overseas, CBA and never had a guaranteed contract.” 

“I’m fortunate to be guaranteed four years, and I’m like, Wow. If I could work half as hard…I have to do something to get better, every day.” 

He’s become methodical and committed to his routine, which has pretty much stayed the same over the years, whether he’s starting every game or playing less minutes: shooting the night before games, getting in his conditioning, eating at certain times of the day, taking a nap (if time permits) and entirely dialing in on the task ahead. 

Brunson has always been that way, routine-oriented. He grew up watching how Rick would get ready for games, and at 2 years old, would mimic what he saw. According to his mother Sandra there’d be a “full-court” set up in his grandparent’s kitchen and living room with New York Knicks stickers taped onto their hardwood floors [Rick played for the Knicks for a couple of years at that time—Ed.]. A young Jalen would pack all his gear—sneakers, shorts and a jersey—into a duffel bag, put on a blazer or vest and say, Mom, I’m going to my game. 

He would then walk through the house, put on his sneakers and do exactly what he does now as a four-year guard in the League—go to work with the ball in his hands. He’d copy the moves he saw the players around him do, including Rick’s then-New York Knicks teammate Allen Houston. 

“I just like knowing what I’m getting myself into. I’m one of those guys that if you find a good restaurant, I could eat at that restaurant every time we go out,” Brunson says of being routine-oriented. “I think that gets your mind right. Once you’re in that zone of doing what you got to do to be ready for the game, it kind of takes the thought process out of worrying about other things. I don’t run any errands on game day. Sometimes I’ll stop and get a tea on the way to games, but I’m not trying to do anything to make me not think about being ready for the game. If I’m in that routine, I’m not thinking about anything. My mind is just, like, free.” 

It was Sandra who taught him the art of goal-setting. While Rick was working in Charlotte as an assistant coach with the Bobcats, the rest of the family lived in Illinois. Sandra wanted Jalen and his sister to have a way to focus on themselves and their own goals, rather than on why their father wasn’t there or how long he’d be gone. It all started organically—school would begin in August, and Sandra would ask, What are your goals this year? What do you want to do? Jalen started getting creative with it, and would draft them up on the computer and hang them around his room. “I told him, It’s great to have goals and dreams but let’s stick with realistic goals. What are the things you can really achieve, right now? Let’s not think about down the road, like, Oh, I want to be in the NBA. That’s great. But let’s think about 10th grade. What do you want to do?” 

That year, Brunson led Stevenson HS to a state championship against Simeon Career Academy, who was stacked with standouts like Jabari Parker and Kendrick Nunn. By his junior year, the five-star recruit was averaging 26.1 points and was named Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year. When Villanova head coach Jay Wright came over for a home visit, Sandra recalls him noticing the pieces of paper taped onto the walls in his bedroom. 

Fast forward to Brunson’s junior year at Villanova, when he wrote down all of his academic and athletic goals and typed them up on the computer. He added on-court images of himself in the backdrop and then placed his goals as overlay text in an all-caps, bold white font. He hung the two pieces of paper on his dorm room’s white wall—on the left side were his academic goals, from graduating in the summer of 2018 to making the All-American, Big East and Big Five Academic teams, and on the right were his athletic goals. Those were very specific and performance-based: 2018 First-Team All American, All-Big East, All-Big Five. There were also some team-oriented ones—conference regular season and tournament champions, and winning an NCAA National Championship.

He’d then send Sandra the picture of those goals hanging on the wall to prove to her that he actually did them. Sandra still has the picture on her phone, which she shared with SLAM via text mid-interview. 

“It was a thing, and it stuck,” she says of the goal setting. “I don’t really put too much pressure on him now. I still say, What are your goals? And I’ll text him, [but] I don’t see [them written down] in his apartment. Maybe it’s in his locker, or maybe it’s more internal.”

“That’s how I measure myself. I see these goals, and [how] I’m going to get there,” Brunson explains. “They’re mostly short term, for that year, I have long term goals of course, but that’s how I measure myself.” 

Preparedness, consistency and staying true to himself and the work have become the foundational fabrics to his approach. It’s how he solidified himself as one of the best guards ever to suit up for the Wildcats, but even then, Brunson wanted more. “I was a version of myself, I guess I technically didn’t know I had. I always knew I was good, playing the post, but we really used it as a weapon,” he says in retrospect. “I would say that where I was then was a perfect place, because I knew that I had accomplished a lot, I did a lot [and] was successful, but I knew I had so much more room to grow.”

When he came into the L as a rookie, Brunson found himself having to work his way up. He  averaged just 9.3 points in 21.8 minutes of action. “That’s something that I’ve done at every stage in my career, high school, college and the pros. I have no problem with it, and honestly it makes me better. It makes me hungry, not really complacent. I’m always trying to find ways to improve myself. I just knew that whenever I got my opportunity, I was gonna make the most of it.”

Now in his fourth year, Brunson’s pursuit of consistency put him in a prominent spot in the team’s starting lineup, having started in 61 regular season games, averaging 16.3 points. When the team has needed him the most, Brunson has more than delivered. During a 10-game stretch in December, when many of his teammates, including Luka Doncic, were out due to injuries and COVID protocols, he steadily put up double-digit figures and averaged 21 points while shooting 51.3 percent from the field. 

“That’s when it really clicked. I had some good games in the beginning of the year, but I think that stretch kind of solidified how people view me a little bit. My coaches know, my teammates know, and that’s all I really care about, [but] I guess people started to see and take notice. Thank you for noticing, but I’m doing this for myself, my team.” 

His words echo yet another lesson instilled in him by his parents. It was Rick who suggested to Sandra one day that she print out what people were saying, or inspirational quotes, onto sticky notes. Sandra placed them all around the house—in the bathroom, on the fridge, the television and mirrors. Seeing is believing, and when every corner in your place has a note reminding you of who you are, eventually, it becomes ingrained.

Rather than ride the wave of a good game, or in his case, the best season of his career so far, Brunson says that for him, it’s the standard. “Sometimes after games, yeah, I’ll watch [them] over and stuff like that, but [the feeling] is short term because I feel the same way when I don’t play well. I can’t be riding a hot streak of playing well, [or] when a bad day comes, I gotta switch it up. Whether it’s good or bad, gotta move forward. 

“Just staying consistent with work, and obviously a little more opportunity helps, [but] I think being able to have [Jason] Kidd as a coach has really helped me understand things that I thought I already knew. Hearing it from someone else definitely could help me. He’s pushed me, he expects the best out of me every time. I do appreciate that, because it just doesn’t keep me satisfied. That’s how my dad was, just always wanting more, more, more.”

When Brunson dished a pass to Dorian Finney-Smith in the corner for the game-winning shot against the Kings in March, it was Kidd who came in with the constructive criticism while everyone else praised him. “He was like, ‘Oh, you should have went a little later. We wanted the last, last shot. Great pass though. Everyone else was like, Oh, he kind of just stole your show, and in my mind I’m like, Yeah, but like, when I think about it, that’s what I want. I want them to be coached like that. If people see me being coached like that, that gains a lot of respect from my teammates. I’m all about what the team needs, I’m all about respect. I’ll do anything to earn that respect.” 

As the Mavericks get ready to face the Utah Jazz in Game 1 of the opening round of the playoffs, Brunson isn’t forgetting what happened last year. The loss still sits with him. “I haven’t moved past it. I still think about it, in a good way. I’ve always done well with a little bit of adversity.” 

But he’s focusing on what he can control. His family’s saying, The magic is in the work, often runs through his head, and he even wears it on two bracelets.

“You’ve got to be consistent with what you’re putting out there on the court, but most importantly, keep your routine, keep having the same mentality [and] doing the things that you do that have gotten you here. Don’t just say, I’m here, now I can take a chill pill. Like, no. Keep pushing yourself. That’s how I want to continue.”  

Portraits by Jonathan Lewis. Follow him on Instagram, @johnnyysilk.

The post The Pursuit of Consistency: How Jalen Brunson Has Emerged into a Prominent Force for the Dallas Mavericks appeared first on SLAM.

The Pistons have real interest in Jalen Brunson, sources tell @JLEdwardsIII.

The 25-year-old is an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

More: https://t.co/BkqIhniINH pic.twitter.com/2cAKwkwFKI

— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) April 7, 2022

The former NCAA Champion and Naismith Player of the Year has blossomed in his fourth year in the League, averaging a career-high 16.3 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from downtown.

As an upcoming unrestricted free agent, Brunson’s ascension this season has many teams vying for his offensive capabilities and floor general mentality, with the Knicks reportedly in the mix back in late January. An effective secondary ball-handler who can consistently knock down catch-and-shoot treys, the fit of Brunson next to the 6’6 Cunningham could be lethal over the next few years.

Brunson and the Mavericks (50-30) have been clicking on all cylinders as they finish out the regular season, sitting at fourth in the West, facing off against the Trail Blazers on Friday and the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.

The post REPORT: Pistons Eyeing Jalen Brunson For Free Agency appeared first on SLAM.

It hasn’t been all bad, though. Tyrese Haliburton, the Kings second-year guard out of Iowa State, has taken a major step forward in the absence of De’Aaron Fox, averaging 20.2 points and 8.2 assists on the team’s recent road trip. And so has rookie Davion Mitchell. 

The ninth overall pick from Baylor joined the starting lineup last Wednesday. Since then, he has averaged 19.4 points (on 49 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent from three) and 5.6 assists per game. When Sacramento drafted Mitchell this summer, the decision was met with some backlash, given his small size (6-0) and the number of young guards—Haliburton, Fox, Buddy Hield—already on the Kings roster.

“Certainly, when you just look at the team we had and who we had drafted the year before and Tyrese and who we already had on the team with De’Aaron, and you say, ‘Why would you draft another point guard?’” general manager Monte McNair told The Athletic in November. “[But] this is where we talk about being a best player available in the draft. And it’s a hard thing to do sometimes, but we truthfully sit here and try to [draft] best player available. And when Davion is sitting at the top of our board, we do not hesitate to draft him.”

It was hard to argue with Mitchell being there. Here’s what the 23-year-old managed to accomplish during his two seasons at Baylor: 2021 NCAA Champion, 2021 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, 2021 NABC Defensive Player of the Year, 2021 Lefty Driesell Award winner and two-time All-Big 12.

As those accolades suggest, Mitchell was renowned primarily for his defense coming into the NBA, having averaged just under two steals per game the previous year. He was undoubtedly one of the best on-ball defenders in all of college basketball, using his energy, quickness and athleticism to pester opposing guards. That lockdown ability has carried over to the League, where Mitchell now faces elite scorers on a nightly basis. Below is a rundown of how some of those guys have fared in head-to-head clashes with the Kings rookie, per NBA.com: 

Russell Westbrook in 11:31 matchup minutes: 1/11 from the field

Damian Lillard in 9:16 matchup minutes: 1/14 from the field

Trae Young in 4:47 matchup minutes: 1/8 from the field

Jalen Brunson in 11:55 matchup minutes: 2/8 from the field

Jordan Clarkson in 10:21 matchup minutes: 3/10 from the field

Tyrese Maxey in 11:41 matchup minutes: 3/11 from the field

Numbers like that are the reason Mitchell earned the nickname “Off Night” while at Baylor. All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland shot well against him, but combined for seven turnovers in 19 total matchup minutes.

Mitchell’s offense has been steadily improving, too. He was an incredibly efficient scorer in college, shooting 51 percent from the field and 45 percent from deep in 2020-21, but has struggled to find his rhythm at times this season. His confidence hasn’t wavered, though. He dropped 20 points and hit four three-pointers against the Hawks last week. Three days later, he had 15 points and knocked down 3/7 from behind the arc against the Sixers. Then, in his first game at Madison Square Garden, he put up 18 points, 6 assists and 2 blocks. 

On Wednesday, Mitchell helped Sacramento get a 112-101 win over Brooklyn, posting 18 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, and defending Kyrie Irving extremely well, holding him to 2/6 shooting in seven matchup minutes. He also spent time on James Harden, who had one of his worst performances as a Net (4 points, 6 turnovers).

Just look at the activity in the clips below. This is why they call him “Off Night.”

Davion Mitchell since being moved into the starting lineup (four games):

17.7 PTS
2.7 REB
5.0 AST
44% FG
35% 3PT

Limited sample size, but it’s hard to not be impressed by what the rookie has done in a starting role.

Also, the defense… pic.twitter.com/rrLwPsy3Lx

— Franklin Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) February 3, 2022

Davion puttin’ the pressure on Kyrie pic.twitter.com/amj7BHsJDH

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) February 3, 2022

Davion steal -> Damian pic.twitter.com/vESWMANuED

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) February 3, 2022

He followed that up with perhaps the best game of his young career at Golden State: 26 points (on 11/17 from the field and 3/5 from three) and 8 assists.

Davion Mitchell drives and finishes to set a new career-high (23 PTS)

Watch Now on NBA League Pass: https://t.co/oz9UCQxdQa pic.twitter.com/54J3aqWVe6

— NBA (@NBA) February 4, 2022

For the season, Mitchell is now averaging 10.1 points, 3.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds. He will represent the Kings in the Rising Stars Game at All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, along with Haliburton.

With losses mounting and trade rumors swirling as the deadline nears, things have been bleak in Sacramento lately. But Mitchell’s success, development and potential have provided a glimmer of much-needed hope. 

The post SLAM x Panini Rookie Spotlight: Davion Mitchell appeared first on SLAM.

Despite not having the services of superstar Kawhi Leonard this season and losing Paul George in December to an elbow injury, they now stand at seventh place in the West with a 26-26 record. The team hasn’t closed the door on either player being shut down for the season and is looking for point guard help just in case.

According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, the Clippers are in the market for a point guard in a trade with possibly six players being targets.

“If the Clippers dip below .500, it should come as no big surprise. But this isn’t a lost season without Leonard and George. Not at all. In fact, the Clippers found their identity on defense by examining their roster and trying to find out who will fit with their stars in the years to come.”

Despite all the good vibes on the court this season, no team is ever fully complete. Change is inevitable. And the next step for the Clippers is to find a new point guard.

While Reggie Jackson currently covers the position, the Clippers see him as more of a scorer. What they want by his side is a playmaker. Someone like Fred VanVleet or Kyle Lowry for Leonard in Toronto, or even George Hill was for a young PG-13 in Indiana. L.A. wants a point guard on that level, someone who can manage the game or provide a spark depending on the situation.

So, what kind of point guard can the Clippers reasonably obtain? Over the past few weeks, numerous reports have cited names like Jalen Brunson, Dennis Schröder, Kemba Walker, Goran Dragic, Spencer Dinwiddie, and John Wall as targets.”

The team plan’s on moving potential expiring contracts such as Serge Ibaka, Ivica Zubac (team option for 2022-23 season), or Nicolas Batum (player option for 2022-23)

The Los Angeles Clippers made team history by making Western Conference Finals last season before falling to the eventual conference champion, Phoenix Suns.

The post REPORT: The Clippers Make Multiple Players Available For Point Guard Help appeared first on SLAM.

According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer and SNY’s Ian Begley, the New York Knicks have been in constant rumors to be interested in Jalen Brunson of the Dallas Mavericks on their live audio room on the Halftime app.

With Brunson to become an unrestricted free agent this summer bringing the possibility that Dallas may have to pay the luxury tax to keep him, it might open the door for a possible trade scenario for the Knicks. Begley mentioned that New York “has touched base” with the Mavs.

“Jalen Brunson, for many different reasons, has been on the Knick radar for a while now. He’s got plenty of connections to the Knicks. So I know the Knicks, at the very least, have touched based with Dallas on Brunson, and I can’t tell you what it would take to pry Brunson from Dallas from a Knick perspective. I’m not sure on that.

But I do know he’s a highly sought-after player, and if he does hit unrestricted free agency, I can say pretty confidently there’s at least one other team prepared to give him an offer north of $20 million per year. “

Begley also laid out a scenario where the Mavs front office is forced to trade Brunson and get something back or see him walk in free agency and lose him for nothing.

“I don’t know about Dallas’ willingness to get off of Brunson at the moment. But if I’m hearing there will be significant suitors for Brunson in free agency, I’m sure they know that too. So you have to weigh the idea of potentially losing him for nothing versus dealing him at the deadline and at least getting an asset back.”

With the Mavericks averaging 15.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game on 50.1 percent shooting from the field, Brunson is having a solid season.

The post REPORT: New York Knicks Have Interest In Dallas Guard Jalen Brunson appeared first on SLAM.

Doncic will remain in Dallas while he receives treatment for persistent left ankle soreness that has sidelined him to miss the past three games per Marc Stein. Doncic has been in and out of the Dallas lineup with an ankle and knee sprain, which he first suffered on November 15. The Mavs will be in Minnesota to play the Timberwolves on Sunday. Doncic also missed a December 4 game

Doncic has been hobbled since spraining his left ankle on Nov. 15 that forced hom to miss the next three games before making his return. However, the soreness persisted and even forced him out of the Mavs contest against the Grizzlies in early December to rest his ankle.

Doncic leads the team with 25.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game this season, and no other Mavericks player averages more than 20 points. Dallas is 2-4 in the games he has missed. While Doncic is out, Jalen Brunson will presumably take over starting point guard duties. Brunson is averaging a career-high 14.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game on 49.7 percent shooting from the field.

The post Luka Doncic Out Until At Least Next Week With Ankle Injury appeared first on SLAM.

On the bright side, Jalen Brunson looks spectacular off the bench with his ability to score the ball at a high level. With Kristaps Porzingis set to return to action in just a few weeks, the Mavericks have a light at the end of the tunnel.

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

James Johnson	4.0p, 4.5r, 3.0a	–
Jalen Brunson	10.8p, 2.5r, 3.0a	–
Tim Hardaway Jr.	14.5p, 3.8r, 1.3a	–
Josh Richardson	13.5p, 3.5r, 1.8a
Trey Burke	8.0p, 1.0r, 1.8a
Dorian Finney-Smith	8.5p, 4.3r, 1.0a
Maxi Kleber	8.0p, 4.8r, 0.8a
Wes Iwundu	4.7p, 0.3r, 0.0a
Dwight Powell	6.5p, 3.3r, 1.0a
Boban Marjanovic	4.0p, 2.3r, 0.0a
Willie Cauley-Stein	4.0p, 3.3r, 0.8a
Luka Doncic	23.8p, 5.8r, 6.3a

Team-by-Team Breakdown

The post Heat Check 2020-21: Dallas Mavericks appeared first on SLAM.

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

Biggest Questions

• Can the Mavericks stop anyone on defense? Last season, they had the most efficient offense in NBA history but were among the league’s worst defensively. If they can be a mediocre defensive team, they could be looking at a top-four seed in the Western Conference.
• Is Kristaps Porzingis going to be healthy on a consistent basis? To this point in his career, his knees have been an issue. In fact, they kept him out of some of the most crucial games in the playoffs last season. Without a healthy Porzingis, the Mavericks aren’t nearly as much of a threat.

All NBA Team Offseason Summaries

The post Dallas Mavericks: Projected 2020-21 Depth Chart appeared first on SLAM.

The site was home to the century old Camden High School, whose classic castle tower structure was demolished a couple of years ago to make way for a state-of-the-art $133 million new facility that is expected to be ready for students next fall (classes have since gone virtual due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic).

In the old building, the Wagner family’s imprints were four decades deep, where each hoop star helped propel Camden onto the national stage.

First, it was Milt Wagner, who led the Panthers to a state championship in 1979 and was a McDonald’s All-American in 1981. He and Camden teammate Billy Thompson went on to Louisville, where together they won an NCAA national title in 1986. Milt was then drafted in the second round of the 1986 NBA Draft, and ultimately reunited with Thompson while playing with the Los Angeles Lakers. Together, they won an NBA championship two years later.

They are currently the only teammate duo in history to win titles together at all three levels.

Milt’s son, Dajuan Sr. (above), donned Camden’s purple and gold almost two decades later and instantly became one of the Garden State’s all-time greats. He averaged 27.3 points as a freshman and 35.3 points as a sophomore. He led the Panthers to a state title as a junior (which included an 80-point performance) and famously dropped 100 points in a game against Camden County Tech as a senior. The All-American graduated Camden as New Jersey’s all-time leading scorer with 3,462 points. The career points and three-digit single-game performance are still-standing state records. After one season at Memphis under John Calipari, Dajuan would get selected with the sixth pick in the 2002 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. His professional career, though, was cut short due to a series of injuries and health issues, including a battle with ulcerative colitis.

Almost two decades after the Dajuan days at Camden, his son, DJ, is now rocking the same purple and gold threads that his father and grandfather once did—all while being labeled  next heir to the city’s throne. Only a sophomore, DJ is ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2023.

DJ is ready to write his own story, to make his version of the Wagner legacy one for the books.

***       

Dajuan Sr. remembers when DJ wanted to play on a football team with his older brother. DJ was only 4 years old at the time, while his sibling was 7. Their football coach was a little uneasy with letting DJ participate in all of the activities with such a big age gap.

Yet, Dajuan Sr felt like DJ had that extra edge to his step.   

“When they got to their first day of equipment, they were contact hitting. The coach told me he didn’t want to let him hit, [but] I’m like, ‘Let him hit!’” Dejuan Sr. said. “ He was a big kid [for] his age. [DJ] wanted to hit. It was full contact. These kids were three years older than him.”

“The next day, we’re in the house around five or six o’clock. Practice was around six, seven o’clock. He came in the front room, ‘Dad, I got practice today?’ That’s when I knew he wasn’t no p—y! They were hitting him and they weren’t taking it easy on him either.”

Dajuan Sr. wanted to be careful when it came to introducing basketball to his kids. He knew the family name held a lot of weight in the sport, especially in Camden. DJ initially took a liking for football and so the family spent evenings and weekends on the gridiron instead, until his passion for basketball eventually surpassed all other sports.

“You have most of these parents, they live through their kids,” Dajuan Sr. said. “When I was coming up, because my dad played too, at the time I didn’t think it was pressure. But as a parent, you think about it. You’re overprotective of your kid. That was the thing about letting [DJ]  play football. Letting him start his own lane. Once he got old enough to hear stories and know that his family—we play basketball—he said he wanted to play basketball. We told him we’re going to do what we got to do to give him the best chance to fulfill his dream.” 

DJ indeed grew up hearing all the stories from around the neighborhood about who his dad and grandpa were. It was unavoidable. He eventually saw tapes of the older Wagner’s putting in work with the Camden moniker stitched in gold on their jerseys.

DJ studied those tapes. He memorized some of the stories. 

“It’s crazy watching my dad and grandpa play in high school because just to see them in the same situation I am, playing for Camden High, it’s just crazy,” DJ said. “I love watching their tapes. Just seeing the way they played in high school and how crazy it was because it was the same way when they were in high school—maybe even crazier…Seeing their old highlights, I think is pretty cool.” 

Even when DJ had his pick of neighboring private schools to choose from, attending Camden High was the destiny he wanted from the jump.

“I never really looked at it as pressure. I just always was excited,” DJ said. “I used to always just love to hear about the stories when my dad and grandpa were in high school, and how crazy the games used to be. When I was younger, I used to always go to Camden games, watch them play in States. I always thought about just playing for Camden High and how crazy it would be. I always wanted to play for them, seeing how passionate their fans [are]—that environment.”

His mother, Syreeta, saw just how much her son wanted to carry on the Wagner family’s basketball heritage and join the same culture that embraced their family years ago.

“All he talked about when he was younger was playing for Camden High School. That’s all he talked about,” said his mother, Syreeta. “For him to actually be living in this moment, playing for Camden High School, wearing his purple and gold… that moment is everything to him. That was one of his dreams, to play for Camden High after his dad and his grandpa. He’s living out one of his dreams already.”  

During DJ’s freshman season, it was looking like the youngest Wagner was on his way to breaking the 20-year drought for the Panthers. Camden — who  hasn’t won a state title since 2000, when Dajuan Sr. was in 11th grade—was ranked No. 16 in the country by MaxPreps this past March. Their record was 29-1 (they went on a 25-game winning streak at one point) heading into the NJSIAA Group 2 tournament semifinals, but then the remainder of the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The elusive state title run will have to wait. As for the upcoming 2020-21 season, the state association will allow teams to compete in league play, yet a postseason state tournament has yet to be confirmed and feels unlikely.

“I was mad. We were all mad because we were right there,”  DJ said about his freshman season ending abruptly. “We made it to States, and as soon as we got there, they just cancelled everything. It hit us pretty bad because we were excited, we were anxious to play in the states and hopefully win the state and then even winning TOC—that’s like the bigger version, that’s for the whole state. So, we were just upset when they cancelled it. Especially for the seniors on our team. We were right there, so it was crazy.”

Father and son McDonald’s All-American duos are a rarity, with only a handful in history: from Rick and Jalen Brunson (as fate would have it, Rick become the head coach at Camden in 2019) and Doc and Austin Rivers, to Ricky and Justice Winslow and James Blackmon Sr. and Jr. Of course, the fifth duo is Milt and Dajuan. But a grandfather/father/son All-American trio? That’s never happened.

At the NBA level, the father-son(s) list is a bit longer: Dell, Seth and Steph Curry, Joe and Kobe Bryant, Mychal and Klay Thompson, Bill and Luke Walton, Tim Hardaway Sr. and Jr., among many others. But a grandfather/father/son League trio? Nope, not at this level either. If DJ’s trajectory continues at this pace, the Wagner family can very well become the first family to achieve this feat on multiple playing levels. 

“It’s like a cycle going all over again. I think everything happens for a reason,” Dejuan Sr. said. “My dad was in Europe when I was coming up [and he] used to come home every summer.  I never got a chance to work on my game with my dad. So, me getting sick, I was here with [DJ] and I think that’s how he developed quicker skill-wise—he got way more skills than I had at that age.”

Regardless of what the future holds, living in the moment is all that DJ and the Wagner family are interested in. Forty years of basketball prowess across three generations, this journey isn’t new to them. Even DJ, with a No.1 ranking and all, is focused on becoming one of the best.

His father, on the other hand, thinks DJ could be better than he ever was.

“People think I’m crazy when I say it,” he continued. “I go off, you know, because I remember when I was younger [and] I played at a high level. I just think when I was his age, he’s better than me. [That’s] what I go back to—what I could do at that age. [He’s] more skilled.”

Portraits by Johnny Lewis

The post DJ WAGNER IS READY TO CONTINUE THE FAMILY LEGACY appeared first on SLAM.

However, if Dallas wants to be seen as a championship contender, they’ll need to compete with at least the triumvirate of the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors. In order to do that, they’ll need to make slight but significant upgrades all over the roster.

Related: Full Boston Celtics 2020 Salary Cap Preview

Mavericks Draft Needs

With the Mavericks looking to add a third star to the roster, the players selected with their picks in the 2020 NBA Draft may not even be on the roster on opening night.

If Dallas was to keep their picks though, addressing their defense would be the obvious priority.

There are quite a few players in the rotation that are difficult to replace but not the most impactful defenders. Of course, if Dallas manages to swing a trade for an additional star, then players with higher salaries will be sent away. As a result, the Mavs have to be even more careful to select the right players.

If Dallas can find a defensive-minded wing or guard with one of their two picks in the upcoming draft, then they should walk way from draft night satisfied. Because of their lack of depth at small forward, the Mavericks would likely prefer a wing.

2020 NBA Draft Prospect Watchlist

What The Mocks Are Saying

Projected Roster

The post Dallas Mavericks: 2020 NBA Draft Preview appeared first on SLAM.

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

Projected Roster Players

Projected Free Agents

2020 NBA Draft Picks

Exceptions Available

• Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception – $9,258,000

Key Offseason Decisions

• Is Willie Cauley-Stein going to opt in? Cauley-Stein is at the point in his career where he could make more than $2.3M on the open market, but it’s not a guarantee. He seems to be fairly happy in Dallas and with Dwight Powell making his way back from a torn Achilles’, Cauley-Stein should have a path to plenty of playing time.
• Will Tim Hardaway Jr. deviate from the plan of opting in? Hardaway will be hard-pressed to find a team that will pay him $18.9M this offseason. He’s also still young enough that long-term security shouldn’t be a concern just yet.

Projected Team Salary

$151,977,957

The Mavericks have one more season before they can be major offseason players. They’ll likely run it back with a lot of the same team as last season, as both Tim Hardaway Jr. and Willie Cauley-Stein are likely to opt in. Look for Dallas to use their MLE to bring in another wing player, but on a short-term contract. This will allow the Mavs to conserve space for the 2021 offseason. (@KeithSmithNBA)

Cap Space Forecast

-$42,837,957 (16^th out of 30). $29,788,398 under the Luxury Tax.

Team Salary Cap Outlooks

The post Dallas Mavericks: Salary Cap Space 2020 appeared first on SLAM.

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

Mavs NBA 2K21 Ratings

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

The post Dallas Mavericks: NBA 2K21 Ratings appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Out Then; Out Now

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

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

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

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

Out Then; Available Now

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

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

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

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

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

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

Available Then; Out Now

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

This won’t be Burke’s first run with the Mavs, he averaged 9.7 points per game with the team in 2018-19 after arriving in Dallas as part of the Kristaps Porzingis deal.

The Mavs will add Burke as a substitute player for Willie Cauley-Stein who has opted out of the league restart.

The addition of Burke will fortify a Mavs backcourt that will be without Jalen Brunson for the playoff push and postseason. Brunson underwent shoulder surgery in March and isn’t expected to be available for the team.

The post Trey Burke, Dallas Mavs Agree To Deal appeared first on SLAM.

Returning to play and starting right back up with the NBA Playoffs has not been ruled out. The playoffs are the league’s most lucrative and highest-viewed games of the season. All parties will do what they can to avoid sacrificing playoff games.

One thing the paused season is doing is allowing those playoff teams to get healthy. Almost all of the current 16 playoff teams was dealing with injuries on some front. Here’s where each team stood when play was suspended and where they could be when play resumes.

Eastern Conference

Milwaukee Bucks

• Giannis Antetokounmpo had suffered a sprained left knee shortly before the season was suspended. Antetokounmpo was looking like he would return from it in relatively short order though. That means the reigning MVP should be ready to go when the season resumes.

Toronto Raptors

• Marc Gasol had recently returned from a strained left hamstring. He was going to be spotted rest days to keep him healthy, and now has plenty of recovery time.
• Norman Powell went down with a sprained left ankle two days before play was suspended. The team said it wasn’t serious, so Powell should be healthy upon resumption of play.
• Fred VanVleet had been out for a couple of weeks with a sore left shoulder. He was expected to return soon, so the downtime will only make that more likely.

Boston Celtics

• Jaylen Brown had missed five straight games with a strained right hamstring before the season was suspended. The time off gives Brown, who is also suffering from an ankle injury, time to get right. He should be fine when play resumes.
• Gordon Hayward and Kemba Walker have both dealt with recurring soreness throughout the season. Hayward still has issues with left foot/ankle from when he broke his leg a couple of years ago. Walker has battled left soreness. The time off should allow both veterans to get the rest they need.

Miami Heat

• Jimmy Butler injured his left toe a week before the pause. He downplayed the injury, so he should be fine when the season starts back up.
• Meyers Leonard had been out over a month with a badly sprained left ankle. The time off should give him the time he needs to be ready for the re-start.

Indiana Pacers

• Victor Oladipo has dealt with residual soreness in his back and legs since his return from knee surgery. The time off will only help him manage that.
• Malcolm Brogdon has had seven different injury this season. The latest was a tear in his left quad. As this happened shortly before the season was suspended, there is no official timeline for Brogdon’s return. This is one to keep an eye on.
• Doug McDermott had been battling a sore right big toe, but should be ready to go when play resumes.

Philadelphia 76ers

• Ben Simmons was essentially ruled out for the remainder of the regular season schedule shortly before play was suspended due to a nerve impingement in his back. There might not be a player who could benefit more from the downtime than Simmons. He may have missed time in the postseason had things stayed on schedule. Now Simmons could be ready to go when things start back up again.

Brooklyn Nets

• Could Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving return if the season starts back up in a month or two and it’s right into the playoffs? It’s probably a no for both players, but the door was left open a bit for Durant. The plan is to keep him out, but as his business manager Rich Kleiman said “Could that change? I guess it could change.” Durant was one of four Nets to test positive for coronavirus, but that shouldn’t have any bearing on him being able to play one way or the other.
• The Nets ruled Irving out for the season following shoulder surgery, but that’s when the season was set to end on time. Irving is probably still out, but expect the question to at least be asked.
• Three unnamed Nets, beyond Durant, also tested positive for COVID-19. It’s expected that they’ll have made a full recovery before play resumes.

Orlando Magic

• In mid-February the Orlando Magic said Jonathan Isaac would not return this season. The NBA had previously denied Orlando’s petition for a Disabled Player Exception for Isaac, which lent some credence to the belief he could come back this year. How the season being stretched out impacts that is an unknown at this point.
• Al-Farouq Aminu was originally though to be out for the year, but shed his knee brace recently. His quicker than expected recovery, combined with the pause in the season, means he could return this year.

Western Conference

Los Angeles Lakers

• Outside of some minor bumps and bruises, the Lakers went into the break in play healthy and ready to go.

Los Angeles Clippers

• Lou Williams had a sore right calf right before play was suspended, but should be fine when things pick back up. He’s the only LA rotation player dealing with even a minor injury.

Denver Nuggets

• After a season filled with injuries, the Nuggets were finally healthy. They’ll hope to stay that way when play resumes.

Utah Jazz

• Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell both tested positive for coronavirus, but are expected to be healthy and ready to go when the season restarts.

Oklahoma City Thunder

• Rookie forward Darius Bazley suffered a right knee bruise that was expected to keep him out for the remainder of the regular season. He’s now likely to be ready to return when play starts back up again.

Houston Rockets

• The Rockets were fully healthy when the season paused. Houston had been going small and playing only about eight players a night. The extra rest will certainly benefit them.

Dallas Mavericks

• Jalen Brunson was the only Mavs regular dealing with anything beyond bumps and bruises. He chose to have shoulder surgery, after previously electing to play through a right labrum tear. Brunson could be back, but it’s expected he’ll be out whenever the season restarts.

Memphis Grizzlies

• Memphis was really banged up. Starting forward Jaren Jackson Jr. was out with a sprained left knee, but was closing in on a return. He should be good to go when play picks back up.
• Brandon Clarke was down for the Grizzlies frontcourt. He had a right quad injury, but the team had announced he was progressing well before the shutdown. He should be ready when the season resumes.
• Justise Winslow had yet to make his Memphis debut when play was suspended. He was upgraded to questionable just before the stoppage of play, so he could be ready when games resume.

The post Paused Season Gives Playoff Teams Time to Get Healthy appeared first on SLAM.

• Dallas Mavericks – Dallas is continuing to deal with injuries. Dwight Powell is out for the season, and now Luka Doncic (ankle) and Jalen Brunson (shoulder) are nicked up. For Doncic, it doesn’t seem serious, but it is a bit troubling that he continues to have ankle troubles. Brunson has a torn labrum in his right shoulder, but he’s a lefty and is planning to try to play through it. The Mavs have lots of guard depth, but getting healthy for the playoff run is key.
• Denver Nuggets – The Nuggets aren’t catching the Lakers for the top spot in the Western Conference, but they’ve been able to hold off the Clippers and Rockets so far. A big reason why is Denver is finally healthy. With their full roster, the Nuggets are legitimately 10 deep. Mike Malone can now use the rest of the regular season to figure out his playoff rotation.

• Golden State Warriors – One star back, one star out for the Dubs. Stephen Curry’s return is right around the corner, but Klay Thompson was ruled out for the season recently. Steve Kerr will get a look at how Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins can work together over the season’s final 20 games or so, and then Thompson will slide in as a plug-and-play addition next season. Golden State also continues to cycle through 10-day players, as Dragan Bender and Mychal Mulder have both signed on recently.
• Houston Rockets – Houston is fully committed to the small-ball style. Unless Tristan Thompson is shockingly bought out in the next couple of days, the Rockets will stick with a “center” rotation of P.J. Tucker and Jeff Green, the latter of whom will sign for the rest of the season. It’s worked so far, as Houston has won five straight games. One worry: Will Tucker have enough in the tank to make this a multi-month thing in a playoff run?
• Los Angeles Clippers – Doc Rivers and a handful of players have recently intimated that it’s time for the Clippers to figure out who they are. Due to injuries, load management and recent trades/signings, LA has about a month and a half to figure out their rotation. Sure, the roster is stacked with talent. But it’s up to Rivers to figure out how all that talent fits and time is starting to running out.
• Los Angeles Lakers – Markieff Morris is now in the fold for the Lakers. That might be the final move for Los Angeles, as the buyout market has really dried up. Morris gives the Lakers some additional depth up front, and that could be key down the stretch. LA hasn’t had a real backup for Anthony Davis, as Kyle Kuzma is more of a swing forward than a true four. With Morris, Frank Vogel can now spot Davis some rest days or keep him out when the inevitable bumps and bruises come. With a 5.5-game cushion in the standings, expect the Lakers to turn the focus to being healthy and rested for the playoffs.
• Memphis Grizzlies – Memphis’ Cinderella season seems to be closing in on midnight. The Grizzlies lead for the last playoff spot in the West is down to just three games, and five teams have closed to within 4.5 games. With Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke and Justise Winslow sidelined with injuries for at least a few weeks, it’s going to be tough for Memphis to hold off the charge.
• Minnesota Timberwolves – The Wolves hope at the trade deadline was to get their new additions on the floor with Karl-Anthony Towns and get a glimpse of their future. Now, Towns is out for at least a couple of weeks with a fractured left wrist. On the flip side, Malik Beasley is playing great since getting to Minnesota. He’s averaged 21.7 PPG on nearly 42% as a Timberwolf. D’Angelo Russell got the headlines as a trade addition, but Beasley may be just as big a part of the future in Minnesota.
• New Orleans Pelicans – Have you seen this Zion kid? He’s pretty good! In all seriousness, Williamson’s debut has jolted the Pelicans into the Western Conference playoff race. New Orleans is now just three games behind Memphis. And the Pels have a very easy closing schedule. Would you like to see a Lakers vs. Pelicans series in Round 1? Us too!

• Oklahoma City Thunder – The Thunder have gone from a nice story to a full-scale playoff team. Did you know OKC is only four games behind for the two-seed? Didn’t think so. And they’re getting some wings back, as Terrance Ferguson and Hamidou Diallo are both healthy now. Neither is a star, but for a team that needs wing depth, they’ll take what they can get.
• Phoenix Suns – Phoenix simply can’t have nice things. Deandre Ayton is back and dominating. Key veterans Aron Baynes and Ricky Rubio are healthy. Devin Booker is an All-Star. So, of course, they lose a key player to injury. Kelly Oubre Jr., who was having a career-year, suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee and will likely miss the rest of the season. Oubre is seeking a second opinion, but the Suns are preparing for life without him.
• Portland Trail Blazers – Even without Damian Lillard, the Blazers have hung around the playoff race. Portland is three games behind Memphis and they have one of the easier closing schedules left. There is still no clear return timetable for Jusuf Nurkic or Zach Collins, but if the Trail Blazers can hang in there, they’ll add as much talent as anyone for the final playoff push.

• Sacramento Kings – The Kings are making an improbable run at the playoffs. Sacramento has gone 6-4 over their last 10 games to get back in the race. Luke Walton’s lineup swap of Bogdan Bogdanovic and Buddy Hield has worked as well. Bogdanovic has averaged 14.2 PPG as a starter, while Hield has been instant-offense off the bench at 20.2 PPG on 48.9% from behind the arc.
• San Antonio Spurs – San Antonio is scratching and clawing to extend their playoff streak to 24 years. They’ve been passed by New Orleans in the standings, which means the Spurs will have to pass the Pelicans, Trail Blazers and Grizzlies to get into the postseason. Gregg Popovich is leaning heavily on LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan, but is finally getting improved play from the Spurs role players. It’s a tall task, but bet against San Antonio at your own peril.
• Utah Jazz – To put it simply, the Jazz are a mess right now. Utah has lost four straight games and this week Quin Snyder made a messy lineup shuffle. On Wednesday morning, Mike Conley was informed he’d go back to the bench and Royce O’Neale would open games again. By the time players showed up at the arena, Conley was back in the opening group and Joe Ingles was coming off the bench. That confusing back-and-forth sums up where the Jazz are at right now.

The post Newswire Notebook: Malik Beasley’s Emergence and More appeared first on SLAM.

McMahon also reported that the left-handed Brunson intends to try and play through the shoulder injury. If Brunson is to return, it will come when Dallas is back at home next Wednesday, as he’s already been ruled out for the remaining three games of the Mavs road trip. Brunson could undergo surgery on the injury this offseason.

Brunson has been a key part of the Mavericks rotation this year, averaging 17.9 minutes per game over 57 appearances, including 16 starts. The second-year guard has averaged 8.2 points per game, while shooting career-best percentages nearly across the board.

Without Brunson, Dallas is leaning heavily on Seth Curry and Delon Wright alongside Luka Doncic in the backcourt. The Mavericks have also worked veteran J.J. Barea back into the lineup on a more regular basis as well.

If Brunson is able to play through his injury, it will give Rick Carlisle the depth necessary to play matchups and rest players as necessary over the last month and a half of the season.

The post Mavs Guard Jalen Brunson To Play Through Torn Labrum appeared first on SLAM.

Previous stories:

LIVE FROM MADISON STREET: Zach LaVine Talks Playing in Chicago

ALL OF THE LIGHTS: Remembering 1988 All-Star Weekend in Chicago

BORN & RAISED: Allie Quigley Has Been Repping Chicago Since Day 1

HOMECOMING: Kendrick Nunn’s Journey from Chicago to the NBA

—

Dear Chi,

We different. We know this. Not Paris different, not Harlem different, not Vegas, Lagos, Madrid, Sao Paulo, Sydney, New Orleans or South Central different. We stay a city within our own nation within our own world. Our flow, the way we roll, the way we think, feel about and react to things, the way we create, what we create, the reasons we create, different. We exist different.

This game ain’t just a game. It’s our export to the world. Our soul we keep. We bringin’ it back like it’s ’88. All-Star Weekend. Reminding the world who we are, where we stand and—more defiantly—what we stand on and for. We didn’t invent this game, just mecca’d it. GOAT’d it. Because we don’t follow our passion, we follow our effort. We don’t chase the end result, we embrace the process. While others trend set, we invent. We don’t just play D, we protect, baseline-to-baseline. Tony Allen and Pat Bev style. 

The mid-February classic that returns to us after a 32-year break is the culmination of decades of post-Jordan inspiration. It’s us contributing to the game in ways unmatched by any other place in the world. Since Jordan’s coming-out party that weekend (the same weekend that saw Mike Tyson marry Robin Givens here, too), the weekend where he ascended above the game and made the pound-for-pound alive title all his, all we gave to the game was the following: D-Wade, D-Rose, the Parkers: Candace and Jabari, KG via South Carolina, Tamika Catchings, three-time world champs Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston. Antoine Walker, Evan Turner, Cappie P, Michael Fin, Q-Rich, Jon Scheyer, officials James Capers and Marc Davis, the aforementioned Allen and Bev, Morgan Tuck, Juwan Howard, Jalen Brunson, Tyler Ulis, Sherron Collins, Will Bynum, Corey Mag, Jewell Loyd, Jamie Brandon, Ronnie Fields, the Pargos (Jannero and Jeremy), the Browns (Shannon and Sterling), and oh yeah, a kid named Anthony Davis. And they say the Dream Team changed the game. 

Shy people run. Chi people run things. We live by truism, not by code. A truism that creates a different character of man, woman and child that shed sweat on the streets that we call neighborhoods, on these courts we call home. It reflects who we are individually; it reflects what we rep as a city. Our character is defined between the water of Lake Michigan and the concrete of Kedzie; by the wind that hits our skin but never touches our bones; by the chain nets that hang from iron halos and nylon that will create string music inside the United Center come February. 

We are represented by Jake and Elwood, Cochise and Preach, Kanye and Parkay, Jordan and Pippen. We live by the difference between taking a gamble and being ambitious. Doubt to us equals not being prepared. Something we know nothing about. Our “Big Shoulders” alias comes with pride because it wasn’t given to us: we earned it. The world has always been resting on them. Second City to no one. And for those who don’t believe it, just ask someone from here during All-Star Weekend. We are not ashamed to remind those who don’t know or forgot who we are. We don’t argue, we simply disagree. We don’t create enemies, we just have low tolerance for all things faux, fake or phony. We don’t “friend” or “like” people we don’t know. We believe in shaking peoples’ hands. Eye to eye, I for I.

The new awakening has arrived. In the form of a basketball showcase we call the “Black Super Bowl.” We are its host. Here to put on, display our coexistence with a game that is, to us, what hip-hop is to NYC, film and movies are to L.A., modern technology is to Silicon Valley, capitalism is to Wall Street, corruption is to Capitol Hill, coffee is to Seattle, Nike is to Portland, Mickey Mouse is to Orlando, Donald Glover is to the ATL. That connectivity, that association. That bond shared between our city and this game called “ball” that is inseparable, undeniable and unconditional. That love.

So let’s show the world how we do. The real we. Where we shoot hoops, not people. Where presidents are from, not prisoners. Where we open the city’s door and say, “Take your Jordans off. Relax. Watch the carpet. Don’t chill, Chi-IL.” And let all visitors know that while other places play the game, we live it. And that sound everyone will be hearing all weekend is not basketballs dribbling.

It’s our heartbeat.

—

Scoop Jackson is a senior writer for ESPN.

Photos via Getty and Matthew Yarnell.

The post DEAR CHI: A Love Letter to Basketball in the Windy City appeared first on SLAM.

The Clippers were fully healthy for the first time in a while, and they made quick work of the struggling Wolves. Kawhi Leonard was his usual brutally efficient self, scoring 31 points in only 24 minutes of action. Paul George also enjoyed a complete game, pouring in 21 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals on 9-18 shooting.

Leading the bench, once again, were Lou Will (17 points) and Montrezl Harrell (16 points).

Karl Towns had 32 points and 12 rebounds, but nobody else on the team could muster a quality performance.

Heat 102 (33-15), Magic 89 (21-28)

Miami keeps plugging alone, and this time it was rookie Tyler Herro draining six 3-pointers off the bench, while Myers Leonard notched 18 points and 14 rebounds. Jimmy Butler led the way with 24 points.

Knicks 92 (14-36), Pacers 85 (31-18)

Good for the Knicks.

beating a respectable Pacers team while on the road deserves praise, even if Indiana is adjusting to their star player Victor Oladipo coming back. Marcus Morris Sr. led the way with 28 points and 6 rebounds, while Julius Randle contributed a beefy double-double of 16 points and 19 boards.

Warriors 131 (11-39), Cavaliers 112 (13-37)

Remember when this was a finals matchup for four straight years?

In the present day, we were treated to a strong D’Angelo Russell game, as he scored 19 points, grabbed 7 boards and dished 8 assists. Draymond Green also had a whopping 16 assists.

For the Cavs, Colin Sexton had a respectable 23 points and 3 steals.

Wizards 113 (17-31), Nets 107 (21-27)

Bradley Beal is aware he was not voted to the All-Star team.

So what does he do tonight? Well, go off for 34 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks, of course.

The Nets lost again, and while Spencer Dinwiddie was a bright spot once again off the bench, Kyrie Irving exited the game late with a sprained knee and will undergo an MRI on Sunday, according to Woj. Let’s hope everything is ok.

Mavericks 123 (30-19), Hawks 100 (13-37)

No Luka Doncic and no Kristaps Porzingis?

Didn’t matter, as the Mavericks, behind 27 points and 8 assists from Jalen Brunson, took care of the Hawks.

John Collins (26 points, 11 boards), got his numbers, but Trae Young struggled before exiting with an ankle injury. At least we were treated to this high-arching beauty:

Celtics 116 (33-15), 76ers 95 (31-19)

Even without star guard Kemba Walker, the Celtics got a statement win over their rival 76ers. Jaylen Brown stepped up to the plate, with 32 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals, as well as a beautiful handles display.

The 76ers had one of their puzzling night where they simply do not play to their full potential. Joel Embiid shot a surprising 1-11, Al Horford shot 4-11 and Tobias Harris shot 4-12.

Spurs 114 (22-26), Hornets 90 (16-33)

DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points and added 6 assists as the Spurs inch another game closer to the 8th seed in the West.

For Charlotte, Miles Bridges had 25 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks, but 90 points as a team isn’t going to cut it.

Lakers 129 (37-11), Kings 111 (18-31)

At this point, it would have been understandable if the Lakers followed up last night’s close and emotional loss with another one, as they are still grieving as a collective unit. But they came out strong, scoring 81 points in the first half alone.

LeBron had a triple-double, with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, as well as this gorgeous pass to Avery Bradley:

Portland 124 (23-27), Utah 107 (32-17)

Damian Lillard is simply not of this world right now.

Even before tonight, Lillard’s last five scoring outputs were as followed: 61, 47, 50, 36 and 48 points.

Tonight, he added to his growing legend by dropping 51 points and 12 assists to lay waste to the Jazz.

The post Post Up: Lakers Defeat Kings Following Emotional Friday Night appeared first on SLAM.

In this post, just one of a series of 30, we’ll break down the reports that have started to trickle out about Mavs players that may or may not be on the move. While there’s no guarantee when it comes to a league as wild as the modern NBA, it doesn’t hurt to brush up on each squad’s roster as the deadline draws near.

Players Unlikely To Be Traded

• Kristaps Porzingis
• Luka Doncic

A pair of trades gave the Mavericks their building blocks of the future. The team dealt away a future first-round pick in order to move up in the 2018 draft and select Luka Doncic. Then, prior to last season’s trade deadline, Dallas traded future draft picks to obtain Kristaps Porzingis from New York. It’s unlikely the team makes as big of a splash at this year’s deadline and it’s even more unlikely that it deals away either franchise player.

Biggest Name Available On Market

• Tim Hardaway Jr.

A move to the starting lineup back in November was the catalyst to Tim Hardaway Jr.’s revived season. In 24 starts this year, the wing is averaging 16.0 points per game while making 42.7% of his shots from downtown. 

He’s making $20M this season as a result of the contract the Knicks gave him back in 2017 and the 15% trade kicker that came with it. The uncertainty that comes with THJ could play a factor in teams taking on his deal. He has a player option worth $19M next season and there’s no word on whether he plans to pick it up.

Logical Trade Pieces

• Courtney Lee

Courtney Lee is making $12.8M in the final year of his contract. He came over in the Porzingis deal, though no one really expected him to be a member of the squad long-term. The 34-year-old has played sparingly for the Mavs, appearing in just 10 games this season. His mid-sized salary along with the fact that he doesn’t have a role on the team, makes him a major candidate to be moved. 

Trades Are Possible

• Dwight Powell
• Delon Wright
• Maxi Kleber
• Seth Curry
• Dorian Finney-Smith
• Justin Jackson
• J.J. Barea
• Isaiah Roby
• Jalen Brunson
• Ryan Broekhoff

Dwight Powell inked an extension with the Mavs this past offseason on a deal that will keep him under team control through the 2022-23 season. He’s having another one of his signature under-the-radar, yet efficient campaigns, as he’s currently sixth in the league in true shooting percentage. Delon Wright is having a nice first season in Dallas. He’s seeing 20.8 minutes per game, helping the Mavericks to have one of the better benches in the league. Maxi Kleber and Dorian Finney-Smith each became trade eligible on January 15, as the team re-signed both players this offseason using some version of Bird rights. Seth Curry’s $32M contract runs through the 2022-23 season. He’s having another fine season from behind the arc. Justin Jackson came to the Mavs in the Harrison Barnes deal last year and in his first full season with the club, he’s seeing just under 16 minutes per game. Long-time Maverick J.J. Barea has the right to veto any trade, as he re-signed on a one-year deal with the club. 2019 second-round pick Isaiah Roby hasn’t yet appeared in an NBA game. The forward is mostly gaining experience with the Texas Legends of the G League. former second-round pick Jalen Brunson has two more years left on his deal, though his contract in 2021-22 is non-guaranteed. Ryan Broekhoff saw action in 10 games for the Mavs before breaking his fibula. There is no timetable for his return.

The post 2020 NBA Trade Deadline Primer: Dallas Mavericks appeared first on SLAM.

Carmelo Anthony (20 points), Hassan Whiteside (22), Dame Lillard (24) and CJ McCollum (33) led the way as the Trail Blazers shot a blistering 56 percent from the field and 50 percent from deep.

Portland improved to 4-3 since signing Anthony.

Warriors 91 (4-19), Hornets 106 (9-14)

Terry Rozier got the Hornets rolling early with 12 points in the first quarter and Devonte Graham finished the visitors off with 10 made 3’s en route to a 33-point night. Graham’s 10 3’s tied a franchise-record.

D’Angelo Russell scored 18 points in 25 minutes of action — his first game since Nov. 15 — but it wasn’t enough for the struggling Warriors.

Bucks 127 (19-3), Pistons 103 (8-14)

Giannis Antetokounmpo only needed 28 minutes to put up 35 points (4-for-8 from 3), nine rebounds and two blocks as the Bucks won their 13th straight contest.

Andre Drummond had the highlight of the night, dunking over Antetokounmpo and Robin Lopez. He finished the night with 23 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, two steals and three blocks.

Suns 114 (9-11), Magic 128 (10-11)

Aaron Gordon shot 5-for-5 from deep and 13-for-15 overall as he clocked out with 32 points, five assists and five rebounds. Evan Fournier added another 21 to help lead the Magic.

Frank Kaminsky scored 21 points in the first half for Phoenix, but he cooled off after the intermission, finishing with just 23.

Lakers 121 (19-3), Jazz (12-10)

There were complaints about the Lakers’ strength of schedule (or lack thereof) to open this season, but back-to-back wins over Denver and Utah have put doubts of Los Angeles’ legitimacy to bed.

Anthony Davis scored 26 on only 11 shots and LeBron turned in 20 points and 12 dimes in just 29 minutes. Rajon Rondo moved up to 17th all-time on the NBA’s assists leaderboard.

Nets 130 (11-10), Hawks 118 (5-17)

Taurean Prince shined against his former team, scoring 23 points on 9-for-15 shooting.

The Nets trailed be four to the end first quarter, but a second quarter surge made the difference in what was an otherwise close game the rest of the way.

Trae Young scored a game-high 39 points and dished out 10 dimes.

Heat 93 (15-6), Celtics (15-5)

Jimmy Butler followed up his triple-double from the previous night with a game-high 37; however, a combined 59-point outing from Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown was too much for his team to overcome.

Grizzlies 99 (6-15), Bulls 106 (8-14)

Zach LaVine continued to shine, scoring a team-high 25 points. All four other Chicago starters (Satoransky: 13 points, Kris Dunn: 10, Wendell Carter Jr.: 16, Lauri Markkanen: 15) scored double-digit points.

The Grizzlies struggled to get its backcourt going as Ja Morant missed his third game due to injury.

Pacers 107 (14-7), Thunder 100 (8-12)

Seven Pacers scored double-digit points as TJ Warren’s 24 led the way.

Steven Adams had 20 on 8-for-8 shooting to lead OKC.

Timberwolves 114 (10-10), Mavericks 121 (15-6)

Dallas’ bench got hot in the fourth quarter — Jalen Brunson was a team-best + 21 with 16 points — as the Mavs closed out the final period with 41 points.

Luka Doncic turned in 22 points, six assists and seven boards to keep the Mavs hot. Dwight Powell added 24 on 9-for-9 shooting. Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points, nine boards and seven assists for Minnesota.

The post Post Up: LeBron, Lakers Blow Out Jazz, Bucks Win 13th Straight appeared first on SLAM.

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

Dallas Mavericks NBA 2K20 Ratings

This table is updated as of Nov. 22, 2019

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

More NBA 2K20 Ratings

The post NBA 2K20 Ratings: Dallas Mavericks appeared first on SLAM.

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

Dallas Mavericks

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

More NBA Training Camp Rosters

The post Dallas Mavericks Roster Count: 2019 Training Camp appeared first on SLAM.

They were placed there during Jalen Brunson‘s first week of his junior year at Villanova and remained until he moved out. Whether he was awake before sunrise to train or up late studying for an exam, the list stared at him. There were tiring, tough days—a lot of them—but Brunson would not allow himself to lose sight of those goals. Literally.

Big East Player of the Year. Big East champions. Consensus National Player of the Year. NCAA champions. One by one, Brunson checked them off the list. He graduated school early, as he had set out to do, taking classes throughout the summer as he also prepared for the NBA.

“I knew that when I write my goals down, I’d be more likely to achieve them,” Brunson says. The ritual creates a sense of accountability and offers daily motivation. At the advice of his parents, Rick and Sandra, Jalen has been making these lists since he began high school; and what he’s managed to accomplish, on and off the court, from then is truly remarkable.

Now the 22-year-old is wrapping up his rookie season with the Dallas Mavericks. It’s a Friday afternoon in mid-March and he’s tuned in to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Though it feels like forever ago, it’s been less than 12 months since Brunson was on the stage himself. He remembers the crazy environments and how hard it was to block out all the noise and distractions. Those experiences helped groom him for where he’s at now.

Dallas took Brunson with the 33rd pick in the 2018 draft, and head coach Rick Carlisle recognized immediately that the organization had gotten a steal.

“I remember us having a conversation and he knew: We got a first round pick in the second round,” explains Villanova head coach Jay Wright. “He said that to me. He said, This kid is going to be a great pro. He knew it.”

Brunson understood that his value wouldn’t necessarily be reflected in the draft. He had thoughtful conversations with coach Wright about it and was never discouraged by where he ultimately got selected.

“The draft is about potential, size, athleticism—that’s not him,” says Wright. “But your career is going to be about your skill level, your professionalism, your work ethic, your ability to be a winner and a leader, and he was elite in that area. So we knew—You are going to be successful. You are going to have a long career. It’s just not going to show in the draft.“

On the floor has been a different story. 

In his first season, Brunson has averaged 9.3 points and 3.1 assists per contest, shooting 47 percent from the field (2nd among rookie guards) and 35 percent from three. He’s been in the starting lineup 37 times, upping his scoring mark to 13.0 points in those outings. He can spot up beyond the arc, waiting for kick-outs from teammate Luka Doncic, and knock down jumpers off-the-dribble. Despite standing just 6-3, Brunson has finished 70 percent of his attempts at the rim as well, using his strength and an array of savvy moves to create open looks. There’s a poise and calm to his game that’s rare to find in rookies. For a point guard, he rarely turns the ball over (averaging merely 1.2 per game) and can effectively control the tempo.

“I approach each game the same,” he says. “Just go out there and be a killer. Play as hard as I can and do what the team needs.”

He repeats himself to emphasize that last part: Play as hard as I can and do what the team needs.

“Sheer will and competitiveness,” says Wright, when asked what Brunson brings to the table. “He would somedays just will our team to have a good practice. Some games just will our team to a win. It might be a steal and a breakaway layup. It might be a charge. It might be a dive for a loose ball. It might be hitting a three. It might be posting up and getting an and-one. It would be whatever it would take to break the will of the opponent and to inspire the will of our team. Whatever it would take.”

And yet, what seems to separate Brunson more than anything else is his maturity and disciplined approach. According to Wright, he was “as close to perfect as you can be” as a student-athlete at Villanova—always getting the right amount of rest, eating the right foods, training before and after practice, watching extra film, staying on top of his studies. It’s one thing to write down your goals. It’s another to chase them—all of them—unrelentingly.

The summer before his junior year, Brunson passed up on invitations to several camps that would’ve provided exposure to NBA scouts, instead concentrating on his plan to graduate and on being the captain of the Wildcats. He never missed a team or individual workout and was very in-tune with how the guys were feeling and what needed to be addressed at certain moments. 

“I would joke that he was the most mature person in our program, including me and our staff. But… it’s not really a joke,” says Wright. 

“He would initiate more meetings with me at the right time than I would with him. There’d be times I thought there was an issue or I just had a question about what the team thought and I would meet with him, but more times he would come to me and I would say, Hey, you know what, I’m glad you came up here because you and I should talk about this. He would initiate it. His maturity and emotional intelligence was incredible.”

Villanova’s philosophy is that complete growth (mental, emotional, social, academic) on the college level between the ages of 18-21 will actually make one a better basketball player. They would never hold an individual back from jumping to the NBA, but that’s their overall position. Brunson didn’t have to discuss this philosophy when he was being recruited or when he arrived on campus—he came in with it already, even though his prior accolades (USAB Male Athlete of the Year, MVP of the FIBA U19 World Cup, Illinois’ Mr. Basketball, McDonald’s All-American) suggested he could be a one-and-done. He was going to get his degree. End of story. 

“Staying those three years helped me experience a lot of things,” Brunson says. “I matured. I got to learn different roles of basketball.

“I know what it’s like to first be a role player on a winning team and also be the leader on a winning team. I got to experience the best of both worlds.” 

Brunson scored 9.6 points per game during his freshman campaign, when NOVA went on to win the NCAA title on Kris Jenkins’ buzzer-beater. Two years later, he guided the school to the top once again—this time dropping a team-high 18.9 points. 

As he transitioned to the pros shortly after, his father, Rick, who played in the NBA from 1997-2006, repeatedly preached the same message. Embrace the experience. Stay ready. 

“You can play 0 minutes one night and you can play 30-40 minutes the next. You just never know,” Jalen says. “It sounds simple but staying mentally and physically ready is something that’s hard to do.” 

The Mavs traded starting PG Dennis Smith Jr back at the deadline, paving the way for Brunson to receive more minutes. And of course, he was ready. 

“He’s had a lot of different roles this year—everything from being a stay-ready, depth bench guy to being in the primary rotation off the bench and then he started a lot of games too,” said Rick Carlisle in late-February, just before Brunson put up 22 points and 5 assists against the Nuggets. “One of the great things about him is, he’s ready for anything. He’ll always be ready. He’s very professional for a guy that’s just a first-year player.” 

Jalen has been chasing a new set of goals, stored on his phone so he can always refer back to them, even when the Mavericks are on the road. He doesn’t like to share the contents (“Those goals are my own.”), but will admit that he “likes where [he’s] at.”

“I’m just trying to prove that I belong,” he later says. “That’s all I care about.”

You can check that off the list.

—

GRAB YOUR COPY OF SLAM 221 HERE.

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

Photos via Getty.

The post NEVER STOP: Jalen Brunson Keeps Climbing 📈 appeared first on SLAM.

Despite not having Luka Doncic, the Mavericks defeated the Thunder in Oklahoma City. Trey Burke had 25 points off the bench, and Devin Harris chipped in 15 points. Jalen Brunson finished with 18 points.

Hawks 136 (28-49), Bucks 135 (57-20)

Trae Young’s shot off a deflection at the buzzer gave the Hawks the W in overtime. Young finished the game with 12 points and dished out 16 dimes. Four of five starters finished in double digits as Justin Anderson (24 points) was the team’s leading scorer.

Lakers 130 (35-42), Pelicans 102 (32-46)

Alex Caruso had a career-high 23 points as the Lakers got the Sunday afternoon win. Rajon Rondo had 24 points and 12 assists, and JaVale McGee had 23 points and 16 rebounds.

Kings 113 (38-39), Spurs 106 (44-33)

Buddy Hield’s 26 points propelled a Kings win on the road. Sacramento’s other four starters finished in double digits, and got a combined 25 bench points from Yogi Ferrell and Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Wizards 95 (32-46), Nuggets 90 (51-25)

Troy Brown Jr had the hot hand from deep, knocking down five 3-pointers, to have a career-high 24 points. Thomas Bryant and Jabari Parker had 20 apiece. The Wizards scored 13 straight points in the third quarter after trailing by double digits and held the Nuggets to 28 points in the second half.

Warriors 137 (52-34), Hornets 90 (35-41)

Golden State completely obliterated the Hornets at Oracle Arena. Six players finished in double digits with Stephen Curry (25 points) leading the way. Klay Thompson had 24 and Quin Cook had 21 points off the bench. The Warriors made 21 3-pointers and shot 63.6 percent from behind the arc.

Clippers 113 (47-31), Grizzlies 96 (31-46)

Aside from Danilo Gallinari’s stellar night – 27 points and 15 rebounds – the Clippers’ bench was a key factor in the win. Montrezl Harrell (20 points) and Lou Williams (17 points). Jamychal Green, another reserve, had 15 points. The Clippers also honored L.A. rapper Nipsey Hussle, who was fatally shot earlier in the day.

The post Post Up: Trae Young Hits Buzzer Beater as Hawks Defeat Bucks in Overtime appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Paul George continues to prove that he deserves to be in the MVP conversation. George scored 45 points in 50 minutes as the Thunder battled the Jazz to the last second in a double overtime thriller.

It was George who iced the game for his team with a floater with only 0.8 seconds left on the clock.

Teammate Russell Westbrook added 43 points before fouling out in the first overtime.

Spurs 117 (33-27), Raptors 120 (44-16)

DeMar DeRozan’s return to Toronto did not disappoint. However, it was the Raptors who prevailed thanks to Kawhi Leonard‘s steal from DeRozan and subsequent layup to put Toronto ahead for good. DeRozan finished with 23 points; Leonard finished with 25 points.

After the game, noted best friends DeRozan and Kyle Lowry embraced.

Wizards 110 (24-35), Hornets 123 (28-30)

Bradley Beal’s 46 points were all for not as Charlotte overcame Washington at home. Kemba Walker led his team with 27 points and 11 assists in the win.

Pelicans 111 (26-34), Pacers 126 (39-20)

New Orleans simply couldn’t muster enough offense to beat the Pacers in Indiana. Recent free-agent signing Wesley Matthews led his new team to the win with 24 points on 6-of-11 shooting from deep.

Bulls 110 (15-44), Magic 109 (27-33)

Lauri Markkanen stepped up to the free throw line with 1.5 seconds left and a chance to put the Bulls ahead — he did just that, sinking two of three free throws to put Chicago ahead for good. The second-year forward led the Bulls in scoring with 25 points.

Pistons 125 (27-30), Hawks 122 (19-40)

Thon Maker iced the game for Detroit with a 3-pointer with under 20 seconds left that pushed the Pistons ahead for the win. Andre Drummond finished with 26 points and 21 rebounds while Reggie Jackson led the team with 32 points.

Timberwolves 115 (28-30), Knicks 104 (11-48)

Derrick Rose (20 points) and Taj Gibson (19 points) paced the Wolves in their road win over the Knicks. Allonzo Trier and Damyean Dotson each scored 20 points for New York.

Clippers 112 (33-27), Grizzlies 106 (23-37)

Montrezl Harrell continued his impressive season with 30 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field in a win at Memphis. Mike Conley led the Grizzlies with 25 points and 10 assists.

Nuggets 114 (40-18), Mavericks 104 (26-32)

Denver enjoyed an all-around scoring effort as seven players scored in double digits, led by Nikola Jokic with 19 points. Jalen Brunson put in 22 points for the Mavs as Luka Doncic sat due to right ankle soreness.

RELATED: DeMar DeRozan Details the Moment He Found Out About Trade to San Antonio

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But for NBA teams, however, tonight is the culmination of years of preparation. Scouts, analytics experts, general managers, owners and other front office personnel have gathered in war rooms as commissioner Adam Silver calls the names of the latest inductees into the NBA family.

Through watching countless hours of game film, conducting extensive interviews, and holding a myriad of individual workouts, teams have assembled detailed profiles on each prospect—hoping to select a franchise-altering talent.

Tonight, future 15-year veterans, NBA All-Stars, and perhaps even a couple Hall of Famers, will cross the stage at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. These players will help shape the NBA landscape for years to come.

Let us know which team had the best draft in the comments!

2018 NBA Draft Full Results

1. Suns: DeAndre Ayton (C) – Arizona
2. Kings: Marvin Bagley (F) – Duke
3. Mavs (from Hawks): Luka Doncic (G) – Real Madrid
4. Grizzlies: Jaren Jackson Jr (F/C) – Michigan State
5. Hawks (from Mavs): Trae Young (G) – Oklahoma State
6. Magic: Mo Bamba (C) – Texas
7. Bulls: Wendell Carter (C) – Duke
8. Cavs (from Nets via Celtics): Collin Sexton (G) – Alabama
9. Knicks: Kevin Knox (F) – Kentucky
10. Suns (from Lakers via Sixers): Mikal Bridges (G/F) – Villanova
11. Clippers (via Hornets): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (G) – Kentucky
12. Hornets (from Pistons via Clippers): Miles Bridges (F) – Michigan State
13. Clippers: Jerome Robinson (G) – Boston College
14. Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr (F) – Missouri
15. Wizards: Troy Brown (G) – Oregon
16. Sixers (from Heat via Suns): Zhaire Smith (G) – Texas Tech
17. Bucks: Donte DiVincenzo (G) – Villanova
18. Spurs: Lonnie Walker (G) – Miami
19. Hawks (from Wolves): Kevin Huerter (G) – Maryland
20. Wolves (from Thunder via Jazz): Josh Okogie (G/F) – Georgia Tech
21. Jazz: Grayson Allen (G) – Duke
22. Bulls (from Pelicans): Chandler Hutchison (G/F) – Boise State
23. Pacers: Aaron Holiday (G) – UCLA
24. Blazers: Anfernee Simons (G) – IMG Academy
25. Lakers (from Cavs via Blazers, Cavs): Moe Wagner (F/C) – Michigan
26. Sixers: Landry Shamet (G) – Wichita State
27. Celtics: Robert Williams (F/C) – Texas A&M
28. Warriors: Jacob Evans (G/F) – Cincinnati
29. Nets: Dzanan Musa (F) – Bosnia and Herzegovina
30. Hawks (from Rockets via Clippers): Omari Spellman (F/C) – Villanova

Second Round

31. Suns: Elie Okobo (G) – France
32. Grizzlies: Jevon Carter (G) – West Virginia
33. Mavs: Jalen Brunson (G) – Villanova
34. Hornets (from Hawks): Devonte Graham (G) – Kansas
35. Magic: Melvin Frazier (G/F) – Tulane
36. Knicks (from Bulls via Thunder): Mitchell Robinson (C)
37. Blazers (from Kings): Gary Trent Jr (G) – Duke
38. Pistons (from Nets via Sixers): Khyri Thomas (G) – Creighton
39. Lakers (from Knicks via Sixers): Isaac Bonga (F) – Germany
40. Nets (from Lakers via Magic, Raptors): Rodions Kurucs (F) – Latvia
41. Nuggets (from Hornets via Magic, Grizzlies, Suns): Jarred Vanderbilt (F) – Kentucky
42. Pistons: Bruce Brown Jr (G) – Miami
43. Nuggets (from Clippers via Knicks): Justin Jackson (F) – Maryland
44. Wizards: Issuf Sanon (G) – Ukraine
45. Nets (from Bucks): Hamidou Diallo (G) – Kentucky
46. Rockets (from Heat via Grizzlies): De’Anthony Melton (G) – USC
47. Lakers (from Nuggets via Jazz, Bulls): Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (G) – Kansas
48. Wolves: Keita Bates-Diop (F) – Ohio State
49. Spurs: Chimezie Metu (F/C) – USC
50. Pacers: Alize Johnson (F) – Missouri State
51. Pelicans (from Bulls via Pelicans, Heat): Tony Carr (G) – Penn State
52. Rockets (from Jazz): Vince Edwards (F) – Purdue
53. Thunder: Devon Hall (G) – Virginia
54. Sixers (from Blazers via Mavs, Nuggets): Shake Milton (G) – SMU
55. Hornets (from Cavs via Nets, Sixers): Arnoldas Kulboka (F) – Lithuania
56. Mavs (from Sixers): Ray Spalding (F) – Louisville
57. Thunder (from Celtics): Kevin Hervey (F) – Texas Arlington
58. Nuggets (from Warriors): Thomas Welsh (C) – UCLA
59. Suns (from Raptors): George King (F) – Colorado
60. Mavs (from Rockets via Sixers): Kostas Antetokounmpo (F) – Dayton

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Report: Sixers Discussed Markelle Fultz Package for Top-Five Pick

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“He was projected as a one-and-done kid, and I [knew] Jalen wasn’t one-and-done,” says Rick, his pops. “The type of player he was going to be—he just wasn’t ready to be that type of kid. So we got here with a three-year plan. I told Jay Wright, ‘I have three years for him to graduate, for him to win his National Championship, and he’s going to get out of here.’ That was our plan the whole time.

“On our official visit I sat down with Coach Wright and the coach staff and I said, ‘This is the layout of how I believe Jalen can be successful and reach his full potential, his personal goals and his personal dream of playing at the highest level.’”

It’s a way different approach than what you’d expect from one of the McDonald’s All-Americans, whose goals are usually to get into the NBA as soon as possible. Yet for the Brunsons, the plan was to put Jalen in the best situation so that he could remain in the League for as long as possible.

Rick enjoyed a nine-season career in the NBA, where he bounced around as a journeyman playing for eight different teams. The former Temple University standout is now an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves. His post-playing career has included coaching positions with the Denver Nuggets, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Bobcats (now the Hornets) and the University of Hartford.

Having a dad with over 15 years of experience in the NBA as a player and coach provided Jalen with a unique perspective. As a youngster, he would find himself hanging in NBA locker rooms and practices, surrounded by some of the game’s biggest stars. It created some memorable stories, like the time he got a chance to meet Michael Jordan but refused to let MJ sign his jersey.

“After the game, somehow, I got to go to the Wizards locker room and meet Michael Jordan,” recalls Jalen. “I walk in and I had his jersey on. Everywhere I went, I got a jersey from that arena. He walked up to me and said, ‘Hey, do you want me to sign your jersey?’ And I looked at him with a straight face and was like, ‘No, you’ll mess it up.’ Everyone in the locker room was crying.”

Fast-forward to 2018 and Jalen is now getting ready to enter the NBA draft with two National Championships under his belt and National College Player of the Year accolades to his name. The 6-3 guard was a freshman during the 2015-16 season, when Kris Jenkins hit a buzzer-beater at the National Championship game to help take down UNC. Although he was in the starting line-up that first year, older players overshadowed him.

By his sophomore year, Jalen had become a clear-cut leader of the team and was poised to make another deep run in the Tournament. After averaging 18.9 points and 4.6 assists this past season as a junior, he helped lead the Wildcats to their second National Championship in just three years.

Probably even more impressive, despite all his athletic accomplishments and responsibilities, the lefty will also be leaving Villanova with a college degree in just three years—somehow, he loaded up on classes while starring on the hardwood.

Despite his impeccable college resume, mock drafts and “analysts” have Jalen projected as a late first-rounder or even a second round prospect as of early May. His track record, though, paints a different picture.

“He’s heard—he’s human,” Rick says. “He’s heard and read about, ‘He’s not an athlete, he’s too small, too slow.’ He’s heard all of that. But like I keep saying to people, he’s one of eight people in the history of Illinois to win over 100 games in high school. He’s won over 100 games in college. He won two gold medals. At the end of the day, you keep doubting him—he keeps winning. You keep doubting him—he keeps getting Player of the Year. So, that’s the motivation.”

—

Franklyn Calle is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @FrankieC7. 

Photos via Getty Images

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Timberwolves assistant coach Rick Brunson has resigned from the staff, the team announced on Tuesday. His resignation comes in the wake of investigations into allegations of improper conduct toward women while on the job, sources told The Athletic.

The most recent incident came during the playoffs, when a woman who does not work for the team lodged a complaint with the Timberwolves after Brunson made several unwanted advances toward her, sources outside of the team told The Athletic.

Chris Haynes of ESPN further reports that one of the women is a member of the media:

ESPN Sources: One of the women is a media member. https://t.co/HprdsjCAoR

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) May 8, 2018

Rick, a former NBA player and the father of Villanova guard Jalen Brunson, just finished his second season with Minnesota. He was accused of sexual assault back in 2014 by a massage therapist with whom he admitted to having an extramarital affair, but was acquitted of all charges.

The Minnesota organization released the following statement, per Krawczynski:

“Our entire organization – made up of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Minnesota Lynx and Iowa Wolves — is deeply committed to creating a safe work environment for our employees, partners and fans,” the Timberwolves said in a statement issued Tuesday afternoon. “Our teams strive to have our actions reflect our values each and every day.  We work to maintain high standards of conduct and expect our staff to lead by example. We did not believe Mr. Brunson’s conduct was consistent with those standards.”

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Notable prospects not attending include DeAndre Ayton and Luka Doncic, who are both vying to be the No. 1 overall pick, as well as Texas A&M center Robert Williams. Doncic is currently playing in the EuroLeague playoffs.

The combine will be held in Chicago from May 16-20.

Here’s the complete list, via Yahoo:

Rawle Alkins

Grayson Allen

Kostas Antetokounmpo

Udoka Azubuike

Marvin Bagley III

Mohamed Bamba

Jaylen Barford

Keita Bates-Diop

Tyus Battle

Brian Bowen II

Mikal Bridges

Miles Bridges

Bruce Brown Jr.

Troy Brown Jr.

Jalen Brunson

Tony Carr

Jevon Carter

Wendell Carter

Hamidou Diallo

Donte DiVincenzo

Trevon Duval

Jacob Evans

Bruno Fernando

Melvin Frazier Jr.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Devonte Graham

Devon Hall

Jaylen Hands

Kevin Hervey

Aaron Holiday

Kevin Huerter

Chandler Hutchison

Jaren Jackson Jr.

Justin Jackson

Alize Johnson

George King

Kevin Knox

Sagaba Konate

Caleb Martin

Cody Martin

Yante Maten

Brandon McCoy

De’Anthony Melton

Chimezie Metu

Shake Milton

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk

Malik Newman

Josh Okogie

Jontay Porter

Michael Porter Jr.

Billy Preston

Jerome Robinson

Mitchell Robinson

Collin Sexton

Landry Shamet

Anfernee Simons

Zhaire Smith

Omari Spellman

Khyri Thomas

Gary Trent Jr.

Allonzo Trier

Jarred Vanderbilt

Moritz Wagner

Lonnie Walker

PJ Washington

Austin Wiley

Kris Wilkes

Kenrich Williams

Trae Young

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Villanova broke a stalemate with Michigan with 5:24 to go in the first half and never looked back as Donte DiVincenzo’s 31 points off the bench led the Wildcats to a 79-62 win over Michigan in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Monday night.

Villanova, who won its second title in three years, became the first team in NCAA Tournament history to win every game by double-digits.

"I really can't get my mind around it. I never dreamt of this." – Jay Wright #LetsMarchNova #NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/mCQhtOQReI

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 3, 2018

College National Player of the Year Jalen Brunson added nine points for Villanova:

“I can’t put this into words. I love my brothers. I love my team. I love ‘Nova nation. It’s spectacular … it was on us to keep the tradition, man. I love these guys … All the individual stuff doesn’t mean anything if I don’t have this … they’re never taking this away from us.”

“I just love my brothers. I love my team.”

Jalen Brunson is a champ (via @marchmadness) pic.twitter.com/WGPtv4fHBu

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 3, 2018

DiVincenzo’s 31 set the NCAA Championship record for points by a bench player.

BOOMIN’ OUT IN NORTHWEST PHILLY LIKE I’M DONTE DIVINCENZO (via @CBSSports) pic.twitter.com/hwT7EW15qU

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 3, 2018

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“This is like the Mecca of basketball,” says Ponds at October’s Big East media day. “I think every kid should want to play at Madison Square Garden. It’s like a dream come true.”

Ponds’ history with the Garden dates back to his high school days. As a senior at Brooklyn’s Thomas Jefferson High School, Shamorie led the Orange Wave to its first PSAL city championship since 1954 on the big stage. In the fall, the point guard nicknamed Slick moved from his home borough of Brooklyn to Queens to take over as point guard for the Red Storm.

In his first season on campus, the 6-1 Ponds lived up to his billing as a top-50 recruit with averages of 17.4 points, 4.4 boards, 3.1 assists and 2.1 steals a game for the 14-19 Red Storm. The lefty also set the St. John’s freshman scoring record with 573 points and led the conference in swipes per game. While the Red Storm struggled to get wins, Ponds gave his opponents fits.

“First of all, he’s quick and he’s fast,” says Villanova point guard and Big East preseason Player of the Year Jalen Brunson. “He’s a really good player. I actually really enjoyed watching him last year—he was fearless as a freshman. He has a bright future. It’s definitely not easy going up against him, but he’s super fun to watch. We have a lot of respect for him.”

Coming into year two, Ponds will have a target on his back as he hopes to get St. John’s back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015.

“He’s gotten stronger—physically he’s done a good job in the offseason and his pace has picked up in drills,” says St. John’s head coach Chris Mullin. “I’m looking for him to have a really good year. The basketball part for him is natural. He’s got a great feel for the game and great instincts. He’s got a wonderful personality, his teammates love him and he’s a gym rat. He’s going to score the ball, but we need him to do more. We need him to play defense each and every night. He had a great year last year, but each year is tougher to match.”

To get ready for the season, Shamorie worked on his game by hooping at the buzzworthy “Black Ops” runs headed by Chris Brickley and Carmelo Anthony. The games were a learning experience for Shamorie, who got to play with the League’s brightest stars and see first hand what it takes to make it at the next level.

“It was good to go against NBA players and to see how hard they work, even in pickup games and to see how they just keep going,” says Ponds. “The games were nonstop. It was a great experience, it was a lot of fun.”

This season, Ponds won’t be sneaking up on anyone in a tough Big East conference. Other guards in the league are fully aware of what makes the Brooklyn native so tough and will be focused on shutting down the Red Storm’s top player.

“He’s a real smooth player, kind of like myself,” says Seton Hall guard Khadeen Carrington. “[He’s a] lefty, he can shoot if from deep—it’s tough to guard him at times. He’s grown up a lot, he’s gotten better in his pick and roll game and with his range. He’s definitely one of the guys on that team that we focus on.”

“He can shoot and he can get to the rim, and he has a pull-up so you have to keep him honest and stay in front,” adds Creighton guard Marcus Foster. “I think the best part of his game is he can shoot and he’s so quick, he can pump fake and go right by you. Last year our emphasis was to shut him down. We always put our best defender on him at any time.”

St. John’s was ranked sixth in the Big East preseason poll and should see more improvement in Mullin’s third season. Along with Ponds, the Red Storm are bringing back talented backcourt mate Marcus LoVett (15.9 points, 3.8 assists per game last season), forward Bashir Ahmed (13.4 points), and transfers Marvin Clark II (Michigan St) and Justin Simon (Arizona).

“I’m real, real confident,” Shamorie says. “I told my teammates that I’m really fighting for this. This is the most confident I’ve ever been in my life. I feel like this is our time to make a run. If we didn’t make it to the Tournament, it would be a bust. I’m sticking with that.”

—

Peter Walsh is a Senior Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @peter_m_walsh.

Photos via Getty Images

The post Big City Dreams appeared first on SLAM.

But as difficult as it may seem, forgetting about all of that is exactly what Villanova is trying to do. It’s the only way, the Wildcats believe, they can do it again.

“In order to win a second one, you can’t really think about the first one,” Jenkins says. “We’re pretty much starting from ground zero, and we have to build it back up.”

Those who don’t know Jay Wright well might mistake him for George Clooney. His finely tailored game day suits, salt-and-pepper hair and tan skin have earned him the nickname GQ Jay. “You walk into his office and he’s dressed nice and has his legs crossed,” says Villanova senior Josh Hart. “He looks smooth.” Wright swears he’s most comfortable in track pants and a polo shirt, but his “respect for the game” forces him to wear a suit.

On Villanova’s campus, there’s no mistaking Wright. He’s been the head coach for the last 15 seasons, but his history with the school dates back to 1987, when Massimino says he hired him as an assistant because “the clock didn’t mean anything to him—he worked from early morning to late at night.” Wright’s a local celebrity, born 40 minutes from Villanova, and can often be seen driving around campus in a golf cart with his sunglasses on, waving at the students who shout his name.

Those who do know Wright well talk about how much he cares. As much as his time is in demand, he gives students and alumni his full attention when he interacts with them. “He’s a fantastic ambassador for Villanova on every front,” says Villanova athletic director Mark Jackson (not that one). He cares deeply about the school, and that’s why he was so shook when the Big East Conference realigned in 2013, shuffling schools like Syracuse and UConn out, and leaving Villanova in uncharted waters.

“I was crushed,” Wright says. “Even in the first year of the Big East, it just didn’t feel right to me. It’s like a long marriage—you don’t just forget about it. It was still deep in my soul the first year.”

Much of Villanova’s identity comes from its basketball program. It’s a private Catholic school less than 15 miles west of Philadelphia that has an enrollment about one-third the size of basketball powers North Carolina and Kansas. It doesn’t have an FBS football team and gained most of its national recognition when it won its first title in 1985. “I come across people who always tell me where they were in 1985 when we won,” says Ed Pinckney, the star of that ’85 team.

Wright and Villanova have become the models of success in the new 10-team, non-football Big East. They’ve won the regular-season title in each of the league’s first three seasons since the realignment and brought the new-look conference its first NCAA men’s basketball title. Meanwhile, Wright has been voted Coach of the Year every year of the new league. “Jay, given the kind of guy he is, how long he’s been in the conference, and what he just accomplished, is like the dean among [the Big East coaches],” says Big East commissioner Val Ackerman.

While he’s enjoyed the last few months, Wright has officially flipped the page to the 2016-17 season. It’s shaping up to be another good one, as Villanova returns three starters and six rotation players. The Wildcats figure to be one of a handful of pre-season national title favorites, but the odds are still against them. Only two teams have won back-to-back titles since 1973—Duke in ’91 and ’92 and Florida in ’06-07.

“We used the analogy of climbing the mountaintop,” says Donnie Jones, a Florida assistant on those teams. “The path was going to be different. The second year was going to be like climbing Mount Everest.”

Villanova is the first title team since Florida to return its top two scorers (Hart and Jenkins), which makes the Wildcats the biggest threat in a decade to repeat as champs. But Florida brought back all five starters—not three like Villanova, and didn’t have to place young players and freshmen in new roles. So while Wright reached out to coaches like Mike Krzyzewski, John Calipari and Bill Self for advice on life after a title, he avoided consulting longtime friend and former Florida coach Billy Donovan about how to prepare for the season ahead.

“I don’t want to compare our team to that team,” Wright says. “I purposely did not ask him about that because I don’t want that to be our thought process. I want it to be a result of being the best team that we can be, and that’s something we’ve focused on.”

A new team starts with new leaders. While Villanova’s two leading scorers return, last season’s two senior leaders, Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu, have graduated. Both were instrumental in last year’s NCAA Tournament run, but Archie’s voice in particular will be missed—the guard was a team captain since his freshman year. Wright said the first summer meeting without those players was “eerie,” but he’s looking to Hart, Jenkins and senior Darryl Reynolds to fill the void.

Of those three, Jenkins—he of the hero three-pointer to beat UNC in the 2016 title game—will likely have the toughest time forgetting about last season. Jenkins, who when he was a kid used to say all he wanted to be in life was a good person, has become an overnight celebrity. Wright says the extra attention worries him. Jenkins was already the team’s most active player on social media (something Wright asked about when they recruited him), and the senior forward says, “celebrities now know who I am.” So, Wright’s advice to Jenkins, whom he calls the team’s most natural leader? “It’s going to be a part of you for life, but don’t make it the greatest part of your basketball career. Do other great things.”

Jenkins is a typical Villanova success story—an under-recruited player who has evolved into a star. The 6-6 senior was 280 pounds when he showed up on campus. He’s down to 240 now. As a junior last season, the man they call “Big Smoove” because of his size and style of play more than doubled his scoring average from the previous year (6.3 to 13.6 ppg) and hit 100 three-pointers. He’s evolved into one of college basketball’s best and most fearless long-range shooters, which is something he credits his mom, Felicia, a former college basketball coach herself, with developing.

“She didn’t allow me to shoot deep shots until I was strong enough and didn’t have to wind up or push the ball,” Jenkins says. “That transitioned into always having a good base. When you have a good base you can shoot from anywhere.”

The other guy expected to do much of the heavy lifting is Hart. The 6-5 wing is the team’s top returning scorer (15.5 ppg) and rebounder (6.8 rpg) and was one of the last players in the country to remove his name from NBA Draft consideration. He’s a potential first-round pick that some are pegging to be this year’s Buddy Hield. “I would love to call Buddy right now and see what he ate last year to make that happen,” Hart says.

Off the court, he’s a funny dude who plays pranks on his teammates and seems to laugh his way through conversations. On the court, Hart plays with plenty of his last name, as he’s “the hardest playing guy on the floor,” according to Jenkins. And forgetting last season shouldn’t be too difficult for Hart, who already had to forget how much he hated Villanova growing up.

“I was a Georgetown guy,” Hart admits. “I didn’t know too much about Villanova, but I didn’t like them at all. It’s a little bit of a difference now.”

While Hart and Jenkins will get most of the hype, it’s sophomore Jalen Brunson who could be the key to his team’s success. A former McDonald’s All-American and the son of ex-NBA journeyman Rick Brunson, the Illinois native is set to become the next great Villanova guard. He’s also one of the reasons that this Villanova team is different than last year’s. Although he started as a freshman, Brunson was the team’s fifth option on offense (9.6 ppg). Now he’s one of the Wildcats’ go-to guys.

“He sacrificed a lot to fit his game into everyone else’s,” Wright says. “This year we need him to be a little more dynamic and a leader on the floor, and that comes a little more natural to him.”

Jenkins, Hart and Brunson give Villanova some consistency in the starting lineup, but that only tells part of the story. The Wildcats’ depth is the main reason the team enters 2016-17 with such high expectations. Reynolds is a senior leader who is tough to move off the low block. Junior Phil Booth had a team-high 20 points in the NCAA title game. Sophomore Mikal Bridges is the team’s top on-ball defender and a developing scorer. Newcomer Eric Paschall (a transfer from Fordham) is projected to have an instant impact. Redshirt freshmen Tim Delaney and Donte DiVincenzo are capable role players if opportunity arises. Even without five-star freshman Omari Spellman (academic redshirt), the ‘Cats are deep.

The pieces are in place for this team. A different team, but one with the same goals and the same process as last season. Nova has a chance to win it all again, and talk of a repeat will follow the program all season. But the Wildcats won’t be starting any of that conversation. Last year, and all the joys that came with it, is over for Villanova.

“We’re not playing like defending National Champions,” Wright says. “We have to build this team to be the best team it can be by the end of the year, and we have to be satisfied with what that is.”

—

Images via Getty

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In honor of his remarkable, MVP showing at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship this past summer, Jalen Brunson (Villanova/Lincolnshire, Ill.) today was named the 2015 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year.

 

“It definitely means a lot, but it’s also a credit to everyone that has helped me – my parents especially, my coaches and teammates, coach Miller,” Brunson said. “They helped put me in the right position so that I could be successful. It’s an individual honor, but at the same time it’s a team honor. Everyone helped me, and I can’t thank them enough.”

 

As the starting point guard for the 2015 USA Basketball Men’s U19 World Championship Team, Brunson averaged 14.0 points (tied for team high), 3.3 rebounds and team highs of 5.6 assists and 2.1 steals in a team-leading 26.4 minutes per game to help the USA to a gold medal and seven-straight wins at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship from June 27-July 5 in Crete, Greece.

 

“Jalen obviously had a tremendous performance at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship this past summer, and we are proud to recognize his incredible achievements, ” said Jim Tooley, USA Basketball CEO/Executive Director. “As the team’s point guard he was the leader for the USA, and when the team needed it most, he stepped up as a scorer as well.”

 

This year marks the 36th time USA Basketball has presented its Male Athlete of the Year award, which was established in 1980 to recognize a USA Basketball athlete who, during the year of the award, made a significant impact on the success of his team’s performance.

 

“Jalen Brunson was spectacular this summer for our gold-medal winning U19 team,” said USA men’s U19 head coach Sean Miller (University of Arizona). “His performance in our semifinal win over Greece was equally dominant and clutch as we played in front of a passionate, home crowd for our opponent. He became a leader both on and off the court for his teammates, and he is very deserving of this prestigious award.”

 

Brunson was named the MVP of the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship after a gold-medal game performance that saw him finish with a team-high seven assists and no turnovers, and he scored all 14 of his points in the second half and overtime in a 79-71 win over Croatia.

 

For the tournament, Brunson shot 54.2 percent from the field (32-59 FGs), 44.0 percent from 3-point (11-25 3pt FGs) and 85.2 percent from the foul line (23-27). He recorded just 12 turnovers for the entire championship.

The post Jalen Brunson Named 2015 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year appeared first on SLAM.

1. North Carolina

Key Players: Justin Jackson, Brice Johnson, Kennedy Meeks, Marcus Paige

The Skinny: Nobody was happy in Chapel Hill last year when Duke won it all, but it’s time for the Tar Heels’ revenge. Paige (who will miss the first three weeks of the season but should be back to full strength by the new year) is one of the nation’s top guards, and UNC has the best frontcourt in the land.

2. Maryland

Key Players: Robert Carter, Jake Layman, Diamond Stone, Melo Trimble

The Skinny: Was it just a year ago that coach Mark Turgeon was the subject of criticism and doubt? Thank you, Melo Trimble! The outstanding guard gets help this year from newcomers Stone and Carter, along with Layman, probably the country’s most underrated player.

3. Kentucky

Key Players: Isaiah Briscoe, Skal Labissiere, Jamal Murray, Alex Poythress, Tyler Ulis

The Skinny: Coach Cal has another great crop of freshmen in Lexington this year. Yawn. The question—as always—is whether it can come together and win big. Don’t bet against it, especially if Labissiere is a fire-breather, as expected.

4. Virginia

Key Players: Malcolm Brogdon, Anthony Gill, London Perrantes, Mike Tobey

The Skinny: The Cavaliers’ python-like defense will again torment opponents, especially those trying to play too fast because of the new, 30-second shot clock. UVA doesn’t score a bunch, but when you hold the other guys to 40, you don’t have to.

5. Duke

Key Players: Grayson Allen, Brandon Ingram, Chase Jeter, Derryck Thornton

The Skinny: Remember when Coach K didn’t like one-and-done kids? After last year’s National Title, he sure loves ’em. A bunch more come to town in the nation’s top recruiting class, joining Allen, who is ready to break out.

6. Kansas

Key Players: Cheick Diallo, Perry Ellis, Frank Mason, Wayne Selden

The Skinny: Never doubt the power—and luck—of Bill Self. Kelly Oubre and Cliff Alexander are gone, but Ellis and Selden decided to return. Then Diallo commited late, providing needed toughness inside. The Jayhawks will probably win the Big 12. Again.

7. Iowa State

Key Players: Deonte Burton, Jameel McKay, Monte Morris, Georges Niang

The Skinny: The Mayor—Fred Hoiberg—has left Ames, but Steve Prohm has a team with lots of talent, particularly Niang and Morris, and the ability to score. As usual, some transfers buttress the holdovers, and a trip to the top reaches of the Big 12 is likely.

8. Utah

Key Players: Jordan Loveridge, Jakob Poeltl, Brandon Taylor, Dakarai Tucker

The Skinny: The NBA is already drooling about Poeltl, who’ll be a Lottery pick when he decides to leave Salt Lake City. The Utes have plenty of guards and good depth. So what if Delon Wright is gone? There’s plenty left.

9. Oklahoma

Key Players: Isaiah Cousins, Buddy Hield, Ryan Spangler, Jordan Woodard

The Skinny: The Sooners are going to play some nasty defense; count on that. And Hield can pile up the points. OU has good experience, but if the newcomers don’t deliver, depth will be a problem.

10. Arizona

Key Players: Ryan Anderson, Justin Simon, Kaleb Tarczewski, Allonzo Trier

The Skinny: Every year, it’s the same thing in Tucson: Is this the season the Wildcats get to the Final Four? Nope. But there’s plenty to like about this squad. The freshmen are amazing. The defense will be stout. Tarczewski is tough to handle. And BC transfer Anderson will make a big impact. Pretty darn good.

11. Wichita State

Key Players: Ron Baker, Connor Frankamp, Anton Grady, Fred VanVleet

The Skinny: Some of the names are the same, but the one that matters—Gregg Marshall—signed a big-money contract to hang around. VanVleet and Baker lead the Gonzaga of the Plains to another big season.

12. Villanova

Key Players: Ryan Arcidiacono, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Daniel Ochefu

The Skinny: Nobody does guards like the Wildcats, and adding the explosive Brunson to Arcidiacono and Hart will make ’Nova as potent as ever. Watch out for Ochefu, who’s ready to be a bigger producer inside.

13. Baylor

Key Players: Rico Gathers, King McClure, Lester Medford, Taurean Prince

The Skinny: The Bears will still board well; Gathers sees to that. But what about the backcourt? Medford can’t keep turning it over so much, and McClure had better come through quickly to keep Baylor near the Big 12’s top.

14. Indiana

Key Players: James Blackmon, Thomas Bryant, Yogi Ferrell, Troy Williams

The Skinny: No coach got better news last spring than IU’s Tom Crean, who learned Ferrell and Blackmon weren’t going to the NBA and that Bryant was heading to Bloomington. Instead of hearing fans’ grousing about lack of success, Crean should be listening to a season of cheers.

15. Gonzaga

Key Players: Przemek Karnowski, Josh Perkins, Damontas Sabonis, Kyle Wiltjer

The Skinny: It doesn’t get much better than the Zags’ forward wall, which has the ability to handle any job necessary. But the losses of Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell mean Perkins had better be good quickly, or the big guys will go hungry.

16. Notre Dame

Key Players: Zach Auguste, Bonzie Colson, Demetrius Jackson, Steve Vasturia

The Skinny: The Irish scored more than Russell Brand last year, and though Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton are gone, ND will be plenty potent this time. Auguste emerged as a force in last year’s tourney, and Jackson should become a big producer in the backcourt.

17. California

Key Players: Jabari Bird, Jaylen Brown, Ivan Rabb, Tyrone Wallace

The Skinny: The returns of Wallace and Bird are big, but the arrivals of Rabb and Brown, two of the top recruits in the country, are enormous. For the first time in a long time, Cal is national player.

18. Michigan State

Key Players: Matt Costello, Bryn Forbes, Eron Harris, Denzel Valentine

The Skinny: Once again, the Spartans are going to win with a bunch of players who lack star power. All they do is execute, defend like predators and obey the wild man on the sideline, Tom Izzo. WVU transfer Harris boosts the offense, while everybody else does his job.

19. Michigan

Key Players: Spike Albrecht, Zak Irvin, Caris LeVert, Derrick Walton

The Skinny: The returns of LeVert and Walton from injury mean offensive mad scientist John Beilein will have a deep and versatile cast to unleash on the Big Ten. If the big guys can consistently rebound and finish, Michigan will be dangerous.

20. Miami

Key Players: Tonye Jekiri, Sheldon McClellan, Kamari Murphy, Angel Rodriguez

The Skinny: Murphy balances the potent backcourt of McClellan and Rodriguez and gives the Hurricanes some much-needed frontcourt pop. Underrated coach Jim Larranaga does the rest. The result: an ACC darkhorse with plenty of punch.

—

image via Jeffrey A. Camarati/UNC

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More info on how it all went down via USA Basketball:

Following 40 competitive minutes during which neither the USA (7-0) or Croatia (5-2) could pull away, the USA rolled in the five minutes of overtime and outscored upset-minded Croatia 12-4 to earn a hard-fought 79-71 win in the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship gold medal game Sunday night in Heraklion, Greece. It was a second consecutive FIBA U19 world title for the Americans who also won the event in 2013.

 

“No question, we had to fight through miscues,” said USA and University of Arizona coach Sean Miller.“Really I thought we probably shot more inside shots than we did the entire tournament but they didn’t fall. But to our team’s credit, we stayed with it, we preserved, we got defensive stops and I thought our effort level in overtime really reflects a lot about the character of our team. We were at our best when it mattered the most.

 

“It’s an incredible experience.  First of all you’re representing the USA and we all know what that means.  But you also represent everybody in the USA in terms of basketball – coaches, players alike.  So you have great responsibility, a lot of pressure on your shoulders to deliver. I’m really happy for our staff. We worked hard together for 23 days and our players and everybody associated with it – job well done and we feel good. We’re headed home now with the gold,” added Sean Miller.

 

Jalen Brunson (Stevenson H.S./ Lincolnshire, Ill.), who finished the seven game championship averaging 14.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and team-highs of 5.6 assists and 2.1 steals a game, was named the Most Valuable Player of the FIBA U19 World Championship.

 

“I’m speechless,” admitted Brunson. “I’ve got to give credit to my teammates. They found me the right positions to just make plays. I just can’t thank everybody enough. We worked so hard for this.”

 

Joining Brunson on the five-member All-Tournament Team was the USA’s Harry Giles (Wesleyan Christian Academy/Winston-Salem, N.C.), who averaged during the tournament a double-double of 14.0 points and 10.6 rebounds a game.

 

“He (Jalen) had a great tournament, said Sean Miller about Brunson. “He emerged as our leader as well, and when you have a leader at that position it helps things. I thought his performance against Greece with 30 points was an incredible performance. Down the home stretch of today’s game he stepped up big.”

 

Ten USA players contributed points in the gold medal victory, and Brunson, who finished with a team-high seven assists, while not committing a turnover, scored all 14 points of his U.S.-high in the second half and overtime. Giles contributed his fifth-consecutive double-double, finishing with 13 points and 16 rebounds. Jayson Tatum (Chaminade College Prep/St. Louis, Mo.) added 13 points and six rebounds; and Josh Jackson (Prolific Prep, Calif./Southfield, Mich.) added 10 points and eight rebounds.

The post USA Wins Gold at FIBA U19 World Championship appeared first on SLAM.

Below is the official final roster announcement from USA Basketball:

Eight players boasting of prior USA Basketball experience were among the 12 players named by USA Basketball to the 2015 USA Basketball Men’s U19 World Championship Team. Training will continue at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, through June 21.

 

The USA U19 squad will look to defend its 2013 U19 gold at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship from June 27-July 5 in Heraklion, Crete, Greece. Athletes eligible for this team must be U.S. citizens who are 19 years old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1996).

 

The returning gold medalists named to the U19 squad include: Isaiah Briscoe (Roselle Catholic H.S./Union, N.J.); Jalen Brunson (Stevenson H.S./Lincolnshire, Ill.); Terrance Ferguson (Homeschooled/Dallas, Texas); Harry Giles (Wesleyan Christian Academy/Winston-Salem, N.C.); Josh Jackson (Prolific Prep, Calif./Southfield, Mich.); Caleb Swanigan (Homestead H.S./Fort Wayne, Ind.); Jayson Tatum(Chaminade College Prep/St. Louis, Mo.) and Allonzo Trier (Findlay Prep, Nev./Seattle, Wash.) 

 

Also selected for the USA U19 Team were: Jawun Evans (Kimball H.S./Dallas, Texas); Chinanu Onauku(Louisville/Lanham, Md.); L.J. Peak (Georgetown/Gaffney, S.C.); and Thomas Welsh (UCLA/Redondo Beach, Calif.).

 

The 2015 USA Men’s U19 World Championship Team will be led by Sean Miller (Arizona), along with USA assistant coaches Ed Cooley (Providence) and Archie Miller (Dayton). 

The post USA Basketball Reveals Final Men’s U19 Roster appeared first on SLAM.

See full rosters below:

2015 JORDAN BRAND NATIONAL BOYS TEAM

WEST TEAM

Dwayne Bacon (Mouth of Wilson, VA/FSU), Malik Beasley (Alpharetta, GA/FSU), Antonio Blakeney (Orlando, FL/LSU), Deyonta Davis (Muskegon, MI/Michigan), Tyler Davis (Plano, TX/Texas A&M), Tyler Dorsey (Pasadena, CA/Oregon), Austin Grandstaff (Rockwall, TX/Ohio State), Dedric Lawson (Memphis, TN/Memphis), Malik Newman (Jackson, MS), Ivan Rabb (Oakland, CA), , Allonzo Trier (Henderson, NV/Arizona),Stephen Zimmerman (Las Vegas, NV)