The All-NBA teams were scheduled to be announced during the league’s inaugural award show on June 26th. However, because the selections may impact teams’ offseason plans, the league will unveil the winners in the weeks leading up to the draft, as Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post writes.
The newly created Designated Player Exception drove the change. Being selected on an All-NBA is a criterion for the massive extension and players such as Paul George and Gordon Hayward will be eligible for as much as $70MM more in an extension should they make one of the three teams.
The early unveiling arguably helps the Pacers the most. If PG13 lands on one of the teams, Indiana will have the inside track to signing him long-term as soon as this summer. If he doesn’t earn one of the spots, the organization can begin to seriously consider whether or not it should deal the small forward. George has long been linked to the Lakers and the Pacers may look to deal him rather than see him leave for L.A. without receiving any compensation in return.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Several NBA executives told Mitch Lawrence of Sporting News that they would choose Hayward over George if both were available to sign with their team. None of the executives said Hayward was the superior player based on talent alone, though they chose the Jazz star because he doesn’t come with the baggage that George comes with.
- Kobe Bryant doesn’t miss playing the game of basketball, as he discussed on recent episode of Good Morning America (h/t James Dator of SB Nation). “No, I don’t,” Bryant said about missing the sport. “No, it’s crazy but I started playing when I was 2, and so after playing for 20 years in the league — what I have now is, everything I’ve learned from the game I carry with me to this day. So, the game’s never truly left me.”
- Team USA announced who will be on the committees for the country’s men’s and women’s teams. Jerry Colangelo will continue to be the managing director of the Men’s National Team, while director Carol Callan will head the Woman’s National Team. Each committee will have an athlete representative. Shane Battier will serve as the men’s representative and Katie Smith will be the woman’s representative.
Nobody misses Kobe either.
Kobe does
Paul George has baggage? He’s never even killed a fly. If anything he needs more baggage and less estrogen.
if you’re going to be boring and sexist, at least be more scientifically accurate. if you want aggressiveness you should accuse him of having too much progesterone. tsk tsk.
It’s not sexist, men also have estrogen, and it is involved in the process of regulating testosterone. My comment had nothing to do with gender at all.
But you’re right in that I don’t have a science degree and my comment was not scientifically accurate.
George is over confident for a reason, he turned it on second half of the season and tapped into that McGrady mode. Magic is bring back the rivalry with Larry and will try to steal Paul just how he took rings from Larry in the 80’s
I don’t understand the moderators here. do you want to promote a culture where it is okay to denigrate women wholesale with thoughtless comments by frustrated fans? estrogen has nothing to do with the NBA, or lack of aggressiveness or the ability to not choke and be swept in the playoffs. it is disappointing that so many men default to using terms associated with women and the feminine as an insult. there are better ways. I was pointing that out with the humor I used. I read and followed the terms of conduct, and i see so many comments here that are worse and go untouched by moderators. i just don’t get it.
Dude you should get out of your house more lol
lol seriously
I don’t miss him either and his kid show that is tryin to get our kids to like the Devil unbelievable. He is the worst don’t look up to him