The NBA announced all of the major All-NBA G League teams on Thursday (AllTwitterlinksfoundhere), including the First Team, Second Team, Third Team, All-Defensive Team, and All-Rookie team.
Several current and former NBA players are among the honorees. Here is the full list of winners for the 2023/24 season.
Asked earlier this week about Malik Monk‘s recovery from an MCL sprain, Shams Charania of The Athletic said during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run it Back show (Twitter video link) that the Kings guard still isn’t anywhere close to returning to action.
“Malik Monk is going to be out well into April and May. He’s not going to return anywhere in this play-in tournament (or) the first round,” Charania said. “The Kings are preparing to move forward here – if they do they make it into the playoffs – for at least the first round without Malik Monk.”
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Monk didn’t rule out the possibility of making it back during the first round if the Kings advance, but admitted that he doesn’t yet have a clear idea of what his timeline will look like, since he hasn’t gotten back on the court or done any running yet (Twitter video link). Sacramento is expected to reevaluate him around April 27.
Following a win over Golden State on Tuesday, the Kings will be in New Orleans on Friday facing a banged-up Pelicans team that will be missing star forward Zion Williamson, so there’s a path to the No. 8 seed for Sacramento. Still, it sounds as if the Kings would probably need to knock off the No. 1 Thunder in the first round to have a chance to see Monk back in action this spring.
Monk will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, with the Kings holding his Early Bird rights.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
Kings star De’Aaron Fox put in significant time last offseason training with second-year forward Keegan Murray, so Fox was thrilled to see the former No. 4 overall pick have a huge game on Tuesday, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Murray scored a game-high 32 points in Sacramento’s play-in victory over Golden State. “Just seeing his development, and how different he’s been,” Fox said. “… Obviously we want to see it on a consistent basis. But just seeing that come to fruition and seeing the work he put in all summer, especially on a big stage like this, it’s definitely great to see.”
Within a look at what’s next for the Warriors, Logan Murdock of The Ringer says league sources believe Andrew Wiggins will be included in trade discussions this offseason. Stephen Curry told Murdock that continuing to push toward contention is his top priority. “I want to win,” Curry said. “Plain and simple. It’s not my job to make all of those decisions, but it’s my job to hold people accountable and say I want to win, and I’ll give my input, but I just want to win.”
An unrestricted free agent this offseason, veteran forward Royce O’Neale suggested that he has enjoyed his time in Phoenix and would be open to re-signing with the Suns. “Yeah, for sure. It’s a great place, team, organization,” O’Neale said (Twitter video link via Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports). “It’s been great since I’ve been here, since day one.”
Already projected to be over the second tax apron next season, the Suns may be motivated to re-sign O’Neale since they’ll have limited resources to add outside talent. But a new deal for the forward would exponentially increase the projected luxury tax bill for team owner Mat Ishbia. “(Ishbia)’s gonna cost himself a s—ton of money under the new collective bargaining agreement,” one opposing executive told Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. “He just is. If he wants to pay it, that’s fine. The point is that he’s mortgaged everything on this current group here, and once this runs its course … that is, when (Kevin Durant) starts to slow down — and he hasn’t yet; he’s still very good — they’re going to be in a tough situation.”
Klay Thompson wasn’t ready to talk about free agency after Tuesday’s play-in loss at Sacramento, but it’s a topic that will dominate the Warriors‘ offseason, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Asked about his plans at a post-game press conference, Thompson reminded reporters that it’s only April 17 and a lot can happen by the start of July.
“It means a lot,” Thompson said. “I mean, we’ve been through the highest of highs and lows. Whether it’s losing a championship, winning a championship, missing the playoffs, we’ve been through everything together, so that does mean a lot. It makes me grateful to have the times I’ve had with them. Like, that was pretty historic stuff.”
A source told Andrews that having a chance to win will be Thompson’s priority as he considers his next contract. His preference is to remain with Golden State, and Andrews expects that he will if the team finds a way to show its appreciation for his years of service.
There’s more on the Warriors:
At today’s exit interviews, Jonathan Kuminga seemed surprised when he was asked about a potential rookie scale extension this summer, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Kuminga said he’ll let his agent handle extension talks, but added, “I love it here.” Kuminga also got a question about his mid-season meeting with Kerr in which he expressed dismay about a lack of playing time. “Sometimes people don’t know you if you don’t speak,” Kuminga said. “Sometimes people don’t know what’s going on in your mind if you don’t actually get to see it. I don’t know what’s going on in my coaches’ mind if I don’t get to ask them questions, and questions is communication.”
Slater notes that Golden State explored trades involving Andrew Wiggins before the deadline and is likely to try again this summer after the worst offensive season of his career. It could be tough to find a taker with three years and $85MM left on his contract, and Wiggins preferred to avoid trade speculation. “I take care of what I can take care of,” he said. “What’s out of my control, I don’t worry about it. All I can do is work hard, train hard and do what I can do.”
Gary Payton II was frustrated to miss the play-in loss with a calf strain, Slater adds. Payton has a $9.1MM player option for next season, and he hinted that he would like to use that as a springboard for a long-term contract. “I would love to come back and run it back,” Payton said. “Better yet, just redo my whole deal and stay here for a little bit longer. We’ll figure it out.”
Slater suggests the Warriors might part with Kevon Looney, who only has a $3MM guarantee on his $8MM salary for next season. Looney indicated that he prefers to stay with Golden State, but acknowledged that the decision is out of his hands. “When you don’t make the playoffs, you lose, stuff usually happens,” he said. “So I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I should be prepared for the next step.”
Warriors wing Klay Thompson had his worst game of the season at the most inopportune time on Tuesday, as he went 0-from-10 from the field and was held scoreless in 32 minutes of action during Golden State’s season-ending play-in loss to the Kings.
It’s an inauspicious way for Thompson to wrap up a contract year, but his head coach and longtime teammates made it clear after the game that they still want to see the 34-year-old sign a new deal with the Warriors this summer, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN.
“We need Klay back,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters. “He’s still got good years left. And I know I speak for everybody in the organization: We want him back. … What Klay has meant to this franchise and as good as he still is, we desperately want him back.”
Draymond Green and Stephen Curry, who have won four championships with Thompson during their time in Golden State, agreed with Kerr’s assessment of the situation.
“(Klay is) going to make the best decision for him, the team’s got a decision to make and they’ll make the best decision for the team. … I don’t think there’s any scenario where Klay leaves and that’s the best decision for this team and organization,” Green said. “(The organization) has shown nothing but respect, loyalty, love and trust. I’ve got no reason to think, ‘Oh man, they’re not going to do right by Klay.'”
“I could never see myself not with those two guys (Thompson and Gren),” Curry said. “I understand this league changes and there are so many things that go into it and we’re not going to play forever, but we’ve experienced so much together and at the end of the day I know they want to win, I know I want to win, and that’s all I’m worried about.”
As Andrews writes, extension discussions between Thompson and the Warriors stalled in October and were put on the back-burner during the season. While Andrews suggests there were no reassurances from the team that the two sides would eventually work something out, there’s still reportedly mutual interest in a new deal.
Sources tell ESPN that Thompson would ideally like a contract that aligns with the rest of the Warriors’ core. Curry, Green, and Kerr are all under contract through at least 2026.
Here’s more on the Warriors as their offseason begins:
Tim Kawakami of The Athletic also explores Thompson’s upcoming free agency, predicting that the Warriors will make a fair offer, possibly in the range of $20MM per year for two or three seasons. If another team exceeds that offer, it will likely come down to whether Thompson wants a change of scenery or would take a little less to stay in Golden State, Kawkami writes.
Veteran point guard Chris Paul, who will turn 39 next month, made it clear on Tuesday that he doesn’t intend to retire, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll be back with the Warriors, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Kerr told reporters that he “loves” coaching Paul and that he “really hopes” the Warriors are able to retain him. However, it probably isn’t practical for the team to keep Paul on his non-guaranteed $30MM contract, and the Warriors would lose any form of Bird rights if they waive him. Within his story on Thompson, Kawkami suggests that CP3 “almost certainly” won’t remain in Golden State.
In addition to exploring Thompson’s free agency and Paul’s future in his preview of the Warriors’ offseason, Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) discusses the organization’s financial outlook and roster-building restrictions while pointing out that Jonathan Kuminga will be extension-eligible beginning in July. The Warriors spent a total of $382.5MM on this year’s roster in salary and tax penalties, Marks notes (via Twitter).
The Warriors have no interest in tanking and still plan to make the most of Curry’s remaining seasons, sources tell ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Insider link).
Within his look at what’s next for the franchise, Lowe suggests Andrew Wiggins is a possible trade candidate, but cites sources who say that Wiggins’ contract (three years, $85MM) may be viewed as a negative asset by potential trade partners, who would ask Golden State to attach a more valuable asset to take it on. Lowe adds that Golden State’s front office “remains very high” on Kuminga’s potential as the young forward becomes extension-eligible.
Knicks swingman Donte DiVincenzo is one of several notable players who will be ineligible for end-of-season awards this season despite playing in far more than 65 games, as James Herbert of CBS Sports observes. DiVincenzo appeared in 81 games this season, but technically didn’t meet the NBA’s 65-game criteria.
As we outlined in our glossary entry on the NBA’s new 65-game rule, a game only counts toward the 65-game minimum if the player logged at least 20 minutes. A player is also permitted to play 20+ minutes in just 63 games as long as there were at least two additional games in which he played 15+ minutes.
DiVincenzo played 20+ minutes in 62 games and logged at least 19 minutes in seven more, including one in which he played 19:51. If he had reached the 20-minute threshold in one of those games, he would’ve been award-eligible, but he just missed out. The Knicks wing would have been included on Most Improved Player ballots from multiple voters, including JJ Redick, who took to Twitter to express displeasure with the rule.
As Herbert points out, DiVincenzo’s teammate Isaiah Hartenstein is another player who might have received award consideration but is considered ineligible despite appearing in 75 games, since he played 20+ minutes in just 50 of those contests. Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, another Most Improved candidate, played in 74 games but had 20+ minutes in just 61 of them, so he’s also ineligible.
Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas (82 starts), Mavericks wing Derrick Jones (76 games, including 66 starts), and Clippers swingman Terance Mann (71 starts) likely wouldn’t have been serious candidates for any awards, but they’re a few of the other players who paradoxically failed to meet the 65-game criteria due to the nature of the rule. For what it’s worth, Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) says he would have put Jones on his All-Defensive Second Team if he could have.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes, the Sixers are once again entering the postseason with questions about the health of Joel Embiid, who sat out Sunday’s regular season finale and has played just five games since returning from knee surgery. However, Embiid is on track to play in Wednesday’s play-in game. He practiced on both Monday and Tuesday, per head coach Nick Nurse; 76ers guard De’Anthony Melton (back) did not (Twitterlinks via Kyle Neubeck and Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports).
After a disappointing season in Brooklyn, the Nets‘ roster figures to undergo an overhaul this summer, and the players who finished this season with the team are bracing for that possibility, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “I don’t think (any) of my years in the league I had the same team two years in a row,” Dorian Finney-Smith said. “Even if you win, teams still make moves, so I can only imagine how this summer’s gonna be.”
Nets forward Mikal Bridges admitted that it was a challenge to maintain a positive outlook during a “really tough” season and said that working on “being better mentally” will be one of his goals for this offseason, Lewis writes for The New York Post. He pointed to a December 27 loss to Milwaukee in which the Nets rested most of their regulars and the disappointing road trip that followed as low points. “The Milwaukee game and losing on that road trip, that was tough. I think that was a part of it. That didn’t help. For the players, I know that I was pretty hurt from that, I was pretty pissed off about that situation,” Bridges said. “That’s just part of it. I think I’ve failed at that part mentally. I was doing pretty good mentally, but I didn’t do a pretty good job of that this year. I let my emotions get to me.”
It has been a fiercely competitive race for the postseason in the Western Conference, where it took 50 wins to clinch a top-six seed while Sacramento and Golden State were unable to secure more than a spot in the lesser play-in game after racking up 46 victories.
The Rockets’ fate this season epitomizes just how tough the path to the playoffs was in the West — at 41-41, Houston didn’t come particularly close to earning a play-in spot, ending up five games behind the No. 10 seed. But the Rockets finished comfortably ahead of the East’s bottom two play-in teams, with a full five-game cushion over the No. 10 Hawks.
This is a roundabout way of saying that while two good teams will be sent home this week, we should be in store for a terrific week of play-in games in the Western Conference, starting with a pair of matchups on Tuesday that could go either way.
In the early game, the No. 7 Pelicans will host the No. 8 Lakers for the second time in three days. The results of Sunday’s contest weren’t particularly encouraging for the Pelicans, who could have clinched the No. 6 seed in the West with a victory, but trailed all afternoon en route to a 16-point loss.
It was the third time in four games this season that New Orleans lost to Los Angeles, and none of those games were particularly close. Back in December, the Pelicans were blown out by the Lakers by 44 points in an embarrassing performance on a national stage in the in-season tournament semifinal.
Still, this is a talented Pelicans team that did beat the Lakers by 20 points in the clubs’ other game in New Orleans at the end of December. The Pelicans were above-average on both ends of the courts this season, ranking 11th in offensive rating and sixth on defense for a +4.6 overall net rating that was the No. 6 mark in the NBA. By comparison, the Lakers were just 15th in offensive rating and 17th on defense, for an overall +0.6 net rating (No. 19 in the league).
The Pelicans also have the cleaner injury report for Tuesday’s game, with all of their players available. However, Brandon Ingram has only been back from a knee injury for one game and wasn’t at his best on Sunday — New Orleans was outscored by 28 points during his 23 minutes of action.
The Lakers, meanwhile, will be missing Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) and Christian Wood (knee), while Anthony Davis (back) and LeBron James (ankle) are listed as questionable and probable, respectively. While Davis and James have been banged up in recent weeks, they’ve been very effective when they’ve played, and it’s a safe bet they’ll be suiting up on Tuesday.
One interesting wrinkle in this No. 7 vs. 8 matchup is that the winner earns a date with the defending-champion Nuggets in round one, while the loser will host a do-or-die play-in game on Friday for the right to face the upstart Thunder. While Oklahoma City would be the more favorable matchup, it seems safe to assume neither team will get too cute with Tuesday’s game — no one’s tanking in the postseason, and a victory in a second play-in game is hardly assured.
The oddsmakers at BetOnline.ag view the Pelicans/Lakers game as a toss-up, listing it as a straight pick-em. That’s not the case for the No. 9 vs. 10 game, where the visiting Warriors are 3.5-point favorites over the Kings in Sacramento.
Home underdogs aren’t especially common in the NBA playoffs, but it’s easy to understand why bettors would favor Golden State. The Warriors are an experienced, battle-tested club still headed by the core players – Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green – who have led the franchise to four championships since 2015.
The Dubs also beat the Kings in the first round of last season’s playoffs as a lower seed and have been the hotter team as of late. Golden State enters Tuesday’s play-in game having won 10 of its last 12 games, whereas Sacramento has been reeling in recent weeks. Once well positioned to push for a top-six spot, the Kings lost seven of 11 contests to wrap up their season, with three of their four victories during that stretch coming against lottery teams.
The Warriors are the healthier of the two clubs too. They’re missing Gary Payton II due to a left calf strain, but have more than enough depth to make up for Payton’s absence. The Kings, on the other hand, have had a harder time compensating for their missing wings, Malik Monk (right knee sprain) and Kevin Huerter (left shoulder surgery).
While the fans in Sacramento will create a favorable (and loud) home environment for the Kings, the Warriors have looked like one of the conference’s best teams during the latter half of the season — their 27-14 second-half record and +5.5 net rating during those games both rank third in the West.
We want to know what you think. Will it be the Lakers or Pelicans punching their ticket to the playoffs tonight? Which of the Warriors and Kings will stay alive, and which will see their season end today?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section to share your predictions!
April 15th, 2024 at 6:18pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum
The Team USA men’s basketball program has determined 11 of its 12 roster spots for this year’s Paris Olympics, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Woj suggests that the final roster opening could remain open for a while. Sources inform Wojnarowski that Hall of Famer Grant Hill, Team USA’s managing director, is waiting for a July training camp and some Las Vegas exhibition games before finalizing that 12th spot.
10 of the 11 players were honored as All-Stars this season, while the 11th was a key two-way force on the 2021 gold medal-winning team, which is officially considered the 2020 Olympic team.
So far, three NBA teams – the Lakers, Celtics, and Suns – will feature multiple U.S. Olympians.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, serving again as the leader of Team USA this summer, will have just one current familiar face in All-Star point guard Curry, who will be making his Olympic debut. Among the other players listed, four others will be making their debuts with the program on this stage: reigning league MVP Embiid and young All-Star guards Edwards and Haliburton.
As Woj notes, 35-year-old Durant is one of just two players to have won three gold medals in Olympic history, along with future Hall of Fame forward Carmelo Anthony. James is playing in his first Olympics since 2012. James and Anthony were also members of Team USA the last time it didn’t win gold at the tournament, in 2004.
Anthony Davis missed the final six minutes of Sunday’s victory over New Orleans due to back spasms, but he’s confident he’ll be ready to go on Tuesday when the Lakers and Pelicans meet again in the play-in tournament, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
“No doubt that I’m going to play,” Davis said after Sunday’s game.
Davis’ injury occurred with 5:52 remaining in the fourth quarter when he was attempting to grab a rebound and was pushed in the back by Pelicans big man Larry Nance Jr. (video link). According to McMenamin, Davis said the contract resulted in hyperextension when he landed and that his back “just locked up.”
“I was in the air,” Davis said. “Obviously it’s a dangerous play. I know he’s not a dirty player.”
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
Suns wing Damion Lee admits that he went through some “dark days” during the lengthy recovery process from an October meniscus surgery that sidelined him for the entire regular season, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays. However, Lee is in a better place now as he nears the end of that recovery process — he also hasn’t given up on the idea of returning this spring. “To be determined,” Lee said. “I’ll just leave it at this. I feel like the longer we go in the postseason, the more likely there is a chance. No timetable necessarily. It’s all feel based. You saw me out here shooting, jumping. Running.”
Grayson Allen gave up a little money to sign an extension with the Suns, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), who says the veteran swingman could have secured $80-85MM on the open market. Allen has reportedly agreed to a four-year, $70MM deal with Phoenix.
The Clippers continue to be evasive about Kawhi Leonard‘s outlook for the start of the playoffs, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Asked on Sunday whether Leonard has been doing workouts, head coach Tyronn Lue said he’s “been doing a little something,” but Lue declined to say whether or not he expects the star forward to be available in the postseason.
It won’t be an easy path to the playoffs for the Kings or Warriors, who will each have to win two play-in games just to claim the No. 8 seed in the West. Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee takes a look at the challenge facing the Kings, while Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic checks in on a Golden State team in “March Madness mode.”
APRIL 14: The Warriors have officially converted Garbua to a standard deal, per a press statement (Twitter link).
APRIL 13: The Warriors intend to convert two-way big man Usman Garuba to a standard NBA contract for the rest of the season, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). The Warriors had an open roster spot to fill and are thus making Garuba eligible for the playoffs by promoting him.
The 23rd overall pick in the 2021 draft by the Rockets, Garuba played two seasons in Houston before being traded in the five-team deal that brought Dillon Brooks to the Rockets. He was then re-routed again from Atlanta to the Thunder, who waived him prior to the season.
Garuba, touted as a strong defender, has barely played for the Warriors this season after signing his two-way deal. In five games and just 12 minutes, he has totaled two points and three rebounds this year.
Still just 22 years old, Garuba has been more productive in the G League. This season with Santa Cruz, he averaged 12.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks in 35 regular season and Showcase Cup games.
Across his three seasons in the NBA, Garuba holds averages of 2.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 104 games (three starts).
The Warriors will have a full 15-man roster after signing Garuba to his standard deal. Golden State also has two players, Jerome Robinson and Pat Spencer, on two-way contracts. Because the deadline to sign two-way players passed in March, the Warriors aren’t eligible to sign another two-way player this year. Players on two-way contracts aren’t eligible to suit up in the postseason.
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. didn’t shy away from the challenge of taking over a dynasty in decline, writes Ann Killion of The San Francisco Chronicle. When former GM Bob Myers opted to leave the organization last summer, Dunleavy inherited the job of running a team with aging veterans and a record tax bill. The results in his first year have been mixed, as Golden State — two years off its last championship — needed a late surge just to secure a play-in spot.
“It’s a different challenge, as opposed to taking a team at the bottom and building,” Dunleavy said. “This job is, ‘Hey, we want to keep it going.’ That’s a challenge, but it’s one that I’m comfortable with and that I’m up for. But, yeah, it’s a lot of work.”
Dunleavy made a big move in his first days on the job, Killion adds, getting rid of Jordan Poole‘s contract by trading him to Washington for long-time Warriors rival Chris Paul. Dunleavy also landed two rotation pieces on draft night by selecting Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
Up next is a challenging offseason that will include a crucial decision involving Klay Thompson, who’s headed for free agency after 13 years with the team.
“It’s just evaluating and seeing where we end up,” Dunleavy said. “Then, when it’s all said and done, we’ll see what decisions we need to make. But on the whole I think we have a good idea of what this team is and what we need moving forward.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
Dunleavy explained his decision to stand pat at the trade deadline, telling Killion that Draymond Green‘s suspension factored into it. Green had recently been reinstated by the league, and Dunleavy was reluctant to pursue a major deal without seeing the full team together. “You certainly see how much we need him on the court,” Dunleavy said. “We’re not the same team without him. We’re really committed to this roster and felt like we just needed more time to jell. I don’t know of any trade that could have made us better.”
Dunleavy is determined to keep Stephen Curry with the Warriors for the rest of his career, Killion adds. The 36-year-old guard is under contract through the 2025/26 season. “I would say there’s nothing taxing about Steph — I’ll take that guy any day of the week, at any point in his career,” Dunleavy said. “We have to figure out how we build around him, because he’s going to be here — he’s going to be here forever. We have to take that all into account. But there’s a lot worse guys you could see the tail end of their career with.”
Jonathan Kuminga sat out Friday’s game and is listed as questionable for Sunday with a right pelvic contusion he suffered in Thursday’s contest, per Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. “He fell and kind of bruised his tailbone and is in a lot of pain,” coach Steve Kerr said. Curry, Thompson, Green and Paul are also questionable, while Gary Payton II is out, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
In the early game, the No. 7 Pelicans will host the No. 8 Lakers for the second time in three days. The results of Sunday’s contest weren’t particularly encouraging for the Pelicans, who could have clinched the No. 6 seed in the West with a victory, but trailed all afternoon en route to a 16-point loss.
APRIL 13: The Warriors intend to convert two-way big man