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Poll: Tuesday’s NBA Play-In Games

April 11th, 2023 at 8:16am CST by Luke Adams

By the end of the night on Tuesday, two more first-round playoff matchups will be locked in, with the No. 7 seeds in both conferences having been determined.

[RELATED: NBA’s Play-In Field, Top-Six Playoff Seeds Set]

The Eastern Conference’s No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchup pits Jimmy Butler and the 44-38 Heat against Trae Young and the 41-41 Hawks. The two Southeast clubs will do battle on Tuesday at 7:30 pm Eastern time in Miami for the right to face the second-seeded Celtics in the first round.

Miami is the home team in this game, won the season series with Atlanta (3-1), and will enter as a 4.5-point favorite, per BetOnline.ag. The Heat haven’t looked as good this season as they did in 2021/22, when they claimed the top seed in the East and came within a couple plays of making the NBA Finals. But they’re as healthy now as they’ve been at any time this season and were far better at home (27-14) than on the road.

Miami has also done a good job defending Young — his 19.8 points per game on .356/.208/.865 shooting in four games this season vs. the Heat were the worst numbers he put up against any Eastern Conference team.

Atlanta, meanwhile, has been the epitome of a .500 club this season. Since going 13-13 in their first 26 games, the Hawks have had a .500 record an incredible 22 more times en route to a 41-41 finish.

Still, like the Heat, the Hawks are healthy entering Tuesday’s play-in game. They’ve been a winning team (38-35) when Young is available and have been a little more effective under head coach Quin Snyder (+1.8 net rating) than they were under Nate McMillan (-0.5). Perhaps Atlanta will also benefit from past play-in experience — the club won two play-in games a year ago to claim the No. 8 seed in the East.

Over in the West, the No. 7 Lakers (43-39) will host the No. 8 Timberwolves (42-20) in the second play-in game of the night to determine which team will advance to the playoffs and face the Grizzlies in round one.

The Lakers are eight-point favorites and it’s not hard to see why. Since their trade-deadline additions debuted on February 11, the Lakers have the NBA’s sixth-best net rating (+4.8) and third-best record (18-8), despite missing star forward LeBron James for 13 of those games. They’re playing their best basketball of the season at exactly the right time.

The Timberwolves, on the other hand, are entering the play-in tournament with their huge 2022 offseason addition – Rudy Gobert – set to serve a one-game suspension after punching a teammate on the sidelines in Sunday’s regular season finale. Meanwhile, breakout All-Defensive candidate Jaden McDaniels, whom the Wolves insisted on keeping when they dealt for Gobert, will be sidelined due to a separate punch — this one, aimed at a wall, broke McDaniels’ hand.

With Naz Reid (wrist surgery) also unavailable and Karl-Anthony Towns (right calf strain) listed as questionable, the Wolves will be the shorthanded team on Tuesday, but it’s worth noting that amidst all their drama and injuries, they pulled off an impressive comeback win over New Orleans on Sunday to claim the eighth spot in the West. Maybe the turmoil will help the team come together and pull off an upset victory in Los Angeles.

We want to know what you think. Which two teams will win tonight’s games and claim the No. 7 seeds for the playoffs?

Vote in our poll below, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

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Checking In On NBA’s 2023 Lottery Standings, Projected Draft Order

April 9th, 2023 at 8:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2022/23 NBA regular season is officially over, but the draft order for June 22 has not yet been set.

A handful of factors, including the play-in results, random tiebreakers, and – of course – the lottery results themselves will ultimately determine what the 58(*) picks in the 2023 NBA draft look like. But with the season in the books, there’s plenty we do know.

(* Note: The Sixers’ second-round pick and the Nuggets’ second-round pick, which was acquired by the Bulls, are forfeited due to free agency gun-jumping violations.)

Let’s dive in and check in on a few key aspects of the lottery standings and projected draft order…

Tentative lottery standings/odds

So far, only 10 of the 14 teams involved in the draft lottery are known — the four teams eliminated in the play-in tournament will join them.

With the help of data from Tankathon, here’s a tentative breakdown at what the lottery odds would look like if the play-in favorites (the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds) advance through the tournament and secure playoff spots:

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
DET 14 13.4 12.7 12 47.9 – – – – – – – – –
HOU 14 13.4 12.7 12 27.8 20 – – – – – – – –
SAS 14 13.4 12.7 12 14.8 26 7 – – – – – – –
CHA 12.5 12.2 11.9 11.5 7.2 25.7 16.7 2.2 – – – – – –
POR 10.5 10.5 10.6 10.5 2.2 19.6 26.7 8.7 0.6 – – – – –
ORL 9 9.2 9.4 9.6 – 8.6 29.8 20.6 3.7 0.1 – – – –
WSH 6.8 7.1 7.5 7.9 – – 19.7 35.6 12.9 1.4 >0 – – –
IND 6.7 7.0 7.4 7.8 – – – 32.9 31.1 6.6 0.4 >0 – –
UTH 4.5 4.8 5.2 5.7 – – – – 50.7 25.9 3 0.1 >0 –
DAL 3 3.3 3.6 4 – – – – – 65.9 19 1.2 >0 >0
OKC* 1.8 2.0 2.2 2.5 – – – – – – 77.6 13.5 0.4 >0
CHI* 1.7 1.9 2.1 2.4 – – – – – – – 85.2 6.7 0.1
TOR* 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.4 – – – – – – – – 92.9 3.3
NOP* 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.7 – – – – – – – – – 97.6

(* Asterisks denote play-in teams)

Three sets of teams finished with matching records: the Rockets and Spurs, the Wizards and Pacers, and the Thunder and Bulls. Random tiebreakers will be completed to determine their exact lottery positioning, so their lottery odds, in italics, are just tentative so far. If the Spurs were to win their tiebreaker with the Rockets, for example, the two teams would be flipped in the chart above.

Depending on which play-in teams make the playoffs, more tiebreakers could determine the last four spots of the lottery seeding, For instance, the Raptors and Hawks have identical records, as do the Timberwolves and Pelicans. If either of those pairs of teams lose in the play-in and end up in the lottery, tiebreakers will determine their exact spot in the lottery standings.

The different colors in the chart above reflect that those teams could lose their picks. The Mavericks‘ first-round pick will be sent to the Knicks if it lands outside the top 10 (20.2%), whereas Dallas would keep it if it stays in the top 10 (79.8%).

The Bulls‘ pick is top-four protected, so if Chicago misses the playoffs, then gets some lottery-night luck and moves into the top four, they’ll keep it (either 8.1% or 8.5%, depending on the tiebreaker). Otherwise, the Magic will receive it (91.5% or 91.9%).

The play-in factor

The teams eliminated in this week’s play-in tournament will end up in the lottery, sorted by record (worst to best), while the teams that earn playoff spots won’t pick earlier than No. 15. Here are the eight play-in teams:

  • Chicago Bulls (40-42)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (40-42)
  • Toronto Raptors (41-41)
  • Atlanta Hawks (41-41)
  • New Orleans Pelicans (42-40)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (42-40)
  • Los Angeles Lakers (43-39)
  • Miami Heat (44-38)

Based on their 44-38 record, the Heat could end up with a pick as low as No. 20 in the first round of the draft (depending on tiebreaker results). However, if they lose two play-in games this week and don’t make the playoffs at all, they’d hold the No. 14 spot in the lottery instead.

The Bulls and Thunder finished with matching 40-42 records, while the Raptors and Hawks were each 41-41 and the Pelicans and Timberwolves were both 42-40, so if both teams in any of those pairs are eliminated in the play-in tournament, a tiebreaker will be required to determine their spots in the lottery standings.

If, for example, Atlanta makes the playoffs and Toronto doesn’t, no tiebreaker would be necessary, since the Raptors would be in the lottery and the Hawks wouldn’t.

The tiebreakers

Many tiebreakers will be required to determine either lottery positioning or a team’s specific draft pick. Here are all the teams that finished with identical records, creating a situation where a random tiebreaker will (or may) be required:

  1. Houston Rockets / San Antonio Spurs (22-60)
  2. Indiana Pacers / Washington Wizards (35-37)
  3. Chicago Bulls / Oklahoma City Thunder (40-42)
    • Note: A tiebreaker would not be required if one team makes the playoffs and the other doesn’t.
    • Note: The Bulls’ pick will be sent to the Magic if it lands outside of the top four.
  4. Atlanta Hawks / Toronto Raptors (41-41)
    • Note: A tiebreaker would not be required if one team makes the playoffs and the other doesn’t.
    • Note: The Nets’ pick will be sent to the Rockets; the Cavaliers’ pick will be sent to the Pacers if it lands outside of the top 14.
  5. Minnesota Timberwolves / New Orleans Pelicans (42-40)
    • Note: A tiebreaker would not be required if one team makes the playoffs and the other doesn’t.
    • Note: The Timberwolves’ pick will be sent to the Jazz; the Pelicans will have the ability to swap their pick with the Lakers’ pick.
  6. Golden State Warriors / Los Angeles Clippers / Miami Heat (44-38)
    • Note: The Heat would not be involved in this tiebreaker if they don’t make the playoffs.
    • Note: The Clippers’ pick will be sent to the Rockets.
  7. Brooklyn Nets / Phoenix Suns (45-37)
    • Note: The Suns’ pick will be sent to the Nets.
  8. Cleveland Cavaliers / Memphis Grizzlies (51-31)
    • Note: The Cavaliers’ pick will be sent to the Pacers.

The playoff teams that win the tiebreakers will get the higher pick in the first round and the lower pick in the second round. For instance, if the Warriors win their three-way tiebreaker and the Heat are the runner-up in that tiebreaker, the first-round order would be Golden State at No. 18, Miami at No. 19, and the Clippers at No. 20; the second-round order would be L.A. at No. 48, Miami at No. 49, and Golden State at No. 50.

However, the second-round order for tied lottery teams isn’t determined until lottery night. For example, if Indiana wins its tiebreaker with Washington, but the Wizards win the No. 1 pick in the lottery, the Pacers would receive the higher second-round pick, since they’d have the lower first-round pick despite winning the tiebreaker.

This is especially relevant for the Spurs/Rockets tiebreaker, since Houston’s second-round pick will be traded to a different team depending on whether it lands at No. 32 (the Pacers) or No. 33 (the Celtics). The results of that tiebreaker won’t determine which team gets Houston’s second-rounder — that won’t be officially decided until lottery night.

These tiebreakers will be conducted sometime after the playoff field is set. Last year, they were held eight days after the regular season ended.

The traded first-round picks

Here’s a breakdown of the traded first-round picks for the 2023 NBA draft:

Picks that will change hands:

  • Jazz acquiring Timberwolves‘ pick.
    • If the Timberwolves secure a playoff spot via the play-in tournament, this pick will land in the 16-18 range. If the Timberwolves don’t make the playoffs, it will move into the lottery.
  • Rockets acquiring Clippers‘ pick via swap rights (with Bucks pick).
    • The Rockets will swap the Bucks’ pick (No. 30) for the Clippers’ pick, which will land in the 18-20 range, depending on the tiebreaker results. The Clippers will receive the Bucks’ pick as part of the swap.
  • Nets acquiring Suns‘ pick.
    • This pick will land at either No. 21 or No. 22, depending on the tiebreaker results.
  • Trail Blazers acquiring Knicks‘ pick (top-14 protected).
    • This pick will be No. 23.
  • Pacers acquiring Cavaliers‘ pick (top-14 protected).
    • This pick will land at either No. 25 or No. 26, depending on the tiebreaker results.
  • Hornets acquiring Nuggets‘ pick (top-14 protected).
    • This pick will be No. 27.
  • Jazz acquiring Sixers‘ pick.
    • This pick will be No. 28.
  • Pacers acquiring Celtics‘ pick (top-12 protected).
    • This pick will be No. 29.

Picks that won’t change hands:

  • Knicks acquiring Pistons‘ pick (top-18 protected).
    • This pick can’t end up lower than No. 5, so it will fall in its protected range. The Pistons will instead owe the Knicks their 2024 first-round pick (top-18 protected).
  • Spurs acquiring Hornets‘ pick (top-16 protected).
    • This pick can’t end up lower than No. 8, so it will fall in its protected range. The Hornets will instead owe the Spurs their 2024 first-round pick (top-14 protected).
  • Bulls acquiring Trail Blazers‘ pick (top-14 protected).
    • This pick can’t end up lower than No. 9, so it will fall in its protected range. The Trail Blazers will instead owe the Bulls their 2024 first-round pick (top-14 protected).
  • Knicks acquiring Wizards‘ pick (top-14 protected).
    • This pick can’t end up lower than No. 12, so it will fall in its protected range. The Wizards will instead owe the Knicks their 2024 first-round pick (top-12 protected).

Picks that might change hands:

  • Knicks acquiring Mavericks‘ pick (top-10 protected).
    • There’s a 79.8% chance that this pick will land in the top 10, in which case it would be kept by the Mavericks. There’s a 20.2% chance it will land in the 11-14 range, in which case the Knicks would receive it.
  • Magic acquiring Bulls‘ pick (top-four protected).
    • Depending on the tiebreaker, there’s an 8.1-8.5% that this pick will land in the top four, in which case it would be kept by the Bulls. There’s a 91.5-91.9% chance it will land in the 11-14 range, in which case the Magic would receive it.
  • Pelicans acquiring Lakers‘ pick via swap rights.
    • If the Pelicans secure a playoff spot via the play-in tournament and the Lakers don’t, they’ll exercise their swap option. If both teams make or miss the playoffs, the Pelicans’ pick will be more favorable than the Lakers’ pick, so New Orleans won’t need to swap.
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What To Watch For On Final Day Of Regular Season

April 9th, 2023 at 8:15am CST by Luke Adams

Sunday represents the 174th and final day of the NBA’s 2022/23 regular season, with all 30 teams in action at either 12:00 pm Central time (1:00 pm ET) or 2:30 CT (3:30 ET).

Not all of today’s games are must-see matchups, but there’s plenty at stake on Sunday, including several of the postseason seeds in the Western Conference.

Here’s what to watch for on the final day of the ’22/23 regular season:

Western Conference playoff seeding

The Nuggets (No. 1), Grizzlies (No. 2), Kings (No. 3), Suns (No. 4), and Thunder (No. 10) have locked in their seeds in the West, but none of those teams know which opponent they’ll be facing in the first round of the playoffs — or in the first round of the play-in tournament, in OKC’s case.

The results of four games today will determine which clubs end up holding the Nos. 5-9 seeds in the West. Those games are as follows:

  • New Orleans Pelicans at Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers
  • Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers
  • Los Angeles Clippers at Phoenix Suns

There are 16 different combinations of potential winners in those four contests, so we won’t run through every single scenario, but they can all be found right here. Here are a few details, in simplified terms:

  • The Clippers, Warriors, and Lakers currently rank fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively, and would hold those spots if all three teams win today. The Clippers can’t fall further than No. 7, while Golden State and the Lakers could end up as low as No. 8.
  • The loser of the Pelicans/Timberwolves game will be the No. 9 seed. New Orleans could move as high as No. 5 with a win in that game, while Minnesota would slide up to No. 7 or No. 8 with a victory.
  • The Lakers will be the No. 8 seed if they lose to Utah. If they win, they’ll mostly likely end up at No. 6 or No. 7, though there’s one scenario where they could defeat the Jazz and still drop to No. 8 (if the Pelicans, Warriors, and Suns all win).

The Suns will be resting most of their key players, including Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton, on Sunday, so it would be a surprise if the Clippers lose that one, even though the game is in Phoenix. A Clippers win would lock the team into a first-round matchup against the Suns, which isn’t the most desirable outcome, but the Clips would risk slipping into play-in range with a loss, so they can’t get too clever.

Similarly, with the Blazers in all-out tank mode, it’s hard to imagine the Warriors losing that game in Portland, since doing so could result in a slide to No. 7 or No. 8.

It’s worth noting that all four of these games tip off at 2:30 pm CT, so no teams will take the floor knowing any outcomes of the other three games.

Draft and lottery positioning

There are several draft-related storylines worth monitoring today. Here are a few of the most important ones:

The Mavericks’ top-10 protected pick

With a loss on Sunday, the Mavericks would secure, at worst, the NBA’s 10th-worst record, giving them nearly an 80% chance to keep the top-10 protected first-round pick they owe the Knicks.

If the Jazz win and the Mavericks lose, the two teams would finish in a tie for the ninth-worst record and Dallas’ odds of keeping its first-rounder could increase significantly. If the Mavs were to win a coin-flip tiebreaker in that scenario, they’d have nearly a 97% chance to keep their pick.

On the other hand, a win today might put Dallas in a tie with the Thunder or Bulls for the league’s 10th-worst record and could significantly reduce the Mavs’ odds of hanging onto that first-rounder, depending on the results of the tiebreaker.

The fifth lottery spot

A loss today would assure the Trail Blazers of having the fifth-best odds in the lottery. That would give them a 10.5% shot at the No. 1 overall pick and a 42.1% chance to move into the top four.

A win could move Portland into a tie with the Magic and/or Pacers, potentially reducing those odds to 9.0% and 37.2%, respectively.

The Rockets’ second-round pick

The Pacers and Celtics will be keeping a close on the Rockets and Spurs today. As we previously outlined, Indiana will get Houston’s second-round pick if it’s at No. 32, while Boston will get it if it’s No. 33.

A Houston win and a San Antonio loss today would ensure that pick moves to No. 33; a Houston loss and a San Antonio win would lock it in at No. 32.

If both teams win or lose, that pick would be TBD. Where it lands would hinge on the results of a coin-flip tiebreaker and May’s draft lottery (if the two teams are tied, whichever one gets the lower pick in round one gets the higher pick in round two).

The Pelicans’ swap rights

The Pelicans have the right to swap first-round picks with the Lakers. Heading into today’s games, the two teams have identical 42-39 records.

However, even if the Pelicans win and the Lakers lose, New Orleans won’t necessarily end up using its swap rights — if the Lakers were to make the playoffs via the play-in tournament and the Pelicans lose in the play-in, New Orleans’ pick would be the higher one, regardless of regular season record.

Teams with open roster spots

The Jazz and Nets filled their open roster spots on Saturday, while the Grizzlies also made a series of roster moves in preparation for the playoffs. That leaves just five teams with open roster spots heading into Sunday. Those clubs are as follows:

Open 15-man roster spot:

  • Houston Rockets
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • New York Knicks

Open two-way slot:

  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • Phoenix Suns

It would be a surprise if the Rockets, Lakers, and Knicks don’t fill their roster openings today. There’s essentially no downside to signing a player to a multiyear contract that only includes one day’s worth of guaranteed money, with a team option or non-guaranteed salary for 2023/24.

The Pelicans and Suns could also make two-way signings today, though that’s a little less likely, since it’s harder to convince free agents to sign two-year two-way contracts, and those players won’t be eligible for the postseason.

It’s also worth noting that two of the Trail Blazers‘ hardship 10-day contracts (for Skylar Mays and Shaquille Harrison) expired overnight on Saturday, so if they want to bring those players back for their regular season finale, they’ll need to re-sign them on Sunday.

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Community Shootaround: Is NBA MVP Race Over?

April 5th, 2023 at 12:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers center Joel Embiid had one of his best games of the season on Tuesday night in a 103-101 victory over Boston, scoring over half of his team’s points and keeping Philadelphia’s hopes alive for the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed.

Embiid’s final line included 52 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists on 20-of-25 shooting. He was a plus-17 in nearly 39 minutes. The 76ers were outscored by 15 points in the nine-plus minutes he didn’t play.

In the view of head coach Doc Rivers, it was a convincing closing argument from Embiid in what has been a hotly contested battle for this season’s Most Valuable Player award.

“We did so many things wrong, but what we did right was Joel Embiid,” Rivers said after the game, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “The MVP race is over.”

Teammate James Harden – who had a double-double of his own in the victory, with 20 points and 10 assists – also believes Embiid has done enough this season to lock up his first MVP award.

“Joel should win it,” Harden said. “He’s been in contention for it the last few years. He led the league in scoring last year. It looks like he’s going to lead the league in scoring this year. We’re the third seed in the East. He’s been consistent all year.”

Embiid certainly has a compelling case for MVP honors. His 33.3 points per game lead the NBA, as Harden observes. He’s chipping in 10.2 RPG, 1.7 BPG, and has matched a career high with 4.2 APG. His .547 FG% is a career best, as is his .859 FT% on 11.8 attempts per game. He’s the anchor of Philadelphia’s defense and the team is 11.2 points per 100 possessions better when he’s on the court than when he’s not.

It’s not just Embiid’s coaches and teammates who are endorsing his MVP candidacy either. Plenty of players around the NBA have made the case for the Sixers star, including former MVP Stephen Curry, who told Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report this week that Embiid would get his vote.

Of course, as has been the case all season, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo are posting superlative numbers of their own and they’re doing so for the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences (though it’s worth noting that Embiid’s Sixers have the same record as Jokic’s Nuggets).

Antetokounmpo is averaging a career-high 31.1 PPG to go along with 11.8 RPG and 5.7 APG while making a strong case for All-Defensive recognition. Jokic, the advanced metric darling, is nearly averaging a triple-double (24.8 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 9.8 APG) and the difference between the Nuggets’ performance when he’s on the court (+12.8 net rating) and when he’s not (-11.5) is stunning.

Still, a recent straw poll conducted by Bontemps had Embiid holding a slight lead over Jokic. The Nuggets star, battling a right calf issue, has only played 24 minutes since the results of that poll were published, while Embiid has scored 105 more points across three games and has added another signature outing to his résumé.

Additionally, while media members may claim that voter fatigue isn’t a factor in their picks, the fact that Jokic and Antetokounmpo have won two MVPs apiece while Embiid has yet to win one may help tip the tip the scales in his favor — especially since there’s a sense he has been a worthy candidate for each of the last few seasons.

That brings us to today’s Community Shootaround question: Is Rivers right that the MVP race over? Has Embiid clinched it? Or is still a two- or three-man race as we enter the final five days of the season?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

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What To Watch For In NBA Season’s Final Week

April 4th, 2023 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s 2022/23 regular season will wrap up on April 9, which means we now have just six days left in the season. Here are a few things worth keeping an eye on during those six days:

Play-in races and playoff positioning

Eastern Conference

Frankly, the race for the playoffs in the East would have been more exciting under the NBA’s old system, where only the top eight seeds at the end of the regular season made the playoffs. Currently, the Hawks and Raptors are tied for the No. 8 spot at 39-39 (Atlanta has the tiebreaker advantage), while the Bulls are one game back at 38-40. It’s a safe bet that all three teams will make the play-in tournament, whereas in past years they would’ve been fighting for a single playoff spot.

Of course, there’s still some intrigue related to which team finishes in which slot. The No. 8 team at the end of the regular season gets two chances to win one play-in game to earn a playoff berth, whereas the Nos. 9 and 10 teams need to win two games to make the playoffs. The No. 10 club would have to win two play-in games on the road.

Further up the Eastern Conference standings, there’s currently a gap of at least two games between each of the top seven teams, so even though those seeds aren’t set in stone yet, they’re getting close to being locked in, barring some late surges or slumps.

Most notable remaining intra-conference games:

  • 4/4: Celtics at Sixers, Hawks at Bulls
  • 4/5: Raptors at Celtics, Bulls at Bucks
  • 4/6: Heat at Sixers
  • 4/7: Sixers at Hawks, Raptors at Celtics
  • 4/9: Hawks at Celtics, Sixers at Nets, Bucks at Raptors

Western Conference

As has been the case for months, the Western standings are more tightly bunched than the East’s. The Nos. 5-8 seeds are only separated by a half-game, for instance, and 12 teams technically remain in the playoff picture or play-in hunt.

The Clippers and Warriors are both 41-38 and currently hold the fifth and sixth spots in the Western Conference standings, but if they want to avoid the play-in tournament, they’ll have to hold off the surging Lakers and Pelicans, who are both 40-38.

The No. 10 Thunder (38-41) are currently in the driver’s seat for the final play-in spot. They have a one-game lead over the 11th-place Mavericks (37-42) and a 1.5-game cushion on the 12th-place Jazz (36-42) and hold the tiebreaker over both teams. Oklahoma City’s remaining schedule is no cakewalk though, with road games in Golden State and Utah following by a home game vs. Memphis.

Most notable remaining intra-conference games:

  • 4/4: Kings at Pelicans, Lakers at Jazz, Thunder at Warriors
  • 4/5: Grizzlies at Pelicans, Kings at Mavericks, Lakers at Clippers
  • 4/6: Thunder at Jazz, Nuggets at Suns
  • 4/7: Warriors at Kings, Suns at Lakers
  • 4/9: Pelicans at Timberwolves, Grizzlies at Thunder, Kings at Nuggets, Jazz at Lakers, Clippers at Suns

Lottery positioning and traded draft picks

There are important races happening at both ends of the standings as the season winds down. At the bottom, the Pistons (16-62) are on track for the No. 1 spot in the draft lottery standings, with the Rockets (19-60) and Spurs (20-58) vying for the No. 2 spot.

The Hornets (26-53) comfortably hold the No. 4 lottery spot, but the race for No. 5 is a tight one — the Trail Blazers (33-45), Pacers (34-45), Magic (34-44), and Wizards (34-44) are separated by a single game.

The lottery odds for each team in the top 14 can be found here.

Additionally, a handful of traded draft picks remain up for grabs as the season winds down. For instance, the Mavericks will trade their first-round pick to the Knicks if it’s not in the top 10, which appears increasingly likely but is far from certain. Dallas and Minnesota could both end up surrendering lottery picks, as the Timberwolves owe their unprotected first-rounder to the Jazz.

It appears the Wizards and Trail Blazers will hang onto their top-14 protected first-rounders rather than sending them to the Knicks and Bulls, respectively. But it’s still worth keeping an eye on Chicago’s own pick — it’s top-four protected, so the Bulls will have an outside shot at keeping it instead of sending it to the Magic if they lose in the play-in tournament.

Award races

Some of this year’s awards look like they’re all but sewn up, including Rookie of the Year (Paolo Banchero) and Coach of the Year (Mike Brown).

But one of the most fascinating Most Valuable Player races in years remains very much up in the air, with Sixers center Joel Embiid and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo prepared to submit their closing arguments in the next few days. Could the ongoing injury absence of Nuggets center Nikola Jokic cost him his third consecutive MVP?

Defensive Player of the Year also isn’t a foregone conclusion, with Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson and Bucks center Brook Lopez among the leading candidates.

Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are among the players who continue to make strong cases for the Most Improved Player award, while Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley and Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon look like the top two candidates for Sixth Man of the Year.

Roster moves

With just six days left in the season, this year’s period of 10-day contract signings is essentially over. A team filling its final open roster spot will sign a player to a rest-of-season or multiyear deal at this point, rather than a 10-day pact.

The one exception is 10-day hardship deals, which can still be completed during the final week of a season by teams dealing with several injuries.

Why wouldn’t those hardship contracts just take the form of rest-of-season deals too? Well, this way, teams can’t gain certain offseason rights to more players than the standard roster limits allow. A rest-of-season contract would give the club a player’s Bird, Early Bird, or Non-Bird rights for the offseason, whereas a 10-day deal won’t.

As we outlined on Sunday, here are the teams that still have an open roster spot with six days left in the season:

  • Boston Celtics *
  • Brooklyn Nets **
  • Charlotte Hornets **
  • Houston Rockets
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • New York Knicks
  • Phoenix Suns ***
  • Utah Jazz ****

* The Celtics are expected to fill their open roster spot by signing Justin Champagnie.

** The Nets and Hornets each have a player on a 10-day contract filling their 15th roster spot. Those deals will expire before the season ends.

*** The Suns have a full 15-man roster but have an open two-way spot.

**** The Jazz have one open 15-man roster spot and a player on a 10-day contract filling their 14th spot, so they’ll have two openings before the end of the week.

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Running List Of Changes In NBA’s New Collective Bargaining Agreement

April 2nd, 2023 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA and National Basketball Players Association reached a tentative deal on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement early on the morning of Saturday, April 1. As a result of that agreement, we can rest assured that we won’t be faced with an NBA work stoppage this summer.

However, it may still be a little while until we have a complete picture of what’s changing and what’s staying the same in the new CBA.

Some of the coming changes have already been reported and more details will likely continue to trickle out in the coming days and weeks, so while we wait for an official term sheet, we’re tracking all those changes in the space below.

We’ll continue to add or clarify items to this list as necessary, so keep checking back for updates. Here’s what we know so far about the new CBA based on unofficial information from NBA reporters:

Updated 6-27-23 (5:27pm CT)

In-season tournament

The NBA will introduce an in-season tournament, likely as part of the 2023/24 schedule. Here are some details:

  • Teams will be divided into six intra-conference groups of five teams apiece and play each of the other teams in their group once. That first round of the tournament will consist of four games (two home and two road) that are part of the regular season schedule.
  • The six group winners and the top two wild card teams will advance to the eight-team single-elimination portion of the tournament. Tiebreakers are still being determined.
  • The “Final Four” will be played at a neutral location. Las Vegas is reportedly receiving consideration.
  • The round robin, quarterfinal, and semifinal games will count toward teams’ regular season record, but the final won’t.
  • NBA teams are expected to initially have 80 regular season games on their schedule. The leftover games for the teams that don’t make the single-elimination portion of the in-season tournament would be scheduled at a later date, while the two teams that make the final of the tournament would end up playing 83 games.
  • Prize money for the in-season tournament will be $500K per player for the winning team; $200K per player for the runner-up; $100K per player for the semifinal losers; and $50K per player for the quarterfinal losers.

(Original stories here)

Second tax apron

The NBA’s current “tax apron” is set a few million dollars above the luxury tax line. For instance, in 2022/23, the tax line is $150,267,000 and the tax apron is $156,983,000. Teams above the tax apron aren’t permitted to acquire players via sign-and-trade, use more than the taxpayer portion of the mid-level exception, or use the bi-annual exception.

In the new CBA, the NBA will implement a second tax apron that will be $17.5MM above the tax line. Teams above that second apron will face a new set of restrictions, as follows:

  • They won’t have access to the taxpayer mid-level exception.
  • They won’t be able to trade away their first-round pick that’s seven years away, beginning in 2024/25. If the team remains above the second apron in two of the next four seasons, that draft pick that was frozen for trade purposes will fall to the end of the first round. If they stay under the second apron for three of the next four seasons, the pick would become unfrozen.
  • They won’t be allowed to sign free agents on the buyout market.
  • They won’t be permitted to send out cash in trades.
  • They won’t be able to take back more salary in a trade than they send out.
  • They won’t be able to aggregate salary for matching purposes in trades.

The second tax apron is expected to be phased in over the next two seasons.

(Original stories found here)

All-NBA and postseason award voting

Two key changes will impact voting on postseason awards beginning in 2023/24:

  • Players will need to appear in a minimum of 65 games to be eligible to earn postseason awards such as MVP, Rookie of the Year, All-NBA, etc.
  • Players would reportedly have to log at least 20 minutes in at least 63 of those games for them to count toward the 65-game minimum. They would be permitted to play between 15-20 minutes in two games and still have them count toward the minimum of 65. A player who suffers a season-ending injury can qualify for postseason awards with 62 games played. There will also be exceptions related to “bad faith circumstances.”
  • The three All-NBA teams will be positionless rather than featuring two guards, two forwards, and one center.
  • The two All-Defensive teams will be positionless rather than featuring two guards, two forwards, and one center.

(Original stories can be found here)

Salary cap changes

The following changes will apply to the salary cap:

  • The cap will increase by no more than 10% per league year in order to avoid a repeat of the 32% spike in 2016.
  • The value of the mid-level exception will receive a 7.5% bump and the room exception will be increased by 30%. Those bumps will be in addition to the exceptions’ usual increase, which is tied to the salary cap. The taxpayer mid-level exception will be reduced to $5MM in 2023/24 and will increase at the same rate as the cap after that.
  • The room exception will allow for contracts that cover up to three seasons, while the taxpayer mid-level exception will only allow for contracts that cover up to two seasons.
  • The luxury tax brackets, previously at $5MM intervals above the tax line, will now increase at the same rate of the salary cap.
  • A new cap exception will be introduced for second-round picks so that teams no longer need to use cap room or the mid-level exception to give those players salaries worth more than the rookie minimum or deals longer than two years. The exception will allow teams to offer contracts that cover up to four seasons, with a starting salary worth up to:
    • The equivalent of the veteran’s minimum for a second-year player for any three-year contract.
    • The equivalent of the veteran’s minimum for a third-year player for any four-year contract.
  • Players signed using the second-round exception won’t count against the cap until July 31, allowing those players to participate in Summer League activities without compromising cap room.
  • Teams below the minimum salary floor (90% of the cap) on the first day of the regular season will not receive an end-of-season tax distribution from the league’s taxpaying teams.
  • Teams will become hard-capped at the first tax apron if they take back more than 110% of the salary they send out in a trade.
  • Salary cap exceptions that used to begin prorating downward on January 10 will now begin proration on the day after the trade deadline.

(Original stories can be found here)

Free agency and contract-related changes

The following changes will apply to player contracts:

  • A player signing a veteran contract extension will be allowed to receive 140% of his previous salary in the first year of a new extension instead of 120%. Our expectation is that players earning less than the NBA’s average salary will be able to make up to 140% (instead of 120%) of the average salary in the first year of a veteran extension, though that has yet to be confirmed.
  • A player who declines a player option as part of a veteran extension will be able to have a first-year salary worth less than the player option in his new contract.
  • Players will be permitted to sign rookie scale extensions of up to five years (instead of four) even if the extension is worth less than the maximum salary.
  • The qualifying offer amount for restricted free agents who finish their rookie contracts will increase by 10% over its usual scale amount. This will apply for the first time to the 2023 rookie class.
  • The qualifying offer amount for restricted free agents who weren’t first-round picks will increase to 135% of their prior salary or $200K above their minimum salary, whichever is greater.
  • The time a team has to match an offer sheet for a restricted free agent will be reduced from two days to one day if the team receives it before noon Eastern time. The decision would be due by the following night at 11:59 pm ET. If the offer sheet is received after noon, the team would still have two days to decide whether to match.
  • Teams will no longer face restrictions on how many players on Designated Rookie or Designated Veteran contracts they can carry.
  • Teams will be permitted to begin negotiating with their own free agents one day after the NBA Finals conclude.
  • Teams above either tax apron won’t be permitted to sign “buyout” players. A “buyout” player will be defined as anyone waived that season whose pre-waiver salary exceeded the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
  • Teams above either tax apron also won’t be able to take back more salary than they send out in any trade.
  • The extend-and-trade rules will be modified to allow for an extra year (four total years instead of three) and a higher salary (120% instead of 105%) than was previously permitted.
  • A team and player can agree to remove the player’s trade veto rights if he re-signs on a one-year contract that would give him Early Bird or Bird rights at the end of the contract.

(Original stories can be found right here and here)

Trade rules

  • During the 2023/24 league year, teams above either tax apron will only be permitted to take back up to 110% of their outgoing salary in a trade, rather than 125%.
  • Starting in the 2024 offseason, teams above either tax apron will only be permitted to take back up to 100% of their outgoing salary in a trade.
  • There will be a limit on how many minimum-salary players can be aggregated for salary-matching purposes during offseason trades.
  • Traded player exceptions will allow teams to take back salaries worth the amount of the exception plus $250K (instead of $100K).
  • The salary matching rules for teams below both tax aprons will become more lenient, allowing those clubs to take back the following amounts in trades:
    • 200% of the outgoing salary (plus $250K), for any amount up to $7,500,000.
    • The outgoing salary plus $7.5MM, for any amount between $7,500,001 and $29,000,000.
    • 125% of the outgoing salary (plus $250K), for any amount above $29,000,000.
  • A player and team cannot renegotiate the player’s contract for six months after he has been traded. Conversely, a player who has his contract renegotiated cannot be traded for six months.

(Original stories)

Two-way and Exhibit 10 contract changes

  • Teams will be permitted to carry three players on two-way contracts instead of two. That means the in-season roster limit will increase to 18 players (instead of 17) and the offseason roster limit will be 21 players (instead of 20).
  • Players on two-way contracts will have the ability to negotiate with teams to guarantee half of their salaries on the first day of the regular season.
  • The signing deadline for two-way contracts will be pushed back to March 4.
  • The maximum bonus for a player who signs an Exhibit 10 contract will be $75K instead of $50K. That amount will increase at the same rate as the salary cap.

(Original stories here)

Draft changes

Here are the details on how the new CBA will affect the NBA draft:

  • A player who is invited to the draft combine and declines to attend without an excused absence will be ineligible to be drafted. He would become eligible the following year by attending the combine. There will be exceptions made for a player whose FIBA season is ongoing, who is injured, or who is dealing with a family matter (such as a tragedy or the birth of a child).
  • Players who attend the draft combine will be required to undergo physical exams, share medical history, participate in strength, agility, and performance testing, take part in shooting drills, receive anthropometric measurements, and conduct interviews with teams and the media.
  • Medical results from the combine will be distributed to select teams based on where the player is projected to be drafted. The NBA and NBPA intend to agree on a methodology to rank the top 10 prospects in a draft class. Only teams drafting in the top 10 would get access to medical info for the projected No. 1 pick; teams in the top 15 would receive medical info for players in the 2-6 range, while teams in the top 25 would get access to info for the players in the 7-10 range.
  • Prospects who forgo college in favor of signing professional contracts with programs like the G League Ignite, Overtime Elite, or the NBL Next Stars will no longer automatically become draft-eligible during the calendar year when they turn 19. Those players now won’t become draft-eligible until they enter of their own accord or until the calendar year when they turn 22.
  • The one-and-done rule prohibiting prospects from entering the NBA directly out of high school will not change, despite some speculation to the contrary.

(Original stories here)

Miscellaneous changes

Here are a few more details on the new CBA:

  • The NBA G League will hold an annual draft for international players between the ages of 18 and 21 who opt to enter the draft pool.
  • Players will no longer be tested for marijuana use.
  • Players will be allowed to invest in NBA and WNBA franchises via a private equity firm selected by the NBPA. Individual players won’t be permitted to invest directly in NBA franchises; the NBPA can do so in behalf of all players. Individual players can invest directly in WNBA teams, though they’ll face some restrictions.
  • Players will be allowed to promote or invest in companies involved with sports betting and cannabis. However, any involvement with sports betting companies will require “complete separation” from the gambling component.
  • Team and league licensing revenue will be added to the NBA’s Basketball Related Income for the first time.

(Original stories can be found here)

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Final Check-In On Open NBA Roster Spots

April 2nd, 2023 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

With just one week left in the NBA’s regular season, there are still a number of teams around the league with open roster spots, and there’s little downside to filling those openings before the regular season ends.

For playoff teams, adding one more player would create a little extra depth in the event of postseason injuries or garbage-time minutes. For non-playoff teams, it makes sense to try to convince a young player to accept a multiyear deal that includes little or no guaranteed money beyond this season, since it gives those teams another option for next year’s roster.

Even clubs over the luxury tax line or right up against it shouldn’t have a problem paying one more player a prorated minimum salary for the last day or two of the season — the prorated minimum for a veteran on a rest-of-season deal is just $10,552 per day, which is a drop in the bucket for NBA franchises.

With all that in mind, it’s safe to assume that some – if not all – of the teams with open roster spots should fill them by next Sunday. Here are those teams:

  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets *
  • Charlotte Hornets *
  • Houston Rockets
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • New York Knicks
  • Phoenix Suns ^
  • Utah Jazz #

The two teams marked with an asterisk (*) here technically have full 15-man rosters as of today, but one of their players is on a 10-day contract. That’s Moses Brown for the Nets and Xavier Sneed for the Hornets. Both of those contracts run through Thursday night before expiring, so Brooklyn and Charlotte will have the opportunity to sign a player to a rest-of-season or multiyear deal at that time.

The Suns (^) have a full 15-man standard roster but have an open two-way contract slot alongside Saben Lee. It’s possible Phoenix won’t bother signing someone to fill that opening, since two-way players aren’t eligible to play in the postseason and the Suns don’t have a G League affiliate (the NBAGL season is just about over anyway).

As for the Jazz (#), they currently have one open spot on their 15-man standard roster and will open up a second when Luka Samanic‘s 10-day contract expires on Thursday night. So Utah could technically bring in two new players before season’s end without waiving anyone.

The rest of the teams on this list – the Celtics, Rockets, Lakers, and Knicks – are carrying 14 players on standard contracts, leaving one spot available.

Boston and New York are postseason-bound and L.A. is in good position to join them, but that doesn’t necessarily mean each of those teams will sign a “win-now” veteran as a 15th man. They already have enough depth on their respective rosters that they may prefer to promote a player from the G League on a multiyear deal, assuming they decide to fill those openings at all. Boston and L.A. are taxpayers, so a signing would cost them a little more than just $10,552 per day.

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Free Agent Stock Watch: Los Angeles Lakers

March 31st, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Rory Maher

For the rest of the regular season and postseason, Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents during the 2023 offseason. We consider whether their stock is rising or falling due to their performance and other factors. Today, we’re focusing on a handful of Lakers players.

Note: We also covered a couple other Lakers earlier this month.

Dennis Schröder, G

  • 2022/23: Minimum salary
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Up

Before the 2022/23 season started, Schröder said he had “unfinished business” with the Lakers after reportedly being unwilling to discuss a lucrative extension in his first stint with the team a couple of seasons ago. The rumored four-year, $80MM offer was never signed, and Schröder instead inked a one-year, $5.9MM contract with Boston in 2021 free agency.

Despite a tepid market in ’21, I was surprised it took Schröder so long to find a team last offseason. He didn’t sign until September, when he was running the show for Germany during EuroBasket, helping lead his national team to a bronze medal.

A reunion with the Lakers has worked out well for both sides, as Schröder has been one of the league’s better bargains on his minimum-salary contract.

The Lakers had an abysmal start this season in part due to injuries to Schröder and Thomas Bryant, who both underwent thumb surgeries right before the season began. The team went just 3-10 in the 13 games they missed (Bryant was traded to Denver at last month’s deadline).

Since he returned, Schröder has only missed one game and the Lakers have gone 34-28 with him in the lineup. He leads L.A. in total minutes played and the team has been better on both ends of the court when he’s playing — and significantly worse when he’s not. He only trails LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves in net rating differential among players with a large sample size.

I’ve been impressed with Schröder’s point-of-attack defense this season. He has also cut down on his turnovers and has generally just been willing to do the little things necessary to win games. He’s not a great three-point shooter (33.8%), but he remains extremely quick and is a very good ball-handler who can create shots and draw fouls. Schröder is also highly accurate on free throws, converting 87% of his looks this season – an important factor when trying to close out games.

The Lakers only have his Non-Bird rights, so they will be limited to offering the 29-year-old 120% of the veteran’s minimum, which would amount to $3.8MM. If the two sides go that route, it would almost certainly be a one-year deal or a two-year pact with a player option. That would give him Early Bird rights in 2024 and make it easier for the Lakers to give him a more lucrative longer-term contract, if they’re so inclined. They could also give him a bigger raise this summer by using one of their exceptions (either the bi-annual or the mid-level).

Rui Hachimura, F

  • 2022/23: $6.26MM
  • 2023/24: RFA
  • Stock: Down

When the Lakers traded three second-rounders (and Kendrick Nunn) to acquire Hachimura, I don’t think they envisioned him averaging 9.2 points and playing just 22.3 minutes per night, but that’s what he’s put up through 27 games.

The former lottery pick is a talented mid-range scorer, but he’s sort of a one-trick pony in that his game isn’t very well-rounded. His three-point accuracy (33.9%) has been virtually identical to what it was with the Wizards this season (33.7%), which is disappointing.

Hachimura has looked better on defense than I’ve seen in the past, but it’s still merely passable, and he doesn’t always play with a lot of energy. His role has been reduced of late, as he received one healthy scratch and averaged 5.3 PPG and 2.5 RPG in the six contests (16.0 MPG) he did play over the past seven games.

Hachimura’s $7,744,600 qualifying offer isn’t prohibitive, and he’s only 25 years old. Are the Lakers really gung-ho about bringing him back? Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t see a huge market for him in restricted free agency based on his relative lack of development over his first four NBA seasons. One report said he might get something around the full mid-level exception, which is projected to start at $11.37MM — I would wish him luck and let him walk at that price.

Troy Brown, G/F

  • 2022/23: Minimum salary
  • 2023/24: UFA
  • Stock: Up

There’s nothing about Brown’s game that really jumps out at you, nor do his modest numbers — he’s averaging 7.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG and 1.2 APG in 70 games (45 starts, 24.9 MPG).

What Brown provides is prototypical size on the wing at 6’6″ and 215 pounds and a strong understanding of the game. He can do a little bit of everything, but doesn’t stand out in any one particular area. The 23-year-old is shooting a career-high 37.3% from deep, tries hard on defense, and is an unselfish passer.

Despite giving forth solid effort, Brown isn’t the greatest athlete by NBA standards, and is only around league average on defense. He hasn’t been much of a scoring threat, but the Lakers only really ask him to shoot when he’s open.

As with Schröder, Brown is another player the Lakers added on a minimum deal last summer, so unless they use one of their exceptions, they can only offer him 120% of the minimum using his Non-Bird rights – that would be about $2.77MM.

Could he get more than that from another team? I think something in the $3-6MM range could be in play, but I’m not sure. Either way, he has provided positive value considering his compensation this season, and I would imagine there’s motivation from both sides to bring him back – he’s getting regular minutes, which wasn’t the case the past couple seasons.

Malik Beasley, G/F

  • 2022/23: $15.49MM
  • 2023/24: $16.52MM team option
  • Stock: Down

Beasley is a long-range shooting specialist and the Lakers rank just 26th in the league in three-point percentage, which is why they traded for him. The problem is, he’s only shooting 35.6% from deep in 2022/23 (34.7% in 20 games with the Lakers), which is his worst conversion rate since he became a rotation regular in ‘18/19.

The 26-year-old is extremely streaky, and perhaps more than any other player on the team’s roster, he was negatively impacted by James’ absence due to a foot injury. LeBron has always been great at finding open shooters and Beasley has by far the best track record on the team as a high-volume outside shooter, despite his down season and inconsistency.

Free agents D’Angelo Russell and Reaves will likely higher on the team’s priority list this offseason than Beasley, and they won’t be cheap. However, it’s convenient to have mid-size contracts like Beasley’s on the roster, and his specialty is certainly more valuable than Hachimura’s.

How Beasley fares for the rest of the season will likely determine whether the Lakers exercise their team option on his deal, because it’s a hefty price tag considering he doesn’t provide a whole lot else beyond shooting and floor spacing. One report indicated the Lakers were likely to pick the option. They could potentially bring him back at a lower annual cost if they decline it, though there’s always a risk another team could swoop in with a better offer in that scenario.

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2023 NBA Draft Dates, Deadlines To Watch

March 29th, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re still nearly three months away from NBA draft day, but before we get to June 22, there are several other important dates and deadlines on the calendar. Here are some of those dates and deadlines worth keeping an eye on:

April 23 (11:59 pm ET): Deadline for early entrants to declare for the draft

College players and international early entrants have until the end of the day on April 23 to submit their names into the 2023 NBA draft pool. They can withdraw their names later if they decide they’re not quite ready to go pro, though if college players want to maintain their NCAA eligibility, they can’t hire an agent who’s not certified by the NCAA.

Once the early entrant list is set, NBA teams can begin conducting or attending workouts for those players.

May 13-14: NBA G League Elite Camp

In 2019, the Elite Camp – having recently been revamped by the NBA – consisted of 40 veteran G League invitees participating in the first half of the event, followed by 40 top draft-eligible players (who weren’t invited to the actual combine) taking part in the second half.

After being canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Elite Camp returned in 2021, but only featured 40 draft-eligible prospects, without the G League players. That format carried over to 2022, with 44 prospects in attendance, and will presumably be in effect in 2023 as well.

May 15-21: NBA draft combine

This week-long event, which takes place annually in Chicago, allows NBA teams to get a first-hand look at many of the year’s top draft-eligible players.

The combine is often particularly important for early entrants who have yet to decide whether or not to stay in the draft. The feedback they get at the combine could go a long way toward dictating whether they keep their names in the draft or return to school for another year.

May 16: NBA draft lottery

The 2023 draft lottery will be the fifth one that uses the new format, which was introduced in 2019. With the lottery odds flattened out, the NBA’s worst team has a 14% shot at the No. 1 overall pick, as opposed to the 25% chance it had prior to ’19.

The new system has generated some excitement during the past four draft lotteries — seven of the 16 teams that have claimed top-four picks since 2019 entered the night without a top-six spot in the lottery standings.

Still, it has been a few years since we saw any real long shots become big winners on lottery night. The Pelicans and Grizzlies moved up from seventh and eighth in the lottery standings in 2019 to claim the top two picks, but one of the NBA’s worst three teams has been awarded the No. 1 spot in each of the last three lotteries. Could we be due for a few surprises in 2023?

May 31 (11:59 pm ET): NCAA early entrant withdrawal deadline

College underclassmen – and seniors who are eligible to play for more one season – who want to retain their NCAA eligibility will have to withdraw their names from the draft pool by May 31. NBA rules call for a later withdrawal deadline, but the NCAA has its own set of rules that say the deadline is 10 days after the combine ends.

An early entrant could technically wait until after May 31 to withdraw from the draft and could still retain his NBA draft eligibility for a future year. However, he would forfeit his amateur status in that scenario, making him ineligible to return to his NCAA squad. College players who want to play overseas for a year or two before entering the NBA draft could take this route.

June 12 (5:00 pm ET): NBA early entrant withdrawal deadline

This is the NBA’s final deadline for early entrants to withdraw their names from the draft pool and retain their draft eligibility for a future year.

By this point, we generally know whether or not a college player decided to keep his name in the draft, but this is an important deadline for international players, who aren’t subject to the same restrictions as college players. We’ll likely hear about several international early entrants withdrawing from the draft during the days leading up to June 12.

June 22: NBA draft day

The most exciting few weeks of the NBA offseason unofficially get underway on draft day, which is often when several of the first major trades of the summer are completed and when we get a sense of which direction certain teams are heading.

It’s also worth noting that the hours and days after the draft ends will be hugely important for many of this year’s draft-eligible prospects — a ton of players who aren’t selected with one of the 58 picks in the draft will reach agreements shortly thereafter to play for an NBA team’s Summer League squad, to attend training camp with a club, or to sign a two-way contract.

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2023 NBA Draft Early Entrants List

March 28th, 2023 at 3:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Early entrants who wish to declare for the 2023 NBA draft have until the end of the day on Sunday, April 23 to make that decision official.

Players who declare for the draft this year will have to withdraw by the end of the day on May 31 if they wish to retain their NCAA eligibility. The NBA’s withdrawal deadline, which is more relevant for international prospects, is on June 12 at 5:00 pm Eastern time. The 2023 draft will take place on June 22.

Beginning in 2021, the annual list of “early” entrants has become even bigger than usual because the NCAA granted players an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That means seniors who would’ve typically become automatically eligible for the draft now have the option of either declaring or remaining in college for an extra year.

Last year, 283 prospects initially declared as early entrants, with 149 of those players ultimately keeping their names in the draft and going pro. We’re expecting those totals to end up in the same neighborhood this time around.

We’ll use this post to keep track of reports and announcements on early entrant prospects and their decisions. We’ll archive them all here in a running list, which will be accessible anytime under “Hoops Rumors Features” on the right sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Features” page found in our mobile menu.

The players below are listed in alphabetical order. If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us.

Last updated 6-13-23 (6:28pm CT)

College Underclassmen

Remaining in draft:

  1. Marcus Bagley, F, Arizona State (sophomore)
  2. Amari Bailey, G, UCLA (freshman)
  3. Emoni Bates, G/F, Eastern Michigan (sophomore)
  4. Charles Bediako, C, Alabama (sophomore)
  5. Anthony Black, G, Arkansas (freshman)
  6. Kobe Bufkin, G, Michigan (sophomore)
  7. Jaylen Clark, G, UCLA (junior)
  8. Noah Clowney, F, Alabama (freshman)
  9. Ricky Council IV, G, Arkansas (junior)
  10. Gradey Dick, G, Kansas (freshman)
  11. Alex Fudge, F, Florida (sophomore)
  12. Keyonte George, G, Baylor (freshman)
  13. Wendell Green, G, Auburn (junior)
  14. Mouhamed Gueye, F/C, Washington State (sophomore)
  15. Jordan Hawkins, G, Connecticut (sophomore)
  16. Taylor Hendricks, F, UCF (freshman)
  17. Jalen Hood-Schifino, G, Indiana (freshman)
  18. Jett Howard, G, Michigan (freshman)
  19. Andre Jackson, G, UConn (junior)
  20. Gregory Jackson II, F, South Carolina (freshman)
  21. Colby Jones, G, Xavier (junior)
  22. Maxwell Lewis, F, Pepperdine (sophomore)
  23. Dereck Lively II, C, Duke (freshman)
  24. Chris Livingston, F, Kentucky (freshman)
  25. Brandon Miller, F, Alabama (freshman)
  26. Mike Miles, G, TCU (junior)
  27. Kris Murray, F, Iowa (junior)
  28. Julian Phillips, F, Tennessee (freshman)
  29. Brandin Podziemski, G, Santa Clara (sophomore)
  30. Justin Powell, G, Washington State (junior)
  31. Olivier-Maxence Prosper, F, Marquette (junior)
  32. Adama Sanogo, F/C, UConn (junior)
  33. Brice Sensabaugh, F, Ohio State (freshman)
  34. Nick Smith Jr., G, Arkansas (freshman)
  35. Terquavion Smith, G, NC State (sophomore)
  36. Julian Strawther, G/F, Gonzaga (junior)
  37. Azuolas Tubelis, F, Arizona (junior)
  38. Jarace Walker, F, Houston (freshman)
  39. Cason Wallace, G, Kentucky (freshman)
  40. Jordan Walsh, F, Arkansas (freshman)
  41. Dariq Whitehead, G/F, Duke (freshman)
  42. Cam Whitmore, F, Villanova (freshman)
  43. Jalen Wilson, F, Kansas (junior)
  44. Tyrese Wineglass, G, Southwestern Adventist (TX) (junior)

Withdrew from draft after testing waters:

Note: Some of these players may also be transferring to new schools. The schools listed below are from 2022/23.

  1. Jaden Akins, G, Michigan State (sophomore)
  2. Trey Alexander, G, Creighton (sophomore)
  3. Will Baker, C, Nevada (junior)
  4. TJ Bamba, G, Washington State (junior)
  5. Josh Bannan, F, Montana (junior)
  6. Reece Beekman, G, Virginia (junior)
  7. Adem Bona, C, UCLA (freshman)
  8. Jalen Bridges, F, Baylor (junior)
  9. Johni Broome, F, Auburn (junior)
  10. Lamont Butler, G, San Diego State (junior)
  11. Wesley Cardet Jr., G, Chicago State (sophomore)
  12. Dylan Cardwell, C, Auburn (junior)
  13. Frankie Collins, G, Arizona State (sophomore)
  14. LJ Cryer, G, Baylor (junior)
  15. Tristan Da Silva, F, Colorado (junior)
  16. Clarence Daniels II, F, New Hampshire (junior)
  17. Davonte Davis, G, Arkansas (junior)
  18. Johnell Davis, G, Florida Atlantic (junior)
  19. Jordan Dingle, G, Penn (junior)
  20. Zach Edey, C, Purdue (junior)
  21. Enrique Freeman, F, Akron (junior)
  22. Eric Gaines, G, UAB (junior)
  23. PJ Hall, F/C, Clemson (junior)
  24. Jacksun Hamilton, F, Wisconsin-Parkside (sophomore)
  25. Rayshon Harrison, G, Grand Canyon (junior)
  26. Coleman Hawkins, F, Illinois (junior)
  27. Blake Hinson, G, Pittsburgh (junior)
  28. A.J. Hoggard, G, Michigan State (junior)
  29. DaRon Holmes II, F, Dayton (sophomore)
  30. Tyrese Hunter, G, Texas (sophomore)
  31. Jordan Ivy-Curry, G, Pacific (junior)
  32. Sion James, G, Tulane (junior)
  33. Meechie Johnson Jr., G, South Carolina (junior)
  34. Dillon Jones, G/F, Weber State (junior)
  35. Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton (junior)
  36. Arthur Kaluma, F, Creighton (sophomore)
  37. Miles Kelly, G, Georgia Tech (sophomore)
  38. Bobi Klintman, F, Wake Forest (freshman)
  39. Bol Kuir, C, San Diego (freshman)
  40. Pelle Larsson, G, Arizona (junior)
  41. Tyrin Lawrence, G, Vanderbilt (junior)
  42. Tramon Mark, G, Houston (sophomore)
  43. Alijah Martin, G, Florida Atlantic (junior)
  44. Judah Mintz, G, Syracuse (freshman)
  45. Isaiah Miranda, F/C, NC State (freshman)
  46. Dillon Mitchell, F, Texas (freshman)
  47. Jelanie Morgan, G/F, Lesley (MA) (freshman)
  48. Matthew Murrell, G, Ole Miss (junior)
  49. Grant Nelson, F, North Dakota State (junior)
  50. Jordan Nesbitt, G/F, Hampton (sophomore)
  51. Toby Okani, G/F, Illinois-Chicago (junior)
  52. Norchad Omier, F, Miami (junior)
  53. Clifford Omoruyi, C, Rutgers (junior)
  54. Nijel Pack, G, Miami (FL) (junior)
  55. Zhuric Phelps, G, SMU (sophomore)
  56. Jeremy Roach, G, Duke (junior)
  57. Mark Sears, G, Alabama (junior)
  58. Mike Sharavjamts, F, Dayton (freshman)
  59. Jamal Shead, G, Houston (junior)
  60. Mady Traore, F, New Mexico State (freshman)
  61. Steele Venters, G, Eastern Washington (junior)
  62. Damjan Vukcevic, F, Los Angeles Trade Tech (freshman)

College Seniors

Remaining in draft:

  1. Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, F, Memphis
  2. Damezi Anderson, F, Detroit
  3. Chase Audige, G, Northwestern
  4. Grant Basile, F, Virginia Tech
  5. Manny Bates, F, Butler
  6. Damion Baugh, G, TCU
  7. Kobe Brown, F, Missouri
  8. Toumani Camara, F, Dayton
  9. Tyger Campbell, G, UCLA
  10. Yuri Collins, G, Saint Louis
  11. Alou Dillon, F, Purdue-Northwest
  12. Tosan Evbuomwan, F, Princeton
  13. Adam Flagler, G, Baylor
  14. Armaan Franklin, G, Virginia
  15. Myron Gardner, G/F, Little Rock
  16. De’Vion Harmon, G, Texas Tech
  17. Joey Hauser, F, Michigan State
  18. Trayce Jackson-Davis, F, Indiana
  19. Jaime Jaquez, G, UCLA
  20. Keyontae Johnson, F, Kansas State
  21. Jackson Kenyon, F, Miami (OH)
  22. Seth Lundy, F, Penn State
  23. Demetrius Mims, G, Gannon (PA)
  24. Omari Moore, F, San Jose State
  25. Landers Nolley, G/F, Cincinnati
  26. Jack Nunge, F/C, Xavier
  27. Nick Ongenda, C, DePaul
  28. Uros Plavsic, C, Tennessee
  29. Terry Roberts, G, Georgia
  30. Marcus Sasser, G, Houston
  31. Ben Sheppard, G, Belmont
  32. Grant Sherfield, G, Oklahoma
  33. Dontrell Shuler, G, Cal State San Bernardino
  34. Malachi Smith, G, Gonzaga
  35. Justice Sueing, F, Ohio State
  36. Drew Timme, F/C, Gonzaga
  37. Jacob Toppin, F, Kentucky
  38. Oscar Tshiebwe, F/C, Kentucky
  39. Tyler Willoughby, G, Voorhees (SC)
  40. Isaiah Wong, G, Miami

Withdrew from draft after testing waters:

Note: Some of these players may also be transferring to new schools. The schools listed below are from 2022/23.

  1. T.J. Bickerstaff, F, Boston College
  2. Keylan Boone, G/F, Pacific
  3. Jordan Brown, F/C, Louisiana
  4. Boo Buie, G, Northwestern
  5. Tyler Burton, F, Richmond
  6. Branden Carlson, F/C, Utah
  7. Kevin Cross, F, Tulane
  8. RayJ Dennis, G, Toledo
  9. Marcus Domask, F, Southern Illinois
  10. El Ellis, G, Louisville
  11. Jaylen Forbes, G, Tulane
  12. Joseph Girard, G, Syracuse
  13. Hakim Hart, G, Maryland
  14. Jalen Hill, F, Oklahoma
  15. Ithiel Horton, G, UCF
  16. Josiah-Jordan James, G/F, Tennessee
  17. Keshad Johnson, F, San Diego State
  18. Jaedon Ledee, F, San Diego State
  19. Madison McCall, G, Lesley (MA)
  20. Kevin McCullar, G, Kansas
  21. Emanuel Miller, F, TCU
  22. Rayquawndis Mitchell, G, Kansas City
  23. Casey Morsell, G, NC State
  24. Paul Mulcahy, G, Rutgers
  25. Tristen Newton, G, UConn
  26. Olivier Nkamhoua, F, Tennessee
  27. Elijah Pepper, G, UC-Davis
  28. Rob Perry, G, Murray State
  29. Jordan Phillips, G/F, Detroit Mercy
  30. Quinten Post, F/C, Boston College
  31. Zyon Pullin, G, UC-Riverside
  32. Jahvon Quinerly, G, Alabama
  33. Antonio Reeves, G, Kentucky
  34. Luis Rodriguez, G, UNLV
  35. Cormac Ryan, G, Notre Dame
  36. Terrence Shannon Jr., G, Illinois
  37. Jamarion Sharp, C, Western Kentucky
  38. Tolu Smith, F, Mississippi State
  39. Isaiah Stevens, G, Colorado State
  40. Russel Tchewa, C, South Florida
  41. Tyler Thomas, G, Hofstra
  42. Keisei Tominaga, G, Nebraska
  43. Nae’Qwan Tomlin, F, Kansas State
  44. Cameron Tyson, G, Seattle
  45. Connor Vanover, C, Oral Roberts
  46. Qudus Wahab, C, Georgetown
  47. Anton Watson, F, Gonzaga
  48. Jaylin Williams, F, Auburn

International players

Note: The country indicates where the player had been playing, not necessarily where he was born.

Remaining in draft:

  1. Bilal Coulibaly, F, France (born 2004)
  2. Nadir Hifi, G/F, France (born 2002)
  3. James Nnaji, C, Spain (born 2004)
  4. Rayan Rupert, G/F, Australia (born 2004)
  5. Marcio Santos, F/C, Brazil (born 2002)
  6. Enzo Shahrvin, F, France (born 2003)
  7. Tristan Vukcevic, F/C, Serbia (born 2003)
  8. Victor Wembanyama, C, France (born 2004)

Withdrew from draft after testing waters:

  1. Miguel Allen, F, Spain (born 2003)
  2. Idrissa Ba, C, France (born 2002)
  3. Elian Benitez, G, France (born 2003)
  4. William Beugre-Kassi, G/F, France (born 2004)
  5. Mihailo Boskovic, F, Serbia (born 2002)
  6. Michael Caicedo, F, Spain (born 2003)
  7. Sasa Ciani, F, Croatia (born 2003)
  8. Carlin Davison, F, New Zealand (born 2003)
  9. Thijs De Ridder, F, Belgium (born 2003)
  10. Ege Demir, F/C, Turkey (born 2004)
  11. Nikola Djurisic, G/F, Serbia (born 2004)
  12. Ruben Dominguez, G, Spain (born 2003)
  13. Quinn Ellis, G, Italy (born 2003)
  14. Juan Fernandez, F/C, Spain (born 2002)
  15. Clement Frisch, F, France (born 2002)
  16. Sananda Fru, F, Germany (born 2003)
  17. Gloire Goma, G, Spain (born 2003)
  18. Hassane Gueye, F, France (born 2003)
  19. Ondrej Hanzlik, F, Spain (born 2002)
  20. Tomislav Ivisic, C, Montenegro (born 2003)
  21. Zvonimir Ivisic, C, Montenegro (born 2003)
  22. Ilias Kamardine, G, France (born 2003)
  23. Konstantin Kostadinov, F, Spain (born 2003)
  24. Oleksandr Kovliar, G, Estonia (born 2002)
  25. Liutauras Lelevicius, G, Lithuania (born 2003)
  26. Gilad Levy, C, Israel (born 2002)
  27. Ruben Lopez, F, Spain (born 2002)
  28. Assemian Moulare, G, France (born 2003)
  29. Ousmane N’Diaye, C, Spain (born 2004)
  30. David Okwera, F, Australia (born 2002)
  31. Daniel Onwenu, G, Brazil (born 2002)
  32. Romain Parmentelot, G, France (born 2004)
  33. Ivan Perasovic, F, Croatia (born 2002)
  34. Mantas Rubstavicius, G, Lithuania (born 2002)
  35. Musa Sagnia, F/C, Spain (born 2003)
  36. Birahima Sylla, G, France (born 2003)
  37. Dez Andras Tanoh, G, Hungary (born 2002)
  38. Hugo Toom, F, Estonia (born 2002)
  39. Armel Traore, F, France (born 2003)
  40. Ricards Vanags, G/F, Latvia (born 2002)

Other notable draft-eligible early entrants

Remaining in draft:

  1. Scoot Henderson, G, G League Ignite (born 2004)
  2. Leonard Miller, F, G League Ignite (born 2003)
  3. Amen Thompson, G, Overtime Elite (born 2003)
  4. Ausar Thompson, G/F, Overtime Elite (born 2003)

Withdrew from draft after testing waters:

  1. Gael Bonilla, F, Mexico City Capitanes (born 2003)
  2. Djordjije Jovanovic, G/F, Ontario Clippers (born 2003)

Information from RookieScale.com was used in the creation of this post.

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