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Western Notes: Smith, Thybulle, Kuminga, Nuggets, Suns

February 21st, 2025 at 9:17pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, Rockets forward Jabari Smith returned to action on Friday vs. Minnesota in the team’s first game after the All-Star break. Smith had been out since January 1 due to a fractured hand.

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Smith had started each of his first 188 NBA regular season games, but he came off the bench on Friday for the first time in his professional career. As Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle writes, head coach Ime Udoka explained before the contest that he wanted to take advantage of having Tari Eason available on the first end of a back-to-back and didn’t want to throw Smith into the deep end in his first game action in over seven weeks.

“Tari (is) coming off some really good games and getting him to the minutes where we want him to be,” Udoka said. “But it was just a little bit everything. I think easing (Smith) back into it a little bit, not really conditioning-wise, but you see how he looks in this game and everything’s kind of open moving forward.”

While Eason, Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, and Dillon Brooks made up Houston’s starting five on Friday, Udoka will have some decisions to make once Smith has gotten back to full speed and Fred VanVleet returns from his right ankle injury. The Rockets’ coach said that he hasn’t yet decided what his starting lineup will look like when everyone’s healthy, according to Lerner.

Here are a few more items of interest from around the Western Conference:

  • Trail Blazers forward Matisse Thybulle, who has yet to play this season due to knee and ankle injuries, has started doing some light 3-on-3 contact work, but hasn’t yet been cleared for 5-on-5 scrimmages, according to head coach Chauncey Billups (Twitter link via Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report). Billups indicated that he isn’t sure how far away Thybulle is from making his season debut.
  • The Warriors provided an update on Jonathan Kuminga‘s recovery from his right ankle sprain this week, announcing (via Twitter) that he returned to practice on Wednesday. Kuminga has been sidelined since January 4 and head coach Steve Kerr previously stated that he expected the forward to miss the “first few” games after the All-Star break.
  • According to reporting from Meridian Sport (hat tip to Eurohoops), the Nuggets are hiring former Serbian guard Nenad Miljenovic. It’s unclear what sort of role Miljenovic will have in the organization – Eurohoops refers to it as a “front office’ position – but he has a clear connection to Denver’s franchise player, having spent two years as Nikola Jokic‘s teammate with Mega Basket in Serbia from 2013-15.
  • In their first game after the All-Star break, the Suns made many of the same mistakes that resulted in six losses in seven games ahead of the break, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Star forward Kevin Durant showed some frustration in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s loss to San Antonio – Phoenix’s fourth in a row — with the Suns’ defense struggling to get stops, barking at head coach Mike Budenholzer, “You need somebody who can guard,” according to Rankin.
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Friendly Rivalry For Thompson, Sheppard At Rising Stars: Sengun Says Udoka Taught Rockets How To Win

February 15th, 2025 at 8:15pm CST by Arthur Hill
  • Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard were also in the Rising Stars tournament as the latest representatives of the Rockets, who’ve had at least one player involved every year since 2022, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. They were on opposite sides in one of Friday’s semifinals, as Thompson got the satisfaction of dunking on his teammate, but Sheppard’s squad came away with the victory. “The Rockets do a good job of getting young guys and making them better,” Sheppard said. “And Amen is an unbelievable talent, unbelievable guy. So being able to be out there with him today was a lot fun.”
  • Rockets center Alperen Sengun, a first-time All-Star, credits coach Ime Udoka for pushing him and the team in the right direction, Lerner adds in a separate story. Udoka sped up the rebuilding process in Houston by leading the Rockets to a .500 finish last season, and he currently has them fourth in the West. “We were just going over there and just playing,” Sengun said at his All-Star press conference. “Then Ime just came and changed everything for us, and he teach us to how to win.”
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Southwest Notes: McCollum, Mavs, Konchar, Jackson, Rockets

February 15th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Dana Gauruder

CJ McCollum has been a bright spot in an otherwise glum season for the Pelicans. McCollum notched his third 40-plus point night since the start of the New Year on Thursday, leading them to an overtime victory against Sacramento. McCollum’s 43-point night allowed New Orleans to snap a 10-game losing streak.

“CJ is incredible,” Pelicans head coach Willie Green told Rod Walker of NOLA.com. “He’s one of our guys that’s literally holding things together in the locker room with these young guys. He’s been through so much throughout the course of his career. He’s a staple for us. We see it week in and week out that he comes out and gives it everything he has every night.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • Overshadowed by the firestorm regarding the Luka Doncic trade is that the Mavericks, despite a wave of injuries, entered the All-Star break having won four of their last five games. That included a five-point victory over Miami in their last outing. “The bumps and bruises go away faster,” coach Jason Kidd said, per Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal. “As I told the guys, get some rest, enjoy the break, be safe and when we come back, it’s time to push forward and find a way to get as high a seed as we can and win as many games as we can. Sometimes, you want the break. We do need the break, but we are starting to play pretty good basketball.”
  • During a Bleacher Report live stream (YouTube link), Jake Fischer identifies Grizzlies guard John Konchar as a potential buyout candidate. Konchar has posted modest stats in 29 appearances this season and isn’t part of the team’s regular rotation. However, he’s also in the first year of a three-year, $18.5MM contract, which is fully guaranteed, so it would seem like a long shot for the two parties to agree on a buyout.
  • Jaren Jackson Jr. is aiming for his second Defensive Player of the Year award, though it will be difficult to beat out Victor Wembanyama for that honor going forward. Jackson, who is making his second All-Star appearance, leads the Grizzlies in blocks and steals. “It’s a team award, really. So it would mean the world,” Jackson told Mark Medina of Athlon Sports. “It’s hard to win it two times. You can see that now. It’s not a given. So it would mean the world.”
  • The Rockets are clinging to fourth place in the Western Conference standings after losing seven of their last nine contests prior to the All-Star break. They dropped Thursday’s game to Golden State by a score of 105-98 and their head coach said the club needs some time off. The absences of Fred VanVleet (ankle) and Jabari Smith Jr. (hand) have played a major role in their slide. “We could be mentally and physically fried,” coach Ime Udoka told Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “But everybody’s in the situation right now going into the break. Maybe our guys are tired, but … a lack of competitiveness is not an excuse.”
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Rockets’ Jabari Smith On Track To Return After All-Star Break

February 12th, 2025 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. is targeting a February 21 return from the hand injury that has sidelined him since early January, reports NBA Chris Haynes (Twitter video link).

Assuming Smith hits that target date, he would be back in action for Houston’s first game after the All-Star break, at home vs. the Timberwolves. However, agent Wallace Prather provided a more conservative timeline for his client’s return, telling Haynes, “We are targeting the end of the month.”

Smith has missed Houston’s past 20 games after fracturing his left hand during the team’s shootaround on January 3 ahead of a matchup with Boston. Prior to that injury, he had played a major part in the Rockets’ early-season success, starting the first 33 games of the season for a team that got off to a 22-11 start.

Smith has averaged 11.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.0 block in 30.9 minutes per game when healthy, with a shooting line of .435/.354/.867. Since he went down, the club has gone just 11-9, having just snapped a six-game losing streak on Sunday against Toronto.

Amen Thompson has taken over Smith’s spot in the starting lineup since Jan. 5 and has thrived in that new role, putting up 17.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game in his past 18 games as a starter.

It will be interesting to see which player is the odd man out of that starting five when Smith returns. The former No. 3 overall pick hasn’t come off the bench in any of his first 188 NBA outings.

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NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots

February 10th, 2025 at 7:37am CST by Luke Adams

A number of free agent signings have been finalized in the days since last Thursday’s trade deadline, but there are still many teams around the NBA with one or more open spots on their respective rosters.

For clubs with just a single standard or two-way opening, there’s not necessarily any urgency to fill those spots, especially ahead of the All-Star break. But the clock is ticking for teams who have two or more openings on their standard rosters to make a move, since clubs are only permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time.

With the help of our roster count tracker, here’s where things stand for all 30 teams around the NBA as of Monday morning. As a reminder, teams are typically permitted to carry up to 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

(Note: Teams marked with an asterisk have a player on a 10-day contract.)

Teams with multiple open roster spots

  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Philadelphia 76ers *
  • Sacramento Kings *

The Cavaliers dipped to 13 players on standard contracts as a result of Thursday’s De’Andre Hunter trade, so their situation is fairly straightforward — they’ll have to re-add a 14th man by February 20.

The Warriors‘ four-for-one Jimmy Butler trade dropped them to just 11 players. They quickly got back to 12 by promoting Quinten Post from his two-way contract to a standard roster spot and now have three openings on their standard roster, along with one open two-way slot.

Golden State doesn’t have to fill all those openings, but the team does have to get back to at least 14 players on standard contracts by Feb. 20. Assuming Post got a prorated rookie minimum salary on his new deal, the Warriors – by my count – have $1,372,306 in breathing room below their first-apron hard cap.

If the Warriors were to sign a pair of veterans to rest-of-season minimum deals on Feb. 20, they would each count for $635,853 against the cap, leaving the team with $100,600 in breathing room below the hard cap. It’s possible Golden State will go that route. It’s also possible the club will sign a couple players to 10-day contracts, then go another 14 days in March with just 12 players under contract in order to create a bit of extra wiggle room below that hard cap. That would allow the Warriors to sign a 15th man a little earlier in the second half.

The Sixers briefly dropped to 12 players on standard contracts at the trade deadline, but they’re back to 14 now, having promoted Justin Edwards to a standard contract and given Chuma Okeke a 10-day deal. They’re expected to sign David Roddy to a 10-day contract too, which will give them a full standard roster.

For now then, no roster moves are necessary in Philadelphia, but the team does have a two-way slot open and could drop back to 13 players on standard deals after Okeke’s and Roddy’s 10-day contracts expire, which would necessitate a least one addition within 14 days.

The Kings are currently carrying 12 players on full-season standard contracts, with Daishen Nix on a 10-day deal. They’ll have to get back to 14 players by Feb. 20.

Teams with one open roster spot

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Charlotte Hornets *
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • New York Knicks
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz

The Hawks, Celtics, Nets, Mavericks, Bucks, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Knicks, Raptors, and Jazz are all carrying 14 players on full-season standard contracts and three on two-way deals, with no reported signings pending. They’re each free to carry that open roster spot for as long as they want to, though some figure to fill it sooner rather than later.

Two teams that can’t fill their openings sooner rather than later are Dallas and New York. The Knicks are just $540,126 below their second-apron hard cap, while the Mavericks have a mere $171,120 to operate below their first-apron hard cap. Based on my math, New York would be able to sign a veteran free agent as a 15th man as of February 28 (that date moved up a day as a result of the Knicks trimming $4,825 from their cap in the Delon Wright/Jericho Sims swap), while Dallas will have to wait until March 31.

The Hornets are in this group because they have a two-way slot open, but their standard roster is full for now. In fact, it’s more than full — as a result of having been granted a hardship exception, they’re temporarily carrying 16 players instead of the usual maximum of 15. Elfrid Payton, on a 10-day deal, is the 16th man.

The Pacers and Clippers, meanwhile, each technically have an open roster spot for now, but they reportedly have deals in place with prospective 15th men. Indiana will sign center Alex Len once he clears waivers, while L.A. will add three-time All-Star Ben Simmons. Both players are on track to clear waivers on Monday.

Teams with no open roster spots

  • Chicago Bulls
  • Denver Nuggets
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Houston Rockets
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Miami Heat
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Orlando Magic
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • San Antonio Spurs *
  • Washington Wizards *

The Bulls, Nuggets, Pistons, Rockets, Lakers, Grizzlies, Heat, Thunder, Magic, Suns, and Trail Blazers are all carrying 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. If they want to make a free agent addition during the season’s final two months, they’ll have to cut a player to do so.

That won’t necessarily be the case for the Spurs and Wizards though. Both clubs have just 14 players on full-season standard contracts, with one on a 10-day deal — Bismack Biyombo for San Antonio and Jaylen Nowell for Washington. Once those contracts expire, the Spurs and Wizards could open up a roster spot if they opt not to retain Biyombo and Nowell, respectively.

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Nets Buy Out Ben Simmons

February 8th, 2025 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Ben Simmons has reached an agreement on a contract buyout with the Nets, paving the way for him to become an unrestricted free agent, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The Nets have confirmed in a press release that they’ve officially requested waivers on Simmons. That means he’ll clear waivers and be free to sign with any NBA team as of Monday at 4:00 pm CT.

Charania first reported shortly after the trade deadline passed on Thursday that the Nets and Simmons were working toward a buyout, then co-reported on Friday along with ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst that the two sides were finalizing the terms of the agreement.

Various reports indicated that Simmons’ camp planned to meet with the Cavaliers, Clippers, and Rockets and that he wouldn’t complete a buyout with Brooklyn until he had his next destination lined up. However, agent Bernie Lee pushed back on that reporting on Friday in a statement to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).

“I just saw some of the other reporting,” Lee said. “(I) want to be really clear Ben hasn’t met with anyone nor is he. We are having conversations with the Nets and when there is something to be said we will let everyone know.”

The fact that Simmons has now been officially waived by the Nets and word still hasn’t leaked about a contract agreement with a new team backs up Lee’s comments. However, I suspect the former No. 1 overall pick wouldn’t have given up any portion of his salary to get out of his contract with Brooklyn unless he was confident about making back that money with another team, so it shouldn’t be long before we get another update.

[UPDATE: Clippers To Sign Ben Simmons]

Simmons, the 2018 Rookie of the Year, made three All-Star teams during his years in Philadelphia and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2021, but had a falling out with the team later that year. A lengthy holdout, a series of back issues, and a trade to the Nets changed the trajectory of his career — across the past three years in Brooklyn, he has appeared in just 90 total games, averaging 6.5 points, 6.3 assists, and 6.2 rebounds in 25.4 minutes per night.

While Simmons’ extremely limited shooting ability make him a tricky piece to incorporate into certain lineups, he’s still a talented play-maker, defender, and rebounder who should have more significantly value as a low-cost addition on the buyout market than he did on his previous maximum-salary contract.

Because he was earning far beyond the $12.8MM mid-level exception on his contract with the Nets, Simmons will be ineligible to sign with any teams operating over either tax apron once he clears waivers. That means the Suns, Timberwolves, Celtics, Knicks, Lakers, Bucks, and Nuggets won’t be options.

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Southwest Notes: Davis, Mavs, Rockets, Fox

February 7th, 2025 at 7:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Star big man Anthony Davis is on track to return from his abdominal strain and make his Mavericks debut on Saturday, having been officially listed as probable to play in Dallas vs. the Rockets.

As Tim MacMahon of ESPN details, it’s expected to be a charged environment in Dallas, where a protest is planned from fans angry about the decision to trade away franchise player Luka Doncic. Davis said on Friday that he “can’t control” how fans will react, but that he understands why they’re upset about the trade.

“Obviously it’s a business, and I get who Luka was to this franchise, to the city,” Davis said. “I’m never going to downplay that — just how I know what I meant to the city of L.A. So I’m not surprised by the fans’ reaction and the city’s reaction, but it’s my job to come in and play basketball and do what I’m supposed to do and give the fans hope and reassurance on why [general manager] Nico [Harrison] brought me here.

“…I understand who Luka is and what he’s able to do and what he’s already done for our game. He’s a phenomenal player, going to be one of the best to ever play the game of basketball. But to have Nico trade for me just shows his belief in me and what I can do on the floor. It’s my job to produce every night and have Mavs nation believe that as well. So I’m excited for the challenge.”

While it’s no surprise that some Mavs fans have handled news of the Doncic/Davis trade poorly, “lines have been crossed,” according to MacMahon, who said during a TV appearance (Twitter video link) that Harrison has received threats and faced racial epithets.

Sources tell MacMahon that the team has beefed up security for Saturday’s contest and that Harrison – who has employed his own personal security – won’t be in his usual seat for the game.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said on Thursday that he envisions a starting lineup that features P.J. Washington at small forward and Davis at power forward alongside a center (Twitter link via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News). When Dereck Lively is healthy, he may be the team’s starting five, but until then, Daniel Gafford will likely get that assignment. Washington, who has missed the past three games due to right knee soreness and personal reasons, is off the injury report and should be available on Saturday.
  • Rockets officials expressed for months leading up to Thursday’s deadline that they planned to stick with their current roster making than making any major in-season deals and they stuck to that plan this week, as Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes. Reports have suggested Houston wants to see how its young core performs in the postseason before making any major roster decisions — head coach Ime Udoka reiterated that point on Thursday. “We like what we have,” Udoka said. “We’ve been doing OK and feel we can do a lot better. (We) want to continue to grow as a group, watch our young guys develop, play in big situations and see what we have.”
  • Citing team and league sources, Iko reports that the Rockets received calls this week on Jae’Sean Tate, Jock Landale, Aaron Holiday, and Steven Adams, all of whom are on expiring or pseudo-expiring contracts. However, Houston didn’t feel compelled to make any move that would compromise the team’s depth, according to Iko, who says Tate generated the most interest of those four players.
  • De’Aaron Fox‘s 24-point, 13-assist Spurs debut on Wednesday in a tight win over Atlanta provided a compelling case for the star guard’s fit in San Antonio, writes ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. “Selfishly, as a coach, I think that’s probably about as complete of a game you’d hope for the first game,” acting head coach Mitch Johnson said. “You saw the potential. It’s tantalizing. He’s dynamic. He’s going to unlock a whole different element for our team.”
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Nets Finalizing Buyout With Ben Simmons

February 7th, 2025 at 9:20am CST by Tristan Tucker

February 7: After being listed as away from the team as he progressed toward a buyout (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post), Charania and Windhorst report (via Twitter) that Simmons is finalizing a buyout with the Nets. He will meet with the Cavaliers and Clippers on Friday, per ESPN’s duo.

Sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes that Simmons will also meet with the Rockets (Twitter link). According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link), Simmons will finalize his buyout once he has a new team lined up.

February 6: The Nets are working on a buyout agreement with forward/guard Ben Simmons, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The Cavaliers and the Clippers are among the teams to watch for the former All-Star, Charania reports. The Athletic’s Law Murray confirmed the Clippers’ interest on Thursday (Twitter link).

On Thursday’s trade deadline NBA Today show (YouTube link), Brian Windhorst of ESPN named the Rockets as a potential suitor as well.

Simmons is in the final year of a five-year maximum-salary contract he signed with Philadelphia that began in 2020. He’s owed $40.34MM this year, but it’s unclear at this juncture how much of that he’ll give up in his buyout with the team.

He was originally traded to the Nets at the 2022 deadline in the deal that landed James Harden with Philadelphia. However, after holding out for part of the season and dealing with a back injury, Simmons ultimately didn’t suit up for the Nets until the 2022/23 season.

He didn’t end up playing much for Brooklyn over the following three seasons, appearing in a total of 90 games (69 starts) and averaging 6.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists while only attempting 5.3 shots per game.

While Simmons isn’t the same level of defender as he was when he finished no lower than fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in consecutive seasons from 2019-21, he still provides some intrigue on that end. Both the Cavaliers and Clippers have at least one open roster spot, so they wouldn’t need to clear the way to sign him. The Rockets don’t have a roster spot open but could waive Cody Zeller once their series of trade deadline moves is completed.

Due to apron rules, the Celtics, Nuggets, Lakers, Bucks, Timberwolves, Knicks and Suns are the teams ineligible to sign Simmons once he hits free agency, Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (Twitter link). Those seven teams are either in the first or second apron and are thus not allowed to sign players who make more than the mid-level exception, which is $12.8MM.

As for the Nets, parting ways with Simmons allows the team to open a roster spot. They could see if any interesting young players worth taking fliers on hit waivers or they could opt to convert one of their two-way players to a standard deal if they so chose. Two-way players Tosan Evbuomwan and Tyrese Martin have both been contributors in Brooklyn.

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Hawks Trade Cody Zeller, Second-Rounder To Rockets

February 6th, 2025 at 11:10pm CST by Rory Maher

11:10 pm: The trade is official, according to press releases from the Hawks and Rockets. As expected, Houston waived Springer to complete the deal.

1:44 pm: The Hawks are trading veteran center Cody Zeller and Houston’s own 2028 second-round pick, which Atlanta controlled from a previous deal, to the Rockets, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, Houston will acquire Zeller’s $3.5MM contract without having to send a player back in return by using a portion of its non-taxpayer mid-level exception.

Kelly Iko of The Athletic hears (via Twitter) that Atlanta will acquire the draft rights to Alpha Kaba from Houston to complete the deal. The 29-year-old French forward was selected No. 60 overall back in 2017, but has spent his entire career overseas to this point.

It’s a straight salary-dump move for the Hawks, who will remain below the luxury tax line as a result of the deal. They were in danger of surpassing that threshold as a result of taking on additional salary in their De’Andre Hunter trade with Cleveland.

As for the Rockets, they’ll reacquire their own future second-rounder for taking on Zeller’s salary, which is non-guaranteed beyond 2024/25.

The No. 4 overall pick of the 2013 draft, Zeller spent his first eight NBA seasons in Charlotte before becoming a journeyman over the past handful of years, spending time with Portland, Miami and New Orleans from 2021-24.

The Pelicans re-signed Zeller last summer to use his contract for salary-matching purposes in the Dejounte Murray trade — he has yet to play a game for the Hawks in ’24/25, having been listed as away from the team for personal reasons for much of the season.

Considering he hasn’t played at all this season and the Rockets already have three centers (Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams, Jock Landale), it wouldn’t be surprising if Houston decides to waive the 32-year-old big man in the coming days in order to open up a roster spot.

The Rockets will be waiving newly acquired Jaden Springer in order to finalize the trade, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle.

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NBA Announces 2025 All-Star Game Rosters

February 6th, 2025 at 6:33pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The 24 players selected for the 2025 All-Star Game were drafted on a Thursday pre-game TNT show by coaches Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith, and later announced by the NBA (Twitter link).

The players were previously sorted into groups of starters and reserves, but that had no bearing on their team placement for the new mini-tournament in this year’s game.

Below are each team’s selections, sorted in order of pick:

Team Shaq

O’Neal had the first overall pick in the televised draft, selecting James, who holds the record for most All-Star appearances in a career. For the most part, O’Neal opted for the “old guard” of the NBA, so to speak. His team has a whopping 87 All-Star appearances (including this year) among its eight players.

The roster also unites a handful of players. Durant spent this week in trade rumors, with reports indicating he didn’t want to be traded to Curry’s Warriors. The two players were teammates for three seasons. This also will mark the first time James and Davis will play together since the blockbuster move that brought Doncic to L.A. Additionally, Curry, James, Durant, Tatum and Davis all played together on the 2024 U.S. men’s Olympic Team.

Team Kenny

In contrast to O’Neal’s roster, Smith opted for some of the younger stars across the league. Smith’s team has a combined 13 All-Star nods to their name — Williams, Mobley, Cunningham and Herro are all first-timers. Smith united a pair of Cavaliers, with Mobley and Garland joining forces.

Team Chuck

Barkley went for a mix of experience in his group. He secured the top three expected players in the MVP race this season between Jokic, Antetokounmpo and Gilgeous-Alexander. He also landed Wembanyama with the 12th overall pick. Barkley’s group has a combined 35 All-Star honors, with Sengun and Wembanyama as first-time All-Stars and Antetkounmpo (nine) and Jokic (seven) leading the way.

A fourth team coached by Candace Parker will play in the tournament. She’ll be coaching whichever team wins this year’s Rising Stars Challenge — those rosters were announced earlier this week. Two teams will meet in a semifinal (game one) while the other two also play each other (game two). The winning team from each game moves on to the final round.

The four teams participating in the NBA All-Star Game will compete for a prize pool of $1.8 million. Each player on the team that wins the final will receive $125,000, while members of the second-place team earn $50,000. Players on the third- and fourth-place teams will receive $25,000.

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