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And-Ones: 2025 FAs, College Jobs, MCW, WNBA, More

February 20th, 2025 at 7:31am CST by Luke Adams

A series of contract extensions have depleted the star-level talent in the NBA’s 2025 free agent class, but there will still be some notable names to watch this summer, as Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report and ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) detail.

Both Pincus and Marks have longtime NBA stars LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden atop their lists of 2025 free agents, with Marks positing that no player will have more leverage this offseason than Irving, given how badly the Mavericks need to retain the veteran point guard following the trade of Luka Doncic.

After James, Irving, and Harden, who have combined for 41 career All-Star appearances, the next tier of free agents consists of players like Myles Turner, Fred VanVleet, Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, and Timberwolves power forwards Julius Randle and Naz Reid. Interestingly, Pincus has Reid ranked ahead of the three-time All-Star he backs up, placing Reid at No. 5 and Randle at No. 7 in his early FA rankings.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

As is typical at this time of year, a number of NBA coaches and executives are receiving interest for jobs at the college basketball level, notes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Fischer mentions Hornets executive Buzz Peterson and veteran player agent Jim Tanner as possible candidates for UNC’s general manager job and says Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Suns assistant David Fizdale, and Bucks assistant Dave Joerger are among the names to watch for the University of Miami’s head coaching position. Fischer adds that Kings assistant Luke Loucks has been linked to Florida State’s head coaching opening.
Former NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams is involved in a bid to bring an WNBA expansion franchise to Boston, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. With expansion teams lined up for San Francisco, Portland, Toronto, and Cleveland, the WNBA will have 16 clubs by 2028, so it’s unclear whether or not the league will be looking to expand beyond that number right away.
Passing along the results of a player poll from All-Star weekend, Joe Vardon of The Athletic notes that the 14 respondents were unanimously against the idea of 10-minute quarters floated last month by commissioner Adam Silver. However, 12 of those 14 players liked the new All-Star tournament format.
The Lakers‘ and Pistons‘ G League affiliates completed a trade on Wednesday, with the South Bay Lakers acquiring forward Cole Swider from the Motor City Cruise in exchange for Chris Silva‘s returning rights and a 2025 first-round pick, per a press release. Silva is currently playing overseas, but Swider has been active in the G League and will begin suiting up for South Bay.

Central Notes: Giannis, Cunningham, Thompson, Green

February 19th, 2025 at 11:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Giannis Antetokounmpo likes the additions the Bucks made at the trade deadline, but a strained left calf has prevented him from getting on the court with his new teammates, writes Steve Megargee of The Associated Press. The injury caused Antetokounmpo to miss the last six games before the All-Star break, and he’s listed as questionable for Thursday’s contest against the Clippers. He was able to practice today, but neither he or coach Doc Rivers is sure whether he’s going to play.

Even though he’s stuck on the sidelines, Antetokounmpo has been impressed by what he’s seen from Kyle Kuzma, Jericho Sims and Kevin Porter Jr., whom Milwaukee landed in two trades earlier this month.

“The team looks great right now,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’re playing very, very fast. Everybody’s competing. Defensively I think we’re going to be way, way better. We’re big. And I’m excited.”

The downside of the deadline for Antetokounmpo was parting with long-time teammate Khris Middleton. They could back be on the court together again Friday when Milwaukee travels to Washington, and Antetokounmpo has a greeting in mind.

“I’m not shaking his hand, I’m not talking to him, I’m not even looking at him, and every time I see him, I’m going to guard him full court, pick him up full court and deny him,” Antetokounmpo quipped. “You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to make a 3 in his face and go, ‘Khash!’ I’m joking.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Cade Cunningham became the first Pistons player to be selected to the All-Star Game since Blake Griffin in 2019 and the first Detroit guard to make it since Allen Iverson in 2009, notes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Cunningham enjoyed making his All-Star debut, but added that he expects to return many times in his career. “It’s cool, man. This is what I planned on, though,” he said. “This is what I saw for myself. To be in this position now is a great feeling, but there’s definitely more steps to climb. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and all the things to come.”
Pistons forward Ausar Thompson could be primed for a strong close to the season, Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News states in a mailbag column. Davis notes that Thompson had to overcome a long layoff caused by blood clots he experienced late in his rookie season. When he was cleared to play in November, he was limited to 20 minutes per game and was still dealing with fatigue. He has been used as the team’s secondary play-maker over the last eight games and is averaging 4.0 assists per night, along with 13.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.0 steals.
Javonte Green, who is expected to join the Cavaliers after completing a buyout with New Orleans, was one of the wings the team considered adding before the trade deadline, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Team officials believed Green was likely to be a buyout candidate, so they directed their trade efforts elsewhere and wound up with De’Andre Hunter.

Three-Peat For Mac McClung In Dunk Contest

February 15th, 2025 at 11:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mac McClung ensured his place alongside the other legends in NBA dunk contest history by winning the event for the third straight time Saturday night.

McClung got perfect scores on all four of his dunks and was a clear favorite of the Chase Center crowd. His final-round victory came over Spurs rookie Stephon Castle, who registered a 99.6 score with two impressive slams of his own. Andre Jackson Jr. and Matas Buzelis were eliminated in the first round.

McClung brought some excitement to the event on his first dunk when he leaped over a car and threw the ball down behind his head. He followed that by jumping over his dunk coach for a twisting slam, then dunked two balls at once — one held by a friend on a spinning hoverboard and another by a man on a ladder — and finished off the night by jumping over 6’11” Evan Mobley (who was standing on a small platform) and touching the ball against the rim before slamming it home (video collection via YouTube).

At a press conference following the event, McClung deflected a question on whether the three-peat means he should be considered the greatest dunker of all time (Twitter video link from Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic).

“I definitely don’t think that’s something for me to say,” McClung responded. “… I was just extremely honored to be part of this weekend. The biggest thing is I genuinely love this contest, and I’m very honored to be here and just very appreciative.”

McClung is on a two-way contract with the Magic and has only made one brief appearance in an NBA game this season. He plays for Osceola in the G League and has never been able to break through at the NBA level, getting into five total games with four teams since 2021.

McClung’s performance got the attention of other players around the league, including a couple of stars who hinted that they may consider participating in future dunk contests. Grizzlies guard Ja Morant tweeted, “Mac might make me decide to dunk,” and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo responded, “If you do it. I’ll do it with you,” later adding, “I just gotta to warm up for three weeks prior to the contest.”

Damian Lillard missed the chance for another three-peat on Saturday, being eliminated in the first round of the Three-Point Contest after winning the event the past two years. Tyler Herro claimed this year’s crown by a point over Buddy Hield, with Darius Garland finishing third.

“I was definitely nervous going into the first round. But I thought I shot it pretty well in the second round, and then Buddy had the chance to tie it at the end,” Herro told reporters, including Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “Obviously a great competition, a bunch of great shooters. … Also, it felt cold in the arena the first time I went. For the second time, I felt more loose going right away.”

Mobley teamed with fellow Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell to capture the Skills Challenge in the night’s first event.

Central Notes: Duren, Thompson, Lillard, Middleton, Buzelis

February 14th, 2025 at 10:11pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rising Pistons stars Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson appear to have elevated their long-term ceilings this season, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Duren and Thompson are elite athletes, Langlois observes, but both players have also looked pretty raw at times as scorers. They look to be turning things around this month, however.

Thompson has averaged 14.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.1 steals across seven contests in February. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is also exploring Thompson’s abilities to serve as a supplemental play-maker and get to the basket. He’s been averaging 4.7 free throw attempts per game this month.

“He’s growing into the role that this team needs him to be in,” Bickerstaff said of Thompson. “Offensively, we need him to be a threat. He’s an elite play-maker. Some of the passes he threw tonight … he’s a special passer, but now you can his confidence growing as he’s finishing at the rim.”

Duren, meanwhile, is also developing as a ball-handler. He has dished out 23 dimes against just seven turnovers in his last four contests.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Bucks point guard Damian Lillard, an Oakland native, is returning to the Bay Area for his ninth All-Star appearance this weekend at San Francisco’s Chase Center, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. Lillard observed that his hometown feels somewhat out-of-sorts as it is drained of its pro sports presence. “I feel like my childhood, a lot of the positivity was that all of the guys who are from the Bay Area we took pride in having our teams there,” Lillard said. “It gave us something to belong to us. But now with all of them leaving, it’s like a ghost town. So, I hate to see that for the city.” The Warriors have departed Oakland for San Francisco, the NFL’s Raiders left for Las Vegas, and the MLB’s Athletics are following suit.
Former three-time All-Star Bucks forward Khris Middleton, a critical part of the club’s title run in 2021, was moved at the trade deadline to Washington. He published a social media post on Friday thanking fans in Milwaukee for the 12 years he spent with the team (Instagram link). “As I begin this new chapter, I’m excited for the opportunities ahead,” Middleton wrote in part. “But Milwaukee will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Athletic Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis is looking to establish himself nationally in the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. ‘‘I’ve got a few dunks people have never seen before,’’ Buzelis said. ‘‘It should be fun.’’ According to Cowley, the 6’10” forward had been finessing his dunk portfolio over the last month with Zach LaVine, himself a two-time Slam Dunk champ, prior to the blockbuster deadline trade that sent LaVine to Sacramento.

Projected NBA Taxpayers For 2024/25

February 14th, 2025 at 4:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Ten NBA teams are still operating in luxury tax territory in the wake of last Thursday’s trade deadline, but this season’s total projected luxury tax payments – and the clubs projected to be taxpayers – have declined significantly in recent weeks.

As of January 23, a total of 14 teams projected to be taxpayers, Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter links) observes, with the 16 non-taxpayers on track to receive about $17.8MM apiece, which would have been the largest payout in NBA history.

But the Cavaliers, Pelicans, Clippers, and Sixers all ducked the tax line with their pre-deadline moves, while a few other teams remained in the tax but took steps to significantly reduce their end-of-season bills. Milwaukee, for instance, had been projected to pay about $74.8MM in tax penalties, but has since reduced that figure by more than half, according to Eric Pincus of Sports Business Classroom.

Here are the current projected tax penalties, per Pincus’ data:

Phoenix Suns: $152.26MM
Minnesota Timberwolves: $84.85MM
Boston Celtics: $53.45MM
Los Angeles Lakers: $52.53MM
New York Knicks: $36.45MM
Milwaukee Bucks: $32.66MM
Denver Nuggets: $20.36MM
Golden State Warriors: $12.36MM
Dallas Mavericks: $6.39MM
Miami Heat: $4.18MM
Total: $455.49MM

These numbers will fluctuate a little before the end of the season. For instance, the Lakers recently increased their projected bill when they signed Alex Len to a rest-of-season contract, and the Warriors will need to make multiple roster additions in the near future, which will cause their bill to rise. Various contract incentives that go earned or unearned could also impact the end-of-season tax figures.

Based on the current figures from Pincus, each non-taxpayer is projected to receive a payout of about $11.4MM. That figure is determined by cutting the total league-wide tax penalties in half, then dividing them evenly among the non-taxpaying teams (in this case, 20 clubs).

As significant as the Suns’ tax penalty projects to be, especially for a team currently flirting with .500, it won’t be a single-season record — Golden State has actually exceeded $152.26MM in tax payments in each of the past three years (2022-24).

Assuming these are the 10 teams that finish the season in tax territory, the Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Lakers, Bucks, and Suns would all be subject to repeater penalties in 2025/26 if they’re taxpayers again next season.

And-Ones: Shaq, TNT, MVP Race, All-Star Game, 2025 Draft

February 14th, 2025 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA studio analyst Shaquille O’Neal has reached an agreement on a new long-term deal with TNT Sports that will be worth in excess of $15MM per year, reports Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports.

Although TNT Sports will no longer have the right to broadcast NBA games after the 2024/25 season, the show’s popular Inside the NBA studio show will remain on the air, with the company licensing it to ESPN beginning this fall. O’Neal’s agreement with TNT ensures that he’ll still be part of the show’s panel going forward.

O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith have each reportedly talked to new NBA media rights partners NBC and Amazon, who will begin broadcasting games next season. However, Barkley and O’Neal have deals in place to remain with TNT and the expectation is that Smith will sign a new multiyear contract with the network too, according to McCarthy. As for host Ernie Johnson, he’s considered a “TNT lifer,” McCarthy writes.

We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic earned the top two spots on 99 of 100 ballots submitted by media members to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link) in his latest Most Valuable Player straw poll. Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo claimed a single second-place vote, with Jokic coming in third on that voter’s ballot. However, it’s clearly a two-player MVP race between Gilgeous-Alexander, who received 70 first-place votes and 910 total points, and Jokic, who got 30 and 788, respectively.
The NBA and NBPA will speak to this year’s All-Stars this weekend to stress the importance of competing hard in Sunday’s All-Star event for the sake of both fans and the business, league sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link). The All-Star game has been a low-intensity affair for years, but the league is hopeful that a new mini-tournament format featuring three shorter games will help address that issue.
The 2025 NBA draft class continues to look stronger, according to Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN, who write in an Insider-only story that NBA executives are enthusiastic about the overall depth in the class, not just the potential difference-makers at the top of their boards. The international class also may be better than initially believed, with as many as nine possible first-round picks in that group, Givony and Woo say. The ESPN duo has updated its full mock draft, from Duke freshman Cooper Flagg at No. 1 to South East Melbourne forward Malique Lewis at No. 59.

Eastern Notes: Embiid, George, Nurkic, Sims

February 12th, 2025 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Following up on reporting over the weekend that suggested Joel Embiid might require another surgery to address a nagging left knee injury, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during a TV appearance on Get Up (YouTube link) that there’s not necessarily a consensus among the experts the Sixers center has consulted about the best way to put that knee issue behind him.

“I know that people would like this to be a cut-and-dry issue — you either need knee surgery or you don’t,” Windhorst said. “That’s not necessarily clear here. He has seen a number of specialists. There isn’t a clear path on how to resolve this issue.

“He’s still playing, obviously. They’ve got him playing. If they thought he needed knee surgery, trust me, the Sixers would have dealt with it. He’s playing right now, and he signed this $193MM contract extension. He’s under contract now for five years for $300MM. They have to get this right. And right now, they have no option. They have to figure this out.”

As Windhorst notes, Embiid is now locked up through at least the 2027/28 season, with a player option for ’28/29 worth a projected $69MM. Given that huge financial commitment the Sixers made to the former MVP, they have to do all they can to get him back to full health, since it makes little sense to try to trade him while value is at a low.

“He’s not tradable right now. That contract makes his value… it’s not realistic,” Windhorst said. “And just on Friday, Daryl Morey, their team president, coming out of the trade deadline still reaffirms, ‘We think he’s a top-five player. We don’t regret signing Paul George.’

“The future going forward is around Joel Embiid, so he’s doubled, tripled, quadrupled down on it, and he really has to because that contract makes it impossible. They have to figure out a way to get him right. Trust me, they’re trying. They are seeking all kinds of alternatives trying to make it happen.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Speaking of George, the Sixers forward admitted after Tuesday’s loss to Toronto that adjusting to playing alongside Embiid this season has “definitely been challenging,” per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “But I’m here to learn and figure it out,” George said. “He’s an unbelievable talent. He makes the game easy with just his presence, his attention that he draws. But it’s been a challenge.” Sixers lineups that feature both George and Embiid have a -4.2 net rating so far this season.
Jusuf Nurkic will be available on Wednesday to make his Hornets debut vs. Orlando, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, who reports (via Twitter) that the veteran center will be on a minutes restriction. Nurkic, traded from Phoenix to Charlotte last week, hasn’t played since January 7. With Mark Williams back on the roster following the voided trade with the Lakers, Nurkic likely won’t have as significant a role, but Williams won’t be active on Wednesday, having been listed on the injury report as “not with team.”
Speaking about the trade-deadline addition of Jericho Sims, Bucks general manager Jon Horst referred to the center as a “fourth big,” but expressed enthusiasm about Sims’ athleticism, offensive rebounding, and ability to make an impact in transition, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “It may or may not be an every night role, but it’s kind of based on matchups, it’s based on need,” Horst said of Sims’ role. “If guys get injured or guys are out, he’s a guy that can step in, and you feel confident with him playing.”

Central Notes: Schröder, Pistons, Hunter, Porter, Bulls

February 11th, 2025 at 9:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dennis Schröder is playing for his third team this season. He wound up with the Pistons as part of the five-team blockbuster that landed Jimmy Butler with Golden State. Schröder, who started the season with Brooklyn before getting dealt to the Warriors, made his Detroit debut on Sunday and will continue to be part of the rotation with Jaden Ivey on the mend from a broken fibula.

“It’s my 12th season. I think I consider myself a veteran now — 31 years old,” Schröder told Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “I can bring a lot to this team, making sure the young guys are doing the right things and not the wrong things and worry about the right things as well to make the team better. That’s what it’s all about and that’s the reason why I’m here 12 years, and I want to show those guys and try to lead by example every single day, but then on the court playing the right way is the reason they got me.”

Schröder will be a free agent after the season.

We have more from the Central Division:

Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon admitted that being a buyer at the trade deadline wasn’t on his radar when he was hired by the team last summer. Detroit’s surprisingly strong play convinced him to alter his plans, though he also used cap space as bait to acquire two future second-rounders. “These guys have put themselves in position where they believe they can be a playoff team, which is exciting. We know that’s important to them,” Langdon said, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “To add to that was important to us, as well. We were aware of that and kept that in mind leading to the deadline.”
The Cavaliers have been seeking a big, versatile wing for years and may have finally found their man in De’Andre Hunter, who was acquired from Atlanta. Hunter scored 12 points in 23 minutes against Miami in his Cleveland debut on Monday. “I’m not coming here … trying to change anything,” Hunter told The Athletic’s Joe Vardon. “I’m just trying to add my skill set to what they already have. They had a need they felt needed to be addressed. I feel like, as someone who prides himself on defense and kind of going out there and (trying) to be a two-way player as best I can. So I think that could really help this team, especially at the small forward. But like I said, they were doing good without me.”
Bucks general manager Jon Horst acknowledges there’s risk in bringing in guard Kevin Porter Jr., who was acquired from the Clippers. Horst believes Porter – who wore out his welcome in Cleveland due to locker-room issues and faced domestic violence charges during his time in Houston – has matured and put that behavior behind him. “I think we have an opportunity to help (him) continue on the path of what he’s on, which is improving and growing. There’s no question that if he does that, we think he can help us,” Horst said, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “So there’s a chance for a win-win. But, it’s not unlike any other transaction. There’s risk. And it’s not a five-year commitment and a massive, major thing. I mean, this is a bet, and for him, it’s an opportunity to help us and grow and improve, and he’s been doing it. And that’s what all of our due diligence showed us. And if he does that, he could be a pretty good fit with us. I know he’s excited to be here and we’re excited to have him.” Porter holds a 2025/26 player option on the two-year, minimum salary contract he signed with Los Angeles last offseason.
The Bulls added Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter and Tre Jones at the trade deadline but there’s no mandate by the front office to play them, according to coach Billy Donovan. “(The front office hasn’t) come out and said that to me like that, but I do think that there would be organizationally, no question, you want to find out about those guys, they’re here,” Donovan said, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “Can they help our team, can they impact our team, and who are they as players? Right. There hasn’t been, ‘Hey, let’s play these guys right now.’ “

Bucks GM: Middleton Trade Was ‘Hardest Transaction’ Of My Career

February 11th, 2025 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters on Monday for the first time since last week’s trade deadline, Bucks general manager Jon Horst said the decision to trade Khris Middleton to the Wizards was the “hardest transaction” he has made during his career as a front office executive, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN.

Middleton, who had been with the Bucks since being acquired from Detroit during the summer of 2013, made three All-Star teams during his 12 season with the organization and was a key part of the team that won a championship in 2021.

“I’m incredibly close with Khris personally, his family,” Horst said on Monday, per Steve Megargee of The Associated Press. “I probably have more Middleton jerseys in my house than anything and will still have more Middleton jerseys in my house than anything.”

Last week’s four-team trade saw the Bucks send out Middleton, 2024 first-round pick AJ Johnson, Delon Wright, a 2028 first-round pick swap, and cash in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, Jericho Sims, and a pair of second-rounders.

The deal significantly reduced Milwaukee’s overall salary, moving the team below the second tax apron, though Horst said that wasn’t a mandate from ownership. He believes the move will allow the Bucks to remain in contention in the present and future.

“It’s still the awesome responsibility to try to take this franchise and maximize the window that we have now as best we can,” Horst said. “What we think gives us the best chance to win, and figure out how to continue winning going forward. There’s a very narrow set of opportunities that we felt that we could do that, and this was one of them.”

Middleton has battled injuries in recent years and missed more games (112) than he played (111) from the start of the 2022/23 season to the time of the trade. However, Horst claimed the veteran forward’s availability wasn’t a driving factor in his decision to make the deal.

“Collectively, I think we’re deeper in the spots we needed to be deeper,” he said, according to Collier. “This gave us an opportunity to diversify a little bit, to kind of put money and talent and roster spots in other places where I thought we needed help.”

Kuzma is four years younger than Middleton and has been healthier too, though he’s having a down year this season. His shooting percentages of 42.0% from the field and 28.1% on three-pointers with the Wizards would have easily been career lows, and he averaged just 15.2 points per game prior to the trade after putting up 21.7 PPG in his first two years in D.C.

As Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays, Horst said the Bucks “strongly believe” that Kuzma remains in his prime and will play better than he did in the first half of this season. Milwaukee’s GM also lauded the veteran forward for his ability to move the ball, attack in transition, and serve as a secondary rim protector on defense.

Horst, noting that the Bucks made multiple deadline moves and also brought in Sims and Kevin Porter Jr., made it clear that he doesn’t want to directly compare Kuzma to Middleton.

“This isn’t a Khris or a Kyle comparison, although that’s the easy thing to do,” Horst said. “It’s the team before the trade deadline and the team after the trade deadline, and to be determined with an open roster spot, that we felt like in totality we positioned ourselves to have a better run this year. That doesn’t do anything to diminish the three-time All-Star, Olympian, NBA champion, pillar in the community, everything that Khris Middleton was for this franchise for over a decade.”

Trae Young Named As All-Star Replacement

February 10th, 2025 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

Hawks guard Trae Young has been named an All-Star, according to the NBA. The league announced (via Twitter) that Young will replace injured Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Young, 26, has had a down shooting year, with a career-worst 40.9% mark from the field, including 34.0% from beyond the three-point line. However, he’s leading the league with 11.4 assists per game and contributing 23.5 points per night.

While a recent eight-game losing streak cost the Hawks a few spots in the Eastern Conference standings, the team is still slightly exceeding expectations this season. Atlanta currently holds the No. 9 seed in the East with a 25-28 record.

Young has played a major role in those 25 victories — the club has a +0.2 net rating when he’s on the court, compared to a team-worst -7.4 mark without him.

Word broke on Sunday that Antetokounmpo would remain sidelined through the All-Star break due to a mild calf strain, necessitating a replacement for this weekend in San Francisco. According to Chris Haynes (Twitter link), Young received the most votes from coaches among Eastern Conference players who didn’t make the initial list of reserves.

After he wasn’t initially named an All-Star, the Hawks guard reacted on Twitter by joking that getting “snubbed” was now known as getting “Traed.”

Antetokounmpo had been drafted onto Charles Barkley‘s roster for Sunday’s four-team event, so Young will take Giannis’ place on Team Chuck, helping to balance a roster heavy on big men. He’ll join Donovan Mitchell and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the guards on the eight-man squad.