- Timberwolves big man Nemanja Bjelica cannot wait for the opportunity to suit up for the Serbian national team. “I love to play at home,” he said, “and I can’t wait to do it again, soon. Being supported by thousands of fans is the best, and this unity around the national team gives us a lot of extra energy.”
The NBA’s playoff pool money has increased to $20MM this season, up from $15MM for the last two years and $14MM for the two years before that, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. This pool represents money awarded to teams for certain achievements, which is then divvied up among the club’s players.
According to Zillgitt, the breakdown for 2018’s playoff pool money is as follows:
Regular season achievements:
- Best record in NBA (Rockets): $576,843
- No. 1 seeds in each conference (Rockets, Raptors): $504,737 each
- No. 2 seeds (Warriors, Celtics): $405,684 each
- No. 3 seeds (Trail Blazers, Sixers): $302,843 each
- No. 4 seeds (Thunder, Cavaliers): $238,001 each
- No. 5 seeds (Jazz, Pacers): $198,317 each
- No. 6 seeds (Pelicans, Heat): $135,263 each
Postseason achievements:
- Teams participating in first round (all playoff teams): $298,485 each
- Teams participating in Conference Semifinals (Rockets, Warriors, Jazz, Pelicans, Celtics, Cavaliers, Sixers, Raptors): $355,159 each
- Teams participating in Conference Finals (Rockets, Warriors, Celtics, Cavaliers): $586,898 each
- Losing team in NBA Finals (TBD): $2,346,947
- Winning team in NBA Finals (TBD): $3,541,896
The NBA has formally announced the All-NBA First, Second, and Third Teams for the 2017/18 season, with James Harden and LeBron James leading the way as the two unanimous selections for the First Team.
The voting results will have major financial implications for the three All-NBA centers, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, and Karl-Anthony Towns. As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), Davis is now eligible for a supermax extension from the Pelicans next summer. Davis will be eligible to sign that deal, which projects to be worth $230MM, as of July 1, 2019.
As for Embiid, missing out on a First Team nod means his maximum-salary contract will remain at 25% of the cap rather than being bumped up to 30%. That means he’ll miss out on approximately $29MM over the next five years, as Dan Feldman of NBC Sports details.
Towns, meanwhile, will be eligible for an extension worth 30% of the cap this summer, Marks tweets. An extension of that sort, which would make the cap outlook in Minnesota very interesting, would go into effect for the 2019/20 season.
The full All-NBA teams are listed below, with their vote totals in parentheses. Players received five points for a First Team vote, three points for a Second Team vote, and one point for a Third Team vote, so Harden and James scored a perfect 500 — First Team nods from all 100 voters.
First Team
- Guard: James Harden, Rockets (500)
- Guard: Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers (432)
- Forward: LeBron James, Cavaliers (500)
- Forward: Kevin Durant, Warriors (426)
- Center: Anthony Davis, Pelicans (492)
Second Team
- Guard: Russell Westbrook, Thunder (322)
- Guard: DeMar DeRozan, Raptors (165)
- Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks (354)
- Forward: LaMarcus Aldridge, Spurs (236)
- Center: Joel Embiid, Sixers (294)
Third Team
- Guard: Stephen Curry, Warriors (164)
- Guard: Victor Oladipo, Pacers (105)
- Forward: Jimmy Butler, Timberwolves (81)
- Forward: Paul George, Thunder (54)
- Center: Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves (99)
Among those results, the tightest race saw DeRozan edge Curry by a single point for a spot on the All-NBA Second Team. Both players received two First Team votes and 39 Second Team votes, with DeRozan grabbing one extra Third Team vote (38 to 37) to bump him up to the Second Team ahead of Curry.
As for the players who didn’t quite make the cut, Rockets point guard Chris Paul (54 points), Jazz center Rudy Gobert (51), Celtics guard Kyrie Irving (42), and Sixers guard/forward Ben Simmons (36) received the most support.
Al Horford (Celtics), Nikola Jokic (Nuggets), Andre Drummond (Pistons), Clint Capela (Rockets), Draymond Green (Warriors), Kyle Lowry (Raptors), Steven Adams (Thunder), Donovan Mitchell (Jazz), Klay Thompson (Warriors), Trevor Ariza (Rockets), DeMarcus Cousins (Pelicans), Dwight Howard (Hornets), Kevin Love (Cavaliers), and Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks) also each received at least one All-NBA vote.
The NBA has officially announced its 2017/18 All-Defensive First and Second Teams, with Defensive Player of the Year candidates Rudy Gobert and Anthony Davis headlining the First Team.
Gobert led the way in voting, receiving 94 of 100 potential First Team votes. He also received four Second Team votes, and was left off of just two ballots, earning him 192 total points (two points per First Team vote; one point per Second Team vote). It’s his second All-Defensive First Team nod.
[RELATED: NBA Announces 2017/18 All-Rookie Teams]
As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), the All-Defensive recognition will pay off financially for Gobert, who earns a $500K bonus as a result of his spot on the First Team. Meanwhile, Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday will receive a more modest $100K bonus for being named to the All-Defensive First Team.
Here are the full voting results for the All-Defensive First and Second Teams, with each player’s point total noted in parentheses:
First Team
- Rudy Gobert, C, Jazz (192)
- Anthony Davis, F/C, Pelicans (163)
- Victor Oladipo, G, Pacers (136)
- Jrue Holiday, G, Pelicans (105)
- Robert Covington, F, Sixers (90)
Second Team
- Joel Embiid, C, Sixers (90)
- Draymond Green, F, Warriors (86)
- Al Horford, F/C, Celtics (85)
- Dejounte Murray, G, Spurs (80)
- Jimmy Butler, G/F, Timberwolves (79)
Rockets point guard Chris Paul (74 points) and Thunder forward Paul George (69) narrowly missed earning spots on the All-Defensive Second Team. A total of 29 other players received at least one vote, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson.
You can find the full voting results right here.
- Former UNC wing Theo Pinson has worked out for the Celtics and Timberwolves so far, and will audition for the Rockets on Thursday, tweets Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. Pinson also has a Knicks workout on his calendar for June 12, Zagoria adds.
After discussing rumors of potential tension between Karl-Anthony Towns and the Timberwolves on a podcast last week, Brian Windhorst appeared on ESPN to further address the situation in Minnesota, as Dan Feldman of NBC Sports relays. According to Windhorst, rival teams around the NBA appear to be keeping a close eye on Towns.
“Let’s just put it this way: I didn’t make this up,” Windhorst said, per Feldman. “People in the league have been saying, ‘You know, maybe we should call and take a look and see what’s going on with Karl Towns.’ Now, he and Tom Thibodeau did not have the greatest season together. I think that’s far to say. They recently fired Vince Legarza, who’s his strength and conditioning coach – or he’s actually his workout coach – with the Wolves and, according to The Athletic, didn’t tell him about it. He found out when everybody else did.
“I don’t think that the Wolves are looking to trade him,” Windhorst continued. “But teams are definitely sniffing around as if maybe there’s something here.”
Windhorst also alluded to a report from back in January about the Clippers calling the Timberwolves and offering Blake Griffin in a deal for Towns before they ultimately sent Griffin to Detroit. At the time, the proposal seemed like an out-of-nowhere Hail Mary by the Clips, but the latest rumblings out of Minnesota put that offer into a clearer context.
According to Windhorst, the Timberwolves have already received some calls on Towns, including that one from the Clippers, and they’ll likely keep getting more inquiries. Still, that doesn’t mean that anything will happen on this front. Towns is one of the most valuable young players in the NBA, and Minnesota is well positioned to keep him under team control for years to come.
The former first overall pick will be extension-eligible for the first time during this offseason, and fourth-year players rarely turn down maximum-salary contract offers. Even if the Wolves decide not to put such an offer on the table this year, or Towns passes on it, he’d be a restricted free agent in 2019, giving Minnesota the opportunity to match any offer sheet he signs.
- Jon Krawczynski of The Atlantic wonders if the Wolves should try to trade Andrew Wiggins. The former No. 1 overall pick signed a five-year extension worth nearly $150MM, though the scribe hears that a Wiggins-DeMar DeRozan swap remains a possibility should Toronto look to make major moves.
- Does it make sense for the Wolves to deal Karl-Anthony Towns? Michael Rand of the Star Tribune isn’t so sure, but he notes that Towns hasn’t said anything to quiet down the rumblings that he and the team are “not in a good place.”
The Clippers have their eyes on Michael Porter Jr. and are hoping to use their picks at No. 12 and 13 to trade up in the draft, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. The Missouri forward, who missed almost the entire season with a back injury, could give L.A. a reliable scorer in the frontcourt. O’Connor notes that team owner Steve Ballmer stopped his session with the media at the combine to listen to Porter’s interview.
Porter, who is projected at No. 8 to the Cavaliers in the latest mock draft by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, told reporters he had combine interviews scheduled with 13 teams, including the Clippers. He also stated that he believes he’s “the best player in the draft.”
L.A.’s challenge is finding a team willing to trade down. O’Connor cites the Grizzlies, Mavericks, Magic and Bulls — who hold picks four through seven — as teams in need of multiple assets. However, it’s not clear if any of them is willing to move back in the draft, and O’Connor has heard that Memphis is planning to keep its No. 4 pick. The Grizzlies are looking for size, O’Connor adds, but are the only team in the top eight not to ask for a meeting with Texas center Mo Bamba.
O’Connor’s recap on the combine is filled with interesting tidbits. Here are a few of the highlights:
- Bamba believes he could form a dangerous combination with Mavericks point guard Dennis Smith Jr., but Dallas may not be interested. With Dirk Nowitzki returning for another season, the Mavs will try to rebuild quickly to put a contending team around him. That means targeting a free agent big man such as DeAndre Jordan, DeMarcus Cousins or Julius Randle, which would make a scorer like Porter more attractive in the draft. O’Connor notes that Cousins’ agent, Jarinn Akana, has strong ties to the Mavericks. Of his 12 clients, five have played in Dallas and another was with its G League affiliate, Jaleel Cousins, who is DeMarcus’ brother.
- The Knicks are interested in Oklahoma point guard Trae Young if he falls to the ninth pick. They see him as a good fit alongside last year’s first-rounder, Frank Ntilikina, who can take on the tougher defensive matchup and help space the floor for Young to drive to the basket. However, the Magic at No. 6 and the Cavaliers at No. 8 both need point guards, so Young could be off the board before New York’s selection.
- It still isn’t clear who made a draft promise to Boise State forward Chandler Hutchison, but O’Connor was told he won’t drop into the late first round. Hutchison, who is expected to be taken between the 18th and 24th pick, held workouts for the Timberwolves and Bulls before withdrawing from the combine. It may or may not be a clue, but Hutchison’s agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, is a friend of Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf and has represented many Chicago players.
- Kostas Antetokounmpo showed a lot of similarities to his older brother Giannis Antetokounmpo in his combine workouts. Kostas, 2o, could be a second-round pick and may be a valuable asset for a team to have when Giannis hits free agency in 2021.
Coach Jay Wright will recommend to Donte DiVincenzo and Omari Spellman that they return to Villanova if it doesn’t look like they’ll be drafted in the first round, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. DiVincenzo goes to the Mavericks at No. 33 in the latest mock draft compiled by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, while Spellman isn’t projected to be taken. Players have until May 30 to make their decisions.
“Omari and Donte are out there to try to prove themselves as first-round picks,” Wright said of his players’ trips to the NBA Draft Combine. “For them, I hope they are. And I think this process has been good for them. I think they will get some good information.”
DiVincenzo met with the Lakers, Magic, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Cavaliers, Spurs, Hawks and Grizzlies at the combine and said he received a lot of “positive feedback.” Spellman has upcoming workouts with the Lakers [May 23], Clippers [May 24], Spurs [26] and Jazz [28] that will likely influence his decision, Zagoria adds.
There’s more draft news as the deadline for decisions draws closer:
- The Sixers may consider Miami guard Lonnie Walker at No. 10, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Walker met with Philadelphia officials Friday and was impressed by the experience. “It went well,” he said. “See a little bit of Elton Brand and all those guys, I felt like a little kid, seeing guys I watched on TV.” Givony has Walker projected at No. 13 to the Clippers.
- Lamonte Bearden of Western Kentucky will sign with an agent and stay in the draft, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Goodman. The guard averaged 11.8 points and 3.4 assists as a redshirt junior.
- Kent State’s Jaylin Walker tweeted that he will return to school for his senior season. He averaged 16.6 points per game for the Golden Flashes this season.
- The Nuggets have pre-draft workouts scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, the team announced in an e-mail. Scheduled to appear at Monday’s session are Tyler Davis of Texas A&M, Cody Martin of Nevada, William McDowell-White of Brose Bamberg, Isaiah Reese of Canisius, Admiral Schofield of Tennessee and Reid Travis of Stanford. Tuesday’s schedule features Tyler Cook of Iowa, Jon Elmore of Marshall, Ethan Happ of Wisconsin, Mustapha Heron of Auburn, Charles Matthews of Michigan and Shamorie Ponds of St. John’s.
The relationship between the Timberwolves and All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns is “not in a good place internally,” according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe.
Speaking on his podcast, The Lowe Post, along with colleague Brian Windhorst, Lowe alluded to tension between both sides. Windhorst added that it’s possible that Towns’ name comes up in trade talks this summer.
“I don’t think Anthony Davis is going anywhere anytime soon,” Windhorst said (via Bleacher Report). “But Karl Towns…now that might be a different story.”
Towns, 22, is coming off a third consecutive season of averaging a double-double while playing in all 82 games. This season, he made his first All-Star team while averaging 21.3 PPG and 12.3 RPG for Minnesota. He’ll be eligible for an extension this offseason.
While there is no indication that Minnesota is looking to deal Towns, this is not the first time that reports of issues within the organization have surfaced. In mid-March, reports surfaced that Andrew Wiggins had “whispered to teammates” that he was frustrated becoming the third option to Towns and Jimmy Butler.
The Timberwolves snuck into the postseason on the final day of the regular season, ending a 14-year postseason drought. While that progress was a welcome sight, the Timberwolves will have a lot of issues to address this summer.