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Pistons Notes: Muscala, Thompson, Ivey, Cap Room

January 22nd, 2024 at 10:06am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons got a strong performance from their new-look bench in Saturday’s loss to Milwaukee, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. Alec Burks scored 33 points and teamed with newly acquired Mike Muscala to hit 11-of-18 shots from beyond the arc as Detroit’s reserves put up 85 points, the most of any team this season. Muscala has noticed a commitment to effort from his new teammates since being acquired in a trade last week.

“Guys play really hard here, and it’s an honor to be a part of that,” he said. “It was a good game today, we just couldn’t get it done, especially on defense. We get a chance to play them again on Monday, and obviously they’re a great team. They have a lot of weapons on offense, but I thought we battled hard today.”

Rookie forward Ausar Thompson, who started for much of the first half of the season, has also become an important part of the bench unit, and Sankofa notes that his rebounding and ability to attack the basket make him an effective complement to Muscala. Coach Monty Williams seems confident in his current bench group.

“Ausar coming off the bench and knocking down shots was huge for his confidence and huge for the development of our young group,” Williams said. “Having (Danilo) Gallinari and Mike out there, they’re seamlessly fitting in and figuring out how we play. Burks has been phenomenal. His ability to score the ball, his ability to communicate and help the young guys on the floor have helped us a ton. You don’t typically get that kind of bench production, but with the vets we have coming off the bench, it certainly helps us.”

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Jaden Ivey has excelled over the past two weeks with Cade Cunningham sidelined by a left knee strain, and he’ll continue to have a role in running the offense once Cunningham returns, Sankofa adds. “It’s good to see him not just score the ball. Like I said he’s defending, attacking the basket, knocking down open shots,” Williams said. “I think it’s going to be a good complement with those two playing together within the system.”
The Pistons could have $60MM in cap room this summer, and James L. Edwards III and John Hollinger of The Athletic look at how they might spend it, agreeing that it’s likely to be more useful in trading for big salaries rather than signing free agents. Hollinger speculates that the Pistons might have interest in Andrew Wiggins if the Warriors can’t move him before the trade deadline, although he’s a gamble with three years and $85MM left on his contract. Hollinger mentions a few other potential targets with long-term deals, including the Nuggets‘ Zeke Nnaji, the Suns‘ Nassir Little and the Kings‘ Davion Mitchell.
The NBA has moved the starting time of the Pistons’ January 28 contest against the Thunder so it doesn’t conflict with the Detroit Lions’ playoff game on that Sunday, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

Northwest Notes: Markkanen, Giddey, Nuggets, Scoot

January 21st, 2024 at 10:07pm CST by Rory Maher

Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, the NBA’s reigning Most Improved Player and a first-time All-Star last season, received high praise last week from Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune.

“He’s a great, great young player,” Carlisle said of Markkanen. “He’s the closest thing I’ve seen to (Dirk) Nowitzki.”

Carlisle, of course, coached the Mavericks in 2011, when Nowitzki led Dallas to its first and only title.

“(He’s) a seven-footer that can really stretch the game out and play inside,” Carlisle continued. “He’s underrated as an athlete. And his length is really special and the efficiency with which he catches the ball and gets rid of it, shoots it — he just like catches it up here and just goes like this from like anywhere.

“People have tried to put bigger guys on him, smaller guys on him, he shoots over the smaller guys, he’s out-crafts the big guys. So, he’s tough. He’s a much tougher player than what you may think looking at him. He’s tall, slender, angular, but he’s rugged. So he’s a major, major problem.”

While Markkanen has had another excellent season, with averages that are extremely similar to last season, he also missed 10 games due to injury and the competition for All-Star spots in the West will be fierce, Larsen notes. For his part, Markkanen says he hopes he makes it in.

“I think it can get it, I’ve just got to keep grinding. It would mean a lot obviously,” Markkanen said, per Larsen. “Winning games is what helps us, so I’m just doing trying to do my part to get us there, and hopefully I get in. It would definitely be a big thing for me.”

Here’s more from the Northwest:

Both Thunder guard/forward Josh Giddey and head coach Mark Daigneault replied with “no comment” when they were asked about the investigation into Giddey being closed by the Newport Beach Police Department, as Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman relays (Twitter links). Giddey was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a minor, but he won’t face criminal charges due to a lack of evidence.
Denver handed Boston its first home loss of the season in what could be a potential preview of the 2024 NBA Finals, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who argues the Nuggets should still be considered the favorite to defend their title. Tim Bontemps of ESPN has additional quotes after the high-intensity matchup between two of the top teams in the league.
No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson sustained a nasal contusion in Friday’s victory over Indiana, causing him to leave the game and not return (Twittter link via the Trail Blazers), but head coach Chauncey Billups was relieved the 19-year-old rookie didn’t have a concussion, as Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report tweets. Henderson was active for Sunday’s game vs. the Lakers.

Minimum Game Requirement For Awards Looms Large For Super-Max Candidates

January 20th, 2024 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

As we detailed back in September, there are several players around the NBA who would benefit financially from making an All-NBA team or winning a Most Valuable Player of Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023/24.

Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray are among the players who would become eligible to sign a super-max (Designated Veteran) contract during the 2024 offseason by earning one of those honors this season.

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could ensure they become eligible to sign a super-max extension in 2025 by making this year’s All-NBA team. Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. could do the same by winning a second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award.

Additionally, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, and Hornets guard LaMelo Ball signed maximum-salary rookie scale extensions that will be worth 30% of next season’s salary cap (instead of 25%) if they make an All-NBA team this spring. These “Rose Rule” contracts are essentially “mini” super-max deals.

Not all of those 10 players look like legitimate All-NBA, MVP, or DPOY candidates this season, but many of them will be in the mix. However, as Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks write at ESPN.com, the newly implemented 65-game minimum requirement for award winners looms large for this group.

Without appearing in 65 games (including at least 63 of 20-plus minutes and two of 15-plus minutes), these players will be ineligible to earn an All-NBA spot, and without that end-of-season honor, they won’t be in position to receive a higher maximum salary.

According to Bontemps and Marks, a player who misses more than 17 of his team’s games, falling short of appearing in the required 65, can technically still qualify for award recognition, but only in very specific scenarios:

If the player appeared in at least 62 games (and 85% of his team’s games to that point) and then suffers a season-ending injury.
If the player files a grievance and presents “clear and convincing evidence” that his team limited his games or his minutes with the intention of depriving him of award eligibility.

While there’s also a clause for “extraordinary circumstances,” the NBA and NBPA don’t expect that clause to apply to injury absences, since it would essentially defeat the purpose of the rule, per ESPN’s duo.

Of the 10 players mentioned above, one is already ineligible for a major end-of-season award — Ball has appeared in just 19 of the Hornets’ first 39 games due to an ankle injury, so even if he doesn’t miss a game for the rest of the season, he’ll max out at 62 appearances. Given Charlotte’s spot in the standings, Ball would have been an All-NBA long shot anyway, but he has been playing at a very high level when he’s been healthy.

The 65-game mark remains within reach for the rest of this group, though some players can’t really afford any sort of extended absence. Adebayo, for instance, has missed 10 of Miami’s 42 games so far and only logged 12 minutes in an 11th, which means it won’t count toward his 65. Seven more missed games would cost him his award eligibility.

Murray is in a similar spot — he has missed 14 of Denver’s 43 games and played just 10 minutes in a 15th, so three more missed games would make him ineligible for award consideration.

Doncic has missed seven games for the Mavericks, while Fox has missed six for the Kings, so they’re on pace to play in enough games, but if either player turns an ankle or tweaks a hamstring and is forced to the sidelines for a couple weeks, he’d be in trouble.

It looked like that might happen with Haliburton, who sat out just three of the Pacers’ first 36 games, then strained his hamstring earlier this month. He was expected to be unavailable for at least a couple weeks, but returned to action on Friday night, ahead of schedule, after missing just five contests.

Haliburton is a legitimate All-NBA candidate and would be in line for a projected $41MM pay increase across his five-year extension if he earns one of those 15 spots. Were those financial considerations a factor in his early return to action? Would he still have been inactive on Friday if that 65-game minimum weren’t in play?

It’s hard to imagine the Pacers allowing their franchise player to risk potential re-injury by coming back too early, but Haliburton certainly has a ton of motivation to play in every game he can this year.

As Howard Beck of The Ringer writes, that 65-game minimum will be a fascinating subplot to follow in the second half of the season. Although we’ve focused here on players whose future earnings could be directly tied to whether or not they claim an end-of-season award, there are many other potential All-NBA candidates who may fall short of 65 games, changing the equation for voters.

Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker, Zion Williamson, and Lauri Markkanen are among the stars who have been out for eight or more games so far this season, Beck observes. Kevin Durant has missed seven.

The 65-game minimum isn’t necessary to earn votes for Sixth Man of the Year, Rookie of the Year, or an All-Rookie spot, but the other major awards require at least 65 appearances.

In 2023, five of the 15 players who made an All-NBA team appeared in fewer than 65 games, but that won’t be the case in 2024. The players who have the most riding on All-NBA honors from a financial perspective may be the ones most motivated to stay on the court, but as Adebayo points out, you “can’t stop injuries from happening.”

“God forbid nobody gets hurt, but you can’t [prevent] injury,” he said, per Bontemps and Marks. “I think it’s crazy that we even have the rule. It’s one of those things where you just accept the rule. … I guess use your 17 games as wisely as possible.”

Northwest Notes: Dunn, George, Wallace, Wolves

January 20th, 2024 at 11:37am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Jazz are 12-3 in their past 15 games, establishing themselves as one of the hottest teams in the league. Since mid-December, they rank top 15 in offensive and defensive rating, and a huge part of their recent surge is the point guard play of Kris Dunn, writes John Coon of the Associated Press.

Utah is 13-4 on the season with Dunn starting, and he’s averaging 4.8 points, 6.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks in 21.8 minutes during this recent stretch.

“Kris Dunn’s voice is more prominent now because his role is different,” head coach coach Will Hardy said. “Kris has always talked a lot. He’s always been a great presence in our locker room and a great presence at practice with our team. But now that he’s starting, his voice is heard in a different way and at different times.”

After being selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2016 draft by the Timberwolves, he was part of the deal that sent Jimmy Butler to Minnesota. Dunn struggled with injuries in Chicago and then later Atlanta before he was waived and out of the league. The Jazz signed him to a pair of 10-day deals last season and he impressed. However, he wasn’t immediately given the reins to the point guard position over the offseason and his role fluctuated to begin the year. Now, it’s clear his patience is paying off for both him and the team.

“I’ll be doing myself a disservice and the team a disservice if I try to go out there and try to go get 20,” Dunn said. “I got to play my role and I understand my role and I have no problem playing it. Go out there and guard and distribute the ball. The main thing is keeping that energy alive.”

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Jazz rookie Keyonte George is another major factor in Utah’s recent success, averaging 11.1 points and 4.4 assists on the season. The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor catches up with George, writing that while his flashes have been impressive, the former Baylor guard recognizes he has room to improve, particularly with his finishing. “I’m already adjusted to the speed of the game. The reads are slowing down for me,” George said. “So it’s just about now just getting stronger and continuing to learn, continuing to slow the game down for me. So when I’m in between those lines, it is patterns.“
Thunder wing Luguentz Dort missed Oklahoma City’s Thursday matchup with Utah due to an illness, and rookie guard Cason Wallace started in his place (Twitter link via Bally Sports Oklahoma’s Nick Gallo). Wallace finished that game with a career-high 16 points, making six of his seven shot attempts in his seventh career start. “He’s not flinching. He’s really been like that from the getgo,” head coach Mark Daigneault said (Twitter link via Oklahoman Sports’ Joel Lorenzi).
After Thursday’s victory over the Grizzlies, the Timberwolves are 30-11, atop the Western Conference standings and on pace for what would be the organization’s first-ever 60-win season. The Wolves have the best defensive rating in the league and they’ll need to keep up that tempo if they want to crack the 60-win club, writes Star Tribune’s Chris Hine. Hine explains Minnesota also needs to continue to improve on offense in order to help their chances of emerging as a true contender.

Northwest Notes: Jokic, George, Ayton, Blazers, Gobert

January 18th, 2024 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams

Sixers star Joel Embiid racked up 41 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds in a comeback victory over the Nuggets on Tuesday, but after the game he had nothing but praise for opposing center and fellow MVP Nikola Jokic, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes.

Embiid joked that there’s a “war” on Twitter between Sixers and Nuggets fans about which player is better, but suggested that Jokic has earned that honor, at least for now, after leading Denver to a championship in 2023.

“He deserves (the title of best in the NBA),” Embiid said. “Until you knock him down, that’s the best in the league, and he’s the Finals MVP. So until someone else takes that away, then you can claim that.

“But then again,” Embiid continued, with a smile. “I also believe in myself. … I’ve just gotta get there.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Following a victory over Oklahoma City on Tuesday, Paul George said the 2019 trade that sent him from the Thunder to the Clippers for a package that included Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and several first-round picks has been a win for both sides — and acknowledged that it may have been a bigger win for OKC. “I just think both sides won. I did think it was quite a lot that the Clippers were willing to give up, but their commitment to me is my commitment to them,” George said (Twitter video link via Joey Linn of SI.com). “… We knew Shai was gonna be really, really good, but he’s special. In a way, Oklahoma won that trade with picks and a future MVP. Great trade for both sides.”
After missing the Trail Blazers‘ past 11 games due to a knee issue, starting center Deandre Ayton was on track to return Wednesday vs. Brooklyn, but icy conditions in Portland prevented him from getting to the game, as Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report tweets. Ayton will presumably be available on Friday vs. Indiana.
Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups tried a new starting lineup on Wednesday, with Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, Malcolm Brogdon, Duop Reath, and Jabari Walker making up the 19th starting five the team has used this season. After the game, Billups explained that he wanted to make a change due to the slow starts the Blazers had been having (Twitter link via Highkin). The original plan, Billups added, was to move Shaedon Sharpe into Scoot Henderson‘s starting spot, but Sharpe is sidelined with an abdominal injury.
While Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has been lauded for a bounce-back season on defense, he lauded his teammates for making things easier on him at the end of the court, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “We got people that can guard. We got people that can move their feet and take the challenge,” Gobert said.

Josh Giddey Won’t Face Criminal Charges Following Allegations

January 17th, 2024 at 8:30pm CST by Rory Maher

8:30pm: In a press release (Twitter link), the Newport Beach Police Department confirmed that Giddey won’t face criminal charges.

7:40pm: The Newport Beach Police Department has concluded its investigation into Thunder guard/forward Josh Giddey and he will not be charged with a crime after no corroborating evidence was found, as first reported by TMZ Sports. Shams Charania of The Athletic later confirmed the news.

In November, a series of posts on social media accused Giddey of having an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl who is a student at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach. That prompted both the NBA and the Newport Beach Police Department to open investigations into the claims.

However, TMZ reported at the time that the alleged minor and her family were unwilling to cooperate with law enforcement officials. Now, the case is considered closed, according to TMZ.

The NBA’s investigation is technically still active, but it seems unlikely to turn out differently considering Giddey won’t face criminal charges.

The sixth overall pick of the 2021 draft, Giddey is averaging 11.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 4.6 APG in 39 games this season for Oklahoma City (24.8 MPG).

Northwest Notes: Sexton, Clarkson, Jazz, Thunder, Sharpe

January 13th, 2024 at 9:47am CST by Tristan Tucker

Collin Sexton has started the past 17 games for the Jazz, with the team going 13-4 in those contests and completely turning around their season, writes The Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen. Sexton — who was once viewed as an available trade piece — is among the league’s top per-possession scorers and is averaging 28.1 points per 36 minutes over the past 30 days, sixth in the NBA.

“Collin’s been playing really well, at a high level. He’s really picking his spots, when to attack, when to facilitate, and when to slow down and when to use his speed,” teammate Lauri Markkanen said. “I think he’s playing a really high level right now and we need him to keep it up.”

Larsen observes Sexton’s made changes to his game, including the pace at which he plays and improving his efficiency.

“Collin’s one of the best athletes I’ve ever been around. He gets incredibly low to the floor when he drives, he’s very strong, very explosive, and he’s able to play through contact,” head coach Will Hardy said. “We know can get in the paint at will — maybe not every time, but most times he can get into paint, and his decision making has really improved in those spots.”

Sarah Todd of The Deseret News explores a similar topic, writing that Jordan Clarkson has also helped turn Utah’s fortunes around in recent weeks. Since returning from a hamstring injury, Clarkson is averaging 19.8 points and a career-best 5.9 assists in 11 games while breaking the Jazz’s 15-year triple-double drought in early January.

“It’s been feeling really great, to be honest,” Clarkson said. “I think in the beginning of the year it was just tough. I think we were all trying to figure out each other. … Early in the season it’s hard to put a label on the team. Just credit to the coaching staff and all of us for sticking with it and coming out here and putting a good product out.”

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Part of Sexton and Clarkson’s success comes from Hardy’s adjustments to the Jazz‘s rotation, Larsen writes in a separate piece. Every rotation player has more defined roles than they did at the beginning of the year, leading to guys like Kris Dunn and Simone Fontecchio improving in starting spots. Larsen also writes the bench unit has improved as a result of the progress made by, and changes to, the starting lineup, with the five-man bench lineup of Keyonte George, Clarkson, Ochai Agbaji, Kelly Olynyk and Walker Kessler outscoring opponents by 24 points per possession.
Tony Jones of The Athletic says that the Jazz‘s players have bought into the team’s changes. “We’ve just mixed and matched and put ingredients into the soup and kind of figured out what’s worked and what hasn’t worked,” Olynyk said. “We’re at the point where guys know their roles, and they are trying to be stars in their roles, and it’s all just working right now.“
The Thunder are way ahead of their rebuilding timeline and are among the league’s top contenders, The Athletic’s John Hollinger notes. It’s an impressive feat alone, but becomes even more fascinating when considering many of the Thunder’s top guys have come from their own draft picks, like Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace, and not the draft picks obtained from dismantling the Paul George–Russell Westbrook core. Of course, as Hollinger acknowledges, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has become one of the NBA’s best players since being obtained in the George trade, while Jalen Williams was drafted using a Clippers pick. Hollinger argues the Thunder should look to move some of their non-rotation young guys and big contracts for a player who can help now, since their contention window has already started and they’ll have big contract decisions on the horizon.
Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe left Thursday’s matchup against the Thunder with a right adductor strain and did not return, according to team PR (Twitter link). Sharpe missed Portland’s Friday game at the Timberwolves due to the injury, The Oregonian’s Aaron J. Fentress tweets.

Northwest Notes: MPJ, Nuggets, Watson, Thunder, Reath

January 7th, 2024 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

After scoring 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting in his first 16 minutes of action on Friday to help the Nuggets build an 18-point lead, Michael Porter Jr. attempted just three more field goals in his final 15 minutes as Denver’s lead slipped away and Orlando pulled out a 122-120 victory.

Asked after the game about his recent trend of disappearing from the Nuggets’ offense after getting off to hot starts, Porter suggested it’s an issue that affects the team more broadly rather than applying specifically to him, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.

“I think it’s something we’re collectively still trying to master. Like, continuing to find guys’ shots throughout the midst of the game,” Porter said. “Because sometimes we play different in the first quarter than we do in the fourth quarter. … And that’s a lot of teams. But Aaron (Gordon) for example: He got most of his shots probably in the first quarter. Didn’t really touch the ball in the third quarter or the fourth quarter much.

“.. It’s a tough balance. When you’ve got a lot of guys who are very capable, sometimes you go a long stretch without really touching the ball. So for me, I kind of realize if I’m gonna get some shot attempts up, it’s gonna have to come in the flow of the game, and I’m gonna have to really, at times, be aggressive and things like that.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Heading into Friday’s game, the Nuggets had the NBA’s eighth-best defensive rating, compared to the No. 25 ranking at the same time a year ago. In another story for The Denver Post, Durando explores why the team has been significantly better on that end of the court in the first half of this season, singling out second-year wing Peyton Watson as a key difference-maker. Watson wasn’t part of the rotation last season, but his 109.6 defensive rating this season is the best mark among Denver’s regulars.
Even without making any moves on the trade market, the Thunder – who rank fourth in offensive rating and sixth in defensive rating – already look like a legitimate contender, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, who argues that the club certainly has the assets to make a deal but should be in no rush to do so before the “missing ingredient” on the roster becomes more apparent.
The Trail Blazers, who now have two openings on their 15-man roster, are a virtual lock to promote big man Duop Reath from his two-way deal to a standard contract sooner or later, tweets Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. However, it’s unclear whether that move is in Portland’s short-term plans or if it will happen sometime after the trade deadline. The Blazers will have to make at least one roster addition by January 20, but that could just be a 10-day signing.

Jaime Jaquez, Chet Holmgren Named Rookies Of The Month

January 4th, 2024 at 5:43pm CST by Rory Maher

For the second straight time, Heat wing Jaime Jaquez and Thunder big man Chet Holmgren have been named the NBA’s Rookies of the Month, the league announced on Thursday (via Twitter).

Former UCLA standout Jaquez, the 18th pick of the 2023 draft, averaged 16.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists on .481/.324/.849 shooting in 13 December games (33.6 MPG). He has helped keep Miami in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff hunt despite a series of injuries to key players.

Holmgren, the Western Conference winner, averaged 17.4 points, 7.7. rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.5 blocks on .551/.385/.780 shooting in 13 December contests (29.7 MPG). After missing all of 2022/23 with a foot injury, the 21-year-old has appeared in every game for Oklahoma City thus far in ’23/24, and has been a major factor in the team holding the second-best record in the West (23-10).

According to the NBA (Twitter link), Utah’s Keyonte George, Portland’s Scoot Henderson, Dallas’ Dereck Lively and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama were the other nominees in the West, while Washington’s Bilal Coulibaly, Charlotte’s Brandon Miller and Cleveland’s Craig Porter Jr. were nominated in the East.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Antetokounmpo Named Players Of Month

January 4th, 2024 at 3:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for December, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

Gilgeous-Alexander led his team to a 10-3 record during the month while averaging 31.9 points, 6.6 assists and 3.1 steals per game. Antetokounmpo carried the Bucks to an 11-2 mark in December, posting averages of 32.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists per night.

Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Kawhi Leonard were the other nominees in the West.

Bam Adebayo, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, Donovan Mitchell, Julius Randle, Coby White and Derrick White were the other nominees in the East.