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Morant Showing Good Progress From Shoulder Surgery

May 21st, 2024 at 5:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ja Morant appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery from shoulder surgery, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.

According to Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins, Morant and several other players who suffered significant injuries are making good progress. Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., Ziaire Williams, Vince Williams and Marcus Smart were among the other Grizzlies players who missed chunks of time due to injury this season.

“Everything is going well,” Jenkins said on Tuesday. “Ja is the only one when June rolls around, he’s going to be pretty close to full go on the court. Everything that everyone was dealing with towards the end of the season is in a good place right now.”

Morant’s season was essentially a washout. He missed the first 25 games of the season due to an NBA suspension, then averaged 25.1 points, 8.1 assists and 5.6 rebounds in nine games after the suspension, including a game-winning shot against New Orleans on Dec. 19 in his return to action.

Morant was then diagnosed with a labral tear in his right shoulder after a training session. At the time of his January surgery, the recovery process was outlined as a six-month process.

Grizzlies head of basketball operations Zach Kleiman said in April that there wasn’t a timeline on Morant’s full availability, but that he was “expected to be fully cleared for basketball activities maybe halfway through the offseason.”

Morant will be entering the second year of his five-year, max contract.

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Draft Notes: Clingan, Risers, Buzelis, Withdrawals

May 21st, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The “buzz and excitement” surrounding former UConn center Donovan Clingan seems to be growing, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report writes in a post-combine update of his 2024 mock draft. Wasserman had Clingan coming off the board at No. 7 overall in a mock earlier this month, but has bumped the big man up to No. 3 this week after he made a strong impression on NBA evaluators in Chicago.

Zaccharie Risacher (No. 2 to No. 1), Dalton Knecht (No. 10 to No. 7), Tidjane Salaun (No. 21 to No. 12), and Devin Carter (No. 18 to No. 13) are among the other notable lottery risers in Wasserman’s latest mock draft, while Matas Buzelis slipped from No. 5 to No. 11. Opinions are mixed on the G League Ignite forward, according to Wasserman, who says workouts with teams will be “extra important” for Buzelis.

Here are a few more draft updates:

  • Guard Xavier DuSell, who declared for the draft following his senior year at Fresno State, has decided to remove his name from the 2024 poll and take advantage of his extra year of eligibility, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. DuSell will be transferring to Nevada for his super-senior season.
  • Following a strong freshman season at Georgia Tech (12.4 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.1 BPG), forward Baye Ndongo will withdraw from the draft and return to the Yellow Jackets, per Rothstein (Twitter link).
  • Jacksonville guard Robert McCray will head back to school for his junior season rather than keeping his name in the draft, tweets Rothstein. McCoy had a breakout season in 2023/24, averaging 18.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 2.9 APG.
  • Guard Keyshawn Hall is pulling out of the draft and will transfer to his third college in three years, according to Rothstein (Twitter link). After playing at UNLV as a freshman and George Mason as a sophomore, Hall will head to UCF for his junior season in 2024/25.
  • VCU sophomore forward Toibu Lawal has officially withdrawn from the draft and will transfer to Virginia Tech for his junior year, tweets Rothstein.
  • As a reminder, the deadline for college early entrants to exit the draft pool and retain their NCAA eligibility is next Wednesday, May 29.
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Pacers’ Turner Talks Playoff Run, Siakam Addition, Career Goals, More

May 21st, 2024 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype ahead of the start of the Eastern Conference finals, Pacers big man Myles Turner said he’s unfazed by entering the third-round series as a significant underdog to the top-seeded Celtics. As Turner explained, he and his teammates have gotten used to playing the underdog role by this point.

“That’s life as an Indiana Pacer,” Turner said. “It was the same thing as the last series. If you look at every single poll on ESPN, everyone picked the Knicks to win. If you look at the series before that with the Bucks, it might’ve been 80 percent of the people picking Milwaukee to win.

“That’s something that, since I’ve been here, at least in my career, it’s been like that every single season. We don’t get TV games, and we’re not publicized like that. In the press, it’s never the Pacers won. It’s the Knicks lost. That’s regular stuff for us. We use it as fuel and as a chip on our shoulders. We definitely go in there, and it’s less pressure on us because if we’re the underdogs, we’re the uninvited guests. It’s up to us to go out there and prove everybody wrong. That’s the goal at the end of the day.”

Over the course of his conversation with Scotto, Turner also addressed what this playoff run means to him as the longest-tenured Pacer, how the midseason addition of Pascal Siakam affected the team, and his career goals going forward, among other topics.

Here are a few highlights from the discussion, which is worth checking out in full for Pacers fans:

On surviving multiple years of trade rumors and sticking with the Pacers:

“It’s pretty dope. A lot of people were expecting you to fold with that. When you start hearing those types of rumors year in and out, you start kind of getting insecure. You look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, ‘Am I the problem?’ You’ve been hyped up your entire life, and when you get to this stage, everything’s under a microscope. When you start playing for these multi-million dollar organizations, any little thing that goes wrong, the blame is going to be on you. That’s where it got in my career.

“… I got here with Paul George, where I was spoiled in my first couple of years making the playoffs. Then, he gets traded, and you have the rise of Victor Oladipo. Then, he gets hurt and goes on his way. Domantas Sabonis comes in and has his All-Star run, and then he goes on his way. Now, we’re in a new era of Pacers basketball, and I’ve seen all this stuff, and we’re in a really good spot. It definitely means a lot to be in the same uniform that I was drafted in, but it means more that I still have the trust and support of the front office and this fan base.”

On Siakam’s impact on the Pacers following the January trade with Toronto:

“I think Pascal came here and changed not only our outlook right away but the way we approach the game. He’s someone who has championship experience. He came in right away and was able to be a voice. He was never really shy about speaking up on how he thought about things we should be doing or how we should move. He’s helped us tremendously on the offensive end and being able to have his defensive versatility.

“He’s a free agent this summer. We’re hoping that he signs back in Indiana. He’s someone that we’d love to have who can really help us going forward. I think it was a great move for us to get him. (Pacers president of basketball operations) Kevin Pritchard was very adamant about trying to add more length, and he was able to get it done with a special player. I’ve really enjoyed playing with him in the frontcourt together. He’s someone who’s also going to help my game. He commands so much attention that I’m able to get loose for my threes.”

On Turner’s individual and team goals:

“Individually, you want to get that first All-Star birth. You want to finally get some All-Defensive recognition and be able to be the guy that gets these types of humanitarian awards for the work you do in the community and have stuff like that recognized. As far as a team goal, the goal is to win a championship. There’s no other way to put that. When we started talking about this at the beginning of the year, it was far-fetched to a lot of people to try to make this run to the Finals. Now, it seems more real.”

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Eastern Notes: Magic, D-Lo, Tillman, Pistons, Knicks

May 21st, 2024 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic are interested in Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell, league sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Russell holds a player option for 2024/25 worth $18.7MM, but could become an unrestricted free agent if he decides to turn down that option.

Orlando has previously been cited as a potential suitor for Russell. Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported nearly two months ago that, based on conversations he’d had with people inside and outside of the Lakers organization, the Magic were viewed as the biggest threat to poach Russell from Los Angeles in free agency.

While the Magic made significant strides this season, earning a playoff spot and pushing Cleveland to seven games in the first round, they could still use more scoring punch and shooting in their backcourt. Out of 30 NBA teams, Orlando ranked 28th in assists (24.7) and dead-last in made three-pointers (11.0) per game during the 2023/24 season.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

  • Already missing Kristaps Porzingis (calf strain), the Celtics will be without another frontcourt player when the Eastern Conference finals tip off on Tuesday. Xavier Tillman has been downgraded from questionable to out for personal reasons, the team announced today (via Twitter). With Porzingis and Tillman unavailable, Al Horford and Luke Kornet figure to handle center duties in Game 1.
  • With the help of cap expert John Hollinger, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic outlines three potential paths the Pistons could take this offseason. Edwards’ scenarios include a “swing for the fences” three-team trade for Brandon Ingram and Jerami Grant, an all-in approach to free agency focusing on Malik Monk and Tobias Harris, and a combination of signings and trades.
  • With the Knicks‘ offseason underway, Steve Popper of Newsday and Stefan Bondy of The New York Post each pose some pressing questions that the team will need to answer this summer. Exploring OG Anunoby‘s upcoming free agency, Bondy says that people around the league expect the three-and-D standout to receive between $30-40MM per year on his next contract.
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NBA Announces 2023/24 All-Defensive Teams

May 21st, 2024 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially announced its All-Defensive teams for the 2023/24 season (Twitter link).

A total of 99 media members voted on the All-Defensive awards, with players receiving two points for a First Team vote and one point for a Second Team vote. This year’s All-Defensive teams are as follows:

First Team

Second Team

Gobert, who won this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award, was the only unanimous First Team selection, earning all 99 possible First Team votes.

No other players showed up on every ballot, though Wembanyama appeared on 98, receiving 86 First Team nods. Wembanyama is the first rookie in NBA history to claim a spot on an All-Defensive First Team, according to the NBA (Twitter link). Five rookies previously made a Second Team.

All-Defensive voting was positionless for the first time this season, which is why four big men – Gobert, Wembanyama, Adebayo, and Davis – were permitted to be named to the First Team. Jones, a forward, was the only non-center to earn First Team recognition, whereas the Second Team was made up entirely of guards and forwards.

The Timberwolves and Celtics – who ranked first and second, respectively, in regular season defensive rating – were the only teams to have more than one All-Defensive player in 2023/24. McDaniels was a Second Team selection, joining Gobert, while the Celtics’ backcourt duo of White and Holiday also made the Second Team. Both White ($250K) and Holiday ($139,200) earned bonuses as a result of making an All-Defensive team, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

The rookie scale extension McDaniels signed last fall actually includes an All-Defensive bonus as well, Marks tweets, but since that contract doesn’t go into effect until this July, the Timberwolves’ perimeter stopper won’t cash in on that $431,035. That incentive is now considered “likely” instead of “unlikely” for next season though, as Marks notes, increasing McDaniels’ cap hit to $23,017,242.

Outside of the top 10, the players who received the most All-Defensive votes were Thunder wing Luguentz Dort (34 points, including six First Team votes), Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (29 points), Thunder center Chet Holmgren (21 points), Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (20 points), and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (19 points).

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (six), Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown (three), and Kings teammates Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox (one apiece) were the other players who received First Team votes. In total, 34 players earned at least one First Team or Second Team vote.

Players were required to meet the 65-game criteria in order to qualify for All-Defensive honors this season. Knicks forward OG Anunoby, Warriors big man Draymond Green, and Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley – each of whom made an All-Defensive team last spring – were among the standout defenders who didn’t reach that games-played minimum in 2023/24.

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Rockets Rumors: No. 3 Pick, Mitchell, Tate, Green, Landale, Beasley

May 21st, 2024 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Prior to the draft lottery, a report indicated that the Rockets were interested in trading their 2024 first-rounder for future draft assets. That’s still a possibility, but after moving up from No. 9 to No. 3 on lottery day, Houston has a more valuable asset on its hands and will consider all potential paths with that pick, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

Team and league sources tell Iko that a handful of clubs have already expressed interest in the Rockets’ No. 3 overall selection, either in a trade-up scenario or by trading into the first round altogether. Houston is open to the idea of moving back and acquiring extra assets, Iko notes, though at the draft combine, the club was doing its homework on potential top-five picks. Team officials spoke to prospects like Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle, Reed Sheppard, and Matas Buzelis, according to Iko, who hears from a source that Buzelis’ interview, in particular, was “excellent.”

Including that No. 3 pick in a trade package for an impact player is another avenue the Rockets figure to explore, and league sources tell Iko that Houston is among the teams with interest in Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, having monitored his situation for the last several months. Mitchell wouldn’t be available if he ends up signing an extension to remain in Cleveland, but if he’s on the trade block, the All-NBA guard would be a more “suitable” target for the Rockets than players like Brandon Ingram or Mikal Bridges, opines Iko.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

  • Confirming a report from The Houston Chronicle, Iko says the Rockets have interest in the future Suns draft picks controlled by the Nets. Houston, which controls a handful of Brooklyn’s draft assets, is expected to reengage the Nets in trade talks prior to next month’s draft, team sources tell Iko.
  • According to Iko, “all signs point toward” the Rockets exercising their team options on Jae’Sean Tate ($7.07MM) and Jeff Green ($9.6MM) for 2024/25. That’s somewhat surprising, given that Tate’s role declined significantly last season and Green would be extremely unlikely to match his option salary as a free agent. But those expiring contracts for Tate and Green would perhaps have some value as salary-matching pieces in a trade. For what it’s worth, Houston could pick up Green’s option and then waive him by July 11 to avoid being on the hook for his ’24/25 salary.
  • Iko also suggests that the Rockets may retain Jock Landale, whose $8MM salary for 2024/25 is non-guaranteed until June 29. Landale played better in the second half of his first season in Houston, especially after Alperen Sengun went down, but he’s another player who wouldn’t be a bargain on his current deal and might have more value as a trade chip. He has non-guaranteed $8MM salaries for ’25/26 and ’26/27 too, so his contract could be treated as an expiring deal. If they hang onto Tate, Green, and Landale on their current contracts, the Rockets would still have plenty of breathing room below the projected luxury tax line, with access to the full mid-level exception.
  • Houston’s front office recognizes that outside shooting and floor spacing are areas of need this summer and has some interest in Bucks sharpshooter Malik Beasley, according to Iko, who hears from sources that Beasley is also generating early interest from the Magic and the Warriors.
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Community Shootaround: Timberwolves/Mavericks Series

May 21st, 2024 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves and Mavericks were considered two of the Western Conference’s most disappointing teams at this time last spring. The Wolves, who had mortgaged their future in order to acquire Rudy Gobert during the 2022 offseason, barely finished above .500 (42-40) and were quickly dispatched in the first round of the 2023 playoffs. Dallas didn’t even make the play-in tournament after going into a tailspin following the midseason acquisition of Kyrie Irving and posting an unimpressive 38-44 record

What a difference a year makes.

All the pieces came together in Minnesota during the Wolves’ second year with Gobert, as the team got off to a 17-4 start and held a top-three seed in the West for nearly the entire season, led by rising superstar Anthony Edwards, All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns, and the NBA’s No. 1 defense.

In Dallas, Luka Doncic and Irving thrived after getting an offseason and training camp together, and the Mavericks really hit their stride during the final two months of the season after acquiring P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford in a pair of trade deadline deals.

The two teams, who each had a projected over/under of 44.5 wins entering the fall, comfortably exceeded expectations in the regular season and have dispatched a pair of tough opponents in the playoffs. The Wolves made quick work of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and the Suns in round one before knocking off the defending-champion Nuggets in round two. The Mavs, meanwhile, beat the Clippers in the No. 4 vs. No. 5 series and then got past the No. 1 Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals.

It sets up a fascinating Western Conference finals between two teams whose histories of deep postseason runs are pretty limited. The Mavericks have made the NBA Finals just twice since their inception in 1980, winning one title in 2011. The Timberwolves’ playoff history is even less inspiring — this is just the second time in their 35-year existence they’ve made the Western finals, and they’ve never advanced further than that.

This year’s Timberwolves might be the best team in franchise history though, with Mike Conley organizing an offense led by a pair of talented scorers in Edwards and Towns, while four-time Defensive Player of the Year Gobert anchors a defense that features perimeter stoppers such as Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Throw in Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid and jack-of-all-trades veteran wing Kyle Anderson and the Wolves have one of the NBA’s deepest, most versatile postseason rotations.

Minnesota had the NBA’s third-best net rating (+6.3) during the regular season and has improved that mark to +8.5 (No. 2 in the league) during the playoffs, ranking first in the West in both offensive rating (116.1) and defensive rating (107.6) in the postseason. As the higher seed in the Western finals, the Wolves will also have home court advantage in the series.

Given all those factors, it’s no surprise that Minnesota is viewed as the solid favorite entering the Western finals. BetOnline.ag has the Wolves listed at -182 to advance to the NBA Finals, with Dallas at +162.

The Mavericks are a tough opponent to beat when they’re firing on all cylinders though. In Doncic and Irving, they have two elite shot-makers who can wear down even the best of defenses and who don’t mind having the ball in their hands with the game on the line. Dallas’ two star guards are complemented by versatile forwards Washington and Derrick Jones, who have both been reliable threats from beyond the three-point line during the playoffs, as well as Gafford and Dereck Lively, a pair of rim-running centers who are capable of protecting the paint on defense.

Not having Maxi Kleber (shoulder) will hurt, but the Mavs have decent frontcourt depth without him, and there’s a chance he could be back later in the series. If role players like Josh Green and Tim Hardaway Jr. are playing well, it could help make up for Kleber’s absence.

Josh Robbins, Sam Amick, and Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic spoke to a scout, a coach, and an executive about the Western Conference showdown and all three picked the Timberwolves. But they all expect the series to last six games, and that was a common theme in ESPN’s expert predictions as well — nine of ESPN’s 15 respondents chose the Wolves, but not one of the 15 expects the series to be over in fewer than six games.

We want to know what you think. After knocking off the champs, is Minnesota headed to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history? Or will the Mavs pull off the upset? Will the winner of this series win the 2024 championship?

Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts and predictions for the series!

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Lakers Meet With J.J. Redick, James Borrego, Sam Cassell

May 21st, 2024 at 8:23am CST by Luke Adams

The interview portion of the Lakers‘ head coaching search is underway, according to Jovan Buha and Shams Charania of The Athletic, who report that the team has had formal meetings in recent days with ESPN analyst J.J. Redick, Pelicans assistant James Borrego, and Celtics assistant Sam Cassell.

The Lakers also intend to meet with Micah Nori (Timberwolves assistant), David Adelman (Nuggets assistant), and Chris Quinn (Heat assistant), per Buha and Charania.

Of those three, Nori is the only one whose team’s season isn’t over. He has also taken on a larger role on Minnesota’s bench during the postseason due to a knee procedure that has rendered Wolves head coach Chris Finch immobile during games, so scheduling an interview with him will be a little trickier than lining up meetings with Adelman and Quinn.

The Athletic previously referred to Redick, Borrego, and Cassell as the Lakers’ “initial leading targets” in their head coaching search. Since then, multiple reports have indicated that people around the NBA view Redick as the frontrunner for the job.

League sources tell Buha and Charania that the Lakers are “infatuated” with Redick’s potential as a head coach, despite his lack of experience. They view him as a “Pat Riley-like coaching prospect” who could thrive both in the short and long-term, The Athletic’s duo adds.

Redick co-hosts a podcast with Lakers star LeBron James, resulting in speculation that his relationship with LeBron is driving his candidacy in Los Angeles. However, James’ agent Rich Paul has insisted that’s not the case, as we relayed this morning. Redick also reportedly received consideration for the Hornets’ coaching job earlier this spring and interviewed with the Raptors in 2023.

Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney have also been mentioned as possible Lakers candidates in recent weeks, but neither was mentioned in The Athletic’s latest report.

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Pacific Notes: LeBron, Lakers, Jackson-Davis, Beal

May 21st, 2024 at 8:02am CST by Luke Adams

The idea that LeBron James will be a driving force in choosing the Lakers‘ next head coach is inaccurate, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who said during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run it Back show on Monday that the star forward has had no involvement in the process so far (Twitter video link).

“I’m told LeBron James is not involved in the Lakers’ head coaching search,” Charania said. “… (He) has made it clear this is the organization’s decision. He’s had no conversations with the Laker about J.J. Redick, his podcast partner. He’s had no conversations with J.J. about that position as well.

“I did speak to (James’ agent) Rich Paul this morning. He said, ‘LeBron James and J.J. Redick, they do a podcast together. That does not mean that he wants J.J. Redick as his head coach.’ He’s leaving it up to the organization.”

Previous reports have indicated that the Lakers will more heavily weigh Anthony Davis‘ future and input as they decide on a new head coach, since the expectation is that Davis’ time in Los Angeles will extend beyond that of James, who will turn 40 later this year.

Charania reiterated that point during his Run it Back segment, noting that Davis has “built a rapport” with James Borrego. While Charania cites Davis and Borrego overlapping during their stints with the Pelicans, it’s worth noting that Borrego left New Orleans for Orlando during the 2012 offseason, which is when Davis was drafted, so any overlap was very brief. Borrego returned to the Pelicans in 2023 as an assistant on Willie Green‘s staff.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • In a column for The Los Angeles Times, Bill Plaschke makes it clear he’s not a fan of the idea of the Lakers hiring Redick, writing that it would “not only be one of the oddest Lakers coaching hires in a long list of them…but it might also be the first talk-show driven head coaching hire in NBA history.”
  • Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski, who was named to the All-Rookie first team on Monday, believes his teammate Trayce Jackson-Davis should have joined him in receiving All-Rookie recognition, writes Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. Jackson-Davis narrowly missed earning a spot on the second team, finishing 11th among vote-getters, a single point behind Grizzlies forward GG Jackson. “Just to see from a guard’s perspective (Jackson-Davis’) impact on our games and how he helped us win games this year, I think maybe the voters should take winning into more of an account,” Podziemski said. “It sucks to see him not make it. I think he was well deserving of it.”
  • Could Bradley Beal thrive in a point guard role the same way that Jrue Holiday did under new Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer in Milwaukee? Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic weighs that question, considering just how important it is for Phoenix to add a true point guard this offseason.
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