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Celtics’ Grant Williams Undergoes Left Hand Surgery

June 9th, 2023 at 4:08pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

4:08pm: The Celtics confirmed Williams had surgery to repair a tear of the radial collateral ligament of the third metacarpo-phalangeal joint on his left hand. He is expected to make a full return to basketball activities in six-to-eight weeks, per the team.

3:32pm: Reserve Celtics power forward Grant Williams went under the knife for hand surgery today, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The surgery was considered successful, according to Wojnarowski, who says the team anticipates Williams will be available in time for the start of training camp this fall.

The 24-year-old incurred the injury in March, per Woj, but opted to play through it to finish out the season. Williams found himself in and out of Boston’s playoff rotation en route to an eventual Game 7 Eastern Conference Finals loss against the Heat.

Williams is a restricted free agent this summer, and is coming off a career regular season run. In 25.9 minutes per game, the 6’6″ vet out of Tennessee posted averages of 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists across 79 appearances.

Because he played over 2,000 minutes in 2022/23, Williams has met the league’s “starter criteria” for restricted free agents, and has thus seen his qualifying offer get a $2MM uptick, to $8,486,620. There has been speculation that Boston may look to offload one of its three combo guards, Malcolm Brogdon, Marcus Smart or Derrick White, in an effort to retain Williams  this summer.

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Central Notes: Williams, Gueye, Pacers, Bucks

June 9th, 2023 at 3:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After signing the most lucrative head coaching contract in NBA history, new Pistons head coach Monty Williams has his work cut out for him in reshaping the rebuilding team. Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required) unpacks five big issues regarding the club’s current personnel that Williams must tackle.

Most pressing among these questions is how Williams will use 2021 No. 1 draft pick Cade Cunningham, who missed most of his sophomore NBA season with a shin injury. Sankofa also wonders how Williams will balance Cunningham’s touches with the looks afforded 2023 All-Rookie Second Teamer Jaden Ivey, how the club’s new coach will juggle his frontcourt, and more.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

  • The Pacers continue to search far and wide for intriguing young prospects. Today, the team is hosting Washington State forward Mouhamed Gueye for an individual workout, per Pacers.com. Indiana possesses five draft picks this year, including three first-round selections, beginning at No. 7. The team also announced that it will work out two shooting guards, G League Ignite’s Mojave King and the New Zealand Breakers’ Rayan Rupert, on Saturday.
  • Because the Pacers have so many selections in this year’s draft and team president Kevin Pritchard assumes he will trade some of them, the team is making sure to assess all levels of prospects to prepare itself for a variety of different scenarios, according to The Indianapolis Star. Many of the young players who have auditioned for Indiana thus far have enjoyed the experience. “When you can get guys like this in the gym that are competitive and good guys, iron sharpens iron,” UCLA point guard Tyger Campbell said. “You’re going to leave this place better than you were when you came in.”
  • New Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin continues to build out his staff. A source informs Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link) that Griffin is bringing in Raptors assistant coach Nate Mitchell and Pistons assistant coach DJ Bakker to help fill out his bench. Nehm reveals that Griffin also intends to keep former Mike Budenholzer assistant Josh Oppenheimer. Nehm adds (via Twitter) that another former Budenholzer assistant, Vin Baker, will also return to the fold under Griffin.
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Heat Notes: Butler, Lowry, Herro, Two-Way Players

June 9th, 2023 at 1:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Heat forward Jimmy Butler has been unfailingly honest when explaining how important winning his first title would be to him, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.

“That’s why everybody plays this game — I lied, that’s why a lot of people play this game — is to win a championship,” Butler told Friedell. “That’s all we lock in on; that’s all we’re focused on. Like we put so much energy towards winning and playing for one another that if we do this together, we get to celebrate this together, we’re like, I don’t know the word, itched, niched, we made our mark in history together forever, so we’re in that.”

The well-traveled All-Star seems to have a found a long-term home in Miami, and is hoping to finally cement his legacy with his second Finals appearance in his fourth season with the club.

“I’m happy I get to do it [compete for a title] with these guys,” Butler said. “And I’m still very grateful for day one in the Berto Center [with the Bulls] and the Mayo Clinic [facility with the Timberwolves] and whatever the 76ers’ [facility is called]; I’m grateful for all those opportunities that’s getting me here to know what I got to do to get it done.”

There’s more out of Miami:

  • Heat point guard Kyle Lowry has adjusted well to his new role as a reserve following a return from a knee injury, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “It’s about being a pro,” Lowry said. “It’s about winning, honestly. It’s easy when you have [ground] to get to a starter. I wasn’t always a starter. So, I understand the role, how important that is. And, for me, being a professional and being a guy that only cares about winning, it makes it easy, honestly.” Lowry’s relatively modest statistical output in these playoffs belies the true value of his impact, especially as a defensive pest against Denver’s backcourt.
  • Heat shooting guard Tyler Herro, the team’s third-leading scorer in the regular season, has missed all but one half of the club’s run to the Finals this year due to a fractured right hand. According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, Herro has not been cleared for Game 4 on Friday night, and remains listed as out. “Right now he is not cleared to take that next step,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He has checked every box so far, but he is not at that next step yet to clear for an NBA Finals game. But he is doing everything he needs to do to take these next step.” Miami, currently lagging 2-1 behind Denver in the Finals, is certainly missing his skills as a play-maker and as a shooter both off the dribble and off the catch, writes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports.
  • While two-way Heat players Jamal Cain and Orlando Robinson have been ineligible to suit up for the team during the playoffs, the duo is still getting invaluable experience in sharing the postseason moment with the rest of the team, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “It’s been great to see this championship level team and being able to recognize the standard and what it means to win,” Cain said. “This being my first year, being able to see this and experience this is something that’s going to make me better and I think it’s going to raise my standard for each year because having this feeling of being around this type of environment is unbelievable.” Center Robinson played in 31 games for Miami this season, while Cain, a 6’6″ swingman, appeared in 18 contests for the Heat. Both players logged more significant minutes with the Heat’s NBAGL affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
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Pistons Rumors: Burks, Grant, Johnson, Bogdanovic, Frontcourt, More

June 9th, 2023 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons are expected to pick up their $10.5MM team option on veteran swingman Alec Burks for the 2023/24 season, Michael Scotto said during the latest episode of The HoopsHype podcast. However, Scotto’s guest James L. Edwards of The Athletic believes Detroit will be in the market for at least one more three-and-D wing in free agency, naming Jerami Grant and Cameron Johnson as potential targets.

If the Trail Blazers hang onto Damian Lillard and continue trying to contend immediately, Grant may simply re-sign in Portland. But if the Blazers pivot to a rebuild, the Pistons should be considered a prime suitor for the veteran forward, according to Edwards, who notes that Grant still has a great relationship with general manager Troy Weaver and loves the city of Detroit.

Should the Pistons strike out on top-tier targets like Grant and Johnson, they could pursue lower-level free agents such as Torrey Craig and Yuta Watanabe, per Edwards.

Here’s more on the Pistons:

  • Scotto has heard that the Pistons still consider Bojan Bogdanovic a core piece, and Edwards agrees that the team seems to want to keep him rather than move him. Still, Edwards notes that if the team makes a big addition at forward (such as Grant or Johnson) and gets a good offer for Bogdanovic, a trade isn’t out of the question.
  • Scotto has spoken to rival executives who think the addition of James Wiseman to a frontcourt that also includes Jalen Duren and Marvin Bagley III could land Isaiah Stewart on the trade block. Edwards is skeptical though, suggesting that the Pistons saw an opportunity to roll the dice on Wiseman and still like the big men they’ve drafted. “As someone who’s on the ground floor, I think the situation has been misinterpreted a little bit,” Edwards told Scotto. “I think it’s far more likely that Duren and Stewart are the frontcourt. I think Wiseman was a guy they had a chance to get that they liked coming into his draft and see if they could unlock some potential as a backup big or starting big. Right now, it’s Duren and Stewart’s frontcourt job.” Stewart is more likely to be extended than traded this summer, Edwards adds.
  • Killian Hayes is open to signing a rookie scale extension with Detroit this offseason, according to Scotto. Edwards expects the Pistons to hold off on a new deal though, suggesting the team will wait another year and then evaluate Hayes’ situation in 2024, when he’s eligible for restricted free agency.
  • Before the Pistons made a last-minute push to hire Monty Williams as their head coach, they were preparing to offer the job to Charles Lee. “His second interview really sealed that home for a lot of people, everyone in the front office, until they sat down as a group, I’m told, and explored and made sure this was what they wanted to do,” Edwards said. “The owner brought up bringing one more run at Monty. They make the run, break the bank, and Monty is the coach.”
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And-Ones: Hard Cap, New CBA, All-Star Game, Top FAs

June 9th, 2023 at 11:39am CST by Luke Adams

NBA teams become hard-capped at the tax apron when they either acquire a player via sign-and-trade, use more than the taxpayer portion of the mid-level exception, or use the bi-annual exception. According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), there will be a fourth way that clubs can hard-cap themselves next season — they won’t be able to spend above the first tax apron if they take back more than 110% of the salary they send out in a trade during the 2023/24 league year.

In a full story for Bleacher Report, Pincus takes a more comprehensive look at which teams will be most impacted by the increased spending restrictions that will be implemented starting next season as a result of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

While it’s no surprise that the Warriors and Clippers will be among the clubs most adversely impacted, Pincus also names the Hawks, Pelicans, and Heat that will have to be careful about their team salaries going forward. A Pelicans team source tells Bleacher Report that there’s “a zero percent chance” New Orleans will be able to keep its entire core intact through 2025/26, with young players like Trey Murphy, Herbert Jones, and Jose Alvarado due for raises in the coming years.

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

  • Appearing on NBA Countdown on ESPN prior to Game 3 of the Finals (YouTube link), commissioner Adam Silver didn’t close the door on the possibility of the league pitting a U.S. team against an international team in the All-Star Game down the road. As Silver explained, the NBA has historically shied away from that idea due to the imbalance in the two player pools, but the recent success enjoyed by international stars has put it back on the league’s radar.
  • John Hollinger of The Athletic ranks the top 25 free agents of 2023 using his BORD$ formula, with Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Fred VanVleet leading the way.
  • The NBA is considering using technology to automate out-of-bounds and goaltending calls late in games and will test that technology in this July’s summer leagues, NBA president of basketball operations Byron Spruell confirmed this week (link via Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com). Spruell added that the league hopes to eventually have its referees focusing more on subjective rulings than the objective ones that could become automated.
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Nuggets, Thunder Agree To Draft-Pick Trade

June 9th, 2023 at 10:24am CST by Luke Adams

As the Nuggets prepare for Game 4 of the NBA Finals, their front office has reached an agreement on a trade with the Thunder, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski, Denver will receive three draft picks in the swap: this year’s No. 37 selection, the least favorable of the Thunder’s 2024 first-round picks, and a 2024 second-rounder.

Oklahoma City, meanwhile, will receive Denver’s 2029 first-round pick, with some protections on it.

The Thunder currently control four 2024 first-round selections. In addition to their own first-rounder, they’ll receive Houston’s pick (if it lands outside the top four), the Clippers’ pick (unprotected), and Utah’s pick (if it’s outside of the top 10). As a result of this new agreement, the Nuggets will receive whichever of those picks conveyed in ’24 lands latest in the first round.

As for the ’24 second-rounder, the Thunder have traded away their own pick, but are owed the least favorable of Charlotte’s and Minnesota’s second-rounders. It sounds like that will be the selection rerouted to Denver.

From the Nuggets’ perspective, it looks like the deal is about continuing to give the front office opportunities to add inexpensive young players to a championship-caliber core in the next year or two. The team did well to add Christian Braun and Peyton Watson outside of the top 20 in the 2022 draft and will aim to identify more hidden gems with the Nos. 37 and 40 picks in the 2023 draft. As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), Denver is a tax team, so those second-rounders will give the club some tools to fortify its bench at a low cost.

As for the Thunder, they’ll simply roll some of their draft assets down the road — the goal will be to turn a late 2024 first-rounder into a more favorable pick in the 2029 draft, using a couple second-rounders as sweeteners.

The two Northwest rivals made a similar trade last June, when the Nuggets acquired the No. 30 pick in 2022 (used on Watson) and a pair of second-rounders in exchange for their lightly protected 2027 first-rounder.

The Nuggets owe their 2025 first-round pick (top-five protected) to Orlando and their 2027 first-rounder (top-protected) to Oklahoma City. If either of those picks lands in its protected range and isn’t conveyed immediately, the Thunder wouldn’t be able to receive Denver’s 2029 pick due to the Stepien rule, which prevents a team from leaving itself without a first-rounder in consecutive future drafts.

We’ll have to wait to see exactly when this trade is completed and what the details on the protections are to know what would happen if the 2025 or 2027 pick ends up in the top five, preventing the 2029 pick from conveying. If the two teams wait until after the June 22 draft to officially complete the deal, they could include terms allowing the pick to roll over to 2030 if it’s not conveyed in 2029. For now, that’s not permitted, since draft picks can’t be traded more than seven years out.

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Suns Rumors: Harden, Paul, Ayton, Vogel

June 9th, 2023 at 9:03am CST by Luke Adams

With Chris Paul‘s future in Phoenix up in the air, the Suns may be in the market for a point guard this summer. According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, there have whispers around the NBA in recent weeks about the possibility of the team making a run at one of the top free agents on this year’s market.

“I want you to keep your eye on James Harden,” Shelburne said during an ESPN LA Radio appearance (hat tip to HoopsHype). “I don’t want to report anything, but that was in the wind for the past month or so. Everybody thinks it’s Philly or Houston (for Harden), but I don’t know, there have been discussions in the wind.”

While the latest reporting from Shams Charania of The Athletic indicates that Harden’s decision may come down to the Sixers or Rockets, Shelburne isn’t the only reporter linking the former MVP to Phoenix. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer agrees that the Suns will be “trying to do something big” this offseason, suggesting during an appearance on FanDuel TV (Twitter video link) that Harden and Kyrie Irving may both be on the club’s radar.

As for Paul, O’Connor hears from sources that the Clippers, Lakers, and Spurs would be the teams to monitor as potential destinations for the veteran point guard if he’s waived. Although the Sixers aren’t one of the teams mentioned by O’Connor’s sources, he views Philadelphia as a possible fit for Paul too, and wonders if there’s a scenario where the Suns and 76ers essentially swap point guards.

Of course, it’s worth reiterating that Paul hasn’t been waived yet, and even if he is, he could still return to Phoenix as long as the Suns don’t stretch his remaining guaranteed money across multiple seasons. NBA analyst Isiah Thomas, who is close with Suns owner Mat Ishbia, said this week during a TV appearance not to “close the door” on the possibility of CP3 remaining in Phoenix.

Here’s more out of Phoenix:

  • In a podcast with ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst (YouTube link), Zach Lowe said he believes the Suns’ hiring of Frank Vogel as head coach increases the odds of Deandre Ayton remaining with the team by “a non-trivial amount.” Lowe adds that he has heard Ishbia is a fan of Ayton. “I think part of the reason why Frank Vogel got the job was because when he came in he had an idea of what to do with Deandre Ayton,” Windhorst said. “It does not mean it’s going to work. They obviously, as an organization, have a complicated relationship there, they did not want to pay him the max. But for the last year, he was in an adversarial relationship with his coach.”
  • For his part, Vogel told reporters this week that he’s looking forward to working with the former No. 1 overall pick, as Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports relays (via Twitter). “There’s still areas that he can grow offensively, but I’m intent on really connecting with him and restoring him to an All-Star level player,” Vogel said of Ayton.
  • Speaking to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, Suns general manager James Jones outlined his vision for what he wants the 2023/24 Suns to look like. “A team that shoots it, off-ball movement,” Jones said. “A team that can rebound well and put pressure on the rim. I know that seems very generic, but those are the areas of the game that if you’re effective in those areas, you give yourself a chance really good chance at winning with just good players. If you can do that with great players like we have… you increase your odds and that’s all you want to do. You want to tilt the odds in your favor.”
  • Vogel has the support of Suns stars Devin Booker and Kevin Durant and has spoken to both of them since being hired by the team, Rankin writes for The Arizona Republic. Vogel said he’s looking forward to seeing what Booker and Durant will bring defensively in addition to their elite play on offense. “I really love how Kevin and Devin compete on the defensive end,” he said. “KD even hit me when we were talking, he said, ‘I can’t wait to guard in your system.’ He wants to get after it on both sides of the ball and feels like that’s something that really gets him going on the other end and I love that.”
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2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Golden State Warriors

June 9th, 2023 at 7:55am CST by Rory Maher

The Warriors entered the 2022/23 season as the defending champions, having won their fourth title in eight years last June. However, things quickly went off the rails before the season even started, with Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole during training camp. It was a long, bumpy ride the rest of the way.

A poor start which saw the the Warriors drop seven of their first 10 games – including five straight – certainly didn’t help, and every time they reeled off a winning streak, a losing streak quickly followed. The Warriors were within four games of .500 the entire campaign until the very end of the season, when they won their final two games to finish 44-38 and enter the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in the West.

A tight seven-game series with the upstart Kings showed the resiliency of both squads, with Stephen Curry carrying Golden State to a first-round victory with a 50-point performance in Game 7. Untimely shooting slumps and shaky defense played a significant role in the Warriors’ semifinal loss to the Lakers — they dropped the series in six games.

With an incredibly accomplished but aging core, the Warriors face perhaps the most critical offseason in team history and certainly the most important during the Curry-Green-Klay Thompson era. Shoring up the team’s depth and defense, which dropped from second to 14th over the past two seasons, should be a priority.

The Warriors’ Offseason Plan

It’s not hyperbole to say that no other team in the league will be more affected by the punitive aspects of the new CBA than the Warriors, who have been one of the league’s biggest spenders for years. As a repeat taxpayer, they could be facing a $500MM+ payroll (salaries and tax combined) in ’23/24 if their current roster remains intact.

Bob Myers stepping down as president of basketball operations was a really big deal. The decision could very well have a downstream effect on the other key figures within the organization. He had great relationships Curry, Thompson, Green and head coach Steve Kerr, and was known as one of the best communicators in the sport.

Green has a $27.6MM player option, which he could decline to enter free agency. Thompson is extension-eligible and entering the final year of his contract. Kerr is entering the final year of his deal as well, with a recent report indicating that he could be looking for a big pay raise after Detroit’s Monty Williams became the highest-paid coach in the league.

Although various reports indicated that Mike Dunleavy Jr. might be Myers’ eventual successor, owner Joe Lacob stated he’s not ready to name a replacement. That leaves the front office in a tenuous position at an extremely important time.

In addition to Green, guard Donte DiVincenzo, who was signed for part of the taxpayer mid-level exception last summer, has a $4.7MM player option of his own. Golden State currently controls the No. 19 pick in the upcoming draft.

If Green and DiVincenzo exercise their options (which is far from a lock — I think DiVincenzo in particular is likely to decline it in search of a raise) and the Warriors keep the pick, they’d be looking at a $213MM+ payroll with 13 players on guaranteed contracts. The luxury tax line is projected to be $162MM, and the highly-restrictive second tax apron kicks in at $179.5MM.

If they stay above the second apron, our current understanding is the Warriors would lose access to the taxpayer MLE, and there are several more roster-building restrictions beyond just that. Most of those changes won’t be implemented immediately, but they’ll likely all be in effect by the 2024/25 season.

It’s essentially a pseudo-hard cap, which will make life difficult for the Warriors’ front office. That said, even though the payroll is likely to be massive no matter what happens with Green, the team does have some desirable assets.

For example, Kevon Looney is on an extremely team-friendly contract. But he’s also been with the Warriors his entire career, seems to get along well with both the old guard and the young players, and having value contracts is absolutely essential when you have two of the highest-paid players in the league (Curry will have the league’s largest cap hit in ’23/24; Thompson will be 12th).

Andrew Wiggins is on a relatively team-friendly deal as well, and he would have a long list of suitors if the Warriors made him available. But as with Looney, it would be hard to replace what Wiggins provides, as he was arguably the team’s second-best player during the playoff run in 2022.

Curry definitely isn’t going anywhere, and I’d be surprised if the Warriors entertain trading Thompson. If I were running the team though, I would seriously consider it. His overall numbers in ’22/23 look pretty similar to his career averages, but the major leg injuries he suffered (a torn ACL and a torn Achilles) that caused him to miss two seasons have sapped some of his athleticism, and he isn’t nearly the defender he once was. Still, I don’t think that’s going to happen.

I doubt Gary Payton II will be on the move so soon after the Warriors traded former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman to reacquire him in February. That leaves the team’s young players.

Poole’s up-and-down season in many ways was reflective of the Warriors’ results as a whole. His relationship with Green — which was reportedly quite good before the punch — definitely seemed strained throughout ’22/23, and it’s hard to envision that changing. I’m not sure how rival teams would view his contract extension. On one hand, he still showed flashes of promise, and he helped keep the offense afloat when Curry missed extended time with injuries. On the other, Poole’s careless turnovers and porous defense can be quite frustrating.

I’m fairly certain that former lottery picks Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody would have positive trade value, despite their own inconsistent seasons. They’re only 20 and 21 years old, entering their third seasons, and make less than $10MM combined in ’23/24. Moody feels a little more likely to stick around after a solid playoff run that saw Kuminga glued to the bench.

Packaging some combination of Poole, Kuminga and the No. 19 overall pick could be an option. But cost-controlled assets like Kuminga and the first-rounder are also really important. If they keep the pick, I wonder if the Warriors will draft a more experienced prospect after going for younger, less NBA-ready players in recent years.

None of the team’s impending free agents — including JaMychal Green and Anthony Lamb — are locks to return. Longtime veteran Andre Iguodala has already said he intends to retire.

Despite a disappointing season, I still think Golden State’s championship window is open as long as Curry keeps playing at his current level and Green is spearheading the defense. Curry is 35 now and has missed a lot of games over the past handful of seasons, which is troublesome. But he’s still capable of being the best player on the court in any game in which he appears, and the Warriors have shown tremendous resiliency over the past decade. It will be fascinating to see how their offseason unfolds.

Salary Cap Situation

Guaranteed Salary

Dead/Retained Salary

  • None

Player Options

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

  • None

Restricted Free Agents

Note: The cap hold for Mannion remains on the Warriors’ books from a prior season because it hasn’t been renounced. The team can make him a restricted free agent again by extending another qualifying offer.

Two-Way Free Agents

Draft Picks

  • No. 19 overall ($3,302,640)
  • Total: $3,302,640

Extension-Eligible Players

Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2023/24 season begins.

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Note: The cap holds for the players listed in italics remain on the Warriors’ books from prior seasons because they haven’t been renounced. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.

Cap Exceptions Available

  • Trade exception: $1,303,360

Note: The Warriors could gain access to the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,000,000) if they keep their team salary below the second tax apron.

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Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Murray, MPJ, Braun, Green

June 8th, 2023 at 10:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Thanks to their stellar playoff performances to this point, Nuggets stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are laying claim to being the league’s most fearsome twosome, opines Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports.

During last night’s Game 3 Denver victory, Jokic and Murray made NBA history when they became the only teammates to ever record 30-point triple-doubles in the same game.

“I’d say it’s a trust and a feel, that’s the best way for me to put it,” Murray said of his collaboration with the two-time MVP. “It’s not really X’s and O’s. It’s just reading the game and trusting that the other is going to make the right play.”

Jokic is averaging a triple-double of 30.5 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 10.1 assists through his 18 playoff games this year. For his part, Murray has recorded 27.4 PPG, 6.8 APG and 5.7 RPG.

There’s more out of Denver:

  • Nuggets rookie swingman Christian Braun enjoyed a breakout performance in Game 3, racking up 15 points and four boards while also holding his own on defense, often against All-NBA Heat wing Jimmy Butler. The 6’7″ shooting guard made an outsized impact off the bench in a critical victory, writes Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. “I mean, the guys just trusted me all year,” Braun said. “So when I get in the game, I try to defend, do the little things … obviously, [the stars] make it easier on me, my job’s not very hard.” Prior to Game 3, Braun’s playoff high was nine points against the Timberwolves.
  • Nuggets starting small forward Michael Porter Jr. has the support of head coach Michael Malone despite having a rough two-way run in the Finals thus far, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “Michael Porter isn’t making shots right now, and we know he is a great shooter,” Malone said. “But we believe in Michael. He is our starting small forward. I have zero doubt he is going to have a very big game coming up here that is going to help us win this championship.” Through these first three contests, Porter is averaging just 7.0 PPG on .258/.158/1.000 shooting splits across 30.3 MPG. He had his worst outing of the series on Wednesday, scoring just two points on 1-of-7 shooting from the floor.
  • Nuggets reserve forward Jeff Green is making the most of his second Finals appearance, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape. Green also suited up for the 2018 Finals as a role player with the Cavaliers, though that team was swept by the Warriors. Now, the heavily favored Nuggets lead the Heat 2-1. “I know who’s across that hall,” Green said. “So, I’m just living in the moment, relishing this moment. Because as you know, 16 years for me, second time here, they don’t come often. So we’re just appreciating everything.”
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Chris Livingston Opts Out Of All Upcoming Pre-Draft Workouts

June 8th, 2023 at 8:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Kentucky forward Chris Livingston has opted out of all his upcoming pre-draft workouts, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Livingston had seven impending workouts still scheduled, according to Charania, who says the decision has fueled speculation that a team may have made him a draft promise.

Livingston is currently projected to be the No. 56 selection in ESPN’s latest mock draft. Given his standing on big boards, he may have received an offer for a guaranteed two-way deal on a team that particularly interests him, John Hollinger of The Athletic tweets, noting that Livingston would not need to be drafted in this hypothetical.

Assuming, however, that a team has promised to use a draft selection and standard roster spot on Livingston, Hollinger considers clubs with multiple second-round selections and available slots to be the prime candidates (Twitter link). The Hornets, Thunder and Wizards could be candidates, Hollinger adds.

The 6’6″ forward was named to the SEC All-Freshman team during his lone NCAA season with the Wildcats. Across 34 contests in 2022/23, he averaged 6.3 PPG and 4.2 RPG.

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