Donovan Mitchell

Cavaliers Notes: Mitchell Trade, Mobley, Roster

September 2nd, 2022 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers began talking to the Jazz about a possible Donovan Mitchell trade around the time of the Las Vegas Summer League, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber-only link). Fedor classifies those initial discussions as “unproductive,” noting that the Cavs felt Utah’s asking price was too high. However, he says the two teams reengaged about two weeks ago, then reached another impasse last week before general manager Koby Altman reconnected with Jazz GM Justin Zanik on Tuesday morning.

Multiple members of the Cavaliers’ front office believed that New York or another team rich on draft assets was capable of making stronger offer than Cleveland could, says Fedor. But those offers didn’t come, and the Jazz opted to accept the Cavs’ proposal.

While there are minor concerns about Mitchell’s “score-first mentality” and the size of Cleveland’s new-look backcourt, the three-time All-Star represents a major upgrade in talent for the Cavaliers, Fedor writes, adding that Mitchell – who will be 26 next Wednesday – also perfectly fits the club’s timeline. The Cavs ultimately decided to risk taking a big swing, feeling as if the opportunity was too good to pass up.

Here’s more out of Cleveland:

The Cavaliers weren’t one of the teams reported to be on Mitchell’s list of preferred landing spots, but ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective podcast that the longtime Jazz star was “very excited” when he found out he was headed to Cleveland and that the Cavs weren’t giving up any of their stars in the deal.
Also in that same Hoop Collective podcast, Windhorst noted that the acquisition of Mitchell will likely make Evan Mobley ineligible for a five-year maximum-salary extension during the 2024 offseason. Teams are only allowed to have two of those “designated rookie” extensions on their books at once, and Mitchell and Darius Garland (both of whom signed designated rookie extensions) will still be under contract when Mobley becomes extension-eligible. Mobley would still be eligible to sign a four-year maximum-salary extension in 2024, or he could wait until restricted free agency in 2025 and sign a five-year max deal at that time.
One “prominent” Eastern Conference coach told Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports that he believes the addition of Mitchell will help the Cavs unlock Mobley’s offensive upside. “You’re not throwing the ball down to him much anyways,” the coach said. “But a two-man game with either guard in the middle or side (pick-and-roll) will be tough.”
Even with Mobley, Garland, and Jarrett Allen still improving, some members of the Cavs organization were worried that the roster wasn’t strong enough to evolve into a legitimate contender in a tough Eastern Conference, which helped pave the way for the acquisition of Mitchell, writes Jason Lloyd of The Athletic.
Cleveland’s trade for Mitchell is a statement deal, according to Kelsey Russo of The Athletic, who says it shows the Cavs are no longer content with being plucky young upstarts.
A panel of ESPN insiders breaks down the Mitchell trade, debating where the Mitchell/Garland backcourt duo ranks in the East and evaluating Cleveland’s ceiling following the deal.

Details On Knicks’ Trade Offers For Donovan Mitchell

September 2nd, 2022 at 7:10am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of the agreement between the Jazz and Cavaliers on a trade that will send Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland, details are trickling in on what the Knicks – long rumored to be Mitchell’s top suitor – offered for the three-time All-Star.

Not every outlet is entirely in alignment on what the Knicks put on the table for Mitchell, but the various reports paint a pretty clear picture of what it would’ve taken for the Jazz to send the 25-year-old to New York. Here’s what a few key national and local reporters are saying:

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:

According to Wojnarowski, before extending RJ Barrett, the Knicks balked at including Quentin Grimes in a package that already featured Barrett, two unprotected first-round picks, the Bucks’ 2025 first-rounder (top-four protected), two second-round picks, two pick swaps, and a pair of expiring contracts from a third team.

When the Knicks wanted to replace Grimes in that package with Immanuel Quickley, the Jazz insisted on a third unprotected first-round pick, which the Knicks weren’t willing to give up, according to Wojnarowski, who says New York would’ve sent Evan Fournier and a first-round pick to a third team in order to spare Utah from having to take on Fournier’s multiyear contract.

Perhaps the most intriguing part of Wojnarowski’s report is his claim that the Knicks made an offer in early July that would’ve included Barrett, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson (via sign-and-trade), and three unprotected first-round picks. When the Jazz turned down that proposal, Robinson re-signed with New York, which took him out of the mix for any further negotiations between the two teams.

Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports:

Goodwill’s intel is similar to Wojnarowski’s — he hears from sources that the Jazz and Knicks got close to a deal that would’ve included Barrett, Grimes, expiring contracts, two first-round picks, the Bucks’ 2025 pick, a pair of pick swaps, and two second-rounders. However, New York felt that price was too steep and decided to extend Barrett instead.

Marc Berman of The New York Post:

One of the Knicks’ last offers to Utah included two unprotected first-rounders and three conditional picks along with Barrett, according to Berman, who says it’s unclear whether the team was offering three unprotected first-rounders in permutations of the deal that didn’t include Barrett.

Berman suggests (via Twitter) that the Knicks withheld Grimes from all of their offers. That’s a little hard to believe, given how many different versions of deals the two sides discussed, but it sounds like New York wasn’t interested in adding the second-year guard as a sweetener to offers that already included Barrett and significant draft capital.

“(The Knicks) thought they had (Jazz CEO Danny) Ainge and Utah over the barrel,” one league source said to Berman. “They held back on best offers of picks and players and Danny got his three unprotected.”

Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News:

Bondy confirms that the Knicks weren’t willing to give up three unprotected first-round picks along with Barrett.

However, he says the team was open to moving any of its top prospects, including Grimes — again, presumably if they were going to include Grimes in certain iterations of their offer, the Knicks would’ve wanted to remove another asset or two.

Ian Begley of SNY.tv:

According to Begley, the Knicks did make offers for Mitchell that included three unprotected first-round picks, but Barrett wasn’t part of those packages.

Begley also reports that the Knicks offered different combinations of players in their proposals that featured two unprotected first-rounders and the Bucks’ lightly protected 2025 pick — some of those offers included Barrett and some didn’t (while Begley doesn’t confirm this, it sounds as if Grimes was probably put into some offers that didn’t include Barrett).

At one point, Begley writes, the Jazz asked for a package that included Barrett, Evan Fournier, three unprotected first-rounders, additional draft picks, and at least one other young Knick player. New York opted not to meet that price.

It’s worth noting that the Knicks themselves are likely to be one of the primary sources leaking these after-the-fact details. The Jazz wouldn’t have much incentive to leak packages that they could’ve had instead of Cleveland’s, whereas the Knicks may be hoping to convey the impression they made a strong play for Mitchell and made fair proposals.

With that in mind, it’s worth taking these reports with a grain of salt — it’s possible a key detail or two is being omitted. Still, there’s a pretty consistent message that the Knicks were, at the very least, willing to trade Barrett, two unprotected first-round picks, and some additional draft compensation for Mitchell.

It will be fascinating to follow the trajectories of Barrett and new Jazz players like Collin Sexton and Ochai Agbaji in the coming years to assess whether Utah made the right call by passing on the Knicks’ offers and pulling the trigger on the Cavs’ deal.

Jazz Notes: Sexton, Mitchell Trade Grades, Rebuild, Veterans

September 1st, 2022 at 8:47pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After landing combo guard Collin Sexton in a sign-and-trade deal with the Cavaliers as part of the package for All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, the Jazz intend to keep Sexton in Utah, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said in an emergency edition of his podcast The Hoop Collective.

Sexton had been a restricted free agent this offseason, and negotiations between the 6’1″ guard out of Alabama and Cavaliers brass reportedly remained far apart in recent weeks. The team had offered him a deal in the range of a three-year, $40MM contract, which he had turned down. He’ll be inking a four-year, $72MM contract in the sign-and-trade that is sending him to the Jazz.

Sexton, still just 23, was unavailable for all but 11 games last season for Cleveland after tearing his meniscus. When healthy, he averaged 16.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.1 APG and 0.9 SPG, on .450/.244/.744 shooting splits. Through his four NBA seasons, he boasts career averages of 20.0 PPG, 3.3 APG, 3 RPG, and 0.8 SPG, with a .458/.378/.827 shooting line.

There’s more out of Utah:

Zach Harper of The Athletic doles out trade grades to both the Cavaliers and the Jazz following the team’s exchange earlier today. Harper is higher on the addition of Mitchell for Cleveland than he is on the return acquired by Utah, noting that he sees the Cavaliers as a potential Eastern Conference contender.
The Jazz now appear to be going all-in on a full-bore rebuild, writes Sarah Todd of the Deseret News. Todd takes stock of the team’s new assets thanks to its four offseason trades to date. The Jazz now have bolstered their roster with six players aged 25 or younger, plus two young players from the first round of this year’s draft, eight future first-round draft selections, and three upcoming draft pick swaps. Todd notes that this rebuild could be an extended process.
Following these summer deals that have sent away All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Mitchell, the Jazz futures of veterans Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Rudy Gay appear to be up in the air. On today’s edition of his podcast The Lowe Post, ESPN’s Zach Lowe talks to colleague Bobby Marks about the potential trade destinations for these various players.

Knicks Notes: Barrett, Rival Opinions, Mitchell, Next Steps

September 1st, 2022 at 7:29pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Knicks officially signed fourth-year small forward RJ Barrett today to a lucrative four-year rookie contract extension that can be worth up to $120MM. Taking a closer look at the deal in the latest edition of their podcast The Mismatch (YouTube video link), Kevin O’Connor and Chris Vernon of The Ringer argue the extension is a smart play for New York. The duo thinks that Barrett, at worst, will be a solid role player, and at best could reach All-Star greatness.

Vernon and O’Connor also both think Barrett will thrive best as a large shooting guard, the same position that undersized All-Star Donovan Mitchell, who was just dealt from the Jazz to the Cavaliers instead of the Knicks, plays.

Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post opines that Barrett’s extension serves as proof positive that team president Leon Rose and the rest of New York’s front office see Barrett as a core building block for the future. Vaccaro notes that Barrett has improved as a shooter each season, and says he’s worth the investment.

There’s more out of Madison Square Garden:

Rival coaches and executives are weighing in on the team’s decision to extend Barrett, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. “The Knicks normally overpay for decent players,’’ a coach told Berman. “Is RJ ever going to be more than a low efficiency, high usage scorer? Maybe. But maybe not. That’s the point. But they think he’s got a lot of room to get better.’’ An NBA scout offered the following assessment: “RJ is a really good player, but only if he’s surrounded by a really good team. (The Knicks) are a mediocre team, and they have a lot of money tied up in three players (Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle being the other two) who are third/fourth options. That would be the concern. It’s where do they go from here with this much money tied into three players. Are these contracts going to be (tradable) if need be, or you’re stuck with them?’’
The Knicks had the assets needed to trade for three-time Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell, who ultimately was sent to the Cavaliers today in a blockbuster deal. Ian Begley of SNY.tv breaks down New York’s thinking in not going all-in for Mitchell. In addition to being reticent to include three unprotected first-round picks as has been previously reported, Begley writes that the team was hesitant to trade Barrett or Quentin Grimes, both of whom Utah had been interested in adding.
Deciding to not make a deal for Mitchell may work out for the Knicks, according to Steve Popper of Newsday. Popper writes that a starting backcourt of two 6’1″ guards in Brunson and Mitchell could have put New York at a defensive disadvantage in a league full of bigger, longer guards. Popper wonders if the Knicks will now move on to considering 6’6″ Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, currently trapped on a franchise in the midst of a long-term rebuild.

Knicks/Jazz Rumors: Barrett, Grimes, Toppin, Mitchell

August 30th, 2022 at 6:37pm CST by Rory Maher

The Jazz are high on Knicks wing RJ Barrett and were “pushing” for him to be included in a potential trade for Donovan Mitchell, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Prior to agreeing to an extension, sources tell Jones that Barrett’s camp was “bracing” for the 22-year-old to be dealt away.

The extension will make including Barrett in a deal extremely difficult due to the “poison pill provision,” though the possibility reportedly remains. As Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype explains, the Jazz don’t have the necessary cap space or a trade exception big enough to absorb Barrett’s incoming salary, so for him to be included, a third team would likely have to be involved for salary-matching purposes.

As Steve Popper of Newsday writes, not everyone in the Knicks organization viewed Barrett as being worth $107MM over four years ($120MM with incentives), and others thought including him in a proposal for Mitchell might make the Jazz less likely to ask for additional draft compensation, which obviously wasn’t the case.

In addition to Barrett, Utah also values second-year guard Quentin Grimes and third-year forward Obi Toppin, according to Jones, who notes that both young players will likely have to part of the trade package if Barrett is not. However, New York has been “very hesitant” to part with Grimes to this point, sources tell Jones.

Like Marc Berman of The New York Post, both Popper and Jones hears the Knicks are still optimistic about landing Mitchell, but as with Grimes, Jones says they have been reluctant to include a “significant number” of unprotected first-round picks because they want to keep their options open for the future.

Jones still views the Knicks and Jazz as the most logical trade partners for Mitchell, but writes that both teams have questions that need answered first. Popper views Mitchell as a questionable fit with Jalen Brunson, and thinks the Knicks shouldn’t trade away all of their own unprotected first-rounders to land him.

According to Adam Zagoria of NJ.com, Mitchell removed the Jazz from his Twitter bio on Tuesday, fueling speculation about the trade talks.

RJ Barrett Hasn’t Been “Ruled Out” Of Donovan Mitchell Trade

August 30th, 2022 at 4:41pm CST by Rory Maher

Despite an agreement on a lucrative extension and significant complications from the “poison pill provision,” sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link via The Rally) that Knicks wing RJ Barrett could still be offered in a trade for Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell.

“It’s not expected that he is going to be ruled out of any potential trade, and I’m told through various sources that RJ Barrett could very well end up being in a potential deal and being in offers depending on the framework of a deal,” Charania said.

According to Charania, New York’s latest offer for Mitchell included Barrett and two unprotected first-round picks, but the Jazz wanted more in return for the three-time All-Star, so the Knicks wound up giving Barrett an extension.

As we outline in our glossary entry, a player who signs a rookie scale extension but remains on his rookie contract has different outgoing and incoming salary-matching figures, which is referred to as a “poison pill” — in Barrett’s case, the gap between his outgoing and incoming figures will reportedly exceed $15MM. That would make it extremely challenging for both the Knicks and Jazz to send out and take back a legal amount of salary if Barrett is part of a package for Mitchell.

As Charania notes, the Knicks still have other assets to include in a deal that doesn’t involve Barrett, with the Jazz reportedly prioritizing landing as many unprotected first-rounders as possible. New York remains “hopeful” that it can still land Mitchell without including Barrett, and wouldn’t have extended him if the team thought it would nix a potential deal, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post.

According to Berman, the Lakers are “open to discussions” about a potential three-team trade, and still have interest in Knicks wing Cam Reddish, who received scant playing time after being acquired from Atlanta in January. Charania previously reported that the Lakers are also interested in Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic.

Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News reports (Twitter links) that Barrett’s extension is a straight four-year deal with no options and includes $107MM in guaranteed money. Barrett could earn as much as $120MM from incentives, but he’ll still be making an average of $26.75MM per season from 2023-27.

Donovan Mitchell Trade To Knicks Remains Possible

August 30th, 2022 at 9:11am CST by Arthur Hill

RJ Barrett‘s extension with the Knicks complicates a potential trade for Donovan Mitchell, but it doesn’t close the door entirely, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Sources tell Berman that the Jazz are most interested in stockpiling unprotected first-round picks in return for Mitchell. Berman has reported that Utah wants four unprotected picks in the trade, while New York is only willing to part with two, along with three conditional selections.

A league source indicates that the market for Mitchell remains limited, telling Berman, “There’s no place for Donovan to go right now. The Knicks can still get him.”

Berman also hears that the Jazz would like to expand the trade to include the Lakers and hopefully pick up L.A.’s 2027 and 2029 first-rounders. Berman notes that the Lakers likely have interest in Cam Reddish, whom they pursued at the trade deadline and who saw limited playing time after coming to New York. Reddish is a client of Rich Paul at Klutch Sports, Berman points out, which means LeBron James and Anthony Davis would probably support bringing him to L.A.

There’s more on a potential Mitchell trade to New York:

If Barrett’s new contract takes him out of the equation, Utah could become more focused on landing Quentin Grimes, Berman adds in the same piece. The 22-year-old shooting guard established himself as a fixture in coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation last season, but Berman notes that there would be little chance for him to become a starter in New York with Mitchell and Jalen Brunson on hand.
The Jazz were aware that the Knicks set a Monday night deadline for a Barrett extension, but they didn’t let it impact negotiations, according to Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. She has heard conflicting reports about whether Utah wants Barrett or would be content with a deal that doesn’t include him. Sources tell Todd that both teams are playing hardball right now in trade talks, but there’s still a chance to complete a deal before training camp.
The “poison pill provision” means a third team would have to be included to get Barrett to Utah, ESPN’s Bobby Marks says in a video breakdown of Barrett’s extension. He says a team with cap room, such as the Pacers or Spurs, would have to be willing to take Evan Fournier‘s contract, which is worth nearly $56MM over the next three years.

Knicks Agree To Extend RJ Barrett, Complicating Donovan Mitchell Talks

August 30th, 2022 at 4:51am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks and forward RJ Barrett are finalizing a four-year rookie scale contract extension that could be worth up to $120MM, agent Bill Duffy tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The exact base value of Barrett’s new deal isn’t yet known, but Ian Begley of SNY.tv reports (via Twitter) that there are bonuses tied to All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defensive selections. In other words, it sounds like the former No. 3 overall pick would have to play at a very high level to earn the full $120MM.

A former star at Duke, Barrett has steadily increased his scoring average in his three NBA seasons with the Knicks, registering a career-high 20.0 PPG in 70 games (34.5 MPG) in 2021/22. He also contributed 5.8 RPG and 3.0 APG while shooting .408/.342/.714 last season. Those shooting marks were a step down from his career bests in ’20/21 (.441/.401/.746).

According to Wojnarowski, the Barrett extension will complicate the Knicks’ discussions with the Jazz about a potential Donovan Mitchell trade. Sources tell ESPN that those talks intensified over the weekend as the two teams made some progress, but there was still a gap between what each side was willing to do.

Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose set a Monday night deadline to either agree to a deal for Mitchell or commit to an extension for Barrett, per Wojnarowski, who notes that the “poison pill provision” will now almost certainly ensure that the former Blue Devil won’t be part of a package for Mitchell.

As we outline in our glossary entry, a player who signs a rookie scale extension but remains on his rookie contract has different outgoing and incoming salary-matching figures, which is referred to as a “poison pill” — in Barrett’s case, the gap between his outgoing and incoming figures will exceed $15MM, according to Wojnarowski. That would make it extremely challenging for both the Knicks and Jazz to send out and take back a legal amount of salary if Barrett is part of a package for Mitchell.

As Wojnarowski explains, Barrett was a “staple” in several of the proposals for Mitchell that the Jazz and Knicks discussed, with Utah highly valuing the 22-year-old. While New York had apparently been willing to include Barrett, the two teams were still at an impasse over the possible inclusion of Quentin Grimes and the number of unprotected first-round picks in the package, per ESPN.

It remains possible that the Knicks and Jazz will agree to a deal that doesn’t include Barrett, but that would require the Knicks to give up “far more” draft assets than they’ve been willing to surrender thus far, sources tell Wojnarowski.

For now, the two teams are backing off those trade talks, but the Jazz aren’t engaged in serious discussions with any other suitors about Mitchell, so neither they nor the Knicks have ruled out the possibility of resuming their talks before training camps begin in four weeks.

As Wojnarowski notes, Barrett’s extension will end an ignominious streak for the Knicks, as he’ll become the team’s first first-round pick since Charlie Ward in 1999 to sign a multiyear contract extension following his rookie deal.

Barrett will also become the fifth player to finalize a rookie scale extension this offseason. While his deal won’t be worth as much as the maximum-salary extensions signed by Ja Morant, Zion Williamson, and Darius Garland, it will exceed Keldon Johnson‘s four-year, $74MM contract.

Assuming Barrett’s new extension doesn’t include any options, it will keep him under team control through the 2026/27 season.

Eastern Notes: Beal, Morris, Nets, Mitchell, Claxton

August 28th, 2022 at 6:20pm CST by JD Shaw

For Bradley Beal, winning a championship with the Wizards would be more rewarding due to the adversity he has faced in recent years, he told Laura Schreffler of Forbes.com. Beal has opted to stay loyal to Washington, signing a five-year, $251MM deal with the team this summer.

“People always look at me like I’m crazy, but I have a huge desire to want to make it work here and win here,” Beal said. “This is the team that drafted me. They’re super loyal, I have a great relationship with ownership, and a great relationship with our front office.

“Plus, there’s not a lot of chances in the careers of NBA players to be notated as the franchise guy, you know? To be able to have that opportunity, to be able to be in a position to where I can write my own story, that’s everything.”

Beal has spent his entire 10-year career to date with the Wizards. Despite feeling pressure from some fans to request a trade, the 29-year-old has remained focused on winning a title with the Wizards.

“I feel like if I win a championship here in DC, the grind of it, with everything I’ve been through, all the adversity and ups and downs, that would make a win that much sweeter, makes me appreciate it that much more,” Beal explained. “And I do love the grind, and to sometimes go against the odds.”

There’s more from the Eastern Conference tonight:

Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington examines five things analytics say about Monte Morris‘ game. The Wizards acquired Morris and Will Barton from the Nuggets this offseason, sending away Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith. Morris is expected to start at point guard for Washington.
While the Nets have been rumored as a possible suitor for Donovan Mitchell, members of the organization like Brooklyn’s roster and don’t feel a sense of urgency to pursue Jazz guard, Ian Begley of SNY.tv reports. With Kevin Durant and the Nets recently agreeing to move forward together, it doesn’t seem like Brooklyn will be eager to make a major trade ahead of the season — even though Mitchell listed Brooklyn as a trade preference.
Nets center Nic Claxton knows his time is now, according to NetsDaily. With Brooklyn allowing Andre Drummond to sign with the Bulls — and LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin no longer on the roster — Claxton has an opportunity to establish himself at center. The Nets may test Ben Simmons at the five, but Claxton can still be valuable as a rebounder, rim protector, screen-setter and lob threat at 6’11”.

Heat Notes: Mitchell, Potter, Eastern Conference, Lineups

August 28th, 2022 at 3:26pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With Nets forward Kevin Durant off the table as a trade target for the time being, the Heat could look elsewhere for All-Star reinforcements. In a mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel discusses alternatives, including Jazz All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. Winderman does not consider the undersized shooting guard to be worth a package centered around reigning Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro and future draft picks.

Winderman also notes that the Heat should be cautious when it comes to trading forward Duncan Robinson, who will earn $16.9MM in 2022/23 after falling out of the club’s rotation near the end of last season due to his defensive shortcomings. Winderman notes that Robinson’s contract could be crucial as an inclusion for a trade to acquire a maximum-salaried superstar. Herro remains on his rookie deal, and will make just $5.7MM this season.

There’s more out of South Beach:

In another mailbag, Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reflects on the recent decision by the Heat’s NBAGL affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, to offload Micah Potter to the Pistons’ G League club, the Motor City Cruise. Winderman writes that the decision ultimately came down to which players Miami is prioritizing developing, noting that other prospects – including Orlando Robinson – took priority over Potter.
Now that the Nets are, at least for now, stabilizing and whole heading into the 2022/23 season, Winderman wonders if Brooklyn has leapfrogged Miami in the Eastern Conference pecking order and explores just how dangerous the Nets coul dbe.
Even beyond the departure of starting power forward P.J. Tucker, the Heat’s rotation could look markedly different than it did during the 2021/22 NBA season, when a top-seeded Miami club pushed the Celtics to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals, Winderman writes in another Sun Sentinel story. As Winderman observes, 6’5″ Caleb Martin appears to be the current leader in the competition to become Miami’s new starting power forward, though that situation remains fluid with training camp still ahead of the team. Miami’s internal search for its starting swingman next to point guard Kyle Lowry and small forward/shooting guard Jimmy Butler also remains fairly open, with several intriguing candidates on the roster.

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