Jayson Tatum

NBA Finals Notes: Brown, Porzingis, Mavs’ Centers, Luka, Kyrie

June 8th, 2024 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters during a media session on Saturday, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd referred to Jaylen Brown as the Celtics‘ “best player” when asked about the challenges of facing the Boston wing (Twitter video link).

“Well, Jaylen’s their best player,” Kidd said. “So just looking at what he does defensively, he picked up Luka (Doncic) full court, he got to the free throw line, he did everything. That’s what your best player does.”

You could certainly make a case that Brown has been the Celtics’ best player in this postseason — his 24.8 points per game during the playoffs rank slightly behind Jayson Tatum‘s 25.3 PPG, but he has got his points far more efficiently, shooting 54.3% from the floor and 36.6% on three-pointers, compared to 43.8% and 29.9% for Tatum.

Still, the general consensus is that Tatum – who has also averaged a team-high 10.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game in the postseason – is Boston’s best player, so Kidd’s comments raised some eyebrows. While they may reflect his honest opinion, it’s hard not to read Kidd’s praise of Brown as an attempt at gamesmanship, given that the relationship between the two Celtics stars has been a popular topic of speculation among outsiders over the years.

Here’s more on the NBA Finals, with Game 2 on tap for Sunday:

Given how well the Celtics played in Game 1 with Kristaps Porzingis coming off the bench, head coach Joe Mazzulla will face an interesting decision on whether to return the big man to his spot in the starting lineup on Sunday, writes Brian Robb of MassLive.com. As Robb notes, Boston played its best basketball with Porzingis on the court and could still manage his minutes over the course of the night if he starts. However, the team has gone 10-1 with Al Horford as its starting center during the playoffs and is riding an eight-game winning streak, so Mazzulla may not want to mess with what’s working.
Despite Mazzulla saying prior to Game 1 that Porzingis had no minutes limit, the big man told reporters on Saturday that he is in fact facing a minutes restriction (Twitter link via Souichi Terada of MassLive.com). Porzingis, who logged 21 minutes in Game 1, didn’t offer any specifics on that restriction.
Porzingis’ presence represents a major problem for the Mavericks, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News, who says the Celtics’ floor-spacing centers essentially neutralized the impact of Dallas big men Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively, who had to chase Porzingis and Horford out to the perimeter rather than hanging back and protecting the rim. As Townsend points out, Gafford and Lively combined for just 10 points, eight rebounds, and no blocks on Thursday, while Porzingis and Horford totaled 30 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks.
Doncic and Kyrie Irving were unable to beat their defenders one-on-one in Game 1, which would’ve forced the Celtics to send help and created open shots for teammates, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. As a result, the two stars combined for just three assists, while the team as a whole had only nine. If that doesn’t change going forward and Doncic and Irving can’t do more in those one-on-one situations, it will likely be a quick series, Hollinger opines.

Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Porzingis, Celtics, Nets, Sixers

June 6th, 2024 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Star forward Jayson Tatum admitted to reporters this week that the Celtics‘ storied history creates some additional pressure in the quest for a championship, which would be the franchise’s record-setting 18th title, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

“We only hang NBA championship banners, right? 17 of them,” Tatum said. “Some of the greatest players to ever play this game wore this uniform. All of us are honored to follow in their footsteps, the way they paved for us to live out our dream. … If you want to be one of the greats to put on this uniform, every great before you won a championship. That’s what we try to play for every single season. The expectations are obviously different here. It takes special players to be here and to be a part of an environment like that.”

Tatum, who is in his seventh season with the Celtics and is competing in his 20th career playoff series, said he’s gotten accustomed to that pressure over the years and that his goal in this year’s Finals is to “enjoy the moment.” Boston has made four Eastern Conference finals and two NBA Finals during Tatum’s tenure. As Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes, Tatum and the Celtics believe they’re ready for the Finals this time around after experiencing some growing pains in the postseason earlier in his career.

“We come into the league at such a young age, and they want us to be perfect right away. It’s just part of growing up,” Tatum said. “You’re still growing up. I’m still growing up. It’s a process, right? Nothing was accomplished overnight. I think you’ll find a value in tough times, the ups and downs of just what life brings you.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Jared Weiss of The Athletic and Brian Robb of MassLive.com each published in-depth features on Kristaps Porzingis this week ahead of his Game 1 return, with Weiss covering the big man’s transition to the Celtics following last summer’s blockbuster trade, while Robb details how that trade was a culmination of the team’s longtime interest in Porzingis, which dated back to 2014 when he initially declared for the draft before withdrawing and reentering in 2015.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was noncommittal when asked about a recent report that suggested senior consultant Jeff Van Gundy could transition into a role on Boston’s bench next season, per Robb of MassLive.com. “We don’t really know yet,” Mazzulla said during a radio appearance on Zolak and Bertrand on 98.5 FM in Boston. “We always said we are going to hire from within and kind of talk more about that after the season.”
Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez, who described his new coaching staff as “player development-oriented,” went into more detail earlier this week about what his idea of player development looks like, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post relays. “There’s no better player development in the world than playing real minutes. And we value real minutes, not just in the NBA but also the G League,” Fernandez said. “And we have all the resources we need to help our guys get better. But at the end of the day, we’re going to value team success over everything else. So it’s gonna be a clear message from the beginning; we’re gonna expect these guys to work really hard every day.”
While LeBron James is widely considered likely to remain with the Lakers, the Sixers – armed with $60MM+ in cap room and a pair of stars in Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey – could make a compelling pitch to the four-time MVP. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explores what it would look like if James decided he wanted to leave Los Angeles for Philadelphia.

Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Tatum, Horford, Holiday

June 5th, 2024 at 5:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

After days of speculation, Kristaps Porzingis confirmed that he’ll be ready when the NBA Finals begin Thursday night, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. The Celtics big man, who has been out of action since April 29 with a right calf strain, updated his status during a session with reporters at Wednesday’s media day, and the team made it official by not listing anyone on its injury report.

“I will play tomorrow,” Porzingis said. “… Tomorrow will be my first real minutes in a while. I did as much as I could to prepare for this moment. But there’s nothing like game minutes and game experience that I will get tomorrow. It will be tough to jump into the Finals like this. But I did everything I could to prepare for it. And we’ll see tomorrow night.”

Because of the long layoff, the Celtics will have to monitor Porzingis’ calf and may limit his minutes throughout the series to lessen the risk of a repeat injury, Terada adds. Porzingis is confident about his ability to stay healthy after going through a long list of tests to receive medical clearance.

“I did everything,” he said. “You have to check all the boxes to even get to this point. Of course, as I said, you cannot imitate the same intensity in practice as it’s going to be tomorrow in the game. I have to feel confident to go out there and leave it all out on the floor and expect that I’m going to be healthy and be completely fine.”

There’s more from Boston:

The memories of watching the Warriors celebrate their 2022 championship at TD Garden are still fresh for the Celtics players who were on that team, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. It’s part of the motivation to earn a banner of their own this time around. “I’m a firm believer in everything happens for a reason,” Jayson Tatum said. “There’s a lesson to be learned in every situation. I do feel a lot different this time, this go-around, two years later. I’m excited for the opportunity for us to get the job done.”
Al Horford inspires his teammates by continuing to be productive late in his career, notes Jay King of The Athletic. King points out that Horford, who turned 38 on Monday, is one of just five active players remaining from the 2007 draft. He’s the oldest big man to still be in a team’s rotation, and only six players older than him were still in the league this season. “It’s funny,” Horford said, “because I feel like everybody has been talking about me being old since I was, like, 23 years old. Because I was already thinking ahead, thinking team, thinking all these other things (about the future), and that’s just who I am.”
Jrue Holiday talked to ESPN’s Malika Andrews and Kendrick Perkins (video link) about winning over Boston fans after being acquired in a trade last fall. “When I first came, I thought that they would hate me,” Holiday said, referring to the rivalry from his time in Milwaukee. “… Once [Boston] loves you, there’s nothing like it.”

Eastern Notes: Porzingis, Tatum, LaVine, Langdon

June 2nd, 2024 at 5:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis continues to show good progress this weekend as he rehabs a right calf strain, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reports.

Porzingis has been sidelined since Boston’s opening-round series against Miami, when he sustained the injury during Game 4. He was putting up shots and doing some drills during Friday’s practice session. It got even better on Saturday, as coach Joe Mazzulla stated that Porzingis “did everything the team did” in that day’s practice, Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press reports.

Earlier in the week, Porzingis posted a tweet on social media. Translated by a Latvian journalist and relayed by The Athletic’s Jared Weiss, the tweet read, “Thank you to everyone who is supporting and cheering me on all season long. Very soon I will be back and ready to play. See you in the Finals and then in Arena (Riga) with our guys.”

The last part of the post refers to Porzingis’ participation with the Latvian national team in this summer’s Olympic qualifying tournament.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum views a second appearance in the Finals in three years as a chance for redemption, Bontemps writes in a separate story. “It’s a lot that myself, and we, can learn from that experience being in the Finals, and this time, this go-around is a lot different,” Tatum said. “Obviously, we’ve been there before, we came up short. And a great opportunity to make it to the Finals again. You don’t always get a second chance, so really just looking at it as a second chance and trying to simplify things as much as we can. It’s another series that we’ve got to win.” Playing through a wrist injury in the 2022 Finals, Tatum averaged 21.5 points but shot 31.5% from 2-point range.
The asking price for Bulls wing Zach LaVine has dropped significantly, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes. LaVine is coming off another injury-marred season and there’s a sense from both sides that a change of scenery may be LaVine’s best option. Previously, the Bulls were seeking All-Star level talent, first-round picks or both for LaVine, but that’s no longer the case.
Executives from around the league have endorsed the hiring of Trajan Langdon as Pistons president of basketball operations, according to Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press. Count Nets GM Sean Marks, Langdon’s former boss, among them. “You don’t get to have the career he had on the basketball court without being very competitive and diligent, and that’s something in this organization and this business — you have to be competitive, whether you want to be a star in your analytics or your star at your scouting department or a star at player development,” Marks said. “You want to be the best there is and it should irk you when somebody else out there is showing promise or beats you to the punch. That competitive fire is instilled in Trajan and definitely separates him from the lot.”

Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Horford, Irving, Tatum

June 1st, 2024 at 4:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics haven’t offered any indication of whether Kristaps Porzingis will be ready when the NBA Finals open Thursday night, but he appears to be trending in the right direction, writes Matt Vautour of MassLive. Porzingis, who has been sidelined by a calf strain since April 29, was a full participant at Saturday’s practice, although coach Joe Mazzulla clarified that it was a light workout, with a more intense session planned for Sunday.

“He did everything the team did,” Mazzulla told reporters. “We’ll go significantly harder tomorrow. Today was kind of moderate, but he went through everything that the team did today.”

Porzingis’ presence will be important against Dallas, which has gotten stellar performances from its center duo of Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II throughout the playoffs. Mazzulla declined to say if Porzingis will return to a full workload if he’s medically cleared for Game 1.

“He’s a great player. He’s done a lot of great things for us,” he said. “Just like any other guy, you go through what gives us the best chance to win, what gives us the best possible chance to win this series, this game, these matchups. When K.P. is at his best he’s been tremendous for us. We know he’ll give that to us.”

There’s more from Boston:

Celtics players who were part of the NBA Finals team two years ago believe that playoff run will be beneficial this time around, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. In 2022, Boston faced a Golden State squad that had an edge in playoff experience, but now the Celtics will be in that role against Dallas. “I think it is gonna help tremendously, because the first time, it felt like a roller coaster,” Al Horford said. “Just a lot going on. The increased coverage of media and all the responsibilities that we had and just everything that came with it. So I just think that this time around, we all have an understanding. We know what things are like, and I feel like we’ll be able to manage everything better.”
Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving will be cast in the villain’s role as he returns to Boston with a championship on the line, notes Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Irving had an uneasy relationship with the fans during his two seasons as a Celtic, and he infamously stomped on the team’s logo at center court after Brooklyn completed a first-round sweep in 2021.
Those hard feelings don’t carry over to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who were Irving’s teammates early in their careers, Vautour adds along with Brian Robb in another MassLive story. Tatum and Brown are both grateful for the guidance Irving provided as they got accustomed to the NBA. “Obviously there were some ups and downs but I think, for me, being a first, second-year player, being around a superstar, essentially, every day and seeing how to navigate that space,” Tatum said. “And then obviously on the court, he’s one of the most talented guys I’ve ever seen. So it seems like a very long time ago, but I’ve got a lot of great memories from having Kai as a teammate.”

Jaylen Brown Named Eastern Finals MVP

May 28th, 2024 at 6:58am CST by Luke Adams

Celtics wing Jaylen Brown was named the Most Valuable Player of the Eastern Conference Finals, winning the Larry Bird trophy for 2024, the NBA announced (via Twitter).

Brown narrowly edged out teammate Jayson Tatum, who earned four of nine votes from media members for the honor at the conclusion of Boston’s 4-0 sweep over the Pacers. Brown received the other five votes (Twitter link).

“I wasn’t expecting that at all,” Brown said of the award, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “I don’t ever win s–t. I was just happy we won.”

Brown scored at least 24 points in all four games of the series, including 40 in last Thursday’s Game 2 win and 29 in Monday’s close-out victory. He averaged 29.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals in 40.9 minutes per game vs. Indiana, making 51.7% of his shot attempts from the field, including 37.0% of his three-pointers.

“He was unreal this whole series, a complete player on both sides of the ball that you don’t really see much these days,” teammate Derrick White said, according to Vardon.

The NBA instituted MVP awards for the conference finals just three years ago, naming the trophies after Bird in the East and Magic Johnson in the West. Tatum was the first ever Eastern Conference Finals MVP in 2022, while Heat star Jimmy Butler took home the honor last spring.

Celtics Notes: Game 3, Tillman, Tatum

May 26th, 2024 at 4:20pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Thanks to an impressive comeback from an 18-point deficit, the Celtics were able to improve their Eastern Conference Finals series edge over the Pacers to 3-0 on Saturday, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. The decisive moment came when All-Defensive guard Jrue Holiday stole the ball from Indiana guard Andrew Nembhard and drew free throws on the other end, helping put Boston up for good. The Celtics would go on to win, 114-111.

After the game, Celtics All-Star shooting guard Jaylen Brown was still reveling in the moment, per Jay King of The Athletic.

“Hang it in the f—ing Louvre,” Brown said of Boston’s winning rally. “Like, it was crazy. We just had a great grit win tonight.”

Brown singled out Holiday for his excellent perimeter defense, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.

“Jrue is different,” Brown said. “Nothing really else to say. Jrue is just different.”

There’s more out of Boston:

Celtics big man Xavier Tillman, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, helped give Boston a defensive spark off the bench in the Game 3 victory, posting a team-best plus-12 in his 13 minutes of action, notes Souichi Terada of MassLive. “He’s a great screener, he creates separation and he has the gift defensively to be able to play both drop and switch,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “So we were able to change our coverages when he was out there pretty frequently. He can guard different matchups because of his ability to play and drop and in switch, and so he just gave us some versatility.”
Celtics All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum submitted a terrific effort in leading the club to the brink of its second NBA Finals berth in the past three seasons, scoring 36 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and dishing out eight dimes without a turnover. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports writes that Boston’s cohesion as a unit, highlighted by the efforts of Tatum, Holiday and center Al Horford, seems to suggest the team could be ready to finally earn its first title since 2008.
For more on Boston, be sure to check out our Celtics team page.

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Game 3, Porzingis, Kornet, Holiday

May 25th, 2024 at 7:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

With the Celtics down two centers, Jayson Tatum is ready to spend time in the middle in small-ball lineups, writes Khari Thompson of The Boston Globe. Luke Kornet, who was initially listed as doubtful after spraining his left wrist in Game 2, has been downgraded to out. He’ll be on the bench alongside Kristaps Porzingis, who hasn’t played since April 30 because of a strained right calf.

That leaves Boston with few options behind starter Al Horford. Xavier Tillman played just three minutes on Thursday after missing Game 1 for personal reasons, and Neemias Queta has only made two brief appearances during the playoffs. Tatum admitted that he’s not used to playing center, but added that the team has prepared for this scenario.

“At this point in the season, it’s whatever you’ve got to do to help the team win,” he said. “It doesn’t feel unnatural, but it is something different that we’ve worked on and talked about throughout the season in practices and things like that. So, it’s not like a shock or anything like that.”

Despite a size disadvantage, the Celtics were able to out-rebound Indiana by a 40-37 margin in Game 2, holding 6’11” Myles Turner to just four boards. Tatum said rebounding is a team effort that starts with boxing out the Pacers’ big men.

“We’ve got to rebound. And maybe, it’s not always, ‘I’m getting it,’” he explained. “I’ve got to make sure I’m boxing out (Isaiah) Jackson or Turner, whoever I am guarding and you know five guys got to be in the paint and it’s your job to put a body on a man and somebody else to grab the ball.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

Tatum warns that a series can change quickly, which happened after the Pacers fell behind New York 2-0 in the second round, Thompson adds. Indiana is unbeaten at home in the postseason, and the Celtics will enter hostile surroundings tonight. “I think Game 3 is always the toughest just because you are going to a new environment, their first home game,” Tatum said. “Obviously they’re excited to be back home and we expect a great atmosphere. They’ve been really good at home, so we’ve got to be that much better.”
In his pregame meeting with reporters, coach Joe Mazzulla didn’t offer any clues about when Porzingis or Kornet might be able to return, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Mazzulla responded to questions about both players by saying he has “no idea.”
The Celtics have determined that Jrue Holiday will be able to play tonight, according to Brian Robb of MassLive (Twitter link). Holiday, who was listed as questionable with a non-COVID illness, went through a pregame warm-up before a final decision was made.

Celtics Notes: Brown, Tatum, Kornet, Brissett

May 24th, 2024 at 7:03pm CST by Luke Adams

After earning All-NBA honors for the first time a year ago as a member of the Second Team, Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown wasn’t included on the 2023/24 All-NBA teams that were announced on Wednesday. Brown responded on Thursday by performing like the best player on the court in Boston’s Game 2 win over Indiana, racking up 40 points on 14-of-27 shooting in 38 minutes of action.

Asked after the game if the All-NBA snub served as extra motivation entering Thursday’s contest, Brown initially responded, “No I wouldn’t say that. I mean, we’re two games from the (NBA Finals). So honestly, I don’t got the time to give a f–k.”

However, as Brian Robb of MassLive.com writes, when reporters pressed Brown on his thoughts on the All-NBA voting results, the Celtics star admitted to feeling as if not everyone fully appreciates his game.

“I watch guys get praised and anointed who I feel are half as talented as me on either side of the ball,” Brown said. “But at this point in my life, I just embrace it. It comes with being who I am and what I stand for, and I ain’t changing that. I just come out and I’m grateful to step out onto the floor each and every night, put my best foot forward and get better each and every year. Whether people appreciate it or not, it is what it is.”

While Brown didn’t get enough votes from media members to make an All-NBA team this season, his teammates certainly believe he deserved a spot, as Jay King of The Athletic relays.

“I don’t know what they missed, but Jaylen Brown is one of the 15 best players in this game,” Celtics guard Derrick White said. “The whole season, both sides of the ball, he just did so much for us to help us win games, which is the meaning of the game. It’s a shame.”

Here’s more on the Celtics:

Jayson Tatum, who made the All-NBA First Team for a third consecutive year, referred to the honor as “special” and said he doesn’t take it for granted, per Karen Guregian of MassLive.com. “I’m thankful to everybody that’s helped me along the way,” Tatum added. “Success is not something you can achieve by yourself. There’s a lot of people that deserve credit in helping me get to where I’m at.”
In addition to officially ruling out Kristaps Porzingis (calf strain) for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics announced today (via Twitter) that Luke Kornet is considered doubtful to play on Saturday. Kornet sprained his left wrist in Thursday’s victory. Assuming Kornet is unavailable, the Celtics could rely on smaller lineups when Al Horford rests or could turn to backup center Xavier Tillman, who returned on Thursday and played three minutes after missing Game 1 for personal reasons.
With Kornet unavailable for most of Game 3, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla gave playing time to forward Oshae Brissett, who provided a surprise spark after not playing for nearly two weeks, Robb writes for MassLive.com. Brissett scored just two points in his 12 minutes off the bench, but he recorded three steals and matched Brown’s team-high +18 plus/minus mark. “Just trying to do everything I can to get the win,” Brissett said. “Try to do everything I can to give us some energy. We were playing really well. But going into that time, we could definitely turn things around, positive or negative. So I feel like I did a good job of turning us in the positive way and keeping that energy up.”

Edwards, Haliburton Earn Salary Increases With All-NBA Nods

May 22nd, 2024 at 7:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The maximum-salary rookie scale extensions that Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton signed last offseason will have starting salaries worth 30% of the 2024/25 salary cap instead of 25% after both players made All-NBA teams. Edwards earned a spot on the Second Team, while Haliburton made the Third Team.

As our maximum-salary projections for ’24/25 show, based on a $141MM cap, the five-year deals signed by Edwards and Haliburton will now be worth $245,340,000 instead of $204,450,000. Those numbers could change if the cap comes in above or below $141MM.

Edwards and Haliburton agreed to Rose Rule language in their respective extensions. The Rose Rule allow players coming off their rookie scale contracts to receive salaries worth more than 25% of the cap in year five if they make an All-NBA team during the season (or two of the three seasons) before their extension goes into effect. Players can also qualify by being named Most Valuable Player or Defensive Player of the Year.

Hornets guard LaMelo Ball had similar language in his maximum-salary extension, but injuries prevented him from having any shot at All-NBA team in 2023/24, so his contract will be worth $204.45MM over five years.

Here are more of the financial implications of today’s All-NBA selections:

Because Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey didn’t make an All-NBA team, his maximum salary as a restricted free agent this offseason will be worth 25% of the cap instead of 30%. He’ll be eligible for a five-year deal up to a projected $204.45MM.
Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander met the super-max performance criteria by earning All-NBA nods for a second straight year, but neither player has enough years of service yet to sign a designated veteran extension this summer. Both Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander will be eligible to sign super-max extensions, starting at 35% of the cap instead of 30%, during the 2025 offseason. As Bobby Marks of ESPN outlines (Twitter links), Doncic would be eligible for a five-year extension projected to be worth over $346MM that begins in 2026/27, while SGA could sign a four-year extension worth a projected $294MM+ that would begin in 2027/28.
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is one year ahead of Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander — he met the super-max performance criteria by making a second straight All-NBA team in 2023, but was still one year away from having the required years of service at that time. He’ll be eligible this July to sign a five-year super-max extension that will start at 35% of the ’25/26 cap and be worth a projected $314.85MM.
Players who would have been eligible for super-max extensions if they had made an All-NBA team include Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray. All of those players could still qualify if they remain with their current teams and earn All-NBA honors next season, though it’s worth noting that Ingram is considered a trade candidate this summer and is highly unlikely to get a super-max offer even if he qualifies.
Kings center Domantas Sabonis earned a $1.3MM contract bonus as a result of being named to the All-NBA Third Team, tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat.

Load More Posts