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Atlantic Notes: Milton, Harris, Randle, Bridges, Toppin, Rajakovic

June 20th, 2023 at 7:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Shake Milton is the least likely of the Sixers’ free agents to re-sign with the club, according to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com. Milton is looking for a opportunity to get an expanded role elsewhere, though that could change if the Sixers fail to re-sign James Harden.

There’s also no traction regarding a possible trade involving Tobias Harris and his expiring contract, Neubeck writes. There’s no sense of urgency to deal Harris, as the Sixers believe they’ll have multiple windows beyond this week to potentially move him. They’re not inclined to deal the veteran forward unless it improves their flexibility or top-end ceiling, Neubeck adds.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Julius Randle believes the Knicks are “not that far off” from being a championship team, he said on Paul George‘s Podcast P show (hat tip to SNY TV’s Ian Begley). “We got a great mixture of talent, bro. We’ve got young dudes, we’ve got guys going in their prime. So we’ve got a great mixture of guys and it’s like, ‘How do we keep getting better?’ So from a team standpoint, I think that’s where we at.”
  • Mikal Bridges believes that when injuries struck the Suns last season, he got a chance to showcase his offensive ability. That set him up to become a primary option after he was traded to the Nets, he told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. “I always tell people I got traded at the right time with having pretty much the whole team out and being the guy for about a month and just going through the pains and the gains and growth throughout every day,” he said. “Having bad games and losing a lot to finally starting to get it going and start being efficient and trying to win games. And then once it kind of got to that and then that’s when I got traded. So it was perfect timing. I couldn’t have been traded at a better time.”
  • Obi Toppin’s trade value could be a late first-rounder in this year’s draft, a source told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. The Pacers could be a potential suitor for the Knicks’ backup power forward, Bondy suggests, since they were interested in him before last season’s trade deadline and possess two late first-round picks. However, Toppin has supporters within the organization and he would become more valuable to the Knicks if they deal Randle in a blockbuster.
  • Darko Rajakovic presented a straightforward approach during the interviewing process for the Raptors’ head coaching job, he told Serbian media outlet MozzartSport (hat tip to Eurohoops.net).  “When I entered the whole process, I had no intention of pleasing anyone and simply wanted to present myself, who I am and what I am, what my beliefs are, and what my basketball philosophy is,’ he said. “In the end, they liked it the most, so they decided to hire me.”
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Atlantic Notes: Beal, Brown, Brogdon, Harden, Towns

June 14th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics made inquiries about Bradley Beal in the past, but they’re unlikely to pursue the high-scoring Wizards guard now, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Wednesday on “NBA Today” (video link). Boston had thoughts of teaming up Beal with his long-time friend Jayson Tatum, but Windhorst doesn’t believe it’s realistic with the team’s current salary structure.

“My feel from talking to sources is that the Celtics are not necessarily in on this one,” Windhorst said. “Their intention is to get Jaylen Brown on a contract extension this year. Even if they got Jaylen Brown done, the idea of bringing in Bradley Beal would be extraordinarily difficult because of the three contracts together. I don’t think any conversation that involves trading Jaylen Brown is something the Celtics are super interested in right now.”

Brown became eligible for a super-max contract by earning All-NBA honors this season. Beal signed a maximum contract last summer and will make nearly $208MM over the next four years, while Tatum will be eligible to sign a super-max extension in 2024.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • With the Celtics hoping to trim salary this summer, Brian Robb of MassLive suggests potential deals involving Malcolm Brogdon. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year had a productive first season in Boston, but he’s owed $22.5MM in each of the next two years and that money may be needed elsewhere. Robb proposes trades involving the Knicks, Clippers, Lakers, Raptors and 76ers.
  • The Sixers prefer to re-sign James Harden, but they shouldn’t be viewed as desperate, according to Windhorst, who says in his latest podcast that Philadelphia has alternatives lined up if the veteran guard returns to Houston. “While they absolutely want James Harden back, and I think there’s a way they can play together and still be highly successful, the Sixers have other moves they can make,” Windhorst said. “If Harden walks, they have cap space. They have tradable contracts. They have things they can do. Harden is important, but not the end-all and be-all for the 76ers.”
  • Rico Hines will be an assistant to new Sixers head coach Nick Nurse, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Hines worked under Nurse with the Raptors last season.
  • The Knicks would have numerous ways to match Karl-Anthony Towns‘ salary in a trade if the Timberwolves make him available, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Because Towns’ extension doesn’t start until 2024/25, he will make $36MM next season. Sending out Julius Randle ($25.6MM) or Mitchell Robinson ($15.6MM), either of whom might be redundant on the same team with Towns, gives New York plenty of remaining options to reach a matching figure, Begley notes.
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Julius Randle Undergoes Arthroscopic Surgery On Ankle

June 3rd, 2023 at 9:15am CST by Luke Adams

Knicks forward Julius Randle underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle on Friday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports that the procedure was successful.

Randle will resume basketball activities later in the offseason and is expected to be ready to go for training camp and the beginning of the regular season this fall, sources tell Wojnarowski.

A left ankle sprain cost Randle the final two weeks of the regular season. He returned for the start of the playoffs, but sprained the ankle again in Game 5 of the Knicks’ first-round series vs. Cleveland.

Although he was able to play through the injury, suiting up for all but one game in New York’s second-round series against the Heat, Randle became aware during the postseason that he’d probably require surgery on the ankle, writes Wojnarowski.

Randle, 28, earned his second All-Star nod in 2022/23, averaging a career-best 25.1 points per game to go along with 10.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 77 appearances (35.5 MPG). His production declined significantly in the playoffs, where he averaged just 16.6 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 3.6 APG on .374/.258/.709 shooting, though it’s safe to assume that drop-off can be attributed at least in part to his ankle problems.

Randle has been mentioned as a possible offseason trade candidate, but will continue to be a major part of the Knicks’ game plan in 2023/24 if he remains on the roster. He’s under contract for at least two more years, with a player option for ’25/26. He’ll earn approximately $28.2MM next season and $30.3MM in ’24/25.

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Knicks Notes: Randle, Barrett, Hart, Quickley, D. Rose

May 25th, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks will listen to trade offers this summer for Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, but they won’t be eager to move either player unless they get a major star in return, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News says in a discussion of the team’s offseason plans with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype and Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

Randle is coming off an All-NBA regular season, but he was disappointing in the playoffs for the second time in three years, although an ankle injury contributed to that. Scotto doesn’t believe other teams value him as highly as New York’s front office does, but Bondy questions whether Randle is an effective leader for the Knicks now that they’ve seemingly established themselves as a consistent playoff team. Begley notes that Randle has a personal connection with senior executive William Wesley and team president Leon Rose and states that management won’t try to deal him just because of a disappointing postseason.

Begley points out that some members of the front office were willing to send Barrett to Utah in last summer’s negotiations for Donovan Mitchell, so he’s likely to be made available again if the right deal comes along. Bondy believes any team talking about trading a star player to the Knicks would have to decide whether it would prefer Randle or Barrett in return.

There’s more on the Knicks from that conversation:

  • Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns have been mentioned as potential trade targets, but the three writers are skeptical that either deal will happen this summer. Scotto notes that Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey doesn’t like to trade star players unless he’s getting another one in return and suggests that the Heat look like a better option if Philadelphia ever decides to part with Embiid. Bondy points out that the Towns rumors have been around for a long time, and while he heard two years ago that coach Tom Thibodeau wouldn’t be opposed to a reunion with the Timberwolves big man, things might have changed since then.
  • Thibodeau’s affection for free agent Josh Hart and his CAA connections could help push his next contract into the range of $18MM per year, Scotto adds. He cites a consensus among attendees at last week’s draft combine that Hart plans to re-sign with New York.
  • Immanuel Quickley raised his value with a season that saw him finish second in the Sixth Man of the Year balloting, and his extension could be worth $80MM to possibly $100MM over four years, according to Scotto. Bondy cautions that the Knicks will have to be careful about how much they pay Quickley with big-money deals for Jalen Brunson, Randle, Barrett and likely Hart already in place.
  • The Bulls seem like a natural destination for Derrick Rose, whose $15.6MM team option for next season is unlikely to be picked up, Scotto states. Begley also mentions the Bucks, who were rumored to have interest in Rose during the season.
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Knicks Notes: Offseason Plans, Randle, Hart, Exit Interviews

May 13th, 2023 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Finding some shooters should be the Knicks‘ top offseason priority, writes Steve Popper of Newsday, who notes that the lack of reliable shot-makers contributed heavily to Friday’s Game 6 loss in Miami. On a night when Jalen Brunson scored 41 points and shot 14-of-22 from the field, the rest of the starters were just 5-of-32.

New York spent several weeks last summer trying to work out a trade for Donovan Mitchell, and Popper expects the front office to be aggressive again in pursuit of another star. Brunson has established himself as the cornerstone of the franchise, but Popper states that decisions have to be made on whether RJ Barrett and Julius Randle are part of the team’s core. He adds that Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley should be considered trade assets, along with the team’s deep collection of draft picks.

“Everybody is going back to zero,” coach Tom Thibodeau said after Friday’s loss. “We have to start all over. You have to work crazy all offseason to get ready for next season. Yeah, we would still like to be playing, that’s why you do it, if you’re a competitive person, that’s what you want. We fell short. There’s disappointment, but I think to look at it and say we learned a lot, let’s use this as motivation and get better. That’s what you have to do.”

There’s more on the Knicks:

  • Management has to face some “uncomfortable realities” in its offseason evaluation of Randle, states Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. For the second time in three years, Randle has followed an outstanding regular season performance with a flameout in the playoffs. Bondy doesn’t believe Randle can be one of the two best players on a legitimate contender, adding that his moodiness and his tendency to snap at teammates, officials, and coaches can be a distraction.
  • Although Josh Hart was a valuable midseason addition who’s likely to be re-signed, he and Barrett didn’t work well together in playoff lineups, observes Chris Herring of Sports Illustrated. Herring believes Thibodeau made a mistake by starting Hart against Miami because it clogged the lane as defenders dared Barrett and Hart to shoot from the outside and it eliminated the lift that Hart normally provides off the bench.
  • The Knicks won’t make Thibodeau or their players available for end-of-season exit interviews with the media, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.
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Knicks Notes: Brunson, Barrett, Randle, Offseason, Hart

May 13th, 2023 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks outperformed expectations this season, finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference standings and winning a playoff series, but their impressive run came to an end on Friday with a Game 6 loss in Miami.

One player who couldn’t be blamed for the Knicks’ Eastern Conference Semifinals loss? Jalen Brunson. New York’s major 2022 free agent addition poured in 41 points in just over 45 minutes, with the Knicks winning those minutes by three points — they were outscored by seven in the 2:50 that Brunson spent on the bench in a 96-92 loss.

Brunson had no help on Friday, with the Knicks’ other four starters combining to shoot 5-of-32 from the field, writes Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post. As Vaccaro notes, Brunson blamed himself for a late turnover that helped the Heat seal the game, but if it weren’t for his efforts, New York wouldn’t have had a chance to win at all. With his Game 6 performance, the veteran guard put an exclamation point on an incredible first season as a Knick and earned effusive praise from the head coach on the opposing bench.

“How’s that dude not an All-Star or All-NBA?” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game when he spoke to reporters, including Nick Friedell of ESPN. “He should be on one of those teams. I wish he was still out West. But man, you gotta respect him as a competitor. He’s like a lot of the guys in our locker room. He’s got an iron will. There’s something about these Villanova guys. … He’s just an incredible competitor.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

  • Knicks forward RJ Barrett and Julius Randle weren’t happy with how they played on Friday with the club’s season on the line, but they view the highs and lows of the playoff experience as good teaching moments for the future and are optimistic that better things are ahead, Friedell writes at ESPN.com.
  • In a separate story for ESPN.com, Friedell examines the three biggest questions facing the Knicks this offseason, including whether they’ll revisit the trade market in search of a disgruntled star. Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype and ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) also preview the biggest decisions facing New York in the coming months.
  • The Knicks are in an enviable position entering the summer, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, who points to the team’s playoff run and Brunson’s breakout season as reasons why it should be easier than it was a year ago to sell a star player on the situation on New York. Armed with promising young players and plenty of future draft picks, the franchise has the assets to acquire an impact player or to continue building patiently, as Ian Begley of SNY.tv writes.
  • Asked about the future of Josh Hart, who can turn down a player option to become a free agent this offseason, head coach Tom Thibodeau replied, “I love the guy so that would be … we’d love to have him back” (Twitter link via Begley). Rival executives reportedly consider Hart extremely likely to sign a new deal with the Knicks.
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NBA Announces 2022/23 All-NBA Teams

May 10th, 2023 at 6:10pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA has officially announced its All-NBA teams for the 2022/23 season.

A total of 100 media members vote on the All-NBA awards. Players received five points for a First Team vote, three points for Second Team, and one point for Third Team, for a maximum total of 500 points. This year’s three All-NBA teams are as follows:

First Team

Second Team

Third Team

A total of 37 players received at least one vote, per the NBA. The top vote-getters who wound up missing out on All-NBA spots were Lakers center Anthony Davis (65), Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (49) and Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (44).

Morant had Rose Rule language in his rookie scale extension, meaning his five-year deal would have started at 30% of next season’s cap had he been voted in; instead, he’ll receive 25% of the cap, which is projected to be a difference of about $39MM across five seasons.

Other players receiving 20-plus points include Bucks guard Jrue Holiday (39), Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (23). The next three highest were Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (15), Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (15) and Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves (14), who is listed under forward but spent most of the season at shooting guard.

As we noted earlier today, both of the Celtics’ top two players will now be eligible for Designated Veteran Extensions, also known as the super-max: Brown will be eligible to sign a five-year extension this offseason that starts at up to 35% of the 2024/25 salary cap, while Tatum will be eligible to sign a super-max extension in 2024 after earning All-NBA nods each of the past two seasons.

Like Brown, Siakam would have been eligible for a super-max extension this summer had he made an All-NBA team. He finished a distant ninth, so his maximum extension will now be worth a projected $192.2MM over four years, tweets Eric Koreen of The Athletic. As Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca observes (via Twitter), Siakam could still qualify for a super-max deal if he makes an All-NBA spot next season as an impending free agent.

This will be the last season under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. In the new CBA, All-NBA voting will be positionless and players will be required to play a minimum of 65 games to earn major regular season awards. Five of the players honored today — Antetokounmpo, Curry, Butler, Lillard and James — played fewer than 65 this season and would have been ineligible if the new requirements had been in effect, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

LeBron extended his own NBA record with his selection, earning a spot on an All-NBA team for the 19th straight season, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). No other player has more than 15 total All-NBA awards (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan are tied for second at 15 apiece).

Giannis was a unanimous First Team selection for the fifth straight season, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link), and the only unanimous choice in 2022/23. Antetokounmpo now has more First Team berths than any European-born player, tweets HoopsHype, and only trails Hakeem Olajuwon among international players (six). The Bucks superstar finished third in MVP voting behind Embiid and Jokic, but Jokic received some First Team votes over the Sixers’ MVP winner, which is why Embiid wasn’t a unanimous pick.

According to HoopsHype (Twitter link), this is the first season in league history that only one American player (Tatum) was voted to the First Team. Doncic (Slovenia) and Antetokounmpo (Greece) are European, Embiid was born in Cameroon, and Gilgeous-Alexander is Canadian.

Despite earning an All-NBA nod for the first time, Mitchell wasn’t happy that he didn’t make the First Team, sending out a tweet on the matter.

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Northwest Notes: Jackson, Watson, Green, Towns, Sexton

May 9th, 2023 at 7:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nuggets coach Michael Malone strongly hinted at possible rotation changes for Game 5 against the Suns on Tuesday night. Malone mentioned that he might use Reggie Jackson as an extra ball-handler and Peyton Watson as a defender, Ryan Blackburn of Mile High Sports tweets. Blackburn notes that the Nuggets were -37 when the starters weren’t on the floor together over the past two games.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • Veteran forward Jeff Green has a simpler solution for how the Nuggets can win the series, which is currently tied at 2-2. “It’s about pride. It’s about effort,” Green told Harrison Wind of the TheDnvr.com. “And it’s about wanting to take on the challenge.” Denver has allowed 43 fast break points in the last two games.
  • Dealing Karl-Anthony Towns, if the Timberwolves choose to go that path, could be made easier if the Knicks get eliminated by the Heat, Michael Rand of The Star Tribune opines. New York seems like a logical landing spot and rumors are already flying about the Knicks having interest in the Timberwolves big man. Towns will make $36MM next season and the Knicks have a combination of starters with suitable salaries (such as Julius Randle and RJ Barrett) and extra draft picks that could entice the Minnesota front office.
  • Coming back from a serious knee injury, Collin Sexton saw his first season with the Jazz marred by hamstring strains. However, he showed improvement in his overall game compared to his time in Cleveland, particularly with his passing and decision-making, according to Sarah Todd of the Deseret News. Sexton shot a career-high 50.6% from the field and made 39.3% of his 3-point attempts. He averaged 14.3 points in 23.9 minutes while appearing in 48 games. Sexton inked a four-year, $71MM contract last summer in a sign-and-trade transaction.
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Knicks Notes: Hart, Randle, McBride, Grimes

May 8th, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Josh Hart has been raising his potential value in free agency throughout the postseason and will likely receive a new contract starting in the $15-18MM range, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Scotto talked to four NBA executives to help gauge Hart’s next deal. They all believe he will turn down his $12.96MM player option for next season and sign a new contract with the Knicks.

The 27-year-old swingman has been a valuable addition since being acquired from the Trail Blazers at the trade deadline. He averaged 10.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 25 regular season games, mostly off the bench, and his hustle and intensity have made him a favorite of head coach Tom Thibodeau. Hart has seen a different role in the playoffs, starting five of the team’s eight games and matching up with the Heat’s Jimmy Butler in their second-round series.

There’s more on the Knicks:

  • New York needs Julius Randle to snap out of his postseason slump to have a chance to get past Miami, writes Barbara Barker of Newsday. She points out that Randle, who is recovering from a sprained left ankle, has been held to 15 points or fewer in four of his seven playoff games. He was particularly bad on Saturday, shooting 4-of-15 from the field and committing four turnovers. “You take the emotions out of it,” he told reporters Sunday. “This (loss) is not one you can typically flush away. You learn from the game before, what you can do better. … One game is not going to determine how we feel for the next game or what we think the future’s going to be.”
  • With Immanuel Quickley listed as doubtful for Monday’s Game 4 due to a sprained left ankle, second-year guard Miles McBride could see his first significant playoff action, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Thibodeau also didn’t rule out turning to veterans Derrick Rose or Evan Fournier, even though neither has been part of the team’s rotation for months. “Everything’s on the table,” Thibodeau said. “We’ll see how it unfolds.”
  • A Twitter user who identified himself as Quentin Grimes‘ business manager posted a message after New York’s Game 3 loss complaining about Grimes’ usage, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. The poster had the username Matthew Z. and handle @mattkeepgoing, and Schwartz notes that Grimes’ manager is Matt Evans, who he grew up with in the Houston area. Grimes started 66 games during the regular season, but he was moved to a reserve role after returning from an injured shoulder.
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Knicks Notes: Quickley, Randle, Struggles, Butler

May 7th, 2023 at 6:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks will likely be without one of their key reserves for Game 4 of their second-round playoff series against Miami. Immanuel Quickley is listed as doubtful to play on Monday due to a sprained left ankle, the team’s PR department tweets.

Quickley suffered the injury in Game 3 on Saturday, when he scored 12 points in 20 minutes. He’s averaged 9.0 points during the postseason, though he’s struggled with his shooting (34.8%).

We have more on the Knicks:

  • Trailing 2-1 in the series, the team needs Julius Randle to break out of his postseason funk, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. He was limited to 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting and committed four turnovers in Game 3. Overall, he’s averaging just 15.3 points on 34.6% shooting this postseason. “Some of the looks are different. Defense is a little bit tighter,” Randle said. “So I’ve got to do a better job of finding ways to execute off of that.”
  • Randle’s struggles are far from the only issues the Knicks have encountered against the Heat, Fred Katz of The Athletic opines. Their perimeter shooting and offensive spacing have been subpar, they’re getting out-hustled and they’re not dominating the glass, as they did in the first round against Cleveland.
  • Unless they find a way to counteract Jimmy Butler, the Knicks are doomed, Tom D’Angeleo of the Palm Beach Post opines. Butler returned from a one-game absence to score 28 points in 36 minutes.
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