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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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Trail Blazers Offering No. 3 Pick, Simons In Exchange For Star?

June 10th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Numerous trade rumors are circulating about Damian Lillard, but league sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer that the Trail Blazers are more inclined to keep Lillard and try to build a contender around him.

According to O’Connor, Portland’s front office is exploring deals involving the No. 3 pick in the draft and would be willing to move Anfernee Simons as well. O’Connor names the Celtics‘ Jaylen Brown, the Raptors‘ Pascal Siakam and the Nets‘ Mikal Bridges as targets that would make sense for that package, but he also cautions that the Blazers might decide to keep their pick.

Simons is coming off his best NBA season, averaging 21.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 62 games. The 24-year-old shooting guard has three seasons left on his four-year, $100MM extension.

The No. 3 pick also carries significant value in a draft that is projected to have three top players. Brandon Miller is widely expected to be taken second by Charlotte, leaving G League star Scoot Henderson available for any team that wants to deal for the third choice. However, Miller and Henderson could easily flip places.

In an interview this week, Lillard identified the Heat and Nets as teams he would be interested in joining if he requests a trade. O’Connor offers a few other suggestions, including the Raptors, who reportedly talked to Portland about an OG Anunoby deal last summer and again before the February deadline. O’Connor also mentions the Grizzlies if they decide to unload Ja Morant or teams rich in draft picks such as the Pelicans, Rockets and Spurs.

Lillard has stated repeatedly that he wants to compete for a championship, and O’Connor believes his best chance to reach that goal is to accept a trade. However, it appears the Blazers are going to make an effort to create an instant contender before they consider that option.

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Nets Notes: Lillard, Bates, Vinson, Coaching Staff

June 10th, 2023 at 6:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets have “genuine interest” in acquiring Damian Lillard if he asks the Trail Blazers for a trade, sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required). During an appearance this week on Showtime’s “The Last Stand,” Lillard named Brooklyn and Miami as his preferred destinations, citing the Nets because of his friendship with Mikal Bridges.

Appearing Thursday on The Dan Patrick Show, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT indicated that any trade speculation involving Lillard should be limited to those two teams, adding that Brooklyn may rank first on Lillard’s list. Haynes also believes the Blazers would try to honor Lillard’s wishes because of his long tenure with the franchise.

“If it gets to that point, they would consult with Dame because, you know, Dame’s been there 10 years, been a model citizen representing that city, in that organization, with class, all throughout,” Haynes said. “I think they will try to get him where he wants to go; in the East, that is, I do not see and envision a possibility that he would be traded to a Western Conference team.”

Zach Harper of The Athletic suggests that the Nets may be able to acquire Lillard without giving up Bridges or center Nic Claxton. Harper envisions a deal built around the expiring contracts of Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris, along with several of the draft picks Brooklyn accumulated by trading away James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

There’s more from Brooklyn:

  • The Nets are typically secretive about their workouts, but Emoni Bates is among the potential second-rounders the team has hosted over the past few weeks, Lewis adds. Bates was once the top-ranked recruit in the nation, but he’s been disappointing through two seasons at Memphis and Eastern Michigan. Lewis notes that Bates has been working out for several teams to try to change his reputation. Brooklyn holds the 51st pick, along with a pair of first-rounders.
  • Corey Vinson, who worked with Bridges in Phoenix, has joined the Nets as an assistant coach for player development, according to a Nets Daily article. He becomes the seventh assistant on Jacque Vaughn‘s staff.
  • Brooklyn has seen a lot of coaching turnover since Vaughn replaced Steve Nash in November, Lewis writes in another New York Post story. The organization has shifted its focus from winning with a team of star players to trying to develop young talent.
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Atlantic Notes: Scariolo, Bridges, Knicks, Cassell

June 7th, 2023 at 12:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sergio Scariolo, the head coach of Virtus Bologna in Italy, has interviewed for the Raptors’ head coaching opening a second time, according to Repubblica-Bologna (hat tip to BasketNews.com). The interview reportedly took place via Skype on Monday.

Scariolo has a contract with Virtus until the end of the 2023/24 season. He initially interviewed with the Raptors in Italy last month. He was an assistant with the Raptors for three seasons and is also the head coach of the Spanish national team.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • In response to a fan’s proposal of trading Mikal Bridges to the Trail Blazers for Anfernee Simons or Shaedon Sharpe and the No. 3 overall pick, Alex Schiffer of The Athletic said the Nets aren’t interested in dealing the top player they received in Kevin Durant blockbuster with Phoenix. Schiffer notes the Nets turned down a proposal of four first-rounders from the Grizzlies for Bridges. If they considered trading Bridges, they’d want more than two assets for him, especially since they owe their 2024 first-round pick to Houston.
  • Jalen Brunson turned into a star after signing with the Knicks, justifying his four-year, $104MM contract. Now the Knicks need to pursue another star, Fred Katz of The Athletic argues. Brunson can thrive in any system, so the Knicks can cast a wide net and they have enough quality young players and extra draft picks to dangle in trade talks for an All-Star talent.
  • The Sixers are losing top assistant Sam Cassell to the Celtics and it’s a big blow, Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com writes. Cassell was the only member of his coaching staff to sit in for coaching meetings on offense and defense. He was also instrumental in player development and was a highly respected leader.
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Heat Notes: Vincent, Lillard, Robinson, Undrafted Players

June 7th, 2023 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Gabe Vincent showed Heat teammate Bam Adebayo that he could handle a starring role during an exhibition game in the summer of 2021, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. In what was expected to be an easy tune-up for Team USA as it prepared for the Olympics, Vincent scored 21 points as Nigeria surprised the Americans.

“Man, when he torched us in the Olympics, in the exhibition game facing Nigeria,” Adebayo said. “He came out with that type of energy, that type of voracity and that type of anger. I felt like, from there, he’s one of us.”

It took a while for Vincent to make his breakthrough in Miami, but it happened when Kyle Lowry was sidelined for a few games with knee soreness earlier this season. Vincent stepped into the starting point guard role and has kept it through the NBA Finals.

“Our stars, Jimmy (Butler), Kyle, Bam, they have just been in my ear and telling me just to play, play basketball,” he said. “They trust my IQ of the game, and they want me just to go out there and play hard.”

There’s more from Miami:

  • In an appearance on Showtime’s “The Last Stand,” Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard names the Heat as one of the teams he would consider if he ever decides to ask for a trade, relays Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “Miami obviously,” Lillard said. “Miami is the obvious one. And Bam is my dog. Bam is my dog for real. Miami is the obvious one. Brooklyn is another obvious one, because Mikal Bridges is my dog too.”
  • Duncan Robinson has been able to salvage his season after falling out of the rotation for a while, notes William Guillory of The Athletic. Robinson said he had to focus on incremental improvement every day as he tried to regain coach Erik Spoelstra’s trust. He provided a huge momentum shift in Miami’s Game 2 win with 10 points in a little over two minutes at the start of the fourth quarter. “We knew they were a really good team and we just needed to come out with a sense of urgency in that fourth,” Robinson said. “It was kind of like a now or never sort of thing.”
  • John Hollinger of The Athletic is the latest analyst to examine the Heat’s penchant for finding productive undrafted players. He notes that many of Miami’s G League finds began their careers with other organizations, adding that team president Pat Riley showed the same ability to uncover undrafted gems in New York.
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Edwards, Haliburton, Reaves Commit To Team USA

June 4th, 2023 at 5:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves All-Star guard Anthony Edwards and Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton are among the players who have committed to Team USA this summer, Joe Vardon and Shams Charania of The Athletic report. Team USA will compete for the FIBA World Cup in the Philippines.

Lakers shooting guard and restricted free agent Austin Reaves, Nets forward Mikal Bridges and Bucks forward Bobby Portis have also made commitments.

Knicks guard Jalen Brunson has pledged to play for Team USA as well, according to Marc Stein (Twitter link).

The 12-man roster is still being assembled by USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill and no roster additions have been formally announced yet.

Edwards, who averaged 24.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists this season, was a member of the USA Select Team for the Tokyo Olympics. Team USA has begun to prioritize bigger guards who can hold their own defensively and shoot well from the perimeter in international competitions, according to The Athletic duo. Edwards and Reaves fit that mold.

Team USA begins training camp Aug. 3 in Las Vegas, plays its first exhibition game Aug. 7 against Puerto Rico and will also make stops in Spain and the United Arab Emirates before its World Cup opener Aug. 26 against New Zealand.

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New York Notes: Bridges, Lillard, Toppin, Brunson

May 27th, 2023 at 8:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mikal Bridges has already been mentioned in several offseason trade rumors, but Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) believes the Nets intend to build around him rather than trying to deal him for other assets. Lewis states that Bridges has already become “the face of the franchise” and has strong support from owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks.

Bridges posted career-best numbers after being acquired from Phoenix in February, averaging 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 27 games. He also emerged as a locker room leader and quickly won over Brooklyn fans with his style of play. He has a team-friendly contract that runs for three more seasons.

“I think he’s proven to a lot of people that his role can continue to get better and better and bigger and bigger,” Marks said. “But now that when the ball is in his hands in those key crucial moments of games, can he step up? Can he be that guy that we can rely on in big moments? I think we saw it a little bit in Phoenix when Devin Booker was out. He carried a considerable load for them. And then we saw this year where he came in and immediately was a crowd favorite.”

There’s more from New York:

  • The Nets have “genuine interest” in Damian Lillard if he asks the Trail Blazers for a trade, Lewis adds in another Post story. Lewis examines the various factors surrounding a potential Lillard trade, including his age, his contract, which will reach $63.2MM in 2026/27, and what Brooklyn would have to send to Portland in return. Lewis doesn’t expect Nets management to part with Bridges, so a deal would have to be built around Nic Claxton, with Spencer Dinwiddie and Royce O’Neale thrown in for salary matching or possibly Ben Simmons if Brooklyn can include enough other pieces to convince the Blazers to take on his contract.
  • Obi Toppin was the first lottery pick made by the Knicks‘ current management team, but his time in New York could end this summer, suggests Steve Popper of Newsday. Toppin has been stuck behind Julius Randle, which has prevented him from getting the playing time he needs to develop his game. Popper adds that although Toppin averaged 21.8 PPG in the five starts he made this season, he doesn’t provide the defensive presence that coach Tom Thibodeau wants at power forward.
  • In a mailbag column, Fred Katz of The Athletic rates the Knicks‘ addition of Jalen Brunson last summer as the NBA’s best free agent signing since 2019.
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Mikal Bridges Says Brooklyn Fans Responded To Drama-Free Approach

May 20th, 2023 at 9:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mikal Bridges believes Nets fans have accepted him not only because of his performance on the court, but also because he brought a culture change after years of drama involving Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Kevin Durant. In an interview with The Pivot podcast, hosted by former NFL players Channing Crowder, Fred Taylor and Ryan Clark, Bridges talks about the situation he entered when he was traded from Phoenix to Brooklyn in February (hat tip to Nets Daily).

“I think Brooklyn some had a lot going on. They had Kyrie, Harden and KD and then all that happening … and like Kyrie and stuff,” Bridges said. “I think (fans) were ready for a refresh, and I’m like the total opposite of them dudes. I’m just like, the quietest, chillest. I ain’t trippin’ off nothin’, so I’ll just (be) this happy all the time. So I was just like, I knew I was gonna be fine for sure.”

Bridges said he was thrilled that the trade gave him a chance to play in the New York City spotlight. He adds that the deal didn’t catch him off guard because he knew Phoenix was among Durant’s preferred destinations when he made his first trade request last June.

“Me, I always love New York,” Bridges said. “So when even when the whole situation happened in the summer when KD asked for a trade he wanted to come here. Me and Cam Johnson knew, ‘Well, obviously we’re going to be a part of that.’ Like we just knew KD wants to come here. We’re gonna so just make jokes like, ‘Oh, we’re going to Brooklyn’ but like, I love New York. I thought I was gonna get drafted No. 9 by the Knicks and I was prepared to not live in the city but I was prepared to be in the city. I was very excited about living in New York.”

Bridges touches on a few more topics during the podcast, including:

How he’s been able to improve his game throughout his five years in the NBA:

“Everybody will ask me like, well, like, ‘what’s the secret? How you get better?’ I’m like, ‘It’s just work out.’ I just work out every day, I just work out. I mean, I don’t kill myself, but I work out and I just get better. I think there’s no secret to it. I just, just work out and work on my game and try to get stronger and just keep trying to go up and I think that’s the easiest thing.”

How he was able to avoid the gun culture that has derailed Ja Morant‘s career:

“My mom don’t play none of that. If I bring somebody around my mom, she would be, ‘Nah.’ That’s just how it is. Like people are scared of my mom like she don’t play, know that, and as I got older now it’s funny because I feel like I’ll tell her all the time, ‘I’m really becoming you,’ ’cause she’s human resources, like she has to fire people all the time. She has to be that boss lady.”

His expectations for next season as the Nets’ new leader:

“I just think coming into the preseason to the team we’ll have– obviously, it might be a little bit different when the time comes, you never know, we got free agents and stuff like that. Just be the leader and come in and just know like, all I care about is winning. If I’m still one of the main guys trying to do everything, it ain’t about me.”

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Nets Notes: Bridges, C. Jones, Kalkbrenner, Holmes, Bates

May 20th, 2023 at 7:56am CST by Luke Adams

There has been speculation that Nets forward Mikal Bridges will be a target for the Trail Blazers if and when they shop the No. 3 overall pick, but John Hollinger of The Athletic is skeptical that a deal centered around that pick would appeal to Brooklyn.

As Hollinger points out, the Nets don’t control their own first-rounders in any of the next four drafts, so they have little incentive to take a step back in the short term. Plus, Bridges is signed to one of the NBA’s most team-friendly contracts through the 2025/26 season.

Alex Schiffer of The Athletic (Twitter link) says he has heard the same thing as Hollinger at the draft combine in Chicago. According to Schiffer, any rumors linking Bridges to Portland are “all talk,” since Brooklyn isn’t interested.

Here’s more on the Nets:

  • Many prospects in this year’s draft class have cited Bridges as a player they want to emulate at the NBA level, according to Schiffer. Iowa’s Kris Murray, Villanova’s Cam Whitmore, Pepperdine’s Maxwell Lewis, and Frenchman Rayan Rupert are among the prospects who likened themselves to Bridges. “I want to have the same trajectory and same process he did,” Rupert said. “Mikal Bridges is a big inspiration for me.”
  • Xavier guard Colby Jones told Schiffer that he’s scheduled to work out for the Nets in the coming weeks. Jones is the No. 28 prospect on ESPN’s big board, while Brooklyn owns the Nos. 21 and 22 picks in next month’s draft.
  • Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner and Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II are among the draft prospects who worked out for the Nets prior to the draft combine, Schiffer writes for The Athletic. Kalkbrenner, who has also auditioned for the Bulls, said that his session with Brooklyn went well, but Holmes wasn’t as positive about his workout in Brooklyn. “I didn’t do too well, I feel like, at the Nets,” Holmes said. “I feel like I could have stepped it up a bit, but it was good to learn. Great players there.”
  • Former five-star recruit Emoni Bates has been linked to the Nets and said he’ll work out for them at some point in the coming weeks, according to Schiffer. An Eastern Michigan forward, Bates added that he also has workouts lined up with the Thunder, Suns, Cavaliers, Blazers, and Pistons.
  • In case you missed it, Ben Simmons‘ agent said earlier this week that the former No. 1 overall pick is “progressing really well” in his injury rehab process. We have more details here.
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NBA Announces 2022/23 All-Defensive Teams

May 9th, 2023 at 1:04pm CST by Luke Adams

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

A total of 100 media members vote on the All-Defensive awards, with players receiving two points for a First Team vote and one point for a Second Team vote. This year’s All-Defensive teams are as follows:

First Team

Second Team

Unsurprisingly, Jackson – who was this season’s Defensive Player of the Year – received the most First Team votes (96) and showed up on the most overall ballots (99). Only one voter didn’t have Jackson on either All-Defensive team.

Milwaukee teammates Holiday (94) and Lopez (85) received the second- and third-most First Team votes. No other player earned more than 50.

While the Bucks have two players on the First Team, it’s a bit surprising to see former DPOY Giannis Antetokounmpo miss out altogether. Antetokounmpo earned 16 First Team votes and 28 Second Team votes for a total of 60 points, the most of any player who didn’t earn All-Defensive honors. Although he received more total points than Brooks or Adebayo, Giannis didn’t make the cut because there were four forwards with more points than him.

Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (40 points), Celtics guard Marcus Smart (35), Nets guard Mikal Bridges (33), and Nets center Nic Claxton (25) would have joined Antetokounmpo on a hypothetical All-Defensive Third Team as the highest vote-getters who fell just short.

A total of 38 players showed up on at least one ballot — the full voting results can be viewed here.

Being named to an All-Defensive team will benefit a pair of players financially, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). White earned a $250K bonus for his Second Team nod, while Holiday will receive $129,600 for making the First Team.

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