Paul George

Heat Rumors: Wiggins, Butler, Anderson, Tax

February 8th, 2025 at 6:48am CST by Luke Adams

After declining to comment on the Jimmy Butler situation in recent weeks, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra addressed the subject on Friday after the team’s four-team deal sending the star forward to Golden State had officially been processed, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

Spoelstra admitted that he doesn’t “completely understand” how the relationship deteriorated to the extend that it did, but expressed gratitude to Butler for his time in Miami.

“It was a great partnership and corroboration for five years,” Spoelstra said. “Some deep core memories. I’m grateful for them and grateful for the time of being able to coach a player like Jimmy.”

As for the outcome of the trade, Spoelstra praised the front office for bolstering the roster “in a way that was really creative,” expressing enthusiasm about the players the team added. The coach lauded Andrew Wiggins for his ability to fit in and make an impact on both ends of the court; cited Davion Mitchell‘s “competitive spirit” and toughness as traits the club has long admired; and referred to Kyle Anderson as one of the league’s most unique role players whose “IQ is off the charts.”

“(General manager) Andy (Elisburg) just did a tremendous job,” Spoelstra said. “Obviously (team president) Pat (Riley) with this vision of all this stuff. And to be able to get a draft pick, we were able to do a lot of different things.

“We have clarity now. This could have looked a lot worse if you had to go through a lot of different changing situations. All things considered, it’s a good spot for this stretch run. We feel good about turning the page of the direction of our franchise. It’s exciting. [And] Jimmy will be in a great place in Golden State.”

Here are a few more items of interest related to the Heat’s trade talks leading up to Thursday’s deadline:

The Bucks and Sixers were mentioned a couple times in recent weeks as possible suitors for Butler, but neither team had substantive discussions with the Heat, Jackson reports in another Miami Herald story. Jackson believes a trade centered around Butler and Paul George would’ve been of greater interest to Philadelphia than Miami.
As they engaged Golden State in recent weeks about a Butler trade, the Heat never seriously considered the idea of flipping Wiggins to Toronto or another team, according to Jackson, who says Miami really likes the former No. 1 overall pick and views him as a good two-way fit.
The Heat would have ducked out of luxury tax territory if they’d completed a rumored side deal to send Anderson to the Raptors, but Toronto’s front office changed its mind about bringing the veteran forward aboard when the team got the chance to acquire Brandon Ingram from New Orleans, says Jackson. The Heat weren’t angry at the Raptors about that pivot, Jackson adds, because they understood their talks were fluid and they hadn’t gotten a firm commitment from Toronto.
Even though that aspect of the trade fell through, the Heat moved forward with another side deal – sending Dennis Schröder, a second-round pick, and cash to Utah for P.J. Tucker – even though it no longer moved them below the tax line, Jackson writes, because they didn’t want to renege on their agreement with the Jazz. Schröder and Tucker ultimately ended up in Detroit and Toronto, respectively, when the dust settled.
The Heat, who remained about $2.8MM over the tax line following the Butler blockbuster, received three trade offers in the hours leading up to Thursday’s deadline that would’ve made them a non-taxpayer, per Jackson. However, they decided that all three proposals would make the team worse and opted to remain in the tax rather than accept one of them. Miami is still below the first tax apron, giving the club the ability to pursue any player who hits the buyout market, regardless of the player’s previous salary.

Eastern Notes: George, Kuzma, Valanciunas, Ingram, Butler, Wiggins

February 6th, 2025 at 10:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

Paul George thought he’d be competing for a championship this season when he signed with the Sixers. Instead, the star forward has spent his first season in Philadelphia battling injuries. He has been sidelined by knee, groin, ankle and finger injuries that have limited him to 31 games.

“It’s super frustrating,” George told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Super frustrating, especially, coming in with big goals and what I wanted to accomplish and what the team wants to accomplish, and then to always have these setbacks. It’s super frustrating, I for sure feel it. But you know all the bad luck, something has to change. That’s all I can kind of weigh on is, things will change. There are positives in all of it. I just got to weather the storm.”

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Trading away Kyle Kuzma and Jonas Valanciunas continues the Wizards’ necessary strategy in a tear-down rebuild, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes. The roster has been almost completely made over since president Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins took over the top front office jobs. Those trades continue the Wizards’ aim of accumulating draft picks and providing young players with heavy minutes.
Trading for Brandon Ingram is an unusual step for a seemingly rebuilding team like the Raptors, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. While Ingram is a mid-range ace, his overall game is flawed and the Raptors gave up valuable assets for him, according to Koreen, who believes it’s likely they’ll make a strong offer, probably at least $35MM per season, to retain him when he enters free agency this offseason.
As Sportsnet’s Michael Grange details, the Raptors were looking for a significant piece to pair with franchise player Scottie Barnes and wouldn’t have had the cap space necessary this summer to get a top free agent like Barnes. In the big picture, the Raptors believe Ingram can help them be competitive next season and beyond.
With the Jimmy Butler standoff finally in the rear mirror, Heat players expressed not only relief but also excitement that Andrew Wiggins was part of the package from Golden State, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I think it’s going to take a huge weight off everybody’s shoulders once we can move forward from everything, once it’s over with,” Terry Rozier said. “Who we got and we can move forward with that, and try to put it together and get ready for the playoffs. I think it’s a huge lift for everybody, just clarity… Obviously, we’ve been the talk of the town for probably the last month. I think it’s going to be huge for our locker room just knowing what we got going out there. It’s going to be a huge help for us.”

Joel Embiid Available To Play Tuesday After Month-Long Absence

February 4th, 2025 at 4:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

FEBRUARY 4: Embiid will be available to play on Tuesday vs. Dallas, the team confirmed today (via Twitter).

FEBRUARY 3: Joel Embiid could return to action on Tuesday. The Sixers are listing their star center as questionable to play against the Mavericks, Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports tweets.

Embiid hasn’t seen action since Jan. 4 due to lingering left knee issues. The big man has only appeared in 13 games this season, averaging 24.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 29.5 minutes per game. He was limited to 39 games last season, when he averaged a career-best 34.7 PPG, 11 RPG and 5.6 APG.

The return of Embiid could factor into the Sixers’ plans regarding their roster with the trade deadline looming. Philadelphia’s brass reportedly has no intention to give up on this season, even though Embiid and prized free agent Paul George have been sidelined for a chunk of its games. George is listed as out on Tuesday due to a finger injury, but he, like Embiid, practiced on Tuesday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.

The Sixers have a 19-29 record after losing their last two games following a four-game winning streak.

Embiid isn’t the only Sixers player close to returning after an extended absence. Embiid’s backup Andre Drummond (left toe), Caleb Martin (right hip) and KJ Martin (left foot) are also questionable to play on Tuesday. As Bodner points out, Drummond has only played in four games since Dec. 23, Caleb Martin has been out since Jan. 10 and KJ Martin hasn’t seen action since Dec. 23.

As for their opponent, the Mavericks are listing Anthony Davis and Max Christie as questionable to play on Tuesday, Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Interestingly, Davis’ abdominal strain was not listed on the Mavs’ injury report. Instead, the questionable tag was due to “trade pending,” though Dallas has officially announced the blockbuster deal with the Lakers and Jazz.

Hawks Have Reportedly Registered Interest In Paul George

February 4th, 2025 at 8:27am CST by Luke Adams

Confirming a Monday report indicating that the Warriors inquired on Paul George, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer cites sources who say the Hawks have also expressed interest in the Sixers forward.

According to Pompey though, the expectation is that the 76ers would only consider moving George if they could get a “home-run deal.”

Philadelphia has been decimated by injuries this season, resulting in a 19-29 start. George has been limited to 30 appearances so far due to various health issues and has seen his production drop off when he’s been healthy. His 17.1 points per game represent his lowest mark since the 2011/12 season, while his 42.9% field goal percentage and 36.5% three-point percentage are below his career rates.

Given that George is in the first season of a four-year contract worth $211.6MM, those numbers are a cause for some concern. However, as Pompey points out, the club has gone 6-1 in the seven full games that George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey have played together and doesn’t seem to be in any rush to break up that trio, especially since they’re all on long-term contracts.

George has two more guaranteed years beyond this season, with a 2027/28 player option, while Embiid is locked up through at least 2028 and Maxey is under team control through 2029.

It doesn’t come as a shock that the Warriors checked in on George, since they also had trade interest in him last summer before he opted out of his contract with the Clippers.

The Hawks’ interest is a little more surprising, considering they’re a younger team, but George would theoretically make sense as an on-court fit alongside core players like Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu. Atlanta also has some sizable contracts that could be used to match George’s $49.2MM cap hit, starting with Clint Capela ($22.3MM expiring), as well as De’Andre Hunter ($21.7MM) and/or Bogdan Bogdanovic ($17.3MM).

Warriors Eye LeBron James, Kevin Durant In Hopes Of Major Deadline Deals

February 3rd, 2025 at 12:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:48 pm: Shams Charania of ESPN confirmed during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show (Twitter video link) that the Warriors have inquired about James and Durant, noting that Golden State is casting a wide net in its search for another impact player.

“The Warriors are legitimately calling about every All-Star player,” Charania said. “Name the All-Star player, the Warriors have probably called about him. (Sixers forward) Paul George, they’ve probably called – they have called – about him.

“They’ve made calls on every star. And that, of course, includes players like LeBron, players like Kevin Durant, players like Jimmy Butler. They are making calls. They are dead set on trying to find another star player – a superstar player – with Stephen Curry.”

The Warriors are among several teams who have asked about Durant, per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), but Gambadoro says the Suns remain focused on either acquiring Butler from Miami or – if they can’t get Butler – making other smaller deals.

12:00 pm: The Warriors are “big-game hunting” ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline and have contemplated a strategy to reunite the core of the U.S. Olympic squad by teaming up LeBron James and Kevin Durant with Stephen Curry, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (subscription required).

That’s the most audacious of the plans being considered by Golden State’s front office, but there could be a path to making it happen. Sources tell Fischer that the Warriors are among the teams that have made inquiries about whether James could be convinced to waive his no-trade clause and part with the Lakers. Nothing has changed so far, but Golden State will presumably continue its pursuit through Thursday.

Fischer cites sources who say the Suns currently don’t plan to move Durant before the deadline, but they are listening to inquiries. Durant is aware of the situation, Fischer adds.

Any deal with Phoenix would involve “a very high asking price” involving players and draft picks, according to Fischer, who notes that the Suns have “a level of interest” in Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga.

Fischer points out that Phoenix’s grip on a postseason spot is less secure after the Spurs reached an agreement to acquire De’Aaron Fox from Sacramento. That trade should make San Antonio (21-25) more dangerous in the short term without the Kings (24-24), who are acquiring Zach LaVine as part of the three-team deal, taking a significant step backwards. Both teams are hot on the heels of the 25-23 Suns in the postseason race.

The Suns would like to complete a deal for Heat forward Jimmy Butler, but have found no takers for Bradley Beal and may not be able to make it happen without giving up Durant or Devin Booker.

Fischer also reports that the Warriors haven’t entirely abandoned the idea of trading for Butler, despite a report on Sunday that he wouldn’t sign an extension with them. According to Fischer, there are “reservations” in Golden State’s front office about how Butler’s personality would fit with the team considering his standoff in Miami and his history of messy breakups.

Fischer adds that the Mavericks aren’t trying to add either Butler or Durant, although they’re still searching for roster upgrades after swapping Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis.

The current speculation, according to Fischer, is that the Warriors or Bucks are just as likely to land Butler as the Suns are. However, he adds that Milwaukee has been quiet recently in the Butler pursuit and may be more focused on acquiring Kyle Kuzma from the Wizards.

Trade Rumors: Butler, George, Lakers, Kessler, Turner, Raptors

January 29th, 2025 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Within a look at the clubs who could potentially get involved in a multi-team Jimmy Butler trade, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel adds the Sixers to the list of possible facilitators.

Given the contracts on their books, it’s hard to see how the 76ers could realistically get involved unless Paul George is an outgoing piece, since Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey aren’t going anywhere, no one else on the roster makes more than $8.2MM, and the club isn’t well positioned to absorb salary.

For what it’s worth, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports (Twitter video link) recently broached the possibility of Philadelphia reacquiring Butler in a deal that sends out George, noting that Embiid had interest in the idea of reuniting with Butler before the Sixers signed George.

However, Goodwill added that the Sixers told George they wouldn’t trade him in the first year of the four-year contract he signed in July. Even if they were willing to do so, I think George’s value has probably taken a significant hit since the summer based on how the first half of the season played out, so I’m skeptical about how much interest the Heat or another team would have in taking on his long-term max deal.

Here are a few more trade rumors and notes from around the NBA:

On the heels of Anthony Davis declaring publicly that he thinks the Lakers need to add another big man, the team has made acquiring a center an even greater priority, team and league sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic. With that in mind, Buha runs through a number of targets who might make sense for Los Angeles, starting with Jazz center Walker Kessler. Buha views Kessler as an ideal fit in L.A. and advocates for the Lakers to aggressively pursue him, noting that the cost would likely be two first-round picks or an unprotected first-rounder and rookie Dalton Knecht.
Within the same Athletic article, Buha writes that the Lakers have “long coveted” Pacers big man Myles Turner and explains that some people view Turner as “sneakily gettable” because it’s unclear whether Indiana is prepared to pay him $30MM per year in free agency. Still, even if he’s available, acquiring Turner would be challenging, given that other teams would have interest and the postseason-bound Pacers would likely want a starting-caliber center in return, Buha adds.
Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required) takes a closer look at the Turner dilemma facing the Pacers, breaking down the case for keeping and re-signing him and the case for trading him.
Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link) suggests not reading too much into the report linking the Raptors to Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram. As Lewenberg explains, Toronto always does its due diligence when a star player becomes available and is likely doing the same with Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the team is serious about acquiring either player.

Atlantic Notes: George, McCain, Towns, Barnes, Raptors Trade Outlook

January 28th, 2025 at 10:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers forward Paul George underwent an MRI and ultrasound which revealed an injury to the extensor tendon in his left fifth finger, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps relays (Twitter link) via a team press release.

George’s return to play will be determined in the coming days. He played just 13 minutes against Chicago on Saturday before exiting with the finger injury.

Sixers coach Nick Nurse is optimistic George will return soon, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin tweets. “I think it is day to day,” he said. “It’s not major.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Sixers rookie Jared McCain admitted to a group of reporters, including McMenamin, he took the news hard when he found out in December he’d require season-ending surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee. “I started crying,” McCain said. “It was very tough to hear how long I’d be out for and to know I’ve worked so hard to be in the NBA and now it just gets taken away from me so quick. So, it was tough, especially that night. … Luckily, I’m good now and I got a little cane with me, so taking it step by step.” McCain was part of a pool of players on Tuesday chosen for the Rising Stars event, though he obviously can’t participate. His rehabilitation so far has been limited to walking on an altered-gravity treadmill.
Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns is continuing to battle through a sprained right thumb and bone chip in the finger. It has affected his three-point shooting — he is three for his last 14 attempts, Dan Martin of the New York Post notes. “Man, it’s been a struggle,” Towns said. “I looked bad. I’ve been worried myself.”
Scottie Barnes has continue to expand his game and that’s a huge development for the rebuilding Raptors, Michael Grange of Sportsnet writes. Barnes is averaging career highs in points (20.2 per game) and assists (6.6) and his on-ball defense has also improved.
The Raptors are expected to be active on the trade market with a willingness to facilitate bigger moves by other teams in order to accumulate more assets. Blake Murphy of Sportsnet offers a trade primer, including the team’s current cap sheet, trade pieces, and available exceptions.

Sixers Rumors: Yabusele, Gordon, Embiid, George, Edwards

January 27th, 2025 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers‘ minimum-salary investment in Guerschon Yabusele has paid off in a big way this season, with the big man playing a regular role in Philadelphia and submitting strong numbers, including 10.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game with a .394 3PT%. The 76ers “love” the Frenchman, Marc Stein writes at his Substack.

However, as Adam Aaronson and Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype outline for PhillyVoice.com, retaining Yabusele beyond this season might not be easy. The Sixers will only hold his Non-Bird rights, which will prevent them from offering more than 20% above his minimum salary unless use another cap exception. Philadelphia should have the taxpayer mid-level exception available, but even if that’s enough to re-sign Yabusele, it would mean not being able to use the MLE to bring in additional help.

With that in mind, the Sixers may to make a difficult decision on Yabusele at this year’s deadline, according to Stein, who reports that multiple playoff teams have submitted trade offers for the 29-year-old. Given that Philadelphia is just 17-27, is well above the tax line, and isn’t assured of hanging onto Yabusele beyond this season, entertaining those offers might be in the team’s best interest.

Veteran swingman Eric Gordon, who has made 49.2% of his three-point attempts in his last 14 outings since returning from oral surgery, has also generated trade interest, Stein writes, adding that the 76ers want to see how the next week-plus plays out before making any final decisions about their trade deadline plans.

Here’s more on the Sixers:

Joel Embiid‘s swollen left knee has responded well to treatment and he was partial participant in practice on Monday, per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter links). However, the former MVP has been ruled out for Tuesday’s game vs. the Lakers as well as Wednesday’s vs. the Kings, according to the team.
Paul George, who underwent an MRI on his injured finger on Sunday, didn’t practice on Monday and won’t play on Tuesday, Neubeck adds. The club is still reviewing the results of the forward’s MRI.
John Hollinger of The Athletic takes stock of the Sixers’ current situation, explaining why tanking this season to try to protect their top-six protected 2025 first-rounder doesn’t make much sense, given how close they are to a play-in spot and the head-start that the NBA’s other tanking teams have gotten. Hollinger could see Philadelphia either buying or selling at the deadline, given the club’s tradable draft assets still on hand and its position relative to the tax line.
Within the same story, Hollinger highlights Sixers two-way player Justin Edwards, writing that the rookie has shown he’s capable of being a solid NBA role player. “I feel like a broken record, but he just seems to always be in the right place on offense,” head coach Nick Nurse said of Edwards on Friday. “He’s got a few levels, he can go all the way to the rim, he’s got enough of a pull-up if there’s too much traffic there, and he’s got a decent sense (of when) to (kick) it out.”

Atlantic Notes: Porzingis, Irving, Hart, George

January 26th, 2025 at 5:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Winning a championship last season has affected the Celtics’ killer instinct, center Kristaps Porzingis admits. Porzingis made his comments after Boston’s win over Dallas on Saturday.

“We were a lion last season, and some games this year we’ve looked like a house cat,” Porzingis said, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “We want to have that spirit as a team this year, and it’s tough. Obviously we can’t trick ourselves and make it [like] it’s playoffs every game. It’s tough, just human nature. But we know the group that we have and we know that we’re going to bring it to the big games, but we need to bring it consistently and keep building on top of good wins like (Saturday).”

Boston has gone 11-9 over its last 20 games.

“We’re definitely working towards getting our killer instinct back,” Porzingis said. “We want to have that. Some moments we’ve looked really good, some moments not so good. Some moments we’ve cruised a little bit.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Kyrie Irving had a tumultuous stint in Boston before departing in free agency in 2019 but he has nothing but praise for the current version of the Celtics, according to Brian Robb of Masslive.com. “Everyone kind of criticizes them based on what their season is this year, but if you look at their first 42 games, it’s pretty similar compared to last year,” the Mavericks guard said. “Maybe two years off. This is a well coached basketball team.”
Josh Hart was considered a game-time decision on Saturday due to knee soreness. The Knicks forward wound up posting his sixth triple-double this season with 20 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists as New York blew out the Kings. Hart never had a triple-double before he joined the Knicks in 2022, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post notes. “I think that’s a lot of credit to Thomas Thibodeau,” Hart said. “And him putting me in a position to be successful. I think it’s always a good combination when you have a coach and player who match each other’s craziness. So I gotta give him all the credit for the success I’m having since I’ve been here.”
Paul George has dealt with numerous injuries in his first season with the Sixers, the latest being a finger ailment suffered on Saturday. “You feel bad for him,” guard Tyrese Maxey told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, “especially because now you think he’s finding his rhythm, kind of finding his niche where he fits in with the offense.”

Sixers Confident About Joel Embiid’s Return, Won’t Pursue Tanking Strategy

January 26th, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

While there may be advantages to tanking the rest of the season, the Sixers made their intentions clear with a pair of huge wins this weekend. They defeated the East-leading Cavaliers at home on Friday and topped the Bulls on Saturday to pull to within a game of Chicago for the 10th spot in the conference.

Philadelphia is still committed to winning despite a horrendous start and a 17-27 record midway through the season, writes David Aldridge of The Athletic. Injuries have limited Joel Embiid to 13 games so far, but majority owner Josh Harris told Aldridge that the organization remains confident he’ll be able to return and lead the Sixers into the playoffs.

“We’re still really happy with Joel,” Harris said. “He’s a warrior. I’ve seen this. He’s fought through a lot of injuries. You remember when we started, in his first (two) years, he didn’t play at all. And then, in his third year, he played 30-something games. And then, he fought through all of that, and became the MVP. So, he’s fighting right now, and we’re fighting. And I’m hopeful and optimistic that we’ll get through.

“I want him to get his body right and get on the court. If he gets back on the court, everything’s going to fall into place. I know him as a person, and I know him as an individual, and I know how hard he’s working. I think he’s also super-smart and very in-tune with his body. He has a whole team around him, and we have a whole team around him. He’s getting the absolute best care and best advice. I’m hopeful that he’ll fight through this and make it happen, and that’s what we’re going to plan for right now.”

Embiid is currently dealing with swelling in his left knee that began during a workout last week. He was projected to miss at least seven to 10 days, so an update on his status should be coming soon. Before that, he sat out the previous six games due to a sprained left foot that has since healed.

According to Aldridge, the Sixers don’t believe Embiid’s knee issue will require surgery and they remain hopeful that he’ll return to action “sooner rather than later.” They don’t view extended rest as the best solution, considering him to be more effective when he’s playing and practicing regularly.

Aldridge also hears that the Sixers aren’t convinced that the benefits of a tank would be worthwhile, despite the fact that they would keep their 2025 first-round pick if it lands in the top six. With 17 wins already, it would be difficult for the club to get higher than fifth or sixth in the lottery race.

League sources tell Aldridge that the front office doesn’t see much difference between the quality of a pick in that No. 5-6 range or a selection a little later in the first round that would have to be sent to Oklahoma City. He adds that it would be difficult to sell a tanking strategy to Paul George, who came to Philadelphia on a four-year, $212MM contract in free agency last summer, or to Tyrese Maxey, who recently agreed to a five-year, $204MM extension.

“To be honest, we don’t know what we look like, because we haven’t been healthy. So, to be honest, we might have enough in here already,” George said after the win over Cleveland.

The Sixers’ history of tanking also has to be considered, Aldridge adds. Embiid was the only real prize to show from four years of losing during “The Process” era, and fans might not be on board with heading down that road again, even if it’s only for half a season.

Harris emphasized that he has no interest in pursuing that strategy.

“I would say that, again, we always start with trying to build elite teams,” he said. “We started this season with two potential Hall of Famers, and one All-Star. We were very excited about the season. Obviously, it’s been a disappointing season. No one’s happy with where we are. We’re not happy. I go to a lot of games. We want to be winning and creating the contending team that we’ve had over the last five years. The injuries haven’t helped us. The elite team we had hasn’t been on the court more than seven games, where they started and finished the game. We won six of seven of those. I think we got it right.

“But what’s happened is, obviously, Joel hasn’t played a lot. He’s the lynchpin of the whole thing. When he doesn’t play, the pressure comes on Paul, and it comes on Tyrese. And Tyrese has had to carry a lot of the load, and, in some cases, Paul has had to carry a lot of the load. And people have had to do things that they weren’t necessarily prepared for.”

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