As the Wizards’ statement notes, Caporn becomes the 12th head coach of the program. Since 2017, he had served as an assistant under previous head coach Brian Goorjian, who stepped away following the 2024 Paris Olympics.  With Caporn on the staff, Australia claimed a bronze medal in the 2021 Tokyo games.

“I am deeply grateful to Basketball Australia for their trust in me and to the entire Australian basketball community for the invaluable experiences and opportunities I’ve had from grassroots development to the Olympic stage,” Caporn said in the press release. “ I’m excited to get to work, building a team that will represent Australia with pride and continue to strengthen the Boomers’ great legacy and culture.”

Caporn had been the head coach for the Nets’ NBAGL affiliate squad, the Long Island Nets, during the 2021/22 season, before moving on to work as an assistant coach for Brooklyn for two years from 2022-24.

He is in his first season under Wizards head coach Brian Keefe. Caporn had also worked as an assistant at Saint Mary’s College of California, his alma mater, from 2010-14.

Besides Caporn, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder, former Germany head coach Gordon Herbert, and veteran NBA assistant Will Weaver were said earlier this week to be among the candidates to take over for Goorjian as the new Boomers’ head coach.

Magic assistant Bret Brielmaier was a candidate too, according to Olgun Uluc of ESPN, who also reports that Snyder remains in talks for an advisory role with Basketball Australia moving forward.

Stein hears that Davis played some 2-on-2 over the weekend for the first time since he strained his left adductor on February 8 in his Dallas debut.

League sources tell Stein that both Davis and Dereck Lively, who is on the mend from a stress fracture in his right ankle, are on track to get healthy before the end of the season. However, that doesn’t mean they’ll actually suit up again for the Mavericks in 2024/25.

Amid a brutal wave of injuries, including losing Kyrie Irving to a torn ACL, the Mavs have dropped five straight games and are only 1.5 games ahead of Phoenix for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. And even if they hold onto the No. 10 seed, they’d have to win two straight road games in the play-in tournament to advance as the No. 8 seed, only to face the top-seeded Thunder in the first round.

As Stein observes, any hope the Mavericks had of another deep playoff run have been extinguished. Prioritizing the team’s odds of securing a lottery pick — and avoiding the possibility of Davis and Lively re-injuring themselves — is the most logical path for Dallas to take for the remainder of ’24/25.

Here’s more from Stein:

• Although the Mavericks have been “repeatedly described” as a possible suitor for Suns forward Kevin Durant, both before and after last month’s trade deadline, Stein hears Dallas’ interest in Durant has been “overstated.” The Mavs’ depth would take a major blow if they try to trade for Durant, Stein notes, and they also lack future draft capital, which is why focusing on landing a lottery pick in June’s draft makes sense. Retaining Irving, who holds a $44MM player option for ’25/26, is a “priority” for Dallas, per Stein.
• When asked by Stein how strange it was to play in Dallas knowing that the Mavericks traded away Luka Doncic, Suns guard Devin Booker replied, “You can feel it. You can feel it when you land.”
• Scouts and executives from around the NBA are very curious what the future holds for Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, according to Stein. Before — and even during — the season, many around the league believed the two sides were destined to part ways, but Portland’s improved play has observers wondering if the team will exercise its option on Billups or perhaps give him a new contract. If the Blazers decide not to retain Billups, he would become an “in-demand coaching free agent,” Stein writes.
• Hawks head coach Quin Snyder, Wizards assistant Adam Caporn, former Germany head coach Gordon Herbert, and veteran NBA assistant Will Weaver are among the the candidates to be named the next head coach of Australia’s national team, according to Stein. The Boomers finished in sixth place at the 2024 Olympics in Paris after claiming their first medal in men’s basketball — a bronze — in Tokyo.

As recently as last season, it seemed like the Magic was following a trajectory similar to that of the Thunder or Rockets. All three teams added to their cores with the top-three picks in the 2022 draft, and the tandem of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner led the Magic to the fifth seed in the East last season, where they were able to push the Cavaliers to seven games.

But now, the Thunder are the top team in the West with Houston firmly in the playoff picture. As Robbins writes, a season with promise is in danger of falling apart as the Magic sit in ninth place this season and will have to win at least one play-in game (and possibly two) to earn a first-round date with the Cavs or Celtics.

“It’s a different year,” Banchero said. “It’s almost the end of this season, so we’re a different team. Teams, I think, are seeing what our weaknesses are and they’re attacking it, and we’ve had trouble adjusting.”

Injuries and three-point shooting are the biggest reasons for the tougher year, Robbins writes. Defensive ace Jalen Suggs is out for the season while Banchero and Wagner both had long-term absences in the first half. That trio has only shared the court for 97 total minutes. With Suggs out for the foreseeable future, the Magic will need to figure out how to get into a groove without him. They’re 9-20 this season when the former Gonzaga standout isn’t available.

Additionally, the Magic have missed the production they received from Moritz Wagner off the bench. He’s not only their statistically best three-point shooter, but he also gives them optionality at center, which the team is sorely missing. The Magic rank last in the league in three-point percentage.

“The message at the end was we’ve got to fight our way out of this funk,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “That’s exactly what it is. It’s a funk, and we’ve got to fight our way out of it.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

• Rising Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, who is out for the season due to a torn labrum, is confident he’ll be ready for the start of the ’25/26 season, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Lauren L. Williams. “When you’re in the league, you’re constantly learning about your body, how things may need to tweak here and there,” Johnson said. “So, I’m still learning things, learning new things. I got a great staff around me who provides great insight on things like that. So I just been trying to take knowledge from a lot of people, other athletes and stuff like that as far as you know, maybe what they do, I mean their preparation. But I’m confident in what I do, and I know I’ll get back to 100%.”
• Hawks guard Vit Krejci, out since Feb. 10 due to a lumbar fracture, was upgraded to questionable for the team’s Saturday game against the Pacers, Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks tweets. Krejci is averaging 6.9 points per game while shooting 38.4% from three in 39 games (15 starts) this season. Meanwhile, impressive trade deadline acquisitions Caris LeVert (knee inflammation) and Terance Mann (quad contusion) are in danger of missing a game for the first time since arriving in Atlanta. Both players are questionable for Saturday’s contest.
• Hawks head coach Quin Snyder returned to the bench on Thursday against the Pacers after missing one game due to illness, ESPN reports. Snyder missed that game due to the flu and assistant Igor Kokoskov took his place. “His level of experience makes you very comfortable in those situations,” Snyder said of Kokoskov.
• Bam Adebayo is working his way up the Heat’s all-time rankings, recently surpassing Rony Seikaly for the most double-doubles in franchise history. Impressively, Adebayo is already fourth in all-time scoring for the Heat and has a shot to move into second place as soon as next season. He’s already No. 2 among the Heat’s all-time leading rebounders and, according to the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang, isn’t shy to let current leader Udonis Haslem know he’s coming for his record. “He’s been texting me every spot,” Haslem said. “Every spot he comes up the chain, he texts me.”

“I think it would be very easy to sometimes lay down when you are in the position that you are, but we are obsessed with daily improvement,” Lee told Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “Part of daily improvement is going into every game and facing a different type of opponent, different strategy, different coverages, different matchups, and adjusting and adapting. And they’ve done a really good job of doing that.”

Miles Bridges says the players aren’t giving up, even as the losses pile up.

“We’ve got to play with pride — we’re in the NBA,” Bridges said. “We are blessed to be in the NBA. That’s my mindset coming into a game. I’m blessed to be here in the NBA, so I want to go out and give 100% and I try to give that to the other guys. Just going out and playing with pride. Being on a losing streak sucks for everybody. If we can get a win next game against the best team in the league (Cleveland on Friday), that will probably turn us up.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

• Igor Kokoskov became an NBA head coach again — at least for one night. The Hawks assistant filled in on Tuesday for Quin Snyder, who was battling an illness. Atlanta lost to Milwaukee, 127-121. Kokoskov was Phoenix’s head coach during the 2018/19 season. “None of us knew until right before tipoff,” point guard Trae Young told Charles Odum of the Associated Press. “He was here early. It kind of surprised us but we still had a game to go play. It sucks we couldn’t get him the win.”
• As things stand, the Heat could wind up with two first-round picks in this year’s rich draft. The Heat will keep its own pick if it misses the opening round of the playoffs, most likely by losing in the play-in tournament. The Heat will receive the Warriors first-round pick if it falls between 11-30, which is becoming an increasing likely outcome. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald takes a look at some of the players who might be available in the middle of the first round, including UConn’s Liam McNeeley, Duke’s Kon Knueppel and Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears.
• Bam Adebayo‘s offensive production has increased since rookie Heat center Kel’el Ware was inserted into the starting lineup. That’s no coincidence, he told Jackson. “It gave me more energy to play offense,” he said. “I’m not in every pick-and-roll. Obviously, he’s guarding the five [the center]. A lot of four men [power forwards] don’t and do the things that fives do. For me, it definitely let a load off me where I definitely could focus more on scoring.” Adebayo averaged 15.7 PPG in the first 40 games and 21.3 PPG in the past 19 games, including 17 with Ware starting.
• The Magic anticipated they’d be on the upswing once Paolo Banchero started producing at his usual levels again. It hasn’t worked out that way. Banchero, who was sidelined for two-and-a-half months with an abdominal injury, has averaged 29.6 points on 47.8% shooting, 6.3 rebounds, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 34.7 minutes over the past seven games. However, Orlando has lost four straight, including twice to the Raptors. “We’ve got to do some soul-searching,” Banchero told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. “The good thing about a time like this is that, really, the only way you can go is up.”

“It’s just very important that we keep understanding that everyone’s body is different [and] how they respond to treatment is different,” head coach Jamahl Mosley told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. “We’re going to make sure he’s taken care of the right way and understand exactly how we integrate guys back because this is for the long haul.”

The Magic have gone 5-14 over their past 19 games. Their overall defensive rating of 109.0 still ranks third in the league, but it was at 106.4 prior to Suggs’ first 10-game absence and has has been just 113.9 (14th) during that 19-game span without him.

“Jalen is a huge piece for us in what he does and his energy and his enthusiasm — same as Moe Wagner (who is out for the season),” Mosley said. “You can’t replace those pieces whether you try to or not. To put the weight of the entire defense on a young man and what he provides, it’s tough to do.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

• Andrew Wiggins‘ Heat debut didn’t go well. He shot 3-of-12 shooting from the field while scoring 11 points in 30 minutes against Boston on Monday. Wiggins, acquired from Golden State in the Jimmy Butler blockbuster, wasn’t fazed and knows an adjustment period will be necessary. “That’s the NBA for you,” he said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “It’s never going to be easy. Every game is going to be a dog fight, every game is important, especially for this team. I’m learning my way through. But at the end of the day, it’s basketball. I’ve been playing it since I was a kid. So I think I’ll be fine.”
• The Heat will play a preseason game in Puerto Rico this fall, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. It will be the team’s seventh exhibition in Puerto Rico over the team’s 38 seasons but their first since 2006.
• Veteran big man Larry Nance Jr. would likely draw a lot of interest in the buyout market but The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie doubts that Nance and the Hawks will pursue that avenue. League sources tell Vecenie that Atlanta coach Quin Snyder is a big fan of the 32-year-old, who has been in the Hawks’ rotation since returning last month from hand surgery. Nance will sit out Wednesday’s game due to a knee injury.

“I’m truly proud of Tyler because there’s been a lot of media that have thrown that man’s name in the mud,” teammate Bam Adebayo said. “Y’all have thrown his name in trade rumors, y’all have said he’s not good enough, he can’t do this and he can’t do that, all the way down to somebody’s wingspan. So just looking at it from that standpoint and understanding how great Tyler can be, it’s a testament to him and how he’s really worked on his body, how he’s really prepared himself for moments like this.”

Herro has been one of the most durable Heat players this season and he’s averaging career highs in points (24.1), rebounds (5.6), and assists (5.4) per game, as well as field goal percentage (47.4%), three-point percentage (40.0%) and three-point attempts per game (9.7). Herro will also be taking part in the NBA’s three-point contest on All-Star Saturday Night on Feb. 15.

“I feel like throughout the years, people thought it would come faster, sooner than this,” Herro said. “But I think the time that we put in every year, every summer, it finally paid off and it was a lot of different trials and tribulations, back and forths with [head coach Erik Spoelstra], what I need to work on every single year. But I always just came in and tried to get better every single day.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

• While the trade deadline and Jimmy Butler saga are dominating headlines in the short term, Ira Winderman of South Florida’s Sun Sentinel writes the Heat have a decision to make later this year on Herro, who will become eligible for an extension as of Oct. 1. While that’s still a way out, it will be interesting to see if that extension is put on the table immediately and whether Miami will be willing to offer the full three-year, $150MM deal Herro will be eligible for.
• Former Grizzlies two-way center Colin Castleton landed with the Magic‘s G League affiliate in Osceola, The Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede observes (subscriber link). Castleton appeared in 10 games with the Grizzlies this year, averaging 1.4 points per game in very limited playing time. The Florida product is hoping to get back into the NBA through his time with Osceola. In 17 G League games, he’s averaging 15.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.1 blocks per night.
• Basketball Australia’s general manager Jason Smith has flown to the United States to meet with both Hawks coach Quin Snyder and Wizards assistant Adam Caporn, NBA insider Jake Fischer reports. Both are major candidates in Australia’s search for a new head coach. We wrote about the Boomers’ interest in Snyder last week. Caporn was born in Australia, playing professionally with Wollongong and Perth. After retiring from his playing days, he has spent time as an assistant with Saint Mary’s, the Nets (and as head coach of their G League affiliate), and now the Wizards. He has also served as assistant for Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence.

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic were the only unanimous choices in the West. Meanwhile, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama each showed up on all but one of the six ballots from The Athletic’s reporters.

The NBA will officially announce this year’s All-Star starters on Thursday evening during a TNT broadcast. The starters are determined by votes from fans (50%), players (25%), and the media (25%).

We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

• Veteran NBA big man Bruno Fernando, who was waived earlier this month by Toronto before his full-season salary could become guaranteed, is in talks with Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid, as Michalis Gioylenoglou reports for Eurohoops.net. Gioylenoglou describes Fernando as becoming more open to making the move to Europe after having initially been reluctant to head across the Atlantic. However, no deal is done yet.
• Hawks head coach Quin Snyder is among the candidates receiving serious consideration to become the next coach of Australia’s national team, sources tell Olgun Uluc of ESPN. The Boomers are seeking a successor to Brian Goorjian, who coached the national team at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.
• Former NBA big man Antonio Davis, who appeared in over 900 games from 1993-2006 and made an All-Star team with Toronto in 2001, has been named the CEO of the National Basketball Retired Players Association, reports Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). According to Spears, Davis will “drive the strategic visions, business operations, member services, and growth” of the NBRPA, a non-profit association representing former NBA players.
• In a feature story for The New York Times, Bruce Schoenfeld checks in on Adrian Wojnarowski, exploring why the former star news-breaker, who was making $7.3MM annually at ESPN, accepted a job at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure, that pays him about one percent of that amount ($75K per year).

He capped the night with a game-winning three-pointer after being unexpectedly left wide open. Young passed the ball to De’Andre Hunter, who had already made five shots from beyond the arc, and when the defense double-teamed him, nobody rotated to Young.

“I think Trae made a good read,” Hunter said. “He started to attack slightly. They both went with him. When he passed it to me, I saw them both run at me. So it was kind of a simple play. Trae reads space. He was making shots all the night, so I was confident he would make that one, for sure.”

It was a welcome performance by Young, who has been struggling with his shot for most of the season. Williams notes that he’s only connecting at 37.5% from the field and 30.7% from beyond the arc since October 27, as opposing teams have been trapping him or picking him up full court to force the ball out of his hands. With the roster getting healthier, Young expects to get more open looks and more opportunities to create for his teammates.

“If you’ve been watching, we’ve been having a lot of guys in double figures,” he said. “So this wasn’t the first night that it’s been like this. So we just got to continue to keep it going. Even in some of our losses, we had a lot of guys scoring. So, we just got to keep it going. And now we got guys healthy. We found a little rhythm. We got can’t get too high or too low at any moment.”

There’s more from Atlanta:

• A lot of preparation goes into Dyson Daniels‘ disruptive defense, Williams adds in a separate story. The 21-year-old guard is having his best season in his first year with the Hawks, leading the league in steals by a wide margin and being recognized as the first-ever Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month. Daniels explained his intensive study of the players he has to guard. “One thing for me is I know where people have to bring the ball to get power to go up,” he said. “So, a guy like Giannis (Antetokounmpo), for example, he got me a couple times (and) I missed it. But you have to bring the ball across your body to get your power. So usually, if someone gets past me, and there’s a big at the rim, and they try Euro step, they’re always going to bring the ball across their body to the left side. So that’s when I can swipe it.”
• The Hawks are on a five-game winning streak as coach Quin Snyder‘s vision for the team is being realized, observes Cyro Asseo de Choch of HoopsHype. Putting an emphasis on taking advantage of athleticism to score in transition, Snyder has the Hawks eighth in the league in scoring and 11th in pace.
• Jalen Johnson has been added to the Hawks’ injury report with soreness in his right shoulder, Williams tweets. He’s considered questionable for Sunday’s game with Denver.

“He dominated practice today,” Nance said of Johnson. “He was awesome. He was knocking down threes in transition. He’s been really, really impressive, and I’m trying to push him into speaking some more and leading the group and breaking the huddles and stuff like that, because he’s going to be a guy in this league and with that comes ‘heavy is the head that wears the crown.’ He’s going to wear the crown one day, and he is being groomed for that.”

Nance, who was acquired from the Pelicans this offseason in the Dejounte Murray trade, said he wasn’t very familiar with Krejci’s game before he joined Atlanta, but that has quickly changed.

“The dude can really play,” Nance said of Krejci. “He passes, he dribbles, he can shoot it. He’s shooting the heck out of it. And he defends. … Vit has been super impressive.”

Johnson is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason ahead of the final season of his rookie contract, while Krejci just signed a new four-year contract with Atlanta over the summer.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

• With several new players on the roster, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder is trying to figure out which lineup combinations work best together, writes Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Snyder suggested that the starting lineup is very much up in the air, and could change over the course of the season. “So, I think the question really is, ‘How does our team function?’” Snyder said Thursday. “And the other part of it is, people will focus on the first game as, like, a definitive statement about something. And, we have an 82-game (regular) season. Well, say that we’ll have focus on that in the first (exhibition) game. And, we could start anybody we want, and there’ll be different starters, I think, throughout the year, based on a lot of things, there’ll be different lineups, and it’s something we have to continue to observe and see how guys play together, see who complements each other, see what rotations look like.”
• Hornets wing Brandon Miller is coming off a strong debut season in which he finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. While he has a reputation as a scorer, Miller has set an unusual goal for the 2024/25 season, per Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer. “I want to lead the team in charges taken,” said Miller, who added that he wants to be an “elite two-way player.” As Fowler writes, the rookie led the team several hustle stats last season, including charges taken. The 21-year-old Miller also wants to add muscle to his lean frame.
• French forward Tidjane Salaun, whom the Hornets selected No. 6 overall in June, may have a lengthy learning curve as he enters his rookie season. But the team has been pleased with Salaun’s competitiveness, work ethic, and constant desire to improve his game, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “It’s for sure a lot for Tidjane right now,” head coach Charles Lee said. “I think the terminology is a lot different than what he’s experienced — the physicality, the pace of the game. He’s in different positions on the floor, but he’s done a really good job of paying attention and asking questions.”
• Wizards wing Corey Kispert says rookie guard Carlton Carrington has a great on-court mentality, according to Chase Hughes of The Monumental Sports Network (Twitter link). “I mean, he flips the switch, man,” Kispert said. “He’s the most friendly, talkative, bubbly guy off the court. And then as soon as the ball goes up, he turns into a killer. You want guys like that on your team and you hate playing against guys like that on other teams.”

“I just wanted to send support to the team where I started my professional career,” Bogdanovic explained. “We all know how much I love Partizan, I practiced in their hall, they gave me conditions for practicing, that’s how I wanted so send a message that I’m thankful for that. I know people want me back in Partizan, but my focus is now on NBA, I won’t lie. I want to impress there in best way possible. And when it is time to come back, I’m sure emotions will make the judgement.”

Bogdanovic’s contract has two seasons remaining, plus a team option for 2026/27, so it should be a while before he plays again in Europe. His current focus is helping Atlanta remain competitive in the Eastern Conference, and he’s hoping to reach a standard that he’s yet to accomplish in the NBA.

“I made myself a goal to play 82 games, I never did that and it’s very tough,” Bogdanovic said. “Last season I missed two, once I was sick, once injured, I think I can accomplish that now.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

• Veteran big man Larry Nance Jr. is eager to play for coach Quin Snyder after being traded to the Hawks this summer, writes Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Nance is already getting involved in the community and was among several Atlanta players who volunteered at Saturday’s Million Meal Pack at State Farm Arena. “Quin is a basketball mastermind,” Nance said. “I was a huge fan of his when he was at Utah, and obviously, these past few years in Atlanta. Now I’m excited to play for him, and we’re gonna get along really well. Yeah, I consider myself a high-IQ basketball player, and he’s very high IQ. Yeah, so. But the roster is exciting. Obviously, it’s a young roster and a team that’s looking to make some noise here going forward.”
• Appearing on a Monumental Sports Network podcast, Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said fans should be excited about what Alex Sarr might be able to accomplish in his rookie season. “I wouldn’t put limitations on it, to be honest with you,” Dawkins said of the No. 2 overall pick. “I think he’s someone that by the end of the season you’ll be like ‘okay, that was different.’ He’ll have his moments throughout the beginning of the year, both negative and positive. But the stuff he can do on the floor long-term, I think you guys will be pretty excited about.”
• Jalen Suggs is coming off his best NBA season, but the Magic will need him to improve his point guard skills as he takes over the offense, per Mike Shearer of Basketball Poetry.

“I’ll just get right to it,” the 62-year-old coach told reporters. “There’s a certain energy level that you need to have a chance to coach effectively in this league. For me, the last couple of years with the losing had been a factor in it. But as we have been meeting and discussing things, I’m just not comfortable that I can — that I’m ready right now to — give the players what they need from a head coach in order to play well every night.”

Clifford is expected to move into a front office job, although the details of that position haven’t been finalized. He also coached the team from 2013-18 and has the most wins in franchise history. Executive vice president Jeff Peterson believes he’ll be an important addition to the management team.

“I think Cliff will become that person who (players) can go to and confide in at times,” Peterson said. “He always shoots it straight, regardless of who you are. You may not like it at the moment, but the players respect that. Having that familiar face and voice — still within the organization — is going to be very valuable.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

• In a separate story, Boone evaluates five prominent candidates as the Hornets begin the search for their next head coach. In addition to Celtics assistant Charles Lee and Heat assistant Chris Quinn, who were mentioned earlier, Boone looks at Nuggets assistant David Adelman, Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney and Nets assistant Will Weaver.
• Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic had a heated exchange with coach Quin Snyder late in Monday’s game with Chicago that was audible on the Bulls’ broadcast, but they both dismissed the incident afterward and said their relationship is fine, per Lauren Williams of the Journal-Constitution. “We are doing this almost every other minute or we are verbally fighting all the time, which is normal,” Bogdanovic said. “That means we both care and everyone cares.”
• The Magic continue to rely on defense as they fight for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, notes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando posted a 103.1 defensive rating during its just-completed eight-game homestand, which was the best in the league during that time. The Magic limited opponents to 99.4 PPG over those eight games.

“There were so many people here in Utah that me and my family came across that touched our lives,” Snyder said. “Those relationships are timeless for me, even if I’m not here. I have so much gratitude for the people that I worked here with and for, particularly Ryan Smith and Justin Zanik and Danny Ainge. So to come back here to Utah and be reminded of that brings a lot of emotion. But life is about change, and it’s about adapting, and we all have to do these things at some point.”

Jones notes that Snyder had to build a winning team from scratch after he took over the Jazz in 2014, and he’s still early in that process with Atlanta. The Hawks are holding onto the East’s final play-in spot at 29-37 in Snyder’s first full season, but they aren’t nearly where he wants them to be.

“I think we know that we have a lot of work to do, but that’s what makes it fun,” Snyder said. “The most important thing for us is to make sure that we improve each day and that we are doing the right things. We have to make sure that we have the right habits and then work from there.”

There’s more on the Hawks:

• Jalen Johnson, who returned Friday after missing three games with a sprained right ankle, is one of the few NBA players who spends the All-Star break training rather than relaxing, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. While most of the league is on vacation, Johnson undergoes an intense three-day workout in Los Angeles. “It lets you know how unsatisfied he is,” said his trainer, Chris Johnson. “He’s a starter now, he’s getting everything he wants, and he’s still unsatisfied. He has this desire to be the best version of himself. … Jalen Johnson is the next superstar in the making.”
• Rookie big man Mouhamed Gueye suffered an ulnar collateral ligament sprain to his right elbow/forearm area in a G League game this week, the Hawks announced (via Twitter). Gueye will undergo rehabilitation in Atlanta and will be reevaluated in seven-to-10 days.
• Second-year wing AJ Griffin has missed four straight G League games because of pain in his lower right leg and ankle, the team tweeted. He will be examined by the Hawks’ medical staff next week.
• Michael Cunningham of The Journal-Constitution (subscription required) argues that Trae Young should try to return from hand surgery if the Hawks are still in strong position for the play-in tournament when he’s healed, but that’s not a guarantee considering their recent performance. Young’s timeline has him set to be reevaluated in about a week.

However, the Warriors are high on youngsters like Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski, notes Charania, so those players are very unlikely trade candidates.

Additionally, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said on Monday (Twitter video link) that she doesn’t expect the Warriors to make any trades affecting their core unless Curry is “on board with that idea.” Thompson and Draymond Green are certainly part of that core, and it seems reasonable to assume Wiggins is in that group as well, given that he’s under contract for three more years and played a key role in Golden State’s 2022 championship.

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

• Hawks guard Dejounte Murray is considered a strong candidate to be moved at next Thursday’s trade deadline, but at least one notable member of the organization doesn’t want to see him go anywhere. Sources tell Marc Stein (Substack link) that head coach Quin Snyder has lobbied the Hawks to hang onto Murray, who is under contract for four seasons beyond this one.
• While the Hornets will certainly explore trading Gordon Hayward and Kyle Lowry, two veterans on pricey expiring contracts, both players are considered potential buyout candidates if Charlotte can’t find a deadline deal it likes. However, according to Stein, Hayward is “far less likely” than Lowry to seek a buyout if they’re still in Charlotte after February 8. If the Hornets were to retain Hayward through the end of the season, he would retain his full Bird rights and they’d have the option of re-signing him or signing-and-trading him in the summer. Stein also confirms that the Sixers would have interest in Lowry if he’s bought out, as previously reported.
• While the initial reports on Julius Randle‘s shoulder injury are relatively positive, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst notes that shoulder issues can bother players for “months” and have a tendency to reoccur. As Adam Zagoria of NJ.com relays, Windhorst argued during a TV segment that the Knicks should consider making a move on the trade market to help offset the loss of Randle.
• Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) passes along an interesting stat about movable first-round draft picks, noting that just 11 teams control 75% of the first-rounders that can be traded.

“Mentally, I’m strong,” Lillard said Friday at his Formula Zero elite basketball camp in Phoenix. “I think the last year and some change in my life overall, it’s not even just sports, it’s been a tough time, but right now, I’m in a strong place. Anytime I can come be in this environment. Like I said, it’s a lot of my loved ones that are here doing what we do at this camp, pouring into people, that brings me joy. That’s something that lifts me up so to be here is helpful.”

Lillard is coming off his best statistical year, averaging 32.2 PPG in 58 games before being shut down late in the season. He’s devoted much of the summer to traveling and family time, but he’s also preparing to help the Blazers, Heat or any other team he winds up with.

“I’ve had a great summer of training,” Lillard said. “I do a lot of things now to pour into myself and lift myself up and it’s been really helpful. So I would say I’m in a very strong place. My process has been the same going into the season that it’s been any other time except I’m just getting better as a man. I think that really helps me as far as my career goes. Anytime I can be improving myself as a man, it’s going to be positive for me.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

• Ashton Hagans‘ agreement with the Trail Blazers will be an Exhibit 10 deal, tweets Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report. Haynes reported on Friday that the 24-year-old point guard is expected to join Portland for training camp.
• The Jazz may not have a set rotation at point guard until well into the season, suggests Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. Kris Dunn, Collin Sexton, Talen Horton-Tucker and Keyonte George will all compete for time at the position, and Jordan Clarkson and Ochai Agbaji may run the offense occasionally as well. Todd suggests that Dunn may be the favorite to start if he plays as well as he did last season, but the trade market could factor into playing time decisions.
• In a separate story, Todd looks at highlights of the Jazz schedule, including Hawks head coach Quin Snyder returning to Utah for the first time on March 15.

Meanwhile, David Aldridge and Josh Robbins of The Athletic weighed in on the latest Beal trade rumors, taking a closer look at the Wizards’ talks with the Suns and Heat. According to The Athletic’s duo, Washington would have interest in acquiring Tyler Herro in a deal with Miami, but the Heat are instead offering Duncan Robinson (along with Kyle Lowry and multiple first-round picks).

Despite rumors indicating that Chris Paul – and not Deandre Ayton – would need to be included in the Suns’ offer for Beal in order to satisfy all parties, Aldridge and Robbins suggest that Ayton could still be the centerpiece of Phoenix’s offer.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

• Heat guard Victor Oladipo is accusing his business manager of taking money from his bank accounts to buy a condo in Florida and a strip club in New York City, per Justin Rohrlich of The Daily Beast. Oladipo has filed suit in New York against James B. Henderson for stealing at least $1.3MM. Oladipo filed a separate lawsuit last year in Florida’s Orange County Circuit Court.
• While some observers believed that Quin Snyder wouldn’t have joined the Hawks unless he was given ultimate control of the roster, he adamantly denies that’s the case, according to Jeff Schultz of The Athletic. “The only role (general manager) Landry (Fields) and (assistant GM) Kyle (Korver) and I talked about when I agreed to come to Atlanta is me coaching the team,” Snyder said. “That’s what I like and it’s also what I’m passionate about. Any speculation about me having a more significant role than providing input on personnel decisions is just not accurate. I have total confidence in Landry and his group to make those decisions. As I see it, my job is to maximize the potential of the personnel, whatever the personnel is. That’s where my focus lies. That speculation is erroneous.”
• A number of draft experts expect the Hornets to select Brandon Miller at No. 2 in next Thursday’s draft, but Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer makes a case for Scoot Henderson to be the pick. The guard’s stock has been on the rise as of late, Boone writes, with rumors circulating that teams want to trade up for Henderson, not Miller.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.