And-Ones: Hall Of Fame Finalists, Kelly, Expansion, Investigations
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced this week the selection of finalists for its Class of 2026, according to a league press release. The finalists will be put forward to the Honors Committee to be considered for election and the new class will be announced on Saturday, April 4 during Final Four weekend.
The North American Committee Finalists include referee Joey Crawford; coaches Mark Few, Gary McKnight, Dick Motta, Doc Rivers, Kelvin Sampson and Jerry Welsh; and players Blake Griffin, Kevin Johnson, Amar’e Stoudemire and Buck Williams.
The Women’s Committee Finalists include the 1996 United States Women’s National Team and players Jennifer Azzi , Elena Delle Donne, Chamique Holdsclaw and Candace Parker.
Molly Bolin-Kazmer is the lone finalist from the Women’s Veterans Committee. Dušan Ivković (coach) is the lone International Committee finalist while Marques Johnson is the only Veterans Committee finalist. The Contributors Committee chose Tal Brody and Mike D’Antoni as its finalists.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- David Kelly has been unanimously elected as the next NBA Players Association Executive Director by the Board of Player Representatives, Ian Begley of SNY relays (Twitter link). He’ll replace longtime NBA player Andre Iguodala, whose term expires in July. Kelly has been serving as the Managing Director and General Counsel for the NBPA. He’s also served as a close advisor to Iguodala.
- The Board of Governors might vote on expansion this summer, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (video link) and Dallas Morning News’ Brad Townsend (Twitter link). The BOG’s spring meeting is expected to be critical for stakeholders to better understand the factors around expansion, according to Charania. Some BOG members wanted to vote on expansion in the spring, but it will be tabled to the summer for extra information-gathering and deliberation, according to Townsend. Seattle and Las Vegas have long beeen considered the top candidates for expansion.
- The Athletic’s Mike Vornukov and Joe Vardon provide an in-depth look at how the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz conducts investigations into various NBA matters. The league has used the firm’s services since 2007.
- All-Star weekend continues today with the 3-point contest, the Shooting Stars event and the slam dunk competition and The Athletic’s Steven Louis Goldstein offers a guide to Saturday’s activities. Prior 3-point contest winners Damian Lillard and Devin Booker are among the eight participants in that event. The Shooting Stars is making its first appearance since 2015, replacing the Skills Challenge.
Norman Powell “Definitely” Wants To Re-Sign With Heat
Norman Powell, who entered the league in 2015, is making his first All-Star appearance on Sunday as a member of the Heat. An unrestricted free agent after the season, Powell is hoping his time in Miami doesn’t end after this season, he told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. and Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
“Hopefully there’s some good synergy from what they’ve seen that I bring to the table,” Powell said. “And hopefully a deal is able to be done sometime. But yeah, I see myself being here and being a part of the Heat organization for however long they’ll have me.”
Powell is in the final year of a five-year, $90MM contract that he signed with Portland. He’s averaging a team-best 23 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 45 starts. The point average is also a career best and his shooting averages are strong — 47.4 percent overall and 39.6 percent on 3-point tries.
He’s extension eligible and would prefer to stay put, even though he’d certainly have suitors on the free agent market.
“This is definitely a place that I want to be,” Powell said. “It’s been nothing but great. Coming here getting adjusted, the organization has been amazing. I love where I’m at. I love the setup. I love the mentality. I love the approach. It has been, honestly, a super easy transition because I feel like everybody in the organization has the same mentality I have of pushing yourself to achieve the best and be the best version of yourself. It’s been fun.”
Powell has been traded a few times in his career and it happened again this week in a odd way. He was moved from the USA Stripes team in the three-team All-Star event on Sunday to the World Team due to Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s injury.
Powell was disappointed last season when he wasn’t selected for the All-Star Game as a member of the Clippers. He averaged a career-best 21.8 points in 60 starts but was dealt to Miami a three-team swap in July.
He now finds himself making that coveted appearance in the new Intuit Dome, the home of the Clippers.
“I really thought that I’d be an All-Star last year with the team, and it didn’t happen,” said Powell, who will also take part in the Three-Point Contest on Saturday night. “Moves are made, and then the venue is actually where you just got traded from and you get selected to be one and go back there in front of the fans, in front of that organization. I think it’s just a nice little Easter egg to the story of my career. … I don’t think they freely wanted to give me up, but I think it’s just a little in-your-face. I still was able to do it.”
Los Angeles Notes: James, Doncic, Niederhauser, Dunn
LeBron James knew early in his career that the only thing that could stop him from being one of the game’s all-time greats was a lack of preparation. The 41-year-old James discussed his training regimen and dietary habits with Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
“Obviously I didn’t know it would be 23 years. I didn’t know that, but I know I didn’t want to have no six- or seven-year career. I can’t become legendary in six or seven years,” he said. “I always had a mission. When I knew I could play this game at a high level, like, going to Chicago and playing with MJ [Michael Jordan] and all those guys when I was a sophomore [in high school]. And then when I went up to Cleveland and played against the Cavs when I was a junior and I was like, ‘Oh … I belong. I belong.’ I knew I still had to learn and I still had to continue to get my body right, continue to learn the game and nuances. But I was playing against NBA guys for a long time and I was like, ‘If I get the opportunity to crack the league, if I get the opportunity to showcase what I’m able to do, the only thing that can stop me is if I don’t take care of my body. The only thing that can stop me from being the greatest or one of the greatest to ever play this game is if I do not take care of myself.’ I did take care of my body. That’s it.”
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, a former Lakers assistant, marvels at James’ motivation to play at a high level for so long. James became the oldest player to record a triple-double this week.
“Physically, LeBron, he’s had some injuries, but he’s taken care of his body, he’s always prepared himself for the marathon,” Kidd said. “But I think it’s the mental side. I think that’s the hardest part is to wake up and say, ‘Do I need to go play against a 20-year-old or a 19-year-old?’ He’s won championships, he’s been MVP, he’s been the face of the league. He’s a billion-dollar company. So, it’s the mental side. Understanding that he loves competition and he loves the game of basketball. So I think for him to do it at 41 is incredible.”
Here’s more on the Los Angeles teams:
- Luka Doncic has been dealing with a hamstring issue but he’s still planning to participate in the All-Star contest on Sunday, Marc Stein of The Stein Line tweets. The Lakers guard will play for a limited number of minutes. He’s part of the World Team in the three-team event.
- Clippers rookie center Yanic Konan Niederhauser, who scored 11 points in Friday’s Rising Stars competition at All-Star weekend, credits Ivica Zubac, who was dealt to Cleveland last week, and Brook Lopez for facilitating his development. “Having this guidance from these vets, man, they’ll be helping me and knowing they got my back, knowing that they will teach me every day gives me a lot of confidence,” Niederhauser told Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. Niederhauser, the 30th pick of the draft out of Penn State, has appeared in 34 games this season, averaging 3.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 9.0 minutes off the bench.
- It’s been a chaotic season for the Clippers, including an ongoing league investigation, a horrible start and a roster makeover at the trade deadline. Kris Dunn admitted to Greg Beacham of the Los Angeles Times that it’s been a rollercoaster ride. “We’ve dealt with a lot this year,” he said. “Our whole mentality throughout the year has just been to try to find a way. It’s been tough.”
Bulls Notes: Ivey, Dillingham, McClung, Guards
The Bulls have positioned themselves as the league’s preeminent “second draft” team, Fred Katz writes for The Athletic, referencing recent moves for young players in need of a change of scenery.
One such player is the newly acquired Jaden Ivey, who came to Chicago in a three-team trade involving Kevin Huerter. Like Josh Giddey when he was acquired by the Bulls, Ivey is nearing restricted free agency and had lost clarity in his role with the highly successful team that drafted him — though in Ivey’s case, that was due in large part to the broken leg that sidelined him for much of last season.
Ivey is not in a position where he’ll be handed control of the Bulls’ offense, Katz writes, especially with the number of guards on the roster, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be in a position to excel.
Katz notes that Ivey has shot the three exceptionally well since the start of last season, and the Bulls, who traded two free agent-to-be point guards at the deadline, will have ample cap space this summer. If Ivey can return to his physical form while continuing to shoot at a high level, there could be a spot for him next to Giddey in the backcourt.
We have more from the Bulls:
- Another new addition to the Bulls’ backcourt is second-year guard Rob Dillingham. Head coach Billy Donovan has been impressed by Dillingham’s speed and ability to penetrate the defense but wants much more from him as a processor of the game. “The decision-making, the shots that he’s taking, are not sustainable. And I told him that,” Donovan said, per The Athletic’s Joel Lorenzi (Twitter link). “His job and responsibility is to generate shots for guys when he gets there… it’s not like I’m giving him free rein. We need him downhill, but he also can’t be jumping off of two feet, getting caught in the air, shooting over guys, trying to throw passes that aren’t there. He’s gotta clean that up, and we’ve gotta help him do it.” Donovan added that he wants Dillingham to maintain his level of aggression and that he believes the young guard will find that balance with time.
- Chicago recently signed three-time Dunk Contest champion Mac McClung to a two-way deal, which represents the latest step towards McClung reaching his dream of carving out a role for himself in the NBA. The 27-year-old guard turned down highly lucrative offers overseas to play in the G League and stay ready for his call-up, Anthony Olivieri writes for ESPN. “This [NBA quest] is where my heart’s at,” McClung said. “… You can’t keep telling me no forever.”
- The Bulls players know that the team they’re on is strangely constructed and not built for longevity, Lorenzi writes, but that just makes the challenge for players like Anfernee Simons more interesting. “This not a normal situation,” Simons said earlier in the week, shaking his head. “Seven new guys, six of them are playing heavy minutes and we have to just learn on the fly like that. It’s just gonna take tons of communication. Experience. Just going through it together with mistakes and everything… Obviously, we want to win. That’s the end goal. Right now is the time that we learn each other and learn from our mistakes and just try to build something from there.” With Simons, the maniacally competitive Collin Sexton, and Ivey all in contract years, the team is loaded with new guards who will be motivated to perform at a high level in the next couple months. The team will likely lose many games, but it won’t be for lack of trying on the part of the players.
VJ Edgecombe Named 2026 Rising Stars MVP
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe was named the 2026 Rising Stars MVP after closing out two straight wins for Team Vince en route to the Rising Stars championship.
In Game One between Team Melo and Team Austin’s G League rising stars, Dylan Harper (Spurs) hit the game-winning shot to get Team Melo to the target score of 40 points. Team Austin had the top two scorers in the game in Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Clippers) and Yang Hansen (Trail Blazers), but Team Melo’s balanced scoring attack, led by Reed Sheppard (Rockets) and Donovan Clingan (Blazers) with nine points each, was too much for the G League stars to contain.
In Game Two between Team Vince and Team T-Mac, Edgecombe exploded for 17 points, including the last 10 and the step-back game-winner over Cam Spencer (Grizzlies). Jaylon Tyson (Cavaliers) led Team T-Mac with 10 points and Tre Johnson (Wizards) added eight while facing off against teammate Kyshawn George. Team Vince came away with the 41-36 victory.
The Rising Stars championship game, with a target score of 25, kicked off with back-to-back Clingan three-pointers while Matas Buzelis (Bulls) carried Team Vince early with a one-handed dunk and a smooth post move. An Edgecombe rebound and putback brought the game to 23-22 for Team Vince, prompting a Team Melo timeout.
After a Stephon Castle (Spurs) putback dunk, Edgecombe was fouled by Clingan on a drive, heading to the free throw line, where he knocked down the game-winning free throws. Carter Bryant (Spurs) contributed five points while playing against his teammate Harper, who led Team Melo with eight points.
Kevin Durant, John Wall, Kyrie Irving, Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Jamal Murray, Cade Cunningham are among the future All-Stars who have won the Rising Stars MVP award over the past couple decades.
Pacific Notes: Clippers, Porzingis, Christie, Suns
As the Clippers host the NBA world for All-Star weekend, their recent trade deadline moves make the future of the team difficult to gauge, Kelly Iko writes for Yahoo Sports.
The Clippers traded James Harden for the much younger – but oft-injured – Darius Garland, in addition to sending out starting center and defensive backbone Ivica Zubac, to bring back wing scorer Bennedict Mathurin, who has come off the bench to start his tenure in Los Angeles.
The moves, for a team that was one of the hottest in the league following a slow start to the season, require a recalibration of expectations, Iko writes. The team got younger with the moves, but lost two of their most consistent contributors. Garland is also sidelined with a toe sprain and has no set timeline for return.
“It’s not easy,” veteran Nicolas Batum said. “Especially when you trade away big pieces. But the thing we got back is pretty huge as well. You still gotta do your job, but it’s going to be an adjustment for sure.”
Coach Ty Lue said that despite the moves, the goals haven’t changed from his perspective.
“Our expectations are still to win and win at a high level,” Lue said. “Come out and compete every single night and play hard. No matter who’s on the floor.”
We have more from around the Pacific Division:
- Kristaps Porzingis has yet to suit up for a game with the Warriors due to a combination of Achilles tendinitis and an illness, but coach Steve Kerr said that he’s hoping the All-Star break helps give him time to get his body right, Anthony Slater of ESPN notes (Twitter video link). “Kristaps played today and was moving better than yesterday and seemed to be in a good rhythm,” Kerr said on Wednesday night, adding that the big man was playing half-court five-on-five. While there have been rumors that Porzingis will be able to play in Golden State’s first game after the All-Star break, Kerr wasn’t ready to lock that in. “We’ll just see how it plays out,” he said.
- With Wednesday’s 121-93 loss to the Jazz, the Kings have matched their longest losing streak in franchise history, Jason Anderson writes for the Sacramento Bee. It’s the first time the team has lost 14 straight since moving to Sacramento in 1985. For head coach Doug Christie, who experienced some of the franchise’s most memorable moments as a player, it’s particularly painful. “I’ve been here for the absolute best of the Sacramento Kings, the best record, and now you deal with this,” said Christie. “…One thing I know is that adversity does not define you, but it clarifies some things about you as an individual and us as a collective because when you face that you come together in brotherhood, you communicate, you compete at a high level and we will be better for it in the long run.” There was at least one bright spot in the loss, as second-year guard Devin Carter set his career-high in points (19).
- The Suns are heading into the All-Star break on something of a down note, winning just once in their last four games and being blown out by a Thunder team missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in their last game before the break. However, head coach Jordan Ott holds a slightly different view of the team’s position, Duane Rankin writes for the Arizona Republic. “This is exciting,” Ott said of the team’s current seventh-place seeding. “What we’re playing for, the next 27 games, that’s exciting. You don’t want the result, but if that doesn’t motivate you, and I know it will, so that part, we’re going to take this as a positive.”
Cavaliers Sign Riley Minix To Two-Way Deal
The Cavaliers have signed Riley Minix to a two-way contract, according to the NBA’s official transaction log.
The 25-year-old forward opened the season on a two-way deal with the Spurs and appeared in three games for San Antonio, scoring three points in eight total minutes. He was waived in December in order to make room on the Spurs’ roster for newcomer Kyle Mangas.
Since being cut by the Spurs, Minix has been playing for the Cavaliers’ G League team, the Cleveland Charge. In 12 regular season outings for the Charge, he has averaged 19.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game with a strong shooting line of .556/.457/.741.
The Cavs had been carrying Tristan Enaruna and Emanuel Miller on two-way deals, the latter of whom they received in the trade for Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder. Minix will take the team’s third two-way spot, which recently opened up when Nae’Qwan Tomlin was promoted to the 15-man roster.
Minix will be eligible to be active for up to 17 regular season games, a prorated portion of the usual 50-game limit.
Zach LaVine To Undergo Season-Ending Hand Surgery
Zach LaVine will undergo surgery on his right hand after the All-Star break and is expected to be sidelined for the rest of the Kings‘ season, reports league insider Chris Haynes (via Twitter).
LaVine has missed the last three games for the Kings with what was described as a right fifth finger tendon injury.
The 30-year-old guard is averaging 19.2 points per game this year, his lowest scoring rate since the 2017/18 season, and is also posting career lows in assists (2.3) and rebounds (2.8) per night. The Kings are currently tied for their longest losing streak in franchise history at 14 games and hold the worst record in the NBA.
LaVine holds a $48.9MM player option for next season, which he is expected to exercise.
Jeremy Sochan Signs With Knicks
February 13: The Knicks’ signing of Sochan is official, the team announced (via Twitter).
February 12: Fourth-year forward Jeremy Sochan plans to join the Knicks once he clears waivers, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
The Knicks have an open roster spot and made some moves prior to the trade deadline to create additional flexibility below their second-apron hard cap. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks points out (Twitter link), New York went from roughly $148K below the second apron to $1.15MM last week, giving the team room to sign Sochan for the prorated veteran minimum and remain under the apron.
Since Sochan was waived well before the March 1 deadline for playoff eligibility, he’ll be able to suit up in the postseason for his new team. He’ll be a free agent again after the season.
Sochan was placed on waivers on Wednesday by mutual agreement with the Spurs. According to Charania, 10 teams were interested in signing him following the waiver procedure. He had an expiring $7.1MM salary, which makes it highly unlikely he’ll be claimed on Friday.
The No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Sochan had fallen out of San Antonio’s rotation since December and was viewed as a change-of-scenery candidate ahead of last week’s trade deadline. The club reportedly gave his representatives permission to explore a potential move leading up to February 5. The Knicks were one of the teams who were said to be interested in trading for him.
Sochan made 149 starts and averaged 27.3 minutes per game in his first three seasons with the Spurs, contributing 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per contest during that time.
He could provide depth for the Knicks at a number of positions and his defensive prowess could come in handy during the playoffs. Sochan’s main weakness is his outside shooting — he has made just 28.7% of his career three-pointers.
International Notes: World All-Star Team, Doncic, Bueno, Johnson
Kevin Durant threw some playful shade at the international representatives for this year’s All-Star game, Michael C. Wright writes for ESPN.
When asked about how hard his older squad that featured LeBron James, Stephen Curry (who will miss the game with a knee injury), and Kawhi Leonard will play on Sunday, Durant said the question was being posed to the wrong group.
“You should ask the Europeans and the World team if they’re going to compete,” Durant said. “… These two dudes out there, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic, they don’t care about the game at all. These dudes be laying on the floor. They’re shooting from half court. But you’ve got to worry about the old heads playing hard? I can read between the lines, bro. It’s just an overall topic that everybody’s been talking about.”
Wright notes that at least one international player says he’s planning on giving it his all.
“I’ve seen the All-Star Game, and obviously it hasn’t been competitive,” said Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. “And I’ve always thought myself that if I was in there, I’m never stepping onto the court to lose or not caring. Just like at home, I’m never stepping into a board game not caring, thinking I’m going to lose. … I’m going to be out there, I might as well win.”
Durant was unmoved by Wembanyama’s comments.
“He said that last year too,” Durant said. “They said it was the worst All-Star Game that people watched. So we’re going to see. Who knows what’s going to happen? This format might change the game, but who knows? We’ll see.”
We have more from around the world of international basketball:
- The NBA’s deputy commissioner, Mark Tatum, recently confirmed Doncic’s interest in being a part of the NBA Europe project in Italy, Aris Barkas writes for Eurohoops. “We have talked a lot about the concept, and he really, really thinks that it’s time for the NBA to do something in Europe,” Tatum said of Doncic. The Lakers’ star recently entered into a preliminary agreement to buy the Italian team Vanoli Basket Cremona, with the intention of moving the club to Rome and having it be a part of NBA Europe.
- The NBA has wanted to find a way to work more closely with the EuroLeague, Barkas writes, and with former NBA Europe executive Chus Bueno becoming the EuroLeague CEO, that goal could quickly become a reality. Tatum said that Bueno can be a “bridge” between the two leagues. “We always said from the very beginning that we wanted to work together with the EuroLeague to align everyone in the ecosystem, and that was always our objective,” Tatum said. “And that will continue to be our objective, and I think that having Chus there, somebody we know well and who knows European basketball well, perhaps he can be a bridge between us, FIBA, and the EuroLeague clubs.” Barkas writes that the NBA is hoping for answers from potential investors by the end of March and is still eying 2027 as a potential start date for the new league.
- Alize Johnson is joining the Shenzhen Leopards in China on a “lucrative deal,” Marc Stein reports (via Twitter). Johnson, a five-year NBA veteran, appeared in a career-high 18 games with the Nets in 2020/21 and averaged 5.2 points and 5.0 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game. He started this season with the Iowa Wolves in the G League and averaged 20.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 5.8 assists while shooting 41.3% on 3.9 three-point attempts per game.