Cavs Notes: 48th Win, Celtics Matchup, Garland, Wings
With their win over Orlando on Tuesday, the Cavaliers are now 48-10 on the season, matching their 2023/24 season win total with 24 games still left to play, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). However, that wasn’t a milestone that the team and head coach Kenny Atkinson felt was worth celebrating.
“In our locker room, amongst us, no one is talking about our record,” Atkinson said after the victory, per Fedor. “Focused on trying to prepare for these playoffs. Championship mentality.”
As Fedor writes, it took the Cavaliers seven hard-fought games to sneak by the Magic in the first round of last spring’s playoffs. Their 122-82 beat-down of the Magic in Orlando on Tuesday night served as a reminder of how far the Cavs have come in less than a year and how much higher their expectations are now.
“We’re not going to talk around it. We want to win a championship,” guard Ty Jerome said. “That’s our goal. If that’s not your goal, why come to training camp? I don’t think there’s any added pressure. A lot of good teams in this league. One day at a time. Continue to do what we do.
“… We have a special group,” Jerome continued. “This is my fourth team, and you don’t find this often in the NBA. We all have individual goals, but winning is at the forefront of our mind and we all want to see each other succeed. We are genuinely happy for each other. You don’t find that a lot in the NBA. Just not taking that for granted. It’s special. Don’t want it to pass you by.”
Here’s more on the Cavaliers, whose current eight-game winning streak is just their third-longest of the season:
- Among Eastern Conference rivals, the Celtics are the biggest obstacle in the way of a Cavaliers title. Cleveland is 1-2 against the defending champs so far this season and is looking forward to the fourth and final regular season matchup between the two teams on Friday in Boston, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “We still have to prove we can beat them, beat them at their place,” Atkinson said. “I think we go in there, kind of guns blazing, go for the win, whatever it takes, throw everything at them. And then after that game, we can kind of step back and say, ‘Hey, what can we do in the playoffs?'”
- Darius Garland, who has missed Cleveland’s past two games due to a left hip contusion, is aiming to be back in the lineup on Friday vs. the Celtics, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link).
- While Javonte Green likely won’t play a major role in the playoffs for the Cavaliers, adding him on the buyout market is part of the team’s broader effort to “stockpile wings,” Vardon writes for The Athletic. As Vardon writes, it’s rare for a championship team to start two smaller guards like Garland and Donovan Mitchell, but the Cavs’ plethora of wings helps the team protect its smaller backcourt, especially during the minutes when just one of Garland or Mitchell is on the floor.
Isaiah Wong Signs With Zalgiris Kaunas
February 26: Wong has officially signed with Zalgiris Kaunas for the rest of the season, the team announced today (via Twitter).
February 25: Former Hornets guard Isaiah Wong is believed to be nearing an agreement with Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com.
Assuming Wong and Zalgiris Kaunas finalize a deal, it would put the 24-year-old on track to fill the roster hole created when Lonnie Walker opted out of his contract with the club last Tuesday in order to return to the NBA.
The 55th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Wong spent his rookie year on a two-way deal with the Pacers but appeared in just one NBA game for Indiana last season and became an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024. After spending some time in camp last fall with Utah, he opened this season with the Jazz’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.
In early December, Wong signed a two-way contract with the Hornets. The former Miami Hurricane subsequently appeared in 20 games off the bench for the Hornets, averaging 6.0 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 13.3 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .390/.394/.735.
Wong was waived by Charlotte just before the All-Star break and went unclaimed on waivers, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Presumably, reporting back to the Stars and finishing the season in the G League would be an option for Wong, but it appears he’s seriously considering the possibility of heading overseas ahead of Wednesday’s EuroLeague signing deadline.
Zalgiris Kaunas currently has a 12-14 record in EuroLeague play and is tied for 12th in the standings, so Wong could help the team make a push for a play-in (top-10) spot. Zalgiris is also 16-2 in domestic competition and is looking to reclaim its crown in the Lithuanian league after losing the championship to Rytas Vilnius last season.
Kansas Commit Darryn Peterson Tops ESPN’s First 2026 Mock Draft
We’re still about four months away from the 2025 NBA draft, but Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com (Insider link) are already taking a look ahead to the 2026 draft, having published their first brief (10-player) mock draft for next year’s event.
According to Givony and Woo, NBA talent evaluators are bullish on the prospects at the very top of the 2026 draft class, with Darryn Peterson, A.J. Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Nate Ament all considered legitimate candidates to become the No. 1 overall pick next year.
Peterson, a 6’6″ combo guard playing for Prolific Prep in California, is considered the current frontrunner for the No. 1 spot by ESPN’s draft experts, who say that the Kansas commit has established himself as the best player in high school basketball this season. Peterson helped cement his spot as the top player on ESPN’s 2026 board with his head-to-head performances against Dybantsa and Utah Prep, including a 61-point showing in the second game between the two.
Givony refers to Peterson as the best shot creator in the 2026 draft class, lauding his ball-handling, his ability to change speeds, his outside shooting, and his size and strength. The 18-year-old is viewed by some NBA scouts as a bigger version of Damian Lillard, Givony adds.
Givony and Woo have Dybantsa at No. 2, suggesting that’s more about Peterson’s emergence than anything Dybantsa has done wrong. The 6’9″ guard/forward, a BYU commit, has shown an ability to score from anywhere on the floor and is one of the best on-ball defenders in his class, Givony writes, noting that every NBA team is seeking wings in Dybantsa’s mold.
Boozer, ESPN’s No. 3 prospect, also has a strong case for consideration at No. 1, according to Givony, who says the son of former NBA big man Carlos Boozer has an “elite” feel for the game and has a chance to be the best player in the college basketball next season at Duke.
A 6’9″ forward, Boozer has earned comparisons to former top pick Paolo Banchero due to his varied offensive game and defensive versatility. The 17-year-old also has “a winning résumé unmatched by any prospect in recent memory,” Givony writes. He has earned a pair of gold medals in U-16 and U-17 FIBA tournaments and is a Florida state champion.
Ament, the No. 4 player on ESPN’s board, remains uncommitted for next season, with Duke, Kentucky, and Louisville among the programs in the mix to land him. The 6’11” big man is the furthest of these four prospects from reaching his long-term ceiling, but has shown intriguing potential as a shot-maker, passer, and defender, Givony writes.
Big man Jayden Quaintance, currently a freshman at Arizona State and one of the best shot blockers in the NCAA, is the No. 5 prospect in ESPN’s first mock draft for 2026.
Knicks Notes: Robinson, Hart, Towns, More
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson won’t make his season debut on Wednesday vs. Philadelphia, but he’s inching closer to returning from the ankle surgery that has sidelined him for all of 2024/25, writes Dan Martin of The New York Post. Head coach Tom Thibodeau said on Tuesday that the center has looked good and has been “very active” in workouts and practices.
While Robinson figures to be eased back into a rotation role, Thibodeau referred to the big man as an “elite” pick-and-roll defender, rim protector, and offensive rebounder and suggested that he would have been a significant part of the lineup if he had been healthy this season.
“I think you have to look at it and say, ‘OK, Mitch was projected to be the starting center on the team,'” Thibodeau said (Twitter video link). “So we’ve gone fifty-something games without our starting center. I think guys have done a really good job stepping in. Could we do better? I always believe we could do better.”
It’s unclear based on Thibodeau’s comments if he means Robinson was projected to be the Knicks’ starting center before the acquisition of Karl-Anthony Towns or if he envisioned starting the two big men alongside one another. Either way, that two-big look figures to be one the club experiments with once Robinson is available to return, and there’s hope that he’ll be able to help improve a unit that ranks 20th in the NBA this season in defensive rating (114.3).
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- After missing two games due to a sore right knee, Josh Hart returned to action on Sunday and logged 40 minutes in a loss to Boston. After the game, he told reporters, including Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, that he felt as if the extended All-Star break would be good for his knee issue, which he explained in more detail. “It’s something that comes and goes, something that I’ve managed for a long (time) — one time (in 2020) I was in the bubble with New Orleans, I would play and the next day really I couldn’t even get to half-court,” Hart said. “It was a pain, it was a struggle for me to even jog to half-court, and now I’m playing 48 minutes for Tom Thibodeau. So there’s peaks and valleys with it. Not really worried about it. All the time I pray for it before every game. By his grace I’m healed so I go out there and play my game.”
- Towns, who missed a pair of games in December and January with patellar tendinopathy in his right knee, had his knee issues flare up near the end of Sunday’s game vs. Boston and is listed as questionable to play on Wednesday due to left knee patellar tendinopathy, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv. When Towns was unavailable earlier this season, Jericho Sims typically moved into the starting lineup, but with Sims now in Milwaukee, Precious Achiuwa or Ariel Hukporti could fill that role if Towns is inactive.
- The Knicks were blown out by Cleveland on Friday and Boston on Sunday and are now 0-5 on the season against the two teams ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “We’re a work in progress,” Towns said on Sunday when asked how the Knicks stack up against those teams. “We’re going to be a work in progress all year until the day we step into the postseason.”
- In a subscriber-only article for The New York Post, Mike Vaccaro argues that it’s time to sound the alarm on the Knicks’ ineffectiveness against the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Thunder. New York is 0-7 against those teams and has lost those games by an average of 20+ points per contest.
Nets Sign Kendall Brown To Two-Way Deal
8:22 pm: The two-way deal is official, the Nets confirmed in a press release.
2:38 pm: The Nets have reached an agreement with guard/forward Kendall Brown on a two-way deal, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
The 48th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Brown spent his first two professional seasons with the Pacers, first on a two-way contract and then on a standard deal. However, the 6’7″ swingman was waived by Indiana in October and then had his G League rights acquired by the Long Island Nets later that month.
Brown has thrived this season in 34 total Tip-Off Tournament and regular season outings for Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, averaging 16.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 34.6 minutes per game. His shooting line at the NBAGL level is an excellent .565/.410/.750.
Brooklyn is the only team in the NBA that currently has an open two-way slot available, so no corresponding roster move will be necessary to make room for Brown. The Nets created that opening when they promoted Tyrese Martin to their standard roster last week.
Once the signing is official, Reece Beekman, Tosan Evbuomwan, and Brown will occupy the Nets’ two-way slots.
Josh Giddey Is Only 2025 RFA To Meet Starter Criteria So Far
When a player on an expiring contract is eligible for restricted free agency, his qualifying offer is determined in part by whether or not he met the “starter criteria” during the season – or two seasons – leading up to his free agency. As we explain in our glossary entry, a player meets the starter criteria when he achieves one of the following:
- He plays at least 2,000 minutes or starts 41 games in the season before he reaches free agency.
- He averages either 2,000 minutes or 41 starts in the two seasons prior to his restricted free agency.
If a top-14 pick coming to the end of his rookie contract fails to meet the starter criteria, the value of his qualifying offer declines. Conversely a player who was drafted at No. 10 or later or who went undrafted altogether can increase the value of his qualifying offer by meeting the starter criteria.
In many cases, an increase or decrease to a qualifying offer won’t materially affect the player’s restricted free agency, since a QO is just a one-year contract offer issued in order for the team to retain its right of first refusal. The player has the option of accepting it, but in most cases it functions as a placeholder until the RFA signs an offer sheet with a rival team or negotiates a new multiyear contract with his current team.
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, for example, will likely sign a lucrative long-term deal when he reaches free agency this summer, so it won’t matter all that much if he falls short of the starter criteria and his QO drops from the standard amount of $10,240,287 to $7,976,830.
But for a player who is less likely to secure a significant payday but still a good bet to receive a qualifying offer, a difference of a few million dollars between potential QOs could have a major impact on how his free agency plays out. That difference may affect how willing a team is to put the qualifying offer on the table and how likely the player is to simply accept it.
With all that in mind, it’s worth checking in on which potential 2025 restricted free agents have actually met the starter criteria so far this season and which ones are on track to do so. The first list is a short one: Bulls guard Josh Giddey is the only player to meet the starter criteria so far.
Giddey had a huge head-start because he made 80 starts for Oklahoma City in 2023/24, meaning he just needed to make two starts this season in order to achieve an average of 41 for the past two seasons. He made his second start for the Bulls way back on October 25, which means his qualifying offer this summer will be $11,142,057 instead of dropping to $7,976,830.
None of the 10 other potential restricted free agents have met the starter criteria though. Of those players, the following three were lottery picks, with their default qualifying offers noted in parentheses:
- Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors ($10,240,287)
- Davion Mitchell, Heat ($8,741,210)
- Ziaire Williams, Nets ($8,353,153)
Kuminga has only started 10 games this season and will fall short of the starter criteria, which will bump his QO down to $7,976,830. Mitchell and Williams still have a chance to get there though — Mitchell has 28 starts under his belt, while Williams has 26. They both need to reach 41 to achieve the starter criteria, and they’ve been regular starters for their respective teams as of late. If they hang onto their starting jobs and stay healthy, they’ll surpass 41 starts.
Again, Kuminga’s free agency is unlikely to be affected by his smaller qualifying offer, since his offer will likely just serve as a placeholder and a last-resort fallback option. Maybe the Nets will be slightly less inclined to give Williams a qualifying offer if it’s worth $8.35MM instead of $7.98MM, but that’s such a small gap that it’s unlikely to affect the team’s QO decision either way. The same goes for Mitchell and the Heat.
The other seven players on expiring contracts who are eligible for restricted free agency are Cam Thomas (Nets), Santi Aldama (Grizzlies), Quentin Grimes (Sixers), Tre Mann (Hornets), Isaiah Jackson (Pacers), Day’Ron Sharpe (Nets), and Jabari Walker (Trail Blazers). Jaden Springer, Chris Duarte, and Bones Hyland were also part of this group before being waived this month.
Of those players, only Thomas has a realistic chance of meeting the starter criteria. He started 51 games last season, which means he needs to get to 31 this season. He’s at 17 and the Nets have 25 left to play. If Thomas can return from his hamstring strain relatively soon, which seems likely, he has a good shot at starting 14 games and reaching the necessary threshold. That would increase his QO from $5,993,172 to $8,741,210.
The others will remain eligible for their standard QOs, based on draft position (or their prior salary, in Walker’s case), as follows:
- Tre Mann, Hornets ($6,964,982)
- Isaiah Jackson, Pacers ($6,422,431)
- Quentin Grimes, Sixers ($6,311,825)
- Day’Ron Sharpe, Nets ($5,983,683)
- Santi Aldama, Grizzlies ($5,940,797)
- Jabari Walker, Trail Blazers ($2,524,624)
Mavericks, Doncic’s Lakers Ready For ‘Weird’ Matchup
Almost immediately after word broke earlier this month that the Mavericks were sending Luka Doncic to the Lakers in the most shocking trade in recent NBA history, a steady flow of reports questioning Doncic’s weight and conditioning began leaking out of Dallas.
Although Doncic never publicly responded to those leaks, a source close to the five-time All-NBA guard tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN that they’ve been a motivating factor for Doncic as he settles into his new home.
“A beast was awakened inside him,” the source said to ESPN.
On Tuesday, Doncic will have the first opportunity to exact some level of revenge on the organization that traded him, as the Lakers tip off a six-game home stand by hosting the banged-up Mavericks. The Lakers are expecting it to be an emotional reunion, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
“I think he’ll be fine,” head coach J.J. Redick said of his newly added star. “Every day that he’s been with us it’s becoming a little more normal. I’ve been there. The first time you play your old team, particularly this close in time duration, it’s going to be weird. But he’ll be OK.”
While the matchup will mean more to Doncic than to the rest of the Lakers, his new teammates are all excited for it and will have his back as he faces his old team, according to Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who used to play with Luka in Dallas.
“I’m excited, man,” Finney-Smith said. “I know (Doncic is) gonna be ready but I try not to put too much pressure on him because at the end of the day, we just want to get the win. We get the win, I know he’s gonna be happy.”
Doncic didn’t look like his usual self in his first three games as a Laker after returning from a lengthy layoff due to a calf strain. He averaged just 14.7 points on 35.6% shooting in those three outings. But he showed on Saturday in Denver why the Mavericks’ decision to trade him was so stunning, going off for 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and four steals in a 23-point win over a Nuggets team that has repeatedly stymied the Lakers in recent years.
Doncic’s former Mavs teammates are fully prepared to see that version of Luka on Tuesday, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.
“I expect him to bring his A-game,” Mavs forward P.J. Washington said. “Knowing just the player he is, the mentality he brings to the game, I know he’s going to be ready as soon as we get out there. We can’t wait to compete against him. We miss him, but at the end of the day, he’s our brother and we’re always going to love him but we just gotta go out there and compete against him.”
“I would love to get into the emotions after the game, but before the game it’s just about having fun and making sure that we lock in and have a deep focus,” Dallas guard Kyrie Irving said. “They’re going to come in and be ready to play against us. Luka’s obviously going to have a lot of confidence in that game. He played well the last game so he’s feeling good. We just have to be aware.”
Southeast Notes: Heat, Hawks, Smart, Poole
As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes, Nikola Jovic‘s hand fracture will necessitate changes to the Heat‘s rotation going forward, since Jovic had been playing significant minutes off the bench, including 31.9 MPG in his past 10 healthy games. Head coach Erik Spoelstra provided a first look on Monday vs. Atlanta at what the new rotation might look like, with Kyle Anderson and Jaime Jaquez taking on the minutes that would have gone to Jovic, Chiang notes in a second story.
Jaquez, who has been out of the rotation as of late, logged just seven minutes, while Anderson played 28, the most of any Miami reserve. The veteran forward contributed 14 points and five rebounds while getting to the foul line 10 times — he was a +2 in a game Miami lost by 12 points.
“He gave us some really good minutes,” Spoelstra said of Anderson, per Chiang. “I played him probably a handful more minutes than I anticipated. But he was doing some really good things out there.”
The other major change Spoelstra made to his rotation on Monday was to remove struggling guard Terry Rozier, who received his first DNP-CD of the season. Alec Burks played extended minutes in place of Rozier, but didn’t exactly give the Heat a boost, making just 1-of-12 shots from the field in 27 minutes.
“It’s just one of those things right now,” Spoelstra said in addressing the decision not to play Rozier. “We’re searching. It’s not an indictment on anybody necessarily. I feel for the guys that haven’t been able to play — Jaime the couple games before this and Terry. It’s not anyone’s fault. We’re all in this together. But we do need to find something. So, I’ll continue to use the depth of our roster, however we feel like we need to.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Dyson Daniels registered at least seven steals in a game for the third time this season and trade deadline acquisitions Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, and Terance Mann combined for 41 points off the bench in the Hawks‘ win over Miami on Monday. LeVert (13.7 PPG), Niang (15.2 PPG), and Mann (.571 FG%) have all played well since arriving in Atlanta, helping the team retain a firm hold on a play-in spot despite sending out De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic at the deadline. “It makes it way easier whenever you have guys like Caris and Georges who are aggressive, and whenever they get the ball,” guard Trae Young said after the win, per Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required). “They’re not hesitant at all. And even T-Mann hit a big three.”
- The Wizards held an opponent under 100 points for the first time all season on Monday in a win over Brooklyn. As Noah Trister of The Associated Press writes, it’s likely not a coincidence that the team accomplished that feat in Marcus Smart‘s second game as a Wizard. “There is some people that kind of probably slept (on me). I haven’t played in a couple years consistently, and they probably forgot about me — which is cool. I’m used to it,” Smart said. “I still do what I do.”
- Wizards guard Jordan Poole is averaging career highs in points (21.0), assists (4.8), and steals (1.4) per game, as well as three-point percentage (37.1%). Head coach Brian Keefe is a major reason for Poole’s resurgence, as Josh Robbins details for The Athletic. Sources tell Robbins that Poole advocated for Keefe last spring when the front office decided to name him the team’s permanent head coach after he finished the 2023/24 season with the interim label. “I know how good and genuine a person he is off the court, so when he coaches us hard and he’s pushing us on the court, I know that’s because he just wants the best of us,” Poole said of his coach.
Sixers Notes: Bulls Loss, George, Embiid, Yabusele
The Sixers‘ season continues to reach new lows. On Monday, Philadelphia was obliterated at home by a Bulls team that came into the game on a six-game losing streak, falling behind Chicago by as many as 50 points in the fourth quarter before ultimately losing by 32. The 76ers are now 20-37, 12th in the Eastern Conference, and sit 2.5 games behind the Bulls for the final play-in spot.
After the game, forward Paul George told reporters that the Sixers need to have more “pride” on defense, adding that he’s “baffled” by how easily they give up layups and easy baskets (YouTube link). Asked about the club’s postseason hopes, he acknowledged that Philadelphia hasn’t looked like a team capable of making noise in the playoffs — or even making it there.
“We’ve shown no signs of a team that will compete,” George said (Twitter link via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer). “We just don’t have the habits that a champion or a playoff-contending team would have. So to be honest right now, it’s a little far-fetched. All we can do is work hard, try to keep going for one another. But we’ve shown no signs of – forget championship – a playoff-contending team here.”
Here’s more out of Philadelphia:
- Within a column for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Marcus Hayes cites medical opinions from doctors who aren’t directly involved in Joel Embiid‘s treatment about what sort of options the big man might have to address his nagging left knee problems. According to Hayes, the original plan was for Embiid to get used to playing with some level of soreness, managing the knee by regularly draining it and injecting it with platelet-rich plasma (PRP). But Embiid has gotten worse instead of better in recent weeks and experienced swelling in the knee on Sunday, which necessitated an additional round of testing. One source tells Hayes that another surgery was never seriously considered as an option for Embiid until this weekend.
- Sixers big man Guerschon Yabusele, one of the few success stories in Philadelphia this season, left Monday’s game early after suffering an eye injury. According to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter links), Yabusele has been diagnosed with a corneal abrasion in one eye and has swelling around his other eye. He’ll undergo further evaluation on Tuesday and the hope is that there’s no retinal damage, Neubeck adds.
- Despite being currently mired in an eight-game losing streak, the Sixers remain unlikely to finish the season with a worse record than the Pelicans, Jazz, Hornets, or Wizards, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. Still, the 76ers could be incentivized to shut down George and Embiid in the hopes that Toronto passes them in the standings. In that scenario, Philadelphia would have the league’s fifth-worst record and roughly a 64% chance of hanging onto its protected first-round draft pick, which will be sent to Oklahoma City if it lands outside the top six.
And-Ones: Jefferson, Tanner, UNC, Worst Contracts, Baker
Richard Jefferson will be part of the top ESPN/ABC broadcast team alongside Mike Breen and Doris Burke for the rest of the season, including the NBA Finals, as reported by Andrew Marchand of The Athletic and confirmed by ESPN.
Since ESPN parted ways with Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson in 2023, its top broadcast team has featured a rotating cast of analysts next to Breen and Burke. Doc Rivers and J.J. Redick both spent time in the role before leaving for NBA head coaching jobs. While ESPN has also experimented with Jay Bilas and Tim Legler as the third person in the booth, Jefferson has held the role for most of this season and will continue to do so through June.
Still, as Marchand notes, Jefferson’s long-term future in that role – and at ESPN/ABC in general – remains up in the air. He has reportedly received interest from Amazon Prime Video, which will begin broadcasting NBA games next season.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The University of North Carolina is hiring veteran NBA player agent Jim Tanner as its general manager, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Desmond Bane, Jarrett Allen, Jeremy Sochan, and Luke Kornet are among Tanner’s NBA clients, per RealGM. Jake Fischer reported last week that Tanner was among the candidates receiving serious consideration for that UNC GM position.
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report takes a shot at predicting which current NBA contracts will have the least value to teams two years from now, with a pair of Sixers (Joel Embiid and Paul George) and a pair of Celtics (Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown) on his list. While Tatum and Brown have shown no signs of slowing down, the fact that they’re the two players who most recently signed super-max deals makes them inherently risky long-term investments, Pincus explains.
- Big man Robert Baker Jr., the current president of the G League’s players’ union, is on the verge of signing a contract with German club ALBA Berlin, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. Baker, who has spent this season with the Osceola Magic, helped lead Team USA to a pair of victories in AmeriCup qualifiers within the past week, racking up 11 points, 10 rebounds, and seven blocks in just 17 minutes of action on Sunday vs. the Bahamas.