Eastern Notes: Dinwiddie, Kuzma, Giannis, J. Brown, Hawks
Former Wizards teammates Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyle Kuzma traded a couple barbs back in January after Washington defeated Dinwiddie’s Mavericks, with each casting doubt on the other’s commitment to playing “winning basketball.” Now a member of the Nets, Dinwiddie was asked during an appearance on FanDuel TV (Twitter video link) about that exchange and didn’t hesitate to reignite his beef with Kuzma, questioning whether the Wizards forward has his priorities straight.
“There’s a lot of guys in the NBA that really pour their heart and soul into basketball, are willing to do whatever it takes to win,” Dinwiddie said. “There are a lot of guys that have different things that drive or motivate them. I think if we look at him and the way he approaches life, fame, all that stuff, we can see that his priorities tend to vary. That’s why he dresses the way he does, he approaches basketball the way he does, the comments he makes.
“Like I said with the Draymond (Green) quote, ‘Insecurity is loud.’ You know that you’re there shooting shots to try to get a contract. You’re probably not even a third star really on a good team, because if you were, the Lakers would’ve kept you.”
Several hours later, Kuzma fired back in a Twitter thread, writing that he and the Wizards have “so much real estate on Dinsh–tie island.” Kuzma criticized Dinwiddie for being traded just months after he signed a three-year, $54MM contract in D.C. and suggested that his Nets are only in the postseason because of the pre-Dinwiddie success the team had with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Dinwiddie and Kuzma won’t face each other until sometime next season, but the latest grenades lobbed in their back-and-forth war of words should make things all the more interesting when that happens.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo tells Lori Nickel of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he legitimately considered the possibility of walking away from the NBA due to the mental health toll he was dealing with in 2020. “I had that conversation – yes – with the front office,” Antetokounmpo said. “And, you know, very normally, everybody is looking at me like I was crazy. ‘You just signed the largest contract in NBA history and you want to walk away from the game and all that money?’ … But I don’t care about that. I care about joy. I’m a joyful person.”
- Jaylen Brown would become eligible for a super-max extension if he makes an All-NBA team this spring, and Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens is hoping that happens, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “I think both Jayson (Tatum) and Jaylen should be on the All-NBA team,” Stevens said. “I think what they’ve done throughout the course of this year — and you asked about Jaylen so I’ll talk about Jaylen in particular — he’s also really played his best basketball, I think, in the last couple of months, and he was an obvious All-Star right out of the gate.”
- Former Octagon agent Chris Emens has joined the Hawks‘ front office in an advisory role, reports Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic (Twitter link). Emens represented Hawks general manager Landry Fields during Fields’ playing days, Vorkunov notes.
Lakers Notes: Schröder, Hachimura, Vanderbilt, Reaves
A starter in 50 of his 66 games this season, Lakers point guard Dennis Schröder came off the bench in Tuesday’s play-in game, but proved to be a difference-maker in Los Angeles’ overtime win. Schröder scored 21 points and was a team-high plus-22 in his 33 minutes. And while it didn’t end up being the game-winner, his three-pointer with 1.4 seconds left in regulation was the biggest clutch shot of the night.
“Whatever the team needs right now, I just try to get it done,” Schröder said of shifting to a reserve role, per Elliott Teaford of The Orange County Register (subscription required). “I didn’t even know before I got here. I see my name, that I’m not starting. End of the day, to play with those guys is easy, whether I’m coming off the bench or I’m starting. So, we are just competing on the highest level. We showed it again, and I’m glad we got the win.”
A free agent last summer, Schröder had to settle for a minimum-salary contract with the Lakers. That deal only covered one season, meaning he’ll be back on the market this offseason, and he’s making a strong case for a larger payday this time around. Since the Lakers will only hold his Non-Bird rights, it’ll be tricky for them to give the veteran guard much of a raise, but head coach Darvin Ham sounds like someone who’d like to see the team figure something out.
“Yeah, man, the kid is just – his heart, his competitive spirit, just his ability to make big plays and take tough matchups in the biggest of moments, his attitude, his confidence,” Ham said after Tuesday’s victory. “He’s unbelievable, extraordinary.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Fourth-year forward Rui Hachimura, a restricted free agent this July, played nearly the entire fourth quarter against Utah on Sunday and has showed that he’s capable of handling a larger role as the postseason begins, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Hachimura, who averaged 22.4 minutes per game in 33 regular season appearances with L.A., played 27 minutes in Tuesday’s play-in win — the Lakers outscored Minnesota by 20 points with Hachimura on the floor.
- Since joining the Lakers two months ago in a deadline trade, Jarred Vanderbilt has established a reputation as the team’s “Energizer Bunny” capable of making “Dennis Rodman plays” with his defense and energy, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Unsurprisingly, Buha says the Lakers fully intend to exercise their team-friendly option worth $4.7MM on Vanderbilt for the 2023/24 season.
- In a Q&A with Shams Charania of Stadium (Twitter video link), Lakers guard Austin Reaves discusses a handful of topics, including his upcoming restricted free agency. “I want to be a Laker, so hopefully we can get this done and I can stay there for hopefully my whole career,” Reaves said.
Arkansas’ Anthony Black Enters 2023 NBA Draft
Another projected lottery pick has declared for the draft. Arkansas freshman guard Anthony Black announced his plans to forgo his remaining college eligibility and go pro during an appearance on ESPN’s NBA Today on Wednesday, as Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com relays.
Black averaged 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 2.1 steals per game with a shooting line of .453/.301/.705 in 36 appearances (34.9 MPG) as a freshman in 2022/23. He had 20 points and five steals in a loss to eventual champion UConn in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament last month.
The No. 8 prospect on ESPN’s big board, Black looks like a good bet to be a top-10 pick, but he said he’s not concerned about exactly where he gets selected.
“I deserve to be drafted high, but regardless I’m more ready to just work,” Black told ESPN. “There are a lot of dudes who get drafted high who don’t do well in the league. The work you put in and how you produce is far more important than where you get picked.”
Givony describes Black as one of the best defenders in the 2023 draft class due to his “intense” ball pressure, as well as his ability to fight over screens and to generate steals and deflections. Black’s outside shot is his biggest weakness, according to Givony, but he can play on and off the ball, is a fiery competitor, and has an excellent feel for the game.
In ESPN’s latest mock draft (Insider link), Givony and Jeremy Woo have Black going to the Wizards at No. 8, with Woo describing him as a “perfect fit for the modern league” and suggesting he’d slot nicely into Washington’s point guard spot.
Hornets Notes: Offseason, Bridges, Ball, Clifford, DSJ, FAs
Whether or not Michael Jordan remains in his position as the Hornets‘ controlling owner through the current offseason, president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak doesn’t expect the team to get too aggressive on the free agent market this July, according to Steve Reed of The Associated Press. Kupchak anticipates the front office’s focus to be on re-signing Charlotte’s own free agents and making roster upgrades in the draft and on the trade market.
“Although we have a lot of financial flexibility, we don’t typically go big-game hunting with our free agent money,” Kupchak told reporters on Tuesday.
Kupchak, who has said repeatedly since arriving in Charlotte that the team won’t be active in free agency on an annual basis, said the day could come when that approach changes, but insists it won’t happen in 2023.
“Maybe one day we will get to the point where a marquee free agent would look at our team and we’re winning a bunch of games and he’ll say, ’Hey, that’s a place I really want to go,” he said. “But right now, I don’t think that’s realistic. We’ve got to do it through the draft primarily.”
Here’s more on the Hornets:
- Kupchak believes that the Hornets, who went 27-55 this season, would have won 40 games “if we had our team intact this year,” as Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer relays. He expects to enter next season with greater aspirations. “In the exit meetings, I made it clear that next year playoffs are our goal,” Kupchak said. “And I feel great. I do want to see this through. I don’t know if I’ll be sitting here 10 years from now. But I’d like to be sitting here a year from now, two years from now, three years from now and watching this team that our staff has put together perform. I think it’s realistic that next year will be a playoff (season).”
- One reason the Hornets didn’t have their team “intact” in 2022/23 was because Miles Bridges remained unsigned all season long due to the fallout from a domestic violence incident. While Charlotte may still end up re-signing Bridges, it sounds like it would happen sometime during the ’23/24 league year if it happens at all. “The NBA is conducting an investigation and that’s the status of the situation right now,” Kupchak said, according to Boone. “… Even when they complete their investigation there are going to be steps that need to be taken, whether that’s us or other teams. … Maybe there was some thought that somebody or us would sign him during the season. But that’s not possible. So, this whole issue will roll over to July 1st.”
- Kupchak also spoke in his end-of-season media session on Tuesday about a desire for LaMelo Ball to continue growing into a leadership role for the Hornets and expressed support for Steve Clifford, praising the job the head coach did in his first year back with the team.
- Dennis Smith Jr., who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, has hired new representation. Octagon Sports published a tweet this week welcoming Smith to the agency.
- Smith, P.J. Washington, and Kelly Oubre, all of whom are headed for free agency, each expressed interest this week in re-signing with the Hornets, Boone writes for The Observer. “I definitely want to be here in Charlotte,” said Washington, who will be a restricted free agent. “This is like home to me now, so this is where I want to be. I haven’t thought about being anywhere else.”
- In yet another story for The Charlotte Observer, Boone looks for silver linings in a difficult year for the Hornets, identifying five reasons why the team’s future could be bright.
Eastern Notes: Haliburton, Heat, Haslem, White, Champagnie
As good as Tyrese Haliburton was on the court for the Pacers this season, earning his first All-Star berth and averaging a double-double (20.7 PPG, 10.4 APG), president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard was just as impressed by the character the third-year guard showed off the court, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.
“I’ve never been around a more complete, empathetic, understanding-of-what-the-real-world is, loving, taking-care-of-the-small-people, truly-committed-to-community leader like him,” Pritchard said this week. “I’ve never seen it. I’ve never seen a connector like Tyrese ever. Like ever. He connects with our ball boys. He connects with the CEO of some company. He just has this ability to make people feel comfortable around him. When I talk to him, I learn from him. I really do.”
Already viewed as the cornerstone the Pacers will build around for years to come, Haliburton figures to have a say in personnel moves going forward, according to Dopirak, who notes that a player’s fit alongside the 23-year-old will be considered whenever the team weighs a roster addition.
“The direction that he’s headed, he becomes a partner in the franchise,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “When you’re the face of the franchise, you’re a real partner in it. We need to do everything possible to put him in a position to be able to do his job at the highest possible levels and try to remove as much difficulty from his job as possible.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- What will the Heat have to do differently on Friday after losing Tuesday’s play-in game to Atlanta? Just about everything, according to star forward Jimmy Butler. “Come Friday, we’ve got to play, like, legit the exact opposite that we played tonight,” Butler told reporters after Tuesday’s contest, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. Butler singled out rebounding and second-chance points as areas Miami needs to clean up — the team was outrebounded 63-39 by Atlanta.
- After Udonis Haslem scored 24 points in 25 minutes during the Heat‘s regular season finale on Sunday, head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke about how much he’ll miss having the big man on the sidelines and in the locker room, Friedell writes at ESPN.com. “I’m going to miss his spirit,” Spoelstra said of Haslem, who will retire at season’s end. “I’m going to miss his voice. I’m going to miss his intentions. He has incredible, pure, team intentions. Every single day. He doesn’t have a bad day. He may express himself with anger other times at his teammates or even with me, but his intentions are pure.”
- Bulls guard Coby White started 54 games in 2020/21 but has otherwise served primarily as a reserve since entering the NBA in 2019. After coming off the bench in all but two of his 74 games in ’22/23, White says he still aspires to claim a full-time starting role, per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. “You don’t come (into) the league thinking, ‘I’m cool coming off the bench,'” said White, who will be eligible for restricted free agency this offseason. “Yeah, I’ll play whatever role for whatever team I’m on, for sure. But my goal is to be a starter. That ain’t gonna change.”
- Justin Champagnie‘s new deal with the Celtics is a two-year, minimum-salary contract that’s non-guaranteed for 2023/24, Hoops Rumors has learned. Champagnie will get a partial guarantee of $50K if he’s not waived by August 1. That partial guarantee would increase to $350K if he remains under contract through the start of the regular season.
New CBA Will Allow Teams To Negotiate Earlier With Own Free Agents
The NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement will tweak the rules for free agency, allowing teams to begin negotiating with their own free agents one day after the NBA Finals conclude, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Under the 2017 CBA, teams technically weren’t allowed to negotiate with any free agents – including their own – until the moratorium period begins on July 1. That rule was adjusted in 2019 to move the start of the negotiating period up to June 30. Up until that point, a club couldn’t discuss a new contract with its own free-agent-to-be unless the player was still extension-eligible.
[RELATED: Running List Of Changes In NBA’s New Collective Bargaining Agreement]
Obviously, given how many contract agreements are reported during the first few hours – or even the first few minutes – of free agency, teams haven’t strictly adhered over the years to the rules prohibiting early negotiations with players and agents.
Still, creating a rule permitting teams to begin negotiating with their own free agents before rival suitors can talk to them will theoretically give incumbent teams an added edge in those negotiations.
It’s unclear if this rule will apply this summer, since the new CBA won’t technically go into effect until the 2023/24 league year, which begins on July 1. If this change isn’t being implemented immediately, we’ll have to wait until 2024 to see what sort of effect – if any – it will have on free agency.
Presumably, teams that reach early agreements with their own free agents will still have to wait until after the July moratorium to finalize those signings, but the rule change could result in contract agreements being reported well in advance of July 1, taking some free agents off the market earlier than usual.
Revisiting 2022/23 NBA Over/Under Predictions
Before the 2022/23 NBA season got underway, we polled Hoops Rumors readers on the win totals for each of the league’s 30 teams, using over/unders from major betting sites. From the Celtics (55.5 wins) to the Thunder (22.5 wins), our readers made their picks for whether each team’s win total would land over or under the projected figures.
This is the sixth year we’ve run these polls. After finishing a little below .500 in each of the first three seasons, our voters broke through in 2020/21 with a 17-13 record and went 16-14 in ’21/22. Will that winning streak carry over to ’22/23? Let’s check in on the results and find out…
Eastern Conference
- Boston Celtics (Under 55.5 wins): ❌ (57-25)
- Brooklyn Nets (Under 51.5 wins): ✅ (45-37)
- Philadelphia 76ers (Over 50.5 wins): ✅ (54-28)
- Toronto Raptors (Over 46.5 wins): ❌ (41-41)
- New York Knicks (Under 40.5 wins): ❌ (47-35)
- Milwaukee Bucks (Over 52.5 wins): ✅ (58-24)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (Over 47.5 wins): ✅ (51-31)
- Chicago Bulls (Over 44.5 wins): ❌ (40-42)
- Detroit Pistons (Over 28.5 wins): ❌ (17-65)
- Indiana Pacers (Under 23.5 wins): ❌ (35-47)
- Miami Heat (Under 50.5 wins): ✅ (44-38)
- Atlanta Hawks (Over 46.5 wins): ❌ (41-41)
- Charlotte Hornets (Under 36.5 wins): ✅ (27-55)
- Washington Wizards (Under 35.5 wins): ✅ (35-47)
- Orlando Magic (Over 26.5 wins): ✅ (34-48)
Eastern Conference record: 8-7
Big misses on teams like the Knicks, Pistons, and Pacers contributed to losing records in the Atlantic and Central, but our readers salvaged an above-.500 overall mark in the East by nearly sweeping the Southeast — only a disappointing showing from the Hawks prevented a 5-0 record in that division.
Western Conference
- Denver Nuggets (Over 51.5 wins): ✅ (53-29)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (Over 49.5 wins): ❌ (42-40)
- Portland Trail Blazers (Under 40.5 wins): ✅ (33-49)
- Utah Jazz (Under 25.5 wins): ❌ (37-45)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (Over 22.5 wins): ✅ (40-42)
- Golden State Warriors (Over 53.5 wins): ❌ (44-38)
- Phoenix Suns (Over 53.5 wins): ❌ (45-37)
- Los Angeles Clippers (Over 52.5 wins): ❌ (44-38)
- Los Angeles Lakers (Under 45.5 wins): ✅ (43-39)
- Sacramento Kings (Over 34.5 wins): ✅ (48-34)
- Memphis Grizzlies (Over 49.5 wins): ✅ (51-31)
- Dallas Mavericks (Over 48.5 wins): ❌ (38-44)
- New Orleans Pelicans (Over 44.5 wins): ❌ (42-40)
- Houston Rockets (Under 24.5 wins): ✅ (22-60)
- San Antonio Spurs (Under 23.5 wins): ✅ (22-60)
Western Conference record: 8-7
The parity in the West this season didn’t help our voters. Even though the Warriors, Suns, and Clippers were among the top six teams in the conference, for instance, they all fell well short of their projected win totals. Even the Nuggets and Grizzlies, the West’s top two teams, only narrowly beat their projections, as our readers predicted.
Despite a handful of big messes in the West, including on the Timberwolves, Jazz, and Mavericks, our voters eked out a winning record in the conference with some nice calls on the overachieving Kings and Thunder and the tanking Rockets, Spurs, and Trail Blazers, among others.
Overall record: 16-14
For the third season in a row, our voters finished above .500 in their over/under picks. That’s a legitimate winning streak!
Looking back at the preseason projections, along with your predictions, which team surprised or disappointed you the most? Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Hawks Notes: Play-In Win, Bey, Young, T. Miller
The Hawks pulled off an upset victory in Miami on Tuesday night to secure a playoff berth and a first-round matchup against Boston. However, despite becoming the first team to defeat a No. 7 seed in a play-in tournament, head coach Quin Snyder and star guard Trae Young didn’t sound prepared to bask in the glow of the achievement after the game, as Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes.
Asked if the Hawks’ playoff-clinching win was something to celebrate, Snyder said that it was something to “appreciate,” while Young replied, “No, what’s there to celebrate?”
“I mean, it’s cool we made the playoffs,” Young continued. “I’m happy for guys like Saddiq (Bey) who’ve never been in the playoffs, and some of the other rookies and J.J. (Jalen Johnson) and some of the other guys who this is their first time to be able to experience the playoffs, but I mean, for me, I’ve been in the playoffs now three times and a couple of guys have been in way more than I have. It’s cool to be in the playoffs, but you want to win games in the playoffs.”
Here’s more on the Hawks:
- Only Young and Dejounte Murray played more in Tuesday’s play-in victory for the Hawks than Saddiq Bey, who came off the bench to score 17 points in 33 minutes. Bey, having begun the season in Detroit, wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to play in his first postseason game if not for the February trade that sent him to Atlanta. “I never knew it was going to be like this,” Bey said on Tuesday, per Vardon. “I’m just glad to be here, it’s a blessing to be here. But yeah, I was up thinking about it all night. I tried to force myself to sleep, and I thought I hit my deep sleep, but then I’d toss and turn and wake up and it was like, ‘Oh, I’m thinking about the playoffs again.'”
- Appearing on TNT’s broadcast on Tuesday night (Twitter video link), Jared Greenberg reported that a member of the Hawks’ front office called Trae Young to assure him there was “no merit” to any trade rumors involving him. “They were assuring him that he’s a part of this family,” Greenberg said.
- The Hawks are promoting Tori Miller to a vice president position, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Miller, who will become one of the NBA’s highest-ranking female executives as a result of the promotion, had been the general manager of the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate.
Poll: Wednesday’s NBA Play-In Games
In each of the first two years after the NBA introduced the play-in tournament in its current form in 2021, the No. 7 seeds defeated the No. 8 seeds — the Lakers and Celtics won at home in 2021, and the Timberwolves and Nets followed suit in 2022.
So history was made on Tuesday night, when the Heat became the first No. 7 seed to lose a play-in game, falling at home to the No. 8 Hawks. As a result, Atlanta will face the second-seeded Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, while Miami will get another chance to secure a playoff berth at home on Friday.
In Tuesday’s late game, the Lakers nearly followed Miami’s lead, falling behind by double digits to Minnesota. But Los Angeles’ defense keyed a comeback and the Lakers ultimately prevailed in overtime, clinching the No. 7 playoff spot and a first-round date with Memphis. The Wolves will return to Minnesota to host Friday’s play-in game for the right to face Denver.
The Heat’s and Timberwolves’ play-in opponents will be determined on Wednesday, starting in the East, where the No. 9 Raptors will host the No. 10 Bulls at 7:00 pm Eastern time.
Both Toronto and Chicago underachieved relative to their expectations this year after finishing among the East’s top six teams a year ago. While neither team was fully healthy – Lonzo Ball‘s season-long absence, in particular, hurt the Bulls – it’s hard to blame injury luck for their lack of success.
Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and Scottie Barnes all appeared in at least 67 games and logged at least 2,386 minutes, while DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic played at least 74 games and 2,682 minutes apiece. None of those players are on the injury report today, so Wednesday’s matchup will feature two relatively healthy clubs looking to salvage disappointing seasons.
The Raptors will enter Wednesday’s game as 5.5-point favorites, according to BetOnline.ag. They went 27-14 at home this season and have taken a step forward since acquiring Jakob Poeltl at the trade deadline. Toronto has a 15-11 record with a +3.0 net rating since Poeltl’s debut, and its new starting lineup (Poeltl, Siakam, VanVleet, Anunoby, and Barnes) has a +9.5 net rating in 313 minutes together.
But the Bulls seemingly acquired their own missing piece in February, when they signed Patrick Beverley on the buyout market. Since Beverley’s debut on February 24, Chicago has a 14-9 record and a +5.7 net rating (third-best in the NBA). The Bulls’ new go-to starting lineup (Beverley, DeRozan, LaVine, Vucevic, and Alex Caruso) has outperformed Toronto’s new group, posting a +14.7 net rating across 267 minutes.
Over in the West, the No. 10 Thunder will battle the No. 9 Pelicans for the right to travel to Minnesota on Friday.
Widely viewed as one of the NBA’s worst teams entering the season, the Thunder have exceeded expectations due in large part to the contributions of All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, breakout rookie Jalen Williams, and second-year guard Josh Giddey.
The Pelicans, meanwhile, had aspirations of a top-four seed in the fall and were a much better team when they had Zion Williamson available. They’ve looked average since the former No. 1 pick went down with a hamstring injury, recording a modest +0.2 net rating when Williamson isn’t on the court this season.
Both teams could find reasons for optimism in the results of their four-game regular season series. The Pelicans went 3-1 in those contests, including a pair of wins without Williamson available. On the other hand, Gilgeous-Alexander had a 44-point night against New Orleans and all three of OKC’s losses came by four points or less, so the Thunder actually outscored the Pelicans on the season.
The Pelicans’ home court advantage (they were 27-14 in New Orleans) helps make them 5.5-point favorites on Wednesday, per BetOnline.ag.
We got one upset on Tuesday. Will we get one or two more today? We want to know what you think. Make your play-in picks in the poll below, then head to the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts!
Which teams will win Wednesday's play-in games?
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Raptors and Thunder 35% (210)
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Raptors and Pelicans 29% (175)
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Bulls and Pelicans 18% (111)
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Bulls and Thunder 18% (108)
Total votes: 604
And-Ones: Jenkins, Rivers, Perry, Attendance, Incentives, More
Taylor Jenkins of the Grizzlies and Doc Rivers of the Sixers were named the NBA’s March/April Coaches of the Month for the Western Conference and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (via Twitter).
Jenkins’ 14-8 record in March and April was the West’s second-best mark behind the Lakers (14-6). The Grizzlies’ head coach perhaps earned extra marks for dealing with some Ja Morant-related drama and Brandon Clarke‘s season-ending injury during that time.
Meanwhile, no NBA team won more games in March and April than Rivers’ Sixers, who went 15-7 to lock up the No. 3 seed in the East.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Reggie Perry, a 2020 second-round pick who appeared in 36 games for the Nets, Trail Blazers, and Pacers from 2020-22, has signed with South Korea’s LG Sakers, the team announced on Instagram (hat tip to Sportando). Perry is headed overseas after spending most of the 2022/23 season with the Raptors 905 in the G League.
- The NBA announced in a press release that the league set a new single-season record for total attendance in 2022/23, establishing new high water marks for both league-wide attendance (22,234,502) and average attendance per game (18,077). Both of those records were previously set in 2017/18.
- In a pair of tweets, Bobby Marks of ESPN identifies several of the players who earned bonus money by achieving regular season incentives, led by Knicks forward Julius Randle ($2.4MM) and Celtics wing Jaylen Brown ($2.1MM)
- Is the concept of “voter fatigue” a myth? For the most part, yes, as Howard Beck explains in an interesting piece for GQ Sports.
- Agent Raymond Brothers – who represents Markelle Fultz, Immanuel Quickley, and Precious Achiuwa, among others – has left Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports and returned to his former agency, IAM Sports, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Brothers said in a statement that he holds Roc Nation in the “highest regard” and wishes them well.