Southeast Notes: Hawks, Miller, Heat, Wizards
The Hawks fell to the Bulls in the play-in, failing to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2020 as a result. With a roster that doesn’t fit together even when healthy, Atlanta could look to go in a number of different directions this offseason. The Hawks are stuck in the middle, lacking incentive to tank due to the first-round picks they owe the Spurs as a result of acquiring Dejounte Murray and also having several talented players on the roster.
As The Athletic’s John Hollinger observes, attention will likely turn to star guard Trae Young after trade talks involving Murray didn’t pan out at the deadline this year. Speculation regarding Young’s future continues to run rampant, and teams like the Lakers and Spurs are some of the most frequently named potential destinations.
Additionally, the Hawks will have significant money tied up in the frontcourt to both Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu, prompting Hollinger to wonder whether the team will look to trade one. Atlanta’s most significant impending free agent is Saddiq Bey, who is set to be restricted this summer, but he’ll be recovering from an ACL tear.
Both Hollinger and ESPN’s Bobby Marks assert the Hawks need to pick a lane by making a significant move of some kind, whether that’s moving Young or Murray. Armed with a young core that includes extension-eligible Jalen Johnson, Kobe Bufkin, Okongwu and AJ Griffin, along with potentially two top-16 picks (if Sacramento makes the playoffs), Atlanta has the assets necessary to retool rather than fully rebuild if they so choose.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Hornets rookie Brandon Miller had a terrific first season and while he won’t win the Rookie of the Year award (that honor will almost certainly go Victor Wembanyama), he cemented himself as a franchise cornerstone in just one year, Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer writes. In 74 games, Miller averaged 17.3 points while shooting 44.0% from the field and 37.3% from three. “He can be whatever he wants to be,” teammate Seth Curry said. “I see All-NBA, perennial All-Star, possible MVP consideration in his future. All the talent, all the size, the competitive nature. I think he’s going to work on his game and add stuff every year. So I’m excited to see him grow.“
- The Heat are in the same position on Friday that they were a season ago. They hosted the Bulls in a win-or-go-home play-in tournament game for the eighth seed last season and will do so again this year, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. From Miami’s perspective, the win over Chicago jump-started a historic run that saw the Heat become the first No. 8 seed in a non-lockout season to reach the NBA Finals. However, the Bulls remember last year in a much more painful view, which could be a motivating factor against a Heat team without Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier. “I remember that plane ride back home [last year] vividly, everybody was just frustrated,” Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan said.
- Wizards general manager Will Dawkins and president Michael Winger admitted that year one of Washington’s rebuild featured growing pains, but they saw some positive steps within the organization, The Athletic’s Josh Robbins writes. Young players like Deni Avdija, Corey Kispert and Bilal Coulibaly all showed progress from the beginning to the end of the season. “We feel very strongly that we have the right fans, that we have the right principles, that we have the right market to build a sustainably great team,” Winger said. “We set out to do that a year ago. That plan has not changed at all.“
- The Washington Post’s Ava Wallace tackles a similar topic, noting that the Wizards‘ regime is excited to dig into its first full offseason. As Wallace writes, the most significant move the team will make this season could be its head coaching hire.
And-Ones: Awards, Flagg, Celtics, Thunder, Porter
The finalists for the NBA’s seven end-of-season awards honoring the top performers of the 2023/24 season are set to be unveiled on Sunday, April 21, according to the league (Twitter link). The finalists will be revealed on NBA on TNT at 6:30 p.m.
The performance awards include the Most Valuable Player, the Most Improved Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Clutch Player of the Year.
Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic are among the expected frontrunners for MVP. Tyrese Maxey and Coby White are considered the favorites for Most Improved, and that may be one of the closer races among all awards. The battle for Sixth Man of the Year, which figures to feature the likes of Naz Reid and Malik Monk, may also be close. Victor Wembanyama is widely expected to earn the Rookie of the Year award and should also receive consideration for Defensive Player of the Year.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Projected 2025 No. 1 overall pick and Duke commit Cooper Flagg recently completed his stint at the Nike Hoop Summit, where top young prospects showcase their skills in front of scouts. Flagg sat down with HoopsHype’s Sam Yip to discuss the event, his upbringing and why he chose to play for the Blue Devils. “Fit and feel,” Flagg said. “Great relationship with Coach Scheyer. Durham is a great place, a great environment. I mean just the environment and the feel and the fit for me.“
- The Celtics and Thunder‘s G League affiliates made the NBAGL Finals this season. That best-of-three series corresponded with the end of the NBA’s regular season, which is when many developmental players often get a chance to shine. Jared Weiss of The Athletic explores how the teams’ two-way players were impacted by bouncing between getting big NBA minutes and having to prepare for a the G League championship. “That’s really the spirit of what the G League is, where you have guys moving between the leagues,” G League commissioner Shareef Abdur-Rahim said. “On any given night, you can be in a G League game and the next night play in an NBA game. That’s illuminated at this time, with how concentrated our playoffs are.” In a fun story, Weiss further explores the logistical side of being a two-way player in the G League. The Oklahoma City Blue won the championship, helped by the presence of two-way Thunder guard Lindy Waters III.
- In the wake of former Raptors two-way big Jontay Porter being suspended for violating league gambling rules, the NBPA responded in a statement. “The NBPA exists to protect and support the interests of all 450 NBA players – both as individual players and as a collective,” the statement reads. “Adherence to league gambling policies is paramount to maintaining the integrity of our athletes and protecting the future of the sport. The NBPA will make sure Jontay has access to the resources he needs during this time, in light of the NBA’s decision. All players, including Jontay, should be afforded appropriate due process and opportunity to answer to any charges brought against them.“
Clippers Sign Kai Jones, Waive Josh Primo
APRIL 14: The Clippers have officially waived Primo and signed Jones.
APRIL 13: The Clippers are signing center/forward Kai Jones to a multiyear contract, adding him to their playoff roster, per Shams Charania and Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). Jones recently completed a 10-day contract with the Sixers.
In order to make space on the roster for Jones, the Clippers are waiving Joshua Primo (Twitter link).
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ohm Youngmisuk, Primo suffered a season-ending ankle injury that’s expected to sideline him through the summer (Twitter links). Primo’s agent Todd Ramasar describes the injury as a stress fracture in the navicular bone of the left ankle.
Jones, the 19th overall pick in the 2021 draft, played two seasons for the Hornets, averaging 2.7 points in 67 games. He signed with the Sixers on a 10-day deal but didn’t appear in a game for them. He has been more productive in the G League over the course of his career, averaging 16.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 48 career regular season and Showcase Cup G League games.
Jones made a series of unusual social media posts before this season. A report ahead of training camp indicated that the big man wouldn’t be reporting to the Hornets for personal reasons. He subsequently requested a trade and then was waived by the club shortly thereafter.
The Clippers previously brought Jones in for a visit in November.
Primo was the 12th overall pick by the Spurs in 2021. He appeared in two games with the Clippers this season after they signed following him being waived by San Antonio last year for engaging in “inappropriate and offensive behavior by exposing himself to women.” The NBA imposed a four-game suspension in response to Primo’s behavior, which allegedly included multiple incidents with a long-time sports psychologist who worked for the Spurs during his time with the organization.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, the Clippers will carry $1MM in dead money for Primo next season, since his 2024/25 salary was partially guaranteed.
Warriors Convert Usman Garuba To Standard Contract
APRIL 14: The Warriors have officially converted Garbua to a standard deal, per a press statement (Twitter link).
APRIL 13: The Warriors intend to convert two-way big man Usman Garuba to a standard NBA contract for the rest of the season, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). The Warriors had an open roster spot to fill and are thus making Garuba eligible for the playoffs by promoting him.
The 23rd overall pick in the 2021 draft by the Rockets, Garuba played two seasons in Houston before being traded in the five-team deal that brought Dillon Brooks to the Rockets. He was then re-routed again from Atlanta to the Thunder, who waived him prior to the season.
Garuba, touted as a strong defender, has barely played for the Warriors this season after signing his two-way deal. In five games and just 12 minutes, he has totaled two points and three rebounds this year.
Still just 22 years old, Garuba has been more productive in the G League. This season with Santa Cruz, he averaged 12.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks in 35 regular season and Showcase Cup games.
Across his three seasons in the NBA, Garuba holds averages of 2.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 104 games (three starts).
The Warriors will have a full 15-man roster after signing Garuba to his standard deal. Golden State also has two players, Jerome Robinson and Pat Spencer, on two-way contracts. Because the deadline to sign two-way players passed in March, the Warriors aren’t eligible to sign another two-way player this year. Players on two-way contracts aren’t eligible to suit up in the postseason.
Southeast Notes: Avdija, Jovic, Heat Struggles, Clifford
Wizards forward Deni Avdija signed a four-year, $55MM extension with the team last offseason. The fact that a new front office regime – rather than the one that drafted him – offered him that contract was a shot of confidence for Avdija, signaling the franchise’s belief in the former No. 9 overall pick, The Washington Post’s Ava Wallace writes.
Avdija, 23, has rewarded that faith with his best professional season yet, averaging career bests of 14.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while connecting on a career-high 50.9% of his shots from the field and 37.8% of his three-pointers. Avdija explained that getting that contract from the Wizards last year felt like a weight removed from his chest and allowed him to focus on basketball.
“Deni’s been great,” interim coach Brian Keefe said. “Growth has been tremendous. We’ve put the ball in his hands to make plays for himself, for others. The rebounding has been great. We’re going to keep pushing Deni to do more because we think he can be — do — more.”
In an otherwise poor season, Avdija has been a bright spot for the Wizards and looks like a centerpiece going forward as the club navigates a rebuild. Amid uncertainty, he led Washington in starts this season and recorded 24 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in the home finale on Friday.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- When the Heat first inserted 20-year-old Nikola Jovic into the starting lineup this season, it was seen as more of an experiment than a long-term solution, Ira Winderman of South Florida’s Sun Sentinel writes. Flash forward to April, and Jovic has held firm on a starting spot as the Heat approach the postseason. He’s averaging 9.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 39.5% from three in his last 25 starts and has provided the team with a stretch big who can run the floor next to Bam Adebayo. “He’s improved in so many of the areas. It started with his work ethic,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I often have to remind myself that Niko is 20.” With Tyler Herro healthy, it’s possible Miami switches up its lineup in the postseason, but Jovic will likely remain a part of the rotation, starter or not.
- Injuries and an inefficient offense continue to be a thorn in Miami’s side this season, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. The Heat entered Thursday with the fifth-most missed games in the NBA due to injury — and the most of any team with a winning record. Josh Richardson, Duncan Robinson and Terry Rozier are among the key rotation pieces currently absent for the Heat, and it doesn’t help that they’ve scored fewer than 100 points in a game 18 times this year, going 2-16 in such outings. “Ultimately, we have to figure out a way that we can try to play somewhat the same identity on the offensive end game to game,” Herro said. The Heat are left to scramble for answers whenever Jimmy Butler and/or Adebayo have an off night, according to Chiang.
- Steve Clifford‘s tenure with the Hornets is ending, but the veteran coach isn’t taking his foot off the gas pedal even with his team long eliminated from the postseason, per The Charlotte Observer’s Roderick Boone. “We have good, young guys that can continue to grow,” Clifford said. Regardless of the lack of postseason appearances and the amount of injuries over the course of his second stint with Charlotte, Clifford is thankful for getting a second chance to coach this team. He’s set to move into a consultant position under the guidance of vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson after the season. “The consulting thing is tricky,” Clifford said, “… you have to pick your spots and figure out what areas you can most help in.“
Sixers Sign Ricky Council IV To Four-Year Contract
12:32pm: Council’s promotion to the Sixers’ 15-man roster is official, the team announced today in a press release. His four-year deal will be non-guaranteed after this season and will feature a team option for 2026/27, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
11:47am: The Sixers are signing two-way wing Ricky Council IV to a new four-year, $7.4MM standard contract, adding about $864K in new money for this season, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). The Sixers have an open roster spot, so no corresponding move is necessary to promote Council.
Council went undrafted in 2023 but quickly caught on with the Sixers on a two-way deal. He has impressed in limited time this season, averaging 5.5 points in 9.1 minutes across 31 games.
Council played three collegiate seasons — two with Wichita State and his final year with Arkansas. He averaged 12.5 points across 85 college games, including averaging 16.7 PPG in his final season.
The athletic wing didn’t play much to begin the season, but earned more minutes as the season progressed and has averaged 8.1 points from early February to March. He was also impressive at the G League level, averaging 23.8 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 47.6% from the floor and 37.8% on three-pointers in 27 regular season and Showcase Cup games with the Sixers’ G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.
Council is now eligible for the playoffs under his new standard contract and at 22 years old, he has room to develop as an inexpensive rotation option for the Sixers down the line.
The exact details of Council’s contract – which will come out of Philadelphia’s mid-level exception – are unclear. However, it’s unlikely to include much, if any, guaranteed money beyond this season, given that the Sixers are preserving cap flexibility for the summer and are giving the rookie a substantial salary for the final two days of this season.
The Sixers now have a full 15-man roster, and just one player, Terquavion Smith, on a two-way contract. The Sixers recently promoted Jeff Dowtin from a two-way deal as well.
Clippers Notes: Westbrook, Leonard, Harden, Hyland
The Clippers have gone 7-2 in games in which Russell Westbrook has shouldered a full workload since returning from hand surgery on March 25, helping Los Angeles regain some of the form that earned the team the top spot in the West earlier this season, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk writes. Westbrook became the Clippers’ sixth man after they traded for James Harden, which helped propel the team to its best regular season in the Kawhi Leonard/Paul George era.
“I know who I am and what I’m able to bring to the game,” Westbrook said. “Nobody’s able to do what I can do since I got in this league. And the reason why I’m in the position I’m in is because nobody ever knew I could do [it on a] night-in and night-out basis.”
Westbrook, who has made 116 career playoff starts, will come off the bench for the first time in the postseason in the Clips’ first-round series against the Mavericks. When it comes to establishing identity and making four high-profile stars work together, George and coach Tyronn Lue pointed to Westbrook’s contributions, according to Youngmisuk.
“We owed it to him to make it work,” George said. “All of us collectively, we know what sacrifice looks like now.”
It was Westbrook who came to Lue with the idea of coming off the bench when the Clippers lost six straight after acquiring Harden. Although he’s averaging a career-low of 11.2 points per game, he’s playing better defense and said he’s in a better place mentally, according to Youngmisuk, who says Westbrook is happy in Los Angeles and is ready for whatever the future brings, whether that’s with the Clippers or not.
“If I’m here, if I’m there, I’ll do whatever the team is asking me to do,” Westbrook said. “I think there’s a narrative that people have made up that I have been fighting against …. But I’m always a team-first guy. I know how good I still am. So it doesn’t matter — starting or coming off the bench — because I know and understand what I bring to the game.”
We have more from the Clippers:
- Leonard has missed the past seven games with left knee soreness and inflammation. The Orange County Register’s Mirjam Swanson argues the team is being too vague when it comes to disclosing timelines for his injuries. “With Kawhi, he’s dealing with inflammation. It’s no secret he’s had a couple surgeries to that knee. It’s not uncommon over the course of it where you deal with inflammation. With inflammation, it limits your ability to make some natural basketball moves, so he’s working his tail off, the staff is working their tail off to try to help with the inflammation,” president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said Friday of Leonard (Twitter link via Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints).
- Harden missed the past two games with a foot issue, but he started on Friday against the Jazz, though he only played nine minutes. According to Youngmisuk (Twitter link), Lue isn’t sure whether Harden’s foot injury is something that will need to be managed in the playoffs.
- Bones Hyland saw his role reduced after Harden was acquired this year and he was briefly sent home alongside P.J. Tucker in February as both appeared disgruntled with their playing time, Janis Carr of The Orange County Register writes. Hyland has taken on a bigger role since the beginning of March and has scored 57 points over his past two games. He’s is staying ready for when the team needs him, according to Carr, and is hoping to be a part of the playoff rotation. “He’s done a great job of just sticking with it, continuing to keep working, putting the work in every single day,” Lue said. “And when his name has been called, he’s been good for us. He loves to compete, he loves to play, but right now with the circumstances the way they are, he’s done a good job of just handling the whole situation.“
Central Notes: Mitchell, Sanogo, Bulls, Sasser, Green
Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell is looking like he’s regained his All-Star form over the past two games after a rough combination of injuries and off-nights following Valentine’s Day, The Athletic’s Joe Vardon writes. Mitchell appeared in just nine games since the mid-point of February and averaged 16.9 points per contest on 37.8% shooting, well below his season averages of 26.6 PPG and 46.2%.
His return to form began on Wednesday against the Grizzlies when Mitchell shot 52.9% from the field (9-of-17), his highest mark since Feb. 27. According to Vardon, Mitchell’s knee injury sapped him of the ability to get by defenders and get to the rim since mid-February, but he moved around much better against Memphis and he was more vocal and animated than he had been in recent weeks. For what it’s worth, coach J.B. Bickerstaff expects Mitchell to fully get back into form before the postseason begins.
“To me, there is no doubt that he’ll get there,” Bickerstaff said. “We’ve got three games in almost 14 days, so he has an opportunity to do some really good work on his body, on the court. We know who Donovan is and what he is capable of.”
Mitchell followed his game against Memphis with a 33-point outing against the Pacers that saw him record five assists and four steals, the latter of which matched his season-best mark. As a result of the win, Cleveland clinched a playoff berth and a top-four seed. During the nine games Mitchell struggled, the Cavs went 4-5. In the two wins this week, Mitchell scored a combined 62 points, three m0re than he had in his previous four games combined.
“The biggest thing for me is just to continue to build my confidence back up in my body,” Mitchell said after Wednesday’s game. “The biggest cure for this is rest. I don’t have time for that. … I consider myself a pretty mentally strong person, so just being able to find ways to adapt to the situation. I felt really good tonight, and just continue to build on that.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- The Bulls clinched home-court advantage in next week’s play-in game against the Hawks, and coach Billy Donovan said he’d consult with the players and medical staff for their final two regular-season games, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Much of the Bulls’ rotation went on to not play on Friday against the Wizards as they manage injuries. As a result, several of Chicago’s end-of-roster pieces got extended playing time. Two-way center Adama Sanogo became just the second rookie this season to post a 20-point, 20-rebound game, joining Victor Wembanyama. “I don’t think I got here by chance,” Sanogo said, per The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry (Twitter link). “I got here because these guys believe in me. These guys think I can have a chance. I’ve got to show that, too, that I can do this.” Other role players like Javonte Green (24 points), Jevon Carter (12 assists) and Henri Drell (23 minutes, career-nine points) also had big nights.
- The Bulls started the season at 5-14 but have since gone 33-28 despite injuries to Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams, prompting Donovan to acknowledge how far the team has come, Johnson writes in the same NBC Sports Chicago story. “I’m happy for these guys,” Donovan said. “I think sometimes when you just look in the moment of where you’re at, sometimes you don’t get a chance to look at where you started. I’ve said before: It was a rough start for us. And I really appreciate the guys in that locker room sticking together, fighting, not quitting, not making excuses or pointing fingers and trying to rally and pull together and play better.“
- Rookie guard Marcus Sasser has been a bright spot in a nightmarish Pistons season that has resulted in the franchise’s worst win percentage of all time. Sasser has appeared in 70 games, starting 10, and averaged 8.1 points and 3.3 assists while making 37.3% of his three-point shots. The Houston product reflected on his rookie year, saying he wants to get mentally stronger for next season, per The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III (Twitter link). “It’s definitely a big jump, but that’s what makes this job fun,” Sasser said. “It’s not for everybody“
- Bucks guard A.J. Green departed Wednesday’s game against the Magic in the second quarter with a left ankle injury. The Bucks announced that he underwent an MRI on Thursday which revealed a left ankle sprain; he was ruled out for at least the team’s final two regular season games (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Eric Nehm). Green has averaged 4.5 points in 11.0 minutes per night while shooting 40.8% from three.
Bulls Notes: Self-Induced Errors, Drummond, Dosunmu, More
The Bulls lost to the Knicks on Tuesday in disappointing fashion, making a series of self-induced errors, including Torrey Craig attempting to throw an alley-oop to himself before getting knocked down by teammate Andre Drummond, who thought the pass off the backboard was intended for him. The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry sees that play as a microcosm of Chicago’s season: style over substance.
“To me, it was just really disappointing,” coach Billy Donovan said. “You’re down by (nine points). There were a lot of self-induced things that I thought we contributed to. Not only that play but other plays that weren’t as loud as that. But that play was disappointing to me.”
The Bulls are locked into the play-in tournament but clinched home-court advantage in the No. 9 vs. 10 game against the Hawks by defeating the Pistons on Thursday.
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- Drummond left Tuesday’s game with a badly turned left ankle. According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Drummond had to be taken to the training room in a wheelchair and Donovan said his ankle was very swollen. On Thursday, Donovan said Drummond is using a motorized scooter because of weight-bearing issues regarding the swelling in his ankle, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets.
- Ayo Dosunmu missed Tuesday’s game with an injured quad, Cowley adds in the same piece. “I don’t know how long it will or will not be because I think he felt OK after the game [Sunday] in Orlando,” Donovan said. “I think after he felt a little better, it just hasn’t progressed.” According to Johnson, Dosunmu’s deep thigh contusion is giving him issues with being able to contract his quad muscle.
- In case you missed it, Kentucky is reportedly finalizing a deal to hire Mark Pope of BYU as their next head coach. But if there were any doubts, Donovan reaffirmed his commitment to the Bulls on Tuesday and shot down any rumors of him potentially leaving for the college ranks, ESPN’s Jamal Collier writes.
- With the Bulls headed for the play-in and potentially out of the playoffs in the coming weeks, Cowley opines that general manager Arturas Karnisovas and the Bulls should change their philosophy when it comes to this roster. Cowley believes this version of the team has reached its peak and the front office should consider trading some of its star players and entering a rebuild.
Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Mamukelashvili, Collins, Brooks
The Grizzlies will be without 13 of their 15 standard contract players when they take on the Lakers on Friday (Twitter link via Memphis Commercial Appeal’s Damichael Cole), epitomizing an injury-mired and disappointing season.
Memphis dealt with long-term injuries to almost everyone on its roster and continues to cycle through 10-day contract hardship players to see what sticks. Two-way players have started over 50 combined games for the team that has seen an NBA-record 33 individual players suit up this year.
That leaves the Grizzlies, a team that is widely expected to be a playoff contender at full health, in a unique position this offseason. Players like GG Jackson and Vince Williams proved themselves as valuable young rotation pieces, while others like Jake LaRavia and Lamar Stevens are shouldering big minutes down the stretch. But with the likes of Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane set to return from injury next season, the Grizzlies will have crucial decisions to make.
Cole writes about the Grizzlies’ wing rotation logjam, noting that if you factor in Yuta Watanabe (player option), Ziaire Williams and John Konchar, the Grizzlies have nine wing players to account for next season. Some sort of movement on the roster, either by way of trade or waiver, would need to take place to balance the rotation.
Cole says that all signs point to the team picking up Kennard’s $14.7MM team option next season, but ponders whether the team could trade Ziaire Williams, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. The Grizzlies have shown a tendency to trade players in the final years of their deals, like Steven Adams and Tyus Jones, as well as former first-rounders on rookie contracts, such as David Roddy.
The Athletic’s Kelly Iko and John Hollinger explore a similar topic, with Hollinger expressing that he expects Memphis to trade Kennard or decline his option in an effort to dodge the tax. The pair also discuss the fact that the Grizzlies hold a lottery pick and explore potential free agent options the team could look to sign.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Spurs big man Sandro Mamukelashvili is playing a prominent role in the rotation as of late, including starting two of San Antonio’s last three games. As Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News writes, Mamukelashvili has become something of a favorite for coach Gregg Popovich, who has played the Georgian forward 20 or more minutes in his last five games. He has been on a rebounding tear over that stretch, pulling down 9.8 boards per contest, including a career-high 16 on Tuesday. “He’s like a perpetual motion kind of thing,” Popovich said. “He’s moving all the time, with or without the ball. Sometimes I think he doesn’t know exactly why, but I love his movement and his IQ. He knows how to play.” Mamukelashvili will be eligible for restricted free agency after the season.
- After a disappointing start to the season, Spurs center Zach Collins is determined to finish the year in a strong fashion, according to Tom Orsborn of San Antonio Express-News. Collins lost his starting job after 20 games during a shooting slump, but it looks like he has regained his form from beyond the arc as of late. He shot 42.9% from three in March and has made 33.3% of his outside attempts through five games in April, a big improvement from the 29.3% he shot from October to February. “He’s becoming a real pro, a consistent player who we know what we can get from night after night,” Popovich said. “He’s a good competitor. His skills are improving, his understanding of the game is improving, and he’s getting more confident.” Collins is under contract with San Antonio for two more seasons.
- Dillon Brooks has been thankful for his season with the Rockets but said he wants to be more like himself next season, writes Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen. According to Feigen, Brooks would like to be a more physical defender next year. “I don’t want to stir the pot too much, but I feel like the NBA restrained me from playing that type of game,” Brooks said. “But I’ve got to be on a ‘I don’t care’ mentality and just deal with what comes with it.“