NBA Announces 2022/23 Award Finalists
The NBA announced its finalists for all the major 2022/23 regular season awards on Friday evening (all Twitter links can be found here).
Here is the full list of finalists for each of the awards, listed in alphabetical order:
Most Valuable Player
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
- Joel Embiid (Sixers)
- Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
Defensive Player of the Year
- Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies)
- Brook Lopez (Bucks)
- Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)
Rookie of the Year
- Paolo Banchero (Magic)
- Walker Kessler (Jazz)
- Jalen Williams (Thunder)
Most Improved Player
- Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- Lauri Markkanen (Jazz)
Sixth Man of the Year
- Malcolm Brogdon (Celtics)
- Bobby Portis (Bucks)
- Immanuel Quickley (Knicks)
Coach of the Year
- Mike Brown (Kings)
- Mark Daigneault (Thunder)
- Joe Mazzulla (Celtics)
Clutch Player of the Year
- Jimmy Butler (Heat)
- DeMar DeRozan (Bulls)
- De’Aaron Fox (Kings)
TNT will begin announcing the winners next week during its coverage of the 2023 playoffs, according to the NBA. The three finalists for each award are based on voting results from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.
Antetokounmpo, the league’s back-to-back MVP winner in 2018/19 and ’19/20, has finished fourth and third in MVP voting over the past two seasons, respectively. He averaged a career-high 31.1 PPG along with 11.8 RPG and 5.7 APG on .553/.275/.645 shooting in 63 games (32.1 MPG) this season in leading the Bucks to the NBA’s best record at 58-24.
Embiid, the MVP runner-up in each of the past two years, led the league in scoring for the second consecutive season, posting a career-high 33.1 PPG along with 10.2 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.0 SPG and 1.7 BPG on .548/.330/.857 shooting in 66 games (34.6 MPG). The Sixers finished third in the East with a 54-28 record, though it’s worth noting that record is also the third-best mark in the league.
Jokic, the reigning back-to-back MVP, averaged 24.8 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 9.8 APG and 1.3 SPG on .632/.383/.822 shooting in 69 games (33.7. MPG). In addition to breaking Wilt Chamberlain‘s record for most assists per game by a center (8.6), Jokic led the Nuggets to the top seed in the West with a 53-29 record.
It’s long been assumed that Banchero, Brown and Fox were the runaway favorites for their respective awards. Given Embiid’s excellent play to end the season and Denver’s stumble to the finish line, it seems likely that Embiid will edge out Jokic and Antetokounmpo to win his first MVP — all three finalists are more than deserving, just as they were last year.
However, the other three awards are more up in the air. Jackson and Lopez have been considered the betting favorites for DPOY for much of the second half of the season. Mobley’s inclusion is somewhat surprising, but maybe it shouldn’t be — the Cavs finished with the league’s top defense and he is arguably the best defender on the team.
Knicks’ Randle, Cavs’ Okoro Aiming To Return For Game 1
Knicks forward Julius Randle, who has been sidelined with a left ankle sprain since he sustained the injury on March 29, is aiming to return for Game 1 against the Cavaliers on Saturday, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).
Wojnarowski adds that Randle has been making steady progress and will test the ankle prior to the game before he determines whether or not he’ll suit up, but he has been known to play through injuries in the past (Twitter link). The Knicks have officially listed him as questionable for Saturday’s game in Cleveland (Twitter link).
An All-Star for the second time this season, Randle averaged a career-high 25.1 PPG to go along with 10.0 RPG and 4.1 APG on .459/.343/.757 shooting in 77 games (35.5 MPG). He has practiced on a limited basis twice in the past week and was able to run at full speed, though he did not take contact.
Cavaliers wing Isaac Okoro (left knee soreness) is also looking like a good bet to play Game 1, according to an Associated Press report (link via ESPN). The third-year small forward last played on March 26, missing the final six games of the regular season with the injury.
Okoro practiced on Thursday, including taking some contact. He also got in some extra shooting, per The AP. Like Randle, Okoro is officially listed as questionable, tweets Kelsey Russo of The Athletic.
Cleveland’s top perimeter defender will likely have the difficult task of shadowing Knicks guard Jalen Brunson.
“It’s one of Isaac’s strengths defending a guy like that,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Obviously, Brunson is a heck of a player. He’s extremely talented and has proven to be clutch in the brightest moments, but those are the challenges that Isaac accepts and he loves.”
Pelicans Notes: Williamson, McCollum, Temple, Liddell
If the Pelicans had advanced beyond the play-in, Zion Williamson might have had a chance to return from his hamstring injury this spring, but that was far from a lock. Executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin confirmed on Friday that Williamson hadn’t even begun participating in full-court 3-on-3 scrimmages, let alone 5-on-5 action (Twitter link via Andrew Lopez of ESPN).
Elsewhere on the Williamson front, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (YouTube link) noted during a TV appearance that Zion’s maximum-salary extension, which will go into effect in 2023/24, features several benchmarks related to the forward’s weight, conditioning, and games played totals.
Portions of Williamson’s salary will become non-guaranteed if he doesn’t meet those thresholds, though the Pelicans would only be able to realize those savings by waiving him.
Here’s more on the Pelicans:
- Sources tell William Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link) that CJ McCollum, who will undergo surgery on his injured thumb, was also dealing with a torn labrum in his shoulder for the final seven games of the regular season.
- The Pelicans’ “big three” of Williamson, McCollum, and Brandon Ingram played just 10 games together this season, Guillory observes in a story for The Athletic. “If you would’ve told me we’d only play 10 games together this season, and we still won 42 games, I would’ve said that’s crazy,” McCollum said. “For us to be successful in the future – in the long-term – we’ve got to be able to play together. We need our best players on the court. We need to be able to play extended minutes together, especially in meaningful games, and showcase what we offer.”
- Veteran wing Garrett Temple will turn 37 years old next month, but he hasn’t considered retiring and would like to remain in New Orleans in 2023/24, tweets Guillory. Although Temple is under contract for next season, his $5.4MM salary is non-guaranteed and I don’t expect the Pelicans to keep him at that price — they could be more open to a minimum-salary deal.
- E.J. Liddell, a 2022 second-rounder who suffered a torn ACL last July at the Las Vegas Summer League, has progressed to playing 1-on-1 and is hoping to be able to play in this year’s Summer League, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Liddell’s two-way deal with New Orleans covers two seasons, so he’s under contract for 2023/24 and won’t need to be re-signed.
- Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype previews the decisions facing the Pelicans this offseason, pointing out that Jaxson Hayes and Josh Richardson will be free agents, while Herb Jones will be among the players eligible for contract extensions.
Pistons To Interview Kevin Ollie, Charles Lee For Head Coaching Job
The Pistons are interviewing Kevin Ollie for their head coaching vacancy, sources tell Shams Charania and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).
A former NBA point guard, Ollie began his coaching career after retiring as a player in 2010. He was the head coach at UConn from 2012-18 and won a national title with the Huskies in 2014 but lost his job after the NCAA opened an investigation into UConn and its coaches for recruiting violations.
More recently, Ollie was the head coach of the Overtime Elite program for two years, beginning in 2021. He issued a statement last month announcing that he was leaving that position.
In addition to meeting with Ollie, the Pistons have been granted permission to interview Bucks assistant Charles Lee as they seek a replacement for Dwane Casey, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Wojnarowski classifies Lee as a “significant” candidate in Detroit’s search.
[RELATED: Dwane Casey To Transition To Pistons’ Front Office]
Lee is a former Bucknell shooting guard who played professionally in international basketball leagues for several seasons. He has been a longtime assistant under Mike Budenholzer, first with the Hawks (2014-18) and now with the Bucks (since 2018).
Lee and fellow Bucks assistant Darvin Ham received consideration for multiple head coaching openings before Ham was hired by the Lakers last spring — Lee has a chance to be the next Budenholzer assistant to land a head coaching job during this hiring cycle.
Wojnarowski, who previously reported that Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin and Heat assistant Chris Quinn would be candidates the Pistons consider, reiterates today (via Twitter) that Griffin and Quinn are expected to “factor prominently” into Detroit’s search. The Pistons are expected to receive permission to interview both veteran assistants, sources tell ESPN.
Miles Bridges Faces 10-Game Suspension
If and when Miles Bridges signs his next contract, he’ll be required to serve a 10-game suspension before he suits up again, the NBA announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
The suspension is the result of a domestic violence incident that occurred in June 2022. Bridges, who was on track to be one of the top free agents in the class of ’22, was arrested and charged with felony domestic abuse just days before his rookie contract expired. He was accused of assaulting his then-girlfriend in front of their two children.
Bridges eventually worked out a plea deal with prosecutors in Los Angeles County in the fall, agreeing to plead no contest to one charge of felony domestic violence while two child abuse counts were dismissed. The 25-year-old avoided jail time by accepting three years of probation. He was ordered to attend a year’s worth of domestic violence counseling sessions and parenting classes in addition to completing 100 hours of community service.
The NBA conducted its own investigation into the incident, reviewing “all available matters and interviewing numerous third-party witnesses, as well as the parties involved,” the league said in today’s statement. NBA investigators also consulted with a group of domestic violence experts as part of the process.
Having concluded its probe, the league technically classifies its penalty for Bridges as a 30-game suspension. However, the NBA will consider the forward to have already served 20 of those games, since he remained unsigned for the entire 2022/23 season due to his legal situation. Typically, players can’t begin serving suspensions until they’re under contract.
Bridges received a qualifying offer from the Hornets last summer, making him a restricted free agent, and he’ll be restricted again this offseason if Charlotte reissues that QO (which was worth roughly $7.9MM).
A report in December suggested the Hornets and Bridges were making some progress in negotiations on a new contract, but the team issued a statement in January denying that claim. President of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak has since spoken multiple times about waiting for the NBA to conclude its investigation before taking any next steps.
Raptors Notes: Siakam, Nurse, Anunoby, VanVleet, Trent
There’s an expectation around the NBA that changes will be coming in Toronto after the Raptors were eliminated from the play-in tournament on Wednesday, capping a disappointing season, writes Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com.
“I think everybody in the league knows that Toronto is going to be heading to a break-up,” an opposing executive told Bulpett.
It remains to be seen what those changes might look like. Three of the Raptors’ top six players – Fred VanVleet, Jakob Poeltl, and Gary Trent Jr. – appear headed for free agency; OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam could see their names resurface in trade rumors; and there’s no guarantee that head coach Nick Nurse will return.
“They’re going to get rid of some of their assets and just go in another direction,” a source from another team said to Bulpett. “Who it is, I don’t know. But I know that Anunoby’s name comes up all the time. Interestingly enough, Siakam’s name is not as well regarded as you would have thought. The guy gets buckets. He can score. But it do think he and Gary Trent carry the same label. They can score, but I’m not sure they help you win.
“VanVleet’s a player, and so is Scottie Barnes. Poeltl is a competent center. … Siakam is one of the better scorers in the league. And all Gary Trent does is make buckets. … I like their talent level. We’d love to have some of that. But together, what they have doesn’t work. It just doesn’t. I think Nurse has been around, and he realizes when the bloom is off the rose.”
For his part, Nurse was noncommittal when asked about his own future this week. He previously stated that it’s something he’ll consider and discuss with the front office after the season and reiterated that point on Thursday.
“(Raptors president) Masai (Ujiri) really wants to win. I really want to win,” Nurse said (Twitter link via Lewenberg). “We’re driving to figure out how to get back to a championship level. Our communication is open and honest with each other. That’s all I can say there.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- While there’s an expectation that both players will turn down their 2023/24 player options, neither VanVleet nor Trent was willing to commit to that direction when they spoke to reporters on Thursday, according to stories from ESPN and The Canadian Press (via The Toronto Star). “Not too much rush to jump into a decision about opting out,” VanVleet said. “It will take some time.”
- Asked if he would be interested in discussing a contract extension with the Raptors this offseason, Anunoby expressed a willingness to do so, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. “They haven’t come to me with anything (yet) and if they did I would definitely talk to them,” Anunoby said. “I love Toronto. I love our teammates. I love the staff.” The NBA’s new CBA will allow Toronto to offer Anunoby a raise of up to 40% on next year’s $18.6MM salary instead of just 20%, putting the team in position to make a stronger offer.
- Dave Feschuk of The Toronto Star argues that the Raptors are in the midst of an identity crisis and “need a serious organizational rethink,” while Eric Koreen of The Athletic conveys a similar sentiment, writing that the team is due for an overhaul from both a stylistic and personnel perspective.
- With the Raptors’ 2019 championship growing more distant in the rear view mirror, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca says the team needs to “mentally, emotionally, and spiritually” cut ties with that era in order to move forward. VanVleet doesn’t disagree. “I think we just got to find another identity, whatever that is,” said the veteran guard. “… We can’t try to do that by osmosis and try to carry over a championship from four years ago and expect to add that to a group that we have now.”
- Doug Smith of The Toronto Star identifies five key areas the Raptors need to deal with this summer, starting with Nurse’s status.
Haslam Completes Purchase Of Lasry’s Stake In Bucks
1:34pm: In a press release formally announcing the sale of Lasry’s stake to Haslam, the Bucks clarified that Edens will be the team’s governor for the next five years.
10:24am: The Haslam Sports Group has closed its purchase of Lasry’s stake in the Bucks, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico (subscription required). That source says the deal values the Bucks at closer to $3.2 billion than the previously reported $3.5 billion figure.
10:17am: Jimmy Haslam, Dee Haslam, and their Haslam Sports Group will officially become part of the Bucks‘ ownership group on Friday, according to Shams Charania and Eric Nehm of The Athletic, who report that the Haslams are set to complete his purchase of Marc Lasry‘s stake in the franchise.
Lasry agreed in February to sell his share of the team at a $3.5 billion valuation to the Haslams, who are also the controlling owners of the Cleveland Browns (NFL) and the Columbus Crew (MLS). Lasry reportedly owned about 25% of the Bucks, which would put the Haslams’ investment in the range of $875MM.
Scott Soshnick of Sportico reported (via Twitter) a couple weeks ago that the sale agreement had been approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors.
Prior to cashing out, Lasry shared the Bucks’ controlling owner responsibilities with Wes Edens. When they bought the franchise in 2014, they agreed to serve alternating five-year terms as the primary governor — Edens assumed that role from 2014-19 and Lasry took it over in 2019. Speaking at the NFL owners’ meetings in Arizona last month, Jimmy Haslam stated that Edens would reclaim that role while Haslam learns the ropes of NBA ownership.
The Haslams’ purchase of Lasry’s stake in the Bucks won’t have the same sort of immediate impact that Mat Ishbia‘s purchase of the Suns did in February. Ishbia signed off on a trade for Kevin Durant within days of taking control of the team, but if Milwaukee enjoys a deep playoff run, it will still be at least a month or two before the club is even permitted to make its next roster move.
Still, as Nehm observes in The Athletic’s report, it will be interesting to see what sort of effect – if any – the new co-owner’s involvement has on the Bucks’ financial and personnel decisions this summer and beyond. The ownership group has become increasingly willing in recent years to pay sizable luxury tax bills with the Bucks in perennial contention for championships.
Next year’s tax bill could be the team’s biggest yet if key free agents like Brook Lopez, Jae Crowder, and Joe Ingles are retained. Khris Middleton and Jevon Carter also hold player options for 2023/24.
Mavericks Fined $750K By NBA For Resting Players
The Mavericks have been fined $750K by the NBA for “conduct detrimental to the league,” according to a press release (Twitter link).
The penalty was the result of a league investigation into Dallas’ decision to rest healthy players on Friday, April 7 during the team’s second-last game of the season, when a play-in spot was still within reach.
“The Mavericks violated the league’s player resting policy and demonstrated through actions and public statements the organization’s desire to lose the game in order to improve the chances of keeping its first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft,” the NBA said in today’s statement.
The league stressed that there was no indication the players who took the court for the Mavs in the game weren’t “playing to win,” but NBA executive VP and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars said the organization’s decision to rest key players “undermined the integrity of our sport.”
“The Mavericks’ actions failed our fans and our league,” Dumars added.
The Mavericks ruled out All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, along with key role players Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green, Maxi Kleber, and Christian Wood for last Friday’s game vs. the Bulls. Due to a Slovenian event at the arena that night, Luka Doncic suited up for the first quarter but was pulled from the game early in the second quarter and didn’t return.
Dallas is hardly the only team that held out key players with dubious injury designations during the home stretch of the season. However, their choice to do so with just two games left in the season, despite being a half-game behind the Thunder in the play-in race, stood out — especially since comments made to the media by head coach Jason Kidd, among others, made the Mavs’ intentions clear.
The Mavericks owe their 2023 first-round pick to the Knicks but will keep the pick if it ends up in the top 10. Having lost the last two games of the season, Dallas finished with the NBA’s 10th-worst record and have approximately an 80% chance to hang onto the first-rounder on lottery night.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was fined $600K by the league back in 2018 for talking about how tanking would benefit his team.
Jazz Notes: Offseason, Olynyk, Draft, Gay, Clarkson
After trading away longtime franchise cornerstones Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell last offseason, Jazz CEO Danny Ainge is more enthusiastic about the job that lies ahead for the front office during the coming summer, he said on Wednesday.
“Yeah, this is gonna be fun,” Ainge told reporters, including Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. “A lot more draft picks, more money to spend — yeah, a shopping spree. Yeah, this will be more fun — much more fun than last year.”
Those trades of Gobert, Mitchell, and other regulars – including Royce O’Neale and Bojan Bogdanovic – could have been the beginning of an extended rebuilding process in Utah, but the revamped squad remained in play-in contention until the final week of the regular season. The Jazz’s draft assets, cap flexibility, and promising young core should create numerous pathways for the team to continue building this offseason.
“(With) the optionality that we’ve created, the possibilities are endless,” general manager Justin Zanik said. “… There could be a lot of change this summer.”
While the Jazz are in position to accelerate their timeline for contention if they so choose, Zanik noted that the team doesn’t have a set goal in mind about where it needs to be a year or two from now. According to Zanik, “the very next thing is always the most important thing” and the front office simply wants to continue making good decisions. However, Ainge pointed to a couple specific areas that the club would like to address this summer.
“We weren’t a very good shooting team at the end of the year — injuries contributed some to that. We need to get better defensively,” Ainge said, per Walden. “Those are the two (areas of) focus.”
Here’s more out of Utah:
- Zanik said on Wednesday that he anticipates having Kelly Olynyk back next season, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic. Only $3MM of Olynyk’s $12.2MM salary for 2023/24 is currently guaranteed, but it sounds like Utah won’t waive him before June 28, when the remainder becomes guaranteed.
- The Jazz intend to cast a wide net in their draft preparation, writes Walden. They’ll have three first-round picks, which should put them in a good position to bring in a ton of players for pre-draft workouts. “You know, bring people in that we’re looking at for the 28th pick, and we can tell them that we’re looking at ’em for the ninth pick,” Ainge joked.
- In a separate story for The Tribune, Walden takes a closer look at what’s next this summer for the Jazz, noting that a handful of veterans – Jordan Clarkson, Talen Horton-Tucker, Rudy Gay, and Damian Jones – have player option decisions to make before July. Of those four players, Gay is the best bet to opt in, Walden writes, given that he’s unlikely to exceed his $6.5MM option salary on the open market.
- Speaking to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, Clarkson sounded like someone who remains very open to continuing his career in Utah despite his opportunity to reach free agency this summer. “I love Utah. … There is a good future here,” Clarkson said. “We got Lauri (Markkanen), an All-Star on our team, we have some good young players. The best thing for us is keep it going, and, you know, just creating the culture.”
Key 2023 NBA Offseason Dates, Deadlines
With the 2022/23 NBA regular season in the books, 12 teams have shifted their focus to the offseason and others will soon follow suit.
That means it’s time to retire our list of the NBA’s key in-season dates and deadlines for the ’22/23 campaign in favor of an updated offseason calendar of the most important dates facing teams and players in the coming months.
Outlined below is a breakdown of many of the NBA’s important dates and deadlines for the next few months, right up until training camps open for the 2023/24 season.
Note: We may adjust, add, or remove items from this list if there are date/deadline changes related to the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
April 23
- Deadline for early entrants to declare for the NBA draft (10:59 pm CT).
- Note: For more information on draft-related dates and deadlines, check out our full breakdown.
May 13-14
- NBA G League Elite Camp for draft prospects.
May 15-21
- NBA draft combine.
May 16
- NBA draft lottery.
May 31
- Last day for early entrants to withdraw from the NBA draft and retain their NCAA eligibility (10:59 pm CT).
June 1
- NBA Finals begin.
June 12
- Deadline for all early entrants (including international players) to withdraw from the NBA draft (4:00 pm CT).
June 18
- Latest possible end date for NBA Finals.
June 22
- NBA draft day.
June 29
- Last day for decisions on player, team, and early termination options
- Note: Certain contracts will require earlier decisions.
- Last day for teams to make qualifying offers to players eligible for restricted free agency.
June 30
- Last official day of the 2022/23 NBA league year.
- Last day for players eligible for veteran extensions in 2022/23 to sign them.
- Teams can begin negotiating with free agents (5:00 pm CT).
July 1
- Official start of the 2023/24 NBA league year.
- Moratorium period begins.
- Restricted free agents can sign an offer sheet.
- Teams can begin signing players to rookie scale contracts, minimum salary contracts, and two-way contracts.
- Teams can begin exercising the third- or fourth-year team options for 2024/25 on rookie scale contracts.
July 6
- Moratorium period ends (11:01 am CT)
- Teams can begin officially signing players, extending players, and completing trades (11:01 am CT).
- The 24-hour period for matching an RFA offer sheet signed during the moratorium begins (11:01 am CT).
July 7-17
- Las Vegas Summer League.
July 13
- Last day for teams to unilaterally withdraw qualifying offers to restricted free agents.
August 31
- Last day for teams to waive players and apply the stretch provision to their 2023/24 salaries.
September 5
- Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned second-round picks; those players become free agents on September 6 if not tendered.
Late September (specific dates TBA)
- Training camps open.
Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and NBA.com were used in the creation of this post.