E’Twaun Moore

And-Ones: All-Star Voting, Moore, Sophomore Class, 2023 Mock

Superstar forwards LeBron James and Kevin Durant lead the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively, in the first round of All-Star fan voting, the NBA announced on Thursday (Twitter link). Fan voting makes up 50% of the vote for the starting lineup, with players and the media accounting for 25% each.

The projected starting lineups, based on the initial round of fan voting, would be James, Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis in the West’s frontcourt, with Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic in the backcourt. The East’s frontcourt would be Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid, with Kyrie Irving and Donovan Mitchell in the backcourt.

Fan voting ends on January 21. The next round of votes will be released on January 12.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

  • Free agent guard E’Twaun Moore, a career 38.8% three-point shooter, believes he can still help teams. He’s working out and staying ready in case he gets a call, but he’s also making plans for his post-NBA career. “I got to be prepared if a team doesn’t want to pick me up,” he told Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. “Then what am I going to do?” As Vorkunov details, the 11-year veteran views fellow East Chicago, Indiana, native and former NBA player Junior Bridgeman as a role model due to his successful business ventures — Bridgeman is worth an estimated $600MM. Moore earned more than $42MM during his career, but he’s already accumulated another $40MM in various business interests after spending $6MM to acquire them, per Vorkunov. “That’s just getting started,” said Moore, who graduated from Purdue with a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership. “I want to try get nine figures. I want to make way more off the court than I did playing basketball.”
  • The 2021 draft class has been largely disappointing in 2022/23, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. That’s a stark contrast from their rookie seasons, when players like Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, Evan Mobley and Jalen Green looked like future stars. Cunningham’s second year was cut short by season-ending surgery, and while the other three have shown glimpses, they’ve been pretty inconsistent in year two, says Hollinger, who also evaluates several other players from the class.
  • In Jonathan Wasserman’s latest 2023 mock draft for Bleacher Report, Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson, twin brothers for Overtime Elite, go No. 3 and No. 4 behind Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson. Villanova’s Cam Whitmore rounds out the top five.

Celtics Trade Bol Bol, PJ Dozier To Magic

1:16pm: The deal is official, according to a press release from the Magic. As expected, the team has waived Moore and Carter-Williams.


1:00pm: The Magic will acquire the Celtics’ 2028 second-round pick (top-45 protected) in the deal, while Boston will get the Magic’s 2023 second-rounder (top-55 protected), reports Price (via Twitter).


12:12pm: The Magic will waive veteran guard E’Twaun Moore as part of the deal, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Orlando is also cutting Michael Carter-Williams, tweets Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. Both players have been out all season due to injuries.

Brian Robb of MassLive.com confirms (via Twitter) that the second-round pick headed to Boston in the deal will be heavily protected and likely won’t convey.


11:34am: The Celtics have reached an agreement to trade injured players Bol Bol and PJ Dozier to the Magic, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). It’s a cost-cutting move for the Celtics, who will dip below the luxury tax line as a result of the deal.

Boston is sending a second-round pick and cash to Orlando and will get a second-round pick in return, Wojnarowski reports. I’d expect the second-rounder headed to the Celtics to be heavily protected, but we’ll await further details.

Bol and Dozier were sent from Denver to Boston earlier this season in a three-team trade, but neither player was part of the Celtics’ short- or long-term plans. Bol underwent foot surgery that is expected to sideline him for most or all of the season, while Dozier is recovering from a surgery of his own to repair a torn ACL and won’t play until 2022/23.

Both players are on expiring deals, with Bol earning $2.2MM this season and Dozier making $1.9MM. Orlando will acquire both players using trade exceptions, while Boston will create a pair of new trade exceptions equivalent to their salaries.

The Celtics now have a pair of open roster spots and will remain out of tax territory even in the unlikely event that Jaylen Brown is named an All-Star replacement and earns a bonus. As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), the C’s would’ve had a small tax bill of about $2MM if they hadn’t made a move, but they’re now in line to receive a potential eight-figure payout.

While Boston doesn’t have to make any more moves today, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link) hears that there are still three or four teams in the mix for Dennis Schröder, with one source estimating there’s a 50/50 chance of a deal.

The Magic have a full 15-man roster, so they’ll have to make at least one more move in order to accommodate the incoming players.

Pacific Notes: Davis, Lakers, Moore, Clippers

Add Lakers legend James Worthy to the growing list of people who believe Anthony Davis should play more at center this season. While speaking on Spectrum SportsNet (hat tip TalkBasket), Worthy was adamant about Davis playing at the five, citing a variety of reasons why it would make sense.

“I think initiating Anthony Davis in the post is the best option,” he explained. “I’ve never been one of those players to say ‘I don’t wanna play three, I wanna play four. I wanna play.’ I don’t know what the problem is, maybe who he defends or where he is on the floor. I think the five is a good spot for him. Because other fives don’t have a shot at guarding him.

“You want to make opponents make adjustments. Him at the five shooting three is going to pull Gobert out and they’re going to have to put somebody small on him and he can take advantage of that. I think he needs to look at what position best suits the team and what position best suits how they wanna play before he just says ‘Ahh, one or the other.’”

Giving Davis more minutes at center could also help with the Lakers’ potential floor-spacing issues. The team added Russell Westbrook to its core this offseason, wisely signing shooters such as Trevor Ariza, Carmelo Anthony, Kent Bazemore and Wayne Ellington to fill around its star trio.

There’s more from the Pacific Division today:

  • Speaking of the Lakers, Jovan Buha of The Athletic examined a number of topics related to the team in his latest mailbag, including Davis, Talen Horton-Tucker and more. Buha also examined which new addition (outside of Westbrook) could have the biggest impact on the club this season.
  • New Magic guard E’Twaun Moore had hoped to re-sign with the Suns after reaching the NBA Finals last season, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic writes. Moore also believes Phoenix would’ve had a better chance at winning the Finals if he played. “Just being another playmaker,” he said. “Somebody else that can make shots. Somebody else that can handle. Man, I felt like we would’ve gave Milwaukee some problems if I would’ve played. I felt like I could’ve helped us win for sure in the Finals. So, I definitely do wish I played more towards the end of the season and into the playoffs. I ain’t going to lie. I was itching for it.”
  • Clippers owner Steve Ballmer recently brought up an interesting point about his team sharing Staples Center with the Lakers, as relayed by Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. “I attended a whole lot of 12:30 p.m. games with sleep-deprived players rubbing bleary eyes in timeouts,” Ballmer said. “Don’t like those 12:30 p.m. games on Saturdays and believe me, in our own building we don’t have to play as many.” Team consultant Jerry West echoed the same sentiment. “The Clippers have been in a great building in Staples but when you are the third tenant in the building, I mean, my goodness, we have the worst schedule every year.” The Clippers held a groundbreaking party on Friday to celebrate the team’s new Intuit Dome arena, which will open in 2024.

E’Twaun Moore Signs With Magic

SEPTEMBER 9: The Magic have officially signed Moore, the team announced today in a press release.


SEPTEMBER 8: The Magic have agreed to a one-year, $2.6MM contract with guard E’Twaun Moore, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

It’s a veteran’s minimum contract for a player with Moore’s experience. He began his NBA career during the 2011/12 season.

Moore appeared in 27 games with the Suns on a one-year contract last season, including one start. He averaged 4.9 PPG and 1.5 APG in 14.4 MPG but struggled with his 3-point shot (31.4%). He also saw action in seven of Phoenix’s postseason games, averaging 2.4 PPG in 6.6 MPG.

This will be Moore’s second stint with the Magic. He appeared in 154 games with Orlando during his second and third seasons in the league.

Moore’s NBA career has also included stops in Boston, Chicago and New Orleans. He’s appeared in 598 regular-season games, averaging 7.9 PPG and 1.8 APG in 21.o MPG while making 38.8% of his 3-point attempts.

Orlando already had 17 players on its official roster, including 14 with guaranteed deals. Adding Moore makes it less likely that those without guaranteed deals will have a spot on the opening-night roster.

Suns Sign E’Twaun Moore To One-Year Deal

NOVEMBER 29: The Suns have officially signed Moore, per RealGM’s transactions log.


NOVEMBER 22: Free agent shooting guard E’Twaun Moore has reached an agreement to sign a one-year deal with the Suns, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).

Stein reports that the deal will be worth $2.4MM, which suggests it’s likely a minimum-salary pact, rounded up. Moore’s minimum salary this year, as a nine-year veteran, will be $2,331,593.

Moore, 31, has spent the last four seasons in New Orleans, bouncing back and forth between roles as a starter and a backup during that time. He has been an effective scorer and shooter for the Pelicans, averaging 10.7 PPG on .474/.404/.736 shooting in his four years with the team.

Moore represents the latest intriguing addition for a Phoenix team that appears to be poised to compete for a playoff spot in the Western Conference in 2020/21. Having kicked off their offseason by acquiring Chris Paul in a trade with Oklahoma City, the Suns have since reached free agent agreements with Jae Crowder and Moore, as well as their own restricted free agent guard Jevon Carter.

The team also drafted big man Jalen Smith with the No. 10 pick on Wednesday and reportedly wants to re-sign RFA forward Dario Saric.

Southwest Notes: Clemons, Moore, Favors, Barea

Chris Clemons‘ new three-year contract with the Rockets features a guaranteed minimum salary this season, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Since it’s prorated, Clemons will have a cap hit of $563K for the rest of this season if the deal is officially finalized on Friday.

MacMahon adds that Clemons’ 2020/21 salary will be non-guaranteed, while 2021/22 will be a team option — both years will also be worth the minimum. Assuming the rookie guard continues to impress and plays out his full contract with the Rockets, he’ll be on track to become a restricted free agent during the summer of 2022.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • Following a victory in Portland on Monday, Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry told reporters that he took the blame for limiting E’Twaun Moore‘s minutes in recent weeks (Twitter link via Scott Kushner of The Advocate). Moore, who started 36 games and averaged 27.6 MPG last season, has fallen out of the rotation at times in 2019/20, which is a contract year for him. He has averaged 11.5 PPG in 22.9 MPG in two games this week, both Pelicans wins.
  • The reintegration of Derrick Favors into the Pelicans‘ lineup has been another factor keying the team’s improved play as of late, writes Will Guillory of The Athletic. A free agent at season’s end, Favors could be a trade candidate this winter.
  • Mike Piellucci of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at Mavericks guard J.J. Barea and the work he has put in to make it back from an Achilles tear at age 35 when he could have easily called it a career.

Pelicans Notes: Williamson, Griffin, Offseason

Pelicans players, coaches and executives alike are trying to shield phenom Zion Williamson from as much of the pressure and spotlight that comes with being the most-hyped player since LeBron James that they can, but it may be a futile endeavor, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

Vardon admits it’s an admirable strategy, to try to create an environment in which Williamson matures into an adult naturally, to the degree that’s possible as a professional basketball player. But it’s hard to convince people that this is Jrue Holiday‘s team when everybody and their mother at media day only wants to hear from Zion, even if it meant waiting after the Pels purposely didn’t bring him out until later.

“He’s still 19, a very young 19,” Pelicans’ Executive VP of Basketball Operations David Griffin said. “I think Zion is finding more comfort just with himself as a man, as a person. And that’s really important to us. We don’t have expectations that we are hoisting on him with the players. It’s really about finding himself, finding comfort with his teammates, finding his role and we’re blessed. All Zion wants to do is win.”

But whatever Griffin says, the NBA didn’t “put (the Pelicans) on national TV 30 times” because of anybody but Zion, and New Orleans knows this. So try as they might, the Pelicans probably won’t be able to protect Williamson from what’s coming at him this season.

There’s more news this evening from the Big Easy:

  • As training camp gets underway, William Guillory of The Athletic writes that the Pelicans’ uncertainty entering camp might be higher than it is with any other NBA franchise, as New Orleans only returns five of 20 players from last season’s roster – Holiday, E’Twaun Moore, Darius Miller, Jahlil Okafor, and Frank Jackson.
  • Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com explores how Griffin was able to make good on his promise to bring multiple, accomplished NBA veterans to New Orleans when he took over in April. One example? Griffin managed to bring in J.J. Redick, Derrick Favors, and Nicolo Melli, a trio that boasts a combined 30-plus seasons of professional experience.
  • ICYMI, Luke Adams took a look at how New Orleans was able to successfully transition from one franchise player to another in the span of a few months, among other Pelicans’ related tidbits, as part of our 2019 Offseason in Review series.

E’Twaun Moore Out At Least 7 To 10 Days

A recurrent left quadriceps contusion that Pelicans swingman E’Twaun Moore suffered Wednesday night will sideline him for more than a week, the team announced on its website. An MRI conducted Thursday confirmed the injury, and the medical staff will re-evaluate his condition in seven to 10 days.

Moore’s absence leaves the Pelicans even more short-handed in the wake of last night’s news that Jrue Holiday will miss at least seven to 10 days with a lower abdominal strain.

With newly-signed Dairis Bertans still not available and Trevon Bluiett sidelined after thumb surgery, New Orleans will have a limited roster tonight against the Raptors. In addition, Jahlil Okafor is questionable with a right ankle sprain and Anthony Davis remains on a minutes limit.

Moore has posted an 11.9/2.4/1.9 line in 53 games, making 36 starts. An eight-year veteran, he is in this third season with the Pelicans and is signed through next year.

Lakers, Pelicans To Resume Anthony Davis Trade Talks

The Lakers and Pelicans will have more discussions regarding Anthony Davis before Thursday’s trade deadline, according to Tania Ganguli and Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.

Updating the progress of negotiations, the Times writers state that the Lakers submitted five offers to New Orleans on Wednesday, but Pelicans officials have yet to hold internal discussions on them. Multiple sources told the Times that one of the offers would send Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Ivica Zubac and a first-round pick to the Pelicans.

New Orleans is reportedly mulling over a counter-offer that would seek a pair of first-round picks and would send a Pelicans player to the Lakers. Besides Davis and Jrue Holiday, whom New Orleans intends to keep, the only significant contracts for next season belong to Solomon Hill ($12,758,781) and E’Twaun Moore ($8,664,928). Julius Randle has a player option worth a little more than $9MM.

Davis remains the focus of the Lakers’ trade efforts, but L.A. is also seeking shooters, presumably to replenish the team if it trades four players for Davis. Ganguli reported earlier tonight that the Lakers called the Pistons about Reggie Bullock, who is shooting 38.3% from downtown and ranks 14th in the league with 2.4 3-pointers per game.

Pelicans Shopped Mirotic, Randle, Moore

The Pelicans spent the weekend trying to trade Nikola Mirotic, Julius Randle and E’Twaun Moore in exchange for draft picks, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on his weekly podcast (hat tip to Andrew Lopez of The Times-Picayune).

“Over the weekend, I had heard from two separate teams that Mirotic, Randle and Moore had all been made available for picks,” Lowe said. “New Orleans is known for perhaps playing some misdirection, so teams didn’t know what to think of this. One team made of it, their guess and/or impression was, New Orleans was trying to get picks that it then flips for a big, big piece in a save-the-season trade.”

The other team told Lowe it also wasn’t sure how to interpret the Pelicans’ move and speculated that they might be giving up on this season and trying to build for the future. New Orleans is 13th in the East with a 22-28 record and is five and a half games out of a playoff spot.

Mirotic, who was acquired from the Bulls last season, will be a free agent in July and will be seeking a raise on his $12.5MM salary. Randle, who signed with the team over the summer, has a player option for next season worth a little more than $9MM. Moore is in his third season with the Pelicans and has one year left on his current contract at nearly $8.67MM.

New Orleans is trying to plan for the future without star big man Anthony Davis, who informed the team over the weekend that he won’t sign an extension this summer and wants to be traded.