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You want a statement? The Thunder will give you one. Oklahoma City went into Boston and beat the Celtics, 118-112, in a potential NBA Finals matchup. (OKC also beat Boston, 105-92, back on Jan. 5.) Of course, lots will change between now and then — the Thunder didn’t have Jalen Williams or Alex Caruso, the Celtics didn’t have Kristaps Porzingis, and there are several other teams who could make the Finals (hello, East-leading Cavaliers!) — but this was a big one.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 34 points, and I was also super impressed by Chet Holmgren (23 points, 15 rebounds). The Thunder’s depth was on display, too, with Oklahoma City’s bench outscoring Boston’s 34-20.
Another big number? The Celtics attempted 63 3-pointers, tied for third-most in a game in NBA history. The Thunder have used the regular season for a lot of experimentation (and, to be fair, a lot of wins), and Sam Quinn assessed how this one worked out.
Quinn: “The Thunder could survive hotter Celtics shooting if the tradeoff at the rim proves worthwhile. In some ways it did. The Thunder outscored the Celtics by eight at the rim, and more importantly, they drew 23 more free-throw attempts. The Thunder foul a lot by design, it’s the nature of their ultra-physical defensive style, so winning the free-throw battle by that margin is notable.” 👍 Honorable mentions The Players Championship is underway! Here are the nine players who can win. Collin Morikawa’s caddie, JJ Stankovic, made a hole-in-one at the iconic 17th hole at Sawgrass. The national anthem before Knicks-Trail Blazers was 22 years in the making … … and the end of the game was just as epic (for Knicks fans). The Bengals plan to make Ja’Marr Chase the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback. McNeese (Southland) and Montana (Big Sky) are heading to the Men’s NCAA Tournament. Two more automatic bids for the Women’s NCAA Tournament: San Diego State (Mountain West) needed triple overtime and Montana State (Big Sky) won on a buzzer-beater. Kansas hit five straight home runs, tying a Division I record. Spring Breakout, the MLB’s showcase of top prospects, begins today. Here’s who to watch. These NFL players collected some cash via performance-based pay. Happy retirement, Michael Pierce. We’ll always have this amazing big man interception. 🏈 And not such a good morning for … getty-aaron-rodgers-jets-1.jpg Getty Images THE TEAMS WAITING ON AARON RODGERS’ DECISION
The new NFL year officially opened Wednesday, and with it, the Jets are moving on from Aaron Rodgers, planning to release him after two disappointing seasons. Everyone (including Brett Favre) seems to have an opinion on where he should play next.
Everyone, that is, except the one person who matters: Rodgers himself.
Reports have been all over the place — we’re keeping track of them here — but there’s one constant: The Steelers and the Giants seem to be the frontrunners. Beyond that, it’s murky. Are other teams interested? Is a decision nearing? Will he retire? Who knows!
Here’s what we do know: This can’t be fun for any team involved. Former NFL GM Doug Whaley thinks Rodgers is “holding the entire Steelers organization hostage,” and while I don’t know if it’s that dramatic, I do get where he’s coming from.
In this still-young offseason, Pittsburgh has been tied to …
Justin Fields (signed with the Jets) Sam Darnold (signed with the Seahawks) Russell Wilson (meeting with the Browns and Giants this week) Rodgers What if Rodgers doesn’t choose Pittsburgh? The Steelers have had conversations with Mason Rudolph. No, I’m not kidding. The quarterback market is thinning out rapidly. Frankly, Rudolph and similar-caliber quarterbacks are the guys available after Rodgers and Wilson.
I don’t think DK Metcalf, who just joined the Steelers and got a huge deal, would like that. I don’t think Darius Slay, who just arrived from the Super Bowl-champion Eagles and surely wants to contend, would like that. I don’t think defensive stars T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick would like that.
This isn’t a shot at Rudolph, who is a perfectly capable backup. But the Steelers have been hamstrung by quarterback play for years — that includes Wilson last year — and somehow might be in even more dire straits now. They were a definitive “loser” in Jared Dubin’s Day 3 winners and losers.
To be honest, the Steelers signed up for this sort of frustration and uncertainty when they got into the Rodgers business. It’s getting late early.
👎 Not so honorable mentions The Rams released Cooper Kupp after they couldn’t find a trade partner. Here are landing spots. Elsewhere, the Jets released C.J. Mosley. Mikal Bridges asked Tom Thibodeau to play his starters fewer minutes. Rutgers will become the first team with two top-five recruits to miss the NCAA Tournament. Bruce Bochy probably shouldn’t have admitted this potential strategy to keep Jacob deGrom fresh. Trinity Rodman said it’s “just a matter of when” she’ll leave the NWSL for Europe. Tobi Lawal admitted Virginia Tech was “ass” this season in a truly all-time quote. Virginia parted ways with interim coach Ron Sanchez. 🏈 NFL free agency Day 3 winners, losers, grades even-engram.jpg Getty Images Even though Wednesday marked the start of the new NFL year, free agency has been going on since Monday, so things are starting to slow down. In fact, 22 of the top 25 players in Pete Prisco’s Top 100 free agents have signed.
But that doesn’t mean the action has come to a stop. Not even close. Here are some headlines from Wednesday:
The Broncos signed Evan Engram to a two-year, $23 million deal. The Cowboys continued making moves on the edges, trading for Kaiir Elam and Kenneth Murray in separate deals and reuniting Jack Sanborn with defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. As for former Cowboys, DeMarcus Lawrence signed with the Seahawks (3/$42M), and Rico Dowdle joined the Panthers (1/$6.25M). Remember, we’re tracking every move here, updating team-by-team hauls here and giving out team grades here. In his Day 3 winners and losers, Jared loves Denver’s addition.
Dubin: “Winner: Engram and the Broncos — The production from the tight end position for Denver last season was nonexistent, and now it injects a player who has 100-catch upside into the offense. This is also great for Engram as he is poised to take over a central role within Sean Payton’s offense, which he called the ‘joker.’ In the past, that’s been manned by the likes of Jimmy Graham and Jeremy Shockey. That sets up what could be a career year for the 30-year-old.” These are the top 10 players still available.
⚽ UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid wins in dramatic, controversial fashion untitled-design-2025-03-12t225916-225.png Getty Images At this point, I think I’ll just write when Real Madrid loses in the UEFA Champions League. Otherwise, just assume it won. Los Blancos added yet another thrilling victory to their ledger, defeating Atlético Madrid 2-2 (4-2 on pens) to advance to the quarterfinals.
Real Madrid won the first leg 2-1, but Connor Gallagher scored just 29 seconds in Wednesday. Neither team found the net again, and we went to a shootout. Things appeared tied 2-2 through two rounds after Julián Alvarez converted. However, video review determined Alvarez accidentally touched the ball with his plant (left) foot as he slipped before scoring with his right. That’s not allowed, and the goal was dramatically waved off. Here’s our full explainer, with help from rules expert Christina Unkel. After makes from both sides, Jan Oblak’s save gave Atlético life. But Marcos Llorente hit the crossbar, and Antonio Rüdiger won it for Real Madrid, sneaking his attempt past Oblak. Rüdiger earned a spot on Francesco Porzio’s Champions League Team of the Week.
There wasn’t nearly as much drama elsewhere:
Lille 1, Borussia Dortmund 2 (Dortmund win 3-1 on aggregate) Aston Villa 3, Club Brugge 0 (Aston Villa win 6-1 on aggregate) Arsenal 2, PSV 2 (Arsenal win 9-3 on aggregate) That sets up these quarterfinal matchups:
Arsenal vs. Real Madrid Paris Saint-Germain vs. Aston Villa Barcelona vs. Borussia Dortmund Bayern Munich vs. Inter James Benge has five observations from the round of 16, including …
Benge: “We’ve been sleeping on Bayern — Michael Olise is a star and it perhaps shouldn’t be a surprise that at the other end Vincent Kompany has got consistently impressive performances out of Dayot Upamecano, a defense that gives up the fewest shots per game in the competition further aided by restoring Joshua Kimmich to a midfield that absolutely dominates the possession game.” Bayern is No. 4 in Chuck Booth’s Champions League Power Rankings.
📺 What we’re watching Thursday ⛳ We’re watching The Players Championship. Here’s how. 🏀 We’re watching the men’s basketball conference tournaments: ACC | Big 12 | Big East | Big Ten | SEC 🏀 Mountain West quarterfinal: San José State vs. New Mexico (M), 3 p.m. on CBS Sports Network 🏀 Mountain West quarterfinal: Boise State vs. San Diego State (M), 5:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network 🏀 Lakers at Bucks, 7:30 p.m. on TNT 🏀 Mountain West quarterfinal: Nevada vs. Colorado State (M), 9 p.m. on CBS Sports Network 🏀 Kings at Warriors, 10 p.m. on TNT/truTV 🏀 Mountain West quarterfinal: UNLV vs. Utah State (M), 11:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
Is it just me or does the NBA’s “silly season” seem to arrive earlier and earlier each year? It would make sense that tanking teams would start to truly throw in the towel even sooner this season due to the plethora of potentially franchise-changing talent at the top of the 2025 draft, but we used to at least get through March before seeing the likes of A.J. Lawson, Johnny Juzang and Daquan Jeffries lighting up the scoreboard.
This is just the way things are going to be until losing is no longer rewarded with a better chance at a top pick, but it’s unfortunate that it can affect the outcomes for teams that are embroiled in actual, competitive playoff races. You just have to hope that the teams in the remaining part of your schedule are less incentivized to win than those of your competition.
One team that’s plowing through any competition whatsoever is the Golden State Warriors, who are now 12-1 with Jimmy Butler in the lineup. It’s hard to recall one single player having this much effect on winning and losing this quickly, especially without going out and scoring 30 points every night. Golden State now has the league’s third-best defense and fifth-best offense since Butler’s first game and has finally cracked the top 10 in this week’s Power Rankings after consistent upward movement.
Heading in the opposite direction are the Los Angeles Lakers, who saw LeBron James go down with a groin injury and have struggled because of it. James and Luka Dončić were starting to develop some real chemistry, and that will now be delayed for as long as James will have to sit out. It affects the standings as well, because the Lakers are jam-packed toward the top of the West with the Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets. Any extended period of losing could take them from No. 2 to No. 5 real quick.
The top of the rankings remains steady, with the juggernaut Cleveland Cavaliers at the top once again, followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics. Those aforementioned Grizzlies were the week’s biggest risers, moving up three spots to No. 4.
Here are this week’s NBA Power Rankings.
Biggest Movers 3 Grizzlies 3 Bucks Rk Teams
Chg Rcrd 1 team logo Cavaliers The Cavs are apparently never going to lose again so let’s take a minute to check in on the De’Andre Hunter addition — yeah, he’s been great. Cleveland has improved both offensively and defensively when he’s been on the floor, and the team is a ridiculous plus-115 in his nearly 300 minutes as a Cav (they’ve won all 12 games). His blend of shot-making and defensive versatility is exactly what Cleveland will need against marquee wings in the postseason. — 56-11 2 team logo Thunder OKC bounced back from a loss to the Nuggets to go into Boston and beat the champs without the services of Jalen Williams, arguably their second-best player. The Thunder sweep the season series with the Celtics (important for a potential Finals meeting), and held them to just 106 points per 100 possessions in the two games, compared to Boston’s season average of 119. Sure it could be shooting variance, but the Thunder defense has been so dominant all season that it’s earned the benefit of the doubt. — 56-12 3 team logo Celtics The Celtics picked up a big win against the scorching-hot Lakers last weekend, but then lost on Wednesday after putting up another clankfest against OKC. In two losses to the Thunder this season, Boston shot 29 for 109 from 3-point range, a crisp 27% clip. Celtics fans will point to the numbers game they assume will eventually move in their favor, but chances are the stout Thunder defense is doing SOMETHING to make them miss. Perhaps we’ll get a closer look in June … — 49-19 4 team logo Grizzlies The Grizzlies have taken advantage of a soft spot in the schedule without Jaren Jackson Jr., winning four straight to pull back into the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference. Desmond Bane has been picking up the slack on the boards, going for 8.5 per game — in addition to 23 points and six assists — over his last eight games. 3 43-25 5 team logo Knicks Scoring has been a bit of an issue without Jalen Brunson (except against the Kings), but the Knicks have won two straight after Wednesday night’s thriller against the Blazers was capped by Mikal Bridges’ game-winning 3-pointer. It saved Josh Hart some embarrassment, as his inbound violation on the previous possession led to a go-ahead three-point play by Deni Avdija. Those Nova guys really stick together. 1 42-24 6 team logo Nuggets A split in consecutive road games against OKC is probably the best you can hope for, but Wednesday’s 20-point home loss to the Wolves was a bit of a disappointment for Denver, which fell to the No. 3 seed. Nikola Jokić says he’s playing the best basketball of his career, which is remarkable, and he’s not wrong — putting up the league’s first-ever 30-20-20 game is pretty strong evidence. 1 43-25 7 team logo Rockets Losing Amen Thompson for extended time hurts, but the Rockets have kept winning behind suffocating defense. Fred VanVleet returned to the lineup (again) on Wednesday, putting up 10 points and four assists in 28 minutes as Houston beat Phoenix for its fourth straight victory. 1 43-25 8 team logo Lakers Man, just when things were absolutely rolling for the Lakers, LeBron goes down with a groin injury. Hopefully it isn’t too serious, since they’ve lost both games without him (if you count the Boston game, in which he went out before the Lakers mounted their comeback). Not too much should be read into the Brooklyn loss, as the Lakers were also without Dorian Finney-Smith and Jaxson Hayes, but it sounds like James won’t be around for road games against Milwaukee and Denver either, obviously much more difficult matchups. 2 41-25 9 team logo Timberwolves Winners of six straight including a 20-point thumping of the Nuggets in Denver on Wednesday night, the Wolves are officially hot. Julius Randle and Naz Reid have been shredding defenses in their time on the floor together, averaging 132 points per 100 possessions in 108 minutes during the winning streak. 1 40-29 10 team logo Warriors The Jimmy train just keeps on rolling with three more wins to bring Golden State’s record to 12-1 with Butler in the lineup. Recently he’s even had to do something he seems to occasionally hate — score. He put up 51 total points in consecutive victories over the Nets and Pistons, the first time he’s eclipsed the 20-point mark in two straight games since his second and third games in a Warriors uniform. 2 39-28 11 team logo Pistons There’s a realistic world in which the Pistons, just one game back of the No. 4 seed in the loss column, host a first-round playoff series the year after finishing with the worst record in the NBA. Simply unreal. Quick check-in on Cade Cunningham: 26 points, nine assists and six rebounds per game on 46/36/86 splits, while the team’s net rating has improved by over six points per 100 possessions with him on the floor. 2 37-31 12 team logo Bucks The Bucks have lost three straight after winning eight of nine, and they’re now essentially tied with the Pacers and Pistons for the No. 4 through No. 6 seeds out East. Milwaukee lineups featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Kyle Kuzma have an impressive plus-9.4 net rating in almost 180 minute so far. 3 38-29 13 team logo Clippers Kawhi’s hitting game-winners. James Harden’s putting up 50-burgers. The Clippers have won four of five. Things are moving back in a positive direction for L.A. as it attempts to climb out of the Play-In over the next few weeks. 1 38-30 14 team logo Pacers Tyrese Haliburton is basically having the exact inverse season of the one he had last year. Instead of starting off in All-NBA form and petering out, he began the season miserably and has slowly once again become one of the league’s most impactful players, as he showed the Bucks with his game-winning four-point play on Tuesday night. 3 37-29 15 team logo Kings The Kings are going back and forth between the No. 8 and No. 9 positions in the West, which is actually a huge difference. The eighth spot would allow them to lose the first Play-In game and still get another shot. Sacramento has dropped three of its last four as Domantas Sabonis recovers from a hamstring injury. — 33-33 16 team logo Mavericks The steady decline continues for the Mavs, but hey, at least Naji Marshall is playing well! The offseason addition has been the engine of the depleted offense, averaging 23.5 points, eight rebounds and four assists on 51% shooting over his last six games. — 33-36 17 team logo Hawks Not exactly the stiffest competition, but four straight wins are four straight wins — especially when they keep you in the No. 7 spot, the cream of the Play-In crop. Dyson Daniels is averaging 15.5 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals during the win streak on 54/57/80 splits. 3 32-36 18 team logo Magic The Magic are 6-11 since Jan. 31 and are still in the exact same No. 8 playoff spot — gotta love the Eastern Conference. Orlando has generated just 107 points per 100 possessions this season with its two best scorers — Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner — on the floor. — 32-37 19 team logo Suns Trade rumors are swirling about both Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Ironically, the only one left in Phoenix after all this might be Bradley Beal because of his no-trade clause. The Suns are 5-14 since Feb. 1, with the league’s worst defensive rating over that stretch. — 31-37 20 team logo Heat The Heat have only scored over 110 points once since the end of February, and that game went to overtime. They’ve dropped five in a row while averaging just 108 points per 100 possessions. 3 29-38 21 team logo Trail Blazers Portland’s five-game losing streak has made any thoughts the Play-In seem a bit far-fetched, but they did almost pull out one of the most exciting games of the year against the Knicks on Wednesday. No matter how the season turns out, acquiring Deni Avdija last offseason is looking like a wise move, as the forward has averaged 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists over his last 12 games. — 29-39 22 team logo Bulls Not only have the Bulls won three games in row, but two of the three were also against their direct competition for Play-In positions. Chicago is now just two games back of the reeling Heat for the No. 9 spot and the right to host the 9-10 Play-In game. If you’re going to talk about the Bulls over the past couple of months, you have to talk about Josh Giddey, who is putting up monster numbers with averages of 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists on 49% 3-point shooting since Feb. 1. 1 28-39 23 team logo Spurs The Spurs have managed to put points on the board without the services of Victor Wembanyama — a respectable 12th in the league in offense since the All-Star break. Defense, on the other hand, has been a different story. They’re dead last in 12 games since the break, allowing over 122 points per 100 possessions. 1 28-38 24 team logo Raptors We’ve officially entered A.J. Lawson-Jared Rhoden season, and yes those are real NBA players who have scored 32 and 25 points, respectively, in the Raptors’ last two games — both wins. In fact, Toronto has now won five of its last six games as the front office gets a look at multiple pieces that may or may not be part of the future. 1 24-44 25 team logo 76ers The Sixers are pulling out all the stops to try to keep their top-six protected pick, and it’s fair to wonder how much, if at all, we’ll see Tyrese Maxey and Paul George for the rest of the season. Oh well, who needs them when you’ve got Quentin Grimes? The fourth-year wing has been nothing short of outstanding as the team’s offensive engine, averaging 26 points, five rebounds and four assists on 54/39/75 shooting splits over the past seven games — and that’s including a six-point dud against the Celtics. 1 23-44 26 team logo Nets The Nets pulled off a big-time tank move by losing to the Hornets, then messed it all up by beating the Lakers without LeBron. Just kidding … sort of. Noah Clowney had a team-high 19 points off the bench in the win over L.A. — 23-45 27 team logo Pelicans Tank Tracker 2025: The Pelicans are two wins ahead of Charlotte for the third-worst record in the league — which guarantees you a share of the highest odds at landing the No. 1 pick. Will Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum and Co. get an early summer vacation as New Orleans attempts to rack up the losses? I think I speak for all of us when I say we can’t wait to find out. — 18-50 28 team logo Hornets The NBA’s leading scorers since March 3: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum and … Miles Bridges. The athletic, powerful forward is averaging 33 points, nine rebounds and four assists in his last six games on 52/40/89 splits. 1 17-50
The show that Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry and New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu put on at All-Star weekend in 2024 was unforgettable, so it seemed like a missed opportunity when there was no encore performance this year. There were rumors that Caitlin Clark and Klay Thompson could have been involved in another special 3-point contest in San Francisco, but Clark declined and, according to NBA spokesperson Mike Bass, plans for a rematch were scrapped because the league was not “able to land on a plan we thought would raise the bar.”
This does not, however, mean that 2024 was a one-time thing. Curry said in an interview on 95.7 The Game on Wednesday that he thinks it will be revisited.
“We were trying to get the ‘Me and Sabrina Part 2’ back, and it just didn’t work out,” Curry said. “I think we’ll come back to that at some point.”
PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid almost ended the Philadelphia 76ers’ season on Thursday. Then he saved it.
In the first quarter of Game 3 of Philadelphia’s first-round series against the New York Knicks, Embiid earned a flagrant foul for grabbing Mitchell Robinson’s legs (from the floor) as the Knicks center went up for a layup. After a replay review, the officials determined it was a flagrant 1, meaning he would not be ejected. Down 2-0 in the series, Embiid played the remainder of the game as if he had seen the Sixers’ collective life flash before his eyes.
In the third quarter alone, Embiid had 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting, including a 59-second second stretch in which he made a 3-pointer on three consecutive possessions. The Sixers outscored the Knicks 43-27 in that frame, with an offensive rating of 204.8.
“He’s catching and shooting, he’s firing it with no hesitation,” Sixers guard Kyle Lowry said. “He’s playing the game on one leg right now, and he’s manipulating the game to make sure he’s helping us win basketball games. You just gotta tip your hat to a guy who’s going out there and playing his butt off for us.”
Embiid scored 33 points on 8-for-10 shooting in the second half and finished with 50 points, a career playoff high, on 13-for-19 shooting (5-for-7 from 3-point range, 19-for-21 from the line), in the 125-114 win. He got Isaiah Hartenstein and Robinson, the Knicks’ starting and backup centers, in foul trouble, and, when third-string center Precious Achiuwa entered the picture in because of Robinson’s sprained ankle, Embiid gave him the business, too.
For months, Embiid’s health status has been hanging over Philadelphia’s season. He had surgery to address a meniscus injury in his left knee in February, returned to the lineup in April and had an injury scare in the playoff opener. Although he put up huge numbers in both games in New York, he appeared to be laboring in crunch time. Making matters worse, Embiid has been dealing with Bell’s palsy since before the series began. This time, with the Sixers’ season effectively on the line, Embiid got better as the game went on.
“He’s always a fighter for the group and wants to win and wants to contribute,” Philadelphia forward Tobias Harris said. “I’m not in the man’s body, so I don’t really know what he’s going through, but as anybody in this locker room would say, just excited and happy to have him out there with us.”
Embiid said that, a day or two before the Sixers’ Play-In game against the Miami Heat last week, he had “bad migraines,” which turned out to be a symptom of Bell’s palsy. “That’s why. that Miami game, my body was just — I was just not feeling it,” he said.
“It’s pretty annoying,” Embiid said, “with my left side of my face, my mouth and my eye. It’s been tough, but I’m not a quitter.”
On the subject of his flagrant foul, Embiid said he was trying to make sure that Robinson didn’t land on him, as he “kind of had some flashbacks” about Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga landing on his leg in late January.
“It’s unfortunate,” Embiid said. “I didn’t mean to hurt anybody. In those situations, I gotta protect myself because I’ve been in way too many situations where I’m the recipient of the bad end of it.”
Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo called the foul “dirty” and wing Josh Hart said it was “something that can put a guy out for a significant amount of time, so we’re lucky [Robinson] didn’t get seriously hurt.”
Embiid said that he “got lucky” in the third quarter and “made a few shots.” He emphasized, however, that he can’t rely on making 3s moving forward and must “keep pushing myself to put myself in better positions to succeed.”
On one set play in the first quarter, Embiid, was stationed in the left corner, then came off a down screen from Lowry, caught a pass from Kelly Oubre Jr. in the paint and got himself an easy layup. This action was “tough to guard,” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said, back when the Cleveland Cavaliers ran it for Kevin Love and Channing Frye.
Embiid’s many other buckets — and trips to the free throw line — came on his usual assortment of post-ups, isolations, rolls to the rim and pops to the perimeter.
“The first conversation that I had with Coach Nurse when he got in, the word was unpredictability,” Embiid said. “Just being unpredictable and just putting me all over the floor: Handle, corner, top of the key, paint, posting up. So, yeah, we’re just trying to be unpredictable as much as we can, and that’s how I love to play.”
He may or may not be banned from the Empire State Building now, but Embiid’s performance immediately entered the pantheon in Philadelphia. It was the fifth time a Sixer has scored 50 points in a playoff game; Allen Iverson, seated front row on the baseline at Wells Fargo Center, did it three times, and Billy Cunningham did it once.
The Sixers needed a superhuman performance from their franchise player. After holding Knicks star Jalen Brunson in check at Madison Square Garden, the All-Star guard erupted for 39 points on 13-for-27 shooting. New York scored 123.9 points per 100 possessions, made 43.3% of its 3-point attempts — Hart made four 3s for the third consecutive game — and took care of the ball, but had no answer whatsoever for Embiid on the other end.
“I just love playing the game,” Embiid said. “I just want to be on the floor as much as possible. I want to play as much as possible. I only got about maybe eight years left, so I gotta enjoy it as much as possible.”
Now that the 2024 NBA postseason has begun, the basketball betting market is hotter than ever. CBS Sports will be providing daily picks for the duration of the postseason. Sam Quinn will make at least one pick for every game between now and the NBA Finals.
Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks Khris Middleton’s injury makes this a complicated game to bet on. But now that the series has shifted to Indianapolis and we have two games of data, it seems as though the faster pace Indiana wants to play with has set in. Middleton’s potential absence won’t hurt in that regard given his slower, isolation-based game, and if the Bucks lean more heavily on their shooters like Malik Beasley and A.J. Green, then all the better. Whether or not these teams shoot as well as they did in Game 2, the track meet style of this series is what’s informing this bet. The Pacers want to run. The Bucks have no way of preventing them from doing so. The Pick: Over 221.5
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks P.J. Washington scored 18 points in Game 2, and that wasn’t an accident. With Tim Hardaway Jr. injured, Dallas does not have many offensive role players to turn to. Washington has to play significant minutes because he is one of their few role players who is somewhat reliable on both ends of the floor. The Clippers have thrown a ton of doubles at Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving coming off of screens in this series, and that creates easy looks for teammates. Washington is the player best equipped to take advantage of them. The Pick: Washington Over 11.5 Points
Phoenix Suns vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Minnesota has dominated the first two games, and it hasn’t done so through unsustainable means. The Timberwolves have won the first two games by 37 combined points despite shooting a lower percentage on 3-pointers (32.8% for them vs. 34% for Phoenix). The problems for Phoenix are the sort of things that don’t shift from one building to another. The Timberwolves are +22 in rebounds. Their shot selection is significantly better. With Grayson Allen out, the Suns aren’t even at full strength. Phoenix might win because their superstars are talented enough to swing games if they get hot, but nothing that has happened in this series suggests that the Timberwolves should be four-point underdogs no matter where the games are played. The Pick: Timberwolves +4
MILWAUKEE — In the middle of the second quarter of Game 2 on Tuesday night, Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle sensed momentum had swung the Milwaukee Bucks’ way and called a timeout to settle his team down. Coming out of the break, Pascal Siakam took it from there.
Siakam, who said later that he didn’t even remember that huddle, scored or assisted on 13 points in the next 5:08, as the Pacers ripped off an 18-10 run to take the lead at the half. They never trailed again, and Siakam finished with a playoff-career-high 37 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in a 125-108 win that evened the series at 1-1.
“Special talent, he really is,” TJ McConnell said. “Trading for him, the plays he’s making in those moments, that’s why you trade for a guy like that. He’s been unbelievable in Game 1 and Game 2 and pretty much willed us to get this one. It was a group effort, but he was spectacular.”
In the process, Siakam became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1967 to open the postseason with back-to-back games of at least 35 points and 10 rebounds. No one would have predicted Siakam as the next member of that exclusive club, whose only other member is Elgin Baylor, but he has looked legitimately unstoppable so far against the short-handed Bucks.
As the Pacers head back to Indianapolis, they do so with homecourt advantage in hand and a real belief that they can win their first playoff series since 2014.
Not only because Siakam has arguably been the best player on the floor, but due to his experience and leadership, which has “100%” rubbed off on his teammates, according to Andrew Nembhard. “Since he’s got here he’s been a great voice in the locker room, he really understands it and he has a calm, cool demeanor about him that lets everybody else be calm,” Nembhard added.
The Pacers acquired Siakam from the Toronto Raptors in January in a three-team blockbuster that cost them Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, Kira Lewis and three first-round picks. While the steep price raised some eyebrows, the Pacers were confident that Siakam was just the addition they needed. So far, they’ve been proven correct.
“He’s been to the mountaintop and won at the highest level,” McConnell said, which adds a gravitas to the wisdom he imparts. No one else on the Pacers has a ring, and Aaron Nesmith and Jalen Smith are the only other players who have been to the Finals, though Nesmith only played sparingly and Smith didn’t see the floor.
“His experience in the playoffs is so valuable,” Carlisle said. “He’s not a guy that’s gonna get rattled by anything. Never has once since January since we got him.”
pascal-siakam-pacers-g.jpg Getty Images While Siakam has often been the teacher since arriving in Indiana, he admitted that he’s had to do some learning of his own. He spent most of his career playing with veterans such as Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Kawhi Leonard and Fred VanVleet. As that crew departed Toronto one-by-one, Siakam had to take on a bigger role. But as someone who describes himself as “not a talkative person,” he preferred to lead by example. The Pacers pushed him out of his comfort zone.
“I thought I was challenged a little bit with this group to continue to talk, and I think it feels better when it feels like your voice is received well,” Siakam explained. “Like the guys when you talk are looking and hearing you and it feels like they want to get whatever information that you have. That makes you feel even better, especially for a person like me, like that’s not what I do.”
The two-time All-Star has enjoyed taking on this added responsibility and wants to continue to grow as a leader. His play on the court will only make that easier, as his preferred method of influence never goes out of style. “The stuff he’s talking about, he’s going out there and doing,” Myles Turner said.
Siakam averaged 21.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 54.9% shooting from the field with the Pacers after the trade to help them clinch the No. 6 seed. He is at 36.5 points, 12 rebounds and four assists on 64.6% shooting in the playoffs so far.
His versatile and unselfish game is a perfect fit for Indiana’s offense. Though happy to keep the ball moving and able to knock down open shots, he gives the Pacers a legitimate one-on-one option who can create his own shot when necessary. His back-to-back mid-range jumpers in the fourth quarter of Game 2 that put the Pacers up by double-digits were perfect examples.
On the other end, his length and mobility allows him to guard multiple positions, and he’s willing and able to take on tough assignments. The Pacers’ defensive rating pre-trade was 119.6, and dropped to 115.5 after Siakam arrived. There were a few factors at play there, but his impact was a major one.
In just a few short months, Siakam has already become a “mentor” and “a guy that people confide in and look up to,” Carlisle said. There was perhaps no better indication of the respect Siakam has earned than his teammates’ refusal to divulge what he said to the team between Games 1 and 2.
“Yeah [he delivered a message],” Nembhard said. “But I’m not gonna tell you guys.”
The NBA introduced a new player participation policy ahead of the 2023-24 season aimed at reducing load management and “reinforcing that we’re an 82-game league,” commissioner Adam Silver said. “If you’re a healthy player in this league, the expectation is that you’re going to play.”
Perhaps the most notable aspect of the new rules is that in order for players to be eligible for major awards, they have to appear in at least 65 games. For a game to count, a player must have registered at least 20 minutes. Said honors include:
MVP Defensive Player of the Year Most Improved Player All-NBA team All-Defensive team With the All-Star Game behind us, here’s a look at which stars are either in the danger zone or already eliminated from contention for missing too many games.
Joel Embiid, Sixers: Ineligible The reigning MVP will not be going back-to-back. Embiid was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his left knee and underwent surgery in early February. No official timeline for his return has been announced, but no matter when he returns — if he does at all this season — he’s already been ruled ineligible for postseason awards.
Kyrie Irving, Mavericks: Ineligible Irving has played well for the Mavericks, though with the elite young guards in the league nowadays he was always facing an uphill battle to make the All-NBA cut. In any case, he’s now ineligible. A fluke foot injury kept him out for nearly all of December and after a thumb problem, he’s now missed too many games.
Bradley Beal, Suns: Ineligible Beal’s first season in the desert has been stop-and-start due to various injuries. A back problem that began in training camp prevented him from making his debut until November, then almost immediately forced him back to the sideline for another three weeks. Upon his return from that issue, he sprained his ankle and was ruled out a further two weeks. All told, he’s already far surpassed the maximum number of games he could miss.
LaMelo Ball, Hornets: Ineligible The youngest Ball brother was off to an incredible start this season before suffering yet another ankle injury in late November. He has since returned, but not before missing 20 games over nearly two months. As a result, he has missed too many games to be considered for any postseason honors.
Ja Morant, Grizzlies: Ineligible Morant recently suffered a season-ending shoulder surgery, but he was ineligible for any awards before play even began. That, of course, was because the league suspended him for the first 25 games of the season due to multiple instances of brandishing a firearm on social media. Injuries and off-court matters kept him off ballots last season as well, so this will be two consecutive seasons without any honors for the 2022 Most Improved Player and All-NBA Second Teamer.
Jimmy Butler, Heat: Ineligible For someone who claims that he doesn’t start “playing for real” until after the All-Star break, Butler has made an All-NBA team five times, including three of the last four seasons. He won’t be making the cut this season, as he’s already missed too many games, due in large part to a calf and foot problems.
Kristaps Porzingis, Celtics: Missed 17/17 games The Celtics are once again an elite defensive team, thanks in large part to the Latvian big man, who arrived in a blockbuster trade during the summer. It’s extremely unlikely that he’ll be in the mix for an All-Defensive honor, though, as he’s already missed the maximum number of games allowed. If he sits out one more, which is all but guaranteed, he’ll be ineligible.
Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers: Missed 14/17 games The NBA’s assist leader this season has missed 14 games due largely to a hamstring strain he suffered on Jan. 8 against the Celtics. Ahead of his return to the lineup, also against the Celtics, he called the league’s 65-game rule “stupid.” The requirement could have major financial implications for Haliburton, as the value of the max extension he signed last summer will hinge on whether he makes an All-NBA team.
LeBron James and his camp have done their best to dull the rumors that he might find a new team in the near future. He himself said he is “happy” as a Laker during his Sunday media availability and added that he hopes that continues. Rich Paul claimed that James is “committed to the Lakers” before praising their partnership with Jeanie Buss. By all accounts, James would prefer to retire as a Laker. By all accounts, the Lakers plan to try to be aggressive in improving the roster this offseason.
And yet the rumors just won’t die. There are plenty of reasons for that. At a minimum, the following three things are true:
James has stated his desire to play with his son Bronny in the NBA. If Bronny remains in school, that’s a problem to be solved later. If he enters the 2024 NBA Draft, the Lakers may not have a first-round pick. The Pelicans control their fate on that front, as they can decide to take the Lakers’ 2024 pick or defer that obligation to 2025. The only second-round pick the Lakers have was originally from the Clippers and would currently fall at No. 57. That’s 56 chances for a team other than the Lakers to draft Bronny in an attempt to potentially entice his father. The Lakers will reportedly go star-hunting with three first-round picks at their disposal. That sounds like more ammo than it really is in a league in which the Nets, Knicks, Jazz, Spurs and Thunder all have between eight and 12 first-round picks to deal. If the Lakers are going to land a star, they not only need to find the right player, but they also need to hope that those other teams aren’t interested. James has a player option for next season. He has not publicly committed to exercising it. When he was last directly asked if he knew whether or not he would do so, he answered, simply, “no.” Right now, the signs are pointing to James remaining in Los Angeles for at least one more season. But these rumors have gotten louder than ever, and if nothing else, teams are reportedly starting to believe that he is gettable even if that isn’t actually true.
So let’s game this out. There are 30 teams in the NBA. Where do each of them rank on the “how likely are they to employ LeBron James on opening night of the 2024-25 season” scale? His possible movement could come through free agency, a sign-and-trade, or an opt-in-and-trade depending on what the circumstances of the specific team demands. We’ll start at the bottom and work our way up.
Bronny would have to insist, and still probably no
Charlotte Hornets
Portland Trail Blazers
Washington Wizards
Atlanta Hawks
Chicago Bulls
Here we have five teams that range from “mostly uncompetitive” to “entirely uncompetitive.” The only one slated for cap space this offseason is the Hornets, but that space only materializes if they renounce Miles Bridges, and he swatted away trade overtures at the deadline for the sake of preserving his Bird Rights. Only one of them plays in a marquee market, and that team, the Bulls, is the former employer of Michael Jordan. Odds are, James doesn’t want to spend his twilight in Jordan’s uniform. The only thing that could feasibly get James to any of these teams in 2024 would be Bronny, and honestly, the destinations are so undesirable based on James’ past preferences that he’d likely just look at them and think “eh, I can do a retirement tour there a few years from now if I have to.”
Interesting fit, inadequate market and assets
Indiana Pacers
Memphis Grizzlies
Sacramento Kings
Minnesota Timberwolves
These four teams present relatively interesting basketball fits, but check no other boxes. The Pacers could create significant cap space this offseason, but only if they lose Pascal Siakam. The other three teams will be fighting off tax issues. Minnesota is the only market of the four to rank in the top half of the league in terms of size, but it’s so interminably cold that very few stars would ever willingly seek it out. Most importantly, neither the Pacers nor the Kings have first-round picks. The Grizzlies do, but it will be very high in the lottery. In other words, none of them are particularly well-suited to scooping up Bronny as a recruiting weapon unless Memphis is prepared to use a top selection on a prospect most grade as a second-rounder at this point. Minnesota does have its first-round pick, currently slated to come in at No 29 overall, so it tops this group be the slimmest of margins.
At least they have cap space
Detroit Pistons
Utah Jazz
Toronto Raptors
Orlando Magic
Look, if nothing else, these teams all have feasible paths to paying James a max salary. It’s not much, but it’s a start. James hasn’t taken less than his max since 2014, when he mandated to all free-agent suitors that he would not leave money on the table any longer. If that’s an absolute requirement, we should at least acknowledge the teams that could create the space to give him that money. But… yeah… James won’t be a Piston in 2024. This list does give us a fun chance to reminisce on the moment in 2008 when there was real speculation that he’d choose the Pistons in 2010, though. For the younger crowd, the Pistons wound up spending that cap space a year early on Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva.
Utah edges out Detroit here just for having a proven front office, a promising coach and a decent young roster. Toronto beats Utah because of the marketing opportunities that would come out of being Canada’s only basketball superstar. Orlando takes the cake for its warm weather, burgeoning young roster and lack of a state income tax. But again, these aren’t James destinations.
Better than above, worse than below
Milwaukee Bucks
New Orleans Pelicans
Houston Rockets
There’s no easy way to categorize these teams, so here goes. Add James to the Bucks and they’d be instant championship favorites. They’d also be in one of America’s coldest cities, a tiny NBA market that only has a minimum salary to offer. Not happening. The Pelicans are a bit more tempting. They’re facing a salary crunch as well, but have younger assets to send to Los Angeles in a possible sign-and-trade (how does a Brandon Ingram reunion sound, Laker fans?) and more than enough draft capital to land Bronny. But New Orleans is the NBA’s second-smallest market, and the Pelicans probably aren’t too eager to go all-in for a soon-to-be-40-year-old anyway, so they’re out. The Rockets are absolutely the sort of team that would make a major push for James on the basis of fame alone. They’re supposedly star-hunting, but they’re too far away at the moment to realistically get James back into the title picture next season, and if he wasn’t gonna go to Houston in 2018 when they had Chris Paul and James Harden, odds are, he won’t be interested now.
There’s (probably) too much bad blood
Boston Celtics
Denver Nuggets
If all that mattered was basketball fit, these might be our winners. You know who would solve Boston’s late-game shot-creation issues in the playoffs? LeBron James. You know who would love to play alongside a basketball genius in Nikola Jokic? Another basketball genius: LeBron James. He could sleepwalk through the regular season and still rack up rings on these teams. If hunting for championships was all that mattered, the Nuggets and Celtics would be near the top of the list.
Of course, there’s far more going on here. Yes, they are hampered by the fact that they will both only have minimum salaries to offer for the foreseeable future, but there is also quite a bit of bad blood here. James’ rivalry with the Celtics goes back nearly two decades. He’s faced them in seven different playoff series. The Nuggets rivalry is newer but nearly as fierce. Both sides have beaten the other in the Western Conference Finals. James and Denver coach Michael Malone exchanged some jabs after Denver’s recent championship parade. He might want more rings, but not like this.
Right place, wrong time
Brooklyn Nets
Phoenix Suns
Los Angeles Clippers
Remember when Brooklyn was LeBron’s “favorite borough?” There’s a certain appeal to going to New York, but forging your own path away from the world’s most famous arena. There’s a reason Kevin Durant tried it, after all. But the Nets are still a year away from cap space (thanks Ben Simmons), and while Mikal Bridges is the sort of role player that tends to work well with James, there isn’t another marquee star here yet. They’re just too far from winning to make a real push yet, and considering what it would cost to trade for James, they might not have the assets leftover to go get that plausible co-star.
Phoenix has all of the star power it needs, Durant included. What it doesn’t have is cap space and assets. The Suns spent all of that landing Durant and Bradley Beal. The Suns would gladly take James for the minimum, but that obviously isn’t happening yet.
The Clippers are a nice option to have if James ever gets truly desperate to leave the Lakers. They won’t share an arena next season, but at least they share a city, and even if they somehow lost James Harden and Paul George in free agency, they still have Kawhi Leonard under contract to play with James. But the Clippers are happy with their team and should be a luxury-tax team for years to come. This is another “minimum only” destination, and that’s not going to be enough.
Small-market sleepers
San Antonio Spurs
Oklahoma City Thunder
Both the Spurs and Thunder have the capacity to create significant cap space this offseason. The Thunder are already a contender. Based on the rate at which Victor Wembanyama is developing, the Spurs will be soon enough. James has shared his admiration for the leaders of both figures. He once called Thunder GM Sam Presti “the MVP.” His respect for Gregg Popovich, after three Finals battles, runs deeper. “Pop is definitely one of my all time favorite people that I’ve crossed paths with in my life,” he said in 2018.
Should we expect James to suit up for either of these teams? No. But both of them theoretically check every box except for market. They can pay James. They have more than enough picks to maneuver for his son. And perhaps most importantly, they can win with him.
The best friends club
Dallas Mavericks
Golden State Warriors
Kyrie Irving tried to recruit James to Dallas last summer. Draymond Green may or may not have tried to get James to Golden State within the last month. The appeal on both fronts is obvious. Not only would James be joining possible Western Conference contenders, but he’d be uniting with players he has relationships with. His partnership with Irving gave Cleveland its only championship. Green and Stephen Curry faced James in the Finals four different times, and James has spoken openly about how much he’d love to play with Curry. James thinks Luka Doncic is so promising that he tried to develop a Nike offshoot similar to the Jordan Brand based around him.
The hangups here are about acquisition more than fit. The Mavericks are down to two tradable first-round picks this offseason and lack enticing young talent beyond likely untouchable center Dereck Lively. Would the Lakers want to take back a bunch of pricey role players on multi-year deals? Because that’s the matching salary Dallas has, and they’d need to shed plenty of it to make this trade legal under the new second apron rules.
The Warriors could entice the Lakers with Jonathan Kuminga… but Green himself shot that idea down during the All-Star Game. Would the Lakers take Brandin Podziemski and a package of future picks? Would they accept the long-term contract of Andrew Wiggins in the deal? Because he’d be necessary for salary matching purposes. And what kind of roster would James be joining? Warriors owner Joe Lacob has said he hopes to get below the tax line this offseason. They’d likely make an exception to land James, but Klay Thompson and Chris Paul are both free agents James would probably want to play with. Would Golden State go deep into the tax (but again, below the second apron due to the rules) for his sake? Maybe. Probably. But constructing a trade without Kuminga seems unlikely.
Neither of these teams have first-round picks, so the Bronny route would be difficult for them. Combine that with the acquisition concerns and they’re on the outside of the top five looking in.
I’m not flirting, you’re flirting
New York Knicks You all saw the Knicks towel. James is not subtle. While he was likely trying to put pressure on the Lakers to make a trade, there’s an undeniable fit here on just about every level. Brooklyn may be his favorite borough, but New York is his favorite city (or at least was back in 2008). He’s a well-known Madison Square Garden devotee. The off-court benefits of the NBA’s biggest star moving to the NBA’s biggest market have been discussed for years.
Constructing a trade would be simple enough. Julius Randle is, at worst, inoffensive matching salary that the Lakers could probably flip elsewhere for something. The Knicks have nine tradable first-round picks. They have dedicated shooting (Donte DiVincenzo), perimeter defense (OG Anunoby), rim-protection (Mitchell Robinson and a possibly re-signed Isaiah Hartenstein) and ball-handling (Jalen Brunson) to put around him. It may not be quite as star-studded as his best rosters have been, but it would probably be the most balanced overall roster James has been a part of. Getting Bronny wouldn’t be a problem considering their draft capital. The lengthy feud between James consigliere Rich Paul and Knicks head Leon Rose has seemingly been squashed.
If there’s a way to dismiss the Knicks here, it would be on their end, not LeBron’s. They’ve spent years accumulating these assets. It’s possible that they’d prefer to spend them on someone younger. But if James is at all open to a move this offseason, the Knicks are almost certainly going to be on the shortlist.
I’m coming home
Miami Heat
Cleveland Cavaliers
Look, it’s common sense. Instinct usually pushes us in familiar directions. James has already returned to Cleveland once and hinted at interest in doing so again. Pat Riley has claimed he “would leave the key under the doormat” for James should he ever want to return to the Heat. Both have traded away multiple future first-round picks… but notably held onto their 2024 selections. Neither will have cap space for the foreseeable future, but neither will need it.
Cleveland has the assets to make a trade, it’s just a matter of whether or not they’d be willing to. They’d have to give up Donovan Mitchell or Darius Garland to match dollars. Would that be the worst thing? They know what’s going through Mitchell’s mind better than we do, but there’s been plenty of reporting suggesting that he’d prefer a bigger market. New York might be at the top of his list, but how would he feel about Los Angeles? If he wants to stay in Cleveland, might James be a better fit next to him than Garland? The Cavaliers just went 15-4 during Garland’s 19-game absence, so there’s an argument suggesting that splitting up the two smaller, offense-centric guards might make sense. If nothing else, imagine a scenario in which Mitchell makes it clear he wants out. Would Cavs fans prefer a package of Knicks or Nets picks… or LeBron James?
The Heat don’t have quite the same caliber of centerpiece to send back, but they can offer a deeper package. Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez would both surely appeal to the Lakers. Miami will still have two tradable first-round picks this summer as well, and the Heat are so good at developing cheap depth that a top-heavy balance sheet would appear to be a solvable problem. All a James-Jimmy Butler-Bam Adebayo trio would really need is shooting.
The Heat and Cavaliers are in the same position as the Knicks. If James is set on the Lakers? There’s nothing they can do. If he’s considering other options? They’re in the hunt.
They have everything they need
Philadelphia 76ers
New York, Miami and Cleveland are ultimately passive observers here. They can do nothing until James indicates to the Lakers that he’s considering other teams, and they’d all need the Lakers to cooperate in a trade. But the 76ers? They can be the aggressors, and that’s a role Daryl Morey knows all too well.
He’s known to have pursued James at least three times: as a free agent in 2014 and 2018 as well as recently at the 2024 trade deadline. Odds are, he’s done so several more times. He’s just never been better-positioned to actually land him. Unlike the Knicks, Heat and Cavaliers, his 76ers are set to have well beyond a single max slot’s worth of cap space this offseason. They can generate that space with Joel Embiid, a better player than any of the other serious suitors can muster, and Tyrese Maxey, an ascending star that would fit with James like a glove, still in place. The James Harden trade gave them more than enough draft capital to go and get Bronny if needed. Philadelphia may not be a glamour market, but it boasts a storied enough history to be viable for James.
I’ve covered Philadelphia’s possible fit for James in more depth here. Barring a surprise run to the Finals with their current roster, you can bet that Morey’s goal this summer will be adding a third head to his superstar hydra to replace James Harden. James will be one of the targets, and if any general manager is creative enough to lure him out of Los Angeles, it’s Morey.
The favorite
Los Angeles Lakers
I told you from the start they were the favorite. We don’t know by quite how much yet. They might be 95% favorites or they might be 70% favorites. The answer likely depends on how well the end of the season goes for the Lakers and how the offseason star market shakes out. James is probably staying put, but the Lakers can clinch it in a variety of ways.
The easiest would probably be drafting Bronny. They are reportedly open to the idea. Of course, if the Pelicans have their first-round pick, that might be out of their hands. Klutch can try to help their cause. James is one of the few draft prospects for whom a threat not to sign might be feasible. His father is a billionaire, after all, so it’s not as though he needs the income. There’s no telling how the NBA would respond to rumors of a prospect and agency attempting to ward off 29 teams. There would surely be complaints.
There’s a reasonable chance someone takes the plunge anyway. It might not even be one of the top teams on this list. There are owners all across the league willing to risk a draft pick on the tiny chance it eventually lands them an all-time great. That’s not even a basketball proposition. The financial ramifications of hosting a possible James retirement tour would be enormous.
Bronny might not be an immediate necessity if the roster is suitably upgraded. That’s going to be trickier than it seems. D’Angelo Russell, currently playing the best basketball of his career, has a player option for next season. That makes him significantly harder to trade, and the Lakers can’t afford to lose the asset for nothing. The rest of their matching salary is probably more valuable to them than the market. Austin Reaves will have plenty of suitors on his below-market deal, but Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt are all niche players on multi-year contracts whose value is uncertain.
Who is the viable star here? Certainly not Mitchell. The New York teams have far more to offer. That’s not a bidding war the Lakers can win. Trae Young appears slightly more realistic. His stock around the league is lower. But all it takes is one asset-rich team to take him off of the market. The Spurs hold a major advantage if they are at all interested in that they can give the Hawks their own first-round picks back from the Dejounte Murray trade. In a rebuild, no picks are more valuable than your own. Are there sleepers here? Possibly. Remember, only one team hoists the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June. That leaves 29 teams disappointed. Some of their stars will get restless. Maybe there’s a surprise name we’re not thinking of yet.
Do the Lakers need to pursue another star? Honestly, they might be better off rounding out their supporting cast, especially if Russell can maintain his current play. Three first-round picks take you a lot further on the role-player market than they do in big-game hunts. The Lakers haven’t had a truly reliable 3-and-D wing since… Kentavious Caldwell-Pope? Wouldn’t someone like that be nice? They could solve the backup center problem permanently, ideally with a shooter that can defend a bit. There are simply more options available here. The Lakers are known for star chases. Realistically, they should be preparing to go the role player route. James and Anthony Davis, at least today, remain a championship-caliber duo.
For all we know, James has already decided to retire a Laker and has only allowed these rumors to fester to prove a point. As a possible free agent, he has the leverage to dictate roster moves. Maybe he’s trying to do so in a way that will make the end of his career in purple and gold more to his liking. We’re still months away from knowing his plans for certain. The Lakers are out front today. They probably will be in June as well. But the league believes James is gettable, so until he isn’t, it’s worth wondering who might try to steal him away.
Kevin Durant has enjoyed nearly two decades of success as one of the most dangerous players that the NBA has ever seen. However, when Durant suffered a torn Achilles during the 2019 NBA Finals, he thought that his NBA career might be over.
“That’s when I knew, I’m like ‘I’m probably wouldn’t go back to the Bay again.’ It’s 20,000 people in there and I heard a pop. So I’m like ‘oh my gosh,’ and my whole basketball career flashed before my eyes,” Durant said during a conversation with Boardroom.
Durant suffered the devastating injury in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals while playing for the Golden State Warriors. This came after Durant had suffered a right calf strain during Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Houston Rockets earlier in the postseason. Durant missed nine games due to the calf strain, but made his return in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. He made it just two minutes into the second quarter before suffering the season-ending injury.
That ended up finishing up his career with the Warriors as he signed a four-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets that summer and teamed up with Kyrie Irving. Durant sat out the 2019-20 season then spent the next three seasons with the Nets before being traded to the Phoenix Suns before the 2023 trade deadline.
Several years later, Durant is still one of the top shooters in the league and has rebounded in a big way. The Suns are currently the fifth seed in the Western Conference and Durant is leading the team with 28.2 points per game.
The NBA MLK Day schedule spans from 1 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET, and the penultimate game of the day features the Utah Jazz (21-20) hosting the Indiana Pacers (23-16) in a battle of squads battling for playoff positioning. The Jazz are ninth in the Western Conference standings, while the Pacers are sixth in the East. Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring) is out for Indiana, while Aaron Nesmith (shins) sat out Sunday night’s loss to the Nuggets.
Tipoff is at 9 p.m. ET at the Delta Center in Utah. For this game, SportsLine consensus lists Utah as the 7-point favorite, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 245 in the latest Jazz vs. Pacers odds. Before making any Pacers vs. Jazz picks, you need to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s advanced computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 12 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 112-62 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $4,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Jazz vs. Pacers and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Pacers vs. Jazz:
Jazz vs. Pacers spread: Jazz -7 Jazz vs. Pacers over/under: 245 points Jazz vs. Pacers money line: Jazz -278, Pacers +225 Jazz vs. Pacers picks: See picks at SportsLine Why the Jazz can cover Utah comes into this matchup playing extremely well. The Jazz have won five straight games and covered in all of them, usually with ample room to spare. The Jazz were underdogs of at least 6 points in three of those wins and slight favorites in the others, so the lines have not properly valued how well Utah is playing recently.
While Utah lacks a bonafide superstar, the Jazz have a solid core that includes nine players who average at least 8.0 points per game. Lauri Markkanen leads the way in points (23.7 ppg) and rebounds (8.8 rpg), while Jordan Clarkson (17.9 ppg) and Collin Sexton (16.5 ppg) are big contributors on the offense end. See which team to pick here.
Why the Pacers can cover Indiana is coming off a loss to the Nuggets last time out, though the Pacers did stay within the 10.5-point spread despite the setback. Prior to that loss, Indiana had won nine of its last 10 and also was 9-1 ATS during that span. The Pacers have been great to bettors most of the season, going 23-15-2 ATS overall with an 11-7-1 ATS mark on the road. Additionally, Indiana has already picked up a win and a cover against the Jazz this season, beating Utah 134-118 at home on Nov. 8.
While the loss of Haliburton and possibly Nesmith certainly impacts Indiana’s offensive upside, the Pacers do have plenty of capable scorers. Myles Turner (17.3 ppg), Bennedict Mathurin (14.6 ppg), Buddy Hield (12.7 ppg), Bruce Brown (12.1 ppg) and Obi Toppin (11.8 ppg) are all capable of helping carry the load in the meantime. See which team to pick here.
How to make Pacers vs. Jazz picks SportsLine’s model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 243 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the model’s picks at SportsLine.
