The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has waived guards Rajon Rondo and Isaiah Canaan.

During his time with Chicago, Rondo appeared in 69 games (42 starts) and averaged 7.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 6.7 apg in 26.7 mpg. He shot .408 from the field, .376 from three and .600 from the free throw line. Rondo originally signed with the Bulls as a free agent on July 7, 2016.

In his lone season with the Bulls, Canaan (6-0, 201) appeared in 39 games and averaged 4.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.56 spg in 15.2 mpg. He shot .364 from the field, .266 from long range and .909 from the charity stripe. Canaan made his first career postseason appearance on April 23 vs. Boston and logged his first career playoff start on April 26. Canaan originally signed with Chicago as a free agent on July 20, 2016.

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today the team has waived guard Gerald Henderson.

“We want to thank Gerald for being the consummate pro that he is and for adding so much to our growing basketball program and culture,” Sixers President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo said. “Gerald’s professionalism, leadership and basketball contributions were a big part of our organization’s development this past year.”

Henderson signed with the Sixers on July 9, 2016 and appeared in 72 games (41 starts) with the team in 2016-17. He averaged nine points, three rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes per game while shooting 42 percent from the field, a career-high 35 percent from three-point range and 81 percent from the free-throw line.

Originally selected by Charlotte with the 12th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Henderson spent his first six seasons with the Bobcats/Hornets. He spent one season in Portland prior to joining the Sixers this past season. All told, over the course of eight NBA seasons, he holds averages of 11 points, three rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes per game.

The Atlanta Hawks have waived Mike Dunleavy, it was announced today by General Manager and Head of Basketball Operations Travis Schlenk.

Acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 7, Dunleavy played in 30 games with the Hawks, averaging 5.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 15.8 minutes (.438 FG%, .429 3FG%, .846 FT%).

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has acquired point guard Ricky Rubio from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for a protected future first-round pick from Oklahoma City, pending the outcome of a successful physical.

“We’d like to thank Ricky for his time in Minnesota over the course of the last six-plus years,” said Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Tom Thibodeau. “Ricky has been a consummate professional over my time in Minnesota and has done tremendous things in the community. We appreciate all he’s done for the organization and wish him the best of luck in Utah.”

Rubio (6-4, 190, Spain) appeared in 75 games (all starts) for the Timberwolves this season, averaging career highs of 11.1 points and 9.1 assists while adding 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 32.9 minutes of action. The point guard finished the season ranked fourth in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.5), fifth in assists per game, ninth in steals and 11th in free throw percentage (.891), and also graded second in pure point rating (PPR) at 10.7 (trailing only Chris Paul). Rubio also registered 25 point/assist double-doubles, including 14 of them in 24 games post All-Star Break, when he increased his averages to 16.0 points, 10.5 assists with 1.5 steals while shooting .353 from three-point range.

Originally selected in the first round (fifth overall selection) of the 2009 NBA Draft by Minnesota, the 26-year-old Spaniard appeared in 353 career games (333 starts) over six seasons with the Timberwolves, and owns career averages of 10.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 8.5 assists in 31.8 minutes. He leaves the Wolves as the franchise’s all-time leader in both assists (8.5) and steals per game (2.1) as well as point/assist double-doubles (83), while ranking behind only Kevin Garnett in total assists (2991) and steals (747).

Over his first six NBA seasons, Rubio has ranked in the top five in the league in assists per game three times (five times in top 10), and in the top 10 in steals four times. He earned 2011-12 All-Rookie First Team honors while finishing second to Kyrie Irving in Rookie of the Year balloting.

Prior to joining the NBA, Rubio played six seasons (2005-11) professionally in the Spanish ACB League for Joventus (2005-09) and FC Barcelona (2009-11) after making his debut at the age of 14, the youngest player ever to compete in the ACB to that point.

A native of El Masnou, Spain, Rubio has represented his home country at both the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, where at age 17 he became the youngest player ever to participate in a men’s gold medal game. He began his international career in 2005 on Spain’s U16 team, and in 2006 was named MVP the 2006 FIBA Europe U16 championships after leading Spain to the gold medal.

Rubio joins what was the most international team in the NBA in 2016-17, featuring seven players born outside of the United States representing five other countries. In addition to the U.S., players on the current Jazz roster now hail from Australia (two), France (two), Brazil, Spain and the Ukraine.

According to a league source, the Celtics have extended a qualifying offer to forward Kelly Olynyk, thus making him a restricted free agent. But this move is not an indication that the team does not believe that it will need that salary cap space to offer a maximum salary contract to a player like Gordon Hayward or Blake Griffin.

– Boston Globe

Chris Paul was on his way out, so the Clippers managed to get some players for him. None on his level, though. With the CP3/LAC era over, here’s the LA Times with what needs to happen next for the squad:

Blake Griffin now becomes the priority for the Los Angeles Clippers to re-sign in the wake of Chris Paul’s great escape from Los Angeles.

The Clippers have the upper hand in the talks with Griffin because they can offer more money than any other team, a five-year deal worth about $175 million. But the Clippers are hesitant to give Griffin all five years because of his health issues, according to an NBA executive who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Griffin is recovering from surgery on the plantar plate of his right big toe that could sideline him up to November and possibly December.

Still, there are at least four other teams looking to talk with Griffin and he has a visit scheduled with the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, said an NBA executive.

The Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder also are teams that have expressed interest in Griffin.

The Dallas Mavericks have traded forward Jarrod Uthoff to the Houston Rockets in exchange for cash considerations.

Uthoff (6-10, 220) appeared in nine games for Dallas as a rookie last season, averaging 4.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 12.8 minutes per game.

Uthoff signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Mavericks on March 9 and 19, and then a multi-year deal with the club on March 29.

The undrafted forward out of Iowa also appeared in a combined 37 D-League games (nine starts) with the Raptors 905, Fort Wayne Mad Ants and Texas Legends last season, averaging 11.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 24.4 minutes per game.

A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Uthoff averaged 18.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 2.6 blocks per game for the Hawkeyes as a senior in 2015-16 en route to earning First Team All-Big Ten and Second Team All-America honors.

The Detroit Pistons have agreed to a two-year extension with the Grand Rapids Drive as the team’s G League affiliate. The team also announced that Rex Walters has been named as a Pistons assistant coach and Rob Werdann as head coach of the Grand Rapids Drive. Per team policy, terms of agreements were not disclosed.

“We’re pleased to announce the addition of Rex Walters to our Pistons staff and to name Rob Werdann as head coach of the Grand Rapids Drive,” said Stan Van Gundy, president of basketball operations and head coach of the Detroit Pistons. Rex brings great basketball knowledge and experience and does a great job of developing young players. We were very happy with the way he worked with our young Pistons players last season when they were on assignment in Grand Rapids. Rob has a great deal of coaching and scouting experience in the NBA and knows our organization’s culture and philosophy. We believe he will be a great asset to the Drive.”

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have promoted Bobby Webster to general manager, Dan Tolzman to assistant general manager / vice president, player personnel and Keith Boyarsky to vice president, basketball strategy & research. Masai Ujiri will continue to oversee basketball operations as president of the club.

“We are excited to promote Bobby, Dan and Keith for their hard work and important contributions to our program,” said Ujiri. “They have been invaluable across many aspects of the franchise, making decisions on our salary management, key input on scouting, analytics, strategy, player personnel and team building that has helped us develop a winning culture throughout our organization.”

Webster joined the Raptors front office in 2013 as vice president, basketball management & strategy, and helped construct a roster that won three consecutive Atlantic Division titles (2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16) and back-to-back 50-win seasons for the first time in franchise history. The Raptors have compiled a 204-124 (.622) regular season record since 2013 – the best in the Eastern Conference the past four years.
Webster was promoted to assistant general manager / vice president, basketball strategy in September 2016. He came to the Raptors after working for the NBA league office in New York for the previous seven seasons in the NBA’s CBA group.

Tolzman has served the past two seasons as director, player personnel / general manager of Raptors 905, the team’s NBA G League affiliate. He will continue to serve as Raptors 905’s general manager in his new role. Raptors 905 has compiled a 62-38 (.620) regular-season record during its first two seasons under Tolzman’s direction. During the 2016-17 campaign, Raptors 905 completed the regular season with a 39-11 (.780) record (second-most wins in G League history) and a 6-1 record in the post-season en route to winning the team’s first NBA G League Championship.

Tolzman joined the Raptors as director of scouting in 2013 and organized the team’s scouting efforts for the NBA draft and free agency preparation. He was a member of Ujiri’s staff in Denver, serving as scouting coordinator from 2011-13 and also worked in the media relations department from 2004-09.

Boyarsky joined the Raptors as an analytics consultant during the 2009-10 season and served as director of analytics since 2013-14. He advises management in player evaluation and roster construction, while providing the coaching staff with data-driven scouting and analysis. Boyarsky adapts new technologies and data sources to lead the Raptors’ efforts in innovating new competitive advantages.

MSG Executive Chairman Jim Dolan and Phil Jackson announced today that, after discussing the future of the New York Knicks, they have mutually agreed to part company. Mr. Jackson is leaving his post as President of Basketball Operations, effective immediately.

“After careful thought and consideration, we mutually agreed that the Knicks will be going in a different direction,” said Mr. Dolan. “Phil Jackson is one of the most celebrated and successful individuals in the history of the NBA. His legacy in the game of basketball is unmatched. We wish him the best and thank him for his service to the Knicks as both a player and an executive.

“While we are currently evaluating how best to move forward regarding the leadership of the organization, I will not be involved in the operation of the team,” continued Mr. Dolan. “Steve Mills, the team’s general manager, will run the day-to-day business of the organization over the short term. Tim Leiweke, who brings tremendous expertise and experience in sports franchise management from both Toronto and Los Angeles and is our partner in the Oak View Group, will advise and work with Steve on an interim basis to help develop a go-forward plan.”

“The New York Knicks will always hold a special place in my heart,” Mr. Jackson said. “This team and this town launched my NBA career. I will forever be indebted to them. I am grateful to Mr. Dolan for giving me the opportunity to return here.

“I had hoped, of course, to bring another NBA championship to the Garden. As someone who treasures winning, I am deeply disappointed that we weren’t able to do that. New York fans deserve nothing less. I wish them and the Knicks organization all the best – today and always.”

The L.A. Clippers announced today the team has acquired guard Patrick Beverley, forward Sam Dekker, center Montrez Harrell, guard Darrun Hilliard, guard DeAndre Liggins, guard Lou Williams, forward Kyle Wiltjer and a 2018 First Round Pick from the Houston Rockets in exchange for guard Chris Paul.

“Since winning back-to-back championships, the pursuit of a third title has remained the ultimate goal for our franchise,” said Rockets owner Leslie Alexander. “We feel that combining two of the league’s greatest players in James Harden and Chris Paul, operating in Coach D’Antoni’s system, gives us a championship caliber team that will compete at the highest level for years to come.

“On behalf of the Rockets organization and our fans I’d also like to thank Sam, Montrezl, Kyle, and Lou for helping make this past season a special one. I’d also like to personally express my deepest gratitude to Pat Beverley, who, for the past five seasons, always left everything he had out on the court.”

Paul (6-0, 175) has racked up a multitude of honors across his 12 NBA seasons split between the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets and the Clippers. A nine-time All-Star, Paul has also been named All-NBA First Team four times, Second Team three times and Third Team once. In addition, Paul has been named NBA All-Defensive First Team seven times and Second Team twice and helped Team USA capture a gold medal in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

For his career, Paul has started all 834 of his games played, while averaging 18.7 points, 9.9 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.29 steals while shooting 47.3% from the floor, 37.0% from 3-point range, and 86.6% from the line with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.08. He is the only player in NBA history with career averages of at least 19.0 points, 9.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.00 steals. There are only three other players in NBA history with career averages of at least 19.0 points, 9.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds (Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and John Wall).

Paul has averaged a point/assist double-double in six of his 12 seasons, including three of the past four. That is already the fourth-highest total in NBA history, trailing only John Stockton (12), Magic Johnson (9), and Steve Nash (7). Four of Nash’s seven seasons averaging a double-double came while playing for current Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni in Phoenix. Nash was also named NBA MVP twice during his four seasons with D’Antoni.

Among players who were active last season, Paul has the most career assists (8,251) and steals (1,912) and ranks 10th in NBA history in assists and 15th in steals. He joins Jason Kidd, Gary Payton and Stockton as the only players with at least 8,000 assists and 1,900 steals.

Paul has hit at least 120 3-pointers in each of the past three seasons after not having more than 92 in a season prior for his career. He also shot 39.3% from behind-the-arc over the past three seasons after shooting 35.7% his first nine seasons. Paul averaged a career-high 2.0 3FGM on a career-best 41.1% shooting in 2016-17.

Earlier today the Rockets completed five separate trades with Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Portland:

· Houston acquired forward Ryan Kelly from Atlanta in exchange for cash considerations.
· Houston acquired guard DeAndre Liggins from Dallas in exchange for cash considerations.
· Houston acquired guard Darrun Hilliard from Detroit in exchange for cash considerations.
· Houston acquired forward Shawn Long from Philadelphia in exchange for a future second round pick and cash considerations
· Houston acquired guard Tim Quarterman from Portland in exchange for cash considerations.

Beverley, 28, was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2017, the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2014 and recently received the 2017 NBA Hustle Award. Last season with Houston, Beverly averaged career-highs in rebounds (5.9), assists (4.2) and steals (1.48). Over five seasons with the Rockets, he appeared in 291 games, holding career averages of 9.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.26 steals in 28.5 minutes. Initially selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 42nd pick in the 2009 NBA Draft out of the University of Arkansas, Beverley spent three-plus seasons playing internationally in Greece and Russia, before joining Houston in December 2012. Beverley averaged 13.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in his two collegiate seasons with the Razorbacks.

Dekker, 23, appeared in 80 games over his first two NBA seasons with the Rockets, averaging 6.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists, while shooting 47.3% from the field. The University of Wisconsin stand-out spent three collegiate seasons with the Badgers, holding averages of 12.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 27.9 minutes and led Wisconsin to back-to-back Final Four appearances in his sophomore and junior seasons. Dekker was a two-time Second-Team All-Big Ten selection (2014 & 2015), and his 1,363 points rank 17th all-time in Wisconsin school history.

Harrell, 23, holds career averages of 6.9 points and 2.9 rebounds, while shooting 65.1% from the field in 97 appearances over two seasons with the Rockets. The 32nd pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Harrell was a member of Louisville’s 2013 NCAA Championship team, earned First Team All-AAC honors in 2014 and received the Karl Malone Award as the nation’s top power forward as a senior in 2015.

The 2015 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Williams, 30, averaged a career-high 17.5 points in only 24.6 minutes per game last season with Houston and Los Angeles. In 12 NBA seasons with Philadelphia, Toronto, Los Angeles and Houston, he holds career averages of 12.8 points, 2.9 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 782 career games with 90 starts.

Originally the 45th overall pick by Philadelphia in the 2005 NBA Draft out of South Gwinnett High School near Atlanta, Williams was a 2005 McDonald’s All-American and was named the 2005 Naismith Prep Player of the Year.

Hilliard, 24, holds career averages of 3.6 points and 1.0 rebounds in 77 appearances over two seasons with the Detroit Pistons. The Bethlehem, Pennsylvania native was selected with the 38th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by Detroit.

Liggins, 29, holds career averages of 2.1 points and 1.5 rebounds in 119 appearances over four seasons with Orlando, Oklahoma City, Miami, Cleveland and Dallas.

Wiltjer, 24, averaged 0.9 points and 0.7 rebounds in 14 games last season as a rookie in Houston.

The Los Angeles Lakers have exercised their team option for the 2017-18 season on David Nwaba, it was announced today by General Manager Rob Pelinka.

Nwaba played in 20 games (two starts) for the Lakers, averaging 6.0 points (.580 FG%) and 3.1 rebounds in 19.9 minutes. The Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo product signed the first of two 10-day contracts on February 28, after tallying 14.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks in 39 games (30 starts) with the Los Angeles D-Fenders. Nwaba signed the second of his two 10-day contracts on March 11, before signing with the Lakers for the remainder of the season on March 21.

The Philadelphia 76ers have acquired a 2018 second-round pick and cash considerations from Houston, President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo announced today. In exchange, Houston received the player contract of forward Shawn Long from Philadelphia.

Long appeared in 18 games with the Sixers after signing a 10-day contract on March 6 and a multi-year deal on March 16. He posted averages of eight points and five rebounds in 13 minutes per game over the course of his 18 NBA appearances.

Long signed with Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent on July 8, 2016. After being waived on Oct. 24, he joined the Sixers’ G League affiliate in Delaware. Long appeared in 39 games (36 starts) with the 87ers, averaging 20 points, 11 rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes per game. He was named a G League All-Star.

The Detroit Pistons have traded guard/forward Darrun Hilliard to the Houston Rockets in exchange for cash considerations, as announced today by General Manager Jeff Bower.

Hilliard appeared in a career-high 39 games (one start) last season with averages of 3.3 points, 0.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 9.8 minutes. Drafted by the Pistons with the 38th overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft, Hilliard owns career NBA averages of 3.6 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 10.1 minutes in 77 games (three starts).

The Portland Trail Blazers have traded guard Tim Quarterman to the Houston Rockets in exchange for cash considerations, it was announced today by president of basketball operations Neil Olshey.

“We thank Tim for his contributions to the team and wish him all the best for the future,” said Olshey.

Quarterman, 22, appeared in 16 games for the Trail Blazers during his rookie 2016-17 season with the team, posting averages of 1.9 points, 0.9 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 5.0 minutes.

Portland originally signed Quarterman as an undrafted free agent out of LSU on July 25, 2016.

The Clippers are about to take a big step downward, while the Rockets are on the rise. Here’s ESPN.com on the news:

The Houston Rockets have reached an agreement on a trade for LA Clippers All-Star point guard Chris Paul, sources told ESPN.

The Rockets will send Sam Dekker, Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams and a top-three protected 2018 first-round pick to the Clippers in exchange for Paul…

The Clippers were determined get something for Paul rather than lose him for nothing, sources told ESPN, so Paul instead agreed to opt in for the final year of his contract (worth $24.2 million) to facilitate the trade.

The Rockets, needing to make another move to make the financials work before they can officially acquire Paul, are telling teams that they’ve assembled the needed pieces and the trade is headed to the league office for approval, sources told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

The Atlanta Hawks have traded forward Ryan Kelly to the Houston Rockets in exchange for cash considerations, it was announced today by General Manager and Head of Basketball Operations Travis Schlenk.

Kelly appeared in 16 games for the Hawks last season. He was originally signed on September 20, 2016 and waived on October 19, 2016. He re-signed on October 31, 2016 and was waived on January 6, 2017. He signed again with the Hawks on February 24, 2017 to a multi-year contract.

The Dallas Mavericks have traded guard DeAndre Liggins to the Houston Rockets in exchange for cash considerations.

Liggins most recently spent the majority of 2016-17 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In Cleveland, he saw action in 61 games (19 starts) and averaged 2.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 12.3 minutes per contest. The Cavaliers requested waivers on Liggins on April 9, 2017 and was awarded to the Mavericks in time to play the final game of the season. In that game, he registered 8 points and 7 rebounds in 25 minutes to help the Mavericks defeat the Memphis Grizzlies.

Liggins (6-6, 209) was originally drafted by the Orlando Magic with the 53rd overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. He holds career averages of 2.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 9.9 minutes in 119 career games (20 starts) with Orlando, Oklahoma City, Miami, Cleveland and Dallas.

The Chicago native played three seasons at the University of Kentucky. As a junior, Liggins averaged 8.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 31.6 minutes as a starter while helping lead the Wildcats to the NCCA Final Four in Houston.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook was named the winner of the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the 2016-17 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, it was announced this evening during the first-ever NBA Awards Show.

Westbrook earned MVP honors after joining Oscar Roberson as the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double. Westbrook registered a league-best 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds (10th in the NBA), 10.4 assists (third in the NBA) and 1.63 steals in 34.6 minutes per game.

During the 2016-17 season, Westbrook established a new NBA record with 42 triple-doubles (Oklahoma City went 33-9 in those games) as he helped lead the Thunder to a spot in the Western Conference Playoffs.

The six-time All-Star and two-time All-Star game MVP recorded triple-doubles in seven consecutive games on two separate occasions this past season (11/25-12/9 and 3/22-4/4), to become the first player in NBA history to accomplish the feat. He was named Western Conference Player of the Month for November and February and earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors four times.

In winning his second scoring title in three seasons, Westbrook paced the NBA in games with at least 20 points (72), 30 points (44), 40 points (18) and 50 points (four).

Last month Westbrook was named to the All-NBA First Team for a second consecutive season after receiving 99 First Team votes (498 total points).

The NBA MVP trophy is named in honor of the late Maurice Podoloff, the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement in 1963.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been named the 2016-17 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, the league announced yesterday at the inaugural NBA Awards in New York. Green, who finished as the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year in each of the past two seasons, is the first player in Warriors history to earn the award.

Green was named to the All-NBA Third Team this season after averaging 10.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.38 blocks in 32.5 minutes over 76 games, while leading the league with a career-high 2.03 steals. The 6’7” forward became the first player to tally averages of at least 10 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block over the course of a season since blocks and steals were first recorded in 1973-74, while becoming the first player in Warriors history to total at least 150 steals and 100 blocks in a single campaign. Earlier today, Green was named to the All-Defensive First Team for a third consecutive season, becoming the first player in Warriors history to earn First Team honors three times.

Throughout the 2016-17 campaign, Green made several key defensive stops in the final moments of close games, including steals on the last possession of two-point wins on Nov. 19 at Milwaukee (8.5 seconds remaining) and Dec. 13 at New Orleans (2.3 seconds). Green ranked second in the league in deflections per game (3.9) and fifth in contested shots per game (13.7), helping the Warriors rank second in the league in defensive rating (101.1). On Feb. 10 at Memphis, Green swiped a franchise-record 10 steals and recorded the first triple-double in NBA history without scoring in double figures, adding 11 rebounds and 10 assists to go with his 10 steals.

Golden State went an NBA-best 67-15 (.817) in 2016-17, becoming the first team in NBA history to win at least 67 games in three-straight seasons (67, 73, 67), and set an NBA postseason record for best single-season playoff winning percentage with a 16-1 mark (.941) en route to the team’s second NBA title in three seasons.

Utah’s Rudy Gobert and San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard were also named as finalists for the Defensive Player of the Year Award. The NBA Awards are chosen by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.