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Should the Knicks pursue Paul George?

Via the NY Post:

In the Knicks’ quest to build upon last year’s strong season, they are targeting stars to complement Jalen Brunson, and one such player they are interested in is Paul George.

The Knicks have had contact with the Clippers about the 33-year-old wing, according to multiple reports, although it is uncertain if Los Angeles is willing to move George.

The Clippers nearly acquired Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon in a three-way deal with the Celtics and Wizards before the talks fell apart on Wednesday, so they may be interested in adding and not subtracting from their roster.

On the Jazz and the 2023 NBA Draft

Via the Salt Lake Tribune:

The NBA draft is here. And the Utah Jazz will be big players in how it unfolds.

A year after having zero picks in the draft, the Jazz have three in the first round this time, at Nos. 9, 16, and 28. At least for now.

Naturally, this became the year that the front office decided not to disclose the players coming in for workouts and interviews. While some prospects inevitably spilled the beans themselves with Instagram posts, the braintrust was nevertheless looking to gain a competitive advantage by not giving too much away.

On Wednesday morning, Bart Taylor, the Jazz’s Vice President of Player Personnel, addressed a few media members to provide at least a little context about how the team’s process has unfolded since the season ended.

Taylor: “We have tons of conversations constantly of, ‘Where do you think your guy is?’ ‘Where do you think they’re gonna go?’ with the agents, with other teams. We’re trying to figure that out, even as of [Wednesday], who might be there. And then that way we can have those conversations [Wednesday, Thursday] leading into the draft of, ‘OK, if these two guys are there, who are we taking?’ We’re trying to get all that out so that we’re not on the clock, like, ‘Well, who are we taking?’ and then we have Ryan [Smith] sitting looking at us like, ‘Do you guys know what you’re doing?’ We try to figure all that out before so that we look at least semi-educated.”

On the Warriors and the NBA Draft

Via the Bay Area News Group:

In November 2020, the Warriors drafted James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall draft pick, their highest pick since they took Mike Dunleavy Jr. third overall out of Duke in 2002.

Three years later, though, Wiseman is no longer with the team, and Dunleavy, despite once being made scapegoat for Warriors fans’ frustrations after years of futility, is the team’s new general manager.

The Warriors have gambled in the last three drafts, taking some high-upside teenage players with the hopes to groom them to one day take the baton from the dynastic trio as it ages out.

But with Stephen Curry still a top-five NBA star at the age of 35, the Warriors should be looking to maximize the here and now. And the process of retooling their roster to be a championship contender once again starts with the No. 19 pick in Thursday’s draft.

On the Celtics and Kristaps Porzingis

Via Boston.com:

The Celtics are reportedly adding another top talent to their frontcourt next to Jayson Tatum.

According to ESPN and the Boston Globe, the Celtics are finalizing a deal and acquiring forward Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards in a three-team swap also featuring the Memphis Grizzlies.

As part of the reported deal, longtime Celtics guard Marcus Smart will be traded to Memphis, with the Grizzlies’ Tyus Jones and Boston’s Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala heading to Washington. Boston also nets two first-round picks with the move.

Porzingis is already an intriguing addition given his size (7-feet-3-inches) and unique skillset, but there are also some question marks surrounding Boston’s new trade pickup.

Three-team trade will reportedly send Kristaps Porzingis to Celtics, Marcus Smart to Grizzlies

Via ESPN.com:

The Washington Wizards are completing a three-way deal with the Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies that will send Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies, Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics and Tyus Jones to the Wizards, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Grizzlies are sending the No. 25 pick on Thursday night and a 2024 first-round pick to the Celtics, sources told Wojnarowski.

The Celtics are sending the 35th pick on Thursday to the Wizards in the deal, sources told Wojnarowski.

2023-24 Lakers preseason game schedule

The Los Angeles Lakers announced today the team’s 2023-24 preseason schedule, presented by Delta Air Lines. The slate is highlighted by two home games at Crypto.com Arena, as well as contests in Las Vegas and Greater Palm Springs.

Los Angeles will open the preseason on the road at Golden State on Oct. 7 at Chase Center, before heading to Las Vegas for a matchup versus Brooklyn on Oct. 9 inside T-Mobile Arena. The purple and gold will then host two consecutive home games at Crypto.com Arena against Golden State on Oct. 13 and Milwaukee on Oct. 15. The Lakers will finish out the preseason by hosting Phoenix in Greater Palm Springs on Oct. 19 at Acrisure Arena.

Spectrum SportsNet will broadcast all five preseason games as it begins its 12th consecutive season as the exclusive regional broadcast home for Lakers basketball. Additionally, all preseason games can be heard on the team’s flagship radio station, 710 AM ESPNLA, and in Spanish on KWKW 1330 AM.

Rumor: Clippers, Wizards and Celtics trade discussion

Via the LA Times:

The Clippers are deep in negotiations to make their first roster alterations ahead of the next NBA season.

By Wednesday afternoon, the team remained in discussions toward a three-team trade that, if completed, would send the expiring contract of forward Marcus Morris Sr., the former starter who had lost his rotation spot late last season, promising but little-used forward Amir Coffey and the 30th pick in Thursday’s NBA draft to Washington, and take back guard Malcolm Brogdon from Boston, according to a person briefed on the trade talks but not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

National Basketball Players Association add Ricky Rubio, Grant Williams and Jalen Rose to Board of Directors

FROM THE NBA PLAYERS UNION:

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Foundation is delighted to announce the addition of Ricky Rubio, Grant Williams, and Jalen Rose to its Board of Directors.

Ricky, Grant, and Jalen join a dedicated team, including CJ McCollum (President), Andre Iguodala (Director), Chrysa Chin (Director), Serge Ibaka (Director), and Tamika L. Tremaglio (NBPA Executive Director). The Board of Directors provides strategic oversight to the NBPA Foundation to expand both current and former NBA players’ philanthropic footprint globally.

“Ricky, Grant, and Jalen each bring unique experiences and perspectives, both on and off the court, which will undoubtedly enrich our Board,” said NBPA Foundation Executive Director Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. “Their contributions to their communities demonstrate a commitment to positive change, aligning with our core mission. We are thrilled to have them join us in our pursuit of creating meaningful change worldwide.”

Ricky Rubio, currently playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, has had a distinguished career in both European and American basketball. Born in El Masnou, Catalonia, Spain, Ricky made his EuroLeague debut at 16 and was a first round NBA draft pick in 2009. In 2018, Ricky started the Ricky Rubio Foundation, which supports individuals and families impacted by cancer both across the United States and Spain. His foundation’s work also includes supporting underprivileged youth and research toward understanding and curing lung cancer.

Grant Williams, a Forward with the Boston Celtics, joins the board bringing in fresh insights from his current NBA experience. Williams also currently serves as the First Vice President on the NBPA’s Executive Committee. In 2022, Grant started the Grant Williams Family Foundation, which focuses on financial literacy, mentorship, and education access in Charlotte, North Carolina. He will serve the NBPA Foundation’s Board as Vice President.

Jalen Rose, a studio analyst appearing on various ABC/ESPN shows brings with him a rich background in sports commentary and analysis. Rose, who played in the NBA for 13 years and was a member of the University of Michigan’s legendary “Fab Five”, brings his extensive knowledge of the game and entertainment industry into his new NBPA Foundation Board role. A philanthropist who truly gives from the heart, Rose established a foundation in 2000 to give back to the communities where he lived and played basketball. His most substantial outreach initiative to date is the establishment of the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy. Founded in 2011, the Academy is an open enrollment, tuition-free public charter high school in his hometown of Detroit.

“We are thrilled to be part of the NBPA Foundation and its mission of driving positive change through the power of partnership,” said Rubio, Williams, and Rose in a joint statement. “We are committed to leveraging our collective influence and the platform of professional basketball to make a lasting impact on our communities.”

Ron Holland signs with NBA G League Ignite team

Forward Ron Holland, a consensus five-star high school prospect who is ranked by ESPN as the No. 2 player in the Class of 2023, has signed with NBA G League Ignite, General Manager Anthony McClish announced today.

“First of all, I want to thank God for blessing me with the abilities to play the game that I love,” Holland said. “I want to thank everyone that has believed in me throughout the whole process, it hasn’t been easy. I am super excited to join G League Ignite. I feel Ignite has the tools needed to prepare me for the life I want on and off the court. Let’s get to work!”

A Duncanville, Texas, native, Holland was selected as a 2023 McDonald’s High School All-American and earned a spot on the U.S. Team for the 2023 Nike Hoop Summit. He was named the 2022-23 Gatorade Texas Boys Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 20.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.0 steals while leading Duncanville High School to a 29-1 record this past season. As a sophomore in 2020-21, Holland helped Duncanville finish 28-1 and win a state championship.

Holland has won two gold medals with USA Basketball, at the FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in 2021 and the FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup in 2022. In the Under-16 competition, he averaged 19.0 points and 10.2 rebounds and earned All-Tournament Team honors. In the Under-17 event, he averaged 11.1 points and 6.6 rebounds.

Holland joins fellow 2023 McDonald’s All-American and Gatorade Illinois Player of Year Matas Buzelis, NBA Academy graduates Thierry Darlan and Babacar Sane, second-year Ignite player London Johnson and Texas high school standout Dink Pate on Ignite’s roster as the latest group of top national and international prospects preparing for the NBA Draft presented by State Farm.

Ignite has produced three top 10 NBA Draft picks in the previous two years – the most by any program in that span – in Jalen Green (2021, No. 2, Houston Rockets), Jonathan Kuminga (2021, No. 7, Golden State Warriors) and Dyson Daniels (2022, No. 8, New Orleans Pelicans). Ignite has had a total of six NBA Draft picks in the last two years, which matches the highest total for a program in that period.