Hoops Rumors

The second tax apron that’s included in the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement will be phased in over two seasons, sources tell John Hollinger of The Athletic. The new financial provision is designed to discourage excessive spending by the league’s wealthiest franchises. It is set at $17.5MM above the luxury tax threshold and places severe restrictions on teams that go … [Read more...] about NBA To Phase In Second Tax Apron

After sitting out the Knicks‘ final five regular season contests with a left ankle sprain, All-Star power forward Julius Randle has seemed downright giddy in discussing New York’s ongoing playoff series with the Cavaliers, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “I’m just having fun, man, this is a lot of fun,” Randle said earlier this week. “This is what you work so hard … [Read more...] about Knicks Notes: Randle, Brunson, Quickley, Grimes

Jaylen Brown would become eligible for a super-max extension if he makes an All-NBA team this spring, and Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens is hoping that happens, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “I think both Jayson (Tatum) and Jaylen should be on the All-NBA team,” Stevens said. “I think what they’ve done throughout the course of this year — … [Read more...] about Stevens: Jaylen Brown Deserves All-NBA Nod

After leading the Kings to the third seed in the West and snapping a 16-year playoff drought in his first season in Sacramento, Mike Brown has been honored as the NBA’s Coach of The Year, the team announced (via Twitter). Brown, who was also named Coach of the Year in 2009, will be awarded the first-ever Red Auerbach Trophy. He received all 100 first-place votes, marking the … [Read more...] about Mike Brown Named Coach Of The Year

With the play-in tournament complete and the playoff field set, the NBA’s postseason will begin in earnest on Saturday. Since three of Saturday’s four games are Eastern Conference matchups, we’re zeroing in on those first round series this morning before shifting our focus to the West later today. Here are the four first round series in the East: Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Miami … [Read more...] about Poll: Eastern Conference’s First Round Playoff Series

Tiebreakers among teams with identical regular-season records were broken on Monday through random drawings to determine the order for this year’s draft prior to the lottery. The results of the drawings were as follows: The Rockets (No. 2) won a tiebreaker with the Spurs (No. 3). Note: The lottery odds remain the same for both teams. The Rockets will draft ahead of the Spurs … [Read more...] about 2023 NBA Draft Tiebreaker Results

Joe Mazzulla won his first playoff game as a head coach when the Celtics defeated Atlanta on Saturday. Mazzulla knows that best-of-7 series are a grind and he’ll have to be quick to make adjustments, Jared Weiss of The Athletic writes. “I’m excited because of what a series brings about, the mental toll, the emotional toll, the opportunity for adjustments, the opportunity for … [Read more...] about Mazzulla “Excited” For Playoff Grind

It wasn’t obvious to anyone who watched him post 29 points and 12 rebounds in the Celtics‘ series-opening win Saturday, but Jaylen Brown was having trouble gripping the ball because of a cut that reopened on his right hand, writes Coley Harvey of ESPN. Brown originally suffered the cut while watering his plants last week and had to get five stitches. He wasn’t able to practice … [Read more...] about Atlantic Notes: J. Brown, Hauser, Bridges, Reed