Tag: Davion Mitchell

Spurs listed among ‘best fits’ for potential Davion Mitchell trade

The San Antonio Spurs were listed among the potential “best fits” for Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell in a trade.

As the San Antonio Spurs prepare to tackle the impending trade deadline, big-time moves shouldn’t be expected. The Spurs currently sit at the bottom of the Western Conference with no realistic chance of making a playoff run. However, any trade they decide to make this season could help them prepare for their future with Victor Wembanyama.

Outside of the rookie Frenchman, one of the biggest talking points of the Spurs’ season has been the point guard positon. Tre Jones has assumed the starting role, but adding talent in that spot could help the Spurs out both right now and moving forward.

According to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, who recently concocted a trade board of the players most likely to be moved at the deadline, San Antonio is one of the “best fits” for Sacramento Kings point guard Davion Mitchell.

“It says a lot about Mitchell’s offensive struggles that the Kings have found it hard to get his defensive energy and aggression on the floor,” Vecenie wrote. “He’s still an absolute menace on defense, flying around with reckless abandon and causing issues at the point of attack for opposing perimeter players. However, he’s been one of the worst offensive players in the league so far this year, posting awful shooting percentages from the field and from 3.”

The other top potential fits Vecenie noted are the Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies, and Detroit Pistons. He seems to be in need of a second-chance home at this point.

Adding Mitchell’s defensive-minded game to the Spurs rotation could give them a much-needed boost on that side of the ball.

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5 Players Bulls should target in a Zach LaVine trade this season

If and when the Chicago Bulls trade Zach LaVine, here are five players they should be targeting.

Ever since Zach LaVine went down with an injury, the Chicago Bulls have been playing better. Does this mean LaVine was the only problem? No. Does this mean the Bulls should push forward rather than rebuild? No. But it does mean that the front office has some hope, which could be a dangerous thing.

Despite their recent success, the clearest path forward for Chicago is still a rebuild, and that all starts with trading LaVine, something the Bulls are reportedly focused on. By trading LaVine, the Bulls would be well on their way to a fresh start, which is something this franchise has desperately needed for the past two seasons.

But the question is, what should the Bulls be looking to get back in a LaVine trade?

The 28-year-old star makes a ton of money, as he still has three years on his deal after this one (including a player option in the final season). The last year of his contract tops out at roughly $48.9 million.

In order for a team to be willing to trade for LaVine, they need to be comfortable that he would be a part of their long-term future. Otherwise, the risk wouldn’t outweigh the potential reward.

Because of that, there are a limited number of teams who could show interest in LaVine, and that needs to be taken into account when looking at who the Bulls should potentially target in a trade.

With all that in mind, let’s take a look at five players the Bulls should have their eyes on as they seek out a trade for LaVine this season.

2021 NBA Draft: 10 bold predictions from the preseason revisited

Rookie Wire made 10 bold predictions for the 2021-22 rookie class and made a vow to come back and see how we did.

Rookie Wire offered 10 bold predictions for the 2021-22 rookie class last October and made a vow at the time to come back after the season and see just how we did.

Well, it is that time to look back and review the results.

Our annual revisit of these bold predictions is our favorite time of the year. It typically just consists of us trying to convince basketball fans why we made the picks and why they should have come true, but ultimately didn’t.

Upon further review, this year proved to be no different.

Several predictions fell well short of expectations but to be fair, we were pretty close on a few. We just ask that you don’t alert the authorities at Freezing Cold Takes about the ones we missed badly on.

Here are the latest results with the verdict from each prediction.

2021 NBA draft class: Final rookie stat leaders for the 2021-22 season

Rookie Wire took a look back at which first-year players were among the leaders in scoring, rebounding, assists and more.

With the 2021-22 regular season wrapped up, observers of the NBA can now take a look back at the year that was and evaluate how each player performed, including the rookie class.

The group played at a high level throughout the season with several individuals emerging as potential future All-Stars. As a result, the Rookie of the Year voting is expected to be highly competitive with as many as five players in the running to win.

Rookie Wire took a look back at how the class performed and which players were among the leaders in key statistical categories, including scoring, rebounding and assists.

Note: Stat leaders are according to NBA.com.

Kings at Rockets: Prediction, point spread, odds, over/under, betting picks (April 1)

The Kings remain slight favorites (-2.5) for Friday’s rematch in Houston, though the potential return of Alperen Sengun (questionable) could certainly help the Rockets.

The Houston Rockets continue their four-game homestand with another visit from Sacramento on Friday night. If you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We have the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as all the information you need to make the best bets at Tipico Sportsbook.

The second Rockets-Kings game tips at 7 p.m. CDT and can be viewed or streamed via AT&T SportsNet Southwest and NBA League Pass.

The second-to-last game of this homestand features a rematch of Wednesday’s thriller, when the Kings edged the Rockets in a showdown between rookie guards Davion Mitchell and Jalen Green.

Now that the 2022 NBA playoffs are off the table for both teams, it should again be a fascinating and unpredictable matchup. With an eye on developing prospects — and likely on draft positioning, as well — each franchise is resting established veterans such as De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Christian Wood, Eric Gordon and Dennis Schroder. All indications are those patterns will continue into Friday and beyond.

Given those absences, the Rockets will likely go as far as Green can take them in the coming days. In his last four outings, the No. 2 pick from the 2021 NBA draft has averaged 27.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 34.3 minutes per game on 47.6% shooting and 46.0% on 3-pointers.

Green drilled a combined 23 3-pointers in those games, and it lifted the young Rockets to a productive 2-2 stretch as a team — with both losses not decided until the final buzzer at Toyota Center. In that stretch, Green has made history by becoming the first NBA rookie to make at least five 3-pointers in four straight games, and his 50 made treys in March were the most by any rookie in a single month in NBA history.

Kings at Rockets: Friday’s lineups, injury reports, broadcast and stream info

In an immediate rematch of Wednesday’s thriller, rookie guards Jalen Green and Davion Mitchell will face off when the Kings visit the Rockets on Friday night.

The Houston Rockets continue the final multigame homestand of their 2021-22 season when they host Sacramento on Friday night at Toyota Center. The second-to-last game of the homestand features a rematch of Wednesday’s thriller, when the Kings edged the Rockets in a showdown between rookie guards Davion Mitchell and Jalen Green.

Now that the 2022 NBA playoffs off the table for both teams, it should again be a fascinating and unpredictable matchup. With an eye on developing prospects — and likely on draft positioning, as well — each franchise is resting established veterans such as De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Christian Wood, Eric Gordon and Dennis Schroder. All indications are those patterns will continue into Friday and beyond.

As the season winds down, the Rockets will likely go as far as Green can take them. In his last four outings, the No. 2 pick from the 2021 NBA draft has averaged 27.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 34.3 minutes per game on 47.6% shooting and 46.0% from 3-point range.

Green drilled a combined 23 3-pointers in those games, and it lifted the young Rockets to a productive 2-2 stretch as a team — with both losses not decided until the final buzzer. In that stretch, Green has made history by becoming the first NBA rookie to connect on at least five 3-pointers in four consecutive games, and his 50 made treys in March are the most by any rookie in a single month in league history.

Jalen Green breaks 30 again, makes NBA rookie history as Kings nip Rockets

In a game that was arguably most important for its NBA draft implications, Jalen Green (32 points) set multiple rookie records during Houston’s narrow loss to Sacramento.

Jalen Green continued his run of torrid play with a game-high 32 points on Wednesday versus Sacramento, and he set multiple NBA rookie records along the way. It did not, however, lead to a win for the Rockets, who were edged out in Houston by the Kings, 121-118 (box score).

Green, who shot 6-of-14 on 3-pointers (42.9%) in 37 minutes, set a monthly NBA record for treys by a rookie, and he also became the first rookie in NBA history to hit five or more 3-pointers in four straight games. With 32 points, he joined Hall of Famer and former MVP Hakeem Olajuwon as the only Houston rookies to score 30+ in consecutive games.

Green had assistance from backcourt mate Kevin Porter Jr., who recorded the first triple-double of his young NBA career with 30 points (64.7% FG, 40.0% on 3-pointers), 12 rebounds, and 12 assists. However, the short-handed Rockets (20-57) didn’t have much production beyond their dynamic duo, particularly with Alperen Sengun (left leg contusion) sidelined and veterans Christian Wood, Eric Gordon, and Dennis Schroder continuing to rest as the 2021-22 regular season winds down.

The Kings (28-49) were led by their own first-round rookie in Davion Mitchell, who had a team-high 24 points and 8 assists on 11-of-22 shooting (50.0%). The Baylor University product also played strong defense on Porter on the game’s final possession, which ended with a rushed 3-pointer by Josh Christopher that missed badly at the buzzer.

By losing, Houston held its position (tied with Detroit and Orlando) at the top of the intense race for positioning in the 2022 NBA draft. With Wood and Sengun out, third-year big man Bruno Fernando took advantage of a rare opportunity and scored a career-high 17 points in 22 minutes on 6-of-8 shooting (75.0%). He also grabbed 10 rebounds.

Scroll on for highlights and postgame reaction.

Kings at Rockets: Prediction, point spread, odds, over/under, betting picks (March 30)

Jalen Green and the Rockets are slight home underdogs (+2.5) versus Sacramento in an unpredictable game where most veterans on both teams are not expected to play.

The Houston Rockets continue a four-game homestand with a pair of games versus Sacramento on Wednesday and Friday. If you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We have the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as all the information you need to make the best bets at Tipico Sportsbook.

The initial Rockets-Kings game tips at 7 p.m. CDT and can be viewed or streamed via AT&T SportsNet Southwest and NBA League Pass.

With the 2022 NBA playoffs not in the future for either team, both matchups should be unpredictable. With a late-season emphasis on developing prospects — and perhaps on draft positioning, too — each team has begun resting established veterans like De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Christian Wood, Eric Gordon, and Dennis Schroder. All indications are that those patterns will continue this week.

Thus, the results over the next three days are likely to depend on the performances of young players, starting with rookie guards Jalen Green and Davion Mitchell. The Rockets and Kings selected those two at No. 2 and No. 9, respectively, in the first round of the 2021 NBA draft.

Green enters with momentum, having averaged 26.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in 33.2 minutes over his last three games. He’s shooting 49.1% overall and 47.2% on 3-pointers, and despite their lowly record for the season as a whole, the Rockets are 2-1 in that span — with the lone defeat not settled until Monday’s final buzzer versus San Antonio.

The question is whether Green will have the presence of fellow first-round rookie Alperen Sengun alongside him. Sengun, who has begun starting at center in place of Wood, is averaging 13.0 points (48.4% FG), 7.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 23.9 minutes over his last seven games. But he left Monday’s game early with a left leg bruise, and his status for Wednesday is not yet clear. If Sengun cannot play, sparingly used rookie Usman Garuba or third-year big Bruno Fernando would likely start.

Kings at Rockets: Wednesday’s lineups, injury reports, broadcast and stream info

Rockets rookie Jalen Green is on a tear, with averages of 26.0 points (49.1% FG, 47.2% on 3-pointers) and 4.3 rebounds in 33.2 minutes over his last three games. Houston is 2-1 in that span.

The Houston Rockets will continue the final multigame homestand of their 2021-22 season when the Sacramento Kings visit Toyota Center for a pair of games on Wednesday and Friday nights.

With the 2022 NBA playoffs not in the future for either team, both matchups should be unpredictable. With an eye on developing prospects — and perhaps on draft positioning, as well — each franchise has begun resting established veterans like De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Christian Wood, Eric Gordon, and Dennis Schroder. All indications are that those patterns will continue into Wednesday and beyond.

Thus, the results over the next three days are likely to depend on the performances of young players, starting with rookie guards Jalen Green and Davion Mitchell. The Rockets and Kings selected those two at No. 2 and No. 9, respectively, in the first round of the 2021 NBA draft.

Green enters with momentum, having averaged 26.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in 33.2 minutes over his last three games. He’s shooting 49.1% overall and 47.2% on 3-pointers, and despite their lowly record for the season as a whole, the Rockets are 2-1 in that span — with the lone defeat not settled until Monday’s final buzzer versus San Antonio.

The question is whether Green will have the presence of fellow first-round rookie Alperen Sengun alongside him. Sengun, who has begun starting at center in place of Wood, is averaging 13.0 points (48.4% FG), 7.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 23.9 minutes over his last seven games. But he left Monday’s game early with a left leg bruise, and his status for Wednesday is not yet clear. If Sengun cannot play, sparingly used rookie Usman Garuba or third-year big Bruno Fernando would likely start.

Rookie Power Rankings: How the rookie class fares at the All-Star break

Rookie Wire takes a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2021-22 season.

NBA All-Star Weekend gave the current rookie class a tremendous opportunity to showcase themselves on a national platform and the group largely performed exceptionally.

The basketball world saw 12 rookie players compete in the Rising Stars game on Friday. Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham was named the Most Valuable Player of the festivities after leading Team Barry to the championship.

On Saturday, Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green performed in the Slam Dunk Contest. While it didn’t go the way Green had hoped, the second pick still dazzled with his athleticism and leaping ability in Cleveland. He even vowed to return next year and redeem himself.

With the final stretch of the season upon us, Rookie Wire took a look at some of the best recent performances of these first-year players. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but, rather, to illustrate the best players week to week.