Five players of the 2017 NBA Draft Class discussed the possibility of insurance policies to protect against career-threatening injuries.
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Five players of the 2017 NBA Draft Class reportedly discussed on Friday with the National Basketball Players Association the possibility of insurance policies to protect against career-threatening injuries sustained in the season restart, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The players — which included Jayson Tatum, De’Aaron Fox, Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Kuzma — encouraged the NBPA to heighten conversations with the NBA on financing possible insurance policies. Given the risks involved with returning to play, players are concerned with the potential of suffering injury or sickness.
The NBA and NBPA, according to the report, have been in discussions regarding protections against contracting the coronavirus or serious injury with the league set to restart at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida. The two sides are negotiating the details to revise the protections already offered in the collective bargaining agreement.
The group of players that attended the call with the NBPA is among the top up-and-coming players in the NBA and represent significant earning potential. They are each eligible for rookie contract extensions during the offseason, which will begin in October, and can potentially earn in excess of $100 million.
The insurance policy could cost around $500,000 to protect against a possible career-ending injury.
Will the Boston Celtics give Jayson Tatum a contract extension worth the max? NBA executives weigh in and discuss his development.
Last week, ESPN’s Brian Windhorstsaid that the Boston Celtics will “most likely” offer forward Jayson Tatum a maximum contract extension this offseason. Shortly after, several NBA players (such as CJ McCollum and Trae Young) poked fun at the news, pointing out that a max extension for Tatum is a no-brainer and all but certain.
After all, the 22-year-old emerged as an All-Star this season, averaging 23.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.8 threes, 1.4 steals on 44.8/39.8/80.6 shooting splits. Also, the Celtics are currently 43-21, which is the third-best record in the Eastern Conference.
A max rookie-scale extension would pay Tatum anywhere from $181.25 million to $217.5 million over five years thanks to “The Rose Rule,” although these numbers are subject to change since they are based on pre-pandemic projections.
HoopsHype asked some experts to weigh in on Tatum’s future and the likelihood of him getting the max.
“I think he is getting a max extension,” an Eastern Conference general manager told HoopsHype. “That may be one where you have some incentives in the deal; I mean, it’s not like he’s LeBron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo. But he’s pretty close to being a Top 20 player, if he isn’t already, and he’s still so young. Usually, you’re trying to keep goodwill with a player like that.
“Maybe it’ll be a max deal with certain likely bonuses – some fairly attainable incentives in there – but I think it’ll be a max deal. If that ends up being below the max, I’d be very, very surprised.”
ESPN analyst Bobby Marks, who worked in NBA front offices for 20 years, agreed with the general manager.
“I think they’ll give him a blank check,” Marks said with a laugh. “He’s one of those guys where you go with the blank-check approach. I think Tatum and Donovan Mitchell can basically dictate what salary they want. I think we saw with the extension that Boston gave Jaylen Brown, which wasn’t the full max, they gave themselves a little bit of cap flexibility because they knew that Jayson’s was coming up next. But, yeah, I think it’s a no-brainer. I doubt we’re going to see Boston come in with a low-ball number. (laughs)”
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
While Marks believes the two sides will agree to a max extension, it’s possible that Tatum’s camp is concerned about how the pandemic will impact the NBA’s salary cap going forward.
“The only reason that Tatum wouldn’t sign an extension is because there’s uncertainty as far as what that 2021 salary cap is going to be at, and his salary would be based on a percentage of the cap (if he signs the extension),” Marks explained. “That’d be the only reason why you’d want to play it out. You’d do a one-year deal in 2021 and then, hopefully, the cap goes back up in 2022. That would really be the only reason why [Tatum turns it down].”
It remains to be seen how the NBA losing a significant portion of Basketball Related Income (BRI) will impact the salary cap for the 2020-21 season and beyond.
Typically, the NBA’s deadline for teams to sign fourth-year players to a rookie-scale extension is in October, but that date will likely be moved due to the NBA’s altered schedule.
After a somewhat mediocre sophomore campaign, Tatum spent the offseason working on shooting threes, driving to the basket and drawing fouls (as his trainer, Drew Hanlen, outlined on The HoopsHype Podcast). He also recognized that he needed to play within the flow of the offense and take what the defense gives him rather than hunt for shots. Tatum has gotten better at creating for others too, as evidenced by his career-highs in assists per game (2.9), assist percentage (14 percent) and points created per game (7.7).
And Tatum only continued to make strides as the season progressed. In February, he averaged 30.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 4.3 threes and 1.2 steals while shooting 49.4 percent from the field and a ridiculous 48.1 percent from three-point range.
“Tatum leads the league in adjusted field goal percentage, at 61.2 percent, which accounts for the extra points earned by converting from deep. It’s the fifth-highest figure ever recorded,” Jared Weiss of The Athletic wrote in a great piece on Tatum’s breakout season. “His 1.6 percentage point lead over [Damian] Lillard in adjusted field goal percentage is the biggest gap among anyone in the Top 50 rankings.”
If Tatum and the Celtics can’t reach an agreement on a rookie-scale extension, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 draft will become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2021.
Donovan Mitchell got a laugh from Steve Kerr during episode nine of “The Last Dance.”
After spending five seasons alongside Michael Jordan in Chicago, Steve Kerr has been a featured character in the Bulls 10-part documentary series.
In a previous chapter, Kerr’s famous practice altercation with Jordan was a topic of conversation. In episode nine of “The Last Dance,” the Golden State Warriors head coach got a hefty slice of screentime. Prior to the documentary series finale, Kerr’s game-winning shot from the 1997 NBA Finals was thrust into the spotlight.
With only seconds remaining, the Bulls were tied with the Utah Jazz in game-six of the Finals. Instead of adding another game-winning shot to his resume, Jordan found Kerr at the top of the key for an open jumper.
Kerr drilled the eventual final shot of the game to give Chicago an 88-86 lead. Utah turned the ball over on the final possession of the contest to seal Jordan’s fifth title.
When the Bulls returned to Chicago, Kerr delivered a memorable speech at the championship parade. The former player turned Golden State coach jokingly said he had to bail Jordan out.
After watching The Last Dance, Donovan Mitchell chimed in on Twitter to give his thoughts on Kerr’s speech. The Utah Jazz All-Star got a laugh out of Kerr’s parade performance.
Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum found his beard the butt of a joke Monday, but quickly turned the tables.
Utah Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell had a few laughs at Boston Celtics All-Star swingman Jayson Tatum’s expense on Twitter Monday morning.
The duo, who played together over the summer as members of Team USA in the 2019 FIBA World Cup, have been friendly with each other since.
Quarantined like the rest of us, social media has not only been a means for players to stay in touch with their fans, but also each other.
To that end, Twitter served a medium for Mitchell to roast his former World Cup teammate for a post about his relatively recent facial hair, which the Duke product was making comments about.
Retweeting a video of his play in high school featuring a beardless, moustacheless Tatum within, the St. Louis native tweeted, “Days before the beard look totally different lol.”
This low-hanging fruit was too easy for Mitchell, who replied “Mannn like 4 months ago was ‘days before the beard.'”
However, the Jazz guard probably should have thought through his zinger, as his own beard is far from being the sort to shield one from exactly this kind of jest; “it’s always ones with no beard who got sum to say,” quipped Tatum in return.
Pelicans guard Josh Hart had some adversity, but he kept his perfect Call of Duty tourney record intact Saturday.
New Orleans Pelicans guard Josh Hart is passionate about Call of Duty.
Hart competed in SLAM’s sixth Call of Duty: Modern Warfare tournament Saturday, and he had to express his emotions — after all, his undefeated record was on the line.
In a video that’s gone viral, Hart smashed his keyboard after a bout of frustration over the game. Despite the close series, though, Hart’s record remained flawless. He and Team NBA defeated Team NFL, 4-3, coming back from a 3-1 series deficit.
The keyboard suffered defeat when the Hart and Team NBA were at their lowest.
The two teams were playing Search and Destroy on the map Hackney Yard, and it was the fourth game of the series. Team NFL had been up 2-1 in the tourney, and the NBA squad needed a win. Team NFL went on to win Search and Destroy, 6-4, and took a commanding 3-1 lead.
Warning: The video below contains explicit language.
Though it resulted in a loss, the match was one of Hart’s best of the series. He had nine kills, the second-highest on the team behind Golden State Warriors rookie Eric Paschall.
The rest of the NBA team included Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine. Team NFL included Cleveland Browns receiver Jarvis Landry and Browns running back Kareem Hunt. In addition, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and Cardinals running back Chase Edmonds competed, along with Denver Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton.
Some facts about our weekly COD tournament.
1. @spidadmitchell after 6 weeks of competition won his first SLAMftw tournament last night.
2. Even though @joshhart smashed his keyboard into the next life. He still is the only undefeated player who has played multiple weeks. pic.twitter.com/WF0dj2zwF0
Hart was an important part of Team NBA’s comeback. During Capture the Flag on Rammaza, he finished with 18 kills and tallied a capture.
The hoopers won Capture the Flag, 4-1, and then Hart had another good performance in Game 6 of the series, a game of Headquarters on Crash. Hart had 19 kills and two captures, along with a team-high two defends. Team NBA won, 200-33, on Headquarters.
With Hart keeping his perfect record intact, even through some adversity, he’s shown he’s one of the most reliable and consistent Call of Duty players in the NBA.
Warriors rookie Eric Paschall had a solid performance in his first SLAM Call of Duty tournament.
Golden State Warriors rookie Eric Paschall and a group of fellow NBA players were on the brink of a virtual loss.
Paschall and some other hoopers played against Team NFL on Saturday in SLAM’s latest Call of Duty: Modern Warfare tournament.
With the series tied at 3-3, the two squads had been going back in forth during the last match, a game of Search and Destroy on the map Shoot House. Team NBA defeated Team NFL, 6-5, to win the tournament.
Paschall was pivotal in the series clincher. He tallied 11 kills, the second-highest number on the squad.
The rest of the team included Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, New Orleans Pelicans guard Josh Hart and Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell.
The team of mostly NFL players included Arizona Cardinals running back Chase Edmonds, along with Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. Cleveland Browns receiver Jarvis Landry, Browns running back Kareem Hunt and Denver Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton were also on the team.
During the second game of the series, Team NBA was routed 200-90 in Headquarters on Talsik Backlot. But this game was perhaps Paschall’s best performance. He had a team-high 26 kills and a team-best two defends.
Before the final game of the tourney, the teams had split two games of Search and Destroy.
The NBA took the tournament’s opening match, winning 6-5 in Search and Destroy on Gun Runner. The NFL won 6-4 during the second Search and Destroy game, which was on Hackney Yard; the football players took a 3-1 lead in the series with that win.
Paschall had a team-high 11 kills in the Hackney Yard game, and he continued to be a valuable player as the NBA squad rallied back from a 3-1 series deficit.
He had nine kills when Team NBA won, 4-1, in Capture the Flag. Then, when the NBA needed to force Game 7, Paschall contributed with 12 kills on Headquarters. His team won, 200-33, on the map Crash to tie the series at 3-3.
Paschall was a newcomer in SLAM’s tourney, and with his solid performance, perhaps he will be invited back to have some fun on the sticks.
Josh Hart continued to be a valuable player for his team in SLAM’s latest Call of Duty tournament.
New Orleans Pelicans guard Josh Hart had something to say during the middle of SLAM’s latest Call of Duty: Modern Warfare tournament.
“I’m just saying, I’m the undefeated champ right now,” Hart said on his stream, per SLAM’s Twitter account. “I’m 4-0. I haven’t lost in this.”
Hart remained undefeated Saturday night, helping Meyers Leonard’s team earn a win in week five of the Call of Duty tournaments. Hart and company won the series 4-3, defeating a team led by Donovan Mitchell. Portland Trail Blazers forward Mario Hezonja, Atlanta Hawks guard Brandon Goodwin and Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette made up some of Mitchell’s team.
Hart’s team included Washington Mystics forward Aerial Powers, Pittsburgh Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and Boston Celtics forward Semi Ojeleye.
Hart had a solid game in the fourth match of the series, when his team defeated Mitchell’s, 6-3, in Search and Destroy on St. Petrograd. He was one of three players on his team who tallied seven kills, with Powers and Leonard being the other two.
During that game, Smith-Schuster tied for first on the team with nine kills. Though Hart never had a kill-death ratio of one or higher, he contributed throughout.
The most kills he had in one game was 19, when he and his team won, 200-185, in Domination on Shoot House.
As a regular in the tournaments, Hart has made an impact for his teams. A quality contributor, Hart’s consistency makes him a quality Call of Duty gamer.
Semi Ojeleye showed out during his first appearance in SLAM’s Call of Duty tournaments.
SLAM added a few newcomers to its Call of Duty: Modern Warfafe tourney Saturday, and the Boston Celtics had a representative on the sticks.
Semi Ojeleye displayed his skills as a member of Meyers Leonard’s team. Leonard and company defeated a squad led by Donovan Mitchell, 4-3, in SLAM’s fifth Call of Duty tournament. Washington Mystics forward Aerial Powers, New Orleans Pelicans guard Josh Hart, Pittsburgh Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster were also on the winning team.
The rest of Mitchell’s team included Portland Trail Blazers wing Mario Hezonja, Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette and Atlanta Hawks guard Brandon Goodwin.
Ojeleye’s team had a 3-1 series lead after winning, 6-3, in Search and Destroy on the map St. Petrograd.
Mitchell and his squad got a close 3-2 win in Capture the Flag, as well as a dominant 200-42 win in Headquarters to tie the series at 3-3.
Leonard’s squad closed the final game of the series well. The two teams played Domination on Hackney Yard, and Leonard’s team won 200-116. Ojeleye boasted a kill-death ratio of 2.07, and he had the second-highest number of kills on his team (31). Smith-Schuster had a team-high 51 kills in leading the team to the series-clinching win.
Ojeleye was one of his team’s top performers throughout the series. One of his best performances came during the first game, when the two teams played Search and Destroy on Crash. Ojeleye tied for first on his team in kills (11), as the squad won 6-1.
He had another quality performance during the second game of the series. The teams played Domination on Shoot House, and Ojeleye and company won, 200-185. He had 40 kills, the second-most on the team behind Leonard’s 48.
With Ojeleye having a good showing in his first appearance, perhaps he’ll play in future Call of Duty tournaments and help his team snag wins.
James Harden had a game-high 29 points and 10 assists as the Rockets opened the 2019 NBA playoffs with a 32-point home victory over Utah.
One year ago today, reigning league MVP James Harden tallied a game-high 29 points and 10 assists as the Houston Rockets opened the 2019 NBA playoffs with a 32-point home victory over the Utah Jazz.
The Rockets won the fourth quarter by a commanding 39-19 margin, leading to a 122-90 final in Game 1 of the first round (box score).
Eric Gordon scored 17 points on 50% shooting, and his defense helped limit Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell to a 7-of-18 night (38.9%) from the field. Meanwhile, big man Clint Capela added 16 points (61.5% FG) and 12 rebounds on the interior against All-Star center Rudy Gobert.
Here’s a look back at the Game 1 recap by Salman Ali, along with the highlights from Toyota Center.
The Rockets won the series in five games. Dating back to 2018, Houston has now defeated Utah by a 4-1 margin in back-to-back NBA playoffs.
In the 2019-20 season, the Jazz (41-23) are currently in the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, while the Rockets (40-24) are tied for the No. 5 spot. Should the 2019-20 campaign resume after its COVID-19 hiatus, a third consecutive meeting in the playoffs is very much a possibility.
In a re-draft of the 2017 NBA Draft, who would replace Markelle Fultz as the No. 1 overall pick?
At the time, the 2017 NBA Draft was regarded as one of the deepest and most talented drafts of the last decade. In the nearly three years that have played out since, those prognostications have been proven correct.
Already, three members of that draft have earned All-Star selections and that only begins to tell the story. Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo and Donovan Mitchell have carved out roles as budding stars while the likes of De’Aaron Fox, Lonzo Ball, Jonathan Isaac, Lauri Markkanen and others have developed into respectable starters.
None of that dives into the bizarre story of the No. 1 pick of that draft in Markelle Fultz. Calling his stint with the Sixers injury-filled would be an understatement but it remains hard to put into words how extraordinary his time with the Sixers was. But a trade and a chance to reset has allowed him to start to return to his University of Washington form.
A re-draft of the 2017 class would certainly have Fultz far from the top pick, but which All-Star would take the top spot?
