4 hours agoCleveland Cavaliers guard
Donovan Mitchell has a big decision looming this offseason and it will potentially force a couple of decisions from the Cavaliers' front office at the same time. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN said that Mitchell knows he needs to make a decision and both he and his agent will meet with the team "at the right time." There isn't any word on when that time maybe, but he's eligible to sign an extension worth up to $209 million for four years. Reports say that if Mitchell decides to stay, then
Darius Garland and his agents will request a trade and the Cavaliers will need to scramble to find the right supporting cast for Mitchell and
Evan Mobley.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Evan Sidery
5 hours agoCleveland Cavaliers forward/center
Evan Mobley is entering the final year of his rookie contract next season and it looks like the team is more than happy with his growth so far. According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, the Cavs are likely to offer Mobley a rookie scale max extension this offseason. Unfortunately, he was hit by the injury bug this past season, but still averaged 15.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game with shooting splits of .580/.373/.719. The 22-year-old was one of the team's best players this postseason outside of
Donovan Mitchell, and their offseason seems like it could bring a shakeup to surround their core with more talent.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Evan Sidery
5 hours agoDenver Nuggets center
Nikola Jokic was the only one on the team to score more than 12 points in a 45-point drubbing in Game 6. The three-time MVP put up 22 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and three turnovers while shooting 9-for-19 from the floor and 0-for-4 from deep. Jokic will likely bounce back, as will the Nuggets, while they go back home for a series-deciding Game 7. With how this series has gone so far, there aren't any promises just because the game is on their home court. Jokic remains a must-play in DFS as he's likely to provide some big points even if he has an off game.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Basketball Reference
5 hours agoMinnesota Timberwolves forward
Jaden McDaniels cashed in an ultra-efficient performance in Game 6, which ended in a complete blowout and a Game 7 on the horizon. McDaniels has been a defensive force for this team throughout the playoffs so far and he's thrown in a few big offensive efforts for good measure. In Game 6, McDaniels posted 21 points on 8-for-10 shooting while chipping in four rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two blocks. His defensive versatility has been the biggest key to the Timberwolves' engine. McDaniels hasn't been a big offensive producer in the away games in this series, though, so he may not be the best DFS option for Game 7.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Basketball Reference
5 hours agoToronto Raptors guard/forward
Bruce Brown went from key piece on a championship team to bouncing around multiple teams in the matter of one season. His tenure in Toronto was shaky as he never established a role on the team and bounced between the starting lineup, bench, and injury report. As of right now, it seems that the Raptors are preparing to pickup Brown's option which is worth $23 million next season, and then look for a trade partner around the time of the NBA Draft. If they find a trade they deem valuable for Brown, then that could mean signing
Gary Trent Jr. to an extension after that, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Doug Smith
6 hours agoMinnesota Timberwolves guard/forward
Anthony Edwards bounced back in a big way in Game 6 to lead the team to a 45-point win and force a Game 7. The budding superstar finished the game with 27 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals, and one turnover while shooting 8-for-17 from the floor and 4-for-9 from downtown. With the series shifting back to Denver, it's worth pointing out that he's only had one subpar game there so far in this series. In Games 1 and 2, Edwards scored 43 and 27 points respectively while shooting no worse than 58% overall.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Basketball Reference
23 hours agoThe Cleveland Cavaliers will evaluate the fit between
Donovan Mitchell and
Darius Garland during the offseason. Appearing on FanDuel TV Thursday, NBA Insider Shams Charania of The Athletic stated, "I'm told if Mitchell does decide to stay long term, Garland's representation, they would have a conversation about the potential of a new home for him." Cleveland might have some difficult decisions to make between their two all-star guards. Mitchell put forth another strong campaign, averaging over 26 points per game during the regular season, however, Garland's usage has dropped since Mitchell arrived in 2022.
--Dave Goldsholl - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
1 day agoAccording to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Minnesota Timberwolves guard
Mike Conley (calf) is set to play in Game 6 versus the Denver Nuggets. The starting point guard missed Game 5 of the series and was originally listed as questionable with a right soleus strain, however, he appears healthy enough to suit up as Minnesota faces elimination.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker filled in for the veteran in Game 5, but will likely revert to his role off the bench. Conley has played a valuable role in the Timberwolves' success this postseason, averaging 11.3 PPG and 7.0 ASG.
--Dave Goldsholl - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
1 day agoOklahoma City Thunder guard/forward
Josh Giddey led the second unit with 11 points in Wednesday's 104-92 loss to the Mavericks. Giddey has struggled in the series, and Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault dropped him on the bench for Game 5 in favor of
Isaiah Joe. The move worked out well for Giddey, as he enjoyed his best outing of the series, adding three rebounds and two assists to his tally with 5-for-8 shooting across 12 minutes. However, with the team losing and now 3-2 behind in the series, Daigneault might be forced to make further adjustments. Joe had a quiet outing with six points. The lineup change also resulted in
Cason Wallace logging a playoff career-high 27 minutes off the bench. He couldn't get going either, shooting 1-for-7 to finish with three points.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoOklahoma City Thunder guard
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had another 30-point effort in Wednesday's Game 5 loss to Dallas, reaching the plateau for the fourth consecutive game with 12-for-22 shooting. He was 2-for-4 with the three-ball and continued to make an impact all over the court. Gilgeous-Alexander's stat line included six rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and one block. He's been highly productive at both ends in the series, but it looks like the Thunder need even more from Gilgeous-Alexander as the team faces elimination in Game 6 on Saturday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoDallas Mavericks center
Dereck Lively II played a significant part in Wednesday's Game 5 victory over Oklahoma City with an 11-point, 10-rebound effort in 23 minutes off the bench. The rookie from Duke recorded his first career playoff double-double while adding one assist, one steal, and one block to his line. Lively II shot 3-for-4 from the field and 5-for-6 at the charity stripe during a highly effective performance, which saw him finish with a game-high plus-22 rating. The 20-year-old has struggled to shoot well in the series, going 10-for-28, but Wednesday night should be a good confidence booster for him for the rest of the postseason. He's averaging 7.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 21.0 minutes during his first playoff campaign.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoDallas Mavericks point guard
Luka Doncic registered a 30-point triple-double as the team moved one win away from a Conference Finals spot with a 104-92 road victory against the Thunder Wednesday night. Doncic has been held back by multiple injuries in these playoffs, but it was smooth sailing for him on Wednesday, as the Mavericks superstar shot 12-for-22 from the field en route to a game-high 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. He had five three-point makes with 11 attempts and also registered one block. Doncic will go after his first career three-game postseason triple-double streak when Dallas tries to close out the series in Game 6 on Saturday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoBoston Celtics guard
Derrick White was back in form in Game 5 against Cleveland on Wednesday, recording 18 points, five rebounds, six assists, and two steals in a 113-98 win. After being limited to only five points in Game 4, White had twice as many points in the first quarter alone on Wednesday. He was quiet for the rest of the game but still ended up with a good stat line, shooting 4-for-9 from deep and 7-for-17 overall. For some reason, White has struggled to post defensive stats in the postseason, but he continues to play a significant part in Boston's success. The 29-year-old averages 18.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.8 assists with 43.5 percent three-point shooting in the playoffs.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoBoston Celtics forward/center
Al Horford got his fingerprints all over Wednesday's 113-98 win over Cleveland, notching 22 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, one steal, and three blocks with six makes from downtown. At 37 years old, Horford became the oldest player in league history to finish a playoff game with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five triples His efforts in the postseason tend to be inconsistent, but Horford was certainly a man on a mission Wednesday night. He can now get his body some rest as Boston awaits its Conference Finals opponent from the Knicks-Pacers matchup.
Kristaps Porzingis (calf) is expected to return in the next series, pushing Horford back to the bench, but the savvy veteran should still find ways to impact games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoBoston Celtics forward
Jayson Tatum came very close to his second postseason triple-double as the C's closed out the Cavaliers on Wednesday with a 113-98 win. Tatum played his part on offense with a team-high 25 points and nine assists while grabbing 10 rebounds. He had a major impact at the other end as well, recording four of Boston's six steals. This was a pretty rough series for Tatum shooting-wise, but he finally got things to click in Game 5, hitting 9-for-16 from the field with a 3-for-7 effort from deep. He can now start preparing for already his fifth Conference Finals series in seven years.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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