After claiming the 2021 NBA championship, the Milwaukee Bucks put forth a credible title defense in 2021-22. Even with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton all playing fewer than 70 games, Milwaukee won 51 games in the regular season, and the Bucks took the eventual Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics to seven games with Middleton unavailable in the series.
Of course, that type of early exit (at least by Bucks standards) likely did not please anyone in Milwaukee, and the presence of the arguable best player in the world brings high expectations. The Bucks have limited flexibility by broader NBA standards as the 2022 offseason arrives, but Milwaukee did enter the 2022 NBA Draft with a first-round selection to make use of in whichever way the front office saw fit.
Roster Needs: Wing clarity, another frontcourt defender, more perimeter juice on offense
MarJon Beauchamp (No. 24 Overall), B: The Bucks are reportedly looking for players that can help sooner rather than later. Beauchamp can certainly do that on the defensive end as one of the better wing defenders in the class. The questions come on offense, where he is relatively limited on the perimeter, but he is an acclaimed worker and Beauchamp’s 7’1 frame and mentality should help.
2022 Free Agents:
Serge Ibaka (UFA)
Wes Matthews (UFA)
Jordan Nwora (RFA)
Jevon Carter (UFA)
Lindell Wiggington (RFA)
Roster:
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Khris Middleton
Jrue Holiday
Brook Lopez
Grayson Allen
Pat Connaughton
Bobby Portis (player option)
George Hill
Thanasis Antetokounmpo (player option)
Rayjon Tucker (non-guaranteed)
Luca Vildoza (non-guaranteed)
Sandro Mamukelashvili (two way) MarJon Beauchamp
The 2021-22 campaign was largely kind to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Led by Karl-Anthony Towns and a breakout campaign for Anthony Edwards, the Wolves won 46 games and truly pushed the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. There were maddening moments along the way for Minnesota, but Edwards has the look of a true star, Towns remains tremendously effective, and some of the supporting pieces around Minnesota’s leading duo are falling into place.
With that said, the Wolves still have work to do in order to build a true Western Conference contender, and the clock is always ticking in the NBA. Minnesota began the 2022 offseason with the No. 19 overall pick and a bit of overall flexibility, and decided to move down three picks in order to land another first at No. 29 from Memphis.
Roster Needs: Another quality two-way forward, frontcourt defense and rebounding, long-term ball-handling if they move on from Russell
Walker Kessler (No. 22 Overall), C: Minnesota has been tied to a potential pursuit of a traditional center and Kessler fits that bill. Drafted in this range, he does not have to become an everyday starter in order to return value, and that is appropriate for Kessler as a prospect. He is a fantastic rim protector with an off-the-charts block rate, and Kessler could help to stabilize Minnesota’s defense in the future.
Wendell Moore (No. 26 Overall), B: The Wolves continued to move around on draft night, grabbing the 26th pick from Houston for No. 29 and some future seconds to land Moore, who is very well-rounded. He’s a very good passer with high-end feel. He also has a seven-foot wingspan and knows where to be on defense. He’s not a great athlete, leading to some finishing problems, but Moore is a projectable role player for Minnesota.
2022 Free Agents:
Taurean Prince (UFA)
Jake Layman (UFA)
Josh Okogie (RFA)
Greg Monroe (UFA)
Nathan Knight (RFA)
McKinley Wright IV (RFA)
Roster:
Karl-Anthony Towns
D’Angelo Russell
Malik Beasley
Anthony Edwards
Patrick Beverley
Jarred Vanderbilt
Leandro Bolmaro
Jaden McDaniels
Jordan McLaughlin
Jaylen Nowell (team option, non-guaranteed)
Naz Reid (team option, non-guaranteed) Walker Kessler
Wendell Moore
The Philadelphia 76ers entered the NBA Draft actively shopping the 23rd overall pick as they looked to upgrade their roster in the immediate — and also potentially clear space if needed for a run at PJ Tucker in free agency.
For weeks there were reports the Sixers were shopping No. 23 along with players like Danny Green and Matisse Thybulle (and, for a larger deal, possibly Tobias Harris). On a draft night where we never got the major moves some anticipated at the top of the draft that would send some veteran stars elsewhere, the first major deal of the night in a non-salary dump saw Philly find a taker for the 23rd pick, as Memphis was willing to send them De’Anthony Melton for No. 23 and Green so they could take David Roddy out of Colorado State.
Philadelphia is trading the No. 23 pick to Memphis for DeAnthony Melton, source tells ESPN.
It’s quite the decision from Memphis considering the importance of Melton to their No. 2 seeded squad a year ago, as the backup point guard averaged 10.8 points and 4.5 assists per game on 40.4/37.4/75.0 shooting splits, including some impressive stints spelling an injured Ja Morant in 15 starts. Melton will see his contract run up next year and if the Grizzlies weren’t willing to pay him what they though he might get on the open market, moving him now makes some sense, even if it would seem to hurt the team in the immeidate.
For Philly, they get the backup ball-handler they desperately need behind Tyrese Maxey and James Harden without giving up anyone that would be expected to contribute next year, as Green is going to have a long recovery from his knee injury suffered in the playoffs.
The 2021-22 Denver Nuggets managed to win 48 games. On one hand, that doesn’t seem like an overwhelming accomplishment with the reigning two-time NBA MVP at the helm in Nikola Jokic, but the Nuggets overcame considerable adversity to post a winning campaign. Most notably, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. combined to appear in only nine games during the season, leaving Jokic and the Nuggets without the No. 2 and No. 3 offensive options on the roster.
Through that lens, it is easy to be excited about the 2022-23 version with Porter Jr. and Murray projected to return, and Jokic is still in the middle of it all. While Denver’s pre-draft trade to acquire more ammunition was unquestionably motivated by financial concerns, the Nuggets did also arrive to the draft with a pair of first-round picks and the eagerness to shape the roster as a title contender. ????
Roster Needs: Health, perimeter defense, health again
Christian Braun (No. 21 Overall), C+: This is a nice fit for the Nuggets, even if it might be a few spots high on Braun. He doesn’t need the ball to succeed, which makes sense in Denver, and is a quality shooter and off-ball mover. He’s also a good athlete and a solid defender, though Braun is limited from a length standpoint and may be more of a backcourt defender than someone who can handle big wings.
2022 Free Agents:
Bryn Forbes (UFA)
Facu Campazzo (RFA)
Austin Rivers (UFA)
Vlatko Cancar (RFA)
DeMarcus Cousins (UFA)
Davon Reed (RFA)
Markus Howard (RFA)
Roster:
Nikola Jokic
Jamal Murray
Michael Porter Jr
Aaron Gordon
Will Barton
Monte Morris
JaMychal Green (player option)
Jeff Green (player option)
Zeke Nnaji
Bones Hyland Christian Braun
Mark your calendars, folks, because today is an Upworthy “10 things that made us smile this week” first.
For the past year, we’ve been sharing these weekly roundups of joy and delight from around the internet. And inevitably—because they are such obvious sources of joy and delight—animals have featured prominently in these posts. Who can resist a hilariously adorable doggo video, right? I mean, it’s an easy win. Smiles for days.
But this week, for the first time, all 10 posts are all about us. Just us humans. People being awesome and excellent to one another. Truly the best of humanity.
Don’t worry, I’m 100% sure that our animal friends will make a comeback next week. (In fact, I’ll make sure of it.) But the fact that there were too many people being too amazing to squeeze in any cute pets or funny wildlife videos this time around gives me hope. There’s a lot of dark stuff happening out there, but there are also beacons of light all around us to remind us that people are all right.
So without further ado, enjoy this week’s collection of fabulous humans.
1. Check out Scarlett rocking her first inclusive playground experience.
The way her brothers are so excited to play with her on all the equipment and how thrilled she is to be able to enjoy the playground fully. So awesome.
2. Pottery artist leaves gorgeous “free art” in random places for people to find and keep.
Kim Press of Sailing Adrift Studios does “art drops” where she leaves a piece of handmade pottery someplace she visits, then shares the stories of the people who find them on her website. Imagine the joy of stumbling across one of these in your travels! Read the full story here.
3. A mom in Ukraine got her son to flee by telling him they were going to meet John Cena. Then Cena made it happen.
John Cena meets teen who fled Ukraine
Misha has Down Syndrome and had a hard time understanding why his family had to flee Mariupol when their home was destroyed in the Russian invasion. His mom made up a story about meeting his hero, John Cena, to keep him motivated on their long journey to safety. Cena saw their story and made it actually happen. Such a big heart. Read the full story here.
4. This grandpa saved his grandkid’s Playmobil characters exactly as they put them to bed when they were 6.
I’d probably hurt myself trying to dance like they do, but it sure is fun to watch. That slo-mo part? So good.
6. A guy caught a baseball in the stands, then gave it to a kid. The kid returned the favor a few innings later.
u201cWholesome moment in Anaheim u2764ufe0fnnThis fan caught a baseball and gave it to a young fan.nnA few innings later, the young fan was able to return the favornn(via @MLB)nnhttps://t.co/zkGkFNZQMuu201d
See? People being excellent to one another. Love to see it.
7. News anchor donates his epic tie collection to younger professionals just starting out.
u201cYoung professionals/journalists: I am giving away some of my ties! 8 yrs ago I opened up my first paycheck in TV for a whopping $600! I worked 3 jobs just to get by, let alone buy ties for work. If you need a tie, DM me. All I ask is that you pay it forward one day. n#PhamilyTiesu201d
Tim Pham accidentally created his own charity with his massive tie collection, paying his success forward to up-and-coming professionals who need a tie. I mean, “Phamily Ties”? Amazing. Read the full story here.
8. These brothers saying goodbye to the youngest brother’s crib is peak sibling sweetness.
The way they articulate their compassion for one another. And this: “When I always go in to check on him when he’s still asleep, it’s gorgeous.” OH MY HEART. The brotherly love is too much.
9. That time Mr. Rogers got pranked by his cast and crew and his reaction was perfectly him.
This world desperately misses everything about Mr. Rogers. That is all.
10. Finally, this guy’s Moana dance is just … LOL.
His face. His timing. How much rehearsing did he have to do? I love that people are like this.
Hope that gave you a little jolt of joy and hope for humanity. Come back next week for another roundup of awesome people—and yes, adorable animals as well.
Many have described the Memphis Grizzlies as a sleeping giant. After all, the Grizzlies have a bevy of future-facing assets to spend on roster improvements, and Memphis is already led by a star creator in Ja Morant and a (very) deep and talented roster of quality pieces. However, a funny thing happened in that the Grizzlies arrived early as a contender, winning 56 games in the regular season and defeating the eventual champion Golden State Warriors twice in a six-game playoff loss in the second round.
With the salary cap flexibility to make a big splash if desired and the key pieces already in place, Memphis enters a wildly intriguing offseason, and part of that calculus is the presence of two more first round picks. This time around, the Grizzlies’ selections were No. 22 and No. 29 to begin draft night, and they used those to picks to jump up three slots to No. 19 where Minnesota was picking to land their man.
The Timberwolves will land Nos. 22 and 29 in this draft, per source. https://t.co/a3G169rDdS
Jake LaRavia (No. 19 Overall), C+: For the millionth straight year, the Grizzlies nab a “Draft Twitter” favorite. LaRavia came on strong this season at Wake Forest and he projects as an ultra-valuable role player. He can shoot. He can pass. He can defend. There isn’t tremendous upside necessarily, but the Grizzlies are building toward high-end contention and LaRavia could be a 16-game player.
2022 Free Agents:
Kyle Anderson (UFA)
Tyus Jones (UFA)
Jarrett Culver (UFA)
Yves Pons (RFA)
Roster:
Jaren Jackson Jr
Steven Adams
Ja Morant
Dillon Brooks
De’Anthony Melton
Ziaire Williams
Brandon Clarke
John Konchar
Desmond Bane
Santi Aldama
Killian Tillie
Xavier Tillman
Tyrell Terry (two way) Jake LaRavia
Following a four-year hiatus from the NBA Playoffs, the Chicago Bulls returned to the spotlight in 2021-22. Chicago put together a 46-36 season and, if not for injury issues that prompted a decline in the second half of the campaign, the Bulls were seemingly on the way to competing for home-court advantage in the first round of the postseason. In conjunction with another strong season from Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan put together a tremendously effective debut season in Chicago, and the Bulls were able to use those contributions and an uptick in backcourt defense to post improvement across the board.
LaVine is a free agent in 2022, even if most believe he will return to Chicago, and the Bulls do have interesting decisions to make for the 2022-23 season and beyond. Chicago also entered the offseason cycle with the No. 18 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and despite their best efforts to move it, dangling Coby White and the 18th pick on the trade market for weeks, they stood pat on what was a fairly quiet draft night overall for trades.
Roster Needs: Clarity on LaVine, defense outside of the backcourt, a leap from Patrick Williams
Dalen Terry (No. 18 Overall), B: Admittedly, Terry is one of my favorite players in the draft and I had him as a strong first-round pick before it was in vogue. Perhaps I’m in the tank as a result, but this is a good pick for Chicago. There is a question about Terry’s jump shot and his ceiling might be capped without development there. He does have real intrigue as a defender and as a creator with point guard skills at 6’7, with all reports encouraging on his mentality and competitiveness.
2022 Free Agents:
Zach LaVine (UFA)
Derrick Jones Jr (UFA)
Troy Brown Jr (RFA)
Matt Thomas (RFA)
Tristan Thompson (UFA)
Malcolm Hill (RFA)
Tyler Cook (RFA)
Roster:
DeMar DeRozan
Nikola Vucevic
Lonzo Ball
Alex Caruso
Patrick Williams
Coby White
Tony Bradley (player option)
Javonte Green
Ayo Dosunmu (non-guaranteed)
Marko Simonovic Dalen Terry
The No. 13 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft wasn’t much of a surprise, as the center-starved Charlotte Hornets selected Jalen Duren out of Memphis. One of the top players in his recruiting class, Duren projects to be the exact kind of center who would be a great fit alongside a player like LaMelo Ball.
There’s just one problem: Duren is not going to play with Ball. Right after the pick came in, reports started circulating that Duren was on the move. It took a second to learn exactly what was going on, but Duren is on his way to Detroit, where he will play alongside Jaden Ivey, the No. 5 overall pick this year, and last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Cade Cunningham.
The Pistons are acquiring Jalen Duren at No. 13 in a trade, source tells ESPN.
The Pistons are sending the Hornets the 2025 first-round pick via Milwaukee in the Duren trade, sources tell ESPN. Detroit got that pick from Portland in the Jerami Grant deal yesterday.
But the Pistons and Hornets aren’t the only team involved in the trade, as the New York Knicks got involved and jettisoned Kemba Walker to the Motor City. New York won’t get anything back other than cap space to help with their pursuit of Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson, while Charlotte will get their hands on a number of second round picks.
The Pistons ARE getting Jalen Duren … and the Knicks, more crucially for immediate free agency matters, are shedding Kemba Walker’s salary to Detroit to help fund their free-agent pursuit of Jalen Brunson. https://t.co/DDs1fk3JGC
On top of the future first-round pick, the #Hornets also acquired four second-round picks in the deal for Jalen Duren, league sources tell @theobserver.
According to Wojnarowski, a buyout of Walker’s contract is on the way.
Kemba Walker and the Pistons are expected to discuss a contract buyout that will allow him to become a free agent, sources tell ESPN. Walker landed with Detroit as part of three-way trade with Charlotte and New York.
It’s a monster haul for the Pistons, in particular, and one has to wonder what this means for their reported interest in Deandre Ayton in free agency. But regardless, between their two acquisitions this year and their recent draft history, it’s apparent Detroit has quite the youth movement brewing.
The Atlanta Hawks put together an impressive run down the stretch of the 2021 season, eventually reaching the Eastern Conference Finals and putting a scare into the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks. That performance raised expectations for Trae Young and company in advance of the 2021-22 campaign, but the Hawks were unable to meet the higher bar. Atlanta got off to a slow start, operating below the .500 mark for much of the season before zooming to a 26-14 mark in the final 40 games of the regular season.
That late push was enough to reach the play-in tournament and, eventually, Atlanta crashed the postseason party as the No. 8 seed. This time around, however, the Hawks were unable to summon the same playoff magic, with Young and Atlanta’s offense floundering considerably in a five-game loss to the Miami Heat. That early exit leaves the Hawks in a potential period of transition, as the “run it back” approach fell short this season. Atlanta enters the 2022 NBA Draft with the No. 16 pick and the potential to go in a number of different directions, with only Young as an “untouchable” piece on an otherwise egalitarian roster.
AJ Griffin (No. 16 Overall), A: Griffin has an extensive injury history, which could explain a bit of his fall. However, this is a heist for the Hawks from a value standpoint. Griffin is a top-10 talent that slipped to No. 16 overall, and he is a dynamite shooter that was once the No. 1 player in his high school class. His physical burst has diminished, perhaps from injuries, but if Griffin can hold up defensively, the fit in Atlanta is logical.
2022 Free Agents:
Sharife Cooper (RFA)
Gorgui Dieng (UFA)
Kevin Knox (RFA)
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (UFA)
Skylar Mays (RFA)
Lou Williams (UFA)
Delon Wright (UFA)
Roster:
Trae Young
John Collins
Danilo Gallinari
Clint Capela
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Kevin Huerter
De’Andre Hunter
Onyeka Okongwu
Jalen Johnson
Chaundee Brown (two-way) AJ Griffin
The Charlotte Hornets are on the rise. In 2021-22, the Hornets posted their best win-loss record (43-39) since the 2015-16 season, and Charlotte reached the postseason before exiting with a play-in loss to the Atlanta Hawks. The presence of LaMelo Ball brings the shot-creation upside that any franchise desires, and the Hornets are exceedingly difficult to stop. Charlotte ranked near the top of the NBA in offense and, on the right evening, the Hornets can be tremendous to watch.
On the other side, Charlotte’s defense is not in the best place, with the franchise desperately needing an anchor to protect the rim in the short term and long term. The addition of a new head coach also brings a new era to the table, and the Hornets enter the offseason with intriguing flexibility and a pair of top-15 draft picks.
Roster Needs: Center, overall defensive talent
Mark Williams (No. 15 Overall), B: After a wild trade with No. 13 that saw Jalen Duren get taken by Charlotte and then traded to the Pistons (via New York) in a three-team deal, the Hornets were back on the clock in short order and made a pick many anticipated. Outside of the top three picks, Williams-to-Charlotte was perhaps the most popular mock draft pick on the board. Williams projects as a very good rim protector who can finish around the rim on offense. The Hornets need an anchor on defense at the position. It makes sense.
2022 Free Agents:
Montrezl Harrell (UFA)
Miles Bridges (RFA)
Cody Martin (RFA)
Isaiah Thomas (UFA)
Scottie Lewis (RFA)
Arnoldas Kulboka (RFA)
Roster:
Gordon Hayward
Terry Rozier
Kelly Oubre Jr.
Mason Plumlee
LaMelo Ball
PJ Washington
James Bouknight
Kai Jones
Jalen McDaniels (team option)
JT Thor
Nick Richards (non-guaranteed) Mark Williams
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