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Bo Burnham’s latest special, Inside, has quickly become a career-defining moment for the comedian. That’s also true of the soundtrack album, Inside (The Songs), which became his first top-10 album on the Billboard Hot 100 chart when it peaked at No. 7 last month. A lot of the songs are relevant to certain aspects of our lives, and due to recent events, a couple of thematically fitting tunes from the soundtrack saw significant increases in their streaming activity.

Billboard reports that “Bezos I” and “Bezos II” — a pair of brief, interlude-like songs about Amazon founder Jeff Bezos — saw increased streams in the wake of Bezos’ trip to space. Bezos’ flight took place on July 20, and on July 20 and 21, “Bezos I” delivered 1.4 million on-demand streams in the US, which was up 22 percent from 1.2 million during the two days before the launch, July 18 and 19. “Bezos II” experienced a similar jump as it went from 263,000 to 304,000, good for a 16-percent lift. Together, the two songs were streamed 1.7 million times on July 20 and 21, up 21 percent from the 1.5 million streams on Jule 18 and 19.

No songs from the album have yet made the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but “All Eyes On Me” is currently No. 2 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. Meanwhile, “Bezos I,” “Look Who’s Inside Again,” “Welcome To The Internet,” and “All Eyes On Me” have all made it onto the UK and Ireland charts, while those tracks, minus “Bezos I” but plus “Goodbye,” reached the top 30 of the New Zealand chart.

Unless you’re an armchair beer historian, you likely have some confusion about the pale ale and its origins. A quick primer: pale ale isn’t a remotely new category. This style of beer — made using warm fermentation and pale malt — has been in existence since the 1700s. It’s just the American version that’s in its infancy (along with its many offshoots).

In 1975, Anchor Brewing’s Anchor Liberty Ale was, technically speaking, the first American Pale Ale. In 1980, Sierra Nevada brought the style to a mass market. While classic pale ales rely on Noble hops, American pale ales are known for their citrus zest notes and floral flavors due to the “C” hops from the Pacific Northwest — Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, or Columbus (most typically Cascade). Generally speaking, these beers are medium-bodied and balance their hops with a nice toasted maltiness.

As the American Pale Ale continues to expand and evolve, we got to wondering: Can the classics still stand up, flavor-wise? To investigate, we decided to put them to a blind taste test. Check out our notes and results below.

Part 1: The Taste

For this blind test, I picked eight classic American pale ales — most of which have been available for years. For what it’s worth, they’re all fairly easy to locate at your local grocer (or online retailer). Next, I blindly tasted and ranked each one to determine which is actually the best using only my sense of smell and taste.

As always, there were some interesting surprises once the various labels and all the history that comes with them were covered. Here’s our lineup:

• Three Floyds Zombie Dust Pale Ale
• Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale
• Half Acre Daisy Cutter Pale Ale
• Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale
• Toppling Goliath Pseudo Sue Pale Ale
• Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
• Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale
• Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale

Let’s get this pale ale party started!

Taste 1:

Tasting Notes:

This beer has a really fruity nose. Instead of simply citrus and pine, there are also fresh berries, wet grass, and various tropical fruits. To say a lot is going on is an understatement. The palate reveals a more citrusy beer that still carries the fruity elements of the nose.

It’s juicy, filled with tropical fruit flavors, and has a nice malt backbone. The finish is slightly bitter but pleasing.

Taste 2:

Tasting Notes:

A lot is going on with this beer’s nose, too. At the forefront is citrus zest. This is followed by slightly fruity, resinous notes and a final hint of caramel malt sweetness. The palate is loaded with lemon, lime, grapefruit, honey, and caramel flavors. All in all, it’s maltier than most of the other pale ales I’ve tasted.

Taste 3:

Tasting Notes:

This beer starts with extremely dank, resinous, and citrusy aromas. The palate continues the trend with grapefruit, pine, and more citrus flavors. It’s spicy, filled with citrus, and has a good deal of hop bitterness at the end.

Not a bad beer by any means. I just wish it was a little more well-rounded in the malts to hops ratio.

Taste 4:

Tasting Notes:

The nose swirls with scents of pine trees, guava, ripe grapefruit, citrus peels, and a nice hint of caramel malts. The flavor is littered with stone fruits, citrus, fir tips, and just a hint of light bitterness at the finish.

This is a very citrus-forward pale ale, but there are enough other flavors to round it out nicely.

Taste 5:

Tasting Notes:

The aroma is all hops — with wet grass, a field of wildflowers, and pine taking center stage. There’s a tiny hint of caramel malts, but I wish there was more. It honestly smells more like an IPA than a pale ale. When I sipped it, I found grapefruit, pine, and a lot of bitterness.

Overall a decent beer, if a little hoppier and more bitter than I’d prefer for an easy-drinking pale ale.

Taste 6:

Tasting Notes:

This features a complex nose. There’s a nice mix of lime zest, grapefruit, floral hops, and biscuity and caramel-like malts. Sipping it reveals a well-balanced beer that begins with a nice fruity, citrusy kick of hops followed by slight pine and sweet, toffee-like malts. The finish is hoppy, fruity, and slightly bitter.

Taste 7:

Tasting Notes:

This beer has very fragrant aromas of resinous pine, wildflowers, tart lemons, biscuity malts, and just a hint of spice. The palate is filled with notes of wet grass, flowers, pine, orange peels, grapefruit, and a nice caramel malt finish.

This is a well-rounded beer that highlights pine nicely.

Taste 8:

Tasting Notes:

While caramel and biscuit-like malts are prevalent, citrus is the dominant scent on this beer’s nose. The palate revealed pine resin, grapefruit, dry hay, and a nice, sweet malty backbone. It showed a semi-sweet, slightly bitter finish that’s tempered by sweet malts.

Part 2: The Ranking

8) Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale (Taste #5)

ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: $18 for a 12-pack

The Beer:

First launched in 2002, this pale ale is Oskar Blues’ flagship beer. The “original craft beer in a can” is aggressively hopped and filled with pale malts and dominated by citrus and floral hops. When it comes to a pale ale, this is beer is a few hops away from being an IPA.

Bottom Line:

While this beer contains pale malt, I wish it had a little more impact on the flavor. This is a beer for fans of piney hops who don’t mind bitterness and don’t really care about any other flavors.

7) Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale (Taste #3)

ABV: 5.7%
Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Sweetwater’s most popular beer, 420 Extra Pale ale is a dry-hopped pale ale that is designed to appeal to fans of dank, piney pale ales. Brewed with midnight wheat, wheat, and Munich, and 2-row malts, as well as Centennial and Cascade hops, it gets added flavor from dry-hopping with even more Cascade hops.

Bottom Line:

You know what you’re getting when you crack open a beer with “420” in its name. This cannabis reference indicates that this beer will be a bitter, floral, hop bomb. It definitely is — which can be a bit much for some pale ale fans.

6) Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale (Taste #8)

ABV: 6%
Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Another classic pale ale, Great Lakes Burning River was named for the 1969 burning of a Cuyahoga River. This malt-forward pale is brewed with 2-row, Crystal 45, Caramel 60, and Biscuit malts. It gets its bright, floral hop flavor from the addition of Centennial and Cascade hops.

Bottom Line:

This is a fairly well-rounded pale ale. I can see why this has won numerous awards over the years. The only thing stopping it from being rated higher today is the absence of a few more floral hoppy flavor notes in addition to all the citrus.

5) Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale (Taste #2)

ABV: 5%
Average Price: $9.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This year-round, 5% pale ale is brewed with 2-row, Carapils, and Munich malts, as well as classic Cascade hops. One of the most popular, classic pale ales on the market, Mirror Pond is known for its complex flavor and balance between malts and hops.

Bottom Line:

This beer isn’t as crushable as some of the others on this list and that’s not such a bad thing. While it still has a great citrus flavor, it’s maltier and richer than most pale ales — a little more full-bodied.

4) 3 Floyds Zombie Dust Pale Ale (Taste #1)

ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: $14.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

One of the most beloved American pale ales ever made, 3 Floyds Zombie dust is a 6.5% hoppy, floral, citrus-filled beer that has a cult following from coast to coast. Instead of the usual Cascade hops, 3 Floyds opts to use Citra hops as its base. In fact, it was one of the first Citra-hopped beers on the market when it launched back in 2010.

Bottom Line:

This is an extremely flavorful, memorable beer. There are so many flavors dancing around this beer, you’ll need to (and want to) drink multiple pints before you uncover them all.

3) Toppling Goliath Pseudo Sue Pale Ale (Taste #4)

ABV: 5.8%
Average Price: $14 for a 4-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

Another beer that bucks the trend of brewing pale ales with Cascade hops, Toppling Goliath’s iconic Pseudo Sue is a single-hop pale ale that is exclusively brewed with Citra hops. The result is a surprisingly flavorful, well-balanced, citrus bomb of a pale ale.

Bottom Line:

Even though this beer is dominated by citrus flavor, it’s definitely not one-dimensional — there are a good deal of tropical fruit flavors and a nice malt finish, too. All in all, a very drinkable, thirst-quencher.

2) Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (Taste #6)

ABV: 5.6%
Average Price: $10.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Sierra Nevada is the pale ale that started a revolution when it was launched back in 1980. Unsurprisingly, it’s still as respected today. Brewed with simple ingredients like 2-row and Caramelized malts and Cascade hops, it’s piney, citrusy, and totally refreshing — just as it was forty-one years ago.

Bottom Line:

This is one of the most well-balanced pale ales I’ve ever tasted. There’s a lot of citrus, floral, piney flavors but they work perfectly with the added malts. All in all, a beer I continue to go back to again and again.

1) Half Acre Daisy Cutter Pale Ale (Taste #7)

ABV: 5.2%
Average Price: $11 for a 4-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

Daisy Cutter, launched in 2009, was one of the first beers Chicago’s Half Acre ever made. It began as a limited-edition offering, but beer drinkers loved its piney, fruity, yet well-balanced flavor. Today, it’s the brewery’s most well-known, sought-after beer.

Bottom Line:

While this beer is well-rounded with a nice ratio of hops to malts, the malts included aren’t overly sweet, thus letting the pine and citrus shine.

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As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.

In an unprecedented move for unprecedented times, Marvel Studios has bumped up the home video release for Black Widow, which will effectively make its theatrical window a month instead of the already industry-shattering 45 days that became the norm during the pandemic. The film is currently available in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access, where it had an impressive showing, but the Scarlett Johansson solo flick saw a sizable dip during its second weekend. With the Delta variant causing a dramatic increase in COVID cases since Black Widow debuted towards the beginning of July, Marvel may have read the tea leaves for theatrical attendance and adjusted accordingly. Via /Film:

Marvel and Disney have announced that Black Widow will arrive on all major digital platforms starting on August 10, 2021. That’s a full month after the movie hit theaters on July 9, making this the shortest theatrical window that a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie has ever received. It will then be followed by a release on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on September 14, 2021, which is also a fast turnaround for one of Marvel’s major releases.

What makes this latest move by Marvel even more interesting is that the National Association of Theatre Owners blasted the studio for releasing Black Widow on Disney+ with Premier Access, which the association claims had a negative impact on its second weekend. As of this writing, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is currently slated for a theatrical only release, so narrowing Black Widow‘s theatrical window could create even more tension in an already delicate situation.

As Disney prepares to release Jungle Cruise this Friday with a dual theatrical and Premier Access strategy, it’ll be interesting to see how this situation develops, and whether we’re looking at yet another shift in how movies are delivered.

(Via /Film)

A few weeks ago Snoop Dogg asked fans and friends to send prayers to his mother, Beverly Tate, without sharing many other details. Now, he’s given the public an update on what’s going on with the beloved matriarch. “Happy Sunday me and my brothers went to c mama today and she opened up her eyes to c us and let us know she still fighting,” the rapper posted in an Instagram caption yesterday. “God is good thanks for all the prayers 1 day at a time.”

The photo he posted along with the brief update showed Beverly in a hospital bed, and it looks like she might be intubated. Snoop hasn’t shared details on what she’s fighting or if her health issues are related to COVID-19, but his community is definitely showing their support in the comment sections. Fellow artists like Lizzo, Jamie Foxx, Queen Latifah and Busta Rhymes all chimed in on the post, letting Snoop know that his mom is in their thoughts.

Tate has been struggling since May, when Snoop made a post asking for “all my prayer warriors for momma right now please and thank you,” and shared several photos of her from better times on his grid. Sending all good thoughts and hope for healing to Beverly as she continues to fight.

It’s no secret to hip-hop fans that there are a lot of talented individuals locked up in prison. Many of our favorites, like Gucci Mane, Meek Mill, Offset, Tupac, and more have spent time behind bars — time they used to refine their rap skills so they can return with improved focus. One such rapper who has recently returned home from a lengthy bid is Bobby Shmurda, who was asked to comment on the quality of the rappers he encountered during his appearance on last night’s episode of Desus & Mero.

“What type of rappers were approaching you when you were locked up?” Desus asks. “Because I know people were coming with bars, people were coming with trash bars, you probably had people doing, ‘Mom’s spaghetti, mom’s spaghetti” — a reference to Eminem’s complicated intro to “Lose Yourself,” still the Rap God’s biggest hit nearly 20 years after its release.

“Funniest sh*t is when the C.O. [Correctional Officer] came up to me rapping,” Bobby replies, bursting into laughter. “But he had some sh*t. The next time is when I seen the cold people in there with talent. But what f*cked me up, is when I seen the cold people with talent and the number they got… I be feeling like, ‘Damn, bruh. You got too much talent to be in here locked up.’” He agrees with Desus and Mero that the encounters sobered him up to the reality that the same sentiment could be applied to himself, prompting him to change his mindset.

Elsewhere in the interview, the trio discusses how trying to eat healthy in prison is like a video game and demonstrates why some golf courses restrict certain demographics, in the words of Desus.

Watch the full interview above.

South Korean multi-hyphenate Park Hye Jin has unveiled the second single from her forthcoming debut album, Before I Die. Titled “Whatchu Doin Later,” the downtempo track is partially rapped in English and Korean and follows earlier release “Let’s Sing Let’s Dance.”

Earlier in the month, the singer, rapper, producer, and DJ announced plans to release her debut LP, Before I Die, in the fall via Ninja Tune. The album is entirely written, produced, and performed by Park Hye Jin and follows a lengthy list of high-profile collaborations with artists like Clams Casino and Take A Daytrip (“Y Don’t U”), Blood Orange (“Call Me (Freestyle)”), Nosaj Thing (“Clouds”), and Galcher Lustwerk. Along with the album news, Park Hye Jin announced that she’s hitting the road in the fall; her upcoming US tour dates kick off in Toronto in October.

In a 2019 interview with Hypebae, Park Hye Jin described her myriad influences, saying, “Beenzino is definitely one of my major influences. He’s a Korean rapper and artist. I started listening to him the very moment I started making music alone. Since my Europe tour, I’ve had the opportunity to play alongside so many artists who have inspired me, like Jamie xx.”

Listen to “Whatchu Doin Later” above.

Before I Die is out 9/10 via Ninja Tune. Pre-order it here.

Tucker Carlson shares dangerous anti-vaccine “propaganda” with his millions of loyal viewers every night, but someone calling him it out on his bullsh*t? That’s a step too far for Meghan McCain. During Monday’s episode, the hosts of The View, including McCain, discussed the viral video of a man in Montana, a.k.a. Montana Man, confronting Carlson and calling him the “worst human being known to mankind. I want you to know that.”

Montana Man has a growing fan club, but McCain is not a member.

“Maybe you guys thought that man was being polite. I thought he was being a total jackass and incredibly rude, and we’re living in a time when people like Steve Scalise are being shot and wounded to the point where we don’t know if he’s literally going to survive and now he has to walk with a cane because people aren’t in control of themselves and aren’t in control of their mental health and they want to take out their aggression on public figures,” McCain said. “It was incredibly dangerous”:

McCain sunk one final dig into her View co-hosts, suggesting they take a look at their own safety before claiming the confrontation was passable. “I think it’s a very, very slippery slope,” McCain said. “I know how much people don’t like Tucker Carlson. People equally don’t like Meghan McCain and Joy Behar and Sunny Hostin and Whoopi and Sara. When you’re putting your opinion out there, you’re making yourself a target.”

McCain also quoted Winston Churchill and said that “if you think accosting a public figure while they’re shopping for fishing gear with their family on vacation is somehow accomplishing something or changing anyone’s hearts or minds, you’re a hypocrite and have totally lost the plot.” You know who’s the real victim here? The multi-millionaire who shares anti-vaccine misinformation and grossly mischaracterizes his first-grade teacher, someone who’s not the public eye, on his nationally televised show, that’s who.

Maybe McCain is jealous — she wanted to be the worst human being known to mankind. That would explain a lot.

(Via Mediaite and Decider)

After releasing Pang in 2019, Caroline Polachek is starting her comeback. She dropped the single “Bunny Is A Rider” a couple weeks ago, and now she’s back with a new visual for the track, as well as a run of live shows, the 2021 “Heart Is Unbreaking Tour.”

Polachek says of the visual, “‘Bunny Is A Rider’ takes place in the storage facility of my mind. In this labyrinth, the camera is the Minotaur, but I’m the Matador so it’s game on. But like I said before, I can teleport.”

She also previously said of the track, “‘Bunny Is A Rider’ is a summer jam about being unavailable. Bunny is slippery, impossible to get ahold of. Maybe it’s a fantasy, maybe it’s a bad attitude. But anyone can be bunny, at least for three minutes and seventeen seconds. The song features a scorching bass performance from producer Danny L Harle, plus his baby daughter’s first vocal cameo.”

Watch the “Bunny Is A Rider” video here and find Polachek’s upcoming tour dates below.

08/05 — Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
09/09-11 — Raleigh, NC @ Hopscotch Music Festival
09/12 — Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival
09/26 — New York, NY @ Governors Ball Music Festival
10/28 — London, UK @ Roundhouse
10/31 — San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands
11/16 — Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
11/18 — Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
11/19 — Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
11/20 — Dallas, TX @ Canton Hall
11/22 — New Orleans, LA @ The Republic NOLA
11/23 — Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
11/24 — Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
11/27 — Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
11/29 — Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
11/30 — Boston, MA @ Royale
12/02 — New York, NY @ Terminal
12/03 — Washington D.C. @ Lincoln Theatre
12/04 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre
12/07 — Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
12/08 — Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck
12/10 — Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
12/11 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
12/13 — Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theatre
12/14 — Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
12/15 — Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
12/17 — Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
12/18 — Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst

Back in February, Spiritualized‘s Jason Pierce (aka J. Spaceman) announced that his seminal space-rock band would reissue their first four albums: 1992’s Lazer Guided Melodies dropped April 23, followed by 1995’s Pure Phase. Now, Spiritualized’ 1997 LP Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space — which famously featured contributions from Dr. John, the London Community Gospel Choir, and pedal steel guitarist B.J. Cole — is due for a reissue in September via Fat Possum Records.

Looking back on making what is often regarded as the band’s best work, Pierce said in a statement:

“We went out to America ahead of recording this record. John [Coxon] had joined on guitar and I’d recorded the title track and a number of other demos that ended up on the finished record.

But we got to play ‘Cop Shoot Cop’ and ‘Electricity’ live and to work them out before we recorded them for the record and then John became integral to the band. He came from a world of Syl Johnson and Al Green, Teenie Hodges, and Reggie Young; a different world within the guitar lines. And then there was Kate [Radley]’s hugely influential keyboard that was relentless and loud.”

Pierce also revealed how he managed to get Dr. John to play on the record. “With Dr. John, I just wrote a letter, sent the track and his response was immediate. He said, ‘Absolutely, absolutely, love it.’ It was where he wanted to be. I was completely in awe of him and his playing and everything he put to it. I could hardly speak, to be honest. Not that I needed to speak much. It didn’t add anything little or less to the proceedings. It was an amazing session, amazing to do.”

The Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space reissue is out 9/10 via Fat Possum Records. Pre-order it here.

The NBA Draft is just days away and shortly after the next crop of NBA players learn where they’ll be starting their careers, free agency will arrive as teams jockey for position to make a leap next season.

Every team has different needs and financial situations coming into the offseason, and as such free agency rankings from a wide view does little to provide insight into the players who will headline each team’s wishlist. Here, we’re going to try and take a more narrow view for each team, taking into account their roster needs, franchise situation (contender, hopeful contender, rebuild, etc.), and the money they have to offer to pick out the free agent we think will be atop their free agent board when August arrives.

We already looked at the West, so now we will shift focus to the East, going from worst to first based on last year’s standings to pick out a free agent for each team who is not one of their own.

Detroit Pistons: Doug McDermott (UFA, Pacers)

The Pistons will have a pretty full roster after the Draft and they won’t have much money to spend in free agency, thanks in large part to the $30 million in dead cap being eaten up by Blake Griffin’s buyout. As such, the focus right now is on the future even if the goal is to be better in 2021-22 than they were last year, and that should mean looking to surround the presumptive No. 1 pick, Cade Cunningham, with players who can help him out. When you have a rookie taking the reins on offense, it helps to have quality shooting around them and with the mid-level the Pistons could look to swipe Doug McDermott away from their divisional rival in Indiana. McDermott is an elite three-point shooter (40.7 percent last year) and has some secondary creation abilities, but really he’d be there to space the floor and give Cunningham (and last year’s top pick Killian Hayes) more space to operate.

Orlando Magic: JaMychal Green (UFA, Nuggets)

The Magic have to figure out someone that can play on the wing for them and, preferably, someone who offers some positional versatility at the 3/4 spot. McDermott could honestly also be a target for Orlando, but ideally they get someone that can be a connector with defensive versatility and Green would certainly bring that. I’m not sure the mid-level is going to be enough to get him to Orlando, as he may very well have those kinds of offers from elsewhere (including Denver where he just declined his player option for just over $7 million). Still, he is the type of player Orlando could use no matter what they do at 5 and 8 in the Draft, and they would be thrilled if they could convince him to join their young team.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Alex Caruso (UFA, Lakers)

The Cavs are one of the hardest teams to figure out in this exercise, as they could go in a lot of different ways this offseason. Their first priority is re-signing Jarrett Allen, and at No. 3 in the Draft they are likely to take Evan Mobley, which means there won’t be a need at center. They could probably use some big wing depth, particularly with Kevin Love’s future very much in doubt, but there aren’t a lot of guys that fit their timetable out there. If Collin Sexton is indeed the odd man out of their young backcourt trio, then adding a backup point guard would make a lot of sense and Caruso provides some needed defensive versatility. Whether they can convince him to come to Cleveland is very much in doubt, but the Cavs interest in Caruso has been reported already and he makes a lot more sense than many of the other free agent point guards on the market at their price range.

Toronto Raptors: Jarrett Allen (RFA, Cavaliers)

The Raptors are going to be a fascinating team to watch this summer, as they could be big players in free agency, with north of $20 million to play with in cap room, and on the trade market with the No. 4 pick and Pascal Siakam making for a tantalizing package should they go big game hunting to really shake things up. Whatever they do, they have to address their frontcourt situation and find an upgrade at center and there’s no better possibility at that spot than Allen. As mentioned above, the Cavs will likely match most anything the Raptors could offer, but they should absolutely try to get an offer sheet in there just in case Cleveland gets cold feet. Should Allen be unavailable, the attention for Toronto likely shifts to Richaun Holmes of the Kings, as they could certainly out-bid Sacramento’s Early Bird offer and lure Holmes away from NorCal.

Chicago Bulls: Lonzo Ball (RFA, Pelicans)

The Bulls want to upgrade their point guard spot and I don’t think they can earnestly get in the Spencer Dinwiddie sweepstakes because it would require them cutting both Tomas Satoransky and Thaddeus Young, but Lonzo Ball could very well end up closer to their price range (while only needing to rid themselves of Satoransky). Ball would bring them a quality point of attack defender that they desperately need and his game being predicated on pushing the ball in transition and not creating too much for himself as a scorer could pair nicely with Zach LaVine. It’ll be very interesting to see what Ball’s market looks like, but Chicago would be a snug fit for both sides.

Charlotte Hornets: Richaun Holmes (UFA, Kings)

The Hornets clear need, as of this moment, is at center. They have to address that this summer and try to get younger, and Holmes feels like a really good fit for what Charlotte likes to do, coming from a Kings squad that likewise pushes the tempo. Holmes should have a robust market — as mentioned earlier, Toronto should also be in on him — and deservedly so. He’s become a very good starting center in Sacramento and after Jarrett Allen gets locked in either in Cleveland or somewhere else, Holmes immediately becomes the top center on the market. The Hornets could use that kind of presence to try and take another step next season into the playoffs, and should have a strong offer to make.

Indiana Pacers: Alec Burks (UFA, Knicks)

Indiana’s roster is pretty much locked in to what it is until they make a trade. Should they move Myles Turner, then the need in the frontcourt becomes bigger and that’s where they may look to allocate their MLE money. For now, I don’t think they would be wrong to look to add some more scoring punch off the bench given how last season went — although, the hope is TJ Warren’s return mitigates that need considerably. If they want to go that way, Burks could be a nice option to add to the bench in place of Doug McDermott if he doesn’t return. Burks is likewise a terrific three-point shooter and has some secondary creation ability, which Indiana could use.

Washington Wizards: TJ McConnell (UFA, Pacers)

We’ll apparently know this week whether the Wizards are going to suddenly be shopping Bradley Beal or not, but until word breaks that something has changed and he wants out, the goal continues to be fighting for a playoff spot in the nation’s capital. The Wizards could use an upgrade at backup point guard over Ish Smith, and with just the MLE at their disposal to make significant additions, this could be the team that makes a run at TJ McConnell. The Wizards also could use some frontcourt depth, but Daniel Gafford’s emergence last season they might be more inclined to spend the MLE on a backup point guard and use the bi-annual exception and minimums to fill out the rest. Pretty much every guard at the MLE and below level requires you to pick between offense and defense. McConnell is definitely a defensive choice, but Washington could certainly use someone capable of applying pressure at the point of attack.

Boston Celtics: Cameron Payne (UFA, Suns)

Boston is going to look into pretty much any mid-level type point guard out there after trading Kemba Walker for Al Horford, as they have to make a point guard signing this offseason. They could use another creator in that spot, and Payne would give them that if he can be pried out of Phoenix by the full mid-level. He’s about as balanced a point guard option as there is at the MLE level and Boston would do well to add him if the plan is to run it back with mostly the same group in Ime Udoka’s first season. He showed he can be a positive contributor on a contender with the Suns, and Boston could hope he can bring their bench unit some much needed energy.

Miami Heat: Kyle Lowry (UFA, Raptors)

The Heat wanted Lowry on the trade market but weren’t willing to part with enough to pry him from Toronto. Part of the reason for that is they knew they could make a run at him in free agency. The fit between Lowry and the Heat is clear. They want to upgrade their point guard position from the Dragic/Nunn pairing and Lowry brings them the two-way ability they crave in a veteran package. Lowry obviously wants to be part of a contender, and despite a stepback season for Miami last year, he still would likely see them as one of the few teams that can make him a significant offer while also bringing him the chance to compete for a title.

Atlanta Hawks: Paul Millsap (UFA, Nuggets)

Atlanta seemed fairly set at the center position with Clint Capela and the late emergence of rookie Onyeka Okongwu, but with Okongwu’s shoulder surgery keeping him out likely until mid-January, the Hawks are going to need to address frontcourt depth before adding another . As mentioned previously, there aren’t a ton of great options but for a hopeful contender looking for a stopgap, the Hawks could do worse than bringing back an old friend. Millsap’s ties to Atlanta are still strong with a gym he owns in the city and, if any team is going to be able to get him out of Denver without throwing a bunch of money at him, the Hawks would seem to be the one. Atlanta’s biggest priority is going to be bringing back John Collins and they would have to be committed to small-ball to make this work, but for two-way ability that keeps them afloat in the East race, I’m not sure they could do much better than Millsap.

New York Knicks: Spencer Dinwiddie (UFA, Nets)

The Knicks have the most cap space of any team this summer, but I think they’ll look to spread that around to a few players rather than signing a big veteran max type guy. A big reason for that is, I don’t think any of the veteran max type guys on the market are going to be interested in the Knicks even coming off a surprising run to the 4-seed. I’m sure they’ll put the necessary phone calls in on guys like Kawhi Leonard and Chris Paul, but I don’t see either of those leaving their current teams for the Knicks. As such, I think they look a tier down and hope Spencer Dinwiddie’s return from an ACL tear sees him return to form. Dinwiddie would reportedly like to go home to L.A., but that seems highly unlikely to be a possibility, so staying in New York would seem like the next best option. He would bring them some dynamic backcourt scoring that we saw the Knicks desperately need in their playoff series with Atlanta, while leaving them room to add a couple other quality players on the market should they choose to — or leave them max money for next summer to go star hunting.

Milwaukee Bucks: Austin Rivers (UFA, Nuggets)/Daniel Theis (UFA, Bulls)

I’m going to cheat here and put two answers because everything about the Bucks offseason is going to depend on whether they can get Bobby Portis back on the taxpayer mid-level. If the answer is yes, then the clear need is a backup ball-handler/creator upgrade over Jeff Teague, and Rivers might be the best available at their price range (aka, the minimum). If the answer is no and Portis walks, then they have to go find a reserve center that would be available for $5.9 million. If they could get Theis for that number, that would be an absolute heist (Theist?) in terms of impact at that figure. I don’t think Theis will go for that cheap, but coming off making $5 million in Boston and Chicago, it’s possible and is certainly the best-case scenario for the champs if Portis leaves.

Brooklyn Nets: JJ Redick (UFA, Mavericks)

I feel pretty confident that, at the least, Jeff Green and Bruce Brown will be back in Brooklyn (and maybe Blake Griffin), which means they can use their taxpayer MLE on a bit of a luxury signing. No one is more of a luxury signing for the Nets than JJ Redick, as they already have Joe Harris and Landry Shamet, but they also could use some more guard depth with the inevitability that they’ll see some guys miss some time. There isn’t a great option for them in terms of a ball-handler/shooter at that price and we know Redick wants desperately to be in Brooklyn, so he’d probably be more than happy to take the discount to chase a ring and be at home.

Philadelphia 76ers: Patty Mills (UFA, Spurs)

The Sixers have the full MLE at their disposal which gives them a leg up on their fellow top East contenders in terms of adding a bigger impact player without requiring them to take a big discount, and I’m not sure there’s a player-team combo in free agency that makes more sense than Mills to the Sixers. Obviously the Sixers offseason is dictated by whether they look to make a major shakeup and trade Ben Simmons, but no matter what they do, Mills fits the profile of what they need tremendously. The Sixers may need another shooter if Danny Green leaves, although they’ll want to retain him as well, but mostly what they need is another on-ball creator who can space the floor and Mills has to be at the top of the list for them at that need.