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One thing that was evident during The Last Dance is that Michael Jordan’s memory for strange things that happened during his time as a member of the Chicago Bulls has no limits. Every now and then, Jordan would bust out a story that had burrowed itself deep into his brain, usually involving some random game or practice that stuck with him because, like, Scott Burrell would not break no matter how mean Jordan tried to be.

Our latest example of this comes from the following video, it is very good.

Jordan recalled a game between the Bulls and the Utah Jazz in which big man Luc Longley had a very good first quarter, going for 12 points, four blocks, and four rebounds. As Jordan tells it, he decided to give Longley some words of encouragement.

“And I go to Luc and I say, ‘That’s how you f’in play, man! You do that, we dominate!’” Jordan said. “We up by 16.”

Then, Jordan fast forwards to the very end of the game, where things were decidedly worse.

“Luc had 12 points, four rebounds, and four blocks,” Jordan said. “We were winning by 16, we lose by 15. And I looked at Luc and I said, ‘That is the last time I’ll give you a compliment in the middle of a game.’”

Just what someone needed: Another reason for Michael Jordan to not be nice to them.

Blake Griffin had a fascinating 2020-21 season, starting slowly in Detroit before working out a buyout to head to the Brooklyn Nets on a minimum deal where he became an important role player in the team’s run to the conference semifinals.

Griffin averaged 10 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game on just over 21 minutes per night with the Nets, while posting a robust 49.2/38.3/78.2 shooting split that was more reminiscent of Lob City era Blake than what he was in Detroit. Griffin’s season was a testament to the importance of fit and role in how valuable a player is seen, and entering free agency, he was likely to have a fascinating choice between a minimum deal back in Brooklyn to chase a title or possibly more money in a bigger role again elsewhere.

In the end, Griffin chose to stay put with the Nets, reportedly agreeing on a one-year deal.

The rest of Brooklyn’s offseason will perhaps play a part in what Griffin’s ultimate role with the team will be. Jeff Green is, for sure, gone, but they’ll be players on the veteran minimum market, competing with the other top teams for the best role players at bargain prices. At the same time, it is safe to assume that he will be entrenched in the rotation somewhere, particularly after he found his stride in a supporting role last season. Griffin isn’t going to recapture his superstar upside, but he’s a quality ball mover that played hard defensively and did the little things for the 2020-21 Nets. Keeping that player for a modest cost is kind of a no-brainer for Brooklyn as they pursue a potentially deep playoff run.

The Portland Trail Blazers entered this offseason without any real cap space but with the strong suggestion by Damian Lillard that they should get to work upgrading the roster around him if they wanted him to stay longterm.

The NBA Draft and the start of NBA free agency came and went without any trades or significant moves, as the Blazers stood pat with what seemed to be a plan of running it back and making moves on the margins. The first of those was to bring in Cody Zeller on a one-year deal to provide some center depth and hope that he can finally stay healthy for a season.

From there, they locked up their biggest free agent in Norman Powell, giving him a hefty five-year, $190 million contract.

Powell himself confirmed the deal shortly after on Twitter.

Powell was very good for the Blazers after they acquired him at the deadline for Gary Trent Jr., and all reports indicated they would make re-signing him their top priority this offseason. They stayed true to that, paying him handsomely – but now the question lingers as to whether Zeller, Powell, and whatever they do with their mid-level exception will be enough to make Lillard happy. Trade rumors will continue to swirl as the rest of free agency takes shape and teams know what they still need to address, but for now, it’s been a rather uneventful day in Portland, for better or worse.

Two years ago, Devonte’ Graham was one of the league’s young breakout stars, averaging 18.2 points and 7.5 assists per game for the Charlotte Hornets, but after drafting LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier’s continued emergence in Charlotte, Graham’s place with the Hornets became a question mark.

The Hornets extended the qualifying offer to Graham on Sunday, as expected, but it was reported that a hefty offer sheet for Graham (coming off averaging 14.8 points and 5.4 assists in 2020-21) might be enough to make Charlotte balk at bringing him back. Graham is a terrific three-point shooter (north of 37 percent the last two seasons) and a quality distributor, but his finishing inside the arc leaves plenty to be desired (he shot 38 percent on twos last season). Any team signing him will have to be bullish on his ability to continue improving as an all-levels scorer, but just three seasons into his career, there’s plenty of time for him to build on his skillset.

The team that will take a swing on Graham’s potential is the New Orleans Pelicans, who saw Lonzo Ball go to Chicago in a sign-and-trade and were unable to get into the Kyle Lowry sweepstakes. As such, they turned their attention to Charlotte’s RFA point guard, and inked him to a 4-year, $47 million deal that seems like solid value. In return, they will send a 2022 lottery protected first round pick to Charlotte, who recoups an asset as they let their guard walk to greener pastures.

To give up a first round pick is a bit surprising for the Pelicans, but they have plenty after the Jrue Holiday trade and if the expectation is to make a leap into playoff contention, then making it lottery protected at least saves you from losing the pick if they were to fall short of that goal.

Graham gives them some serious shooting on the perimeter, but as mentioned he is not a downhill creator. That issue is mitigated by having Zion Williamson, who can handle the downhill attacking better than most anyone in the league, and spacing the floor further around him is paramount to his continued development and improvement.

The between-seasons buzz about Saturday Night Live has been more about who may be leaving than who will certainly be staying, but if a report is to be believed the show’s creator is interested in keeping its biggest free agents around for a long time.

Variety reported on Monday that Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels wants most of the show’s cast to return this fall and beyond: at least until the show’s 50th season.

The process usually starts in August, but has commenced earlier this year, according to two people familiar with the matter, as Michaels works to convince cast members whose contracts may have lapsed not only to stay, but to stay for a while.

“SNL” is about to enter its 47th season, but Michaels hopes to get some cast members to agree to stay through the show’s 50th, according to these people, a landmark occasion that is slated to start in the fall of 2024.

There are some vague speculations and reading of the proverbial tea leaves in the story, but it does offer some context to the behind-the-scenes shuffling taking place this summer for the most-watched show on network TV for NBC’s most valued demographic. For starters, the off-season hoopla about some long-running cast members who have hinted about leaving the show like Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong and Aidy Bryant, all who have hesitated to commit to returning for Season 48.

One interesting factor here is the future of the show itself, with Variety noting that Michaels only has a deal with NBC for the show until 2025. Keeping strong ratings and a familiar, cohesive cast around until then is likely to increase its chances of staying on the air. Which, as the report notes, may explain why members of the cast have been able to pursue other projects while missing some time on the show in the process and not drawing Michaels’ ire. That may help stars itching to do movies and other projects while still holding down the sketch comedy show as a cast member for what would be several more years.

Such a commitment would be a long one for cast members who have already worked on the program for several years, but these people say Michaels is willing to grant some flexibility, giving cast who have other opportunities the chance to work on those projects as well as on the show. “SNL” demonstrated some of this elasticity last season, when both Cecily Strong and Aidy Bryant were able to commit to outside projects like Apple’s “Schmigadoon” and Hulu’s “Shrill” while missing multiple episodes of “SNL.” Michaels has also worked to find ways for Kenan Thompson and Chris Redd to take part in the NBC sitcom “Kenan” without missing much of “Saturday Night Live.” It helps that all of these series are produced under the auspices of Michaels’ own Broadway Video.

Meanwhile, Kenan Thompson has said he’s going nowhere, so that’s at least one cast veteran Michaels won’t have to worry about this summer. But it certainly makes for an intriguing offer, especially if there’s added flexibility to work on other projects along the way.

PJ Tucker spent years as the defensive soul of the Houston Rockets, but it wasn’t until he got to Milwaukee, a team where he could simply be a cog in a great defense rather than the heart of it, that he won a championship. Tucker was eased into his role with the Bucks, playing just 20 minutes per night in the regular season, but as the playoffs wore on, Tucker became a bigger and bigger part of the Bucks rotation, averaging 30 minutes in the postseason.

His three-point shooting wasn’t what it was in Houston (just 32.2 percent in these playoffs), but his value was as a defensive pest who, along with Jrue Holiday, allowed Milwaukee to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo as a roving off ball defender without sacrificing on-ball pressure. That partnership worked great and he and Giannis seemed to form a quick bond en route to a title. As Tucker entered free agency, he was sure to hear overtures from most every contender as his defense is something every team wants to have on their bench.

Ultimately, Tucker chose to sign with the revamped Miami Heat, who had executed a sign-and-trade for Kyle Lowry earlier in the day as well as new deals for Duncan Robinson and Jimmy Butler. Per Shams Charania, the deal is for two years, $15 million with a player option on the second year as the Heat look to vault into the contender strata in the East.

That dollar figure explains why Tucker won’t be back in Milwaukee, as the best they could do was the $5.9 million taxpayer mid-level.

Tucker certainly fills a need for the Heat as a defender at the four, but that shooting dropoff from last year has to be a tad concerning for Miami fans given how they otherwise only have Robinson and Tyler Herro as plus shooters at the moment. Still, Tucker’s versatility defensively gives the Heat a lot of great lineups they can throw out there on that end and what he did for the Bucks in the playoffs speaks for itself.

JaVale McGee is currently participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as a member of Team USA. However, NBA free agency waits for no one, and the veteran center hit the market after appearing in 46 games during the 2020-21 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Denver Nuggets. Ultimately, his wait on the market wasn’t very long, though, as McGee reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with the Phoenix Suns within three hours after the moratorium began.

During Phoenix’s incredible run to the 2021 NBA Finals, the Suns had a hole at the backup center spot. That became even more apparent after the season-ending injury to Dario Saric, but Phoenix was already lacking a center-sized backup to Deandre Ayton, and McGee certainly checks that box.

The 33-year-old veteran brings dynamism as a lob threat and finisher at the rim, and he gives the Suns an element that they didn’t have last season. With Saric out and 2020 first-round pick Jalen Smith still unproven, there is also a clear path to playing time for McGee, and the Suns are built to contend again in 2022 after bringing back Chris Paul and Cam Payne in the opening moments of free agency. It isn’t often that one-year deals at a modest cost swing the title picture, but McGee does help the Suns and this agreement makes sense for both player and team, even at this early stage.

The Dallas Mavericks were active in the opening minutes of NBA free agency on Monday evening. Dallas moved swiftly to retain incumbent shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. on a four-year deal worth more than $70 million, and the Mavericks also retained the services of Boban Marjanovic and Sterling Brown to beef up their overall depth. Then, Dallas was linked to veteran swingman Reggie Bullock, with Marc Stein reporting that the Mavericks and Bullock were close on a deal.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon then confirmed a deal was done, and, eventually, Shams Charania came through with the details on the deal — 3 years, $30.5 million.

The 30-year-old Bullock spent the last two seasons with the New York Knicks and enjoyed the best season of his career in 2020-21. Bullock made 64 starts for New York, and he averaged 10.9 points per game while shooting 41 percent from three-point range and contributing to a strong defense. While he is by no means a star, Bullock is the kind of player that any team aiming to contend would be interested in, particularly if he can continue to stay as healthy and productive as he was last season.

For the Mavericks, this is another high-end shooter to pair with Luka Doncic, and Bullock takes very little off the table. He won’t singlehandedly change the team’s fortunes, but it is (very) difficult to stop Dallas when surrounding Doncic with a balanced floor, and Bullock is the exact kind of player who can shine next to a star creator.

The last few years have seen Derrick Rose rebound on the court to be not just a useful reserve point guard, but this past season he was the best player for the New York Knicks in their postseason series with the Atlanta Hawks. Rose averaged 14.9 points and 4.2 assists per game this season in New York after an early trade from Detroit, posting career-best shooting efficiency at 48.7 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from three in 35 games with the Knicks.

He was even better in the playoffs, and while there are questions exactly how sustainable that level of performance could be, he figured to get plenty of looks from teams looking to upgrade their backcourt rotation, even in a robust point guard market this summer. With that as the backdrop, the former NBA MVP could have secured a substantial contract in free agency but, instead of leaving New York, he will be sticking around on a three-year deal worth $43 million.

Rose will turn 33 years old before the start of the season, and it is certainly possible that he could be declining in the near future. If he produces at the level that he did in 2020-21, though, this level of investment is perfectly fine for Rose, and he brings an element that no one on New York’s current roster can replicate.

From the Knicks side, they continue an exceptionally busy first day of free agency. New York retained both Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel on multi-year pacts, in addition to making a big splash with a massive deal for Evan Fournier. The Knicks took a step forward last season and, at least through the prism of their free agent moves, they don’t intend to retreat for 2021-22.

The Los Angeles Lakers are undergoing a significant roster overhaul after their first round loss last season, starting with the blockbuster trade that brought Russell Westbrook back home to L.A., but one that is set to continue through free agency.

Among the many players who are free agents for the Lakers is Alex Caruso, who has become a crucial piece in Los Angeles for his terrific backcourt defense off the bench.Caruso’s three-point shooting in the regular season a year ago (40.1 percent) also offered some optimism that he can become an off-ball shooting threat, although he couldn’t sustain that in the postseason. Caruso isn’t in the top tier of free agent point guards, but for teams already flush with scorers looking for more balance in their backcourt, he figured to have plenty of options if he wanted to leave L.A. — or L.A. wasn’t willing to pay him.

On Monday, Caruso indeed chose to leave L.A., which apparently wasn’t willing to meet the price that the Chicago Bulls put up of four years, $37 million, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Caruso will reunite with Lonzo Ball, who was signed and traded to Chicago earlier in the evening, to form a new backcourt pairing that offers the Bulls some intriguing defensive options next to Zach LaVine. Caruso is the replacement for Tomas Satoransky, who was sent to New Orleans in the Ball deal, and gives them a much needed point of attack defender (Ball is a much more effective off-ball defender than on). If the shooting from last regular season can become the norm or something close to it, Caruso’s deal could look like a steal. If not, he is at minimum the best perimeter defender the Bulls have now and that is always helpful when crafting a team around an offensive superstar like LaVine.