NBA Player News

The cost of contending for championships has gotten steeper, especially with the salary cap rules instituted in recent years. For the Celtics, the Achilles tendon rupture suffered by Jayson Tatum may impact how the front office approaches this offseason. If the team decides that a group that won’t have Tatum for most of the season can’t be a factor in the East, the decision could be made to shed salary. And Hauser, whose four-year, $45 million extension goes into effect next season, may be a prime candidate to be moved. “Hauser, to me, is the most likely candidate to go, just because you have (Baylor) Scheierman there to effectively fill his role,” Mannix said. “I think they’d love to find a home for Jrue Holiday, just because of the contract and where they are as a team. (Kristaps) Porzingis, who knows? I don’t think they want to take on contracts that go on longer than Porzingis’ deal, but he’s certainly available.” Hauser being traded would make Scheierman worth a look in deep fantasy leagues next season.

The Timberwolves are one of the teams that have been mentioned as being in contention for Durant’s services. However, the team’s beat writer reported Saturday that “nothing is close” regarding a potential trade between Minnesota and Phoenix. KD’s close relationship with Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is well-known, and there have been discussions. But a trade may not occur soon, even with ESPN’s Shams Charania reporting Friday that he believed a deal could happen within the “next few days.”

Rather than test free agency, Adams agreed to three-year extension to stay with the Rockets. Houston already has Alperen Sengun as the starter, but Adams was a key player in Houston’s rotation down the stretch of the season as he usurped Jock Landale as the primary backup center. Adams isn’t much of a scorer at this point of his career, but averaged 15.8 minutes per game and 6.3 rebounds per game in the second half of the season.

While the illness that limited Turner during Thursday’s practice did not land him on the pregame injury report, it’s fair to wonder if the center was still feeling the effects. He missed all six of his three-point attempts in Game 4 and also did not record any steals or blocked shots. By comparison, Turner blocked five shots in Indiana’s Game 3 victory on Wednesday. The Pacers don’t need Turner to be a superstar, but they do need him to be more impactful than he was on Friday. He’ll look to rebound in Game 5 on Monday.

Sandwiched around subpar offensive performances in Games 2 and 3, Toppin was effective in Games 1 and 4. Friday was the second time this series he’s scored 17 points, and the high-flying forward recorded a complete stat line. The lone negative for Toppin was his foul shooting, as he was just 1-of-4 from the stripe. Add in some key missed free throws from Bennedict Mathurin and Oklahoma City’s superior play in crunch time, and the Pacers likely feel that they let Game 4 get away. Toppin and the Pacers will look to bounce back when they visit Oklahoma City for Game 5 on Monday.

Siakam started Game 4 extremely well, tallying 10 points and four steals in the first quarter. However, he was 1-of-6 from the field in the second half, only attempting one shot in the fourth quarter. Whether that’s on Siakam for not being aggressive enough to get the ball, or on the Pacers for not getting him the ball more often, that cannot happen. Similar to Tyrese Haliburton’s assist-to-turnover ratio, Siakam’s offensive production has been far better in wins than in losses during the NBA Finals. With two of the final three games on the road, the Pacers will need a better Siakam if they’re to win the franchise’s first NBA title. Game 5 is on Monday.

While Haliburton had a good night inside the arc in Game 4, making six of his eight attempts, he was 1-of-7 from deep. Add in five turnovers, and this performance was far from the norm for the Pacers’ point guard. Haliburton’s assist-to-turnover ratio has been an excellent indicator of how the games have gone. In Indiana’s two victories, he’s tallied 17 assists and seven turnovers. In the two defeats, 13 assists and 10 turnovers. Obviously, the Pacers need Haliburton to be at his best if they’re to win the franchise’s first NBA title. Game 5 is on Monday, with the series tied at two games apiece.

While he may not be one of the marquee names in these NBA Finals, it’s fair to wonder where the Thunder would be without Caruso. He’s scored 20 points in both of Oklahoma City’s victories, and Friday’s offensive effort was supplemented by five steals and a blocked shot on the other end of the floor. While Isaiah Hartenstein (two points, six rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes) returned to the starting lineup with Cason Wallace (two points, three rebounds and two assists in 19 minutes) being bumped to the bench, Caruso was still the preferred option as Oklahoma City mounted its fourth-quarter rally. Caruso played 32 and 30 minutes in Games 3 and 4, and the Thunder may need him to continue shouldering that caliber of workload to win this series.

After two modest performances in the first two games of the NBA Finals, Williams upped his production in Indianapolis. In the two games, he totaled 53 points, shooting 17-of-36 from the field and 18-of-22 from the foul line. Friday night, Williams did most of his damage in the restricted area and at the charity stripe. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge in crunch time, but J-Dub’s ability to get to the foul line kept Oklahoma City within striking distance. That said, his perimeter shooting must improve, as Williams has shot 3-of-14 from deep in the first four games. Game 5 is on Monday, with the series tied at two games apiece.

While Holmgren has been relatively quiet offensively in the NBA Finals, his rebounding has improved by the game. After grabbing six rebounds in Games 1 and 2, the slender forward hit double digits in both games in Indianapolis. The 15 rebounds in Game 4 were one shy of his playoff career-high, and Holmgren has accounted for at least 10 in nine games this postseason. The lone concern for Chet coming out of Game 4 was him rolling his left ankle on two separate occasions, in the first and fourth quarters. However, he did not have to exit the game following either injury, and Game 5 is not until Monday night.

With his team staring at a 3-1 deficit, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player stepped up when the Thunder needed him most. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points in the final 4:36 of Game 4, including a step-back jumper with 2:23 remaining that gave Oklahoma City the lead for good. He was perfect from the foul line and shot 50 percent from the field to lead the Thunder to a win that returned home-court advantage to the Western Conference champions. However, SGA did not record an assist, the first time he’s done so in these playoffs. Oklahoma City tried to play him off the ball more, but that approach tended to slow the team down more than they hoped. That changed in crunch time, and Gilgeous-Alexander did what he’s expected to do. Game 5 is on Monday night.