<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/knicks-alec-burks-agrees-to-a-three-year-30-million-deal.jpg"></figure><h1>Knicks: Alec Burks agrees to a three-year, $30 million deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T15:34:49-07:00">August 2nd, 3:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T15:34:49-07:00">August 2nd, 3:34pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a>A father of two over-energetic boys, Pao has been a writer for ClutchPoints for many years. His passion lies in all things NBA and he has a knack for speaking his mind in his articles -- even when at times it gets him into trouble with the fans. Controversial? Maybe. Excellent writer? Definitely.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Knicks are one of the first teams to make a significant move with free agency officially starting on Monday night. According to reports, the Knicks have reached an agreement to retain the services of swingman Alec Burks in a three-year deal worth $100 million.</p><p>This report comes via <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1422318839795171337">Adrian Wojnarowski</a> of ESPN:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Free agent G Alec Burks has agreed to a three-year, $30M contract to stay with the New York Knicks, sources tell ESPN.</p><p>— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1422318839795171337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">August 2, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Alec Burks isn’t exactly the biggest name in free agency this offseason, but this could still be considered as a win for the Knicks. New York clearly wanted Burks back and they wasted no time in securing him to a new deal.</p><p>Burks, who just turned 30 in July, pocketed <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/knicks-news-alec-burks-agrees-to-one-year-6-million-deal-new-york/">$6 million</a> last year with the Knicks. He proved to be a key piece to the rotation of coach Tom Thibodeau, averaging <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/burksal01.html#all_per_game-playoffs_per_game">12.7 points</a>, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 25.6 minutes per game. Burks started 49 games for New York last season, while also draining 2.1 triples per contest on a highly efficient 41.5-percent clip.</p><p>Burks played his way to a bigger and more long-term deal with the Knicks, and he’s now set to earn around $10 million per year with his new contract. There’s no doubt that other teams also had their eye on Burks, but New York has done a commendable job in fending off any interest from opposing squads.</p><p>The Knicks are expected to be one of the most active teams in free agency, and it is likely that this Burks signing is going to be the first of many for them in the coming days.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks: Alec Burks agrees to a three-year, $30 million deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/fantasy-football-outlook-for-the-2021-nfl-season-with-ravens.jpeg"></figure><h1>Lamar Jackson: Fantasy Football Outlook For The 2021 NFL Season With Ravens</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T15:34:11-07:00">August 2nd, 3:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T15:34:11-07:00">August 2nd, 3:34pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/michael.johrendt.9" rel="facebook">Mike Johrendt</a>Mike Johrendt is a Wisconsin sports fan through and through, suffering through the disappointment that those teams produce on a yearly basis. With an unhealthy obsession with having too many fantasy football leagues, his writing experience lies in the worlds of baseball, basketball, and football. Always looking to tailgate a sporting event, he fully supports #BucksIn6.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Having dealt with doubters all throughout his collegiate and professional playing careers, quarterback Lamar Jackson has taken the NFL by storm, running all over the field and earning a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ravens-news-lamar-jackson-becomes-second-ever-unanimous-mvp/" rel="noopener">League MVP award</a> in the process. Even with the Baltimore Ravens struggling to find postseason success, and with Jackson being continuously compared to other QBs in the league (like Josh Allen), the Louisville product will head into the 2021 season with the likes of JK Dobbins and Rashod Bateman alongside him, heading into battle.</p><p>Jackson is a run-oriented QB that has shown his willingness and ability to trust his arm to get out of situations, even with the kind of athlete he is and how he can magically make things happen on the run. As the Ravens ride the wave that Jackson is surfing, there certainly are concerns that come with him leading this team, focused around his injuries.</p><p>The fact that Jackson puts his body on the line each and every play showcase his kind of appreciation and love for the game, but it also lends itself to injury concerns, ultimately leading to parts of an argument focused on how he is not the right kind of athlete to be a QB. By consistently using his legs, more than he needs to be to some onlookers, Jackson breaks the mold of what a prototypical QB should look like, falling into the mold of what Michael Vick set over 10 years ago.</p><p>Regardless of how much you may or may not like Jackson, it is hard to argue with the kind of stats he has put up so far during his NFL career. While these stats certainly put him at or near the top of the league, alongside the likes of Allen, Mahomes, Kyler Murray, and others, it also helps create a solid floor when it comes to fantasy football. </p><h2>2020 Fantasy Statistics</h2><p>When a QB produces a top-10 fantasy performance, usually that means that they exceeded expectations and made their fantasy teams very happy – but coming off of his MVP season, the expectations for Jackson were astronomically high, to the point where his finish as the QB10 was a disappointment.</p><p>The Ravens were a difficult team to pin down last year, as their inconsistent offensive play ultimately pushed more responsibility onto their defense, leading to costly breakdowns and an earlier-than-expected ouster from the playoffs.</p><p>Jackson threw for around 300 fewer yards, 10 fewer TDs, and threw 3 more interceptions last season when compared to 2019, and his rushing efficiency declined as well, putting up 200 fewer rushing yards on almost 20 fewer carries.</p><p>While situating himself as a proven entity in only his third year in the league for Baltimore, Jackson’s performance last season was devoid of that type of explosiveness that we all saw on full display the year prior. The ongoing COVID situation may have played a role in it, but there were some faults exposed last year, making some fantasy teams a bit wary of rostering him.</p><h2>2021 Fantasy Projections</h2><p>Moving forward into the ‘21 season, the outlook for Baltimore and Jackson remains the same – utilizing his legs and his speed will not only help optimize his impact, but the addition of Bateman, a rookie wideout from Minnesota, and the established role of Dobbins as this team’s RB starter will help get Jackson back into his ‘19 levels of production.</p><p>An important facet of Jackson’s fantasy stock this season relies on his average draft position (ADP), an element that flew up the board after his breakout MVP campaign two seasons ago. Coming off of a solid but unspectacular year very likely will drive down his draft position, presenting a big-time value for selecting him as your starting QB this year.</p><p>Currently, Jackson’s value represents that of an absolute steal, as his QB4 average ranking produces <a href="https://www.fantasypros.com/nfl/adp/qb.php" rel="noopener">an ADP just south</a> of 40th overall in standard formats – being able to add a dual-threat option like Jackson at the going rate of the back-end of the fourth round in a 10-team format is absurd. Jackson likely will be faded a bit coming into draft season, as his ‘slacking’ numbers from last year will help form a recency bias and make his ADP lose its bottom, presenting you with a stout value selection.</p><p>His value will be higher in Superflex and 2-QB formats, but the fact remains that the type of value that Jackson will present this year is going to be a strong buy in all areas. Even if he replicates his QB10 production this season, being able to select that type of value around two rounds later than last season will make drafting him a better value overall.</p><p>Assuming Jackson exceeds his stats from last year is much more likely than him returning to his MVP level from ’19 – the Ravens have a better roster surrounding him and they understand how to mitigate Jackson’s injury risks to help improve this unit’s efficiency. Penciling him in as a top-5 option, with the potential to secure the QB1 role, is exactly what smart drafters do, especially at the value that he will present.</p><h2>Rank at Position</h2><p>As previously discussed, the ranking of Jackson amongst his QB peers will depend on his weapons around him, namely Bateman and Dobbins.</p><p>For the receiving core, Bateman was brought in via this year’s first round of the draft, and pairing his field-stretching abilities with that of Hollywood Brown’s can make this offense highly efficient through the air. A consistent knock on Jackson has been the usage and accuracy of his arm, and these two players, along with tight end Mark Andrews, will help steady the ship and make Jackson a threat through the air yet again, while potentially unlocking Bateman.</p><p>Dobbins is in an uneven timeshare for the Ravens with Gus Edwards in this backfield, a role that Dobbins should command more of but Edwards will likely vulture from. As Dobbins grows more comfortable as the lead dog and the coaching staff loosens the leash, being able to stop this offense will get harder, and presenting another rushing threat like Dobbins to a defense only presents another tough object to corral.</p><p>Ranking Jackson behind Mahomes and Allen is the safe bet, but the likes of Murray, Dak Prescott, and even Russell Wilson can even make a case to be at or just below the same level as Jackson. However, Jackson’s upside bests everyone (except Murray’s), so having him close Tier 1 of QBs is a fair slot to put him in as he leads the Ravens again.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lamar Jackson: Fantasy Football Outlook For The 2021 NFL Season With Ravens

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/allen-1.jpg"></figure><h1>REPORT: Jarrett Allen signs, 5-year, $100 million deal with Cavs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T15:32:52-07:00">August 2nd, 3:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T15:33:33-07:00">August 2nd, 3:33pm</time><address><a>Matthew Zemek</a>Matt Zemek has written for various sports websites and publications since 2001. He was the editor of the NBA site Crossover Chronicles in the 2016 NBA season. He was a contributing editor to the now-defunct site FanRag Sports in 2017. He currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers have their frontcourt for the 2022 NBA season and beyond. Jarrett Allen, who was the source of considerable intrigue once Evan Mobley was picked No. 3 by the Cavs in the 2021 NBA draft on Thursday, signed with the team on Monday at the start of NBA free agency. He will stay in Cleveland on a five-year, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1422319170692149252">$100 million deal.</a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Restricted free agent Jarrett Allen has agreed to a five-year, $100 million deal to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@Stadium</a>.</p><p>— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1422319170692149252?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">August 2, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The reality that Allen and Mobley are both frontcourt players cast some doubt over whether the two would play together in Cleveland. When the Cavs took Mobley on Thursday night, it was a natural point of uncertainty. It made complete sense to question if the organization wanted both big men on the roster.</p><p>Clearly, the Cavs were comfortable with this arrangement, and it very likely means they will have Allen playing a traditional five while Mobley becomes a stretch four who handles more perimeter or wing defensive assignments.</p><p>This is how the Cavs are trying to rearrange their roster.</p><p>Stay with ClutchPoints for more on this Cavs story and other developments in NBA free agency.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

REPORT: Jarrett Allen signs, 5-year, $100 million deal with Cavs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/suns-news-chris-paul-takes-full-responsibility-for-literally-fumbling-away-game-4-vs-bucks_copy.jpg"></figure><h1>REPORT: Free agent Chris Paul undergoes surgery on wrist</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T15:32:34-07:00">August 2nd, 3:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T15:33:18-07:00">August 2nd, 3:33pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a>Matthew Wadleigh was born and raised in Oceanside and resides in Fresno. He lives with his wife and two dogs. He is a huge Southern California sports fan and a retired member of the Fresno State drumline.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Phoenix Suns are scrambling after veteran point guard Chris Paul officially became an unrestricted free agent after declining his option. Then came the news from <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31944296/chris-paul-expected-ready-phoenix-suns-training-camp-left-wrist-surgery-source-says">Marc Spears of The Undefeated,</a> who said Paul underwent surgery.</p><blockquote>“Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul is expected to be ready for the start of training camp next season after having left wrist surgery, a source told ESPN’s The Undefeated on Monday. Paul had the wrist surgery recently after the NBA Finals, the source said.”</blockquote><p>The goodness is that Paul is likely <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-chris-paul-makes-huge-decision-after-nba-finals-run-with-suns/">headed back</a> to Phoenix and has long been expected to sign a deal with the Suns. Now his surgery will be a question mark, but if he can be healthy by training camp– as the report says– then the Suns (or another team), have nothing to worry about.</p><p> </p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

REPORT: Free agent Chris Paul undergoes surgery on wrist

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Miami_s-stance-on-Jimmy-Butler_s-reported-max-extension-contract-demands.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: Jimmy Butler, Heat agree to $184 million deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T15:16:49-07:00">August 2nd, 3:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T15:28:42-07:00">August 2nd, 3:28pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler is staying in South Beach for the years to come.</p><p>According to <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1422317995297214469" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium</a>, Butler is expected to sign a max contract extension with the Heat when the moratorium ends on August 6, which is when free agency deals, extensions and trades can be made official. Per the report, the deal is expected to be at the $184 million range.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Butler’s max contract is expected to be in the four years and in excess of $184 million, per cap experts. 💰 <a href="https://t.co/pCghWjYVJW" target="_blank">https://t.co/pCghWjYVJW</a></p><p>— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1422317995297214469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">August 2, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>For what it’s worth, the deal <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-rumors-jimmy-butler-is-about-to-get-the-bag-alongside-kyle-lowry/" rel="noopener">didn’t come as a surprise</a> since it has been expected all along that Jimmy Butler will commit with the Heat long-term. Prior to the start of free agency, it has also been reported that he would be signing a lucrative extension.</p><p>Moreover, the fact that the Heat pursued Kyle Lowry in free agency is a clear indication that they are committed to Butler. Jimmy and Kyle are good friends and even tried to reunite earlier during the 2021 trade deadline.</p><p>Butler is already 31 years old, so it means he’ll be spending the rest of his peak years with the Heat franchise. He averaged 21.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 52 games for Miami in the 2020-21 season–all of which are slight increases from his first year with the team.</p><p>The five-time All-Star led the Heat to the NBA Finals in the 2020 playoffs. While they failed to replicate the same success in the past season, they are still expected to be contenders heading to next season. Miami’s contract with Butler also shows they are ready to compete and build a winning team around him.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Jimmy Butler, Heat agree to $184 million deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/nba-free-agency-news-dark-horse-team-emerges-for-spencer-dinwiddie.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: Dark horse team emerges for Spencer Dinwiddie</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T15:12:31-07:00">August 2nd, 3:12pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T15:15:09-07:00">August 2nd, 3:15pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a>A father of two over-energetic boys, Pao has been a writer for ClutchPoints for many years. His passion lies in all things NBA and he has a knack for speaking his mind in his articles -- even when at times it gets him into trouble with the fans. Controversial? Maybe. Excellent writer? Definitely.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The race to sign Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie is definitely heating up. There have been more than a handful of teams that have been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-rumors-spencer-dinwiddies-contract-offers-revealed/" rel="noopener">linked</a> to a swoop for the 28-year-old guard, with Dinwiddie set to officially becoming a free agent on Monday night.</p><p>The New Orleans Pelicans, the New York Knicks, and the Washington Wizards are believed to be the three teams that are in the best positing to sign Dinwiddie. However, as reported by <a href="https://twitter.com/Schultz_Report/status/1422310024886501380">Jordan Shultz</a> of ESPN, the Boston Celtics have now emerged as a dark horse in the Dinwiddie sweepstakes:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">One dark horse team for Spencer Dinwiddie? The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Celtics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Celtics</a>. League sources say Brad Stevens has been inquiring about Dinwiddie. Boston likes the potential lineup of him alongside Tatum and Brown – deploying a ton of size/length on the perimeter.</p><p>— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) <a href="https://twitter.com/Schultz_Report/status/1422310024886501380?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">August 2, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>As indicated in the above report, Dinwiddie could be looking at a deal worth $20 million per season. This is clearly not a small amount and not many teams from around the league are able to shell out this amount of money for next season. However, teams such as the Pelicans, Knicks, and Wizards all have enough cap room to make a move for Dinwiddie, which has given them the edge in the race to sign the highly-coveted 6-foot-5 combo guard from the Nets.</p><p>The Celtics, on the other hand, are also believed to be in the running. Boston could also clear up the necessary cap room to bring Dinwiddie to Bean Town for next season, where he should slide in well with the likes of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.</p><p>Spencer Dinwiddie is obviously one of the most sought-after players in free agency and whoever wins the race should see a significant improvement to their lineup for the 2021-22 campaign.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Dark horse team emerges for Spencer Dinwiddie

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/image_2021-08-01_224357.png"></figure><h1>REPORT: Lonzo Ball agrees to 4-year, $85 million deal with Bulls</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T15:11:27-07:00">August 2nd, 3:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T15:12:04-07:00">August 2nd, 3:12pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a>Matthew Wadleigh was born and raised in Oceanside and resides in Fresno. He lives with his wife and two dogs. He is a huge Southern California sports fan and a retired member of the Fresno State drumline.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>NBA free agency is here and the madness has begun. With that, point guard Lonzo Ball has struck a four-year, $85 million deal with the Chicago Bulls, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1422316364694425614">according to</a> Shams Charania.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Lonzo Ball has agreed to a four-year, $85 million deal with the Chicago Bulls, CEO of Klutch Sports Rich Paul tells <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@Stadium</a>.</p><p>— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1422316364694425614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">August 2, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Ball had been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-rumors-how-lonzo-ball-can-help-new-orleans-land-kyle-lowry-in-free-agency/">linked</a> to the Bulls and the New York Knicks for a while now.</p><p>His decision to sign with the Bulls is not too surprising. After being drafted second overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 NBA Draft, Ball was then traded to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the Anthony Davis blockbuster deal.</p><p>Now, he will have his third NBA team in just five seasons.</p><p>Last season for the Pelicans, Lonzo Ball played rather well, posting career-highs in points (14.6), field goal percentage (41.4), and three-point percentage (37.8). The Bulls hope to get an even better version of him this upcoming NBA season.</p><p>The issues with the Pelicans didn’t have much to do with Lonzo Ball, to be honest, and now he has found a new home with the Bulls and will slot in as part of Billy Donovan’s new lineup.</p><p>Big time money for Lonzo Ball. The young guard won’t be 24 years old until October and still has a high ceiling, so perhaps the move to the Bulls can unlock his true potential that everybody saw when he was drafted out of UCLA.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

REPORT: Lonzo Ball agrees to 4-year, $85 million deal with Bulls

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/John-Collins-strongly-speaks-out-on-future-in-Atlanta-after-loss-in-Eastern-Conference-Finals.jpg"></figure><h1>REPORT: John Collins, Hawks not exactly close to getting a deal done</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T15:08:58-07:00">August 2nd, 3:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T15:08:58-07:00">August 2nd, 3:08pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Hawks and John Collins have mutual interest in running it back after their Eastern Conference Finals run in in the 2021 playoffs. However, “interest” doesn’t equate to anything until a deal is done.</p><p>Unfortunately for the Hawks, it looks like they will have trouble in re-signing their rising big man. According to <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1422310886245535751" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium</a>, the two sides are “not close” to an agreement.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Latest on Atlanta Hawks and restricted free agent John Collins: <a href="https://t.co/FP4NemyiDi" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/FP4NemyiDi</a></p><p>— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1422310886245535751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">August 2, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>While it looked like the Hawks would prioritize re-signing John Collins and prevent him from entertaining other offers, the latest development isn’t really surprising. After all, when the season ended for Atlanta, team owner Tony Ressler <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-owner-tony-ressler-gets-brutally-honest-breaking-up-roster-soon-due-luxury-tax/" rel="noopener">got brutally honest</a> on the possibility of breaking the roster due to luxury tax concerns.</p><blockquote>“It’s complicated, of course, because what we’re trying to convince people is we’re building something, but let’s not kid ourselves, our job is to run a good business,” Ressler said earlier last July. “What we are trying to achieve is literally keeping our best players, as you could imagine, trying to make clear that we’re going to have to spend a lot more than we have this season. We fully expect that. I’m not sure we’re going to be able to keep every single player that we want to keep. Pretty good bet, pretty good assumption we will not. But I do think we have several years that we should be able to build some real stability. If the question is are we scared of the tax, are we scared of going into the tax? I’m scared of paying the tax and not being a good team, yes, that I’m scared of, but if we have to go into the tax to be a great team for a period of time, so be it.”</blockquote><p>Ressler also seemed hesitant to pay Collins the big money he wants, noting that there should be a “fair agreement” when it comes to max contracts.</p><p>It is uncertain where Collins will end up with, as the likes of the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs are said to be interested in signing him. Whether he gets the max contract offer he’s searching for, however, is another matter.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

REPORT: John Collins, Hawks not exactly close to getting a deal done

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/jazz-rumors-mike-conleys-magic-number-to-stay-in-utah-revealed.jpg"></figure><h1>Mike Conley agrees to three-year, $68 million with Jazz</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T15:07:59-07:00">August 2nd, 3:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T15:14:26-07:00">August 2nd, 3:14pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a>Matthew Wadleigh was born and raised in Oceanside and resides in Fresno. He lives with his wife and two dogs. He is a huge Southern California sports fan and a retired member of the Fresno State drumline.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Utah Jazz have wasted no time as NBA free agency kicks off and are bringing back veteran point guard Mike Conley on a big-time deal, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1422316787962728449?s=20">Shams Charania of The Athletic. </a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Free agent Mike Conley Jr. has agreed to a three-year, $68 million deal to return to the Utah Jazz, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@Stadium</a>.</p><p>— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1422316787962728449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">August 2, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The Jazz and Conley were always likely headed for a partnership, and the pairing of Conley and Donovan Mitchell will continue to go on for the next few years. After finishing as the top seed in the Western Conference, they are bringing their core back together to aim for an NBA title.</p><p>Bringing back Conley <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jazz-rumors-mike-conley-future-with-utah-gets-clarity-amid-hefty-price-tag/">always made sense</a> and this move nets him a decent amount of money. He was injured in the playoffs, but when he is healthy, he is one of the most valuable guards in the league and the trio of Conley, Mitchell, and Rudy Gobert remain as one of the best in the league.</p><p>This is some big-time money for a veteran but one that makes a lot of sense for both sides, and it is no secret that Conley wants an NBA championship more than anything.</p><p>The Jazz are set for the next few years and should go into the season as one of the favorites in the Western Conference and in the NBA.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mike Conley agrees to three-year, $68 million with Jazz

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/lakers-news-dwight-howard-danny-green-2021-nba-free-agency-targets-for-la.jpeg"></figure><h1>Dwight Howard, Danny Green 2021 NBA free agency targets for Lakers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T15:02:06-07:00">August 2nd, 3:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T15:04:39-07:00">August 2nd, 3:04pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a>Matthew Wadleigh was born and raised in Oceanside and resides in Fresno. He lives with his wife and two dogs. He is a huge Southern California sports fan and a retired member of the Fresno State drumline.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Lakers are headed for a vast roster overhaul heading into the 2021 season as NBA free agency is kicking off. After the acquisition of Russell Westbrook, the Lakers are expected to court many veterans across the spectrum. It turns out the Lakers are trying to bring back a couple of players from their <a href="https://twitter.com/Harrison_Grimm/status/1422312253534126091">recent championship team</a>— Dwight Howard and Danny Green.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Lakers are interested in signing Danny Green and Dwight Howard, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@ChrisBHaynes</a>.</p><p>— Harrison Grimm (@Harrison_Grimm) <a href="https://twitter.com/Harrison_Grimm/status/1422312253534126091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">August 2, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The Lakers have been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/5-best-players-the-lakers-must-sign-in-2021-nba-free-agency/">linked</a> to a number of veterans and these two shouldn’t be a huge surprise, considering they will be cheap and loved being on the Lakers when they won the title in the Orlando Bubble. With the addition of Westbrook, the Lakers cap situation is tricky, so adding guys on minimum deals and cheaper contracts is likely the way to go for Rob Pelinka and company.</p><p>A lot of players should have an interest in teaming up with the trio of LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis, and they should have a high chance of winning another NBA title next season.</p><p>Stay tuned, they are set to have a different roster heading into the 2021-2022 NBA season, one that should be deserving of a title if everything plays out their way and players head to LA.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dwight Howard, Danny Green 2021 NBA free agency targets for Lakers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/nets-rumors-brooklyn-looking-to-steal-former-lottery-pick-from-magic.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: Kevin Durant, Nets looking to steal former lottery pick from Magic</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T14:48:57-07:00">August 2nd, 2:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T14:50:39-07:00">August 2nd, 2:50pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a>A father of two over-energetic boys, Pao has been a writer for ClutchPoints for many years. His passion lies in all things NBA and he has a knack for speaking his mind in his articles -- even when at times it gets him into trouble with the fans. Controversial? Maybe. Excellent writer? Definitely.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After an ultimately disappointing end to their 2020-21 campaign, it’s no secret that the Brooklyn Nets are looking to strengthen their squad for the upcoming season. According to reports, the Nets have turned their attention to one particular Orlando Magic player that happens to be a former Top 3 pick.</p><p><a href="https://theathletic.com/2746076/2021/08/02/jazz-free-agency-primer-retaining-mike-conley-finding-frontcourt-depth-developing-younger-players-and-more/">Tony Jones of The Athletic</a> reports that the Nets could land Otto Porter Jr. via free agency, with the 28-year-old thought to be “leaning toward” a move to join Kevin Durant and Co. in Brooklyn.</p><p>This is not the first time the Nets have been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-4-best-players-brooklyn-must-sign-2021-nba-free-agency/" rel="noopener">linked</a> to a move for Porter, who himself was selected third overall by the Washington Wizards back in the 2013 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-8 forward has bounced around the league over the past couple of seasons, with the Magic being his third team in the last two years.</p><p>Porter’s current deal has come to an end, which will officially make him a free agent come Monday night. In 2017, the former Georgetown standout penned a massive $106.5 million contract with the Washington Wizards for four years. Given how Porter has struggled to stay healthy over the past couple of seasons, he is likely to take a significant pay cut in his next deal.</p><p>It does not seem like any team in the league will be willing to offer Porter an annual salary in the range of $28 million — which is how much he earned last year — which provides the Nets with a real opportunity to try and sign Porter on a discount.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Kevin Durant, Nets looking to steal former lottery pick from Magic

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/x-best-players-the-pacers-must-sign-in-2021-nba-free-agency.jpeg"></figure><h1>3 best players the Pacers must sign in 2021 NBA free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T14:39:31-07:00">August 2nd, 2:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T14:39:31-07:00">August 2nd, 2:39pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a>Matthew Wadleigh was born and raised in Oceanside and resides in Fresno. He lives with his wife and two dogs. He is a huge Southern California sports fan and a retired member of the Fresno State drumline.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>NBA free agency is finally here and names are going to fly off the board rather quickly. Deals can’t be officially signed until Friday, but players and teams can agree to terms. As for the Indiana Pacers, they have a lot of questions to figure out, especially with Rick Carlisle <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/3-reasons-pacers-are-headed-for-banner-year-with-rick-carlisle-at-the-helm/">running the show</a> after leaving the Dallas Mavericks.</p><p>The Pacers have Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner, so bigs aren’t an issue. So, who signs with the Pacers in free agency?</p><p>Here are the three best options the Pacers should sign.</p><h2>3. Norman Powell</h2><p>First off, Chris Paul and Kawhi Leonard aren’t going to the Pacers, sorry. These three options are realistic ones, and Powell fits the mold.</p><p>He was productive for the Portland Trail Blazers after being dealt from the Toronto Raptors at the trade deadline, and who knows what is going on with the Blazers regarding their situation.</p><p>Powell averaged 18.6 points– a career-high– and shot over 40 percent from beyond the arc and would be a welcome addition to the Pacers as they begin a new era with Carlisle running the show.</p><h2>2. Alex Caruso</h2><p>Alex Caruso should be a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-alex-caruso-gets-all-the-love-in-the-world-amid-free-agency-rumors/">top target</a> for a lot of teams across the league. He can score, shoot, and– most importantly– play top-notch defense. He brings championship experience and could very well return to the Los Angeles Lakers, although other teams would surely offer Caruso a decent amount of cash.</p><p>Is he going to score 20 points a game? No. Will he average 10 assists a game? No. But he is one of the best defending guards in the NBA, hence the reason for his high level of interest across the NBA, and the Pacers could trot out a Malcolm Brogdon- Alex Caruso pairing.</p><h2>1. Evan Fournier</h2><p>Another veteran who has playoff experience and can score the ball, what a surprise. The Pacers are set down low with Sabonis and Turner, and they have TJ Warren coming back as well. What they need is scoring and guards that can shoot, and Fournier is exactly that.</p><p>After he was dealt from the Orlando Magic to the Boston Celtics at the deadline, it remains unclear if he will end up back in Boston. If not, the Pacers should pick up the phone and offer him some money.</p><p>At worst, he is a very capable sixth man off the bench, and a veteran with experience, something Carlisle will look for as he begins his new job.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 best players the Pacers must sign in 2021 NBA free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Signings-agreements-and-deals.jpeg"></figure><h1>2021 NBA free agency tracker: Full list of signings, best players available</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T14:31:55-07:00">August 2nd, 2:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T15:34:25-07:00">August 2nd, 3:34pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a>Matthew Wadleigh was born and raised in Oceanside and resides in Fresno. He lives with his wife and two dogs. He is a huge Southern California sports fan and a retired member of the Fresno State drumline.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>NBA free agency is always a wild time and now it has finally come. The 2021 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/when-does-2021-nba-free-agency-start/">free agency period</a> began on Monday, August 2, at 6 p.m. ET. This post is our 2021 NBA Free Agency Tracker, allowing us to easily provide readers with up-t0-the-minute information on all league happenings.</p><p>Deals can not be <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/free-agency-explained" rel="noopener">officially signed</a> until August 6 at 12:01 p.m. ET, but players can agree to deals with teams starting at 6 p.m. ET. Many deals have seemingly been discussed prior to the start date, and rumors have swirled for quite some time regarding some of the big names– Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul, Lonzo Ball, and Kyle Lowry.</p><p>No, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Damian Lillard aren’t on the market. Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t either. Nonetheless, there are some big names likely headed elsewhere and there should be plenty of new faces in new places.</p><p>Follow along here as ClutchPoints stays up to date with all the latest, via our 2021 NBA free agency tracker, which puts depth with deals and signings with the best players available.</p><h2><b>2021 NBA Free Agency Tracker: Full List Of Signings In 2021</b></h2><p>Jarrett Allen (Restricted): five-year, $100 million contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.</p><p>Lonzo Ball (Restricted): four-year, $85 million deal with the Chicago Bulls.</p><p>Will Barton (Player option)</p><p>John Collins (Restricted)</p><p>Cameron Payne (free agent): three-year, $19 million deal with the Phoenix Suns.</p><p>Mike Conley (Unrestricted): three-year, $68 million with the Utah Jazz. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jazz-news-mike-conley-agrees-to-three-year-68-million-with-utah/" rel="noopener">Details here. </a></p><p>DeMar DeRozan (Unrestricted)</p><p>Spencer Dinwiddie (Unrestricted)</p><p>Evan Fournier (Unrestricted)</p><p>Tim Hardaway Jr. (Unrestricted): four-year, $72 million with the Dallas Mavericks.</p><p>Richaun Holmes (Unrestricted)</p><p>Reggie Jackson (Unrestricted)</p><p>Kawhi Leonard (Player option)</p><p>Nerlens Noel: three-year, $32 million with the New York Knicks.</p><p>Kyle Lowry (Unrestricted)</p><p>Jimmy Butler (new deal): $184 million with the Miami Heat (pending a few days and more details). <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-rumors-jimmy-butler-heat-agree-to-184-million-deal/" rel="noopener">Info here. </a></p><p>Lauri Markkanen (Restricted)</p><p>Kelly Oubre Jr. (Unrestricted)</p><p>Chris Paul (Player option)</p><p>Norman Powell (Player option)</p><p>Duncan Robinson (Restricted)</p><p>Dennis Schroder (Unrestricted)</p><p>TJ McConnell: four-year, $35 million deal with the Indiana Pacers.</p><p>Gary Trent Jr. (Unrestricted)</p><p>Alec Burks (free agent): three-year, $30 million contract with the New York Knicks.</p><p>JaMychal Green (free agent): two-year, $17 million deal with the Denver Nuggets.</p><p>Other players will be added as deals are made and information is confirmed via reliable sources.</p><p>This post on 2021 NBA Free Agency signings, as a 2021 NBA Free Agency Tracker, will be updated as events unfold.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2021 NBA free agency tracker: Full list of signings, best players available

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/James-Bouknight-Hornets-.jpeg"></figure><h1>3 Bold Predictions for James Bouknight’s Rookie Season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T14:30:39-07:00">August 2nd, 2:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T14:31:57-07:00">August 2nd, 2:31pm</time><address><a>Jerry Donatien</a>Jerry Donatien is ClutchPoints' Charlotte Hornets beat reporter, covering everything from LaMelo Ball, analytical breakdowns and big-picture happenings.Jerry Donatien has worked for ClutchPoints since 2018. He is currently the company's Charlotte Hornets reporter, and he also does voiceovers on different sports stories. He worked the NBA All-Star weekend in 2019, the NCAA woman's tournament, and he interned with Beasley Media group.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After being selected 11th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, James Bouknight is expected to be a part of the Charlotte Hornets’ young core moving forward.</p><p>Sharing a backcourt with one of the game’s best young point guards, LaMelo Ball, puts pressure on Bouknight to come in and play high-level basketball. Of course, the Hornets would not have selected Bouknight if they did not think he can live up to his draft stock.</p><p>James Bouknight has the potential to be one of the best scorers in his draft class, if not the best. He will have all the opportunities in Charlotte to reach his full potential with the system coach Borrego runs. Hornets fans should expect a lot of this young man.</p><p>Nonetheless, here are three bold predictions for James Bouknight entering his first season with the Charlotte Hornets.</p><p><b>Leads all rookies in scoring</b></p><p>Despite his low shooting percentages at UConn, Bouknight has the potential to be a very efficient scorer in the NBA. Fortunately for Bouknight, playing with a pass-first player like LaMelo will allow him to find easy shots on the perimeter while moving off the ball.</p><p>It is also possible that he will be out there with two point guards if Terry Rozier is still in the starting lineup. In turn, all Bouknight would have to do is come in do is hit open shots. Even if he does not start, he will have the chance to run the second unit with Miles Bridges and the other young promising pieces. James Bouknight can be a threat on or off the ball and he has a good chance to get touches throughout the season.</p><p><b>Rising Stars Game</b></p><p>A mid-season goal for a lot of these rookies should be to crack the roster for the Rising Stars Game during the All-Star break. The Hornets have been represented pretty well the past few years, with Ball, Bridges, and PJ Washington all playing in the game in the past.</p><p>James Bouknight can very well find himself there come February. If he can to produce a little over than 15 points per game, it will be easy for him to slide right in. Second-year players will find themselves in this game as well, so making the roster could be a little tough. Still, James will produce as soon as he plays his first few NBA games.</p><p><b>All-Rookie First Team</b></p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/4-biggest-2021-nba-draft-sleepers-who-could-be-massive-nba-card-steals/" rel="noopener">2021 NBA Draft</a> class seems to be pretty stacked, but James Bouknight could earn this accolade by the end of the season as well. He may not be the number one scoring option on the team, but he can find himself being the possible third option by the end of the season. With that being said, he will do nothing but continue to add things to his game. He will become a better playmaker, defender, rebounder, and much more.</p><p>The Hornets have the right people around him for him to compete in practice and improve daily. Despite Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green potentially taking up the other two spots, it seems like a reasonable goal for Bouknight.</p><p>All three predictions are pretty obtainable. As long as he is willing to learn from the coaching staff and the veterans on the team. The future looks bright for Charlotte and Bouknight could be a vital piece for the team’s success moving forward.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 Bold Predictions for James Bouknight’s Rookie Season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Chicago-trying-to-pull-off-sign-and-trade-magic-to-acquire-DeMar-DeRozan.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: Bulls trying to pull off sign-and-trade magic to acquire DeMar DeRozan</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T14:25:41-07:00">August 2nd, 2:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T14:25:41-07:00">August 2nd, 2:25pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Bulls could be one of the most active teams in free agency. After being heavily linked with Lonzo Ball, there are now talks that the Windy City team would also make a run for DeMar DeRozan.</p><p>According to Brian Winhorst of ESPN, the Bulls are looking to pull off a double sign-and-trade with the San Antonio Spurs where they would be sending Lauri Markkanen in exchange.</p><blockquote>“From what I am told, [the Bulls] are also interested in DeMar DeRrozan, and are interested in pulling off a possible double sign-and-trade where they would send Lauri Markkanen to San Antonio,” Windhorst explained, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1422301432917680135" rel="noopener">NBA on ESPN</a>.</blockquote><p>It remains to be seen how the trade will work and if the New Orleans Pelicans will be directly involved should the Bulls push through with the said move.</p><p>Earlier on Monday, it has been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-pelicans-bulls-hornets-talking-3-team-trade-involving-lonzo-ball/" rel="noopener">rumored</a> that Chicago, New Orleans and the Charlotte Hornets are discussing a three-team trade that would send Lonzo Ball to the Bulls, Devonte Graham to the Pels, and Markkanen to Charlotte.</p><p>For what it’s worth, the Bulls seem to be keeping their options open in any possible three-team deal. On Sunday, it was also <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-rumors-chicago-open-lauri-markkanen-sign-and-trade-with-3-teams-radar/" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder are in their radar in a sign-and-trade involving Markkanen.</p><p>As for DeMar DeRozan, he is expected to get plenty of suitors in free agency. Aside from the Bulls, the Miami Heat are also said to be keen in pursuing him to reunite the explosive scorer with his former Toronto Raptors teammate Kyle Lowry.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Bulls trying to pull off sign-and-trade magic to acquire DeMar DeRozan

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/xQc-reveals-what_s-the-secret-to-success-and-it_s-not-simply-following-trends-thumbnail.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>xQc reveals what’s the secret to success: it’s not simply following trends</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T13:52:40-07:00">August 2nd, 1:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T13:54:09-07:00">August 2nd, 1:54pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/NeutralGGEsports" rel="facebook">Franz Christian Irorita</a>A writer and content creator, focusing on video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Entertainment</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>xQc has some wise words for his followers who would like to follow in his footsteps as a streamer and content creator. His tip? It’s not always about following what’s trendy.</p><h2><b>xQc’s Secret to Success: Do What You Enjoy Doing</b></h2><p>xQc shared in one of his streams what he thinks is the key to greatness. For him, the secret to success isn’t simply following the trends to ride the hype and get the views for what’s trending. Instead, he believes that having the courage to try out something new and streaming activities that you actually enjoy is what makes things great. So for xQc, the secret to success is to just do what you enjoy doing. He says so <a href="https://clips.twitch.tv/AbstruseJoyousBoarBrokeBack-Te9HliXTDVFPQbLU">during one of his live streams</a>: (<a href="https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/xqc-defends-twitch-streamers-dont-follow-trends-1622919/">thanks to <i>Dexerto </i>for the clip</a>):</p><blockquote>“It’s not about the people who are number one, getting all the trends and following all the trends,” says xQc. “The people that try to do new things and people exploring unchartered territories – it is what makes streaming what it is.”</blockquote><p>It might be cliché at this point, but clichés are there because they’re so true, they get repeated so often. xQc himself follows his own advice, as he has stopped on some occasions from streaming popular games that he no longer enjoys. He even sometimes streams obscure games that he says he likes. For him, sharing things to his community is an important thing. It is also perhaps why some of his followers enjoy following him.</p><p>Most importantly, it’s through the exploration of new things where trends arise. “There would not be anybody getting into these trends… if it wasn’t for [people who try out new things],” he stresses out.</p><p>He does have a point – we would probably not have the <i>Among Us </i>phenomenon last year had no one tried streaming the game and starting a chain reaction that will have every streamer and their mom playing <i>Among Us </i>on their broadcasts. But then again, that’s just his opinion. While many streamers might be able to relate to his advice, it might not be true for everyone. Trends, after all, can make superstars out of nobodies.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

xQc reveals what’s the secret to success: it’s not simply following trends

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/buddy-hield-lakers-dennis-schroder-knicks-wizards-kings-bulls.jpeg"></figure><h1>Lakers still trying to trade Dennis Schroder for Buddy Hield</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T13:45:20-07:00">August 2nd, 1:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T13:48:13-07:00">August 2nd, 1:48pm</time><address><a>Michael Corvo</a>Los Angeles Lakers beat reporter and writer for ClutchPoints. Aspiring Shane Falco. NYC native, LA resident, USC grad. Tennis Fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/los-angeles-lakers/news">Los Angeles Lakers</a> want to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/los-angeles-lakers-2021-free-agency-preview/">sign-and-trade</a> Dennis Schroder rather than lose him for nothing. However, that could be tricky as league-wide interest in Schroder is lukewarm and any swap would require the participation of Schroder.</p><p>Shortly before the free agency moratorium is lifted, <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2946741-nba-free-agency-intel-latest-on-dennis-schroder-and-lonzo-ball-sign-and-trade?fbclid=IwAR1f_I6_NIn6OJQ_qBkkBWNkV1XeqwgZqy2v6l7oSUrKeEuo3WtPA-WwgJ0">Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer</a> offered insight into trade talks surrounding the 27-year old point guard. (Schroder, infamously, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-rumors-dennis-schroder-turned-down-4-year-84-million-extension/">turned down an $84 million extension</a> from Los Angeles last season, only to see his value decline since.)</p><p>Fortunately for Schroder, four active teams on the market need a point guard: the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/chicago-bulls/news">Chicago Bulls</a>, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/new-york-knicks/news">New York Knicks</a>, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/news">New Orleans Pelicans</a>, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/washington-wizards/news">Washington Wizards</a>. The Lakers agreed to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/the-winners-and-losers-of-the-russell-westbrook-to-lakers-trade/">blockbuster</a> with the Wizards last week that will send <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/russell-westbrook/b3770983">Russell Westbrook</a> to L.A., though the deal cannot be formalized until Aug. 6.</p><p>Per Fischer, the Bulls’ Plan A is signing restricted free agent Lonzo Ball to a four-year, $80 million deal, though there are contingency plans in place, including Schroder. Should the Pelicans free money via a Lonzo sign-and-trade, they could pursue Schroder.</p><p>The Knicks might be the most logical destination for Schroder. But, with roughly $50 million in cap space, they would have little incentive to help the Lakers and trade something back for him (likely an exception for a second-round pick).</p><p>The Wizards have interest in Schroder, too, leaving open the possibility of an expansion to the Westbrook deal, which could redirect Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, or Montrezl Harrell elsewhere. Because the Wizards are over the cap, they would require a sign-and-trade to land Schroder — a far better scenario from a Lakers’ perspective.</p><p>Furthermore, the Lakers have “not ended their search for ways to land” Sacramento Kings’ sharpshooter Buddy Hield, per Fischer. Los Angeles <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-trade-rumors-lakers-buddy-hield-were-close-to-deal-before-russell-westbrook-trade/">nearly executed a trade</a> for Hield on draft day involving Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell rather than Schroder, whom the Kings have no interest in, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6uJYPg3RuBz1CZYaNzGTCe">per ESPN’s Zach Lowe</a>. Perhaps Pelinka can include more teams and the 2027 first-round pick.</p><p>One potential obstacle of a Schroder sign-and-trade is it requires the participation of Schroder, who openly spoke about his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-dennis-schroder-may-take-bold-risk-ahead-of-much-hyped-free-agency/">desire to test unrestricted free agency</a> throughout the season. According to Fischer, Schroder’s camp and the Lakers have “not been in extensive contact” and “do not seem to be working in tandem.” That’s not promising.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers still trying to trade Dennis Schroder for Buddy Hield

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Sixers-rumors-Philly-is-still-making-ludicrous-trade-demands-for-Ben-Simmons-thumbnail.jpeg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: Sixers are still making ludicrous trade demands for Ben Simmons</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T13:43:32-07:00">August 2nd, 1:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T13:43:32-07:00">August 2nd, 1:43pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a>Matthew Wadleigh was born and raised in Oceanside and resides in Fresno. He lives with his wife and two dogs. He is a huge Southern California sports fan and a retired member of the Fresno State drumline.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia 76ers still have Ben Simmons and have yet to find a trade partner for the talented point guard. Reports came out that Simmons is likely to be dealt by the Sixers, but their asking price is a lot. Well, the Sixers’ asking price remains high, <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic/status/1422283540645961737">according to David Aldridge of The Athletic</a>.</p><blockquote>“The Sixers are seeking control of at least four future first rounders via direct trade or pick swaps, along with an All-Star-level player in most scenarios.”</blockquote><p>That is a massive haul, and trams might not be close to budging at all at that<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-trade-rumors-warriors-shut-down-sixers-blockbuster-ben-simmons-trade-proposal/"> asking price</a>. Simmons is almost certainly playing elsewhere when the season rolls around, and the longer the Sixers hold on to him, the more their asking price continues to go down as the leverage runs out.</p><p>Sure, teams definitely want Simmons, although Philly remains steadfast on their desire to get a ton of picks for him. If no offers come through, perhaps Simmons is back with Joel Embiid when the season rolls around, although that might not go over too well.</p><p>With NBA free agency kicking off, it will be worth monitoring the situation regarding Simmons and the Sixers to see if they can find a viable trade partner.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Sixers are still making ludicrous trade demands for Ben Simmons

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/PS-Now-August-2021-NieR-Automata-Undertale-and-Ghostrunner-thumbnail.jpg"><figcaption>Sony</figcaption></figure><h1>PS Now August 2021: NieR Automata, Undertale, and Ghostrunner</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T13:39:27-07:00">August 2nd, 1:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T13:39:27-07:00">August 2nd, 1:39pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/NeutralGGEsports" rel="facebook">Franz Christian Irorita</a>A writer and content creator, focusing on video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Gaming</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Three all-time greats join the PS Now August 2021 catalog.</p><h2><i><b>NieR Automata </b></i><b>headlines PS Now August 2021</b></h2><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>First off is <i><b>NieR Automata</b></i>. The masterpiece in storytelling and game design from Platinum Games <a href="https://blog.playstation.com/2021/08/02/playstation-now-games-for-august-nier-automata-ghostrunner-undertale/">joins the subscription service this month</a>. You will be playing this game over and over again, unlocking one ending after another. You won’t ever regret booting this up and getting invested with the characters. It’s almost as if the great and fluid combat is just a bonus, a cherry on top. <i>NieR Automata </i>is an instant classic that deserves its spot on the PS Now subscription service.</p><h2><i><b>Undertale</b></i></h2><p><b><i>Undertale</i></b><b> </b>is the indie game pixie dream girl. It was one of the most successful crowd-funded games of all-time. <i>Undertale</i>‘s meta-narrative influenced many games following it. It also inspired a lot of other games in the RPG genre, and many developers look up to <i>Undertale</i>‘s success as proof that indie games <i>can </i>make it in this industry. Ever since <i>Undertale</i>‘s success, indie games have since experienced a surge in popularity, with a lot of people gaining confidence in spending their money on indie games. It finally finds itself in the list of games available for the PS Now August 2021 list.</p><h2><i><b>Ghostrunner</b></i></h2><p>Last but not least is <i>Ghostrunner. </i>While many might call it “what <i>Cyberpunk 2077 </i>should have been,” the game stands on its own just fine. The cyberpunk aesthetic of the game is very pronounced, and it fits well with the game’s intense and hyper-action gameplay of wall-jumping assassinations. Be sure to pick this game up when you check out the PS Now August 2021 offerings.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

PS Now August 2021: NieR Automata, Undertale, and Ghostrunner

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><source type="image/webp"></source><img src="https://cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Cleveland-preparing-100-million-offer-to-Jarrett-Allen.jpg"></figure><h1>Rumor: Cavs preparing $100 million offer to Jarrett Allen</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T13:36:38-07:00">August 2nd, 1:36pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T13:37:31-07:00">August 2nd, 1:37pm</time><address><a>Jason Patt</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers are prepared to offer center Jarrett Allen a five-year deal in the $100 million range when free agency opens, <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1422285347799502865" rel="noopener">according to Marc Stein.</a> Allen is set to be a restricted free agent, but the Cavs are clearly motivated to get a deal done before he can sign an offer sheet elsewhere.</p><p>The Cavs swooped in and acquired Allen in the James Harden trade, which led to the departure of Andre Drummond. It’s no surprise Cleveland is planning on handing out a big offer to the 23-year-old after making those moves.</p><p>The Cavs did just draft Evan Mobley with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-rumors-true-feelings-evan-mobley-jarrett-allen-duo-ahead-nba-draft/" rel="noopener">but the belief</a> is Allen and Mobley can play together and form a dynamic frontcourt of the future.</p><p>Allen appeared in 51 games with Cleveland this past season, averaging 13.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 blocks in 30.3 minutes per game. He started 40 out of those 51 contests and shot nearly 61% from the field.</p><p>The Cavs have an intriguing young core in place with Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Mobley and Allen. Sexton has been involved in trade rumors, so it’s not clear if he’ll be back, but there’s still a lot of talent there. Cleveland could use more proven talent to help the team take a step forward.</p><p>There are questions about Kevin Love’s future with the Cavs, and he could wind up being a buyout candidate down the road.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rumor: Cavs preparing $100 million offer to Jarrett Allen

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/lakers-news-lebron-james-parting-gift-to-kyle-kuzma-after-russell-westbrook-trade.jpeg"></figure><h1>LeBron James’ parting gift to Kyle Kuzma after Russell Westbrook trade to Lakers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-01T17:33:54-07:00">August 1st, 5:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-01T20:51:55-07:00">August 1st, 8:51pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a>Matthew Wadleigh was born and raised in Oceanside and resides in Fresno. He lives with his wife and two dogs. He is a huge Southern California sports fan and a retired member of the Fresno State drumline.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Lakers are still relishing in the fact that they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/the-winners-and-losers-of-the-russell-westbrook-to-lakers-trade/">pulled off a blockbuster trade</a> with the Washington Wizards to bring Russell Westbrook to town. On the night of the NBA Draft, they sent a few players to Washington in the exchange, including Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Kyle Kuzma.</p><p>Well, LeBron James <a href="https://twitter.com/dribblecity/status/1421953578382643201?s=21">wished good riddance</a> to his former Lakers teammate and had Jared Dudley join him, and gave Kuzma a parting gift after the trade.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LeBron &amp; Dudz threw Kyle Kuzma a going away party. <a href="https://t.co/w2DVO086rP" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/w2DVO086rP</a></p><p>— 🏀 (@dribblecity) <a href="https://twitter.com/dribblecity/status/1421953578382643201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">August 1, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Classic LeBron. Sure, Kuzma got traded, but LeBron James is still being a true class act and wants nothing but the best for the former Lakers draft pick who was a huge part of their championship run during the Orlando Bubble.</p><p>The trio of Lakers is now headed to the Wizards, although <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/wizards-rumors-the-harsh-reality-of-kyle-kuzma-montrezl-harrells-future-in-dc-after-russell-westbrook-trade/">reports</a> came out that there could be another deal involving a couple of those players. Either way, LeBron and Dudley didn’t miss their chance to send Kuzma off in a good way.</p><p>The Lakers’ sudden trio of LeBron, Westbrook, and Anthony Davis looks awfully scary, and with NBA free agency kicking off, the Lakers should add a few more championship-hungry veterans to the fold as they do whatever they can to be the team to beat in the Western Conference.</p><p>So long, Kyle Kuzma, but LeBron and his teammates will always have nothing but respect for him.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

LeBron James’ parting gift to Kyle Kuzma after Russell Westbrook trade to Lakers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/nba-rumors-chris-paul-lakers-russell-westbrook-seen-hanging-out-in-la.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: Chris Paul, Lakers’ Russell Westbrook seen hanging out in LA</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-01T16:39:01-07:00">August 1st, 4:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-01T20:55:30-07:00">August 1st, 8:55pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Chris Paul just fueled speculations that he could be joining the Los Angeles Lakers after he was <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsNBA/status/1421968443784318983?s=20" rel="noopener">spotted</a> with Russell Westbrook in LA.</p><p>Westbrook was recently acquired by the Lakers in a deal that sent Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Montrezl Harrell to the Washington Wizards. While the transaction can only be finalized at the end of the moratorium, it is all but a done deal at this point—with the players involved in the trade confirming the development.</p><p>With that said, when Paul was seen hanging out with Westbrook ahead of free agency and amid rumors linking him to the Lakers, fans couldn’t help but speculate they would be teaming up.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chris Paul and new Laker Russell Westbrook spotted together in LA 👀</p><p>(via Reddit u/roll10deep) <a href="https://t.co/TA1TGryShE" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/TA1TGryShE</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints NBA (@ClutchPointsNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsNBA/status/1421968443784318983?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">August 1, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>It is also worth noting that this came after reports surfaced that Chris Paul is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-chris-paul-makes-huge-decision-after-nba-finals-run-with-suns/" rel="noopener">declining his $44.2 million option</a> with the Phoenix Suns to become an unrestricted free agent. While there is a belief he did so to work a new deal with the NBA Finals contenders, it’s hard not to think otherwise given his latest activity.</p><p>However, given the contracts of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook, it seems unlikely the Lakers will be able to sign Paul on the massive contract he’s expecting to get. According to <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/07/29/suns-owner-has-surprising-answer-about-chris-pauls-future/" rel="noopener">Marc Berman of the New York Post</a>, CP3 is seeking a three-year, $100 million deal.</p><p>Also, the acquisition of Westbrook makes it less likely for the team to still pursue Paul.</p><p>At the end of the day, the photo of the two together could just be of peers hanging out and nothing more.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Chris Paul, Lakers’ Russell Westbrook seen hanging out in LA

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/warriors-rumors-dubs-targeting-clippers-forward-to-get-help-for-stephen-curry-klay-thompson.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: Warriors targeting Clippers forward to get help for Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-01T15:56:59-07:00">August 1st, 3:56pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T12:23:58-07:00">August 2nd, 12:23pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Golden State Warriors have been reported to be one of the teams <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-rumors-3-teams-trying-steal-nicolas-batum-away-la/" rel="noopener">interested</a> in signing Los Angeles Clippers forward Nicolas Batum in free agency. Apparently though, they have a good chance at landing the Frenchman.</p><p>According to <a href="https://theathletic.com/2742822/2021/08/01/warriors-free-agency-preview-which-veterans-should-golden-state-target-could-kelly-oubre-jr-return/" rel="noopener">Anthony Slater of The Athletic</a>, the Warriors and Batum have “mutual interest” in joining forces. For the 32-year-old wing, he sees how he can fit well alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and the rest of the Dubs <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/golden-state-warriors" rel="noopener">roster</a>.</p><blockquote>There is mutual interest between Batum and the Warriors, sources said. He’s currently in Tokyo, competing for France. But there is expected to be contact with his representation early in the free-agency process. Batum, sources said, understands how well he’d fit the Warriors’ system and, as a notable bonus, has an established relationship with new assistant Kenny Atkinson, who coached him last season with the Clippers.</blockquote><p>Nicolas Batum averaged 8.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assist per game for the Clippers in 2020-21, doing so while shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from deep. While his numbers are not staggering, he has proven to be a reliable backup who can consistently produce on a nightly basis.</p><p>Not to mention that Batum’s defense and floor spacing would be beneficial for the Warriors since it can open up pathways for Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to shoot or attack the rim.</p><p>It remains to be seen if the Warriors can really get Batum since the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers are also said to be interested in pursuing him. However, there’s no doubt the Dubs present a good opportunity for the veteran wing to compete for a championship.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Warriors targeting Clippers forward to get help for Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Harry-Kane-Man-City-Tottenham.jpg"></figure><h1>Harry Kane makes it clear he wants to leave Tottenham amid Man City links</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T05:43:15-07:00">August 2nd, 5:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T05:44:46-07:00">August 2nd, 5:44am</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a freelance sports journalist and full-time editor for ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn't producing content for CP, he's writing predictions across the European soccer and NBA world for bettors at Sports Betting Dime, one of the fastest-growing sports betting sites in North America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Soccer</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Tottenham striker Harry Kane was set to return to training with his club on Monday after a brief holiday, but it appears he’s skipped out in order to force a move away from Spurs.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">BREAKING: Harry Kane has not shown up for Tottenham training. He was due to return to Hotspur Way this morning following a short holiday.</p><p>— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1422130899542491139?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">August 2, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>This is interesting, to say the least after it was revealed that Man City’s pursuit of Jack Grealish would likely end any possibility of also signing Kane, who made it clear in May he wanted to leave Tottenham in search of trophies and Champions League football.</p><p>The Citizens are inching<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jack-grealish-to-man-city-just-became-more-realistic-after-aston-villas-big-signing/"> very close to a deal that would bring Grealish to the Etihad from boyhood club Aston Villa</a>, with Harry Kane’s enormous price tag of well over £100 million far too steep for the Premier League champions. It’s understandable, however, given they will likely have to pay around £100 million for the Villa talisman as well.</p><p>Spurs meanwhile have made it very clear they want to keep their main man, but his latest move is just another hint that he wants out. Harry Kane has insisted he has a gentlemen’s agreement with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy.</p><p>The 28-year-old England international has also been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea as well, but given how much he cost, it seems unlikely either club makes a move for Kane this summer.</p><p>Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano offered some insight on the situation with Harry Kane and Spurs, stating that the weeks ahead could be decisive and tense.</p><blockquote><a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11675/12370584/harry-kane-tottenham-striker-does-not-show-up-to-pre-season-training-amid-man-city-transfer-interest">He told <i>Sky Sports News’ Transfer Talk </i>show</a>: “I expect some complicated weeks ahead, because the situation is really, really tense.“I think this week everything will be clear. Tottenham need to take a position, and Manchester City are ready if their position changes.“This week will be key to understand what will happen.”</blockquote><p>Despite reports Man City could be out of the running for the reigning Premier League Golden Boot winner, anything is possible at this point.</p><p>This situation will be an intriguing one to keep a close eye on.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Harry Kane makes it clear he wants to leave Tottenham amid Man City links

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/LeBron-James-Lakers-Warriors-Stephen-Curry.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMORS: How LeBron James heavily figures in Warriors’ offseason plans</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-01T19:29:36-07:00">August 1st, 7:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-01T19:29:36-07:00">August 1st, 7:29pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After a strong haul in the recently concluded NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors have now shifted their focus on the feeding frenzy that is the NBA offseason.</p><p>It’s clear that the Warriors are targeting more help for Stephen Curry, who almost singlehandedly lifted the team into postseason contention last season. His MVP-type efforts, however, fell short as they missed the NBA Playoffs for the second straight year.</p><p>But while many high-profile names are being linked to the Warriors these days, acquiring them is an entirely different question, especially now that LeBron James has successfully recruited Russell Westbrook to join the Los Angeles Lakers. According to <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2946614-sources-free-agency-spotlight-on-cp3-the-lowry-domino-emerging-pg-carousel">Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report</a>, Westbrook going to Hollywood has drastically changed everything for the Warriors’ offseason plans.</p><blockquote>With Westbrook now headed to Los Angeles, multiple league personnel contacted by B/R expect there to be significant interest from several veterans, including DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, and Carmelo Anthony, to forgo higher salary opportunities elsewhere and join the Lakers in pursuit of a championship.</blockquote><p>While everything might be mere conjecture at this point, the Warriors missing out on other veterans is highly plausible. Westbrook teaming up with LeBron and Davis easily makes the Lakers a top contender, and other players seeking their first title might join the bandwagon. There’s also the fact that LBJ has already called up DeRozan and is BFFs with Anthony.</p><p>Curry will finally have his running mate Klay Thompson alongside him again next season. But that might not be enough to contend in the Western Conference. The Warriors, however, are rumored to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-rumors-andre-iguodala-reunion-dubs-gaining-momentum/">bring back Andre Iguodala</a>, so that might be a good start.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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