Justin Benton Articles - Page 4

Ben Simmons has been following up winning the 2017-18 Rookie of the Year award with another fantastic season and will be playing in his first All-Star game on Feb. 17. At 6-foot-10, the first overall pick from the 2016 NBA draft is one of the most unique and talented players in the league. Despite this, […]

Prior to Thursday afternoon’s trade deadline, the Houston Rockets upgraded the roster by trading for Iman Shumpert in a three-team deal. The Rockets have the ability to add at least two more players, and they are prepared to be aggressive on the buyout market, according to The Athletic’s Alykhan Bijani: .@dmorey says the #Rockets will […]

The Phoenix Suns weren’t entirely inactive around the trade deadline, but despite adding guard depth with the acquisition of Tyler Johnson, the team still isn’t where they want to be. While Johnson adds a little beef to their rotation, Phoenix GM James Jones has made it clear that they still feel in need of a […]

Early in the season and leading up to the trade deadline, there was plenty of speculation that the Cleveland Cavliers’ Kevin Love could be on the move. Staying with his team, though, his only focus now is returning from injury and getting back on the court. According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, that could be […]

The Toronto Raptors went all-in at the NBA trade deadline and added another All-Star level player to their starting lineup in Marc Gasol. In the swap, Toronto received Gasol while sending Jonas Valaciunas, C.J. Miles, Delon Wright, and a second-round pick to the Memphis Grizzlies in return. The move was an obvious upgrade for the […]

The Charlotte Hornets had big dreams leading up to the trade deadline, but ultimately weren’t able to get a deal done. Frank Kaminsky was their big bargaining piece as they aggressively pursued any avenue that would bring Kemba Walker help, most notably Marc Gasol. With the deadline behind them, there is a strong possibility that […]

When the Boston Celtics signed Marcus Smart to a long-term contract this past offseason, they were surely expecting his signature defensive grit and high energy from a player who had developed nicely in his time with the team. What they probably weren’t expecting though was him to be one of the best shooters in the […]

The LA Clippers shocked the league when they traded Tobias Harris to the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this week. The move appeared to be with the offseason in mind, as they follow in the footsteps of the New York Knicks in positioning themselves to take a swing at two max-level players this summer. Sam Amick of […]

In a move that allowed the Washington Wizards to evade the luxury tax for this season, Markieff Morris was moved late Wednesday night to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Wesley Johnson. It appears that he won’t ever take the court as a Pelican, though, as the Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that New Orleans […]

After an eventful week leading up to the NBA Trade Deadline, it is finally in the rearview mirror and the dust is starting to settle. With a ton of movement, many around the league are just now able to exhale after living on the edge of their seat the past few days. Among those traded, […]

The Houston Rockets, well known for their ability to work the trade market, shuffled multiple roster pieces around prior to Thursday’s trade deadline. They were able to bring in multiple players, however only Iman Shumpert is set to remain with the team through the season, as Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin were moved shortly after […]

The Phoenix Suns decided against an inactive trade deadline for the team this week by moving Ryan Anderson to the Miami Heat in exchange for Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington. However, they may not be looking to make many more moves beyond that. According to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, the Phoenix Suns aren’t […]

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal has been making a point this season to show everyone that he is one of the best players in the league. Despite the team experiencing injuries and underperforming as a goal, Beal has been a reason for hope for the Washington Wizards. Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, he made […]

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been putting up a serious campaign to win MVP honors this season. In the Bucks’ 148-129 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night, he added another feather to his cap with a dominant performance. According to StatMuse, his monster night helped contribute to a big achievement for his team: Giannis dropped […]

Despite failing to make the team for the All-Star game on Sunday Feb. 17, Dallas Mavericks’ rookie Luka Doncic will still be plenty busy for the festivities that weekend. Not only will he be competing in the Rising Stars Challenge and the Skills Challenge, according to BetOnline.ag, the rookie sensation is favored to win the […]

The Milwaukee Bucks were part of a trade earlier Wednesday morning that saw big man Thon Maker sent to the Detroit Pistons in a straight up swap for Stanley Johnson. In speaking with ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth, Giannis Antetokounmpo opened up about how tough it was having to part ways with a teammate who felt like […]

It has been a long season for Enes Kanter, but it appears that opportunity may be knocking at his door in the very near future. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Enes Kanter will likely hit the buyout market soon after the trade deadline as the New York Knicks have not been successful in finding a […]

With less than 24 hours to go, the closer the NBA Trade Deadline gets, the less likely it appears that the league will see a trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics for Anthony Davis. This essentially means Boston will have the best chance at Davis come summertime, but as Tracy McGrady pointed […]

The Philadelphia 76ers made some noise on Tuesday night making a big trade for Tobias Harris of the Los Angeles Clippers. The trade brought in Harris and two other players but forced Philly to lose some important depth in the process- namely, Landry Shamet. However, following his dealing from the Miami Heat to the Phoenix […]

Trade buzz surrounding the New Orleans Pelicans has been dominated by Anthony Davis leading up to the Feb. 7 deadline. However, with the Pels headed toward the draft lottery and some degree of an eventual franchise rebuild, many of their role players have been made available for any team looking to claim them. That includes […]

The NBA Trade Deadline is less than 24 hours away and has rumors swirling. A name that has popped up a few times in rumors already was brought up again, but with a new destination attached to it. On Wednesday afternoon during ESPN’s The Jump, Brian Windhorst noted that there is a chance Kyle Lowry […]

The NBA Trade Deadline is here. Phones are ringing, deals are being negotiated, and plenty of players could potentially be on the move before February 7th arrives. Names like Anthony Davis and Mike Conley have dominated headlines as trade speculation around the league heats up, but make no mistake about it, Washington Wizards guard Bradley […]

The trade deadline is routinely one of the busiest moments of each NBA season, but one name has dominated the headlines this year. Anthony Davis and his camp may have made this happen as part of a calculated move to put pressure on the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, […]

The NBA Trade Deadline is just days away, and all signs are pointing to the very strong likelihood that Marc Gasol will be traded away from the Memphis Grizzlies. Mike Conley opened up to Omari Sankofa of The Athletic about the potential of his long-time teammate Gasol being traded: “Knowing what’s possible after tonight, it’s […]

It has been a long season for Markelle Fultz and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers’ first round pick from the 2017 draft has missed a lot of time so far this season and has yet to bounce back and deliver the type of production Philly was expecting when they brought him in. However, despite Markelle […]

While much of the discussion surrounding trade rumors has been dominated recently by Anthony Davis, there are still other big names up in the air that could be shuffled around the league prior to February 7th. Out of those names, it seems the most likely candidate to wind up on a new team may be […]

The Memphis Grizzlies are reportedly strongly considering trading center Marc Gasol to the Charlotte Hornets, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. Memphis is in strong talks to move franchise star Marc Gasol to Charlotte, league sources tell @TheAthletic @WatchStadium. — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 5, 2019 Memphis made both Marc Gasol and […]

After some early-season struggles, the San Antonio Spurs have managed to work their way to a 32-23 record and currently sit in the sixth spot in the Western Conference. They have a tough stretch ahead of them, though, as they just embarked on an eight-game road trip and may not have a key player for […]

The will they/won’t they between Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers has been the top story surrounding the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline. Since informing the franchise that he does not plan to stay with the New Orleans Pelicans beyond his current contract, Davis has been linked to the Lakers incessantly and Los Angeles’ interest […]

The Philadelphia 76ers are on the hunt to add to their roster and are expected to be one of the more aggressive teams around trade deadline time. Unfortunately for Corey Brewer, who recently spent some time with Philly, this may mean laying low for a little bit until he can return to the court for […]

During an interview with a local radio station 105.3 The Fan, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban opened up about what the future holds for Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki. He mentioned that the current season, which is Dirk’s 21st in the league, feels like his last. When asked about the possibility of Dirk working with the […]

The trade market is in full swing as the NBA nears the Feb. 7 deadline. One player, who has already switched teams once this season, could be on the move yet again. According to Sean Deveney of Sportingnews, Dario Saric could be available for teams interested in him for the right deal, though that price […]

Just days away from the NBA Trade Deadline, the buzz surrounding what will happen with Anthony Davis continues be the top story of the league. The latest, which surfaced Monday afternoon, is that Davis has provided the New Orleans Pelicans with a list of four teams he would consider signing a long-term deal with. Those […]

On Friday night, the Denver Nuggets will play host to the Houston Rockets. Prior to their meeting, Denver guard Will Barton took the time to let ESPN’s Tim MacMahon know just how incredible he thinks James Harden has been this season. Barton had this to say: “You can’t defend it. … I mean, he’s playing […]

Thursday night saw the unveiling of the NBA All-Star game’s reserves. The presence of names like Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard and Ben Simmons was no surprise at all. The exclusion of two names in particular, however, felt odd. While they may not be playing at an All-Star level like earlier in their careers, something just […]

All the talk in the NBA lately about who’s going to be traded where and what team each player will sign with in the offseason has left the league with no shortage of drama. All this noise in the league apparently has Kyrie Irving feeling himself. In talking with Cassidy Hubbarth prior to the Boston […]

Lakers fans went to bed last night happy following the team’s 123-120 overtime win against the Los Angeles Clippers led by a near triple double by LeBron James in his first game back since battling a groin injury. It seems like they have woken up to some great news, as well. The Athletic’s Shams Charania […]

Many eyes around the NBA are already fully focused on what could happen in the coming offseason. There are many working parts up in the air, such as an inevitable Anthony Davis trade and multiple star free agents-to-be, including Kyrie Irving. After telling fans in Boston that he planned to re-sign prior to the start […]

It was a rough day for Knicks fan, who learned via ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that New York finalized a deal with the Dallas Mavericks to trade away Kristaps Porzingis. The relationship between the Latvian big nicknamed “the unicorn” and the Knicks fan base may have started on the wrong foot, as Porzingis was booed on […]