<!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/lakers-news-magic-johnson-hits-team-usa-with-lebron-james-truth-bomb-after-olympics-loss.jpg"></figure><h1>Lakers legend Magic Johnson hits Team USA with LeBron James truth bomb after Olympics loss</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T22:52:57-07:00">July 26th, 10:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T22:52:57-07:00">July 26th, 10:52pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Los Angeles Lakers icon Magic Johnson knows why Team USA is struggling in the Olympics: it’s because they don’t have LeBron James.</p><p>The basketball Hall of Famer <a href="https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1419715961934860291" rel="noopener">didn’t hold back his thoughts</a> after Team USA’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/team-usa-news-americans-collapse-absolutely-epic-fashion-vs-france-open-olympics/" rel="noopener">83-76 loss to the French national team</a> in their Tokyo Olympics opener. For Johnson, the national squad is simply lacking a leader of LeBron’s caliber.</p><p>Johnson went as far as to saying that the Lakers forward is the “best leader in the game of basketball and someone who makes his teammates better.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">What the USA Men’s Basketball team is missing is a guy who’s won 4 NBA Championships (making him a proven winner), the best leader in the game of basketball, and someone who makes his teammates better…aka LeBron James!</p><p>— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1419715961934860291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 26, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>While Magic Johnson might be right, it’s really not certain how big of a difference the Lakers leader would have made had he opted to join the national team. After all, Team USA has a couple of veterans in Kevin Durant and Draymond Green who have played on the international stage before and succeeded.</p><p>Unfortunately for Team USA, their lack of playing time together and unfamiliarity with FIBA officiating seemed to be the major problems hindering them to unleash their full potential. As Evan Fournier <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/olympics-news-france-star-evan-fournier-takes-savage-shot-at-team-usa-after-heroic-performance/" rel="noopener">said</a> it after helping France take down the American giants: “They are better individually but they can be beaten as a team.”</p><p>Of course, LeBron James remains a freak of nature and can impact games in a variety of ways. His three Olympics trips would have surely come handy for a Team USA squad struggling to adjust to international basketball. Nonetheless, it’s not like the national squad didn’t try to lure him to play and help them win the Olympic gold once again.</p><p>Johnson, who was part of the 1992 Dream Team, surely knows how important it is to have a true leader in the national squad. However, it seems he is not seeing anyone from the current squad step up into that role in the Tokyo Olympics.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers legend Magic Johnson hits Team USA with LeBron James truth bomb after Olympics loss

<!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/Warriors-Christian-Wood-Rockets-Avery-Bradley-Eric-Gordon-James-Wiseman-Andre-Wiggins-Mychal-Mulder.jpg"></figure><h1>The perfect trade Warriors must offer Rockets for Christian Wood</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T22:52:26-07:00">July 26th, 10:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T22:52:26-07:00">July 26th, 10:52pm</time><address><a>Kousha Kangarloo</a>Based in Washington D.C., Kousha Kangarloo loves playing sports (basketball, volleyball, football, golf and tennis) and working out. He loves music (Calvin Harris, Wu-Tang Clan, The Strokes), traveling bothdomestically and internationally, and he enjoys a good stand-up comedyshow. Lastly, he really enjoys outdoor recreation (hiking, biking,paddle boarding, etc.) and he absolutely nerds out about James Bond,Star Wars, Marvel, True Detective, and Jurassic Park.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With Golden State currently holding two first round picks in this year’s NBA Draft, they have gained a ton of leverage in potential trades as they’ll be looking to make some serious changes to their roster this offseason. Two key areas of weakness for the Warriors right now are a lack of size and scoring.</p><p>Finding players to fill both needs for them is of vital importance as they want to maximize the championship window for Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. Rebuilding a contender while adding key <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/bob-myers-warriors-nba-draft-trade-decision-will-come-down-wire">pieces for the future</a> is something that the Warriors are hoping to accomplish.</p><p>One move that would make a ton of sense is to pursue a trade for Houston Rockets center Christian Wood. He’s a young and athletic combo big who could improve the Warriors’ interior defense and give them a low post threat on offense. His well-rounded offensive game, dominance on the glass, and stellar rim protection would make an immediate impact in the Warriors’ quest to return to the NBA Finals. On the flip side, the Rockets could be open to moving him for the right price.</p><p>This past season, Wood <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/christian-wood/97b0084a/stats">upped his game all-around</a> and was a candidate for Most Improved Player prior to an ankle injury that forced him to miss 20 games. Now that the Rockets are looking to go into a full rebuild, they’d definitely want draft picks, assets, and other young talent to supplement losing a player of Wood’s caliber.</p><p>Having said all these, let’s take an in-depth look at the perfect trade the Warriors must offer the Rockets in order for them to land Christian Wood.</p><h2><b>Proposed Trade</b></h2><h2><b>Warriors receive: </b>Christian Wood, Eric Gordon, Avery Bradley, and the 23rd pick in the 2021 NBA Draft</h2><h2><b>Rockets receive: </b>James Wiseman, Andrew Wiggins, Mychal Mulder, and the 7th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft</h2><p>In this proposed trade, the Warriors get much-needed depth in their frontcourt with the addition of the multi-skilled Wood. His ability to play power forward or center gives the Warriors a versatile big who can run the floor and provide them with a lob threat that would also shore up their frontline.</p><p>Wood’s floor spacing would create more scoring opportunities for Curry and Thompson while also allowing him to form a killer pick-and-roll combo with Green. Wood would also give Green a reliable frontcourt mate on the defensive end who could help anchor their defensive sets with his strong interior defense and lateral quickness that he would utilize to close out at the threee-point line.</p><p>Also joining the Bay Area in this deal would be Eric Gordon and Avery Bradley who could provide the Warriors with more scoring and playmaking off the bench. With Bradley and Gordon likely running the second unit, this gives Curry and Thompson more time to rest while lessening their offensive load. In the team’s up-tempo, three-point heavy system, Bradley and Gordon could both have productive seasons and play lots of meaningful minutes.</p><p>Bradley is also a lockdown perimeter defender who could alternate between starter and sixth man and would do wonders for them when they face elite scoring backcourts. They’d also be walking away from this deal with the 23rd overall pick in this year’s draft, and given their previous success with player development, it’s safe to assume that the Warriors could get another steal in the first round.</p><p>On the other side of this deal, the Rockets gain more young talent and athleticism to add to their youth movement. They also wind up with the seventh overall pick in this year’s draft. The additions of James Wiseman, Andrew Wiggins, and Mychal Mulder would give the team a trio of young players to develop that could be vital in the rebuilding efforts.</p><p>Acquiring the seventh overall pick also gives the Rockets a chance to select their star of the future, who could eventually lead them back to the NBA Playoffs. Given all the players and assets that both teams acquire in this trade, it seems like a win-win scenario and a no-brainer for two teams that are in dire need of making a few adjustments that would get them back on the right track.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The perfect trade Warriors must offer Rockets for Christian Wood

<!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/lakers-news-lebron-james-slapped-with-harsh-goat-reality-by-jason-whitlock.jpg"><figcaption>July 26, 2021</figcaption></figure><h1>WATCH: LeBron James slapped with harsh GOAT reality by Jason Whitlock</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T22:14:20-07:00">July 26th, 10:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T22:14:20-07:00">July 26th, 10:14pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Amid all the controversies surrounding Team USA in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, journalist Jason Whitlock is oddly putting the blame on LeBron James. Whitlock, who’s known to give his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-jason-whitlock-thinks-los-angeles-is-over-lebron-james-after-disappointing-first-year/">harsh takes</a> on different things in and around the sport of basketball, singled out the Los Angeles Lakers champion and said that it’s because of James that people, including the NBA stars, are starting to feel ‘<a href="https://twitter.com/WhitlockJason/status/1419784136722632704">indifferent</a>‘ towards the Olympics.</p><blockquote>“American basketball is in a worse place than where LeBron found it. That’s what separates him from Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar [and] Bill Russell. LeBron dropped the basketball torch handed to him by the game’s greatest ambassadors,” Whitlock <a href="https://twitter.com/WhitlockJason/status/1419784136722632704">opened</a>.</blockquote><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">American indifference to basketball and the Olympics falls at the feet of one man. LeBron won't be remembered the way we remember Ali, Jordan and Magic. <a href="https://t.co/1KlvWUeCSL" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/1KlvWUeCSL</a></p><p>— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhitlockJason/status/1419784136722632704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 26, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The journalist went on to explain how the likes of Jordan, Magic, and Bird led the 1992 Dream Team to an Olympic gold medal and put basketball on the map. And now, per Whitlock, it seems this generation took a different turn as the leaders of the sport ‘act like they hate the country’. Whitlock’s statements also suggest that today’s players, including the four-time MVP, seem to be way too vocal on issues in society like the whole Black Lives Matter movement.</p><blockquote>“Indifference defines these Olympics and it defines a lot of old school sports fans’ feelings towards our professional basketball players,” Whitlock said. “It’s not all Lebron’s fault, he’s just the face of the me-first, social media athlete,”</blockquote><p>I mean Mr. Whitlock here does have a point – it is an old school way to look at things. I’ll just leave it at that.</p><p>LeBron opted not to join the Olympics this summer as he tries to use the off-season to recover from another crazy NBA season. Based on Whitlock’s logic, it’s somehow his fault that the team the US sent to Tokyo is struggling.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

WATCH: LeBron James slapped with harsh GOAT reality by Jason Whitlock

<!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/x-reasons-the-pelicans-need-to-sign-kyle-lowry.jpg"></figure><h1>3 reasons the Pelicans need to sign Kyle Lowry</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T22:00:11-07:00">July 26th, 10:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T22:00:11-07:00">July 26th, 10:00pm</time><address><a>Ben Cooper</a>16-year-old junior in high school with hopes of becoming a sports analyst</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans are bound to be active in this year’s offseason, already making a blockbuster trade. It’s clear the team is looking to put better talent alongside stars Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.</p><p>New Orleans started this by making a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. They <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-pelicans-acquire-jonas-valanciunas-from-grizzlies-in-blockbuster-trade-with-steven-adams-eric-bledsoe/" rel="noopener">traded away</a> Steven Adams, Eric Bledsoe, the 10th and 4oth picks in the draft, and a 2022 protected first-round pick via the Los Angeles Lakers for Jonas Valanciunas and the 17th and 51st picks in the draft. This move is just the start of an eventful offseason for the Pelicans.</p><p>One player that makes a ton of sense to bring in is guard Kyle Lowry. Here are three reasons the Pelicans need to sign the Toronto Raptors veteran in free agency.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Pelicans appear to have their trade that will create the needed salary-cap space to make the free-agent run at Toronto's Kyle Lowry we've been discussing since last week. <a href="https://t.co/2nkSg6sxbk" target="_blank">https://t.co/2nkSg6sxbk</a></p><p>— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1419757509707894791?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 26, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><h2><b>3. Kyle Lowry Has playoff experience</b></h2><p>A key factor in signing Lowry is adding someone to the team with playoff experience. They have a young core that needs veteran leadership, and Lowry provides that. He won a championship with the Toronto Raptors back in 2019 and was vital through their postseason run.</p><p>While Lowry is a fantastic player, a big portion of his value would be the mentorship he could provide for the young core. This could be similar to what Chris Paul brought to the young nucleus of the Phoenix Suns this 2020-21.</p><h2>2. Lowry is a great fit</h2><p>Kyle Lowry is a great fit with the Pelicans and will instantly elevate their team. With impending free agent Lonzo Ball likely leaving the team, the Pels need to work on bringing in a replacement.</p><p>The 35-year-old can defend at a high level while also being a great offensive player. Last season, he averaged <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/lowryky01.html" rel="noopener">17.2 points</a> per game along with 5.4 rebounds and 7.3 assists. He also has the ability to bank the 3-ball since he shot 39.6 percent from there last season. Lowry is a six-time All-Star that would make a big impact on the Pelicans.</p><h2><b>1. It can keep Ingram and Zion happy</b></h2><p>Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram’s happiness are of utmost importance to the organization. Bringing in a great player like Lowry would show the commitment the Pelicans have to compete.</p><p>Ingram is rumored to be interested in joining the Miami Heat, so the Pelicans need to act now to keep him happy. He is an elite talent and a big part of the young core. A one-time All-Star, Ingram averaged 23.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game in 2020-21 while recording efficient shooting splits.</p><p>Zion, on the other hand, has been <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2021/6/17/22538764/zion-williamson-new-orleans-pelicans-unhappy-offseason-rumors" rel="noopener">reported to be unhappy</a> with the organization. With that said, if things continue the way they are now, he could follow Anthony Davis’ footsteps and request a trade. They were both number 1 overall picks by the team and never had a championship team surrounding them. The year after Davis was traded, he won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers.</p><p>Bringing in a player like Lowry is a move that could keep these stars happy. The trade earlier for Valanciunas helps, but this trade could make them a playoff team.</p><p>The Pelicans will have a busy offseason, and all the decisions will be vital for the future of the franchise. They have a shot at being a contender within the next few seasons if they make the right moves.</p><p>If the Pelicans make a run for Lowry, they should be contending for a playoff spot next season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 reasons the Pelicans need to sign Kyle Lowry

<!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/Kyle-Kuzma-Kentavious-Caldwell-Pope-Lakers-Dennis-Schroder.jpg"></figure><h1>Harsh ‘literal’ situation of Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, revealed by Adrian Wojnarowski</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T21:59:41-07:00">July 26th, 9:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T21:59:41-07:00">July 26th, 9:59pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/lebron-james/b1a9094f">LeBron James</a>’ Space Jam: A New Legacy had a smashing opening in the box office, but there’s an even bigger blockbuster these days: The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/los-angeles-lakers">Los Angeles Lakers</a> Annual Offseason Drama.</p><p>Two of the protagonists (or antagonists?) are Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Lakers are trying to get rid of Kuzma and Caldwell-Pope. And when we say the team’s trying to get rid of them, the TEAM IS REALLY TRYING TO GET RID OF THEM (via <a href="https://heavy.com/sports/los-angeles-lakers/trade-rumors-kyle-kuzma-ricky-rubio-woj/">Heavy</a>).</p><blockquote>“They have literally offered Kyle Kuzma and KCP to almost (every team). Every team I’ve talked to in the league has been offered some combination of Kuz and KCP. Sometimes both of them, one of them, and that’s not going to get them back a point guard of Dennis’ (Schroder) stature.”</blockquote><p>It’s no secret that the Lakers are feeling out offers for Kuzma and Caldwell-Pope, but it’s quite telling that the Lakers are trying to peddle them to almost every NBA squad in hopes of getting a star point guard to possibly replace Schroder.</p><p>Rumors swirled a few weeks ago that Kuzma, KCP, and a few other options will be shipped to the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> in exchange for All-Star floor general Kemba Walker. But talks have cooled down since, and the Lakers back to the drawing board anew.</p><p>Despite <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/kyle-kuzma/afa10932/stats">another mediocre campaign</a>, Kyle Kuzma was adamant that he can play a bigger role for the Lakers. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope played his role well, but apparently, sharing an agent with LeBron doesn’t protect him from being shipped out.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Harsh ‘literal’ situation of Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, revealed by Adrian Wojnarowski

<!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/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-channels-kobe-bryant-dwyane-wade-other-nba-champs-on-instagram.jpg"><figcaption>July 26, 2021</figcaption></figure><h1>Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo channels Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, other NBA champs on Instagram</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T21:34:00-07:00">July 26th, 9:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T21:34:00-07:00">July 26th, 9:34pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Less than a week after winning his first-ever NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo has switched his mood to get the off-season grind going. The two-time MVP knows that a lot of great superstars have paved the way for him and Giannis channelled a few of these iconic NBA champions in his latest social media posts.</p><p>The 26-year-old posted a series of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/giannis_an34/">Instagram Stories</a> channeling quite the collection of superstars – Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat, Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks, Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets, and, last but not the least, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant (via Bleacher Report).</p><blockquote>“Let’s have a great off season… WORK” Giannis posted.</blockquote><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Giannis channeling some champs this offseason on his IG story 😤 <a href="https://t.co/LsrLMODzXu" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/LsrLMODzXu</a></p><p>— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1419866801010135040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 27, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Now that’s a starting five that would guarantee you a few titles.</p><p>Giannis has been through quite a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/how-giannis-antetokounmpo-went-from-greek-vendor-to-nba-superstar/">journey</a> both in and out of the NBA. From selling watches and CDs on the streets of Greece to climbing his way all the way to the top of the league, Antetokoummpo has literally been through it all. After winning back-to-back MVP titles in 2019 and 2020 and now winning his first NBA ring as well as his first NBA Finals MVP trophy, it seems that the champ has his eyes on so much more.</p><p>Antetokounmpo’s trophy cabinet may be filling up quite fast but, as his recent post suggests, that’s all in the past now and it’s time to get back to work. Though it may be a tough ask for the Bucks to repeat and go on another amazing championship run, there isn’t really a challenging path Giannis was never willing to take.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo channels Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, other NBA champs on Instagram

<!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/lakers-news-lebron-james-space-jam-mural-in-akron-vandalized.jpg"></figure><h1>Lakers star LeBron James’ Space Jam mural in Akron vandalized with clown nose</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T21:24:34-07:00">July 26th, 9:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T21:24:34-07:00">July 26th, 9:24pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is a beloved figure in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. Aside from bringing Cleveland its first NBA championship in 2016, he also established the I Promise School to provide education for at-risk children.</p><p>However, he is not without his haters, even in the place where has done so much for.</p><p>That much is proven when a mural of the Lakers star in Akron was vandalized recently. The said street art features LeBron alongside the Looney Tunes, made to commemorate the release of his film “<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-star-lebron-james-heartfelt-speech-to-cast-and-crew-on-space-jam-2-set/" rel="noopener">Space Jam: A New Legacy</a>.”</p><p>According to a report from <a href="https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/07/26/kent-state-student-paints-giant-lebron-mural-with-space-jam-characters-in-akron/8023952002/?fbclid=IwAR3TwO_7oEkNNvCwXmJsHRJWh8JnHj5wgoaiVvUuaOXddNhOlHBahL6KF7I" rel="noopener">The Columbus Dispatch</a>, who also shared images of the vandalism, the mural has been defaced with the culprit putting a red clown nose on the face of the Lakers star. The words “LA FLOP” were also written over the mural. It is believed the vandalism happened on Monday morning.</p><p>Here’s how the mural of the Lakers forward looked before it was defaced.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/muralmonday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#muralmonday</a> Took a quick trip down to Akron this weekend to find this one by <a href="https://twitter.com/itschardae?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@itschardae</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@kingjames</a> and his Space Jam teammates. 😍 <a href="https://t.co/yxpA9VCi0i" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/yxpA9VCi0i</a></p><p>— BlackgirlinCLE (@blackgirlinCLE) <a href="https://twitter.com/blackgirlinCLE/status/1417093140314566656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 19, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Here’s how it looks like now:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="cy">Akron, Ohio 🤡 🤦‍♀️ <br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/rustbeltmagic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#rustbeltmagic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/akron?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#akron</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/documentingakron?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#documentingakron</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/rubbercityruins?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#rubbercityruins</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mural?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#mural</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/lebronjames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#lebronjames</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/spacejam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#spacejam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thisiswhywecanthavenicethings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#thisiswhywecanthavenicethings</a> <a href="https://t.co/PcDSQ5Ua0H" target="_blank">https://t.co/PcDSQ5Ua0H</a> <a href="https://t.co/q4MJkjhVEP" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/q4MJkjhVEP</a></p><p>— Jessica (@flannelkimono) <a href="https://twitter.com/flannelkimono/status/1419819666915139587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 27, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>It’s certainly not a good thing. What makes matters worse, it’s actually near LeBron James’ alma matter, St. Vincent-St. Mary high school, and his I Promise School.</p><p>While it’s likely LeBron James won’t care about the disrespectful act, the Akron community surely won’t be happy about it. After all, the Lakers leader remains an influential figure who continues to give back in the community.</p><p>It’s doubtful the mural will stay looking like that for long, though.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers star LeBron James’ Space Jam mural in Akron vandalized with clown nose

<!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/Bulls-Lonzo-Ball-Spencer-Dinwiddie-Derrick-Rose.jpg"></figure><h1>3 players the Bulls must sign in 2021 free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T20:52:38-07:00">July 26th, 8:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T20:52:38-07:00">July 26th, 8:52pm</time><address><a>Virgil Villanueva</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Bulls are expected to be big spenders this offseason as they continue their quest to beef up their roster. Coby White underwent shoulder surgery last month and is expected to be out for four months. Even when this timeline expires, the Bulls will likely limit White’s minutes until he’s a hundred percent healthy.</p><p>As such, the Bulls would need to fill in the point guard position. Good for them, there are several players available in the position. Let’s take a look at some of them.</p><h2>PG Options for Bulls:</h2><h2><b>Derrick Rose</b></h2><p>A <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/discussing-bulls-draft-plans-chances-derrick-rose-reunion">homecoming for Derrick Rose</a> is a good idea not just for the Bulls fanbase, but the former league MVP is one of the best options at the point guard spot. As noted, the Bulls need to fill in the position up until White returns from injury. When this happens, Rose will have no problems slipping into a backup role.</p><p>At this point in his career, Rose has been willing to embrace this type of role. Unlike other players of his stature, Rose doesn’t mind being called a backup guard. This trait makes him the ideal long-term guard for the Bulls. Once White returns, Rose can continually play an active role in his development. Apart from being a mentor to White, the mere presence of a veteran like Rose will contribute greatly to the Bull’s quest to become legitimate playoff contenders.</p><h2><b>Lonzo Ball</b></h2><p>Lonzo Ball is also one of the hot commodities at the point guard spot. Reports reveal that the New Orleans Pelicans will try their best to match the offers Ball will receive from other teams. Analysts read this as the end of the Ball era in NOLA. This would be unfortunate news <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/lonzo-ball/b5820a02/stats">given his remarkable improvement</a> and his budding chemistry with Zion Williamson. However, this is good news for a team like the Bulls who will benefit a ton from Ball’s services.</p><p>Ball’s vision and playmaking are the strongest assets of his game. Together with a scoring machine like Zach LaVine, the two can easily turn into one of the most promising duos in the Eastern Conference. It’s easy to imagine Ball tossing lobs to LaVine in fastbreak or half-court situations. With Nikola Vucevic, pick-and-pops would be one of their bread-and-butter plays.</p><p>Obviously, Ball’s presence would give the Bulls a dilemma once White returns. White’s potential has yet to be unlocked and so turning him into the backup guard isn’t really a wise decision.</p><h2><b>Spencer Dinwiddie</b></h2><p>Among the players in this list, Spencer Dinwiddie may be the best option given the Bull’s situation. While the 28-year-old has played the PG spot for most of his career, he would have no problem moving up to the shooting guard position when White returns. In short, with Dinwiddie in the fold, the Bulls will be more flexible in their rotations. This team ability is very imperative in today’s era where coaches like to play around with their lineups in hopes of confusing their opponent.</p><p>Dinwiddie is an automatic 15-20 points a night. He’s someone who can create for himself and can also thrive in catch-and-shoot or hand-off plays. The word “defense” won’t immediately enter your mind when you hear his name but the man stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 215 pounds. He has enough bulk and mobility to cover both guard spots. He would be a nice fit for the Bulls.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 players the Bulls must sign in 2021 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/2021/07/the-5-greatest-players-of-team-usa-from-the-past-decade.jpg"></figure><h1>The 5 greatest players of Team USA from the past decade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T20:52:00-07:00">July 26th, 8:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T20:52:00-07:00">July 26th, 8:52pm</time><address><a>Timothy Sevilleja</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Team USA has been the standard-bearer of international basketball ever since the Olympic Committee permitted professional players to play in the 1992 Barcelona games. That summer, arguably the greatest basketball team ever was assembled: the 1992 Dream Team composed of the likes of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and some other player named Michael Jordan.</p><p>After a disappointing finish in 2004, Team USA got back on track in 2008 in the Beijing Olympics, winning gold with Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony leading the “Redeem Team” to glory.</p><p>Since Team USA Men’s triumph in China, they would then go on an international rampage, winning all FIBA World Cups and Olympic Basketball tournaments from the 2010 FIBA World Cup to the 2016 Rio Olympics. This would come to a bitter end in the 2019 FIBA World Cup where a lackluster performance saw them place an embarrassing 5th place in the tournament.</p><p>A lot of all-time greats contributed to the massive success of Team USA in their dominant stretch. In this piece, we’ll be ranking the five greatest players to have laced up for Team USA Men’s Basketball in the past decade. As such, the list will cover all FIBA World Cups and Olympic Basketball tournaments to have been played from 2010 to 2019. The players’ performance will strictly be based on these tournaments and will not take into account their NBA careers. Their respective statistics and individual awards will primarily be taken into account. Lastly, only senior tournaments will be covered by the list.</p><p>With that, let’s get into Team USA’s greatest stalwarts last decade.</p><h2><b>5. James Harden</b></h2><p><b>Statistics: </b>10.1 points, 1.8 rebounds rebounds, 2.1 assists</p><p><b>Achievements: </b>Gold Medal, 2012 London Olympics; Championship, 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup</p><p>Starting us off is The Beard for his scoring exploits with Team USA.</p><p>James Harden took part in two out of five international tournaments in the past decade, in the back-to-back competitions of the 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Naturally, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard was nowhere near the first option in the London tournament, with the great Kobe Bryant taking the starting role.</p><p>Harden, who was a last-minute call-up for Team USA back then, was limited to just 9.3 minutes a game and averaged 5.5 points in his small role.</p><p>Fast forward two years to the 2014 World Cup held in Spain: Harden was now Team USA’s captain ball and was a bonafide superstar. He had an incredible tournament,  leading the squad in scoring with 14.2 points per contest. He would score an international career-high of 23 points in the finals against Serbia to cap off a dominant tournament, wherein the USA won every single game by an average of 33 points.</p><p>An overall great two-year international run from the gifted scorer.</p><h2><b>4. Klay Thompson</b></h2><p><b>Statistics: </b>11.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists</p><p><b>Achievements: </b>Champion, 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup; Gold Medal, 2016 Rio Olympics</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/klay-thompson/a0dc0928" rel="noopener">ever-reliable</a> Klay Thompson just barely edged out James Harden in the rankings.</p><p>The sharpshooting guard laced up for Team USA in both the 2014 FIBA World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics, obviously winning both tournaments. He was consistently good in both, with stat lines of 13-2-2 in the 2014 World Cup and 10-3-2 in Rio. He obviously had a better tournament in 2014, wherein he led the US in scoring in their first outing against Finland, with 18 points on 70 percent shooting from the field. Thompson had another good outing in the quarterfinal against Slovenia, going off for 20 huge points on 7-of-12 shooting and 50 percent from three.</p><p>Klay would have his greatest international game against France two years later in Rio, shooting his way to a team-high 30 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Every point was crucial for the victory, as the US scraped a tight 100-97 victory over the Frenchmen. Thompson would come up huge again in the semifinals against a Spanish team led by the Gasol brothers, going 50 percent from the field and from three as he led the star-studded US once again in scoring with 22 points.</p><p>For his multiple huge contributions and his crucial 30 points against France, Thompson easily slots himself in fourth.</p><h2><b>3. Carmelo Anthony</b></h2><p><b>Statistics: </b>14.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists</p><p><b>Achievements: </b>Gold Medal, 2012 London Olympics; Gold Medal, 2016 Rio Olympics</p><p>Carmelo Anthony is the most decorated Olympian in the history of Team USA Men’s Basketball.</p><p>Melo was part of Team USA for four straight Olympics, winning three gold medals and one bronze. Two of those golds came in London and Rio wherein he put up 16-5-1 and 12-5-2 stat lines respectively. Anthony was undoubtedly one of Team USA’s best scorers every time he stepped foot on the international stage.</p><p>As such, he has set several incredible Olympic records. He holds the US all-time single-game scoring record of 37 points on (also a record) 10 threes (both set in their ridiculous 83-point win against Nigeria in London). He is also the USA’s top scorer in the Olympics, with his record of 336 points still standing.</p><p>There’s a reason why the “Olympic Melo” alter ego exists. He had always been one of Team USA’s greatest and most reliable scorers and was arguably the program’s greatest-ever servant.</p><h2><b>2. Kyrie Irving</b></h2><p><b>Statistics: </b>11.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists</p><p><b>Achievements: </b>Champion, MVP, All-Tournament Team Selection, 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup; Gold Medal, 2016 Rio Olympics</p><p>2014 and 2016 saw arguably the best of Uncle Drew on the international stage.</p><p>Despite being Australian-born, Irving has been one of the stars of Team USA in the 2014 FIBA World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics. He churned out highlight play after highlight play, from his ridiculous handles and finishing to perfectly placed lobs to Anthony Davis or Kenneth Faried. He put up stats lines of 12-3-4 and 11-3-5 in Spain and Rio respectively.</p><p>Irving was impressive every time he laced up for the States, but he was particularly special in several standout games. One was an 18-point, four-assist outing in the 2014 semifinals against Lithuania.</p><p>However, Kyrie’s greatest outing for Team USA is, of course, his massive performance in the 2014 Final against Serbia. Irving went off for a game-high 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field and 6-of-6 from 3-point land.</p><p>Uncle Drew barely edged out Melo by virtue of being more decorated for this decade, although no one can deny Anthony’s greatness when taking into account his 14-year tenure for the States.</p><h2><b>1. Kevin Durant</b></h2><p><b>Statistics: </b>20.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists</p><p><b>Achievements: </b>Champion, MVP, All-Tournament Selection, 2010 FIBA World Championships; Gold Medal, 2012 London Olympics; Gold Medal, 2016 Rio Olympics</p><p>Easily the best player to lace up f0r the stars and stripes in the 2010s. No other player suited up for Team USA in more tournaments in the previous decade than Kevin Durant; he turned out for Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s unit for three out of five possible competitions.</p><p>Each time he did, he was almost always the best player on the court. He has never averaged less than 19 points per game in any tournament, with his international career-high of 22.8 points per game coming in the 2010 FIBA World Championships.</p><p>The number of times that he led Team USA in scoring would simply be too many to put here. There are two moments that cannot be left out, however: his 38-point outburst against Lithuania in the 2010 semifinals, and the championship-clinching <a href="https://www.landofbasketball.com/olympics/box_scores/2012_usa_spa_1.htm" rel="noopener">3o point, nine-rebound performance</a> against Spain in the 2012 Olympics.</p><p>Not one single player comes close to Kevin Durant in terms of output and achievements for Team USA in the past decade. It is absolutely fitting that arguably the greatest scorer the game has ever seen takes top spot on this list.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The 5 greatest players of Team USA from the past decade

<!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/sixers-rumors-raptors-massive-trade-package-for-ben-simmons-that-philly-rejected.jpg"><figcaption>July 26, 2021</figcaption></figure><h1>RUMOR: Sixers’ massive trade package for Ben Simmons that the Raptors rejected</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T20:32:35-07:00">July 26th, 8:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T22:59:34-07:00">July 26th, 10:59pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Did the Toronto Raptors just deny a blockbuster trade offer from the Philadelphia 76ers that would’ve sent Ben Simmons to Canada in exchange for a few starters? Obviously, it’s the offseason and the rumor mill is spinning like crazy so it’s best to take this in with a grain of salt.</p><p>Apparently, according to a report from <a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/nba-free-agency-2021-draft-intel-ben-simmons-kyle-lowry-cade-cunningham?fbclid=IwAR3gQe8et8V542WCwh1kuXb9fga-Mk_P_SHw4LXEQCnd9rZ_MJUi4zRsnMc">Action Network</a>, sources that are involved in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-rumors-ben-simmons-trade-to-toronto-gaining-steam/">trade talks</a> between the Raptors and the Sixers have confirmed that Philly actually sent out a massive trade package in exchange for their three-time All-Star, which was ultimately rejected by the Raptors front office. Per the report, the Sixers was asking for Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and the fourth overall pick in this week’s NBA Draft for Simmons.</p><p>I mean, wow.</p><p>Don’t get me wrong. I think Simmons is one of the best and most complete athletes in the league if he wants to be, but asking for three bonafide starters and a lottery pick for a person not named LeBron James or Luka Doncic is quite insane. This was probably what the Raps front office was thinking when they immediately rejected the offer.</p><p>That being said, there is a deal there somewhere and it seems that the ball is on the court of Toronto for a possible counter offer. Simmons in exchange for possibly two or three players could be workable so it would depend on both franchises to hash things out and possibly come up with a win-win agreement.</p><p>Both teams need a renewed lineup heading to the 2021-2022 NBA season and they might want to keep their conversation going before another team swoops in and blows the whole deal up.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Sixers’ massive trade package for Ben Simmons that the Raptors rejected

<!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/Bradley-Beal-Zach-LaVine-Bulls-Wizards-Billy-Donovan-Team-USA.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMORS: Bradley Beal’s newfound friendship with All-Star guard could factor offseason decision</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T19:59:45-07:00">July 26th, 7:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T19:59:45-07:00">July 26th, 7:59pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Washington Wizards main man Bradley Beal continues to be in the middle of a tug of war among teams yearning to get his services. Beal is reportedly disgruntled over the way things are going with the Wizards and is expected to seek a trade real soon.</p><p>Beal has had many suitors, even during the past season when he was already rumored to be included in a midseason trade. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/bradley-beal/b2db0999/stats">high-scoring guard</a> jumping to another squad might finally happen this offseason, and it’s possible that he’ll join another high-scoring guard.</p><p>Beal’s newfound friendship with Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine has sparked rumors that he could move to the Windy City. They have forged a bond in Team USA, being two of the earlier commits to the squad after their early exits in their NBA campaign. When asked about LaVine, Beal only had nice things to say (via <a href="https://heavy.com/sports/chicago-bulls/bradley-beal-wizards-trade/">Heavy</a>).</p><blockquote>“Pure talent. He is an underrated guard in our league, all of our peers know that. I love going against him too, because we know each other’s moves. We know each other’s counters and so on.<i>“</i></blockquote><p>Then there’s also Bulls coach Billy Donovan, who was Beal’s coach at Florida. Beal has always supported Donovan, and playing for him again would be a convenient choice. After all, he wouldn’t be in the NBA without his former mentor’s guidance.</p><p>As of now, Bradley Beal is focused on helping Team USA win the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics. But don’t be surprised if some sleuth deals are already being made.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMORS: Bradley Beal’s newfound friendship with All-Star guard could factor offseason decision

<!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/Lakers-Ricky-Rubio-Kyle-Lowry-Dennis-Schroder.jpg"></figure><h1>Dennis Schroder could be replaced by nifty veteran guard not named Kyle Lowry, per insider</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T19:50:56-07:00">July 26th, 7:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T19:50:56-07:00">July 26th, 7:50pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Kyle Lowry’s name continues to be thrown around as one of the possible acquisitions of the Los Angele Lakers in the offseason. But aside from the Toronto Raptors veteran, the Lakers are also reportedly looking at another seasoned playmaker, as possible insurance if Dennis Schroder packs his bags out of Hollywood.</p><p>ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski said the Lakers are still snooping around for Schroder’s probable replacement. But the guard from Germany could very well stay with the Purple &amp; Gold. Still, it’s not set in stone, especially with other guys being floated around. Case in point: Minnesota Timberwolves PG Ricky Rubio (via <a href="https://heavy.com/sports/los-angeles-lakers/trade-rumors-kyle-kuzma-ricky-rubio-woj/">Heavy</a>).</p><blockquote>“Listen, he’s (Schroder) got options, again, Chicago (Bulls) and New York (Knicks). I still think in the end there’s a deal to be made for him to stay with the Lakers. Because, all of the sudden, now you’re talking about, ‘Could we go get Ricky Rubio?’ Like, some good players, but I still think Schroder is a player who moves the needle, and let’s get him out of a COVID season, get him back with a training camp with this team, and it’s probably going to look at a lot different.”</blockquote><p>Wojnarowski may have simply mentioned Rubio’s name in passing, but him joining the Lakers doesn’t sound too crazy at this point. He <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/ricky-rubio/a25c0907/stats">could also fit well</a>, as he doesn’t need to take a lot of shots and just focus on setting the table for LeBron James and Anthony Davis.</p><p>It’s quite clear though that the Schroder situation won’t end soon for the Lakers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dennis Schroder could be replaced by nifty veteran guard not named Kyle Lowry, per insider

<!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/Kyle-Lowry_s-major-demand-that-could-hinder-LA-signing.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: Kyle Lowry’s major demand that could hinder Lakers signing</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T19:26:24-07:00">July 26th, 7:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T23:01:47-07:00">July 26th, 11:01pm</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>Previous reports have suggested that Toronto Raptors veteran Kyle Lowry could be on his way to Hollywood with the Los Angeles Lakers <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-rumors-kyle-lowry-demar-derozan-interested-in-joining-lebron-james-anthony-davis-in-l-a/" rel="noopener">showing serious interest</a> in the six-time All-Star. As it turns out, however, Lowry himself might not be too inclined to joining LeBron James right now.</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/nba-free-agency-2021-draft-intel-ben-simmons-kyle-lowry-cade-cunningham">Matt Moore of Action Network</a>, Lowry’s contract demands might just force the Lakers out of the race for his signature. That is, there have been rumblings about Lowry prioritizing a huge payday over a potential championship:</p><blockquote>There was some assumption from league sources that Lowry would be chasing a second ring in free agency. But while playoff or prospective playoff teams make up the list of suitors, the new operating assumption is that money will be the deciding factor for Lowry.There will be no ring chasing under a minimum deal, in other words.</blockquote><p>Aside from the Lakers, there have been a couple of other teams that have been liked to a swoop for Lowry once he enters free agency this summer. The Philadelphia 76ers are thought to be one of the most <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-rumors-lakers-sixers-form-5-team-list-of-top-kyle-lowry-suitors/">active suitors</a> for Lowry, while both the New York Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks have also emerged as serious contenders:</p><blockquote>The Knicks are considering a one-year deal that would trump, the thinking goes, a multi-team offer in single-year salary. The Mavericks are thought to be pursuing a two-year deal for Lowry.</blockquote><p>Both the Knicks and the Mavs could potentially offer a more lucrative deal to Lowry as opposed to what the Lakers could put on the table. It does look like the Lakers are serious about their pursuit for Kyle Lowry, but at this point, it doesn’t appear as though they can afford him.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Kyle Lowry’s major demand that could hinder Lakers signing

<!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/Jason-Kidd-reacts-to-Luka-Doncic_s-epic-48-point-debut-in-Tokyo-Olympics.jpg"></figure><h1>Mavs coach Jason Kidd reacts to Luka Doncic’s epic 48-point debut in Tokyo Olympics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T18:57:12-07:00">July 26th, 6:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T18:57:12-07:00">July 26th, 6:57pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/dallas-mavericks">Dallas Mavericks</a> star <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/luka-doncic/b74d0a0c">Luka Doncic</a> had a historic debut in the Tokyo Olympics, and his new Mavs coach Jason Kidd couldn’t be more proud.</p><p>Doncic <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/olympics-news-mavs-star-luka-doncic-makes-history-for-slovenia-in-absurd-debut/" rel="noopener">led his native Slovenia</a> to a 118-110 win in their Olympic opener against Argentina. The Mavs star was unstoppable throughout the contest, <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1419547141651931136" rel="noopener">finishing with a game-high 48 points</a> on top of 11 rebounds, five assists and three blocks.</p><p>He also made six triples, four of which were his patented stepback 3-pointer.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Four step-back 3s for Luka Doncic during his 48-point outburst in a win over Argentina. Owned the paint and shot 12-for-15 from 2. Just too big to keep out of the lane when you combine his size &amp; strength with his shooting. Also delivered his patented behind-the-back pocket pass. <a href="https://t.co/w5msONEHc0" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/w5msONEHc0</a></p><p>— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mike_Schmitz/status/1419631429827317773?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 26, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Of course, Luka Doncic’s Mavs coach in Jason Kidd was glued to the TV watching the contest. And for the former NBA champion and star point guard, it was “special” watching his superstar play.</p><blockquote>“That was a special game last night. What a great way to start your Olympic career with 48 points against a very good Argentina team,” Kidd shared to <a href="https://www.audacy.com/1053thefan/podcasts/gavin-dawson-733/jason-kidd-on-porzingis-being-a-secondary-option-his-role-in-player-acquisition-and-much-more-588690847" rel="noopener">105.3 The Fan’s G-Bag Nation</a> (h/t <a href="https://thesmokingcuban.com/2021/07/26/dallas-mavericks-jason-kidd-luka-doncic-offense/" rel="noopener">Fansided</a>).</blockquote><p>Luka is yet to formally meet Kidd after the former Mavs point guard was officially hired to replace Rick Carlisle. However, it is pretty clear Kidd is excited to see Doncic in action when he returns to Dallas after the Olympics.</p><p>For now, though, it sure looks like Kidd will be in full support of his star as he tries to lead Slovenia to the Olympic basketball gold–something that the nation has never won before and one that Doncic deems more important than an NBA championship.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavs coach Jason Kidd reacts to Luka Doncic’s epic 48-point debut in Tokyo Olympics

<!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/2021/07/evan-mobley-jarrett-allen-cavs.jpeg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ true feelings on Evan Mobley-Jarrett Allen duo ahead of NBA Draft</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T18:52:12-07:00">July 26th, 6:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T18:57:01-07:00">July 26th, 6:57pm</time><address><a>Arlos Sara</a>Arlos Sara graduated with a degree Psychology. He is an NBA writer and editor for ClutchPoints and Cavs Nation. Back in the day, while other kids were consumed by their toys and comic books, young Arlos was already thumbing through the pages of sports magazines.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers are in a prime position to select a potential franchise cornerstone in a few days. In a ridiculously stacked pool, especially at the top, it’s hard to imagine the Cavs fumbling this one.</p><p>At this point, the expectation from most pundits is Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green getting called up as the top two picks by Adam Silver on draft night. This leaves the Cavs with Evan Mobley, whom many pegged as a talent who isn’t far behind Cunningham and Green.</p><p>A versatile big man with a “unicorn” label to his resume, Mobley presents himself as a tantalizing potential frontcourt partner for Jarrett Allen.</p><p>Via <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2021/07/2021-nba-draft-evan-mobley-isnt-the-typical-7-footer-hes-a-unicorn-that-can-fit-anywhere.html">Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com</a>:</p><blockquote>Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff, sources say, is intrigued by the possibilities with him and Allen together and what it could mean for the 25th-ranked defense. Members of Cleveland’s front office believe the two bigs will work well together.</blockquote><p>Allen is a restricted free agent but the Cavs are highly likely to match any offer, even with the Toronto Raptors rumored to be positioning themselves for an <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-rumors-jarrett-allen-eyeing-new-deal-with-cavs-but-raptors-loom-large/">aggressive bid</a>.</p><p>The Cavs own one of the most, if not the most, putrid defenses in the NBA. Mobley would help alleviate their pain on the defensive end with his ability to harass both guards and bigs while being a very capable rim protector.</p><p>The former USC Trojan has a lot of work ahead of him in terms of strength. Still, his ceiling as a Chris Bosh-type of a scorer with shades of Anthony Davis on the other end is too hard to pass up.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ true feelings on Evan Mobley-Jarrett Allen duo ahead of NBA Draft

<!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/nba-news-pau-gasol-shows-off-insane-ping-pong-skills-during-olympic-break.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA news: Pau Gasol shows off insane ping-pong skills during Olympic break</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T18:31:23-07:00">July 26th, 6:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T18:32:34-07:00">July 26th, 6:32pm</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><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-pau-gasol-kobe-bryant-inspiration-for-playing-in-tokyo-olympics/">Former</a> Los Angeles Lakers big man Pau Gasol is in Tokyo right now as part of the Spanish national basketball team. As it turns out, however, he might very well be representing his country for the ping-pong competition.</p><p>Apparently, Pau Gasol is good in ping-pong. Like, really, really good (h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/BR_NBA/status/1419808511169495040">Bleacher Report</a> on Twitter):</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Pau Gasol got some ping pong skills 😳</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/fcttcat?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@fcttcat</a>)<a href="https://t.co/iyadiMkBww" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/iyadiMkBww</a></p><p>— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/BR_NBA/status/1419808511169495040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 26, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>So as you can see, Gasol isn’t only talented with a basketball. He also has quite the skill level in ping-pong and he certainly showcased his advanced techniques here. It also sounds like he was cheering himself on during the rally (we couldn’t quite see with Gasol’s mask on) so it is clear that he hasn’t lost one bit of his passion for competitive sports.</p><p>We’re not sure who Pau Gasol was going against here, but his opponent definitely knows how to play as well. She took Gasol’s smashes like a champ and she ended up winning the point on what turned out to be an epic rally. We’d absolutely love to see this entire match.</p><p>At 41, this will likely be Pau Gasol’s final stint for the Spanish basketball team. It could very well also serve as his swansong for professional basketball in general. A gold medal would be sweet to cap off what has been a tremendous career for the Pau Gasol.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA news: Pau Gasol shows off insane ping-pong skills during Olympic break

<!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/nba-rumors-clippers-join-lakers-in-5-team-race-for-demar-derozan.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: Clippers join Lakers in 5-team race for DeMar DeRozan</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T17:26:16-07:00">July 26th, 5:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T17:32:42-07:00">July 26th, 5:32pm</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><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/san-antonio-spurs">San Antonio Spurs</a> star DeMar DeRozan has emerged as one of the biggest names in this summer’s free agency class. Rumors of his impending departure from the Spurs became even more prominent after the Compton, California native recently <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-news-demar-derozan-reveals-hearts-desire-free-agency/" rel="noopener">expressed</a> his willingness to play in his hometown of Los Angeles. Unsurprisingly, it isn’t only the Lakers who are in the race to sign DeRozan.</p><p>The Lakers’ bitter cross-town rivals, the LA Clippers, are reportedly also in the running in the DeRozan bidding war. The same goes for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/new-york-knicks">New York Knicks</a>, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/chicago-bulls">Chicago Bulls</a>, and his current team, the Spurs, making it a five-horse race. This is according to NBA insider <a href="https://twitter.com/N_Magaro/status/1419770943493361668">Marc J. Spears</a> of The Undefeated:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Marc J. Spears on DeMar DeRozan’s impending free agency: <a href="https://t.co/I1vDTT6vVr" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/I1vDTT6vVr</a></p><p>— Noah Magaro-George (@N_Magaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/N_Magaro/status/1419770943493361668?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 26, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>As Spears noted above, the fact that DeRozan is heavily involved in the community down in Compton and this coupled with the fact that his family still resides in LA, could very well serve as the primary motivating factors for DeMar to take his talents to Los Angeles. Then again, it appears that the Spurs still want him back for next season, so they shouldn’t be counted out. The glamor of playing in New York or even in Chicago also positions both the Knicks and the Bulls as potential dark horses to land DeRozan.</p><p>For what it’s worth, DeMar DeRozan pocketed $27.7 million with the Spurs last season. He could be looking to earn a similar amount this coming campaign or perhaps even more considering how this current free agency class lacks the talent pool of its recent predecessors.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Clippers join Lakers in 5-team race for 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/2021/07/olympics-news-pau-gasols-kobe-bryant-inspiration-for-playing-in-tokyo-olympics.jpg"></figure><h1>Lakers great Pau Gasol’s Kobe Bryant inspiration for playing in Tokyo Olympics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T17:25:15-07:00">July 26th, 5:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T17:25:15-07:00">July 26th, 5:25pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Pau Gasol, at 41 years old, is still playing in the Tokyo Olympics for his native Spain. According to the NBA champion big man, though, it’s all because of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.</p><p>In a recent interview with <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2021/07/24/pau-gasol-kobe-bryant-inspiring-quest-end-career-gold/8035406002/" rel="noopener">Mark Medina of USA Today</a>, Gasol shared how Kobe has inspired him to push through his career and even join the national team in a bid to win Olympic gold. While he has battled with injuries over the past few years and even considered retirement, Bryant’s legacy continues to push him pas his limits.</p><blockquote>“I kept him in mind a lot of the days to say hey, ‘Kobe would be pushing himself,'” Gasol said of his late friend and Lakers teammate. “Kobe would not be taking this workout easy or not skipping anything. He would be really disciplined, trusting and being committed to the work. He’s always a big presence with me. He’s always going to be an inspiration and motivation in my life.”</blockquote><p>When Gasol was recovering from his foot injury that denied him the chance to return to the NBA, he shared how he always thought of his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-kobe-bryant-two-sides-as-a-teammate-per-pau-gasol/" rel="noopener">Lakers teammat</a>e and how relentless he was in dealing with any injury or pain. The Spaniard used that as another source of motivation not to give up on his career.</p><blockquote>“He really pushed himself to the limit,” Gasol added. “He pushed through a lot of injuries and a lot of pain and discomfort. He was relentless and very disciplined on his rehab and his recovery. During my recovery, I always had him present.”</blockquote><p>Now, the former Lakers big man and champion is in the Tokyo Olympics playing his heart out for his country. While Kobe Bryant is no longer with us, he would definitely be proud to see Pau Gasol defying the odds.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers great Pau Gasol’s Kobe Bryant inspiration for playing in Tokyo Olympics

<!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/nuggets-news-javale-mcgee-received-hurtful-message-from-ex-denver-coach.jpg"></figure><h1>JaVale McGee received hurtful message from ex-Nuggets coach</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T16:37:48-07:00">July 26th, 4:37pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T16:37:48-07:00">July 26th, 4:37pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a></address><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>JaVale McGee has had a slew of doubters throughout his NBA career. Apparently, one of them is his former <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/denver-nuggets" rel="noopener">Denver Nuggets</a> head coach Brian Shaw.</p><p>On <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRzkPXzne1k/" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>, McGee posted a video reflecting how blessed he is in his professional basketball career. He narrated his journey in the NBA before winning the championship with the Golden State Warriors (2017, 2018) and the Los Angeles Lakers (2020), and then now being part of Team USA where he has the chance to win the Olympic gold medal just like his mom, Pamela McGee.</p><p>In the comments section of the post, fans and players alike showed their appreciation for the Nuggets big man. However, what stood out the most was Kenneth Faried’s revelation on how Shaw treated the center during their time together in Denver.</p><p>According to Faried, who was with the Nuggets from 2011 to 2018, Shaw once said that McGee would be out in two years and playing overseas. Shaw served as Denver’s head coach from 2013 to 2015.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">brian shaw stays catching strays <a href="https://t.co/JBWI2yX9Is" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/JBWI2yX9Is</a></p><p>— honi (@HoniAhm) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoniAhm/status/1419783590791974914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 26, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>JaVale McGee certainly deserves a ton of credit for getting through all the adversity and proving that he belongs in the NBA. If the story about Brian Shaw’s criticism is true, then all the more it is impressive for McGee to be able to reach where he is today.</p><p>While McGee was certainly not the best version of himself when he was young–often criticized for his poor plays and lack of use of his athleticism–he has definitely found his role in the NBA now. Shaw’s criticism was harsh and, perhaps, unwarranted. But the Nuggets center proved him wrong.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

JaVale McGee received hurtful message from ex-Nuggets coach

<!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/wizards-rumors-the-real-reason-behind-bradley-beals.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: The real reason why Bradley Beal is considering trade from Wizards</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T16:23:51-07:00">July 26th, 4:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T16:24:53-07:00">July 26th, 4:24pm</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 basketball world was hit by a bombshell after it was revealed that Bradley Beal is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/wizards-rumors-bradley-beal-still-mulling-future-as-warriors-get-ready-to-pounce-on-trade/">seriously mulling his future</a> with the Washington Wizards. Beal has remained loyal to the Wizards through the years despite the numerous opportunities wherein he could have forced a move away from DC. As it turns out, a trade demand might just be inevitable at this point — and here’s why.</p><p><a href="https://theathletic.com/2730094/2021/07/26/katz-as-wizards-await-bradley-beals-decision-there-is-still-reason-to-believe-he-wont-ask-for-a-trade/?source=twitterhq">Fred Katz of The Athletic</a> reports that one of the primary reasons why Beal is supposedly unhappy in Washington has a lot to do with the team’s new head coach, Wes Unseld Jr. Apparently, Undels was not Beal’s first choice. It was Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Sam Cassell:</p><blockquote>According to sources, one of the reasons he was frustrated when his top choice for the job — 76ers assistant Sam Cassell, an assistant with Washington during Beal’s first couple of NBA seasons — couldn’t land a second interview.</blockquote><p>It doesn’t seem like Beal and Unseld are not on the same page. It’s just that Unseld wasn’t the ideal man for the job in Beal’s own opinion. Given his stature with the Wizards, you would think that Beal’s opinion would hold a lot of weight, especially when it comes to hiring a new coach. Apparently, this just isn’t the case, and this might be one of the reasons why the All-Star shooting guard could be on his way out of Washington in the offseason.</p><p>To be clear, Bradley Beal has not requested or demanded a trade from the Wizards front office. Reports suggest that he is merely considering his future in DC. Whatever the case may be, it is clear that Beal’s loyalty as well as the team’s resolve will be put to the test in the coming months.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: The real reason why Bradley Beal is considering trade from Wizards

<!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/NBA-news-Pelicans-acquire-Jonas-Valanciunas-in-blockbuster-deal-for-Steven-Adams-Eric-Bledsoe-thumbnail.jpeg"></figure><h1>Pelicans acquire Jonas Valanciunas from Grizzlies in blockbuster trade for Steven Adams, Eric Bledsoe</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-26T13:40:52-07:00">July 26th, 1:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-26T13:48:35-07:00">July 26th, 1:48pm</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 NBA Draft is just a few days away and now we officially have our first blockbuster trade of the offseason. The Memphis Grizzlies are sending Jonas Valanciunas to the New Orleans Pelicans for Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe, according to<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1419756065625972747?s=20"> Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. </a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">BREAKING: Memphis is finalizing a trade to send Jonas Valanciunas and 2021 Nos. 17 and 51 picks to New Orleans for Steven Adams, Eric Bledsoe, 2021 picks Nos. 10 and 40 and a protected 2022 first-round pick via the Lakers, sources tell ESPN.</p><p>— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1419756065625972747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 26, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The deal also includes a pair of NBA draft picks going both ways with the Los Angeles Lakers 2022 first headed to the Grizzlies.</p><p>In turn, the Pelicans have appeared to create cap space for free agency as they look to pair Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram with a bonafide point guard.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">New Orleans creates salary cap space for August that allows them to either match an offer sheet on Lonzo Ball, or have the cap space to pursue a significant free agent point guard, including Kyle Lowry and others. Pels liked Valanciunas as floor spacer at center over Adams, too. <a href="https://t.co/3YRyBTEg1S" target="_blank">https://t.co/3YRyBTEg1S</a></p><p>— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1419757450924789761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 26, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>As Woj points out, the Pelicans are attempting to sign Lonzo Ball to a big offer sheet and want to do anything they can to bring a point guard to New Orleans, with Kyle Lowry mentioned as another option.</p><p>The Pelicans fired Stan Van Gundy and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-stephen-currys-5-word-reaction-to-willie-green-coaching-zion-williamson/">brought in</a> Willie Green as their new head coach, and perhaps more roster shakeups are on the way as they find anything possible to bring the pairing of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson back into the playoffs.</p><p>The NBA Draft<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-draft-news-cade-cunningham-reveals-legend-made-him-fall-love-basketball/"> is coming</a>, and more trades should shape out within the next few days. This is just one of many more to take place.</p><p>Stay tuned.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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