The Sacramento Kings are in need of some wings to beef up their bench depth, assumingHarrison Barnes opts in to his current deal or restructures his contract. Corey Brewer, who eventually became the primary backup to Barnes after being acquired, is also a free agent so the Kings are thin at the position
Watching the celebration as a team wins a national championship inspires a lot of emotions for professional athletes. One of the most dominant ones, however, has to be the feeling of motivation and excitement knowing that your time is approaching. That seemed to be Monte Morris’ line of thinking on Thursday after the Toronto Raptors stunned the world, defeating the Golden State Warriors to win their first ever NBA title.
Tony Parker never did have the best timing.
For about 30 hours, I was in a haze. From the moment the Raptors won the NBA title late on Thursday night, up until 3:00 a.m. watching the postgame and reading the gamers, and then Friday, watching the game again, writing my recap, consuming all video highlights packages. Then attempting, vainly, to do some work at my day job. And finally, fitfully, falling asleep early on Friday night. I don’t think my mind was working properly until I woke up, finally rested, on Saturday morning.
The NBA Draft is a little over two weeks away, and according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Oklahoma City Thunder are active in talks regarding the 21st overall pick:
Despite going undrafted in the 2017, Luke Kornet has quietly left a solid impression on the New York Knicks over the past two seasons. Whether during his stints in the G League or getting called up to the NBA, the Vanderbilt product has not only been productive and improving with each appearance. At this point, it’s no longer a matter of if Kornet will be in the NBA next season.
Next up in the group of potential draft candidates for the Thunder is Keldon Johnson. Johnson projects as another possible 3-and-D candidate. At 6’6” with a wingspan just over 6’9”, he’s shown some ability to shoot and is a high energy player who has rebounded pretty well for his position. Some of his draft comparisons from around the web include Otto Porter, Corey Magette, Garrett Temple (the younger version), and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
The NBA’s landscape endured a massive makeover in the past week. The Raptors were crowned NBA Champions, the Warriors suffered a pair of high-profile injuries and the Lakers finally landed the services of Anthony Davis. The title path created by the injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson appears to be much more treacherous with LeBron James and Davis set to wreak havoc on the Western Conference. Will the Blazers stick to their script this summer, or will Davis’ transition to Los Angeles alter their offseason plans? Here is how Davis’ arrival changes the immediate and long-term outlook in the Western Conference.
The 2018-19 season ended in disappointment for the Boston Celtics. After much ballyhoo and hype to start the year, Boston floundered and got bounced in five games by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round. But basketball never stops. Moments after tears fall at the end of one season, you dry your eyes and look forward to the next one.
