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ESPN outlines potential Kawhi Leonard-to-Warriors NBA offseason trade package originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It appears the Warriors will attempt to reel in another big fish or two this offseason.

Golden State, in an effort to surround superstar Steph Curry with more top-end talent in the final seasons of his NBA career, has pursued trades for star players for years, oftentimes coming up short.

One name the Warriors came up short in pursuit of before the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline this year was LA Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard, who Golden State reportedly targeted and nearly acquired in the wake of their failed Giannis Antetokounmpo pursuit.

The Warriors are rumored to be interested in pursuing Leonard again this summer, and ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Zach Kram, in a recent article, proposed a possible trade package that could land Leonard in the Bay Area this offseason.

Warriors get:

Kawhi Leonard

Clippers get:

Jimmy Butler III
2027 first-round pick (lottery-protected)
2032 first-round pick

“The Warriors have been connected more to Leonard than any other team in recent months, and for good reason,” Kram wrote. “After Butler tore his ACL in January, the Warriors need a Plan B if they want to try to reopen their competitive window while 38-year-old Stephen Curry is still playing at an All-Star level.

“Leonard would be a strong fit as a Butler replacement, with even higher upside after the best regular season of his career. The salaries of the two stars match well enough that no other player would need to be included in this deal.”

“Considering Butler is out indefinitely, the Clippers certainly would want the top-14 protection removed from the 2027 first-round pick or amended,” Marks wrote.

“An injured star, a pick that might not convey and a selection six years into the future should be a nonstarter for Frank and LA. From the Warriors’ viewpoint, swapping Butler for a healthy All-Star makes too much sense — even if the 2032 first-round pick ends up in the lottery.”

The 34-year-old Leonard is coming off the best scoring season of his 14-year NBA career, having averaged a career-high 27.9 points with 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game on 50.5-percent shooting from the field and 38.7 percent from 3-point range in 65 games for the Clippers.

Butler, who suffered a torn ACL on Jan. 19, likely will be out at least for the first half of the 2026-27 NBA season, and might not make it back to the court until February next year.

His extended absence next season likely will be a big reason why Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy will search high and low this offseason for star talent to pair with Curry next season, either until Butler returns, or in place of him.

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It’s just after one o’clock a.m. I have been in the Frost Bank Center for seven hours. After an eight hour work day. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining. This has been the best year of my life as far as all things Spurs go. I’ve been to more games, sat in on press conferences, and hobnobbed with journalists I admire while the team has elevated to a contender and revealed some of the sports brightest stars.

And now they have advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals.

As I have to get up in four hours for my daytime job, I will share some of what I captured once the Spurs cleared the hurdle of their first series.

Once the Spurs won, they went into the drum call-and-response that Wemby started with the Jackals. As Keldon was honored before the game for his Sixth Man of the Year award, he was the man of the hour when it was time to lead the postgame ritual.

Afterward, I headed down to the postgame presser with Mitch Johnson…

…followed by Stephon Castle…

…then Julian Champagnie, who kicked off the evening in a turbo gear…

…and finally Wemby…

The Spurs will have a couple of days off as they await an opponent. The Denver/Minnesota series is currently heading back to Minneapolis for game 6. Denver is in a must-win situation. With Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo both out, their task is less arduous, but no less critical.

Are you rooting for or against anyone in this series as the victor stands in the way of the Spurs destination of the Western Conference Finals?

That’s all for now, must get some sleep. Just a honk of the horn as I pass through downtown and then straight to bed.

Go Spurs Go!

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Those hoping Steve Kerr leaves Warriors should be careful what they wish for originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

As Steve Kerr contemplates his future and whether the Warriors will be a part of it, the team’s fan base continues to debate his worthiness. This is normal, the complementary sideshow that accompanies any lame-duck coach regardless of achievement.

While most seem supportive of Kerr heeding the voices of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green and re-signing for at least two more years, the more restless members of Dub Nation have champagne on ice anticipating their farewell celebration.

Group 2, at least from here, has the weaker case.

Group 1 considers Kerr an excellent coach, even if there were times last season when excellence did not surface. Truth told, Golden State occasionally appeared clueless about such basic NBA principles as purposeful passing, executing a fast break and scouting-report comprehension.

Kerr did some of his best work when the Warriors were most compromised by injury. His overall record is impressive in ways both overt and subtle. latent. More on that later.

Group 2, which seems smaller in number but is particularly vocal in the disaffected chamber of social media, has decided Kerr – who presided over teams that reached the NBA Finals in each of his first five seasons – has lost his touch or, worse, forgotten how to coach. Therefore, it is time for CEO Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy to recruit a replacement for Golden State. Someone they believe is more evolved in the ways of the NBA.

A few folks in that camp might better accept Kerr if he were to suppress the political tragedy in his personal background. The life experience that compels him to exercise free speech by confronting the sociopolitical issues roiling America and, by extension, the planet. Zip it and coach. Such “advice” was rarely offered during championship seasons.

Most in Group 2 are less concerned with Kerr’s off-court pursuits than with his perceived shortcomings as a coach. To them, he is too tolerant of the dark side of Green’s temperament. 

Too enchanted with Brandin Podziemski. Too enamored with small lineups. Trots out too many puzzling rotations and lineups. Can’t develop young players. Is inconsistent with the distribution of Curry’s minutes. And was too intolerant of Jonathan Kuminga’s inconsistency.

Or, perhaps, all the above.

Which misses Kerr’s greatest attribute as a coach. He excels at people management, and that generally allows him to get the most out of those throughout the roster.

It took Kerr a couple months to fall in love with Curry’s spectacular but at times carefree style. After winning back-to-back MVP awards in Kerr’s first two seasons, Steph rested his case and Kerr fully embraced the singular brilliance of the player he inherited.

Kerr realized Curry, a one-of-one talent, was his surest path to prosperity – while understanding a coach can be no better than his best player(s). Red Auerbach had Bill Russell. Pat Riley had Magic and Kareem. Phil Jackson had Michael and Scottie, and the Kobe-Shaq duo. Gregg Popovich had Tim Duncan. Kerr visualized Curry’s impact, designing the offense around his catalyst. He tweaked it only slightly for an MVP named Kevin Durant.

But Kerr’s insight didn’t stop there. He inherited David Lee – who in 2013 was Golden State’s first All-Star since 1997 – but recognizing the need for better defense, replaced Lee with Draymond Green. Draymond anchored the defense of the fabled “Death Lineup” and became the most effective small-ball center in NBA history.

Kerr moved veteran starter Andre Iguodala to the bench for Harrison Barnes because it allowed for a more rational use of the roster’s rotations and depth. Iguodala was the tie that bound the Death Lineup, which averaged 6-foot-6 but used defense to extinguish opponents and transition offense to bury them.

Kerr didn’t invent Small Ball – credit for that generally goes to Don Nelson – but he took it to levels neither Mike D’Antoni nor Nelson ever reached.

Kerr’s prudent manipulation of rotations and minutes allowed Shaun Livingston to finish a vagabond NBA career with one team and five consecutive trips to the NBA Finals. Kerr and his staff coaxed Andrew Wiggins to his full potential when it mattered most, altering the “underachiever” narrative that followed him before and after the Warriors.

Gary Payton II’s three previous NBA franchises failed to figure out a way to utilize his unique set of skills. Kerr somehow shepherded Payton, then 29, into an essential member of the 2022 championship team.

Kerr’s greatest accomplishments might have been his ability to summon the best of players who rewarded the Warriors with the most successful years of their careers: Jordan Bell, Quinn Cook, Damion Lee, Otto Porter Jr., Marreese Speights, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Nick Young were key contributors to championship teams. All seven faded from the NBA picture shortly after their time with Golden State.

Kerr followed the blueprint of all coaches who succeed at the top. He partnered with his best player, Curry, to lift all teammates and build a monument that will stand forever. 

Those hoping Golden State has a new coach next season should be careful of what they wish.

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Victor Wembanyama claimed a double-double to help the San Antonio Spurs secure their first series win in the NBA play-offs for nine years.

The Spurs led by as many as 28 points as they cruised to a 114-95 victory in Texas and a 4-1 series win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Wembanyama registered 17 points and 14 rebounds while De'Aaron Fox scored a game-high 21 as six San Antonio players reached double figures.

"It was as sharp as we've been," said Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, whose team are the Western Conference's second seed and join top-seed Oklahoma City Thunder in the Conference semi-finals.

Wembanyama, who has already been named this season's defensive player of the year, added six blocks for San Antonio.

"[They are] a great basketball team," added Portland coach Tiago Splitter. "They have a superstar that changed the game. They deserve it."

The Spurs will face either the Denver Nuggets or Minnesota Timberwolves next, with the Timberwolves leading the series 3-2.

In the Eastern Conference, Joel Embiid scored 33 points as the Philadelphia 76ers won 113-97 at the Boston Celtics to keep their series alive.

Embiid was playing his second game since undergoing an emergency appendectomy on 9 April and helped the Sixers cut their series deficit to 3-2.

If they can win game six in Philadelphia on Thursday, the series will go to a decider at second seed Boston on Saturday.

"I found my rhythm in the second half," Embiid said. "We adjusted some stuff at half-time and got a win. That's all that matters.

"We're going to need everybody to come back to Boston."

The winners will face either the New York Knicks or Atlanta Hawks, with third seed New York leading 3-2 after a 126-97 home win.

Jalen Brunson scored 17 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter to keep the Knicks clear while London-born team-mate OG Anunoby claimed 17 points and 10 rebounds.

If Atlanta win at home on Thursday, they will return to New York for a series decider on Saturday.

• Jokic's triple-double draws Denver into contention

Embiid ‘enjoys these moments,' pain and all, provides a signature playoff performance originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

BOSTON — There’s a tall tale, Mad Libs nature to Joel Embiid’s injury history. A snake bit him somewhere along the way and just kept biting. 

Embiid’s perspective on it all is telling. As he shared following a season-saving 33-point, eight-assist night Tuesday in the Sixers’ Game 5 win at TD Garden over the Celtics, Embiid is guided by a desire to play. 

That’s it, really. 

“The one thing about me is I’ve dealt with a lot of stuff over my career,” Embiid said after the Sixers trimmed their first-round playoff series deficit to 3-2. “I don’t complain. I just want to give as much as I can every single time I step on the floor. I know a lot of people might have takes that I might be lazy or whatever, but every single time I’m on the floor, I want to play as hard as possible. I want to do whatever it takes to win a basketball game, whether it’s on offense, on defense. 

“I just want to play basketball, whether (or not) I’m in good shape physically, mentally or whatever. I just want to enjoy these moments being part of a basketball team that’s trying to accomplish something, and that’s to win every single game.”

Embiid’s norm of playing through pain and discomfort popped up again in Game 5. He added an injury scare to his infinite list when he exited with a limp in the third quarter, but Embiid only missed a little under three minutes of action. Jaylen Brown appeared to inadvertently bump Embiid’s knee after driving and pump faking inside. 

“I just heard that he kind of banged knees with somebody,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. “Knee on knee contact.” 

Asked about the moment, Embiid gave a straight-faced reply: “I’m good.”

So … what happened? 

“I don’t remember,” he said with a bit of a mischievous grin. 

Postseason health trouble is habitual for Embiid. Right knee; left knee; orbital fractures; concussions; Bell’s Palsy; gastroenteritis; appendicitis. While not immune to pain, he must have his own definition. 

Sidelined for 17 spring days this time around as he recovered from an appendectomy, Embiid returned Sunday in the Sixers’ woeful Game 4 loss. Despite a cold shooting start to Game 5, he was dominant. Embiid logged 39 minutes, scored efficiently on a night he went 0 for 5 from three-point range, and anchored the Sixers’ much-improved defense. 

“Give him a lot of credit, man,” Nurse said. “He worked really hard to get back from this procedure that he had and played a lot of minutes. And I was super impressed by him on the defensive end tonight.”

On offense, Embiid has set an impossibly high bar for himself. He may not average 40-plus points over a 16-game stretch again, but Embiid still often looks equipped to respond to anything defenses throw his way. 

“When we have him, we’ve got a trump card,” Paul George said. “There’s no one that can guard him. I don’t care who it is, there’s no one that can guard him. … He can take a game over. And obviously, we have to adapt when he doesn’t play. It’s a collective thing to find those baskets, those easy opportunities. But when he’s on the floor, he’s going to create a mismatch.”

At his free-flowing peak, Embiid draws immense attention. He then shoots over a crowd, feeds open teammates or powers through the clump of bodies trying to stop him.

“You’ve got to find the right mix,” he said. “To start the game, it was a little bit more outside than in. In the second half, it was both. Inside, I feel pretty good about my chances of going 1-on-1 against anybody in this league and I don’t think I can be stopped. So I just took advantage of what they were giving me. And then once they made the adjustment, do the best job posssible and just be aggressive. 

“And me being aggressive, it opens up shots for everybody. It’s finding the right balance. It wasn’t all just post-ups. There was a bunch of mid-range. I still feel like my touch is not there. … Got to keep working on it so I can have a better game next game.”

Game 6 will be Thursday night on the Sixers’ floor.

Barring any extreme issues between now and then, Embiid has more basketball in front of him.

“It means a lot,” he said. “I pushed very hard to come back and try to help as much as I can. I’m glad we won (tonight). I didn’t want to go home and think all summer about what could’ve been if I was healthy going into the playoffs. So one more day and one more game to try to make it back here. 

“That’s the mentality. I’m just thankful to be in a position where I get to play. I don’t know how long I can do this, so I just want to enjoy as much as possible.”

Jose Alvarado arguably has been the biggest surprise of this first-round series.

He appeared to be out of coach Mike Brown’s playoff rotation ahead of the postseason.

He did not play in Game 1.

By now, he has firmly reestablished a role.

He played 12 minutes and recorded 12 points in the Knicks’ 126-97 Game 5 win over the Hawks at the Garden.

Seven of those points came during a key six-minute stretch to start the second quarter, when the Knicks padded their lead and pulled away.

“It’s just part of the business: stay ready,” Alvarado said. “Whatever the team needs. We’re a really good team. They communicated with how it was gonna go. Just stay ready, that’s what I did mentally.”

Brown previously explained that, because Landry Shamet and Miles McBride struggled as backup point guards earlier in the series, he gave Alvarado a shot to have a more natural point guard on the floor. He has rewarded Brown for that decision.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS

Alvarado’s spotty 3-point shooting had become a weakness and was the primary reason he was not in the rotation at the end of the regular season. But he went 2-for-3 from deep Tuesday.

“My teammates found me,” Alvarado said. “I was open and then I made the shots today.”

Josh Hart subbed out with 6:27 left in the fourth quarter, went to the locker room and did not return.

Earlier in the game, he had been holding his back in a bit of pain after a hard fall.

The Knicks did not have an update postgame.

Mikal Bridges remained in the starting lineup as expected, but he was the first Knicks starter to get subbed out, with Miles McBride replacing him with 5:49 left in the first quarter.

The Knicks led by one at the time. But by the end of the quarter, they led by 13.

Bridges finished plus-11. McBride was plus-19.

CJ McCollum, during the fourth quarter, again kicked Jalen Brunson in the midsection while taking a jump shot.

Brunson grabbed at the area briefly but did not go down to the ground in pain like he did in Game 1.

Afterward, Brunson said, “I don’t make anything of it.”

NEW YORK — The New York Knicks are one win away from the conference semifinals, but there might be an injury concern to watch.

Forward Josh Hart, 28, seemingly bothered by a possible back injury, left New York’s 126-97Game 5 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, April 28 in the fourth quarter and did not return to the bench.

After the game, Knicks coach Mike Brown did not have any information on Hart’s status, and a team public relations spokesperson indicated that the medical staff had not provided any information about a possible injury.

Hart appeared to suffer a back injury in the first half of Tuesday’s contest, though he remained in the game. Hart was officially subbed out with 6:27 left in the game, and he went through the tunnel and didn’t emerge for the rest of the game. The substitution might have been more precautionary, however, as the Knicks were up by 24 points when Hart left the game.

As it was the theme for most of the Spurs’ and Trail Blazers’ first-round series, the final matchup was a game of two halves. San Antonio cruised to a huge lead before the break in what seemed destined to be a blowout, only to almost allow a surprising comeback. In the end, the play of De’Aaron Fox on offense late was enough to hold off Portland and close the series for the Silver and Black with a 114-95 win in Game 5.

It was hard to predict a somewhat close game, considering how prepared the Spurs looked early. One of the big question marks heading into Game 5 was whether Tiago Splitter would continue to start Donovan Clingan or go with the more effective Robert Williams III. Splitter stuck with Clingan, and Mitch Johnson’s guys made him pay for it by hitting jumpers over the paint-bound big man. It helped that the defense was clicking and allowed the home team to push the pace and attack before the Portland defense was settled, but even in the half-court, the Spurs targeted him on guard-to-guard screens to get him off Castle or with hand-offs that resulted in open looks. It wasn’t just Clingan’s fault that San Antonio came out of the gates roaring and built up a significant lead, as the Trail Blazers’ offense bricked threes and seemed to have no way of putting up points consistently. After one, the lead was 12.

The issues continued for Portland on the offensive end in the second, even as Splitter tried to get more offensive talent on the floor after doubling down on defense with Sidy Cissoko minutes earlier. The only guy wearing red that could get buckets consistently was Deni Avdija until turnovers from the Spurs gave the visitors some hope. Soon after the sloppy stretch occurred, however, there was foreshadowing of what would happen late in the game, as De’Aaron Fox took control of the offense away from Castle and settled the troops, creating good shots. There were some mistakes to close the second quarter, as San Antonio often overdribbled in hopes of getting to the rim instead of taking jumpers when open and fouled Avdija despite being incredibly disciplined earlier, but in general, it was close to a perfect half for the home team, which led by 20 heading into the break.

The initial two quarters were fun to watch from a San Antonio perspective, so Splitter made sure to prevent that from happening the rest of the way. The Blazers came out of the locker room with increased physicality, almost daring the officials to call fouls on most plays. They did, especially after the Silver and Black tried to match it. What at one point was a high-paced, fluid affair became mired with constant interruptions and ineffective half-court offense from both teams. The reasons for Portland’s struggles were not surprising: they just couldn’t hit threes despite taking plenty of them. For the Spurs, it was a combination of playing slow and having an erratic Stephon Castle trying to find Wembanyama, which resulted in turnovers and stagnation. It wasn’t a pleasant watch, but in the end, the hosts still managed to win the low-scoring frame by one.

By this point, it seemed like the Blazers, which had tried a lot of different lineups and wasted energy mucking things up in the third, were out of ways to make it a game late. Alas, the Spurs seemed too convinced that the job was done and started to play lazily just as Portland was gearing up to make one last push. Instead of moving their feet, they fouled a lot. Instead of starting their offense early and moving the ball, they walked it up, at one point committing an eight-second violation, while looking lost. Fortunately, De’Aaron Fox was there to bring them out of their stupor with 13 fourth-quarter points. On the other end, Wembanyama made his presence felt with a couple of ferocious blocks that shut the door on the comeback attempt, and that was it. After an immaculate first half in which everything looked easy, San Antonio closed out an ugly second half to advance to the next round.

Game notes

• The Trail Blazers are tough. They are not the most talented team, and their lack of consistent shooting is a major flaw, but they played San Antonio well for most of the series. It will be hard for them to add more shooting without losing their defensive identity, but they could be back in the playoffs next season. The series ended up in a gentleman’s sweep and probably would have been an outright sweep had Wembanyama been healthy, but it will prepare the young Spurs for the challenges ahead.
• Victor Wembanyama only took seven shots, but his impact on the game was massive. He just forces opponents to change their normal matchups, and even when it works to a degree, as it did in Game 5, other problems emerge. Everyone knows how great Wembanyama is on defense, but the fact that his mere presence changes the game on offense when he doesn’t force things is hugely important.
• The guard trio had two standouts: De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper. Fox has been essential to making units work by playing off-ball, but in the last two games reminded everyone that he can be a big-time scorer when he needs to. Harper is such a tenacious defender and terrific finisher that there’s no question whether he belongs on the floor in a playoff game as a rookie. Those two were great, which made up for a largely poor Stephon Castle night.
• Julian Champagnie had his first double-digit scoring game of the series in the clincher. He got free in transition and worked handoffs well, finally preventing the Blazers from limiting his scoring opportunities. On the other hand, Keldon Johnson still couldn’t offer much scoring, finishing in single digits for the fifth time in as many games.

Play of the game

Instead of focusing on clutch plays that shouldn’t have been necessary, here’s Devin Vassell blocking Donovan Clingan at the rim.

Vassell had 10 points in 11 shots and missed all four of his three-pointers. In past seasons, he would have hurt the team if that were his offensive output. This year, however, Vassell has been finding ways to contribute even when he doesn’t have it going on offense.

The Spurs will face the winner of the series between the Nuggets and Timberwolves. Currently, Minnesota is up 3-2 and will host Game 6, but is missing Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, likely for the rest of the postseason.