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Doug McDermott was the No. 5 scorer in Division I history, with 3,150 points. He didn’t come close to a point a minute. Lionel Simmons was No. 3, with 3,217 points. He didn’t come as close to a point per minute as McDermott. OK, so in Porter’s case we are talking about two minutes and two points. Not quite the same. Porter’s appeal is that he is 6-11 with the mobility, athleticism and skill of a prototypical NBA small forward....

Before we break down all of our picks, here are the most notable scoring rules for DraftKings contests: Made three-point shot (+0.5 points), rebound (+1.25 points), assists (+1.5 points), steals and blocks (+2 points), double-double (+1.5 points – max one per player) and triple-double (+3 points – max one player). Thursday night’s NBA DraftKings Picks: NBA DFS lineup for GPP tournaments Thursday main slate, $50,000 budget PG Ja Morant, Grizzlies @ Kings ($10,200)....

The Warriors won the NBA Finals in 2015, while the Cavaliers won it in 2016 after being down three games to one in the best-of-seven. Now the NBA world gets the pleasure of Cavs vs. Warriors III to break the tie once and for all … well, until Cavs vs. Warriors IV in 2018. MORE: We’re seeing exactly why Durant joined the Warriors This year’s Warriors squad has something those other Finals teams didn’t: Kevin Durant....

With Paul gone, the Clippers were looking at the possibility of a complete overhaul, with free-agent starters Griffin, J.J. Redick and Luc Mbah a Moute potentially following him out of LA. But keeping Griffin sets up the Clippers for more of a semi-build rather than a complete strip-down, and that gives coach Doc Rivers options going forward. As Rivers sees it, that’s not a bad thing. His new Clippers are younger overall, and his old Clippers had not given him much by way of postseason success anyway....

MORE: A decade of Dwyane Wade Late Wednesday, following a day in which social media feeds were peppered with minute-by-minute updates of talks between the 13-year veteran and three-time champion and his suitors, Wade announced he was leaving his beloved Miami to make a triumphal return home and sign with the Bulls. Yahoo’s The Vertical was the first to report Wade had informed the Bulls he’d sign with them. What lies ahead now for Wade is the chance to close out his illustrious career as the hometown hero in his native Chicagoland....

With production from the wing positions more important than ever, there’s a long list of available small forwards in free agency looking to cash in, with size, shooting and playmaking at a premium around the league. MORE: What time does NBA free agency start in 2022? The Sporting News is here to provide you with positional breakdowns for all the best players available in free agency. Each list is crafted off of Stephen Noh’s 25 best players in free agency, with our writers filling in the blanks by position beyond the players he listed....

The Clippers and Mavericks continue to be linked to the 33-year-old forward, according to a report from the Boston Herald. Horford reportedly declined his $30.1 million player option with the Celtics for 2019-20, according to multiple reports, and he had been discussing inking a new three-year deal with the team. But, the two sides are no longer expected to come to an agreement and Horford is likely to sign elsewhere....

The 24-year-old forward’s market is “still developing,” according to a report from NBC Sports Washington. The Wizards declined Parker’s option for 2019-20 and he reportedly was operating “with the expectation” he would not be returning to the team. But, Washington could consider bringing him back at the right price, the report says. Parker was sent from the Bulls to the Wizards before the trade deadline. He averaged 15 points and 7....

One glaring weakness on the roster right now is the lack of a true center. Roy Hibbert has regressed into borderline ineptitude in recent seasons and Julius Randle has developed into more of an outside threat that drives to the basket. MORE: 23 best available NBA free agents this summer According to ESPN, the Lakers have picked center Hassan Whiteside as a player they will “aggressively” pursue once free agency starts this offseason....

James can opt out of his contract and either stay in Cleveland or sign elsewhere as a free agent. There’s been plenty of speculation about where he’d go, with Philadelphia emerging as a popular destination, but lately there’s been a lot of talk about him going to Los Angeles to play for the Lakers. On ESPN’s NBA Draft special Tuesday night, veteran NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski said about James and Paul George teaming up on the Lakers: “That’s gonna be a conversation or conversations they are gonna have once we get toward July....

LA and Hawes agreed on a four-year, $23 million contract, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski and USA Today’s Sam Amick. The Clippers will use their midlevel exception unless they can complete a sign-and-trade with Hawes’ former team, the Cavaliers. The latter appears unlikely, however, according to reports. Hawes, 26, is a versatile offensive threat who set career highs last season with 13.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in 30....

The former Lakers teammates allegedly were physical with one another over the weekend in Los Angeles. Yahoo reports NBA security didn’t find out about the confrontation until Monday. MORE: Eight new things to be excited about for the 2015-16 NBA season The reason for the altercation, per the New York Post, is because Fisher is dating Barnes’ estranged wife, Gloria Govan. When the Grizzlies player found out, he allegedly attacked Fisher....

This year, Auburn’s Jabari Smith Jr. seems to be the consensus top overall pick, with Gonzaga big man Chet Holmgren and Duke’s Paolo Banchero seemingly locks to fill out the top three selections in the first round. That doesn’t mean that Thursday night will come and go without some signature Association drama. This year’s draft seems to be a little lighter on top-end talent, leading the way to lots of potential moving and shaking among teams potentially eyeing the 2023 draft instead....

The model has gone 15-0-1 (100% win) on four-star and higher NBA bets of $100 in the past three days, so be sure to see what it is on tonight! BetQL subscribers can see more betting trends and all of our best bets with star ratings for every pick. Take advantage of BetQL’s free trial and see all of today’s best NBA bets, including player props, plus what the model is projecting for every football game this week!...

MORE: Wolves’ Adelman retires after 23 years coaching | Beverley suffers no further knee damage Jefferson played on the injury in Game 1 of his team's first-round series against the Miami Heat, even after he said he heard something pop and immediately called timeout, removed his shoe and retired back to the locker room. Jefferson returned, but was seriously limited. Before suffering the injury, Jefferson was 4-of-4 from the field for eight points, and he finished the game 9-of-17 in total....

MORE: NBA playoffs: Scores, schedules and updates That sealed an unexpected road playoff win, considering Defensive Player of the Year candidate Rudy Gobert left the game 17 seconds into the first quarter. Johnson was a big reason for the Jazz’s win, scoring 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting. There was never a doubt once he gained possesssion of the ball that he would close the game out. Gordon Hayward finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while George Hill netted 16 and Derrick Favors 15....

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — LeBron James scored 31 points, and the Miami Heat completed a first-round sweep of the Charlotte Bobcats with a 109-98 victory Monday night. James scored 19 points after injuring his thigh in the third quarter. He finished the game 10 of 19 from the field and had nine assists. Chris Bosh added 17 points and Dwyane Wade battled through foul trouble and finished with 15 as Miami won its 20th straight game over Charlotte....

After another defeat in Game 5, Hoiberg wanted no part of the topic. MORE: Dwyane Wade forgot to play defense against the Celtics in the playoffs At least he answered the question! Hoiberg’s initial criticism, in which he said Thomas is “impossible to guard” when refs allow him to get away with carries, was received with some raised eyebrows, as it seems like the NBA hasn’t called a carry in approximately 60 years....

Instead, Popovich was unexpectedly open, honest and expansive in a postgame setting. His comments, televised live on ESPN, largely lacked snark and condescension. He was mostly uninterested in playing those games. GAME CENTER: Spurs-Warriors Game 2 stats Maybe that’s a product of sitting through two-plus quarters of garbage time. Maybe he had flushed the defeat, which put his team down 2-0 in the best-of-seven, out of his system long before he sat down for questions....

The Spurs guard proved this Tuesday night against the Rockets when he sent in a slam over Houston’s Ryan Anderson in the second quarter. GATTO: Manu saves Spurs on Throwback Tuesday Ginobili is no stranger to reminding people of his athleticism during the playoffs; his most notable example was in Game 5 of the 2014 NBA Finals against the Heat. What is especially impressive about Tuesday’s dunk, though, is that the left-handed Ginobili threw it down with his right hand....