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76ers predicted to land Spurs’ $18 million guard as Jared McCain’s replacement

Jones has seen his role on the Spurs crumble thanks to the additions of Chris Paul and Stephon Castle.

He’d be a perfect buy-low candidate because he has low trade value and his contract is inexpensive. He’s owed $9.1 million this season, which is how the following trade could happen between the Sixers and Spurs. Last season, he averaged 10 points and 6.2 assists while shooting 50.5%. In a new situation, he could put up those numbers again.

That’s how the following trade could happen.

Sixers receive: Jones

Spurs receive: KJ Martin, Eric Gordon

The best part is, with Jones’ low trade value, the Sixers wouldn’t have to give up any draft assets. They may try to acquire someone like him without giving up Martin’s golden goose contract, but it might be worth it since there’s no current timetable for McCain’s return.

The Sixers need him for more reasons than McCain’s absence
Jones would fit right in because the Sixers’ backcourt depth is weak. Outside of McCain, none of the Sixers’ backup guards have worked out the way they would have liked.

As it turns out, Father Time has gotten to Kyle Lowry (38), Gordon (35), and Reggie Jackson (34). If they were the players they once were, then it wouldn’t be a problem. Unfortunately, they are not.

The best is yet to come from Jones, and he would make the Sixers younger. As far

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‘Foregone conclusion’

“It’s viewed as a foregone conclusion in league circles that Las Vegas and Seattle will eventually become the next two NBA franchises via expansion,” Sidery posted to X.

“16 teams in each conference as one current franchise in the Western Conference would be moved to the Eastern Conference.”

Many X users speculated beneath Sidery’s post that the Memphis Grizzlies would be the Western Conference team to move to the Eastern Conference, while other users called for an abolishment of the conference system altogether.

News of Seattle hosting an NBA team again is not necessarily new information (it’s been rumored for over a decade), but Sidery’s report is sure to inspire happiness in plenty of Seattle basketball fans who miss rooting for the Seattle SuperSonics.

The SuperSonics existed between 1970 and 2008 before relocating to Oklahoma City and evolving into the OKC Thunder.

It’s not clear whether a new franchise in Seattle would revive the SuperSonics name, but it would be surprising to the average NBA fan if that didn’t happen.

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Former Lakers wing might land with Clippers via trade: ‘Gifted passer’

But that doesn’t mean LA is done making moves to improve its offense, especially with the playoffs well within reach for Ty Lue’s ball club.

Indeed, the Clippers figure to be buyers before the February 6 trade deadline, and a new report from Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz on Monday suggested that LA could look to acquire a Washington Wizards wing who began his career in 2017 as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.

“Even if Kawhi Leonard can make a relatively quick return to the court, the Los Angeles Clippers could use another offensive boost to a roster that ranks just 23rd overall in the NBA right now,” Swartz said.

“Kyle Kuzma, 29, should be revived with a return to Los Angeles, giving the Clippers a multi-dimensional scorer and gifted passer to play alongside Leonard, James Harden, Norm Powell and Ivica Zubac.”

Many people forget that Kuzma finished No. 4 in Rookie of the Year voting as a Laker in 2017-18. While his career hasn’t followed the arc of a superstar since then, he’s always remained a reliable bucket, and he’d be a pivotal addition to the Clippers if they could pull off a deal.

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Does the championship game count toward regular season records?

The NBA Cup (formerly In-Season Tournament) is in its second year and is quickly becoming a tentpole event on the NBA schedule. And while it is a major part of the schedule, fans and players are still learning how it impacts the NBA calendar.

For the second straight year, NBA teams enter the season with 80 games on their schedule while Games 81 and 82 are determined by performance during NBA Cup games. The two teams that advance to the NBA Cup championship effectively play an 83rd regular-season game, though it does not count as such.

What does the NBA Cup championship count as? Here is what the season’s final NBA Cup game will mean for the Bucks and Thunder.

SN’s NBA HQ: Live NBA scores | Updated NBA standings | Full NBA schedule

NBA Cup standings, explained
Milwaukee and Oklahoma City took similar paths to the NBA Cup championship. Both teams won their respective groups to advance to the Knockout Round of the NBA Cup.

The Bucks’ 81st game of the season was their win over the Magic in the Quarterfinals and their Semifinal win over the Hawks was their 82nd game of the season. For the Thunder, Game 81 came in the Quarterfinals against the Mavericks and Game 82 was against the Rockets in the Semifinals.

When Milwaukee and Oklahoma City face off Tuesday in Las Vegas, it will be an extra game on their respective schedules. The NBA Cup championship will not count to either team’s regular-season record and stats accumulated in the game will not count to players’ regular-season averages.

The NBA Cup championship will be a one-off with stats falling in their own category.

MORE: Revisiting Anthony Davis’ epic performance in the 2023 NBA Cup championship

What happens to stats from the NBA Cup championship?
Stats from the NBA Cup championship do not tabulate toward regular-season or NBA Playoffs stats but stand alone as stats compiled in the championship game.

This will be similar to stats from the NBA’s Play-In Tournament, which also fall in a separate category.

NBA Cup championship statistics will take longer to build out because it is only one game annually, while there are a total of six Play-In Tournament games each season.

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How much do the finalists and winners make?

After the Thunder punched their ticket to the 2024 NBA Cup championship, rising star Jalen Williams could be heard exclaiming, “Just give me my money!” at the end of teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s postgame interview.

On Tuesday, Oklahoma City and Milwaukee will meet for the second-ever NBA Cup (formerly In-Season Tournament) title. In addition to the NBA Cup trophy, each winning team member will receive the grand monetary prize that comes with being a Cup champion.

Al Horford on how developing his 3-PT game ‘added years’ to his career

For a second year, the NBA Cup has brought an added intensity to early-season NBA games. In addition to the fanfare, bright courts and added attention, players were incentivized by the bonuses they would receive if their team was one of eight to advance to the Knockout Rounds. With each win, those bonuses increased.

How much money will players receive in the NBA Cup? Here is a rundown of the prize money earned during this year’s tournament.

SN’s NBA HQ: Live NBA scores | Updated NBA standings | Full NBA schedule

NBA Cup prize money
Players earn prize money based on how far their teams advance in the NBA Cup, per the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Each player on the eight teams that advanced to the quarterfinals receives at least $50,000. The payouts increase with every win, and each player of the NBA Cup-winning team receives $500,000.

The payouts are as follows:

Win championship: $500,000 per player
Reach championship game: $200,000 per player
Reach semifinal game: $100,000 per player
Reach quarterfinal game: $50,000 per player
NBA Cup MVP and the All-Tournament team will be selected based on players’ performance during Group Play and the Knockout Rounds.

Payouts extend to each coaching staff, too. Head coaches receive the same amount as players and assistant coaches receive an additional share of the pool money which equals 75 percent of the head coach’s total payout.

MORE: Understanding the NBA Cup format in 2024

What NBA Cup prize money means for players
Similar to Year 1 of the tournament, players have been vocal about the prize money being a motivating factor.

With each member of the championship team’s roster receiving the grand prize, the $500,000 is a bigger bonus for some players than others. One NBA game check is worth roughly 1/92nd of a player’s listed annual salary. And while 1/92nd of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s maximum salaries are significant, players on lesser contracts will receive major boosts.

Take Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. and injured Thunder center Jaylin Williams, for example. Each player is making just over $2.0 million this season. For a player of that stature, a win in the NBA Cup championship would be a 2,400% increase from what they typically earn in one game.

Regardless of the outcome, the biggest winners are the players on two-way contracts. Per the Collective Bargaining Agreement, a two-way contract is valued at half the rookie minimum, or $578,577. The semifinalists add $200,000 to that total while champions will nearly double their annual salary.