The NBA is back. To kick off the start of the 2023-24 NBA regular season, we looked into the future and projected what this year’s rookie class (fyi: that includes SLAM 247 co-cover star Chet Holmgren, who was out last season) will accomplish. We won’t say we told you so, but…. Stay tuned. Here’s our official Rookies Most Likely To list, which appears in SLAM 247. Get your copy and cover tees here. Towering over the competition at 7-4, Wemby is our pick for ROTY. The French phenom and SLAM 247 cover star has already established himself as one of the most exciting young players to watch in the ..read more

San Antonio, TX. February 2, 2023. Evening.      James Harden is in his hotel room hanging out with his newly appointed agent and longtime business confidant Troy Payne. The Sixers are playing the Spurs tomorrow, and the two Cali natives find themselves in deep conversation when the news breaks. Payne looks over at Harden. He notices the NBA superstar’s body language. That’s all he needs to see to know how Harden truly feels at this very moment. Natural human emotions and passion take over. Expletives may or may not be flying around. Payne steps in and offers some words of encou ..read more

Michael Beasley believes that he can still impact the NBA because his playstyle matches what the League is currently embracing. Beasley, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, is an athletic wing and efficient shooter from beyond the arc. For his career, Beasley averages 12.4 points and 4.7 rebounds on 46.5 percent shooting from the field and 34.9 percent from beyond the arc. “If you pay attention to how I play, that’s how the NBA plays today,” he said, per Sports Illustrated. “I stay in shape and play everyday. If I get the call, I can definitely make an impact. The NBA is on some ..read more

In case you missed it, the NBA held its much-anticipated Christmas Day games this weekend, including playoff rematches between the Celtics-Bucks and Warriors-Grizzlies. Reports also began circulating about 76ers shooting guard James Harden “seriously considering” returning to Houston as a free agent. Here’s what happened across the L over the weekend. Let’s get it. James Harden is Reportedly “Seriously Considering” Returning to Houston: According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski at ESPN, Harden is reportedly considering a reunion with the Rockets if he doesn’t re-sign with Philadelphia as a f ..read more

The Houston Rockets may not be anywhere near championship contention, but their young fundamental pieces have shown promise for a hopeful future. According to former Sixth Man of the Year Eric Gordon, the talent that has elevated his game the most for the Rockets is USC product Kevin Porter Jr. His impressive play has Gordon believing there’s still more that Porter can do and bring out his true potential. “The dude [Porter] has some real talent,” Gordon said, per Sports Illustrated. “It is all about him continuing to do what is best for the team. He has grown, and his progress is real, and it ..read more

The Rookie of the Year race is about to heat up. Paolo’s debut. 27 PTS, 9 REB, 5 AST. More on the way. pic.twitter.com/JE76Woc910 — SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 20, 2022 After missing seven games with a sprained left ankle, Orlando Magic’s first-year sensation Paolo Banchero is inching closer to a return. Banchero injured his ankle on Nov. 7 against the Houston Rockets. On Wednesday, the team was relieved to see their number-one pick come to practice after missing some time.  gradual improvement @Pp_doesit pic.twitter.com/q0pRzxzjxo — Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) November 23, 2022 Befor ..read more

It is no secret that the season has not gone as expected for the Golden State Warriors this season. With the team’s record being 7-9 prior to Sunday’s victory, the team has been in search of some sort of spark and consistency. The team had been in the midst of an epic road game losing streak, and when interviewed back in early November, head coach Steve Kerr was quoted saying that the Warriors needed to “save themselves.” The defending champs have heard all the noise, and last night, one player, in particular, stepped up and gave us an offensive performance for the ages. Warriors shooting guar ..read more

Jabari Smith Jr has hit something similar to the rookie wall through his last four games. The rookie forward recently fought the flu and returned to Houston’s lineup and was looking to bust through his slump when the Rockets played the Magic, but Houston coach Stephen Silas said that Smith “seemed out of rhythm” and directly attributed his lethargic play to Smith to looking like “someone who has been sick, out of practice, and in bed.” “He seemed out of rhythm to me,” Silas said, per Sports Illustrated. “He seemed like someone who has been sick, out of practice, and in bed. He was trying to do ..read more

Sports fans will always have “what if…” questions regarding teams or players that didn’t meet expectations due to many situations. One “what if” that’s recently been asked is what if  Spencer Dinwiddie, now with the Dallas Mavericks, never tore his ACL three games into the 2020-21 season. The injury happened in Charlotte and started a wild string of injuries for the Nets. Before Dinwiddie was injured, numerous trade rumors were swirling around involving Dinwiddie and eventual-now-former Net James Harden. If Dinwiddie had not gotten hurt, then there is a huge chance he might have been invo ..read more

Before the Memphis Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets faced off on Monday night, nine-time All-Star Kevin Durant called his opponent Ja Morant “the face of our League going forward.” Morant doesn’t remind Durant of any other player. “He’s a unique player. A lot of athleticism and creativity out there. Body type reminds you of somebody like—well, he’s taller than A.I. [Allen Iverson], but a wiry, strong player — but he’s an incredible player, man,” Durant said per Bleacher Report. The Murray State product lived up to Durant’s pregame praise with 38 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and two steals ..read more