NBA Swing: IST to Stay, Kawhi’s Extension, Warriors Blow it Up?

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Adam Silver Announces NBA In-Season Tournament Will Return

Prior to the Nets v Cavaliers game in Paris on Thursday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke with the media, mentioning that the In-Season Tournament will return next season, but with some unknown tweaks. Silver cited the success of the first In-Season tournament, which saw the regular season games played feel more impactful. The IST Championship game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers saw over 4 million viewers, the largest viewership since February of 2018. Silver mentioned that he spoke with teams regarding the look and name of the tournament. One can assume the point differential will be one of the main attributes of the tournament that is changed or will be addressed before next season. The point differential brought a lot of drama during the group play stage of the tournament, causing frustration between teams and coaches. It is unknown if the In-Season Tournament will have the same impact as the Play-In Tournament, but it is clear the IST has sparked significant interest among NBA fans.

Kawhi Leonard Agrees to a Three-Year, $152 Million Extension

Earlier this week, Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard agreed to a three-year extension worth over $150 million to remain with the team through the 2026-27 season. Reports suggest that Leonard signed his extension with the expectation that teammates Paul George and James Harden would be signing extensions with the team. Kawhi has had a strong start to the 2023-24 season, averaging 24.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 3.5 APG in 33, while only missing four games so far this season. With the Clippers looking much better than their first few games post-James Harden trade, the team looks like one of the best teams when healthy. Signing Leonard to an extension is key not only for this season but for the future of the Clippers. With several Western Conference powerhouses starting to fall in the standings, these next few years may be the Clippers’ best chance of winning a title. Signing Kawhi to a three-year extension is the best thing the Clippers could do to secure their future as a championship contender.

Everyone but Stephen Curry is Available for Warriors Trades?

After a 36-point loss to the Pelicans on Wednesday, reports came out on Thursday suggesting that everyone on the Warriors is available to be traded except for Stephen Curry. The Warriors have had a very rough start to the 2023-24 season. Klay Thompson has begun to decline, Andrew Wiggins has not looked the same since returning from a family-related absence last season, Draymond Green has continued to cause problems on the court, and the Warriors have blown several big leads this season. With time running out on Stephen Curry’s prime and the Warriors looking the worst they have in years, many around the league expect them to make several big moves. Several names have been linked to the team including Pascal Siakam, Dejounte Murray, and Zach Lavine, as well as big men being a target for the team. With the Warriors sitting at 17-20 and 12th in the West, moves must be made to save their season. It should be expected that the Warriors will be one of the most active teams between now and the trade deadline.