Tonight’s Must-Watch Games

The Opening Tip

• Anthony Edwards is relentless 

• Our favorite team to bet against plays tonight

• Is Bronny James actually a future NBA draft pick?

1. Free agency died in 2016

Have you noticed the dearth of true All-Star players hitting free agency over the last seven years?

We have, and we’re going to do what NBA media does best: Blame it on Kevin Durant.

• Essentially, the death of big-time free agent sweepstakes can be traced to Durant’s 2016 decision to leave the Thunder, which shell-shocked the rest of the league into making sure that never happened to them. 

Since then, you can argue LeBron (2018), Kevin Durant (2019), Kyrie Irving (2019), Jimmy Butler (2019) and Kawhi Leonard (2019) -- all under unique circumstances -- are the last true superstars to switch teams as free agents.

What we get instead: 

1. The Pascal Siakam trade on Wednesday, where a player in the final year of his deal wink-winks at the team trading for him before the trade goes through

2. A massive extension that only a players’ current team can offer, then a trade demand (Dame Lillard in Portland, Donovan Mitchell in Utah, Kevin Durant in Brooklyn, James Harden in Houston, Bradley Beal in DC)

In the case of Siakam and recently-traded OG Anunoby, their next deals have already been agreed upon, and will be tweeted out by Woj or Shams the second free agency starts this summer.

Meanwhile, we’ll be left with the Tobias Harris sweepstakes.

[READ: The list of 2024 free agents]
[READ: Pascal Siakam trade grades]

2. Daily GIF: Oh, ok

Anthony Edwards does something insane every game. (See: The self alley-oop last night; the all-time poster the night before.)

Also: The Timberwolves are on-pace for a 60-win season. 

[READ: Dare to speak the forbidden words: The Minnesota Timberwolves are good now]

3. Trivia

4. GVTH: Fade the Hawks, pt. 3

Welcome to Grip vs. the House, where two things can be true: 

1. Sports betting is a budding national crisis abetted by every ad space seller and media company looking to make a quick buck (sports betting companies: we are looking for a quick buck)

2. We still like sports betting

Nevertheless: The Hawks play basketball tonight, which means we are fading the Hawks, who lose 75 percent of their games against the spread. 

The play: Heat -6.5 at home tonight vs. Atlanta

GVTH record: 2-0

Remember: If it hits, you are obligated to share The Grip with your friends. If it misses, you are an adult. We didn’t force you to do anything. 

Quick hits

• Shams Charania, who happens to be repped by a partner of LeBron’s agency, says Bronny James, who’s played 10 college games and is averaging 5.8 PPG, is on ‘the draft boards of multiple teams.’

• From Reddit: The Wizards clinched a sub-50-win season for the 45th consecutive season.

• Cool thing that’s also an indication of their season: Memphis has a very short king getting legit minutes. 

• DeAndre Ayton couldn’t play on Wednesday night because conditions outside his home were too icy.

• Bruce Brown bought his No. 11 off new teammate Jontay Porter. 

• Dirk and Dwyane Wade discussed the infamous 2011 cough controversy.

Reads & Pods

• The NBA still hasn’t found an answer for Nikola Jokic [The Ringer]

• How Utah's success will impact its rebuild [ESPN]

That's the buzzer.
Thanks for reading the 349th edition of The Grip.