Trae Young

Los Angeles Lakers All-Star LeBron James, Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young, Phoenix Mercury point guard Skylar Diggins-Smith and other black athletes and entertainers came together to form a voting rights group called More Than a Vote, according to the New York Times' Jonathan Martin.

The group's aim is to protect the voting rights of African Americans while also amplifying "their voices in this fall's presidential election."

"Because of everything that's going on, people are finally starting to listen to us—we feel like we're finally getting a foot in the door," James told Martin on Wednesday. "How long is up to us. We don't know. But we feel like we're getting some ears and some attention, and this is the time for us to finally make a difference."

Young added: "If people my age see that I'm going out and I'm voting and I'm talking, maybe the next 21-year-old will."

In February 2018, Fox News host Laura Ingraham told James to "shut up and dribble" after the three-time NBA champion criticized President Donald Trump:

Those comments re-emerged last week when Ingraham said New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was "allowed to have an opinion":

James also made a strong statement through his UNINTERRUPTED platform:

Numerous athletes have used their individual platforms to speak out against police brutality and racial injustice since George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis police custody May 25. The 46-year-old black man was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly after since-fired officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the back of his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds.

Protests have been underway nationwide, and NBA players have been able to participate because of the 2019-20 season being suspended March 11 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

James has been at the forefront of social justice issues since at least the killing of 17-year-old black teenager Trayvon Martin in February 2012. James, Dwyane Wade and the entire 2011-12 Miami Heat roster famously wore black hoodies in honor of Martin.

James and other players across the league wore "I Can't Breathe" tees during pregame warm-ups in 2014, which referred to Eric Garner's dying words when an officer put him in a chokehold.

Former NBA star Jalen Rose is also among the prominent black figures involved in More Than a Vote.

Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young said Wednesday he wants to use his voice and platform to condemn systemic racism and police brutality as protests continue around the United States and world. 

"I'm a role model and am bigger than what I just do to play basketball," he said, per Mark Medina of USA Today. "In times like this, I know I need to speak up for what's right."  

Young has joined the protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, who was pronounced dead at Hennepin County Hospital after since-fired and since-arrested Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.  

"I thought it was important for me to go out and show my face," he said, per Malika Andrews of ESPN. "I think there was a responsibility for me to speak up, especially through a time like this."

Young, 21, emerged as one of the NBA's brightest young stars in his second season, averaging 29.6 points, 9.3 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from three. That was good enough to earn him his first All-Star selection, though the young Hawks went just 20-47 and will not be one of the 22 teams included in the NBA's resumption of play in Orlando in late July.

Having his season cut short was a disappointment.

"I was mad. I was frustrated," Young said of learning the NBA's plan wouldn't include the Hawks. "Obviously I wanted to play. I understand what the NBA did and respect their decision. But I am kind of upset because I want to play."

He has said he continues to communicate with teammates like Cam Reddish, Clint Capela, Kevin Huerter and John Collins, and he hopes to organize workouts together in the future.

"We can't go five, six months without seeing each other," Young said. "We are trying to take this to new heights next year."

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young is six championships behind Michael Jordan, but he's motivated to close the gap on the Chicago Bulls legend after watching The Last Dance documentary.

During a discussion with reporters, captured by Ben Stinar of the Big Lead, Young said he cried watching the documentary and would go out and practice his shooting after the episodes ended.

"It really motivated me to win," Young said. "I definitely want to win a championship. Multiple, multiple championships." 

It was no secret that Young was excited for The Last Dance.

After all, he tweeted on April 19 that he thought the documentary was going to convince him to consider Jordan as the GOAT. That stood in stark contrast to his March rankings with His Airness behind LeBron James:

That The Last Dance made such an impact on Young is notable since he was born after Jordan won his sixth and final championship with the Bulls. Jordan's greatness was able to resonate across the generation gap and inspire Young to work on his own game.

On the other hand, if James needs any motivation the next time he plays against the Hawks, he may have it.

Young's Hawks will not have an opportunity to win a championship this season seeing how they were not invited to Orlando, Florida, for the 22-team format. They were just 20-47 and too far outside of the playoff picture to earn an invite.

It's hard to blame Young, though, since he averaged 29.6 points, 9.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 36.1 percent from three-point range as a first-time All-Star.

He is also just 21 years old and will have the opportunity in the future to build on that output, ideally with better teammates as the Hawks look to improve. It is then that he can begin his pursuit of multiple championships in earnest.

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young honored Vince Carter Wednesday on Twitter:

Carter is set to retire after a 22-year career across eight organizations that includes eight All-Star selections and a Rookie of the Year award. He scored over 25,000 points in his career and ranks third in NBA history with 1,541 games play, trailing only Robert Parish and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 

The 43-year-old's last two seasons have been with the Hawks, becoming a valuable veteran presence on an otherwise young roster. This includes playing alongside Young as he begins what could be a great career.

Carter had announced last summer he was going to retire after the 2019-20 season, although it wasn't exactly a storybook ending.

The NBA season was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, causing the veteran to consider that he had already played the final game of his career.

While 22 teams reportedly are now set to return for a modified season and playoff in Orlando, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Hawks were not among those invited because of their position in the standings. The team entered the hiatus with a 20-47 record, second-worst in the Eastern Conference.

Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce complained about his team's exclusion on ESPN's The Jump, saying "the game has been taken away from all of us at this point."

Carter will finish his final season with averages of 5.0 points and 2.1 rebounds per game, not getting a true opportunity for a curtain call before retiring.

Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young spoke at a rally in his hometown of Norman, Oklahoma, on Monday in protest of racial injustice and police brutality seven days after the death of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, while in Minneapolis police custody. 

"This country is in a messed up place right now," the All-Star floor general said, per Joe Mussatto of the Oklahoman. "For me, I just think it's important that we all stick together and we stand up for what's right, and it's not just going to just take just me. It's not going to take just you. It's all of us coming together and doing this as a collective unit. I feel like justice will be served and changes will be made if we all come together." 

The ex-Oklahoma Sooner star closed as follows:

"I pray every day that justice will be served for George and his family and not just him, there's hundreds and hundreds of other people—Breanna Taylor—everybody, it's not just them, this has got to change. Thank you guys for letting me talk, and I just want to say no justice, no peace."

Young had advertised the protest earlier in the day on Twitter:

He was also seen holding a Black Lives Matter sign with a message on the back:

Per Jesse Crittenden of the Norman Transcript, a Facebook post advertised the rally.

"We are just normal citizens who are just concerned (about racial injustice) and hosting a movement with local residents of the city," Keivon Giles, a protest organizer, said. "... Let's get together and be heard and make a difference."

Norman mayor Breea Clark also spoke at the rally, which took place in Andrews Park.

Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell joked with Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum on Saturday regarding the likelihood that Tatum is in line for a massive contract extension. 

Mitchell tweeted the following to Tatum in response to a tweet about ESPN's Brian Windhorst's report that the Celtics will "most likely" offer Tatum a maximum contract extension during the offseason:

Tatum can become a restricted free agent after next season, so while the Celtics don't necessarily have to extend him immediately, they would likely prefer to enter the 2020-21 campaign without any question marks surrounding Tatum's future with the organization.

Mitchell is in the same exact boat as Tatum, and all signs point to him landing a max extension in the near future as well.

A couple of other NBA stars in Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum and Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young also chimed in with their belief that there is no doubt about Tatum's impending max extension:

Tatum was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, and after taking a slight step forward in his second season, he truly broke out during the 2019-20 campaign.

In 59 games before the coronavirus pandemic caused the season to be suspended, Tatum was averaging career highs with 23.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.8 three-pointers made per contest. He was also shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from beyond the arc.

The 22-year-old was named an All-Star for the first time in his career, and he has the Celtics third in the Eastern Conference at 43-21, meaning they will play playoff basketball if and when the 2019-20 season resumes.

Tatum is one of the fastest-rising stars in basketball, and there is no question that the Celtics will do whatever it takes to retain him and make him the face of the franchise moving forward.

Though the NBA hopes to resume the 2019-20 season and crown a champion, about one-third of the league's 30 teams knows the playoffs are merely a dream.

And instead of hoping for a miracle, many fans of those organizations are looking ahead to the 2020 NBA draft. Big boards and mock drafts have surely become a favorite link to open, perhaps along with cracking open Tankathon to simulate the lottery.

Sure, the 18th randomization of the draft order probably isn't going to happen. Nevertheless, it's fun to dream about your favorite team securing the No. 1 pick.

We cannot predict how the lottery will shake out and whether a season resumption will affect the standings. The actual date of the lottery is still unknown, too.

What we do know, however, is the current odds for any of the 14 non-playoff teams to hold the first selection in the 2020 draft.

The best odds (14 percent each): Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves

In an effort to reduce tanking—losing as many games as possible to have a greater chance at a top draft pick—the NBA adjusted lottery odds in 2019.

Rather than the NBA's worst team holding the greatest chance at the first overall pick, the three worst teams have equal odds. As of today, that's the Warriors, Cavs and Timberwolves. (The remaining "advantage," per se, is Golden State can pick no worse than fifth, Cleveland sixth and Minnesota seventh).

Golden State mostly finds itself in this position because of injuries to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Kevin Durant left in the offseason, but the Warriors likely would've been a playoff-caliber team if Curry and Thompson had been healthy.

Should they land the No. 1 pick, the Dubs are expected to consider trading the pick or drafting Georgia guard Anthony Edwards, per Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Other top prospects are American guard LaMelo Ball, Memphis center James Wiseman and French guard Killian Hayes.

Cleveland struggled mightily under new coach John Beilein, who ended up resigning in mid-February. Minnesota collapsed after a decent start, enduring two losing streaks of 11-plus games.

The next tier: Atlanta Hawks (12.5 percent), Detroit Pistons (10.5), New York Knicks (9), Chicago Bulls (7.5)

Following the above trio, each organization in this quartet has at least a 30 percent chance of landing a top-four pick.

Atlanta is hoping to build around All-Star guard Trae Young, and Detroit views Blake Griffin as the centerpiece. New York and Chicago don't necessarily have a featured player, though a section of Bulls' fans may tout Zach LaVine.

This group must be desperate to add a premier talent instead of holding yet another mid- to late-lottery pick.

Excluding trades, only the 2015 Knicks, 2018 Hawks, 2019 Knicks landed a top-six position in the last five drafts. However, the teams have combined for only five playoff appearances since 2016; it's a whole lot of no lottery luck for them.

But if that changes in 2020, this particular draft could be remembered as a spark for the fortunate team.

The long shots: Charlotte Hornets (6 percent), Washington Wizards (4.5), Phoenix Suns (3), San Antonio Spurs (2), Sacramento Kings (1.3), New Orleans Pelicans (1.2), Portland Trail Blazers (0.5)

Entering the 2018 NBA draft, none of the five "best" lottery teams had a chance greater than four percent at a top-three pick. Thanks to the NBA's tank-curbing changes, only the No. 14 team in the lottery is still below the mark.

The opposite end is substantially more exciting, too.

Charlotte (26.3 percent), Washington (20.3) and Phoenix (13.9) each have a respectable chance at a top-four selection. In 2018, the teams positioned 8-10 totaled a 20 percent top-three chance.

This entire group should feel optimistic. Last year, the Pelicans snatched the No. 1 pick with only six percent odds, and the Los Angeles Lakers rose from 11th to fourth—and ultimately traded that pick to New Orleans in the Anthony Davis deal.

San Antonio, Sacramento, New Orleans and Portland are more likely to stay put in the 11-14 range. However, it's no longer something to be said with extreme confidence.

Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.