The Whiteboard is FanSided's daily NBA email newsletter with each daily edition written by a different member of our team — Matt Moore, Wes Goldberg, Chris Kline, Lior Lampert, Quinn Everts and Ian Levy. On Saturday, we all get together for one big roundtable to answer the biggest questions of the week.
Here's what we're talking about today:
If you had an official MVP ballot this year, who would you vote third, fourth and fifth?
Wes Goldberg: Giannis Antetokounmpo is a clear No. 3 this season. Start with the counting stats: 30 points on 60 percent shooting, 12 rebounds and 6 assists on a team that will likely have homecourt in the first round of the playoffs. Don’t overthink it. Then it’s Jayson Tatum — best player on one of the best teams having a career year. There are fewer nights than last season when it looks like Jaylen Brown is Boston’s best player. This has clearly been Tatum’s team. Donovan Mitchell has been penciled into fifth for me nearly all season, but Anthony Edwards is making a push.
Quinn Everts: I’m copying Wes on this test. Giannis is easily No. 3 (and I think he’s closer to two than he is to four.) I don’t know when the league-wide underrating of Giannis started, but it’s strange. Then I have Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell in a very close race for fourth and fifth, with Tatum gaining the edge thanks to some more impressive counting stats.
Matt Moore: Giannis has to be third. He’s averaging 30 on 60 percent from the field, only the second time in league history after… oh, that’s right, him last year. Jayson Tatum’s first two months were incredible and he’s been only “pretty good” by MVP standards since. He’s only 35 percent from 3 and the defense hasn’t been quite as good as it has been the last few years. But I’m going to give him the nod for fourth here with a career-high in assists. I’m giving ANT the bump over Donovan Mitchell because Garland was the Cavs’ best player the first three months of the season and Mitchell’s been the best the last two. The Wolves are top-10 in offense and defense and ANT is fifth in estimated wins by EPM.
Christopher Kline: Not blazing a new trail here. Giannis is the runaway No. 3, and there’s a perfectly strong case for a spot in the Nos. 1-2 range. If only the Bucks were a bit better on the whole because we still rank Antetokounmpo ahead of SGA on the NBA99 and that’s an assessment, in broad strokes, that I tend to agree with. Beyond that, it’s hard not to say Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell in whichever order suits your fancy. My personal, um, grudges incline me to vouch for Mitchell here, but both Cleveland and Boston are such strong collectives, that it can be difficult to parse which star is truly more “valuable.” The quote-unquote correct answer is probably Tatum at No. 4, then Mitchell rounding out the ballot (although I am compelled by Matt’s argument for Anthony Edwards, and there’s always a spot on the ballot for Steph Curry, especially with his breakout since the All-Star break).
Lior Lampert: Good thing we're not engaging in the Jokic-SGA debate; that discussion has gotten a bit toxic. I'll join everyone here in agreement that Giannis is the clear-cut No. 3 MVP candidate this season. Interestingly, no one mentioned LeBron James in their ranks, who comes in at fourth for me (assuming he reaches the 65-game criteria). The Lakers are vying for the second seed in the West with a fine but not stellar supporting cast amid a drastic midseason identity shift. LBJ has been playing at an All-Defensive Team level, shooting 38.4 percent from 3 and averaging 25-8-8 — at 40 years old! Donovan Mitchell has "the best player on the best team argument" to round out my top five.
According to Basketball-Reference’s latest playoff probabilities, there’s a 93 percent chance that Oklahoma City, Boston or Cleveland will win it all this year. Which team do you think is the biggest challenger to that trio?
Wes Goldberg: It feels like it has to be a Western Conference team since Boston and Cleveland look to be on a collision course for the ECF. It comes down to the Nuggets, Lakers and Warriors for me. The Nuggets have the best player on the planet, so they can’t be counted out. But they are so upside down on the math (third-fewest made 3s per game this season) that it makes it difficult to win four out of seven games against the top teams. The Lakers look legit. They don’t actually have the No. 1 defense, but they are probably in the top 10. That, combined with LeBron and Luka on offense, is a nasty formula that nobody will want to face. The Warriors are an all-basketball IQ and no-frills outfit whose smarts and experience could tilt a series. My darkhorse? The Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards is playing at an MVP-ballot level, and Jaden McDaniels and Julius Randle are finally looking like legitimate ancillary options.
Matt Moore: There isn’t one. Those are the three teams that fulfilled the 40-20 rule. Those will be top three seeds, and the gap between them and everyone else is so significant that the title will come from one of them. If we’re looking down the board, historically you have to be a top-three seed to win the title. Neither the Lakers nor Denver are guaranteed to land there, and do you believe Memphis can win the title? I don’t. I do think we’ll see what we’ve seen the last few years, which is one blue blood, elite contender and one random “What are they doing there?” team. Squads like the Lakers, Warriors, and Wolves are live to make a Finals run and lose there. The only team I’ll say to watch out for? The Indiana Pacers, who are agents of chaos.
Quinn Everts: At the beginning of the season, I said the Timberwolves would make the NBA Finals. Why not double down? The Wolves play well against OKC and have caught fire since Julius Randle returned to the lineup. You know what they say; when your prediction looks bad, refuse to admit you’re wrong and bunker down.
Christopher Kline: Despite what still feels like a catastrophic trade, swapping Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and pocket change, the Wolves still feel like a tough, tough out. They happen to play both Denver and OKC really well, and Anthony Edwards is built for these moments. The East is a complete nothingburger outside the top two, to be frank, and it’s hard to express total faith in the Lakers or Warriors out West, although Golden State’s 13-1 record with Jimmy Butler on the floor (not to mention the combined postseason resumes of Steph and Butler) is awfully hard to ignore. Luka Dončić is Luka Dončić. The Warriors are, even still, the Warriors. But the Wolves feel like the real potential bracket-buster.
Lior Lampert: 93 percent sounds about right. My fellow roundtable members are showing a lot of love to the Timberwolves. But as a Knicks fan who's gotten more than a taste of the Julius Randle playoff experience, I'll say that will age poorly. The Bucks are the most likely champion outside of Boston, Cleveland and OKC, if you ask me. Milwaukee is fifth in defense since the trade deadline and boasts arguably the best player in the world. Giannis has missed games in the last two playoffs, including his team's entire first-round series last season. Barring another late injury, Antetokounmpo will be out for blood and motivated to remind everyone what makes him the Greek Freak.
Zion Williamson is averaging 32.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks per 36 minutes since January 7. He’s also only been able to play in 20 of 30 games and broken 30 minutes just twice in that stretch. Zion is still just 24 years old and under contract for three more years. How much longer do the Pelicans keep moving forward with him as their theoretical centerpiece?
Wes Goldberg: Until (a) injuries completely drain him of his on-court production or (b) something better comes along. But, for now, the Pelicans seem tied to Zion for better or for worse. His talent is too undeniable, and he’s too much of a needle-mover when healthy. Teams don’t just give that up. Unless they’re the Mavericks.
Quinn Everts: I think that time is over. And that doesn’t mean New Orleans should ditch Zion — but should try to build a roster that includes Zion, not one that centers him. He’s clearly a talented enough player to build a franchise around, but not a healthy enough one. I want Zion to succeed but I think the Pels next step is to basically treat him as a bonus; when he plays, it’s awesome, but the team shouldn’t be structured around him because you don’t know how often he’ll be on the court.
Matt Moore: There have been a lot of players to deal with injury issues early in their career who move out of them. Zion’s situation is different because of his weight and conditioning issues, but his talent level is also higher than most other young stars. I do like the idea of New Orleans landing a top-three pick, and then trading Zion Williamson for another top-seven pick and starting over with a young core, but this draft is so good that finding takers will be difficult. That’s a great indication of how warped this CBA is: you’d rather have a cheaper star who isn’t for sure going to be great than a proven star in Zion Williamson on a big contract with injury concerns.
Christopher Kline: A healthy Zion Williamson is one of the 15 best players in the world, bordering on the top 10. You need those guys to win a championship, and it’s awfully hard to find one by accident. New Orleans has a strong case to rebuild — especially if Cooper Flagg comes their way — but I’d be equally inclined to see what Flagg and Williamson can accomplish in tandem. There aren’t clear, better alternatives available, and it’s hard to imagine the Pels getting plus value in a Zion trade with all the injury baggage. It feels a bit futile to keeping hoping against hope here, but if Williamson can put together a healthy campaign, front to back, New Orleans has all the pieces of a live threat in the West.
Lior Lampert: Given Williamson's health issues, the answer to this question isn't entirely up to the Pelicans. But I like Quinn's idea that Zion should be considered more of a luxury than someone you orbit your franchise around. I'm also on the same page as Chris; it's hard to pinpoint a definitively superior option. No one will give New Orleans worthwhile compensation for Williamson. He's signed through 2028, so there shouldn't be any rush to make any hasty decisions. The talent and upside are too much to deny, making exercising patience the best path forward.
How far can the Warriors ride the wave of Jimmy Butler’s self-mythology brought to life before it all comes crashing down again?
Wes Goldberg: Until he decides he needs a new contract.
Matt Moore: Count me as a skeptic of “Playoff Jimmy.” Here’s what we’ve got: two fluke Finals runs, one in the Bubble and another in a categorically bonkers shooting run. Both of those runs featured Butler specifically knocking out the Bucks. Unless they’re playing the Bucks in the Western Conference Playoffs, I’m skeptical. I think the Warriors are more likely to lose in the first round than make a Finals run.
Quinn Everts: To one Western Conference Finals. Then things might fizzle out. But I’ve definitely said these Warriors are “dead” about a dozen times, and with Jimmy Butler, they look very, very alive so whatever happens next, the trade is a pretty massive W for the Dubs.
Christopher Kline: I am shamelessly subscribed to the Jimmy Butler mythos, so unfortunately … I am all-in on the Dubs team, within reason. Again, it’s probably a little much to peg Golden State as a bonafide title threat, but Butler and Steph are one heck of a duo and the Warriors have been around the block before. A deep postseason run wouldn’t shock me, and Butler is happily extended for at least two years after this. By the end of his current deal, there’s a good chance we’re talking more about retirement than another front-office stalemate, so hey … maybe this is the end of the road.
Lior Lampert: The juice Jimmy Butler has brought to the Bay has been palpable. The Warriors have gone 13-1 with him in the lineup and shown no signs of slowing down. He and Stephen "Mr. 4000" Curry are a lethal and complementary 1-2 punch and are each proven playoff risers. Steph described this as Golden State's "last ride" and he and Draymond Green have undoubtedly operated that way since Jimmy's arrival. Butler has rejuvenated Curry and Green, and the momentum feels real enough to make a deep postseason run more than plausible this season. But it's hard to envision this carrying into next year (and beyond); Father Time comes for us all.
Assuming the rumors are true and 3 first-round picks and a compelling young player is in fact the price for a Kevin Durant — who should be the young player the Suns are most focused on?
Wes Goldberg: Personally, I think Jaime Jaquez Jr. would thrive in Phoenix. Future All-Star, for sure.
Matt Moore: Wes has jokes! I don’t think the Suns are going to get that for him. He’s going to be 36 on a massive contract and those are just hard to move. There are only so many teams that make sense for both the team and him. He’s Kevin Durant! But also, the market just isn’t what it used to be in terms of options. For the young players, I’d be calling the Magic to try and get Franz Wagner if you can convince them they’re one KD away. (They aren’t.) Oklahoma City for JDub makes a lot of sense as it improves the Thunder’s short-term window while giving them a large expiring contract when KD retires to ease the apron restrictions and provide cap room. They also have the picks, obviously. Keegan Murray, Andrew Nembhard, and Dereck Lively are other players I would want to bet on the future of to pair with Booker and fend off the Rockets.
Quinn Everts: How much do you believe in Jaden McDaniels’ offensive progression? If you answered “a lot,” then I think that’s a pretty good answer. How much do you believe in Amen Thompson fulfilling his gargantuan potential? Same idea. I have no idea what a Kevin Durant trade looks like in 2025, but either one of those guys plus some picks is a fine return for a team that desperately needs to move on from whatever they’re doing now.
Christopher Kline: Names like Jalen Williams and Amen Thompson feel untouchable to me, but Houston and OKC are logical fits. The Rockets obviously have the Suns’ own picks in their back pocket, which could grease the wheels on a trade. Jabari Smith Jr. would do well in a Suns uniform, and Reed Sheppard is just a smart upside bet — a clear hidden gem whose value won’t peak until he’s actually on the floor a lot. The Suns don’t need another guard, but I am also not building my team around Bradley Beal. Prying Trey Murphy away from New Orleans would be a huge win. Jaden McDaniels and Rob Dillingham from Minnesota would be a nice twofer, if the Suns can pull it off. Dereck Lively is great for what Phoenix needs, if the Mavs do indeed venture down that path. The only path for San Antonio involves coughing up Stephon Castle.
Lior Lampert: KD's been linked to Dallas; why not fleece them as the Lakers and 76ers did? Striking a deal with Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, AKA the gift that keeps on giving, is all the rage these days. Dereck Lively II is a rising star at the center position and a legitimate building block. Max Christie can become the next Quentin Grimes — a solid 3-and-D swingman on a rookie-scale contract who gets tossed around like candy. The Mavs don't control their first-round picks between 2027-30 while Phoenix is waist-deep into the second apron, so there are logistical hurdles to clear. But they can rope other teams into a deal until both sides are satisfied/the money works like the Warriors and Heat did for Jimmy Butler. Durant will be 37 next season and has appeared in 55 games or fewer in three of the past four campaigns. He's at 54 (and counting) in 2024-25, for whatever it's worth. Nevertheless, budding young superstars like Jalen Williams of the Thunder and Houston's Amen Thompson shouldn't be on the table.