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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has agreed to a two-year, $35 million extension, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. The new deal will make Kerr the highest-paid head coach in the league with an annual salary of $17.5 million.

Gregg Popovich makes more than this on an annual basis, but he is also the San Antonio Spurs’ president. Erik Spoelstra, who signed an eight-year extension earlier this season with the Miami Heat, is the league’s second-highest paid coach $15M per year.

Kerr’s deal comes as the Warriors continue to cling tightly to their championship core. Stephen Curry is locked in with Golden State through 2026 as part of the four-year, $215M extension he signed in the summer of 2021, which made him the first player in history to sign two $200M contracts in his career. Draymond Green is in the first year of the four-year. $100M deal he signed this past summer.

The only question mark is Klay Thompson, who is set to become a free agent this summer. The Warriors opted not to trade Thompson, who was recently removed from the starting lineup as his production has fallen off considerably, at the deadline, and would likely be open to bringing him back. But it would most likely have to be at a salary that would be less than he could get elsewhere.

Joe Lacob has, the Warriors’ majority owner, said he wants to avoid the luxury tax, which will take some fat trimming to pull off. But he clearly signed off on paying Kerr, who was so instrumental in lifting the Warriors to a championship level following the firing of Mark Jackson, who led Golden State to 51 wins in his final season in 2013-14.

The very next season, Kerr, with largely the same roster, led Golden State to 67 wins and the franchise’s first championship since 1975. In 2015-16, the Warriors won an NBA record 73 games before falling to LeBron James and the Cavaliers in an epic seven-game Finals. All told, Kerr has led the Warriors to six Finals appearances and four championships, with the most recent coming in 2022.

Kerr fundamentally changed the Warriors when he instituted an offense predicated on ball and player movement, leaning heavily into playing Curry off ball — a stark departure from the matchup-obsessed system Jackson preferred that never yielded a top-10 offense.

He has had his work cut out for him the past few seasons as the Warriors are suddenly having to find ways to stay competitive without nearly the talent advantage they’ve long enjoyed. Kerr has had mixed results in developing young players.

James Wiseman was a flop. Jordan Poole, in hindsight, played the best basketball of his career under Kerr. Moses Moody has never gotten a consistent opportunity. Jonathan Kuminga is looking like the golden star of Kerr’s developmental resume, and even he had to wait longer than most people thought he should have to become a Warriors regular.

While not the team they once were, the Warriors are still a threat. They pulled a first-round upset over the Kings last season, and they’re heating up for the stretch run this season having won nine of their last 11 games entering play on Friday.

The Detroit Pistons (8-47) will try to snap their four-game losing streak when they face the Orlando Magic (31-25) on Saturday night. Detroit opened its six-game road trip with back-to-back wins, but it lost the final four games to remain in last place in the Eastern Conference. Orlando has won four of its last five games, including a 116-109 win at Cleveland on Thursday. The Magic are tied with the Heat atop the Southeast Division standings and are a half-game back of Indiana for sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday at Little Caesars Arena. Orlando is favorite by 7.5 points in the latest Pistons vs. Magic odds, while the over/under is 225.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Magic vs. Pistons picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 18 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 60-36 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,300. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Magic vs. Pistons. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:

Pistons vs. Magic spread: Magic -7.5
Pistons vs. Magic over/under: 225.5 points
Pistons vs. Magic money line: Pistons +240, Magic -300
Pistons vs. Magic picks: See picks here
Why the Pistons can cover
Detroit opened its six-game road trip with a pair of upset wins, starting with a 133-120 win at Sacramento as a 14-point underdog. Shooting guard Jaden Ivey scored a career-high 37 points, with 19 of them coming in the fourth quarter. The Pistons added a 128-122 win at Portland as 7.5-point underdogs in their following game, as center Jalen Duren finished with 27 points and 22 rebounds.

They will be excited to return home for their first game at Little Caesars Arena in three weeks, while Orlando is on the road for the second time in three days. Detroit is 12-3 in its last 15 home games against Orlando, and it has covered the spread in 12 of its last 17 games overall. Shooting guard Cade Cunningham leads the Pistons with 22.1 points, 7.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game.

Why the Magic can cover
Orlando has won seven of its last nine games, including a 111-99 win at Detroit three weeks ago. Franz Wagner scored 27 of his career-high 38 points in the second half of that game, shooting 17 of 25 from the floor and 4 of 7 from 3-point range. Power forward Paolo Banchero had 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds, while center Moe Wagner added 10 points and five rebounds.

The Magic closed the first half of the season with a 118-100 win over the Knicks, and they returned from the All-Star Break with a 116-109 win at Cleveland on Thursday. They were 8.5-point road underdogs against the Cavaliers, but Moe Wagner scored 22 points to lead Orlando. The Magic have covered the spread in nine of their last 11 games, including five of their last six road games. See which team to pick here.

How to make Pistons vs. Magic picks
The model has simulated Magic vs. Pistons 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

The Minnesota Timberwolves will face off against the Brooklyn Nets at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday at Target Center. Minnesota is 39-17 overall and 19-6 at home, while Brooklyn is 21-34 overall and 8-17 on the road. Rudy Gobert (ankle) is considered day-to-day for Minnesota. The Timberwolves edged the Nets 96-94 in Brooklyn on Jan. 25, but the Nets (+3.5) got the cover in that matchup.

This time around, the Timberwolves are favored by 8 points in the Timberwolves vs. Nets odds via SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 217.5 points. Before entering any Timberwolves vs. Nets picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 18 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 60-36 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,300. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Nets vs. Timberwolves. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:

Timberwolves vs. Nets spread: Timberwolves -8
Timberwolves vs. Nets over/under: 217.5 points
Timberwolves vs. Nets money line: Timberwolves -340, Nets +265
Timberwolves vs. Nets picks: See picks here
What you need to know about the Timberwolves
After a string of four straight wins, the Timberwolves ran out of steam on Friday, falling to Milwaukee 112-107. Anthony Edwards had 28 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the loss. However, he shot just 10 of 27 from the field and turned it over three times, so he’ll be looking for a more efficient outing on Saturday.

Despite that setback, Minnesota is still tied with the Thunder atop the NBA Western Conference standings. Minnesota is 29-24-3 ATS overall this season with a 13-11-1 ATS mark at home and a 22-19-3 ATS record when favored. See who to back here.

What you need to know about the Nets
Meanwhile, the Nets dropped their third straight game on Thursday, suffering a 121-93 defeat to Toronto. The Nets struggled from 3-point territory, shooting just 29.7% from deep as they lost the debut of interim head coach Kevin Ollie.

Ollie takes over a squad that is still in playoff contention, but also needing to play much better after dropping six of the last seven. The Nets are under .500 ATS for the season at 24-28-3 overall and they’ve especially struggled on the road with a 9-16 ATS mark. See who to back here.

How to make Timberwolves vs. Nets picks
The model has simulated Timberwolves vs. Nets 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a spread pick that hits well over 60% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

The showdown of New York has the Brooklyn Nets (17-25) hosting the New York Knicks (26-17) on Tuesday. The Nets narrowly lead the all-time series 107-104. Despite that, New York has won three straight games over Brooklyn, and on Dec. 20, the Knicks outlasted the Nets 121-102. The Knicks average 115.2 points per game, while the Nets put up 114.2 points per game. Isaiah Hartenstein (Achilles) is questionable for the Knicks.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Knicks are a 3.5-point favorite in the latest Knicks vs. Nets odds, per SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 223. Before making any Nets vs. Knicks picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 14 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 48-25 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning over $2,200. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Knicks vs. Nets and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Nets vs. Knicks:

Knicks vs. Nets spread: New York -3.5
Knicks vs. Nets over/under: 223 points
Knicks vs. Nets money line: New York -169, Brooklyn +141
NYK: The Knicks are 16-9 ATS as the favorite this season
BKN: The Nets are 12-6-2 ATS at home this season
Knicks vs. Nets picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Knicks can cover
Forward OG Anunoby has made a great impact on the Knicks. Since joining the team on Jan. 1, the Knicks have gone 9-2. Anunoby plays superb defense due to his length and size, constantly making things tough for ball handlers. The Indiana product averages 15.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. In his last contest, Anunoby logged 14 points, seven boards, and three blocks.

Guard Donte DiVincenzo plays with high energy, gets to the rim with no hesitation and thrives in transition due to his speed in open space. The Villanova product averages 11.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. He’s supplied at least 15 points in three of his last four games. In Saturday’s win over the Raptors, DiVincenzo finished with 17 points and three boards. See which team to pick here.

Why the Nets can cover
Forward Mikal Bridges is an athletic playmaker in the frontcourt. Bridges can create his own shot with ease and use his length to be an active defender. The 27-year-old leads the team in points (21.4) to go along with 5.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He dropped 26 points, six rebounds, and five assists in the loss to the Clippers.

Guard Cam Thomas is an aggressive scoring threat for the Nets. Thomas can hit jumpers on the outside with ease and scores from all three levels. The 22-year-old logs 20.6 points, 2.4 assists, and shoots 35% from downtown. He’s dropped 20-plus points in four of his last five games. On Jan. 19 versus the Lakers, Thomas totaled 33 points and four assists. See which team to pick here.

The Milwaukee Bucks fired rookie head coach Adrian Griffin on Tuesday just 43 games into his tenure. You won’t often see a coach get canned with a 30-13 record, but it goes to show the level of stakes the Bucks have riding on this season.

They don’t have time to fool themselves with a regular-season record. When they traded for Damian Lillard, it became championship or bust. This is not a championship team right now. So they got proactive, making a move based on their heightened standards of performance rather than the general standards that a No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference would typically satisfy.

Give the Bucks credit for that. They could’ve taken what they obviously believe was a bad hire in the first place and made it worse by refusing to admit their mistake. But here’s the problem: If they fire one guy to just make another mistake on the next hire, nothing will have been accomplished.

Doc Rivers sounds like the leading candidate. Hmm. Have you seen how much different, for the better, the Philadelphia 76ers look this season under Nick Nurse? The fascination with big-name retread coaches will never go away, and to be fair, maybe all the Bucks need is someone who’s used to managing superstars — but Rivers isn’t exactly a creative offensive mind, and I would argue that’s what Milwaukee needs most.

Hear me out: While everyone is going to point to Milwaukee’s defensive decline — from fourth a season ago to 22nd this season, in which the Bucks are surrendering almost six more points per 100 possessions — as the reason Griffin is out of a job, to me, that was a conscious roster decision.

Sure, Griffin changed up Mike Budenholzer’s big-drop strategy in the early going, and of late Giannis Antetokounmpo has pointed to a lack of a defensive plan. But by and large, when you flip out Jrue Holiday for Lillard, and start a Lillard-Malik Beasley backcourt, you are going to struggle defensively. If Milwaukee’s front office expected anything different, they set Griffin up to fail.

More likely, the expectation was that the offense would more than make up for that defensive decline, which, in theory, would leave the Bucks on the plus side of such a philosophical shift. It’s true, Milwaukee is scoring basically the same six points more per 100 that they are losing defensively from a year ago, making it look like a wash on paper, but a wash is not what they were after. And besides, numbers can only tell you so much.

Anyone who has watched this team will tell you the Bucks are not getting anything close to the best version of Lillard. That was Griffin’s main job. Maximize Lillard and Giannis, and the rest might not even matter. But Giannis isn’t as natural as everyone hoped he would be as a short-roller, and Lillard has openly admitted he has struggled to play with his typical rhythm without the ball in his hands as much he’s used to.

It’s a tight fit, and Griffin never quite found it. Lillard is shooting 42% from the field and 35% from 3. He’s averaging 25 points per game. Those are acceptable numbers, but nowhere close to the production that most people were expecting. Lillard was supposed to be feasting on defenses that could no longer focus entirely on him. His 51.5 eFG% ranks 26th among point guards, in the vicinity of Russell Westbrook, per Cleaning the Glass.

That’s what needs to change, because the tradeoff the Bucks bet on is simple: Lillard’s offense has to be worth more than Holiday’s defense, especially because Holiday’s offense, while not elite, is far better than Lillard’s defense, which I laid out as a disaster less than a month into the season.

Throw in the fact that Holiday has now taken the Celtics, the Bucks’ chief Eastern rival, to an even higher level, and it only puts even more pressure on Milwaukee to raise their offensive level behind Lillard. That’s the position they willingly, happily, put themselves in from a roster standpoint. It’s not about numbers. It’s about what we’re truly seeing on the court.

This team needs to start humming, not barely getting by against the likes of the Pistons and the Warriors playing without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Not scoring 95 points in a 40-point loss to the Cavs with Lillard and Khris Middleton combining to shoot 8 for 30. Not losing to the Rockets by managing to score a measly 108 points despite Giannis going for 48.

Lillard was 5 for 16 in that Houston game, including 1 of 8 from 3. He’s shooting 27% from 3 for the month of January.

This just isn’t going to cut it against the backdrop of what should’ve been a predictable defensive decline. Perhaps the defense shouldn’t have fallen off this much, but I’d be careful thinking a new coach is going to fix that side of the ball. The Bucks made their deal with the basketball devil. They’re all in on offense. Have been from the moment they acquired Lillard. Whoever gets this job has to get that part more than right; they have to get it damn near perfect. Because the Bucks’ defense, which, again, I would put more on the front office than the coach, doesn’t allow for any error.

It’s a tough gig. Griffin wasn’t the guy for it. We’ll see if the next person is.

USA Basketball is gearing up for the 2024 Summer Olympics. It announced a 41-man player pool on Tuesday composed of potential members of the final roster, which will be revealed at a later date. Team USA is fired up after an underwhelming performance at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, so the competition could be the fiercest it’s been in a while.

LeBron James and Stephen Curry were among the big-time players who didn’t participate in the last Olympics, but both were included on the list and have voiced interest in suiting up. Other notable names that didn’t play in Tokyo, Japan but could in 2024 include Anthony Davis, James Harden, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, Chris Paul, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard.

Then there are the newcomers. Among them is Joel Embiid, who announced his decision to choose America over his native country Cameroon, and France in October. The Philadelphia 76ers star and reigning MVP could help fix Team USA’s glaring weakness in the post, as many of the league’s best centers are now international players. Several younger stars could make their first Olympic USA Basketball appearance with him.

Tyrese Haliburton, Trae Young, Anthony Edwards, De’Aaron Fox, Jaylen Brown, and Brandon Ingram are just a few of the top players with a chance to knock off some of the seasoned veterans. They’ve all notched at least one All-Star appearance, but Team USA is more selective.

Whether USA Basketball can rebound from finishing without a medal at the FIBA World Cup remains to be seen, but the player pool for 2024 appears to be loaded with talent and capable of a return to dominance.

The Milwaukee Bucks are firing head coach Adrian Griffin, the team announced Tuesday. The stunning move comes a mere 43 games into Griffin’s coaching career. The former Toronto Raptors assistant was hired by Milwaukee this offseason after the team’s upset loss to the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs cost Mike Budenholzer his job.

Griffin had the blessing of star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and got off to a 30-13 record in Milwaukee (.698 winning percentage), but several incidents throughout the year suggested things weren’t going according to plan.

“This was a difficult decision to make during the season,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst said in a press release. “We are working immediately toward hiring our next head coach. We thank Coach Griffin for his hard work and contributions to the team.”

The Bucks are reportedly considering a small group of veteran former head coaches as possible replacements for Griffin, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. That includes former Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers, who is currently broadcasting games for ESPN, as well as top assistant Joe Prunty, who will serve as the interim coach.

There was a pre-season shake-up on Griffin’s staff as top assistant Terry Stotts resigned in October following an incident at shootaround in which Griffin yelled at him to join a coaching huddle rather than speak with Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. There was another reported incident during Milwaukee’s In-Season Tournament elimination loss to the Pacers in which Bobby Portis reportedly challenged him in the locker room. Griffin tried to implement a more aggressive defensive scheme early in the season, but admitted that Milwaukee’s players had convinced him to change it after early struggles.

It is unclear what other candidates they are considering, but there are a number of accomplished former head coaches currently without jobs. Among them are Mike D’Antoni, Dave Joerger and, ironically, Budenholzer. Stotts would seem to be a possible fit given his long history of coaching Lillard, but it is unclear if either side would be interested in a reunion after their split in October.

There is no real precedent for a team firing a rookie head coach 43 games into a season in which he has the NBA’s second-best record. There have been shorter overall tenures, like Jerry Tarkanian’s 20-game stint in San Antonio and Bob Weiss’ 30-game stretch with the Sonics, but both coaches were below .500 when they were fired. To find a fired coach who won as much as Griffin has, you’d have to turn to former Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt, who reached the Finals in his first season in 2015 and was then fired 41 games into his second season with a 30-11 record.

The Bucks, who currently have the third-shortest odds to win the 2024 NBA title at +480, have such a talented roster that some degree of regular-season success was almost inevitable. But there were visible issues under the surface in Milwaukee, and after the Bucks traded away all of its remaining draft capital to land Lillard over the summer, there was a clear mandate across the entire organization to win the championship right now. The front office seemingly decided that Griffin wasn’t up to the task and let him go with enough time left to try to find a suitable replacement before the playoffs.

Tuesday’s five-game NBA slate will begin at 7 p.m. and end with a rivalry game between the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers. Injuries could play a huge part in who the best fantasy options are, so be sure to stay up to date on injury reports ahead of tip-off.

Are you looking for strong returns? Here’s who you should keep an eye on as you look to build optimal lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel:

Markannen missed out on his third consecutive double-double by one rebound his last time out but can bounce back with another strong performance against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Utah Jazz forward racked up 24 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and a steal the last time he faced the Pels and is amid his most productive and efficient month of the season so far. Markkanen is averaging 25.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game in January while shooting 51.8% from the field and 44.9% from deep.

Russell’s return to the starting lineup has worked wonders for his numbers. He’s averaged 27.1 points and 6.4 assists over his previous five games and logged at least 24 minutes in each contest. He is flourishing as his time with the team could be nearing a close. He’s tallied at least 20 points, three rebounds, and three assists in his previous five starts against James Harden.

Isaiah Hartenstein will miss the New York Knicks’ matchup with the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday. While Jericho Sims will likely start, Precious Achiuwa will probably carry a heavier workload off the bench. The Knicks big man racked up 18 points, 11 rebounds, and a block in 25 minutes in his last game while Sims logged three minutes. Nic Claxton could make things tough for Sims, so fantasy managers should look to take advantage of how cheap Achiuwa is here.

The Milwaukee Bucks have reached out to Doc Rivers and are engaging in conversations with him about possibly becoming their next head coach, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Bucks are searching for a replacement for Adrian Griffin, their first-year head coach whom they fired Tuesday despite a 30-13 start. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday that Rivers had served as an informal consultant to Griffin at the organization’s behest earlier in the season. Now, he has a chance to potentially replace him.

Rivers is one of the most experienced coaches in recent NBA history. He has coached a total of 24 seasons for the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers, and he won a championship for the Celtics in 2008. He won the 1999-2000 NBA Coach of the Year award in Orlando and has reached the postseason 19 times.

Yet Rivers’ postseason shortcomings are responsible for his current availability. He was fired by the Clippers after blowing a 3-1 lead in the 2020 playoffs to the Denver Nuggets, and his three-year stint in Philadelphia included an upset second-round loss at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks and a blown 3-2 lead to the Boston Celtics last season. Seven teams have lost series in which they led 3-1 this century, and Rivers coached three of them.

Rivers is currently broadcasting for ESPN, but he was always going to draw interest in the coaching market again eventually. The Bucks tried to compete for a championship with a rookie at the helm and ultimately came up short. If Rivers is indeed their choice to replace Griffin, they will be replacing one of the league’s least experienced head coaches with one of its most experienced moving forward.

Rey Mysterio is the first inductee announced for the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2023. Mysterio’s inclusion was announced on Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown.

Mysterio’s impending induction marks a rare instance where a superstar will enter the Hall of Fame as a regularly active performer. Mysterio has been a frequent presence on SmackDown and wrestled as recently as the Feb. 24 episode of the blue brand. News of his induction served as a foil for the ongoing storyline feud between Rey Mysterio and his son, Dominik Mysterio.

BREAKING NEWS: @reymysterio is the 1st inductee for the 2023 #WWEHOF! pic.twitter.com/hvT9xARFa4

— WWE (@WWE) March 11, 2023
Dominik Mysterio, flanked by Judgement Day, accused Rey Mysterio of being an absent father while adding up the accolades of his soon-to-be Hall of Fame career. Santos Escobar and his Legado del Fantasma faction came to the defense of Rey Mysterio, leading to a six-man tag team match against Dominik Mysterio, Damian Priest and Finn Balor.

Mysterio is arguably the most popular luchador alive and certainly the biggest representative of Mexico’s rich wrestling culture on the North American stage. Mysterio is often credited for paving the way in professional wrestling for both smaller wrestlers and masked performers, popularizing the cruiserweight division and the lucha libre style in promotions like WWE, WCW and ECW.

Mysterio has captured 15 championships in the WWE, including one reign as WWE champion and two as world heavyweight champion. He also won the Royal Rumble in 2006 and is the 21st Grand Slam and Triple Crown champion in WWE history.