<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-jarrett-allen-larry-nance-jr-sam-merrill-injury-updates-are-bummer');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Jarrett Allen, Larry Nance Jr., Sam Merrill injury updates are a bummer');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Allen-celebrates-1.jpg"><figcaption>David Dermer-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cavs’ Jarrett Allen, Larry Nance Jr., Sam Merrill injury updates are a bummer</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-30T13:45:56-08:00">November 30th, 1:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-30T13:45:56-08:00">November 30th, 1:45pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson joined ClutchPoints and Cavs Nation in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers have been up and down so far to open up the 2025-26 NBA season, currently sitting at 12-8 after a recent frustrating road loss at the hands<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-jalen-johnson-reveals-best-friend-consecutive-assist-streak"> of the Atlanta Hawks.</a> Up next <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-rumors-evan-mobley-slapped-harsh-reality-nba-insiders">for the Cavs</a> is a home game on Sunday evening against the Boston Celtics, and the team will be shorthanded when they hit the floor for that matchup.</p><p>Earlier in the day on Sunday, the Cavs announced on X, formerly Twitter, <a href="https://x.com/cavs/status/1995223277246304728" rel="noopener">that backup forward</a> Larry Nance Jr. had sustained a Grade 1 soleus strain in the loss vs the Hawks and will be out of the lineup for 3-4 weeks.</p><p>Meanwhile, center Jarrett Allen will also be out against the Celtics with a finger strain. Sam Merrill will also continue to be out of the lineup.</p><p>Overall, the Cavs could use a get-right game as they continue to look to reassume their position from last regular season at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Darius Garland is still rounding into form after missing some time with various ailments this year, and some have been underwhelmed with the performance of Evan Mobley so far this year, at least compared to his lofty expectations.</p><p>The good news is that they’ll be facing off against a Celtics team that is on the second night of a back-to-back after losing a hard-fought game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.</p><p>Boston of course will be without Jayson Tatum for the matchup, still rehabbing his torn Achilles from last year’s playoffs.</p><p>In any case, the Cavs and Celtics are set to tip things off on Sunday evening at 6:00 pm ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Jarrett Allen, Larry Nance Jr., Sam Merrill injury updates are a bummer

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-larry-nance-jr-lonzo-ball-tease-story-kentavious-caldwell-pope-prison-work-release');   ga('set', 'title', 'Larry Nance Jr., Lonzo Ball tease untold story of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s prison ‘work release’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Kentavious-Caldwell-Pope-1-in-the-first-quarter-against-the-Denver-Nuggets.jpg"><figcaption>© Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Larry Nance Jr., Lonzo Ball tease untold story of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s prison ‘work release’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-26T10:19:44-08:00">November 26th, 10:19am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-26T10:19:44-08:00">November 26th, 10:19am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Cleveland Cavaliers teammates Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr. revisited a little-discussed chapter from their Los Angeles Lakers tenure, teasing an untold story involving <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/net-worth/kentavious-caldwell-pope-net-worth">Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s brief “work release” period during the 2017–18 season</a>. The discussion surfaced on the latest episode of the Ball in the Family Podcast, hosted by Lonzo and Gelo Ball.</p><p>Nance Jr. reacted immediately when the subject came up, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S68ZtX2sRXU&amp;t=2360s" rel="noopener">acknowledging the unusual circumstances</a> surrounding Caldwell-Pope’s situation at the time.</p><p>“KCP is our guy. Look, KCP, we love him. We love him. That was real. That was real. That was real. That ain’t my story to tell, but like it was … I forgot about that, actually. I forgot about that until this very second.”</p><p>Caldwell-Pope’s work-release arrangement stemmed from a court order requiring him to serve a stretch in a detention facility while remaining eligible for team activities. The setup limited his travel but allowed him to participate in practices and home games. The situation became one of the more unexpected storylines during that season for a young Lakers roster that included Ball and Nance Jr.</p><h2><b>Lonzo Ball, Larry Nance Jr. revisit a rare Lakers-era storyline tied to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope</b></h2><p>The two are now reunited in Cleveland after arriving on separate timelines. Nance Jr. previously played for the Cavaliers from 2018–21 before stints with the Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans and Atlanta Hawks. Ball signed with Cleveland this past offseason as he continues his recovery and transition back into an active NBA role.</p><p>Cleveland enters midweek at 12–7 after a 110–99 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Monday night. The Cavaliers will aim to rebound Friday when they face the Atlanta Hawks (11–8) at 7:30 p.m. ET. They then return to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Sunday for a matchup with the Boston Celtics (9–8) at 6:00 p.m. ET.</p><p>Caldwell-Pope, now with the Memphis Grizzlies, faces a different landscape. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/nba-rumors-kings-asked-grizzlies-ja-morant-trade">Memphis has struggled early, falling to 6–12</a> following Monday’s 125–115 loss to the Denver Nuggets. The Grizzlies begin a four-game road trip Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans (3–15) at 8:00 p.m. ET.</p><p>The resurfaced comments from Ball and Nance Jr. highlight a rare and unusual episode in Caldwell-Pope’s career — one that remains a notable footnote from their shared time with the Lakers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Larry Nance Jr., Lonzo Ball tease untold story of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s prison ‘work release’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-larry-nance-jr-clarifies-quip-that-better-tristan-thompson');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Larry Nance Jr. clarifies quip that he’s better than Tristan Thompson');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cavs-forward-Larry-Nance-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cavs’ Larry Nance Jr. clarifies quip that he’s better than Tristan Thompson</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-27T10:05:27-07:00">October 27th, 10:05am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-27T10:05:27-07:00">October 27th, 10:05am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints and Cavs Nation, as well as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Cleveland Cavs forward Larry Nance Jr. knows he’s better than his teammate Tristan Thompson — in regards to postgame breakdowns after games, not as players. <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-larry-nance-jr-immediate-message-after-signing-with-cleveland">Nance Jr. returned to the Cavs over the summer</a>, signing a one-year deal before taking on postgame interview duties with the team’s local broadcast.</p><p>When it was mentioned that Thompson was the Cavs player who frequently joined the broadcast for postgame analysis, Nance Jr. stated <a href="https://twitter.com/HoodiGarland/status/1982618279484207324" rel="noopener">he’s a much better choice</a> than Tristan, he said, per HoodiGarland’s X (formerly Twitter).</p><p>“Last year was it Tristan Thompson? I’m way better than Tristan, and you can take that to the bank. Tristan can’t hang with me.”</p><p>While most people understood the context of what Nance Jr. meant by “better” compared to Thompson, social media had fun with Larry’s words that read as if he’s saying he’s the better player than Tristan, with whom Nance Jr. played alongside the Cavs from 2017 to 2020. Nance Jr. had to clarify what he meant by the quote by commenting on his own X (formerly Twitter).</p><p>“Chillll, I meant better at the broadcasting thing. TT is my dawg,” Nance Jr. replied.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Larry Nance Jr. on his post game interview:</p><p>“Last year was it Tristan Thompson? I’m way better than Tristan and you can take that to the bank. Tristan can’t hang with me.” 😭 <br> <a href="https://t.co/jGzdvlfUnz">pic.twitter.com/jGzdvlfUnz</a></p><p>— ¹⁰ (@HoodiGarland) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoodiGarland/status/1982618279484207324?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Nance Jr.’s interview followed up a 118-113 win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. Nance Jr. finished with five points, five rebounds, and one steal, while All-Stars Donovan Mitchell (24 points) and Evan Mobley (23 points) combined for 47 points on 14-of-33 shooting.</p><h2><b>Shaquille O’Neal bets on Cavs to win the Eastern Conference</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cavs-forward-Larry-Nance-Jr.-2.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>ESPN’s <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-shaq-busts-out-hollywood-money-bet">Shaquille O’Neal has his money on the Cavs</a> to win over the Knicks, as the two teams are the favorites to win the Eastern Conference this season. While O’Neal’s co-hosts Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith believe otherwise, Shaq <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1981135129725567439" rel="noopener">pulled out stacks of fake cash</a> to make the deal official.</p><p>“The Knicks have everything they need to get to the NBA Finals, except we have to see if Mike Brown will have the same usage for KAT [Karl-Anthony Towns] and Jalen Brunson,” Smith said.</p><p>Still, O’Neal isn’t picking the Knicks over the Cavs.</p><p>“Ya’ll disappoint ya’ll selves every year with the Knicks,” O’Neal said toward Barkley and Smith. “That was last year. Chuck was fat last year. Now look at him. He’s a sex symbol.”</p><p>In other words, things change over time, as Shaq tried to relay in his comparison to Barkley losing weight.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Larry Nance Jr. clarifies quip that he’s better than Tristan Thompson

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-larry-nance-jr-addresses-nepotism-backlash-bronny-james');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Larry Nance Jr. addresses nepotism backlash facing Bronny James');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Cavs-forward-Larry-Nance-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>Scott R. Galvin-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cavs’ Larry Nance Jr. addresses nepotism backlash facing Bronny James</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-21T09:45:29-07:00">July 21st, 9:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-21T09:45:30-07:00">July 21st, 9:45am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints and Cavs Nation, as well as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Cleveland Cavaliers veteran Larry Nance Jr. kept it 100 about the narrative surrounding Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James and the backlash surrounding nepotism throughout the 2024-25 season as LeBron James’ son. After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-larry-nance-jr-reunites-with-cleveland-in-free-agency">Nance Jr. agreed to a one-year deal</a> to return to the Cavs this summer, he opened up about the opportunities he received as the son of Larry Nance.</p><p>However, those opportunities came before the NBA, as Nance Jr. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xM-GVhBWkSo&amp;t=982s" rel="noopener">explained the two sides of nepotism</a>, which include hard work and high expectations, he said, per a recent episode of the It’s Cavalier Podcast.</p><p>“I think there [are] two sides to the coin. I think a lot of our accomplishments are compared to our dad’s,” Nance Jr said. “Or ‘Hey, man, you only got that because you’re a Nance,’ but at the same time, I also get it. That does exist. I have gotten certain opportunities because my last name is Nance. Being Larry Nance Jr. in Northeastern Ohio, growing up, I’m lucky Wyoming took me on a scholarship.”</p><p>Wyoming took a chance on Nance Jr., believing that the 6-foot-3 guard would evolve into the athletic 6-foot-8 wing he is today, given his dad’s legacy as a high-flying three-time All-Star who won the NBA’s first Dunk Contest in 1984.</p><p>“I’m lucky Wyoming took me, and they took me because this kid is 6-3, can’t dunk yet, and is Nance. I’m betting on that. So, they gave me an opportunity based off of the genetics,” Nance added. “Now, I then seize that opportunity. At the same time, I was headed toward real low Division I or Division II until Wyoming was like, ‘Hey, we’ll bet on the genetics here.’ So, I’ve gotten certain opportunities, but at the same time, the NBA isn’t that opportunity.”</p><h2><b>Larry Nance Jr. returns home on one-year deal with Cavs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Cavs-forward-Larry-Nance-Jr.-2.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Before landing DeAndre Hunter, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-cleveland-trade-targets-depth-issues">the Cavs were connected to Larry Nance Jr.</a> in trade rumors mid-season. After Lakers rookie Bronny James’ first season, Nance Jr., who previously played for the Cavs from 2018 to 2021, discussed the advantages that come with being the son of legendary star Larry Nance, who played for Cleveland for six NBA seasons (1988-1994).</p><p>“Maybe college. Maybe if you transfer to a certain high school, but the NBA is not the place for that,” Nance said. “You gotta think about it, how many NBA players have kids. All of them. Just about all of them and the juniors, there are not that many. So, there’s gotta be a little bit of work and a little bit of skill into it.”</p><p>The Cavs will aim to build on their historic 64-win regular season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Larry Nance Jr. addresses nepotism backlash facing Bronny James

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-how-clevelands-playoff-failures-inspired-larry-nance-jr');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Cavs’ playoff failures inspired Larry Nance Jr.');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Larry-Nance-Jr.-on-Jan.-25-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>How Cavs’ playoff failures inspired Larry Nance Jr.</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-08T10:28:06-07:00">July 8th, 10:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-08T10:28:06-07:00">July 8th, 10:28am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints and Cavs Nation in October 2023. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-larry-nance-jr-immediate-message-after-signing-with-cleveland">Larry Nance Jr. has come back to the Cleveland Cavaliers</a> for this upcoming season, he is looking to help contribute to the team as a lateral move as they are in the quest for a championship. While the <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-couldnt-shake-crushing-playoff-exit" rel="noopener">Cavs’ season ended in a crushing playoff exit</a> to the Indiana Pacers in the second round, that outcome in some ways inspired Nance, leading to the present time.</p><p>According to Danny Cunningham, Nance would speak Tuesday about watching Cleveland as an outside when he’s been on different teams over the years like just recently with the Atlanta Hawks. He said that he’s a fan of the team, with obvious connections being he’s from Ohio, and <a href="https://x.com/RealDCunningham/status/1942616574449340689" rel="noopener">that he felt he could help them</a> by watching, which he can by adding to their frontcourt depth.</p><p>“When playing for the Hawks, playing for the Pelicans, yeah, I want them to win every game, but I was a Cavs fan,” Nance said. “So, watching the playoffs the past few years, it was hard not to just sit on the couch and kind of look, tap my wife and be like, I can help.”</p><p>This is a reunion for Nance and Cleveland as he played with the team from 2018 to 2021 before he went on to join the Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans before his latest stop in Atlanta. Now, he comes back to his hometown team to <a href="https://x.com/MarcJSpears/status/1940198097529053686" rel="noopener">“challenge for a title,”</a> according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape.</p><p>“I’m just happy to be able to give all I have to help my hometown team challenge for a title,” Nance said.</p><h2><b>Larry Nance Jr. joins a Cavs team that is hungrier than ever </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Cavs-forward-Larry-Nance-Jr.-22-shoots-the-ball.jpg"><figcaption>© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With the <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-lonzo-ball-great-situation-bulls-trade">Cavs also adding Lonzo Ball via trade</a> along with Nance and other moves, there is no doubt the team is retooling to compete. If anything, the team is more hungry than ever as Donovan Mitchell <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5ftvyXI5_4&amp;t=569s" rel="noopener">would speak about the disappointing playoff exit</a> to Indiana.</p><p>“In my mind, it was like this is supposed to [happen]. Everybody says like you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans, and that was my plan,” Mitchell said to Taylor Rooks. “Like, alright, cool, 60 games, we’re on these win streaks, alright, cool. I’m not saying we took anything for granted at all by any means, but this felt like this was that time. I think everybody can agree with that.”</p><p>“I think that’s why when it ended so abruptly, like even in the summer I didn’t have any plans, I didn’t know what to do,” Mitchell continued. “That’s why I think I found myself, even though I was moving around and different things, I found myself just sitting there, just trying to process that we don’t play tomorrow.”</p><p>Cleveland is looking to further improve after finishing 64-18, which put them first in the East.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Cavs’ playoff failures inspired Larry Nance Jr.

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-larry-nance-jr-immediate-message-after-signing-with-cleveland');   ga('set', 'title', 'Larry Nance Jr.’s immediate message after signing with Cavs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Cavs-forward-Larry-Nance-Jr.-22-shoots-the-ball.jpg"><figcaption>© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Larry Nance Jr.’s immediate message after signing with Cavs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-01T18:29:26-07:00">July 1st, 6:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-01T18:51:35-07:00">July 1st, 6:51pm</time><address><a>Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-larry-nance-jr-brutally-honest-exit-cleveland">Larry Nance Jr. is going back home</a>. On the second day of free agency, Nance decided to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers, making his return to the team he had already spent three and a half seasons for in the past. Being a second apron team, the Cavs can only offer Nance a one-year deal, which means that the 32-year-old big man took a significant pay cut to join one of the best teams in the entire association.</p><p>Nance has been a welcome veteran presence wherever he goes, and now that the Cavs have blossomed into a powerhouse that needs that one final push to get over the hump, his influence in the locker room will be very much welcome. Moreover, he has shown that he can still be productive when healthy. Whatever the case may be, the veteran highflyer is <a href="https://x.com/MarcJSpears/status/1940198097529053686" rel="noopener">simply looking forward</a> to doing whatever he can to help his beloved hometown team win another championship.</p><p>“I’m just happy to be able to give all I have to help my hometown team challenge for a title,” Nance told Marc J. Spears of Andscape.</p><p>The lights proved to be too bright yet again for the Cavs during this year’s playoffs, and it looked as though there were going to be wholesale changes for the team after yet another disappointing end to their campaign. But the <a href="https://cavsnation.com/rumors/cavs-rumors-brian-windhorst-drops-absolute-declaration-core-4">Cavs are running it back</a>, choosing instead to retool around their core four with the additions of Nance and Lonzo Ball, two former teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers.</p><h2><b>Cavs set to run it back</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Cavs-All-Star-Darius-Garland-2.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With today’s CBA, the shelf life of contending teams have become much shorter. And with the Cavs being a second apron team, time is ticking as to just how long they could keep their core together without having to shell out an inordinate amount of money.</p><p>Thus, it’s understandable why they’re gearing up for another push come the 2025-26 season. The Cavs have depth across multiple positions, and even managed to replace Ty Jerome with Ball. They <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-sam-merrill-nba-record-new-cleveland-contract">also kept Sam Merrill</a>, and retained their depth on the wing (Max Strus, De’Andre Hunter, Jaylon Tyson). Nance is also coming in to provide backup minutes for both big man positions.</p><p>It’s not quite clear how much gas Nance has left in the tank after a knee injury cut his 2024-25 season short with the Atlanta Hawks. But he is committed to the Cavs’ cause and should provide valuable depth behind Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, provided that he remains healthy.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Larry Nance Jr.’s immediate message after signing with Cavs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-larry-nance-jr-reunites-with-cleveland-in-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'Larry Nance Jr. reunites with Cavaliers in free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Hawks-forward-Larry-Nance-Jr.-22-warms-up.jpg"><figcaption>© Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Larry Nance Jr. reunites with Cavaliers in free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-01T14:58:34-07:00">July 1st, 2:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-01T15:19:19-07:00">July 1st, 3:19pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers are bringing back a familiar face as free-agent forward Larry Nance Jr. has <a href="https://x.com/TheSteinLine/status/1940160682789400952" rel="noopener">agreed to a deal</a> with the franchise, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line. The move marks a homecoming for the Akron native, who previously played for the Cavaliers from 2018 to 2021.</p><p>Nance Jr., 32, returns to Cleveland with added experience and an expanded offensive skill set. His <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-larry-nance-jr-reveals-top-5-nba-moments-fathers-day">first stint with the Cavaliers included a trip to the 2018 NBA Finals</a> and spanned parts of four seasons. Known early in his career for his athleticism, energy, and defensive versatility, Nance has since developed into a reliable perimeter threat.</p><p>Following his time in Cleveland, Nance played for the Portland Trail Blazers and the New Orleans Pelicans before spending the 2024-25 season with the Atlanta Hawks.</p><p>In Atlanta, he appeared in 24 games and averaged 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. He shot 51.6% from the field and a career-best 44.7% from three-point range while playing 19.3 minutes per contest.</p><h2><b>Cavaliers reunite with Larry Nance Jr. to boost depth and versatility</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Stephen-Curry-30-handles-the-ball-against-Cleveland-Cavaliers-forward-Larry-Nance-Jr.-22.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Nance’s shooting growth has been a key part of his evolution in recent seasons. During the 2023-24 campaign with New Orleans, he shot 41.5% from beyond the arc across 61 games. His improved ability to stretch the floor adds offensive versatility to the Cavaliers’ frontcourt, which already features interior scorers and rim protectors.</p><p>Cleveland’s decision to bring Nance back comes as the organization looks to build on its 64-win season and address depth concerns following recent roster moves. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-sam-merrill-planning-to-sign-38-million-contract-with-cleveland">Cavaliers recently re-signed guard Sam Merrill</a> to a four-year, $38 million deal and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/chicago-bulls/chicago-bulls-grade-lonzo-ball-isaac-okoro-trade">traded forward Isaac Okoro to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for veteran guard Lonzo Ball</a>.</p><p>Nance’s return offers the Cavaliers a trusted veteran presence familiar with the team’s culture and expectations. His ability to defend multiple positions and space the floor fits the team’s current system and complements Cleveland’s star core.</p><p>With Nance now rejoining the franchise, the Cavaliers continue to round out their roster with experienced contributors as they aim for a deeper postseason run. Cleveland was eliminated in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs but retains one of the league’s most potent offenses and is actively addressing its defensive gaps and rotation balance through free agency.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Larry Nance Jr. reunites with Cavaliers in free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-larry-nance-jr-reveals-top-5-nba-moments-fathers-day');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hawks’ Larry Nance Jr. reveals Top 5 NBA moments on Father’s Day');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Hawks-news-Larry-Nance-Jr.jpg"></figure><h1>Hawks’ Larry Nance Jr. reveals Top 5 NBA moments on Father’s Day</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-15T11:23:38-07:00">June 15th, 11:23am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-15T11:23:38-07:00">June 15th, 11:23am</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Sharing touching moments is something everyone can appreciate; hearing a handful from a hoops family is a blessing. Well,<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-rumors-what-atlanta-seeks-in-draft-amid-trade-buzz-expected-free-agent-loss"> highly valued Atlanta Hawks veteran</a> Larry Nance Jr. marked Father’s Day 2025 with a poignant tribute to his NBA journey, <a href="https://x.com/Larrydn22/status/1934295902555885770" rel="noopener">sharing his top five career moments</a> with ClutchPoints on social media. Each memory (except one) reflects his deep ties to family and the enduring influence of his father, Larry Nance Sr., the 1984 Slam Dunk Contest champion and Cleveland Cavaliers legend.</p><p>Blending family, legacy, and career highlights in a touching tribute, the 32-year-old Hawks veteran insisted these were in no particular order. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-truth-behind-kobe-bryant-60-point-finale-per-cavs-larry-nance-jr">Larry Nance Jr. mentioned Kobe Bryant’s 60-point farewell game</a> first.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kobe-Bryant-in-action.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Nance Jr. was a rookie with the Los Angeles Lakers during Kobe Bryant’s final NBA game on April 13, 2016, when the Lakers legend dropped 60 points against the Utah Jazz.</p><p>“Being on the court for that and being able to share moments with him before and after that game,” Nance Jr. told ClutchPoints. “Even during (the game), those are just things I’ll never forget.”</p><p>In 2018, Nance Jr. returned to Cleveland via trade and played a key role in their NBA Finals run alongside LeBron James. Though the Cavaliers were swept by Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors, Nance Jr. cherished the experience with his childhood team nonetheless. He has since had stints with the Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans before landing with the Hawks.</p><p>A ‘dunk contest with dad’ was next on the list. Now, that could be a long-running family feud or something more public. Young Larry was not alive for Larry Sr.’s sensational 1984 performance. This more than likely was a nod to the 2018 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, where Nance Jr. paid homage to his father by wearing a retro Phoenix Suns No. 22 jersey and performing the Nance family’s signature cradle dunk.</p><p>Though the homegrown dunker did not win, the father-son connection created a memorable spectacle. The same goes for when the NBA and Cavaliers cleared Nance Jr. to wear Larry Sr.’s number 22 in an actual game. After being traded to Cleveland, Nance Jr. switched to No. 22, honoring his father’s retired number. His debut in that jersey marked a personal milestone, symbolizing family legacy and adding a layer of motivation.</p><p>Not that Nance Jr. needed much motivation in a 10-year career that has led to the Hawks. Some nights were a bit more amped up than others, though. The first brother (Larry) versus brother (Pete Nance) NBA ballgame was last on the list.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hawks’ Larry Nance Jr. reveals Top 5 NBA moments on Father’s Day

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-larry-nances-hilarious-jose-alvarado-photoshop-80-game-suspension');   ga('set', 'title', 'Former Pelicans forward Larry Nance’s hilarious Jose Alvarado photoshop after 80-game suspension');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Jose-Alvarado_b81661.jpg"></figure><h1>Former Pelicans forward Larry Nance’s hilarious Jose Alvarado photoshop after 80-game suspension</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-19T20:00:22-07:00">May 19th, 8:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-20T15:01:00-07:00">May 20th, 3:01pm</time><address><a>Dylan Fine</a>Dylan Fine focuses on the NFL and NCAA Football for ClutchPoints, in addition to working on the meme team. Dylan is a graduate of Georgetown University and has covered various topics ranging from local politics in the DMV region with DC Voter For Animals to live sporting events in the Long Island and Rochester areas with The Southampton Press and Pickin’Splinters. When he isn't working, he's usually running in preparation for the next annual Turkey Trot.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Former New Orleans Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr. posted a hilarious Jose Alvarado image on social media. A recent scandal rocked Major League Baseball with Philadelphia Phillies reliever <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-jose-alvarado-ped-suspension">Jose Alvarado being suspended for 80 games</a>. The 29-year-old tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and now will miss half of the season due to this violation.</p><p>Shortly after hearing this news, Nance <a href="https://x.com/Larrydn22/status/1924522159528911061" rel="noopener">chose to poke fun</a> at his ex-teammate, Pelicans point guard Jose Alvarado, over Twitter. The photoshopped image immediately went viral, even though of course, it was referring to a different Jose Alvarado.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="zxx"><a href="https://t.co/cHyZ2B4LMI">https://t.co/cHyZ2B4LMI</a> <a href="https://t.co/oCBqR2e8Jj">pic.twitter.com/oCBqR2e8Jj</a></p><p>— Larry Nance (@Larrydn22) <a href="https://twitter.com/Larrydn22/status/1924522159528911061?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Nance spent 2½ years in New Orleans, all of which Alvarado was there. Both guys worked hard throughout their careers to become quality role players.</p><p>Alvarado was an undrafted rookie out of Georgia Tech in 2021. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native worked his way into the Pelicans’ rotation his first season and played a key role on a team that made the playoffs. Alvarado has remained reliable throughout his career, but unfortunately, New Orleans regressed this past season.</p><p>A year after making the postseason once again, New Orleans went 21-61 and is now potentially looking at a rebuild. Zion Williamson has not been healthy enough throughout his career, and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-pelicans-trade-brandon-ingram-nba-deadline">franchise dealt star forward Brandon Ingram</a> over the trade deadline. CJ McCollum is also toward the end of his prime years.</p><p>Still, there are many valuable players on this roster. In addition to Williamson and McCollum, Herb Jones, and Trey Murphy are super-talented wings who can either be a part of this rebuild or key trade pieces. Alvarado and Yves Missi help make a roster that should be competitive in the Western Conference.</p><p>Overall, the Pelicans must decide which players are part of their future core. The franchise has the No. 7 overall pick in what is supposed to be a very strong NBA Draft. Who New Orleans selects and how good this player is right away could go a long way in determining whether a rebuild is on the horizon or if this group is gearing up for another playoff run.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Former Pelicans forward Larry Nance’s hilarious Jose Alvarado photoshop after 80-game suspension

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/hawks-news-larry-nance-jr-loopy-message-after-hand-surgery');   ga('set', 'title', 'Larry Nance Jr.‘s ‘loopy’ message after hand surgery');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Hawks-news-Larry-Nance-Jr-s-loopy-message-after-hand-surgery.jpg"></figure><h1>Larry Nance Jr.‘s ‘loopy’ message after hand surgery</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-03T00:54:38-08:00">January 3rd, 12:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-03T00:54:38-08:00">January 3rd, 12:54am</time><address><a>Nathan Yasis</a>Nathan Yasis is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, specializing in the NBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Hawks’ Jalen Johnson’s exclusion from the 2024-25 All-Star roster has raised eyebrows, with many considering it a notable oversight for the emerging talent. Similarly, questions persist about Trae Young’s placement, with arguments that his ranking should be higher. Larry Nance believes his teammates deserve more recognition after the first fan returns were released for the NBA All-Star Weekend this year.</p><h2><b>Larry Nance calling for Jalen Johnson’s inclusion in the All-Star Game</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Jalen-Johnson-and-Trae-Young-on-the-floor-for-the-Hawks.jpg"><figcaption>Eric Hartline-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“Larry Nance Jr. sustained a right hand injury during Saturday’s game vs. Miami at State Farm Arena. Imaging has confirmed a fractured fourth metacarpal bone in his right hand. He will undergo surgery on Thursday, Jan. 2 to repair the fracture. His timeline for return will be provided following surgery,” <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-larry-nance-jr-undergo-surgery-suffering-hand-injury">the Hawks wrote</a> on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>“Fresh outta surgery, and still a little loopy.. but, I’m still aware enough to know Jalen Johnson deserves to be on this list, and Trae needs to be higher. That is all, go Hawks,” Nance <a href="https://www.twitter.com/larrydn22/status/1874916800410140896?s=46" rel="noopener">said in his post</a> in X (formerly Twitter).</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Fresh outta surgery, and still a little loopy.. but, I’m still aware enough to know Jalen Johnson deserves to be on this list, and Trae needs to be higher. That is all, go Hawks <a href="https://t.co/qWtMwUz4G2">https://t.co/qWtMwUz4G2</a></p><p>— Larry Nance (@Larrydn22) <a href="https://twitter.com/Larrydn22/status/1874916800410140896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Jalen Johnson is delivering an impressive season, averaging 19.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. He is one of only five players achieving these numbers, alongside Alperen Sengun, Domantas Sabonis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic — all of whom secured spots on the first-wave fan ballot for the All-Star Game.</p><p>Stathead data reveals that only three players in NBA history have posted numbers comparable to Jalen Johnson’s and missed the All-Star team before this season. The most recent instances include Russell Westbrook in 2021-22 and Domantas Sabonis in 2023-24, with Jeff Ruland being the last to experience this in 1985-86.</p><h2><b>Should Trae Young rank higher?</b></h2><p>The debate surrounding Trae Young’s All-Star placement becomes more intricate when evaluating his performance alongside the four guards ranked ahead of him: Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, and LaMelo Ball.</p><p>Trae Young’s scoring average of 22.3 points per game is the lowest among the group and marks his lowest output since his rookie season, largely attributed to inefficiency. His 39.9% shooting from the field is a career low, while his 33.8% accuracy from beyond the arc ranks as his third-worst performance.</p><p>Despite his shooting struggles, Trae Young leads the league in assists, holding a 4.3-assist advantage over the second-place player, Jalen Brunson. However, there is an element of hypocrisy in the comparison, as three of the four players ranked ahead of Young play for teams with higher standings than the Hawks.</p><p>The argument against Trae Young in past seasons has often centered around the lack of team success. This year, LaMelo Ball’s Hornets have a 7-25 record, tied for the third-worst in the NBA, and both Ball and Damian Lillard have each appeared in fewer than 25 games.</p><p>Young, Brunson, and Mitchell have all played in over 30 games so far. Fan votes make up 50% of the final tally, while media and player votes each contribute 25%. The next fan vote update will be released on January 9.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Larry Nance Jr.‘s ‘loopy’ message after hand surgery

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/hawks-news-larry-nance-jr-undergo-surgery-suffering-hand-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hawks’ Larry Nance Jr. set to undergo surgery after suffering hand injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Hawks-news-Larry-Nance-Jr.-set-to-undergo-surgery-after-suffering-hand-injury.jpg"></figure><h1>Hawks’ Larry Nance Jr. set to undergo surgery after suffering hand injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-30T11:35:10-08:00">December 30th, 11:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-30T11:35:54-08:00">December 30th, 11:35am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-jalen-johnson-highlights-keys-success-after-straight-victory">Atlanta Hawks</a> have announced that Larry Nance Jr. is set to undergo surgery after he <a href="https://x.com/atlhawks/status/1873806491389432154?s=46" rel="noopener">suffered a hand injury</a> against the Miami Heat on Dec. 28.</p><p>“Larry Nance Jr. sustained a right hand injury during Saturday’s game vs. Miami at State Farm Arena,” the Hawks wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Imaging has confirmed a fractured fourth metacarpal bone in his right hand. He will undergo surgery on Thursday, Jan. 2 to repair the fracture. His timeline for return will be provided following surgery.”</p><p>Nance has stepped in as the third center this season behind Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu. When Okongwu has missed games this season, Nance has been the backup and has played well for the Hawks. He’s been able to stretch the floor for the Hawks, shooting a career-high 52% from three.</p><p>Nance has also served as one of the veterans on the team, as he and Capela are the players with 10-plus seasons in the league.</p><h2>Hawks will be without Larry Nance Jr. for some time</h2><p>With Larry Nance Jr. probably sidelined for some time, the Hawks will hope that Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu can stay healthy. If not, they have players such as Mouhamed Gueye and Dominick Barlow, who can step in and provide depth at the position.</p><p>Nance had played the past few games for the Hawks after Okongwu was out of the lineup with knee inflammation, but he returned against the Toronto Raptors.</p><p>The Hawks have been rolling as of late, as they’re currently on a four-game winning streak and are now fifth in the Eastern Conference. Their defense has been the thing that has helped them win games this season, and the offense will always stay afloat as long as Trae Young is on the court. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-quin-snyder-drops-jalen-johnson-endorsement-impressive-play">Jalen Johnson has also taken a big step</a> for the Hawks and is making a case for being an All-Star this season.</p><p>Depth has been key for the Hawks, and luckily, they have players who can step up while Nance is out.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hawks’ Larry Nance Jr. set to undergo surgery after suffering hand injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/hawks-news-larry-nance-jr-awards-dyson-daniels-perfect-defensive-nickname');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hawks’ Larry Nance Jr. awards Dyson Daniels with perfect defensive nickname');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Bill-OBriens-honest-admission-after-making-QB-move.jpg"></figure><h1>Hawks’ Larry Nance Jr. awards Dyson Daniels with perfect defensive nickname</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-14T11:38:54-08:00">November 14th, 11:38am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-14T11:38:54-08:00">November 14th, 11:38am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Tuesday evening, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-trae-young-gives-mf-shoutout-to-injury-replacement-as-atlanta-stuns-celtics">Atlanta Hawks pulled off the biggest upset of the young NBA season</a> by knocking off the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics on the road without Trae Young and several other key pieces in the lineup. The game featured a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-dyson-daniels-defensive-feat-fuels-early-awards-watch">breakout performance from newly acquired wing Dyson Daniels</a>, who scored 28 points and also registered his third straight game with at least six steals, a category he leads the NBA by a country mile so far this year.</p><p>At Hawks practice on Thursday, Daniels’ own teammate Larry Nance Jr., who was sent to Atlanta along with Daniels in exchange for Dejounte Murray this offseason, lined up along with reporters for his press conference and gave him <a href="https://x.com/KLChouinard/status/1857123088824992085" rel="noopener">a perfect nickname</a> for his defensive prowess: The Great Barrier Thief (per Kevin Chouinard on X, formerly Twitter).</p><p>This of course refers to Daniels’ Australian heritage as well as his skills on the defensive side of the court, where he has quickly turned himself into one of the NBA’s elites.</p><h2><b>A breakout start to the season</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Daniels-celebrates.jpg"><figcaption>David Butler II-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>When the Hawks traded Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans this offseason, many treated Dyson Daniels as an afterthought in the deal considering that he hadn’t been able to get consistent minutes in the Pelicans’ rotation throughout the first couple of years of his career.</p><p>However, Daniels is quickly proving that he has all of the tools necessary to be an elite two-way wing in the NBA, constantly taking Jayson Tatum out of his comfort zone on Tuesday in Boston while also having an impressive game on offense both in terms of shooting and facilitating.</p><p>In order to truly break into the type of player that the Hawks are hoping he will, Daniels will need to continue to improve his three point shooting, which has hovered around 30 percent throughout his career. However, at just 21 years of age, there is plenty of time for that number to skyrocket, while his defense–which is already among the best in the NBA–can also continue to expand.</p><p>Combine Daniels’ breakout start to the season along with increased production from Jalen Johnson and some flashes from number one overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, and the Hawks have a trio of young wings who could form the makings of a new young core, even if Trae Young is no longer part of the franchise’s long term plans.</p><p>The Hawks will next take the floor on Friday evening vs the Washington Wizards.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hawks’ Larry Nance Jr. awards Dyson Daniels with perfect defensive nickname

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/why-pelicans-already-have-larry-nance-jr-replacement');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Pelicans already have Larry Nance Jr.’s replacement');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Why-Pelicans-already-have-Larry-Nance-Jr.s-replacement.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Pelicans already have Larry Nance Jr.’s replacement</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-24T12:47:32-07:00">September 24th, 12:47pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-24T12:48:08-07:00">September 24th, 12:48pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a New Orleans Pelicans beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans have had Zion Williamson in the building since the 2019 NBA Draft but are still looking for an identity. A crucial part of that process has involved finding the right big men to fit around the All-Star in the rotations. Larry Nance Jr. looked the part over the last two seasons but had to be sacrificed so the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-dejounte-murray-upgrade-depends-perspective">Pelicans could acquire Dejounte Murray.</a> Thankfully, a late summer Pelicans training camp might have unearthed a diamond in the rough replacement in Karlo Matkovic.</p><p>Injury setbacks derailed the first trip to Las Vegas but never phased the 23-year-old’s resolve to make the New Orleans roster. Matkovic, the 52nd overall pick in 2022, has shown significant growth and potential since being<a href="https://x.com/DoingItDodson/status/1540023856295026688" rel="noopener"> draft-and-stashed</a> by New Orleans. The progression from European competitions to G-League action was undeniable for anyone keeping track.</p><p>It was easy to see the Croatian becoming a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/karlo-matkovic-answering-pelicans-closing-center-question">valuable, mismatch-creating asset for the Pelicans</a> after the 6-11 big man dominated the 2024 NBA Summer League runs for long stretches. Dennis Scott was <a href="https://twitter.com/PelsFilmRoom/status/1813435983926378793" rel="noopener">scouting the excited reactions</a> of Willie Green amid a 10-12 shooting showcase.</p><p>“If you didn’t know about him before this game, you know about him now…Willie Green is over there taking notes saying I see how I can use him, I see how he can help us win ball games.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Another big-time lob for Matkovic!</p><p>He's got 23 points on 10-12 shooting… watch the final minutes on NBA TV 👀 <a href="https://t.co/FhtRybIcYZ">https://t.co/FhtRybIcYZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/On41UyrwJh">pic.twitter.com/On41UyrwJh</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1813428625401655640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Nance Jr.’s contributions should not be diminished. The respected veteran was a locker room leader who could be counted on to do the dirty work when available. Nance Jr. ($11.2m) averaged 5.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game last season. Still, Matkovic ($1.4m) should be able to match that production with more upside and at a cheaper salary cap hit.</p><p>Matkovic averaged 15.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game across all competitions with Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) last season. He was putting up approximately 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 31 minutes per game with the Squadron. Then came the sensational Summer League showcase and a three-year guaranteed NBA deal.</p><h2><b>Karlo Matkovic is money found for Pelicans</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Karlo-Matkovic-on-a-scale-that-says-255-pounds.-On-another-scale-is-a-pot-of-gold-with-a-9-million-price-tag.-The-article-mentions-Karlo-being-worth-his-weight-in-gold.jpg"></figure><p>Tracking Matkovic took more time and patience than money but it is paying off now. Several reports of an impressive Matkovic came out of the team’s voluntary, player-led training camp in California. It’s something some have <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1796241469247811688" rel="noopener">seen coming for a while</a>, especially the Nance Jr. replacement part.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Multiple sources within Org have said/replied during our conversations that Karlo is more of a Larry 4 replacement instead of a JV 5.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pelicans?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pelicans</a> <a href="https://t.co/I6t58vYIVx">https://t.co/I6t58vYIVx</a></p><p>— Dodson, Chris Dodson (@DoingItDodson) <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1796241469247811688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The same scouting department that bet on Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Naji Marshall, and Jose Alvarado approved of Matkovic. His per-100 possession stats lend more evidence to the argument that Matkovic should play 10-12 meaningful minutes per night. He can be used in the same actions, has better height, is deceptively athletic, and again, comes at a big discount. The front office saved almost $10 million in this move and might have upgraded at the position.</p><p>Slightly lower stat totals should not dissuade Green from giving Matkovic room to grow. Fans should expect to see a lot of Matkovic around town even if there are a few DNP-CDs on the scorecard. He is too cheap to be of much use in the trade market but could be worth his weight in gold to head coach Willie Green. At 255 pounds, that is about $9 million give or take.</p><p>So, yes, the Pelicans could be getting top-dollar MLE money production from a near-minimum draft and stash curiosity. Even the toughest critics have to admit that is good business from EVP David Griffin’s Pelicans.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Pelicans already have Larry Nance Jr.’s replacement

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/lakers-news-larry-nance-jr-chimes-in-la-coaching-search-after-missing-out-dan-hurley');   ga('set', 'title', 'Larry Nance Jr. chimes in on Lakers’ coaching search after missing out on Dan Hurley');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Larry-Nance-Jr.-chimes-in-on-LA-coaching-search-after-missing-out-on-Dan-Hurley.jpg"></figure><h1>Larry Nance Jr. chimes in on Lakers’ coaching search after missing out on Dan Hurley</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-13T10:59:11-07:00">June 13th, 10:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-13T12:13:50-07:00">June 13th, 12:13pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of one of their roughest off-seasons in recent memory. After striking out on UConn boss Dan Hurley to fill their head coaching vacancy, the team may turn to NBA retiree <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-jj-redick-in-line-become-lakers-coach-after-dan-hurley-debacle-on-1-condition">JJ Redick, who’s never coached</a> at any level.</p><p>New Orleans Pelicans forward and former Laker Larry Nance Jr. <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1801300414068850839" rel="noopener">weighed in on</a> the NBA’s hottest non-Finals storyline, via FanDuel TV’s <i>Run It Back</i>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“I think a first time head coach is not the answer… You probably need an established coach."</p><p>Larry Nance Jr. shares his thoughts on the Lakers head coaching search 👀</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/RunItBackFDTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RunItBackFDTV</a>)<a href="https://t.co/6WqDDAhbe1">pic.twitter.com/6WqDDAhbe1</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1801300414068850839?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Personally, I think a first-time head coach is not the answer,” Nance said. “The LA market is really hard if you’ve never dealt with something like that before. If you miss a shot, you’re the next fill-in-the-blank. If you miss a shot, you should’ve never picked up a basketball in your life. It’s tough, I think you’d probably need an established coach, but I can’t necessarily put a name out there for that. You need someone with some clout.”</p><p>While Nance has a valid point, there aren’t many former or current head coaches left to pick from. Pelicans assistant James Borrego, who led the Charlotte Hornets for four years, is the only name left in the rumor mill that’s held the big chair before. However, he’s also been rumored to be a frontrunner for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ head coaching gig. If Los Angeles doesn’t land him, their pick will <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-brian-windhorst-jj-redick-lebron-james-interview">most likely be Redick</a>, Celtics assistant Sam Cassell, or Nuggets assistant David Adelman, none of whom have been the head honcho before.</p><p>Nance was also asked if he thought LeBron James would be a good player-coach.</p><p>“I’m gonna say no, because a lot of times, the very best have a hard time teaching others how to do something because it comes naturally to them,” Nance continued. “There are certain times a coach will have to explain something. ‘Bron, I’m not saying he’s done this before, but there are certain times he’ll have to explain something, and it’s like ‘I just don’t understand how you don’t get that. Why can’t you just take the ball, take two dribbles and dunk on their bigs, like just do it.’ You need someone that wasn’t the greatest player ever. Somebody with experience…I actually thought Vogel was really good for them when they had him, but you know…”</p><p>Is Nance right, or would the Lake Show be fine with a first-time locker room leader?</p><h2><b>Nance is on the money, and the Lakers should listen</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Pelicans-Larry-Nance-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>© Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>While Nance couldn’t think of a name off the top of his head, Borrego is the best candidate according to his criteria. Luckily for Los Angeles, he appears to <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/lakers-coaching-search-james-borrego-considered-a-leading-candidate-after-dan-hurley-passed-per-report/" rel="noopener">still be considering the job</a>, via CBS Sports. The 46-year-old interviewed twice for the position.</p><p>Even if the Lakers don’t land Borrego, they’d still be better off with Cassell or Adelman than Redick. Having years of assistant experience is a reasonable way to work up to a high-pressure head coaching job. Playing in the league and then working for ESPN, however, is not. Los Angeles will risk losing its credibility as an organization if they hire someone completely unqualified.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Larry Nance Jr. chimes in on Lakers’ coaching search after missing out on Dan Hurley

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/4-low-key-moves-pelicans-cash-in-larry-nance-jr');   ga('set', 'title', '4 low-key Pelicans trades to cash in on Larry Nance Jr.');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/4-moves-for-Pelicans-to-cash-in-on-Larry-Nance-Jr.jpg"></figure><h1>4 low-key Pelicans trades to cash in on Larry Nance Jr.</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-05-20T15:41:18-07:00">May 20th, 3:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-05-20T15:41:18-07:00">May 20th, 3:41pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a New Orleans Pelicans beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Smart front offices find ways to squeeze every drop of value out of every single asset that passes through the building. It is the only way for small-market teams allergic to the luxury tax to stay competitive. The New Orleans Pelicans are getting squeezed out of the Western Conference’s top-six conversation by the day though. That’s why EVP David Griffin has got to start exploring every opportunity to cash in on Larry Nance Jr. this offseason.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-trade-proposal-land-jarrett-allen-jonas-valanciunas-replacement">Pelicans could get their new</a> center sorted out with the Nets. However, Nicolas Claxton has to agree to a contract extension that starts under $20 million in the first season for this scenario to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/5-dyson-daniels-trades-pelicans-must-consider-this-offseason">work without including Dyson Daniels.</a> Nance Jr. and E.J. Liddell work financially if Claxton is at $18.5 million for three or four years with 8% raises year-over-year.</p><p>Deni Avdija (Washington Wizards) would be a nice 23-year-old replacement for Brandon Ingram. However, that deal would require significant draft capital from New Orleans. That’s a deal breaker for Avdija. Likewise, the Los Angeles Lakers are not giving up on Austin Reaves, though they’d at least have to say ‘no’ to a deal including Nance Jr. and their draft picks back.</p><p>So what are the other options for getting a return out of the Nance Jr. investment?</p><h2>Knicks need new blood</h2><p><b>Mitchell Robinson</b> seems to be more surplus than requirement in New York following Isaiah Hartenstein’s NBA Playoffs breakout performance. Julius Randle is already entrenched with the Madison Square Garden crowds and is under contract for another three seasons.</p><p>Robinson is the odd man out and the Pelicans should be in the bidding wars. He averaged 5.6 points and 8.5 rebounds in 31 regular-season games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury that <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40140749/knicks-mitchell-robinson-ankle-surgery-sources-say">eventually required surgery</a>.</p><h2>Cashing in with the Cavaliers</h2><p><b>Evan Mobley</b> is going to need a new contract. However, Nance Jr. and Mobley can currently be swapped straight up financially. The draft compensation is where the Pelicans have to draw the line. Cleveland will have to balance any inquiries with Mobley’s emotions as the two sides try to hash out a near-max-level contract extension.</p><h2>Making waves with the Magic</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Larry-Nance-Jr.-looks-on-in-despair-as-the-Pelicans-are-swept-out-of-the-NBA-Playoffs.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p><b>Wendell Carter Jr.</b> did well against the twin tower pairing of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley in the NBA Playoffs. Unfortunately, he will also be undergoing hand surgery this summer as well.</p><p>Carter Jr. was a target at the last trade deadline and the Magic are still likely to make some big roster-shuffling moves over the next few months. Carter Jr.’s value remains steady, and so does a deal involving Nance Jr.</p><h2>Slick talks with the 76ers</h2><p>The Philadelphia 76ers did not fare well when Joel Embiid took a rest during the NBA Playoffs. The 76ers were played off the court when the former NBA MVP took a seat. However, that cannot all be blamed on <b>Paul Reed</b>, right? The 26-year-old played all 82 games to help Philadelphia limp into the postseason.</p><p>Reed averaged a respectable 7.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 0.8 steals this season. He shot 54% from the field, 36.8% from three-point range, and hit 71.8% from the free throw line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
3.6	2.9	1.2	0.3	0.5

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
3.6	2.9	1.2	0.3	0.5

Larry Nance news

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