The Cleveland Cavaliers may have traded Ricky Rubio to the Indiana Pacers at the trade deadline, but they still want to see him Cleveland next year. The Cavs hope to sign Rubio in free agency this summer. One source even called Rubio returning to Cleveland "highly likely".

Because the Indiana Pacers did not waive Rubio after acquiring him at the deadline, he'll be eligible to re-sign with Cleveland. If a team trades for and then waives a player, that player can't re-sign with the original team for one year. In this case, Rubio's contract will expire, and he'll be a free agent eligible to sign with the Cavs.

Cleveland traded Rubio as an expiring contract to get Caris LeVert. The Cavaliers also sent the Pacers a lottery-protected first round pick in the trade.

Scottie Barnes has been named the 2021-22 NBA Rookie of the Year. He is the third player to win the annual award with Toronto, joining Damon Stoudamire (1995-96) and Vince Carter (1998-99).

Barnes received 378 points (48 first-place votes) from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters.  

Evan Mobley finished in second place with 363 points (43 first-place votes).  The 15-point difference between the first- and second-place finishers marks the smallest margin in NBA Rookie of the Year balloting under the current voting format, which began with the 2002-03 season.

Cade Cunningham finished in third place with 153 points (nine first-place votes).  Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

Barnes averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.08 steals and 0.74 blocks in 35.4 minutes in 74 games, leading all rookies in minutes, ranking third in points and rebounds and finishing fifth in assists, steals and blocks. 

In his season-ending media availability Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman expressed both heartbreak and pride for the past season, while having optimism for the future. Cleveland's surprising season ended in the Play-In Tournament.

“I’m still a little heartsick, to be honest with you,” Altman said. “It’s hard to process the season ending the way it did and that we’re not still playing, but such a remarkable year for so many reasons. A long runway ahead of exciting basketball. So, we’re excited, really excited for the future obviously, and the work continues.”

Altman knows that starts with some work on his roster. First priority is figuring out a new deal for restricted free agent guard Collin Sexton. Altman said that Sexton's work ethic helped set a tone from the moment he arrived at the franchise.

Caris LeVert, who was acquired after season-ending injuries for Sexton and veteran point guard Ricky Rubio, is someone Altman also hopes to keep in Cleveland. LeVert agrees, saying he hopes to sign an extension with the Cavs.

“Yeah, this is where I want to be,” LeVert said. “They know that, the front office knows that, my teammates know that. I don’t know what’s gonna happen with that contract extension, but I know where my heart is. I know where I want to be. So, we’ll see what happens going forward.”

An extension for All-Star point guard Darius Garland is also on the table. Altman said that he's planning on Garland being in Cleveland for "a long time". Garland is extension-eligible for the first time this summer.

Collin Sexton's contract year didn't go the way he hoped it would. But that doesn't have the 23-year-old point guard down, nor has it changed his outlook for the future.

After playing just 11 games before tearing a meniscus in his left knee, Sexton said he's getting better each day.

“I’m getting there,” Sexton said. “Every day is a grind. I feel better every day. As long as I get better 1 percent each and every day I wake up, then it’s a win-win. I just continue to just know that some days are gonna be better than others and just continue to know that I will be full go, and I know I’ll be 100 percent. So, that’s one thing that I can really look forward to and say that I have confidence in myself, and I have confidence in the people that’s working with me to get me back to where I was, (being) even much better and jumping a lot higher.”

Sexton is set to be a restricted free agent this summer, but said he hopes to stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“I want to be here in Cleveland,” Sexton said. “I love the organization, love my teammates and whatever happens, I know that Cleveland was really good to me. I know this is the place that helped me get to where I am today, and I know I want to continue to be a part of this winning culture and be a part of this culture. I feel like me just being able to be at the start of it helped us get to where we are yesterday and where we are right now at the present. So, I love Cleveland. I want to be here.”

Darius Garland, Ja Morant and Dejounte Murray have been announced as the finalists for the 21-22 NBA Most Improved Player.

All three players made the All-Star team in 2022 for the first time in their career.

Garland averaged 21.7 points and 8.6 assists for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Morant averaged 27.4 points and 6.7 assists while leading the Memphis Grizzlies to the second best record in the Western Conference.

Murray averaged 21.1 points and 9.2 assists for the San Antonio Spurs.

One of the side effects of the Play-In Tournament was the major impact it had on the 2022 NBA Draft board. This season, multiple teams saw their 2022 draft pick situation change based on the results of the Play-In Tournament.

With the Cleveland Cavaliers loss to the Atlanta Hawks, their pick went from being tied for 16/17 to 14. That pick was lottery-protected, so Cleveland will now keep the pick vs delivering it to the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers can receive a first-round selection from the Cavs next season, but it is also lottery-protected. It turns into two second-round picks if not conveyed in 2023.

The New Orleans Pelicans victory over the LA Clippers had an even bigger impact to the draft board. The Pelicans pick went from 11 to 15. That changed who New Orleans conveys that pick to from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Charlotte Hornets. Portland will now receive a top-4 protected Milwaukee Bucks (via New Orleans) in 2025.

The Clippers dropping into the lottery gave the Oklahoma City Thunder a second lottery selection. That pick is also non-protected. It's important to remember that LA once conveyed the first overall selection to Cleveland when they jumped to the top of the draft lottery.

The full pre-lottery first round order is:

1. Houston Rockets
2. Orlando Magic
3. Detroit Pistons
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
5. Indiana Pacers
6. Portland Trail Blazers
7. Sacramento Kings
8. New Orleans Pelicans (via Los Angeles Lakers)
9. San Antonio Spurs
10. Washington Wizards
11. New York Knicks
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LA Clippers)
13. Charlotte Hornets
14. Cleveland Cavaliers
15. Charlotte Hornets (via New Orleans Pelicans)
16. Atlanta Hawks
17. Houston Rockets (via Brooklyn Nets)
18. Chicago Bulls/Minnesota Timberwolves
19. Chicago Bulls/Minnesota Timberwolves
20. Denver Nuggets/San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto Raptors)
21. Denver Nuggets/San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto Raptors)
22. Memphis Grizzlies (via Utah Jazz)
23. Milwaukee Bucks/Philadelphia 76ers (or Brooklyn Nets)/San Antonio Spurs (via Boston Celtics)
24. Milwaukee Bucks/Philadelphia 76ers (or Brooklyn Nets)/San Antonio Spurs (via Boston Celtics)
25. Milwaukee Bucks/Philadelphia 76ers (or Brooklyn Nets)/San Antonio Spurs (via Boston Celtics)
26. Dallas Mavericks
27. Golden State Warriors/Miami Heat
28. Golden State Warriors/Miami Heat
29. Memphis Grizzlies
30. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Phoenix Suns)

Ties will be broken by random drawing on Monday, April 18.

The Brooklyn Nets can receive the Philadelphia 76ers first-round selection, or Brooklyn can defer to receiving that pick at the 2023 draft instead.

Jarrett Allen expects to play in Friday's Play-In game for the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Atlanta Hawks.

Allen has been out with a fractured finger since early March. Allen is still experiencing pain and swelling in the finger.

Allen will be a game time decision.

Jarrett Allen considers himself "50-50" on whether he will play in the Cleveland Cavaliers' win-or-go-home Play-In game on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks.

Allen is returning from a fractured finger.

The pain in Allen's finger remains significant.

The Cavaliers lost at the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, while the Hawks defeated the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday to setup Friday's game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are preparing to play the Brooklyn Nets in the Play-In Tournament without All-Star center Jarrett Allen. Despite Allen working out in recent days, the Cavs are unsure if he'll play against the Nets.

Allen has been out since fracturing his left middle finger on March 6. The Cavaliers went 7-11 in the 18 games Allen missed down the stretch.

Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said that there still isn't a timeline for Allen's return.

“It’s a structure thing first and foremost. You always want to make sure that it’s as healthy as it possibly can be. In his position, the banging that he does, on the rim, like blocking shots, all those things. Then it becomes pain tolerance. Then strengthening and his ability to use that finger. But he’s making steps. It’ll be one of those things where the day will come, and he’ll be ready to go.”

The 2022 NBA Play-In Tournament field has been set.

Eastern Conference:

7 vs 8 game - Cleveland Cavaliers at Brooklyn Nets - Tuesday

9 vs 10 game - Charlotte Hornets at Atlanta Hawks - Wednesday

Winner of 7 vs 8 will be the 7-seed. Loser will host the Winner of 9 vs 10 on Friday. The winner of that game will be the 8-seed.

Western Conference:

7 vs 8 game - LA Clippers at Minnesota Timberwolves - Tuesday

9 vs 10 game - San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Pelicans - Wednesday

Winner of 7 vs 8 will be the 7-seed. Loser will host the Winner of 9 vs 10 on Friday. The winner of that game will be the 8-seed.