The Los Angeles Lakers have made a trade with the Washington Wizards, looking to shore up the roster and make a playoff run. The Lakers sent Kendrick Nunn and three second-round draft picks to Washington for forward Rui Hachimura. The picks are a 2023 second-rounder from Chicago, the Lakers’ pick in 2029 and the less favorable of the Lakers’ and Wizards’ picks in 2028. Hachimura was getting restless as the Wizards had not extended his rookie deal in the off-season, and seeing Kyle Kuzma get more time and priority during the season made him ready to move on. He could be a solid wing defender, and he can knock down corner three-balls and shots from medium range. He has a career 41.3% on catch-and-shoot three-pointers. Can this help the Lakers start climbing the standings? Going into Monday night, check out our top two NBA betting picks.
NBA News: Top Betting Picks for Week 15
→ Monday, January 23
Atlanta Hawks (+1.5) at Chicago Bulls (O/U 239.5) (8:00 pm ET)
Atlanta (24-23) comes in sitting in eighth in the East, 11 games behind Boston. The offense has been solid, scoring 116 points per game (10th overall), and the team is shooting 47.6% from the floor (12th overall). Trae Young leads the team with 27.1 points per game, shooting 42.4% overall. The team does better attacking the rim as they shoot just 34.6% from three-point land (23rd overall). Their free throw shooting has been elite, as they make 82.4% of their attempts (4th overall). The defense has shown some cracks, permitting 116.3 points per game (21st overall). They do well on perimeter defense, permitting just a 34.4% three-point percentage (fifth-best), but inside they struggle to keep teams from scoring in the paint.
Chicago (21-24) are in tenth place in the East, currently in the last slot for a potential play-in tournament, 13 games behind Boston. The offense ranks fifth in shooting percentage (48.9%) and 13th in scoring (114.8). The top producer on offense is DeMar DeRozan, scoring 26.1 points per night and shooting 50.6% overall. The team is seventh in three-point shooting (37.2%), and their free-throw shooting is also strong (81.9%, fifth overall). The Bulls’ defense is 18th in points permitted (115) and 21st in shooting percentage permitted (47.5%). With point guard Lonzo Ball out for this game (knee), along with shooting guard Javonte Green (knee), the Bulls are behind the eight-ball for this one. Hawks to cover.
Memphis Grizzles (-1.5) at Sacramento Kings (O/U 246.5) (10:30 pm ET)
Memphis (31-14) followed up a tremendous 11-game winning streak with two road losses, falling to the Lakers by one and the Grizzlies by two on Friday and Sunday. In the loss to the Lakers, Memphis was outscored, 41-32, and Desmond Bane turned the ball over with ten seconds left in regulation, sealing the loss. They also cranked 14 of 40 free-throw attempts and 20 of their 29 three-balls, so they had plenty of opportunities to win anyway. Ja Morant put up 22 points, and Brandon Clarke and Tyus Jones added 20 apiece, but it wasn’t enough. Free throw shooting has been a concern all season, as the Grizzlies are 30th overall, making just 71.1% of their charity-stripe attempts. Their defensive rating (109.6) ranks first, but the defense has not shown up in the past two losses.
Sacramento (26-19) just had a six-game winning streak come to an end on Saturday, when they lost at home to Philadelphia, 129-127. Their winning streak included a 136-111 rout of the Orlando Magic and a pair of wins over Houston with a combined margin of 45. Against Philadelphia, the Kings were up by 21 but saw the lead go away – and the 76ers didn’t have Joel Embiid or James Harden. Even with Embiid, Philadelphia got 70 points in the paint, and the Kings turned the ball over 15 times, wasting a 31-point from De’Aaron Fox and a 27-point effort from Harrison Barnes. Memphis to win and cover.
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