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2018 NBA Draft

Suns Notes: Draft, Doncic, Ayton, Jackson

May 16th, 2018 at 5:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns will conduct plenty of research on Deandre Ayton, Luka Doncic and several other prospects before deciding what to do with their No. 1 pick, writes Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic. When the Phoenix logo was revealed in the final envelope at Tuesday’s lottery, it marked the first time the franchise had ever landed the top selection, and GM Ryan McDonough said the team is committed to getting it right.

“I’ll let you know June 21,” he responded when asked whom the Suns plan to draft. “I know people jump to conclusions about who it’s going to be, but we don’t know yet.” 

The Suns will be among the most active teams on draft night, also holding the No. 16 pick, acquired from Miami in the Goran Dragic deal in 2015, along with the 31st and 59th selections in the second round.

There’s more today out of Phoenix:

  • A new mock draft released by Michael Scotto of The Athletic has Phoenix taking Doncic first overall. He explains that not only would Doncic provide an ideal complement to Devin Booker in the backcourt, the move will give the Suns the freedom to target a center in free agency. The Rockets’ Clint Capela has been rumored as a possibility, and DeAndre Jordan could also be in play if he opts out of a $24.1MM salary with the Clippers. If neither works out, Phoenix could turn toward DeMarcus Cousins, Brook Lopez or Greg Monroe, who will all be unrestricted.
  • Ayton is the more likely choice, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, who tweets that the probability of taking the Arizona center is “100%.” Ayton averaged 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds as a freshman with the Wildcats.
  • New coach Igor Kokoskov, who started work Monday, should have five immediate priorities, Bordow writes a separate story. He identifies them as developing a working relationship with Booker, turning T.J. Warren into a sixth man, getting improvement from young forwards Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender if they both remain on the roster, creating a defensive mindset and convincing Josh Jackson to become the team’s defensive stopper. The Suns ranked last in team defense this season, Bordow notes, and drafted Jackson last year because of his potential on that end of the floor.
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Draft Updates: M. Robinson, Hutchison, Edwards, More

May 16th, 2018 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Two notable prospects have withdrawn from this week’s NBA draft combine, according to reports. Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com tweets that Mitchell Robinson won’t participate in the event, while Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com tweets that Boise State’s Chandler Hutchison has also withdrawn. In each case, it’s not clear if the player has received a promise from a team or if there’s another reason for his decision.

While NBA evaluators have four years of film on Hutchison to watch, Robinson remains one of the mystery men of this year’s draft class. Due to eligibility issues, he didn’t play a single minute of college basketball, so his draft stock remains cloudy.

Let’s round up a few more draft-related news items and notes…

  • Purdue guard Carsen Edwards was spotted at the combine, so it appears he received a last-minute invite due to the late withdrawals, tweets Givony.
  • Following the official NBA combine this week, another event called the Pro Basketball Combine will take place next week. The Pro Basketball Combine released its full list of participants today, with Deng Adel, Maverick Rowan, and LiAngelo Ball among the names on that list.
  • A handful of early entrants have withdrawn – or will withdraw – from the draft to return to school next season, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN (Twitter link). Those players include Malik Hines (UMass), Kalob Ledoux (McNeese State), Malik Martin (South Florida) and Zane Martin (Towson), with Ledoux and Malik Martin expected to transfer.
  • A ton of meetings will take place at the combine this week, so it’s likely not worth reading too much into each one, but here are a few early updates: The Pistons are meeting with Kansas guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (Twitter link via Vince Ellis of The Detroit Press), the Bucks are interviewing Texas Tech’s Zhaire Smith (Twitter link via Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times), the Timberwolves are interviewing Anfernee Simons (Twitter link via Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News), and the Knicks are meeting with Trae Young (link via Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News).
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Poll: Who Should Suns Draft With No. 1 Pick?

May 16th, 2018 at 9:50am CST by Luke Adams

Josh Jackson‘s lucky underwear paid off at Tuesday night’s draft lottery, with the Suns taking home the No. 1 pick for the 2018 NBA draft. While it was the fourth consecutive year that the team with the worst record in the league came away with the first overall selection, it was the first time in franchise history that Phoenix had nabbed that top pick.

[RELATED: Full 2018 NBA Draft Lottery Results]

“In the 50-year history of the Phoenix Suns, there have been a lot of great nights and great accomplishments, and I think this is one of them,” GM Ryan McDonough said, per Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic. “This is something the franchise has never done before.”

While the Suns are in position to select whichever player they want from this year’s draft class, there’s no LeBron James or Anthony Davis in the 2018 pool. While there are plenty of tantalizing prospects to choose from, none of those players is a consensus top choice.

The top candidate to come off the board is probably big man Deandre Ayton, who played his college ball at Arizona, averaging a double-double (20.1 PPG, 11.6 RPG) in his first and only season with the Wildcats. After the Suns won the top pick on Tuesday night, Jackson endorsed Ayton, suggesting the youngster’s ceiling is “through the roof.”

However, Ayton isn’t the only prospect in play at No. 1. Many draft experts think just as highly of Real Madrid star Luka Doncic, who is viewed as one of the top prospects to ever come out of the EuroLeague. Doncic is also familiar with new Suns head coach Igor Kokoskov, who coached Doncic on the Slovenian national team.

While Ayton and Doncic are widely considered the top two prospects in this year’s draft class, McDonough said there’s a “small grouping” of players the club will consider with the No. 1 pick, per Bordow. As Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes, Marvin Bagley III – an Arizona native – could be a part of that group. The ACC Player of the Year, Bagley averaged 21.0 PPG and 11.1 RPG in his freshman year at Duke.

What do you think? Do you like Ayton, Doncic, Bagley, or someone else for the Suns at No. 1? Should the team give much consideration to how those players would fit alongside Jackson and Devin Booker, or does it simply make sense to pick the best player available?

Vote in our poll, then jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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Draft Notes: Childs, Combine, DiVincenzo, Knox

May 16th, 2018 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

BYU forward Yoeli Childs is the latest early entrant to remove his name from 2018’s NBA draft class, announcing late on Tuesday night (via Twitter) that he won’t be going pro quite yet.

“After several weeks of prayer, talking with my family, those close to me, and NBA teams, I feel the best decision for my future and my family is to return to BYU for my junior year!” Childs wrote in his statement.

In his sophomore year, Childs averaged 17.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 1.8 BPG for the Cougars. However, his odds to be drafted in 2018 weren’t great. The 6’8″ forward will head back to BYU looking to improve his draft stock during his junior year in 2018/19.

Here are more draft-related notes and rumors from around the league:

  • With the NBA draft combine set to begin today in Chicago, Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of ESPN.com preview the event, providing a schedule of what to expect for the rest of the week and identifying several prospects who could most significantly hurt or help their draft stocks in the coming days.
  • According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), Villanova sharpshooter Donte DiVincenzo “has some real fans in NBA circles,” and is a legit candidate to come off the board late in the first round. DiVincenzo is still technically just testing the draft waters without an agent, but he’s probably a good bet to go pro if he gets that sort of feedback from NBA evaluators.
  • Kyler passes along another note from the combine, tweeting that Kevin Knox‘s stock may be on the rise, as his initial workout schedule includes several teams in the top 10.
  • Former Seton Hall forward Desi Rodriguez has worked out for the Nets and Celtics so far in the pre-draft process, tweets Zach Braziller of The New York Post.
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Full 2018 NBA Draft Order

May 15th, 2018 at 7:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Now that the NBA’s draft lottery results are in, the full 2018 draft order has been set.

We’ll likely see some of these picks change hands on June 21, or in the days leading up to draft night — we’ll be sure to update the list below if and when picks are traded.

Here’s the full 2018 NBA draft order:

First Round:

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

Second Round:

  1. Phoenix Suns
  2. Memphis Grizzlies
  3. Dallas Mavericks
  4. Atlanta Hawks
  5. Orlando Magic
  6. New York Knicks (from Bulls)
  7. Sacramento Kings
  8. Philadelphia 76ers (from Nets)
  9. Los Angeles Lakers (from Knicks via Sixers)
  10. Brooklyn Nets (from Lakers)
  11. Orlando Magic (from Hornets)
  12. Detroit Pistons
  13. Denver Nuggets (from Clippers)
  14. Washington Wizards
  15. Charlotte Hornets (from Bucks via Nets)
  16. Houston Rockets (from Heat)
  17. Los Angeles Lakers (from Nuggets)
  18. Minnesota Timberwolves
  19. San Antonio Spurs
  20. Indiana Pacers
  21. New Orleans Pelicans
  22. Utah Jazz
  23. Oklahoma City Thunder
  24. Dallas Mavericks (from Trail Blazers)
  25. Charlotte Hornets (from Cavaliers)
  26. Philadelphia 76ers
  27. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Celtics)
  28. Denver Nuggets (from Warriors)
  29. Phoenix Suns (from Raptors)
  30. Philadelphia 76ers (from Rockets)
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Full 2018 NBA Draft Lottery Results

May 15th, 2018 at 7:28pm CST by clarkcrum

With Tuesday night’s lottery results now official, the top 14 picks in the 2018 NBA draft have been set. The lottery order is as follows:

  1. Phoenix Suns
  2. Sacramento Kings
  3. Atlanta Hawks
  4. Memphis Grizzlies
  5. Dallas Mavericks
  6. Orlando Magic
  7. Chicago Bulls
  8. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Nets)
  9. New York Knicks
  10. Philadelphia 76ers (from Lakers)
  11. Charlotte Hornets
  12. Los Angeles Clippers (from Pistons)
  13. Los Angeles Clippers
  14. Denver Nuggets

The Suns entered the night with the best odds (25.0%) at landing the No. 1 overall pick, and came away with that selection. The Kings, seventh in the lottery standings, only had an 18.3% chance at a top-three selection, but moved all the way up to No. 2. The Hawks, who had a 42.3% chance at a top-three pick, moved up from No. 4 to No. 3.

The Grizzlies, Mavericks, Magic, and Bulls had no lottery luck — Memphis and Dallas fell two spots each, while Orlando and Chicago each slipped one spot. Picks eight through 14 held to form.

With the Lakers’ first-rounder headed to Philadelphia, the Sixers will now owe the Celtics a first-round pick in 2019. That selection will be the more favorable of the Kings and Sixers first-rounders, unless one of those picks lands at No. 1. In that scenario, Boston would receive the less favorable pick.

The Pistons will send their first-round pick to the Clippers since it didn’t land in the top four, so Detroit’s obligation to L.A. has now been fulfilled — Detroit will have its own first-rounder in 2019 and beyond.

As we detailed earlier today, this is the last year these specific lottery odds will be in effect. Beginning in 2019, the NBA will smooth out those odds, reducing the chances of the worst teams landing the top picks, and putting the top four selections up for grabs instead of just the top three.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

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Phoenix Suns Win No. 1 Pick In Draft Lottery

May 15th, 2018 at 7:26pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Having entered draft lottery night with the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick, the Suns won the first overall pick, making good on those 25.0% odds. The Kings grabbed the No. 2 overall selection, with the Hawks coming in at No. 3.

The Suns are looking for a franchise player they can pair with Devin Booker, and the top two contenders for the No. 1 pick appear to be Arizona’s Deandre Ayton and Real Madrid’s Luka Doncic.

Ayton is the favorite to go No. 1, but the center isn’t a lock to be the top pick, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). The Suns have been scouting Doncic all season and they like what they see.

New Phoenix head coach Igor Kokoskov previously coached Doncic on the Slovenian national team and he knows the 19-year-old wing very well.

“We call him wunderkind,” Kokoskov said (via Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic). “He’s an upcoming, rising star. Luka is a very talented player. His ability to pass, that’s the hardest part of the game, the most difficult part to teach. To be a good passer you have to understand the game. It’s basketball IQ. He’s really unique and special at that age to understand the game well and to be a team player. He’s not necessarily playing point guard but he’s a playmaker who makes everybody else better on the court.”

Ayton is a “lock” to go to the Kings if he’s there at No. 2, per Givony (Twitter link). The scribe adds that GM Vlade Divac “won’t have any issue” recommending Doncic as the pick if the Suns pick Ayton.

The Hawks moved up one spot in the lottery and they are thrilled to be in the top three. “If somebody wants to make us a great (trade) offer, we will listen. Right now we are happy to pick (third) and we know we are going to get a good player,” GM Travis Schlenk said tonight, as Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays (on Twitter).

Atlanta figures to get one of the Doncic, Ayton, and Marvin Bagley trio and Givony tweets that the team will gladly settle for whichever player is left out of that group. Givony adds that the Hawks would have had strong interest in Trae Young had they landed outside the top three.

[RELATED: Full 2018 NBA Draft Order]

In addition to the No. 1 selection, the Suns also own the No. 16 overall pick (via the Goran Dragic deal), plus the Nos. 31 and 59 selections in the second round. The Kings’ only other pick is their own second-rounder (No. 37).

The Hawks have a pair of extra first-rounders — one from the Wolves (No. 19 via the Adreian Payne trade) and one originally from the Rockets (No. 30, via a three-way trade with the Clippers). They also own their second-round pick (No. 34).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

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Community Shootaround: Draft Lottery Scenarios

May 15th, 2018 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2018 NBA draft lottery will take place on Tuesday night, as we noted in our lottery primer earlier today. While the odds favor the Suns, there are 14 NBA teams that could ultimately end up with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, creating some fascinating drama.

In a piece for The Ringer on Monday, Paolo Uggetti broke down some of the most interesting potential scenarios for the draft lottery. As Uggetti observes, the two teams still alive in the Eastern Conference Finals have a chance to get some great news before they take the court on Tuesday, since the Cavaliers own the Nets’ first-round pick, while the Celtics will own the Lakers’ first-rounder if it lands at No. 2 or No. 3 overall. The possibility of one or both of those teams landing a top-three pick at the same time they’re looking to advance to the NBA Finals isn’t good news for the rest of the league.

Of course, the Sixers would keep that Lakers pick if it moves all the way up to No. 1. It’s currently 10th in the lottery standings, so the odds of it becoming a top-three pick are slim, but it would create some terrific drama if it lands in the top three, since the balance of power in the Eastern Conference could shift significantly depending on whether the pick ends up at No. 1 (Sixers) or Nos. 2 or 3 (Celtics).

Uggetti’s other intriguing scenarios include big-market teams like the Knicks and Clippers getting a top pick — L.A. could theoretically move into the top three while keeping a second lottery selection, courtesy of the Pistons. Uggetti points to the Magic or Kings getting the No. 1 pick as interesting scenarios too, since neither of those clubs has had much lottery luck in the last few years — despite several appearances near the top of the draft.

Outside of the teams we’ve already mentioned, the Grizzlies, Mavericks, Hawks, Bulls, Hornets, Pistons, and Nuggets all have a chance to land a top pick.

What do you think? What would be the most interesting draft lottery scenario? Which team deserves some good luck the most (or least)? Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

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2018 NBA Draft Lottery Primer

May 15th, 2018 at 11:18am CST by Luke Adams

The 2018 NBA draft lottery will take place on Tuesday night in Chicago before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals begins in Boston. Here’s what you need to know heading into tonight’s event:

Pre-Lottery Draft Order:

The top 14 picks in the 2018 NBA draft would look like this if tonight’s lottery results don’t change the order:

  1. Phoenix Suns
  2. Memphis Grizzlies
  3. Dallas Mavericks
  4. Atlanta Hawks
  5. Orlando Magic
  6. Chicago Bulls
  7. Sacramento Kings
  8. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Nets)
  9. New York Knicks
  10. Philadelphia 76ers (from Lakers)
    • Note: Celtics will receive pick if it lands at No. 2 or No. 3 via lottery
  11. Charlotte Hornets
  12. Los Angeles Clippers (from Pistons)
    • Note: Pistons will keep pick if it moves into top three via lottery.
  13. Los Angeles Clippers
  14. Denver Nuggets

For the full pre-lottery draft order, click here.

Draft Lottery Odds:

The Suns will have a 25.0% chance at the first overall pick and a 64.2% chance at a top-three pick. That puts them in the driver’s seat, as they won’t be picking any lower than fourth.

The Grizzlies (19.9% at No. 1; 55.8% at top-three), Mavericks (13.8% and 42.6%), and Hawks (13.7% and 42.3%) have the next-best odds at a top pick, with the odds for the remaining lottery teams declining from there.

For the full draft lottery odds for all 14 spots, click here.

Trades Affecting The Draft Lottery:

Three trades will have an impact on Tuesday night’s lottery results. They are as follows:

The Cavaliers own the Nets‘ unprotected first-round pick, so Cleveland will receive that selection no matter where it lands. It’s currently projected to be No. 8 overall.

The Sixers own the Lakers‘ unprotected first-round pick, but will send that pick to the Celtics if it moves up to No. 2 or No. 3 in the lottery. If it stays where it is (No. 10), moves up to No. 1, or moves down at all, the 76ers will keep it, which is the likely outcome (97.1% chance).

  • Note: If the Sixers keep this pick, the Celtics will receive a top-one protected pick from the Sixers in 2019 (the most favorable of the Kings and Sixers picks).

The Clippers own the Pistons‘ top-three protected first-round pick. If it moves up to the top three in the lottery, that selection will stick with Detroit. However, it’s currently projected to be No. 12, limiting the odds of it moving up. The Clips have a 97.5% chance of ending up with the pick.

  • Note: If the Pistons keep their pick, the Clippers will receive a top-four protected pick from the Pistons in 2019.

Draft Lottery Representatives:

The on-stage representatives for each of this year’s lottery teams are as follows, according to a press release issued by the NBA:

  • Atlanta Hawks: Jami Gertz (co-owner)
  • Boston Celtics: Rich Gotham (president)
  • Charlotte Hornets: Mitch Kupchak (president of basketball operations / GM)
  • Chicago Bulls: Michael Reinsdorf (president / COO)
  • Cleveland Cavaliers: Nick Gilbert (son of owner Dan Gilbert)
  • Dallas Mavericks: Michael Finley (assistant VP of basketball operations)
  • Denver Nuggets: Jamal Murray
  • Detroit Pistons: Luke Kennard
  • Los Angeles Clippers: Jerry West (consultant)
  • Memphis Grizzlies: Elliot Perry (minority owner / director of player support)
  • New York Knicks: Scott Perry (GM)
  • Orlando Magic: Jeff Weltman (president of basketball operations)
  • Philadelphia 76ers: Elton Brand (GM of Delaware Blue Coats)
  • Phoenix Suns: Josh Jackson
  • Sacramento Kings: De’Aaron Fox

Final Year For Current Lottery Format:

This will be the final year that the lottery uses the current odds, including a 25% chance at the No. 1 pick for the NBA’s worst team. Starting in 2019, the league’s three worst teams will have an equal shot (14.0%) at landing the first overall pick, and the top four spots in the draft will be decided in the lottery. That means the league’s worst team could slip as far as No. 5.

Additionally, the odds at a top pick will be smoothed out throughout the top 14. While the NBA’s very worst teams will still have the best chance to land the very best picks, the difference won’t be as significant as it has been. For instance, in the current format, the NBA’s eighth-worst team has a 10% chance at a top-three pick. In the new format, that club’s odds would increase to a 26% chance at a top-four pick.

For full details on the lottery changes for 2019, click here.

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Draft Notes: Ayton, Pinson, Spalding, Amius, Eubanks

May 14th, 2018 at 10:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

DeAndre Ayton is the top pick in ESPN Jonathan Givony’s latest mock draft heading into the draft lottery on Tuesday. Givony has the Arizona center going to the Suns, Euro guard Luka Doncic being snapped up by the Grizzlies at No. 2 and Duke big man Marvin Bagley III heading to the Mavericks at No. 3. Naturally, the deck could be shuffled after Tuesday’s results. Michigan State big man Jaren Jackson Jr. (Hawks) and Texas center Mohamed Bamba (Magic) round out the Top 5.

In other draft-related developments:

  • North Carolina combo guard Theo Pinson will participate in the draft combine in Chicago, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets. Pinson is ranked the No. 89 prospect on Givony’s latest Top 100. Louisville’s power forward Ray Spalding has also been invited, Charania reports in a separate tweet. Spalding is currently ranked No. 58 by Givony.
  • Western Carolina junior forward Mike Amius has hired an agent and will remain in the draft, Jeff Goodman of ESPN tweets. He averaged 12.7 PPG and 5.6 RPG last season. He is not among Givony’s Top 100 prospects.
  • Oregon State forward Drew Eubanks has signed with agent James Dunleavy and ISE Worldwide, Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal tweets. The junior averaged 13.2 PPG and 6.8 RPG for the Beavers last season.
  • The Suns will send Josh Jackson and the Kings will be represented by De’Aaron Fox at the draft lottery on Tuesday, Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report relays. The Nuggets’ Jamal Murray and the Pistons’ Luke Kennard are the other current players who will represent their teams in Chicago. The full list of representatives can be found in Conway’s story.
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