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2019 NBA Draft

Recap Of 2019 NBA Draft Pick Signings

October 16th, 2019 at 4:59pm CST by Luke Adams

When word broke last week that Hornets second-round pick Jalen McDaniels had signed with the team, it meant that we now know the 2019/20 plans for all 60 of this year’s NBA draft picks.

The majority of this year’s draftees signed NBA contracts and will be on rosters this season, but that’s not the case for all of them. And even among those that received NBA deals, there are plenty of differences in the terms of their contracts.

Let’s break down the contract situations for all 60 of this year’s picks…

First-rounders:

Generally, with the possible exception of one or two players who are drafted-and-stashed in an international league, the landscape for first-round picks is pretty simple to assess. The NBA’s rookie scale establishes set salaries for all 30 draft slots in the first round, and virtually every player signs for 120% of their rookie scale figure, the maximum amount allowed by the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.

However, a pair of first-round picks threw a wrench into the usual routine this year. Magic first-rounder Chuma Okeke, the No. 16 overall pick, agreed to postpone the signing of his rookie contract until 2020 and will instead sign a G League contract to rehab his torn ACL with the Lakeland Magic this season. While we don’t know for sure, that’s probably something that Orlando and Okeke’s camp discussed – and perhaps agreed upon – before the team drafted him in June.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers became the first team in years to sign a first-round pick for less than 120% of his rookie scale amount when they completed their deal with No. 30 overall pick Kevin Porter Jr. The rookie scale amount for the No. 30 slot this season was $1,613,700, but Porter’s first-year salary will be $1,290,960, 80% of that figure. That’s the minimum amount allowed by the CBA.

Porter will also earn less than 120% of his rookie scale amount in subsequent seasons, bringing the total four-year value of his contract to $8,009,193. If he had received 120% of his rookie scale amount in every season, his deal would be worth $9,944,923.

Our full breakdown of the salary details for this year’s first-rounders can be found right here.

Second-rounders:

With no set rookie scale for second-round picks, this is where things get even more interesting. Teams are allowed to go over the cap with the rookie scale exception in order to sign first-rounders, but to lock up second-round picks, there’s no such exception. Those players must be signed using cap space, mid-level, bi-annual or room exceptions, or the minimum salary exception.

As such, the contract details for second-rounders who signed NBA deals look pretty different from player to player. Here’s a quick look:

Four-year contracts:

  1. Carsen Edwards, Celtics ($6.46MM). First three years guaranteed.
  2. Daniel Gafford, Bulls ($6.13MM). First two years guaranteed.
  3. Alen Smailagic, Warriors ($6.13MM). First two years guaranteed.
  4. Jaylen Nowell, Timberwolves ($6.63MM). First year guaranteed.
  5. Isaiah Roby, Mavericks ($6.73MM). First two years guaranteed.
  6. Terance Mann, Clippers ($6.2MM). First two years guaranteed.

Three-year contracts:

  1. Nicolas Claxton, Nets ($4.2MM). Fully guaranteed.
  2. KZ Okpala, Heat ($4.2MM). Fully guaranteed.
  3. Bruno Fernando, Hawks ($4.7MM). Fully guaranteed.
  4. Cody Martin, Hornets ($4.47MM). First two years guaranteed.
  5. Justin James, Kings ($4.2MM). First two years guaranteed.
  6. Eric Paschall, Warriors ($4.2MM). Fully guaranteed.
  7. Admiral Schofield, Wizards ($4.3MM). First two years guaranteed.
  8. Ignas Brazdeikis, Knicks ($4.2MM). Fully guaranteed.
  9. Miye Oni, Jazz ($4.2MM). First year guaranteed.
  10. Dewan Hernandez, Raptors ($4.2MM). First year partially guaranteed ($500K).

Two-year contracts:

  1. Talen Horton-Tucker, Lakers ($2.42MM). Fully guaranteed.

One-year contracts:

  1. Jalen McDaniels, Hornets ($898K). Non-guaranteed.

With 18 second-round picks signing standard NBA contracts ranging from one year to four years, that leaves 12 second-rounders who ended up taking a different path. These players won’t start the season on 15-man NBA rosters, but their teams still hold their NBA rights.

Here’s what those players are doing:

Signed two-way contracts:

  1. Bol Bol, Nuggets
  2. Quinndary Weatherspoon, Spurs
  3. Jarrell Brantley, Jazz
  4. Tremont Waters, Celtics
  5. Marial Shayok, Sixers
  6. Justin Wright-Foreman, Jazz
  7. Kyle Guy, Kings
  8. Jordan Bone, Pistons

Signed G League contracts (domestic draft-and-stash):

  1. Jaylen Hands, Nets

Playing overseas (international draft-and-stash):

  1. Marcos Louzada Silva, Pelicans: Playing in Australia (Sydney Kings).
  2. Deividas Sirvydis, Pistons: Playing in Lithuania (Rytas Vilnius).
  3. Vanja Marinkovic, Kings: Playing in Spain (Valencia).

Salary information from Basketball Insiders used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Peers Choose Zion, Morant As Top Rookie Of Year Candidates

August 19th, 2019 at 5:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Top pick Zion Williamson of the Pelicans is considered the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award by his peers, but he’s not a clear-cut choice. The second pick in the draft, point guard Ja Morant of the Grizzlies, finished a close second in the voting. However, that might not be such a good thing for either player.

For the 11th time in 13 years, John Schuhmann of NBA.com got the opportunity to ask the NBA’s incoming crop of rookies a series of questions related to their fellow draftees.

Historically, the NBA rookies haven’t been soothsayers. They haven’t accurately identified a Rookie of the Year winner since Kevin Durant in 2007/08. Last season, Deandre Ayton and Collin Sexton were considered the co-favorites. Luka Doncic ended up winning the award with Trae Young finishing a solid second.

Here’s some of the highlights from the survey:

  • Williamson got 35% of the vote for the Rookie of the Year prize, while Morant received 27% backing. No one else got more than 5%.
  • Nuggets second-round pick Bol Bol and Cavaliers’ late first-rounder Kevin Porter Jr. were considered the steals of the draft, with each getting 19% of the vote.
  • Two players stood out to their peers as being the best defenders in the draft — the Sixers’ Matisse Thybulle and the Hawks’ De’Andre Hunter. Thybulle collected 37% of the votes in that category, while Hunter received 29% backing.
  • By a wide margin, Williamson was chosen as the most athletic rookie, garnering 87% of the votes. Morant was selected as the best ball-handler, receiving 40% of those votes.
  • The Heat‘s Tyler Herro (33%) edged out the Kings’ Kyle Guy (29%) as the best shooter.
  • LeBron James (38%) got the highest total in the ‘Favorite player in the league’ category with Kevin Durant (20%) finishing second.
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Checking In On 2019’s Unsigned Draft Picks

July 16th, 2019 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2019 NBA draft took place less than a month ago, but the majority of the players selected on the night of June 20 have already signed their first NBA contracts. That includes all but one of the 30 players drafted in the first round, as well as more than half of 2019’s second-rounders.

The following players have not yet signed contracts with their new NBA teams:

  1. Orlando Magic: Chuma Okeke, F (Auburn)
  2. New Orleans Pelicans: Didi Louzada, G/F (Brazil)
  3. Charlotte Hornets: Cody Martin, F (Nevada)
  4. Detroit Pistons: Deividas Sirvydis, G/F (Lithuania)
  5. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jaylen Nowell, G (Washington)
  6. Denver Nuggets: Bol Bol, C (Oregon)
  7. Dallas Mavericks: Isaiah Roby, F (Nebraska)
  8. Utah Jazz: Jarrell Brantley, F (Charleston)
  9. Boston Celtics: Tremont Waters, G (LSU)
  10. Charlotte Hornets: Jalen McDaniels, F (San Diego State)
  11. Utah Jazz: Justin Wright-Foreman, G (Hofstra)
  12. Brooklyn Nets: Jaylen Hands, G (UCLA)
  13. Sacramento Kings: Vanja Marinkovic, G (Serbia)

Louzada will reportedly spend the 2019/20 season in Australia, so we can safely remove his name from this list — he won’t be signing an NBA contract this offseason. I’d expect Marinkovic to remain overseas too, and it sounds like Sirvydis is a draft-and-stash candidate as well. Waters, meanwhile, has reportedly agreed to terms on a two-way contract with Boston, though it’s not yet official.

That would leave just nine players from 2019’s draft class who still seem likely to sign at some point. Of those nine players, Okeke is the most interesting. He tore his ACL in March and is expected to miss a good chunk – if not all – of his rookie season. It may just be a coincidence that he’s the last first-round pick to sign a contract, but it wouldn’t be shocking if the Magic were exploring possible alternatives to the traditional 120% of the rookie scale for him.

The Hornets (Martin), Timberwolves (Nowell), Nuggets (Bol), and Mavericks (Roby) all have fewer than 15 guaranteed contracts on their books and a portion of their mid-level exceptions available, so those other top-45 draftees look like good bets to sign multiyear deals at some point.

The players selected in the 50s may be candidates for two-way contracts. Not counting Waters, four players selected in the 49-57 range have already signed two-way deals. Hands, in particular, makes sense in a two-way slot, since the Nets currently project to have a full 15-man roster.

[RELATED: 2019/20 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker]

The outlook for McDaniels (Hornets), Brantley (Jazz), and Wright-Foreman (Jazz) is cloudier. Charlotte has an open two-way slot and Utah has two, but those clubs also have multiple potential openings on their 15-man rosters, so it remains to be seen what the future holds for these late second-rounders. We should find out in the coming weeks.

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Hawks, Pelicans Finalize De’Andre Hunter Trade

July 7th, 2019 at 12:39am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 7: The Pelicans and Hawks have officially finalized their trade, which was initially agreed upon on draft night. The deal looks like this:

  • Hawks acquire Solomon Hill, the draft rights to De’Andre Hunter (No. 4 pick), the draft rights to Jordan Bone (No. 57 pick), and a conditional 2023 second-round pick.
  • Pelicans acquire the draft rights to Jaxson Hayes (No. 8 pick), the draft rights to Nickeil Alexander-Walker (No. 17 pick), the draft rights to Marcos Louzada Silva (No. 35 pick), and the Cavaliers’ 2020 first-round pick (top-10 protected).
    • Note: The Cavaliers’ protected 2020 first-rounder will become two second-round picks (2021 and 2022) if it’s not conveyed in 2020.

JUNE 20: The Pelicans have reached an agreement with the Hawks on a trade that will send the No. 4 overall pick to Atlanta, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) first reported that the two teams were close to a deal.

According to Wojnarowski, New Orleans is receiving the Nos. 8, 17, and 35 picks in tonight’s draft in exchange for Nos. 4 and 57, along with Solomon Hill‘s expiring contract and a future second-round pick. The Pelicans will also acquire Cleveland’s heavily protected 2020 first-rounder from the Hawks, Woj adds (via Twitter).

League sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link) that the Hawks are focused on drafting Virginia forward De’Andre Hunter with the fourth overall pick. A report earlier this week indicated that Atlanta was “very high” on Hunter, who reportedly didn’t work out for any teams besides besides the Hawks.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that Hunter and Duke forward Cam Reddish are the two players Atlanta has targeted at No. 4, adding that the team is leaning toward Hunter. According to Jake Fischer of SI.com (Twitter link), Reddish’s camp has believed that the Hawks would keep No. 10 in a trade-up scenario, potentially to draft the Duke prospect with that selection.

Atlanta will indeed keep No. 10 in this deal with New Orleans. Having initially held six picks in the top 44, the Hawks have now traded away five of those picks (and taken on Hill’s unwanted $12.76MM salary for next season), but still hold Nos. 4, 10, and 57. They’re in position to draft a pair of top-10 prospects, including one they were willing to move up four spots for.

As for the Pelicans, new head of basketball operations David Griffin continues to stockpile assets — the team now holds five of the top 39 selections in this draft, including Nos. 1, 8, and 17. New Orleans also got out from under the final year of Hill’s contract, creating additional cap flexibility for free agency.

Technically, the Pelicans haven’t yet officially acquired the No. 4 pick from the Lakers, since the Anthony Davis blockbuster will have to be finalized in July. The same is true of the No. 17 pick, which the Hawks are acquiring in the not-yet-completed Allen Crabbe deal. Those trades will be officially finalized once the new league year begins, then this deal between New Orleans and Atlanta can be formally completed.

The Cavaliers’ pick headed to New Orleans in this swap is currently top-10 protected for 2020 and will become two second-rounders (in 2021 and 2022) if it doesn’t convey next season. It’s not clear if the Hawks added any additional protections, but given Cleveland’s outlook, it looks like that pick probably won’t end up being a real first-rounder.

Speaking of the Cavaliers, they’re receiving a ton of interest for the No. 5 pick, according to Jake Fischer of SI.com, who points out (via Twitter) that that could be the spot for Darius Garland now. The Vanderbilt point guard was previously considered the favorite to be the No. 4 pick.

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Grizzlies Trade Mike Conley To Jazz

July 6th, 2019 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: The trade sending Conley to the Jazz is now official, per the NBA’s transactions log. Darius Bazley, who was selected with the No. 23 overall pick last month, will be re-routed from Utah to Oklahoma City in a subsequent deal, while Korver will be sent to Phoenix.

JUNE 19: The Grizzlies and Jazz have reached an agreement on a trade that will send standout point guard Mike Conley to Utah, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter), Memphis will receive a package made up of Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver, Grayson Allen, the No. 23 pick in the 2019 draft, and a future first-round pick. Per Wojnarowski (via Twitter), that second first-rounder will be a 2020 pick, which features protections through 2024.

Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian provides the full details on those protections, tweeting that the Grizzlies will get the pick in 2020 or 2021 if it falls in the 8-14 range. If it doesn’t convey in either of those drafts, it would become top-six protected in 2022, top-three protected in 2023, and top-one protected in 2024.

The deal will be completed once the new league year begins in July for cap reasons, according to Wojnarowski and ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). The Jazz will have to absorb Conley using their newly-opened cap room, but won’t necessarily have to waive Derrick Favors‘ non-guaranteed contract to make the deal work, Marks notes (via Twitter).

It’s a huge acquisition for the Jazz, who will be able to pair Conley with Donovan Mitchell in their backcourt, with Favors and Rudy Gobert up front and Joe Ingles providing floor spacing on the wing.

[RELATED: Ricky Rubio not counting on return to the Jazz]

Conley, 31, is coming off perhaps the best season of his NBA career, having averaged a career-high 21.1 PPG to go along with 6.4 APG, 3.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG, and a .438/.364/.845 shooting line.

Utah reportedly tried to land Conley at the trade deadline, putting an offer on the table that featured expiring contracts and a first-round pick, but that wasn’t enough to get Memphis to accept. The Jazz figured to face competition for the point guard from possible suitors like the Pacers, Heat, Celtics, and Mavericks when they circled back this offseason, but they were able to get a deal done early in the summer.

The Jazz can now focus on filling out their roster with complementary players. With Conley’s lucrative contract set to hit their books, they’ll no longer be a player for major free agents, but will have the room exception available. It’s projected to be worth $4.76MM.

Conley is owed $32.5MM in 2019/20 and $34.5MM in 2020/21 before his contract expires in 2021. His deal aligns him with Utah’s other core pieces — currently, Mitchell and Gobert are both on track to reach free agency in 2021 as well.

As for the Grizzlies, they’re expected to shift into rebuilding mode after trading long-time cornerstones Marc Gasol in February and Conley now. They’re poised to select Ja Morant with the No. 2 overall pick in tomorrow’s draft to supplant Conley as their point guard of the future. He and Jaren Jackson Jr. project to be the franchise’s building blocks going forward.

It’s not clear yet whether the Grizzlies intend to keep all the players and draft picks they’re acquiring in exchange for Conley. Crowder and Korver are on fairly modest expiring contracts (Korver’s salary is only partially guaranteed) and could appeal to contenders. Allen and the picks, on the other hand, represent solid assets for Memphis’ rebuild, though David Aldridge of The Athletic (Twitter link) hears that the club will listen to offers for the No. 23 selection.

The Grizzlies are also in position to create a massive traded player exception in the swap, assuming they remain an over-the-cap team. Cap expert Albert Nahmad estimates the value of that exception to be about $25MM (Twitter link).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Heat Acquire KZ Okpala’s Draft Rights

July 6th, 2019 at 11:41am CST by Dana Gauruder

JULY 6: The Heat have officially acquired Okpala’s draft rights, sending the Pacers their 2022, 2025, and 2026 second-round picks, Miami announced in a press release. The deal technically became a three-team trade, having merged with the Pacers’ acquisition of T.J. Warren from the Suns.

JUNE 20: The Pacers agreed to send the No. 32 pick to the Heat, who selected Stanford small forward KZ Okpala, Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. The Pacers gained the rights to that pick earlier in the day in a trade with the Suns.

Indiana will receive three future second-round picks from Miami. The Heat had traded away their second-round pick.

Indiana also acquired forward T.J. Warren from Phoenix, which used cap room to make that deal in a salary dump. The Suns received cash considerations.

The 6’9” Okpala averaged 16.8 PPG and 5.7 RPG last season.

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2019 NBA Draft Pick Signings

July 3rd, 2019 at 9:32am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent news has dominated NBA headlines over the last few days, but teams around the league are also taking care of the rookies they drafted last month, signing them to their first NBA contracts. Because cap holds for first-round picks count for 120% of the rookie scale instead of 100% in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, there’s little incentive for teams to wait to lock up their first-rounders.

For first-round picks, rookie contracts are fairly rigid, having essentially been predetermined. The NBA’s rookie-scale structure dictates that first-rounders will be signed to four-year deals, which include two guaranteed years, then team options in years three and four.

The value of those contracts depends on where a player was drafted. This year, No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson receives a four-year deal worth in excess of $44MM, which represents the maximum allowable 120% of his scale amount. No. 30 pick Kevin Porter Jr., on the other hand, will sign a four-year contract worth just shy of $10MM.

The full breakdown of this year’s first-round rookie salaries and contracts can be found right here — if you see a first-rounder listed below as “signed,” you can assume his contract looks like that, unless otherwise indicated.

Second-round picks, meanwhile, aren’t assured of two guaranteed seasons, though some players will receive them. Teams can sign second-rounders to whatever amount they choose, using cap room or various exceptions. Those players who immediately join their NBA teams figure to get a minimum salary or something slightly above the minimum. We’ll make a note of contract details for second-rounders below, as they become available.

Finally, some second-rounders – and perhaps even some first-rounders – won’t sign NBA deals immediately. They may get two-way contracts, play in the G League, or head overseas to refine their games while their NBA teams retain their rights. We’ll make note of that below too, wherever it’s applicable.

Here’s a breakdown of 2019’s draft pick signings. This list will continue to be updated as more draftees sign their first NBA contracts:

First Round:

  1. New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson, F (Duke): Signed
  2. Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant, G (Murray State): Signed
  3. New York Knicks: R.J. Barrett, F (Duke): Signed
  4. Atlanta Hawks: De’Andre Hunter, F (Virginia): Signed
  5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Darius Garland, G (Vanderbilt): Signed
  6. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jarrett Culver, G (Texas Tech): Signed
  7. Chicago Bulls: Coby White, G (UNC): Signed
  8. New Orleans Pelicans: Jaxson Hayes, C (Texas): Signed
  9. Washington Wizards: Rui Hachimura, F (Gonzaga): Signed
  10. Atlanta Hawks: Cam Reddish, F (Duke): Signed
  11. Phoenix Suns: Cameron Johnson, F (UNC): Signed
  12. Charlotte Hornets: PJ Washington, F (Kentucky): Signed
  13. Miami Heat: Tyler Herro, G (Kentucky): Signed
  14. Boston Celtics: Romeo Langford, G/F (Indiana): Signed
  15. Detroit Pistons: Sekou Doumbouya, F (Guinea): Signed
  16. Orlando Magic: Chuma Okeke, F (Auburn): Won’t sign until 2020
  17. New Orleans Pelicans: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, G (Virginia Tech): Signed
  18. Indiana Pacers: Goga Bitadze, C (Georgia): Signed
  19. San Antonio Spurs: Luka Samanic, F (Croatia): Signed
  20. Philadelphia 76ers: Matisse Thybulle, F (Washington): Signed
  21. Memphis Grizzlies: Brandon Clarke, F (Gonzaga): Signed
  22. Boston Celtics: Grant Williams, F (Tennessee): Signed
  23. Oklahoma City Thunder: Darius Bazley, F (Princeton HS (OH)): Signed
  24. Phoenix Suns: Ty Jerome, G (Virginia): Signed
  25. Portland Trail Blazers: Nassir Little, F (UNC): Signed
  26. Cleveland Cavaliers: Dylan Windler, F (Belmont): Signed
  27. Los Angeles Clippers: Mfiondu Kabengele, C (Florida State): Signed
  28. Golden State Warriors: Jordan Poole, G (Michigan): Signed
  29. San Antonio Spurs: Keldon Johnson, F (Kentucky): Signed
  30. Cleveland Cavaliers: Kevin Porter Jr., G (USC): Signed
    • Will receive less than 120% of the rookie scale amount.

Second Round:

  1. Brooklyn Nets: Nicolas Claxton, C (University of Georgia): Signed
    • Three-year, minimum-salary contract. Fully guaranteed.
  2. Miami Heat: KZ Okpala, F (Stanford): Signed
    • Three-year, minimum-salary contract. Fully guaranteed.
  3. Boston Celtics: Carsen Edwards, G (Purdue): Signed
    • Four-year, $6.46MM contract. First three years guaranteed.
  4. Atlanta Hawks: Bruno Fernando, C (Maryland): Signed
    • Three-year, $4.7MM contract. Fully guaranteed.
  5. New Orleans Pelicans: Didi Louzada, G/F (Brazil): Will play overseas
  6. Charlotte Hornets: Cody Martin, F (Nevada): Signed
    • Three-year, $4.47MM contract. First two years guaranteed.
  7. Detroit Pistons: Deividas Sirvydis, G/F (Lithuania): Will play overseas
  8. Chicago Bulls: Daniel Gafford, C (Arkansas): Signed
    • Four-year, minimum-salary contract. First two years guaranteed.
  9. Golden State Warriors: Alen Smailagic, F/C (Serbia): Signed
    • Four-year, minimum-salary contract. First two years guaranteed.
  10. Sacramento Kings: Justin James, G (Wyoming): Signed
    • Three-year, minimum-salary contract. First two years guaranteed.
  11. Golden State Warriors: Eric Paschall, F (Villanova): Signed
    • Three-year, minimum-salary contract. Fully guaranteed.
  12. Washington Wizards: Admiral Schofield, F (Tennessee): Signed
    • Three-year, $4.3MM contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year partially guaranteed.
  13. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jaylen Nowell, G (Washington): Signed
    • Four-year, $6.63MM contract. First year guaranteed.
  14. Denver Nuggets: Bol Bol, C (Oregon): Signed
    • Two-way contract.
  15. Dallas Mavericks: Isaiah Roby, F (Nebraska): Signed
    • Four-year, $6.73MM contract. First two years guaranteed.
  16. Los Angeles Lakers: Talen Horton-Tucker, F (Iowa State): Signed
    • Two-year, minimum-salary contract. Fully guaranteed.
  17. New York Knicks: Ignas Brazdeikis, F (Michigan): Signed
    • Three-year, minimum-salary contract. First two years guaranteed.
  18. Los Angeles Clippers: Terance Mann, F (Florida State): Signed
    • Four-year, $6.2MM contract. First two years guaranteed.
  19. San Antonio Spurs: Quinndary Weatherspoon, G (Mississippi State): Signed
    • Two-way contract.
  20. Utah Jazz: Jarrell Brantley, F (Charleston): Signed
    • Two-way contract.
  21. Boston Celtics: Tremont Waters, G (LSU): Signed
    • Two-way contract.
  22. Charlotte Hornets: Jalen McDaniels, F (San Diego State): Signed
    • One-year, minimum-salary contract. Non-guaranteed.
  23. Utah Jazz: Justin Wright-Foreman, G (Hofstra): Signed
    • Two-way contract
  24. Philadelphia 76ers: Marial Shayok, G/F (Iowa State): Signed
    • Two-way contract.
  25. Sacramento Kings: Kyle Guy, G (Virginia): Signed
    • Two-way contract.
  26. Brooklyn Nets: Jaylen Hands, G (UCLA): Will play in G League
  27. Detroit Pistons: Jordan Bone, G (Tennessee): Signed
    • Two-way contract
  28. Utah Jazz: Miye Oni, G (Yale): Signed
    • Three-year, minimum-salary contract. First year guaranteed.
  29. Toronto Raptors: Dewan Hernandez, F/C (Miami): Signed
    • Three-year, minimum-salary contract. First-year partial guarantee of $500K.
  30. Sacramento Kings: Vanja Marinkovic, G (Serbia): Will play overseas
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Pistons Trade For No. 37 Pick Deividas Sirvydis

June 26th, 2019 at 8:51pm CST by Luke Adams

JUNE 26, 8:51pm: Per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com, the deal is official.

JUNE 20, 10:59pm: The Mavericks are receiving the 2020 and 2021 second-rounders that the Pistons acquired earlier in the evening from Cleveland, tweets Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. The 2020 pick is Utah’s and the 2021 selection is Portland’s.

JUNE 20, 10:34pm: The Pistons and Mavericks have agreed to a trade that will send the rights of No. 37 pick Deividas Sirvydis to Detroit, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

According to Marc Stein of The New York Times (via Twitter), Dallas is receiving the No. 45 pick from Detroit tonight, along with two future second-round picks. The Pistons just acquired four second-rounders for the No. 30 pick, so it wouldn’t be surprised if those two of those selections are being re-routed to the Mavs.

Sirvydis, a wing player, is expected to be a draft-and-stash pick for the Pistons, reports Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).

Sirvydis, who declared the draft as an international early entrant, played in the Lithuanian league this season. He projects as a dangerous perimeter threat, as ESPN’s Jonathan Givony tweets.

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Cavs Acquire No. 30, Draft Kevin Porter Jr.

June 26th, 2019 at 8:39pm CST by Luke Adams

JUNE 26, 8:39pm: The deal is official, per an announcement from the Cavaliers.

JUNE 20, 10:58pm: The Pistons are acquiring 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024 second-round picks in this swap, tweets Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. The picks are from Utah (2020), Portland (2021 and 2023), and Miami (2024; top-55 protected), according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who tweets that Cleveland also surrendered $5MM in cash.

JUNE 20, 9:48pm: After agreeing to acquire the No. 30 pick from the Bucks along with Tony Snell, the Pistons are flipping that pick to the Cavaliers, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, Cleveland will use the newly-acquired first-rounder to draft USC guard Kevin Porter Jr.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that the Cavaliers are sending four future second-round picks to the Pistons in the deal, along with some cash. Detroit had traded away all of its second-rounders between 2020-23 in previous deals, so this move will help restock the club’s draft assets.

Porter had an up-and-down season at USC in 2018/19, averaging just 9.5 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 21 games. He also face questions about his maturity, which likely contributed to him slipping to the end of the first round. However, NBA evaluators believe he has the physical tools to become a talented shot creator and defender, per ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

The Cavaliers have now added Darius Garland, Dylan Windler, and Porter in the first round of tonight’s draft. They don’t have any second-rounders, so their evening will be over unless they make more trades.

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Community Shootaround: NBA Draft Winners, Losers

June 21st, 2019 at 8:26am CST by Luke Adams

The concept of “winners” and “losers” in an NBA draft isn’t necessarily a flawed one, but naming those winners and losers within 24 hours of the draft’s completion is probably misguided. Three years ago, for example, how many fans or even draft experts would have called the Raptors a winner of the 2016 NBA draft for nabbing little-known forward Pascal Siakam with the 27th overall pick?

Still, the “winner” and “loser” tags are simple short-hand for assessing which teams’ drafts we like, at first glance, and which ones we don’t. With that in mind, we want to hear your thoughts on which teams you believe have a good night on Thursday and which ones you believe could have done better.

The Cavaliers are among the teams that received plenty of praise for their work on Thursday — they came out of the first round with three promising young rookies, having selected Darius Garland at No. 5, Dylan Windler at No. 26, and Kevin Porter Jr. at No. 30. Garland was long viewed as the probable fourth overall pick, and Porter was considered a candidate for the end of the lottery, so Cleveland got seemingly great value in the first round.

[RELATED: 2019 NBA Draft Results]

The Pelicans are among the other teams whose work was lauded, though it’s hard not to get high marks when you come away with Zion Williamson. Besides the No. 1 overall pick, New Orleans also came away with Jaxson Hayes at No. 8, Nickeil Alexander-Walker at No. 17, and Marcos Louzada Silva at No. 35. They also managed to shed Solomon Hill‘s contract in their trade with the Hawks.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Suns‘ moves generated some confusion. They had to give up the No. 32 pick to move T.J. Warren, whose three-year, $35MM contract didn’t look like an albatross. Then they traded down from No. 6 to acquire Dario Saric and used their newly-acquired No. 11 pick to select Cameron Johnson, a player most experts didn’t expect to go in the top 20.

What do you think? Which teams’ drafts did you like most, and which ones were you a little less bullish on? Head to the comment section below to weigh in!

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