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Southeast Notes: Ellis, Bamba, Hornets, Hawks

June 14th, 2022 at 10:15pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Alabama guard Keon Ellis worked out for the Heat on Monday, according to Jake Weingarten of StockRisers.com (Twitter link). It was previously reported that Ellis is working out for Florida’s other pro club, the Magic, today.

The 6’6″ shooting guard played his first two seasons of college ball at Florida SouthWestern, from 2018–20, before transferring to Alabama. During his second season with the Crimson Tide in 2021/22, Ellis was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team. In 33 games, he averaged 12.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.9 SPG and 1.8 APG with a shooting line of .439/.366/.881.

Ellis is ranked as the No. 66 prospect on ESPN’s big board. The Heat only possess the No. 27 pick this year. Miami lost its 2022 second-round draft pick for a free agency tampering violation. Of course, it’s worth noting that the Heat have had plenty of luck in recent years when it comes to developing undrafted free agent rookies, should Ellis become available that way.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

  • Magic center Mohamed Bamba is a restricted free agent this summer and could be the odd man out in the frontcourt. Orlando is set to add another big man prospect with the top pick in the 2022 draft this summer to complement forward Franz Wagner and big man Wendell Carter Jr., who was extended last summer. With that in mind, Ethan Fuller of Basketball News considers potential landing spots for Bamba. During a breakout fourth NBA season, the 24-year-old showed off his abilities as a high-level finisher and elite rim protector. Fuller considers clubs like the Nets, Heat and Mavericks as possible destinations. Should Bamba remain in Orlando, Fuller projects him to move to the bench to accommodate whichever player the Magic decide to draft.
  • Hornets ownership agreed to extend its lease for the team’s Charlotte home arena, Spectrum Center, through 2045, according to a team press release. “Hornets Sports & Entertainment truly values the public-private partnership that we share with the City of Charlotte, including our agreement to manage Spectrum Center, which is a city-owned building,” the statement read in part. “We look forward to continuing to serve as stewards of Spectrum Center to make it the premier destination for sports and entertainment in the Carolinas.”
  • The Hawks are looking at five prospects tomorrow, tweets Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Atlanta will work out Houston big man Josh Carlton, Providence forward Justin Minaya, St. John’s wing Julian Champagnie, VCU forward Vince Williams Jr., and Fresno State forward Orlando Robinson. The Hawks have the No. 16 and No. 44 picks in the 2022 draft at their disposal.
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Southeast Draft Notes: Wizards, Magic, Hawks, Hornets

June 13th, 2022 at 10:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards have six draft prospects visiting on Tuesday, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. They’ll evaluate Jules Bernard (UCLA), Theo John (Duke), Davion Mintz (Kentucky), Alex O’Connell (Creighton), Nate Roberts (Washington) and Au’Diese Toney (Arkansas).

We have more draft-related news involving Southeast Division clubs:

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O’Connor’s Latest: Sixers, Collins, Blazers, Cavs, Magic

June 13th, 2022 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers are exploring potential trades involving the No. 23 pick in the 2022 draft and Danny Green‘s expiring $10MM contract, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reports within his latest mock draft.

Because they owe their unprotected 2023 first-round pick to Brooklyn, the Sixers can’t trade their 2022 first-rounder until after it has been used. However, they could reach a tentative trade agreement on or before draft night and make that pick on another team’s behalf, officially completing the deal after the draft.

Using Green’s expiring contract as a salary-matching piece would also be a little tricky, since it’s currently non-guaranteed, meaning it would count as $0 for outgoing purposes. The Sixers could guarantee some or all of Green’s $10MM salary to make it more useful in a trade. But the more money they guarantee, the less appealing it will be as an asset to a potential trade partner, since Green is expected to miss most or all of next season after tearing his ACL.

Here’s more from O’Connor:

  • The Hawks are looking to acquire a lottery pick and are dangling John Collins, league sources tell The Ringer. It sounds like Atlanta also wouldn’t be opposed to including the No. 16 pick in the right deal. The Trail Blazers, who hold the seventh overall pick, are one of the teams the Hawks have talked to, says O’Connor.
  • O’Connor is the latest reporter to hear from sources that the Cavaliers would like to re-sign Collin Sexton and bring back point guard Ricky Rubio, and to confirm that the Pistons are among the teams with interest in Sexton.
  • Chet Holmgren “has some supporters” within the Magic‘s front office, but O’Connor believes “all indications” point to Orlando selecting Jabari Smith with the No. 1 overall pick.
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Southeast Notes: Wizards, Magic, Williams, Heat, Hawks

June 12th, 2022 at 6:01pm CST by JD Shaw

The Wizards are scheduled to work out six draft-eligible players on Monday, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Oklahoma’s Jordan Goldwire, Arkansas’ Chris Lykes, Kansas’ Remy Martin, Kansas State’s Mike McGuirl, Alabama’s Jaden Shackelford and Notre Dame’s Blake Wesley will attend the session.

As noted by Robbins, all six players are guards. The Wizards, who own the 10th and 54th overall picks in the draft, are coming off a season in which they finished with a 35-47 record, missing the playoffs.

Here are some other notes from the Southeast Division:

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Draft Notes: J. Smith, Magic, Holmgren, Mohammed, Duren

June 9th, 2022 at 2:27pm CST by Rory Maher

Auburn forward Jabari Smith, a projected top-three pick, worked out for the Magic on Thursday, reports Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter video link). The Magic hold the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA draft and Smith has been linked to Orlando multiple times.

Smith believes he’d be a good fit for a young Magic team, as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press relays.

“I think I can fit in it really well,” Smith said. “Seeing the guys and seeing the players, this is a young team, one of the youngest in the league. So, adding me would just add another young player who was hungry and got a lot left in the tank. So, I’ll add some energy and just another person wants to come in and work and get this organization where it needs to be.”

Smith added that his strong two-way play and drive to win separates him from the other top prospects.

“I just think it’s my will to win that sets me apart,” Smith said, per Reynolds. “I don’t really care about stats and glamour and all that. I just want to really win and play to win every game.”

Smith also said he has an upcoming workout with the Thunder, who control the No. 2 pick, but has no other workouts planned, Reynolds writes. Smith’s full post-workout media session can be found right here.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

  • Gonzaga big man Chet Holmgren, another projected top-three pick, has a workout scheduled with the Magic next week, reports Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (via Twitter).
  • Georgetown’s Aminu Mohammed has worked out for the Nets, Hawks, Spurs and Bulls, and has upcoming workouts with the Kings and Trail Blazers, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Mohammed also worked out for the Wizards on Wednesday, as we previously relayed.
  • Memphis center Jalen Duren, who is one of the youngest players in the draft after graduating from high school a year early, believes he’s ready for the NBA, writes Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com. “I wouldn’t have made this jump if I didn’t feel like I was ready mentally, physically or skill-wise. I mean, where I’m at, I love the challenge, that’s why I decided to go to college early. It was a great challenge, it helped me develop,” Duren said. The 18-year-old had a solo workout for Portland earlier this week and is a projected lottery pick.
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Southeast Notes: Hornets, Workouts, Wizards, Russell, Magic

June 8th, 2022 at 9:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets hold three picks in the 2022 NBA draft (Nos. 13, 15, and 45) and are keeping busy in the weeks leading up to June 23, bringing in a handful of prospects on a daily basis for a closer look.

On Tuesday, the Hornets worked out Tyson Etienne (Wichita State), Jordan Goldwire (Oklahoma), John Meeks (College of Charleston), Orlando Robinson (Fresno State), D’Shawn Schwartz (George Mason), and Bryson Williams (Texas Tech), according to the team (Twitter link). All six of those players rank outside of the top 75 on ESPN’s big board, so they figure to receive consideration as possible second-round or UDFA targets.

On Wednesday, Hugo Besson (New Zealand Breakers), Khalifa Diop (Gran Canaria), Hyunjung Lee (Davidson), Javante McCoy (Boston University), Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga), and Yannick Nzosa (Unicaja) make up the Hornets’ workout group (Twitter link). Several of those prospects are more highly regarded by draft experts — ESPN ranks Nembhard, Besson, and Diop 35th, 38th, and 39th respectively.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

  • The Wizards will be in the market for a starting point guard this offseason, but don’t expect them to pursue D’Angelo Russell. Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News said on his podcast (The Scoop w/ Doogie) that he has heard Washington has no interest in the Timberwolves guard (hat tip to HoopsHype).
  • The Wizards‘ pre-draft workout on Wednesday will feature Kenny Baptiste (France), Garrison Brooks (Mississippi State), Kyle Foster (Howard), Justin Kier (Arizona), Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown), and Gabe Osabuohien (West Virginia), as Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington relays (via Twitter).
  • Murray State guard Tevin Brown was in Orlando on Tuesday, presumably to work out for the Magic, tweets Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. The Murray State guard is the No. 74 on ESPN’s big board, so the Magic could consider him in the second round or as an undrafted free agent.
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Draft Notes: Hardy, Braun, Roddy, Pistons, Ivey

June 8th, 2022 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters after working out for Washington on Tuesday, G League Ignite guard Jaden Hardy said he has already worked out for the Warriors, Bucks, Timberwolves, and Thunder, and has auditions on tap with the Hawks, Hornets, Mavericks, and Pelicans (Twitter link via Josh Robbins of The Athletic). Viewed as a good bet to be a first-round pick, Hardy currently ranks 22nd overall on ESPN’s big board.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

  • Kansas shooting guard Christian Braun, the No. 30 prospect on ESPN’s board, has worked out for the Bucks, Clippers, and Magic, and had a visit scheduled with the Grizzlies this week, tweets Andrew Lind. Those four teams each have at least one pick between No. 22 and No. 43 in this year’s draft.
  • Colorado State forward David Roddy, ESPN’s No. 46 prospect, had a meet and greet with Nuggets staffers a month ago and was brought back for a workout with the team on Tuesday, tweets Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. Asked if he senses interest from the Nuggets, Roddy replied, “I would say so. Everybody’s a fan of my game here. They’ve told me that.” Roddy has also worked out for several other teams, including the Warriors and Raptors, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link).
  • David Aldridge of The Athletic spoke to a handful of coaches and executives at the college and NBA levels to get their thoughts on several of the top guards in the 2022 draft class, including Jaden Ivey, Shaedon Sharpe, Dyson Daniels, Johnny Davis, and several others. One Eastern Conference executive told Aldridge that he knows the Pistons – who hold the No. 5 overall pick – “love” Ivey.
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Southeast Notes: Hornets, Hawks, Magic, Wizards

June 6th, 2022 at 7:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets hosted a pre-draft workout with six prospects on Monday, the team tweets. That group included Keon Ellis (Alabama), Michael Foster Jr. (G League Ignite), Kellan Grady (Kentucky), Ron Harper Jr. (Rutgers), Brandon Horvath (Utah State) and Žiga Samar (Fuenlabrada/Spain).

We have more from the Southeast Division:

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Draft Rumors: Magic, Smith, Pacers, Sharpe, Jovic, More

June 6th, 2022 at 1:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Echoing what ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported last month, Jeremy Woo of SI.com says the “general expectation” around the league is that Jabari Smith is the favorite to be picked first overall by the Magic in the 2022 NBA draft. Woo notes that Orlando is doing its due diligence on several prospects at the top of this year’s draft class, but his “gut feeling” is that the team will ultimately land on Smith.

Woo’s latest mock draft for SI.com includes several other interesting tidbits. Here are a few highlights:

  • Keegan Murray and Jaden Ivey are the two prospects most frequently linked to the Pacers by rival teams, though it’s unclear if either of them will still be available when Indiana picks at No. 6, Woo writes, adding that No. 6 appears to be Murray’s floor.
  • Shaedon Sharpe earned some buzz at last month’s draft combine, but “some of that excitement has turned to trepidation” since teams left Chicago, according to Woo who suggests that Sharpe’s individual workouts will go a long way toward determining how he’s regarded by lottery teams.
  • Woo has heard that Serbian wing Nikola Jovic would like to come to the NBA right away, so he won’t necessarily be a draft-and-stash pick.
  • Some people around the NBA believe the Thunder may look to package their No. 12 pick and a future pick or two to acquire a second top-10 selection, says Woo. Oklahoma City also controls the second overall pick.
  • Rival teams believe the Knicks will likely target a point guard or a big man at No. 11, per Woo, who believes it’s possible both Mark Williams and Jalen Duren will be available at that spot. TyTy Washington‘s name has also come up in Woo’s conversations as a player to watch at No. 11.Washington worked out on Monday for the Knicks and told reporters, including Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link) that he also workouts on tap with the Pelicans (No. 8), Spurs (No. 9), Wizards (No. 10), and Cavaliers (No. 14).
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Southeast Notes: Heat, Magic, Quinones, Wizards

June 5th, 2022 at 3:44pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After an exciting 53-29 season that saw them get to within one win of its second NBA Finals appearance in three seasons, the Heat appear set to make some adjustments during the summer to get over the hump. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel notes that the Heat rarely leave a stone unturned in the free agency and trade markets, and that the team could pursue adding All-Star talents like guards Donovan Mitchell and Bradley Beal if they become available.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

  • The Magic worked out Memphis guard Lester Quinones over the weekend, according to Jake Weingarten of StockRisers.com (Twitter link). Quinones played for three seasons with the Tigers, averaging 10.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.8 APG and 0.9 SPG across 87 games, including 81 starts. The Magic possess the top pick in the 2022 draft, as well as the No. 32 and No. 35 selections in the second round.
  • The Wizards are set to work out several young hopefuls tomorrow ahead of the draft, per Ava Wallace of the Washington Post (Twitter link). Wallace notes that Vanderbilt guard Scotty Pippen Jr., LSU forward Tari Eason, Baylor guard James Akinjo, and Connecticut guard R.J. Cole will be working out for Washington. The Wizards possess the No. 10 and No. 56 picks in the upcoming 2022 NBA draft. Eason is the highest-ranked prospect among these four, coming in at No. 18 on ESPN’s big board.
  • In case you missed it, we took a look at the Hawks‘ 2022 offseason, examining the personnel that could be on the move, both among players under contract for the 2022/23 season and free agents.
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