Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Wizards Trading Up To No. 7, Drafting Bilal Coulibaly

June 22nd, 2023 at 7:49pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Wizards have agreed to a trade with the Pacers, moving up in the draft one spot from No. 8 to No. 7 in order to select French forward Bilal Coulibaly, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Charania (via Twitter), Washington is sending two second-round draft picks to Indiana in the deal. Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), those two picks are 2028 second-rounders: the Wizards’ own and an incoming pick from the Suns acquired in their Bradley Beal trade.

Jeremy Woo of ESPN tweets that the Wizards opted to move up to ensure they were able to draft Coulibaly before another club could select him, noting that the Jazz had grown intrigued by the swingman recently.

The 6’8″ small forward was a teammate of this year’s top pick, now-Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, on Metropolitans 92 this past season. A raw, athletic swingman, Coulibaly averaged 10.0 PPG on a .532/.452/.595 slash line, in addition to 6.1 RPG, 1.6 APG and 1.5 SPG.

Per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington, Coulibaly’s solid playoff performance alongside Wembanyama helped him move up teams’ internal pre-draft rankings. Hughes adds that he is considered a multifaceted defender, and his 7’3″ wingspan allows him to be effective on and off the ball.

Washington has been incredibly active this week, agreeing to trade away Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, and Chris Paul for younger pieces and future draft picks.

The Pacers are using the No. 8 pick to select Houston forward Jarace Walker.

Luke Adams contributed to this report.

Wizards Notes: Draft, Dawkins, Ownership, Trades

June 22nd, 2023 at 5:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Wizards possess the eighth pick in the first round of this year’s draft, along with the Nos. 35, 42, and 57 selections in the second round.

In previewing Washington’s draft, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic notes that newly installed Washington VP Travis Schlenk had a history of prioritizing players with a good court sense and solid shooting ability, as well as swingmen with high upsides, while with the Hawks.

Vecenie believes that the Wizards, who are clearly in position to prioritize talent over fit after trading stars Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis in recent days, should look to select the player on the board with the highest ceiling in the first round.

There’s more out of D.C.:

Wizards general manager Will Dawkins is looking forward to the scrutiny and pressure that will come along with his new gig, writes Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. After 15 years spent in the Thunder’s front office office, Dawkins will get an opportunity to take on a larger role in D.C. As Wallace notes, while new team president Michael Winger will oversee the rosters of the Wizards, their G League affiliate the Capital City Go-Go, and WNBA squad the Washington Mystics, Dawkins will get to focus exclusively on the Wizards. “I’ll be more around on the day-to-day, having more conversations with the players and staff, allowing [Winger] to kind of free up and manage Monumental Basketball,” Dawkins said. “We’ll both be at games, talking to representation of our players, things of that nature. But [my role is] more so the scouting portion, managing that, making sure the building is humming and up to the standards we’re looking for.”
A Qatari wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority, is purchasing a passive minority stake in Wizards ownership group Monumental Sports & Entertainment, worth approximately 5%, according to Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico. This marks the first time a sovereign wealth fund will be buying into U.S. team sports. “The NBA Board is currently reviewing a potential investment by QIA in Monumental Sports & Entertainment,” NBA chief communications officer Mike Bass said in a statement (Twitter link via Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today). “In accordance with the policy, if approved, QIA would have a passive, minority investment in the team, with no involvement in its operations or decision-making.”
Kristaps Porzingis, who will be traded to the Celtics, issued a parting statement to the Wizards team and fans (Twitter link). “Wiz Fans!!” Porzingis wrote, in part. “Thank you for showing me so much support, I truly appreciate it and [enjoyed] every night playing in front of you. Wishing you all success as I embark on the next chapter of my career.”
The three-team trade that will send Porzingis to Boston is a rare win for all three clubs involved, opines John Hollinger of The Athletic. In a separate piece, Hollinger writes that future salary cap considerations played a major part in the Warriors’ rationale behind the newly reported deal that will send out Chris Paul, acquired in the Beal trade, to Golden State in exchange for Jordan Poole and draft equity.

Wizards To Receive Six Second-Rounders, Four Pick Swaps, Cash In Beal Trade

June 22nd, 2023 at 5:16pm CST by Luke Adams

5:16pm: The Wizards will receive about $3.5MM in cash from the Suns as part of the deal, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.

2:58pm: The Wizards and Suns have finalized their Bradley Beal trade agreement, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links).

The blockbuster deal is not yet official, but the two sides have formally agreed on the terms. They are as follows, according to Wojnarowski:

Suns to acquire Beal, Jordan Goodwin, and Isaiah Todd.
Wizards to acquire Chris Paul; Landry Shamet; the Suns’ second-round picks in 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2030; first-round pick swaps in 2024, 2026, 2028, and 2030; and cash.
- Note: Paul will be flipped to Golden State in a separate trade.

It was previously reported that Goodwin and Todd would go to Phoenix as part of the package, and we knew that the Wizards were receiving “multiple” second-round picks and first-round swaps. However, it’s news that Phoenix is sending every second-rounder and first-round swap it possibly can to Washington.

NBA teams can only trade picks for up to seven drafts in the future, so this deal will have to wait until after Thursday’s draft is officially completed, since it includes assets from 2030.

The Suns previously traded away their 2029 second-round selection, so they’ll send the Wizards their six remaining tradable second-rounders.

Phoenix also previously dealt its 2025, 2027, and 2029 first-round picks to Brooklyn and gave the Nets the right to swap first-round picks with the Suns in 2028. The Suns will be able to offer Washington the ability to swap first-rounders with Phoenix in 2024, 2026, and 2030 and the ability to swap the Wizards’ own first-rounder with the least favorable of the Suns’ and Nets’ picks in 2028.

There’s also a scenario in which the Wizards would be able to swap their own first-rounder for the Sixers’ pick in 2028 if the Suns end up with that one instead of their own or Brooklyn’s, but that would require a specific set of outcomes and is probably a long shot.

A previous report stated that the Wizards and Suns are hoping to complete their trade call with the NBA on Friday. For cap-related reasons, the Beal trade will have to be completed in June, while the subsequent Paul trade with the Warriors will be finalized in July, tweets cap expert Albert Nahmad.

Draft Notes: Bufkin, Wizards, Nets, Jazz, Hornets, Hawks, More

June 22nd, 2023 at 4:15pm CST by Rory Maher

The Wizards recently hosted Michigan guard Kobe Bufkin for a private workout, Michael Scotto reports in his latest aggregate mock draft for HoopsHype.

Bufkin hasn’t worked out for many teams, and his draft status has been somewhat mysterious because of that, though many seem to believe his stock is on the rise. He’s currently ranked No. 18 on ESPN’s best available list, while the Wizards control the No. 8 pick.

Here are a few more notes ahead of the 2023 NBA draft, which kicks off in less than three hours:

The Nets recently hosted several potential first-round picks for workouts, including Ohio State’s Brice Sensabaugh, South Carolina’s G.G. Jackson, France’s Sidy Cissoko, and Marquette’s Olivier-Maxence Prosper, league sources tell Scotto. Brooklyn currently controls the 21st and 22nd picks in the first round, but the team has reportedly discussed moving up as well.
The Jazz have had trade discussions involving packaging two of their three first-rounders (Nos. 9 and 16), according to Scotto, but they’ve also discussed the latter pick on its own in separate deals.
Scotto hears from sources who say the Hornets plan to prioritize retaining restricted free agents Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington as well as unrestricted free agent Dennis Smith Jr. Bridges missed all of last season after pleading no contest to felony domestic violence charges.
The Hawks have been active in trade discussions, but they’ve also been busy working out prospects. On Tuesday, Atlanta hosted Cason Wallace (Kentucky), Rayan Rupert (New Zealand Breakers), Brandin Podziemski (Santa Clara), Mojave King (G League Ignite), Seth Lundy (Penn State) and Miles Norris (UC Santa Barbara), tweets Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta-Journal Constitution. The Hawks control the Nos. 15 and 46 picks. Incidentally, Wallace is the top-ranked prospect of the group according to ESPN, currently ranked No. 15 on their board.
Wichita State guard Craig Porter Jr. recently spoke to Alex Kennedy of BasketballNews.com about a number of topics ahead of the draft.

Warriors Trading Jordan Poole To Wizards For Chris Paul

June 22nd, 2023 at 2:14pm CST by Rory Maher

The Warriors are trading Jordan Poole and future draft picks to the Wizards for Chris Paul, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Golden State has no plans to waive Paul, and the two sides are looking forward to working together, sources tell Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links), Golden State will be sending Washington a protected 2030 first-rounder and a 2027 second-rounder, along with Ryan Rollins, who was a second-round pick last year.

[UPDATE: The Wizards also reportedly receiving Patrick Baldwin.]

The 2030 first-round pick is top-20 protected, per ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link), and those protections can’t be pushed to 2031 since the pick is already seven years out. That means there’s a zero percent chance that the Wizards will get a top-20 selection from the Warriors. The pick seems likely to turn into a 2030 second-rounder if it falls within its protected range, though that has yet to be confirmed.

Rollins’ $1.7MM salary for ’23/24 was fully guaranteed, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic, and removing him from the books will open up a roster spot, likely for a veteran. The former Toledo guard’s ’24/25 salary is partially guaranteed at $600K.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports was first to report (via Twitter) that Golden State was actively discussing a Poole trade. Fischer heard the Wizards tried to land Golden State’s first-round pick in tonight’s draft — No. 19 overall — as part of the trade, but the Warriors were able to keep it.

As John Hollinger of The Athletic notes (Twitter link), the trade will have to be finalized in July when Poole’s four-year, $125MM extension kicks in, as Poole is currently on the last year of his rookie contract. Poole is currently subject to the poison pill provision due to the difference between his 2022/23 and ’23/24 salaries.

Paul’s $30.8MM contract for ’23/24 is expected to be fully guaranteed as part of his initial trade from Phoenix to Washington, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. It had previously only been guaranteed for $15.8MM. However, Paul’s $30MM salary for ’24/25 is fully non-guaranteed.

While the Warriors have been linked to Paul in the past, it’s still a shocking turn of events to shed Poole’s contract for a 38-year-old future Hall-of-Famer. Despite being known for his incredible basketball IQ, Paul’s teams typically play in a slow, methodical style, which doesn’t seem like an obvious fit with Golden State’s motion offense.

The deal is yet another indication that the Warriors are abandoning their “two timeline” plan to develop their young players alongside their veterans and instead are going all-in on the present. The club traded former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman in February in order to reacquire Gary Payton II, who had signed with Portland in free agency last summer.

According to Slater (Twitter link), the Warriors are placing a big bet on their medical staff, led by Rick Celebrini. Paul has a lengthy injury history, including sustaining a groin strain during the postseason, which sidelined him for four games in Phoenix’s second-round exit to the Nuggets.

Poole, the 28th pick of the 2019 draft, struggled mightily as a rookie for Golden State, but he turned a corner in the second half of year two, which lead to a breakout third season. He averaged 18.5 PPG, 4.0 APG and 3.4 RPG on .448/.364/.925 shooting during the ’21/22 regular season, playing a key role off the bench in helping the Warriors win their fourth title in eight seasons.

However, his ’22/23 season was derailed before it even started after being punched by Draymond Green in training camp. There was an awkwardness between them for the remainder of the season, and while Poole showed flashes of scoring brilliance, he also frustrated with turnovers, decision-making, and poor shot selection. Poole averaged 20.4 PPG, 4.5 APG and 2.7 RPG on .430/.336/.870 shooting during the regular season, but was ice cold in the playoffs, averaging just 10.3 PPG and 3.5 APG on .341/.254/.765 shooting.

Poole is still only 24 years old, so the Wizards will be gambling on him returning to his previous upward trajectory. They’ll also pick up some marginal draft assets as part of the deal for taking on his long-term contract.

Paul, one of the most accomplished point guards in league history, holds career averages of 17.9 PPG, 9.5 APG, 4.5 RPG and 2.1 SPG on .472/.369/.870 shooting in 1214 regular season games across 18 NBA seasons. While he was still effective in ’22/23, he also averaged a career-low 13.9 PPG to go along with 8.9 APG, 4.3 RPG and 1.5 SPG on .440/.375/.831 shooting in 59 regular season games.

Draft/Trade Rumors: Am. Thompson, Blazers, Beal, Brogdon, More

June 22nd, 2023 at 1:52pm CST by Rory Maher

Many view the 2023 NBA draft as having a “big three” of Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller, but league sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer that Amen Thompson, who is ranked No. 4 on ESPN’s big board, is expected to receive consideration from the Trail Blazers at No. 3 if Henderson goes No. 2 to Charlotte.

Still, O’Connor has Portland selecting Miller in his latest mock draft, with Thompson heading to Houston at No. 4. As O’Connor writes, Thompson could make sense for the Blazers if they decide to trade Damian Lillard, but there’s been no indication that’s in the plans as of yet.

Here are a few more draft and trade-related rumors:

Multiple sources tell O’Connor that the Raptors registered interest in Bradley Beal while he was still with the Wizards, but the three-time All-Star preferred to go to the Suns. O’Connor doesn’t specify what Toronto may have offered for Beal or if the talks advanced at all.
According to Adam Himmselsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link), the Clippers decided to pull out of their three-team trade talks with the Celtics and Wizards because they didn’t have time to complete a physical on Malcolm Brogdon. The three sides were facing time constraints, as Kristaps Porzingis had a midnight ET deadline to pick up his $36MM player option as part of the trade (he wound up being sent to Boston anyway in a separate deal). Brogdon reportedly suffered a torn tendon in his right elbow during the Eastern Conference Finals and recently said he hoped to avoid surgery. Sources tell Himmelsbach that even if the 30-year-old does need surgery, there’s a belief that he’d be ready to go by the start of 2023/24.
In addition to the Raptors and Mavericks, the Hawks have also discussed trades with the Celtics, reports O’Connor. It’s unclear which players or draft picks may have been discussed. For what it’s worth, there’s a “strong belief” around the league that the Celtics aren’t done making moves, writes Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com.
O’Connor hears that Chris Livingston, who opted out of his remaining pre-draft workouts a couple weeks ago, impressed teams with his shooting ability prior to making that decision. O’Connor has the Kentucky wing going No. 43 to Portland.
Jordan Hawkins is a name worth monitoring for Lakers fans, according to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link), who reports that Hawkins met with the team. The UConn wing is considered one of the best shooters in the draft and is currently No. 16 on ESPN’s board, while the Lakers control the Nos. 17 and 40 picks.

Trade Rumors: Wizards, Morris, George, Bridges, Nets, Bulls

June 22nd, 2023 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Having agreed to acquire point guards Tyus Jones and Chris Paul in separate trades, the Wizards have begun talking to rival teams about Monte Morris, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. According to Fischer, Washington’s front office – which has already been very active this offseason – is telling potential trade partners that the team doesn’t want to take on any long-term money.

It remains to be seen what the Wizards have in mind for Paul. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (YouTube link) said during a TV appearance earlier this week that he doesn’t get the sense that Washington is trying to “bottom out” by going into full tank mode, suggesting he can envision a scenario where Paul is on next season’s roster. However, that was before the team agreed to acquire Jones.

According to Fischer, the Wizards and Suns are tentatively planning for the Bradley Beal trade call to take place on Friday. It’s unclear whether Paul will be flipped to a new team as part of that deal or whether Washington’s three-team trade with Boston and Memphis might be folded into the same transaction.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

Andrew Greif and Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times provide a little more context on the recent Paul George trade rumors, suggesting that the Knicks initiated talks with the Clippers but are hesitant to pursue the star forward, who may seek an extension when he becomes eligible this offseason. There’s a sense that George’s value might not be as high as the Clippers would like, given his injury history and his contract situation, per The Times’ duo. A previous report indicated he’s unlikely to be dealt.
Rising star Mikal Bridges tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post that he has been informed by the Nets that they have no interest in trading him. The team has conveyed that stance both publicly and privately, according to Lewis. “As of right now they’re saying they’re not, but I think just being a good person kind of helps with that, because there’s just like you don’t want to lose a person like that, which is always a good quality to have,” Bridges said. “So, [I feel] just blessed, man; just blessed and very appreciative for that. And that just does show that love, honestly.”
In addition to offering four first-round picks for Bridges at the trade deadline, the Grizzlies are also said to have targeted Magic forward Franz Wagner in recent months, Fischer reports. Fischer refers to the team’s decision to surrender a pair of first-rounders for Marcus Smart as a “middle-ground” move after those more ambitious pursuits didn’t pan out.
While it doesn’t sound like Bridges will be going anywhere this offseason, the futures of fellow Nets forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale remain uncertain. According to Fischer, Brooklyn is seeking a first-round pick in return for O’Neale and wants a pick and a player for Finney-Smith.
It may end up being a quiet draft night for the Bulls, who don’t currently have a pick, but they’re still exploring ways to acquire a first-rounder, reports Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. In other Bulls news, Cowley hears from sources that free-agent-to-be Nikola Vucevic may be willing to give Chicago a “hometown discount” on a new multiyear contract. The big man made $22MM this past season.

Celtics, Wizards, Clippers Trade Talks Fall Through

June 21st, 2023 at 9:30pm CST by Rory Maher

The three-team trade that would have sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics, Malcolm Brogdon to the Clippers, and Marcus Morris, Amir Coffey, Danilo Gallinari and the No. 30 pick to the Wizards has fallen through and the clubs have decided to move on, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

While multiple reporters said the deal was nearing completion, Wojnarowski previously cautioned that there was more work to do to make an agreement official, and now the three-team trade has been shelved.

Sources tell Marc Stein that the Clippers had concerns over Brogdon’s medicals, which caused the three-team framework to collapse (Twitter link).

Brogdon, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, reportedly suffered a torn tendon in his right elbow during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Miami. He said after the Celtics’ season ended that he’d consider undergoing surgery on his shooting arm, though a report earlier today indicated he was optimistic about avoiding a procedure and would like to stay in Boston.

The Wizards are still working on a deal to send Porzingis to Boston, but the Clippers won’t be involved, according to both Wojnarowski and Stein.

It’s very rare for a details of a trade to emerge so publicly and seemingly be so close to the finish line and eventually fall through. Evidently the Clippers’ medical staff saw something they didn’t like though, so Boston decided to pivot and try to acquire Porzingis in new framework.

Brogdon has two years and $45MM left on his contract. It’s unclear if he’ll be involved in the new proposal.

Celtics, Clippers, Wizards Nearing Deal Involving Porzingis, Brogdon

June 21st, 2023 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

3:49pm: The three teams are closing in on an agreement, reports Charania (Twitter link). According to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link), negotiations on the deal are “nearing the final stages.”

The Wizards are expected to receive the No. 30 pick in Thursday’s draft from the Clippers as part of the potential trade, Charania adds (via Twitter). Amir Coffey would also be sent from L.A. to D.C., according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who cautions (via Twitter) that there’s more work to do to complete an agreement.

2:34pm: There’s a “high possibility” of the three-team deal getting done, per Charania and Jared Weiss of The Athletic. The Athletic’s duo adds that Gallinari would likely be involved in the trade, since Boston needs to send out additional salary. Gallinari would head to Washington, tweets Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

1:55pm: The Celtics, Wizards, and Clippers are engaged in serious talks about a possible three-way trade that would send Porzingis to Boston, Brogdon to Los Angeles, and Marcus Morris and draft compensation to Washington, reports Charania (Twitter link).

More pieces would need to be included and it remains to be seen whether Porzingis will opt in, so nothing’s done yet. However, the framework makes some sense for all three teams, including the Clippers, who have been on the lookout for backcourt help.

1:18pm: The Celtics have interest in acquiring big man Kristaps Porzingis and are talking to the Wizards about a possible trade that would involve Porzingis picking up his 2023/24 player option, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter video link).

Porzingis’ decision on a $36MM player option is reportedly due on Wednesday, unless he and the Wizards agree to push back that deadline. If he were to opt out, the 27-year-old would be on track to reach unrestricted free agency and couldn’t be dealt this offseason unless it happened in a sign-and-trade deal.

Acquiring a player via sign-and-trade hard-caps a team at the first tax apron, so it would be simpler for the Celtics – a projected taxpayer – to trade for Porzingis if he were to pick up his option. That would make him immediately trade-eligible and wouldn’t result in hard-cap complications.

Porzingis is coming off perhaps the best season of his career. He averaged 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 65 games (32.6 MPG) in 2022/23, posting a shooting line of .498/.385/.851.

Still, Porzingis’ future in D.C. is murky following the upheaval in the team’s front office. The new group, led by president of basketball operations Michael Winger, is in the process of resetting the Wizards’ roster, starting with a trade that will send Bradley Beal to Phoenix.

According to Charania, the team hasn’t closed the door on working out a new deal with Porzingis, but the big man is receiving interest from rival suitors. It’s also unclear if he’d want to stick with the Wizards through a retooling process.

Charania doesn’t clarify what pieces the Celtics might include in an offer for Porzingis, but the team would have a variety of options for salary-matching in a trade. Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari is one hypothetical combination that would work. Derrick White and Marcus Smart will each make $18MM+ next season and could be traded, though Brogdon and his $22.5MM salary seem more likely to be included in an offer.

Robert Williams and Al Horford are among Boston’s other potential trade pieces if the team envisions Porzingis replacing one of them in the frontcourt rather than supplementing them. Restricted free agent Grant Williams could be a sign-and-trade chip. It at least seems safe to assume the Celtics will keep Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown out of any offer for Porzingis.

It’s also worth noting that the C’s have traded away their 2023 first-round pick and swap rights to their 2028 first-round selection, but are otherwise fairly unencumbered in offering future first-rounders.

Trade Rumors: G. Williams, Hunter, Nuggets, Wizards, Ayton, More

June 21st, 2023 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks are among the teams that have spoken to the Celtics about the idea of a Grant Williams sign-and-trade, a league source tells Tim Cato of The Athletic. While it’s not easy to envision a deal that gets Williams to Dallas and appeals to both teams, the Mavs are just one of many potential suitors for the restricted free agent forward.

According to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, there have been more than a half-dozen teams to inquire with the Celtics about the possibility of signing-and-trading for Williams. At this point, Boston is conveying that it wants to retain Williams, per Weiss, who notes that new Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee is a fan of the forward and could help get more out of him in 2023/24 and beyond.

Within his story, Weiss also notes that veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon, who is optimistic he can avoid surgery on a torn tendon in his left elbow, would like to remain in Boston. Brogdon’s name has come up in trade rumors early in the offseason as the Celtics reportedly explore ways to clear a backcourt logjam.

Here are a few more trade-related rumors and notes from around the NBA:

Within his latest mock draft, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report cites league sources who say the Hawks have explored the trade market for forward De’Andre Hunter. One motivating factor, Wasserman explains, would be opening up more playing time for promising young wing AJ Griffin.
The Nuggets, who worked out Trayce Jackson-Davis, Andre Jackson, Jordan Walsh, Kobe Brown, Drew Timme, and Tyree Appleby on Tuesday, continue to actively explore deals that would get them into the first round of Thursday’s draft, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscription required), who says Denver is talking to multiple teams.
The Wizards asked for Suns center Deandre Ayton when the two teams were negotiating their Bradley Beal trade, but Phoenix was unwilling to include him, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.
Gambadoro said this week during an appearance on the HoopsHype podcast that he has been told the Heat weren’t all that interested in pushing for Beal. Reports have indicated that Beal would have approved a move to Miami, and it seems as though the Heat could’ve put a stronger package on the table than the one the Wizards got from the Suns if they’d been so inclined.
While it comes as no surprise, the heads of basketball operations for the Hornets (Mitch Kupchak) and Pacers (Kevin Pritchard) both said they don’t anticipate keeping and using all of the 2023 draft picks they own, per Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link) and Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. The two teams, who each figure to make at least one draft-night trade, control five picks apiece — Indiana has three in the first round and two in the second, while Charlotte has a pair of first-rounders and three early seconds.