2022 NBA Draft

And-Ones: USA Basketball, Scariolo, OTE, 2022 Draft

October 26th, 2021 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

Martin E. Dempsey has been reelected as the USA Basketball chairperson for 2021-24, the program announced on Monday in a press release. Dempsey, a retired U.S. General, was first named to the role in 2016.

USA Basketball also expanded its Board of Directors from 11 individuals to 15. Kevin Durant, Harrison Barnes, Sue Bird, and NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum are among the most notable members of the board. The board of directors is responsible for overseeing the program and making major USA Basketball decisions, such as naming Grant Hill the managing director of the national men’s team.

We’re still waiting on Hill to announce who will replace Gregg Popovich as the Team USA men’s coach for the next four-year cycle, which will include the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the 2024 Olympics. Steve Kerr is rumored to be the frontrunner.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

In an interesting interview with Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com, former Raptors assistant and current Virtus Bologna head coach Sergio Scariolo spoke about the challenges that European coaches face when trying to get high-level opportunities in the NBA. “I don’t recall many European coaches being there, which is something to think over,” Scariolo said. “‘We want you here, we want you to help, but we’re extremely cautious in giving front-of-the-bench responsibilities to European coaches.'”
Scouts came away from Overtime Elite’s Pro Day impressed by how the new developmental program is operating, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who says it’s clearly being run professionally and the level of investment is “substantial.” Among OTE’s prospects, 2022 draft-eligible forward Kok Yat was a standout during the Pro Day scrimmages and figures to show up on more experts’ top-100 lists going forward, Hollinger says.
Sam Vecenie of The Athletic and Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report recently released updated versions of their NBA mock drafts for 2022. Vecenie has Duke freshman Paolo Banchero as his No. 1 pick, while Gonzaga freshman Chet Holmgren is atop Wasserman’s mock.

And-Ones: Li. Ball, Restricted Free Agency, 2022 Draft, Floyd

October 12th, 2021 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

LiAngelo Ball, the brother of NBA guards LaMelo Ball and Lonzo Ball, is signing a G League contract and will enter the October 23 NBAGL draft, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

LiAngelo played for the Hornets in the Las Vegas Summer League, and Charania suggests he’s a candidate to be selected by the Greensboro Swarm – Charlotte’s G League affiliate – in the NBAGL draft. However, if the Hornets were prioritizing Ball for a spot on their G League squad, they’d likely sign him to an Exhibit 10 contract in order to make him an affiliate player.

As John Hollinger of The Athletic tweets, the G League draft isn’t expected to be packed with talent, so Ball has a good chance of coming off the board in the top 10 or 20 picks.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of ESPN (Insider link) have updated their top-100 list for the 2022 NBA draft. Within the article, Schmitz identifies French center Ismael Kamagate as the international prospect who is “making the most noise” early in the season. Kamagate is the No. 36 player on ESPN’s 2022 big board.
In an interesting piece for HoopsHype, Michael Scotto spoke with a handful of agents and team executives about how restricted free agency works behind the scenes. One agent suggested that restricted free agency is “not really free agency,” since rival teams are so reluctant to sign players to offer sheets that tie up cap space for several days at the start of the league year and may just end up being matched.
The Bucks (No. 2), Heat (No. 5), Suns (No. 6), Warriors (No. 7), and Hawks (No. 11) are among the biggest risers in ESPN’s latest installment of “future” power rankings from Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks, Andre’ Snellings, and Tim Bontemps (Insider link). For a second consecutive year, the Nets rank first and the Cavaliers are dead-last on ESPN’s list, which is essentially designed to be power rankings that cover the next three seasons.
Free agent guard Jordan Floyd, who was on the Lakers’ Summer League roster, is signing with Kolossos H Hotels in Greece on a deal that includes an NBA out, a source told our JD Shaw (Twitter link).

Traded Second-Round Picks For 2022 NBA Draft

September 16th, 2021 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re using the space below to keep tabs on each NBA team’s second-round pick for 2022, continually updating it as necessary throughout the year. Our list of traded first-round picks for 2022 can be found right here.

We’ve listed all 30 teams here, so even if a team hasn’t traded its second-round pick, that will be noted. We’ll also provide details on protections for each traded pick, including what happens to the pick in 2023 if it doesn’t change hands in 2022.

Here’s the full breakdown on the status of each 2022 second-round pick:

Atlantic

Boston Celtics: Own pick.
Brooklyn Nets: Traded to Pistons.
New York Knicks: Own pick.
Philadelphia 76ers: Traded to Timberwolves or Heat.
- The Timberwolves will receive the most favorable of the Nuggets’ and Sixers’ 2022 second-round picks; the Heat will receive the least favorable of the two picks. If the Heat’s own first-round pick lands in the top 14, Miami would forward the least favorable of these picks to the Rockets.
Toronto Raptors: Traded to Warriors or Hornets.
- The Warriors will receive this pick if it lands between 31-54; the Hornets will get it if it falls in the 55-60 range. The Raptors’ obligation to whichever team doesn’t get this pick will be extinguished after this season.

Central

Chicago Bulls: Traded to Raptors or Kings.
- The Raptors will receive the most favorable of the Bulls’ and Pistons’ 2022 second-round picks; the Kings will receive the least favorable of the two picks.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Traded to Pelicans or Grizzlies.
- The Pelicans will receive this pick as long as the Lakers’ 2022 first-round pick falls in the 11-30 range and is sent to the Grizzlies. If the Lakers’ first-rounder lands in the 1-10 range, the Pelicans would keep that pick and would send this Cavs second-rounder to the Grizzlies.
Detroit Pistons: Traded to Raptors or Kings.
- The Raptors will receive the most favorable of the Bulls’ and Pistons’ 2022 second-round picks; the Kings will receive the least favorable of the two picks.
Indiana Pacers: Traded to Magic.
Milwaukee Bucks: Lost pick due to free agency gun-jumping.

Southeast

Atlanta Hawks: Traded to Kings (top-55 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Hawks’ obligation to the Kings would be extinguished.
Charlotte Hornets: Traded to Knicks (top-55 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Hornets’ obligation to the Knicks would be extinguished.
Miami Heat: Traded to Cavaliers.
Orlando Magic: Own pick.
Washington Wizards: Traded to Timberwolves.

Northwest

Denver Nuggets: Traded to Timberwolves or Heat.
- The Timberwolves will receive the most favorable of the Nuggets’ and Sixers’ 2022 second-round picks; the Heat will receive the least favorable of the two picks. If the Heat’s own first-round pick lands in the top 14, Miami would forward the least favorable of these picks to the Rockets.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Own pick.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Own pick.
Portland Trail Blazers: Own pick.
Utah Jazz: Traded to Pelicans.

Pacific

Golden State Warriors: Own pick.
Los Angeles Clippers: Own pick.
Los Angeles Lakers: Traded to Spurs.
Phoenix Suns: Traded to Pacers.
Sacramento Kings: Traded to Pelicans (top-54 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Kings’ obligation to the Pelicans would be extinguished.

Southwest

Dallas Mavericks: Traded to Wizards (top-45 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Mavericks’ obligation to the Wizards would be extinguished.
Houston Rockets: Traded to Pacers.
Memphis Grizzlies: Traded to Trail Blazers.
New Orleans Pelicans: Own pick.
- The Pelicans owe their 2022 first-round pick (top-14 protected) to Charlotte. If that pick lands in its protected range, New Orleans would send its 2022 second-rounder to the Hornets.
San Antonio Spurs: Traded to Cavaliers.

Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.

Traded First-Round Picks For 2022 NBA Draft

September 13th, 2021 at 1:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2022 NBA draft is still over nine months away, but a number of teams have already traded away their first-round picks for ’22, and more clubs may do so before this season’s trade deadline.

We’ll use the space below to keep tabs on each team’s first round pick for 2022, continually updating it as necessary throughout the year.

We’ve listed all 30 teams here, so even if a team hasn’t traded its first-round pick, that will be noted. We’ll also provide details on the protections for each traded pick, including what happens to the pick in 2023 if it doesn’t change hands in 2022.

Here’s the full breakdown on the status of each 2022 first round pick:

Atlantic

Boston Celtics: Traded to Spurs (top-four protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Celtics would owe the Spurs their 2023 first-round pick (top-four protected).
Brooklyn Nets: Traded to Rockets or Heat.
- Houston will receive the two most favorable picks of the Nets’, Heat’s, and Rockets’ first-rounders; Miami will receive the least favorable of the three, unless the Heat’s pick is in the top 14, in which case it would be protected and Houston would receive the Nets’ first-rounder and their own first-rounder.
New York Knicks: Own pick.
Philadelphia 76ers: Traded to Nets.
- The Nets have the option to defer this traded pick to 2023.
Toronto Raptors: Traded to Spurs (top-14 protected).

Central

Chicago Bulls: Own pick.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Traded to Pacers (top-14 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Cavaliers would owe the Pacers their 2023 first-round pick (top-14 protected).
Detroit Pistons: Traded to Thunder (top-16 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Pistons would owe the Thunder their 2023 first-round pick (top-18 protected).
Indiana Pacers: Own pick.
Milwaukee Bucks: Own pick.

Southeast

Atlanta Hawks: Own pick.
Charlotte Hornets: Traded to Hawks (top-18 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Hornets would owe the Hawks their 2023 first-round pick (top-16 protected).
Miami Heat: Own pick or Rockets‘ pick or Nets‘ pick.
- Houston will receive the two most favorable picks of the Nets’, Heat’s, and Rockets’ first-rounders; Miami will receive the least favorable of the three, unless the Heat’s pick is in the top 14, in which case it would be protected and Houston would receive the Nets’ first-rounder and their own first-rounder.
- If the Heat keep their own first-round pick, they would instead send the Rockets a 2022 second-round pick (Denver’s or Philadelphia’s, whichever is least favorable).
Orlando Magic: Own pick.
Washington Wizards: Own pick.

Northwest

Denver Nuggets: Own pick.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Own pick.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Traded to Hawks (top-14 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Thunder would instead send their own 2024 and 2025 second-round picks to Atlanta.
Portland Trail Blazers: Traded to Bulls (top-14 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Blazers would owe the Bulls their 2023 first-round pick (top-14 protected).
Utah Jazz: Traded to Grizzlies (top-6 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Jazz would owe the Grizzlies their 2023 first-round pick (top-3 protected).

Pacific

Golden State Warriors: Own pick.
Los Angeles Clippers: Traded to Thunder.
Los Angeles Lakers: Traded to Pelicans or Grizzlies.
- New Orleans will receive this pick if it lands in the top 10; Memphis will receive it if it falls between 11-30.
- If the Pelicans get the pick, they’ll send the Grizzlies two future second-round picks (Cleveland’s 2022 second-rounder and New Orleans’ own 2025 second-rounder). If the Grizzlies get the pick, the Pelicans won’t get anything.
Phoenix Suns: Traded to Thunder (top-12 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Suns would owe the Thunder their 2023 first-round pick (top-10 protected).
Sacramento Kings: Own pick.

Southwest

Dallas Mavericks: Own pick.
Houston Rockets: Own pick.
Memphis Grizzlies: Own pick.
New Orleans Pelicans: Traded to Trail Blazers (top-four protected) or Hornets (top-14 protected).
- New Orleans will keep this pick if it lands in the top four; Portland will receive it if it falls between 5-14; Charlotte will receive it if it falls between 15-30.
- If this pick lands in the top four or between 15-30, the Pelicans would owe the Bucks’ 2025 first-round pick (top-four protected) to Portland.
- If this pick lands in the top 14, the Pelicans would instead send their own 2022 and 2024 second-round picks to Charlotte.
San Antonio Spurs: Own pick.

Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.

And-Ones: Ntilikina, Draft Prospects, Nets, Pistons, Primo

September 5th, 2021 at 8:04pm CST by JD Shaw

Free agent guard Frank Ntilikina is receiving interest from Italian club Virtus Bologna as a potential replacement for Nico Mannion, according to BasketNews.com. Mannion will miss the beginning of the season as he recovers from an intestinal infection.

“We are looking on the market for an element to be included, a point guard who can also remain in the future,” head coach Sergio Scariolo said as part of a larger quote, according to EuroHoops. Because of that, we focus on young people who can give something important, rather than a veteran addition.”

Ntilikina fits the bill for what Virtus Bologna is looking for. The defensive-minded 23-year-old was drafted eighth overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, spending the past four years with New York.

Across those four seasons with the Knicks, Ntilikina has averaged 5.5 points, two rebounds and 0.8 steals in 19.5 minutes per game. He’s struggled with his shooting at the NBA level, owning a 36.6% mark from the field and 32.8% mark from deep in his career.

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype takes a look at the top prospects for the 2022 NBA draft, crafting an early aggregate mock draft for the event based on the rankings of various draft experts. Among the projected high-lottery picks is Duke freshman Paolo Banchero, whom Kalbrosky pegs as most likely to be drafted first overall.
Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com (Insider link) examines the recent Nets–Pistons trade featuring veteran center DeAndre Jordan, grading both sides and giving his opinion on which team won the trade. Brooklyn, which received an A grade from Pelton, dealt Jordan, four second-round picks and $5.78MM in cash in exchange for Jahlil Okafor and Sekou Doumbouya. The Pistons, who got a C-plus, then reached a buyout agreement with Jordan, allowing him to sign with the Lakers.
Spurs rookie Joshua Primo has signed a multi-year shoe and endorsement deal with Nike, according to Jeff Garcia of KENS 5. Primo, 18, was selected No. 12 overall in this year’s draft after spending one season at Alabama.

And-Ones: O’Quinn, Stone, Overtime Elite, 2022 Draft

September 2nd, 2021 at 7:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA big man Kyle O’Quinn will continue his career in France, having signed a contract with Paris Basketball, according to the team (Twitter link).

An eight-year NBA veteran, O’Quinn began his career in 2012 after being selected 49th overall by Orlando. In 472 career regular season NBA contests for the Magic, Knicks, Pacers, and Sixers, O’Quinn averaged 5.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.0 BPG in 14.2 minutes per contest. He signed with Turkish team Fenerbahçe for the 2020/21 season and will now return to Europe for at least one more year.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Free agent big man Diamond Stone has agreed to sign with the Taiwan Beer of the Super Basketball League, sources tell our JD Shaw (Twitter link). Stone, 24, was the 40th overall pick in the 2016 draft, but appeared in just seven games for the Clippers. He spent several seasons in the G League and played in Puerto Rico earlier this year.
The Overtime Elite league for top high school prospects continues to fill out its ranks for its inaugural season. OTE announced the additions of Malik Bowman, Devontes Cobbs, and Kok Yat earlier this week, then finalized deals with Bryson Warren and Dominick Barlow today, as ESPN’s Jonathan Givony writes. Warren, a five-star recruit, ranked No. 14 in ESPN’s list of class of 2023 recruits.
Jeremy Woo of SI.com has unveiled his early big board for the 2022 NBA draft, headed by the usual suspects, including Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, and Jaden Hardy.
A handful of ESPN writers identified some under-the-radar concerns for some of the NBA’s best teams. The Suns‘ ability to repeat last season’s good health luck and Anthony Davis‘ willingness to play big minutes at center are among the topics highlighted by ESPN’s panel.

And-Ones: Kilpatrick, Bennett, Bates, Mahmoud, 2022 Draft, Baker

August 25th, 2021 at 7:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Israel’s Hapoel Jerusalem continued its push to sign former NBA players, adding Sean Kilpatrick and Anthony Bennett to its roster, according to the team’s social media feed (Twitter links). Kilpatrick played in Turkey last season and hasn’t appeared in an NBA contest since 2018. Bennett, a former No. 1 overall pick, had his contract with a Puerto Rican franchise terminated last month. He hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2016/17 season. As previously noted, Hapoel Jerusalem also announced the signing of Pistons and Cavaliers big man Thon Maker.

We have more from the basketball world:

Emoni Bates, considered the best high school prospect in the country, has committed to the University of Memphis, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. He reclassified into the Class of 2021 but still won’t be eligible for the NBA draft until 2023 because his 19th birthday isn’t until January 2023. A 6’9″ small forward from Ypsilanti, Michigan, Bates committed to Michigan State last summer, but he de-committed in April.
Anas Mahmoud played with the Raptors in the Las Vegas summer league and is looking to become the first homegrown Egyptian player to make the NBA. Blake Murphy of The Athletic takes a closer look at the 7-footer, who could be ticketed to the G League if he doesn’t gain a spot on the Toronto roster. “I’ll probably be the first Egyptian coming out of the Egyptian league,” Mahmoud said. “I was a little different (from other Egyptians who have made the NBA) because I only got here right (before) college and went back to play in the (Egyptian) league. It’s a pleasure and it’s an honor.”
Gonzaga power forward Chet Holmgren, Duke power forward Paolo Banchero and G League Ignite shooting guard Jaden Hardy top ESPN Jonathan Givony’s initial top-100 list for the 2022 draft. Givony also explores a number of storylines surrounding next year’s projected draft class, including the lack of point guard depth.
Former NBA guard Ron Baker quietly retired last year and he’s got a new job, according to Shelby Kellerman of the Wichita Business Journal. Baker has been hired as a project manager in Ascension Via Christi’s strategy and business development department. Baker, 28, appeared in 96 games during his NBA career, including a combined 15 with the Knicks and Wizards during the 2018/19 season.

And-Ones: Overtime Elite, 2022 Draft, Worst Offseasons, Taxpayers

August 23rd, 2021 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The new Overtime Elite league for teenage prospects has made another noteworthy addition, securing a commitment from five-star recruit Tyler Smith, writes ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. The 6’9″ Smith, who ranked No. 8 on ESPN’s list of 2023 recruits, said he signed a two-year “seven-figure” deal with Overtime Elite, per Givony.

“This is different and new,” he said. “I wanted to be a pro already, working on stuff that NBA players work on. In high school, you can’t work out as much as they do at OTE.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report highlights five prospects projected to be part of the 2022 draft class who have generated buzz at the U19 World Cup and other recent events, including Michigan forward Caleb Houstan and G League Ignite guard Dyson Daniels.
In the first article in a three-part series, David Aldridge of The Athletic ranks the 10 teams that have – in his view – had the worst offseasons in 2021. The Trail Blazers (28th), Kings (29th), and Timberwolves (30th) occupy the bottom three spots on Aldridge’s list.
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (Twitter links), teams that finished in the tax in 2020/21 had their taxable salary adjusted downward by 28.9% to account for lost revenue. For instance, the Warriors finished the season about $37MM above the tax line, but were treated like a team over the tax by approximately $26MM — Golden State paid about $69MM in tax penalties, says Pincus.

And-Ones: Ignite, Key Dates, Two-Way Rules, NBA Africa

July 28th, 2021 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

With Brian Shaw poised to join the Clippers as an assistant coach on Tyronn Lue‘s staff, the G League Ignite have a head coaching vacancy. And according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the program has identified a candidate to fill that vacancy.

USC associate head coach Jason Hart will be the new head coach of the G League Ignite, sources tell Wojnarowski.

Hart has been a member of the Trojans’ staff since 2013 and has been the club’s associate head coach for the last four seasons, having worked in recent years with players like Onyeka Okongwu and De’Anthony Melton. Hart is a former NBA player himself, appearing in 341 regular season games between 2000-10 for a total of nine teams.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

As expected, the NBA is officially implementing new rules to reduce the use of non-basketball moves to draw fouls, as Shams Charania of The Athletic details in a series of tweets.
The NBA has announced a series of key dates for the 2021/22 league year, including a regular season that will run from October 19 through April 10. The 2022 NBA draft will be held on June 23, as the league’s annual calendar gets back to normal.
Although players on two-way contracts will have a 50-game limit for next season, teams carrying 14 (or fewer) players on their roster will be limited to 90 total games for their pair of two-way players, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). The rule, outlined in a memo from the NBA, sounds aimed at reducing the ability of teams to save money (and cap space) by leaning heavily on their two-way players while not carrying a 15th man.
Former U.S. president Barack Obama has joined NBA Africa as a strategic partner and a minority stakeholder. Marc J. Spears of ESPN has the story.
The NBA G League announced on Tuesday that the Santa Cruz Warriors have been named Franchise of the Year for 2020/21, while Erie BayHawks president Matt Bresee earned Team Executive of the Year honors.

Jean Montero Becomes First International Prospect To Join Overtime Elite

June 4th, 2021 at 2:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Jean Montero, a 17-year-old point guard from the Dominican Republic, is signing with Overtime Elite, becoming the first international player to join the new basketball league for top high school prospects, reports Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

As Givony explains, Montero – the No. 17 prospect on ESPN’s big board for the 2022 NBA draft – remains under contract with Gran Canaria, so he’ll be on loan from the Spanish team.

Montero, who debuted with the Dominican Republic’s senior national team last fall, played a little for Gran Canaria’s parent club in the EuroCup and ACB during the 2020/21 season. However, he saw more action for Gran Canaria II in Spain’s third division, averaging 18.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 4.4 APG, and 2.5 SPG in 24 games (29 MPG) for the team, per Givony.

In addition to being the first international prospect to commit to Overtime Elite, Montero is also the first non-twin to sign with the league. Previously, OTE secured commitments from two sets of twins — Matt and Ryan Bewley and Amen and Ausar Thompson.

We shared more details on the new Overtime Elite league in a pair of stories earlier this year.

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