The Grizzlies are exploring the possibility of trading up in the 2024 NBA draft and have talked to the Rockets about the No. 3 pick, league sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. In O’Connor’s view, if Memphis or another team makes a trade with Houston for that third overall pick, UConn center Donovan Clingan is the likeliest target.
The Rockets, according to O’Connor, are holding out hope that the Nets would be open to moving Mikal Bridges for a package that includes that No. 3 pick, but Brooklyn’s preference is to retain Bridges and add pieces around him.
If Houston ultimately stays put at No. 3, O’Connor believes that either Clingan or Reed Sheppard is the best bet to come off the board in that spot.
Here are a few more draft-related notes and rumors:
- While none of the top prospects in this year’s class have visited the Hawks yet, there’s an expectation that will change as the draft nears, writes O’Connor. Zaccharie Risacher told reporters today that he’ll travel to the U.S. soon to visit NBA teams, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link), who speculates that Atlanta could be the first stop for the French forward.
- O’Connor’s sources say that Providence guard Devin Carter, the No. 13 player on ESPN’s big board, has received a promise somewhere in the lottery. However, O’Connor isn’t sure which team may have made that promise — he has Carter going to Chicago at No. 11 in his latest mock draft.
- O’Connor refers to Kansas’ Johnny Furphy as one of the “biggest risers of the pre-draft process.” Furphy is up to No. 18 on ESPN’s big board, though O’Connor has him at No. 24 in his mock draft.
- Spanish point guard Juan Nunez, who declared for the draft as an early entrant, remains undecided on whether or not he’ll withdraw before the NBA’s June 16 deadline, but says he’s leaning toward staying in, tweets Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The No. 37 prospect on ESPN’s board, Nunez added that he has worked out for the Timberwolves and Bucks so far.
3 team deal,
Mikal to Houston
3rd overall to Memphis
Brooklyn gets 9th overall, Dillon Brooks, Cam Whitmore, Santi Aldama, lottery protected future first Memphis and top 5 protected future first Houston.
Houston gets Bridges like they want, Memphis gets to go up in the draft as they want and Brooklyn gets a huge rebuilding package for Bridges.
HTown
FVV Green Bridges Smith Sengun
Thompson Eason Green
Memphis gets a chance at Clingan or Sarr and if not have to fall back to a wing like Buzelis, Risacher or Holland.
Brooklyn get a top 10 pick this year, 2 future firsts, a decent role player in brooks and 2 young talents in Whitmore and Santi.
They already have Cam Thomas and Noah Clowney and Ben Simmons deal will expire. They could really speed up the rebuild and be exciting again under a good player development coach in Fernandez
Why wouldn’t they just get their own firsts back from Hou directly?
Makes little sense
Makes a ton of sense, Houston wants Mikal, Memphis wants the 3rd overall pick, Brooklyn gets the scraps, and by scraps you’re actually getting a very good package ….
T-wolves hands are tied just bring back the team which is not a bad option but they have no spending money to bring in a free agent.
IMO
Rockets should target the following players:
Young
Murray
Garland
Mitchell
Ingram
Towns
Beal
Paul George
Let’s say Rockets take Sheppard at 3 and Grizzlies select Dalton Knecht at 9
In July trade
9 for 3 straight up
equal value
If Memphis trades up to draft Clingan, even Hasheem Thabeet himself would have to laugh at them.
“fool me, can’t get fooled again” – a wise, old Tennessee saying link to m.youtube.com
DC looks nowhere near as raw as Thabeet did
While you never Know with prospects Clingans natural movement at the 5 is something highly coveted today in the market and probably Memphis biggest need
A future first for a move up is valid if it presents itself draft night Imo. Memphis wont be here again (lottery) for a long time
Chose another word to use instead of raw. It’s weird & disrespectful to describe another human as raw.
Also there are plenty of other 5 prospects in this class that are quicker, more athletic/agile/explosive than Clingan. I’m also not sure how a mobile big is Memphis’ biggest need either. They got 2 extremely mobile bigs alr in Jaren & BClarke
they prob want an actual center
Carter to Utah
Did Nunez win two titles back to back?