Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Hawks Rumors

Draft Rumors: Avdija, Warriors, Okongwu, Trades, More

November 5th, 2020 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

The list of teams that have talked to Israeli wing Deni Avdija includes the Hawks, Pistons, Cavaliers, Spurs, and Bucks, according to Ethan Strauss of The Athletic.

Those first three teams all have draft picks in the top seven and San Antonio could theoretically move up from No. 11, but it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Milwaukee would have a shot at Avdija. Strauss adds that Avdija is believed to prefer to land with the Warriors, who worked him out last month.

Speaking of the Warriors, as they mull the possibility of trading down from No. 2, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report says there are definitely players they like who will be available in the mid-to-late lottery range. If they remain at No. 2, James Wiseman is probably the favorite, according to Wasserman, who hears Golden State is higher on Wiseman than Anthony Edwards. The team is also believed to be high on Avdija and Devin Vassell, Wasserman adds.

Here’s more on the draft:

  • Wasserman provides a few more interesting tidbits within his latest mock draft for Bleacher Report, writing that Patrick Williams has become a “coveted target” for the Pistons, the Suns have legit interest in Kira Lewis, and the Kings are heavily weighing analytics as they mull their draft options. Previous reports indicated that Williams is in play for Detroit at No. 7 and that Phoenix has interviewed Lewis more than once.
  • Projected lottery pick Onyeka Okongwu has recently met with the Hornets, Spurs, and Wizards and will meet with the Cavaliers this week, tweets Wasserman. Teams believe that Okongwu could come off the board as high as No. 3 to Charlotte and is unlikely to fall past Washington at No. 9, Wasserman notes (via Twitter).
  • ESPN’s Zach Lowe doesn’t expect any teams with first-round picks to sell them, but wouldn’t be surprised if some clubs look to swap a late first-rounder for a “roughly equivalent” future pick. He also says it’s a safe bet that a number of second-rounders will be sold for cash.
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Latest On Jrue Holiday

November 5th, 2020 at 9:23am CST by Luke Adams

A Wednesday morning report indicated that the Pelicans are “openly discussing” Jrue Holiday in trade talks, and while it doesn’t appear there’s any momentum toward a deal at this point, a few Holiday-related items have surfaced in the last 24 hours that are worth passing along.

For instance, Mike Singer of The Denver Post and Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter links) have each confirmed that New Orleans is listening to offers for Holiday. However, according to Guillory, the veteran guard hasn’t asked the Pelicans to trade him. Holiday remains optimistic about the Pelicans’ young talent and is open to the idea of making it work in New Orleans, Guillory writes.

Here’s more on the Pelicans’ guard:

  • A previous report indicated that the Nets and Pelicans discussed a possible Holiday deal at last season’s trade deadline. According to Guillory, the Heat and Nuggets also “heavily pursued” the 30-year-old prior to the 2020 deadline. That doesn’t mean that all those teams will once again be suitors this offseason, but it seems safe to assume that Brooklyn and Denver will be in the mix. The Heat’s enthusiasm for a Holiday deal may depend on whether they’d be comfortable with the possibility of him exercising his player option for 2021/22.
  • Zach Lowe of ESPN thinks the Holiday bidding will probably center on the Nuggets, Nets, and Warriors, along with possibly the Heat, Hawks, and Mavericks. Atlanta is interested in moving the No. 6 overall pick for a win-now veteran, but Lowe doesn’t think that pick would be enough to get it done on its own.
  • Lowe is also somewhat skeptical that the Warriors would give up the No. 2 pick for “a 30-year-old who has never made an All-NBA team,” though he acknowledges he might be wrong — especially if New Orleans is willing to send back the No. 13 pick or take on Andrew Wiggins‘ contract.
  • Responding to the Holiday trade rumors on Wednesday, Pelicans president of basketball operations David Griffin‘s comments were somewhat opaque (link via Oleh Kosel of The Bird Writes). However, Griffin did seem to confirm that the team is listening to inquires on Holiday.
Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Draft Rumors: Mavs, P. Williams, Trades, Sixers

November 4th, 2020 at 1:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have made the No. 18 overall pick in this year’s draft available as they search for immediate help, according to Jeremy Woo of SI.com.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that the Mavericks will likely be active in trade talks this offseason. A previous report suggested that Dallas would like to upgrade its roster prior to the 2020/21 season rather than waiting until 2021 to make a splash, once the team can open up some cap space.

The Mavericks don’t have a ton of expendable assets that would interest potential trade partners, having surrendered a pair of future first-round picks when they acquired Kristaps Porzingis in 2019. But the team does have the 18th and 31st picks in the 2020 draft, which will be of interest to teams looking to add young talent.

Here’s more from Woo on the draft:

  • Expect Florida State big man Patrick Williams to be drafted ahead of his former college teammate Devin Vassell, says Woo. Williams’ “raw skill set” and potential upside are viewed favorably by teams, Woo adds.
  • While it’s widely known that Golden State and Minnesota have interest in moving down in the draft, there are plenty of other lottery teams viewed as trade-candidates too. Woo says the Bulls (No. 4), Cavaliers (No. 5), Hawks (No. 6), and Suns (No. 10) are all worth keeping an eye on.
  • The Sixers have five picks in this year’s draft, starting with No. 21, but probably aren’t “married” to any of them and are a strong candidate to be active on draft night, per Woo.
  • Woo also confirms a pair of items that were previously reported by Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, writing that the Hornets have interest in Onyeka Okongwu and that teams expect Tyrell Terry to be drafted in the mid-to-late teens.
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Nate McMillan Could Land With Hawks

October 30th, 2020 at 8:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Pacers coach Nate McMillan is a candidate to join the Hawks as an assistant under Lloyd Pierce, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets.

McMillan will apparently have options on where he wants to coach next season. He’s also a candidate to join the Rockets as an assistant to new head coach Stephen Silas.

McMillan, 56, initially planned to take a season off after the Pacers dismissed him as their head coach following the season. McMillan had a 183-136 (.574) record over the last four seasons in Indiana.

President of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said the Indiana’s players and staff at times looked “defeated” while getting swept by the Heat in the playoffs, leading to McMillan’s firing. McMillan had one year left on his contract.

McMillan was also the head coach of the SuperSonics (2000-05) and Trail Blazers (2005-12). He was an assistant in Indiana from 2013-16 until he was hired as its head coach after Frank Vogel was fired.

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Jeff Teague On Free Agency Priorities: “I Want To Win”

October 30th, 2020 at 3:35pm CST by Luke Adams

After making the playoffs in each of his first nine NBA seasons, Jeff Teague‘s teams in Minnesota and Atlanta have fallen short of the postseason during the last two years. He’s hoping to reverse that trend in 2021, telling Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that he’ll be looking to join a winning team as a free agent this fall.

“Honestly, I just want to go to a team where we’re playing to win. I want to win,” Teague said. “… If that’s starting or coming off the bench, I just want to play a significant role in winning. That’s really it for me. I know if I get a chance to play and compete, I’m going to play well. I’m not really worried about an exact situation, or I need to be able to start or whatever.”

Although the Timberwolves didn’t enter last season expecting to tank, the club had fallen to 10 games below .500 and was pivoting to player development by the time it traded Teague to the Hawks. In Atlanta, the veteran point guard joined a 9-32 team that was no closer to entering the playoff picture. Having spent this past season with a pair of rebuilding clubs, Teague isn’t looking to repeat that situation in ’20/21.

“I don’t want to go to a team where we’re trying to build for the draft,” Teague said. “I don’t want to do that.”

The 32-year-old, who averaged 10.9 PPG and 5.2 APG in 59 total games (24.8 MPG) in 2019/20, shouldn’t have to reduce his list of potential destinations too significantly by focusing on teams looking to win.

Many of this year’s 14 lottery teams are either veteran-led clubs hoping to bounce back after injury-plagued seasons – such as the Warriors or Wizards – or are young teams that will be pushing to make it back to the playoffs, like the Suns, Pelicans, and Hawks. Speaking to Scotto, Teague suggested he won’t be opposed to joining a younger roster as long as the team is prioritizing winning over rebuilding.

“I get along with all the young guys. Me and the young guys have strong relationships on most of the teams I’ve played on,” Teague said. “I like to take them under my wing and try to be a leader to them.”

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Killian Hayes Drawing Interest From Hawks, Kings, Others

October 29th, 2020 at 3:16pm CST by Luke Adams
  • In addition to the Pistons and Knicks, point guard Killian Hayes is also receiving interest from the Hawks and Kings, per Wasserman.

    [SOURCE LINK]
Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Hawks Shopping No. 6 Pick, Will Push For Playoffs In 2021

October 27th, 2020 at 10:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks are shopping the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 draft and intend to make a push for the postseason in 2020/21, multiple league sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.

The report doesn’t come as a surprise. Multiple Hawks players and franchise leaders have talked in recent months about a strong desire to make the playoffs next season, while previous reports have indicated they’d be open to moving their lottery pick.

In Monday’s edition of his Lowe Post podcast, ESPN’s Zach Lowe made a similar point, telling colleague Bobby Marks that the Hawks are “yearning” to earn a postseason berth in 2021 and suggesting that – as a result – the team will be more open to win-now moves this fall.

While the Hawks are apparently open to trading down or out of the draft, they don’t necessarily have to move that No. 6 pick in order to upgrade their roster. The club projects to have between $40-45MM in cap room when free agency opens, which will likely be more than any other team has available.

General manager Travis Schlenk told reporters in the spring that the Hawks may be more “assertive” in free agency this year than they have been in recent offseasons. Since Schlenk’s arrival, Atlanta has mostly made signings in the second or third wave of free agency, looking to identify bargains once the top players are off the board. However, the Hawks are expected to be more aggressive this time around, according to O’Connor, who says the organization wants to “capitalize on Trae Young‘s emergence.”

That cap room will also give the Hawks plenty of options on the trade market, especially if the No. 6 pick is on the table. The team has frequently used its cap space in recent years to take on unwanted contracts in order to acquire extra draft assets, but figures to tweak that approach this year — Schlenk will likely be targeting productive veterans in any trade talks, rather than mere salary-dump candidates.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Pacific Notes: Chriss, Bogdanovic, Kings Draft, Lue

October 19th, 2020 at 6:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors big man Marquese Chriss could see his role expand offensively as a passer, Anthony Slater of The Athletic speculates. Chriss showed off his versatility and vision during a recent intrasquad scrimmage. Alen Smailagić doesn’t seem ready to break into the team’s rotation and he’s destined to spend another season in the G League, Slater adds.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • The Hawks, Bucks, Suns and Heat are among the teams that could be interested in Kings free agent swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, in the view of James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area. All but Milwaukee have the cap space to hand Bodganovic an attractive offer sheet. With the recent changes in the front office, it’s more uncertain whether Sacramento will match an offer sheet or whether it would rather pursue a sign-and-trade.
  • While the Kings have a quality young point guard in De’Aaron Fox, it’s not out of the question they’ll draft another one with their lottery pick, Jason Jones of The Athletic writes. RJ Hampton, Kira Lewis and Cole Anthony are some of the point guard prospects Sacramento might consider with the No. 12 overall pick.
  • Tyronn Lue has the right track record for a championship contender like the Clippers, Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register opines. After winning a title in Cleveland, the new Clippers head coach has already established a track record of cultivating chemistry by holding stars accountable, maximizing role players and making smart strategic moves, Swanson adds.
Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts