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Pre-Draft Workouts; No. 3 Pick Options

June 6th, 2018 at 8:51pm CST by clarkcrum

The Hawks will host another pre-draft workout tomorrow morning with six participants, per an official release from the team. The headliners include Bruce Brown from Miami and De’Anthony Melton from USC.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has Brown being selected by the Knicks in the second round at No. 36 overall in his current mock draft, while he has Melton going in the first round at No. 25 overall to the Lakers. The Hawks select at No. 3, 19, 30, and 34.

In addition to Brown and Melton, the Hawks will host Thon Maker‘s younger brother Matur Maker, Cameron Reynolds (Tulane), Yuta Watanabe (George Washington), and Johnathan Williams (Gonzaga).

  • As reported by John and Hugh of 92.9 The Game, Hawks’ GM Travis Schlenk is confident that he knows who Phoenix is planning to take at No. 1, meaning the team need only concern itself with Sacramento’s decision. Per Schlenk, the Hawks are down to “three or four guys” who they are contemplating taking with the No. 3 selection, but they are also open to trading back.
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Hawks Notes: No. 3, Bagley, Bamba, Allen

June 5th, 2018 at 8:09pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Hawks own the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming draft and figuring out who they’ll select is no easy feat. Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com has the team selecting Jaren Jackson Jr. out of Michigan State. The big man, who won’t turn 19 until mid-September, has a high ceiling and would be an ideal partner in the frontcourt alongside John Collins, Givony contends.

Both Jackson and Marvin Bagley III, a projected top-3 pick, will work out for the team next week, according to Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link).

[RELATED: Five Key Offseason Questions: Atlanta Hawks]

Luka Doncic won’t work out for the Hawks, as he’s not holding any individual workouts for teams ahead of the draft. Heading into lottery night, he appeared to be a lock to be selected in the top-2. However, the 19-year-old will likely be available when Atlanta picks based on the Kings’ reported disinterest in the Slovenian wing. It’s been reported that the Hawks are likely to pass on him as well.

Whoever is selected with the No. 3 pick is projected to make a starting salary of approximately $6.5MM. While we wait to see what the Hawks do with their selection, check out some notes from Atlanta:

  • Mohamed Bamba is tentatively scheduled to work out for the Hawks on June 14, Cunningham tweets. Grayson Allen and Trae Young are also expected to workout for the team next week.
  • The Hawks will have several prospects come into town on Wednesday, according to a team press release. Alize Johnson (Missouri State), George King (Colorado), Billy Preston (Bosnia), Omari Spellman (Villanova), Jared Terrell (Rhode Island) and Thomas Welsh (UCLA) will all visit Atlanta.
  • Atlanta has hired Nate Babcock to be a special assistant on coach Lloyd Pierce’s staff, Cunningham reports (via Twitter). The Hawks’ coaching staff is now complete.
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Trae Young To Work Out For Hawks, Bulls

June 5th, 2018 at 9:41am CST by Luke Adams

Having worked out for the Knicks today, Oklahoma guard Trae Young will visit the Magic next, then has two more auditions with Eastern Conference lottery teams on his schedule, per Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. As Zagoria tweets, Young will work out for the Hawks and Bulls.

According to Zagoria (via Twitter), those four workouts are currently the only ones Young has lined up. It’s possible that more clubs could be added to that list between now and draft day (June 21), but that’s unlikely, tweets Marc Berman of The New York Post.

The Hawks (No. 3), Magic (No. 6), Bulls (No. 7), and Knicks (No. 9) all have top-10 picks, suggesting Young is unlikely to fall further than that.

While it would be a surprise to see him go as high as No. 3, Young has generated plenty of interest from multiple teams in the top 10. The Magic have been linked to the 6’2″ guard in several mock drafts, the Bulls are said to be “enamored” with him, and Berman has suggested that the Knicks probably wouldn’t pass on him if he slips to No. 9.

Young led the NCAA with 27.4 PPG in 2017/18, en route to a first-team All-American season. He also ranked first in APG (8.7), adding 3.9 RPG and 1.7 SPG.

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Pierce Adds Another Coach To Staff

June 4th, 2018 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder
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Hawks Work Out Six Prospects On Monday

June 4th, 2018 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams
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Knicks To Host Trae Young For Private Workout

May 31st, 2018 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Oklahoma guard Trae Young has elected to grant the Knicks a private workout, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. Young, who intends to work out for “a handful” of clubs, is still figuring out his schedule, so the date of the workout remains unclear, per Berman.

Young, widely viewed as a top-eight prospect, isn’t expected to be on the board when the Knicks pick at No. 9. Even if he’s available, he may not be the first choice for a New York club with multiple point guards already on the roster and a more glaring need on the wing. Still, Young is very much on the Knicks’ radar due to his high upside, sources tell Berman.

According to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link), the Suns, Kings, Hawks, Grizzlies, Knicks, and Sixers have already “passed through” Oklahoma to talk to staff and faculty about Young. The Cavaliers have also been in touch with the program about Young, Zagoria adds.

In Jonathan Givony’s latest mock draft for ESPN.com, he has Young coming off the board at No. 6 to Orlando, writing that the 19-year-old is a “highly skilled scorer and passer with unlimited range on his jump shot and tremendous instincts in the pick-and-roll.”

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Latest On Pistons’ Front Office Search

May 31st, 2018 at 9:41am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons’ head coaching search appears to be in full swing, with reports on Wednesday indicating that the team intends to interview TNT analyst Kenny Smith, Heat assistant Juwan Howard, Spurs assistant Ime Udoka, and former Raptors head coach Dwane Casey. In addition to deciding on a new head coach though, the club will need to make at least one hire in its front office to replace former president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy.

Although Heat executive Shane Battier withdrew from consideration for a top front office job in Detroit earlier this week, the Pistons are eyeing several other candidates. Battier’s decision may clear a path for Nets assistant Trajan Langdon to land in Detroit, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who notes that Langdon has already interviewed with the Pistons.

According to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link), it sounds as if Langdon and TNT analyst Brent Barry will meet with the Pistons this week to discuss potential front office roles. Both candidates have already spoken to the team, with Ellis noting that Barry impressed the Pistons in previous discussions.

Ellis also reports (via Twitter) that Hawks executive Malik Rose is another name to add to the Pistons’ list of candidates. Rose, who currently holds the title of manager of basketball operations in Atlanta, serves as the GM of the Erie BayHawks, the Hawks’ G League affiliate. In his first season in that role, Rose was named the NBAGL Executive of the Year.

Langdon, Barry, and Rose don’t have any experience running an NBA team, but the Pistons are said to be seeking a young, rising executive who would be capable of shaping the team for years to come. Those three candidates, who are all in their 40s, could fit that bill. Tayshaun Prince and Chauncey Billups are among the other front office options reportedly being considered by the Pistons.

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Hawks Guard Tyler Dorsey Charged With DUI In Oregon

May 29th, 2018 at 9:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hawks guard Tyler Dorsey was charged in Eugene, Ore., over the weekend with driving under the influence of intoxicants, Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal Constitution relays via a report by KVAL.com. Dorsey was not arrested.

Dorsey, who played college ball at Oregon, allegedly was driving with his lights off early Saturday morning. An open container of alcohol was spotted on the passenger floorboard, according to police.

“The vehicle came to a rolling stop, and then rolled forward again before coming to a complete stop,” the police report said. “Upon speaking with Dorsey, the officer suspected impairment.”

The 6’5” shooting guard posted averages of 7.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG and 1.4 APG in his rookie campaign while appearing in 56 games. He was selected with the No. 41 overall pick in last year’s draft. Dorsey will make $1.378MM next season.

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Hawks, Suns Interested In Michael Beasley?

May 29th, 2018 at 3:24pm CST by Luke Adams

3:24pm: John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 disputes the notion that the Suns have any interest in a reunion with Beasley, tweeting that the report is just a case of an agent pushing his client.

8:23am: As Michael Beasley‘s one-year contract with the Knicks nears its expiration date, multiple teams are believed to be eyeing the veteran forward, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. A source tells Berman that the Hawks and Suns have interest in Beasley, who is expected to be pursued by at least five teams when he reaches free agency in July.

Beasley, 29, enjoyed one of his most productive NBA seasons in 2017/18, averaging 13.2 PPG and 5.6 RPG in 74 games (30 starts) for the Knicks. His .507 FG% and .395 3PT% were also well above his career rates.

According to Berman, Beasley is a fan of new Knicks head coach David Fizdale, whose time as an assistant in Miami overlapped with Beasley’s stint with the Heat. However, New York only has Non-Bird rights on the former second overall pick, limiting the team’s ability to offer him a raise — the Knicks would likely have to use their mid-level exception to sign Beasley.

“He definitely wants to come back to New York and play for Fizdale,” a source close to Beasley told Berman. “Fizdale is another plus. But it’s still a business.”

A source suggests to Berman that if the Knicks were to offer Beasley their full MLE, even for just one year, it “may be satisfactory.” I’d be pretty surprised if Beasley – who remains a defensive liability – receives a salary exceeding $8MM, but a one-year contract along those lines could make some sense for the Knicks, who will be without Kristaps Porzingis in the frontcourt to start the 2018/19 season.

New York isn’t expected to pursue top free agents this summer, and re-signing Beasley to a one-year deal would allow him to gain Early Bird rights for the summer of 2019. That would allow the club to make a longer-term decision on him a year from now, when the front office will have a clearer sense of how its cap room should be used.

Still, with the Hawks and Suns among the teams expected to kick the tires on Beasley this summer, and no guarantee that the Knicks won’t use their MLE on another player (or players), a return to New York is far from a lock.

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