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Jazz Announce Utah Summer League Details

May 16th, 2018 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

Two days after the Kings announced details on the new Sacramento Summer League, the Jazz have followed suit, issuing a press release with information on the 2018 Utah Summer League.

In past years, Utah and Orlando have hosted small Summer Leagues that precede the main event in Las Vegas. The Orlando Summer League is no more, and all 30 NBA teams will participate in the Vegas Summer League for the first time ever in 2018. However, Utah’s smaller event – along with the new California Classic Summer League in Sacramento – will still take place.

The Jazz and Spurs will return for this year’s Utah Summer League at the Vivint Smart Home Arena, with the Hawks and Grizzlies joining the mix as newcomers. Like the Sacramento Summer League, Utah’s event will take place from July 2-5, with no games scheduled for Independence Day.

[RELATED: Kings Announce Sacramento Summer League Schedule]

The Jazz will face the Spurs on July 2, the Grizzlies on July 3, and the Hawks on July 5, with the remaining two teams facing each other on each of those three days.

Summer League rosters typically feature newly-drafted players, so some top prospects figure to be on display during that first week of July in Utah — the Hawks have the No. 3 overall selection in this year’s draft, while the Grizzlies pick fourth overall.

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Phoenix Suns Win No. 1 Pick In Draft Lottery

May 15th, 2018 at 7:26pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Having entered draft lottery night with the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick, the Suns won the first overall pick, making good on those 25.0% odds. The Kings grabbed the No. 2 overall selection, with the Hawks coming in at No. 3.

The Suns are looking for a franchise player they can pair with Devin Booker, and the top two contenders for the No. 1 pick appear to be Arizona’s Deandre Ayton and Real Madrid’s Luka Doncic.

Ayton is the favorite to go No. 1, but the center isn’t a lock to be the top pick, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). The Suns have been scouting Doncic all season and they like what they see.

New Phoenix head coach Igor Kokoskov previously coached Doncic on the Slovenian national team and he knows the 19-year-old wing very well.

“We call him wunderkind,” Kokoskov said (via Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic). “He’s an upcoming, rising star. Luka is a very talented player. His ability to pass, that’s the hardest part of the game, the most difficult part to teach. To be a good passer you have to understand the game. It’s basketball IQ. He’s really unique and special at that age to understand the game well and to be a team player. He’s not necessarily playing point guard but he’s a playmaker who makes everybody else better on the court.”

Ayton is a “lock” to go to the Kings if he’s there at No. 2, per Givony (Twitter link). The scribe adds that GM Vlade Divac “won’t have any issue” recommending Doncic as the pick if the Suns pick Ayton.

The Hawks moved up one spot in the lottery and they are thrilled to be in the top three. “If somebody wants to make us a great (trade) offer, we will listen. Right now we are happy to pick (third) and we know we are going to get a good player,” GM Travis Schlenk said tonight, as Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays (on Twitter).

Atlanta figures to get one of the Doncic, Ayton, and Marvin Bagley trio and Givony tweets that the team will gladly settle for whichever player is left out of that group. Givony adds that the Hawks would have had strong interest in Trae Young had they landed outside the top three.

[RELATED: Full 2018 NBA Draft Order]

In addition to the No. 1 selection, the Suns also own the No. 16 overall pick (via the Goran Dragic deal), plus the Nos. 31 and 59 selections in the second round. The Kings’ only other pick is their own second-rounder (No. 37).

The Hawks have a pair of extra first-rounders — one from the Wolves (No. 19 via the Adreian Payne trade) and one originally from the Rockets (No. 30, via a three-way trade with the Clippers). They also own their second-round pick (No. 34).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

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Latest On Dennis Schroder, Hawks

May 15th, 2018 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

As we relayed earlier today, Dennis Schroder made some comments on Monday at a press conference for the German Basketball Federation that have raised eyebrows around the NBA. During that presser, Schroder talked about not wanting to keep finishing “second to last” in the East going forward, and specifically identified the Bucks and Pacers as teams he might like to play for, even though his contract with the Hawks runs through 2021.

“I have to look individually what’s the best for me,” Schroder said, per ESPN (via David Hein of FIBA.basketball). “I will be 25 in September and of course you want to win a title some time. In my prime — 23, 26, 27, 28, 29 — I want to compete. I cannot be second to last in the Eastern Conference. That’s why I will have the talks with the Atlanta Hawks.”

So what’s the story with Schroder? Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution explores that topic, writing that a person “in the know” says neither the point guard nor his agent have contacted the Hawks to discuss the possibility of a trade. In fact, according to Cunningham, all indications are that Schroder didn’t want to be traded at the deadline — he was bothered when his name came up in trade rumors, prompting Hawks GM Travis Schlenk to tell him he’d be staying put.

Schroder also said during Monday’s press conference that he’s “not in the position to decide what direction the organization will take,” per Cunningham. The veteran guard added that he’d like to stay in Atlanta “if everything moves into the right direction.”

Still, the Hawks have made no secret of the fact that they’re in the midst of what could be a lengthy rebuilding process, and Schroder’s other comments make it sound like he’s not interested in sticking around for that entire process. Schroder indicated that he’ll meet soon with Schlenk and Hawks principal owner Tony Ressler, so perhaps he’ll broach the subject of a trade during that meeting. For what it’s worth, the Hawks’ Reddit (Twitter link) noticed that Schroder also appears to have scrubbed his Instagram page of any mentions of his current team.

Complicating matters further is Schroder’s pending legal case. He was arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge last September, with Georgia officials recommending in March that he be prosecuted for felony aggravated battery. Schroder figures to face discipline from his team and/or the league when that case is resolved.

While it’s not clear what the next step here is for Schroder and the Hawks, it’ll be a story worth watching during the 2018 offseason, and perhaps the first major challenge for new head coach Lloyd Pierce.

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Community Shootaround: Draft Lottery Scenarios

May 15th, 2018 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2018 NBA draft lottery will take place on Tuesday night, as we noted in our lottery primer earlier today. While the odds favor the Suns, there are 14 NBA teams that could ultimately end up with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, creating some fascinating drama.

In a piece for The Ringer on Monday, Paolo Uggetti broke down some of the most interesting potential scenarios for the draft lottery. As Uggetti observes, the two teams still alive in the Eastern Conference Finals have a chance to get some great news before they take the court on Tuesday, since the Cavaliers own the Nets’ first-round pick, while the Celtics will own the Lakers’ first-rounder if it lands at No. 2 or No. 3 overall. The possibility of one or both of those teams landing a top-three pick at the same time they’re looking to advance to the NBA Finals isn’t good news for the rest of the league.

Of course, the Sixers would keep that Lakers pick if it moves all the way up to No. 1. It’s currently 10th in the lottery standings, so the odds of it becoming a top-three pick are slim, but it would create some terrific drama if it lands in the top three, since the balance of power in the Eastern Conference could shift significantly depending on whether the pick ends up at No. 1 (Sixers) or Nos. 2 or 3 (Celtics).

Uggetti’s other intriguing scenarios include big-market teams like the Knicks and Clippers getting a top pick — L.A. could theoretically move into the top three while keeping a second lottery selection, courtesy of the Pistons. Uggetti points to the Magic or Kings getting the No. 1 pick as interesting scenarios too, since neither of those clubs has had much lottery luck in the last few years — despite several appearances near the top of the draft.

Outside of the teams we’ve already mentioned, the Grizzlies, Mavericks, Hawks, Bulls, Hornets, Pistons, and Nuggets all have a chance to land a top pick.

What do you think? What would be the most interesting draft lottery scenario? Which team deserves some good luck the most (or least)? Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

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Hawks Notes: Pierce, Defense, Schroder

May 15th, 2018 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

During his introductory press conference on Monday, new Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce talked about his passion for defense, and indicated that he’ll be looking for defensive-minded assistants as he starts putting together his staff in Atlanta, as Charles Odum of The Associated Press writes.

“If we weren’t doing this press conference right now, I’d probably have these guys doing some defensive drills,” Pierce said, referring to the Hawks players who attended the presser. “That’s who I am.”

In addition to the four Hawks who were in attendance on Monday, Sixers forward Robert Covington – who was in Atlanta visiting a family member – showed up to support the former Philadelphia assistant. Covington had nothing but praise for Pierce, calling him a “great coach” who is “absolutely” ready for his first head coaching job.

Here’s more out of Atlanta:

  • During Monday’s presser, Hawks GM Travis Schlenk said that he and Mike Budenholzer remain on good terms, despite the former head coach’s departure from Atlanta. “I talked with [Budenholzer] a couple days ago,” Schlenk said, per Odum. “No hard feelings at all.”
  • In a Q&A with Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Pierce spoke at length about the defensive strategies he employed in Philadelphia, which he’ll bring to the Hawks.
  • Dennis Schroder, who led the Hawks in points (19.4 PPG) and assists (6.2 APG) last season, made comments this week at a press conference in Germany that made it sound like he wouldn’t mind moving on from Atlanta. Schroder said he could imagine playing for teams like the Bucks and Pacers (Twitter link via David Hein), adding that he doesn’t want to keep finishing “second-to-last in the Eastern Conference” (link via Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net). Schroder is under contract for three more years at $15.5MM annually, but wasn’t drafted or extended by the current management group, so he could emerge as a trade candidate for the Hawks.
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Draft Notes: Ayton, Pinson, Spalding, Amius, Eubanks

May 14th, 2018 at 10:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

DeAndre Ayton is the top pick in ESPN Jonathan Givony’s latest mock draft heading into the draft lottery on Tuesday. Givony has the Arizona center going to the Suns, Euro guard Luka Doncic being snapped up by the Grizzlies at No. 2 and Duke big man Marvin Bagley III heading to the Mavericks at No. 3. Naturally, the deck could be shuffled after Tuesday’s results. Michigan State big man Jaren Jackson Jr. (Hawks) and Texas center Mohamed Bamba (Magic) round out the Top 5.

In other draft-related developments:

  • North Carolina combo guard Theo Pinson will participate in the draft combine in Chicago, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets. Pinson is ranked the No. 89 prospect on Givony’s latest Top 100. Louisville’s power forward Ray Spalding has also been invited, Charania reports in a separate tweet. Spalding is currently ranked No. 58 by Givony.
  • Western Carolina junior forward Mike Amius has hired an agent and will remain in the draft, Jeff Goodman of ESPN tweets. He averaged 12.7 PPG and 5.6 RPG last season. He is not among Givony’s Top 100 prospects.
  • Oregon State forward Drew Eubanks has signed with agent James Dunleavy and ISE Worldwide, Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal tweets. The junior averaged 13.2 PPG and 6.8 RPG for the Beavers last season.
  • The Suns will send Josh Jackson and the Kings will be represented by De’Aaron Fox at the draft lottery on Tuesday, Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report relays. The Nuggets’ Jamal Murray and the Pistons’ Luke Kennard are the other current players who will represent their teams in Chicago. The full list of representatives can be found in Conway’s story.
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John Collins Grades Well In Terms Of Future Potential

May 13th, 2018 at 8:39pm CST by Austin Kent
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Draft Notes: Ponds, Heron, Spellman, Melton

May 12th, 2018 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

After being passed over for the NBA Draft Combine, Shamorie Ponds of St. John’s is concentrating on team workouts to prove himself, writes Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog. The sophomore guard put up a 21.6/5.0/4.7 line for the Red Storm this season, but wasn’t among the 69 players who received combine invitations.

“For sure, I was most definitely upset,” he said. “I feel I deserved it.”

Ponds worked out today for the Cavaliers and has held a session with the Nets. Cleveland GM Koby Altman spoke with all the participants after the workout, and Ponds said he received positive feedback. “[Altman] said he really likes my game a lot, he really enjoyed watching it,” Ponds added. “There was great energy after the workout.”

Ponds still has workouts remaining with the Jazz, Pistons and Lakers and wants to reschedule sessions with the Knicks and Hawks that he had to cancel because of final exams. He will use the results of those workouts to determine whether to remain in the draft, a decision that has to be made by May 30.

There are more draft-related notes to pass on:

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Hawks To Hire Lloyd Pierce As Head Coach

May 11th, 2018 at 6:10pm CST by ChrisCrouse

6:10 pm: Pierce has reached an agreement with Atlanta to become the team’s next head coach, the Hawks announce via press release.

“As we set out to find a new head coach for our team, it was critically important to find a dynamic teacher who could connect with and develop our young core while instilling the culture and high standards we feel are necessary in a successful program,” said Hawks GM Travis Schlenk. “Lloyd Pierce checks every box, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him leading the Atlanta Hawks into the future.”

Pierce said that he’s been working toward this moment for a long time, adding that it’s an honor to become the Hawks’ new head coach.

“I have great respect for [Schlenk] and strong belief in his plan to bring a championship to the city of Atlanta. After spending time with ownership, it’s clear they have a deep investment in and commitment to making this a model organization. This opportunity is a perfect fit for me, and I’m eager to get started,” he said.

5:49 pm: The Hawks are closing in on a deal with Lloyd Pierce to make the Sixers’ assistant their new head coach, Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter link) and Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com tweets that the Atlanta will announce Pierce as its head coach on Monday.

The contract will contain three guaranteed years with a team option for the fourth, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Pierce had his third meeting with the club today.

Earlier today, we heard that Atlanta was likely to present Pierce a contract offer and on the surface, the pairing makes sense. Pierce has been with the Sixers organization since the 2013/14 campaign, spending several seasons on the sideline as the team went through their long rebuild. The Hawks are in the midst of a similar situation, though it’s unlikely Atlanta’s rebuild carries on for as many seasons as Sam Hinkie’s Process did.

The Hawks mutually parted ways with Mike Budenholzer late last month and we heard rumblings that it had to do with the direction of the franchise. Budenholzer reportedly wants to be with an organization that’s committed to winning and Atlanta appears to be more focused on talent development.

Pierce is open to the challenge of building a team from the ground up and he believes his time in Philadelphia will help him with the Hawks.

“The main reason is just looking at their young players,” Pierce said earlier in the week. “They got four guys in the draft. They got a couple of young players that are on their roster. So what’s most important when you are dealing with young players and young talent, it’s the development and relational side of that. It’s kind of my track record. It’s anybody’s track record of how do you communicate, how do you work with players, how do you develop, what does that mean?”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Hawks Likely To Offer Head Coaching Job To Lloyd Pierce

May 11th, 2018 at 1:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers assistant Lloyd Pierce has emerged as the primary focus of the Hawks’ search for a new head coach, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Wojnarowski, with the 76ers now eliminated from the postseason, Pierce traveled to Atlanta today for a third meeting with Hawks officials. The club is expected to make a formal offer to Pierce soon, Woj adds.

Wojnarowski reported last week that Pierce would meet with Hawks ownership during his second interview with the team. At the time, Woj suggested that there was a “strong chance” Pierce would become Atlanta’s new head coach if that meeting went well.

However, a subsequent report indicated that Pierce was simply one of four finalists for the position, and that it would be premature to elevate him over the other candidates. Those other finalists are Trail Blazers assistant Nate Tibbetts, Hornets assistant Stephen Silas, and Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga. Based on Wojnarowski’s latest report though, it sounds like Pierce is the strong frontrunner.

Pierce, whose NBA coaching career began with roles in Cleveland, Golden State, and Memphis, has been an assistant on Brett Brown‘s staff in Philadelphia since 2013. Pierce’s time the Warriors – while brief – overlapped with Travis Schlenk‘s tenure in Golden State’s front office. Schlenk currently serves as the Hawks’ general manager.

Pierce said earlier this week that he felt optimistic about his chances to replace Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta, as we relayed on Wednesday.

“The main reason is just looking at [the Hawks’] young players,” Pierce said. “They got four guys in the draft. They got a couple of young players that are on their roster. So what’s most important when you are dealing with young players and young talent, it’s the development and relational side of that. It’s kind of my track record.”

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