- New Hawks general manager Landry Fields is prioritizing defense, according to The Associated Press’ Charles Odum.“The identity defensively has been, well that’s something we’re going to have to build into,” Landry said. “That’s been part of the reason why we haven’t taken that (next) step.” Fields acknowledges the front office is looking at trade options to make that happen, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic writes. “Trade is absolutely, in looking at the finances, something that is going to be important for us,” he said.
Amid rumors that Sacramento isn’t his preferred landing spot, Purdue guard Jaden Ivey was asked directly during a Monday media session about the prospect of joining the Kings and confirmed that he hasn’t worked out for the team or had any contact with them. Although he didn’t say outright that he doesn’t want to play for the Kings, Ivey wasn’t exactly brimming with enthusiasm when discussing the possibility.
“If I got drafted there, it wouldn’t be the worst option,” he said, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (Twitter link).
As James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star tweets, Ivey said the only teams he has worked out for are the Magic and the Pistons, who hold the first and fifth overall picks, respectively. The Kings draft fourth overall.
Interestingly, while Ivey is expected to come off the board long before the Knicks are on the clock at No. 11, the Purdue standout said unprompted that he believes there “could be situations where I can land in New York,” as Zach Braziller of The New York Post writes. The Knicks would likely have to trade up to No. 4 to make that happen.
Here are a few more of Monday’s draft-related notes:
- Speaking to reporters on Monday, Duke forward AJ Griffin confirmed his previously announced workouts with Indiana and Portland and said he also auditioned for the Pelicans, Spurs, and Knicks, per Jason Sacramento Bee of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). The teams Griffin worked out for range from No. 6 to No. 11 in Thursday’s draft.
- The Hawks, Rockets, and Timberwolves are among the teams LSU forward Tari Eason has worked out for during the pre-draft process, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). Those three clubs pick between Nos. 16 and 19.
- In an in-depth profile, Tim Keown of ESPN takes a look at how Chet Holmgren became one of the nation’s top basketball prospects and explores what’s next for the seven-foot “unicorn.”
A John Collins trade appears more likely to happen this offseason than it ever has in the past, according to Marc Stein, who writes in his latest Substack article that a deal involving the Hawks big man seems to be “pretty much expected.”
Both Stein and Jeremy Woo of SI.com continue to link Collins to the Trail Blazers, with Woo suggesting that Atlanta is “eyeing” Portland’s No. 7 overall pick and Stein agreeing that a Collins deal structured around that No. 7 pick seems plausible.
Stein adds that Suns general manager James Jones has “rated Collins highly in the past,” so if Atlanta does pursue a sign-and-trade deal for Phoenix center Deandre Ayton, there could be a fit there.
Here’s more on the Hawks:
- Clint Capela‘s name continues to pop up in trade rumors, with Shams Charania of The Athletic reporting earlier today that the Timberwolves have talked to Atlanta about the veteran center. However, Stein notes that Capela is close with Trae Young and has been described as a “true Young favorite,” so if the Hawks move the big man, they’d have to be pretty confident the deal upgraded the roster.
- After writing a couple weeks ago that the Hawks continued to exhibit interest in Pistons forward Jerami Grant, Stein clarifies that it was actually Detroit that showed more interest in a hypothetical deal that would involve Grant, the Hawks’ No. 16 overall pick, and Bogdan Bogdanovic, while Atlanta was less enthusiastic about the idea. It’s not clear how Bogdanovic’s recent knee surgery might affect the Pistons’ interest in such a trade or the Hawks’ ability to move him, Stein writes.
- Despite Travis Schlenk‘s insistence that the Hawks won’t undergo a “major overhaul” this summer, rival teams still believe they’re looking to make significant changes, with Young, De’Andre Hunter, and Onyeka Okongwu widely believed to be the only players who are probably off limits, according to Stein.
The Kings are becoming “increasingly comfortable” with the idea of hanging onto the No. 4 pick and drafting a prospect there, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports in his latest Inside Pass column. Although Sacramento has entertained the idea of moving back or trading out of the lottery, the team’s asking price is said to be significant.
[RELATED: Kings’ No. 4 Overall Pick Drawing Serious Interest]
Charania adds that Kings general manager Monte McNair has had conversations with the Hawks about a possible John Collins trade, but says the No. 4 pick isn’t believed to be part of those discussions.
Here’s more from Charania’s latest round-up of rumors from across the NBA:
- Collins isn’t the only Atlanta big man drawing trade interest. Charania reports that the Timberwolves – who are exploring the market for veteran centers – have discussed Clint Capela with the Hawks.
- Rival executives believe restricted free agent Miles Bridges will command a maximum-salary contract or something close to it, and Charania’s sources believe the Hornets may be hesitant to match an offer sheet worth the max.
- The Pacers continue to seriously consider trade possibilities involving Myles Turner and Malcolm Brogdon, according to Charania, who says the the Hornets have shown interest in Turner and the Wizards and Knicks are interested in Brogdon. Even if they move one or both players, the Pacers may opt to simply retool their “veteran core” rather than engaging in an all-out rebuild, Charania notes.
- After spending the last season-and-a-half with the Hawks, veteran guard Lou Williams isn’t ready to call it a career. “(Williams) is not pursuing retirement, and I’ll be proactive in talking to teams during free agency,” agent Wallace Prather tells Charania.
- It doesn’t appear the Jazz are on the verge of hiring a new head coach. According to Charania, the team is scheduling second interviews with nearly all of their 15 head coaching candidates as the next step in the process. Those 15 candidates are listed right here.
Chris Jent will join the Lakers‘ coaching staff as the top assistant to new head coach Darvin Ham, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Jent is a long-time NBA assistant who has been with the Hawks since the 2017/18 season. Wojnarowski notes that he built a strong relationship with Lakers star LeBron James while serving as an assistant in Cleveland from 2006-11. Ham worked with Jent under Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta in 2017-18 and spent the past week recruiting Jent to join his staff, according to Woj.
Jent’s playing career included two brief NBA stops and a career total of six games, but he spent most of his time playing overseas. After retiring, he began his coaching career as an assistant with the Sixers in 2003.
Hawks assistant coach Chris Jent is a candidate to become an assistant under new Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, sources tell Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
Jent, 52, had a short playing career after four seasons at Ohio State, winning a championship with Houston in 1993/94. He’s a long-time NBA assistant, with stints in Philadelphia, Orlando (where he was briefly an interim head coach in ’04/05), Cleveland, Sacramento and now Atlanta.
He was a Cavs assistant from 2006-11, with four seasons of overlap with star LeBron James, so the two are obviously familiar with each other. Jent has been with Atlanta for the past five seasons and served as acting head coach earlier this season when Nate McMillan was placed in the league’s health and safety protocols.
Ham and Jent also have experience together, as they were both assistants with the Hawks under Mike Budenholzer in ’17/18.
Echoing an earlier report from Shams Charania of The Athletic, Turner says Rasheed Wallace remains a candidate to become an assistant coach as well.
The Hawks are heavily involved in the trade rumor mill ahead of the draft and free agency, but president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk says the team isn’t looking for a major roster shuffle.
“It’s not going to be a major overhaul,” Schlenk said, according to Jeff Schultz of The Athletic. “I think some people have assumed some things based on some of my comments or (team owner) Tony (Ressler)’s comments after the season.”
As Schultz writes, Atlanta faces an important offseason as a pretty good team that took a step back in 2021/22 — the Hawks made the Eastern Conference finals in ’20/21 but were eliminated by Miami in the first round of the playoffs this season. The Hawks want to compete for championships around Trae Young, but transforming a low-end playoff team into a championship-caliber club is easier said than done.
“It’s a lot easier to become a good team, a playoff team, than it is to become one that contends for a title,” Schlenk said. “We feel we’ve become a competitive team, but now we have to take the next step and these are difficult decisions. If you make a mistake in the draft, you can overcome that. It’s a two-year mistake. If you make a mistake in free agency or in a sign-and-trade, when you’re giving somebody a four-year, $150 million contract, that can be detrimental for a long time.”
Schlenk said he’s talking to five or six teams a day, and acknowledges that “there are four or five paths we can take right now.” He’s adamant that finding the right fit will play a crucial role in whichever path he takes.
“It’s about fit,” Schlenk said, per Schultz. “That’s an aspect of this people don’t appreciate enough. It’s easy to (assess) talent, but these are human beings, and they’re a close-knit group of guys who spend a lot of time together. The right guy or the wrong guy can really affect a team.”
It’s an interesting story from Schultz and worth checking out for Hawks fans who subscribe to The Athletic.
The Trail Blazers are no longer viewed as a suitor for restricted free agent Deandre Ayton, sources tell Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. According to Fischer, Portland plans to re-sign starting center Jusuf Nurkic, who is an unrestricted free agent, and hopes to acquire Raptors forward OG Anunoby in exchange for a package headlined by the No. 7 overall pick of the 2022 draft.
However, Anunoby might not be the only target for the Blazers. It’s been rumored that the Thunder are trying to move up in the lottery, and Fischer reports that “there has been increasing talk” about Portland sending the No. 7 pick to OKC in exchange for No. 12 and a “package that could include” Luguentz Dort.
The three most realistic landing spots for Ayton, aside from re-signing with the Suns, appear to be the Hawks, Pistons and Raptors, says Fischer, adding that all three clubs have interesting pieces to dangle in a possible sign-and-trade for the center.
Echoing a report from Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, Fischer states that the Pacers could also be a possibility for Ayton in a sign-and-trade deal involving Myles Turner. The two players are both represented by agent Bill Duffy, Fischer notes (hat tip to RealGM).
According to Fischer, Shaedon Sharpe may be a candidate to fall in the lottery after a series of underwhelming workouts ahead of the draft. Fischer says Sharpe’s range might begin at No. 8, but he could also be a target of teams who try to acquire the No. 7 pick from Portland. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported yesterday that the Thunder are high on Sharpe.
Alabama guard Keon Ellis worked out for the Heat on Monday, according to Jake Weingarten of StockRisers.com (Twitter link). It was previously reported that Ellis is working out for Florida’s other pro club, the Magic, today.
The 6’6″ shooting guard played his first two seasons of college ball at Florida SouthWestern, from 2018–20, before transferring to Alabama. During his second season with the Crimson Tide in 2021/22, Ellis was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team. In 33 games, he averaged 12.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.9 SPG and 1.8 APG with a shooting line of .439/.366/.881.
Ellis is ranked as the No. 66 prospect on ESPN’s big board. The Heat only possess the No. 27 pick this year. Miami lost its 2022 second-round draft pick for a free agency tampering violation. Of course, it’s worth noting that the Heat have had plenty of luck in recent years when it comes to developing undrafted free agent rookies, should Ellis become available that way.
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- Magic center Mohamed Bamba is a restricted free agent this summer and could be the odd man out in the frontcourt. Orlando is set to add another big man prospect with the top pick in the 2022 draft this summer to complement forward Franz Wagner and big man Wendell Carter Jr., who was extended last summer. With that in mind, Ethan Fuller of Basketball News considers potential landing spots for Bamba. During a breakout fourth NBA season, the 24-year-old showed off his abilities as a high-level finisher and elite rim protector. Fuller considers clubs like the Nets, Heat and Mavericks as possible destinations. Should Bamba remain in Orlando, Fuller projects him to move to the bench to accommodate whichever player the Magic decide to draft.
- Hornets ownership agreed to extend its lease for the team’s Charlotte home arena, Spectrum Center, through 2045, according to a team press release. “Hornets Sports & Entertainment truly values the public-private partnership that we share with the City of Charlotte, including our agreement to manage Spectrum Center, which is a city-owned building,” the statement read in part. “We look forward to continuing to serve as stewards of Spectrum Center to make it the premier destination for sports and entertainment in the Carolinas.”
- The Hawks are looking at five prospects tomorrow, tweets Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Atlanta will work out Houston big man Josh Carlton, Providence forward Justin Minaya, St. John’s wing Julian Champagnie, VCU forward Vince Williams Jr., and Fresno State forward Orlando Robinson. The Hawks have the No. 16 and No. 44 picks in the 2022 draft at their disposal.
Bogdan Bogdanovic had surgery to address inflammation in his right patella tendon, according to a tweet from the Hawks. That confirms a report late last week that the veteran guard had to undergo the procedure because of persistent discomfort in the knee, which bothered him late in the season and forced him to miss the team’s final playoff game.
Bogdanovic is expected to be fully ready in time for the start of the season, the team adds. He will make $18MM next season with an $18MM player option for 2023/24 and could be a trade chip this summer as Atlanta tries to revamp its roster.
The Hawks also issued a medical update on Jalen Johnson, who had a non-surgical procedure on his left knee because of tendinitis (Twitter link). Johnson, who appeared in just 22 games as a rookie, should be available by the start of training camp, according to the team.
There’s more from Atlanta:
- Danilo Gallinari cited a “special bond” with Milan while attending the Italian League finals over the weekend, but said he’s not ready to leave the NBA, according to a BasketNews article. Gallinari, 34, indicated that he might play in Italy eventually, but said he wants to accomplish more in the NBA. He’s entering the final year of his contract with Atlanta at $21.45MM (only $5MM is guaranteed). “The NBA is still in my plans. I want to achieve goals, and when I do, we will see if there is a possibility for me to return to Milan,” he said.
- The Hawks are a wild card in next week’s draft, with opportunities to trade up from No. 16 or trade out of the draft entirely, writes Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Kirschner identifies his favorite targets for the team regardless of the scenario, including Ochai Agbaji, Kendall Brown, Dyson Daniels, Tari Eason, Jaden Hardy and Jeremy Sochan.
- Sharife Cooper, who spent part of his rookie season in the G League and only played 13 games for the Hawks, offers some advice for this year’s draft class in an interview with Rashad Milligan of Rolling Out. “Stay grounded. A lot of things that have never happened in life are going to be thrown at you,” Cooper said. “It’s a different world, a different environment, a place that I can honestly say throws a lot of things at you. You have to be strong, mentally strong, and able to deal with a lot of ups and downs.”