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Draft Notes: Duarte, Warriors, Hornets, Mavs, Stashes

July 30th, 2021 at 7:46am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers ended up with Oregon’s Chris Duarte on draft night, using the No. 13 pick to select him. However, Duarte drew plenty of interest from other teams before Indiana snatched him up late in the lottery, writes J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star.

[RELATED: 2021 NBA Draft Results]

According to Michael, a Warriors official told Duarte on the way to the draft that he’d be their choice at No. 14. Golden State subsequently tried to make a trade with the Pacers after Indiana picked Duarte, says Michael. Meanwhile, the Knicks‘ “furious” attempts to move into the top 10 or the late lottery were believed to be focused on Duarte, according to Michael, who adds that the Jazz offered the No. 30 pick and Joe Ingles in a deal to get in position to draft the Oregon wing.

A Warriors source denied to Michael that Golden State tried to trade for Duarte even after selecting Moses Moody at No. 14, but Michael says two independent sources confirmed his report, and Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link) corroborated it.

Here’s more on the 2021 NBA draft, the day after:

  • Hornets president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak said there was huge demand for the No. 11 pick, which Charlotte used to draft James Bouknight. “There was as much demand for that pick this year as I’ve ever seen for a pick in my years,” the veteran executive said, per Jonathan M. Alexander of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
  • The Mavericks entered draft night without any picks, but president of basketball operations Nico Harrison said the team got “lots of calls” about getting into the first or second round. The price was ultimately “too rich for our blood,” according to Harrison (Twitter link via Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News).
  • A pair of second-round picks by Atlantic teams are expected to be draft-and-stash prospects. The Celtics‘ No. 45 pick, Juhann Begarin, will likely remain in France for another season, per president of basketball operations Brad Stevens (Twitter link via Jared Weiss of The Athletic). And the Sixers’ No. 50 pick, Filip Petrusev, also isn’t expected to come over right away, as first reported by Rich Hofmann of The Athletic (Twitter link) and later confirmed by president of basketball operations Daryl Morey (Twitter link via Derek Bodner of The Athletic).
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Celtics Sign Sam Hauser To Two-Way Contract

July 30th, 2021 at 1:00am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 13: The Celtics have officially signed Hauser, according to a team press release.

JULY 30: It is anticipated that the Celtics will sign undrafted Virginia forward Sam Hauser to a two-way contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 6’8″ forward began his college career at Marquette, but transferred to Virginia for a redshirt 2019/20 season. During his lone active season with the Cavaliers in 2020/21, Hauser averaged 16 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.8 APG, with a shooting line of .503/.417/.896 across 25 games.

The 23-year-old was an All-Big East Third Team honoree in 2019 while still with Marquette, and was named an All-ACC First Teamer this season. Hauser was ranked as the ninth-best undrafted player on ESPN’s list.

Hauser was the Cavaliers’ leading scorer for the 2020/21 season, and ranked second on the club in scoring efficiency (behind new Pelicans guard Trey Murphy) with a 123.6 offensive rating.

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Celtics, Raptors Interested In RFA Lonzo Ball

July 29th, 2021 at 9:19pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Two new teams have emerged as potential candidates to pursue restricted free agent Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball. Shams Charania of Stadium reports (Twitter video link) that the Celtics and the Raptors are interested in adding Ball’s services this summer.

The Ball addition could make sense for either Eastern Conference club, as both teams may be looking for major help at the lead guard position. The Celtics, of course, recently moved off the pricey contract of injury-prone veteran starting point guard Kemba Walker. The Raptors, meanwhile, may lose veteran starting point guard Kyle Lowry to a contender in free agency. The Pelicans have been mentioned as a potential Lowry destination.

Charania predicts a robust market for Ball, with a potential multiyear contract in the range of $21-$22MM annually. Charania mentions that the Bulls continue to show interest in Ball. Chicago has been in the market for a major point guard upgrade over incumbent starter Coby White, and have been intrigued by Ball for a while.

Charania also adds the Pacers as a possible Ball suitor, though that may depend on some of the other moves Indiana makes this offseason.

Given that Ball is a restricted free agent, aligns well with the timelines of All-Star power forward Zion Williamson and 2020 All-Star Brandon Ingram, and showed marked improvement as a shooter this season, New Orleans would be wise to consider matching any offer sheet tendered to him and keeping him ahead of the 2021/22 season. However, it sounds like the team is hoping to land a veteran point guard instead.

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Trade Rumors: Rubio, Ball, Knicks, Wizards, Simmons

July 29th, 2021 at 1:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ricky Rubio is busy playing the point for Spain in the Olympics but a number of NBA teams are doing due diligence on a potential trade for the veteran point man, Darren Wolfson of KSTP tweets. The Celtics, Clippers and Lakers are keeping tabs on the Timberwolves guard. Rubio has a $17.8MM expiring contract for next season.

We have more trade chatter from around the league:

  • The Pelicans and Pacers discussed a Lonzo Ball deal, Ian Begley of SNY.TV reports, though it’s unknown if those talks ever reached an advanced level. Ball will be a free agent, so a deal would only be possible via sign-and-trade.
  • In the same piece, Begley writes that the Knicks plan to maintain enough cap flexibility to pursue top free agents in 2022, a class that could include Zach LaVine and Bradley Beal.
  • The Wizards have received calls on their best young players, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington reports. Those players are presumably Rui Hachimura, Daniel Gafford and Deni Avdija. The front office could be motivated to move one or more of those players to appease Beal in a win-now scenario.
  • There’s been plenty of speculation about a potential Ben Simmons trade. The latest from Mark Medina of USA Today (Twitter link) is that the Sixers are looking either for an All-Star talent in return or a starting-caliber player along with multiple draft picks.
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Coaching/Front Office Notes: Watson, Raptors, Kokoskov, Mavs, More

July 27th, 2021 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

Former Suns head coach Earl Watson appears set to return to the sidelines for an NBA team, as Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports (via Twitter) that Watson is finalizing a deal to join the Raptors. Watson – who was pursued by multiple teams, according to Haynes – would be an assistant on Nick Nurse‘s staff. Watson hasn’t coached in the NBA since 2017, but Devin Booker has credited the former Phoenix coach for his accelerated development at the NBA level, Haynes notes.

Here are a few more notes on coaching and front office hires from around the NBA:

  • Veteran assistant Popeye Jones, who spent over a decade in the NBA as a player, will leave the Sixers to take a job on Michael Malone‘s staff with the Nuggets, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link). Marc Stein first reported (via Twitter) that Jones – a former Nuggets player – was emerging as a strong candidate to be hired by Denver.
  • Turkish club Fenerbahce officially announced today that head coach Igor Kokoskov won’t return to the team next season. As previously rumored, the former Suns coach is on track to take a job on Jason Kidd‘s staff with the Mavericks, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. In Dallas, Kokoskov will get the opportunity to reunite with Luka Doncic, whom he coached on the Slovenian national team in 2017.
  • Speaking of the Mavericks, they’ve hired Nets salary cap strategist Andrew Baker for a senior role in their front office under new president of basketball operations Nico Harrison, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
  • Fischer also identifies Nets assistant GM Jeff Peterson and Pelicans assistant GM Bryson Graham as two potential targets for the Celtics as they seek a general manager under new president of basketball operations Brad Stevens.
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Latest On Bradley Beal

July 26th, 2021 at 8:43am CST by Luke Adams

Despite a pair of weekend reports suggesting that Wizards guard Bradley Beal is contemplating his future with the franchise, he has not yet requested a trade, according to multiple reports.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (video link) said on the Woj & Lowe special on ESPN on Sunday that Beal hasn’t asked the Wizards to be dealt; Fred Katz of The Athletic says there hasn’t been a demand, a request, or even a “timid suggestion” for a trade; and Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes that the All-NBA guard has remained in contact with the Wizards’ front office and has given the team no signs that he’s unhappy.

Previous reports from Bleacher Report and The Athletic suggested that Beal might make a decision on whether he wants to remain in D.C. before Thursday’s draft. A trade would be easier to put together before that draft, since it would allow potential suitors to offer 2021 picks and give the Wizards the opportunity to select the players they want with those picks.

However, Hughes cites one source who pushed back on the idea that Washington needs to decide its course within the next four days, pointing out that Beal is under contract next season and not every trade offer would center around 2021 draft picks.

One team whose offer would be heavy on 2021 picks is Golden State, and Wojnarowski (video link) views Beal as the primary target for the Warriors, who don’t seem inclined to get too involved in the Ben Simmons sweepstakes. If Beal isn’t made available via trade, Wojnarowski expects the Warriors to use their picks at No. 7 and No. 14 this Thursday.

Of course, even if Beal is available, there will be other teams in the mix besides Golden State, as ESPN’s Zach Lowe observes (video link). Lowe believes the Wizards would seek more than Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, and the Nos. 7 and 14 picks from Golden State in any Beal deal, suggesting that Washington would likely also ask for the Warriors’ 2026 first-rounder and a pick swap or two.

Here’s more on Beal:

  • Beal has always looked for reasons to stay in D.C. rather than to leave, according to Wojnarowski. “He loves that organization,” Woj said. “He loves that city.”
  • While the Wizards said Beal would have a say in the team’s head coaching search this offseason, the star guard was a little frustrated that his top pick for the job – Sixers assistant Sam Cassell – didn’t get a second interview, sources tell Katz. It’s unclear, however, if that will be a major factor in Beal’s decision on his future.
  • If Beal does request a trade, the Sixers, Heat, and Hawks are among the teams that could join the Warriors in the bidding, sources tell Katz. Hughes, meanwhile, suggests that the Warriors, Heat, Celtics, Trail Blazers, Lakers, and Mavericks are some of the clubs that would likely intrigue Beal.
  • The Thunder have made it known around the NBA that they’d be interested in participating in a Beal trade as a third team, according to Hughes.
  • The Wizards haven’t received any indication that their other star guard – Russell Westbrook – wants out of Washington, a team source tells Hughes.
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Community Shootaround: Best Team For Bradley Beal

July 24th, 2021 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

High-scoring Wizards star Bradley Beal hasn’t issued a trade request yet, but a report this morning that he’s considering it has the rest of the league ready to pounce. Washington is in a precarious position with Beal, who can decline his $36.4MM player option next summer and become an unrestricted free agent.

Beal is said to be considering that the Wizards may start a rebuilding process if they decide to move him, which is no doubt why the report was leaked on the weekend before the draft. Beal would like to join a contender, and sources identified the Warriors, Celtics, Heat and Sixers as possible trade destinations.

Golden State is in the best position if Washington wants draft picks in return. The Warriors hold the No. 7 and No. 14 selections in this year’s lottery and may be willing to part with last year’s No. 2 pick, center James Wiseman, to get their hands on Beal, who is reportedly at the top of their wish list. Andrew Wiggins would likely have to be included to match salary.

In Boston, Beal would be able to unite with his close friend and fellow St. Louis native Jayson Tatum. Washington may ask for Jaylen Brown in return, but the Celtics would be reluctant to part with Brown when they can open enough cap space to sign Beal in 2022. Al Horford‘s $27MM salary would go a long way toward matching purposes, and he is only guaranteed $14.5MM for 2022/23 if he is released before the start of that season. Boston could load its offer with future picks and possibly arrange a sign-and-trade involving free agent guard Evan Fournier, who plays the same position as Beal.

The Heat are at a disadvantage when it comes to draft assets, not holding any picks this year and having future first-rounders tied up as a result of trading a protected 2023 pick. Miami has team options on Goran Dragic ($19.44MM) and Andre Iguodala ($15MM), who can both help with salary matching, but young assets such as Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn may not be enough to interest the Wizards.

The Sixers would almost certainly have to move Ben Simmons in a trade for Beal, either to Washington or to someone else in a multi-team deal. Philadelphia is also low on draft assets, but throwing in young players such as Matisse Thybulle or Tyrese Maxey could appeal to Washington.

We want to get your input. Do you believe Beal will be moved this summer and where do you think he should go? Please leave your responses in the comments section.

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Draft Notes: Cooper, Bezhanishvili, Williams, Johnson

July 24th, 2021 at 11:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

Potential late lottery pick Sharife Cooper has been making the rounds. He’s worked out for the Thunder, Rockets, Warriors, Lakers, Clippers and Celtics, Adam Zagoria of the New York Times tweets. As previously noted, Cooper has worked out for the Hornets and has also visited the Pacers. The Auburn point guard is currently ranked No. 17 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list.

We have more draft-related intel:

  • Giorgi Bezhanishvili has recently worked out for the Spurs, Hornets and Bulls, Zagoria reports in another tweet. The junior forward who played for Illinois is a potential second-round selection.
  • Ziaire Williams was brought in for a second workout with the Magic, draft expert Chad Ford tweets. The Stanford freshman wing is ranked No. 24 by ESPN, but Ford views Williams as a potential lottery selection. Orlando owns the No. 5 and 8 picks.
  • Jalen Johnson left Duke in mid-February after losing playing time but he brushes aside questions about his character, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee writes. “Those really aren’t red flags,” Johnson said. “People say a lot of things about me, but they say those things without knowing me. … I don’t like seeing that stuff and I know my parents see that stuff, and I know it hurts them, because at the end of the day these people are making judgments without knowing me, without speaking to me, without saying a word to me.” Johnson is still expected to go in the lottery.
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Bradley Beal Pondering Trade Request Before Draft

July 24th, 2021 at 10:10am CST by Dana Gauruder

Wizards All-Star guard Bradley Beal is considering whether to request a trade prior to the draft, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

Sources close to Beal say he’s mindful that the Wizards could get a better package of picks as well as players if a deal is done by Thursday night. After that, the Wizards would have to settle for future picks with uncertainty over what kind of prospects they’ll eventually draft. Plenty of front office personnel around the league still believe Beal will decide to stay put, but a source close to the league’s second-leading scorer this past season admits the situation is fluid.

If Beal informs the front office he prefers to go elsewhere, he’d want to land in a place that already has, as Fischer describes it, an established winning environment.

Beal doesn’t have a known list of preferred destinations, though sources told Fischer that teams such as the Warriors, Celtics, Heat and Sixers would likely be among that group. Golden State’s veterans have pushed management to pursue a Beal trade but virtually every team in the league would have some level of interest in bringing in the high-scoring wing.

Beal’s potential change of heart about staying in Washington is somewhat tied to the uncertainty surrounding Russell Westbrook, who is reportedly among the players the Lakers might pursue in a trade. Westbrook and Beal hold options on their contracts after next season, which could also impact what the Wizards might do.

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