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Hornets Notes: M. Williams, Sharpe, Wesley, Atkinson

June 11th, 2022 at 9:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hornets’ need for a defensive anchor in the middle makes Duke center Mark Williams an intriguing option in the draft, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Williams, who worked out for Charlotte on Friday, believes he could fill a need if the team selects him with the 13th or 15th pick.

“I feel like I’d bring that immediate rim protection,” Williams said, “that guy that can run the floor, be that lob threat on the offensive end, and also be somebody that plays hard every night and ultimately just wants to win.”

There’s a danger that Williams could move out of Charlotte’s range. His draft stock has been rising since last month’s combine when measurements showed that he had the longest reach and wingspan and ranked second in height among the participants.

No matter where he lands, Williams, who was a finalist for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year honors, sees himself in a role similar to what Robert Williams does for the Celtics.

“Obviously, he’s battling injury right now,” Mark Williams said. “But that’s a guy who plays defense, catches lobs, runs the floor, does a little bit of everything for them.”

There’s more from Charlotte:

  • Also conducting a solo workout for the Hornets on Friday was Kentucky’s Shaedon Sharpe, Boone adds in the same piece. Sharpe may be taken in the top half of the lottery, but he acknowledged that some teams are uncertain about him because he didn’t play in college. “Most of the questions that teams got is how will I come out and play,” Sharpe said. “I’ve haven’t played in about a year, but for me I feel like that’s really not any big deal because as a basketball player once you start playing and getting back into the flow, it (doesn’t) really matter. Just keep playing.”
  • The workout that Notre Dame guard Blake Wesley had with Charlotte today is his third so far, tweets James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. Wesley also had sessions with the Hawks and Nuggets.
  • New head coach Kenny Atkinson has a reputation for developing young talent, but his success will be determined by the progress of LaMelo Ball and his ability to improve the Hornets’ defense, contends Scott Fowler of The Raleigh News & Observer.
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Hornets To Work Out Six Prospects On Saturday

June 11th, 2022 at 3:20pm CST by JD Shaw
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Draft Notes: Daniels, Pacers, Agbaji, Beauchamp, Wesley

June 10th, 2022 at 10:15pm CST by Rory Maher

G League Ignite guard/forward Dyson Daniels, who worked out for the Pacers on Friday, believes he’d be good fit alongside Tyrese Haliburton, writes James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. Daniels is the sixth-best prospect on ESPN’s big board, and Indiana holds the No. 6 pick in the upcoming draft.

“For me, this offseason has been a big focus on my shooting, being able to knock down the shot so I can play off the ball,” Daniels said. “I’m confident in my shot now, so I feel like playing here with a guy like Tyrese, who’s a very good passer as well, I can play off the ball, cut to spots and knock down the shot. That’s something that’s come a long way in my game, and it’s definitely something I’ve worked on because every team usually has a primary ball-handler.”

Known as a well-rounded player who’s a solid rebounder, cutter and passer, Daniels is considered one of the best perimeter defenders in the draft and he said he hoped he showcased that during his workout.

“I think with my defense, you can see that on film and things like that, but coming here you play 1-on-1, you play 3-on-3, 2-on-2, so you can show that in the drills and stuff,” Daniels said, per Boyd. “Busting through screens, using your hands, getting deflections, things like that. … Showing that’s my main strength and showing that offensive stuff that I’ve worked on as well.”

Daniels has an upcoming workout with the Kings (No. 4), and previously worked out for the Pistons (No. 5) and Spurs (No. 9), as Boyd relays.

Here are a few more workout-related notes on some projected first-round picks:

  • Kansas wing Ochai Agbaji, the 16th overall prospect on ESPN’s board, has upcoming workouts with the Knicks (No. 11) and Hawks (No. 16). He previously worked out for the Thunder (No. 12), Cavaliers (No. 14) and Bulls (No. 18), according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).
  • G League Ignite’s MarJon Beauchamp, another wing who ranks 23rd on ESPN’s board, has workouts scheduled with the Knicks, Pelicans (No. 8), Spurs (Nos. 9, 20 and 25), Hornets (Nos. 13 and 15) and Timberwolves (No. 19). He previously worked out for the Hawks, Bulls and Grizzlies (Nos. 22 and 29), tweets Robbins.
  • Notre Dame guard Blake Wesley worked out for the Hawks on Friday, Boyd reports (via Twitter). Wesley, who is No. 27 on ESPN’s board, had a previous workout with the Nuggets (No. 21).
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Southeast Notes: Hornets Workouts, Atkinson, Wizards

June 10th, 2022 at 9:06pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hornets hosted a couple of potential lottery picks for solo workouts on Friday, the team announced (Twitter links): Duke’s Mark Williams, who is ranked No. 14 on ESPN’s big board, and Shaedon Sharpe, who is ranked No. 7 due to his enormous upside despite not playing a game for Kentucky. The Hornets control the Nos. 13, 15 and 45 picks in the 2022 NBA draft.

Williams has been linked to Charlotte multiple times in mock drafts, which makes perfect sense since he’s a rim-running, paint-protecting center with great size and athleticism. He could fill a major weak spot if he’s NBA-ready, as the team has lacked a big man in that mold for several years.

Sharpe seems unlikely to fall to No. 13, so the Hornets were probably just doing their due diligence and getting a look at a player who hasn’t played competitively in nearly a year, but they theoretically could package their picks in order to move up and select him.

The team also hosted a group workout on Friday (Twitter link) featuring Michigan State’s Max Christie, UConn’s R.J. Cole, Richmond’s Grant Golden, Furman’s Alex Hunter, France’s Ismael Kamagate, and Brazil’s Gui Santos. Kamagate and Christie are the highest-rated prospects among the group at Nos. 40 and 45, respectively, so they could be possibilities for Charlotte’s second-rounder.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

  • Alex Schiffer of The Athletic explores what the Hornets are getting in new head coach Kenny Atkinson, noting that Atkinson earned league-wide praise by establishing a culture in Brooklyn that was reminiscent of a college team, something the Nets have sorely lacked since he resigned in 2020. Known as a meticulous worker who embraces analytics, Atkinson used to physically participate in Nets practices, writes Schiffer, adding that Atkinson appears to be entering a better situation in Charlotte than his previous head coaching job in Brooklyn.
  • The Wizards are among the teams weighing the idea of trading their lottery pick (No. 10 overall) in a possible win-now move, Marc Stein reports in his latest article for Substack.
  • Fresno State’s Orlando Robinson and Kansas’ David McCormack will work out for the Wizards on Saturday, tweets Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Robinson is ranked No. 77 on ESPN’s board, so he could be a possibility for the team’s second-round pick, which is No. 56 overall.
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Hornets Plan To Hire Kenny Atkinson As Head Coach

June 10th, 2022 at 5:21pm CST by Rory Maher

[UPDATE: Kenny Atkinson Won’t Take Job With Hornets]

The Hornets plan to hire Kenny Atkinson to be their new head coach, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).

The two sides have reached an agreement in principle, reports Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Atkinson will receive a four-year contract, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

As Charania relays, Atkinson met with owner Michael Jordan and other high-level Hornets officials for his third interview on Wednesday. Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic previously pegged Atkinson as the frontrunner for the job, with Boone later stating that he could be hired by the end of this week.

Atkinson, 55, is currently an assistant coach with the Warriors and spent last season as an assistant with the Clippers. He’s most well-known for being the head coach of the Nets from 2016-20, leading an impressive turnaround during his four years at the helm.

Although Atkinson’s record 118-190 record with the Nets seems pretty poor, the team went just 20-62 in 2016/17, his first year, and made the playoffs two years later with a 42-40 record. He played a key role in developing players like Joe Harris, Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, and D’Angelo Russell, all of whom improved tremendously during his tenure.

The Hornets reportedly believe they’re on the verge of being a playoff team and wanted a head coach who will help the club take the next step. Atkinson is known for his player development skills and defensive acumen, so he could be a good fit for key players like LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges.

Boone writes that Atkinson’s first task will be creating his coaching staff and deciding whether or not he wants to retain any of James Borrego‘s former assistants, who have all been working and awaiting their fates until a new coach was hired. Borrego was fired after Charlotte was blown out in the first game of the play-in tournament for the second consecutive year.

The Hornets control the Nos. 13, 15, and 45 picks in the 2022 NBA draft and have a number of mid-size contracts that could be dangled in trades, so it will be interesting to see how GM Mitch Kupchak reshapes the roster this summer with Atkinson as head coach. Bridges is also a restricted free agent and figures to receive a large contract, so balancing his large salary increase with the remainder of the roster is another thing to keep an eye on.

With Atkinson set to depart Golden State, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr will be losing two key assistants this spring, as Mike Brown was hired to be the new head coach of the Kings last month.

Former Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni was the other finalist for the Hornets’ vacancy, and while former Blazers coach Terry Stotts was reportedly in the running, it’s unclear if he ever got a third interview to meet with Jordan like Atkinson and D’Antoni did.

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Devoe Among Prospects Who Visited Thursday

June 9th, 2022 at 9:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder
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Southeast Notes: Hornets, Workouts, Wizards, Russell, Magic

June 8th, 2022 at 9:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets hold three picks in the 2022 NBA draft (Nos. 13, 15, and 45) and are keeping busy in the weeks leading up to June 23, bringing in a handful of prospects on a daily basis for a closer look.

On Tuesday, the Hornets worked out Tyson Etienne (Wichita State), Jordan Goldwire (Oklahoma), John Meeks (College of Charleston), Orlando Robinson (Fresno State), D’Shawn Schwartz (George Mason), and Bryson Williams (Texas Tech), according to the team (Twitter link). All six of those players rank outside of the top 75 on ESPN’s big board, so they figure to receive consideration as possible second-round or UDFA targets.

On Wednesday, Hugo Besson (New Zealand Breakers), Khalifa Diop (Gran Canaria), Hyunjung Lee (Davidson), Javante McCoy (Boston University), Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga), and Yannick Nzosa (Unicaja) make up the Hornets’ workout group (Twitter link). Several of those prospects are more highly regarded by draft experts — ESPN ranks Nembhard, Besson, and Diop 35th, 38th, and 39th respectively.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

  • The Wizards will be in the market for a starting point guard this offseason, but don’t expect them to pursue D’Angelo Russell. Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News said on his podcast (The Scoop w/ Doogie) that he has heard Washington has no interest in the Timberwolves guard (hat tip to HoopsHype).
  • The Wizards‘ pre-draft workout on Wednesday will feature Kenny Baptiste (France), Garrison Brooks (Mississippi State), Kyle Foster (Howard), Justin Kier (Arizona), Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown), and Gabe Osabuohien (West Virginia), as Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington relays (via Twitter).
  • Murray State guard Tevin Brown was in Orlando on Tuesday, presumably to work out for the Magic, tweets Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. The Murray State guard is the No. 74 on ESPN’s big board, so the Magic could consider him in the second round or as an undrafted free agent.
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Draft Notes: Hardy, Braun, Roddy, Pistons, Ivey

June 8th, 2022 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters after working out for Washington on Tuesday, G League Ignite guard Jaden Hardy said he has already worked out for the Warriors, Bucks, Timberwolves, and Thunder, and has auditions on tap with the Hawks, Hornets, Mavericks, and Pelicans (Twitter link via Josh Robbins of The Athletic). Viewed as a good bet to be a first-round pick, Hardy currently ranks 22nd overall on ESPN’s big board.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

  • Kansas shooting guard Christian Braun, the No. 30 prospect on ESPN’s board, has worked out for the Bucks, Clippers, and Magic, and had a visit scheduled with the Grizzlies this week, tweets Andrew Lind. Those four teams each have at least one pick between No. 22 and No. 43 in this year’s draft.
  • Colorado State forward David Roddy, ESPN’s No. 46 prospect, had a meet and greet with Nuggets staffers a month ago and was brought back for a workout with the team on Tuesday, tweets Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. Asked if he senses interest from the Nuggets, Roddy replied, “I would say so. Everybody’s a fan of my game here. They’ve told me that.” Roddy has also worked out for several other teams, including the Warriors and Raptors, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link).
  • David Aldridge of The Athletic spoke to a handful of coaches and executives at the college and NBA levels to get their thoughts on several of the top guards in the 2022 draft class, including Jaden Ivey, Shaedon Sharpe, Dyson Daniels, Johnny Davis, and several others. One Eastern Conference executive told Aldridge that he knows the Pistons – who hold the No. 5 overall pick – “love” Ivey.
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Southeast Notes: Hornets, Hawks, Magic, Wizards

June 6th, 2022 at 7:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets hosted a pre-draft workout with six prospects on Monday, the team tweets. That group included Keon Ellis (Alabama), Michael Foster Jr. (G League Ignite), Kellan Grady (Kentucky), Ron Harper Jr. (Rutgers), Brandon Horvath (Utah State) and Žiga Samar (Fuenlabrada/Spain).

We have more from the Southeast Division:

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Blazers Rumors: Beal, LaVine, Bridges, Grant, Collins

June 6th, 2022 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers are exploring the trade market in search of veterans who can help Damian Lillard get the team back into the playoffs, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, who observes that Portland has a handful of assets in hand to offer up in possible deals.

Besides the No. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft, the Blazers also have a trade exception worth nearly $21MM, Josh Hart and his team-friendly contract, Eric Bledsoe‘s expiring deal (Bledsoe’s partial guarantee could be increased as needed for salary-matching purposes), future draft picks, and possibly Jusuf Nurkic as a sign-and-trade candidate.

Here’s more from O’Connor on the players Portland could go after this summer:

  • Sources tell The Ringer that free-agents-to-be Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine are potential Blazers targets, though it’s unclear if they’ll be willing to leave the Wizards and Bulls, respectively, for Portland. Lillard and Beal are friends who played together for Team USA, O’Connor notes.
  • Hornets restricted free agent forward Miles Bridges is a player worth keeping an eye on for the Blazers, sources tell O’Connor. The team is in the market for a big wing who can help on defense and be a secondary offensive play-maker, and Bridges fits the bill. Again though, it remains to be seen if Portland will be able to pry away Bridges from his current team, especially since Charlotte will be able to match any offer sheet.
  • Pistons forward Jerami Grant is another two-way wing frequently mentioned as a target for Portland, as O’Connor observes. In his latest Substack article, Marc Stein writes that the Hawks continue to register interest in Grant, but the Blazers would likely be able to outbid Atlanta and other Grant suitors if they’re willing to include the No. 7 pick in their offer.
  • Hawks big man John Collins is also frequently cited as a player on the Blazers’ radar, according to O’Connor, who suggests Collins would be more of a lob threat – and more versatile defensively – than Nurkic.
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