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Draft Notes: Bates, Ongenda, Pacers, Hawks

June 1st, 2023 at 9:21pm CST by Rory Maher

Wing Emoni Bates has upcoming workouts lined up with the Jazz, Kings and Pistons, a league source tells Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link). Bates has already reportedly worked out for eight other teams, so he is certainly getting accustomed to the extensive travel of NBA life.

According to Zagoria, Bates will have more workouts as the 2023 NBA draft — which takes place on June 22 — draws nearer. A former top high school recruit, the 19-year-old has seen his stock fall over two inconsistent college seasons at Memphis and Eastern Michigan. He’s currently ranked No. 51 on ESPN’s big board, making him a projected late second-round pick.

However, Bates impressed during shooting drills at last month’s draft combine and reportedly interviewed well too, which has helped his standing. He has risen up six spots on ESPN’s list within the past few days.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

DePaul center Nick Ongenda decided to stay in the draft as the NCAA’s withdrawal deadline passed, per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). The Canadian big man missed most of the season with a wrist injury, according to Steve Newhouse of 247Sports.com, who reports that Ongenda recently worked out for the Mavericks. He averaged 12.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals and an eye-popping 4.4 blocks, but only played eight games as a senior in ’22/23.
The Pacers are hosting a pre-draft workout Friday featuring Toumani Camara (Dayton), Tosan Evbuomwan (Princeton), Jaylen Martin (Overtime Elite), Landers Nolley (Cincinnati), Miles Norris (UCSB) and Julian Strawther (Gonzaga), tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Indiana controls five draft picks in 2023, including No. 7 overall. Strawther (No. 49), Camara (No. 54) and Evbuomwan (No. 77) may have the best chances to get drafted, per ESPN’s board.
The Hawks, who control the Nos. 16 and 46 picks, are hosting six prospects for a workout Friday. They are Maxwell Lewis (Pepperdine), Mike Miles Jr. (TCU), Kris Murray (Iowa), Pete Nance (North Carolina), Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Marquette) and Ben Sheppard (Belmont), as Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays (via Twitter). Murray (No. 25), Prosper (No. 29) and Sheppard (No. 36) are the highest rated by ESPN.

Pacific Notes: Williams, Lakers Free Agency, Clippers Draft, Vezenkov

June 1st, 2023 at 1:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Many owners around the league may not be happy about Monty Williams’ record-breaking contract to coach the Pistons, but Suns owner Mat Ishbia should be pleased. Since there was an offset provision in Williams’ contract, the Suns no longer owe him any money, John Gambadoro of 98.7 FM Phoenix tweets.

The Suns owed Williams approximately $21MM for the remaining three years on his deal but the Pistons are paying him far more than that, having reportedly agreed on a six-year, $78.5MM contract.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Bruce Brown, Torrey Craig, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Okogie, Max Strus and Yuta Watanabe are some of the wing options the Lakers might explore with their non-taxpayer mid-level exception, Jovan Buha of The Athletic opines in his latest mailbag. Buha delves into a number of topics, including the possibility of LeBron James choosing to retire.
If the Clippers retain their draft picks (No. 30 overall in the first round, No. 48 in the second round), they’ll likely use one of them on a power forward that they can develop, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. The organization hasn’t drafted a true power forward in the first round since 2016.
EuroLeague Most Valuable Player Sasha Vezenkov, whose NBA rights are held by the Kings, says he’s ready for new challenges, as Sportando relays. In a Bulgarian TV interview, Vezenkov said, “Nobody knows what will happen in a few years, so I will decide how to proceed when the time comes. We agreed that it would be best to finish the season and then talk. We’ll see if they have a specific offer and what I will decide. I’m ready for new challenges, but as I’ve said before, Athens and Olympiacos are my home and I feel great.” Vezenkov has buyout language in his Olympiacos contract if he wants to sign with Sacramento.

Pistons Notes: Walker, Miller, Williams, Draft Pick Trades

May 31st, 2023 at 7:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Houston’s Jarace Walker appears to be the most likely draft choice for the Pistons, but the possibility of Alabama’s Brandon Miller sliding to No. 5 shouldn’t be dismissed, Mike Curtis of The Detroit News writes in a mailbag column. Miller is currently expected to be taken second or third, but unanswered questions about his connection to a fatal shooting in January continue to hang over him. He reportedly brought a legal brief from his attorneys to the draft combine that explained why he couldn’t go into detail about the case.

If the Hornets opt for Scoot Henderson at No. 2, Curtis views the Trail Blazers‘ pick as unpredictable due to rumors that they’re seeking to trade it for veteran help. The Rockets would also have to pass on Miller at No. 4, and while Curtis admits the scenario seems unlikely, he says it’s possible that Miller could continue to slip if teams are concerned about his legal issues.

If Detroit does wind up with Walker, Curtis sees it as a smooth fit for an organization that hopes to rebuild around defense. Walker is considered one of the strongest front court defenders in the draft, and he’s versatile enough to handle either forward position and maybe even see time as a small-ball center. Curtis notes that Walker has exhibited some promise as a play-maker as well.

There’s more from Detroit:

A report earlier today indicated that the Pistons are willing to give Monty Williams $10MM per year to become their next head coach, and Marc Stein states in an email that the offers he has heard are $50MM over five years or $60MM over six years. Stein adds that owner Tom Gores‘ recent meetings with finalists Charles Lee and Kevin Ollie came after Williams turned down the team’s first offer. The Pistons view Williams as a perfect choice to establish the culture for a young roster, according to Stein.
There’s a wide variance in opinions on prospects after the top three, so the Pistons’ best move might be to trade back and pick up more draft assets, state James L. Edwards III and John Hollinger of The Athletic. The authors view the Thunder, Jazz and Wizards as teams that might have interest in moving up to No. 5.
Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required) also considers possible trades with the fifth pick, suggesting that it might be used in a package to get Jaylen Brown from the Celtics or Dejounte Murray from the Hawks.

Pistons Continue To Pursue Monty Williams

May 31st, 2023 at 11:39am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons remain in heavy pursuit of Monty Williams for their head coaching position, according to Shams Charania and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

Detroit has been hopeful since Williams was dismissed by Phoenix that he’d consider accepting the Pistons’ job and is preparing an offer in the neighborhood of $10MM per year for the veteran coach, league sources tell Charania and Edwards.

Marc Stein has been on top of this story, reporting last week that the Pistons’ efforts to hire Williams with a “big-money” offer had thus far been unsuccessful, then following up a few days later to say that the team may not have given up on the idea of landing Williams.

When Williams was let go by Phoenix, he still had $20MM+ left on his contract with the team, so there was a sense that he wouldn’t be in any rush to take another head coaching job this offseason. He told interested teams, including the Pistons and Bucks, that he was leaning toward taking a year off, per Charania and Edwards. However, the Pistons appear to be doing all they can to convince him to change his plans.

Reports earlier in May indicated that Detroit had narrowed its head coaching search to Bucks assistant Charles Lee, former Overtime Elite head coach Kevin Ollie, and Pelicans assistant Jarron Collins, but those three candidates have been referred to as finalists for weeks, with little indication that the club was nearing a decision.

If Williams ultimately decides to turn down the Pistons’ pitch, Lee is expected to be the team’s next choice, sources tell The Athletic. Lee and Ollie have both met twice with team owner Tom Gores and general manager Troy Weaver and remain in contention to replace Dwane Casey on Detroit’s bench, according to Charania and Edwards.

Poll: Pistons’ Lottery Pick

May 28th, 2023 at 8:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The biggest loser during the draft lottery was the Pistons. After finishing with the worst record, they entered the lottery at the top of the list. They slid all the way down to the No. 5 spot after the lottery was conducted.

The Pistons under general manager Troy Weaver are at a crossroads. The roster has been totally revamped since Weaver, who is never hesitant to wheel and deal, took over. There are lots of young players dotting the roster but it’s uncertain just how well those pieces fit.

Detroit should be significantly better next season just based on the fact it will have 2021 No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham back in action. Cunningham missed virtually the entire season due to shin surgery.

The Pistons’ 2022 lottery picks, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, showed plenty of promise in their rookie campaign. Certainly, the team is excited by the prospect of Ivey and Cunningham playing together a full season with 2020 lottery pick Killian Hayes backing them up.

Detroit acquired Marvin Bagley and James Wiseman – No. 2 overall picks who were busts with their original teams – over the past two seasons. The Pistons also have two highly valued veterans in Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks.

The franchise has to show major improvement next season to justify all the years of rebuilding. With the Pistons owing the Knicks a first-rounder, this could be the last time Detroit has a lottery pick in the near future.

There are a number of prospects to choose from at the No. 5 pick. Brandon Miller could theoretically slide down that far, though it’s a long shot. More likely, wings such as Cam Whitmore, Ausar Thompson and Anthony Black will be in play at that spot.

Weaver could shift gears and try to trade down in – or even out of – the first round for veteran help to give the Pistons a fighting chance to at least make the play-in tournament next season.

So what should the Pistons do with their first-rounder? Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in!

Draft Notes: Mensah, Ellis, Hill, Perry

May 28th, 2023 at 5:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Forward Nathan Mensah has workouts coming up with the Hornets, Grizzlies, Pistons, Bucks and Cavaliers, Adam Zagoria tweets. Mensah averaged 6.0 points and 5.9 rebounds for San Diego State last season during its run to the title game.

We have more draft-related info:

Arkansas’ El Ellis is withdrawing from the draft and will return to school next season, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein tweets. Ellis is transferring from Louisville, where he averaged 17.7 points and 4.4 assists last season.
UNLV forward Jalen Hill is also withdrawing the draft, Rothstein reports in another tweet. Hill averaged 9.7 points and 5.8 rebounds last season.
Tylor Perry is headed to Kansas State after withdrawing from the draft, Rothstein adds (Twitter link). Perry averaged 17.3 points for North Texas last season. Perry announced he was entering the draft in early April, though he wasn’t on the official league entry list.

Stein’s Latest: Irving, Russell, Wizards, M. Williams, Raptors

May 28th, 2023 at 8:58am CST by Arthur Hill

If the Lakers opt to pursue Kyrie Irving in free agency, the Mavericks wouldn’t be interested in taking back free agent guard D’Angelo Russell as the primary player in a sign-and-trade deal, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack column.

There hasn’t been any concrete information that trying to sign Irving is part of the Lakers’ offseason plans, Stein adds, but there’s plenty of speculation that LeBron James would like to reunite with his former Cavaliers teammate. L.A. was heavily rumored as a possible destination for Irving when he considered opting out of his contract last summer and again when he asked the Nets for a trade in February.

James’ retirement talk after being swept by Denver is widely seen as a message to the Lakers’ front office that a roster upgrade is needed, but Stein isn’t convinced that they’ll be active on the free agent market. He states that the team’s preferred plan is to reach new deals with two of its own free agents, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. It’s less certain that L.A. wants to keep Russell after his disastrous performance in the Western Conference Finals, Stein adds.

The Mavericks appear committed to keeping Irving after paying a high price to acquire him from Brooklyn, according to Stein. A report last weekend indicated that a “handshake deal” may already be in place for Irving to remain in Dallas.

Stein passes along more inside information:

Teams around the league are expecting new Wizards president Michael Winger to be aggressive in trying to reshape the roster this summer, but Bradley Beal‘s no-trade clause may complicate his plans. Stein points out that Beal has four seasons left on his five-year, $251MM contract and can’t be sent to any other team unless he agrees to the deal. Stein also wonders how the front office change will affect Kristaps Porzingis, who reportedly began extension talks in March.
Kevin Ollie and Charles Lee were set for second interviews this week for the Pistons‘ head coaching vacancy, but Stein hears that the team hasn’t given up on its pursuit of Monty Williams. The former Suns head coach reportedly turned down a “big-money” offer from Detroit, but some members of the organization are hoping he might reconsider.
A source tells Stein that Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernandez is a legitimate candidate to become the Raptors‘ new head coach.

Community Shootaround: Remaining Head Coaching Vacancies

May 27th, 2023 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks have reportedly made a decision on their next head coach, having landed on veteran assistant Adrian Griffin. That leaves four teams that are still looking for someone to fill their respective coaching vacancies: the Suns, Sixers, Raptors, and Pistons.

With Griffin apparently headed to Milwaukee, one more head coaching candidate is off the table for those four other teams, but that seems unlikely to have a significant impact on those searches.

Griffin hadn’t been linked to the openings in Phoenix or Philadelphia and wasn’t a finalist in Detroit. Toronto interviewed him, but it would have been a surprise if the Raptors took the exact approach they did during their last coaching search, promoting an assistant who worked under the coach they just fired.

The resolution of the Bucks’ hunt for a head coach could still have a domino effect on the remaining searches, however. Just before word broke that the team had chosen Griffin, a report indicated that Nick Nurse had removed his name from consideration.

Nurse is reportedly a finalist in Phoenix and has interviewed in Philadelphia as well. Did he pull out of the Bucks’ search because he knew he wasn’t their first choice or because he recognizes he has a legitimate chance to land one of those other jobs and wants to pursue it?

Besides Nurse, there are four other finalists for the Suns: Frank Vogel, Doc Rivers, Jordi Fernandez, and Kevin Young. Vogel has spoken to the Sixers, while Fernandez and Young are among the Raptors’ reported candidates.

The Pistons reportedly have three finalists: Kevin Ollie, Charles Lee, and Jarron Collins. However, the team has been eyeing that trio for weeks without any indication that a decision is imminent. Is Detroit simply satisfied to take its time and do as much homework as possible on its finalists, or could that search open up to more finalists before the club makes a call?

For what it’s worth, while Lee has interviewed for other jobs – including Toronto’s – Ollie and Collins don’t seem to be under serious consideration elsewhere.

With several searches linked in one way or the other, it will be interesting to see how many other teams follow the Bucks’ lead and make a decision in the coming days. In the meantime, we want to get your thoughts on how these coaching searches will resolve.

Who do you expect to become the next head coach in Phoenix, Philadelphia, Toronto, and Detroit? Is Nurse a lock for one of those jobs after pulling out of the Bucks’ search? Will we get any truly outside-the-box choices?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your predictions and thoughts.

Central Notes: Mannion, Bucks, LaVine, Cavs, Pistons

May 27th, 2023 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

Former Warriors guard Nico Mannion, who has spent the past two seasons in Europe, is expected to play for the Bucks‘ Summer League team this July, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com.

The No. 48 pick in the 2020 draft, Mannion spent just one season in Golden State, logging limited minutes in 30 games, before returning to his home country of Italy to play for Virtus Bologna. The former Arizona Wildcat is still just 22 years old, so there’s plenty of time for him to take another shot at the NBA.

However, it’s worth noting that Mannion wouldn’t be able to sign outright with the Bucks or another team, since the Warriors have tendered him a two-way qualifying offer in each of the last two offseasons, ensuring they still have his rights as a restricted free agent. If Golden State reissues that QO this summer, Mannion would once again be an RFA, giving the Warriors the ability to control his NBA free agency.

Here’s more from around the Central:

According to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, while the Knicks‘ reported interest at the trade deadline was overstated, a number of rival executives around the NBA are “skeptical about the long-term marriage” between the Bulls and Zach LaVine. Johnson cautions that the Bulls have backed LaVine at every opportunity and have shown no indications that they intend to move on from him anytime soon, but says the speculation about an eventual break-up that he heard at the combine was “prevalent enough to acknowledge.”
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com names Malik Beasley, Seth Curry, Yuta Watanabe, Terrence Ross, and Justin Holiday as some potential free agents who could be of interest to the Cavaliers this summer as the team seeks shooting help.
In a mock draft for The Detroit News (subscription required), Mike Curtis has the Pistons selecting Houston forward Jarace Walker at No. 5 overall, noting that the pick may not be the most exciting one Detroit could make, but arguing it would instantly make the team “more formidable” on defense. Curtis’ pick for the Pistons at No. 31 is Indiana forward Trayce Jackson-Davis.

2023 NBA Draft Picks By Team

May 27th, 2023 at 8:36am CST by Luke Adams

Two of the biggest winners on draft lottery night last week were the Hornets and Pacers. Charlotte moved up two spots from the pre-lottery standings to claim the No. 2 overall pick. The Pacers, meanwhile, stayed put in the lottery, but because San Antonio leapfrogged Houston in the first round, Indiana moved up 18 spots from No. 50 to No. 32 in the second round due to a convoluted set of trade criteria.

The Hornets and Pacers have something else in common: Charlotte and Indiana are the only teams that control more than three picks in the 2023 NBA draft. In fact, the two clubs own five selections apiece, accounting for 10 of the 58 total picks in this year’s event.

Nine additional teams each have three 2023 picks, joining the Hornets and Pacers to control nearly two-thirds of the draft — those 11 teams hold 37 of this year’s 58 picks, leaving the other 19 clubs to divvy up the remaining 21 selections.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, three teams don’t own any 2023 draft picks. The Bulls, Knicks, and Sixers will sit out this year’s event unless they acquire a pick via trade.

To present a clearer picture of which teams are most – and least – stocked with picks for the 2023 NBA draft, we’ve rounded up all 58 selections by team in the space below. Let’s dive in…

Teams with more than two picks:

Charlotte Hornets (5): 2, 27, 34, 39, 41
Indiana Pacers (5): 7, 26, 29, 32, 55
San Antonio Spurs (3): 1, 33, 44
Portland Trail Blazers (3): 3, 23, 43
Orlando Magic (3): 6, 11, 36
Washington Wizards (3): 8, 42, 57
Utah Jazz (3): 9, 16, 28
Oklahoma City Thunder (3): 12, 37, 50
Brooklyn Nets (3): 21, 22, 51
Sacramento Kings (3): 24, 38, 54
Memphis Grizzlies (3): 25, 45, 56

Teams with two picks:

Houston Rockets: 4, 20
Detroit Pistons: 5, 31
Atlanta Hawks: 15, 46
Los Angeles Lakers: 17, 47
Los Angeles Clippers: 30, 48

Teams with one pick:

Dallas Mavericks: 10
Toronto Raptors: 13
New Orleans Pelicans: 14
Miami Heat: 18
Golden State Warriors: 19
Boston Celtics: 35
Denver Nuggets: 40
Cleveland Cavaliers: 49
Phoenix Suns: 52
Minnesota Timberwolves: 53
Milwaukee Bucks: 58

Teams with no picks:

Chicago Bulls
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers