- The Pacers’ original list of six draft prospects brought in for workouts on Monday had some alterations, James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star tweets. Creighton’s Alex O’Connell replaced Overtime Elite’s Kok Yat, and Washington State’s Michael Flowers replaced Toledo’s Ryan Rollins.
Echoing what ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported last month, Jeremy Woo of SI.com says the “general expectation” around the league is that Jabari Smith is the favorite to be picked first overall by the Magic in the 2022 NBA draft. Woo notes that Orlando is doing its due diligence on several prospects at the top of this year’s draft class, but his “gut feeling” is that the team will ultimately land on Smith.
Woo’s latest mock draft for SI.com includes several other interesting tidbits. Here are a few highlights:
- Keegan Murray and Jaden Ivey are the two prospects most frequently linked to the Pacers by rival teams, though it’s unclear if either of them will still be available when Indiana picks at No. 6, Woo writes, adding that No. 6 appears to be Murray’s floor.
- Shaedon Sharpe earned some buzz at last month’s draft combine, but “some of that excitement has turned to trepidation” since teams left Chicago, according to Woo who suggests that Sharpe’s individual workouts will go a long way toward determining how he’s regarded by lottery teams.
- Woo has heard that Serbian wing Nikola Jovic would like to come to the NBA right away, so he won’t necessarily be a draft-and-stash pick.
- Some people around the NBA believe the Thunder may look to package their No. 12 pick and a future pick or two to acquire a second top-10 selection, says Woo. Oklahoma City also controls the second overall pick.
- Rival teams believe the Knicks will likely target a point guard or a big man at No. 11, per Woo, who believes it’s possible both Mark Williams and Jalen Duren will be available at that spot. TyTy Washington‘s name has also come up in Woo’s conversations as a player to watch at No. 11.Washington worked out on Monday for the Knicks and told reporters, including Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link) that he also workouts on tap with the Pelicans (No. 8), Spurs (No. 9), Wizards (No. 10), and Cavaliers (No. 14).
- The Pacers have a $1.8MM option on Oshae Brissett‘s contract for next season, but Tony East of Forbes explains why it might be more beneficial for Indiana to decline that option and make him a restricted free agent now rather than allowing him to become unrestricted in 2023.
The Cavaliers are confident about keeping Collin Sexton, but he’ll have multiple suitors when he hits restricted free agency next month, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
Although the Cavs can match any offer that Sexton receives, there may be a point where he becomes too expensive. Multiple sources tell Fedor that Sexton and his representatives are asking for “starting guard money” in a new contract, which would begin at around $20MM per season.
Fedor adds that Sexton and the team discussed a rookie scale extension last summer that wasn’t quite that high, but they couldn’t reach an agreement before the deadline. With Rich Paul of Klutch Sports now representing Sexton and several teams reportedly interested in signing him, this year’s negotiations will have a new starting point, according to Fedor.
Sexton has been a starting guard for virtually his entire time in the NBA, but he played just 11 games this season before having knee surgery. Cleveland became a surprise contender in the East before fading amid late-season injuries, and it’s not clear what Sexton’s role will look like if he does return.
Sources tell Fedor there will be plenty of interest in Sexton once he hits the open market, with the Pistons and Pacers considered to be the top threats. Both teams can pair him with taller guards and won’t have to rely on him as their primary playmaker. A member of the Cavs’ front office speculated to Fedor that Detroit may make Sexton its top offseason priority, particularly if Jalen Brunson remains in Dallas.
The Pistons and Pacers are two of the five teams with enough cap space to extend a significant offer to Sexton, and Fedor hears the Spurs may be interested as well. The others, the Trail Blazers and Magic, aren’t expected to pursue Sexton, but Fedor states that the Wizards may have interest in a sign-and-trade.
What would it take for teams without cap room to ink Zach LaVine and engineer a sign-and-trade? Evan Sidery of Basketball News takes a look at several potential trades in which LaVine winds up with the Heat, Hawks or Mavericks. In the Hawks’ case, Sidery speculates that a three-way deal in which the Bulls receive Kevin Huerter and Onyeka Okongwu and the Pacers get Danilo Gallinari and a 2023 first-round pick from the Hawks might work.
- The Pacers will work out six draft prospects on Monday, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets. That group includes Teddy Allen (New Mexico State), Terrell Brown Jr. (Washington), Max Christie (Michigan State), Ryan Rollins (Toledo), Peyton Watson (UCLA) and Kok Yat (Overtime Elite).
Pacers wing Lance Stephenson underwent surgery on his right knee in Chicago sometime after the team’s season ended in April, league sources tell Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. According to Agness, the procedure removed “a few loose particles” from the knee.
Stephenson’s exact recovery timeline is unclear, but he’s already back on the floor taking shots, Agness says, so it sounds like the veteran should be ready to go by the time training camp rolls around in the fall, barring any setbacks.
Following a 10-day stint with Atlanta in December, Stephenson signed a series of 10-day contracts with Indiana in January, then finalized a rest-of-season deal with the club in February. The 31-year-old appeared in a total of 40 games for Indiana, averaging 9.3 PPG, 3.9 APG, and 2.8 RPG on .458/.310/.795 shooting in 18.6 minutes per contest.
Stephenson will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but he and the Pacers have mutual interest in a new deal, sources tell Agness. The former second-round pick has had three separate stints with the Pacers and has become a fan favorite over the years in Indiana. A report in April suggested he’d like to spend the rest of his career with the team.
Veteran Pistons forward Jerami Grant could be one of the NBA’s most intriguing trade candidates this summer. The 28-year-old Grant may not fit the timeline of the rebuilding Pistons, who will be looking to add another blue-chip prospect with the No. 5 pick in the 2022 draft alongside 2021 No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham.
Grant, who has one year remaining on his current contract, is extension-eligible this offseason, but figures to be a trade chip if the Pistons aren’t prepared to extend him. Sources inform James L. Edwards III and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic that the Hawks were interested in dealing for Grant during the 2021/22 season, and suggest that that remains the case, exploring what a deal between Detroit and Atlanta might look like.
The Hawks have a need for a defensive-oriented player who can guard along the perimeter and handle. Edwards and Kirschner believe Atlanta’s most viable offer for Grant would likely include Bogdan Bogdanovic and the team’s No. 16 pick.
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- When it comes to the draft, Pistons general manager Troy Weaver prioritizes hard-working competitors, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Langlois views this year’s draft, which will be Weaver’s third in his lead role for the Detroit front office, as an interesting opportunity to gauge the level of risk Weaver is willing to take. Detroit possesses the fifth pick in the 2022 draft. Langlois notes that the club could draft a 22-year-old with several years of college experience in Iowa forward Keegan Murray, or, on the other end of the spectrum, a 19-year-old who never suited up for his college team in Shaedon Sharpe.
- The Pacers, owners of the No. 6 pick in the 2022 draft, held a pre-draft workout on Tuesday for several guard prospects, per James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). Boyd notes that Oral Roberts guard Max Abmas, Kansas shooting guard Christian Braun, Arizona guard Dalen Terry, Purdue shooting guard Sasha Stefanovic, Belmont point guard Grayson Murphy, and Northern Iowa guard AJ Green worked out for Indiana.
- Following an exciting 2021/22 season, the Cavaliers face an uncertain offseason. Cleveland went 44-38, but did not advance out of the play-in tournament. In a new mailbag, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link) addresses the market for restricted free agent guard Collin Sexton, potential trade candidates that could help Cleveland take the next step in the East, and other topics. Fedor hears from sources that the Spurs, in particular, “have some Sexton fans in their front office.”
If the Knicks can’t get their preferred choices at point guard, the Timberwolves‘ D’Angelo Russell could become an option this summer, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
New York has a strong connection to Russell in Gersson Rosas, who was recently named senior basketball advisor after spending time with the organization as a consultant. Fischer notes that when Rosas was president of basketball operations in Minnesota, he traded Andrew Wiggins and a lottery pick to the Warriors for Russell in 2020 after missing out on him in free agency.
Russell, who has a $31.4MM expiring contract next season, took some heat after a disappointing performance in the Wolves’ brief playoff run. The emergence of other backcourt options in Minnesota might make him expendable as the team looks to the future.
Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell remains the Knicks’ dream choice, but getting him appears unlikely even if Utah decides to shake up its roster, Fischer writes. He cites “healthy skepticism” around the league that New York can make the best offer for Mitchell, noting that Miami could potentially put together a deal centered around Tyler Herro and multiple first-round picks.
The Knicks have also been linked to Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson, who is headed toward free agency, but Fischer hears there’s a “growing sense” around the league that Brunson will remain in Dallas. Fischer expects Brunson’s new contract to top $20MM per season and says John Collins‘ five-year, $125MM extension could be a good comparison.
New York can only offer four years to Brunson and would need to clear out significant cap space first. Sources tell Fischer that the Knicks unsuccessfully tried to move Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel ahead of the trade deadline to begin opening cap room. Fischer cites league executives who believe New York would have to include either the No. 11 pick in this year’s draft or Immanuel Quickley in any deal to unload salary.
Fischer adds that one factor working in the Knicks’ favor in their pursuit of Brunson is that they can offer him the chance to be the undisputed leader of the offense, which he won’t have in Dallas playing alongside Luka Doncic. Fischer notes that if Brunson signs with the Pistons, who are also reported to be interested, he would be in the same situation with Cade Cunningham.
Sources also tell Fischer that New York won’t be among the teams pursuing Cavaliers free agent guard Collin Sexton. Cleveland is interested in keeping him, but it could be difficult considering the team’s salary commitment to other players. Fischer hears that the Pacers, Pistons and Wizards will all be in the market for Sexton.
- Evan Sidery of Basketball News looks at five potential trade destinations for Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon, who may no longer be in the team’s plans after the acquisition of Tyrese Haliburton. Sidery proposes potential deals involving the Suns, Jazz, Lakers, Timberwolves and Heat.
The fractured finger that All-Star Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has been struggling with since March has healed, sources inform Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link).
Fedor adds that over ten Cleveland players are returning to the club’s practice facility this week. Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton is partaking in on-court workouts but is not yet practicing with others, Fedor adds. Sexton is still on the mend from a meniscus tear that cost him all but 11 games this season.
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- The Cavaliers are among the NBA teams scouting Israeli Basketball Premier League big man Chinanu Οnuaku, per Aris Barkas and Stefan Djordjevic of Eurohoops. After being selected by the Rockets with the No. 37 pick in the 2016 draft, Onuaku played for two years with Houston and its NBAGL affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He has since suited up for clubs in Korea, Croatia and now Israel, where his club, Bnei Herzliya, is facing Maccabi Tel Aviv in the league semifinals. Barkas and Djordjevic note that EuroLeague teams are also intrigued by Onuaku’s recent performance.
- The Pacers‘ home arena is putting the finishing touches on a three-year facelift. Gainbridge Fieldhouse is closing its doors until October as it undergoes the last in a series of renovations that will total a projected sticker price of $360MM, writes Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files.
- A league source has told Marc Berman of the New York Post that the Pistons are expected to pursue unrestricted free agent center Mitchell Robinson, now that draft target Chet Holmgren, projected to be a top-three pick, appears to be off the table for Detroit. The Pistons slipped to No. 5 in the draft as a result of the lottery.