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Scotto’s Latest: Portis, Johnson, Graham, Nets, Batum, More

June 22nd, 2022 at 7:31am CST by Luke Adams

Within his latest round-up of NBA rumors, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms a number of items that have been previously reported or speculated. According to Scotto, Bucks forward Bobby Portis is widely expected to decline his $4.56MM player option to become a free agent, the Lakers are considered a strong bet to pick up Stanley Johnson‘s $2.35MM team option, and Pelicans guard Devonte’ Graham is available in trade talks.

Scotto’s article includes several other intriguing tidbits related to the draft, free agency, and the trade market. Here are some of the highlights:

  • The Nets have fielded trade inquiries on Joe Harris and Cam Thomas, according to Scotto, who says rival executives believe Brooklyn could potentially get a first-round pick in exchange for Thomas. While there’s a sense that Harris might be more available than in previous years due to the Nets’ February acquisition of Seth Curry, the team still believes Harris would be a useful piece on next year’s roster due to his ability to help on the boards and space the floor around Ben Simmons, Scotto writes.
  • The Timberwolves, Grizzlies, and Bucks are among the teams that have inquired about the No. 14 overall pick, currently held by the Cavaliers, league sources tell HoopsHype. Scotto previously reported that Cleveland would be open to the idea of moving down in the draft if it meant acquiring a future first-round pick.
  • Rival executives who spoke to Scotto believe veteran forward Nicolas Batum could be in line for a deal worth $10MM per year after turning down his player option. The Clippers would have the ability to go that high to re-sign Batum using his Early Bird rights.
  • Wake Forest forward Jake LaRavia has visited Milwaukee and worked out for the Bucks twice during the pre-draft process, Scotto reports. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who previously identified LaRavia as a player on Milwaukee’s radar, has him ranked 28th on ESPN’s big board of 2022 prospects. The Bucks hold the 24th overall pick.
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Draft Notes: Ivey, Griffin, Eason, Holmgren

June 20th, 2022 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

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.”
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Charania’s Latest: Kings, Collins, Capela, Wolves, Bridges, Pacers, More

June 20th, 2022 at 9:11am CST by Luke Adams

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.
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Wiggins Another Player To Win It All After Trade

June 18th, 2022 at 11:04am CST by Dana Gauruder
  • Andrew Wiggins followed the footsteps of Kevin Garnett and Kevin Love by winning an NBA championship after being dealt by the Timberwolves in a high-profile trade, Patrick Reusse of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. Reusse seeks out opinions from several sources as to why Wiggins has excelled with Golden State after underperforming with Minnesota.
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Thursday's Draft Workout Headlined By LaRavia

June 16th, 2022 at 4:19pm CST by Rory Maher
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Working Out Six Prospects Wednesday

June 15th, 2022 at 5:48pm CST by Rory Maher
  • The Timberwolves are also hosting workout of draft-eligible players on Wednesday, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). The group features multiple potential second-round picks, including Hugo Besson (No. 41 on ESPN’s board), Michael Foster Jr. (No. 49), Jean Montero (No. 52) and Gabe Brown (No. 78). It also includes Nysier Brooks, who is unranked, and David Roddy (No. 30), as Wolfson previously reported. The Wolves hold the Nos. 19, 40, 48 and 50 picks, but aren’t expected to have four rookies on the roster next season.
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Draft Notes: Daniels, Banchero, Nembhard, LaRavia

June 15th, 2022 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

By the time the draft rolls around next Thursday, G League Ignite guard Dyson Daniels will have worked out for every team picking between No. 4 and No. 11, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, who suggests within his latest mock draft that Daniels’ maturity has stood out to teams during interviews. The 19-year-old is increasingly being viewed as the sort of player whose versatility and high floor makes him one of the safest picks in the mid-lottery, Wasserman adds.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

  • Jeremy Woo of SI.com has published his final big board for 2022’s draft class, featuring a top three of Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero, and Jaden Ivey.
  • David Aldridge of The Athletic spoke to several coaches and executives to get their thoughts on this year’s top draft-eligible forwards, including Smith, Banchero, Keegan Murray, and AJ Griffin. One college assistant coach who talked to Aldridge said it was “a joke” that Banchero had to go to college for a year, since he was NBA-ready after high school.
  • The Bucks, Bulls, and Lakers are among the teams Gonzaga’s Andrew Nembhard has worked out for so far in the pre-draft process, he said today following a workout with the Pacers (Twitter link via James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star). Nembhard still has auditions on tap with the Thunder, Heat, and Timberwolves.
  • As part of a Q&A with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Wake Forest wing Jake LaRavia said he has workouts coming up with the Timberwolves, Warriors, and Pacers.
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David Roddy Working Out For Timberwolves

June 15th, 2022 at 7:45am CST by Luke Adams
  • Colorado State forward David Roddy, who went to high school in Minnesota, is working out for his hometown Timberwolves on Wednesday, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Roddy, the No. 30 prospect on ESPN’s big board, could be an option for the Wolves in the first round at No. 19 or in the second round if he slips — Minnesota holds the 40th, 48th, and 50th overall picks.
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Draft Notes: Green Room, Draft Targets, Comps, Mock, Minott

June 14th, 2022 at 2:42pm CST by Rory Maher

The list of prospects invited to the green room on draft night has expanded to 16, tweets ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. The list includes all of the top-16 ranked players on ESPN’s big board: Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey, Keegan Murray, Dyson Daniels, Shaedon Sharpe, Bennedict Mathurin, AJ Griffin, Jalen Duren, Johnny Davis, Ousmane Dieng, Malaki Branham, Mark Williams, Jeremy Sochan and Ochai Agbaji.

A source tells Givony that the list could expand further, with four more invites still a possibility. The draft is nine days away.

Here are some more draft-related notes:

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Draft Notes: Wesley, Sotto, Rockets, Timberwolves

June 13th, 2022 at 8:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Notre Dame shooting guard Blake Wesley has upcoming workouts scheduled with the Grizzlies, Heat and Bulls, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. Wesley told Robbins he had already worked out for the Spurs, Cavaliers, Bucks and Pistons.

A potential first-round selection, the 6’5” Wesley is ranked No. 27 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list.

We have more draft-related news:

  • International center prospect Kai Sotto will return to NBA team workouts this week on the West Coast after nursing a sprained ankle, Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com tweets. He already worked out for the Knicks, Magic and Hawks, among others. The 7’3” big man from the Philippines spent last season in Australia’s National Basketball League, averaging 7.5 PPG and 4.5 RPG for the Adelaide 36ers.
  • The Rockets are sitting at the No. 3 spot and will presumably take the remaining big man in the trio of Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero, unless there’s a draft-day surprise. The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen picks the brains of some NBA executives and a college coach to get a handle on how the trio’s skills will translate to the NBA.
  • The Timberwolves brought in six prospects on Monday, Andrew Slater tweets. That group included Tyson Etienne (Wichita State), Jermaine Samuels (Villanova), Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown,) Justin Lewis (Marquette), Fanbo Zeng (G League Ignite) and Kalob Ledoux (Louisiana Tech).
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