- Stan Van Gundy was one-and-done as the Pelicans‘ head coach, while Tom Thibodeau was named Coach of the Year in his first season with the Knicks. The fact that the Knicks’ top players bought in to Thibodeau’s style and schemes while the Pelicans’ young core didn’t do the same with their veteran coach led to Van Gundy’s demise, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune writes. The Knicks also had more experienced players on their roster than the Pelicans, another reason why Van Gundy failed and Thibodeau thrived.
Baylor guard Jared Butler has been referred to a Fitness to Play panel by the NBA, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Butler won’t be able to play or practice in the league until he’s cleared. In the short term, he’s also unable to participate in on-court elements of the pre-draft process, though he can still meet with teams and conduct off-court activities (Twitter link).
While it’s unclear what aspect of Butler’s medicals caught the NBA’s attention, the league’s Fitness to Play panels typically deal with cardiac illnesses or conditions, or issues related to blood clots and other blood disorders. Hopefully this setback is just a temporary one for precautionary reasons and Butler is cleared to get back on the court soon.
Here are a few more draft-related updates:
- Tennessee shooting guard Keon Johnson set a new record at this week’s draft combine with a 48-inch vertical leap, per the league (video link). A projected lottery pick, Johnson is considered one of the most athletic and explosive players in this year’s draft class.
- Johnson is one of 10 players that Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee identifies as possible targets for the Kings with the No. 9 overall pick. Elsewhere in the back half of the lottery, William Guillory of The Athletic names five candidates for the Pelicans at No. 10, while Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News considers the Spurs‘ options at No. 12.
- Jeremy Woo of SI.com (Twitter link) hears that Day’Ron Sharpe of North Carolina has withdrawn from the draft combine, pulling out of team interviews and not getting his measurements taken. Sharpe, ranked 31st overall by ESPN, is still expected to remain in this year’s draft pool, so his motivations for withdrawing from the combine are unclear.
- In the wake of this week’s lottery results, Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link), Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic are among the draft experts who have published new 2021 mock drafts.
Veteran center Pau Gasol, who has represented Spain in four Olympic tournaments so far, remains on track to be part of the team in Tokyo, per an Associated Press report. Gasol was one of 18 players included on Spain’s preliminary roster for the Tokyo games, joining his brother – Lakers center Marc Gasol – and Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio.
Timberwolves forward Juan Hernangomez, Pelicans big man Willy Hernangomez, and projected first-round pick Usman Garuba are among the other notable names on Spain’s preliminary roster, according to The Associated Press.
Here’s more on the Tokyo Olympics:
- Sixers All-Star Ben Simmons isn’t expected to play for Australia in the Olympics, tweets Brian Windhorst of ESPN. After a tough postseason, Simmons will spend the offseason focused on developing skills, including his jump shot.
- No African team has ever earned an Olympic medal – or even advanced beyond the preliminary stage – in the men’s basketball tournament, so Nigeria head coach Mike Brown will be looking to make history in Tokyo, writes Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. According to Colin Udoh of ESPN, Nuggets guard Monte Morris, Raptors forward OG Anunoby, Pistons big man Jahlil Okafor, Jazz teammates Miye Oni and Udoka Azubuike, and Heat teammates Precious Achiuwa and KZ Okpala are among the new additions to Nigeria’s roster.
- Turkey has announced its preliminary roster for the upcoming Olympic qualifying tournament in Canada, as Sportando relays. In addition to NBA players like Cedi Osman, Ersan Ilyasova, Furkan Korkmaz, and Omer Yurtseven, the squad includes projected first-round pick Alperen Sengun.
- Cavaliers guard Darius Garland will be part of the U.S. Select Team that scrimmages against Team USA’s Olympic squad ahead of the Tokyo games, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes. Cavs center Jarrett Allen has also received an invite to join the Select Team, but hasn’t made a decision yet, Fedor adds.
It wasn’t a great night for the Thunder at Tuesday’s draft lottery. The team had about a two-in-three chance that its own first-round pick would land in the top five and nearly a 50-50 chance that Houston’s pick would slide to No. 5, allowing OKC to swap the No. 18 selection for it. Instead, the Rockets kept their own pick and the Thunder’s selection slipped to No. 6.
Still, no NBA team has more draft picks in 2021 than the Thunder, who control three first-round selections and three more second-rounders.
The Pelicans, Pistons, Knicks, and Nets join them as teams that hold at least four draft picks this year. Those five clubs currently control 23 of the 60 picks in the 2021 draft, so it’s probably safe to assume they’ll be active on the trade market before or during the draft.
To present a clearer picture of which teams are most – and least – stocked with picks for the 2021 NBA draft, we’ve rounded up all 60 picks by team in the space below. Let’s dive in…
Teams with more than two picks:
- Oklahoma City Thunder (6): 6, 16, 18, 34, 36, 55
- Brooklyn Nets (5): 27, 29, 44, 49, 59
- Detroit Pistons (4): 1, 37, 42, 52
- New Orleans Pelicans (4): 17, 35, 43, 51
- New York Knicks (4): 19, 21, 32, 58
- Houston Rockets (3): 2, 23, 24
- Toronto Raptors (3): 4, 46, 47
- Orlando Magic (3): 5, 8, 33
- Charlotte Hornets (3): 11, 56, 57
- Indiana Pacers (3): 13, 54, 60
- Philadelphia 76ers (3): 28, 50, 53
Teams with two picks:
- Golden State Warriors: 7, 14
- Sacramento Kings: 9, 39
- San Antonio Spurs: 12, 41
- Memphis Grizzlies: 10, 40
- Atlanta Hawks: 20, 48
Teams with one pick:
- Cleveland Cavaliers: 3
- Washington Wizards: 15
- Los Angeles Lakers: 22
- Los Angeles Clippers: 25
- Denver Nuggets: 26
- Utah Jazz: 30
- Milwaukee Bucks: 31
- Chicago Bulls: 38
- Boston Celtics: 45
Teams with no picks:
- Dallas Mavericks
- Miami Heat
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Phoenix Suns
- Portland Trail Blazers
With Tuesday night’s lottery results now official, the top 14 slots for the 2021 NBA draft have been set. The lottery order is as follows:
- Detroit Pistons
- Houston Rockets
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Toronto Raptors
- Orlando Magic
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Golden State Warriors (from Timberwolves)
- Orlando Magic (from Bulls)
- Sacramento Kings
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Charlotte Hornets
- San Antonio Spurs
- Indiana Pacers
- Golden State Warriors
It’s a huge win for the Pistons and for general manager Troy Weaver, who had one of the best drafts of any NBA team in 2020, nabbing Killian Hayes, Isaiah Stewart, Saddiq Bey, and Saben Lee. This time around, Detroit is in position to draft Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham, who is widely considered to be the No. 1 prospect in the 2021 draft class.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), the plan is for Cunningham to visit just one team before the July 29 draft: the Pistons.
The Rockets, like Detroit, entered the night with the best odds at landing a top-four pick (52.1%). And while they ended up at No. 2 rather than No. 1, it’s a major relief for the franchise, which would have had to send its pick to the Thunder in exchange for the No. 18 selection if it had landed outside of the top four.
Rather than falling out of the lottery, Houston is poised to take its pick from a top tier of prospects that includes Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs, Jalen Green, and Jonathan Kuminga. Whichever player the Rockets select figures to become the centerpiece of the team’s rebuild.
The Cavaliers and Raptors moved up in the lottery standings, from fifth and seventh respectively, into the top four. As we noted in our Cavs offseason preview earlier today, Cleveland hasn’t missed on any of its recent lottery picks, but also hasn’t landed a prospect who looks capable of being the club’s franchise player. The Cavs may get that opportunity in 2021.
As for the Raptors, after making the playoffs for seven straight seasons and winning a title in 2019, they had a disastrous 2020/21 campaign, displaced from their home in Toronto due to the coronavirus pandemic and dealing with constant COVID-19 and injury issues. They’re now in position to add an intriguing young player to a core that already includes Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, and OG Anunoby.
Although none of the teams that moved into the top four did so from the bottom half of the lottery, it’s worth noting that the No. 7 spot in the lottery standings has been especially lucky since the NBA revamped the format three years ago. The Pelicans moved up to No. 1 from that position in 2019, allowing them to draft Zion Williamson. In 2020, the Hornets moved from No. 7 to No. 3, putting them in position to select eventual Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball. Now the Raptors have moved up from that spot too.
The night’s biggest losers include the Timberwolves and Bulls, who would have held onto their lottery picks if they had moved into the top three and the top four, respectively. Instead, those picks will be sent to the Warriors and Magic at No. 7 and No. 8.
The Magic‘s own pick and the Thunder‘s selection slipped two spots as a result of the lottery — they’ll pick at No. 5 and No. 6.
It was still a good night for the Magic, who control two of the top eight picks in a strong draft, but the outcome wasn’t great for Oklahoma City. The Thunder entered the evening with the potential to come away with two top-five picks. Instead, they’ll have zero, having lost the ability to swap first-rounders with Houston.
The 9-14 picks in the draft lottery standings remained unchanged.
The Pelicans have received permission to interview Nets assistant Jacque Vaughn and Bucks assistant Charles Lee for their open head coaching position, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Vaughn is one of several Nets assistants receiving interest this offseason as a head coaching candidate, along with Mike D’Antoni and Ime Udoka. Vaughn served as the head coach of the Magic from 2012-15 and briefly assumed control of the Nets last summer following Kenny Atkinson‘s dismissal. He has otherwise worked as an assistant coach in San Antonio and Brooklyn since 2010.
Lee, meanwhile, began his coaching career as an assistant at Bucknell in 2012. Since 2014, he has been a Mike Budenholzer lieutenant, having worked under Budenholzer in Atlanta from 2014-18 and in Milwaukee from 2018 until the present. Lee has also been mentioned as a potential head coaching candidate for Boston and Orlando this month.
The Pelicans, who are seeking a replacement for Stan Van Gundy, are also expected to consider some in-house options, including assistant coach Fred Vinson. Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups, and Udoka are the other external candidates who have been cited as possible targets for New Orleans, though it’s unclear if any of them will interview for the job.
The 2021 NBA draft lottery will take place on Tuesday night prior to Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals between the Clippers and Suns. The half-hour event will be broadcast on ESPN beginning at 7:30 pm central time.
This year’s draft pool features a group of five prospects widely considered to be a level above the rest of the class. Cade Cunningham leads the way, followed in some order by Evan Mobley, Jalen Green, Jalen Suggs, and Jonathan Kuminga. Teams that move into the top four on Tuesday night will have the opportunity to snag one of those potential future stars.
Here’s what you need to know heading into tonight’s lottery:
Pre-Lottery Draft Order:
The top 14 picks in the 2021 NBA draft would look like this if tonight’s lottery results don’t change the order:
- Houston Rockets
- Note: The Thunder will have the ability to swap the Heat’s first-round pick (No. 18) for this selection if it falls outside of the top four (47.9% chance).
- Note: The Thunder will have the ability to swap the Heat’s first-round pick (No. 18) for this selection if it falls outside of the top four (47.9% chance).
- Detroit Pistons
- Orlando Magic
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Golden State Warriors (from Timberwolves)
- Note: The Timberwolves will retain this pick if it moves into the top three (27.6% chance).
- Note: The Timberwolves will retain this pick if it moves into the top three (27.6% chance).
- Toronto Raptors
- Orlando Magic (from Bulls)
- Note: The Bulls will retain this pick if it moves into the top four (20.3% chance).
- Note: The Bulls will retain this pick if it moves into the top four (20.3% chance).
- Sacramento Kings
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Charlotte Hornets
- San Antonio Spurs
- Indiana Pacers
- Golden State Warriors
For the full pre-lottery draft order, click here.
Draft Lottery Odds:
The Rockets, Pistons, and Magic have the best odds to land the No. 1 pick. Each of those three teams has a 14.0% chance to pick first overall, and a 52.1% shot at a top-four pick.
From there, the Thunder (45.1%), Cavaliers (45.1%), Timberwolves (37.2%), and Raptors (31.9%) have the best odds to land in the top four.
For the full draft lottery odds for all 14 spots, click here.
Trades Affecting The Draft Lottery:
Three trades have the potential to shake up Tuesday’s lottery results in a significant way, potentially altering the course of multiple franchises. Here are the details on those deals:
Rockets/Thunder
The Thunder have the ability to swap either their own first-round pick or the Heat’s first-round pick (No. 18) for the Rockets‘ first-rounder, but only if Houston’ selection lands outside the top four.
Since Oklahoma City’s own pick is also a lottery selection, there are essentially just two scenarios in play here:
- The Rockets’ pick lands in the top four and Houston keeps it. The Thunder would keep their own pick, along with the Heat’s pick at No. 18 (52.1% chance).
- The Rockets’ pick lands at No. 5 and the Thunder swap the No. 18 pick for it (47.9% chance).
The Thunder’s ability to swap picks with the Rockets won’t carry over to next season if Houston’s pick is protected.
Timberwolves/Warriors
The Timberwolves owe the Warriors their top-three protected first-round pick, so Golden State will receive the pick if it lands at No. 4 or lower. Technically, it can’t end up at No. 5, but 1-4 and 6-10 are all possibilities.
There’s a 27.6% chance this pick lands in the top three and remains with Minnesota, with a 72.4% chance Golden State gets it. It has a 9.6% chance of moving up to No. 4, and a 62.8% chance of ending up between 6-10. No. 7 (29.7%) or No. 8 (20.6%) are the most likely outcomes.
If the Wolves’ pick lands in the top three and is protected, they’d owe the Warriors their unprotected first-round pick in 2022.
Bulls/Magic
The Bulls owe the Magic their top-four protected first-round pick. It can’t land between 5-7, but Orlando will get it if it ends up in the 8-12 range.
There’s a 20.3% chance the pick will move into the top four, allowing Chicago to keep it, with a 79.7% chance Orlando gets it. No. 8 (34.5%) or No. 9 (36.2%) are, by far, the most likely outcomes.
If the Bulls’ pick lands in the top four and is protected, they’d owe the Magic their top-three protected first-round pick in 2022.
Draft Lottery Representatives:
The on-camera representatives for each of this year’s lottery teams are as follows, according to a press release issued by the NBA:
Houston Rockets: Hakeem Olajuwon (former player)
- Detroit Pistons: Ben Wallace (former player)
- Orlando Magic: Jeff Weltman (president of basketball operations)
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Nazr Mohammed (OKC Blue general manager / Thunder pro scout)
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Koby Altman (general manager)
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards
- Toronto Raptors: Fred VanVleet
- Chicago Bulls: Marc Eversley (general manager)
- Sacramento Kings: Monte McNair (general manager)
- New Orleans Pelicans: Swin Cash (VP of basketball operations and team development)
- Charlotte Hornets: Miles Bridges
- San Antonio Spurs: Peter J. Holt (managing partner)
- Indiana Pacers: Nancy Leonard (former Pacers executive / widow of Hall-of-Famer Slick Leonard)
- Golden State Warriors: Rick Welts (president / COO)
Lottery Format:
This will be the third year that the NBA uses its revamped lottery system, which reduces the odds that the league’s very worst teams will land a top pick and makes the top four selections available via the lottery, instead of the top three.
Before the NBA changed its lottery format, there was a 60.5% chance that one of the league’s bottom three teams would secure the No. 1 pick, and only a 27.6% chance that a team in the 5-14 range of the lottery standings would do so. Now, those odds are 42.0% and 45.5%, respectively.
The results in the last two years have shown that the smoothed-out odds have the potential to create a little more mayhem on lottery night.
In 2019, the Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Lakers claimed three of the top four picks despite ranking seventh, eighth, and 11th, respectively, in the lottery standings. In 2020, the Hornets and Bulls each moved up four spots, from Nos. 7 and 8 to Nos. 3 and 4, respectively. If those seventh and eighth lottery seeds get lucky again this year, it’d be great news for Toronto and Chicago.
For full details on the revamped lottery format, click here.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
- Zion Williamson‘s frustration with the Pelicans should fuel the team’s future internal growth, Scott Kushner of The Times-Picayune writes. New Orleans parted ways with head coach Stan Van Gundy last week after missing the playoffs with just a 31-41 record. For his part, Williamson averaged 27 points and 7.2 rebounds per game on the season.
Assistant coaches Ime Udoka (Nets), Darvin Ham (Bucks) and Chauncey Billups (Clippers) are expected to get interviewed a second time by the Celtics’ brass for the head coaching job vacated by new president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. While that trio is viewed as serious candidates for the job, others are still under consideration.
Udoka has received endorsements from Celtics players who were members of the U.S. national team in the 2019 World Cup tournament, according to Wojnarowski. Ham has interviewed for several head-coaching jobs in the past two years, while Billups has drawn interest from the Trail Blazers, Wizards, Magic and Pelicans for their current openings.
We have more Celtics news:
- By shedding Kemba Walker‘s salary in a trade with the Thunder on Friday, the Celtics believe they’ll have a better chance of re-signing free agent Evan Fournier, Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald tweets. The trade also increases the possibility of signing another free agent to the full mid-level exception, Murphy adds.
- Walker’s 15% trade kicker was nullified due to his large salary, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus tweets. Walker’s $34,379,100 salary this season, coupled with him being a nine-year veteran until August 2, exceeded the $32,742,000 maximum. He couldn’t earn anything above that, so the trade bonus was voided. If Walker had been traded once the new league year began in August, he could’ve received a portion of that bonus.
- Robert Williams and Marcus Smart are two other prominent players who could be on the move, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Boston’s roster is overloaded with centers and Williams could be used to bring in a backcourt piece. Smart has an expiring $14.4MM contract next season and is eligible for an extension that could go as high as $17.MM in the first year. If Smart believes he could get more on the free agent market next year, the team may consider moving him now and getting assets in return.
There were signs that Stan Van Gundy might not return for another season as Pelicans head coach well before the news became official Wednesday, according to Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and William Guillory of The Athletic. Earlier today, we shared their insights into Zion Williamson‘s future in New Orleans, and they have information on the coaching situation as well.
Van Gundy expressed his frustrations about the team’s performance to an assistant coach during a late-season bus trip, and someone relayed those comments to executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin with a warning that Van Gundy may not want to go through another season. Additionally, a meeting between Van Gundy and Griffin prior to the last weekend of the season turned out poorly, according to sources.
Sources also tell the authors that Brandon Ingram, who earned an All-Star nod under previous coach Alvin Gentry, didn’t like Van Gundy’s coaching methods. Ingram frequently talked about the way he and Williamson were used when they were on the court together, saying they rarely created better shot opportunities for each other.
There’s more from New Orleans:
- The Pelicans will face important decisions this summer on two players who were at the heart of the Anthony Davis trade, Charania, Vardon and Guillory add in the same story. Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart will both be restricted free agents and will be seeking substantial raises. Hart has become a vocal leader on a team without a strong veteran presence, and Williamson and Ingram have spoken out in favor of bringing both players back.
- The puzzling decisions to trade for Steven Adams and then give him a two-year extension look worse than ever, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. New Orleans gave up a first-round pick in the deal for the veteran center, who clogs the lane and takes away room for Williamson to operate. Hollinger also questions the choice to take Eric Bledsoe‘s sizable contract from the Bucks instead of George Hill in the Jrue Holiday trade.
- The latest coaching change comes at a crucial time for the franchise, Hollinger adds. The Pelicans’ lease in New Orleans expires in 2024, so there’s a need to put a competitive team on the floor as soon as possible to ease any fears of relocation. He adds that owner Gayle Benson is very connected to the city and isn’t currently looking to sell, but the team continues to lose money while missing the playoffs.