Orlando Magic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Notes: Cooper, Bezhanishvili, Williams, Johnson

July 24th, 2021 at 11:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

Potential late lottery pick Sharife Cooper has been making the rounds. He’s worked out for the Thunder, Rockets, Warriors, Lakers, Clippers and Celtics, Adam Zagoria of the New York Times tweets. As previously noted, Cooper has worked out for the Hornets and has also visited the Pacers. The Auburn point guard is currently ranked No. 17 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list.

We have more draft-related intel:

Giorgi Bezhanishvili has recently worked out for the Spurs, Hornets and Bulls, Zagoria reports in another tweet. The junior forward who played for Illinois is a potential second-round selection.
Ziaire Williams was brought in for a second workout with the Magic, draft expert Chad Ford tweets. The Stanford freshman wing is ranked No. 24 by ESPN, but Ford views Williams as a potential lottery selection. Orlando owns the No. 5 and 8 picks.
Jalen Johnson left Duke in mid-February after losing playing time but he brushes aside questions about his character, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee writes. “Those really aren’t red flags,” Johnson said. “People say a lot of things about me, but they say those things without knowing me. … I don’t like seeing that stuff and I know my parents see that stuff, and I know it hurts them, because at the end of the day these people are making judgments without knowing me, without speaking to me, without saying a word to me.” Johnson is still expected to go in the lottery.

Southeast Notes: Isaac, Wizards, Delany, Okongwu, Hawks

July 22nd, 2021 at 5:58pm CST by JD Shaw

Magic forward Jonathan Isaac is making strides in his recovery from a torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes.

Isaac, the No. 6 pick in 2017, suffered the injuries during a game last August. When asked when he’d be able to play in an NBA contest again, Isaac laughed.

“I can’t give you that,” he said. As Robbins notes, Magic officials are strict about giving recovery details out. “I really can’t give you that. But I’m feeling good. I’ve been able to really kind of get moving as of late. I’ve been able to get some work done with Coach on the court, so I feel good. I don’t have a specific timeline on anything, but I’m OK. I’m getting there.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division today:

The Wizards are closing in on hiring Pat Delany as an assistant on Wes Unseld Jr‘s staff, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). Delany most recently served as an assistant coach under Steve Clifford with the Magic.
Chris Kirschner of The Athletic examines what Onyeka Okongwu‘s shoulder surgery means for the Hawks. Okongwu, the team’s No. 6 pick in 2020, is expected to miss roughly six months due to the surgery. He averaged 4.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 12 minutes per game in 50 contests this season.
In a separate story for The Athletic, Kirschner explores the Hawks’ incredible season — including some behind-the-scenes stories. Atlanta managed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals largely due to Trae Young‘s career year, losing to the Bucks in six games.

Draft Rumors: Warriors, Kings, Pacers, Cavs, Raptors, Magic, OKC

July 22nd, 2021 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors, Kings, and Pacers are among the late-lottery teams that are exploring trade scenarios involving their first-round picks, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.

As O’Connor writes, the Warriors remain “highly active” in trade talks involving the No. 7 pick — Golden State also holds the No. 14 selection and would presumably be open to moving it as well. As for the Kings, they’ve shopped the No. 9 overall pick for players capable of helping them right away, sources tell The Ringer.

O’Connor describes the Pacers as “incredibly active” in trade discussions, having talked about scenarios that would move them into the top 10 or out of the draft entirely. Currently, Indiana holds the No. 13 pick.

Here are a few more draft-related rumors from O’Connor latest mock:

The Cavaliers have received “significant” trade interest in the No. 3 overall pick, according to O’Connor, who says the Raptors (No. 4) and Magic (No. 5) are among the clubs that have made offers to move up. Evan Mobley is considered the favorite to be the third player off the board, though it’s not entirely clear that he’s the player that Toronto, Orlando, and other interested teams are targeting.
If the Raptors remain at No. 4, they’re not a lock to select Jalen Suggs, says O’Connor. Executives around the NBA tell The Ringer that Toronto’s interest in forward Scottie Barnes is legitimate.
O’Connor’s newest mock draft has the Thunder selecting Jonathan Kuminga at No. 6, and may execs have the young forward penciled in at that slot. However, league sources tell O’Connor that Oklahoma City is high on both Barnes and James Bouknight, so there’s a chance Kuminga could slip further.

Exploring Draft Day Trades With The Other Top Six Teams

July 21st, 2021 at 6:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

Josh Robbins of The Athletic proposes a few potential draft-day trades for the Magic involving the other teams in the top six.

Southeast Notes: Magic, Kuminga, Unseld, Oladipo, Hawks

July 21st, 2021 at 8:23am CST by Eli Cohen

Projected top-eight pick Jonathan Kuminga worked out for the Magic on Tuesday, writes Josh Cohen of OrlandoMagic.com. Kuminga has also worked out for the Cavaliers, Raptors and Thunder, and has an upcoming workout with the Warriors.

According to Chris Hays of The Orlando Sentinel, Kuminga said that the workout with Orlando went well and that his shooting is better than he showed during his time with the G League Ignite.

“I’m not for sure if I’m a top-five pick, but I’m not worried about that,” Kuminga said. “That’s just the rankings. We don’t know where I might end up, so I don’t really be concerned about draft picks.”

We have more from around the Southeast Division:

New head coach Wes Unseld Jr. has already been in touch with Wizards stars Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “I felt like I was talking to the same person, and I say that because the message was clear: They want to be coached, they are looking for the accountability,” Unseld said. According to David Aldridge of The Athletic, Unseld has spent his years as an assistant learning how to balance his natural calm with the ability to challenge star players and stand his ground when necessary.
Heat unrestricted free agent Victor Oladipo has changed agents, reports Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. He will now be represented by Jeff Schwartz and Javon Phillips of Excel Sports Management. Oladipo is currently rehabbing from surgery on his right quad.
Jason Preston, Matt Mitchell, DJ Funderburk, DeJon Jarreau, Herb Jones, Austin Reaves, and Ariel Hukporti are among the prospects the Hawks have worked out, tweets The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner. Hukporti has since withdrawn from the draft.
Darren Wolfson of SKOR North tweets that the Hawks will also work out Boston College forward Steffon Mitchell before the draft.

Draft Notes: Green Room Invites, Makur, Taylor, Draft Intel

July 20th, 2021 at 8:17pm CST by Eli Cohen

The NBA has finalized the list of 20 prospects who will be invited to the Green Room on draft night, writes ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. While 15 of the names had already been reported, the final five players were identified over the last two days: Chris Duarte, Cameron Thomas, Isaiah Jackson, Alperen Sengun and Ziaire Williams will round out the group.

While an invitation to the Green Room is no guarantee of being drafted in the top 20, the decision is considered to be an indication of teams’ thinking, as the invitations are determined through a series of conversations with general managers and a voting process where teams vote on the 25 prospects most likely to have their name called first, Givony writes.

We have more news from around the draft world:

Howard University’s Makur Maker has withdrawn from the draft, tweets draft analyst Chad Ford. The 6’11 forward flashed versatility at the NBA Combine, but his draft stock was still hazy. Because he missed the NCAA’s withdrawal deadline, Maker will likely pursue professional options, whether in the G League, Australia’s NBL, or elsewhere.
Terry Taylor worked out with the Bucks yesterday and the Nuggets today, tweets Adam Zagoria of Forbes. Taylor has workouts lined up with the Nets, Cavaliers and Mavericks this week, and already worked out for the Knicks, Warriors, Kings, Pacers, Grizzlies, Bulls, Spurs and Pelicans. The 6’5″ wing led the country in double-doubles, Zagoria notes.
Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo released his latest mock draft today, sharing some pieces of intel gathered from sources. Within his mock, Woo confirms that the prevailing notion is that the Rockets prefer Jalen Green to Evan Mobley, that the Thunder are being increasingly linked to James Bouknight, that the Magic covet Scottie Barnes, and that Jonathan Kuminga‘s range seems to be settling around six-to-eight, rather than being a top-five pick.

Draft Notes: Early Entrants, Bleijenbergh, Sengun, Hurt, Reaves

July 19th, 2021 at 7:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Senegalese center Ibou Badji and German big man Ariel Hukporti have withdrawn from the 2021 NBA draft, according to a pair of reports from Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter links).

Both players were considered potential second-round picks, ranking 59th and 63rd respectively on ESPN’s big board of 2021 prospects. However, Givony notes that Hukporti – like a number of international players who withdrew before today’s deadline – wasn’t interested in being a draft-and-stash prospect. It’s unclear if Badji felt the same way, but both players will be looking to boost their stock ahead of the 2022 draft.

Another potential second-round pick, Senegalese big man Amar Sylla, will be keeping his name in the draft, Givony tweets. The 19-year-old, who ranks 81st on ESPN’s board, is a strong draft-and-stash candidate, Givony adds.

Here’s more on the 2021 draft:

Belgian wing Vrenz Bleijenbergh, another one of the international prospects keeping his name in the draft, indicated (via Twitter) that he completed a workout with the Mavericks and has a meeting with the Raptors up next.
Turkish League MVP Alperen Sengun, who visited the Kings over the weekend, had a workout this morning with the Spurs and is on his way to meet with the Magic, reports Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). Sengun could be a lottery pick next Thursday.
Duke forward Matthew Hurt worked out for the Sixers today and has the Clippers, Nets, and Magic on tap later this week, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link), who adds that Hurt also recently impressed in workouts with the Rockets and Bucks.
Oklahoma guard Austin Reaves is keeping busy during the pre-draft process — Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that Reaves is working out for a total of 18 NBA teams, including the Hawks, Knicks, Sixers, Nets, and Hornets.

Eastern Notes: Magic, Tibbetts, Bucks, Heat, Lillard

July 18th, 2021 at 5:16pm CST by JD Shaw

The Magic are expected to hire Nate Tibbetts as an assistant on Jamahl Mosley‘s staff, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Tibbetts and Mosley worked together on the Cavs’ coaching staff during the 2011/12 and ’12/13 seasons.

Tibbetts also interviewed for a position with the Kings, Fischer reports. He last served as associate head coach with the Blazers, working for several years as an assistant coach under Terry Stotts.

The Magic, who hired Mosley earlier this month, finished the 2020/21 campaign with just a 21-51 record. That mark was the second-worst in the East and third-worst in the league, mostly caused by key injuries and a midseason decision to start rebuilding.

Here are some other notes from the Eastern Conference tonight:

The Bucks suddenly find themselves one win from an NBA title after winning Game 5 on Saturday, as Jonathan Abrams of The New York Times details. The victory was sealed with a steal and alley-oop from Jrue Holiday and Giannis Antetokounmpo at the end of the contest.
The Heat have released their preseason home schedule for 2021/22, per an announcement on the team’s website. Miami’s first home game will be against Atlanta on Monday, October 4, just 78 days away. The league’s offseason will once again be shortened this year due to the altered schedule caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his latest “Ask Ira” mailbag, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines whether Bam Adebayo should serve as a roadblock in the Damian Lillard-Heat trade speculation. Portland likely wouldn’t entertain any offer for Lillard that doesn’t include Jimmy Butler or Adebayo, and to this point, neither Lillard nor the Blazers have indicated that a separation is being considered.

Draft Notes: Top Picks, Barnes, Mitchell, Green Room

July 16th, 2021 at 11:04am CST by Arthur Hill

With the draft less than two weeks away, more clarity is emerging about the top of the lottery, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. The Pistons are reportedly listening to offers involving the No. 1 selection, but league sources tell O’Connor the most likely scenario is that they will keep the pick and take Cade Cunningham. Even if a trade does happen, teams around the league expect Cunningham to be taken first.

The Rockets are leaning toward Jalen Green with the second pick, sources tell O’Connor. Green’s elite athleticism and ability to create his own shot could eventually make him the best player in the draft, O’Connor adds, and rival teams are preparing for him to go to Houston.

Evan Mobley, who ranks higher than Green on many teams’ draft boards, appears to be a good fit for the Cavaliers at No. 3. They may consider a guard if Collin Sexton is traded by draft night, but Mobley makes sense with the current roster. Jalen Suggs appears headed to the Raptors with the fourth pick and would be a young replacement for Kyle Lowry if he leaves in free agency.

O’Connor cites league sources who believe the Magic like Scottie Barnes with the fifth pick, while the Thunder at No. 6 will decide between James Bouknight and Barnes if he’s still on the board. Jonathan Kuminga, who was considered a top five selection early on, isn’t getting much interest from either Orlando or Oklahoma City, O’Connor adds.

There’s more on the draft:

Many scouts and executives believe Barnes will be a top five pick, per Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Sources tell Wassmerman that the Magic are a good bet to take Barnes, but the Thunder will nab him if Orlando passes. Rival teams also believe the Raptors will consider him with the fourth pick if they’re determined to keep Lowry.
Baylor point guard Davion Mitchell held an individual workout for the Warriors on Thursday, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Moses Moody, Jalen Johnson and Kai Jones also worked out for the team, but they were in a group session that was held after Mitchell’s workout and interview. Slater examines the arguments for and against drafting Mitchell, who is a strong defender and improved greatly as a three-point shooter last season.
Kuminga is among the prospects who have received a Green Room invitation for draft night, Wasserman tweets. Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that Jones (Twitter link) and Australian guard Josh Giddey (Twitter link) have also been invited to join the Green Room, which is reserved for prospects who are expected to be chosen early.

Southeast Notes: Mosley, Barnes, Wizards, Gallinari, Hornets

July 13th, 2021 at 12:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jamahl Mosley has interviewed for head coaching jobs before, but he said the experience with the Magic was different because of the relationships involved. In an interview with Josh Robbins of The Athletic, Mosley talks about his prior experience with president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman in Denver and front office official Anthony Parker in Cleveland.

“I started to sense that there was a little bit of a joy to where it was going,” said Mosley, who was officially hired Sunday morning. “That happened after the second or third interview. It felt good. And I met the DeVos family, and you just saw family. That’s when it really kind of set in.”

Mosley chose to sidestep a question about the end of his time in Dallas, where he served as an assistant to Rick Carlisle for the past seven years. There was an expectation that Mosley might become the Mavericks‘ next head coach when Carlisle left for Indiana, but the front office chose Jason Kidd instead.

“It’s me moving forward, and that’s the best thing,” Mosley said. “I’m moving into a situation that allows me to grow, allows me to walk into exactly what I started out doing, and that’s developing and helping young men become better individuals on and off the court.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Magic, who hold picks No. 5 and 8 in this year’s lottery, brought in Florida State forward Scottie Barnes for a private workout over the weekend, Robbins tweets. Barnes is ranked sixth on ESPN’s big board and is considered a possible top-five pick.
With Bradley Beal eligible for free agency next summer, the Wizards may value veteran help more than the No. 15 pick they hold in the draft, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. He notes that not many teams are willing to part with useful players in exchange for a mid-round draft choice, but he proposes a few trades involving the Knicks, Lakers, Hawks, Grizzlies and Pacers.
Hawks forward Danilo Gallinari has confirmed on Instagram that he will play in the Tokyo Olympics. Gallinari has been representing Italy in international competitions since he was a teenager, but this will be his first Olympic Games.
The Hornets are hosting six players today in a pre-draft workout, according to a tweet from the team. Taking part are West Virginia’s Derek Culver, prep school player Jimma Gatwech, Nikita Mikhailovskii of Avtodor (Russia), UNC-Greensboro’s Isaiah Miller, Georgetown’s Jamorko Pickett and Kentucky’s Olivier Sarr.