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Mo Bamba Working Out For Suns, Mavs

June 8th, 2018 at 10:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

10:50pm: Bamba will work out Saturday for the Suns, who hold the top pick, according to the team’s website.

5:11pm: The Mavericks will work out Texas center Mohamed Bamba on Monday, Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated tweets.

Bamba has been linked to Dallas in some mock drafts — if he falls to No. 5. He’s zoomed up the draft board and is currently ranked No. 3 overall by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Bamba’s offensive game is a work in progress but he’s expected to be a defensive force at the next level, in part because of his imposing 7’9″ wingspan.

In his lone college season, Bamba averaged 12.9 PPG, 10.5 RPG and 3.7 BPG for the Longhorns.

Bamba has already worked out for the Bulls, who own the No. 7 selection, and is scheduled to work out for the Hawks on Thursday.

Duke big man Wendell Carter will work out for the Mavericks on Wednesday, Fischer adds. Carter has workouts lined up with six lottery teams.

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Draft Notes: Okogie, Bagley, Bulls, Hawks

June 8th, 2018 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Georgia Tech’s Josh Okogie is drawing plenty of interest from teams with middle or late first-round picks, according to Adam Zagoria of the New York Times. Okogie has already worked out for the Grizzlies, Nets, Celtics, Hawks, Lakers, Nuggets, Bulls and Spurs. He’s got a second workout scheduled with the Spurs, along with visits to the Warriors and Trail Blazers, Zagoria adds (Twitter links). The 6’4” shooting guard is currently ranked No. 26 overall by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

In other draft-related news with the big day less than two weeks away:

  • Duke big man Marvin Bagley III believes Deandre Ayton is being disrespectful by stating that he knows he’ll be the top pick, Bob Baum of the Associated Press reports. Bagley feels the Suns, who own the top pick, should bestow him that status. “I definitely believe I’m the No. 1 pick and if the Suns take me I’ll definitely show them why,” Bagley said after working out for Phoenix on Friday.
  • The Bulls not only worked out Okogie on Friday but also Aaron Holiday (UCLA), Chimezie Metu (USC), Kameron Chatman (Detroit), Giddy Potts (Middle Tennessee) and Scottie Lindsey (Northwestern), according to a team release. Holiday was the headliner, as he’s rated No. 17 by Givony.
  • The Hawks were among the teams at Michael Porter Jr.‘s workout in Chicago on Friday, Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Atlanta owns the No. 3 overall pick.
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Marvin Bagley III To Work Out For Kings, Hawks

June 8th, 2018 at 3:36pm CST by Luke Adams

3:36pm: Bagley’s workout with the Kings will take place on Monday, the team announced today in a press release.

2:27pm: Top prospect Marvin Bagley III had his first pre-draft workout on Friday, visiting the Suns. Following his audition for the team holding the first overall pick, the Duke big man will work out for the clubs holding the second and third selections, he said today. As Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic tweets, Bagley confirmed he’ll visit the Kings and Hawks.

Speaking to reporters today following his session with the Suns, Bagley said it would be a “dream come true” to be selected first overall by Phoenix (Twitter link via Bordow). Although Arizona’s Deandre Ayton is widely viewed as the frontrunner for the No. 1 pick, Bagley insists he’s deserving of that spot and considers it disrespectful that Ayton is considered a lock to be drafted first (Twitter links).

Bagley is more likely to slip to at least second or third overall, but perhaps no further than that. As such, his workouts with Sacramento (No. 2) and Atlanta (No. 3) will be worth watching closely. Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported that the Hawks would be bringing in Bagley next week for a closer look.

Long considered one of the standouts in the 2018 draft class, Bagley had an excellent freshman season at Duke in 2017/18, averaging a double-double for the Blue Devils. In 33 games, the 6’11” forward/center posted an impressive 21.1 PPG and 11.1 RPG to go along with a .614/.397/.627 shooting line.

While there’s some uncertainty about whether Bagley will be a four or a five at the NBA level, he views his positional ambiguity as a positive, telling reporters today that classifying him as one or the other “is limiting what I can do” (Twitter link via Bordow). For what it’s worth, Suns GM Ryan McDonough believes Bagley is a power forward for now, with the ability to develop into a stretch five (Twitter link).

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Marvin Bagley III To Work Out For Suns

June 7th, 2018 at 10:16pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Suns are set to host Duke’s Marvin Bagley III, a probable top-five pick, for a workout tomorrow, the team announced in a press release.

Phoenix wields the No. 1 selection and has been linked to Arizona big man Deandre Ayton, who is expected to be the first overall pick. The Suns hosted Ayton for a workout earlier this week where he confirmed the Suns will be the only team he works out for. “I know I’m going No. 1,” Ayton told reporters.

However, general manager Ryan McDonough has indicated that the Suns are casting a wide net and will explore other options with the first pick.

“It is difficult and I think people are jumping to conclusions as far as [thinking] there’s only one or two guys in the mix for us,” McDonough said in an interview with ESPN. “There are more than that. There are a handful of guys.”

Bagley and his 6’11”, 234-pound frame is an intriguing prospect who teams consider a potential cornerstone in the frontcourt. In 33 games with Duke as a freshman, Bagley averaged 21.0 PPG and 11.1 RPG.

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Draft Notes: Doncic, Bridges, Holiday, Diallo, Rodriguez

June 7th, 2018 at 8:53pm CST by marksuleymanov

Kings owner Vivek Ranadive and general manager Vlade Divac are both in Madrid, Spain, to watch Luka Doncic in the ACB Playoffs, tweets basketball journalist David Pick. Doncic, widely expected to be a top-three selection in the draft, has already secured numerous accolades, including the EuroLeague MVP, Rising Star, and Final Four MVP.

While there has been talk of Doncic going No. 1 overall to the Suns, it’s more likely he ends up with either the Kings or Hawks, who own the second and third picks, respectively. Doncic has said that it’s not certain that he will come stateside next season despite the expectation that he will be a top draftee. Just recently, a report suggested that both the Hawks and Kings may pass on Doncic and instead focus on frontcourt players.

“[The Kings] have a real hole there in the frontcourt. I don’t think that they’re in love with Willie Cauley-Stein by any means. They started Zach Randolph at the four all year long,” ESPN’s Jonathan Givony said. “What do they do there? Do they go with Marvin Bagley who is going to be a compelling prospect for them? 

Check out more draft news below:

  • Michigan State’s Miles Bridges is set to work out for the Knicks this Saturday, reports ESPN’s Ian Begley. The Knicks own the ninth overall pick and Bridges, along with Villanova’s Mikal Bridges have been reported as possible targets for New York.
  • UCLA’s Aaron Holiday had his second workout with the Suns on Thursday, the team announced. Five other prospects were part of the workout, with Troy Brown (Oregon), Jalen Brunson (Villanova), Marcus Derrickson (Georgetown), Amine Noua (France), and Desi Rodriguez (Seton Hall) also participating.
  • Seton Hall’s Desi Rodriguez also worked out for the Thunder on Wednesday, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.
  • Kentucky’s Hamidou Diallo has scheduled workouts with the Lakers and Mavericks, Sean Deveney of Sporting News tweets. Diallo will have also worked out for the Bulls, Wizards, Suns, Blazers, Kings, Nets, Knicks, and Bucks.
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Charania’s Latest: Clippers, Doncic, Kawhi, RFAs, More

June 7th, 2018 at 5:33pm CST by Luke Adams

While no trades are likely to be completed until closer to – or during – draft night, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports believes there could be a lot of movement in this year’s draft, with several teams looking to trade up or down. Appearing today on Chris Mannix’s podcast, Charania pointed specifically to the Clippers as a team that has weighed the possibility of moving up. With the Nos. 12 and 13 picks currently in hand, L.A. could put together an intriguing package, and they’ve looked “heavily” at Real Madrid star Luka Doncic, according to Charania.

Here are more highlights from Charania’s appearance on the Yahoo Sports NBA podcast:

  • Addressing the Kawhi Leonard situation in San Antonio, Charania indicated that an extension or a trade are the probable outcomes for the star forward this summer — it’s unlikely that the Spurs would keep him for next season without a new deal in place. However, both sides are interested in mending fences and clearing up last season’s miscommunications. Leonard is also nearing 100% health and should be ready to go to start next season, Charania adds.
  • In a look at the restricted free agent market, Charania identified Magic forward Aaron Gordon and Bulls guard Zach LaVine as two players who could command max or near-max deals and are unlikely to change teams. He also speculated that the Suns, Kings, and Pacers are among the clubs with cap room who could be fits for Celtics RFA Marcus Smart, and said that there seems to be mutual interest between the Mavericks and Julius Randle.
  • Raptors guard Fred VanVleet and Bulls swingman David Nwaba are two under-the-radar restricted free agents in line for sizable raises, in Charania’s view. He expects both players to land deals worth more than $5MM, noting that Toronto may have to use its full Early Bird exception (approximately $8.5MM) to retain VanVleet.
  • While outside observers around the NBA remain skeptical about the Thunder‘s chances of re-signing Paul George, Oklahoma City is still exuding confidence, according to both Charania and Mannix. Charania observes that George and Russell Westbrook have become “really close,” which could factor into the forward’s decision.
  • Many people around the league don’t expect former Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo to get another NBA job anytime soon, if at all, per Charania.
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Suns Attended Wendell Carter's Pro Day

June 7th, 2018 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams
  • Point guard Collin Sexton is working out for the Knicks today, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Givony also notes that the Suns, Kings, Sixers, and Hornets were in attendance at Wendell Carter Jr.‘s Pro Day last week. Carter is working out for New York this week too.
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Suns Host Deandre Ayton For Workout

June 6th, 2018 at 2:24pm CST by Luke Adams

2:24pm: Speaking today to reporters, including Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link), Ayton said that the Suns workout is the only one on his schedule. Bordow (Twitter link) believes that’s a strong sign that Phoenix will take Ayton first overall, and the young center agrees, telling reporters that he “knows” he’s going No. 1 (link via Bob Baum of The Associated Press).

For his part, GM Ryan McDonough had nothing but praise for the former Arizona star.

“We’ve been looking for a center to kind of anchor our team offensively and defensively,” McDonough said, per Bordow (Twitter link). “We think Deandre has that kind of potential.”

8:31am: The frontrunner to be picked first overall in this year’s draft will work out for the team holding the No. 1 pick on Wednesday. According to a press release, the Suns are hosting Arizona big man Deandre Ayton for an individual workout.

Ayton isn’t an absolute lock to be Phoenix’s pick at No. 1 on June 21 — the club has said it’s considering a “handful” of players with that selection. Still, the 19-year-old center is the odds-on favorite to come off the board first, with ESPN’s Jonathan Givony writing in his latest mock draft that the Suns “appear to be locked into Ayton.”

In his first and only season with the Wildcats, Ayton averaged a double-double, posting 20.1 PPG and 11.6 RPG to go along with 1.9 BPG. He also shot 61.2% from the field and even made the occasional three-pointer (34.3%).

Unlike Ayton, Luka Doncic – another strong candidate for that No. 1 spot – won’t work out for NBA teams this month, since he’s still participating in the ACB postseason in Europe with Real Madrid. While the Suns won’t get a first-hand look at Doncic leading up to the draft, new head coach Igor Kokoskov knows him well, having coached the youngster on the Slovenian national team.

It remains unclear whether Ayton, as 2018’s potential top pick, will work out with any teams beyond the Suns.

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West Draft Workouts: Jazz, T-Wolves, Blazers, Suns

June 4th, 2018 at 5:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

UCLA point guard Aaron Holiday and Duke guard Grayson Allen were among the first-round prospects that the Jazz evaluated on Monday, according to a team tweet. Holiday is ranked No. 17 by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony on his latest Top 100 prospects list, while Allen checks in at No. 30. Creighton’s Khyri Thomas (No. 27), Villanova’s Jalen Brunson (No. 34), Louisville’s Ray Spalding (No. 52) and San Diego State’s Malik Pope were the other prospects who visited Utah.

We have some other draft workouts involving Western Conference clubs to pass along:

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Suns Hiring Joe Prunty As Lead Assistant

June 4th, 2018 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

A former NBA head coach will become the new lead assistant on Igor Kokoskov‘s staff in Phoenix, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports that the Suns have agreed to a deal with Joe Prunty to fill that role.

A veteran NBA assistant who has worked for the Spurs, Mavericks, Trail Blazers, Cavaliers, and Nets, Prunty was the lead assistant on Jason Kidd‘s staff in Milwaukee. When the Bucks fired Kidd halfway through the 2017/18 season, Prunty took over as the club’s interim head coach.

After leading the Bucks to a playoff berth and a first-round exit, Prunty received consideration for the permanent head coaching job in Milwaukee, and was one of the many candidates interviewed by the franchise. However, the team ultimately decided on Mike Budenholzer, leaving Prunty looking for work elsewhere.

A report in May indicated that the Suns were expected to hire Mike Woodson as the new lead assistant on Kokoskov’s staff, but no deal had been formally reached at that time. It’s unclear whether Woodson, a former Knicks head coach and Clippers assistant, still fits into Phoenix’s plans, or whether he’ll land with another team now that Prunty is poised to become Kokoskov’s right-hand man.

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