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Alperen Sengun

And-Ones: Rule Change, Rookies, Ignite, J. Franklin

September 14th, 2021 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s Board of Governors will vote later this month to approve a rule change to the way late-game out-of-bounds reviews are handled, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).

In past seasons, close out-of-bounds calls have been automatically reviewed in the last two minutes of games, resulting in prolonged stoppages that have halted the momentum of close contests and dragged out the final moments of those games. If the Board of Governors approves the rule change, a head coach’s challenge will be required to trigger those reviews, says Charania.

As John Hollinger of The Athletic points out, it’s possible some close calls would be missed as a result of this change. However, some of the calls being overturned by those automatic reviews were plays where a defender clearly knocked a ball out of bounds, but it grazed the ball-handler’s fingertips last, which was a change “nobody wanted.”

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Mike Schmitz of ESPN (Insider link) identifies several 2021 rookies who are strong candidates to outperform their post-lottery draft positions, including Rockets big man Alperen Sengun (No. 16), Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III (No. 17), and Nuggets guard Bones Hyland (No. 26).
  • BIG3 director of basketball operations Thomas Scott, a former Lakers assistant, has joined the G League Ignite as an assistant coach on Jason Hart‘s staff, per an announcement from the BIG3 (Twitter link). Scott will also be the Ignite’s head of player development, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
  • The Chinese Basketball Association has lifted its restrictions on teams signing foreign players now that it has decided to conduct its 2021/22 season in a bubble, as Nicola Lupo of Sportando writes. Sources tell Sportando that former Grizzlies and Nuggets wing Jamaal Franklin – a second-round pick in 2013 – is one of the first players to take advantage, having signed a lucrative new deal with the Shanghai Sharks.
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Rockets Notes: Green, Sengun, Wall, Weaver

August 20th, 2021 at 11:03am CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets liked what they saw from Jalen Green in Summer League play, and their excitement goes beyond his statistics, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The No. 2 overall pick averaged 20.3 PPG and shot 51.4% from the floor (52.6% from three-point range) in his first two games before getting shut down after reporting hamstring tightness midway through the third game.

Coaches were impressed by Green’s decision making when the Pistons threw traps at him after he crossed half court. Green made the right reads and got the ball where it was supposed to go, rather than focusing on a one-on-one battle with No. 1 selection Cade Cunningham.

“It’s exciting to see him up and close and personal in a Rockets uniform,” coach Stephen Silas said. “Jalen out there making exciting plays but doing it within the context of how we do things.”

There’s more from Houston:

  • All four of the Rockets’ first-round picks looked like legitimate prospects during their first Summer League experience, Feigen adds. Usman Garuba and Josh Christopher may be sent to the G League to get playing time, but Alperen Sengun appears ready to contribute with the NBA team. Feigen notes that Sengun, the MVP of the Turkish League last season, displayed an advanced understanding of the game in Las Vegas.
  • The youth movement in Houston raises questions about the future of John Wall, who will be 31 when the season begins, per Rahat Huq of The Houston Chronicle. Wall had a 31.6 usage percentage last season and figures to have a similar role as long as he remains with the team. There has been speculation of a possible buyout with Wall, who will make $44.3MM this year and has a $47.4MM player option for 2022/23, but the organization’s best move may be to rebuild his value and try to trade him next summer.
  • Summer League coach Will Weaver talks about giving players their first NBA experience, plus several other topics, in an interview with Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
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Rockets Sign Alperen Sengun, Josh Christopher To Rookie Deals

August 7th, 2021 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets have signed first-round picks Alperen Sengun and Josh Christopher to their rookie scale contracts, according to NBA.com’s official transactions log.

Sengun, a 19-year-old forward/center from Turkey, was named the Turkish League MVP in 2021 after averaging 19.2 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.5 APG, and 1.7 BPG in 29 games (28.3 MPG) for Besiktas. Houston traded a pair of protected future first-round picks to acquire the No. 16 pick to select Sengun on draft night.

Christopher is a 6’5″ guard who played his college ball at Arizona State and declared for the draft following his freshman year. He was selected 24th overall after averaging 14.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 15 games (29.7 MPG) for the Sun Devils.

[RELATED: Rookie Scale Salaries For 2021 NBA First-Round Picks]

The Rockets, who drafted four players in the first round last Thursday, have already locked up No. 2 pick Jalen Green to his rookie contract as well. No. 23 pick Usman Garuba is the only one of the four still unsigned, likely due to the complications created by his expensive buyout with Real Madrid. We’ll have to wait to see if the Rockets are able to get him stateside for the 2021/22 season.

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Southwest Notes: Silas, Stone, Williams, Moore, Hayes

July 31st, 2021 at 11:14am CST by Dana Gauruder

Rockets coach Stephen Silas didn’t attend Friday’s introductory news conference for the team’s draft picks because he’s been placed under the NBA’s health and safety protocols, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. Silas has “very minor” coronavirus symptoms and is fully vaccinated. He was involved in the team’s draft preparations, including the workout of Jalen Green, whom the Rockets chose with the No. 2 pick.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

  • The Rockets kept their three first-round picks on Thursday and also acquired a fourth pick to select big man Alperen Sengun in the first round. The team’s GM, Rafael Stone, said the rookies now must show they were worthy of the front office’s faith in them, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle writes. “It’s going to be on Jalen and on us to prove it out, but not just him,” Stone said. “It’s all these guys and the guys on our current roster, we’re all in it together. We got to grow. We’ve got to help each other and we’ve got to get better.”
  • Ziaire Williams was hoping the Grizzlies would use the No. 10 pick on him, Evan Barnes of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. “I kept it a secret because I didn’t want to mess it up,” Williams said. “But truthfully, my family will tell you, (VP of basketball affairs) Tayshaun Prince, (GM) Zach (Kleiman), everyone, this is where I really wanted to be.”
  • Ben Moore will play on the Grizzlies’ summer league team, Nicola Lupo of Sportando tweets. Moore, who spent last season in Australia with South East Melbourne, played two games with the Pacers in 2017/18.
  • Jaxson Hayes was shocked twice with a stun gun and may have had force applied to his neck during an altercation with Los Angeles police, Ramon Antonio Vargas of the New Orleans Times-Picayune tweets. An investigation into whether officers’ use of force was appropriate is underway while Hayes faces a count of resisting arrest, Vargas adds. The Pelicans center was arrested early Wednesday following a domestic dispute call. He was charged with a felony.
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Rockets Acquire No. 16 Pick Alperen Sengun From Thunder

July 30th, 2021 at 12:22am CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 30: The Rockets have officially announced their acquisition of Sengun’s draft rights.

JULY 29: The Thunder will trade pick No. 16 to the Rockets, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Houston will use the pick to draft Turkish center Alperen Sengun, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Oklahoma City will receive a pair of future first-rounders in return that originally belonged to the Pistons and Wizards, adds Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

According to RealGM, Detroit’s 2022 pick is protected for selections 1-16 next year, 1-18 in 2023, 1-18 in 2024, 1-13 in 2025, 1-11 in 2026 and 1-9 in 2027. If it doesn’t convey by then, Detroit will give up its 2027 second-rounder.

The protections on Washington’s 2023 pick are 1-14 in 2023, 1-12 in 2024, 1-10 in 2025 and 1-8 in 2026. If it still hasn’t conveyed, Washington will give up second-round picks in 2026 and 2027.

Sengun, who turned 19 this week, is the top international big man in the draft. He spent last season with Beşiktaş, averaging 19.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 blocks per game, and was named MVP of the Turkish League. He also has extensive experience in international basketball.

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O’Connor’s Latest: Pistons, OKC, Grizzlies, Wagner, Pacers, More

July 29th, 2021 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons continued to receive inquiries about what it would take to trade the No. 1 pick, with the draft now just hours away, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. Although there has been increasing speculation about the possibility of Detroit trading down or even using the top pick to select Jalen Green, executives around the NBA still think the club will end up drafting Cade Cunningham, says O’Connor.

Here’s more from O’Connor on Thursday’s draft:

  • The Thunder have talked to all five teams drafting ahead of them about the possibility of moving up, per O’Connor. Rival executives aren’t sure exactly which prospect(s) Oklahoma City is targeting, but the club is thought to be high on Cunningham, Evan Mobley, and Scottie Barnes.
  • The Grizzlies, who agreed to acquire the No. 10 pick from New Orleans, are interested in another move up to the 6-8 range, according to O’Connor, who says Memphis has pursued last-minute meetings with prospects like Jonathan Kuminga, Alperen Sengun, and Davion Mitchell.
  • Franz Wagner claims he has grown two inches since college, to 6’11”, and multiple league sources believe that’s true, though there has been no update on his official measurement, O’Connor reports.
  • According to O’Connor, the Pacers are “juggling” trade talks involving the No. 13 pick, Myles Turner, and T.J. Warren in separate scenarios. Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) hears that Indiana is fielding a lot of calls for the No. 13 selection, including from the Hawks. Atlanta has also been in touch with the Hornets about the No. 11 pick, says O’Connor.
  • O’Connor confirms a couple items that were previously speculated, writing that the Knicks are involved in trade discussions for Magic swingman Terrence Ross and reporting that the Hawks have offered the No. 20 pick and Cam Reddish to teams drafting in the late lottery.
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Draft Rumors: Spurs, Pacers, Knicks, Nets, Duarte, Warriors, More

July 27th, 2021 at 8:43am CST by Luke Adams

Reports in recent weeks identified the Nos. 9 and 10 picks in the draft as two of the most available lottery picks. New Orleans agreed on Monday to move the 10th pick to Memphis, while the Kings‘ pick at No. 9 continues to be viewed as available, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

In addition to Sacramento’s pick, the Spurs‘ (No. 12) and Pacers‘ (No. 13) selections are among the lottery choices that could be had, according to Fischer, who suggests that both teams are viewed as candidates to move back into the mid-teens or early 20s if the price is right.

As for which teams picking later in the first round might be looking to move up, Fischer says the Knicks (Nos. 19 and 21), Rockets (Nos. 23 and 24), and Nets (No. 27) fit that bill. Brooklyn has been willing to discuss shooting guard Landry Shamet in trade talks, Fischer adds.

Here are a few more draft-related rumors and notes:

  • Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report is the latest reporter to indicate that Chris Duarte is unlikely to fall past the No. 15 pick on Thursday. The Lakers are among the teams that have shown interest in Duarte and have looked into possibly moving up in the draft, Wasserman notes.
  • James Bouknight, Duarte, Trey Murphy, and Jonathan Kuminga are among the prospects the Warriors are eyeing, says Wasserman. While Kuminga isn’t necessarily NBA-ready, there’s support for him within Golden State’s front office from those who consider his upside too significant to pass up, Wasserman adds.
  • The Warriors turned down a Knicks offer of the Nos. 19 and 21 picks for the No. 14 selection, per Wasserman.
  • Some teams outside the top 10 believe Michigan forward Franz Wagner has assurances he’ll be selected in the top 10, according to Wasserman. The Kings at No. 9 are considered a strong candidate for Wagner if they keep their pick.
  • Both Wasserman and Matt Babcock of BasketballNews.com continue to suggest the Raptors aren’t a lock to draft Jalen Suggs at No. 4, since the team has done “extensive homework” on Scottie Barnes.
  • Alabama’s Joshua Primo and Illinois’ Ayo Dosunmu are two of the prospects Wasserman has heard linked to the Nuggets at No. 26.
  • Alperen Sengun has a good chance of being a lottery pick, according to Babcock, who says the Turkish big man could be picked as high as No. 8 by the Magic.
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Draft Notes: Mitchell, Duarte, Thomas, Şengün

July 26th, 2021 at 8:49pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Baylor point guard Davion Mitchell worked out for about seven or eight NBA clubs in the lead-up to Thursday’s draft, including the Thunder, Warriors, and Spurs, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link).

Mitchell, whose team won the NCAA championship this season, is currently slated as a mid-lottery pick on ESPN’s latest big board. The 6’2″ guard averaged 14.0 PPG, 5.5 APG, 2.7 RPG, and 1.9 SPG across 30 games, all starts, during the 2020/21 season. During his final collegiate season, Mitchell posted a shooting line of .511/.447/.643.

Mitchell was honored as the 2020/21 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, as well as being a two-time All-Big 12 and two-time Big 12 All-Defensive Team selection.

Here are some other draft-related notes to pass along:

  • Oregon guard Chris Duarte is not anticipated to fall beyond the No. 15 pick in Thursday’s upcoming NBA draft, per J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star (subscription required). For the 2020/21 season, the 6’6″ Duarte was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and the All-Defensive Team.
  • 6’4″ LSU shooting guard Cameron Thomas, expected to be a first-round selection in the upcoming draft, has thus far worked out for the Pacers, Warriors, Hornets, Grizzlies, Hawks, Knicks and Lakers, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (via Twitter). Hughes adds (Twitter link) that Thomas is also set to work out for the Wizards on July 27. Thomas was a 2020/21 All-SEC selection.
  • Beşiktaş center Alperen Şengün, the 2021 Turkish League MVP, has worked out for the Warriors, Kings, Spurs, Hornets, Magic and Thunder, tweets Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. The big man is projected as a mid-first-round selection on the current ESPN big board.
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Warriors Notes: Myers, Simmons, Giddey, Kuminga

July 24th, 2021 at 6:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers is running low on time to put together a difference-making trade before Thursday’s draft, writes Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. The team’s stars are urging Myers to swap his lottery picks at Nos. 7 and 14 to add another veteran, but Letourneau points out that the chances of a deal getting done will drop significantly if the framework isn’t in place by the time the Warriors are on the clock.

Myers has been searching for a major acquisition since Golden State was knocked out of the play-in tournament, but many of the names that have been linked to the Warriors, such as Myles Turner, Pascal Siakam, Ben Simmons, Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard, would require a huge return that may include James Wiseman and Andrew Wiggins along with the picks. Letourneau notes that any team trading with Myers would want a say in who gets taken with the two lottery selections, so there’s an urgency to get a deal worked out before the draft begins.

There’s more on the Warriors:

  • Simmons can probably be crossed off Golden State’s list, Letourneau adds. The Sixers want an All-Star player in return for the 25-year-old, and a source says the Warriors aren’t willing to meet Philadelphia’s price.
  • Being drafted by Golden State would be an ideal situation, Australian guard Josh Giddey tells Jason Dumas of KRON4 (video link). “Playing with guys like (Stephen Curry) and Klay (Thompson) who are so good without the ball and moving without it, for a passer like myself I think it’s a dream world,” Giddey said. “To be around those guys — the veterans — and to learn from two of the best guards of all time would be such a bonus, and obviously Draymond (Green) is known for being a high-level leader and then under Steve Kerr’s coaching system there is just so many good things about the Warriors.”
  • The Warriors hosted Jonathan Kuminga Friday in Miami for a private workout and dinner, tweets Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The G League Ignite forward has met with every team holding the third through eighth picks. Golden State officials also watched Alperen Sengun work out in Miami, a source tells Givony (Twitter link). The Turkish center is considered a possible candidate to be taken at No. 14.
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Eastern Draft Notes: Hawks, Sixers, Cavaliers, Hornets

July 23rd, 2021 at 9:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Tennessee guard Jaden Springer and Oregon guard Chris Duarte are expected to work out for the Hawks shortly before the draft, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic tweets. Duarte is ranked No. 23 on ESPN’s Best Available list, though he’s expected by some outlets to go higher, and Springer is rated No. 27. Atlanta holds the No. 20 pick.

We have more draft news involving Eastern Conference teams:

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