Bogdan Bogdanovic Rumors

Trade Rumors: MPJ, LaVine, Butler, Suns, Nets

December 20th, 2024 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets are open to the idea of making a significant trade prior to the February 6 trade deadline, but they’re hoping they’ll see enough from their current group in the coming weeks to feel confident about not having to make a major in-season deal, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, who takes a closer look at Denver’s trade candidates and potential paths.

Meanwhile, following up on the rumor linking Zach LaVine to Denver and Michael Porter Jr. to the Bulls, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) confirm the Nuggets are indeed considering whether to trade Porter, whose $35.9MM cap hit would be necessary to complete a trade for a player earning a substantial salary.

According to Stein and Fischer, the Nuggets have “always been somewhat unsure” about Porter’s value on the trade market, due in part to his injury history, and are wary about making the team smaller by swapping him out for a guard like LaVine.

Sources tell The Stein Line that some people in the Nuggets’ front office believe that if the team needs to make a moving involving Porter, trading him for two starting-caliber players instead of a single star would be the best course of action. Fischer and Stein point to the Hawks‘ duo of De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic and the Nets‘ duo of Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith as examples.

I may be unsure about Porter’s trade value myself, but given two years and $79MM left on his contract after this season, I have to think that Atlanta and Brooklyn would require some serious sweeteners to seriously consider those trade ideas. That’s an issue for the Nuggets, who aren’t exactly stocked with draft assets — they’ve traded away three future first-round picks and included protections on all of them, complicating their ability to offer additional first-rounders or swaps in subsequent trades. That’s why targeting a distressed asset like LaVine makes sense in the first place.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

The Suns are Jimmy Butler‘s preferred landing spot in the event of a trade, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter links). However, Gambadoro says Phoenix plans to wait until at least mid-January before making any decisions on trades, which includes anything involving Butler. Although Gambadoro believes the Suns like Butler, it’s unclear if they’d have the pieces to acquire him, given that Bradley Beal (who holds a no-trade clause) would have to be included in any deal.
Net Income of NetsDaily rounds up a few recent trade rumors involving the Nets and provides his own analysis on each of them. According to NetsDaily, Brooklyn is believed to be seeking at least one first-round pick and potentially “a prospect or two” for Cameron Johnson and is very reluctant to take on multiyear money in trades unless the accompanying return is “rich.”
Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) has published his pre-deadline trade primer for the 2024/25 season, running through all 30 NBA teams and taking a closer look at the big questions they have to answer, their tradable players and draft picks, and various restrictions they’re facing.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report examines 10 potential trade candidates, including a pair of Trail Blazers centers (Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams), and considers which landing spots are most realistic for them.

Hawks Notes: Bogdanovic, Young, Risacher, Daniels, NBA Cup

December 13th, 2024 at 12:10pm CST by Rory Maher

While the Hawks are excited by their young core of Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu and Zaccharie Risacher, they’re also willing to listen to trade offers for their veterans given their place in the standings, sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link). Atlanta is currently 14-12, the No. 7 seed in the East, and in the play-in mix for the fourth consecutive season.

According to Bontemps, one player opposing teams are intrigued by is Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is in his fifth season with the Hawks. The 32-year-old Serbian will earn $17.3MM in 2024/25, followed by $16MM in ’25/26, with a $16MM team option for ’26/27.

Here’s more on the Hawks:

In the same subscriber-only story, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports that star guard Trae Young hosted Daniels and Risacher for a “multiday training and bonding session” at his offseason home in Oklahoma after the Olympics concluded over the summer, which his younger teammates “greatly appreciated.” Young can be introverted at times, and the Hawks have been working with him to improve his leadership skills, according to Windhorst. The team has been encouraged by the advancements Young has made in that area, though Windhorst cautions it’s still a “work in progress.”
French wing Risacher says he’s thrilled he was drafted by Atlanta, he tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “The best thing about being the No. 1 pick was to be able to get into this franchise, the Atlanta Hawks,” Risacher said. “That is the best thing that could ever happen. Me in terms of basketball, I’m super super-grateful to be here in this organization.”
The Hawks are pleased with the strides Risacher has made during his rookie campaign, as Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal Constitution writes. “He’s the No. 1 pick for a reason,” Young said. “You’re not put in that position or blessed to be in that position if you haven’t been through a lot or seen a lot, or even capable of handling that type of stuff. And you can see that he’s just capable of handling a lot of the things that come his way. He’s taken every night serious the way he approaches the game. He’s been locked in, even though some nights the shots are not falling the way he expects or we expect them to, he still finds other ways to impact our team and help us. And that just shows how good of a player he is.”
Speaking to Tommy Alter on The Young Man and The Three podcast (YouTube link), Daniels says he’s happy he was traded by the Pelicans to the Hawks over the offseason, calling it a “fresh start.” “In New Orleans, I had so much built up in me mentally and physically. I was scared to do anything,” Daniels said, per HoopsHype. “But this year, I’m playing free. I’m being myself, going out there and making plays. I always knew I could do it—it was just about letting it out.”
The Hawks have been playing excellent basketball since they got to full strength, going 7-1 over their past eight games, with victories over Cleveland (twice), Boston and Milwaukee. As Chris Herring of ESPN notes, Atlanta’s latest win over the Knicks gave the Hawks a berth in the semifinals of the NBA Cup. Jared Weiss of The Athletic takes a look at how Atlanta has improved over the past few weeks, with Young and Johnson spearheading a balanced offensive attack.

Southeast Notes: Brogdon, Bogdanovic, Bufkin, Micic

November 18th, 2024 at 9:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Malcolm Brogdon made his season debut on Sunday against Detroit but was limited to one point in 22 minutes, Varun Shankar of the Washington Post notes. He underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb in early October.

Brogdon was the first player off the bench for the Wizards, who acquired him in an offseason trade with Portland. The veteran guard is a candidate to be traded again before the February deadline. He’s playing on an expiring $22.5MM contract.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kobe Bufkin were active for the Hawks on Monday. Bogdanovic hadn’t played since Oct. 23 due to a hamstring strain, while Bufkin was making his season debut after partially dislocating his right shoulder last month.
Vasilije Micic made just his fifth appearance of the season on Sunday, scoring nine points in 14 minutes. Micic’s playing time has dropped this season with LaMelo Ball back in action but Hornets first-year coach Charles Lee praised the Serbian guard after the game. “He can initiate the offense for us. He knows the sets very well. I thought that he actually brought some great energy (Sunday),” Lee said, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net. “He’s done a really good job of preparing himself, his mind, and his body. He’s approached every day, even though he has not been in the rotation, like a true professional.”
Wizards 2023 second-round pick and two-way player Tristan Vukcevic hasn’t played for either the Wizards or their G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go. Coach Brian Keefe told Shankar prior to Sunday’s game the Vukcevic needs to ramp up his conditioning before returning to the court. The big man was on a standard contract last season but the team declined his team option and re-signed him on a two-way deal in July.

Injury Notes: Knicks, Hawks, Pelicans, DeRozan, Carter

November 15th, 2024 at 10:36pm CST by Rory Maher

Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns was ruled out of Friday’s win vs. Brooklyn after initially being listed as questionable, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Towns sustained a left knee contusion after bumping into Zach LaVine on Wednesday.

Backup guard Miles McBride was also downgraded from questionable to out on Friday due to an illness. McBride has been battling knee soreness as well, Bondy adds.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau provided another injury update on Precious Achiuwa prior to Friday’s contest. As Bondy notes, Achiuwa is nearing the four-week mark on his hamstring strain, which has prevented him from suiting up in 2024/25. Thibodeau said on Wednesday that Achiuwa still hasn’t been cleared for practice.

“He’s reevaluated every day,” Thibodeau said. “So yes, he has been reevaluated. The depth of it, I’m not sure. I know they’ve increased his activity. I think that part is good. With the hamstring, we just want to make sure it’s not a problem that will linger.”

Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:

A trio of injured guards — Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring), Kobe Bufkin (shoulder) and Vit Krejci (adductor) — were assigned to the Hawks‘ G League affiliate on Friday to get some practice reps in, tweets Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. All three players are expected to travel with Atlanta for the team’s upcoming four-game road trip, which begins on Sunday in Portland and ends on Friday in Chicago, so there’s a chance they could return next week.
The Pelicans finally received some good injury news on Friday, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, who tweets that CJ McCollum has progressed to playing 5-on-5 and is getting close to returning from a right adductor strain. However, the news wasn’t all positive, as second-year guard Jordan Hawkins (low back strain) and defensive stalwart Herbert Jones (right shoulder) have not yet been cleared for contact work.
Kings forward DeMar DeRozan missed his first game of the season on Friday vs. Minnesota due to lower back tightness, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. DeRozan exited Wednesday’s game with the injury, was unable to practice on Thursday (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat), and also did not participate in Friday’s shootaround, per Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 KTXL (Twitter link).
Magic big man Wendell Carter Jr. missed his seventh straight game on Friday due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Head coach Jamahl Mosley said Orlando’s starting center has been receiving treatment and is “progressing,” albeit “slowly,” according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). “(Carter’s) been on the bike. He’s doing some spot shooting,” Mosley said.

Injury Notes: Hawks, THJ, Simons, Bamba, Suns

November 13th, 2024 at 7:37am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks announced a series of injury updates on Tuesday, issuing a press release to provide the latest on where things stand with Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring), Kobe Bufkin (shoulder), Vit Krejci (adductor), and Seth Lundy (ankle).

According to the team, Bogdanovic, Bufkin, and Krejci are all progressing through their rehabilitation and will be reevaluated in about one week, so they’ll all miss at least a few more games. As for Lundy, his recovery from a sprained left ankle will take more time. According to the Hawks, he’ll be reevaluated in approximately four weeks.

Bufkin and Lundy have yet to appear in a game for the Hawks this season, while Bogdanovic and Krejci have played in just one and four contests, respectively. Despite being shorthanded, Atlanta pulled off a major upset on Tuesday in its first NBA Cup game, beating the defending champion Celtics 117-116.

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

Pistons wing Tim Hardaway Jr. took a pair of hits to the head during a defensive possession in Tuesday’s game and left the court on a wheelchair (Twitter video link). According to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), Hardaway underwent a CAT scan, which was negative. He received some stitches, but it doesn’t sound like he sustained a serious injury, which is good news. Given the nature of the injury, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Hardaway has to enter the NBA’s concussion protocol.
Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons left Tuesday’s game in the first quarter and didn’t return due to what the team referred to as a chest injury. Head coach Chauncey Billups explained after the game that Simons was experiencing shortness of breath, but that everything came back normal after he underwent a series of tests (Twitter link via Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report). The Blazers will conduct more testing on Wednesday, but Billups thinks Simons will be okay.
Clippers center Mohamed Bamba, who is making his way back from a left knee injury, continues to move closer to his season debut. While Bamba will miss Wednesday’s game vs. Oklahoma City, he’s listed as out due to a G League assignment rather than the knee ailment.
The Suns were down another starter on Tuesday, as Jusuf Nurkic joined Kevin Durant on the sidelines due to left ankle soreness (story via ESPN). It’s unclear if Nurkic’s ankle issue will force him to miss more games — the team is back in action in Sacramento on Wednesday night. Mason Plumlee started at center with Nurkic unavailable.
Another Suns starter, Bradley Beal, exited Tuesday’s game due to left calf tightness, but he downplayed the injury during his post-game media session, referring to the decision to pull him as “a little precautionary” (Twitter video link via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic).

Hawks’ Bogdanovic, Bufkin, Krejci Will Be Out Multiple Weeks

October 29th, 2024 at 5:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hawks wing Bogdan Bogdanovic will be sidelined for at least a month, the team announced in a press release on Tuesday.

Bogdanovic underwent a non-surgical procedure on Monday. He missed the team’s game on Sunday with what the team labelled right hamstring tendinopathy. He will be reevaluated in approximately four weeks.

The team also provided updates on three other players.

Guard Kobe Bufkin (right shoulder subluxation) has begun treatment and rehabilitation. Like Bogdanovic, he will be reevaluated in approximately four weeks. Bufkin suffered a partially dislocated shoulder in practice last week.

Guard/forward Vit Krejci sustained a right adductor strain during Monday’s game against Washington. He will be reevaluated in two weeks.

Guard Dyson Daniels has a right hip flexor strain, which also occurred on Monday. He’s out for Wednesday’s game at Washington and will continue to receive treatment.

The news regarding Bogdanovic, who is in the second year of a four-year, $68MM contract, is the most significant. He averaged a career-best 16.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals last season while appearing in 79 games. He’s one of the top three-point shooters in the league, making 38.4% for his career.

The injuries on the backcourt and wing will mean more playing time for Garrison Mathews and Keaton Wallace.

Southeast Notes: Coulibaly, Sarr, Hornets, Bogdanovic, Magic

October 28th, 2024 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Bilal Coulibaly‘s improved ball-handling didn’t earn him a significant role with the French Olympic team, but it’s paying off for the Wizards, writes Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. The second-year forward has already set career highs with six assists and 23 points in the first two games, and he looks to be an important part of the rebuilding project in Washington.

“I showed them I could go to the rim, pull up and everything. [The coaches] saw it, I guess, and now they believe in me,” Coulibaly said. “[Head coach Brian Keefe] saw it and he was like ‘yeah, he can play.’ So, he gave me a lot more [responsibility].”

Coulibaly has been expanding all facets of his offensive attack, Hughes adds. He’s driving to the basket 8.0 times per game, more than double last season’s rate, and he shot 4-of-9 from three-point range Saturday against Cleveland. He was also given the toughest defensive assignment, matching up with Donovan Mitchell.

“This is something he’s going to grow into, a ball-handler and decision-maker, plus guard the best player,” Keefe said. “These are great things. You have to grow through that. That’s not something you just flip the switch on. You have to go through that and learn what that feels like. He’s learning every day.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Rookie Alex Sarr faced Evan Mobley, who provides an example of what the Wizards hope Sarr can become, states Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. The No. 3 pick in 2021, Mobley is a lean big man with elite defensive instincts and an expanding offensive game. Washington may wind up building its roster around Sarr much like Cleveland has done with Mobley. “It was cool playing against him,” Sarr said. “He’s a great big, so it’s always fun going up against players like that.”
LaMelo Ball, Cody Martin and Seth Curry were in the Hornets‘ lineup for Saturday’s game against Miami even though they had all been listed as questionable, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte is already short-handed with Mark Williams and Brandon Miller both sidelined, so Martin said there’s a determination to take the court. “We want to play,” he said. “At the end of the day, everybody in this locker room is hungry and wants to play and when they decide — or it’s deemed they are not playing — they probably can’t play. And I think that’s the biggest understanding. I don’t think anybody questions how important it is for us to want to play and get out there and just have fun.”
Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic missed Sunday’s game with right hamstring tendinopathy and the team is being careful not to aggravate the condition, tweets John Hollinger of The Athletic.
The Magic‘s G League affiliate in Osceola has announced its preseason roster (Twitter link). It includes two-way players Mac McClung and Trevelin Queen.

Southeast Notes: Bufkin, Wizards, Carrington, Magic, Heat

October 24th, 2024 at 9:03pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Hawks second-year guard Kobe Bufkin suffered a partially dislocated right shoulder during a practice, the team announced Thursday in a press release. It’s the second time Bufkin has dislocated his shoulder in the last six months — he previously suffered the same injury ahead of Las Vegas Summer League in July.

Bufkin has had a rough go with injuries over the course of his young career. He was limited to just 17 games in his rookie season in 2023/24 after dealing with a fractured thumb and sprained toe. He averaged 4.8 points in 11.5 minutes per contest in his healthy appearances.

According to the Hawks’ release, Bufkin and the team are determining treatment options and an update will be provided at a later date. He’s likely to miss at least a few weeks. In the wake of his injury, guard Dyson Daniels will continue to get expanded opportunities.

In addition to not having Bufkin for Friday’s game, the Hawks are also listing Bogdan Bogdanovic as out with right hamstring tendinopathy, according to Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

The Wizards are once again expected to finish toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings this season, but The Athletic’s Josh Robbins observes that there’s now a sense of purpose in the rebuild. With younger players like Bilal Coulibaly and Corey Kispert under contract for the foreseeable future, and 2024 draft picks Alex Sarr, Carlton Carrington and Kyshawn George in the building, the Wizards have a sound core. “When I first came here, there really wasn’t infrastructure,” said forward Kyle Kuzma. “Everything was on the fly, you know? [Now, there’s] much more of a sense of purpose in that department.” In a similar story, The Washington Post’s Varun Shankar writes that 2023 hires Michael Winger (president of Monumental Basketball) and Will Dawkins (general manager) have been crucial in this process. Shankar also explores potential steps forward and considers which players could be on the move this year.
Sarr, this year’s No. 2 overall pick, made his NBA debut on Thursday against the Celtics. He finished with two points, five rebounds and two blocks. Carrington started the game next to Jordan Poole at the guard spot, while George played off the bench. According to Wizards PR (Twitter link), the team’s opening-night starting lineup (Sarr, Poole, Carrington, Coulibaly, and Kuzma) was the youngest in franchise history.
Carrington landed awkwardly following a layup attempt in the fourth quarter of the season-opening loss to Boston, Robbins observes (Twitter link). He was down for a while before limping off the court to the Wizards’ locker room. The rookie guard finished his NBA debut with three points, two assists and two blocks.
The Magic defeated the Heat in dominant fashion in their season opener, leading by as many as 32 points, with forward Paolo Banchero pouring in 33. According to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel, the team’s three-point focus and depth were key takeaways, while Gary Harris‘s dominance from beyond the arc (he made six of his nine three-point attempts for 18 points) is something to note. “It sets the tone for what the standard is with this team,” Banchero said. “Everyone was telling each other this was a hell of a game setting the tone but this is setting the tone for how we’ve got to be every night.“
On the other side of the court, the 116-97 home loss to the Magic was a crushing blow to open the season for a Heat team that was enthusiastic about its new offensive system in the preseason. As Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo combined for just 12 points on 15.4% shooting in the loss. “Offensively, we have to trust some of the things that we’ve been working on in the preseason,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It has looked a lot different than this. But obviously that’s a very good defense. That’s a top-five defense. They’re very active, long. So you have to trust what we do even more.“

International Notes: Bertans, Lee, Bogdanovic, Jokic

October 6th, 2024 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

After changing teams frequently in the NBA, Davis Bertans was looking for stability when he decided to move overseas. In an interview with Mozzart Sport (translation via BasketNews), Bertans said part of the attraction of joining the new Dubai Basketball Club is long-term security.

“I also got a contract for three years, which was very important for my family, so that I don’t have to move every year,” he said.

Bertans was traded from Washington to Dallas at the 2022 deadline, then was moved to Oklahoma City in a 2023 draft-night deal. He got sent to Charlotte at this year’s deadline and was waived by the Hornets in July.

There were rumors this summer that Bertans might return to his former Partizan team in Belgrade, but he said that never came close to happening.

“I didn’t get an offer to go to Partizan,” Bertans said. “Maybe there was a chance to go for one season, but it wasn’t for me. I wanted to spend a longer time in the same city. I was traded four times in two years in the NBA, it’s very difficult for the family.”

There’s more international news to pass along:

There’s a growing market for Saben Lee, who signed with Turkey’s Manisa Basket in August, according to Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. Sources tell Barkas that Fenerbahce is nearing a deal with the former NBA point guard after losing Scottie Wilbekin with a torn ACL. Maccabi is also interested in adding Lee, Barkas adds in a separate story, but he may be hesitant to play in Israel due to the fear of a war. Lee recently had a stellar debut in the Basketball Champions League with 36 points and six assists.
Former NBA center Pero Antic hopes to convince Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic to join Belgrade’s Crvena Zvezda once his NBA career is done, according to BasketNews. “We corresponded two days ago,” said Antic, who’s now president of the Basketball Federation of North Macedonia. “We’re in constant contact, we joke, we’ve been roommates. I’ll bring him to Crvena Zvezda sometime. He said that he would finish his career in Partizan, but I think that he will do it in Crvena Zvezda.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said over the weekend that Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic have all requested exhibition games in their native countries. However, Jokic told reporters that he never asked for a game in Serbia, BasketNews relays. “I don’t have approval to talk about it, I didn’t demand it,” Jokic said in Abu Dhabi, where the Nuggets are playing their second preseason contest today.

Southeast Notes: Bogdanovic, Nance, Sarr, Suggs

September 22nd, 2024 at 2:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

Recent photos of Bogdan Bogdanovic in Partizan Belgrade training gear sparked rumors that he might have an interest in returning to the Serbian team, but the Hawks guard told Mozzart Sport that he’s happy in the NBA, BasketNews relays. Partizan was Bogdanovic’s first team when he entered professional basketball in 2010. He played four seasons there before moving on to Fenerbahce and eventually the NBA in 2017.

“I just wanted to send support to the team where I started my professional career,” Bogdanovic explained. “We all know how much I love Partizan, I practiced in their hall, they gave me conditions for practicing, that’s how I wanted so send a message that I’m thankful for that. I know people want me back in Partizan, but my focus is now on NBA, I won’t lie. I want to impress there in best way possible. And when it is time to come back, I’m sure emotions will make the judgement.”

Bogdanovic’s contract has two seasons remaining, plus a team option for 2026/27, so it should be a while before he plays again in Europe. His current focus is helping Atlanta remain competitive in the Eastern Conference, and he’s hoping to reach a standard that he’s yet to accomplish in the NBA.

“I made myself a goal to play 82 games, I never did that and it’s very tough,” Bogdanovic said. “Last season I missed two, once I was sick, once injured, I think I can accomplish that now.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Veteran big man Larry Nance Jr. is eager to play for coach Quin Snyder after being traded to the Hawks this summer, writes Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Nance is already getting involved in the community and was among several Atlanta players who volunteered at Saturday’s Million Meal Pack at State Farm Arena. “Quin is a basketball mastermind,” Nance said. “I was a huge fan of his when he was at Utah, and obviously, these past few years in Atlanta. Now I’m excited to play for him, and we’re gonna get along really well. Yeah, I consider myself a high-IQ basketball player, and he’s very high IQ. Yeah, so. But the roster is exciting. Obviously, it’s a young roster and a team that’s looking to make some noise here going forward.”
Appearing on a Monumental Sports Network podcast, Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said fans should be excited about what Alex Sarr might be able to accomplish in his rookie season. “I wouldn’t put limitations on it, to be honest with you,” Dawkins said of the No. 2 overall pick. “I think he’s someone that by the end of the season you’ll be like ‘okay, that was different.’ He’ll have his moments throughout the beginning of the year, both negative and positive. But the stuff he can do on the floor long-term, I think you guys will be pretty excited about.”
Jalen Suggs is coming off his best NBA season, but the Magic will need him to improve his point guard skills as he takes over the offense, per Mike Shearer of Basketball Poetry.