Bradley Beal Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Haynes’ Latest: Beal, Pacers, Lue, McMillan, Henderson, Hornets

June 16th, 2023 at 12:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards have given Bradley Beal and his representatives – including agent Mark Bartelstein – permission to talk to rival teams about a potential trade, sources tell Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

While Beal has not requested a trade, per Haynes, the Wizards are reportedly mulling the idea of a roster reset that would involve moving the star guard. Since Beal has a no-trade clause, he’ll be very much a part of any trade negotiations, so it’s no surprise that his camp has been granted permission to talk directly to potential suitors.

The Heat and Bucks are among the teams expected to speak with Bartelstein, sources tell Haynes. The Heat and Beal have been linked in the past and appear to have mutual interest, but the 29-year-old isn’t attempting to force his way to Miami or to any other specific team, a source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

As for Milwaukee, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports confirms there have been rumblings about the Bucks having interest in Beal, as others have reported. But a Bucks trade for Beal would probably have to include Khris Middleton, according to Fischer, who says all indications are that Milwaukee intends to bring back Middleton and free agent center Brook Lopez.

Here’s more from Haynes’ latest rumor round-up:

The Pacers have made the No. 7 pick available and are in the market for a starting-caliber wing, per Haynes, echoing a report from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Twitter video link via Evan Sidery of Forbes). According to Fischer, Indiana previously explored trade scenarios for Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter (for Chris Duarte and draft capital) and Raptors forward OG Anunoby. The Pacers are also expected to be among the suitors for Celtics restricted free agent forward Grant Williams, Fischer adds.
The Clippers are considered unlikely to reach an agreement on a contract extension with head coach Tyronn Lue this offseason, Haynes reports. Lue has one more guaranteed year on his contract, with a team option for 2024/25. Haynes adds that the Suns never officially made contact with the Clippers about their interest in Lue this spring, since L.A. would have wanted draft assets to release Lue from his contract, and Phoenix used most of its draft picks at the trade deadline to acquire Kevin Durant.
Nate McMillan turned down an offer to join the Mavericks‘ coaching staff and intends to take a year off from coaching to spend time with his family, sources tell Haynes.
Scoot Henderson will return to North Carolina on Monday to meet with Hornets owner Michael Jordan, writes Haynes. Fischer previously reported that Charlotte wanted to bring both Henderson and Brandon Miller back early next week to meet with Jordan. It’s unclear whether or not Miller will also return to Charlotte.

Latest Rumors On Hornets’, Blazers’ Lottery Picks

June 16th, 2023 at 7:58am CST by Luke Adams

Despite New Orleans’ interest in Scoot Henderson, the odds of the Hornets and Pelicans reaching an agreement involving the No. 2 pick appear slim.

While the Pelicans don’t necessarily view any player as “untouchable” as they explore moving up in the draft, they’ve shown little interest in parting with forward Brandon Ingram, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. According to Fischer, the team has received plenty of trade inquiries about Trey Murphy this year, but Murphy isn’t viewed as the type of player who could be the centerpiece of a deal that moves New Orleans up from No. 14 to No. 2.

That would leave Zion Williamson as the most obvious trade chip the Pelicans could use if they’re serious about moving into the top three. However, the organization still believes in Williamson’s upside and “fondly remembers” starting the season atop the Western Conference this past season when Zion was healthy, Fischer writes, noting that a top-three pick would be “merely the starting point” to meet Williamson’s valuation of the star forward. Charlotte is unlikely to share that valuation.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony expressed a similar sentiment during an appearance on Zach Lowe’s Lowe Post podcast, as RealGM relays.

“I’ve been told New Orleans is not trading Zion,” Givony said. “And no interest in trading Brandon Ingram. I would be very surprised if anything ended up happening there at two or three. They were the No. 1 team in the West last year when Zion went down with the injury. If he’s healthy, which he rarely is, but when he’s healthy, he is easily one of the best players in the NBA. So I don’t see it happening. That was pretty much shut down to me as a possibility of Zion to Charlotte.”

Asked by Lowe if the possibility of a Pelicans/Trail Blazers trade involving the No. 3 pick is more viable, Givony essentially dismissed that idea too.

“They haven’t even spoken with Portland,” Givony said. “I think New Orleans has made some calls, just to see what it would take to get to one, get to two, but I don’t think it went past that.”

While the Pelicans have been the team most frequently mentioned this week as a candidate to move into the top three, they’re not the only ones who have looked into that possibility. Fischer says the Raptors and Rockets have conveyed interest in moving up in the lottery, while Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer cites sources who say that Toronto and the Wizards have explored deals to move into the top three.

Presumably, any trade into the top three for the Raptors or Wizards would involve a star player like Pascal Siakam or Bradley Beal, though it’s unclear whether those All-Stars on their own would be enough for a team like Charlotte or Portland to seriously consider a move down. Siakam will be on an expiring deal in 2023/24, while Beal is owed nearly $208MM over the next four years, so neither player has a particularly favorable contract. As we wrote on Thursday, Fischer is skeptical that Houston has the veteran talent necessary to move into the top three.

Givony suggested on The Lowe Post that the Trail Blazers have yet to receive a compelling offer for the No. 3 pick.

“Contrary to what people think, if the draft were tonight, they’re making that pick,” Givony said, per RealGM. “Unless something crazy comes up. Some type of trade that you just can’t say ‘no’ to. At this stage, they haven’t had anywhere near that level of conversation to get fair value for that pick. You very rarely have a chance to get that type of talent, like a Brandon Miller or a Scoot Henderson, in Portland. So they’re not just going to pass up on that unless something absolutely incredible comes out of thin air, which doesn’t appear the case right now.”

Latest On Wizards, Bradley Beal

June 15th, 2023 at 3:23pm CST by Rory Maher

Although new Wizards president Michael Winger has publicly said he’s still undecided on whether or not he’s going to reshape the roster this offseason and recent reports have echoed that same sentiment, rival teams believe it’s practically a foregone conclusion that Bradley Beal will eventually be traded, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article.

The primary obstacle in a potential deal is Beal’s full no-trade clause — he’s the only active player in the league with that provision in his contract. Not only would Beal have to approve a trade, but the no-trade clause — and the nearly $208MM he’s owed over the next four seasons — would carry over to his new team as well, which complicates matters for both the Wizards and any interested suitors. He has also been limited by injuries the past two seasons, appearing in 90 of a possible 164 games.

Both Stein and Fred Katz of The Athletic have heard that the Heat would be at the top of Beal’s list of preferred landing spots. Stein says Miami is “widely regarded” as the frontrunner to acquire the three-time All-Star.

Sources tell Katz that the Warriors and Knicks, to varying degrees, are teams that have been interested Beal in the past. According to Katz, the Knicks have made it known they would reciprocate that interest if Beal were made available.

The Kings have discussed a Beal trade with the Wizards, and he’s believed to be open to joining Sacramento, sources tell Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, as of now, nothing seems imminent on that front.

Here’s more on the Wizards and Beal:

The Wizards are believed to be prioritizing financial relief and draft capital in a return package for Beal, according to Stein, but that doesn’t mean that will come to fruition. As Stein observes, since Beal can reject any trade proposal, he has a significant amount of power to impact the terms of a deal.
Washington’s previous front office regime unsuccessfully tried to reacquire the 2024 protected first-round pick it owes New York, sources tell Katz. That pick would hold more value to the Wizards in the event of a rebuild, Katz observes, which may work to the Knicks’ advantage if they pursue Beal.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports confirms previous reports that the Celtics and Sixers do not plan to pursue Beal, despite being linked to the veteran guard in the past. The Sixers also aren’t expected to go after Fred VanVleet if James Harden walks in free agency, Fischer adds.
In what figures to be an eventual offseason for the Wizards, both Stein and Fischer have heard that big man Kristaps Porzingis is still contemplating whether or not to exercise his $36MM player option for 2023/24. The 27-year-old would become an unrestricted free agent if he doesn’t pick up the option, with his decision deadline set for June 21.

Eastern Notes: Pacers, Quickley, Hawks, Bucks, Beal

June 15th, 2023 at 8:04am CST by Luke Adams

No team holds more picks in the 2023 NBA draft than the Pacers, who have had another full week of pre-draft workouts at the Ascension St. Vincent Center in Indianapolis.

The Pacers hosted Marcus Carr (Texas), Kendric Davis (Memphis), Zvonimir Ivisic (Croatia), Drew Peterson (USC), Julian Phillips (Tennessee), and Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky) for a group workout on Monday, then brought in D’Moi Hodge (Missouri), Colby Jones (Xavier), Omari Moore (San Jose State), Kevin Obanor (Texas Tech), Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Marquette), and Malachi Smith (Gonzaga) on Tuesday.

The most notable workout of the team’s week so far is happening on Thursday, with the Pacers scheduled to host Gradey Dick. The Kansas guard could be a player Indiana considers with its lottery pick at No. 7.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

With Immanuel Quickley becoming eligible next month for a rookie scale extension, Fred Katz of The Athletic polled 15 front office members around the NBA to get a sense of what a “fair” extension for the Knicks guard would look like. Of those 15 participants, 11 projected an annual salary between $16-20MM, with five specifically suggesting $72MM over four years.
Discussing his newly completed coaching staff, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder told Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he wanted a strong player development group made up of “selfless” individuals who would help instill that philosophy in Atlanta’s players. “It’s like putting any team together that whether it’s, tactical experience, analytics experience, literally different cultures and genders and all the different things that go into making a unique, strong group,” Snyder said. “But ‘The Thin Red Line’ to me that runs through all of it was, just selfless people that are able to put the group in front of themselves and I really want our staff to model that because that’s what we’re asking of our team.”
Eric Nehm of The Athletic breaks down the rumor identifying the Bucks as a possible Bradley Beal suitor, examining how Milwaukee could build a package to acquire Beal and weighing whether or not the star guard would actually make a better long-term building block than Jrue Holiday or Khris Middleton. As Nehm notes, while Beal is younger than Holiday or Middleton, he’s not as solid a defender as either of those current Bucks.

Atlantic Notes: Beal, Brown, Brogdon, Harden, Towns

June 14th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics made inquiries about Bradley Beal in the past, but they’re unlikely to pursue the high-scoring Wizards guard now, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Wednesday on “NBA Today” (video link). Boston had thoughts of teaming up Beal with his long-time friend Jayson Tatum, but Windhorst doesn’t believe it’s realistic with the team’s current salary structure.

“My feel from talking to sources is that the Celtics are not necessarily in on this one,” Windhorst said. “Their intention is to get Jaylen Brown on a contract extension this year. Even if they got Jaylen Brown done, the idea of bringing in Bradley Beal would be extraordinarily difficult because of the three contracts together. I don’t think any conversation that involves trading Jaylen Brown is something the Celtics are super interested in right now.”

Brown became eligible for a super-max contract by earning All-NBA honors this season. Beal signed a maximum contract last summer and will make nearly $208MM over the next four years, while Tatum will be eligible to sign a super-max extension in 2024.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

With the Celtics hoping to trim salary this summer, Brian Robb of MassLive suggests potential deals involving Malcolm Brogdon. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year had a productive first season in Boston, but he’s owed $22.5MM in each of the next two years and that money may be needed elsewhere. Robb proposes trades involving the Knicks, Clippers, Lakers, Raptors and 76ers.
The Sixers prefer to re-sign James Harden, but they shouldn’t be viewed as desperate, according to Windhorst, who says in his latest podcast that Philadelphia has alternatives lined up if the veteran guard returns to Houston. “While they absolutely want James Harden back, and I think there’s a way they can play together and still be highly successful, the Sixers have other moves they can make,” Windhorst said. “If Harden walks, they have cap space. They have tradable contracts. They have things they can do. Harden is important, but not the end-all and be-all for the 76ers.”
Rico Hines will be an assistant to new Sixers head coach Nick Nurse, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Hines worked under Nurse with the Raptors last season.
The Knicks would have numerous ways to match Karl-Anthony Towns‘ salary in a trade if the Timberwolves make him available, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Because Towns’ extension doesn’t start until 2024/25, he will make $36MM next season. Sending out Julius Randle ($25.6MM) or Mitchell Robinson ($15.6MM), either of whom might be redundant on the same team with Towns, gives New York plenty of remaining options to reach a matching figure, Begley notes.

Heat Notes: Offseason, Vincent, Strus, Herro, Lillard, Beal

June 14th, 2023 at 8:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

After an improbable run to the NBA Finals, the Heat face an offseason filled with important financial decisions, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Miami has just seven players with guaranteed salaries for next season, but Victor Oladipo is almost certain to pick up his $9.5MM option after suffering a knee injury in the playoffs and the team is expected to guarantee Haywood Highsmith‘s $1.9MM salary. With an estimated cap hit of about $3MM for the No. 18 pick, the Heat will have roughly $176MM committed, putting them well over the projected $162MM luxury tax line and in sight of the new $179.5MM second apron.

Kevin Love, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Cody Zeller are all headed to unrestricted free agency, while Omer Yurtseven will be restricted if Miami makes a $2.26MM qualifying offer. In addition, Miami has already been linked to potential trades involving Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal.

“The goal is to win a championship, and this organization will do anything possible for that to happen,” Bam Adebayo said at Wednesday’s exit interviews. “I feel like everybody in here knows it’s a business. And that’s why you cherish the moments you go through with your teammates, with your brothers because you never know what can happen next year.”

There’s more from Miami:

The Heat hold Bird rights on Vincent and Strus, so they can go over the cap to re-sign them, although that would increase their tax bill, Chiang adds. Both players indicated that they plan to explore all their options. “Money plays a role, place plays a role, situation plays a role,” Vincent said. There’s a lot of things that factor in and I think it will all take care of itself throughout the summer.”
Tyler Herro didn’t address reporters on Wednesday, but coach Erik Spoelstra expanded on his decision to not use him in Game 5, per Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Herro received medical clearance Monday afternoon after missing nearly two months following hand surgery. “It’s also my job, as the head coach, to protect him, and do what we think was best for the team,” Spoelstra said. “… And there’s no knowing for sure, but I do know that that was just a totally unusual circumstance that you can’t compare to anything else. But the good news is he’ll have a great offseason and he’ll be fully ready to go next year.”
With trade rumors flying around the Heat, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald proposes a scenario in which the team could acquire both Lillard and Beal while keeping Adebayo and Jimmy Butler.

Bradley Beal Rumors: Bucks, Sixers, Knicks, Heat

June 14th, 2023 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Having already reported that the Heat will be among Bradley Beal‘s suitors if the Wizards decide to move forward with a trade of the star guard, Shams Charania of Stadium (Twitter video link) said he has been told the Bucks are “looming” as another team to watch for Beal.

Milwaukee would be a somewhat surprising inclusion in the Beal sweepstakes. Charania doesn’t provide any details on what the Bucks might offer, but we can safely assume Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t going anywhere. In order to match Beal’s maximum-salary cap hit, the Bucks would have to build a package around either Khris Middleton or Jrue Holiday, both of whom were key members of the team that won a title in 2021.

Here’s more on Beal in the wake of a report that he and the Wizards are discussing possible trade scenarios as the team debates whether or not to reset its roster:

Sources who spoke to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com insisted that the Sixers don’t intend to pursue Beal via trade and aren’t interested in him as a long-term cornerstone. As Neubeck explains, Beal’s contract plays a large part in that stance — he’s owed nearly $208MM over the next four seasons, which will be a tricky contract to accommodate under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement for a player who isn’t his team’s first option.
The Knicks had internal discussions during the season about the possibility of pursuing Beal this summer, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv. It’s unclear what came of those conversations and how enthusiastic the team might be about the idea.
The Heat have conveyed interest in Beal multiple times over the years, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson also hears from a source close to Beal that Miami would appeal to the three-time All-Star — that’s an important factor, given Beal’s full no-trade clause. Jackson suggests that a Miami offer for Beal would likely start with Tyler Herro and either Duncan Robinson or Kyle Lowry for salary-matching purposes. Miami has three tradable future first-rounders, including this year’s No. 18 overall pick.

Wizards, Bradley Beal Discussing Trade Scenarios

June 14th, 2023 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

As potential suitors get in touch with the Wizards about Bradley Beal, the team’s new-look front office – led by president Michael Winger – is staying in “close contact” with Beal’s agent Mark Bartelstein to discuss potential trade scenarios, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

According to Shams Charania and Josh Robbins of The Athletic, the Wizards and Beal have an understanding that they’ll work together to find a deal that sends the three-time All-Star to a contender if the team decides to rebuild its roster.

The reports from ESPN and The Athletic don’t come as a real surprise. When Winger was named the Wizards’ new head of basketball operations last month, reports indicated that team owner Ted Leonsis was open to a rebuild if that’s the path that Winger wanted to take. And given that Beal is the only NBA player with a full no-trade clause, the team would have no choice but to work with the 29-year-old and his camp if it wants to deal him as part of a roster reset.

According to both Wojnarowski and The Athletic’s duo, it remains unclear whether Winger will decide to reshape Washington’s roster, so there’s no guarantee that Beal will be on the move this offseason. But the two sides intend to work amicably on next steps, per The Athletic. Discussions about Beal’s future in D.C. are expected to become more frequent in the coming weeks, sources tell ESPN.

Beal’s value will be limited not just by his no-trade clause, which allows him to essentially choose his new team, but by his recent injury history, his dip in production, and his massive contract.

The former third overall pick has played just 90 games across the last two seasons and has seen his scoring average dip to 23.2 points per game during that time (he averaged 31.3 PPG in 2020/21). However, he signed a maximum-salary contract as a free agent last summer and is owed nearly $208MM over the next four years. He also has a 15% trade kicker, though his salary in 2023/24 will likely be above the league-wide max, so that kicker wouldn’t be applied.

During a TV appearance on Wednesday (YouTube link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said he thinks the return in any trade involving Beal would surprise people based on how low it might be. As Windhorst points out, Beal’s no-trade clause doesn’t just let him pick his landing spot — it also lets him approve the package he gets dealt for, since he’d have veto power if he thinks his new team is giving up too much.

Miami and Philadelphia are among the teams that have been linked to Beal in the past, and the Heat are expected to be a “prominent” suitor for him if he’s available this summer, per Charania and Robbins. Previous reporting indicated that the Heat are prepared to peruse the trade market in search of a star in the coming weeks.

In addition to Beal, a pair of other key Wizards players have uncertain futures in D.C. Both Kyle Kuzma ($13MM) and Kristaps Porzingis ($36MM) hold players options for 2023/24. Kuzma is considered a lock to opt out and become a free agent, while Porzingis’ decision is TBD.

Southeast Notes: Beal, Wizards, Hornets, Curry, Hawks

June 14th, 2023 at 8:03am CST by Luke Adams

Bradley Beal‘s future in Washington has become a popular subject of speculation around the NBA since it was revealed that new Wizards president of basketball operations Michael Winger has been given the power to launch a rebuild if he so chooses, Brian Windhorst stated during a Tuesday appearance on ESPN’s Get Up (YouTube video link).

“Michael Winger said he has not made up his mind yet,” Windhorst said. “But that indecision has led teams to keep a very close eye on the Wizards. They not only have Beal, but big free agents Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis.”

As Windhorst observes, if Winger and the Wizards were to consider moving Beal, trade negotiations would be complicated by the fact that the guard has a full no-trade clause and could veto any deal to an unfavorable destination. That will restrict Washington’s ability to maximize its return for the three-time All-Star.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Winger is at the top of the Wizards‘ new front office hierarchy, but he fully intends to delegate to his top lieutenants when it comes to draft preparation, as he tells Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “I hope not,” Winger replied when asked if he intends to go on the road to scout players in his new role. “If I’m doing that, something has gone terribly wrong with Travis (Schlenk) and Will (Dawkins). They’re just much better than I am.”
Asked whether he’d consider joining the Hornets in free agency, Seth Curry didn’t rule out the possibility of signing with his hometown team, according to Sam Albuquerque of The Greenville News. Curry was born in Charlotte, where his father Dell Curry played for 10 seasons and is currently a color commentator on Hornets broadcasts. “You always think about it,” Seth said. “Growing up a Hornets fan, watching my dad play, you always think about one of us wearing that No. 30 Hornets jersey in the modern era. But like I always say, you never know in this league.”
The Hawks, who hold the 15th and 46th overall picks in next week’s draft, are continuing their busy pre-draft workout schedule this week. Malcolm Cazalon (KK Mega), Bryce Griggs (Overtime Elite), Uros Plavsic (Tennessee), JT Shumate (Toledo), Terquavion Smith (NC State), and K.J. Williams (LSU) visited the team on Tuesday, with Mouhamed Gueye (Washington State), Jarkel Joiner (NC State), David Singleton (UCLA), and Malachi Smith (Gonzaga) set to join Jamarius Burton and Osun Osunniyi at Wednesday’s workout.

Wizards Notes: Winger, Dawkins, Schlenk, Draft

June 9th, 2023 at 6:28pm CST by Rory Maher

In an outstanding piece for The Athletic, Josh Robbins details Michael Winger‘s journey from his days as a college student in Ohio to becoming the new president of the Wizards.

While attending Miami University, Winger saw a flyer stating that Ron Shapiro, a powerhouse baseball agent who represented several Hall of Fame players, was giving a talk on campus. Shapiro, who is also the father of Toronto Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro, became a mentor to Winger and wound up helping him get his start in the NBA, according to Robbins.

“It is gratifying for me to see Mike do everything that he has done because it’s like one of my own children doing those things,” Ron Shapiro said. “And it’s gratifying to me to see Mike not only be the professional that he is, but to be the person that he is. He is kind and he’s sensitive and he’s caring and he’s strong.”

Here’s more on the Wizards:

Within the same story, Robbins asked Winger about his plans for the team. He says he wants to get to know the players off the court before he makes any major decisions. “If the visions align for being competitive and doing things the right way with a little bit of patience, absolutely there’s a path forward with them (Bradley Beal, Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis),” Winger said as part of a larger quote. “I don’t think we’re going to be an overnight title contender; that I’m pretty confident about. And so, if they would rather pursue immediate winning, then they probably do have to pursue that somewhere else. But I think that there’s a very open dialog, a very open invitation to talk about the future of the team — the near-term future and the long-term future — and see where goals align and see where they don’t align.”
In another story for The Athletic, Robbins provides some highlights of the introductory press conference featuring Winger, new GM Will Dawkins, new VP of player personnel Travis Schlenk and owner Ted Leonsis. “The eventual expectation is that we’re going to build a generational contender,” Winger said. “We’re going to eventually have a team that is competing for championships. I can’t promise when that will be. But there’s no excuse for the lone NBA team in Washington, D.C., not to be a perennial contender or at least be pursuing championships. So, that’s the goal. The goal is to pursue championships by any means necessary. It’ll take time.”
As David Aldridge of The Athletic writes, the Wizards now have a group of high-level executives with varied backgrounds and experiences, and their preexisting relationships with key personnel around the league should help the organization moving forward. Dawkins said the team will be very focused on the new Collective Bargaining Agreement once it’s released. “Whenever (the CBA) comes out, and we’re obviously able to see it, you spend time with it, work with it,” Dawkins said. “And the goal is to find the advantages. And the team that learns it, and can find those advantages early on, is the team that’s going to find those benefits earlier.”
While Winger made it clear he would be accountable as the team’s primary decision-maker, Dawkins will run the day-to-day operations of the Wizards and Schlenk will oversee the team’s scouts and all player evaluations, writes Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. Still, the group said it will be a collaborative effort. “We’ve all had a lot of shared experiences at high levels, and once you put all that in a room, it’s going to be a little janky for a little bit,” Dawkins said. “We’re going to figure it out, stumble on some toes, but we’ll realize, hey, you’re better at this, or, hey, your idea works here. But there’s no such thing as a bad idea. The more you throw it out, the more I’ll be able to apply it to something else down the line or another way of thinking. I’m excited. Those guys are going to be easy to work with.”
Winger said Dawkins and Schlenk will primarily be handling the upcoming draft, which takes place June 22, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Dawkins is confident the Wizards will find the right group of players on draft night despite the new-look front office being hired within the past couple weeks. “The draft doesn’t start right now. The draft started two, three or four years ago. That’s the mindset that we’ll have. I will say this: we’re not playing from behind at all,” Dawkins said. The Wizards control the Nos. 8, 42 and 57 picks.
According to Hughes, Schlenk provided some insight into what he values when it comes to scouting. “One of the big things I’ve always focused on… is the character of the person,” Schlenk said. “That’s extremely important. These guys spend so much time together. If you have somebody that kind of brings down the environment every day, it can really be a drag on the team. That would be one of the first big things.”