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Draft Notes: Champagnie, Wiggins, Green, Onu, Kopp, Jones

July 5th, 2021 at 6:25pm CST by Eli Cohen

Power forward Julian Champagnie is withdrawing from the draft and returning to Saint John’s, writes ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. The 6’8 forward had bolstered his stock in the pre-draft process due to his combination of defense, athleticism and shooting, but not as much as he would have liked.

“I enjoyed the process, but I didn’t put myself in the spot I wanted to, partially because of a wrist injury I suffered early on that set me back mentally and physically,” Champagnie said. “…I am not sure exactly where I would have gotten drafted, what part of the second round. Being in that spot in the draft, I felt it wouldn’t hurt me to go back to school.”

We have more news from the draft:

Aaron Wiggins will remain in the draft, reports ESPN’s Givony. The 6’6″ athletic forward was a standout at the G League Elite Camp and says he’s interviewed with seven NBA teams. “I’ve shown teams things they’ve never seen before,” Wiggins said. “Teams have been surprised by what I showed. I’ve loved the information and feedback I’ve received and didn’t want to wait until the last minute with my decision.”
Kelly Iko of The Athletic profiles potential top-three pick Jalen Green. Within his story, Iko discusses Green’s path that led him to choose the G League over college, as well as his maturity in accepting guidance from the older members of his G League Ignite team. “It’s a lot of kids out here like, ‘This old dude can’t tell me nothing’ or they won’t try to listen,” teammate Bobby Brown said, referencing Green and his fellow rookies-to-be. “But they were all students of the game, all sponges.”
EJ Onu of Shawnee State will keep his name in the draft, tweets Givony. The 6’11 center measured into the G League Elite Camp with a 7’8.5″ wingspan and shot 40% from three on 130 attempts. Onu is projected to be a mid-to-late second round pick.
Miller Kopp has withdrawn his name from the 2021 NBA draft process, reports Jeff Goodman of Stadium. The 6’7 forward, who has played three seasons with Northwestern, is transferring to Indiana University.
DeVante’ Jones has withdrawn from the pre-draft process and will return to school, reports Givony. Jones, a standout point guard for Coastal Carolina University, will be transferring to Michigan for his senior year.

Central Notes: Young, Cavaliers Pick, Lee, Cunningham

July 3rd, 2021 at 2:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The expiring contract of Bulls forward Thaddeus Young could be the club’s best non-All Star trade chip, posits Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Only $6MM of Young’s $14.2MM contract is guaranteed for the 2021/22 season. The Bulls front office has until August 1 to fully ratify the deal, which would make sense to do, as the veteran Young has proven to be a valuable role player in Chicago, and even the full $14.2MM deal is reasonable enough to make him desirable for a win-now franchise.

The 33-year-old Young has thrived with the Bulls as a multifaceted two-way reserve capable of playing both forward positions and, occasionally, small-ball center. He seemed to take significant steps during the 2020/21 season as a ball-handler and play-maker, averaging a career-best 4.3 assists.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Given that they have the third pick in what is considered to be a top-heavy draft, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com wonders if the Cavaliers should consider trading down for a lower lottery selection and a future asset. In some order, the top four picks in the draft are expected to be Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham, USC center/power forward Evan Mobley, G League Ignite guard Jalen Green, and Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs. The Cavaliers are also expected to assess the next batch of lottery prospects, including Florida State guard Scottie Barnes, G League Ignite forward Jonathan Kuminga, Duke forward Jalen Johnson, Adelaide 36ers guard Josh Giddey, Tennessee guard Keon Johnson and Gonzaga forward Corey Kispert. If Cleveland prefers one of these players, who should be available beyond the top four, it might make sense to trade down.
Athletic Pistons rookie point guard Saben Lee enjoyed an impressive first NBA season, despite being drafted 31 spots behind fellow rookie Pistons point guard Killian Hayes, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Langlois projects that Lee’s aforementioned athleticism, his 6’9″ wingspan, and his strength will serve him well as a defense-first guard on the team next season.
The Pistons will have their first No. 1 pick in quite a while, and standout Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham has widely been viewed as the top prospect in the upcoming draft. Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press details why the club could ultimately pass on selecting Cunningham, explaining why the ceilings of Jalen Green and Evan Mobley are enough to at least get them into the conversation of a top selection. Cunningham’s ball-handling, shooting, defense and positional fluidity make him perhaps the safest bet for a rebuilding team. Mobley’s unique offensive game and impressive size as a center and Green’s fit with the Pistons specifically make both players interesting possibilities.

Central Notes: Pacers, Nored, Green, Grant, Carlisle

July 1st, 2021 at 9:12pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pacers are close to hiring former Hornets assistant coach Ronald Nored to join Rick Carlisle‘s staff, J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star tweets. Nored reportedly received consideration for the Wizards’ head coaching job. It’s not clear if he remains a candidate for that position, but presumably if he takes an assistant job in Indiana he wouldn’t expect to be hired by Washington.

The Pacers have zeroed in on former Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce as Carlisle’s top assistant. Darrell Armstrong, Carlisle’s longtime assistant with the Mavericks, will not join him in Indiana, J. Michael adds in a separate tweet.

We have more from the Central Division:

Jalen Green‘s scoring ability makes him a legitimate candidate for the Pistons to select him with the top overall pick, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. Green, who played with the G League’s Ignite team this season, is the most likely member of this year’s draft class to lead the league in scoring during his career, Langlois notes. At 6’6”, Green also has the size, elite skill level, athleticism and work ethic to be a special player in the league and that would give any team holding the top pick a lot to consider heading into the draft.
The Pistons shouldn’t consider trading Jerami Grant coming off his career year, Rod Beard of the Detroit News opines. Dealing Grant would send a bad message that Detroit would be willing to flip an improving player who chose the franchise in free agency, Beard notes. Grant, who was recently added to Team USA, would be a top-line scorer and defender on a contending team, Beard adds.
By re-hiring Carlisle, the Pacers are making a statement that they are no longer satisfied with mediocrity, says Bob Kravitz of The Athletic. Despite the team’s record this season, the Pacers have the pieces to make the playoffs and blossom into a contender. However, they need direction, professionalism and accountability, and bringing in Carlisle should facilitate that process.

Draft Notes: Pelicans, Giddey, Murphy, Duarte, Thor

June 29th, 2021 at 8:29am CST by Luke Adams

There’s a belief that the Pelicans won’t be especially eager to add another rookie to an already young roster, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link), who says the No. 10 pick in next month’s draft, currently held by New Orleans, is considered one of the most available in the lottery.

Within his latest mock draft, Givony also provides some intel on some other picks at the top of the draft, confirming that the Pistons are looking hard at Jalen Green and Evan Mobley, though most executives anticipate they’ll select Cade Cunningham. According to Givony, NBA teams don’t have a good feel for which direction the Rockets will go at No. 2, since the new front office doesn’t have an extensive track record. For now, Givony believes Green would be the pick for Houston over Mobley.

Here’s more on the 2021 NBA draft, which is exactly one month away:

In a separate Insider-only story for ESPN, Givony and Mike Schmitz break down the winners and losers of last week’s draft combine, noting that Australian prospect Josh Giddey was generating plenty of buzz despite not even attending the event in Chicago. James Bouknight, Sharife Cooper, and Trey Murphy were among the other projected first-round picks receiving positive feedback.
Speaking of Murphy, he has worked out for the Celtics and Spurs so far in the pre-draft process, as he told reporters. Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington has the story on the Virginia forward whose draft stock is on the rise.
The “rumor in Chicago” was that Oregon’s Chris Duarte, who pulled out of the draft combine, has received a guarantee early in the second round, per Marc Berman of The New York Post.
Potential first-round pick JT Thor of Auburn is working out for the Pacers, Hornets, Hawks, and Pelicans between now and July 6, as Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report details (Twitter link).

Central Notes: Cavs’ Lottery Pick, Buford, Diallo, Carlisle

June 25th, 2021 at 7:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers will not just limit their interview and workout list for the No. 3 pick to USC’s Evan Mobley, the G League Ignite’s Jalen Green and Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Those players are widely considered the next three prospects beyond Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham, who is only expected to visit Detroit

Duke’s Jalen Johnson, who is ranked No. 9 by ESPN, was scheduled to meet with the Cavaliers on Friday. The Cavs are also expected to look at the G League Ignite’s Jonathan Kuminga (rated No. 5) and Florida State’s Scottie Barnes (No. 6). The latter met with Cleveland’s brass on Thursday, Fedor adds.

We have more from the Central Division:

Chase Buford is leaving his post as the Wisconsin Herd’s head coach in order to become the head coach of the Sydney Kings in Australia’s NBL, according to a team press release. “We are excited for Chase to pursue this opportunity with one of the best clubs in Australia,” said Herd GM Dave Dean. Buford, 32, led the Bucks’ G League team to a league-best 33-10 record before the 2019/20 season was suspended due to the pandemic.
Along with mulling what to do with the top pick, the Pistons must decide how high they’re willing to go on restricted free agent Hamidou Diallo, Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) writes. Diallo is projected to command somewhere in the neighborhood of the mid-level exception, which the Pistons could easily match. Marks also explores the team’s other pending decisions and its cap situation.
With his long track record and a four-year contract, Rick Carlisle will command respect in the Pacers’ locker room, J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star (subscription required) writes.

Southwest Notes: Stone, Rockets Draft, Van Gundy, Grizzlies Pick

June 24th, 2021 at 8:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rockets general manager Rafael Stone is being coy with how he’ll approach the No. 2 overall pick in the draft and even hinted he’d be open to trading it, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. However, Stone does seem excited about adding a cornerstone to his roster. “The goal is to find a star player,” he said. “When you bring in young players especially, you’re really looking for star potential. I wouldn’t use the word ‘expect.’ I don’t want to put that pressure on a player. I do think we’re likely to get somebody really, really talented if we pick the pick.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Unless the Pistons do something surprising, Cade Cunningham will be off the board when the Rockets make their first of three first-round picks. Jalen Green, Evan Mobley and Jalen Suggs are the top candidates to be the No. 2 pick and Evan Young of the Houston Chronicle breaks down those players.
Stan Van Gundy was one-and-done as the Pelicans‘ head coach, while Tom Thibodeau was named Coach of the Year in his first season with the Knicks. The fact that the Knicks’ top players bought in to Thibodeau’s style and schemes while the Pelicans’ young core didn’t do the same with their veteran coach led to Van Gundy’s demise, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune writes. The Knicks also had more experienced players on their roster than the Pelicans, another reason why Van Gundy failed and Thibodeau thrived.
Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu and Oregon wing Chris Duarte are among the players the Grizzlies could target with the No. 17 overall pick, Evan Barnes of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. Barnes takes a look at five players who might be a fit with the current roster.

Central Notes: Pistons, Cavs, Pacers, Bulls

June 24th, 2021 at 12:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Oklahoma State star Cade Cunningham has long been considered the favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA draft, and the most likely outcome is that the Pistons will select him. However, we shouldn’t set that pick in stone yet, says Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, who said he got texts from multiple sources after the lottery saying that Detroit is thought to be very high on G League Ignite wing Jalen Green.

James L. Edwards III of The Athletic conveys a similar sentiment, citing sources who say that Green and USC big man Evan Mobley will get “heavy consideration” from the Pistons for the No. 1 pick. General manager Troy Weaver stated following the lottery win that the team will likely look at five players with that selection.

Rumors of the Pistons’ interest in Green or Mobley doesn’t mean the team won’t end up simply drafting Cunningham. But it’s a reminder that the pick isn’t necessarily considered a foregone conclusion like some past No. 1 selections have been. If they like Green or Mobley enough, perhaps the Pistons would even mull the possibility of shaking up the draft by trading down a spot or two.

Here’s more from around the Central:

Although they didn’t nab the first overall pick like their division rivals, the Cavaliers are in a great spot at No. 3, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Fedor contends there’s essentially no wrong answer with that pick, which could be used to draft a franchise cornerstone or possibly to trade for a star. “If that’s the direction that we want to go with that ammunition, we can certainly get in some (trade) conversations,” GM Koby Altman said. “But we really do like this draft.”
In the wake of reports that he has been hired to coach the Pacers, Rick Carlisle offered the following quote to Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link): “It’s a team of skilled, unselfish guys that play hard. It’s always possible that moves could be made before the season, but I think (president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard) and I are both very excited about getting the roster healthy and seeing what this team can be.”
Despite their lack of luck on lottery night, the Bulls believe in the foundation of their roster, says K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. We rounded up several more Bulls-related notes on Wednesday.

Full List Of 2021 NBA Draft Combine Participants

June 15th, 2021 at 4:58pm CST by Eli Cohen

The NBA has revealed via press release its list of 69 players who have been invited to next week’s draft combine in Chicago and who are expected to attend. The combine will take place from June 21-27.

While several of the prominent names at the top of the draft will opt to skip the event – most notably, presumed number one pick Cade Cunningham and Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs – there are several high-profile prospects set to attend. Evan Mobley, widely considered a likely choice for the No. 2 pick as well as potential top-five picks Jonathan Kuminga and Jalen Green headline the class of participants this year, along with potential lottery picks Moses Moody, Corey Kispert and Scottie Barnes.

According to the press release, players will conduct interviews with NBA teams, participate in five-on-five games, and go through shooting, strength and agility drills throughout the week-long event. It’s likely that the more high-profile names will focus more on the interviews than the drills.

The press release also confirms that a select number of standout players from the G League Elite Camp will be invited to participate in the Combine as well.

Here’s the full list of 69 names announced by the NBA today, in alphabetical order:

Max Abmas, G, Oral Roberts (sophomore)
Ochai Agbaji, G, Kansas (junior)
Marcus Bagley, F, Arizona State (freshman)
Scottie Barnes, F, Florida State (freshman)
Charles Bassey, C, Western Kentucky (junior)
Brandon Boston Jr., G/F, Kentucky (freshman)
James Bouknight, G, UConn (sophomore)
Greg Brown, F, Texas (freshman)
Jared Butler, G, Baylor (junior)
Julian Champagnie, G/F, St. John’s (sophomore)
Justin Champagnie, G/F, Pittsburgh (sophomore)
Josh Christopher, G, Arizona State (freshman)
Sharife Cooper, G, Auburn (freshman)
Ayo Dosunmu, G, Illinois (junior)
David Duke, G, Providence (junior)
Kessler Edwards, F, Pepperdine (junior)
Luka Garza, C, Iowa (senior)
RaiQuan Gray, F, Florida State (junior)
Jalen Green, G, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
Quentin Grimes, G, Houston (junior)
Sam Hauser, F, Virginia (senior)
Aaron Henry, G/F, Michigan State (junior)
Ariel Hukporti, C, Lithuania (born 2002)
Matthew Hurt, F, Duke (sophomore)
Nah’Shon Hyland, G, VCU (sophomore)
Isaiah Jackson, F, Kentucky (freshman)
David Johnson, G, Louisville (sophomore)
Jalen Johnson, F, Duke (freshman)
Keon Johnson, G, Tennessee (freshman)
Herb Jones, F, Alabama (senior)
Kai Jones, F, Texas (sophomore)
Johnny Juzang, G/F, UCLA (sophomore)
Corey Kispert, F, Gonzaga (senior)
Jonathan Kuminga, F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
Scottie Lewis, G, Florida (sophomore)
Isaiah Livers, F, Michigan (senior)
Makur Maker, C, Howard (freshman)
Sandro Mamukelashvili, F/C, Seton Hall (senior)
Tre Mann, G, Florida (sophomore)
Matthew Mayer, G/F, Baylor (junior)
Miles McBride, G, West Virginia (sophomore)
Davion Mitchell, G, Baylor (junior)
Evan Mobley, F/C, USC (freshman)
Isaiah Mobley, F, USC (sophomore)
Moses Moody, G, Arkansas (freshman)
Trey Murphy III, G, Virginia (junior)
Daishen Nix, G, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
John Petty Jr., G, Alabama (senior)
Yves Pons, G/F, Tennessee (senior)
Jason Preston, G, Ohio (junior)
Joshua Primo, G, Alabama (freshman)
Roko Prkacin, F, Croatia (born 2002)
Neemias Queta, C, Utah State (junior)
Austin Reaves, G, Oklahoma (senior)
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, F, Villanova (sophomore)
Terrence Shannon Jr., G/F, Texas Tech (sophomore)
Day’Ron Sharpe, F/C, North Carolina (freshman)
Jericho Sims, F/C, Texas (senior)
Jaden Springer, G, Tennessee (freshman)
DJ Steward, G, Duke (freshman)
Cameron Thomas, G, LSU (freshman)
JT Thor, F, Auburn (freshman)
Isaiah Todd, F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
Trendon Watford, F, LSU (sophomore)
Joe Wieskamp, G/F, Iowa (junior)
Ziaire Williams, F, Stanford (freshman)
McKinley Wright IV, G, Colorado (senior)
Moses Wright, F, Georgia Tech (senior)
Marcus Zegarowski, G, Creighton (junior)

Jalen Green Believes He Should Be No. 1 Draft Pick

May 29th, 2021 at 8:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Green doesn’t lack confidence when talking about his draft prospects. In an interview with Farbod Esnaashari of Bleacher Report, Green discusses his experiences with the G League Ignite, his decision to skip college basketball, and how he thinks he measures up against the rest of the 2021 draft class.

“I didn’t really start paying attention to it until after the (G League) bubble,” Green said. “I just felt like I should be No. 1 because I work harder than a lot of the dudes in my class. That’s the only reason. It’s not something that could have been or should have been; it’s just because I work harder.”

Green was a basketball pioneer along with Ignite teammates Jonathan Kuminga, Isaiah Todd, and Daishen Nix, who all sought an alternative to the traditional path to the NBA. They got to play alongside veterans such as Jarrett Jack and Bobby Brown while being coached by Brian Shaw.

During his time in the G League, Green was a dedicated student of game film. He paid particular attention to high-scoring guards Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine, whom he hopes to emulate, along with legends such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Green said Jack and Brown were especially helpful in offering tips about the pro game.

Green touches on several other subjects in the wide-ranging interview:

His advice to other high school stars who are considering the G League:

“I would say to, for sure, do it. If their goal is to get to the NBA and they’re one of the top kids in the country, I would say for sure. You’re going to pick up on things early, you’re going to be ahead of schedule, you’re just going to learn how to be an overall pro. This year was the first year (of the G League Ignite), so I’m sure the next years are going to get better and better.”

How the league prepared him for the NBA:

“I think it was overall a great experience. I learned a lot, I learned how to be a pro early. I was put in a pro setting. Improved my pro habits on and off the court. I feel I just got overall better. The young guys that were there got overall better too. It was just a great experience overall.”

What he learned by playing for Shaw:

“I think I learned a lot from B-Shaw. We were playing in the triangle offense, so that was an offense with a lot of vets put in. So that was cool learning that. I just got to pick his brain a lot about Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird and Shaq. We watched a lot of film. B-Shaw helped me a lot.”

The incentive that came with trying to be the top overall pick:

“For me, it’s like a motivation thing. Just because, at first I wasn’t even talked about going No. 1 because of the route I took. It was different, and I was off the map for a little bit. Even after the bubble, they still were talking about that. Just seeing that now is more motivation. I feel like that’s where I should have been. It’s a dream come true for sure; it does give me butterflies.”

Draft Notes: Maker, Hamilton, Riley, Green

May 28th, 2021 at 9:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Howard University freshman big man Makur Maker has declared for the draft but hasn’t hired an agent, leaving open the possibility of returning to college, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. Maker, 20, played only two games for the Bison last season because of a groin injury, averaging 11.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 2.0 APG. The team played only five games before the university shut down the season due of COVID-19 issues. Maker is listed at No. 100 on ESPN’s Best Available list.

We have more draft decisions and news:

UNLV’s Bryce Hamilton will remain in the draft process but plans to return to school, Jeff Goodman of Stadium tweets. The Rebels guard averaged 17.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 3.0 APG last season as a junior.
UCLA’s Cody Riley will also enter the draft while retaining his college eligibility, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets. Riley, a junior forward, had 14 points, 10 rebounds and five assists against Gonzaga in the Final Four. In 31 starts last season, he averaged 10 PPG and 5.4 RPG. “I’ve encouraged Cody to take advantage of this time and this evaluation process. I know that he wants to see where he fits at the next level and where he needs to improve,” coach Mick Cronin told the Associated Press.
Cade Cunningham sits atop Jonathan Wasserman’s big board but the Bleacher Report analyst has a mild surprise in the No. 2 slot, with Jalen Green ranking above Evan Mobley. Jalen Suggs is a close fourth in Wasserman’s rankings.